Kyle Porter: Is This Golf's Moment?

Kyle Porter: Is This Golf's Moment?

Author: Ethan Strauss March 26, 2026 Duration: 40:33
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com

Kyle Porter from Normal Sport is a thoughtful commentator who thinks about a lot more than just the sport he covers. So I wanted to press him on this topic, plus a few others: Is golf, with the PGA Tour now led by a former NFL exec, about to truly take off and conquer the culture? We get into the sport’s eccentricities and current moment. Topics include…

* Post-Tiger Woods stars: Debate on who has “juice” in golf, including Scottie Scheffler’s dominance, recent struggles, and potential as the next face of the sport.

* Golf’s niche status: Analysis of golf remaining mostly niche amid declining monoculture, contrasted with strong participation growth post-COVID and viewer overlap with players.

* NBA-golf parallels: Connections between waning NBA regular season interest and rising personal golf fandom, including entrepreneurial YouTube golf content.

* Family and aging into golf: How mid-life dads (around age 40) increasingly play golf with kids due to modern parenting trends, unlike past generations.

* Player personalities: Comparisons of “boring” narratives around Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Steph Curry, and Mike Trout; Scheffler’s media interactions and focus.

* Golf’s watchability: Why golf suits casual viewing (especially with kids), constant action without stoppages, and unique moments like shots hitting birds.

* Broadcasting challenges: Importance of shot selection, pace (e.g., pitch clock analogies), and simplifying stats like strokes gained for fans.

* Skill breakdowns: Tiger Woods’ elite iron play and lag putting; Scheffler’s mid-round adjustments, course discipline, and avoiding risky shots.

* Equipment and distance: Debates on tech advances (e.g., TrackMan aiding young players like Spieth), gear’s role in driving distance, and need for pro-level limits.

* Rory McIlroy’s appeal: His humanity, vulnerability, and post-Masters career arc as the most relatable superstar, with older players sustaining power.


Ethan Strauss hosts the House of Strauss, a podcast that operates on a simple premise: the games we watch are never just games. They are reflections of our culture, our politics, and our rapidly evolving relationship with technology. Each episode digs into the collisions and convergences between these seemingly separate worlds. You might hear a deep analysis of an NBA dynasty followed by a conversation about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the media that covers it, or a debate on a political headline examined through the lens of a stadium funding fight. The discussions are built on the understanding that the playing field, the voting booth, and the Silicon Valley boardroom are increasingly part of the same conversation about power, money, and the future. This isn't about hot takes for their own sake, but about tracing the deeper connections that explain why we care so much about sports and what they tell us about everything else. Tune in for thoughtful, often unpredictable explorations where a debate about league policy can easily spiral into a discussion about societal change, all guided by Strauss's curious and contrarian perspective. The House of Strauss podcast is where the passion for competition meets a critical examination of the forces shaping it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

House of Strauss
Podcast Episodes
Narrated: You May Not Be Political, But Politics Finds You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:02
This audio article is up. Happy Friday, folks. House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd…
Sherman Alexie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:04
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comAuthor, filmmaker and ardent basketball fan Sherman Alexie joins me to discuss one of my favorite topics: The 1990s. Though, to be hones…
Mike Pesca on Eileen Gu and Patriotism Decline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:24
Mike Pesca wrote a fine piece for the Free Press on how oddly not controversial the supposedly very controversial Eileen Gu is. She’s from the United States, but competes for China, and yet receives…mostly glowing mainst…
John Middlekauff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:58
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comFirst of all, congratulations to our SportsPredict Super Bowl winners SFZevi, Nathan Shea and Peter V. I had fun competing against all o…
Rob Henderson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:08
As I told Chuck Klosterman, I planned to do a pod on his Football book with non sports fan Rob Henderson. So what did our favorite sports agnostic intellectual think of such a deep dive into America’s favorite game? Topi…
Chuck Klosterman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:49
I highly recommend Football, Chuck Klosterman’s latest book. In this podcast, we discuss his trenchant and personal exploration of the sport, along with the following topics…* Are we primarily writers or podcasters?* Man…
Mike Pesca [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:07
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comGreat conversation with Mike Pesca in which I, unfortunately, regressed to my old ways of pronouncing Chuck Klosterman’s name incorrectl…
Kat Rosenfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:13
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comKat Rosenfield has, as she often does, written brilliantly of late. I especially enjoyed her nuanced takes on the Minnesota shootings. W…
Tyler Dunne [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:43
The House of Strauss SportsPredict playoff contest continues, so make some picks for this weekend. For the championship round, the prize is a $500 DICK’S gift certificate, plus, of course, bragging rights. So join in.In…