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Why Australian Golf Hits Different Episode 284

Why Australian Golf Hits Different

· 01:43:12

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A country that loves a drink almost never drinks on the golf course. That's not temperance — that's the whole story.

In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and co‑host Dr. Kevin Moore (a.k.a. “The Professor”) sit down with Scott Warren (New South Wales Golf Club member and co-host of the Australian Golf Passport podcast) to explore what Americans get right and badly wrong about Australian golf — and why the difference comes down to a single word: competition.

The conversation dives into:
  • Golf as a sport, not a pastime: comps 5-6 days a week, markers, no gimmes, and why nobody's drinking on the course
  • Mixed-gender golf that works at the club level — and Scott's critique of the co-ed Australian Open
  • Stableford done properly, technology, and the case for a rollback so a ball bounces again
  • What Australian golf actually costs, from Barnbougle to top-tier club fees, vs. the US
  • The fight to save civic golf in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide (North Adelaide, Moore Park)
  • Under-credited architects Alex Russell and Mike Clayton, and Greg Norman's cultural weight
  • Junior golf, the eroded pathway to the pro ranks, and the next five years of the Australian Open and LIV Adelaide
  • A Bluey tangent worth staying for: Bandit, and the Custard connection
Connect with our guests
🇦🇺 Australian Golf Passport podcast — https://australiangolfpassport.com/
🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/ausgolfpassport
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/australiangolfpassport/

Follow The Bag Drop
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop
 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf
 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolf

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Support our Partners
🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com
🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.com
 
Connect with Matt & The Professor
🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/
📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/

Chapters
00:00 Introduction: coffee, eating on golf trips, and why men host podcasts
08:22 Partner break: Titleist, New Club fittings, and finally putting the seven wood in the bag
10:02 Scott Warren joins: what Americans actually get right about Australian golf
11:48 The depth question: the 35-40 courses we romanticize vs. the ~450 that exist
13:41 Golf is a sport, not a pastime: why Australians don't drink on the course
16:43 A day at the club: comps 5-6 days a week, markers, no gimmes
19:59 Mixed-gender golf: why it works at the club and why the co-ed Australian Open didn't
28:28 Scale, technology and the case for a rollback; a persimmon what-if
29:38 Stableford done right — and Scott's issue with the American version
34:20 Playing from the wrong fairway: Tiger at Firestone, Greg Norman over the oak
38:20 Norman's cultural weight; Aaron Baddeley and the ones who nearly made it
44:15 Junior golf, pennant, and the pathway to the pro ranks that's eroded
53:36 The next five years of Australian pro golf: LIV Adelaide, the Open, the money
1:01:28 Civic golf under fire: North Adelaide, Moore Park, and who these fights really hit
1:07:31 What an Australian club membership actually costs vs. the US
1:15:39 Bluey, Bandit, and the Custard connection
1:19:09 Getting in: waitlists, proposers, and the quiet power of a members' list
1:23:24 The origin of the Australian Golf Passport, and golf media that won't just say everything's great
1:33:17 Under-credited architects: Alex Russell and Mike Clayton vs. the McKenzie romance
1:39:25 Barnbougle, King Island and Seven Mile: destination golf that's still affordable
1:43:01 Spiders, snakes, and selling the family on Australia


What is The Bag Drop?
The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in‑depth discussions on all things golf.

What is NewClub?
Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

View episode transcript


Creators and Guests

Matt Considine
Host
Matt Considine
Founder of NewClub and our resident feel player. Matt’s junior golf career led him to the University of Akron where he met our co-host. During his junior year, Matt Studied abroad in Ireland and discovered golf societies. Subsequent trips to Scotland fed his passion for the history, ideals, and culture of accessible, affordable, and sustainable golf, a concept he would later bring to the U.S. with NewClub. Known for his interviewing style, quick wit, and compelling storytelling, Matt brings thoughtful, reflective conversations to The Bag Drop. His professional journey before NewClub included multiple leadership positions in growth-stage startups, where he managed teams responsible for more than $250 million in revenue. Matt actively gives back to the game as a Board Member of the First Tee of Akron and past chair of the Evans Scholar Foundation. Proudly based in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, Matt finds inspiration in family life with his wife, their three children, and their golf dog, Gypsy.
The Professor
Host
The Professor
NewClub's Chief Ambassador and every golf sicko's favorite educator. Kevin is a thoughtful and deeply curious host. His studied, constructivist approach adds intellectual enrichment and balance to the show. As a professor of Math Education at the University of Georgia, Kevin's background in applied mathematics and cognitive psychology uniquely informs his insights on golf strategy and performance. Originally from Ohio, Kevin was a Division I collegiate golfer at the University of Akron, where his passion for understanding mathematical thinking began. After earning his doctorate from Arizona State University, he combined his analytical expertise with his love for golf by co-founding Golf Blueprint, an organization aimed at helping golfers optimize their games through data-driven strategies. Kevin enjoys balancing deep philosophical discussions with simple pleasures, such as indulging his sweet tooth, cheering on college football, and spending relaxed evenings with his friends, his wife, and their beloved dog, Nole.

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