Birdie Golf Club Podcast

What can you actually get for £20 on a golf course in Sussex?Dave visits Willingdon Golf Club for an affordable round of golf and explores what makes the course interesting, memorable and worth putting on the radar of golfers in the area.The episode looks at the design and character of Willingdon, the importance of value for money and why some of the best golfing experiences can come from courses that don't have the biggest price tags.Dave also discusses the wider issue of golf becoming increasingly expensive, the importance of local and community golf, and what makes a course worth returning to.Away from the course, there's a look at podcasting and the Birdie Golf Club community, including the importance of listener engagement and ideas for future course visits.A shorter, more personal Birdie Golf Club episode about discovering an affordable Sussex golf course — and asking whether £20 can still buy you a memorable round.

Has LIV Golf actually made professional golf worse for fans?Golf coach and YouTube creator Chris Ryan joins Dave on the Birdie Golf Club Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and whether the modern professional game is becoming harder for fans to follow.Despite more money, more tournaments and more golf than ever, Chris argues that the fractured professional golf landscape may actually be delivering a worse product for viewers. They discuss whether fans can still easily identify the best players in the world, what LIV Golf has changed and why professional golf ultimately depends on keeping people interested.The conversation also covers Scottie Scheffler's remarkable consistency and comparisons with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy's search for something more exciting, and the future of the PGA Tour.Elsewhere, Dave and Chris discuss the British Masters, Joe Dean's finish under pressure, the relationship between golfers and caddies, Marco Penge's decision-making, Alex Fitzpatrick's rise and the potential for the Fitzpatrick brothers to develop into one of golf's most interesting rivalries.Chris also shares his own journey as one of the UK's best-known golf coaches and YouTube creators. They explore how YouTube has changed golf instruction, the limitations of learning golf online and why personalised coaching remains difficult to replace.In this episode:• Has LIV Golf made professional golf worse for fans?• The battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour• Why professional golf depends on fan engagement• Is it becoming harder to know who the best golfers are?• Scottie Scheffler and comparisons with Tiger Woods• Rory McIlroy and the future of professional golf• The British Masters and tournament golf• Joe Dean's finish under pressure• Why the player-caddie relationship matters• Marco Penge and PGA Tour opportunities• Alex Fitzpatrick's rise• The future potential of the Fitzpatrick brothers• How YouTube changed golf coaching• The problems with learning golf instruction online• Why personalised golf coaching still matters• Chris Ryan's journey on YouTube and his future plansAbout Chris RyanChris Ryan is a golf coach and YouTube creator, known for helping golfers improve through practical coaching and online instruction.Birdie Golf Club is golf beyond the leaderboard — honest conversations about professional golf, golf culture, coaching and the people shaping the game.

Is golf losing its connection with fans?Dave and Luke have a wide-ranging conversation about the state and future of the game — from professional golf and the DP World Tour to the rise of women's golf, the importance of great sporting stories and whether golf is becoming too expensive and inaccessible for ordinary players.They discuss why some professional golf struggles to capture attention, what makes a player or tournament genuinely relatable, and why stories such as Ellie Givens' journey can create a much stronger connection with fans.The conversation also explores golf course pricing, grassroots and community golf, long drive, and the growing importance of content creation and storytelling in the modern golf industry.Ultimately, it's a conversation about a bigger question: what actually makes people fall in love with golf — and how does the game keep that connection in the future?In this episode:• Is professional golf losing fans?• The current appeal of men's professional golf• Why the DP World Tour remains compelling• The growth and appeal of women's golf• Ellie Givens' remarkable golf journey• Why great sporting stories matter• How our relationship with golf changes• The rising cost of playing golf• Accessibility and grassroots golf• The future of long drive• Golf content creation and videography• Why golf needs better storytelling• The importance of community in the gameAbout Birdie Golf Club:Birdie Golf Club is golf beyond the leaderboard — honest conversations, stories and insights from across the game, covering professional golf, equipment, courses, challenges, content creation and the people who make golf interesting.New episodes every week.

Golf is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Nerves, frustration, overthinking, fear of judgement and one bad shot can quickly turn a good round into a frustrating one.In this episode of the Birdie Golf Club Podcast, Dave is joined by mental performance coach Laura Scott to explore what actually happens in your mind when you’re playing golf under pressure.Laura explains how to deal with negative self-talk, recover after a bad shot, manage tension and anxiety, build a repeatable pre-shot routine and stop letting your score or handicap define how you feel about your game.They also discuss ego, playing with friends, fear of looking stupid, the pressure to improve, process goals and why learning to focus on the next shot can completely change your experience on the course.If you’ve ever overthought a shot, let one bad hole ruin a round or felt frustrated because you “should” be playing better, this episode is for you.In this episode:
• How to stop overthinking your golf
• Managing pressure, nerves and frustration
• What happens mentally after a bad shot
• Negative self-talk and golf confidence
• Building a repeatable pre-shot routine
• Fear of judgement when playing with friends
• Ego, handicaps and score frustration
• Process goals vs score goals
• How to stop one bad hole ruining your round
• Detaching your identity from your golf
• The next-shot mindset
• How to enjoy golf while still improvingAbout Laura Scott:
Laura Scott is a mental performance coach who works with amateur and professional golfers to improve mental performance, manage pressure and enjoy the game more.Learn more: laurascottgolf.comListen to more from Birdie Golf Club:
Birdie Golf Club is golf beyond the leaderboard — honest conversations with golfers and personalities from across the game, plus stories, challenges, equipment, course strategy and professional golf.New episodes every week.

Joe Dean joins Dave on the Birdie Golf Club Podcast to reveal the REALITY of life as a professional golfer — from working at Morrisons while chasing his dream, to the financial pressure of Tour School, sponsorship, qualifying for The Open and competing at Royal Troon.Joe opens up about money, pressure, media scrutiny, the reality of life on the DP World Tour and why becoming a professional golfer isn't always the glamorous career people imagine.We also discuss Joe's journey from junior golf, his relationship with coach Graham Walker, the importance of consistency, the dangers of over-coaching, YouTube golf, professional golf's financial structure and why more investment is needed at the lower levels of the game.Joe also takes us inside his Open Championship experience at Royal Troon, including Open qualifying, the pressure of trying to perform on one of golf's biggest stages and the tiny margins that can decide a tournament.If you're interested in professional golf, the DP World Tour, The Open Championship, golf careers, golf psychology, golf's financial system or what it REALLY takes to make it as a tour professional, this episode is for you.🏌️ IN THIS EPISODE• Joe Dean's journey from junior golf to the DP World Tour• Working at Morrisons while chasing professional golf• The REAL financial cost of becoming a professional golfer• Tour School, sponsorship and funding a career• Why more money doesn't always mean less pressure• Qualifying for The Open Championship• Joe's experience at Royal Troon• The pressure of professional golf and media scrutiny• Why golf shouldn't define your identity• Over-coaching and swing video obsession• Why consistency matters more than chasing -7 every week• YouTube golf and the changing golf media landscape• LIV Golf and professional golf as a business• Why mini tours need more investment• The proposed World Golf Commission• Joe's long-term ambitions on tour⏱ CHAPTERS00:00 The reality of professional golf02:08 How Joe started playing golf03:46 Talent vs work ethic05:46 Why consistency matters06:09 Don't let golf define who you are08:08 Family, mindset and the grind11:05 Working at Morrisons while chasing the dream12:04 Funding Tour School14:29 Why contentment can help performance15:28 The problem with over-structured practice16:54 When pressure becomes a problem18:03 The transition to full-time professional golf19:28 Tour funding and eligibility21:06 Sponsorship and surviving the early years24:29 More money, more problems26:14 What money actually changes29:46 Rory McIlroy and media pressure33:56 When comments become headlines36:44 Golf media and overreaction38:04 Open qualifying39:54 The pressure of Monday qualifying42:14 YouTube golf and preserving golf's heritage43:43 Sponsorship and professional golf46:28 Money as a motivation49:48 Preparing for The Open52:33 Joe's Royal Troon experience56:26 The brutal closing stretch57:28 Playing with Henrik Stenson and Max Homa59:49 Ryan Fox's character61:03 Faults vs traits in the golf swing62:43 Should golfers really chase more speed?64:54 Over-coaching and swing video66:59 Shooting 10-under but worrying about your swing68:52 The 12-ball challenge71:18 Tour rankings and card security73:26 Why 15 years on tour matters75:36 LIV Golf and golf as a business80:27 The World Golf Commission83:34 Why mini tours need more support85:33 Final thoughts👟 PAYNTR GOLF SHOESGolf shoes worn by the likes of Jason Day, Justin Rose, Sam Burns and Min Woo Lee.Use code:BIRDIEGOLFCLUBPODCASTfor 15% OFF at Payntr Golf.https://payntrgolf.co.uk🎙️ ABOUT BIRDIE GOLF CLUBBirdie Golf Club is about golf beyond the leaderboard.Subscribe for new episodes every week.#GolfPodcast #JoeDean #DPWorldTour #TheOpen #ProfessionalGolf