From the Clubhouse: Are there just too many Stableford competitions?
On our revamped From the Clubhouse podcast, from National Club Golfer, Steve Carroll and Tom Irwin will tackle the issues that are the talk of the clubhouse. This week, they give you the lowdown on JCB Golf and Country Club after they enjoyed an away day at the Staffordshire tour venue.
They then turn their attentions to the medal vs Stableford golf debate – looking at its evolution at Wallasey Golf Club, why it’s proving so popular against medal stroke play, and whether there should be modifications to the Stableford scoring system.
They even come to an unlikely agreement, before Steve takes some golf club committees to task following a reader’s scorecard question in a new weekly Rules of Golf corner.
There’s plenty to go at there so let’s crack straight on…
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
