For many, it's a fundamental part of the club experience. But Covid, and fixed tee times, altered the landscape. Has roll up golf had its day? The From the Clubhouse podcast gets into the debate

Does club golf for you revolve around turning up and chucking balls in the air, or are we now hooked on the concept of booked and fixed tee times? 

Covid considerably changed the landscape of how some of us play our golf and in this week’s From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll consider what’s on offer at clubs and whether the humble roll up has passed its sell-by date.

Tom and Steve explain how mixing with lots of different players was pivotal in their early experiences of the game, but they also look at how important knowing exactly when you’re going to play is for a modern time-poor generation.

The pair also look at whether a hybrid mix can suit everyone, while Steve has a World Handicap System plea for those who make roll-ups the majority of their time on the course.

England Golf’s Awards, Tom’s travails with tailoring, and an impromptu Rules quiz are also in the mix, so what are you waiting for? That play button won’t click itself.

Listen to our views on roll ups and tee times in the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf

What do you think about roll up golf? Do you just want to turn up and play, or do you enjoy a fixed tee time booking. Let us know with a tweet.

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Steve Carroll

A journalist for 23 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former captain and committee member, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the national Tournament Administrators and Referee's Seminar. He has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying and the PGA Fourball Championship. A member of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap.

Handicap: 10.9

Tom Irwin

Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.

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