From the Clubhouse: Are our PGA pros a tradition worth saving?
What does your pro add to your life as a golf club member? The From the Clubhouse team discuss this vitally important role
The most important person in the golf club, or a tradition that belongs in golf’s history bin?
In this episode of the From the Clubhouse podcast, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll consider the role of the club PGA professional, what they mean to us, and whether they still have a place in a game that’s being pushed to modernise.
You might not be surprised to learn the duo are very appreciative of the work they do – but they look at why some clubs have gone another way. Is it change for change sake?
They also get into countback. We all know about back-9, back-6, and so on but do you know how far down the rabbit hole you can go? We reveal what the rules say.
Is it the best way to sort out a winner? Should we have playoffs for big board competitions?
And we also discuss USGA research which suggests how far you hit your 7-iron should determine from which tees you would play. Does it also make the game quicker? We get stuck in…
From the Clubhouse is produced in association with TaylorMade Golf.
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What do you think? Is the club professional as vital as ever? And what do you think of these countback rules? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on X.
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.
