WEBVTT - Richie Ramsay 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.840 I miss the green, for example, I'm already upset. When 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:04.960 I find my ball in the bunker, I'm really upset. 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 And when I find my ball in a egg Friday Egg, 0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:11.960 the dreaded Friday Egg, Friday Frida Bride Egg. 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:13.200 Lie, I'm about ready to run. 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:14.160 Off of the course. 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.800 Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back to another edition of the 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:47.479 Friday Egg Podcast. Today I'm joined by European Tour player 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:52.839 Richie Ramsey. Richie is the former US Amateur Champion, a 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:56.560 three time winner on the European Tour, and uh burgeoning 0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:59.480 golf course architecture nut Ritchie, Welcome on. 0:01:00.760 --> 0:01:03.240 Thanks for having me. Appreciate you having me on. 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:08.200 Yeah, for sure, it's h always exciting to talk to 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:11.280 guys that can talk about you know, competitive golf and 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.120 playing golf at the highest level, but also architecture. 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:18.960 Oh yeah, yeah, it's playing golf for a long long 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:22.000 time now, since I was a little kid, fortunate to 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:27.600 travel to some far from places and experienced a lot 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:32.199 of different courses and cultures and stuff. So definitely got 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:39.360 a afresh look at some some architecture and that with 0:01:39.400 --> 0:01:43.399 a lot of travels on the European Touring and obviously 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:46.679 coming from Britain, got a pretty traditional aspect of it 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:50.640 mixed in there. So yeah, that's kind of my My 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:52.920 new thing at the moment is is learning a bit 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:57.000 more about the great designers and what drove them and 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.880 their their skill set and how it developed over the 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:03.840 last well probably eighty or ninety years. 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:07.640 Yeah, and then in your case of where you grew up, 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:13.080 I mean over the last two hundred plus years. Oh yeah, 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:17.200 one hundred yeah, long time. I can't do that math. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:23.160 So Richie, why don't you give our listeners a little 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:26.040 bit of background. How do you, you know, get into 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:31.239 golf and uh, and just kind of your story, all right, I'll. 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:37.399 Try, and I tend to rabble a bit. I'll try, 0:02:37.440 --> 0:02:40.400 and I'll try and cut it as as quickly as 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:46.200 I can do it with with a little timeline. So basically, yeah, 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:48.280 I started golf when I was a little kid, you know, 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:52.000 and plastic balls and plastic clubs in the back garden. 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:58.440 But like any Scottish kid or most Scottish kids, I 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:01.760 wanted to play football, so soccer and not American football. 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.359 When I was younger, and by the time I got 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:11.320 to about thirteen or fourteen, started to realize that I 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.360 was decent at football, but I was never great, and 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:18.760 I was far better at golf. And it was my 0:03:18.840 --> 0:03:21.480 grandfather who got me into. Used to take me to 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:26.160 the nine holer cut down clubs and wrap tape around them, 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:28.520 like you know, you just buy taping at like a 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:30.640 tennis shop or something, any kind of tape, just wrap 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:36.600 it around. And yeah, he used to take me up. 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:40.240 I remember the the Volve he used to drive. It 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.600 was like a tank. It wouldn't he can it would. 0:03:43.640 --> 0:03:45.360 It would knock anything else off the road. 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:49.640 It was like the most safe car ever built. 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.600 Yeah he would, he would. He would drive it pretty ruthlessly. 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:57.160 It went one too many indicators or too many looks. 0:03:57.200 --> 0:03:59.560 It was just foot down at the floor, which was 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:04.640 quite quite amusing. But yeah, he was. He was a 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:08.120 huge influence on me. And you know, he was an 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:15.640 ex He was an ex RAF serviceman and he was 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:19.800 a head teacher at school, so he had quite a 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:24.880 quite a strong sense of direction. And it wasn't until 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:27.240 after he passed away that I realized he was actually 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:32.160 he was an He had an MB, which is a 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.479 member of the British Empire, I think, which is you 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:40.880 get that stored on you by the Queen. So yeah, 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:45.400 I sort of, you know, a huge amount of respect 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:47.520 for my grandfather when he was alive, but even more 0:04:47.560 --> 0:04:49.640 so when he after he passed, because I started to 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:53.000 realize and research a bit put him. So he was 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:59.159 the biggest influence on on me. So yeah, fifteen, started 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:02.360 playing some tournaments and I finished second to my good 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:06.440 friend now George Murray at the under sixteen's Scotti Strope. 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:08.880 Been realized, you know, maybe there's a future in this 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:12.320 for me, because I played well but only lost by 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:13.800 a shot, and I felt that I could have won. 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:18.000 So then, you know, travel the world, played under eighteen, 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:25.760 under twenty one, played for Europe in New Zealand, played 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:29.080 all around the world by Japan, and you can imagine 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:34.400 South Africa Eisenhower Trophy. I played Walker Cup two thousand 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:38.640 and five and had a spell in America for a year, 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:42.320 and the golf courship came back right about that time. 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:46.520 And I had four years at university and sterling got 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:50.840 a degree there two thousand and six and one in 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:54.160 the US Amateur and after that finished my degree and 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:58.120 then two thousand and seven turned pro and with a 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:00.400 degree in my pocket and kind of gave it a 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:03.320 shot and from then I feel like I progressed to 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:07.480 the Challenge Tour after a couple of years, and I've 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.360 been on the main tour since two thousand and nine. 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:18.960 So one three times, South African Open, AMIGA, European Masters, 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:24.599 and the Hassan Trophy too, which is a Morocco So. 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:28.320 You're a global winner. 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:33.080 Yeah yeah, nice to nice to chalk up a few 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.240 all over the place. And I suppose that's the It's not. 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.040 It says it's a European tour, but where as a 0:06:42.360 --> 0:06:47.840 global tours you're going to get without playing in North 0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:50.839 America really or South America, so everywhere else will pretty 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:54.080 much go to and lots of air mils, lots of airports. 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.760 I wonder how many guys have won on like six 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:04.760 contents because you could win in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:08.120 and then the US that I mean, that'd be pretty incredible. 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:12.920 Oh yeah yeah, I mean the last four tournaments I 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:18.520 played in twenty seventeen were in four different contents week 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:19.120 after week. 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.440 It is crazy. It's it definitely is turning into a 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.120 world tour. I obviously, you know, air travel has made 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.440 a lot easier. Kind of going back to what you 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.600 turn pro. You were You played as an amateur in 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:39.360 the and the Masters, the US Open, and the Open Championship, 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:42.120 and I know that year was a Walker Cup year. 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.680 Did you put much thought into staying am and and 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.000 playing in the Walker Cup for a second time? 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:55.200 You know what? I thought about it, And I didn't 0:07:55.320 --> 0:08:00.560 know really until about the start of the summer, and 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.800 I really thought to myself there were three reasons for it. 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:08.440 I'm quite a logical guy, and I like to you know, 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:10.920 me and my coach talk it through, and if he 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.400 asked me a question, he knows that I can always 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:15.960 validate the answer. So there's sort of three reasons behind it. 0:08:16.080 --> 0:08:18.600 Were One that I just felt it was time. I 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:21.680 felt I was plateauing out and I wanted to push 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:25.360 myself a little bit more. I had already played the 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:32.920 Walker Cup, so I'd already had that experience. Two was 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:35.760 that all the other guys who were playing the Walker Cup, 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:39.760 it was a strong GBI team, and when that Work 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:44.000 Cup was over, they'd all be looking for invites to tournaments. 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:50.199 And if I turned pro before that, I would have 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:56.000 far greater access to invites. So that was the way 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:58.120 I was thinking just to get myself starts and tournaments 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:06.320 and three can I remember the third one? I don't 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:08.640 know if I can. There was a third one, but 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:13.520 I can't remember it. So it was kind of got feeling. 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:16.439 But the way things were lined up for me, I 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.840 felt that it was the best to just to turn 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:23.760 pro at that time. And and I'm trying and get 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:27.319 a foothold on on one of the pro tours, and 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:30.360 that's what you really have to do. Two things. I 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:32.280 mean I discussed the other day with someone when you 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:35.640 turn pro or really you have to find somewhere to play, 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.559 and it helps if it's a good competitive tour like 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:43.120 Chance to our web dot Com or obviously the main tours, 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.360 and you have to have money to play on those tours. 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:50.959 So those are those are your two main things I 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:52.240 think really to accomplish. 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:58.080 Yeah, you've seen a couple kids from the State's turn 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:01.960 pro after their first Master this year, and the logic 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:04.679 behind it, and it makes a lot of sense, is like, 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.880 you know, these kids turn pro after they graduate or 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:11.440 after their their school year, but then there there aren't 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:15.160 enough tournaments to get starting to fill your you know, 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:19.360 seven or eight sponsors exemptions while you know by the 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:21.360 end of the year because of the way it's laid out. 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:29.360 Yeah, I'm surprised that these this day and age, I'm 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:36.520 some of the decisions I see people make are I 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:41.240 don't really understand them. I under I totally get everybody's 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:45.200 individual and I'm a massive believe in that because in myself, 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.280 I'm quite individual and the way I approach stuff and 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.240 the way I look at things and what believe in. 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:57.360 But I sometimes think people make decisions and almost make 0:10:57.440 --> 0:10:59.559 it harder for themselves, and it's it's a it's a 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:01.880 harder task as it is to get hold of the 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:09.760 professional tour. So whatever you do has to be thought through. 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:14.079 You know, have a mentor your coach or someone from 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:16.040 outside look at it and maybe throw up a few 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:19.800 other issues with it, and hopefully you can come to 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.360 a solid decision and one that gives you the best 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:24.840 chance to progress in the game. 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.280 Yeah, it's almost like you got to maximize your chances, 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.800 because that's almost what It's such a it's such a 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:37.880 crazy sport. Like it's the difference between it and say, 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:44.400 like you know, American like football or American basketball, or 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:46.760 I imagine soccer like when you're playing on a lower 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:51.240 tier team, you get a scout, you get a salary, 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.480 you get your food paid for, your travel paid for. 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:56.640 But in golf, it's all on you. It's a help performance. 0:11:57.800 --> 0:11:59.800 Oh yeah, yeah, it's all on you. And I think 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:05.680 I think it's you know, it can be hard because 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:09.920 the way the media present a lot of the guys 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:13.559 who come through, it's kind of like, oh, he just 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.280 turned pro and then he got a foothold, and well 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.160 look at John Ram he did it and he turned 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:21.280 pro and you know he's a multiple winner now and whatever, 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.640 top five in the world. And mclroy did it. And 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:30.080 I was like, but for every one, you know, there's 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:33.200 tens of thousands, maybe if not hundreds of thousands who 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:37.000 don't make it. These are exceptions to the role these 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.240 are I mean McRoy, I would say he's a one 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:41.360 He's not even a one in a decade player. He's 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:43.400 what he's a player that comes. 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:46.520 Along every it's like a generational guy. 0:12:47.200 --> 0:12:49.760 Well yeah, I would say at least every fifty years. 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.679 I mean, the amount of talent this year talent he has. 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:59.319 I think there's only in my mind, there's only haven't 0:12:59.360 --> 0:13:03.160 played with every single person but there'll be you'd have this, 0:13:04.440 --> 0:13:06.480 you know, one hand to cut and other people who 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:10.439 have this hmount of talent he does, and that's close 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.480 to him, that's not even probably the amount he has 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:14.320 as just one person. 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:17.760 Well, I think back to my junior golf days and 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:20.679 a name that now he's really having a lot of 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:24.120 success was is Brian Harmon. But as a junior, I 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:28.040 mean he absolutely dominated golf. I mean he was. He 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:31.240 was a two time Walker Cup player, probably one of 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:33.640 the best junior golfers of all time. And now at 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.280 age thirty one, he's, you know, really starting to become 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.640 an elite American player. But it takes time for a 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:43.480 lot of guys. It's it's so rare to have someone 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:47.680 like Spieth or someone like McElroy have such success before 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:48.520 they're twenty four. 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:53.360 Oh yeah, yeah. And I think guys just guys just 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:57.360 turn pro younger these days as well. I don't know why, 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:02.120 the reasoning behind that. Maybe I think they see, you 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:04.360 know that maybe the lifestyle thing. You know, I want that. 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:06.240 I don't want to go to university. I just want 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:11.040 it and go for it. Earlier the gates, you know, 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:13.480 I played against funny enough, I played against Brian Harmon 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:19.080 and Walker Cup. He was He's you know, he's a 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:21.600 great He's also a great talent, very natural player, good 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:26.720 belief in himself. And I think I won one against 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:31.120 someone lost one. But the guy who was the most 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:33.440 talented and he's in the top five most talent guys 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:36.080 I've ever played with and we played against them, was 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:41.920 Anthony Kim. He was the real deal. He was just 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:46.280 you know, dry, it drove it well, pretty long, good 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:55.680 iron player, great natural ability to shape shots, aggressive, good putter, 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:01.440 just wasn't a weakness in his game. You know, he's 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:03.720 still to this day was. I mean, he he could 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:08.160 have won majors. I think multiple majors. That about it. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:11.960 It's uh, it's definitely one of the sadder stories of 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:16.840 golf in terms. Was there anybody like, uh, you know, 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:21.080 just out of this world talent that you've seen that's 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:23.320 given up on the game like that you grew up 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:24.000 playing against. 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:32.320 I think he was not, really, I think he was. 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.200 He was the one guy who always stood out to 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.880 me and and and people ask me, who's the most 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.480 talent guys you've ever played with? Well, be enforcement playing 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:47.640 with Tiger, who's obviously immensely talent. Rory and Sergio in 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.200 this in in the same bracket, very close to each other, 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:55.040 but for someone doesn't even play now, hadn't he was 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:59.440 the one who's stood out and just yeah, it's a 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:03.720 it's a real shame that just you know, I don't 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:05.880 know the reasons, but it just didn't just don't come 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:11.880 to fruition and work out because he was just so 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:18.440 naturally just looks so naturally talented, and it was one 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:20.960 of those guys you like, yeah, I'd pay to watch 0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:23.880 him because he's he's legit. You know, he gets the 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:24.400 job done. 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:29.960 I'm waiting for Anthony Kim to get his amateur status 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.600 back and start becoming a menace on the mid amp 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.520 circuit and the worst nightmare. 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.240 Yeah he could. He was enjoy that playing the golf 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:43.000 court and if you drinks, he'd be all right at that. 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.800 Yeah, cocktail to ur would be shook. Shook from Anthony 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:51.920 Kim revival. You meant it like, how was your perception 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.120 of golf and like competition changed over the years. 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:06.920 I would say there there's just a lot more people 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:13.040 who don't ah give up as much. And what I 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:15.440 mean by that is there's far more people who are committed, 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:21.760 you know, who do the right things, who you know, 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:23.639 who goes to the gym, make sure the stretch, have 0:17:23.760 --> 0:17:28.719 a physio, you know, go out and practice dedicated discipline, 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:40.320 you know, play play aggressive a definitely. Unfortunately, I would 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:44.159 say there's more one diment, not one dimensional players, but 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:48.840 just longer hitters who can dominate golf courses with length, 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:52.600 and it's you know, they're not playing the same golf course. 0:17:52.600 --> 0:17:57.840 I am as simple as that. But that happens not 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:05.280 every week but some weeks. And yeah, just overall, the 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:10.680 competition is stronger and it's deeper at the same time. 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:14.520 So yeah, a level of commitment commitment of players has 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:18.679 gone up. I think the distance more, the more guys, 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:22.960 you know, if you just fly would just bomb it 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:25.520 rather than you see them really working the ball and 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:30.080 shaping shots. And also just the strength and depth. 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:33.480 Yeah, that's I noticed that I was at the BMW 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:37.680 this year and I was watching Rory play with Alie 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:41.280 Schneider dance and Ali was hitting it like right up 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:44.480 even with Rory all day pretty much, and I thought back, 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.239 and I'm like, god, you know, like eight seven, eight 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:51.440 years ago, Rory was like twenty yards past everybody. 0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:57.400 Yeah, there's just everybody's bigger. You know, there's a lot 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.280 more guys. You're bigger on two who really, I've got 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:04.320 a club it's been that really makes a difference, and 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.000 it's the way it's going, and I kind of feel 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:12.480 it's a little bit of a shame because that's how 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:15.399 some of the new courses build it, and it actually 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:17.159 gives more of an advantage, you know. I love the 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:23.480 I always love the line over tigerproofing, Augusta. You're just playing. 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:25.399 What you're doing is you're playing to his hands and 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:29.200 taking away from the guys who are the bigger hers. 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:31.920 If you want a tiger proof it, you're now the 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:35.120 fairs at three hundred yards or put the bunkers further down, 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:39.520 you know, make it so you so it's it's it's 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:44.080 narrow and tighter, and it just it shows you can 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:48.280 tell golf courses you play, which are you know, look 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:50.239 at Hilton Head, I mean, look at the guys who 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:56.320 do well there, you know, Couture, Luke, Donald, t Mac. 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:00.480 I can't remember all them, but I mean, look, you 0:20:00.560 --> 0:20:02.440 know they're up there. They can work the ball, move 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:09.399 the ball, real shot makers, straight off the tee, tidy, 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:15.320 short games, good technical tactical awareness of getting the ball 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:17.720 around the golf course. You never, I mean, when do 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:19.840 you ever see a guy who stands up and bombs 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:21.000 it and do well around there? 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:25.640 It's not really not often. As I had Bill Kooran 0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:29.400 and he was talking about Trinity Forrest, the course he designed, 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:33.760 and he talked about the idea of making courses shorter 0:20:34.119 --> 0:20:38.639 and wider because it forces players to, you know, not 0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:41.600 only hit the ball straight, but they have to pick 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:44.479 a line and hit at the right distance as opposed 0:20:44.480 --> 0:20:45.639 to just hitting it straight. 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:46.320 You know. 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:50.280 Yeah, And I think that's a lot what Harbortown is. 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:54.119 Do you do you kind of schedule your events with 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:54.840 that in mind? 0:20:56.400 --> 0:21:01.600 Oh? Yeah, There's there's definitely places that you know, I 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:04.520 look at and I think I can win there, definitely 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:07.200 no doubt about it. And there's some places that I 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:10.760 look at and I think I could win there, but 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:13.119 I still need to play really really well to finish 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.480 top ten because it gives some guys a huge advantage 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:18.960 and doesn't punish them where I think it should do, 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:30.480 Like where I'm trying to think of somewhere like like 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:32.200 a lot of the co golf person in China really 0:21:32.240 --> 0:21:35.160 favor the guys who move it. We used to play 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:38.159 a golf course there called Lake Malarin and it was 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:41.440 really bomber central soft and if you could shift it 0:21:41.480 --> 0:21:44.360 and made a big difference. But then you put them 0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:47.600 you flip that and you put me around it. You 0:21:47.720 --> 0:21:50.919 put me around Valdorama. Now that's just like a tounnel 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:52.960 most holes. And I love that. I could play golf 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:54.560 there every day for the rest of my life and 0:21:54.560 --> 0:21:58.280 would be a happy man. But some people absolutely hate 0:21:58.280 --> 0:22:01.040 it because it's it's now you have to move it. 0:22:01.119 --> 0:22:03.480 There's a bit of wind, and it really is like 0:22:04.520 --> 0:22:06.440 you know, you come off there and you shoot under par, 0:22:06.600 --> 0:22:09.320 and you know you give yourself pat in the back 0:22:09.359 --> 0:22:10.920 because that's a health round of golf. 0:22:11.440 --> 0:22:16.320 Mm hmm, that's I mean. Veldram I had a couple 0:22:16.359 --> 0:22:19.520 of was it two years ago, beef one shooting over 0:22:19.640 --> 0:22:21.879 par right for the four rounds. 0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.360 Yeah, I played when and a couple of those round 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:30.760 I think, and it was it was. It was very 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:33.520 tricky and strong, strong wind and the greens are quite 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:39.199 fast and they're quite small targets and they're rough at 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:41.240 the side of greens. Was absolutely brutal, like if you 0:22:41.840 --> 0:22:44.080 missed it by two yards inside of green, you could, 0:22:44.800 --> 0:22:46.359 you know. I remember having one and I was like, 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:50.520 there was one round where I was off the green 0:22:51.400 --> 0:22:55.119 by less than three yards, and every single time I 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:57.600 was chipping away from the pin because I couldn't go 0:22:57.680 --> 0:23:00.080 at it because it was I couldn't control it, and 0:23:00.200 --> 0:23:01.879 it was so quick that it would be chipping off 0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:06.400 the other side. So that was just really tough conditions. 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:12.359 But it is a phenomenal golf course. It just makes 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:18.800 you think and you have to think about all the shots. 0:23:18.880 --> 0:23:22.360 You know, sometimes hitting you know, like the first hole, 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:26.320 really really spinny green. You stand there and you get 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:30.560 the wind into which he knows above the trees. But 0:23:30.640 --> 0:23:32.240 if you don't have that niner and you can know 0:23:32.280 --> 0:23:34.919 one hundred and ten yards, you can't you can't control 0:23:34.960 --> 0:23:37.560 the ball. So that's that's something you just got to 0:23:38.520 --> 0:23:41.399 you got to have. It's you know, it's a lot 0:23:41.520 --> 0:23:43.760 less one dimensional than I say some of the modern 0:23:43.800 --> 0:23:44.520 golf courses are. 0:23:45.720 --> 0:23:48.600 So it kind of brings up an interesting point I 0:23:49.080 --> 0:23:52.760 with with the difference that you know, playing in Europe 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:55.080 and on the European Tour, you play obviously all over 0:23:55.160 --> 0:23:58.399 the world. How big of an adjustment is it going, 0:23:58.880 --> 0:24:02.399 you know, from playing golf and say, you know the 0:24:02.440 --> 0:24:06.600 British Isles to these different parts of the world. 0:24:07.960 --> 0:24:11.600 Well, it's a massive adjustment. It used to be, you know, 0:24:11.680 --> 0:24:13.359 I argue to a lot of people it used to 0:24:13.440 --> 0:24:16.360 be to our advantage because we generally used to play 0:24:16.359 --> 0:24:19.919 in Europe, so you had time. Difference was helping helping us. 0:24:20.160 --> 0:24:27.119 Type of courses, the type of grass, the temperature. But 0:24:27.280 --> 0:24:30.320 these days it actually goes the opposite way, probably favors 0:24:30.320 --> 0:24:33.640 a lot of the guys who play abroad more. I mean, 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:36.800 it's it's just not the same type of golf. You know, 0:24:36.840 --> 0:24:40.200 you play a lot more golf along the ground. There's 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:43.480 far more wins, so your your your ball flight needs 0:24:43.520 --> 0:24:46.280 to be stronger and it needs to be more penetrating. 0:24:46.359 --> 0:24:48.520 You don't just stand up and hit it up in 0:24:48.560 --> 0:24:52.359 the sky and drop it down. Around the greens is 0:24:53.000 --> 0:24:56.920 dramatically more different from the fact that you know, you're 0:24:57.040 --> 0:24:59.120 you're keeping on the ground, You're putting a lot more, 0:24:59.640 --> 0:25:03.240 you're playing these sort of flop shots as much from 0:25:03.359 --> 0:25:08.320 from thick rough But then you know, in the summer, 0:25:08.480 --> 0:25:13.240 greens are a lot firmer, but they're generally slower than 0:25:15.040 --> 0:25:20.359 the ones on tour, So you know, you take that 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:25.120 we have I mean, I think, I mean, I think 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:31.480 we have a major, major problem in Scotland with just 0:25:31.600 --> 0:25:34.840 simple facts of life, which are if you want to 0:25:34.840 --> 0:25:37.400 win a tournament on the PGA Tour or the European Tour, 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:40.280 and you look at what's gained whoever number that is 0:25:41.359 --> 0:25:44.040 guessing it's roughly about three three and a half per round. 0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:49.600 But we don't have greens that we can practice on 0:25:49.800 --> 0:25:55.080 consistently so we can go out and tour and compete. 0:25:55.880 --> 0:26:01.680 So my argument has always been backed up by the data, 0:26:01.720 --> 0:26:04.680 and the data shows that the most important thing about 0:26:04.680 --> 0:26:07.600 when a golf skirt tournament, Yeah you've got you know, 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:09.200 you've got the ball strike it and a lot of 0:26:09.240 --> 0:26:11.680 Scottish guys do because you can't play a links golf 0:26:11.760 --> 0:26:16.560 without being a pretty good ball striker. Yeah yeah, but 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:20.040 fundamentally you've got to put well and if you don't 0:26:20.119 --> 0:26:23.960 have that, there are also weeks you can get very close, 0:26:24.080 --> 0:26:26.639 but most weeks you're gonna have to put well to win, 0:26:26.720 --> 0:26:29.720 and we don't have the facilities the match in with 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:32.760 what the data suggests you need to be a winner. 0:26:33.720 --> 0:26:37.879 So I saw you you were in the States, your 0:26:37.920 --> 0:26:42.200 wife is American and you were practicing at at Hazeltine 0:26:42.320 --> 0:26:45.520 in Minnesota over the holidays. Is that the type of 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:47.000 setup that you're talking about. 0:26:47.720 --> 0:26:50.800 Yeah, something something along those lines. I mean, we have 0:26:50.960 --> 0:26:56.520 a couple of indoor facilities in Scotland. I haven't been 0:26:59.080 --> 0:27:03.679 some number private. One of them is just recently opened 0:27:03.720 --> 0:27:05.639 that haven't been too yet other than the Chance, but 0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:09.359 facility hazel Teene is I mean it's got a punting 0:27:09.440 --> 0:27:14.040 green indoor in the basement that's probably twenty five thirty 0:27:14.200 --> 0:27:17.920 feet by about twenty feet, so great for practicing. You're 0:27:17.920 --> 0:27:22.720 putting working on your working on a skill effectively and 0:27:22.800 --> 0:27:28.280 trying to enhance a skill on a consistent green that's 0:27:28.400 --> 0:27:31.720 similar paste of the tour, a little bit of slope 0:27:31.760 --> 0:27:35.680 in it, and you don't have all these variables which 0:27:35.720 --> 0:27:40.399 are you know, bumps in the green wind especially as 0:27:40.520 --> 0:27:44.919 a major thing for us, and just a consistent surface 0:27:45.000 --> 0:27:47.840 to put so you can you can work on and 0:27:47.920 --> 0:27:51.720 try and improve your you're putting that way, and I 0:27:51.760 --> 0:27:57.200 think that's that's something that we hopefully can address in 0:27:57.280 --> 0:28:03.200 the in your future. I understand there's facilities at Northwest 0:28:03.240 --> 0:28:07.040 and a lot of the northern colleges that help them 0:28:07.080 --> 0:28:11.360 out in the winter. I've seen some of the facilities 0:28:11.359 --> 0:28:14.440 there which look incredible. Yeah. 0:28:14.760 --> 0:28:18.240 So you were part of like the Scottish Golf the 0:28:18.520 --> 0:28:21.200 like performance program when you're an amateur. Correct. 0:28:22.520 --> 0:28:27.520 Yeah, I was from almost age fifteen hours in what 0:28:27.640 --> 0:28:34.280 we call the Scottish squads and progressed through what was 0:28:34.400 --> 0:28:37.920 the Scottish Golf Union which now is just called Scottish Golf. 0:28:37.960 --> 0:28:38.400 I believe. 0:28:39.400 --> 0:28:44.480 So like there they pick up your travel expenses, tournament 0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:47.440 entry fees and then like coaching fees. Is that how 0:28:47.480 --> 0:28:48.200 it kind of works. 0:28:49.800 --> 0:28:57.720 They what happens is they they pay for some of 0:28:57.920 --> 0:29:04.280 your expenses. It's not all of them, but once once 0:29:04.320 --> 0:29:07.960 you're like a full let me say a full squad 0:29:08.080 --> 0:29:14.200 member of the Scotland setup, then you get reasonable expenses. 0:29:14.320 --> 0:29:16.320 So you still have to put in money of your 0:29:16.440 --> 0:29:19.239 own to go go away and play tournaments, but they 0:29:19.440 --> 0:29:24.960 assist you with that. And then the major thing is 0:29:25.720 --> 0:29:31.720 is providing help with resources like strength and conditioning, physio 0:29:35.440 --> 0:29:39.240 coaching if if needed, so you may have your own 0:29:39.280 --> 0:29:41.120 coach you work with. You may come to the squad 0:29:41.200 --> 0:29:47.280 sessions and they will Laise and work on that. But 0:29:47.440 --> 0:29:51.080 over the I think over the last i'd say ten years, 0:29:51.120 --> 0:29:54.960 it's it's changed a lot for the better. So it's 0:29:55.120 --> 0:30:00.280 it's it's really really good now and the guys have, yeah, 0:30:01.680 --> 0:30:05.800 a great structure behind them and a great performance set up. 0:30:06.760 --> 0:30:08.880 But with anything can almost get better. 0:30:09.920 --> 0:30:13.640 H How how would you compare and obviously you never 0:30:13.760 --> 0:30:15.760 were a part of it, but compare it to like 0:30:15.880 --> 0:30:20.080 a I know England has it, Ireland has it, Australia 0:30:20.160 --> 0:30:22.719 has it. Are they all pretty comparable or is there 0:30:22.800 --> 0:30:24.160 one that kind of stands out? 0:30:29.880 --> 0:30:35.560 I would say it's funny. I think we so so 0:30:35.600 --> 0:30:39.560 I was split it into two. I was split it 0:30:39.640 --> 0:30:43.560 into your job is to sort of produce great amateur 0:30:43.600 --> 0:30:45.480 and great amateur teams, and I think we've done a 0:30:45.560 --> 0:30:48.320 really good job of that. We've always had a good 0:30:48.360 --> 0:30:53.840 success rate of an amateur golf, especially with our team performances. 0:30:55.240 --> 0:30:58.240 If you look at us when the European Championships, when 0:30:58.240 --> 0:31:00.960 I played Homer Nationals, we really played well. I'm almost 0:31:01.000 --> 0:31:04.880 dominated for about three years, which is is England, Island, 0:31:04.920 --> 0:31:09.720 Wales and Scotland play every year. We did well in 0:31:09.760 --> 0:31:15.240 the Europeans. We did pretty good in the Eisenhewer not great, 0:31:15.360 --> 0:31:20.840 but I think top ten but there's not. But the 0:31:20.920 --> 0:31:25.560 problem is we've, for one reason or another, we struggled 0:31:25.560 --> 0:31:32.000 to produce really good professionals in the last maybe seven 0:31:32.120 --> 0:31:36.120 or eight years. Whereas you know, we're a level pegging 0:31:36.160 --> 0:31:38.280 with England amateur. But then when it comes to professional, 0:31:38.360 --> 0:31:42.400 they seem to produce a lot more professionals, a lot 0:31:42.440 --> 0:31:45.360 more professionals who make it to a higher level. But 0:31:45.800 --> 0:31:48.400 they have a population of fifty five million and formre 0:31:48.440 --> 0:31:51.440 people playing golf, So it's not like for like, if 0:31:51.480 --> 0:31:53.160 you see where I'm see what I mean. 0:31:53.360 --> 0:31:57.040 Yeah, that's I've always wondered why the States don't have it, 0:31:57.200 --> 0:31:59.440 But it could just be it's just so big. 0:32:00.080 --> 0:32:03.040 Now I think it's I think it's so big, and 0:32:03.480 --> 0:32:11.960 the university is like the university budgets outweigh what what 0:32:12.760 --> 0:32:16.800 the Scottish golf budget would be, I mean tenfold easily. 0:32:17.960 --> 0:32:19.040 That makes a lot of sense. 0:32:19.760 --> 0:32:24.000 Like I hear stories that are just to me are 0:32:24.320 --> 0:32:29.680 just incredible, Like I think this might be a mistake. 0:32:29.840 --> 0:32:40.800 But roughly speaking, I think Georgia Tech I believe were 0:32:40.800 --> 0:32:42.520 because I used to live in Atlanta at the time. 0:32:42.680 --> 0:32:45.680 We're looking for a new practice facility, and they built 0:32:45.800 --> 0:32:50.800 a new one downtown in Atlanta, and they had to 0:32:51.880 --> 0:32:54.680 obviously purchase a land, they had to build a club house. Terrific. 0:32:54.800 --> 0:32:57.360 I would do them with it. I think cost thirteen 0:32:57.400 --> 0:32:58.400 million dollars to do that. 0:33:00.360 --> 0:33:02.520 Yeah, I think Illinois built one that was like eight 0:33:02.680 --> 0:33:07.720 or nine million on on campus. That's it's crazy. And 0:33:07.880 --> 0:33:10.120 it's like they these kids they go to school and 0:33:10.160 --> 0:33:12.160 they hit. They can hit on a range that has 0:33:12.600 --> 0:33:15.200 every different type of grass, kind of like what you 0:33:15.240 --> 0:33:18.080 were talking to. They can practice putting on bermuda grass 0:33:18.120 --> 0:33:19.280 even though they're in Illinois. 0:33:20.360 --> 0:33:24.680 Yeah, I mean that, that to me is unbelievable. The 0:33:24.760 --> 0:33:27.400 resources they have to do that, the vision they have 0:33:27.520 --> 0:33:33.400 to do is pretty impressive. But what I would say 0:33:33.640 --> 0:33:40.560 is it's really important to have good resources. But even 0:33:40.640 --> 0:33:43.640 I fell into the this trap is that when I 0:33:43.720 --> 0:33:49.600 was in Scotland, I was far more hardened two traveling, 0:33:50.080 --> 0:33:52.160 playing in tough conditions. So then when I got to 0:33:52.320 --> 0:33:54.840 like a nice country club, I'd be like, oh, this 0:33:55.040 --> 0:33:57.640 is unbelievable. Look at this that there's nucrobe ones in 0:33:57.680 --> 0:33:59.760 the range, Like you know, this is we're petting off, 0:33:59.840 --> 0:34:03.120 turn out and off matts, there's no wind. You know, 0:34:03.160 --> 0:34:04.920 the greens are running at like ten and a half. 0:34:05.000 --> 0:34:08.319 This is incredible. Whereas sometimes you can build up these 0:34:08.360 --> 0:34:14.239 great facilities, but if I was a coach, yeah, let 0:34:14.280 --> 0:34:16.560 them practice fill it, but one day a week, I 0:34:16.680 --> 0:34:20.160 take them to the worst place, worst golf course in 0:34:20.400 --> 0:34:23.080 wherever they were, and make them play, and I want 0:34:23.120 --> 0:34:26.280 to see them hit it out of like rubbish lies, 0:34:26.360 --> 0:34:30.440 putting greens that aren't that great, deal with conditions and 0:34:30.520 --> 0:34:35.919 see how they're actually develops over that day and see 0:34:35.920 --> 0:34:38.040 how they work with that, because you because when you 0:34:38.200 --> 0:34:42.239 have everything at your disposal, it's only going to get 0:34:42.280 --> 0:34:46.960 worse from there because it doesn't. It's not all. It's 0:34:47.040 --> 0:34:49.800 not all one hundred percent first class facilities everywhere you go, 0:34:50.360 --> 0:34:53.000 especially when you're starting out in professional golf. 0:34:53.320 --> 0:34:55.680 Like the challenge to her, I bet you you probably 0:34:55.680 --> 0:34:58.839 played a lot of places that were suspect at best 0:34:59.080 --> 0:34:59.840 and conditioning. 0:35:01.080 --> 0:35:02.879 Yeah, I mean, Chancer has got a lot of good 0:35:02.920 --> 0:35:05.560 courses and it's a great tour to build off. But 0:35:05.719 --> 0:35:09.120 when I played, you know, sometimes there wasn't a driving range. 0:35:09.120 --> 0:35:10.440 You know, you're just hitting a net and then you 0:35:10.560 --> 0:35:13.359 teed off on the first so you know, you've got 0:35:13.400 --> 0:35:17.120 to You've got to deal with that, and you have 0:35:17.320 --> 0:35:19.759 to and then you go and play, you know, qualifying 0:35:19.840 --> 0:35:23.399 school and you know, say the weather hasn't been great 0:35:23.440 --> 0:35:25.719 and the golf courses in great condition. You've got to 0:35:25.800 --> 0:35:31.000 deal with that. And I think I'm a big believer 0:35:31.120 --> 0:35:35.640 that adversity makes you very strong. And it's not in 0:35:35.680 --> 0:35:38.520 the peaks that we build the characters in the troughs 0:35:39.239 --> 0:35:41.279 and when you're down in a lot, in the sort 0:35:41.280 --> 0:35:45.799 of trenches, that's where you build your character and your 0:35:45.880 --> 0:35:50.120 belief and your determination, your motivation which will see you 0:35:50.320 --> 0:35:51.960 get to the top. And when you're at the top, 0:35:52.080 --> 0:35:53.000 you need to remember that. 0:35:54.880 --> 0:35:59.320 Yeah, I think golf is it's a different sport in 0:35:59.400 --> 0:36:04.360 the sense that like you almost learn more when you fail, 0:36:04.680 --> 0:36:06.399 like when you get in a moment and you fail, 0:36:06.480 --> 0:36:09.239 because then the next time you you remember that and 0:36:09.320 --> 0:36:10.480 you might think differently. 0:36:10.640 --> 0:36:15.200 Right, oh, yeah, we've all been there, you know, especially 0:36:15.239 --> 0:36:18.280 in professional golf. You walk off and you do question yourself, 0:36:18.400 --> 0:36:20.680 even the top players. I'm sure they question themselves. It's 0:36:21.640 --> 0:36:23.880 is just what I would be doing. Is this. Sometimes 0:36:23.960 --> 0:36:29.920 it feels like it's torture, you know, but there's a 0:36:30.239 --> 0:36:32.120 you know there's there's a light attended tunnel, and I 0:36:32.200 --> 0:36:37.360 think you need to have good people around you. Is 0:36:37.480 --> 0:36:39.920 really to support you and be a positive impact and 0:36:40.440 --> 0:36:43.719 pick you up when when times are down. That's that's 0:36:43.800 --> 0:36:47.719 a that's something that I have, and it's something that's 0:36:48.000 --> 0:36:51.239 a major I'm not saying I've I'm not saying I've 0:36:51.280 --> 0:36:55.040 been an incredible player, but the success that I've had 0:36:55.840 --> 0:37:01.560 is attributed to people that are there for me when 0:37:02.200 --> 0:37:07.799 I ultimately need them. Because you know, everybody, maybe from 0:37:07.840 --> 0:37:11.200 the outside it looks great, you know these guys, you know, 0:37:11.440 --> 0:37:13.960 top players in the world, you know, making millions and 0:37:14.440 --> 0:37:19.840 flying private jets and you know Holliday in the Bahamas 0:37:19.920 --> 0:37:23.600 and you know all this kind of stuff. But you know, 0:37:24.239 --> 0:37:27.480 just like in everybody's life, you know, you get these 0:37:27.560 --> 0:37:29.640 times where they can be pretty hard and you've got 0:37:29.680 --> 0:37:34.920 to have those people around you which provide a safety 0:37:35.000 --> 0:37:36.879 net and pick you up when you're feeling down. 0:37:38.520 --> 0:37:42.239 So with it being kind of a new year, how 0:37:42.320 --> 0:37:45.520 do you in new season for you? Is it do 0:37:45.600 --> 0:37:47.680 you get do you just kind of keep rolling from 0:37:47.719 --> 0:37:50.400 season to season, or is do you do you have 0:37:50.600 --> 0:37:53.840 a kind of new season structure or like have a 0:37:53.920 --> 0:37:55.239 mentality to approach it. 0:37:57.680 --> 0:38:02.120 Well, I'll try and clock out. I was very much 0:38:02.200 --> 0:38:05.680 a guy who would be off season. Now we just 0:38:05.800 --> 0:38:08.400 keep going, keep practicing, and keep working on it. But 0:38:08.480 --> 0:38:12.120 I've realized it's different now. I've got family. I've spent 0:38:12.239 --> 0:38:15.800 time with them, but I really sort of hold myself 0:38:15.880 --> 0:38:19.560 off and get away from it as much as possible 0:38:20.360 --> 0:38:23.239 in order that when I come back, I'm refreshed, I'm 0:38:23.280 --> 0:38:26.040 ready to go. Because it's not always the time that 0:38:26.080 --> 0:38:29.040 you're playing. Sometimes the most important time is a recipediod. 0:38:32.160 --> 0:38:34.200 You know. I analyze the year, think about what I 0:38:34.440 --> 0:38:36.440 did well, think about what I didn't do well. I 0:38:36.560 --> 0:38:42.320 test equipment. I like to set on equipment before I 0:38:43.200 --> 0:38:48.680 teat up in the first tournament. Just think about schedule 0:38:48.719 --> 0:38:50.279 and try and try and do a lot of like 0:38:51.520 --> 0:38:53.880 advance work so that when I'm at the tournament, I 0:38:53.960 --> 0:38:55.680 don't need to I just need to focus on that 0:38:55.840 --> 0:39:00.440 tournament and come into it fresh and and but at 0:39:00.480 --> 0:39:02.640 the same time still sharp. That's why I go to 0:39:02.800 --> 0:39:08.920 Dubai early doors to get good practice and just be 0:39:12.280 --> 0:39:15.840 you know, sounds sounds a bit of a little bit cliche, 0:39:16.000 --> 0:39:19.799 but you know, attitude of number one train like train 0:39:19.920 --> 0:39:20.680 like your number two. 0:39:21.280 --> 0:39:24.800 Mm hm, that's it's a good good mentality you have. 0:39:25.000 --> 0:39:28.040 You got to have confidence in this game, that's yeah. 0:39:28.840 --> 0:39:39.000 And Scottish Scottish Scottish confidence is is like pessimism really, 0:39:39.120 --> 0:39:43.800 to be honest, it's not Scott's have never been shouting 0:39:43.800 --> 0:39:46.440 from the rooftops and if you do, you get dragged 0:39:46.480 --> 0:39:51.800 down pretty quick. So yeah, I'm not. What I do 0:39:51.960 --> 0:39:54.719 admire about a lot of Americans, A lot of young 0:39:54.760 --> 0:39:59.000 Americans is there really are confident and aggressive and they 0:39:59.080 --> 0:40:03.799 play with a you know, a swagger about them. Even 0:40:04.400 --> 0:40:09.839 even the people who are great ambassadors for the game, 0:40:10.160 --> 0:40:13.359 like Speace, you know, he's just he's got he's got 0:40:13.400 --> 0:40:14.080 an edge in there. 0:40:14.080 --> 0:40:14.239 You know. 0:40:14.280 --> 0:40:17.840 You could see that with that punts on fifteen Open 0:40:17.920 --> 0:40:20.600 last year. He's like you picked that ball at the hole. 0:40:20.680 --> 0:40:22.759 You know, he's got that little edge that I like. 0:40:23.080 --> 0:40:27.640 That's I really like that kind of style of player, constant, 0:40:27.760 --> 0:40:34.080 but little kind of little edge to them. Very very 0:40:34.120 --> 0:40:35.920 strong in their belief that they know what they want 0:40:36.000 --> 0:40:36.160 to do. 0:40:38.719 --> 0:40:42.239 In terms of scheduling, What do you think about like 0:40:42.440 --> 0:40:46.560 the unique formats that the Europeans Spent Tour has been 0:40:46.600 --> 0:40:48.399 trying out in recent years. 0:40:52.920 --> 0:40:59.919 I like the ideas I think I I honestly don't 0:40:59.920 --> 0:41:02.680 know if it's if it's a game changer and up, 0:41:03.360 --> 0:41:06.600 I probably couldn't ask that question. What I do like 0:41:07.239 --> 0:41:13.320 about them is that they are being proactive in testing 0:41:13.480 --> 0:41:18.839 you new formats of the game out in a professional game, 0:41:19.400 --> 0:41:21.799 trying to make it more appealing to tery, to make 0:41:21.840 --> 0:41:26.480 the product more appealing to the general public, especially the 0:41:26.640 --> 0:41:33.960 younger generation, and just give them curious that they're trying. 0:41:34.080 --> 0:41:36.400 You know, you're not saying we're gonna we're going to 0:41:36.480 --> 0:41:40.719 turn things around, but they're they're definitely making people think, 0:41:41.200 --> 0:41:47.399 raising awareness and instead of just standing there planning, they're 0:41:47.400 --> 0:41:53.360 actually executing and getting it done, which I think in 0:41:53.440 --> 0:41:56.400 the Gulf world, like people talk so much and they 0:41:56.600 --> 0:42:00.759 just like I just sometimes I'm just like, you know what, 0:42:01.400 --> 0:42:03.680 if you want something, you go out there and get it. 0:42:04.000 --> 0:42:07.839 Just get it done. Stop talking about it and get 0:42:07.880 --> 0:42:09.200 it done. Yeah. 0:42:09.320 --> 0:42:13.040 I like the idea of changing up like the the 0:42:14.239 --> 0:42:16.400 short matches was like a really cool that was the 0:42:16.480 --> 0:42:17.200 Golf sixes. 0:42:17.840 --> 0:42:18.880 Yeah, the Golf sixes. 0:42:18.960 --> 0:42:22.040 Yeah, and having it in a city like it was 0:42:22.120 --> 0:42:23.719 in the heart of London. Right. 0:42:24.840 --> 0:42:27.960 Well, this is well this is from my point of 0:42:28.120 --> 0:42:29.680 use is the one thing I would changed. They had 0:42:29.719 --> 0:42:35.160 it at the Centurion Club, which is outside of London, 0:42:37.040 --> 0:42:39.320 and it's a very good golf course, a lovely facility, 0:42:40.080 --> 0:42:44.160 very very good. But I'd have it. I'd have it 0:42:44.960 --> 0:42:47.600 as close to the city center as possible. I'd have 0:42:47.800 --> 0:42:51.280 buses running, three buses running on loop from the city center. 0:42:52.040 --> 0:42:55.399 You know, make it as easy as possible for people 0:42:55.520 --> 0:43:01.320 to be exposed to that tournament. And and you know, 0:43:01.360 --> 0:43:04.480 you've really got these days. The difference between America and 0:43:05.000 --> 0:43:06.800 I would say one of the big difference between America 0:43:06.840 --> 0:43:10.200 and Europe is that when you have a golf tournament, 0:43:10.239 --> 0:43:14.200 it's a social event. You know, you'll get guys who 0:43:14.200 --> 0:43:17.960 will say, you know, in the office you work ninety five, say, oh, 0:43:18.040 --> 0:43:21.480 they've got that what do you call that? That Phoenix 0:43:21.600 --> 0:43:24.879 Open going on and they've got Testa playing and it'll 0:43:24.920 --> 0:43:26.480 go on there for the day. I mean, I'm not 0:43:26.560 --> 0:43:29.840 into golf, but looks looks a good fun event. Whereas 0:43:30.160 --> 0:43:34.480 generally in Europe it's although there is some social aspects 0:43:34.560 --> 0:43:37.960 to generally more people who actually play golf and take 0:43:38.040 --> 0:43:40.080 a firm interest in golf. 0:43:41.840 --> 0:43:45.319 Yeah, it's uh, it's definitely. I mean the Phoenix one 0:43:45.480 --> 0:43:47.960 is like I feel like it's a kind of an outlier, 0:43:48.160 --> 0:43:50.680 but for the for the most part, like that, I 0:43:50.800 --> 0:43:53.840 know that Nelson is a big social event and they do. 0:43:54.400 --> 0:43:57.320 It's so much with those corporate hospitalities that makes it 0:43:57.800 --> 0:44:00.720 in hospitality tends to make it much more social. 0:44:01.040 --> 0:44:05.240 On an American tour, yeah, I mean that's it's probably 0:44:05.280 --> 0:44:07.680 a little bit more that way in places like Dubai 0:44:08.520 --> 0:44:11.439 Abba Dabbi because there's you know, people can love coming 0:44:11.480 --> 0:44:13.480 to events and it's a great you know, the sun's 0:44:13.520 --> 0:44:16.040 on your back and it's a great little walk in 0:44:16.120 --> 0:44:19.360 the green grass when there's desert around you. So a 0:44:19.440 --> 0:44:21.560 little bit more that way. And I would say the 0:44:21.719 --> 0:44:25.600 new markets, but we have a lot of established markets 0:44:25.600 --> 0:44:28.920 and it's probably more the other way with more golf 0:44:29.680 --> 0:44:31.000 golfers who come to the events. 0:44:32.280 --> 0:44:35.520 So do you set like, do you have goals for 0:44:35.640 --> 0:44:37.840 this year or are you just kind of you just 0:44:37.960 --> 0:44:41.000 try and play your best and wherever it goes, it goes. 0:44:43.760 --> 0:44:47.120 Well. My mission is kind of I always like to 0:44:47.160 --> 0:44:49.719 take the viewpoint that kind of got to be the 0:44:49.800 --> 0:44:57.000 best I can be, so effectively, don't worry about Rory mcelroyal, 0:44:57.080 --> 0:44:58.719 Jordan Speith. I just got to be the sort of 0:44:58.800 --> 0:45:04.239 the best Richie Ramsey I can be, and I try 0:45:04.280 --> 0:45:06.919 and do all the things I can do every week 0:45:07.040 --> 0:45:10.560 to do that. And and if if I miss a 0:45:10.640 --> 0:45:13.320 cut and I walk away, I walk away with my 0:45:13.360 --> 0:45:15.880 Hotel tie. But at the same time, if I I 0:45:15.960 --> 0:45:18.960 finished second, I walk away with my health tail tie. 0:45:19.040 --> 0:45:21.719 So no, I really want to get back in the 0:45:21.760 --> 0:45:26.239 winner circle because effectively that there's nothing better than winning, 0:45:26.360 --> 0:45:33.080 Let's be honest. And you know, raced buy is also 0:45:33.120 --> 0:45:34.440 a big thing. You always want to be in a 0:45:35.440 --> 0:45:39.279 season ending tournament in Dubai and get a little bit 0:45:39.360 --> 0:45:43.120 more feel for, you know, playing in this WG season, 0:45:43.200 --> 0:45:46.040 those those major tournaments, because I played in the US 0:45:46.120 --> 0:45:49.600 Open and Open this year and I feel a lot 0:45:49.680 --> 0:45:52.040 more comfortable playing in them. And I feel that I've 0:45:52.800 --> 0:45:57.399 I played good at the Open this year, fourth last 0:45:57.440 --> 0:45:59.560 group on the Saturday, but I feel like I've got 0:45:59.560 --> 0:46:01.200 a little bit more in the tank to show I 0:46:01.280 --> 0:46:02.359 didn't quite finish it off. 0:46:03.200 --> 0:46:05.200 Yeah, you're you're right in the thick of it. And 0:46:05.360 --> 0:46:10.560 then the weekend, which is you know, it's a major 0:46:10.680 --> 0:46:15.680 championships obviously, but I mean to a certain extent. I 0:46:16.200 --> 0:46:20.600 so instead of overrated, underrated, our major championships overrated. When 0:46:20.640 --> 0:46:25.640 discussing players legacy, that's a. 0:46:25.680 --> 0:46:32.920 Great question, that's a very good question. I would say no. 0:46:33.239 --> 0:46:37.680 I think it's the main determination of how good a 0:46:37.760 --> 0:46:42.000 player they are. The WGCs have an impact because the 0:46:42.040 --> 0:46:48.160 fields are so strong. I would love to see wgc's split. Differently, 0:46:49.680 --> 0:46:55.560 I a staunch believer that another's one in Mexico. 0:46:55.760 --> 0:46:59.520 But yeah, it seems like there should be one in 0:46:59.600 --> 0:47:00.920 the at the Home of Golf. 0:47:03.000 --> 0:47:05.440 Well, there's one in Mexico, but let's be honest. For 0:47:05.520 --> 0:47:07.759 the for the line's share of the last three years, 0:47:08.080 --> 0:47:10.880 there's been three in America, and there's been one in China, 0:47:11.880 --> 0:47:16.440 And if you want to grow the game worldwide, you 0:47:16.560 --> 0:47:23.319 don't have three in America. But what what what? What's 0:47:23.360 --> 0:47:25.840 the reason they're there is because the sponsors put up 0:47:25.880 --> 0:47:29.080 the money, and they've got fantastic sponsors in America, and 0:47:30.480 --> 0:47:32.719 a large share of the best golfers in the world 0:47:32.840 --> 0:47:34.960 lived there, so it's easy for them to get to 0:47:35.040 --> 0:47:38.239 tournaments and play there, which makes the fields great, which 0:47:38.360 --> 0:47:41.799 makes the sponsors happy and brings excitement in a great 0:47:41.880 --> 0:47:44.000 product to the fans, so I don't blame them for 0:47:44.120 --> 0:47:46.920 putting there, but the I think one of the founding 0:47:47.000 --> 0:47:49.600 things was that they should be that there are are 0:47:49.719 --> 0:47:52.160 World golf events. They're not American golf events. 0:47:52.320 --> 0:47:53.560 So that's it. 0:47:53.680 --> 0:47:53.840 You know. 0:47:54.600 --> 0:47:58.680 Yeah, I completely agree, especially when it's the World Golf 0:47:58.800 --> 0:48:01.919 Championships and then you look at the golf courses they play, 0:48:02.440 --> 0:48:05.560 and they play Austin Country Club, which is like, it's 0:48:05.600 --> 0:48:08.480 a nice golf course, but it's this is a World 0:48:08.600 --> 0:48:14.800 Golf Championship. You play Firestone, same kind of you know, idea, 0:48:15.000 --> 0:48:18.239 the Mexico course, and then they play in China at 0:48:18.280 --> 0:48:21.759 a at a brutal golf course there. But like it's like, 0:48:22.239 --> 0:48:25.439 why why aren't these hosted at like a great course 0:48:25.520 --> 0:48:29.600 in Australia, a great course in the British Isles, a 0:48:30.000 --> 0:48:34.200 great course in America, And obviously you hit it with sponsors, 0:48:34.239 --> 0:48:36.600 but like that would be such a better product in 0:48:36.680 --> 0:48:37.360 my mind. 0:48:38.200 --> 0:48:40.160 Yeah, I would. I know what I would love to see. 0:48:40.680 --> 0:48:47.360 And I've said this a lot is I'm not saying, 0:48:48.760 --> 0:48:50.520 you know, you have to have basically you have to 0:48:50.600 --> 0:48:52.560 the sponsors, you have some money put it there, right, 0:48:52.680 --> 0:48:55.839 But I would love to see a World golf event 0:48:55.920 --> 0:48:59.880 in Ireland now I am. I love Scotland, and I 0:49:01.040 --> 0:49:04.640 am immensely proud to be Scottish, and I love playing here. 0:49:05.080 --> 0:49:08.400 I love living in Edinburgh and everywhere I go I 0:49:08.480 --> 0:49:12.560 carry the saltar with me. But the atmosphere and the 0:49:12.719 --> 0:49:17.200 fans in Ireland are as good as it pretty much gets. 0:49:18.160 --> 0:49:21.920 And they because the courses they have as well, and 0:49:22.000 --> 0:49:24.600 the players they have, you know, talking about McElroy and 0:49:25.840 --> 0:49:29.120 g Mac, you know, Daring all those guys have added 0:49:29.200 --> 0:49:33.279 to Hinton. I think they generally deserve a war golf 0:49:33.320 --> 0:49:36.959 event and the fans you would get in the hype 0:49:36.960 --> 0:49:41.839 would be incredible. And if you think about it, what's 0:49:41.920 --> 0:49:46.239 effectively one of the closest places to the US. Yeah, 0:49:46.400 --> 0:49:49.080 it's not not actually, you know, if you lived in 0:49:50.840 --> 0:49:52.799 Okay for the West coast guys, but if you lived 0:49:52.840 --> 0:49:54.840 on the East coast of America, it's. 0:49:54.719 --> 0:49:58.880 Shorter from New York to Ireland than New York to la. 0:49:59.440 --> 0:50:02.520 Well, there you go. There's there's my point precisely. And 0:50:02.640 --> 0:50:11.360 I think the difference in the the warmth, the atmosphere 0:50:11.360 --> 0:50:14.000 and stuff you would get would be incredible and and 0:50:15.000 --> 0:50:17.920 I generally think in the future that's the way if 0:50:17.960 --> 0:50:20.120 you'd have it. You know, it's say you have the 0:50:20.200 --> 0:50:22.839 Irish Open one year in the north, have a World 0:50:22.920 --> 0:50:26.040 Golf event in the south. Okay, would it? Would it work? 0:50:27.160 --> 0:50:31.520 I think it would. I think. You know, Rory obviously 0:50:31.600 --> 0:50:33.759 does a hell of a job promoting the Irish Open, 0:50:33.880 --> 0:50:37.560 but you know, and it's a it's an it's a 0:50:37.640 --> 0:50:39.640 life experience for a lot of these guys. But a 0:50:39.640 --> 0:50:41.320 lot of these guys haven't gone there and played. And 0:50:42.080 --> 0:50:43.800 maybe you could go over there with your family and 0:50:43.960 --> 0:50:47.719 play some nights. Golf course has experienced the the hospitality 0:50:47.920 --> 0:50:53.080 do in Ireland, which is his first class. And like 0:50:53.160 --> 0:50:56.560 I said, let's be honest, logistically it's it's one of 0:50:56.640 --> 0:50:58.279 the easiest ways you could do it. 0:50:59.040 --> 0:51:02.320 Yeah, I would agree. I mean, like who would in 0:51:03.040 --> 0:51:05.680 the interest would be so much higher? Like how many 0:51:05.760 --> 0:51:07.960 more people are going to tune in to watch the 0:51:08.520 --> 0:51:13.919 WGC at Royal County Down versus Firestone. 0:51:15.200 --> 0:51:21.040 Oh yeah, and you know you'd I mean, you'd sell out, 0:51:21.280 --> 0:51:23.279 there's no doubt. But the reason that they're taking one 0:51:23.280 --> 0:51:25.600 of the reasons they're taking the Open back to Port 0:51:25.680 --> 0:51:27.600 Rush is because when we had Dirish Open there they 0:51:27.680 --> 0:51:30.640 sold out. Only time I think they've ever sold the 0:51:30.680 --> 0:51:33.400 European Tour event out and the weather wasn't even that 0:51:33.520 --> 0:51:38.239 great and it was an incredible atmosphere. I know they've 0:51:38.320 --> 0:51:41.360 changed the golf course a bit, but I think that 0:51:41.520 --> 0:51:44.200 was one of the the reasons they took it back there, 0:51:44.239 --> 0:51:49.400 and it's great to see that happen. But I definitely 0:51:49.560 --> 0:51:55.120 think that in the future is I can't really see 0:51:55.280 --> 0:52:01.120 a major a major fall with it, if I was honest. 0:52:02.400 --> 0:52:07.320 So we've gotten on to kind of courses in Ireland. 0:52:07.800 --> 0:52:08.239 What are. 0:52:09.680 --> 0:52:13.080 What are your favorite courses in just generally the British Isles. 0:52:14.480 --> 0:52:18.239 British Isles always very tough because there's so many golf 0:52:18.280 --> 0:52:20.960 courses and I would say straight away, I would say 0:52:21.280 --> 0:52:22.239 I haven't played them all. 0:52:22.800 --> 0:52:25.839 So so let's just say you got ten rounds. How 0:52:25.880 --> 0:52:27.480 are you going to split up the ten rounds? 0:52:28.160 --> 0:52:32.439 Oh right, okay, so this ten This is great, so tough. 0:52:33.040 --> 0:52:35.439 You can spend. You can do multiple at a course 0:52:35.480 --> 0:52:37.000 if you want to do multiple. 0:52:39.200 --> 0:52:45.040 Okay, So what I would do would be okay, so 0:52:45.120 --> 0:52:46.919 you've got to have so and Andrews in there straight 0:52:46.920 --> 0:52:50.480 away because everything goes on about it. It's a home 0:52:50.520 --> 0:52:56.680 of golf. But it's a magical place. And walking around 0:52:56.760 --> 0:52:59.239 there and just walking up eighteen and playing seventeen and 0:52:59.360 --> 0:53:02.279 hit the t show at first. There's something special you 0:53:02.400 --> 0:53:06.239 can you can't put a price on it, you can't 0:53:07.160 --> 0:53:09.920 put it together. It has something that other places simply 0:53:10.000 --> 0:53:13.560 don't have. So it's a special place. And I would 0:53:13.680 --> 0:53:15.719 always try and get a game on there if you can. 0:53:18.040 --> 0:53:21.480 And it's very deceptive because it is actually a good 0:53:21.520 --> 0:53:23.680 golf course that makes you think a lot more than 0:53:25.600 --> 0:53:27.279 you do the first time you play it. You've got 0:53:27.320 --> 0:53:35.560 to maybe play it a couple of times, probably more so, 0:53:35.719 --> 0:53:38.640 of course I could play every day for a week. 0:53:40.320 --> 0:53:52.040 Is Mirrorfield. Mirorfield. It's an incredible place golf course design wise, 0:53:52.320 --> 0:53:58.319 as probably as good as it gets, you know, shot 0:53:58.400 --> 0:54:11.080 making ability, fairness, condition experience, you know, slopes look, everything 0:54:11.280 --> 0:54:14.920 is is just it's a fantastic day out. Lunch is brilliant. 0:54:14.960 --> 0:54:18.680 The members are always great cracket To have a big 0:54:18.800 --> 0:54:20.560 lunch and maybe a few glasses of wine and then 0:54:20.600 --> 0:54:24.040 play fours in the afternoon. That is a real golf 0:54:24.120 --> 0:54:32.719 day out. Number three pretty tough, but these three all 0:54:32.800 --> 0:54:37.399 sit together and all for different reasons. I would say 0:54:37.520 --> 0:54:44.440 Turnbury Birkdale and loch Lomond turn Bray because it's just 0:54:44.520 --> 0:54:51.400 a majestic place, great history, beautiful views. Haven't played the 0:54:51.440 --> 0:54:54.239 golf course since it's been redone, but I just I 0:54:54.320 --> 0:54:57.040 played the Open there once, so it's it's just a 0:54:57.280 --> 0:55:01.799 it's just a very very good golf course. Strong I'm 0:55:01.880 --> 0:55:09.759 quite iconic in the Scottish West coast. Birkdale, what a 0:55:09.840 --> 0:55:12.920 fantastic off course that is. I mean the views a 0:55:13.040 --> 0:55:15.680 lot more like my home course of Rother Aberdeen, where 0:55:15.680 --> 0:55:17.480 you tee up on the dunes and you hit down 0:55:20.320 --> 0:55:23.000 into the valleys. The back nine, I mean, i'd say 0:55:23.040 --> 0:55:26.359 from a living onwards, you know, eight of the best 0:55:26.400 --> 0:55:32.000 finishing holes you'll ever find. Obviously got a lot of 0:55:32.080 --> 0:55:37.440 history there and just of course that I love playing it. Esthetically. 0:55:37.520 --> 0:55:42.520 It looks great on the eye, tests you that way 0:55:42.520 --> 0:55:45.000 you think around it, but at the same time it's scorable. 0:55:45.040 --> 0:55:46.520 You know there's a score out there to be had. 0:55:48.760 --> 0:55:56.279 Loch Lomond again very similar to Mirfield experience wise, incredible 0:55:56.600 --> 0:55:59.480 staff there are fantastic will Lye in the locker room 0:56:00.080 --> 0:56:03.640 exceptional remembers your name even though you've maybe not been 0:56:03.680 --> 0:56:08.000 there for two or three years. Services, first class ross 0:56:08.080 --> 0:56:12.439 t house, one of the best clubhouses you'll ever see 0:56:12.600 --> 0:56:17.359 in your life, at a setting that is probably one 0:56:17.360 --> 0:56:21.840 of the most spectacular, not in the British Isles, but 0:56:22.000 --> 0:56:27.040 in probably the world. And a very underrated golf course 0:56:27.160 --> 0:56:30.920 that Tom Weiskoff designed mm hm as a joy to 0:56:30.960 --> 0:56:38.840 play there really is just fantastic golf course. Where's that 0:56:38.920 --> 0:56:41.320 being up to one two Andrew's Mirfield? 0:56:41.920 --> 0:56:43.279 I think five right? 0:56:44.000 --> 0:56:52.160 Five? Yeah, mm hmm, okay, I'm going to put I'm 0:56:52.160 --> 0:56:54.360 going to put Sonny and Dylan in there. Yeah, and 0:56:54.480 --> 0:56:58.680 you could you could play the newer the old both exceptional. 0:56:59.400 --> 0:57:03.120 You've got what I would like to turn laser beam 0:57:03.160 --> 0:57:05.799 around there. If you hit it offline, you'll be buying 0:57:05.840 --> 0:57:09.279 more golf balls in the pro shop. No doubt about 0:57:09.320 --> 0:57:16.320 that great halfway house. Fantastic halfway house. I mean leave 0:57:16.480 --> 0:57:20.240 leave twenty minutes. The stuff you're facing there, sausages in 0:57:20.320 --> 0:57:25.560 a roll, smoke salmon. I'm sure the members have a 0:57:25.600 --> 0:57:28.240 couple of cheeky drinks as well, So that's a that's 0:57:28.240 --> 0:57:32.439 a great little kind of touch. But again, fantastic golf 0:57:32.520 --> 0:57:35.240 course design, old school greens that just sitting to you, 0:57:36.680 --> 0:57:39.200 but play quite firm and fast, especially in the summer. 0:57:41.800 --> 0:57:44.600 Harry Colton, Willie Park well. 0:57:44.640 --> 0:57:48.640 Just he doesn't get cold, doesn't really it doesn't really 0:57:48.680 --> 0:57:52.680 get much better than him, So I would I would 0:57:52.680 --> 0:57:53.400 say that would be a. 0:57:54.920 --> 0:57:55.280 Classic. 0:57:55.560 --> 0:57:59.320 Dale was one and if you could play the older 0:57:59.400 --> 0:58:02.919 than New thirty six that day, and I'd a little 0:58:02.920 --> 0:58:07.920 bit like Mirfield, I'd play eighteen in the morning, lunch 0:58:08.800 --> 0:58:10.880 and then fourth themes in the afternoon, because that's the 0:58:10.920 --> 0:58:21.120 tradition at Mirfield. So we're up to six. Oh god, 0:58:21.120 --> 0:58:24.880 I've got four lefts and stuff. I'm trying to think 0:58:24.880 --> 0:58:27.920 of the open courses at I don't know where to 0:58:27.960 --> 0:58:30.160 put Carnishtee, but I feel that it's going to be 0:58:30.240 --> 0:58:36.800 in there, just because it's as fair a test of 0:58:36.920 --> 0:58:43.680 golf as you will find, and it's always irrespective of 0:58:43.800 --> 0:58:46.600 the wind. It's always a place you love to go to. 0:58:46.760 --> 0:58:53.960 The greens or I'm accurate, normally the best surfaces you'll 0:58:54.280 --> 0:58:58.800 you'll put on in Scotland. I would say Mirfield are 0:58:58.840 --> 0:59:03.040 close near, are very good, but but CARNOUSTI tend to 0:59:03.080 --> 0:59:06.880 be exceptional. And the finish I mean what I finish, 0:59:06.960 --> 0:59:12.280 what I finish size? I mean you always talk about 0:59:13.560 --> 0:59:15.480 winning tournaments of coming down the stretch and have a 0:59:15.880 --> 0:59:20.000 lot of pressure. Well, sixteen is a tough hole. Seventeen 0:59:21.120 --> 0:59:24.280 is very tricky, but eighteen is probably I think one 0:59:24.320 --> 0:59:27.680 of the toughest version holes, if not the toughest version 0:59:27.720 --> 0:59:34.960 hole you'll play. It's it's just great place to play 0:59:35.000 --> 0:59:37.400 golf and obviously a huge amount of history with the 0:59:37.480 --> 0:59:38.400 people who have won there. 0:59:38.920 --> 0:59:43.160 Yeah, that's gonna be a good of course. That sets 0:59:43.240 --> 0:59:43.840 up well for you. 0:59:44.960 --> 0:59:46.680 Its well for me because I think it's a ball 0:59:46.720 --> 0:59:50.120 strikers golf course. Yeah, you can't. You can't fake it 0:59:50.200 --> 0:59:52.160 round there. You can't just go well, just put well 0:59:52.240 --> 0:59:55.080 and I'll get away with it. You've got to really 0:59:56.320 --> 0:59:58.160 know where the misses are, stay out of the bunkers, 0:59:58.200 --> 1:00:03.120 and sometimes you've got a challenge of bunkers. I think 1:00:03.160 --> 1:00:05.400 you just got a flat out play around there, no 1:00:05.560 --> 1:00:12.400 doubt about it. Can't fake it and it'll be it'd 1:00:12.440 --> 1:00:14.560 be good to see how the best players in the 1:00:14.640 --> 1:00:18.280 world set up to It's definitely scorable. It's definitely scorable, 1:00:20.720 --> 1:00:29.720 but it's just a very very fair golf course. I 1:00:29.720 --> 1:00:32.760 would put Royal Aberdeen, my home course in there, especially 1:00:34.080 --> 1:00:35.800 the older course that we used to play when I 1:00:35.840 --> 1:00:38.360 was a junior. The origin more of the original design 1:00:40.240 --> 1:00:44.960 it was, you know, I used to play it in 1:00:45.080 --> 1:00:47.640 the front nine. I used to front nine. I loved. 1:00:48.080 --> 1:00:50.920 I used to go away and play all these different 1:00:50.960 --> 1:00:53.840 golf courses. People used to rant and rave about and 1:00:53.920 --> 1:00:56.080 speak and say this is a great golf course. And 1:00:56.560 --> 1:00:58.200 I used to come back and will and just think 1:00:59.000 --> 1:01:03.240 this place is just way better. Really great memories. They're 1:01:03.360 --> 1:01:08.200 fantastic membership that have helped me and helped a lot 1:01:08.240 --> 1:01:14.240 of people progress their golf and progress you know, off 1:01:14.320 --> 1:01:19.320 the course, and just a place that is close to me, 1:01:19.400 --> 1:01:20.880 and I'd love to go back. I'd love to go 1:01:21.000 --> 1:01:26.800 back there and and and play and try and enjoy 1:01:26.880 --> 1:01:30.280 the golf course and the traditions because it was the 1:01:30.440 --> 1:01:33.200 seventh oldest club in the world. It's seventeen eighty it 1:01:33.360 --> 1:01:34.480 was established, so. 1:01:36.120 --> 1:01:41.240 Some great traditions there and just fortunate to be a 1:01:41.320 --> 1:01:47.120 member there. They've got two left left. 1:01:48.800 --> 1:01:52.600 Dominated dominated by Scottish golf courses. 1:01:53.360 --> 1:01:55.560 Yeah, any more heath and courses. 1:01:59.760 --> 1:02:02.680 I'm not I haven't really played a Hoastling course that 1:02:02.680 --> 1:02:08.760 I thought really stood out for me. I'm trying to 1:02:08.800 --> 1:02:12.360 think that there there's a couple that. There's a great one. 1:02:12.440 --> 1:02:15.120 More Town is definitely something that I would I would 1:02:16.520 --> 1:02:19.160 I wouldn't include in my top ten, but it would 1:02:19.200 --> 1:02:20.280 be somewhere where I would play. 1:02:20.920 --> 1:02:24.080 That was Mackenzie's first design. 1:02:25.040 --> 1:02:27.240 Yeah, it's in I think I believe it's in leads 1:02:27.720 --> 1:02:33.439 and I had the Ryder Cup in a long time ago, 1:02:34.000 --> 1:02:34.920 thirties maybe. 1:02:35.320 --> 1:02:37.880 H Yeah, I think that was Mackenzie's first design. 1:02:38.840 --> 1:02:41.320 Yeah, there's there's a there's a few courses up there 1:02:41.440 --> 1:02:46.400 that kind of fall off the radar just because of 1:02:46.440 --> 1:02:48.120 where they are. They're not down south so they don't 1:02:48.160 --> 1:02:48.600 get ridden a. 1:02:48.600 --> 1:02:52.200 Bit too much, and they aren't open courses. 1:02:53.200 --> 1:03:00.960 Yeah. You know what, I haven't actually played a ton 1:03:01.040 --> 1:03:04.760 of golf courses in England that have been blown away 1:03:04.800 --> 1:03:08.560 by I might get some backlash for that. 1:03:10.200 --> 1:03:11.720 You're loyal to your country. 1:03:12.600 --> 1:03:22.800 Yeah, yeah, Scotsman, I would say port Rush has to 1:03:22.880 --> 1:03:27.520 be in there. I haven't played all these other ones 1:03:27.560 --> 1:03:32.240 that are far away, like La hinch Tralei, Waterville and 1:03:32.320 --> 1:03:34.840 all these ones, and I would love to play there. 1:03:35.680 --> 1:03:38.400 I think County Down is good, but I just think 1:03:38.480 --> 1:03:41.560 port Rush is better. I think the design is better, 1:03:42.400 --> 1:03:46.640 I think the views are better, the golf course is 1:03:46.680 --> 1:03:51.000 more in front of view, and I think again being 1:03:51.040 --> 1:03:57.160 close to the town, it has that great atmosphere and 1:03:57.280 --> 1:04:00.440 it would be really interesting to see how the new 1:04:00.520 --> 1:04:05.760 holes bed in and how the guys perform at at 1:04:05.800 --> 1:04:07.040 the opening a few years time. 1:04:07.960 --> 1:04:09.240 Have you played Dornick? 1:04:10.680 --> 1:04:13.240 You know what I haven't. You got to get it 1:04:13.400 --> 1:04:18.120 out there, played Dornick. I've played ski bowd which is 1:04:18.320 --> 1:04:22.200 very good, but I haven't played Dornick for I don't 1:04:22.240 --> 1:04:25.680 know why I haven't played it. I just never ventured 1:04:25.760 --> 1:04:27.760 up there. And this is going to sound really funny, 1:04:27.840 --> 1:04:36.240 but I'm notorious for falling asleep really quickly, So vide 1:04:36.280 --> 1:04:40.360 with me for a minute. So driving long distances can 1:04:40.440 --> 1:04:43.040 be tough for me because sometimes, I mean the other 1:04:43.160 --> 1:04:46.240 day I was at Mirfield and I got up early 1:04:46.320 --> 1:04:50.520 and played and we had lunch, beautiful lunch, stuffed, and 1:04:50.640 --> 1:04:54.560 I had to drive back and I had just stopped 1:04:55.360 --> 1:04:59.040 ten miles down the road to get a coffee because 1:04:59.080 --> 1:05:00.800 I said to the guy who was with I was like, 1:05:01.440 --> 1:05:02.880 my eye, I'm going to be like a nod and 1:05:02.960 --> 1:05:04.760 dog here, so I need to stop and get coffee. 1:05:06.080 --> 1:05:10.280 So the courses that are I mean, dorn is a 1:05:10.320 --> 1:05:12.400 long way north. So that's that's my only excuse for 1:05:12.520 --> 1:05:14.440 not playing it. I can't really drive that far with 1:05:14.520 --> 1:05:15.280 that falling asleep? 1:05:16.120 --> 1:05:20.040 What where's the what's the what's where's the weirdest place 1:05:20.080 --> 1:05:21.000 you've fallen asleep? 1:05:23.440 --> 1:05:28.200 Oh? God, where's I fall asleep? I remember in Argentina, 1:05:28.320 --> 1:05:32.920 I fell asleep on a on a moving bus when 1:05:32.960 --> 1:05:35.280 I was standing getting a chance to event and the 1:05:35.480 --> 1:05:38.520 bus was packed, had to stand. I was that tired 1:05:38.960 --> 1:05:41.120 that I nearly fell over because I fell asleep standing 1:05:41.200 --> 1:05:44.280 up where the bus was moving, which is quite impressive. 1:05:46.960 --> 1:05:49.840 That's uh, you get in the wrong spot. I went 1:05:49.920 --> 1:05:52.920 to Argentina last or many two years ago with my 1:05:53.040 --> 1:05:55.800 wife and I went for a run and I got 1:05:55.920 --> 1:05:59.680 lost and I ended up running like into like a 1:05:59.720 --> 1:06:02.960 bad neighborhood and it was like one of the worst 1:06:03.120 --> 1:06:05.240 experiences in my life because I didn't have a phone 1:06:05.280 --> 1:06:08.680 that worked, and I don't speak Spanish and I was 1:06:08.760 --> 1:06:11.720 trying to, you know, figure out how to get back. 1:06:11.920 --> 1:06:15.560 And I ended up running like fifteen miles that day, 1:06:15.680 --> 1:06:16.480 So I got good work. 1:06:17.560 --> 1:06:19.560 Yeah, I bet you ran out a fair pace as well. 1:06:20.600 --> 1:06:20.880 It was. 1:06:21.600 --> 1:06:23.080 It was a brutal experience. 1:06:24.840 --> 1:06:25.360 Yeah, I'm not. 1:06:27.160 --> 1:06:29.680 A bus in Argentina would be really tough to fall 1:06:29.720 --> 1:06:30.240 asleep on. 1:06:30.400 --> 1:06:34.320 Though I fell asleep, I don't. I don't remember this 1:06:34.560 --> 1:06:37.320 because it was a night someone said to me almost 1:06:37.480 --> 1:06:41.440 I fell asleep in a club and I was I 1:06:41.520 --> 1:06:46.080 was next to a speaker. But that was that. There 1:06:46.160 --> 1:06:49.920 was a few other variables that were involved in that. 1:06:50.040 --> 1:06:53.240 It wasn't just when you get a couple of drinks, 1:06:53.280 --> 1:06:57.400 you know, it's like, it's what. 1:06:59.320 --> 1:07:02.080 What what's the what's the best course in Scotland that 1:07:02.160 --> 1:07:05.520 nobody knows about the radar? 1:07:07.240 --> 1:07:10.720 So just just quickly before answer that the last one 1:07:10.760 --> 1:07:13.000 on the list, which is the which is the best 1:07:13.080 --> 1:07:16.600 one on the list that slightly off the radar is 1:07:16.640 --> 1:07:19.520 a place called The Island, which is outside Dublin and 1:07:19.640 --> 1:07:27.160 Malhyde and it is phenomenal, great course, great course, you've 1:07:27.200 --> 1:07:32.360 got to play that beautiful June's fantastic membership. And there's 1:07:32.400 --> 1:07:34.080 a lot of other courses around there, a good Port 1:07:34.160 --> 1:07:37.000 Marnocks just down the road, and Port Mornick's is a 1:07:38.240 --> 1:07:40.400 is a great golf course as well. But the Island 1:07:40.560 --> 1:07:43.560 is is really cool, cool spot. I really like that. 1:07:44.040 --> 1:07:47.040 I think Sally from Millaying up played there. It was 1:07:47.840 --> 1:07:49.600 he was he was talking about that place. 1:07:49.800 --> 1:07:50.000 It was. 1:07:50.240 --> 1:07:50.800 It was great. 1:07:51.640 --> 1:07:57.200 Yeah, definitely worth a definitely worth a trip. Good question. 1:07:57.800 --> 1:07:58.600 The best course. 1:08:00.440 --> 1:08:04.160 Let's say Americans would just overlook. 1:08:10.080 --> 1:08:14.640 Well, a lot of them really love North Berwick and 1:08:14.720 --> 1:08:17.000 it is a good course. But it's not under the radar. 1:08:17.720 --> 1:08:19.519 It's not like you know a lot a lot of 1:08:19.600 --> 1:08:30.240 guys we've heard of it. Sorry one second, you know 1:08:30.320 --> 1:08:33.280 what I'm going to go with this place, which is 1:08:33.320 --> 1:08:38.519 a pretty cool place to go to. It's actually west 1:08:38.560 --> 1:08:47.960 of Aberdeen, about fifty miles. It's a place called Balloter 1:08:48.840 --> 1:08:52.000 Golf Club and it's actually not far from Balmorrow, where 1:08:52.040 --> 1:08:59.799 the Queen as a summer residence. It's surrounded by hills 1:09:01.040 --> 1:09:04.880 and you play a long sort of very sand based 1:09:07.680 --> 1:09:11.200 turf beside the water, beside the river that runs the 1:09:11.320 --> 1:09:13.519 River Dee which runs from the Highlands all the way 1:09:13.560 --> 1:09:17.360 out to the water in Aberdeen. It's quite short, quite 1:09:17.400 --> 1:09:19.479 tricky course, but a lot of shots where you hit 1:09:19.640 --> 1:09:22.280 hit it up and you can see the ball heading 1:09:22.360 --> 1:09:26.920 into the hills and then it drops down. I'm not 1:09:27.200 --> 1:09:29.160 too sure designed it, but it's a great place to 1:09:29.240 --> 1:09:31.080 go and play, especially if you were in the Highlands 1:09:31.600 --> 1:09:37.120 and you were coming down that way. It's it's it's 1:09:37.200 --> 1:09:39.960 as sounds funny, but it's as Scottish as you're going 1:09:40.000 --> 1:09:43.880 to get because you're you're kind of surrounded by these 1:09:44.120 --> 1:09:48.640 beautiful hills. There's castles on the trip from Aberdeen to 1:09:50.840 --> 1:09:53.560 Ballater and obviously if the Queen, the Queen could be 1:09:53.640 --> 1:09:56.040 in Balmoral residence in the summer, when the best time 1:09:56.120 --> 1:09:56.519 to play it. 1:09:56.560 --> 1:10:01.880 Is, it's the there's I gotta get there for, like 1:10:02.040 --> 1:10:03.719 I guess spent a lot of time there. I feel 1:10:03.760 --> 1:10:06.679 like there's like hundreds of great golf courses. 1:10:07.720 --> 1:10:10.200 Oh, there's tons of places. I know. Silly was over 1:10:10.320 --> 1:10:11.880 and we sort of them out with a game at 1:10:11.920 --> 1:10:15.599 Royal Aberdeen and the boys took them out at night. 1:10:15.680 --> 1:10:16.680 So I think he enjoyed that. 1:10:18.240 --> 1:10:22.200 Uh this, uh this fall maybe I think I'm thinking, 1:10:22.640 --> 1:10:26.120 but how did how do you what kind of sparked 1:10:26.479 --> 1:10:30.040 your recent kind of interest in golf course architecture? Last 1:10:30.120 --> 1:10:32.120 question and we'll get some over right on raids. 1:10:36.080 --> 1:10:40.040 You know what it was, and it's it's bad to 1:10:40.120 --> 1:10:45.840 say it was just complete and utter amusement and disappointment 1:10:46.000 --> 1:10:49.160 with some of these modern golf courses and and and 1:10:50.880 --> 1:10:57.160 modern designers who have tackled redesign. I just I honestly, 1:10:58.640 --> 1:10:59.800 I don't know what to help some of them with 1:10:59.840 --> 1:11:07.360 saying I don't know how they've got jobs. It's I 1:11:07.400 --> 1:11:11.719 think we're just going through a period where we don't 1:11:11.800 --> 1:11:16.000 have a lot of good designers, and for all the 1:11:16.960 --> 1:11:20.160 resources that they have, the product that they're producing is 1:11:20.680 --> 1:11:21.679 I think it's pretty poor. 1:11:22.840 --> 1:11:27.000 It's I think it's the it's changing, but there was 1:11:27.360 --> 1:11:30.559 there was so many years of bad and I imagine 1:11:30.600 --> 1:11:34.320 you see it so prevalently when you go to like Asia. 1:11:36.520 --> 1:11:40.519 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's they want to put the signature 1:11:42.680 --> 1:11:44.800 on it and I don't know what it is, and 1:11:45.040 --> 1:11:48.719 and it tends to be in the form of huge 1:11:49.640 --> 1:11:53.640 hills and humps and hollows that a lot of the 1:11:53.680 --> 1:11:57.880 time Luke Man made and just looks so false and 1:11:58.040 --> 1:12:03.200 don't aren't bring any playability to the golf course. And 1:12:03.240 --> 1:12:09.080 they're trying to almost make it not impossible, but just 1:12:09.160 --> 1:12:11.840 trying to make it really really hard to score. It's like, 1:12:12.800 --> 1:12:15.320 you know, I'm going to defend parr all the time, 1:12:17.080 --> 1:12:20.280 but the best courses we play are the classics. You know, 1:12:21.040 --> 1:12:23.320 you want to play the golf course over and over again, 1:12:23.479 --> 1:12:25.800 Like I think the sign of a good golf course 1:12:25.880 --> 1:12:27.439 is if someone said, well, do you want to play 1:12:27.479 --> 1:12:29.599 this for five days in a row? And a lot 1:12:29.600 --> 1:12:33.360 of these modern golf courses no, but these old classics 1:12:33.479 --> 1:12:44.680 like Mirrorfield, Son and Dale CARNUSTI turn brat you just 1:12:44.920 --> 1:12:46.360 you just want to play them every day for the 1:12:46.439 --> 1:12:48.320 rest of your life. Yeah. 1:12:48.760 --> 1:12:52.080 I you know, this fall I get to go out 1:12:52.120 --> 1:12:55.880 to I played sand Hills. I played sixty three holes 1:12:55.920 --> 1:12:59.599 in two days, and like, since then, all I could 1:12:59.600 --> 1:13:02.080 think about is like, you know, like when you get 1:13:02.120 --> 1:13:04.320 to go see one of these great golf courses, like 1:13:04.400 --> 1:13:08.000 getting to play it multiple times, it just gets better 1:13:08.080 --> 1:13:08.559 every time. 1:13:09.960 --> 1:13:17.519 Yeah. Yeah, there's there's so much, so much character to it, 1:13:17.800 --> 1:13:20.840 so many different ways to play it. It changes every day, 1:13:21.600 --> 1:13:24.040 you know. It's it's it's like one of those especially 1:13:24.040 --> 1:13:26.040 those courses. I love those courses where you go out 1:13:26.080 --> 1:13:31.200 and you think, you know, I play good, But why 1:13:31.280 --> 1:13:33.719 did I not shoot like four or five better? Because 1:13:34.280 --> 1:13:37.880 the design sort of pushed me, like it put a 1:13:37.920 --> 1:13:39.840 bit of pressure on me as and it looked really 1:13:39.880 --> 1:13:41.960 tight off on the t's with actual fact there was 1:13:42.000 --> 1:13:45.200 lots of space there, and you know, I miss it 1:13:45.240 --> 1:13:47.599 in the wrong spot, and and you can't get up 1:13:47.600 --> 1:13:50.479 and down from there. And I want to get back 1:13:50.520 --> 1:13:52.080 out there and play that. And I feel like I 1:13:52.120 --> 1:13:55.880 could shoot a better score because I've played it, understand 1:13:56.920 --> 1:13:58.840 a little bit more of what the designer was thinking 1:13:58.920 --> 1:14:06.599 and how he's how he he's fooled me. Almost can't 1:14:06.640 --> 1:14:06.920 beat that. 1:14:08.439 --> 1:14:11.679 I feel like the really great golf courses, you almost 1:14:11.840 --> 1:14:14.200 walk off a lot of them saying like, you know 1:14:14.280 --> 1:14:17.240 what that that golf course. I could really go out 1:14:17.280 --> 1:14:20.519 and shoot a low number, but you very very rarely do. 1:14:21.720 --> 1:14:27.200 Yes, yes, spot on, spot on, because it protects you know, 1:14:27.240 --> 1:14:32.840 it protects itself because it just lows you into almost 1:14:32.880 --> 1:14:35.439 sometimes a false sense of security. I think you're doing 1:14:35.560 --> 1:14:38.240 fine and then it just hits you out of nowhere 1:14:38.320 --> 1:14:44.920 where you're like, it just gets you, and it's I 1:14:45.000 --> 1:14:47.000 think it's it's a little bit sad. I said to 1:14:47.040 --> 1:14:53.280 someone the other day also playing playing your field. We 1:14:53.360 --> 1:14:56.920 were talking about golf architecture, and I think that they're 1:14:56.920 --> 1:15:00.280 a great model. They they what they do with their 1:15:00.320 --> 1:15:03.960 golf course, there is the they mold it. They don't 1:15:04.120 --> 1:15:07.919 change it. They mold it over time. So for instance, 1:15:08.120 --> 1:15:10.839 like they'll extend a green by four or five yards 1:15:11.760 --> 1:15:13.600 like they did on I think number five, so you 1:15:13.680 --> 1:15:15.800 get a backpin position when they play the open there. 1:15:16.360 --> 1:15:18.519 They'll make a bunker a little bit bigger, so it 1:15:18.600 --> 1:15:22.920 becomes more of a becomes more of a danger. They 1:15:23.000 --> 1:15:25.120 will shape a fairway a little bit more so it 1:15:25.200 --> 1:15:31.400 feeds the player into one of the fairway bunkers instead 1:15:31.439 --> 1:15:35.400 of dramatically changing because it's a great golf course, you 1:15:35.439 --> 1:15:37.639 don't need to. You just need to slowly but surely 1:15:38.479 --> 1:15:42.160 mold it. And it's a little bit like what we 1:15:42.720 --> 1:15:46.719 have over here. We have if you have in America 1:15:46.800 --> 1:15:56.080 but listed buildings, so basically enlisted buildings you have to have. 1:15:57.800 --> 1:15:59.760 You can't really change the building too much. You can 1:15:59.800 --> 1:16:05.240 maybe change the internal parts of it, but the overall 1:16:05.320 --> 1:16:09.680 fundamental structure, things like the windows, the roof, the chimneys, 1:16:10.280 --> 1:16:12.560 the design of the building, you can't change that. You 1:16:12.720 --> 1:16:16.720 have to work with it. And I really think that 1:16:16.880 --> 1:16:20.400 these old classics should almost be like listed buildings. You know, 1:16:20.520 --> 1:16:25.800 you really have to go through a lot of not motions, 1:16:25.840 --> 1:16:28.960 but a lot of procedure in order to change some 1:16:29.080 --> 1:16:31.240 of these because I think a lot of people are 1:16:31.360 --> 1:16:33.680 giving carte blanch for them and they destroy them and 1:16:33.760 --> 1:16:36.320 then you can't go back and redo them. 1:16:36.920 --> 1:16:40.479 You know how much better golf and like and especially 1:16:40.640 --> 1:16:44.200 America would be if they if they had listed golf 1:16:44.280 --> 1:16:46.760 courses and they couldn't change them. I mean it would 1:16:48.120 --> 1:16:50.920 it would have changed the complete course of American golf. 1:16:51.760 --> 1:16:55.360 Oh it would, you know. We just it's it's like 1:16:55.560 --> 1:16:58.360 the golf course. The other thing is the golf course 1:16:58.479 --> 1:17:02.000 is your product generally that that's when people come to play. Yeah, 1:17:02.040 --> 1:17:04.479 there's experiences a lot of clubs, and that is great, 1:17:04.560 --> 1:17:09.400 but you know, most of the time people go there 1:17:09.439 --> 1:17:10.559 to play the golf course. 1:17:11.280 --> 1:17:14.160 And and they join there because of the golf course. 1:17:14.720 --> 1:17:17.599 Yeah, because you because because you play the golfers you think, actually, 1:17:17.640 --> 1:17:19.040 well I love that. I would love to play that 1:17:19.120 --> 1:17:28.120 every week. And I think committees and designers, you know, 1:17:28.160 --> 1:17:29.920 I would love I would love to I would love 1:17:29.960 --> 1:17:34.800 to see a designer go into a golf course and say, right, 1:17:34.880 --> 1:17:36.800 we want you to do a redesign, and him just 1:17:36.880 --> 1:17:39.640 to come back and say, you know what, you have 1:17:41.640 --> 1:17:46.599 sixteen fantastic holes here. I don't think you should change 1:17:46.680 --> 1:17:49.400 much of it. What I think you should do is 1:17:49.520 --> 1:17:52.680 maybe redo some of the bunkers because they're falling in 1:17:52.960 --> 1:17:55.760 or or you know, to the holes. I would love 1:17:55.840 --> 1:18:00.520 to change a little bit because you know modern ten anology, 1:18:01.080 --> 1:18:03.880 and maybe you move the bunker that's currently out of 1:18:03.920 --> 1:18:07.800 playing now another twenty years further up and I'd love 1:18:07.920 --> 1:18:10.400 to maybe now the fairway at three hundred yards or 1:18:10.439 --> 1:18:12.880 something like that, or add a tree to give a 1:18:12.920 --> 1:18:15.879 little bit more character to the whole, give a siteline 1:18:15.880 --> 1:18:21.040 off the tee. Small things like that I would love 1:18:21.120 --> 1:18:25.000 to see. And I would say, hands down the best 1:18:26.040 --> 1:18:29.439 redesign I've seen. It was the one that went with 1:18:29.640 --> 1:18:31.519 it was done last year, but I think McGinley and 1:18:31.600 --> 1:18:35.600 Bjorn had something put into it. But McGinley is a 1:18:36.760 --> 1:18:41.320 who's obviously he knows the history of the golf, you know, 1:18:41.640 --> 1:18:44.679 playing the European Tours for a number of years, rider Cup, 1:18:44.960 --> 1:18:48.559 you name it. He's pretty much done it. But he plays. 1:18:48.640 --> 1:18:50.599 I think he's a member at son Indale, plays there 1:18:50.640 --> 1:18:56.160 a lot. And he really softened the changes and tried 1:18:56.240 --> 1:19:00.519 to bring back the old cult into the west course 1:19:00.560 --> 1:19:02.080 it went with, which was great to see. 1:19:02.520 --> 1:19:06.320 Yeah, that was I mean the redesign a few years 1:19:06.320 --> 1:19:09.560 ago was like one of the worst redesigns, Like in 1:19:09.640 --> 1:19:10.639 the history of golf. 1:19:13.120 --> 1:19:17.679 Yeah, I wasn't overly impressed because I think the original design, 1:19:17.760 --> 1:19:20.800 the one that I grew up watching seven play the 1:19:20.840 --> 1:19:25.320 world matually, you know, watching guys finish three three three 1:19:25.520 --> 1:19:30.280 to finish birdy eagle, eagle to win a match. That's 1:19:30.560 --> 1:19:31.880 the course I grew up on, where you had to 1:19:31.920 --> 1:19:36.080 run it in. That's the English Heathland classic type of 1:19:36.200 --> 1:19:37.559 golf course. Yeah. 1:19:37.600 --> 1:19:41.200 They almost tried to make it like the Dark Ages 1:19:41.280 --> 1:19:44.200 of America, like nineteen seventies course. 1:19:45.400 --> 1:19:48.639 Yeah, I don't think it's coming back, and made condition 1:19:48.760 --> 1:19:52.679 of it. The greens last year were absolutely first class, 1:19:52.760 --> 1:19:58.400 as good as you're going to get. And they softened 1:19:58.439 --> 1:20:03.200 the golf course and they took away the larger changes 1:20:03.240 --> 1:20:05.720 the undulations that were putting it and tried to bring back, 1:20:06.560 --> 1:20:09.479 like I say, more of the the cold feel and 1:20:09.560 --> 1:20:12.880 the atmosphere. With a little bit more heastland in there, 1:20:14.600 --> 1:20:17.160 less undulation in the greens, you could a bit more 1:20:17.200 --> 1:20:19.120 playability as and you could run the ball in if 1:20:19.120 --> 1:20:22.839 you're in the rough, and a few little tall grasses 1:20:22.920 --> 1:20:25.320 off the teas which give you a nice little sight line, 1:20:26.000 --> 1:20:28.680 a little nice little path to walk down and and 1:20:28.800 --> 1:20:30.599 shape the whole a little bit more, which I thought 1:20:30.760 --> 1:20:31.400 was a good idea. 1:20:33.080 --> 1:20:38.439 So all right, let's uh, let's get this done with 1:20:38.560 --> 1:20:45.920 some overrated under its all right, first one, golf in Ireland. 1:20:47.840 --> 1:20:48.440 Underrated. 1:20:48.680 --> 1:20:50.360 I think we covered it earlier. 1:20:50.520 --> 1:20:58.439 But yeah, yeah, fitness, I believe underrated. 1:20:59.520 --> 1:21:04.960 So like if you took like like Manti, I can't 1:21:05.000 --> 1:21:09.519 imagine hate him being a fitness not Ever he would 1:21:09.560 --> 1:21:11.760 be at a disadvantage in today's game. 1:21:16.640 --> 1:21:19.640 His attitude and his belief make up for everything. He 1:21:19.800 --> 1:21:22.479 was a great has a great attitude and great belief. 1:21:22.840 --> 1:21:26.960 I think I would say underrated from the fact that 1:21:27.080 --> 1:21:32.400 I just think I find it very therapeutic, as in 1:21:32.520 --> 1:21:36.439 like mentally and stress free is a great I think 1:21:36.479 --> 1:21:39.560 it's a great thing to do. Maybe not Jim, but 1:21:39.760 --> 1:21:42.920 just exercise in general. You know, don't care you're gonna 1:21:42.920 --> 1:21:44.800 play tennis or you play football with your mates. I 1:21:44.880 --> 1:21:48.280 just think it's it's the best medicine you can have. 1:21:49.880 --> 1:21:53.439 Yeah, heh. How about him now never winning in America 1:21:53.720 --> 1:21:56.880 until the Senior Tour, It's kind of crazy. 1:21:58.960 --> 1:22:00.800 I don't know. It's strange. Could he would have the 1:22:00.880 --> 1:22:02.400 game to suit a lot of some of the courses 1:22:02.439 --> 1:22:04.679 over there, because yet it's so straight and very steady. 1:22:05.600 --> 1:22:07.720 But he just you know, he played in America, he 1:22:07.800 --> 1:22:13.479 played in Europe a lot, and you know, US Open 1:22:13.560 --> 1:22:17.720 and those types of courses were built for him. He 1:22:17.840 --> 1:22:22.400 just never got got the major that that probably he 1:22:23.120 --> 1:22:24.000 ultimately wanted. 1:22:24.560 --> 1:22:27.400 Yeah, the European Tour was is different then too, Like 1:22:27.560 --> 1:22:31.640 I feel like the European Tour then they kept almost 1:22:31.720 --> 1:22:34.000 all their stars at home for the most part. 1:22:35.640 --> 1:22:39.040 Yeah, And I think he was you know, the world 1:22:39.160 --> 1:22:46.160 wasn't as small then, I would say, and and you know, 1:22:46.280 --> 1:22:48.040 it was a lot more European Tour was a lot 1:22:48.120 --> 1:22:51.439 more top heavy. They didn't have the depths that they 1:22:51.520 --> 1:22:55.160 have now. They had, you know, huge strength to look 1:22:55.200 --> 1:22:58.880 at the players undoubtedly you know, great to the game, 1:22:58.960 --> 1:23:02.880 Langer and using them and fal Though and Leland, those guys. 1:23:03.000 --> 1:23:06.479 But yeah, I think they just like playing in Europe 1:23:06.520 --> 1:23:09.280 and probably a lot of the odd families got kids 1:23:09.320 --> 1:23:11.839 and then what sees you know, I know, I understand 1:23:11.920 --> 1:23:13.360 you want to get back and see your family. 1:23:14.040 --> 1:23:17.479 Yeah, yeah, I I mean air travel has just gotten 1:23:17.520 --> 1:23:26.200 so much easier, all right, Uh backboarding, you know, the 1:23:26.640 --> 1:23:30.280 not marking your ball like that everybody complains about in 1:23:30.400 --> 1:23:32.839 professional golf, Like say I say, you're in the bunker. 1:23:33.080 --> 1:23:36.040 I'm playing, you know, I got I got sponsors exemption, 1:23:36.680 --> 1:23:39.200 and I go and I don't mark my ball after 1:23:39.240 --> 1:23:41.600 I hit a sandshot and you're in the bunker and 1:23:41.880 --> 1:23:42.400 oh right. 1:23:42.360 --> 1:23:52.960 Okay, yeah, I think it's overrat It doesn't really bother me. Yeah, 1:23:53.240 --> 1:23:55.200 just something that's blown out proportionally. 1:23:55.280 --> 1:23:58.240 I think. See it's it's blown out of proportion. I 1:23:58.600 --> 1:24:01.560 I I when I play in tournaments, I feel like 1:24:02.640 --> 1:24:05.880 that backboarding is prevalent, but it's it's so rare for 1:24:05.960 --> 1:24:07.839 it to actually have an effect. 1:24:08.280 --> 1:24:12.040 But yeah, if if the guy chips it from sixty 1:24:12.160 --> 1:24:15.759 yards and it goes to three feet and the guy's 1:24:15.760 --> 1:24:17.639 playing me, I'm just like, I'm not going to wait 1:24:17.680 --> 1:24:18.960 for him to walk all the way up there and 1:24:19.080 --> 1:24:22.840 hit it. But if he's lag putted it and he's 1:24:22.920 --> 1:24:26.720 put it up there and he's forty feet away and 1:24:26.840 --> 1:24:29.599 he looks at me and says, oh, market, I'm that's fine, 1:24:29.760 --> 1:24:33.519 doesn't bother me either way. But I'm not going to 1:24:33.560 --> 1:24:36.360 probably wait if he's miles down the fairway and I'm 1:24:36.640 --> 1:24:37.679 on the green side bunker. 1:24:38.720 --> 1:24:41.960 Yeah, all right, last one. I don't know if you've 1:24:41.960 --> 1:24:43.600 played it, kill Spindy. 1:24:44.520 --> 1:24:51.639 Kill, Spindy played it, Yeah, probably underrated. I'd say it's 1:24:51.960 --> 1:24:54.519 it's a beautiful part of the world. He's slowly lovely 1:24:54.600 --> 1:24:58.920 part of the world, lovely with towns and you go 1:24:59.040 --> 1:25:01.360 down there and it's a sure week course inside the 1:25:01.479 --> 1:25:05.519 water bomb around there in under three hours because it's 1:25:05.600 --> 1:25:09.960 quite short. Just a good place to go out and 1:25:09.960 --> 1:25:11.760 play with your mates and try and shoot as low 1:25:11.800 --> 1:25:17.160 as number as possible. Well, enjoyed fantastic views And did 1:25:17.240 --> 1:25:21.200 I say some sun signed and some short sleeves if 1:25:21.240 --> 1:25:22.400 that's possible in Scotland? 1:25:23.760 --> 1:25:25.920 When what's the best month to be in Scotland? 1:25:28.360 --> 1:25:32.920 A good question I always get asked this a lot. Well, 1:25:33.000 --> 1:25:36.599 I think as well. I come to Scotland, everybody says, oh, 1:25:36.640 --> 1:25:40.080 it must rain all the time. Right on the west 1:25:40.120 --> 1:25:42.439 coast it can rain for days, but on the East 1:25:42.479 --> 1:25:46.519 coast it's a way drier and called Spindy and well 1:25:46.560 --> 1:25:49.080 basically where Mirfield is in East Slowly and that's one 1:25:49.080 --> 1:25:53.040 of the driest places in Scotland. So it's not as 1:25:53.120 --> 1:25:58.680 wet as people talk about. But the warmest time is 1:25:59.680 --> 1:26:03.400 Jill August, but that's at the same time that's the 1:26:03.520 --> 1:26:09.320 busiest time so the schools get off on the first 1:26:09.360 --> 1:26:13.479 of June. So I would say, like, and the maze 1:26:13.520 --> 1:26:15.599 is not a bad time to come because it's not chao, 1:26:15.800 --> 1:26:21.000 it's not chaotic. The schools are still there. You get 1:26:21.200 --> 1:26:23.680 most of the run of the golf courses and the 1:26:23.680 --> 1:26:26.320 if I had enough of a growing season that conditions 1:26:26.360 --> 1:26:31.320 the golf course are good, or play it like late August, 1:26:31.439 --> 1:26:33.920 early September, all. 1:26:33.880 --> 1:26:36.200 Right, I gotta do one of those times. I don't 1:26:36.200 --> 1:26:37.080 want a crowd. 1:26:38.479 --> 1:26:42.680 If you don't like yeah, like you know, every dyar, 1:26:42.840 --> 1:26:45.160 just come over, run about the Open scottsh opens, start 1:26:45.200 --> 1:26:48.559 playing golf. So May time is a good time. Another 1:26:48.640 --> 1:26:54.000 thing about maytime that is a huge bonus is the 1:26:54.120 --> 1:26:56.800 longest day of the year, I believe is the second 1:26:56.840 --> 1:27:01.679 week in June. So if so, so where I'm in Edinburgh, 1:27:01.680 --> 1:27:04.800 I'm not that far north, but it gets light here 1:27:04.840 --> 1:27:08.000 at quarter to five, maybe half four, and it gets 1:27:08.120 --> 1:27:11.439 dark on a bright day at half ten. 1:27:12.200 --> 1:27:12.840 Oh my god. 1:27:13.840 --> 1:27:17.439 So like if you get up early, like say you're 1:27:17.840 --> 1:27:21.320 say you're like in Gulland for example, Gullen is a 1:27:21.360 --> 1:27:24.040 good example as a little town niche low then and 1:27:24.120 --> 1:27:26.599 they played the Scottish Open and Gullen number one course 1:27:26.960 --> 1:27:32.280 this year, right, I think two years ago, but it's 1:27:32.360 --> 1:27:36.439 back there this year. Like if you just booking a 1:27:36.560 --> 1:27:40.840 B and B, you can get up early. Let me 1:27:41.000 --> 1:27:44.400 make a sandwich, walk down the first team of your clubs. 1:27:44.600 --> 1:27:49.240 You know, a few hundred yards, tee off but I 1:27:49.280 --> 1:27:55.160 don't know, five thirty bomb round in for breakfast, three 1:27:55.240 --> 1:27:59.679 hours in for breakfast, halfway breakfast, get the train in Edinburgh. 1:28:00.040 --> 1:28:03.720 Of a day in Edinburgh, come back out and then 1:28:04.800 --> 1:28:07.880 going tea off before people. A lot of people go 1:28:08.000 --> 1:28:10.799 and play after work or come off work early, twenty 1:28:10.920 --> 1:28:16.200 off about let's say like quarter to four or something 1:28:16.240 --> 1:28:20.240 like that, and then born around there, a little bit 1:28:20.280 --> 1:28:23.559 of a late dinner, a few drinks, watch the sunset, 1:28:23.680 --> 1:28:25.880 you know, put two rounds of golf and you're still 1:28:26.080 --> 1:28:29.080 fitted in the day out of Edinburgh. Brilliant, you know, 1:28:29.160 --> 1:28:32.240 I mean, you can do so much, man, I. 1:28:32.320 --> 1:28:34.439 Might I might have to move. You might have me sold. 1:28:34.680 --> 1:28:38.280 I'm gonna move to the to the east side of Scotland. 1:28:38.880 --> 1:28:41.040 Greatest currently in the world, mate, It was voted that way, 1:28:41.240 --> 1:28:44.439 greatest current in the world. I always I always tell 1:28:44.479 --> 1:28:46.840 my wife that she's an American, but she never believes me. 1:28:48.520 --> 1:28:56.559 It's I don't know, Americans are we're stubborn. So but hey, Richie, 1:28:56.640 --> 1:28:59.960 it was great having you on and wish you're the best. 1:29:00.080 --> 1:29:02.760 To luck this year. You're starting in uh about a 1:29:03.560 --> 1:29:04.439 week and a half. 1:29:04.320 --> 1:29:09.519 Now, Yeah, week and a half abbadby HSBC, So looking 1:29:09.600 --> 1:29:13.320 forward to We're go in to get the the short 1:29:13.400 --> 1:29:17.599 sleeves out next week in Dubai and the shorts out 1:29:17.680 --> 1:29:18.559 turn up the legs. 1:29:21.080 --> 1:29:24.280 Got the Obi steaks, Oh jeez. 1:29:24.479 --> 1:29:28.840 Yeah, they're pretty damn wait, there's no doubt about that. 1:29:29.880 --> 1:29:33.360 All right, Well, we'll hopefully run into each other here 1:29:33.439 --> 1:29:35.760 in the in the in the season at some point 1:29:36.000 --> 1:29:37.080 and good luck. 1:29:38.080 --> 1:29:39.479 All right, cool, nice talking to you. 1:29:39.880 --> 1:29:42.360 You've been listening to the fried Egg podcast. 1:29:42.880 --> 1:29:44.360 We do the digging for you.