From our written content to podcasts, YouTube, and social media channels, we’re extremely proud of the work we produce on a weekly basis here at Fried Egg Golf. That said, we’re also thankful for a lot of the other writers, creators, and personalities in the golf space.
With that in mind, here’s a golf content cornucopia of articles, podcasts, blog posts, videos, and other odds and ends we’ve enjoyed in 2025.
Written Content
Ryder Cup at Golden Hour. Gabby Herzig, The Athletic – Herzig has established herself as one of the must-reads on the golf beat, but no story she wrote this year was as prescient as this one, which predicted exactly what was going to happen at Bethpage on Sunday. Everyone thought the blowout would continue. Herzig knew better.
The Future and The Past. Kyle Porter, Normal Sport Newsletter – Good writing always comes from the heart. When Rory McIlroy finally won the Masters, Porter poured his full heart into his game story, and on deadline, he captured McIlroy’s human side. BTW, you should subscribe to Porter’s newsletter if you haven’t already.
Meet the Former Gang Member and Convict Competing in the Open. Joel Beall and Evin Priest, Golf Digest – In a world where original reporting is growing scarce, Beall and Priest are two reporters who keep finding real stories to tell that go beyond tournament coverage or what’s said in press conferences. This tale of Ryan Peake, a gang member who served time in prison before he returned to professional golf, is a can’t-miss. Golf Channel also produced a well-made video version of Peake’s story that came out a week later.
One More Story For The Last of His Kind. Brendan Quinn, The Athletic – Whenever the media writes about the media, it can venture into navel gazing territory, but when Quinn profiled Art Spander, a journalist who was covering his 183rd (and likely final) major championship, he ended up writing a story about the business of journalism, of a marriage, of the long arc of a career, and a life.
Strantz’s Last Stand. Travis Hill, The Golfer’s Journal – Great architecture stories are often personal, and the story of the last course Mike Strantz ever built — Monterey Peninsula Country Club — is as personal as it gets. Check yourself if you don’t get choked up as Strantz, his hair and tongue gone and his body ravaged by cancer, gives his final speech at the opening of the course.
The Journey To The Golf Course Is One of the Game’s Underrated Thrills. Michael Bamberger, Golf.com – The beauty of Bamberger’s writing is that every column feels like a throwback to a more genteel, literary time. He is not for everyone, but everyone should read his musings at least once, because few writers have ever captured the essence of the game better.
The Lagom of it All. Brody Miller, The Athletic – This profile of Ludvig Åberg does a nice job of providing some color to the background of one of golf’s brightest, but also blandest, stars. Brody is never hesitant to call a dozen sources to shape a profile, an increasingly rare skillset in a world of hot takes and aggregation.
The Beat Reporting of Adam Schupak. Golfweek – Every person who had to pull together a podcast agenda in 2025 ought to send Schupak a personal thank you note because he consistently shapes the news of the week with his reporting. Dubbed “The Mule Whisperer” because of his ability to get golf’s journeyman on the record, Schupak is also unafraid to ask difficult-but-fair questions to the game’s superstars, as his dust-up with Collin Morikawa proved. In a world where access is dwindling, and often the media doesn’t travel from event to event, we need more reporters like Schupak.
The Quadrilateral Newsletter. Geoff Shackelford – A consistent, essential read in golf media. Written with the right amount of wit and snark, Shackelford has carved out his own lane as one of the most intelligent and honest voices in the sport, and few (if any) writers are as well-read.
Ken Griffey Jr.’s Masters Assignment is Much Bigger Than Photography. James Colgan, Golf.com – It’s tough to find an original story at the Masters, but Colgan took a media center curiosity — is that really Ken Griffey Jr. taking pictures? — and dug deeper to get the real story behind why one of baseball’s greatest players was grinding as the low man on the media totem pole at Augusta National.
Ken Griffey Jr. at the 2025 Masters
Kultida Woods Gave Her Son The Gift of Love and Serenity In Good Times and Bad. Jaime Diaz, Golf Digest – When someone important to the history of the game passes away, it’s imperative to have someone who was there for much of the journey put their impact in perspective. Diaz has covered the whole arc of Tiger’s career, and while much has been written about Earl’s influence on his son, the impact of Tiger’s mother, Kultida, is an underappreciated piece of his story that Diaz captures well.
Florida Man At Rest. Kevin Van Valkenburg, No Laying Up – There have been a lot of serious, important things written about Tiger Woods throughout his career. This is not one of them, but when Tiger hard-launched his relationship with Vanessa Trump on Instagram, it did not call for seriousness. It called for playful stupidity.
For Rory McIlroy’s Resilient Right-Hand Man, Masters Win Meant Something Extra. Dylan Dethier, Golf.com – Rory McIlroy’s Masters win was an emotional experience for a lot of people, chief among them his longtime friend and caddie Harry Diamond, a man who has faced a lot of criticism and cynicism over the years. Dylan’s insight into the value Diamond provided was a great cherry on top of the Masters.
The Catfishing Scam Putting Fans and Female Golfers in Danger. Carson Kessler and Gabby Herzig, The Athletic – When the investigative team at The Athletic delved into stalking in sports, the prevalence of catfishing scams within the LPGA was so significant that Kessler and Herzig devoted a story to the issue. Using a fake social media account, they exposed how quickly and aggressively fake accounts are targeting unsuspecting fans.
Podcasts
Rest In Peace Cody “Beef” Franke. Fore Play – Fore Play has found a large audience over the years by never taking itself too seriously, but when one of the members of the podcast, Cody Franke, died suddenly, Riggs, Trent, and Frankie convened to offer a moving and sincere tribute to their friend. It’s worth your time even if you’re not a Fore Play listener. A welcome reminder that golf is really about friendships.
Sounds of the Masters. No Laying Up Podcast – It gives you that true “boots-on-the-ground” feel at Augusta, letting you relive the round through KVV and Neil like you’re walking it with them. It also pushes the podcast medium forward with creative production that brings the Masters to life in a fresh way.
Local Knowledge. Shane Ryan, Golf Digest – Whenever Shane tackles a subject, you can’t help but be riveted. Local Knowledge is consistently one of the best storytelling podcasts, and one of the few that combines history with original reporting. Check out Shane’s story about Ryder Cup badass Skip Alexander. It’s one of the most incredible golf stories you’ll ever hear.
The Mystery of Why Bethpage is Always Booked. No Laying Up Podcast – It’s not often that a golf podcast feels like an episode of Serial, but this one takes a common frustration — why can’t I book a tee time at my local muni? — and treats it like a mystery, and at the most famous muni in the United States, no less. It’s also the rare podcast that spurred some actual changes. After it ran, a bill was introduced into the New York State assembly asking for laws and funding to combat bots. Bethpage State Park also announced it was changing its reservation system to combat bots.
Videos
Our Time, Our Place. Ryder Cup Europe – Every Ryder Cup, the Europeans put together an inspirational hype video. The last two cycles, they’ve shared them with the world, and this time, they made the bold decision to share it before the event started. Hard to watch this and come away with the conclusion that it’s all variance and the Europeans just make more putts. Maybe they really do care more.
The Scoop. Claire Rogers, Golf.com – What began with a simple premise, talking to players over ice cream, has now become one of the most enjoyable interview shows in golf media. Rogers is playful, funny, and always prepared, and often gets some of the game’s biggest names to reveal deeper truths in a relaxed atmosphere. The interview format doesn’t have the juice it once did, but this series is proof it is still entertaining.
Argentina. No Laying Up – It’s getting harder to find places to make YouTube videos that haven’t been filmed a hundred times already, but this exploration of Argentina gives you a window into a culture (and a couple of courses) that are fascinating.
Every Detail of Augusta National’s $140 Million Practice Facility. Shane Ryan and Jamie Kennedy, Golf Digest – Ryan and Kennedy teamed up for a great explainer on why the driving range was designed the way it was at Augusta, and while it sounds boring, we promise it’s worth your time.
Golf Behind Bars. Nick Piastowski, Golf.com – A reminder that there are golf stories worth telling just about anywhere, even inside a Washington state prison. There isn’t a ton of commercial upside in this kind of piece. It’s not going to bring in advertising dollars or social media engagement, so kudos to Golf.com for telling it anyway.
Daughters of The Game. Mark Langford and Kyle Walton, Gimme Golf Studios – There is so much emphasis on fathers and sons in golf that it’s refreshing when someone bonds with their daughter over the game. Walton — founder of Gimme Golf Club in St. Louis — took his family to Wales for the Open Championship and made a short film about what golf has meant to his family. Stick around for the end, which will hit you right in the feels if you’ve ever introduced the game to your kid.
The Internet Invitational. Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports – Pulling together a large group of content creators sounds like a fun idea cooked up over beers, something anyone could do. But the amount of video editing that must have gone into this massive multi-camera project where everyone was wearing a mic is almost too hard to fathom for anyone who has ever tried to make a YouTube video. Even if these creators aren’t your thing, it’s easy to get sucked into the drama, whether it’s manufactured or genuine.
