Hollinwell Golf Club Preview With The Top 100 Golf Guru

Nish: 0:00

Every story has an ending. Does our quest to play the top 100 courses in 10 years have a good ending? I’m Nish and I’m here to guide you through this golfing journey. This is the top 100 in 10 golf podcast.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 0:11

This will be in your top five you play. You definitely, definitely need your A game playing Hollinwell. I know your whole brand is top 100 and 10. Put a bit of that on it. We’ve got signature holders being whole 18. I’m going to put it out there. I think I’ve got this in the bag. To do what we’re trying to do, you can’t do that in America. You just can’t do it.

Nish: 0:28

Episode 45. The Hollinwell Golf Club Preview. There are no perfect men in the world, only perfect intentions. Does anybody know which film that quote is from? Well, before you guess, I’m going to tell you it’s from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. I was about to say that. And I oh did it did you know that one? Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. I couldn’t have planned that any better. Now I only bring that up because we’re heading to Robin Hood Country and when we’re playing Hollingwell Golf Club. Now it’s a club that’s steeped in a surprising amount of history. And it’s a history we will explore later. And to boot the course looks like an absolute crackerjack. So we chose it as our first ever Top 100 in 10 Society Day. In this episode, we also have two great guests, a bit of a bonus, joining us. But before we carry on, I’d just like to point out that when we look at the back end stats of our podcast and our videos, most of the people watching and listening haven’t actually hit the like or subscribe button. That would be a massive favour to ask if you could do that. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it just means we can do things like expand our production and we can get bigger and better guests on, and we have a little bit more clout with the clubs for maybe getting stuff like interviews with pros and club presidents and people like that. So if you could just hit like or subscribe, that’ll be wonderful. Now going back to the episode, we’ve got the two guests that I mentioned before, and that is uh Lee and Alex. So this is the first ever preview you guys have helped me with, and I really hope you enjoy it. And I think the old adage is that you never forget your first time. So what we’ll do today in the structure of our episode is because I’m I’m not used to having to explain that, but we’re gonna run through some history and some notable things that I’ve found out about the club. We’ll analyze some of the course characteristics and then we’ll tell you what the signature hold challenge is, the side bet is, uh, because Jim has actually sent that directly to Lee. But before that, I think we should start with some intros. Now, if you’ve listened to our podcast before, you will know Lee. Lee is navigating golf through his Harbs 7 Golf brand. So hello Lee. Could you perhaps tell us a little bit about yourself?

Harbs 7 Golf: 2:40

Um, so I’ve had Harbs 7 Golf probably for about five or six years now. Um, bit of a slow burner, it was never meant to be anything special. Following my journey from starting out as a 28 handicapper and trying to work my way down. Um, I stick videos on of rounds that I play and then just random little stuff as well. Um, perhaps a trip down the driving range, a couple of good shots, but I do like to show the bad ones, seems to get more views. Um, but yeah, just uh continuing to show my journeys. And I think I might have mentioned something I was starting on the last podcast I did with you, which was quite a while ago now, which was to help one of our mates out. But people that have perhaps gone on and seen my um profile are probably thinking, why the bloody hell are you doing push-ups every day? But I’m continuing to do hundred push-ups a day for a hundred days and sticking that on there, um, throwing a little bit of golf content in there every now and again because I’ve not actually got out loads, but um really looking forward to Hollingwell next week.

Nish: 3:39

Great, thanks, thanks Lee. And um and Alex, you were our first ever legit, not actually my friend, but hopefully my friend guest. And you honestly you’re an amazing guest. Like I remember that chat like it was yesterday. Um, there’s lots of stuff I still holding holding my head, and and take it right if you want to go around. Now you’ve adopted the the top 100 golf guru moniker, and uh perhaps you can tell us a little bit about that because actually that was actually the reason that we got you on the podcast.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 4:07

Yeah, I mean it it became by accident. Um, COVID, dark nights, probably drinking too much, looking through um just like lists and dreaming about golf, and saw that there were these top 100 lists, looked through, didn’t know many of the golf courses, played a few, and then spoke to my grandpa, and then he’s like, Yeah, that’s a good one, that’s a good one. And it went from there and I basically become a bit obsessed with it. Um, as you probably can tell if you follow me. But I love it. I like the same with how you boys started, really. I wanted to do it in a certain period of time. Um, I try and do 10 a year if I can. I’ve done I’ve now I’ve done 51 since um since June 2020. So I’ve done a fair amount, and yeah, I it’s it’s just a lovely way of I don’t know, doing something outside of work and playing golf, and that’s gone on to online and I was taking photos. Thing is, like I’m not a good enough photographer to to match like some of the great guys that are online. So I started um I started doing reels this year. Um my first one’s at Glen Eagles, and I’ve it the good and bad thing with this isn’t I now do this, and all of my mates are becoming like my content creators on the golf course, uh, which is bad for them. But um the good thing is it’s meant I’ve had to go back and play courses because I’m like, well, I’ve got to do Ganson and like Hollandwell, I’m gutted I can’t be with you boys next next Friday because I would have absolutely loved to have done a reel there. But I try and do it in a minute and 20 on Instagram and really do it for the purists, and then on TikTok, which is the same handle top 100 golf guru, I’m now doing um a minute and I just put my favourite music behind it and I just do it really quickly, and it’s great. I love it, absolutely love it. I’ve got my own content schedule now. Me and ChatGBT are doing that all the time, and uh I’d like I really hope it continues. And there’s some tricky courses out there that I’m gonna need to get on, but I make a lot of friends in the community, and um yeah, I’m really enjoying it. Together we will do it, Alex.

Nish: 6:01

We’ll do it. We’re determined to do it, absolutely. Um yeah, I mean we you mentioned Glenn Eagles there when you sort of started doing it. So we we missed each other at Glen Eagles by a week into now, didn’t it? You went a week before and and then we were up the week after. It was like, this is amazing. How’s that happened? What a place that was.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 6:18

Yeah, I I mean, as I think I said to you when we first spoke, the um Glenn Eagles has always been an absolute like boyhood dream for me. And I got up there and it was absolutely everything that I wanted it to be, and more. And a couple of my mates really made it special. It was my 40th, so you know, whiskey, and then it was just a couple, you know, gifts and stuff. It was really, really lovely. But um yeah, I love the King’s course. I I just fell in love with and loved it. I mean, and getting an eagle on the 18th, so a Glenn Eagle was uh and get it on and get it on camera. My wife came out and videoed me. She walked with me on the King’s course, didn’t on the Queens, and the fact that she videoed that part on the 18th, and that’s my old Scotty camera that is now not being used. I think that’s the only putt I ever made with it as well.

Harbs 7 Golf: 7:01

It needs to be framed, doesn’t it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love the cost a lot of money, but they’re hard to use.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 7:07

Yeah, it’s it’s I don’t know, there’s something about that Scotty. I know I know I’m not dissing on Scotty because I know they’re great, but um yeah, I couldn’t get on with that thing. Other than the Eagle and Glen Eagle, so I’ll take that all day.

Nish: 7:18

That’s it, it’s perfect, perfect excuse to retire it. Big stick, yeah. If if I need any excuse to buy a new golf club, I’m taking it or buy it any perfectly honest with you. Sort of brushed on it, uh uh skirted around it a little bit, but you know, this is our first ever top 110 golf society day. Uh anybody, it’s completely free to join us. You can join us whenever you like. You just sign up on our website, and maybe you can be part of there’s a couple of great events we’ve got coming up next year that we’re we’ve got irons in the fire with. Uh, but it it’s totally in full art. We’re we’re just having a good crack on the group and stuff like that. So we’ve been we’ve been talking about whole flyovers and and things like that. I think there’s been a lot of talk of keeping the woods in the bag for Holland Well. Um, so I think yeah, maybe maybe getting I might get my older two iron that I learned how to play on. I mean, I’ve looked I looked at that golf club the other day. My golf is so much better than it was when I obviously first started playing naturally, and that’s just a very obvious thing to say. But I tried hitting that at the range the other day, it was like vibrations through my hand and I was just like, I can’t do this. It was it was absolutely it was a terrible golf club to be honest. And I can’t even believe I I must cut him out on it. My dad made me learn on him. He was like, This will do you good. There were blades and all this sort of stuff. I was like, no, this is the worst thing ever. Now, this course is I think we’re in for a real treat. In fact, I know we’re in for a real treat. So the first thing that struck me about all of this when I was learning about Hollingwell, and this is the reason one of the reasons I’ve got Alex on, because he can confirm or completely debunk all my little views on it. One of the first things I heard was that it’s got an incredibly long driveway leading up to it, and then suddenly out of these trees, and as you’re driving down the road, this amazing old clubhouse emerges to greet you into the club. And I just think that is so maybe it’s my old age, I don’t know, but it’s that’s so golf romantic for me. Like I love that lead up to like you know, it’s not just like crash down what up you there, but there’s a bit of like, when is it gonna be there? When’s it gonna be there? All that kind of leading up to it. I can’t wait for it. Is that is that right?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 9:19

And Alex it’s unbelievable. Um, it’s similar to Ganson because Ganson’s got the long the drive down as well. But I do think Hollingwell is like is every time I think about Hollingwell, I go, Oh, is that in my top ten? And then it sort of doesn’t, and then I keep coming back when you say that, like, yeah, it probably should be. Because there’s so many special parts about this golf course and golf club. Um, but yeah, the drive down, when you s when you come in, you’ll see there’s like a stone wall and it’s got Hollingwell like etched in the stone and like beautiful flowers, you’ve got to take a photo of that, and then you drive down, and it’s magical. Like it’s unbelievable. The land it’s on is unbelievable.

Nish: 9:53

Yeah, it’s it’s really spacious, isn’t it? Like there’s all the room around it and and things like that, and it feels like it’s that makes it a special event, doesn’t it?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 10:00

Which is so dramatic, and I think you’ll see this like especially on the um on the bat nine. Um well even on the on the third hole, you you you basically get quite high up and you’re playing down to the the clubhouse and you do that again on 18, but then when you come round to like um 16, it’s so dramatic when you see it’s almost like it’s in a um like a I don’t know what it’s called, like it’s like a bowl. Like it’s like there’s some stories I’ll tell you in a minute, but that you can really feel like you really are in a bowl, and you just look at these dramatic like pines up and don’t know they are pines, but they look like pines to me. But um, yeah, it’s unbelievable. And then but then there’s loads of little small holes and really quirky holes, and there’s like a but I don’t know, I can’t remember what holes they are, maybe like 13, 14, maybe before that actually. Um I think it’s actually 10, 9, and 10, 10, maybe 10 is like one of the smallest ones. It’s just really it’s quality, absolutely quality. You’ve just got to pick your way around. But you’re you are in for an absolute treat with Hollingwell. I love it.

Harbs 7 Golf: 10:58

Is the whole course pretty undulated?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 11:03

Um I don’t think it’s undulating. I think there’s definitely some holes where you’re you’re like seven, like 16. Um, you’re basically if you go down one way, you are, but if you can go for the green, you’re not. It’s it’s a little bit undulating, but you’ve got to pick your way around the back line more. You’re basically playing uphill and downhill quite a lot, and that’s the so it’s not the undulating fairways, it’s just it’s just mammoth, and you’re looking up and down. And shot choice is a really important. Um, yeah, you need you definitely, definitely need your A game playing Hollywood. It’s a shoot well you do anyway. But you can you would enjoy it if you don’t, so don’t worry.

Nish: 11:40

Yeah, no, well, I mean, it’s it’s funny because I get I mean these things we we me and Lee were having a little chat uh earlier today, and we were looking at the website and things like that, trying to get to learn the course. Now, I do have to bring this out. This has become a bit of a thing in these episodes now, because I do websites on the side, so that’s what is my main. I’ll do this on the side. Sorry, I shouldn’t rephrase that really, shouldn’t I? How how whoops. Uh I hope the wife isn’t listening. But um, yeah, the in fact I know she isn’t listening, it’s fine. But um, yeah, so what uh I I I I I started really absorbing how these websites are put together now, and a lot of them are quite identical. You know, you have a few whole flyovers and things like that, and it’s all like very whimsical and all this sort of stuff. And then like this one I really really liked for a few seasons. Like it was they give you um a strategy on the whole guys, they give you a high handicap and a low handicap strategy. Uh obviously lows just uh closed all the time, and we’re all on the high handicapper ones. Um you’ve also got all these pretty decent flyers most do now that have that. But I thought the pictures are really good because there’s something about the different times of year and things like that. So it gives you a bit of an idea as to what you’re gonna be faced with at the T. And it looked to me like it had a bit of a feel of the have you played Hindhead? No, not yet, actually. So Hindhead is a wonderful golf course. Like quirky probably covers it a little bit, quite unconventional. But this front nine, everything is in valleys. Yeah, I’ve seen that I’ve seen the shot of it down and that looks on the T-box really, really intimidating. And I played it well and I kept it quite straight in a in a shock horror move, but that makes it so much easier. But it wasn’t like daunting, you know, when when he got there, you saw the pick pictures and I was like, oh my god, like we really have to keep it straight. But actually when he got there, sometimes the banking was so steep that you just get a good kick and it would kick out. So it was kind of fair in that respect. And there are a few holes that Hollingwell that sort of looked a little bit similar to that, where you got this. I mean, maybe not quite quite as steep, but yeah.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 13:51

I mean, I’m trying to think. I mean, my favourite hole at at Hollingwell is is the 11th, yeah, and that’s the one that plays like in a valley, but you’re playing uphill. It’s I love it. I think it’s it’s very it reminds me of St. Enadoc, and I think that’s why I love it so much. Um, because it’s really quirky and it feels like it’s just been built into what the land was there. Um, but yeah, I mean as I say, it’s not undulating, it doesn’t feel like undulating fairways. I basically how I got to Hollingwell is I started looking after golfers. I think I told you this last time, yeah. And one of the boys was in um in final qualifying, so I was like, right, let’s go. And I’m like, I can swear on this podcast, can’t I? Of course you can, right? Okay, yeah, pig, I was like a pig in shit at this point. We got there. Don’t worry about that. You’ve got um everyone turning up, all these boys there. One of my mates who’s a member of Sunningdale was on the reserve, and you could see that he was like getting ready for it. The day was unbelievable, and I got so I got to walk Hollingwell twice before I played it, and I think that made it even more special because I was ready and waiting for the holes. Obviously, when you’re watching the pro the pros do it, they play it differently to us. Um, but it you really have got to pick your way around because I think this I can’t remember the scores that at the uh when they were the final qualifying there, but was nothing mental, like two unders, like three under maybe back to me. Um obviously they’re playing the back tees. But when you when I got to walk it twice, I always said I’m gonna come back here and play it. And I played it last year with a um a member who’s a really, really, really lovely boy called James, um, who invite who I I was I’m actually there’s a secret. So I was going away with my family, and one of my best mates, Jason, who’s an amazing golfer, going away with his family, centre parks. And I was like, Well, we’re gonna share with because I know Hollingwell’s there, so we’ve organized that we were going play golf on the Wednesday, and we got a lovely boy called James who um hosted us and his mate, and uh we had an unbelievable four-ball. The guest rate, I won’t say I don’t know if I can’t, oh yeah, it’s 30 quid. I mean it’s 30 quid. Yeah, it’s unbelievable to go and the value is a joke. Yeah, um, but both times I’ve been the welcome is is brilliant. Um it’s so much fun. I think if I could be a country member anywhere, I’d actually be a country member there so far from the journey I’ve been on.

Nish: 16:16

So sorry to interrupt you there, Alex. Now I know because I’ve I’ve had people messaging me and stuff like that. I know we’ve got a lot of people who are initiated with some golfing lingo, yeah what a country member is, but maybe you can enlighten us as to what a country member is.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 16:32

So a country member is where you’re a member, you’re a legitimate member of a golf club, but you have to live usually as the crow flies at least 50 miles away. Um, those prices are usually cheaper as well, they’re subsidised because of that, but you can’t um take the piss, you can’t be rocking up every week and playing, yeah, but I live 50 miles away. So some of these big courses have them. Like I’ve got friends of mine that are country members at players. I’m actually a country member of St. Enadoc. Um, and that but to get in, you still have to go through the the rigmarole of getting into a big golf course. But you it just means that you can be a member. I think I pay a slightly reduced rate. St. Enadoc is is quite reasonably priced anyway. But for some of these bigger courses, like I think like Burkdale, someone told me it was like 1800 quid or something to be a country member, which sounds like a lot of money, but comparable to what a member that’s playing there the whole time is actually not that bad. Yeah, um, so yeah, that’s what country member means basically. And and Hollingwell is it’s in a bit of a weird part of of England that you I can’t imagine you it’s a destination place for holidays and stuff. So um, but yeah, I think even the guy I was playing with, I think he was a country member.

Nish: 17:44

What are you trying to say about Nottingham? I mean, wonderful, wonderful.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 17:47

I work I work for a lot of people for Nottingham. Nottingham is Nottingham is an awesome place, as it’s not quite a brilliant night out. Costa del Nottingham is not really uh a thing.

Nish: 17:56

Yeah, Nottingham is a good night out, yeah. It’s a cracking night out. Um Hollingwell, we do know and we are expecting a great course because it is ranked on our list, it’s 47th. That’s when we took our snapshot list, which is right in the meat of the meat of the list. And it’s sandwiched between Silith and Solway, which we played, but everyone says real you know, gem of a course in that top 100 list. We’ve got to gotta make everything play there, and it’s one place above uh Wentworth, which is obviously they’ve just been playing the uh B championships at. So it’s in a great company as a golf club. And even though these things are very subjective, and obviously we’re finding that you look at the list and you go, I’ve got no idea how that course I’ve just played is that number on that list. Whether that’s good or bad, it’s undebatable, but it’s a great company to have uh to have there. And uh, you know, one of the things that uh you start getting then is is uh an idea of the history of this this place. So I I will I will say, and usually I think you said it in the uh early part of the the episode Alex that not really a course I had heard of. Now that’s not saying much because there are not courses I’ve not heard of. However, even uh Chris said he’d not really heard he was closed, he was like, where is it? I thought yeah it’s not really ever come up, which I was quite surprised about because when you start going through the history, it’s like there’s there’s quite a lot that’s gone on there. So the club was established in 1887 and uh there were at the time that it was established, there were only 36 golf courses, forget clubs, but golf courses in England at that time, but that was it. So it’s dead early in its inception in terms of sort of English golf, and uh it was sort of it was it was called the Nottingham Golf Club at that time, but then it moved to its current location in 1901. I then got a little bit of jump forward in 1924. So we’ve got we talked about the clubhouse before this magnificent old old building, and that’s actually the second iteration of the golf club, uh, the clubhouse. So the first clubhouse burnt down in 1924. And I love this sort of stuff. The only surviving relic from that clubhouse burning down was a bronze plaque that was commemorating the 12 members who gave their lives in World War One. Wow. Now, not great that they gave their lives, of course, but how magnificent is it that that’s the one surviving thing that got it up in the lounge fireplace. There is not a chance I’m going there and not taking a picture of that because that’s the sort of stuff. You know, I grew up in a school where we’d lost both wars, we’d lost um pupils, and it was always a big thing in our school that was uh that was brought about um or brought into our awareness. So going a bit further back now, so we’re in Robin Hood country, which is part of the reason for my intro, which amazing Alex, by the way. You spot in that quote. One of my favourite films. Brilliant, wasn’t it? Brilliant. Which is weird because you sort of feel wrong saying that.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 20:51

I mean, it is pure cheese, but yeah, it’s it was our childhood.

Nish: 20:54

Like it was it was it was on the TV all the time. Kevin Bloody Costner, eh? And then he went and did Tin Cup, which was amazing.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 21:00

I’d say that’s why I think every everyone likes it, yeah.

Nish: 21:03

Yeah, yeah. Um, so now the you’ve played the golf course, so yeah, about this on a few other podcasts as well. So at the back of the second green, I’ll put that on my list of things to talk to you about.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 21:14

Yeah, yeah, quality.

Nish: 21:15

There’s a hill, and it’s called Robin Hood Seat. Because legend has it that Robin Hood sat on the hillside rock above what is now the second green. Now, who’s buying that? I am not buying that in any way, shape, or form. However, probably not. What a great story that is.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 21:33

I just think that that’s almost like the magic of when you get there and you’re in this bowl and you’re looking around. That’s James told me that story, and I’d already walked it twice, and I was like, This is pretty special, but it was stories like that that really make you feel like I get off on that stuff in terms of like, oh wow, this is where someone’s been, or and obviously I don’t know if that’s true or not, but um it is a really, really special place, and that that sort of I’d love to play it like a twilight round, I’d love to do that, or an autumn round, actually, and just I can imagine there’s like a real eeriness about the whole place because it’s in the middle of bloody nowhere, and you’re and you go down that long driveway and you’re in this and then nothing’s touching you, you can’t hear anything. So, yeah, I can imagine that the story isn’t true, but when you’re there and you and you the legend has it, yeah.

Nish: 22:21

Um I’m I’m all over that sort of stuff now. I’ve got I’ve got a bit of a flavour of it when we went up to Scotland, and yeah, you know, some of the tall tales that come out of the about the courses there, you’re like, I don’t I don’t even care if it’s true, I just want it to be true. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, absolutely brilliant. And and I think that’s what makes this game that we all talk about so passionately. I think that’s what makes it so great. And then on the the um side of the eighth T there’s a well apparently still drink from. You can still it every time I’ve done it every time. Yeah. There’s a cup. There’s a cup, is that right?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 22:56

I think there is a cup. Um I didn’t drink out of the cup, I filled me water up. Yeah. I was I was absolutely sure I was gonna beat shit to myself uh like three holes later, but I didn’t.

Nish: 23:08

It’s fine. Right, I’m doing it. I’m definitely Hobbs, you’re in my group, you can fill me doing it. But you take the immodium in the bag anyway, right?

Harbs 7 Golf: 23:16

I’ve heard Alex is 65, he’s been drinking from that well a few times.

Nish: 23:21

That’s it. Um now the few other things, there’s more recent history, which I do like to sort of delve into. Uh it held final open qualifying in 2022, which is presumably that was when I was at, yeah. Amazing. And that was that was for the 150th open at St. Andrew’s, so big deal getting that out. You know, it’s obviously would have been a I mean, do uh presume they’ve obviously got an open rotor, and you know, wonder if they’ve got a final open qualifying venue rotor as well, and it’s a turn. But if it’s not for it to go to Hollingwell, that’s a pretty big feather in the cap there.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 23:55

Yeah, I think they change it every six years, I think. Right. Um, or five years. Uh and that it moved from Hollingwell to Burnham and Barrow, I’m pretty sure. That’s where it went to after that. That was like and and whatever else this year, I can’t think what else. Dunald because it’s at West Lanks. It was being West Lanks, yeah, Dundonald, Burnham and Barrow, and is it Prince’s, maybe, or St. Paul’s? Uh I can’t remember where it was, but um, yeah, that it but at that time that was the um the last one there, and yes, it was 150th, and Nick, who I looked after, who I love dearly, he won’t mind me saying, we stood on the uh 15th T. He got really unlucky on 14, and you’ll see it when you play 14. You basically play unbelievable path three on 13. You’re just getting off the high of that, and then you play 14. Behind the green, there is absolute fuckery. Do not go long on 14. Right because it he went in there and it basically almost ruined the almost ruined the round. I think he got like a bogey. It’s like, okay, we still got this, and then we played. Um, I looked at this, and then at that point I looked at the then I was like, mate, looked at Ben is Caddy, who’s his coach and my coach as well. I was like, we got a chance here, you know, 150th. I’m thinking like booking the flights, yeah, and um, yeah, he shanked it on the next hole. It’s a bit funny that enters your mind, and then that’s what happens. I don’t know if it entered his mind or not, but that boy doesn’t hit shots like that, and it was just like absolute fruit. Yeah, out of nowhere. I mean, he even laughed, he went, What the fuck was that? I was like, I don’t know, mate. Like, I don’t know. Well, actually, I do know because I I seem to shank my way around golf courses at the minute. But yeah, I mean it’s it’s a it’s a word that’s crept into uh into Chris’s uh just say it how it is, there’s shanks.

Nish: 25:39

What like no mate, he’s he’s yeah. I mean, there’s a couple of times when he’s he’s done it, and I’ve just been looked at looked at him and I’ve gone, I was a bit of lucky, mate anyway. No, it wasn’t, it was shit, it was just a shank. Like you can say say the word it was a shank. I was like, alright, it was a shank and you’re shit. Yeah, yeah, you just gotta live with them. Yeah, but um yeah, yeah, the final qualifier, yeah, 2022, yeah. Amazing, amazing. Um now they also this uh claim to fame for Hollin Well. Now I didn’t know this, but it’s they had a club professional who actually ended up playing in the Ryder Cup. So a chap called Brian Waits, and he was the very last golf club pro to play uh in the Ryder Cup. That’s quality. He was 43 at the time, who’s the oldest member of the team. I’m just gonna run you through some names here of who was on that team. Nick Faldo, Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle, who’s won a Brabers and Trophy at Hollingwell, Tony Jacklin, Sevett, Ian Woosnum, Justin Langer, and Ken Brown. I mean Can I know? Are we going to those names, right?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 26:41

Are we going 81? Oh god, now you’ve thrown me. Oh, sorry, mate.

Nish: 26:48

I didn’t copy and paste that information.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 26:51

I’ll probably I’m probably definitely wrong anyway, don’t worry.

Nish: 26:52

I think it I mean it’s it’s I’m gonna google it. Late 80. I’m gonna go with 87. Okay, yeah, the 81 does feel a bit early, doesn’t it? Yeah, mate. I’m gonna say maybe 87.

Harbs 7 Golf: 27:01

I don’t know, 44 years. Oh yeah, maybe.

Nish: 27:03

Yeah, just because it’s got what was the fella’s name? What was the golfer’s name? Brian Waits, W-A-I-T-E-S. This is a great live fact checking. I’m gonna chuck out 87, that’s probably because I’ve read it and then I’ve not quite written it down. But they’ve got on the website with a history bit that I think is worth checking out, and I love this sort of stuff. They’ve got really old pictures um on the website and people playing at Hollingwell, and that includes friends of the podcast, Harry Varden and Ted Ray. We brought them up before. Um becoming a bit of a Harry Varden fanboy now since our trip to Ganson. And uh again, flipping back to more recent history, Matt’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who we all wish the very best of to next week in the Ryder Cup, he won the Boys Amateur Championship in 2012.

unknown: 27:47

Yeah.

Nish: 27:47

Um and obviously I mentioned Sandy Law won the Brabazon uh trophy there in 1975. It was Sandy Larr one. So yeah, so it wouldn’t have been to six years later in the Ryder Cup, but in the middle it was pretty much close with no cigar. And now how this golf club started, and this is another thing I’m starting to pick up now, having been up to Scotland. So the chap called John Dolman, who was from a very famous golfing family up in a place called Musselbrook in Scotland, moved into this area in 1864 and started playing golf. So the most of them just be like, what the hell is this guy doing? But uh that’s what spread golf down into England. It was Scottish people coming, we just want to still play the game that we play up in Scotland and we want to do it down here. I mean it’s amazing, isn’t it? Really, when you start thinking about that, it’s like there was no like what are you doing, you absolute nutter. Like, we’re not gonna let you do this. This is this is gonna frustrate people for the next hundred and sixty years, you know. It’s like a cracker, mate, yeah, let’s make you a golf course. Now so much so that at one point after this uh club had been formed and then it moved to Bulwell Forest and things like that, they actually uh made the uh what is it called now? The great the great central railway company actually made uh a train station in Bullwell Forest for the golf club to transport members. The station was so uh a part of this golf course that in 1902 they installed a phone line at the signal box so they could reload the back to the club to let them know that members were coming to go and play golf. Amazing. I mean, you know, again, we sort of think our great BT guy’s gonna come around and attach a van. I was like, There’s a big undertaking in 1902, and probably the cost involved in that to actually install that kind of um technology, I suppose. And then this it is designed by Willie Park Jr. Now Willie Park Jr.’s name came up in our Gullen preview, and again, these names become familiar as you’re going around. Um but I mean uh the courses that I’ve played that Willie Park Jr. has had a hand in or anything like that have all been incredibly. To play, so you obviously had a great time for a golf course.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 30:02

Yeah, I mean you you you can really um I think you can start when you start playing, the more you play, the more you realise there’s what maybe like six like main architects, and you can start seeing what they do. Like Colt is the most obvious one, you can really see when he’s doing something, but yeah, I don’t know. Willie Party, maybe maybe there’s like similarities between you know Sunningdale and and and Hollingwell and places.

Nish: 30:29

Oh really? Yeah, yeah, there’s a lot of people saying it’s it’s it’s up there in the in that kind of company. Um my last little bit of history, and I think this is quite an important one because of um what I’m about to tell you, but in 1913 in Hollingwell, they played the inaugural Ladies Open English Championships. Now, that doesn’t sound significant, but in 1913 that is a massive, massive thing. Big feather in the cat for Hollingwell Progressive Golf Club. We talked about it with Wes Langs, that was one of the first ever women’s members golf clubs kind of thing, and they allowed everybody on the course, and that’s a really big deal. And I so I read stuff like that, and immediately I get a good I know we’re talking 115 years ago, but I get a good vibe because I think the DNA of the club is it’s inclusive, it’s for people to come and play, and you’re gonna have a good welcome, and you you know everybody’s allowed to come and play in this golf course, and I love stuff like that. You can get the opposite vibe sometimes. I’m not saying that they’re saying women can’t play in the golf course, they don’t get but it’s huge and that kind of a degree of history.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 31:33

Yeah, and as you’re finding, mate, as you go around and start playing these golf courses, you don’t get good welcomes everywhere. That is absolutely true.

Nish: 31:39

Yeah. Now the course, and we should we probably should bring it back to the course a little bit now. So we are, Alex, thank you very much. Because of you, we’re mega excited. We already were. I mean, we’re excited about the day anyway. Seven lads getting in a minibus from Manchester coming down to go and play Hollandwell. I mean, it doesn’t get better than that, does it? Things like it’s got a sandy base and it’s on sandstone, so it plays well all year round. I mean, that bodes well because we’ve had a bit of a wet patch. So um now one thing I did want to ask you about. I’ve heard rumours about this 18th finishing hole, Alex, that it’s one of the one of the best finishing holes around. Yeah, definitely. The thing you’re firing at the clubhouse, aren’t you? I think.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 32:17

Yeah, firing at the clubhouse. So say like three and eighteen, you were firing at the clubhouse. I think 18’s a par four though, whereas three is a par five from memory. Um very similar. That is quite undulating, actually, Lee, going back to that. That there’s definitely you want to pick the left hand side at 18 because it does come down, or maybe that’s actually maybe that’s three. I can’t remember. They’re quite similar holes, basically. It won’t matter, Alex. We’re not picking any spot, we’re just picking it and seeing where it lands. Okay, fair enough.

Harbs 7 Golf: 32:45

Nobody in that group hoping for a fair way.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 32:48

Yeah, yeah, perfect. Actually, yeah, I can’t remember what’s on the left of um of 18. There’s definitely, definitely water. I remember I remember that.

Nish: 32:56

Yeah, I’m sure that’s not really something I’ve encountered on any courses yet, actually. But there is a little bit of water knocking around, isn’t there? Is there? I think it’s um it’s like obviously there is off the the side of the A to T, because that’s where this well is, and there’s a bit of a pond and things like that there.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 33:11

Yeah, there is, yeah, there is on the 18, there’s like um yeah, on the left-hand side. But again, you’ll be perfectly down the middle.

Nish: 33:17

Like a little stream or something like that. You know, where I’m a member, we’ve got everything for a golf course that works for me. We’ve got hills, valleys, we’ve got streams, we’ve got trees, all that kind of thing. So I’m right with all these noises coming at me, and then you know, we’ve hit some links courses, and you’re like obviously everything’s like I’m not there’s there’s not a criticism of it at all, but you know, it’s because it’s a little bit you could describe it as a little bit featureless, so to speak. You don’t have to zone in on the beauty of the whole itself and how it’s it’s put together, but all of that will really work for me. And there’s a couple of shots I’ve seen from this course, and it’s like looks like an absolute visual treat. I think I’m gonna go to the city.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 33:53

Well, I think what’s interesting about Hollingwell, and I think you could say this is like you’re talking about links. You know, you hear about like going out and then coming back. I like Lynx courses because you’re in this sort of it’s not even the bowl, but it’s like it comes down. Let’s say if you’re looking from this side, everything’s up and it comes down. You it would be quite easy just to play across it. But what I love is they play up and down it as well. So you are playing across the land, but you’re also playing up and down. That’s why on 11 you’re going up, and then that’s why on 13 you’re coming back down, and then on on uh 15 you’re going back up, and that’s what I think’s really dramatic about the golf course is that they they use the land and that really, really well in that sense. And yeah, I mean it’s on sand, so it’s playable all year round as well. Um, and I think I’d hate to see what like the drainage is like if it if it wasn’t that because of the undulation and that I think it would be an absolute nightmare.

Nish: 34:47

Uh I mean I’ve I’ve heard uh again, just just from reading other people’s thoughts on it, that it it builds as well around. So the front nine’s great, but like the back nine is special, yeah. Yeah, really special.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 34:59

First hole is I would say the first hole is up there as one of the most I can’t even think of a word. You’re like, how is that on this golf course? It doesn’t for me, it didn’t make sense. I I still think it’s a it’s a I’m not gonna say it’s a weak first hole because it’s not a weak first hole because you could definitely get caught out and the green complex is really nice, but you’re like, oh okay, like it’s pretty straightforward, it’s just straight down, and you can hit a driver you and you’ve you’re taking out some bunkers, or you can hit irons, like you do not have to hit driver in the first hole uh to be like swinging a seven-iron in, for example. And I think that’s quite that’s quite interesting.

Harbs 7 Golf: 35:34

Um, and then it starts one of those where they’ve gone here, um, enjoy the first hole, walk off that first green thinking I’m gonna nail it today, and then welcome to the rest of the cross.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 35:44

Welcome to two straight away. Like two is like two is a big bastard hole. Uh and you do you have to be bloody care, you can’t be left on two from the from the drive. You’ve got there’s like bushes up on the right hand side, you’ve got to aim at it. We’ll we’ll can aim at those because I assuming we’re all like not going to hit them like a pro. The pros when we’re playing like the second second round, there was boys still hitting driver, and I was like, what are you doing? Like you’re going at danger. I get you’re trying to take it out, but yeah, from two, and that’s where you’ll get the um Robin Hood sitting up on the rock. Nice. Um, but yeah, then three’s brilliant. You’ve got this weird bit when you finish three, you then basically walk right round the clubhouse to get to four, and four is sneaky, sneaky hard, I think. Right. So yeah, be careful. Four. It’s a good thing to watch out for, isn’t it?

Nish: 36:34

Isn’t an odd and even number thing in it? Because two two seems like it was hard, four’s hard.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 36:38

Yeah, uh, yeah, five path three, I think, and then you’ve got six long path five, seven, good, good. I love the way you started. I just went, I don’t remember any of these holes, and then I know walking us through the course, it’s great.

Nish: 36:51

I love it, it’s so good.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 36:53

I’ve got to live up to it. Um I think like seven. Someone told me a story last time we were there that they they found there was like loads of trees on seven that came in, and then they sort of like aerial shots and they found like two bunkers, so they basically like took it back, and they those bunkers are now part of it. Love stuff like that. Because we keep talking that the Addington, yeah, they just discovered them through like aerial shots. I think you’re seeing it at the Addington. I don’t know if you’ve played there or follow the the general manager who’s brilliant. Um, they basically just find that greens are shrinking, like golf courses are shrinking, especially green complexes. Um, so yeah, you can you can find like gems, and that I think on the seventh fold they found two bumper.

Nish: 37:34

Give it Alex.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 37:35

So shrinking from from what perspective in terms of the way they’re being uh Yeah, but being like Yeah, so like green complexes, some of them are like a lot bigger, and they just you know, maybe an inch a year like just starts getting like not mode, and then it starts coming in and out, and then what you’re finding now, because obviously we’re in the era, which is like it actually irritating for me. Like I’ll go and play Burkdale, and then like, oh, this is the last weekend before they do this, this, and that you’re like, right, great, so I’ve got to come back and play it. We’re in that era now where every single great golf course is having you know a whole tree coming in and redoing the bunkers, or someone’s coming in doing something else. We’re definitely in that era because I think if you were trying to do one of these lists in you know 90s or that even in the 2010s, you’re playing it once going, cool, lovely, move on. But now we’re seeing golf courses change right in front of our eyes, and it’s not bad, like it’s all really good. I haven’t played a golf course yet that’s been touched. I mean, Burkdale’s gonna be interesting, like they raised like the f the floor of a fairway by like something she was like 10 foot or something, but that’s gonna be really interesting to see what that’s like.

Nish: 38:43

It dropped on the rankings by 13 places, didn’t it? And they’re the rankings, yeah, yeah. So I mean that’s that’s massive for a royal course, for an open rotor course, you know, really one of the well-established and top ten big boys to drop that many places is phenomenal. So you I mean, you know, again, we you probably have picked up on this that it’s so subjective how these things are put together because because that’s just how it is, you know. It’s it’s a human being making a judgment call on a golf course. You can have as many um mate.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 39:14

I work in music, I I deal with subjective every single day. Every single day. I wish I just sold washing machines. This one works, that one doesn’t.

Nish: 39:20

And obviously, well, Alex, because I’m just again, I’m always impressed by the discs behind your head every time you come on. I love it. So good. Um you’re seeing all this stuff going on, and yeah, I mean that’s that is interesting, isn’t it? Did you did you right? Okay, so how quickly were you starting to nerd out on golf course architecture when you started getting into this?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 39:43

Fairly quickly, fairly quickly, but I will say this I’ve met a couple of top hundred boys that are on the list, they’re lovely. I have met a couple of top 100 boys that just be like, oh shut the fuck up, mate. Like honestly, just shut up. And I think that it meeting those guys and seeing there’s like it’s like everything, right? It’s like if you were a fan of I don’t know, a band, and then you’re like like let’s say Oasis, when you were trying to get tickets this year, you had to remember who the fucking drummer was, and then some people are like that’s so easy, but some people they don’t even know that they have a you I’m starting to find in top 100 there’s more there’s layers, and and the more I’m getting into it, the more I’m like, I don’t want to be that. Like I don’t I didn’t get into this to be that guy. Like I’ll get into it to understand that I think Harry Colt likes to have his tabletop greens or he likes to do a short a long path forward and a short path three back. Yeah, I’m cool with that. Like me and you can have a beer and talk about that. But when you start when you start getting into like rooting and I don’t know, some of the other bollocks that these people talk about, and it’s it does my nutting, it really does. I think the panel guys, I I mean, I know I know one boy who’s you know he’s really lovely, um, and you can tell that he just loves loves his golf and uh actually he doesn’t care about how he plays, which is actually really nice. Like he he really cares about the golf course and stuff. Guilty as charged, I’m like that. Yeah, yeah, perfect. Doesn’t affect me. Okay, so I really I really enjoy his company because he has he’s subjective with it. I’m all about it being fun and trying to enjoy it. And and and the golf guru thing came about because I was following the Guinness guru, right? And just that fella doesn’t know anything more about Guinness than me or you do, but you sort of believed in his the way he did it and the way he spoke about it. I loved that, and that’s all I ever wanted to be a top hundred guy was to be do stuff like this and give it to you honestly and say, I guarantee my list is gonna be because there’s no bollocks around it in terms of like oh big boys club, I’ve got to let Harry down the road. Yeah, like Woodall Spa shouldn’t be anywhere near where it’s at. Like agreed. Um War Walton Heath shouldn’t be anywhere near where it’s at. Like I’ll give it to you, like, and that’s just my honest you know assessment of where it’s at. But the same thing. I was like, nah, that’s not a because it’s because it’s head of England, it’s head of England golf. Because it’s head of England golf. That’s all it is. It’s a good golf course. Don’t and I think what they do with this stuff, they irritate people as I clearly now get irritated, is that you can like you can say that that is a hard golf course, is a really good golf course, but don’t put it at 15. It’s 15 on my list. Like is it?

Nish: 42:20

It’s not 15.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 42:21

Is that unjustified?

Nish: 42:22

That absolutely unjustified. It’s not like if it’s let me go the other the other end of the spectrum is you know, we played hindhead, and honestly, we had an unbelievable date at Hind. The experience was great, the club was very friendly, and all that kind of stuff, but I thought the course stood up because it grabbed your attention and kept your attention. There’s some very unusual golf holes on that on that course, and it’s very rare you walk off and you just go, do you know what? I want to crack at that again. Yeah, absolutely. We had a brilliant time playing that, and that was on our list is 91. Really? I can’t reconcile that.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 42:57

Do you do the England or do you do UK and Ireland? We did the so it’s the official top 100 UK and Ireland list. Right. So that Heinhead wasn’t in my wasn’t in my list. Uh it was only in in England. Um, but I’ve this summer, so I played I’ve played so many now that I’m struggling, like there have to be tricks. I’ve only got one more in the M25 to play, then like that’s done, and I think that’s been hopefully my tenth this year in touch wood. Um, so I’ve had to go and play some of the ones that are just top 100 England on my list.

Nish: 43:28

Yeah.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 43:29

And I’m playing them going, This this is got a shout. Like, this should definitely be higher than it is. Um, like uh Camberly Heath loved it, thought it was so much fun, really, really enjoyed it. Uh I played Burke Hampstead a couple weeks ago. Like, okay, that one probably wouldn’t get both of those probably wouldn’t get UK and Ireland, but I thought they were really, really good fun. Um, whereas I’ve gone and played some UK and Ireland ones, and I’m like, this this isn’t it. This is not the level, this is not where it’s at.

Nish: 43:56

Yeah, it’s interesting, isn’t it? You know, we’re we sort of we’re nitpicking about some of the best courses in the country and stuff like that. But actually, yeah, there are there are definitely occasions where I’ve just gone, like, what’s going on with these rankings?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 44:07

But you said something a minute ago, which I think is crucial to like being one of these lists, is can you come off of it and can you remember? Like, I’m going through now and walking through like my Rayman brain looking at the golf course, going, yeah, I remember that, remember that. Yeah, yeah. But if you can’t do that, I’m sorry, why are you in the top hundred?

Nish: 44:25

Do you know what? That is I think you stumbled across a very, very interesting, almost ranking criteria because we’ve played a couple of courses. I’m I’m gonna probably keep their names to myself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we came up with a couple of courses and me and Chris were in the car on the way back, and we we always will make notes at that point because we know there’s no way we’re gonna remember this stuff. I’m gonna try and remember the holes and anything that highlights for us. And there are two golf courses we’ve played where we’ve come off and we both said you know what I cannot remember that golf course. I remember the first T and the few things, and if you hit a a got a par or a birdie or something like that you remember that of course. Yeah, of course, yeah. Or you sprayed it or whatever. It was a horror moment, but yeah, it genuinely came off and went that didn’t do it for me. And we and we got a bit because what we’ve done 15 now, this is gonna be number 16 in Collinwell. And because at that time we probably were still within our top 12 courses that we’d played, and that kind of put the frighteners on us because we went, does that mean like one in six we’re gonna come off and go not happy with that one? That wasn’t a good course for me.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 45:41

I think it’s the the biggest issue that you’ve gonna have. I mean, you’ve done bloody well, mate, by the way, because last time we played, you’d done a couple. Um three when we spoke last time. Three, yeah. So I think your issue’s gonna be with when you’re doing this, and I’ve had to stop, is you get past a certain point, and I would say it’s probably 25 or 30, where you’re making your own list of your own top. Like, it gets so tight and it gets so small, and it depends on the what it’s so hard to do, and that’s where I do take my hats off to these top hundred panelists because I think they their criteria is not about Phil. And and I live my life, I’m a creative person, so I live my life through Phil. So I can’t really judge it on black and white because I work in colour, so it’s really difficult to do that. And when you’re getting to trying to do your top hundred list and go, God, that one goes there, it’s impossible, mate. Because the margins are so small.

Nish: 46:37

Yeah, it’s hard with 15. And and I do think you know, there’s a couple there’s a two courses where we’ve had a bad welcome, not bad welcome, sorry, bad welcome’s too extreme, but we’ve had a I’m gonna sound really germinant, but we’ve had a suboptimal welcome, uh, and we kind of just went that’s just set our day off wrong. You know, and it took a lot for the course to recover that. It was all depth down to the golf on the golf course, um which it did happen, I must say, but yeah, you don’t want to be going off in a in a bad bad mood. But then also kind of here to let people know about stuff like that because if you’re gonna I mean we’re doing it, and we’re so we’re taking seven people over to Hollingwell. Me and Chrissy played rook normally.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 47:22

The other lads are playing, you know. I was gonna say that, Lee. Have you played like are you on the top 100 journey as well in terms of like taking them off?

Harbs 7 Golf: 47:29

No, not at all, but um just keen to jump in wherever I can and play some golf to be honest, experience some new courses. But I do live right by Burnham and Barrow.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 47:38

Oh right, great.

Harbs 7 Golf: 47:39

So yeah, when Nish comes down this way, we’ll we’ll be doing that and I’ll be bringing them over to my local course here as well. Um, but I do have a question for you both. Um, you’ve obviously Alex, you started your journey, what you said, five years ago.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 47:52

Yeah, 2020, yeah.

Harbs 7 Golf: 47:53

And Nish, you’re burning through the courses at a pretty rapid rate.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 47:56

Six months.

Harbs 7 Golf: 47:57

What’s the plan? What’s the plan when um courses jump on and off the top 100? Are you gonna stick to your original 100 or are you gonna adapt to anything that comes in that’s new?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 48:09

Well, it’s one of the things I it’s why I chose one list. So I I have to play that list. It doesn’t matter if the courses come in or out. Hopefully they don’t go to kaput, but I have to finish that list. There are definitely and I mean I had this question when I was talking to my mate from Sunningdale going, what do you want to see online? Do you want me to talk about like all of them? He was like, No, just the one, just the top hundred on your list, and I get that, but then there’s golf courses weren’t even around when I started Dunbarney and St Patrick’s weren’t even and I think both of them would probably have got in. Um we’re playing Dunbarney actually in October. Oh yeah, there you go. Uh a bit of whiskey on the front front of the line. Yeah, oh you do, yeah, I know it’s amazing. Yeah, uh JCB wasn’t in. Like, so there’s like a few there that I’ve got to go and I went and played, and I’m gonna play them and I’m gonna showcase them because I think they either should be in or I just think they’re courses that people are interested in playing.

Nish: 49:06

Yeah, yeah.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 49:07

But yeah, that’s my thing. I don’t know what you’re doing there.

Nish: 49:09

Well, but they’re accessible as well, aren’t they? Because you know, Dumbani, you can just contact them and you can pay you. Just throw money at the problem, as I say. High green feed, you can play it, you know what I mean. There’s no like um it doesn’t feel like there’s a whole load of hoops you need to jump through to try and get on and and and whatever. So we we had every intention to do exactly what you’re doing, Alex, which was we took a snapshot at that time, it was August last year. We had the official top 110, uh top 100 website, UK and Ireland, and we were great, got settled on that. Fantastic. Yeah, then the new list came out, and there were two courses near us, and we went, Fuck, we need to put their name. So we said, right, new tactic. We took out the courses we sort of did the swap. Uh and then we said, We will carry on. Now we played a lot of courses in that the bottom, so probably the 85 to 100. So as soon as one of those goes out, that freezes our list. Okay. At that point, because that at that point we’re then in the realms of playing more than 100.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 50:11

But the way you’re going, you’re doing you ain’t you’re gonna do it in less than that, so you’re gonna have to go and do those ones anyway. Yeah, we’re just uh you know, I’m waiting to be sponsored by uh somebody so we can go and do the world list. Well, uh the qu the someone asked me the other day, they’re like, So what happens when you complete this? I went, Well, you go and do the world list. They’re like, Yeah, but that’s almost impossible. And then I come out of my Augusta story, they went, Alright, fair enough. Like maybe it’s okay. Yeah, maybe you can do it.

Nish: 50:34

Well, so interestingly enough, when when we played Hindhead, we played with a couple of a couple of um guys there, Andrew and Tony, legends. I must name check them again, they were absolutely brilliant hosts. And they reached out to us because they’d played Abba Dovey, heard the podcast, and said, Oh, you know, it’d be good to compare stories. And it turns out the remembers of Hindhead invited us down. So we’re playing with them and they’re on 65, I think, now, and they played them together. So we said I was a genuine question, it was interesting because it was like looking in the future. There’s the two guys doing exactly what we’re doing. And we said to them, What you know, do you so two two questions number one, do you still get that tangle of excitement of playing the top 100 course? And they were like, Absolutely yes. You’re driving up to the course, up to the clubhouse, and it’s a new place. And I mean, I’m like that with a new golf course anyway. It could be the worst golf course in the world, but uh that drive up, you’re always excited because you play golf everywhere. And then I said, Well, what are you gonna do next? And they said, Yeah, we started thinking about this now because they started four years ago and they’re on 65. Wow, so they’re really churning through it. And they said uh they suspect that they’re gonna try and then play that uh list that are just outside that top 100. And you can use some of sometimes you can work it out as clubs that have either fallen out or they’re on the England list and they’re not on the general UK and Ireland list. And they said that they suspect that the experience of the golf, and that’s everything included, is probably gonna be better at those places than it is at some of the upper echelon golf courses because they almost aren’t relying on the name to get people through it. It’s like we’ve got to do this extra bit, we’ve got to make sure we’re friendly with people, we’ve got to make sure that the pro is amazing when he comes in and really gets excited about playing there. And I thought that was fascinating. But I was like, top 210 doesn’t really have a ring to it.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 52:27

No, it’s almost mate, also for you, like, and you and I are probably very similar, where we like hyper fixate on something, want to do it to like the nth degree and go, right, we’re gonna go and do this. And I think, mate, at five years, I’m already at this point now where I’m going, okay, I’ve done 51. I don’t want this to stop. Like, I don’t want this to like be, I don’t want to complete it because I think when I complete it, it’s gonna be reality to go, oh okay, and look, you can go back and redo them, and I think that’s why doing the reels has been really interesting for me because it’s meant I’ve had to go back and look at a course in a different way. Um, but I reckon I’m gonna be really emotional when I finish it, and and almost like a purpose has been lost because this is this is like something that keeps me going. Like I’ve I came back from I did St Andrews in July. Um while I’m in St Andrews, I’ve already basically sorted out the next trip. I’m then I then I literally came back from Ireland last week, and that’s not my trip. I I don’t organise that. I give a little bit of advice like where I think we should go next. Um, but I’ve already organised like next year’s one and I came back in July. But and it’s it’s now it’s almost like um can you beat the the you know you’re talking about the tingles, it’s can you beat the tingles that you get when you go to Hollingwell? Because you’ll go to Hollingwell and you’ll go, this is unbelievable. This will be this will be in your top five you’ve played, hands down. Amazing. Yeah, for everything you’ve done, it will be in the top five. And and I and even me, as I said, I think this should probably go back in my top ten because how good it is. Um but I’m not trying to look, I’m looking at Matt Grahannish. Matt Grahannish is an island off of Scotland. There’s two golf courses there. There’s actually a third one called Dunverti or something, which is like a little 4,800. Then I’m building a trip going, and that’s what I don’t want to lose. That the thought of me building a trip and getting the boys excited. We’ve got a committee that we do for these boys’ trips and go, do you think we could do it? I don’t want to lose that. I’m I’m scared of finishing this because of that. And if you do do the world top 100, luckily with my work, I get invited to some lovely places, and I don’t know when this comes out, but I’m going to America next Saturday, and there is a 85% chance that I’m playing um LA Country Club, but it’s it’s like ones like that that you can only do the top hundred world if you get invites to those sort of ones. Yeah, so it’s it’s not accessible. My mate um Toby, who does the rigid mug that we go on, great great bunch of lads, and we do some unbelievable golf and studies. He lives in New York. We play ballet’s out in New York, which is a great golf course to do if you ever get out there. But mate, golf in America is not accessible to do what we’re trying to do. You can’t do that in America, you just can’t do it. That’s why the boys over here, they I went to Ireland, as I say, I got teamed up with two Americans on um on the second day at Bally Bunyan, and they were just like gobsmacked. That they they showed me their list, they’d done six courses in seven days, and they were all our top hundreds. Um unbelievable. And they were like, we just can’t do this in the US, we can’t do anything like this. We’re playing country clubs that are part of shit and like municipal courses that are part of shit, whereas you’ve got these links courses and you’re playing courses where Tom Watson said that seventh is his favourite hole. I’m telling you now, I know your whole brand is top 10 in 10, like 110. Just put a bit of that on it. Just don’t don’t finish it.

Nish: 56:00

I love it. Put a bit of that on it. Kears Downroad, love you, mate. Kears Downroad, absolutely love you. Ah, do you know what? That yeah, I think you’re right. It’s just it’s every day, every hour, at least once, I think about something timeline related. Like it there’s something, it’s whether it’s like, you know, you might have irons in the fire and it’s like, I’ve got all loads of emails out for stuff for next year, and we’re trying to plan Ireland. And me and Lee have got a couple of things that we’re planning on doing next year as well. And we’ve got two society trips that we want to plan, and they’re actual trips away.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 56:34

They’re like we just I saw that the I you were showing me the island list, right? Where you could do that, yeah, yeah.

Nish: 56:40

So we we’ll do that. So we’re gonna do like that. We’ll probably not do Society for Ireland yet, but yes, certainly we’ll do um a couple of away trips. Um, one of the courses might have been mentioned during this episode. Okay, nice. Watch this space. But um, you know, just if I didn’t have that, like I don’t know what I’d do. I really don’t. It’s just so weird, isn’t it? You know, and literally 14 months ago, this thing didn’t exist in my life.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 57:06

I think that’s the the the most beautiful thing about it, mate. And yeah, and you and you go and play Hollingwood because we’re going away from Hollingwell, it’s supposed to be a preview podcast, but I think um when you go to Hollingwell and you have the experience you do and you play the golf course, you you’re gonna play play shit, golf, play good golf. It really does not matter because the journey that we’re on is a completely different journey to someone who’s just rocking up, going, yeah, this is decent, and trying to like play well. But I’m trying to take it all in at the same time and like try and be present when I’m there to go, this is shit that me and you are getting excited about on a daily and and and stuff, and you it’s really special. And um, so that’s the question. I don’t know what we’re gonna have. I don’t know what we’re gonna do, mate. I don’t know.

Nish: 57:48

What we’re gonna do, yeah. No, shit. But we’re gonna have to like do group therapy or something somewhere, aren’t we?

Harbs 7 Golf: 57:54

The closest I’ve got to feeling this volume of excitement is watching a really good TV series eight seasons in and thinking I’m not watching the last episode because it’s gonna end and then I’ve got nothing lined up. Yeah, just gonna cry you two are doing in living the dream, but but I told you that last time.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 58:09

Did I the one of the reasons why I did this, my grandpa told me a story about the old boy at St Andrews, right? Yeah, that that’s the reason.

Nish: 58:16

And Lee just I feel it was worth repeating that, Alex, to be honest.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 58:19

It was a wonderful story because Lee probably So the story story goes that an old boy chose a list in like 1958, like a list didn’t really exist then, so it might it can’t, I don’t know what it was. Um and he played every single one of these, and he wanted to leave St Andrews as his last one to play. So he goes up to St Andrews, having just done it, it is magical, like it’s weird, it is a weird place to go to, like it’s yeah, eerie. And he left St Andrews, he went with his two boys. The boys tell, I think they’re staying at either Russell’s or the St Andrews Hotel. They tell the guys, like, this is my dad’s, he’s he’s like in his 80s now, and unbelievable to him, he’s playing it, and as he gets up to the 18th hole, the whole hotel have all come out, and they’re all clapping him up the um 18th, and I just like I get goosebumps every time I think about it. And now having been there, I’m like, my grandpa told me it was a clubhouse. I was like, it definitely went the fucking clubhouse because the clubhouse is like as we said about don’t let the truth get away with a good story. Yeah, I don’t know where these motherfuckers were, but they were not in the clubhouse because that might be away. I’m gonna say they were probably at Horse May. Yeah, they were probably at Russell’s, and they that or they might have just been pissed up at the Dunverk.

Nish: 59:31

I don’t know that they weren’t in the clubhouse, yeah.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 59:34

Yeah, so um, but that’s that’s why I chose it. I was like, oh that that does sound pretty good. And we almost got on um St Andrew’s old course this year because we went through the ballot. Um and I was gutted because I was turned 40 this year. I was like, I wanted to put my 40th year, but you know what? I don’t know, mate. I might keep it as my last one, I might do it.

Nish: 59:52

Let now let me let me bring Harvest back into the fold. I’m so sorry, mate, you just had to listen to us very rhetorical about top 100 calls. But um Harbs, we’re gonna start off by talking about the signature hole challenge. So can you tell us what the signature hole is? And obviously, Jim has sent you this, so it might not be necessarily be the actual signature.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:00:12

I think he’s got it right. Has he?

Nish: 1:00:13

Right, go on then.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:00:15

Uh we’ve got the signature hole as being hole eighteen. Back to the clubhouse.

Nish: 1:00:20

Now left, right, that’s interesting. That’s interesting. Yeah.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:00:25

Um so yeah, par four, eighteenth. Uh, it’s just gonna be your net score for that. And I’ve got the hole up in front of me now. We were talking about it earlier, but because um Alex, you mentioned about there being some water, it’s kind of 30-40 yards short left of the green. But there’s seven bunkers dotted up the fairway and just uh surrounding the green on the 18th as well, and it it does look really challenging.

Nish: 1:00:47

I’m gonna put it out there. I think I’ve got this in the bag. What’s the stroke index? I mean I’m gonna get shot on Chris anyway, but what’s the stroke index? Do I we’re yellows, aren’t we? Yellows, yeah. Yeah, stroke index six. Oh yeah, yeah, no, I’ve I’ve got this in the bag. Stroke and at six. It’s interesting that, isn’t it? Wow. What do you not do not do you think it’s not not as difficult as that?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:01:07

I think it’s I think you’re definitely gonna I’m not talking about you, but I think you walk away with a bogey and you’re not that upset. But I don’t think it’s stroke and decks. I don’t I think Stroke and Dex 6 is is low. Are you playing it off the yellows as well? We’re playing off the yellows, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Nish: 1:01:23

We don’t we don’t want to make we want to we want to walk off that golf course and go we’ve had a good day, not like we’ve been brutalized and everyone’s lost a load of golf balls and they’re yeah, they’re um you mentioned the 13th earlier throwing me shade on the and the minibus on the way home.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:01:36

I’m surprised 13th is I’m surprised 11 or 13 is not the signature hole, I’ve got to say.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:01:40

Well, you mentioned 13 earlier, and just for a bit of fun, I decided to post on the group chat saying bloody hell, the 13th is 240 yard long par three, so everyone’s shitting themselves going, I’m gonna have to take driver off the T, oh my god. And then uh pointed out to them once they’d all had their panic attacks at us if you’re playing off the tips, so it’s not quite that bad.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:01:59

Yeah, and I think and it plays I don’t know what it plays downhill. I I think we played off the whites. I I think we would have played off the whites of the boys we’re playing with. Um it was spring, and I think I hit a six iron, and it was at the pin was at the back, so I probably hit it to the middle. So that’s a that and that’s a long hole from the I don’t want it off the whites, Lou. I don’t know if it’s got it up there, but um it’s so downhill that you’re basically I think it’s like playing 30 down.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:02:23

Yeah, it’s 198.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:02:25

Yeah, okay, so it’s playing 25 down, probably.

Nish: 1:02:28

It’s an advantage niche, I think. Uh Chris is usually knackered by a full 80. Right, he’s great, I can say whatever I want about him, he’s not here. Now, then we’d also do a side bet. So this is basically uh Jim has plenty of warning about this because we do this every fucking episode, but he always tries to think of think of it on the fly when he’s when he’s doing it. So luckily he sent it to to Harp, so we’ve got a bit of an idea of what the side bet actually is. So what has he set as the side better?

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:02:55

So you are gonna be doing your net score over the three par fives and the loser buys the drinks.

Nish: 1:03:03

Ooh. Has he spent right, okay. So what drinks? That’s what I’m interested in. So like what drinks when? Is there like a set closed period?

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:03:13

Or like I I’m I’m gonna help Jim out here and say it’s drink for everyone. Oh I think he means.

Nish: 1:03:20

Right. Drinks for the whole group. Do you know what? We might have to make sure we’re not in the same group here because it’d be interesting to bring that all out later, wouldn’t it? Like who’s who shot what? Or see it on our Squabit app sponsors. So it’s three par fives and it’s the lowest net score on that, is it?

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:03:36

Yeah. That’s a 50 quid tab, that. That’s a 50 quid tab. Interesting.

Nish: 1:03:41

Yeah, nothing for these boys, they won’t mind. Chris must have chucked a five at Jim’s wave for that one. That’s a tough one because Chris is a long hitter. So yeah, advantage Chris on that one. Shit, there’s money on that one as well. All right, okay. Sharp enough. I think there’s two par fives in the front front nine as well, isn’t there? Yeah, three three and six. Yeah, you know it early on whether you’re you’re in the game or not.

Harbs 7 Golf: 1:04:03

Nice. You’re not worried about a par five. I’ve got you on video at the last round, striking your driver 280 down the middle and then finding the green with your second.

Nish: 1:04:11

Pretty much since that round, me and my driver have not been the best of friends. I think. But um, I think everybody probably says that at some point, don’t they? Wonderful. Well, thank you, Lee. That’s uh yeah, that’s I think we’ve got I think it’s one each on those. I think I think Chris is probably gonna get a side there, but it’s the signature hole that goes on the website, and that’s the one that really matters. You know, and I you know, you’re all my mates, so I’m glad I’ll gladly buy you a drink. That just doesn’t have to be alcoholic, that’s all. Guys, that was absolutely wonderful. Alex, thank you for your time. Uh you’re a busy guy, and it’s always fun chatting top 100 stuff with you anyway. And uh you’ve heightened my excitement for playing this golf course. I was already uh you know bang up for it with the way it’s all been set up and seven of us had it hand down on the fun bus. But yeah, I mean some of those the the picture you painted for us and some of those holes has been has been absolutely wonderful. So thank you for thank you for coming on.

Top 100 Golf Guru: 1:05:01

No worries at all. Yeah, enjoy it, lads, because you’re gonna um it’s a real treat.

Nish: 1:05:06

Next time on the top 100 in 10 golf podcast, we’ll be reviewing our round and day at Trump International Links in Aberdeen. Now we promise you do not want to miss this one.