28: Rosie Bailey & Karen Crum: The Game Belongs to Everyone

Rosie Bailey and Karen Crum arrived at golf from almost opposite directions. Rosie was a reluctant junior who became an elite player, represented Scotland and earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where the late Nancy McDaniel and Anne Walker, who now coaches the all-conquering Stanford women's golf programme, became hugely influential figures in her life.  Karen grew up immersed in sport and music in Northern Ireland, played competitive football and didn't seriously discover golf until her thirties. Nine years later, she plays off seven and describes it as the greatest sport on earth. Their paths crossed through Tuesday Links, the golf travel company Rosie founded with broadcaster Iona Stephen to create experiences designed around women rather than simply adapting the traditional golf trip. Karen joined its inaugural Scottish adventure as one of eight women aged between 36 and 70. What followed – culminating in an emotional walk up the 18th on the Old Course – reinforced something both women believe: golf's greatest gifts aren't necessarily found on the scorecard. In this episode, Rosie and Karen join Dan to talk about golf as friendship, adventure, meditation and belonging; why walking alongside someone for four hours can create extraordinary conversations; and why golf still struggles to make women feel that the game belongs to them. They discuss motherhood and the women golf loses, badly designed clubhouses, women's golf clothing – and the scandal of inadequate pockets – and whether golf has a branding problem or a product problem. Plus, Karen discusses her other obsession, music, and her forthcoming album Fault Lines, recorded under the name Von Burl. Chapters  00:00 – Introducing Rosie Bailey and Karen Crum  02:19 – Rosie: from reluctant junior to Scotland golfer 04:01 – California dreaming: college golf at Berkeley 06:00 – “How you do anything is how you do everything” 08:31 – Karen's unlikely route into golf 11:18 – Illness, Wanstead and becoming obsessed 14:56 – Why are there still so few women? 17:15 – Rosie builds a career in golf 23:01 – Karen's other obsession: music 28:27 – The birth of Tuesday Links 32:38 – What do women actually want from a golf trip? 35:08 – Why four hours of golf creates friendships 38:13 – Golf as meditation 40:59 – The magic of St Andrews 42:09 – Eight women, eight stories 45:11 – Where does golf lose women? 49:08 – The stranger on a plane who inspired Tuesday Links 51:00 – Why does golf still feel uncool? 52:57 – Does golf have a branding problem or a product problem? 59:37 – Being allowed in isn't the same as belonging 1:03:25 – The unexpected power of belonging 1:05:43 – Tears on the 18th at St Andrews 1:07:58 – Walking in the footsteps of your heroes 1:09:29 – What is golf actually for? 1:12:25 – A golfing life Links Get 20% off you next Sounder Golf purchase with the code Pod20 Find out more about Tuesday Links, the women's golf travel company founded by Rosie Bailey and Iona Stephen Read Karen Crum on Substack at Von Burl Read Dan Davies on Substack at The Sacred Acre Follow RNGC, Dan's backyard golf course, on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices