Episode 41: Golf Canada CEO - Lawrence Applebaum Interview, Event Chat + This or That?

May 11th, 2023  |  59 mins 20 secs

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

Following our attendance at the RBC Canadian Media Day, we have our interview with Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum about the tournament. He shares what aspects he is excited about for the 2023 version of the championship being held at the Oakdale G&CC in Toronto, what the tournament now offers for a wider audience, and how it has evolved from being just a sports event to a credible entertainment product.

For the first time we play an edition of "This Or That?" where we have to choose between two golf related items. It's a fun one to play along with on your own, and maybe even debate with your friends. Feel free to share your answers with us on our social media channels.

We also provide an update on the Flagstick Open, discuss the reaction to the return of the Flagstick.com Shootout, and share some results on some of the first tournaments of the season happening in eastern Ontario.

Episode 40: Big Event Announcement! GolfPEI's Sam MacPhail joins us, and two big events for Golf Canada and Golf Ontario

May 4th, 2023  |  56 mins 35 secs

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It's a big show as we finally announce the third tournament of our series presented by Flagstick.com. We give you the details on the location, the format, and who we have partnered with as the presenting sponsor.

Sam MacPhail, the Executive Director of GolfPEI joins us for an interview about all things golf in Prince Edward Island. He gives insight on how to book a golf vacation there, the type of courses they offer, things to look for that you might not have expected, and how they strive to add a personal touch to your vacation planning.

Scott shares insight from two days on the road at the Media Day for the RBC Canadian Open and the Golf Ontario Hall of Fame Day, and we pay tribute to a media colleague who passed away recently.

Episode 39: Golf Tourism Across Canada - Golf In New Brunswick Interview

April 27th, 2023  |  1 hr 1 min

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It's Tourism Week in Canada so we thought we would delve into the topic when it come to golf, specifically.

After some news on course openings, volunteer awards, and upcoming celebrity appearances in the region, we jump into discussion about golf tourism across the country. That includes sharing the current economic impact (in the billions) and discussing what some regions are doing well already to attract golf tourists, and the potential for its growth.

We share some thoughts on what could be driving more golf toursim, and how mainstream attention needs to extend beyond the "marquee" golf facilities that people have come to know through extensive media mentions.

To emphasize and explore the topic we are joined by Adam Chamberlain and Chad Townsend of the Gowan Brae Golf Club in Bathurst, New Brunswick for a discussion about golf in their province and what it offers.

Episode 38: Ranger Danger - Good and Bad Habits On The Practice Grounds

April 20th, 2023  |  55 mins 51 secs

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It's a high energy and diverse show this week as cover an array of topics from the PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR, junior golf, some equipment chatter, and our back nine conversation on "Ranger Danger", talking about good and bad habits on the practice ground.

We get started with a discussion about the PGA TOUR's RBC Heritage and winner Matt Fitzpatrick, as well as our takes on the Harbour Town Golf Links and why what you see on the broadcast is much different than the playing experience we have had there.

We then shift to another course we have played, the TPC Louisiana, as it hosts the Zurich Classic this week. We discuss the course's merits and what we feel about partner events and their place on tour.

The LPGA has their first major of the season, the Chevron Championship, and we share some thoughts on the Canadians playing and even some special products being made to celebrate the move to the Houston area.

Tour talk concludes with recent news from the Tiger Woods camp on his latest surgery and what it could mean for his career.

We also mix in some product talk this week about a new retro looking driver from TaylorMade; and finish up the Front Nine with news on the Play Junior Golf Tour and a new amateur event we are planning .

On the Back Nine we expand on an article on Driving Range habits that we posted on Flagstick.com and give you some insight on best practices, common mistakes people make, and things golfers should avoid if they want to get better at the game.

Episode 37: Masters Recap, Golf Course Openings, and Casey Shultz of Cleveland Golf

April 13th, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

With The Masters all done for another year and golf courses opening in our area, there is a different energy for this show with the golf season arriving here in Canada.

We give our takes on the first men's major championship of the season, from the winner, to the contenders, the course, and the story-lines.

In our news and notes we take on the topic of websites for golf courses and how key they are for communications, as we chat about our course opening dates calendar and how it has become a much-anticipated part of our Spring.

In the back nine we are joined by Cleveland Golf Senior Product Manager Casey Shultz to explore and explain all the features of their new RTX 6 ZipCore wedges and what consumers should consider as they make their wedge purchases.

Episode 36: Early Masters Chatter, Match Play's Place In Golf, Potential Golf Ball Rollback?

March 30th, 2023  |  1 hr 33 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It is a whopper of a show this week with a few hot topics to handle, ones lighting up the golf social media world and on the lips of many golfers.

We get things started with the end of the Dell Match Play Championships on the PGA TOUR. We meander through our thoughts on match play in the professional game, what role it should and not have, and the value of different formats for professional golf tournaments.

That's a good transition point as we take a look at the schedule for the 2023 Flagstick.com PGA of Ottawa Tour, where the circuit will be playing this season, and reveal a format change for one long-standing event.

With The Masters on the horizon, we jump into some early hot takes on who the favourites are, how the atmosphere will be with the LIV League players in the field, and even drop a few nuggets on the Par-3 tournament and broadcast inclusions.

For the meat of the show, we finally get to share some thoughts on the proposed Model Local Rule on changes to testing in the golf ball that is meant to slow down things at the "Elite" level of the game in 2026. We explain the proposal, provide some insight on a recent consumer survey done by TaylorMade Golf, and give our perspectives on what we believe the impact might be, if implemented.

Episode 35: The Future Of Consumer Golf Shows; The Players Championship, and guest Dustin Brekke of Srixon Golf

March 10th, 2023  |  1 hr 24 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, golf shows, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, srixon golf, the players, western quebec

Fresh off an appearance at the Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo, Jeff and Scott jump into a conversation about that specific show but also about consumer golf shows in general. They discuss the evolution of the shows, how they can get better, and how they can have a viable place in the future if they make the inclusions they need to meet the demands of the ever-changing audience.

With a big week on the PGA TOUR for the The Players, the guys share their own experience of playing TPC Sawgrass and what you cannot see or feel at home that you can while playing the well-known course. We divulge if we think it is must-watch television for us, and ponder whether not having defending champion Cam Smith in the field diminishes this year's tournament.

On the back nine we welcome in Dustin Brekke, the Director of Engineering at Cleveland Golf/Srixon Golf/XXIO, for an interview that explores the evolution of the Srixon Golf brand golf equipment and what their new MKII products bring to the market.

Episode 34: Taking A Swing at Netflix - The Full Swing and Greg Chambers, NGCOA Canada on the Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo

February 26th, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It's a very full show after a short break isnce the last episode.

Scott shares a little about his recent trip to Los Angeles to test some new products with adidas Golf and do interviews with players like Collin Morikawa and Tyrell Hatton; the boys chat about junior golf and the upcoming PLAY Junior Golf Tour schedule, as well as give their thoughts on the upcoming Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo and what they expect from it after a multiple-year hiatus for the in-person version.

In keeping with that theme, we have an interview with the show manager, Greg Chambers of the NGCOA Canada, and he provides the details on what consumers can expect to see from the show that will take place on March 3/4 at the EY Centre in Ottawa.

On the Back Nine we dive into the new Netflix golf series - The Full Swing, and without revealing too many details, explain what we liked and did not like about the eight episodes, what we may have learned about certain players from it, who we think the show is suited for, and what we hope to see included in Season 2.

Episode 33: Sink More Putts & Hall of Fame Honours

February 10th, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

Before we get to talking about putting on this, we take a swing at more regional topics including the 2023 Ottawa Valley Golf Hall of Fame inductees, the new OVGA schedule, an update on the Flagstick Open registrations, and news about a unique offering at a local golf course.

On the Back Nine it is all about putting as we explore our own relationships with putting and putters, talk about common issues most players have, and even suggest some things you can work on with a coach or on your own.

Episode 32: The Perfect Golf Club/Course - What Does That Look Like?

February 2nd, 2023  |  1 hr 29 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

This episode is a doozy as we dig into a wide-ranging topic - what the perfect golf club/course would look like if you built it from scratch. Not only do we provide our own opinions on the course itself, amenities, services, staffing, and programming, but we share the insight from dozens of listeners and readers who weighed in on our social media channels. Yes, we did not get to every aspect, it's just too big of a topic, but we covered off a lot of areas and set up discussions for the future. We think you'll find it informative and may get you thinking differently about the golf facilities of the future and what they might look like.

Before we head to the main event, on the Front Nine we provide an update on the Flagstick Open Amateur Championship, give some thoughts on the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and it's watchability, ponder how controversies at the highest levels of golf might be taking away from the game, and talk about the growing level of golf content on platforms like YouTube.

Episode 31: Golf Road Trip Planning, the PGA Show and...Egg Rolls??

January 28th, 2023  |  1 hr 9 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

Thoughts of a Spring or Summer golf trip have pushed plenty within our community to reach out about advice, so on this episode we dig into the topic. We cover off everything we can share from decades of taking them ourselves. From where to go, to how many people to go with, travel logistics, avoiding inter-group conflicts, playing formats, and many other considerations to make your trip a successful one.

Before we get to that, we have a discussion about the annual PGA Merchandise Show that just wrapped up in Orlando, Florida. We provide a snapshot of the attendance, who was exhibiting, and how the show has changed over the last three decades.

Just for kicks also wander into the results of our Flagstick Twitter poll this week about the foods people would like to see at golf course half way houses. We spend way more time talking about egg rolls than you would ever expect from a golf podcast. But hey, it's worth a laugh or two.

Episode 30: Golf Goal Setting, Brooke Henderson Gear Change, and Netflix Golf Drama

January 21st, 2023  |  59 mins 37 secs

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

It's a fun show this week as we dig into a number of top of mind subjects.

On the front nine we explore the move by Brooke Henderson to switch equipment to TaylorMade Golf, and try to decide if we care or not about the new Netflix Series coming out in February on the PGA TOUR.

On the back nine we take on a big topic, one that comes to mind for many at this time of year - setting goals for our golf games. We share some of the details from a free worksheet with have available on Flagstick.com, while considering why some of the elements matter. Of note, they are not all about just posting a better score in 2023, so you may want to hear our discussion.

Episode 29: Kicking Off 2023 / Guest - Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade Golf Director of Product Creation

January 12th, 2023  |  1 hr 8 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, golf prince edward island, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, stealth 2, taylormade golf, western quebec

Jeff and Scott are back for the second year of the Flagstick Podcast.

On this episode we welcome Tomo Bystedt, a key creator in the TaylorMade Golf team, who shares deep details about the creation and introduction of the new Stealth 2 line of drivers, fairways, and rescue clubs.

He addresses the design challenges and opportunities, the "unicorns" in the new product line, and gives us the scoop on initial reactions to the clubs by the top touring pros in the world.

We discuss the slew of new equipment flooding the market, why or why not you should be purchsing them, and dbanter about product cycles in golf in comparison to the auto industry.

We also share some news about the 2023 Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo, and welcome a new show sponsor.

Episode 28: Wrapping Up 2022 - Year In Review

December 25th, 2022  |  1 hr 10 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

All things 2022 are on are mind as Jeff and Scott finish up the season with a look back.

We delve into some late-season Canadian golf stories before turning our focus on some key events that took place in 2022. the big stories, the stand-out moments, and the things that set a foundation for 2023.

Come join us, have a few laughs, and reminisce about the season that was.

Episode 27: Holiday Gift Guide, What Would We Gift The Top Pros, Jordan Kicks, and Footwork in The Golf Swing

December 8th, 2022  |  1 hr 10 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

With the holiday season upon us we thought we'd talk about golf gifts this week, but not only in the traditional way. Yes, we'll bring you some suggestions on gifts for the people in your lives, but we also challenge ourselves and consider what we might want to give to some of the top pro golfers in the game today. It makes for a fun segment, escpecially when you have to consider a gift for Tiger Woods or Brooke Henderson!

As always, we have plenty of regional and Canadian golf news to discuss, Product Watch has us diving in for a look at some Jordan golf shoes, and on the Lesson Tee, Kevin and Jake Haime have a look at the movement of the knees in the full swing and what we can all learn to do better, or less of.

Episode 26: Mike Weir News, Brooke's Year, Augusta National, Knee Flex, and Milled Putters

December 2nd, 2022  |  1 hr 9 mins

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, sports, western quebec

The boys are back after several weeks of challenges but that just means there is plenty to talk about.

In this episode we discuss the surprise induction into the Ottawa Valley Golf Hall of Fame for Joe McLean, the announcement of Mike Weir as the International Team Presidents Cup Captain in 2024, as well as sharing some memories from 2007 when it was last held at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

We chat about the recent spectacular play by Eastern Ontario's Kurtis Barkley in Dubai and Australia on the G4D Tour, and take a look at the season that was for Smith Falls' Brooke Henderson. That includes a summary of her first 200 events as part of the Rolex World Rankings.

Lastly, we consider the lengthening of the 13th hole at the Augusta National Golf Club and how it may change The Masters going forward.

In the Lesson Tee with Kevin Haime, he and Jake Haime discuss the flex in the trail knee during the full swing, and in Product Watch we have a look at the latest milled putters from Cleveland Golf.