Teetalk

When you ask most golfers about practice, they'll tell you about their marathon sessions on the driving range, "perfecting" their golf swings. This week's guest knows where the real gold is though, the short game. Gareth Raflewski has become the Irish wizard around the greens. Trained as an Engineer, but a golfer his whole life, he turned his talents away from playing to coaching and has found global success over the last dozen years. Three of Raflewski's students have become #1 in the Rolex Women's World Rankings, and he can count some 60 LPGA TOUR players he has worked with, along with multiple PGA TOUR players. Gareth joins us to share some of his secrets to coaching, skills and drills you can use to improve your game, insight into technology he is working with to advance his craft, and what life has been like in the last year working mostly from home. He also introduces you to his training aids and how they were developed. Raflewski also has the insight of being a coach at a club, the River Bend Golf Co

It’s only been six months but here we are again re-capping a memorable playing of The Masters. Stefan and Scott break down the major with their highs and lows from the week that was, who were the surprises, and who were the dissapointments. They also welcome Tomo Bystedt of TaylorMade Golf who shares what the two victories in eight days at Augusta National mean to a the nation of Japan to which he identifies deeply. We talk about how the wins by Tsubasa Kajitani at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Hideki Matsuyama will impact the popularity of golf in Japan, how it may shape the upcoming Olympics, and also push the game forward there for the future. The Mailbag is filled with Masters questions (again) we do a live speed challenge to find putters to buy in certain price categories online, and the tip of the week addresses how to achieve softer, higher pitch shots around the green with a simple technique. Instagram: Flagstick (https://www.instagram.com/flagstickgolf/) Scott (https://www.instagram.com/sc

I mean, what else could this week's show be primarily about? The Masters, of course. After we run through the week that was, including an incredible finish and winner at the LPGA's ANA Inspiration, it is all hands on deck, the green deck, as we dominate the podcast with talk of The Masters. We make our picks, of course, and the Mailbag is full of great Masters questions, but the main course of the show is our interview with Yohann Benson. Benson, a PGA of Canada professional, former tour pro and tour caddy, and now analyst for RDS/TSN drops us insight direct from the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club. After walking the practice round with Mike Weir, Corey Conners, and Mackenzie Hughes on Tuesday, Benson shares his observations on the trio and their chances for this week. He also gives a great overview of course conditions, the prospects of many players this week based on how the course is playing, and even drops a nugget or two from chats with players like Justin Thomas. If you need last minute insights

It's a big week at the podcast as Stefan's new "roommate" finally arrives and he unexpectedly shows up for the episode! There has never been more discussion about the topic of golf's future, given the boost in play last year by the pandemic, so we check in with Mike Kelly of Golf Ontario for the feature interview. He shares the perspective of their association on the impact of 2020, what they are working on to help the game thrive, and their plans for tournaments and such in the year ahead. The Week The Was finds us with a lot of love for the Joel Dahmen win on the PGA TOUR and plenty of excitement over the play of Canadian pros and amateurs at multiple golf events. We make our picks for the first pro major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, and welcome the River Town Saints for the guest music of the week. The Mail Bag has us answering questions about recent Korn ferry Tour winner Adam Svensson, favourite beverages on the golf course, do we like more match play for pro golf, LPGA majors we'd like to attend,

He showed up; he told stories, and we were entertained. We think you will be too as well-travelled golf pro Mark Baldwin joins us on this episode. He has had a remarkable career so far with the wild tales that go with that. He takes you inside the life of a pro golfer playing on the edge of being an alternate each week on the Korn Ferry Tour and the adventures that ensue. Strap yourself in, grab some popcorn and also hear about playing in Korea and a wild caddy tale that is a little on the shady side of life. Also on the show, we give out our "awards" for the week that was, make our selections for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, ponder how Michelle Wie West may play in her return to the LPGA TOUR, and task ourselves with making up nicknames for three holes stretches at famous golf courses. In the Mail Bag we talk under-rated golf experiences, how mini-tours work, scoring formats we prefer for two-person team events, and golf books about Scotland. Mark Baldwin Twitter (https://twitter.com/

THE PLAYERS Championship takes centre stage in this episode as not only do we wrap up all the nuances and story-lines from the PGA Tournament left unfinished in 2020 due to the pandemic, but we welcome a guest with way more insight than most on the subject. Outgoing Tournament Director Ryan Hart joins us for a very in-depth interview on the 2021 PLAYERS. He shares what his team was feeling as they prepared for this year, the logistics of running one of the biggest events in pro golf with 20% of their fans and in a whole new era, and he recaps his time as tournament director and take fans inside the ropes on the operations side. It’s a wide-ranging and compelling look that golf fans rarely get to hear about and we think you’ll enjoy the candor of the Canadian who now moves on to take over operations for the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal. We take a look a glance around the tours for the weeks ahead, including a depleted field at The Honda Classic, some surprising names playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, and have

Brad Fritsch is back. The Korn Ferry Tour winner and past PGA TOUR member last made a show appearance in May, 2019 and he returns to grace us with his thoughts on a wide range of topics. Never short on well though-out opinions, Fritsch digs in with us on topics like Bryson DeChambeau, distance in golf, the cancellation of the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, The Players Championship and who the TPC Sawgrass course favours, his playing plans for the season, and his recent experience attending a live NHL game in the Covid-era. As usual we draft up some picks for the week, assigns scores to some of the most notable current golf topics, and take on your questions, including ranking some large pizza chains (??). In the Tip of The Week we talk Ball Position and what it can impact in the golf swing. Brad Fritsch: Twitter (https://twitter.com/BradFritsch) Episode production by Brendan Kennedy LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendankennedyfoh/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/brendankennedy_) Instagram (https://www.instagr

With his 2021 season underway, Canada’s Taylor Pendrith returns to the show to give our listeners an update on his life, on and off the tour. We discuss his recent appearance at the Puerto Rico Open and other opportunities he will have on the PGA TOUR this year. At the same time he lays out his goals and focus on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, takes us inside his bag to see what equipment he is using and testing, explains what strange snack his caddy, Mitch, has slipped into the bag, discusses the surge of Mike Weir on the PGA TOUR Champions, and, of course, shares some Maple Leafs talk. We also chat about the role of sponsors in the development of young golf pros and what house-warming parties for golf pros have in common for golf pros and everyone else. (Hint: some assembly required) We introduce you to our new producer, Brendan Kennedy, an emerging golfer and sound engineer for a Juno Award-winning band. Plenty of Collin Morikawa talk as we debate his career ceiling, as well as The Week That Was with our

A great example this week of working on a script for a show then having it go sideways. We give our initial reaction to the Tiger Woods car crash news just hours after the story broke. Joining us for a feature interview is the Director of Product Design for PING Golf, Ryan Stokke, who takes us through the entire G425 product line. That includes insight on a new club being added to the bag for Canada’s Corey Conners. We give our Pars, Birdies, and Bogeys for the past week in golf with plenty of talk about Riviera, Max Homa, Madelene Sagstrom, possible changes in Amateur Status rules, and some thoughts on Tony Finau and the fans being allowed to attend at the upcoming PGA Championship. For fun we lean on our past retail golf experience to come up with some stereotypical golf shoppers; you’ll recognize all of them and we admit to being some of them as well. The Mail Bag is full, again with at least one coffee question. We also address low cost irons, which pro golfer we would invite to dinner with our family, an

The future of golf is in the spotlight this week with the unique perspective of an architect who has played the game at a high level, seen and worked on some of the best courses in the game, and strives to make the game accessible and attractive to all. Canadian Christine Fraser joins us with her thoughtful look at golf, what it has meant for her, and the potential it holds. It's a conversation we think you'll enjoy. We celebrate the 25th anniversary of Happy Gilmore with a trivia game, gives out pars, birdies, and bogies for the week that was, chat a little about Riviera G&CC, and take on an extra full Mail Bag. If you want to know our go-to coffee orders, a listener asks, and we trundle through questions on preferred golf shoe brands, some favourite courses in Canada's National Capital, alignment aids on putters, how many clubs a beginning golfer needs, and what we love more - par 3s, 4s, or 5s? Christine Fraser Twitter (https://twitter.com/cfgolfdesign) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christinefraser

After only a brief stop on the show in Episode 100, our celebration episode, PGA of Canada Professional Brad Lawrence is back for a full interview. The Associate Professional at the highly-regarded Hamilton Golf & Country Club, the site of Rory McIlroy's RBC Canadian Open win in 2019, Brad shares his insight on junior golf development and much more. Outside of the interview we explore the decision by the PGA of America to allow rangefinders, the return of Annika Sorenstam to the LPGA, and the stories from the men's tournaments in Phoenix and Saudi Arabia where Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson prevailed. The Mail Bag sees us answer questions about the possibility of rangefinders on the PGA TOUR, is it possible to make a good golf movie, what are the youthful golf brands, the pros and cons of hitting golf balls off of turf versus mats, and would TPC Scottsdale be suited for a 2-player team event. We take a quick look at the early part of the backswing in the Tip of the Week. Brad Lawrence Twitter (https://twit

Many, many people have contributed to the Flagstick.com TeeTalk Podcast in the first two years of production so we decided to celebrate our 100th episode with a selection of them. It's the most eclectic show ever with guests that include parents, adminstators of the golf, LPGA and PGA TOUR caddies, media members, top amateurs, plus teaching and playing professionals. We take on the news of the day, and catch up with all our guests in locations ranging from the Waste Management Phoenix Open to the Jones Cup Invitational. You'll hear thoughts and discussions on: the Rules of Golf (yes, Reed talk), the status of World Long Driving Championships and the RBC Canadian Open, an insiders look at the first LPGA Tour event of the season, the feel this week in Phoenix for the PGA TOUR, updates on the 2021 Flagstick Open, where Team Canada member are playing this week, the playing status of a former Big Break winner, and insightful thoughts on the game and the year ahead from award-winning PGA of Canada Professionals. Se

It's a big week with all the major professional golf tours back in action so there is plenty to cover, including the LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, PGA TOUR Champions, and European Tours. Dramatic play by Jessica Korda, some less than stellar television broadcasts, and the continued ascencion of players like Si Woo Kim and Tyrell Hatton draw our attention and fuel our discussions. With it being PGA Show week (virtual) we also lay out some of the latest product introductions and give our thoughts on their prospects. With a clubhead and ball speed currently being a huge discussion point on professional tours and, increasingly with amateurs, we welcome PGA of Canada Teaching Professional Ryan Robillard as the feature guest. Ryan also represents SuperSpeed training aids in Canada and he breaks down what that system is all about and how it can benefit golfers. In the Mail Bag we answer questions about what type of hole we perefer to see used for a tournament playoff, locations for affordable golf trips in Ontario, the fate

Things are a little less turbulent in golf this week but there is plenty to talk about with the return of the LPGA, PGA TOUR Champions, and European Tour, along with continued play from the PGA TOUR. We jump into more remnants of the Justin Thomas fallout, and ponder how Kevin Na has gone from fan heel to hero, as he earns his 5th PGA TOUR win. Stefan challenges Scott to recall PGA TOUR winners from 2020 (you can likely smell the smoke from his churning brain), and the lads give parting thoughts of the final part of the HBO Tiger Woods documentary. For the feature interview we welcome Tomo Bystedt, the Director of Product Creation for Metalwoods at TaylorMade Golf to detail their work on the SIM2 line-up. That includes inside details about working with the top players in the game. In the Mail Bag we answer questions on celebrities playing golf, 2021 golf technology we are anticipating, the virtual PGA Show, how many times we think Brooke Henderson will win this year, and whether we’d rather play alone or with

It’s a tale of the two sides of golf on this week’s TeeTalk podcast. Canada’s Jaclyn Lee, one of the most talented young players on the LPGA Tour, joins us for the feature interview. She shares her origin story in golf, the dedication it took to advance to be a part of Team Canada and earn a scholarship to Ohio State University, the decision to turn pro early, and then the roadblocks she has faced to start her pro career. Through it all she has tackled it with as much positivity as possible and we think you will enjoy her story. On the flip-side there were a few mis-steps in the game this week as we take on the impact of the homophobic slur uttered by Justin Thomas at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the reaction to two of golf’s iconic players receiving a U.S. Presidential honour a day after historic events at the U.S. Capitol Building, and the PGA of America’s adjustment in their Championship schedule. We do break down the Sentry Tournament of Champions, look ahead at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and glance

Year three of the Flagstick.com TeeTalk Podcast is officially underway with Episode 96. Scott and Stef catch up on happenings over the break, including the LPGA announcement of an enhanced schedule for 2021, endorsement changes for PGA TOUR players like Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, and Patrick Reed, and the shifting situation for Golf Channel. Joining us this week on the show for the feature interview in comedian, actor, and game show host, Gerry Dee. Gerry is a passionate golfer, active golf dad, and a huge supporter of the spot. Well known for his eight-year run of the Mr. D show, the host of Family Feud Canada shares his golf origin story, tells what the game means to his family, and reveals what he feels is his best golf story – involving a bet with NBA icon Michael Jordan. In the Mail Bag we discuss the Lisa Cornwell claims about poor treatment for her and other women at The Golf Channel, opine on which Canadian we think we win first on a major golf tour in 2021, delve into Stefan’s willingness to play tem

It’s time to wrap up the year with the 49th TeeTalk podcast of 2020. We wrap up the pro season with analysis of the DP World Tour Championship and what the Race To Dubai win means for Lee Westwood, give our takes on the United States Women’s Open and preview the CME Group Tour Championship. We discuss some players making equipment changes for 2021, including Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm, and how it may affect them. Taking it down memory lane, we each share our memorable moments of the year including our favourite guests and conversations, stories of the year, players, courses we played, and pro golf tournaments. For fun we pick out Christmas gifts for some of the best golfers in the game. What would you buy for DJ, Brooks, Rory, Bryson, or Tiger? In the MailBag we talk Flagstick-run tournaments for 2021, who will be a breakout player next year, what the future holds for touching pins, the immediate future for the RBC Canadian Open, and what we’re excited to see in golf next season. Thank you to all our guest

We get you ready for the off-season this week with an entire show dedicated to training all aspects of your golf game indoors. Casey Ward, the award-winning Head Teaching Professional at the Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, is the guest for the entire episode. Ward helps us break down all aspects of what you need to do to get better in the off-season, covering topics from facilities and set-ups, to your physical well-being, speed training positives and negatives, skills, short game, and even things you can do to improve that are not even technique related. Casey also handles all the Mail Bag questions including deep ones on the role of lateral movement in the golf swing, how to improve hip mobility, trying to gain clubhead speed with a lack of flexibility, favourite reading material, and short game drills without a real golf ball. There is plenty of great advice, whether you are a beginner, average players, or an advanced golfer. Casey Ward Twitter (https://twitter.com/casey

We dedicate this episode to the unheralded teammates that help pro golfers find sucess. We share many caddy stories on this episode, from ones submitted via our social media channels, to audio clips from pro caddies who have been part of wins on the PGA and the LPGA Tour. Joining us for a lengthy feature interview is Scott Martin. The Montreal native spent 23 years caddying, mostly on the PGA TOUR but starting on the Canadian Tour and finishing on the PGA TOUR Champions. He shares the high and lows of looping and the emotional curve balls along the way. From being deep in debt, to winning, to confrontations with players who disrespected him. And he tells us why the life hooked him in even when many would call it quits. It's honest, entertaining, and a deep inside look at the career few endure for so long. Birdie vs Bogey is chock full of caddy questions and, as always, your MailBag questions make us put on our thinking caps as we formulate opinions on the matters you care about. Past Caddy Episode Links Episo

One of the most anticipated events on the golf calendar, the Masters, is over and we take the time to examine every angle of a record-breaking week. The fine play by winner Dustin Johnson, the surprises, the poor play, the Canadian angle, we cover it all and examine why this Masters was different but was still compelling to watch. Birdie vs Bogey brings up even more Masters topics and check up on how our draft picks fared at Augusta National. Enhancing our look at the week is a feature interview with Australian journalist and broadcaster Luke Elvy. As the commentator for the 15th and 16th holes of The Masters says, he gives us ten years of perspective in thirty minutes. It’s worth a listen and will have you ready for the next Masters in just five months. Luke Elvy Twitter (https://twitter.com/Luke_Elvy) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lukeelvy13/?hl=en) Instagram: Flagstick (https://www.instagram.com/flagstickgolf/) Scott (https://www.instagram.com/scotmac1970/) Stefan (https://www.instagram.com/steedorf