Bottling Our Best Golf

This Veterans Day week, we're joined by retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, whose 31-year military career included commanding the USS Kearsarge and leading an international naval task force combating piracy off the coast of Somalia.But there's another side to Terry: he's a lifelong golfer who has taken his clubs around the world, played some of the game's great courses, and built lasting friendships along the way.Terry joins us to share stories from both worlds, including the realities of hunting pirates, his perspective on Captain Phillips, a memorable encounter with Tiger Woods, and the friendships that have shaped his life in golf.In honor of Veterans Day, we thank Terry and all those who have served.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Dan Burke has spent nearly his entire life in golf, from growing up playing junior tournaments in Stockton, California, to 17 years as the head professional at Lake Merced Golf Club, to his current role as CEO of First Tee San Francisco.Dan joins us this week to share stories about his journey into the golf business (after playing his college golf at Santa Clara University), life as a club professional, how a meeting with the legendary Sandy Tatum inspired him to take a different path, and why helping young people discover golf has become such an important part of his life.We also go behind the scenes of the remarkable transformation of Golden Gate Park Golf Course and learn about First Tee's mission to teach life skills and create opportunities for kids through golf. Plus, we hear how Dan's own relationship with the game has evolved over the years.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Alex Gonzalez has never been afraid to take a chance. Whether it was grabbing a duffel bag and heading to South America to try professional golf or helping launch an early online golf retailer, Alex has a knack for following opportunities wherever they lead.Alex is Oliver's longtime friend and former Harvard golf teammate, and this week we welcome him to share stories from a life shaped by golf. He takes us back to his upbringing in Juárez, Mexico, explains how Tiger Woods and Notah Begay inadvertently changed his college plans, and recalls winning the Ivy League individual championship.We also get a look inside two very different golf cultures: Brookside Golf & Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, and Savannah Golf Club in Georgia, with its lively tradition of golf “blitzes.” And we hear about Tee Times & Tequila, Alex's latest effort to bring people together through golf.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Well, we lost our latest best-ball match. It wasn't our finest effort, but we start this week's show with a postmortem of forgettable shots before we burn the tape and move on.Then we open our listener mailbag. Thanks as always to our listeners for the great questions: we tackle what makes a great tournament partner, whether golf is still fun without keeping score, and our biggest golf pet peeves (or "bugbears," as one listener calls them). We also talk about the best golf advice we've ever received, including a memorable lesson Preston learned as a teenager from Roger Maltbie.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

This week, we sit down with Matt Jordan, Director of Golf at The Olympic Club, to talk about what goes into building and sustaining a great golf culture.Matt shares what he's learned from more than 25 years in the golf business, from his time at Streamsong to his work at Olympic. We talk about how to build a great golf staff, which traditions are worth preserving (and which aren't), and what makes a great member.We also look ahead to the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup coming to Olympic, and hear what it means to Matt to serve as host professional for those storied events. And as always, we put Matt through a round of Ready Golf and hear what the soul of the game is to him.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Actor, director, producer, and filmmaker Colin Hanks came to golf relatively late — and now he’s making up for lost time.We met Colin on the golf course a few months ago, and his passion for the game stood out immediately. He joins us to talk about how he got hooked on the game, why The Olympic Club is his favorite course, and what he’s learned from getting comfortable being bad at something again. We also get into golf’s unique culture, white belts, the realization that nobody cares how well you play, and the surprising parallels between golf, acting, and storytelling.And of course, Colin shares what he thinks is the soul of the game.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Lou Stagner is one of golf’s best-known voices in data, using data from millions of shots to challenge conventional wisdom about everything from putting and driving to course management and practice.We talk with Lou about all this and more: golf myths busted by the data, strokes gained, what happens when the “right” statistical answer doesn’t fit the golfer, what Lou’s learned from working with elite players, and how to practice in ways that actually transfer to the course.Plus: Lou’s unusual journey from left-handed golfer to right-handed golfer, the time he watched Moe Norman bring an entire driving range to a halt, working with the Princeton men's golf team, and his work with Arccos.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

Jacob Goode joins us to talk about his unconventional climb to elite amateur golf — from not being recruited out of high school and arriving at the University of Washington without a spot on the golf team, to winning the California State Amateur and playing the U.S. Amateur at his home club, Olympic. We discuss his determination to prove he belonged, the coaches who helped accelerate his improvement, the mental side of competing at a high level, and the idea that now defines his approach: instead of worrying about his ceiling, he wants to keep raising his floor.Plus, Jacob shares what comes next as he weighs another season of college golf against the path toward turning professional.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

We catch up on our own golf games after a busy summer, starting with a hard-fought win in our latest Armageddon match. That leads to a bigger question: why does our best golf sometimes show up out of nowhere — and why can it be so hard to reproduce?We also weigh in on the summer debate over how to define a “good golfer,” and share some early impressions of renowned architect Jim Urbina after spending a couple of hours walking the Olympic Club property with him.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro

This week, we’re joined by Congressional Country Club member Ernest Baynard, whose friendship with Preston helped build lasting relationships between Congressional and the Olympic Club.Ernest takes us inside Congressional: the golf, the history, the traditions, the characters, and what a perfect day at the club looks like. We also learn about the genesis of the Ryder Cup-style match that he and Preston started, which team takes the competition more seriously, and which club has the better locker room. Plus, our Ready Golf lightning round with Ernest: Blue or Gold, the best spot at Congressional that isn’t a golf course, the best item on the menu, and his favorite non-Congressional course in the DMV.Follow Weekday Golf:Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @weekdaygolfpodcastEmail: [email protected] by: Austin WooldridgeMusic provided by: ⁠https://www.classicals.de/mozart-figaro