Shows
Australian Golf PassportEpisode Seventy Two - Ewan PorterMatt flying solo for this one, with special guest Ewan Porter discussing a range of topics, as Scott was racking up the birdie alongside Nick Mills on his beloved NSW GC at the time of recording. Our anchor will be back for the next episode – which we’re really excited about. More to come on that soon…We start this episode off recapping Ewan’s experiences on playing every metropolitan golf course in Sydney, along with some details of his times with the Gala Boys, and vintage equipment. He shares his thoughts on golf courses...2025-06-2447 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Seventy One - Goals Review & General Golf ChatA casual chat for this episode – Scott and Matt discuss recent golf, a plan to build excitement in the lead-up to the Australian Open, and more. The goals outlined at the start of the year also come in for a mid-season review. Tons of good stuff covered. We hope you enjoy the chat, and as always with the goals – we hope this topic encourages all of you to set a target and go for it. As discussed in the episode – a few links below to the books we’ve read, and the hosts of the sensation...2025-06-091h 16Australian Golf PassportEpisode Seventy - Listener Questions (Part 2)Another longish episode where we wrap up the huge batch of listener questions forwarded to us recently. Membership issues, rankings, golf in Sydney, architecture, course comparisons, and so much more. A really interesting and varied grab bag of subjects to ponder. Thanks again to all those who submitted via the Insta story call-out. To start the episode, we spend a moment talking over the opening of 7 Mile Beach and preliminary rounds there, Rory’s place in the field for the Australian Open this year and next, and drought conditions on King Island, among other little sni...2025-05-261h 39Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Nine - Listener Qs (Hanse at Barny, Ranking the Royals, Sydney gems, $600 to spend on the Mornington, and more)This latest edition of Australian Golf Passport podcast is an ever-popular Listener Questions episode. Thanks to all those who submitted via the Insta story call-out. Almost 5 dozen questions will form hours of discussion for this episode and the next! We got to 28 of them in this two-hour session.Lots of great stuff to mull over ranging from turf, rankings, architecture, travel on a budget, new courses and those under renovation, Mornington Peninsula questions, stuff on King Island and Tasmania, as well as a few esoteric queries which are always great to get the juices flowing....2025-05-082h 03Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Eight - Yarra YarraWe’re back to devote an entire episode to Yarra Yarra – one of those Sandbelt courses that doesn’t quite get the love it deserves on occasions. We start the episode with a fast review of Scott’s recent Canberra visit, including his quick lap around Royal Canbera. For those keen to visit Royal Canberra, click the link below -https://www.royalcanberra.com.au/cms/golf/playing-at-royal-canberra/ During Scott’s October 2024 trip to Melbourne we took a look around Yarra Yarra, and have been keen to discuss the course and c...2025-04-281h 34Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Seven - Tom Mackenzie on rebuilding NSWGC & discovering Aussie golfTom Mackenzie from Mackenzie & Ebert is our guest for this episode, talking all things NSWGC redesign, plus the arm-wrestle between designing in the dirt and having a plan to work to, the tension between form and function, tricks for making tight sections of property feel spacious and why he thinks Melbourne is the best golf city in the world.But before then, because this is who we are now, there's a mea culpa about the love lives of two of Gil Hanse's employees...As always – special thanks to our OG supporter - An...2025-04-041h 22Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Six - Royal Sydney Is (Almost) Ready!Fast turn around from last episode to this – with RoyalSydney about to publicly unveil their newly renovated Gil Hanse golf course. After a recent multi-hour walk around the property with super Adam Marchant, Scott shares his views on the design, and the highlights of the reworked layout. Needless to say – expectations were exceeded! Prior to that, we briefly discuss golf shoes and a PhD studyundertaken by a listener of the pod. The link below takes you to a 10 minute survey for a LaTrobe University Podiatry faculty research project on golf footwear. We hope...2025-03-291h 07Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Five - Recent EventsThis episode affords the chance to review loads of little topics on the Australian golf landscape - courses re-opening after works, Karl Vilips breakthrough win, Matt's quick jaunt to Tara Iti, activities of panelists on the AGP Top 50 panel, and more of Scott's ball testing.Metro, The Lakes, NSW, Mt Lawley, Royal Sydney and more are all discussed. It's been a busy little time. As discussed - preview play at 7 Mile Beach is on the horizon. Details as published in Australian Golf Digest magazine are below - ...2025-03-221h 11Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Four - New South Wales GC renovation, Scott's instant reactionNew South Wales GC is baaaaaack!Matt checks in with Scott after opening weekend at the newly-renovated NSWGC for a quick initial reaction to the changes. Spoiler: he enjoyed himself.Seed Golf has provided an introductory 20% off for listeners to Australian Golf Passport. Head to seedgolf.com.au and enter AGP at checkout to get your hands on some premium golf balls at a super low price point. Thanks so much to Dean and all at Seed. Some of you have already tried Seed balls - thanks for supporting those who sup...2025-03-0346 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Three - Golf Along The Murray River, with Brian WalsheAn episode topic that has been consistently requested since we first started recording Australian Golf Passport – a deep dive into Golf Along The Might River Murray. We’re joined by Brian Walshe – great friend of the pod, and a passionate golfer who has planned & enjoyed dozens of Murray River golf trips over the decades. Courses, accommodation, meals, drinks, and everything you need to know about playing the game along the northern Victorian border. We get into it all as Brian provides an hour of expert insight. As referenced in the episode – a few resou...2025-02-281h 19Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty Two - Commonwealth deep dive, Aussie Open news, Fliers Club and Dean from SeedWe could have taken the easy way out and made this two episodes to chip away at our goal of 26 for the year, but instead here's two and a half hours of listening spanning four topics.We open with a chat about sanity prevailing at Sandringham with the men's and women's Aussie Opens to be contested separately again from 2025 after a failed three-year experiment co-sanctioning the two. Where to for both tournaments after so much damage was done to their standing?The main event is an hour-long deep dive...2025-02-142h 32Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty One - A big announcementWe've been working on something exciting, and we're pumped to share it with you.
First cab off the rank for 2025 allows us the chance to formulate some new goals for the coming 12 months and reflect on the previous year.
This is an enjoyable and rewarding process - shamelessly based on the famous NoLayingUp annual Goals Pod. Not without its challenges, the job of identifying some targets and working towards them through the year is definitely something we suggest you all undertake. We'd love you to share your goals and hopes for 2025.
As you'll hea...2025-01-2550 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Sixty - 2024 Australian Golf Passport AwardsOur final episode for 2024 takes a look back at the year that was - with awards for a range of fantastic courses, great performances and favorite moments of the year.
Superintendents, pro shops, renovated courses and playing partners all come in for a little love and affection. We'd love to hear who you think deserves some praise for a great year too!
2025 looks like being an awesome twelve months for Australian golf, with a series of course renovations completing, and the imminent opening of 7 Mile Beach. We chat briefly about what lies ahead, and can't wai...2024-12-3053 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Nine - Ross Flannigan, inc. Sandbelt Invitational wrap-upA massive Christmas holiday edition for you to take in over a long festive season car trip, or during a relaxing lie down in the sun over the Christmas break.
This episode starts with a little rundown on the recently completed Sandbelt Invitational to kick things off before sinking our teeth into the discussion with Ross Flannigan.
Ross will be well known to many through his photography and his long-running podcast – My Love of Golf. He joins us from Scotland to talk about his beloved Peninsula Kingswood, his time in golf retail, recent move to Edi...2024-12-202h 01Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Eight - A Ton of Listener QuestionsWe thought we'd get on our bikes and up the rate at which we publish, as the finish line for 2024 nears. After having recorded a long episode in which we quickly review the goals for the year, this episode features heaps of responses to a great range of listener questions.
During the edit process - Matt spilt a coffee over his laptop, and was offline for a fortnight. The episode was saved, but late to air. So the stuff about Black Friday & the Australian Open? - Expired (obv).
Thanks...2024-12-051h 42Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Seven - Save Moore Park GC's Jared Kendler, plus latest Metro/Huntingdale newsHot on the heels of the release of a plan by the Save Moore Park Golf Course alliance to keep the course at 18 holes, we chat with the driving force behind that alliance, Jared Kendler.
Jared talks us through the issues and the plan that the golf community is hoping will be embraced by the NSW Government, which owns the site.
His group has proposed a sophisticated, thorough, sensible and economically sustainable proposal to manage the issue of recreational space and the existing golf course in central Sydney.
Go support this group's push t...2024-11-151h 08Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Six - Peninsula Kingswood (North) full post-mortemThe longest episode we've ever done! There was a lot to discuss...
The keenly anticipated chat on one of the most dramatic, and visually striking courses in the land. Following on from Scott's whirlwind trip to Melbourne a fortnight back, we do a deep dive on PK North. More than a good looker, this course is a gem in every way. Playable and strategically engaging with artful hazards, and intricate greens. No wonder this is a crowd favourite - we're happy to finally discuss PK North with you. It's a high quality, fun and memorable layout.
2024-11-011h 48Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Five - Sandbelt trip wrap-up: PK & CommonwealthThree days, five rounds, two course walks, 65,000 steps each. We're cooked. But before Scott gets on a plane home, we've got a quick recap of our rounds at Peninsula-Kingswood North and South, and a hotly anticipated lap of the newly renovated Commonwealth.
Shoutout Angus & Grace Go Golfing.
Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.
Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com2024-10-2051 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Four - Sandbelt golf trip day one: PK, Yarra, listener QsA quick debrief on the first day of our Melbourne Sandbelt golf trip. Not the day we had planned thanks to a 50mm drop of rain, but we still saw plenty and had a lot to discuss.
As always – special thanks to our podcast supporter – Angus & Grace Go Golfing. Check their website for latest apparel and product drops. You can also visit their Instagram page, or bricks and mortar store (William Street Paddington), and get your hands on some of the best golf apparel in the world.
Images related to this episode can b...2024-10-1845 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Three - Chris SolomonA super special guest for the long overdue next episode of the podcast. Chris Solomon from No Laying Up joins us to share his views on all things golf Down Under. Soly has travelled here several times over the years, with his visits bookended by Tourist Sauce Seasons #1 and #9. Between those visits he got to play the Composite course at Royal Melbourne at the time of the most recent Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. Links to all these on YouTube are below.
Soly shares his views on what he loves about great golf, and touches on A...2024-10-101h 13Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty Two - Aussie golf media doyen Brendan JamesBrendan James, long-time editor of Golf Australia magazine is our special guest for this episode. Brendan is a doyen of the Australian Golf Media landscape, spending more than quarter of a century at the helm of Golf Australia magazine. He’s now concluded his time there, doing his own thing under the banner of Snap Hook Media – https://snaphookmedia.com/
We chat with Brendan about his start in journalism, and the changing landscape of publishing throughout his working life. We talk all things golf – equipment, players, regional golf, premier courses, media, six foot ladders, drones, rankings and more.2024-08-301h 07Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty One - Gil Hanse & Josh McFadden on Royal Sydney GCA thrill to speak with Josh McFadden and Gil Hanse of Hanse Golf Design. Both are visiting our country to complete renovation of the course at Royal Sydney Golf Club. This exciting development is entering the home stretch, after years of planning and work. Gil’s work is world-renowned, and we hope this commission in Sydney is the first of more projects for he and his team in times to come. Gil and Josh speak about their work at Rose Bay, how they see the project shaping up, and more broadly, their impressions of Australian golf. A great insight from t...2024-08-0540 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Fifty - Metro/Huntingdale merger, Five Mile Beach update & other newsWe've made it to 50 episodes!
Metropolitan and Huntingdale are planning to merge, the Aussie Open is back on the sandbelt, some news about the likely architect of Five Mile Beach, two more courses for King Island (?!) and Royal Sydney is taking shape...
Shoutout Angus & Grace, shoutout Burley Brewing, shoutout Will Drew!2024-07-1552 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Nine - Architecture listener questionsFollowing on from our previous episode examining why course architcture is an important part of the game of golf, we rip through 20 listener questions on the topic:
Should short par threes have small greens or big wild ones?
Where would an Aussie Pinehurst be located?
What will the sandbelt look like in 50 years?
Are there too many blind holes at Kingston Heath?
What's the best course redesign in Aussie history?
And a lot more.
Angus & Grace has a massive sale underway. Check out the website or go see Matt and Antonia on William Street in Paddington, Sydney.
Burnley Brewing as...2024-06-301h 30Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Eight - Why Does Golf Architecture Matter?Following on from a listener DM regarding course design issues, we devote an entire episode to the topic of golf architecture. Why does it matter? Why is the Old Course important, and why is Alister MacKenzie revered? How is it so many people long for firm and fast course conditions? All this, analytics, the wind at Cape Wickham, and more in a long discussion on one of our favourite topics.
Below are a few links to great books on the topic of course design - snoop around online for better pricing if you're keen.
Golf Architecture For Normal People
Geoff...2024-06-121h 37Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Seven - How to win a club championship, with Warwick DewsWe recap Scott's win in the 2024 New South Wales GC A-Reserve club championship final, joined for the discussion by his opponent's caddie, NSWGC head teaching pro Warwick Dews.
Warwick and Scott recap the shots that made a difference, discuss what each camp was thinking in some key moments and Warwick casts a professional's eye over the mistakes Scott and his opponent Evan Nguyen made along the way, with lessons any golfer can benefit from learning.
Want to book a lesson with Warwick in NSWGC's state-of-the-art teaching facility? Click here: https://newsouthwalesgolfclub.gettimely.com/
Southout Angus & Grace, shoutout Burley Brewing.2024-05-101h 29Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Six - Steve Keipert & Australian Golf Digest 2024 Top 100Steve Keipert, editor of Australian Golf Digest joins us to chat about the magazine's latest rankings edition - with the Top 100 list of Australian courses controversially featuring a new #1. Cape Wickham sits atop the rankings for the first time.
Steve goes through the nitty gritty of the process, and talks all things rankings, course architecture, and Aussie golf in a stimulating discussion. We're really appreciative of his time and insight, and hope you enjoy this episode.
As always – special thanks to our podcast supporters – Angus & Grace Go Golfing and Burnley Brewing. Visit the...2024-05-011h 18Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Five - Matt Mollica live from AugustaEver wondered what pure euphoria sounds like?
Matt phoned in fresh from 12 hours walking the grounds of Augusta National to debrief on his day at The Masters.
Just a quick episode, with regular programming to resume once Matty is back from his travels.
Shoutout Burnley, shoutout Angus & Grace.2024-04-1125 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Four - Playing The Masters, with Lukas MichelLukas Michel joins the pod for a second time to chat about playing in the 2020 Masters Tournament: what he learned about the course; favourite shots, holes and greens; playing practice rounds with OWGR Top 10 studs; social distancing in The Crow's Nest, why food at The Masters tastes better & more.
We also discuss his amateur career, his internal wrestle with the decision to ultimately not turn pro, his blossoming career as a golf course architect & how he keeps the game sharp now with a full-time job.
You could listen to...2024-04-061h 27Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Three - Listener Qs + Matt is Masters-boundA quick catch-up before Matt's departure for the US to attend the Masters and play some all-world golf courses.
We answer some listener questions, several with a Masters theme, go through some four-word course reviews of Aussie courses by American golf course architect Jaeger Kovich following his recent trip to the Sandbelt and chat a bit about what makes the Masters so special.
Links below to the Fried Egg Golf podcast episodes with Geoff Ogilvy discussing the golf course and tournament:
Playing in the Masters
Holes 1-9
...2024-04-0239 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Forty Two - Four word course reviews are back!Four-word course reviews are back!
After an initial catch-up on some recent news in Aussie golf & the pursuit — not all of it successful — of their 2024 goals, Matt and Scott turn their attention to the 2024 Golf Australia Magazine course rankings.
They go course by course through the top 20 with four-word course reviews for each of them, as well as some general discussion to begin of the noticible trends around courses moving up and down the board.
As always – special thanks to our podcast supporters – Angus & Grace Go Golfing and Burnley Brewing.Visit the Angus and Grace Go Golfing website, Instagram page, or brick...2024-03-221h 29Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty One - Mike DeVries & 7 Mile BeachA real treat to chat with esteemed golf course architect Mike DeVries. Boasting decades of experience in the industry, Mike is one of the men on the ground at 7 Mile Beach. This episode focusses lots on the course, as well as Mike’s portfolio of courses, his thoughts on construction, and so much more.
The preamble of the episode includes Scott and Matt discussing recent golf course property sales in Melbourne (Kingswood and Cranbourne) as well as the date of golf at Oakleigh Public golf course. And Scott recaps his recent visit to Broken Hill.
As always – special thanks to our po...2024-03-091h 27Australian Golf PassportEpisode Forty - Greg ChalmersA snippet of 1998 Australian Open winner Greg Chalmers was featured within our previous episode – a focus on Royal Adelaide. This episode of the pod is the full chat with one of the more under-rated Australian golf talents of recent times.
It was a real pleasure to speak with Greg – he covered a wide range of topics during his talk with us. We present the full discussion with the lefty from WA, affectionately known as Snake among his peers. He touches on a range of issues within pro golf, living in Dallas and raising two sons. We recall his TWO Australian Open wi...2024-02-1642 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Nine - Royal Adelaide, With A Couple Of LeftiesOne of the finest courses in the land comes under the microscope today - with the venerable Royal Adelaide layout our focus. Details are fleshed out by RA expert Terry Thornton, and the winner of the 1998 Australian Open (played at Royal Adelaide) Greg Chalmers. Everything you wanted to know about the course is in here, and there's even some details you might not have realised you needed to know!
Thanks to both Terry and Greg for their time and expertise. The next Australian Golf Passport Podcast episode is the full discussion with Greg Chalmers - a chat we are sure...2024-02-091h 17Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Eight - 2024 GoalsMatt and Scott take a leaf out of the NoLayingUp playbook and map out some personal goals for the year ahead. Golf, health, personal development – all bases covered. And some golf chat thrown in there amongst all the good intentions. We hope this inspires listeners to reflect on the last year, and perhaps set some targets for the coming twelve months.
Australian Golf Passport podcast is brought to you by Angus And Grace Go Golfing and Burnley Brewing.
Matt has been rocking the AAGGG shorts in what is peak summer golf w...2024-01-1957 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Seven - Mike Clayton ReturnsWe round out the calendar year in style – Mike Clayton returns to discuss all things golf, and give us a little look at Mike the man, not just Mike the golfing legend.
Healesville, The Sandbelt Invitational, the importance of staying active as we age, Mike’s connection with the game of tennis, The Addington, angles & data, Seven Mile Beach, course construction, caddying, young people riding in carts, global travel, course design, Peter Thomson, and mentoring the next generation, as well as much more. It’s all in here for your listening pleasure.
Australian Golf Passport podcast is brought to you by Angus...2023-12-311h 39Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Six - 'Tis the season, Let's Get Blind!Christmas is nearly upon us, so we decided to get into the festive spirit. A busy last few weeks on the domestic golf
scene sees a full news chat at the start of the episode. Australian Open wrap, Sandbelt Invitational nearing the finish, Scott claims the Cathedral Invitational, JDay and LKo win the mixed pairs PGA / LPGA Tour event, and ball rollback in the years ahead. Rahm to LIV which means he’s at Grange next year too.
But all that gives way to getting blind. Limited visibility – no visibility, drives, second shots, or approaches into greens. We discuss the best an...2023-12-141h 28Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Five - Australian Open Week Is Here!
The biggest week in the country for professional golf is upon us, and Scott & Matt take a look at the event, and the host courses – The Lakes and The Australian. The holes of note, the format of the event, players to watch, the all-important weather forecast for the week and more. Even some possible changes to The Lakes are discussed, before a wide range of additional material fills the episode. The malaise around pro golf, and the possible antidote (The Sandbelt Invitational) as well as Aussies in the OWGR top 100, golf goals, near misses and more. As well as Block...2023-11-291h 10Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Four - Barnbougle RevisitedAfter having first visited the town of Bridport back in 2004 for a sneak preview round on Barnbougle Dunes, Matt recently made his first trip back there in more than four and a half years, and recalls the experience of several days playing over Lost Farm, Bougle Run and Barnbougle Dunes.
This episode starts with a reasonably lengthy recap of recent events on the local golf scene – taking the first twenty minutes or so – feel free to hit fast forward if you don’t wish to mull over topics like the Asia Pacific Amateur recently staged at Royal Melbourne, the issues pertain...2023-11-111h 30Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Three - What next for golf in Moore Park?The New South Wales Premier Chris Minns yesterday announced that the busy and popular public golf course at Moore Park will be carved up to create more free-form parkland, at the expense of golf holes. It seems like golf is paying the price on the back end of unfettered urban development on the edge of Centennial Park and Moore Park. As the population of Zetland and surrounding streets rises, the absence of sufficient green space allowance within that development footprint is becoming more obvious. High density residential development during the tenure of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and
previous NSW p...2023-10-2338 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty Two - Royal Melbourne (Composite)
Is it the best course in the world? Who can say. Royal Melbourne’s famed Composite layout has its moment in the Australian Golf Passport podcast spotlight this episode. We discus the origins of the concept for a course combining holes from East and West, and why it originated. The holes that make up Composite, and the sequence in which they’re been played for many different events in over time is also a topic for this episode. We round out the episode mulling over a host of listener questions, while also reminiscing about Presidents Cups of ye...2023-10-1652 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty One - Royal Melbourne (East)One of Australia’s finest layout, and one that is often over-looked by locals and overseas visitors alike. We’ve been looking forward to covering East, and hope that you enjoy the discussion. This episode kicks off with a brief summary of the experience at the Marvel Stadium Golf event in Melbourne, and the imminent opening of the underground carpark at Royal Melbourne are briefly discussed before launching into the main fare.
Matt provides a little detail on the origins of the East course, and the work of Alex Russell both on completing the West, and designing and building the East. ...2023-09-291h 09Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirty - Sandbelt Scandal & National NonsenseWith a flurry of activity on the local golf scene, and one great question accidentally omitted from the recent mailbag episode, we call an emergency pod, and spend longer than we thought we would discussing the events of the week.
First up is the topic that has been running hot on the local rumor mill - the alleged misappropriation of funds and assets from a prominent Victorian golf club. Scott reached out to Victoria Police and the Australian PGA, and legal issues permitting, we share what we are able on this front.
The impending tw...2023-09-161h 26Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Nine - Listener Questions
The second half of the recent batch of listener questions submitted a little while ago are all covered in this fun episode. Loads of really
interesting and thought-provoking topics to cover including a hypothetical re-routing of a Sydney public course, and state of origin battle of the best of Victoria versus the best of the rest of Australia.
Golf on the northern beaches of Sydney, courses high on the aesthetics,
conditioning and eye candy score, as well as stone walls and internal OOB. Those playing the AGPP drinking game will spot the mentions of Doak, NSWGC, Por...2023-09-111h 16Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Eight - Ben HillardOur guest for this episode grew up in Melbourne, and played golf in his youth, but his love of the game blossomed in early adulthood. His rise from playing at Rosanna, to working in turf at the club, followed by a season at St Andrews, to then working at Cabot and finally joining the esteemed Gil Hanse has been a steady and successful climb into the upper echelons of the golf architecture and construction business.
In this episode, Ben shares his insights and experiences working in golf design and construction. We touch on prior jobs, co...2023-08-221h 02Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Seven - Listener QuestionsHot on the heels of a tremendous time with Tron Carter we dive into a perennial favourite - listener questions. Thanks so much to so many of you for sending in a fantastic set of topics to discuss. We’ve divided theese into two episodes, and have covered the first 50% here. Links courses, regional courses, Sandbelt bunkering, an all-time Aussie foursome, dog leg par 3s, par events, Huntingdale, and much more fill a seventy minute chat we hope you enjoy. Mt Lawley’s Aussie green, and the new GA logo both come in for a roasting at the top of th...2023-08-051h 13Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Six - Tron CarterA distinct privilege to spend some time talking with No Laying Up’s Tron Carter. A lover of all things Australian golf, Tron’s passion and knowledge shine through as he reflects on his previous trips to Australia, the courses he played and the places he visited.
Our discussion covers the Sandbelt, as well as the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas. Tron shares his observations on Aussie golf culture, the current landscape of professional golf, and all the headline courses you’d expect to feature in such a discussion. Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria, Metropolitan, Peninsula Kingswood...2023-07-271h 30Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Five - A Homesick Ran Morrissett
Ran Morrissett, the doyen of the online golf architecture community and founder of golfclubatlas.com is our special guest for this really enjoyable episode. Ran lived in Australia for several years and is one of golf’s most knowledgeable and passionate architectural minds. He serves as architectural editor of golf.com, and also heads up their World Top 100 ranking panel. Ran is also a contributor to Tom Doak’s five volume series of The Confidential Guide.
In this episode, Ran talks about his seven year stretch of living in Australia, and also shares...2023-06-301h 16Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Four - The LakesOne of Sydney’s finest courses and clubs has the spotlight for this edition of the pod, but there’s plenty of additional discussion in a spritely, slightly shorter session than usual. News of the week includes details on Golf in Marvel Stadium at the Docklands in September, which will be similar to the Callaway Golf take-over at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Those interested can secure tickets here - https://marvelstadium.com.au/event/stadium-golf/
At the other end of the tech continuum, the 2023 Australian Hickory Shaft Championships are taking place in Me...2023-06-2258 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Three - RQ, Brooky & Chit Chat
A mixed bag for episode 23, with a whole range of topics covered including upcoming events in several states, a new golf outlet in Melbourne, and thoughts following recent rounds at a variety of courses from Scott & Matt. A three-day trip to the Sunshine State including rounds at Royal Queensland, The Glades and Brookwater forms much of the meat of this episode, with Scott sharing his thoughts and experiences from those courses. Matt was lucky enough to recently play Victoria GC and briefly chats on this Sandbelt gem.
Upcoming events at Port Fa...2023-06-011h 21Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty Two - Bob Harrison
A real treat for this episode of the podcast – a chat with famed Australian golf course architect Bob Harrison. His design portfolio spans decades, and includes many of Australia’s most significant courses. He has also worked on several notable projects overseas, in Asia, the US, and the UK.
We talk with Bob about his early years in golf, his time at university, ambidextrous golf and golfers, Bob’s engineering pedigree and the undergraduate project that saw him move into the field of golf architecture. Discussion then moves to Sanctuary Lakes, The Glades, an...2023-05-181h 32Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty One - NewcastleIn this episode we drive two hours north of Sydney – to the memorable and enjoyable Newcastle golf club. A wide-ranging discussion addresses the character of the course, the seaside location, and the topography on which Newcastle sits. The design prowess of Eric Apperly is also noted, as well as the similarity between parts of the course at Stockton, and Apperly’s work at New South Wales GC. The possible changes to Newcastle are also discussed, and these are fleshed out further in the next episode of Australian Golf Passport – an interview with Bob Harrison.
Later in this...2023-05-041h 04Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twenty - Listener QuestionsOn the eve of The Masters and the Easter holidays, we publish our longest episode yet. Over 100 minutes of discussion devoted to answering two dozen or so listener questions. We start by briefly addressing news of the week – the Aus PGA Tour event over the Moonah course at The National, then move to ponder Australia’s answer to Augusta National.
Listener questions touch on a range of topics including access to private courses, best renovation work and greenfield site work in Australia in the last 20 years, and a few esoteric ones too! This was great fun to...2023-04-061h 44Australian Golf PassportEpisode Nineteen - Lonsdale LinksHot off a stellar hit and run mission to Victoria where Scott played 72 holes in a two day visit, we devote this episode to Lonsdale Links. Spoken of very positively in our previous episode with Todd and Joe from the USA, this reworked seaside layout has quickly established a reputation as a must-see course on the Bellarine peninsula, owing to its memorable, fun, quirky yet manageable layout.
The first few minutes of the episode are devoted to the upcoming pro tournament at The National’s Moonah Course, and some potential design work on the Su...2023-03-301h 09Australian Golf PassportEpisode Eighteen - Todd & Joseph's Excellent AdventureWe spend an hour chatting with Todd Ogborn and Joseph Kass, two golf professionals who visited Australia earlier in the year. Travelling to our shores from the north east of the USA, the guys made sure to hit every spot they could on their journey Down Under, and they didn’t miss a beat! Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Bellarine Peninsula, King Island and Barnbougle – they played it. And they also managed to fit in a little side trip to New Zealand! It was so insightful to listen to their perspective on the local golf scene, our courses and Australian golf cult...2023-03-161h 01Australian Golf PassportEpisode Seventeen - HobartOn the back of Scott’s recent trip to Tasmania for a friend’s 40th birthday, we devote this episode to golf in and around Hobart, focusing on five main courses. Scott’s sojourn to the Apple Isle began with a mid-construction walk around the site of 7 Mile Beach, the chat about which forms the early portion of this podcast. He was fortunate to play Royal Hobart, Tasmania GG, Elderslie, and Ratho while down in Tassie – and chats about each course. A few brief diversions from the script see discussion about Lord Howe Island and the four Australian golf courses...2023-03-1059 min
Australian Golf PassportEpisode Sixteen - EclecticThis seemed like as good a time as any to hit a wide range of little topics that have been on the agenda over the last few months. This latest episode also gave the chance to discuss a host of newer, smaller news items on the local golf scene too. After some chat about a hole in one for Matt, the focus shifts to the new short course at Kingston Heath. The nine hole par three layout is starting to get a small amount of play prior to an official opening. Initial impressions are extremely positive, which should parlay...2023-03-0353 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Fifteen - EllerstonThe fiercely private and highly ranked course is a veritable white whale for local golfers and many who venture to Australia for a once in a lifetime golf trip. The course forms a tiny part of what is a sizeable station at Ellerston, sitting within a glorious parcel of Australian country in the Upper Hunter Valley. The property is several hours drive north of Sydney, with a National Park nearby and Pages Creek meandering through the station and the golf course itself. From the origins of the layout and the difficulty of the course, to the standout holes, grasses...2023-02-161h 04Australian Golf PassportEpisode Fourteen - Bonnie DoonA somewhat unheralded course in Sydney gets the spotlight this episode. A darling of our hosts, Bonnie Doon is the result of years of toil by respected Australian golf architects.
This episode delves into why Scott & Matt feel Bonnie Doon is so good, and why it warrants a visit from those who have time for more than 18 holes in Sydney. The multi-phase, multi-year redevelopment of the course is addressed, as is the surprisingly small size of the parcel on which Bonnie Doon (and other suburban Sydney golf courses) sit.
The importance of firm conditioning and...2023-02-061h 01Australian Golf PassportEpisode Thirteen - Mat Goggin and 7 Mile BeachWe kick off the new year with a bang, chatting to Mat Goggin, the man behind arguably the most hotly anticipated golf course opening of 2023. Designed and built by Clayton DeVries & Pont on a glorious coastal site in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, 7 Mile Beach promises to be a must-see course for passionate golfers. It has been a while in the making, and will hopefully see play within the coming twelve months. We talk with Mat a little about his professional golf career, living in the USA, the site at 7 Mile Beach and most importantly the new course, as...2023-01-191h 09Australian Golf PassportEpisode Twelve - Port FairyA favourite among those who know it well, this gem of course on the south west coast of Victoria is given due recognition in our final episode for 2022. From the car trip down to Port Fairy and the attractions along the way, to the charm of the town and other courses worth checking out nearby – we cover all the details needed to plan a visit. The course itself, one of the most authentic link experiences in the nation, is discussed in detail. Its understated and natural beauty, as well as the high quality string of holes along the coastline in...2022-12-2049 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Eleven - Listener QuestionsLoads of questions from listeners around the globe on all manner of Aussie golf topics are covered in this episode. Discussion includes golf in NSW and WA, Kangaroo Island, TV coverage of the recently staged Australian Open, the design and build of the course at Cape Wickham, Adelaide’s “must-see” course(s), unheralded golf regions, destinations for weekend golf trips, the sand belt, Northbridge and lots more. Royal Melbourne’s fairway grass, Victorians accessing sand belt courses as non-members – heaps of different topics covered. Shoeys, mosquito spray, eye candy bunkers, packets of sausages, the King Island cheese shop, playing tee shots...2022-12-081h 25Australian Golf PassportEpisode Ten - Victoria - with Lillie Callow and Matt GriffinOn the eve of the 2022 Australian Open, co-hosted by Victoria, we focus on this storied course and Club with two of their finest members. Lillie has played golf at Victoria for almost two decades, and shares her experiences on the course and Club as well as her perspective on the game. Matt is an Order of Merit winner and multiple tournament winner on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and the OneAsia Tour. He provides a view into how accomplished professional players will approach the course under tournament conditions. We thank both Lillie and Matt for their time and...2022-11-281h 09Australian Golf PassportEpisode Nine - Kingston HeathOne of the nation’s golfing treasures is the focus for this episode. Kingston Heath is sharing host duties of the 2022 Australian Open with Victoria GC, which we will feature in Episode 10.
After briefly covering news of the day, we dive right into Kingston Heath’s tournament history, and the sequence of holes we will see on TV next month. The Club’s history and architectural merits of the course are also discussed at length. The site on which the course sits, with one ridge of significance which features on so many holes is also covered, along with s...2022-11-1753 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Eight - Metropolitan - with Lukas MichelThis edition starts off with another brief look at headlines of the day, including news of a sister course alongside 7 Mile Beach in Tasmania, the 2023 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne, and the 2028 Presidents Cup which looks set to be held at Kingston Heath.
Discussion quickly moves on to another Melbourne sandbelt star – Metropolitan Golf Club. We touch on the Club’s history including changes to the layout in the late 1950s, as well as the hallmarks by which Metro is universally recognised – immaculate fairway grass presentation and striking greenside bunkering. The strengths of the additional par 3...2022-11-111h 15Australian Golf PassportEpisode Seven - Mornington Peninsula Part 2 - with Mike ClaytonAustralian golfing royalty makes a guest appearance this episode, with Mike Clayton sharing his views and experiences of golf on the Mornington Peninsula. A longer podcast than normal, and a wide-ranging discussion that includes Mike’s early recollections of the golfing landscape in this part of the world, and his answers to listener questions on the topic of Mornington peninsula golf. Discussion branches off to include vegetation management, a sparsely played course in Morocco, various elements of course architecture, the progress at 7 Mile Beach, agronomy, forward tees, and Clayts’ ten round split across the three courses at The National. Atte...2022-10-291h 25Australian Golf PassportEpisode Six - Mornington Peninsula Part 1 - The National GCEpisode Six – Mornington Peninsula Part 1
This edition starts off with another brief news of the week segment which ranges from Australian history, to a whisper of new developments at Barnbougle, and a brief chat on specifics of the Kingswood golf course land sale.
This is the first of two episodes devoted to the Mornington Peninsula, and we focus largely on one of the treasures of Australian golf – The National and their three courses at Cape Schanck, on the southern segment of the Mornington peninsula, a little over an hour’s car trip south of the Melbou...2022-10-1355 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Five - New South WalesA labour of love for Scott, as we cover loads of detail about one of the most iconic and dramatic courses in Australia – that of the New South Wales Golf Club. We discuss the site on which the holes sit and the origins of the course, from MacKenzie’s initial design to Apperly’s revisionist work on the layout, and subsequent redesign efforts undertaken by others in the last few decades. Scott shares his initial experiences of the course, and some of the lessons he’s learned in many subsequent laps. Several holes come in for particular focus, and we briefl...2022-10-031h 04Australian Golf PassportEpisode Four - Barnbougle DunesPushing through cold symptoms during recording, Scott’s flu game is strong. He & Matt devote this episode to the crown jewels of the Apple Isle – Barnbougle Dunes, Lost Farm and their new sibling, the 14 hole Bougle Run. The origins of the two World Top 100 courses, the architectural highlights of each layout and some comparisons are all covered, as well as points on accommodation and on-site post-round activities. The pros and cons of commercial domestic flights to Launceston and direct charters on smaller aircraft, along with some attractions around Launceston round out the episode.
Hit https://barnbougle.com.au/f...2022-09-2256 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Three - Royal Melbourne (West)The boys kick things off with a brief review of some news and tidbits on the local golf scene, as well as answers to some listener questions following the previous episode. Discussion then moves on to the best course in the southern hemisphere. Lots and lots of stuff you wanted to know about RM West, and some things you didn’t know you needed to know! How to organize a game whether you’re a local, interstate or overseas unaccompanied visitor, and much more. The history of the course, grasses, architectural merits of the holes, and the joys of wand...2022-09-1359 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode Two - Setting The SceneA timeline of Australian golf seems a good matter to address prior to diving into details on specific courses in later episodes. Travel logistics and consideration of course maintenance projects are covered. For those visitors wanting to play competitions over good courses, check the Golf Australia calendar of events for amateur tournaments and entry details. Discussion detours to plans for New South Wales GC and Royal Sydney GC, also touching on considerations for golf in modern urban areas. Scott & Matt explore how Australia came to have a wealth of fine courses, the 1926 arrival of MacKenzie and the flow on effe...2022-09-0446 minAustralian Golf PassportEpisode One - IntroductionIn this premiere episode hosts Scott Warren & Matt Mollica introduce themselves, discuss the genesis of the podcast, and outline the format for the series. Scott & Matt touch their own golf trips from years gone by and the lessons they’ve learned, as well as the pitfalls of simply using a rankings list to plan an itinerary for a golf trip. Near the end of the episode, we get Scott’s analogy involving Liam Hemsworth and a prominent Sandbelt course, while Matt speaks of a course in Sydney that might be more at home in Florida. Discussion then shifts to fles...2022-08-2439 min