Talking GolfGetaways: Your Golf Getaways Podcast

“Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into all things Coronavirus, in a supersized episode that talks about companies and individuals who are making a different in troubling times, plus commiserates with travelers about how the pandemic has put our golf plans on hold (rightly so) for now.

Podcast host Mitch Laurance and his wife, Hall of Fame pool legend Ewa, recap a recent visit to Alabama’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area, full of golf, food and other fun (glass-blowing, anyone?) in a supersized episode highlighting everything from Kiva Dunes to the Safari Club at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

Friend of the podcast Bruce Sitka joins Mitch and Darin for a golf-travel conversation about a few of our favorite Florida and Wisconsin hotspots, plus a rundown of where to golf when you’re headed to Long Island, home to some of the premier private clubs in the country (and a public gem you don’t want to miss).

Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch take a detour from their beloved single-malt Scotch whisky to talk beer — lots of beer — with travel journalist Tom Bedell, who specializes in hops and barley along with fairways and greens. In this episode, Bedell travels everywhere from the Craft Beer Trail of Northern Alabama to the sunny shores of San Diego with suggestions for the best spots to mix his two...

“Talking GolfGetaways” podcast hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into everything from dramatic-drop 3-pars to the South’s best milkshakes with David Pursell, CEO of the Pursell Farms boutique resort and FarmLinks golf course in Central Alabama — plus shooting pool on Gomer Pyle’s table, which boasts a rich heritage of American celebrities.

Hickories at Belvedere Golf Club, Tom Doak’s reversible Loop at Forest Dunes and the otherworldly wonders and history of Mackinac Island highlight an episode recapping host Mitch Laurance’s visit to Michigan.

Continuing our love affair with one of Scotland’s true links gems (not so hidden anymore), hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch welcome Brora Golf Club secretary Tony Gill onto the podcast to discuss why this little spot in the northern Scottish Highlands should be a must-play on any itinerary.

In the first of two episodes with Dan Hixson, the “Talking GolfGetaways” podcast takes a look at the golf designer’s childhood motivations to get into the business, as well as his first original design at Bandon Crossings and a peek into his latest project reclaiming an Oregon quarry for golf.

For a true behind-the-scenes discussion of how Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail came to exists and continues to thrive in an ever-competitive market, company president John Cannon joins “Talking GolfGetaways” with thoughts on the legendary golf-course designer, future expansion and what make the Trail a perfect destination for golfers across the country.

What happens when the Golf Trip Experts team gets to meet up with Ben Crenshaw, one of the legends of the game? A conversation that spans everything from Tiger’s historic Masters win to Ben and Bill Coore’s latest creation at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Associate Editor Eric Hart joins “Talking GolfGetaways” to recount a truly memorable day on Maui.

One of the most successful real estate developers of the past couple decades, David Southworth joins the podcast to discuss his hospitality philosophy and why The Abaco Club in the Bahamas ranks among the best destination clubs in the world.

Looking for some coastal golf? Chad Leonard, regional manager for Honours Golf in the Gulf Shores region of Alabama, joins the podcast to discuss why golf travelers should put this Southern combination of sand, surf and swinging on their next itinerary.

Sweetens Cove golf course designer Rob Collins returns to “Talking GolfGetaways” to take the Emergency 9 golf-travel quiz, discussing everything from his love for the Old Course at St. Andrews and staying overnight in the Donald Ross Cottage at Pineurst to memorable Tokyo sushi from a master chef and the work of another master at the National Custom Works golf-club company.

Golf course designer Rob Collins joins Mitch and Darin to talk about the nine-hole Sweetens Cove, including recent news about its star-studded investment group, possible improvements to the facilities (and more golf on the property), how Mike Strantz inspires Rob’s course architecture and his partnership with professional golfer Zac Blair on the forthcoming Buck Club being developed in Utah.

Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch talk about the growth of the Topgolf brand as a lead-in to Mitch’s interview with two key team members at Topgolf’s newest location in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Plus, updates on California’s Rams Hill Golf Club and the Golf Trip Experts’ Sweetens Cove Shootout in August 2019.

Looking to make a big trip to golf’s homeland? VisitScotland’s David Connor joins “Talking GolfGetaways” with advice on various ways to map out a links-golf vacation — including looking past the bucket-listers to find memorable hidden gems, plus getaway ideas for women, thoughts on traversing the country by train and a few a tips on other off-course activities.

Golf photographer and RGV Tour road warrior Patrick Koenig returns to “Talking GolfGetaways” for a fun “Emergency 9” golf-travel quiz discussing everything from the beauty of Cabot Cliffs and the cabins at Ballyhack to the scallop roll at Seminole and his encounters with two different U.S. presidents.

He did the unthinkable. And now that he’s wrapped up a yearlong 47-state golf journey across the country behind the wheel of his recreational (golf) vehicle, Patrick Koenig stops by “Talking GolfGetaways” to unpack the highlights from his great American adventure.

Golf traveler Tom Coyne, author of “A Course Called Ireland” and “A Course Called Scotland,” discusses the monumental task of planning for his latest book-in-progress, “A Course Called America,” which will take him to the country’s four corners and all 50 states in search of the “Great American Golf Course.”

Co-host Darin Bunch welcomes golf writer Eric Hart back to “Talking GolfGetaways” for a rundown of nine reasons why travelers should add the beautiful and rocky Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada to their summertime vacation plans.

“Talking GolfGetaways” co-host Darin Bunch welcomes back golf-course architect David McLay Kidd for a hole-by-hole “playing lesson” at Gamble Sands, complete with the designer’s own strategy tips on how he plays the golf course when visiting the Eastern Washington resort for his own leisure time.

Wrapping up our three-episode Year in Review, hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch detail the favorite courses they played for the first time over the past 12 months, including a few in Scotland plus loads of community golf in Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee and North Dakota, among other memorable rounds.

Hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance offer up a Top 9 (actually, a Top 11) list of the best lodging experiences they encountered over the past 12 months, including memorable overnight accommodations in Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Montana and Michigan, among others.

Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch recount their favorite eats from while traveling across the United States (and beyond) during the past 12 months including a Sticky Toffee Pudding-a-thon through Scotland; best burgers and breakfast burritos in the Southwest; and favorite lobster dishes from the Bahamas to Canada’s Cape Breton Island.

Photographer Christian Hafer returns to the podcast for his Emergency 9 golf-travel quiz, with mentions of everything from The Old Course and dreams of C.B. MacDonald and Seth Raynor to the joys of playing golf in an eight-some on a 9-holer in Pennsylvania. And he closes the episode with a truly memorable retelling of how a crowd at Cape Breton Island’s Cabot Links cheered him on during one of the...