Both Sides of Par: Golf Podcast for Every Handicap

Golf Trolley Roundup (Push or Self-Driving?) PLUS pick the Yellow Tee on your Next Medal?

This week, Ross takes us through the highlights of playing the iconic Wentworth West Course, diving into his five favorite holes and what makes the experience special. The boys also tackle a deep dive into modern golf trolleys, sharing tips and insights for anyone considering an upgrade. Then they discuss whether you should take advantage of the WHS rules around using whatever tee suits you in competitions, and how that makes sense for smart golf. Plus, hear about an incredible value open competition on the Isle of Arran and get an update on Ross's Cleveland wedges, featuring a new tip that could improve your short game instantly. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this episode is packed with stories, advice, and practical gear talk to help you enjoy your next round even more. Love the show? Help us grow! * Follow @BothSidesOfPar on Instagram for exclusive videos and tips. * Follow @theshedisback and @mcgraygolf on instagram, too * Subscribe on your podcast app - Spotify, Apple, wherever you listen. * Reviews and ratings make a huge difference - drop us a few stars and say hi! Thanks for listening and supporting us. Got feedback or questions? Shoot us a DM or reply to this email! Until next time—play smart, have fun, and see you on the fairways. — Colin & Ross

A £5 Golf Drill, a 1-Under Round, and an Amazing Scottish Links Nobody Talks About

This week Colin and Ross catch up on a productive stretch of golf, with both of them quietly sliding down the handicap charts. Colin is dropping into the low twenties and threatening more cuts, while Ross casually drops in a one under round that takes him to 0.7, the sort of update only a low handicapper can deliver with a straight face 😆 Before any scorecards come out, there's a proper gear nerd-out: Colin has ditched fiddly towels and dropped gloves for a £5 figure-eight power band to keep his arms connected and rein in his flying elbows, and the pair compare notes on connection ball drills that mostly gather dust in the garage. From there it's wedges and wisdom. Ross talks through his new cavity-back Cleveland wedges, the tighter gapping he's noticed, and a round that finished with two birdies in the last three holes, alongside an honest confession about misjudging a yardage because the front of an angled green sits closer than it looks. There's a genuinely useful run through formats too: why Ross loves match play while Colin shelters behind Stableford, how to actually use your shots rather than trying to beat better players off scratch, and a plain-English explainer of foursomes, four-balls and greensomes ahead of Colin and his brother Bruce teeing it up in the Royal Dornoch foursomes. Add a neat tip on cutting down a graphite shaft without shredding it and you've got a tidy little improvement toolkit. The back half is a love letter to underrated Scottish golf. Colin reports back from Buckpool on the Moray Coast, a links he'd never heard of that served up blue skies, revetted bunkers, a couple of ugly early numbers, and the highlight of his comeback: team twos on the same par three. They land on a lovely point about value, namely that the gap between a hidden gem and a famous name is far smaller than the green fee suggests, with cracking courses going for £35 to £50. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 The £5 fix for flying elbows: Colin's figure-eight power band that finally beat the towel and the dropped gloves 🟢 Ross shoots one under to reach 0.7, and explains how his new cavity-back Cleveland wedges tightened up his gapping 🟢 The angled-green yardage trap that cost Ross a shot, and why you should laser the pin rather than the front edge 🟢 Match play psychology: how to win by using your shots instead of trying to beat better players off scratch 🟢 Buckpool on the Moray Coast: back-to-back twos, revetted bunkers and proper links golf from as little as £35 GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 Power band connection trainer (figure-eight arm band), around £5, search "golf power band" on Amazon 🟢 Cleveland wedges (cavity-back 48, 54 and 58 degree) - https://www.clevelandgolf.com [https://www.clevelandgolf.com] 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth driver and adapter shaft, with cheaper replacement shafts found on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk [https://www.ebay.co.uk] 🟢 Scott Fawcett and DECADE course management, referenced on lag putting and the 50-foot three-putt - https://decadegolf.com [https://decadegolf.com] 🟢 Buckpool Golf Club, Barhill Road, Buckie, Moray Coast - https://www.buckpoolgolf.com [https://www.buckpoolgolf.com] 🟢 Leven Thistle Golf Club at Leven Links, Fife - https://www.leventhistlegc.co.uk [https://www.leventhistlegc.co.uk] 🟢 Royal Dornoch Golf Club (the foursomes tournament) - https://www.royaldornoch.com [https://www.royaldornoch.com] 🟢 Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, East Course, mentioned as a Solheim Cup venue with cut-price evening tee times 🟢 Both Sides of Par on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar [https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar] 🟢 Colin on TikTok and YouTube as Golfing Gray, search "Colin Gray golf" WEEKLY COMPETITIONS Leven Thistle Gents Open Course: Leven Thistle Golf Club, played over Leven Links Location: Leven, Fife, Scotland Date: Saturday 8th August Format: Gents individual singles stroke play, 18 holes Cost: £40 for visitors, with coffee and a bacon roll included on arrival Worth knowing: a former Open qualifying links with famously fast greens at this time of year, and early tee times around 7:30am were still showing as available. Entry is via the Leven Links booking site. The club also runs other well-priced opens through the season, including Four Ball Better Ball and Texas Scramble formats. CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome and handicap updates 00:01:41 Connection drills and the £5 power band 00:08:00 Ross's new Cleveland wedges and a one under round 00:12:09 The angled-green lesson: why the front number fools you 00:15:24 Weekly competition: Leven Thistle open 00:16:57 Favourite formats: match play, Stableford and scrambles 00:19:19 Match play psychology: play the shots, not the player 00:23:57 Foursomes, four-balls and greensomes explained 00:28:33 Driver control and cutting down a graphite shaft 00:31:50 Buckpool golf course report 00:36:48 Back-to-back twos: the highlight of the day 00:39:22 Hidden-gem value: brilliant golf for £35 to £50 00:43:04 Wrap-up and where to follow the show

How to Play the Old Course at St Andrews (Plus new tour balls & Machrahanish)

Colin's riding high this week after slashing his handicap from 28 down to 24, the result of a 19-over medal win at his home club. The secret? Putting the driver back in the bag, hitting five iron off every tee, and committing to the kind of smart, course-managed golf the lads have been preaching for months. Ross is on his own quiet roll too, knocking in four birdies across a casual nine-hole round by leaning into his countdown routine and pre-shot process. Both of them, somehow, playing better golf at the same time. Statistically suspicious. From there the conversation pivots to the eye-watering cost of British golf, courtesy of UK Golf Guy's annual summer green fees report. Turnberry has hit a thousand pounds. Sunningdale is two grand for a fourball. The lads work through the numbers, get appropriately outraged, and then highlight one of the rare bright spots: St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot, which is putting Old Course rounds in front of Scottish residents for £45 and the Eden Course for a tenner. Then it's gear time. Ross unboxes his new Cleveland RTZ and CBZ wedges with some interesting thinking on softer, lighter shafts. Ross then talks Colin through how to fill the gap between his pitching and sand wedge using a proper lob wedge and Dave Pelz's clock system, and they get into the disruptor brands shaking up iron and ball prices: Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Costco's Kirkland line, and Seed. There's a glowing review of the MotoCaddy M5 GPS trolley, a PGA Championship preview with the ball rollback debate fully unpacked, and a Machrihanish competition that's been on Colin's bucket list for years. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 Colin's handicap cut from 28 to 24 after a 19-over medal win, all from ditching the driver and hitting five iron off every tee 🟢 The shocking math on UK green fees: the top 100 average has gone from £160 to £265 in five years, with Turnberry now £1,000 and Sunningdale £2,000 for a fourball 🟢 St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot, opening up Old Course rounds at £45 and the Eden Course at £10 for Scottish residents, a rare counterweight to soaring prices 🟢 Ross's deep dive on filling the wedge gap, including a proper breakdown of Dave Pelz's clock system and why pros take spin off rather than adding it 🟢 The disruptor brands worth knowing about, including Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Seed and Costco's Kirkland line, plus a tip on getting them custom fit after purchase GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 UK Golf Guy summer green fees report: https://ukgolfguy.com [https://ukgolfguy.com] 🟢 St Andrews Links "The Drive" ballot scheme (Old Course £45, Eden £10, Castle £23.75, etc): https://www.standrews.com [https://www.standrews.com] 🟢 Scott Fawcett (referenced from last week's interview) 🟢 Cleveland RTZ wedge (58 degree) and Cleveland CBZ wedge (48 degree) 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth irons: https://www.taylormadegolf.com [https://www.taylormadegolf.com] 🟢 Dave Pelz, "The Short Game Bible" (book) 🟢 Takomo irons (101 MkII): https://takomogolf.com [https://takomogolf.com] 🟢 Vice Golf clubs and balls: https://www.vicegolf.com [https://www.vicegolf.com] 🟢 Kayleigh Golf (Scottish brand, assembled in Scotland): https://caleygolf.com/ 🟢 Decathlon golf irons: https://www.decathlon.co.uk [https://www.decathlon.co.uk] 🟢 Costco Kirkland Signature golf clubs and balls: https://www.costco.co.uk [https://www.costco.co.uk] 🟢 Seed Golf balls: https://www.seedgolf.co.uk [https://www.seedgolf.co.uk] 🟢 MotoCaddy M5 GPS electric trolley: https://www.motocaddy.com [https://www.motocaddy.com] 🟢 Royal Dornoch Pairs Tournament: https://royaldornoch.com [https://royaldornoch.com] 🟢 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow 🟢 R&A and USGA ball rollback (set for 2028) 🟢 Both Sides of Par newsletter: https://bothpar.com [https://bothpar.com] 🟢 Get in touch: hello@bothpar.com [hello@bothpar.com] WEEKLY COMPETITIONS Machrihanish Golf Club Texas Scramble Saturday 19th September Near Campbeltown, Argyll Texas Scramble format (teams of four) £80 per team (£20 per player) 36 handicap limit One of Scotland's most spectacular and remote courses, and on Colin's own bucket list. Worth the long drive west. CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome and a shout-out to last week's Scott Fawcett interview 00:56 Colin cuts his handicap from 28 to 24 with a medal win 03:07 What worked: smart play, five iron off the tee, and consistent putting 05:55 The Texas wedge and lag putting from off the green 08:43 Ross's four-birdie nine holes and his countdown routine 12:33 UK Golf Guy's summer green fees report and the eye-watering numbers 18:33 St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot and affordable tee times 20:35 The Eden Course as a hidden gem and the aura of the Old Course 24:35 Colin's new Cleveland RTZ and CBZ wedges and the lighter shaft theory 28:06 Filling the wedge gap with a proper lob wedge 30:55 Dave Pelz's clock system and the case for three-quarter shots 34:43 Disruptor brands: Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Kirkland 39:53 Vice and Seed balls and the cost of losing Pro V1s 41:11 MotoCaddy M5 GPS trolley review 44:05 PGA Championship preview 45:14 The R&A and USGA ball rollback debate 47:41 Jordan Spieth's Grand Slam shot and Scheffler's US Open hunt 48:32 Weekly competition: Machrihanish Texas Scramble 49:31 Outro and how to get in touch

Why You're 3-Putting (And It's Not Your Stroke) with Golf Legend, Scott Fawcett

Colin and Ross sit down with Scott Fawcett, the brain behind the DECADE Course Management System and the man who caddied for a then unknown Will Zalatoris when he won the Texas Amateur and the US Junior back in 2014. Scott has worked in some capacity with roughly a third of the PGA Tour, holds three quantitative degrees, and once played pro golf himself, which is how he discovered the unromantic but inconvenient truth that the lads at the very top are not just better ball strikers, they are also far better thinkers. He brings all of that to a conversation pitched squarely at the two sides of the par. Things kick off in the most heretical place possible: putting. Scott makes the case that leaving some putts short from fifteen feet and beyond is not a sin, it is maths, and that speed control alone fixes the vast majority of bad putting rounds. From there the conversation opens out into the full DECADE philosophy. Why the flag is the biggest distraction in golf, why bogey avoidance drives lower scores far more than chasing birdies (the fractional bogey idea alone is worth the price of admission), how Ross genuinely saved shots by swapping driver for a five wood off one tee at his home course, and how big your shot pattern actually is when you are honest about it, even on a Tour pro's sand wedge. The chat rounds out with strategy from the trees (Scott's lovely framing of adversity versus opportunity), why nearly every Tour player now owns one shape off the tee rather than working it both ways, and the mental side of all of this, including Scott's confession that he used to be the worst hothead in professional golf. He finishes with his single biggest tip for the twenty plus handicap brigade, and it is simpler than you would expect. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 Scott explains the maths of capture size and why hitting a putt two feet past the hole actually makes the cup 55% smaller, with stories from his Friday wolf game to back it up 🟢 The two foot circle drill: Scott's go to speed control practice routine from 20 to 30 feet, and the college player who fixed his three putt problem in a fortnight by doing nothing else 🟢 The Will Zalatoris hole in one at the US Open, where Scott was less interested in the shot itself and more interested in the fact that the flag was not Will's target. Seven yards right was 🟢 The fractional bogey theory: why a double is two and a half times worse than a bogey, not twice as bad, and why Scottie Scheffler's run of wins came mostly from bogey avoidance rather than extra birdies 🟢 Ross's real world example of swapping driver for a five wood off the back tee on a 340 yard par four at his home course, going from half a shot above par to making pars on average 🟢 Scott's one tip for higher handicappers in the closing minutes: have a very clear, visualised intention on every single shot, and be willing to say it out loud GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 Scott Fawcett's DECADE Course Management System: https://decade.golf 🟢 DECADE Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decade_golf 🟢 The DECADE app (available in the App Store) 🟢 DECADE Breaking 90, Scott's upcoming app aimed at 15 to 25 handicappers 🟢 Will Zalatoris, PGA Tour player and Scott's original guinea pig back in 2014 🟢 Mark Broadie's book Every Shot Counts, the foundational text on Strokes Gained 🟢 Raymond Floyd's book The Art of Scoring 🟢 Lou Stagner, Scott's go to source for amateur golf data CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome and intro to the show 00:34 Scott Fawcett joins Colin and Ross 01:25 Why leaving putts short isn't a sin 04:26 The college putting problem and capture size 07:18 The two foot circle drill for speed control 11:09 Cam Smith and the mindset of not trying to make putts 12:48 What DECADE actually stands for 16:14 The cardiologist analogy: is DECADE only for elites? 20:19 Course management for the mid 20s handicap 20:51 Why the flag is the biggest distraction in golf 25:07 Ross swaps driver for a five wood and saves shots 26:28 The fractional bogey theory 31:42 Should different handicaps approach the same pin differently? 34:33 Shot patterns and the 20 yard circle 37:39 Owning one shape off the tee, and the Rory question 43:06 Strategy in the trees: adversity or opportunity 49:01 The mental side of course management 55:18 Scott's one tip for the higher handicapper 58:48 Where to find Scott online

Portugal's Fastest Greens Left Us All Traumatised 😯 Plus Ross' 170mph ball speed

We'd love to hear your feedback - what can we improve about the show? What do you want to stay the same? Email us at: hello@bothpar.com This week on Both Sides of Par, Colin reports back from a lads' golf trip to Portugal, where he tackled three courses near Cascais including the stunning Oitavos Dunes, a links-style track with greens so fast they left everyone slightly traumatised. Despite scores north of 100 (those courses were hard, OK?), Colin found himself putting smart golf strategy into practice for real, laying up with a trusty 7-iron from 200 yards during match play and actually winning his singles match. He even unleashed the driver on the final two holes and sent one 304 yards dead straight down the fairway! Meanwhile, Ross has been quietly rebuilding his putting routine around a countdown technique he picked up from a sports psychologist. The idea is simple: count down from 10 as you walk to the ball, take your practice stroke at 5, and pull the trigger on 1. It sounds almost too easy, but a friend he played with recently commented on how relaxed his stroke looked, and Ross was sinking putts from all over the place. He has also been seeing real results from his winter speed training, getting his 8-iron ball speed up to 118-120 within just a few swings and accessing 165 ball speed with the driver comfortably. A pre-round warm-up routine involving a 5kg medicine ball, therabands, and arriving 45 minutes early is paying off in a big way. The lads wrap up with this week's open competition at Cardross Golf Club near Glasgow, a course Ross describes as a mini Augusta, and put the call out for listener feedback on what they want to hear more of going forward. Email in at hello@bothpar.com. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 Colin's Portugal golf trip review: three courses near Lisbon, including the spectacular Oitavos Dunes with its terrifyingly fast greens and stunning par 3s over cliffs and ravines 🟢 Smart golf in action: Colin laid up with a 7-iron from 200 yards on six to eight holes during match play, saved strokes, and won his singles match against a 6-handicapper 🟢 Ross's 10-to-1 countdown putting routine: a simple mental technique that blocks out overthinking, keeps you calm, and has transformed his consistency on the greens 🟢 Speed training gains: Ross can now access 170+ ball speed within 10-12 balls and his 8-iron ball speed has jumped from 112 to 118-120, all thanks to consistent winter work and a med ball warm-up 🟢 Colin pulls the driver out after keeping it in the bag all day and smashes it 304 yards straight down the middle, outdriving a 5-handicap playing partner GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 Oitavos Dunes Golf Course, Cascais, Portugal - oitavosdunes.com 🟢 Campos de Golf Peña Longa, Sintra, Portugal - penhalonga.com 🟢 Club de Golf Quinta da Marinha, Cascais, Portugal - quintadamarinha.com 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth Driver (Colin's current driver) 🟢 5kg Medicine Ball (bouncing type, for pre-round warm-up) 🟢 Therabands (for range warm-up stretches) 🟢 Claude Tarmann - mentioned for course management and smart golf strategy 🟢 Ryan Chrysler - mentioned alongside smart golf strategy discussion 🟢 Mark Immelman Podcast - referenced for a sports psychologist episode on the countdown technique for clearing your mind 🟢 Cardross Golf Club - cardrossgolfclub.co.uk 🟢 Windy Hill Golf Club - mentioned alongside Cardross, with pro David Orr praised for junior and ladies development 🟢 Blinkby Golf Podcast - Ross's other podcast, mentioned in connection with David Orr WEEKLY COMPETITIONS Cardross Golf Club is this week's open pick. Located just over the Erskine Bridge, northwest of Glasgow, Ross calls it a mini Augusta and says he has never heard anyone say a bad word about the place. The open takes place on Saturday 13th June, it is a pairs event with a handicap limit of 25.8 and costs £35 per person (£70 per pair). A great excuse to grab a mate, play a beautiful course, and maybe win a prize. CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome to Both Sides of Par 02:35 Colin's Golf Trip to Portugal 05:20 The Three Courses: Peña Longa, Oitavos Dunes and Quinta da Marinha 07:37 Oitavos Dunes: Stunning Par 3s and Lightning-Fast Greens 09:26 Playing in the Wind: Ross's Simple Low Shot Technique 15:19 Ryder Cup Style Match Play in Portugal 16:52 Smart Golf in Action: Laying Up with a 7-Iron from 200 Yards 21:16 Scores, Slope Ratings and Managing Expectations on Foreign Courses 25:29 Colin Unleashes the Driver: 304 Yards Straight 27:52 Portugal Course Reviews and Recommendations 30:21 Ross's Early Season Form: Process Over Results 32:36 The Countdown Putting Routine: 10 Down to 1 39:06 Speed Training Progress and Ball Speed Gains 42:38 The Pre-Round Med Ball Warm-Up Routine 44:09 Open Competition: Cardross Golf Club 46:40 Listener Feedback and Sign Off