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Welcome back, episode 34 of the Full Programme Golf Podcast with me, Josh Conlon, and as ever, joined by Stevie McAvoy.
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Today we are interviewing Alex Wright.
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You may well know him as the Surrey Golfer on Instagram.
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He is also the assistant GM at West Sussex.
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We're going to talk all things photography and his quest to play the top hundred in England.
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Let's get into it.
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Stevie, how are we?
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Hello, dear boy.
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How are you?
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Yeah.
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You know what?
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The sun is shining.
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Played some good golf courses this week.
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It's a it's a good, good time to be alive.
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How are you?
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Yeah, I'm very well.
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I'm very well.
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Let's dive straight into it.
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Where have you been uh nipping around?
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Yeah, so I managed to just um nibble off a a a new golf course.
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So helps our um year-long quest for the um for the 20 spots.
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Played woke on oh I just breaked it.
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Yeah, no, no, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.
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I just broke it, didn't I?
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I just broke it, went straight in.
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I was getting a bit excitable, you know.
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Um yeah, so completed the three W's now, finally, which is very nice.
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So played Woking um on the weekend and also went back to the just the the world-class Sunningdale, and just the vibe that that place is completely unparalleled.
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And what was really nice was being able to go Woking, you know, really highly rated golf course, very nice golf course, and top caliber of of golf course, golf club, feel everything, and just how Sunningdale just is a completely different beast to anything else.
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It's just the best by a mile.
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Nice.
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Well, so that's interesting.
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I didn't know you were gonna play Bo King, but I actually shared on our Instagram story the uh of kind of picture of the clubhouse because I believe the Westerias out on it at the moment.
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Uh and obviously that clubhouse sits right on 18.
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Am I right in thinking?
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Right on 14th green, and then 18th to the right of it, yeah.
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Nice, and it's in play.
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Oh, it's in blue.
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Uh yeah, well, and and and so I suppose it begs the question what 3W's final rankings, please.
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So I actually got asked this question, and um, we've got obviously a couple of friends at Warclesden, and um they're not happy with my response, let's let's say.
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But needless to say, no one seems to be happy with my rankings going off uh the band and pod that we we delivered.
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So um I still stand by what I said there, and I stand by what I'm about to say now.
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I think we're talking about three very good golf courses, the three in the three W's.
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Um I know each of them all like to think of themselves as the best, which is interesting, and I like it.
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And you know, when they're in that close proximity with each other, I think as a golf course I'm gonna rate on the golf course and I'm gonna go on club.
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That's what I'm gonna go for.
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Yeah.
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So golf course in third is Warplesden, in second is Woking, and top is West Hill, and I'm gonna get killed for that because a lot of people that that won't agree and think Woking's by far and away the best.
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Now I have to caveat I had a bit of a twinge in my back when I played it, so I didn't see the best of Woking because I played it as if I'm an old man and I can't swing.
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Um but I just think West Hill has a bit more about it.
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There's some weak holes on all of the three courses.
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The conditioning of Woking West Hill for me beats out Warpleston.
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Um, so that's why I go go for those.
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In terms of club, interestingly, I'd have West Hill third.
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I would then probably go Woking second because of the two-ball nature, albeit Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, you can play four ball.
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I like to be able to play four ball better ball, favorite favourite style of golf.
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Uh, and then interestingly, if I was to join a course, I would actually join Warpulston because I think it's fun.
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But as in terms of what I think are the best courses, if I was joining a club for the best course, I wouldn't be a member at Roma's surreal.
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So that's that's where I'm at.
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It makes sort of sense.
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So, what are your thoughts on the first at Woking?
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Because that hole kind of divides opinion.
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Some people think it's uh a fun, short, risk reward start, others are like it's just a kind of hole to get you going.
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I heard someone say that because they didn't have a range or don't have a range, that almost the first is the range because it's this just kind of short whack it move on kind of thing.
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Where did you land on the first hole?
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I I I think it's average.
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I think it's an average hole.
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Um, you know, it's 270 yards, but you probably want to land at 230 because it's then all downhill.
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You can't finish short, but it's probably a 230 carry, and then you're on the green part four.
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Green slopes ridiculously front to back.
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And that was something that actually put me off woking a little bit.
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You know, the the green complexes were so severe that I think the members pride themselves on the the green and how the greens and how severe they are, but actually they were uh a little bit on the verge of the ridiculous rather than the sublime.
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And I I felt as though as a members' club that's never gonna host a a massive competition because it just isn't gonna be in the same realms as the these big courses, all you're gonna do is slow down play.
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I guess that's why it's a two-ball course.
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And actually it's just a bit of a grind and sometimes a bit of a joke where you're hitting these puts to.
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Um overall though, I thought it was a sensational test, but that was why it just fell away a little bit for me.
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So, first hole, I would put it down as the third of the three bet of the three W's opening holes.
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It makes sense.
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I saw Crouchy even uh pull trigger in the Sunningdale Pro Shop.
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Did you uh were you in his ear there?
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Were you just were you getting come on, mate?
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Come on, you're not sponsored by Tartus, you're not a pro.
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Buy some merch from a club.
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Yeah, he'd um I actually didn't get in his ear, but he said to me when we were driving down, he was just like, I think I'm gonna pull trigger on my first piece of merch.
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I was like, Well, you know, there's worse places to start, Sunningdale, and he got this nice white cap, and rather than the logo, it was like a a picture of the from the 18th on the old.
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It's a nice cap.
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Yeah, um, it's a nice cap.
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If I hadn't already got some plenty of Sunningdale merch, I might have been tempted to uh to dive into that.
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Nice.
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Well, I I haven't been on quite the adventure.
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I did manage to clip another round at Purdue's Heath, which obviously we played and and and stuck on on YouTube back end of last year.
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So it was nice to get back out there quite quickly.
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And I have to say, like, yeah, we were obviously playing it towards the end of the season.
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Um, I played it, you know, now in the kind of almost the pomp of golf courses in the UK, certainly in the south.
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And um yeah, 4 pm T time on a Saturday, and it was absolutely glorious.
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Like it's it's it's growing on me the more I play at that place.
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Um, you know, we spoke about it before, but that stretch from about six through to 13 is like actually really good.
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Um very, very playable.
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Um and yeah, like you could choose good scores.
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I think if you played there and you'd be really happy doing it.
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So uh so other than that, I I did visit RMS for the first time Sunday, um, which was was nice to at least play once this year after paying my membership fee.
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Um so it was good to nibble one round.
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Um I felt like it was a bit kind of in between the two spring meets, is kind of how I felt.
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But um Sunday next weekend, so it'll be interesting to see what we think of conditioning there afterwards.
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But shall we crescendo quite quickly into PJ Tour stuff?
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Because it was quite an interesting tournament this week, wasn't it?
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It was the truest, yes.
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Um and before we do that, very, very briefly, Jurav Premlal, I probably butchered his name 28 under at El Prat, Estrella Down Masters on the DP World Tour, wins by 14, and at one point is um threatening the 15-shot lead win that Tiger had, which would be the record at the US Open, wins by 14, he was two under after 23 holes.
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He'd have won by four if he'd only played the weekend.
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I mean, that's just like the stat that you've got to do.
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We've just got to call that out before we get to what was a better tournament in the truest for sure.
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Wow, interesting.
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Funnily enough, so El Pratt was where I was there, was a moment in my life where I thought I was going to move to Barcelona, and that is where I was eyeing up.
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Uh, that would have been a slightly different turn in my golfing career, but never happened anyway.
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But uh, that is a good start.
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Yeah, his biggest paycheck had been 21,000 euros before he won the 470k winner's price check this weekend.
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Just not do you know what?
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And and then I think this is a nice segue to tee you up to talking about this weekend just gone.
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But if we go back, we didn't catch up on the Cadillac.
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What a great story.
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The Fitzpatrick younger brother Alex obviously gets in the field, comes night in the Cadillac and picks up a check that's exactly the same, basically, as if he'd have gone to Turkey, which is what he was due to do, and he'd have won there.
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So uh carried a bit of form over, and then obviously into the weekend, just gone.
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Yeah, and God, it would have been great to have seen Alex win.
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It really, really would.
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You know, there were lots of group chats popping off, uh, conversations going, you know, Sheffield Boy, let's get it, let's get another one, another winner uh again.
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What what a great performance, is what I want to start by saying.
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You know, it was a real shame that uh Sunday just was a bridge too far and he didn't have his best, and it was fair to say that he was sort of grinding all day, missed a couple of early early putts that uh on another day they go in, and and was I just I just never quite felt he was gonna do it.
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But the Saturday round of golf was sublime.
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It was really, really an excellent showcase of golf, and it was just a great tournament, great names up there.
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You know, we had Nicolai Huygard, which was great to see, Ricky Fowler coming back, which was fantastic to see.
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Obviously, Alex Fitzpatrick, Christopher Reithand, by the way, he is a killer, he is an absolute certified killer.
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He is going to be he's gonna be a perennial winner.
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I think he's gonna win a lot on the PGA tour.
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I think he's a killer.
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Um, I just really enjoyed it, really enjoyed it.
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And I was looking at, you know, obviously Alex Fitz has got uh three starts, you could argue, on the PGA tour this year so far.
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He's 22nd now on the FedEx Cup already.
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It's already, it's absolutely phenomenal.
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You know, we do a little Dan Brown check every every week that he's playing, and he's down to like a hundred and something.
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Alex is is 22nd in three.
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It just shows what an absolute explosion he's had onto the scene um with the win and then the T9 and then the fourth on his own.
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Just and just brilliant.
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And and like you said, he he played so well for three days, and yeah, it obviously off to a bad start Sunday, really gutsy, I thought, to pull back.
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I think he had three birdies, kind of it was about 11, 12, 13 kind of um space, and obviously was back in the lead um for a period of time on that back nine, and then obviously just fell away with another double um in the in the closing stretch.
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But I think it's gonna put him in good stead going forward, like the amount of times you see someone get that 54-hole lead, fall away a little bit on the Sunday, but you know they've got the rub, you know they've got the rub of being in the chase, in the lead, right when it matters.
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And I do think that I would say more often than not, but a lot of the times you you then are five weeks later and all of a sudden they're in the same position, yet they feel more comfortable, and they actually get it done.
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So, look, if you'd have told him he was going to go ninth-fourth straight out the gate after winning, he'd have probably bitten your arm off.
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Um, and so feeling really good about it, feeling really but good about it going forward.
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And you know, wouldn't be surprised if he if if he clipped another win this year.
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I really wouldn't.
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No, I agreed.
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Yeah, I felt he was just a little bit behind when he didn't birdie 14 or 15.
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Bad chip, bad putt.
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Um, but let's not focus on that.
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Agree with you.
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He's earned what that two million quid, maybe a bit more.
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Yeah, he takes that in three weeks.
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It's a pretty good clip, might even be like 2.8.
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Um, and just as we're closing out before we we bring Alex in, um, another friend of the pod.
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A great week on the challenge tour for Barclay Brown.
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Good stuff, gets gets his start through through the England Gold programme, which is fantastic.
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And um, third, writing in a mountain, tied first going into the last round with Chris Wood, a former Ryder Cup player.
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We have to remember, mixing it with with the best of them.
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Good, solid, four under, bogey free, last day round, not quite enough.
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Shows he's got the form, shows he's got it up the Sheffield boys.
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Let's get into it.
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Yeah, love it for Sheffield Boys, and I will just cap us off now.
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I I feel like we actually haven't really dived into the live topic since the news break with with pulling out and everything else.
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But as it still rumbles on this year, I just want to give a final shout out to Anthony Kim 62 on on uh in the final round in Virginia.
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I mean, what an unbelievable round of golf that was, uh, obviously to help the aces claim the team victory.
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Really interested to see what he does in the aftermath of Live, but I said I think that's uh that's a big topic and for another day.
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So, as you said, from Alex Fitzpatrick, we now go to Alex Wright.
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As you said in the in the intro, Alex is the sorry girl for an Instagram, he's one of my favourite accounts to follow, beautiful photography.
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I I need to get down to West Sussex, which is where he also works as the assistant GM, because he's just regularly feeding the gram with just unbelievable clips of this course.
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Um, and so without further ado, let's get into the interview with Alex Wright.
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Alex Wright, welcome to the pod.
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Cheers, guys.
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Thanks very much for having me.
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Absolute pleasure.
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So, as we've said in the intro, you are the Surrey golfer on Instagram, uh, amateur golf photographer, which uh and one of one of my favourite accounts, I must say, and then you're also the assistant GM at West Sussex, which is an incredibly highly rated golf club, obviously down in the south of England.
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First question to you what currently is the more prized possession?
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The golf clubs or the camera?
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Uh I don't know.
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Maybe in terms of monetary value, they're probably maybe about the same, but um, I don't know.
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It's it's it's a it's a funny one.
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I I really, really enjoy my golf, but I think like over the last couple of years, it's for me, it's like being out on the golf course and being able to take photos is is kind of that elevation of just the whole golf experience for me.
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Like I can walk over a golf course and shoot, you know, 10, 11, 12 over uh and not be mad about it because I've got always got the opportunity to take a photo.
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So it's um yeah, they're good.
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It's a symbiosic relationship at a minute, it's good, it's good fun.
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No, Matt Start getting the camera out if I can do that then.
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The world's angriest golfer, Sato.
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Do you do you ever find that do you do you think like almost you're distracted by the camera at all?
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Or like are you at the point now where you find it's just kind of very much like you're you're in the habit, the camera goes with you, and you kind of seem to do both.
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Because I mean we do you know, we play and we'll play kind of you know competitive tournaments at the golf club, but then we also try and do vlogs, and it it is like a bit of a shift, I find.
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Yeah, it's sometimes that has to go away.
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Um but yeah, I mean, I like you said at the top of the show, I'm I'm an amateur amateur golf and an amateur photographer, and so I don't I don't I'm not competing too much, and I'm fortunate to play in a Folsom's competition you know called the Halford Hewitt, although I haven't been picked for the last couple years because the team's too good and the side's too young.
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Um, but yeah, I mean it wouldn't come along with me like if I was competing or anything like that.
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But the social golf I'd play or hosting people at West Sussex, um, you know, the ability to go out and take camera and it's been really nice and casual.
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That's so I like it.
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Nice.
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Yeah, Josh and I unfortunately didn't go to good enough schools for the health is here.
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I think I believe we both could get into the graphs of Morris, and that's uh yeah that's where we have to apply our trade.
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Yeah, nice.
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Competitive foursoms is is the uh yeah, is uh difficult stuff to you know to play scratch foresomes in what is likely to be testing weather, people watching, uh you know, relying on your playing partner and him relying on you, yeah, tough.
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Yeah, no sorries, of course, is the golden rule.
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Never, never.
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That's agreed before you tear up.
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Yeah.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:18.559
See, I like a couple of sorries in there.
00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.359
I like I like the the fear.
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:30.480
Like there's no sorries until you're absolutely just continuing to put me or I'm putting you in the cabbage, at which case we need some sorries.
00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.400
You know, when I miss my first two footer with a rattlesnake, it's like sorry.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.960
You've got to set expectations, haven't you?
00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:39.519
Absolutely.
00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:49.359
I mean, to set the scene, Josh has the wildest Forsomes partner in the whole golf club at the moment, and so I I assume he's ex at least expecting some sorries along the way.
00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:49.839
Yeah.
00:17:50.079 --> 00:18:02.000
Uh to tell you a story, the the most nervous I've ever been on a golf course was when I played in the Hewitt face first first time I played any Hewitt, so getting picks um was great, but nerve-wracking.
00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:08.400
You stand on that first tee at Rorsing Ports, and you've got the wind coming in like right into you.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.720
Um, or it's kind of into you off the left.
00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:24.319
And if you've ever played at Dill, you've got the clubhouse about 200 yards down the right hand side, OB, and you know, kind of you drive up, and there's 150 people, you know, 70 people on the terrace, 70 people along the uh fairway.
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:38.799
And I and I and I was off on I was playing the odds, so I was teeing off first, and if you draw the match after 18, you have to go back down one again to play hole 19, and then 20, or however many holes you need to finish the match.
00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:52.400
So I was standing on the tee, nervous already, and the first first match came off 18 that's had to wait a little bit longer, and then another one came off 18, had to wait a little bit longer, and yeah, hitting that T shot with that wind, with people watching.
00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:54.720
Oh, I I've never been so nervous.
00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:03.680
Something scabby, low off the hill, you know, first cut fair way down the right, it was was enough, but yeah, shaking, shaking in my boots.
00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.400
I was gonna say, where did it end up with that with that build-up?
00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:08.799
Yeah, I know, it could have been terrible.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:16.240
And literally, when we when we turned up um to the club, we saw we saw balls bouncing down the road and then bouncing back inbound.
00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:18.319
So it's all possible.
00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:20.000
Fly me.
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:22.079
All right, let's let's take it back a couple of steps.
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.359
Like, set the scene for us.
00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.039
Like, where did golf enter your life?
00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:26.400
Where did photography come in?
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:35.200
Like, how you know what's the journey to get to the point now where, like you said, you're you're kind of in the industry, and obviously you've got an Instagram page that you kind of invested a decent amount of time into.
00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:38.640
Yeah, I mean, golf has always been uh part of my life.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:45.599
Lucky my dad took me and my brother down to a little nine-hole at the time called Huntswood, just the other side of Burning Beaches.
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.160
Great little course, Parkland course, and yeah, so got golf very quickly become part of our sporting activities as two brothers.
00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:15.599
Um, and then we kind of continued to play summer holidays, school teams, uh, and then I went to university, founded the Golf Society of University, which was great fun three years ago in Bristol, and then um then I got a job, and so so golf, golf was always I always wanted to do something in golf.
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:23.599
Um, I just I felt like for me I could, you know, sell miles bars in a pro shop, sit in a mow at 4am in the morning and be happy.
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:35.440
I just wanted to kind of do something in golf, but um, you know, picked up a job in the city working as a planning consultant, ran the company golf days, so tried to do as much as I possibly could do despite not being in golf.
00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:39.599
And then during COVID, had a bit of a rethink.
00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:49.519
Um, and yeah, I really wasn't enjoying my job at the time, and yeah, kind of had a period where didn't know what I wanted to do.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:57.920
I remember chat chatting with my wife in in our bedroom, and uh I was looking for another planning job, and she was like, Don't you dare.
00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:59.200
What do you want to do?
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:01.279
And uh the golf was an obvious answer.
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:15.200
So, you know, we sat on the end of the bed, we prayed, opened up the bi uh opened up the Bible, opened up our laptop, and literally like the first thing that we saw was this job at a golf club four minutes down the road called Purford Lakes.
00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:28.319
Um golf post-COVID was going crazy, so it was all baptism and fire in terms of you know how to how to run a golf club and what needs to be done, and you know, all agronomies, sales, all all of the above.
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:35.759
And yeah, very luck, very lucky, very fortunate to work at Purford at a time where um so much was going on.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:43.519
So had four years at Purford, um, and that was at the brand about the time that I started the Instagram account, the Surrey Golfer.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:44.960
Uh started on Twitter.
00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:46.319
I did a lot of writing before.
00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:50.559
I wish I did more now, but time has got in the way, other things have got in the way.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:59.359
So it started on Twitter writing, blog posts, um, and then you know, somebody said, uh, you know, Twitter's not the place for photographs, get yourself on Instagram.
00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:00.640
So That's what I did.
00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:02.240
And then then that's how it started.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.920
And and yeah, then uh succession of jobs came up.
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:10.640
I short stitch at Brockett Hall and now at West Sussex and count myself very fortunate.
00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:10.880
Yeah.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:16.400
We've actually just nipped the um head green keeper from Brocket Hall at the club that we're a member at.
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:16.880
Okay.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:17.759
Where where are you?
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:18.400
I I remember.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.400
What what's his name, Josh?
00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:21.680
Graham.
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.319
Graham.
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:23.200
Graham Graham.
00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:23.440
Yeah.
00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:23.599
Yeah.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:24.079
Graham.
00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:25.039
Yeah, we're at Royal McGround.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:25.599
Graham Downs.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.960
Ah, okay, yeah, Graham Downs.
00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:27.920
Graham's a great guy.
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.680
His brother's Graham's brother founded Black Bear Burger.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:32.400
Yeah.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.279
Really?
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.119
That's good intel.
00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:37.039
Yes, good knowledge that.
00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:38.960
No, he's really, really good guy.
00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:39.759
Really good guy.
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:42.880
Yeah, he's come in and the family are just completing side quests.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:44.240
You know, I love that.
00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:46.880
Yeah, no, but no, that's good stuff.
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.079
Yeah, Graham's good.
00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:55.359
Yeah, he came in, so at Mid Sorry, we had a big problem because we're on the Thames, so we're in the floodplain, and then that we had flooding issues, etc.
00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:55.759
etc.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.559
And so he's kind of come into a bit of a kind of ugly child, I suppose.
00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:06.960
Um, but just come in and made lots of really sensible decisions, and I think that's just all you can ask for when someone comes in like that.
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:19.599
It is, and that that's when you know have so many clubs out there that have had green keepers, it's the type of job where you know that somebody will get not comfortable but really familiar with with the site and they've stayed there for a long time.
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:32.079
And what you know, if that person retires or moves on to a different job, a kind of fresh pair of eyes at a golf course that you know, in that that first couple of years, there's a bit of a honeymoon phase and some really quick wins start to happen.
00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:35.440
And um, yeah, I hope I hope it does for Roman Sarra.
00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:36.079
That'd be great.
00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:36.960
Fingers crossed.
00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:39.920
And so when did you then finally make the move across to West Sussex?
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:42.559
And like, was is that a club that was on your radar before?
00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.799
Like, you know, we we kind of hawk the rankings, like we know where it is, like it's very much on our radar, but was it on yours?
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.759
Uh it was.
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:54.799
I was very lucky when I played for our school team again in the Forsms competition.
00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:57.519
Uh I played West Sussex when I was about 14.
00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:07.680
Um, and I remember it being, you know, a pretty foggy memory of what it was like, but I remember it being, you know, Purple Heather, it being Heathland, remember playing terrible golf.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.680
But I just remember it being lovely.
00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:14.640
And then maybe about three or four years ago, I became friends with a couple of members.
00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:21.759
I had a couple of outings there, but I remember kind of one time working in the industry, you're very lucky.
00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:28.240
You get you can get to play some amazing places through just a it's through just a polite email and a and a request.
00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:29.839
And the industry is great for that.
00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:38.720
And I remember sending uh the secretary an email, you know, one one early August, uh, early August day, and you know, I said, look, I'm just on my own.
00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:40.880
Can I come down at 4 30?
00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.960
And you know, won't won't get in anybody's way.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:45.359
And the secretary very kindly said, yes, of course.
00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:55.680
And I I played this round in like the most incredible light, uh, and I just thought to myself, what an incredible place, like so much better than I ever remembered it.
00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:03.519
And five months later the job came up, and so uh, and then yeah, so I've been at West Sussex pretty much a year, almost a year to the day.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.279
Well, just over a year to the day.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.160
Amazing.
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.720
And so you mentioned there that kind of header you described a little bit.
00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:13.279
I mean, someone who's not played there, like you know, s sell the West Sussex dream to us.
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:15.839
It's my job, so I should be good at this, shouldn't I?
00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:20.160
So um, but it's it actually almost comes down to the logo.
00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:24.880
So it's we've got quite a like famous logo, I'd say, but nice and simple.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:27.440
It's just the shield with three colours.
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:36.079
You've got the kind of iridescent purple, which is the heather, uh, and then you've got the the yellow, which is actually gorse.
00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:49.759
Most people think it's the sand because it's an incredibly sandy site, but it's for the gorse, and then green uh for the pine trees, and that's that's it, like golf's best tapestry for you know, it's incredible golf, really, really, really firm.
00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:54.079
It is at the minute, it's playing like mid-July at the minute with a lack of rain.
00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:57.279
Um four mil of rain in April, 40 mil in March.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:11.839
It's been you know, it's been a bit of a topsy-turvy start, but um, yeah, firm and fast conditions, like beautiful heather heather-fringed bunkers, and it's very unique at West Sussex because we are fairway than heather.
00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:13.440
There's no first cut anywhere.
00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:19.759
So short grass, you know, play the ground game, and it's stunning, but it's difficult, it can be difficult.
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:26.160
And then you've got the added uniqueness of it being a par 68 with only one par five, and it is so it is a test.
00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:27.759
It's a test, it's a great test.
00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:29.759
I love love that it sounds great.
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:36.400
I've all I always, whenever I've seen the logo, and now that you've explained the logo, that that's even cooler, to be honest.
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.319
I always just thought it was like the Belgian flag.
00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:42.720
I thought there was maybe like an affinity to Belgium from somewhere, and I didn't know what why it was.
00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:47.519
Like, yeah, it's uh it's it's interesting to hear that they're those those three different colours.
00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:53.440
Um so two ball golf course, we're right.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.640
And and that's all week round.
00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:58.000
All week round.
00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.440
There's very, very few exceptions, and mainly for member competitions.
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:04.000
There's the odd, you know, Christmas scramble, for example.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:07.440
But yeah, two-ball golf, um, which is unique.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.160
There's maybe us and two or three others in the country.
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:21.680
But it a lot of it has to do obviously traditions, uh golf course, you know, started in 1930 and two ball golf was was there from the outset.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:26.079
Uh, but it's also to play four ball golf around there is is is difficult.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:28.720
The routing is really intimate, you know.
00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:35.920
The green to tea transitions are really short and beautiful, and so you know, four-bolf actually, the golf courses are designed for it.
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:42.720
Um, and you know, with foursoms and walking ahead and keeping up pace of play, that's that's that's all what it's about.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:50.160
So there are occasions where you may ask a member how they played, and the answer is very well, Alex, three hours fifteen.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:54.000
Um, but yeah, it's it's fantastic.
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.039
It's great to go out there you know in a two-ball late afternoon.
00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:58.160
It's the best time.
00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:05.440
Uh so it's a next question, but kind of building on that, is we you know, neither of us play at a two-ball golf club.
00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.240
What do you actually see?
00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:08.240
Is it mainly two players going out?
00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:11.200
How often do you see Forsim's games rolling out?
00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:17.759
Um it's mainly it's mainly member play, but you know, some of our best society days.
00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:24.240
We've got we've got Mashey uh hosting a day with us uh I think this week, actually, Wednesday.
00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:33.519
And so their itinerary is they they go off in two balls in the morning, have a fantastic lunch, two balls carvery, they get dressed up a little bit for lunch, and then go and play Forsomes afterwards.
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:38.000
And that that kind of concoction is is really, really good fun.
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.960
You know, it's 36 holes are not slog, get to play half the shots in the afternoon, and yeah, it's it's a really good choice.
00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:47.440
But it's it's mainly member play for Forsomes, I would say.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:57.119
Visitors just want to play the rainbow because I I have to say, so I um I was chatting to a member there, and I I believe you you can tell us in more detail.
00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:58.960
I think it's your men's dinner.
00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:09.200
At your men's dinner, do you not just you do so you do a random pairings draw and then the next day everyone goes out in like a men's dinner full competition or something like that?
00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:10.240
That is a great event.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:11.119
That is a great event.
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:18.000
It's a it's a black tie dinner on I think it's gonna be it'd be on the Friday, um, you know, full course jobe.
00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:19.839
So you you know get really stuck in.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.720
Great wine.
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:21.759
We're very lucky.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:31.359
We have great wine list, and uh, and so yeah, we then do a draw, uh like a random, random draw, pretty much, and yeah, then they all go out in the morning.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:38.400
So uh as a as an office and club employee, it's a long couple of days for me, but uh it's it's great.
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:52.240
The next day to be you know paired up and it's completely random, and then there is also an unofficial tote that goes on in the evening, so it's a little bit of a little bit of betting on on the best pair or what pair the members think will win.
00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:53.759
So it's great fun.
00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:55.599
Love it.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.960
Um, and then yeah, I was wondering if you're gonna touch on the spot the par 68.
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:00.640
So it's one par five, is it?
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:02.400
Where where does the par five come?
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:05.440
Because I I'm a big par five position person.
00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:09.680
Like we have a par five at the second whole rule, Monsari, and it comes too early.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.000
It'd be an amazing hole if it was 16-17.
00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:16.480
You're chasing a score, but it's kind of like a uh uh like and you just kind of play at the three-shotter, and that's it.
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:17.839
Where is your par five?
00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:18.880
Is it gettable?
00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:22.559
It is gettable, it's straight off the bat, it's hole one.
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:31.440
So no, like it's really it's really interesting though, because golf courses designed around that time didn't have practice facilities.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:37.039
So our range, and we're very lucky, our practice facilities are fantastic, and they're right next to the club.
00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:49.920
And you think, oh, it's gonna be this way since day one, but no, it used to be an airfield, um, and so historically, first holes you always had that gentle handshake opener, and that was basically your practice hole.
00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:54.079
You know, you got it out of the way, you had two swings at it, and off you go.
00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:59.759
So, yeah, it's a it's about 470, 480 yard par five.
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:05.920
And you know, at the minute it's a it's it's a driver, driver A tie, um, with our firm it is at the minute.
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.119
So it's very gettable.
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:12.480
We had a member making albatross last week, so it's uh yeah, it's it's a great hole.
00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:23.359
It's a really, really good start, and it can, you know, if you make par there, you're a bit like it's gonna be difficult to try and you know pick up that birdie somewhere else in the course, but it's a good start.
00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:24.079
Love it.
00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:28.000
Um and then last thing coming on West Sussex, I just want to touch on and ask you what it was like.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:31.920
I'm pretty sure you played in it, um, if I remember correctly, from your Instagram.
00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:33.920
You had one of the cookie jar events there.
00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.359
Yeah, how was that?
00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:36.400
Yeah, it was good.
00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:37.519
It was really good actually.
00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:43.920
Uh she fell on my 30th birthday, so it was a good day all round, and I may or may not have actually won the event.
00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:47.680
So I'm gonna speak very highly I'm gonna speak very highly of it.
00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:56.480
Um, but yeah, we're we're lucky we uh Cookie Jar were um employed by the business uh by the club just before I started.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:02.480
So they manage our social media account along with a bit of content generation for myself when needed.
00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:07.039
Um and yeah, they they hosted an invitational Forsomes event.
00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:08.480
It's it's fantastic.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:17.519
Get stuck in at lunch, like I said, in the dining room, go out, play Forsomes are kind of the real essence of the club, and uh very fortunate to come away with a with a W.
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:18.559
So it's good fun.
00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:25.039
I was gonna say, I was pretty sure there was a picture of you sat on the lift of a bunker somewhere holding a trophy.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:28.559
So obviously a bit of local knowledge shone through on that day.
00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:30.480
It helps, yeah, it helps.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:32.799
Um nice, cool.
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:40.480
All right, let's let's kind of move away from West Sussex because you're obviously an avid golfer uh and have played a lot of very good golf courses.
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:46.880
Thought we'd just touch on a recent trip you just did um down to the Kent coast, if you will.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:50.240
What were the highlights from that from that little little jaunt?
00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:53.759
Um it was incredibly windy, I could tell you that.
00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.480
I think we had 50 mile an hour winds at Raw St.
00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:57.039
George's.
00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:58.720
Thank goodness the ruffles down.
00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:00.640
Um but I love it down there.
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:11.440
I'm very fortunate that I get to spend a fair bit of time down there each year, um, whether it's the Hewitt or um a bit of alumni golf or or just kind of knowing a few people down at the club.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:26.799
And so yeah, we went down there on the on the Wednesday um and I took a few colleagues down there, so it was a little bit of you know learning best practice and sharing some trade secrets and hospitality and good agronomy and all of the above.
00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:29.599
And um yeah, played 18 at Royal St.
00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:30.079
George's.
00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:33.039
It was fantastic, it's it's in the best condition it's ever been at the minute.
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:38.880
Um I used to be a a country member at Hailing and West and uh Royal St.
00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:47.839
George's uh nabbed the Haling head cook head head course manager at the time, and Greg Easton him he's his eye for detail has been superb.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:50.720
So um yeah, Royal St George's members are very lucky.
00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:52.720
They were lucky already, but they're even luckier now.
00:33:53.119 --> 00:34:00.400
Golf course is fantastic, and and so yeah, we had some great hosts down there, the Pro Shop guys, especially Harry and the Pro Shop, he was great.
00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:06.000
And um, yeah, we're we're fortunate to to know um the McGurk family.
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:08.880
Uh so they put us up at Prince's, which was lovely.
00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:11.280
Um, yeah, don't so don't take that for granted.
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:15.760
And and we managed to get out for nine holes in uh late afternoon at Prince's.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.360
So that was Wednesday, which was really, really nice, and um had a good you know, got stuck in at dinner.
00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:25.920
And if you ever stayed at a lodge there at Prince's, got a bar, yeah, brilliant.
00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:32.480
You got all the the bar the memorabilia around and Arsenal and the telly and I'm a I'm a Guna, so that was that was good.
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:34.320
That's a shame, isn't it?
00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:36.480
Oh, it's such a shame.
00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:52.239
And uh yeah, and then we you know we we got up nice and early and played and managed to hop across the deal on on the Thursday and I think yeah, uh Rorsing Ports is fantastic, full of full of funk and quirk and a bit less windy, so you could play the shots you wanted to play.
00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.920
That's great, a great trip.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:35:06.639
If you have to rank the three, are you would you conform with what people who are not gonna hear what you were gonna say just yet, would you stick with what people would suspect, or do you have a slightly different ranking of the three?
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:13.519
I think yeah, I think when I first started playing those courses, I think Deal probably picked it for me.
00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:15.760
Um I didn't quite get Raw St.
00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:17.199
George's the first time around.
00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:19.119
It was you know, Raw St.
00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:24.960
Ports is out and back, it's um it's really funky, but you can kind of see it all in front of you.
00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:27.280
Whereas, you know, at Raw St.
00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:29.679
George's there's a lot lurking that you don't know.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:35.440
But over time, the more and more I play it, I think Raw St.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:38.400
George's maybe just gets it, just gets it.
00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:41.440
But there is and and and there's something to be said for Raw St.
00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:47.920
George's, you know, how the routing changes direction all the time, you don't have that battle coming in, that's just an excuse.
00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:50.480
You don't have that battle coming in like you do at Dill.
00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:58.719
Um, it's kind of all all all over the place, so you're playing lots of different different shots, and at Dill you just gotta hang on for dear life when you're coming home.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:02.000
So it but it but it's great with it, it's a fantastic feature.
00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:05.280
But yeah, close, but Wilson Georges gets it for it.
00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:06.719
Nice, yeah.
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:08.079
We can grid that.
00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:14.639
And and I think for anyone that hasn't played them and wants to get a flavour of them, head over to your Instagram page.
00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:21.360
Like absolutely amazing, amazing shots from from all of them, great carousels, and uh you know, wanting it back to West Sussex.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:29.840
You you treat us about once a week, it feels to an early morning shot or whatever it might be, uh, just to kind of wet the whistle, which is uh is always nice.
00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.400
For the for the for the photographers that might be listening, what are you using?
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:38.480
Like what like what what settings are you putting in place to to get pictures looking like that?
00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:45.119
Well, I I did a bit of research before I picked up the camera, so I think I I picked up my camera, where are we?
00:36:45.280 --> 00:36:46.800
Uh about a year and a half ago.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:37:00.639
So up until that point, it was purely iPhone stuff, and uh I found that you know the iPhones have got so much better with photography, but I was nowhere near using it to its you know to its eighth degree.
00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:03.920
Um I just found found something that worked and that people liked.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:13.679
It was you know going to the 70 mil aperture length within within the iPhone, it's brought things into you know a nicer field, it wasn't flat.
00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:19.679
So that's I just wanted to replicate that with the camera that I picked up and I've got it here in preparation.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:37.119
So it's a Fuji XT5, so it's got that kind of classic look to it, but fully digital, and it's got a it's got a 65mm lens on it, so fixed aperture, and what I really love about it is that it makes me move around the subject.
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:43.760
It's hasn't got a zoom lens, I'm not compromising, I've got to go and get the shot, which is nice, great.
00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:45.119
I really enjoy doing that.
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:54.079
Um and Fujifilm, if you if you've looked into Fuji at all, the in inbuilt recipes, basic filters, are fantastic.
00:37:54.239 --> 00:37:58.079
You really don't need to do very much with them in post, although I do.
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:08.960
Um yeah, it's it's pretty easy to take take a shot, have it attached to your bag or or in your hand as you walk, and it's not a big piece of kit.
00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:11.360
So yeah, like perfect.
00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:21.119
And so an interesting kind of wrinkle to all of the photography stuff that I've been seeing is by the looks of it, you're you're starting to work with more and more golf brands.
00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:30.239
Um Stitch, Glenmour, I don't know if there's any others, but keen to understand kind of how that came about, like who are you actively working with now?
00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:41.679
Like, I I I I'm a big fan of Stitch, and I I remember you put a picture up being like I'm season ready kind of thing, and it was like bag, hold all that kind of stuff, and it just looked it just looked quality.
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:54.480
Yeah, I just lucky with really how the how the platform was grown organically, and their brands want to want to use certain platforms um to reach an audience.
00:38:54.639 --> 00:39:04.159
Um I don't need to tell you guys, you know, it's it it helps having a decent audience, and if you can take a picture, then they're kind of willing to send you send you little bits here and there.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:07.280
But um, yeah, Stitch is Stitch is great.
00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:15.920
Um I think like best polo shirt in golf potentially, with the you know, button-down collar keeps it nice and stiff, and uh you know, bags are great.
00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.480
I used to have a Tightless Lynx legend.
00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:20.719
I still do, it's in fantastic condition.
00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:25.199
I still still use it every now and then, but yeah, the Stitch, I think it's the Gen 2.
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:28.480
Um it's yeah, fantastic bag, really good.
00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:37.599
Um, but yeah, just being able to take a good photo, I think you know, brands have kind of their their eyes have been opened, especially with user-generated content.
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:46.880
You know, I can get it in my hand and it can look quite authentic with with me using it and just putting it organically into posts, um, which has worked quite well.
00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:48.000
It's good fun.
00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:51.199
Yeah, I I think the stitch clothing is underrated.
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:57.760
I I think at the moment in the UK, people even the bag stitch is really only starting to make its way into the UK.
00:39:57.840 --> 00:39:59.360
It's obviously much bigger in America.
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:07.599
I think people are still thinking bags first of them, but I I think we will see more and more of their clothing come into the into the market.
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:09.440
Do you have it in the pro shop at West Sussex?
00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:11.920
Yeah, we have uh only recently the last couple of weeks.
00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:21.280
So we've got a small capsule there, um, it's going well, and all their um kind of hand luggage stuff as well, all the like rucksacks and uh suit carry stuff.
00:40:21.360 --> 00:40:23.519
It's really nice, really high quality stuff.
00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:24.400
So yeah, good.
00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:25.199
It is indeed.
00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.679
And if Stitch are listening to this, Josh and I would also love to have some Stitch gear.
00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:32.159
So please, please reach out and get in touch.
00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:35.039
Uh so final question: who's your dream brand?
00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:41.039
Who who would you love to open your DMs and see has entered them and wanted to work with you?
00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:42.960
That's a great question.
00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:44.639
That's a great question.
00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:51.360
I think the the qu the overall quality and like this the style of Peter Millar is is great.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:55.119
Um, but they don't even work with pro golfers, let alone little old me.
00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:58.880
So um uh it's probably not gonna happen, but who knows?
00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:01.920
Um but yeah, I Peter Millar are really classy.
00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:04.079
I like I like what they do.
00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:07.599
Um but it's more I love I love my travel.
00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:16.960
If I can you know travel a little bit more and play golf and take my family with me, it's doing a little bit of that rather than you know the physical the physical gear.
00:41:17.039 --> 00:41:21.199
And I'm lucky, I'm I'm you know I'm I'm set for the season and then she's beyond.
00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:26.800
So it's about getting out, taking small photos, taking my family with me, and seeing, seeing what we could do.
00:41:27.039 --> 00:41:27.599
Very good.
00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.400
All right, well, I think you've kind of segued us beautifully there.
00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:31.760
Let's get into some golf travel.
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:34.159
Um, because that's obviously what we like to talk about.
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:37.519
I'm gonna pose you the question, I'm hoping I hope you're prepared.
00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:39.599
What is your favourite golf destination?
00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:40.480
Like, where have you been?
00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:45.920
What just sits number top of the list as the place that if anyone asks you the question, where should I go next?
00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:47.280
That's where you tell them.
00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:50.639
Gosh, yeah, I I have I have thought about it.
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:56.079
I think like personally for me, like Costa del Sol's got so much nostalgia for me.
00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:59.679
It was somebody somewhere that we went as a family every year.
00:41:59.840 --> 00:42:10.079
Literally, I went every summer since I was four months old, and so we got to know it like the back of our hand, and then I met my now wife, and literally two weeks before I met her, her parents picked up a place out there.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:11.920
It's like brilliant, nice.
00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:15.840
Uh and so the but the golf courses out there are fantastic.
00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:26.159
It's not it's not your sari golf, it's not your next golf, but the quality of golf out there and just the general enjoyment is is brilliant, and so nobody's gonna have a bad time when they're going to play golf out there.
00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:28.960
So uh easy answer potentially.
00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:37.039
Um, but last year I was lucky enough to uh be invited to go and visit Comporter, so Portugal's new golf destination.
00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:40.960
Uh two new courses down there, Terrace to Comporta and and Torre.
00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:44.320
Sergio Garcia's kind of first first design.
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:50.400
But that that whole stretch of coastland south of Lisbon, just before you get to the Algarve, is stunning.
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:59.199
Epic, epic beaches, crazy duneland, like the most perfect flora tapestry for golf you can you can imagine.
00:42:59.360 --> 00:43:04.800
So unbelievable that you've only had one or two golf golf courses in the destination up until now.
00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:13.360
But yeah, that that terroristic comporter and what they're building around the hotels, the restaurants, everything, it's yeah, what just based in the next 10 years.
00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:14.000
Yeah.
00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:16.239
Yeah, a couple of bits to jump in there.
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:21.119
I was actually just whilst we're talking, I thought terroristic is it's now number one in Portugal, isn't it?
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:25.119
Yeah, just had just as so they're clearly doing a phenomenal job.
00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:29.599
And as much as doing a great job in Portugal, it's always nice.
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.800
I have also been brought up in a family that loves the Costa del Sol.
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:40.480
So we're gonna have to start talking a bit of a bit of beautiful, beautiful Spain.
00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:44.639
Where about uh what was the course that you remember playing the most?
00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:47.760
We've all got one that kind of sort of the family ended up at.
00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:49.039
What's your favourite?
00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:52.480
Maybe it's the obvious answer, but maybe just get a feel from you.
00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:54.880
What are the sort of the hidden gems in your eyes?
00:43:55.599 --> 00:44:02.639
A big hidden gem for me, and um, like yeah, I kind of recommended it to a couple of friends at the Start of the year and they went and they had a great time.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:05.440
So um I'm lucky, lucky that they enjoyed it.
00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:14.159
Is Santana so yeah, Santana, like just just north of Mijas, you kind of come off that Mijas road, like just go towards Lakala.
00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:17.679
Before you get to Lakala, there's a little old course called Santana.
00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:22.239
And so it's it's through an old avocado farm.
00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:26.480
So it's got these like beautiful ruins that are probably from old farmhouses.
00:44:26.639 --> 00:44:28.159
Uh and it yeah, it's beautiful.
00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:33.280
You've got like big um eucalyptus trees are overarching the fairways.
00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:34.239
It's it's stunning.
00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:42.400
But and the clubhouse is really small, really good food, good wine, you know, 12 euros after you're around, you get a couple of plates of tap house and a beer.
00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:46.880
It's it's fantastic and got some good good family memories there.
00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:54.800
So I got married in August 2023, and we stayed just up kind of up the road from Santana.
00:44:55.039 --> 00:44:57.280
Um, in in a lot in where do we go?
00:44:57.360 --> 00:44:59.679
I can't remember now, but just up the road from Santana.
00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:05.360
And um my wife was very generous enough to allow me to play golf in the morning of my wedding.
00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:06.960
Um we all there's an excuse.
00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:08.000
You were McDonald's.
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:13.039
Yeah, we were we were all staying in the same place, so I had to leave in order for her to get ready.
00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:14.719
That that's uh that's what I'm telling myself.
00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:29.599
Uh and and we played 18 holes, and um I I I I hit this shot on the ninth hole, so 130 yards in, nine-nine, and a slam dunk for an Eagle 2 in the morning of my wedding and destroy destroy the cup.
00:45:29.760 --> 00:45:30.880
So good stories there.
00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:33.280
My dad's had a hole in one there, so yeah.
00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:38.320
If you're asking for a hidden gem in the Costa del Soul, that's that's the one.
00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:40.079
Question to you, Josh.
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:42.559
Would you want to play golf in the morning for your wedding?
00:45:42.880 --> 00:46:01.039
I'd want to play in the morning and the afternoon because I'm I'm a bit of a post-golf napper, and I've always thought to myself, like, I like the I like the romantic idea of playing golf the morning of my wedding, but I actually just feel like I'd be like getting going at the wedding and just being like, I could do a 45-minute lie down here.
00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:04.320
The adrenaline kicks in carries me.
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.880
So I'm favourite course.
00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:15.519
Sorry, I'm actually I'm actually going to that coast of Spain for the first time on Friday.
00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:20.000
So so the fact that Josh loves it and I'm going for the first time is actually the perfect destination.
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:21.840
Sorry, Josh, I interrupted you.
00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:23.199
No, no problem at all.
00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:25.519
I was just gonna say favourite course down there.
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:26.559
Is it the obvious?
00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:31.119
Is it Valderama, or are there some others that tickle you tickle your fancy?
00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:39.199
Yeah, I think it's it's got to be Valderama, just like quality of the turf, and yeah, it's it doesn't get much better than that.
00:46:39.599 --> 00:46:41.039
Just yeah, walk around there.
00:46:41.199 --> 00:46:43.199
I was lucky the last time I played there.
00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:45.760
Um again, working in industry, it helps.
00:46:45.840 --> 00:46:52.400
Uh I was f first out, myself and a caddy, 8am, just me and the green keepers, it's fantastic.
00:46:52.639 --> 00:46:53.119
Loved it.
00:46:53.199 --> 00:46:59.039
It's Maggie, it's it's it's got a vibe very similar to the well, you know, those elite clubs that we've all been to.
00:46:59.119 --> 00:47:07.039
And just before you were on, we were talking about Sunningdale and it's got those sorts of vibes where it's just quietly just special.
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:18.159
And you just know it from the special Valderaram, you drive up the patio, drive up the the little road, and you got the flags and the the range is right in front of you, and just right from the get-go, it has those touches, doesn't it?
00:47:18.320 --> 00:47:20.639
It's it's a joke, it's a joke, good.
00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:28.400
Um have you have you played a couple of the other the other big the big boys down there in Salta Grande and uh Finca?
00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:33.519
Yeah, uh Salta Grande is probably the one that I haven't played yet, but Sandrocket old.
00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:38.000
I played before their recent renovation, so really keen to get back there and see that.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:40.800
Uh and yeah, we we played Finca as a family.
00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:47.119
Yeah, big site, big site, and I remember I remember yeah, good times there, good thinkers great.
00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:48.320
Love it.
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:58.400
Yeah, it's could talk about it for for hours and hours and hours, but um yeah, needless to say, I'm I'm with you on the Costa del Sol as uh as a go-to vibe.
00:47:58.639 --> 00:48:01.280
Yeah, so let's so let's build out Costa del Sol a little bit.
00:48:01.360 --> 00:48:07.360
So if if you were to to recommend to a listener hadn't been before, how many days would you set aside?
00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:08.559
What's the itinerary?
00:48:08.639 --> 00:48:15.920
And if I could get you to, you know, pick pick the golf courses you'd send them to, and then maybe a restaurant, maybe a bar that that you can't miss out as well.
00:48:16.079 --> 00:48:16.960
Yeah, easily.
00:48:17.119 --> 00:48:20.159
Um try not to fall into linakers, that would be the best.
00:48:23.360 --> 00:48:25.599
You're not playing golf the next day if you do.
00:48:27.119 --> 00:48:45.280
So I'd I'd try and plonk myself in a lower, lovely residential area, just just kind of up the road from Port of Benoit, so in a real hub, but far enough away that you're not on the first line or the second line, you know, you're just up the hill a little bit, which is nice, and then all round there, you you don't have to travel too far.
00:48:45.440 --> 00:48:51.039
You've got kind of three courses right there, in my opinion, that that you don't need to go anywhere else.
00:48:51.119 --> 00:48:57.679
So you've got the the West Inn, which is three nines there, which is attached to the Western Hotel, so it's the La Quinta.
00:48:58.239 --> 00:49:04.639
Um, yeah, three nines there, so you can have kind of endless combinations of of golf there, which is great.
00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:11.679
Um uh then the second one would be Los Naranjos, terrible Spanish accent, but Los Naranjos.
00:49:12.079 --> 00:49:16.639
So it's Swedish islands, we've big Swedish cohort in uh in Marbs.
00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:19.920
Um, but they they they do their golf very well, they love their golf.
00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:22.079
So yeah, that that golf course is fantastic.
00:49:22.159 --> 00:49:24.719
I've seen it's I think it's seen itself on the LET tour.
00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:30.079
So um yeah, great golf course, it's amazing backdrops with Lahancia in the background.
00:49:30.239 --> 00:49:41.199
Um, but the the kind of the best one in the area is is uh Las Brisas, and that's gone through a major renovation period, um maybe about two or three years ago now, and that's fantastic.
00:49:41.280 --> 00:49:42.320
Uh it's so good.
00:49:42.400 --> 00:49:54.719
The bunkering is superb, it's it's you know a lot more kind of intricate and more refined than maybe some of the other just you know classic Spanish golf courses down there that are geared up for tourism.
00:49:54.800 --> 00:49:56.719
It's it's a real members' club.
00:49:56.880 --> 00:49:59.039
Um and yeah, brilliant.
00:50:00.159 --> 00:50:03.039
And and restaurant, restaurant, restaurant.
00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:04.639
Gosh, there's so many.
00:50:04.880 --> 00:50:13.760
Um yeah, I think Chocolate there's a Chocodiro you've got an Estipona, or there's also one a little bit further down the road near a golf course called Rio Real.
00:50:13.920 --> 00:50:14.400
That's great fun.
00:50:14.559 --> 00:50:17.920
You're just on the beach and um just had a great time.
00:50:18.159 --> 00:50:21.440
Paella over a fire on the beach doesn't get much better than that.
00:50:21.519 --> 00:50:23.599
So yeah, that's a big recommendation.
00:50:23.679 --> 00:50:29.519
And then if you want to go and have breakfast before the round, go to breathe on the roundabout, just just where a lower is.
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:30.639
Yeah, it's a good bet.
00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:34.880
I mean, I'm honest, I'm I'm I'm pitching this as if I'm asking it for the listener's benefit.
00:50:34.960 --> 00:50:36.239
I'm actually just asking it for my benefit.
00:50:36.320 --> 00:50:41.599
I'm playing a Los Naranios on day, which I'm looking forward to very much, and I need some restaurant recommendations.
00:50:41.760 --> 00:50:44.800
Josh, have you got any restaurant recommendations just to cap it off?
00:50:45.280 --> 00:51:05.519
Yeah, so um there's there's a new one that's called um La Mama, which is just up from Breve, and then obviously to Breve, you've got Breve La Sala, and um one that's owned by La Sala next to it, which are all decent, and then just up the road, closer to a Lower Gardens where you're alluding to there, Alex.
00:51:05.679 --> 00:51:12.480
Um I think it's called um it's part, I think it's part of the big mama group that's the Italians, so they're that's good.
00:51:12.559 --> 00:51:20.400
And then if you're a bit off the beaten track, for me, the the best restaurant in the area is Los Abonicos up in Benevis.
00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:23.119
Really Spanish, really traditional.
00:51:23.280 --> 00:51:25.840
Um, it's down this little cobbled street.
00:51:25.920 --> 00:51:32.400
They don't they don't accept online bookings, they don't want your business, it's just a word of mouth thing.
00:51:32.639 --> 00:51:44.960
Ah, the food's sensational, really Spanish, but um yeah, love love what love what you're doing with with Los Aryan Cosas Breesas, uh La Quinta, albeit La Quinta's needs a little facelift here and there.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:48.159
I would say Rio Real that you mentioned is is a great sub in as well.
00:51:48.320 --> 00:51:49.840
Yeah, just a great area.
00:51:51.280 --> 00:51:54.559
Yeah, yeah, it's very good, very good.
00:51:55.039 --> 00:51:58.559
Well, safe to say I'm very excited to get out there.
00:51:58.719 --> 00:52:02.480
Um, Josh, anything final before we we move to our parting question?
00:52:03.599 --> 00:52:13.440
Yeah, I actually just want to um obviously seeing your quest for getting the playing England's top 100 again.
00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:16.079
I'd love just just two questions to ask.
00:52:16.480 --> 00:52:16.880
Three actually.
00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:17.599
I'm gonna go three.
00:52:17.679 --> 00:52:19.920
I'm gonna I'm gonna indulge myself if I may.
00:52:20.320 --> 00:52:31.679
I'd like your favourite, I'd like the biggest hidden gem, and and I appreciate you're in the industry, so you might swerve this one, and I'm giving you the out if you want it.
00:52:32.079 --> 00:52:33.280
Your biggest disappointment.
00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:34.639
Day three.
00:52:36.079 --> 00:52:36.400
Okay.
00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:40.159
So my my the first one's my favourite.
00:52:40.239 --> 00:52:44.159
Not uh not clarification, not necessarily the best, but my favourite.
00:52:44.880 --> 00:52:48.000
Your favourite personal preference interesting.
00:52:48.800 --> 00:52:49.760
Don't say right.
00:52:52.719 --> 00:53:01.679
Uh I would say um and it's a real bit of it's a bit of a cult favourite uh among my among my mates, and that's Parkstone.
00:53:02.079 --> 00:53:11.679
Okay, Parkstone down in Bournemouth, um, like presentation, turf quality, kind of just general architectural interest.
00:53:12.159 --> 00:53:13.599
It's it's pretty good.
00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:15.440
And a great logo.
00:53:15.679 --> 00:53:22.000
Yeah, a great logo to get you know, go down there part of a trip as well, and Ferndale, Broadstone, Arla Perbeck.
00:53:22.239 --> 00:53:25.920
It's you know, we're we're pretty lucky, and that's very much undersold.
00:53:26.239 --> 00:53:28.639
And um, yeah, Parkstone is fantastic.
00:53:28.880 --> 00:53:35.840
Parkstone has the best photography of every golf club website in the UK, in my opinion.
00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:44.880
When we built our website, I looked at thousands and thousands and thousands of images, and the you know, 12 hero images they've got from there are phenomenal.
00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:45.519
Who did it?
00:53:45.679 --> 00:53:47.199
It was it Jason Livy, do you know?
00:53:47.440 --> 00:53:58.239
I don't I don't know who did them, but I mean, yeah, if you go on their website, you'll see them like quite different lighting, but just you know, contrast is amazing, holes look interesting, like it's just yeah, really well done.
00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:02.239
Yeah, and then what was the second one?
00:54:02.400 --> 00:54:03.119
Remind me.
00:54:03.360 --> 00:54:04.400
Hidden gem, please.
00:54:04.559 --> 00:54:04.880
Hidden gem.
00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:07.119
I love where you've gone with the first one, by the way.
00:54:07.440 --> 00:54:08.639
Potentially's mega.
00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:09.679
Hidden gem.
00:54:11.599 --> 00:54:13.599
And it can be a hidden gem for any reason.
00:54:13.679 --> 00:54:21.119
It could be it could be fairly highly ranked, but for whatever reason you overlooked it, it could be one of the lower ranks that you go, that was actually just really great.
00:54:21.280 --> 00:54:22.880
You had a great day on it.
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:29.840
Gosh, I think, you know, I'd say hailing is not a hidden gem anymore.
00:54:29.920 --> 00:54:38.159
Um, but you know, if you asked me this six months ago prior to the recent ranking reveal, I probably would have said it's criminally underrated.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:49.199
Um, but yes, to hop down the A3 and drive over that bridge to a little island that nobody really knows about, you know, they've got a couple of caravans on it and a stony beach, and that's about it.
00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:57.280
But there is a killer links course on there and holds th seven through to fourteen is some of the best links land in the country.
00:54:57.440 --> 00:55:09.440
And kind of the unique part about it is you're so close to the sea, it's a it's a channel, not the sea, but it's quite unique to have an English Lynx course where you can see all of that, and so you really do feel like you're on the coast.
00:55:09.599 --> 00:55:16.239
And I was used to be a country member there, and yeah, driving over that bridge and just kind of leaving everything behind you was lovely.
00:55:16.559 --> 00:55:18.320
Yeah, painting painting was super.
00:55:19.199 --> 00:55:19.519
Nice.
00:55:19.679 --> 00:55:22.000
One one for us to stick on the list for sure.
00:55:22.159 --> 00:55:26.239
Yeah, and then the last one I think is disappointment.
00:55:26.960 --> 00:55:28.079
I can't.
00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:32.480
I can't do that, gents.
00:55:32.639 --> 00:55:33.119
I'm sorry.
00:55:33.280 --> 00:55:33.840
I like it.
00:55:33.920 --> 00:55:35.039
Keep it professional.
00:55:35.679 --> 00:55:40.320
All right, well, I will I will then fire off our usual parting question.
00:55:40.480 --> 00:55:46.159
I'm gonna ask you for your fantasy four ball and the course that you want to play it at.
00:55:46.400 --> 00:55:46.719
Cool.
00:55:46.880 --> 00:55:50.559
All right, like I said, I did some just in prep, so I gave it some thought.
00:55:50.719 --> 00:55:52.880
Um I was starting golf.
00:55:52.960 --> 00:56:01.599
Uh, faith is a big part of my life, and you know, someone uh somebody that isn't scared of being um you know, talking about his faith is Scotty Scheffler.
00:56:01.840 --> 00:56:10.639
So I think yeah, to to tee out with him and see what's going on with his footwork and uh yeah, uh talk about the order, I think would be fantastic.
00:56:10.719 --> 00:56:13.440
I love love four and a half hours with him, that would be great.
00:56:13.599 --> 00:56:16.559
Um second one is a bit bit weird.
00:56:16.719 --> 00:56:18.079
Uh so hold on to this.
00:56:18.159 --> 00:56:19.199
It's a chat called Jay Rainer.
00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:20.159
What's your list?
00:56:20.960 --> 00:56:22.159
Chat called Jay Rayner.
00:56:22.239 --> 00:56:32.159
And if anybody of you watch Master Chef or you know uh read the Waitrays newspaper like I do, then uh yeah, Jay Rayner's a food critic and he he's hilarious.
00:56:32.239 --> 00:56:40.239
Uh he's a good cook himself, uh he's a jazz musician, and just yeah, very, very quick with his humour, very funny guy.
00:56:40.320 --> 00:56:42.079
So Jay Rayner for me.
00:56:42.320 --> 00:56:44.800
And then as I said, I'm a gunner.
00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:48.159
Um and another another another man of faith, Bakaya Saka.
00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:51.440
So yeah, Saka can uh can come out with us.
00:56:51.519 --> 00:56:52.960
We'd we wouldn't mind that.
00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:59.280
Saka's your out of one Arsenal player, you're going Saka as your as your Arsenal slot.
00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:04.800
Starboy, yeah, it's always and then and then course.
00:57:04.960 --> 00:57:06.800
It's a it's a fantasy course, guys, right?
00:57:06.880 --> 00:57:09.199
So we're gonna we're gonna go to Cypress Point.
00:57:09.599 --> 00:57:16.239
Um if you had to take them to a course you have played.
00:57:16.800 --> 00:57:17.760
Ah, good one.
00:57:17.840 --> 00:57:19.840
Uh let's let's keep it professional.
00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:21.039
Let's go West Sussex.
00:57:21.119 --> 00:57:22.159
There's nothing better than it.
00:57:22.320 --> 00:57:22.480
Yeah.
00:57:22.800 --> 00:57:23.119
Lovely.
00:57:23.360 --> 00:57:25.280
In two two balls or foursomes?
00:57:26.639 --> 00:57:27.840
Forsomed who's your partner.
00:57:28.480 --> 00:57:32.239
Two two balls, and it's a quiet day, so we'll flip the two balls halfway around.
00:57:32.400 --> 00:57:32.800
That's there.
00:57:32.960 --> 00:57:33.519
We'll do that.
00:57:33.679 --> 00:57:34.320
There you go.
00:57:34.559 --> 00:57:35.039
Nice.
00:57:35.199 --> 00:57:36.000
Love it.
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:36.880
Very good.
00:57:37.039 --> 00:57:37.679
Do you know what?
00:57:37.840 --> 00:57:47.280
I'm probably gonna give that the most interesting full ball we've had because I think historically it's just been like Tiger Woods, Rory McElroy, and someone ultra famous or like their family.
00:57:47.440 --> 00:57:51.440
And so uh yeah, that's probably the best blend we've had.
00:57:51.840 --> 00:57:55.519
Um what are you gonna what are you gonna do if you win the Premier League?
00:57:56.079 --> 00:57:56.719
I don't know.
00:57:56.960 --> 00:58:02.800
Um me and my mate Craig, we did say we might venture up, venture up to Islington, so we'll see.
00:58:02.880 --> 00:58:03.360
I don't know.
00:58:03.519 --> 00:58:07.519
Yeah, me and my uh me and my brother have been coonas forever.
00:58:07.599 --> 00:58:12.559
Uh I remember my dad saying to me, you know, you've got to support a London football team being from London.
00:58:12.719 --> 00:58:16.000
His whole family's QPR, QPR rubbish.
00:58:16.159 --> 00:58:20.400
So uh he said you can support any London team apart from Chelsea.
00:58:20.559 --> 00:58:25.599
So Arsenal Prime 2004-2005 Arsenal.
00:58:25.920 --> 00:58:28.239
Good season to start watching him, yeah.
00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:29.360
Yeah, yeah.
00:58:29.440 --> 00:58:33.519
Well, I mean, I hope they don't win it, but I I think they will at this point.
00:58:33.679 --> 00:58:42.559
So revel in it and get the monkey off the back, and uh yeah, we'll just have to move all criticism to Tottenham instead, which I'm sure you'll be you'll be more than happy with.
00:58:42.639 --> 00:58:43.679
So absolutely.
00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:47.280
Anyway, Alex, thank you very, very much for taking time.
00:58:47.360 --> 00:58:49.039
It's been great diving into it all with you.
00:58:49.199 --> 00:58:50.480
Super, super interesting.
00:58:50.559 --> 00:58:55.039
Uh, good luck on your quest ticking off all the rest of the courses up and down the country.
00:58:55.199 --> 00:58:59.199
Um, and I hope your career kind of continues in the in the upward trajectory it is.
00:58:59.440 --> 00:59:03.280
As ever, we are full program golf, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
00:59:03.599 --> 00:59:05.039
And uh, we'll see you in the next one.
00:59:05.119 --> 00:59:05.760
Thank you, mate.
00:59:05.920 --> 00:59:06.639
Cheers, guys.
00:59:06.719 --> 00:59:06.960
Thank you.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:08.960
Welcome back, episode 34 of the Full Programme Golf Podcast with me, Josh Conlon, and as ever, joined by Stevie McAvoy.
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.160
Today we are interviewing Alex Wright.
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:15.919
You may well know him as the Surrey Golfer on Instagram.
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.600
He is also the assistant GM at West Sussex.
00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:24.320
We're going to talk all things photography and his quest to play the top hundred in England.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:25.760
Let's get into it.
00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:37.119
Stevie, how are we?
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:38.240
Hello, dear boy.
00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:39.119
How are you?
00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:39.920
Yeah.
00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:40.880
You know what?
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:42.479
The sun is shining.
00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:45.359
Played some good golf courses this week.
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:48.399
It's a it's a good, good time to be alive.
00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:49.039
How are you?
00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:50.479
Yeah, I'm very well.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:51.039
I'm very well.
00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:52.079
Let's dive straight into it.
00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:54.799
Where have you been uh nipping around?
00:00:55.759 --> 00:01:01.039
Yeah, so I managed to just um nibble off a a a new golf course.
00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:06.879
So helps our um year-long quest for the um for the 20 spots.
00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:09.760
Played woke on oh I just breaked it.
00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:12.319
Yeah, no, no, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.
00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:14.319
I just broke it, didn't I?
00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:15.359
I just broke it, went straight in.
00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:17.040
I was getting a bit excitable, you know.
00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:22.799
Um yeah, so completed the three W's now, finally, which is very nice.
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:36.239
So played Woking um on the weekend and also went back to the just the the world-class Sunningdale, and just the vibe that that place is completely unparalleled.
00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:54.000
And what was really nice was being able to go Woking, you know, really highly rated golf course, very nice golf course, and top caliber of of golf course, golf club, feel everything, and just how Sunningdale just is a completely different beast to anything else.
00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:56.079
It's just the best by a mile.
00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:57.200
Nice.
00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:58.159
Well, so that's interesting.
00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:07.439
I didn't know you were gonna play Bo King, but I actually shared on our Instagram story the uh of kind of picture of the clubhouse because I believe the Westerias out on it at the moment.
00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.719
Uh and obviously that clubhouse sits right on 18.
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:11.919
Am I right in thinking?
00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.840
Right on 14th green, and then 18th to the right of it, yeah.
00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:17.919
Nice, and it's in play.
00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.000
Oh, it's in blue.
00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:28.639
Uh yeah, well, and and and so I suppose it begs the question what 3W's final rankings, please.
00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:41.919
So I actually got asked this question, and um, we've got obviously a couple of friends at Warclesden, and um they're not happy with my response, let's let's say.
00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:49.680
But needless to say, no one seems to be happy with my rankings going off uh the band and pod that we we delivered.
00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.680
So um I still stand by what I said there, and I stand by what I'm about to say now.
00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:59.840
I think we're talking about three very good golf courses, the three in the three W's.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:06.560
Um I know each of them all like to think of themselves as the best, which is interesting, and I like it.
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:16.800
And you know, when they're in that close proximity with each other, I think as a golf course I'm gonna rate on the golf course and I'm gonna go on club.
00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:18.080
That's what I'm gonna go for.
00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:18.479
Yeah.
00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:34.560
So golf course in third is Warplesden, in second is Woking, and top is West Hill, and I'm gonna get killed for that because a lot of people that that won't agree and think Woking's by far and away the best.
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:43.840
Now I have to caveat I had a bit of a twinge in my back when I played it, so I didn't see the best of Woking because I played it as if I'm an old man and I can't swing.
00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:48.960
Um but I just think West Hill has a bit more about it.
00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.479
There's some weak holes on all of the three courses.
00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:58.000
The conditioning of Woking West Hill for me beats out Warpleston.
00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.719
Um, so that's why I go go for those.
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.280
In terms of club, interestingly, I'd have West Hill third.
00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:14.479
I would then probably go Woking second because of the two-ball nature, albeit Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, you can play four ball.
00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.319
I like to be able to play four ball better ball, favorite favourite style of golf.
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:24.240
Uh, and then interestingly, if I was to join a course, I would actually join Warpulston because I think it's fun.
00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:30.879
But as in terms of what I think are the best courses, if I was joining a club for the best course, I wouldn't be a member at Roma's surreal.
00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:32.240
So that's that's where I'm at.
00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:33.839
It makes sort of sense.
00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.639
So, what are your thoughts on the first at Woking?
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:38.399
Because that hole kind of divides opinion.
00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:45.839
Some people think it's uh a fun, short, risk reward start, others are like it's just a kind of hole to get you going.
00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:53.839
I heard someone say that because they didn't have a range or don't have a range, that almost the first is the range because it's this just kind of short whack it move on kind of thing.
00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:55.839
Where did you land on the first hole?
00:04:58.160 --> 00:04:59.759
I I I think it's average.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:01.519
I think it's an average hole.
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:06.879
Um, you know, it's 270 yards, but you probably want to land at 230 because it's then all downhill.
00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:11.920
You can't finish short, but it's probably a 230 carry, and then you're on the green part four.
00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.279
Green slopes ridiculously front to back.
00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:18.079
And that was something that actually put me off woking a little bit.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:34.319
You know, the the green complexes were so severe that I think the members pride themselves on the the green and how the greens and how severe they are, but actually they were uh a little bit on the verge of the ridiculous rather than the sublime.
00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:46.160
And I I felt as though as a members' club that's never gonna host a a massive competition because it just isn't gonna be in the same realms as the these big courses, all you're gonna do is slow down play.
00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.079
I guess that's why it's a two-ball course.
00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:53.360
And actually it's just a bit of a grind and sometimes a bit of a joke where you're hitting these puts to.
00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:58.319
Um overall though, I thought it was a sensational test, but that was why it just fell away a little bit for me.
00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:06.560
So, first hole, I would put it down as the third of the three bet of the three W's opening holes.
00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:09.040
It makes sense.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.800
I saw Crouchy even uh pull trigger in the Sunningdale Pro Shop.
00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:14.160
Did you uh were you in his ear there?
00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:15.920
Were you just were you getting come on, mate?
00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.720
Come on, you're not sponsored by Tartus, you're not a pro.
00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.120
Buy some merch from a club.
00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:29.759
Yeah, he'd um I actually didn't get in his ear, but he said to me when we were driving down, he was just like, I think I'm gonna pull trigger on my first piece of merch.
00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:40.079
I was like, Well, you know, there's worse places to start, Sunningdale, and he got this nice white cap, and rather than the logo, it was like a a picture of the from the 18th on the old.
00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:41.199
It's a nice cap.
00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:43.519
Yeah, um, it's a nice cap.
00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:49.199
If I hadn't already got some plenty of Sunningdale merch, I might have been tempted to uh to dive into that.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:50.720
Nice.
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.519
Well, I I haven't been on quite the adventure.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:59.920
I did manage to clip another round at Purdue's Heath, which obviously we played and and and stuck on on YouTube back end of last year.
00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:01.839
So it was nice to get back out there quite quickly.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:05.199
And I have to say, like, yeah, we were obviously playing it towards the end of the season.
00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:11.920
Um, I played it, you know, now in the kind of almost the pomp of golf courses in the UK, certainly in the south.
00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:16.480
And um yeah, 4 pm T time on a Saturday, and it was absolutely glorious.
00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:20.639
Like it's it's it's growing on me the more I play at that place.
00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:26.720
Um, you know, we spoke about it before, but that stretch from about six through to 13 is like actually really good.
00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.600
Um very, very playable.
00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.800
Um and yeah, like you could choose good scores.
00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.879
I think if you played there and you'd be really happy doing it.
00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:45.199
So uh so other than that, I I did visit RMS for the first time Sunday, um, which was was nice to at least play once this year after paying my membership fee.
00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.759
Um so it was good to nibble one round.
00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:52.879
Um I felt like it was a bit kind of in between the two spring meets, is kind of how I felt.
00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:58.879
But um Sunday next weekend, so it'll be interesting to see what we think of conditioning there afterwards.
00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:01.920
But shall we crescendo quite quickly into PJ Tour stuff?
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.560
Because it was quite an interesting tournament this week, wasn't it?
00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.560
It was the truest, yes.
00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:36.000
Um and before we do that, very, very briefly, Jurav Premlal, I probably butchered his name 28 under at El Prat, Estrella Down Masters on the DP World Tour, wins by 14, and at one point is um threatening the 15-shot lead win that Tiger had, which would be the record at the US Open, wins by 14, he was two under after 23 holes.
00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.519
He'd have won by four if he'd only played the weekend.
00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:41.759
I mean, that's just like the stat that you've got to do.
00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:46.240
We've just got to call that out before we get to what was a better tournament in the truest for sure.
00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:47.360
Wow, interesting.
00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:55.120
Funnily enough, so El Pratt was where I was there, was a moment in my life where I thought I was going to move to Barcelona, and that is where I was eyeing up.
00:08:55.279 --> 00:09:01.039
Uh, that would have been a slightly different turn in my golfing career, but never happened anyway.
00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:02.639
But uh, that is a good start.
00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:11.440
Yeah, his biggest paycheck had been 21,000 euros before he won the 470k winner's price check this weekend.
00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:13.440
Just not do you know what?
00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:18.320
And and then I think this is a nice segue to tee you up to talking about this weekend just gone.
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:21.120
But if we go back, we didn't catch up on the Cadillac.
00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:22.080
What a great story.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:35.200
The Fitzpatrick younger brother Alex obviously gets in the field, comes night in the Cadillac and picks up a check that's exactly the same, basically, as if he'd have gone to Turkey, which is what he was due to do, and he'd have won there.
00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:41.279
So uh carried a bit of form over, and then obviously into the weekend, just gone.
00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:46.000
Yeah, and God, it would have been great to have seen Alex win.
00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:47.440
It really, really would.
00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:56.399
You know, there were lots of group chats popping off, uh, conversations going, you know, Sheffield Boy, let's get it, let's get another one, another winner uh again.
00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.360
What what a great performance, is what I want to start by saying.
00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:15.120
You know, it was a real shame that uh Sunday just was a bridge too far and he didn't have his best, and it was fair to say that he was sort of grinding all day, missed a couple of early early putts that uh on another day they go in, and and was I just I just never quite felt he was gonna do it.
00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:19.519
But the Saturday round of golf was sublime.
00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:26.799
It was really, really an excellent showcase of golf, and it was just a great tournament, great names up there.
00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:32.559
You know, we had Nicolai Huygard, which was great to see, Ricky Fowler coming back, which was fantastic to see.
00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:38.799
Obviously, Alex Fitzpatrick, Christopher Reithand, by the way, he is a killer, he is an absolute certified killer.
00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.480
He is going to be he's gonna be a perennial winner.
00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.360
I think he's gonna win a lot on the PGA tour.
00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:46.320
I think he's a killer.
00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:48.720
Um, I just really enjoyed it, really enjoyed it.
00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:56.000
And I was looking at, you know, obviously Alex Fitz has got uh three starts, you could argue, on the PGA tour this year so far.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:59.279
He's 22nd now on the FedEx Cup already.
00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:02.320
It's already, it's absolutely phenomenal.
00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:08.480
You know, we do a little Dan Brown check every every week that he's playing, and he's down to like a hundred and something.
00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:10.720
Alex is is 22nd in three.
00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:19.120
It just shows what an absolute explosion he's had onto the scene um with the win and then the T9 and then the fourth on his own.
00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:20.879
Just and just brilliant.
00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:31.120
And and like you said, he he played so well for three days, and yeah, it obviously off to a bad start Sunday, really gutsy, I thought, to pull back.
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:45.440
I think he had three birdies, kind of it was about 11, 12, 13 kind of um space, and obviously was back in the lead um for a period of time on that back nine, and then obviously just fell away with another double um in the in the closing stretch.
00:11:45.679 --> 00:12:03.120
But I think it's gonna put him in good stead going forward, like the amount of times you see someone get that 54-hole lead, fall away a little bit on the Sunday, but you know they've got the rub, you know they've got the rub of being in the chase, in the lead, right when it matters.
00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:14.879
And I do think that I would say more often than not, but a lot of the times you you then are five weeks later and all of a sudden they're in the same position, yet they feel more comfortable, and they actually get it done.
00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:23.120
So, look, if you'd have told him he was going to go ninth-fourth straight out the gate after winning, he'd have probably bitten your arm off.
00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:28.080
Um, and so feeling really good about it, feeling really but good about it going forward.
00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.840
And you know, wouldn't be surprised if he if if he clipped another win this year.
00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:32.879
I really wouldn't.
00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:34.000
No, I agreed.
00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:37.279
Yeah, I felt he was just a little bit behind when he didn't birdie 14 or 15.
00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:38.879
Bad chip, bad putt.
00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:40.639
Um, but let's not focus on that.
00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:41.360
Agree with you.
00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:45.120
He's earned what that two million quid, maybe a bit more.
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:46.799
Yeah, he takes that in three weeks.
00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.200
It's a pretty good clip, might even be like 2.8.
00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:54.639
Um, and just as we're closing out before we we bring Alex in, um, another friend of the pod.
00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:59.120
A great week on the challenge tour for Barclay Brown.
00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:03.919
Good stuff, gets gets his start through through the England Gold programme, which is fantastic.
00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:11.120
And um, third, writing in a mountain, tied first going into the last round with Chris Wood, a former Ryder Cup player.
00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:14.879
We have to remember, mixing it with with the best of them.
00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:19.519
Good, solid, four under, bogey free, last day round, not quite enough.
00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:23.519
Shows he's got the form, shows he's got it up the Sheffield boys.
00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:24.559
Let's get into it.
00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.919
Yeah, love it for Sheffield Boys, and I will just cap us off now.
00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:35.759
I I feel like we actually haven't really dived into the live topic since the news break with with pulling out and everything else.
00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:44.320
But as it still rumbles on this year, I just want to give a final shout out to Anthony Kim 62 on on uh in the final round in Virginia.
00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:49.759
I mean, what an unbelievable round of golf that was, uh, obviously to help the aces claim the team victory.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:57.600
Really interested to see what he does in the aftermath of Live, but I said I think that's uh that's a big topic and for another day.
00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:02.879
So, as you said, from Alex Fitzpatrick, we now go to Alex Wright.
00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:10.879
As you said in the in the intro, Alex is the sorry girl for an Instagram, he's one of my favourite accounts to follow, beautiful photography.
00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:21.039
I I need to get down to West Sussex, which is where he also works as the assistant GM, because he's just regularly feeding the gram with just unbelievable clips of this course.
00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:25.759
Um, and so without further ado, let's get into the interview with Alex Wright.
00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.600
Alex Wright, welcome to the pod.
00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.039
Cheers, guys.
00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:30.320
Thanks very much for having me.
00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:31.360
Absolute pleasure.
00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:49.519
So, as we've said in the intro, you are the Surrey golfer on Instagram, uh, amateur golf photographer, which uh and one of one of my favourite accounts, I must say, and then you're also the assistant GM at West Sussex, which is an incredibly highly rated golf club, obviously down in the south of England.
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:54.480
First question to you what currently is the more prized possession?
00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:56.799
The golf clubs or the camera?
00:14:57.679 --> 00:14:58.720
Uh I don't know.
00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:03.759
Maybe in terms of monetary value, they're probably maybe about the same, but um, I don't know.
00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:05.360
It's it's it's a it's a funny one.
00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:19.519
I I really, really enjoy my golf, but I think like over the last couple of years, it's for me, it's like being out on the golf course and being able to take photos is is kind of that elevation of just the whole golf experience for me.
00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:29.039
Like I can walk over a golf course and shoot, you know, 10, 11, 12 over uh and not be mad about it because I've got always got the opportunity to take a photo.
00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:31.200
So it's um yeah, they're good.
00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:34.320
It's a symbiosic relationship at a minute, it's good, it's good fun.
00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:37.440
No, Matt Start getting the camera out if I can do that then.
00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:40.720
The world's angriest golfer, Sato.
00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:48.879
Do you do you ever find that do you do you think like almost you're distracted by the camera at all?
00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:55.600
Or like are you at the point now where you find it's just kind of very much like you're you're in the habit, the camera goes with you, and you kind of seem to do both.
00:15:55.679 --> 00:16:04.639
Because I mean we do you know, we play and we'll play kind of you know competitive tournaments at the golf club, but then we also try and do vlogs, and it it is like a bit of a shift, I find.
00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:07.679
Yeah, it's sometimes that has to go away.
00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:26.879
Um but yeah, I mean, I like you said at the top of the show, I'm I'm an amateur amateur golf and an amateur photographer, and so I don't I don't I'm not competing too much, and I'm fortunate to play in a Folsom's competition you know called the Halford Hewitt, although I haven't been picked for the last couple years because the team's too good and the side's too young.
00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:32.240
Um, but yeah, I mean it wouldn't come along with me like if I was competing or anything like that.
00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:40.799
But the social golf I'd play or hosting people at West Sussex, um, you know, the ability to go out and take camera and it's been really nice and casual.
00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:42.559
That's so I like it.
00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:43.279
Nice.
00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:46.639
Yeah, Josh and I unfortunately didn't go to good enough schools for the health is here.
00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:51.919
I think I believe we both could get into the graphs of Morris, and that's uh yeah that's where we have to apply our trade.
00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:52.720
Yeah, nice.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:10.319
Competitive foursoms is is the uh yeah, is uh difficult stuff to you know to play scratch foresomes in what is likely to be testing weather, people watching, uh you know, relying on your playing partner and him relying on you, yeah, tough.
00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:13.039
Yeah, no sorries, of course, is the golden rule.
00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:13.839
Never, never.
00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.519
That's agreed before you tear up.
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:16.240
Yeah.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:18.559
See, I like a couple of sorries in there.
00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.359
I like I like the the fear.
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:30.480
Like there's no sorries until you're absolutely just continuing to put me or I'm putting you in the cabbage, at which case we need some sorries.
00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.400
You know, when I miss my first two footer with a rattlesnake, it's like sorry.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.960
You've got to set expectations, haven't you?
00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:39.519
Absolutely.
00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:49.359
I mean, to set the scene, Josh has the wildest Forsomes partner in the whole golf club at the moment, and so I I assume he's ex at least expecting some sorries along the way.
00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:49.839
Yeah.
00:17:50.079 --> 00:18:02.000
Uh to tell you a story, the the most nervous I've ever been on a golf course was when I played in the Hewitt face first first time I played any Hewitt, so getting picks um was great, but nerve-wracking.
00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:08.400
You stand on that first tee at Rorsing Ports, and you've got the wind coming in like right into you.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.720
Um, or it's kind of into you off the left.
00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:24.319
And if you've ever played at Dill, you've got the clubhouse about 200 yards down the right hand side, OB, and you know, kind of you drive up, and there's 150 people, you know, 70 people on the terrace, 70 people along the uh fairway.
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:38.799
And I and I and I was off on I was playing the odds, so I was teeing off first, and if you draw the match after 18, you have to go back down one again to play hole 19, and then 20, or however many holes you need to finish the match.
00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:52.400
So I was standing on the tee, nervous already, and the first first match came off 18 that's had to wait a little bit longer, and then another one came off 18, had to wait a little bit longer, and yeah, hitting that T shot with that wind, with people watching.
00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:54.720
Oh, I I've never been so nervous.
00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:03.680
Something scabby, low off the hill, you know, first cut fair way down the right, it was was enough, but yeah, shaking, shaking in my boots.
00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.400
I was gonna say, where did it end up with that with that build-up?
00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:08.799
Yeah, I know, it could have been terrible.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:16.240
And literally, when we when we turned up um to the club, we saw we saw balls bouncing down the road and then bouncing back inbound.
00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:18.319
So it's all possible.
00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:20.000
Fly me.
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:22.079
All right, let's let's take it back a couple of steps.
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.359
Like, set the scene for us.
00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.039
Like, where did golf enter your life?
00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:26.400
Where did photography come in?
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:35.200
Like, how you know what's the journey to get to the point now where, like you said, you're you're kind of in the industry, and obviously you've got an Instagram page that you kind of invested a decent amount of time into.
00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:38.640
Yeah, I mean, golf has always been uh part of my life.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:45.599
Lucky my dad took me and my brother down to a little nine-hole at the time called Huntswood, just the other side of Burning Beaches.
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.160
Great little course, Parkland course, and yeah, so got golf very quickly become part of our sporting activities as two brothers.
00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:15.599
Um, and then we kind of continued to play summer holidays, school teams, uh, and then I went to university, founded the Golf Society of University, which was great fun three years ago in Bristol, and then um then I got a job, and so so golf, golf was always I always wanted to do something in golf.
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:23.599
Um, I just I felt like for me I could, you know, sell miles bars in a pro shop, sit in a mow at 4am in the morning and be happy.
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:35.440
I just wanted to kind of do something in golf, but um, you know, picked up a job in the city working as a planning consultant, ran the company golf days, so tried to do as much as I possibly could do despite not being in golf.
00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:39.599
And then during COVID, had a bit of a rethink.
00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:49.519
Um, and yeah, I really wasn't enjoying my job at the time, and yeah, kind of had a period where didn't know what I wanted to do.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:57.920
I remember chat chatting with my wife in in our bedroom, and uh I was looking for another planning job, and she was like, Don't you dare.
00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:59.200
What do you want to do?
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:01.279
And uh the golf was an obvious answer.
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:15.200
So, you know, we sat on the end of the bed, we prayed, opened up the bi uh opened up the Bible, opened up our laptop, and literally like the first thing that we saw was this job at a golf club four minutes down the road called Purford Lakes.
00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:28.319
Um golf post-COVID was going crazy, so it was all baptism and fire in terms of you know how to how to run a golf club and what needs to be done, and you know, all agronomies, sales, all all of the above.
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:35.759
And yeah, very luck, very lucky, very fortunate to work at Purford at a time where um so much was going on.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:43.519
So had four years at Purford, um, and that was at the brand about the time that I started the Instagram account, the Surrey Golfer.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:44.960
Uh started on Twitter.
00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:46.319
I did a lot of writing before.
00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:50.559
I wish I did more now, but time has got in the way, other things have got in the way.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:59.359
So it started on Twitter writing, blog posts, um, and then you know, somebody said, uh, you know, Twitter's not the place for photographs, get yourself on Instagram.
00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:00.640
So That's what I did.
00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:02.240
And then then that's how it started.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.920
And and yeah, then uh succession of jobs came up.
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:10.640
I short stitch at Brockett Hall and now at West Sussex and count myself very fortunate.
00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:10.880
Yeah.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:16.400
We've actually just nipped the um head green keeper from Brocket Hall at the club that we're a member at.
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:16.880
Okay.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:17.759
Where where are you?
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:18.400
I I remember.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.400
What what's his name, Josh?
00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:21.680
Graham.
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.319
Graham.
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:23.200
Graham Graham.
00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:23.440
Yeah.
00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:23.599
Yeah.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:24.079
Graham.
00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:25.039
Yeah, we're at Royal McGround.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:25.599
Graham Downs.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.960
Ah, okay, yeah, Graham Downs.
00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:27.920
Graham's a great guy.
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.680
His brother's Graham's brother founded Black Bear Burger.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:32.400
Yeah.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.279
Really?
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.119
That's good intel.
00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:37.039
Yes, good knowledge that.
00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:38.960
No, he's really, really good guy.
00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:39.759
Really good guy.
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:42.880
Yeah, he's come in and the family are just completing side quests.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:44.240
You know, I love that.
00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:46.880
Yeah, no, but no, that's good stuff.
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.079
Yeah, Graham's good.
00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:55.359
Yeah, he came in, so at Mid Sorry, we had a big problem because we're on the Thames, so we're in the floodplain, and then that we had flooding issues, etc.
00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:55.759
etc.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.559
And so he's kind of come into a bit of a kind of ugly child, I suppose.
00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:06.960
Um, but just come in and made lots of really sensible decisions, and I think that's just all you can ask for when someone comes in like that.
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:19.599
It is, and that that's when you know have so many clubs out there that have had green keepers, it's the type of job where you know that somebody will get not comfortable but really familiar with with the site and they've stayed there for a long time.
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:32.079
And what you know, if that person retires or moves on to a different job, a kind of fresh pair of eyes at a golf course that you know, in that that first couple of years, there's a bit of a honeymoon phase and some really quick wins start to happen.
00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:35.440
And um, yeah, I hope I hope it does for Roman Sarra.
00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:36.079
That'd be great.
00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:36.960
Fingers crossed.
00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:39.920
And so when did you then finally make the move across to West Sussex?
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:42.559
And like, was is that a club that was on your radar before?
00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.799
Like, you know, we we kind of hawk the rankings, like we know where it is, like it's very much on our radar, but was it on yours?
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.759
Uh it was.
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:54.799
I was very lucky when I played for our school team again in the Forsms competition.
00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:57.519
Uh I played West Sussex when I was about 14.
00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:07.680
Um, and I remember it being, you know, a pretty foggy memory of what it was like, but I remember it being, you know, Purple Heather, it being Heathland, remember playing terrible golf.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.680
But I just remember it being lovely.
00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:14.640
And then maybe about three or four years ago, I became friends with a couple of members.
00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:21.759
I had a couple of outings there, but I remember kind of one time working in the industry, you're very lucky.
00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:28.240
You get you can get to play some amazing places through just a it's through just a polite email and a and a request.
00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:29.839
And the industry is great for that.
00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:38.720
And I remember sending uh the secretary an email, you know, one one early August, uh, early August day, and you know, I said, look, I'm just on my own.
00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:40.880
Can I come down at 4 30?
00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.960
And you know, won't won't get in anybody's way.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:45.359
And the secretary very kindly said, yes, of course.
00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:55.680
And I I played this round in like the most incredible light, uh, and I just thought to myself, what an incredible place, like so much better than I ever remembered it.
00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:03.519
And five months later the job came up, and so uh, and then yeah, so I've been at West Sussex pretty much a year, almost a year to the day.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.279
Well, just over a year to the day.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.160
Amazing.
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.720
And so you mentioned there that kind of header you described a little bit.
00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:13.279
I mean, someone who's not played there, like you know, s sell the West Sussex dream to us.
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:15.839
It's my job, so I should be good at this, shouldn't I?
00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:20.160
So um, but it's it actually almost comes down to the logo.
00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:24.880
So it's we've got quite a like famous logo, I'd say, but nice and simple.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:27.440
It's just the shield with three colours.
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:36.079
You've got the kind of iridescent purple, which is the heather, uh, and then you've got the the yellow, which is actually gorse.
00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:49.759
Most people think it's the sand because it's an incredibly sandy site, but it's for the gorse, and then green uh for the pine trees, and that's that's it, like golf's best tapestry for you know, it's incredible golf, really, really, really firm.
00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:54.079
It is at the minute, it's playing like mid-July at the minute with a lack of rain.
00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:57.279
Um four mil of rain in April, 40 mil in March.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:11.839
It's been you know, it's been a bit of a topsy-turvy start, but um, yeah, firm and fast conditions, like beautiful heather heather-fringed bunkers, and it's very unique at West Sussex because we are fairway than heather.
00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:13.440
There's no first cut anywhere.
00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:19.759
So short grass, you know, play the ground game, and it's stunning, but it's difficult, it can be difficult.
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:26.160
And then you've got the added uniqueness of it being a par 68 with only one par five, and it is so it is a test.
00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:27.759
It's a test, it's a great test.
00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:29.759
I love love that it sounds great.
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:36.400
I've all I always, whenever I've seen the logo, and now that you've explained the logo, that that's even cooler, to be honest.
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.319
I always just thought it was like the Belgian flag.
00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:42.720
I thought there was maybe like an affinity to Belgium from somewhere, and I didn't know what why it was.
00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:47.519
Like, yeah, it's uh it's it's interesting to hear that they're those those three different colours.
00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:53.440
Um so two ball golf course, we're right.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.640
And and that's all week round.
00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:58.000
All week round.
00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.440
There's very, very few exceptions, and mainly for member competitions.
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:04.000
There's the odd, you know, Christmas scramble, for example.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:07.440
But yeah, two-ball golf, um, which is unique.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.160
There's maybe us and two or three others in the country.
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:21.680
But it a lot of it has to do obviously traditions, uh golf course, you know, started in 1930 and two ball golf was was there from the outset.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:26.079
Uh, but it's also to play four ball golf around there is is is difficult.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:28.720
The routing is really intimate, you know.
00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:35.920
The green to tea transitions are really short and beautiful, and so you know, four-bolf actually, the golf courses are designed for it.
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:42.720
Um, and you know, with foursoms and walking ahead and keeping up pace of play, that's that's that's all what it's about.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:50.160
So there are occasions where you may ask a member how they played, and the answer is very well, Alex, three hours fifteen.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:54.000
Um, but yeah, it's it's fantastic.
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.039
It's great to go out there you know in a two-ball late afternoon.
00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:58.160
It's the best time.
00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:05.440
Uh so it's a next question, but kind of building on that, is we you know, neither of us play at a two-ball golf club.
00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.240
What do you actually see?
00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:08.240
Is it mainly two players going out?
00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:11.200
How often do you see Forsim's games rolling out?
00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:17.759
Um it's mainly it's mainly member play, but you know, some of our best society days.
00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:24.240
We've got we've got Mashey uh hosting a day with us uh I think this week, actually, Wednesday.
00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:33.519
And so their itinerary is they they go off in two balls in the morning, have a fantastic lunch, two balls carvery, they get dressed up a little bit for lunch, and then go and play Forsomes afterwards.
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:38.000
And that that kind of concoction is is really, really good fun.
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.960
You know, it's 36 holes are not slog, get to play half the shots in the afternoon, and yeah, it's it's a really good choice.
00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:47.440
But it's it's mainly member play for Forsomes, I would say.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:57.119
Visitors just want to play the rainbow because I I have to say, so I um I was chatting to a member there, and I I believe you you can tell us in more detail.
00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:58.960
I think it's your men's dinner.
00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:09.200
At your men's dinner, do you not just you do so you do a random pairings draw and then the next day everyone goes out in like a men's dinner full competition or something like that?
00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:10.240
That is a great event.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:11.119
That is a great event.
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:18.000
It's a it's a black tie dinner on I think it's gonna be it'd be on the Friday, um, you know, full course jobe.
00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:19.839
So you you know get really stuck in.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.720
Great wine.
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:21.759
We're very lucky.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:31.359
We have great wine list, and uh, and so yeah, we then do a draw, uh like a random, random draw, pretty much, and yeah, then they all go out in the morning.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:38.400
So uh as a as an office and club employee, it's a long couple of days for me, but uh it's it's great.
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:52.240
The next day to be you know paired up and it's completely random, and then there is also an unofficial tote that goes on in the evening, so it's a little bit of a little bit of betting on on the best pair or what pair the members think will win.
00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:53.759
So it's great fun.
00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:55.599
Love it.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.960
Um, and then yeah, I was wondering if you're gonna touch on the spot the par 68.
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:00.640
So it's one par five, is it?
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:02.400
Where where does the par five come?
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:05.440
Because I I'm a big par five position person.
00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:09.680
Like we have a par five at the second whole rule, Monsari, and it comes too early.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.000
It'd be an amazing hole if it was 16-17.
00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:16.480
You're chasing a score, but it's kind of like a uh uh like and you just kind of play at the three-shotter, and that's it.
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:17.839
Where is your par five?
00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:18.880
Is it gettable?
00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:22.559
It is gettable, it's straight off the bat, it's hole one.
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:31.440
So no, like it's really it's really interesting though, because golf courses designed around that time didn't have practice facilities.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:37.039
So our range, and we're very lucky, our practice facilities are fantastic, and they're right next to the club.
00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:49.920
And you think, oh, it's gonna be this way since day one, but no, it used to be an airfield, um, and so historically, first holes you always had that gentle handshake opener, and that was basically your practice hole.
00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:54.079
You know, you got it out of the way, you had two swings at it, and off you go.
00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:59.759
So, yeah, it's a it's about 470, 480 yard par five.
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:05.920
And you know, at the minute it's a it's it's a driver, driver A tie, um, with our firm it is at the minute.
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.119
So it's very gettable.
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:12.480
We had a member making albatross last week, so it's uh yeah, it's it's a great hole.
00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:23.359
It's a really, really good start, and it can, you know, if you make par there, you're a bit like it's gonna be difficult to try and you know pick up that birdie somewhere else in the course, but it's a good start.
00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:24.079
Love it.
00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:28.000
Um and then last thing coming on West Sussex, I just want to touch on and ask you what it was like.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:31.920
I'm pretty sure you played in it, um, if I remember correctly, from your Instagram.
00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:33.920
You had one of the cookie jar events there.
00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.359
Yeah, how was that?
00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:36.400
Yeah, it was good.
00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:37.519
It was really good actually.
00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:43.920
Uh she fell on my 30th birthday, so it was a good day all round, and I may or may not have actually won the event.
00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:47.680
So I'm gonna speak very highly I'm gonna speak very highly of it.
00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:56.480
Um, but yeah, we're we're lucky we uh Cookie Jar were um employed by the business uh by the club just before I started.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:02.480
So they manage our social media account along with a bit of content generation for myself when needed.
00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:07.039
Um and yeah, they they hosted an invitational Forsomes event.
00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:08.480
It's it's fantastic.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:17.519
Get stuck in at lunch, like I said, in the dining room, go out, play Forsomes are kind of the real essence of the club, and uh very fortunate to come away with a with a W.
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:18.559
So it's good fun.
00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:25.039
I was gonna say, I was pretty sure there was a picture of you sat on the lift of a bunker somewhere holding a trophy.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:28.559
So obviously a bit of local knowledge shone through on that day.
00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:30.480
It helps, yeah, it helps.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:32.799
Um nice, cool.
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:40.480
All right, let's let's kind of move away from West Sussex because you're obviously an avid golfer uh and have played a lot of very good golf courses.
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:46.880
Thought we'd just touch on a recent trip you just did um down to the Kent coast, if you will.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:50.240
What were the highlights from that from that little little jaunt?
00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:53.759
Um it was incredibly windy, I could tell you that.
00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.480
I think we had 50 mile an hour winds at Raw St.
00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:57.039
George's.
00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:58.720
Thank goodness the ruffles down.
00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:00.640
Um but I love it down there.
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:11.440
I'm very fortunate that I get to spend a fair bit of time down there each year, um, whether it's the Hewitt or um a bit of alumni golf or or just kind of knowing a few people down at the club.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:26.799
And so yeah, we went down there on the on the Wednesday um and I took a few colleagues down there, so it was a little bit of you know learning best practice and sharing some trade secrets and hospitality and good agronomy and all of the above.
00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:29.599
And um yeah, played 18 at Royal St.
00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:30.079
George's.
00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:33.039
It was fantastic, it's it's in the best condition it's ever been at the minute.
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:38.880
Um I used to be a a country member at Hailing and West and uh Royal St.
00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:47.839
George's uh nabbed the Haling head cook head head course manager at the time, and Greg Easton him he's his eye for detail has been superb.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:50.720
So um yeah, Royal St George's members are very lucky.
00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:52.720
They were lucky already, but they're even luckier now.
00:33:53.119 --> 00:34:00.400
Golf course is fantastic, and and so yeah, we had some great hosts down there, the Pro Shop guys, especially Harry and the Pro Shop, he was great.
00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:06.000
And um, yeah, we're we're fortunate to to know um the McGurk family.
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:08.880
Uh so they put us up at Prince's, which was lovely.
00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:11.280
Um, yeah, don't so don't take that for granted.
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:15.760
And and we managed to get out for nine holes in uh late afternoon at Prince's.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.360
So that was Wednesday, which was really, really nice, and um had a good you know, got stuck in at dinner.
00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:25.920
And if you ever stayed at a lodge there at Prince's, got a bar, yeah, brilliant.
00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:32.480
You got all the the bar the memorabilia around and Arsenal and the telly and I'm a I'm a Guna, so that was that was good.
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:34.320
That's a shame, isn't it?
00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:36.480
Oh, it's such a shame.
00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:52.239
And uh yeah, and then we you know we we got up nice and early and played and managed to hop across the deal on on the Thursday and I think yeah, uh Rorsing Ports is fantastic, full of full of funk and quirk and a bit less windy, so you could play the shots you wanted to play.
00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.920
That's great, a great trip.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:35:06.639
If you have to rank the three, are you would you conform with what people who are not gonna hear what you were gonna say just yet, would you stick with what people would suspect, or do you have a slightly different ranking of the three?
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:13.519
I think yeah, I think when I first started playing those courses, I think Deal probably picked it for me.
00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:15.760
Um I didn't quite get Raw St.
00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:17.199
George's the first time around.
00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:19.119
It was you know, Raw St.
00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:24.960
Ports is out and back, it's um it's really funky, but you can kind of see it all in front of you.
00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:27.280
Whereas, you know, at Raw St.
00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:29.679
George's there's a lot lurking that you don't know.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:35.440
But over time, the more and more I play it, I think Raw St.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:38.400
George's maybe just gets it, just gets it.
00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:41.440
But there is and and and there's something to be said for Raw St.
00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:47.920
George's, you know, how the routing changes direction all the time, you don't have that battle coming in, that's just an excuse.
00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:50.480
You don't have that battle coming in like you do at Dill.
00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:58.719
Um, it's kind of all all all over the place, so you're playing lots of different different shots, and at Dill you just gotta hang on for dear life when you're coming home.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:02.000
So it but it but it's great with it, it's a fantastic feature.
00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:05.280
But yeah, close, but Wilson Georges gets it for it.
00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:06.719
Nice, yeah.
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:08.079
We can grid that.
00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:14.639
And and I think for anyone that hasn't played them and wants to get a flavour of them, head over to your Instagram page.
00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:21.360
Like absolutely amazing, amazing shots from from all of them, great carousels, and uh you know, wanting it back to West Sussex.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:29.840
You you treat us about once a week, it feels to an early morning shot or whatever it might be, uh, just to kind of wet the whistle, which is uh is always nice.
00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.400
For the for the for the photographers that might be listening, what are you using?
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:38.480
Like what like what what settings are you putting in place to to get pictures looking like that?
00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:45.119
Well, I I did a bit of research before I picked up the camera, so I think I I picked up my camera, where are we?
00:36:45.280 --> 00:36:46.800
Uh about a year and a half ago.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:37:00.639
So up until that point, it was purely iPhone stuff, and uh I found that you know the iPhones have got so much better with photography, but I was nowhere near using it to its you know to its eighth degree.
00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:03.920
Um I just found found something that worked and that people liked.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:13.679
It was you know going to the 70 mil aperture length within within the iPhone, it's brought things into you know a nicer field, it wasn't flat.
00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:19.679
So that's I just wanted to replicate that with the camera that I picked up and I've got it here in preparation.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:37.119
So it's a Fuji XT5, so it's got that kind of classic look to it, but fully digital, and it's got a it's got a 65mm lens on it, so fixed aperture, and what I really love about it is that it makes me move around the subject.
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:43.760
It's hasn't got a zoom lens, I'm not compromising, I've got to go and get the shot, which is nice, great.
00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:45.119
I really enjoy doing that.
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:54.079
Um and Fujifilm, if you if you've looked into Fuji at all, the in inbuilt recipes, basic filters, are fantastic.
00:37:54.239 --> 00:37:58.079
You really don't need to do very much with them in post, although I do.
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:08.960
Um yeah, it's it's pretty easy to take take a shot, have it attached to your bag or or in your hand as you walk, and it's not a big piece of kit.
00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:11.360
So yeah, like perfect.
00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:21.119
And so an interesting kind of wrinkle to all of the photography stuff that I've been seeing is by the looks of it, you're you're starting to work with more and more golf brands.
00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:30.239
Um Stitch, Glenmour, I don't know if there's any others, but keen to understand kind of how that came about, like who are you actively working with now?
00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:41.679
Like, I I I I'm a big fan of Stitch, and I I remember you put a picture up being like I'm season ready kind of thing, and it was like bag, hold all that kind of stuff, and it just looked it just looked quality.
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:54.480
Yeah, I just lucky with really how the how the platform was grown organically, and their brands want to want to use certain platforms um to reach an audience.
00:38:54.639 --> 00:39:04.159
Um I don't need to tell you guys, you know, it's it it helps having a decent audience, and if you can take a picture, then they're kind of willing to send you send you little bits here and there.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:07.280
But um, yeah, Stitch is Stitch is great.
00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:15.920
Um I think like best polo shirt in golf potentially, with the you know, button-down collar keeps it nice and stiff, and uh you know, bags are great.
00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.480
I used to have a Tightless Lynx legend.
00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:20.719
I still do, it's in fantastic condition.
00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:25.199
I still still use it every now and then, but yeah, the Stitch, I think it's the Gen 2.
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:28.480
Um it's yeah, fantastic bag, really good.
00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:37.599
Um, but yeah, just being able to take a good photo, I think you know, brands have kind of their their eyes have been opened, especially with user-generated content.
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:46.880
You know, I can get it in my hand and it can look quite authentic with with me using it and just putting it organically into posts, um, which has worked quite well.
00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:48.000
It's good fun.
00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:51.199
Yeah, I I think the stitch clothing is underrated.
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:57.760
I I think at the moment in the UK, people even the bag stitch is really only starting to make its way into the UK.
00:39:57.840 --> 00:39:59.360
It's obviously much bigger in America.
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:07.599
I think people are still thinking bags first of them, but I I think we will see more and more of their clothing come into the into the market.
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:09.440
Do you have it in the pro shop at West Sussex?
00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:11.920
Yeah, we have uh only recently the last couple of weeks.
00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:21.280
So we've got a small capsule there, um, it's going well, and all their um kind of hand luggage stuff as well, all the like rucksacks and uh suit carry stuff.
00:40:21.360 --> 00:40:23.519
It's really nice, really high quality stuff.
00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:24.400
So yeah, good.
00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:25.199
It is indeed.
00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.679
And if Stitch are listening to this, Josh and I would also love to have some Stitch gear.
00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:32.159
So please, please reach out and get in touch.
00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:35.039
Uh so final question: who's your dream brand?
00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:41.039
Who who would you love to open your DMs and see has entered them and wanted to work with you?
00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:42.960
That's a great question.
00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:44.639
That's a great question.
00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:51.360
I think the the qu the overall quality and like this the style of Peter Millar is is great.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:55.119
Um, but they don't even work with pro golfers, let alone little old me.
00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:58.880
So um uh it's probably not gonna happen, but who knows?
00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:01.920
Um but yeah, I Peter Millar are really classy.
00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:04.079
I like I like what they do.
00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:07.599
Um but it's more I love I love my travel.
00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:16.960
If I can you know travel a little bit more and play golf and take my family with me, it's doing a little bit of that rather than you know the physical the physical gear.
00:41:17.039 --> 00:41:21.199
And I'm lucky, I'm I'm you know I'm I'm set for the season and then she's beyond.
00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:26.800
So it's about getting out, taking small photos, taking my family with me, and seeing, seeing what we could do.
00:41:27.039 --> 00:41:27.599
Very good.
00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.400
All right, well, I think you've kind of segued us beautifully there.
00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:31.760
Let's get into some golf travel.
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:34.159
Um, because that's obviously what we like to talk about.
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:37.519
I'm gonna pose you the question, I'm hoping I hope you're prepared.
00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:39.599
What is your favourite golf destination?
00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:40.480
Like, where have you been?
00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:45.920
What just sits number top of the list as the place that if anyone asks you the question, where should I go next?
00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:47.280
That's where you tell them.
00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:50.639
Gosh, yeah, I I have I have thought about it.
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:56.079
I think like personally for me, like Costa del Sol's got so much nostalgia for me.
00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:59.679
It was somebody somewhere that we went as a family every year.
00:41:59.840 --> 00:42:10.079
Literally, I went every summer since I was four months old, and so we got to know it like the back of our hand, and then I met my now wife, and literally two weeks before I met her, her parents picked up a place out there.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:11.920
It's like brilliant, nice.
00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:15.840
Uh and so the but the golf courses out there are fantastic.
00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:26.159
It's not it's not your sari golf, it's not your next golf, but the quality of golf out there and just the general enjoyment is is brilliant, and so nobody's gonna have a bad time when they're going to play golf out there.
00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:28.960
So uh easy answer potentially.
00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:37.039
Um, but last year I was lucky enough to uh be invited to go and visit Comporter, so Portugal's new golf destination.
00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:40.960
Uh two new courses down there, Terrace to Comporta and and Torre.
00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:44.320
Sergio Garcia's kind of first first design.
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:50.400
But that that whole stretch of coastland south of Lisbon, just before you get to the Algarve, is stunning.
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:59.199
Epic, epic beaches, crazy duneland, like the most perfect flora tapestry for golf you can you can imagine.
00:42:59.360 --> 00:43:04.800
So unbelievable that you've only had one or two golf golf courses in the destination up until now.
00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:13.360
But yeah, that that terroristic comporter and what they're building around the hotels, the restaurants, everything, it's yeah, what just based in the next 10 years.
00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:14.000
Yeah.
00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:16.239
Yeah, a couple of bits to jump in there.
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:21.119
I was actually just whilst we're talking, I thought terroristic is it's now number one in Portugal, isn't it?
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:25.119
Yeah, just had just as so they're clearly doing a phenomenal job.
00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:29.599
And as much as doing a great job in Portugal, it's always nice.
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.800
I have also been brought up in a family that loves the Costa del Sol.
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:40.480
So we're gonna have to start talking a bit of a bit of beautiful, beautiful Spain.
00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:44.639
Where about uh what was the course that you remember playing the most?
00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:47.760
We've all got one that kind of sort of the family ended up at.
00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:49.039
What's your favourite?
00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:52.480
Maybe it's the obvious answer, but maybe just get a feel from you.
00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:54.880
What are the sort of the hidden gems in your eyes?
00:43:55.599 --> 00:44:02.639
A big hidden gem for me, and um, like yeah, I kind of recommended it to a couple of friends at the Start of the year and they went and they had a great time.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:05.440
So um I'm lucky, lucky that they enjoyed it.
00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:14.159
Is Santana so yeah, Santana, like just just north of Mijas, you kind of come off that Mijas road, like just go towards Lakala.
00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:17.679
Before you get to Lakala, there's a little old course called Santana.
00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:22.239
And so it's it's through an old avocado farm.
00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:26.480
So it's got these like beautiful ruins that are probably from old farmhouses.
00:44:26.639 --> 00:44:28.159
Uh and it yeah, it's beautiful.
00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:33.280
You've got like big um eucalyptus trees are overarching the fairways.
00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:34.239
It's it's stunning.
00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:42.400
But and the clubhouse is really small, really good food, good wine, you know, 12 euros after you're around, you get a couple of plates of tap house and a beer.
00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:46.880
It's it's fantastic and got some good good family memories there.
00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:54.800
So I got married in August 2023, and we stayed just up kind of up the road from Santana.
00:44:55.039 --> 00:44:57.280
Um, in in a lot in where do we go?
00:44:57.360 --> 00:44:59.679
I can't remember now, but just up the road from Santana.
00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:05.360
And um my wife was very generous enough to allow me to play golf in the morning of my wedding.
00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:06.960
Um we all there's an excuse.
00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:08.000
You were McDonald's.
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:13.039
Yeah, we were we were all staying in the same place, so I had to leave in order for her to get ready.
00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:14.719
That that's uh that's what I'm telling myself.
00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:29.599
Uh and and we played 18 holes, and um I I I I hit this shot on the ninth hole, so 130 yards in, nine-nine, and a slam dunk for an Eagle 2 in the morning of my wedding and destroy destroy the cup.
00:45:29.760 --> 00:45:30.880
So good stories there.
00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:33.280
My dad's had a hole in one there, so yeah.
00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:38.320
If you're asking for a hidden gem in the Costa del Soul, that's that's the one.
00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:40.079
Question to you, Josh.
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:42.559
Would you want to play golf in the morning for your wedding?
00:45:42.880 --> 00:46:01.039
I'd want to play in the morning and the afternoon because I'm I'm a bit of a post-golf napper, and I've always thought to myself, like, I like the I like the romantic idea of playing golf the morning of my wedding, but I actually just feel like I'd be like getting going at the wedding and just being like, I could do a 45-minute lie down here.
00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:04.320
The adrenaline kicks in carries me.
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.880
So I'm favourite course.
00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:15.519
Sorry, I'm actually I'm actually going to that coast of Spain for the first time on Friday.
00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:20.000
So so the fact that Josh loves it and I'm going for the first time is actually the perfect destination.
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:21.840
Sorry, Josh, I interrupted you.
00:46:22.159 --> 00:46:23.199
No, no problem at all.
00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:25.519
I was just gonna say favourite course down there.
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:26.559
Is it the obvious?
00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:31.119
Is it Valderama, or are there some others that tickle you tickle your fancy?
00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:39.199
Yeah, I think it's it's got to be Valderama, just like quality of the turf, and yeah, it's it doesn't get much better than that.
00:46:39.599 --> 00:46:41.039
Just yeah, walk around there.
00:46:41.199 --> 00:46:43.199
I was lucky the last time I played there.
00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:45.760
Um again, working in industry, it helps.
00:46:45.840 --> 00:46:52.400
Uh I was f first out, myself and a caddy, 8am, just me and the green keepers, it's fantastic.
00:46:52.639 --> 00:46:53.119
Loved it.
00:46:53.199 --> 00:46:59.039
It's Maggie, it's it's it's got a vibe very similar to the well, you know, those elite clubs that we've all been to.
00:46:59.119 --> 00:47:07.039
And just before you were on, we were talking about Sunningdale and it's got those sorts of vibes where it's just quietly just special.
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:18.159
And you just know it from the special Valderaram, you drive up the patio, drive up the the little road, and you got the flags and the the range is right in front of you, and just right from the get-go, it has those touches, doesn't it?
00:47:18.320 --> 00:47:20.639
It's it's a joke, it's a joke, good.
00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:28.400
Um have you have you played a couple of the other the other big the big boys down there in Salta Grande and uh Finca?
00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:33.519
Yeah, uh Salta Grande is probably the one that I haven't played yet, but Sandrocket old.
00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:38.000
I played before their recent renovation, so really keen to get back there and see that.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:40.800
Uh and yeah, we we played Finca as a family.
00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:47.119
Yeah, big site, big site, and I remember I remember yeah, good times there, good thinkers great.
00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:48.320
Love it.
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:58.400
Yeah, it's could talk about it for for hours and hours and hours, but um yeah, needless to say, I'm I'm with you on the Costa del Sol as uh as a go-to vibe.
00:47:58.639 --> 00:48:01.280
Yeah, so let's so let's build out Costa del Sol a little bit.
00:48:01.360 --> 00:48:07.360
So if if you were to to recommend to a listener hadn't been before, how many days would you set aside?
00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:08.559
What's the itinerary?
00:48:08.639 --> 00:48:15.920
And if I could get you to, you know, pick pick the golf courses you'd send them to, and then maybe a restaurant, maybe a bar that that you can't miss out as well.
00:48:16.079 --> 00:48:16.960
Yeah, easily.
00:48:17.119 --> 00:48:20.159
Um try not to fall into linakers, that would be the best.
00:48:23.360 --> 00:48:25.599
You're not playing golf the next day if you do.
00:48:27.119 --> 00:48:45.280
So I'd I'd try and plonk myself in a lower, lovely residential area, just just kind of up the road from Port of Benoit, so in a real hub, but far enough away that you're not on the first line or the second line, you know, you're just up the hill a little bit, which is nice, and then all round there, you you don't have to travel too far.
00:48:45.440 --> 00:48:51.039
You've got kind of three courses right there, in my opinion, that that you don't need to go anywhere else.
00:48:51.119 --> 00:48:57.679
So you've got the the West Inn, which is three nines there, which is attached to the Western Hotel, so it's the La Quinta.
00:48:58.239 --> 00:49:04.639
Um, yeah, three nines there, so you can have kind of endless combinations of of golf there, which is great.
00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:11.679
Um uh then the second one would be Los Naranjos, terrible Spanish accent, but Los Naranjos.
00:49:12.079 --> 00:49:16.639
So it's Swedish islands, we've big Swedish cohort in uh in Marbs.
00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:19.920
Um, but they they they do their golf very well, they love their golf.
00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:22.079
So yeah, that that golf course is fantastic.
00:49:22.159 --> 00:49:24.719
I've seen it's I think it's seen itself on the LET tour.
00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:30.079
So um yeah, great golf course, it's amazing backdrops with Lahancia in the background.
00:49:30.239 --> 00:49:41.199
Um, but the the kind of the best one in the area is is uh Las Brisas, and that's gone through a major renovation period, um maybe about two or three years ago now, and that's fantastic.
00:49:41.280 --> 00:49:42.320
Uh it's so good.
00:49:42.400 --> 00:49:54.719
The bunkering is superb, it's it's you know a lot more kind of intricate and more refined than maybe some of the other just you know classic Spanish golf courses down there that are geared up for tourism.
00:49:54.800 --> 00:49:56.719
It's it's a real members' club.
00:49:56.880 --> 00:49:59.039
Um and yeah, brilliant.
00:50:00.159 --> 00:50:03.039
And and restaurant, restaurant, restaurant.
00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:04.639
Gosh, there's so many.
00:50:04.880 --> 00:50:13.760
Um yeah, I think Chocolate there's a Chocodiro you've got an Estipona, or there's also one a little bit further down the road near a golf course called Rio Real.
00:50:13.920 --> 00:50:14.400
That's great fun.
00:50:14.559 --> 00:50:17.920
You're just on the beach and um just had a great time.
00:50:18.159 --> 00:50:21.440
Paella over a fire on the beach doesn't get much better than that.
00:50:21.519 --> 00:50:23.599
So yeah, that's a big recommendation.
00:50:23.679 --> 00:50:29.519
And then if you want to go and have breakfast before the round, go to breathe on the roundabout, just just where a lower is.
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:30.639
Yeah, it's a good bet.
00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:34.880
I mean, I'm honest, I'm I'm I'm pitching this as if I'm asking it for the listener's benefit.
00:50:34.960 --> 00:50:36.239
I'm actually just asking it for my benefit.
00:50:36.320 --> 00:50:41.599
I'm playing a Los Naranios on day, which I'm looking forward to very much, and I need some restaurant recommendations.
00:50:41.760 --> 00:50:44.800
Josh, have you got any restaurant recommendations just to cap it off?
00:50:45.280 --> 00:51:05.519
Yeah, so um there's there's a new one that's called um La Mama, which is just up from Breve, and then obviously to Breve, you've got Breve La Sala, and um one that's owned by La Sala next to it, which are all decent, and then just up the road, closer to a Lower Gardens where you're alluding to there, Alex.
00:51:05.679 --> 00:51:12.480
Um I think it's called um it's part, I think it's part of the big mama group that's the Italians, so they're that's good.
00:51:12.559 --> 00:51:20.400
And then if you're a bit off the beaten track, for me, the the best restaurant in the area is Los Abonicos up in Benevis.
00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:23.119
Really Spanish, really traditional.
00:51:23.280 --> 00:51:25.840
Um, it's down this little cobbled street.
00:51:25.920 --> 00:51:32.400
They don't they don't accept online bookings, they don't want your business, it's just a word of mouth thing.
00:51:32.639 --> 00:51:44.960
Ah, the food's sensational, really Spanish, but um yeah, love love what love what you're doing with with Los Aryan Cosas Breesas, uh La Quinta, albeit La Quinta's needs a little facelift here and there.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:48.159
I would say Rio Real that you mentioned is is a great sub in as well.
00:51:48.320 --> 00:51:49.840
Yeah, just a great area.
00:51:51.280 --> 00:51:54.559
Yeah, yeah, it's very good, very good.
00:51:55.039 --> 00:51:58.559
Well, safe to say I'm very excited to get out there.
00:51:58.719 --> 00:52:02.480
Um, Josh, anything final before we we move to our parting question?
00:52:03.599 --> 00:52:13.440
Yeah, I actually just want to um obviously seeing your quest for getting the playing England's top 100 again.
00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:16.079
I'd love just just two questions to ask.
00:52:16.480 --> 00:52:16.880
Three actually.
00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:17.599
I'm gonna go three.
00:52:17.679 --> 00:52:19.920
I'm gonna I'm gonna indulge myself if I may.
00:52:20.320 --> 00:52:31.679
I'd like your favourite, I'd like the biggest hidden gem, and and I appreciate you're in the industry, so you might swerve this one, and I'm giving you the out if you want it.
00:52:32.079 --> 00:52:33.280
Your biggest disappointment.
00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:34.639
Day three.
00:52:36.079 --> 00:52:36.400
Okay.
00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:40.159
So my my the first one's my favourite.
00:52:40.239 --> 00:52:44.159
Not uh not clarification, not necessarily the best, but my favourite.
00:52:44.880 --> 00:52:48.000
Your favourite personal preference interesting.
00:52:48.800 --> 00:52:49.760
Don't say right.
00:52:52.719 --> 00:53:01.679
Uh I would say um and it's a real bit of it's a bit of a cult favourite uh among my among my mates, and that's Parkstone.
00:53:02.079 --> 00:53:11.679
Okay, Parkstone down in Bournemouth, um, like presentation, turf quality, kind of just general architectural interest.
00:53:12.159 --> 00:53:13.599
It's it's pretty good.
00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:15.440
And a great logo.
00:53:15.679 --> 00:53:22.000
Yeah, a great logo to get you know, go down there part of a trip as well, and Ferndale, Broadstone, Arla Perbeck.
00:53:22.239 --> 00:53:25.920
It's you know, we're we're pretty lucky, and that's very much undersold.
00:53:26.239 --> 00:53:28.639
And um, yeah, Parkstone is fantastic.
00:53:28.880 --> 00:53:35.840
Parkstone has the best photography of every golf club website in the UK, in my opinion.
00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:44.880
When we built our website, I looked at thousands and thousands and thousands of images, and the you know, 12 hero images they've got from there are phenomenal.
00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:45.519
Who did it?
00:53:45.679 --> 00:53:47.199
It was it Jason Livy, do you know?
00:53:47.440 --> 00:53:58.239
I don't I don't know who did them, but I mean, yeah, if you go on their website, you'll see them like quite different lighting, but just you know, contrast is amazing, holes look interesting, like it's just yeah, really well done.
00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:02.239
Yeah, and then what was the second one?
00:54:02.400 --> 00:54:03.119
Remind me.
00:54:03.360 --> 00:54:04.400
Hidden gem, please.
00:54:04.559 --> 00:54:04.880
Hidden gem.
00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:07.119
I love where you've gone with the first one, by the way.
00:54:07.440 --> 00:54:08.639
Potentially's mega.
00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:09.679
Hidden gem.
00:54:11.599 --> 00:54:13.599
And it can be a hidden gem for any reason.
00:54:13.679 --> 00:54:21.119
It could be it could be fairly highly ranked, but for whatever reason you overlooked it, it could be one of the lower ranks that you go, that was actually just really great.
00:54:21.280 --> 00:54:22.880
You had a great day on it.
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:29.840
Gosh, I think, you know, I'd say hailing is not a hidden gem anymore.
00:54:29.920 --> 00:54:38.159
Um, but you know, if you asked me this six months ago prior to the recent ranking reveal, I probably would have said it's criminally underrated.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:49.199
Um, but yes, to hop down the A3 and drive over that bridge to a little island that nobody really knows about, you know, they've got a couple of caravans on it and a stony beach, and that's about it.
00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:57.280
But there is a killer links course on there and holds th seven through to fourteen is some of the best links land in the country.
00:54:57.440 --> 00:55:09.440
And kind of the unique part about it is you're so close to the sea, it's a it's a channel, not the sea, but it's quite unique to have an English Lynx course where you can see all of that, and so you really do feel like you're on the coast.
00:55:09.599 --> 00:55:16.239
And I was used to be a country member there, and yeah, driving over that bridge and just kind of leaving everything behind you was lovely.
00:55:16.559 --> 00:55:18.320
Yeah, painting painting was super.
00:55:19.199 --> 00:55:19.519
Nice.
00:55:19.679 --> 00:55:22.000
One one for us to stick on the list for sure.
00:55:22.159 --> 00:55:26.239
Yeah, and then the last one I think is disappointment.
00:55:26.960 --> 00:55:28.079
I can't.
00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:32.480
I can't do that, gents.
00:55:32.639 --> 00:55:33.119
I'm sorry.
00:55:33.280 --> 00:55:33.840
I like it.
00:55:33.920 --> 00:55:35.039
Keep it professional.
00:55:35.679 --> 00:55:40.320
All right, well, I will I will then fire off our usual parting question.
00:55:40.480 --> 00:55:46.159
I'm gonna ask you for your fantasy four ball and the course that you want to play it at.
00:55:46.400 --> 00:55:46.719
Cool.
00:55:46.880 --> 00:55:50.559
All right, like I said, I did some just in prep, so I gave it some thought.
00:55:50.719 --> 00:55:52.880
Um I was starting golf.
00:55:52.960 --> 00:56:01.599
Uh, faith is a big part of my life, and you know, someone uh somebody that isn't scared of being um you know, talking about his faith is Scotty Scheffler.
00:56:01.840 --> 00:56:10.639
So I think yeah, to to tee out with him and see what's going on with his footwork and uh yeah, uh talk about the order, I think would be fantastic.
00:56:10.719 --> 00:56:13.440
I love love four and a half hours with him, that would be great.
00:56:13.599 --> 00:56:16.559
Um second one is a bit bit weird.
00:56:16.719 --> 00:56:18.079
Uh so hold on to this.
00:56:18.159 --> 00:56:19.199
It's a chat called Jay Rainer.
00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:20.159
What's your list?
00:56:20.960 --> 00:56:22.159
Chat called Jay Rayner.
00:56:22.239 --> 00:56:32.159
And if anybody of you watch Master Chef or you know uh read the Waitrays newspaper like I do, then uh yeah, Jay Rayner's a food critic and he he's hilarious.
00:56:32.239 --> 00:56:40.239
Uh he's a good cook himself, uh he's a jazz musician, and just yeah, very, very quick with his humour, very funny guy.
00:56:40.320 --> 00:56:42.079
So Jay Rayner for me.
00:56:42.320 --> 00:56:44.800
And then as I said, I'm a gunner.
00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:48.159
Um and another another another man of faith, Bakaya Saka.
00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:51.440
So yeah, Saka can uh can come out with us.
00:56:51.519 --> 00:56:52.960
We'd we wouldn't mind that.
00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:59.280
Saka's your out of one Arsenal player, you're going Saka as your as your Arsenal slot.
00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:04.800
Starboy, yeah, it's always and then and then course.
00:57:04.960 --> 00:57:06.800
It's a it's a fantasy course, guys, right?
00:57:06.880 --> 00:57:09.199
So we're gonna we're gonna go to Cypress Point.
00:57:09.599 --> 00:57:16.239
Um if you had to take them to a course you have played.
00:57:16.800 --> 00:57:17.760
Ah, good one.
00:57:17.840 --> 00:57:19.840
Uh let's let's keep it professional.
00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:21.039
Let's go West Sussex.
00:57:21.119 --> 00:57:22.159
There's nothing better than it.
00:57:22.320 --> 00:57:22.480
Yeah.
00:57:22.800 --> 00:57:23.119
Lovely.
00:57:23.360 --> 00:57:25.280
In two two balls or foursomes?
00:57:26.639 --> 00:57:27.840
Forsomed who's your partner.
00:57:28.480 --> 00:57:32.239
Two two balls, and it's a quiet day, so we'll flip the two balls halfway around.
00:57:32.400 --> 00:57:32.800
That's there.
00:57:32.960 --> 00:57:33.519
We'll do that.
00:57:33.679 --> 00:57:34.320
There you go.
00:57:34.559 --> 00:57:35.039
Nice.
00:57:35.199 --> 00:57:36.000
Love it.
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:36.880
Very good.
00:57:37.039 --> 00:57:37.679
Do you know what?
00:57:37.840 --> 00:57:47.280
I'm probably gonna give that the most interesting full ball we've had because I think historically it's just been like Tiger Woods, Rory McElroy, and someone ultra famous or like their family.
00:57:47.440 --> 00:57:51.440
And so uh yeah, that's probably the best blend we've had.
00:57:51.840 --> 00:57:55.519
Um what are you gonna what are you gonna do if you win the Premier League?
00:57:56.079 --> 00:57:56.719
I don't know.
00:57:56.960 --> 00:58:02.800
Um me and my mate Craig, we did say we might venture up, venture up to Islington, so we'll see.
00:58:02.880 --> 00:58:03.360
I don't know.
00:58:03.519 --> 00:58:07.519
Yeah, me and my uh me and my brother have been coonas forever.
00:58:07.599 --> 00:58:12.559
Uh I remember my dad saying to me, you know, you've got to support a London football team being from London.
00:58:12.719 --> 00:58:16.000
His whole family's QPR, QPR rubbish.
00:58:16.159 --> 00:58:20.400
So uh he said you can support any London team apart from Chelsea.
00:58:20.559 --> 00:58:25.599
So Arsenal Prime 2004-2005 Arsenal.
00:58:25.920 --> 00:58:28.239
Good season to start watching him, yeah.
00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:29.360
Yeah, yeah.
00:58:29.440 --> 00:58:33.519
Well, I mean, I hope they don't win it, but I I think they will at this point.
00:58:33.679 --> 00:58:42.559
So revel in it and get the monkey off the back, and uh yeah, we'll just have to move all criticism to Tottenham instead, which I'm sure you'll be you'll be more than happy with.
00:58:42.639 --> 00:58:43.679
So absolutely.
00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:47.280
Anyway, Alex, thank you very, very much for taking time.
00:58:47.360 --> 00:58:49.039
It's been great diving into it all with you.
00:58:49.199 --> 00:58:50.480
Super, super interesting.
00:58:50.559 --> 00:58:55.039
Uh, good luck on your quest ticking off all the rest of the courses up and down the country.
00:58:55.199 --> 00:58:59.199
Um, and I hope your career kind of continues in the in the upward trajectory it is.
00:58:59.440 --> 00:59:03.280
As ever, we are full program golf, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
00:59:03.599 --> 00:59:05.039
And uh, we'll see you in the next one.
00:59:05.119 --> 00:59:05.760
Thank you, mate.
00:59:05.920 --> 00:59:06.639
Cheers, guys.
00:59:06.719 --> 00:59:06.960
Thank you.
