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
Playing His Game with Ely Self
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Eli Self shares his inspiring journey overcoming physical challenges to excel in golf, including his participation in the upcoming Cairns Cup in Spain. Discover how adaptive golf is growing and how Eli's story can motivate others to pursue their passions regardless of obstacles.
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Driver off the deck for cool comments. Peter Hopeland. The driver off the deck. You would try this, right? Oh my goodness. 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_02Welcome back to another episode of Off the Deck. Of course, Off the Deck is brought to you by Idea Golf. Make sure to visit IDAKA.gov and use promo code, I think it's OTD25 for 25% off of your purchase there. I actually just wrapped up. I guess it was how many, I don't know how many total holes I played, but their golf glove is unbelievable. The quality and what I put it through over three days up at Sweeton's Cove was absolutely incredible. So check out their golf glove. Again, that's IDAKA.gov. Visit Idico.gov and check out everything they have going on there. Joining us today, Mr. Eli Self. Eli, how you doing?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, doing good, man. I'm uh looking forward to this so much. Uh I've listened to a few of your episodes, so it's going to be fun.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. So I like to give everybody the opportunity to introduce themselves, and then we can dive into uh you've got a fascinating story, and I can't wait to hear it, but but tell the listeners who you are, where you're located, what's your nine to five, and then we can get into the fun golf stuff.
SPEAKER_01Gotcha. Yeah, so my name's Eli Self, like you said. Um I'm from North Georgia. I was born with a condition called arthrograposis, uh, which basically means all of my joints are affected. And I'm sure you'll see some pictures being posted, but you can see my hands here if you're watching on YouTube or seeing it anywhere. But um, but yeah, uh I've had a lot of surgeries. I had heart surgery when I was three days old. Um, I have I've had two foot surgeries per side. Um I had severe acid reflux when I was a baby, so I had a stomach surgery. I've had a hand surgery on both hands. I was never supposed to walk. That's what doctors told us says I was never supposed to walk. Um so you know, that's kind of my disability, my you know, the disabled side of who I am. Um, but yeah, Delonica, Georgia is my hometown. Uh born and raised, I've lived within the same two-mile stretch my entire life. I'm 34 now. Um, I'm actually sitting in my grandmother's house because it's quiet because my two daughters are at home, and I knew if I tried to record there, somebody would beat on the door or bust in, and you know, it's it wouldn't be quiet. So I'm at my grandmother's house now, so yeah, a lot of family close by. Uh I've been married to my lovely wife, Casey, for almost 10 years. It'll be 10 years in September. Um, and two daughters, Tessa and Tanner. They are four and five, they're 19 months apart, so we definitely keep us on our toes. Yeah. Um I'm a high school teacher by trade. I just finished up my twelfth year of teaching. Okay. So we've been there for a minute. Um, I'm a high school golf coach, which is actually how I got hooked up with you guys is I met uh Kurt, what's his Thompson? Is his last name? Yeah, Kurt Thompson from Deer Golf. Yeah. From yeah, from uh the the golf journal. Yeah. Deer Golf Journal, there it is. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I met him at a high school tournament this year down in LaGrange, Georgia, which is where he's from. So that's kind of how we got all hooked up. So high school golf coach, I do some things with adaptive golf with GSGA, and um, so yeah, that's kind of who I am, where I'm from. I've played golf a long, long time, you know, ever since I could grip figure out how to grip a club. I was probably ten or eleven, I guess. Okay. Um started playing, but but yeah, so that's kind of a overview of who I am, where I'm from, what I'm dealing with. So what do you teach? I teach physics and math. So I'm I'm the science department chair where I teach, and um my major was in math, but I ended up starting teaching some physics, so I'm kind of half and half math and science.
SPEAKER_02So back to back weeks that we've had educators on this golf podcast, which is which is pretty funny. Um so so you got the bug you said, or started playing golf around 10 or 11 when you could figure out how to grip a club. Um, let's let's talk about that. Uh in terms of uh how you go about playing the game, I would imagine is a little bit different uh given your your disability there. What what is a round of golf look like? Is it different tea boxes? Is it different grips? Is how how are you going about playing a round of golf?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so yeah, trying to figure out I played T ball growing up, so I you know I was always able to figure out how to grip a club or grip a baseball bat, things like that, but I don't have a whole lot of grip, like I can't make a fist with my hands, so it's a lot of just you know pressure from both sides to create friction. Um, so I don't really have a whole lot of adaptive stuff with my bag. I do have a certain kind of grip I like. It's the golf bride MCC plus four, but it's it's the you know the multi-compound. So I like having the extra friction there to hold on to the club. Um and I use a hairbow actually around my right wrist. So I put the hairbow around my wrist, then I wrap it around the end of the club just to have just to help have a little bit of uh of a connection there. Um so that's kind of how I grip the club. And then yeah, as far as T-boxes go, my driver on a good day rolls out to like 150, maybe 160. Um, and in these tournaments that I'm playing, the yardage will be upper five thousands, anywhere from 56 or 5700 to 6,000 plus. So I can't reach many par 4s or par 5s, so it's you know, I feel like I have to explain to myself uh explain myself to others about yeah, I shot a 96 today, you know. So to a lot of people, oh yeah, well you barely broke a hundred, but if I can't reach 14 of the holes, right, you know, i if I let's say I can reach all the par threes, there's fourteen I can't reach, so par is kind of like eighty-six, so it's like shooting ten over in my mind, right? Yeah. So, you know, it's is a lot of just playing my own game and not, you know, there are some there are a lot of guys in the adaptive golf world that are shooting even or under par and they demolish the golf ball, right? Um, so it's playing your own game and just finding a way to you know get some fulfillment and then try to inspire others. And uh yeah, I mean, God has God has truly blessed me to be able to play. I mean, I feel like I play pretty good. I have a good time.
SPEAKER_02So uh so yeah. So in those adaptive tournaments, do they change where I mean are you playing from the same T-boxes as everyone else, or do they change T-boxes based on specific disabilities and and I guess capability, or is it uh everybody same spot and you're off and running?
SPEAKER_01There are usually three or four different distances that are played in a tournament, and the shortest ones will be the seated players, and then otherwise it's done just by your impairment category. So, like the US Adaptive Golf Alliance has it split up into 15 categories. So I I play in group G7, so that's I have arm impairment and leg impairment. Um but I'm in there with some of the people in G7 still hit it, you know, with driver 240, 250 plus. So it's there's a lot of discrepancies or like you know, there's a there's some variance there. Um so overall, like to answer your question, it's it is based on impairment category. And you know, there's they're they're all the time trying to make it better and more inclusive and make it work for more people, you know, just to make the distance right. But if I was just playing for fun, I would love to play from you know 5,000 yards and I could reach most of the holes and you know have a birdie put up and hit the green. Um, but yeah, it's it's based on disability or impairment category uh in these tournaments.
SPEAKER_02And I would imagine uh d do they seek sites for these tournaments that are are more uh what what's the appropriate word? Uh there's not gonna be forced carries over water, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there most of the time there are not forced carries. There's not like a certain number that they keep you from having to do, but they definitely try to keep you know the the amount of forced carries down, and then um, you know, if there is like for the seated players, for instance, they're they're on a cart the entire time. So if there is a dangerous, like some of the bunkers that you see are you know very steep and like to get in and out of. So like if a if a seated player were to go into one of those bunkers, they get free relief. Um but for the most part, yeah, they definitely have to pick and choose the kind of course you're playing to make sure it's accessible and good for everybody. And it's you know, we're yeah, we're we want to compete and you know, and and play and beat each other, but at the same time it's getting out there, we're we're being safe. It's it's something it's something good to do, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02And I've and I feel like and it this might be unique to golf. Um you can certainly uh speak to this better than I can, but uh I recall in the last three or four years, maybe it was a little further than that, we had the first um US Open, the adaptive US Open. I feel like golf is doing more for people with disabilities than any other sport, and there are tons of opportunities to play in tournaments. Is that is that a fair statement or am I missing what other sports are doing there?
SPEAKER_01No, I think that's very fair. I mean, of there there are other adaptive sports, you know, that have been around for a long time and wheelchair basketball and you know, things like that. But as far as the inclusivity of like a wide range of people that can play golf is I mean, I think golf has the ability to do that. And it's be it's grown a ton. I think I think this summer will be the fifth or the sixth US adaptive open ever. And you know, for the the the normal US open was what the hundred and hundred and six or a hundred I mean it you know, well over a hundred. So it's it's still like there have been adaptive tournaments or amputee tournaments that have been around for 20 plus years, but as far as on like a national stage or you know, the the amount like now that social media is so much easier to I can post videos from my phone in two minutes and people are oh dang, you're like, yeah, he's playing golf. Yeah, um, so the ability to share it and see what's out there, what's available, and you know, people like me see that and they're like, oh, you know, yeah, I could play golf, or someone who's been paralyzed later in life or lost a limb, now they see it and it's you know more accessible, they're like, oh, this is a thing. And uh with GSGA, like a lot of the you know, the state golf associations, there's plenty of the uh clinics that they run that you know, so the outreach, the ability to find a place to if you've never swung a club, come on by, you can be safe. You know, there there are you know coaches that they train on how to help people with a swing and how to keep them comfortable and things like that. So yeah, I think golf is doing a lot more than most other sports, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And what what does the accessibility look like for tournaments for you? I mean, are are they all within a few hours drive time or is it something where you've got to really plan that out because it's a a taller task of no that's potentially hopping on a plane? What what does it look like just for the accessibility of those tournaments?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so um there Georgia hosts one a lot of the there are usually not one per state, you know, nationwide. There's definitely not that, but I know Georgia hosts one South Carolina. There are two or three maybe hosted in the Carolinas. I've played in one in Kentucky, so they're they're nationwide. And as a teacher, you know, a lot of times there are tournaments that they'll you know, a course might give you a Monday, Tuesday if you want to hold a two-day tournament, right? So as a teacher, I've got to kind of pick and choose. Well, I I it's I've got to take off work unless it lines up perfectly with a holiday or something like that. So there are plenty. I mean, you could play every other weekend just about if you wanted to, but I mean nationwide. And and now and that there comes in the other side of it, is there's you know, there's not a ton of money in a.dev golf yet. And you know, none of us play for the money. We I mean it's an awesome community to play in, yeah, but it's still you have to be able to afford it. You know, I'm a teacher, teachers don't make the best, you know. We do okay, but it's still I can't hop on a plane and you know, just fly somewhere every other month, you know. Right. So there was uh the first US the net national championship was back in April, I believe, and it was in California. Like out of like I do really I do okay on the net side. The gross is harder for me to you know do super well just because I'm usually if I'm in the 90s and playing good golf. Yeah but on the net side I'm like, oh I'd like to play in that, but it's in California, so that's another cost to get out there, and you know, there's you're not even if you do well, you're not gonna, you know, win like on the PJ tour, you're not gonna win a million dollars or you know, 20 grand or something like that, you know. So it's you have to f you know fundraise yourself or just yeah, find a way to get out there.
SPEAKER_02So yeah. So uh and you made brought up an interesting just thought that I had when you mentioned the the net tournaments. Do I guess you carry a handicap just like I carry a handicap and there's no difference there despite the disability that you're playing with, or is there a factor that's included there with the handicap?
SPEAKER_01No, it's all it's all the same handicap system. So like my handicap is a 28, like 27 or 28, it kind of fluctuates back and forth between there. Um, so you know, if I'm playing a course that is 6,000 yards roughly, and I shoot a 100 the in, you know, and didn't play terrible, but that's you know, kind of average in tournaments for me. And the the difference for a handicap might be 29 or 30. You know, so didn't play terrible golf, but that yeah, it's the same handicapped system uh across the board there for sure. Now uh USAGA has like a some kind of a system they use. Someone else might be able to comment on that better than I can. But there's like a I think it's called CSR, it's like a competitive score rating. So it it compares how you've played in other adept adept tournaments uh versus other people that are also win the same tournament. So it's like a you have a certain score rating, which is I think it's pretty close to the like the Gen number, but um there the US AGA does something with that, like where they're like keeping up with records and they have like their national rankings and all that.
SPEAKER_02So Okay. Okay. That's that's fascinating. So the net tournament that you said was in California, is it gonna is it moving East Coast this coming year or is it staying out there?
SPEAKER_01Uh this was the first year that it happened, so I'm not I'm really not sure. It probably depends on who hosted it. If they're based out there, it may be it may be out west again, but I'm really not sure. Okay.
SPEAKER_02What's what's the best you've ever finished in a tournament?
SPEAKER_01I have I've won a couple of of the net scoring titles, and I've won my division. So like most tournaments, they'll crown like an overall, like a gross champion. They'll have a net champion, then they'll have you know the G1 winner, G3 winner, G7, you know, who whoever else is is there. So I've won my division a handful of times, and then I won a tournament in Atlanta at Bobby Jones golf course. That was uh it was it was a net event, so like my net score was the best. Okay. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. What's what's so strengths of your game? Let's go strengths and weaknesses. Okay. Um, just because I I'm sure like you were talking about with gripping and just applying pressure to the grip itself to maintain control of the club. Where what are your strengths and weaknesses right now of your game?
SPEAKER_01So a big weak weakness would be distance for sure, because I mean it's just being able to get to the green and have a chance at putting. Um then normally my my driver accuracy is pretty good. I can hit fairways. So I'm I'm usually right down the middle, or you know, hopefully right down the middle, but normally if I'm you know, I'm I'm pretty consistent off the T. Um, and then from there it's uh I would say putting is another one of my strengths. Um most of the time. I have had a five putt in a tournament that wasn't fun. But uh button and and that was right after I'd started off like one of the best tournaments of my life. I was playing a little bit better than bogey golf, then I had a five putt. So, you know, the the mighty will fall as well. But uh but no, that's yeah, I would say accuracy off the T would be one of my one of my strong suits. I do have to hit driver on par threes from time to time. Um, so you know, I I can usually get close to the green with a driver. So it's you know, to a normal normal golfer, that'd be like trying to drive the green on a par four, you know. But um but yeah.
SPEAKER_02In in terms of uh strength, like if you're hitting it out of a bunker, is that are you are you able to get enough behind the ball and get the through the sand to get it out, or you are you taking a different method to try and get that ball out of the bunker?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I have a 60 degree and it hardly ever comes out of the bag. So with with bunkers out of a fairway bunker, I'm trying to pick it as clean as possible, take basically no sand. I mean, ball, you know, and that's most people, I think, ball first. Yeah. But greenside, like if I'm trying to carry it or get if I'm 20 yards from the hole, I might go down to my gap wedge or even a pitching wedge to get it to go that far. And I'm trying to aim maybe a half inch behind the ball. If I get much further behind that, if I if I get much further back, it'll either barely come out or it won't come out.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I don't have this wing speed. You know, if if I clip it right, I I'll get I'll get some spin. Normally it doesn't spin a whole lot. So, you know, I'm trying to play it, you know, halfway to the hole, so maybe it rolls out a little bit for me. But yeah, so I'm I'm definitely playing a lower lofted club, like down to 52, or my gap wedge is like 48 degrees or so. Um, so yeah, definitely playing most people would grab a 60 and open it up and splash it out. And I don't there there's no splashing out with me. I'm aiming right behind the ball and hoping I don't, you know, clip it too good and it flies into the woods behind the green. You know, I'm trying to be real real cute with it.
SPEAKER_02So yeah. So uh being a golf coach, um uh how long have you been doing that and and how fulfilling has that been for you uh along with teaching? I mean, I have uh an immense amount of respect for educators. I mean, what you guys do is is crazy. Um you you are molding the minds of the future um and dealing with all the craziness that also comes with working in a school environment. Um but the but being a golf coach, I mean I I I've had some friends that have done it and I joked with them that they just drove the van because there was no teaching these kids because they're all absolute sticks that probably carry a plus two handicap. And so there's not really a lot of golf coaching necessarily that happens, at least around me here in Birmingham. Um it's just the you're the shuttle, you're the means to getting them to and from the tournament. But what is what is the the golf coaching? How long have you been doing that? Um, what what's that been like for you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I was the assistant coach. I teach at North Hall High School in Gainesville. Um, I was the assistant for a few years when I first started teaching, and then I backed out to get my master's in specialist degree, you know, just you know, trying to get a raise as a teacher, that kind of thing. Um, so I did it for a few years back then, and then kept on playing, and then I've been the head coach at North Hall now. This I just finished up my second year as a head coach. Um and and yeah, but thank you. And as yeah, tying it back into teaching and coaching, that's you know, one thing I feel like God put me on this earth to try to inspire people. And I've you know, I d I do a ton of things. I hunt, I fish, I play golf, I'm I'm a teacher, you know, I I I I get by pretty well with what I have, I feel like, and I think and it's not me, it's that's God it that's God in me. Yeah. Um so if I can people can see what I'm able to do and I can inspire somebody. I mean, I I I I love math. I'm I'm I'm a nerd for sure. And that's one reason probab probably why I like golf. Uh all the physics and angles and you know calculations, and it's you know, there's there's a reason why it does what it does, and you know, you can usually solve the problem or or try to. Right. Um yeah, that's I mean it's it's so fulfilling to, you know, teach kids teach kids a math or physics problem that they didn't think they could do, and have them believe in themselves and do something along that lines. And of course, you know, teaching in a public school, I can't I can't talk about God or religion or you know, Christianity, you know, but it's you know, you try to carry yourself a certain way, so hopefully hopefully it comes through and they they see him in you, you know. Right, right. Um and then on the coach. Side. We we've had a pretty good team the last couple of years. We were runner up in state in 2025, and we finished third or fourth this past year. And we had the team that could have won it. We had a ton of seniors, and like my entire varsity team were seniors and um very good golfers. Four of them are playing college golf. And it's definitely it wasn't it wasn't me. You know, sometimes as a high school coach, you definitely feel like I'm the team mom. I'm driving a golf cart. Here's your snacks, here's your crackers, you good, you know, you're trying to check on everybody. But um, you know, I'd I and their teenage boys, you know, I give them, you know, I think it does help that I play in tournaments, and uh, and and we'll talk about the Cairns Cup here in a little bit. And I've gotten, you know, I'm planning on playing in, you know, the biggest tournament of my life coming up. Um, so talking to them about tournament prep and what it means, and like you can play with your buddies a certain way, but playing in a tournament is completely different, it's a whole different animal. Um, so being able to turn your mind off, so to speak, and just play golf, you know. And um, that's one thing, you know, with my testimony, you know, ne not supposed to walk, not supposed to do a lot of things, and here I am. Um, so that's kind of my mantra and tournament play or golf as a whole is we've already won. Like at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Um, so that's something that I tell my kids is like, really, this, you know, that bad shot you just shanked into the woods, it doesn't matter. Like, it's it's all gonna be okay in the end. Like we we lost it, who cares? We won it, who cares? You know, that's it's hard to get to that mindset. Um, but that's one thing that I try to you know teach my kids, and that's that's a good life lesson too. You know, as you know, it's sometimes you have a good day, sometimes you have a bad day, and it happens again tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right. So, what what classification is is North Hall in Georgia?
SPEAKER_01We are kind of right in the middle. So we were triple A and we're about to be 4A. So they they do a reclass every two years, but it'll be it's kind of like the the highest classification next year will be 7A and we're 4A, and we're kind of in the middle of the road, 4A size. So we're we there's like a thousand or eleven hundred kids at our school for size reference.
SPEAKER_02So wow, and that's that's in the middle of Georgia classification. That's wild.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because I graduated with like 700 at Hoover High School here in Birmingham, and we were the highest classification and still are. Um, and that's that's nuts. I mean, I knew Georgia was bigger than Alabama in terms of high schools and all that, but yeah, I didn't realize it was that significant. That's that's substantial.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like our our graduating class is usually mid to upper twos, just under 300, I think. Okay. Um, and like the bigger like uh Mill Creek or Beauford in Georgia, they'll like Milk Creek, I think has over 2,000, you know, but that's about as big as they get in Georgia, is like 22, 2300, maybe so. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So you mentioned you've mentioned a couple times your faith, your testimony. You were dealt, um, uh we'll just call a spade a spade a pretty crappy hand. And uh our you've already just been an inspiration to me in the just 20 or so minutes we've been chatting about this. Did you grow up in church, or is that something did you find faith later in life? What what is your walk with the Lord look like? How's how's when did you become a Christian? I I'd love to hear all of that.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I was I I was very lucky. My I grew up in church, you know, weren't there every time the doors were open, but definitely most Sundays we were there. My grandmother is a very prayerful woman. She's probably why I am, you know, still here. You know, a lot of prayer bells were rang by that woman uh when I was a kid. So definitely surrounded by it growing up. My brother's a pastor now. Um so yeah, so grew up in it, got saved when I was 12. Um, but yeah, I was I was I was a lucky one. I didn't I didn't have to, you know, find it later on in life. I grew up around it, was in church a good bit. My whole family are Christian, so it's not like you have to tiptoe around people. Yeah. Uh or you know, that I I can see how that would be difficult if you grew up in a family that, you know, were were non-believers, that that would be difficult. But no, I was I I was very lucky, very lucky.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's awesome. So I'm a preacher's kid, and that that's why I was I was curious. And and I love what you said about working in the public school and still trying to shine the light of Jesus and and just you can't talk about it, but people can see him through you and how you act. Uh and you certainly have an amazing story. Um, and like I said, could have gone a completely different path with the hand you were dealt, but instead shows positivity. I I love that you're doing all the things outdoors, hunting, fishing. Um, are you do you shoot a rifle? Or uh what is tell me about hunting.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So growing up, you know, trying to figure out in my my family all hunts, my dad, you know, big time hunter. So when I when I was younger, we had to figure out, you know, how how was I gonna pull the trigger, you know, because it's like my my pulling it with one finger is difficult. There's there's not a lot of strength there. Okay. So my dad made this mount that went around my shoulders and it held the gun, so it was a lot more stable because like being able to hold the front end of the rifle, you know, is more difficult. Um, so he made this mount for me, and then for a long time I would pull the trigger, you know, I would with two fingers. So I'd put both of them in there and pull it that way. Um, and then now as I've gotten older and I can do some more customizations and whatnot, I'll get my trigger as light as I can stand it, you know, down to two pounds or under. Um, so now I'm able to pull it with, you know, usually I'll pull it with my I'm I shoot I'm left-handed. Uh, so I'll have it on my left shoulder, you know, normal rifle, it's a right-handed bolt uh action, but I'll pull it with my right thumb most of the time. Okay. And you know, I can't I can't shoot off-handed, so I've got to have a rest or uh, you know, something to stick it on. Yeah. Like I I use a bog, like a uh tripod. Yeah, you know, like the death grip. So I I use those a good bit. Um and then as far as bow hunting, I have a crossbow. I can't I I I'm not strong enough to pull a compound back, so I have a crossbow.
SPEAKER_02So Okay. What's the biggest deer you've killed?
SPEAKER_01Um, I've killed an eight-pointer that scored probably 115, which is, you know, not it's decent for Georgia, but that's my biggest deer I've killed. I've killed a couple bear. Um that's right.
SPEAKER_02You're in Delanago. There's all kinds of bear up there where you are.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Yeah, I actually actually killed a bear with my crossbow a few years back, but my first bear is um I killed it in Wisconsin. I went with a a group called the United Special Sportsman's Alliance, where they let kids with disabilities or life-changing ailments um go on hunts. So I got to kill a few deer with them, got to go to Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama. Um, so that was pretty cool growing up. That's awesome. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_02So you you kind of touched on it or mentioned it a little while ago. Cairns Cup. Yes. Uh what is the Cairns Cup? When is it happening? I I know I think you're going to Spain, is that correct?
SPEAKER_01Yes. So the Cairns Cup is like the rider cup of adaptive golf. So it's Team USA versus Europe. It is it is net scoring, so that's going to be kind of kind of tricky to figure out, okay, is it a par six or par seven? Like what am I, you know, what am I shooting for? But it is net based. Um, and so last spring, sometime in early 2025, I saw it, you know, on social media somewhere. So I'm like, what is this? You know, uh, because I heard that I saw that it was in Michigan in 2024. So it happens every two years, just like the Ryder Cup. So I looked into it and you can apply to, you know, have your you kind of have to put in your golf resume, so to speak, you know, what your handicap is, what your disability is, all that kind of stuff. And I'm like, there's no way. So I told my wife, I'm like, I'm gonna fill this out and we'll see. You know, there's no shot. It's not gonna happen, but I'm gonna do it. Yeah. No shot. And let me back let me back up for a second there. You know, let me let I'm gonna blame my wife for a lot of this. So my whole tournament like career, I guess you would call it, or starting to play tournaments was in the fall of 2024 is when I started playing. And I heard about them, I didn't really know it was a thing until then. And I was like, nah, I I want to practice, I want to get better, I'm not good enough. Like, I I can't, I'm I I will I could never do that. So my wife bullied me, bullied me into playing tournaments, signing up, let's go do it. You know, you know, she's like, no, you're doing it. So it's her all of this is her fault. Let me let me be on the record to say that. Um you know, so I told her, like, there's there's no shot. No shot, I'll get picked. And um the selection criteria, like they can't go out and pick, you know, 16 you know, scratch golfers. It has to be a certain number of people with a handicap between like zero and six, six and ten, ten and sixteen. So it's you'll have a wide range of you know, golf handicaps.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, really good mix.
SPEAKER_01And with so you have you have to have, I think, two over a twenty-five. And you know, like I said, my handicap is in that twenty-seven, twenty-eight range usually. So I'm like, you know, well, you you never know. You know, I've I've only been playing tournaments for a couple years now. I I've I've met a ton of people. And um I was actually playing golf with my wife, but she doesn't she wasn't playing, but she was with me uh on the course one day, and I got a text from a guy saying, Hey, this is Brandon Williams from the Cairns Cup. Would you like to, you know, I we would like to call and talk to you about your application. So I was freaking out. I'm like, uh, d what do I do? Like, do I do we wait until after I'm done playing? Because we're on hole like we're on hole 10. And case she's like, no, you tell them to call you right now, we pull over and you take the phone call. Right. So I'm like, okay, cool. So I pull over, he calls me and he, you know, says that they looked it over and they'd like to invite me to play. So I'll start crying. I can't talk. It's a it's a mess. Um, but yeah, so that's how that's how the selection process kind of goes. And um, yeah, and it's been kind of a whirlwind since then. It's it's been over a year, so a long time waiting. Um, but yeah, we're going to Spain to play at the San Roque Club. It's down, it's like uh an hour down the coast from Malaga. So we'll fly into Malaga. We're leaving out July 9th, so I've got like 10 or 11 days. I mean it's coming up quick. Yeah. Um but yeah, first time ever going across the pond and ever going to Europe. Uh never dreamed a golf ball would take me over there. But uh, but yeah, so that's I'm I'm still blown away. Like I still don't doesn't it doesn't seem real at all.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So you mentioned it's net. So are there there are two teams. I'd imagine each team has 12 players or or how many. Okay. It's 12, 12 or 16. Is it's in that range, yeah. Okay. And then are there actual matches or is it like is it alt-shot like they kind of do in the Ryder Cup, or is it how how is how's the format done?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so the way it's been described to me, we actually have a Zoom meeting uh Wednesday night, so I'm sure we'll talk a lot more about this. But from from what I understand is there's there's still foursoms, four ball, alt-shot, two-man teams, and then the the third day is you know singles matches. So basically just like the Ryder Cup. And so if like if me and you were playing, and if you are a five handicap per se, and I'm a twenty-eight handicap, then we'd get thirty-three strokes. Okay. Or if I'm if you have two tens, then they they'd get twenty, you know, throughout the round. So now how how it wor how it works hole by hole, now I would assume you would know like, okay, we as a team we get one here, as a team we get two here. We you know, I I assume we'll know that while we're playing. I mean that that would make a lot of sense. Yeah, yeah. But um, but yeah, it's it's the same deal, two-man teams, you can you know, the the best ball, alt shot, same exact format.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I know so the writer cup is put on by the PGA uh of America. Is this something that is a is it PGA of America that does this?
SPEAKER_01No, this is I think it's just like kind of the Cairns Cup LLC, like it's his the it kind of it was I I forget what it how it was it came about. There were at another there's another one called the Phoenix Cup, which is kind of similar. Okay. But from the Cairns is uh is a man's last name. And I think he he was in the States doing something at a tournament and uh he may have passed away. I I forget the exact story there. But basically they had the idea of okay, let's let's do a tournament that it's you know s you know, set up this way, it's not gross, it's net, so that's kind of that you know, that idea. Um, but I think it's just put on by the Cairns Cup, like it's its own entity. Like there's a VP of the Cairns Cup. Um probably for Europe and USA, and they kind of help orchestrate everything. So like at this point, it's still like we had to do some fundraising. We had that we had a certain amount of certain dollar amount we had to raise before we could go, or you know, have all of our stuff covered. Uh so you know, and you know, a lot of companies were you know willing to help. So you're not you know, I'm I'm good to go there now. But eventually the idea would be that you have enough recurring sponsors and you know partnerships where you know you get picked to hey bud, good job, you got picked, show up the hot show up the airport at this date, you're good to go. You know, eventually, eventually that's the goal. So this is the fourth, I think, third or fourth Cairns Cup that it's ever happened. So it's still again, still pretty new. Um yeah, so but as it gains momentum, hopefully that's that would be the goal eventually that it would that it would grow and be something that you know you could people could literally just show up and play and you know everything would be covered, you know.
SPEAKER_02So do you know anybody else on the team?
SPEAKER_01Uh I do. So there are actually four Georgians that are playing. The captain is Greg Hooper, and he's from Georgia. And then uh a guy that I've met through the GSGA, James Shrubus is his last name. Uh Kathy Walsh is is a is a female player, and she's also from Georgia. So I've met them through the GSGA and adaptive clinics and events and things like that. But um, so yeah, so there's four Georgians, including the captain.
SPEAKER_02So Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_01And then there's and there's a few other ones that I've met or like don't know them well, but like I've heard of them or seen them at other tournaments and things like that. So there's a few other people that I know or have seen here and there. And that's kind of you you see that a lot. The more you if you play three or four tournaments ever, like you end up you feel like you know like some of the pretty big names.
SPEAKER_02So that's uh that's really, really cool. Um I've looked forward to keeping up with that. And so do you know uh will you play all three days? I mean, I assume there's a singles match, also like we were just talking about, like the similar format to the Ryder Cup, like you will go head to head with somebody in singles.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so they they said I would probably play there might be a day that I sit out, like like so I could play all three days, but I mean I guess they'll decide that when they get over there, like what the matchups look like and who you want to pair up with and and whatnot. So they said there's probably going to be a day that I'll sit out. So hopefully I'll play hopefully compete in two days. Um, but yeah, that's kind of the kind of the goal.
SPEAKER_02That's so exciting. Uh that's that's awesome. Yeah, I look forward to keeping up with that. Um so just you and your wife going or whole family going?
SPEAKER_01No, we're leaving the kids here with my parents. We figured that would be a little bit too far of a of a plane ride for a four and a five-year-old.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh to be honest, it's a little bit too far for me and my wife. We're like, what is gonna you know, get up and move around and try not to sit in the same airplane seat? Because I think the first flight is between eight and nine hours. Like we'll fly to Paris and then from Paris to Malaga. Um, but yes, me and my wife, my cousin, his name is Neil Armstrong actually. Okay. He was born he's born the same year as the moon landing, but he's uh he's a my cousin, and he's one he's one of the ones that kind of got me into golf back in the day, like took me to my first 18 whole round and that kind of stuff. So he's caddied for me. Yeah. So he's caddied for me at a few different tournaments, and I asked him if he would do it, and he's like, 100%. So him and his wife, uh they have an older daughter, or she's like in her 20s, but like moved off to New Jersey. So, and both him and his wife are educators as well. So they're like, heck, we're gonna stay and do a European cruise after the event. So they're going over there and they're gonna do a cruise the week after, and so you know it was a hands down there going. So yeah, so it'll be me and my wife, and then my cousin and his wife.
SPEAKER_02So that's awesome. That's awesome. So you the the relationship with your cousin as your caddy, what is does he know your game kind of inside and out and knows because it's a different game, right? Like we were we kind of already touched on that. Is I guess he knows how to support you on course.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he'll he'll give me some ideas and help me read putts, and you know, it's a a lot of it is we're just out there having a good time. But he he knows my game inside and out, and it's he's keeping me keeping me laughing, talking about things that are not golf related. Cause you know, if you Yeah, get your mind off the game. Yeah, if you dwell too much, you play you play awful. Um but yeah, no, he knows my game very well, and it's it's very it's my game is a very simple game, usually, because I have my my my set goes from driver, I have a mini driver now. I got it a couple weeks ago, so we're still kind of playing with that. Uh but driver five wood, nine wood. So 99% of the time, unless it's a par three, I'll hit driver, and then alright, give me the five wood, because I can't reach it. So it's you know, unless I'm trying to lay up to a certain distance or trying to avoid water or something like that, usually it's driver five wood, driver five wood. Depending on the lie, I can hit that mini driver off the deck, you know. Uh kudos to the name of the uh podcast here. But um, yeah, depending on the lie, if I'm in the rough or if it's kind of sitting up, I can hit my driver or mini driver off the deck. It doesn't carry super far, but it rolls out a lot farther than my five wood. Um and then yeah, around the greens chipping, you know, depending on the lie, I'll be like I said, rarely use a 60, but I'll I'll sometimes I'll go down to my gap wedge or a pitching wedge and just try to get it up in the air a little bit. So he knows those things. So it's it's uh all right, well, he's like, which clubs do you want? And sometimes it's a it's a hybrid in two in two or three wedges, you know. So he'll grab all those out and then we'll get up there and kind of see. I'm like, all right, what do you think? And yeah, so he's definitely a good sounding board and knows my game pretty well.
SPEAKER_02That's that's so cool. I I love that you have that relationship that he gets you into the game and then is kind of, I guess, uh like what equivalent to like the pinnacle of adaptive golf of playing in the Ryder Cup equivalent event is is pretty incredible. Congratulations, man. That's that's awful. Yeah, I know you're gonna be excited.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I'm I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm it's getting to that point where I've I've played a lot of golf this summer, you know, tried to practice and just dial things in. You know, I went to the range today and then I came back home and hit some more. So, you know, trying to stay in half of it staying in shape. Um, but yeah, and then all and also making sure we have our passports and not everything's lined up and how do we get from the airport to the resort? And you know, it's yeah, being nervous about going to Europe. Then I'm like, oh yeah, I'm playing a golf tournament. Like, oh what? So uh definitely yeah, nervous, excited, all the above. I'm still just speechless. It's it's it's been such a long time coming because I found out last April. So like a lot of people were like, hey, have you April? Yes, yeah, that's when I that's what I found out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's a that's a long time to be waiting on this incredible event.
SPEAKER_01So there were a lot of people this spring were like, now did you play your tournament? Or are you uh when do you go? I'm like, oh, it's next next July, you know. So it's yeah, it's been a long time coming, and now that it's you know 10 days away, it's like, oh dang, yeah, here we are. It's yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. That's awesome. Um, yeah, well, thanks for coming on and sharing your story. I uh like I said earlier, you are quite an inspiration. Um, and I love I look forward to keeping up with everything that Karen's Cup. Um, you'll have a whole household here in Birmingham cheering you on. Uh is there is there any television that you're aware of for it or like anything streaming?
SPEAKER_01There's I know there's a YouTube channel that they've mentioned, and I don't know if it's like a you know, kind of like a live stream or they'll do it like after the fact, like a highlight reel. We'll try to, you know, on my social media, I'll be trying to post everything I can, you know, every day, every night. My wife, that's one one benefit of my wife being there and not my wife has caddied for me a few times too. Like I played in Kentucky and she caddied, so she wasn't able to get as many videos as normal. Um, but she'll be there, so she'll be able to get more videos and pictures and things like that. So I'll try to keep if it's not like a live deal or streamed, then I'll try to keep it, you know, as up to up to date as possible for sure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Nice. Um, well, a couple quick questions and we will um let you get out of here and get back to your girls. Um what's your favorite club in the bag right now?
SPEAKER_01Today it was my nine iron because I hit it pretty good. But uh most days it would I'd have to say it's my seven hybrid.
SPEAKER_02Okay, seven hybrid. And is that something we're hitting out of the fairway or w what's your typical play with that club?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's usually an approach shot. Um that's I had I toyed with a seven hybrid sum before I went ahead and picked out my bag or you know, decided to have it in my bag. Um And heck, if if they made an eight hybrid, all my clubs are ping. Okay. So a little, you know, shameless plug. Thank you, ping. They helped me out a ton with my set. But the uh the seven hybrid, I'm able to get it up in the air a whole lot more. You know, a lot of my issue is getting the ball to stop. So normally I'm shooting the number to the front of the green, trying to hit that and let it roll on. You know, I I hardly ever have it like one hop and stop is not in my vocabulary from the from the fair way. So seven hybrid is just that it's so easy to hit. And uh yeah, you normally an approach shot. Okay, nice. Uh what's the favorite course you've ever played? It would probably be Shelbyville Country Club that I played back in May in Kentucky. So it was just your classic old school country club. So like the swimming pool is full of kids. There's a high dive, kids are jumping off of it, you know, it's to paint the picture. Kind of a small town just east of Louisville. And the greens were in good shape, the course was in awesome shape. Um the roughs, the rough is rough. So if you're in the rough, I'm sorry. But uh so that it was a good learning experience. But I played pretty deep I played okay. Um, but uh it was that's probably just be we were there for th three or four days. We had like a scramble as a practice round and then two days of the tournament. And just the whole the whole deal was was awesome.
SPEAKER_02So Okay, nice.
SPEAKER_01That that I did play it I did play at Sea Island. It was the retreat course at Sea Island, and that was that was a course very nice, but that I feel like that's too cliche. Oh, Sea Island's my favorite, you know. But no, Shelbyville Country Club. This uh I would have never played there had it not been for a tournament. And I was like, my wife was like, We I would come and just visit. I'd come play a player play around to golf, go hang out in Louisville. She's like, I would come back in a heartbeat. I'm like, me too. It was such a cool place.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. Uh you mentioned Sea Island. Did you spend any time in the locker room at Sea Island? I did not. So we Eli, Eli, you gotta go back.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I did I got to go I we went to the main uh like the main clubhouse. I don't I I don't think if I did, it was very a very short time. It was uh but we my like my wife and I went and we may have had like lunch or a dinner there one day and we played the like the putting course. Yeah, yeah. Uh we did that, so that was cool. Um but yeah no, we played the re the we played retreat, so it's uh you know, across the road, it's not at Seaside and Plantation.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um so we we weren't over on that side a whole lot. If we would have been, I would have definitely you know walked through and you know done it did a whole lot more touring around, but no, I did not get to go into the uh the locker room.
SPEAKER_02That locker room, uh the one time I've been to Sea Island to play, uh the guy that I was with, uh he's the one that got us the tea time, and he's like, you know, we have to we actually have to go play golf. And I was like, I don't I don't want to leave this locker room. I mean it was a there's a full buffet of all the best southern food you can imagine. I mean, green beans, fried chicken, baked chicken, mac and cheese. They have a there's like a full bar set up. I mean, it was amazing. And I like I did not want to leave. He's like, we have to, we're actually here to play golf. I was like, well, you can go play golf. I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy these amenities for the rest of the day. Um, if you could put together a dream forceome for an outing, who who would be in your dream force?
SPEAKER_01That's a very good question. One would be Scotty Scheffler. Okay. One, he's the best golfer in the world, and two, he's you know, unashamed. You know, definitely, you know, spreads the gospel like n like none other with a platform like that. So I like him. Um I'd have to say uh Cameron Young and Sam Burns would be the next two. I like those two guys a lot. I'm gonna pick so three three current players, and I'm gonna pick kind of a wild card here. Um, and I pick both of those guys for the same reason. Sam Burns is a good Christian. I listened to them a good bit on the uh Bible Caddy podcast. Yeah, with Webb. Yep. Yep. And then probably just to make it a fun round, John Daly. Okay.
SPEAKER_02I love well, I love that we went one side that's all faith-based, and then the pendulum swung the complete other direction with John Daly.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna get I'm gonna give you a wild card. And because I what what brought that up is, you know, I know he still plays at a high level, but he shot like a 63 over the weekend on the champions tour. Yeah, good gracious seven or eight under sixty-three. I'm like, he's you know, w with what all his reputation is, he's still like I feel like it would just be a fun round. Like, obviously, like yeah, three very much faith-based, but you get that one guy, like right, right.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. Well, you lot, we will certainly be pulling for you during the Karen's Cup. Uh, hopefully you uh we can share some of that content and we will make sure to reshare as much of that as we can. Um, but thanks for taking time to come on the show and tell your story. It really was inspirational.
SPEAKER_01Hey, well, I appreciate you having me on, and maybe when I get back we can come back on and talk about how it went.
SPEAKER_02I would love that. That'd be great. That would be awesome. For Eli Self, I'm Josh Decker, and this has been another episode of Off the Deck.
