The Golfer's Journal Podcast

When we started this podcast back in 2017, we didn’t have a grand plan. We just wanted to tell good golf stories and see where they took us. Two hundred episodes later, that’s still our north star.To mark the occasion, we asked a few familiar voices from the show to pick their favorite episode from the first 199. TGJ’s Tom Coyne, Casey Bannon, Travis Hill and Alek Timm, along with our original host, No Laying Up’s D.J. Piehowski, each share why these shows stuck with them before rolling them out in full.The result is nearly four hours of conversations that helped shape the podcast. It’s meant for long drives, holiday travel, and strolling down memory lane. Start at the beginning or jump around. Either way, thanks for listening.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYT⁠The Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist. (00:00:00) A thank you from Tom Coyne(00:03:54) The story of Len Mattiace, selected by D.J. Piehowski(01:02:38) Jimmy Dunne, selected by Tom Coyne(01:29:20) Leon Panetta & Ted Balestreri, selected by Casey Bannon(01:59:18) Sandra Boynton, selected by Travis Hill(02:49:26) Keith Mitchell, selected by Alek Timm(03:56:01) Here’s to the next 200

Author and essayist David Coggins has long explored the rituals that shape a life well lived. In his book The Optimist, he turns that focus to fly fishing, uncovering lessons in patience, humility, and craft that echo the same challenges found in golf. In this thoughtful conversation with host Tom Coyne, Coggins reflects on why the best days on the water—and the course—rarely come down to results, but to the time spent outside, learning and improving. Together, they wander through Scotland’s rivers and fairways, the art of slowing down, and the satisfaction of being a perpetual student in a pursuit that resists mastery. The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.

Bud Cauley was a sure thing: three-time All-American at Alabama, Walker Cup star and one of the rare players to skip Q-School and go straight to the PGA Tour. But golf hardly follows a script. After injuries, multiple surgeries, and a near-fatal 2018 car accident that kept him away for more than three years, Cauley wasn’t sure if he had a future on the PGA Tour. Now 35, he joins host Tom Coyne from The Bear’s Club to reflect on the comeback season that vaulted him back into the spotlight. They discuss the role of family, friends like Justin Thomas keeping him going, and how fatherhood has reframed his approach to the game. It’s a genuine look at resilience from a player making the most of his second chance.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.

This is part one of a two-part TGJ Podcast series that explores the simmering animosity and contrasting philosophies shaping the road to the 2025 Ryder Cup. The series is voiced by Chandler Withington, former head professional at Hazeltine National and a consultant to the winning American side in 2016.–Until the mid-1980s, the Ryder Cup was little more than a friendly exhibition dominated by American stars. But when Seve Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin rallied Europe at The Belfry in 1985, everything changed. Part one tells the story of how polite applause gave way to jeers, tense matches spilled into parking lots and a nearly forgotten event transformed into golf’s fiercest rivalry.The Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.The Golfer’s Journal is made possible thanks to our members. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/subscribe

For Rich Shilling, keeping Philadelphia’s best muni in pristine condition is equal parts science, art and…honey. Maintaining Jeffersonville Golf Club—a Donald Ross gem that hosts more than 60,000 rounds a year—is no small task. In this episode, he joins host Tom Coyne from the Turf Care Center to talk about the craft of keeping a high-volume public course in country club condition: managing people, navigating wild weather patterns and sometimes sleeping at the course. He also explains how his on-property bee hives produce honey for the Philadelphia 76ers and serve as proof that golf and the environment can thrive together. Expect turf wisdom, tangents on divots and a superintendent who wouldn’t trade this life for anything.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.

As the 2025 Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush, we sit down with someone who knows the land, the game and the moment better than most. Justin Parsons—coach to the likes of Brian Harman, Harris English and Louis Oosthuizen—grew up just down the coast in County Down, learning the game on windswept turf and nine-hole loops near oyster farms. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Casey Bannon, Parsons reflects on Northern Ireland’s rich golf culture, how pros adapt to links conditions, and what it takes to compete at The Open. Along the way: lessons from Harman’s win at Hoylake, thoughts on developing young pros, Portrush pub tips and a reminder that sometimes the draw beats the field.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.

Nobody knows Oakmont like Bob Ford. From living off the 18th green to becoming the last club pro to qualify for a U.S. Open at his home course, Ford has been part of American championship golf for more than five decades—and now serves as the tournament’s starter. On this episode of the TGJ Podcast, he joins Tom Coyne to preview the 2025 U.S. Open and reflect on a career that stretches from furrowed bunkers in the ’70s to the first tee in 2025. Ford shares stories of tanking to avoid breaking Arnold Palmer’s course record, making more money in the U.S. Open than the champion, navigating the politics of the course’s tree removal and what it’s like to announce names with the world listening. For a deep dive into how Oakmont has evolved—much to the chagrin of Nicklaus, Trevino and Player—this one’s for you.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.

Rory McIlroy contains multitudes: child prodigy, global superstar, outspoken critic, Ryder Cup anchor, Grand Slam winner. In his upcoming biography Rory Land, Pulitzer-nominated author Timothy Gay tries to make sense of them all. In this episode, he joins host Tom Coyne to unpack McIlroy’s career: the youthful dominance, the swing admired by Tiger Woods, the decade-long major drought and the emotional weight of being golf’s unofficial spokesman during its most divisive era. Gay shares what he learned from early interviews, tournament deep dives and the decisions—public and private—that have shaped one of golf’s most watched players.The Golfer's Journal and this podcast are made possible by reader support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a member here: https://glfrsj.nl/MembershipsYTThe Golfer’s Journal Podcast is presented by Titleist.