7 Mile Beach, Bradley S Klein & St. Patrick's Links
The last few weeks have seen a flurry of question writing, research, editing and plenty of learning as The Firm & Fast Podcast breaks through 1500 unique downloads.....
Episode 3 - Mathew Goggin & the story of the genesis of 7 Mile Beach
Episode Link - https://firmandfastgolfpodcast.fireside.fm/3
It was great to catch up with Mat Goggin recently, the developer of the 7 Mile Beach Golf Course to learn how he turned a boyhood dream into a reality. The influence of Mike Clayton is plain to hear as Mat brings us through his twenty year odyssey which has led to a construction site for a golf course located only 10 minutes from Hobart airport.
We hear of inspiration, perspiration and dedication and a genuine and noble quest to create local opportunities and a community facing facility that could have wider ramifications if its’ ripples are felt nationally and internationally as they should be.
Judging by the photos that the course designers, CDP Golf, have been teasing golf twitterati with, it looks like Tasmania may soon add another course to bucket lists around the world when the 7 Mile Beach course opens at some point in 2023.
You could listen to Mat all day long, some might say I did! Great pearls of wisdom on the game of golf come along regularly in this instalment.
If you’ve yet to tune in, be sure to put this episode on your list…… you will not be disappointed.
Episode 4 - Bradley S Klein - caddy, historian, writer and all round good egg
Episode Link - https://firmandfastgolfpodcast.fireside.fm/4
Bradley Klein joined us for a chat about caddying, writing, educating and consulting in the golf space.
As an analytical golfing ideologue, Brad has an uncanny ability to distill the complex down to the simple using a treasure trove of historical, agronomic, architecural, cultural and societal examples in addition to being centrally involved in many renovation, restoration and construction projects throughout the USA.
We talk about Bernhard Langer, Donald Ross, Charles Blair MacDonald, Tom Doak, Gill Hanse, the Old Course in St. Andrews, Robert Trent Jones Senior, Herbert Warren Wind and Pat Ward Thomas and the California Club in San Francisco.
If you are a member at a golf course that has ever done any development work to your course or indeed may be considering such a step, this episode is a must listen.
Bradley has recently written an article for the USGA Greens section which is an ideal accompaniment to this pod:
Episode 5 - Frank Casey Junior & Clyde Johnson on crafting St Patrick’s Links, a truly world class addition to Irish golf
Episode Link - https://firmandfastgolfpodcast.fireside.fm/5
Some of the brains trust behind the newly opened St. Patrick’s Links at Rosapenna joined myself and Ally McIntosh for an exposition on the underlying story behind it’s development from 2018 to 2020 and it’s opening in June 2021.
The Rosapenna Resort was opened initially in the 1890’s with the first course laid out by none other than Old Tom Morris on behalf of the local landlord Lord Leitrim. The Old Tom course would later be touched by the hands of Harry Vardon and the father of course architecture Harry S Colt whose touches and flourishes on the Valley nine are very much still in evidence today.
Frank Casey Senior and his wife Hillary bought the Rosapenna Golf Resort some 41 years ago and have steadily developed the hotel, a new golf pavilion and up to 2009 had added an additional 27 holes to the golf offering through the Pat Ruddy designed Sandy Hills course and another 9 though the Hackett/Ruddy/Renaissance Design inspired Strand loop which now compliments the Valley Nine to make up the Old Tom Morris course.
In 2012 the Casey’s purchased an adjoining tract of linksland, some 350 acres, which once housed 36 holes and thereafter looked like it might house a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design only to come a cropper due to the celtic tiger crash. This podcast details what happened from the time the Casey’s purchased the property.
You will hear from Frank Casey Junior, the Director of Golf at Rosapenna and Clyde Johnson of Cunnin Golf who was centrally involved with the design/build process at St. Patricks as part of the Renaissance Design construction team.
Please remember to subscribe to the pod through our website firmandfast.golf or through whichever podcast subscription service you favor. Many thanks for your continued support, encouragement and interest.
Happy golfing
Shane