Beltway Golfer

In our first episode of 2025, Billy Hoffman joins the podcast.  The director of instruction at Westwood CC shares insights into his journey in the golf industry, the unique facilities at Westwood, and his passion for coaching junior golfers. He discusses the evolution of golf culture, the influence of his family, and the importance of […]

The episode kicks off with a recap of the recent witnessing of some of the worst golf course behavior we’ve seen in person.  Josh talks about his golf road trip with just he and his dog that tipped out at Cabot Cliffs.  Alex shares details of his own summer golf roadie up north and both […]

Launching in 2023, BoBirdie magazine is the product of two of founder, Jefferson Burgess’ biggest passions…golf & the Shenandoah Valley.  The second print edition was just recently published with subject matter covering the entirety of the valley from Roanoke County on the south end to Berkeley County, WV up north.  With golf as the brand […]

The 75th U.S. Girls Junior kicks off this week at El Caballero CC in Southern California, and three young ladies representing Northern Virginia are among the field competing in the event.  Emerson Roychoudhury, Sophie Cao & Kanchana Duangsam have competed against one another on the junior circuit for some time and join the podcast to […]

Claude Jennings of the Golf DMV podcast joins the show to hit on a wide range of topics.  We both share stories and strategies we’ve employed with our own sons to help them fall in love with the game, before jumping into some of the traits we love and don’t love about courses in our […]

At 19 years of age, Bryan Kim is playing in his first U.S. Open this week at Pinehurst #2, earning his spot after winning the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur last summer.  The Montgomery County native and Argyle Country Club member just finished his freshman year playing golf for Duke University.  Bryan joins the podcast to […]

Adam Hallenbeck from the Mediocre Golf Podcast joins Surrender Birdies for a fun conversation about golf in our area.  We cover some of his own takes on other golf podcasts & the youtube golf phenomenon before jumping into a discussion on the cost of public golf in our region and what we value when looking […]

Playing in his second PGA Championship this week, Larkin Gross will be competing at Valhalla after qualifying to be one of the 20 club professionals in the field.  The Westwood CC assistant pro is one of two to make it in from the Mid-Atlantic PGA section after a top-ten finish in the PGA Professional Championship […]

Josh is back to talk about his buddies Dewey Golf Trip.  Alex waxes about recent rounds at 1757 & South Riding.  Which one resembles a Wegman’s?  A fun pairing at East Potomac, and renderings released for Rock Creek Park GC. Listen to Episode 6 of the Surrender Birdies podcast below!

Joining Alex on the show is Dominic Lee to talk about the 2024 Masters, including his first trip to Augusta National earlier in the week.  We discuss an amazing golf deal that he jumped on pre-covid at Worthington Manor and learn about a local golf group called The Hive. Listen to Episode 5 of the […]

For nearly three decades, The Sports Junkies have been on the air in the DC market bringing their unique brand of radio to the masses.  Affectionately known as Lurch on their show, Jason Bishop is the big man of the foursome that makes up the broadcast team, and has been an avid golfer eager to […]

Alex talks Grapefruit League golf and public options down in West Palm Beach as well as a visit to Tiger Woods’ booming mini-golf business.  Josh stops off at Furnace Creek GC north of Charm City and the discussion turns to a shared love of the nine-holer at Sligo Creek, along with an offbeat anecdote related […]

With a professional golf career spanning 43 years and counting, Fred Funk has experienced close to all you can imagine on tour.  The PG County native who played for and coached the UMD golf team before his long journey on tour, joins the podcast to share stories from his career, memories from golf around the […]

Josh talks a few recent coastal first-state rounds at Baywood Greens, The Rookery & Midway.  Alex plays a blustery round at Bull Run and shares some recent observations down at East Potomac. Listen to Episode 3 of the Surrender Birdies podcast below!

Alex and Josh dive into night golf after watching the latest iteration of The Match as well a recent round under the lights played at Knights Play in North Carolina.  The discussion dives into the economics of adding lights to a course and where in the DMV night golf could work.  Josh goes into the […]

For the past eight years, superintendent Chris Navin has led an on-course resurgence at PB Dye GC, with a continuing series of projects designed to have the course in the conversation as one of the best public options in the region.  In the mid-2010s, conditions went through a rough stretch which led to ownership bringing […]

We kick off our new show with a review of the format, a couple host introductions and the plans for the podcast orgoing forward.  A recent invite to BHCC gets interrupted by an urgent call from the homefront and the police have to be redirected from looking for one of our hosts mid-round, reflections on […]

The 2024 PGA Show in Orlando kicks off a conversation with Golf News Net's founder, Ryan Ballangee.  We discuss what Ryan saw at the show and how he's seen the event evolve over the years before our discussion dives into his career in golf media. Just last year, Golf News Net launched a 24-hour golf radio platform with iHeartRadio and is getting ready to launch a similar concept for streaming video.  We also touch on the latest news in the pro golf world as well as the recent ownership movement with our local sports franchises.thegolfnewsnet.comListen or watch episode 78 below!https://youtu.be/wHa7oBoewMU

Fresh off last weekend's PGA Tour Q-School, Davis Lamb joins the podcast to talk through his young career, which saw back-to-back wins on PGA Tour Canada this past summer.  Those victories and a top 5 finish in the Fortinet Cup have earned him status on the Korn Ferry Tour with a handful of guaranteed starts to kick off the season in just a few weeks.Davis is a DC area native who won All-Met POY his senior year at Georgetown Prep in 2016, won a Maryland State Open while playing golf at Notre Dame and can still call Congressional CC home.  In our conversation he provides us a glimpse into life on tour, overcoming swing issues, his mindset during the summer's hot streak as well as some opinions on the golf world's current hot topics.www.pgatour.com/player/59125/davis-lambListen or watch episode 77 below!https://youtu.be/p1QjY8sLU-A

Jim Estes has enjoyed a long journey tied to this game. The DC area native and long-time resident spent years playing professionally on various tours both domestically and abroad, playing in five majors and earning his PGA Tour card for a year in the late 90s. But his enduring contribution to the game is co-founding the Salute Military Golf Association, created in 2006 to help post 9/11 wounded veterans improve life after combat through the game of golf. Jim talks with us about making an impact on the lives of wounded veterans, his time playing for Fred Funk at UMD, coaching the Good Counsel program for a decade and moving to Blue Mash after over 20 years at Olney Golf Park. jimestesgolf.com smga.org Sponsored byUnion GreenLocally inspired gear and exceptional-quality golf products designed for both comfort and style, wherever you are.Enter code “BeltwayGolfer20” for 20% off your orderListen or watch episode 76 below!https://youtu.be/KwAaBGd51pg

In our 75th podcast episode, we speak with five young golfers about their experience with the First Tee of Greater Washington DC and the impact both the organization and the game of golf has made with each of them.  This impressive group each continued with The First Tee well into their teenage years, representing the chapter at an array of national events, all while competing on their high school teams.The episode is finished off with a conversation with Executive Director, Clint Sanchez, who talkes about the state of the organization, it's recent growth, and what lies ahead.FirstTeeDC.orgTimestamps:04:52 - Daryn Dickens23:24 - Joey Nguyen43:44 - Eugene Choi1:00:24 - Christina Fuentes1:24:40 - Diego DeJesus1:39:23 - Clint Sanchez Sponsored byUnion GreenLocally inspired gear and exceptional-quality golf products designed for both comfort and style, wherever you are.Enter code “BeltwayGolfer20” for 20% off your orderListen or watch episode 75 below!https://youtu.be/AcqDutl5-tg

Retiring this season after a 27-year run as head golf coach for the Langley HS Saxons in McLean, Al Berg has led his program on a remarkable run of success.  His team is competing to extend a run of seven consecutive Virginia Class 6 State Championship, and add to a total of 9 state titles with Coach Berg at the helm. He joins the podcast to share stories, talk about his career, provide some insights into what has led to his program's success and how he has made it all work despite moving to Richmond over a decade ago. Sponsored by UnionGreen.com Locally inspired gear and exceptional-quality golf products designed for both comfort and style, wherever you are. Enter code “BeltwayGolfer20” for 20% off your order Listen or watch Episode 73 below!

Recently named as one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers and having already been included in Golf Digest's Top 50, Trillium Rose has established herself as one of the preeminent instructors in the game.  Based at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, MD, she has also attracted a legion of followers to her social media channels where she has applied her film production background into impactful videos helping golfers of all skill levels.Trillium joins the podcast and shares the details of her career journey, talks Woodmont Country Club and how her graduate studies in motor learning have helped her students improve their game.trilliumrose.com Sponsored byUnionGreen.comLocally inspired gear and exceptional-quality golf products designed for both comfort and style, wherever you are.Enter code "BeltwayGolfer20" for 20% off your orderListen or watch Episode 73 below!https://youtu.be/1LOrV4PpRK0

Having been named one of the top 50 Golf Fitness Trainers in America by Golf Digest every year since the list began, Jason Meisch is about as trusted a source for golf exercise training and performance enhancement as you'll find. Jason and the PEAK team have been training golfers at their Rockville location since 2009 and have just opened their second larger facility in Ashburn.  Much of the region's top young talent has been trusting PEAK to help them reach the next level and optimize their physical performance on and off the course. peakgoffitness.com Episode sponsor: UnionGreen.com Union Green is a lifestyle golf brand offering affordable performance golf balls, apparel, and gear to support local golfers—especially at the municipal and public courses, where so many first fall in love with golf. Check out Episode 72 below! https://youtu.be/ihbmJmhLiOI

With a lack of an end-of-season tournament available for his Stone Ridge golf team and other local private schools girls golf programs, Justin Nogay recently launched the Washington Metro Private School Girls' Tournament, which in its second year fielded high school girls from 12 area schools. The success of his team and his contributions to girls golf helped land Justin, All-Met Coach of the Year honors this Spring. This past fall, he moved to Charleston, SC to launch his golf performance business and commuted back to DC every week during the season to coach the team. Justin joins the podcast to talk about his journey with Stone Ridge golf, his passion of making golfers better through bio-mechanics and the challenges that currently face assistant golf professionals in the industry. elitegolfperformanceusa.com Episode sponsors: BETWAY.US Register today to get up to two-hundred-and-fifty dollars back in Bonus Bets if your first bet loses! All you need to do is sign up, make an initial deposit, and you'll be ready to bet with Betway. Please gamble responsibly – must be twenty-one years or older to wager with real money. Terms and conditions apply. UnionGreen.com Uniting people on and off the course through public golf #alwaysinplay Check out Episode 71 below!

Playing golf six times a week is a dream that many who play this game imagine spending their golden years.  DC Native and World War II veteran, Bernie Smoot has been living that dream for over 4 decades now since retiring in 1980. Weather permitting and when not visiting his sister and playing golf in Williamsburg, he can be found at the University of Maryland Golf Course nearly every day of the week. At 97 years of age, Bernie has seemingly found the secret to longevity in this game.  He reluctantly only started riding a cart at age 91 and has stopped counting how many times he shot his age many years ago.  Mr Smoot was gracious enough to wear a mic during a round and share some of his stories on and off the course. Episode Sponsor: Union GreenUniting people on and off the course through public golfListen to Episode 70 below!https://youtu.be/_biXdnHmMnA

Jack Bonifant's golf career alone is one most golfers would be impressed by. Junior champion at the Bobby Bowers at the age of 16, All-Met in high school, walk-on D1 golfer at James Madison University, and today a plus-handicap who competes for and sits on the board at Argyle Country Club. His story becomes truly remarkable and inspiring when you add that at just six weeks old, Jack suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in him being left-hemiplegic and living a life of constant rehab. Next month, the second U.S. Adaptive Open will again be held at Pinehurst Resort, where Jack will return to compete against of a field of talented golfers with a wide range of disabilities. He joins the podcast to cover a wide range of topics including how his disability impacts his life, competing in this area, and his love for Argyle Country Club.Episode sponsors: BETWAY.USRegister today to get up to two-hundred-and-fifty dollars back in Bonus Bets if your first bet loses!  All you need to do is sign up, make an initial deposit, and you'llbe ready to bet with Betway.Please gamble responsibly – must be twenty-one years or older to wager withreal money. Terms and conditions apply. UnionGreen.comUniting people on and off the course through public golf #alwaysinplayCheck out Episode 69 below!https://youtu.be/b4zcfhGj0oo

As one of less than 500 PGA Master Professionals, Mike Dickson exudes a passion for seeing his students improve along with a deep understanding of the mechanics of the golf swing. After a seventeen-year run at Congressional Country Club, Mike now leads instruction at the MCG Academy at Little Bennett Golf Course. Earlier this month he officially launched The Lagmaster, a swing-aid he personally conceived and designed that as the name suggests, trains the user to create a proper lag in their swing. We sat down at the Little Bennett range and talked about his career, how Homer Kelley's The Golfing Machine has influenced his teaching, his time at Congo and the process of bringing the Lagmaster to market. lagmastersports.myshopify.comEpisode Sponsors: BETWAYRegister today to get up to two-hundred-and-fifty dollars back in Bonus Bets if your first bet loses!  All you need to do is sign up, make an initial deposit, and you'llbe ready to bet with Betway.Please gamble responsibly – must be twenty-one years or older to wager withreal money. Terms and conditions apply. Union GreenUniting people on and off the course through public golfListen or watch Episode 68 below!https://youtu.be/g01I4YJ60jo

For over 20 years, Jimmy Garvin ran programs at Langston Golf Course that included creating a learning center in the clubhouse where he used the game of golf as a carrot to get kids to focus on their education as well as exposing new destinations to a traveling team of All-Stars that competed against their peers abroad. Jimmy Garvin served as President of Golf Course Specialists, the longtime lease-holder of the three DC courses. He and his Legacy Foundation had a profound impact on many kids in this region who were able to see the game of golf as a vehicle to something greater. His programs came to a halt in 2012 after a well-publicized case involving a DC Councilmember who misused funds intended for these programs. Jimmy was forced to restart and eventually became part of the ownership group at Marlton Golf Course in PG County and today manages Rock Creek Park Golf Course. jimmygarvingolf.org Sponsored by Union Green - Uniting people on & off the Green through public golf - uniongreen.com Listen or watch below! https://youtu.be/-o4n5yJuyR4

The indoor golf market has exploded in the US over the past few years with simulators popping up seemingly everywhere you look.   After well-establishing itself as a global leader in the industry, Korean-based Golfzon opened its North American headquarters in Northern Virginia and is methodically pursuing US market share as this trend shows no sign of slowing down.Golfzon America's James McDonald sat down with us at their Chantilly offices to talk about all aspects of indoor simulator golf including what the future of this market and technology holds.Listen or watch below!https://youtu.be/hrfr27zG3hU

When not working behind the camera on some of DC's most-watched shows like Meet The Press & Scott Van Pelt's SportsCenter, Garrett Johnston has been hustling to make a name for himself in the golf world, both as a writer and with a microphone.  The Alexandria-based fellow podcaster has hosted over 140 episodes of Beyond The Clubhouse where he talks primarily with Tour Players, their Caddies and other media members covering professional golf.Garrett joins the show to talk about his journey in the game, his strategies in getting that hard-to-get interview, the guidance he's received from a few folks at the very top of the profession and we also talk about this week's Master Tournament.Episode sponsored by Betway Register today to get up to two-hundred-and-fifty dollars back in Bonus Bets if your first bet loses!  All you need to do is sign up, make an initial deposit, and you'llbe ready to bet with Betway.Please gamble responsibly – must be twenty-one years or older to wager withreal money. Terms and conditions apply.Listen or watch Episode 65 below!https://youtu.be/b_dp_V723sw

One of the best stories in DC-area sports the last few years has been not just the resurrection, but the play of the Howard University Golf team. Leading the way on the course has been Gregory Odom Jr who has won several events since transferring into the program from Memphis, and got the opportunity to compete in the Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac in 2022. While Steph Curry's highly publicized donation got the Howard Golf Program off the ground and thrust into the national spotlight, the play by Odom and his teammates under the guidance of Coach Sam Puryear has helped them stay there. He joins the podcast to talk about his journey from Memphis to Howard, his relationship with Coach Sam Puryear, the success he's had on the course, and what it's like playing with the national attention of a superstar's commitment to the program. Listen or watch below! https://youtu.be/YzJebnFOa7g

With 190 episodes under their belt and counting, Adam Hallenbeck and Eddie Taylor have been sharing their light-hearted stories and golf takes for four years.  The Maryland-based duo tape the Mediocre Golf Podcast every week where they banter about their observations, recent rounds, buddies trips and whatever else is on their mind.   We sat down to hear about their journey into podcasting and learn more about what drives this pair to tape their golf thoughts each and every week.  Our discussion was taped in the clubhouse at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring, MD.Listen or watch below!https://youtu.be/d0opNxwiyHA

This episode was taped on the convention center floor during this month's PGA Show in Orlando, FL  The annual industry event looked a bit more normal this year after going virtual in 2021 due to covid & last year's which was skipped by almost every major OEM.A couple weeks prior to the event, David Grossman of the Gibson Island Club was awarded Merchandiser of the Year in the private club category by the Mid-Atlantic PGA.  He explains a bit of his strategy in stocking his shop, what he looks for at this show & gives us some history on the architecturally rich golf club as well as some background on its popular logo.  SuperSpeed Golf is a training aid and program that has capitalized on the movement across both professional & amateur golf to maximize swing speed and hit the ball farther. Co-founder, Michael Napoleon gives us some background on how the company got started and the science behind why it can have such a quick and lasting impact on a golf swing.Tyler Golf Bags was launched less than three years ago to fill a gap in the market that founder, Tyler McDaniel and his peers were looking for themselves.  Thin profile, fully customizable carry bags at an affordable price.  At last year's show, we shared some laughs with him and his club pro father, Jay, during a chance meeting at a nearby watering hole.  Tyler joins the show to provide some insight on his growing business and his notable show marketing strategy of walking the floor with golf bags over each shoulder in lieu of a traditional booth.12:18 David Grossman29:28 Michael Napolean51:14 Tyler McDanielListen or watch below!https://youtu.be/jZVnneGUh20

With the highest population of any county in Virginia and the third highest median income in the country, Fairfax County has golfers galore. Its Park Authority provides and manages seven properties that run the gamut of municipal golf.  A 36-hole property at Twin Lakes, two-executive nines at Pinecrest & Jefferson District, a pair of par […]

Flying under the radar while in the ear of some of golf’s top stars has been Julie Elion’s modus operandi for going on two decades.  While most golf fans likely aren’t familiar with her, she is still very active in working with tour pros at the very top of the sport.  With a resume that […]

Striving to elevate a Division 1 golf program to new heights as a first-time coach takes a tremendous amount of passion and work.  Coach Greg Pieczynski was hired to lead the George Mason team just prior to the pandemic shutting down sports around the country and ever since has been managing all aspects of the […]

Wearing multiple hats in the world of golf as both the founder of a consultancy to brands & companies in the golf space as well as co-founding a player agency, Nick Green has points of view into this game from all sorts of angles.  His career began in his native UK representing up-and-coming players that […]

As general manager for the past fourteen years at Golfdom, Matt Trenton has been a mainstay at the long-standing Tyson’s retailer. Earlier this year, the business agreed to be acquired by Worldwide Golf Shops, a Bethesda-based parent company of several well-known golf retailers throughout the country. Matt joins the podcast to discuss what went into […]

A fixture on the grounds of Langston Golf Course for the past three decades, Ray Savoy’s contributions to golf in DC have been significant.  The DC native is in the US Golf Teachers Federation Hall of Fame and founded the Langston Boys & Girls Golf Club in 1990 despite only coming to the game of […]

As Ocean City, Maryland’s golf course development started to boom in the early 90’s, Bobby Vermillion saw an opportunity to merge his love of golf with his advertising sales career and start a television show to help promote the area as a golf destination.  Thirty years and still going strong, Bobby has been the face […]

Putting together charity golf outings where attendees not only enjoy themselves and want to come back, but fundraising goals are consistently hit can be a tricky endeavor.  Walter Kirkland puts together several tournaments each year for both organizations he runs or is a part of as well as events where he is hired simply to […]

Responsible for some of the highest profile golf course renovation & restorations in the country right now, Andrew Green’s profile has risen dramatically over the past several years.  His transformational work on Congressional’s Blue Course is getting it’s first look from a national audience this week for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Andrew called into […]

Responsible for some of the highest profile golf course renovation & restorations in the country right now, Andrew Green’s profile has risen dramatically over the past several years.  His transformational work on Congressional’s Blue Course is getting it’s first look from a national audience this week for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Andrew called into […]

Despite being retired from tour golf for six years as well as having her first child just a few months earlier, Jenny Suh Thompson grabbed the lone qualifying spot for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the PGA Stroke Play in February.  Congressional is a homecoming for the former junior golf standout from Fairfax, who […]

Despite being retired from tour golf for six years as well as having her first child just a few months earlier, Jenny Suh Thompson grabbed the lone qualifying spot for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the PGA Stroke Play in February.  Congressional is a homecoming for the former junior golf standout from Fairfax, who […]

Brought on to lead the maintenance & grounds teams prior to the renovation of the Blue Course, Pete Wendt and his staff have had extremely busy few years.  First working hand in hand with the architecture team, the builders & contractors during the course transformation and re-opening just last year.  And now ensuring the course […]

Brought on to lead the maintenance & grounds teams prior to the renovation of the Blue Course, Pete Wendt and his staff have had extremely busy few years.  First working hand in hand with the architecture team, the builders & contractors during the course transformation and re-opening just last year.  And now ensuring the course […]

When the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship comes to town next week, it will not only be the first in a series of PGA of America championships to be hosted at Congressional Country Club over the next decade and a half, but it will also be an unveiling to a televised global audience of the Blue […]

When the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship comes to town next week, it will not only be the first in a series of PGA of America championships to be hosted at Congressional Country Club over the next decade and a half, but it will also be an unveiling to a televised global audience of the Blue […]

Created to bring together golfers with all types of disabilities to compete in a single national open, Jason Faircloth and the United States Disabled Golf Association brought the 2022 event to Laurel Hill GC in Lorton, VA.   Golfers from all over the country and a wide range of impairments competed this week for 54 holes […]