The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast · Shane Derby

The Irish Golf Wanderings of Mr. Richard J. Pennell

·1 hr 37 min·5 clips

Richard says Rosapenna feels like a place where “nothing there is by mistake.”

Shane Derby introduces Richard Pennell as a returning guest and folds in a quick update on Grassroots and Richard's weekly Pitchmarks writing. Richard explains that he has been roaming widely around the coast of the island of Ireland in search of golf and links, and Shane uses that as the starting point for a long, easy conversation. They touch on familiar and unfamiliar course names, and on the appeal of seeing Irish golf as a string of places rather than a checklist. Richard talks about flying into Knock, the small size of the airport, and the ease of getting into a hire car and moving on. He also notes how daylight on the drive gives a clearer sense of the landscape than a night arrival would. Shane adds context about Knock's history and Monsignor James Horan, which gives the travel side of the trip a deeper local frame. The pair keep their focus on the practical rather than the glossy, which keeps the chat grounded. Fiona, the general manager at one club, and Jerry, who had already been helpful, come up as part of the story of making the itinerary work. Richard describes how they had been trying to fit in extra golf and juggle tea times across a few different stops. A wrong-month booking snafu becomes a good example of how these trips actually happen. The humour is gentle and self-aware, with Richard clearly willing to laugh at his own admin. Shane leans into that without hurrying the exchange along. The episode lets the listener hear the shape of a golf trip as it unfolds, not as a polished itinerary. There is plenty of room for small practical details, which is part of why the conversation feels lived-in. It also shows how much of golf travel is shaped by the people who answer emails and make the booking calendar work. Richard's observations carry the voice of someone who has walked enough courses to compare them without forcing the point. Shane's questions keep the focus on where he went, what stood out, and what might draw him back. The result is a steady, conversational round-up of Irish golf, with travel, place, and club culture all folded in together. It ends with the same easy warmth it starts with, which suits the subject very well.

As heard by us

A leisurely Irish golf ramble with enough course detail and logistics to keep patient listeners engaged.

Richard Pennell's third visit plays more like an easy drift through Irish golf than a tightly shaped interview, with Shane Derby letting him range from course plans to the practical details that shaped the trip.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want an Irish golf trip told with a strong sense of place.

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