Neil Crafter and Dr John Green published the definitive biography of Alex Russell in 2016. Neil joins for this episode to delve into the life and times of arguably Australia's greatest home-grown golf architect.

We take a look at the Russell family's Scottish heritage and what prompted their subsequent move to Australia. Alex's education in Geelong, Glenalmond and Cambridge, his service during WW1 & WW2, his exploits as a Champion Golfer, partnership with Dr. Mac & utilising the undoubted construction talents of Mick Morcom... plus the design of a few decent golf courses for good measure..

Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the listen!

A link to Neil's recent update of the Alister MacKenzie Chronology can be found here

You can also find more information on Neil's books below

Discovering Alex Russell

The Good Doctors Prescriptions

Episode music supplied under license from Epedemic Sound

Special Guest: Neil Crafter.

Ryan Noades joins us today to take a look at what may very well be JF Abercromby's design opus. The Addington was of course a collaboration between Abercromby and Harry S Colt, expertly routed to circumnavigate a sand and gravel hilltop heathland site some 9 miles due south of central London.

The Noades' have owned the Addington since 2006 and have lovingly curated the course ever since. Over the years it became apparent to Ryan and his family that a world class golf course was hiding in plain site beneath the organic detritus that had invaded playing corridors, reduced strategic options and hampered firm and fast playing conditions.

In 2019 in conjunction with the design firm Clayton De Vries & Pont a course correction was undertaken to commit fully to a faithful restoration of The Addington to its' former glory.

We endeavour to explore a small part of this journey today, hopefully leaving you with a better feel for both the place and indeed a driven individual who is equally besotted, energised and excited by all of the possibilities that The Addington represents.

Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the show!

I've visited The Addington twice thus far and took some time to write about what I've found, please click on this link to have a read.

Episode music used under license from Epedemic Sound

Special Guest: Ryan Noades.

Scotsman Iain Forrester has been a golf professional since 1983, moving to The Netherlands to become the Head Professional at Hoenshuis Golf & Country Club in Limburg.

Iain believes that

Iain’s particular niche of choice focusses on maintaining and preserving the history of golf, in particular the way it was played in the past with wooden hickory clubs.

Iain repairs and restores hickory equipment for fellow collectors while also suppling sets for hickory events throughout Europe.

As if that’s not enough he has also written extensively about hickory golf and golf history in general. Safe to say he’s a great man to have on the pod to talk about on all things relating to hickory and Dutch golf.

Iain's website can be found here

The Golfika article on the history of British Handicapping mentioned in the show can be found here - pages 6 - 11.

Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy listening.

Episode music supplied under license from Epedemic Sound

Iain Forrester is a Scottish Golf Professional who has been based in The Netherlands since 1988. He joined me recently for an extensive chat about Hickory Golf, Golf in the Netherlands and his life in golf. This is a story he forgot to tell us, thankfully I managed to press record again before we ended our time together. The preceding conversation was most enjoyable and will be released over the coming days... keep an eye out for it!

If you're enoying the pod, I would be very grateful if you could submit a review on your podcast hosting platform of choice. It really would be appreciated.

Trailer sound track supplied under licence from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Iain Forrester.

Aspiring honorary Irishman, Richard Pennell, joins us on this episode to reminisce about four golf trips he undertook to Ireland over the past 12 months.

The North Coast & Donegal featured heavily and rightly so. The intrepid traveller also found time to schedule two whistle stop visits to County Mayo on the very Wild Atlantic Way, while also visiting a smattering of what the Dublin area has to offer from a golfing perspective.

It amounted to a links overload which left Richard energised and plotting an imminent return. We hope the pod may give you some ideas as to where you might travel to in 2025, however, word of warning it might also make you a little envious that Richard passes these visits off as 'work'.....

Either way, many thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy our chat!

One of the last few copies of Richard's first book Grass Routes can be purchased by following this link

The Links Diary

Richard has written some great pieces on his @pitchmarks substack account and elsewhere. Please find a few links below to musings on some of his travels around Ireland:

County Louth - currently a blank piece of paper.... he has promised us one, just as soon as inspiration arrives

The North Coast - an Article that appeared in Golf Today

Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Richard Pennell.

Mike Clayton joins me on this episode to provide us with an update on grow in at 7 Mile Beach, The Sandbelt Invitational, the Australian Summer of Golf and some local projects that Clayts, Harley Kruse and Lukas Michel have been working on recently.

We also explore; the challenges that flatter sites present to the course designer, the relative under appreciation of English Golf, Tom Simpson, CDP in France, why routing and flow are important elements in course design and some bucket list design projects.

Many thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the show!

Pic credits - CDP Golf & 7 Mile Beach

Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Mike Clayton.

After a summer break filled with a research project (which is almost assuredly going to translate into an episode), F&F are back with a new episode recently recorded with Colin Byrne...

Many listeners will recognize Colin's name as bag man supremo with more than 40 years logged thus far as a globe trotting golfing sherpa. He has caddied for many of the modern greats including Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Clarke and Fred Couples.

We take a trip down memory lane with Colin to explore writing, winning US Opens at Shinnecock Hills, bad bahaviour and Q school amongst other topics.

We hope you enjoy the chat.

As mentioned during the show, copies of Bagman 1 & 2 are available online via the links below (you can also access them through an Irish Times online subscription)

https://www.amazon.com/Bagman-Inside-Exclusive-World-Professional/dp/0954865308/ref=sr_1_11?sr=8-11

https://www.amazon.com/Bagman-Inside-Ropes-Leading-Looper/dp/0954865383/ref=sr_1_13?sr=8-13

Colin has also released another book, entitled The Little White Ball, which is full of practical advice on improving your game, link below

https://www.amazon.com/Little-White-Ball-score-ability-ebook/dp/B01JBHUPSE

Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Colin Byrne.

A recent trip to Walton Heath afforded me an opportunity to meet with Philip Truett at his home at Walton on the Hill. Philip recently co-authored a biography on William Herbert Fowler, entitled 'A Matter of Course'. The book paints a brilliant picture of a life well lived, not without a modicum of drama. Fowler by all accounts was a by-product of his time and social standing, who undoubteldy left an indelible mark on golf both in the UK and the USA.

We mainly stay on topic or at the very least always return to the vicinity of where we meandered away from it.... please enjoy the chat, it was great fun to put it together for our collective enjoyment, engaging with someone as knowledgable as Philip has been a real treat.

Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Philip Truett.

Recorded 1/5/2024

Nathan Bennett comes from counrty Victorian farming stock, so he's not afraid of hard yakka ('hard work' for non Australians). His can do approach has seen him on a green keeping journey which started in Murray Downs and would go on to include Metropolitan, Moonah Legends, The Sands and finally Royal Adelaide Golf Club.

We take a look at Nathan's journey while also lingering upon the Royal Adelaide story, since the clubs foundation back in 1892. The clubs centenary book is a great read (if you can get your hands on it.... its out of print for many years btw but there are a limited number of copies available from Abe Books - see link below) and through its auspices we tease out some of the ongoing historical and modern challenges that maintaining a world class golf course in a dry and arid climate, such as Adelaide, represents.

Nathan is a great guest and I really enjoyed my time with him. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

The Royal Adelaide Golf Club - By Michael Cudmore - 1892 to 1992

Please feel free to check out an article on our Substack account that profiles Royal Adelaide Golf Club and the delights of Adelaide

Firm & Fast Links

Music used under license from Epidemic Sound

Episode Imagery - credit Gary Lisbon (provided through RAGC)

Special Guest: Nathan Bennett.

The stars finally aligned recently in providing me with an opportunity to spend some time with Angela Moser - golf course architect, shaper and world traveller!

There was no sign of either a dozer or a digger.... although I am absolutely sure that one of those is undoubtedly in her immediate future.

In this episode we take a deep dive on Renaissance's only current Irish course, St Patricks Links @ The Rosapenna Golf Resort, where Angela, Tom Doak, Eric Iverson, Clyde Johnson, Brian Schneider, Brian Slawnik, Blake Conant, Don Placek & Co. have created what in all likelihood will probably be the last great links to be built in Ireland.

We take a look Angela's back story in golf, which started by chance when her parents enrolled her in a three day golf summer camp for kids in her home town of Augsburg, Germany.

The golf bug bit, ultimately leading her towards a degree in Landscape Architecture at the Munich Univeristy of Applied Sciences, followed by a year long Erasmus scholarship in Sheffield. This UK sojourn, afforded Angela both the encouragement and opportunity to immerse herself in disciphering the myriad puzzles that many of the great UK courses afford golfers.

After graduation, Angela worked in Greenkeeping and Golf Course Design in Germany and Austria.

An internship with Renaissance Golf Design would follow in 2011 and the rest as they say is history.

We take a look at some of this history, while also looking at a few of the upcoming projects that are on the drawing board and one that our interview subject might be inclined to put there, should the opportunity every arise.

Many thanks to Angela for graciously affording me the time to speak with her. We both very much hope you enjoy our chat.

If you want to find out more about The Olde Glen Bar, Glen Village, Co. Donegal, please click on the following link

Additional details on the Rosapenna Golf Resort stay and play packages can be found by clicking on the following link

Angela mentions Norderney Golf Club during the course of the episode, you can visit the Norderney Golf Club website by clicking here, alternatively you can read a little more about it on the Good Sundays Website.

Angela Moser Socials

[Moser Golf Website](moseronadozer.com)

F&F Podcast Socials

Twitter/X

The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast Occasional Newsletter on Substack

Episode Music provided under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Angela Moser.