Australian Golf Passport

We finally arrive at the crescendo of our inaugural Australian Top 50 Golf Course rankings. After pulling up stumps during the late night recording of the previous episode, we resume the count at number 11 and work steadily to number 1.  Scott’s recording on the road on summer holidays, hot spotting the laptop from his phone, and the audio is somehow better than Matt’s (who hosted). The Top 10 is sure to contain a few points for spirited discussion, particularly among members of the Clubs who have a course in the upper echelon. We talk in depth about each of the top 11 courses - what we like, why it ranked so highly, and what potentially holds it back from achieving a higher ranking, with respect to peer courses. Visit our website (www.australiangolfpassport.com) for more on the rankings, and a catalogue of all the courses from 1 to 25 in numerical order, followed by the 26-35 bracket, and the 36-50 bracket. Thank you again to all our Top 50 Australian course ranking panellists who devoted their time, effort and expertise into making the rankings what they are. We look forward to getting listener thoughts on what they feel is right and wrong. Huge thanks again to Assoc Prof Davis McCarthy who guided us through the whole statistical process. We couldn’t have done it without him. We plan on chatting with Davis at some stage in ’26 during an episode looking at rankings and listener questions. As mentioned within the episode – No Laying Up visited King Island during their second Tourist Sauce expedition to Australia – their round over Cape Wickham and more can be seen here - https://youtu.be/UDRV_LUpxRs?si=76xHUVrCqYodapKN We put Australian Golf Passport podcast out with supportfrom Matt Burns and his team at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. Check their insta page and website for some of the best golf apparel on the planet. You’ll love the latest summer range of AAGGG gear. Thanks also to Dean and everyone at Seed Golf, who continue to provide 20% off for Australian Golf Passport listeners via the code AGP at checkout. Get your hands on some premium golf balls at a super low price. Their range features a ball for everyone! Visit www.seedgolf.com.au for more. Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagrampage (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter / X (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators. Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental is courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.epidemicsound.com

We (slowly) approach the pointy end of the inaugural Australian Golf Passport Top 50 Australian Golf Course Rankings, with the intention of working from #25 all the way to #1. HOWEVA, things stretched on as they sometimes do, and we got to #12 before deciding to call an end to the day’s play. We work through a bracket of excellent Australian golf courses, looking at their strengths, weaknesses, evolutions and their character, sometimes recalling incidents from our own play over these holes, or the play of others. Next episode we will work all the way to #1, we promise! At least this long episode gives you a soundtrack during the big Christmas week stretches behind the steering wheel, or the lawnmower, or under the beach umbrella. Thank you again to all our Top 50 Australian course ranking panellists who devoted their time, effort and expertise into making the rankings what they are. We look forward to getting listener thoughts on what they feel is right and wrong. Huge thanks again to Assoc Prof Davis McCarthy who guided us through the whole statistical process. We couldn’t have done it without him. We plan on chatting with Davis at some stage in ’26 during an episode looking at rankings and listener questions. During this episode we mentioned Will Watt’s latest publication – Contours – here’s the link to purchase!https://www.amazon.com.au/Contours-Courses-Behind-Remarkable-Adventures/dp/1761451669 We put Australian Golf Passport podcast out with thanks to Matt Burns and his team at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. Check their store in William St Paddington, insta page and website for some of the best golf apparel on the planet. You’ll love the latest summer range of AAGGG gear. Thanks also to Dean and everyone at Seed Golf – they provide 20% off for Australian Golf Passport listeners via the code AGP at checkout. Get your hands on some premium golf balls at a super low price. Their range features a ball for everyone! Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagrampage (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter / X (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators. Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental/ courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.epidemicsound.com

An episode we’ve looked forward to recording for all of 2025. We unveil the back half of our inaugural Australian Golf Passport Top 50 Australian Golf Course Rankings. After having assembled a panel, and collating ballots we’ve had a genius crunch the numbers (s/o Dr Davis McCarthy!) in order to bring you what we feel is a statistically valid and reliable, objective snapshot of the nation’s best courses. We discuss the process, and run through the two groups of courses (presented alphabetically) in the 36-50 bracket and the 26-35 bracket. We talk about why things are structured the way they are and look forward to devoting the next discussion to the 25 courses which will be listed in numerical order at the pointy end of the list. This episode features a good chat about what goes through our minds when we critically assess a course and visit with the objective of placing a layout somewhere in the nation’s top 50. Thank you to all our panellists who devoted their time, effort and expertise into making the rankings what they are. We look forward to sharing them with you in their entirety soon enough, and getting your thoughts on what you agree and disagree with. Huge thanks again to Davis who guided us through the whole process of collating the rankings. Couldn’t have done it without him! We put Australian Golf Passport podcast out with thanks toMatt Burns and his team at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. Check their insta page and website for some of the best golf apparel on the planet. The new Australian Golf Passport tee and hat have almost sold out - grab one while you can. And check out the latest summer range of AAGGG gear – you’ll love it. Thanks to Dean and everyone at Seed Golf – they provide 20% off for Australian Golf Passport listeners via the code AGP at checkout. Get your hands on some premium golf balls at a super low price. Check their website for Seed merch too – caps, gloves and other goodies available. Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagrampage (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter / X (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators. Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me-Instrumental / courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.epidemicsound.com

A wide-ranging discussion with one of the best guys and keenest minds in golf travel and architecture this episode – one of Edinburgh’s favourite sons, Simon Holt.Simon’s seen all there is to see in world golf. We discuss architecture, rankings, modern green fees, Australian golf and a ton more. This is one of those episodes that feels like you're sitting on the clubhouse verandah with your mates having post-round beers.Shoutout to Matty for keeping track of all the things we said we would put in the show notes!The link to the latest iteration of the Golf.com’s World Top 100 – https://golf.com/travel/courses/top-100-courses-world-2025-26/The No Laying Up podcast episode where Simon breaks down his whole World Top 100 experience – https://nolayingup.com/podcasts/no-laying-up-podcast/nlu-podcast-episode-264-playing-the-top-100-courses-in-the-world-w-simon-holtSome info on the ballot for The Old Course in reverse – https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/bookings-set-to-open-to-allow-golfers-to-play-the-old-course-in-reverse-5427387The link to follow once the Powerball drops and you decide to take seven mates to Ellerston – https://golf.com/travel/ellerston-top-100-opening-gates/We put Australian Golf Passport podcast out with thanks to Matt Burns and his team at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. Check their insta page and website for some of the best golf apparel on the planet. The new Australian Golf Passport tee and hat have almost sold out - grab one while you can.  And check out the latest summer range of AAGGG gear – you’ll love it.Thanks to Dean and everyone at Seed Golf – they provide 20% off for Australian Golf Passport listeners via the code AGP at checkout. Get your hands on some premium golf balls at a super low price. Check their website for Seed merch too – caps, gloves and other goodies available.Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter / X (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me -Instrumental / courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.epidemicsound.com

A quick catch-up for Scott and Matt after a week that saw the men's Australian Open reborn at Royal Melbourne.Rory, the course, the set-up, a superb supporting cast of players & a remarkable 72nd hole all came together to breathe life back into the tournament and show it the way forward.Shoutout to Angus & Grace Go Golfing and Seed Golf for their continued support and thank you to BMW Australia for getting us both out to the tournament this week so we could experience it in the flesh.