In the 25 years of covering golf, the development of the game, courses and the camaraderie that’s core to the culture, it was time for Matt to share some of the best stories he has heard around fire pits all over the world. From PGA Tour players, caddies, architects, avid amateurs and buddies-trip planners, Matt has forged relationships with some of the most colorful and influential people in the game. So grab a drink, a seat and settle in. We’re getting to the essence of one story per podcast. A narrative so deep and meaningful, you save it for a post-round fire pit, which is where no one is in a hurry for the night to end.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-fire-pit-podcast-62163827
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 6 days 12 hours 45 minutes
episode 1: The Club Pro Crisis - Part 1: "Ignorance Isn't Bliss"
In this first of several podcasts on what many consider a “club pro crisis,” we talk to several current and former PGA Professionals and other titans of the industry as they help us understand how and why the job of running a club or course has evolved and how and why it’s so hard to find and keep good help. The host, Matt Ginella, apologizes for an ignorant comment he made on a podcast last fall comparing club pros to the type of professional golfers who try to make cuts to earn a check...
episode 2: Fire Drill 078: LIV Reigns on the Block Party
In the latest Fire Drill podcast Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger dive deep into the three winners of the weekend: Brooks Keopka, Michael Block and LIV Golf.
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episode 3: The Club Pro Crisis - Part 2: "Work/Life Imbalance"
In part 2 of a Fire Pit podcast series on the “Club Pro Crisis,” Matt Ginella gets into how and why Shane Ryan’s article in Golf Digest (May, 2022) highlighted issues of a work/life imbalance, money and awareness. In short, club pros and PGA Professionals are taken for granted.
You’ll hear from Shane Ryan, Butch Harmon, Chandler Withington, Rick Rielly, Cody Sinkler and several other voices who share their thoughts on Ryan’s impactful article...
episode 4: The Club Pro Crisis - Part 3: “Where do we go from here?”
In Part 3 of this podcast series on America’s club pro crisis, another collection of voices and perspectives offer potential solutions to several complicated issues affecting club pros. Butch Harmon, Chandler Withington, Shane Ryan and a variety of current and former club pros discuss unionizing and properly incentivizing a “fed-up” industry of selfless men and women whose love of golf is being tested.
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episode 5: Fire Drill 079: LIV and Let Thrive
In this emergency Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck, Matt Ginella, and Mike Bamberger unpack the stunning LIV-PGA Tour merger: how it happened, why, what the future will look like, biggest winners and losers and much more.
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episode 6: The Club Pro Crisis - Part 4 "Sit Down w/ Seth Waugh"
In Part 4 of this series on the Club Pro Crisis, we talk to Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America since 2018. Waugh shares his thoughts on how and why he got involved, how he’s doing a lot of listening in order to improve the lives of his membership, and we learn about his ultimate goal: “I’m trying to leave the room better than I found it.”
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episode 7: Fire Drill 080: The New World Order (w/ Geoff Ogilvy)
In this Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck debriefs Geoff Ogilvy about what really happened in the fraught player-only meeting in Canada. They drill down on the details of the new alliance, with Geoff expressing optimism about the Tour's future.
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episode 9: Fire Drill 081: US Open Preview with a Zing
From the 10th fairway of L.A. North, Alan Shipnuck, Mike Bamberger and surprise guest Paul Azinger discuss the wondrous host course, the feeling of this Open and the continued PGA Tour-LIV intrigue.
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episode 10: Fire Drill 082: A Star is Born?
Straight from the 18th green at LACC, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger break down Wyndham Clark’s gutsy win, Rory McIlroy’s dispiriting retreat and the mixed emotions for Rickie, Scottie and the host venue.
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episode 11: The Club Pro Crisis - Part 6 "Sit Down w/ Former PGA President Suzy Whaley"
In Part 6 of this podcast series on the Club Pro Crisis, we’re joined by Suzy Whaley, who, in 2018, became the first female President of the PGA of America...