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Ep176: Mark: A LIV/PGA Possible Merger is 'Cooked', Should You use Hybrids? And Nicks Top 5 Unique Greens in World Golf.
Back for another week, and even on weeks when it feels golf might have been a little quiet, there always seems to be plenty to discuss. We start this week with a reminder about our Talk Birdie survey....we want to know your opinion on the show: good, bad, or indifferent - and one respondent will win $300 to spend at FootJoy, and $300 to spend at Golf Clearance Outlet. The survey takes 8-minutes tops, probably less, and you can find it here. It closes on Friday October 31. We'd appreciate it!
Onto golf news. Mark has been reading the New York Times. We were as surprised as you. However he read an article on the LIV/PGA Merger, or lack of, and raises this with Nick. Is it still a chance, is it all over? Nick is curious about the next wave of signings, and re-signings, given the initial contracts for many of them are about to be up. What about the franchise sale model, is that alive or not a starter now? Ultimately whether there is a merger or not, Nick and Mark discuss the increasing number of LIV players playing PGA tournaments and give their view.
Nick commentated the WA Open at Mount Lawley over the weekend and loved the course, he may be a little biased given it's his home course and his brother runs the joint, however he said it was brilliant. Mark is keen to know what the players thought. Nick tells a great story about the ultimate winner, Oliver Bekker, and how he saved the tournament on the final hole.
Mark saw a tweet from OCM over the weekend on a new course that Mike Cocking has designed in Georgia called Fall Line. The pics are extraordinary, and it looks eerily similar to Sandbelt courses. We discuss, and Mark is going to try and get Mike on the pod perhaps next week when he returns from overseas.
And then a voicemail comes in during the pod - it is Rick from Perth with a question about hybrids in his bag.
Mark plays a clip of a Scott Fawcett from Decade Golf talking about stats putting from 25 feet.....the stats are revealing. Leads to a story about a coach of Marks who he says was awful.
After the turn, Nick awards the Touch of Class for BMW to Scott from Townsville who played in the BMW Golf Cup National Final last week and absolutely shot the lights out. Mark says his scores around Sanctuary Cove were 'pro-level'. A fantastic event, and we find out how you can enter next year if you're keen.
Thanks to Betr, a great Top 5 today from Nick - the Top 5 unique greens in world golf that he has played. See if you think he might have missed any.
For Southern Golf Club - heaps of feedback : Moe Norman comments, WA Open feedback, a Top 5 observation from last weeks show, and with his induction to the Vic PGA Hall of Fame, one wolfpacker is keen for us to get Robert Allenby on the pod.
Onto the PING Globals - Nick takes us around the world, still plenty of golf going on so lots to discuss!
And for watchMynumbers, Mark's Masterclass this week is on waggling prior to moving to address and how he feels it has helped his game.
We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:
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- And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club.
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Feedback: Bill Wants Sandbelt Advice, Kristin is After NSW Golf Club Advice, and a Compliment for Monty !?!?!?!
19:51||Season 3Feedback pod today and we start with a video call from wolfpacker Bill in Florida. Bill is planning a trip to Australia, and is keen to play some courses on the sandbelt - he's after some advice on courses that he can both get onto, and won't break the bank. Mark has a ripping idea that Bill accepts on the spot! He's also curious about when the weather in Melbourne might be most suitable for golf....as any Australian knows, trying to predict Melbourne weather is a little like picking lottery numbers....but Mark has a recommendation nonetheless.Then we have a comment from Brad about watching Peter Senior play recently - which gives us the idea of getting Pete on for a chat. Homework for Mark over the Christmas/New Year Break is to give Pete a call and try and lock him in. We'll keep you updated on how that goes.JD has some feedback on an interaction he had with Colin Montgomerie which is bound to get Mark riled up a little. And it does. Tim has a comment about one of Marks masterclasses and the connection the Jack Nicklaus. David has a question about the golf schedule, and an idea for a new tournament - which is no unlike an idea proposed by Frank Nobilo some time ago.Kristin is visiting Australia soon and has a day booked with family to play NSW - she is keen on any tips Nick and Mark have for the course, they discuss a few of the holes and what Kristin may consider.And we wrap up with a couple of messages about 'golf sayings', one from Stan and one from Martin. And Mark notices Dan is wearing a new pair of FootJoys, rather than one of the older pairs he's been rocking around in for a while....how do they feel? You know they feel good.
Mini: Kangaroo Island - "This Course Needed to be World Class"
21:39||Season 3This is fun. Today we chat with Darius Oliver from Planet Golf who, among others, designed Cape Wickham. His current project is very special, a new course on the cliffs at Kangaroo Island in South Australia.We start with Darius talking about what makes Kangaroo Island so special, he says that it gets in your blood and mentions a New York Times comment that it is like 'a zoo without fences' due to the abundance of wildlife on the island.Nick and Mark ask about his philosophy in designing this new course and Darius tells us that it needed to be world class, the best possible course it could be on the land, and that his intent was not to look at Top 100 lists but rather to build 18 interesting holes that are each different and are fun to play for golfers. And he is confident that they have done so.Nick asks Darius will Kangaroo Island surpass Cape Wickham? A fascinating mini today and we cannot wait to see this stunning new course when it's ready to open!
Mini: Technology in Golf - Wolfpacker Mike Gives Nick and Mark an Alternate View
12:34||Season 3Another Talk Birdie Mini, as we get thisclose to Christmas, and we chat with Mike from Bundaberg who has a slightly different view from Nick and Mark on technology in golf and how it is being used to manage scores and pros monstering courses.Mike reckons there are ways to do it outside of technology changes, and he puts his case to Nick and Mark to get their thoughts. He also makes an excellent point about when Augusta tried to 'Tiger Proof' the course, which backfired completely.Keep your comments and questions coming, we love them, and have a wonderful Christmas!
Mini: PGA Pro Emma Larson on Her Career and Pathway Post Playing Professionally
09:36||Season 3After a question last week about golf pathways, we discovered that Acushnet (who operate Titleist and FootJoy) have 18 PGA Pros working for them in various roles around Australia and New Zealand, and we thought it worthwhile chatting to one about their path and how it came about.And Emma Larson is the perfect person to talk to. Emma works for Acushnet in the Melbourne office, made 11 Australian teams and was at one point ranked #1 in Australia - so she's got some serious chops! Emma drops in to talk to Nick and Mark about her story from gun amateur golfer (our words not hers), to being a Tour Pro, and then retiring on medical advice.Emma explains what happened next with her golf career and pathway, and how she initially considering coaching, and tells us why she gave that up....her reasons were not dissimilar to Nicks!A great chat today with Emma Larson from Acushnet, and she shows a great example of one of the many and varied career pathways that are available to PGA Professionals.
Mini - Moore Park Sydney - 'Golf Courses are in the Cross-Hairs'
08:42|There's been plenty of controversy around the proposed changes to the Moore Park golf course in Sydney, and in our view there is no valid argument to reduce the golf course. The facts don't stack up. Today on a Talk Birdie Mini we have some feedback from wolfpackers on the plan, and Nick and Mark give their view.Neither Nick or Mark have played the course a lot, however they know the area well, and they know the numbers of people who play it - Moore Park is the most popular public golf course in Australia.Mark says Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is wrong with her view on golf and who plays it, and NSW Premier Chris Minns needs to be more transparent with the costings.Golf courses serve a wonderful role in communities, and we need to protect them.
Feedback: Can Kingston Heath Handle a Huge Australian Open Crowd? And Nick tells a Wolfpacker that 'He's Dreaming'.
20:58||Season 3Feedback pod today with some great questions for Nick and Mark.Dan has a question about whether Kingston Heath can handle big crowds for next years Australian Open. Nick and Mark discuss that, and how the course will prepare for the big hitters, will the course be changed to accommodate them?Keith has written it to mention that Bill Dunk, who Dunk's Island at Royal Melbourne is named after, recently had a birthday and he felt Bill should be acknowledged. Nick and Mark agree and decide to reach out to Bill to get him on the show next year. Mark has a great story about Bill winning a small tournament and the speech he gave. Ryan went to The Australian Open at Royal Melbourne and was blown away by the course - but is torn, because he'd love to play it, or one of the other big sandbelt courses, and wants to know is there any way that a normal golfer can get on these courses?A comment on St Andrews Beach from someone who loves it and challenges Nick and Marks comments about it - presumably their comments about its Top 100 worthiness. Nick finds a spot to insert a gag referencing the classic Australian movie 'The Castle'. Great movie. How's the serenity.Ian has a creative solution for sand buckets. Stephen loved the Finchy interview. And Kent loved Nicks thoughts on swapping between left and right saying it saved his game.
188. Ep188: Does Brooks Want 'Out' of LIV?, Feedback on Marks 'PGA Should Move to Sydney' Idea, and New Tournament in March Revealed.
56:09||Season 3, Ep. 188Mark has come in excited today. After lending a mate a driver 35 years ago, it was returned this week! He's stoked....but 35-years, sheez....can anyone from the Wolfpack beat that timeframe for a bit of golf gear loaned out and returned? He was also given a ball that he autographed many years ago and brings it in to show us.And then onto the pod. Both Nick and Mark have been hearing from people consistently about just how good The Australian Open was, Nick has written a blog article about it on his website and you can read it here. Nick is still blown away by how exciting the finish was, and Rasmus up and down on the 18th on that final day - although he'd have loved one of the reporters to ask Rory what he thought of Royal Melbourne after he'd finished the tournament.Speaking of Rory, there was a rumour that he was a little frustrated by the Pro Am on the Wednesday, we discuss Tour Pros and their views of Pro Ams generally - Nick and Mark always enjoy them, for different reasons, but do have a couple of rough stories which they share.Rumour this week that Brooks Koepka may want out, in some way, of LIV. Is it correct, how could it even happen given he's got a year to go? Nick and Mark discuss. We talk about how Laurie Canter is looking at a million pounds in fines as he joins LIV and he has apparently said he'll pay them.Mark puts out a call for any wolfpackers in Sydney to come on the pod and give us a review of Royal Sydney. And remember the mysterious gap in the schedule in early March next year? We have found out what tournament is going in there....and it's pretty cool !!A Touch of Class for BMW is from Nick today, and he has chosen an Aussie LIV player for something that happened this week. And he backs it up, for Betr, with his Top 5 moments of 2025. His #1 moment is surprising, but very good.For Southern Golf Club, plenty of feedback - Leishman, Pro Am's this week in the Bendigo area with Lucas Herbert giving back to his home area, reaction to Mark saying The Australian PGA should move from Brisbane to Sydney, and a couple of hairy ones for Nick - one a question about Elvis Smylie, and the second about Peter Thomson - a gentle whack from a wolfpacker.Plenty in the PING Globals, including Nicks performance at Cathedral, and our wolfpacker Darren's performance in the Vic PGA Pro Am, along with Snowy from FootJoy and Hummer from Betr.And we finish, for watchMynumbers, with a cracking masterclass from Mark on some ways to get the most from your chipping practise.
Mini - Video Swing Review with Wolfpacker Pat from Nashville
12:36||Season 3A fun mini today, Pat from Nashville has sent a couple of videos of his swing through for Nick and Mark to review. If you're listening, obviously you won't see the videos however we talk through what we're seeing in detail so you will definitely get the idea and the tips and comments will make sense.Nick and Mark are very impressed with Pat's swing, he's self-taught aside from a few lessons from his GrandDad, has been playing for 3-years, and is off scratch.....seriously impressive stuff. He is a lefty, and Nick and Mark discuss how they like to flip lefty swings around and watch them as rightys, and explain why - and they give Pat a few thoughts on what they're seeing.We love reviewing videos of anything you're working on - be it driving, putting, chipping, whatever - so feel free to send us in a vid and Nick and Mark will take a look!
Feedback: 'Aim Point is Completely Selfish and Needs to be Banned'.
21:53||Season 3Feedback pod today with some ripper questions and comments from the Wolfpack. We start with a comment about the OWGR points and the discrepancy between The Australian Open and Tiger's Bahamas event. Then Brian has a question for Nick and Mark about 'green spotting' during tournaments.Last week Mark raved about Royal Adelaide, and there was plenty of feedback on those comments - the vast majority agreeing with him. There was also a fair bit of feedback on Nick's most 'interesting' hole in ones (or is it holes in one?) and there were a couple that you reckon he missed....one in particular.Jason wrote in mentioning his fave commentators, and Nick spoke about what it was like having Ian Baker-Finch in the commentary booth during the PGA and the Open. George had a question for Nick about David Puig and Marc Leishman, and Adrian is about to start his PGA traineeship and was keen to hear the boys experiences.Kristin wants to know whether Mark, in his time in Texas, played Prairie Dunes, and then we get to the comments from last week about the Old Course where wolfpacker Roger was critical of the course. Couple of comments including Roger replying to Nick and Marks observations on his opinion.And we finish on Aim Point, with a question from wolfpacker Mark....who is keen on Nick and Marks opinions on it. They don't miss.