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This Golfing Life

This Golfing Life

By: Dan Davies
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This Golfing Life is a series of conversations about life, golf and the relationship between the two. Join host Dan Davies as he gets to the heart of the game with an eclectic range of guests - some famous, some less so; but all of them hopelessly besotted with the most engaging, infuriating and enjoyable game ever created.Sounder Golf
Episodes
  • Matthew Southgate: “My Dad, The Open and Me”

    Matthew Southgate: “My Dad, The Open and Me”
    Jul 9 2026
    Six Open Championships. Countless battles. One unforgettable story. This week on This Golfing Life, you're about to hear one of the most candid, emotional and inspiring conversations we've ever recorded. In a few days, Matthew Southgate will tee it up in The Open Championship for the seventh time after once again battling his way through Final Qualifying. But this story is about so much more than golf. It's the story of a little boy who fell in love with The Open because of his father. A father who taught him to shape golf shots in the woods before school, who drove him hundreds of miles to Carnoustie because he believed it was the greatest golf course on earth, and who passed on a lifelong obsession with links golf and the Open Championship itself. Matthew speaks with extraordinary honesty about surviving cancer, losing that father far too soon, the grief that followed, and the battle with alcohol that almost consumed him. He relives the unforgettable Open moments that have defined his career, explains why he believes links golf still brings out the very best in him, and reveals why, as he heads to Royal Birkdale, he genuinely believes he can remind the golfing world exactly what he's capable of. This isn't just the story of one of Britain's finest links golfers. It's a story about family, loss, resilience — and a lifelong love affair with The Open Championship. Welcome to This Golfing Life with Matthew Southgate. Key topics Why The Open Championship means more to Matthew Southgate than any other tournament How his father shaped his love of links golf — and the remarkable Carnoustie connection The story behind six successful Open Final Qualifying campaigns Fighting testicular cancer, coping with grief and overcoming alcohol dependence Inside his unforgettable Open Championship performances, including Royal Birkdale Why links golf rewards imagination, creativity and courage over power Why Matthew believes he can once again challenge at this year's Open Championship Chapters 00:00 Introduction to this week's guest, Matthew Southgate 01:56 Why the Open is so special to Matt 07:08 Thorpe Hall GC and giving back to his home club 10:01 Influences and mentorship in his early days 15:05 Qualifying for another Open - Matt's journey to Birkdale 20:09 The role of Carnoustie in Matt's life and development as a golfer 24:51 "He was born to play links golf": The role of Matt's Dad 28:02 Matt’s links golf heroes 30:17 The unique challenge of links golf 35:03 Tom Watson - taking his Dad to watch his hero at Turnberry 38:47 Learning from great Open champions - Woods, Nicklaus, Watson, Trevino 41:14 Matt's love of the Old Course and successes at St Andrews 45:41 A shared passion: Matt's fondest memories of his Dad 52:27 Being diagnosed with testicular cancer and being inspired by the Open 56:19 Success in the 2016 Open at Troon 57:38 Tying for 6th in the 2017 Open at Birkdale 01:00:19 Playing at Birkdale in 2026, plus Billy Foster on the bag 01:03:05 Finding form and feeling confident in his game 01:03:29 Battling grief and acknowledging his drink problem 01:09:22 Golf is for nutters — all golfers are crazy! Links Matthew Southgate on Instagram Matt on Twitter/X Dan Davies on Substack RNGC - Britain's premier backyard golf course Get 20% off your next purchase at SounderGolf with code POD20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • JJ Feild: Golf gives me imposter syndrome

    JJ Feild: Golf gives me imposter syndrome
    Jul 2 2026
    Film, TV and stage actor JJ Feild shares his eclectic golf journey, from sneaking onto courses as a kid to playing at some of the world's most prestigious venues. Discover his humorous takes on golf culture, playing in the Dunhill Links Championship, and why he feels like an imposter every time he drives through the gates of a golf club. Hear about his ill-fated trip to Pine Valley, how Simon Farnaby was his golfing mentor, and why JJ’s instinctive rebellion against authority has landed him in hot water on the golf course. Key topics JJ Feild's early golf experiences and sneaking onto courses Memorable golf tournaments and encounters with celebrities The impact of his acting career on his physicality, golf swing and mind set Humorous and controversial golf stories and incidents Insights into exclusive golf clubs and courses around the world Chapters 00:00 Introducing this week’s guest, JJ Feild 02:08 Golfing Identity: From Imposter Syndrome to Club Membership 06:28 Navigating Golf Etiquette: Tales from the Course 07:14 The Anti-Establishment Golfer: A Clash of Cultures 10:07 Breaking into Golf: The Early Days of a Golfer's Journey 15:36 Start in golf - playing at Skull in Ireland 18:25 Joining The Stage Golfing Society 23:19 Playing in the Dunhill Links - every golfer's dream 32:27 Rivalry with his golfing mentor - Simon Farnaby 34:52 Bulking up for roles and how it affects the swing 35:46 Meeting his golfing Fairy Godfathers 37:44 Playing some of America's most exclusive courses 39:24 JJ's imposter syndrome in golf 42:17 Links golf and playing in all weathers 46:09 Talent vs Mental Game 48:24 Rebuilding the Swing: Lessons from Injury 51:05 Being mistaken for Jude Law and Tom Hiddleston 54:12 Reflections on the opportunities provided by golf 56:00 Visiting Pine Valley and losing his new suit 01:00:02 JJ's Crans Montana envy Links Highgate Golf Club Queen's Park Pitch & Putt Pine Valley Golf Club Dunhill Links Championship Sean Quinlivan (Golf Pro at Shinnecock Hills) Guest links JJ Feild on Instagram Get 20% of your next purchase at SounderGolf.com using the code POD20 Follow Dan Davies and RNGC on Instagram Read Dan Davies on Substack at The Sacred Acre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Brian Viner: The greatest Open prank & golf’s greats up-close

    Brian Viner: The greatest Open prank & golf’s greats up-close
    Jun 25 2026
    Respected sports journalist and author Brian Viner joins Dan Davies to discuss a lifetime spent covering sport, his love affair with golf, and the remarkable characters he's encountered along the way. From growing up in Southport among some of the world's greatest links courses to interviewing legends such as Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, George Foreman, Richie Benaud and John McEnroe, Brian shares unforgettable stories from both inside and outside the ropes. The conversation ranges from following a teenage Seve at Royal Birkdale in 1976, to studying at St Andrews, witnessing Jack Nicklaus's legendary 1986 Masters victory, and pulling off one of the greatest golfing pranks in Open Championship history. Brian also reflects on golf's biggest personalities, the changing landscape of televised golf, the enduring magic of links golf, and why St Andrews and Southport will always hold a special place in his heart. Key themes Growing up in Southport's golfing heartland Watching Nicklaus, Watson and Seve in the 1970s Following Seve Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale in 1976 Interviewing Seve in Spain and discussing his views on modern golf Brian’s legendary St Andrews Open prank Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and golf's greatest rivalries Witnessing Nicklaus's 1986 Masters triumph The art of interviewing sporting legends The challenges of golf on television LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy and the future of the game Why Tom Watson at Turnberry remains one of golf's greatest stories Brian's favourite courses and golfing happy places Chapters/timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Brian Viner 02:00 Growing up in Southport's golfing culture 04:30 The Open Championship heroes of the 1970s 07:10 Following Seve Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale in 1976 08:50 Interviewing Seve Ballesteros in Spain 10:20 Seve's ideas for changing golf and his gamesmanship 12:30 The charisma and legacy of Seve 14:45 Why Brian chose St Andrews University 15:45 Playing St Andrews for £15 a year 16:20 The famous Open Championship impersonation prank 20:00 Becoming "David Ridley" at The Open 24:00 The sequel: repeating the prank at Carnoustie 26:00 Interviewing sporting legends for The Independent 27:00 George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and John McEnroe 28:30 Why older sporting greats make the best interviewees 29:30 Collecting answerphone messages from famous commentators 32:00 Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill 35:00 Palmer's impact on The Open Championship 37:00 Understanding golfers through their fathers 38:30 Palmer vs Nicklaus: golf's great rivalry 42:15 Jack Nicklaus and the 1986 Masters 44:00 The greatest unseen shot in Masters history 46:00 Turning down Augusta with Jack Nicklaus 47:00 A date with Jack Nicklaus's daughter 48:00 Golf as a television sport 49:00 LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy and modern golf coverage 52:00 Tom Watson's near-miracle at Turnberry in 2009 56:00 Why following one player reveals golf's true genius 58:00 Lee Trevino and entertaining the galleries 59:15 Royal Birkdale's redesign and preserving golf history 1:01:10 Who Brian wants to win The Open 1:03:30 Brian's golfing happy places 1:04:00 Kington Golf Club and St Andrews 1:05:00 Why links golf is the ultimate golfing experience 1:06:00 Closing thoughts Links Brian Viner’s greatest sports interviews Sounder - Use Code Pod20 for 20% off your next purchase The Open Championship Official Site Dan Davies - The Sacred Acre on Substack Brian Viner links Twitter Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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