The Golfer's Journal Podcast

In 2004, software developer Mark Sweeney was fed up with missing putts. So he dedicated two years of his life to creating a system that delivers perfect reads. He called it AimPoint.  You’ve seen players from Keegan Bradley to Lydia Ko to Adam Scott straddle their line and read their break in finger-widths. Now, hear from the inventor of this peculiar but effective strategy, as Sweeney and host To...

Tron doesn’t hold back on Twitter. Soly shared his No Laying Up origin story in #7, and DJ’s byline is a regular in The Golfer’s Journal. But what about the member of No Laying Up whose presence, quite literally, overshadows them all?  Phil Landes (aka Big Randy) has become one of golf media’s favorite characters via his appearances across NLU’s platforms, yet a part of him is ducking the spotligh...

You know Rick Reilly from the back page of Sports Illustrated , where he delivered 800 words of humor, heartbreak or heroism every week for 15 years. And though you’ve seen him at St. Andrews and read him at Augusta—his ‘96 opus on Norman’s collapse is an all-timer—you’ll be surprised to discover just how deep his golf obsession goes. Reilly, who joined the Broken Tee Society earlier this year, ju...

Conor Moore believes he has no accent. But when the Irishman is impersonating the world’s most famous athletes, he’s got them all. Though this episode sounds like a cast of many, it’s just Moore and host Tom Coyne going deep on the art behind his sketches (hint: don’t call them impressions), the toughest athlete to impersonate, and the time he was (jokingly) cursed out by Tiger Woods. Cameo appear...

We've all heard it: "Drive for show, putt for dough." But after speaking with Mark Broadie, the godfather of the game-changing Strokes Gained model, we're rethinking that position. Professor Broadie joins Tom Coyne live in the Broken Tee Society Discord server to unpack golf's ongoing data revolution, and why you're trying to shave strokes in all the wrong places.   Mark Broadie is the Carson Fami...

Ryan Carey wasn’t looking to become the world’s foremost golf memorabilia auctioneer. A lawyer by trade, Carey started Green Jacket Auctions as a side gig to feed his passion for the game’s history. 16 years and one very expensive set of irons later, Carey and his team are riding high and traveling the world in search of the next great golf item. Carey joins Tom Coyne live in the Broken Tee Societ...

Unless you’ve already dug into Charlie Warzel’s profile in TGJ #21, you’ve probably never heard of Ben Garner. You’ve likely never heard about the kid who used to beat Tiger Woods (sometimes) and who buddied around SoCal with the future superstar, two kids who understood what it was like to live beneath the shadow of demanding golf dads.  Ben Garner joins the Golfer’s Journal podcast to discuss wh...

Tom Doak has a reputation for being difficult. Golf media has described him as socially awkward and emotionally remote, traits that are often overlooked in favor of the brilliance he’s brought to course designs around the world. But there is much more to Tom Doak and his public persona than people have discussed or know about–until now.  With unflinching candor, Doak digs deep on “my media reputat...

Dottie Pepper has little sympathy for the modern professional golfer. But you can’t blame her—the beloved CBS analyst and 17-winner on the LPGA never had anything handed to her. She turned down a Dinah Shore sponsor's exemption in college because she couldn't afford to travel; she borrowed $5,000 from her grandfather to play in the 1987 U.S. Open; and her parents rented out their house to horse jo...

Ward Jarvis has gone from caddie to theology professor to firefighter to yip fixer. He joins host Tom Coyne to explain the science behind what he calls a “periodic loss of an automatic ability,” and how he helped three-time PGA Tour winner Brendon Todd overcome them. Jarvis also details how his own struggle with stuttering led him to teaching players of all skill levels how to build new memory pat...

Thomas Friedman has been the foreign affairs Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times since 1995. He’s also in the Western Golf Association Caddie Hall of Fame. He’s been to Saudi Arabia, and he’s been inside the ropes, caddying for Chi Chi Rodriguez in the 1970 U.S. Open. In short: He knows the Gulf, and he knows golf. Friedman joins the podcast and explains how the reality on the ground in Saudi A...

Brad Faxon joins the podcast on the heels of a thrilling U.S. Open finish to reflect on what made Brookline such an enjoyable venue, and why we’re now seeing the fruits of his labor with Rory McIlroy. The pride of Rhode Island also dives into the current state of the flat stick, giving context to the rise of mallets and AimPoint green reading. But stick around for the time Greg Norman called Faxon...

Alan Shipnuck puts it plainly: "The professional game is at a crossroads. This is a monumental moment." Shipnuck joins the TGJ Podcast to unpack all the factors at play with LIV Golf, including money, ego, legacy, morals and the PGA Tour's own culpability in creating competition. He also takes us into the phone call with Phil Mickelson that became national news and ultimately forced Phil into hidi...

If it sometimes feels like the future of golf is here, just wait ‘til you see what’s coming next. Transhumanist, Futurist, and avid golfer David Wood walks us through the approaching impact of artificial intelligence, automation and biotechnology on both golf and our daily lives. Good news: You’re going to get better. Bad news: So is everybody else.

When one of the great talkers in golf has a few minutes to talk, you do precisely that. Paul McGinley rejoins the pod to pick up where we left off, diving into his life as a broadcaster, Champions Tour player, and traveling dad trying to keep up with his family.

Jane Coaston doesn’t like golf, but when you listen to her explanation, we think there’s a very good chance that you’ll like Jane Coaston . In her recent piece “How Loathing Golf Taught Me to Confront My Own Prejudice,”  the  New York Times columnist and podcast host confronts golf not for what it is, but for what she perceives it to be. On the pod we discuss her story, and attempt to change her m...

  In TGJ No. 19 we met Mike Shade & Eli Strait—hosts of the wildly popular  Chasing Scratch podcast. Now, we hear from them live in the Broken Tee Society Discord server. Mike & Eli join host Tom Coyne to discuss their newfound golf celebrity, their distaste for that word, inside jokes, pursuit of a 0.0 index and the magic behind their inimitable bond.

Re-Teed—the series where we relive golf’s most exciting tournaments—is back. And this time we’re going deep on the 2011 Masters—the one where everything went right for Charl Schwartzel after everything went left for Rory.  Featuring host Tom Coyne, TGJ editors Travis Hill and Casey Bannon, and ESPN's Kevin Van Valkenburg.

In TGJ No. 18, Daniel Riley’s “The Man Riding Clouds” introduced us to Peter Beames and a golf life that is hard to believe. We had a feeling that Peter might have more to say about his adventures if we put him in front of a microphone. So that’s what we did. And he proved us right.

From cleaning clubs to writing blogs to announcing the biggest events in golf, Shane Bacon has lived a golf life well beyond his years. He joins us via the Broken Tee Society to discuss how he went from grinding on the mini-tours to taking center-stage in the Golf Channel’s lineup as co-host of "Golf Today." Plus, he walks us through an evolving landscape in golf coverage, as off-the-course drama...

Wright Thompson is one of only a few scribes who have the luxury of writing about whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Which is why it came as a bit of a surprise when his most recent book, Pappyland , centered around a different kind of game: bourbon. Thompson joins TGJ Programming Manager Robbie Vogel and host Tom Coyne in our Broken Tee Society Discord server to give some insights into his wri...

You know Beau Welling as the Senior Design Consultant to Tiger Woods’ TGR Design, with recent work including Payne’s Valley, Bluejack National and the forthcoming PGA Headquarters project in Frisco, TX. Here's what you're about to learn: He’s one of eight people in the world tasked with governing the sport of curling.

Over the next 30 minutes, we will attempt to refocus your energy, and recenter your mind, with a meditation designed specifically for golfers, but not just for golfers.   If you are new to meditation, well welcome – this is a beginner friendly exercise.  And if you are experienced in the art of mindfulness, we hope you’ll find some new ideas and sounds to work into your own routine.   Either way,...

As we touch the century mark here at The Golfer’s Journal Podcast (where has the time gone?), we wanted to celebrate our 100th episode by giving something special to our listeners; something you can use over and over again.    After a quick recap of our best and (very) worst from the previous 100 episodes, voice artist Erik Braa guides you through a 30-minute golf specific meditation.  His soothin...

Matt Chominski is a professor of philosophy and theology at Delaware’s Archmere Academy—where once upon a time a young Tom Coyne wandered the halls. And when Chominski isn’t unpacking the fundamental truths of life, he’s putting some of those lessons into practice on the course.  He joins our host for a thought-provoking conversation on what it means to be human, the absurdity of golf at its core,...