ICYMI, Fire Pit Podcast No. 5 tells the story of Walter Iooss Jr., who shares several stories about his relationship with Michael Jordan, chasing Tiger Woods, almost botching a portrait session with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and how he captured arguably the most famous image in NFL history.

Iooss has been taking pictures professionally for six decades. He has shot every Super Bowl. He has over 300 covers of Sports Illustrated, which includes action, portrait and swimsuit. His versatility, personality and talent, along with the trust and respect of his subjects, plus his passion for sports and his craft have earned him a spot in the International Hall of Fame of Photography.

Wait, there's more?! In part 9 of the Fire Pit series on L.A.B. Golf, Matt Ginella gets final reflections from all protagonists on Lucas Glover's accomplishments, the putter, the technology and the business. Lots more on Brett Rumford's "let go of control to take control" and how it relates to overcoming the fears in golf and life. Plus, Kelly Slater on his win at Pipeline, 100-foot waves in Ireland and Jason Kuhn, the former Navy Seal sniper on: "Train like you fight."

Thanks for listening. 🔥

In Part 8 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on the rise and relevancy of L.A.B. Golf, Matt Ginella takes you through the second of Lucas Glover’s back-to-back wins on the PGA Tour. And then he gets Glover’s thoughts on being passed up for the 2023 Ryder Cup, the business impact of the two wins, as well as reflections from several of the series protagonists on the stories within the series, including hope, inspiration, overcoming the yips and the American dream. In addition to Glover, you’ll hear more from Adam Scott, Kelly Slater, Brett Rumford, Mac Barnhardt, Michael Sims, Stuart Smith, Adam Beach, Sam Hahn, Liam Bedford and Bill Presse. 

LISTEN TO PART 9

In Part 7 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on L.A.B. Golf, it’s almost all Lucas Glover. When and where a new putter intersects with his battle with the yips, reflections on his life, career, more from the Navy Seal, bold predictions from his inner-circle, and ultimately a recap of his win at the 2023 Wyndham Championship.

LISTEN TO PART 8

In Part 6 of the Fire Pit Podcast series on L.A.B. Golf, we’re getting to Lucas Glover, the highs and lows of professional golf, why friends and good management matters, and we talk to a Navy Seal about overcoming the yips. Thanks for following along. 

LISTEN TO PART 7

In Part 5 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on how and why L.A.B. Golf's technology and their putters are gaining in prominence and popularity, you'll hear from Brett Rumford, an Australian short-game guru. Rumford explains "giving up control to gain control," sheds light on the technology and why it's "cutting edge," he shares details of his relationship with Adam Scott, the bumps he overcame with Sam Hahn and the engineering team of the company, and he articulates his frustrations with pros who sign a putter contract: “Free up your contract and free up your putting and you just fill up all of your heart’s desires.” 

LISTEN TO PART 6

In Part 4 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on L.A.B. Golf’s rise to putter prominence, we hear how Kelly Slater impacted Adam Scott’s decision to make it his gamer and why Scott called Sam Hahn to tell him he could win the Masters with it. You’ll also hear from Adam Beach of My Golf Spy as to why the technology is passing his company’s sniff tests. 

LISTEN TO PART 5

L.A.B. Golf – Part 3: “The GOAT”

With Matt Ginella

February 19, 2024

In part 3 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on the rise of L.A.B. Golf—the putters being used by the likes of Lucas Glover, Adam Scott, Ben An, Will Zalatoris and Camilo Villegas—we explore the company’s lean years and how founder Sam Hahn got his putter into the hands of Tour players. From Tim Wilkinson, Jeff Sluman and Vaughn Taylor (and surfing GOAT Kelly Slater), the proof was in the results. “His posture is getting taller and everything is looking better,” Hahn says about Taylor, an early adopter who had battled the yips. “He has got hope.”

LISTEN TO PART 4

In Part 2 of this Fire Pit Podcast series on L.A.B. Golf, you get the story of Bill Presse, the inventor, as he goes from developing the “magic dust” of lie, angle and balance in his garage, sleeping in and selling putters out of his car to ultimately selling a “lion’s share” of the company to the Hahn family. In addition to Presse, you’ll hear from Sam Hahn, Matt Holm and Stuart Smith on how and why Presse’s “genius” defied doubters, critics and Internet trolls. 

LISTEN TO PART 3

Tom Weiskopf was a man’s man, an outdoorsman who traveled the world to play golf, hunt and fish. Having conquered alcoholism (he had been sober since 2000), he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Aug. 20 at his home in Big Sky, Mont. He was 79. Weiskopf had prominent careers as a player (16 PGA Tour wins and an Open Championship), TV analyst (he called the Masters for 12 years) and architect (his name is on 75 courses), and his life and legacy are celebrated in this podcast featuring Ben Crenshaw, Dave Stockton, Michael Bamberger and Guy Yocom. We also hear from Weiskopf about the building of Forest Dunes, one of his highest-ranked public courses, in Roscommon, Mich. In this Fire Pit podcast, you’ll learn the 6-foot-3 “Towering Inferno” had a bit of a temper, perfect posture, a big heart and a passion for purple as he played in the shadow of Jack Nicklaus. You’ll hear Weiskopf’s call of Jack’s magical run at the ’86 Masters and reflections on the ’75 Masters, and the case is made as to why this lover of “The Lone Ranger” belongs in the World Golf Hall of Fame. 

In Part 1, you’ll meet Hahn, Presse, Bob Duncan and you’ll hear about how and why Hahn pushed all in and bought a “lion’s share” of the company.

LISTEN TO PART 2

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In part 2 of our Fire Pit podcast series previewing Wishbone Brawl VI, Schauffele shares his thoughts about how and why this event means so much to him, John Ashworth’s effective leadership, the evolution of the course’s condition, the magic in that land, the smiles on the kid’s faces and why Goat Hill Park, a 4,500-yard, par-65 municipal course is so conducive to this type of event in which women won’t just play with the men, they’ll play against them.

For updates throughout the day and during the Wishbone Brawl, be sure to follow Fire Pit Collective’s social channels, Goat Hill Park and Linksoul.

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This Saturday, Nov. 11, at a 4,500-yard municipal golf course where the motto is “World Class for Working Class,” what has become one of the greatest events in golf will open the gates at 9:30 AM, there will be a range clinic at 11 AM and the tournament tips at Noon. Tickets are $50 for adults, kids are free and dogs are welcome. There will be food, drinks and parking is somewhat limited, so carpooling or Ubering is encouraged. All proceeds will benefit North County Junior Golf Association and Goat Hill Park’s Junior Caddie and Leadership Academy.

This year’s Brawl will consist of bona fide professionals and elite amateurs, they’ll dust off persimmon woods, pick up junior caddies, and they’ll play in front of roughly 1,000 adults, 300 kids and 100 dogs.

“It’s kind of a homemade backyard hang-out scene,” says John Ashworth, caretaker of Goat Hill Park. “Winning and losing doesn’t really matter, it’s just about having a blast, getting the whole community together and doing something special for the kids.”

It’s Xander Schauffele, who has seven PGA Tour wins, an Olympic Gold Medal and is currently No. 6 in the world, teaming up with Chris Riley, who won a PGA Tour event and partnered with Tiger Woods in the 2004 Ryder Cup. They’re playing against Geoff Ogilvy, who won the 2006 U.S. Open, and Colin Featherstone, a local and current Korn Ferry Tour player. And then there’s Jasmine and Janae Leovao, 19-year-old twins who grew up at Goat Hill Park and are now sophomores at Long Beach State where they recently helped the 49ers win back-to-back tournaments.

“I think the twins could win the whole damn thing,” says Peter Beames, who once played on the European Tour and has written books on golf instruction. “They’re that good and they’re not afraid.”

For a deeper dive on this year’s Wishbone Brawl, we’ve prepared a Fire Pit Podcast in which you’ll hear from Ashworth, Beames, Featherstone, the Leovao twins and more.

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Whaley is a dual member of the PGA of America and LPGA Teaching & Club Professional division, she was an LPGA Tour member in 1990 and 1993, she is a two-time Connecticut PGA Teacher of the Year, a three-time Connecticut Women’s Open Champion, and in 2003, at the Greater Hartford Open, she became the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to qualify for a PGA Tour event.

In this uninterrupted conversation with Matt Ginella, Whaley shares her thoughts on the industry, awareness, leadership, timing and why she’s relentlessly trying to increase the number of women who are working within the game of golf.

“I believe if you can see it, you can be it,” says Whaley. “We need more women promoted, we need more women elevated and we need more clubs thinking about women running their facilities.” 

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