From the Clubhouse: Pros reveal the stupid things golfers ask
What’s the weather forecast? The course is closed, any idea when it will be open? Can I return these year-old shoes? We’re all guilty of bombarding our hard-working club pro with some pretty ridiculous queries and, on the From the Clubhouse, we reveal some of the stranger requests.
Tom Irwin has basically been ringing around every pro he knows and asking them to tell us, anonymously of course, about the daftest questions they’ve been asked by members. He’s also been listening in to golfers.
Maybe you’re guilty of asking some of these, maybe you think some of these are perfectly above board, but you’ll recognise someone you know in all of these situations.
If that wasn’t controversial enough, we also address the seemingly and endlessly controversial topic of whether greenkeepers or golfers should have priority on the course – and Steve Carroll has some very strong views.
It’s every shot counts now for Steve, who has begun a six-month odyssey of putting in a score from every round he plays that’s acceptable, and he gives us an update on the first of those before being put under the spotlight by Tom to explain a series of rules incidents at the PGA Championship.
That’s a lot for one episode and so let’s get stuck in!
What do you think? Should greenkeepers always have priority on the course, and are we at liberty to ask our club pro any question we like? Let us know with a tweet.
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; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
