Talk Birdie To Me

After Nick O'Hern returned from playing Tara Iti and Te Arai in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago, making Mark Allen extremely envious, we decided we needed to find out more about this incredible place. And who better to talk to than one of the founders of, and head honchos at, the courses, Jim Rohrstaff.Jim talks to us about how they built the courses, and the story of how they found the land parcel is a ripper. He tells us about the design, and some of the challenges they worked through, and how the Tara Iti course in particular plays.Mark has heard a rumour about Tara Iti, that he puts directly to Jim - to do with how many times you are allowed to play the course. The membership model of Tara Iti is unusual for this part of the world, but as Jim tells us it is not uncommon in the US, and he explains how it works and the benefits for members, guests and the club.And Jim is excited about their new partnership with The Hills course in Queenstown and explains what some of the plans are for that course. We also find out about the 'secret sauce' of Tara Iti and Te Arai, which is framed by the philosophy of 'The answer is yes, what's the question?', but there is more to it, and Jim talks us through it.A fun bonus pod, and you'll enjoy hearing some of the secrets of one of the worlds great courses.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nick and Mark are flying solo, every chance this could go pear-shaped. No time to worry about that, cos Mark has info on the Golf Digest Top 100 that he wasn't aware of last week, and he feels sheds further light on the rankings. If you haven't heard our bonus pod with the head honcho of the Top 100, Steve Keipert, worth checking out. Mark asks Nick to outline if he were doing what Steve does, what parameters would he use. Nick agrees with Steve that a criteria is important, and he talks through what his criteria might be.Nick and Mark discuss Pine Valley. Nick has never played it, but has heard it described as a 'beast'. Mark gives Nick homework to watch the drone flyover video, it's fantastic, check it out here. You might recall last week, Mark was going to play Cathedral, however the trip was cancelled due to heavy fog. Instead, he played Peninsula Kingswood South, and gives a review of the course. Short version. He loved it.Nick and Mark discuss Rory McIlroy's win at Quail Hollow, a fantastic performance from the superstar. Nick shares his mixed memories of that course.Mark gives an Australian Open update, which is that there is none. No state, no course, nothing locked in, state governments being frustrating. We discuss how much it would cost to ensure it's not an Australian Open 'light'. And Mark says whilst it's a big golf story, how long until it becomes a big sports story in this country. Nick and Mark discuss where it could/should be.Mark poses his 'everyday playability' question to Nick and wants him to choose between Tara Iti or Royal Melbourne West. Nick asks for some time to consider, he'll answer at the end of the pod. And controversy in the PING global results when Nick suggests he has found a music piece to rival the intro we use. We'll play it at the end of the pod today, or see the video here. If you have played Cottesloe recently, Nick and Mark want your feedback on how the house plays with the trees removed. Better? Worse? Top 5 from Mark on things he loves about Rory. Most are great, one is ridiculous. Nick adds 2 things he’d like Rory to change. And Mark then reveals a juicy rumour he's heard about the Strategic Sports Groups PGA investment.We wrap the show with a masterclass from Nick on hitting a flyer effectively.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd love you to share the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A couple of weeks ago Golf Digest released their Top 100 Golf Courses in Australia list, and Royal Melbourne West was knocked off the #1 perch by Cape Wickham in Tassie. It created plenty of talk. Some people felt it was well deserved by Cape Wickham, others felt that Royal Melbourne should have retained the top spot. If you've not seen the list, you can find it here.One of the people in the latter category was Mark Allen who, on last weeks Talk Birdie To Me (Ep61) made his feelings abundantly clear saying that it was clearly the wrong call and that the ranking meant that Golf Digest's list had 'no credibility'. A fair whack. The team at Golf Digest said that a whack of that kind without asking them to give some context wasn't ideal and it's a fair point. So this week, a bonus pod with Steve Keipert, Associate Editor at Golf Digest and the bloke responsible for the Top 100 list.Steve talks us through the rationale, the criteria, with Nick and Mark and we see where the common ground might be. Nick is a fan of Royal Melbourne, but he hasn't played Cape Wickham so doesn't have a strong view on that course, however does Steve convince Mark? Or does Mark convince Steve?Find out on this weeks bonus episode of Talk Birdie To Me.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big week at Talk Birdie To Me HQ, plenty to discuss, and Mark is excited to be playing one of Nick's fave courses this week, Cathedral.We chat Ripper GC's LIV win in Singapore, second in a row for the Aussies. Hopeless last year, on fire this year, says Nick. The hopeless team now in LIV is the Majesticks. Nick and Mark discuss playing Sentosa - water always a factor. And we kick around how many majors Brooks Koepka will end up winning. Currently on 5, Nick & Mark reckon by the end of his career he'll have 8.Nick mentions the doco 'Duel in the Sun', Mark says that if you haven't seen it you are banned from listening to the pod until you do. And he wants to know what you think of it. Onto TPC Craig Ranch. Mark says it looked poor on TV, he's not a fan. Nick agrees. This inspires Nick’s Top 5 for later in the show: his Top 5 worst courses on tour.Last week we discussed the Golf Digest Top 100 list, which Mark was unhappy about - specifically Cape Wickham being named #1. Today he doubles down saying that Cape Wickham is not even close to #1, and looks at the criteria used by Golf Digest. Mark feels it's too complex, needs to be simplified, and because of the spectacular outlook at Cape Wickham, that is why it got the nod. Nick wonders how consistently playable Cape Wickham is, given the winds on the island.On Thursday this week we’ll have a bonus pod with Steve Keipert of Golf Digest to discuss the Top 100 list with him, get his rationale for the rankings, and give him an opportunity to respond to Marks comments last week.We chat about LIV Adelaide and how much it cost to put on. Following last weeks pod, Mark had a call from his mate James who works for LIV and says that he believes Mark's inside info on a couple of players leaving LIV to be incorrect. We'll get James on for a bonus pod at some point and get his thoughts.Top 5 from Nick on the worst courses on the PGA and European tours. Ouch!Lots of feedback, a few whacks this week, but we don't shy from that we're happy to cop a whack. We also realise we have a lack of prizes, and Mark has the idea to give away copies of his DVD which strangely didn't sell out - the ironically titled '87 ways to make golf simple'. And we need your input for pod listener Rob - what are the 'must play' courses for him in Northern NSW. Let us know and we'll read them out next week.Huge week in the PING global results from Nick, and Marks masterclass for watchMynumbers is on a flaw he discovered in his game last week.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe and never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold everything. Mark has come in worked up, he is not happy that Cape Wickham has been named the #1 golf course in Australia by Australian Golf Digest, and says that they have clearly got it wrong. Mark says that the list (see it here) has now lost all credibility and whilst he loves Cape Wickham, it is not the #1 course by a long shot. Mark believes the list should be immediately changed as it is clearly flawed. Love your thoughts.LIV Adelaide last weekend was huge. Massive crowds, a fantastic atmosphere - couple of muppets here and there, but largely well behaved - and Nick and Mark discuss what they saw and how they reckon it went. We also give Sam from the Golf Clearance Outlet a call as he was there playing with a couple of superstars - he tells us all about it! And Mark reveals that he has the inside word on a couple of major LIV signings who he says have indicated that they will not be re-signing with LIV at the end of their current agreement. Brooks Koepka, DJ and Bubba Watson.And we have a new number 1 female Aussie golfer, Hannah Green has knocked off Minjee Lee. Both wonderful players, but Minjee has missed a couple of cuts lately, leaving the door open for Hannah.Mark watched Rory McIlroy's win at the weekend, and thinks he looks tired. Nick and Mark discuss the workload on pro golfers and what the ideal number of tournaments to play in may be. That said, Rory wasn't too tired to smash out a version of Journey's Don't Stop Believing (here) which wasn't too bad.And Talk Birdie listener Michael has a problem with his golf, which he's after some input on from the boys, so we get him on the phone for a yak.Fun Top 5 today, Mark gives us his Top 5 pros who never won a major. Has he missed any obvious ones?Huge PING global results today, there is plenty to discuss and Nick runs us through it all - including some dubious fashion choices that Mark raises.And lots of feedback, plenty on LIV. It was divided, about half of the feedback we received was from people who loved it, half weren't into it, but that's cool - we're all into different stuff! And Mark gives us an update on the Australian Open - which is that there is no update yet.Great masterclass from Nick today on distance control with pitching.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A ripping bonus pod today! Former World #16 Nick O'Hern and former Tour Pro Mark Allen chat with US Pro Golfer Hannah Gregg, who has just been in Australia playing a couple of tournaments.Hannah shares her views on our courses, in particular the famous Sandbelt and names her favourite Aussie course. We were aware of one run in with a snake while Hannah was here, but she shares a story about a second snake incident. Perhaps she was fortunate to get back to the US alive !Whilst in Australia, Hannah got engaged to her partner Fred - an accomplished golfer in his own right - and Hannah hands the phone to Fred to tell us how it happened! Hannah has built a strong social media following, and she posts some fantastic content, this enables her to work with some terrific brands, and assists in funding her golf career. Hannah tells us about the importance of that community to her golf, and we hear all about 'Short Game Gains', the business that Fred and her have developed.And we find out the next steps for Hannah, and when she heads back to Europe.You can check out Short Game Gains here. And follow Hannah on Twitter/X, Insta, TiKTok and Facebook.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark is excited about how many people he is seeing on golf courses and driving ranges at the moment, saying interest in golf feels to be at an all-time high, Nick agrees. The carpark at Australian Golf HQ is chockers. And even though TV ratings are down Nick and Mark discuss if that may be due to people watching on smartphones...there'll be people way smarter than us who can figure that stuff out.Fine wins in a row for Nelly Korda. Nick says it's 'crazy' how good Nelly is. And Scheffler on fire again, his iron play is a 'joke' according to Mark. He runs through Schefflers stats. Impressive, leaving everyone else well behind. Another player who impressed was 15-year old Miles Russell. Mark and Nick discuss. Nick runs through some of Miles stock yardages, they are good. See here from our mates at Flushing It. And then we take a twist with Mark outlining his knowledge of trees. Yes trees. If you have any tree questions, feel free to reach out and Mark will answer them.LIV Adelaide is nearly here. Last year was huge, the biggest LIV event in the world. Mark has heard that the crowds will be 20% up this year, Nick has heard 50%. Both are hoping it's not too wild, but is still great fun. Nick says that LIV last year was the biggest tournament buildout of a course that he has seen, including the PGA tour.We discuss those Rory rumours from last week. Mark is very happy Rory didn't go. And then the pod goes pear-shaped for a sec when Nick sends Mark a stupid video that Mark can't stop playing. It is very juvenile, but you can see it here.Nick's Top 5 is inspired by Nelly Korda. The Top 5 female golfers in recent times who have 'changed the game'. The Gisborne Golf Club, destroyed by fire last week, have a fundraiser to rebuild here. Lots of feedback, including Daniel who says Scheffler is 'boring', Nick & Mark respond. Nick brings us the PING global results & Marks masterclass is on ‘landing closed’ for watchMynumbers. He explains in the masterclass on the pod.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;& the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love to receive your voicemails, some are questions for Nick and Mark, others are you simply leaving a comment or a story. So, from time to time, we'll pop a voicemail in the Talk Birdie To Me podcast feed. Today, we've got a voicemail from Scott Mitchell in Brisbane who left a message about not aiming for the pin, putting Nick's course management advice from last weeks episode into his game at the weekend. How'd it go? Well Scott tells us. If you missed Nick's advice, it is in Episode 59, and see the video here.If you want to leave a message for us - it is very simple, just head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, you'll be done in 60-seconds.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a weekend in Augusta. Lots to unpack, and Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen whilst tired, are ready for a debrief on The Masters.Scottie Scheffler, a huge victory, with exceptional game management according to Nick. And his putting was a lot better, although still room to improve, which Nick and Mark call 'scary'. Last week Mark said, of the notable players, he felt Scheffler couldn't win. We've filed last weeks pod under 'episodes that won't age well'. However, he did pick Aberg to do well, and was bang on. Nick and Mark are impressed with how calm Scheffler is, and Mark adds that Aberg is so calm for his age, and he loves his before the ball routine, it is so consistent. Nick says there is 'something special' about Aberg.We discuss DeChambeau's iron specs, which are quite unique. Nick says that Augusta is a very difficult course for a player like Bryson, and has two reasons why, which he talks us through. Jason Day's clothing. Mark reckons he looked like Carl Spackler in Caddyshack. Tiger, even though it wasn't the result he'd have hoped for, Mark won't hear a bad word about him - 24 straight cuts, got around the course, and he loved the video of Tiger that Augusta shared. On our Twitter feed here. Tiger commented at Augusta that he wants to get bigger, Nick and Mark don't feel he needs to.We chat about the Aussies, Cam Smith finished in T6 in what Nick called a strange weekend, only one eagle and only a couple of bogeys, but T6 impressive nonetheless. Davis was up there for a long time, and his finish gets him Masters entry next year. Min Woo Lee, playing with a broken finger, was good, and Scotty did well after sneaking into the cut. Jason Day....well we still can't believe the outfits. And NZ's Ryan Fox led early, and fell away.Mark reveals a huge whisper about Rory McIllroy and the Australian Open.Top 5 from Mark on 'unusual technique flushers'. In the PING global results, plenty of results aside from The Masters, Nick runs through them. And a fantastic Masterclass from Nick on how Scottie Scheffler managed his way around the course on Sunday. And we wrap the show with the NBC tribute to the great Verne Lundquist, who has retired this week, and a very funny story about Mark escorting a tour group to The Masters, and a 75-year old guest ending up being 'sin-binned' by Augusta for breaking their strict rules.A huge thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me has new episodes weekly, and regular bonus eps. Subscribe to never miss an ep. And we'd appreciate you sharing the pod with a friend who may like it. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're live here on Saturday arvo Australian time for a bonus US Masters pod 'after the cut'. Not from Australian Golf Headquarters, but we've hooked up the trusty old Zoom and got all high tech!Nick and Mark discuss The Masters so far. The wind has made it tough, very tough to play but Nick says 'a joy to watch'. Mark said that on day 1 Bryson DeChambeau played some of the most special golf he's seen. However, he has done a reverse on his pre-Masters prediction, and Mark now believes that Scheffler will win the tournament. Nick agrees, and in fact Nick predicted Scheffler prior to the tournament beginning.Mark has come armed with stats. 92% of masters winners of all time have been within 5 shots of the lead entering the final 2 days, which Mark says, from a statistical point of view, any player with a score even or 1 under, or worse, cannot win from here.Nick discusses the extraordinary 10 minutes where we saw Justin Thomas and Matsuyama double bogey the last hole to let 11 players into T50, including our own Adam Scott. Keep in mind the cutline was T50 + ties. Unbelievable. Great for Adam Scott who looked gone.Can Cam Davis win from here? Mark says no, but he can get second.And we discuss Greg Norman buying a ticket like us normies to get into the tournament behind the ropes. And Jason Days pants. Oh. My. Goodness. What was he thinking.A fun one today, 2-days to go - can't wait to see how it ends up!We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being Masters week, we have a fantastic bonus pod this week.The pod is in in two parts. Firstly, pod listener Mitch from Sydney wrote in and asked how you get into caddying, and make a career of it. We thought, who better to ask than Simon Clarke, who has been a caddie on the pro tour for 30+ years and is currently in Augusta caddying for Aussie Jasper Stubbs who is playing his first US Masters this week. Clarkey talks us through his career, how it started, who he has worked with and what he loves about it. And Clarkey talks us through how Jasper's preparation is going for the Masters.After the turn, we take a forensic look at Augusta. Mark Allen has Nick O'Hern and Clarkey talk us through the Augusta course hole by hole. How each hole plays, the shot selection, club selection, and the pitfalls of each. It is a fascinating insight into one of the worlds great tournaments - perhaps the greatest. We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Masters week, one of the most exciting weeks in world golf! Nick and Mark loved seeing some of the pictures and videos of Drive, Chip and Putt Day at Augusta at the weekend, and were impressed with some of the young ones, but amazed at the composure of the kids playing in front of some icons of the game.But back to the Masters. Nick believes that there is nothing like Masters week, the energy, the feel, the media focus, he loves it, as does Mark. And Mark asks Nick how he felt driving down Magnolia Lane when he first played the Masters. And he chats about the overall experience of being there. Thursday this week we'll have a Masters bonus pod, which will be a must-listen. And later in this episode, we'll get Nick and Marks tips.What a finish at the Texas Open, an incredible finish with an incredible back 9 from Denny McCarthy hitting 28! But it wasn't enough to nail the win with youngster Akshay Bhatia holding on under enormous pressure for the win. Nick and Mark talk about how incredible it was to see such a performance from the young Akshay when Denny was coming for him. Mark says, in Moneyball style, he doesn't believe that Akshay would be chosen in a team environment, as he doesn't have, on the surface, the attributes you look for - yet he is developing into a wonderful golfer, and Mark loves it and this is one of the things he loves about golf, the only measure that matters is the score you shoot.A fun Top 5 from Nick, Aussie superstar Karrie Webb made this list, remember this?Pod listener Damian calls in with a question about his driver, he has just bought a new PING G430 Max 10k driver and loves it, but has a question for Nick and Mark about shafts.And being Masters week - we get Nick and Marks tips. They each give us who they think will win, and why, which notable player won't win and why, and who their respective dark horse is. Interestingly, the player Mark believes can't win, is the one Nick believes will win. Controversial.Into the PING global results, and there are plenty. Nick takes us through them all.As usual, plenty of feedback, we love it, so keep it coming either on voicemail, email or socials.Mark's turn for the Masterclass, and this week it is for golfers with 'hands of gold'.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay we always say it, but it's always the case - another big week in golf, and Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen will cover it all. Nick is at Cathedral in Victoria today on the dodgiest wifi connection we've ever heard, and Mark is at Australian Golf Headquarters in Melbourne on a fantastic connection.But no time for that......in breaking news, Mark has heard, from someone in the know, in the know, that a decision on where the 2024 Australian Open will be held is imminent, and he reveals the inside info on what he has heard. He'll get to that later in the podcast, he's just waiting on a text message from his 'mole' to confirm a couple of details.A fun chat about the first clubs Nick and Mark ever played with, let us know yours on the socials!Augusta. It is so close, and Nick and Mark are excited. Nick tells us about the course, what it's like to play it, and some of the nuances of the various holes. Nicks insights are great, and we can't wait for the tournament, will be brilliant.A huge weekend for Nelly Korda and Scheffler, whilst he didn't win, he is in a purple patch of form - perhaps with the exception of his putting. Nick and Mark chat about how good Nelly is, and Scheffler of course. Both hugely impressive golfers (captain obvious). Hannah Green got off to a wonderful start at the weekend in the desert, but then fell away. Still, she'll be back, she's a gun. Nick was impressed with Hira Naveed, particularly when he discovered that she's from Perth, even moreso when he discovered that she is a Mount Lawley girl!Okay the text message is in from Mark's contact. Mark reveals what state is definitely out of the running for the Open, and how much the respective state governments have bid to host it, there are two states in the hunt and the bid levels are quite a way apart......but..... it's not that simple. Mark explains why.After the turn, it's the Top 5 - Mark's favourite Australian Open courses. Nick takes us around the world in what has been a big weekend for some of the Aussies in the PING global results. And we have some feedback, including questions for Nick and Mark as usual, and a comment from listener Syd, that Nick and Mark vehemently disagree with, about our Peter Fowler bonus ep. Keep your questions and comments coming.And in todays Masterclass, Nick talks us through the one-hop chip shot. He saw Scheffler and Taylor Moore play it at the weekend in Houston. Nick is a fan, and whilst it's a high risk shot, it's a great one to have in the repertoire if you can.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fantastic bonus episode of Talk Birdie To Me today. Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen have a chat with the legendary Peter 'Chook' Fowler about his career, life, and specifically his short game tips and experiences.It's a wonderful listen with plenty to be learnt from an icon of the game. If you enjoy it, we'd love it you share the episode around with anyone else you think may find it interesting, sharing like that really helps us out !We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hatgate.The Talk Birdie To Me WhatsApp group has been going crazy this week. Mark is grumpy about the lack of a Tara Iti hat, Nick is unapologetic that he should not be regarded as a hat courier for people. How does it all end? We find out on the pod. The elephant, or hat, in the room needs to be discussed before we get to any golf chat.After that convo, we get to the golf. Mark has had a sneak peak at the new Commonwealth course, we've put some pics on socials, he loves it and can't wait to play it. Nick suggests we do a pod from Commonwealth, so we're on. Mark discusses how he loves the way that Tom Doak designs golf courses. Nick is a massive fan of the history at golf clubs, of the history lesson when you walk through the clubhouses - the names, the pictures.There was the big meeting in the Bahamas last week with all the big wigs from the PIF and the PGA. Mark has some inside info from his US source on how the meeting went, what was discussed, the vibe in the room. And Nick and Mark discuss what it could mean and how things may end up.Nick has finally caught up on the new series of Full Swing, and we discuss some of the stories. Both Nick and Mark have some thoughts on Keegan Bradley after watching the series.A fun Top 5 today, Nick counts down his Top 5 weirdest hats on Tour Pros over the years. A bit of controversy with one left out that Mark felt should be in the list. Pod listener Steve calls in from the beautiful Rich Rivers Golf Club with a story about watching the great Peter Lonard playing there recently. Which takes us to feedback, lots of it, including a ripping caddy question which we'll follow up next week - and we run through your votes and comments on the GOAT, and put Nick and Mark on the spot to name their GOAT. Interestingly, they each name a different player.Lots of fantastic performances over the last week, and Nick runs through them all in the PING global results, and we wrap the show with a masterclass from Mark Allen inspired by Pro Keith Mitchell on the importance of holding your head still, or close to, right into your follow-through.And this Thursday we'll have a bonus pod with the legendary Peter Chooky Fowler where we'll pick his brains on his short game. Can't wait!We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the gang is back together. Nick is back from Tara Iti and Te Arai in New Zealand and Mark is back from The National at Cape Schanck. And Mark is keen to find out all about Nick's experience on the New Zealand courses. Did they live up to expectations? Or did they disappoint? Nick talks us through it. He describes Tara Iti as tough, fiery and brilliant, and reckons Te Arai has nailed the experience for golfers, and for families. He explains why on the pod. This inspires Mark's Top 5 today, which is great, but also one of the more self-indulgent Top 5's we've had - the 5 courses in the world that Mark would like to play but hasn't. Does Tara Iti make his list? But all is not smooth sailing. Mark is annoyed that Nick didn't bring him back a Tara Iti or Te Arai hat. Disappointing and could threaten the future of the podcast if we don't solve this impasse.Mark raises the Players Championship, he loved it, and says Scheffler is playing at the moment so well, almost like he is on ice skates. We didn't get the reference either. And we discuss Wyndham Clark and how well he played. Mark wants to know how Nick felt standing on the 18th tee when he played TPC Sawgrass, and Nick said that the course forces you to focus on your mental game. He talks about the pressure of the island green, knowing it is coming.Nick and Mark both have some thoughts on Scheffler's putting, and feel his body is twisted, closed. We discuss. Still on the Players, US journalist Evin Priest has suggested the season should end with that tournament. Could it happen? Nick and Mark discuss.During the Top 5 Mark tells a story about trying to sneak his way into Augusta years ago, did it work? And the story of how he was offered a spot playing in Augusta but turned it down to go to a party.....oh dear. Some wonderful golf at The National at the weekend, a great way to wrap up the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, and Mark congratulates Cameron John on a fantastic win. We chat about the Order of Merit results, and 'the bubble'. This leads us into the PING Global Results in what was a slightly quieter weekend around the world, and perhaps not the strongest week for some Aussies. Plenty of feedback, including a whack for the boys from pod listener Andrew Huntley who reckons they missed an obvious golfer in the lefty/righty conversation last week.And Nick gives a fantastic masterclass, inspired by Scottie Scheffler, on transitioning your weight into the ball when driving.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're doing Talk Birdie To Me internationally this week, well in part anyway. Nick O'Hern is at Tara Iti and Te Arai in New Zealand, and Mark Allen is at Australian Golf Headquarters in Melbourne. Mark is ever so slightly jealous of Nick being at Tara Iti as he's not played it and wants to! Nick is playing Tara Iti this week, but over the last few days has played the north and south courses of Te Arai, and he discusses the two courses and which is harder.Mark asks Nick if, as in the US and NZ, should Australian private clubs explore 'Member/Guest' weekends and tournaments. Huge in the US, could they work in Australia? Are there any already? Let us know if you're aware of any.Wyndham Clark. Was it a rules violation or not? Nick and Mark discuss what happened on the 18th hole at Bay Hill and whether the right decision was made by the officials. Nick and Mark disagree on the interpretation, and Nick says professional golfers always know if they move their ball - despite what they might say.Scottie Scheffler found his putting mojo, at least to a degree. The technique might still not be perfect, but he got into a rhythm, and Nick and Mark discuss what he has changed. Mark says if he nails his putting consistently, he will terrify every golfer on the tour. However, when putting, Mark believes Scheffler has what he calls an 'anxious head', and that's what this weeks masterclass is on.Leads to a chat on the Netflix Full Swing 2 series. Brilliant. Mark discusses an episode where Wyndham Clark sees a sports psychologist.Back to Bay Hill, a course Nick dislikes immensely, and Nick tells a story about being DQ'd from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of John Daly going on a bender...a very funny story, not at the time for Nick, but in hindsight.Top 5 this week was suggested by pod listener Chris Payne who was keen to hear Nick and Marks thoughts on the Top 5 players who were right-handed, but pretty handy as lefty's. Chris said Mac O'Grady was a highlight, and he makes the list, however Mark disagrees with Nicks choice for #2.Lots of feedback, and some questions for the guys, always great - shoot any questions or comments through.Massive PING global results this week, with plenty of Aussies around the world doing well - Minjee Lee a standout, and on the verge of something special according to Nick and Mark.And Marks masterclass on having an 'anxious head' when putting is a ripper.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've hit the road this week for Talk Birdie To Me, and we're coming live from The National Golf Club at beautiful Cape Schanck in Victoria.Nick and Mark are excited to discuss Hannah Green's fantastic performance at the weekend, where she scored birdies on the final 3 holes to win in Singapore. Brilliant. Birdie, birdie birdie! Nick and Mark both love what Hannah has achieved over the past couple of years, although Nick is annoyed with her because he feels she is now the best golfer to come out of Mount Lawley, knocking him off the perch.Big performance from Min Woo Lee in the US, scoring a big payday with his T2 finish in Palm Beach. Mark asks Nick to talk about what winning that kind of money does to your mindset at that level of golf. A big headline has been the return of Anthony Kim. Even though he had a tough day at the office, Mark was impressed with how he played given how long since he has played golf at this level. Nick doesn't love the fact Kim is with LIV, but sees it as a good short term move, perhaps less so long term. Nick and Mark discuss LIV, and the rumoured meeting last week. Mark again states his view that the big winner from the whole thing could be the DP World Tour, and this may be good news for Australia and New Zealand. Whilst we're talking LIV, listener Luke has a question about Rory McIllroy, so we get him (Luke not Rory) on the phone for a chat.We've had another great question, this time from Brian, about off the shelf shafts vs custom shafts. Nick and Mark are unsure about the benefit for Brian - so we call Matt Austin from PING who knows this stuff like the back of his hand.A fun Top 5 today from Mark on the Top 5 fast swings. Nick is surprised by one of Marks entries.Into feedback - lots of it, and one listener gives Nick a whack. We give Nick right of reply. We also find out that Nick is not aware of a massive historical television moment. Mark is horrified. You will be as well. Click here for a clue.Mark reveals that he bumped into Peter 'Chooky' Fowler at the driving range recently, and has invited him to come on the pod and talk about his short game competitions with Seve. If you have any questions for Chook, let us know and we'll put them to him.Huge results this week in the PING global results. Led by Hannah Green and Min Woo Lee. And a ripping masterclass from Nick O'Hern on swing tempo.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Talk Birdie To Me. New episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and you'll never miss one! And we'd love you to share the podcast, and if you can rate and review us that would be great. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, or send a voicemail to us here. And all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been getting plenty of voicemails from Talk Birdie To Me listeners, some are questions for Nick and Mark, others are you simply leaving a comment or a story. As much as we'd love to play them all on the show, if we did the podcast would go for 2-hours - and nobody wants that!So, from time to time, we'll pop a voicemail in the Talk Birdie To Me podcast feed. If you want to leave a message for us - it is very simple, just head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, you'll be done in 60-seconds.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something a little different today. First some background.When Mark Allen isn't chatting golf with Nick O'Hern on the Talk Birdie To Me podcast, often you'll find him having fun with his great mate David 'The Ox' Schwarz over at the Couple of Blokes podcast here.This week, on the Couple of Blokes pod, Marko tells a never before publicly told story about some exceptionally bad behaviour during the 1998 Presidents Cup in Melbourne. Massive names were involved in this particular Presidents Cup: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Stuart Appleby and plenty more. But there was one particular player who took bad behaviour and inappropriateness to a level not seen before, and hopefully not seen again.Listen to the excerpt here on Talk Birdie To Me, the excerpt here is safe to listen to - however the full, unedited version, over at the Couple of Blokes pod comes with a language warning, an NSFW warning, and a 'don't listen around the kids' warning. Full story here.Talk Birdie To Me resumes normal transmission next Tuesday, see you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.