The Count Back

Our first episode on location. Barry and Sigma played Carne Golf Links in Belmullet, then hid behind a dune to record this.Is Carne the best golf course in Ireland? How to play it in the wind, why you should forget about your score, how it holds up at the end of October, and what happened to Barry’s putter on the way to the second tee.Got a course you want us to review? Tell us in the comments.00:00 Cold open00:27 Live from Carne02:53 The best course in Ireland?05:58 Carne vs the big names07:31 The Wild Atlantic Dunes10:23 Links golf into November11:38 The welcome13:45 Easy to score, easy to shoot 10015:09 Advice for your first visit18:23 Forget the score20:22 Rough you can find your ball in21:33 Getting round in a buggy25:07 The Count Back Index32:00 The broken putter36:03 Sigma’s 11 drivers37:19 Send us your coursesNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

Who holds up a golf course more: a slow scratch golfer or a fast 24 handicapper? Barry did the maths, and Sigma didn’t believe him.This week Barry and Sigma get into slow play: the worst offences, what clubs could do about pins and rough, how to deal with the Jimmy in your club, and whether a shot clock would fix the pro game. Plus Higher or Lower, powered by ApexGolf, and some easy ways to keep things moving.What’s the slowest round you’ve ever played? Tell us in the comments. And let us know: reviews, rambles, or both?00:00 Cold open00:36 Number one podcast in Ireland01:17 The big question03:36 Slow scratch vs fast 2405:43 Does slow play matter in the big picture?10:03 The worst offences14:11 Do slow players know?19:50 Actually being ready25:42 What to do about Jimmy29:25 Being rushed31:09 Course setup38:16 Speed training and spraying it45:23 Higher or Lower48:10 Tips to keep things moving01:00:38 Watch your ball finish01:05:08 If you were the CEO of Golf01:14:55 The fanny pack01:20:11 The jiggerNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

Every golfer has had one. This week Barry and Sigma get into meltdowns: first tee nerves, the chipping yips, the lost ball injustice, a 10 on the last hole of a Break 80 round, and what Rory, Seve and Spieth can teach the rest of us.Plus how to help a playing partner over the line (never say “steady the ship”), unsolicited swing advice, AimPoint, and the one thing that works when your head goes.Seen a proper meltdown on the course? Tell us in the comments.0:00 Cold open0:36 This week: meltdowns4:22 The meltdown of all meltdowns9:32 Match play or stroke play?15:01 The chipping yips20:18 Types of meltdown24:09 The lost ball injustice30:06 A 10 on the last31:48 Rory, Seve and Spieth39:44 The running commentary44:26 Getting it over the line47:32 Unsolicited advice54:10 Chasing the feel1:02:10 How to stop a meltdownNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

The handicap system, and the people who game it. The first Count Back ramble.Barry knows of a man who broke 100 four times in twelve months. All four were captain's prize rounds. He won it twice.Sigma shot two 66s in a captain's prize and finished seventh.Episode 4 of The Count Back, weekly discussions on Irish golf with Barry and Sigma. No course this week and no score, just the handicap system, bandits, and whether anything can be done about either.CHAPTERS00:00:00 - The handicap system00:01:30 - Is it fair?00:03:32 - The old system00:06:45 - Two 66s and seventh place00:13:31 - What a bandit looks like00:20:00 - Four good days a year00:21:12 - Endemic and systemic00:25:35 - The JP McManus Pro Am00:28:31 - Six shots back00:32:08 - The Bandit Gazette00:38:38 - Gross prizes00:43:30 - It gets worse00:45:16 - Teaching juniors00:49:01 - Would you refuse to sign?00:53:28 - Fixing the countback00:59:34 - Shots on the 19th01:17:48 - Sigma's solutionIs this format worth keeping? Tell us in the comments, along with any topic you want covered.New episode every Wednesday. Follow the show and it comes to you.thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

Strandhill in Co. Sligo. A par 70 links under Knocknarea, sitting between Enniscrone and Rosses Point and rarely mentioned in the same breath as either.Episode 3 of The Count Back, weekly discussions on Irish golf courses with Barry and Sigma. Every course gets a verdict and a score on The Count Back Index.CHAPTERS00:00:00 - Strandhill00:01:08 - The hidden gem00:02:31 - What the Americans said00:04:49 - Is it easy?00:06:47 - The dress code00:08:09 - Sigma's first time00:09:48 - The price00:11:17 - The condition00:13:48 - Will the price go up?00:17:08 - Where to start on links00:19:12 - The undulations00:22:07 - Golf all year00:23:43 - Barry's first time00:29:30 - The opening holes00:31:13 - Featured holes00:36:09 - The welcome00:37:29 - The 13th00:38:50 - The Count Back Index00:45:12 - The scoreNew episode every Wednesday. Follow the show and it comes to you.thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

Carton House in Co. Kildare. Two courses, a Fairmont hotel and half an hour from Dublin. A long way from Enniscrone in every sense.Episode 2 of The Count Back, weekly discussions on Irish golf courses with Barry and Sigma. Every course gets a verdict and a score on The Count Back Index.New episode every Wednesday. Follow the show and it comes to you.thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackNew episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma

Our first review. Enniscrone Golf Links in Co. Sligo, all dunes and Atlantic, and whether it lives up to the reputation.We get to the verdict eventually. Along the way there's a fair bit about links golf in general, because it's hard to talk about Enniscrone without it.New episode every Wednesday.Website: thecountback.comInstagram and TikTok: @thecountbackBarry: @golfwithbarrySigma: @the_creative_sigma