Linked By Golf

Ross McGuire
  • 5.0 (9)
  • GOLF

Linked by Golf is a golf podcast that explores the journeys of individuals shaped by the sport. Each episode features candid conversations with golf professionals, aspiring tour players, golf coaches, and sports journalists. From golf coaching tips to tour player stories, Linked by Golf offers a unique perspective on the game. Guests share how golf has influenced their careers, personal growth, and connections. Subscribe for inspiring golf interviews, expert advice, and behind-the-scenes stories. Follow us on Instagram @linkedbygolf2024.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Inside Dunlop Golf Europe HQ with Product Manager, Joe Miller

    Follow on Instagram: @linkedbygolf2024 In this exclusive on-location episode of Linked by Golf, we step behind the scenes at Dunlop Golf Europe’s headquarters in Ash Vale — one of the most advanced custom golf club build facilities in the UK. Ross tours the workshop with Product Manager Joe Miller to discover exactly how a set of clubs goes from retailer order to precision-built performance equipment — trusted by tour professionals and everyday golfers alike. From shafts and heads to swing weight, loft, lie, and quality control, this conversation reveals the science, craftsmanship, and surprising details that determine how your clubs actually perform on the course. How custom golf clubs are built step-by-step Why custom fitting isn’t just for elite players The biggest equipment mistakes amateur golfers make Why wedges are often the most mismatched clubs in the bag How grip changes can completely alter club performance The role of loft, centre of gravity, and shaft selection Typical lead times for custom-built clubs How manufacturers ensure tour-level quality control Joe walks us through the entire journey of a custom order: ✔ Order submission from retailer✔ Specification review and build planning✔ Component picking — heads, shafts, grips✔ Precision cutting and assembly✔ Swing-weighting and measurement✔ Final quality control checks Every club is built to tight tolerances, with multiple verification stages to ensure the finished product matches the player’s exact requirements. “Small changes — length, lie, grip weight — can completely change how a club feels and performs.” Contrary to popular belief, custom fitting isn’t only for tour pros. Joe explains how body type, swing speed, injuries, age, and playing style all influence the ideal club setup — and why buying off-the-rack equipment can leave performance on the table. A standout insight: many golfers carefully fit drivers but neglect the scoring clubs they use most. This episode also explores how golfers actually choose equipment — and why looks often matter more than performance. The surprising importance of aesthetics Why golfers buy wedges that don’t match their irons The psychology behind club selection How modern iron lofts have changed the game If you’re ordering custom clubs, Dunlop Golf Europe aims to deliver within about five days when stock is available — though supply chains and component availability can affect timelines. Considering most golfers keep clubs for years, a short wait can deliver long-term performance gains. Joe also discusses: Forged vs hollow irons High-launch designs and modern loft trends Combo iron sets used by tour players Graphite shafts for injury relief and vibration reduction Counterweighting and swing dynamics Joe Miller is Product Manager at Srixon Europe, responsible for technical specifications, product knowledge, and supporting marketing and retail teams across the region. He has worked with the brand for nearly two decades and brings deep insight into both equipment design and real-world performance. This episode was recorded inside Dunlop Golf Europe’s custom fitting and build headquarters in Ash Vale, offering rare access to the environment where performance equipment is assembled for golfers across Europe. 🏌️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🏭 Inside the Custom Build Process 🎯 Why Custom Fitting Matters (For Every Golfer) ⚙️ Equipment Myths & Eye-Opening Insights ⏱️ Lead Times & What to Expect 🧠 Technology, Materials & Performance 👤 About the Guest 📍 Recorded On Location, Srixon players include Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Sepp Straka, Ryan Fox, Keegan Bradley, Ben Griffin & JJ Spaun

    45 min

  2. 17 MAR

    Why Elite Amateur Golf Needed a New League

    📲 Follow the pod: @linkedbygolf2024 In this episode of Linked by Golf, Ross is joined by Alex Cooper, founder of the Elite Amateur Golf Group (EAGG), to talk about building one of the UK’s fastest-growing competitive leagues for elite amateur golfers. Alex shares his journey from growing up playing golf near Edinburgh to launching the league in 2017, after recognising a lack of competitive opportunities for scratch and elite amateur players. What started with 15 clubs has now grown to 80 clubs competing in a structured league format across southern England. They discuss the five-man team format, how the competition creates opportunities for young elite golfers, and the importance of meaningful team golf outside of traditional county competitions. The episode also dives into the EAGG finals in La Cala, Spain, the growing community around the league, and the now-famous pink jackets awarded to the champions. Alex’s early golf journey in Scotland Why the Elite Amateur Golf League was created Growing the league to 80 clubs Opportunities for scratch golfers and elite amateurs Bringing juniors into elite team golf The EAGG finals week in Spain Future plans to expand the league across the UK 🌐 Learn more: eagg.co.uk📲 Instagram: @eliteamateurgolf

    47 min

  3. 10 MAR

    How Fitness Can Improve Your Golf Game – With Colin Dickson

    Follow the podcast on social: Instagram: @linkedbygolf2024 In this episode, Ross is joined by personal trainer Colin Dickson to talk about the growing role of fitness in golf and how golfers can improve performance through strength, mobility and better preparation. Colin shares his journey from working in IT to becoming a personal trainer, why he now works with golfers, and how he’s helping junior players build strength and clubhead speed through winter training programmes. They also discuss practical ways golfers can improve their fitness, avoid injury and add distance without needing a full gym setup. Why fitness is becoming essential in modern golf The most common physical weaknesses in golfers How strength training can increase clubhead speed Simple mobility exercises to do before a round Why hydration and nutrition matter during a 4-hour round The most underrated exercise for golfers How junior golfers are gaining a competitive edge through fitness Most golfers struggle with tight hips and poor spinal mobility, often caused by sitting for long periods. Improving mobility helps golfers rotate better and reduce lower back strain. Colin focuses on compound movements like deadlifts, squats, lunges, pull-ups and presses to build full-body strength that translates into more power in the golf swing. Golf-specific exercises such as cable rotations, band work and medicine ball drills help develop core strength and improve swing efficiency. Junior golfers working with Colin have already gained 6–8 mph in clubhead speed through structured winter training — potentially adding 20+ yards of distance. Many golfers go straight from the car to the first tee. Colin recommends spending 5–10 minutes warming up with simple mobility and band exercises to activate the hips, spine and shoulders before playing. Golf rounds can last four hours or more, so fuelling properly matters. Colin recommends focusing on: Protein and carbohydrates before a round Hydration the day before and during play Light snacks like fruit, protein bars or shakes during the round Avoid heavy, high-fat foods between rounds which can leave you feeling sluggish. If Colin had to choose one exercise for golfers it would be the trap bar deadlift, which builds strength through the legs, glutes and core — key areas for generating power in the golf swing. Follow Colin for golf fitness tips, workouts and nutrition advice: Instagram: @colindicksonpt

    51 min

  4. 3 MAR

    The Amateur Champion’s Journey | Craig Watson on Winning The Amateur, Playing The Masters & The Open

    Guest: Craig Watson In this episode of Linked By Golf, Ross chats with Craig Watson — one of Scotland’s most accomplished amateur golfers — about a career that spans winning The Amateur Championship, playing in The Masters and The Open, and representing and captaining Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup. Craig reflects on his victory at The Amateur Championship in 1997, a win that opened doors to Augusta National and Royal Birkdale. He shares what it was like walking the fairways at The Masters Tournament and competing in The Open Championship — experiences few amateurs ever get to live. The conversation also dives deep into his long association with the Walker Cup — first as a player representing Great Britain & Ireland, and later as captain. Craig explains the unique pressure and pride that comes with amateur team golf, the responsibility of leadership, and what it takes to prepare players for elite international competition. From growing up in Scottish golf to competing on the biggest stages in the world, Craig offers insight into longevity in the amateur game, balancing elite sport with life beyond competition, and what the modern amateur landscape looks like compared to his era. Topics covered in this episode:• Winning The Amateur Championship in 1997• Earning a place at The Masters and The Open• The Augusta National experience as an amateur• Competing at Royal Birkdale• Representing Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup• Captaining the Walker Cup side• The evolution of elite amateur golf• The pride of Scottish golf tradition• Leadership, preparation, and team culture• Life beyond tournament golf Follow the podcast:@linkedbygolf2024

    42 min

  5. 24 FEB

    Junior Ryder Cup and Stephen Gallacher Foundation with Scott Knowles - Linked By Golf

    Guest: Scott Knowles In this episode of Linked By Golf, Ross chats with Scott Knowles — Junior Ryder Cup Vice Captain and Manager of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation — about elite junior golf, team culture, and building pathways into the game. Scott shares what it’s really like behind the scenes at the Junior Ryder Cup, from seeing world-class junior talent up close to helping select and support Team Europe players competing at Bethpage and Marco Simone. He explains the challenge of building a team, not just selecting the best individuals, and the unforgettable experiences young golfers get when they step into the Ryder Cup environment. The conversation also explores Scott’s own playing journey — from never winning as a junior to becoming Scottish Golfer of the Year — and the lessons learned from competing alongside some of Scotland’s strongest amateur golfers of the era. A major focus of the episode is the work of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, where Scott helps introduce young players to golf through creative competition formats, coaching programmes, and events designed to build confidence, skills, and long-term love for the game. The foundation’s philosophy is simple: grow participation first, and performance will follow. Topics covered in this episode:• Inside the Junior Ryder Cup experience• Selecting Team Europe players and building team chemistry• The standard of elite junior golf today• Scott’s amateur career and Scottish team experiences• Balancing golf, work, and family life• The cost of junior golf development• The Stephen Gallacher Foundation pathway model• Flag events and junior competition formats• Long-term player development vs early performance• Creating opportunities for young golfers Stephen Gallacher Foundationhttps://stephengallacherfoundation.com Follow the podcast:@linkedbygolf2024

    1hr 7min

  6. 17 FEB

    How to build YOUR OWN Launch Monitor - Coleman Rollins - Linked By Golf

    Guest: Coleman Rollins Instagram: @colemangolfs In this episode of Linked By Golf, Ross chats with Coleman Rollins, a software engineer and golfer documenting his journey building a DIY open-source golf launch monitor from scratch. Coleman shares how curiosity about expensive commercial launch monitors turned into a hands-on engineering project combining radar technology, Raspberry Pi computing, and open-source software — all documented publicly on Instagram so others can learn alongside him. The conversation covers everything from caddying in Minnesota to testing radar data in a garage in Seattle, plus what it takes to turn raw motion data into meaningful golf metrics like clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, and spin. At its core, the project is about making golf technology more accessible and showing that innovation in golf doesn’t always have to come from big companies. Coleman’s tagline says it best: “I built a launch monitor at home so you can too.” Growing up in Minnesota golf culture Moving from curiosity to building a launch monitor Radar vs camera launch monitor technology Using a Raspberry Pi as the “brain” of the system Trial-and-error testing at the driving range Building a custom enclosure for the device Making the project open source The role of community learning in golf technology What comes next: simulator integration and data analysis tools Puetz Golf Gerry Gubash — Radar engineering guidance Peter Michels — Enclosure design and fabrication OpenFlight GitHub Repository Open-source project: https://github.com/jewbetcha/openflight Follow Coleman’s build journey: Instagram — @colemangolfs Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolf2024 In this episodePeople and projects supporting Coleman’s journeyLinks

    41 min

  7. 10 FEB

    Why Learning Golf Is About Problem-Solving With Kendal McWade : Linked By Golf

    In this episode of Linked By Golf, Ross sits down with renowned golf coach Kendal McWade to explore a radically different way of thinking about golf coaching, skill development, and performance. From playing on Scotland’s competitive circuits and qualifying for a European Tour event, to working with Ryder Cup players and tour professionals, Kendal shares the story behind his journey into Instinctive Golf and why he believes traditional coaching methods often miss the point. This conversation dives deep into motor learning, exploration, problem-solving, and why golfers should focus less on positions and more on developing skills through experience. If you’ve ever felt stuck working on your swing mechanics — this episode will change how you think about improvement. Kendal’s journey into golf coaching and the moment that changed everything Discovering Extraordinary Golf and the influence of Fred Shoemaker Playing professionally in Scotland and qualifying for the Glasgow Classic Working with tour professionals including Paul McGinley Why many great players learned without formal coaching early on The difference between performance coaching and skill acquisition Why exploration and “motor babbling” are essential to learning golf The connection between trick shots and real skill development How golfers can build confidence by learning to solve problems with the club Why there is no single “correct” golf swing Golf improvement isn’t about copying positions or chasing a perfect swing — it’s about learning to use the club to solve problems and developing your own movement patterns through exploration and experience. If you enjoyed this episode of Linked By Golf, make sure you follow the podcast so you never miss a conversation with the people who make golf such a powerful connector. Follow along on Instagram:@linkedbygolf2024 Share this episode with a golfer who loves learning more about the game.

    56 min

  8. 3 FEB

    Stories, Lessons, and a Love for the Game with Mark Loftus : Linked By Golf

    In this episode of Linked by Golf, I sit down with Mark Loftus for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about a life deeply shaped by the game of golf. From growing up in Scotland and competing at the highest levels of amateur golf, to the fine margins that separate potential, opportunity, and outcome, Mark shares his story with honesty, humour, and perspective. We talk about the realities of elite golf, the people you meet along the way, and how the game continues to influence who you become long after competitive ambitions change. This is a conversation about golf — but more than that, it’s about journeys, timing, friendships, and what the game leaves you with. Whether you’re a lifelong golfer or simply interested in stories of sport and life, this one will resonate. Growing up around Scottish golf and early influences Competing at elite amateur level and what it really demands The fine margins and “sliding doors” moments in a golfing life Playing alongside (and against) future tour professionals The transition away from elite competition What golf teaches you beyond the scorecard What Mark is focused on now, and how the game still connects him to people 🎙️ Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and share — it really helps the podcast grow Follow on Instagram: @linkedbygolf2024

    1hr 12min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Linked by Golf is a golf podcast that explores the journeys of individuals shaped by the sport. Each episode features candid conversations with golf professionals, aspiring tour players, golf coaches, and sports journalists. From golf coaching tips to tour player stories, Linked by Golf offers a unique perspective on the game. Guests share how golf has influenced their careers, personal growth, and connections. Subscribe for inspiring golf interviews, expert advice, and behind-the-scenes stories. Follow us on Instagram @linkedbygolf2024.

Information

  • Creator
    Ross McGuire
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ross McGuire
  • Show Website
    Linked By Golf

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