The NCG Golf Podcast

Have you paid your golf club membership subscription yet? For lots of us, deadline day is approaching very fast and it might be a last gasp decision whether to dig deep and stump up.

In this week's From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll consider the value of golf club membership.

Is it better value for money to be a member of a golf club, pay up front, and get the benefits of exclusive use, or is pay as you play in a green fee model the way to go?

Steve outlines some of his issues with having to lump up front for full membership, and whether that causes problems for particular age groups in clubs, while Tom outlines some of the considerations you should be thinking about when weighing up the decision and looks at golf club membership benefits.

It gets a bit lively at times but, as always, we hope you appreciate the golf membership debate. Let's get right into it...

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On this episode of The Slam, a National Club Golfer podcasts in association with Callaway, Alex Perry and Matt Chivers discuss the WGC-Match Play and, in particular, its absence from next season's schedule, the nonsense that is the third-place playoff, and the Golf Channel's controversial graphic that had social media alight.

They are also joined by Ryder Cup obsessive Rob Giannotti, of Blue on the Board, to discuss everything to do with the European team. So should captain Luke Donald be concerned about his players' form - particularly in Austin - and how does the team prepare to avoid another hammering at the hands of the Americans?

As for who makes the team - will anyone come from out of nowhere to grab a slot? Rob puts one name into the ring that will definitely throw you!

It's a fascinating insight, so be sure not to miss it...

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We don't want you to think of us as one-trick-ponies but it's another podcast and another week talking about the World Handicap System.

That's because Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll took the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, on the road and visited Woodhall Spa, the headquarters of England Golf, to speak to James Luke, the governing body's new Head of Handicapping and Course Rating.

We get stuck into course rating, PCC, interoperability, and much more besides - including if higher handicappers are actually dominating competitions, the vital role of the marker in protecting the integrity of the system, and what might be coming in the future. 

There are some funny stories along the way too so let's get stuck in...

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In this week's episode of The Slam, a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway, Alex Perry and Matt Chivers discuss the ridiculous finish at the Valspar Championship, where Jordan Spieth was clearly just keeping his form for the upcoming Masters and Grand Slam pursuit at the PGA Championship, while golf's nicest man Tommy Fleetwood was also in the mix for a first win on the US circuit.

Not so nice, though, was Matt Wallace, who came under fire after being caught in a foul-mouthed rant at his caddie.

Elsewhere, another Alan Shipnuck expose has LIV Golf's PR teams scrambling. Are we starting to see divisions among the players? And might others be having regrets about joining the breakaway league? It certainly looks like it. 

Let's dive in... 

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'Golf is doing well and we don't want to undermine this'. So said the R&A and USGA as they unveiled a proposal to unleash a new competition golf ball on elite events - but steered well clear of anything that could affect the recreational game.

Should club golfers feel left out as governing bodies seek comment on their plans to reduce hitting distances at the highest level?

On this week's From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll break down what they think of the Model Local Rule, the golf ball roll back in general, and ask whether it will have any impact on us at our clubs.

How far down the amateur ladder could the proposals reach, should we get the chance to try out a reduced-distance ball, and is it a fallacy to think we've ever played the same game as the world's best?

Tom's also surging with excitement for the start of the club match play season, and will Steve stump him again with this week's rules question? There's a lot to discuss, so let's get stuck in...

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The USGA and R&A are proposing a significant roll back in golf ball distance for elite competition.

This change would mean bifurcation in golf, with different rules for professionals compared to club golfers. 

Tom Irwin, Hannah Holden and Jack Backhouse discuss the proposed rule changes, why changes are being made and if the governing bodies are doing the right thing. 

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In a special Players Championship edition of The Slam - a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway - Alex Perry and Hannah Holden sit by the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass watching players take on the famous island green while discussing their week in Florida.

Then, later, usual co-host Matt Chivers joins to discuss Scottie Scheffler's incredible win, his Grand Slam hopes, the PGA Tour's newest star, and the player who blew almost $1,000,000 in an hour.

Enjoy!

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Medal, Stableford, fourball. It's a holy trinity for golfers and makes up the vast majority of what we play at our clubs.

But Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll like to spread their wings a bit wider and, in this episode of the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, they get stuck into their favourite golf formats.

Tom expounds on his love of foursomes, while Steve asks if some golfers are too inflexible about what they'll play on a weekend.

He also tries to bamboozle Tom once again with a Rules of Golf question, while the two ponder whether the huge structural changes happening on the PGA Tour has any impact on what we think at grassroots level.

Go grab a cup of tea, something stronger, or settle in behind that wheel and prepare to be entertained...

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It's Players week and the NCG team are in place at TPC Sawgrass. But the biggest talking point ahead of the PGA Tour's flagship event? LIV Golf, of course. 

In this episode of The Slam, a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway, Alex Perry and Matt Chivers break down the big debate about last year's champion Cameron Smith, and how Rory McIlroy is concerned about more than just Greg Norman's breakaway league. 

Don't worry, we'll talk about The Players too, and we've even picked out a few potential winners.

Enjoy.

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Does club golf for you revolve around turning up and chucking balls in the air, or are we now hooked on the concept of booked tee times? 

Covid considerably changed the landscape of how some of us play our golf and in this week's From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll consider what's on offer at clubs and whether the humble roll up has passed its sell-by date.

Tom and Steve explain how mixing with lots of different players was pivotal in their early experiences of the game, but they also look at how important knowing exactly when you're going to play is for a modern time-poor generation.

The pair also look at whether a hybrid mix can suit everyone, while Steve has a World Handicap System plea for those who make roll-ups the majority of their time on the course.

England Golf's Awards, Tom's travails with tailoring, and an impromptu Rules quiz are also in the mix, so what are you waiting for? That play button won't click itself.

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