Ayrshire in a Storm: Taking on Turnberry, Dundonald & Western Gailes - Full Program Golf Podcast #28

Episode 28 of the Full Program Golf Podcast and Josh is back on deck this week. We get into our recent trip up to Ayrshire - and to be honest, the golf was class, but the weather did its absolute best to ruin us.

We battled our way around Dundonald Links, Turnberry’s King Robert the Bruce, and the Ailsa - which, even in pretty horrendous conditions, was still a proper standout and easy to see why it’s ranked inside the top 20 in the world. We also took on Western Gailes in some serious wind and rain, while Josh looks back on his previous round at Prestwick - a course that definitely divides opinion. On the way back down south, there was a stop off at Hillside and we compared this to Ayrshire's best.

Before all that, we chat through what’s been going on in the pro game. We get into The Players, Cam Young getting it done, and Matthew Fitzpatrick winning the Valspar after that near miss at Sawgrass. We also touch on LIV’s event at Steyn City, which looked like a big success.

To finish, we have a quick look ahead to The Masters and what we’re expecting heading into the biggest week in golf.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back, episode 28 of the Full Programme Golf Podcast with me, Josh Conlin, and as ever, we've got Stevie Mack in the studio. Today we are going to talk about our recent trip up to Scotland in Ayrshire. Yes, you heard that right. We were in Scotland in March, as well as covering all of the different golfing highlights across the various different tours. Let's get into it. Stevie, how are you? I'm very well, mate. Do you know what? It's just so nice having you back to do the intro because you just rip it first time, every time. And having done the last couple of episodes myself, I can't say I'm in that boat. I sit there looking at the camera. I reckon I'm a seven-take man, which is is unacceptable, really, when you break it down. But great to have you back. It's great to be back. And you know, one of one of many useless skills that I I happen to possess, another one being a bit of a bit of a geographical map, a bit of a compass, can get around. Um, but yeah, no, lovely to be back. And a really exciting pod, actually. I think we'll get we're obviously we're gonna get into it, but so much is happening in the world of golf, so much has happened for us. Yeah, it it really has. I I think the the breakdown pods are always the best when we're doing it quite close to the event itself because it's all fresh in the mind, and so I know we're gonna get sucked into that. But from a professional golf standpoint, I feel like since we last spoke, we went from early season vibes to now being like, wow, we're actually in the meat and potatoes of it. Master's around the corner, a couple of huge events in the last couple of weeks. Um, yeah, really excited to chop it up. Absolutely. I I couldn't agree more. It's and and the weather's turning. You know, we're so we sit sat here in the UK and we I played golf Saturday. It was the first time I felt like we're nearly in summer vibes. Don't get me wrong, I'm I'm stretching a smidge, but it was the first sort of let's sit outside and have a beer afterwards rather than no, we're absolutely going inside. Mats have gone, no mats. The golf course is looking so much better than the bog and just like the mud shack that I'm sure we've all been used to across many different courses over the last few months. We just it's getting lighter, it's just around the corner. A couple of weeks to the masters, let's go. It is indeed. And do you know what? I um I made the big swap the other day. Talk about Matt's coming in, Matt's going out. But um, the real big swap in my world has been uh I've gone to the slightly thinner duvet on the bed. And um, I'll be honest with you, first night underneath it two nights ago, I was a bit chilly. I was woke up a couple of times thinking, have I gone too early? But I think it's just about that optimistic mindset and just you know making that change, even if it is too early, because you're looking around the corner, you're looking at the weather forecast the weekend, you're thinking, spring might have sprung. Absolutely. And and for me, you know, I've not actually jumped in another bracket from the black shoes into the white shoes just yet. But I think again, that is another telltale sign of summer's hit. That that's a that's a great one, actually. And um, I I really like my summer shoes. Now, obviously, they've made an appearance down in South Africa, but I they are a new set of wheels for this season, if you will. And so I I think I think they're gonna be a late appearance from me. I've got some old white ones that maybe will be a bit of an interim piece, but uh yeah, I want it to be I want it to be dry by the time by the time the whites come out this year. A bit of an ego tutor for the for the football fans out there, a bit of an interim manager, hope he does a better job than they're doing at Tottenham. I just thought I'd segue nicely into football because I've got my my Sheffield Wednesday mug on the pod for the first time, coffee for the first time. We often do evening pods. It's a bright and breezy morning pod this eh, hey? Yeah, just straight on it. Yeah, do you know what? I funnily enough found myself looking at the championship table yesterday. Someone was asking how which time we're getting on, obviously, I didn't know off the top of my head. And um, yeah, Sheffield what Sheffield Wednesday, minus six points at the bottom there. Just uh give us a quick uh mental health update on that if you find. So what I was able to do before the season even started was just compartmentalize the pain and the torture that is the Sheffield Wednesday season that was coming ahead. And actually, the mental health is actually rising, it's getting better because as we sit here towards the end of March, I've only got another month and a half of pain, and then the season's over, and then it's done, and then we can just have pain with England at the World Cup this summer, which would be great. Um did I expect us to be slightly better? Yes. Did I still think we'd finish last? Yes. So, like 24th, 24th, who really cares? Um, I was worried that Chef United would make a mockery of us, they didn't, so that's okay. I'm glad to see them completely capitulating their season. You know, if if we're gonna have a bad one, they need to have a bad one. I'm here for Max Carnage. Um, it's been a good championship. I've not watched it as much as I would have otherwise. I've been more looking at the Premier League and and how that's been going. But interesting, I don't like Arsenal. So I'm sorry for the listeners who like Arsenal. They're not my team, they're not my favourite team. Obviously, my team's Wednesday Wednesday, but they're just not a team that I particularly like. I think they're gonna get it done in the Premier League. So it's just an all-round bad season, really, for me. But you know, we move, we move, it's golf. We're here to do golf. So my brother's an Arsenal fan, and I was speaking to him, and I was just like, I will laugh at you if City do the treble this year. See, this is this is where I'm going. Your brother is an Arsenal fan, born in Colchester, from Colchester. That is for me the stereotypical Arsenal fan. There's my problem with them. Yeah, I'm going to dig out your brother. No, no, no. I mean, my dad's a United fan, I'm a Chelsea fan, but my brother's an Arsenal fan. Like, we're not we're not the family to look at, trust me. Um, but then I I'm not even sure you would support Colchester United. So uh I actually had a very good friend uh at work who was a Colchester, the Yewes Colchester United fan, Vince. Um he made it sound a little bit a little bit fun, a little bit happening, but back in the day. Back in the day when they were at Leia Road, it was you know four and a half thousand standing stadium. Atmosphere was electric and knocking about top of league one, got into the championship for a bit. That first championship season, where I think we finished 12th, scored shitloads of goals. Uh that was at Leia Road last season, I think. That was, you know, maybe I am just a glory hunter through and through because I was I was going and I was banging the terraces back then. But uh yeah, it's been a pretty sorry sight since then. Anyway, let's segue back into golf. Where do you want to start from the last couple of weeks with the professional golf that's been going on? I think we've got to start on what everyone would perceive as the main tour. I think there's been some really good weeks back to back. And let's let's start the players. Let's start at what really does signify the the start of the golfing calendar for me always used to be the WGC Dell World match play. That's golf. So for now, I feel like the players maybe you could argue Arnold Palmer a few weeks before, but the players is the start of the premier premier premier event. And what a what a good good event. Great event. And I'll be honest, don't I don't know why. This year more than ever, I felt like I had a really good appreciation or more of an appreciation for TPC Sawgrass. Not one necessarily I've had right at the top of my to-do list, but just aesthetically beautiful golf course. And I it would just be a great pleasure to play 16, 17, 18. Like it has to be said. I mean, what an unbelievable finishing stretch that is.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Yeah, I couldn't couldn't agree more.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

And I think what's really great about watching that, similar to the Masters, is the familiarity we all have with the holes because it stays in that same venue. Now, I I'm not a preacher for all the events to do that. I don't think that would work. I don't think that would be correct on how many great golf courses there are around the world. But part of the charm of the Masters, part of the the great viewability, is that a word we're gonna use it of the players is as we say, knowing every hole, you know, even down the fourth, you know, they missed the fair where you go, oh, that's gonna be a tough shot over that water into that back left pin. Where are they gonna leave it? Caused havoc to Tor Jornsson. It's just a great golf course. But yeah, that final stretch, part five, part three, part four, just the triple header, the triple crown, if you will. Um, bit of everything. There's always drama, and there was drama again. That Cam Young t-shirt up 18. What a t-shirt! What a t-shirt! Yeah, it was an interesting Sunday actually. It was a lot more entertaining than I thought it was going to be. Ludwig obviously looked like he was running away with it for the best part of three days, and then had what can only be described as a stinker on the back nine. Um, but yeah, it was it was it was nip and tuck, and it was great to see Fitzpatrick and um Young in the same group, I thought, going down the 18th. Um, I think that definitely ramped up the drama a little bit. And what a birdie by Cam Young on 17. I mean, the stones to hit it there. I don't know if he pushed it slightly right at target, and then to hold what looks like an incredibly slippery part. Beautiful, beautiful stroke he stuck on it there. And then, like you said, you you you rarely talk about shots off the T on par fours and fives, like these big pivotal, game-changing moments. But what an absolute cannon down the 18th. 370 odd yards, wasn't it? Busy, busy, biggest of the day. Water, obviously, all down the left. Yeah, I mean, it was it was a unbelievable shot. And then he hit a great second as well. So it was he really, you know, he took that tournament, and even though I wanted Fitz to do it, obviously, being an Englishman, I thought Cam Young deserved it at the end of the day. Yeah, I wanted Fitz to do it as well. Um Cam Young stepped on that T first and hit that T shot, and you know, the the the pressure that must have ramped onto Fitzpatrick as well, there is wild. And obviously, he just pushed it a little bit. He hit the save shot, but just probably with a bit more juice, a little bit right, into the into the into the trouble there. Um, it was a great tournament, and you mentioned Oberg, he's had a pretty poor season by his standards, I'd say. And I thought what a way to just sort of blow off the cobwebs, get your season started by just cruising to the players. Uh, wasn't to be. What's been interesting though is the three weeks so the players and then the two weeks prior, there's been big leads completely decimated at some point over the Sunday. You think a couple of weeks earlier, Shane Lowry held a three-shot lead going into the bear trap, three holes to play, and completely cacked himself. And I've said this before, and I will say it again, he is far too good for the amount of times he wins. He just does not win enough. He's won the open, of course he has well done. That was 2019. You've got to do something. That was that was an all-time cack job. I mean, I actually turned it on as he hit that T-shot um into the water right, which would have been 16th. And I was like, because I literally turned it on at the leaderboard and said, ah, I might as well turn it off, and then worked out what was happening, and I was like, whoa, and then that swing he put on the next. Oh my good lord. Terrifying. That that is the swing of a guy who can't win. Sorry to say it. I hope he wins. I like Shane. He's clearly a good crack, he's clearly a good character, but that was a swing that even as like a good amateur player, you'd be pretty disgusted with. Don't get me wrong, it's under the pressure, of course it is, and probably just seeing the golf ball is very difficult. But but for that level, it was a really particularly poor, like squiffy short ride horror piece. So you had him cack it, then you had Daniel Berger, who's had a really bad couple of years since he got injured. So since he basically won like back-to-back weeks in Covid, he's done nothing. And so he had a five-shot lead with nine to play, couldn't get that one over the line. And then you get to Ludwig, and you're thinking maybe a man of different class, and I know that might be a harsh thing to say with Shane Lowry in the picture, but in my books, Ludwig's a different class to Shane Lowry. I could be wrong, he's one less, but I don't think that will be the case when he gets to Lowry's age. Three shot lead with nine holes to play, and again, just bombs that one out. So really interesting to see that that didn't happen four weeks in a row at the Valsport. But we'll we'll move on to that shortly. Let's get back to the players. Great tournament, great event. Quick nod to Scotty. Not really a nod, more of just uh what's happening?

SPEAKER_00 13:11

He's gone.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Yeah, not good. I mean, you know, look, he's still performing at a very good level, but just obviously not the level that we've become accustomed to. I've actually quite enjoyed the drama of like him trying to make the cut, and then is he going to finish in the top 10? And then he's obviously slipped back a little bit since then. But yeah, gone off the boil, uh, someone you'd have thought would be an incredibly short odds for the Masters. It'd be interesting to see how those odds are sneaking back now. Um, but yeah, not quite being the same. And just before I throw it back to you and Scotty, Ludwig's actually creating a bit of a reputation for not getting it done. Um, and I think when he hit the scene and obviously played in that first rider cup, having never played a major, I think we were expecting him to be top three in the world consistently for the next decade kind of vibe. And it looks like he's just falling short of that mark at the moment. Another thing I'm just keen for your opinion on is um a very, very America versus crowd in that final group, Young versus Fitzpatrick, um, which yeah, just just keen for your thoughts on that as well. I don't love it, and I think anyone that likes golf shouldn't love it. I think it's pathetic. I think you don't get that of the open. You have crowds who actually understand etiquette, understand golf, understand the world. But unfortunately, it's the age-old typical American view, and I'm not saying that's across the board. Unfortunately, there is a group that ruin it, and that is the same in any country, but unfortunately, they have more access to golf events in in in America, and just by the way that the PJ Tour is there. And I felt they got carried away. I feel as though they forgot that this isn't the Ryder Cup, and yet absolutely cheer on who your favourite player is. If that's Cam Young, fantastic. If that's fixed, then then great as well. If that's someone else, then cool. But actively like heckling and just getting a little bit over the top for me is just not what the game of golf's about and has no no place in golf. And I hope that it gets stamped out sooner rather than later, albeit I don't think it will whenever the head of the PJ of America is who he is who he was, the same bloke who was just a complete tit at the Ryder Cup. So it's just a shame. Yeah, just a shame. And it's a shame that we have to sit here and talk about it. It feels it feels like Ryder Cup hangover for sure, and it and and it feels like American fans just grabbing at any opportunity they can to try and almost get one back, if that makes sense. So a hundred percent. And you know what? Turn up when it matters, turn up when it matters, because if you can't, you don't get another chance for four years, and then you get beat two years, and then you get beat again. So just enjoy it. But I think with that all with everything that happened there, I was absolutely delighted to see Fitz take down the Val Spar this week. I I think that was um yeah, good on him, basically. Uh, he's obviously playing well, and to come back after what would have been quite emotionally heavy, I'd have thought, of the players and get the job done. He's he's looking good at the moment. Really good. And um, yeah, I'll get onto a status or get onto the masters. But Fitzie falls into the bracket. Um I will talk about shortly. But I really liked his interview after he won and essentially just said, you know, I wasn't just going to put my feet up having finished second at the players, I wanted to kick on and do more. He even said he felt like he played worse back nine at Innisbrook than he did back night at the players, which is an interesting take and an interesting it's putting us cold, wasn't it? Um I thought it was a really good event again for the second year running. I thought last year when Hovland, out of nowhere, having had an awful start to the season, was able to just pick up the valve spar and take the win, which is always great. Again, comes back to the support for who you want to win, like cheer on who you want to win. Of course, that is what the game is about. Of course, that's what brings viewership. If someone you like is at the top, you're going to watch. You don't need to then do the other stuff. We can move on from that. But like loved watching Hovlin last year win it out of nowhere. And what a great European or British really leaderboard, right down to the back nine on Sunday at the Valspar with Fixie obviously going on and winning it. You've got Jordan Smith, um, a friend, a good friend of the pod, Luke Gorman's, um, grown up with him, played a lot of golf at Bowwood over in um sort of Bathway. I mean, I've thrown it in that sort of area, Swindon Bath, that sort of area. Meant to be a very good golf course. Um, so really pleased to see him get it done. I only heard really good things about him. A crazy good ball striker as well, Jordan Smith. And then another guy who's had a pretty slow start to his PJ Tour career, Marco Penge, had a decent run at Riviera, but didn't quite bring the weekend vibe with him. A good T4 as well for him. So really nice to see quite a few of the sort of up-and-coming European, British golfers making it work on the PJ Tour. Absolutely, and obviously the slight disappointment from the Val is oh man, DB, Dan Brown missed the cut. We spoke about it at the beginning of the season, like who's going to do better out of him and Penj? Penj always comes in probably with a bit more pedigree. But you've got to say now with a T4 under his belt, Penge probably in the lead out of those two. Yeah, I had a little look at the um FedEx Cup early season, isn't it? Of course. You know, you look at Jordan Smith, he's up into like 40 something. I think Penge is about 80 something, and currently our boy DB is he's between 100 and 120. So yeah, currently he he's sitting third in the three hot three-horse race. Um hopefully all three can keep the cards. I I feel they will. I think they will. I think they're all top, top talents, great golfers, great guys from from what we see. We love DB, we love the boy. Um just needs a good finish. But but what we find from what I see from Dan Brown is uh he's a killer. So when he's in contention, I don't see him going backwards, and that is how he's gonna get the points. Because when you're in contention, you have two good weeks and your card is set. Don't nice. Um live golf. Live golf. I've also, whilst we were talking about that, when we get onto the masters section, talking about the odds. We got some odds here as well. We can have a little look at that. Um, live golf, stain city. Thoughts? We know we love South Africa, but keen to throw it to you to start with. Yeah, um, great tournament. I I think it was it was hyped up, and they were certainly hoping for the crowds to turn up and there to be incredibly good attendance and the vibes to be high and the country in South Africa to really commit to it. I think all of those things happen. So I I believe that Liv can now stick a second feather in their cap. I think they've got Adelaide, which is obviously a roaring success, and I now think Stain City will be their 1A to the one, whichever way around you want to put it. What I did think was interesting is so many players were coming out, and even the CEO, um Scott O'Neill, came out at the end and was just like, I think this is the best event we've had, blah, blah, blah. This is better than Adelaide. If I was Adelaide and the Aussie crowd, I'd be a bit like butthurt by that because Adelaide became the main event. It was the first one, it showed the way, it showed what was possible as far as I'm concerned. And they've done that multiple years now. For it just to go to South Africa and the events have essentially the similar kind of feel, and then everyone just anointing the new uh with the crown. I was a bit like, I'm not sure how that sat with me, but no, great event. I thought an amazing finish. I thought Bryson's uh second shot into the the playoff hole was one of the better goal shots that we've seen under the gun. He obviously did get to place the ball in the rough, which I thought gave him a massive advantage there, but still he was 300 yards out. Also enjoyed seeing it altitude, I think it's quite amusing. One a couple of weeks of the year seeing these guys hit it a further 10%. I mean, you just couldn't even believe what clubs they had in their hands going at some of these yards. But overall, yeah, roaring success. I thought a good finish. Shame that the Southern Guard didn't get it done, still not completely bought into that name. But um, yeah, for them to get picked by the Crushers, another name that I'm not bought into by one was a bit of a shame. Um, but yeah, all around big success. So South Africa showed up, and um, yeah, looking forward to that going back next year. And it's two two blogues who you expect to be part of the Masters shakeup that got were in that playoff, you know, in DeChambeau and Rahm. Um the cream is rising again on the live tour. You know, you look at the the overall standings for the season, it goes Rom, DeChambeau. And I think he's actually Dietrich as well, who's actually had a phenomenal start to his um live golf career. But they're two protagonists that we expect to be talking about over the next few weeks. Either way, even in like even if they don't compete, that in itself will be a talking point because of just how good they've got. Unfortunately, obviously, Rahm's had a a couple more um run-ins with the media in terms of rescinding his appeal for um his fines on the European tour, DP World Tour, sorry, is what we're calling it now, uh, which might suggest he's not going to play the right cup, which would be, I think, would be a real, a real hammer blow to the European team. Just from a not not just as a golfer, but also as what I would imagine is a pretty big personality in the team room. Um, but yeah, really good. And good to watch the playoff hole be played better than the week before in Singapore. Did you catch any of that playoff? Because that was who would kind of lose it. That was quite a funny. Uh I when when the short part obviously missed Bryson's reaction, I thought was quite interesting. He literally was like, oh no, more than anything else. Yeah, it wasn't uh it went out with a bit of a whimper Singapore, didn't it? Um not great crowds there, I have to say. They must be able to find more South Africas and Australias if you're if surely if you're sitting back in your live, you're like, where can we go here? Like, could Canada carry one? Like, they don't get a huge amount of PJ tour action, or do you think they're just too close to the main tour being across the border? Like, there just must be somewhere else to get a really big vibe tournament going for them. I I think for sure there'll be someone else somewhere else that they could get a big vibe event. But what I like that Liver doing is it's a world tour, and it actually is being a world tour. Whereas the PJ Tour is a US tour, DP World Tour, European, you know, and maybe it's trying to become a bit more world. But I think that yes, whilst the the crowds weren't great in Singapore and Sentosa, very like over the bridge, like remote part of Singapore, beautiful part of Singapore, I have to say. Um yeah, the crowds weren't fantastic, but it's it's about golf to yeah, it's about bringing golf to the the various different parts of the world, and I think that that's something that the PJ Tour needs to be better at. So I'm actually here to assert, don't get me wrong, it's hard for us to watch. Rather rather more events in England, just bring bring them all to England, like phenomenal. But I don't think that's what Liv is trying to do, albeit I think they've lost their way a little bit with the 72 holes. We've talked about all this, so we'll get up with everything into that. Don't you think it's a little bit surprising that the tournaments that go to China and Singapore and wherever else aren't better supported? Because you'd think they're quite fanatical over in that part of the world. Like you think Korea is such a they're obsessed with a game of golf. And I don't know, they'd live Liv don't have a career event, Korean event, do they? No, but then they have they have to team you, so maybe that's an option. I don't know. But like, yeah, I always always slightly shocked by the fact that they just don't turn up for the events. But I think that's Liv's basically only chance is to just try and find a almost like a signature event stretch where they have eight events and they just know each one of the eight is just going to be an absolute banger. I think at the moment they're obviously very comfortable with Adelaide. Stain City is obviously being great. I I think the JCB stuff is is always okay. So they're kind of three, yeah, three, they're getting there. They're about halfway, aren't they? Yes, yeah. Um they are, and I I think the other thing that they're gonna just have to be careful of is whilst whilst everything having more players that are gonna get world ranking points and are then therefore probably gonna qualify for the masters more, and they you know they obviously want to attract the best players so they will be in the masters. I do think they're gonna have to be a bit more careful of where do we play them around the Masters Week. You know, you've got the PJ Tour currently in Florida, they're just a stone's throw from Georgia, similar-ish grass, certainly similar conditions in terms of altitude and that sort of thing. Whereas these guys who have just played at Stain City are going to be playing a completely different set of grass, a completely different climate, a completely different time zone. Well, yeah, completely different time zone, completely different altitude. It's going to be tough to then therefore acclimatise. Now, they're all brilliant golfers, but that extra 1% can be the difference at that level. Yeah, that's a good point. And I think that's a nice segue. Let's let's get a bit of Master Chat going on now. Liv's obviously got their big dogs playing well, and obviously their tour is in need of momentum at the moment, and so a Rama DeShambo win out Augusta would be huge, and they're coming into it with form, which is great to see. Who are your other runners and riders? Like, what's your feeling now, a couple of weeks out? So I I took a screenshot of a, and this is why I'm looking down, I'm just gonna get it up because I I'm not able to pull it up from a head. So 11 of the last 13 Masters winners were at plus 1.7 strokes gained off the T to green in the three months leading into the Masters. And currently that sits at 11 players that are in that bracket. Now I'm just gonna reel them off and maybe give me a yes no if you think that they're gonna compete.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Because I think there's still a couple that I go Morikau. Yes, Siwoo Kim. No, John Rom. Yes. Fitzy. Yes. Rory. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Shaffler. Can I say I actually don't think Rory will because I think he's gonna be all like just wanting to enjoy the week, etc. Uh Shaffler, I mean, yeah, but I'm nowhere near as confident as I was.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

Cam Jung? Yes. Ludvig No, not ready. Big Dad Brooks. Is he in that 11? Yeah. Cool, that'd be a coming out party back on the PJ tour. Yeah, I think he's got it if he was in contention. Chris Gotterup. And the last man Seppi Stracker. I'm gonna say yes just because I want it.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Well, uh, how many times have you. It's a good list and it's uh it's an undeniable stat, that is for sure. How many times has Gotterup played the Masters? That would be my big question, because I do like Gotterup. I think he's a really good player and he's gonna win something big. My my guess is that this is his debut. I mean, when he won the Scottish Open, what when's that? Sort of July time, he was he was a nobody. Like he'd not done anything. I think he'd won Myrtle Beach or whatever it was, but like he'd done nothing. So my guess would be that he will be a rookie. Albeit, yeah, he I mean hits the ball the wrong way, perceivably, when everyone talks about Augusta, you have to hit it right to left, apparently. Albeit I can only think of the well, not only the tenth, but like the 11th is just as much you need a left to right as the tenth is you need a right to left. You know, I think I think everyone's got a bit caught up in that, and I think actually Martin Kymer's the one who springs to mind when he changed his swing. Ruined his quite killed it. Oh dear. Um, yeah, so yeah, it'd be interesting uh number of appearances for some of the the smaller names on that list. Yeah, Scott Scotty's form doesn't feel like but you just never know. Ludvig has played incredibly well at the Masters, and I suppose maybe you could look and be like, he's dude because he's been playing well and he's just been jostling for getting it right on that last on that last back nine. I can't wait. That's what I'm just gonna leave you with. Like, I don't know, not not a huge amount of insight coming out of me at the moment, but like I am really, really excited to get to Augusta and and just see how it plays out, as ever. Absolutely, and obviously hope, hope boy, JR, just a rose and turn up again this year. Okay, okay, there's there's the question. So we've had the list, that's where your smart money would be. Just give me a like top three if you could have it your way. Um not top three in finish, but as in like your three favourite people to win. I'm gonna go for Justin Rose 100%. Like, like that is one. Yeah, yeah. I don't even need distant first. Distant first. I'd probably then love like a Tyrrell Hatton. I just think it would be phenomenal to just watch just Tyrrell just sort of like cobbing putter around Augusta and then just taking the jacket. Like, it'd just be great. Um You know him and Willet, you know him and Willet would sit next to each other and just fucking chew bricks about whatever at the dinner every Tuesday for the next 30 years.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

That'd be brilliant. Uh and then I'm looking at the names, and I've just seen Anthony Kim on the list.

SPEAKER_01 31:47

Now that really shocks me. If he's playing, then Anthony Kim, but there can't be a world where he's playing. So I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go Tommy Fleetwood. I love Fleetwood. Um, albeit we've said it before, give me a Rosemasters and a Fleetwood Open, and I'm a happy man. The other guy I do think will do well, but he's not in my top three of who I want to win, albeit he's doing a bit of a Gurwin price on me, starting to rise with how much I like him is Paddy Reed. Patrick Reed would be a class winner. I'd really enjoy that. And we've spoken about why previously, it's just like he's just no one seems to like him. And if he just rocks up and just clips another green jacket, like it's undeniable, isn't it? Undeniable. I'd like uh from the names you're not mentioned, I'd love Hovlin to win. I just think Hovland's hilarious, and um, I I think it'd be a real shame for him to progress much further through his career without a major win. And I think uh him and the green and that little smile would uh would bring me joy, but I'm with you, definitely. Uh a Rose Masters win is is is top of the bucket list. Sensational. All right, shall we talk about our trip to Scotland? We probably should. Yeah, we've um we've really delved into the uh the golfing landscape and talking of golfing landscape, some great vistas in Scotland. How's that for a segue? How's that for us? I love it. Like a professional at work. Now, March in Scotland, we knew what we were doing, you knew we knew what we were taking on, we knew the risk that it was. And I think the starting point is is uh we ran the Gauntlet and we got struck several times by hailstones in the face, didn't we? But still had a great time. We had a great time, and um even before we got to the Scotland trip, it was already looking unlikely for me. I was um stuck out in Dubai um when Trump decided to uh start raining missiles down on the Iranians, and uh yeah, so I was sat in Rasal Khima watching missiles going over my head, and then I was sat in Dubai listening to um what can only be described as air raid sirens coming out of your phone every so often saying there's a missile incoming. So that was nice and fun. Um planes then getting delayed, as we've all seen. We won't go into all of the news, we've all heard that. But I think sat there in the hotel, you know, normally really happy that your holiday is gonna be extended. All I'm thinking is, no, I'm gonna miss. I'm gonna miss Turnbury. I'm gonna miss this trip. And I was gutted. So I went as far as to um get on Instagram, and um I'm not really a prevalent Instagrammer, but what I did do as I scrolled through my list of DMs is I DM'd real Donald Trump, President Donald J. Trump, with a little message, 6th of March, 738. Hello. Obviously, I had to try and boster him up a little bit, so I was like, yep, really enjoying everything you're doing. Not sure about either. Keep up the great work. I don't expect this to help at all, but currently stuck in the UAE. Uh, I'm meant to be playing your fabulous Turnbury courses on Wednesday and Thursday. Worried I'm going to miss them. Thought I'd be cheeky and ask if you could help at all, given it's your courses I'm going to. What a store it would be if you helped me get there. Anyway, thanks again. The absolute audacity of it. I you just and that I think it's a great crime you didn't get a reply to that. That is unbelievable. Can you imagine the good press he'd have got if he got me straight to Ayrshire? Um I actually can't believe I can't believe you've not told me it's that I can't believe that's the first time I've heard that. That is absolute seeds. Oh, what an opportunity missed by the Donald. I couldn't believe it. I I I thought I'd get something back. No, well I didn't, I didn't really. Uh, but you know, um I thought it was worth a try. Yeah, definitely worth a try. And do you know what? God loves a try. And and I have to say, from from my point of view, didn't expect to be sending a text to my to my best mate, to my business partner, saying, Hey mate, hope you're okay. Hope you've not been hit by any missiles. Yeah, the first one from me as well. Um what a weird whole whole thing. Like so, the UAE government, for those that don't know, were basically paying for people's hotels if the trip got extended. And so I suppose if you had quite a hard exterior shell and weren't so bothered about missiles flying over your head, there could be a bit of a silver lining to uh to the action that was going on. But um for yeah, for young Josh, he was he was just worried about that tea time at Dundald on the Tuesday, needed it, craved it. I mean, I I don't think I've ever been happier to put on a beanie, put on a snood, get into my cold weather gear and start marching out to Dundonald on that Tuesday. I was such a happy boy to be there in the moment. So, what was so um so Dundal's our first round on Tuesday, we then got into two rounds at Turnbury, we then played Western Gales, the other boys played Presswich, which we'll touch on, and then I played Hillside on my way back down. So Dundonald's our first round on the Tuesday. Just to conclude your your little saga in the Middle East, when did you finally get out? When did you land? What time did you arrive up in Scotland? Yeah, so landed for God delayed by like 24, 36 hours. Not not the end of the world in the end, because we were already like, we'd only just really arrived when the the whole drama had happened. Um landed at Gatwick about call it half nine on the Monday night, and I was back at Gatwick at 7:30am on the Tuesday morning. So same terminal, just basically said hello to all the staff, just finishing their shift. Yeah, you're alright, welcome back, nice to see you again. Um flew straight up to Glasgow, hopped in the world's most expensive taxi, and up to Dundonald for the afternoon tea time. So plenty of travelling, but just relieved to be there. Clubs arrived, and good job I wasn't training up because the vape shop next to Glasgow Central train station also decided to blow up. So everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

But you maybe get there.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

Well, with that drama in the rearview mirror, let me tell you, we met and just just settled straight into a little um egg and sausage bat in the brand new Dundalald Clubhouse, and um and we were excited. We're excited for for the opening gambit. So Dundonald used to be owned by the same company that owned Loch Loman. We were very lucky to have a friend with us who is a Loch Loman member, and so managed to nip us on there at a guest rate, which is is always a treat. First time up there for me. Um slightly newer golf course, only 20 years old. Uh so kind of set amongst obviously in some very historic tracks, and it's definitely the new kid on the block. What were your thoughts and feelings? I really liked it. I really, really liked it, I have to say. I can see why it's hosted the Ladies' Scottish Open last year, and I can see why it's final open qualifying, just by the sheer size of the property. You know, where wherever we were playing from, there were multiple tea boxes that stretched right back into the the few pine, the few trees that were were mixed and mixed uh amongst the dunes. I think we were obviously playing it in March, early March, early mid-March you'd say. The greens were slower as you'd expect, but wow, the complexes of those surface surfaces are terrifying, like absolutely terrifying. They've got some real clear pin positions that they can mix and match and actually change the holes with that. And then the final note I've got to say is that the course conditioning at that time of year was sensational, like really, really sensational. Yeah, I'd echo that. Now, just getting a super firm turf underfoot again was a great pleasure and a joy. There's no other way to put that. These courses, there was one slightly squirrely one, which we'll get on to, but Dundonald was immaculate for March, is is is the best word for it. Now, I can only imagine in the height of summer what it gets to and what it gets like. But greens are running true, fairways were like carpets. Um I I I think the setup of it all is has been done really well. You never quite know with these new courses. Like, I think a lot of the time they get it wrong uh for various reasons. But whilst the clubhouse was modern, I thought it was kind of tastefully designed from the outside, good facility inside. We didn't we didn't warm up or anything, but I I would imagine a very solid driving range if it's hosted the major tournaments. Uh I thought the cabins look quite smart. I'm always always a fan of staying on site. I think that'd be a good experience staying in the cabins there. And it's just great land. And when you've got great land, it's hard to really mess it up. And so I thought by and large, a really solid golf course that could be tricked up, and I thought in the summer would be would be really quite excellent. And then a couple of really strong holes. I I'm thinking in particular the stretch that I'm sure you're gonna be able to tell me the number, it's kind of par four out towards the sea, then you're down the train track, and then there's a par three back kind of towards the sea again. I thought that section in particular was was really strong. Yeah, so you've got the 12, the part four out, 13 down, right down the with the train track on your left. You then got the 14 part five and then the 15 part, and even 16 with the trees on the right, and you see the Western Gales Clubhouse. You know, and it's worth noting that there's just a train track between Dundonnell, West and Gales, and then Weston Gales, obviously nearer the coast. I agree with you, I think that's the the premier stretch on that, on that golf course, for sure, actually. Um I thought 18's a good hole as well, good um good slot in there. Just just enjoyed it, it's just very good. And so 18 finished with a par five, right in front of the clubhouse, slight water hazard round the green. So we did we did get there in two, but it at least made you think a little bit. You can't just run it up there. Finish off, great round, get in there, and then something that I haven't seen as of yet. I do believe it does exist in other uh clubhouses, and you'll be able to tell me, tell me where I'm sure. But got into the changey room, sauna, steam room, the worked, really nice touch. I thought huge. Yeah, and you and you can see that the facilities are are up there with a lot load, you know. But as in, you can see that that was part of that group. That doesn't shock you, they had a gym in there. Um it was just a very, very nice clubhouse. I thought that they'd got the all of the sort of changing rooms and those facilities sort of on the ground floor, and then the upstairs bar with the nice veranda. If you get a nice day, you can sit out on the patio and really get a full view all the way around the clubhouse of all the different holes that you're looking at. I thought it was a really well designed clubhouse as well. Yeah, agreed. All right, let's let's dive straight into some some course rankings and some three Ps. So Dundonald, opening Gambit, where have you got it? I've got it at four and a half. I really enjoyed Dundonald. I thought it was very good. I think it was in the UK time. Top hundred. Um, it's now out of it. I don't know why. 39th in Scotland. I think that's criminally underrated, actually. Uh I like that style of golf course. I like a big golf course. I like that it feels a little bit wider and bigger. You've got to hit driver. Well, yeah, off the tease we played off in the winter, we didn't have to hit driver, but I would imagine as a golf course, you've got to hit driver. Suits my sort of eye, what I like to see. I thought it was a really good golf course. I think I think it's a 4.25, but I'm gonna slot it into the 4.5 category because I liked it. I had a nice day. Um, that's where I'm gonna go with the the golf course, and then with the three Ps, really big range just next to the cabins, um, sauna, steam room, as we said. Problem with the logo, don't love the logo, just done Donald Lynx. So I'll probably give it a three and a half, just because I've gone a little bit heavy on the on the course. So I think it's an I think it's an eight, and I think it's a good eight, whichever way you chop it. Yeah, I think I think that's that's a good point that you make at the end there. So I had it, I had a four. I can see why you like it. I think it's definitely a you kind of course. Um, to me, I'm thinking back now, no, I'm not I'm not the rain man. I I can remember that stretch of holes that we spoke about, but I'd I'd be hard pressed to kind of talk you through the the golf course, which I I think for me just doesn't then land in the super memorable box. And so I've got it as a four, but good setup, great conditioning for when we played it. And then I've got a four on the three Ps. Um, I think obviously range hosted major tournaments, so that's going to be really good. Patio is kind of clubhouse in in in March golf terms, and so obviously the clubhouse facility was fantastic. Pro Shop lets it down. Like, I just I just when you're spending so much money, so much money on a facility, who is making these decisions? Like, it really pains me. It's such an easy way to make money at a golf course, is just have a good logo. And how do they sign off on just being like, lads, let's just go open sans font and just write the name out. What are we talking about? So uh that's basically where the the point is lost on three Ps. So yeah, eight eight overall, and I think that's right, whichever way you want to chop it up. Yeah, I think I think that's a fair, I think that's a fair reflection of where it is. I do, I know we're not gonna, you know, I know we didn't see the best of Westing Gales, but when I think Weston Gales is like 15th or something like that, we'll get on to that in Scotland and this is 39th. I think they sit in the same bucket. But we'll we'll move on to that as and when as when we're good and ready to. Absolutely. And so where I just wanted to touch on, we we stayed, we split our stays up a little bit. So the night off Dundald and then the night before Western Gales, we stayed at the Marine Troon. Now, not a huge amount of accommodation options up in the Ayrshire area, and so obviously the cabins at Dundonald Lynx we've mentioned, there are some slightly more mid-price options, but your premium option if you're not staying at Turnbury is probably the Marine Troon. So it's right on the fairway of Royal Troon, which I've not played, and it was quite tough being on that fairway, I must say. But um, yeah, Marine True's the real five-star up there, and it's part of the Marine Lawn collection. So if you don't know that, they have really steered into golf. They've got one in Ayrshire, they've got one on North Berwick, they've got one up in Royal Dornock, uh, next Royal Dornock, they've got Port Rush, they've got one down County Down. I think there might be one more, but I can't remember it. But these are old school rustic hotels, real kind of golfy feel, um, in some kind of golf hot spots. And so it was our first time there, and I thought it was a nice day. I thought it was a great stay. Yeah, they've got a very nice restaurant if you want to go for sort of like the white tablecloth service type vibe. And they've got a really good bar, you know, a little pool table in there, good bar food, uh, good vibe. Not yeah, just a really nice, solid hotel, as you say, great location, uh, 10 minutes away from um Dundonald and Western Gale, slightly further away from Turnbury, but of course that was why we broke the stay up because we were staying there, and we'll get on to that eventually. But yeah, looking at the 18th, coming out the main reception um area, looking at the 18th, seeing that iconic Troon Clubhouse, looking left, and you see the 17th that claimed Thomas Bjorn's golfing career. Um, yeah, just very interesting. Uh, great spot. Would would go again, would recommend it massively, and was really happy to be going back there, actually. Yeah, super. I think I I spoke, I went on someone else's podcast and kind of spoke about the fact that I think it fits the area, it fits the style of the trip. You're playing these historic Linux golf courses, and it feels like quite a historic hotel. If you dropped it in Dubai, I'm not sure you'd be that happy staying. Yeah, it just it's it's it's about it's about matching the vibe, and I think it does that. It does that exactly. So, yeah, enjoy the stays, joy the two nights that we did over the week there. But then after our stay there, we did head across to Turnbury where we had two rounds and one night stay there. And so, first round we kicked off with uh with the Turnbury warm-up, I suppose, which is King Robert the Bruce. So, initial thoughts coming into the Turnbury estate, and then um your thoughts on the course there.

SPEAKER_00 49:24

So, and it I took a moment there because I didn't know where I was gonna start.

SPEAKER_01 49:30

I can't recall a time when I've been as excited to get on a property for a very long time, actually. Probably since going to Bandon Dunes. I I was in the car with my dad, which was again lovely. It was lovely to play it with my dad. He was in our football, wasn't he, of course, and then you and and Steve. Um and I remember you know, we're driving sort of from the Marine Hotel, and the first sight of the lighthouse, almost like a kid, I was like, the lighthouse, the lighthouse, because it's just such an iconic golfing building. Um so I was crazy excited to get onto Turnbury. We'd had good weather at Dundald, it's fair to say. We'd had it was March, it was a little bit cold, but we had no rain. We didn't have that much wind either, you know, probably a club, club and a half, maybe two here and there. But we're talking like really quite benign for that time of year. For you'd be taken it. We get to obviously Turnbury that morning, and some of the other boys have have landed and arrived, and they've driven through a rainstorm as they've come from Glasgow Airport, and so all the forecasts are suggesting that rain in the morning, nicer in the afternoon. So you're thinking, okay, you know, just give us a little bit of something. We get on the golf course, and and it and to be fair, I think for the majority of the day the weather was really good. Now, you'll notice that I'm talking about the weather because we do need to reflect on the weather at some point. But it thankfully wasn't that big a factor on the King Robert the Bruce course, apart from the 11th part five, which we will get to. Um I thought as a second golf course and a and a clear second, you know, in terms of it's not a venue that has like a red or blue or an old and like it's it's a clear you come to play the ALC, and this by the way is our other course sort of five ranking. I think you're gonna be really hard pressed to find a better second golf course. You know, I'm I'm not talking about the Barksham and Blue, as I say, which are two good golf courses in their own right, Walton Heath, two good golf courses, and so on and so forth. But as a second golf course, I thought it was brilliant. I think it's they've done a really good job on the work that they're doing. They're opening another uh 12-hole golf course as well, I believe it is, um, next to it, and you can see that sort of meandering around. I think way tighter than the Ail sir. I think we we got caught out a couple of times with the crosswinds that we had. But when you think about that stretch, sort of from seven's a good hole, but kind of a little bit different up through the trees, and then you get on the top, the eighth of the part five, right at the lighthouse, the ninth the dog leg left over over the sea, and then a good part three tenth. Genuinely, if you put certainly the eighth and the ninth on the Ailsa course, you'd be going, these are brilliant, these are fantastic. I can see why they're on this top, top golf course. But it was it was spectacular. I loved it. I could wax the record. Yeah, I I think a hundred percent King Robert the Bruce overdelivered on expectation. Um I didn't really know what to expect. Like you said, you just know the ALSA is just held in it, it's just a different stratosphere in in terms of ranking and prestige, etc. etc. But as you said, that that particular stretch was was magical. I mean, that ninth hole is one of the best on the 36-hole property. That would easily go into the 18 of of Ailsa. You you could argue it'd be in the top top nine of Ailsa. Really, really good golf hole. And then I think just generally, I mean, you come in, it it's it's hard to not be amazed by Turnbury. Like you come in and you just have this whacking great white shimmering building on the top of the hill. I mean, it is a seriously, seriously impressive looking hotel. Like it is, yeah, it's it's a it is amazing. I don't know what else to put it. And when you're there, you just can't believe the size of it. And so I played Loch Ern in in Northern Ireland last year, and I came away from it and I was really disappointed by the second course. And I even wrote them a letter, and I was just like, You can't you can't have somewhere this far in the middle of nowhere. And Turnbury is quite a long way away, like it's it's half an hour south of Troon, and Tron is relatively isolated. It's a it's a decent drive out from Glasgow. And so, whilst the Alistair is amazing, and I'm sure it would still bring people in, obviously, it is nice to have a second course that you can go and play and you come off it and you feel like that was worth doing. And um, really fun opening gambit, weather was decent for us, like I said, was tight, like surprisingly tight, lots of gorse-lined par fours in away from the coast, and then a really magical stretch around the turn. So, yeah, really enjoyed it. Nice, nice finishing hole as well. Um, a good start, and then uh yeah, we settled into a bit of food, bit of dinner then at Turnbury for our night over before obviously the main event. But before we get to that, let's just clip some numbers for kicking up the booth. So, for me, over-delivered course, it's probably a 375, but I'm gonna round it up to a four because I got surprised, and I and I like that. Um, I'm actually gonna leave the three Ps because three P's are a basically the same, obviously, across both. And so I want to do that with the Ailster because I I think that just will sum that up nicely. Yeah, love that. I was actually in exactly the same camp. I think it's it might even be a 3-8. So either way, it's it's one it's into the fours, but it's a lower four.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

But again, because of as exactly as you say, the welcome, unexpected um quality of it.

SPEAKER_01 55:24

You just look at it with good eyes. We got good weather, as I say, apart from the 11th, which was the the world's longest part five, into the wind, into the driving rain. It drives a four iron, two iron. So, yeah, we you get off, so as we mentioned, eight and nine, beautiful down by the um right by the coat, and and we got the sun shining on us in the on the holes you'd want it to. We turn away and we play the part three tenths, we play it really nicely. Stevie Lowry nearly makes nearly make nearly makes the two, hits it very tight. I feel like I was gonna make my two miss that one as well. Uh and we just we just play that hole nice and quickly. So again, we've not like messed around, shortage part three, we've just cracked on. We turn around the corner with the Gaulsbush thankfully helping us on the right, and just the maelstrom just starts, and the wind comes up and the rain begins. And yeah, really good driver, really good t-shirt off there with driver. And I must have had like 400 yards in still. Like it was it, I mean, it was crazy long, absolutely crazy long. You've got water up the left, like a little creek type thing up the left, gallsbush up the right, so you can't even just bail out and still try and lay it back and go for it. Then I'm thinking, right, okay, I don't want to turn anything over, the wind is humming in, gone for okay, we'll hit we'll hit four iron, try and keep it in play, hit it great again. You know, when you're you're watching a ball and you're expecting it to land in a certain spot, and it lands 150 yards behind where you're expecting it to be, and you've hit it fine, you're like, oh dear. Then the two-iron comes out, and it's we're still short. Again, hit that fine, and we're still short. We've got like a little 50-yard chip. It's one of the great sixes, and we halved in six, me and you, and it was one of the great sixes. It was. No, I I don't get it as far as you, but you so you've gone driver four, two flick. I've gone driver two, four, nine. It was only 70 yards, but like I'm just trying to drive a nine through it. And yeah, we both we're both on the green for for four and two putt it, and we're like, that's that's a that's a net birdie right there. That was it was driving rain and wind. It was like as we were waiting to hit our shots, we were facing away from the green, just like shoulders up, huddled like this, and just like looking. I was like, have you played? And then just like turning around and just getting on with it. It was it was probably the hardest golf hole I've played in recent memory, and it wasn't necessarily because of the hole itself, it was just yeah, 15 minutes of pain. Yeah. But it was only 15 for the whole day, and I think that's what we like, that's why as a day we got good weather, because it wasn't 15 minutes of pain as we moved forward. And just just to conclude on that, what was so funny is we were playing in front of the other boys behind, and um there were just like certain points where they really quickly would catch us up, and you just know it's because they've just all picked up because they've just shit the bed in the weather. And so I think that was one of the they appeared on this on the T-box behind us like way quicker than expected. Um, but yeah, so nice. So yeah, we both landed on a four for King Rob the Bruce. We then we we were actually down in the lodges, which down on the bottom of the hill, um, which I thought were perfectly nice and lovely. I think there's a slightly cheaper option there at Turnbury, but um, yeah, not to turn your nose up at. And then we had a lovely dinner, a white tablecloth sort of situation. I think it's called 1906, was it? The Russian 1906, I believe it is, yeah. We um we kept flip-flopping between the 06 and the 07. We didn't know which one it was, but I think it's the 06. I will say, I I I think this is just an interesting point for the listeners. Um, with a remote resort like that, there is nowhere else to go, really. And we did actually have some other friends there that headed out on a taxi for dinner, but the pricing is is is pretty strong uh at Turnbury. Like you get off the course and you're in the Jewel in the Sun, which is the clubhouse essentially, and like a brie and bacon toasty essentially was like 18 pounds. And then in the 1906, I had an eight-ounce Phillips steak, which now I'm I'm I'm coming from South Africa, so like it's all a bit cheaper and and and the steaks are good, etc. But like eight ounces is not a massive fillet steak, and I thought it was okay, like it wasn't a sensational bit of meat. Now,£60, no sides, which I did think was a little bit on the steep side. So they do see you coming, and that's just one thing to note. And um, yeah, you you're gonna you're gonna splash a bit of cash off course as well if you want to be fed with some decent nutrition. Yeah, I'd agree. I'd agree, it's it's very nice. Um they know they've got you there for sure, and they they've got you in a vice. Uh I won't say what's in the vice, but they've got you in the vice. Um but as part but I I would recommend it. I would say staying in the the hotel, whether that's the lodge or the hotel itself, adds to the experience of that trip. I think it's it it was great, don't get me wrong, we woke and we'll get onto the weather in a minute, but waking up essentially on property rather than having to do that 30-40 minute drive from from the Marine, which is not a long drive at all, just just adds to that vibe, adds to the um relaxing start to the day. You can have breakfast, you can go to the the spa facility, just adds to that trip and adds to the what is an expensive trip. Like, don't get me wrong, that's why we're playing it in March. We're getting a really good deal with the golf pairs there, but I would say it's well worth staying there when you're up there. Yeah, and you you do get quite preferred rates if you're a host if you're a hotel resident uh versus a a non-hotel guest as well. So to be honest, it probably all shakes out and it's it's definitely worth saying that 100%. All right, let's get on to the main event. The reason really we came, the Ail Cert, one of the best golf courses in the world, host of numerous open championships. Um, take it away for us. Yeah, I mentioned it earlier on the poll I've I've not been as excited to play a golf course for a very, very, very long time. Um it was one of one of the great opens I watched growing up with Tom Watson unfortunately not quite getting it done. But it's always been somewhere that's been like so high up on my bucket list. Who knows why? I just it just sings to me. And so I was crazy excited before we got there. Now the weather forecast did everything it could to dampen anybody's spirits. Um we I was what I was woken up multiple times during the night or the early hours of the morning because the lodge that I was in was on the corner to just the driving rain onto the side of the glass. Now, obviously, I was telling myself, brilliant, get out of the air, because of course it doesn't just sit there. Get out of the air, brilliant, that's great. You can't just blow in more clouds. Um, my brother and his group they went out about half nine. We had about half eleven tea time, didn't we? They walked in after nine, it was that bad. Now, I'm gonna call it out you don't walk in off the ALSA, it's too good a golf course, that's pathetic. But we're talking that's how bad the weather was. It was driving wind and like buckets of water of rain just being culped at you constantly. It it to be clear, it was an absolute no-go under any circumstance other than the fact it was a top 100 in the world golf course. Anything else, anything else. I would I would suggest even if it was a 50 to 100 golf course, you'd have probably been off it. Correct. Yeah, I think the words that came out of my mouth sat round breakfast were today's just a mentality day. Today's just a mentality day. You'll enjoy it if you have a good, if you're in a good headspace, you're gonna hate it if you're not. And do you know what? For the for the first nine, definitely, I'm trying to think what what the back nine was like, you brought you you came with the mentality. You you were determined, determined to enjoy yourself on that golf course. And it rubbed off a little bit, I have to say, because it I love golf as much as the next man, I know you do too. This was a day that tested the love for the game. And through the letterbox that I had available on my body, beanie down here, snood up here, rain thumping into the chest. It took a lot of effort and willpower to appreciate this golf course, but let me tell you what a golf course it was. It was it was sensational. Um, I it's 12th ranked in the world for a reason, and I can see why. I mean, it's behind Muirfield, which is just a joke. Muirfield's nowhere near it. I mean, I've talked about this on the pod, it's just a joke of a golf course, and anyone who thinks it's great is wrong. Ailsa is just unbelievable. It's for me, it's in the similar bracket of Roll Dornet, but better, in terms of the style. Like right on the coat, you know, you get that sort of vistas. Um it's well, we started off in the worst of the weather, and I think we'd prepared ourselves for 18 holes of lashing rain, lots of wind, which is what exactly what the first, the second, and part of the third were. First, we were going into the wind, second, we had it on our backs, and it was a little bit better, a little bit nicer, and you're going, okay, downwind, we're okay, we can we can be fine, and then sort of back into the wind again on the third. And it coincided with what I felt were probably the weaker holes on the course. I felt like sort of the first is a very good hole, don't get me wrong. But I think the second is probably everyone's weakest hole that we played, and we played that downwind. Don't get me wrong, again, winter tease a little bit, so we've not seen the full um the full part of that golf hole. But I I think when what then happened was just a bit of a clearing and we had a bit of a clearing for about an hour and a half stretch so we were able to get right the way through just about that front nine and what a front nine you know the the mix up of the the gettable par five fifth after that new par three fourth right on the right on the C you've then got the sixth with the runoff the part three again that that other seventh part five again so you have three five three five with the seventh again being really gettable but depends on what line you want to take off the T because left is just garbage gone C eventually you get onto that really really strong eighth hole the part four that's sort of right up into the corner where you're getting you can see the lighthouse you're getting close you can feel it and then getting onto that ninth with an okay enough weather that we're able to go and have a walk back to that 250 yard t uh T that the pros play off right over the the rocks and the sea and then moving forward and and making two you don't don't worry about it but that's that's nice um to then go and sit into the the clubhouse and watch the heavens open once again the yeah that's the it the ninth eighth or ninth that part three before the clubhouse the ninth ninth I mean no there are a couple of pro tea boxes that we actually walk back to and you were like oh my god this is just a different gravy that hole was the first I really remember I actually really like that part three with the big runoff I thought that was um uh the six six or whatever it was uh I thought that was good um and then yeah got to nine and then yeah you're kind of marching towards the clubhouse six seven eight nine which is quite cool and then you get there obviously the iconic lighthouse uh halfway heart sorry halfway hut not clubhouse and what's so funny about it is so the wind had picked up Josh just made a beautiful two the rain is starting to hammer it down we're feeling really good about having a 10 minute sit down the front door to the clubhouse is on the sea side the clubhouse the halfway hut for goodness sakes Steve is on the seaside which is the wind was coming off the sea and so you walk around this corner and you're just getting cluttered into the glass and then you're trying to open this door and it was like a world strongest man event like two of us hanging off this handle trying to prise open the door to the halfway house finally got in there bang shut on the back of us and we sit there and we look at each other we're like you know a couple of people chatting about oh they're gonna call it a day obviously we weren't going to um and yeah we just kind of reminisced over what was an amazing front nine and it was uh yeah and then that like the rain was similar to as as you slept through Bell Soundsville just driving against against the glass windows it was yeah savage it was and then there were a couple of nice light bits of relief I think you know we you got in and we got that that lovely pee and ham hock suit just beautiful transpired to be the last couple that they had uh which which added to the to the flavour and how nice it was the boys behind then came walking in into the the halfway house and they literally looked like they'd had buckets of water just thrown at them as they were turning the corner and we were sat there pretty dry like in good spirits they get in like wet through the waterproof like absolutely dripping can I have a suit please just to warm me up no sir no you cannot because they are gone. So that was a couple of a couple of nice light light relief only because we know them not just because I'm I'm a sadist who who likes that sort of thing and then really coming out the clubhouse was probably a low point because we dried off and you're kind of getting a bit of your wet kit on and it it was never fully dry at that not never shouldn't use that word it had not been fully dry the whole way through really um but then walked out onto a stretch of golf course 10 and 11 that wow is you know we talk about we've talked about good stretches of holes we've talked about really the whole front line just about is incredible but 10 and 11 just ramped it up a notch again yeah there are just there's a there's a just a handful of of two three hole stretches that you could go to across the whole 18 which are just magic and I I thought 10 and 11 nine nine ten eleven tough tough to find three better holes in a row than than those I thought um just right along the coast shaped with the land part three was it part was was ten past five ten past five yeah ten past five then eleven past three we'd seen the 11th from that good stretch on the coast from King Robert was the day before all hit good t-shots in there as well um yeah really really strong stretch and and the weather was just starting to crack for us and I think we'd seen the worst of it off while sat at halfway then what transpired is we we've we finished off with the last six in sunshine we really did I mean and and that's that's helped to remember it in a in an even better light because we as you say we we played those last six we played really you know you get up and I was expected to be drenched and and wind and rain the whole day and we probably had three holes of of really quite bad stuff and we were lucky enough that they were holes that actually you wouldn't wouldn't necessarily miss them. They were still good enough holes but they aren't this the signature pieces and we were able to play all of the signature holes in really nice weather really nice it's probably a slight stretch but mentally I felt like they were really nice weather and then as you say yeah pretty much didn't get wet the back nine and actually the sun the sun was was trying to peek through for the last six seven holes as you mentioned and again just the wind got up a little bit more then but it was kind of on our back slightly off the right a wind that you quite enjoy it's just a magical experience magical golf course and would hate to have a a medal have to play a medal score around there just chipping drivers all the way around the place. Yeah do you know what it was a lot more open than King Robert the Bruce we just did get it in much worse weather unfortunately and and I will just speak to like and it it's always the case with these big courses that are ranked this high like not really maybe one two week holes on the whole track but pretty much 18 good golf holes and once you move back away from the coast and head towards back towards the hotel I thought the golf the the holes were brilliant as well I did play them slightly better so maybe I'm looking at it through uh rose tinted glasses but was it with the water and the bridge was that 16 or 17 the par four that was 16 16 I thought 16 was good and then 18 coming up you know Tom Watson what happened down 18 how he obviously almost won it in 09 um right down to the to the clubhouse there the the sun was shimmering off the hotel strong par four I thought and just just a great finish great to finish in the sun because we kind of came off and because we'd had that respite the last third I feel like you had a a better chance to review it positively and um and yeah we sit there and you just look back and just unquestionably for me the it's it's I'm not sure I had the best experience because of the weather but like the the best 18 golf holes that I've played as a collection um certainly in in my time on on this planet a really really great golf course and to be honest I don't feel like I particularly tick the box like I want to go back and play it in the sun um I'd have thought in July in sunshine not too windy that would just be hard to beat yeah yeah just sensational right up there in your top three top five whatever it is I think it'd be the best course if we got the best weather I don't know where it sits but it's certainly in that bracket of best courses I played gasping to go back already absolutely sensational um nice course well yeah well let's run it out by the sounds of it the course pretty much takes uh care of itself you I there's no world you can't give it a five it is it's a sensational track now three P's really really interesting to see where you land on this because a lot going on at Turnbury like it's a hell of a facility so uh three P me up please Joshua for Turnbury as a whole I'm gonna go four and a half the reason I'm going four and a half is the practice facilities were sensational track man bays everywhere hit what you want well well created area very good the you could argue there isn't a patio which maybe moves it to a four but you know I'm gonna re-revalue it I'm gonna go to a four the the the the the practice range is that good and the short game area is that good it's very very good there isn't a patio there isn't more which you know Scotland who necessarily uses a patio that often but we like a patio there wasn't a patio and then the Pro Shop whilst massive and had lots of options and I've seen on your cap the the better logo I think the logo's big I think the logo could be a little bit better rather than the Turnry golf coup all around it so I don't think it's my favourite logo I've ever seen and so as a result of that I think it's a four yeah Patio so I'd be interested to see if the range goes to grass in the summer yeah trackman bays are good I don't think I don't think a practice facility can get absolute top marks if it doesn't go to grass. That's my that's how I see it but yes in the winter trackman bays uh three golf balls it was it was perfect uh out of the wind out of the rain Scotland Ayrshire like they just don't have patios really when you think about it um clubhouse is very good so and then pro shot I like the pro shot the pro shot was was was good very well stocked lots of options and so yeah I'm I'm at four and a half I I think something something just a little bit lacking I think four would be would be slightly harsh but it certainly puts both courses in it an incredibly high regard so you know I'm at four five four and a half on Ailsa nine and a half four four and a half on King Robert Bruce eight and a half so you're you're up in the eights and the nines which which is pretty serious stuff so uh long and the short of it is Turnbury it is a must-do should be on your list I think if you look at shoulder season stuff staying the lodge is not the main hotel you can get up there play two nights two rounds and it knock costs a fortune it is obviously the most expensive green fee in the world I think they're they're in Shadow Creek so you're a thousand pounds as a non-hotel guest if you want to play it on the weekend in the morning um in the summer um but there's yeah lots of different pricing options and so certainly if you're interested just dive into that a little bit and and I'm sure you can you get on there for something you feel is reasonable but an iconic spot and somewhere certainly I look forward to hopefully going back to in the future. So we got to the Friday and we got to Westing's which started pinning but we pinned this one on towards the end didn't we because a list got published I can't remember golf.com maybe something like that and it was like best winter deals and number one was Westingales which you can get a green fee of£95 for up until the 15th of March and we were playing on the 14th or whatever it was and so we thought we'd have a bit of that so uh yeah to kind of conclude the trip well you and I were together we we played on the Friday at Western Gales yeah we we did and a real contrasting um club compared to Dundonald I think it's it was the sort of first feeling I got you know very traditional very sort of it felt like it had history all over the building the way that but what I would say is for a very big clubhouse really poor use of space for the Pro Shop is it's sort of something to call out there like nice and early doors but lovely people um you know really accommodating really helpful um when we had a couple of different asks and needs that we had on that day yes a really good um value round of golf I would say it's ranked 43 UK Island 16 in Scotland the only thing before we get onto the course that I would say to be mindful of and and again this sort of falls in the bracket of I really want to go and play it again is that for that 95 pounds you don't see the best of it. And I and I felt like that was the case because certainly when we get into the back now and I know I'm jumping around a little bit but there are some phenomenal tea boxes right up like slammed against the beach which make them really nice sort of dog leg right sort of for a bit of a run and par fours whereas in the winter we were we were sat the other side of the the dune and it was just a straight hole and and just kind of lost a bit of its vista and a bit of its touch but yeah I don't want to dwell on that. Yeah I I echo all of that and I think that's really going to be the main takeaway here is uh old school old school club which I like um pro shop great logo I I really like the logo and I just think the Pro Shop could have been bigger and I I think Western Gales is a destination and so they must have the traffic and I'm surprised they don't want to do more that retail space but really really friendly guy in the Pro Shop really friendly people in the bars I said they helped you out as well. So good vibes all around we didn't see the practice facilities but then go out on the course and I I think to be honest the main takeaway was oh I understand now why they price it at 95 for the winter they essentially have very very different winter tea boxes to their their usual 4T setup or whatever it might be for the for the shoulder months in the summer. And so as Josh alluded to there like the reality of that is I felt like we played three quarters of a golf course maybe two thirds like we really didn't see the best of it. It was actually I I thought the the grass paths etc were in slightly poorer condition. I don't know why compared to Dundonald like we we experienced the most mud of the week by quite a long way um but yeah gonna kind of unfortunately just leave it as a kind of needs probably go play that again strong stretch though was the uh the path five sixth part three seventh are they the right numbers thank you very much six and seven nice yeah six six and seven two fantastic holes signature stretch for sure they're the ones you see on a lot of the photographs um yeah really nice spot there it's it's really hard to comment on the rest of it because I said like I think well there were a couple of tea boxes we looked at and we were like yeah different different story from up there but good coastal links probably the worst condition of of the lot um and and probably got the most watered down experience but for 95 quid I'm I'm certainly not sat here complaining about it. I could completely agree yeah and and I don't want to do it dirty because I think there was enough there to see what what can be a really good golf course you know as you mentioned six and seven the part five right round and then into that Dune area and then the seventh which from the main tees hitting right up the coast into that that sort of um slightly uh downhill into the Dune again part three you know even when I think down to sort of like 1314 the part three part five when you switch back into wind um yeah 1314 the part five we as I say switching back that was just some quick quick making sure that was what it was what it was um you know it's a plot of land that's the other side of the train track to Dundald closer to the to the sea and what I therefore expected was those those vistas as I mentioned and and that that real feeling of being right by the sea and as we say we just didn't quite experience that from from that tea time but you're right for what we paid and when we think about the cost of golf at the moment which is it's crazy is is the word to use that is a a really really good value round of golf i I mean it's it's it's I think 290 pounds in the summer so we could basically got a 200 pound discount so to be able to stick the ball marker in the in the in the frame behind and say that we've touched touched the earth uh there for for under for 200 quid less I I still think it's a good deal to add and and I know we've spoken about the weather a lot I thought actually quite comfortably the most miserable day I don't know if it was just like last round vibes Ailsa behind us so we just didn't quite have the motivation but we had two separate hail storms that happened whilst we were out there which um yeah one was on the fifth as well so I didn't say like early enough that it's wet yeah and and I felt for for whatever reason Elsa I don't know if it was the wind blowing us dry I I just didn't feel like I got anywhere near as wet the day before like I was just piss wet through and we were those last five holes we were just marching them down just like desperate to get in we both straight in the shower weren't we afterwards and uh so yeah so hard hard to really um sit and give it all its glory but like I I could see the potential and the potential is fully bloomed I'm sure for six months of the year. So Western Gales I I gave the course a four I think at its pump potentially is a four five but definitely I think I'm being nice at a four I'd we played a three three five but that is completely unfair so I'm definitely not going to give it that and then old school clubhouse think the Pro Shop could be bigger didn't see the practicalities um so I've given it a 3-5 but again probably a four if I experienced a lot yeah I I'm I'm I'm around that camp I think it I think it was a 3-5 golf course that we played but I think it could be a 4-5 golf course I think it could be like a 4.25 golf I as I said I think it's a similar bracket to Dundonald albeit it's ranked higher um you know it's saying it's 43 UK Island certainly seen seen more of courses that are are lower ranked and I'm talking like higher numbers lower rank you know um than that but I agree I think we it's unfair to call it that because we got a winter ray and it was exactly what they've advertised this this you know it's£200 cheaper it's gonna be a£200 cheaper golf course and unfortunately it was um having said that you know the course we played was a 3-5 I think it's harsh but that is the course we played so I think maybe a four for now is is fair. And I agree with you having not seen having not seen the practice range because of just the weather and a busy start to that morning for us I couldn't see it. I don't know where it is um so I can't comment on if there is one I don't know where it would be if there is one that's my next question about that. The patio again not not very big didn't really see one but maybe it was sat there um and then the the the Pro Shop was was poor the logo was good but there wasn't very much in there. So I'd probably say that's a three for me. But I think that a seven is an incredibly harsh reflection of what Weston Gales is because it is not a seven golfing venue. I think it is one of the jewels in that area obviously outside of of the Ailsa and I think we need to go back and see it properly. Yeah and I think that's a good place to summarise like um you know if you go on our website we've obviously got silver gold platinum packages like the Weston Gales golf course would be in the platinum package so just to give you the overview of what's in the area like you would I'm sure be putting that above Don Donald in in your if you were picking uh the lot we just potentially got it in a in a in a state that maybe we like I said are reflecting slightly more positively on Don Donald but like I definitely think there were strongest direction West and Gales and greater potential. So Westing Gales was done and so yeah Josh and I departed but I thought just be interesting to get your your perspective on one other golf course so we were a group of eight at Turnbury and we split off into two fours and the other four went to Presswick so Presswick's obviously another big name up there I know you have played it before so just quickly um for the listeners what what are your thoughts on Presswick Golf Club my thoughts on Presswick Golf Club I think they it's very traditional very traditional golf club and I think that they have lived off that and the Pro Shop right up there as one of the great pro shops. So as a as a three Ps and there's a good patio outside to overlook the the 18th and the first T as the three P's go it it's it's gonna rank very highly and maybe even like a four and a half it's right up there. As a golf course I think it's a three and a half I think it is I think it's ninety two ninety three in the world I think that's that's wildly wildly overranked I think it is it's obviously got Loads of history. Um, one of the earliest opens, maybe the first open, I think it could even have been the the home of the open, uh the original home. But any golf course that has a blind path three is crap, is is kind of where I'm gonna start. Uh and and that has a blind par three. I think it's fun. I think that as I said, there's history there, and I would say that uh go and check it out for yourselves because I would imagine it's a golf course that divides opinion just because of its lunch and its experience and its heritage, it's well worth playing and walking in the footsteps of greats in the past, but I can see why it's dropped off the open rate uh rotor, it's not a big enough golf golf course. I don't think there is enough variation to it, and I think that it's a a pretty bland test. It's a harsh scathing assessment, and I would say go and prove me wrong. Definitely like go and have a look, go and prove me wrong. Two of the boys that I know played it thought similar to me. Two of the others loved it. So again, it it really does divide opinion, but that that was my take. Didn't get it on a sunny day, got it, played it okay, but got it again on a bit pretty grey October day. So maybe I'm doing it a disservice from that perspective as well. Yeah, I've I've I've heard a lot of divided opinion over it. Um it's by the sounds of it, is one of those tracks in Scotland that is pulled up by history. You know, we've spoken about the old course as another example. Maybe if you put that anywhere else in the world, potentially not a top 10 golf course in the world, but the history does have a pull in this game. And I believe it was the first open at Presswick. And um, so definitely if you're if you're into ticking ticking your boxes um around the world, it's one you've got to go do. And if you go do go and do it, it would be interesting to hear your opinion because I said I think there are definitely two camps when it comes to Presswick. Um just sorry to just jump in, I was just gonna say, and worth noting that we were back in the Marine Hotel the night before, after we'd played Dale, sir, and it's 15 minutes to Presswick and 10 minutes each to Western Gales Dundonald. It's a really handy location to to clip off three really good golf courses, and that's even if you're not touching Turnbury, which of course is it is the one to do, but that's why you can do those sort of different levels of packages, tick a few bits off as you go, um, and from that perspective, I think it's it's well worth playing. 100%. And and then just to conclude, we did move. I I certainly moved out of Scotland, and on the Sunday I drove back past Southport, which actually is four hours away from um from that part of Scotland, which is remarkable. You think someone lives up there, really the plethora of unbelievable golfing options that they have um available to them.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:50

Now, I only played nine holes at Hillside.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:55

Okay, the plug the the plug was pulled. Um, have played it before, which helped massively in that decision. Uh, I was I would say I was dragged off. So uh the fellow we know there who's the member, he was like, I'm done. And so was his mate. And then me and uh D Win, Dwyn was like, I'm I want to carry on. And I was like, Yeah, I do want to carry on. But here's my big problem, right? I had been rocking, I had a I've got a pair of IJP waterproof trousers. So, you know, that's that's throwing it back a solid decade for those that know obviously Ian Pulse's brand back in the day. And they they did a really, really good job for me all week. They really did, God bless their hearts. But it rained probably the most consistently across that front nine at hillside, and uh about seven holes in, they just decided to pack it in on the scenes, and so just my trousers underneath the waterproofs were just starting to get quite soggy, and you're there and you're like, it's the back nine at hillside, it's the thing they all speak about, and let me tell you, even though we played it in the dry rain, because it wasn't that windy, I kind of was like, Oh, this is fine. I was getting wet and it was getting quite miserable, but like I was they were all my group were complaining so much about it, but I was like, lads, you have no idea how much worse it can get. And I have to say, we've we played it before together and I was filming quite a lot. I got very cold because the camera kept coming out, and I wasn't this time. And I only played the front nine, back nine's obviously supposed to be much better. What an unbelievable golf course, Hillside is like I it just like jumped so far in up in my in my head just being back on the turf. Carpet fairways. Oh my god, they were so good. Best I mean, best conditioning by a mile that we played that week. The grass paths walking around, the greens were quick for that time of year, the grass was up, the holes were framed. I love that style. The dunes with the trees, and it's kind of coastal, but you can't really see the it was Hillside. I I got a lot of time for Hillside, and it really, for whatever reason, it really moved up. But did play the back nine. Um and yeah, had a quite miserable, soggy undressing session before getting into some some cleaner clothes afterwards, uh, and and then driving home. So yeah, it wasn't wasn't necessarily as big a stop as as it was meant to be, but uh nine hill, nine holes at hillside's always nice. Well that was it. Yeah, it it's it's a great track, it really is a great track. Um we got it on a cold day, and and sorry to see that you've got it in a rainy day. Um, but it's it's it's brilliant. I actually just wanted to, before we do conclude, just for the last couple of minutes, just wanted to do a bit of a quarter check-in on our goals for the year that we we discussed um at the start. And I think what how many new courses had we agreed on? I can't remember what we did. 20. 20, 20. 20 new courses and four in the top one world 100. Now, I have immediately stuck myself behind the eight ball with this because we did have Ailsa done, top top 100, um Lido, San Valley is booked, and then we had Rossapenna uh booked as well. I have unfortunately had to withdraw from Rossa Penna because a very good friend of mine, he's having his stagdo in Mexico City, and he's having his wedding in Athens all in one year. Can you believe that? Aggressive, very aggressive, but uh it's it's that weekend. So I I I've had a couple of those where it's just been like, oh, just not quite married. So I'm I'm down to now two world top 100s books. But yeah, 20 new courses. I'm just glancing to my do you know your number? Maybe you can take it away. I've I I do know my number, and I've also got a ranking in order um piece that I've I've started working on. So I am currently nearly a quarter in on uh six new golf courses. I do expect actually that to by the time we roll around into the end of quarter one, getting that to seven, I've got a little a little a little chicken up my sleeve, which I will we'll talk about another time, um, over on the west coast of Ireland. So looking forward to hopefully trying to nibble that one off, clip that one off. Um but I'm on six, and I've got one in the world's top hundred, obviously, the what we've discussed today in Ailsa. And I also have a ranking that I'm not going to disclose now. I think that might be maybe a mid-season ranking, a halfway house, if you will, um ranking of the courses to date. Uh so that for me is a very strong start to my so sorry, expect so the the ranking to date? So I've got my six, and then in order of where I think each other. Whoa, okay. I'll I will do that for the for the midway point. I am at five, um and I have one top 100, so on track, exactly, I suppose. Um, and I not to want to fall too far behind, I do have six in the diary, which is a week today, um which is a bit of a random one. Um, but looking forward to that. So trying to keep pace with you. I thought you were playing more in Ireland, so I thought that gap might open up a little bit. I've got another one, but that will fall into quarter two. Oh so yeah, so I'm I I've started I've started the year how I need to, but I'm worried. I'm worried about Q4. That's where now I'm I'm here, there, and everywhere in the summer. So the summer is really where I'm gonna have to make my hay. Um how much hay we make, I'm not sure, but there's opportunity there to maybe stretch out maybe into a into a lead, but I I feel like I need to work through it before Q4 because Q4 is gonna be pretty dead for me. So um, yeah, it's gonna be interesting. I like that. I like that. Good update. Nice, nice. We'll keep the quarterly updates coming. Um and we'll we'll do a half year review as well. We need to review, we need to review all of our goals, I suppose. But that was this is definitely the the top the top one for sure. So uh let's do it. All right, mate. Appreciate it. Good to catch up as ever. We are full program go off Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and I will see you in the next one.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:39

Cheers, Paul.