Episode 58: The Cabot Branding Success - What Can Others Take From It?

October 12th, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

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

With the Fall season upon us, it is time to start looking at next year in the golf industry. It's a time when golf courses and facilities began to evaluate their success and failures and plan for where they are headed. With that in mind, we put our marketing and golf operations hats on and dig into a discussion of branding in the golf industry. From our years and scope of experience, we delve into a few aspects of the topic and why some of the best golf courses in the world tend to excel in merchandising and memory-making.

On the Front Nine, we have news from the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, a golf association seeking board members and volunteers, and we discuss the impact of Lexi Thompson being the 7th woman to play a PGA TOUR event and any implications from it.

Episode 57: Everything's Coming Up Fall Golf - Ryder Cup Review & More

October 5th, 2023  |  1 hr 4 secs

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

Now that the "Cup" season is done, we take some time to talk about the Fall Golf that the rest of us experience. We talk about why we and so many others love golf at this time of year, things we can do to enjoy it more, and for those who are looking to still keep their scores as low as possible, dig into adjustments you can make. We cover things from clothing to equipment in ways you can tackle playing in soft and wet conditions and still be able to maintain a low number on your scorecard.

As many have done, we dig into the 2023 Ryder Cup and give our simple takeaways from all the happenings in Italy. What did we enjoy, who played well, and what storylines captured our interests?

We also delve into our experience as Captains at this week's PGA of Ottawa PING Challenge Cup and give some thoughts on the matches we saw between some of the best club professionals in the region, playing for their respective teams.

Episode 56: Ryder Cup / PING Challenge Cup /Fix Your Grip

September 28th, 2023  |  1 hr 6 mins

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

This week, it's a packed show with more news than expected about the Canadian golf scene, including who will represent Canada in the upcoming World Amateur Team Championships and the PanAm Games. We fill you in on the latest.

We delve into a big PGA of Canada - Ottawa event, the PING Challenge Cup, as we announce the teams we will each be acting as Captains to in the coming days for this annual battle between Head Professionals and Assistant Professionals.

Kevin and Jake Haime join us on the Lesson tee with some thoughts on the grip.

On the Back Nine, we wander through some thoughts on the 2023 Ryder Cup and our expectations for the week, who we might like to see matched against each other and consider why the United States team has struggled through the event's history on European soil.

Episode 55: Solheim Cup / Fresh New Gear / Fixing The Chicken Wing

September 22nd, 2023  |  1 hr 1 min

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

With the Solheim Cup about to start we thought we would give it the due attention as the world's golf eyes fall up Spain this week where the Europeans look to defend the title against Team USA.

We discuss who we think might win, who we are cheering for, and who might be the biggest star and dud for each team.

We wander through the local and national golf news and topics on our mind this week.

Kevin and Jake Haime are back on the Lesson Tee with some thoughts to help your golf game, and we take a look at some of the latest golf equipment and products that have recently arrived on the market.

Episode 54: Hamilton G&CC Preps for 2024 RBC Canadian Open - Sam MacPhail of Golf P.E.I.

September 16th, 2023  |  58 mins

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

A full show this week starting with Scott's visit to the recently renovated Hamilton Golf & Country Club that is preparing to host the 2024 RBC Canadian Open. Scott details some of the design changes at the course and what golfers can expect to see when they watch next year's tournament.

Plenty of news covering a major golf media award, the end of the season for the PGA TOUR Canada, Ottawa Valley Golf Association, and PGA of Ottawa.

Some news from the Ontario University Golf circuit, and updates from one of Canada's oldest team competitions - the Gordon Cup.

We have insight on Hybrids from PGA of Canada Professionals Kevin and Jake Haime, and on the Back Nine we have an interview with Sam MacPhail of Golf Prince Edward Island. He recaps the season so far, shares about golf trip opportunities for the Fall and prompts golfers on why they need to start their planning now for a visit to the province in 2024.

Episode 53: Fall Golf Travel - Pinehurst & Area

September 7th, 2023  |  57 mins 14 secs

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

We get the Fall Travel talk started this week, but first we have plenty of news to share.

We rec-cap the end of the OVGA Junior season, the OVGA Intersectionals, and provide an update on Quinte Kingston Intersectionals, the Cornwall Open, local Pro-Ams, and some charity golf.

Kevin and Jake Haime join us for more instruction talk.

In the meat of show we take on the topic of golf travel to the Pinehurst/Sandhills region of North Carolina. We update you on the latest news for the region, give insight from over two decades of travelling there, provide some tips on golf courses, accommodations, travel, and the other highlights that are a must for any golf fan who makes the pilgrimage.

Episode 52: The Ryder Cup; A Reason To Play Golf; and Courses Have Greater Value Than Rankings

August 31st, 2023  |  1 hr 10 mins

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

Jeff and Scott had a chance to play together this past week; giving them pause to consider what a gift it is to enjoy the company of friends and family on the golf course. They discuss this, leading to talk about the value of golf course, beyond how they may be portrayed in "rankings". That also leads to talk about golf course rankings, how many people misinterpret them, and what value do they have when they are not as incluive as they could be.

Kevin and Jake Haime of the Kevin Haime Golf Centre are back with more instruction to get your game in tune.

On the Back Nine it is all Ryder Cup talk as we discuss how the teams are shaping up a month out from the competition, why Captain's value varying elements in the process of creating a "team" and who will think will be stand-outs from the U.S.A. and European Squads in Italy this year.

Episode 51: CPKC Women’s Open, Tour Championships (PGA TOUR and PLAY Junior Golf Tour), and Over/Under Par Game

August 24th, 2023  |  1 hr 15 mins

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

Tournament season is winding down for some golf tours and ramping up with some big events for others so there is plenty to talk about on this episode.

On the Canadian front, we give a full recap of the Flagstick.com PGA of Ottawa Tour Zone Championship, the PLAY Junior Golf Tour Kevin Dickey Tour Championship, along with the results of the Flagstick.com Cup on that junior tour.

We dive into this week's CPKC Women's Open, Canada's only LPGA TOUR stop, to discuss what we expect from the course, the players, and especially the Canadians. That includes a new look for Brooke Henderson and a look at the parts of the game where she has had some issues compared to last year.

We discuss the PGA TOUR's Championship and conclusion to the FedEx Cup race, including our favourites, dark horses, and some opinions on the format.

We have a game to close out the show, with Over Par/Under Par opinions of a variety of topics that often divide golfers, or at least cause some discussion.

Episode 50: The Golf Bucket List...What's On Yours?

August 17th, 2023  |  55 mins 25 secs

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

It's a milestone as we reach the recording of the 50th episode of the Flagstick Podcast.

As such, while we run through some of the latest golf news from the region and Canada, we put a lot of focus on the back nine for this show.

There we talk about Golf Bucket Lists. You know the ones; the course we want to play, the milestones we want to break, the other goals we would like to accomplish.

Jeff and Scott run through some of their bucket list items while encouraging listeners to share some of theirs on the Flagstick social media channels.

We talk about past list items for us, ones we still want to take on, and even explore the emotions that tie us to the items that we all put on our lists.

We also reveal the winners from the TaylorMade Golf contest from earlier this year.

Episode 49: The AIG Women’s Open; The FedEx Cup Playoffs, and Ryder Cup Picks

August 10th, 2023  |  57 mins

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

After a short break we are back with episode 49 (It'll be a very fun next one for our 50th)

On this show we catch up on the latest news related to golf in Canada and the Eastern Ontario region, including events within the Ottawa Valley Golf Association, Golf Canada, and the Flagstick Two-Ball Championship. We discuss the ongoing bunker project at Rideau View Golf Club, and talk about the value of Inter-Club events, especially for junior golfers.

On the Back Nine we take a look at the big stuff happening on the pro tours, with talk about the AIG Women's Open, the FedEx Cup Playoffs/Wyndham Championship, and wander deep into some thoughts about the Ryder Cup and the difficult decisions ahead for Captains Zach Johnson and Luke Donald.

Episode 48: The Open - The Best Men's Major Championship?

July 20th, 2023  |  1 hr 3 mins

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

You'll find out quickly in this episode that our answer to the title question is yes, we both believe The Open is the best men's major championship.

Your mileage may vary but we make our case for why as we preview the 151st edition of the event taking place this week in England. We lend some insight the Hoylake Golf Links at Royal Liverpool, who we think may be a good fit as a winner, and what skills they will need to prevail.

In the balance of the show we bring you another instruction piece from Kevin and Jake Haime, discuss the Flagstick.com Shootout that we recently hosted, share some thoughts on the OVGA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and introduce you to a young golfer who put on a dominant performance at a Golf Quebec Provincial Championship.

Episode 47: U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach, NHL Golfers, and Guest Cameron Pero - the 2023 Ontario Men's Amateur Champion

July 6th, 2023  |  1 hr 9 mins

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

A extra fun one on tap this episode as we wrap up a few junior events, discuss the Rickie Fowler win on the PGA TOUR, and ponder the magnitude of the U.S. Women's Open being played at the Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time and what we will be interested to see.

Kevin and Jake Haime join us from The Lesson Tee for another bit of instruction, and we decide whether we believe the golf indexes claim by some NHL players are legitimate or not in a game we call Onside or Offside.

Joining us for a guest interview is Cameron Pero, the winner of the 101st Ontario Men's Amateur Champion, following in the footsteps of his father who won the title in 1989. We'll get his perspective on the win, what it meant to have his father on the bag, how college golf is treating him, and what his plans might be for the future.

Episode 46: Making A Course List And Checking It Twice

June 29th, 2023  |  52 mins 27 secs

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

A past week full of uncertain weather added some extra "texture" to some major Golf Quebec and Golf Ontario championships happening not far from us; we provide updates on how they played out.

We have details from a new venture that will bring golf to an Ottawa stadium for a few days later this summer, and we share the latest from the Flagstick.com PGA of Ottawa Tour and the Play Junior Golf Tour.

On the back nine, we stretch our memories with a discussion about the 170 or so golf courses that existed in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec through the years (now just over 150) and flush out the few ones ones we each still have yet to play, what are some of the ones that surprised us, and take on the idea that a golf course has to be "famous" to be worth a play.

We also update everyone on the Flagstick.com Shootout and the TaylorMade goodie pack giveaway.

Episode 45: Major Talk and The World’s Longest Drivers Are Coming To Eastern Ontario

June 22nd, 2023  |  56 mins 51 secs

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

We are in the midst of a big run and pro and amateur events, leaving us plenty to talk about. This week, we share some thoughts on the U.S. Open, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and run through a myriad of regional and provincial events, including insight from attending a few of them.

We also bring you the latest instruction from Kevin and Jake Haime of the Kevin Haime Golf School to help you improve your game.

On our back nine Scott caught up with Jodie Jenkins of the Endless Summer event being held in Belleville, Ontario in a few weeks that will bring together some of the top men’s long drive professionals in the world to compete under the lights at the Trillium Wood Golf Club. He’ll reveal some of the big names who will compete and offers full details on how you can watch.

Episode 44: Nick Taylor Makes History - Wins RBC Canadian Open

June 16th, 2023  |  1 hr 21 secs

bauder media group, canada, eastern ontario, flagstick.com, golf, nick taylor, ottawa, ottawa valley, podcast, rbc canadian open, sports, western quebec

How can we ignore it? The biggest news in Canadian golf news, in sports news, is that Nick Taylor won the 2023 RBC Canadian Open held at Oakdale Golf & Country Club. We explore the win this week on the show; with personal insights on time spent with Nick in the past, how people reacted to the victory, and what it means for Canadian golf. Also, how the win saved a week that threatened to be overshadowed by other global golf news about a proposed alliance between the PGA TOUR, the DP World Tour, and PIF. It's a fun chat about a moment that will go down as one of the top ones in the country's long golf history.

The balance of the show is packed with U.S. Open talk, regional discussions about junior golf, the Flagstick.com PGA of Ottawa Tour, a new initiative by Golf Ontario that is helping to introduce women to the game here in Eastern Ontario, and Scott shares some nuggets about recent stop-ins at a PLAY Junior Golf Tour event and a speaking engagement he did this past week for LPGA legend Sandra Post.

We also discuss the Flagstick.com Shootout, bring you a golf tip from the Kevin Haime Golf School, and preview an interview for the next episode.

Episode 43: RBC Canadian Open Preview, TaylorMade Giveaway, and Do You Like Retrogression?

June 1st, 2023  |  1 hr 7 mins

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

Happy June! This month means it is RBC Canadian Open time so we do our final preview this week, chatting about the course, the scores we expect, and who will be in the field, including at least 19 Canadians.

We introduce a TaylorMade Golf YouTube giveaway with two prize packages to be won. (details in pod on how to enter), and we roll through some regional and provincial news tidbits.

Scott challenges Jeff with some Canadian Open trivia; we introduce a new supporting sponsor for the Flagstick Shootout, and to close the show we give our takes on the Retrogression method as a way to decide ties in golf.