From the Clubhouse: Should traditional golf clubs be consigned to history?
Should golf be all about fun and frolics or is there still a part to play for the traditional golf club with its historic values?
On this week’s From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll discuss whether the sport is evolving in the face of a new desire to provide entertainment above all else.
Tom is talking from California, where he visited Goat Hill Park – a trendy, celebrity-backed, municipal course which has captured the imagination for its chilled out vibe and focus on atmosphere.
The pair ask whether that’s an option that could find favour in the UK, and consider what traditional clubs are providing for their members and if they need to widen their horizons.
Steve also talks about his through the bag fitting with TaylorMade Golf at The Belfry, with head professional Daniel Warwick explaining what he will be toting around the course this year.
And after an interesting experience Steve had when being asked to play through a fourball, the duo look at the etiquette of when and how you should stand aside.
Listen to our views on traditional golf clubs and playing through on the From the Clubhouse podcast
Hear what we think on the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, in the player below, or on your preferred podcast platform…
What do you think? Is golf fine as it is, should it make strides to open up to a new audience, or is it not a problem as long as the members are happy? Let us know with a tweet.
- NOW READ: Golf clubs warned: Offer more than just 18 holes or lose players
- NOW READ: What’s the right way to let people play through?
More podcasts from National Club Golfer
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.
