Golf Photography, Valderrama & Hidden Gems with The Surrey Golfer | Full Program Golf Podcast #34

Episode 34 of the Full Program Golf Podcast is here!

This week, we sit down with Alex Wright - better known to many as The Surrey Golfer on social media. Alongside creating some of the best golf photography content in the UK, Alex also works as Assistant Secretary at the highly regarded West Sussex Golf Club.

Having played a huge amount of top-class golf around the UK, Alex joins us to chat through his recent travels down England’s south-east coast, the courses that stood out and the hidden gems golfers should have on their radar.

For his ultimate golf destination, we head to the Costa del Sol, with stories from Valderrama, notes on the underrated Santana Golf Club and a few off-course tips and tricks thrown in along the way.

As ever, we also cover some of the biggest talking points from the professional tours over the past week.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome back, episode 34 of the Full Programme Golf Podcast with me, Josh Conlon, and as ever, joined by Stevie McAvoy. Today we are interviewing Alex Wright. You may well know him as the Surrey Golfer on Instagram. He is also the assistant GM at West Sussex. We're going to talk all things photography and his quest to play the top hundred in England. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Stevie, how are we? Hello, dear boy. How are you?

SPEAKER_03 0:39

Yeah. You know what? The sun is shining. Played some good golf courses this week. It's a it's a good, good time to be alive. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Yeah, I'm very well. I'm very well. Let's dive straight into it. Where have you been uh nipping around?

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Yeah, so I managed to just um nibble off a a a new golf course. So helps our um year-long quest for the um for the 20 spots. Played woke on oh I just breaked it.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Yeah, no, no, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

I just broke it, didn't I? I just broke it, went straight in. I was getting a bit excitable, you know. Um yeah, so completed the three W's now, finally, which is very nice. So played Woking um on the weekend and also went back to the just the the world-class Sunningdale, and just the vibe that that place is completely unparalleled. And what was really nice was being able to go Woking, you know, really highly rated golf course, very nice golf course, and top caliber of of golf course, golf club, feel everything, and just how Sunningdale just is a completely different beast to anything else. It's just the best by a mile.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Nice. Well, so that's interesting. I didn't know you were gonna play Bo King, but I actually shared on our Instagram story the uh of kind of picture of the clubhouse because I believe the Westerias out on it at the moment. Uh and obviously that clubhouse sits right on 18. Am I right in thinking? Right on 14th green, and then 18th to the right of it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Nice, and it's in play.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Oh, it's in blue.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Uh yeah, well, and and and so I suppose it begs the question what 3W's final rankings, please.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

So I actually got asked this question, and um, we've got obviously a couple of friends at Warclesden, and um they're not happy with my response, let's let's say. But needless to say, no one seems to be happy with my rankings going off uh the band and pod that we we delivered. So um I still stand by what I said there, and I stand by what I'm about to say now. I think we're talking about three very good golf courses, the three in the three W's. Um I know each of them all like to think of themselves as the best, which is interesting, and I like it. And you know, when they're in that close proximity with each other, I think as a golf course I'm gonna rate on the golf course and I'm gonna go on club. That's what I'm gonna go for.

SPEAKER_04 3:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

So golf course in third is Warplesden, in second is Woking, and top is West Hill, and I'm gonna get killed for that because a lot of people that that won't agree and think Woking's by far and away the best. Now I have to caveat I had a bit of a twinge in my back when I played it, so I didn't see the best of Woking because I played it as if I'm an old man and I can't swing. Um but I just think West Hill has a bit more about it. There's some weak holes on all of the three courses. The conditioning of Woking West Hill for me beats out Warpleston. Um, so that's why I go go for those. In terms of club, interestingly, I'd have West Hill third. I would then probably go Woking second because of the two-ball nature, albeit Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, you can play four ball. I like to be able to play four ball better ball, favorite favourite style of golf. Uh, and then interestingly, if I was to join a course, I would actually join Warpulston because I think it's fun. But as in terms of what I think are the best courses, if I was joining a club for the best course, I wouldn't be a member at Roma's surreal. So that's that's where I'm at.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

It makes sort of sense. So, what are your thoughts on the first at Woking? Because that hole kind of divides opinion. Some people think it's uh a fun, short, risk reward start, others are like it's just a kind of hole to get you going. I heard someone say that because they didn't have a range or don't have a range, that almost the first is the range because it's this just kind of short whack it move on kind of thing. Where did you land on the first hole?

SPEAKER_03 4:58

I I I think it's average. I think it's an average hole. Um, you know, it's 270 yards, but you probably want to land at 230 because it's then all downhill. You can't finish short, but it's probably a 230 carry, and then you're on the green part four. Green slopes ridiculously front to back. And that was something that actually put me off woking a little bit. You know, the the green complexes were so severe that I think the members pride themselves on the the green and how the greens and how severe they are, but actually they were uh a little bit on the verge of the ridiculous rather than the sublime. And I I felt as though as a members' club that's never gonna host a a massive competition because it just isn't gonna be in the same realms as the these big courses, all you're gonna do is slow down play. I guess that's why it's a two-ball course. And actually it's just a bit of a grind and sometimes a bit of a joke where you're hitting these puts to. Um overall though, I thought it was a sensational test, but that was why it just fell away a little bit for me. So, first hole, I would put it down as the third of the three bet of the three W's opening holes.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

It makes sense. I saw Crouchy even uh pull trigger in the Sunningdale Pro Shop. Did you uh were you in his ear there? Were you just were you getting come on, mate? Come on, you're not sponsored by Tartus, you're not a pro. Buy some merch from a club.

SPEAKER_03 6:21

Yeah, he'd um I actually didn't get in his ear, but he said to me when we were driving down, he was just like, I think I'm gonna pull trigger on my first piece of merch. I was like, Well, you know, there's worse places to start, Sunningdale, and he got this nice white cap, and rather than the logo, it was like a a picture of the from the 18th on the old. It's a nice cap. Yeah, um, it's a nice cap. If I hadn't already got some plenty of Sunningdale merch, I might have been tempted to uh to dive into that.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Nice. Well, I I haven't been on quite the adventure. I did manage to clip another round at Purdue's Heath, which obviously we played and and and stuck on on YouTube back end of last year. So it was nice to get back out there quite quickly. And I have to say, like, yeah, we were obviously playing it towards the end of the season. Um, I played it, you know, now in the kind of almost the pomp of golf courses in the UK, certainly in the south. And um yeah, 4 pm T time on a Saturday, and it was absolutely glorious. Like it's it's it's growing on me the more I play at that place. Um, you know, we spoke about it before, but that stretch from about six through to 13 is like actually really good. Um very, very playable. Um and yeah, like you could choose good scores. I think if you played there and you'd be really happy doing it. So uh so other than that, I I did visit RMS for the first time Sunday, um, which was was nice to at least play once this year after paying my membership fee. Um so it was good to nibble one round. Um I felt like it was a bit kind of in between the two spring meets, is kind of how I felt. But um Sunday next weekend, so it'll be interesting to see what we think of conditioning there afterwards. But shall we crescendo quite quickly into PJ Tour stuff? Because it was quite an interesting tournament this week, wasn't it? It was the truest, yes.

SPEAKER_03 8:06

Um and before we do that, very, very briefly, Jurav Premlal, I probably butchered his name 28 under at El Prat, Estrella Down Masters on the DP World Tour, wins by 14, and at one point is um threatening the 15-shot lead win that Tiger had, which would be the record at the US Open, wins by 14, he was two under after 23 holes. He'd have won by four if he'd only played the weekend. I mean, that's just like the stat that you've got to do. We've just got to call that out before we get to what was a better tournament in the truest for sure.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Wow, interesting. Funnily enough, so El Pratt was where I was there, was a moment in my life where I thought I was going to move to Barcelona, and that is where I was eyeing up. Uh, that would have been a slightly different turn in my golfing career, but never happened anyway. But uh, that is a good start.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

Yeah, his biggest paycheck had been 21,000 euros before he won the 470k winner's price check this weekend.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Just not do you know what? And and then I think this is a nice segue to tee you up to talking about this weekend just gone. But if we go back, we didn't catch up on the Cadillac. What a great story. The Fitzpatrick younger brother Alex obviously gets in the field, comes night in the Cadillac and picks up a check that's exactly the same, basically, as if he'd have gone to Turkey, which is what he was due to do, and he'd have won there. So uh carried a bit of form over, and then obviously into the weekend, just gone.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

Yeah, and God, it would have been great to have seen Alex win. It really, really would. You know, there were lots of group chats popping off, uh, conversations going, you know, Sheffield Boy, let's get it, let's get another one, another winner uh again. What what a great performance, is what I want to start by saying. You know, it was a real shame that uh Sunday just was a bridge too far and he didn't have his best, and it was fair to say that he was sort of grinding all day, missed a couple of early early putts that uh on another day they go in, and and was I just I just never quite felt he was gonna do it. But the Saturday round of golf was sublime. It was really, really an excellent showcase of golf, and it was just a great tournament, great names up there. You know, we had Nicolai Huygard, which was great to see, Ricky Fowler coming back, which was fantastic to see. Obviously, Alex Fitzpatrick, Christopher Reithand, by the way, he is a killer, he is an absolute certified killer. He is going to be he's gonna be a perennial winner. I think he's gonna win a lot on the PGA tour. I think he's a killer. Um, I just really enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. And I was looking at, you know, obviously Alex Fitz has got uh three starts, you could argue, on the PGA tour this year so far. He's 22nd now on the FedEx Cup already. It's already, it's absolutely phenomenal. You know, we do a little Dan Brown check every every week that he's playing, and he's down to like a hundred and something. Alex is is 22nd in three. It just shows what an absolute explosion he's had onto the scene um with the win and then the T9 and then the fourth on his own. Just and just brilliant.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

And and like you said, he he played so well for three days, and yeah, it obviously off to a bad start Sunday, really gutsy, I thought, to pull back. I think he had three birdies, kind of it was about 11, 12, 13 kind of um space, and obviously was back in the lead um for a period of time on that back nine, and then obviously just fell away with another double um in the in the closing stretch. But I think it's gonna put him in good stead going forward, like the amount of times you see someone get that 54-hole lead, fall away a little bit on the Sunday, but you know they've got the rub, you know they've got the rub of being in the chase, in the lead, right when it matters. And I do think that I would say more often than not, but a lot of the times you you then are five weeks later and all of a sudden they're in the same position, yet they feel more comfortable, and they actually get it done. So, look, if you'd have told him he was going to go ninth-fourth straight out the gate after winning, he'd have probably bitten your arm off. Um, and so feeling really good about it, feeling really but good about it going forward. And you know, wouldn't be surprised if he if if he clipped another win this year. I really wouldn't.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

No, I agreed. Yeah, I felt he was just a little bit behind when he didn't birdie 14 or 15. Bad chip, bad putt. Um, but let's not focus on that. Agree with you. He's earned what that two million quid, maybe a bit more. Yeah, he takes that in three weeks. It's a pretty good clip, might even be like 2.8. Um, and just as we're closing out before we we bring Alex in, um, another friend of the pod. A great week on the challenge tour for Barclay Brown. Good stuff, gets gets his start through through the England Gold programme, which is fantastic. And um, third, writing in a mountain, tied first going into the last round with Chris Wood, a former Ryder Cup player. We have to remember, mixing it with with the best of them. Good, solid, four under, bogey free, last day round, not quite enough. Shows he's got the form, shows he's got it up the Sheffield boys. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Yeah, love it for Sheffield Boys, and I will just cap us off now. I I feel like we actually haven't really dived into the live topic since the news break with with pulling out and everything else. But as it still rumbles on this year, I just want to give a final shout out to Anthony Kim 62 on on uh in the final round in Virginia. I mean, what an unbelievable round of golf that was, uh, obviously to help the aces claim the team victory. Really interested to see what he does in the aftermath of Live, but I said I think that's uh that's a big topic and for another day. So, as you said, from Alex Fitzpatrick, we now go to Alex Wright. As you said in the in the intro, Alex is the sorry girl for an Instagram, he's one of my favourite accounts to follow, beautiful photography. I I need to get down to West Sussex, which is where he also works as the assistant GM, because he's just regularly feeding the gram with just unbelievable clips of this course. Um, and so without further ado, let's get into the interview with Alex Wright. Alex Wright, welcome to the pod. Cheers, guys. Thanks very much for having me. Absolute pleasure. So, as we've said in the intro, you are the Surrey golfer on Instagram, uh, amateur golf photographer, which uh and one of one of my favourite accounts, I must say, and then you're also the assistant GM at West Sussex, which is an incredibly highly rated golf club, obviously down in the south of England. First question to you what currently is the more prized possession? The golf clubs or the camera?

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Uh I don't know. Maybe in terms of monetary value, they're probably maybe about the same, but um, I don't know. It's it's it's a it's a funny one. I I really, really enjoy my golf, but I think like over the last couple of years, it's for me, it's like being out on the golf course and being able to take photos is is kind of that elevation of just the whole golf experience for me. Like I can walk over a golf course and shoot, you know, 10, 11, 12 over uh and not be mad about it because I've got always got the opportunity to take a photo. So it's um yeah, they're good. It's a symbiosic relationship at a minute, it's good, it's good fun. No, Matt Start getting the camera out if I can do that then.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

The world's angriest golfer, Sato. Do you do you ever find that do you do you think like almost you're distracted by the camera at all? Or like are you at the point now where you find it's just kind of very much like you're you're in the habit, the camera goes with you, and you kind of seem to do both. Because I mean we do you know, we play and we'll play kind of you know competitive tournaments at the golf club, but then we also try and do vlogs, and it it is like a bit of a shift, I find. Yeah, it's sometimes that has to go away.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

Um but yeah, I mean, I like you said at the top of the show, I'm I'm an amateur amateur golf and an amateur photographer, and so I don't I don't I'm not competing too much, and I'm fortunate to play in a Folsom's competition you know called the Halford Hewitt, although I haven't been picked for the last couple years because the team's too good and the side's too young. Um, but yeah, I mean it wouldn't come along with me like if I was competing or anything like that. But the social golf I'd play or hosting people at West Sussex, um, you know, the ability to go out and take camera and it's been really nice and casual. That's so I like it.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Nice. Yeah, Josh and I unfortunately didn't go to good enough schools for the health is here. I think I believe we both could get into the graphs of Morris, and that's uh yeah that's where we have to apply our trade. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Competitive foursoms is is the uh yeah, is uh difficult stuff to you know to play scratch foresomes in what is likely to be testing weather, people watching, uh you know, relying on your playing partner and him relying on you, yeah, tough.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

Yeah, no sorries, of course, is the golden rule.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Never, never. That's agreed before you tear up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

See, I like a couple of sorries in there. I like I like the the fear. Like there's no sorries until you're absolutely just continuing to put me or I'm putting you in the cabbage, at which case we need some sorries. You know, when I miss my first two footer with a rattlesnake, it's like sorry.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

You've got to set expectations, haven't you?

SPEAKER_03 17:38

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

I mean, to set the scene, Josh has the wildest Forsomes partner in the whole golf club at the moment, and so I I assume he's ex at least expecting some sorries along the way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Uh to tell you a story, the the most nervous I've ever been on a golf course was when I played in the Hewitt face first first time I played any Hewitt, so getting picks um was great, but nerve-wracking. You stand on that first tee at Rorsing Ports, and you've got the wind coming in like right into you. Um, or it's kind of into you off the left. And if you've ever played at Dill, you've got the clubhouse about 200 yards down the right hand side, OB, and you know, kind of you drive up, and there's 150 people, you know, 70 people on the terrace, 70 people along the uh fairway. And I and I and I was off on I was playing the odds, so I was teeing off first, and if you draw the match after 18, you have to go back down one again to play hole 19, and then 20, or however many holes you need to finish the match. So I was standing on the tee, nervous already, and the first first match came off 18 that's had to wait a little bit longer, and then another one came off 18, had to wait a little bit longer, and yeah, hitting that T shot with that wind, with people watching. Oh, I I've never been so nervous. Something scabby, low off the hill, you know, first cut fair way down the right, it was was enough, but yeah, shaking, shaking in my boots. I was gonna say, where did it end up with that with that build-up? Yeah, I know, it could have been terrible. And literally, when we when we turned up um to the club, we saw we saw balls bouncing down the road and then bouncing back inbound. So it's all possible.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Fly me. All right, let's let's take it back a couple of steps. Like, set the scene for us. Like, where did golf enter your life? Where did photography come in? Like, how you know what's the journey to get to the point now where, like you said, you're you're kind of in the industry, and obviously you've got an Instagram page that you kind of invested a decent amount of time into.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

Yeah, I mean, golf has always been uh part of my life. Lucky my dad took me and my brother down to a little nine-hole at the time called Huntswood, just the other side of Burning Beaches. Great little course, Parkland course, and yeah, so got golf very quickly become part of our sporting activities as two brothers. Um, and then we kind of continued to play summer holidays, school teams, uh, and then I went to university, founded the Golf Society of University, which was great fun three years ago in Bristol, and then um then I got a job, and so so golf, golf was always I always wanted to do something in golf. Um, I just I felt like for me I could, you know, sell miles bars in a pro shop, sit in a mow at 4am in the morning and be happy. I just wanted to kind of do something in golf, but um, you know, picked up a job in the city working as a planning consultant, ran the company golf days, so tried to do as much as I possibly could do despite not being in golf. And then during COVID, had a bit of a rethink. Um, and yeah, I really wasn't enjoying my job at the time, and yeah, kind of had a period where didn't know what I wanted to do. I remember chat chatting with my wife in in our bedroom, and uh I was looking for another planning job, and she was like, Don't you dare. What do you want to do? And uh the golf was an obvious answer. So, you know, we sat on the end of the bed, we prayed, opened up the bi uh opened up the Bible, opened up our laptop, and literally like the first thing that we saw was this job at a golf club four minutes down the road called Purford Lakes. Um golf post-COVID was going crazy, so it was all baptism and fire in terms of you know how to how to run a golf club and what needs to be done, and you know, all agronomies, sales, all all of the above. And yeah, very luck, very lucky, very fortunate to work at Purford at a time where um so much was going on. So had four years at Purford, um, and that was at the brand about the time that I started the Instagram account, the Surrey Golfer. Uh started on Twitter. I did a lot of writing before. I wish I did more now, but time has got in the way, other things have got in the way. So it started on Twitter writing, blog posts, um, and then you know, somebody said, uh, you know, Twitter's not the place for photographs, get yourself on Instagram. So That's what I did. And then then that's how it started. And and yeah, then uh succession of jobs came up. I short stitch at Brockett Hall and now at West Sussex and count myself very fortunate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

We've actually just nipped the um head green keeper from Brocket Hall at the club that we're a member at. Okay. Where where are you? I I remember. What what's his name, Josh?

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Graham. Graham. Graham Graham. Yeah. Yeah. Graham. Yeah, we're at Royal McGround. Graham Downs. Ah, okay, yeah, Graham Downs. Graham's a great guy. His brother's Graham's brother founded Black Bear Burger. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:32

Really?

SPEAKER_02 22:33

That's good intel. Yes, good knowledge that. No, he's really, really good guy. Really good guy.

SPEAKER_03 22:39

Yeah, he's come in and the family are just completing side quests. You know, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

Yeah, no, but no, that's good stuff. Yeah, Graham's good.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Yeah, he came in, so at Mid Sorry, we had a big problem because we're on the Thames, so we're in the floodplain, and then that we had flooding issues, etc. etc. And so he's kind of come into a bit of a kind of ugly child, I suppose. Um, but just come in and made lots of really sensible decisions, and I think that's just all you can ask for when someone comes in like that.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

It is, and that that's when you know have so many clubs out there that have had green keepers, it's the type of job where you know that somebody will get not comfortable but really familiar with with the site and they've stayed there for a long time. And what you know, if that person retires or moves on to a different job, a kind of fresh pair of eyes at a golf course that you know, in that that first couple of years, there's a bit of a honeymoon phase and some really quick wins start to happen. And um, yeah, I hope I hope it does for Roman Sarra.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

That'd be great. Fingers crossed. And so when did you then finally make the move across to West Sussex? And like, was is that a club that was on your radar before? Like, you know, we we kind of hawk the rankings, like we know where it is, like it's very much on our radar, but was it on yours? Uh it was.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

I was very lucky when I played for our school team again in the Forsms competition. Uh I played West Sussex when I was about 14. Um, and I remember it being, you know, a pretty foggy memory of what it was like, but I remember it being, you know, Purple Heather, it being Heathland, remember playing terrible golf. But I just remember it being lovely. And then maybe about three or four years ago, I became friends with a couple of members. I had a couple of outings there, but I remember kind of one time working in the industry, you're very lucky. You get you can get to play some amazing places through just a it's through just a polite email and a and a request. And the industry is great for that. And I remember sending uh the secretary an email, you know, one one early August, uh, early August day, and you know, I said, look, I'm just on my own. Can I come down at 4 30? And you know, won't won't get in anybody's way. And the secretary very kindly said, yes, of course. And I I played this round in like the most incredible light, uh, and I just thought to myself, what an incredible place, like so much better than I ever remembered it. And five months later the job came up, and so uh, and then yeah, so I've been at West Sussex pretty much a year, almost a year to the day.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

Well, just over a year to the day. Amazing. And so you mentioned there that kind of header you described a little bit. I mean, someone who's not played there, like you know, s sell the West Sussex dream to us. It's my job, so I should be good at this, shouldn't I?

SPEAKER_02 25:16

So um, but it's it actually almost comes down to the logo. So it's we've got quite a like famous logo, I'd say, but nice and simple. It's just the shield with three colours. You've got the kind of iridescent purple, which is the heather, uh, and then you've got the the yellow, which is actually gorse. Most people think it's the sand because it's an incredibly sandy site, but it's for the gorse, and then green uh for the pine trees, and that's that's it, like golf's best tapestry for you know, it's incredible golf, really, really, really firm. It is at the minute, it's playing like mid-July at the minute with a lack of rain. Um four mil of rain in April, 40 mil in March. It's been you know, it's been a bit of a topsy-turvy start, but um, yeah, firm and fast conditions, like beautiful heather heather-fringed bunkers, and it's very unique at West Sussex because we are fairway than heather. There's no first cut anywhere. So short grass, you know, play the ground game, and it's stunning, but it's difficult, it can be difficult. And then you've got the added uniqueness of it being a par 68 with only one par five, and it is so it is a test. It's a test, it's a great test.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

I love love that it sounds great. I've all I always, whenever I've seen the logo, and now that you've explained the logo, that that's even cooler, to be honest. I always just thought it was like the Belgian flag. I thought there was maybe like an affinity to Belgium from somewhere, and I didn't know what why it was. Like, yeah, it's uh it's it's interesting to hear that they're those those three different colours. Um so two ball golf course, we're right. And and that's all week round.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

All week round. There's very, very few exceptions, and mainly for member competitions. There's the odd, you know, Christmas scramble, for example. But yeah, two-ball golf, um, which is unique. There's maybe us and two or three others in the country. But it a lot of it has to do obviously traditions, uh golf course, you know, started in 1930 and two ball golf was was there from the outset. Uh, but it's also to play four ball golf around there is is is difficult. The routing is really intimate, you know. The green to tea transitions are really short and beautiful, and so you know, four-bolf actually, the golf courses are designed for it. Um, and you know, with foursoms and walking ahead and keeping up pace of play, that's that's that's all what it's about. So there are occasions where you may ask a member how they played, and the answer is very well, Alex, three hours fifteen. Um, but yeah, it's it's fantastic. It's great to go out there you know in a two-ball late afternoon. It's the best time.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Uh so it's a next question, but kind of building on that, is we you know, neither of us play at a two-ball golf club. What do you actually see? Is it mainly two players going out? How often do you see Forsim's games rolling out?

SPEAKER_02 28:11

Um it's mainly it's mainly member play, but you know, some of our best society days. We've got we've got Mashey uh hosting a day with us uh I think this week, actually, Wednesday. And so their itinerary is they they go off in two balls in the morning, have a fantastic lunch, two balls carvery, they get dressed up a little bit for lunch, and then go and play Forsomes afterwards. And that that kind of concoction is is really, really good fun. You know, it's 36 holes are not slog, get to play half the shots in the afternoon, and yeah, it's it's a really good choice. But it's it's mainly member play for Forsomes, I would say.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

Visitors just want to play the rainbow because I I have to say, so I um I was chatting to a member there, and I I believe you you can tell us in more detail. I think it's your men's dinner. At your men's dinner, do you not just you do so you do a random pairings draw and then the next day everyone goes out in like a men's dinner full competition or something like that? That is a great event.

SPEAKER_02 29:10

That is a great event. It's a it's a black tie dinner on I think it's gonna be it'd be on the Friday, um, you know, full course jobe. So you you know get really stuck in. Great wine. We're very lucky. We have great wine list, and uh, and so yeah, we then do a draw, uh like a random, random draw, pretty much, and yeah, then they all go out in the morning. So uh as a as an office and club employee, it's a long couple of days for me, but uh it's it's great. The next day to be you know paired up and it's completely random, and then there is also an unofficial tote that goes on in the evening, so it's a little bit of a little bit of betting on on the best pair or what pair the members think will win. So it's great fun.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

Love it. Um, and then yeah, I was wondering if you're gonna touch on the spot the par 68. So it's one par five, is it? Where where does the par five come? Because I I'm a big par five position person. Like we have a par five at the second whole rule, Monsari, and it comes too early. It'd be an amazing hole if it was 16-17. You're chasing a score, but it's kind of like a uh uh like and you just kind of play at the three-shotter, and that's it. Where is your par five? Is it gettable?

SPEAKER_02 30:19

It is gettable, it's straight off the bat, it's hole one. So no, like it's really it's really interesting though, because golf courses designed around that time didn't have practice facilities. So our range, and we're very lucky, our practice facilities are fantastic, and they're right next to the club. And you think, oh, it's gonna be this way since day one, but no, it used to be an airfield, um, and so historically, first holes you always had that gentle handshake opener, and that was basically your practice hole. You know, you got it out of the way, you had two swings at it, and off you go. So, yeah, it's a it's about 470, 480 yard par five. And you know, at the minute it's a it's it's a driver, driver A tie, um, with our firm it is at the minute. So it's very gettable. We had a member making albatross last week, so it's uh yeah, it's it's a great hole. It's a really, really good start, and it can, you know, if you make par there, you're a bit like it's gonna be difficult to try and you know pick up that birdie somewhere else in the course, but it's a good start.

SPEAKER_01 31:23

Love it. Um and then last thing coming on West Sussex, I just want to touch on and ask you what it was like. I'm pretty sure you played in it, um, if I remember correctly, from your Instagram. You had one of the cookie jar events there. Yeah, how was that?

SPEAKER_02 31:35

Yeah, it was good. It was really good actually. Uh she fell on my 30th birthday, so it was a good day all round, and I may or may not have actually won the event. So I'm gonna speak very highly I'm gonna speak very highly of it. Um, but yeah, we're we're lucky we uh Cookie Jar were um employed by the business uh by the club just before I started. So they manage our social media account along with a bit of content generation for myself when needed. Um and yeah, they they hosted an invitational Forsomes event. It's it's fantastic. Get stuck in at lunch, like I said, in the dining room, go out, play Forsomes are kind of the real essence of the club, and uh very fortunate to come away with a with a W.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

So it's good fun. I was gonna say, I was pretty sure there was a picture of you sat on the lift of a bunker somewhere holding a trophy. So obviously a bit of local knowledge shone through on that day. It helps, yeah, it helps. Um nice, cool. All right, let's let's kind of move away from West Sussex because you're obviously an avid golfer uh and have played a lot of very good golf courses. Thought we'd just touch on a recent trip you just did um down to the Kent coast, if you will. What were the highlights from that from that little little jaunt?

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Um it was incredibly windy, I could tell you that. I think we had 50 mile an hour winds at Raw St. George's. Thank goodness the ruffles down. Um but I love it down there. I'm very fortunate that I get to spend a fair bit of time down there each year, um, whether it's the Hewitt or um a bit of alumni golf or or just kind of knowing a few people down at the club. And so yeah, we went down there on the on the Wednesday um and I took a few colleagues down there, so it was a little bit of you know learning best practice and sharing some trade secrets and hospitality and good agronomy and all of the above. And um yeah, played 18 at Royal St. George's. It was fantastic, it's it's in the best condition it's ever been at the minute. Um I used to be a a country member at Hailing and West and uh Royal St. George's uh nabbed the Haling head cook head head course manager at the time, and Greg Easton him he's his eye for detail has been superb. So um yeah, Royal St George's members are very lucky. They were lucky already, but they're even luckier now. Golf course is fantastic, and and so yeah, we had some great hosts down there, the Pro Shop guys, especially Harry and the Pro Shop, he was great. And um, yeah, we're we're fortunate to to know um the McGurk family. Uh so they put us up at Prince's, which was lovely. Um, yeah, don't so don't take that for granted. And and we managed to get out for nine holes in uh late afternoon at Prince's. So that was Wednesday, which was really, really nice, and um had a good you know, got stuck in at dinner. And if you ever stayed at a lodge there at Prince's, got a bar, yeah, brilliant. You got all the the bar the memorabilia around and Arsenal and the telly and I'm a I'm a Guna, so that was that was good. That's a shame, isn't it? Oh, it's such a shame. And uh yeah, and then we you know we we got up nice and early and played and managed to hop across the deal on on the Thursday and I think yeah, uh Rorsing Ports is fantastic, full of full of funk and quirk and a bit less windy, so you could play the shots you wanted to play. That's great, a great trip.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

If you have to rank the three, are you would you conform with what people who are not gonna hear what you were gonna say just yet, would you stick with what people would suspect, or do you have a slightly different ranking of the three?

SPEAKER_02 35:07

I think yeah, I think when I first started playing those courses, I think Deal probably picked it for me. Um I didn't quite get Raw St. George's the first time around. It was you know, Raw St. Ports is out and back, it's um it's really funky, but you can kind of see it all in front of you. Whereas, you know, at Raw St. George's there's a lot lurking that you don't know. But over time, the more and more I play it, I think Raw St. George's maybe just gets it, just gets it. But there is and and and there's something to be said for Raw St. George's, you know, how the routing changes direction all the time, you don't have that battle coming in, that's just an excuse. You don't have that battle coming in like you do at Dill. Um, it's kind of all all all over the place, so you're playing lots of different different shots, and at Dill you just gotta hang on for dear life when you're coming home. So it but it but it's great with it, it's a fantastic feature. But yeah, close, but Wilson Georges gets it for it.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Nice, yeah. We can grid that. And and I think for anyone that hasn't played them and wants to get a flavour of them, head over to your Instagram page. Like absolutely amazing, amazing shots from from all of them, great carousels, and uh you know, wanting it back to West Sussex. You you treat us about once a week, it feels to an early morning shot or whatever it might be, uh, just to kind of wet the whistle, which is uh is always nice. For the for the for the photographers that might be listening, what are you using? Like what like what what settings are you putting in place to to get pictures looking like that?

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Well, I I did a bit of research before I picked up the camera, so I think I I picked up my camera, where are we? Uh about a year and a half ago. So up until that point, it was purely iPhone stuff, and uh I found that you know the iPhones have got so much better with photography, but I was nowhere near using it to its you know to its eighth degree. Um I just found found something that worked and that people liked. It was you know going to the 70 mil aperture length within within the iPhone, it's brought things into you know a nicer field, it wasn't flat. So that's I just wanted to replicate that with the camera that I picked up and I've got it here in preparation. So it's a Fuji XT5, so it's got that kind of classic look to it, but fully digital, and it's got a it's got a 65mm lens on it, so fixed aperture, and what I really love about it is that it makes me move around the subject. It's hasn't got a zoom lens, I'm not compromising, I've got to go and get the shot, which is nice, great. I really enjoy doing that. Um and Fujifilm, if you if you've looked into Fuji at all, the in inbuilt recipes, basic filters, are fantastic. You really don't need to do very much with them in post, although I do. Um yeah, it's it's pretty easy to take take a shot, have it attached to your bag or or in your hand as you walk, and it's not a big piece of kit.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

So yeah, like perfect. And so an interesting kind of wrinkle to all of the photography stuff that I've been seeing is by the looks of it, you're you're starting to work with more and more golf brands. Um Stitch, Glenmour, I don't know if there's any others, but keen to understand kind of how that came about, like who are you actively working with now? Like, I I I I'm a big fan of Stitch, and I I remember you put a picture up being like I'm season ready kind of thing, and it was like bag, hold all that kind of stuff, and it just looked it just looked quality.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Yeah, I just lucky with really how the how the platform was grown organically, and their brands want to want to use certain platforms um to reach an audience. Um I don't need to tell you guys, you know, it's it it helps having a decent audience, and if you can take a picture, then they're kind of willing to send you send you little bits here and there. But um, yeah, Stitch is Stitch is great. Um I think like best polo shirt in golf potentially, with the you know, button-down collar keeps it nice and stiff, and uh you know, bags are great. I used to have a Tightless Lynx legend. I still do, it's in fantastic condition. I still still use it every now and then, but yeah, the Stitch, I think it's the Gen 2. Um it's yeah, fantastic bag, really good. Um, but yeah, just being able to take a good photo, I think you know, brands have kind of their their eyes have been opened, especially with user-generated content. You know, I can get it in my hand and it can look quite authentic with with me using it and just putting it organically into posts, um, which has worked quite well. It's good fun.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Yeah, I I think the stitch clothing is underrated. I I think at the moment in the UK, people even the bag stitch is really only starting to make its way into the UK. It's obviously much bigger in America. I think people are still thinking bags first of them, but I I think we will see more and more of their clothing come into the into the market. Do you have it in the pro shop at West Sussex?

SPEAKER_02 40:09

Yeah, we have uh only recently the last couple of weeks. So we've got a small capsule there, um, it's going well, and all their um kind of hand luggage stuff as well, all the like rucksacks and uh suit carry stuff. It's really nice, really high quality stuff.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

So yeah, good. It is indeed. And if Stitch are listening to this, Josh and I would also love to have some Stitch gear. So please, please reach out and get in touch. Uh so final question: who's your dream brand? Who who would you love to open your DMs and see has entered them and wanted to work with you?

SPEAKER_00 40:41

That's a great question. That's a great question.

SPEAKER_02 40:44

I think the the qu the overall quality and like this the style of Peter Millar is is great. Um, but they don't even work with pro golfers, let alone little old me. So um uh it's probably not gonna happen, but who knows? Um but yeah, I Peter Millar are really classy. I like I like what they do. Um but it's more I love I love my travel. If I can you know travel a little bit more and play golf and take my family with me, it's doing a little bit of that rather than you know the physical the physical gear. And I'm lucky, I'm I'm you know I'm I'm set for the season and then she's beyond. So it's about getting out, taking small photos, taking my family with me, and seeing, seeing what we could do.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Very good. All right, well, I think you've kind of segued us beautifully there. Let's get into some golf travel. Um, because that's obviously what we like to talk about. I'm gonna pose you the question, I'm hoping I hope you're prepared. What is your favourite golf destination? Like, where have you been? What just sits number top of the list as the place that if anyone asks you the question, where should I go next? That's where you tell them.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Gosh, yeah, I I have I have thought about it. I think like personally for me, like Costa del Sol's got so much nostalgia for me. It was somebody somewhere that we went as a family every year. Literally, I went every summer since I was four months old, and so we got to know it like the back of our hand, and then I met my now wife, and literally two weeks before I met her, her parents picked up a place out there. It's like brilliant, nice. Uh and so the but the golf courses out there are fantastic. It's not it's not your sari golf, it's not your next golf, but the quality of golf out there and just the general enjoyment is is brilliant, and so nobody's gonna have a bad time when they're going to play golf out there. So uh easy answer potentially. Um, but last year I was lucky enough to uh be invited to go and visit Comporter, so Portugal's new golf destination. Uh two new courses down there, Terrace to Comporta and and Torre. Sergio Garcia's kind of first first design. But that that whole stretch of coastland south of Lisbon, just before you get to the Algarve, is stunning. Epic, epic beaches, crazy duneland, like the most perfect flora tapestry for golf you can you can imagine. So unbelievable that you've only had one or two golf golf courses in the destination up until now. But yeah, that that terroristic comporter and what they're building around the hotels, the restaurants, everything, it's yeah, what just based in the next 10 years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:14

Yeah, a couple of bits to jump in there. I was actually just whilst we're talking, I thought terroristic is it's now number one in Portugal, isn't it? Yeah, just had just as so they're clearly doing a phenomenal job. And as much as doing a great job in Portugal, it's always nice. I have also been brought up in a family that loves the Costa del Sol. So we're gonna have to start talking a bit of a bit of beautiful, beautiful Spain. Where about uh what was the course that you remember playing the most? We've all got one that kind of sort of the family ended up at. What's your favourite? Maybe it's the obvious answer, but maybe just get a feel from you. What are the sort of the hidden gems in your eyes?

SPEAKER_02 43:55

A big hidden gem for me, and um, like yeah, I kind of recommended it to a couple of friends at the Start of the year and they went and they had a great time. So um I'm lucky, lucky that they enjoyed it. Is Santana so yeah, Santana, like just just north of Mijas, you kind of come off that Mijas road, like just go towards Lakala. Before you get to Lakala, there's a little old course called Santana. And so it's it's through an old avocado farm. So it's got these like beautiful ruins that are probably from old farmhouses. Uh and it yeah, it's beautiful. You've got like big um eucalyptus trees are overarching the fairways. It's it's stunning. But and the clubhouse is really small, really good food, good wine, you know, 12 euros after you're around, you get a couple of plates of tap house and a beer. It's it's fantastic and got some good good family memories there. So I got married in August 2023, and we stayed just up kind of up the road from Santana. Um, in in a lot in where do we go? I can't remember now, but just up the road from Santana. And um my wife was very generous enough to allow me to play golf in the morning of my wedding. Um we all there's an excuse. You were McDonald's. Yeah, we were we were all staying in the same place, so I had to leave in order for her to get ready. That that's uh that's what I'm telling myself. Uh and and we played 18 holes, and um I I I I hit this shot on the ninth hole, so 130 yards in, nine-nine, and a slam dunk for an Eagle 2 in the morning of my wedding and destroy destroy the cup. So good stories there. My dad's had a hole in one there, so yeah. If you're asking for a hidden gem in the Costa del Soul, that's that's the one. Question to you, Josh.

SPEAKER_01 45:40

Would you want to play golf in the morning for your wedding? I'd want to play in the morning and the afternoon because I'm I'm a bit of a post-golf napper, and I've always thought to myself, like, I like the I like the romantic idea of playing golf the morning of my wedding, but I actually just feel like I'd be like getting going at the wedding and just being like, I could do a 45-minute lie down here. The adrenaline kicks in carries me. So I'm favourite course. Sorry, I'm actually I'm actually going to that coast of Spain for the first time on Friday. So so the fact that Josh loves it and I'm going for the first time is actually the perfect destination. Sorry, Josh, I interrupted you.

SPEAKER_03 46:22

No, no problem at all. I was just gonna say favourite course down there. Is it the obvious? Is it Valderama, or are there some others that tickle you tickle your fancy?

SPEAKER_02 46:31

Yeah, I think it's it's got to be Valderama, just like quality of the turf, and yeah, it's it doesn't get much better than that. Just yeah, walk around there. I was lucky the last time I played there. Um again, working in industry, it helps. Uh I was f first out, myself and a caddy, 8am, just me and the green keepers, it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 46:52

Loved it. It's Maggie, it's it's it's got a vibe very similar to the well, you know, those elite clubs that we've all been to. And just before you were on, we were talking about Sunningdale and it's got those sorts of vibes where it's just quietly just special. And you just know it from the special Valderaram, you drive up the patio, drive up the the little road, and you got the flags and the the range is right in front of you, and just right from the get-go, it has those touches, doesn't it? It's it's a joke, it's a joke, good. Um have you have you played a couple of the other the other big the big boys down there in Salta Grande and uh Finca?

SPEAKER_02 47:28

Yeah, uh Salta Grande is probably the one that I haven't played yet, but Sandrocket old. I played before their recent renovation, so really keen to get back there and see that. Uh and yeah, we we played Finca as a family. Yeah, big site, big site, and I remember I remember yeah, good times there, good thinkers great.

SPEAKER_03 47:47

Love it. Yeah, it's could talk about it for for hours and hours and hours, but um yeah, needless to say, I'm I'm with you on the Costa del Sol as uh as a go-to vibe.

SPEAKER_01 47:58

Yeah, so let's so let's build out Costa del Sol a little bit. So if if you were to to recommend to a listener hadn't been before, how many days would you set aside? What's the itinerary? And if I could get you to, you know, pick pick the golf courses you'd send them to, and then maybe a restaurant, maybe a bar that that you can't miss out as well.

SPEAKER_02 48:16

Yeah, easily. Um try not to fall into linakers, that would be the best. You're not playing golf the next day if you do. So I'd I'd try and plonk myself in a lower, lovely residential area, just just kind of up the road from Port of Benoit, so in a real hub, but far enough away that you're not on the first line or the second line, you know, you're just up the hill a little bit, which is nice, and then all round there, you you don't have to travel too far. You've got kind of three courses right there, in my opinion, that that you don't need to go anywhere else. So you've got the the West Inn, which is three nines there, which is attached to the Western Hotel, so it's the La Quinta. Um, yeah, three nines there, so you can have kind of endless combinations of of golf there, which is great. Um uh then the second one would be Los Naranjos, terrible Spanish accent, but Los Naranjos. So it's Swedish islands, we've big Swedish cohort in uh in Marbs. Um, but they they they do their golf very well, they love their golf. So yeah, that that golf course is fantastic. I've seen it's I think it's seen itself on the LET tour. So um yeah, great golf course, it's amazing backdrops with Lahancia in the background. Um, but the the kind of the best one in the area is is uh Las Brisas, and that's gone through a major renovation period, um maybe about two or three years ago now, and that's fantastic. Uh it's so good. The bunkering is superb, it's it's you know a lot more kind of intricate and more refined than maybe some of the other just you know classic Spanish golf courses down there that are geared up for tourism. It's it's a real members' club. Um and yeah, brilliant. And and restaurant, restaurant, restaurant. Gosh, there's so many. Um yeah, I think Chocolate there's a Chocodiro you've got an Estipona, or there's also one a little bit further down the road near a golf course called Rio Real. That's great fun. You're just on the beach and um just had a great time. Paella over a fire on the beach doesn't get much better than that. So yeah, that's a big recommendation. And then if you want to go and have breakfast before the round, go to breathe on the roundabout, just just where a lower is. Yeah, it's a good bet.

SPEAKER_01 50:30

I mean, I'm honest, I'm I'm I'm pitching this as if I'm asking it for the listener's benefit. I'm actually just asking it for my benefit. I'm playing a Los Naranios on day, which I'm looking forward to very much, and I need some restaurant recommendations. Josh, have you got any restaurant recommendations just to cap it off?

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Yeah, so um there's there's a new one that's called um La Mama, which is just up from Breve, and then obviously to Breve, you've got Breve La Sala, and um one that's owned by La Sala next to it, which are all decent, and then just up the road, closer to a Lower Gardens where you're alluding to there, Alex. Um I think it's called um it's part, I think it's part of the big mama group that's the Italians, so they're that's good. And then if you're a bit off the beaten track, for me, the the best restaurant in the area is Los Abonicos up in Benevis. Really Spanish, really traditional. Um, it's down this little cobbled street. They don't they don't accept online bookings, they don't want your business, it's just a word of mouth thing. Ah, the food's sensational, really Spanish, but um yeah, love love what love what you're doing with with Los Aryan Cosas Breesas, uh La Quinta, albeit La Quinta's needs a little facelift here and there. I would say Rio Real that you mentioned is is a great sub in as well. Yeah, just a great area.

SPEAKER_01 51:51

Yeah, yeah, it's very good, very good. Well, safe to say I'm very excited to get out there. Um, Josh, anything final before we we move to our parting question?

SPEAKER_03 52:03

Yeah, I actually just want to um obviously seeing your quest for getting the playing England's top 100 again. I'd love just just two questions to ask. Three actually. I'm gonna go three. I'm gonna I'm gonna indulge myself if I may. I'd like your favourite, I'd like the biggest hidden gem, and and I appreciate you're in the industry, so you might swerve this one, and I'm giving you the out if you want it. Your biggest disappointment. Day three.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 52:37

So my my the first one's my favourite. Not uh not clarification, not necessarily the best, but my favourite.

SPEAKER_03 52:44

Your favourite personal preference interesting.

SPEAKER_02 52:48

Don't say right. Uh I would say um and it's a real bit of it's a bit of a cult favourite uh among my among my mates, and that's Parkstone. Okay, Parkstone down in Bournemouth, um, like presentation, turf quality, kind of just general architectural interest. It's it's pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 53:13

And a great logo.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

Yeah, a great logo to get you know, go down there part of a trip as well, and Ferndale, Broadstone, Arla Perbeck. It's you know, we're we're pretty lucky, and that's very much undersold. And um, yeah, Parkstone is fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 53:28

Parkstone has the best photography of every golf club website in the UK, in my opinion. When we built our website, I looked at thousands and thousands and thousands of images, and the you know, 12 hero images they've got from there are phenomenal. Who did it? It was it Jason Livy, do you know? I don't I don't know who did them, but I mean, yeah, if you go on their website, you'll see them like quite different lighting, but just you know, contrast is amazing, holes look interesting, like it's just yeah, really well done.

SPEAKER_02 53:58

Yeah, and then what was the second one? Remind me.

SPEAKER_03 54:03

Hidden gem, please. Hidden gem. I love where you've gone with the first one, by the way. Potentially's mega.

SPEAKER_00 54:08

Hidden gem.

SPEAKER_03 54:11

And it can be a hidden gem for any reason. It could be it could be fairly highly ranked, but for whatever reason you overlooked it, it could be one of the lower ranks that you go, that was actually just really great. You had a great day on it.

SPEAKER_02 54:23

Gosh, I think, you know, I'd say hailing is not a hidden gem anymore. Um, but you know, if you asked me this six months ago prior to the recent ranking reveal, I probably would have said it's criminally underrated. Um, but yes, to hop down the A3 and drive over that bridge to a little island that nobody really knows about, you know, they've got a couple of caravans on it and a stony beach, and that's about it. But there is a killer links course on there and holds th seven through to fourteen is some of the best links land in the country. And kind of the unique part about it is you're so close to the sea, it's a it's a channel, not the sea, but it's quite unique to have an English Lynx course where you can see all of that, and so you really do feel like you're on the coast. And I was used to be a country member there, and yeah, driving over that bridge and just kind of leaving everything behind you was lovely. Yeah, painting painting was super.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

Nice. One one for us to stick on the list for sure. Yeah, and then the last one I think is disappointment. I can't.

SPEAKER_01 55:31

I can't do that, gents. I'm sorry. I like it. Keep it professional. All right, well, I will I will then fire off our usual parting question. I'm gonna ask you for your fantasy four ball and the course that you want to play it at. Cool.

SPEAKER_02 55:46

All right, like I said, I did some just in prep, so I gave it some thought. Um I was starting golf. Uh, faith is a big part of my life, and you know, someone uh somebody that isn't scared of being um you know, talking about his faith is Scotty Scheffler. So I think yeah, to to tee out with him and see what's going on with his footwork and uh yeah, uh talk about the order, I think would be fantastic. I love love four and a half hours with him, that would be great. Um second one is a bit bit weird. Uh so hold on to this. It's a chat called Jay Rainer. What's your list? Chat called Jay Rayner. And if anybody of you watch Master Chef or you know uh read the Waitrays newspaper like I do, then uh yeah, Jay Rayner's a food critic and he he's hilarious. Uh he's a good cook himself, uh he's a jazz musician, and just yeah, very, very quick with his humour, very funny guy. So Jay Rayner for me. And then as I said, I'm a gunner. Um and another another another man of faith, Bakaya Saka. So yeah, Saka can uh can come out with us. We'd we wouldn't mind that.

SPEAKER_03 56:53

Saka's your out of one Arsenal player, you're going Saka as your as your Arsenal slot.

SPEAKER_00 56:59

Starboy, yeah, it's always and then and then course.

SPEAKER_02 57:04

It's a it's a fantasy course, guys, right? So we're gonna we're gonna go to Cypress Point.

SPEAKER_01 57:09

Um if you had to take them to a course you have played.

SPEAKER_00 57:16

Ah, good one. Uh let's let's keep it professional.

SPEAKER_02 57:20

Let's go West Sussex. There's nothing better than it.

SPEAKER_03 57:22

Yeah. Lovely. In two two balls or foursomes? Forsomed who's your partner.

SPEAKER_02 57:28

Two two balls, and it's a quiet day, so we'll flip the two balls halfway around. That's there. We'll do that. There you go. Nice. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 57:36

Very good. Do you know what? I'm probably gonna give that the most interesting full ball we've had because I think historically it's just been like Tiger Woods, Rory McElroy, and someone ultra famous or like their family. And so uh yeah, that's probably the best blend we've had. Um what are you gonna what are you gonna do if you win the Premier League?

SPEAKER_02 57:56

I don't know. Um me and my mate Craig, we did say we might venture up, venture up to Islington, so we'll see. I don't know. Yeah, me and my uh me and my brother have been coonas forever. Uh I remember my dad saying to me, you know, you've got to support a London football team being from London. His whole family's QPR, QPR rubbish. So uh he said you can support any London team apart from Chelsea. So Arsenal Prime 2004-2005 Arsenal. Good season to start watching him, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:28

Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, I hope they don't win it, but I I think they will at this point. So revel in it and get the monkey off the back, and uh yeah, we'll just have to move all criticism to Tottenham instead, which I'm sure you'll be you'll be more than happy with. So absolutely. Anyway, Alex, thank you very, very much for taking time. It's been great diving into it all with you. Super, super interesting. Uh, good luck on your quest ticking off all the rest of the courses up and down the country. Um, and I hope your career kind of continues in the in the upward trajectory it is. As ever, we are full program golf, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. And uh, we'll see you in the next one. Thank you, mate. Cheers, guys. Thank you.