Off the Deck
Golf is so much more than the scorecard and those birdies that are rarely made. It's about the people you meet along the way. From lifelong bonds to unexpected fast friends, Off the Deck highlights the lives and stories built through the game of golf.
Off the Deck
The Pro's Pro, Kevin Quinn
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In this episode of Off the Deck, Josh sits down with Kevin Quinn, the Director of Golf at Vestavia Country Club.
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Driver off the deck. Driver off the deck. You have to put your foot on the gas. You pull out the driver off the deck and you put it on the green all the way up the hill.
SPEAKER_01Welcome back to another episode of Off the Deck. Incredibly excited. But this is one that uh we've been talking about for quite some time now. Uh the director of golf and a new friend to me, Mr. Kevin Quinn. Kevin, how are you doing today?
SPEAKER_02I'm doing great, Josh. Thanks for having me. Uh I've always wanted to be on a podcast, but I never had the courage to do one or start one or be on one.
SPEAKER_01So I'm glad this is my first. Excellent. Well, we're just having a conversation. Uh so A, I'm glad that I am the first podcast that you have been on since that's been a lifelong dream of yours. Um, and B, I'm really excited uh to dive into some of the topics that we've been texting back and forth about. Um there's one in particular that I'm really excited to get to, but we'll wait a little while in the episode uh before we jump into that. But uh you're the director of golf here at Vestavia Country Club in Birmingham. Uh, I want to go back and kind of start at the beginning of your love of the game because I don't know if we've ever even discussed that, just the two of us, if we've been in a cart together. Who introduced you to the game and and what did that path uh in terms of learning the game of golf, being introduced to it, and then college to get where you are now?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so my grandfather uh was a huge golfer. Um I started late, relatively speaking. I mean, if you don't start at two or three, I mean, it's kind of like you're late to the game, right? Um so I started about eight and nine, didn't really take it serious until I was about 11. You know, it became it went from my mother dragging me to the summer camp, summer golf camp uh that Chris Wilk was running at uh the Summit Country Club to, you know, she could dri she had to drag me home because I loved it so much. I started taking taking it more serious, started doing tournament golf right around 12, playing in the Northeast Junior Golf Tour, some rinking dink golf tour in central Pennsylvania that no one's ever heard about. Um, and after that I kind of knew I wanted to do something after high school uh in golf. So looked at Penn State, looked at uh Methodist University, knew I wanted to do the PGM program, but I found out that I couldn't do um golf management and play on the golf team. So that was a red flag. Unfortunately they they said that was too much of a work overload. Interesting. So looked looked at Methodist, um, went down with my mother, it was awesome, fell in love with it, had their own golf course, and I could do both. I could uh play on the golf team, which I did for three years, and then um, you know, do the professional golf management, which uh, you know, it was expensive at the time, but I don't regret a single moment. I mean, I met some of my best friends there, um, worked at some unbelievable places uh through internships, and you know, that kind of led me to the opportunities I have now, which has been very fortunate through the years.
SPEAKER_01So I I love hearing about these internships. Uh we've had Garrett Powell, whom you know, uh, we've had Andrew Brewster, a handful of people who have gone through similar programs or the exact same program that you went through. Where did you, where all did you get to intern?
SPEAKER_02So my freshman year, I went to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not bad. Which pretty good start. Uh, and then I went uh I went to Rumson Country Club in Rumston, New Jersey, where I met Brian Gaffney, a mentor of mine. Um, he was like a second father to me. And then he called me the winter of my the winter of my junior year. He said, Hey, do you want to do your next internship for me at Quaker Ridge Golf Club? Just got just just accepted a job as head professional. I'm like, yeah, great. I would love to. Never heard anything about Quaker Ridge. Didn't know I thought Rumson Country Club was the Rumston and Southern Hills were the two best golf courses in the world. You know, just just came from there. So I'm like, yeah, sure, I'll do it. You know, moved to New York, uh, New York, just above New York City, Westchester County, and I'm like blown away. You know, Wingfoots right across the street. I'm like, huh, I've been in the wrong area in my entire life. Uh so that was pretty cool. So I I spent one summer there, and then I finished my last internship at Sleepy Hollow. Which, if you look at the photo behind me, that's where I proposed to my wife. Uh, it's pretty special place, and then I got hired out uh after that for uh at Quaker Ridge.
SPEAKER_01Okay, and how long were you at Quaker Ridge?
SPEAKER_02I was there for seven years.
SPEAKER_01Okay, and and what was that experience like?
SPEAKER_02You know, it it was interesting because I went there uh you know, at a young age, got to experience New York City. Um so it was super fun, got to do s like some really cool things that but like looking back, I don't think I could ever do that again. You know, we we visit now, we don't ever see ourselves being there again. Um just n nothing's convenient. But at the time, I I got to you know experience some cool things, get to play some really good golf courses, and um, you know, I got to see a head pro change, which was interesting. I mean, it was a learning experience for me and and in the club. So it it overall it was a good experience, but I don't I don't think I could be back. That's tough.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and I I kind of sharing that sentiment with you. Um, and I also had my eyes opened. I'd have I haven't played the level of places that you've played, but I've played some some pretty great tracks. And then I remember the first time I stepped foot on Wingfoot being like, whoa, this is different. Like a complete different level of uh perfection and and just how well everything is cared for, not just on the golf course, but off the golf course as well. I mean, I uh still think about the showers at Wingfoot um pretty good and what those experiences were like. And I also I feel the same way, I think as you were kind of implying about New York City. I don't know how people do it. Um and again, I mean, I've lived in Birmingham my entire life, and I want to hear you coming from Central PA, which are you uh you're an Eagles fan, right? Not a Steelers fan.
SPEAKER_02Eagles fan. I was born in Westchester, uh Westchester Hospital, just outside of Philly. We moved to towards Pittsburgh when I was young. So, you know, my whole family's Pittsburgh fan. My wife's a Pittsburgh fan, um, but I'm an Eagles fan. Okay. You're the black sheep. Yeah. Exactly. Same thing with uh, you know, everyone in my family's Penn State fans. I hate Penn State. I'm a Notre Dame fan like my grandfather, so yeah, I'm definitely the black sheep.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so Auburn and Notre Dame have announced a home and home. Yeah, uh, I say what I will take care of getting the tickets if you will line up the golf. And we need we just need to make that into a trip. That would be incredible.
SPEAKER_02That's fair. That's fair. I'd I would love to go. Is the first one the first one's in Notre Dame, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think the first one is in South Bend. In 2027? I think that's right. Two years? Yeah, maybe by then we'll field a an actual competitive football team. That's my hope. Um because what is the new coach Robert? That's bad. No, his name's Alex Golich, and I'm I'm actually pretty thrilled with him. He's a no-nonsense guy. Um doesn't do do all the fluffed stuff. He actually doesn't play golf, which is great, uh, unlike our previous coach who posted more scores into the Gen app than games one. Um but yeah, the Alex Golich he's uh he's Russian and ended up like his parents came to the States with like 40 bucks in their pocket. Um all of a sudden his dad's degree meant nothing. And yeah, so he's kind of self-made. Um, so I am very optimistic. Uh, of course, being an Auburn fan of my custom being let down. So we'll see how we'll see how that goes.
SPEAKER_02Well, I had the privilege of going to the Auburn, Georgia game this year, where they retired Cam Newton's jersey, which was really cool. And also the officials kind of screwed that for everyone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we should have been up 17-0. Um, but we yeah, wow, you're you're you're digging deep. These these cuts are I'm I'm I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02When my my mother texts me, because I told her I was going to the game, she texts me halfway through like the third quarter. She's like, What is going on? And my my mom doesn't watch anything other than other than Penn State, and I'm like, Yeah, it's pretty brutal.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. It was it was but and it I was so apathetic at that point that I was just like, yeah, whatever. Like, I I was kind of ready for us to lose out because I was ready for a replacement uh at the head coach position because I could not stand you freeze. Um, but yeah, that was that was a rough one to watch, especially should be diving into the end zone to go up 17-0. That gets whatever happened with that call. Yeah. Um, and then the rest is history. So at Quaker Ridge, um, then how in the world do you, surrounded by all of these incredible golf courses, uh, lots of names that you've mentioned, people, regardless of where they're listening to this show, will recognize the sleepy hollows of the world, the the southern hills of the world. End up in Birmingham, Alabama.
SPEAKER_02Uh, so let's backtrack. So seventh year in Equaker Ridge. Um, I apply for a few head pro jobs. One is in Barton, Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Don't get the job. Um, after that, I applied to Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Don't get the job. Um, but I met Steve Bordner. Shout out to Steve Bordner, great mentor of mine. Um, I had lunch with him to learn more about Canterbury. Obviously, didn't get the job. He calls me. He's like, Hey, would you be willing to be the assistant professional at the country club in Cleveland? I said, No, I would love to be the head professional though. He's like, Well, that's the move that we'd be that was that I wanted to make, him become director of golf, me be head professional. I in in the back of my mind, I'm like, this is gonna open up doors. Um, so do that. He offers me the job, go to Cleveland, and you know, Lindsay and I and Riley. I mean, we saw ourselves in Cleveland for quite some time. It was unbelievable golf course, old William Flynn, um, 1889, you know, super old school club. But, you know, looking around, there wasn't gonna be much movement. Uh, he wasn't gonna leave anytime soon. Canterbury, they just hired a new pro, Kirtland, Pepper Pike, all younger guys. So I was like, okay, like, you know, if if we're gonna move, we gotta do it now. And and at the same time, um, I got you know, Hunter Saltz reached out to me seeing if I'd be interested. So, you know, it's one of those things where it happened so fast and it happened unexpectedly that you know, from November to January it happened like that, and it's like here I am in Birmingham. But, you know, the first time I came down, you know, I imagined Alabama, Birmingham being a you know, flat piece of property, never never visited the state. I'm like, the stadium's gonna suck. It's gonna be flat. Birmingham's gonna be, you know, this crappy city, and I couldn't be further from the truth. I mean, it it really reminds me of the Pittsburgh of the South. I mean, we grew up an hour from Pittsburgh, and it is blew my expectations. Um, so you know, a couple weeks later, Lindy and I came down with Riley and she enjoyed it and fell in love with it. So uh here we are, and and we've been very blessed.
SPEAKER_01And so that was November, January of what, 2024?
SPEAKER_022024. Okay. Yeah, I started I came down here basically February 1 of 2025.
SPEAKER_01Okay. And so you mentioned Hunter, and of course I've met Hunter Saltz, he is the head superintendent there at Astavia Country Club. How did how did you all know each other before you became part of the team?
SPEAKER_02So I met Hunter, he was doing an internship at Quaker Ridge. It was my first year as a full assistant coming um after leaving Sleepy, coming back from my first year. He was an intern there, and you could tell right away that you know, this this guy was sharp at at such a young age. I mean, I've I've been around a lot of interns at at Quaker Ridge because we all lived together. Um, and you could tell this guy was a little different than them. Uh so that's when we met, we kept in touch here and there, and then yeah, you know, the stavi opened up. He went to Peachtree, obviously, after Quaker Ridge, and uh yeah, the restless history.
SPEAKER_01And when you crazy, yeah, it it's it's wild just how connections over time evolve and they can turn into full-on job opportunities, I mean business relationships. It it can run a gamut. Um when you say he was different than the other interns, does that mean he was coming in and going to bed and not going out, or he was the first out of the the house in the morning to go to work? What what what did that mean?
SPEAKER_02No, I mean he probably I mean we didn't hang out in that respect, but um I'm sure he had his fair share of uh of of cocktails and beers, but um how he thought about agronomy in general. You know, the interns most interns come in, they drink their faces off until 2 a.m. They wake up at 5 a.m. and redo it all over again. But um, and yeah, it was pretty impressive some of the things I've seen, but uh just in general, like how he thought about it, um how he studied grass, it was just you know, it was something that you would hear from, you know, a director of agronomy or superintendent, not from a 19-year-old kid, right? Obviously how I looked at golf at that age and how I look at it now is completely different, but um, you know, just his eye for things at that at that age was you know, definitely separated himself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you so something I guess just a feather in his cap. Um, we were playing together, you and I, um at the the Big Pony back in November, and you made the comment to me that Vestavia was the most well-manicured course that you've seen. And like I had to like pause you, and I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Like, that is a bold statement, and that was just when I knew of where you had worked before what you had said today. So Hunter obviously was uh wise beyond his years when you were interacting with him there at Quaker Ridge. Of course, he was the intern and you were on already on staff. Is that just something that he had an eye for things? I mean, you you made the comment to me not too long ago when we were playing together at The Big Pony that you have not seen a more well-manicured golf course than Vestavia Country Club right now. And I like questioned you on it. I was like, hold on. I was like, I you've told me some of the places that you've worked where you've been. That is a bold, bold statement. So what is it that he does that is so above and beyond other places that you've been and whatnot that just sets Vestavia apart or I guess sets him apart as a superintendent?
SPEAKER_02I think one of the one of the reasons I said that is, you know, you look at this just the greens in general in Alabama, right? How many are bent grass? Right? Not many, right? Because he's willing to take the do the extra things, take the extra step to make sure those bent greens work. Um, you know, but if you look at the property itself, you know, outside of the fescue, there there might not be a single weed out there that you can find. I mean, it is pretty pretty remarkable. Um so just the little things that he does and in and you know, him and I have had this conversation and especially early his early times of stavia, like you'd work, you know, twelve, fourteen hours a day. Right? And he put in all that work, you know, for four years, three or four years, and now look at it, right? It's a product of that. Um but it I mean, green conditions, every day is over twelve or thirteen. And like you don't see that unless it's a member guest or a member member, you know, just consistency is the biggest thing at the stavia.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, you're you know what you're gonna get, you know the green speeds that you're gonna get. You know, yes, we might get rain, we might not, but it pretty consistently you're getting a really good golf course every single day.
SPEAKER_01So something that I I was thinking through the places that you mentioned that the you were you interned and and other places stops along your career path. The most everywhere is other than when you were at Southern Hills, had golf seasons where like a course would shut down for an extended period of time. How did that impact training and things that you all do in your space as a director of golf? What does it look like at a Quaker Ridge when it shuts down for the winter versus down here when you're open pretty much year-round? Unless we have a freeze, there's probably people out there playing when it's in the 30s and 40s. Tell me the kind of difference just in terms of the approach of running the golf course and and everything that you're responsible for.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I think, you know, obviously you can count on not having much downtime to prepare for the next season. You know, what was great about up north was I knew I was gonna have four months to get ready for the the next season, um, and also time away from, you know, time away to for for your family, right? You just have to prepare other ways to accommodate that. Um you know, obviously it, you know, Alabama, January and February is still cold, you know, other than today and this week, but uh you can expect a little downtime, but you always gotta be thinking about what's ahead that week because it doesn't stop. And that and that and that was a transition for me, you know. This winter is really my first winter in not experiencing a break, right? You know, I came from teaching in Cleveland for you know until February one, going into the season and then kind of just keeping on with the season. It wasn't like, oh, I had four months to relax and you know hang out with the family and you know, prepare. It's like okay, you kind of have to plan more ahead and kind of button things up well in advance rather than you know, you know, expecting that four-month break. So it it is it's challenging, but it's uh it's for me, it's almost better to be busy.
SPEAKER_01And is that I mean, just in terms of budgets and and how clubs operate, I mean, is that a completely different model when you're effectively shut down for a four-month period?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Eaman, because you just all your revenue comes in within you know eight months. So whereas ours is drawn out to 12 months or rounds of golf, like you know, I tell people 32,000 rounds of golf is busy at the Stavia, but not over a 12-month period. Okay, yeah, makes sense. So, you know, if you're doing 25,000 rounds in Ohio or you know, 22,000 rounds in New York, like that's equivalent, basically.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Okay, makes sense. Yeah. And what what typically goes on at those clubs when they're shut down? I mean, is the staff there doing inventory? I mean, there's only so many different ways that you can reorganize all the Johnny O and the H and B and those what what is typically going on at those places when they're shut down for such a long period of time?
SPEAKER_02So uh we were fortunate at Quaker Ridge. We had a six-bay uh facility that we taught out of. So, you know, most of my friends went north-south, but uh, I was fortunate enough to, you know, teach all winter long uh at Quaker Ridge. In Cleveland, same deal, but not as you know, uh didn't have a fancy facility. We just taught out in the cart barn, had a track man, same deal. Um you know, we in in Quake at Quaker Ridge, we did a hard shutoff at November 15th. You know, golf shop closed until March 15th. Wow. Cleveland, we were open all year round because, you know, Christmas and um so we stayed busy, but again, you know, they they laid some people off and people were you know seasonal. So it was really the director of golf, myself, uh the lead assistant, and then one other person.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um, but you know, just taught, just try to stay busy.
SPEAKER_01Okay, makes sense. So when we were playing together uh at the wonderful event known as The Big Pony a few weeks ago, or I guess a couple of weeks ago, um the topic of dog fights came up. Um and and you're already you're already laughing, and I did not know this. Um for the listeners, well, uh you do this, you're the director of golf, not me. I'm uh idiot podcast host. But what is a dog fight?
SPEAKER_02A dog fight is a group, an organized group of men that acquire four to six tea times a week, maybe sometimes two times a week, and play a different game within their dog fight. I think that was a that's a pretty good explanation. That's that's I've been thinking about that for quite some time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, which which it's a whole lot easier to uh eliminate and or kill something if you can define it accurately. So if you if you figure out what it exactly is d is defined as, yeah, then you can figure out ways to uh eradicate said things. So you explained to me in the cart that dog fights are not a thing in the northeast, that it is a southern thing.
SPEAKER_02It is not a thing in the northeast. I've never heard of a dog fight. Until I hit Alabama and you know, up in the Northeast it's just like, you know, a a group of guys that but but the thing up in the Northeast, there's you don't get the four or five groups. There's not enough people have your friend group, and maybe they just because they hate each other in New York, but you know, uh you get one or two tea times and you play a game. That's it. It's not like you know, there's no the golf genius part of it, there's not a a separate app uh tracking who's playing, who's on the wait list. Um so that was like a big eye-opener for me. I'm like, okay, you know, it's just another group of guys. But yeah, that I've had some uh how do I say this nicely? Um Well, you are the director of golf, so you you can say whatever you want. It's it's been eye-opening for me. It's been quite the experience.
SPEAKER_01And as much as you would like to share about that eye-opening experience, what what is your opinion of said dog fights and and how they uh we'll say how they impact a T-sheet on a week in and week out basis?
SPEAKER_02I think the whole the whole thought behind a dog fight's great. It's a group of guys playing golf. Um the whole thought of you know reserved tea times and you know, blocking out the rest of the T-sheet for new members or other members, I think is uh isn't the right thing. Um that's me trying to say that pretty nicely. Uh I think everyone has a it's the T-sheet's fair game. Unless we we cater it otherwise, I think uh it should be open to anyone. And um yeah, I I I I don't think I should be I don't think I should be getting any more than that.
SPEAKER_01Um but yeah, and and that it blew my mind that it was a southern thing. And so as someone who used to be a member at a private club, it drove me nuts um just how much control those groups had over the tea sheet at on any given weekend, whether it was uh Friday, Saturday, whatever that looks like. I mean, the place that where I used to be a member and key phrase there is used to be, is so slammed that they are going split teas Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And a large part of that is groups that have blocks of tea times. And so they'll have five or six people that hop on seven days in advance right at right after seven o'clock in the morning um and grab as many as they can. And then they either sometimes they'll do the responsible thing and cancel what they're not gonna use. But now you've got half the teach sheet that is blocked off while they wait to fill the game. And that just it tells me that I'm not playing golf in the right places just because that's not how I wanna the kind of place that I want to be a part of, A. But like, yeah, it uh I thought that was just a common thing. And for you to tell me that that's a southern thing really blew my mind. And I want you to know that I am fully, I mean, I will be your campaign manager to help build the golf fight. Um, just because I feel like golf is so much more than that. And it's almost uh, then it becomes more of an exclusive thing as opposed to an inclusive thing when you start doing that, when you start getting a whole block of tea times and not letting anybody else out. I mean, it just it it kind of I'm not saying we should be growing the game. I think we should shrink the game and we could have a whole hour-long conversation if my connectivity would remain in place about how there's just a capacity problem at a lot of places. Yeah, yeah, there absolutely is, and that's and there's not gonna be God's not making more dirt. Um and I feel like if anything, golf courses are going away more than they're being built.
SPEAKER_02Um Well, I will say this, you know, Bustavia's done an incredible job um taking, you know, creating a an environment where you know, you have to provide names, you have to do certain things, or you lose those times. I think if you don't do those certain things, then it can get out of hand. Um, you know, uh another thing that we've created for next year is a professional dog fight where, you know, uh a professional staff member will have three or four tea times one Saturday a month, and they reach out to new members to see, hey, are you looking for a game? Do you want to play? Um, and then if we can't fill up three tea times, then we reach out to you know, some people not associated with the dog fight. That way we can again get people newer members, newer faces on the T-sheet, um, rather than you know, the the same six or seven dog fights. Um, so you know, we we're making the right steps towards it. And that's why I kind of like, you know, bite my tongue when we talk about dog fights, because you know, I again it was eye-opening for me and I just didn't know how to react. And now it's like, okay, now I took a step back. It's like, okay, now we can create some solutions for it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, so I really think we're on the right path. Uh, you know, it yeah.
SPEAKER_01I which and and you make a good point there. That's awesome that you're doing things to encourage the new members actually getting on the golf course because that was one of the things, the place that I'm no longer a member when I first joined. I was like, okay, cool, I want to go out and play on Saturday morning. Well, if you're not part of a big group, you can forget it. Yeah, that's that's the key to getting on where you're already paying monthly dues and have paid initiation fees. And I'm like, hold on, that's just kind of not the best formula if you're trying to get people on the golf course, let them experience what they're paying for on a monthly basis.
SPEAKER_02Um, and and that's like one thing I've been, you know, preaching to everyone that's uh fortunate to be a part of the Bustavia team or the stavia uh membership is look, I know what the rumors are on the streets, right? It's you're joining this club and you can't get a tea time. I'm like, that's that's really further from the truth, right? There's there's different things you can do, you know, to get on the tea sheet. And because, you know, if I'm a new member, I'm looking at as, oh, I'm trying to get a Friday tea time, a Tuesday at 7 a.m. I look at 7.05, everything's blocked up. Well, I'm gonna make other plans, right? Whereas if you look, you know, a couple hours down, you know, that day or the next day, you're most likely gonna get a tea time that you want. You know, maybe it's not in the hour that you want, but you'll get a tea time. Yeah. Um, so just educating new members and um it's it's worked very well.
SPEAKER_01Good. That's great to hear. Well, I still I I will be your campaign manager because I'm just seeing, and like you I love that y'all are at least making people put names in. Um, because again, the club that shall rename name remained nameless where I was, people would put like Josh Decker and then XXX uh just so that they then had it. And I'm like, you don't even have a game filled.
SPEAKER_02So we do that until 48 hours in advance. Okay. Or 48 hours out. And you have to put in names or your those names uh drop or those X's drop, and then people can fill in. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Yeah, that's even better. Which we're we're making, we're making improvement. And so I used to be that guy. I would, if somebody hadn't put their name in, I would just throw my name on there and just be like, okay, I'm in, I'm playing as a single, and I don't care if I've screwed up your game. You didn't fill it, and I'm gonna play golf. We have those people too. Um, so you've got a pretty uh have had a uh, I guess a blessed, you even said that, uh, a blessed career path and and have been in able to intern at some incredible places. In terms of the the most memorable and or best golf experience that you have had, uh, what is the first thing that comes to mind? So I did a trip.
SPEAKER_02This is I don't think, I mean, this is pretty good. Um 2017, the win, the winter of 2017, me and my buddy James G. Apolo, shout out to him at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, and then uh Jeff Wells, who's no longer in the business. We went to college together. We flew into LA, where Jeff lived, his parents lived, uh, spent some time with them. We played Riviera, we rented a car, went north, uh, I think it's route US1, Route 1.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02We played Cypress Point, kept going up north. We played Olympic, kept going up north, played all the Bandon Dunes courses.
unknownWhoa.
SPEAKER_02Seven rounds in nine days. Oh my gosh. So it's me and two college buddies put a thousand miles on a rental car, did those courses, and and it was unbelievable. We had a we had a good friend that was the uh head professional uh old McDonald at the time.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh so we stayed in his place, crashed, had the first tea timeout at every Bandon Dunes courses. I mean, it was it was it was pretty remarkable. Then kept driving north and flew out of Portland.
SPEAKER_01God, that's awesome. Okay, so let's let's backtrack a little bit. I'll get to Bandon in a second. Of the California clerk courses, which one was your favorite?
SPEAKER_03Cyprus.
SPEAKER_01Okay, why?
SPEAKER_03It I mean, this is it's kind of crazy. So on the fourth hole, actually, let's go back to the third hole.
SPEAKER_02Third hole, par three, I have a three-foot putt. Like, this is how the days started off. I'd go to my caddy, I was like, is this right to left, left to right? He goes, Why don't you just go in there and let your feet tell the story? He said, You don't need me. Let your feet tell the story. I missed the putt by two feet. I said, My I said, my feet are lying to me. And then we get to the four foot.
SPEAKER_01Did you go to the high side or low side?
SPEAKER_02I don't even remember. It was just so bad. I had a three-foot putt, I missed it by three feet. So we get to the fork hole, we're walking down the fairway, a cypress tree falls on the right. We witness a cypress tree fall. And then we get to the ninth hole, there's a rainbow over the ocean. We take a photo, group photo of us on the ninth T box with the rainbow in the background. And then we get to 15th, first part three, beautiful day, 16th, wind starts whipping, 17th hole, it is torrential downpour, and you can't. I hit driver three wood in the 17 and like barely get it on the green. And then in 18, we all drive the green and make 30. So like it was a wild, wild day. It was something that I've never experienced on a golf course in my life. Um, so like if you take those all away, it's still a great golf course. Right. But like those like little things adding up, it's like, huh. I don't think that will ever happen again.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. The tree falling, the rainbow, the mid-two footer by three feet. Yeah, yeah. That I've done before. I guess I've done that after that. Maybe at the Big Pony. Yeah. Uh well, I certainly missed a few by uh a lot further than that in the Big Pony. Um, okay, so then you head up to Bandon. Was that your first time to Bandon?
SPEAKER_02First time to Bandon, all of us, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um our favorite track up there was Old McDonald. Well, mine was.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um it's just a it's such a good piece of property. And at the time they were not, they had the post in for sheep ranch. So it wasn't even it was just a thought, but there was nothing built.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Wow. Yeah, so you said what, 2017? So yeah, so that would have been Yeah, because sheep didn't open until maybe 19? Yeah, I was gonna say 19 or 20. Yeah. Um of the like the main or the original courses there, which one was your favorite? Like Bainon Trails, Bainon Dunes, or Pacific Dunes? Um, Bandon Dunes.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I liked it because it was just the original. Yeah. Um, they're all really good. You know, if you put me out there right now without a caddy, I probably wouldn't know where I was going. But they're all really good holds. I mean, they've done a phenomenal job. And the the the better thing of that uh property is the arcade tavern, which is where all the uh caddies hang out off property.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Where is where is that in relation to like the resort?
SPEAKER_02It's just off, it's on the main strip. There's a Chinese restaurant, there's arcade tavern, there's like a McDonald's. Um it's off property. It's awesome.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02So I was memorabilia all over the wall.
SPEAKER_01What's all over the wall? Oh, memorabilia? Yeah. That's it's cool. That's cool. Well, so I thought for sure it was gonna be something in the northeast when I asked that question, and I was curious to hear what it was gonna be in the northeast. So you threw a curveball by saying uh a trip up the west coast, which is really cool. Pine Valley is my second. Okay.
SPEAKER_02And that was uh a trip that I did two years ago with a member at the country club, um, and who's also a member at the Pine Valley, which was phenomenal. Yeah. I mean, it exceeded all expected.
SPEAKER_01All the things?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Exceeded expectations. And you know, you go in there with pretty high expectations, but you go in there like, wow, the not only the golf course is unbelievable, but the hang is even better. Re okay, I've never heard that that it was that it would be like the big pony went to the pine valley. Okay. And like, we know we're we're gonna have a good time and everyone respectful of each other, but you play a really good golf course.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Okay. Yeah. Which I don't know if you if if you heard uh the episode with Andrew Brewster, but we are gonna pump uh we'll say we'll call it$10 million into into Horse Creek and turn it into the Pine Valley of the South. Yeah, I heard that. Um that's that's uh that's a far reach. Indeed. Well, you can you can do a lot with$10 million. Yeah. Build a whole new golf course, maybe. Right. Or buy that house on the right up too. Yes, yes. Yes. There are some insane property uh prices right there in Dora, Alabama. Um which I need I'm looking. Yeah, it doesn't make any sense to me. Um if you could create your perfect uh three-hole composite, just your favorite three golf holes. They don't have to be certain pars or anything, but if you had to put your three favorite golf holes together, what would that look like?
SPEAKER_03So they don't have to be like holes that are already out there?
SPEAKER_01I mean, that's that's kind of what I had in mind with the card, but you can measure however you want.
SPEAKER_02Sleepy Hollow 16th.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_03Obviously, that holds a special place in my heart. Um Pine Valley number eight. Okay, what is what is that?
SPEAKER_02Uh uh the double green short part four. Okay. That that holds pretty special.
SPEAKER_03Um, I can't go another part three with Cyprus. I I really enjoy. Uh Sweden's Co, I have a couple good ones in there. Um man. I gotta go to Summit Country Club number three. It's where I grew up.
SPEAKER_02That's R5. It's uh pretty i it there's a special spot in my heart for that one too. Just because I grew up there. That's cool. Had a double eagle there, so it's like big bird. Yeah. That's cool. So that's cool. No one has ever heard of it. It's as my mother says, it's a diamond in the rough. It is a really bad piece of property. So it's not a diamond in the rough, it's just in the rough.
SPEAKER_01It is so far. That rough is so thick. That's that's really funny. If you could wave a magic wand, any wish for golf, um, you could do anything, whether it's change a rule, change something in history, um, anything that you would want to alter with the game, what would that be?
SPEAKER_02Just access to junior golf. You know, that's something especially high-end private courses that you know it's gotten better over the years, but you know, uh just making it available to them because it's it's hard enough for them to golf. And, you know, if they're in a really nice club and they can't golf, then they're gonna go to a public golf course, and then they're, you know, then they can't get much access there because it's so busy. So I think just having access to uh a golf course for juniors is big.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, that's that's well said. I agree with that. And we've had someone else on the show that said that you should have to have some level of a handicap to play. And uh kind of like I think you implement that and then then that changes what a junior might find when they go to a golf course, they might actually have more access because if you don't have just people showing up and acting like fools. So I think over time we're gonna compile like the perfect thing, the ways to fix golf, and then we're gonna point you ahead of the USGA and go from there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, I'll be the uh the devil's advocate. I think having a handicap isn't necessary because then you turn away the women, the the people that maybe you know might play golf fast, but they're not good, so they don't want to keep score. So it, you know, it there's two sides of that story, right? Yeah, you can have a gin handicap. What but what does that what does that tell, right? What story does that tell? It might you might fake a gin handicap. That's true. Right? So yeah. So it it it's uh it's a double-edged sword.
SPEAKER_01Did you think just did you see the club that uh is now doing a free pitcher of beer if you finish under uh I did see that four hours? What core do you know what course that was? I I don't, but I'm like, it's brilliant. Like, yeah, speed up and we're gonna give you drinks on the house. Like I I think that works well at like every public golf course in the country.
SPEAKER_02A hundred well, a hundred percent. Right. I think that works there. Um I don't think that works at the the private clubs because I don't think they would know not at all care. No. But I think that's a that's a great idea, and I wish I was smart enough to come up with that idea.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Uh well, last question, and we'll we'll let you get back to your wife and and beautiful little girl. Do you or don't you hit it off the deck? And if so, why or why not?
SPEAKER_02Uh I do now hit it off the deck because I have the Q uh the 4D, QI4D driver, and it's phenomenal. Um, also because you were my first partner in the Big Pony, and we kicked butt.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, indeed we did. It was your back can probably still sore from that, though, because I did nothing to help us.
SPEAKER_02I'm pretty sure if we played the entire Big Pony together, we would have won every match. I'm convinced.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we would have. We would have been three and a half.
SPEAKER_02The vibes were high.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you're absolutely right. This has been a lot of fun. Uh really, I've really enjoyed getting to know you, getting to know your family, and looking forward to uh to playing with you hopefully sooner rather than later.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thanks, Josh, for having me. And uh thanks for everything you do for me. And uh there'll be many more rounds between us, and we'll uh definitely get the fan together soon.
SPEAKER_01I love it. I love it. Kevin, thank you for joining us. I'm Josh Decker, and this has been another episode of Off the Deck.
