Takeaways from the 2024 Players with Sean Martin

When I was 10 or 11 years old, my dad gave me a copy of The World Atlas of Golf. That kick-started my obsession with golf architecture. I read as many books about the subject as I could find, filled a couple of sketch books with plans for imaginary golf courses, and even joined the local junior golf league for a summer so I could get a crack at Alister MacKenzie's Valley Club of Montecito. I ended up pursuing other interests in high school and college, but in my early 30s I moved to Pebble Beach to teach English at a boarding school, and I fell back in love with golf. Soon I connected with Andy Johnson, founder of Fried Egg Golf. Andy offered me a job as Managing Editor in 2019. At the time, the two of us were the only full-time employees. The company has grown tremendously since then, and today I'm thrilled to serve as the Head of Architecture Content. I work with our talented team to produce videos, podcasts, and written work about golf courses and golf architecture.

I grew up playing golf competitively and caddied for ten years. I've also always enjoyed - usually responsibly - betting on sports. These worlds collided when I went to college, where I spent an absurd amount of time watching PGA Tour Live and building models to predict golf.

When I heard Andy on a podcast for the first time, I immediately knew I'd found a voice I wanted to follow. The intersection between design and strategy captivated me, and I've consumed just about every piece of Fried Egg Golf content since then. While I was finishing up my studies at UT-Austin, I worked for 15th Club (now 21st Club), a company that does data consulting for professional golfers. Upon graduation, I started Optimal Approach Golf, which provides data and strategy recommendations to professional and high-level amateur golfers. I've been full-time with Fried Egg Golf since January of 2024.