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Talk Birdie To Me

Nick O'Hern & Mark Allen | Kaizen Media·Hosted by Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen·507 episodes

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Tour Pro's Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen talk golf every week on Talk Birdie To Me. The latest news, issues, and stories from Australia and Worldwide. As two golfers who played at the highest level, they tell it like it is, and take you behind the scenes to get an inside look into the world of golf.Nick O’Hern reached #16 in the world rankings and is the only player ever to beat Tiger Woods twice in matchplay. Mark Allen is a former Touring Pro of 15 years - played a British Open at Carnoustie, and in his career has hit 12 ho...

Why listen

Talk Birdie To Me gives golf fans a pro-level view without sanding off the opinions. Former tour pros Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen break down Australian and global golf news, rules controversies, course architecture, listener questions, and tour stories with the bluntness of people who have been inside the ropes. It is a strong fit if you want golf talk that mixes expertise, banter, insider memory, and a clear Australian angle.

Episodes

1 min
Jul 18, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Tim from the Gold Coast. Greatest Swing Ever !

Nick and Mark chime in on this voicemail question from Tim on the Gold Coast, and want your input into the question Tim has asked about the greatest swings ever. Have a listen, and let us know on socials and comments any suggestions you have.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 min
Jul 16, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Fehan from the Peninsula on The Open Championship Commentary

Fehan from the Peninsula in Victoria has just finished watching day one of The Open Championship and had some thoughts on the commentary that he heard, and left a voicemail for us. Let us know in the comments if you reckon Fehan has nailed it, or you have a different perspective.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 min
Jul 16, 2026
Friday Feedback: Has Sir Nick Faldo 'Cracked the Code' re: Distance? Aussie (Male) Golfers Under-Performing, and Different Balls for Different Moments

Plenty of comments and questions from you this week for Nick and Mark to discuss on our Friday Feedback pod. But we start with touching on our exciting new competition where you can win a trip for you and a friend to The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island to play 18 holes with Mark Allen and course architect Darius Oliver - the course is not even open yet, and you might get to play it! You can find out how to enter here: https://tr.ee/OAXE2MOnto the show:03:00 A suggestion from Rich on a Tour Pro who we missed in our recent Top 5 players who were (or are) cheered against.04:00 Tim asks Nick and Mark if pros were allowed to use different balls for different clubs and shots in tournaments would they? Nick and Mark run through the various scenarios and the ball, or kind of ball, they'd have used were they able to change it up.05.30 Drew on Aussie golfers underperforming, and makes some big calls on a few big names. Michael says something similar and asks who the next batch of golfers coming through here. Nick and Mark give their thoughts, and agree that our male golfers are generally underperforming, whilst the women are flying. Mark believes going to Europe would be helpful, and that covid did not help.08.00 We talk about the need for young pros, or aspiring pros, to have a sense of adventure if they are going to make it in golf.09:00 Nick talks through some of the young Aussie pros he rates as having potential.10.30 Mark discusses why limiting the number of limit of Pro Ams that you play in, as a young pro, is important.11.00 A question for Nick, a hypothetical (or is it) on a 'wine-based bet' on his performance of certain shots.After the turn:13.00 Andrew had a session with Nick a few months ago, and wrote in with the improvement (or otherwise) in his game, and he also saw comments this week from Sir Nick Faldo about reducing distance and is interested to hear Nick and Mark's thoughts on Faldo's comments.15:00 We discuss how shorter tees might work.17.00 Robert has written on a way has heard that some pros keep balls warm during winter. Nick and Mark discuss (legal) ways of keeping your golf balls warm.19.00 Al has a question about the Womens Opens' and w

17 min
Jul 15, 2026
Win a Money Can't Buy Experience at The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island !!!

Well this is a bit exciting. A massive competition exclusively for Talk Birdie To Me listeners and viewers.We are giving one person, and a friend, the opportunity to win a Money Can't Buy Experience at The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island to play 18 holes with Darius Oliver - who designed the course - and Talk Birdie's own Mark Allen. The course is yet to open so this really is special. Inclusions in the prize are:Flights to Kangaroo Island from a major Australian or New Zealand airport for you and a friend.One nights accom in a Deluxe 2 bedroom villa at the Seafront Holiday Park in Penneshaw including breakfast.Dinner and Drinks at the Penneshaw Pub18 holes for you and a friend with Mark Allen and Darius Oliver, renowned course architect and designer of The Cliffs Kangaroo Island (and Cape Wickham!)Lunch includedTitleist and FootJoy gift packDetails on how to enter in a sec.Today we chat with Darius Oliver about The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island, he tells Nick and Mark how the course is coming along, if he's making any last minute adjustments, and whether he is excited, apprehensive, nervous - all of the above - about the official opening later this year. It's a stunning site, but one not without some water challenges, he explains the approach to water for the various parts of the course.Darius outlines the 3 highlight holes of the course for him, although he notes that because every hole is so different this will be different for everyone....but he does say that he wants everyone to fall in love with the things that he is in love with about the island and the course.It's very exciting, and The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island looks like being a very special golf course.So thanks to The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island, FootJoy and Titleist, how can you win this fantastic Money Can't Buy Experience?Send us a pic of a golfing moment that is special to you and why, could be a golfing experience, a golf trip with friends, anything, just something memorable to you.Each week, for 8-weeks, we'll choose one pic we like to go in the draw.This will mean there are 8 people in the draw which we'll do early September, and the trip is late November, you'll need to be available on November 20/21.Here's the link to enter: https://tr.ee/OAXE2MGood luck !We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Pl

58 min
Jul 14, 2026Episode 213
The Evian, The Open Championship. Why does Mark say 'Tommy Fleetwood is Talking Crap' and 'Augusta should be Ashamed of Themselves'? Sheez.

Massive show today, what a week, it is Open Championship week and whilst we previewed the tournament yesterday, we chat more about it today.We start with Mark talking about the new FootJoy Legends Series, Harris Tweed Collaboration - with Mark deciding at some point to do a masterclass on how to keep your FootJoys' clean....don't worry, he'll forget about it and we won't remind him. We love FootJoy, but a masterclass on keeping them clean doesn't seem riveting....Onto the show:04:00 Haeran Ryu: a great win at The Evian, Nick watched plenty and tells us what happened - particularly the final day. Nick says that whilst it is not a great course, it consistently produces exciting finishes. The Aussie women had an ordinary tournament, the majority missing the cut.08:00 Royal Birkdale. We discuss some of the great finishes and performances over the years, Nick describes 2008 as the toughest course for an open he ever played. Mark talks more about Greg Norman that year, considering he was retired, it was extraordinary. And we trace back some of the notable moments, including being introduced (and how!) to Justin Rose in 98.13:00 Mark has an idea for The Open Championship which would pay respect to history, and reckons it needs to happen.15.30 Similarly, Nick suggests an idea for The Australian Open at Kingston Heath later this year.17.00 Nicks plus for golf for Hostplus is the Open's last chance spot, which was won by Joe Dean with his fiancee on the bag, a great story!19.00 Some changes to Royal Birkdale this year, Mark chats about some of the changes they've made to the course.20.00 Our BMW Touch of Class come from Mark this week, and he awards it to Tommy Fleetwood, we hear the audio23:30 We run the ruler over the Australians in The Open Championship.24.30 Cam Smiths' swing changes, the new Claude Harmon swing. It looks good, Nick and Mark are impressed27.30 Nick explains when, as a pro, he adjusted his swing under a new coach28.30 We chat about Min Woo Lees chances, Jason Day's lack of form, Adam Scott could be a chance, Cam John, Lucas Herbert's stinger capability, Travis Smythe.30.00 Three kiwis playing: Ryan Fox, Daniel Hillier,and Kazuma Kobori - Nick likes Kazuma this week and explains why.30.30 Nick and Mark give their tips for who will win, and their dark horses.After the turn33.00 Reminder of our Talk Birdie Betr multi which you can see here. 13 bucks for Matt Fitzpatrick Top 10, Bryson to miss the cut, and a non-US winner.34.00 A fun Top 5 from Nick - his Top 5 golf plaques around the world, in honour of the Grace Kim plaque at The Evian.36.00 Mark tells the story about nearly being killed by Tiger Woods driving the green in Thailand.37.00 Back to the top 5 - Mark is seemingly

24 min
Jul 14, 2026
The Open Championship Preview: The Potential Winners, The Leading Aussie, and the Player Nick says is 'Brutal' to watch.

The Open Championship is here! What a tournament, what a history. And today Nick and Mark preview The Open.Mark asks Nick about when he played in The Open Championship in 2008 and Greg Norman led at 54 holes, tied for the lead with 8 holes to play ...and he was retired and spending his time playing tennis !!As usual we have a look at the power rankings, and we start with a convo about Tommy Fleetwood - this is his home course, and Nick says there is nothing like local knowledge of a course, and Mark says he is the best player to not win a major, so it could be a good weekend for him.Nick notes that Min Woo's iron play is looking much better, and his short game is on point. Mark says this course suits Min Woo, and he is one of the best stinger players he's ever seen, and he deserves to be considered the leading Australian in the field.Mark talks about how this course has seen plenty of great putters win, seems to suit them. Nick isn't looking forward to seeing Tom Kim play, describing him as 'brutal' to watch (in reference to his pace).Scheffler is #5 in the power rankings, and Mark feels he knows why that is the case. Nick's 'concern' about Scottie this week is his putting.Rory #4 in the power rankings, Nick saw a funny piece of footage featuring Rory this week which we have a listen to. Matt Fitzpatrick...he is red hot, both Nick and Mark are huge fans and reckon he's set for a big weekend.Mark cannot understand why Morikawa is #2 in the power rankings for The Open, Nick can and explains why. Nick goes on to explain the strategy for playing this course.With the tournament finishing at a similar time to the World Cup Final, Nick tells Mark that there is a contingency to adjust tee times if England are in the final to avoid the situation of empty stands, or cheering from the stands as people keep an eye on the World Cup.And before the turn we discuss some of the fun, new markets Betr have on the tournament, there are some crackers if you want to whack 5 bucks on a couple. And what will our Talk Birdie Betr multi be? We kick it around before the turn, and decide after. We text Hummer live, and get the odds back in record time. You can open a Betr account at their website here, or on the app, and you'll find out multi on the Betr Specials section.Enjoy The Open !!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every

19 min
Jul 12, 2026
Monday Mini: Got the Driving Yips? Can We Fix It??? We'll Give it a Shot.

Today we've got a guest wolfpacker on our Talk Birdie To Me Monday Mini - Nigel from 13th Beach Golf Club in Victoria who is having some pretty serious, and long-term issues with his driving. But before we get into that, the more pressing issue is whether he can give us an update on the duck spring roll debacle at 13th Beach, where they were serving duck spring rolls in 3's rather than 2's or 4's. Crazy talk.But then, onto the serious stuff. Nige is a good player, he has gotten down to as low as 1.5, but at the moment his driving is killing his game, and he doesn't know how to fix it. That's where Nick and Mark come in. Plenty of fact finding questions and conversation to try and nail down the issue and the options. Nigel is very open about what he's doing poorly at the moment, so that's handy.We give him a few things to go away and work on, and Nick and Mark want to have a 'part 2' chat in a few weeks where we look at some video of Nige which he has homework to get to us.Mark makes the slightly bold claim that if he and Nick can fix Nigel's driving yips, we'll be national heroes....Nick wants a statue. Possibly a statue of Nick and Mark outside 13th Beach Golf Club eating a duck spring roll would be on point.A fun Monday (well maybe not for Nigel) but if you're having any yip type issues there might be a couple of tips you pick up.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 min
Jul 9, 2026
Friday Feedback: 'Golf is not about the quality of your good shots, but the quality of your bad ones'

It's Friday and that means a Friday Feedback pod. Plenty of great comments and questions for Nick and Mark to discuss today.01:00 Following our conversation a couple of weeks ago about women golfers who were (or are) absolute flushers, there's a couple of suggestions on golfers we missed.03:00 Nick and Mark discuss the importance of not focusing so much on the quality of your good shots, but the quality of your bad shots....they explain.04:00 Our discussion about local rules really has sparked some comments, and yes gimmes come up again (much to Marks frustration)05:00 Mark notes that in the US it can be quite different, mulligans and gimmes are almost negotiated for.05:50 Last week Mark talked about 'airspace' on a particular hole being out of bounds, we get a message from Ray in the UK who had the same thing at his club07:00 An idea from Mission Hills on how to manage gimmes07:30 Ian has a comment and question about YouTube golf tips, he may have misunderstood a recent conversation on the show, but that's okay, we have a chat about it.10.30 Are bunkers still hazards, or are they too well groomed?11:30 Radar - A fun story about the great man.After the turn:14.00 A few messages and stories about the recent passing of Metropolitan (Melbourne) golf legend Brian Twite17:00 Can golf instructors destroy a swing?20:00 A story from Graeme about the Dunvegan22:00 Nick tells the story of how Jack Newton helped him win the PGA Championship at Coolum23:00 And into a story about Payne Stewart at CoolumAnd unfortunately the show ends on a low note with Dan cracking an appalling joke. A possible suspension for him from next weeks show is being considered by the Talk Birdie Team.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 hr 5 min
Jul 7, 2026Episode 212
The World Cup of Golf? Let's Rebuild it. What Annoys Mark about the DP World Tour. And Tiger's Swing (Change) History.

Sheez it's a big episode today, we didn't think it necessarily was going to be, but it's ended up being a long one with plenty of good conversation.01:00 We start with the BMW international on the DP World Tour, won by a 39-year old rookie no less! Nick knows a bit about him and gives some background. Mark talks about how impressive it is, and how for many pros continuing to play beyond a certain point (if you're not making the big bucks) is a huge risk, he tells us how that drive his retirement. And we decide that this DPWT win is a real plus for golf for Hostplus.03:00 Nick noticed a very tough name for the commentators to pronounce in the BMW International.04:30 Mark tells Nick what he finds annoying about the DP World Tour.06:00 The World Cup of Golf. Nick played it. Both Nick and Mark feel it could be great, however it wasn't. We discuss.09.30 Nick talks about playing the Dunhill.11.00 Back to the World Cup. How could it be reworked? What format? Structure? Countries? Frequency?18.00 We stumble onto Vijay Singh and Nick and Mark share stories about playing with him.20.00 The Open Championship is less than a fortnight away, and Nick loves the Last Chance feature that they're doing.21:00 Nick awards our Touch of Class for BMW this week to Pádraig Harrington following how he spoke after winning the US Senior Open at the weekend. Hard to argue. Nick has a very funny story about Pádraig's son, and Mark outlines a drill he picked up from Pádraig that he loves.26.30 Nick explains his favourite putting drill from when he was on tour, and Mark gives some tips for when you're on the driving range.29:00 Mark raises some stats from Chris Gotterup from recent performances....impressive however you look at them!After the turn:33:00 Mark lists, for Betr, the Top 5 players who 'broke the golf rule textbook' yet were still guns. #1 is wild. 40:00 Nick shoots through the Global Result highlights.45:00 Onto feedback for Southern Golf Club, plenty to run through46.00 We discuss the history of Tiger's swing changes in feedback48:00 More on some additions to players who went down rabbit holes, and the some comments from you on the PGA Tour changes announced last week56:00 And just as we're about to hook into the Masterclass, we get a text, and it's a voicemail from Mick who spotted something over the weekend and is keen on Mark and Nicks opinion.....as it turns out it is one of their pet topics and they're very happy to engage!1:00:00 And then onto the masterclass for the Golf Clearance Outlet, Nick spotted something at the BMW International to do with iron play, and he talks us through his thoughts.A fun show, a big one!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort

10 min
Jul 5, 2026
Monday Mini: More on Gimmes; and Balls....How often should you replace them?

Monday Mini today where we look at a comment, and then a question, from wolfpacker Darren.Darren has an observation, specifically for Mark, about the 'gimme' conversation of recent weeks. Suffice to say that Darren has a different view to Mark, and it is causing trouble for Mark at his club. After the fun and games of watching Mark squirm, we move onto the question Darren has for Nick and Mark - which is on how long should you use a golf ball prior to replacing it. Is it different in social v competition/pennant? How often did the boys swap out their balls on tour? And is the benefit of a new ball real, or is it more a mental benefit (or both). We then move onto how often the boys would replace gloves when they were on tour. And back to balls - one thing for pros, but for normys like most of us, how often would Nick and Mark recommend we swap out our balls?A fun Monday Mini today on Talk Birdie To Me!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 min
Jul 4, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Tour Pro Scott Laycock on the Australian Bear vs The Golden Bear!

Tour Pro Scotty Laycock is always good for a story, and he recently re-listened to the pod where Nick and Mark discussed the ANWA when Asterisk Talley self-combusted after a poor decision in a bunker (we've all been there!). Scotty tells a similar (ish) story, and about The Australian Bear vs The Golden Bear, in this voicemail.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 min
Jul 2, 2026
Friday Feedback: An update on Local Rules. Blind Par 3's - good or bad? And when Jack Newton drank Mark under the table.

A Friday Feedback pod today, plenty of comments and questions from you.....hopefully a bit more sedate after the drama of yesterday's Mean Tweets episode....brutal....00:00:00 We have an update on the discussion on the 'rake and replace' local rule from last weeks show.00:05:00 Couple of comments on the chat last week about the 2009 Australian Open when Mark was absolutely crueled by official Trevor Herden, and a fun story about Tommy Fleetwood from wolfpacker Pete.00:06:00 Kal from Winnipeg has written in with an observation about the ultimate 'slow play' partnering of Tour Pros.00:07:00 Mark tells the story of the worst 2-shot penalty he ever received, he's still dirty about it.00:08:00 A wolfpacker asks Mark to retell his story from Texas about the college students stealing the flags as part of a hazing ritual.After the turn:00:11:30 A bunch of suggestions for great course/clubhouse combos after last weeks chat about it.00:15:00 An update on the 13th Beach Duck Spring Roll disaster.00:16:30 Mark tells a story about getting poleaxed with the legendary Jack Newton at the Dunvegan00:19:30 Recently we spoke about the Top 5 holes architects would be 'fired' for if they tried them today, wolfpacker Tom has some additions to the list.00:20:30 Mark fails to learn from past experiences and goes to Grok again. It ends as well as you'd expect.00:22:30 And we finish with a chat about the merits (from Mark) and frustrations (from Nick) of short blind Par 3 holes.Keep the feedback coming, we love it!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 min
Jul 1, 2026
Mean Tweets: 'Low IQ Dopes', 'You Don't Deserve a Show', 'Smirking Smart-Arse'

Hard to believe, but sometimes we get negative, or as we call it, constructive criticism of the show and of us. We occasionally read these out during the feedback section, but today, we thought we'd pull a bunch together and do a bonus mini episode where Nick and Mark read out your 'Mean Tweets' - nothing is off limits, and Nick and Mark are seeing this feedback for the first time as they read it out live on the pod.Ouch.....We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

56 min
Jun 30, 2026Episode 211
The New PGA Tour Structure...we analyse how it works and what it means. And is it all over for Phil Mickelson?

We start todays show talking about the Travellers and the excitement of the playoff between Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler, it was a fantastic finish, Nick was glued to it and was impressed by the crowds who turned up for the playoff that morning. We go with an early Touch of Class.3:00 Touch of Class for BMW goes to Viktor for the viking tribute with the crowd, it was a ripper.4:00 We can't ignore the Phil Mickelson news that has been coming out over the last few days, and Nick and Mark discuss. We'll avoid the details of what is has been alleged that he has done, and we more talk in broad brushstrokes about Phil and his career. Mark says that he feels it will be difficult for Phil to ever play again, and Nick says that his downfall has been sad to see. Both feel that Phil would have made a brilliant commentator, but that seems very unlikely now.7:00 The news that has come out about the new PGA Tour Schedule and Structure, we discuss in detail. Nick and Mark love it. We discuss some of the key points: promotion/relegation, the removal of sponsor invites, shorter schedule, how do the tours work together and what is the path for any returning LIV players?14:00 Chat about the PGA Tour's approach to shoring up national opens, clearly a power move, and Mark says that whilst it is a good move, no way it would have happened without LIV.18:00 Have Golf Australia given Mark a whack? Dan says yes, Mark is a little more circumspect about it. We explain on the show22:00 For Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official superannuation partner, Mark awards this weeks plus for golf to the proposed Mens schedule that the PGA Tour have released.After the turn:26:00 Nick lists the Top 5 Tour Pros who go down rabbit holes trying new things for their game.35:00 Lots of feedback, heavily Wyndham Clark based - not so much on him, but on our comments about him. Also feedback for Southern Golf Club on Niemann's penalty, Nicks comments about young Australian golfers, and a couple on Min Woo Lee.45:00 Nick's global highlights from the last week, an underwhelming set of results for Australians - Karis Davidson aside - but some great results from others to run through, including an appalling effort from a caddy in Europe....53:00 And for the Golf Clearance Outlet, we wrap with Mark's masterclass - 3 key things to do to start your swing, particularly if your flexibility isn't what it was.And right at the end of the show, Mark and Dan play a short musical trivia game for fun while Nick isn't in the studio. See how you go....We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;<l

16 min
Jun 28, 2026
Monday Mini: Zero Aussie Men made the US Open Cut. Is there a problem?

On today's Monday Mini Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen put Australian Tour Pros under the spotlight, the men specifically as the women are killing it. But following a week where no Australian made the cut in the US Open for the first time since somewhere around the 1950's, is there a problem? Certainly you, wolfpackers, seem to think there may be given the volume of correspondence we received following the cut on Friday.Is there a problem, what is it, and what are some of the ways we could address it? Nick makes an observation about the entitlement of some younger players today, and Mark says that the access to Q School was easier in previous years, and says that the basketball model for talented young Australian basketballers is worth looking at for young golfers. He explains how that system works on the pod today.And we finish on a positive by discussing some of the great womens golf flushers over the years, including some Aussies. But join the conversation....what do you think would help with the approach to become stronger for men internationally? Love your thoughts and ideas.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 min
Jun 25, 2026
Friday Feedback: Australian Open PK feedback and questions. Mark names a veeeeery famous course with an underwhelming clubhouse. And we chat to Dave from Brisbane

Friday Feedback pod today, and it's got an Australian Open flavour, with plenty of comments on the news that the 2027 tournament will be held at Peninsula Kingswood. First up is Tracey, who simply wanted to say how pleased she was that the AO would be played at her home course, and why wouldn't you be! Mark makes the observation that he things PK has the most impressive 'drive in' in Australia, and that the emerald colour of the course is spectacular at the moment. Nick and Mark discuss when courses go into dormancy.Recently we filmed a few holes at The Furrows at Kingston Heath, if you haven't watched it on YouTube you can see it here, and we kick around the idea of heading north to Queensland during the winter dormancy in Melbourne....if you think there is a course, probably in Brisbane, that we should head to and film a couple of the key holes or key areas at, let us know in the comments and we'll pick one to go to in a few weeks.Wayne says that the PK news is great, and that it has the best clubhouse/course combo he's seen. Nick and Mark discuss and kick around some of their faves.....Mark names one veeeery famous course as having an underwhelming clubhouse, and menu. Trav also loves the AO being at PK.However, Michael makes a comment that whilst it's good for now, when LIV dies, after the PGAT contract with Golf Australia, he reckons the PGAT are out. Nick and Mark discuss.Funk has an idea about the composite structure of PK, do Nick and Mark agree? We discuss the composite, Mark has spoken to Mike Cocking about it, and he (Mike) reckons it's going to be great.And before the turn, John has a moment for Mark about his complaint on last weeks show about the lack of warm bread rolls in restaurants these days. Rest assured, we'll deal with all the big issues on Talk Birdie To Me.After the turn, we have a call from Dave from Brisbane who is a 5 handicapper and using old Wilsons, and has some questions about upgrading. Nick and Mark discuss how upgrading would help Dave's game, and explain why - Nick reckons, if Dave is off 5 with his current gear, he's a shot at scratch with newer gear. Whilst we've got Dave we get a rundown on his local Ipswich club and how it's looking and playing at the moment.A fun Friday Feedback pod today, keep your questions and comments coming, we love getting them!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;</l

1 min
Jun 24, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Greg: 'Has Golf Lost its Way?

Greg watched the US Open at the weekend and was particularly frustrated with something that he watched occurring, which he feels is becoming increasingly common. He left a voicemail with his concerns - let us know in the comments if you agree with Greg, or have a different view.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

58 min
Jun 23, 2026Episode 210
Nick 'Wyndham Clark has an anger issue', will Min Woo become the player we thought he would?

We've all come in a bit bleary eyed after four early starts in a row getting up for the US Open, but we thoroughly enjoyed it, as you no doubt did as well. There was plenty to like, and a few average things as well. We chat about it all on this weeks main pod episode.1:00We start with the US Open of course, Mark was underwhelmed by Shinnecock Hills, the weather did play a role, we discuss the impact on the early and late players, and how it can work for you or against you quite significantly. Nick tells us the most extreme example of this he ever saw, and Mark talks about playing an Australian PGA at NSW with the wind screaming around the course.6:00 Wyndham Clark, now a 2-time winner, Mark is interested in how his swing has evolved over the last 3-4 years, and describes what he is seeing. Interestingly, on the final day under pressure, he slipped back to some of his old problems (by his own admission). Nick decides to do todays Masterclass on some of the drills he has noticed Wyndham doing. 9.00 Scottie Scheffler. Nick says he was on his B or C game at the weekend, and still finished well. Mark says his distance control was off, and he was not turning the ball with confidence.11.00 Mark was impressed with Sam Burns and reckons he's a good shot for a big win at some point soon. 12.30Back to Wyndham, we discuss the crowd reaction, it was largely unsupportive. We chat about it, what happened at last years US Open, and his comments about that after the tournament. Nick says that he has an 'anger issue'.18.00 Are Long Island golf fans are a 'stain on the game of golf' ? That's the claim. Mark agrees.20:00 Neimann's 2-shot penalty, which Mark describes as a plus for golf thanks to Hostplus, saying it's about time this behaviour is cracked down on.22:00 Should swearing by players be subject to penalties? Nick says yes. Rahm the worst offender Nick saw at the weekend.23:00 Oh and our Talk Birdie / Betr multi came off, it's our third one, and Mark is particularly happy as he built this one himself! 24.00 We discuss Sam Burns marking his spot, was it cheating? Maybe, maybe not, not enough evidence, but it didn't look good.25:00 But Wyndham, well he did do some shonky stuff, and Mark says he is now on the 'Talk Birdie cheating watchlist'. We discuss why.29.00 For BMW, this weeks touch of class goes to 17-year old amateur Miles Russell....well deserved and a fantastic moment. After the turn:33:00Mark lists the Top 5 players 'cheered against' at majors. Does Monty make the list?36:00Whether he does or not, Mark does tell a very funny, albeit slightly crude, Monty story.39:00 US Open focused, and heavily leaning towards the women this week, Nick runs around the world in the PING Global results. 43:00 Feedback: Lots of comments and questions on the US Open and the various things that happened, Min Woo Lee, Penalties, Bryson anch

9 min
Jun 21, 2026
Monday Mini: Should this Rule Change be Reversed? And What other Rule Changes need to happen?

A Monday Mini today and wolfpacker Will in Sydney has sent a short video in, which we talk through on the pod for audio listeners, showing something that was within the rules of golf many years ago, yet now is not. Will reckons it should be made legal again. Nick and Mark discuss.And then we talk about some great rule changes over the years and, perhaps more importantly, some of the rule changes that should be made!It's a quick listen, less than 10-minutes for our Talk Birdie To Me Monday Mini today. We'd love your thoughts in the comments on whether Will is right, or not, and what other rule changes should happen.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 min
Jun 20, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Travis from the Gold Coast. His Daughters Golf Journey and the role his PGA Club Pro plays

Love this voicemail from Travis on the Gold Coast, his 12-year old daughter is learning the game and Travis wanted to a shout out to his local Club Pro at Coolangatta/Tweed, Jay Borra who he raves about. A fantastic testament to the great work PGA Pros do to help grow the game!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 min
Jun 18, 2026
Friday Feedback: Local Rules at Golf Clubs, Lefty vs Righty, the Heeby Jeebies, and When Caddies Behave Badly!

Friday Feedback pod today, and it's good fun as usual. Some ripping questions and comments from you for Nick and Mark to discuss.1:00 John from Mandalay Golf Club, north of Melbourne, who outlines a local rule at his club which he rates, and is keen on Nick and Marks thoughts on it.4:00 Andrew from the UK is a righty, who feels he should try putting lefty, and asks Nick about it - plus a question for the boys about dealing with the heeby jeebies.7:00 Matthew from the US who has an idea on the technology 'rollback', and an observation to do with that around The Masters.9:00 Don with a comment on our Dottie Pepper chat a couple of weeks ago.After the turn, Mark does a flip flop about Monty coming on the show, however he has a pretty reasonable rationale. It's still a great flip flop, but not as good as this one which was a flip flop flip.13:00 Alyce has messaged in about a charity event her partner Kevin is doing on the Gold Coast to raise money for prostate cancer...a great cause, if you can spare even 5 or 10 bucks, here's the link. 14:00 Gary with a comment on seeing Brett Ogle play in Tassie, leads to a great story from Mark about Brett when he (Mark) was 14. Possibly involving a somewhat shady caddy.18:00 AB with a request for a guest....we like it.19:00 Mark tells a story about staying at Steve Elkington's house, and falling asleep on the front lawn, to be woken up by an animal poking him. 21:00 A few comments on our 2 PGA Championship titles vs 1 other Major title, and a fun chat about what would be on Nick and Marks menu should they have ever won The Masters.That's our Friday Feedback pod, have a great weekend !!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 min
Jun 17, 2026
US Open Preview: How Shinnecock Plays (it's Brutal), Who is a Chance to Win, and Who Isn't. Plus We Pay Tribute to Adam Scott on his Achievement this week.

It's US Open week and it's a big one, particularly for Adam Scott who plays his 100th consecutive major....extraordinary. Nick and Mark discuss this wonderful achievement, and share some insights into how Scotty approaches his game.Shinnecock Hills is a 'brutal' course, and requires some careful course strategy...even then the weather can play a role and throw plans out the window. Nick and Mark chat about what might happen. We run through the power rankings, and look at who can win and why, and who probably can't. And we frame a multi with our mate Hummer at Betr, it's a good one, but remember not to put much on - 10 bucks is plenty for a bit of fun. Head to the Betr website or app, opening an account if you don't have one takes a couple of minutes, and search for Betr specials, and you'll find Talk Birdie To Me there - here's the link to the website. Remember to always gamble responsibly.Enjoy the US Open !!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 hr 2 min
Jun 15, 2026Episode 209
Nick: 'PK is Made for Tournament Golf', and Mark names the Aussie he says is 'Responsible for the World Feed's Existence'.

What a week. After the excitement yesterday of the PK news, and the co-sanctioning with the PGAT (along with the DPWT), and what that could mean, we've got plenty to run through. And given that, we thought we'd kick off the show by chatting to Tour Pro, and Peninsula Kingswood royalty, Marcus Fraser about how it came about and whether the excitement levels are off the chart. Marcus reveals that there has been offers before for events at PK, but the board decided to wait for the right event, and that has paid off. Whilst the course will play as a composite, he is yet to have a decent look at the routing, however he said the excitement around the club is huge. For Hostplus, the AO at PK is our plus for golf this week.Mark questions why the even need the composite approach, which he and Nick discuss.This weeks BMW Touch of Class is easy. Last week, just after we recorded the pod, we heard the news that the legendary Brian Twite from Metropolitan had passed away only 2 months shy of turning 100. Mark tells a great story about getting in trouble from Brian when he (Mark) was a mischievous kid doing what mischievous kids do, and being chased by Brian on a motorbike on a golf course!Mark read this week that LIV are saying that they have a number of Australian sponsors who are interested, and Mark asks Nick - where have they been for the last decade ? On LIV, with rumours (unsubstantiated) of money not forthcoming to wrap up the season, what could that mean were it to occur. Mark read this week about the details of Jon Rahm's LIV deal, the numbers are mind-blowing, and Nick describes them as 'silly'.Nick and Mark discuss how it is disappointing that the prizemoney in Australia today, is pretty much what it was 30-years ago.It is US Open week, we touch on it briefly today - not because we're not excited but because we'll do a preview pod over the next day or two and get into some real detail about the tournament. We do discuss Shinnecock, and some of the adjustments to the course - particularly the widening. Nick describes this course as 'brutal'.After the turn, as if he needed another reason, Mark has found one to criticise the world feed over. Nick reckons Charlie Woods may well be on the bag in the US Open, that would be interesting.Nicks Top 5 this week for Betr, and he lists his Top 5 memorable moments from Australasian players, one player makes two entries! For Southern Golf Club, into feedback:Ron has a fun fact about Nelly Korda's win a week or so back, Ken and John each have some feedback on Marks 'Swatters' Top 5 from last week, we hear some great stories about Sandy Lyle. Lots of feedback on our video from The Furrows last week - see it here - Gards, Angela, and Pete loved it, Wolfpacker Mark has a question for our Mark about his putter, and Ali Whit

18 min
Jun 15, 2026
Breaking News: James Sutherland: The 2027 Australian Open to be at Peninsula Kingswood, with a 'Significant' Lift in Prizemoney

A 'Big News' Pod today with Golf Australia boss James Sutherland announcing some very exciting news relating the 2027 Australian Open, which will be held at Peninsula Kingswood on Melbourne's sandbelt. That wasn't the only news he revealed, it was a big day, and James joined Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen to discuss the announcement.Nick and Mark ask about the rationale behind PK being played (at the AO) as a composite course, which James talks to, and describes the course as 'a hidden gem', he also reveals that for a long time now Golf Australia have 'harboured a desire to have our national open at Peninsula Kingswood'.Nick is curious as to what, if anything, this means for the North Adelaide deal and puts that to James. Mark asks about the move to co-sanction now not only with the DPWT, but now with the PGA World Tourmark wants to know about the co-sanctioning with the not only the DPWT, but the PGAT. And he asks what this means for prizemoney. James says that we now have certainty of where the national open will be played for the next 7-years, and in 2027 we'll see a 'significant boost to prizemoney'. He goes on to say that Golf Australia have the highest of aspirations for the open, and the intent is for it to be one of the Top 10 Golf events in the world.A busy day for James, he is being chased by plenty of people, but we managed to keep him for a few more minutes to put a couple of wolfpacker questions to him. Craig asks if the LIV factor played a role in the PGAT getting involved, and will their involvement remain if LIV collapses. Evan wants the Masters to return and asks James if there is a chance that can happen.A big day for Australian golf, and great to hear the news from the guy who did the deal.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 min
Jun 14, 2026
Monday Mini: US Open 2006, Nick O'Hern 'I still look back and feel that was my one chance to Win a Major'

It's US Open week for the Men and today's Monday Mini couldn't come at a better time.....more on that in a sec...But first a couple of winners from our recent Talk Birdie To Me research study....drumroll....Congrats to David Lindsay from Adelaide who has won 300 bucks to spend on a new pair of FootJoy's, and Simon Tagg from Sydney who has scored $300 to spend at the Golf Clearance Outlet! Well done fellas, and thanks for everyone who took part in our questionnaire, plenty of good things to take out of it, and plenty for us to improve....we appreciate you taking the time.Now, onto the Monday Mini. Wolfpacker Craig has written in saying that this week is the anniversary of one of his all time fave golfing memories....the 2006 US Open, Nick O'Hern stalking the field and shooting the lights out on the Sunday, Phil Mickelson melting down, Colin Montgomerie falling away on the final day, and Geoff Ogilvy coming home with the chocolates. Just an incredible tournament to watch where scoring low was at a premium that weekend.Nick talks us through the first 3-days, and then in detail what happened on the sunday, saying that the course was 'brutally tough', and that there was carnage happening everywhere. He talks through where it went wrong for Monty, and for Mickelson. And then we look at some of Nick's figures. He finished T6, which is impressive by any standard, however whilst he has very fond memories he does recall that as his one chance to win a major, which he let get away.A fantastic Monday Mini with some wonderful memories of 2006.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 min
Jun 13, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Daff from Brisbane 'I Headed into Saturdays Monthly Medal with a Pre-Match Bundy & Coke'

Voicemail from Daff in Brisbane who is a new wolfpacker, and left a message for Nick and Mark saying that a few tips have helped his game out....although we're not entirely sure that a pre-Monthly Bundy Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 min
Jun 11, 2026
Friday Feedback: Managing the 'Feel' of your Swing, A Couple of Cracking Monty stories, and in a 3-club comp, what clubs would you take? We discuss.

Friday Feedback pod today where you decide where the content on the pod goes. And we start with an excellent question for Nick and Mark from wolfpacker Robert.01:00 Robert wants to know how Nick and Mark manage the 'the feel of their swing' and when do they lose conscious sight of the ball. A great chat about what Nick and Mark do, and what some of the greats do06:00 Johnny with a golf cart story from his club.07:00 John on how he and his golfing buddy use their cart, Mark reveals his cart plan for when he gets older, and Nick tells a very funny story about his cart experience at Cathedral at the weekend.08:00 Another John, who lets us know about his club's twice annual 3-club event. Nick and Mark discuss what their 3 clubs would be.10:00 Beckom has an issue with golf associations and PGA's around the world not enforcing behaviour and etiquette from Tour Pros.After the turn, last week Mark asked people to nominate some of the YouTube golf instructional channels they watch and enjoy, and we had a bunch.12.00 We had input from Carl, David, Seve and Ian....plus Mark listed a couple he likes. 17.00 Nick reveals a bizarre fact about his Dad....one that will blow your mind, two actually, one to do with eggs, the other to do with baseball. They're both impressive, the egg one is wild.19:00 Another YouTube comment from Jeff, who went recently to the Titleist Performance Institute to get tested....he has sent in a short clip of his swing for Nick and Mark to review.20:00 Message from Craig on Monty, leading to Mark telling a story about when Monty went to Houston for college and how his golfing ability was considered pretty ordinary at that time, Nick jumps on with an extraordinary story about Monty nearly not pursuing golf as a career, until one fortuitous moment.And we end the pod with Mark putting our podcast license at risk....We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

58 min
Jun 9, 2026Episode 208
Mark Allen 'I'm Tearing My Hair Out Over the World Feed', Nellys huge win (that putt!), and is Cam Smith back ??? Nicks sources says yes.

Another busy pod this week, particularly considering some big tournaments over the weekend! Snapshot of the show below, with rough times of when we talked about the various issues:1:00We talk Nelly Korda's huge win, that final putNellys win, chat about the win, that final putt in particular, which was thisclose to missing. Nick noticed something about her caddy that he found strange, and mentions to Mark. We look at Nelly's stats, her putting results must have been a record for her, they were exceptional, and Nick discusses an unusual thing Nelly did mid-tournament. We discuss her nerves on that final putt.8:00Riviera looked amazing, far better than it usual does (at different times of the year).10:00More on Nelly, that's how good she was.11.00Mark discusses the commentators at the US Women's Open.12.00 Strap in.....the International feed vs the Normal feed. Mark is at his wits end, and wants to know what will it take to end it, saying it is so far off the mark.17.00Nicks mate shot his first ever hole in one at the weekend! Nick was rapt. Another mate shot one with nobody else around, Nick sadly for him said that it doesn't count.20:00Exciting news for one of our great mates, David Elia from Hostplus, who was awarded an Order of Australia in the Kings Birthday honours list this week. Well deserved! Is that our plus for golf this week? Well as exciting as it was, no, Mark awards the 'plus for golf' to something else.21:00This weeks Touch of Class for BMW goes to Nelly Korda....sort of.....Mark explains on the show.23:00LIV golf....a big week for LIV with a number of announcements about their proposed structure, prize money, and how they'd like to tie in with national opens. It's dependant on investment, but if it comes to fruition, there are some interesting ideas there.29:00Next week on the show we'll have Golf Australia boss James Sutherland on, if you have a question you'd like us to ask him on your behalf, shoot it to us in the comments and we'll pick three at random to ask the big guy.After the turn:31:00Nick talks about 'sclaffers'. What's a sclaffer? We did'nt know either....Nick explains. And Mark makes a big comment, intended as a compliment, about Rodger Davis.34:00Top 5 for Betr, Mark lists his Top 5 'spine tingling swatters', golfers with slightly unorthodox swings who made you go wow when you saw them hit the ball/38:00Ping globals, certainly a big one - Nick runs through LIV, Memorial, US Womens Open, Champions Tour, DPWT, plus an update on Cam Smith and how his form line is looking.45:00For Southern Golf Club, feedback this week - heaps on our chat with Dottie Pepper, the International Feed, Nick might have missed a big celebration in his recent Top 5, Steve Elkington, a Top 5 idea inspired by Seve, some holes that a wolfpacker reckons we missed last week in the chat about 'golf holes architects would never design toda

18 min
Jun 8, 2026
Bonus Feedback: 'Nick and Mark What are You Smoking?!?!', and What is Preferable: 2 PGA Champs, or 1 Other Major?

We've been getting plenty of feedback and questions lately, so we thought we'd do a bonus feedback pod for a bit of fun.And we start with wolfpacker Dave coming out of the blocks hot with a whack for Nick and Mark over their comments a week or two ago about what a 14-handicapper would shoot at Augusta.Todd from the UK asks whether any region in the world has more quality golf courses in a concentrated area than Melbourne, Nick and Mark can only think of one possible contender.Darren has some observations and questions around the sounds off the club that pros make in tournaments and why it is different? Mark tells a story about seeing long hitter Jason Zuback in action and the sounds he made.Peter has written in - he agrees with Mark (and Nick's) stance on cheating, however has a bone to pick with Mark about it.Rebecca messaged us about her Dad, Neil, who has broken his age now 300 times !!!!!!!! Wow!!!!And we wrap on a question from Alex....who makes the statement that he feels the PGA Championship is the 'least' prestigious of the majors, and if Nick and Mark had a choice would they rather 2 PGA Championship wins, or 1 win from another major. The boys give their view...and they each have a slightly different response to the question.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 min
Jun 7, 2026
Monday Mini: 'This is Why The Shark was #1 for 331 weeks in a row'

A Monday Mini today from a wolfpacker with an unpronounceable name (or is it...), however the comment / question that this person has for Nick and Mark is about the merits of adding a 5th Mens Major, but theming it as a retro major.....everything as it was 30-40 years ago. Nick and Mark discuss how it might look, the gear, the equipment, the rules, the clothing....it's a fun chat. It will never happen, but it's a fun hypothesis to explore.Nick says that, in the event it were to happen, it would lengthen the gap between the top pros like Rory and Scheffler, and the more average pros and that if you give them a few weeks to get used to the gear, they'd nail it. Mark makes the point that the equipment then, particularly the driver, helped pros like The Shark dominate.Nick also raises some news on Tiger's young bloke Charlie that he saw last week, which we chat about - relevant to this mini as Tiger had Charlie learn on old style blades so he had to learn to find the sweet spot, it meant he lost to some players early, but the skills it formed were excellent.A fun Monday Mini today !We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0 min
Jun 5, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Owen from Axedale, Victoria, on 'Dropout Ambrose'

Owen from Axedale in regional Victoria was listening to Nick and Mark talking about 'Shambrose' last week, and called in to explain what they do at his club....sounds like a fun way to do it! Have a listen to Owen's voicemail.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 min
Jun 4, 2026
Friday Feedback: Whacks, Handicaps, Another Monty Story, and Trouble in Paradise as Nick Reveals His True Colours to Mark & Dan

Friday Feedback today, and for some reason they always seem a touch looser than the usual pods, tis the nature of a friday....We start with a message from Teddy in Thailand, we did a mini last week on Teddy's grip issues, and he writes in with some more info, and Mark received an email from Ben Jackson the honcho of a grip company with some info on their Thai distributor - who happens to be based where Teddy lives! What are the odds!We start with some feedback on Marks outrageous behaviour of watching lawn mowing videos last week when we were trying to record the pod. Strangely, most wolfpackers seemed to not have an issue with it....we may have misjudged the room on this one (to Marks happiness). For some reason we then merge into more snooker chat....seriously Talk Birdie is on the verge of jumping the shark Fonzie style.But then onto the real stuff. Couple of comments on the discussion last week about whether all handicaps are created equal, one of which is a sort of compliment from Dean who agrees with Nick and Marks views, but then goes on to whack the boys over the recent Talk Birdie Top 20 Golf Course list. Leads to a chat about Queensland courses, and Nick and Mark list their fave Queensland courses and why. No surprises as to Nicks.Steven from Western Australia has a story on Monty which brings much joy to Mark, and then a couple of comments on the ball striking of Ángel Cabrera, Nick and Mark discuss what it was like to watch him hit the ball, and to play golf more broadly.Al is a lefty, and is after some advice from Nick about how to maximise the influence of his dominant hand, he's a former cricketer who came to golf late, and is struggling a little with the right hand placement.Bruce has noticed something Tour Pros do that he finds frustrating, and is keen for Nick and Marks thoughts. Greg agrees with the boys Rory McIlroy comments following what he said about Royal Melbourne not being 'fit for purpose'. Athol has heard our chats of recent pods on the Ryan Ang situation and has a whack for Nick and Mark over it.Aaron heard us wondering about Links Kennedy Bay last week, and wrote in to clarify where the course is at, which leads to us discovering that Nick is planning a trip to WA next year and not only has he failed to secure Mark and invite to Long Island, but he's not bothering to see if Mark and Dan want to come along! Sure it's a family wedding, but let's not let that get in the way of a golf trip!!!!By the way, speaking of golf trips.....don't forget to suss what our mates at GolfLoot have for you to win....see it here. Well worth the membership.And we wrap with some comments from Alan on the number of clubs in the bag.A fun Friday Feedback pod, hopefully we can get through the shows next week with zero lawnmowing and snooker chat....

34 min
Jun 3, 2026
Guest: Dottie Pepper on Her Life in Golf - as Player and Commentator. And Shares What She Was Advised to 'Never Do' When Commentating Tiger Woods

Well this is very special. Dottie Pepper is a legend in the golfing world, a wonderful player with a stellar record, and a groundbreaking commentator and today for Hostplus, we're hosting Dottie on Talk Birdie To Me.We start with Nick and Mark asking Dottie to tell us how she got into golf as a youngster, and her story about how it started, given her Dad's background as a Pro Baseball Player is fantastic. Her setup at home was pretty helpful!Nick asks her about being the leading player on her high school team with one very important detail that makes it even more impressive. And Mark has always been interested to watch the leading amateurs in tournaments, and is keen to hear what that was like for Dottie as that amateur.Dottie tells a great story about playing qualifying and making a significant error in the 9-holes she played....and why her sister contributed significantly to Dottie's 'breakthrough moment'.Nick and Mark have said for some time that the Women should probably have only 4 majors, and they ask Dottie her view. She agrees - and names the tournament that she believes should be dropped as a Womens Major. Mark observes that the womens game is so strong at the moment with the depths of fields fantastic, and asks Dottie if she agrees and if so why the womens' game is so strong these days. She highlights one particularly player who she feels is particularly impressive.After the turn, we chat about her commentary. Dottie explains how she developed her commentary approach and skills, and shares the advice she received from Mike Tirico and Judy Rankin which helped her. Recently Aaron Rai wowed the world with his performance to win the PGA Championship, particularly on the final day, and Mark asks Dottie where that ranks in terms of the greatest golf she has seen played. She tells us....but.....she also tells an amazing story that we were unaware of about Aaron Rai's Dad on the final day of that tournament!!!Back to commentary. She was given some advice once about what never to do when commentating Tiger Woods....she shares that with us. Dottie also tells us a couple of great Tiger stories from her experiences with him, and she talks to us about what it was like being the first on course commentator at the 2020 Masters - quite the achievement!And we wrap up a wonderful conversation with Dottie, for Hostplus, by finding out what her plans are for the next stage of life, whenever that may be. When the time comes to retire, what does she hope to do.We are quite sure we speak for everyone when we say that we hope Dottie Pepper retiring is a long way off yet!!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe an

58 min
Jun 2, 2026Episode 207
Famous Golf Holes that You Could Never Build Today, We Preview the Womens US Open, and Bryson's AI...What the ?!?!

This week is US Open week for the women, and there are a bunch of Aussies playing, a couple with a real shot, we discuss who might be able to win. Nick is veeeery confident about one particular golfer given the nature of the Riviera course, and how it may suit them. Nick gives Mark an impromptu pop quiz on how many Australians, and who they are, have won at Riviera, and we talk about how the course is set up.Nick and Mark discuss the 10th hole, one of Nicks faves, which leads to a chat about unusual golf holes, ones that course designers wouldn't be able to build today for fear of being laughed out of the room....we list a few.Memorial this weekend, and it's a big one, honouring the legendary David Graham this year....well deserved and very exciting.Mark was fascinated by Bryson's use of AI to help him with an issue at the weekend, and discusses what happened with Nick. Mark then decides to see if AI, ie: Grok, can help Nick with some tips to get more width in his swing. Results are mixed it's fair to say. But, Mark has been watching some YouTube instructional videos and trying some stuff out....his masterclass today on one thing he's been trying that seems to have worked well.For Hostplus, this weeks 'Plus for Golf' is the US Womens Open being at Riveria, it's a great course, and the tournament will be sensational. Nick nominates Joaquin Niemann as the BMW Touch of Class winner this week for something he did in Korea....and it wasn't when he was playing.After the turn, Nick's Top 5 for Betr is the Top 5 celebrations he has seen in golf....there are some rippers!For Southern Golf Club....feedback today. Lots on Bryson and his decision on where he might play next season, heaps of feedback on Slow Play, including one bit of feedback from a superstar Australian sportsperson (not golf) who has written in, and we have received a video from wolfpacker David in the UK on something concerning that he saw in the Byron Nelson a couple of weekends ago, and wants the boys view.Heaps to discuss in the PING Globals, lots going on, and we debate Russell Henley's ranking....we think he might be Top 10, but are unsure where....so we check on the Find My Player app. He's quite under rated, including by us apparently!And finally the masterclass for the Golf Clearance Outlet, Mark has a tip he's found on YouTube, and he is tweaking his takeaway a touch, is it working? He seems pretty happy!And tomorrow, for Hostplus, a fantastic episode - we host the incredible Dottie Pepper on Talk Birdie To Me, that is an unmissable ep!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat

15 min
May 31, 2026
Monday Mini: A 'Juiced Up' Golf Tournament. Could it Work, and How? And More on Technology, Rollbacks, and Length in Golf.

Monday today, and that means a Talk Birdie Monday Mini.....before we get into it, Mark decides to give an update on some other thing he's bought on Temu. At this point, Nick and Dan reckon he's on the take and there is some cash for comments going on, that Mark is conveniently cutting Nick and Dan out of. We'll get our lawyer Denis Denuto to look into it, but that's a story for another time.Technology.....it's an ongoing issue and everyone has an opinion. Today we hear a few, and discuss.Firstly, a YouTube comment saying that Nick and Mark are looking at the rollback of gear all wrong, and they explain why. Then a voicemail from Rob on the Sunshine Coast with a suggestion on how to deal with long hitters.. Keith has a very good question about what might need to happen to the other clubs if the Driver is wound back.Then we discuss if a juiced up golf tournament might be fun, in the spirit of the enhanced games in Las Vegas. Could it work? Dunno. But it would be fun to watch.Nick heard a voicemail on Talk Birdie at the weekend from wolfpacker Paul with his solution on the length issue....and had a couple of comments about the number of clubs in the bag, and we finish with a crack at the PGA from Drew who reckons that they've got it wrong.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0 min
May 29, 2026
Talk Birdie To Me | Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 min
May 28, 2026
Friday Feedback: Uh Oh, the next Keegan Bradley is here, is Phil Mickelson a Nice Guy or a Ratbag ? And Mark nearly derails the entire pod.

Firstly apologies. It's a Friday Feedback pod, which is derailed slightly by a new 'hobby' Mark has discovered....which delays the start of the show by a minute or so. But....once we get back on track, there's plenty of great stuff to discuss. Daz wa watching Alex Smalley and feels he is giving off Nick O'Hern vibes in how he plays, his demeanour. Mark can see that. Speaking of lookalikes, Mark is horrified by Tour Pro Jackson Suber who has modelled his look, his game, and his mannerisms on Keegan Bradley.....of all the players....Mark is incredulous that Jackson would choose Keegan.Scott has written in, he is a Brett Ogle fan and bumped into him in Canberra recently, and was talking to Brett about Mark's recent comments on the pod regarding Brett's low shots. Scott reckons we have to get him on....he's right, we do.Andrew from the UK was pleased to hear us discuss Robert Rock last week and told us a story about watching Rocky play recently, he hasn't lost much! Craig enjoyed Nick's Top 5 'nicest golfers' list last week, and is keen to know where Nick would put Phil Mickelson on that list. Nick gives his view on his experiences with Phil, and Mark alludes to a story about Phil and Paul Gow which showed a more competitive side of Phil.Following the Aaron Rai chat last week, Bill has messaged about his approach to gloves and why, Jonathon reckons Aaron is all class - correct, and Laurie has an observation on iron covers.CT has a question for Nick and Mark about caddies and how much difference do they really make? Doc is debating whether to play from the forward tees, or remain at the back, and asks Nick and Mark their advice for him, and we finish with a great story from Scott who years ago watched Terry Price tear up a golf course in Townsville!A fun Friday Feedback pod today!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 min
May 27, 2026
Bonus Mini: A Listener asks Nick & Mark for Grip Advice

On this bonus Talk Birdie Mini, we received a voicemail from Teddy in Thailand, and he has arthritis in his index finger - never ideal for a golf grip. Teddy is after some thoughts from Nick and Mark on options that may help - and whether you're in Teddy's position or not, the grip conversation and advice is a fascinating listen.We discuss the various grip options, the Greg Norman grip, the 10-finger grip, the interlock, and chat about the best kind of gloves that may help Teddy.Some time ago Mark watched a video which outlined the significant difference fresh grips can have, even on quite old clubs, so he is a proponent of that. In this mini Mark mentions Ben Jackson's Gripmaster, the link is here: https://thegripmaster.com/Thanks for the voicemail Teddy, good luck with your golf, and with the arthritis work arounds!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 hr 1 min
May 26, 2026Episode 206
Mark: 'Rory McIlroy Broke My Heart', Top 5 A***Hole acts from Tour Pros, and Nick Reveals some PGA Tour 'Player Survey' Questions

We start today with Nick talking us through the new Long Island course(s) which he played late last week, a course redesign that Mark describes as a 'new concept in golf', whereby it is basically 3 courses. Nick played one of them and outlines what it was like, he cannot wait to go back. The team at OCM have done a great job.And onto a huge talking point of the week. The tournament at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas, where the course underwent a $25m redesign to make it tougher for the pros, was it? Well perhaps not. Nick and Mark look at the scores....wowee. Mark describes course designers adding in multiple pin placements a 'con' and explains why.Nick has got his hands on a survey that the PGA Tour has sent to Tour Pros, and there are some fascinating questions that they have asked. He talks through some of the most intriguing ones. Mark shares a revealing stat on his club head speed and carry today vs when he was on tour.....interesting! And we compare a couple of Titleist drivers, a newer one vs an older one. Nick also has a stat, one to do with Tiger and his driving distance.Mark says 'Rory McIlroy broke my heart'. Was this a romantic situation? Is it love scorned? No, it's far worse, Mark explains on the pod. Nick, being supportive, after hearing the story says that Rory is wrong. We discuss bifurcation for a bit. It really is the only solution.And what about Bryson? A YouTube star or a Pro Golfer? What will he do? He has said he is uncertain. Mark is 100% clear on what he'd like Bryson to do, Nick more circumspect.And for Hostplus, our 'plus' for golf this week is the Long Island redevelopment!After the turn.....following Nick's Top 5 nicest pro golfers last week, today Mark lists the top 5 'arsehole' acts he has seen Tour Pros do. Does he name names? Well, one. But Nick also has a story about an arsehole act that happened to him from a Tour Pro, he refuses to give the name, despite Mark and Dan trying to trap him - but from the clues, see if you can guess?The PING globals, plenty to talk through, including the great win by Scott Hend at the weekend! Fantastic to see.For Southern Golf Club, plenty of feedback, including on Nick and Mark's analysis of Cam Smith's swing last week, and we have a listen to his coach Claude Harmon speaking on his 'Son of a Butch' podcast about working with Cam.Feedback on cheating, including an incident at The Grange in Adelaide, AO Comments, and we get our discussion on where Lions live from last week clarified.And for the Golf Clearance Outlet, a cracking masterclass from Nick O'Hern inspired by watching Si Woo Kim at the weekend doing somethi

9 min
May 24, 2026
Monday Mini: Hate Slow #!#!# Play? Tips to Play 'Ready Golf'.

A Monday Mini today where we look at a question from Postman who is frustrated by slow play, and wants Nick and Mark to list their tips for 'Ready Golf'. The boys list the things that they reckon you must do, and we read through a few tips from wolfpacker Tony who has given his own list.So Nick and Mark are listing their 'ready golf' tips, have they missed any that you feel are important? Let us know in the comments.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0 min
May 22, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Hold the Front Page! Paul has an idea to solve the Golf Course Distance Problem

We've been talking a fair bit about the challenges of Pros hitting the ball farther, and what technological adjustments are required....the ball rollback, driver heads, and a variety of creative things on the golf courses. But wolfpacker Paul reckons he's nailed it, and it doesn't require any redevelopment of equipment.Have a listen to this voicemail from Paul with his solution to solve the issue. Let us know if you think he's onto something.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 min
May 21, 2026
Friday Feedback: Are All Handicaps Created Equal? More Nicknames. Why Mark Said No to Playing for Australia. And Whacks Aplenty!!

It's Friday, and that means a Friday Feedback pod. Today some great questions and a number of whacks for the team...ouch....but we start the show with a Friday Feedback jingle, should we keep it or dump it? We'll whack a poll up on Twitter, whatever the Wolfpack say goes.Onto the feedback....Jonny reckons we missed a few obvious nicknames in our chat last week, a couple of 'animal inspired' ones, and Aussie golf legend Mike Harwood's nickname, Mark tells the story of how it came about and the fellow pro who christened him with it.John then points out one of Mark's old nicknames, which he thinks The Ox came up with - however it wasn't him, but another very famous AFL footballer, and Mark explains how it came about.Mathew has a question on Peninsula Kingswood.Then some whacks. Jerry has a crack at both Nick and Mark over one aspect of the show, and Steven has a go for pretty much the same reason.....do Nick and Mark cop the criticism or hit back ?Jeff then has a great story about a day out many years ago at The Australian Masters watching some big names on the range, and what he watched (and listened to them) doing.Craig heard us chatting last week about seagulls pinching golf balls and has a story about seeing a crow nudging a ball on a green in the UK and what happened.AFL superstar Matty Richardson chimed in on the video we shared last week of Bubba Watson critiquing his swing, and whilst talking footy, apparently Nick has been hanging around Mark's team Collingwood lately, and Mark is a little concerned about whether Nick might be giving them dodgy advice. Every chance.AB comes off a long run and gives Nick and Mark a whack about LIV, but not for the reasons you might think. Seed has a question about Greg Norman when he was playing and the crowds.And now onto the culinary section of Talk Birdie To Me: Burgo chimes in on Turkish Delights in Istanbul, and CK wants to respond to Marks comments and questions about the calibre of sushi in Australia vs Japan from last week, and Producer Dan has a comment from his brother Mike, who lives in Singapore and lived in Hong Kong for a decade, about Marks bold claim that Chinese food in Australia is better than in China.Also randomly Mark decides to share a Michael Jackson fact with us. No idea why. It was awkward.But whilst we were talking Japan it reminded us of the amazing opportunity that you have to win a golfing trip to Japan with Paul Sheehan from GolfLoot - join as a member, starts from about 12 or 13 bucks a month, there are a heap of regular prizes - and some huge ones, like the Japan trip! All the details at GolfLoot here.Mark has a great story about playing on the China Tour and getting into an awkward situation at a bar with Lucien Tinkler, and we hear why Mark turned down the op

1 hr 3 min
May 19, 2026Episode 205
Big Pod! Aaron Rai, Cam Smith's Swing, More on Tour Pros Cheating, and is the routing for the 2026 AO right or wrong?

Big pod today, and of course we start with the fantastic win by Aaron Rai, he came from behind, but what a final day - particularly the last 9 or 10 holes on (his) Sunday. Mark says if you're going to win a golf tournament, that's the way to do it....Nick says that the finish was insane. We discuss the clubs he had in the bag.Aaron of course was the headline, but there were other notable performances. Cam Smith had a cracking tournament, and was in the hunt until midway through the final day. We discuss the challenges of him parting ways with his coach prior to the tournament. And Nick and Mark talk about his swing, Mark has a video from the weekend of Cam that he breaks down and discusses, and talks about how Trevor Imelman had some great observations on Cam's swing on the commentary. Min Woo played well, but couldn't keep it going through the weekend, and Nick said that when Jon Rahm birdied the first two holes he thought we were on. Nick and Mark both agreed, great to see Rahm playing well.We discuss the golf ball rollback, and the ball Cameron Young used in the tournament....interesting...leads to a chat about drivers and bifurcation.For Hostplus, our plus for golf this week was Aaron Rai - not the win as such, but the dedication to his family, which was beautiful to see.From a plus, to a negative. Ryan Ang at the weekend on the China Tour. It's quite disgraceful that he is even playing at the moment, and it's something that the various tours need to fix.Mark raises the routing at Kingston Heath for the Australian Open, he doesn't like it, and implores Golf Australia to change it saying it 'isn't too late'!After the turn, for Betr, Nick lists the Top 5 nicest players in golf....spoiler alert, Aaron Rai makes the list!Feedback for Southern Golf Club, we hear from you on Aaron Rai, Keegan Bradley, Garrick Higgo, Cheating, Inhoi Hur, the Australian Open news from a week or two ago, and feedback on Nicks comments about Cam Smith last week.And for PING, who'll help you play your best, Nick takes us around the world with the PING Globals.We wrap the show with a great masterclass for the Golf Clearance Outlet, inspired by Aaron Rai, Mark's masterclass is on 'courage'.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='htt

13 min
May 17, 2026
Monday Mini: Advice on how to find a Golf Coach

A Monday Mini today and we're chatting with Craig from Western Australia, who now lives in Warrnambool in Victoria. Means he gets to play the beautiful Warrnambool and Port Fairy regions....lucky duck....However, Craig is looking to develop his game further and he is unsure of how to explain to a prospective golf coach exactly what he's looking for. It's obviously an investment in time and money so you want to get it right. He's come to ask Nick and Mark for a few thoughts which they are happy to share. Mark coached for 7-years, and he explains how he liked people to explain to him what they needed and why it made a difference. Nick has some thoughts on why the timeframe you're looking to be with a coach makes a massive difference to the initial conversations.We reckon Craig will nail this and his game will go from strength to strength!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 min
May 14, 2026
Friday Feedback: Player & Caddy Nicknames. LIV legal action? Sepp Straka. And a Turkish Delight Update.

Friday Feedback pod today, and it gets off to a rough start with Mark suggesting that we are overworked and he feels like the kid in Conan the Barbarian.....bit of mayo on that tbh.But onto your feedback!Darren has some comments on Justin Rose after our chat last week. Keith has written in about Marks 'creating space' video (see it here). Carl heard Nick and Mark talking last week about the demise of the bump and run, and had a comment.Fun question from David who wants to know what some nicknames of players were...there aren't too many that Nick and Mark can think of, but there were plenty of caddy nicknames, they reminisce about a few.After the turn, Drew from the US reckons that we all need to give Scott O'Neil some time to get LIV's funding sorted, and Drew is confident that he will. Basically he reckons we're writing it off too soon.Nick has found out what TGL stands for....and it's not what we all thought!Jack has a question on LIV, if it fold, what the legal ramifications might be for players regarding outstanding contracts. Would Nick and Mark take the Saudi's to court? mmmm....perhaps not.Last week Mark posed the question - do people in Turkey eat Turkish Delight chocolates? We've had a couple of wolfpackers write in to clarify.And Alex has sent in a video of one of Mark's fave players with a killer chip that is absolutely world class....Mark is suitably impressed!And a reminder that our annual Talk Birdie survey is open until Sunday, $300 to spend on FootJoys, and $300 to spend at the Golf Clearance Outlet could be yours for taking the 6-7 minute survey! Here's the link.And we end the show with a very funny story from one of Marks sources in the US, albeit going a bit pear-shaped at the end....apologies to anyone who Mark offends.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 min
May 13, 2026
Bonus Feedback Pod: The Australian Open to North Adelaide: 'This is Hard to Get My Head Around'

A bonus Feedback pod today, specifically focused on the news from last week that Golf Australia head honcho James Sutherland revealed on the Talk Birdie To Me podcast, about the Australian Open moving to North Adelaide in a multi-year deal.We've had mountains of feedback from wolfpackers, and it is mixed. Some love the idea, some hate the idea, it would be fair to say that there appears little middle ground, the feelings are strong either way. We start by replaying some of James comments about his excitement about the news, and his confidence that if they get the course right it will be the biggest Open ever.Nick and Mark have been thinking about it since the heard the news, and have some concerns. In a country where we have some incredible golf courses that are world standard in multiple states, courses that players love, it seems a risk to have our biggest event on a course that is not built yet, at least not to Open standard as it's currently a public course. Mark understands that the backdrop of the city, so close to the CBD, will give it something special, however he'd like to know what sort of course it will be, what style of course? Nick has never seen the course, however has a friend who has, and likens it to (for Melbourne listeners) like an Albert Park level course at the moment.The speculated $45 million price tag will be likely to include infrastructure, of which there will need to be plenty, Mark wants to know if that includes fees for some internationals to come here, saying that the $3-4 million Rory was paid to come to Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath will not be anywhere near enough to get him to North Adelaide.Lots of feedback (good and bad) including the legendary Bradley Hughes with his views on the multi-year arrangement.This will evolve, and we're always keen to hear what you think so let us know on socials or comments on the pod itself.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 hr 2 min
May 12, 2026Episode 204
Inhoi Hur Cheating Scandal...Inside Info from Someone who Witnessed it. The Australian Open: 'I Have Concerns' says Nick O'Hern

Huge Talk Birdie today, we start with the great win from Lucas Herbert on the LIV Tour, and how his record just gets better. Mark talks about when he played with him in the Vic Open, and Nick shares a story about playing with Lucas on the Gold Coast. Nick describes him as 'streaky' and says consistency is the next goal for Lucas. Unfortunately not in the PGA Championship this weekend which is a shame, and we talk about where he may end up, and have status, should LIV fold.The Korean cheating incident continues, with more coming out about what happened when Inhoi Hur cheated in the tournament and the rules officials completely screwed it up. Nick has received an email from one of the broadcasters at the tournament who listens to the pod, and says that whilst our comments last week were on the mark, there were some more things that happened that he witnessed which we didn't discuss.....he fills in the gaps....holy hell, could this wild story get wilder? You bet it can.He reveals that all four rules officials who erred were Korean Golf Association officials, none from the Asian Tour were involved. He says 'no sane golfer would ever accept a ruling that gave them a mulligan', and confirmed that the Asian and Korean players were all furious with both the officials and Inhoi Hur. He also describes the mayhem at the clubhouse which he witnessed, and that he was there when Inhoi Hur's wife was screaming at officials, so much so that Inhoi took her out of the clubhouse - the only honourable thing he did all weekend to be honest.Nick plays a grab from Sean Connery on golf, which Inhoi Hur could do well to consider in future.Onto the Australian Open. Following our chat with James Sutherland last week with the news of the AO move to North Adelaide, we've had some time to process it, and Nick and Mark aren't entirely convinced. Nick says he has some concerns and worries the course will not have the cache for the big international names to make the trip. Mark is worried that the course has bee committed when it's not even built yet, however he understands from someone who is in the know, that the offer made by South Australia was one that was impossible to say no to. Plenty of feedback on this from you, which we won't do today - given the volume of cheating feedback - but we'll do a bonus feedback pod tomorrow just on the AO.For Hostplus, Nick says that his 'That's a Plus' for golf this week is the career of caddy Mick Doran who has retired this week. One of the great guys on the tour.A reminder of our Talk Birdie To Me annual survey, great prizes up for grabs, it takes about 6 minutes the link to do it is here.For Betr, Marks Top 5 this week is people, some golfers, who were given names by their parents that are very golf inspired, perhaps with an intention in

15 min
May 12, 2026
Preview: PGA Championship at Aronimink - the Course Nick O'Hern said 'Beat Him Up', he explains how it plays.

Big week this week with the PGA Championship at Aronimink. Nick has mixed memories of the course, and by mixed, we mean ordinary ones....he's played it a couple of times and in his words the course 'beat him up', Nick and Mark discuss the course, the style, and how it plays. Nick says that it's all about the par 4's on this course, they grind you down, and you need to control the spin.Mark has loaded in all the players he wants to follow on the Find My Player app - it's a ripper, if you haven't downloaded it, well worthwhile - get it at Google Play or the App Store. We run through the power rankings and look at the top 15 or so players, Mark is red hot for Cameron Young saying it is inevitable that he will win a major. And we frame up our Betr multi, which looks on the surface to be a pretty decent shot. Hummer at Betr frames it for us. You can jump on board at the Betr website or their app, look for Betr specials and you'll find out multi there:Scheffler to beat BrysonRory to beat RahmCameron Young Top 10Looks very doable. It'll be a cracker this weekend, can't wait !!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 min
May 11, 2026
☎️ Voicemail: Cheating in Korea: Paul from Axedale, and Chris from Illinois offer their views

Sheez we've had some feedback on the cheating incident in Korea a week or so ago, and we have some very interesting inside information from someone who was at the course in a role where they saw everything - we'll read out some of what they have said on the main pod this Wednesday....it is WILD !!!We'll also hear a bunch of your feedback on the show, some comments, some questions about that incident, and cheating in golf more broadly. Today though, a couple of voicemails talking about the Korean incident, broadly, one from Owen from Axedale (near Bendigo) on how they deal with this situation at their club, and a second from Chris from Illinois who feels that the way the OB was handled in that tournament was wrong, and the situation may have been avoided by doing what he suggests.Two voicemails for the price of one today !Make sure you hear tomorrow's episode though.....this info we'll read out is quite extraordinary.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 min
May 10, 2026
Monday Mini: Nick O'Hern says - 'This Guy had the Potential to be the Greatest Australian Golfer Ever'

A fantastic Monday Mini today where a question has come in from wolfpacker Craig, and it's a ripper. Essentially Craig asks Nick and Mark if, at the peak other careers, or when they were struggling, if they had a phone call from LIV (in the hypothetical scenario LIV was around then) would they have said yes or no.Both Nick and Mark answer the question. And they discuss other players who have gone, and whether it was the right move or not, one Australian player Nick and Mark name and say he timed it perfectly. Another they name and say they feel it may have made the wrong call and had he not gone he may have been the greatest Australian golfer ever.A great Talk Birdie To Me Mini today, off the back of a ripping question from Craig.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.