Bay State Golf Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

For almost a century, Cape Cod Country Club has been one of the jewels of public golf in Massachusetts — a Devereux Emmet and Alfred Tull design that’s hosted Mass Opens, legendary exhibitions, and generations of local golfers. But now, this beloved course in Falmouth, Massachusetts, faces a new reality: a plan to convert its 18 holes into massive solar arrays led by PureSky Energy.

In this video, we explore the club’s storied past, the Friel family’s management, and the community’s reaction as the town prepares for a crucial November 17th vote that could determine the future of the property. From Arnold Palmer’s 1962 exhibition to today’s open house debates, this story captures the tension between golf’s heritage and renewable energy’s future on Cape Cod.

🎥 Timestamps
00:00 – History of Cape Cod Country Club
03:45 – Friel Golf Management and financial struggles
05:00 – The solar project and PureSky Energy
07:00 – Voices from the community
10:00 – What’s next for golf on Cape Cod

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As fall fades and winter looms, there’s still time for a few unforgettable rounds across Massachusetts golf courses. In this video, I share 10 must-play spots before the season ends — from Cape Cod Country Club and Taconic to Franklin Park and Miacomet. Some are closing, some may turn private, and others just shine in crisp fall weather. Whether you’re chasing late-season tee times or exploring new public golf courses in Massachusetts, these picks will help you finish the year strong. Grab a coffee, bundle up, and let’s hit the road.

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00:00 – Intro: 10 courses to play before the end of the season
00:25 – Why now: late-season golf, closures, and splurges
00:42 – Quick plug: subscribe, follow, and newsletter info
01:18 – Video plan and inspiration for it  5 deep dives + 5 quick picks
01:45 – Cape Cod Country Club (Falmouth) – Possibly closing, becoming solar field
03:13 – Cape Club of Falmouth – likely going private soon
03:57 – Leo J. Martin & Ponkapoag – play low-stakes November golf
06:39 – Cohasse Country Club (Southbridge) – private to public success story
08:28 – North Hill (Duxbury) – open year-round, tough second hole
11:00 – Taconic (Williamstown) – late-season splurge
11:35 – Miacomet (Nantucket) – open all year, great off-season trip
12:40 – Franklin Park (Boston) – winter-friendly, fewer leaves than George Wright
13:54 – Whaling City (New Bedford) – drier in fall, development rumors
15:31 – Groton Country Club – wild nine-hole “funhouse” course
17:44 – Bonus: Marion Golf Club – charming southern addition
18:13 – Recap: full list of courses mentioned
19:11 – Wrap-up: call to action & outro

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The Golf Trip Guys, Sean Toland and Mike Vadala, discuss their inaugural golf trip to Hilton Head. They share insights on the concept of customized golf trips, the selection of Hilton Head as a destination, and the overall experience, including the competitive elements, social dynamics, and the various golf courses played. The conversation also touches on future plans for golf trips, including potential international destinations.

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The US Open is at Torrey Pines this week. Burke and I start the pod discussing the Korn Ferry Tour on-course fight and arrest this Monday before jumping into our US Open topics.

We start with our US Open five year anniversaries that include DJ, Rory, Geoff Ogilvy, Retief Goosen, and Steve Jones. Then we jump into a chat about what players we think in the deepest part of the wilderness right now. We finish up with Torrey Pines storylines for the week and our makes picks which are guaranteed to have a winner...  because at some point we have to pick a winner, right?

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Golf has endless entry points. For Christian Williams (aka The Hickory Hacker), it started in high school with some curiosity, some used clubs, and a friend. In the last few years, Christian reconnected with the game through hickory golf. The challenge and intrigue of this version of the game revived him and helped him tap into golf’s history. During my discussion with Christian, who goes by the name Hickory Hacker on the internet, we talk about how he got into the Hickory golf world, his antiquing prowess, and the main reasons he decided to trade in his metal shafts for wooden ones and build a website to showcase hickory golf to the masses. Christian’s view of the game is refreshing and contagious. I know it helped reset my golfing mindset as we talked. If you’re interested in hickory golf, even just as an observer, be sure to follow Christian on Instagram or visit his website to see his course vlogs and hickory club repair tutorials. 

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It's major week, so I've got Paul Burke back on to talk about the PGA Championship. We quickly touch on the course  before diving into the PGA's anniversary victories, which includes John Daly's incredible 1991 victory, a Greg Norman meltdown, and Kenny Perry's audition for golf analyst.

We wrap up with our picks, dark horses, and trunk slammers.

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I was fortunate to have Ron Forse join me for a second podcast. We start with Pete Dye's impact on golf architecture  and what to look for this week as  you watch the PGA Championship on TV. Then we move on and discuss the future of golf. We start with what Ron's worried about and then move to the hopeful stuff.

(NOTE: At one point in the podcast, Ron and I try to recall Scott Fawcett's name and instead use the name Scott Poole. Both gentlemen played a role in Kiawah. Scott Poole during construction in 1990 and Scott Fawcett worked with Pete Dye and helped with the latest work at Kiawah in preparation for The PGA Championship).

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Today’s pod is a free flowing discussion with my friend Tung. We catch up on his latest golf adventures as he and his son continue to fall in love with the game. Tung has played a couple rounds at a local par 3 course, hit balls at the range, and even purchased a mat to chip in his back yard. As Tung asks some questions about the game and we catch up on his progress, we also enjoy some tangents into Tung’s reformed jump shot, the Nintendo gameboy, my decision to get lessons for the first time in about a decade, and make plans for a summer round in Maine where we might invite some listeners to join us. Unbelievably we don’t say a single word about the Boston Celtics. 

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This week we head to Australia to talk with Sandy Jamieson about his golfing life. Sandy has stood with, and coached, some of the best players in the world - Robert Allenby and Y.E. Yang to name two. But after years of grinding on professional tours, Sandy decided to return to his roots, head home, and become a club pro. Teaching has always been in his blood, and after a few years at a prestigious club in Melbourne, Sandy is now at Oakleigh, a public nine hole course. His mission is to bring as many people to the game as possible, and he’s doing it one hour at a time. Sandy’s teaching philosophy will open your eyes to different possibilities on how to get people into the game. He has four key points and none of them have to do with grip, stance, posture, or alignment. I hope you enjoy my talk with Sandy. He’s inspiring to listen to and if you have any type of job that requires training or teaching, you’ll pick up some nuggets of wisdom, as a lot of what Sandy preaches extends beyond the golf course.

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My friend Tung is dipping his toe into the game of golf. He has stepped foot on a golf course once in the last decade, but his son’s interest in the game has brought the game back into his life. We cover a bunch of different questions beginners have about golf and I do my best to answer them. We also dive into the challenge of learning the game, first tee jitters, buying expensive drivers, dos and don’ts  pace of play hacks, and the best types of courses for beginnings.

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Clubhouse Collective

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