Both Sides of Par: Golf Podcast for Every Handicap

Colin and Ross
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Golf
  • Updated Weekly

Both Sides of Par is a golf podcast for the millions of us battling through the middle. Colin is a high handicapper rediscovering the game after 20 years away. Ross plays off a low handicap and knows the industry inside out. Together they have honest, funny chats about what it actually takes to get better, from both ends of the handicap spectrum. If you play off anything from 10 to 25 and you're tired of tips aimed only at scratch players, this is your show. Every week covers practice that genuinely moves the needle, gear and golf tech worth your money, courses and golf trips (with a soft spot for Scotland, the home of golf and our home too!), and the amateur questions nobody else bothers to answer. Two golfers, two handicaps, one obsession. Follow along and play with us.

  1. 20h ago

    Can a £1 Vokey Wedge From a Charity Shop Transform Colin’s Short Game?

    Follow the podcast: @bothsidesofpar Can you really find a Vokey wedge for £1? Apparently you can. Colin walks into a charity shop, digs through a bucket of mostly forgettable golf clubs and somehow comes out with a Titleist Vokey SM6 52° wedge for the price of a chocolate bar. Ross explains bounce, grind and why Colin might have landed on an almost perfect setup completely by accident. There’s more gear chat as Ross discovers the hard way that his Ping Hoofer Lite is definitely light on waterproofing, before revealing just how much people are prepared to pay for collectible Scotty Cameron headcovers. On the course, Ross reports back from Oxford Golf Club, a historic layout with James Braid and Harry Colt influence, while Colin has a big trip coming up after landing a round on the Jubilee Course at St Andrews through Drive from St Andrews. He and his dad are turning it into a golf break, with another Open at Drumoig the following day. Practice is producing very different problems for the two hosts. Colin’s driver is finally becoming more predictable after working on completing his turn and committing to the finish. Ross, meanwhile, is still battling his short game from 30–60 yards. He can hit the shot cack-handed, with his eyes closed or after pausing for ten seconds at the top — but ask him to hit it normally and things get interesting. Naturally, the solution involves yet another training aid. The lads also dig into the PGA Tour’s proposed new Tour Championship format, including a season-long champion and a 32-player, two-week match-play finale. Could bringing proper head-to-head match play back to the top level actually make the end of the PGA Tour season worth watching again? And Ross finishes with another Open bargain: Banchory Golf Club for £30, one of the later chances in the Scottish season to get some competitive golf in. 🎙️ Ross: @theshedisback 🎙️ Colin: @mcgraygolf ⛳ Show: @bothsidesofpar Follow Both Sides of Par on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and check out the show on YouTube for clips, shorts and more from the episodes.

  2. Sep 7 ·  Video

    Best Golf Bags 2026, a Scratch Golfer's 84, and a Top Trip Guide in South West Scotland

    Ross opens Episode 30 by trying very hard not to talk about the 84 he shot at the weekend, his worst round in three years, before Colin gives him sixty seconds to explain himself. The consolation, as Colin points out, is that it's reassuring to know scratch golfers have those days too. From there it's straight into the gear, and this week that means golf bags. Ross has just picked up a Ping Hoofer Lite to sit alongside the £50 eBay tour bag he bought for Senior Open qualifying, while Colin has been down a research rabbit hole after spotting a Callaway Chev Dry 14 at £100 off in the Nairn pro shop. The pair weigh up carry bags against cart bags, whether it's a faux pas to carry a club logo from a course you've never played, and why Ross spent his first round with a £180 bag holding the stand legs together with a golf glove. There's a brief detour into the £400 G/FORE and £1,200 Scotty Cameron bags neither of them will be buying, and Colin discovers the Motocaddy Protekta he'd been eyeing up deliberately won't fit his Motocaddy Cube trolley. Ross then flags a bargain open at Nairn Dunbar, Colin's new home course, and gives an update on his chipping practice, where he's still building confidence with a left-below-right grip. He's mid-sentence explaining why chipping yips are even harder to shake than putting ones when his laptop dies, leaving Colin to finish the show solo. Which turns out to be fine, because Colin finally gets to the South West Scotland trip report he's been promising for a fortnight. Having grown up in Dumfriesshire, he admits to an unfair snobbery about the place, and this trip put him right. He covers the Cally Palace Hotel near Gatehouse (putting green next to the bar patio, pitch and putt for the afternoon, a proper course attached), a cabin at Kippford with a nine-hole course his dad designed a walk away, and Gatehouse of Fleet itself, a hilly, blind-shot, honesty-box nine-holer where Colin's wife, who is just learning the game, hit the green on the notorious drop-shot ninth. He rounds off with pointers to Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart, the two Dumfries courses and Southerness for anyone planning a trip. Episode Highlights🟢 Ross's 84 and why it's oddly reassuring: a scratch golfer's worst round in three years, and the story of the 95 followed by a 71 the next day 🟢 The golf glove solution: Ross discovers his new Ping Hoofer Lite has no Velcro to hold the stand legs together on a trolley, and improvises 🟢 Is it a faux pas to carry a bag with the logo of a course you've never played? The hosts settle it 🟢 The Motocaddy trap: why the Protekta cart bag won't work with Colin's Motocaddy Cube, straps or no straps 🟢 Colin's hometown reckoning: how a week in Dumfries and Galloway turned around his unfair opinion of the courses he grew up on 🟢 The ninth at Gatehouse of Fleet: a 50 to 100 foot drop, a pitching wedge for 150 yards, and a beginner who found the green Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Ping Hoofer Lite stand bag (Ross's new purchase, bought from American Golf): https://ping.com/en-us/shop/bags/carry-bags/hoofer-lite 🟢 Ping Hoofer Monsoon (the waterproof version Colin mentions) 🟢 Callaway Chev Dry 14 waterproof cart bag (spotted at £150 in the Nairn pro shop): https://eu.callawaygolf.com/en/gb/callaway-golf/gear/golf-bags/cart-bags/ 🟢 Titleist Players S4 StaDry stand bag: https://www.titleist.com/product/players-s4-stadry/26TGBP4S.html 🟢 Titleist Players 4 Carbon stand bag and Titleist Cart 14 StaDry cart bag (mentioned as top-reviewed options) 🟢 Motocaddy Cube trolley (Colin's current trolley), Motocaddy Dry Series cart bag and Motocaddy Protekta cart bag with the EASILOCK base 🟢 PowaKaddy Dri-Tech cart bag and PowaKaddy's magnetic bag-to-trolley system 🟢 G/FORE golf bags, including the camo parachute carry bag and the croc-embossed leather tour bag 🟢 Scotty Cameron golf bags 🟢 Srixon tour bag (Ross's £50 eBay find) 🟢 Nairn Golf Club: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairn_Golf_Club 🟢 Nairn Dunbar Golf Club: https://nairndunbar.com/ 🟢 Cally Palace Hotel and Golf Course, Gatehouse of Fleet: https://bespokehotels.com/cally-palace-hotel/ 🟢 Coastal Kippford holiday park (formerly Kippford Holiday Park): https://www.visitscotland.com/info/accommodation/coastal-kippford-previously-kippford-holiday-park-holiday-caravans-and-lodges-p272171 🟢 Craigieknowes nine-hole golf course, Kippford (designed by Colin's dad) 🟢 Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club: https://www.gatehousegolfclub.com/ 🟢 Other South West Scotland courses mentioned: Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart, Dumfries and County, Dumfries and Galloway, Southerness 🟢 Ross's chipping aid (referred to as a "strike wedge"): product not confirmed, please check before adding a link 🟢 Both Sides of Par on Instagram: @bothsidesofpar 🟢 Colin on Instagram: @mcgraygolf (spelling to be confirmed) Weekly Competitions🟢 Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, Nairn, Highlands. Sunday 11 October 2026. Gents open, 21 handicap limit, £30 entry. Ross notes there's plenty of room on the tee sheet and calls it an absolute bargain for a course with a green fee around the £100 mark. The club website lists this as the Springfield Autumn Classic Open with booking via BRS, but the date, price and handicap limit above come from the episode and should be confirmed: https://nairndunbar.com/visitors-open-competitions/ Chapter List00:00 Welcome and Ross's worst round in three years 02:10 Ross's new Ping Hoofer Lite and Colin's bag research 09:42 The stand bag on a trolley problem 12:37 Dream bags: G/FORE and Scotty Cameron 15:51 Cart bag roundup: Titleist, Motocaddy and PowaKaddy 19:58 Weekly open: Nairn Dunbar 21:00 Ross's chipping practice update 24:03 South West Scotland trip: Cally Palace 26:35 Kippford and the course Colin's dad built 28:19 Gatehouse of Fleet and the drop-shot ninth 30:57 More courses to play in Dumfries and Galloway 32:16 Wrap up and where to follow the show

  3. Aug 31

    Why Tour Pros Battle the Same Demons as You – Peter Whiteford

    Follow us on Instagram - @bothsidesofpar Former DP World Tour player Peter Whiteford joins Ross this week to talk about a very different way of getting better at golf: stop assuming you know what's costing you shots and actually go out on the course and find out. After nearly 20 years travelling and playing professionally, Peter's career was cut short by hip problems, eventually leading to a replacement hip and, somewhat unexpectedly, a second career in coaching. Now he's launched The Scoring Coach, an approach built around watching golfers where their scores actually happen rather than relying entirely on what they think is going wrong on the range. Peter explains why his starting point is a nine-hole scoring assessment, where he watches a player without interfering before identifying their biggest "scoring leaks". And those leaks aren't always where golfers expect. The player asking for a long-iron lesson might actually be losing shots with a wedge; the golfer convinced they're a brilliant driver might be making terrible strategic decisions from the tee; and the player blaming their chipping technique might simply be choosing completely the wrong shot for the lie. Whether you're playing off scratch or 28, Peter's argument is the same: find the lowest-hanging fruit and work on what will actually move your score. That takes Ross and Peter into course management, driving strategy and the very human side of golf. Peter explains why some golfers are "Ferrari drivers kicking about in a Fiat Punto", playing far too conservatively for their ability, while others are Fiat Punto drivers trying to handle a Ferrari and repeatedly taking on shots they simply don't have. He talks about having an A-game and B-game driver swing, knowing when to take your medicine from trouble and why strategy can't be completely separated from how you're feeling over the ball that day. There's plenty here for golfers at both ends of the handicap spectrum. Peter explains why even Tour professionals have the same demons standing over shots as the rest of us, but have developed more tools for dealing with them. He shares the simple "hold your finish" thought he uses when driving feels uncomfortable, why focusing on avoiding a bad shot can be so destructive, and why golfers often score better in match play because they're thinking about winning the hole rather than diagnosing every mistake they've just made. And then there's perhaps the biggest lesson of the episode: read the situation before blaming your swing. Peter explains why golfers should assess the lie before choosing the shot or club, why he likes players to actually stand over the ball and feel the shot before committing to it, and how something as simple as the amount of sand beneath your feet can completely change the bunker technique required. Ross provides a timely example from Dalmahoy, where failing to notice there was barely any sand underneath his ball turned a straightforward bunker shot into an entirely avoidable mistake. Episode Highlights🟢 Why Peter Whiteford believes watching golfers on the course reveals far more about their scoring problems than simply asking them what they need to work on 🟢 "Ferrari drivers in a Fiat Punto": why good golfers can be far too conservative from the tee while other players repeatedly take on shots their game can't support 🟢 The A-game and B-game driver swings Peter believes better players should develop, and why taking less club isn't always the safest strategy 🟢 Why Tour professionals have the same demons standing over golf shots as a 28-handicapper — and the extra tools better players develop to keep those thoughts quiet 🟢 Read the lie before blaming your technique: how golfers misdiagnose bad chips, bunker shots and recovery shots and then practise the wrong thing 🟢 Why Peter wants golfers to stand over the ball and feel the shot first, rather than deciding on the perfect trajectory from behind the ball and trying to manufacture it 🟢 The simple "hold your finish" trigger Peter uses when his driving feels uncomfortable and why focusing on something you can actually control can free up your swing 🟢 Why golfers often perform better in match play than stroke play — and what that tells us about acceptance, commitment and the way we react to bad shots Peter Whiteford & The Scoring Coach🟢 The Scoring Coach: https://thescoringcoach.co.uk 🟢 Peter Whiteford on Instagram: @peterwhitefordgolf Peter's coaching starts with a nine-hole scoring assessment designed to identify where a golfer is genuinely losing shots. From there, he can prescribe the technical, strategic, short-game, practice or performance work that offers the quickest route towards better scoring. Chapter List00:00 Peter Whiteford's journey from Tour player to golf coach 02:02 Introducing The Scoring Coach and why Peter wants to watch golfers play 04:43 Are golfers asking coaches to fix the wrong things? 07:31 Scratch to high handicap: finding the biggest scoring leaks 09:00 Why golfers misdiagnose their own weaknesses 10:25 How Peter assesses an entire golf game 12:05 Driver strategy and the "Ferrari versus Fiat Punto" problem 14:58 When driver actually makes a hole safer 16:23 The simplest short-game gains for higher handicappers 19:24 The human element that golf strategy can't account for 21:15 Ross and Peter's Castle Stuart first-tee disasters 23:14 Peter's tools for dealing with driving anxiety 24:41 Tour professionals have the same demons as everyone else 26:15 Why we can score better in match play than stroke play 28:18 Trouble shots: when should you simply take your medicine? 30:36 Read the lie before you choose the club 31:06 Feel the shot first: Peter's approach to shot selection 34:22 What better players do before they hit the shot 35:00 Reading bunker lies and choosing the right technique 38:18 Technique or decision-making: identifying the real problem 39:34 How to work with Peter and The Scoring Coach

  4. Aug 25 ·  Video

    Practise Your Golf or Practise the Course? A Scratch Golfer and a High Handicapper Disagree

    The nights are drawing in and Colin is feeling a bit wistful about the end of the golf season, while Ross, basking in 21 degrees down south, cheerfully reminds him that medal comps run all winter at Farnham. Consolation duly not provided, the lads get into gear, and this week it's Ross with a new toy: the Strike Wedge. Colin assumed it was an actual wedge (Ross did just buy three, after all), but it turns out to be a wedge-shaped bit of plastic you put beside or behind the ball and try not to hit. Ross is using it to cure a case of the toe strikes rather than for its intended purpose, because his chipping confidence is still a work in progress. He can strike it beautifully with his eyes closed or with a left-below-right grip, but with a normal grip and eyes open, something upstairs gets in the way. A demo video is promised for Instagram. Colin, meanwhile, has news on the driver front: the slice that's haunted him since he came back to golf is finally, mostly, gone. The turnaround came from two things. First, his little brother (a former teaching pro, so not to be asked for help unless absolutely desperate) diagnosed "lazy legs, lazy hips" after three consecutive lost balls, and a proper hip turn and full finish did the trick. Second, Colin stopped hiding on the mat and started hitting driver on the actual course during quiet solo rounds, which fixed the fear as much as the swing. That leads into a proper conversation about the difference between practising your golf and practising the course, how Ross uses the range for technique, routine and speed work, why the pros don't rip up their swing after one bad shot, and Colin's plan to go and hit twenty balls out of the heather to finally learn what it does to a clubface. Ross then reports back from his first ever senior amateur open at Dalmahoy, his old stomping ground, where a level-par front nine and some of the best tee shots he's ever hit there carried him to second in the scratch, despite a couple of dodgy club choices and a near-shank with a four iron on the widest fairway on the course. A lesson from Peter Whiteford (a future guest on the show) about actually walking up to your ball to read the lie makes an appearance. Colin's South West Scotland trip report gets bumped to next week thanks to the school run, and Ross wraps up with a cracking £35 open at Fortrose & Rosemarkie, one of the most scenic links in the Highlands. Episode Highlights🟢 Ross explains the Strike Wedge, a plastic training aid that gives you both a visual and a physical reason to find the middle of the clubface, and why he's using it for long irons rather than actual wedges 🟢 The two-part fix for Colin's driver slice: a "lazy hips" diagnosis from his brother, and the psychological shift of hitting driver on the course instead of hiding on the mat 🟢 Practising your golf versus practising the course. Ross on how a scratch golfer uses the range, why the pros don't chuck their technique after one bad shot, and Colin's plan to learn how heather closes the clubface 🟢 Ross's round at the Dalmahoy Senior Open: birdies on both front-nine par fives, smashing driver down the tight 13th, and then nearly shanking a four iron on a 60-yard-wide fairway at the last 🟢 Peter Whiteford's tip on reading the lie before you even reach for your glove, and how ignoring it cost Ross a bogey on 15 Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Strike Wedge training aid: https://strikewedge.com/ 🟢 Strike Wedge how-to guide (positioning for heel, toe and angle of attack): https://strikewedge.com/pages/how-to 🟢 Ross's Strike Wedge demo video on the Both Sides of Par Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar/ 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth driver (Colin's, with the adjustable weight for fade or draw bias) 🟢 Scott Fawcett's DECADE Course Management System: https://decadegolf.com/ 🟢 Peter Whiteford, former European Tour pro and coach, appearing on the show soon: https://talkgolfscotland.co.uk/staff-profile/peter-whiteford/ 🟢 Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Edinburgh (East and West courses): https://www.dalmahoyhotelandcountryclub.co.uk/ 🟢 Dalmahoy open competitions page: https://www.dalmahoyhotelandcountryclub.co.uk/golf-leisure/golf/golf-at-dalmahoy/open-tournaments/ 🟢 Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club: https://fortrosegolfclub.co.uk/ 🟢 Both Sides of Par on YouTube: search "Both Sides of Par" Weekly Competitions🟢 Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club, Fortrose, Black Isle (around 20 minutes from Inverness). Gents 18-Hole Stroke Play Open, Saturday 3rd October 2026. Singles stroke play. £35 for visitors, 24 handicap limit. A James Braid links on the tip of the Chanonry peninsula with sea on both sides and Fort George across the water. Entry via the club website: https://fortrosegolfclub.co.uk/competitions/open-competitions/ 🟢 Ross mentioned a second open later in October, held over for a future episode Chapter List00:00 Welcome and the end of summer 03:40 The Strike Wedge training aid 10:16 Colin's driver update: fixing the slice 18:12 Course practice vs range practice 25:03 Practising trouble shots and the heather problem 30:01 Ross at the Dalmahoy Senior Open 38:36 Weekly open: Fortrose & Rosemarkie 41:11 Wrap-up

  5. Aug 18

    The £5 Golf Club Fix That Cured a 30-Yard Hook

    Colin's got a new toy and he's not even using it for what it's meant for. This week he unboxes the Shot Scope Pro L2 rangefinder and cheerfully admits the main use so far has been checking whether the group ahead is out of range so he can smash a few extra practice drives. Ross, playing the sensible one for once, weighs in on lasers versus GPS and why chasing precision to the yard might matter less than most golfers think. That leads nicely into a proper club fitting revelation, as Ross explains how getting his nine iron and wedge bent one degree flat cured a mystery hook that had been sending shots 30 yards left, plus how to spot the symptoms in your own bag before you rage-sell a perfectly good set of irons. Both hosts have also joined new clubs this month. Colin signs up at Nairn Dunbar, the unfairly overlooked links along the road from its famous neighbour, lured in by a clever points-based membership and a genuinely brilliant list of reciprocal courses. Ross returns to Farnham after moving house, where the 45-yard chipping green and free range balls have him practising more than ever, and where his one-handed Jonathan Yarwood chipping drill is finally starting to pay off. There's also a nostalgic detour into what it's actually like to run a driving range, which may or may not become a future episode. To round things off, Ross reports back from the BB&O County Championship at Woburn, where £65 bought two rounds on the Marquess course, breakfast, lunch and one heartbreaking closing double bogey that cost him a shot at getting to dead zero. Colin counters with a tale of nearly holing a 295-yard drive for eagle at Alford, conveniently glossing over the two lost balls the hole before. And there's one final open competition of the season to recommend before the Scottish golf calendar winds down. Episode Highlights🟢 Why Colin's rangefinder gets more use spying on the group ahead than measuring to the flag, and the practice use case that actually justifies the purchase 🟢 The one degree lie angle adjustment that fixed Ross's hooking nine iron, what it costs, and the tell-tale symptoms that your clubs might be too upright 🟢 The one-handed chipping drill from Jonathan Yarwood that's freeing up Ross's short game (with a demo video on the show's Instagram) 🟢 Inside Nairn Dunbar's points-based membership and rover ticket, and why reciprocal course lists deserve more attention when choosing a club 🟢 Two rounds at Woburn's Marquess course, breakfast and lunch included, for £65: Ross's county championship bargain of the millennium Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Shot Scope Pro L2 rangefinder (£150 RRP, Colin paid £130 on offer): https://shotscope.com/uk/shop/products/golf-rangefinders/pro-l2/ 🟢 Shot Scope Apple Watch golf GPS app: https://shotscope.com/uk/discover/my-shot-scope/ios-watch-app/ 🟢 Jonathan Yarwood on YouTube (source of the one-handed chipping drill): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgyB8vthTrPFTGplzR-mPkg 🟢 Both Sides of Par on Instagram (chipping drill demo video): https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar 🟢 Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, Nairn (membership options including the points scheme): https://nairndunbar.com 🟢 Farnham Golf Club, Surrey: https://farnhamgolfclub.co.uk 🟢 Woburn Golf Club (Marquess course, host of the BB&O County Championship): https://www.woburngolf.co.uk 🟢 Haddington Golf Club, East Lothian: https://www.haddingtongolf.co.uk Weekly Competitions🟢 Haddington Golf Club Autumn Open, Amisfield Park, Haddington, East Lothian. Saturday 26th September. Gents singles strokeplay, £25 for visitors. One of the last open competitions of the Scottish season, played on the 19th oldest golf course in the world, and there are plenty of tee times still available. Book via the club's BRS open competitions page. Chapter List00:00 Intro and handicap updates 02:44 Shot Scope Pro L2 rangefinder: first impressions and laser vs GPS 16:11 The one degree fix: lie angles and the hooking nine iron 26:32 One-handed chipping drill progress 30:33 Colin joins Nairn Dunbar: points memberships and reciprocals 36:04 Ross joins Farnham: practice facilities and free range balls 45:08 County Championship at Woburn's Marquess course 51:33 Colin's near-eagle at Alford 53:49 Weekly competition: Haddington Autumn Open 55:23 Wrap-up

  6. Aug 10

    Royal Dornoch Review: What It's Really Like For A High Handicapper

    Normal service resumes after a few weeks of summer holidays, and the lads have somehow managed to golf Scotland from top to bottom between them. The main event this week is Royal Dornoch, which both Colin and Ross played within days of each other, narrowly missing an actual meet-up but successfully completing a 550-mile wedge handover via the pro shop. Ross marked his 50th birthday with an early morning round, while Colin got the full experience playing a foursomes open with his brother Bruce. There's plenty of chat about that striking new clubhouse (part sandstone masterpiece, part Minecraft build, depending who you ask), the changing room lounge where folk watch The Open with their feet up, and the course itself, including Colin's heroic 8 on the par 3 second after a battle with a bunker taller than his head. From there it's on to Golspie, where Colin reckons his high handicap eyes could barely tell the quality apart from its more famous neighbour, and where Ross survived a competition round so windy that a single figure player hit driver on a 150-yard par 3 and still came up short. Ross also drops a tease for a future episode: Brora might just be the best natural links course he's ever played. The pair are asking listeners for feedback this week too, so let them know whether these course reports are worth the airtime. The improvement corner covers the borrowed Cleveland 58 degree wedge Colin has been putting through its paces in Glasgow, plus a brilliant one-handed chipping drill from coach Jonathan Yarwood that Ross swears by for curing the chipping heebie-jeebies. Ross also gives Colin's chipping video an honest critique, which is what friends are for. The show wraps with this week's open competition pick at Cathkin Braes, a James Braid design and the oldest course in Glasgow. Episode Highlights🟢 Colin's 8 on the par 3 second at Royal Dornoch, featuring a shanked tee shot, a bunker face higher than his head, and a chip out backwards 🟢 The new Royal Dornoch clubhouse debate: spectacular modern statement or a bit of Minecraft on the hill? 🟢 Ross calling Brora possibly the best natural links course he's ever played, teed up for a future episode 🟢 The Golspie gale: a low single figure player hitting driver on a 150-yard par 3 and still not reaching the green 🟢 The Jonathan Yarwood one-handed chipping drill that forces you to turn your body properly, and why Ross used it before every single chip at one point Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Royal Dornoch Golf Club: https://royaldornoch.com 🟢 Golspie Golf Club: https://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk 🟢 Brora Golf Club: https://www.broragolfclub.co.uk 🟢 Cathkin Braes Golf Club: https://cathkinbraesgolfclub.co.uk 🟢 Jonathan Yarwood, golf coach behind the chipping drill: https://jonathanyarwood.com 🟢 No Laying Up, who stirred the pot over the Foxy signage at Dornoch: https://nolayingup.com 🟢 Cleveland RTX 58 degree wedge, the rusty loaner that made the 550-mile journey 🟢 Get in touch: hello@bothpar.com or @bothsidesofpar on Instagram Weekly CompetitionsGents Individual Open at Cathkin Braes Golf Club, Rutherglen, Glasgow (between East Kilbride and Rutherglen, handy for the M74). Sunday 6th September 2026, individual strokeplay format, £25 per person. A James Braid design and the oldest golf course in Glasgow, always in great condition according to Colin, who has been playing it on and off for 35 years. Watch for the sharp left turn into the club entrance off the B road. Chapter List00:00 Intro and golfing Scotland top to bottom 02:25 Royal Dornoch and that new clubhouse 10:25 Playing the Championship course with brother Bruce 21:05 Favourite holes at Royal Dornoch 29:55 Golspie course report and a Brora tease 37:38 Listener feedback: do you like these course reports? 39:10 The 58 degree wedge and Jonathan Yarwood's chipping drill 46:47 Weekly open: Cathkin Braes

  7. Jul 14

    The Golf Tech Ep: Best Phone Apps, Rangefinders & GPS Watches Compared

    Colin's flying solo this week, and by solo we mean putting on a repeat while Ross plays Royal Dornoch and Colin nurses his jealousy after a consolation trip up the coast past Brora, Tain and Golspie. So it's back to one of the early episodes, recorded when there was five inches of snow on the ground, which is either quaint or cruel depending on your current heatwave situation. The episode itself is a proper tech deep dive. Ross explains how he managed to cave in the face of yet another driver, this time his TaylorMade Qi35, and why he's jumped ship to a Ping G430 LST driver and G425 LST three wood while he waits for the replacement. Colin, meanwhile, has been surviving the snow with a putting mat and a scoring system so nerdy it comes with rings like a dartboard, which sparks a genuinely useful conversation about measuring outcomes instead of obsessing over what your backswing looks like on video. Claude Harmon gets his customary mention, because of course he does. From there it's a full tour of on-course and practice tech: lasers versus GPS watches, why Colin's Garmin lasts two weeks while Ross can't find his charging cable, phone apps like Hole19 and Golfshot, and the growing world of AI golf tools, from Golf.ai's AI caddy and rules assistant to swing analysis apps like Swing Coach and Mustard Golf, where Mark Blackburn will critique your swing for considerably less than the £1,800 a year one poor soul was paying for online lessons. There's also a lovely detour through Carnoustie, including the night Ross blagged the Gary Player Suite for £50, before Ross rounds things off with a cracking scramble recommendation at King James VI in Perth. Episode Highlights🟢 Ross breaks another driver face and explains his switch to the Ping G430 LST, including how low spin versus max heads actually differ and why the feel change from carbon to titanium takes some getting used to 🟢 Colin's putting mat scoring system, and the case for measuring practice by outcomes rather than video analysis of your swing positions 🟢 The full on-course tech comparison: laser rangefinders versus GPS watches versus phone apps, and what each one actually earns its place for 🟢 Golf.ai and the rise of the AI caddy, plus AI swing analysis apps that score your swing red, yellow and green and might just work alongside a human coach 🟢 Ross's Carnoustie stories, including a £50 night in the Gary Player Suite and why it's one of the best free spectating spots at the Dunhill Links Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Ping G430 LST driver and G425 LST three wood: https://ping.com 🟢 TaylorMade Qi35 LS driver: https://www.taylormadegolf.com 🟢 Ping Proving Grounds Podcast 🟢 Garmin Venu Sq 2 with Garmin Golf app: https://www.garmin.com 🟢 Hole19 golf app: https://www.hole19golf.com 🟢 Golfshot app: https://golfshot.com 🟢 Golf.ai, AI caddy, rules assistant and live scorecards: https://golf.ai 🟢 Mustard Golf swing analysis app with Mark Blackburn and Justin Rose, £25 a month or £150 a year: https://teammstrd.com/golf 🟢 Swing Coach app 🟢 18Birdies phone app (https://18birdies.com) 🟢 Carnoustie Golf Links and the Carnoustie Golf Hotel stay and play packages: https://www.carnoustiegolflinks.com 🟢 Dan Grieves, tour short game coach Chapter List00:00 Intro: classic episode replay week while Ross plays Royal Dornoch 01:17 Five inches of snow and Scottish skiing 04:15 Carnoustie: the toughest, fairest course you'll play 06:42 The £50 night in the Gary Player Suite 09:40 Ross breaks another driver face 10:51 Switching to Ping: the G430 LST and G425 LST three wood 14:59 Low spin vs max: choosing a driver head 18:50 Colin's putting mat and scoring games 21:10 Measuring practice by outcomes, not technique 27:01 On-course tech: lasers, GPS watches and phone apps 33:16 Rangefinders, and whether the cheap ones are any good 35:04 Golf.ai and the AI caddy 37:24 AI swing analysis: Swing Coach and Mustard Golf 41:02 The £1,800 online coaching story 41:55 Weekly competition: King James VI gents scramble 45:26 Trackman bays vs the driving range

  8. Jul 6

    I Lost 13 Balls at One of Scotland's Best Links Golf Courses

    Ross and Colin are back with a proper mixed bag this week. Colin's been living his best golfing life at two very different Scottish gems, the windswept championship links of Western Gailes and the quirky Old Tom Morris charm of Cullen, though the Gailes part of Western Gailes lived up to its name and cost him somewhere north of thirteen balls. Ross, meanwhile, is preparing for an Open qualifier by wisely not treating it like an Open qualifier, recommitting to his fade after a flirtation with draws that cost him a ball in the water (and, somehow, still a par). The middle of the episode is a short game masterclass by way of confession. Colin wants to know how Ross chooses between a pitch, a chip and run, or the hero flop, and the answer starts with the lie, every time. Colin then reveals the moment that converted him to the chip and run for good: a 70-yard seven iron scuttled along the ground at Cullen's 18th that dropped in for his first ever eagle. The pair also dig into a fascinating MyGolfSpy article built on Arccos data from over 660,000 par 3s, which shows that almost nobody flies the green, nearly everyone comes up short, and we're all guilty of clubbing for our best strike rather than our average one. They wrap up with tales of the toughest par 3s at Ross's course, a case for laying up when the carry isn't there, and this week's competition recommendation: a cracking open at Royal Burgess in Edinburgh, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. Colin leaves with homework (pitch and run practice, possible Vokey purchase) and listeners leave with an invitation to send in their own course reports. Episode Highlights🟢 Colin's first ever eagle: a 70-yard chip and run with a seven iron that rolled straight into the hole on Cullen's 18th 🟢 The Arccos data on par 3s: fewer than 10% of golfers fly the green at any handicap level, yet we all plan for our perfect strike 🟢 Ross loses his tee shot on a 560-yard par 5, drops, watches his playing partner accidentally play his ball, and still walks off with the par of his life 🟢 Thirteen lost balls at Western Gailes: what playing a top links course in a full-blown gale does to a recently cured slice 🟢 Claude Harmon's short game rule that stuck with Ross: whatever you do, never leave yourself two chips to get on the green Gear & Resources Mentioned🟢 Western Gailes Golf Club, Ayrshire: https://westerngailes.com 🟢 Cullen Links Golf Club, Moray: https://www.cullenlinksgolf.co.uk 🟢 Golspie Golf Club, Sutherland: https://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk 🟢 The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh: https://www.royalburgess.co.uk 🟢 MyGolfSpy article: You're Playing Par-3s Wrong. Here's What the Data Says to Do Instead: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/youre-playing-par-3s-wrong-heres-what-the-data-says-to-do-instead/ 🟢 Arccos shot tracking: https://www.arccosgolf.com 🟢 Scott Fawcett's DECADE Course Management: https://decade.golf 🟢 Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon (podcast) 🟢 Titleist Vokey wedges: https://www.vokey.com 🟢 Trackman (for gapping sessions and knowing your average carry): https://www.trackman.com Weekly CompetitionsGents Individual Open at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Barnton, Edinburgh. Sunday 26th July 2026, individual stroke play open with a handicap limit of 32, £50 entry for visitors. Ross mentions three spots were still available in the field between 2:15pm and 3:00pm at time of recording. Entry is via HowDidiDo: https://www.howdidido.com/Directory/OpenCompetitions/3010. A brilliant parkland course less than five miles from Edinburgh city centre and the airport, so it's an easy trip from almost anywhere in the country. HowDidiDo One thing to double check before publishing: the transcript reads "handicap limit £32" which I've interpreted as a handicap limit of 32 (a transcription artifact). The listing online also shows £35 for members versus £50 for visitors, so the £50 quoted on the show is the visitor price. HowDidiDo Chapter List00:00 Welcome and catching up 01:10 Ross's Open qualifier prep and committing to the fade 04:02 Course review: Western Gailes in a gale 11:07 Ross's competition round and the par of his life 14:47 Colin's handicap update and Golspie course review 18:35 Chip and run vs pitch: choosing the right short game shot 27:20 Par 3 data: why we all come up short 42:03 Weekly competition: Royal Burgess Gents Open 44:25 Wrap up and listener course reports

See All (32)

About

Both Sides of Par is a golf podcast for the millions of us battling through the middle. Colin is a high handicapper rediscovering the game after 20 years away. Ross plays off a low handicap and knows the industry inside out. Together they have honest, funny chats about what it actually takes to get better, from both ends of the handicap spectrum. If you play off anything from 10 to 25 and you're tired of tips aimed only at scratch players, this is your show. Every week covers practice that genuinely moves the needle, gear and golf tech worth your money, courses and golf trips (with a soft spot for Scotland, the home of golf and our home too!), and the amateur questions nobody else bothers to answer. Two golfers, two handicaps, one obsession. Follow along and play with us.

Information

You Might Also Like