Southern State of Golf
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Southern State of Golf
Playing The Patch & The Loop in Augusta, GA
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John is joined by BestBall's Robby Woodard to talk about their experiences playing The Patch and The Loop in Augusta, GA.
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Welcome to the Southern State of Golf Podcast. Hi, I'm your host, John, and today we're joined by Best Ball Founder, co-founder, extraordinaire, co-host of the Whole Story Podcast, Robbie Wood. Robbie, how are you doing today? I'm great, John. How are you doing? Man, I I'm outstanding. I appreciate you joining us here today. You know, we're here to talk about in today's episode. I want to talk about uh the patch, the Augusta Municipal Golf Course. I know you've had an opportunity to play it. I recently I had an opportunity to go down, I played the loop, the PAR three course, and enjoy a couple of food items and just uh wanted to just kind of get your take on your experience. I know you, you were, I think, weren't you on the one of the first public groups of the day, the first day it opened uh out out there?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so Jonathan uh got somehow, as soon as they started taking tea times, requested like a uh he got on the phone right at the two o'clock time when they opened up the the tea sheet. And he said, What about 8 30? He's like, Well, we can't do then, how about eight? And he's like, Okay. And then as we got closer to that day, I think he figured out that I think there were 30-minute tea times when we were playing it uh for the patch. And yeah, it turned out that we were the first first foresome off uh on the first day of it was open for public play. And then one of the guys, Sherve, that was with us that played, he had done the same thing and got a 130 tea time. So we played it at 8 o'clock, had launched, and we got to play it again at 130. It was it was quite a day.
SPEAKER_00What were your expectations before going there? What did you expect about the play?
SPEAKER_01I mean, expectations, I can't remember. Uh, you know, the more I think about it, I don't think I ever played it back when it was, you know, the patch at you know, the old Augusta municipal. So my expectations, like I I think going in, I had high expectations because of the fact that Augusta National was involved. And yeah, you know, I I didn't really know what the routing might look like. You know, it used to look like what it what it uh what it is today. I just knew that if Augusta was gonna, you know, have their name anywhere on it, it was gonna be a pretty, at least in my mind and expectations, it should be pretty good.
SPEAKER_00What was your biggest surprise after playing it? Was there any surprises that you had?
SPEAKER_01You know, it was fun to listen to the guys I was with, because you know, in in both groups, you know, Jonathan and Cherv, and then we had one guy that rotated in in the morning and one in the afternoon, hearing all of them talk because they had played the old patch before the renovation, and they you know, hearing them say, oh, this was where whole this was, and oh, this is the exact same spot, they've just redone some stuff, like hearing hearing those conversations and and comments were were fun just because they could see what it was, but also see, you know, again, as as one of the first groups out, see how it had changed and what it has become. And so, you know, my my initial thoughts was that it was amazing. I mean, it it's a brand, I say a brand new course, it's a it's a redesign, so new greens and everything. So as expected, the greens are gonna be hard, they're not gonna, you know, be very receptive to to golf shots, but they rolled incredibly well. And once you figured out to land short of the green on your approach shots or even at the front of the green, then knowing that it was gonna release or bounce, you uh you we had a fun day with it.
SPEAKER_00You know, I f I find it interesting when I see it that it is a municipal golf course. And then you got the Charleston municipal golf course. I gotta believe, and then of course, me and you here in Columbia had Limerick golf course, which is I guess a municipal golf course of sorts. You know, I you certainly wouldn't say that uh the patch is a traditional municipal golf course, would you? Or is it or or is it, you know, because it seemed to me, I didn't play the patch itself, but it just it it seemed to have a certain amount of luxury that I would expect at a resort course as opposed to what I traditionally think would have been a municipal golf course.
SPEAKER_01As far as municipals go, yeah, when you compare it to a Linorick, then yes, it's uh you probably wouldn't call it a municipal. Uh Charleston Muni, that is probably a good in-between, although it's incredible uh what they've done there, uh Troy Miller and the team. Uh but you know, it is still a municipal at Augusta through and through. And um, yeah, they they want to keep it that way. They they have access to, I mean, it's it's open to the public, right? I think they'll be closed for one or two weeks during the during the masters. I say closed, it'll be, you know, set up for hospitality type things or events, stuff like that. But the fact that people in three counties around the area, kind of in the in the Augusta area and also Aiken County, may uh maybe it's more than three counties, but the fact that they could go play it for 20, 30 bucks, yeah, that that to me still makes it a municipal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I think it's really cool because you I think that the counties are Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie, Jefferson, Burke, and then you can't forget about Edgefield and South Carolina. Edgefield and Aiken both, you know, both have that that local rate. And I do think that is pretty cool where it and it's a pretty big difference for the local rate as opposed to the the national rate or the non-local rate. Because the 18 holes for Monday through Thursday is 25, Friday and Saturday and holidays 35. But if you get the non-local rates, the non-locals are a solid 85 Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday are 95. So I like the fact that they do that for the local people.
SPEAKER_01But 85, $95 for for somebody like us who's driving over from Columbia, South Carolina, I that's that's a deal, right? Like if you could say, hey, I get to play something associated with Augusta National for $85, sign me up, right? Like it's it should be uh worth every penny of that. I mean, there there are courses, we've talked about it here at Cobblestone, right? Cobblestone's what 20 minutes from each of us, and it's a it's a nice course, but they're getting close to 100 bucks, and I'd drive, I'd drive an hour and go play the patch for the same amount of money uh before going out to Cobblestone.
SPEAKER_00I I can't disagree with you at all there. And you know, do you have a favorite hole that you played or one that you remembered?
SPEAKER_01Like, man, this is really you know, the one right by the airport, um right the runway, actually. Um, that is pretty fun uh because you know, you you're you're there with your friends and you know, if somebody, if a you know, if a righty pulls it or if Jonathan the lefty happens to slice it big time, it uh you'll see it bouncing on the uh on the runway, just hoping no planes go taking off during that time. So that was pretty memorable. I you know, I think God, you know, I I'd love to go see it again. I think you know, number I don't know. I I don't know how to give a good answer to that. Even though I saw it twice, it's been uh you know a couple months now. Uh I need to go back, but yeah, the one by the uh one by the runway is pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00It does pretty cool. I it I mean I'm looking at it, so you can see the runway clearly when you're there playing. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01I I won't name names, but it at least in one uh one in the morning and one in the afternoon, there was uh there were balls bouncing on the runway.
SPEAKER_00And especially depending on what's it was not me. It was not you. Okay, well we I'll have to ask Jonathan what he what his take might be on that. And and I also got to believe it, depending on the time of the year, the planes that are coming down that runway are some high-dollared private jets that might be rolling through there, especially sometime in April. That that would be pretty cool to me. Yeah. Now, while you were there, did you have a chance to partake in any of the food that were there there at the course?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so so we did. We we got to eat lunch there. It was great. Uh, a few of the guys got a a burger. I did not go that route because I knew we were having 18 more to go play. Uh so I think I just got the hot dog uh and it was it was outstanding. I did after the round try, uh I can't think it's like the patch pale ale or something. Uh we sat there for a few minutes just kind of soaking it all in uh and did try that. But yeah, didn't didn't go all out. But it is one of those places that you could go just for lunch and sit there and kind of just be surrounded by all the things going on there at the course.
SPEAKER_00Well, I I will say that was me. I I threw up my hand. I I did that. I did that the other day because um this past weekend I did play the the par three, the the loop, went there in the morning. I actually had a breakfast burrito before I started, which makes no sense to do it right before you're about to go out when it's so daggum hot. But I will tell you, the bet the breakfast burrito sausage, it was one of the best things I've ever had as far as burritos. It was outstanding. I loved it so much after my my event was over with, I decided to drive back and I had lunch there. I got the I had the grilled cheese and sliced brisket sandwich, which was which was solid with the with the crinkle fries. So the food was I I I want to go back and try more of the food. I actually got another event coming up. I might go back there and just hit the menu up again. And but I did think it was really cool how they had it set up to where you could eat some on the inside. They got on the outside, you know, looking more towards the driving range. They got the back porch area. I whoever designed that facility, that building, it looked really cool to me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, it uh it was awesome. And I know you'll probably talk about this here uh shortly, but from when you walk in, well, I mean, as soon as you get there, you're just greeted with you know incredible people that are so happy to have you there again, unlike a unlike I guess what you would think a muni would be. Uh you know, guy behind a counter, you know, that's it. Like they have a full team, uh hospitality at the finest. But you walk into an incredible pro shop and it's like, ooh, there's some sweet logos and all this stuff.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness. I think the logos I I I'm I'm a sucker for a place with two really good logos. And they probably got more than two, but they got they got the word, the font logo, the patch, which I think is outstanding. And then the lettuce with the T on it. Oh yeah, I that's um um yeah. I might like I said, I might go back to the pro shop just to go get me a something different. What'd you get? Um, a polo with the tea and uh lettuce may may have entered into my uh may have left with me. Um they had a a pullover that I really, really liked. And there was a t-shirt I really really liked. It was scary how much damage I really could have done in that place.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. No, it was uh it was a good bit. I I ended up, I got a bucket hat. If I could see it, I would grab it right now. But um I got a bucket hat from American Needle that has the the script patch logo on it. And you know, it uh it fits nice. It was it was great to wear for that second nine out there, and I've worn it other places and people, you know, make good comments on it. Jonathan did get some kind of a hoodie, I think, but he also got and he had he'd never bought one of these before, but he bought a belt, right? He's like, you know what, I'm I'm a local, I'm in Augusta, like I'm gonna represent it. So he got a belt, I think, with the T and the lettuce on it. So yeah, he and he will wear that often. Just I mean, it's it's a good looking belt.
SPEAKER_00I did I their Pro Shop is it is really cool. They did a great job with the logos, and like I said, anything associated with Augusta National, you had to believe that it was going to be, you know, very much done well and done right. And I think they did a uh a great job. Now, did y'all have an opportunity to play the loop while you were there?
SPEAKER_01We did not, no. That was that was one of those things I think you had to get a tea time early for that one as well. And we just because we were gonna play uh the full 18, we did not get a chance to play it. So I'm I'm excited to hear your thoughts on it because everything I've heard, it's pretty incredible.
SPEAKER_00Well, it it is really incredible. And you know, I've tried a number a couple of times to go play the patch, but I know you've got to book that thing out two weeks in advance. You know, call or get online at two o'clock and either I forget or I don't do it. I'm not very good at booking my tea times out that far in advance. So anytime I've tried, I've not been successful, but I noticed on the loop, they don't I if you can do it online, I haven't been able to figure it out. I just called the guy because I happened to, or called a person there at the, or whoever the person was. I've said the per like a person, like it's one person, there's multiple people there at the pro shop, and I was able to get a tea time at the loop for um 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. It was the very first uh time that they had, and so I was like, sure. So I got out there, they opened at 7 o'clock, and I think my rate as a non-local was $30 to play the nine-hole loop. I got a small bucket of balls, and it was only like $3 or something like that, and then went out to the driving range that had trackman on it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00I mean, a covered bay track man, like I I I personally was kind of depressing to see how I was hitting the ball on track man. I had, you know, there was a hope that when you hit it, you're like, I feel pretty good. Then you see the numbers, like, nah, this isn't good. But it was really, really, you know, cool to be able to go do that. And I might go back this weekend just to go at seven o'clock in the morning just to go hit balls for a little bit. Try to people say dial in your track man numbers. I'm not dialing in anything, I just want to try to figure it out. Yeah. But the the loop was really, really cool. I got to play with one gentleman who was in town uh from Iowa. So me and him played at we we got the first tea time at eight o'clock. We went around in about an hour, and we probably we we took our time. You probably, if you went by yourself, you could probably do it in 40 minutes. But I thought it was really good. The greens were were really cool. You know, you probably could do a if you had a pitching wedge and sand wedge and a putter, you could probably do it all. You know, maybe you might need a nine iron or an eight iron, but I thought it was I thought it was outstanding. You know, it's not as it sounds like from talking to the person on the phone, it's not as difficult to get a tea time if you call, although it can be more difficult at night because it is a lit par three. So that would be something really cool, of course, to do in the summertime here when it's blazing million degrees during the day and it's only a hundred at night. But I mean, I called the day before and I was able to get in at 8 a.m. The guy didn't seem like that was a difficult thing. Um, so it does appear like you do have to call. You can't book that online, but I I thought it was tremendous. My one complaint, if there's a such thing as a complaint on it, was the the yardage markers. There's no way those those things were were right on the different things.
SPEAKER_01There's just there was because you were dialed in at that point.
SPEAKER_00I uh had to be the yardage markers. I actually had some success out there, Robbie. I mean, I had some success, but it wasn't because it was dialed in. I had some success. Um, you know, I actually had things that had single numbers like bogey and pars. I didn't have anything, I didn't have too many triples or doubles, and I didn't have any birdies either, for that matter. But it was a really cool experience. Now the, you know, the the the teen areas, they are, I want to call mats, but they are artificial grass. But I I I was good with that. It was done tastefully. It wasn't like a rectangle mat that looked out of place. It was really cool. I would do that, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Like I think it's a some anybody that wants to go out and maybe they they're just in town for Augusta for a little bit, they don't have a ton of time or can't get a full tea time. It is well worth your time to even spend part of a day just to go to do the track man, go get you a couple large bucket of balls, find get a tea time at the loop, and then go have lunch, breakfast, and you know, then go socialize, have a couple of drinks out there in the back, and then go spend way too much money at the pro shop.
SPEAKER_01But I thought that sounds like a good day.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it w I I mean I had a lot of things.
SPEAKER_01It'd be a great it'd be a great way for somebody just to go hang out for a few hours, right?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. It sounds like it'd be a pretty cool uh best ball golf club hangout one day, just to go out there and you know, to uh you know just hey, just do the par three and hang out. I could I could handle that perfectly.
SPEAKER_01Let's do it. It was um I'm curious I'm curious because I know you have uh a trip to Pinehurst coming up. I'm curious how how you will compare the loop versus um the cradle there at Pinehurst. So we'll have to have to follow up and ask your opinions on how those two compare.
SPEAKER_00I it is I am a sucker for par three courses. I mean, because I've now I hear the the cradle is the standard when it comes to par three and short courses, a lot of different places. I I'm a big fan of the chain down there at um at Stream Song. I mean, I you know, it's you know, the the loop isn't I to be truthful, it's not as good as the chain. Because I think the chain is not easy chain's not even a par three, it's more of a short course uh type mentality place. But I could play the loop all day long. And for a guy like me who's not a big hitter and just enjoy the par three, like it's a place that you can have fun with your buddies, but also seriously work on your game. Because I mean there was a lot of different the greens weren't easy, they were fast. I mean, there was some very difficult pin placements. I this is one of the rare times I could say this. I did not find too many of the sand traps, so I can't speak to that. Matter of fact, it might be one of the only times that I've ever said that. But I I to me, I think what Augusta, you know, Augusta National and all their partners have done, what they've put together there, I think is phenomenal. And I think could be, you know, I'd be curious of the economic model. Do do they make money or is this something that is heavily funded by Augusta National? But if it's something that is profitable, you know, I would love to see more cities, more places, to have a venue, you know, something like this that where, you know, and we haven't talked about how Augusta's got their first tea program right there on site. And they got a little building. When I look at their first tea building, I think Augusta National uh right there written all over it. Like I think this could be a great model for golf all over the country, really.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. No, I I well I they're not gonna Augusta National's probably not gonna invest in every Muni out there, but I think I think a lot of munis, you know, again, thinking of Lenick, right, owned by Richland County. I I think a lot of them could see the pattern of what others have done, even if it's just on a par three or whatever, and and put some effort into making it more of a community thing to get some of the non-golfers, right? Like uh most munis are, you know, just the the home for the locals that love to play golf. But imagine doing stuff where like a first tee is associated with it, and it uh it brings out people that might kind of like golf but want to support something like that.
SPEAKER_00You know, the one time I got nervous when I was playing Sunday morning is when we got we teed off and then no one teed off directly behind us, except there was a family with a I'm assuming husband wearing jean shorts, his wife, and then maybe a younger kid that was probably about seven or eight. And I knew we were going a little slow when they got close to catching up to us. That made me a little nervous. Um, but it was really cool just because you saw a couple of families on the par three course earlier that day playing golf. And that's like, you know, I could see this that young kid just growing up to loving golf. And you know, I saw a bunch of kids on the driving on a track man driving range. I I just I think it is a really neat thing, and and I I just don't see how this doesn't become successful. And I didn't even try the the putting course that they had there in their little putting green. That looked to be pretty cool. There was some really difficult putts out there as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I putted a few times just before the round, but did not did not go through the full the full putting course.
SPEAKER_00No, I I th I think it is really amazing. Well, you mentioned the fact I am going on a a a buddy's trip soon that we're gonna talk a little bit about later, but I I want to get your advice for as a guy, and I've never been on a guy's golf trip before. Never been. I want you to tell me a little bit, what are some things I need to prepare for for playing golf, say four days in a row? What's some things I need to keep in mind that I I just I wouldn't know?
SPEAKER_01Uh let me ask, are you playing more than one round every day or any of the days?
SPEAKER_00No, we're actually uh except for the day we're playing number two, I think we're playing the cradle that day. So, but we're not that there has been some discussion in the group. Do we want to add a second 18 in one day? And I think since most of us are in the 50 plus range and it's gonna be blazing hot, I think right now we've decided that we're gonna keep it at the 18 a day.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, I I mean I think so. Last year we went to Pinehurst and and you were invited on that trip. You were unfortunately not able to make it. We were we were in Pinehurst in June. It's hot, and there was one or two. Days maybe where we doubled up and we played uh a couple couple full 18s. And depending on the course, right, if you're on number two or number 10, there you're gonna be walking. And so the fact that you're doing 18 a day, I I think you'll be fine. I mean, you guys are responsible uh adults, so you're not gonna be up late partying and um you know doing too much things that'll uh add to soreness or uh tiredness, I should say. So I advise just enjoy it, right? Like you you say you're gonna be with eight guys, is that right? Yeah, or seven other guys. So I this is a time that you will make memories out on the course, off the course, like eating some great meals, hanging out, cutting up, maybe you know, telling old stories, because I know a lot of you guys are old friends, um, you know, making fun of each other and and then having fun what you're doing. So golf is just kind of the vehicle that gets you there. Um, but it's it's more about the fellowship and the company there. So I think you'll have a great time. You know, you'll you'll be tired, you'll be sore from playing four days in a row, but just try to remember that no one cares what you what you score. Years from now, you'll be talking about um how great of a trip it was with your friends.
SPEAKER_00I I'm I'm excited about it. You got any advice for Pinehurst number two? Like any is considering I'm a high handicap golf player, just the experience alone. What what what should I expect from plan number two?
SPEAKER_01I I think I you know I've played it twice now, I believe. And I think I think people are get get uh they have too high of expectation to put probably too much pressure on themselves to play well when they play that course. And so they kind of get out of their normal groove or whatever else. I I would say try to treat it as much as you can like a like a normal round. Um and that way, you know, when you're like, oh man, I I can't keep it on the green. What's the matter with me today? Like, you know, that's golf. And just know that it's one of the hardest courses in the world. Uh if you are off the green and you have the opportunity to putt, putt it for sure. That is something that I I think everybody there will advise you on. But it's uh it's true just because everything, Donald Ross, it's it's that turtle back and it's you know, I think they talked about it in the the U.S. Open there a couple years ago. You've got the green surface area, but then you have the like effect, what do they call it, the effectual green area or the whatever like actual pinnable spots? So it might even be like a third of what the greens look like where the balls might actually stay on there. So if you're off the green, putt it to uh the center of it and and then try to make it from there.
SPEAKER_00So are the greens what makes it the course so difficult? Or is the rough awful? Is there too many trees in the way?
SPEAKER_01Or no, it's it's the greens are probably the toughest piece of it. It's the r the rough's not terrible because you have a lot of sandy um waste area around it. So it's gonna be like a true blue, it's gonna be like a tree farm old barnwell, where if you're off the the fairway, like it just there's no like clear-cut lines, like here's where the fairway ends. So it kind of like, you know, a natural look that all of a sudden you're in dirt and you might be behind a bush or something or a little sprout, uh a bushy thing or something. So that's where it gets tough uh because you're hitting off of you know hard packed sand and stuff like that. So uh I think really it's just for number two, it's the intimidation factor of man, I'm playing Pinehurst number two. So just try to get past that as quick as you can, you'll be fine.
SPEAKER_00I remember when I had an opportunity many 20 plus years ago, I had an opportunity to play the the ocean course at Kiwa, and everybody said, Oh, it's hard, super hard. And I probably played one of my best front nines I ever played. And I was like, this ain't that bad. In my head, for me now. Then that second back nine, nah, nah, that was that that ended any crazy thoughts I had of this wasn't that bad. But I'm I'm super excited about number two, but I'm almost just excited about playing number ten.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because I it just seems so cool to me. And I and I've also I can't lie, one of the reasons I'm excited about number 10, because I think number 10's got the best look, one of the best logos out there, you know, the sandmine thing. So what what was your impressions of number 10? Number 10 was great.
SPEAKER_01I think it yeah, just another great addition to the Pinehurst Resort. It uh it's a fun course, like it's it's more wide open, I think, than some of the others, but gosh, it's uh it's awesome. And I think 11, you know, is coming next, and it's gonna be just as good, if not better. So they um yeah, you are gonna love number 10. I I you know that long God, there's so many good holes there. It's it's uh it's a lot of fun. I you know yeah, I I'm curious to see your thoughts on that because you said you're playing those two, and then you're playing four and seven as well. Okay. I have not played seven, so uh or four, I guess. So because we were gonna do four last year, but that was when they had lost their greens and shut it down to redo everything, and we got to play number eight, which was amazing. But um, but yeah, you it you're gonna have a good time. Ten's great. The the the clubhouse there at 10 was opening like a week later from when we were there. So we use still use the the trailer that they had, temporary trailer.
SPEAKER_00Well, I'm excited about it. I've never been, I mean, the closest I've been to Pinehurst was playing tobacco road. Yeah. I I'm just looking forward to being the area. Do you got any other recommendations on places to eat there? Or is there any of the restaurants or pubs or anything there that that you just love more than any other place there?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, if you're gonna do breakfast, go to the track. Um, it's there at the old horse track. It's right kind of off the little main road there in Pinehurst. Like it's it is old school, it is awesome. Like you got to go there for breakfast at least once. Um for pubs or or places. I mean, the Carolina or the Pinehurst Brewing Company is great, but you also got Dugan's Pub is really good. Um yeah, there's just there's a number of good places. There's the old post office. If you just want some coffee in the morning downtown, it's like half half old post office, half library, but they have have some good coffee. Um yeah, it's uh it's good stuff.
SPEAKER_00Now my tell see how bad my memory is. Didn't you get one of the coins, one of the deuce coins while you're there? Did you get it in Dumont?
SPEAKER_01I did, yeah. I I thought I can't remember which hole it was. Uh I don't know. One uh early on the back nine, like uh 11 maybe, something like that. Yeah, I I happened to hit a good uh a good iron into the pretty tough par three, and then the nerviest putt ever from about seven feet and somehow made it.
SPEAKER_00That's great.
SPEAKER_01And I think that is really the nervy, the nerviness because I really wanted that deuce coin.
SPEAKER_00I think that might do more harm than good if I ever get to the point where I could, you know, a remotely makeable putt, and that that might mess me up. A chance to get something like that. That might mess me up if I if I don't. But I I'm looking really looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to going to the uh the deuce there. I keep hearing about that. Yeah, that place, it seems to be really good. I I'm just really looking forward to it. I I think I've intentionally stayed away from even just driving up for a day round to to play one of the other public courses just because I want to see everything, you know, for the first time. Yeah. You know, one of the things I mentioned to you earlier, I wanted to talk about and just these random thoughts about golf that don't always make sense and will never happen. If someone, the good Lord came down to you and said, You could play any five golf courses you want for the rest of your life, as much as you want, but you can't play any others than those five, and you've got to take in consideration where you live. They're not gonna give you special treatment to get there. Would you would you take that deal or not?
SPEAKER_01Would you take it? I'm gonna say yes. One, because this is very fictitious and I know it would never happen. But I think based on proximity uh of where we are, uh, you and I living in in South Carolina, I think I could make this work. So yeah, I would take the deal.
SPEAKER_00All right. Now I'm gonna put you on the spot because I, you know, I'm no fun, and I would say no, I wouldn't take the deal, but that's no fun. Because I've talked myself out of it three or four times. I I'll take the deal as well. But if you were gonna take five courses, and those are the only five you could play for the rest of your life, which five are you taking?
SPEAKER_01Sure. Uh Augusta would be one. Again, proximity, right? We're an hour and five to ten minutes maybe from the front door. So to have the opportunity to play uh at Augusta as a member would be amazing. Uh you mentioned like some that would be hard to get to. I'm gonna go ahead and put Cypress Point on there because that again, this is fictitious. It's probably the only time I'll ever get a chance to play it in my in my fictitious uh plans here. So I'm gonna do Augusta, Cypress. I'm putting Pine Valley on there. I feel like a trip up uh to the northeast. I could probably make that happen uh a few times a year. I am gonna put the old course at St. Andrews. Oh I I was sitting there thinking, like you asked me this like 20 minutes ago, right before we started recording. And I was thinking, like, should I put Carn? Should I put St. Andrews somewhere because I want to I want a reason to go over there. And I love the town of St. Andrews so much. I I I also love Bell Mullet and the town there. But I think uh, you know, being there in St. Andrews, regardless of whether you're playing golf or not, like there's it's nothing like it. So give me the old course at St. Andrews, and then uh I I got a fifth one that that might surprise you, but it might not. You want give me a weight on that and you wanna you want to throw out some?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I for me, I would throw out, I would definitely take Augusta National. You you gotta you gotta take, I think you had to take that one.
SPEAKER_01Well, but because if we can, where we live.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, where we live. You're right. It you've almost convinced me a little bit to take Cyprus, even though it's on the other side. But I'm thinking in my current situation, now maybe if I could play Cyprus, I'd figure out a couple of ways a year, a couple times a year to get out there. But I I was gonna probably go, I'll I'll take Augusta Nash. I'd probably gonna go Oh hoopy match club. Nice, even though I've never been there. It's just one of those, I think it's the the mysterious factor. And it is only three hours and some change there. So if I wanted to play that multiple times, um I I would. I think one of my my other ones that I would consider it maybe uh old Barnwell. I think I would that that that's number five for me. I'm definitely that was number five. Yeah, because uh to me that is I that's a course I've been blessed. I played it twice, and I just I love it. And like part of that is where we live. I mean, hours and some change away. I mean, uh yeah, I old Barnwell.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I mean, if you think about like our both of our lists, if we have August and Old Barnwell, like those are two drivable, you know, an hour trips that are well worth it. So if you said, hey, I want to play once a week, like man, I I know people now that are driving there about once a week, once every other week. So um, yeah, I would I would put old Barnwell on mine. So uh and then if you had a hoopie, that's another one that's uh relatively close. So all right. So what else you got?
SPEAKER_00You're almost talking me into the old course. That I mean, because you like think if you're gonna go if you can only play one other, you know, out of the country, old course. I mean, I haven't played that one yet. Certainly haven't played it reverse like you have. That would be pretty cool, but I'm not gonna say that one. I I'm gonna go one that's a little bit more local to me, just because of I'm thinking about how often I'd play. I'd I'd think of something like Broomsag. You know, because yeah, because it is it's it's about 45 minutes from me. So that's one I can I don't want to say play every day, but I could play that once a week and it not be you know you know too far away. So I I I I might be losing track. Yeah, Broomsed, Augusta National, Oh Hoopie, I I'm trying to old Barnwell, I mean, I I'm not real sure what else.
SPEAKER_01And Cypress, yeah. Yeah, and Cyprus. I think I think I mean I think even if you just could only play Cypress once, like get out there and play it once a year, like having a once a year, you know, opportunity to go play it is pretty, pretty sweet.
SPEAKER_00It would be, but I'm I'm playing my devil's advocate in my head because sometimes crazy stuff goes up on my brain when it comes to thinking about golf. Like I've been so fortunate. I mean, man, I could have to play a lot of really cool places. Like it was cool to go play uh the loop at the patches past weekend. If I had to take that deal, I couldn't do that. That would that would be off my list. I wouldn't be able to experience. But I guess the deal didn't have anything where I couldn't go down there and have a breakfast burrito and get on the track, man. That's true. Um, but you know, like I got to play like Crossroads last year, uh May River, you know, things like that. And then just you know, the opportunities. We talk about golf as people. You know, I wouldn't have been able to go with you and Jonathan and play the Aiken Golf Club, but it would be pretty tough to turn down an opportunity to play Augusta National in Cypress Point, wouldn't it? Oh, yeah. It's just one of those questions, like you said, that's so fictitious, so crazy. It's fun to it's fun to think about. No, it it is fun. And you know, because you then you got me thinking it's like, ah, maybe I'm not branching out enough. You're right. If I had Augusta National Barnwell, I could play every day, then maybe yeah, Pine should throw Pine Valley in there. Yeah, let's throw Pine Valley in on there.
SPEAKER_01Why not the one the one that I would gosh, if I if I had to drop one and and swap out, I I might I might even drop out Pine Valley and put Landman on there. Like I I I'm even kicking myself now that I didn't think of that and have that one on there. So um because Landman is just special and you could play that course every day and play it in a thousand different ways every single time. So it's a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_00Let me ask you about Land Man. Now, is what makes it special? I know maybe is a lot of it is the people you've been with. Right. Would you still enjoy it thoroughly if you played it by yourself?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Yeah. Because the course itself again lends itself to creativity and opportunity for good scores, bad scores, but you know, you don't really care what you're shooting out there because you can try on purpose some creative stuff to see, oh, that's pretty cool. I got it to bounce off this and end up here. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Cause I do wonder sometimes how we let a how we shoot affect how much we like a course or not like a course and the people we're with how much we like it or or maybe don't like it. I've been pretty fortunate. Like I don't think I've been around, I haven't had a round where I felt like somebody I played with really detracted from the experience I was having. And I certainly hope um that I didn't do it. But I wonder how that affects us sometimes. Well, Robbie, I appreciate I certainly appreciate your time today talking about this, talking about the patch, the the loop, you know, Augusta National Municipal Golf Course there. I think it was great. Loved to hear loved your thoughts on you know the the buddies trip and and and pinehurst. I'm looking forward to talking more about it on the Southern State of Golf Podcast. Tell us what's what's good going on on the the whole story podcast.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, we were uh we're releasing this today, or we were recording this on on a Monday the 15th. We we tried it with Chris Witten, who's the executive director of the Golf Association of Michigan. So I had a great conversation with him. We've got man, there's more good stuff coming up. One of the recent interviews we did was with Casey Bannon of the Golfers Journal, uh, just to learn more about his story and all the great things going on there. So yeah, we got a lot of fun stuff coming up. Uh and then speaking of buddies' trips, uh, I did lock in uh and gonna help Archie, my son, check off his uh bucket list trip. Um he is currently serving as a young life intern in southwest Missouri near Big Cedar Lodge. And so when he is done with that, I'm flying out and we're gonna play there for a few days.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that sounds like an awesome experience. Well, we've I've already got an episode lined up. We've got to talk about that because I I've heard nothing but great things about that place. And it looks to be looks to be really cool. The part the you know, the par three course out there, they they that looks to be really cool. Well, I I I encourage people to go to bestball.com, check out all the great podcasts that are part of the the best ball family. I think there's some great episodes out there. I know there's some great ones to come. And Robbie, we just appreciate your time today. Yeah, man. I appreciate you having me. All right. Thank you. And I appreciate everybody listening to another episode of the Southern State of Golf. Take care.