The Putting Practice Drill That Actually Works & Two Scottish Opens Worth Entering
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Ross and Colin check in on their golf weeks, with Ross bringing tales of solid scoring at his home course Wokefield—carding a couple under and one under par despite a few mid-round wobbles. Meanwhile, Colin admits to a complete golf drought this week, not even picking up a club, which naturally leads into a candid conversation about the eternal struggle of building practice into daily routines when motivation runs low.
The lads dig into winter golf realities, from muddy lies and temporary tees to the ongoing debate about whether courses down south use mats on fairways (spoiler: they mostly don't need to). Ross shares his latest putting practice revelations, including a structured drill he's borrowed from the internet that's transformed his green-reading approach. They also tackle the mysteries of the World Handicap System—breaking down course ratings, slope, and why your handicap behaves differently on easier versus tougher tracks.
The episode wraps with Ross presenting two absolute belters for competition lovers: Brora Golf Club's five-day open in August and Tain Golf Week's various formats. The conversation touches on everything from Ross's mental approach to scoring rounds, to Colin's quest for better practice habits, to whether five consecutive days of golf would leave you knackered or energized.
Episode Highlights
🟢 Ross shoots two under par at Wokefield and reveals his secret to not letting mid-round mistakes derail the score—finishing with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18
🟢 Colin opens up about struggling to build golf practice into his routine and the conversation explores practical approaches to habit-building when motivation is lacking
🟢 Deep breakdown of how the World Handicap System actually works—course rating, slope index, and why your handicap changes based on the difficulty of the course you're playing
🟢 Ross shares a structured putting practice drill he found online that combines distance control, green reading, and scoring to create meaningful practice sessions
🟢 The reality of playing five consecutive days of golf during competitions and whether it's exhausting or exhilarating (Ross has done it and shares his experience)
Gear & Resources Mentioned
🟢 Wokefield Golf Club, Reading (Ross's home course)
🟢 broragolfclub.co.uk (Brora Golf Club website for five-day open competition)
🟢 tain-golfclub.co.uk (Tain Golf Club website for golf week competitions)
🟢 World Handicap System (WHS) resources for understanding course rating and slope
🟢 Royal Dornoch Golf Club (mentioned in context of Ross's previous five-day golf trip)
🟢 Lanark Golf Course (played on Ross's trip to Scotland)
🟢 Brora Bridge and Castle Highland courses (mentioned from Ross's Scotland trip)
Weekly Competitions
🟢 Brora Golf Club Five Day Open
Location: Brora, Scotland
Date: August 3-7
Format: Five-day competition with match play stages and guaranteed rounds even if knocked out
Cost: £190 for visitors
🟢 Tain Golf Week
Location: Tain, Scotland
Dates: Available on website
Format Options: Four-day competition (£90), Ladies two-day (£25 per person)
Website: tain-golfclub.co.uk
Chapter List
00:00 Intro and Weekly Golf Recap
03:00 Ross's Scoring Rounds at Wokefield
08:00 Winter Golf Conditions and Course Setup
14:00 Competition Practice vs Casual Rounds
19:00 Ross's Putting Practice Drill
29:00 Understanding the World Handicap System
38:00 Course Rating, Slope, and Handicap Calculations
45:00 Colin's Practice Routine Struggles
48:00 Building Better Practice Habits
50:00 Weekly Competitions: Brora and Tain
54:00 Listener Feedback Request and Wrap-Up
