As regular listeners know, at Talk Birdie to Me we have a wonderful relationship with PING, who Nick O'Hern has played with his entire career, and they're absolute guns. And as Nick always says, there's a heap of golf companies doing great things, and we love hearing their stories. Titleist are one of those, and their balls are used by something like 90% of pros around the world, and Mark has used Titleist gear for many years now.

Today in a bonus pod we chat with Stephanie Lutrell, the Metalwood Development Director at Titleist in California. Stephanie tells us about her background and how she got into golf as a career following her playing career as a collegiate golfer. Mark asks about his experience with the new technology that Stephanie has been working with, and the design objectives. She explains to Nick and Mark how they test the clubs with players before they come to market.

Nick asks about the GT name and what the GT stands for.

Stephanie talks about the iteration process of developing clubs and how long it takes, and if the clubs that you can buy instore are the same as the ones the Titleist pros use. Stephanie talks about the importance of being fitted as regularly as you can to ensure your clubs are working for your game, irrespective of what brand you use this is great advice.

A fascinating chat with Stephanie, and whether your preference is PING (like Nick!), or Titliest, Callaway, TaylorMade or another brand - there are tips to pick up from chats like these and things to learn. We know that ultimately the right brand is the one that works for the individual.

Thanks to our great partners

• PING will help you play your best, like they have for Nick O'Hern. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;
• The new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store or Google Play;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, join GCO Live for great member benefits and comps. They're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and the Sunshine Coast, or online here.
• Southern Golf Club - Home of the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2025, entry is free!
• Greyhound Racing Victoria - with the big Australian Open night on Saturday November 30!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter has left a message with some suggestions for issues to cover on the upcoming potential podcast on rakes that Marko has been banging on about. Truth be told, we have a slight suspicion that Peter is ripping the piss, but hey who are we to judge.

If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, takes 60-seconds.

We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. The Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using your data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We always love feedback and questions, and often we can't get to it all in the normal pod, otherwise it would go for far too long, so we occasionally do a bonus feedback pod - and here's another one!

Today we hear from Cameron who is looking to get fitted in Melbourne and is after some advice, which Nick and Mark are all too happy to give.

Stewy messaged us about local courses with difficult holes that are quite challenging, wanting some suggestions.

Sam has just been to the US and Mexico and was blown away by the cost of playing golf over there, and wants to know why the fees are so expensive.

And we have a voicemail from Clint on bunker play, he's had some challenges and outlines what happened and asks the boys for input.

Keep the feedback and questions coming, we love it and it really adds to the pod.

And as always thanks to our great partners!

• PING will help you play your best, like they have for Nick O'Hern. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;
• The new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store or Google Play;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, join GCO Live for great member benefits and comps. They're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and the Sunshine Coast, or online here.
• Southern Golf Club - Home of the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2025, entry is free!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big pod this week, plenty going on as always, and we start with the news that Adam Scott will not return for the Australian Open, Nick and Mark discuss. And we get onto the date, and if moving it would make it easier for players to come home for the Open, and to get the big international names. Mark calls the Australian Open date 'poison' for the tournament and says it has to change.

We chat about Tigers tournament, which Mark says is less about results, and more about Tiger.

We chat about getting the legendary Ian Baker-Finch on the pod to outline his masterplan for Australian golf. How it will look over the next decade, how to get more Aussies on the DP World Tour, and Mark reckons IBF could pick up the phone and call Yasir at The PIF and get things done.

Nick talks about the 23 page memo that the PAC have sent to members re: proposed 2026 changes, one proposed change Nick and Mark are blown away by, which has to do with pace of play. We discuss the proposal to move from 125 to 100 players, and Mark believes that we will lose some 'poster boys' if that change goes through.

A great win by Phoenix Campbell over Jak Carter in Queensland at the weekend in a playoff, the tournament was a cracker and Nick and Mark saw it all as they were commenting on Kayo, and discuss the playoff and how it went. They raise a ruling about relief for Phoenix on the 9th hole which they believe the rules official got wrong, so we call our rules guy Stu McPhee to explain the rule. Stu hadn't seen the incident itself, so can't comment on that, but he does explain to us how the rule is applied.

Last week Mark predicted 65, Nick 69, for themselves in the Box Hill ProAm. What went wrong? We discuss.

And we have a chat to the Director of Golf at the Warragul Country Club, Heath Jones, about their fantastic junior program. It should be replicated, it's wonderful and getting results.

A hilarious Top 5 from Nick today - the Top 5 moments from Q School. Some brilliant stories!

Plenty of feedback this week, so much that we'll do a bonus feedback pod later in the week.

Nick takes us around the world in the PING Global results, and Mark's masterclass is on playing in 'swirly' conditions, just as Nudgee was at the weekend.

• PING will help you play your best, like they have for Nick O'Hern. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;
• The new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store or Google Play;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, join GCO Live for great member benefits and comps. They're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and the Sunshine Coast, or online here.
• Southern Golf Club - Home of the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2025, entry is free!
• Flinders Golf Club, an historical treasure!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cracking voicemail from Scott in Melbourne this week, who went to see the great man Matt Austin at PING for a fitting, and wanted to tell us how it went. If you haven't heard our bonus ep a while ago with Matt, just search 'Talk Birdie Matt Austin' wherever you listen to podcasts and you can hear that chat.

If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, takes 60-seconds.

We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern (and Scott from Melbourne!), PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using your data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a fascinating bonus pod, we're at Flinders Golf Club overlooking the water, the waves, and of course the stunning golf course. And today we're going to learn about the course, it's history, some of the quirks of the course.

We start by chatting with Andrew Kirby, who talks us through why he loves Flinders and why the course is so special. He says the views are better than Pebble Beach. There are also deep links between Flinders and Royal Melbourne, which we hear all about.

Nick likens the view to the Monterey Peninsula, saying you could almost be there. Nick asks Andrew about the legendary Peter Thomson's history with Flinders, and Andrew explains the origins of that.

Mark then brings up the trees. Of course he does. The beautiful Cypress trees. They may be imported, but they're now part of the fabric and they serve a very practical purpose at Flinders, which we hear about.

Nick says Flinders has a great collection of Par 3's, and that the 12th hole - called Aunt Sally - is a particularly tough one. The names of the holes are full of character, and Andrew tells us about a plan, years ago, to remove a couple of the holes and the protests that occurred at the time. One of the holes is called the 'Coffin Hole', and we find out how that name came about.

After the turn we chat to club captain Phil Hurley about the course renovation and the thoughts behind that, and how important it is to retain the magic of the course. Phil says that it has proven to be extremely hard to break par at Flinders, and that few do. We then chat to Life Member Ray Smith, who appears to have forgiven Nick O'Hern for trying to steal his carpark, Ray has been a member since he was a little tacker and tells about why he loves the course so much.

It's a fascinating pod, and a great history lesson of this fantastic course that, as Mark Allen says, helped him, and countless others, fall in love with golf.

• PING will help you play your best, like they have for Nick O'Hern. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;
• The new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store or Google Play;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, join GCO Live for great member benefits and comps. They're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and the Sunshine Coast, or online here.
• Southern Golf Club - Home of the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2025, entry is free!
• Flinders Golf Club, a historical treasure!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Always great to get your voicemails, and after hearing Nick and Mark chat about shortening courses to help younger players, older players and newcomers last week, Jake from Charlestown Golf Club in Lake Macquarie left a voicemail explaining what they've done. He even sent us a video of their tees, which you can see here.

If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, takes 60-seconds.

We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using your data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're live from Flinders Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula, what a view! If you haven't been here, it is stunning, and a wonderful course. We're having a yak, enjoying the views and a coffee, not a bad way to spend a day.

Nick raises the TGL in the US, an indoor golf league, and explains how it works. Mark talks to the simulators in South Korea and how they work. Could it work in Australia? Mark says yes and hopes someone with deep pockets considers it. Nick was listening to a voicemail from Simon from Bonnie Doon Golf Club about our Ryder Cup chat last week, and we discuss 'all you can eat' ticket prices. Mark tells the story of Sage Valley and how it came about, and the ticket prices and inclusions.

A voicemail comes in from Baden in Newcastle asking about matchplay tips. Nick explains how he approached playing Tiger in matchplay. Nick had a couple of things he always did in matchplay and Mark gives a couple of his tips. Mark asks Nick about 'gimmes' and Nick tells a cracking Tiger story, and a story about playing Rory Sabbatini.

Mark brings up comments from the DPWT Chief Operating Officer about the PGA, DPWT. and LIV merging (or not), and his comments that there will be a deal within 6-months. We discuss the whether LIV are repositioning for the next stage.

Mark raises a bugbear of his, around pros playing pennant golf - both he and Nick are against it, and believe it needs to be stopped. After the turn, thanks to the sensational Southern Golf Club, Marks Top 5 are his favourite 5 hole names at Flinders Golf Club - there are some rippers.

Nick takes us around the world with the PING Global results, plenty of big results from the past few days. During the PING global, Mark names what he thinks is the 'sexiest shot in golf'.

We discuss the slogan at the Bellata Golf Club in NSW and what it means - "It takes a lot of balls to play (here)" - Mark has a theory.

Plenty of feedback this week, keep it coming on socials, emails and voicemails. Feedback thanks to the great Flinders Golf Club, where we are live from today. Masterclass for the watchMynumbers app is today from Nick. He watched a young player called Billy White at the weekend and he was impressed with his pace of play, the masterclass is on matching your pace to your personality. And given we're at Flinders Golf Club, we wanted to chat to the big honcho here, Jon Gahan, about just how awesome the location, the club and the facilities are.

• PING will help you play your best, like they have for Nick O'Hern. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;
• The new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store or Google Play;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, join GCO Live for great member benefits and comps. They're in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and the Sunshine Coast, or online here.
• Southern Golf Club - Home of the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2025, entry is free!
• Flinders Golf Club, an historical treasure!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few voicemails this week, and we love them! Simon from the beautiful Bonnie Doon golf club in Pagewood heard Nick and Mark talking in this weeks podcast about the ludicrous ticket prices at the Ryder Cup, and wanted to clarify one point .

If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, takes 60-seconds.

We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using your data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another voicemail this week, this one from Scott in Brisbane who has some comments on Cam Smith, and on the PGA TV coverage that Nick was commentating with for the WA Open at the weekend.

If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, takes 60-seconds.

We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using your data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.