The Golfer’s Journal
Broken Tee Archives
Member Spotlights, Destination Dives, discussions with golfing luminaries. All in one place.Subscribe to our members-only podcast
ACC Network broadcaster and BTS member Wes Durham joins us to preview the NCAA tournament. Along with bracket picks, we also touch on which college coaches can play stick, how the broadcasting schedule shakes out during the Big Dance, and how Wes fits golf into a three-sport broadcasting existence.
A chat with the man behind the lens. TGJ’s Director of Visuals (or @hafe_life, as you might know him) fields our photography questions on everything from aperture to freelance rates, and offers an exclusive instruction session on the art, science, and magic of great photography.
Golf Channel's Shane Bacon brings that buttery Texas twang to the Broken Tee Society for a wide-ranging discussion with old pal Tom Coyne. Talking points include Shane's Bandon course ranking, a breakdown of his career arc (including a neatly circular Keith Jackson anecdote), calling Big Air at the Beijing Olympics, golf (and winter) in the Northeast, and how to fix the NBA Dunk Contest.
Zac Blair wears a number of hats: PGA Tour player, GCA lover, founder of the borderless Buck Club, golf course developer. Now, after years of grinding both in and out of the social media spotlight, all of his hard work is finally coming to fruition. With his Tree Farm project nearing completion in Aiken, South Carolina, Zac joins Tom Coyne and Robbie Vogel to discuss his efforts to build a modern golf club.
As part of our Foundations season in the Broken Tee Society, we welcomed the experts from Driving the Green in for a far-reaching discussion on sustainability. Our guests boast strong and diverse backgrounds in this space, with experience leading green initiatives for National Links Trust and several PGA Tour events. But sustainability goes far beyond saving the environment. Tune in, and you might come away with a few ideas to implement at your home club.
Celebrated sportswriter Wright Thompson joins Tom Coyne and Robbie Vogel on the Main Stage for a can't-miss conversation. We touch on Wright's wonderful "Pappyland", a recent pick in our BTS Book Club, then dive into his career as a whole. Topics include Rory's level-headedness, the two great unwritten Tiger Woods stories, and the only happy pro athlete Wright has ever met.
As part of our Foundations series, we welcome Vermont's Ross Evans, BTS member and founder of Carrier Roasting Company. Ross provides a wonderfully detailed yet approachable look at the coffee industry, highlighting the challenges and goals of the production side while also offering insight and numerous tips for coffee consumers. Whether you're a newbie or a coffee vet, this discussion is for you.
Join TGJ contributor Matt Chominski as he talks to fellow Philly BTS member Dan Hershberg, who runs Workhorse Brewing and, perhaps more interestingly, the Workhorse Tour, a full-scale amateur golf tour in the greater Philadelphia area. This is a fascinating look at a small business doing big things in the world of golf.
Much like his writing, a conversation with Jay Revell flows with an easy and unhurried grace. Jay is a proud BTS member, former president and current historian of Capital City CC, and all-around golf tragic, so we were more than happy to have him join us for a hangout last Tuesday. Dive in for some insights on Jay’s latest book Swing, Walk, Repeat, as well as an unparalleled and incredibly compelling history lesson on his home club, the host of our first-ever TGJ event in Florida on March 19.
Rob Collins sits down with us for an hourlong dive into the world of golf course architecture. Part of our Foundations series, Rob's chat covers a range of GCA topics that any aspiring architecture junkie will enjoy. Of course, it wouldn't be a Rob Collins interview without some behind-the-scenes construction stories, a deep dive on his Landmand project, and a few well-delivered expletives.
A recording of the Broken Tee Society's initial Vision and Values meeting, in which we talk about the definition and purpose of the BTS, touch on the benefits that the community has offered so far, and define a few goals to reach for in the short term. Meeting notes for this talk are also available in the #announcements and #foundations channels on our Discord server.
TGJ Contributor Ryan Book joins Travis Hill and Tom Coyne to break down his latest article in No. 18, "A Bandon Surprise, Just for Ewes." A sharp reporter with a dry wit, Ryan dishes on discovering Sandra Boynton's role in Bandon Dunes and his talks with the artist. Plus, Travis and Tom chime in with behind-the-scenes gold from the editing and podcasting realms.
Your backstage pass to the making of TGJ No. 18. Travis Hill, Tom Coyne, Christian Hafer, and assorted other characters dive into the stories behind the stories, including a narrowly avoided cover debacle, an afternoon at a deserted PV, and more from the wild life of Peter Beames. Plus: White Bear, Billy Collins, and some "concept album" thoughts that didn't make the cut.
PGA Tour pro, Olympic Club teaching professional, and Broken Tee Society member Tom Johnson joins us for a hangout focused on game improvement in the new year. We talk short game, stretching, and the best ways to stay present during a round. Plus - Tom offers a fresh dose of #perspective when discussing the recent birth of his first child and the impact of fatherhood on one's life and golf game.
Sportswriter and author Brett Cyrgalis joins the Broken Tee Society to discuss his book Golf's Holy War, the first selection in our BTS monthly book club. We go behind the scenes, discussing his time spent with Michael Murphy, his take on whether a "war" really exists, and why Hogan's Five Lessons is one of the worst instruction manuals ever written.
Join Christian Hafer and Casey Bannon as they debrief on a whirlwind week, starting with a visit to MJ's Grove XXIII with Rory McIlroy, and ending with a day with reigning Open Champion Collin Morikawa at The Summit Club in Vegas.
Symetra Tour player, author, Broken Tee Society member. Brynn Walker joins Tom Coyne for a chat about her twin passions of golf and writing, the grind of fighting for a spot on the LPGA Tour, and lessons she learned from Lexi Thompson.
Kyle Porter from CBS Sports joins the Broken Tee Society, fresh off the completion of Normal Sport, his compendium of the insanity of the 2021 PGA Tour season. We chat with Kyle about turning a passion into a career, Golf Twitter, parenting, and the fact that CT Pan and Rory Sabbatini shot a best-ball 57 at the Olympics.
A BTS exclusive, recorded in front of a live audience at the Charleston Music Hall! In this delightfully winding conversation, Tom Coyne and The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson travel from sea to shining sea, discussing Florida golf cart parades, Alaskan haircuts, and Tom’s relationship with his dad, among other things. They also talk some golf.
Olajuwon Ajananku and Earl Cooper from Eastside Golf join us to talk about their rise from a logo on a t-shirt to perhaps the most highly touted brand in the game today. In this wide-ranging chat, we cover their careers both in and out of golf, their famed Jordan collab, and what's next for Eastside.
As part of our recurring Destination Dive series, we’re exploring Pinehurst specifically, and the North Carolina Sandhills in general, with the help of a handful of uniquely qualified BTS members. Dive in for course takes, food recs, and everything you might want to know about the cradle of American golf.
Rob Bannon is a retired US Army Special Forces pilot and the founder of TPG Golf Performance Center in Saint Johns, FL. He’s joined by his son, TGJ Assistant Editor Casey Bannon, to talk about his two careers and a whole lot of swing thoughts.
Christy Longfield, Director of Instruction at Spanish Oaks Golf Club in Austin, joins the Swing Thoughts Hangout channel for a lively discussion on game improvement and getting kids into golf. Bonus: Christy analyzes a few members' swing videos live on air.
Peter Gannon is a music producer and sound designer behind some of television’s most powerful ads. From Coca Cola’s “The Catch” to Fed Ex’s “Moving Forward” to Nike’s “I Would Run To You,” Peter has been both playing and pulling the strings that inevitably make us feel something thanks to sound.
