Those Weekend Golf Guys

Bleav Life & Leisure
Bleav Life & Leisure
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Golf
  • Updated Weekly

Take a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher, Jeff Smith ( (http://jeffsmithgolfinstruction.com) and pair him with an outstanding radio personality and you have the formula for one helluva Golf Talk Radio Show. John Ashton (the show host) has enjoyed success as a morning personality on radio stations from Bangor, Maine to Dallas, Texas. He’s also embarrassed himself on many golf courses in the same locations. John is a hacker, struggling to break 80 (OK, 90) but has a passion and enjoyment of the game, a skewed sense of humor and an outlook that makes this the most entertaining Golf Show around.Jeff Smith, PGA enjoys the innate ability to create word pictures so, even on the radio, his tips and techniques to improve your game are clear, easy to follow and help listeners cut strokes on their very next round.

  1. 5d ago

    How to Spot a Sandbagger Before He Steals Your Gift Card

    What Sandbagging Actually Looks Like Jeff breaks down the most common sandbagging tactics he’s seen in the wild, including: Forward‑tee manipulation — playing casual rounds from the up tees, then submitting those scores for handicap calculation. Intentional bad lies — dropping balls into rough, roots, or hazards “just to see what happens,” conveniently inflating scores. Penalty‑stroke amnesia — magically forgetting to count OB, water balls, or unplayable situations. Casual‑round heroics, tournament miracles — mysteriously shooting 10–12 shots better only when prizes are on the line. Jeff’s take: real low‑handicap players win net tournaments. If the 18‑handicap is suddenly posting net 63s, something smells like week‑old range balls. How to Spot a Sandbagger The guys talk through the tells: Look at club championship history — who consistently performs way above their stated handicap. Compare casual‑round scoring vs. tournament scoring — massive gaps are red flags. Watch for “I never play this well” miracles — especially when they happen every time a trophy or gift card is involved. Cheating Stories That Make You Shake Your Head Jeff shares two jaw‑dropping incidents: The Fake Hole‑in‑One — a golfer pre‑placed his ball in the cup before the group arrived, then “found” it. The only thing missing was confetti and a marching band. The Vaseline Driver Guy — a player secretly applied Vaseline to his driver face to reduce spin and straighten shots. Creative? Yes. Legal? Absolutely not. The Rule: Confront Cheaters Immediately Jeff’s message is blunt and correct: If you witness cheating, you must call it out right away. Not later. Not after the round. Not “I didn’t want to make things awkward.” Integrity only survives if honest players defend it in the moment. Road‑Trip Vibes All of this unfolds while Jeff is literally driving through Arizona, proving once again that he can teach, rant, and diagnose golf pathology even while navigating desert highways. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Aug 16

    Tillinghast, Travel Tales & Courses That Fight Back

    John checks in fresh off a trip to Maine, where the lobster is great and the golf is classic New England. Jeff counters with his time teaching at the ultra‑exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana — mountain golf, thin air, and views that make you forget you just chunked a wedge. Donald Ross & The Art of Greens That Make You Cry The guys dive into Donald Ross’s legendary greens — the ones that look innocent until your ball starts rolling like it’s late for a meeting. They compare Ross’s style with Pete Dye’s “I dare you” intimidation and McKenzie’s artistic, flowing layouts. Jeff previews his upcoming West Coast McKenzie tour, which John immediately tries to invite himself on. Renovations, Reconstructions & Golden Age Reboots Jeff talks Spyglass renovations and a reconstructed McKenzie course in Wisconsin. John wonders what it would be like to play a 1920s design built with modern machinery — old strategy meets new bulldozers. The Lido, Sand Valley & Modern Classics The guys geek out over the original Lido — a C.B. MacDonald/McKenzie/Raynor masterpiece — and its modern recreation at Sand Valley. They hit on courses that became famous fast: Bandon Dunes Whistling Straits Payne’s Valley (aka “Tiger’s scenic roller coaster”) The Tillinghast Tour Idea Jeff rattles off Tillinghast courses like he’s reading from a phone book. John suggests a “Tillinghast Tour,” the golf‑nerd equivalent of following the Grateful Dead around the country. They compare it to Dye, Palmer, and Norman tours and swap favorite designer quotes — including Rocco Mediate’s classic Dye jab. Design Philosophy & How Not to Get Tricked Jeff breaks down fairway bunkering, hidden landing zones, and greens that wiggle like a toddler on sugar. They talk about how caddies can save your round on visually deceptive layouts — assuming you actually listen to them. Mountain Golf & Wildlife Cameos Jeff shares stories from Pine Canyon in Flagstaff, where the scenery is gorgeous and the wildlife occasionally decides it owns the fairway. The Big Idea: East‑to‑West Golf Trip John pitches an October RV golf adventure from the East Coast to the West Coast. Jeff pretends to think about it. John invites Chris Mascaro to join a future show, because every good golf trip needs at least one guy who brings snacks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Aug 9

    He Played His Best Round With a Broken Ankle — Science Explains Why

    0:00 – Cold Open / Welcome John and Jeff kick off the show, presented by FanDuel. Introduce guest Dr. Fredric Abramson — “smartest guy in any room… except maybe this one.” 2:00 – Abramson’s Background & Injury Story Former athlete, tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Broke his ankle at Michigan… then played his best golf round ever with a cast. Jeff explains why the locked‑up left leg actually improved his swing. 6:00 – The Origin of the DNA Injury Test Meeting with Philip Morris CEO: “Americans want to die healthy.” Abramson decides genetics should help people live better, not just diagnose disease. Human Genome Project inspires practical injury‑prediction research. 10:00 – How the Test Works Simple cheek swab — no blood, kid‑friendly, mail‑anywhere. Uses Illumina testing (same as 23andMe). Identifies genetic markers linked to injury susceptibility. Example: 8 known markers for concussion risk. 15:00 – Break / GhostBed Ad John explains why GhostBed keeps you cool and pain‑free. Promo code: golfguys. 17:00 – FanDuel Segment College sports talk: Indiana football hype, Michigan rivalry jokes. John threatens to ban Ohio State grads from the show. 20:00 – Injury Prediction for Golfers Back injuries most common in younger, high‑speed players. Older golfers deal with accumulated life injuries. DNA could help adjust swing load, warm‑ups, and training. 23:00 – Precision Nutrition Abramson holds the first patent in precision nutrition. Matching diet to DNA to improve recovery and reduce injury risk. 25:00 – Future Tech: AI Swing Analysis Planned mobile app: Upload swing video AI analyzes injury risk 3D body mapping Nutrition + genetics + mechanics combined 28:00 – John’s Knee & Thursday Tee Time John asks if the test can help him by Thursday. Abramson: “Not yet — still a startup.” 30:00 – COVID Humor & Teaching Background Abramson lost his sense of smell after COVID. Corona beer joke. More banter about sports longevity and golf as a lifelong game. 33:00 – Closing Thoughts Golfers could play longer, safer, and smarter with DNA‑based injury prediction. Jeff imagines entire institutes jumping on this tech. Wrap‑up and tease future conversations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Aug 2

    The Orchestra of Negativity (And How to Turn It Off)

    What We Covered Golf exposes your inner dialogue Jim explains why your brain is louder than your driver — and how to quiet it. One shot at a time (seriously) Scorecards drag you into the past and future. Jim says stay here, now, with this shot. Tension kills swings A tight mind creates a tight body. We talk breathing, relaxing focus, and resetting your system. Recovery > perfection Jeff’s “spectator technique” helps you detach from bad shots instead of spiraling. The orchestra of negativity Too many swing thoughts = mental noise. Jim shows how to become your own “internal master.” Identity vs. score You are not your number. Jim breaks down how to separate self-worth from performance. Golf as life in 18 chapters Every hole is a new challenge — and a new chance to respond instead of react. Why You’ll Love This Episode If you’ve ever walked off a green muttering to yourself, gripping the club like it owes you money, or predicting your doom based on the first three holes… this episode is your antidote. Jim gives you tools you can use today, and we add the usual Golf Guys flavor: honesty, humor, and a little self‑deprecation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Jul 26

    Golf Shots Don’t Care About Your Feelings

    This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, the crew dove into the messy, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking world of golf performance — especially the mental circus happening between a golfer’s ears. They kicked things off with a story about a player who had all the physical tools but confidence lower than a worm’s shoe size. Classic case: the swing was fine, the fundamentals were fine… but the brain? Oh boy. Total chaos. Jeff jumped in with the reminder every golfer needs tattooed on their forehead: range golf and real golf are not the same sport. You can stripe it on the range like you’re auditioning for a commercial, but the second you step onto the first tee of a tournament? Suddenly your hands shake, your heart races, and you forget how to hold the club. Welcome to competitive golf. The guys hammered home the idea that a golf shot is a golf shot — whether you’re on the range, on the course, or staring down a college coach who may or may not be watching. But getting golfers, especially juniors, to believe that? That’s the trick. Then came the junior‑golf deep dive. iPad shared a win with a 15‑year‑old from Montana who turned his game around once he got the right mental tools. But he also pointed out the obvious: how a kid handles pressure usually comes down to how they’ve been raised. Some kids soak up coaching like a sponge. Others crumble the second they think someone’s judging them. And yes — parents are often the biggest variable in the whole equation. Jeff broke down performance variance in a way every sports parent needs to hear. He compared it to basketball: you don’t score the same number of points every night because the gym, the opponent, and the pressure all change. Golf’s the same. But parents see one bad round and act like the kid’s scholarship just burst into flames. Speaking of pressure… Jeff and Joe talked about the cost of chasing big tournaments. Flights, hotels, rental cars, food — suddenly you’re two grand deep before the kid even tees off. And then you hear a college coach might be there? Yeah, that’ll tighten the screws on everybody. Joe wrapped things up with some of his best emotional‑management tools. The big one: the detachment mechanism. Kid hits a bad shot? Instead of spiraling into a meltdown, they say, “Isn’t that fascinating.” Boom — emotional reset. No shame, no panic, no identity crisis. He even teaches players to jokingly blame their playing partner for the shot just to break the tension. It works way better than you’d think. The final message was simple and loud: your golf game is not your identity. Kids need hobbies, interests, and confidence that don’t depend on whether they shot 72 or 92. Because the second golf becomes their whole personality, the game stops being fun — and that’s when everything falls apart. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Jul 19

    Relax… It’s Just a Golf Shot, Not a Tax Audit

    This week on The Weekend Golf Guys, Tom and Jeff teamed up to remind golfers everywhere that your brain can wreck a round faster than a topped tee shot. They hammered home the idea that if you’re not having fun out there, you’re basically paying good money to be miserable — and that’s just bad economics. Frustration, fear, and those wild expectations we all carry around? Yeah, those are the real swing killers.   Tom talked mindset, Jeff talked mechanics, and together they made one thing crystal clear: your setup and your patterns matter way more than whatever complicated nonsense you saw on YouTube at 2 a.m. Jeff even pulled out some wisdom from Dr. Bob Christina, explaining how your physical structure — the way you stand, balance, and move — shapes your swing more than any “try this one weird trick” tip ever will.   Then Jeff rolled out one of his classic lesson moves: he takes the golf ball away. Just removes it. Students freak out for a second, then suddenly start swinging like actual athletes instead of nervous wrecks trying not to embarrass themselves. No ball means no fear, no overthinking, no “don’t shank this.” Just balance, motion, and a swing that finally makes sense.   Tom backed him up, pointing out that golfers don’t need a dictionary of technical jargon. They need simple, practical stuff they can actually use — grip, stance, alignment, and a brain that isn’t screaming at them. Keep it simple, and the swing gets better. Make it complicated, and the golfer gets worse. Every. Single. Time.   The show wrapped with Tom sharing how folks can reach him for instruction, and of course, we reminded everyone to subscribe, leave a review, and keep the game fun — because golf is hard enough without you turning it into a science project. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Jul 12

    Fear, Focus, and the Phone That’s Ruining Your Round

    What Jared Shared From His Book, “EVERYDAY GOLF PSYCHOLOGY” 1. Emotions aren’t random—they’re signals • Anger, fear, embarrassment, overconfidence… none of these are “mental weaknesses.” • They’re outputs of something deeper: expectations, flawed goals, poor preparation, or misjudged skill. • Trying to “stay calm” without understanding why you’re upset is like trying to fix a slice by adjusting your grip every hole. 2. Overconfidence is a silent killer Most golfers don’t realize they’re overconfident until they’re already playing poorly. Overconfidence often comes from: • A few good practice sessions • A hot streak on the range • Misjudging actual skill level • Tournament performance exposes the truth: practice success ≠ competitive readiness. 3. Fear of embarrassment is more common than fear of failure Recreational golfers especially worry about: • Looking stupid • Holding up the group • Hitting a bad shot in front of others This creates tension, rushed routines, and poor decision-making. Focus: The Real Engine of Performance 4. Focus is driven by goals, not discipline Jared was adamant: “Focus isn’t something you do—it’s something your goals create.” If your goals are vague (“play well today”), your focus will be vague. Clear goals = clear attention. 5. Phones destroy focus more than people admit • Even checking your phone between shots fractures your mental rhythm. • The brain doesn’t fully “return” to golf for several minutes. • Recreational golfers underestimate how much this matters. Accessing Information During Shots 6. Great players access more detail, not less They see: • Wind patterns • Lies • Shot windows • Tendencies • Emotional state Most amateurs try to “simplify” too much and end up ignoring critical data. Bridging Practice → Competition 7. Practice must simulate pressure Otherwise: • You build skills you can’t access under stress. • You create false confidence. • You never learn how your emotions behave in competition. Jared’s strategies included: • Adding consequences to practice • Tracking emotional patterns • Practicing decision-making, not just mechanics • Using post‑shot evaluations to build awareness Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Jul 5

    Positive Self‑Talk: Because Yelling at Your Ball Hasn’t Worked Yet

    This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, John Ashton is joined by two of our favorite smart‑aleck swing whisperers, Scott Monroe and Jeff Smith, for a conversation that wanders all over the golf landscape — in the best possible way. We kick things off with the U.S. Open, where the golf was great, the crowds were… enthusiastic, and the etiquette was somewhere between “country club polite” and “rock concert adjacent.” From there, we jump into the hot‑button topic of music on the golf course — does it help you groove or make you shank it harder? Depends on who you ask. Scott drops an absolute gem of a story about a pro in Australia who literally blacked out mid‑round and kept playing. Yes, really. That leads us straight into the mental side of golf — why this game demands a totally different headspace than sports where you never stop moving. We dig into hypnotism, visualization, and positive self‑talk, including Scott’s upcoming work with hypnotist Ricky Kalman, who might just be the next secret weapon for golfers everywhere. We also talk about the future of young talent: Can late bloomers still make it? How has NIL changed college golf? And what does the modern path to the pros look like now that 19‑year‑olds have sponsorship deals bigger than our mortgages? It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s a little chaotic — in other words, it’s exactly what you expect from Those Weekend Golf Guys Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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About

Take a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher, Jeff Smith ( (http://jeffsmithgolfinstruction.com) and pair him with an outstanding radio personality and you have the formula for one helluva Golf Talk Radio Show. John Ashton (the show host) has enjoyed success as a morning personality on radio stations from Bangor, Maine to Dallas, Texas. He’s also embarrassed himself on many golf courses in the same locations. John is a hacker, struggling to break 80 (OK, 90) but has a passion and enjoyment of the game, a skewed sense of humor and an outlook that makes this the most entertaining Golf Show around.Jeff Smith, PGA enjoys the innate ability to create word pictures so, even on the radio, his tips and techniques to improve your game are clear, easy to follow and help listeners cut strokes on their very next round.

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