Episodes
Mexican golf-course designer Águstin Pizá joins the “Talking GolfGetaways” team for a fun, wide-ranging conversation about the architect’s origins, working for big names in the business, and rethinking golf projects both now and for the future.
Published 03/11/21
Golf course designer (and friend of the podcast) Dan Hixson returns to “Talking GolfGetaways” to discuss his newest project opening this summer in Roseburg, Oregon — and why he and co-host Darin Bunch are still in search of a name.
Photo courtesy Dan Hixson
Published 02/25/21
Golf course designer Keith Rhebb, whose fingerprints are on some of the game’s biggest projects, joins the podcast to discuss everything from Cape Breton Island to Forest Dunes to the forthcoming Cabot Saint Lucia.
Photo courtesy Keith Rhebb.
Published 02/07/21
“Talking GolfGetaways” co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch welcome a new member of the team — Kris McEwen — who will pull double duty in 2021 as both producer of our podcast in addition to hosting his successful “Golf Origin Stories” podcast.
Published 01/21/21
“Talking GolfGetaways” co-host Mitch Laurance details his latest golf trip — an amazing find in Atlanta on the course that bears the name of the legendary Bobby Jones, where golf history is rich but the future-forward facility is drawing raves in so many ways both on and off the (very creative) fairways and greens.
Published 12/02/20
Digital-media expert Samantha Marks joins “Talking GolfGetaways” podcast co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch for a fun conversation about her path to Golf Channel (and beyond) plus a recent road trip that included Sweetens Cove and The Troubadour, a Discovery Land property that wows guests with unforgettable amenities.
Published 10/15/20
“Talking GolfGetaways” co-host Mitch Laurance dives into a wide-ranging conversation with friend and all-around good guy Chris Mascaro, host of his own “Next on the Tee” podcast. Everything from early interviews that launched Mascaro’s trajectory to favorite places to play (and a bit about the new Course at McLemore, one of Chris’ sponsors) finds its way into a fun conversation with one of our favorite champions of the game of golf.
Published 09/12/20
“Talking GolfGetaways” co-hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance detail Darin’s recent five-round visit playing Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, discussing everything from the creative Coore-Crenshaw routing and stunning visuals to unexpected treats at the comfort station, plus how the Oregon destination is welcoming guests during the pandemic.
Published 08/19/20
“Talking GolfGetaways” co-host Mitch Laurance recounts his recent summer golf getaway with friends to Glade Springs Resort in West Virginia, where the lodging, food and customer service were stellar and the Tom Clark-designed Stonehaven golf course vaulted onto his list of favorites worldwide.
Published 07/22/20
Jay Revell – author of “The Nine Virtues of Golf” – returns for a followup to Episode 156 in which he dives into the “Talking GolfGetaways” Emergency 9 with answers that cover everything from Streamsong Resort to Cypress Point to Scotland to his home Capital City Country Club. Along the way, he also gives a shoutout to a couple different shoe companies and all kinds of food and drink, from milkshakes to ribeyes to risotto.
Published 07/03/20
Co-host Mitch Laurance spends an hour with golf designer and renovator Bobby Weed talking about how Pete Dye impacted a career that led to high-profile golf courses with superstar names attached (like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan) plus tournament venues such as TPC River Highlands, where the PGA Tour tees it up for the Travelers Championship.
Published 06/24/20
Golf scribe Jay Revell joins the podcast for the first of two episodes focusing on the heart and soul of the game that led to the writing of his new book “The Nine Virtues of Golf.” Plus, hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance talk about an affordable Las Vegas favorite course, a new green-reading product that is perfect for golf travelers and Golf Trip Experts’ upcoming trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Published 06/19/20
Could the new Quicksands short course at Gamble Sands be the coolest 14 holes you’ll ever play? We talk with golf architect David McLay Kidd about the creativity and effort behind the resort’s newest attraction expected to open for preview play in September 2020. Plus: An update on DMK’s project in the Bahamas’ Abacos Islands.
Published 06/08/20
How does a $28 golf experience stack up against a $495 day trip? Hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into a compare-and-contrast discussion about two recent golf trips on opposite sides of the country with two dramatically different price points: Pebble Beach Golf Links and Cheraw State Park Golf Course.
Published 05/28/20
In the long overdue Part 2 of our interview with Dan Hixson, co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch speak with the golf architect about his creative 27-green, double-course “reversible” routing at Silvies Valley Ranch in Eastern Oregon. Hixson also talks about his anticipation of playing the Tom Doak’s similar concept “The Loop” at Forest Dunes, and dives into what he thinks makes a golf hole truly great.
Published 05/18/20
He’s been to all the countries. And he loves golf. That’s what makes Lee Abbamonte the perfect guest for “Talking GolfGetaways” podcast. Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch talk about everything from Afghanistan to Scotland to Bandon Dunes to what’s still on Lee’s bucket list (turns out he hasn’t played all the courses … yet) in this fun (and sometimes a little profane) interview with a New Yorker who has a truly fascinating life story.
Published 05/13/20
Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch talk about everywhere from Pebble Beach and Bandon Dunes to Erin Hills and Whistling Straits as they explore what factors make a golf getaway “too expensive” — and how that question might just be unanswerable since each traveler brings his or her own perspective to different price points across the country and worldwide.
Published 05/07/20
“Doctor Bern” joins co-hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch for a wide-ranging discussion about the Golf Heritage Society and how his love for the game fuels an obsession with antique clubs and collectibles. As his title suggest, Bernacki is also a medical doctor, so he offers a health-care provider’s perspective on the coronavirus as it relates to opening golf courses.
Published 04/25/20
In the longest podcast in the history of podcasts, “Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance welcome longtime golf scribe and editor Vic Williams for a conversation on all things golf, lodging and food in the Lake Tahoe area — after the threesome dive into a variety of Coronavirus-related news and updates, including a new course being built in Mitch’s backyard.
Published 04/15/20
If you want to dive straight in to the Tahoe-Truckee-Carson Valley portion of our two-hour podcast with longtime golf writer and editor (and Reno resident) Vic Williams, we’ve got you covered with this shorter version of the conversation between Williams and “Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance on everything from a Coore-Crenshaw “hidden” gem (if there is such a thing) to golf-travel options that range from affordable to ultra-luxurious.
Published 04/15/20
“Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into all things Coronavirus, in a supersized episode that talks about companies and individuals who are making a different in troubling times, plus commiserates with travelers about how the pandemic has put our golf plans on hold (rightly so) for now.
Published 04/03/20
Podcast host Mitch Laurance and his wife, Hall of Fame pool legend Ewa, recap a recent visit to Alabama’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area, full of golf, food and other fun (glass-blowing, anyone?) in a supersized episode highlighting everything from Kiva Dunes to the Safari Club at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
Published 02/05/20
Friend of the podcast Bruce Sitka joins Mitch and Darin for a golf-travel conversation about a few of our favorite Florida and Wisconsin hotspots, plus a rundown of where to golf when you’re headed to Long Island, home to some of the premier private clubs in the country (and a public gem you don’t want to miss).
Published 12/04/19
Hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch take a detour from their beloved single-malt Scotch whisky to talk beer — lots of beer — with travel journalist Tom Bedell, who specializes in hops and barley along with fairways and greens. In this episode, Bedell travels everywhere from the Craft Beer Trail of Northern Alabama to the sunny shores of San Diego with suggestions for the best spots to mix his two favorite pastimes.
Published 09/28/19
“Talking GolfGetaways” podcast hosts Darin Bunch and Mitch Laurance dive into everything from dramatic-drop 3-pars to the South’s best milkshakes with David Pursell, CEO of the Pursell Farms boutique resort and FarmLinks golf course in Central Alabama — plus shooting pool on Gomer Pyle’s table, which boasts a rich heritage of American celebrities.
Published 09/27/19