Golf Podcast: next on the tee
Next on the Tee takes a unique approach to golf coverage. The show is more than just an analysis of the latest scores and tournament results. It provides in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in golf, giving listeners an inside look at the sport and its players. Additionally, the show has a friendly and engaging tone that makes it accessible to both die-hard golf fans and casual listeners alike. With its high production value, compelling interviews, and insightful commentary, Next on the Tee is striving to be a part of your weekly golf content.
Episodes
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Tom Patri is back with me this week along with 3 Next on the Tee rookies, 1984 National Champion John Inman, 1986 Florida State Amateur Champion Barry Cheesman, and Robert Morris University Head Men's Golf Coach Steve Shingledecker.
TP and I got into this past weekend's Wasted Management Open and if it has gone from being The People's Open to needing The People's Court? We also talk about the rash of 60 and sub-60 rounds we've seen recently, plus the resurrection of the Maxfli golf ball.
John Inman won the 1984 National Championship while at the University of North Carolina. We hear about that victory, what it was like teaming with Davis Love III and Jack Nicklaus II to win the 1983/84 ACC Championship, getting the better of Rocco Mediate twice at the '84 Western Amateur and the Provident Classic, plus whether his brother Joe, a 4-time winner between the PGA & Champions Tours, would make a great next Commissioner of the PGA Tour.
Barry Cheesman started out as a Minor League baseball player in the Cardinals farm system back in the 70s. He later turned his attention to golf and won the 1986 Florida State Amateur Championship. We hear that story plus about his 2 wins on the Ben Hogan Tour including at Quail Hollow outside of Cleveland. We also hear what it took to be a long driver out on Tour in the days of persimmon woods and balata golf balls.
Steve Shingledecker is a great multi-sport athlete. He was an All-American baseball player at North Carolina State. He coached Franklin High School in the Pittsburgh area to the 2006 AAA PIAA basketball state championship, and he's now the Head Men's Golf Coach at Robert Morris. We started out talking about his high school friendship/rivalry with Top 100 Instructor and fellow Pittsburgh area native Eric Johnson during their Oil Creek Region days. Someone used the phrase "garbage athlete" to describe the other. While the other one used air quotes around "athlete" when describing his friend. We moved on to learn about his college baseball days at NC State where he was the ACC Tournament MVP in 1990. We got into his golf career and learned what it was like being in the mix at the 2002 Pennsylvania State Mid Amateur Championship. We went on the court to hear what it was like coaching Franklin High to that state championship. We rounded out our conversation getting into how he went about getting the Head Golf Coach position at Robert Morris and working with his players to build that golf program.
Friday Feb 09, 2024
What The Heck Is Going On Around Here...
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Friday Feb 09, 2024
On this episode I'm joined by PGA Professional & Director of Golf at Alpine Country Club John Mascari, 2019 Champions Tour Player of the Year Scott McCarron, 2-time winner on Tour and now Top Instructor Rick Fehr, plus 2008 Minnesota Teacher of the Year and 2022/2023 Top Instructor in South Dakota Todd Kolb.
John Mascari weighs in on the state of professional golf and where he thinks it'll be 5-10 years down the road. We hear the best pieces of advice he's been given in his business and golf careers and if the golf ball rollback is much to do about nothing.
Scott McCarron shares his thoughts on golf becoming more of a worldwide game and if Rory was right in saying we could see a Premier League like structure. He also shared his thoughts on what it will be like when Tiger comes to play out on the Champions Tour, and we looked back on his first PGA Tour victory and how Johnny Miller's comments on the practice range fueled him to turn a 1 shot lead over Tom Watson into a 5 stroke victory. We finish off hearing about a great property he recently bought down in the Bahamas in Jack's Bay Club which features courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Rick Fehr won twice out on the PGA Tour. He is also one of the most decorated amateur players in the last 40 years. He helped BYU win a national championship and he was low Amateur in the 1984 Masters and US Open. Rick teaches in the Seattle area. We focused our conversation on the mental side of the game. We talked about how to get into a flow state or "the zone". He shared tips for how to figure out which tips on the internet are good and which ones may be leading us down the wrong path. Rick was annually one of the best putters on Tour and provided some drills to help us make more putts.
Todd Kolb rounds out the show. He's one of the Top Instructors in the north-central part of the country. He has written a wonderful book titled, The Bad Lie, Why Traditional Golf Instruction is Failing You and What To Do Instead. We delve into why that's the case and what his Vertical Line Swing System is. We get tips for how to hit a high, soft flop shot, how to gain more distance off the tee for those of us north of 50, and how to get your hips to turn versus sway in your downswing.
Monday Feb 05, 2024
The West Wing's Melissa Fitzgerald Joins Me...
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
What a privilege to get to spend some time with one of the great people you get to meet in this life, Melissa Fitzgerald.
Melissa played Carol Fitzpatrick, CJ's assistant, on The West Wing. You've also probably seen her movies like The Truman Show and Monument Avenue or on other TV shows like Gray's Anatomy and Chasing The Hill.
Melissa and I start out talking about growing up in Philadelphia. She is the daughter of a father who was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge and her mother was also politically active and volunteered in the community. They are graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. I asked Melissa what it was like for her to give the commencement speech at Chestnut Hill College. We then delved into how loyal West Wing fans are to the cast and show. She talks about the support she's gotten over the years from her West Wing cast members, and the new book that she and Mary McCormack have written about their West Wing experience called, What's Next, due out later this summer.
We then transition into the incredible work she's done following the show. We hear about how the In Excelsis Deo episode became a reality for her when she was hired as the Director of Justice for Vets, a non-profit organization focused on veterans' treatment courts. It has recently gone through a rebranding to All Rise. Her cast mates have rallied around her in her new role to help raise money and awareness for the great things this court system is doing to help our Veterans, who are dealing with substance abuse or mental health issues, get their lives back on track.
Be sure to check out the great things Melissa and All Rise are doing online at www.allrise.org plus give her a follow on Instagram or X @maffyfitz. The book will be available later his summer in August. You can pre-order on Amazon. I will try to get both Melissa and Mary McCormack to join me when the release date gets closer.
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
I ran into two great friends and Top Instructors in our game, Rob Strano and Debbie O'Connell while walking the floor of the PGA Merchandise show. We talked about new putting products, AI's impact on the game, resurrecting old equipment, feel vs. data, rooting for small businesses, Season 6 of The Golf Kingdom, the power of the mind, focusing on our positive shots, and getting over the one hole that always gets us.
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
I had the privilege of spending a few minutes with Jill Spiegel, President of the PGA Tour SuperStore, from the floor of the PGA Merchandise Show. Jill is one of the most influential people in the golf retail business. I got her thoughts on the shift in the retail soft goods side of the business over the years, some of the merging trends for 2024, where Nike stands in the market now, their relationship with the Travis Matthew brand, and what influences AI will have going forward.
Friday Feb 02, 2024
2-Time Super Bowl Champion DB Mark Collins Joins Me...
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Former Giants 2-time Super Bowl Champion DB Mark Collins joins me on this special segment of Next on the Tee. Mark also played for the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Packers.
Mark talks about his favorite Pro-Ams to play in including the Mid Penn Bank Celebrity Golf Tournament. We hear about his recent trip to the TaylorMade Kingdom, his week working with Butch Harmon, how Butch got him to realize that golf is supposed to be fun since he doesn't play it for a living, the courses on Mark's bucket list, and who he thinks will be playing in the Super Bowl.
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Welcome to an exciting new episode of Next on the Tee, your ultimate guide to the world of golf. This episode is packed with knowledgeable insights from some of the global golf industry's biggest names, including Keith Jarvis, Terry Hashimoto, Katherine Roberts, and Tom Patri. We cover groundbreaking technology transforming golf and share valuable tips and strategies aimed at enhancing your golf game performance.
Listeners, gear up to delve into in-depth understanding of TrackMan calculations, smash factors, spin rates, and the benefit of teeing it lower with Golf Academy Lead Instructor, Keith Jarvis. Closely followed by an insightful discussion with the distinguished member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Terry Hashimoto, who enlightens us about the world of BodiTrack Golf and proper weight distribution.
Be ready to benefit from Katherine Roberts, a leading movement skills coordinator in sports and a yoga expert, as she shares guidelines on improving our feet and ankle strength and stretching properly before teeing off. Also, enjoy an engaging chat with Tom Patri about recent events in the PGA Tour and his experiences working with the late Jackie Burke Jr.
This enlightening episode is sure to provide all golf enthusiasts with the insights they need to enrich their golfing journey.
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
Your Mother Must Be A Saint...
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
This week I'm joined by Tom Patri and a trio of Next on the Tee rookies, one of the Top 100 Teachers to Watch for 2024 & 2025 Meaghan Francella, one of the most decorated Amateur players ever Steve Scott, and the Director of Golf at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts Brendan Walsh.
TP and I recap where we aren't with the PIF/PGA Tour merger, Keith Pelley's resignation as CEO of the DP World Tour, Martin Slumber's resignation from the R&A, plus a playing lesson to help you fix your slice.
Meaghan Francella won back-to-back New York State junior championships in the late 90s. She would go on to win the Conference USA title at the University of Memphis before transferring to the University of North Carolina and winning the ACC Championship there. We hear those stories plus her remarkable debut on the LPGA Tour where she beat Annika Sorenstam in a playoff to win the MasterCard Classic in just her second start on Tour.
Steve Scott was another accomplished junior player having won the 1992, '93, and '94 South Florida Junior Championship. He was an All-American at the University of Florida, winning 3 individual titles his senior season. He famously battled Tiger Woods in the 1996 US Amateur taking a 5 UP lead into the last 18 holes of their match. If Steve hadn't reminded Tiger to move his ball mark back on the 16th green, he would have won the match 3&2. Instead, he did the right thing and went on to lose the match on the 38th hole. The golf gods gave him great karma as he went on to a great amateur career including 2 appearances in the Walker Cup and now as a top Broadcast Analyst for ESPN and PGA Tour Live.
Brenden Walsh is the Director of Golf at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He is the 12th of 15 children to a father who is a Philadelphia golf legend and a mother who is clearly a saint. Brendan played his college golf over at the College of Wooster just outside of Akron, Ohio. He won the 1996 Connecticut Open. During his tenure at The Country Club, he hosted the 1999 Ryder Cup, 2013 US Amateur, and the 2022 US Open. Hear all those stories and more during our conversation.
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Tell Tony, Eddie & the Cruisers are here...
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Eddie & the Cruiser star and the host of Backspin Golf Matthew Laurance joins me on this special bonus edition of Next on the Tee.
Matthew shares his thoughts on what could be next for Tiger's brand, Jon Rahm's defection to LIV, plus the recent resignations of DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and R&A CEO Martin Slumbers. We also hear about some of Matthew's favorite courses down in the Lexington, Kentucky area, who has the prettiest practice swing you ever saw, the filming of Eddie & the Cruisers, and remembering his friend Tim Wakefield.
Check out Matthew's show Backspin Golf every Sunday morning at 8:03 AM EST on ESPN Radio WLXG (www.wlxg.com) and follow him on X @reallauro5.
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
This week I am joined by Mike McGee former Mount Union All-Conference baseball player, Jerry McGee’s son, and Managing Director of the Annika brand and her husband, Jeff Smith Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor and Golf Digest’s Top Instructor in the state of Indiana, and Evan Schiller PGA Professional and renowned golf course Photographer.
Mike McGee is from East Palestine, Ohio. He is the son of 4-time winner on Tour and Western Pennsylvania PGA Section Hall of Famer Jerry McGee. He is also the Managing Director of the Annika brand and Annika Sorenstam’s husband. Mike was also an All-Conference baseball player at the University of Mount Union over in Alliance, Ohio. He shares stories about growing up in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio in the early 80s. Mike speaks of a simpler time of backyard games and never locking your door. Mike reflects back on the Annika Fore East Palestine campaign that helped that community recover from the tragic train derailment and chemical spill that resulted last year. We also hear about his father’s career including playing in the 1977 Ryder Cup, multiple appearances in The Masters, and what it was like for Mike to induct his father into the Western Pennsylvania PGA Section Hall of Fame last fall. Mike is a huge Steelers fan so he weighs in on this weekend’s playoff matchup against Buffalo.
Jeff Smith has been named a Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor each of the last four years. Golf Digest has named him the best Teacher in the state of Indiana. Jeff also Co-Hosts a wonderful podcast alongside John Ashton called Those Weekend Golf Guys. We start out by hearing how his wife Kathy is one who got him started playing golf. Kathy played college golf at Indiana University, where they both went to school. Jeff shares the story of what it was like for him when he got the call that he was named a Top 100 Instructor by Golf Magazine. He says something that will stick with me forever, “You can do a lot of good in this world if you can teach someone to play golf.” We get into his winter seasonal jobs down at Bonita Bay Club outside of Naples, Florida and summering at Eagle Springs Golf Club in Wolcott, Colorado. We also get a couple of playing lessons for how to transition to playing on Bermuda grass if you’re going to Florida this winter and why we should consider leaving our 3-wood in the garage and replacing it with a 5-wood.
Evan Schiller is quite possibly THE best golf course photographer of all-time. If you think that may be hyperbole, please check out his work online at www.evanschillerphotography.com. Evan and I start out talking about his 2024 calendar and how he went about deciding which courses to include. He talks about his use of drone videos and what it was like shooting the 7th hole at Pebble Beach plus the range of clubs people have used on that very short Par 3 depending on whether the wind was up. We transition to some of the incredible courses he’s photographed overseas including Old Head in Ireland plus which courses remain on is bucket list.