It seems to have been the talk of Royal Troon this week – is it time for Tiger Woods to retire?

The 15-time major champion delivered a six-sentence zinger after reports that Colin Montgomerie had questioned whether he could still win.

Woods says his belief has never wavered and in this episode of The NCG Golf Podcast, Steve Carroll and Matt Coles debate whether this is fantasy or could still be a reality.

The duo also get stuck into shopping, ask whether the Open Arms should be the ‘Up in Arms’ because of its drinks prices and Matt – who is on a glorious run of picking the winners of recent tournaments – tells you who is going to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday.

NB: Please remember to gamble responsibly.

Where does Royal Troon rank in the Open rota? Which course should join the list? Should the playoff go to sudden death?

We asked and you delivered your questions and so, as the best week in the golf calendar gets under way, Steve Carroll and Matt Chivers answer them all in a new episode of The NCG Golf Podcast.

NB: This episode was recorded in The Open media centre and there is some background noise.

We wrap up a dramatic day at Open Final Qualifying – where Justin Rose rolled back the years, Matthew Southgate qualified YET again, and Sergio Garcia found himself centre of attention at West Lancs.

The Spaniard loves The Open, but was all over the headlines after his group were given a warning for slow play.

Was it more petulance from the former Masters champion? Should we give him props for having a go at qualifying, and did his play justify a spot?

Matt Chivers spent all day at the Lancashire venue and joins Steve Carroll to look back at one of golf’s most thrilling days.

James Luke, England Golf’s head of handicapping, is back to update us on how the big changes to the World Handicap System have been settling in.

But he’s also got a couple of important messages to impart – around general play scores and a new policy that could open the way for more clubs to get tee sets rated.

If you’ve got any interests in WHS, you have to listen to this episode…

We’ll bet this chat is going on right now somewhere in your clubhouse. How can you make golf as accessible as possible but feel confident you’re protecting the integrity of competitions?

This is a question England Golf have grappled with, and we get stuck into it on this week’s episode of The NCG Podcast.

Steve Carroll is joined by James Crampton, England Golf’s director of championships, and the pair talk about the governing body’s competition entry policy, which can deny entry to players where competition and general play scores don’t match up.

We also get into their new pace of play policy, where checkpoints are now used to monitor round times. Could a similar system speed up the game at your club?

And fresh off an eventful Brabazon Trophy, on and off the course, James gives us an insight into the work of his busy department.

It’s a compelling listen with plenty of talking points!

What is it that sets the best club golfers apart?

Why do they make fewer mistakes on the course? What are the habits that help them play consistent golf? This week’s episode of The NCG Golf Podcast reveals all.

We’ve got the latest data from Shot Scope. Tom Irwin, who loves to remind us he is a scratch golfer, and Steve Carroll, who couldn’t get near scratch if he played for 100 years, are here to guide you through the findings.

Do you know where you miss? Should you fire at pins? What clubs should you use around the greens? Tom will put you in the picture and Steve will probably disagree.

Elsewhere on this week’s podcast...

• Should the PGA Championship have been postponed?
• How did Tom get on in a couple of crunch match play encounters?
• And… are you allowed to hole out after conceding a putt?

Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll are joined this week by special guest Jim Croxton, chief executive of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association.

We look at how golf has navigated an extreme winter, what the impact on our courses has been, and whether we can expect any lingering effects as the year continues.

On Mental Health Awareness Week, Jim also discusses the work the association has been doing to support greenkeepers, we ask if they are being paid enough, and discuss the trend of ‘rock star’ course managers who are making waves on social media.

Also in this episode:

• In our out? What do you do with the flagstick?
• And can a hole location be illegal?

We’re back. After a week to recharge and put our feet up, The NCG Golf Podcast returns for its third season. And what a start we’ve got for you.

The sun is finally shining, we’re thinking about getting on our summer golf trips, and we’re about to unveil our best golf courses in Wales list!

To set the scene for our new Top 40, which you can find at nationalclubgolfer.com/top100, NCG Top 100s chairman Dan Murphy joins Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll to talk about all things Welsh golf.

What is our best course? Which are must play? And where can you find the best value? We’ll reveal all.

Elsewhere, as we start our new series:

• How has the season started for our dynamic duo?
• Can we imagine a Tiger-less PGA Tour?
• Rules Corner: Can you be disqualified if you don’t enter your score on the club computer?