Golf Badgers

Sam and Bledge sit down with young Fletcher Bledge to talk growing up 200 yards from the 7th at Royal Liverpool, bagging two aces on the club’s pint-sized par-3, and why towering bunkers are the ultimate kid kryptonite. They dig into the mini-course with holes named Natterjack, Liverbird, Pineapple and Racing Horse, the Husqvarna robots that keep it buzzing, and the apprentice-led maintenance proj...

James Bledge and Lee Strutt sit down on the banks of Loch Lomond to reflect on Struttie’s unique journey through golf course management—from grassroots beginnings to directing a world-class estate. They dig into leadership, trials, robots, and how to engineer not just a golf course, but a culture. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Bledge and Ben Williams sit down to trace Ben’s path from a golf‑mad childhood in North Wales to course manager at Royal Cinque Ports—via ultra‑exclusive Double Eagle in Ohio, an overseed bootcamp at Sea Pines, and a love affair with New South Wales GC. They dig into mentorship, the FTMI programme, and why a touch of spring granular on the fairways can be a links lifesaver. Expect talk of dunes, d...

Sam and Bledge sit down with Alistair Beggs for a deep dive into a lifetime in golf course agronomy, from growing up at Hoylake to consulting on multiple Open Championships. They discuss the legendary Jim Arthur, the evolution of greenkeeping, tales from the driest Open in history, and why sustainable practices are shaping the future of the game. Send us a message if you would like anything discus...

Sam and Bledge sit down with John McLoughlin to trace his 30-year career in golf, from Gleneagles to Royal Melbourne, and onto leading Wallasey’s greenkeeping team. They dive deep into tour-level course setups, team culture, and the management philosophies that have transformed clubs into championship venues. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam and Bledge sit down to reflect on the growing extremes in UK weather and how this affects course maintenance and playability. From rainfall stats to reservoir builds and soil importation, it’s a deep dive into the future of sustainable golf course management. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam and James sit down to chat about why golf courses aren’t just about perfect turf—they’re thriving ecosystems. Join them as they explore how managing gorse, trees, and ponds can support nesting birds, red squirrels, toads, and more, plus how modern agronomy balances playing quality with environmental stewardship. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam and Bledge sit down and take listener questions, kicking off with a cracker about how to toughen up a golf course. From the science of rainfall to the sorcery of seaweed, it’s a deep dive into maintenance, architecture and a wee bit of punk rock nostalgia from Dumfries. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam and Bledge sit down with Ali Morrison, head greenkeeper of Durness Golf Club, to uncover what it takes to run one of the most remote and dramatic golf courses in the UK. From sheep grazing on fairways to the possibility of Coore & Crenshaw dropping by, they explore the quirks, history, and breathtaking beauty of this nine-hole wonder on the edge of the Highlands. Send us a message if you w...

Sam and Bledge sit down for the second half of their course-by-course duel between Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) and Royal St. George’s (Sandwich), resuming at the 7th hole with the match all square. With tales of seawall tees, mega green complexes, and historic anecdotes, they bring their usual blend of architectural insight and pub-style golf chat to the back nine.  Below are two youtube links for t...

Sam and Bledge sit down in the sweltering heat of Badger HQ to debate two of their favourite links courses—Royal St. George’s (Sandwich) and Royal Cinque Ports (Deal). From punchbowl greens to first-tee nightmares, they go head-to-head hole by hole in a playful yet passionate playoff steeped in nostalgia, course architecture, and plenty of sneezes. Send us a message if you would like anything disc...

Joe McDonnell joins Sam & Bledge to discuss the formation of McDonnell & Cooper, a new golf course architecture firm with our very own Sam Cooper. The formation of this company was part of the excuse of the 6 month break, so sit back and listen to their thoughts on the next generation of golf course architecture Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam & Bledge sit down to reflect on their latest adventures at the Blackwell Foursomes and RNGC. They explore how golf course architecture — from bunkering to subtle design shifts — continues to evolve, challenging both everyday golfers and the game’s elite. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.

Sam & James sit down to discuss their much anticipated return after their hiatus with some exciting news! Now part of the Cookie Jar Golf, the team will be helping with editing and publishing of episodes, while still keeping the same great insight and lo-fi jazz intro that listeners will be familiar with.  In this episode, Sam & James talk about what's been going on with them, the exc...

This episode is particularly important. We heard in the previous episode (042 with Scott Reeves) how one of the biggest issues faced in the greenkeeping industry is recruitment.  Well, fortunately Bledge's much better half Jenny Bledge is out there working on a solution. First Green is a wonderful initiative that BIGGA has brought over the Atlantic from the GCSAA. It's all about introduc...

Link to survey 👇👇👇 https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/greenkeeper-survey-amazon-voucher.html Welcome back Badgers, This week we’ve been joined by Scott Reeves, Head of Membership for BIGGA. We try and get to the bottom of what problems the Greenkeeping Industry is facing in Britain - but more importantly, Scott wants to know what you think.  Whether you’re a BIGGA member or not, please do fo...

Last week we heard from Royal Birkdale's Course Manager Sean McClean. This week he's back to talk in some detail over the course changes that many of us watched develop over social media. It was an extraordinary amount of work, especially for a course hosting the world's oldest Major Championship in 2026. This year, Sean and his indefatigable team and back at it - completing Phase 2...

Guest from episode 6 of this podcast (December 2022!) joins us again to discuss first his preparation for Royal Birkdale's Open Championship in 2026, but also the extraordinary suite of changes to the famous links last winter and next. I also give a shameless plug for Volume 1 of my Links from the Road series. It's been a labour of love (and sometimes despair) over the past couple of yea...

Our loyal Badgers, you might have wondered where the promised second half of Episode 36 ended up.  After a few weeks on the road, travelling up to the Arctic Circle in our camper van, I must admit to the grievous crime of forgetting to post it. Logging into the podcast dashboard, there it was - ready to entertain and educate our legions of Badgers. So I can only apologise for the oversight. Even w...

I think most of you are aware that over the past 3 weeks I (Sam Cooper) have been on a trip in my campervan to the Arctic. You'll remember the previous episode with Jerry Mulvihill about Lofoten Links, but perhaps you've also seen the YouTube Vlog series that Bledge and I discuss in the pod. If not, you can find the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PKP4wyE1K8&list=PLm3M...

Badgers, It's been a little while since our last conversation, but I've been a bit preoccupied. I think most of you will be aware that poor Producer Harriet has been persuaded to go on another adventure in our trusty campervan. This time, we've gone north. About as far north as you can go really. It took almost 2 weeks but we finally drove from our home in Hoylake to the Arctic Circ...

We are delighted to welcome Graeme back to the podcast for the third time. We discuss the challenges he faces with the weather at Hayling Golf Club and the trade-off between meeting membership expectations and managing the golf course ecosystem. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we talk more about his experience on the voluntary support team for the US Open at Pinehurst.  As always, thanks for listenin...

Bledge and I do tend to agree on things. So much so one of you guys asked us to put it to the test.  In reality, we tend to bicker and disagree on many things. But both value an other perspective and share many of the same philosophies that underpin golf (and, indeed, life).  So Producer Harriet put us to the test. Here we discuss some of our favourite things. Some, in typical Golf Badger fashion,...

Bledge and I started this podcast to whitter away about not much in particular, meet some interesting folk, and share the odd bit of insight into the greenkeeping and architecture that underpins British golf. We are always so humbled by the number of you who tune in to the pod, and especially those who write in to ask questions or simply offer some feedback.  In typical Badger fashion, we blunder...

A few weeks ago, Bledge and I were lucky enough to sit down with Jim Price of MJ Abbott. Jim will be well known to anyone who has completed an irrigation project in recent years - and offers a great insight into the contractor's perspective. Things have undoubtedly changed in recent years, especially with more dramatic droughts and wet seasons. We talk about this, how Covid and Brexit have af...