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Golf Badgers
By Cookie Jar Golf
60 episodes
2 days ago
Send us a text Bledge and Ben sit down in the boardroom at Blackwell GC to unpack a life in turf— from junior days at Trevose and Valderrama to East Lake, Troon North, Australia, Spain and the Turkish Airlines Open. Ben lifts the lid on Blackwell’s quirks: port and brandy in the clubhouse, the legendary 12th “snake” bunker, and a downhill par‑3 on 13 that inspired Bobby Jones. We get into widening fairways to ~15 hectares, clever tee moves that flip hole angles, drought realities with limited...
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Golf
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All content for Golf Badgers is the property of By Cookie Jar Golf and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Send us a text Bledge and Ben sit down in the boardroom at Blackwell GC to unpack a life in turf— from junior days at Trevose and Valderrama to East Lake, Troon North, Australia, Spain and the Turkish Airlines Open. Ben lifts the lid on Blackwell’s quirks: port and brandy in the clubhouse, the legendary 12th “snake” bunker, and a downhill par‑3 on 13 that inspired Bobby Jones. We get into widening fairways to ~15 hectares, clever tee moves that flip hole angles, drought realities with limited...
Show more...
Golf
Sports
Episodes (20/60)
Golf Badgers
060 - From Valderrama to Blackwell: Ben Lovett’s Greenkeeping Adventure
Send us a text Bledge and Ben sit down in the boardroom at Blackwell GC to unpack a life in turf— from junior days at Trevose and Valderrama to East Lake, Troon North, Australia, Spain and the Turkish Airlines Open. Ben lifts the lid on Blackwell’s quirks: port and brandy in the clubhouse, the legendary 12th “snake” bunker, and a downhill par‑3 on 13 that inspired Bobby Jones. We get into widening fairways to ~15 hectares, clever tee moves that flip hole angles, drought realities with limited...
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1 week ago
59 minutes

Golf Badgers
059 - Crafting Royal Portrush: Graeme Beatt on Fescue, Robots & Links Magic
Send us a text Bledge and Graeme sit down at Royal Portrush after a dawn ferry crossing to dig into Graeme’s journey from Scotscraig and Kingsbarns to course manager at one of the world’s great links. Covering fescue-first green conversions, managing anthracnose and dollar spot, reimagining bunkers, and the build-out ahead of Portrush’s Open where Scottie Scheffler lifted the Claret Jug.
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2 weeks ago
51 minutes

Golf Badgers
058 - Nine, Twelve, or Nothing: Rethinking Golf’s Next Chapter
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down to kick around what golf might look like in ten years’ time: fewer tired 18s, more brilliant 9s and 12s, and multi‑use hubs with sand‑capped, fescue‑forward turf that stays open when the rain never stops. Spurred by Alistair Beggs’ warning on chemicals and heavy soils, the lads pull apart a model that turns a failed 18 into a free‑draining nine plus a range, 3G football, padel, a Himalayas‑style putting green, nature trails and a buzzy food court—keeping...
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2 weeks ago
41 minutes

Golf Badgers
057 - From Kent to Hoylake: Fletcher’s Golf Bug (and Those High Bunkers)
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down with young Fletcher Bledge to talk growing up 200 yards from the 7th at Royal Liverpool, bagging two aces on the club’s pint-sized par-3, and why towering bunkers are the ultimate kid kryptonite. They dig into the mini-course with holes named Natterjack, Liverbird, Pineapple and Racing Horse, the Husqvarna robots that keep it buzzing, and the apprentice-led maintenance project that doubles as a training ground. LIV vs The Open gets a junior verdict (musi...
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1 month ago
37 minutes

Golf Badgers
056 - Lee Strutt - Sowing Seeds and Breaking Ground
Send us a text James Bledge and Lee Strutt sit down on the banks of Loch Lomond to reflect on Struttie’s unique journey through golf course management—from grassroots beginnings to directing a world-class estate. They dig into leadership, trials, robots, and how to engineer not just a golf course, but a culture.
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1 month ago
1 hour 11 minutes

Golf Badgers
055 - From North Wales to Deal: Ben Williams’ Linksland Journey
Send us a text Bledge and Ben Williams sit down to trace Ben’s path from a golf‑mad childhood in North Wales to course manager at Royal Cinque Ports—via ultra‑exclusive Double Eagle in Ohio, an overseed bootcamp at Sea Pines, and a love affair with New South Wales GC. They dig into mentorship, the FTMI programme, and why a touch of spring granular on the fairways can be a links lifesaver. Expect talk of dunes, dogs, and doing the little things right.
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1 month ago
1 hour 13 minutes

Golf Badgers
054 - Alistair Beggs - Practical Greenkeeping and the Art of Sustainable Golf
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down with Alistair Beggs for a deep dive into a lifetime in golf course agronomy, from growing up at Hoylake to consulting on multiple Open Championships. They discuss the legendary Jim Arthur, the evolution of greenkeeping, tales from the driest Open in history, and why sustainable practices are shaping the future of the game.
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1 month ago
1 hour 12 minutes

Golf Badgers
053 - Team Culture, Turf, and Tour Standards: Inside John McLoughlin’s Career
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down with John McLoughlin to trace his 30-year career in golf, from Gleneagles to Royal Melbourne, and onto leading Wallasey’s greenkeeping team. They dive deep into tour-level course setups, team culture, and the management philosophies that have transformed clubs into championship venues.
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1 month ago
1 hour 40 minutes

Golf Badgers
052 - Listener Question Time: Rain, Drought & Drainage
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down to reflect on the growing extremes in UK weather and how this affects course maintenance and playability. From rainfall stats to reservoir builds and soil importation, it’s a deep dive into the future of sustainable golf course management.
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2 months ago
51 minutes

Golf Badgers
051 - Beyond Turf: Golf’s Role in Biodiversity & Balance
Send us a text Sam and James sit down to chat about why golf courses aren’t just about perfect turf—they’re thriving ecosystems. Join them as they explore how managing gorse, trees, and ponds can support nesting birds, red squirrels, toads, and more, plus how modern agronomy balances playing quality with environmental stewardship.
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2 months ago
58 minutes

Golf Badgers
050 - Listener Question Time: Course Difficulty & Rainfall
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down and take listener questions, kicking off with a cracker about how to toughen up a golf course. From the science of rainfall to the sorcery of seaweed, it’s a deep dive into maintenance, architecture and a wee bit of punk rock nostalgia from Dumfries.
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2 months ago
1 hour 1 minute

Golf Badgers
049 - Solo Greenkeeping at Durness with Ali Morrison
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down with Ali Morrison, head greenkeeper of Durness Golf Club, to uncover what it takes to run one of the most remote and dramatic golf courses in the UK. From sheep grazing on fairways to the possibility of Coore & Crenshaw dropping by, they explore the quirks, history, and breathtaking beauty of this nine-hole wonder on the edge of the Highlands.
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3 months ago
50 minutes

Golf Badgers
048 - Architectural Match Play - Royal St. Georges vs Royal Cinque Ports - pt2
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down for the second half of their course-by-course duel between Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) and Royal St. George’s (Sandwich), resuming at the 7th hole with the match all square. With tales of seawall tees, mega green complexes, and historic anecdotes, they bring their usual blend of architectural insight and pub-style golf chat to the back nine. Below are two youtube links for the two courses: https://youtu.be/C3tAaJ6fkQ0?si=VdwHJAm9RRW7IJyy https://yo...
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3 months ago
1 hour 26 minutes

Golf Badgers
047 - Architectural Match Play - Royal St. Georges vs Royal Cinque Ports - pt1
Send us a text Sam and Bledge sit down in the sweltering heat of Badger HQ to debate two of their favourite links courses—Royal St. George’s (Sandwich) and Royal Cinque Ports (Deal). From punchbowl greens to first-tee nightmares, they go head-to-head hole by hole in a playful yet passionate playoff steeped in nostalgia, course architecture, and plenty of sneezes.
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3 months ago
1 hour 13 minutes

Golf Badgers
046 - McDonnell & Cooper w/ Joe McDonnell
Send us a text Joe McDonnell joins Sam & Bledge to discuss the formation of McDonnell & Cooper, a new golf course architecture firm with our very own Sam Cooper. The formation of this company was part of the excuse of the 6 month break, so sit back and listen to their thoughts on the next generation of golf course architecture
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3 months ago
53 minutes

Golf Badgers
045 - How golf courses change over time
Send us a text Sam & Bledge sit down to reflect on their latest adventures at the Blackwell Foursomes and RNGC. They explore how golf course architecture — from bunkering to subtle design shifts — continues to evolve, challenging both everyday golfers and the game’s elite.
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3 months ago
51 minutes

Golf Badgers
044 - Badgers are Back
Send us a text Sam & James sit down to discuss their much anticipated return after their hiatus with some exciting news! Now part of the Cookie Jar Golf, the team will be helping with editing and publishing of episodes, while still keeping the same great insight and lo-fi jazz intro that listeners will be familiar with. In this episode, Sam & James talk about what's been going on with them, the exciting news and of course the rdrought which has taken many courses to the edge thi...
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4 months ago
48 minutes

Golf Badgers
043 - First Green with Jenny Bledge. PLUS Badger Merch is live!
Send us a text This episode is particularly important. We heard in the previous episode (042 with Scott Reeves) how one of the biggest issues faced in the greenkeeping industry is recruitment. Well, fortunately Bledge's much better half Jenny Bledge is out there working on a solution. First Green is a wonderful initiative that BIGGA has brought over the Atlantic from the GCSAA. It's all about introducing golf, and particularly careers in this part of the golf industry, to school kids of diff...
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10 months ago
1 hour 15 minutes

Golf Badgers
042 - Making BIGGA better? - Scott Reeves
Send us a text Link to survey 👇👇👇 https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/greenkeeper-survey-amazon-voucher.html Welcome back Badgers, This week we’ve been joined by Scott Reeves, Head of Membership for BIGGA. We try and get to the bottom of what problems the Greenkeeping Industry is facing in Britain - but more importantly, Scott wants to know what you think. Whether you’re a BIGGA member or not, please do follow the link above and fill out the survey. Thanks for listening, Sam &am...
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10 months ago
1 hour 21 minutes

Golf Badgers
041 - Part 2 - What's Been Happening At Birkdale? - Sean McClean
Send us a text Last week we heard from Royal Birkdale's Course Manager Sean McClean. This week he's back to talk in some detail over the course changes that many of us watched develop over social media. It was an extraordinary amount of work, especially for a course hosting the world's oldest Major Championship in 2026. This year, Sean and his indefatigable team and back at it - completing Phase 2 of an ambitious project. We hope you enjoy the second half of this conversation and, as ever...
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11 months ago
55 minutes

Golf Badgers
Send us a text Bledge and Ben sit down in the boardroom at Blackwell GC to unpack a life in turf— from junior days at Trevose and Valderrama to East Lake, Troon North, Australia, Spain and the Turkish Airlines Open. Ben lifts the lid on Blackwell’s quirks: port and brandy in the clubhouse, the legendary 12th “snake” bunker, and a downhill par‑3 on 13 that inspired Bobby Jones. We get into widening fairways to ~15 hectares, clever tee moves that flip hole angles, drought realities with limited...