Full Program Golf Podcast
A golf travel podcast exploring top golfing destinations. Welcome to the Full Program Golf Podcast, where every episode takes you on an immersive journey to one of the world’s premier golfing destinations. Join us as we share firsthand experiences from our golf trips, exploring everything from the meticulously manicured fairways to the stashed out pro shops, the historical clubhouses, and the vibrant bars and restaurants nearby. Whether you’re an avid golfer seeking your next golfing adventure or simply a fan of travel and leisure, our podcast is your ticket to an engaging and entertaining exploration of the best golf destinations around the globe. Tee off with us and uncover the full program of each unforgettable golfing experience!
Full Program Golf Podcast
#27 - Landing Brand Deals with LA Golf - Full Program Golf Podcast
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Episode 27 of the Full Program Golf Podcast is here 🎙️⛳️
This week we’re joined by Lee Brennan, better known as LA Golf - a rising golf content creator who picked up the game during COVID and hasn’t looked back since. Lee shares how he’s approached improving his game, the mindset behind his progress, and what he’s aiming for next.
We also dive into his journey into content creation, including a behind-the-scenes look at building a brand and landing sponsorship deals as an up-and-coming creator.
Plus, Lee talks us through his recent trip to Quinta do Lago in Portugal, one of Europe’s premier golf destinations.
As always, we wrap things up with our fantasy fourball and course of choice.
Listen now 🎧
Welcome back, episode 27 of the Full Program Golf Podcast. This week's guest is Lee Brennan, aka L A Golf. Lee is a golf content creator and he tells us how he fell in love with the game and he also lifts the lid on the world of brand deals and how these work for up-and-coming creators. If you haven't already, please do subscribe and we promise we're going to keep churning out these episodes. And so without further ado, let's get into it. Lee Brennan, welcome to the pod. How are you doing? You okay? Yeah, very well, very well. So you uh you very graciously hosted me on the weekend at your house, just on the outskirts of Liverpool. So opening question Are you a red household or are you a blue household?
SPEAKER_01Mate, that's a brave thing to be asking when you you were at my house with with big reds, big reds in my house. Yeah, I'm very scared to say anything else.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I you you did mention I I I had a little in there. I you mentioned your your missus was uh is a big Liverpool supporter. Uh the girl, the girls are still quite little. Is it is it drilled into them yet already? Or is that still kind of work in progress at the moment?
SPEAKER_01It's funny you say that, right? So the elders came home from school last Friday and said, Um, Daddy, I think I'm gonna support Everton. I was like, no, no, listen, babe, that's fine. What her best mate does, that's fine. Said, those we've got to do, we've got to go get all your toys and put them in Maisie's room. And she was like, What do you mean? I went, No, you can be you can support Everton, support whoever you want. I just need all your toys back.
SPEAKER_00There's always a way to frame it, like, you know, that's the beauty of parenting. I I actually um I remember listening to a Rick Shields podcast, and his young lads uh kind of starting to get into football. Rick Shields, a big United fan. And obviously, United haven't been quite the team that they certainly were for the first decade or so in the 2000s. And so all these glory hunters dotted around the country are obviously going in different directions in Gen Z and what yeah, exactly. And and so apparently his lad was coming home and he was just like, Well, I love I love Harland, I want to support the city, and he was just like, How am I gonna explain this one to you?
SPEAKER_01It's a tough sell, isn't it? To be fair to him, he's he's on a battle. I've got a cousin who's a big, big blue, and his youngest is now a Liverpool fan. He said, What do I do? How do I argue with him? He doesn't want to get bullied in school.
SPEAKER_00Well, I come from a household where my dad's a United fan, I'm a Chelsea fan, and my brother's an Arsenal fan, so wow, okay. I'm sure Sundays were fun there. Yeah, that obviously didn't go according to plan to uh from for my dad. Anyway, let's get into some golf. Uh I want to get I want to get it right. Your your uh your at on Instagram is la.golf channel, is that right? LA Golf.channel.
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So um just so for everyone knows that's Lee Anthony, it's not LA. I've been unfortunate to be on the receiving end of some fantastic offers, only to find out I live in the UK.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, well, I said to you when when we met up on Saturday, the first time you hit my four U feed wherever you appeared, it was right when TGL announced and started launching their teams and everything else. And so I click on this content, I'm like, oh, it must be the social channel of the LA golf club for TGL. And I'm watching this video and I was like, why on earth is a scouse lad running the LAGC Instagram channel?
SPEAKER_01Don't forget Tommy's a captain there, so don't you don't be dropping that like that.
SPEAKER_00The fact the fact that Tommy actually does play for them, it it kind of just brings it all beautifully together. It's so it's quite sick almost early, isn't it?
SPEAKER_01The second I saw he was playing for the LEGC, uh the LAGC, I ordered a cup and I've got a cup downstairs with LAGC on.
SPEAKER_00So you are an LA man through and through. All the way, all the way. Amazing. Um, all right, I want to take it right back to the beginning. You're relatively new to golf. Where did it start? How old are you? What got you into it?
SPEAKER_01So golf's always been in my family. My my granddad, he he always had me follow him around the golf course, and I never wanted to be there. I really we'll get into how much I'd wish that was different. But post-COVID, I'm just typical 30-year-old, being kicked a lot, got sore knees, and I think the only thing we could do in COVID was play golf. So myself and a couple of lads, a little bit older than me, we all just got into golf. We started giving it a go, probably the November time, maybe. Yeah, and do you know what? I loved it, really did. I was telling my dad what I was doing because my dad was a big fan of golf, played it with granddad so much. And I was telling him, he went, listen, there's one thing I'm telling you, it's do not use a driver till you can use your five iron. It's that sicko that stuck in my head. Horrible, horrible human. Still laugh to him now because the set of clubs I had, MP64s, loved them, had a three-iron. So I thought, well, if I've used five, I've got a Lint's four, and then three. Just taking up golf, I didn't know that was nigh on impossible. I wasn't figuring that out.
SPEAKER_00So I mean, quick, quick initial question are you using driver today?
SPEAKER_01Just about, yeah, just about. I've got a hell of a setup at the moment, to be fair. And when we get out together eventually, I'll get to show yeah. I love me setup.
SPEAKER_00But love, love kit. I got fitted just about around COVID, like properly fitted, and I'll tell you what, that's about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I don't it really does like when you've got all of these shiny toys, boys and toys, and then golf's so shiny, like it's fantastic. So we we got into this local course, awfully rough, uh, but it came with a membership for two places, Alaton Manet and Shared Golf Club. Horrendous golf course. Allerton was fun but really short, and then we we just battled through, learned, tried to learn to play on YouTube. That's not something I'd recommend to many people. I put put some bad habits in there, and then two and a half years ago I found lessons, joined the club I'm at now, and fell in love. Really took over for me.
SPEAKER_00Amazing. So you become a decent player over a relatively short period of time. When you look back, like you, you know, you you can't you you start from ground zero by the sounds of it, pretty much. Um, and everyone is at ground zero at some point in their golfing career. From where you've come, and when you look back, would you attack it differently? Like, would you if you could talk to yourself back when you started and be like, look, lad, like this is actually the better way to approach it. Like, what would your advice be to yourself?
SPEAKER_01I'd say get lessons sooner. Um, don't learn the golf swing online. Like, you can pick up mental tips, t um equipment, you can pick up simulator information, stats. I'm a big stat person. You can pick all these things up, but if you're learning to swing the golf club the first time, go and get a lesson from your local pro who can get hands-on, you can and no no hate to skillist and and anything online. I just think somebody being able to tweak you and you can put a reference and a feel to it, that that was massive to me. Um, and again, you've ref referenced Rick Shields before. He used to coach and he asked uh somebody who came to his lessons once, why are you progressing so quickly? And he I remember this stuck at me and I think it's helped me as well a little bit. He said, When I leave the lesson, if what you've told me to work on doesn't feel uncomfortable, I'm probably not doing it right. So I go to the extreme of being uncomfortable, and this took me from a big slice to a huge hook a couple of times. But my coach genuinely went away going, I know Lee is gonna work on what we said, and sometimes it was as simple as the grip, and I'd spend 15 minutes, it's so sad. At home, I would grip the club to a point it was uncomfortable, let go, grip the club to it was uncomfortable, let go, and I did that 15 minutes a day for two weeks, and my grip is pretty solid and consistent. So little things like that, I'd say just start lessons earlier. That that was a big one. Yeah, have fun on a chip and green. I I we didn't chip and pop with my mates. I've always found that later on, big strength of mine now. I could spend hours on chip and green. They're probably the two things I'd say get on a chip and green and get a lesson.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, funny. I I also went through the first couple of years of when I played without getting a lesson as well, and partly stemmed because of Bubba Watson being the kind of reason I got into the game, him winning that first masters, hooking it out of the trees, and he obviously very famously peddled the fact that he didn't have any lessons and promoted not getting lessons basically. And so I went for two years and I played a lot of golf in the first two years, and you know, hitting a lot of balls and you know, getting better to a certain extent. But what it was, someone I was obsessed with trying to hit it far, and someone went to me, they were like, You do know if you get lessons, you'll probably hit it much further. And I was like, Oh, really? Oh yeah, absolutely. Um yeah, it's amazing how much better you get. Even now, like you'll know like how how often you're getting lessons today.
SPEAKER_01Um, ever through the winter every week, through the summer, so from April to October, it's once a month. Just that's more play the game, play the swing you've got. I think Fat Pre said that once it was awesome. And then through the winter, it's once a week, if not every other week. Yeah, it's it's yeah, it's a passion, it's very much a passion.
SPEAKER_00No, that's that's good commitment. I'm trying to commit to a slightly better schedule now. I think I'm trying to have one every three weeks or so.
SPEAKER_01Um can I ask where you got to with driver? How far have you got it?
SPEAKER_00How far can I hit a driver?
SPEAKER_01Well, you you've gone to lessons, you're athletically built. So come on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, uh not not a crazy. I again like I was obsessed with distance, and when I really settled into the club I play at now, I had to kind of accept that I am just a tier two distance guy. Like my business partner, Josh, is like a firm tier one, and he he exists a full club ahead of me across the bag, and his driver just goes, you know, it's just he's always ahead, and so I had to kind of accept that. And so I'm like a I'm like a 110. If I'm absolutely trying to rip it, I can get it to like 115, but I just wouldn't play that swing on the golf course.
SPEAKER_01115 club ed though. That club, even at any point, that's it's called going, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I look it's for for the standard I I'm at and the courses I play on perfectly far. It's all about trying to hit it straight for me rather than hitting it far. Um and so yeah, like I'm a I'm like a 285 guy, whereas there are just people who fly at 300, and that is unfortunately.
SPEAKER_01It's not even normal, like it's weird, isn't it, when they do?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I mean I'm just not that flexible. I just don't, I can't really like you see. I saw a picture of uh do you watch your golf? You you big into your golf, like you have it on the TV on the weekend.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, no, uh to my wife's detriment.
SPEAKER_00Bless her heart. Um, I saw a picture of Scotty Sheffler, and at the top of his backswing, he's basically got both his arms just like pointing directly to the sky, yet yet he's just kind of coiled and over the ball. And I just look at it and I was like, I can't get in that position. And if I could swing a third further back, then you probably hit it a third further forward.
SPEAKER_01But you'd like that let's go with that. Let's go with that. Yeah, something like that.
SPEAKER_00Um all right, so and and what's the what's the goal at this point? Like, I that is that's a really solid improvement programme you've put yourself there. Like where I've always wanted to be an old money category one player, and I think if I could exist somewhere between scratch and five, I think I'd live a pretty happy amateur golf life. Like, what's what's your target?
SPEAKER_01Okay, so we had some time together, so you will understand that I like to reach beyond my grasp sometimes. Um so my goal is to be good enough to enter open qualification and not finish last. So I know to say not finish last makes it somewhat negative, to but to be able to enter open qualifications, you've achieved something in golf. And uh my goal, I don't know if I'll ever get there. I'd love to say I will, and that'll be the driving force. But yeah, that that that's my goal, and everybody tells me I'm crazy, but I I'm used to that.
SPEAKER_00So look, aim big, and if you miss, you're gonna be closer to a bigger goal. Like I 100% subscribe to that. What is there a like a cutoff line that you need to get across to to be able to do that?
SPEAKER_01I think realistically so I think formally it's one, but because of the new handicap system, a lot of people are lower than they used to be. So it'd probably look at plus one to to really give it a go and be able to turn up. The other thing is being able to compete competitive, like play competitively and be able to compete. That's something I there's a lot of work that needs to be done, as much as technical is being being present in the the day on the course and know how to get the the the ball around the course with a card in your hand, that'll be the big thing I need to pick up, really.
SPEAKER_00100%. And are you playing like a full kind of club summer season at the moment?
SPEAKER_01No, so I'm a five-day member. Um so I have a pretty time-consuming job. I've got two little girls, a wife, so I push my luck as often as I possibly can to get YouTube in and content. I I definitely, like I say, push the boundaries. I get up, go out at five, I get home, go out at seven in the summer. So I do crazy things like that. Um the weekends. So Sunday, because I'm committed to do two YouTube channel uh videos a month. I'm out Sunday, I think we're out at 6am, gonna film nine hours in the morning and then an 88 0 match in the afternoon for two videos as well. So I'm pressed for time, so I'm gonna use social media to be my competitive platform for now.
SPEAKER_00Nice. Well, I yeah, I I respect that commitment big time. The clocks are changing in what? Just under two weeks. So that must be a big that must be a big one for you. It's yeah, yeah, literally, it's on the walls, you know, like when you have a manifestation wall, like I'm just looking at that. Love it. Um, all right, you touched on it there. Let's segue in. Um, social media. It's obviously becoming an increasingly big part of who you are and what you do. You started golf around COVID. When did the the social media side of it kind of come to the forefront?
SPEAKER_01So, if I was to be completely honest, three years ago I dipped my toe into YouTube. I just saw YouTube golf and thought that looks fun, I'll have some of that. Was very quickly humbled. Um, so I had a friend I did it with and just trying to learn to edit, film, I I wasn't in the position to. So we only did that for two months and then came away. And I think I was looking to improve my competitive golf. And I was in competition. I was really new. People, I think we briefly spoke actually. I really struggled to be confident outside of work in the elements in work, but on a golf course I struggled with people with the slightest word when you're in a swing, somebody walking across a line when you put them, but realistically, it's because you've not played well. A couple of friends called me out on it. I was like, Yeah, they're right, okay. So I thought, what's worse than those things? I was like, well, let's let's video it, put it online. That way, whether there's one or ten people who watch, you're accountable for a schedule, you're accountable for practice, and you don't want to embarrass yourself online. So yeah, at last year, 14th of Jan, I think it was, we really started the the the page.
SPEAKER_00Nice, love it. And and so you mentioned your two videos a month on on YouTube. Uh what's you've also got the short form stuff as well. Like what's your what's your social program looking like in its entirety at the moment?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so as in what what I put out a week.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like what yeah, what you're aiming to put out a week, and yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so um I'm again quite ambitious. So I've committed to a video every day on short form. So tend to have the Monday, a little bit of a tip video. So I can't teach technical. I'm not good enough, I'm not around the game long enough, but little things that I've done to be to get to where I am. So over the top, I like to focus on diet, uh, alignment sticks, grip trainer, all the very, very basic things is that tends to be Mondays, a little bit of educational. The ideal through summer will be Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. We'll just be some on course fun challenges, have some, have a bit of a laugh. Wednesday's a bit of an insight to partners that we work with, opportunities, and then Friday's a fun post. Just a little bit of what's happened in the week, maybe a putting challenge, uh just a little bit crazy. And then on YouTube we have a podcast once a week at the moment, so we've just hit 10. Thank you to yourself. So yeah, that was a big achievement. Looking to stick to one a week if I can for the year, excluding Christmas, maybe. And then two YouTube videos. One is a North Wales. I don't know. Have you played much golf in North Wales?
SPEAKER_00I haven't, and do you know what? I was speaking to uh Ginger Golf on our last episode, and he's got a map of all the golf courses he played, and there were some real blank spots. And Welsh golf, certainly inland, doesn't seem to be really that prominent. I uh I'm just not an expert at all, but um yeah, maybe you can give some insight on some Welsh golf.
SPEAKER_01Relative to the to the coach, they've got some absolute crackers. Um, you've got like Conway, uh Bull Bay, Hollyhead, is it Ross David's? Is that Wales?
SPEAKER_00That's the one I've seen, which looks really good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Nevin, like there's some at Belters, even Liso, which is probably only£35 around. Great golf course.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna say there must be some good deals out there. I reckon there's some underrated golf courses that you can get on at a really good price over in Wales.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because just because there's nobody, there's not enough population in that area, so you're driving two hours to get there. So they they've priced it fantastic. So if you're prepared to drive, stay over, some great courses. So a friend and I uh doing a match play series just across the north coast. That should be nice and fun. And then, yeah, it's just a bit of a challenge. Uh released one against the pro last week. We've got a match coming up with Scratch Sam on Instagram. We're gonna be doing that on YouTube, that'll be fun. Yeah, just keep keep them challenges coming.
SPEAKER_00Nice, love it. Uh so you mentioned the podcast, uh, 10 episodes in. Other than myself, obviously. Who who's your favourite guest being? Like who's been the most interesting conversation? Interesting.
SPEAKER_01So I I don't think anybody has an individual. There's been people I've been more nervous for, but what I've taken, I think I've taken something from every conversation. Something actually I said I probably should share because the likes of Kev at the Mersey Masters, the first one we did, Kev is just a local lad. He's got a one-day a year tournament. I think he's actually doing it over two days, sorry, this year, but he's just a lovely lad who's also looking to build confidence. And then you to hear a story of how the financial pressures of trying to set up a competition, the the strain him and his wife put themselves under, I didn't obviously you're aware an event isn't a two-second thing, but like just the message he he got, I got something from that. The postman's power when you get me and him together, there's always a story to be told. Wakey, the way he looks at a golf course. I think we spoke about it a little bit because caddian and the way if it's not in you to be a positive course management player, then that's pretty educational. I've really enjoyed the story. Then we get into Sonny Local Pro. The challenges have been honestly, everybody has offered something to my game. It's been awesome.
SPEAKER_00You you also did uh you sat down with Tommy Fleetwood's coach, didn't you? Which I thought was a particularly interesting conversation.
SPEAKER_01Wow, what a guy. Yeah, he's uh he's a special human norm as well. Uh what he does for the kids is fantastic. Me and him have stayed in touch a little bit, which has been really nice. I didn't expect that, which is awesome. So, yeah, every conversation, I think you can you can take something from everybody if you're willing to listen. Uh from our conversation, honestly, the the education and the knowledge you have of golf courses, locations, the exper how to make an experience of just a trip. Like uh it's got me fascinating. I think, yeah, I couldn't say I have a favourite.
SPEAKER_00Nice. Well, I said I've listened to to I think over half of the 10 so far, loved every single one of them. Really looking forward to who comes on the next 10, and hopefully the next 10 and 10 and 10 and 10 after that. So um, yeah, really, really enjoyed it. So I want to take us in a direction. So you said you kind of you started a year and a bit ago, January 4th, you alluded to. I know because you've told me, but there must have been a couple of cool moments that have happened along the way. So what kind of pinch yourself moments come to mind that have kind of been born through this social media journey you've been on?
SPEAKER_01Honestly, I um there's This is something that gets me nearly every day, genuinely. Just the fact that people genuinely have clicked follow and that every day I say to Sarah, whenever you wake up and you see some of these first of all, he's just like honestly, every second I'm so appreciative, and genuinely anybody doing it, I really am. It's been awesome. But working with Oscar, I think so. Oscar and True Fit golf have been so good to me from the first second I fell in love with the brand. As soon as I picked up golf, it's excluding I'm wearing a hoodie, but the pretty traditionalist, lot of colours, nothing too much in your face. And an opportunity came up to me with a different brand, and I actually contacted Oscar to say would they consider working with at the time I felt like a creator. Um and I remember just I was like, who do you think you are? And but I never really wanted money, I just wanted to wear things I liked, and I want people to understand that. And when they said yes, that was like a breathtaking moment. And like Skins Golf, the the golf glove brand that I work with, they were the first people to genuinely commit to me. I remember ringing uh Sarah, my wife, and Sophie's the girl who helps, she's like manager. I remember both and go, why? Why do they want to work with me? And I get that quite often, I still feel like that so much. Uh and then you can literally go through it, you know, doing the first fit photo shoot with Coi. Now I don't work with Koy, we're not partnered. Tom's just a fantastic lad. I I have a shoe cleaning business on the side, and we were chatting from early doors with that because I used to wear it. Did you ever wear when you play football? Do you ever wear the grippy football socks?
SPEAKER_00I didn't, no.
SPEAKER_01No, it was like a 1% again. And then I bumped into himself taking up golf, and I'm like, I loved it. And then he invited me just to be part of this day, so I was like, wow, yes, I can't say no. I just honestly, I feel like the luckiest human every day, and then jump jump really forward, passing by very quickly. Someone like Tacomo with all so flex, like getting past these, and then going this year is gonna be probably the most breathtaking scenario that I got to tell you at my end of the day, but I guess we can share now. I'm gonna be emptying all the events at Blitz. I'm not sure they'll get the crowds they got in Australia because it's eight years old there, but they had 10,000 people before events there. Like that's incredible.
SPEAKER_00I'm probably shaking a little bit now, but it's so let's touch on that. Um, what is Blitz? Give give the listeners a bit of background. Like, what can they expect from these events that are coming to the UK?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so so Blitz, I I found Blitz on YouTube um really just a quirky, fun, exciting, quick tournament, easy to consume. So it's 10 holes of golf. And what are you gonna get? You get 24 players, 12 professionals, and then 12 celebrities. So it's a way of getting to see celebrities, see how they stack up against an actual professional golf fair. And it's yeah, pretty interesting. So you'll play all 24 players, uplay the first six holes, and then after six holes, it'll be cut to twelve players. Now, if you're on the cut line, this is where I find like again, somebody who loves chipping now, you have to play nearest the pin to make it through the cut.
SPEAKER_00So all 24 go together on those are those on the cut line. So say sorry, for the first six holes, all 24 play the hole together and then they cut them off, and then there's the cut line.
SPEAKER_01No, no, they'll they'll be played as uh shotgun uh over the six holes. So they do want to keep the format nice and quick. So over the six holes, though they'll uh be split up through the six holes, and um yeah, and then so they play shotgun, and then yeah, whoever's on that cut line does it nearest the pin. So like I found that fascinating. But then after that, the scores reset. So if you were two or three under, that's back to the level, everybody's back to level just to keep people aggressive, you're not protecting anything, found that fantastic. So then after those three holes, you then go back to a uh nearest the pin to see who makes the cut. If you're on the cut line, if you've got six players, it's fine, either the four players, that's fine, and then you go into the last hole. So, yeah, last hole, four players, and yeah, you get to see a win. So it's a three-hour tournament. It's gonna be exciting. By the signs got uh uh activations on around the stadium hole. I'll be around there interacting with anybody. I've got a little bit of free reign to be able to give some stuff on. Uh we'll be doing some uh some challenges where you grab the fans out, they get to try and make a putt for a bit of a prize. So it should be super interactive, really fun, I'm really excited. Nice. So, how many events have they got this summer? Got four. So January 14th, they're up in Leeds. Mm-hmm. Uh January sorry, June, June 14th. Uh June. Are the courses confirmed or are they still finalising those? Well, we've got Leeds Golf Centre on the Oh no way.
SPEAKER_00I used to play there at university.
SPEAKER_01Oh, really?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that was my university home time track. I love that, that's class.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, so we'll have to get you up there then. So I am looking to see if we can do a bit of a video before it, do like a four-man blitz. So we'll we'll lose one player each time instead. Um then we can go down to the 21st, we'll head down to Gorn de Luce, I think it's called. It's just South Birmingham, near Bromsgrove. Cracking course. Uh we've got the 28th is in Lincoln at Lincoln Golf Club, and then the 26th, 26th, they're gonna kill me now. I don't know that it's in London. It's uh 6th on 9 pm. It's I think it's bears bears all just just north of London. It got golf club of the year last year.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, gosh, that's terrible, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Uh no, look, you're you're you're you're MCing, you're not you're not putting the whole thing together. Yeah, but I think you've given us a good bit of background. Like it's it's something that's starting to hit my feed at the moment. Um, they've got a decent little following on on social. And so um yeah, it'll be interesting to see kind of what momentum it it builds in the next couple of couple of weeks and months. You obviously had the CEO, was it, on your podcast that launched this week?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, so it came out tonight. Um, so to be fair, it's had a really good reception so far. A couple of people they've they've obviously seen I've shared it, and I'd like to know that I was sharing this before the opportunity. So the opportunity got agreed last Thursday. So um this this was purely something I'm genuinely interested in, which again, like clothes, like clubs, anything, I really do try to just stick to things I actually like. And yeah, it's yeah.
SPEAKER_00Are you are you thinking like, are there gonna be some gags? Are you gonna keep it quite clean, keep it moving? Like, have you have you considered what your MC style's gonna be yet, or is that TV C right?
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. So I've got free reign to get up and close to every player. So I I mean there's gonna be professionals that do not enjoy the environment, as in they're gonna be going for a win and putting, and I'm gonna be over there going, This is to win, how do you feel? Are you confident playing? Because there's gonna be fans in in the there's gonna be fans at the event that don't understand golf, you know, the partner's gonna drag them there. They they need to understand what's happening. This is a new format, yeah. It's it's about being fully involved in and immersed in the experience. You will be walking behind the fairway with the players every hole. This is there's no there's no ropes up. Yeah, it's it's really gonna be a fantastic uh experience, I think.
SPEAKER_00I'm really looking forward to it. Love it. Well, like I said, everyone should keep an eye out for it. Blitz I said it's pretty much gonna come to every corner of the country this summer, and I think I I think it brands itself as like the T20 of golf. So it'll be really interesting to see how its first summer goes. And you say, is it an Australian Australian brand originally? They've had good success down there. Is that where it started?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, so eight years old now. So um they're yet in the eighth year, and it's yeah, it's been pretty good. It's had a nice consistent growth, done really well over there. So we're in the UK this year, and then hoping to branch into the US next year.
SPEAKER_00The US. That's a big beast. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna be really fun.
SPEAKER_00Very interesting. Well, watch this space. So just to close out on Brand Hills, can I say I'll I love how you talk about Oscar like he's your firstborn son. Um they they do do great kit. Now, I think what what would be interesting for the listeners is to lift the lid. So I think in the creator space, certainly from the outside looking in that I am at the moment, once you break through 10,000, you become a golf creator and you you start seeing getting brand deals, etc. etc. What is the what is the kind of step that you've experienced? Like, how did the first Oscar connection happen? How did it then grow from there? I think it should be interesting. Like, are they reaching out to you? Are you reaching out to them in the first instance? Is like for for the kind of small up-and-coming golf creators, how are you getting brand deals?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm very lucky to work with Sophie. So originally, I guess this all started about I think it was about 6k followers. People start sending things, and in exchange, you're doing some videos and stuff. And I met this this girl at uh at work who's been awesome for me. And she was like, Oh, what and like money is not priority me. She was like, What are you charging for doing it? I was like, What do you mean? People are giving me things for free, why would I charge anything? And she said, Well, once you gain a certain following, you you're seen as somebody with influence. Um I was like, Well, no, if I didn't like stuff, I don't share it. It's as as simple as that, like, yeah, which I and I think I still pretty much operate mainly on product and exchange. Um and yeah, so we we were chatting about it and the way the opportunity's coming up, and then I think Sophie negotiated skins, but they did reach out in emails, so I don't know, it must have been about six, seven K. Uh, they did reached out. Tried to go for a month first before we agree to anything, give that a go. The next brand, I probably was around 10k when things started to change. So again, Tacomo, Tacomo have an option to apply to be an ambassador. So if you check out their website, you can do it that way. But I think so, Oscar, going to Oscar, sorry. Uh Oscar, I someone had sent an email, a different brand had emailed and contacted me at 7.5,000 followers. And I think it was almost to the day that the seven and a half turned over, and it was very much the conversation of well, I don't want to work with people just for money, I'd love to be a very small cog in the story that maybe one day they say, Well, Lee's being loyal, we'll reward him in the future, sort of thing. Uh, in conversation with a small brand now for the exact same thing. Um, I'd say I don't want a commission code, and that's where the true fit thing comes in. So if anybody wants Oscar through me, go to TrueFit Golf and and I'd love the the man the shop to see the benefit, not me. I'm I'm lucky enough to get a product. Like this is better. If you if golf can be free, like that, what else can you ask for?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I meant to that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, as the luckiest man in the world, and I think it's always been that there's been a little bit of reach out, so AutoFlex. That was a bit of a uh another creator suggested they work with people, and if you the right feel to a brand, do you know very ineffective?
SPEAKER_00John, just give a um John, just give a bit of background on what AutoFlex is.
SPEAKER_01Auto Flex are this sensationally bizarre driver shaft that makes your ball go further and straighter. And that sounds like the craziest sell in the world, but that is the truth. It comes at a cost, it's£700 for a golf shaft. Now, it has what they call hidden Korean technology. There's two shafts, I think is it X is there a driver shaft called X Flex or X4 or something like that? There are two Korean no no separate company. There's two Korean companies that do this hidden Korean technology and excluding the price, if everybody could get one for Velicore price of$350, which is still pretty expensive, I promise you'd be in it. I have not seen somebody not gain three to five more like three's being the minimum ball speed I've seen added.
SPEAKER_00Now educate me a little bit here. My understanding of it is it's they're quite whippy to kind of feel normally, but then they almost like stiffen themselves as you swing. Is that is that right?
SPEAKER_01It's the most bizarre feeling you'll ever have. I tell you, honestly, you you get to the top, it's like swinging an or not even regular, you know, the A flex, like for CDs. Yeah, yeah. So if you get to the top and you're like, oh, what's that? The face feels open, feel like you're gonna lose it. Get three swings in, you you forget. It rewards a smoother tempo. So at the top, the load you put on the shaft, it then finds itself to time back up uh at uh impact. It's it's bizarre. I uh it's magic, it's just magic. That's all I can say.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I I uh I I've caddied for someone with one, and so I you know was having a look and a play with it, but I've never hit one myself, so I uh you're you're you're you're selling me the dream here.
SPEAKER_01I I promise. So um if you look Berg a golf, lovely lad um went down to meet him because of an opportunity in Watford and he's used it and is seeking one, actively seeking one. He's just like, this is a weapon. It's I need it, yeah. Yeah, it on it it it gives you that. I my fair ways of uh I almost doubled because I was only like one in three, honestly, to a point where it's like two and three now. Keeping up with a professional the other day on the golf course, like lying.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you're really selling me the dreamer because I do not drive the golf ball straight at all. Might have to come up and have a go go with the old one or something. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I'll just send it down. I promise it's worth it. Like uh the the benefits uh again, um so could AutoFlex come with the code and I don't like again, I I don't really want it. Like, so there's not a there's a brand Scott Stale that that sell them. I just guide customers that way and say, can you give them the discounts I'd get, but without me getting them any money or anything? Uh because I just think people need to give them a go. It's so good. I yeah, such a sales pitch for it.
SPEAKER_00Interesting. I have spent a phenomenal amount of money on my shafts in my driver and my forward.
SPEAKER_01So go on, what what have you what shaft you go to?
SPEAKER_00I have the so the Project X has hazardous stuff, certainly back in the day when I got it done. They have two two variations. They've got a Chinese spun machine spun shaft, and then they have a small batch American hand spun shaft, which is done in San Diego, and so I've got the hazardous Hulk, it's like this. Yeah, yeah, I remember it's not electric green, but like a yeah, it's a metallic green, and I've got that 6.5 TX, I think. Um, which when I got fitted, I was using a relatively off-the-shelf standard stiff, and I remember hitting it, and I was just like, I was actually only there to get fitted with irons, and I was like, Oh, I might as well get fitted for the bag, just so then in the future I know, and the minute I hit it, I was like, Whoa, this is a big step in a better direction, and so then I've got a very similar one, but it's like a metallic blue instead in my in a forward that I've got, so they're the best part of 350 quid each, and so once you put a 500-pound driver head on top of it, you're well en route to spending 1500 quid on two clubs, which yeah, I'm just not doing that often. And I remember actually when I left the fitting guy, so I go to a guy actually owned by Club Champion now, down in down in Basingstokes, Jason, Jason McNivin, he's an old tour truck guy, and he's just like rain man, sits on the computer, looks at the numbers, and he's got like a library of shafts, and he's handing them to you, handing them to you, and you're getting closer and your numbers are getting tighter and tighter and tighter. And it is unbelievable. And when I left, I was just like, Jason, I was just like, probably not gonna see you for 10 years, mate. He was just like, come back in five, and it's been about six, and I haven't gone back yet because I've been avoiding it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Have you tried graphite ironshaft yet? I haven't. Um, right. If you want to ruin your own day, find somebody that fits for the Fujicora Velicore Ironshafts. Have you got graphite shafts? I did. Uh I did, yes. Uh so you did.
SPEAKER_00You're not selling me if you if you've got steel shafts in your irons, you're gonna struggle to tell me to go into graphite iron shafts.
SPEAKER_01Uh they weren't an option for when I went to Tacoma that's all. Um, I see to strip them and rebuild. I I'd I'd got a bit stronger because I've been training and to replace them would not have been fun. No. But when you hit them, oh my gosh, so good.
SPEAKER_00So my dad's wife is is a keen golfer and she has got Yonix irons with graphite all the way through, and they cost her a fortune. Um I so like a lot of two irons now, we're gonna segue here, but but I like it, I had it on my list. I want to start you anyway. Um, I've got a two iron, and most two irons, driving irons, are are graphite now. But I have a steel shaft in it, and I I subscribe to the thinking that steel stays more on the planet than graphite.
SPEAKER_01I I'd only say has it been fit to yet. So the if you went and just buy graphite off the shelf, possibly so. Um but the way they can build talking about uh an upgrade on your project X shafts, uh fo Fuji Cora and Developore technology, uh I can't think of the name of what's in Mitsubishi's, but the these this technology they put in it, they can put in different places. Sorry, they can put in different places to reward certain release patterns, to if if you yank on a handle. I I'm not as intelligent on the tech side as much as I should be, because I've invested some time into it, but they can invest in it to be stiffer in certain areas to make your game better. So the the talk at the end of the club, they can increase it, decrease it, there whereas a piece of metal, it's a piece of metal. Yeah, it's a there's a weight, there's a stiffness. This can be built for you, essentially. I I wouldn't write it off. I'd just say if you went for fitting.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no. I'm yeah, relatively open-minded. But no, that that makes sense. So the so essentially you're saying there is more tailorability tailored. Yeah, yeah, tailor it to the to the golf swing um of the person rather than still, which yeah, I can I could subscribe to that. So Tacomo, they obviously have basically launched themselves on the back of golf content creators like that. Yeah, and and I I really rate the strategy, it's um clearly working. They are up and coming, they are new, they maybe haven't got as much kind of brand equity with the general public. As a user, as a as an ambassador, tell us about the product, like how are you enjoying it and and what the quality is like.
SPEAKER_01Genuinely, if you like a soft feeling iron, give them a go. They are half the price if you're buying brand new. If you have a brand that you love, I'm never gonna say don't go to them, but after starting with MP64s, I always loved a soft iron. Uh, the my first fitting put me into Telling Me P790s. I did not like forgiveness. I've always liked a small, painful piece of metal at the bottom of my golf club that reminds me of when I'm not very good. And Takomo do that with a beautiful feeling off the you you hit the one good one, you know, just like almost any other blade. I think it was it was a creator that said this, but Luke Kwan is a very capable golfer, and he said, if you're he's not speaking on the terms of the 101s or the 20 at the time, uh the current 201Ts, he was speaking of the 301s, the blades or the 201 at the time. He said, that is a piece of metal. All you're paying for at the bottom of your club is the piece of metal. As long as that loft is good, it's relatively soft. That can go up against any other piece of metal. So you're talking the MBs, the CBs of Taylor Maid, you're talking the Apex of uh series of Callaway, you're not looking for the technology and investment. So if you're on that end of the scale, it seems crazy to pay twice as much. I think that's a massive factor for me. The the wedges, if you like full face grooves, if you don't, they're not gonna be for you. You've got to like what you look at. But I have had professionals that I play with use them, and Jesus, they spin a golf ball. So I I'm the I'm cutting through my Callaway Chrome toys at the minute, and I'm not happy about it. But that ball spins, and honestly, they're they're fantastic for that. So the the big thing for me is that if you're somebody who's using something that's Simplistic piece of metal, you like a blade, traditional loft. You can still bend them stronger, but you're not looking for ultimate forgiveness, they're epic. Now, I've got a set of the 201Ts in the garage at the moment that I need to to to do a a bit of a fitting on. I'm not the best person to give you an opinion on what's the best technology, but I'm gonna use a pro with me. What they've done aesthetically is absolutely stunning, but relative to consistency of ball striking, you're not gonna find that from me. So we're gonna get a professional to to do it and it will be an honest opinion. So come on sent them out because I'd done something for them and said fine for any any opinion, just as long as it's honest. I'm really looking forward to that. Aesthetically, they did something really cool with them though. They've shaped the top line so you don't lose forgiveness, but aesthetically you don't see it. So the top line 201 looks smaller than my 301. So it's interesting.
SPEAKER_00And I I like a I I like a thin top line. I I used to play an MB and I've had a bit of a knee jerk reaction and went to a 790. And oh wow, that's it. Yeah, it's a big knee jerk re knee jerk reaction, and I need to settle somewhere back in the middle, is is my is is my thinking. So you've you've alluded to different elements already, but just give a give us a whistle stop tour, what's in the bag? Start to finish.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so we've got the Callaway uh Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max at the moment, head with the Auto Flex, I think it's the 505 X shaft, so it's an extra stiff shaft. We've got uh currently, currently the the the woods may change, but I've got a stealth two plus three wood. I love it, it's a low spin, brutal thing for me, so I struggle in the wind, cuts through everything. It's the only ball I can uh the only club I can draw as well. It's got this crazy uh Fujicora Ventus Velicor TR red in it, it's a 6X, stout as anything, came off a tour truck. Awesome club. Got the stealth two seven wood with a Velicore 6S in it, so nice, love, lovely club. If anyone hasn't got a seven wood and you struggle to hit a golf ball, that makes it easy. When it's windy, it's painful. Like it just gets so high in the air. Um and then through the bag, four to pitch and wedge, got the 301 C B. Got the blacked out edition, really love them. Every in got the alignment grip on as well. I just like to be able to have a reference point to go back to square grip. I think it's always good to have. I've got the Tacomo SF double twos in wedges, and currently between two putters, uh so luckily lab sent out an Oz one with a firm face, and I've got the DF3 with the softer insert or soft face. I find last love the lab, but in the winter I struggled to get it to the hole, so we've gone for a firm face for that.
SPEAKER_00What did you have pre-lab just out of interest? Like, what was the jump?
SPEAKER_01Mizuno M Craft 4, so blade style putter. Absolutely loved it. Always wanted to use a blade. I I am very daft in the way I choose equipment. None of that above is what I should be using. I so relative to fitting, the shafts have all been fitted, the heads I make work. I Cupes will hate me for this, but I spin my 7-9 like 8,000 revs. It's I overspin the golf ball, but I love it, never goes too far. I feel like it gives you that touch more control. The putter is the one thing that I think get forgiveness on because it helps get the ball in the hole. So six foot, I feel unbeatable.
SPEAKER_00So then with that setup, grade me your game. Chipping Irons driver. Okay, can I get the floor? Where do they land? Yeah, please do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I played uh with a plus two golfer the other day, and he said, I've never seen anyone drive the ball like Rory. Use the Ryan pla uh the Ryan plays like Stevie Wonder, the the w the wedge game of Mickelson, and putting was prime GT. So if that helped.
SPEAKER_00So three of them at one and then a distant fourth.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, very much so. I'm one of those guys, because I'm new to golf, I don't know if I don't know if you find this, because when when you have a feel for Irons and you're getting down and you're hitting them well, I'm doing the same with driver, I'm slicing the hell out of it. So I'm really I don't have two feels and and I'm working on that. It's it's a challenge.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's a different I I certainly grade it as a different golf swing. Would certainly driver to Irons, like I'm not thinking the same things over the world, which I'm not sure. I'm not even gonna claim you should or shouldn't, but I that's just that's how it works in my brain.
SPEAKER_01Um are you up up on driver? Do you feel like you're really up sweeping up?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm actually I get two up, and so I almost need to feel like I'm hitting it forward rather than up because it it's it's up anyway. Um but but yeah, nice, cool.
SPEAKER_01What about your your part of your game?
SPEAKER_00Parts of my game, I would say it is putting one, putting one, irons two, chipping three, driver four.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow, okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that would be I I I if I if I can get it in play off the tee consistently on a round of golf, I think I'm gonna score well. I just have I just have like two wild in me that appears its head a couple of times around. And so if you could stick me, I tell I'll tell you where is it good, Leeds Golf Centre where the blitz is going in when it's up in Leeds. That is a relatively new golf course, and so a lot of their trees haven't matured and stuff like that, and so you literally could stand on those tees and just hit it anywhere, and it was quite long. I think their back tees were like over 7,000 yards, but that wasn't too much of a problem, and so I could spray it around there, and so I used to shoot some decent scores, but I'm trying to think of somewhere really tight that I've played, and just there's a course out of South Africa called George Golf Club, Parkland Golf Course, old school, short and tight as you like, and I played it twice. And the first time I played it, I think I had 19 Stapleford points. Oh wow, which was comfortably my worst round of 2025.
SPEAKER_01I would have thought with the iron play that that would shoot you just plot your way around and or were you trying to use driver?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I it was it was right at the end of the holiday, and to be honest, I'd sort of had enough playing golf at the same time. So I think it was just like us, just we're going lashing it round and I love it, yeah, and it all kind of fell apart. But yeah, yeah, but yes, but well, I said we're on a lesson programme, and maybe hopefully that will all change.
SPEAKER_01But can I ask that we book around in before you start this program, please?
SPEAKER_00Well, I tell you, I've got I've got a I've got my second lesson on Thursday. Really enjoyed the first lesson, and I felt there was some there's some signs of good things that came out in Scotland last week. So you gotta be quick, that's all I'm gonna say. Okay. I think I think we'll have quite a good game by the sounds of it. So um yeah, I don't know what stipulations you put, you know. It's gonna be on your channel. I can just imagine you're gonna have all these rules, all these banana skins to make yourself look good. And let me tell you, before you even jump in it, I'm just not gonna have it. I'm just not gonna have it. I want a level playing field, me and you, and we're gonna see Manu O Manu, who the competitive is.
SPEAKER_01My ball, my rules, okay?
SPEAKER_00All right, let's let's keep it moving. I want to get into some golf travel if that's alright. Fantastic, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Really?
SPEAKER_00We discussed a little bit when we when we chatted on Saturday. Take us to a destination that you like.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, okay, so the B2, and I'm gonna give you a UK one and one abroad if that's okay, because I feel like you can get me the abroad one in a better experience. So if you uh want to play two beautiful rounds of golf and have a real unique stay, form me golf club. You've got the men's and the women's course, two of my favourite golf courses, absolutely adore them, and they have cozy little rooms on top of the clubhouse. So, yeah, I I would recommend that to anybody that is looking to play golf and have some fun. The the men's is a brutal, long Heathland link style golf course, and then the women's is this fantastic, fun little you might use Driver twice, perfect day for you, could be the round. Yeah, but absolutely adore it. But if I was going abroad though, Kinsa De Lago, what a setup.
SPEAKER_00I love it.
SPEAKER_01I need to play Laran Gell. You've played Raven yet?
SPEAKER_00Uh I've actually not, no, but uh I yeah, no. So I've I've sent a million people to uh QDL and my business partner Josh has gone every year for the last six years. So whenever we get an inquiry, I very much kind of shift it onto him. I'm like, you you give them you give them the good stuff, but I've only heard good things. Let's touch on Formby first. Um obviously Formbi sits within the Southport region, and yes, you got the pair of golf courses there, you've also got just unbelievable tracks around it as well. I was at Hillside last Sunday. I mean, what a golf course that is. Um, I think the ladies' course gets overlooked quite a lot. And um, I don't know if you follow Cookie Jar Golf, but I really like the stuff that they put out on socials, and they absolutely love the ladies' course. And if you've never played it or never seen it, I'd encourage people to go and look on their Instagram because they do some great photography of it. But I think there's a real charm to a course that isn't this big, long, modern thing, and just neat holes, fun experience. Like if you're with your mates and you're just looking to have a good time, I just thought it'd be a really good round of golf. And then I said, Form B then gives you that that pedigree is as the backup, the backup course, but it is just a magical place to play golf, and you, sir, are very lucky that you uh within a stone's throw from it.
SPEAKER_01Although the blasphemy that I've not played the other ones on the co on the coast, uh I I genuinely don't think you'd need to be anywhere other than the ladies. That it's a great test of golf, you're gonna really work on your eye and play while you're there. The bruff is punishing, the greens are rapid, and I'm talking this time of year. And if you go between November and March, it's£80. Like the I I can't even begin to imagine the package that you'd be able to put together for people for the experience of where to stay, the things you can have people do in Liverpool, the everything in and around it. Stunning, honestly.
SPEAKER_00And I I think to that point of the the green free being so low over the winter, the conditioning of these golf courses because of the soil they're on during those months is excess. I I cannot even begin to describe how good Hillside was.
SPEAKER_01I was about to say, can we just talk about that for a second? Like you the the weather you played in and the fact it was playable for as long as it was.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Wow. I mean, it it rained virtually the whole time, and at no point was it was it a problem. So far underfoot, fairways are like carpets, greens rolling. To be honest, at that time of year at a really nice pace, they're true, but they're not like frighteningly fast because I haven't played a huge amount of golf up there in the middle of the summer, but I can only imagine when it's firm and fast that uh it can be a bit of a baptism of fire, but a lot of good stuff. And give us give us a Liverpool City nugget. What's a restaurant they should go to, a bar they should go out to? Uh we're, you know, you're a you're a scout star. Give us give us a nugget.
SPEAKER_01If you come to Liverpool and you're going for a drink a night out and you don't go to Matthew Street, experience the likes of Flanagans, you're mental. Honestly, it's it's rough, it's sticky floors, but it's Liverpool at the core, you'll meet great people. Uh, probably the most I'm gonna I know it sounds biased, but some of the most welcoming people that you'll meet, I promise. It yeah, you're not gonna have a bad time. You could go there alone and you'll have one of the best nights of your life. I promise, yeah. Get to Matthew Street if you come to Liverpool. Oh, I I will 100% take you out. Don't need to drink. You will just laugh the entire time. And we've got food-wise, I I'd have to bring me my sister-in-law, she tells me off I'm I'm very easily pleased with food. But she she could toy, like take you around Liverpool, toy around some of the best restaurants that you're gonna enjoy. Again, I think it's the atmosphere, I think it's the people that yeah, they'll entertain you.
SPEAKER_00I'm uh I'm clearly uh, as people hear a southern, a southern lad, it's it's a it's a much friendlier world up your way. I know you uh came down to London a couple of weeks ago and were slightly taken back by uh the fact that no one talks to each other on the tube.
SPEAKER_01Oh, don't, don't I did get one lady to smile though, so I'll take that. I'll take what I can get.
SPEAKER_00And you worked hard for it, no doubt. Um yeah, look, and Manchester's right there as well. So you know you're not gonna find to Liverpool if you're up that way. Like there's there is a lot of options and two two great UK cities. All right, let's go to the warmer climate. Um, down to Portugal. How many times have you been you've been down there?
SPEAKER_01Only once. Um, I've only travelled to play golf outside the country three times. So once in Spain, once Portugal, and one in America. So new to golf, unfortunately. Trying to sell this to the wife. That's right, to business now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, absolutely. Oh well, you've got I'm quite excited for you, I think, that you've got all these all these things ahead of you. Um whereabouts in the business. Exactly. To the words out of my mouth.
SPEAKER_01Where where are you in America? West Coast. I played Tory Pines. Did you? Yeah, the North North, unfortunately. But it like I say unfortunately, like it's got a s a hole of six, six holes that are absolutely stunning. But yeah, Tory Pines winning, but if you get to West Coast, a bit of I'd call a bit of a hidden hidden gem, Steel Canyon. Steel Canyon, it's got a ranch course, steel course, and the canyon course with three nines. Wow, love that. I think that was probably my favourite actually as well. Really enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_00We love a hidden gem. We love a hidden gem.
SPEAKER_01Do you know when it's like between the mountains?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um it's like it's all grey, brown, and you've just got this grass in the middle. Oh, stunning. I think it was the first time as well I'd made a ball spin off the green in my life. I was over the mirror. It's a bit different golf over there, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00It is. When you get when you get those I I'm no grass expert, but whatever the other type of grass is that they stick on greens in South Africa is the same. Um, and you can just absolutely raz your golf ball and you're just ew. Yeah, it's something you feel like a real player. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Although you end up four pussing because you're off the greenest.
SPEAKER_00Whatever. You would probably love um you'd love desert golf then as well, if that visual of the kind of the fairway set amongst a kind of more rugged landscape. I think desert golf's amazing, you've got cactuses and the desert, and then just bang, fairway right in front of you. There's some great stuff.
SPEAKER_01It's the colour changes, isn't it? The I probably the sort of thing that makes Augusta so beautiful, the pine, the white sand, the grass. Oh yeah, I yeah, I love uh the aesthetic of golf as much as anything, to be fair.
SPEAKER_00I love the aesthetic of golf as well, Lee. So we could go on forever, but we're not going to back to Portugal. So you've played you played, you've you played south and north. Favourite out of the two?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think I'm gonna go. So we were discussing this. A lot of people would say south, but I think I preferred the north. Uh the north, I again I'd probably go with the word more fun. South was a really good challenge. Uh enjoyed it. You can tell, I think South's the one they use for the open, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00But uh South South's the the the the premier course there, um supposedly. But I know lots of people that have other fair I I've I've people that that like Larren Gell the best, um, as an example.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, I've been told that thanks for opening that in again, but that's okay. But no, North, I just north again, just there was a bit more of a fun aspect to it. Um I think yeah, you could just you felt like you could be more aggressive, you weren't trying to navigate the course a little bit. Yeah, so it it on a if I had a card day, I like a test of golf, but yeah, there's something about north. I really enjoyed the the test of it.
SPEAKER_00Uh the funny I d I don't think there's a bad golf course there. Did you where did you stay when you when you were there?
SPEAKER_01So we had a a villa, um just just in the hills a little bit north of the harbour. So is it the harbour of is it Albfware? Is that right? Yeah, yeah, just so we were only ten minutes away from there, but just just likely in the hills, absolutely stunning, beat uh Pool Overlock and the the dock, and we ate we ate there most nights though. Some of the the fish, the fish food, oh wow. When you're on a coast, you're just so lucky, aren't you, for food?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's um cuisine in Portugal is incredibly good. It always has been. Prices are creeping up these days, but I think generally speaking, it's still it's still a great holiday. What time of year did you go?
SPEAKER_01We went in July. So right at the end of July. But do you know? I think uh it wasn't erratic, genuinely. I think we walked off the golf. No, I think even the golf, I think they structure the pricing plan of QDL pretty well, don't they? If you're playing more than one round, I think it they're pretty, pretty solid. It wasn't erratic, do you know, for what I'd have imagined it to be. The food, the people, honestly, yeah, that I think ports I I really like Portuguese people. I think they're they're really cool, really nice, very friendly, great with the kids, which is massive for me. Yeah, and then where we were, you can definitely see there's a party scene as well. So yeah, if you're getting down there, it's not like you're tied into just a family holiday. That that that can accommodate all sorts of holidays there.
SPEAKER_00I know there's uh I think BJ's is the beach bar that has sucked souls out of many a over uh over the years. But uh any ambitions to get the girls into golf?
SPEAKER_01I know they're quite young at the moment, but the dream, the absolute dream. Yeah, so they last year we had them uh doing some lessons, and you know what? My youngest, oh my god, she beat balls. Really? She loved it. Yeah, I think we got she got out to 70 yards at one point, it's only five. Epic. Uh yeah, the there's a topic coming up, and I have two answers, and you'll understand where I'm going with it. Um yeah, to play golf with the girls is a bit of a dream to be fair. Nice.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, I think I think it might be a good a good chance to to move into it. So, parting question, as ever, on the pod. I need your fantasy four ball and the golf course you want to go and play at.
SPEAKER_01So I have just teased it. There's two answers. Um my I've got a dream of the future and a dream of the past. So I'd love if Sarah Ed and the two girls we we had a four-ball, and we're if content takes us wherever we can go, the four of us playing golf, I think that that's you can't not be a dream, can it? But um but until that day comes, because that's a real one, it's achievable.
SPEAKER_00Does the golf course change? Can I say, just uh for the two options?
SPEAKER_01No, yeah, no, so the golf course will be formed with Ladies with the Girls, it does change. Uh so I did into the the other hot so this is the the dream, this one. Uh because it's not unfortunately it's not possible. I would play, and excuse the soppiness, I would play the Augusta Par 3. We spoke about this. Yeah, I think I love it. As much as I'm terrible with my iron play, I've I back my wedges. So and I'd play with Adam, who I'm doing the North Wales series with. My best friend, he was my best man, love him to bits. I've known him since I don't know, I was nine. My dad, again, my best friend, my business partner, the the person I love playing golf with, and unfortunately, my granddad, who's not here, and I didn't get a chance to play with him, so that'd be my four-ball.
SPEAKER_00Nice, mate. Very, very wholesome. We've had lots of celebrities and golfers that uh yeah, felt like I just wouldn't want to embarrass myself with them that's all. So you so you're telling me if you if you make open qualifying standard, it might all change, and I'll you'll have a third option.
SPEAKER_01Oh listen, if if I could play with the LAGC one time, that'd be pretty cool. But I don't think around my granddad, that'd probably be the dream, to be fair.
SPEAKER_00That would be a clab that the world didn't know they needed.
SPEAKER_01Uh imagine Tommy and the team together.
SPEAKER_00Tommy and the team. Do you know what? We haven't even touched that. I feel like we have to before we go. So please please just tell just for for anyone that's listening as at this point, just tell 'em the Timu Tommy story. Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, so obviously the the the car's it. It out. I had the pleasure last year of visiting Alwoodley. And again, if you're North Yorkshire, where it's it's north of Leeds, isn't it? But it's not North Yorkshire.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just just about Leeds.
SPEAKER_01London Benyu though. Great track. Do you like it by the way?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. It's like it. I think it's the the premium Leeds golf course.
SPEAKER_01Top, top track. Um, so I'm I'm leaning into my golf bag, just get my balls at Red Scott on the first tee, and a lady comes over and she goes, Excuse me, excuse me, I'm really sorry. I was like, What do you mean you're really sorry? If the girls come over and ask, Are you Tommy? I uh I apologise, I've told them that Tommy Fleetwood's here. What do you mean? She said, Well, I've seen you here, and I just you you looked a little bit like him from a distance. I was like, right, okay. She said, I sound like him as well, obviously doesn't know. She went and asked in the pro shop, is Tommy Fleetwood here? To which the pro went, you're quite odd, he's on telly. Um and then she came over and was like, Oh, you do look a bit like him, don't you say? Yeah, a little bit rougher, aren't I? You was good, as him said, not quite in 20. Oh, like the teamu version then. And that was it then. So yeah, teamu Tommy, um Tommy Fleet Bubble race in every way.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh there's another collab. Well, I suppose it would happen part of the L A G C. I I believe one day Teamu Tommy will play with real Tommy, and that will just be such an unbelievable video, and I'll be right there, front and centre, to take it in.
SPEAKER_01Have you seen his playing left-handed now? That if I can play him left-handed, you got a chance. Um I'm not sure I'd have a chance, but I'd have a better chance.
SPEAKER_00Alright, Lee, sign us off. Where can the listeners find you? What are your socials? What's coming out? Um, yeah, any any part message?
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, so LAGolf.channel on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Uh same on Spotify and Apple mu uh Apple Podcasts as well. Anyway, yeah, but yeah, just everybody, if you want to have a little bit of fun, uh watch me embarrass myself a little bit and just try and smile through a day. We'll be posting daily. And a massive thank you, Steve. I honestly had the opportunity. I really do appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00No, absolute pleasure. And uh we are full program Golf Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and uh we'll see you in the next one. Cheers, mate.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much. Have a blessed one.