The Cookie Jar Golf Podcast
A British take on current affairs in the world of golf. Some of it interesting, most of it not.
375 - Course Diaries: Original Prestwick 12-hole Routing
Tom & Sam discuss playing the original 12-hole routing at Prestwick, where the first Open Championship was held in 1860, and how the course has been restored for a limited period. We explain that the layout has been brought back with heavy marshalling, temporary and restored greens, and significant logistical work to keep play safe.
We talk through the history of Prestwick and the role of Old Tom Morris in setting out the 12-hole course, how it gave birth to The Open Championship and try to give you a sense as to what the course is like. You can...
375 - Course Diaries: Original Prestwick 12-hole Routing
Tom & Sam discuss playing the original 12-hole routing at Prestwick, where the first Open Championship was held in 1860, and how the course has been restored for a limited period. We explain that the layout has been brought back with heavy marshalling, temporary and restored greens, and significant logistical work to keep play safe.
We talk through the history of Prestwick and the role of Old Tom Morris in setting out the 12-hole course, how it gave birth to The Open Championship and try to give you a sense as to what the course is like. You can...
374 - PGA Championship Recap
Tom, Sam & Half Par sit down to discuss Aaron Rai's amazing victory at the 108th PGA championship at Aronimink.
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373 - Donald Ross
Sam & Tom both do some homework on Dornoch man Donald Ross, who would go on from an upbringing on the ancient Scottish links to become the most prolific golf course architect in the United States. Designing and working on over 400 courses, his journey is a fascinating one.
With the US PGA taking place this week at Aronimink, it is our third instalment on biographies of some of the game’s most celebrated architects.
Having studied under Old Tom Morris in St Andrews, a chance encounter with Harvard professor Robert Wilson would see him take the le...
372 - The Tiger Slam Pt 4: The Masters
Sam & Tom sit down for Part IV of their deep dive into the Tiger Slam. 25 years on from the fourth leg of Tiger's historic run — and his sixth major victory overall — we revisit the 65th Masters at Augusta National, where he clinched the infamous Tiger Slam.
For more on the Tiger Slam, we highly recommend Kevin Cook’s book, which captures the era in microscopic detail. You can grab a copy here.
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371 - Course Diaries: Royal Birkdale w/ Mike Howard
Sam sits down at Royal Birkdale Golf Club with Mike Howard, Senior Design Associate at MacKenzie & Ebert, to discuss his long-standing relationship with the club.
A lifelong member with an intimate knowledge of the North West coast, Mike has played a central role in the recent course changes, working alongside Tom MacKenzie to prepare Birkdale for The Open Championship this summer.
A longstanding friend of the podcast, Mike brings both insight and perspective to the conversation. Widely respected for his work in golf course design, he is also a fine golfer and a highly regarded...
370 - Masters Recap
Sam, Tom and Peter sit down to discuss the 90th Masters at Augusta National, Rory's historic back-to-back victory, and the big winners and losers of the week in Georgia.
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369 - Masters Quiz with Simon Haines
Returning guest Simon Haines sits down to be quiz master with Sam and Tom about the early days of Augusta National and the Masters.
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368 - Alister MacKenzie (part 2)
In part two of this needlessly detailed look at the life and times of Dr Alister MacKenzie, Sam takes us through life after WWI and MacKenzie's partnership with Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Allison, as well as the work that leads him to travelling to furthest reaches of the globe.
In 1926, MacKenzie travelled to Australia on what would become a career defining two months helping to shaope the Melbourne Sand belt and many other courses around the country, as well as New Zealand, and how MacKenzie would become involved in shaping golf on the West Coast of A...
367 - Alister MacKenzie (part 1)
Sam is in the chair this time to bring to life the good Dr - Alister MacKenzie - considered by many to be the most influential golf course architect in history.
In part 1 we discuss MacKenzie's childhood, his education, going to Cambridge and serving in the Boer war. We also discuss the formation of Alwoodley and his golfing career leading into that, as well as Moortown and through to 1914 and the outbreak of WWI having finished designing Sitwell park.
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366 - Course Diaries: Wallasey Golf Club
Ahead of our Story of a Golf Club film over on YouTube, Sam & Tom sit down with Wallasey club archivist Simon Coombs to talk about the fascinating history of the club. Starting with the foundation of the club, to the design of Old Tom Morris and the golden age greats that followed him, Bobby Jones' round in Open Qualifying on his march to completing The Grand Slam, as well as Wallasey member Dr Frank Stableford's defining contribution to the club game with the invention of the Stableford scoring system on the second tee just a year later.
S...
365 - Ian Baker-Finch
Sam sits down with 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch. A player whose name is woven into both the history of the game and the soundtrack of its most memorable moments.
Best known for his remarkable victory at Royal Birkdale, Ian’s story extends far beyond that week in 1991. After his playing career, he became one of golf’s most recognisable and respected broadcasters, spending more than 25 years behind the microphone calling some of the sport’s most dramatic moments for audiences around the world.
In this conversation, Ian reflects on his journey through the professional game, from t...
364 - 92nd Sunningdale Foursomes
Sam & Peter sit down to discuss this year's Sunningdale Foursomes. Peter was our man on the ground following all the action. Congratulations to Jamie McGeoch and Ellie Lichtenhein on surviving seven rounds of match play to win the 92nd Sunningdale Foursomes.
Ellie is the first Sunningdale member to win the event since 2009 - a fitting finish to one of the finest weeks in the British golfing calendar.
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363 - Pete Dye (pt 2): 'The Kid Who Played With Clay'
In part 2, Tom takes us through Pete's trip to Scotland that inspired his work with Alice as a course designer.
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362 - Pete Dye (pt 1): 'The Kid Who Played With Clay'
Pt 1 of our 2 part special on the life and legacy of Peter Dye: 1925 - 2020.
In part one, Tom takes us through the first 38 years of the life of Pete Dye, beginning with his early years in Ohio and growing up on a course built by his father Paul. Pete would go on to quite school early, enlist in the Army and take a career defining trip to Scotland with wife Alice.
This is part of an exciting series we are running this year where we explore the life and legacy of the architects that have sh...
361 - Course Diaries: Conwy Golf Club
Sam & Tom sit down to review their visit to Conwy Golf Club on the north coast of Wales. With a history stretching back to 1869, and Hoylake professional Jack Morris the man behind the initial design, Conwy is a breathtaking piece of land on which to play golf. We had a great time here, settling a club championship match in a four-club wind.
In more recent years, Frank Pennink re-designed much of the course following the two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century. Most recently, Mackenzie & Ebert’s work with the club has seen go...
360 - Kim is back! (Morikawa too)
Tom and Sam sit down to discuss the golf over the weekend, with Anthony Kim winning for the first time in fifteen years and Colin Morikawa prevailing at Pebble Beach for the first time in two and a half years.
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359 - 652 Courses in 365 Days - Josh Simpson
Josh Simpson joins the podcast (a.k.a 'the Ginger Golfer') to talk about his world record breaking effort over the last 12 months playing 652 courses in a year, eclipsing the previous 581 World Record.
We talk about Josh's introduction to the sport, and how he turned a tragic chapter in his life into a force for good, raising nearly £100,000 for two wonderful charities: Macmillan Cancer Support and Tapping House. We've put the link for further donations here so you can contribute to the money raised.
We also discuss the trials and tribulations of life on the ro...
358 - Richard Pennell on ‘Common Grounds’
Sam sits down for a catch-up with friend of the pod, West Byfleet membership secretary and exceptional writer Richard Pennell. Together, they cover a wide range of topics, including Richard’s latest book, Common Grounds, which chronicles his journeys to some of the rawest and purest forms of the game.
Building on the success of his first book - Grass Routes - you can secure a copy through the wonderful folks over at Grant Books here.
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357 - BTME with James Bledge
Tom sits down with Golf Badgers’ James Bledge at BTME in Harrogate to discuss the event.
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356 - Course Diaries: West Sussex w/ Tom Mackenzie
Sam and Tom sit down in the West Sussex clubhouse to chat to one half of Mackenzie & Ebert - Tom Mackenzie - about his love affair with landscapes, and a career in course architecture. We talk about West Sussex and making alterations to your home course, as well as work further afield.
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355 - Motorway Services & Golf
Sam & Tom head to where it all began for the British motorway service station: Watford Gap. Not only the official north–south divide, but the birthplace of what has grown to become a staple of travel culture in Great Britain — none more so than in our world of planning stops at service stations on the road to and from the links.
This is an episode we’ve wanted to do for some time. And while the connection with golf is extremely tenuous, it’s fascinating to explore the evolution of the motorway service network — from the early days of th...
354 - Jean van de Velde
Sam talks to Jean van de Velde about his career in the game, which began as a six-year-old in Mont-de-Marsan, in the Pyrenees in south-west France. Growing up in the era of persimmon drivers and balata balls, Jean turned professional in 1987 and went on to compete at the highest level of the game for several decades. He is perhaps best known for his performance at the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, where he slept on a five-shot lead going into the final round.
Jean has also been involved in the administration of the game and was instrumental in...
353 - Kington Course Diaries
Sam & Tom sit down to discuss their recent trip to Kington in Herefordshire. The highest course in England, Kington offers spectacular views and great architecture from C. K. Hutchison. We talk tangential historic tidbits and the style and playability of the course.
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352 - Sam's Year in Review and Eclectic 18
This time its Sam's turn to sit in the hot seat and take pot-shots from our regular host Tom, on all things related to his year in golf. From travel, to performance on the links, foursomes match-ups and the honest review of a burger-dog.
Here's his new course eclectic 18 from 2025 below, a comfy par 62, 4,000 yarder!
1: Olympic (Cliff's Course) - Par 3 | 180
2: Streamsong Black - Par 4 | 300
3: Cabot Citrus Farms - Karoo - Par 3 | 250
4: Durness - Par 4 | 310
5: Beau Desert - Par 4 | 400
6: Panmure - Par 4 | 390
7: Golden Gate Park Par 3 - Par 3 | 140
8: Sandiway...
351 - Eclectic 18 Year in Review w/ Tom Mills
Sam interrogates Tom about his 2025, his golf, his travels and his outlook on the game. Most importantly takes us on his journey through the year in a form of an eclectic 18, from Merion to Maple Leaf, nd from St Endodoc to Streamsong! Even Cumberwell Park to Cabot, and back again!
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350 - Course Diaries: Golden Gate Park Par 3 w/ Jay Blasi & Dan Burke
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349 - Course Diaries: Pasatiempo w/ Jim Urbina & Brett Hochstein
Following on from our Thanksgiving extravaganza about Pasatiempo and the work of MacKenzie and Hollins, Sam sits down with Jim Urbina and Brett Hochstein. A link to our film can be found here.
Jim has been working on the restoration of Pasatiempo for 25 years now, and knows the course about as well as Marion and the good Doctor would have. His love and care over the last quarter of a century has helped bring the course back to its former glory, and following their most recent work in the past two winters, the green sites are absolutely s...
348 - Player Profile: Marion Hollins w/ Emily Chorba
In this episode we sit down in the second clubhouse at Pasatiempo, overlooking the 1st and 9th holes, with Emily Chorba – archivist at Pasatiempo Golf Club – to talk about the life and legacy of Marion Hollins, who founded Pasatiempo in the roaring twenties following her successes at Pebble Beach and Cypress Point.
Hollins' career in the game is quite sensational, yet at times overlooked. An entrepreneurial mind, she grew up on the wealthy east coast before heading west to help shape the golfing landscape we enjoy today on the Monterey Peninsula, as well as finding success in the...
347 - Golf & Cricket w/ James Woods
With the Ashes kicking off this Friday, Sam heads to an undisclosed location near Ormskirk to sit down with a very good friend of the jar — and first-timer on the show — James Woods, to talk about golf’s close relationship with the game of cricket. We explore the connections between the two sports, how they have overlapped over time, and the characters who excelled in both.
A huge thank you to James for his exceptional research for this episode. The podcast is packed with incredible insights, featuring names familiar to many as well as plenty never celebrated on thi...
346 - Course Diaries: Old Petty w/ Clyde Johnson
Tom travels about as far from Cabot Highlands as is humanly possible on the British mainland in Cornwall to sit down with Clyde Johnson and talk about the newly opened second course at Cabot Highlands. Old Petty, designed by Tom Doak opened for preview play this summer, and no sits proudly alongside its older sibling Castle Stuart.
Tom and Clyde chat about the routing, the construction process, and the key considerations when building the course, not to mention how natural and ancient features of this historic landscape were incorporated into the design.
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345 - Course Diaries: Formby Golf Club w/ Ian Jamson
Sam sits down with Formby Golf Club archivist and past Captain - Ian Jamson - to talk about the history of the club. Founded in 1884, Formby is one of the oldest courses on the north west coast and has some fascinating and eclectic tales, which Ian recounts beautifully in this episode.
From Horace the Hippo to a clock tower gifted by Sir Bruce Ismay of Titanic fame, and through the evolution of the links and its championship history, it’s a brilliant listen!
Ian is a superb storyteller and another highly passionate club archivist who tha...
344 - Halloween Eclectic 18 Special w/ Simon Barrington
In this in-depth Eclectic 18 special, previous guest and friend of the show Simon Barrington takes us on an odyssey of obscure connections with some of his favourite holes and courses around the world, and their links to the macabre. It’s not just an assortment of holes with cemeteries nearby — we go back to medieval battles, haunted castles, greens built on ancient burial grounds, and even draw some tenuous links between bunkers and the afterlife.
Follow Simon on x here or get in touch with him on jamesbraidresearch@gmail.com. His scorecard is below.
#1 Ballybunion
...
343 - Eclectic 18: A half-par scorecard with the Half Par Kid.
Sam is joined by Peter Handcock aka @thehalfparkid to do an eclectic 18 scorecard comprised of solely of half par golf holes. As a reminder, this fun exercise requires you to fill the card with holes you've played, but they can only go in the position in which they sit on the scorecard, and you can only use one course once!
His scorecard:
1 - Woking - 3.5 275yds
2 - San Francisco - 4.5 455yds
3 - Dumbarnie - 3.5 310yds
4 - Royal St George’s - 4.5 495yds
5 - Royal Worlington & Newmarket - 3.5 155yds...
342 - The Story of Joyce Wethered & Glenna Collett w/ Stephen Proctor
Stephen Proctor rejoins the pod to discuss his latest book, Matchless — a captivating account of one of golf’s great interwar rivalries. Joyce Wethered, the finest player of her generation in England, and Glenna Collett, the leading light of the American women’s game, were born just 18 months apart and dominated their respective sides of the Atlantic.
Stephen’s work as an author is exceptional — meticulously researched and told with a compelling narrative thread. Matchless is no exception. Copies are available from all good bookshops, and we’ve linked Amazon here for ease.
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341 - The 2025 Grafton Morrish
Sam and Tom sit down in the office to catch up on silly season. Sam takes — frankly far too long — to commemorate his school’s highest-ever finish in the Grafton Morrish, played last weekend at Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton. Huge thanks to both clubs for hosting such a special event, and to the volunteers who make it all possible.
We also recap our latest event at Sunningdale Heath, which closes our 2025 event schedule. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us throughout the year — we look forward to announcing our 2026 plans in due course.
Send...
340 - Ryder Cup Recap
After one of the squeakiest Sunday singles sessions for a long time, Sam, Tom & Bruce sit down to recap the action from an unforgettable few days at Bethpage, where Team Europe squeezed out a 15–13 win despite going into the singles session with 12 points already secured. Lots of things to unpack here: from Luke Donald to Loro Piana, Bradley to Bryson, the course set-up, and some of the events that shaped a memorable week in New York.
Ole Ole Ole!
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339 - Ryder Cup Week
The greatest event in sport? Not sure, but one of the many questions we unpack as we head towards the Ryder Cup this week at Bethpage. As Luke Donald leads Team Europe into battle against Team USA with only 14 points needed to retain the Ryder Cup, we cannot wait for the spectacle that will no doubt unfold.
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Cookie Crumbs #18: Monty on the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup week calls for Ryder Cup stories — so we’ve clipped together Monty’s best from part two of our Colin Montgomerie podcast (episode 320), 15 mins packed with his memories from the event.
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338 - 50th Walker Cup recap
Sam, Tom & Bruce sit down to relive the last three days at Cypress Point for the 50th Walker Cup.
Final scores: USA 17 & GB&I 9
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