The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast

Scotsman Iain Forrester has been a golf professional since 1983, moving to The Netherlands to become the Head Professional at Hoenshuis Golf & Country Club in Limburg.

Iain believes that
“......a PGA Professional needs to have a diverse skillset – a jack of all trades and a master of one or two. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my career, to be as flexible as possible, learn as many skills as possible and then have a niche that separates you from others.”

Iain’s particular niche of choice focusses on maintaining and preserving the history of golf, in particular the way it was played in the past with wooden hickory clubs.

Iain repairs and restores hickory equipment for fellow collectors while also suppling sets for hickory events throughout Europe.

As if that’s not enough he has also written extensively about hickory golf and golf history in general. Safe to say he’s a great man to have on the pod to talk about on all things relating to hickory and Dutch golf.

Iain's website can be found here

The Golfika article on the history of British Handicapping mentioned in the show can be found here - pages 6 - 11.

Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy listening.

Episode music supplied under license from Epedemic Sound
Shoreline Serenade - Dye O.1.1

The stars finally aligned recently in providing me with an opportunity to spend some time with Angela Moser - golf course architect, shaper and world traveller!

There was no sign of either a dozer or a digger.... although I am absolutely sure that one of those is undoubtedly in her immediate future.

In this episode we take a deep dive on Renaissance's only current Irish course, St Patricks Links @ The Rosapenna Golf Resort, where Angela, Tom Doak, Eric Iverson, Clyde Johnson, Brian Schneider, Brian Slawnik, Blake Conant, Don Placek & Co. have created what in all likelihood will probably be the last great links to be built in Ireland.

We take a look Angela's back story in golf, which started by chance when her parents enrolled her in a three day golf summer camp for kids in her home town of Augsburg, Germany.

The golf bug bit, ultimately leading her towards a degree in Landscape Architecture at the Munich Univeristy of Applied Sciences, followed by a year long Erasmus scholarship in Sheffield. This UK sojourn, afforded Angela both the encouragement and opportunity to immerse herself in disciphering the myriad puzzles that many of the great UK courses afford golfers.

After graduation, Angela worked in Greenkeeping and Golf Course Design in Germany and Austria.

An internship with Renaissance Golf Design would follow in 2011 and the rest as they say is history.

We take a look at some of this history, while also looking at a few of the upcoming projects that are on the drawing board and one that our interview subject might be inclined to put there, should the opportunity every arise.

Many thanks to Angela for graciously affording me the time to speak with her. We both very much hope you enjoy our chat.

If you want to find out more about The Olde Glen Bar, Glen Village, Co. Donegal, please click on the following link

Additional details on the Rosapenna Golf Resort stay and play packages can be found by clicking on the following link

Angela mentions Norderney Golf Club during the course of the episode, you can visit the Norderney Golf Club website by clicking here, alternatively you can read a little more about it on the Good Sundays Website.

Angela Moser Socials

[Moser Golf Website](moseronadozer.com)
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The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast Occasional Newsletter on Substack

Episode Music provided under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Angela Moser.

Mike DeVries joins us from a wintery Michigan in advance of what may be his final construction visit to the 7 Mile Beach Golf Development that he is currently building for Mat Goggin in Hobart, Tasmania.

We discuss his early influences at Crystal Downs in Michigan, restoration work at the Meadow Club, The Addington & Royal Dublin. We take a quick look at both the Addington in London and the 7MB project, get an elevator pitch for golf in Michigan and finally Mike shares some of his bucket list golf courses and golf book recommendations.

We hope you enjoy our chat.

Please find a few links below relating to some of the book recommendations mentioned towards the end of the episode:

The MacKenzie Reader - edited by Joshua Pettit

Paul Daley's series, entitled Golf Architecture : A Worldwide Perspective , now extends to 7 Volumes, some of which are available through Fine Golf Books. Volume 7 can also be purchased directly form Paul Daley (email him at : [email protected]).

Earlier editions can also often be found through pre-owned book resellers such as Abebooks, World of Books or Thrift Books.

Intro and outro music - _Shoreline Serenade by Dye O _- under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Mike DeVries.

Robin Bargmann joins us for the final time, as we explore how the game of golf in the Netherlands started on the private estates of the aristocratic and mercantile families of Holland. We take a look at some of these early pioneers, that brought the game to the dunescape and heathland of the lowlands.

Over time the custodians of the first clubs, engaged notable names such as Harry Colt, Hugh Alison and John Morrison to revise, extend and design some of the countries best courses. In future episodes we will catch up with some of the modern day custodians to see how history and heritage is still harnessed to the benefit of members and guests at these golfing institutions.

A number of pre-loved copies of Robin's book, The Serendipity of Early Golf, appear to be available from the link below for those that may be interested.

https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/serendipity-of-early-golf/9200000049113765/

The book of writings by John Sutherland, Golf Causerie, mentioned in the episode, can be purchased directly from the Royal Dornoch proshop - link here

Featured music by Victor Lundberg, under license from Epidemic Sound

Special Guest: Robin Bargmann.

Firstly, please excuse the somewhat spotty audio - there were gremlins in the system which were beyond my control - must do better Mr. Zoom...grrrrr.

Jasper Miners from Evalu18 is back by popular demand - to say that the Evalu18 story has picked up pace of late would be somewhat of an undersell. Jasper shares the recently announced news that Evalu18, in association with Renaissance Golf Design, have been appointed to prepare a masterplan to restore both courses at St Georges Hill Golf Club in Webridge, Surrey.

We then take a magical mystery tour through Jaspers travels in Ireland, USA, Australia and New Zealand. We could have gone on for a few more hours - and actually did another 45 minutes or so when the record button was depressed.

It's always great to catch up with him and this episode was no different, we hope you enjoy the blether!

Please find a selection of links below that we mentioned in this episode:

Geoff Shackleford's new book - Golf Architecture for Normal People

McKellar Journal

Olde Glen Bar - Glen Village, Co. Donegal

Torbreck Winery, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Special Guest: Jasper Miners.