Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
Welcome to the Golfweek Amateur Tour Podcast!
If you love amateur golf, the thrill of competitive golf events, and the camaraderie of the golf community, this is the podcast for you!
Join hosts Tim Newman and Chris Rocha as they bring you the latest from the Golfweek Amateur Tour, covering everything from all of the local golf tours through the road to the National Championship. We’ll break down recent golf tournaments, highlight standout players, and dive into what makes amateur golf competitions so much fun.
But that’s not all, we sit down with tour directors, course pros, and players from across the country to hear their stories, get insider perspectives, and maybe even pick up a few tips along the way. And, of course, we’ve got Roger’s Rules, where we tackle the quirkiest, most debated rules in golf (because let’s be honest, we all need a refresher sometimes).
This isn’t just another amateur golf podcast, it’s a golf podcast for everyday golfers who love the game, the grind, and the great people that make up the Golfweek Amateur Tour. So hit subscribe, grab a drink (or a range bucket), and let’s talk golf!
Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
From Classroom to Championship: Nick Lanas’ Golf Journey, Atlanta Leadership Announcement, and Southern Icebreakers Preview
Middle school science teacher and basketball coach Nick Lanas joins us to share his journey from the bustling city of Chicago to the heart of the amateur golf scene. Balancing his roles in education and sports, Nick offers a unique perspective on guiding young minds while also stepping up as the new senior tour director. We touch on his experiences transitioning from a B flight player to champion status, highlighting the dedication and passion that have fueled his journey in the highly competitive golf world.
We also dive into the mechanics of building a thriving golf tour, focusing on recognition and community engagement. Celebrating victories, sharing personal stories, and ensuring fair play are pillars of our approach, drawing parallels with coaching fundamentals in sports. The upcoming Southern Icebreakers Tournament and the leadership of the Atlanta Golfweek Amateur Tour are on the horizon, promising to bring together golfers from different walks of life and foster a sense of camaraderie and competitive spirit.
In a heartfelt conversation, we reflect on the memorable experiences and connections formed through golf. From a cherished round of golf with a sheriff deputy from Alabama to recounting a national championship win in football, the power of sports to forge lasting relationships is undeniable. As we prepare for the new year and upcoming tournaments, we embrace the enduring qualities of sportsmanship and community, ready to tackle new challenges and celebrate new achievements.
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Hey, Chris and everybody, welcome back to the Golf Week Amateur Tour, the podcast and, Chris, you know, you and I we talked about some big changes we've got coming for the podcast for the year and I don't know about you, but I'm really super excited to share this big news today with everybody.
Speaker 3:Yeah, completely correct. You know we've been growing. It's been a great journey and we want to invite you and your businesses to join us on this amazing journey we've been on. So, as of this episode, you know, we're officially opening up sponsorship opportunities for the podcast.
Speaker 1:Chris, exactly. You know we've got an amazing community of listeners and members and golfers, you know, that are passionate about amateur golf and the tour. So, whether you're a golf brand, a local business or just somebody who loves the game, this would be a perfect chance to connect with an engaged and enthusiastic audience.
Speaker 3:And it's not just about reaching our audience. By partnering with us, your brand becomes part of the story we're building here, one that celebrates the players, the courses and the incredible energy of the Golf Week, amtour.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we could tailor any sponsorship packages to meet your goals, you know, whether shout outs on the show, mentions on social media or even custom segments where we highlight your brand. And, Chris, you know, the first one I'm thinking about is Roger's Rules. Roger needs a sponsor.
Speaker 3:He sure does. So. If you're interested in partnering with us and getting your name of of your business out to the amateur golfers across the country, reach out today. Just email us at d mac that's d m a c at amateur golf tour dot net yeah, let's team up to make this podcast and golfing amateur tour community even stronger.
Speaker 1:And and just remember, you know, the sponsorships is what allows you know, chris, you and I to travel to the regionals, to be able to go out and see everybody. So, you know, we can't wait to hear from you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean thanks for tuning in and, as always, keep hitting them straight. All right, let's go ahead and get the show started.
Speaker 1:Let's go. All right, let's go ahead and get the show started.
Speaker 4:Let's go, ladies and gentlemen. Golf Week Amateur Tour proudly presents Golf Week Amateur Tour, the podcast Talking about all things Golf Week Amateur Tour, including interviews with tour directors, players and course professionals. Now here are your hosts Tim Newman and El Paso Las Cruces. Tour directors, players and course professionals. Now here are your hosts, tim Newman and El Paso Las Cruces. Tour director, chris Rocha.
Speaker 1:Welcome back everybody. Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and you're ready for the new year. Chris, it's good to see you, bud.
Speaker 3:Likewise, the holidays were great. Pretty sure they were great for you as well. But yeah, the new year's already here and Jesus, man, this thing is. We need to have time to slow down a little bit, my kids are about to be in high school, and I don't even know where that started.
Speaker 1:I don't want to upset anybody but Icebreakers this weekend.
Speaker 3:That's crazy.
Speaker 1:So we're rolling.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we are rolling, I know, and once you start traveling, it's going to be nonstop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we'll wrap up this episode with how Icebreaker is going to work with us. But just essentially, I'll probably just do the interviews and record them and go from there, because you'll be, you'll be in in. Is it above 60 there?
Speaker 3:No, it's still cold, shut up.
Speaker 1:It's still cold. We're just going to leave it at that, All right? Well, let's go ahead and get this episode started Again. I hope everybody had a happy Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a new year. I think it's only fitting to start this episode off with a new senior tour director out of Chicago. He's been on tour for a good long while and I'm glad that we had somebody step up to take the place there. So let's go ahead and welcome in Nick Linas from Chicago. Nick, welcome to the show, bud, How's it going? I'm doing great. I'm more concerned about you. I've known you for a few years, but I did not know that you were a middle school teacher. What's up with that? I am Bless your heart.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so I teach middle school science, sixth grade to be exact. So, yeah, we just got done with middle school basketball, so I coach eighth grade basketball as well, and kids had a great season. I'm glad it's over with because that makes my life real busy. Yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:God bless you, coach. I mean teaching middle school and coaching little ones like that. I think coaching little ones is fun, but to teach in class, I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean, I don't know, I guess it's a special. It takes a special breed of person. You have to be patient, like obviously right now I'm very patient with my three-year-old.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's awesome, though.
Speaker 5:No, you have to be very patient. Hey, jess come on.
Speaker 1:Sorry, give me one second, don't even worry about it. That's not the first time we've had kids on the podcast. It won't be the last. It won't be the last. It won't be the last. I absolutely love it. I do, but I couldn't teach middle school. There's just no way.
Speaker 5:No way Before you guys were talking about the cold up here it's cold right now. I mean negative 13 with the wind chill. So I mean.
Speaker 1:Texas is not. You don't have to live up there, you don't have to live up there.
Speaker 3:This is true, this is true, oh gosh.
Speaker 1:I just remember and before we get into this, that when I was up there when we had COVID, we were playing at Harborside and it had been like the first week of June and it was windy and it was cold, and it was like hadn't been like the first week of June and it was windy and it was cold and it was rainy and all I had on was I think it was this actual shirt and shorts and we couldn't go inside and it was like 40 degrees, it, miserable.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm sure I was there, man. I've been on the regular golf week tour as a participant for 12, 13 years, so it's been a while. I remember times at Harborside you had 30, 40 mile per hour winds in the face on a par three, you know, instead of having a 200 yard hole, I mean it's playing like 250. It's amazing. Just like the Windy City, you know. That's why it gets that nickname.
Speaker 1:Yeah, actually you were there. It was June 13th of 2020. Oh wow, and so it was the middle of June. It was miserable, Miserable.
Speaker 3:Again, you don't have to live there.
Speaker 1:No, but I was there in shorts and a shirt. Good god I mean.
Speaker 5:It's amazing, though, how some players can still play that great under extreme conditions. I remember two years ago was probably the worst conditions that we've ever experienced. Um, it was at a place called Thunderhawk Really beautiful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is, I like Thunderhawk yeah.
Speaker 5:And it was probably 40, 50 degrees with rain, and we're talking early in the year. You know, here in Chicago we try to get tournaments in April or May but sometimes it can be really, really cold. We had probably 30 mile per hour winds. It was raining, and a young kid from one of those I think he was an E3 collegiate golfer and he went out there in the rain and I think he shot. I mean it was 40 degrees windy rain and he shot like a couple over par at Thunderhawk. I was like how, how do you compete against him? God bless it, man.
Speaker 1:But I love seeing that stuff. Like that too, though, because you know, for me, I'd, I'd fold, I mean I would literally fold, I don't. I mean, if it's cold, I'm done, I don't play. If it's raining, I'm not playing. I you know, chris lives in texas and I get on him a lot. He says if it's 60 degrees, it's cold, cold. Chris likes it between 70 and 80 degrees. That's his sweet spot. If it's over 80, it's too hot. Under 70, it's too cold. But you know, I got to a point and I don't play much anymore. But I got to a point where, if I didn't like the weather, I just wasn't going to play. Because I played so much I didn't have to play. And no, if it's cold like that, I'm just going to go aside, I'm going to go aside.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's not a matter of it being cold, I just don't want to be in a jacket all day trying to swing a golf ball. That's not a problem, chris stop lying.
Speaker 5:You might swing better that way. I don't know. I've never played golf with you, chris, but you you know, sometimes it can make our swings better, us amateurs yeah, you're probably not wrong?
Speaker 1:yeah, because you're. I mean you, you. You shorten it up a little bit, probably slow it down a little bit and and take out some of the some of the error there. But uh, but, but you're a, you're a champ flight player. I'm looking at your index right now 2.3. You know we had Bill on a couple episodes ago. You know who took over for the regular golf week side also a champ flight player and I told him you know Chicago champ flight players. I put them up against some of the best across the country. I mean you guys got a ton of good players.
Speaker 5:Oh, absolutely. You mean you guys got a ton of good players. Oh, absolutely. Um, you know it's funny, I started in the B flight. Back when I started, I mean I was still in my twenties. I was actually probably more physically fit than I am now. But just being in golf week playing those competitive rounds and you know, along with people that you actually enjoy playing golf with as well, I feel like it's just um, it really just steps your game up a little bit. You're in more competitive rounds, um, and I think, to be honest, starting in the B flight and going up to champ flight just over the years it's actually helped me in like amateur events outside of golf week as well.
Speaker 5:Yeah, um, I played in the Illinois open two years and just quality qualifying for that was one of my goals and it's just like the best amateurs and pros in the state of Illinois. But I mean you don't get like PGA tour professionals but you got guys on there who play PGA tour Latin America webcom events. Um, I know there was one year. Uh, what's his name? Nick hardy. Uh played over at. He played at u of I. Um, they have a great collegiate golf program. Um, he played in the illinois open in place third. And then this same guy, I think, was top 10 in a us open four or five years later. So it just shows that, like you know, on any given weekend if you are just hot with the putter, you know things can happen. And once you get to that tier where it's single digit, it's so hard to get like one stroke off your handicap.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 5:And that's one thing I've experienced playing so long. But golf week has definitely helped me and I enjoy it.
Speaker 1:So Well, you know, I'm not going to say this number to, you know, to embarrass anybody, but you know, understand that this for everybody out there. Understand that. You know, even the best players don't have good days. Your very first round you shot a one, or Very first round you shot a 102.
Speaker 1:And your index now, like I said, is a 2.3. So you know it's about coming in, competing and getting better and taking on those challenges, and so you know, looking at your so I'm just looking at your scores used in your index yeah, with the 102, that was probably what the triple bogey max rule to in effect, so I'm glad that it was a 102.
Speaker 5:Who knows that? Could have been a lot worse.
Speaker 5:And then you know, years later, this was man, this was probably 2017, maybe two thoughts. So I know we played an event at Cantini. Then that's, you know, I think I was in the eight flight at the time and then I go and shoot 72 under and I shoot like a 32 on the back. I think I had like 12 putts and it's just. It just goes to show you that you know, it's kind of that's. What makes it fun is because you have that competition every single weekend or every other weekend, depending on how often you have the events.
Speaker 1:And again, when you've got a good champ flight group right, so it's not just like one or two guys that you're going head to head with every week. You've got a bunch of guys and you've got to bring your A game every week to really be in the mix. That, to me, is something that is important to understand, not only from the champ flight, but we talk about the champ flight in that sense all the time. But the same thing goes for the A flight, same thing goes for the B flight and C flight, D flight. Understand that when you're in those other flights, you're going to have 7, 8, 10 guys that are going to have good rounds and you have to have your best round as well to be able to compete and win, and it just drives you.
Speaker 3:Let me ask you this because you're taking over as seniors.
Speaker 5:You don't look like a senior to me, so yeah, I'm only 35, so part of the reason why I decided seniors would be better is obviously I'm competitive and if I know that I'm not playing on the regular tour, I mean I could play and be a director. But I just feel like my focus isn't where it needs to be if I want to play, at least in the first few years, so I can still have, I can do both, and then I can just focus just on the senior tour, which I think is something like if I'm going to invest time in it, I don't want to have to worry about being on the course and then taking over some of those responsibilities. It's not to say that you can't do it, you just would need more help and more support from other players. But I'm I can't play in seniors, so it's kind of a nice gig in my eyes yeah, you're absolutely right.
Speaker 1:It's very difficult to play, to run the event and play, and play well and run the event well and do the things that need to be done. You know the customer service aspect taking care of the things that have to be taken care of and play and compete and be where you want to be. It's not easy. Yeah, and it can be done be where you want, it's not easy.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and it it can be done, but as far as like competing at like one, like being in there at the end. You know, sometimes one putt you miss, you know, but you also have to answer a text message to something going on on the course or clubhouse. Like I can't focus that way, other people might be able to.
Speaker 3:I can't, I can't, I can't focus that Other people might be able to. I can't, I can't, I couldn't do it. It is the toughest thing, you will ever do, trust me. Yeah, it is tough, but you just do it and you figure it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you know the good thing is I'm glad you stepped up to take over the seniors, because you know we need to get them back to where they were a few years ago and you got pretty much a clean slate. So what types of things are you looking to do this coming year?
Speaker 5:The first year, like right now, I'm just focused on the schedule. I think that's priority one. It's a little bit more difficult than I thought it was going to be. I'll be completely honest. Um, I think the hardest thing is trying to get the prices down on certain courses and, you know, because guys don't want to pay crazy astronomical prices, so trying to balance that um sponsors would be nice.
Speaker 5:I think in my first year I'm going to try and just have a successful tournament Like in the past. What I remember when I really enjoyed golf week was, you know, having trophies at every events, making sure that there's an announcement at the end of every round, so like congratulating the winner, I think, just like even just saying their names out loud, not instead of like here's your gift card, great job. Second place. Like, just so the other players that the let's say, there's 15, 20 other players in that same flight, you know they can clap and congratulate. I think that's a good feeling, that it puts inside the winner.
Speaker 5:I also want to I know a lot of tours do this but just posting pictures on the website of you know a little snippet of their story and how their round went. I think some of those just getting back to it almost sounds like the like I tell my basketball players like the fundamentals, right, you just start with the basics, you can have a successful, successful tour. I mean, the guys just want to go out there, compete and have fun and you know, I think that you need to get back to that.
Speaker 3:start with the basics to have a successful tour yeah, you know, I could go, chris, and I'll just say it's funny because, uh, you mentioned you know, like the basketball team I used to coach in Texas.
Speaker 3:The high school teams have to have an off-season travel team, but their coach can't coach, so I still didn't coach. You say it all the time, even at the high school level you've got to get back to basics. Basics is what's going to get you to be a champion, and you said it perfectly. If we, as directors, take it back to the basics, um, then everyone falls in love with it and they come back for more yeah, and I think you know getting players on the tour.
Speaker 5:You know everyone. There's guys that don't play every single tournament right now, but I just want as many members as possible. Um, I play a lot of casual golf so I think I'm a great person to be out there. And just you know, sometimes I play golf by myself and I have tee times and I get paired up with people. I have no idea who they are. They're awesome people. They hear about the tour. They never sign up because I was just hey, like I play on the golf week tour. You should try it. It's a lot of fun. But they don't have the information. So I think just having those brochures and just the communication and collaboration with golfers on an everyday basis, I think is huge and I think I can add and bring people to the tour just by doing that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. That's the best, really the best way to grow the tour is through that word of mouth and from from you and from the individual members. You know again whether you're, whether you're at driving range or whether, like you said, you're out there just playing a casual round and you're paired up with people. You know that's that's how the tour really grows, and for sure you know. And the the other piece is is if everybody, if every player for each tournament, just brought one person Right, so you've got a member, I may look, I'm playing in this tournament next week at Thunderhawk, come with me and somebody else brings somebody, once you get them there, once they're going to be hooked, that's how it's going to grow.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. I mean, I have people in mind already Obviously not as many senior friends, because I'm only 35, but, my dad's on the senior tour and I mean I golf with the same group of seniors every sunday with my dad and a few buddies, and I'm always telling them like why don't you guys join? I think now that I'm a director I'm not saying they don't have a choice, but it's like what other. Like I think some guys get nervous.
Speaker 5:I'll be honest you know, they think of it as highly competitive and you have casual leagues all the time on different golf courses and to me I don't like leagues because you know how sometimes you have an index and then one guy shoots well, and then it's like, oh well, they shot a net 61.
Speaker 5:Right. So that's why I've never been a fan of leagues. I feel like this puts you on an even playing field. More You're with the guys that have the same handicap as you If they play a little bit better that day. There's no discrepancy in the score. There's no confusion. I feel like it's just all right there in front of you, which I love. The live scoring is huge. I like the up-to-date scoring that the guys get now with the technology we have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's awesome, you know you again, you can see it. Indexes are posted online for everybody to see. And no, as as we continue to monitor the indexes and and and tweak how we are enforcing the indexes, moving people up, I mean, I just think that's something special that we do, because we're taking only what we record so yeah, I guess monitoring, I guess, is the right word, um, but I mean it's, it's just great because it's just the tournaments that that we provide.
Speaker 3:So there's no way of of manipulating the score, because we're only taking what you do.
Speaker 1:Right, right. And so you know, nick, I'm one of the people that watches these scores every weekend and have to, you know, as part of the committee, help make those disqualification decisions. And so you know, when I see some of these things that go on, you know, all over the country, and of these things that go on all over the country, first off, we understand that the majority of people that play this game are honest and good guys. Every once in a while you're going to have somebody who's going to come in new. I think they can game the system. Those guys are relatively easy to ferret out pretty quick.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean the number of rounds, I think is just the sign of. I mean it's so obvious, you know, if you've had a guy on tour for three, four years, he's never won. He's not, you know, changing up his index or you know, sandbagging is the term that they like to use but, um, you know, sometimes guys do get not.
Speaker 5:They have a great round and you know, I know that's one thing that you know. We have the handbook right and they have a set handicap and if they score too low then you know there is disqualification. So I know there's other factors that go into it such as like years on tour and yeah, you know how many rounds have they had and x amount of you know what is it, is it?
Speaker 1:20 rounds now still right I mean 16, 16 is 16, um, and you know we also look at course conditions. Let's just say that two guys in the same flight had really good rounds, or you know there's low scores across the entire field. You know the course is just plain easy as opposed to the course is plain hard, and then there's one guy who's really low and then there's one guy who's really low. I wouldn't say that's necessarily automatic, but it does make you kind of raise your eyebrow a little bit and look a little bit further into it. But the majority of the guys that are out here playing honest handicaps are legit and it's not like we're playing for millions of dollars either.
Speaker 1:Right, Even though some people feel that way, so do you have any courses already booked on schedule?
Speaker 5:So I have Thunderhawk. I don't have any actually online or on the website. I mean, I'll just share with you who I've talked to and who I'm in communication with Um cause until I have something on paper and I you know, obviously contracts, you have to be careful.
Speaker 4:I don't want to say there's a course and then we don't get that course.
Speaker 5:Yep, so I live in Northern Illinois, I live just like right on the border. Um, I'm trying to get courses South, trying to get courses courses north, trying to spread it out a little bit, because I know I'm a chicago senior, uh tour director. Um, so far I've had a couple geneva courses, lake geneva. Um, yeah, I have thunderhawk, which we're good to go on. That I just have to finalize things, trying to get a two-day event with's Crook. I haven't heard back from them, um, so I mean that would just make sense because I'm trying to get a two day for that weekend. Um, shepard's Crook and Thunderhawk. Thunderhawk, we're good to go and that's a great course. So I'm happy with that one, um, cause normally we do Chicago uh, chicago golf week and Milwaukee. Sometimes they do a combo event. It's a popular course and the guys love it. I like going back to courses that most of the players enjoy. Playing.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. I have another fun one. It's actually in Lake Geneva. It's called Hawksview. Have you ever played that?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 5:They have a couple par threes. They are like from the back tees, I want to say like the elevation change. I don't know if it's like 100, 150 feet. It's insane. I know from the back tees I think it plays like 210 to 20 maybe, or that's the actual yardage, but it plays probably like 175, 180. It's that far downhill. That's awesome. So it's a fun course to play in there. I don't recommend anyone walk the course, though.
Speaker 1:Obviously not with that elevation, no way.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you're going up and down steep hills, especially on those par threes. That's crazy. That's crazy, because I know there's guys on the golf week I mean, I don't know about seniors because I'm never around for seniors, but on the regular tour there's guys who walk all the time.
Speaker 3:At that course. There's maybe one course in town that I'll walk. Yeah, it really depends course in town that I'll walk.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it really depends.
Speaker 3:Maybe yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, everything's flat in El.
Speaker 3:Paso.
Speaker 1:Right. That's why I walk that one course because it's flat and everything's close by. Oh, Chris.
Speaker 3:I just like giving you a hard time.
Speaker 1:I know Well, nick, thank you so much for for for joining us. I really do appreciate it. What one more? One more question for you. If you could tell, tell people one reason to join the tour, what would it be?
Speaker 5:I would just say how much fun I have, the camaraderie, the people you meet um you. A lot of times guys leave their house. They're like, hey, I'm going to golf with the guys and sometimes some of those other buddies. They're going to be busy one weekend, but if you I mean if you meet the golf week crew you always have someone that you can call, hang out with, say, hey, do you want to hit up 18 holes? I mean, there's always someone in my phone I can call just for that very reason.
Speaker 5:So it's not just about the competition, it's about the people you meet. Um, I am a very competitive person at nature so that's why I've been hooked to it, um, so I feel like it's gonna draw a lot more of those people that have that competitive edge to them that you know are craving that, especially, you know, in your 50s and 60s. Whatever it is like on the senior tour, a lot of those guys can't hit the ball as far as right. You know some of the younger crew so they start to feel like they can't compete, especially with the lower indexes. So then on the senior tour it gives them that opportunity where yardages don't matter anymore, so you're not facing the big hitters all the time.
Speaker 5:Everyone, you know, normally hits the ball the same distance. So I like how it kind of. You know you can compete with anyone out here. It's not, you know, some people might think, oh, tournaments, it's, it's kind of it's a combination, it's competitive, but it's kind of a league at the same time. It's. It's something that's just fun, that I enjoy doing and I'm sure other people would too if they join absolutely absolutely, absolutely well.
Speaker 1:Again, nick, thanks so much for joining us. I appreciate it and I know you're going to do well and, uh, hopefully we'll see you throughout the year. All right, thanks for having me. All right, let's take a break from the show to hear about strixon's zx mark ii irons.
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Speaker 3:Tim Nick. We wish them the best starting off this new tour. I always say all the time I know how it is to be a new director, but especially with the seniors I'm going to say this the senior tour, they do have a lot of fun. They do have a lot of fun after the round. I've been a young guy trying to have a senior tour. It's not easy, but hopefully he's able to bring that tour to one of the best ones we got. I think he has the capability of doing it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he does, and I think he's really kind of right on from his perspective of just being a player on the golf week side and not have to worry about doing those types of things and, you know, being a tour director on the senior side, um, cause he can just go and compete and uh, um then take care of the seniors the way they need to be taken care of. He's going to do a great job. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I mean being able to have that time is is is nice cause you. You can then relax, maybe hit the putting and chipping green while they're playing for a little bit, let that pace kind of build up and then if you have to go out there and take care of the pace, then you can. If not, I would use it at times for practice. That'd be my practice time, because I've got to be out there anyways times for practice.
Speaker 3:That'd be my practice time, because I've got to be out there anyways. But you get to know these guys and hear their stories, their life stories, because for some reason the seniors like to tell you everything that they've gone through. And, yeah, it's a good time.
Speaker 1:It is. And if he can teach middle school science, sixth grade science, he'll be fine. He'll be just fine with the seniors, yeah, he'll be all right. And you know the other thing with seniors it's a completely different vibe, right? It's not that they're not competitive because they are, it's just they're a little bit more laid back competitive, at least from my experience right, right, right.
Speaker 1:It's a lot different than what he's probably used to in the champs like yeah For sure, experience, right, right, right. It's a lot different than what he's probably used to in the champs, like yeah for sure, okay, so well, anyway, I know he's gonna do well and, um, god bless him. And and again, love seeing his kids. You know, last episode, last episode we had armand's kids in and uh, it's great and we're a family show at times maybe that that's going to be our new thing. We've got to have some kids flash across.
Speaker 3:It's perfectly fine with me. I'm not upset about it, me too.
Speaker 1:Love it, love it, love it. Well, so let's transition into our next new tour director. But he's not really new. He's been with us for he's been with me for a while. He's been my assistant for eight years, and now we just kind of made it official and we'll talk about a few things, so let's just go ahead and welcome Alan.
Speaker 7:Al welcome to the show bud. Thank you, guys. Before we get started, I just want to Al.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the show bud. Thank you guys. Great Thanks for having me. Before we get started, I just want to say a couple words. You know, you and I met through a mutual connection of Cephas Franklin. You know our friend, the DC tour director.
Speaker 1:And we met like right after the national championship in 2016. And I can't number one thank him enough for that. Introduction. No-transcript, and you've heard me say this over and over again and I don't just say this, this is the actual truth. I really don't do a whole lot. You know, jen does a lot of the backroom stuff. You take care of a lot of stuff on tournament day and my job is really to walk around, talk to guys, shake hands, give out the awards and those types of things.
Speaker 1:So tour would not be nearly what it is without you.
Speaker 7:Yeah, I appreciate that. I appreciate that, tim. It's more of you know all the guys is coming out enjoying their day of golf and enjoying the game, and when Cephas brought me in I just had retired from the county DeKalb County for after 30 years I think. I was retired about a year or so and Cephas brought me in, introduced me to yourself and Jen and it's been uphill from there.
Speaker 1:And I appreciate our relationship and providing golf here in Atlanta. Yeah, I was talking to Chris just before we had you in. He said, you know it may be kind of a culture shock. I said, well, you need to hold on a second.
Speaker 1:Al has so much experience in event management and the things that he's done in his previous career and some of the other things that he's doing right now. So why don't you tell everybody what you did for DeKalb County and you know kind of some of the other things that you do with your football league?
Speaker 7:Yeah, I currently. I retired from DeKalb in 2014 and I headed up all the athletics there. Actually, I moved up to deputy director, but that was a little on managing more behind the desk. But I was the athletic and aquatics manager so I ran day-to-day youth sports, adult sports, senior sports, senior Olympics the whole nine yards of any sports that you can name in dekalb for youth sports and and teens. So, um, I did that for 17, 18 years and went up to deputy and then did management or budgets and things of that nature. But, uh, retired after 30 years and and when I was there, I started a youth football league that's flourishing right now in Atlanta. It's called AYU Atlanta Youth Football League. That's doing real well right now and they're actual guys with teams in Florida all around the country that's playing right now. That's finished up the football season. We've got some teams in Florida all around the country that's playing right now. That's finished up the football season. But Golf Week has been a joy to me to provide golf for adults and seniors here in Atlanta.
Speaker 3:Go ahead, chris. No, I was just going to say that's a lot of work that you've gotten under your belt, so I'm gonna take my statement back that I told Tim and uh. I think, you're gonna be all right where you're gonna be. But uh, you know, tim, you kind of make me feel bad when you say you don't do anything out there because you got everybody else doing everything. I need to start getting more assistance to do the back end work and all this other stuff.
Speaker 1:Well, you know and Chris, you may not have heard me say this before, but I'm one of the best at getting out of the things that I don't want to do. You know, I'm one of the best at that. I find other people do all the stuff that I don't want to do, and one of the things that I mean you talked about this To me, the best day of the week is tournament day, hanging out with the guys, you know, shaking hands and cutting up and doing those types of things. That's the stuff that I really love doing. You know, giving out the awards, al. I mean, you've seen us with the awards, especially when we've got shotguns and all the guys hang out and it's a really big deal to give out trophies and the gift cards and those types of things.
Speaker 7:Yeah, it's about you know when you finish a. I'm more favorable for shotguns because it brings everybody in at the same time. When you're doing just, you know, first tees and coming off the first different teetops, it's different than the shotgun. The shotguns when we can get those, it's a jewel for us to sit around when it finishes up. You know, guys talking, getting awards, talking about their rounds, it's all that camaraderie that you have throughout the day. Spending four or five hours supposed to be four hours, but four or five hours, sometimes five and a half hours with guys is a long day and what you do out on the course, you build relationships and that's what it's allowed. We build a lot of relationships with guys that you didn't know and after five rounds you get to know them and you see them next week and week after week after, after eight, nine weeks of golf season.
Speaker 1:It them and you see them next week and week after week after, after eight, nine weeks of golf season, it's, it's, it's, it's really enjoyable. Yeah, it, it is. And and again. You've been around for eight years, um, and you know you've seen a little bit of growth that we've had in atlanta. You know when we first started, you know actually when I got there so I'd been there for two years before you came on and the growth that we've seen since you've been there in the recruiting, you know we went from I think we had like 80 guys, 90 guys, yep, and this year I think we finished at 147. Last year we were at 150-something. That's pretty good growth. Again, obviously we'd like to get up to the 175 area, but getting to that number and getting 60 to 75 guys out for a tournament it takes a lot of work.
Speaker 7:Hey, we're looking to grow like Tidewater. We want to be where you open registration and you got 200 guys waiting, 220, whatever the number is and trying to jump to that level. So Atlanta, we'll grow and we'll get there. Like Tim said, we're 80 to 125, 145, 150. I'm expecting 170, 180. Hopefully we can get to that number this year and have more golfers out, and I think we can do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so too. Just so everybody understands you're really going to be the guy. You're going to be the point of contact in Atlanta. I'm still going to be around, but you're really going to be the guy. I mean, you're going to be the point of contact in Atlanta. I'm still going to be around, but you're really going to be the point of contact in terms of all the tournaments, answering all the questions and the text messages and the course stuff and all that. There's other things. So, to our Atlanta members, I'm not going anywhere, but you're really going to be the face. You're going to be the one that's running around on tournament day shaking hands and giving out the award.
Speaker 7:Yeah, we're looking at some different courses or some semi-private courses that we're trying to bring in some new courses in and get some different looks at play during this year and I think that with the members we have reaching out to their friends and you know more friends coming in that they have and Atlanta has different groups of golfers that play within golf week so they play. You know, if we're not playing a weekend, they'll go out and play in their groups and come back. So we're looking to increase our numbers and increase our different play. We have some courses on our radar that we're trying to put on our list of schedule for this upcoming 25 season.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we're going to do a combo event with Alabama and Nashville, which is going to be a really good course. I don't think they want us to announce what course that is yet. That's going to be a really good event. Yeah, hopefully we're going to get back to to what was the place in McCormick it was Terra and Monticello.
Speaker 1:Down at Savannah Lakes. Yeah, savannah Lakes. Tell you what that place is a hidden gem it is For anybody who wants to do a two-day. Come join us down there at Savannah Lakes, the Terra course and the Monticello course Hidden Gems. They treated us really, really nice there.
Speaker 7:Yeah, corners Augusta Us. I mean we'll cut you off, but Corners Augusta Us in South Carolina.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7:So what other courses are you looking at? This year we reached out to the University of Georgia, which is one of the good courses, so we're trying to you know what you got another chance. We have another chance coming up this weekend Texas and Georgia let's don't go there on the football side. You know what happened last time I forgot what course we were playing and I had to find you. I had to find you. I lost you to him.
Speaker 3:He made sure to tell Jen, your Jen Tim, that he's looking for me.
Speaker 7:Yeah, but University of Georgia, the Tero course and we're trying to. It's a course down in Griffin. I don't know if you've heard of Sun City, so we've got some contacts with those. So it's not definite yet, but we've got some courses that we're trying to put on the schedule that we can enjoy. Golf is our joy is here in Atlanta.
Speaker 1:So of all the courses that you've played being on Golf Week, oh, let me even ask you this question. What everybody needs to understand. Okay is Al, you got a hole-in-one at Whistling Straits.
Speaker 7:Was the hole number 16? No seven by the ocean. Tell everybody about that. Seven. Had a nine iron on number seven on the ocean side. It rained that day. It snowed, I mean, it rained wind, sun. I had three seasons on that hole and I holed out on it. That's pretty awesome and I look for history of somebody holding out. I don't know there's no history of a PGA nobody holding out on that hold. Yep.
Speaker 1:And what I was trying to do and I told you this what I was trying to do was find somebody who would hold out and get a flag and have them sign it congratulating you, who would hold out and get a flag and have them sign it congratulating you. But there wasn't any. There wasn't any pg or pj players or lpga players that had done that.
Speaker 1:So sorry, bud, you're out of luck well, I'm alone, I think I'll take, I'll take golf alone on that hole so, outside of whistling straights because because that one doesn't count what what's been your, your favorite course that you've played on tour, because you've done a little bit of traveling with it as well. So what's been your favorite course?
Speaker 7:uh, I can say Hilton Head. I like Dillman's courses. Okay, yeah, I like Dillman's courses. They are challenging and enjoyable at the same time. Hampton Hall let me back up Hampton Hall. I think Chris and I play Hampton Hall. Let me back up Hampton Hall. I think Chris and I play Hampton Hall. If I'm not mistaken, hampton Hall is a jewel in that. Hampton Hall is probably the best on golf week. Hampton Hall would be the number one. And then the Jones course. See Chris is.
Speaker 3:What's Chris at Hampton Hall all the way.
Speaker 7:Hampton Hall is a great course, I would say.
Speaker 1:But see, chris, it's not just me. I can't really decide which is a favorite course here on the island. I mean when you look at it, okay, because I would say I would agree with you. Hampton Hall is one of my tops, jones Course is one of my tops. Country Club of Hilton Head is one of my tops. I mean, at least for me coming down here. Go ahead.
Speaker 3:Well, no, I was just going to say like, when you for me, when I get down there, I want to have fun, but also not be, but also not be, but also be challenged. Right, I don't want to. I don't want to have a headache on every hole, and it seems like the jones courses give me a headache on every hole and hampton hall gives you enough leeway to have fun and have a have a shot, but but still be challenging at that point that's's right. That's right.
Speaker 3:I would say I can agree to that, chris, especially on Sunday pins that they have there for a national championship oh my God, there's some of those holes where it's like a turtle back, but it's still fun. It's not like circus, putting you know what I mean. You still got to be challenged at it, but it's not a headache once you're walking back to your cart.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Speaking of headache, okay. And everybody thinks that. You know, atlanta is hot all the time. What's the weather there like right now?
Speaker 7:Weather. Here now it will be 22 degrees in the morning. In Atlanta it's cold. I mean, you know, sometimes we can hit the mess. It's supposed to warm back up towards the end of the week, but we have almost. We can play golf all the way through November sometimes here. Right, it just depends on how that belt line goes and how that weather jet stream comes through here.
Speaker 1:You know we were talking offline and you told us it's going to be really cold in the 20s and Chris said well, the cold stuff isn't really coming here until next week for us. We said what's cold and he said 60 degrees.
Speaker 7:Yeah.
Speaker 3:He can't play golf, I'll be living in this hoodie for the next three months.
Speaker 7:Oh wow, that's 60? T-shirts. If I had 60 here, I'd be in a t-shirt. That'd be nice wouldn't it.
Speaker 1:We're out here Even still, though out in Atlanta, I mean. So we do get those, you know, those cold temperatures every once in a while, but even still, it doesn't stay like that for very long, and my guess is a lot of courses will be packed, even at 20-something degrees, Because it'll be maybe 20 in the morning, but by noontime it'll warm up to 30, 40 degrees and it'll be fine.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you can wake up and play early. It'll be 40-something degrees. By the time you finish it'll be 65, something like 20 degrees difference. We just kind of watch the weather and see when we can get out, based on tee time and finishing the roundup. When you finishing the roundup, when you finish roundup, you can be in 60 to 65 degree weather. So it changes like that.
Speaker 3:It just warms up like that see, I'll put it this way if, if your professional football team has a dome, I am playing golf in the winter in your area, because even they know it's too cold.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, actually that wouldn't make sense, because Arizona is also a dome. Yeah so scratch that I guess they get through.
Speaker 1:They get through. Yeah, all right, I want to put you on the spot here too. Okay, because we didn't talk about this question at all. What's been your most memorable round and you can't say the whole in one? Now what's? Been your most memorable round on tour because you've been around for a long time and you've got the experience of playing. You've got experience of of playing, just playing. You've got experience of playing and helping run the thing. So all around you've been involved in what's been your most memorable.
Speaker 7:I think it's about. I can't remember the guy's name. He was a sheriff deputy out of. I have to look back. I got it written down he was a sheriff deputy out of Alabama. I can't think of this guy's name right off the top and it was from four different locations when we played. But I remember. I didn't even remember playing the golf, I just remember having conversations about him, his kids, his family. We talked more about that and that foursome than we did golf itself. So my memory doesn't serve me correctly right here and now. But that's what Golf Week is about. It's about relationships. Guys you play golf with. Guys you spend four or five hours with playing. So that's my memorable golf that I would have in golf week, besides the guys that I know every day that I play with. That will be one of them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I remember that round that you're talking about, and I think his wife plays as well, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, yes, and because we did.
Speaker 7:He's a sheriff deputy in Alabama. I cannot think of his name.
Speaker 1:He might have seen his and and send you something on it, but we talk the whole round, but but that's but again, that's really what it's about too, right? I mean, yeah, you know when and we and we tell our actually you specifically tell our members that on a regular basis. Yes, I do. You know at what. You know when we're just hanging out talking, you know at the end of, at end of tournament round, especially when we have shotguns, you specifically say these things to our players and I think we have a really good culture in Atlanta that really kind of embraces that.
Speaker 7:Yeah, and the emphasis put on. I'll say this all the time, but the emphasis put on you know that's not golf, it's nature how the course is put together. You have deer running through, you have, and every time we have, I look for fish. I'm a fisherman as well as far as golfers. I look for fish in the ponds, in the lakes. That's right around us and it's the nature of it. And then you know, when you play golf, you've got to consider the elements, wind, if it's sunny, if it's rainy, if it's downwind, upwind, math, calculating All those things are challenging things.
Speaker 7:Elements that you have to put forth when you're playing golf. It's a mental game as well as enjoying the environment when you're playing, and all that. A lot of people know you're just going to hit the ball. You're playing against the pressure. No, you're playing against yourself. Elements that's put forth Exactly. Well again.
Speaker 1:I'm going to put you on the spot again Because I think it's important people understand who we are as tour directors and tour members. You won a national championship in football. You scored a winning touchdown. Yep, Tell Chris about that, yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't know about that.
Speaker 7:I don't put too much emphasis on that. You know that was a while ago, 1982. Um, we were short, we had opportunity. It was strike year. The year before that, I think the same year, was a strike in nfl and we had opportunity to play on tv about two or three times and we, uh, the previous year, in 81, we made it to quarterfinals and we lost to, I think, maybe Winder, winder College up in Pennsylvania, somewhere up that area, and then we 82, we won against maybe Winder in 82, and then we played against another team in 81. But, long story short, we did have an opportunity to win the championship on national TV. But it was about that point.
Speaker 7:At West Georgia we learned I learned myself. It's about team. It's about again, it was cold I think it was probably like 30 something degrees when we played that year. Uh, but, um, um, winning that championship.
Speaker 7:You look back on your relationships, not that you want it, but the relationship that got you to that championship. Right, and that's that's what I take from experience of winning championships. Anything about any guy that's carrying a ring from a football or basketball or baseball or whatever it'll, they'll tell you. It's about how we got there. How we got there, and the same thing with golf and people enjoying golf is that, um, you're winning, you're winning scores, I mean your scores. Your scores are what you're winning against. So if I'm shooting 80, 85, if I'm trying to push my scores down, it's against me myself and not the opponent that you have. It's a little bit different in team sports and individual sports, but West Georgia was a great experience for me in the years I was there, 81 to 84, but that 82 year was very special and I don't talk much about it, tim, I always bring it up.
Speaker 1:It's important because, again, not only do you have that history in the sport industry and business and running these types of events, but you're also an athlete, right. I mean you're not an athlete like you were in 82 or 83, but you're still an athlete, right. I mean you still have those characters those qualities, those things that got you to be at that level.
Speaker 7:Yeah, right now my back wouldn't say that I was some sort of athlete. It's telling on you after you played the sport and it's telling on you and it's a total on you. But again, I tell everybody, you know, after coming out of an active sport like that, tennis, golf, hiking, biking, pickleball now are sports that you want to pick up for long-time sports, for, I guess, the elderly but your later lives, because that'll keep you active, keep you moving, keep you healthy. All those things are very important in the sport. In the industry I come from the park to rec and the sports administration part you have to keep your body moving, keep it energized, keep it healthy, eat the right foods, those type of things.
Speaker 1:Made me feel bad about myself.
Speaker 7:I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm, just, you know I'm, I'm spending facts, though I know I'm guilty of it sometimes too well, let me do.
Speaker 1:You wear that detroit Lions hat around town or just at home.
Speaker 7:No, I wear it all around town. I got a nephew that's a defensive coordinator for one of the defensive linebackers for the Lions and hopefully next year, depending on where they end up this year they end up in the divisional chapters Super Bowl. Whatever he'll get a defensive coordinator job he will. Kelvin Shepard, which is my nephew, will have a job either for somebody's defensive, because he does a very good job. I don't brag about much. I know football. I don't brag about much but he is a great coach. He's very personal to those guys. Watch those linebackers how they fly around and he will be a. I'm predicting now, if you look back two or three years ago, he'll be an NFL defense coordinator and someday a head coach.
Speaker 7:They actually did an article on that Good.
Speaker 1:If you Google it, it's an article that came out. I mean, he's in a good situation right now. Dan Campbell is a yes, he came out of nowhere, I think, and his style, the way he coaches, the way he deals with players, is kind of the new way to do it, and so he's learning from one of the best, I think. Yep.
Speaker 7:Dan Campbell is changing with the best. I think, yep, dan Campbell is changing with the times, being able to relate to those players.
Speaker 1:Well, al, again I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us in the tour, looking forward to continue this year, but we are.
Speaker 2:I'm looking forward to continue this year, but you can answer that.
Speaker 7:I'm excited. I'm excited for Atlanta. I'm excited for the courses that we'll play this year. I'm excited and look forward to the relationships we'll develop, the new players that's coming on, the new players that will sign up with us, and we guarantee you'll have a great time with us. I don't know if I'll play much myself, but I'm going to make sure that the guys that sign up have an enjoyable time when they come and sign up to play with us in Atlanta.
Speaker 3:Al, when you do play, I want you to text me and tell me how fun it was to have to worry while you're playing and making sure everybody's on time and everything like that.
Speaker 7:Hey bud, hey bud. I already been through that. Tim will tell you. I already been through that. I did the seniors here. I would play and try to play and come back and get the scores together. It's not pretty.
Speaker 3:It's not, but when we win it's it's. It's not pretty, it's not, but when we win, it's like okay, that was yeah, it was two jobs in one hey, I won one.
Speaker 7:I think I did one one time and I had to present a trophy to myself, so it was.
Speaker 3:That's the most awkward part, that's the that's the part I try to skip is when it's like all right, and the beef flight winner is yeah, yeah, we're just gonna skip that one skip it over.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't even want to talk about it, yeah All right, my friend, you take care of yourself and we'll talk to you soon All right, I appreciate it guys.
Speaker 7:Thank you All right.
Speaker 1:Let's take a break from the show to hear about Strixon's ZX Mark II drivers.
Speaker 3:ZX Mark drivers are for major players, major winners, major power. All new zx mark ii drivers only from shrixon tim. I was gonna have a blast with the atlanta tour, but uh, I mean, don't get mad when he gets more members than you've had. Okay, oh, I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to get mad one bit, because I'm pretty sure that's going to happen.
Speaker 3:I hope it happens.
Speaker 1:I really do. You know, he's been around long enough to know. He knows the ins and outs, he knows the guys really well, he knows the pockets of players that are around and you know and he touched on something really important you know, in Atlanta we've got what Al and I call pods pods of players. You know where. They have their own groups, so like we got 10 or 15 guys that play with this group, or 10 or 15 guys play with that group, and so forth, and Havana is an area that has a lot of different groups or leagues all over the place and that's kind of how they, that's everywhere.
Speaker 3:I mean, we have that too here.
Speaker 1:No, chris, this is different, trust me. Okay, it's yes, mean we have that too here.
Speaker 1:No, no, chris, this is different, trust me. Okay, yes, other places have that, but this is number one. It's way more organized, way more. It's bigger. It's bigger than I mean. It's kind of like its own I don't even like using this word, but it's kind of like its own ecosystem within its Okay, okay. And so what ends up happening is you get one or two guys that will go and this is kind of how we grew it. One or two guys from, let's just say, this pod over here would come and try it out and they liked it, and they would then, like I told Nick, bring one or two guys, and then they would bring one or two guys, and then they would bring one or two guys.
Speaker 1:And so, and even within these pods, like some of the guys will play in like one or two different pods as well, and so it's very well defined and I'm not going to say clicky at all. But if you say you know, I know I'm playing with this group, I mean the groups have their own names, have their own. It's a pretty big deal. So he knows the infrastructure of them, he knows the contacts of the guys who run these things and we actually have a lot of those guys that are on the floor now. But to be able to bring more of those guys in, because he's there and he can focus on doing that, I'm sure he's going to be bigger than when I was in charge of it and it's great.
Speaker 3:Good for him. Yeah, awesome Again being able to talk to him in depth about what his plans are and what he sees. I just can't wait to see what comes of this year and be able to talk about it at the director meeting next year.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to seeing that and with some of the things we've got going on, I'll still be around in Atlanta, but I won't be able to be doing the day-to-day and all the tournament day stuff, just with what we're doing with the podcast and that's just the growth. It is what it is. It's all good things. It's all good things for the tour and we'll see what happens. I'll miss the guys day to day because, again, horn of the Day for me is the best day of the week, so we'll still have it for regionals. And best day of the week, so we'll still have it for regionals and those types of things. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:And then when I'm still in town, we Anyway, that's that, so you know. You guys have a good Christmas.
Speaker 3:We did Good relaxing time. I mean, you know I still work retail so I only get it for a couple days. I don't know, I still got to get back out there for the return season of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so do you work the day after Christmas? Oh yeah, oh yeah, god bless you man.
Speaker 3:God bless you and people bring their gifts that they just got to return because they don't like them. It's like.
Speaker 1:Well, you work at Apple. Who's returned something that Apple puts?
Speaker 3:out. You would be surprised. Are you serious? No, I mean, it's one of those things. I don't like this color. I want a different color. It's just crazy. I can't. Chris, you should have said no, nobody returns it. You should have just humor me.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lie about it. I got to work. I wish you should have said no, nobody returns it. You should have just just humor me.
Speaker 3:I'm not going to lie about it, I got to work.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lie about it. You know, I actually need to go to the, to the Apple store. I need to to change the battery in what I'm going to pull up it. Should it's just old, Just buy a new one. Well, Can't Just? Trade it in and buy a new one.
Speaker 3:That's a conversation for another day Is that what I should do. This is a conversation for another day.
Speaker 1:Sorry, man, I can't help, but I also have to buy an iPad, maybe if I didn't like Apple stuff so much. But I also have to buy an iPad, maybe if I didn't like Apple stuff so much.
Speaker 3:Anyway, the Christmas is good. Kids are happy. Christmas is good. Yep, they're happy New year and, yeah, I mean, I'm already looking forward to it. So can't wait to see what happens this year.
Speaker 1:Well, last episode came out right before Christmas and we we have a number of reasons why you and I are going to hell. By the way, happy Mother's Day. We don't want to forget that. But we did forget one why you and I are going to hell. By the way, happy Mother's Day. Yep, we don't want to forget that, but we did forget one. Actually, we forgot two things.
Speaker 3:Well, we didn't forget one, because it hasn't started yet, so we're still good, we just got reminded about it.
Speaker 1:It's not over yet. It started on Christmas and that's happy Hanukkah.
Speaker 3:This is coming before Christmas.
Speaker 1:No, this is December 30th oh never mind, I'm going twice. So, yeah, we're going to hell, but Jen's birthday was on the 18th and we missed her birthday.
Speaker 3:I'm going to hell, Uh it you know, we, we as a podcast. Mr you as a person did not know as a as a person.
Speaker 1:I did not. I did not miss it.
Speaker 3:I did, I didn't, we, we, we had a good time.
Speaker 1:But you know we we had a good time. But you know all that she does for the tour. You know the training of the tour directors, this handicap stuff, all the time that she puts in so don't even get me started.
Speaker 1:And what she puts up with me, I would say one of the positives I guess for Jen is with me not necessarily being at ornaments this coming year is that will free up some time for her. I'm pretty sure Of her not sitting at the registration desk, check-in desk and all those types of things all day. Trust me, I know.
Speaker 3:If I'm late to her registration, she's going to have it at nationals. And I thought I'd get a pass and I didn't. And it was a good thing.
Speaker 4:I made it, because, imagine, if I didn't make it this year how depressing that would have been, with how well I played.
Speaker 1:I know you wouldn't be a Directors' Cup winner. No, no, you wouldn't be Director's Cup winner. No.
Speaker 3:I mean, I literally rolled up and she had her mic in her hand ready to do announcements. He's on it, man, he's on it. I'm surprised she didn't call me and yell at me while I was driving. Well, she texted me.
Speaker 1:She texted me. She said where's Chris? Well, first off, I don't know. I mean where's Chris? Well, first off, I don't know. I mean we're not together. He's not even in the flight that I'm in. He didn't call me, you know, check in and said well, he's not here. He said all he wants is not here. I said what do you want from me? I get it. Everything's not here. I don't know what you want from me. I mean I was just I get it Everything's. I get it. Everything's my fault and I own it, but I don't know what you want me to do.
Speaker 3:That's a story to tell forever.
Speaker 1:She started yelling at me before she even started yelling.
Speaker 3:I. I heard it when I walked in.
Speaker 1:I'll be late next year I think she's going to request to be at your course. She probably will. Anyway, when Jen's at registration, you better be on top of it, you better. Well, no, not really. I think she's just like that with tour directors, the regular members for the most part the regular members. She's nice, calm, soothing voice. We should know better.
Speaker 3:That's what it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you don't have your $40 for skins, then we'll take care of it and I do, I do, I'll take care of it, but anyway. But yeah, I mean she's, so she'll have some free time on a couple of sets. Happy birthday, jen, and happy Hanukkah to everybody, everybody that's out there, and happy Mother's Day, yes.
Speaker 3:I think we're good so far. We're good.
Speaker 1:I think we got that now. You know we, we, we get all kinds of of data, you know, with being the podcast and stuff and I've subscribed to, to newsletters and this, that and the other thing, just to kind of see what's going on out there and, um, what are the news outlets? You know they, they send us a daily type of thing and we got some data on the most searched golfers, most Googled golfers and for the last 20 years the number one golfer.
Speaker 1:it shouldn't be surprising, but he's been tight, of course. So Google's been around for 20 plus years and he's been longer than that, yeah, and this year he was not the number one Google golf.
Speaker 3:Which I'm not surprised. I mean, he played what two events maybe Didn't get in trouble? No car accidents, no car accidents, a couple surgeries, yeah, but even then nobody knows about those, right. If anything. Nobody knows about those, right. If anything, I'd be surprised, I don't know. Maybe I would if Charlie was more Googled than he was.
Speaker 1:Well, he wasn't on the list and it doesn't say professional golfers, it just says most Googled golfers. Right, right and honestly, this must be professional male golfers, because I mean, if you think, think about some of the high profile female golfers and I get, so don't get me wrong here. Okay, Nothing, that's Ricky Fowler. I mean I obviously charismatic, but he did have a great year. But we're going to say Grayson Murray.
Speaker 3:He's still a fan favorite he is.
Speaker 1:But what about Nellie Korda? What about? I mean, yeah, you know what I'm saying. I'm sure that maybe I'll look into it, but this has. Oh, actually, nellie Cordy is on the list. I thought she's number seven.
Speaker 3:See, you only went to top five.
Speaker 1:Well, Ricky was 10. Can't read.
Speaker 3:And Nellie's the only girl on there too. Yeah, good for her. Yes, and I'm only. And we got some live golfers on there. Yeah, good for her. Yeah, it's an anomaly, and we got some live golfers on there.
Speaker 1:But I guess the way to get to number one is to get arrested.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean that would get you up there. I mean, I saw, so I did a Halloween Greenskeeper Revenge tournament, okay, and it was encouraged to wear a costume. It was two-man scramble, so me and one of my members went to play. We didn't wear a costume, but the two guys we got paired with had costumes. Guess what the costume was? What was it? It was a Scheffler orange jumpsuit and a John Daly orange jumpsuit.
Speaker 1:Oh my, that's funny, that's funny it was great.
Speaker 3:I think they won costume of the year. I don't care what anybody else wore.
Speaker 1:That's funny. I mean, you could have worn Could have worn what Could have worn your costume. Could have worn what Could have worn your costume.
Speaker 3:Could have worn your costume. Nah, nah, don't even I know where you're starting. Don't even you need to put it back up again. If they missed the last episode, they missed it, they gotta go back and watch it yes, okay.
Speaker 2:I can see what you're trying to do With your little eyes.
Speaker 3:That's funny, though If they didn't, if they didn't watch the last one, they your little eyes. That's funny, though If they didn't watch the last one, they got to go back and watch it.
Speaker 1:Well, that's up there for forever so they can go pull it down. Yeah, but anyway, all good things, make sure that you guys are registering for the tour. You know we're, and I know some early bird specials are running out over the next couple days. Yep, you know, I think. I think we're going to keep it going until probably the middle of the month. Just made an executive decision.
Speaker 3:And you know what's great about it Like even with me, if I see a good tick of the early bird price helping out, then I'll keep going on, Maybe to the first event or the second event. You know, if it keeps bringing people in, it doesn't hurt. Right, but you got a first event in February, right no, last week in January, when we started it up.
Speaker 1:We go yeah, so you're 30 days out.
Speaker 3:Yep, get it. I'm excited, I can't wait.
Speaker 1:I'm excited for it, are you?
Speaker 3:going out to Vegas. I haven't decided yet. We'll see what the boss tells me. What the big boss tells me, not Dennis.
Speaker 1:I, not Dennis. I understand you know Southern Icebreakers this coming weekend, man, yep, it's already around the corner and so you know, I'll probably I'll probably just do you know record the interviews and and upload them as part of the next episode. Yep, I think, open there, we'll talk about it. But if you go up to Vegas, maybe do the same thing. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, we'll make it work somewhere or another, we'll figure it out.
Speaker 1:All right, my friend, that's all we got. Better get some rest, because we have four or five days.
Speaker 3:What's that? What's rest? I'm already used to it.
Speaker 1:I don't even know, don't even know.
Speaker 3:All right, man Well again. Like you said, happy Hanukkah Happy.
Speaker 1:Hanukkah.
Speaker 3:Happy holidays. Happy Hanukkah. Happy holidays, happy new year, happy Mother's. Day. And.
Speaker 1:Happy birthday Jen. Happy birthday, jen. So Get ready, because in Four or five days you're rolling. Yes, sir, all the best to the family, family. We'll talk to you soon likewise, likewise be safe. Thank you.
