Yardage Book Yarns

Mike shares many great stories with Glenn, from starting out in Golf, turning pro, meeting his wife, becoming Payne Stewarts brother in law, starting to play seniors tournaments. A really good yarn 

Gary Edwin:- Order of Australia Medal winner-- PGA Member for over 50 years- Has coached Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Paul Gow, Jan Stephenson and more- Did a clinic with Moe Norman- Is known as "Guru" by his pupils- He grew up in Wellington, NSW-  

Charlie Earp:Born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales 1938He started his PGA traineeship under Mr. Reg Want at Coolangatta Tweed Golf Club at 15 years of age, prior to ever having struck a golf ball He was the Head Professional at Lismore Golf Club originally, then Royal Queensland Golf Club for 45+ years Member Australian PGA for over 70 years. He is a life member of Australian PGA. He has been the Queensland State, junior and senior womens and mens coach on many occasions He was the President of the Queensland PGA He coached and mentored Greg Norman, Wayne Grady and many moreHe caddied for Greg Norman in the US Open in 1984 at Winged Foot, Fuzzy Zeoller beat Norman in a play offHe is the recipient of an order of Australia medal. He has been married to wife Margaret for 60+ years. They have three Children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren 

Kyle Francis:- Born in 1952 in Sydney- Started Golf at 8 years of age- Was a member at Eastlake Golf Club- Caddied at The Lakes Golf Club- Did his apprenticeship at The Lakes under Billy Holder- Married Yvonne in 1979- Worked for Alex Mercer at Royal Sydney Golf Club- Had two serious car accidents which led to five back fusions- He has always been a respected player- He was National PGA Trainee Chairman- He was heavily involved in the establishment of the PGA PDP program- He has been the Head Professional at New Brighton, Concord and Bexley Golf Clubs- Kyle and Yvonne have two sons and three grandchildren

Bruce Young:- Born in Auckland NZ in 1953- Started playing Golf at 12- Caddied in NZ, Japan, Europe and Australia for players such as:- John Lister- Bob Charles- Bob Shearer- Graham Marsh- Jumbo Ozaki- Respected in the Golf industry in Golf radio, television and print  - Has won 13 Golf Media awards in Australia- Plays off a eight handicap at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast 

Interview with Dr. Rob Neal is now live on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Buzzsprout. YARDAGE BOOK YARNS - Golf Podcast Dr. Rob Neal:- Born in NSW in 1957 - Started playing Golf at 25- Has worked all over the world for over 25 years with all skill levels- Developed "Wedge Craft" with PGA Coach Layne Savoie- Has worked with coaches such as Jim McLean and David Leadbetter - Has worked with most of the best players in the world - Regarded by many as the World's leading Golf Biomechanist - Is good friends with Mark Broadie (Strokes Gained)- Married to his his wife Kim, lives in Florida, USA

Billy Dunk:- Born in Gosford, NSW in 1938 - Son of the Greenkeeper at Gosford Golf Club- Turned pro in 1960- Won over 100 tournaments worldwide- Played in the U.S Open and British Open - Won 5 Australian PGA C'ships- Held 80+ course records- He played with Trevino, Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and more- Life member of the Australian PGA - Life member of the Australasian PGA Tour- Married to wife Annette - They have three children, two grandchildren and one great grandchild

Born in Cardiff, Newcastle in 1935Started playing Golf after his older brother Ken introduced him to the gameLost his right eye at only 20 years of age and had to relearn to play againWinner of the 1964 Australian PGA Championship, ahead of Bruce DevlinPatron of the Waratah Golf ClubLife Member of the Australian PGARepresented Australia alongside Billy Dunk in the World CupWas the Head Pro at Monash Golf Club in SydneyTook over the management of Sugar Valley Golf Course in 1972Has two sons, Peter and David, both qualified Greenkeepers and PGA MembersBeen married to Jackie for 63 years 

Alex Mercer:- Born in Sydney in 1934- He had 6 brothers and one sister- He started playing Golf at eight years of age using borrowed clubs- He was the Head Professional at Ashlar Golf Club for five years- He was the Head Professional at The Royal Sydney Golf Club for 19 years- He won 22 Pro Purse tournaments- He has coached many elite Australian male and female professionals- He has been a member of the Australian PGA for 66 years- He has been married to Shirley for 67 years- They have two sons, Robert 63 and David 61- He is an Order of Australia Medal recipient- One of the games true gentleman

David Graham:- Born in 1946 in Windsor, Victoria (Australia)- Started Golf at 12 years of age at Wattle Park in Melbourne- Switched from left to right handed as a Trainee Professional- Was the Club Professional at Seabrook Golf Club in Tasmania- Moved to Sydney and worked for PGF- Turned Pro in 1962- Was coached by Alex Mercer- Moved to America in 1969- Won the 1977 Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club- World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee, 2015- Won 1979 USPGA after double bogeying the 72nd hole- Won the 1981 US Open- Won 37 tournaments worldwide- One of the hardest workers of all time- Plays with Lee Trevino four times a week - Hung out with Ben Hogan a lot

Grant Field:- Has coached Cam Smith since he was 10- National PGA Coach of the Year twice- QLD State Coach of the Year four times- QAS Head Coach- Husband to Jennifer and father of two

Mike Orloff:- Born in LA in 1967- Youngest of four boys to Bill and Mary-Anne Orloff- Member of both the US and Aus PGA- In 2003, he visited close to 19 countries in one year- Has managed many Golf courses and facilities- Worked for Iseek Golf- CEO of Golf Industry Central, Australia- Has helped shaped the Australian Golf industry behind the scenes- Married to Chelsea- Father of two children

Robert Gavshon- Born, Johannnesburg South Africa 1947- Was heavily involved in swimming, tennis and Rugby Union - Studied Law and graduated- Married Jennifer in 1977 in South Africa- Migrated to Australia in 1978- Starting Rebel Sport and BBQ Galore  - Is a member of the Australian Golf Club- Has received an Order of Australia Medal (2019)- Has three children- Has 10 grandchildren

Rodger Davis:- Born in Sydney in 1971- Youngest of four children to Stewart and Edith- He started playing Golf at 11 years of age- Turned pro at 23 in 1974 - Won 42 tournaments worldwide- Was ranked 7th in the world in 1986- He beat Freddy Couples in a playoff for the Bi-Centenial Classic in 1988- Current Chairman of the Australian PGA- He still loves the game and plays Golf 3 or 4 times a week

Col McGregor:- Born in 1940 in Concord, Sydney- Started as a caddy at Concord Golf Club- He served his Apprenticeship under Bruce Jackson (PGA Professional)- In 1965 and 1966 he won the NSW Open and NSW PGA Championships- Peter Thompson was his mentor- He played Golf with Bobby Locke- He served his entire Club Professional career at NSW Golf Club- He has been a PGA Member for over 60 years- He is now 82

Ian "Moose" Robilliard interview on Yardage Book Yarns now live!Ian played 287 NBL games in total representing three teams including the Sydney KingsHe has also been the CEO and Head Coach of The Sydney KingsHe worked for the PGA of Australia for over ten years in senior rolesHe is the Founder and CEO of The Central Coast Academy of Sport, which caters for approx 280 athletes across 14 sportsRecipient of both an Australian Sports Medal and Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to SportOne of the nicest guys in Australian Sport

Scott Gardiner:- Started Golf at 7 years of age in Sydney- Moved to the Gold Coast where he won the Club Championship at Coolangatta Tweed Golf Club - Represented NSW in the state team- Represented Australia in the National Team- Gained a scholarship at The Australian Institute of Sport in Melbourne- Turned pro in 2000- Played on the Korn Ferry Tour for 7 years from 2005 to 2012- Gained his PGA Tour card in 2013- Played in the final group of the Sony Open in Hawaii with Phil Michelson- He watched Adam Scott finish eagle, birdie, eagle to win the Scottish PGA, then got a lift on his private jet- He now lives in Arkansas in the US, and coaches all skills levels, but mainly aspires to help other young golfers gain confidence and achieve their goals- Scott is married with two sons

Ian Triggs:- Grew up in Bundaberg, QLD- Played off +3 at 15 years old- Had Greg Norman as a caddy for one Interstate series- Was a Club Pro at Bargara and Kaperra Golf Clubs- John Sendon was one of his Trainee Professionals- He coached John Senden and Karrie Webb for many years- His players have won 150 tournaments worldwide- Former Natioanl PGA Teacher of the Year- He has coached at six US Masters and many other majors- One of Australian Golfs true gentleman

Aron Price:- A very honest and candid interview- Born in Sydney- Was a member of Kareela GC- Went to Georgia Southern University- Was the number one ranked college player in America- Turn Pro in 2004- Played on the Nationwide and Korn Ferry tours- Got his PGA Tour card- Lives in Jacksonville, Florida- Married to Lucy and has two sons- Now a realtor in Florida

Ewan Porter- Was born in 1982- Started playing Golf at 10 in Sydney- Got to a +4 handicap as an amateur- Won twice in 2001 on the USPGA Nationwide Tour- Played in three Open Championships- Is the Founder of the Adidas 6's Junior Series- Television commentator on a number of tours around the world- Is the Official Podcast host for the DP World Tour (European PGA Tour)

One hour with Pazz one on one interview gives us all a great insight into his professional and personal lifeWinner of 23 tournaments worldwideWon one Australian Open, two Australian Masters and one Australian OpenPlayed and practiced a lot with Tiger and tells some great storiesLed the US Masters after 54 holesPlayed in final group 99 Open Championship with Van De Velde when he had the melt down on the 72nd holeTalked with Jack Nicklaus about course design and offered some advice on changes to Muirfield VillageOne of Australian sports true gentlemen 

Lester was born in SydneyHe was off a 8 handicap at 14He was NSW State Team CaptainHe has won major amateur tournaments all over the worldRepresented Australia more than any other player in historyHe has played with Norman, Ogilvy, Tiger and many moreHe has been a pilot for many years, more recently with Qantas 

Julia Boland was born in Tamworth in 1985 She was introduced to Golf by her Dad at 12 and started playing under the guidance of Terry Hayes at Tamworth Golf ClubShe won several women's state amateur titles and then won the National Strokeplay ChampionshipShe headed to the USA to study at Texas A & M and finished her Masters as a Exercise ScientistShe won college events, turned pro and ended up on the LPGA for two seasonsAfter a hip injury stopped her from playing Golf for a livingShe is now The Deputy Principal of a high school in Brisbane and also the President of The WPGA Some great stories and insights into playing golf as a female, turning professional, and life after Golf

Paul Roser:- Grew up in Broken Hill- Moved to Tamworth at a young age- Studied Commerce at University of NSW- Met his future wife Kim while working- Got married and started working at American Golf Supplies (Ping Australia)- Met and spent time with Karsten Solheim - Has known the Solheim family for 30 years- Has been an integral part of the Australian Golf industry

Lincoln Tighe:- Born in Wollongong in 1989- Started playing Golf at 4- Played state level tennis- Was off a 5 handicap at 12 years of age- Was NSW State Team Captain- Represented Australia in 2011- Won the 2014 NSWPGA Championship- Has played with Jason Day- Finished 5th in the Australian Open- The longest hitter in Australian Golf

Dennise Hutton:- Grew up in Glen Innes in northern NSW- Her parents were caretakers at Glen Innes Golf Club- She moved to Sydney to pursue a career as a school teacher- She was playing off +1 at Bonnie Doon Golf Club- She represented Australia 12 times as an amateur- She won back to back European Tour events- She is a mother - She is a pioneer in women's professional golf in Australia- She is a PGA award winning coach 

Garry Smith:- Head Superintendent at Bonnie Doon Golf Club for nearly 20 years- Well respected in the turf management area of the Golf industry in Australia- He has worked at 14 major championships- Garry has played most of the worlds best Golf courses- He has some great insights into the behind the scenes of what we see on the course  

Greg Chalmers:- Born in Sydney- Grew up in Perth- Won Aussie and French National Amateurs- Won two Aussie Opens and Aussie PGA's- Been on the USPGA Tour for close to 20 years- Winner on the USPGA Tour- Runs a Autism Charity with his wife Nicole

Brook grew up in Terang near Warnambool in Victoria, two hours South West of Melbourne He started playing Golf at 5 years of age and honed his skills at Terang, Warnambool and Port Ferry Golf Clubs, all approximately two hours out of MelbourneA good friend of Marc Leishman’s, he did his PGA Traineeship under Craig Bonney at Warnambool GC As a qualified PGA Member he has held prestigious roles with both Acushnet Golf both in Australia and worked overseas, and more recently as the agent for Trackman Australia He shares stories about Leishman, Norman, Langer and more We spend over an hour discussing life and Golf

Noel Ratcliffe was born in Sydney in 1945His father played cricket for Australia and was friends with Sir Don BradmanNoel started playing Golf by sneaking on Bexley Golf Course late on a Saturday afternoon. He then joined New South Wales Golf Club where his first handicap was fourAfter a strong amateur career, He decided to turn pro at the age of 29Heading straight to Europe he secured his tour card where he played for over 35 yearsNoel holds a number of records on the European regular and seniors tours including being the second person to ever earn 1 million euros on tourWinner of 16 professional tournaments worldwide, he has played with and beaten most of the best players in the worldI hope you enjoy these great stories from Noel from the 70's, 80's and 90's

Stacey Peters (Nee Keating) grew up in country VictoriaShe started playing Golf with her Grandparents in Lismore 30 minutes from her parents farm. Neither her Mum or Dad are golfers, she built her own little six hole course and driving range on the family property After finishing school she moved to Melbourne to study and met a PGA Pro who helped her get her handicap down to scratch, he also gave her the idea that she could pursue a career as a professional, something she had not consideredAfter turning pro, on only her second year on the LET she won back to back tournaments in Spain and FranceStacey now has a full time role with Golf Australia in elite player development, commentates on TV and is about to become a mum for the first timeEnjoy Stacey's journey so far 

John started playing Golf at Keperra GC at the age of 12 with his fatherAfter completing his PGA Traineeship in Brisbane, he headed to Europe and secured his European tour card, with two victories and the confidence that he could compete with some of the world's best players it was off to America where he has held his USPGA tour card for over 20 years. His best results have been wins in the John Deere Classic in 2006 and Valspaar Championship in 2014He has had three top 10 finishes in every major excluding the Open Championship Winner of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney in 2006, one of his career highlightsIn 2017, his only child Jacob was diagnosed with a brain tumor, this resulted in him walking away from the tour and not touching his clubs for 18 monthsJohn is an absolute gentleman, he has not changed a bit in the 25 years I have known him

Brett "Noddy" Kimmorley grew up in Belmont, just north of SydneyFrom a very young age he aspired to be a professional Rugby League player. Through hard work and perseverance, he went on to become recognised as a household name in NRL circles, at club and representative levels. He played for five NRL teams including the Cronulla Sharks which he is most known for, represented NSW in 10 Origins and Australia in 22 International Tests After a stellar playing career, tragedy struck in 2017 when Brett lost his best friend and wife to Cancer, he was left to deal with the grief, work and raise his four daughters Regarded as one of the nicest men to ever pull on a jersey, a true Golf nut I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did doing itGlenn

Nick O'Hern grew up playing Golf at Mt Lawley Golf Club in Perth, Western AustraliaThe lowest handicap he ever got down to was 4. After completing his PGA Traineeship and shooting 82, 84, 88 to finish dead last in a tournament as a professional, he sat in his car crying which motivated him to create a plan that proved to be the best thing he ever did for his careerHe went on to win 6 tournaments, earn over $7m in prizemoney, represent Australia five times, play on all of the world tours and beat Tiger Woods twice in Matchplay, the only person in history to do so An inspirational story proving that hard work and belief are the main ingredients required to achieve your goals

Affectionately known as "POM", Peter O'Malley might just be the most down to earth Golf Professional in the history of Australian GolfBorn and raised in Bathurst, country NSW. He initially wanted to be a Greenkeeper or Chef, but quickly learned that his Golf game was good enough to take on the worlds bestHe turned pro in 1987 and played on tours around the world for over 25 years and competed in 16 major championshipsHis biggest win came at the Scottish Open in 1992 playing with Faldo where he shot 7 under the last 5 holes, which finished with an eagle on the 72nd holePOM shares with us many yarns about:- Playing with Seve- Making swing changes with Denis Pugh- Winning the Scottish Open playing with Faldo- Breaking up a fight between Radar Riley and his brother- The early days on tour in Europe with Parry, Senior, Riley- Partying with Chooky Fowler- The swing keys that made him such a great ball striker- How technology has changed professional Golf Enjoy this episode!Glenn

Steve Bann started Golf as a 12 year old caddy at Riversdale GC in Melbourne. He completed his traineeship at Huntingdale GC after walking away from the game for three years A 16 year old Robert Allenby challenged Steve to a match in a Thursday comp, but soon realised that his "Club Pro" coach was pretty good when Robert shot 64 but that still was not good enough, as Steve shot 63Steve led the Australian Masters by two shots with three holes to go in 1988 but lost to Ian Baker FinchHe was the founding coach of the VIS Golf Program which produced a number of world class playersSteve spent 25 years travelling to the PGA Tour up to 10 times a year to spend time with a number of his playersIf not the most influential Golf coach in the history of Australia Golf, he is certainly up the top Steve shares the following stories with us during this fascinating interview:- Nearly becoming a rock and roll hale of famer (joke) - Watching Sam Snead and Lee Trevino playing when he was young- Meeting Greg Norman for the first time- Being 10 under par for 14 holes in the last round of the Aussie Masters - Coaching a young Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby- The day Renee Appleby was tragically killed - Going to Tiger Woods house- Witnessing Tiger's 59 with two three putts- His 19 trips to the US Masters at AugustaDon't miss this one!

Craig Laundy is nearly 50 years old. He was born in Sydney into the Laundy family Hotel business started by his Grandfather, and with his brother has helped his Father Arthur Laundy grow it into the empire it is todayCraig has played four rounds at Augusta National He has played Golf with Greg Norman and is great mates with John Sendon and Craig ParryHe was in Federal politics for close to six years and served eventually under his close friend Malcolm Turnbull His brother Stuart won the Sophie Monk Bachelorette which posed as a potential problem for the Prime Ministers Office Craig is a member of both Concord and The Australian Golf Clubs and plays off a handicap of 13 Enjoy!

Geoff was born in 1961 in Queensland, he had to move to Sydney with his Grandmother at only five weeks old to get better medical attention as he was born with defects to both legs due to his mother taking the morning sickness drug ThalidomideHe had to have his right leg amputated at 11, and had to endure bullying at schoolHe started playing Golf at 12 which changed his life in many ways for the betterIn 1989 he started competing in disabled Golf tournaments around the world and turned professional 12 months alterSome funny yarns and a truly inspirational story. I hope you enjoy it as much I did

Sarah Kemp was born in Sydney, started playing Golf at 12. She got down to a scratch handicap at a young age and won several national titles as an amateur and represented Australia in the 2004 Espirito Santo World CupShe turned pro in 2008 and played for many years in Europe before embarking on the US LPGA Tour. She has played in all 5 majors and still has plenty of game left and will one day likely win a major championshipNow engaged to Lisa Cornwell from The Golf Channel and hanging out and playing Golf with Ex President Bill ClintonGreat chat and insight into the life of a female Professional Golfer

In this final part of the podcast, Brett talks to us about playing Professional Golf at the highest level, and why he was not intimated by anyone he ever played with, in fact he loved itHe shares insights into equipment deals on the US Tour like in 1993 he was paid $100,000 a year just for using a driver, he says that could be as high as $600,000 a year nowWe hope you enjoyed this three part series into one of Australian Golf's true championsPlease share these and many other episodes with your friendsGlenn

In this episode, part 2 of the 3 part series, Brett talks about how with already two bonds to his name, standing in Campbelltown Court as a 17 year old after not being picked for the NSW State Team even though he knew he was the best player nearly cost him his career in GolfHe also discusses playing with Jack Nicklaus, how helpful Seve was to him in Europe and how John Daly put $500,000 on the blackjack table in Perth the night before the Vines Classic before JD went out and shot 92 the first round. John left his clubs behind and they were auctioned for $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation which Brett personally supported for close to 20 years

Brett Ogle was adopted at birth, he grew up in Goulburn NSW, and started playing Golf at the age of 11. He is known around the world as one of the best ball strikers to ever play the game. Moe Norman even went to watch him hit balls on the range twiceHe won 15 tournaments worldwide including two European tour events and two US Tour eventsHe was ranked in the top 50 in the world in 1993, he has played in all four majors, he has led the US Masters, had lunch at Arnold Palmer's house and had a few run in's with Greg Norman over the yearsHe is great friends with John Daly and Phil Mickelson, he shared many stories that you will probably never hear anywhere elseI will split the 3 1/2 hours of audio we recorded into 3 x 40 minute parts. The content is too good not to share with you allEnjoy! Glenn

Paul got to a scratch handicap using a cut down set of golf clubs, he represented Australia as an amateur. Someone's phone went off while he was trying to hole a putt to shoot 59 in the Canon Challenge. He won three times on the US Nationwide Tour, he earned his USPGA Tour card and still holds the record for the most number of birdies in a single tournament in the history of the PGA Tour. Jeff Sluman's ridiculously lucky bounce in a playoff in the 2001 BC Open cost Paul a 10 year exemption on the US Tour, He met the founder and owner of Nike Phil Knight a few years ago at Augusta. Plenty of great stories, enjoy!

Ken Trimble was born in country NSW, backpacked through Europe, met Jack Nicklaus, upset Bernard Langer, moved to Sydney to pursue a career in Golf. He ended up playing around the world, winning tournaments in Australia and Europe and played in two Open Championships. Lost his game, became a Club Professional at Concord Golf Club and earned a reputation as a respected Golf Coach