The Golfer's Journal Podcast

At 73 years young, and after a career in golf that would be too wild for the movies, there’s only one thing left for Gary McCord to do: Find Sasquatch. No, seriously.  Pulled from an extended conversation featured in the pages of TGJ No. 16, McCord connects with longtime friend/golf writer Jim Moriarty and opens up one of the more subversive storybooks in all of golf. They chat about everything from Phil’s win at Kiawah, Brooks vs. Bryson, Mac O’Grady, Steve Martin, failed PGA Tour format proposals, an ex-wife golf tournament, never-before-heard stories from the set of Tin Cup, and, yes, Sasquatch.

Want to hear about a bet over killing Bin Laden? Well, on a road trip from TGJ HQ to Gearhart—and after a series of hard-to-believe phone calls—TGJ Assistant Editor Casey Bannon found himself hearing all about it in the private wine cellar of the world famous Sardine Factory, just down the road from 17 Mile Drive. Across the table from him sat owner Ted Balestreri, a man for whom a statue was erected in Monterey, and Balestreri’s longtime friend/ former CIA Director/ Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. The three discuss the revitalization of Cannery Row, the people that call it home, the art of dining, and how golf—plus an expensive bottle of wine—were intertwined with a wager that took down Bin Laden.

On Sept. 26, 1783, a great schooner shoved off from London. The Comte du Nord's captain, a notorious Liverpudlian trader named James Penny, listed on the ship’s manifest 97 women, 131 girls, 197 men and 249 boys—all loaded into her lower holds for future sale. This week, the PGA Championship will kick off at Kiawah Island, where the same grass used to line the bottom of Penny's boat now lines the fairways. In TGJ No. 15, "Paspalum Shadows" explores how a turf from the shores of West Africa has made its way to Kiawah, Sea Island, Dubai and beyond. On Episode 80, Associate Editor Casey Bannon and Earl Cooper of Eastside Golf discuss the making of the story from ideation through creation, and how it has altered their perspective on golf, history, and friendship. 

The last year brought a legion of new golfers into the fold. Some will stay for good, and some are sure to fade away. But nine months into his newfound yet promising career, LaJethro Jenkins, of NBA internet and Jenkins & Jonez Podcast fame, is certain he’s in the game for life: “There’s nothing that moves me like this.” As fate would have it, TGJ Contributor Laz Versalles just happens to hit balls at the same public range where Jenkins now spends most of his days, and has quickly become his spiritual swing guide. So tag along with these fast friends as they raid the TGJ van at Westchester Golf Course in the heart of L.A., and talk footwork, overcoming fears, and golf in the afterlife.

While Don Rea's previous career involved enforcing the rules, he's now tossing them out the window as owner/operator at Augusta Ranch Golf Club in Mesa, AZ. From night golf to music on the range to candles in the pro shop, Rea sets out to entertain every golfer that steps foot on his par-61 property—including an infamous one-club golfer. Is it working? The PGA of America certainly thinks so. Host Tom Coyne sits down with the newly-appointed Secretary of the PGA to discuss his rise from cart guy to owner (at the same course!), his previous life as an umpire, how makeup shopping for his wife rewired his business approach and more. For those begging golf’s governing bodies to begin thinking outside the box, Rea is your man.

The twinkling piano notes are unmistakable, but did you know that the Masters theme song has actual lyrics? Or that Dave Loggins—second cousin of Kenny—wrote them? Or that TGJ Contributor/songwriter/music critic Elizabeth Nelson doesn’t think they are very good? Join host Tom Coyne as he and Nelson share a few laughs over one of golf’s most iconic tunes and even sneak in a meditation on two-time Masters champ Seve Bellesteros in this Masters-themed mini-episode. 

Meet Sid Matthew, your favorite golf historian’s favorite golf historian. In TGJ No. 15 we explored Matthew’s extensive golf collection in “Office Hours.” But on today’s podcast, we discover that his most prized possessions are his collection of Bobby Jones stories. Having worked in the Jones’ Atlanta law office, Matthew has become the game’s foremost Jones historian. He takes us behind the scenes (and over the crazy hurdles) of making his famous Jones documentary, regales us with tales of playing with his late, great friend Sean Connery and inside the origins of the golf collecting boom—including a club that sold for more than $200,000.

Welcome to the next Re-Teed, TGJ’s look back at golf’s greatest tournaments. The first edition featured Tiger at the 2008 U.S. Open, and our latest dives deep into another famous finish: the 2015 Players Championship. While Rickie Fowler may have owned the island green, TGJ Editor Travis Hill, who has covered the tournament for nearly 20 years, and longtime PGA Tour executive Chris Reimer own all the behind-the-scenes stories. They look back at Fowler (momentarily) quieting the doubters, Sergio Garcia’s pants, a few missed putts that nearly changed history, and the legend of Jerry f^ing Kelly.

Grip, stance, posture...yawn. Has junior instruction grown stale? Richard Franklin thinks so. After 15 years of studying game design, Franklin brings a more playful approach to junior golf involving birds, eskimos and more unusual suspects. In his conversation with host Tom Coyne, the two unpack his unique teaching style while discussing game theories, adding more fun, and the importance of richer rewards. And for anyone who ever whispered “This putt is to win the Masters,” on the practice green—Franklin says you’ve been on the right track all along.  Because hell, golf is just a game after all, right?

He wasn’t the biggest, flashiest or longest, but one look at Paul McGinley’s resume—four European Tour wins, three Ryder Cup titles as a player and one more as captain—clearly shows a legendary career in the game. But golf never came easily to the scrappy Irishman. McGinley spills his secrets for success to host Tom Coyne, reflecting on his love for Gaelic football, attending high school with Padraig Harrington, why he prefers watching Rory over Tiger, what it takes to gain the respect of a Ryder Cup locker room and how he purposefully hooked the most important putt of his life.