John Huggan describes Neil Coles as the best golfer Americans have never heard of. An aversion to flying meant one of the United Kingdom’s best players had limited exposure in the US but that takes nothing away from his remarkable resume. Coles played in eight Ryder Cups between 1961 and 1977 and is credited with 50 professional victories in a playing career spanning more than 40 years. Huggan sat down with Coles recently at his home near Wentworth in London. They had an engaging chat about all things golf, from his start in the game to staring down the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, in the Ryder Cup.

The Thing About Golf Podcast

The Thing About Golf #51: Neil Coles

Like so many in golf Christian Hamilton originally dreamt of being a Tour player, but there are a whole army of golfers with a disability that should be thankful that career path never panned out. Now the Programs and Inclusion Senior Manager at Golf Australia, Hamilton sees his role as ensuring the future of the golf population in Australia reflects the actual population of the nation more accurately. It’s a task that has a long way to go but is one that would be much further behind if not for Hamilton and his approach to changing the face of the game.

The Thing About Golf #50: Christian Hamilton

For a generation of golf fans Roger Maltbie is known only as a TV commentator but the NBC stalwart is so much more than that. The winner of the inaugural Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in 1976, Maltbie was also a legitimate contender at more than one major and is a five-time PGA Tour winner. Known among his peers as one of the game's more colourful characters, this lengthy chat with host John Huggan shows Maltbie to be not only a shrewd analyst of the game but a warm and engaging story teller.

The Thing About Golf #49: Roger Maltbie

He's coached some of the best players in the world to some of the game's biggest titles but to sit and talk to Ian Triggs you'd never know it. In a world where being a high-profile coach can be a lucrative business, Triggs is as happy working with Brookwater's double digit handicap members as he is mentoring rising stars like Elvis Smylie. In this enlightening chat with host Rod Morri, Triggs reveals how the search for answers to what derailed his own promising playing career led him to be one of the most sought after coaches of his generation.

The Thing About Golf #48: Ian Triggs

Peter Alliss might have had golf’s most recognisable voice but it’s almost a dead heat with Scotland’s Renton Laidlaw. In a career spanning more than 50 years there is barely a medium he hasn’t contributed to, from books and newspapers to magazines and TV. Renton, as he is simply known to so many, sat down with The Thing About Golf’s John Huggan to reflect on a lifetime in the game unlike few have ever experienced.

The Thing About Golf #47: Renton Laidlaw

Who would have thought that a summer spent in the UK visiting family would prove the start of a journey that ended in Australia's first Masters green jacket? Phil Scott, father of former World No.1 Adam, chats with The Thing About Golf host Rod Morri about his accidental start in the game to Adam's surreal 2013 Masters victory and almost every facet of the golf industry in between. From club building and design to course construction and management, there isn't much Phil Scott hasn't touched in golf and he reflects on it all in Episode 46.

The Thing About Golf #46: Phil Scott

From Colin Montgomerie to Francesco Molinari, and countless others in between, there isn't much Denis Pugh hasn't seen or done in the world of elite player coaching. To listen to him, though, you'd never know it. The down-to-earth Englishman brings a rare and engaging mix of humour and bluntness to any conversation and this delightful chat with John Huggan is no different. Pugh was generous with his time and thoughts in this episode and it is one you'll want to listen to at least twice because there is simply too much insight to take in in one sitting.

The Thing About Golf #45: Denis Pugh

In the world of golf course architecture Bill Coore is considered royalty. His design work alongside partner Ben Crenshaw coupled with mentoring many of the game's current top architects is legendary. And yet, it would be difficult to imagine a more grounded or genuinely humble human being. In Episode 44 of The Thing About Golf, host Rod Morri chats with Coore to try to pinpoint just what it is about golf that has seen him devote his life to the game. We cover topics as varied as his latest Australian project - the stunning Bougle Run short course at Barnbougle Dunes (you can read Golf Australia magazine editor Brendan James’ review at www.golfaustralia.com.au) - public golf, course presentation, the future of the game and more.

The Thing About Golf #44: Bill Coore

Three majors and a Ryder Cup captaincy might be the highlights of a stellar career but as John Huggan puts it in the introduction, the most impressive thing about Padraig Harrington is that he's basically a good bloke. Harrington sits down with Huggan a week after finishing a remarkable T4 at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, a performance that went largely unheralded thanks to the even more remarkable play of Phil Mickelson. The pair talk elite golf, how to know if a player choked, slow play, the distance debate and much, much more in a wildly entertaining episode of The Thing About Golf.

The Thing About Golf #43: Padraig Harrington

In the male dominated industry of golf club management, Yarra Yarra Golf Club General Manager Andrea Watson stands out but not only because she's a woman. Completely new to golf when she took her first job in the dining room at Peninsula Country Club, Andrea has gone on to become one of the game's most respected club Managers. Here, she chats with host Rod Morri about her career in golf and offers some interesting insights into what the future might hold for the golf industry.

The Thing About Golf #42: Andrea Watson

He's remembered by most - and rightly so - for his two US Open wins, but Curtis Strange's achievements in the game go far beyond that. A Ryder Cup player and captain, one time holder of the course record at The Old Course at St Andrews and a not infrequent visitor to Australia, he is a thoughtful and eloquent speaker about the game. In this broad ranging chat, John Huggan explores one of the most interesting careers of the modem era with a player regarded as one of the most competitive ever to pick up a club.

The Thing About Golf #41: Curtis Strange

Since its inception nine years ago the combined men's and women's Vic Open has been a roaring success on all fronts. Now an LPGA and European Tour event, it would have been all but impossible to predict just how big the tournament would get when it was first conceived by then acting Golf Victoria CEO David Greenhill. While quick to (rightfully) credit others with the eventual success of the event, none of it would have happened without Greenhill's vision. On Episode 40, Greenhill reflects on how an idea which came to him while walking the dog morphed into one of the most talked about tournament in the world.

The Thing About Golf #40: David Greenhill

In the world of golf administration there is no more important role than Chief Executive of the R&A. Former London-based businessman Martin Slumbers was appointed to that role in 2015 and has quietly set about evolving the culture at the organisation to something more in keeping with modern society. A lifetime golfer with an understanding of the game at the grass roots level, he has demonstrated a capacity for innovative thought in his six years in the job to date and, as he reveals to John Huggan in Episode 39, there is more to come.

The Thing About Golf #39: R&A chief Martin Slumbers

At the age of 46 Matt Millar is an anomaly in the modern professional game. Despite being one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour of Australasia he remains a competitive force in fields of much younger - and more powerful - players. A combination of great accuracy and an enviable short game explain much of his success but as Millar himself admits in this chat, the real key is mental.

The Thing About Golf #38: Matt Millar

Of all the players who have ascended to World No.1 since the rankings began in 1986, Zimbabwe's Nick Price is the one who attracts the least attention. Universally regarded as one of the best ball-strikers of his generation, Price's distinctive swing saw him hold the top position for 43 weeks. With three majors to his name and as a two time Presidents Cup Captain, there isn't much Price hasn't seen or done in the game. This is a captivating chat with John Huggan, which covers everything from modern equipment, winning majors and life in Zimbabwe in the 1960's and 70's.

The Thing About Golf #37: Nick Price

Estimates say there are as many as 60 million golfers in the world and we all know at least some of them who are completely addicted. The question is why? Join us as we try to discover the answer to that burning question, interviewing golfers both famous - and not - on a monthly quest to solve the riddle of this maddening game.

hubhopper

The Thing About Golf Podcast

hubhopper