Hack It Out Golf

Three-putts ruin rounds—especially when you're not that far away from the hole. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg compare the 3-putt percentages from 25 feet of Tour players to 5-index and 15-index golfers. It turns out, Tour players and good and 15-index golfers are less good. But it might surprise you by how much—and light a fire to practice the things that will actually help you avoid wasting shots on the greens.

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Former professional Stuart Grehan earned a spot in this year's Open Championship by winning an Amateur Championship. In this episode, Mark and Lou revisit the controversy surrounding former tour pros returning to the amateur ranks to secure major championship exemptions. Has Lou changed his mind after the last conversation? Is there are fair line that can be drawn?

If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit he...

Can golf crowds be rolled back? In this episode, Mark and Lou take up the points of the new spectator Code of Conduct for the 2026 Open Championship. Will a stated code help with fan behavior? Is it unnecessary—or perhaps worse, hypocritical? The full text can be found here: https://www.theopen.com/tickets-and-hospitality/spectator-code-of-conduct

If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://...

We've been doing Saturday Stats for 3 years now: it's time for a best of! In today's episode, we pull up two classics. The Saturday Stat episodes have become a standard because they might have the best banter and bits, but also because our regular listeners have built up a storehouse of reasonable expectations. Let's see if you can recall these answers from episodes on putting and driving, while enjoying some of the best moments in...

Mark has been aiming to play at a serious level—and his chipping is holding him back. In this episode, Mark makes a plea for help: do Greg and Lou have any practice tips to improve his game within 30 yards? Mark isn't alone here: many amateur golfers cost themselves strokes in this range. Lou and Greg offer practice games and (even contrasting) ways to think about these delicate shots to get the ball closer to the hole more f...

Golf is a maddening game—sometimes even at the highest levels. In the recent US Open, penalties were issued to a player who melted down on a hole, and they were costly. In this episode, Greg and Mark talk about the new code of conduct penalties. Is it odd that there was no video of the incident? Are strokes or fines a better way to handle these situations? And what are Greg and Mark's worst tournament scores?

If you have a que...

How far is far enough? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about a standard drive on a typical hole. How far do you need to hit it—in the fairway—to break even on a strokes gained against your handicap peers? The answer might surprise you. But the takeaway for your own game might also surprise you.

Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We will discuss what you can l...

Recently, the governing bodies scuttled the plan for the incremental rollout of the rollback. Why? And what's next? In the episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg continue discussing the ongoing saga. Key the whole debate: what actually is the problem?

If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/

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The PGA Tour has recently released its new Championship Series/Challenger Series two track tournament format, and Rory(!) seems unimpressed. In this episode, Mark, Greg, and Lou take Rory's comments as a jumping off point to discuss how the new format might play out—and how it could have been more creative. Is it just the same thing the Tour had before LIV showed up? Are the Challenger Series events nothing but glorified Korn...

We often talk about managing expectations for particular shots. What are reasonable expectations for a full round? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about a 10-index golfer: in a typical 18-hole round, how many birdies, bogeys, and doubles will he make? When the dust settles, the guys give advice for reducing the number of big numbers—the key for most golfers to make the biggest improvement in their scores.

Each of these...

With the third major of the year completed, Greg and Mark offer their takeaways from Wyndham Clark's impressive victory at Shinnecock Hills. They discuss the quality of his play, the reputation that has followed him since the last US Open, the crowd behavior as he closed in on his victory, and the way he handled the pressure and the crowd as he claimed his second US Open title.

If you have a question you want covered on the pod, ple...

Most beginning golfers slice, and the draw becomes an early aspiration. But should more amateurs just love their fade? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk shot shapes. Is there an advantage hitting one shape over the other—or shaping it both ways? Should most golfers try to change their shape, or instead play smart, strategic golf with the shape they have? And what do you do when either shape could show up on any swing?

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Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We will discuss what you can learn, and most importantly, how you can apply this on the golf course to lower your scores and lower your handicap. Listen on your drive to the golf course or over your Saturday morning coffee!

Data is sourced from Arccos Golf. They have over 1 BILLION shots in their database. Check them out at: https://www.arccosg...

We're in a major week—there's only one more in 2026, and it seems like the season just started? Are the majors too compressed in the schedule? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk golf from the fan's perspective. Should the majors be spaced out a little more during the season? And with the World Cup happening right now, the biggest spectacle in sports, what could professional golf learn to bring more attention to our gam...

The first editions of next year's PGA Tour schedule are releasing, and changes are afoot. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg break down the latest attempt to create tiers of events, a lower one for elite golfers and a higher one for elite-r golfers. Does this have any more promise than previous iterations? Will the Tour ever do better than Monday Q Info at promoting ascending golfers? And should Mark get a sponsor's invite?

If you...

Not every par 72 is the same. In this episode, Lou sends out the good golfers—scratch and 5 index—to "hard" and "easy" courses (distinguished by their course rating). Are these difficulty ratings accurate? How often will these good players break part on courses of different difficulty? And has Mark turned in Lou's DM guy, who doubts the numbers because it isn't what he sees?

Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 mi...

During the week of the Memorial, Jack Nicklaus made a new set of comments at a press conference in support of a rolled back golf ball. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg consider his opinion. Does winning 18 majors convey expertise on this topic? Are opponents of the rollback just parroting the talking points of their OEM sponsors?

If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.co...

A listener question sends Lou on a deep, deep dive into the Arccos database. We know that "never up, never in" is poor advice, especially on longer putts. But if a putt rolls past the hole, how much more likely is a golfer to make the comebacker than a similar-length putt where he hasn't seen the break? Lou, Greg, and Mark talk about the way that gathering information from balls rolling on the green can help you putt fewer times an...

Among the most prominent themes of this podcast is the need to manage expectations. That's not just a "each shot" idea; it's a "whole round" idea. How often will golfers of differing handicaps have one of those rounds, scoring at least 5 shots higher than his typical scoring average? Lou puts this question to Mark and Greg, and after the scoring is settled, they give advice for keeping in the round when things aren't going your way...