The Ideas Man

Nish: 0:06

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 going to guide you through this golfing journey on our bonus podcast today. This is the top 100 in 10 golf podcast

Nish: 0:22

Bonus episode. The ideas man.

Nish: 0:26

With your smarts and my ability to exploit people with smarts we can’t lose the simpsons had something there. Everyone needs an ideas man.

Nish: 0:37

I had a chance conversation with one of my best pals, rob, aka ronnie Moore, the Robster Robot or the White Telly Savalas, about the podcast. That chat turned into a golden ideas fest so I wanted to get him on the pod so he could share those great ideas with you and, genuinely, some of these are real eureka moments.

Nish: 1:00

So hi, rob I mentioned that we had a great chat in the pub Our mate, Tom Biddles, stag Do, who does all of our artwork, and I do have a lot of ideas buzzing around in my head after that. So the great thing for me was it gave me an insight into what listeners actually want, and you don’t get a chance to do that as a podcast host sometimes, so we’ll keep it really informal. I’m going to let you take the lead here, which, as jim says, is difficult for me to do, um, but yeah, what do you?

Rob: 1:32

know, uh, too much. By the looks of it, it’s all got me into this problem, mate, um. But yeah, no, like you say, I think it was just like the fact that I listened to the podcast. There was one of us and um just had some thoughts of like, yeah, what you could do really.

Nish: 1:46

Yeah.

Rob: 1:47

Because you know, I know you get all excited about a new project and you know, going and buying your microphones and getting all of those sorts of bits and thinking, well, actually, you know, when you start getting going, things will mature and sort of come together a bit. But then you get some ideas from outside of like, actually what, what, what, what’s unique about what you’re doing? You know, because you know no one, no one really does this sort of challenge. You might talk about it but then you think to yourself, well, actually, what, what can I get out of it? Because it’s such a such a nice thing to to aim to do, you know, and have a big chunk of time to sort of diarize and remember, really, so it’s a big chunk of time yeah, it’s a big chunk of time.

Nish: 2:23

Yeah, uh, yeah, I think, um, it’s like you say, it’s having somebody who’s at the other end of the the microphone who’s going?

Rob: 2:33

well, I think jim brought up. The main question which sparked it was he said how, how are they ranked in top 100? And I thought, yeah, it’s like if you’re doing that, you should sort of like have an idea of how these courses even get to where they are. It’s like who votes for it? I don’t even know.

Nish: 2:48

And the courses kind of move up and down as well and you think, well, hang on, how is that happening within the order, rather than oh, there’s been 20 new courses coming, so that shifted other courses down. That’s not been the way it’s. That’s not been the way it’s, they’ll just kind of. I mean, we, we played, uh, more town and more town was sort of mid 60s and then the next year it dropped to the 90s. You know, the course hasn’t changed.

Nish: 3:13

Yeah, and it’s not they’re not building brand new ones, as if they’re correct, there’s not enough space to do that, so, so yeah, what is doing that? It feels like it’s shrouded in a bit of mystery, isn’t it?

Rob: 3:21

yeah, and the fact we’ve played so many courses like over the years and we were, you know, as you might have mentioned, lucky enough to play burkdale it stands out as so far and beyond what we’ve ever played before. Yeah, it’s different level, it’s just a course that is just beautiful, it’s just pretty, it’s, it’s steeped in history, it’s. You know, and I said to you before you, before we went it’s like you wait till you see that clubhouse. It’s just pretty, it’s, it’s steeped in history, it’s. You know, and I said to you before you, before we went it’s like you wait till you see that clubhouse. It’s just reeks of history, and that’s the phrase it reeks of history, that place like it.

Nish: 3:53

Just, I mean we’ve now played um moortown, we’ve played sillith and we’ve played sni. Sni was the only one of those three that really gave me that same feeling, but it still didn’t quite touch in terms of history. It didn’t quite touch Birkdale. I don’t know if whether that’s because there’s some moments on the course at Birkdale that are like etched in your memory, but it’s also.

Rob: 4:15

It was also what like the first time we really got exposed to one of them. Yeah, and I think that’s the big one, isn’t? It is just. You know, you build it up in your head, and that’s another thing I want to hear about is like why is it what makes this course so good you need you’ll start to be able to understand yeah what it is about a club.

Rob: 4:30

Yeah, that makes it interesting and fun and I think I said to you as well, is, like you know, um, tell us about the clubhouse you know yeah, as much as as much as you’re going to talk about your golf and how well you’ve performed and all of that.

Rob: 4:42

It’s like I’ve seen enough of your golf to know it’s not worth talking about. So really it’s like you know what else is there and you know you’re playing the best courses in the country and in the world in some cases yeah where it’s an opportunity to go.

Rob: 4:54

Why is this place amazing? Yeah, and you know, burkdale is that iconic clubhouse. As you’re coming up the 18th, you’ve seen it on so many open championships. Yeah, you see it when everyone’s sat on the balcony and waiting for them to come up and you’re just like, oh, just that feeling of being in a place like that there was an interesting um sort of comparison point here as well, because we’ve hit three um clubhouses now and well, just with stray balls not far off but definitely more than that, but you kind of go, you’ve.

Nish: 5:25

We went to burkdale as a visitor with a member again, I’m eight days, we went into the open before as well.

Rob: 5:33

I, I know I did you go to the open championships before? No, I didn’t. Again, it looks like a totally different place when it’s got all the stands, all the stands up yeah oh just it’s the dream, isn’t it?

Nish: 5:41

yeah, that’s the dream, but it was like it’s kind of you know, you’ve done all of that bit, and then you know our friend dave, who is the member, gets married there and then you’re kind of like oh well, we’re going back to birkdale, play there. Already a couple of times we’re in the clubhouse. He’s like, no, no, we’re gonna go to bits of the clubhouse you can’t get into, like the upstairs room and things like that.

Rob: 6:02

Yeah, when you see, when you see the clock on the wall, oh, and it’s an actual rolex yeah, it’s the biggest rolex I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s like, where do I get one of them? Yeah, you don’t get one of them, that’s. That’s the thing.

Nish: 6:11

Yeah, you’re not getting your hands on one of them ever, no, I think you’ve got a unique opportunity to sort of tell people about that yeah and tell people about the clubhouses and what makes them special.

Rob: 6:22

And you know, for people that are going to be listening, hopefully that, uh, you know, might might hear that you’re gonna, you’re booked in to play a certain course. You know he’s gonna go and play royal rhythm. It’s like I’m gonna play there I’ve never played there before what? What makes it so good you?

Rob: 6:34

know what’s exciting about it and you know, I think we spoke about, um, you know, actually talking to the pros, yeah, or someone who’s a representative for the club, yeah, um, because they’re going to want to, you know, spill their guts about everyone loves giving a tour of their hometown, don’t they yeah?

Rob: 6:49

and if you you know, if that’s your course and you’ve got memories of it and yeah, it’s going to give you some engagement from the members and them wanting to listen to it, and I just think it’s a it’s a good way of sort of expanding and keeping it consistent through the through the 10 years. Yeah of um, just an ongoing thread of new people to talk to, new voices, other people that are interested in telling you new things about the course and things you would never know, just turning up and playing.

Nish: 7:15

Yeah, you wouldn’t know at all. I mean, there’s a few. Give us some examples of some questions that you think we should, or things we should introduce into Well.

Rob: 7:24

I think you could go down the normal route of like you know what, what can we, what? What’s nice about the course, all that sort of stuff. But it’s, it’s the things that, as a player, you take away from a course. Like we have certain point. You know, we play reddish a lot and when I think of reddish veil, I think of that 16th tee, yeah. And when you’re stood up there and you’ve got the course going all the way out, you know the course you’ve played. Yeah, you’ve got that view that bends around a big oak tree and if it’s a certain point in the year you can go around that tree. If it’s a winter tart, you can go over that tree. It’s like I think of a spot on that course when I think of that course. So, even asking a pro, you know what’s your favorite point of the course. You know where’s, what’s the view I can’t miss, you know and even even at birkdale.

Rob: 8:10

Um, you know, I think of, uh, I’ve got a favorite hole at birkdale, but I’ve also got a favorite view. So the favorite hole is the fifth, and is that the par three? No, so the par three’s. I think it’s the fourth, but I think I’m sure it’s the fifth. I might be wrong on that, but it’s basically where you tee off, next to the second clubhouse oh yeah, and it’s like a par four where the artisans are yes, that’s the word I was looking for.

Rob: 8:34

Yeah, so it’s a par four dog legs around to the right.

Nish: 8:37

I think, yeah, that’s the one.

Rob: 8:38

But it’s like I’ve played there with a kid who was a 16 year old european. You know, amateur player, ridiculous and it’s one of those I’ve. I remember it because I’ve always played well on it. But it’s one of those holes for me that I’ll always remember because I’ve had good shots on it, but I’ve also seen the best on it, you know.

Rob: 8:59

I mean yeah I’ve seen, if you really crack a drive over a blind bit of goals, you can land it on the drop and for me that is the hole on that course. That’s what makes that club that course. So it’s things like is there an iconic hole for the pro and for you?

Rob: 9:18

I think as well, and that led on to start compiling the best holes of your top 100 and then come up with your dream 18. Do you know what? You know compiling the best holes of your top 100 and then come up with your dream 18? Do you know what?

Nish: 9:27

I mean, yeah, and actually to be fair, that is, that’s very much going to happen. So it’s, like you know, started already working on that.

Rob: 9:35

I mean I don’t think you can have a jeremy clarkson top 100 holes and then go. Oh, is this better than number 56? Yeah, it might come down to what’s our top 20, and you know which one am I going to lose, because you know you only really want to end up with your top 18, um, but I think that’s definitely something that’s great, it’s an ongoing and it’s the ultimate course in the uk, according to us and then patch it all together and what does it look like?

Rob: 9:58

what, what makes that ultimate course? But yeah, and coming back to you, know what I was saying about the favorite view there’s I can’t remember again which number it is, but there’s a point when you get out to the furthest part of royal berkdale, when you’re at the highest up you can be, you can only just see the sea, yeah, and you get that sense of oh my god, I’m in the dunes here, yeah, and you’re on the top of a dune, you’ve got all the course going off up to your left and you’ve got just rolling hills into the distance and the clubhouse on the on the. I think you know what’s the, what’s the view I can’t miss because you can sometimes get in your edward on a course and it’s like I just had a terrible hole and you forget.

Rob: 10:32

Actually, it’s like I’m here, you know, yeah, I’m not at work, I’m on a beautiful golf course. Yeah, I’ve got to make sure I enjoy this bit, you know.

Nish: 10:38

I mean yeah, I think that that it sort of feeds into when we initially started off what we were doing. We don’t want to film, on course, because we wanted that experience.

Nish: 10:49

Chris is different. Chris has got a different motivation for doing this, I think, because he was very serious about turning pro when he was younger and then got disillusioned with golf at 16 because he just couldn’t get his handicap lower than two. I mean, that’s like a pipe dream for me. So for me and we’ve done it plenty of times we’ve just stood on a team, we’ve just been having a mayhem around, but it’s a glorious, hot sunny day and you go. Would you rather be doing anything else?

Nish: 11:12

right now no yeah, um, and you don’t want to lose that, like that’s just kind of fresh eyes every time and fresh-eyed wonderment of where you are and appreciating that whole thing. So that was yeah great.

Rob: 11:23

I mean the dream 18, I mean that’s yeah, tick, that’s happening yeah, and also, and, and you know, getting having that chat with the pro and getting a feel for why they like the course or the captain and some stories from that course, you know what, what? What can’t you miss? It’s like, even when you know we keep on coming back to royal birkdale but it’s the only place we’ve been that touches those top courses for me anyway, absolutely. But you know you’re walking around with a member and he’s like, oh yeah, that’s where seve hit that shot. And you’re like what you know?

Rob: 11:51

And then you get an idea of how incredible that you’ve seen on that tv that shot, yeah, plenty of times with your old man going, you know, screaming in the front room watching it. And then you’re like what does it even mean? And you see he’s hit it out of that gauze and landed it within three feet, like how is that even possible? But I wouldn’t have known, you know. And then you get a whole new perspective on the place, or you know where, you know what’s his face old.

Nish: 12:15

Spieth, spieth. That’s exactly what I was going to say.

Rob: 12:18

Onto the driving range and you’re like how has he? Even hit it over there from here, I wouldn’t hit it over there for me he’s like top one in the world and he’s landed it there and still made it over that truck. Yeah, you know things like that, that, you, you know you need a member or a you know, a guide at the time to have given you yeah that sort of insight and you know, like I say, you’re paying the best courses in the world sometimes.

Rob: 12:39

Yeah, you know you can sort of walk past. You know history and you know not even know what you’re, what you’re experiencing- so I think yeah so I think that’s probably uh, something I thought was you know, when you, when we were talking about it, was like yeah, that’s, that sounds about right it makes sense to do that, doesn’t it?

Nish: 12:53

I mean, the other thing I really took away from the chat was was that, look, you’re playing these courses. You’re playing them from the perspective of a very amateur golfer, like we’re very fortunate, we’re doing this thing and we’re going to play a hundred of these courses. I say some of the best in the world, um, but some people they’re going to play one or two in their lifetime. It’s a real special occasion. You know some of these, the fees are like up to four or 500 pounds for a round and you think like they obviously want to. Everybody wants to play these courses more often, but you can’t necessarily do that. I mean, I know there’s some courses that are like they’re invitation only.

Nish: 13:34

so wentworth, that’s invitation only jcb is the same and you go. You want to give somebody opportunity to kind of almost one of the top 100.

Rob: 13:42

Now jcb’s in the top one.

Nish: 13:44

I’ve seen plenty of that on youtube and it just it does look pretty spectacular and livers obviously just propelled it right as a thing. But um, yeah, it’s. Um. You know, you kind of almost want somebody to be able to live that experience through you and that was really enlightening when you said that, because you kind of get you get a bit stuck in your own headspace. You might have, might have someone listening who’ll go.

Rob: 14:04

Bloody hell, that sounds amazing. I’d never have thought of going there. And then they might go oh, it’s only down the road. I’ll go and try and give it a go. I’ll try and give it a go. Like you say, they might only have a handful that they can never get the opportunity to play. They might hear it and go. That’s worth. We’ve not even talked about. But like, what’s it gonna cost? What’s it gonna cost? You know and you know when it, when it comes to any kind of project, people are interested to know. Yeah, what’s this really cost you? I don’t think either of your wives are even listening anyway, so it’s not a problem?

Rob: 14:34

they’re not listening, exactly it’s not gonna get back to them, so, um, but I think that would be interesting, I mean, even just if you started going right, well, that rounds that much money.

Nish: 14:45

Whether you compiled a whole list, I don’t know, it might not be might not be making much fun but but we’re at inception point now where we can put these things in place. Yeah, and then it’s. We’re not having to try and remember that later on, like dream 18, for instance. Having only played three courses, we could probably just about remember a whole from each course. Um, if we’re down to 10, 12, 13 courses down the line we’re not going to be able to do I think a lot.

Rob: 15:10

I think a lot of that is going to be based around just the memories of it. You know, it might not even be all this. This was spectacular. For this reason, yeah, what what comes to mind, you know, just for you know, remembering it, really, yeah, it’s like you know, it’s something you can always look back on and go oh, that place was, yeah, that shot, or that that scuff, even though it was a beautiful course I still still made it out of it.

Nish: 15:30

Do you know what I mean? It’s like? No, it’s great. I think that that it was. It was nice to think there is this other whole side to the purpose of doing it. We want to document it. That’s our primary purpose, but there might be people who just genuinely want to know what is it like A?

Nish: 15:48

welcome to the club and things like that. It’s like that’s what a great. You know how was it? For instance, of the three, the best one we’ve had was at Moortown because the assistant pro, eddie there Amazing guy Like really chatty. Most people in sports clubs are. They are people yeah, you’re gonna.

Rob: 16:05

You’re gonna come across nice people, but I think that um experience of the actual clubhouse as well. You know, because it’s part of that. You know you don’t spend much time these days in really flash or nice places you know yeah it’s nice to walk into something. Oh, this is plush, you know, it’s just well so I’ve got some info for you.

Nish: 16:24

So, um, you know me, I like taking a picture. Everything gets posted, um, and I probably walked away from s&a because that up to now, I think that’s been the one clubhouse aside from burkdale where I’ve walked in and gone. Oh, there’s a lot of history here, like this is pucker, like they’ve had two rider cups there, they’ve had loads of open qualifying all sorts, and it’s a real purist course as well. So a lot of you know a lot of people really seriously like serious golfers, they love that course. Um, you know, and they it’s going to be on our blog, on the, on the website, but they’ve got all the the ceremonial jackets when they do the prize giving and all this kind of thing and you go, um, I was like picture, picture, picture, picture, picture.

Nish: 17:05

So, as we’ve been doing a bit more planning and research about where we’re going to play, when we’re going to play them, you start encountering the websites and things like that. So I looked at, um, royal lytham, because obviously, that’s right, no, royal liverpool, it was so high lake, so that’s near one of our local course, local courses, um, and I was like, right, let’s, let’s have a little look at how this works. I was looking at the policy of uh mobile phone use at hoy lake and you aren’t allowed to use your mobile phone to take pictures or anything or make calls on it. It’s an emergency call on the out on the course. I was like what’s the definition of an emergency call? This is brilliant yeah, that’s it.

Nish: 17:48

But I was like you know, but I need to be able to, like, take a picture in the clubhouse, and I don’t know whether that’s just done to sort of protect the aura of the, the clubhouse and the course, but maybe I need to get those ray bands that you could take a take a picture with on you, uh, as you walk in just a little I think, I think another thing about what he talks about is, you know, not so much.

Rob: 18:06

You could go rigid and start to categorize and give scores to things of, like, you know, general ambience and or like the actual clubhouse itself or the facilities, or how good is the, you know the bar, all that sort. So you could go really deep, dive into that, but ultimately you’ll have things that stand out about certain places yeah, yeah you know you might have one clubhouse that’s, you know, steeped in history, and you feel like you can’t touch anything because it’s just so well embedded or you’ve got my.

Rob: 18:31

I visualize when I think about jcb because it’s so new. Just like you know, I turn up to somewhere, like you know, ross and andrews or raw burkebell, and you’ve got to turn up in a jag, but but in in, you know you’ve got a jcb, it’s got to be the newest range over yeah, I think about, like you know, that clubhouse is going to be modern club.

Nish: 18:48

That’s it. You know it’s going to be plush.

Rob: 18:49

It’s going to be modern. Yeah, you have the best menu all that sort of stuff. You know, I just think there’s, uh, there’s so many things there that you can comment on and and you know it’s a tangible difference in a place, isn’t it? Yeah, you know, and you don’t often get that in a lot of play. You know you might if you compare it to other sports. You know I like playing tennis, but you go to certain clubhouses, you know local clubs.

Nish: 19:09

They feel completely different from one to the next.

Rob: 19:11

You go to a David Lloyd you know you’ve been to one, you’ve been to most David Lloyds, you know what I mean.

Nish: 19:19

But you go to a little club who’s just been there since a whole different experience it is and I think it’s the the other thing that that we’ve noticed just in, even in just three calls well, four, let’s count burdell in for a second as well. It’s just, it’s a friendly, everyone says hello and like the friendliness of the members, um, and just kind of. You know the staff as well, they’re. They’re, they’re just helpful and accommodating. They’re not like, uh, no, no, you should be here. I’ll give more time.

Nish: 19:46

As an example, we had a great day at morton. It was fantastic. But you know they had a function on and normally when there’s a function on, you’re not allowed to sit in the, the main rider cup lounge, um, without jackets on and things like that. And so you know we asked is it possible for us to be not knowing they had a function at the time? But can? And they’re just like, yeah, just don’t worry about it, it’s fine, have a seat, um, that’s just a nice gesture, isn’t it to go? You’re a visitor, we just want you to have a nice experience and actually that and that wasn’t an expensive course either. You know, I think it’s 125 pounds.

Nish: 20:19

We paid for our, our round that day, which I felt now they’re looking back, I mean, what my experience was sillith I’d played. That cost 95 um so easily the most expensive round I’ve ever bought. And you’re walking up to it going. Oh god, is it actually going to be value for money? But yeah, you come away from that and you go. Yeah, it absolutely was. Like we got free range balls and all this kind of stuff and then welcome was so nice, the course was amazing um, yeah, it’s.

Rob: 20:49

It’s funny how just the simplest of things like a free bucket of balls to go in it on the range, yeah, makes a lot of difference I mean it’s just like this is so good it’s just dumb, it’s like it’s such an arbitrary thing. Yeah, it’s just. It makes you feel so good about it. But I think you know, like you could, you could go you. The thing is that you can end up with your podcast feeling like it’s a bit like okay, now we’ve got to check off this thing, now we’ve got you know we’ve got to talk about the driving range.

Rob: 21:11

It’s not so much that, but I think there’s definitely so much more to go at when it comes to you know what, what makes the? You know the putting green you know like you know, sometimes you go to those places and the putting greens the best green you’ve ever been on in your life. Yeah, yeah and yeah and things like you know that, all the flags and things like that. You know some of them, just well interesting.

Nish: 21:30

So I’ve kind of from your um you know, chats like come up with your own ranking system, almost I think we’re probably going to do. What we’re going to do, I think, is we will agree on. I think I’ve got 14 things at the moment, but we’ll agree on just 14, just 14, just just just to 14 you know I want to get it.

Nish: 21:48

I wanted to get it to 155, because that’s the official slope rating number. That’s the max you can get. So I thought, if you can get out 150, that’s kind of a nice bit of you know symmetry there. But I don’t know if I can. But um, we were like you know, I was just kind going, but it was little things like that that I like. For instance, you know I like it when you get a really nice flag.

Nish: 22:09

And one thing I’ve noticed as well is, you know, again, we play courses that you know anybody can kind of just pay 20, 30 quid and get on to, but like the flagstick mate and we’ve played so much, so our sort of story is post-lockdown. It and we played so much, particularly so our sort of story is post lockdown. It was one of the first things. We hadn’t seen each other for like three months. First things we could do is go out and play golf and then we just kept it up playing weekly regularly and that was brilliant.

Nish: 22:32

Yeah, um, and it was a whole thing, wasn’t it? And you?

Rob: 22:35

realize that consistency is the key, it is the key yeah, you’re playing every minimum every friday morning.

Nish: 22:41

Yeah, I feel like you’re getting better and how good was that for our mental health as well? Just so good. But you know there’s a whole thing about you can’t touch the flagpole, yeah, all this kind of stuff. Um, I remember we were really nervous.

Rob: 22:52

We were like yes, get away from me freak, what are you? Doing no, no, no, I can’t do that, um, but oh, elbows, yeah, oh yeah yeah, get away from me.

Nish: 23:03

Um, the whole flag like the flagpole, so I’m used to this. This it’s metal, it’s got a thing on the end got the flag on all of the flagpoles that we played at now really tapered at the bottom, so you could leave them in to put oh right, there’s no problem with that at all, because it’s not happening now like. I don’t know if that’s a like. Is that a more premium flagpole or what?

Rob: 23:23

I don’t know enough. Enough people have complained about the fact that if you leave the, you leave the flagpole in. It’s a bad choice because it’s bound to ricochet off. Yeah, it’s got more chance of ricocheting off it and hitting, hitting off there was a golfer who did some stats on that wasn’t there.

Nish: 23:37

Was it? Don’t listen to him, we don’t want facts. Yeah, I think it was fitzpatrick or someone like that he went. Oh, if you leave it in you, yeah, there’s something I don’t know. Oh, maybe I have to dig it out, I’m not sure. But yeah, just that and like. And then the quality of the flag yeah, we’ve always had a picture with the, with the flag. Um, yeah, stuff like that is. Is the the little?

Nish: 24:01

I don’t know it’s the je ne sais quoi of a club, isn’t it? I think you know what is it that gives it the overall? The difficulty is, which actually isn’t. It’s a first world problem, like it’s not actually a difficulty. The difficulty is just how do you? Comparatively, I don’t think you even need to do some sort of leaderboard or a ranking.

Rob: 24:22

It’s right, you get too much yeah I think it’s just almost like. Keep it in the back of your head, right, if these things stand out to you yeah, when you see them on calls, then you go, you’re going to start to notice what makes a place special.

Rob: 24:33

And definitely even you know we’ve all walked, we’ve both walked away with, you know, something branded in royal burkedale, because it’s so special, you know, be it a tea towel or a bottle or you know something that’s just like, it’s just branded stuff went down really well at sna, by the way oh yeah, of course it does neighborhood course?

Nish: 24:50

like so I was like, oh, better take this off, eh not in the clubhouse yeah, take all that off.

Rob: 24:54

But it’s not just, it’s not just a branding. I think it just uh, you know, even when you start walking past the signs for like hole number four and it’s made out of wood and it’s like nicely painted, you’re like it’s just a bit of exercise going on, but you don’t get that in any other walks of life really no, you don’t. It’s not like you go to a shopping center and go. Do you know what? Oh, this place has got it branded yeah you don’t?

Rob: 25:15

you don’t see that, do you? It’s like because you’ve nailed the traffic center.

Nish: 25:18

Oh, yeah, it’s just there’s nothing else.

Rob: 25:19

That’s like steeped in history, or yeah it’s true, you know, you could probably say with like hotels or stuff like that, because, yeah, you know, I have different vibes and different energies and different reasons to go there. And it might be location, it might be have a great view, it might just be, you know, really historical, but you’ll start to get a feel for what it is that makes this place as good as it is.

Rob: 25:37

Yeah, why you know, that’s why we need to know how these places are ranked you know, because you’re going to be ranking them yeah, because I’m going to be ranking them.

Nish: 25:44

Yeah, that’s what it comes down to, doesn’t it?

Rob: 25:46

yeah, and I think that’s that’s the other thing we’ve not even talked about start ranking the whole course. Yeah, yeah, start, you know literally have a physical leaderboard on you, I think, and start saying we’re going to do that yeah and just just which is number one where does it fit?

Nish: 26:00

what was the?

Rob: 26:01

best and it might be that I think you’d have to agree you and chris will have to agree that that that because it’s your deal right, it’s you two doing this challenge. I think you could probably have one. He’ll have one, but I think ultimately it should be yeah. Is this better than this one?

Nish: 26:16

is this better than this one I think what we’re doing, the way I see it is, um, is we’ll have our top three and then other things can sort of filter down below that and it’s like does something jump into the top three now? Is it better than that one? I think because we’ve got a 10 year period, advancing years, um, slovenly lifestyle, bad memory. Anyway, I think we’re probably going to have to have something that just documents why we gave it a particular score. For instance, if the clubhouse, you know, for me, out of the ones we played, probably snas the one that jumps out and it’s because it’s historical and and whatever. But that can be the note, can’t it.

Nish: 27:04

Yeah, we’re giving it a nine and a half.

Rob: 27:06

Because of history, a memory might not serve you as well when it comes to oh yeah, nine of like. Well, I can’t even remember that place. Why was it so good again? But even if there’s something that stands up that you can sort of, you know, you know rubber stamp, that was why that was.

Nish: 27:20

That was why.

Rob: 27:20

That was why that was yeah, but I think the fundamental that we all we, I think every golfer can agree on is that there has to be a halfway house. Oh, if this is, if this course, has made it into the top 100 without halfway out. I mean, I think, I think it should be law. Anyway, we’ve got half I mean I?

Nish: 27:36

I think we are right, kirsten, if you’re listening, needs to be a law, doesn’t it like? You cannot have a golf course without some degree of I was definitely not listening out of everyone.

Rob: 27:45

He’s really busy.

Nish: 27:47

He’s probably pretty busy right now, but, um, well, we’ve got that in, we’ve got um quality of the the halfway hook, because we’ve seen varying things at the minute, and then we’ve then got what’s the food and drink offering like in the halfway hook, because, um chris, for instance, you know he was like s and a sausage rolls, because I’ve gained one of them and it just looked pocket.

Rob: 28:10

I can’t remember we played a course I think it was in our lockdown days and I can’t remember. I think no, it wasn’t disley but we played a course and had a halfway hut and it was almost serve yourself. It was there, was there, was there. I think it was a one that was permanently manned usually right, but she’d run off, and it was almost that was permanently manned, usually Right, but she’d run off, and it was almost like a sign saying just help yourself Like honesty.

Nish: 28:33

Yeah, yeah.

Rob: 28:35

It’s like you know, even that I don’t know if we’re like a vending machine just in the middle of the course is what I’m looking for, but you know, I think there should be. I think I saw one on Rick Shields and they just said that is the best thing they’ve ever seen. Where it’s? You know, you just rock up. You’ve spoken about old Michael Jordan’s one. Yeah, yeah, and you know, you just rock up. It’s got, you know, fresh loads of balls, fresh load of towels. Yeah, that’s just. You know, it’s an experience in itself.

Nish: 29:01

Yeah, you know going stuff really well like I’ve seen videos where it’s a drive through because they all have carts, don’t they? Because it’s too too hot to play otherwise.

Rob: 29:11

so is that what it is hot?

Nish: 29:12

is it heat or is it heat? And laziness, okay, laziness, lazy, hot, yeah uh, but they’ve got, they’re all like on these carts and they’ve got, they drive through this shed.

Nish: 29:21

Basically, it’s like a cow shed sort of thing and either side I’ve seen that fridges full of beer, snacks, all this kind of thing and they’re all like parts up ready to go, like I mean that that’s amazing, isn’t it? Yeah, and what I find interesting with that is that I think our attitude to playing golf, and I think it’s that whole almost frat boy culture, they’ve got there where they’re like, yeah, we’re gonna do like 12 beers and all this sort of stuff, it’s like, nah, I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to walk off the course and go. I couldn’t remember a fucking thing about this golf course. Like you might have had a great time, but what, what value did that give me?

Nish: 29:56

I want to remember that keen on drink driving?

Rob: 29:59

yeah, that’s why chris has been driving everywhere.

Nish: 30:01

It’s great, yeah, yeah um, but yeah, just kind of. I think it’s a different mindset towards for it and I probably understand it from their point of view, because a friend of ours lives in New York and it’s $400 or $500 for a round, at even a very average country club Crazy, crazy amount of money.

Nish: 30:18

That’s crazy. How can you justify? Well, I suppose you can justify, because people pay it. But yeah, you’re not playing an elite course, you’re just playing a course and it’s costing you that much. Yeah, you’re not playing an elite course, you’re just playing a course and it’s costing you that much.

Rob: 30:30

so, um yeah, it’s again that sort of that establishment thing you know we’ve got in in the uk. I would say you know this this golf courses that are so old that they don’t need to put on a performance no, there’s a lot of these, a lot of the new courses that you see in the state are not new, but you know the courses that you see in the states they’ve not got so much of the history to know there’s no history to it.

Nish: 30:51

You know?

Rob: 30:51

yeah, absolutely you know they have to have a. Yeah, you know or you never get it, but it makes for sometimes a better, better experience, because some of those places you see are just the plushest luscious courses about old jordan’s jordan’s course, haven’t we?

Nish: 31:05

I mean, that is just. That’s unreal, some of the stuff there you know, and then he’s gone the opposite, hasn’t? He’s gone right. There’s no history. It’s my course. I’ve only just built it, but I’m just going to stack it with so much amazing new stuff that like, for instance, what is it? You get drone delivery of your drinks anywhere on the course with an app.

Rob: 31:24

It’s like that’s amazing yeah, but then I’ve played. I’ve played um golf in thailand and you know if we’re talking about clubhouses and the experience of that sort of thing. It felt like a shopping center yeah, it was you know, you’ve got such a large amount of acreage that they’ve got seven golf courses that all share the same clubhouse, right, and they all back onto the clubhouse. The clubhouse is the size of a shopping center, wow, but you walk through it. There’s no one there, you know right there’s no atmosphere to it I mean, the courses are absolutely stunning.

Rob: 31:55

You know you get a golf cart and a caddy by default. You know, as part of your green fit as deep as default. Yeah, and I, ninja, was mine. Just that little shit, that’s you know yeah, but it was.

Rob: 32:09

It’s one of those where that experience was amazing, for you know, caddy, and facility caddy and golf cart turning up and driving you around and you know, talking you around the course and knowing it better than you know, you would imagine that anyone knows. Yeah, of course, knowing every square inch of it and knowing what you should do, even though you know you can’t execute it.

Nish: 32:27

But I’m just thinking exactly that, but things like any time for the left side of the green but things you haven’t seen me play yet, have you mate?

Rob: 32:33

no, exactly, I’m not aiming for disappointed the tip was huge just to get but the um, but the fact that you walk out of there going that I remember that golf club for it being so dead. Yeah, it was. The course was incredible.

Nish: 32:45

Yeah, the golf you know the clubhouse?

Rob: 32:47

yeah, it was just you know, but you know incredibly plush, but but it’s places like that that have got, um, you know, they’ve got, they’ve got the future really, because you’ve got all the. You know koreans that’s where they go to thailand to play their golf. You know, china, they go to thailand to play their golf. Um, and you know, we’re so fortunate when it comes to the history in this country that you’ve got that to go at, with the clubhouses and the, the course themselves, with the. You know, yeah, sort of legacy of the place really yeah, you can talk about it, isn’t it you?

Rob: 33:20

can talk about, yeah, and the history, especially from the people who played.

Nish: 33:23

what sort of thing do you think? Uh, you mentioned about speaking to the pro. The pros are, they are a representative of that club, you know, or a captain, or the captain.

Rob: 33:34

yeah, yeah, sometimes they’re more you know a pro, you know, so it’s a job at the end of the day. They might not have been there for that long or know too much about history. Usually there’s some. Some guys are there. That’s been a fixture part of the furniture. Who knows the place inside out? Forget about it, forget about it. But yeah, I think I think the other people use one. Uh, that would really have the stories and the history for you.

Nish: 33:56

Yeah, okay, what sort of things do you think are interesting to ask a representative of the club then?

Rob: 34:02

uh, well, I think, yeah, good parts of the course. Yeah, um, um, juniors. They always want to talk about their juniors. Who’s a good junior, who’s a junior? That’s coming through, coming now, yeah, someone who’s been through the, been through the wheel? Uh, been through the um, their, their club in recent years, you know, or maybe memorable pro that’s, you know, come out of there from yeah years gone by, sort of thing yeah, or someone that used to play there you know grew up there because I know even you know come out of there from years gone by.

Rob: 34:28

Yeah, or someone that used to play there you know grew up there, because I know even you know our tennis club we’ve got. You know, they always go on about the kid that played there that now plays at Wimbledon.

Nish: 34:36

Right, right so you know, it’s just things like that, that it just gives it a little bit more you know power, I think because again you talk about the most prestigious clubs in the country, if not the world. Yeah, they will have players who are coming through, who are potentially going to be future players.

Rob: 34:52

What’s the history? What’s the future?

Nish: 34:53

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I mention this because it’s a guy I follow on Instagram, but he’s a member at Woburn and they keep going about Woburn being Ian Poulter’s home, but surely when he was coming through the ranks as a junior at that club, they would have known about it. Yeah, like, actually he’s one to watch. Now he’s looks like he could make it as a pro. Yeah, um, yeah, that’d be fascinating to know, actually, wouldn’t it? You know, you can get a bit of insider yeah, but it’s it.

Rob: 35:18

I mean there’s they’re gonna want to talk about. They’ve always got history and stories, yeah, you know, and even people. Um, yeah, because if you’re hoping to, you know, grow the listener base, they’re going to want to, you know. Share that with the people at the club, you know just, oh, jeff’s on the podcast next week it’s always funny to listen. Yeah, he’s always hysterical but even even they’ll want to shout out people who aren’t, you know, maybe a pro or you know a captain, someone who’s been at the club, like yeah old tony who props up the bar.

Rob: 35:47

You know, there’s always a legend at a club. Yeah, sporting clubs have always got those little legends that everyone knows about. He’s the one telling the stories at the end of the night. Yeah, it’s those sorts of people that they’ll want to shout out. It might not be relevant for the geezer who’s never going to go there, or just listening to you, but for them it’s going to mean a lot. For them to talk about the people at their club.

Nish: 36:05

You sort of say that. But imagine you hear that and then you rock up to the club Because you’re in for the full day. I think with these things You’re not in and out. We do that. We just sit up in the morning, play and then we’re off. You’re paying multiple hundred pounds, so you want to stick around and get that experience. Then you suddenly rock up to the bar. You’ve heard it and then tony starts talking to. That would be a link, wouldn’t it?

Rob: 36:27

yeah, you know you know your podcast has made it, if the geezer has listened has turned up, met the guy that they’ve talked about. Oh wow, there’s a link for you.

Nish: 36:35

Pop it in the car and he’s wearing one of the merch oh, you’ve noticed the merch lovely mate new range coming out soon in all in all bad shops and our online it’s beautiful.

Rob: 36:45

It’s a shame you have to use tippex, but yeah it’s the hat.

Nish: 36:50

The hat I’m waiting for, that’s what I need to get, but, um, yeah, I think, uh, it was in it. The chat was really interesting for me because it was you know, you’re doing as much as you want to do to document your journey, but flip it around for, yeah, and at the end of the day, the only thing that’s going to motivate you to keep doing this is the fact you’re enjoying it, yeah, and you’re going to do it because the challenge is exciting.

Rob: 37:14

You get to document it, you get to, you know, play around doing a podcast and you know, and listen to your own voice, which we know is your favorite thing to do so it’s one of those where I think that you’re in a unique situation where there’s loads of things that, as a listener, I’m I’m, you know, excited to hear about each time, do you know? I mean like, yeah, what makes it so good? You know why? Why is it so memorable? Why would I want to go you?

Nish: 37:35

know yeah um yeah, I think that’s it you could sort of make. Maybe make a decision as well. Go well, you know, I’ve got eight clubs here and near me and they’re all around about three, four hundred quid for a round. What am I picking? Yeah, what? What if?

Rob: 37:50

usually it’s. Usually it’s someone you know or a member or someone you know who instigates the book in or says oh there’s a deal on, or something like that. But it might well be that there’s a club worth going to that is so modern that it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Nish: 38:03

Yeah, oh god you know there’s the. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for jc bb.

Rob: 38:06

I know, I think the one I think that’s going to be a good one, because I’ve seen, you know so much of it and it’s so new. They’ve had the opportunity to go right, let’s draw something from scratch here. Yeah, what do we want? And I mean, I think it’s like maybe the 16th or 17th hole, it’s like a par three right to an island oh nice, so it’s like sawgrass.

Nish: 38:26

Then I suppose it’s yeah that 18th.

Rob: 38:28

The third, like the, I think it’s yes, full island, green it looks impossible like it looks. It looks like one of those where it’s not so much impossible. But it just looks um, when you, when you see people hitting at it, they’re hitting like a four or five iron onto a par three to get it onto you know something that’s like and they’re doing it. Do you know?

Rob: 38:47

I mean but it’s manageable, but at the same time it just looks ridiculously impossible. So, yeah, it’s things like that where and it might, you, might, you might get to play that course and go. Do you know what?

Rob: 38:55

that’s a spectacular hole, but the one you are really liked, yeah was this because of that and it might be because of the way you played it or um, or just the view of it or something like that, but I I think they’re the things that you know. When I, when we play golf and we recount what made it good not just us spending time together and having a chat and enjoying each other’s company it’s like that place was mega because of this, this and this, and you don’t need a leaderboard on those things, but there’s going to be something to take away from it.

Nish: 39:20

We had Reddish Vale, didn’t we? And we both sort of at the same time when we went. That was the freedom of lockdown, 7th T, like it was for context for everybody listening. If you don’t know Reddish Vale or us, there’s only people listening to us. I’m hoping who knows? This might be in four years time, but we had this golf course near us. Never heard of it didn’t know it was there, didn’t know it was there, it was on golf. Now booked it, rocked up.

Rob: 39:51

You know it was like yeah, fine, fine, fine, and not to talk down the area, but it’s not surrounded by you know, outstanding beauty or not at all.

Nish: 39:57

It’s a lot of in the middle of the housing council estate and I did not know that place existed at all. Play this incredibly tough front six holes and it’s a. It’s like 25 degrees, not a drop of wind, full sun, it’s just great already interesting.

Rob: 40:15

Yeah, the first few holes that register that it’s two halves of a course, isn’t it? Yeah, absolutely, top half is like a different place to the bottom half, and or the first six, as you said. But to then walk onto that, what is it? Seventh? There’s a seven, and just see the, just the course out in front of you from like so high up and just absolutely glorious weather.

Rob: 40:34

You know, you’re just, and the fact you just get to hit something as hard as you can off of a hill and you’re allowed to do it and just land it over there and maybe it’ll be quite good, maybe not. Usually it’s in the water, yeah, if you’re both at the tea box, didn’t?

Nish: 40:45

we were just like what is this place? This is the one this is where I want to join things like that that you just always remember.

Rob: 40:52

And we, you know, we’ve been back there more than anywhere else, and and the variety of that course is what makes it special, I think and actually I think if you, if you analyze the course as such, that hole doesn’t have a lot going for it.

Nish: 41:04

It’s just long and straight, it’s just turns out, it’s really easy to miss really easy to miss this really big, wide fairway. Of course, uh, you know, never quite managed to nail that t-shirt, but yeah, that that hole it catches you at that right moment. I can hear the water street going past my ears and that’s like a nice pleasant sound heat. And even when you finish it you cross over a little river you got you cross over the mersey, don’t you?

Rob: 41:28

you walk around and it’s just just beautiful yeah and even when you’re taking people there for the first time, you’re like wait till you see this tea yeah, this is the one. Yeah, it’s just it, just, it’s just got that thing to it. But for me, with reddish valves, like I said earlier, it’s like I think it’s the yeah, it’ll be 16th. Yeah, I love that tea box well just what’s?

Nish: 41:45

what’s the? Uh? First thing that always enters the mind is like is this the day to go for it? Is it like, is this the day to drive because?

Rob: 41:50

again with that hole you look like it’s got it bends around. It’s got it goes around to the right. It follows the, the line of the, the river, yeah, and the tea is on like almost like a little peninsula that the river wraps around. Yeah, it’s reachable with a driver. We know it because you’ve done it. Yeah, and but in the summer impossible yeah, the trees in the way.

Rob: 42:11

There’s a tree in the way it’s going to get hit. The tree, yeah or not, it’s got to go through the size of a postage stamp, but in the winter, when that thing’s, you know, all the leaves are gone. You’ve got a fair go you know, this. You know, I’ve got a few balls in the bag why not?

Nish: 42:24

but then there’s a lot of minor in the river.

Rob: 42:26

I know then if you if you, if you’re playing, you’ve had a good round. When it’s hole 16, you’ve got to say to yourself well, actually the sensible thing is a four iron into the middle, that fairway, you know, maybe a wedge into the, into the, you know, into the green, yeah, give yourself a chance. But you know, maybe in the winter when you’ve had a bit of a rough day and you’ve not been hitting, it so well for it the shoulders are getting opened up here. Do you know what I mean?

Nish: 42:46

I just don’t care. I’m gonna empty the tank up this drive, but it’s places that.

Rob: 42:49

I mean. I think maybe that that it’s only because we played it so often. That’s, that’s the whole for me, on that course. But you know, there’s bound to be places that you’ll visit, that you’ll just. They will stay with you. What’s been interesting.

Nish: 43:01

Um, again, it’s a limited, uh, number of courses that we played. However, what has been interesting is that how much you remember your actual round, and I think I’ll go back to Sillith. I think it’s Chris’s favourite hole as well. I think we both had the same, might be the fourth or something, I’m not sure. We both had the the same favorite hole, but you know, I had an absolute mare on that hole but it was like but that is a great golf hole, like it was a blind tee shot. You really know where you were trying to hit it to a certain area and it’s elevated green got to hit the green, otherwise you’re off it, which obviously I was. Um, but yeah, like a great golf hole is a great golf hole and the pro will have an opinion.

Rob: 43:52

The captain will have an opinion. Right, you’ll walk away with a different opinion. Yeah, um, and and maybe people who listen to it will have their own opinions of what makes that call.

Nish: 44:00

It’s nice to get people excited about something, as I was like oh, I know that we’re coming up something that’s like this is a proper yeah, we’re waiting for this yeah, like that’s.

Nish: 44:07

That’s what I mean. More town’s a good example. They got a signature hole, which is the 10th. It’s called gibraltar, really famous for them. Um, we walked off that and went really nice hole, don’t get me wrong like it looks fantastic and all that kind of thing, but wasn’t our favorite hole on the course. Um, but everything in the blurb from more town is geared towards gibraltar because it has got a fascinating story to it. Let no one know the hole has. So that’s great, because you’ve got everybody’s expecting gibraltar anyway. And then you go. Well, no, hang on, there’s another hole.

Rob: 44:39

Don’t forget about this one, correct, yeah yeah, like this is a great hole to play um, and I think if you enjoy golf, that’s what you’re, you know, apart from having some time out with your mates and having four hours away from your phone. Yeah, those are the little things that make it special. If you, if you actually appreciate the game of golf and you’re not really there for the competition, it’s the, you know, what makes it so special yeah, why does? This feel so good. What? Why is this place just a special?

Nish: 45:05

special place you said about t-boxes as well, because I mean, I’ve got that as one of the things like what’s?

Nish: 45:08

it’s what the tea box is, like you know, the the best ones I’ve seen so far have been at sna for one thing and one thing only on the first tee and on the 18th t. So they’ve got nice t boxes anyway. But on the first, in the 18th t, they’ve got a little plaque with the rider cup flags with the two years that the host of the rider cup. I was like I took a picture of both of them. I was like you don’t see that?

Rob: 45:31

yeah, anywhere really, that’s great. Not everyone has the honor of doing that correct. Yeah, that’s like they’ve just gone.

Nish: 45:37

Yeah, let’s just make something of it. Yeah, and like yeah, yeah, they’ve had two rider cups here. I’ve just played pretty much the same track. Yeah, love it yeah, you know.

Rob: 45:46

Yeah Well, they do that at Royal Bird. They’re with Plax. That’s great, specifically the point where Seve hit a shot.

Nish: 45:52

Yeah, and actually so far we haven’t seen any of that anywhere, so that already is like they actually documented it on the course.

Rob: 45:57

It’s great, isn’t it? Hit it from here and know how hard it is you know.

Rob: 46:09

Well, dave said as we were playing is that, how often do you get to play the same track? Well, that’s, that’s exactly. I mean. It’s a lovely handicap sport anyway, because you can play with someone who’s terrible or incredible and still have an even game, but also you get to pay to play on the the same course. It’s like I love tennis. I’ll never play on center court, correct, yeah, yeah, no, at no chance of playing on center court, but if you, if you’ve got the money, or you’ve got the connection, you can go and play.

Nish: 46:31

They’re not gonna let you set foot on centre foot, centre court. That turf is just.

Rob: 46:35

Yeah, it’s, it’s off limits, like it’s hallowed turf and and, and this is a, like I said, a unique opportunity to sort of share that experience of god. We’re here, I mean, and you will play st andrews at one point, and that thing, that place is all about the town. You know, it’s a golf town, it’s not just I’m definitely coming back with some hickory clubs after that.

Nish: 46:54

Oh yeah, I’m picking up one. Yeah, you know it.

Rob: 46:57

I think you need to speak to um nick, who’s an incredible golfer, by the way. Incredible guy. I’ve been a member of bergdahl since he was a kid. He will play. He plays hickory golf I mean, I don’t know what the link is there, but you should speak to him anyway, absolutely, because I mean, when it comes to hickory golf, he actually goes and plays a tour hickory golf.

Rob: 47:18

I mean, he’s that good anyway. He can do whatever he wants with a golf ball and a normal set of clubs, but he’s challenged himself to go and play exceptional level golf with hickory clubs and he’ll have some stories for you when it comes to well not just burke dowell, but all of those clubs like north berwick as well.

Nish: 47:34

Yeah, he joined there yeah as well for a bit secondary membership.

Rob: 47:38

You know as you do one down south, I think just to just to be a member of another club because he plays that much golf.

Nish: 47:44

That well, actually um in a different uh, it’s different league obviously, but you obviously can get a secondary membership somewhere. It’s much more reduced green um membership fee. So, like ours would be, I’m reddish veil if I joined, like heating more. I think it’s like 50 off your membership it’s like twin with a little bit, I suppose.

Nish: 48:03

But it’s just like you know, you’ve already got one main membership, so you’re not going to play here the full full-time always. We’re going to give you a bit of a reward, which I didn’t know. So that’s interesting, isn’t?

Rob: 48:13

it. Is there a club that you’ve got in your head um that you can’t wait to play out of the hundred.

Nish: 48:19

Yeah, that’s a great question. That is a great question. I I’ve probably got two answers for this, for for the sheer challenge of it wentworth oh really wentworth? Is it looks? Very tree heavy yeah, and that’s not the course wentworth feels the most out of reach golf course to play well, in terms of just getting on there, getting on there we can’t like, just go, here is a thousand pounds and we’ll play it. You can’t do that. I used to know the tennis pro at wentworth hello all right play.

Rob: 48:54

It was the all right okay, wentworth for a long time.

Nish: 48:58

Very much doubt he’s still there, but it you know, it’s things like that as soon as you say it yeah, someone’s going to turn around and go well, maybe I can help you out with that but yeah, I think the one that really sort of jumps out at me is, you know, let’s forget saint andrews and yeah, and things like that.

Nish: 49:15

I think the one that really jumps out at me probably is is glenn eagles, actually, because I went up there for the rider cup, had all of that and that is booked um, yeah, yeah, we’ve got, we’ve got glen eagle sorted, so that’s gonna be kings and queens course, so, um, but that that does jump out at me because it’s got. You know, I’ve got memories of going there and seeing the estate and thinking this is amazing, this place, um, and I think that really, yeah, keeps coming back in the back of my mind. I really, really, really want to play there. But then there’s a couple of courses that are really remote. So there’s one called ardfin, I think, and it’s over in the isle of jewellery off scotland, like driving and ferrying, whatever.

Rob: 50:00

It’s like a 10 hour journey to get there, um, but you kind of go like that feels like that’s going to be one of those things that makes a place special, correct and that feels out of the way.

Nish: 50:10

1700s golf, that is like it’s rugged, it’s wild, it’s in scotland, it’s well, there’s one in ireland, the coast that you.

Rob: 50:19

It’s only accessible by boat. I think they’ve built a bridge now, but you can only get there that’s amazing, yeah, and you used to. The boat used to come out to the clubhouse door. Literally, there was a mooring in front of the clubhouse. You’d walk off, you know, go and play around and then get straight back on the boat, and then you’d have a lock in and the boat wouldn’t give you a lift back.

Nish: 50:36

Oh, happy days. You’re stuck there all night. I’ve been locked in for think that there’s stuff like that, and actually I’ve never had experience of playing up in scotland yet.

Rob: 50:49

Um, and which is ridiculous considering it’s, yeah, home of golf and we played for this long.

Nish: 50:54

We’ve never been up there yeah, I don’t understand how that’s happened and then. But there are some courses in ireland, I know, I know. I mean, I know what chris would say here. So chris really wants to play, uh, rawport rush, like that’s that’s that’s pennies has played there, isn’t he?

Rob: 51:09

uh, he raves about a golf club in ireland.

Nish: 51:11

I can’t think what it is yeah, that area, though, is like is is amazing, like because like that’s, that’s just where I want to play. What’s been interesting as well is going through, you know, and there are still a lot, of course. I’ve just I’ve never heard of, never seen, never whatever. You kind of just get some little tidbits here and there about what’s good about it and, as we’ve been joining new groups and chatting to a few people, you know, sort of online and stuff like that, when people go, this is a tough course to play, but a beautiful course to play, really rewarding course to play, but it’s hard to get onto and that kind of for me that that’s all the things on my back of my neck, to kind of like yeah, we’re like right hard course, great difficult to get onto, yeah, great long distance away, so there’s obviously some kind of trip involved in that, great, you know, like that’s the kind of thing that I want to do so I

Nish: 52:04

think I’ll probably. I’ve hit glen eagles. Is that’s what I want to? I really like to play there. Um, the one that feels on the table is is wentworth and and I’ve got um. Maybe in a couple years time I’ll let you know what I think, my uh, how I think that’s going to pan out. I’ve spoken to chris about this, but I’ll just keep it buttoned for a second. Um, how, in my mind’s eye, I think that’s gonna. That’s gonna happen.

Rob: 52:29

But I think you mentioned that you’re to have to enter some tournaments to get on some of these courses.

Nish: 52:34

Yeah, we’ve entered. We’re playing Ganton in June and we’re doing that as a pairs four-ball better-ball tournament, which I’ve got the eyes I’m bricking it about because that’s actually competitive. Yeah, but I think this is because it’s the Mizuno pairs tour and I think it is just people like us who just want to play some amazing courses. Well, that’s that’s.

Rob: 52:55

That’s another reason to like have some other things to distract you, because, yeah, if you’ve got a competition where you you’re going to be thinking about it all week, like you know, doesn’t matter how many times you know your son washes your golf clubs, it’s not going to improve your game. You know there’s going to be other things you’re going to have to do oh yeah, but I mean you know there’s going to be other things you’re going to have to have in your back pocket to take your mind off it, you know like what you know, all the things we’ve already spoken about, because you know, if you just play that golf course in a competition head, you’re going to come out of it fried.

Rob: 53:27

You’re not even going to think about it, are you correct?

Nish: 53:29

yeah, you’re just going to be fried from the pressure we did. We did just when we just played S&A, we sort of promised ourselves we’re going to Ryder Cup venue, we’ll do a little match play. So we did me and Chris were on opposing opposing teams and it was nice that, because it does sharpen you up a little bit, actually you do sort of go. Actually I’m going to.

Rob: 53:47

I’m not competitive at all. I’m not.

Nish: 53:49

I forget to be competitive and and actually I didn’t care if I won or lost because I was still keeping my score and whatever, but it was really nice to kind of have a little bit of like. If I hit a drive down the middle, then it was like I’m going to really go for it now because we’ve got one ball in play and it’s safe. That was quite nice and it’d be nice to do that with Chris as a team member. I just think it’s great. I member. I just think it’s great.

Rob: 54:16

I mean, I just think it’s great you’re doing it. You couldn’t create so many memories. It’s something to have as a plan for the next 10 years. It’s something that you know. In 10 years’ time you know the oldest you might well be playing a couple of these courses with your son.

Nish: 54:29

You know what I mean.

Rob: 54:31

Imagine if you played the last one of your 100 with your eldest. Well, from where we are now is he six.

Nish: 54:38

That’s the one to do. He’s seven. The youngest is the one that I probably think is probably going to play in 10 years and beat us.

Rob: 54:44

He’ll be beating you in 10 years.

Nish: 54:46

Yeah, yeah, so I might keep him away from that for a minute.

Rob: 54:50

Either competitively or physically.

Nish: 54:53

Both yeah, brute, absolute brute. Forgive me, adam, either competitively or physically, both, yeah, absolute brute. But have you have? You? Forgive me, adam, if you are a brute at this stage when you’re listening to this, but you are a brute mate, yeah I was always on your side.

Rob: 55:02

But the um, uh, the other thing that we haven’t talked about at all is have you got any um expectations of your actual golfing ability to improve over time? Because, I mean, it’s one of those you don’t want to put too much emphasis on improving, because there’s plenty of people that talk about, okay, I need to get down to scratch or, yeah, I need to do that, but do you have? I mean, the thing is as well we’re.

Rob: 55:26

You know it’s in a period of our lives where you know you’re probably the last chance you’re going to get to improve improve, you know, yeah, you know in a sporting way, or actually be aware of your health and yeah, and that sort of stuff and um, and it might be a case of going well extravagant lifestyle mate, I know, yeah.

Nish: 55:42

Well, you know red, red meat and red wine.

Rob: 55:45

You’re going for it in retirement, but the um, the fact that you could say to yourself well, you know, because I remember a while ago you were saying about I want to get down to uh, you know, or at least in terms of us, you know we do a lot of stroke play, don’t we? So it’s like I want to get you know sub 80 up, you know, I want to get you know out of the hundreds all the time, and thankfully, I think we’re both there, you know, you know we’re not.

Rob: 56:05

You’re not really hitting hundreds anymore. Yeah, um, and it’s, could you say to yourself. Well, for the last year of the challenge, I should never be out of the 80s, or never be out of the 70s, or yeah, I had um, I’ve, I’ve got a little on my phone.

Nish: 56:22

It’s just a little golf bingo thing that I’ve got and it’s just, it’s stuff I want to box off and and tick off. So there’s quite a lot of things I’ve done on there. So you know, I’ve ticked off a 300 yard drive. I’ve ticked off getting back to back pars, back to back birdies, that kind of stuff, a hole in one. You know I’ve ticked off a 300 yard drive. I’ve ticked off getting, uh, back to back pars, back to back birdies, that kind of stuff, a hole in one. You know I’ve got these things to do allegedly it was legit, mate.

Rob: 56:48

It’s seven year old and four year old were there to see it it.

Nish: 56:52

Yeah, totally legit. Um, but I think I I’d started off, played the first two rounds and I was like I’m just happy to play golf, happy to be out here and experience this all and take it all in. Before I played sni I’d because I played sylithers, like that was probably the third time I played a links course and that’s s at sylith I walked off. I think I was 101, I think I shot at sylith and I was like I’ve left a lot out there so I think I can do better at this. And I was, like I said to chris on the way home I’ve learned a lesson here play within yourself on a links course, because the course is going to bite back. And we played sna and I repeated that on the way you know. I was like, right, I’ve learned my lesson, I’m going to play within myself, you know, at like 80 percent.

Nish: 57:43

Um, and I did for the first nine and I got out of nine holes, I got five pars, everything was really compact and whatever. And then I hit the turn. I’ve like I think I was out in like 42. So in my head I’m going yeah, all right, do that again.

Nish: 57:58

I’m in the 80s on one of the most famed links in the in the whole world everybody, exactly you work, that’s yeah you know, yeah something, it’s pretty good um this is good, yeah, um, and then I had like five holes where I’m like gripping it and ripping it and and I was like oh God, what’s going on here?

Rob: 58:18

And I remember.

Nish: 58:18

Chris saying afterwards he was like I know we were doing match play, but I was like I just wanted to put my arm around it and go Nish, just calm it down a little bit and like get back to what you were doing.

Rob: 58:29

It’s getting that balance of enjoying yourself, not worrying about it, but also you. You know how satisfying it is this is just for anyone playing golf. You know how satisfying it is is when you actually are conscious of what you’re doing, yeah, and making a bit more of an effort, but then if you try too hard, it just ruins your day, because because, then you have a few hours which are inevitably going to go sideways, yeah, and you’re just like ruined.

Nish: 58:49

So I think that front nine at sna proved to me, though, that if I do stay and that’s the mental side of the game, isn’t it? If I stay in that moment of like, don’t get excited, don’t beat yourself up about anything, just play what’s in front of you and do it play the shot and get over it.

Rob: 59:07

Exactly that’s it concentrate on what you’re doing, but then get over it.

Nish: 59:10

It is really enjoyable when you hit a ball and you’re like that’s on the flag, like it could drop short, it could go long, it doesn’t matter. Being like that’s gone where I wanted it to go and it looks amazing. That’s a great feeling um, I’ve after that round at sna. Um, I think the score is starting to matter to me a little bit now and and it’s probably more an sna I played some handicap which I was dead happy with because that’s a tough course. Um, because I think again, it was trying to knock.

Nish: 59:39

Uh, I think my handicap at the time was 18.7 and it said my visiting handicap at SNA. So do you know how that works? Right, so the visiting handicap is this course is more difficult than your home course, so your handicap is adjusted upwards. So it was adjusting me up to 24 plus 24. So that’s, that’s seven, that’s five shots more than my actual handicap. So I was like okay, right, fine. So I ended up playing to that. But I was like but then my handicap went down because I’ve matched that and whatever I don’t know how these things work.

Nish: 1:00:13

I went down to 18.3 so I’ve kind of thought my little mini challenge is I’m going to play to my course handicap.

Rob: 1:00:22

I want to do that definitely 2000 under par, over par, even for the whole challenge. Hey, that’s a good idea, isn’t it? Can you make the 2000? Yeah, because I’m kind of hovering around 25 26 over par well, you know if you have a good round, I know when we’re walking around and you’re like I’m sort of 16, you know, over par, yeah, and you know. But if you could, you know what? What’s the what’s the final parage gonna be?

Nish: 1:00:51

that’s a great idea. Hey, that’s a good.

Rob: 1:00:53

I mean, it’s not something you could really have a gamble on or have a wager on, because I’m pretty sure chris is pretty good when he gets in his group.

Nish: 1:01:01

That’s it, I’ve seen it.

Rob: 1:01:02

But you know, you know 2000 it’s a good idea. That’s, that’s that’s a good it’s quite, it’s quite a nice thing to know if you’re going to hit it or not, because it might put a bit of pressure. It’s not then so much of a lot in improving yourself over a period of time. There’s your final number at the end of it. Hello, how far, how far off are you? How much improvement do you need to like this?

Rob: 1:01:22

is the kind of golden content I was getting when I was speaking to in the pub mate like oh, this stuff is great and and the one that you, the one that you really nicely glossed over earlier, was how much is it going to cost?

Nish: 1:01:34

yeah yeah, that, that final figure, 2000, is a very small dip in the ocean. Yeah, I think I’m estimating. Uh well, again hidden costs, right?

Rob: 1:01:45

so early on I discussed well, let’s not, let’s not count.

Nish: 1:01:48

I mean you could, you could go into travel costs and stuff, but yeah, I think early on I spoke to jim, uh, one of the early episodes, and he was like and then you got your merch cost and I actually I’m a merch merchaholic, so that that I’ve written that off.

Rob: 1:02:02

Yeah, you can’t, that’s not a thing.

Nish: 1:02:03

It’s like just gifts, isn’t it?

Rob: 1:02:05

that’s like, yeah, that’s, that’s, that’s my collectible sort of thing I think, and also, so I didn’t have any idea how much you would have paid for that. What was it, sylith, you know, and and for a course that you know? I’m sure I know it’s spectacular, but really you’ve never heard of, no, never heard of it, and then you go how much you gotta pay for that. Yeah, yeah. Well, it’s incredible for someone who you know regularly pays. You know, between you know, if you’re lucky, 25 to 50 we’re in that 25 exactly.

Rob: 1:02:31

Most people are pound range and if you really want to go and play these top 100 courses, you’ve got to really put your hand in your pocket.

Nish: 1:02:38

Could we play that in the summer as in like that’s the peak time you’re a bit strategizing.

Rob: 1:02:42

That was 95 pounds.

Nish: 1:02:43

That was yeah, um, which for me? At that time I was like, oh my god. And then chris went yeah, that’s one of the cheapest.

Rob: 1:02:48

Yeah, I was like that’s it yeah, um, well, even for a point of reference for anyone who’s listening to know what these courses cost yeah, because it’s not something that really you know. Because, because it’s a rich man’s sport, or supposedly yeah, it always has been people really don’t talk about it or they’re not going to advertise how expensive their course is no, or at least not about that, is it?

Rob: 1:03:09

and yeah, and the thing that um surprises me about some of those courses that are so well established is actually they don’t take the money from the members. You know they have such a strict policy of taking on members that once you’re in, the membership fees are so low.

Nish: 1:03:25

Yeah.

Rob: 1:03:26

And they don’t have turnover of memberships.

Nish: 1:03:28

Yeah, You’re like a lifelong member, yeah.

Rob: 1:03:30

You’re there for life. You bring your kids up through the membership as well, and then when you bring on guests, you know they’re paying minimally, like 20, 30, 40 quid for a green play with you yeah, if you bring a guest, but they’re making the money from the traveling tourists yes, you know, people are coming over from the states.

Nish: 1:03:48

Basically, you know and they’re making an absolute you know you’re basically saying is we’re a cash cow for these clubs. Yeah, yeah absolute.

Rob: 1:03:55

You know you’re basically saying is we’re a cash cow for these clubs, yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s because you don’t know anyone.

Nish: 1:04:01

Yeah, take advantage, but that you mentioned about much, just a pay pig.

Rob: 1:04:03

You mentioned about merch. Are you um? Have you got a theme for your merchandise for the, for the top, uh?

Nish: 1:04:08

yeah, so I get a um, I get, uh, one of the premium ball markers from each course and I started doing that anyway. That’s every course I play um, but certainly from these I’m getting one of the the you know, not just like the little ones one of the one of the big ones, which, even how they cost us some of them like 12, 15 quid, some, some of them it’s quite a nice thing to take away, though it’s lovely yeah, and it’s quite a nice thing to you know, I’m now thinking of how am I going to display the well, yeah, just a piece of ball with some magnets on it, yeah just just whack them all on.

Nish: 1:04:38

Yes, it’s a good little uh reminder. Um, I haven’t thought of anything else to get us to get as much, because I think that’s where it gets into. Like I could be rocking up to the club knowing I’m in for 60, 70 quid because I want to get a flag and I’ll do this one.

Rob: 1:04:52

You don’t need to go too far with it, because we’ve done it when we’ve had the you know the limited experiences that we’ve had at amazing courses. We’ve walked out with hats and scarves and, no matter where you go, you’re going to walk away with some rubbish aren’t you, but I think if you pick just one thing to take away, it’s going to be enough.

Nish: 1:05:09

That seems like a good achievement, and every course has has one of those. You know, there’s a good ball marker, so that feels like a good thing to bring away. Um, you know, and again, that’s one of these things where it’s nice to see. I mean, in 10 years time, like at the moment, the fashion is the premium ones, they’re like, they’re like a poker chip, but in 10 years time that might change. That it’s not that anymore. It’s like a nice. It’s a logo put on the thing and that’s the premium. It might, that might change, we don’t know. So it’s documents that as well.

Rob: 1:05:36

Well, I think, just for, just for, just for you, having a bit of a, something so nice to put on your wall, that’s going to be a nice thing to have. In it there’s something to collect and that’s what I’m doing it for the house we stayed in. When we went away, uh, the guy who owned the house um, he collected all the golf balls. He had like 1500 golf balls. Wow, the courses he’d ever played. Every single course he played, he got one of their golf happy days I’m just all across the world.

Rob: 1:05:59

Just you know, ridiculous but it wouldn’t.

Nish: 1:06:01

They wouldn’t survive in my house. I think the uh, the two boys would just be throwing them around everywhere and through the windows. Yeah, that’s it. That’s why he’s had my face printed on all of them, because I know mine. But, um, yeah, I think, well, there’s so much stuff, that’s, I think you’ve got so much to go again. I think you’ve got so much to go at.

Rob: 1:06:20

Yeah, and it’s not just a case of, uh, um, you know you’re going to talk about your golf and your experience of the round, but you’re going to these incredible places. Yeah, let’s talk about talk about the actual place, because that’s what people are going to enjoy hearing about, and also the people that play there are going to want to speak about you know?

Nish: 1:06:38

yeah, mate, I would love you to come out.

Rob: 1:06:40

I want more than one. I want to yeah that’s well, I think.

Nish: 1:06:44

And again, you saying about cost, I know I’m sort of I’m trying to segue myself away from that yeah, it doesn’t exist, but, uh, it’s not a problem. Not a problem. Uh, what we are finding now is from talking to people from we’ve got a podcast episode coming up with somebody who’s about 45 courses in. Now he’s doing the same challenges. It’s just not time limited but he wants to play all the 100. And he’s skinny. You haven’t noticed his golfing attire is getting worse.

Rob: 1:07:12

He’ll be cycling here.

Nish: 1:07:13

Yeah, but he just kind of talking to people and you hear about uh, you know, obviously we’re doing this comp, this mizuno pairs comp. Um, I’ve just joined this thing called, uh, my friendly golf club. It’s brand new thing. Just came up on facebook and, uh, it’s just like a little group of people who’ve just gone and said let’s book, block book a load of teas at, and it’s Woburn’s, their inaugural event, and I think it was like you turn up, you get a bacon butty, you get your 18 holes and you get two course meal afterwards, and I think it was like like 200 quid and I think Woburn’s are playing in the summer. It’s in May as well. So Woburn’s play in the summer, it’s in may as well. So the moment to play in the summer is about 300 pounds. So you’re thinking you’re getting all of that for 210 quid. It’s a lot of money, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that it isn’t.

Nish: 1:08:05

However, you then get that opportunity to network with people and speak to people and just kind of have a good time with the people around you. All those things just start bringing it back a little bit, don’t they? You know, and and we’ve, we’ve already had through matt that we played with at sna. Uh, you know we’ve already had a couple of people who’ve just gone. Well, actually we’d love to come, for you to come to our club and and playing, we’ll, we’ll, we’ll sign you in. Uh, we want to play with you. And actually we want to play with members, because remember burt dale and what an amazing experience playing with dave, because he knew everything. It’s the same sna with matt, like he knew. So you’d hit a t-shirt and you go, oh, he’s like no, you’re all right there. It’s actually a really good position.

Rob: 1:08:47

You got, oh, and he just lightens you up straight away and you’re like, okay, that’s fine, I can get, I can get away that makes such a difference when you’re playing a course, because you can feel as though, okay, that one’s lost, yeah, or you can actually, you know, spray it a bit and be confident off the tee rather than the result of the tee shot I think, especially when you’ve got loads of courses, and a lot of them are links courses, just the way it is.

Nish: 1:09:09

But when you’ve got all that heather and gorse and stuff like that, it’s nice to know that. Actually I know you’ve got into that, but you should be able to find your ball there, it’ll be okay and I roughly know where it is and I’ll I’ll get you in. So we are, we will rate and this is so time of year dependent, but we will keep a bit of an eye on the harshness of the rough, because actually that is something that me personally, as as a visitor, I’d like to know that you know if I play this in the winter they’re different, different places, some completely different places.

Rob: 1:09:39

Yeah, you play that burkdale when it burnt off. Yeah, it’s, you know it’ll run, you’ll hit the ground and run and you’ll be able to find it anywhere on the course we’ve said, haven’t we?

Nish: 1:09:46

the laws of friction don’t apply at some of these excursions. Yeah, that ball’s just going right. Still, still going unbelievable.

Rob: 1:09:52

And then the wind gets behind it.

Nish: 1:09:53

Yeah, incredible or wind in your fuss, either way, you know, yeah. So I think great chance you make like fantastic ideas and we’re definitely going to get out and play some golf and I’m hoping you can. Perhaps we can get you on for Glen Eagles oh yeah, that’ll be good, I’ll be there.

Rob: 1:10:13

Just put the golf clubs in the back of the car just need to do it.

Nish: 1:10:16

Yeah, absolutely yeah, we’ll, uh, we’ll talk again. Yeah, I mean, I think, as as we build all these things in, um, it’d be great to get more, more ideas like so you’re that, you’re the ideas man. Well, look at it from a new perspective no ideas man love it.

Nish: 1:10:34

Um, all right, so we’re going to get all these things on uh on the pod soon and the website as well. So that’s uh, top100in10. co. uk, um, but yes, great, great way to keep up to date with all of our our developments, with how we’re getting on, uh. But we’ve got an extra special treat, actually that you can actually join our mailing list. Promise not to spam you, but if you head over to our website, which is top100in10. co. uk, you can sign up to the mailing list. And if you completely profile I now have some exclusive, because nobody’s got this idea, because why would they do it Top 100 in 10 ball markers and I’ll post it out to you so you can actually join the club a little bit. So that’s it. Thank you, rob. Pleasure mate Really enjoyed having a chat.

Rob: 1:11:22

Yeah, and you mate.

Nish: 1:11:23

So you’ve all been listening to the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast.