Sandbagger Sessions

Cole Atkinson & Stefan Thedorf
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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. 3d ago

    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

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Jun 4

    Episode 26: Would you rather...? (Shocking answers)

    What's the most important club in the bag — and would you give up bombing it 350 down the middle just to never miss a putt again? 🏌️ This week on Sandbagger Sessions, Cole and Stefan turn a random radio segment into the ultimate Golf Would You Rather showdown — and it gets surprisingly heated. Augusta once or the Old Course every single year for life? Twenty PGA Tour wins or one major? Jack Nicklaus's legacy or Tiger's money, fame and chaos? Eleven impossible golf questions, almost zero easy answers — and a few where Lou Stagner's data settles the argument for good. Before the main event, the guys get into Stefan's brutal PGA debut (an 86 he'd rather forget), Russell Henley's clutch finish at the Charles Schwab, whether Ludvig Åberg is honestly playing like a C-minus right now, a slow-play penalty that cost a real shot at a title, and Bryson's new Gemini-powered AI coaching app — the future of the golf swing, or just a great salesman at work? Plus a full US Women's Open preview from Riviera and this week's picks (including a side bet on the wives' round that they can absolutely never find out about). Stefan is a PGA of Canada professional, so you get real swing and stats insight buried under way too many tangents — exactly how you like it. 👉 Hit subscribe, drop YOUR Would You Rather answers in the comments, and tell us who got each one right. ⛳ ▶️ Timestamps0:00 – Cold open & welcome to Episode 260:41 – Stefan's first PGA event: an 86 at Castleview, a tee shot that nearly took out a spectator, and what tournament golf teaches you8:54 – PSA: please yell FORE (Scott takes one straight to the forehead)9:40 – Pro V1 giveaway winner + housekeeping10:47 – Charles Schwab Challenge: Russell Henley's clutch closing birdies & Eric Cole's costly 9th hole14:43 – Ludvig Åberg — all that hype for a C-minus right now?17:25 – LPGA Shoprite: Céline Boutier wins & a slow-play penalty that actually stung19:26 – The side-saddle wizard at Cataraqui + the most painful putt in NCAA history22:09 – Bryson, Gemini AI & the future of golf coaching (genius tool or sales pitch?)28:49 – US Women's Open preview at Riviera (+ the genuinely gross origin of "waste areas")35:30 – The picks: Women's Open, the Memorial & a secret bet on the wives' round41:49 – 🎙️ MAIN EVENT: Golf Would You Rather42:30 – Bomb it 350 down the middle every time OR never miss a 10–20 footer?45:50 – Play Augusta once OR the Old Course every year for life?48:50 – One golf trip forever: Scotland OR Australia & New Zealand?51:50 – 20 PGA Tour wins OR a single major?54:45 – Know your exact number on every shot OR one do-over per round?55:50 – Caddy for every major champion for a year OR make one PGA Tour cut?58:13 – Scratch golfer forever OR a 4-handicap who can still improve?1:01:00 – Be the biggest Sunday choker ever OR completely forgotten?1:03:20 – Summer of your life then quit OR the Charles Barkley swing forever?1:05:00 – Jack Nicklaus's career OR Tiger's (money, scandals and all)?1:08:40 – Live with LIV OR erase it from golf history?1:12:07 – Wrap-up: Barry from Copetown Woods next week + Canadian Open & Kingston's own Ashton McCullough #golf #golfpodcast #wouldyourather #pgatour #uswomensopen

  6. May 28

    Episode 25: Has the cost of golf really gone too far?

    Is golf too expensive, or are we just soft? This week Cole and Stefan stop crying into their credit card statements long enough to actually run the numbers — and what they found is wild. From the COVID golf boom that added nearly 50 million players, to drivers that somehow cost a grand, to $83 dozens of Pro V1s, we break down exactly where your golf money is going and whether any of it is actually worth it. But first: a full recap of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, including a course that spent $1 million+ per hole and STILL got lit up for 60. We get into Wyndham Clark's win and why his post-round comments rubbed us the wrong way, and the 446-yard drive that broke our brains. Plus the Blades Brown breakout at 19 — and the brutal PGA Tour status catch-22 that comes with it. Then it's the main event. Green fees in the US vs. Canada vs. the UK & Ireland (North Berwick, Nairn, Turnberry — the numbers are insane), why the one-year driver cycle is finally cracking, the truth about Miura and direct-to-consumer irons, golf balls being the only purchase that actually makes sense, and why $5,000-a-day golf lessons exist. We even put it all in context against NFL tickets, movie nights, and ski passes. A PGA of Canada pro and a 3.5 handicap who buys too many clubs argue economics, status, and whether the bubble is about to burst. You already know the answer — but you'll enjoy getting there. #golf #golfpodcast #golfequipment #pgatour #wyndhamclark #titleist #taylormade #provi #golfcourse #sandbaggersessions ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 — Cold open: hole-in-ones, Habs vs. Leafs & a Premier League tangent02:46 — The big question: is golf too expensive?03:49 — CJ Cup Byron Nelson recap & a $1M-per-hole course design rant06:17 — Wyndham Clark's win + the Oakmont controversy he won't own09:00 — Longest drives on tour (446 yards is not real)10:23 — Blades Brown's breakout at 19 & the PGA Tour status dilemma17:11 — The brutal gap between a plus-handicap and an actual pro18:13 — Fantasy picks update + Charles Schwab Challenge picks22:29 — Scotland trip hype: Carnoustie, North Berwick & birthday golf24:22 — MAIN EVENT: Is golf too expensive?25:59 — The COVID golf boom, by the numbers29:19 — Green fees: US vs. Canada vs. UK & Ireland37:49 — Resident pricing, golf tourism & Ontario destinations41:18 — Drivers: why are they $1,000 now? (one-year vs. two-year cycles)49:00 — Grips, used clubs & the great golf price-gouge57:00 — Miura, direct-to-consumer irons & golf as a status symbol59:00 — Golf balls: the one purchase that actually makes sense1:09:00 — The truth about $5,000 golf lessons1:12:00 — Everything's expensive: NFL tickets, movies & ski passes

  7. May 21

    Episode 24: Aaron Rai SHOCKS the World at Aronimink

    Aaron Rai is your 2026 PGA Champion — and we've got a LOT to talk about. Cole and Stefan break down a wild week at Aronimink, from the controversial "Diet Coke US Open" setup, to Garrick Higgo's now-infamous 1-minute late tee time that cost him the cut by a single shot, to the FootJoy rain gloves and iron headcovers heard around the world. Plus: Cole returns from the Flagstick Open at Equinelle with a tale of "Ireland-level wind," a missed 6-inch tap-in, and an honest C+ grade for his weekend. Stefan tees it up at Lookout Point in Fonthill, and we go deep on whether Rory's back on the "bitchy train," why Cam Smith is the Australian Patrick Reed, and how Eugenio Chacarra walked off a US Open qualifier playoff to catch a flight to Belgium. Throw in a Jordan Spieth pitch shot only five guys on Tour can hit, a heartwarming win on the LET (13 years after being given a 4% chance to live), Bridgestone's new black golf balls (??), Kingston's own Noah Steele Monday qualifying on PGA Tour Americas, and a full breakdown of the International Presidents Cup race where the Canadians are in trouble. Hit subscribe, leave a review, and let us know in the comments: was Higgo robbed, or were the rules just the rules? ⏱ Timestamps01:47 — Cole's weekend at the Flagstick Open at Equinelle (Kemptville, ON)05:31 — Stefan plays Lookout Point in Fonthill: tiny Royal Dornoch-style greens on the escarpment08:50 — What IS an escarpment? (For our international listeners)09:40 — PGA Championship at Aronimink — the big breakdown begins10:32 — The "Diet Coke US Open" setup debate + Data Golf's rough stats15:30 — Aaron Rai wins his first major: work ethic over natural talent?17:11 — The FootJoy rain gloves, iron headcovers, and "me and my golf" logo20:48 — "Working hard is a talent" — Stefan's takeaway21:55 — Garrick Higgo's 2-stroke penalty for a 1-minute late tee time23:00 — Cole's rant: easy to be early, impossible to be on time27:36 — Jordan Spieth's 67-yard pitch shot — "only 5 guys on Tour can hit that"29:14 — Justin Rose, JT's 65 Sunday, Rahm + Cam Smith resurface from LIV31:36 — Patrick Reed gunning for the PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour top-1032:13 — Rory kicks a fan out — is he back on the "bitchy train"?33:35 — Schedule talk: Canadian Open, Memorial, US Open, the Scottish Open question36:28 — Leonie Harm's LET win — 13 years after a drunk driver gave her a 4% chance to live37:31 — Kingston's Noah Steele Monday qualifies into PGA Tour Americas38:15 — Eugenio Chacarra leaves a US Open qualifier playoff for a DP World Tour flight40:58 — Bridgestone's new black golf balls — what are we doing here?42:46 — Picks time: Blades Brown vs. Si Woo Kim for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson45:23 — Is Corey Conners cooked? The Canadians' Presidents Cup standing47:21 — International points top 6 + Geoff Ogilvy as captain + the Snedeker playing-captain idea

  8. May 14

    Episode 23: PGA Championship Preview (who will be the dark horse?)

    The PGA Championship is here, and Aronimink is the great unknown. Cole and Stefan break down the year's second major in obsessive detail — picks, dark horses, course strategy, and whether anyone can stop Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy from making this another two-horse race. First, they recap Kristoffer Reitan's stunning underdog win at the Truist Championship — a guy ranked 1,945th in the world four years ago, suddenly a PGA Tour winner and Top 25 player. Then they debate whether Quail Hollow actually deserves major championship pedigree, dig into the Aronimink setup (Donald Ross design, the tree removal debate, par 70 at 7,394 yards), and ask the question nobody's answering: if there's "no strategy off the tee," is this really a major championship test? Plus: their PGA Championship picks, a dentist-themed analogy for Cam Young that's somehow perfect, why Brooks Koepka is quietly the most interesting man in golf, Jordan Spieth's career Grand Slam shot, Cam Young's mysterious "rollback conforming" golf ball, and a brutally honest take on what "grow the game" actually means after Graeme McDowell's regret admission and Jon Rahm's telling no-comment on his LIV decision. Cole is also playing the Flagstick Open this weekend, Stefan gave him a last-minute driver fix, and the episode wraps with a free lesson on why you should probably stop taking swing tips from Instagram. ⛳ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to the new studio + Stefan's own swing-change update 01:30 — Listener Dan Eddy shoots his best round ever after the Breaking 80 episode 03:00 — Stefan's pre-tournament driver lesson with Cole + the Brooks Koepka quote on losing your swing 04:30 — Flagstick Open promo + why amateur tournaments are where real handicaps get exposed 06:50 — Club-slamming season: three re-shaft requests already this year 08:25 — Truist Championship recap: Kristoffer Reitan's run from 1,945th in the world to PGA Tour winner 11:00 — Does Quail Hollow actually deserve to host a major? 22:00 — Pick 'em update: Stefan's $3.5M lead heading into the second major 25:24 — PGA Championship picks revealed 27:00 — Aronimink breakdown: Donald Ross design, the rough, the side-hill lies 31:00 — The Aronimink tree-removal debate + the Augusta comparison 33:00 — Cam Young's "rollback conforming" ball — what is going on here? 35:00 — Kiawah Ocean Course war stories 36:00 — Scottie's "off year" by the numbers (spoiler: he's still No. 1 in strokes gained total) 39:00 — Rory's toenail saga + the post-Grand Slam mindset 44:00 — The Cam Young dentist analogy and why nobody remembers his wins 47:00 — Big Three or Big Four? Where does Matt Fitzpatrick fit? 49:30 — Jon Rahm's contract no-comment, Graham McDowell's regret, and "you cannot buy history" 54:00 — What does "grow the game" actually mean anymore? 55:30 — Bryson, Ludvig, Xander, Tommy — who's actually in the mix? 58:30 — Brooks Koepka as the sneaky pick + a "he just wants to win" appreciation 1:00:00 — Jordan Spieth's career Grand Slam shot + Ricky Fowler's resurgence 1:06:00 — Real dark horses: Sepp Straka, Russell Henley, Rickie Fowler 1:07:00 — Field deep-dive: how did Luke Donald get in? Plus the Canadian contingent 1:10:00 — Justin Rose's two-bag situation with McLaren irons 1:11:30 — The Michael Block redemption arc — is he in on the joke? 1:15:00 — Cole's Flagstick Open preview + a live-leaderboard call to the listeners 1:17:00 — Stefan's end-of-episode rant: please stop taking driver tips from Instagram 🎙️ Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's tournament breakdown and PGA Championship recap. DM us at @SandbaggerSessions during Cole's tournament — you'll know which holes to ask about.

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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
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Cole Atkinson & Stefan Thedorf
  • Show Website
    Sandbagger Sessions

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