This episode takes a deep, topic-led look at golf course design for the slower swing speed player. We use this term deliberately, because swing speed is what really determines distance and ball flight, and a large proportion of the golfing population fits into this category. Slower swing speed players can be young or old, male or female, beginners or lifelong golfers.

It is also worth remembering that most golf courses are, in reality, home to slower swing speed players. The 7,000-plus yard course is the outlier, not the norm.

We are joined by Kari Haug of Kari Haug Planning & Design, alongside Giulia Ferroni of Leeds Golf Design, to explore how course design can better serve this majority of golfers. The conversation goes well beyond simply adding forward tees. We dig into how hazard placement affects playability, realistic carry distances from the tee, and how green complexes can be designed to challenge better players while still remaining accessible for those with slower swing speeds.

Kari shares insights from her extensive research into this subject, with a clear focus on how modern course design can better incorporate these principles to improve inclusion, enjoyment, and long-term accessibility for all golfers. Giulia brings a practical knowledge from having helped several courses work through this in their course design.

https://www.karihaug.com/

https://www.leedsgolfdesign.com/

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We're delighted to welcome the ever-thoughtful and well-travelled author and golfer Richard Pennell to the show.

Following his acclaimed debut Grass Routes, Richard has recently released his second book, Common Grounds, a fascinating exploration of lesser-known yet deeply compelling golf courses found on common land across the UK and Ireland. These courses often play a vital role in their local communities and occupy a unique place in the game, defined by quirky, characterful designs that consistently delight and surprise those who discover them. Many of them designed by names such as Colt, Simpson, Fowler, Braid, Abercrombie and J.H Taylor.

Richard has a rare gift for telling the stories of these places, articulating their history, culture, and charm with great skill and sensitivity. But it's not all romance and idiosyncrasy, as some of the architecture found on these courses has drawn the attention of architects from around the world, eager to study the ideas and inspiration that can inform their own design philosophies. (See, for example, Thad Layton's discussion of Minchinhampton Old, Painswick, and Cleeve Hill in Episode 16.) Click here to listen

The courses featured in Common Grounds span England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Some you'll recognize instantly; others you may struggle to pronounce, but all of them have stories worth hearing and form a great topic of architectural conversation.

A big thanks to our Show Partner - Toro

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Glenelg Golf Club has been completely reshaped through a long, multi-year redevelopment that in 2021 brought architects, Neil Crafter and Ryan Van Der Veen together to modernize the course while protecting the character that makes it memorable. Neil Crafter started the process back in the late 1990's and more recently, with Ryan from 2021 to it's recent completion and opening. The guiding design philosophy and a big part of this story is to challenge golfers through strategy and interesting green complexes rather than sheer length, creating holes that reward smart decision-making. That approach also includes embracing "quirk" as an intentional design element—features that give the course personality and make individual holes stand out.

Sustainability sits at the center of the club's future direction. A major upgrade to the irrigation system has improved water efficiency and course conditioning, while a broader push to integrate natural landforms and native vegetation reinforces environmental responsibility. Reducing the number of bunkers has also been a strategic choice, aimed at improving playability without diluting the tactical challenge.

Throughout the process, Glenelg has relied heavily on member engagement, using feedback to refine decisions and maintain alignment with the club community. As a result, the course remains one of Australia's highest-regarded golfing experiences—challenging, enjoyable, and now better adapted for long-term environmental and design sustainability.

https://www.glenelggolf.com/cms/

https://www.golfstrategies.com.au/

A big thanks to our Show Partner - Toro

Check them out here!

https://www.golfclubtalk.uk/the-green-print/

https://www.instagram.com/thegreenprintgolf/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-greenprint-golf/?viewAsMember=true

www.golfclubtalk.uk

golfclubtalkuk@gmail.com

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