Episode 21: The President's Cup and The Myrtle Beach Golf Trail!

How did the President’s Cup unfold, and what’s next for the international golf scene? In this episode, we sit down with AJ Gohil, VP of Sales and Business Development of East Coast Golf Management, to break down the drama and excitement of the 2024 President’s Cup and delve into what makes Myrtle Beach a prime golf destination. AJ is an experienced golf industry professional specializing in golf course management and operations. The East Coast Golf Management is a full-service golf course management company that offers tailored solutions for clubs, including administration, sales, marketing, maintenance, and guest services. In our conversation, we discuss standout players from the latest tournaments, the dynamics of international team competitions, and what to expect at the Ryder Cup in Bethpage next year. Then, AJ shares East Coast Golf Management’s golfing philosophy, what makes Myrtle Beach a top golf destination, the story behind the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, and how it has evolved over the years. Find out what’s next for East Coast Golf, about new golf packages, the importance of respecting golf course etiquette, and a few personal stories from our latest rounds of golf. Tune in now!

The Myrtle Beach Golf Package of the episode is the New Trailblazer Package brought to you by The Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. This package offers discounted rounds on 2 or more courses, beverages, lunch, range balls, discounted replays, and a free welcome gift!

The North Myrtle Beach condo rental of the episode is the Crescent Shores! With some of the most spacious 2, 3, and 4 bedroom oceanfront accommodations in North Myrtle Beach, the Crescent Shores is a golfer’s dream place to stay during their next Myrtle Beach golf trip with MB Golf!

Transcript

EPISODE 21

[INTRODUCTION]

[0:00:07] ANNOUNCER: It's time for the Tee'd Off Podcast.

[EPISODE]

[0:00:18] BC: Okay. It is Episode 21 of the Tee'd Off Podcast. I'm Ben Clyburn. I'm here with my co-host, Aaron Thomas. Aaron, how's it going, man?

[0:00:24] AT: Good, Ben. How you doing today?

[0:00:25] BC: Another beautiful fall day. Happy October.

[0:00:28] AT: October golf is my favorite type of golf.

[0:00:31] BC: It's my favorite time of the year, really is. It's still warm enough to go to the beach, but as far as golf weather goes, it doesn't get any better in Myrtle Beach than October.

[0:00:39] AT: I just had an outdoor lunch earlier. It was perfect outside.

[0:00:42] BC: Awesome. We are joined today by AJ Gohil, VP of Sales and Business Development of East Coast Golf Group. They are famous for the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, nearly 30 premium courses in the Myrtle Beach area. AJ, thanks for joining us.

[0:00:56] AG: Thanks for having me. It's good to be here.

[0:00:58] BC: You've been here before, but nobody's seen your face because we weren't doing filming.

[0:01:03] AG: They have no cameras. They got cameras everywhere now.

[0:01:05] BC: We had to have you back and we appreciate you coming back and can't wait to talk about a bunch of new things going on at the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. That's going to be exciting.

[0:01:13] AG: Very exciting.

[0:01:14] BC: Let's go over the agenda of the show today. So, World of Golf, President's Cup recap. That was an awesome display of golf and passion. We'll look ahead to another international event next year, Bethpage, the   . Then, we'll make the turn. It'll all be about AJ Gohil, and East Coast Golf, and the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. And we'll talk about some recent news and maybe even drop a new package on the scene. We'll see about that. Then, we'll hit the back nine and we'll have a spring rounds update with MB Golf, and then Myrtle Beach, an accommodation of the episode. Then, last but certainly not least, what teases us off. You guys ready to jump in?

[0:01:52] AT: We're ready.

[0:01:52] AG: Ready.

[0:01:53] BC: Let's do it.

[0:01:58] ANNOUNCER: The front nine.

[0:02:01] BC: Okay, the front nine. President's Cup is over 18½ and to an 11½ victory for the American team. It was rather interesting though that 5-0 for the first session only to be flipped with another 5-0 the other way for the second session. Definitely added some drama to the President's Cup, which I think is needed. But then, it was really America the rest of the way. I want to get you guys as basic thoughts on the tournament, and if there's anything of note you want to mention.

[0:02:31] AT: I mean, I like the chippiness that was shown. I mean, it seemed like there was a lot of back and forth between the two teams, which you generally don't see in the President's Cup, Ryder Cup, for sure. But I felt like – I don't know. To me, the President's Cup has always been like the secondary of the two events. I think everybody gets fired up for the Ryder Cup. I will admit, I didn't watch it from beginning to end, because we are in college football season, so I did a lot of channel flipping over that weekend, but I really enjoyed it. The intensity that was there from both sides was fun. Of course, the five, the sweep of what it was, and it was at the afternoon rounds, I think it was on Friday.

[0:03:14] BC: Friday by the international squad.

[0:03:15] AT: Yes. Yes. It set it up to be a competitive weekend, because, I mean, the U.S. team has pretty much owned this for how long now. Was it 10 straight?

[0:03:24] AG: Ten years.

[0:03:25] AT: Yes.

[0:03:26] AG: Ten years. 

[0:03:27] AT: Yes, the last 10. But it was enjoyable to watch. I think we got a preview of what we're going to see as we'll get into later talking Ryder Cup, coming from the captain, and things like that. I liked it. It was a good way for me in the golf season pretty much.

[0:03:45] BC: Yes. I mean, it's a global game, so I see why the President's Cup is around, so that you get some international players that aren't European involved in an event like the Ryder Cup. It's been entertaining to some degree, but it's usually been a blowout. Although the score here is a pretty-wide margin, it was a lot more entertaining than previous President's Cups. Don't you think AJ?

[0:04:07] AG: Yes. I love what Keegan did. He did a fabulous job. I mean, he clenched it. I mean, he worked hard. 

[0:04:12] BC: Well, let's talk about him, because you want to talk about an 18-month span of just one end to the other. So, probably the saddest part on full swing I've seen so far is of Keegan Bradley being left off of the Ryder Cup squad for 2023, after having an incredible year, comeback player of the year level of performance last year on tour to be left off the squad. I think it wasn't fair that he was left off the squad. I think it was a buddy system thing with Zach Johnson, and I think we ended up paying for it.

[0:04:47] AG: But maybe that backfired. Maybe that's why he had such a drive. I mean, he was –

[0:04:51] BC: He's always had a drive.

[0:04:52] AG: He worked hard.

[0:04:53] AT: He loves the Ryder Cup. 

[0:04:55] BC: But he has continued his good performance into 2024, has gotten the Ryder Cup captaincy, and was an assistant captain for the President's Cup. Played so well, he became a playing assistant captain and then clinched the final point. You got to take a step back and tip your cap to Keegan Bradley, and I think it is building a lot of momentum emotionally for Bethpage in 2025. So, I think that is great for him.

You want to talk about emotional leadership and playing. In years past, Anthony Kim had that amazing Ryder Cup where he was playing his tail off, and the emotional leader, Patrick Reed, has done that with a couple of Ryder Cups. and has gotten the term, Captain America. I think after these last two international events, the last Ryder Cup, he was probably the only glimmer of hope for that last Ryder Cup and now playing so well in this Ryder Cup. We got to talk about Patrick Cantlay. Is he the next Captain America in your mind, Aaron?

[0:05:59] AT: Well, I'm sure if we go back and listen to any of the Tee'd Off, especially when we've talked Ryder Cup before, I'm a huge fan of his, especially in this format. He always seems to show up and he's done well in all the Ryder Cups. So, I think he is their go-to guy, he is the one like when they need a point, he's going to grind it out. I'm a big fan, so I'm actually looking at it right now. So, I pulled this up, because I just wanted to see. I did some research on, the golf channel did a – they gave grades for all the players. So, A+ went to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. They were considered the two tops for the team on the weekend.

[0:06:43] BC: Let's talk about that pair or two. I mean, because in previous international events, it's been Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, both whose games are just not there consistently the last few years. Xander and Patrick surely are. I think that they're going to be people that are going to carry us into Bethpage next year that should play every session. I expect them to compete and win a lot of points.

[0:07:07] AT: I think it also shows the – because the last Ryder Cup, there was the deal with Patrick Cantlay and the hat, wanting to get paid, and this and that. I think it kind of solidified that he put that to rest and he's just –

[0:07:25] BC: Even if he didn't put it to rest. AJ, I'll throw this question to you. Patrick Reed is a good example for me on tour, pretty universally disliked, and he's not known for being an extremely emotional guy. You can be whiny. Then, you get him on an international setting or

representing his country, and it's just this whole different persona. I don't know if he's just – what it is. I feel the same way about Patrick Cantlay. I mean, he is not a big rah-rah guy on the PGA Tour. He's disliked for his slow play. Then, you get him on the stage here at the Ryder Cup and now at the President's Cup, it's just totally different. AJ, why do you think that is?

[0:08:13] AG: It's the Ryder Cup, it's patriotism, I think. People just want to be part of something. You're now playing for your country, or you're playing for Europe, whatever you're playing for, and you want it to feel like everybody's in this together. I think that's what they portray. I think in their heart, they're not just playing for themselves. There's so many people wanting them to win. I love it when they get the crowd involved because the crowd being involved just makes it such an amazing atmosphere, and it just levels it up. 

Golf is great, golf is fun. There's times when you got to be quiet and there's times when you have to have the rah-rah. That's when you're playing the Ryder Cup.

[0:08:51] AT: It's the team aspect. I mean, you don't want to let your teammate down. If you don't get the point, you're not helping your team.

[0:09:02] BC: Which is different than the tour, because it's such an individual sport, and the crowd is such a different vibe. You're going to get plenty of crowd reaction in New York, in Bethpage, in '25.

[0:09:13] AG: Hell, yes.

[0:09:14] AT: Even I thought the crowds for the President's Cup were a little more rowdy than usual too.

[0:09:19] AG: I think so too.

[0:09:19] AT: It felt like it this year anyway, what I saw.

[0:09:23] BC: When Scottie and Tom Kim were going at it, I mean, the crowd was eating it alive. I loved it.

[0:09:28] AT: I don't know who the sports commentator was. This was – I think it was Friday evening or Saturday morning, I was kind of reading up on it, because I didn't see it live. So, I caught it, like most people probably on X or whatever. It might have been on the golf channel, but somebody said about Tom Kim arguing with Scottie Sheffler. He said, "You really want to piss off the number one player in the world, and you play against him." That was what he said on live TV. I was like, "That makes sense."

[0:10:02] BC: Good point.

[0:10:03] AT: But it was nice to see. I like the chippiness, though. I really did. Yes.

[0:10:07] BC: The international team, I think only won three matches after their big blowout Friday morning, which Matsuyama beat Scottie, the only singles to lose. I wouldn't want to be ticking off Scottie Sheffler for anything after what he's done the last couple of years.

[0:10:24] AT: No. It's funny because I forget who I was even having. It was one of my friends I was having a conversation with, and we're just talking about — his whole year has just been unreal. I mean, from the wins to the arrest, everything. It's like, what a year the guy's had.

[0:10:41] AG: He's the people's guy, I think. I love to watch him play golf.

[0:10:45] AT: And everybody likes him.

[0:10:47] AG: I think everybody likes that.

[0:10:47] BC: I saw a stat this morning. He's been the world number one for 90 weeks now, which is very impressive. Only 13 more years of being number one, he'll catch Tiger Woods.

[0:10:57] AG: Wow. That's a lot of way to go.

[0:10:59] AT: That's a lot to ask for somebody. That's that is playing golf at a very high level for a long time. 

[0:11:06] AG: That's a stat that it's just –

[0:11:09] BC: Unbelievable. One of many. So, I saw that this morning and I had to throw that in there.

[0:11:13] AT: If Scottie gets half of that, he's probably gone way past what anybody's ever thought.

[0:11:19] BC: Don't rush more. He does half of it. 

[0:11:22] AT: It's beyond difficult.

[0:11:24] AG: But there's so much, there's so much, the level of play, it's so much better. The technology is there. It's hard for him to do what Tiger did. No matter how good Tiger was and how good Scottie is, he's just up against moral competition, I think.

[0:11:38] AT: It's true. I mean, the tour –

[0:11:38] BC: Yes and no, because a lot of great players are playing elsewhere at the moment. 

[0:11:44] AT: This is true.

[0:11:44] BC: But I think you could put them on the course these past couple of years, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference at his level of play. His ball striking has been insane, and his putting has only been a tick above average.

[0:11:57] AG: It's great. Did you hear about his putting? He knows every single backswing on his product.

[0:12:04] BC: It's much better than it's been.

[0:12:06] AG: He knows this much means this much that way. He's really worked it hard. 

[0:12:10] AT: The striking resemblance, at least for me, that when if you're comparing Scheffler and Tiger Woods is, Scheffler's recovery shots are – they're just like – remember Tiger Woods used to get himself in some awful spots.

[0:12:23] BC: He never hit a fair one.

[0:12:25] AT: And hit the greatest shots out of the junk you would ever see. When Scheffler gets himself into a bad position, he hits a great recovery shot. That's part of it. I mean, he's not beating himself.

[0:12:37] BC: The seasons going to go a little dormant now until next year. I know there's going to be some tournaments between now and then, but it's going to be pretty quiet. Let's see if he does it again. Can he keep this performance up, because it's almost an unreal pace?

[0:12:55] AG: I think he can do it. I think he's got that drive. It's something inside him. I see it on TV when I see him play. I think he can do it.

[0:13:01] AT: It's going to be interesting. I mean, I think if anybody can do it, he's got the demeanor. He doesn't seem to let a whole lot of thought –

[0:13:09] BC: And he has the swing.

[0:13:08] AT: He didn't let the rest bother him.

[0:13:10] AG: Yes. Exactly.

[0:13:11] BC: He's got the swing, which is like – he's got that weird follow-through, but that's all after he hits the ball. Whereas, streaky players like Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson who have had their moments of being some of the best in the world, that swing leaves them. They can't keep that consistent because they have so much activity going with their feet during the swing and through the swing. I think that's a big reason why they're not as consistent.

[0:13:43] AG: That's my problem, my feet. 

[0:13:45] AT: That's one of mine. Mine's a long list. 

[0:13:49] BC: But Scottie, when he has that weird finish, it's after he hits the ball. Everything until he hits the ball is just pure and very – he duplicates and replicates it.

[0:14:01] AT: Well, in the knock on, he was always putting. He couldn't putt. Now, that he putts —

[0:14:05] AG: He's practiced. He's got his own routine. I heard that last time he played. He's got a routine on his putting. If you say it's six feet, he knows how many inches to go back now. I got to figure that one out myself.

[0:14:15] AT: I've never figured out a putting routine. That's my problem.

[0:14:19] BC: The hole gets smaller. and smaller, and smaller for me. So, I think that's the problem.

[0:14:23] AT: I would like to, while we're still discussing the PGA Tour, I'm not sure if you had seen it yet, though. But I saw a snippet this morning that Jay Monahan is going to be playing golf with the –

[0:14:37] BC: With Yasir at the Dunhill. 

[0:14:39] AT: Yes. I guess they're playing in a group together or something like that. I don't know how significant that is to getting a deal done, but I figured it might be worth dropping in on while we're talking.

[0:14:49] BC: Well, let's drop it in. So, I've got some notes on that and I will go out of turn and do my tee'd off right now.

[0:14:56] AT: Oh, okay.

[0:14:58] BC: So, yes. They are playing together at the Dunhill Links at St. Andrews, which is great. They've had some New York meetings in recent weeks. My tee'd off is, I don't care anymore. So, you've got two funding mechanisms that control billions of dollars that can't find a deal. One of the most recent hangups are the money that the players are getting, and want to give some money back, and can't figure out rev share for players. LIV may have endless funds. They have a crap product that nobody watches and nobody's good to watch. Right now, they're not getting world golf ranking. So, the players are screwed. The PGA Tours got more money than we think.

[0:15:39] AG: Oh, yes, money.

[0:15:40] BC: Magically wave a wand in the last two years, the purses have gone up 40%. Where'd that money come from? It's all about money. It's not about the product on the course. It's not about the people watching it. I don't care anymore. I don't want to hear about Yasir and Jay Monahan doing stuff and meeting stuff. You give me a call when they get the deal done and the players get back. Other than that, I don't care. I put it in a category of how is Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift doing, I don't care anymore.

[0:16:08] AG: Exactly. He's fired up. 

[0:16:11] AT: I did not know I was going to get that out of what I said.

[0:16:14] BC: That's my tee'd off for this, that's how I feel about it.

[0:16:18] AT: Tee'd off on the PGA Tour and LIV.

[0:16:22] BC: You know what? It could be because it's college football season and the season is going dormant. If you ask me this question in April, it could change, because you're going to have some guys that are going to be left out of the Masters.

[0:16:32] AT: Well, yes, we start talking majors again.

[0:16:34] BC: And get excited in the golf bug. But for the time being, it's just another headline to me that has not proved — born any fruit.

[0:16:44] AT: Well, the PGA championship did announce that they were going to be allowing LIV players in. So, I'm sure the other majors are going to kind of follow soon.

[0:16:51] BC: Well, that's good.

[0:16:53] AT: Yes. I think they know they have to.

[0:16:54] BC: At least we could see them four times a year. 

[0:16:56] AT: Yes. I mean, take it where you can get it right now, I guess.

[0:17:00] BC: Yes. I don't fault the players for going after money. I don't fault the players that are staying loyal to the tour. I don't think the fight should be over their money and the fight is – the fact that that was an issue really tee'd me off, and it's billionaires battling with billionaires. The only losers, because all the players are getting paid more or have the opportunity to get paid more, are us. 

[0:17:25] AT: I do agree with you. I've become immune to money, money, money, money, money because it's all we hear about. As sports fans, it's all we hear about. The kid from – 

[0:17:35] BC: College sports, UNLV.

[0:17:35] AT: UNLV just left because he didn't get his hundred thousand dollars or whatever.

[0:17:40] BC: He left his player, his teammates, and stuff like that. There's parts of that that I understand, because he could have been promised stuff, and there's coaches that promise players things in the college level, and then they leave to go take more money somewhere else. I don't have an answer for it right now. The horses are out of the barn with money. It needs to be regulated. How? I don't know, but I just know that it's killing sports. 

[0:18:05] AG: It is killing sports. 

[0:18:07] BC: You see something like the President's Cup where they're not getting paid, and there's passion and stuff like that. We're getting further and further away from that, guys.

[0:18:16] AG: So, I'm going to say something. I don't know if this is correct for the show, but you've got police officers, you've got people serving us that get paid just enough to live. We've got people in sports making silly money, crazy money. Now, they're complaining about a few million here and a few million there. Something is wrong.

[0:18:35] AT: The average fan suffers for all of it.

[0:18:38] AG: Yes. We have to pay, right? The hot dog costs you 20 bucks. The beer costs you 20 bucks.

[0:18:42] AT: The ticket alone for whatever event you go.

[0:18:46] AG: It should be the other way. You take your family, take the kids, go watch golf, go watch baseball. This is all getting crazy. 

[0:18:53] BC: I'm fine with athletes getting paid. I mean the college sports, that's a whole another thing. But yes, everything's about money now, and it's just – I am so desensitized to it, and I see the headlines, and stuff like that, I'm just tired of it.

[0:19:07] AT: Yes. I'm the same way because, whether it's Sports Center, or whatever, whatever show I'm watching, it's like, as soon as the talk turns to money, it's like, you just kind of zone out. You don't even pay attention to it, which is sad.

[0:19:22] BC: It is sad, because I love sports, all of them. I'm knowledgeable enough about every sport to be dangerous, and I love –

[0:19:29] AG: I see that. 

[0:19:30] BC: I'll talk about every sport you want to it. So, it hurts because it's different even than when I was a kid. I don't see a way up.

[0:19:40] AT: No. If anything, it's only going to dig deeper, I think is going to be the problem. 

[0:19:46] BC: Well, let's wrap up the front nine and move to something a lot happier and a lot better, which would be AJ, and East Coast Golf, and the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. You ready to jump in to making the turn?

[0:19:58] AT: Let's do it.

[0:19:59] BC: Let's do it.

[SPONSOR MESSAGE]

[0:20:03] ANNOUNCER: Planning an unforgettable Myrtle Beach golf getaway has never been easier with mbgolf.com. At mbgolf.com, we give you the power of choice in pairing world-class golf with premium options from golf course villas to oceanfront condominiums brought to you by Condo-World, the leaders in Myrtle Beach luxury travel. Make your next day in play journey to the golf capital of the world, the experience of a lifetime. It's all just a call or click away.

[EPISODE CONTINUES]

[0:20:42] ANNOUNCER: Making the turn.

[0:20:46] BC: Okay, making the turn. We're here with AJ Gohil, VP of Sales and Business Development of East Coast Golf Management. They're famous for the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, 29 premium courses in the Myrtle Beach area. AJ, you are a veteran of the Myrtle Beach Golf scene. Every guest that comes on, I ask them two questions. One, how did you get into the sport of golf? Then two, how did you turn golf into a profession in Myrtle Beach?

[0:21:12] AG: So, veteran means I'm getting old. I didn't know golf. I grew up in England, born in '68. As I'm growing up, golf was for the rich and famous. I saw a putt part three type of thing one time and played it. You run in two clubs and you went. That was all I knew. Fast forward, I get here 30 years ago. We're in business, sold the businesses after a few years, and then I got involved in a job. It was just a job. Hey, I want to try this. There's a maintenance job down the road, I'll do it part-time. See what it's all about. Well, that six-month part-time job turned into a 33-year career in golf, in Myrtle Beach.

[0:21:52] BC: Love it. 

[0:21:52] AG: So, I didn't know anything about golf. I'll tell you a quick story about how much I knew about golf. I was doing maintenance. They said, "You got promoted. You're going to go set the course up. Make the holes, pin placement, Long Bay Club number six." It's got the green where it's got like, I don't know. It's deep, right? The gully, I call it. I put it right in the middle. I didn't know, nobody told me. So then, from there, the superintendent is screaming, the pro was screaming at him, "Who the hell did that?" They find me, I'm like, "What did I do?"

[0:22:26] AT: So were the golfers.

[0:22:27] AG: Yes, some of the golfers.

[0:22:28] AT: "Who did that?" I said, "It seems interesting."

[0:22:33] BC: There you go. Super intendant’s revenge.

[0:22:35] AG: Yes, exactly. That's how much I knew about golf. I thought everybody in uniform, like everybody had a logoed shirt. They must be employees, I didn't know. People actually bought logoed stuff from golf courses, because they wanted to go back and show it off. So, it was never the game that got me into it. But now that I've been around it, I call myself – he knows – we played golf quite a bit, Aaron and I. I'm the professional hacker. I say that because I suck at golf. Now, I didn't realize I sucked even more 20-something years ago when I started playing golf, but I just love it. You're out there, you're out there four and a half hours, five hours with some buddies, have a couple of cocktails. But now, it's like, I got to go play golf. I get paid to play golf. I get paid to show off my golf courses. So, it wasn't the golf that got me in, it was just making a stream of income that ended up being a career.

[0:23:27] BC: Extremely interesting, because we have a lot of pros, local pros on that it's always, "I play golf in high school or I play golf in college, and then I would vacation here, and you know no better place to have a job in golf than in Myrtle Beach," and so on, and so forth. But you, you did it, you had a job to pay the bills and ended up falling in love with the game at the same time.

[0:23:49] AG: Exactly. It was just, life takes you in different directions. If you had told me when I was a little boy in England that I was going to be part of this huge, great management, golf management company, I'd say, "You must be talking about somebody else." But here I am, it's a beautiful place to be, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. You make lifelong friends, like both of you guys. I've known you guys for a long time.

[0:24:13] AT: I was just a kid when I started in the business, and AJ's one of the first people I met.

[0:24:19] AG: I remember. I used to go down to see him at the hotel, and he was a young kid, he was in college. I thought he was still in college, but apparently, somehow, he switched it into a real job. Ever since, we try to get together at least. Unfortunately, for him, I try to get him out at least once a month, like, "Come on, let's go play." He has to put up with my – am I doing this right? What do I need to do?

[0:24:38] AT: Vastly improved over the years though, AJ. I will give you that credit.

[0:24:41] BC: Golf is, one, socially. Golf's incomparable for sport, it's the most socially fun and great sport. But also, whether you're a hacker or not, you never get a dunk of basketball like LeBron James. But you could hit a shot tomorrow that Tiger Woods couldn't match. That to me is that ultimate equalizer for golf and you can do it until you're 70, 80, 90 years old, and still pull off shots like that. That's why I love the game so much because you can be the best in the world for a brief moment.

[0:25:15] AG: For that brief moment. I have one. I have a story. So, it was a group of us playing Captain Choice. My favorite game, Captain Choice, because that way, you can let the pro hit that long, and play up 77 yards out, sand wedge. Man, I've never seen anything like it. I hit the pole, flagstick and it went in the hole. I'm looking, and everyone's like, "You don't have your camera out." I said, "How can I have my camera out? I'm taking the shot." Because normally, I have the cameras out. You know that.

[0:25:42] AT: We're the selfie stick.

[0:25:43] AG: Yes, selfie stick. So, I had it on Facebook within 30 seconds. It was on Facebook. But that feeling that that I had, that's what keep –

[0:25:52] BC: It chase it forever.

[0:25:53] AG: Exactly. I haven't had a hole in one yet. I don't know what I will do if I get a hole in one.

[0:25:57] BC: You will get one.

[0:25:58] AG: I hope so.

[0:25:59] BC: I've got one.

[0:26:00] AT: Well, you got to buy drinks for everybody. 

[0:26:02] AG: Well, that day, I was buying drinks for everybody because we were entertaining everybody in the industry. We had an outing at the golf course. It would have been good that day. 

[0:26:09] BC: Yes. Aaron, have you got a hole-in-one?

[0:26:10] AT: No. I had no hole-in-one for me. No, I've been close many times, but never, no. Never got. I mean, I'm talking like I've been right on the cup, but no.

[0:26:23] AG: So, we played in the First Tee, a few Sundays ago. First Tee Tournament. He was on fire. Anybody out here that needs to play with the few bets, don't bet against Aaron. He was on fire. I mean, I'm surprised that you didn't haven't had a hole-in-one. Those things were close.

[0:26:37] AT: No, I do not.

[0:26:38] AG: You were hitting it.

[0:26:39] AT: I have my moments.

[0:26:42] AG: That was good.

[0:26:42] AT: That was actually, though, because I did actually, I put forth a little effort that day because we were doing the First Tee. So, obviously, you want to show the kids the right way of things to do. 

[0:26:50] AG: Sure. Yes, we had juniors.

[0:26:53] AT: Yes. I was probably a little more serious about my golf game that day than usual, but most days, there's not a lot of cares for me. So, we were molding the young minds of the golf community.

[0:27:04] BC: Yes. You got to be a good influence.

[0:27:05] AG: He was. He was he was giving the youngster tips after the first, off to six holes.

[0:27:10] AT: Not many tips. Not many tips. So, I don't I don't need to be ruining someone's golf game.

[0:27:15] BC: Aaron is our resident player here in golf. So, if you want to book a package, or book a lesson.

[0:27:21] AT: No, no, no, no lessons. I'll talk golf with you all day, but the lessons, I'll stay away from. 

[0:27:27] BC: Well, AJ, tell us about East Coast Golf Group, and then we'll jump into the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. But tell us about your position there, what do you do, and y'all's philosophy at East Coast Golf. 

[0:27:38] AG: East Coast Golf Company, Golf Course Management, if we look at who are the people that put this company together, Mike Buccerone, Rob Mosser, Chris Hendrick, and myself. I always joke that if we add the years of golf management experience, it's like 150 years. All of us, we're guys that have worked every single level in the golf industry. We've worked backdrop. I've actually been a beverage cart attendant for the day. We've done it all.

Our philosophy is, we've been there, we've done that. We want to use our skills to help ownership, people that own the golf course is giving them the best market share possible. We want all of our employees to succeed in the golf industry. If you want to be a PGA professional, we have the guys that will make it successful for you. We will put all the tools necessary to make sure that you are a success if that's what you want to be.

We just got some management contracts. So, we've got a lot of employees now, which is new to us. We now manage International Club, Wachesaw East, we've always managed, Sea Trail, three golf courses, a convention center, townhouses, and vacation camps.

[0:28:57] BC: So much going on there.

[0:28:59] AG: So much. We're managing them courses, Rivers Edge. I merged with East Coast Golf six years ago. Can I go back a little bit to how that happened?

[0:29:08] BC: Sure you can. Yes.

[0:29:10] AG: This is funny because I was sitting there at Condor-World when we were across the street. After 22 and a half years, the company I worked from, Myrtle Beach National, was bought out by another company. No big deal, it happens. This was three weeks into the deal, new ownership. I used to stop at Condo-World all the time, once a week. In them days, there was a lot of stops you could go and see people. But they ask me, "What's going on, AJ? How are you doing there? How's everything with the new company?" I said, "I'm not sure. We're still figuring it out." So, I got the email to say, "You're out." That was a Thursday.

Your team told me at that time, and Aaron was somewhere else, and he told me, "I had about 10 people in the industry. So, wherever you go, we'll take care of you." Monday morning, I had my own golf marketing company. So, that was Worldwide Golf Marketing. All of my friends in the industry, whatever courses I was promoting, marketing, they were supporting. I would grow my company, and I thank them very much for that. So, that worked out.

That was my other out of Myrtle Beach National, I'm doing the same thing, relationships, making sure that your golf directors have all the tools they need to sell and create more business. and bring it to town. That was on the conduit. That's what they called me. Golf courses to the vacation companies.

I did that for six years. Me and Mike Buccerone were friends for 25, 30 years same with Rob Mosser. Chris Hendrick had just come into town four or five years prior. We worked together with the National Golf Management, which was part of Myrtle Beach National. Bucc is like, "Okay. We got to get together." So, we all got together. I said, "Hey, my baby, your baby, let's just keep one baby together." That's how I ended up being part of East Coast Golf six years ago, six years in June. I'm looking forward to seeing where we go.

We are the underdogs, I used to call myself six years ago when I got that email, but we're not. We are the guys that are now going to help the next generation, and just keep the golf capital of the world going in the right direction. That's where we are now. I'm like proud to say we've got an amazing golf management company. We market our golf courses in the Grand Strand, the golf capital of the world as the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail.

[0:31:28] AT: Which is definitely that concept was brought up while you were on your own. I think I was in on that conversation that the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, just the concept, the idea of it was brought up just during I think a lunch meeting one day, and then it just took off from there. 

[0:31:45] AG: Well, my friends were helping me. I was like, "Okay. I've never worked for anybody, but one company since I moved here." I was always in business, and I did businesses while I do all of this. Some people call me a serial entrepreneur, but I just can't stay still. So, I'd say, "Hey, what do you think?" I mean, I'm talking to Jim Woodring, a great mentor of mine and to many in the industry. I'm asking Jim, and I'm asking Aaron, and I'm asking you, Aaron was like, "Yes, Myrtle Beach Golf Trail." Because Jim says to me, "Why don't you do Myrtle Beach Golf Trail?" I was going to do Grand Strand Golf Trail. He's like, "Do Myrtle Beach Golf Trail."

Well, somebody owned the website, so I'm just like, "This is where the lid of leadership —“ I wasn't there. Just like McDonald's, he had two or three restaurants, and now it's the biggest real estate company in the world because he had partners that helped him. Aaron was part of that. Rob Mosser, as I'm now with East Coast Golf, we talk about it. Next thing I know, they've done their magic and boom, we got the trademarks, we got the name, everything is a go. That's what I love about working together as a group. So, East Coast Golf is family, just like the rest. Like Aaron is part of my family, you're part of the family.

This Grand Strand area, the golf capital of the world, we do business, competitors compete, but they help one another. I don't think any other area has that.

[0:33:06] BC: Definitely a tight-knit community. 

[0:33:07] AT: We discussed that; I believe that was with The Salty Golfer. We were talking about just the area when the golf community pulls together for any cause, they seem to really do a fantastic job of whatever it is.

[0:33:19] BC: Well, it's such a unique destination. One, the volume of courses, and volume of good courses in such a small area is rare. But to be such a tight-knit group, you really can't go to a golfing event and not rub shoulders with somebody that you go way back with. Exactly. I think that's a testament to the people involved and look at the product that it's creating.

[0:33:45] AG: Oh, yes. It's amazing. Talking about product, since COVID, our golf courses, I can speak for the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail courses, they've elevated. The quality of the courses spent in hundreds, if not millions of dollars. So, that's good. We're stepping up our game. It just keeps getting better.

[0:34:04] BC: I definitely think so. I've spoken to this on multiple episodes. There's before the bookends of the courses, the top of the line, and then the most economical. There's a pretty big disparity. That is really tightened up now. The product of play, no matter which course you choose, is really a great experience for the end user. That's a testament to what you guys are doing.

[0:34:28] AT: And not just the course, the facilities. Everybody is putting money into their facilities. I mean, with Sea Trail.

[0:34:36] BC: Yes. You mentioned Sea Trail. We had Corey Bowers on.

[0:34:38] AG: Yes. We love Corey.

[0:34:39] BC: He's the pro at Sea Trail, and he was dropping some knowledge on us on the millions of dollars that Sea Trail is putting into, not only their golf courses, but the surrounding areas, convention center, multiple restaurants, and bars. Hotels coming, accommodations have been completely renovated. It's going to be a golfing destination. AJ. I know that you hosted with the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail a big provider outing out there, and Aaron, you went and it was a bunch of fun. Could you give us an update on what is going on out there at Sea Trail since we had Corey?

[0:35:20] AG: Sure. Sure. So much is going on. It's crazy. I was going there for 10 days, and I do a little video to update everybody that couldn't get out there. I'm like, "What are you guys doing?" I mean, just the quality, the convention center, you walk in there, and you think you're at some grand casino, it's just beautiful. Big rooms, they've got restaurants, 55 Bistro. You walk in there and it's a sports bar, you've got different games you can play, you got pool, but it's very fancy. It's not like a bar –

[0:35:55] BC: But it's a fancy place.

[0:35:56] AT: It's upscale, is the best word for it.

[0:35:56] AG: Upscale. Upscale is the word. The bar itself, whatever you want, they've got professional people that can make different types of mocktails and cocktails. 

[0:36:04] AT: I can confirm that.

[0:36:07] AG: I mean, they got chefs. Not one chef, but they got chefs that can do five-star dining and wining. That's just the convention center bar, 55 Bistro. Now, there's a prime steakhouse in the club.

[0:36:24] AT: Sunset Prime.

[0:36:25] AG: Sunset Prime. Imagine walking into whoever's been there before. It's different. We gutted everything out. There's a restaurant. The bar itself has 50 seats around the bar.

[0:36:38] BC: Aaron mentioned, the bar has got this great view of the 18 holes, and it rivals that of Pinehurst.

[0:36:44] AT: Yes. It reminds me of the cradle because you can sit there, and watch the golfers coming in. Then, they've also got a great outdoor bar that you can sit and do the same thing. I mean, it's impressive. I was fortunate enough to – I went with AJ. This was a while back when they were just starting the renovations. I got to see the groundbreaking of it. Then, to go back a couple of weeks ago, and see –

[0:37:08] AG: Lots of groundbreaking.

[0:37:10] AT: Yes, literally. To see what has come from that is very impressive. They've done an excellent job.

[0:37:18] BC: The investment on the courses too.

[0:37:20] AG: Oh, yes. The Byrd is being redone as we speak. It should be opening up real soon. If it hasn't already opened by the time we air this –

[0:37:27] AT: Yes. We're October 2nd, I believe they are. Yes.

[0:37:30] AG: New greens, trees down where they've overgrown, so there's more air and wind, and the grass is going to be beautiful. It's almost like, the project was a dream for anybody that wants to be in the golf industry. It was a product that had great bones, needed a lot of money, and a lot of talent. Everything was given to us, the tools were given to us as a management company, and it's probably going to be talked about once it's completely finished. The hotel is done in a few years, and there's brand new townhouses by the way, 27 brand new townhouses, where we stayed in.

You can stay there, play there, eat there. You don't have to go anywhere. Now, obviously, we wanted to stay with you down here too. We can shuttle them up there too. Spend the day, spend two days, whatever you want to do. But the they've got a pizza. I'm celiac, so I have to be careful where I eat. I love the pizza there. It's a cauliflower pizza. I know it's cooked in a special oven. That's my selfish reason for going there every 10 days.

[0:38:31] BC: There you go.

[0:38:33] AG: But brand-new townhouse. Let's see, there's so much, the Sunset Cove. It was an area below the clubhouse. Years ago, it was used maybe as a halfway house. It'd been like a Shed for stuff. I saw it one day; it was a mess. Ten days later, it's like a high-end little snack bar. You go in there, and you can actually buy gloves in there, golf balls in there.

[0:38:57] AT: Underwear.

[0:38:57] AG: Underwear.

[0:39:00] BC: What in the world happened on the front-nine?

[0:39:03] AG: They're thinking about the golfer. If you want to go upstairs and grab a drink, fine. You want to go down here, grab a drink. It's amazing. Going back to people spending money, Prestwick has done so much out there over the last year. International Club is getting ready to open up the clubhouse. Another, I'm going to call it, I don't know, a new look, high-tech sports bar type of clubhouse. 

[0:39:27] AT: Well, you've been posting a lot of it on, I see on social media. I've seen, I know what the original product was there, it doesn't even look remotely the same. It's unreal.

[0:39:39] AG: So, everybody thought I was really going for pizzas, right? My pizzas, but I was like, "You got to get there, because you got to touch it, feel it." Just like a real estate agent would talk about. I understood what they meant because when I said –

[0:39:50] BC: Pictures don't do it justice.

[0:39:51] AG: It doesn't do it justice. When they sat there at 55 Bistro, and everybody's having a great time after their round of golf, everyone's happy, the energy. The food's amazing, the drinks are amazing, but the energy of the employees and the members out there, they'll welcome anybody that's on a golf vacation. You're going to feel like, "Wow, I'm a member for the day. This is great." So, that's why I go, it's not because there's the pizza. I just have to let these guys feel it.

[0:40:20] BC: Well, thank you for the update on Sea Trail. I mean, that is really product that is unique to the Myrtle Beach area. Then, you've touched on other courses that are making upgrades. So, let's drop a new package into the mix here with the premium collection of courses that the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail has. I have a nice bag here that you've brought that will come off this microphone after the show and go in my golf bag. Below it says, "Trailblazer." AJ, tell us about the Trailblazer package with Myrtle Beach Golf Trail.

[0:40:57] AG: I sure will. So, we took all our friends in the golf industry, the golf providers, golf directors like Aaron for a two-day trip. We normally take them out of the area, just so that we have them for two days. They can't go back home, can't do anything. So, we said, let's do it at Sea Trail. Three years ago, we launched a package that was huge. After listening to golf directors and getting the feedback, what do your customers want? We said, "We got to do something. While we got them at Sea Trail, let's do something."

Some of our team members talked to the vendors, TaylorMade, and said, "We want to do something with you. Let's do a package." The package is called the Trailblazer. You're blazing down the trail. You're traveling the trail. This nice pouch here, hopefully everybody can see it. It says Trailblazer. It tells you the golf courses that are all involved. Basically, you book two or more rounds, because who wants to come here for one day, right? You got to play at least three to five rounds of golf when you get here, but two or more. So, you could play five on this as long as there's a minimum of two.

On your first day at the golf course, after Aaron's done the bookings for you, the staff in the pro shop will give you this bag so you can put all your goodies in there. Then, then you get a sleeve of these golf balls. There's a nice logo on there. I think you forgot yours, didn't you?

[0:42:20] AT: I did. Yes, let me see that. I know the logo, but it is a good logo.

[0:42:25] AG: I think this is Aaron's bag because I found one because I didn't have one for myself.

[0:42:29] AT: I think I left it behind by accident.

[0:42:31] AG: So, they got a sleeve of this. I mean, how nice is that? "Hey, Mr. Smith. Thanks for coming today. Welcome to the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, playing the Trailblazer package. I've got a gift for you. There's your sleeve of balls just in case you have a bad round on your first round, and don't forget the range balls if the facility has a range. The range balls are complimentary today. We also have lunch and two drinks covered.”

[0:42:58] BC: Wow.

[0:42:59] AG: “Now, Mr. Smith, if you feel like playing more golf today, we can book you your replay at a special price.” It's actually just a replay rate, which is like nothing. So, just benefit, after benefit, after benefit. We hope to add more to this, but right now, I think this is a great added value. Aaron's the expert. Is this something your customers will like? We've listened to you and other golf directors and wanted to give you something that was added value without costing them anything. Everybody can pretend to add value, but this is great value. I mean, you got TaylorMade golf balls, added up the lunches, the drinks.

[0:43:38] AT: The range balls.

[0:43:39] AG: The range balls.

[0:43:41] AT: Yes. I think the two key words that you come away with are added value.

That is what every golfer is looking for, the people we talk to. It's that added value, and that offers some of the best-added value of any packages that are out there.

[0:43:59] BC: I love the welcome gift. That's unique. Like you said, this is a great start. That can vary. I love that. There's a lot of cool stuff that could fit in that bag.

[0:44:11] AT: In my defense, that just shows I didn't need golf balls that weekend.

[0:44:15] BC: Yes, there you go.

[0:44:16] AT: I played pretty well.

[0:44:17] BC: If I would have come, I would have had the bag but an empty box. 

[0:44:20] AT: My box would have been gone too.

[0:44:23] AG: You can put a bottle of crown in here too. Aaron, what do you think?

[0:44:26] AT: I've got a lot of ideas for that bag. 

[0:44:28] BC: What a value out there. But no, the Trailblazer package, I imagine it's going to be very popular with our golf packages made on mbgolf.com. Aaron, when will that Trailblazer package be available?

[0:44:42] AT: It is available for our spring groups. It is starting in March of this year. I believe first of March, if I'm correct.

[0:44:49] AG: March the first is the first day of play. We already had people, because they won't to listen to me, because they had a few too many. Maybe I bought them too many drinks, and they're trying to book it for February, but they have to be back to the trail. I'm like, "Dude, it's March the first." I said, "Thank you."

[0:45:02] AT: Yes, you can book it now, but you just can't play. The play begins March the 1st. So, you can feel free, give us a call. We can book it for you. It's got to be for spring play. 

[0:45:12] AG: Because think about it, we have to order all these golf balls. There's going to be a ton of golf balls. We've got to make all these bags. We've got to be ready for it. So logistically, that's why we picked March. We'd love to have them come early, but we just can't get everything ready in time. So, it's going to be a great package. I think people are going to have a good time with it. It's great golf courses. From North Myrtle Beach, from your condos, they can go for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, either direction, and boom.

[0:45:41] AT: The food and beverage options, I mean, I know from experience, the courses that are involved there, their food and beverage are fantastic. 

[0:45:49] BC: Yes, full restaurants, guys. I mean, this isn't a snack bar. I mean, this is real, real food while you're playing, and that's great.

[0:45:56] AT: Yes. Of course, the beverages that goes without saying.

[0:45:59] AG: Exactly.

[0:45:59] BC: Oh, you got to say.

[0:46:01] AG: I think we have a stipulation here for Aaron. Let's see. Yes, there it is.

[0:46:05] AT: I saw the asterisk on it when I was looking at the package. I was like, there's a reason why there's an asterisk there. 

[0:46:12] AG: It says beer, not crown.

[0:46:15] BC: Well, the Trailblazer package and all of the packages offered by Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, you are almost guaranteed to have a great time because of the product that is put out there. AJ, thank you so much for joining us to give us a scoop on your story, on how you became a veteran in the Myrtle Beach Golf industry, a superstar in the Myrtle Beach Golf industry. We appreciate your friendship and glad you joined us today. Would you mind sticking around while we jump on the back nine and talk a little more about Myrtle Beach Golf?

[0:46:46] AG: Sure, sure.

[0:46:47] BC: Let's do it.

[0:46:50] ANNOUNCER: The back nine.

[0:46:54] BC: Okay, the back nine. So, we were listening about the Trailblazer package, amongst other packages that the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail offers. At mbgolf.com, we've got every package you can imagine for every course down here. Aaron, how is Spring 2025 looking?

[0:47:10] AT: Still booking. Yes. We haven't let up. The bookings have stayed strong. I'm sure, I know we talked numbers the last time, but we're still on that same pace. So, spring tea times are booking and booking fast. 

[0:47:23] BC: And we're pacing ahead. 

[0:47:24] AT: Yes.

[0:47:25] BC: Book now. I'm a broken record. Book now. Book now. Book now.

[0:47:29] AT: Because by the time we get to next month, December, and you're like, "Oh, it is time to play in my golf vacation." Yes, you'll get some tee times, but they're probably not going to be the time of the day you're looking for, or things like that. There's going to be a lot less availability.

[0:47:46] BC: Mbgolf.com's a great resource to look at packages and see what the offerings are like the Trailblazer, but also look at tee time availability. So, it updates live and you can see what tea times are available, and which days, and courses, and time periods are filling up. Then, we've got an online chat feature, and a phone number to call, to talk to a golf expert. We're all here in North Myrtle Beach. Aaron and his team are ready to help you book your next getaway and golf package to Myrtle Beach.

Somewhere that is just always, just perpetually popular to stay in North Myrtle Beach, Aaron, is the Crescent Shores right outside my window here in Crescent Beach, on the oceanfront in North Myrtle Beach. It's got some of the largest two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and four-bedroom oceanfront condos in all of Myrtle Beach.

[0:48:40] AT: Yes, four-bedroom, three-bath, and four-bedroom, four-bath.

[0:48:42] BC: With great bedding options. They sleep up to 16 people, and a lot of beds, and it's just fully equipped kitchens, private balconies, huge floor plans, designer furnishings. AJ, the golfers just love the Crescent Shores. Aaron, they're filling up fast.

[0:49:03] AT: They are. One thing to say is location, location, location. It's in a prime spot of town. It's not far from any golf course, no matter which direction you want to go, central to restaurants, great restaurants in North Myrtle Beach area. So, bars, if you want to go out and get a drink.

[0:49:22] AG: That's what I was pointing at. I was pointing at a bar.

[0:49:23] BC: It is next door to an Irish pub too, if you don't want to drive.

[0:49:25] AG: I was pointing at a bar. So. let me ask you a question. When you say sleep 16, that's vacationers. How about golfers? I know there's a different setup.

[0:49:34] BC: There are plenty of bed options.

[0:49:37] AT: Typically, the four bedrooms will have six beds. So general setup is two kings, four queens. The bedding, regardless, and we know that's a big deal for our golf groups because small beds aren't necessarily a fun thing for golf groups. That's one of the main reasons Crescent Shores is one of our more popular properties because the bedding is what the golf groups are looking for. 

You typically would do, if you want to do six golfers to a four bedroom, you could, or you could do five to a three, just based on the bedding. Some do have a little different bedding schematics, but we work that out amongst the golf groups. and what they need, give them the options that work best for them.

[0:50:19] AG: Because as you get older, you want a little bit more space. The old days when you had a little tiny bed, and you're six foot two, and the bed's only like four feet.

[0:50:26] AT: I've gotten to my spot in life. If I do a golf trip with my friends, which will be coming up on my tee'd off, I need my own room.

[0:50:34] BC: Yes. Well, at Crescent Shores, you can get that done, and a lot of people request that, and request options so that they have their own beds, their own bedrooms, or even their own bathrooms. The Crescent Shores is definitely an accommodation you want to keep high on your list when you're planning your next golf trip with mbgolf.com.

Aaron, you mentioned tee'd off. So, last part of the show, AJ, we talk about something that may grind our gears about the game of golf or a personal story we have about the business of golf. I'm not tee'd off at all today.

[0:51:07] AT: You already got that. You got that out.

[0:51:10] BC: Mines are already gone. 

[0:51:12] AG: Don't stop that. Don't stop me. 

[0:51:15] BC: So, I have taken the last 45 minutes or so to calm down. So, I would like to hear about y'all's tee'd offs. Aaron, what tees you off?

[0:51:21] AT: I don't know so much tees me off, but it's just a – it's more of a comical story. I recently did a golf trip with some friends, and we had caddies and had a great time. I won't say where we were, what we did. I don't want to incriminate my caddy because he was one of the best caddies, quite honestly, I ever had, I've had a few rounds where I played with caddies and this guy was phenomenal. So, I don't want anybody to think he teed me off, by any means. But we had some drinks, had a good time, and don't think too much about it, left the next day.

I don't even look at my golf clubs for a week, and go to play my first round to golf, and reach into my bag, and I'm like, "I got my club short. I don't have a 6-iron." My 6-iron was missing and I reached out to my buddies, said, "Hey, any chance maybe a club got put in your bag?" "No." "No." "No." I don't even think they bothered to look at the time. It was just, "Nah." 

I reached out to the caddy, and poor guy, he checked, he's like, "Nothing in lost and found, this and that." Only to find out that my 6-iron had made its way back to Pittsburgh. 

[0:51:21] BC: It was in your buddy's bag.

[0:52:37] AT: It was in my buddy's bag. 

[0:52:38] BC: How in the world does that happen?

[0:52:40] AT: I'm not sure. There were plenty of drinks that day, and we had a great time. I mean, it was just friends having a good time. I'm sure it wasn't me, but I know I think it was just one of those. It was the last hole of the day, and you're scrambling, you're coming in, they're trying to get stuff put away. I think it just got placed – I mean, I had a good laugh about it, because I even chalked it up. I told my buddy, I was like, I said, "Because I had such a good time, I was just going to consider a 6-iron sacrifice for a good cause, and leave it at that." 

Luckily, it was found in one of my buddy's bags. They were playing in a Cherry tournament, I think the week after I asked him, and somebody happened to be looking through and said, "Uh, I don't play TaylorMade."

[0:53:27] BC: I was thinking maybe you were green side somewhere and you had done a bump and run with your 6-iron, and one of your buddies picked it up and put it in their bag themselves or something.

[0:53:36] AT: No, and I'll be honest. I think, coincidentally.

[0:53:39] AG: I'll put my hand up. I'll tell you that in a minute.

[0:53:39] AT: Coincidentally, he had one of my clubs a while back. But I think what it was, I actually hit a 6-iron on the last hole because we actually played the back nine first. So, it was a par three, it was our finishing hole number nine. If I recall, I did hit a 6-iron, and I think I was carrying it with me up to the green. I think the caddy picked it up, but probably, we're all up there just, you know –

[0:54:07] BC: Thought he put it in your bag, but he didn't.

[0:54:08] AT: Yes, it was just one of those things. I'm positive I laid it down, I'm sure I didn't put it in the bag. Because if I would, I would have known my golf bag. But like I said. we were having drinks that day. So, I'm not going to place the blame on anybody, but my 6-iron has been through a couple of states, and I haven't touched it in weeks.

[0:54:29] BC: There you go. Well, that's an interesting one. I wouldn't say you were tee'd off, but it's certainly interesting. 

[0:54:36] AT: No. Like I said, I was willing to chalk it up to a 6-iron sacrifice for what was a great golf trip with friends.

[0:54:42] BC: Cool. 

[0:54:43] AG: I got to tell you what happened to his club. How did they get in my bag?

[0:54:46] BC: Is this a bonus tee at all?

[0:54:48] AG: Is it a bonus? No, this is not a bonus. I didn't mean to do it. So, I lost my 7-iron about, I don't know, it must be a full moon out there. But I lost mine six, eight weeks ago. I said, "Aaron, did you see my club?" He said, "Nope. Nope." So, I called everybody, no. I haven't found it, my 7-iron. We played golf during the First Tee Tournament, and he calls me like four days later. He said, "Hey, by any chance, you got my wedge or something in your bag."

[0:55:14] AT: Because you would have to pick up my sand wedge, would you? I'm having a club month.

[0:55:19] AG: Yes. I had it in there. I said, "I don't know. I mean, I was picking up clubs for you, man. I don't know." Anyway, I thought that was mine. So, my tee'd off. What tees me off? I don't really get teed off. I'm just that kind of guy, I'll just brush it off, and it's okay. But I had to think of something that tees me off at times is, I wine and dine people all the time, I take them to the golf courses. Then, sometimes somebody invites somebody. So, somebody that it's important to me, somebody I like, their guest. Now, you got the carts go to the right, get off the fairways. Here they are, right up to the green.

[0:55:57] BC: VIP.

[0:55:58] AG: Yes, they think they're VIP because they're playing with me. I'm like, "Dude, that's the worst thing you can do is, when you're playing with me, it's got to be straight and narrow, 100%." I kind of tell the guy nicely, "Hey, guys, you got to watch out for these signs." They ignore it, they ignore it. Now, I feel like I'm the personal ranger. I'm fuming and it's ruined my game. I can't take care of the guest that I wanted to take care because this guy thinks it's his golf course that he owns and is maintaining. I almost want to call the pro shop and say, "Hey, guys, get out here, and give this guy hell." But I'm like –

[0:56:32] BC: You'd be the bad guy.

[0:56:33] AG: Yes, I'll be the bad guy, but I just let it go. But they forget. They think — People that disrespect the signs on the courses is what tees me off. There's a reason for it.

[0:56:43] BC: Yes.

[0:56:43] AT: Yes, they are, and I couldn't agree more. Nothing irritates me more than seeing somebody drive a car right up to the green. Handicap, I completely get it. I understand all that. But somebody willing and able, and you drive it right up to the green, oh, it just irritates me.

[0:56:58] BC: Yes. It's either entitlement or laziness. I think outside of handicap, it's just –

[0:57:04] AG: I think it's just being rude, arrogant, entitled. Then, I've had owners that have said to me, "If there's somebody disabled and it's rained, do what you can to make sure they have the best experience." That person has respected and done the best they can, walked an extra 10 steps that they shouldn't have to respect the course. But these guys are like, "Oh, yeah, yippee, let's go. Let's throw in cigarette butts."

[0:57:27] BC: Oh, that was my tee'd off last episode.

[0:57:29] AG: That was it? Okay.

[0:57:30] BC: Was the cigarette butts and the cigar butts. Come on.

[0:57:33] AG: Yes. Yes. It's just, come on guys, leave it better than you found it, right? That's why we repair too.

[0:57:39] BC: Golden rule, man.

[0:57:40] AT: There's a trash can on every hole. 

[0:57:42] AG: Somebody posted something the other day about a trash can that was overflowing. People were just dumping outside the trash can. Come on guys. Leave it –

[0:57:52] BC: Wait until the next hole.

[0:57:53] AG: Exactly. Exactly. That's what tees me up, people that don't follow the signs.

[0:57:57] BC: They're there for a reason.

[0:57:58] AG: Exactly.

[0:57:58] BC: It's there to make the experience better for everybody. It's not there to make your experience worse.

[0:58:03] AG: That's right.

[0:58:04] BC: Great tee'd off. It was a great episode, AJ Gohil, VP of Sales and Business Development of East Coast Golf Group. Thank you so much for joining us.

[0:58:12] AG: Thanks for having me, guys.

[0:58:14] BC: Aaron, it was another great episode.

[0:58:15] AT: In episode 22. Hopefully, I'll have my 6-iron back.

[0:58:18] BC: All right. Happy fall, everyone. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time. 

[0:58:23] AT: Thank you.

[0:58:24] AG: Thank you

[END OF EPISODE]

[0:58:29] ANNOUNCER: Thanks for listening to Tee'd Off. Visit mbgolf.com and follow us on Instagram @teedoffpodcast for the latest episodes and news.

[END]