The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

After an exciting PGA Championship, Andy and Garrett get together to discuss how TPC Harding Park fared in its major championship debut. They contemplate both  virtues and flaws of its design, routing, and setup, and they compare it to Winged Foot, the host of the upcoming U.S. Open. Also, they get into some broader trends in municipal golf, specifically the contrast between "mega munis" and "mini...

In this edition of our audio documentary series, we tell the story of Harding Park, a course that has, at different points in its history, represented both the best and the worst of municipal golf. This week, it hosts the 2020 PGA Championship, but just 22 years ago, it served as a parking lot for the 1998 U.S. Open. We talk to Bo Links, Ron Kroichick, Sean Elsbernd, Joe Shasky, and Sasha Perigo a...

Geoff Ogilvy returns to catch up with Andy Johnson about the latest happenings on the PGA Tour and to discuss the upcoming PGA Championship. Geoff talks about his fascination with the golf swing, which grew during the quarantine, and what he thinks the keys will be at Harding Park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Nysse, the Director of Golf Course and Grounds at Mountain Lake, joins the podcast to discuss his affinity for golf course architecture and his career in the turf industry. Tony's many stories include giving architectural advice to a developer while in college, interning at Friar's Head, and restoring Old Marsh. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kerry Haigh, the Chief Championships Officer of the PGA of America, joins Andy to discuss next week's PGA Championship at Harding Park. The conversation centers on Kerry's approach to setting up major championship golf. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our latest talk with golf architect Tom Doak, we dive into a number of listener questions. Tom addresses whether Donald Ross is overrated, the ideas behind some of his greens at Lost Dunes, and which par 3, 4, and 5 from Scotland he would put in his backyard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second part of his recent conversation with Andy, Tom Doak explains why St. Andrews Beach—a design of his outside of Melbourne, Australia—is one of his favorite courses in the world. Later, he and Andy discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the design business and the golf world in general, and how this moment compares to 9/11 and the financial crisis of 2008. The episode wraps up with a discuss...

Tom Doak is back! The lead architect at Renaissance Golf Design joins Andy to talk about his latest book project, Getting to 18. They discuss the writing process,  a few excerpts from the book, the story of how Tom met Bill Coore, and the secrets behind the routings of Pacific Dunes and the original Sheep Ranch. To purchase Getting to 18, a limited-edition book, visit  doakgolf.com  . See omnystud...

This is the third and final episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It explores how advanced plastics made their way into the modern, solid-core ball, bringing the promise of “better things for better living through chemistry” to the game. Guests: Harry Brown, Joe Henley, Mark O’Meara, and Dean Snell. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Brown,  Golf Ball See omnystud...

This is the second episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It recounts the advent of the wound ball—the Haskell—and the ensuing debate over the future of the game. Guests: Bob Crosby and Brett Cyrgalis. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Through the Green Cyrgalis,  Golf’s Holy War   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the first episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It focuses on the invention of the gutta percha ball and the surprising backstory of gutta percha itself. Guests: Harry Brown, Stephen Proctor, and Helen Godfrey. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Brown,  Golf Ball Proctor,  Monarch of the Green Godfrey,  Submarine Telegraphy and the Hunt for Gutta Percha Se...

Hall of Famer Curtis Strange joins Andy Johnson to discuss his storied career as well as recent events on the PGA Tour. Curtis tells Andy about his closing eagle to win the NCAA Championship, his back-to-back U.S. Open wins, and his near-miss at the 1985 Masters. The conversation also touches on the rise of a beefed-up Bryson DeChambeau and the recent split between Fox Sports, where Curtis was an...

Aaron McMaster, the Superintendent at Orchard Lake Country Club, joins Andy to talk turf. They discuss the ins and outs of making agronomic changes to a golf course before diving into the story of Orchard Lake’s renovation by Keith Foster. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week,  the National Park Service announced  that it would begin negotiations with  National Links Trust  to operate three municipal golf courses in Washington, D.C. A non-profit founded by Michael McCartin and Will Smith, NLT has partnered with architects Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, and Beau Welling in hopes of renovating the East Potomac, Rock Creek Park, and Langston golf properties. Andy speaks w...

In the latest edition of the Yolk with Doak, Tom discusses the principles behind his Confidential Guide series, the value of randomness in design, and a unique new project of his near Napa Valley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this edition of our audio introduction to golf course design, Garrett speaks with architect Andy Staples ( @buildsmartrgolf ) about collaboration on construction projects. They discuss how Andy works with owners, contractors, and shapers; what “design-build” means and how people often misunderstand it; and whether architects get too much credit. For more on these topics, check out the post for...

Steve Cook, the Director of Grounds at Medinah Country Club, joins the podcast. Andy and Steve talk about his long career, including his time in France and his experience prepping courses for major championships. They also discuss Steve’s management style, which has helped produce a number of up-and-coming leaders in the turf industry today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Bodenhamer, the USGA's Senior Managing Director of Championships, joins Andy Johnson on the podcast. The two talk about John's golf background and his time on some of the great early 80s BYU teams before diving into championship setup. The discussion finishes with a conversation about 2020's USGA championships and how they will go about filling the fields without qualifying.   See omnystudio....

As an appetizer for the upcoming Tiger-Phil (plus Manning and Brady) match, Andy and Garrett speak with golf historian Stephen Proctor about the history of challenge matches. They discuss the importance of rowdy, big-money matches to early golf culture in Scotland, the eventual ascendancy of stroke play as the dominant competitive format, and the ways that today's televised matches might recapture...

2019 and '21 Walker Cup captain Nathaniel Crosby joins the podcast to talk about last week’s match at Seminole, his days on the European Tour, and next year's Walker Cup. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the Yolk with Doak features the final part of the conversation Andy and Tom had this past January in Traverse City, Michigan. They discuss a variety of topics, including the challenges of building on linskland, Mike Strantz, Woking Golf Club, stymies, and how golf might mesh with environmentalism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday, May 17, four of the best golfers in the world will take on one of the best courses in the world. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Matthew Wolff are set to play in TaylorMade Driving Relief, a televised charity skins match at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. The rarely publicized Seminole is known as one of Donald Ross's most subtle and brilliant designs. To und...

Renaissance Golf Senior Associate Brian Schneider joins Andy to talk golf course architecture. The discussion starts with Brian’s work at North Jersey CC, a Walter Travis design, and ranges from Llanarch CC's above-ground features to Augusta National to Langford & Moreau’s bold shaping. Follow Brian on Twitter (@bschneider126) and Instagram (bschneidergolf). See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Rich Shilling, superintendent of Jeffersonville Golf Course, joins the podcast. Andy and Rich discuss Jeffersonville’s improvement during his time there and the unique challenges of upgrading a course while continuing to allow public play. They also talk about his future plans and how the municipality approaches budgeting for renovations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third installment of our serialized introduction to golf course design, we explore how architects and shapers make courses feel at home in their surroundings. Specifically, we discuss tie-ins, the features that connect the manmade landforms of a golf hole to the preexisting surroundings. To learn more about this subtle art, Garrett speaks with Riley Johns ( @RileyJohnsGolf ), one of the arc...