Golf Badgers

By Cookie Jar Golf

Golf Badgers (ɡɒlf bæʤə) - noun: A group of golfers obsessed with the game.Does this sound like you? If so, you're in the right place.Sam Cooper (Golf course architect) and James Bledge (Course Manager @ Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake) invite some of their friends from across the architecture and green keeping industries to join them for a deep dive on all things golf.Feasting on a gluttonous diet of golf course architecture, greenkeeping, agronomy and all of the topics usually too dull for polite conversation.We hope you'll enjoy spending some time with us.

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83 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes83

Newest first

Dec 21, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
023 - Badgers are Back - Part 2
The second half of our Season 2 kick off. Bledge and Sam discuss the Bernhard Academy, upcoming trips to BTME in Harrogate and GCSAA in Phoenix as well as take a few questions sent in to the studio. Bledge also discusses an archaeological find he made on the course at Deal, and the video we discuss in the episode can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/g16XgGh44zU?si=peyisUMmNtZxEszq Information on the Bernhard Academy can be found here: https://bernhardacademy.co.uk/ Thanks all for listening and we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Dec 11, 2023 · 1 hr 2 min
022 - Season 2 - Badgers are back!
Badgers - welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of the podcast. James Bledge (Links Manager, Royal Liverpool Golf Club) and Sam Cooper (Architect, Clayton, DeVries & Pont) are back home on the Wirral, hunkered down for the winter and ready to pod. This is the first half of a general catch-up. Talking about our respective 2023 autumns and what's been keeping us busy. The second half, where we'll also look to answer some of your questions, will follow soon - before getting into a new roster of guests over the coming months. We hope you enjoy, and please remember to share the podcast with the sad badger in your life. We do appreciate all of your support. Thanks, Sam & Bledge Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Sep 12, 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
021 - Open Championship Question Special
Hello Badgers, Today is 'thank a greenkeeper day'. What better way to mark the occasion than to release our Open question special. A few weeks ago, Bledge and I asked for your questions on the championship - and here are the answers. We hope you enjoy the episode, and thanks to everyone who submitted a question. Don't forget to watch the excellent Cookie Jar film showcasing some of Bledge and the team's hard work during the week here: Preparing for an Open Championship Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jul 26, 2023 · 24 min
020 - Open Debrief - Bledge and Sam have a quick catch up on the Monday after The Open
Welcome to this quick catch up episode, recorded on top of the tallest grandstand at Hoylake. The rain of Sunday has disappeared, replaced with a beautiful sunset. But there is a bit of wind in the background - we hope you don't mind. We will do a proper debrief in the fullness of time, but I wanted to check in with the main man in the meantime. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jul 11, 2023 · 1 hr 2 min
019 - Bledge and Sam discuss Open preparation, Bunkabins, the Open Support team and what they've both been up to
The Open Championship is less than 2 weeks away now, and Bledge and Sam discuss what they've been up to and what preparations Bledge has been making.Hope you enjoy! And if you want to catch up on the Golf Badgers podcast back catalogue of episodes, you can do so here.Thanks! #snapthestimp Sam @links_from_the_road & @sd_cooper and Bledge @jamesbledge Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jun 12, 2023 · 1 hr 3 min
018 - From Corporate World to Golf Travel - David Jones (UKGolfGuy) and his unconventional journey into golf. Plus golf course rankings, lessons for green fee setters and a changing travel landscape
Sam sits down in a busy Loch Lomond restaurant to speak to David Jones, better known as the UK Golf Guy. David's journey into golf is truly unconventional. From a highly successful corporate background to one of the most successful inward, luxury tour operators in just a few short years. This is an episode not to be missed, as we discuss how to approach a career in golf, golf course ranking lists, favourite trips to go and much more. A slightly different podcast to the course maintenance and architecture perhaps, but hopefully one you'll enjoy. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jun 8, 2023 · 41 min
017 - Question Badgers 2 (Part 2) - Bledge and Sam answer your greenkeeping and golf course architecture questions on career advice, grass coverage and course design versus surface condition
Welcome back to Part 2 of Question Badgers. In the previous episode, Sam and Bledge took questions from you lovely listeners. So many, where there, that we thought breaking it into two parts might be better. Of course, the second part has the better questions in. The Badgers' discuss the best new course in GB&I, career advice and how to get top level experience as a greenkeeper. They also take up other sides of the Course Presentation vs Design debate. Finally, a serious note about an inspirational figure in Nick Edmund. Shout out to : Global Golf 4 Cancer. As ever, please do follow or subscribe to the podcast. If there's a Golf Badger in your life, perhaps you might share the podcast with them too. Thanks for all of your support. We appreciate it enormously. Sam @links_from_the_road & @sd_cooper and Bledge @jamesbledge Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jun 5, 2023 · 1 hr 3 min
016 - Question Badgers 2 (Part 1) - Bledge and Sam answer your greenkeeping and golf course architecture questions on Championship preparation, favourite Open Rota courses & small vs large budgets
Welcome back to another question and answer special of Golf Badgers. The first version of 'Question Badgers' was one of the most listened to episodes we've done so far. Last week, we asked for you to send in some more questions for the Badgers' and this is Part 1 of the answers. Part 2 will follow shortly, before we bring a more regular schedule of upcoming guests to the podcast. As ever, please do follow or subscribe to the podcast. If there's a Golf Badger in your life, perhaps you might share the podcast with them too. Thanks for all of your support. We appreciate it enormously. Sam @links_from_the_road & @sd_cooper and Bledge @jamesbledge Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
May 27, 2023 · 1 hr 27 min
015 - Jim Croxton CEO of BIGGA
Welcome back, Badgers! If you have been following us for some time, you might be familiar with the name Jim Croxton. We released a short podcast with him back in January, which was recorded at BTME. Jim is the CEO of BIGGA - the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association and is hugely passionate about the greenkeeping industry. In this episode, we dive deeper into the greenkeeping industry, its future prospects and all BIGGA do to support it. If you are a greenkeeper, this could be a particularly interesting episode for you. As always, thank you for listening. Sam@links_from_the_road Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Apr 14, 2023 · 1 hr 11 min
014 - Hayling Special - Greig Easton & Graeme Roberts
Those of you who have followed my Links from the Road Tour will already know my thoughts on Hayling Golf Club. I made an 'under the radar' film on Hayling called 'The Ground Game'. As you'll hear, it's an incredibly difficult site to manage, but Course Manager Greig - ably assisted by deputy Graeme - manage to present a wonderful links experience in the face of it all. The film can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5kVKcWNjok We hope you enjoy this episode. We learn about their respective careers, James Bond filming secrets, how to eat a sandwich in Kirkcaldy and, perhaps even more importantly than that, have a wide ranging discussion on pragmatism in sustainably managing links turf. We hope you enjoy and, if you do, you'll share this episode with another Golf Badger in your life. Thanks, Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Apr 9, 2023 · 1 hr 18 min
013 - Question Badgers
A slightly different episode this time round. We asked for a few questions for Bledge and myself and you kindly obliged. We've ended up with a diverse episode, covering all manner of topics. Releasing on Masters (and Easter, but mainly Masters) Sunday means we naturally compare Augusta to links courses. But we also discuss our favourite courses and where we'd both love to work. Bledge gets technical talking about fertiliser and I learn a few things. Please do let us know what you think of it and if you want some more of this style. Thanks, as ever, for listening! We really do appreciate it. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Mar 29, 2023 · 57 min
012 - Dan Lightfoot of Syngenta
Welcome back, Badgers! It's been a busy few weeks in the Badger Sett. Bledge has been getting his course ready for Spring, while I've been incredibly busy at CDP in the architecture world. Just as we like it! Fortunately, spring is on its way. The nights are lighter and we're slowly warming up. This episode was recorded a little while back, at BTME in Harrogate. It will almost conclude the episodes we recorded there. I'll be getting the last few out soon. Hope all is well with you all and, as ever, thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy Epiosde 12. Sam @links_from_the_road Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Mar 2, 2023 · 1 hr 16 min
011 - Harrogate, Orlando, bunkers and Clegg Hammers
Hello Badgers, Welcome to Episode 11 of Golf Badgers. Its been a busy start to the year. We've been to Harrogate for BTME and then to Orlando for GIS. We thought we'd have a catch up together to talk about our experiences at them both and give you some of our thoughts. It was meant to only be short, but we got a little distracted at times. We discuss the architecture and maintenance side of bunkers, and find out the firmness of Bledge's office floor. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to get in touch with your thoughts on the pod. Thanks! Sam @links_from_the_road @golfbadgers @jamesbledge Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Feb 6, 2023 · 46 min
010 - Matt Plested - Stoneham GC
Episode 10! A bit of a milestone for Golf Badgers. Please forgive the self indulgent intro but Bledge and I would like to thank you all for listening to the podcast so far. It has been enormous fun putting this together, and we'll certainly be carrying it on.You find us back at BTME in the quietest corner of the hotel we could find. A hive of activity, it's not quite 'recording studio' standard - but hope that doesn't detract from what I am convinced is a fascinating conversation.Matt Plested has had a particularly interesting career to date, and in recent years has undertaken one of the most significant refurbishment of any Course Manager in Britain. Stoneham Golf Club has been significantly refurbished, while the club have pursued a scheme of Soil Importation to invest in the practice facilities and quality of the course as a whole that has generated well over £2m.This will not be the only scheme of this type. We are looking at a number of projects with CDP where strategically taking on inert soils to the site, perhaps to enhance a landscape, as well as generate significant cash enhancements. Matt is at the cutting edge of Course Managers to have gone down this route and we believe all Course Managers would learn from his experiences in this field.Thank you Matt for taking the time. It was a pleasure to learn from you. Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jan 27, 2023 · 22 min
009 - Jim Croxton (CEO of BIGGA) on BTME 2023
Welcome back Badgers, Bledge and I have just got back from an excellent week in Harrogate for BTME 2023. We managed to record a few episodes which we'll release over the coming weeks, but thought we'd share with a brief overview of BTME with Jim Croxton. Jim is CEO of BIGGA - the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. BTME is the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, held each year in Harrogate. As I found out over the week, it's far more than just the exhibition itself. Jim's team arrange hours of structured educational seminars and conferences, and thousands of like minds descend on Harrogate to nerd out over the golf industry. As my first time there, I thought it was absolutely wonderful. Looking forward to returning year on year. Thank you to Jim and the whole BIGGA team for looking after us. We hope you enjoy this little chat recorded on the Monday of the event. BIGGA website: https://www.bigga.org.uk BTME website: https://www.btme.org.uk/ Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Jan 18, 2023 · 1 hr 18 min
008 - Lee Strutt - Cabot Cape Breton (& a lot of other stuff)
Welcome back Badgers! It's been a long time since our Christmas special, but we're back! With BTME on the horizon, Bledge and I will be taking our microphones down and recording a bunch of episodes - so hopefully plenty to come. We hope you enjoy this chat with Lee Strutt. Bledge worked for Lee when he was a young greenkeeper. Lee's one of the most experienced guys out there, working in a broad range of roles over his years in the industry. It's a little longer than usual, but we got into the weeds towards the end. Hope you enjoy it and please do keep on messaging us with your feedback and thoughts! Cheers, Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Dec 26, 2022 · 1 hr 4 min
007 - Zac Blair & Kye Goalby - (Christmas) Tree Farm
Merry Christmas, Badgers! We hope everyone's had a great Christmas. Between the snow storms in the UK, some technical issues and a big dose of man flu for Bledge, we've been a little quiet recently. Well we're back with a bang for our Christmas special, and were delighted that Zac Blair and Kye Goalby joined the pod to discuss (amongst other things) The Tree Farm. Enjoy the rest of this weird spell between Christmas and New Years where every day feels like a Sunday, and we'll be back in the New Year! Best wishes, Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Dec 5, 2022 · 47 min
006 - Sean McClean - Course Manager, Royal Birkdale
Welcome back Badgers. This week we're joined by a few special guests. First, Sean McClean the 'new' Course Manager at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Birkdale is one of the most famous links courses in the world, and both Bledge and I were looking forward to speaking to Sean and asking his opinions, ideas and plans for this great Open venue. We also talk about his career to date, including 13 years at Princes with guest of episode 2, Rob McGuirk. Sean was also asked a couple of questions by Fletcher and Jesse, Bledge's next generation of course managers. Undoubtedly the hardest hitting questions of the episode. We are so grateful to everyone who listens. We hope you enjoy this week's episode and please do keep sharing the podcast with other golf badgers out there who enjoy our nerdy niche. Thanks, Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Nov 27, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
005 - Ryan Noades - GM/Owner, The Addington
This week Bledge and I were joined by Ryan Noades of The Addington.Ryan's family have owned this exceptional heathland course for a while now, and it is currently going through a multi-year restoration process with my firm of CDP. We talk about Ryan's life, when he realised The Addington was special, how far it had fallen and the work ongoing to bring it back.It's a truly special place and Ryan's knowledge of architecture is matched by his enthusiasm for the project.We hope you enjoy episode 5 and please do carry on sharing the podcast with like-minded Badgers out there in the wild!Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.
Nov 16, 2022 · 50 min
004 - Sam Cooper - Architect w/ Clayton, DeVries & Pont
Welcome back Badgers. For a change of pace, Mr Bledge is interviewing me (Sam Cooper) on my transition into the golfing industry, thoughts on architecture and the culmination of my 2 year road trip around the coastline of Great Britain. We hope you enjoy and, as ever, please feel free to tell us how we're doing on our respective social media accounts. Thanks for listening! Sam Send us a message if you would like anything discussed on the podcast.