Episode 22: TGL Review and Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach!

In this episode of Tee’d Off, Ben and Aaron are joined by Bradley Vaughan, Sales and Marketing Manager at Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach. Together, they discuss the new TGL league, exploring its format, strengths, and areas for improvement, while offering insights on potential broadcast enhancements like advanced stats displays and pacing changes. The conversation delves into the cutting-edge technology behind the TGL’s virtual courses and undulating greens, bold predictions for the 2025 golf season, and key fixtures to watch in the year ahead. We also touch on golfers approaching Tiger Woods' legendary status, Marty Smith’s ability to connect with fans across sports, and Bradley’s personal golf journey. Plus, you’ll get an insider’s look at Legends' five signature courses, with expert tips for securing the best Myrtle Beach golf packages! Whether you're a seasoned golfer or a casual fan, this episode offers fresh perspectives and practical insights to elevate your appreciation of the game. To discover the secrets of Myrtle Beach’s top golfing destination, tune in today!

Transcript

EPISODE 22

[INTRODUCTION]

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

[EPISODE]

[0:00:18] BC: It is episode 22 of the Tee’d Off Podcast. I'm Ben Clyburn and I'm here with my co-host, Aaron Thomas. Aaron, how's it going, man?

[0:00:24] AT: Good, Ben. Happy New Year.

[0:00:25] BC: Happy New Year to you, too. Usually, we say it's golf weather, and although it's pretty outside, it's a little cold in Myrtle Beach right now.

[0:00:31] AT: For Myrtle Beach, it is. Yes, for this time of the year.

[0:00:33] BC: You can still hit the links, but mid-day, morning and late afternoon is not going to work.

[0:00:41] AT: No, no. Straight afternoon. Noon tee times are a prime right now.

[0:00:43] BC: Absolutely. We're joined today by Bradley Vaughan, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Legends Golf Resort. Bradley, thanks so much for taking the time to jump in the studio with us today.

[0:00:53] BV: Absolutely. It's a pleasure to be here, guys.

[0:00:55] BC: It’s going to be a lot of fun. Let's go over the 22nd episode agenda. The front nine in the world of golf, the TGL, we're a couple of weeks in, about to start the third week. We're going to go over what we like about it, what we don't like about it, and any suggestions, or thoughts we have on a new phase in the world of golf. Then the 2025 season preview in professional golf, so much is on the landscape. Let's just pick one bold prediction on what's going to happen this year, and then we'll follow up with it during the year to see if it happens.

Then we'll make the turn. It'll all be about Bradley Vaughan and Legends Golf Resort. We'll talk about his history in the game of golf and the profession of golf in Myrtle Beach. We'll break down the five amazing Legends courses and break down a signature holder, too, of those Legends courses. Then we'll hit the back nine and talk about a spring rounds update in Myrtle Beach, Dustin Johnson, World Juniors coming up and there's a special attendee that we'll talk about. The Myrtle Beach Classic Preview, April will be here before you know it. Then finally, last but not least, tee’d off. You guys ready to jump in?

[0:02:01] AT: Let's do it.

[0:02:01] BV: Ready. Let's do it.

[0:02:06] ANNOUNCER: The Front Nine.

[0:02:10] BC: Okay, the front nine, the world of golf. We're two weeks into the TGL, about to start the third week. We've seen a Tiger Woods sighting. I just want to get you guys’ basic thoughts on the TGL and let's just get this conversation started. I've got plenty of thoughts about it. Aaron, break down the TGL for me.

[0:02:29] AT: Oh, well, that could take a while. Based on –

[0:02:32] BC: We've got a while.

[0:02:34] AT: I mean, the first episode from what I understand was a success. I heard a million viewers, I think, for the first one.

[0:02:42] BC: Yeah, 900,000.

[0:02:43] AT: Yeah.

[0:02:43] BV: Yeah. That’s what I saw as well.

[0:02:45] AT: Which is fantastic. Obviously, a lot of rules and things to go over, get accustomed to.

[0:02:51] BV: The hammer?

[0:02:52] AT: The hammer. I mean, yeah, it was – I mean, there was a lot to take in on that first episode. I didn't feel like the second episode was quite as complex, because we understood not as many explanations and stuff going on. But yeah, interesting. I think I've mentioned to you, my first watching it, or the first episode or whatever we were watching that, I guess, it's just with the golf courses, or the layouts that you see him hitting in the simulator, as I said, I best described it as professional golfers playing Golden Tee, is what I felt like I was watching. I mean, it's an interesting concept. I'm still maybe adjusting to it a little bit, getting used to it, but I mean, there's still a lot to play. A lot that we haven't seen half the teams yet.

[0:03:39] BC: I know.

[0:03:40] AT: But they are going to need some more competitive matches.

[0:03:44] BC: That is something. Yeah. I mean, to get our – I've got plenty of thoughts on the league itself, but to have two boat races doesn't help. Kevin Kisner is 100% in announcer mode.

[0:03:55] AT: Yeah. 100%.

[0:03:56] BC: Yeah. I mean, whoo.

[0:03:58] AT: This goal he hit out of the bunker was highly hilarious.

[0:04:01] BC: Lucky it hit the pen, man.

[0:04:03] AT: It was taken out an audience member, if it didn't.

[0:04:07] BV: I was like, “Oh, my God. If that didn't hit the pen, is there a fan section right there?” Because that would just take somebody's eye out.

[0:04:14] BC: I don’t think there’s a fan. There’s nothing.

[0:04:15] AT: No. There's any netting. They might be considering that now.

[0:04:18] BC: Yeah. Seriously. I mean, that's like getting hit by a foul ball.

[0:04:21] AT: Which coincidentally, though, just a few swings before that, out of that, I think the same bunker, Tiger just –

[0:04:28] BV: Jumped it, right?

[0:04:28] AT: He jumped one. Yeah. He never even got it out of the bunker, which I thought was interesting.

[0:04:32] BC: Same sand they use at Augusta Nationals.

[0:04:34] AT: Yeah. Supposedly. Yeah. You took the words right out of my mouth. Interesting is how I would describe it. Some of the green grass aspects of it with the – that's really cool that they're actually hitting off of the real turf, or rough, or in the sand. I think at one point, Collin Morikawa last night had a bunker shot and had a lip that raised up out of the actual bunker.

[0:04:56] BC: I loved that.

[0:04:57] AT: That was pretty cool, I thought, right?

[0:04:58] BC: That was really neat.

[0:04:59] AT: There's some really cool things like that. But then, you could also see the guys, these guys are so, they're finely tuned there with their games. They know exactly how far a ball is traveling, right? You could see, a couple of times, especially on the shorter shots when they were hitting like, oh, wow, that traveled 130 yards. I don't hit it that far. There's maybe some technology aspects that are not quite paired up with their ability aspect at this point. That's going to be interesting to watch. I mean, Tiger hitting the ball in the water on the second hole, I believe it was where Charlie's put his head in his face.

[0:05:33] BC: The gala saying how jacked up he was. He was just pumping them out there, 30, 40 yards longer than – That's adrenaline. Also, maybe some inaccuracy with the tech and being inside and not having an atmosphere and stuff like that.

[0:05:49] AT: Absolutely.

[0:05:50] BC: It is, I want to love it. I don't quite love it. It is still interesting. I think, and I've said this before in previous episodes, what I don't like about LIV is that they're taking traditional golf and adding some cheesy factors to it, where TGL is a complete attraction in the sport of golf. The arcadiness to it is appropriate and welcomed. Some things I would like to see going forward is, and they'll figure it out, I think. I mean, it's so new, like you said. Biggest thing for me is slow down. I was dizzy from the camera changes and you don't get to see the stats, the ribbon and stats of how far the ball went. You see it for two or three seconds and then the next guy's hitting, and then they're switching to the green and switching to that, it's like, what's going on?

If they slowed down and dropped it to 12-hole matches, six triples, which I love the triples, by the way, six triples and the same six singles, that would allow them to increase the shot clock, spend more time setting up for their shots, and keeping a consistent camera angle on something. They have that huge screen that you play into. Then the two screens on the side that you can barely see on your television have the running score and have all those stats. The viewer at home doesn't see that.

[0:07:07] AT: It's very rare. You’re right. Every once in a while.

[0:07:09] BC: That needs to be on the television screen with you to support what you're seeing. I've hidden simulators before where I hit a ball and you've got the meter running with the yardage and already gives you your club head speed while the ball's in the air. I'd like to see that. There's a lot of stat things I'd like to see. I'd like to see a running score and them doing the math of the circumstances on when the match is closed out, or what the other team needs to do to stay alive. I was busy doing math before the singles started. I was like, I'm pretty sure that if they win one hole, they could tie the rest and it's over. Tie the next one and it's over. But nobody was saying that. I didn't like that.

You mentioned the grass. Dude, it's an 8 by 10 piece of grass. The main thing for that is what's behind them. The technology of that green rotates, the undulation changes.

[0:08:07] AT: The pistons in it. Yeah.

[0:08:08] BC: The hole, we don't see any of that, Bradley.

[0:08:11] AT: No, we don't.

[0:08:13] BC: They need to take the opportunity, instead of giving us the virtual flyover of a fake hole and show the damn thing move. I mean, that science is incredible.

[0:08:23] BV: It really is.

[0:08:24] BC: I want to see the hole disappear and a new hole show up. I want to see all that. Why aren't we seeing that? I mean, that is what's different about it all.

[0:08:32] BV: I agree.

[0:08:33] BC: I know I'm taking up all the time talking about it –

[0:08:34] AT: No, no. You’re good.

[0:08:36] BC: But it's just stuff that the two wipeouts don't help. I don't want to make it too arcadey. I'd like to have some redemption for these teams that are already closed out, because the matches don't matter anymore. They're talking about the season building up, point differential. Well, I'm ready to switch it off at that point then, because the team that's losing is out. Really, why do they care? I mean, and then the hammer. I'll ask you guys this. Did y'all see where they hammered twice on one hole?

[0:09:06] AT: I didn't understand it.

[0:09:07] BV: I didn't understand that either.

[0:09:08] BC: Then they took the hammer away. But, I mean, that would be really cool.

[0:09:13] AT: Yeah. If you could make the hole – we throw it once, it's worth two points. Can you throw it again and make it worth four points? Like they said –

[0:09:20] BC: They threw it again and it made it worth three points.

[0:09:22] AT: Yeah. Could you just keep doing that if you're on the losing in, like Tiger's team Jupiter, or Club Jupiter, Jupiter Club was, could they just continuously throw that and try to run the points up to get back into it? There's a lot of unknowns, I feel like still. But the technology piece you mentioned is absolutely bar none, probably the best part about the TGL.

[0:09:41] BC: Emphasize it.

[0:09:42] BV: Yeah. Emphasize the green. The fact that they can rotate and it can create undulations so severe like Augusta National. Why would we not want to see that as golf lovers?

[0:09:50] AT: I thought of a great angle, which you're not going to like it, because it's just another camera angle. Last night –

[0:09:54] BC: I’m fine with the camera angles, as long as they slow down.

[0:09:57] AT: I would love to see the guys put one of those little cameras under a hat. I want to see what they are right over the ball.

[0:10:04] BC: POV. Sure.

[0:10:06] AT: Yeah. I'd love to see that.

[0:10:06] BC: I’d love that.

[0:10:07] AT: That's perfect opportunity to see it.

[0:10:09] BC: Yeah. I'd like to see them, they say, here, they gave you a brief virtual caddy moment when they're lining up the shot. That would answer some questions, too, if they put that on the screen. Does the lye impact? I know that the ground is flat. If you play on a track man at Golf Galaxy, you'll have a different lye, so you'll have to aim a certain way because the ball is going to come out in a different way. Is there wind?

[0:10:32] BV: Great questions.

[0:10:32] BC: I don't know. I mean, why were these guys launching these balls over into the hazard? Was there wind? Were they jacked up?

[0:10:38] AT: I haven't seen many trees on some of these virtual holes. A lot of them are big canyons.

[0:10:43] BC: I do like that they're not playing on actual courses, because I don't want to compare Augusta, or St. Andrews to a computer screen.

[0:10:49] AT: I would agree.

[0:10:50] BC: I think they should take – the home team, should build their own course that sets up to their team's golfers.

[0:10:57] AT: Yeah, that's a good idea.

[0:10:58] BC: I don't want to see any lava. Saw lava on the first week.

[0:11:01] AT: It's Golden Tee.

[0:11:02] BC: Yeah. That's where the Golden Tee comes in. I know we're playing into computer-generated holes. Let's get rid of the lava. It said, the Nicholas group helped create that. They didn't create that hole. I want to love it, like I said. I'm getting really close to it. I like the hammer. The time out, I'd actually think of it as the reverse. I like the team calling a time out. I like on the green, you should be able to cut their shot clock in half. Then they have to use a time out or hurry up.

[0:11:32] AT: Right. Because they do seem to take a little bit more time on the green. I’ve noticed that.

[0:11:35] BV: For sure.

[0:11:36] BC: Well, that's a whole new ball of wax. I mean, that ball, when they hit that ball, it does not travel like it's on a normal green and it's fake grass, so they're getting used to it. Although, week two, there were a lot of made putts.

[0:11:48] AT: There were.

[0:11:49] BV: Justine Rose one. Yeah, Justin Rose was, yeah, he was hammering on that.

[0:11:53] BC: I loved to see that. Yeah, a lot to flush out, but I think they're getting close to something that's a real viable product, I think.

[0:12:03] BV: I think you're going to have to see some of the changes that you've talked about for it to remain viable. I don't see this in its current format as a long-term play for the PGA Tour and Tiger and Rory and TGL. They've got to fix the competition problem like we've already alluded to. You can't just have teams getting crushed.

[0:12:22] BC: It can't be over after an hour. Have a whole another hour of –

[0:12:25] BV: A second hour, right? I don't see the appeal to the mainstream golfer that is a green grass enthusiast, a naturalist. I think you're going to lose those guys. But maybe you're going to grow the game by getting other people by looking in at all this cool technology, right? And different camaraderie. I mean, listening to the guys mic’d up is probably one of my favorite parts of the whole thing, is you're getting to hear Kevin Kisner talk trash to his teammates and the other team for that matter, right? How many times did we hear it last night that they were trying to kick Kisner out and get Charlie Woods in, because Kisner was having such a rough going?

[0:12:59] BC: I love that.

[0:13:00] BV: I mean, you mentioned that he was in announcement, but he didn't play well at all. It was hilarious to hear the back and forth, right? You get a different dimension than you do with those guys on the PGA Tour. That's interesting. In my regard, anyways, I feel like that's an interesting aspect of the TGL.

[0:13:13] BC: It was good personalities, because Max Homa was like, “Are we going to get relegated in your own needs like in a tanker?” It’s like, “Where do we go if we finish last? What happens?” Tiger played the best on this team.

[0:13:26] AT: He did. Yeah. He did. He still had some – he had quite a few penalty strokes.

[0:13:31] BC: Yeah. He had that one drive, like 270 something. It was a little –

[0:13:35] BV: Did you see his face when he turned around and realized he'd hit these, like wait a second, Justin Rose just hit that one, 323, and you're telling me I hit that 270?

[0:13:43] BC: Kisner hit one in the bunker, and he's like, “I flushed it, guys.”

[0:13:46] BV: Yeah. I do hear that, too.

[0:13:47] BC: I know he wasn't playing well, but that to me was a computer error. He's like, “There's no way I just hit that 90 yards.” He's like, “I easily hit it a buck 30.”

[0:13:55] AT: On a positive Tiger note though, I did notice as he was walking around last night that he seemed to be walking fairly normal. The first since the car accident, and I know the back surgery and things like that just on the sideline.

[0:14:07] BC: Plantar fasciitis surgery.

[0:14:08] AT: Yeah. I mean, he looked like he was in pretty good shape last night from a walking standpoint. You didn't see anything noticeable, because he – Of course, he's not walking Augusta National yet.

[0:14:17] BV: No. No, no, no.

[0:14:18] BC: Well, if his arms get any bigger, he's going to tip over.

[0:14:20] BV: Well, I was telling somebody at the office today, I was like, “Man, Tiger still looks jacked.” What is he? Almost 40, or maybe his 40. But you're right. He was walking really well. I think that's the exciting thing with Tiger, especially for us that are in this demographic, right? We grew up watching his dominance and how awesome he was and the Tiger wave and everything. The fact that we can watch him for two hours and not have to worry about him gimping along like at Augusta National, right? He looks like he's in good health. Looks like he's going to be able to play pretty much all the matches out there. I think that's exciting for a lot of folks.

[0:14:52] BC: Yeah. Well, it's cool to have four players, too, so you can have someone sit if you need to for scheduling purposes, but so many of those guys live in Florida.

[0:15:00] AT: Correct me if I'm wrong though, I haven't seen a fourth person, like it's just three that showed up every week out of a four-man team.

[0:15:05] BC: I don't think you have to show up if you're sitting.

[0:15:08] BV: Correct. If you're not playing, you don't have to be.

[0:15:10] AT: See, I would like that. That would be an interesting aspect. Kisner’s not having a good night, bring in the sub.

[0:15:17] BV: Bring in the lefty.

[0:15:19] AT: Yeah. Bring in the reliever.

[0:15:21] BC: Yeah. Shane Lowry will be a few Guinnesses deep out there.

[0:15:24] AT: Even better. Even better. That's what I want to see.

[0:15:27] BV: Made for television right there.

[0:15:28] AT: Yeah. That's what I want to see.

[0:15:29] BV: In the first week, he was the bright spot with his personality shining through, right?

[0:15:34] BC: He was so complimentary about it. He said, “I love this so much. It's so much fun.” You mentioned when we had a private conversation how much fun it would be to participate and do that, have a fan experience, or have something not completely duplicative of what's there because that is so expensive, but that’s something –

[0:15:53] AT: They'd have to put a net up for fans who would come out there and do that.

[0:15:56] BC: I don't think fans would be coming to watch other fans. They’d be waiting in line.

[0:16:00] AT: Yeah, but there'd be some equipment getting hurt.

[0:16:02] BV: Yeah. I did see a report that they're already talking about potentially expanding and bringing in other athletes. Could you imagine an Aaron Judge out there that's not much of a golfer hitting, or a shanking one into the luxury suites to the right, right into a cheekbone? You're definitely going to have to do some safeguards if you're going to expand. I mean, we saw with Kisner, he's a pro golfer. He's made millions of dollars in his career and he scold one that would have taken somebody out.

[0:16:26] AT: I mean, it made me feel better about my golf game when he did it, right? Because I was like, I could do that anytime.

[0:16:31] BC: Yeah. Tiger was crying last night.

[0:16:33] BV: Oh, my gosh.

[0:16:33] AT: Oh, he was. Yeah.

[0:16:34] BC: How they got killed last night.

[0:16:36] AT: But they had a great time getting killed. I will give him that. They had smiles on their face, though.

[0:16:40] BC: I would like to see a close match though, and TGL and the networks are begging for a close one.

[0:16:45] BV: Absolutely.

[0:16:45] AT: Yeah. I want one that grinds down to the last putt. That's what I want to see.

[0:16:49] BC: Yeah. I want to see something close – I want to see where the hammer brings people back in. But yeah, they need to think of some redemption mode, because for something to be over an hour in with two hours of programming is not good enough, guys.

[0:17:00] BV: No. It's almost like, when you're on the golf course and you get in with your buddies, all right, I'm pressing this hole, so we can clear out whatever debt I have on one hole, or it doubles for the team, right? Something along those lines, which I think was the intent of the hammer. But when you're down 10 to one after seven or eight of the holes, I mean, it's lights out.

[0:17:18] BC: Maybe your hammer points build for the losing team. You don't want to punish the winning team so much, because hell, they're the ones that are doing it. But maybe that hammer becomes more valuable for the losing team. They can have some skin in the game going in to the end.

[0:17:33] AT: Give me some side bets, too.

[0:17:34] BC: Yeah. All that can come if they slow down and all that slow down can come if they reduce the number of holes, to me. They're trying to get so much in. The announcers are just talk – I mean, I don't need celebrities coming on with the announcers. I love Serena Williams, but she said, “I know nothing about golf.”

[0:17:51] AT: Yeah. But she's an investor.

[0:17:53] BC: Is she an investor?

 [0:17:54] BV: She was one of the owners of the LA club, I think.

[0:17:57] AT: Alex Morgan, I think, was on a second episode.

[0:18:00] BC: Well, that's great. I mean, but I don't –

[0:18:03] BV: We don't need to see that on television.

[0:18:05] AT: But you know what? You're only going to see –

[0:18:06] BC: They can interview them at half-time.

[0:18:08] AT: Right. You're only going to see that on the first, probably, couple of episodes.

[0:18:11] BV: You're probably right.

[0:18:12] AT: They're not going to be showing up every week.

[0:18:12] BC: That's true.

[0:18:13] AT: Yeah, I’m sure of that.

[0:18:14] BC: DJ Khaled's there every day.

[0:18:16] BV: Yeah. That was two weeks in a row, he was there.

[0:18:17] BC: He must be an owner of somebody, or maybe a building.

[0:18:20] BV: I would not be surprised, or at least an investor in a league.

[0:18:22] AT: He's a golf fanatic.

[0:18:23] BC: Oh, he's been great for the game.

[0:18:25] AT: Yeah. Absolute golf fanatic.

[0:18:26] BC: Yeah. That's cool. Overall, I do like it. Like I said, I want to love it.

[0:18:31] BV: What do you think about the intro, the walkouts?

[0:18:34] AT: Reminds me of LIV. It does.

[0:18:37] BC: It's arcadey. They can do that. I think it's baseball style where all the songs that are playing before a player, hits they've chosen.

[0:18:45] BV: Yeah. I would agree. It reminded me of the WWF growing out. The walkout music, the guys coming out, he's trying to get the crowd pumped up. You're talking about slowing down, I don't think that's necessary per se. It was pretty funny when Tiger walked out last night to Eye of the Tiger and all the red screens and everything. That's 10 more minutes that you could have playing those holes, or slowing down to your point, right?

[0:19:08] BC: That's true.

[0:19:08] BV: Because it didn't get started until 8.10, 8.12 last night, or excuse me, 7. We were just talking about it, we thought it was 9.00 again.

[0:19:16] AT: I didn’t do it last night. Yeah.

[0:19:18] BV: I almost missed it.

[0:19:19] BC: I do like a 7.00 though over a 9.

[0:19:20] BV: I did, too.

[0:19:22] AT: On a future episode after the season, the TGL season's wrapped up, we'll have to debate who had the best walkout songs.

[0:19:30] BC: Okay. Yeah.

[0:19:31] AT: My personal favorite so far was Justin Rose last night, Paradise City. Justin Rose was –

[0:19:35] BC: That one’s really good.

[0:19:36] AT: Of course, Xander Schauffele has a great one.

[0:19:39] BC: DMX. Well, an expansion, are they going to expand physically to other destinations? Because, I mean, that is quite a facility.

[0:19:48] BV: It really is. Imagine they're going to pump that money into another facility just yet. I think it would just be expanding more teams at this point, based on what I read.

[0:19:57] BC: Yeah. There's plenty of guys that live in Florida.

[0:19:59] BV: Oh, yeah. I mean, almost all the tour pros live somewhere in Florida, or Georgia, so they're really close by, right?

[0:20:05] BC: Maybe it's an opportunity to bridge some LIV guys –

[0:20:07] BV: Could be.

[0:20:08] BC: – to play with some PGA guys.

[0:20:09] BV: Could be.

[0:20:10] AT: That, I mean, like we had mentioned, a fan experience, if they ever decide to open that up to like, hey, while you're here, while you're visiting, go check out. I mean, obviously, they've got food and all kinds of options. I mean, they can turn it into its own top golf, but you have to wrench your time and your space and everything like a top golf. I'm sure it would make a lot of revenue.

[0:20:33] BC: Corporate outings would be mega.

[0:20:35] AT: I mean, you're playing on the same that the pros play. You can't go play –

[0:20:40] BC: Yeah. You just sign a waiver not to break anything.

[0:20:41] AT: Yeah. You can't go play Augusta National. But hey, you can play the Golden Tee holes that the pros play.

[0:20:46] BC: Yeah. That's true. Off camera, you could load up, because these full-swing simulators, you could pull up any top 100 course.

[0:20:55] BV: Absolutely.

[0:20:56] BC: Just don't do it on TV.

[0:20:58] AT: I'd love to hit into a simulator off natural grass. I curse the batch at Top Golf every week when we play in our Top Golf League.

[0:21:05] BC: Dude, I played at Golf Galaxy a couple of years ago and we were playing, and I hit it. I shanked it and it hit the metal frame, the top right, and went back into the store. I made my friend go get the ball, dude. I was like, “I'm not going to get it.” Yeah.

[0:21:23] AT: I've heard people at our Top Golf League, you know the how the machine sets up to the right. I've heard people shank it off and hit it.

[0:21:31] BC: Tipow.

[0:21:32] AT: Yeah. You're just glad they hit that, because it's coming straight at somebody if it doesn't.

[0:21:36] BC: I'm sure there's some waiver you sign when you get there. No?

[0:21:40] AT: We don't sign any waivers.

[0:21:40] BC: You don't sign anything?

[0:21:41] AT: No.

[0:21:42] BC: Maybe it's on the door.

[0:21:43] BV: When you sign up for their digital account, I'm sure it’s there. The fine print’s in there.

[0:21:46] AT: I'm sure it's in there, but –

[0:21:48] BC: Especially because there's no guardrail in front of where you hit. There's a net.

[0:21:53] AT: Yeah. I still want to see somebody fall in the net, because I've heard they literally shut the whole thing down and the fire department has to come out and get them and all cuts. I've heard all cuts.

[0:22:01] BV: I've only seen the videos. Not seen it in person.

[0:22:05] BC: That about covers TGL. I think that a lot of questions and a lot of suggestions that I'm sure are not unique to a fan. We'll see how it goes and I'm rooting for it. I really am.

[0:22:18] BV: I am too. I mean, we're talking about football earlier going off like, this is something that could take place.

[0:22:23] BC: Perfect opportunity.

[0:22:24] BV: Yeah. Perfect opportunity to take that place, or something else, right? If there's the doldrums of summer when Major League Baseball is on and not that I'm not a Major League Baseball fan, but you're missing out on basketball. You're missing out on football as well. Maybe this is a placeholder for them.

[0:22:40] BC: It’s a way to take in golf, or a form of golf, in two hours.

[0:22:44] BV: A 100%.

[0:22:45] BC: Instead of a whole weekend.

[0:22:46] AT: In the off-season for golf, technically.

[0:22:49] BC: Cheers to them. We'll follow the progress.

[0:22:52] BV: Good start.

[0:22:54] BC: Traditional golf is going to kick off this year. A lot going on. A lot of players are still separated, but we will see them for the majors. We're going to see a Ryder Cup in New York. Can't wait to see that. A lot of implications for the FedEx Cup and a lot of great pros right now playing well. The 2025 season preview for this episode, I just want to make one bold prediction from you guys and me about what we think is going to happen. We'll follow up in November and December and see if they came true, or if they aged well or not.

[0:23:29] AT: Well, I was going to say, if anybody wants to place any bets, whatever I say, the opposite's going to happen. It's just like my betting life.

[0:23:36] BC: I've got my bookie on the line. Aaron, if you want to kick it off with your –

[0:23:40] BV: Please, I'm taking notes over here.

[0:23:41] BC: – your bold prediction.

[0:23:43] AT: My bold prediction, there will still be no deal between LIV and PGA Tour is my bold prediction. I don't think it's going to happen.

[0:23:50] BV: Wow. Well, my bold prediction was going to be that a deal gets done this year, by the end of 2025. That was going to be my bold prediction, that I think they're working. I think they're both working in the direction. I think they've got some common ground finally and understand what's at stake, that the average golf fan wants to see the best players play against one another.

[0:24:11] AT: We do. Yeah.

[0:24:12] BV: You're just not seeing it with Bryson and Brooks and Phil and all these guys that are over on the LIV, you don't see them. I don't care that they have a CW or TV deal. I mean, I'm not tuning in to see that most of the time. I don't know about you guys.

[0:24:25] AT: Yeah. I don't watch LIV as much as I watch PGA Tour golf.

[0:24:28] BC: It's hard to do from a timing standpoint, sure.

[0:24:30] AT: Yeah. Especially if they're overseas and things like that. I don't watch nearly as much. I mean, I'll turn it on every once in a while just to check in and see. Same thing, just like I said when it first started, the scoreboard's busy. I feel there's a lot going on. After so long, I'm like, onto something else.

[0:24:48] BV: Too much. Yeah.

[0:24:49] BC: Yeah. That's too much for traditional golf. To me, it makes it cheesy.

[0:24:52] AT: I mean, I like the music and everything, because I listen to music on the golf course.

[0:24:55] BC: I hope they get a deal done.

[0:24:57] BV: I think you and most of the golf fans in the world do hope so.

[0:25:00] BC: In an earlier episode, I was on fire about it, because I just said I don't care anymore. I still feel that way. I don't want to see any more headlines about it. I really don't.

[0:25:09] AT: Until it's done.

[0:25:10] BV: I just want to see the headline that it’s done, right?

[0:25:12] BC: Yeah.

[0:25:13] AT: I don't want to hear any more about –

[0:25:14] BC: The bureaucracy of it and the greed against greed and billionaires are arguing with millionaires and they're talking about revenue share and stuff like that. Just get the damn thing done.

[0:25:25] BV: Yeah. I think the fact that you're starting to see now that they're going to allow the guys back on the European side to play in the Ryder Cup is a big deal in that deal getting done for the European side.

[0:25:36] BC: As long as they hold off on world golf ranking, because if they get that –

[0:25:40] BV: Then there's no point in merging.

[0:25:41] BC: – that gets further away from the deal.

[0:25:43] AT: Who does the European team need from LIV besides Rom?

[0:25:46] BC: Yeah. They don't really need him.

[0:25:47] AT: No.

[0:25:48] BV: No.

[0:25:48] BC: Not right now.

[0:25:49] BV: They proved that already.

[0:25:52] AT: I mean, outside of Scheffler, the best golfer, second best golfer in the world right now, is on the European team anyway. I think he's going to have a huge year.

[0:26:03] BC: To Åberg?

[0:26:04] AT: Yeah. Ludvig’s going to have a huge year. I just see it.

[0:26:06] BC: It's a bold prediction, too.

[0:26:07] BV: That is a bold prediction. I mean, great player.

[0:26:10] AT: Did you see the praise, not to go back to TGL, but my God, the praise that Scott Van Pelt gave him that night on the first episode?

[0:26:17] BC: Funny, I kind of have a crush on him.

[0:26:19] AT: It was bromance. Yeah, it was a bromance, man. It was, I mean, obviously, he thinks a lot of them.

[0:26:24] BC: He's a great player though. He really is great.

[0:26:27] AT: He's good.

[0:26:28] BC: His Ryder Cup performance was incredible.

[0:26:30] BV: Uber talented. Yeah.

[0:26:31] BC: I would not be surprised if he’s not going to major out.

[0:26:33] AT: Well spoken. Good on camera. Yeah.

[0:26:37] BC: Yeah, that's a second bold prediction that he's going to have a strong game.

[0:26:39] BV: He's just not on the US Ryder Cup team.

[0:26:42] BC: My bold prediction for the year is negative. I hope it ages very poorly, but I don't think Scottie Scheffler's going to win a tournament this year.

[0:26:51] BV: Oh, wow.

[0:26:51] AT: A tournament?

[0:26:53] BV: Not a single tournament.

[0:26:53] AT: I don't think with a major, but not a tournament?

[0:26:55] BC: I don't think he's going to win a tournament.

[0:26:58] AT: Wow.

[0:26:57] BV: That is bold. I will give it that. That's bold.

[0:27:00] BC: I hope I’m wrong, line it up. I’m going to go off on a historical run. World number one, new baby, hand injury, I don't care how severe it is. Messing with this putter grip and putter again.

[0:27:14] AT: My facial expression has to be good, because I felt my eyes pop.

[0:27:18] BV: Mine probably too. I mean, he's been on this run for three years. I expect him to continue on.

[0:27:23] BC: I mean, I know he got arrested last year and they still couldn't hold him back from playing well, and even won that tournament, if he didn't.

[0:27:30] BV: He very well may have.

[0:27:31] AT: I still say it was the caddy that did it. That was the day he didn't have his caddy.

[0:27:34] BC: Because he had to administer with him early.

[0:27:36] AT: The day he didn't have his caddy was the day – the only day he didn't play good. I said that. I think that was all that kept him from winning that thing, man.

[0:27:43] BV: Very well could have been.

[0:27:45] BC: I'm not saying he's not going to play well. I think he'll get plenty of top fives, but I don't think he's going to –

[0:27:50] AT: Not one win.

[0:27:52] BC: I don't think he's going to win a tournament. That is my really bold prediction. I hope I'm wrong. I hope he wins 11. I just don't think he will.

[0:28:02] AT: I would have agreed with a major. There's got to be a win in there somewhere for him. Majors are tough.

[0:28:08] BV: I tend to agree. He's going to win something. He's just too good of a ball striker. Too good of a player. Even with the hand injury, I think. I think that one's going to age well, but not that I know anything about the future, but I think that one's going to not age very well.

[0:28:22] AT: Unless you got some inside information we don’t know about.

[0:28:23] BC: I don't have any inside information.

[0:28:25] BV: I said, you know, do you know his doctor or something?

[0:28:27] BC: I don’t know his doctor. He messing around with a different putter right before he got hurt.

[0:28:32] BV: He was. He was putting with the claw a little bit. He putted really well. Was it Bahamas, where he blew the field away. I don't think he missed a putt inside of 10 feet.

[0:28:40] BC: Yeah. I'm not going to talk about playing in Albany. He's changing your putting stroke. I don't know. I got some weird, bad vibe about it. I hope I'm wrong because his dominance is as close to Tiger’s as we've seen in a long time.

[0:28:56] BV: Very true.

[0:28:57] AT: The running joke last season was I picked him every major to win. He was my horse.

[0:29:02] BV: Why wouldn’t you have, right?

[0:29:03] AT: Every major. Yeah.

[0:29:05] BC: I don't know. Law of averages. You look at the time of his dominance, was it three years of absolutely incredible play? I mean, you're just running, dude. I don't know.

[0:29:16] AT: I think I gave away who I will pick for majors this year already.

[0:29:19] BC: Yeah. Well, we'll get into that when we get into it. Anyway, yeah. I hope that ages poorly.

[0:29:25] BV: Going back to your law of averages comment, just a second ago, right? When we were in the midst of Tiger’s run, were you saying the same thing? The law of averages says that he can't continue to do this?

[0:29:37] BC: Well, if you're going to compare Tiger Woods to any other human being, he's like a deity.

[0:29:42] BV: I would agree. The closest one we have right now, though, Scottie, to what Tiger was doing.

[0:29:48] BC: He's approaching. He's got to continue that to be in the deity status. I think Brooks Koepka has had, at least on the major side, had a run and it stopped.

[0:29:59] BV: Did it stop, or did he just go to LIV?

[0:30:02] BC: I think you would have seen a deep slump, because he was injured and –

[0:30:06] BV: Very true. He was hurt.

[0:30:06] BC: - and came back. I think, and it would have been a lot more publicized. Jordan Spieth had a really dominant run there, 2014, 15, 16, and a little bit of 17, where we were trying to crown him. We haven't seen it since 2013. Have won five times and became number one again.

[0:30:28] AT: To maintain it for that long.

[0:30:31] BC: I'm not going to compare it to Tiger.

[0:30:33] BV: Sure. I'm more asking the question in the midst of that run, or is your brain telling you that he can't keep this pace even back then?

[0:30:42] AT: I don't think I ever thought about that.

[0:30:43] BC: No. Because he was Superman.

[0:30:45] BV: Very true.

[0:30:46] BC: I mean, no. He was Michael Jordan. I don't consider Scottie Scheffler Michael Jordan yet. I just don't. But if he wins 10 tournaments this year, how many tournaments did he win last year?

[0:30:57] BV: Five or six maybe.

[0:30:58] BC: More than that. I think he won more than that.

[0:30:59] BV: Did he?

[0:31:00] BC: Yeah. They were comparing it to the – They didn't win as – not as many as Vijay Singh won in ’04, when he won 12. But I think Scottie won nine or 10. Just absolutely –

[0:31:14] AT: It was up there, I know.

[0:31:15] BC: Yeah. It was one of the best seasons in the history of golf.

[0:31:17] AT: Well, he won four in a row, didn't he? Wasn’t that four in a row, he had won?

[0:31:21] BC: Yeah, because Nelly Korda won six or seven in a row and we were comparing the two. Can he repeat that? Forget over multiple years. Can he repeat the year he just had in another year? I don't know.

[0:31:32] BV: That's tough to do.

[0:31:36] BC: Pressure, new baby.

[0:31:37] AT: Well, it would technically be the third year in a row he's done it –

[0:31:38] BC: Lost his hand.

[0:31:40] AT: – if he does it.

[0:31:40] BC: New putting stroke

[0:31:41] BV: Lost his hand.

[0:31:44] AT: That's how rumors get started.

[0:31:47] BC: Anyway, talk about going viral. Scottie Scheffler loses his hand. We have a good following, Bradley, but not that big at all. Scott Van Pelt is not on the hotline yet.

[0:31:59] AT: Speaking of two, the one thing I saw last night that just made me laugh was when they were interviewing Alex Morgan. Tiger was actually playing at the time and they asked her about talking to Tiger Woods and this and that. She was describing it. But she was hesitating to say greatest of all time. The interviewer said, he goes, “You can say it. The GOAT.” He goes, “It's okay to say it.”

[0:32:24] BV: I did hear Marty say that.

[0:32:25] AT: Yeah. When Marty was in here.

[0:32:26] BC: Why not? Why?

[0:32:27] AT: She was just hesitating to say it for some reason. Because you can tell, that's what she wanted to say, the greatest, but she hesitated. Then Marty corrected – It was so funny thought that he just – He goes, “It's okay to say it.”

[0:32:39] BC: Yeah. I like Marty Smith.

[0:32:40] AT: Yeah, he's good.

[0:32:41] BC: I really do. I loved him in NASCAR.

[0:32:44] AT: He's an every person's person. He relates to everybody.

[0:32:48] BV: You’re right.

[0:32:49] BC: He's good with any sport. Just drop him anywhere.

[0:32:51] BV: I do. I feel like, you could just drop him in any sport. Then you're right –

[0:32:54] AT: NASCAR, golf.

[0:32:56] BC: I think he started with NASCAR. I think NASCAR is his best.

[0:32:59] AT: It was his original. I remember that on ESPN. Yeah. Then he just started gravitating into other stuff.

[0:33:04] BC: He's good with football, too.

[0:33:05] AT: Oh, he is. Yeah.

[0:33:05] BV: He's got his own show, I think, on the SEC Network. Marty & McGee, or something. Marty, just drop him everywhere.

[0:33:12] AT: He does a lot of stuff, too, now we're getting outside of golf.

[0:33:14] BV: Yeah, we are.

[0:33:14] AT: But he does a lot of stuff that reminds me, if you remember when Kenny Mayne used to do the oddity stories. He does a lot of those, which I like.

[0:33:21] BC: Very much like Kenny Mayne. Kenny Mayne was always grumpier in a funny way. I like Kenny.

[0:33:26] AT: Shout out to Marty.

[0:33:28] BV: Yeah. The Kenny, too, right?

[0:33:31] BC: All right. Well, that wraps up a very busy two-topic, but very busy Front Nine. Why don't we bring it down to Myrtle Beach and talk some Legends Golf Resort with Bradley Vaughan and make the turn?

[0:33:42] AT: All right.

[0:33:43] BC: You all ready?

[0:33:44] AT: Yeah. Let's do it.

[MESSAGE]

[0:33:47] 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-and-play journey to the golf capital of the world, the experience of a lifetime. It's all just a call, or click away.

[EPISODE CONTINUED]

[0:34:27] ANNOUNCER: Making the Turn.

[0:34:30] BC: Okay. Making the Turn. We are joined in the studio by Bradley Vaughan, Sales and Marketing Manager of Legends Golf Resort. Bradley, thanks for joining us. I ask every guest that comes on the show, one, what got you into the sport of golf in general? Then how did it become a profession in Myrtle Beach?

[0:34:46] BV: Sure. Real simple, my father got me into the game growing up. He really tried to get me into the game when I was really young, five, six, but it was too boring, or too slow-paced for me at that time, so I stuck with the traditional basketball, baseball, football stuff growing up. Really gravitated back to the golf, probably around 12 or 13. Got on the high school team. Was decent enough. I was never a stick by any means, but played a few competitive rounds and then came down to coastal Carolina in 2002, aging myself here.

In 2002, was in the PGM program, started working at Legends my sophomore year on the backdrop and really in that timeframe, that was the heyday of golf that was right around the Tiger craze. There was a big influx of golfers, so I was making pretty good money just from tips at Legends. Then I slowly worked my way into the pro shop there at Legends and then eventually, into the corporate office upstairs. Had a general manager there, Larry Woodberry, that's been there over 30 years, has seen me progress and he's the one who's promoted me in all those regards here in Myrtle Beach. That's how I got into the position I am now, just working my way up the ladder in the same spot for, man –

[0:36:01] BC: 20 years.

[0:36:01] BV: Over 20 years. Yeah, it's crazy. Started there in college and just never left. But getting into the game of golf was all my dad. He's a big golfer and I still love playing golf with him whenever we can. I love playing with my buddies, or going up down to this gorgeous strand of 60 miles we call the Grand Strand and getting to play all the different golf courses. I mean, it's a great life.

[0:36:22] BC: So interesting, because we've had a lot of guests on the show that have talked about how they've gotten into the Myrtle Beach profession in golf, and they've bounced from course to course for whatever reason. They may stay in the same group of courses, or ownership. But it's rare to see somebody who has started at the bottom on the backdrop and works your way up to the corporate office, all at the Legends, all of the same group of courses for 20-plus years. That's a testament to the course and you for each other's loyalty and stuff like that.

[0:36:56] BV: Absolutely.

[0:36:57] BC: Five premium courses in Myrtle Beach that have been premium for decades since you started on the backdrop to now. For a listener that may have not been to Myrtle Beach before and not played a Legends course, give us just a rundown of what it's all about with the Legends group of courses.

[0:37:15] BV: The thing that you think of with Legends, I think more than anything for package destination golfers, is the all-inclusive nature of our program, right? You're not only playing five great golf courses if you're doing the multi-round package, you're also getting your breakfast with us, which is a 30-item breakfast buffet in the morning, each morning of your round at any of our facilities, whether that be at the Legends where we have the three resort courses, or down in Pawleys with Heritage Club, or up in Sunset Beach, North Carolina with Oyster Bay, you're going to get a buffet breakfast.

After your rounds, you're going to come in, you're going to sit down, you're going to chit chat with your buddies, you're going to go over your bets, you're going to talk about the shots you hit, the terrible shots you hit, the great shots you hit, and you're going to get an item off of our menu, a full burger with fries, or onion rings, or whatever you want, then you're going to get two draft beers with that as well. It's an all-encompassing package that the golfer gets. You get great golf, you get great food, you get camaraderie in the bar afterwards. It's been our calling card since about 2010, and it's done really, really well for us.

[0:38:18] BC: You are the pioneers of breakfast, lunch, and TV.

[0:38:20] BV: I was going to say, yeah, I think the originators, yeah.

[0:38:22] BC: It's been one of the most imitated package value adds at Myrtle Beach.

[0:38:25] BV: Often imitated. Often imitated. Very difficult to pull off.

[0:38:30] BC: Yeah. Well, because it's a full meal. It's not just a packet of chips and a sandwich. I mean, it's the real deal.

[0:38:41] BV: You can get a Reuben, you can get a cheeseburger, you can get a pizza, you can get a massive club sandwich. I mean, you name it. We’ve got quite a bit of fare. There's probably 25, 30 items on that menu that you can choose from. You're not eating the same thing the entire trip you're there, basically.

[0:38:55] AT: I don't know who could do lunch after the breakfast. The buffet is huge.

[0:38:59] BC: Yeah.

[0:39:00] BV: It is amazing when I see guys walk through with just the mounds of bacon, or sausage, and eggs. I'm like, “How are you guys going to play golf in an hour?” I'd be in a coma.

[0:39:09] BC: And saw what they did last night –

[0:39:10] AT: That's true.

[0:39:11] BC: You might need a big breakfast to a soldier through the day. The breakfast to lunch and the beers are great. The real star of the show are those five premium courses. We don't have time to talk about all of them, but if you can just give me a brief rundown of each course and its style and then the one signature hole for that one, and then move on to the next one. When we land on your favorite hole, give me a detailed tee to green of that one.

[0:39:37] BV: Got it. Going down south to the Heritage Club in Pawleys Island, it's probably the highest-rated golf course that we have when you look at the South Carolina Golf Week and the Golf Digest rankings, it's routinely in the top 10, top five for the state of South Carolina. It is a old-school track. It is tree-lined with live oaks, Spanish moss hanging down. It's a gorgeous aesthetic. It's virtually the same property that Caledonia is on, right? It's literally right next door for half the price, by the way.

It's a great old-school dog-leg golf course. You've got to hit shots, huge undulating greens. I was out there over the holiday break, and – I'm not out there enough, obviously, but it's always amazing to me how big and undulating those greens are. The signature hole there is number 18. It's par five finishing hole, where you can bite off as much as you want on the drive to try to get home in two, or you play it real safe out to the right, and then you've got to cover a hazard on the way in. That's the signature hole there. Huge, old plantation-style clubhouse. Just gorgeous aesthetic.

[0:40:39] BC: I love that course.

[0:40:40] BV: It's a great golf course.

[0:40:41] AT: There's several carries that they've done on that course, too.

[0:40:45] BV: There definitely are some forced carries. If you're not on your A game, you can put a big number up there pretty easily. Oyster Bay going up north is in Sunset Beach, North Carolina and it's completely different. It is a coastal-style golf course. There's a lot of marsh views, a lot of alligators. We call the 15, 16, 17 Alligator Alley. The signature hole there is a 17 peninsula par three. You're hitting over 120 yards from the white tees, but there's nowhere to miss. You either hit the green, or you're in the lake with the big gators, right?

Then you come down south to Myrtle Beach, you've got Heathland, Moreland and Parkland there. Moreland's my favorite. It's a PB Dye course. It's not Pete Dye, but it's his son, but you can tell his son learned from his dad. There were some earth moving in that golf course. Everybody always talks about how difficult that golf course is, but I don't think the course itself is difficult. I think it's the approach shots that are difficult. The elevated greens, the undulated greens is what really gets a lot of folks, because you can hit that ball anywhere on amoral. You can spray it left or right, except for a few holes where there's some water out there, go find it and then try to get it on the green.

The signature hole there is Hell's Half Acre, which is number 16 and it stretches out from the back tees to about 230-ish. You either hit the green, or you're literally in hell. There's hazards left and right. There's bunkers. There's a waste area. The green is probably 50 feet above your head when you're standing in the fairway looking up at it. Yeah, it's a pretty daunting shot.

[0:42:17] BC: It’s a lot of elevation to be at the beach.

[0:42:18] BV: It is a lot of elevation. Like I said, PB was out on that bulldozer, moving a lot of land.

[0:42:23] AT: I've got going for it every time and I can tell you, I've never hit the green. So, I know what it's all about.

[0:42:28] BV: Yeah. I've made Eagle there and I've made 10 there, right? It's crazy. Parkland is more of your traditional style golf course, tree lined, American style, rolling heels. Probably my favorite hole on the golf course is on Parkland, so we'll go there. My signature hole there is number 11. It's a par five. Really risk-reward par five. You can hit it down the left. There's hazards all the way down the left. There's two bunkers that protect that, that hazard on the left and the forced carry. But if you carry that, you're going to have a bit iron into that green with a stream, like it number, was it number 13, the par five at Augusta?

[0:43:03] BC: Yeah.

[0:43:03] BV: That's what that whole a little bit reminds me of. Right is out of bounds. Then if you do go right and you're not being aggressive, you got to be very strategic in your layup so that you have a really strong yardage. One of your stronger yardages is into that green. Then you've got some elevation and some undulation on that green as well. Not nearly as severe as Moreland, but it's still there. That's probably my favorite hole on the entire property.

Then Heathland is probably the most favorite for everybody on the Grand Strand. I would argue, it's probably the most played golf course on the Grand Strand.

[0:43:34] BC: It's got to be up there.

[0:43:35] BV: It's probably doing 70,000-ish rounds a year between package and locals and walk-ins. It's a beast. It's a links-style golf course. It's wide open. You can literally hit it and go find it and hit it again, but you're going to have some 80-foot putts. You're going to have some bunkers where you can't even see the flag stick. It's a true links-style course that you are not going to have a whole lot of trees on. Those are just a quick rundown of the five great golf courses that we have.

[0:44:02] BC: Even with all those rounds, I mean, 70,000, Heathland's incredible. But the rest, I mean, cause these are some of the most highly requested courses, all five of them. They're always in great shape, Aaron. They're always in great shape. I've never played one where I've had any complaints.

[0:44:17] BV: I would agree. Our superintendent, Mike Bankert, who oversees all five properties and he's got assistant supers that also help him, but –

[0:44:23] BC: Do they go home?

[0:44:24] BV: They do. I don't think they do. I think they sleep there. I really do. I mean –

[0:44:27] BC: Legends does have some accommodations. Maybe they stay there.

[0:44:31] BV: If they do, I'm not aware of it, but I mean, we are always in great shape. It is really spectacular with the amount of rounds that we do and how good of a shape the entire properties are always in.

[0:44:41] AT: I think that's what makes them some of the most requested, at least for us from a package side every year is it's the added, you get the food and the beverage and then the courses are in good condition. It's just everything all into one and that's why people continue to play them year after year.

[0:44:59] BV: We will guarantee the experience, right? If there is something that is not right, we will make it right. We want that customer to come back. We've done a great job of –

[0:45:08] AT: Just not with their golf swings.

[0:45:09] BV: Well, yeah. I can't help you there. But if you find something wrong with your accommodations or with your food, let us know. We will guarantee it and we will make it right for you. Yeah, if you're shooting 95, because you've got a broke swing, I can't help you there. I can't help myself on that side.

[0:45:27] BC: Well, it's definitely a highly-requested package, Aaron, when a guest is on mbgolf.com, or gives us a call at Condo World or MB Golf to book a Legends package. I mean, you were just dealing with a package earlier today with –

[0:45:40] AT: Yeah. We’ve got the three options. If you want to put a single round in, play just one of them, if you're mixing it up with some other courses in the area. They've got the fourth-round free package and the fifth-round free package. All of which, the food and beverage is included on them. You’ve got plenty of options and plenty of great deals, too. To me, I think the fourth round free has probably been, at least in the years that I've been doing this, has probably been the most popular one that we tend to deal with. Cause most of our golf packages are three nights, four rounds, or four nights, four rounds. I think that's why it seems to be. But with the free round and they still get the food and beverage and the free round.

[0:46:23] BV: Absolutely.

[0:46:24] AT: Yeah. It's probably been the most popular I've dealt with.

[0:46:26] BC: Yeah. I mean, for a golf trip, you're getting two meals taken care of on the golf course.

[0:46:30] BV: Absolutely. That’s a no brainer.

[0:46:31] BC: I mean, that's killer.

[0:46:33] BV: Talk about a value add, right?

[0:46:35] BC: And premium courses. Sometimes a value add hides an inferior product. That is not the case with Legends, or really, any of the courses down here nowadays. I mean, in the past, maybe. Golf is booming again, fellas.

[0:46:51] BV: It really is.

[0:46:52] BC: All the courses that are in Myrtle Beach are just premium and the Legends are a leader in that.

[0:46:59] AT: We were discussing before this podcast started, obviously, with the weather in the area covering greens and this and that, which is an investment I know Legends made a few years ago. A lot of courses have done in the areas.

[0:47:12] BC: I hope so.

[0:47:12] AT: We’ve seen the area, just in general, step up with a lot of things that they're doing to maintain course conditions throughout the year now.

[0:47:20] BV: Absolutely. We've got to protect the investment, right? We ran into an instance in 2018 where that was not widely known that you should do those items and we had some very severe weather and it cost a lot of golf courses their greens.

[0:47:34] BC: The business wasn't quite indicative to invest in those resources. Now it is. It's mandatory.

[0:47:40] BV: It shifted on its head a 100%.

[0:47:42] AT: Win or kill. That was the phrase of the year.

[0:47:44] BC: Man, that was the phrase. Yeah.

[0:47:46] BV: Now we're going to – we won't talk like it.

[0:47:50] AT: No. That’s not really a concern.

[0:47:51] BC: Bring it on. We're fine. Well, Bradley Vaughan, thank you so much for the overview of the Legends courses.

[0:47:57] BV: Absolutely.

[0:47:58] BC: It's going to be make for great content for everyone to listen to. If you want to explore more, go to mbgolf.com, give us a call. Aaron and the team are ready to help you. We have an online chat. They know all about the Legends, too. They can break down a good price for you and get you that breakfast, lunch, and a couple of drinks, too. Bradley, do you want to stick around and we'll talk a little more Myrtle Beach golf on The Back Nine?

[0:48:21] BV: Absolutely. Having a blast thus far.

[0:48:23] BC: Let's do it.

[0:48:25] AT: The Back Nine.

[0:48:29] BC: Okay, the Back Nine. Legends is booking up like crazy, but so is everything else, Aaron. Aaron, give us a spring rounds update so far as we are in January.

[0:48:40] AT: We are in full on booking mode right now. Obviously, we've discussed early bookings in the past, but this is first of the year out of the gate. Everybody's getting their trips planned. Phones online all have been busy and bookings are coming in. If you are looking in spring, now is the time. There are some dates that are pretty questionable, whether you'll find some times.

[0:49:06] BC: What dates are those around abouts just for info?

[0:49:09] AT: Specifically, last weekend of April, first weekend of May, which are notoriously the two busiest weekends of the year.

[0:49:15] BC: Some of the best weather of the year. The time is now to book. Something I want to mention, the Legends, you guys do have accommodations and those book up certainly fast.

[0:49:25] BV: Absolutely.

[0:49:26] BC: We've got some of the best accommodations at Condor World and MB Golf in North Myrtle Beach. We've got condos between one and four-bedroom. We even have some up to eight-bedroom houses. You got to love where you play, but love where you stay, too. Make sure that if you're booking tee times, if you don't have your accommodations sorted, we've got you covered there.

[0:49:45] AT: 40th anniversary, too.

[0:49:47] BC: Yeah.

[0:49:46] AT: It is.

[0:49:47] BC: Condo-World turns 40 this year.

[0:49:49] BV: Wow.

[0:49:50] BC: We've been around for a reason. We've got some really good accommodations to pair with your golf trip. It's about being on the course and having a great time and having a good product, but you want to come back home to a nice place to hang out with your buddies and talk about the day and then lay your head if you go to bed.

[0:50:10] AT: Big if.

[0:50:11] BC: Just remember, it's about getting tee times and accommodations as well when you're booking on mbgolf.com. Hurry up, because the availability for accommodations is shrinking too, Aaron.

[0:50:24] AT: Yeah, it is. Well, I mean, obviously, the 40th anniversary sale has been going on. That adds to the booking needs.

[0:50:33] BC: Yeah. Spring’s a great time for family vacations, too, and weekenders that aren't playing golf. The area is busy. Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are busy and I love it. I want to share it with the people that want to come, but you've got a plan now. This is not something you can think up a couple of weeks before.

[0:50:53] AT: Yeah. Because there are dates that it's slim pickings.

[0:50:57] BC: We're here to help you plan it at mbgolf.com. We've got the deals on tee times and accommodations. Something that's coming up for the spring, the Dustin Johnson World Junior is going to be at TPC, February 28th through March 2nd. That's really cool to see some of the best junior players in the world. There's a new entrance that is a new entrant that is quite popular. Charlie Woods is going to play.

[0:51:18] AT: Interesting.

[0:51:20] BC: That's going to be really cool. There's no PGA tournament going on. The genesis is hopefully, depending on how the fires are going, will be a week or two before that. Do you all think Tiger will be there?

[0:51:30] BV: It's a good question. I think he will. I think he'll come up. I think he's very supportive in his son's role in junior golf and trying to help him to that next level. I think we were talking about it before the show. I was like, I wouldn't be surprised to see his mega yacht pull into the Grand Dunes.

[0:51:45] BC: Oh, man. That's so cool.

[0:51:48] BV: He just docks there and they do that for the entire event.

[0:51:50] AT: I don’t know. Will that thing fit in the Grand Dunes?

[0:51:52] BV: It probably won’t. It probably won’t. You’re right.

[0:51:53] BC: Isn't it ironically called Privacy?

[0:51:55] BV: Yeah. I mean, grand dunes is a nice marina, but that thing is big, man.

[0:52:01] AT: It is a massive yacht.

[0:52:02] BC: I'm not sure it would fit under the bridge.

[0:52:05] AT: I don't think it. It would fit under the bridge.

[0:52:06] BV: That bridge is pretty high up. That one. Maybe some others.

[0:52:10] BC: Maybe the barefoot bridge.

[0:52:10] BV: Yeah, exactly.

[0:52:11] AT: That's why it swings.

[0:52:13] BC: That's true.

[0:52:14] BV: It'll be interesting to watch. If he does make an appearance, what a boon for the area.

[0:52:20] AT: Oh, absolutely.

[0:52:20] BV: Friendly tournament. I mean, just wow. Tiger Woods rolling into Myrtle Beach would be fantastic.

[0:52:25] BC: Yeah. I mean, the last name Woods. I'm going to be there to watch Charlie play.

[0:52:31] BV: Awesome.

[0:52:32] BC: That's really, really cool if Tiger comes. I mean –

[0:52:34] BV: Icing on the cake.

[0:52:36] BC: I hope he comes.

[0:52:37] BV: What a great event. I mean, he got Blades Brown that played in it last year. Now he's making his pro debut, I think, at the American Express at one of our – our managing company, Century, Out of Dallas actually is managing that golf course.

[0:52:51] AT: His name has been mentioned before us. I love the name. Love the name.

[0:52:56] BC: He had a presence at the Myrtle Beach Classic.

[0:52:57] BV: He did. Tied 26. It's a 16, or 17.

[0:53:01] BC: Yeah. That's a great segue there, because that was his first professional tournament in Myrtle Beach and the second Myrtle Beach Classic will be May 8th to the 11th. Aaron, you just couldn't have been more impressed with the Dunes Club and the tournament the first year.

[0:53:18] AT: The first year, I didn't think it could go any better. I've got big expectations for year two. Obviously, I'm sure they found things they can improve on.

[0:53:26] BC: Sure.

[0:53:26] AT: I think it's going to be another successful year for it. I haven't seen – I don't know when the list will come out of who's going to be playing, or whatever. I know one of my personal favorites will be there. Joel Dahame, I'm sure he'll be back. I’m sure he’ll be on Netflix again, too, if Full Swing comes out.

[0:53:45] BC: It'll be great viewership, because he secured his card by the hair of his chin. That was really fun to watch, and I'm nail biter for him, I'm sure. That was great. Yeah. I mean, I can't wait for another Myrtle Beach Classic. I think, I don't remember where the stats came from, but it was the most successful non-elevated event, inaugural non-elevated event in the history of the tour. I know that there's not a bunch of new tournaments that pop up. But one, there's a reason for that, because it's hard to do and I think it's going to be here to stay. Enjoy that.

[0:54:21] AT: Yeah. I mean, I got to tell you, I mean, we, we discussed last year the transportation, everything, like it was –

[0:54:27] BV: Smooth.

[0:54:28] AT: Everything was easy. That's the key. If there's complications to and from the course, or getting around, which was nowhere near the case, I mean, I've been to a lot of golf tournaments, and that was about as smooth as it gets, as far as getting to and from, and in and out.

[0:54:44] BV: I think that was the biggest hurdle for the Dunes Club, right? They just don't have the infrastructure to have people there on the facility. The fact that they had the buses and the shuttles that got you in and out rather quickly was rather impressive, honestly.

[0:54:56] AT: I'm sure you remember, because you, as you –

[0:54:58] BV: Well, I saw you there the day we were there.

[0:54:59] AT: Yeah. Well, you showed, but you mentioned about showing your age earlier. I'm sure you remember going to when the senior tour –

[0:55:05] BV: The senior tour, yeah.

[0:55:06] AT: – championship was there.

[0:55:08] BC: I’ve been there for that.

[0:55:09] BV: I remember that. Yeah.

[0:55:09] AT: There were some transportation issues there getting in and out because of parking, but they did – I mean, they did a fantastic job.

[0:55:17] BC: I was too little to remember those issues. I remember Lee Trevino cutting up with everybody on the range, which I'm sure is unusual for him.

[0:55:23] BV: Yeah. That doesn't sound like him at all, right?

[0:55:26] AT: They had a list of, I mean, great names that played in that thing. They had great guys last year in the first year. I think that was a big part of it, too. A lot of good names.

[0:55:34] BV: Very true. Then, there's some interesting talks, talking with Dennis Nickel, who's the head professional over there. He mentioned that he overheard through some of the PGA tour advisory boards that a lot of the players that were in that mentioned that that was a first-class experience for the players.

[0:55:48] BC: Awesome.

[0:55:50] BV: If that's the case and the word gets around, you could potentially see some bigger names start rolling into Myrtle Beach.

[0:55:55] AT: Yeah. It should be good.

[0:55:58] BV: Just have to pair it not against one of those elevated events, then maybe we can get some of those big, big names, right?

[0:56:03] AT: Yeah. Because that is an elevated event weekend.

[0:56:05] BC: It is. Well over here, Wells Fargo.

[0:56:08] AT: Wells Fargo. Yeah. Wells Fargo, that I don't know –

[0:56:12] BC: Which isn't it Quail anymore?

[0:56:14] BV: It's not this year, because they're doing, is it the PGA there? They're not going to do it there. They’ll move it somewhere for this year.

[0:56:20] BC: Wells isn't the sponsor anymore, right?

[0:56:22] BV: I don't think so.

[0:56:23] AT: Yeah. Something changed.

[0:56:23] BV: It went from Wachovia to Wells. I'm not sure what it is now. But that's the same weekend as the Myrtle Beach golf event.

[0:56:29] AT: Yeah. Wachovia. I haven't heard that name in a long time.

[0:56:31] BV: Again, showing age, right?

[0:56:32] AT: Showing age. Yeah. I remember when that was a big name here.

[0:56:35] BC: Oh, NASCAR, I still call the Pepsi 400 the Firecracker.

[0:56:40] AT: Shoot. I heard a reference to Winston. The Winston Cup the other day.

[0:56:43] BV: Oh, wow.

[0:56:44] AT: That's been a long time ago, but yeah. It's funny how sponsors names and things change over the years.

[0:56:49] BC: Well, they just become synonymous with the event, which is a testament to them. All right, guys. Last but not least, Tee’d Off. We've talked a lot about professional golf, local golf, our personal games a little bit. We're going to pick one thing that grinds our gears about the game of golf. We do it every episode. Aaron, what is your first tee’d off of the year?

[0:57:12] AT: Equipment failure on the golf course.

[0:57:14] BC: Uh-oh.

[0:57:16] AT: During your round.

[0:57:16] BC: You know how much I love equipment.

[0:57:17] AT: Yeah. Yeah. I've got a six iron that I have repeatedly, that has come detached from the hosel. I've had it fixed. Maybe, I'm sure I'm going to be told it's my swing or something. But I use that six iron a lot during rounds and I had it come off recently on a swing. We won't discuss what happened with the ball when I hit it, but I just got it fixed and I did use it in my Top Golf League the other night and everything seemed to be okay. I'm still not sure why I've had – I mean, I've had that hosel reattached probably a half a dozen times.

[0:57:55] BC: Are you getting it done professionally?

[0:57:56] AT: Yeah. Yeah. I won't say where, but yeah, it is professional.

[0:58:01] BV: Maybe time to find somewhere new to get that fixed.

[0:58:03] AT: I wasn't happy because it happened so many times that one of my friends who does club work said, “Let me take a rip at it.”

[0:58:12] BV: So different people have done it with the same club, and you've had the same problem?

[0:58:16] AT: Yeah. I'm looking at you TaylorMade.

[0:58:18] BC: It’d really stink to lose that at Top Golf, because you're going to have a tough time retrieving that.

[0:58:24] AT: Well, that was where I noticed. It was funny, because one time I noticed it was coming loose there and I put it back in the bag. I use that six iron, it's probably my favorite club in my bag. I hit it well and I use it as a recovery club, too, which I require a lot of.

[0:58:41] BC: Six iron is a big deal in your bag.

[0:58:44] AT: For it to come off like, it was just a couple of holes into the round. I was like, this cannot be happening again. I think it had only been a year since I've had it replaced. There's something going on there that, that's the only club.

[0:58:56] BC: Shaft and the head don't like each other somehow.

[0:58:58] AT: No. It's been re-epoxied. I mean, one guy, he took it off, he's like, “Oh, they forgot to do this, whatever.” I'm not going to say anything, because I don't do club repair and I don't know anything about it. Maybe I need to. I think I'm going to have to take it up if this continues to happen.

[0:59:15] BV: Maybe just beat the drum enough on this podcast, the TaylorMade rep in the area will be like, “Here's a six iron.”

[0:59:20] AT: They might want to see what I'm doing that it keeps happening.

[0:59:23] BC: I ripped TaylorMade apart last year that they really don't like me. I'm not sure they'll be in the club.

[0:59:30] AT: I love TaylorMade, man. I've been playing TaylorMade a long time, but it's the only set that I've ever had it happen to. All the others, it's been fine. So, I don't know if there's just a defect in that six iron or what.

[0:59:40] BC: I think there's a defect either with the end of the shaft or inside the head there. That glue is not gelling.

[0:59:47] AT: That's what tees me off is when it happens during your –

[0:59:49] BC: That’s a big Tee’d Off, because yeah, depending on what hole it is, you got to fight it the rest of the time.

[0:59:53] AT: Yeah. Cause I got a – I mean, like I said, I use that six iron a lot, man.

[0:59:58] BV: You mean there's not a tour truck following you around and replace that six iron in the middle of your rounds? Like, what?

[1:00:03] AT: No. Nobody wants to follow me around. I can assure you.

[1:00:07] BC: Maybe the beverage cart.

[1:00:09] AT: The beverage cart does. Yeah. But that's only on the first hole. Remember, we've had that conversation.

[1:00:12] BV: Oh, man.

[1:00:13] BC: Bradley, what tees you off?

[1:00:15] BV: I'm going to take it back to when I worked in the pro shop for a little while. It's a customer-based, grinding-my-gears type of thing, right? You get a phone call for the tee time. “I want the earliest tee time you've got.” “7 am.” “That's too early.” “What do you mean? You told me the earliest tee time you got.” “You got something closer to 9.30?” “Sir, you just effectively wasted five minutes of my time. I missed another call over here.” Let's speed this along, guys. If you know what time you want to play, let us know. As a golf professional, let us know what time you want to play and then we'll work that way. Don't tell me the earliest and then I give you the earliest, no, that's not. That's too early.

[1:00:49] BC: There are people in your position that have echoed that thought.

[1:00:54] BV: Giving us space what I do. Give me –

[1:00:57] BC: I'm sure it has.

[1:00:58] BV: You play around noon. I got a 12.15. “Well, you got anything earlier?”

[1:01:03] BC: That was the Tee’d Off of Bennett airhead.

[1:01:06] AT: Jake?

[1:01:07] BV: Oh, yeah. Jake. Yeah.

[1:01:08] BC: Yeah. He told it the exact same way, too. He's like, “What do you need?” He's like, “I’d like a 9.30.” He’s like, “All right, I got a 9.30 right at the dot.” “Got anything earlier than that?” He’s like, “Okay. Well, I've got a 9.11.” “That's just too early.”

[1:01:23] AT: The other one that gets me too is I was literally standing in the pro shop one day and this lady came walking by. Must have walked by 20 windows, mind you, and asked me, is it raining outside still? I'm sitting there. I took a deep breath and I just looked out to the window to the right and just looked for a few seconds and just, um. “Yes, ma'am. It still is raining.” She was like, “Are you kidding me? Come on.” That's when you pull out your caddy shack. “Well, I don't think the heavy stuff's coming down.”

[1:01:53] BV: Exactly. Just a little more common sense from our golfing customers.

[1:01:58] BC: Let me pull up my special golf radar for the weather that's different than what it is in –

[1:02:03] AT: I will say, probably the biggest defense though, is most of them are here on vacation. I know when I go on vacation, I know where my mind is. I ask stupid questions.

[1:02:15] BC: You're begging for good news and a different answer. Maybe you can give it to us.

[1:02:20] BV: I get it, right? You're there. The weather's crappy. What else are you going to do? I’m trying to get out and play, but let's have a little common sense, folks.

[1:02:28] BC: My Tee’d Off is just winter blues, I guess. I'll go after politics briefly.

[1:02:34] AT: Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

[1:02:35] BV: I don't know if we have enough time.

[1:02:37] BC: No, no. This one's going to age better than the Scottie Sheffler thing. I just don't want it to get darker so early. I thought we were going to kill daylight savings time.

[1:02:50] AT: It’s still in the thoughts.

[1:02:51] BC: It needs to go ahead and get done because I want to get out on the golf course. I know it's getting lighter as we're getting closer to the spring, but –

[1:02:59] BV: Not fast enough, right?

[1:03:01] BC: We had some really pretty November and December days and couldn't play golf in the afternoon. That gives me the winter blues. My clubs are collecting dust and I want to play and I can't. That's it. Politicians, you guys have nothing better to do. There's nothing else going on in the world. Let's just kill daylight savings time for the golfers.

[1:03:22] BV: Yeah. Help us golfers.

[1:03:24] AT: They can't agree on anything. They’ll never agree on that either.

[1:03:29] BC: That's my Tee’d Off. Nice and simple.

[1:03:30] AT: Well, hey.

[1:03:31] BV: I like it.

[1:03:31] BC: Top Golf League, man. That's what I do to keep my clubs dusting off in the winter.

[1:03:35] BC: It’s not the same.

[1:03:36] BV: It's not the same.

[1:03:38] AT: For us, to be honest, it's more of a, hey, let's get together and drink on them.

[1:03:42] BV: Oh, yeah. 100%. Let's not pretend that it's about golfing, right? That's a component. The food and the drink is the main reason you're at Top Golf, right?

[1:03:53] AT: Yeah. That's pretty much what it is. It's an excuse to have drinks on a Monday.

[1:03:56] BV: Oh, absolutely. I've been there.

[1:03:57] AT: Because you could start early.

[1:03:59] BC: Not a bad excuse.

[1:03:59] AT: And they keep the light on.

[1:04:00] BV: Very true.

[1:04:02] BC: Motel 6 dot – Guys, this has been a good first episode of the year. Bradley Vaughan, Sales and Marketing Manager of Legends Golf Resort, thank you so much for joining us. It has been a blast, a lot to unpack and we'll come back and see some of our opinions if they've aged well, or poorly, or we'll just maybe delete the episode entirely. Thank you, guys, so much for listening and we'll see you next time.

[END OF EPISODE]

[1:04:33] AT: Thanks for listening to Tee’d Off. Visit mbgolf.com and follow us on Instagram @teedoffpodcast for the latest episodes and news.

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