Golf Podcast: next on the tee

Improve Your Golf Game, 4 of the Best Game Movement & Swing Experts Tell You How...

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.

Your Mother Must Be A Saint...

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.

Tell Tony, Eddie & the Cruisers are here...

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.

You can do a lot of good in this world if you can teach someone to play golf…

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.

We Talk the Deadline That Wasn’t, The Golden Age of Golf, Building Golf Confidence, & LPGA Legends Golf...

We kick off 2024 and Season #11 of the Next on the Tee podcast with my guests Tom Patri, Kermit Zarley, Dr. Bob Winters, and Jane Crafter.
TP and I get into the deadline that wasn't with the PIF and the PGA Tour. The New Year's deadline came and went and instead of professional golf going into a new year with all this behind them, we got nothing. I also get his thoughts on the power play that some players may be trying to pull off like telling Fred Ridley that The Masters needs to up their prize money. TP also gives us a lesson on what to do if we've contracted the dreaded Y word with our putting.
Kermit Zarley played his college golf at the University of Houston. He was the medalist at the 1962 National Championship and helped the Cougars win the team title as well. We hear about what it was like being a part of Houston's domination of men's college golf from the mid-50s to the mid-70s. Kermit then takes us through his 4 wins on tour and what it was like battling Jack Nicklaus at the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach. We just scratched the surface of his great career.
Dr. Bob Winters is back. He is one of the Top Sports Psychologists. He takes us through his 5 Truth Bombs to Help Create Golf Confidence. We also learn about his recent trip to Scotland where he played at Prestwick, the site of the very first Open Championship. His trip also included a stop at Dundonald Links site of the Women's Open Championship. Doc is fantastic and it was great to have him back on the show so quickly.
I round out the show with a visit from Jane Crafter. Jane is from Perth, Australia. She is a two-time Australian Ladies Masters Champion plus winner of the 1997 Australian Open. We hear about those tremendous victories plus what it was like battling Nancy Lopez at the 1990 Phar-Mor at Inverrary and being a driving force behind starting the Legends of the LPGA Tour. Jane is a delight and made the segment so much fun.

Jay Haas, 1975 National Champion, 27 time Winner including 3 Senior Majors, Joins Me...

It was a huge thrill getting to spend some time with one of the all-time great players, Jay Haas. Jay was the medalist at the 1975 National Championship and he helped Wake Forest win back-to-back National Championships in 1974 and '75. He won 27 times between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He was also recognized with the Payne Stewart Award and the Bob Jones Award for his sportsmanship, character, and charity. Jay is the nephew of 1968 Masters Champion Bob Goalby, and his sons Bill and Jay Jr., plus nephew Dillard Pruitt also played out on the PGA Tour.
We start out talking about how his Uncle got him started in the game. We hear how Arnold Palmer and Lanny Watkins influenced his decision to play his college golf at Wake Forest. Jay gives us behind-the-scenes stories about teaming with Curtis Strange, Bob Byman, and David Thore and how they dominated college tournaments while they were there.
We then get into his relationship with two great friends of this show, Tom Purtzer and Rob Strano. We hear about how he battled Ben Crenshaw in the 1995 Masters plus what it was like being on the course during Jack Nicklaus' charge at the '86 Masters. We then go through his majors breakthrough at the 2006 Senior PGA Championship, winning it again in 2008, and coming from 5 strokes back to defeat Tom Watson in the 2009 Senior Players Championship.
We round things out by talking about this 1983 Ryder Cup experience and his plans for 2024.

The Impact Loss of Trust in PGA Tour Execs is Having on Viewership Plus Looking Back at the 1962 & 1999 US Opens, 1990 Kapalua Invitational, ’91 Southen Open, & ’92 Anheuser Busch Classic...

We close out season #10 in style as I am joined by a trio of outstanding people, Mitch Laurance, Ross Greenburg, and David Peoples.
Mitch Laurance has hosted several fantastic golf podcasts, the most recent is Talking Golf Getaways. He's also one of my favorite people on the planet. Mitch's perspective as a golf Historian is invaluable. He exclusively plays hickory clubs and a golf ball from the 1920s. Rolling the golf back means nothing to him but his perspective on the loss of trust between the PGA Tour and the fans has impacted his desire to watch golf on TV; that is something the PGA Tour should sit up and listen to. We also hear about his experience being in Rome for the Ryder Cup earlier this year and why it seems to mean so much more to the European fans than it does for us in the US.
Ross Greenburg is the former President of HBO Sports and is now head of Ross Greenburg Productions. He's produced many of the great films and documentaries of our time. He did 61 with Billy Crystal, Miracle the movie about the 1980 US Hockey team, a series of documentary films for the USGA including the battle between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at the 1962 US Open at Oakmont, the 1999 US Open won by Payne Stewart, and the 1991 Ryder Cup, the War at the Shore. Ross takes us inside the making of each of those films plus tell us what it was like being in Tokyo for the Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas fight and interviewing both fighters prior to the fight.
David Peoples played his college golf at the Unversity of Florida alongside our good friend Mark Calc plus Rick Pearson and Larry Rentz. We get some funny stories of how those guys punished their clubs when they didn't act right, like Rick tying his putter behind the team van and dragging it back to Gainesville, and Larry trying out for the Gator football team. We also hear about David's wins at the 1990 Kapalua Invitational, the '91 Southern Open, and the '92 Anheuser Busch Classic over some legendary fields.

Have YOU Lost Trust in the PGA Tour or Do You Simply Not Care...

We close out season #10 in style as I am joined by a trio of outstanding people, Mitch Laurance, Ross Greenburg, and David Peoples.
Mitch Laurance has hosted several fantastic golf podcasts, the most recent is Talking Golf Getaways. He's also one of my favorite people on the planet. Mitch's perspective as a golf Historian is invaluable. He exclusively plays hickory clubs and a golf ball from the 1920s. Rolling the golf back means nothing to him but his perspective on the loss of trust between the PGA Tour and the fans has impacted his desire to watch golf on TV; that is something the PGA Tour should sit up and listen to. We also hear about his experience being in Rome for the Ryder Cup earlier this year and why it seems to mean so much more to the European fans than it does for us in the US.
Ross Greenburg is the former President of HBO Sports and is now head of Ross Greenburg Productions. He's produced many of the great films and documentaries of our time. He did 61 with Billy Crystal, Miracle the movie about the 1980 US Hockey team, a series of documentary films for the USGA including the battle between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at the 1962 US Open at Oakmont, the 1999 US Open won by Payne Stewart, and the 1991 Ryder Cup, the War at the Shore. Ross takes us inside the making of each of those films plus tell us what it was like being in Tokyo for the Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas fight and interviewing both fighters prior to the fight.
David Peoples played his college golf at the Unversity of Florida alongside our good friend Mark Calc plus Rick Pearson and Larry Rentz. We get some funny stories of how those guys punished their clubs when they didn't act right, like Rick tying his putter behind the team van and dragging it back to Gainesville, and Larry trying out for the Gator football team. We also hear about David's wins at the 1990 Kapalua Invitational, the '91 Southern Open, and the '92 Anheuser Busch Classic over some legendary fields.

What the heck is going on around here...

This week I'm joined by 3 of the best Instructors and PGA Professionals in our game Tom Patri, Tom Wildenhaus, and Nancy Quarcelino plus aspiring Tour Pro and Trackman Golf Rep Andrew Strother.
TP and I try to make sense of what's going on in the game with Jon Rahm signing with LIV when the proposed partnership deadline is still weeks away. Has Patrick Cantlay gone all Alexander Haig on the PGA Policy Board? Why has yet another tournament sponsor pulled out? Could we be headed for tournament specific golf balls at USGA & R&A hosted tournaments if the PGA Tour and PGA of America hold fast to not adopting the rolled-back ball. If so, who's going to produce that ball? As usual we try to solve the world's problems in segment one.
Tom Wildenhaus is a 2 time South Florida PGA Professional of the Year. He has also spent over 2 decades at one of the top courses in Florida, Olde Florida Golf Club. We discuss the high expectations of one of their founding members, Mike Ditka. We also hear about the wonderful things the section has done for people away from the game of golf and some of the tremendous junior talent that has come up through the section as well.
Nancy Quarcelino is not only annually named one of the Top 50 LPGA Teachers by Golf Digest, she has now reached Elite status. We talk about that recognition. I also get her thoughts on the new influx of money into the LPGA Tour, a return to mixed team events like the Grant Thornton tournament, the recent loss of her friend and University of Kentucky women's golf coach Betty Lou Evans, working with our mutual friend Dr. Alison Curdt, and how incredibly talented Minjee Lee is.
Andrew Strother is one of the great people you get to meet in our game. After playing high school golf in rural Kentucky he went on to the University of Kentucky and graduated with a triple major in finance, marketing, and communications. He didn't play college golf but did help establish club golf at UK. In his late 20s, he decided to give professional golf a try after competing in long-drive contests. Andrew talks about his grind to get through Q-School to play on the Mexican Tour, his Top 30 finish in the Colorado Open, and caddying at the Barbasol Championship earlier this year.

Well They Went and Did It...

This week I'm joined by Champions Tour Pro and member of the University of Texas Hall of Honor Bob Estes, Pittsburgh native and now Director of Golf at the Golf Club of Houston Adam Lockwood, Top Instructor and Host of The Golf Kingdom TV Show Rob Strano, and Champions Tour Pro and 1987 US Amateur Champion Billy Mayfair.
This week I got all four guys to weigh in on the rollback of the golf ball. It is certainly the hot topic around the game and will have reverberations for years to come. In addition to that:
Bob Estes talks about his Texas Longhorns run at the National Championship in college football. We also talk about this season on the Champions Tour, the great history of men's golf at Texas, and the complicated formula for players to qualify to play on the Champions Tour.
Adam Lockwood is from just outside of my hometown of Pittsburgh. He had a very successful high school golf career at Apollo-Ridge which launched him to attend PennWest California and enter their Professional Golf Management program. We get into that, the internships he did around the New York City area, and now being the Director of Golf at the Golf Club of Houston, the former site of the Houston Open.
Rob Strano is one of the Top Instructors in our game plus the Host of The Golf Kingdom TV Show which you can check out on Amazon Fire, Roku TV, Blab TV, and Rob's YouTube Channel. He shares his thoughts on the rumors of the day including an interesting idea for what could happen if Jon Rahm defects to LIV and Rory moves to England. We also get a playing from his Time To Build segment and a pointer on Don't Be That Guy.
Billy Mayfair and his wife Tami are two outstanding people. I got to spend some time with them on the practice tee prior to the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta. Billy went out and had his best tournament of the year that week, which I'm totally taking credit for. Along with that, Billy shares memories from his win at the 1987 US Amateur Championship, the pressure of being an Arizona State grad standing on the 16th tee at the Waste Management Open knowing the fans can't wait to boo or cheer you. We also learn one of the best parts of playing in the Greater Milwaukee Open which had nothing to do with the golf and what it feels like to have how much money you earned publicized every week.