Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

With No Laying Up’s Tourist Sauce returning to Scotland, there’s no better time to revisit one of the Highlands’ most special golf courses — Brora Golf Club.

In this short from Linked by Golf, Brora’s Director of Golf Gary Dingwall explains what makes this James Braid links such an extraordinary place to play.

Gary talks about:

• The James Braid design and how remarkably little Brora has changed

• Maintaining the links with just four full-time greenkeepers

• The incredible natural fescue turf and drainage

• Why you can feel completely alone on the course, even when it’s busy

• How Brora uses its natural landscape rather than simply length to challenge golfers

• Why 6,200 yards can play completely differently from one day to the next

• Hitting driver and 7-iron into a hole that, two days later, was driver and a pitch

  
  

If No Laying Up and Tourist Sauce have you dreaming about a Scottish golf trip, this is a brilliant insight into what makes Brora and traditional Highland links golf so special.

Gary: @broragolfpro
Brora Golf Club: @broragolfclub

🎧 Hear the full conversation with Gary Dingwall in the Linked by Golf back catalogue.

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Six years on the mini tours. Another six years on the Korn Ferry Tour. And then a breakthrough that took a nine-hole sudden-death playoff.

In this Linked by Golf Short, Gary Christian tells the remarkable story of finally winning on the Korn Ferry Tour after years of chasing his dream.

The night before the final round, Gary had visualised himself handling the pressure and holing a four-foot putt when it mattered. The following day, standing over almost exactly that putt on the 72nd hole, he had the strangest feeling — he'd already made it.

He holed it to reach the playoff and then went head-to-head with Mathias Grönberg for nine extra holes before finally getting his breakthrough victory.

🎧 This is just a few minutes from an extraordinary full conversation.

Gary's journey eventually took him all the way to the PGA Tour at 40, with plenty of setbacks, sacrifices and incredible stories along the way.

Go back and listen to the full Gary Christian episode in the Linked by Golf back catalogue.

Follow @linkedbygolfpodcast for more stories from the first 100 episodes.

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

With the Dunhill Links being played this week, we’re heading back into the Linked by Golf archive for a timely story from Martin Gilbert.

Martin played alongside Paul Lawrie - @paullawriegolf in around 15 Dunhill Links Championships — but it’s not just Paul’s achievements that left an impression.

Martin explains why Paul is the golfer he admires most, from beginning his career as a four-handicap assistant professional to reaching the very top of the game, and the exceptional work ethic that took him there.

They also discuss Paul’s continued contribution to Scottish golf through his Foundation, golf centre and the opportunities he’s helping create for the next generation.

And Martin finishes with a great line about Paul putting money into events… and then entering them to try and win it back. 😂

🎧 This is just a short taste of the conversation.

For the full story, head back into the Linked by Golf archive and listen to:

How Martin Gilbert Transformed Scottish Golf

It’s well worth going back to.

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

For a very special episode 100 of Linked by Golf, I welcome back the man who started it all – my very first guest, Gary Dingwall!

Gary and I go back to our junior golf days in Lanarkshire, and it seems fitting that we reunite for this milestone episode to talk about the game, the places and the friendships that have connected us over the years.

After 23 years at Royal Dornoch, Gary has embarked on a new chapter as Director of Golf at Brora Golf Club, one of Scotland's most natural and characterful links courses.

We start by revisiting Royal Dornoch and what makes it such an extraordinary place to play golf. Gary shares his thoughts on the famous Championship Course, the challenge of its raised greens, the magic of turning the corner from the second green and the unforgettable 14th hole, Foxy – where we somehow both managed to make birdie during my trip to the Highlands!

We then explore the incredible golf available across the Scottish Highlands, from Castle Stuart, Golspie and Nairn to some of the lesser-known courses that deserve a place on every golfer's bucket list.

Gary also makes a brilliant point about something we often forget as golfers: the score isn't always the most important part of the experience. Playing the right tees, embracing the conditions and simply enjoying the golf course can create memories that last far longer than whatever number ends up on the scorecard.

The conversation then moves to Brora, where Gary shares his enthusiasm for his new role and the remarkable links he now calls home. We explore the course's history, its James Braid design, the incredible natural terrain and why a course measuring just 6,200 yards can still demand every club in the bag.

There's also a brilliant story about Gary's recent round at Brora with Masters champion Ian Woosnam and renowned golf course architect DJ Russell, along with a look at the special community that makes Highland golf so memorable.

A fitting conversation for episode 100 – celebrating great golf courses, wonderful people and the friendships that make this game so special.

A huge thank you to Gary, everyone who has joined me over the first 100 episodes and, of course, everyone who has listened along the way.

Follow Gary and discover Brora:

• Instagram: @broragolfpro
• Brora Golf Club: broragolfclub.co.uk
• Gary's weekly journal and Pro Shop: broraproshop.co.uk

Follow Linked by Golf:

Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

This week I’m joined by Scottish professional golfer Chris Maclean (@chrismaclean95) for a brilliant conversation about his journey through elite amateur golf, life as a touring professional and the realities of trying to make a living from the game.

We start with the important stuff – Chris’s ongoing £20-a-game battle with John Henry – before heading right back to where his golf began. Chris talks about growing up in an incredibly competitive junior environment, progressing through county golf and then arriving at Stirling University surrounded by some of the best young players in the country.

Chris explains how that environment helped take him from a good amateur to a +5 handicap, representing Scotland and producing some excellent results, including leading qualifying at the Spanish Amateur, finishing third in the Scottish Amateur and winning the Tennant Cup.

We then get into professional golf – and Chris gives a fascinating insight into what life on the lower-level tours is actually like. Entry fees, flights, hotels, hire cars, food and taxes quickly add up, and Chris explains how you can finish well inside the top 10 and still lose money. At one event, he reckons he needed to finish third just to break even.

There are plenty of stories from along the way too, including winning at Royal Dornoch, shooting nine under with 11 birdies to set a course record in Dumfries & Galloway, finishing runner-up in his first Scottish PGA Championship, winning the Scottish Young Professionals Championship and taking the Deer Park Masters in a playoff.

Chris also talks candidly about one of the tougher moments of his career – three three-putts over the closing nine holes of the final ever EuroPro Tour event, ultimately missing out on a Challenge Tour card by a single shot.

Today Chris combines tournament golf with his role as Head Professional at Hayston Golf Club, where coaching has become a major part of his career. We also get into the performance days he runs alongside John and Scott Henry, bringing together short game, putting, long game, equipment and on-course coaching to help golfers understand how to actually score better.

A really enjoyable, honest chat about talent, competition, setbacks, the financial reality of tour golf, coaching and finding your own route through the game.

Follow Chris:
Instagram: @chrismaclean95

Follow Linked by Golf:
Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast
Follow Louis: @connectsportpsych

This week I’m joined by sports psychologist Louis Ross to explore the mental side of golf — and how we can make sports psychology genuinely practical out on the course.

Louis talks about taking sports psychology “from class to grass”, moving beyond theory and actually practising the mental skills we need when the pressure arrives.

We discuss managing expectations, why trying to eliminate negative thoughts can actually make things harder, dealing with nerves and pressure, and Louis’ “register, release, refocus” approach to getting your attention back onto the shot in front of you.

We also get into pre-shot routines, commitment, the mental traps of “I have to” and “I can’t”, why match play can create a completely different mindset, and why sports psychology isn’t something reserved for elite players.

Plenty of practical ideas in this one that any golfer can take onto the course.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Instagram:
Louis — @connectsportpsych
Linked By Golf — @linkedbygolfpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

This week I’m joined by Scott Rose, a former PGA professional who, after ten years in the professional game, has recently returned to the amateur ranks.

Scott’s career in golf has taken him through coaching, custom fitting and some fantastic venues, including Kingsbarns, Fairmont St Andrews and Wells Green. We go right back to how the game first grabbed him while growing up in the Middle East, before following his journey through the PGA and into the wider golf industry.

We also get into:

• Why Scott decided to return to amateur golf — and why he’s loving it
• Growing up playing golf in Dubai and Qatar
• His route through Elmwood College and into the PGA
• Experiences at Kingsbarns, Aberdour, Fairmont St Andrews and Wells Green
• What he learned from spending time around the Butch Harmon School in Dubai
• Coaching, technology and how launch monitors changed the way he worked
• Some of the biggest misconceptions golfers have about custom fitting
• Why being tall doesn’t automatically mean you need longer clubs
• His time as part of Talk Golf Scotland
• The infamous attempt to make a hole-in-one in hundreds of shots
• Why drawn medals can make golf clubs better places
• Some of Scott’s favourite Scottish courses — from Royal Dornoch and Kingsbarns to Panmure, Crieff and Dunaverty
• Life as a member at Ladybank
• Starting Into the Teeth with Callum Allison and the work that goes into producing a golf podcast
• Why trying to improve remains one of the things Scott loves most about golf

Scott also reveals his favourite course he’s ever played, his most underrated piece of golf equipment and a special round at the Old Course with his dad that he’d love to experience all over again.

🎧 Listen to Linked By Golf on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and watch on YouTube.

📲 Follow @linkedbygolfpodcast
📲 Follow @intotheteethpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

This week, I’m joined by PGA Tour Champions player Rob Labritz—a golfer whose career is defined by tenacity, resilience and an incredible will to succeed.

Rob shares his remarkable journey from discovering golf as a youngster in Connecticut and working as a club professional to competing in eight PGA Championships and finally earning his PGA Tour Champions card at the age of 50.

We discuss:

• Falling in love with golf after finding his dad’s clubs
• Learning to shape shots while working and playing at Shinnecock Hills
• Balancing life as a club professional with elite-level competition
• The nerves of his first major championship at Hazeltine
• Becoming the only club professional to make the cut at the 2010 PGA Championship
• Finishing as the leading club professional at Bethpage Black in 2019
• The shot that earned him a place in the PGA Championship—and made SportsCenter
• Visualising PGA Tour Champions success for 14 years
• The emotional story behind finally winning Q-School
• Competing alongside players including Ernie Els, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and K. J. Choi
• The extraordinary standard of golf on the PGA Tour Champions
• Battling injury, losing status and refusing to give up
• Why failure can teach you more than success
• Rob’s best advice: play like a kid and never forget why you love the game

A brilliant conversation about perseverance, belief and continuing to chase your ambitions—whatever stage of your career you’re at.

Follow Rob: @roblabritzgolf

Listen and follow Linked by Golf on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.