Why Australian Golf Hits Different

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 courseMixed-gender golf that works at the club level — and Scott's critique of the co-ed Australian OpenStableford done properly, technology, and the case for a rollback so a ball bounces againWhat Australian golf actually costs, from Barnbougle to top-tier club fees, vs. the USThe 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 weightJunior golf, the eroded pathway to the pro ranks, and the next five years of the Australian Open and LIV AdelaideA Bluey tangent worth staying for: Bandit, and the Custard connectionConnect 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/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag Drop🎧 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/Join 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/newclubSupport our Partners🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf🏌️ 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/Chapters00:00 Introduction: coffee, eating on golf trips, and why men host podcasts08:22 Partner break: Titleist, New Club fittings, and finally putting the seven wood in the bag10:02 Scott Warren joins: what Americans actually get right about Australian golf11:48 The depth question: the 35-40 courses we romanticize vs. the ~450 that exist13:41 Golf is a sport, not a pastime: why Australians don't drink on the course16:43 A day at the club: comps 5-6 days a week, markers, no gimmes19:59 Mixed-gender golf: why it works at the club and why the co-ed Australian Open didn't28:28 Scale, technology and the case for a rollback; a persimmon