The Cookie Jar Golf Podcast

In part two of our conversation with Dean Robertson, we discuss the build-up to the Walker Cup at Lahinch, including player selection, communication with the team, and preparations at Ballybunion. Robertson explains how the coaching staff used deliberate disruptions—such as removing phones, rangefinders and pin sheets—to prepare players for uncertainty and reinforce a focus on hitting the center of the green.

We hear how the team’s support staff and players were given specific roles, from tracking performance data and coordinating caddies to keeping players and their families connected and managing food and energy. The preparations also included a visit from County Clare hurlers and time together at Frawley’s, where Robertson describes an emotional speech from Connor Graham’s brother, Archie, and messages recorded by players’ families.

Robertson recounts the competition across both days. The team began strongly, then lost all four Sunday morning foursomes matches as the US players produced exceptional golf in difficult conditions. Facing a seven-point deficit in the singles, the team changed its order and focused on staying composed and making the most of opportunities. Robertson describes the key performances and moments that helped GB&I close the gap and secure the Walker Cup.

We discuss the emotion of the victory, the celebrations with both teams and their support staff, and the lasting connections formed during the week. Robertson also shares his view of the Walker Cup format and explains why Lahinch, where the course and town are closely connected, would be his choice to host the event again.
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Dean Robertson discusses his golf career, coaching work and experience captaining the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team. He has worked at the University of Stirling for 17 years, where he directs golf and develops a structured, performance-focused program for student athletes.

Robertson grew up in Paisley and began playing golf with his father. After studying civil engineering, he took a golf scholarship in the United States and later played professionally for ten years. He recalls his 1993 Walker Cup appearance as an important source of lasting friendships, though the team struggled with the fast greens and course conditions in the United States. He also describes the camaraderie among European Tour players in the 1990s and the support he received from Scottish professionals.

He reflects on the influence of coach Bob Torrance, whose training emphasized discipline and practical responsibility. Robertson recalls collecting, cleaning and washing golf balls, as well as measuring shot distances and learning courses through careful preparation. He applies similar principles at Stirling, where practice is structured around game-like challenges, measurable outcomes and honest performance data.

Robertson says his coaching approach developed through his work at Stirling and collaboration with sports psychologist John Mathers. Training programs have included winter camps, measured practice games and physical speed training. He also describes adapting practices during the COVID period, when the team used TrackMan and other exercises to continue training while socially distanced. Robertson emphasizes the value of learning from athletes in other sports at the university.

After applying for the Walker Cup captaincy in 2023, Robertson focused on selecting players by observing them across tournaments and building relationships with them. He describes the modern amateur golfer as increasingly supported in technical, physical and mental preparation, while noting that the distinction between amateur and professional has become less clear.

He recounts preparing for the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point, including a reconnaissance visit and observations about the course’s greens and changing conditions. In reviewing the matches, he identifies key moments that shifted momentum, including a missed opportunity in the foursomes. He also explains changes to team arrangements at Lahinch, such as positioning the team room and practice area strategically and delaying the singles order until closer to play. Robertson credits the Irish crowd and Stuart Grehan’s contribution with helping energize the team.
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This weeks episode is a fascinating interview with broadcaster and commentator, distinguished amateur player, and son of Diana and Alfred Critchley who shares with us his story in the game of golf. Bruce's voice will be familiar to many as the voice of golf for several decades. 
We talk about Bruce's long connection with Sunningdale Golf Club where he has been a member for 70 years next year. He describes how both of his parents were closely involved with the club before and after the war, and how the family’s history there shaped his own life.

Bruce talks about that his mother, Diana Fishwick, both an accomplished golfer and an important figure in women’s golf. She won the British Ladies championship, later served as Curtis Cup Captain, and spent many years on committees and selection panels. He says Sunningdale supported women’s golf from early on, including through the associate ladies section and other club initiatives.

Bruce also discusses his father’s role in golf and in the club’s development and how he came from The Addington, played in the first Masters, and, with Gerald Micklem, helped support Sunningdale financially in the challenging climate of the 1940's. He also describes the connection between Sunningdale, Addington, and a wider network of golfers and club figures in those days. 

He recalls his childhood memories at Sunningdale, including playing in the boys’ championship and winning a match against a Scottish international boy. He says this convinced him he could play the game, although he did not go on to a professional career. 

The interview then turns to his amateur golf career, including winning the Worplesdon Mixed Foursomes with Bunty Stevens and later the Sunningdale Foursomes with Robin Hunter Scott. He describes the match play, the pressure, and the calmness of Stevens and his partner’s influence on his own performance. He also recalls reaching the Walker Cup in 1969 in Milwaukee.

A final major topic is his broadcasting career, especially coverage of the Masters and later work with Sky. He describes working with Peter Alliss, the style of golf broadcasting in earlier decades, and how television coverage became more crowded. He says his last tournament broadcast was the 2016 FedEx Cup in Atlanta, after which he decided to stop. He closes by discussing the ongoing renovation of Sunningdale’s new course, saying it should be opened up and treated as the club’s championship course, while the old course should be carefully preserved.
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This episode we record a Q&A episode after reaching episode 401, using it to look back on a busy run of golf, travel and listener questions. We also mention upcoming episodes, including a conversation with Walker Cup captain Dean Robertson, and other planned Q&As and features.

We talk about recent trips, including Rossapenna, where we played matches and the club championship finals, and the quality of the pitch and putt there. We also discuss visiting Royal Liverpool for a retirement celebration, and how strong the course was in condition.

A large part of the episode is spent discussing golf course architecture and course types. We compare parkland, heathland and links golf, argue that parkland gets an unfairly bad reputation, and talk about how many great courses fall into that category. We also discuss how modern architecture often focuses on length, while arguing that many of the best everyday courses are shorter, more strategic and more enjoyable for regular play.

We answer listener questions about courses we would play for the rest of our lives, with Blackwell, Hoylake, Royal Porthcawl and Wokefield Park among the courses we mention. We also discuss underrated heathland courses, including Delamere Forest and Rygate Heath, and mention Halifax and Crossland Heath as upcoming visits.

Other questions include snooker comparisons, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Alex Higgins, the value of expensive green fees, and favorite niche pro shop purchases. We finish by thanking Rossapenna for their hospitality and looking ahead to the next set of episodes and visits.
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In this episode, we look back on our 95-hole challenge on the Isle of Arran and compare it with the earlier Durness trip. We explain that Arran was more enjoyable largely because of better weather, shorter transfers, and more variety between courses, while Durness was much harder because of wind, rain, and the terrain.

We go through the courses we played in order: Whiting Bay, Lamlash, Brodick, Corrie, Lochranza, Machry Bay, and Shiskin. We describe Whiting Bay as a short but very hilly and quirky course with small greens and dramatic views. Lamlash is presented as similarly hilly and scenic, with a view across to the Holy Isle and a course layout that climbs and drops throughout.

We discuss Brodick as a flatter, more forgiving round that came at a good point in the day, with mountain scenery behind it and a strong morale boost for the group. Corrie is described as a hidden course with a tiny clubhouse and very steep, dramatic holes that drop through wooded terrain. Lochranza stands out as a compact 11-hole campsite course with deer on the fairways and a simple, accessible layout.

We also cover Machry Bay, which we say has been kept going through a lot of effort and feels like a serious but rustic nine-holer. Finally, we talk about Shiskin as the standout course on the island: a true links with firm turf, memorable greens, and a strong finish as the sun set.

Alongside the golf, we talk about the planning, the ferry crossing, the accommodation, the food stops, and the people who helped make the day work, especially Greg and Ian. We close by mentioning the charity fundraising for Arran Cancer Support and how important the donations were.
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