Granite State Golfers

This is a little different from our typical episode. It addresses an important—and sometimes difficult—topic: alcohol, addiction, and sobriety. My guests are Ben Alexander, the general manager at The Oaks, and Eric Foster. Together, they have launched The Dry Golfer, a community for people who love golf and want to enjoy the game without alcohol. As you’ll hear, Ben and Eric speak openly about the...

This episode features Sam Maurice and Gavin Richardson, who are fresh off a win, capturing the 4 ball tournament at Owl’s Nest earlier this month. We talk about their high school careers in New Hampshire and their decision to attend Southern New Hampshire University to play on the golf team there and the success that team has had in recent years. We then dive into the 4 ball tournament - from thei...

This episode focuses on the New Hampshire Open, which takes place this week at Nashua Country Club. First, I talk with NH Golf tournament director Kinsey Hoffman about the event and some significant changes NH Golf has made this year. Then I’m joined by Lewis Pattullo, the head golf professional at Nashua Country Club, who is both hosting and playing in the tournament. We discuss Lewis’s path in g...

In this episode, I talk to Jay Pollini who is currently the head golf instructor at The Oaks. Jay’s father, who spent nearly 40 years as a golf professional, got Jay into the game at a young age. We talk about his high school and collegiate career in golf and then his decision to turn professional. Jay takes us through the different courses he has worked at in New Hampshire and we discuss some rec...

Hi everyone, I hope you are well. The snow has melted and courses are opening - let's go! This episode features Dave Ousterhout, the superintendent at Concord Country Club. We cover a lot of ground - from his early days in the field to his move to being the superintendent at the Mount Washington Course, to his last 10 years at Concord. We discuss turf conditions, green speed and a very interesting...

Happy New Year and welcome to season 5 of the podcast. We kick things off with Albie Powers. Albie was an accomplished youth golfer, helping Keene High School capture 2 titles and he would go on to play D1 golf at Liberty University. We talk about his prodigious length as a kid and his return to golf after he took many years off. We also discuss his course record at Keene Country Club last season...

With snow on the ground and as we head into winter, this episode focuses on the history and soul of the game. I talk with fellow NH resident and golf podcaster, AJ MacVie. We dig into hickory golf, golf course architecture, the roots of New England golf and golf in Scotland. And like I try to do with all my guests, we explore the big question - why are so many of us drawn to this game?  Thank you...

This episode features Connor Greenleaf. Connor won two high school state championships and then won the 2015 State Am while playing on the Boston College golf team. Then, ten years later, Connor won two big events this year - the stroke play championship and the season long match play championship. We talk about all that and more in this episode. Thanks for listening. And thanks to The Oaks for sp...

In this episode, I check back in with James Pleat and Tara Watt to see how their experience was playing in their respective USGA Mid Am tournaments. If you missed my earlier conversation with them about how they qualified for their Mid Ams, check out episode 66. I thank them both for coming on the show. Thanks to The Oaks for sponsoring the podcast. Thank you for listening to the show! Song is Goo...

This episode features Jake Nutter who won the NH Mid-Am last week at Laconia Country Club. Jake talks about what made the playing conditions tough and he walks us through an amazing last six holes which included TWO eagles which helped secure the victory. If you want to hear Jake's full golf story, check out episode 60 from earlier this year. Thanks to The Oaks for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks f...

This episode features James Pleat and Tara Watt, both of whom have been on the show before. In this episode, I talk with them about their recent success qualifying for their respective USGA Mid-Am tournaments (they were both medalists!). They talked about their qualifying rounds and how they are preparing for the big tournaments coming up. We also talk about their pride in representing New Hampshi...

This episode features Julianna Megan who is back for her second time on the show. She is fresh off winning her second women's state am title last week at Derryfield. We discuss the tournament and how she managed her nerves coming down the stretch to close it out. She is a rising junior at Holy Cross and we talk about her time on the golf team there and how her internship with Callaway this summer...

This episode features Tara Watt. We talk about her win last week, capturing her fourth NH Women's Mid-Am Championship. Tara shares how meaningful and emotional the win was given her back surgery two years ago. She talks about her course strategy at Lochmere and how a podcast helped her stay grounded and present during the rounds. We also talk about her injury and surgery and her road back to playi...

This episode features the return of Josiah Hakala - or Jojo as people call him. At age 18, he just captured the state am on Saturday at Rochester Country Club. I talked to Jojo last summer so if you want to hear his full golf story, check out episode 45. In this episode, we dig into the state am from his strong play in the stroke play rounds to his march through match play. We talk about the final...

This episode features Brett Wilson who is fresh off of a win, capturing his sixth Seacoast Am title. Brett grew up in Dover and went on to UNH where he played for the club golf team. We discuss his two NH Mid Am wins, the challenge of the state am and why the Seacoast Am has special meaning for him. Thanks for listening. And thanks to my home course The Oaks for sponsoring the podcast. Song is Goo...

This episode features Jesse Smith. Jesse grew up in Barrington and would go on to play professional golf on some mini tours and the Canadian tour. We discuss his early years chipping and putting at Rochester as a kid, to his collegiate playing days at Colgate to his experience playing in the 2013 US Open at Merion. Jesse also talks about some tragedies he has faced, including the passing of his fa...

This episode features Jake Nutter and Demetri Stamoulis who recently won the 36 hole 4ball event at Owl's Nest - always one of the fun events of the year where teams go low. I talk with them about their respective golf backgrounds from high school through college and then we get into the tournament. They share stories of the chip-ins for birdie and the hot putter that propelled them into an early...

This episode features Cam Salo who is fresh off his first individual NH Golf victory at Baker Hill. We talk about the tournament and some of the key shots he hit coming down the stretch. Cam walks us through his bag and what he is hitting this year and we also talk about his tournament schedule for the rest of the season. As always, thanks for listening. Thanks to The Oaks for sponsoring the podca...

This episode features Matt Schmidt, the Executive Director of the NH Golf Association. We talk about their recent brand launch and refresh and their efforts to reach more golfers in New Hampshire and the different ways people are engaging with golf. We also talk about some of the new events they are hosting.  Thanks for listening and sharing this with your friends. And thanks to The Oaks for spons...

This episode Kat Bordeau who has earned the NHGA's Player of the Year for the past three seasons - a remarkable stretch of consistent "boring golf" as Kat shares. (I am a big fan of boring golf - fairways and greens.) She talks about her NH Mid Am win and we also discuss her love of fairway woods (and polar bear head covers). She also shares some thoughts on how women's golf has changed over the y...

This episode features Will McLaughlin. Will is a great golfer and a great story teller - I had a lot of fun talking with him. We cover his early years in golf and he shares a great story about shooting the course record at Concord Country Club two years ago. He also shares some great stories about playing with Xander Schauffele at the US Amateur. I really enjoyed hearing Will's perspective on golf...

For my regular listeners, this episode is a bit different. We step outside of New Hampshire to check in with Kyle Porter, one of the top golf writers. Kyle worked for CBS Sports for many years and left CBS last year to launch his own golf newsletter, Normal Sport. We discuss that decision and Kyle shares his thoughts on the current state of golf and golf content. We discover our mutual love for Jo...

Welcome to Season 4! We start this season with Nick Grimbilas. I talk with Nick about his successful high school and collegiate career and how he turned an internship with Taylormade into a job. We talk about his work at Taylormade as well as his career low round which he shot at the end of last season. Thanks to The Oaks for sponsoring the podcast again this season. If you are looking to hit some...

This episode features Patrick Gocklin, owner of Golf360 in Manchester, and they focus on teaching and fittings. Patrick started playing at a very young age at Derryfield and got the golf bug. He played through high school, picking up an individual high school championship and went on to play in college. Right after college, Patrick started Golf360.  Thanks to The Oaks for sponsoring the podcast. I...

This episode features three high school seniors who each won their respective individual high school championship last weekend. I speak with Jascha Johnston (Exeter High School, 1:56 mark), Carys Fennessey (Dover High School, 21:05 mark), and Josiah Hawala (Mascenic High School, 29:00 mark). We talk about their wins and their plans for golf after high school.  Thank you to The Oaks for sponsoring...