The Cookie Jar Golf Podcast

Epizódy

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  398 - Kevin Hammer: President of the USGA 15.09.2026 43min

  Kevin Hammer discusses his path into golf administration and his role as president of the USGA. He says he grew up around golf in South Florida, with a father who played college golf, competed on the PGA Tour, and later worked as a club director of golf. He also says he played junior and college golf, but moved into administration through state and regional golf work before joining the USGA. He explains that his interest in administration began in part through helping with junior golf for hi...
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  397 - Sam Easterbrook: Walker Cup Winner 12.09.2026 43min

  In this episode, Peter speaks with Sam Easterbrook about winning the Walker Cup at Lahinch and what the week was like behind the scenes. He describes the celebrations after the win, the difficult travel back to the United States, and how quickly the team had to separate and return to their different commitments. We also go through Sam’s golf background, from starting the game as a child to developing through England Golf, attending Rossall and then moving on to Purdue. He explains how colleg...
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  396 - Walker Cup Recap 07.09.2026 52min

  This episode we reflect on GB&I’s Walker Cup win, their first in 11 years, and the scale of the comeback from a difficult morning session to a dramatic finish on the 18th green. We talk through the setting at Lahinch, which we describe as an excellent venue for the event, with strong support from the club, the town and the crowds throughout the week. We also note the work of captain Dean Robertson and the wider team around the side. We cover how the morning foursomes went badly for GB&a...
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  395 - Walker Cup Day 1 Recap 05.09.2026 57min

  Day one of the Walker Cup at Lahinch in the bag, and we're recapping the action. 2 points from Niall Shiels Donegan no doubt the highlight, as well as a stellar comeback from Stuart Grehan against WAGR #1 Preston Stout. A betterball score of 60 from the pair, and carding a -7 round, yet never leading until the final putt was a sign of the standard of that match. Match results from the day below, and roll on day 2! Morning Foursomes (GB&I 2½ – 1½ USA) 1 | Stuart Grehan / Eliot Baker | Hal...
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  394 - Walker Cup Quiz with Dr Darragh Garrahy 01.09.2026 1h 3min

  With Walker Cup week upon us, we sit down with the Lord of Lag Putting himself, Dr Darragh Garrahy, to talk about one of his favourite subjects. There’s a twist this time, though, as Darragh takes on the role of quizmaster, requiring very little effort to expose Sam & Tom’s rather thin understanding of the Walker Cup. Along the way, he shares a tonne of brilliant titbits from the history of the match and this year’s host venue, Lahinch, with stories featuring some of the great characters ...
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  393 - Course Diaries: North Berwick East Links (The Glen) 25.08.2026 45min

  This week's course diaries episode takes us back to East Lothian to visit the East Links at North berwick, otherwise known as The Glen. Widely believed to be the first course ever designed by 5-time Open Champion James Braid, whose work would see him revise, refine or design over 500 courses, as well as reputedly being the first ever Municipal Golf Course. We cover the course’s history, as well as the dillema facing The Glen, with the reported buyout talks involving Ancient Links Golf Compa...
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  392 - US Amateur & GB&I Walker Cup Team Announced 18.08.2026 52min

  With Jack Whaley becoming on the third Englishman to win the coveted Havemeyer Trophy on Sunday evening at Merion (behind Matt Fitzpatrick & Harold Hilton), Sam, Tom & Peter wax lyrical about his performance, the venue, the event and what feels like an increased level of attention the golf world is paying to elite amateur golf. As well as his exemption into both the US Open, Open Championship, and an invitation to the Masters (provided he behaves himself between now and April), ...
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  391 - Jamie Van Wyk: English Amateur Champion 11.08.2026 57min

  Jamie reflects on winning the England Golf Men’s Amateur Championship (as well as being part of back to back success in the Home Internationals). He talks about the week after the English Amateur, where England won the men’s event, as well as his walk-off hole-in-one he made in matchplay against Wales, on the 17th hole to secure the match. We talk about his English Amateur win, the importance of conservative play in the strokeplay qualification rounds, as well as his course strate...
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  390 - Course Diaries: Royal Ashdown Forest w/ Colin Strachan 04.08.2026 1h 1min

  In this episode we speak with Colin Strachan, club historian and author of "Fair Ways at Ashdown Forest", about the history of Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club and its place in early golf in England. We discuss how golf was played in Brighton as early as 1817, and how that activity links to the later development of the club at Forest Row. We talk about the railway connections that helped shape the club, including the role of people connected to the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Col...
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  389 - The Golfing Year of 1926 w/ Richard Fisher 28.07.2026 1h 10min

  In this episode we are joined by Richard Fisher (3-peat on the pod) looking back at 1926 as a pivotal year in golf, tracing the season from winter through autumn. We focus on the amateur game, the professional events, and the way golf fit into the wider sporting and political landscape of the year. We begin with the early amateur season, including the shared President’s Putter at Rye and the Varsity match at Burnham & Berrow, where Cambridge win. We also discuss how much golf's leading a...
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  388 - Open Championship Roundup 19.07.2026 1h 19min

  We look back on a dramatic finish at Royal Birkdale, where Ryan Fox closed with a strong Sunday round and won on the 72nd hole. We say he stayed composed under pressure, kept executing shots, and handled some very unlucky breaks on the closing holes without letting them affect him. We also discuss how the course played over the week. We say it was firm, dry and much harder in the afternoon, while the morning wave had the best scoring conditions. We note that the changes to the course produce...
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  387 - Open Championship Preview 16.07.2026 37min

  This episode we discuss the setup for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, with particular focus on the firm, fast conditions and how much water the course is losing each day through high wind and heat. We talk about how the greens are being monitored and adjusted with modern technology, and how the course presentation is being kept under control. We also look at how players may adapt their strategy, with many expected to leave driver out in favor of irons, mini drivers or three-woods. T...
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  386 - The Price is Wrong 15.07.2026 39min

  In this episode we play a price-guessing game based on merchandise and food from the Open Championship site. We set up the rules, use a match-play style scorecard, and compare the prices of items the listeners would not have seen. We start with some reference prices, then move through a yellow Open mug, a boxed Vice golf ball, and a small navy pen holder shaped like a tall bag. We also price a Malbon quarter zip and a Malbon bucket hat, which lead to some of the larger early swings in the sc...
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  385 - The Open Last Chance Qualifier Recap 14.07.2026 37min

  From within the media centre at Royal Birkdale, Sam and Peter recap the Monday last-chance qualifier at the Open Championship, where 12 players competed for one place in the field. The format, the field, and a first look at the course conditions are all discussed, alongside a recap of the first ever Last Chance Qualifier - an event we think was a resounding success. Send us a message if you liked the show Support the show If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Appl...
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  384 - The Hawtree Dynasty 13.07.2026 1h 8min

  In this episode we discuss the Scottish Open at Renaissance Club and the experience around the event, including the relaxed atmosphere for players, the links-style setting, and the way the course routing was changed. We also talk about nearby courses on the East Lothian coast, including Gullane, Winterfield, Craigielaw and Longniddry. We then begin the final part of our series on major golf course architects, focusing on the Hawtree family. We explain that the Hawtrees span three generations...
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  383 - East Lothian Eclectic 18 09.07.2026 54min

  In this episode, we speak from Renaissance in East Lothian, where we discuss the golf on the coast and how many different courses there are in the area. We talk about the quality of the turf, the variety of links courses, and how the region keeps surprising us even when we think we know it well. We also discuss golf shoes and metal spikes, including why spectators wear golf shoes at events and why professionals still use metal spikes, even though many clubs do not allow them. We compare diff...
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  382 - Recovering from The Yips w/ Will Dugdale 04.07.2026 1h 1min

  Will Dugdale discusses starting golf as a child, playing junior, county, Oxford and Cambridge golf, and turning pro in 1999. He also covers early career ups and downs, the putting yips, changes to his grip, and his work helping other golfers. Will has a genuinely fascinating story in the game of golf, and his relationship with the flat stick will no doubt resonate with many. For those who want to learn more, we'd encourage you to head to Will's website, best-putter.com. Send us a mes...
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  381 - Final Qualifying Roundup 01.07.2026 1h 40min

  In this episode we cover final qualifying for the Open Championship across four venues, with reports from Dundonald, Burnham & Berrow, Royal Cinque Ports, and West Lancashire. We compare the atmosphere at each course, noting that the day drew strong crowds, with many volunteers managing scoring, marshalling, parking and course presentation. We discuss how the golf courses were set up and how the weather affected play. Burnham and Barrow was described as especially well presented, while W...
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  380 - Stuart Grehan 26.06.2026 41min

  Sam chats with Stuart Grehan fresh of his Amateur Championship win at Royal Liverpool and West Lancs last week. The 131st Amateur was also the 19th time this event has been hosted at Royal Liverpool - more than any other venue. We talk about his wins in the knockout, the adjustments from 18 to 36 hole matches, as well some of the trickier matches that lay between him and his final against Matt Maloney which went all the way to the 36th hole. We also talk about his career, from pitch and...
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  379 - US Open Roundup 24.06.2026 59min

  In this episode we reflect on the US Open at Shinnecock Hills and the course setup, including the firm greens, the undulations, and how the test shifted the emphasis toward short game and putting. We discuss the USGA’s explanation of why the greens were managed the way they were, and how the event played gradually from Thursday through Sunday. We also talk about Wyndham Clark’s win, his reception from the crowd, and how he held onto the lead despite not playing his best golf at the weekend. ...