Pod for the Course

Jake Koppenberg played collegiately at Western Washington University, where he twice was named NCAA All-American. After college he played briefly on the mini-tours, trying to earn his way onto the PGA Tour. But he returned to Bellingham, regained his amateur status, got married and started a career in business development and is now a father of two boys.Staying competitive, he has qualified for a dozen national championships, including five U.S. Amateurs, and two U.S. Mid-Amateurs, making it to the quarterfinals in 2019. He has gone deep in the bracket at several PNGA Men's Amateurs, been selected to Hudson Cup and PNGA Lamey Cup teams, and won the 2021 Washington Men's Mid-Amateur. He was named the 2023 Washington Men's Mid-Amateur Player of the Year.

Living in Port Orchard, Wash. and playing on her high school golf team at South Kitsap High School, Aubrey Faucett wasn't sure yet what direction her life would take. During her senior year at Liberty University in Virginia, things became a lot clearer when she was one of just 23 students nationwide selected by the PGA of America to serve a Fellowship in their PGA WORKS program. The PGA WORKS Fellowship provides the opportunity for a one-year, paid immersion in a PGA Section's Foundation operations. It is one of the most valuable, entry-level opportunities for individuals from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to gain experience in all facets of the golf industry. The Fellowship gives recent college and university graduates a first-hand look at everything that a career in the golf industry can provide. Since May of 2023, Faucett has been working at the Southern Texas PGA Section just north of Houston.Learn more about the PGA WORKS program: https://www.pgareach.org/pgaworks/

Since 2013 Victoria has been the assistant coach for the women's golf team at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. Prior to that she played four years on the Gonzaga team, winning her very first collegiate tournament as a freshman, and becoming the first Gonzaga player to win the individual West Coast Conference championship, which she did as a junior in 2012. Since then she has won the Washington Women's Mid-Amateur Championship three times (2017, 2018, 2020) and was named the Washington Golf Women's Mid-Amateur Player of the Year three times (2017, 2018, 2020). She has qualified for three U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, two U.S. Women's Amateurs, and two U.S. Women's Mid-Amateurs. Victoria talks with us about her own journey from learning the game as an 8-year-old in Southern California, and how she works with her players in improving their games. She has recently made the decision to enter the PGA Professional program, giving up her amateur status as a player, with the goal of becoming a better coach to her players at Gonzaga. 

Andrew Von Lossow is the kind of guy you would want in your Dream Foursome, or at least to have a beverage with at the 19th hole. He made national headlines on a big stage last year, when, as a 34-year-old, he defeated the No. 3-ranked amateur player in the world and pre-championship favorite, Michael Thorbjornsen, in the round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur. Andrew rocked a colorful shirt during the match, an outward symbol of the joy he feels when he plays the game.

It's been a busy summer for Pono Yanagi. In late June, he shot rounds of 72-63-67 to run away from the field in winning the 102nd Washington Men's Amateur, held at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla. A couple weeks later he shot 65-65 at Palouse Ridge Golf Club and earned medalist honors in qualifying for the U.S. Amateur. Then, two weeks later competed in the Pacific Coast Amateur at Capilano G&CC in West Vancouver, B.C., being selected for the WA Golf team in that championship's Morse Cup competition.Originally from Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island, Pono will be a fifth-year senior at Washington State University, playing on the men's golf team. Pono talks about how he made his way to Pullman from Hawaii, how he works on his game during the winters in Pullman, how he is preparing for the thin air in Colorado at the upcoming U.S. Amateur, and his plans for when his collegiate career is over.

Angela Zhang of Bellevue, who won her second consecutive Washington Women's Amateur title this past June, talks about what it was like competing at the recent U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach. She was the youngest player in the field of the best women golfers on earth, and the 14-year-old phenom shares some wisdom beyond her years (with a few giggles thrown in).

Golf historian Mike Riste joins the podcast to explore the history of public golf in Washington and the influence of PNGA Hall-of-Famer Albert "Scotty" Campbell, a golfer from Seattle in the 1930s and 40s. Despite having no formal golf lessons, Campbell was a talented golfer, setting an amateur record for the 1936 Masters tournament and being selected for the 1936 Walker Cup team. The podcast also discusses the role of Jefferson Park Golf Course in promoting public golfers and fostering the development of successful golfers, including Bill Wright, the first black golfer to win the US Public Links in 1959. The hosts also delve into the history of the USGA Pub Links tournament and how Campbell's success helped raise its profile. 

 Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022.Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan.He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest.In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America.In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association. 

Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022.Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan.He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest.In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America.In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association.

Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022.Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan.He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest.In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America.In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association.

Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022.Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan. He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest. In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America. In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association.

Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022. Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan.  He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest.  In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America.  In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association. 

Not picking up a golf club until the age of 30, Durel Billy found himself going all in on the game, determined to get better. And then he discovered hickory golf, causing him to delve deeper into the history of the game, inspired by his discovery of John Shippen being the first U.S.-born professional and also an African American. In 2013, Durel founded the Atlantic Pacific National Golf Club, providing an outlet for friends, old and new, to play regular events together. Durel then revived the Washington State Hickory Open, held in 2014 at The Home Course. Now serving on the Board of Directors of Washington Golf, he is also on the Centennial Committee as the association prepares for its 100th year since its founding. Very active on social media under the handle Billy Bogey, Durel has become one of the conduits into the game for others. 

Austin Hurt shot 81 (this is not a misprint) in the first round of the 2009 Washington Men's Amateur while suffering an eye allergy that sent him to the hospital after the round. The championship that year was held at his home course of Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wash. But he then shot 69 in the second round to make the cut. And although he shot another 69 in the third round, he still began the final round a mountainous nine strokes behind the leader. In that final round, Hurt shot a course record 7-under 65 to win the title by a shot.Now the PGA head professional at Wing Point Golf and Country Club on Bainbridge Island, Wash., this summer Hurt qualified to play in the PGA Championship, his first major on the PGA Tour. In this podcast, Hurt reminisces about his 2009 victory and his experience of playing a practice round this summer with Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson.

When Sharon Johnston started playing golf in 1975, she went all in, both on and off the course. A natural athlete, she began competing almost immediately. As a member of Fircrest Golf Club, she became involved with the Washington State Women's Golf Association (WSWGA), and in 1984 served as its president. In 1998, she would win the WSWGA Championship, adding her name to a list of prominent champions. She competed in the inaugural Washington Women's Amateur in 1994. She soon became involved with the WSGA (now WA Golf), first as a Club Representative, then as a member of the Board of Directors, and then as a member of the WSGA Executive Committee. She served as the chair of the WSGA Championship Committee from 1997-2007, and was instrumental in the expansion of WA Golf's statewide championships. She had to step down from that role only because she became the first woman president of the WSGA in the fall of 2007, and would carry out those duties for two years. Her other volunteer roles include serving on the WA Golf Course Rating team, as well as the Rules committee. 

Mike Riste serves as the historian for the BC Golf Museum, and is the official historian for the PNGA. He assembled the initial research for “Washington Golf: 100 Years of Growing the Game,” the centennial history book of Washington Golf, published in 2022.Mike may claim he is not a writer, but his body of work is substantial. He co-authored the monumental “Championships & Friendships,” the centennial history book of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA); and wrote “Just Call Me Mac,” the biography of noted Northwest course architect, A. Vernon Macan.He first became involved in golf in the spring of 1960 when Capilano Golf and Country Club (in West Vancouver, B.C.) advertised for caddies for their opening day tournament. Mike would later become the very first Evans Caddie Scholarship recipient from the Northwest.In 1986, when the University Golf Course clubhouse (in Vancouver, B.C.) came vacant, MIke assembled a group of volunteers to renovate the structure into a golf museum. Today, BC Golf House is in a building that is the oldest structure still used for golf in B.C., and the BC Golf Museum is the only provincial or state standalone golf museum in North America.In 2013, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northwest Golf Media Association.

In 2010, Ann Swanson knew she was in line to become president of the Washington State Women's Golf Association (WSWGA) in 2012. So in preparation, she went all-in by writing and publishing a book about the 90-year history of the WSWGA. Founded in 1922, the WSWGA is celebrating its centennial in 2022, along with WA Golf's centennial in 2022.Ann twice won the Washington Senior Women's Amateur (2000-2001), won the WSWGA Championship nine times (and was runner-up nine times), and won the Seattle Women's Golf Association (SWGA) title seven times. Ann also wrote and published a history book about the SWGA. She has several other titles to her credit, all of which led to her being inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. In this podcast, Ann talks about the beginnings of golf in the state, which led to the founding of the WSWGA (and WSGA, now WA Golf). 

Jeff Wallach has published his new novel, Everyone Here is From Somewhere Else, the follow-up to his novel Mr. Wizard, and continues to chronicle the journey of two brothers who discover they have Irish heritage and set off in search of links golf, Guinness, and themselves.  Wallach, who lives in Portland, Ore., is the author of five non-fiction books and two novels, as well as nearly 1,000 articles, essays, reviews, and columns in The New York Times, The Oregonian, Sports Illustrated, and many other national publications. He wrote the history book of Eugene (Ore.) Country Club.  His new novel will launch on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2022. The book can be purchased at Open Books or at JeffWallach.com, and on Amazon. 

WA Golf is celebrating its centennial history in 2022, and among the year's festivities is the publication of a history book, which is authored by Dan Raley.In this podcast, Raley talks about the people he interviewed, the unknown facts he discovered, and the final thoughts he came to, during his 18 months in writing the book.

Sean Kato went wire-to-wire in winning last year's Washington Men's Amateur and returns this year to defend his title in the 100th Washington Men's Amateur, to be held July 6-8 on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain GC in Bremerton, Wash.  Sean is entering his fourth year on the men's golf team at Oregon State University, but because of a shoulder injury and the 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19, he still has two years of eligibility remaining. Prior to enrolling at Oregon State, Sean won the 2017 Washington State Junior Championship, and led his Redmond High School squad to the 2017 4A State Championship. He was selected for Team Washington in the Junior America's Cup for three years, leading the team to the title in 2016.  He qualified for and played in the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, held in May at Chambers Bay and The Home Course. Because his partner, Oregon State teammate Jackson Lake, withdrew to compete with the OSU team in the NCAA Championship (Kato was not eligible because of lost time due to a shoulder injury), Sean had the unusual experience of having to play solo in the Four-Ball. 

The first Washington Women's Amateur Championship was held in 1994 at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club in Federal Way. Caroline Speigelberg (now Matelski), who at the time was playing on the University of Washington women's golf team, had set a goal of having her name be the first one engraved on the new trophy – and she came away with a two-shot victory. After college, she played professionally for a couple years, but soon regained her amateur status and, admittedly burned out, eventually stopped playing altogether. In February of this year, she picked up the game again as a way of spending time with her daughter, who was showing interest in the game. Caroline is all-in again, playing in the 2021 Washington Women's Mid-Amateur along with several other tournaments, all with a new attitude and enjoyment for the game. 

Cathy Kim was recently named one of Golf Digest's “Best Young Teachers” for 2021-22. She is a dual member of the PGA of America and the LPGA. She attended Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash. and then received a full-ride scholarship to attend Western Washington University, where she played four years on the women's golf team (2005-2008). During her collegiate years, she played in two Washington Women's Amateurs. She has worked as an instructor at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish and TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, and is currently at the 1757 Golf Club in Dulles, Virginia. In 2018, she was named a “Top 50 Teacher” by U.S. Kids Golf. Visit CathyKimGolf.com for more information. 

Originally from Caldwell, Idaho, Gabby Lemieux is a three-time Idaho Women's State Amateur champion who won four individual titles while playing on the women's golf team at Texas Tech University, where she was named the 2016 Player of the Year in the Big 12 Conference and was the No. 1-ranked player in the country. Now making her way as a professional on the Symetra Tour, which is the developmental tour for the LPGA, Gabby will be playing in the Circling Raven Championship on Aug. 27-29 in Worley, Idaho. Circling Raven is owned by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and with Gabby being of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, she feels fortunate to be playing in front of family and friends. 

At age nine, Notah asked the head pro at the local muni in Albuquerque, N.M. for a job. He worked for free in exchange for the chance to practice and play at the course (“I was a bad negotiator.”). A full-blooded Native American (Navajo, San Felipe, Isleta), he soon became the No. 1-ranked junior player in the country, and earned a golf scholarship to Stanford University, where his team won an NCAA national title, and was a teammate of Tiger Woods. Notah won four times on the PGA Tour, then became a TV commentator for golf tournaments. In 2005, he established the Notah Begay III Foundation, which provides health and wellness education to Native American youth. In 2020, he started the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship (NJGC.org), providing playing opportunities for kids of all abilities. Last year's champion, Allyn Stephens, has earned an exemption into the 2021 Circling Raven Championship, a Symetra Tour event. 

Prior to founding Vision Marketing in 1997, Tom was the assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Michigan State University Athletics and marketing director at Washington State University Athletics. He and his wife Karen are the owners and producers of the Spokane Golf & Travel Show and Boise Golf & Travel Show, and have continued to find creative ways in conducting their events in challenging circumstances, finding a way forward.

Since 2010, Bryan has worked at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. in a variety of capacities, and now is the director of on-course services at the municipal course on the shores of Puget Sound. Specifically, he is the facility's caddie master, managing the fleet of caddies who service the walking-only course. He talks of his own love of working as a caddie, of his experience of caddying for Adam Scott while practicing for the 2015 U.S. Open, of helping young kids learn to be a caddie and possibly earn an Evans Caddie Scholarship, and also of the retirees who have combined their love of the game and new-found freedom to make their golden years truly golden while working as a caddie.

Since 2013 Victoria Fallgren has been the assistant coach for the women's golf team at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. Prior to that she played four years on the Gonzaga team. She has won the Washington Women's Mid-Amateur Championship three times (2017, 2018, 2020) and was twice named the Washington Golf Women's Mid-Amateur Player of the Year (2017, 2018). She has qualified for three U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and two U.S. Women's Amateurs. She talks with us about how she keeps her own game sharp, and how she works with her players in improving their games.

Josh Williams is the general manager of Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash. The course is located five miles south of the U.S.-Canada border, and since March 21, 2020 that border has been closed to “non-essential” travel because of COVID-19, which means no British Columbia golfers are allowed to come down and play any of the many courses in Washington. Josh talks about the impact of this on his and other area courses, and what they're doing to adjust.

A Cougar through and through, Dustin White returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in the January of 2014 and was named the Washington State men's golf head coach prior to the 2016-17 season. White was a standout player for the Cougars golf team from 1999-2003. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, including a first team honoree in 2002. As a professional, he was a winner on the Gateway Tour in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and competed on the Nationwide Tour in 2005, 2009 and 2010. His career highlight came when he qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open. He is married to former WSU women's golfer, and current women's golf assistant coach, Emma Betland White. 

Zac has been at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. since 2007. He served as their Assistant PGA Professional from 2007-2015, then as the facility's sales and marketing manager for a year and a half, then director of marketing for a year before adding “assistant general manager” to his title. He took over as general manager in November 2018. The club has been the site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur, 2015 U.S. Open, and, along with numerous other local and regional championships (including the 2017 Pacific Coast Amateur), hosted the 2013 Washington Men's Amateur, which it will host again August 11-13, 2020. 

Erin didn't pick up the game of golf until age 35, but then she went all in. She became a six-time club champion at Snohomish (Wash.) GC, and turned pro in 1996, competing on mini-tours throughout the U.S., winning the senior title of the 2003 Colorado Women's Open. She became a member of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals (and is now a Life Member), was a founder and director of the Washington State Women's Open, and is currently the director of the annual Northwest Women's Open. She is also the head golf coach for the varsity and middle school boys and girls teams at The Bush School in Seattle, and was named Coach of the Year in 2019.

Tyler Johnsen, executive director of the Washington Junior Golf Association, talks about the re-start of the WJGA's 2020 tournament season, the junior golfers' enthusiasm for getting back out on the course, and the steps that he's taking for making sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable championship experience. 

The director of operations at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Jeff Simonds, talks about the resort's proactive decision to close the resort for six weeks to address concerns during the COVID pandemic, about the opening of the long-anticipated Sheep Ranch course, and about the U.S. Amateur to be held at the resort this August. 

Mike Zinga, the director of sales and sponsorship relations for the Charles Schwab Challenge, joins us from Colonial Country Club to share his thoughts on this brave new world that tournament golf is entering – no gallery on site. Zinga was the tournament director of the 2010 U.S. Senior Open, held at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with David McLay Kidd. The now-renowned golf course designer gives his take on the soon-to-open short course at Gamble Sands, his renovation of Sand Point CC, and this summer's U.S. Amateur being held on his course at Bandon Dunes.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with Kyle Drugge the new head Men's Golf coach at Pacific Lutheran University.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with long-time golf journalist Jeff Wallach.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with Shane Prante the lead golf instructor at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with Evan Johnsen the Director of Programs and Development at The First Tee of Greater Seattle.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with long-time golf course architect and golf course historian John Strawn from Portland, Oregon.

On this edition of Pod for the Course, we catch up with Kelli Kamimura the head Women's Golf coach at Washington State University.