Top 100 Tales – Scams, Singles Lines & Secret Tee Times

Nish: 0:00

Every good story is about the journey. And this is the story of our journey trying to play the top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland in just 10 years. This is the top 100 in 10 golf podcast. We met online, didn’t we, James?

James: 0:14

Part of trying to get um, I got someone trying to scam me out of money to play Artfin. You’re kidding. These guys have paid hundreds for the five-star hotel as at Angus, I don’t know what it’s called.

Nish: 0:25

Yeah.

James: 0:25

Taken all of their bedding out and were just sleeping outside to play the old course.

Nish: 0:30

Yeah. Episode 60, Top 100 Tales. I’m joined today by a guest who is also looking to play the top 100 golf courses in the UK and Ireland. His name is James, and he’s going to be with us shortly. And he’s got some wonderful stories to tell you. So strap yourselves in. We’ve got some heavy name dropping in there in these stories. But before we carry on with the episode, may I ask you just to hit like or subscribe or follow wherever you’re watching or listening to this podcast. It would help us greatly to be able to hit all of our subscriber targets for this year so that we can get bigger and better content out to you and lots of new exciting episodes. So just takes a couple of seconds of your time. If you could do that, we would be eternally grateful. Now back to the episode. So welcome, James. You’re uh a fellow top 100der. It’s always great to welcome people like that on. So I think we’re gonna go straight in with a heavy-hitting question for you, James. How many have you played on your list?

James: 1:30

Uh not enough, but as of today, 44 with 10 in the diary, and ideas of how to play everything else we think, except for a couple. It’s quite an elaborate spreadsheet.

Nish: 1:45

You you you were very kind to spread your uh sp share your spreadsheet with me, actually. It’s pretty it’s pretty impressive, I’ve got to say. Me and Chris love a spreadsheet, but this was this felt like it was taking it to the next level.

James: 1:57

Yeah, I mean, I don’t if I if I put this much time into my real job, I’d probably be flying. Because yeah, the spreadsheet’s been arduous, but it’s so funny, isn’t it?

Nish: 2:09

We you you get uh you do get drawn into it completely and it does kind of take over what you’re what you’re doing. So um I mean look 44 is a a an incredible number. Uh when did you actually start ticking these off, would you say?

James: 2:25

Maybe a few years ago. So uh straight after COVID, so remember that was 2022 maybe.

Nish: 2:32

Yeah.

James: 2:33

Um it’s my dad and I do it together. And for years we would every year we’d go on one football trip. So I was big into football, so we’d go, we saw Round of Barcelona one year, saw some Bayern Munich play, and that was always our thing. Then COVID happened, like, well, we can’t go see it, and we also started to fall out fall out of love with football a little bit. So we said we’ll go we’ll go to Wales on this little four-day golfing retreat. And I remember getting around to play Netfin, Abadovi, Roy St. David’s, and then I speak to my dad saying, I’ve heard this place, Royal Porth Call, is meant meant to be amazing.

Nish: 3:10

Yeah.

James: 3:11

We go online, he goes, It’s £125 to play that. I said, Dad, it’s meant to be amazing. For a game of golf, James, yeah, twisted arm, said sure, we’ll do it. And that was like the first time experiencing what an amazing golf course was like properly, proper length golf, we shouldn’t really get on the south coast and Kent Way. And then we kind of got the bug, and then we thought, well, we do a little bit of Scotland maybe next time. And then each trip got more and more elaborate. Um, and now we’re yeah, 44, 10 scheduled, and hoping to have it done by end of 2027.

Nish: 3:54

Amazing.

James: 3:55

The ambition, yeah. We’ll see what life, wife, bank accounts all say about hacking.

Nish: 4:04

And we’ll get to this, but also accessibility says about this because we so we met uh we met online, didn’t we, James? As all good love stories start these days, yeah. We we were chatting on the a Facebook group and it was about getting on to Ardfin, which is one of your booked courses now.

James: 4:28

Thank you.

Nish: 4:29

Yes, so yeah, I’d basically I’d found a link on the website. We weren’t intending on playing this year, but it was basically a an offer just flashed up on it, and it was like come and play in May kind of thing. Um and I’d seen that James was commenting about trying to get onto hard fin, and I was like, Oh, there is this offer that’s come on, and he was like, I have an email, right? I’ve got the email already, it’s got yeah, right, hopefully. And then the next morning we were just chatting, going, Have you heard anything? And it was like full on like, no, haven’t heard anything. Like, yeah, it’s it’s all off. Yeah, like I don’t know what that means, and then like two, like 20 minutes later, it was like, We’re in, got the email. So you went up through a roller coaster of emotion for getting onto Ardfin.

James: 5:10

I mean, Ardfin was one of so we knew when we the spreadsheet’s been in some form for a while, and we’ve kind of said, Okay, what’s the impossible courses? I’m like, Well, Loch Lomond is like the mecca of impossible courses, JCB’s tough but doable, Queenwood’s really tough, Wentworth’s really tough. Like, well, but yeah, three years ago, like, well, Artrafin’s fine, it’s a pain to get to, like, it’s an absolute ballake, but you can you can pay the £500, whatever it is, you can go play it, leave. Same as Skibo Castle. So these aren’t gonna be an issue. And then this year we’ll look at my trips. We’re gonna go to Macgrahannish, Mac Junes, yeah, then we’ll go play Artemis. Oh, it’s been I don’t know how we play it. So I’m running the the estate, and this lovely American person’s responding saying, Oh, yeah, it’s still open for business, but it’s £120,000 for two nights, and you’ve got to rent the entire estate. And at this point, UK golf guy on Twitter, some other people are they said, This is now the hardest course in the country to get onto.

Nish: 6:15

Yeah.

James: 6:16

Unless you’re mega, mega rich. And as part of trying to get on, I got someone trying to scam me out of money to play Archfin. You’re kidding. Um, what’s the source of the top? There’s there’s someone in the top 100 community. Right. I won’t name his name, you might know him, right? But is known for basically saying, Yes, I’m doing all this stuff for charity, I’ll get you one. Takes the money, you don’t hear from him again.

Nish: 6:41

You are joking.

James: 6:43

So I played Bern and Barrow today. He’s taken one of the guys there for 650 quid. Unrelated.

Nish: 6:49

Oh my god. So yeah, uh, all sorts of people in this world, aren’t they? I mean, I can’t believe that.

James: 6:57

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, afterwards, I’ll tell you who I am. Absolutely. I’m sure he’s contacted you because he’s contacted everyone.

Nish: 7:06

That’s crazy.

James: 7:07

So we’ve had, yeah, people try and scam us to get on the course. Then it was okay, I’ve got about 10 people that want to do it. Realistically, can we get a group of 32 people and split this 120 grand 32 ways?

Nish: 7:23

Yeah.

James: 7:25

Put it on the Facebook group. A lot of people said, That’s outrageous. A lot of people DM me saying, I’m in.

Nish: 7:30

Yeah.

James: 7:31

Um, but again, couldn’t happen. Then you out of nowhere messages and don’t know if you’ve seen this from earlier today.

Nish: 7:38

Yeah, yeah.

James: 7:38

I hadn’t.

Nish: 7:40

Um it’s just a timing thing sometimes with these things, isn’t it? Like it just pure luck. Somebody spots something. I mean, you you you don’t it’s not like you go on a weekly basis checking all the top 100 websites to see if something’s gone on, but just happens. And do you know actually, in you flip it the other way around, and it’s like the luck kind of thing, but also you know, this kind of as we’re going realizing in this journey that the community is great, people want to help each other out, and apart from Mr. Scammer, you know, yes.

James: 8:07

Well, speaking of the luck for this, the luck was really there because we’d already booked Macrohannish, Mac Junes, the Mac Cree for the three days before the one weekend they open. So it wasn’t just that it was open, it was they were opening on the exact date we were already a 10-minute car ferry away. Just serendipitous, that’s what it is. It was just unbelievable. Um, and yeah, I thought I guess it’s like five or six rooms, is all they’re doing. Um wow, is that it? Yeah, yeah, it’s it’s bizarre. We’re talking, I’m trying to mess them saying, look, we paid a fair bit of money for this, it’s stupid. And you’ve told us that a buggy is £320 for a round.

Nish: 8:53

On top.

James: 8:53

A single 18, £320 a buggy. A caddy’s £150, which is comparatively great value, apparently. Food and drink will be decided at the time depending on what the chef wants to cook. So I’m gonna be rubbing shoulders of people far outside my station, I’m sure. But it’s it’s worth it uh yeah, once in a lifetime.

Nish: 9:18

Don’t let imposter syndrome kick in, James. You have every right to be there, and you deserve to be there.

James: 9:23

So I’m gonna go buy some Ralph Lorraine, I think. Yeah, that’s it.

Nish: 9:28

Yeah, don’t turn up any big big white shirts with Tommy Hilfinger flags on the back or anything like that. No, exactly.

James: 9:34

Get the Stone Island badgeon. Yeah, exactly. That’s right. Exactly.

Nish: 9:38

Oh, wonderful, wonderful. So you let’s we’ll focus on your journey so far. So you’ve done 44. Give us a couple of real highlights from that, because I mean that’s what we’re doing it for, aren’t we? Right.

James: 9:51

Oh, I mean, the best place, I think my favourite course is Royal St. George’s. Right. So we’ve we’ve played nine of the top ten, I believe. Amazing. So yeah, so it’s not like it’s so Royal St. George’s is our probably my dad and I’s favourite. And I know you’ve probably heard the phrase millionaires golf.

Nish: 10:08

Yeah.

James: 10:09

So when we first went to Royal St. George’s, it was middle of June, perfect weather. And we get there and we’re the only car in the car park at 8 in the morning. So, well, this is this is bizarre, but okay. So we go into the pro shop and said, Is it normally this quiet in the middle of June? Because it was a nightmare to book this. He said, Oh no, there’s a massive corporate book out starting at 10. About 40, 50 Americans on the course all day. So don’t worry, it’s gonna be absolutely heaving, but we’ll get we’ll get you out first. Yeah, just so I’m on the tea with our caddies, and then off we go. And we’re eight holes in. Look at we can’t see anyone.

Nish: 10:48

Right.

James: 10:49

Turns out they never showed.

Nish: 10:51

Oh, this big corporate bookie just didn’t turn up.

James: 10:53

So 40, 50 of them just didn’t show, must have spent thousands on it. They just didn’t turn up for whatever reason. So we play this 18 holes at Royal St. George’s, and it’s like the only people on the property because members don’t play in the morning on that particular day.

Nish: 11:06

Yeah.

James: 11:07

The bar is empty, it’s just 18 holes, and we’ve had the most amazing day of golf. And we say to Kes, thank you so much. We’ve got to go get our jacket and ties on now because it’s the lunch thing, although it’s gonna be a lonely lunch for this big dining room. And the caddies said, Well, if you want to have lunch in the bar, we’ll go out again an hour. We said, Oh really goes because no one’s here. I’ll go clip with a caddy master. If you if you want us as caddies again, great. And we played again the second time, free of charge. Three, again, no one on the property.

Nish: 11:43

So unbelievable.

James: 11:45

Just the perfect day of golf.

Nish: 11:48

Unbelievable.

James: 11:49

It shouldn’t be number one because of that, but no, but it’s it’s un unheard of to get that kind of access to Raw St.

Nish: 11:57

George’s. Yeah.

James: 11:59

Yeah, it was it was it was my dad and I could play as many balls as we wanted, sort of thing. The caddies were playing around with us cutting and stuff and doing putting comps between each other. So it was just like our own playground on probably the most prestigious course in the in England, at least, but in England. It’s just okay, well it doesn’t get any better than that for yeah, for for golfing.

Nish: 12:23

For golfing, yeah, absolutely.

James: 12:24

It’s just as good as it gets.

Nish: 12:26

Imagine just not turning up for that. Like it’s it’s it’s mind-boggling, isn’t it?

James: 12:34

It’s money in the extreme, yeah. I think is it’s just they just book it probably a year in advance, yeah, and they forget it’s there. Like that’s that’s all all it can possibly be. And a friend of mine who excuse me, he’s ex-finance um um London Stock Exchange, yeah, did loads of corporate events at Wentworth, Loch Loman, wherever. And he would always tell all his friends, look, book this day off because there will be a free spot for you because people just won’t show up.

Nish: 13:05

Just won’t show up, right?

James: 13:06

And they they’d be like, book the day off, come to travel up anyway, we will get you on. And they’d go and play these amazing courses because they just knew that these incredibly rich corporate folk and they just would just wake up one day and think of oh, I’ve got a meeting that’s more important, or something would happen.

Nish: 13:21

Yeah, you know, they would they wouldn’t show, and it’s just do you know what it’s fascinating that because uh as as we’ve been trying to like we’re getting into year two calendar, sort of you know, in the uh we’re coming up to the end of two years in in the summer, and you know what you’ve done to try and get on to some courses, and you know the emails that you sent and the messages you’ve left, and you’re basically extracting anything from any contact you’ve got. It’s a bit it’s a bit galling to hear that people just go, Yeah, whatever, I’m not gonna fucking turn up.

James: 13:52

Like it’s just yeah, it’s like they don’t care about they don’t care about the architect, they don’t care about any of it. It’s just and that that is just it’s brutal because you’re working your arse off. So I my job is um I work in sales, and this top hundred challenge is sales to the extreme. When I do my next job interview, and they say, Tell me a time you’ve had a really struggle. This this this you have no idea how hard playing golf can be.

Nish: 14:19

Yeah, I know it’s weird, isn’t it? You sort of just feel like that. Some people just go, You can just chuck money at it, right? It’s like you yeah, I mean, yes, you could do, but also there are certain things and experiences that you actually can’t like you need to work contacts, you need to, you know, whatever it is you need to do, you need to beg, steal, and borrow to get on.

James: 14:37

Yeah, it’s it’s not that for most people, it’s if you’re a member on these amazing courses, you don’t need the money.

Nish: 14:42

Yeah.

James: 14:43

The courses don’t need you to throw money at them, it’s just yeah, is there someone that trusts you enough to introduce or wants you to basically be the because when you’re there, if you misbehave, it’s on the member.

Nish: 14:55

Yeah.

James: 14:55

I’ve hosted before and I’ve been like, I shouldn’t have hosted you because have you had that? Yeah, and it’s just and that’s at my small little course.

Nish: 15:04

Yeah.

James: 15:05

Versus you’ve got guys that are yeah, if you go to Wentworth and when we’re playing with the group behind Kevin Peterson.

Nish: 15:13

Right, yeah, yeah.

James: 15:14

Kevin Peterson comes up and says, hi, and has a chat with us, and like you don’t you don’t want to be an you can’t be an arsehole.

Nish: 15:18

No, you can’t, no, no, no, that’s it.

James: 15:20

Yeah, the host, the host, yeah, the reflecting that member who will yeah, their biggest fear, I think, is what once you’re in, you’re still only gonna get blackboard or something. It’s sorry. We’ve we’ve we’ve played with some characters to say the least on our trips. I remember we did Carnusty with two Americans. Yeah, okay. Uh Father Son, same as my dad. I thought this would be actually could be really good fun. Play a little like four-ball match or whatever it is, and get on first T. Oh, you’ve got all Tailor Maids. Is it all they’re they’re rentals? Okay, like the draw clubs get like lost or whatever. Oh no, we’re on a separate trip and we’ve played golf a couple of times, but thought we’d come play Carnoosey while we’re here because we’ve heard of it. Sorry, you play golf a couple of times.

Nish: 16:08

Oh wow.

James: 16:09

Um Carnusie, which is famously challenging.

Nish: 16:12

Yes, yes.

James: 16:14

I’ll bad for that. Every single shot, the guy gets his golf clubs and he puts them in front of his face like that, like he’s about to swing a sword.

Nish: 16:22

Yeah.

James: 16:23

Walks up, buy full practice swings, walks back, lines up, and it was like a few holes in our caddies, were losing their mind. Because the caddy master came and told them you’ve got to hurry these guys up. Said, We can’t because they’re amateurs, they shouldn’t, they shouldn’t be here.

Nish: 16:40

Yeah.

James: 16:41

Um so that was That’s interesting, isn’t it?

Nish: 16:45

I think it’s it’s got uh when when we played at Carnoof City, the um our host uh did say because he’s we got out early and he was saying that uh he’d spoken to them in the office and there was like a big group of Americans or whatever, but they they were just like it’s 50-50 are they gonna turn up or not? Because they might have applied for a uh ballot at St Andrews, they might have got that, and they’ll just just not turn up. And you think you sort of think, I mean, you know, we’re like it’s 370 quid to play a carnhoostie as a visitor. Yeah, and you’re like, What just gave that up for you know, I get it, like you get the old course, you get the old course, like that’s there’s there’s a different um there’s there’s levels, isn’t there?

James: 17:25

But you you’re treating carh hoostie as your basically and you’re then in essence paying £750 to play the old course because you’re paying two green fees. And I know King’s Barnes do it where if you win the ballot, you can swap your King’s Barnes tea time, no questions asked, which is good of them, but I I I yeah, the whole the whole ballot stuff is it is just I think I think it’s a nightmare. If you’re as you’re a local, in which case amazing, yeah. You see the weather’s nice in two days, you’re like, well, I might as well have a go.

Nish: 17:55

Yeah.

James: 17:55

Because you know, and see if you get in it, it’s no harm, no foul. But yeah, I do think these all these groups flying over from the States, Thailand, Australia, without guaranteed to Andrew’s tea times, that will throw the rest of their trip out the window.

Nish: 18:09

Yeah, absolutely.

James: 18:10

Just to play the old course, which is great. It’s not as good as Carnoosty, I don’t think. It’s not as good as North Berwick or Kings Farns. It’s it’s got three amazing holes.

Nish: 18:22

Yeah. And that’s all we’ll remember. It’s just the it’s the hallowed turf, isn’t it? I think it’s just one of those that everyone said exactly the same thing. It’s not a spectacularly amazing golf course, but you have to you have to do it. It’s the Homer Golf, it’s the experience, it’s the it’s the town, everything about it is so magical that it’s it just makes up for anything. Uh but it’s like the holy grail, isn’t it? Getting on getting onto the whole course.

James: 18:45

Well, they used well, I I used to love the singles line.

Nish: 18:48

Yeah.

James: 18:49

So the singles line was, I think, the best thing about it because there was no ballot. It was if you want to go there enough, yeah, you’re playing the golf course. You get there early, get there whenever. So we played it a month before the open, 150th.

Nish: 19:04

Amazing.

James: 19:05

So Brown stands up, yeah, lovely sunny day. I was telling my dad about it. I said, look, sounds stupid, because you bought a hotel room. I said, we’ve got to be out of here by two.

Nish: 19:14

Yeah.

James: 19:14

Staying in staying in Dundee. We’ve got to drive, we’ve got to be at the old course by 2.45. So James, I’m sure, but this is ridiculous. You we’ll get on if we get there at six. We got there at 2.45, 3 o’clock. We were 17th in line.

Nish: 19:29

Right, okay.

James: 19:30

So we’re 17th and 18th in line. Everyone else has got to sleep and stayed outside. Yeah. These guys have paid hundreds for the five-star hotel in St. Angels, I don’t know what it’s called.

Nish: 19:40

Yeah.

James: 19:40

Taken all of their bedding out, and we’re just sleeping outside to play the old course.

Nish: 19:45

Yeah.

James: 19:46

So yeah, so we wait six AM, you go in, you get in the back of the line, then you it’s must be thirty five people in line. Everyone’s says but look, if you’re behind personally twenty five, but yeah, that’s like you might as well go home. So So they’re going through the line and how how quickly does that move? Quickly at the beginning of the day because basically they see the T-sheet.

Nish: 20:08

Yeah.

James: 20:08

And then they will say, Okay, you’re offered 10 o’clock later today. So people can go back to bed and bed and whatever. The lot further it goes, the less choice you have. We’re gonna get 16 people through, and the guy at the front shows, we’ve got a two ball going off in 10 minutes. And sadly, that’s the guy up front of me and me, and my dad’s behind. And my dad had said the entire time, James, I’m not gonna play this on my own. I will walk around with you because yeah, whatever. Whether it’s true or not, we won’t know. Because the guy ahead of us, a lovely guy, I think it was Argentinian or Chilean, something like that, said, We’ve been chatting for four hours at this point where we’re going to live together. He goes, You two go and play it together. I will I will wait. So we went and played with two St Andrews members, the old course, all the ground says up, my dad and I. Unbelievable. And we’re coming back in probably five hours later, down 18. And we see on the first hole some guy shouting at us. And it was the guy behind us in line. The next available slot was five hours later. So he had to wait another five hours. Oh my goodness, we’re so sorry. He didn’t care, couldn’t care less.

Nish: 21:27

Yeah, I don’t care.

James: 21:29

I’m playing the old course, and you don’t know, you’re done. I get I get looked forward to it all when you finished it. Yeah.

Nish: 21:34

Oh my goodness. I mean, what a guy. You know.

James: 21:37

Oh yeah, I’ve done it. I thought it was name, it’s heartbreaking, but he was yeah, and you know, whether my dad would have truly walked around with me, yeah. He’ll never have to prove that love of a father to me.

Nish: 21:48

Yeah.

James: 21:49

But he said he would have done. I reckon he’s lying. Yeah. I reckon he said, on you go, I’m going, I’m going myself. But you never have to prove that.

Nish: 21:57

Paul Rank there won’t he? Isn’t it? Sorry, James, I’m off, mate. See you later. There’s only one available. Yeah. That’s absolutely right. What an amazing story that is. What an amazing story. Yeah.

James: 22:07

Yeah, and then the top no just going through him, there’s like so many amazing things have happened.

Nish: 22:13

Yeah.

James: 22:14

Like that. Pretty special.

Nish: 22:16

That’s the sort of stuff that you’re doing. You want those stories, don’t you? That you could you’re gonna sit in a pub in 20 years’ time and be like, do you remember that time? Yeah, like some guy from Argentina just gave up his spot, and uh, me and my dad ended up playing, and you know what a guy he was. And then somebody goes, Oh, I’m actually I’ve just bumped into some Argentinian guy who’s played St. Andrews. Yeah, he’s telling me about this English dad and his son scamming him out or scamming him out of his teeth.

James: 22:45

Such a small world of people that the people you meet on these trips are um like I ended up Warsaw Davis going getting far too drunk. Turns out with the captain of Woodle Space and it’s and then so it’s little things like that that you just we met the Hickory Society at Sinkports, they come flying by with the Hickories, they’re amazing, amazing, and we drunk them for probably two hours. Amazing, and then they end the conversation, exchange details that if you ever want to come back to Sinkports, we’ll host you. Yeah, by the way, I’m also a member at Burkdale if you’re in Liverpool.

Nish: 23:19

Great, isn’t it? It do you know it is this this um uh it it I think it’s a journey into uh feels like almost a bit of a bygone time, you know. The world’s getting quick paced and people are getting feels like they’re getting more selfish, whatever, but you really are journeying back almost into a time when there was that kind of chivalry about it. There was that kind and we we play a game that people are like you said yourself, I’m really proud of my course, and you want to show it off to somebody, that’s why you host, don’t you? Yeah, and that’s so nice, it’s just almost an old-fashioned kind of way of thinking and acting, and but yeah, long may it continue.

James: 24:02

Well, I mean, a lot of these clubs are no phones in the clubhouse, right? Yeah, so you get done with your round, and you’ll always sit down, and someone will say, Do you want to sit with us or whatever it might be, wherever we are, we all someone says, Do you want to sit down with us? Yeah, you have that proper chat while you’re not checking if someone’s texting you or whatever. Yeah, and yeah, people are so as you know, you’re a podcaster, people love talking about themselves.

Nish: 24:31

Yeah, of course, yeah.

James: 24:32

So if you give someone a chance to speak about their golf course, they will talk your ear off for an hour about how great it is. Yeah, absolutely. And then they’ll say, You’ve gotta come. You say, Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here’s my number.

Nish: 24:45

Yeah.

James: 24:46

And it’s sincere. So many things like that are like, sure, yeah, I’m sure we’ll meet up next year, whatever.

Nish: 24:51

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

James: 24:52

Golf, it’s truly you send them a text, I wanna see caddy. Yeah, we had a few drinks afterwards, give a number, welcome back anytime. And it’s just really goes, yeah, I’d love to see you again. I I really enjoy playing walking around with you at one time. It’s just crazy. And that gives you.

Nish: 25:08

I suppose it goes back to when you were saying about um, you know, your guest who wasn’t quite wasn’t great, but you know, if you’re if you’re if you’ve been afforded the opportunity to go and play at somebody’s course and he’s just good about it, you know, there isn’t a reason why somebody wouldn’t say that. Because yeah, that’s kind of incumbent on you, isn’t it? You’ve got to be, you know, a good playing partner. You do that, have a good laugh with people, and you know, I mean, that’s a thing. You play you’re on the course for four, four and a half, five hours with with people, aren’t you? It’s like I don’t see how you can’t almost can’t, I don’t see how you can just go and just not have a good time with them and and have it.

James: 25:46

There’s all the unwritten rules of it and stuff. It’s I remember you know recently playing hosting for the first time. He goes, I’ve never been hosted sign before, James. Like, what’s the etiquette with halfway house, lunch afterwards, drinks?

Nish: 25:59

Yeah.

James: 26:00

And I basically said, Look, I’m not gonna tell, I’ll I can get my own stuff basically because I don’t want to say you pay, but just offer. And most of the time the host will say no. Yeah, yeah. So they’ll say, I’ll get a discount already because I’m part of the club, so don’t worry about it.

Nish: 26:13

Yeah, yeah.

James: 26:14

Um, the one I found out recently was because it’s not a thing, really, many courses in the UK, they’re not as prestigious the American ones, but yeah. You offer to pay for the host’s caddy.

Nish: 26:25

Right, okay.

James: 26:26

Which I hadn’t experienced that before. Okay. Um normally you take a caddy with a visitor, but if you’re with a member, well you’re you’re basically my caddy, aren’t you?

Nish: 26:34

Yeah, you can tell me everything that I need to know. Yeah.

James: 26:36

Um, but if you’re yeah, if your visitor or your members taking a caddy, it’s like, no, no, that’s you might offer to pay for the caddy.

Nish: 26:43

Right, interesting. Interesting. Um that’s a good tip. That’s yeah, blogged away.

James: 26:48

I mean, they’re saving you so much money to play with these members. If you some if you can if you can know people, play a North Berwick in June, and it’s £15 members’ guest fee. That’s versus £370 or whatever it is. Yeah. Plus, you can’t get a tea time this year because they’re fully sold out, yeah. Completely booked.

Nish: 27:08

Yeah.

James: 27:09

But members get, or when do you want to play? Yeah, 7 30. Perfect, we’ll go then.

Nish: 27:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

James: 27:14

Okay, well, you’ve just saved me and my dad, so do broom feast.

Nish: 27:19

Yeah, that’s it.

James: 27:20

Near on £700. Because the pro that I’m sure the pricing is for visitors is getting really it’s madness, isn’t it? It’s getting stupid, and yeah, that’s the biggest obstacle for basically everyone at this point. It’s the prices are just yeah.

Nish: 27:36

What’s your general opinion on on I mean uh apart from the obvious that it’s getting a bit bit silly, but you know, there’s obviously some kind of logic to it all and some reason for it. What’s your thoughts on it?

James: 27:48

We spoke to the Wallacey pro and they were about £100 two years ago, and they had no visitor play.

Nish: 27:55

Right, okay.

James: 27:56

Because all of the tourists would come over and they would play Living St Anne’s, Hoylake, Burkdale, and they’re trying to have to fill out their other rounds, and they would just say, Well, what’s most expensive? Oh, it’s Hillside, it’s Southport and Aynesdown. We’re doing those two. And Wallacey was there, sub £100, getting no bookings.

Nish: 28:16

Yeah, because the perception is that it’s not the quality course. It can’t be good.

James: 28:20

Yeah, they then got £200 of green fee last summer, fully booked.

Nish: 28:24

Yeah, we’ve heard that a couple of times.

James: 28:28

But the courses unfortunately don’t have a choice. I don’t think. And the other thing is because they’re getting so much visitor play now, courses are getting better and better.

Nish: 28:37

Yeah.

James: 28:38

Wallace is as well conditioned as anywhere I’ve been. Amazing.

Nish: 28:43

Well, we’re we’re playing Wallacey in in May, April or May, I think. So in April.

James: 28:48

It’s so good.

Nish: 28:49

Yeah.

James: 28:49

It’s so, so, so good.

Nish: 28:50

And I have to say, Wallace has been so super friendly when we we approached them and said, Well, you know, we’re coming to we’re coming to play, so we get an interview and all that kind of thing. So uh we’re they’re lovely. I mean, just yeah, immediately we’re like, oh, I’m just gonna have a great day. No, we’re just gonna have a fantastic day.

James: 29:04

I mean, I’m tempted to come and join you and play that course. It’s such it’s such a brilliant golf course. But if they had up their prices, it wouldn’t be as manicured as well conditioned. It’d be a brilliant golf course, but wouldn’t have the same gravitas. So they have no choice, sadly, because that’s what the American market dictates. And this year, when the open’s on, everyone’s gonna be in Liverpool and these prices are gonna up again and again and again. What I wish courses did, few Scottish courses do a Scottish member rate. Yeah. Dunbarney do a half-price Scottish residency rate.

Nish: 29:40

Yeah.

James: 29:40

Um, Renaissance used to do a Scottish member rate.

Nish: 29:43

Yeah. I feel like more courses should do limited UK rates because we just don’t have the spending power.

James: 29:53

That’s a lot of the Americans. Yeah, that’s true. It’s just it’s just a fact, and yeah, you don’t want to push away that British audience because eventually the it can’t keep the boom has to stop at some point, as far as I as far as I’m concerned, the boom has to stop of all these American visitors eventually. And it the moment you start creeping into American pricing, it probably will, and we’re getting close.

Nish: 30:19

Getting close, yeah.

James: 30:20

Storegrass is about 900 pounds. Although whistling straight is about 600.

Nish: 30:24

Yeah, okay.

James: 30:25

Which works out, I think that’s now county down county down price. Yeah. King’s brands is King’s Barnes like 450 this shot.

Nish: 30:32

450, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

James: 30:34

It’s just how many Brits are really gonna go and play King’s Barnes?

Nish: 30:38

I think it’s it’s interesting actually, because I think we all uh have that kind of um response as well. We all sort of bulk at the price that you just go, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, four four hundred and fifty pounds for a round of golf. Like that is a lot of like it’s good. I I’ve got to be getting a lot for that, you know. And it almost doesn’t matter what gift you’re gonna give me or what welcome you’re gonna give me. It’s like that is a lot of money to commit to it. And that’s one person, by the way. So you know, four balls getting onto two grand. You’re like, wow, that is hard.

James: 31:08

Clubs are making stupid money, but all these people take the picture of the gift bag and say, But I got a free little whiskey and I got some teas. I’m on.

Nish: 31:17

Yeah, I know you spend one.

James: 31:18

They put up the green fees.

Nish: 31:20

Yeah, exactly right. That’s it. Yeah, it’s funny. Um Ireland is the one that’s actually it’s interesting. We’re we’re trying to uh get over to Ireland this year, and some of the green fees there, just in general, are just a step up. Like they really are. Yeah, I mean, everything everything’s starting with uh at least a three or a four, which is bonkers, really, you know, and you sort of think you go you’re gonna you’re gonna go over and play four or five course at the same time because it to make the trip worthwhile.

James: 31:49

1500 quid on green fees before you’ve even um you’ve taken a caddy, exactly got your food, yeah, um, got your souvenirs because you’ll get something from A Pro Shop. Of course you’ll probably not everyone, but if you’re gonna play Royal County on a Royal Port Rush and you’re not getting something, yeah.

Nish: 32:10

It’s you’re going to it’s rare.

James: 32:12

Yeah. So everyone’s getting something. You know what PvC like just taking shirts off and like me and my dad will go in wherever it is in like a beeline for the sales rack.

Nish: 32:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

James: 32:22

I just need a shirt with a logo on it, or what whatever it ends up being. I don’t need yeah, I mean Archfin’s the worst example of that. Is it where I got sent? I got sent through the prices.

Nish: 32:32

Oh, for the merch.

James: 32:34

Yeah, we’re we’re talking like 30 dot 30 pounds for three balls.

Nish: 32:41

What? That wasn’t even oh my goodness. I mean, so I’m not I’ll tell you about Trump International in Aberdeen was was hilarious. So um I was pleasantly surprised by the Pro Shop there actually, because it was pretty small, uh quite understated, um, but it was really funny actually. So we went in there and I thought, well, I’ve got to get you know, I’ve got to get a few things here. And so far that’s been the best conditioned course we’ve played on. We absolutely loved it up there. So I was like, right, okay, I’m gonna get this thing. Like I thought, I’ll get something for my kids. And they had these chocolate bars that have they’re like a gold bullion bar with Trump Britain on it. I was like, great, right, I can have those. They were like eight quid each, a tiny little thing like this. Um, and then I was like looking around, going, well, it’s my favourite course so far, so I should get a golf ball, right? So I went, Oh, do you sell golf balls? And he goes, Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have a sleeve of three, and I was like, I don’t really fancy buying three, and I think they were like 20 quid or something, which I was like, alright. But I went, I don’t really fancy three. Could you not sell single ones? And he was like, Oh yeah, yeah, we do single ones as well. I was like, Alright, you jump straight into three, but then I had to bring you back back down to the single, but then when we looked at the uh other uh logoed like you know, bags and head covers, I think it was Chris came out and he said, Have you seen the price of the leather driver head cover? I was like, no, and he’s like hundreds, isn’t it? It’s yeah, it’s it was north of 500 quid. I was like, Oh wow. I mean I’ve I’ve got a serious merch addiction, but nah. You can’t you can’t do that.

James: 34:15

You can’t I’ve got one door knock putter cover and that’s it. Yeah. In terms of yeah, I mean it’s just so every as part of my dad’s golf trips, every year we do a each one’s like a match play tournament.

Nish: 34:29

Yeah, okay.

James: 34:30

So we split each course into two nines. The idea being if you’re playing a bucketless course and you have a shocking front nine, you don’t want to be done by the 13th hole and have lost the match. Yeah, mentally gone in.

Nish: 34:41

Yeah.

James: 34:42

A nice, a nice little reset. And that’s a great idea. It’s it’s nice, and the winner of each trip gets something of their choice from the final pro shop we go to.

Nish: 34:52

Excellent.

James: 34:52

Um, and last time that was Sunningdale.

Nish: 34:55

Amazing.

James: 34:56

And even then, so I end up winning, which is great. I said, but I can’t justify no I said I can’t justify anything in the shop.

Nish: 35:04

Really? Wow.

James: 35:05

I said like I don’t need another quarter zip or a polo for this much money. Um, the only thing I really like to know they have this amazing framed painting of the old and new courses.

Nish: 35:21

Right, okay.

James: 35:22

No pr no price on that. So, oh, it’s mobile. No, it’s not happening. It’s like not a chance.

Nish: 35:31

That’s one of those occasions where somebody looks you up and down and goes, Yeah, I’m not even gonna tell you what the price is because you’re us. Yeah, exactly. That’s it. Yeah. Do you collect anything from each course? Like a like do you collect like a ball or a pencil? Like what’s your what’s your thing? Do you not?

James: 35:46

We should no, we we should. But at this point, we didn’t from the well, oh, course guides. Yeah, we get a course guide basically everywhere we go.

Nish: 35:56

Yeah.

James: 35:57

Um yeah. Some of them are like a little bit battered and bruised at this point, but yeah, we’ve tried got a course guide everywhere. They’re not in any fancy frame. I think we’re just in like glove box, my card stuff.

Nish: 36:08

Yeah, I think Chris started that, but then that got scuppered really quickly because we went to uh Ganton. Oh, we’ll actually name them. Um we went to Ganton.

James: 36:16

I can I know what you’re gonna say. They said they didn’t have any. Yeah, yeah, we’ve haven’t I had the same experience there last week.

Nish: 36:22

We were just like, what do you mean you’ve not printed a course guide? That’s the most basic thing. Like, how is that even yeah, I couldn’t.

James: 36:29

Um we went out of that course completely blind. Yeah. That’s a tough course.

Nish: 36:35

It is a tough course. I was I’d had a pretty, pretty rough night the night before as well. So uh our listeners, regular listeners, will know my uh my wife left the key in the back of the front door, so I couldn’t actually get into the house after I’d been out. Oh came back. So I’m very lucky I’ve got um a pergla out the back and some decking out the back of the house. So I I slept under that. And it was very lucky it wasn’t a cold night.

James: 36:59

Before playing at Ganton.

Nish: 37:00

Before playing at Ganton. So I turned up, I was like, lacko sleep. I’d had about like four hours. Oh my goodness mate, night she didn’t wake up when you nothing. It was like, I must have made about 70 phone calls.

James: 37:14

I reckon you’ve done something wrong.

Nish: 37:15

I was sat, I was just stood there. It was funny because actually, when she she did come down, she was like, Oh no god, where are you, right? And I was like, stood at the back window. She was like, uh sorry, I was like, I can’t even look at you right now. I’m really sorry, I just can’t even look at you right now. Oh, that’s funny. But um, it took me seven holes just to figure out where I was before I started getting into that round.

James: 37:34

I mean, so yeah, Ganson’s a bit Gansing’s a tough place anyway. It’s do you know what?

Nish: 37:40

Inland links, it’s just clubhouse to me. Was I was uh like a pig in shit in that in that clubhouse because we got you know, the the steward of the club was very kind to sort of let us into the Varden room and show us around a little bit, and we were like You might have had the same person we had.

James: 37:57

Yeah, he must have been late 60s, probably early 60s, big guy, yeah, not smartly dressed, yeah, built, yeah, really nice guy. He was so proud of every single trophy cabinet, and he just knew the history of the club.

Nish: 38:11

Yeah, it was amazing.

James: 38:12

Nothing I’d ever seen.

Nish: 38:13

Yeah, yeah.

James: 38:13

Um, I didn’t know how much history Gansam had.

Nish: 38:15

It was I had to have to give a shout out in the review episode because I was like, he was so good. And I emailed them as well. I emailed the club secretary and I said he’s an absolute credit to your golf club and course because he was so nice. Um, it he kind of like broke down the I mean we went on a pairs event, so it was quite good because we had full access to everywhere, really. But it was like he still there was no oh, you’re at pairs event, and you know, we’re not gonna uh accord you any kind of courtesy or whatever. He was so just on point, it was amazing. Um, but yeah, what a great golf course that was. So he was the have you got any uh courses that you’ve played that have been kind of real surprise packages to you?

James: 38:55

Um that’s been a really big thing for us. Wallace was the biggest one, right? Because yeah, we like I said, we played we played Birkdale, Boy Lake, Hillside, Formby, Livingst Anne’s, yeah, and Wallace Sea was as good as the only one that was better than was Burkdale was better than everywhere else we played on that trip. Yeah, it was just unbelievable. So you’re you are gonna love it. I can’t wait for that. Yeah, Wallace’s exceptional and probably Western Gales.

Nish: 39:26

Right, interesting. Yeah, we were gonna play that last year, yeah.

James: 39:30

Yeah, you just go and like the clubhouse just smells like proper, yeah, leather, amazing. It’s a prop proper golf club, yeah. Um, up the road from Royal Troon, but I think it was preferable to Royal Troon, it was just a really tough, tough test of golf. Right. Um and it was it’s it I don’t know if you so Dun Donald Lynx plays across the trural train tracks from Western Gales, right? Um, and someone from Dundonald basically hits. Driver nearly kills us. We’re on the Western Gales battery on one of the fairways. And my cabbie, he must have been like five foot six, tiny guy. He goes, Oh, James, can I have your five line, please? Said sure. And bearing in mind, I’m six foot six. My job’s like as long as they get.

Nish: 40:16

Yeah.

James: 40:17

He just picks up my five line, goes, makes it around the hand, chokes down, and just smokes it back onto their course. He goes, I’ll play off plus three. Oh, brilliant. You don’t say. I’d have had you reading my parts from way earlier.

Nish: 40:36

Exactly right. Yeah, that is so funny, isn’t it? That oh I love it.

James: 40:40

I speak to people pretty regularly who are like, oh, St. Paul’s is better than Royal St. George’s.

Nish: 40:44

Yeah.

James: 40:44

And I was like, how can you think that? Yeah, it blows my mind. But then I’ll tell someone I prefer Carnoustin to Turnbury.

Nish: 40:54

Yeah.

James: 40:54

And they’ll say, What the heck’s wrong with you? Because Turnbury’s amazing. And since post it obviously is amazing, but no, it’s all amazing.

Nish: 41:02

That’s the great thing about it, isn’t it? Absolutely the great thing. And you can have these chats with people, and you you know, you probably won’t. The beauty of it is you’re not going to agree. And that’s absolutely fine. That’s absolutely fine.

James: 41:15

There’s no right or wrong. Like the rankings try their best to find this perfect formula for what is the perfect golf course.

Nish: 41:24

Yeah.

James: 41:28

If you’re playing well, it’s great. If you’re not playing well, it’s unfair. That’s how you view over a golf course.

Nish: 41:33

It’s difficult, I think. We did talk about this quite early on. That uh I mean, you know, I’m a 17 handicap, and you know, so I’m handy, get round. You know, my my objectives is if I shoot anything in the 90s on a top 100 golf course, they’re usually pretty tricky. I’m I’m happy. Um, I’m not gonna unduly hold anyone up, all that kind of stuff, right? So, but my it’s easier for me to detach a bad score from my opinion of the course. Also, actually, I’ve I’ve just my disposition is that I I would rather be playing terrible golf but just playing golf. It doesn’t matter. I’m still happy with that. So we I think having two people, and it must be like this with your dad as well, having two people talking about it, you know, it’s quite rare that we both have a really good round, one or even within the round, a hole, you know. It’s very rare that we both shoot a good hole at the same time. So you kind of the next tee, you automatically get a little sense check, don’t you, for what that hole was actually like, you know.

James: 42:39

Well, what’s great about doing it with someone else, so me and my dad, for example, is we’re two very different golfers, right? So I’m off 11, I will drive the ball probably 270, 280 total distance. He will drive at 220 total distance, he plays off 17, same as you. So the way we both play the holes is vastly, vastly different. So he might take a driver in one hole, whereas I can’t, well, that’s what brings all the trouble into play, so I’ve got to take a hybrid, and he probably is thinking, I’m every polls driver. So actually, there’s this much strategy you haven’t noticed. And yeah, for us, the course at the top of our list are ones that we both enjoy because they a good golf course for me has to be a good golf course for a scratch golfer, it’s got to be here a mid-handicapper and a high handicapper. It can’t be completely unplayable with like massive carry distances and whatever, because it’s well, that’s not golf because high handicappers need to be able to get around it. Yeah, like I think Carnusti’s so good because it’s actually more playable for the mid-handicapper than you think.

Nish: 43:39

Yes, correct.

James: 43:40

It’s kind of nasty, it’s this beast, it’s meant to be impossible. And for the pros, good luck shooting two under part around Carnousti. But for me, playing off 11, I can probably break 90 there.

Nish: 43:52

Yeah.

James: 43:52

And given I get like 17 shots at this slope of 150 clear or whatever it is, yeah. I come off thinking, that was pretty fair. That was like a good, challenging, but it was an all-right round of goal for me. Yeah, yeah, that’s the thing. When we try and rank a course, if we’ve both got them towards the top of our own ranking. Yeah, that must be a good course. We both have like the Sunningdale’s way up there, we both have Carnusti way up there. Um other ones like the Queen’s course at Glen Eagles, he’s got way up his rankings.

Nish: 44:21

Yeah, I love that golf course. Absolutely loved.

James: 44:23

It’s quite low down mine.

Nish: 44:24

Right.

James: 44:25

Loved it, but it’s you’re comparing like amazing with amazing, but it’s lower down my rankings.

Nish: 44:29

I mean, yeah, I mean, this is it. We keep saying this. It’s like you’re sort of getting it’s the best of the best of the best, and it’s it’s the best of the best rather than the best of the best of the best, sort of thing. And it’s like, yeah, I mean, I I love that golf course. I I remember uh uh my barometer usually is like how many times have I taken my mobile phone out to take a picture on a tee? And I must have done that seven out of the front nine holes, yeah, and and I was like that at hindhead as well. Everything was just like, I’ve got to get this, I need to remember this. Oh I I did a post and I I will I will live and I will die by these words, but every British golfer should at some point experience that front nine at hind head because I think you will never play a front nine like that. It is unbelievable to me.

James: 45:16

I mean a shame there wasn’t enough land to carry it on, right? Because it would be it’s so dramatic through the valleys.

Nish: 45:25

Yeah. I would have loved to just add like a 360-degree cam on me, but everywhere you looked, it was just this is a feast for the eyes. I mean, we got a beautiful day. We sort of we’d driven down, um I’ll give them a shout out, Andrew Antonio, they’re amazing hosts. Um we were um we’d driven down there, beautiful day, and we were halfway through that front nine, and me and Chris just looked at each other and just went, I think this is what the golf down here is all about. We hadn’t been down south yet for God’s.

James: 45:56

Oh, you have have you played much in Surrey?

Nish: 45:59

Not really. So we’ve done uh Hindhead and we’ve done Hankley Common, and Hankley Common. Oh, what a gold.

James: 46:04

Again, I think the front the front line’s amazing, yeah. And I think it tails off on the back line. I think it the land becomes less dramatic, less yeah impressive. It’s a little bit simple.

Nish: 46:20

I think this might be one of those ones where I think my play might have inflated my opinion. I played very well on both days, but um it was we would like walk around just going, well, we could be in Portugal the way this is now. This is just beautiful. Like we didn’t want it to end, we really didn’t want it to end.

James: 46:37

Yeah, can’t say anything that lost its it used to be a hidden gem, right? Even two, three years ago, it was you want to play someone’s sorry, go to Hankley Common. It’s funny, my one of my recruiters is a member of Hankley Common. We’ve just found it out far too late in life. But it’s just the Gulf there is un unbelievable. I’m just looking at my St George’s Hill quite away down it, but like West Sussex, Hankley, Sunningdales, um, Wentworth.

Nish: 47:06

Yeah, um, it’s just Swinley. Swinley, yeah, we’ve got Swinley this year, so we’re looking forward to three W’s Swinley. Yeah, I know. It it’s just it’s amazing. Absolutely. It’s like you’re like a kid in Academy Shop, aren’t you, with these things? Is there is it what what what are you really uh really really looking forward to in your list from this year? You got your ten books.

James: 47:28

Um oh my god, it’s I’m not gonna go through the entire it sounds so braggy, it is a little bit, but it sounds array of going through like writing off a plan here, here and there. But we’ve got three days in a row. So we’ve got two nights at Ardfin, yeah, followed by Loch Lomond, followed by Muirfield.

Nish: 47:45

Yeah, amazing.

James: 47:46

And it’s just like it’s tough to beat that 96 hours in the British hours of golfing. Yeah. I know that Loch Lomond and Ardfin aren’t ranked as high as Muirfield, old course, but I’m like might be similar to you. I don’t always just remember the golf course. When I think of my memories, it’s the experiences that I remember. It’s meeting Gary Player at King’s Barnes.

Nish: 48:12

Amazing.

James: 48:13

Yeah, I’m going to talk about that King’s Barnes day. Well, I don’t I don’t remember the golf course a little bit, but I remember Gary Player’s representing his group driving the ball down our fairway by mistake. The man in black on the buggy, zooming towards us and chatting with us for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the fairway about his love for King’s Barnes. And it’s funny, we saw him the day before the old course, just practicing the pint and green. Yeah, he didn’t say anything. But he came and spoke to us 15 minutes, and our caddies went. I’m so sorry, Mr. Player, but you’re gonna really upset the people behind me if we don’t if if we don’t wrap this up. I’m not gonna do a staff cat, it’s just like I’m sure when I go and spend 15 minutes with them, they’ll be okay with the delay. Probably wasn’t wrong. So he was exactly as you would imagine him being from the TV interviews. He was just charming, it was yeah, in his old PXG hat and oh well yeah, all black.

Nish: 49:15

He’s always branded up, isn’t he? He doesn’t miss a chance to do that.

James: 49:18

Um we remember that more than the golf course is it’s it’s the memories you’re meeting with people, you’re yeah, it’s the being a top hundred course isn’t just a golf course, it’s yeah, what was the welcoming like what’s the pro shop like what’s this like?

Nish: 49:35

What was what was the pro like? That’s the other one as well. You know, there’s been a couple of places we’ve been where we’ve had we’ve had a ropey welcome, uh, and you’re just like I just you know, I have kind of paid for my golf. I’m not like blagging it and you know just sorry for intrusion, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, sorry, sorry, my £350 isn’t as good as anybody else’s, you know. No, it’s um yeah, odd. A bit odd that, and I think that to be fair, does deserve a little bit of calling out sometimes because you’re like, do better, and it doesn’t take you don’t have to be the cheeriest person in the world, you don’t have to be a Disney employee, but just just a nice person does does help, doesn’t it?

James: 50:12

You know Royal St George’s uh pro has a reputation, shall we say?

Nish: 50:17

Is that right?

James: 50:18

Amongst that’s what yeah, he does have he does have a reputation. But we’re at Royal St George’s and we’re looking around a pro shop and well, firstly we pick up something. You can’t have that. What do you mean? He goes, that’s the that’s the members section. It’s the badge doesn’t have the writing on it, so it’s for members only. I said oh okay, sorry he goes, but don’t worry. Anything else in this pro shop you can have if it’s in the pro shop, you can wear it on the course.

Nish: 50:49

Right.

James: 50:49

I picked up a hoodie. He goes, Can’t wear that on the course?

Nish: 50:55

I love it.

James: 50:56

Why are you selling it? Yeah, pro shop.

Nish: 50:59

Oh god, don’t get me started. I mean, I’ve got one on now, but don’t get me started on hoodies on a golf course. It’s just like I’m not gonna go into it.

James: 51:07

Um I mean if you if you yeah, if if it’s on the Pro Shop, it should be fine. I quite like the idea of shorts and high socks. I’m like, just wear trousers, you should know better.

Nish: 51:15

Yeah.

James: 51:16

If you want if if you get yourself in shorts and be surprised at high socks, you haven’t done your research. Yeah, exactly.

Nish: 51:20

You’re exactly right. And it’s something that me and Chris have started really zeroing in on now is the accessibility of some places and being able to get in. And you’re significantly further down the line. Uh you’ve got an objective to get this done by 2027. Yeah, what’s your big obstacles?

James: 51:43

Queenwood and Skibo Castle are the two. And what really upsets me is so okay. Firstly, Skibo Castle, we might have one in them. I’ll tell you off, but we might have one in there. Queenwood, I have a friend who’s a member at a call called Royal Midsurre.

Nish: 52:01

Yeah.

James: 52:02

He’s in a group with Sunningdale member, Wentworth member, Queenwood member, all these members. He was lucky enough to introduce me to the guy at Sunningdale, the guy at Wentworth. Got me on the West Course, me and my dad, and a mate of his. Amazing day, objectively lovely people. And he’s always said, Don’t worry, James, I can get you on Queenwood at a day’s notice. It’s like, oh thank you.

Nish: 52:28

Okay, yeah.

James: 52:29

Well, I would love to play it if that’s okay. So I’m just looking away, I’m getting the message up. This is from August last year. I said, Hi mate, let me know about Queenwood. Happy to do it. If he wants a charity donation in his pocket, whatever, whatever. We’ll sort it out. He goes, I actually had an argument with my Queenwood plug. I thought, oh no. Well, I’m about to think it’ll be something petty. He goes, he owes me £100,000 and he just bought himself a new car. Oh. And my response was, Well, it sounds like he owes some free tea times. £100,000. It’s just the but it’s the world that these guys at these courses live in where they’re saying I had an argument. Yeah, he owes over 100 grand.

Nish: 53:15

100 grand, yeah.

James: 53:16

Oh, just just a couple of years salary for most people, three years salary or whatever it is.

Nish: 53:21

It’s just it, yeah.

James: 53:22

And the the guy playing with a course we’re playing with a person this year, and he’s flying over from Canada just to play golf with us.

Nish: 53:31

Which is unbelievable, isn’t it? Unbelievable.

James: 53:34

I was speaking to the club out. I said, see, we’re playing with this guy. Um, and he said, Oh yeah, he’ll arrive the day before, it just depends what time his helicopter gets him.

Nish: 53:46

Thor sorry. Yeah. Can I find out what time that is? Because I don’t want my helicopter to clash. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, you know, that kind of thing.

James: 53:54

Can I park a Ford out the front? Is that acceptable? Or shall I get an Uber X? Yeah. And then but it’s just that’s what in terms of accessibility, that’s what I’m finding is I find it uncomfortable to rub shoulders with Right.

Nish: 54:08

Okay.

James: 54:09

They’re all entrepreneurs of some description for the most part, finance background. And there is that imposter syndrome. I know you say you shouldn’t have it, but you do, because there’s like what do you do for a living? It’s like not what you do.

Nish: 54:22

Yeah, yeah.

James: 54:23

Um and it’s yeah, it’s a little it’s a little bit nerve-wracking. Yeah. And it can be, you’re playing Wentworth. I think I played Wentworth’s only 30 years old, but you’re playing with a member at Wellworth. I know.

Nish: 54:38

Yeah.

James: 54:39

Um and it can be yeah, it’s it’s what it’s one of those things, it’s part of the accessibility.

Nish: 54:45

It’s of course it is. Of course it is.

James: 54:47

And you fake it a little bit and hope that that person thinks, yeah, he actually was alright in intro Utah.

Nish: 54:51

You just got to hope you’ve got radiant personality that people are drawn to. That’s what you’ve got to do. Exactly.

James: 54:59

Something that I think people might relate to is those that have played somewhere like Ardfin, Loch Loman, Queen, whatever it is. I hate, broadly speaking, the exclusivity of them. I think it’s well, top 100 lists should be playable for everyone. Cost what it costs, but it should be playable. But once you get on one of these courses, selfishly, I would hate for it to be accessible.

Nish: 55:23

Right, okay.

James: 55:26

I don’t know if that makes sense, but if you you work your butt off to play these places for hours and hours networking, you spend whatever it costs.

Nish: 55:34

Yeah.

James: 55:35

If they say to me next year, Ardfin’s open to the public every weekend, 600 quid. I will be I will be heartbroken knowing what I’ve just uh paid to play around Ardfin.

Nish: 55:49

I’m I’m gonna shock you now. They emailed me to say I can just come on and play play whatever I want for you.

James: 55:54

You want a caddy for me?

Nish: 55:57

I know, I know, I know what you mean. Um and but you know, people have got the opposite story as well. You know, I know um a couple of people who’ve who’ve played Ardfin and they got on and they they were like it was extortion, it was 500 quid to play, but like now we’re thinking, wow, that was a bargain. You are lucky that you’ve got that’s it.

James: 56:15

It’s the framing is what’s weird. I’ve never bought a product before and felt lucky to be able to buy a product, yes, and about buy a pretty expensive product as well.

Nish: 56:26

Yeah, and like imagine you’re a chosen one a thousand pound TV or whatever, and say, God, thank you, Sony.

James: 56:33

That is so kind of you. That’s what playing Archfin’s like, it’s it’s mad, isn’t it?

Nish: 56:38

It’s it’s it’s interesting chat, and I’ll probably I’ll probably close on this, I think. And it’s an interesting thought, I suppose, that you know, we’re having this accessibility chat about maybe a handful of golf courses in our in our country. Imagine if we were in the States, we’d be having the opposite chat, wouldn’t we? But like we just literally cannot get in anywhere that’s on these lists because that we’ve only got a handful of public courses and they’re hard to get on because everybody’s trying to get on them.

James: 57:06

I mean, imagine that they’re a thousand pounds to play like Saugross, or Pebble Beach is even more expensive, right? Pebble Beach is often like in the hotel, and we’re so lucky, but I think a counterpoint is that makes the pain of being so close so much worse. Yeah, it does. Because it feels doable, yeah. And this list has taken us a few years, and we’re getting close, and it feels like I know it seems stupid, but you’ve only done half of them, whatever it is. But the ones you’ve got left for the most part are really doable.

Nish: 57:36

We haven’t done any we’ve got load the three W’s left, loads in the south of England, you have done a lot of pretty inaccessible or hard to access courses if you’ve front-loaded it, haven’t you?

James: 57:46

Yeah, correct, which was probably the way to do it.

Nish: 57:51

Well we we’ve gone with the opposite approach of like we’ve gone with stuff that’s local to us and uh you know contacts that we’ve had that were we knew were there already. Yeah, yeah. Um because uh probably going back to that imposter syndrome thing, you know, you it kind of it’s something for your own benefit that yeah, actually we can do this. We we have but we’ve played 18 now and we’ve got 11 booked in for this year with a possible six more that we’ve got. So we’re kind of motoring through. Uh but it’s nice to have a body of courses behind you already and a body of work that’s like your C V. Let’s call it your C V.

James: 58:29

Yeah, correct. But it’s but I find so rye’s pretty close to me.

Nish: 58:32

Yeah.

James: 58:33

I find it really tough to justify £275 a green fee for rye 40 minutes up the road.

Nish: 58:39

Yeah.

James: 58:40

But on holiday in Scotland, the raw true want that much, it feels like, well, we’re here, we might as well do it. So you it feels it feels just way harder to justify these expensive local courses versus framing it as well, you save up all your money all year for this holiday and then you go big. I that that’s why I think our mentality is what it is with them. It’s just because yeah, it’s I can’t pay that much for something that’s just down the road. It’s crazy. Yeah, it’s just ridiculous.

Nish: 59:12

What’s going on? Yeah, absolutely right, absolutely right. Uh James, it’s been such a pleasure talking to you. And uh, we will gladly check in with you again uh towards the end of the year, maybe early next year, and we’ll we’ll see how your experience at Ardfin went. Well, we’re gonna keep in touch about that anyway, because I know I’m so excited to I can live vicariously till I get on there, find out. Yeah, slightly. But um, yeah, and and and the the the great thing about what we’re doing is that we’re all suddenly become each other’s walking kind of you know, eyes and ears and and and and whatever. So we’ve we’ve coordinated lists and we’ve we’ve you know got a bit of an idea of of who’s played what and hasn’t played what. So um I’m sure. A playing capacity, our paths will cross at some point, James, and I really hope it does.

James: 1:00:03

No doubt.

Nish: 1:00:04

Um, but uh yeah, thank you for your time today. Until next time on the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast.