Lag putting is where Bob Labbe wants golfers to stop guessing. His system, Putting by the Numbers, treats the long putt as a problem that can be measured: distance, surface resistance and a golfer’s own stroke all become part of a quantitative method to lag putting.

On this Maryland Golf Podcast episode from Golf Podcasts USA, Labbe explains why he built the system in the first place. After selling his second air pollution control company in 1996, he turned more seriously toward golf and found one part of the game costing him strokes: long-distance putting. He then spent roughly 25 years proving the method before writing the book.

The key idea is what Labbe calls an individual power factor. He does not try to change a golfer’s grip or putting style. Instead, he focuses on the common motion every putter makes: the shoulders rocking as the club moves back and through. From there, each golfer can identify how far the ball travels for each inch of putter retraction.

Labbe used himself and his wife as a clear example. In summer conditions on his own course, he said his green factor is typically 20 feet of ball travel for one inch of retraction, while his wife’s is 11 feet for the same inch. That difference is the point: the method depends on measuring the person holding the putter, not assuming every stroke produces the same result.

He also breaks down how the calculation changes when the ball is not entirely on the green. In his example, green, fringe, fairway and first-cut rough each have their own resistance. A putt that starts in thicker grass, crosses fringe and then rolls across the green is not one feel-based swing in his system; it is a set of measured segments added together before the golfer makes the stroke.

Labbe’s message is not that execution disappears. He is clear that a golfer still has to make the stroke. But he argues that a repeatable number gives players a better plan, especially when nerves or unfamiliar surfaces make pure feel harder to trust. For players trying to turn long putts into makeable short ones, Putting by the Numbers is presented as a way to bring engineering discipline onto the green.

​Learn more about Bob Labbe and his approach to better lag putting at BobLabbe.com (https://boblabbe.com/), and find his book Putting by the Numbers on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Numbers-Quantitative-Method-Lag/dp/B0DSGPVNP9/).

When the miss is the story, the Cobra OPTM Max-K Driver is the product focus. Its pitch is maximum stability and forgiveness, with a design meant to reduce sidespin and help keep more drives in play, even when contact is away from the center of the face.

For the Maryland Golf Podcast audience, the episode frames the Max-K as more than a spec-sheet promise. Rickie Fowler has put the Max-K in play, and Gary Woodland has used it in a tour win this season, giving Cobra a tour-proven example behind the driver’s forgiveness story.

The episode also points listeners to check it out online at golfpodcasts.org/Cobra, where they can learn more while supporting their local golf show.

Heard on Maryland Golf Podcast, part of the Golf Podcasts USA network.
​More Maryland golf coverage at golfpodcasts.org.

The most important part of this update is the system behind the network. Brett Smith explains that Golf Podcasts USA is rolling out a publishing tool designed to make it easier to talk, upload and distribute shows across the platforms where the network is active. The goal is straightforward: create the content once, then get it out with far less friction than a manual platform-by-platform process.

For the Maryland Golf Podcast audience, this is a network-level check-in rather than a local episode about courses, events or scores. Smith says Golf Podcasts USA has content for all 50 states, and that listeners can find a local show by searching their state along with “golf podcast.” He also notes that the network started in November 2025, with this update recorded in August 2026.

The timing matters because Smith is seeing a sharp change in demand. Using Google Trends, he says searches for “golf podcast” had been mostly flat over a five-year view before a recent spike, and that the term is now at an all-time peak. That search interest is one reason he frames the network as being in the right position at the right time.

Smith also outlines how the publishing workflow is meant to support that growth. He describes a one-click upload approach that pushes content across the network’s channels, including YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and TikTok. The episode is brief, but its message is clear: Golf Podcasts USA is preparing its statewide show network for a broader relaunch with a tool built to make distribution simpler and faster.

Heard on Maryland Golf Podcast, part of the Golf Podcasts USA network.
​More Maryland golf coverage at golfpodcasts.org.

​Mountain Branch Golf Course in Joppa, Maryland is one of the strongest public golf stops in the state. In this Maryland Golf Podcast course spotlight, Brett Smith talks about what makes Mountain Branch stand out, from its strong regional credibility and must-play reputation to its built-in food-and-drink experience at Mountain Branch Grille & Pub.

If you’re searching for Maryland golf, Joppa golf, public golf in Maryland, golf near Baltimore, or Maryland golf trip ideas, this episode is for you.

The Maryland Golf Podcast is part of Golf Podcasts USA, America’s only local golf podcast network.
​

YouTube Short: ​https://youtube.com/shorts/gMptZEMik-E?feature=share

​Michael Ambriz, VP of Operations for World Long Drive, joins Golf Podcasts USA to discuss how World Long Drive local qualifiers work, how golfers can move through the three-step qualifying process, and why long drive continues to grow through golf expos, PGA TOUR Superstores, and live fan events. This episode is a great fit for Maryland golf fans who follow competitive golf, golf technology, indoor golf, swing speed training, and equipment innovation. We also talk about the athleticism of long drive, specialized driver setups, and the excitement surrounding local qualifiers and the road to the World Long Drive Championships. If you follow Maryland golf, golf podcasts, long drive golf, or the future of competitive golf entertainment, this episode is for you.

​The Players Championship 2026 is here, and Golf Podcasts USA is calling Scottie Scheffler to win at TPC Sawgrass. In this short golf preview, Brett Smith talks about why The Players is considered the unofficial 5th major, what makes TPC Sawgrass such a pressure-packed test, how the island green at 17 can change everything, and why Scottie feels like the right pick against one of the strongest fields in golf. If you follow PGA Tour golf, golf betting storylines, golf news, and major championship-level events, this Players Championship preview is for you. Golf Podcasts USA is the voice of local golf in all 50 states. Just Google your state plus golf podcast and find the full catalog at golfpodcasts.org.

​Jack Dillon joins Golf Podcasts USA for our “In My Opinion” segment — a short-form golf business and golf industry commentary series featuring smart voices from across the game.

Jack is a two-time author, Golf Inc. Magazine contributor, and longtime golf business expert. In this episode, we talk about golf growth, course hospitality, player development, off-course golf, and how the industry can do a better job keeping new golfers engaged for the long term.

We also discuss why courses need to stay connected to golfers after the round, how group instruction and better hospitality can help retention, and what operators, brands, and media companies should be thinking about over the next 90 days.

Learn more about Jack at www.youdontknowjackd.com

Read his Golf Inc. commentary here: https://golfincmagazine.com/commentary/

​Golf Podcasts USA is America’s only local golf podcast network, with golf podcast coverage in all 50 states and beyond. Explore the full catalog at golfpodcasts.org.

Everyone has a bad hole — the triple-bogey avalanche. In this Golf Podcasts USA coaching series (Mental Game), PGA Master Professional Coach Claude Brousseau (Director of Player Development, Wailea Golf Academy) teaches a step-by-step 30-second reset to stop one blow-up hole from turning into two or three more. 
 
You’ll learn: 
The exact 30-second reset (what to do first, second, third) 
What you’re resetting: emotion, attention, breathing, and decision-making 
The difference between a between-holes reset (walking off the green) and a next-tee reset (before the next shot) 
The #1 mistake that creates the blow-up-hole spiral 
A 10-second emergency reset when you’re still mad 
 
More from Coach Claude: 
claude4bestgolf.com 
waileagolf.com/Academy/Meet-The-Director 
 
Planning a Maui trip? Support the show: 
✈️ golfpodcasts.org/expedia 
 
Follow Golf Podcasts USA and find your local show: search “[Your State] golf” on Spotify. 
 
Full catalog: golfpodcasts.org 
Instagram: @GolfPodcasts ​

​Special Episode — Golf Podcasts USA

Golf Podcasts USA is America’s local golf podcast network — covering golf stories, course spotlights, and golf culture across all 50 states (plus destination feeds).

In this special episode, Brett Smith interviews author Rich Poggi about Fairways and Greens: a Novel — a story where golf becomes a metaphor for life decisions: second chances, legacy, and the shot you never planned to hit.

About the book: Doug Parker is the protagonist — once destined for PGA Tour stardom until injury and self-destruction changed everything. Decades later, he’s rebuilt his life teaching the game with discipline and purpose at the club where he grew up… while fighting to keep that golf-only club alive in a changing world — until a phone call from his past forces him to confront what he thought he left behind.

If you love golf stories that feel real — this one’s for you.

✅ Full show catalog: golfpodcasts.org
📸 Instagram: @GolfPodcasts
🏌️ Cobra gear: golfpodcasts.org/cobra
✈️ Travel planning: golfpodcasts.org/expedia
🎲 Ledgenz: golfpodcasts.org/ledgenz (availability varies by state; play responsibly)

I’m Brett Smith. Thanks for listening—and always remember to tip your cart staff.

​This episode is packed with PGA Show 2026 energy and real takeaways you can use. We recap the show in Orlando (tech, practice trends, and what stood out on the floor), then jump into the PGA TOUR: Scottie Scheffler wins The American Express at -27, plus the breakout story of 18-year-old Blades Brown firing a course-record 60 at PGA West (Nicklaus Tournament Course).

Next up: Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines — what to expect, winning-score vibe, and our picks (including the headline: Brooks Koepka is back). We also spotlight Torrey Pines (public) and PGA West Nicklaus with simple “how to play it” and “how to build a trip around it” trip guidance.

Plus: golf tech + gear you’ll actually care about — PuttView AR green reading (practice gold), Toptracer Go + making practice more social, and drivers we hit at Demo Day including the Cobra OPTM X (straight + long) and the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond. Quick hit on Takomo irons and show-floor apparel trends too.

Support the show (and our sponsors):
🏌️ Cobra: golfpodcasts.org/cobra
✈️ Expedia travel: golfpodcasts.org/expedia
🎲 Ledgenz: golfpodcasts.org/ledgenz (availability varies by state; play responsibly)
✅ Full show catalog: golfpodcasts.org

I’m Brett Smith. Thanks for listening—and always remember to tip your cart staff.