Sandbagger Sessions

Cole Atkinson & Stefan Thedorf
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Golf

Yes, it's a Golf podcast. But more fun, more relatable, and more laughs. Join Stefan and Cole for the ultimate unfiltered takes on everything happening in the world of Golf. Everything from stories from caddying on tour, what it's like running an indoor golf facility in Canada's winter, and tips from some of the game's best, Sandbagger Sessions is your go to listen for everything in golf.

  1. Nov 3

    Episode 34: A week in Scotland, live from St Andrews

    Live from the Home of Golf: one week in Scotland, a run of legendary links courses, and one host still fighting the Old Course ballot. Recorded on foot through the streets of St Andrews, Episode 34 of Sandbagger Sessions is our unfiltered recap of an October golf trip to Scotland. No studio, no script, and a few interruptions. Cole and Stefan break down what it’s actually like to play St Andrews and the courses around it: which ones are worth the money, which ones aren’t, what everything costs, and what we’d tell anyone planning their own trip. In this episode: The course we’d play for the rest of our lives, and the one we’d tell you to skipHow the Old Course ballot works, and the morning it beat usWhy St Andrews is basically a ski town for golfersThe Open returns to St Andrews in 2027: new tees and what the wind could doA lost bet, a razor, and a members-only clubhouse in East LothianShould you base your Scotland golf trip in St Andrews or East Lothian?TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Live from the streets of St Andrews 2:45 First impressions: golf’s ski town 4:00 The cost of being here (brace yourself) 6:30 Merch, markups, and the local workaround 8:30 Course by course: the opener 11:30 The quirkiest round of the trip 13:20 Old Tom, Young Tom, and a walk to the castle ruins 14:30 An honest verdict on the resort course 17:30 Carnoustie in near-perfect conditions 20:00 Campus walk: reading week chaos 22:45 The Castle Course 24:35 Round two on the Old Course 26:00 The Jubilee: strategy, wind, and a self-imposed timeout 28:00 Open 2027 prep: new back tees 29:45 How to actually get on the Old Course 31:20 Storm Austin and tomorrow’s plan 32:00 First tee nerves, live 33:20 Gullane No. 1 36:15 Stay in St Andrews or East Lothian? 39:50 Final thoughts from the first tee --- Sandbagger Sessions is a comedic golf podcast hosted by Cole and Stefan, a PGA of Canada professional. We cover golf news, events, and everything in between, with equal parts knowledge and chaos. Follow, subscribe, and leave a review if you’re enjoying it. #StAndrews #OldCourse #ScotlandGolf #GolfPodcast #GolfTrip #LinksGolf #TheOpen2027 #Carnoustie #Gullane #SandbaggerSessions

  2. Oct 9

    Episode 33: We Pitched a $450 Million Golf Resort With Zero Prep

    What would you build if someone handed you a lakefront property in Prince Edward County and a blank cheque? Stefan and Cole set out to answer that live, with no script and no notes. The rules: ten minutes each to pitch an imaginary room of investors on the course, the experience, and why two guys from Kingston, Ontario should be trusted with their money. And since it’s improv, neither of them is allowed to say “no.” Along the way you’ll hear: - A links-style layout with a few things nobody’s done before - A plan for the 18th hole that turns finishing your round into a spectator sport - Why this resort is “sparing no expense,” and where the ask ends up - A drink deal that definitely doesn’t make money - Who gets to be the Steve Jobs, and who has to settle for Wozniak Plus, our Scotland trip is eight days out, and the St. Andrews forecast has Cole checking the weather hourly. If you’ve ever argued about the perfect golf trip, the perfect tee box, or what a golf resort should be, this one is for you. 🎧 New episodes every week. Subscribe, like, and tell a buddy. --- ⛳️ TIMESTAMPS 1:20 The setup: a piece of land, a lake, and one rule 3:35 The pitch format: three categories, a ten-minute clock each 5:45 Category 1: the course, and why the loops aren’t what you’d expect 7:36 Who’s paying the power bill? 9:01 Two modes, one course 11:00 How the 18th hole ends 12:38 The Jurassic Park of golf 14:32 Architects, practice facilities, and a very specific shopping list 16:10 “Three for me, three for you” 16:40 Category 2: who gets to be here, and who doesn’t 18:26 Two restaurants and an unreasonable amount of entertainment 21:06 Why you’ll never pull out your wallet 22:02 The pro shop, the partners, and the cart situation 24:30 The Airbnb problem, solved 25:11 Category 3: why you should back us (Jobs vs. Wozniak) 30:31 The ask 32:09 Legacy, benches, and one very large fund 33:14 The lifetime membership offer 35:00 Ideas that came too late for the pitch 36:48 Scotland countdown

  3. Sep 28

    Episode 32: The Sandbagger Draft (but not like you'd think)

    Ten rounds. Ten ridiculous categories. Two guys with zero notes and very strong opinions. Welcome to the Sandbagger Draft. This week Cole and Stefan throw out the news cycle and draft professional golfers (men's and women's) for the scenarios that actually matter. Who do you want next to you when a drunk member corners you in the parking lot? Who gets the 10-footer when your life is on the line? Which pro would name a boat after themselves? And who could break 80 at your home course, with your clubs, after twelve beers, with $10 million on the line? Along the way: a putting stat so absurd it sounds made up, a 15-hour private jet story you have to hear to believe, a caddie confession involving a banana, one pick so bad it had to be bleeped, and a draft that goes right down to the 18th hole. Plus, Stefan's road-rage run-in after a rough round, why ugly swings keep producing good scores, how much YouTube golfers are really making, and the countdown to Scotland is officially on. Who won the draft? You decide. Drop your picks in the comments and tell us who got robbed. ⛳ CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Episode 32 01:30 Stefan's rough day at Cataraqui (and a road-rage run-in) 06:20 Why ugly swings keep producing good scores 08:30 Scotland countdown: three weeks out 09:30 The Sandbagger Draft explained 11:30 Round 1: Who you want for six beers 17:00 Round 2: Mixed Ryder Cup partner, 2 down with 3 to play 19:40 Round 3: A 10-footer to save your life 24:40 Round 4: Your backup in a parking lot fight 27:50 Round 5: The one pro you'd punch in the face 33:00 Round 6: The leaked DM that ends a career 37:40 Round 7: Last-minute fourth for the buddies trip 42:20 Round 8: The golfer who names the boat after himself 46:00 Round 9: Two hours, off the record, they must tell the truth 52:00 Round 10: $10M, 12 beers, your clubs – break 80 55:40 Bonus round: we tried something… it did not go well 59:30 Scotland plans 1:00:15 Final recap: who won the draft? 🎙️ Sandbagger Sessions is a golf podcast that's equal parts comedy and genuine golf knowledge, hosted by Cole Atkinson and PGA of Canada professional Stefan Thedorf. New episodes weekly. 👍 Like, subscribe, and tell us your picks below. #golf #golfpodcast #pgatour #lpga #livgolf #golfhumor #sandbaggersessions

  4. Sep 11

    Episode 31: LIV Golf Files for Bankruptcy, Tiger's Real Ceiling & a PGA Pro in the Hot Seat

    LIV Golf just filed for Chapter 11 — and somehow that's not even the wildest turn this week. In Episode 31 we flip the format: Cole puts Stefan, our PGA of Canada professional, in the hot seat for a no-notes AMA where the questions range from dead serious to completely unhinged. Before the hot seat, we run the tables on the biggest stories in golf right now: LIV's messy "next era," the purest weekend of the year at the Walker Cup, the blurred line between amateur and pro, and previews of both the Presidents Cup and the Solheim Cup. Then the AMA gets into the questions every golfer actually argues about — what a healthy, distraction-free Tiger Woods really could have done, what genuinely makes someone a "good golfer," and whether today's speed-and-distance obsession is quietly ruining the game for beginners. Plus the two most ridiculous hypotheticals we've ever put on the show. Grab a beer (or, like Stefan, a water sponsored by nobody) and settle in. Chapters: 05:55 — Today's format: putting the pro in the hot seat06:30 — LIV Golf files for Chapter 11 (and the most hopeful bankruptcy email ever written)12:00 — The Walker Cup and the purest form of golf16:00 — When should a pro lose amateur status? The Colt Knost problem22:30 — Why a round in Ireland now costs what it costs23:15 — Presidents Cup preview: is there any hope for the internationals?28:00 — Solheim Cup & giving the women centre stage30:45 — Ryder Cup vs Presidents Cup: the format, explained33:40 — The PGA Tour's baffling rebrand36:20 — AMA: Did LIV actually change golf for the better?42:00 — AMA: How many more majors does a healthy Tiger win?48:15 — AMA: What actually makes someone a "good golfer"?56:10 — AMA: Save the planet — pick your 4-player golf team1:00:15 — AMA: Is speed-and-distance culture ruining new golfers?1:08:10 — AMA: You wake up as the best golfer on Earth. Now what?1:16:30 — Wrap-up & what's coming next week New episodes every week. If you're enjoying the show, follow/subscribe and leave a rating — it genuinely helps. #golf #LIVGolf #TigerWoods #PresidentsCup #SolheimCup #WalkerCup #PGATour #golfpodcast #golftips #breakingeighty

  5. Sep 4

    Episode 30: Golf is sick (Things we are IN on)

    Golf is sick - and we listed out everything we are IN on. Before that... The Good Good and Callaway situation: the ad, the fallout, the sponsors, and whether the response actually fit the crime. We don't all agree, and one of us is definitely going to catch some strays for it. The season-long money bet finally comes to an end (someone's buying dinner, and they're not happy about it), we talk about the looming end to another outdoor season up here in Canada, and then we flip last week on its head with a brand-new list: everything that's SICK about golf. First tee times, wild pars, playing a course for the second time, Ireland, hitting cups, beating that guy… we go back and forth until we both agree — or send it to the jury. Grab a beer (it's allowed, there are only two places where time doesn't matter) and settle in. ⛳ New episodes every week. Hit LIKE & SUBSCRIBE — we need all the help we can get. Timestamps 00:00 – Cold open: setting the lineup 07:30 – The season-long bet: someone lost… 13:45 – The Good Good & Callaway fallout (our honest takes) 21:50 – Saying goodbye to the season & what fall golf really means 25:30 – "Stuff That's SICK About Golf" — the list begins 27:24 – First tee times, frost delays & fall golf 35:00 – The magic of playing a course for the second time 44:37 – A hot take on music on the course 47:37 – Hitting cups & the sweetest sound in golf 49:40 – Why the 18th hole hits different 56:10 – Old clubhouses, questionable showers & a peanut incident 59:19 – Beating "that guy" + the best 2v2 game you've never played 01:02:28 – The quiet moments (and a sign-off you won't expect) Sandbagger Sessions: a golf podcast that's equal parts knowledgeable and unserious, hosted by a PGA of Canada professional and a guy who just really loves the game. #golf #golfpodcast #GoodGood #Callaway #PGATour #fantasygolf #golftrip #Ireland #matchplay #golftok

  6. Aug 28

    Episode 29: The Return

    Note: this episode touches on some sensitive topics regarding mental health. If you or anyone you know is feeling similar, talking about it is the strongest thing you can do. If you or someone you know is ever in urgent need of help, call or text 988 in both the US and Canada. --- After a two-month break, we're back; and we came back swinging. Before any of the golf talk, Cole opens up about what the last few months have actually looked like, including a depression diagnosis and why "having nothing to be depressed about" makes it harder, not easier, to say out loud. Stefan gets into undiagnosed head injuries from a life of extreme sports, why the brain doesn't heal like a broken leg, and the difference between self-diagnosing on TikTok and actually walking into a doctor's office. It's the most honest 15 minutes we've recorded. Then we get to the fun stuff: a full episode building our official list of things we are out on in Golf. One of us proposes it, the other has to agree. Or it doesn't make the list. We debate, we argue, we put a few on the "monitor the situation" practice squad, and we somehow talk ourselves into being out on stroke play entirely. We also close out our season-long PGA Tour picks, heading into the Tour Championship at East Lake — it's down to $15.7M vs $15.4M after 45 events, and the humbling news that neither of us out-earned Scottie Scheffler. ⛳ If any of the mental health conversation hits close to home, talk to someone — a doctor, a therapist, or just a mate. Seek the helpers.

  7. Jun 24

    Episode 28: The PGA Tour just blew itself up (Ryan French on the 2028 Shakeup)

    The PGA Tour just blew up its entire structure - and we brought in the one guy who might actually know what it means. Wyndham Clark went wire-to-wire to win the US Open at Shinnecock, but the bigger story broke before Wyndham could even shake off his hangover: the PGA Tour's massive 2028 overhaul. Cole and Stefan break down the US Open, the "did this major lack oomph?" debate, the soft setup and fog delay, a genuinely brutal NBC broadcast, and the crowd drama that's followed Clark around all year. Then Ryan French (Monday Q Info) joins the boys to unpack the new Championship Series and Challenger Series of the PGA Tour. A new promotion/relegation system that could put 560+ players under the PGA Tour umbrella. Is it the future of golf, or the beginning of the end? We also make our picks for the Travelers Championship and the KPMG Women's PGA, dig into Ryan's skepticism on whether $30M purses are actually sustainable, and play a ruthless game of "keep or punt" with the entire tour schedule. Plus: Ping's $60,000 gold putter problem, Scottie Scheffler's "C game" that still nearly won, and Ryan's surprise new gig co-hosting the Big Break reboot. 🎙️ Guest: Ryan French — Monday Q Info Make sure you follow Ryan and show him some love: mondayqinfo on all of your socials, and watch his podcast "Any Given Monday" with Professional Golfer, Mark Baldwin, everywhere you get your podcasts. ▶️ Like, subscribe, and do all the stuff you normally do to help us out! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Welcome back (Episode 28) & firing the producer 1:00 — US Open at Shinnecock: Wyndham Clark goes wire-to-wire 2:27 — Did the US Open lack "oomph"? Soft setup, carnage & the fog delay 4:17 — Scottie Scheffler's "C game" — and still almost winning 6:14 — Ping's $60K gold putter problem 7:17 — Why the NBC broadcast was brutal 18:56 — Crowd behaviour, Wyndham's villain edit & the apology speech 22:35 — Picks: Travelers + KPMG Women's PGA 26:30 — Guest: Ryan French on the PGA Tour blowup 27:36 — The new structure: Championship & Challenger Series explained 29:20 — 560 players, promotion & relegation: is it sustainable? 35:28 — The marketability problem: who actually watches? 40:30 — The Canadian Open's identity crisis 46:54 — Ryan's new gig: co-hosting the Big Break reboot 47:46 — Closing: match play at Pine Valley & the made-for-TV final 56:28 — The schedule game: which events stay, which get punted #golf #pgatour #usopen #wyndhamclark #ryanfrench #mondayqinfo #golfpodcast #sandbaggersessions #kornferrytour #travelerschampionship #kpmgwomenspga #scottiescheffler #golfnews

  8. Jun 11

    Episode 27: From broccoli farm to golf? The incredible story of Copetown Woods.

    This week we sit down with Barry Forth of Copetown Woods — one of the best public golf courses in Ontario and, in Stefan's words, the kind of place you could play every single day and never get tired of. What started as a broccoli farm just northwest of Hamilton became a fully public, sand-based golf course that opened in June 2003 — built in just 14 months, and perfect for firm, fast, links-style golf. Barry takes us through the whole journey: walking the property as a 24-year-old with zero golf experience, partnering with builder Dick Kirkpatrick on his first-ever solo design, and the philosophy that's defined the place ever since — "we're not splitting the atom." Good facilities, great conditions, nice people, and don't be greedy. The heart of this conversation is the care and pride Barry and his team pour into Copetown. This is a course with no members, no budget, no forecasting, and no tournaments — just straight tee times every single day. Barry explains why he's never been tempted to go private, why the parking lot is his only spreadsheet, and how "Super Pete," his superintendent since 2007, runs the turf with no Greens committee slowing him down. We get into firmness and fescue, autonomous mowers, the post-COVID influx of golfers, and the now-famous "no rakes in the bunkers" debate — Barry's grow-the-game, police-yourself stance that earned him a wrist-slap from the Golf Canada Industry Advisory Council. Plus: a first look at the brand-new 10-hole short course (six par 3s, four par 4s) Copetown has in planning with the City of Hamilton, designed by Christine Fraser. If you're anywhere in Ontario — or just across the border — Copetown Woods is a genuine must-play destination. The reviews back it up: premier conditioning, an atmosphere that makes you want to come back, and an owner who actually gives a damn about your day. Put it on the list. Before the interview, we break down a stacked week of golf: U.S. Women's Open at Riviera — Nelly Korda grinds out her second major of the yearThe Memorial — JT Poston's 4th PGA Tour title and Ryan Gerard's instant-classic "it's not in the bunker, dog"U.S. Open qualifying — the longest day in golf, Miles Russell, Ben Silverman and Max Homa getting throughRBC Canadian Open preview at TPC Toronto, plus our weekly fantasy picks 🎧 New episodes weekly. Hosted by Cole Atkinson & Stefan, PGA of Canada professional. 📍 Copetown Woods Golf Club — northwest of Hamilton, Ontario 📸 Follow Copetown Woods on Instagram: @copetownwoods #Golf #PublicGolf #CopetownWoods #OntarioGolf #SandbaggerSessions #GolfPodcast #HamiltonGolf #GolfCourse #LinksGolf #NellyKorda #CanadianOpen #PGAofCanada

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5
out of 5
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About

Yes, it's a Golf podcast. But more fun, more relatable, and more laughs. Join Stefan and Cole for the ultimate unfiltered takes on everything happening in the world of Golf. Everything from stories from caddying on tour, what it's like running an indoor golf facility in Canada's winter, and tips from some of the game's best, Sandbagger Sessions is your go to listen for everything in golf.

Information

  • Creator
    Cole Atkinson & Stefan Thedorf
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cole Atkinson & Stefan Thedorf
  • Show Website
    Sandbagger Sessions