The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast - Episode 25: The Return of Evalu18’s Jasper Miners

Episode 25: The Return of Evalu18’s Jasper Miners

06/09/23 • 124 min

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.

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

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.

Previous Episode

Episode 24: ODG Series #3 - Eddie Hackett with Ally McIntosh

Ally McIntosh joins us on this episode to take a dive into the golf course design career of Eddie Hackett. A name synonymous with golf course design in Ireland from the mid 1960's until his death in 1996.

Over the course of his career, Hackett would hold many roles within the golf space - apprentice, golf club maker, teacher and head professional - he even owned a tobacconist in the 1950's before he was reincarnated as a course designer through the auspices of an invitation from Bill Menton, the President of the Golfing Union of Ireland, to consider offering course design services to member clubs.

For the final 35 years of his life, Eddie Hackett extended and revised well over 100 golf courses, many of which were on virginal linksland on the West Coast of Ireland.

Over the course of the episode we will take a look at his approach to design and commonalities between projects. We also linger on some of Hackett's better known course, exploring how they started and how they are going now.

Please find a link a number of videos below, introducing you, should you need an intro, to some of the courses that we discuss

Connemara Golf Links
Enniscrone Golf Club
Waterville Golf Links
Donegal Golf Club
Carne Golf Links

Many thanks for tuning in, we hope that you might consider adding some of Hackett's course to your bucket list - you definitely will not be disappointed!

Special Guest: Ally McIntosh.

Next Episode

Episode 26: Grass Routes with Richard Pennell

Richard Pennell makes a long overdue return to the pod, I am honoured that he decided to favour F&F as the medium to announce the imminent publication of his new book - Grass Routes - a collection of some of his @pitchmarks pieces.

[Grass Routes Website](pitchmarks.bigcartel.com)

Richard has launched a new [website](pitchmarks.bigcartel.com) to launch his book, the first edition has a limited run and will undoubtedly be a collectors item in the years to come. Through the medium of words, Richard, has an unrivalled ability to tanatlise the senses in transporting you to first tees, final greens and matchplay battles throughout the golf courses of England, Wales, Scotland and beyond. This is an opus worth investing in.

Competition

In celebration of Grass Routes publication, Richard has kindly agreed to provide a lucky winner with a signed copy of his new book. All you have to do is to follow either of the links below to Twitter or Instagram, follow the F&F accounts and then successfully name the course where the hole in question is located.

F&F Twitter Link
F&F Instagram Link

*Grant Books *

Grant Books are publishing [Grass Routes](pitchmarks.bigcartel.com) for Richard Pennell, Grant Books has been publishing the finest golf books since 1971. Their portfolio includes architectural, historical and club-specific volumes, all produced to the highest standards. Click here for more details of their extensive range.

The Smell of Rain

Towards the end of this episode I completely lost the run of myself :) and challenged RP to write a piece for the F&F listeners on the smell of rain. Alas as the pod dropped the creative juices are still flowing so you will have to wait a little longer to see what he comes up with, as soon as he sends it to me, a link will be posted here to the F&F substack blog!

Richard Pennell Esq

Richard's First Blog Post via Cookie Jar Golf - Rank Outsiders

Richard Pennell's @pitchmarks Substack Blog

Alistair Cooke

Letter from America - Alistair Cooke on BBC Sounds

Harry Rountree Watercolour Prints

A link to the sumptuous Harry Rountree Prints from Darwin's Golf Courses of the British Isles can be found here

F&F Blog - Netherlands pieces

#1 - Initial Observations on Dutch Golf

#2 - The Links Valley - a Reversible 9

Further pieces are currently being developed (slowly :)) on Utrecht de Pan, Royal Hague, Kennemer, Noordwijk and Hilversum will be released over the coming weeks.

If you so desire, you can subscribe to the Firm & Fast Occasional Newsletter at the bottom of all posts.

Other content well worth exploring

McKellar Journal

The Golfers Journal

Contours Golf - Will Watt formerly of Caddie Mag

The Quadrilateral - Geoff Shackleford

The Albatross - Bill Fields

The Duffers Literary Companion - Podcast with Stephen Proctor & Jim Hartsell

Links for below to some favourite writers, a few of whom are also friends of the F&F pod

John Low

Concerning Golf

Bernard Darwin