Where Golf Still Feels Like Golf: North Berwick to Royal Melbourne

What if the places we romanticize most in golf aren’t perfect at all, just alive in a way we rarely get at home?In this episode of The Bag Drop, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore (a.k.a. “The Professor”) sit down with Joshua Ralston, professor at the University of Edinburgh, North Berwick member, and the voice behind Golfing Scotland on Instagram, to explore what makes a place feel real even when the postcard version wears off.From East Lothian to Melbourne’s sandbelt, this is a conversation about club culture, architecture, competition, travel, and the difference between famous golf and golf that still feels lived in. If you’ve ever wondered why some places stay in your head long after the trip is over, this one gets at the answer.The conversation dives into:How Josh fell in love with North Berwick, and why Scottish golf changed the way he thinks about score, competition, and what a round is supposed to feel likeWhy Melbourne sandbelt golf hit him so hard, from Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath to the broader feeling of finding “his Scotland” somewhere newWhat actually separates Scottish links from Australian sandbelt golf: firmer greens, strategic bunkering, subtler landforms, and approach shots that matter after the ball landsWhy club culture feels different in Scotland and Australia than it often does in the U.S., from bounce games and Stableford to honour boards and rounds that actually mean somethingThe hidden-gem conversation every golf obsessive eventually has: Dunbar, Panmure, Woodlands, Barwon Heads, St Andrews Beach, and where the magic still lives once the famous names get crowdedSupport our Partners🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.com🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golfConnect with our guests⛳ Joshua Ralston —  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golfing_scotland/ | https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/dr-joshua-ralstonSubscribe to the show:🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Follow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfJoin the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubConnect 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/Chapters00:00 Introduction 06:59 Joshua Ralston returns 11:25 The Profontication on ego, comparison, and what actually gives golf meaning 17:16 How Josh ended up at North Berwick 27:53 How Melbourne happened 32:50 Why Melbourne felt different 36:01 Competition culture, Stableford, and rounds that count 43:00 Sandbelt golf vs. Scottish links 58:56 St Andrews Beach and Australia’s next