The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

PGA Tour player Joel Dahmen takes time out of his Arizona quarantine to join Andy Johnson this week. The two talk about Mario Kart, qualifying for the U.S. Open after a trip to the bar, playing with big-name players, and just what he is doing during all this time off.

Tom Doak returns to discuss a variety of topics with Andy, including topographical maps, green books, drivable par 4s, and the evolution of restoration projects in recent times. Tom also gives a quick update on his work at his new project at Sand Valley and answers some listener questions.

The second part of our serialized introduction to course design profiles the first and most influential golf architect: the linksland. Coastal dunescapes gave the sport its first fields of play as well as its founding ethos. To learn more about how terrain has shaped the game, Garrett talks to George Waters (@gwatersgolf), the Manager of Green Section Education for the USGA and the author of the book Sand and Golf. Make sure to check out the accompanying post on The Fried Egg website; there you will find additional resources on the topic and outtakes from the interview with George.

Josh Lewis, superintendent at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, joins Andy for the latest installment of our Superintendent Series, brought to you by the Toro Company. They talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on the turf industry before digging into Josh’s early days at Coos Bay, Bandon Dunes, Pasatiempo, and Chambers Bay. Follow Josh on Twitter @theturfyoda.

Geoff Shackelford joins Andy to discuss the whirlwind of coronavirus news and the likely short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic on golf.

In this installment of our audio documentary series, we go back to a time when the PGA Tour operated out of a four-bedroom home in Ponte Vedra Beach. Not far from that home was a flat expanse of swampy jungle. We tell the story of how commissioner Deane Beman and architect Pete Dye turned that land into a new kind of golf venue—and how the pros reacted when they competed on it for the first time. This episode features interviews with Beman, U.S. Open and Players champion Jerry Pate, architect Tom Doak, TPC Sawgrass project manager Vernon Kelly, and journalists Adam Schupak and Sean Martin. It includes music from Assaf Ayalon, Avi Goldfinger, Maya Johanna, Ian Post, and Swirling Ship, and Kevin McLeod. Sean Martin, “Leap of faith: Behind the Stadium Course’s wild debut at the 1982 Players Championship” Adam Schupak, Golf’s Driving Force

Michael Keiser, Jr., the Managing Partner at Dream Golf, joins the podcast. The Keiser family and Dream Golf have been behind some of today's premier resorts, including Bandon, Sand Valley, and Cabot. Michael and Andy discuss working outside of golf, the failed Bandon Muni project, collaborating with some of today's greatest golf course architects, pushing the boundaries of an industry, and more. 

Welcome to School of Golf Architecture, The Fried Egg’s serialized introduction to golf course design. In this first installment, Garrett digs into the notion of place. He speaks with architect and builder Blake Conant about “place-based design” and the various ways in which a golf course can cultivate a strong sense of place. Toward the end of the discussion, Blake leads Garrett to a realization about the importance of building and preserving unique places in the modern world.

Current Georgia State University assistant golf coach Nick Mackay joins Andy to talk about his years as a golf agent. The two discuss what Nick looks for in young players and the intricacies of the business side of professional golf, from sponsorship deals to costs of trying to "make it." The pair finish with a discussion of Patrick Reed's antics and the Premier Golf League. 

Renowned golf course superintendent and architect Roger Null joins Andy for the latest installment in our Superintendent Series, brought to you by The Toro Company. Roger has nearly a half century of experience in the golf business, serving as a superintendent at Cedar Rapids CC and Old Warson CC, a design consultant at many courses in the Midwest, and even a general manager at Boone Valley GC. He is also an accomplished amateur player, with three GCSAA National Championships to his name (though Andy suspects the actual number is higher). Roger and Andy talk about how Roger got his start as a greenskeeper, what has changed in course maintenance in the past few decades, the difficulty of growing grass in St. Louis, how his work as an architect influenced his approach as a superintendent, and many other topics.