The Waggle Golf Journal Pod

Please welcome architect Brian Ross to the podcast today. After working as a design associate for firms in Austin, Texas, and Pinehurst, North Carolina, he established his own full-service firm, Ross Golf Design, LLC, in 2019, with offices in Austin and Roanoke. Ross is known for his hands-on, detail-oriented approach and has completed several notable projects recently. This list includes his highly regarded work at Park Mammoth, Kentucky- considered to be one of the best courses in that state, and the very impressive restoration and expansion of the Great Dunes Course at Jekyll Island, Georgia. (with Jeff Stein). It was great to have Brian on, and I think you will enjoy this conversation.Jon Cone, of the Northpoint Golf Club, also joins us to share his thoughts on his recent trip to Park Mammoth, fielding an ambush question on the National Links Trust, and about his own wanderings and recent content. Jon is a return guest to The Waggle Pod and a friend of the program. His very good review of Park Mammoth and all his other content can be found on his website here. Thanks to Jon for making the time to come on. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Master’s Week, everyone. We are very pleased to welcome author Stephen Proctor to the podcast today. You will know Stephen from his days at The Baltimore Sun and San Francisco Chronicle, and as the author of his popular books, Monarch of the Green (his biography of ‘Young’ Tom Morris Jr.) and A Long, Golden Afternoon (the rise of golf from 1900-1920). His new book, Matchless- Joyce Weathered, Glenna Collett, and the Rise of Women’s Golf, focuses on the pioneering achievements of these two women during the Golden Age of golf in the early part of the last century. Stephen recently won the USGA’s 2026 Herbert Warren Wind Award Book of the Year award for Matchless, and it was a little bit surreal to be able to chat with him about his writing, hickory golf, and, of course, Scotland. With the Augusta National Women's Amateur this past weekend, I thought it all tied together nicely. Hope you enjoy. If you were interested in purchasing these books, consider ordering from The Auld Grey Toun Bookshop in St. Andrews and support good local bookshops whenever you can! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

It is a huge honor to welcome today’s guest, writer Mike Croley, to the podcast. Mike is a creative writing professor at Dennison University in Ohio and has been widely published across the world of golf. You will have read his award-winning work in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Golf Digest, The New York Times, and Golf Magazine, among other outlets. He is the author of a very good collection of short stories, called Any Other Place (2019), and has an essay in the current issue of The Golfers Journal. Mike has also started a film/ media production company called O.A. Creative and runs a Substack account called “Life on Par” . He has appeared on a variety of golf podcasts and first popped onto my radar with his spectacular profile on Tom Doak in the Virginia Quarterly Review. In short, Mike is a hustler. We had a fun conversation about writing, golf, and the reasons we do both. When I started The Waggle, people like Mike Croley were the ones I wanted to talk to, and it is very cool to watch some of this come full circle for me. Please enjoy and give him follows across all fronts. I would like to thank him for his generosity with his time and for his willingness to help me and this project out a little bit. I feel so lucky to have met the people I have on this journey, and conversations like this sustain and inspire me. Please enjoy. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

It is a huge honor to welcome Don Placek to the podcast this week. Those familiar with the golf architecture world will know Don as a lead associate for Tom Doak and as one of the four principals at Renaissance Golf Design. He has been responsible, in part, for creating many of the most influential courses in golf over the last twenty-five years, and the list continues to grow. Don is also a noted artist and mapmaker, and his inspired renderings of these places have become symbolic of the creativity and ingenuity for which Renaissance is known. This was my Chris Farley/ Paul McCartney (“Remember when you were with the Beatles; that was awesome”) moment on this podcast, and I really just wanted him to tell me stories about each and every course that Renaissance and Tom Doak built over the years. We touched on all of those things, but I was mostly interested in talking to Don about acts of creativity, inspiration, and his thoughts on the evolution of our understanding of the game. I was incredibly humbled and honored that he was willing to come on the podcast and have an in-depth conversation about these ideas. I can’t thank him enough. Don Placek. Wow. He was also kind enough to send me a couple of renderings of his famous drawings/maps to post with this pod. Below are two special places that I have been in golf, and it was surreal to get these in an email. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Sean Melia of Bay State Golf joins the podcast today to talk about his life in golf, writing about the game, and his quest to play every golf course in the state of Massachusetts. Sean is one of the leading voices in the New England golf scene, and it was great to sit down and have a fun conversation about some of his adventures. You can find his work and links for all of his many projects here: Bay State Golf . I wrote a new piece for The Waggle Golf Journal this week. I can’t believe how many people have checked it out already. If you missed it, it’s called “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once,” and you can find it at the link below. Do me a favor and smash that subscribe button, then send the link to one of your buddies who might enjoy it. Thanks to everyone for the support and for reading!The travel bags are getting pulled out as we speak, and we will be on the road next week (hopefully). Quick little mission. Talk to you all then! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

My friend, Jordan Jackson, returns for Part II of our conversation. As we mentioned in Part I (Ep. #28- which you should listen to first), Jordan is the creator of Dog Tracks and Cow Pastures and is currently the leading Canadian golf authority living in Utrecht. I made up that last part, but Jordan certainly is a wealth of knowledge and information about golf architecture, and this was a really fun conversation. Thanks to Jordan, once again, for coming on the podcast. Find his work at Dog Tracks and Cow Pastures and on Instagram under the same name. Check out the store here: The Waggle Golf Journal . We have so many beanies; take a look and help out our small shop. See you next week. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome Jordan Jackson of Dog Tracks and Cow Pastures to the first podcast of 2026. Jordan is a serious, well-researched voice in the golf architecture world, and I will be paying close attention to his work going forward. These conversations are the best, and I always walk away thinking about aspects of golf course design and the game in a different way. In Part I, Jordan and I discuss his background in the game, Canadian golf, Stanley Thompson, and the world’s largest log cabin. among several other topics. Jordan recently launched an interesting biweekly newsletter called “Boundary Lines,” which you can sign up for by following his Instagram. This was a delightful conversation, and I am sure that we will try to have Jordan on again in 2026 for another chat, and hopefully, we will get a round in together soon. Thank you! Part II will drop next week.Dog Tracks and Cow Pastures can be found by clicking here. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

We won’t forget 2025 for a variety of reasons: the golf, the places, and the experiences were all life-changing. But looking back, it’s the people that I will remember the most. Thank you to those who read, listened, watched, and sent a word of encouragement over the past year; you helped keep this thing afloat. Thanks to the growing number of paid subscribers; a version of me in the past would have a hard time believing that this is actually happening. I sincerely appreciate your support. Thank you to all the podcast guests for coming on and chatting while I figured out how to become a host- I have enjoyed it more than I thought I might, and you guys were the main reason why. New England is an unbelievable golf community, and we saw a lot of it this year. It’s a special place, and I feel lucky to be here, and there is a lot more to explore. Critical thanks to everyone who took care of me on the road this year- in a variety of climes and place; it means more than you know. I can’t believe the stuff we have planned for 2026, and it feels bananas that I get to be involved in some of this stuff. Special thanks to Robbie Wilson in Kintyre, Mike Norcia at Forewind Golf, Tim Alpaugh at Claret Dreamer, and world-famous golf architect Jeff Stein for the unbelievable support over the year. Thanks for helping me get going. To “The Patron of the Arts”- you know what you did. Thank you.And to C, thanks for reminding me how to get home. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Ross Flannigan joins me from Edinburgh for the final podcast of 2025. You will have seen Ross’ excellent photography in a variety of places, including Australian Golf Digest, at The Open, on No Laying Up, and various PGA and LIV golf events. Ross has been a regular presence on the golf podcast circuit and hosted his own long-running show, My Love of Golf. Ross currently works for Foresight Sports, Europe. We discuss his home country, Australia; Melbourne golf; photography and acts of creativity; and the joys of Scotland. Ross is one of the people that I really look up to in the world of golf, and I appreciate him making the time to swing by and have a chat. It was an absolute honor. You can easily find Ross on Instagram to see his work and what is inspiring him lately. As always, thank you for your support of our little project. Please subscribe and spread the word if you can, and check out our store at:The Waggle Golf Journal Store 2025 has been an incredible year, and we are excited and looking forward to 2026. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Garrett McKnight of the Cape Arundel Golf Club and I finish our very conversation on important golf influences, why solo trips can be good for your golfing soul, and how to wander into an Old Course tee time while wearing hiking boots. Garrett was a feature interview in our short film, “Anchor to Windward”, which came out on Thanksgiving Day last week. I would imagine that this will not be the last time you hear from him on this pod. Huge thanks go out to Garrett and everyone at Cape Arundel for their thunderous support of this entire project. It was an amazing experience and the film captures that really well The links for the film can be found here- “Anchor to Windward” via the Forewind Golf site. Shout out (again) to Mike Norcia and Justin Joslin over there for making it all happen. Don't forget to check out The Waggle Store: www.thewagglegolfjournal.com this holiday season. Take a look out of your window and then let me know if you need a beanie. Thanks for reading and listening. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

This is a jam-packed podcast celebrating the release of our short film, “Anchor To Windward,” which premiered on Thanksgiving Day. The front half of the podcast features Justin Joslin and Mike Norcia of Forewind Golf, and we discuss the origin of the film series, why we chose Cape Arundel, and the incredible support that we received from the club while making it. The second half of the pod is the beginning of a conversation I had with Garrett McKnight (who was featured in the film), and we discuss the legacy of Walter Travis, the Cape Arundel Golf Club, and what makes certain places in the golf world unique. The second half of the conversation with Garrett will drop next week. Thank you to everyone involved for coming on to talk about this special project. The link to the film can be found here: "Anchor to Windward” Film As always, you can find The Waggle Golf Journal on Substack hereThe Waggle Golf Journal Store is also available here. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Nathan Limbach joins us from his trip to Donegal, Ireland, today to discuss golf, travel, and how creativity connects these pursuits. You’ll know Nathan from his consistently impressive photography that you can find on Instagram (@nathanlimbach) and from his writing at The Fliers Club's new journal, The Old Ghosts. Nathan is a thoughtful and well-traveled voice in New England golf, and I appreciated his taking the time on a trip to have a chat. I think you will enjoy our conversation. Thank you, Nathan! The Waggle Store can be found here: The Waggle Golf Journal Store . Check out some of our gear. As always, please check out our writing at the Substack: The Waggle Golf Journal- Substack. Nathan sent along some pictures from his current trip. These are from Ballyliffin Golf Club in Donegal; the place does not stink. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

We are very pleased to welcome Jon Cone of the Milwaukee Golf Blog to the podcast today. The MGB regularly highlights some of the most interesting “must-play” courses in and around Wisconsin and is becoming a leading authority on the region's history and golf architecture. This was a really fun conversation, and we barely scratched the surface of things to talk about in the world of golf. You can find Jon’s work primarily on Instagram (@mkegolfblog), and as some of his other essays become available, we will throw up the links for those as well. I am sure that there will be a part II to this conversation.The Waggle Golf Journal has a new, brand-new online store that you can find here. I am, of course, very biased, but we have some pretty carefully curated and cool gear available for purchase. Check it out, we would appreciate the support: www.thewagglegolfjournal.comAnd, as always, the Substack link to our writing can be found here: The Waggle Golf Journal on SubstackThanks to everyone for the support and, once again, to Jon for coming on the pod. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Actor Mitch Laurance joins the podcast today to discuss his origins in golf, playing the Hollywood circuit, podcasting, golf travel, Scotland, and hickory golf. Mitch is one of those guys in the world of golf who has been everywhere, knows everyone, and can tell a story. He has been unbelievably kind with his time, advice, and connections. It’s a wide-ranging conversation that I really enjoyed and we threw the clock out of the window once again. Hope you enjoy. Thank you, Mitch! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Tim Ball of Knockdown Golf (@knockdowngolf on IG) joins the podcast today to discuss some ideas in New England golf. You’ve likely seen Tim’s excellent photography and course reviews on Instagram, and he definitely gets around and sees some pretty interesting places. We had a good conversation about New England golf, including some under-the-radar gems to check out, as well as updates on the current situation, which is continuing to develop at Cape Cod Country Club, as one of the most unique courses on the Cape looks like it will be no more after this season. I am sure more details will follow. Tim is one of the consistently interesting and informed voices in the world of New England golf, and we really appreciated him coming on the pod. Keep an eye out for The Weekly Waggle that will be published on Friday. I have seen some things, my friends, and am excited to write about it. Just have to sit down and do it! Thanks for all of the support, and please continue to share the Substack link with anyone who might be interested. Look for me then! *In fact, since we recorded the podcast last week, there was even more news on Cape Cod CC, and there was a small (largely symbolic) victory that occurred over the last few days at the town level.. Check out Tim’s stuff @knockdowngolf (on IG) for more info- he’s done a nice job of updates. Big golf outlets continue to spread the word, and Forbes Magazine also picked up the story this week. Real hope is probably temporary, but it’s good to see attention, even at this late hour, paid to a really unique place in New England golf. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome Mike Altobello to the podcast for episode #20. Mike is a New York City-based photographer, golfer, and occasional writer. You may have seen his work in The Golfers Journal (subscribers only) and Links Magazine (click here), and the No Laying Up Podcast, where he discussed his relationship with Bethpage in some detail. Mike has traveled extensively throughout the world of golf, experiencing some unique moments, both around the metropolitan area and abroad. We discussed Bethpage, the Walker Cup, Met Golf, and his background in golf. I was glad to have the chance to hear some of his stories and really appreciated him taking the time to come on the podcast. Thank you, Mike! Thank you, also, to all our new subscribers and to everyone who has helped spread the word about what we are doing here at The Waggle. This continues to be a baffling and incredible journey, and I really appreciate the support and love that we are receiving. Wild times. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please join us in welcoming Pete McLachlan to the podcast today. Pete is the creator and face of Bogey Train Productions, a Scottish-based golf production company. You may have seen his videos on YouTube here (if not, definitely check them out) or on Instagram. Pete’s focus on the people who make up the golf world, coupled with the tremendous Scottish locales, makes each film a distinctive and fascinating journey that is always searching for the heart of golf and “creating a modern space for everyone to enjoy an old game.” He’s just the best guy, and we laughed a lot in this one, and I really enjoyed having him on. Thanks, Pedro! We are off to England and Wales to see some golf courses and to hang out by the ocean for a minute. Hopefully, the forecast improves. At any rate, you will hear more from The Waggle next week from the UK. See you then! Song Credit: ‘Walk with Me’ by Don Vinyard Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

The Essence of Golf, Forgotten Stories, and Three Questions. As promised, here is Part II of our conversation with Jed Moller. You might know Jed on Instagram from his account, @poormansgolfguide, and from his various pieces of writing and podcast appearances. He is also the club historian at Plymouth Country Club in Plymouth, MA. (If you get a chance to see Plymouth, leap at it). Thanks again to Jed for spending the day and for jumping on the podcast. As you probably can tell, we had a blast doing it. I hope everyone had a tremendous long weekend and is looking forward to the arrival of fall golf. In the meantime, hold on to what is left of summer and get out there! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Jed Moller and I hung out for a day to talk about Donald Ross, golf architecture, and New England golf. Jed is the club historian at Plymouth Country Club in Plymouth, MA, and has played an active role in helping the club begin a restoration process recently. You have likely seen his photos and content on Instagram at @poormansgolfguide, a popular golf account centered mainly on New England. Jed is a serious student of golf architecture, having read, researched, and traveled extensively throughout the world of golf. I am sure you will be shocked to hear that we had a lot to say to each other and spoke for three hours while playing golf and then for almost two hours more while recording the podcast. This was a fun day and a fun conversation that I hope you will enjoy. (You can also find the podcast on Spotify)Song Credit: “Walk With Me”, written and performed by Don Vinyard. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please give a big welcome to golf architect Jeffrey Stein as he joins the podcast this week. Jeff’s a rising name in the golf world and worked and studied under many of the current titans in the field: Doak, Hanse, Coore & Crenshaw, Urbina, Devries. He now owns and operates his firm, Stein Golf Design, and has been recently involved in restoration and design projects at the Hooper Golf Course, Rutland Country Club, Brookside Country Club (Allentown, PA), and Seawane Country Club on Long Island. Perhaps his most interesting current project, a Walter Travis restoration at The Great Dunes Course at Jekyll Island (Georgia), will re-open this fall: “Honoring the legacy of famed golf course designer Walter Travis, the new Great Dunes Golf Course is undergoing a multi-million-dollar restoration, reinvigorating this iconic courses’ gilded-age character with modern golf course design. Opening as a unified 18-hole course, the new design incorporates land from the former 9-hole Walter Travis-designed course with land from the former Dick Wilson-designed Oleander Course. The new Great Dunes Golf Course is being designed by Brian Ross of Ross Golf Design and Jeffrey Stein of Stein Golf Design, taking golfers on a one-of-a-kind journey through the dunes, out to the ocean and back, in a wide-open, natural environment surrounded by a conservation-sensitive maritime forest.”Thanks again to Jeff for coming on- it was fun conversation that I hope we get to do again. Don’t forget to subscribe and share The Waggle with your golfer friends and family, and the podcast feed is also available on Spotify. Following our conversation, Jeff sent me some of his incredible time-lapse photos that he took while working on the Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia. It was very cool of him to send those along, and I have posted them below: Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Greg McCrae joins the podcast today to talk about his home: the Isle of Arran, on the West Coast of Scotland. You may have seen Greg from his appearances in No Laying Up videos, articles in The Links Diary by Jim Hartsell, and his upcoming appearance with Pete from Bogey Train Golf (previewed on social media). You can find Greg on IG under his name and @golfarran. We talk about living on Arran, the importance of tourism for the local economy, the shocking amount of golf on the island, and the West of Scotland in general. Hit Greg up on The Gram if you have any questions about planning a trip to Arran, and he will be happy to help you out with information about logistics, accommodations, etc. And you should be thinking about going! Arran is a special place and I promise that you won’t forget a trip there. Thanks to Greg for taking the time to come on. (Thanks to Robbie Wilson for the connection and initial introduction to Arran) Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Here is the second half of our tremendous conversation with Tim Alpaugh. Thanks again to Tim for coming on, and we would love to have him back; it feels like we barely scratched the surface on things to discuss! As you will hear in the introduction, Happy First Anniversary to The Waggle. Somehow, we made it an entire calendar. Thanks to everyone who read, listened, subscribed, and recommended this to a friend. Your support means everything. The Waggle vol. #23 has been published today as well. You can read it on Substack by clicking here. We love links golf, and it seemed fitting that our first anniversary edition led us to reflect on the places we have been that we really love. Hope you enjoy it. See you all next week! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome Tim Alpaugh to the podcast today. Tim is an ambassador of goodwill in the golf world and seems to know everyone and has been everywhere. He’s an author, a hickory enthusiast, a woodworker, a golf rater, a bon vivant, and, as you will hear in this pod, a raconteur. This is part one of our conversation, covering topics such as playing hickory, links golf, and general thoughts about travel. You might have seen Tim’s company ‘Claret Dreamer’ on IG as @claretdreamer, check it out if you haven’t. This was an in-depth conversation that I know you sickos out there will enjoy. Tim knows the ins and outs of the golf world, and I think I learned a thing or two during our conversation. Part Two will publish on Friday. For those of you listening on Spotify, the link to the journal can be found by clicking this sentence. Like and Subscribe. Music Credit: Walk with Me by Don Vinyard Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Mike Norcia and Justin Joslin join the podcast today to discuss the creative process behind the release of Forewind Golf’s film series, “Made for the Wind”. From Forewind’s website: “Forewind Golf Presents "Made for the Wind," an all-new video series. Made in collaboration with The Waggle Golf Journal (IG: @thewagglegolfjournal). Created by renowned golf videographer Justin Joslin (IG: @justin_joslin), this new series dives deeper into the game-where traditions, craftsmanship, and adventure collide. Each episode goes beyond the fairways, exploring the stories behind iconic courses, hidden gems, and the passionate golfers who play them."Made for the Wind" isn't just about golf - it's about the journey, the stories, and the craft that make this game and life adventure timeless.”The first episode in the seres is called “Granliden on Sunapee” and the link to the film is here:"Granliden on Sunapee” - YouTube The link to the original article on Granliden in The Waggle Golf Journal can be found in the archives or at the following link: “On the Fringes”- GranlidenAs always, all of the podcasts can be found on Spotify and can be found here:The Waggle Golf Journal PodWe hope everyone enjoys this first effort. We think it came out pretty great. Check out Forewind Golf’s webpage here (some very cool stuff to peruse) : Forewind GolfSpecial thanks go out to: Andy Fowler and his crew at Granliden for helping to keep the place alive, Mr. David Ruedig for taking the time to sit down and talk, Justin Snyder at Lake Sunapee Country Club for all of the behind-the-scenes help, and Peter Bowman at the Hooper Golf Course for making the drive up. Music Credit: “Walk with Me” by Don Vinyard Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome Michael Verity to the podcast this week. Michael is an English golfer, writer, and, generally, an international man of mystery who has played golf extensively all over the world. He and I discuss the attitude and philosophy of links golf, the Open at Portrush, and suggestions and ideas for golf trips to that part of the world. I hope Michael will come on again soon! His very good collection of course writings can be found on Instagram at:@essemvee Enjoy the Open. Think about going to play links golf. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Mike Norcia, the co-founder of Forewind Golf, joins the pod today to talk about golf in Downeast Maine. It’s a relatively undiscovered spot to play unique and intriguing golf, and Mike knows a good bit about the nooks and crannies of the region. This was a great conversation and we had a lot of fun recording it. Mike is an excellent guy and we have been talking other ideas so hopefully stay tuned for all of that. Thanks for coming on, Mike! Check them out on Instagram and at Forewind Golf (click link).Check out The Waggle vol. 22 as well- the companion piece to pod and also about Downeast Maine; we really like it up there and the piece came out well. As always, smash that subscribe button and pass The Waggle along to your friends and family. We are a small shop operation and are looking for love and support that is out there. Thanks to everyone out there who we have heard from already.OK! I am off to the airport now. See everyone on the other side of things. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

My friend, Jake Conroy, joins us on the pod today to discuss a turbulent New England spring, the philosophy of golf course agronomy/maintenance, and his career in the golf industry. Stick around for our hot takes on green speeds! Shout out to all of the course superintendents and turf management professionals who are making it happen during a tough spring in New England. Thanks to Jake for coming on and making the time- this was a great conversation. Check out The Waggle here on Substack, follow us on Spotify, and check out our new channel on YouTube. Spread the love. Happy Friday everyone Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Josh Poysden for joining us on the podcast for episode #8. Josh joins us from Australia to talk about his incredible golf trip to the Carolinas and to The Masters that he took with his father, Ian (shout out, Ian!). Josh is a former professional cricketer who has also had the opportunity to visit many of the world's most renowned golf destinations and has a good sense of the architecture and history of the game as well. We covered a lot of ground in this one, and it was a fun conversation to record. That Melbourne trip is lurking for me, Josh. Thank you also to everyone who has read, watched, listened to, and subscribed to our content over the past few weeks. We appreciate the support, and this little project is growing!Enjoy episode #8. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome the return of our short film series, “Field Research”. We complete our look at The Hooper Golf course this week with a look at the course’s remarkable sense of place. Thanks again to Peter Bowman for the additional drone footage (and for all of the help with this project. Thank you also for all the support this week as we celebrated a remarkable place and a remarkable story. Get out to Walpole and see it. Please do us a favor and hit the subscribe button, then share the links with your friends. The article, podcast, and video are all available at our Substack page.Till next time.Thanks! Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Peter Bowman joins the podcast today to talk about the best story in New England golf- The Hooper Golf Course in Walpole, NH. A Wayne Stiles classic, tucked away in the hills of southwest New Hampshire, it is also recognized as one of the world's best nine-hole golf courses. The Hooper story is something everyone who likes golf should hear. Peter is one of the many owners of Hooper and is the local dentist in Walpole. He is also a keen traveler, has a strong interest in golf course architecture, and is a hickory enthusiast - we had some things to talk about! Listen to the pod, read the article, and then make some arrangements to go out and see Hooper for yourself. Shoot me a text if you do! Thanks to Peter for joining the podcast and answering the many questions I had for him in the weeks leading up to the article's publication. Music credit: “Walk with Me” - Don Vinyard Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

My friend, Kyle Duball, joins us for The Waggle Pod #6. Kyle planned our February trip to Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida. You may probably have seen pictures of Cabot on social media and it seems to be one of the new properties that is garnering its share of attention for the quality and quantity of the golf as well as the focus put on the amenities, as most Cabot properties seem to receive. We are living through a second Golden Age of golf course design and Cabot Citrus Farms, the Karoo Course in particular, certainly will be on a list of interesting and architecturally significant modern properties that you should consider going to see.We discuss the four very different courses at Cabot, the travel struggles experienced by The Waggle (including an all-time middle-of-the-night Uber ride), and fellas trips in general. Thanks to Kyle for coming on and for having me on the trip and I appreciate all of my buddies willing to come on to the pod to ramble on about golf in general. Music Credit: ‘Walk with Me’ by Don Vinyard. ********************************************** Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome Scott Fitzgerald to the podcast today. Scott is a good friend, former colleague, and now a performance coach/ mentor/ caddie for coaches, executives, and administrators who are in pursuit of something special in their personal and professional lives. Check out his website at his link here. This was a fun one to do and I hope Scott will come on again.In other news, you can now find this podcast on Spotify, which only proves that they will let you put anything on the internet these days. As always, you find all of The Waggle’s content on the Substack. Smash that subscribe button and send it to anyone who thinks about golf. Music Credit: Thanks again to Don Vinyard for writing, producing, and performing the song “Walk with Me”, that you hear in this pod. He is a man of immense talent and I can’t thank him enough for writing a song for us. Blew me away.Talk to you all soon. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Please welcome my friend Chris Simpson to the podcast. Chris is the owner and creator of Nor’Easter Sticks, a (now) Cape Cod-based company. Chris says that his “precision design helps you take your golf game to the next level, giving you the tools to improve your stance and accuracy on the course.” His work is top-rate. We cover a lot of ground here and I worked hard to keep it under an hour. I am sure he will be back on again,New England golf is full of interesting, creative, and talented creators and Chris is certainly one of them. Thanks again. Check out his website and gear at Nor’Easter Sticks online store here. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

The weather finally cooperated long enough to link up with my buddy, Bobby Williams, the owner of the Cape Cod-based golf company, Seaweed Golf (check out his site here), and play golf with persimmon clubs along the ocean in the wind for a few days. Courses featured: Marion Golf Club, Chatham Seaside Links, and the Highland Links at Truro. This trip is typically a staple trip for me in the off-season, but it’s been a full winter in New England this year and the golf has been elusive. We recorded a short podcast about talking about our day and also about our golf plans for 2025. Lots of walking, lots of footage, lots of laughs. Thanks to Bobby for coming on. Hope you enjoy it. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

The Waggle Golf Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Here is Part II of the conversation on The Machrihanish Golf Club and the Kintyre region in general. As I say in the podcast, my friends Jay and Grant were the first two guests to sit down with me, and we had a “golf sicko” conversation about a part of the world that we all enjoy greatly. Thanks to them for their patience as I learned what to do and what not to do while creating and hosting a podcast for the first time. We will get there eventually.Don’t forget to check out this week’s companion piece of writing called “The Joys of Machrihanish”, which can be found on our main Substack page. We are coming up on almost 20,000 words published, which ain’t nothing for the first few months of writing this journal. All articles and podcasts can be found under “archives” on the main page. I think we will write about Maine next. Stay tuned. Thanks to all the subscribers and everyone who has stopped by to check out The Waggle in our first few months. Special love goes out to the paid subscribers- a truly depraved group- and I remain humbled and motivated by your contributions. Thank you.It’s been a fun week, and Machrihanish is an incredible place. I hope you all get a chance to see it someday. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode #1 of The Waggle Podcast. Thanks to my friend Robbie Wilson for sitting down with me for our very first podcast. I had way more fun doing this than I thought I might, so I hope you dig it. You might have seen Robbie before in some of the No Laying Up videos in Scotland, in articles in The Links Diary, and by the amazing records of his own travels that he keeps on The Gram @linksrobbie Please be sure to look for Part II of the podcast later this week for more conversation on The Machrihanish Golf Club.Let me know if you experience any tech problems. Hope you enoy. Get full access to The Waggle Golf Journal at ajmacvie.substack.com/subscribe