Jack Nicklaus Award Winner Charlie DeLong

In our debut episode of the Not Salty Golf Podcast Charlie DeLong talks about his path to Grand Valley State University, a dream season that lands him the Nicklaus award, playing at Texas Tech and the start to his professional career. Charlie loves equipment and is a self proclaimed tinkerer so of course we talk equipment.

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Not Salty Golf Podcast is brought to you by Great lakes Gear. Great Lakes gear is worn by the top golfers around the Great Lakes region.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:13

Welcome everybody to the very first episode of the Not Salty Golf Podcast. Thank you for coming and listening. We really appreciate it and we appreciate the support. This is new for us, but I promise we will get better episode after episode. Garrett Smith or G or G Money, as we refer to him, and I thank you, and we're really excited to do this project with Great Lakes Gear and not Salty Golf. So our first guest this week is Charlie DeLong, who's had an amazing collegiate career and now is onto the professional ranks. We sit down with Charlie to talk all things golf, and he is an equipment junkie. So a little equipment talk in there. Thank you again, and let's get going. Hey everybody, welcome to our very first episode of the Not Salty Podcast. Our first guest this evening is Charlie DLong. And I'm happy to have Charlie on. Charlie was one of the very first Great Lakes skier athletes that we signed. And so this is a special moment for us to have him on and interview him. And we're going to talk to him and get to know about not just his golf career, but things that Charlie likes to do and things that make him tick. So we're super excited to have you. Welcome, Charlie.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Yeah, I appreciate it. I always love talking golf, and well, we should have some fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

Yeah. And we have our uh Garrett Smith, we call him G Money or just G here with us. And so let's dive right in. Why don't you uh my first question, Charlie, is you know, can you tell us a little bit about how where you grew up, how you got into golf, and you know, what kind of at what point did you realize that you're a little bit better than most and really start working at it?

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Uh yeah, so I mean, like most people on the team grew up born and raised in Michigan, so kind of lived all over the state at this point, but went to high school in the Lansing area. So when most people ask, I just say, oh, Lansing area, um, DeWitt High School. Um as far as getting into golf, geez, I was probably since I can remember. I think there's pictures of me as a kid with getting plastic golf clubs other than the Christmas tree. So um my dad and brother were big golfers growing up, and so they were always taking me to the course, and I mean, whether it was golf or baseball or something, we were always doing something together.

SPEAKER_04 2:52

Nice. Gee, got anything for him?

SPEAKER_01 2:56

I'm uh also curious because uh obviously we've been we've known each other for quite some time, McGee, and then Charlie, you and I as well. But how did how did Charlie, how how did you end up being one of the early ambassadors of of Great Lakes gear and now not salty golf?

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Well, we got to give a little shout out to KV, Kurt Valley, because he kind of he almost ticked this whole thing off. I was having uh dinner with him and Coach Bissell from Grand Valley one night, and NIL came up and we were kind of just joking. I was like, Yeah, does anyone know anyone that wants to give me some cash? And uh Kurt says, Oh, my buddy Mike starting this apparel company, I'm sure I don't know if he'll pay you, but he'll throw you some merch for sure. Um and that was exciting. I mean, when the NIL was first coming out and we were like figuring out how and if anyone could even make any money, it was it was exciting to uh get anything free or uh feel like you were part of something as a college golfer.

SPEAKER_04 3:52

Yeah, and I I didn't know if we were gonna be able to, you know, work with them because I think he had just bec became the Nicholas Award winner for the top golfer in Division II. And so for me, I was like, man, I don't, you know, know if somebody like that will take a chance on us. But we gotta give a shout out to old Quail because we we took him out to Quail and then played uh golf with him, and once that once we played golf with him, he was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

Yeah, Mike Wymdon died me, and there was no turning back. I do feel like I remember that. Was I there for that round? Could have been. I feel like Hero wasn't at the Quail round.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

I was either there for that first round, or I remember McGee, I remember you telling me about it, and I remember being a part of maybe the second one. But Quail has become kind of quite the recruiting hotspot for you.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

It has. Shout out to Kyle Holmes, we gotta shout him out. Gotta shout out Quail Ridge because it has been a recruiting hub for us. Uh and Quail uh and Kyle have always welcomed us there and our athletes. So shout out to them.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

But uh that that's because they're the greatest golf course that allows nine sums. They allow you to run an entire fairway with golfers.

SPEAKER_04 5:20

It was like the first or second time Charlie was out there. I do remember he like turned around and he was like, look how many people are on this hole.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

That is so good. Yeah, it's a good spot. Even though private courses won't even let that go. It's fun that they can make those long summer nights like fun like that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 5:44

Yep. Charlie, why don't you tell us, you know, you grew up there in the Duid area, you committed to Grand Valley. Was that the only school that you were looking at out of high school, or what were your options?

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Um so I mean, I've I feel like I've kind of bloomed late at every stage of golf I've been at. Um, so DAW's high school, I mean, my for freshman and sophomore year, I was a good player, but I wasn't setting the world on fire. I was looking up to guys like James and Pyatt and the older guys and kind of thinking, like, oh god, those guys are like way better than I was at that point. Um, and then I had some good summers kind of early in high school playing on like it just the Meyer Jr. Tour in Michigan. I grew up playing, I would play every event all summer, so that was fun. And uh Solist played in some AJGAs. I think I was only really in four or five of those. Like I wasn't like one of these nationally ranked kids just playing a PJ tour AJGA schedule growing up. So it was kind of uh had a pretty good junior year. Um started getting some interest from college. I was looking at Grand Valley. Um, I took a visit to Ferris, I mean kind of the the smaller Michigan schools, Oakland. Um and so played well junior year, and um I just fell in love with Grand Valley. Um there was kind of no other choice. I I as far from when I went on a visit to when I had committed there, it wasn't too long. And um, between the school and the atmosphere there, and Coach Bissell was a huge reason I committed there, it was a pretty easy decision.

SPEAKER_04 7:20

Yeah. Grand and Grand Valley has amazing golf facilities for Division II school in Michigan.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Especially now. While we were there, they got a heck of a lot better.

SPEAKER_04 7:33

Yeah, yep. So we'll well to keep this going, you go to Grand Valley and you have success. You are named the Nicholas Award winner for the top collegiate golfer in Division II. So tell can you tell us about that year, winning the award, meeting Mr. Nicholas, all that?

SPEAKER_02 7:55

Yeah, so I mean, kind of leading up to that, similar to high school, honestly. I mean, I did play well early in my college career. Um, had a couple wins freshman and sophomore year, but uh the COVID thing was, I mean, obviously, as terrible as the pandemic was, it kind of worked out for us who were freshman and sophomore those years, getting some extra years of practice and eligibility because I kind of used those first two years where we didn't have much going on. It was all practicing and played a few tournaments, but nothing crazy. They were kind of like two free years to get better before my clock restarted with eligibility. So I came into that junior year and played pretty well as an all-American that year, won some tournaments, and then kind of used that momentum and confidence into that senior year where it it I mean, it just kind of felt like if I played my game in solid golf, I was gonna be right there in every event and lucky enough to capitalize on a bunch of those. So ended up winning, I think seven times that last year was at Grand Valley. And uh unfortunately kind of had a stinker at the national title and didn't add that one to it, but uh got a call that won that award and that was that was pretty cool. I I kind of looking back, I it I didn't realize how like special that was in the moment, but now I can reflect and it it was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_04 9:20

And where did you receive the award at? Did you go to Muirfield?

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Oh yeah, the they do it on I think it's Monday or Tuesday of Memorial Week and they have a big ceremony. Um the the guy from NAIA D3, two and one all get to go there and accept and kind of have a little press conference to make you feel important. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

That's really cool. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:45

Money. What do you got for 'em?

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Yeah, um while you're on the topic of college and and NIL and getting with GLG, uh how did you get uh I'd be remiss if I didn't ask, how'd you get involved with Taylor Maid?

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Um that's kind of kind of a funny story, but I I played uh kind of a completely mixed bag of clubs all through Grand My Career Grand Valley. I had a Cobra driver that was pretty money for a while, but I mostly play titleist. Um they do a cool thing. I got high enough ranked as a junior right before college where they have a threshold where you can start getting balls, shoes, and gloves from them for free, which, like I said, with the free clothes from GLG, like when you're a junior and amateur player, getting anything sent to you is pretty cool. You kind of feel like a professional. So had a relationship with a couple titles reps uh through Grand Valley. And it's funny after that senior season I had there where I felt like I played pretty good. I I was in the market for some new clubs, reached out to my reps, like, hey, is there anything like better discounts I can get than what I'm currently getting? And it was kind of like a eh, not really, sorry, move on. And oh, I don't know really who I thought I was that I deserve free clubs, but I started reaching out to other companies, like, hey, is there anything you can do for me? And uh shout out Manny from Tailormade. Uh he he got back to me and said, like, absolutely, we love to work you. Like, and ever since then, it's been an awesome relationship. Like, what do what do you need? How can we help? Anything is you need. They treat you unbelievably when you're I'm I'm not on staff, but just when you're friends with the guys at Tailormade, it's pretty cool. That's really cool. So just a cold reach out, huh? Yeah, uh, and Manny had he had just finished playing uh college golf at Florida, and uh I think I DM'd him on Instagram, that's how I found him.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

Uh seriously.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

He was it was his first week on the job at TaylorMade. So I don't know if I was his first like guy, but had to be one of them.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

That is so cool. And you so uh then what? It's been a few, what, three years now, four years?

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Yeah, so was with Manny, and then when I transferred to Texas Tech, I mean there's club reps at almost every tournament we would go to. So got to know uh Jason Housey and Tatchu, who are a couple of the tour side guys at Taylor Made. I mean, it's pretty cool for college events. They have club reps from not just Taylor Made, a bunch of the companies are out there and kind of if anything's broken or you want to try something, or there's they're just just make sure they're there to make sure you have you're good to go for the week, which is it just they treat you well.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

That is really special, kind of as you grow in your career getting that access to OEMs and as you get to evolve and chase the game, just getting it.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

As a tinkerer, it's they probably hate me, but I'm always asking for stuff and wanting to try new stuff. Sure, absolutely, it's part of the fun.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:40

So you mentioned Texas Tech, and so that we jumped ahead a little bit, but that was gonna be my next uh question for you to talk about, Charlie. Uh you win the Nicholas Award at Grand Ballet as a top division two player in the country. So of course you have D1 schools looking at you, especially in the era of the transfer portal. Yeah. Um I remember you telling me at the time you had Texas Tech, Pepperdine were kind of two, you're really looking at it. Just tell us briefly, you know, why Texas Tech and uh your you know what made you feel at home in Texas Tech and all your thing trip did Love, you know, was yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

To be honest, that was never transferring or playing at a higher level was never really on my radar. Um after that uh Nicholas season, I was just gonna go back to Grand Valley for my fifth year, try to win a national title because we felt like we were right there the year before and it was kind of ours to lose that next year. And um we got a call from our coach, Coach Bissell, kind of like a month or so before the season, that he had accepted another head coaching job, which I mean everyone was happy for him. It was a pretty cool spot to go in the University of Denver. So um I really until entered the portal because my relationship with him was so good and I was like, oh, I'll just follow him. I mean, he helped me got get to the point where gosh, get me to the point that I was in my career, and I feel like I could kind of continue that there with him at playing in a little higher level golf tournaments. Um and then when I entered the portal, um, I mean, obviously I took a visit out to Denver, and then I didn't really I had no idea what kind of interest I was gonna get from any other schools, right? Um and so Texas Tech got on my radar because at Grand Valley they play in the Folds of Honor tournament every year that Michigan State hosts at American Dunes. And we had, I mean, I were obviously playing with Division I teams, and we got paired with Arizona for a couple days, and their assistant coach basically caddied for the guy in my group for 36 holes. And I think after the first day, I was like, I was top 10, maybe T7 or something from the Division II school in that event. Um and the coach cadding happened to take the assistant coach job at Texas Tech that next year, and so when he saw my name in the portal, he kind of DM'd me like, hey, just checking in like any interests. And I mean, it's pretty cool when you don't know what kind of interests you're gonna garn, and then uh power power schools start reaching out to you. So I kind of I I looked into it, I wasn't sure if I was gonna do that or just uh stick with the plan of going to Denver, even staying at Grand Valley. That was not out of the question yet. Um but it's when Big 12 schools are calling, it kind of became hard to hard to look the other way.

SPEAKER_04 15:36

Right. And just briefly tell us about your time at Texas Tech and some of the highlights for you.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

I mean, it was awesome. I'm I absolutely love Grand Valley. I mean, I'm still wearing Grand Valley clothes all the time. We well I went to football games back home this summer, but the the resources are just a little bit different at a program like Texas Tech. I mean, Coach Bissell and now Coach Lappin maximize everything they can with what they have at Grand Valley, which is awesome because I mean, even they're traveling south three, four times a semester now or in the spring semester, which is cool. But uh driving in a van to Lexington, uh Kentucky, or somewhere in Ohio is a little different than flying to Cabo and Hawaii and Palm Springs week in, week out of Texas Tech. So it was it was cool to experience both because I think I appreciated that luxury of what we had at tech after like knowing what most college golfers in the country travel and live like. So it was uh just a cool contrast.

SPEAKER_04 16:36

I gotta ask real quick, G, before you ask them a question, were you flying commercial or private to the tournaments at Texas Tech?

SPEAKER_02 16:45

Uh mostly commercial, but we did we had some uh generous donors, I'll say. So we got to fly private a few times.

SPEAKER_03 16:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

That's good stuff. Yeah, that's a that's a whole different animal. That's leaving your house to getting where you want to go in three hours is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Unique travel experience, I'm sure. Yeah, very lucky sometime, Garrett. What's that, Miguel?

SPEAKER_04 17:11

We'll have to try it sometime. Yeah, we can all cool our resources.

SPEAKER_03 17:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Nice. Well, you're you're obviously still missed with the that boys at G V, man. I played with those guys on Wednesday last week. Yeah. And you're still talked about frequently, and those guys uh they look forward to seeing you when you come back.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

Well, they're killing it too. I mean, they're ranked higher than we have before, so it's been pretty cool to see and root for them. They're in a good spot, man.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

They're in a good spot in team team.

SPEAKER_02 17:38

Five guys ranked in the top 50 is uh quite impressive. I don't know if I've ever seen that at any level.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Yep. So you still follow them quite closely then, huh?

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Oh yeah. I got the live scoring up all the time. That's awesome, man. I stayed with uh Alex Scott last week, who he's a Grand Valley alum. We never play together, so he's what makes him four or five years older than me. But I mean, we we roomed together there, so we were follow following along the tournament last week in Tennessee. It was I feel I think everyone who plays just you have that connection to the program. You're never gonna stop paying attention.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

That's cool. That's good stuff. Speaking of last week, how was that? Obviously, I was uh and speaking of Alex, I followed you and Alex while you guys are both down there competing and be up at Traverse City and catching up with Scott Hebert who closely with Alex, and so we were both of you guys quite close. But how was that week? What was uh what was that experience like?

SPEAKER_02 18:31

Good. Well, I mean we've gotten to know each other a lot better since we both graduated. Um we had similar status last year, so we traveled around and shared some houses and Airbnbs in Canada last summer, and then I mean I'm always gonna say yes when he asked if we want to share a house because one, he's a great guy, and two, I seem to play well when we room together, so a little superstition. Nice. But last week was good. Um good golf course, pretty easy off the tee, and then really wild green complexes. So you kind of had to be smart coming into the greens, and then putting was quite difficult if you didn't hit it close. So um didn't quite finish up how I would have liked, obviously, but lucky to have any status is kind of cool to say. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 19:16

For everybody listening, uh last week Charlie was at the uh Latin America Tour Q school and um was at the site in Alabama and just missed out by a couple shots getting full status. Um he did secure conditional status uh on that tour, and so um, you know, maybe that segues us into Charlie. You know, you got conditional status on that tour. What's your plan right now? What what what are you doing? What's your plan? What's coming up for you?

SPEAKER_02 19:53

Uh kind of up in the air at this point. Kind of conditional status is weird because the it's it's ranked. So the number one conditional guy on the list is a lot different than if you're towards the bottom. And kind of unfortunately, I'll probably be towards the bottom of the list, which doesn't look like I'll be guaranteed any starts right now. So, but it gives you the opportunity to play in Mondays and try to get in that way and get into the reshuffles like professional golf, just a grind. So uh you gotta play well at the right time and time it and get a little lucky, but you also gotta play some good goal.

SPEAKER_04 20:27

Yeah. So you're living down in West Palm currently and playing golf out of that, making that your home base. What's the transition been like, you know, from Michigan to Texas Tech?

SPEAKER_02 20:42

Yeah, West Palm. I guess it kind of feels natural. I feel like I'm moving all over the place every year or so. So luckily that part wasn't too tough to tackle moving wise. I I kind of enjoyed moving and travel, so it's it's exciting to me. Um, but moving to Florida's been great. Got down in November, um, kind of just when the weather was not good enough to golf back home. Um got a job caddying at a club down here, so luckily that gives me access to the course if I need to play. Or um I practice a little bit out there and then practice more at a public course around here in Palm Beach. So uh it's worked out really good. I I kind of moved out on without a plan. Um, and luckily my one of my buddies was also working at a club down here and kind of got me in as a caddy, which has been nice, and uh because I didn't exactly have a plan of where I was gonna play when I was driving down here, so figured it out on the fly.

SPEAKER_04 21:38

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Kind of how I live, figuring it out on the fly. How did you land in West Palm? Like why why did you target that spot?

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Uh well kind of one of my best friends, Alex, moved down here and he was gonna be an uh assistant pro at a club down here, and I mean, be close to him and I Came down here a couple like a month before we were planning on moving and stayed with him and looked for apartments in the area. So kind of kind of just a blind move to be honest. I mean, um I guess I shouldn't say 100%. Pretty 80% of the PJ tour seems to live within about 30 miles of here. So I I figured it must be a pretty decent spa.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Good logic. Good logic. So since you've been down there, I imagine uh I'm I'm curious about your kind of day-to-day right now while you're kind of on the grind both professionally and the game and also balance the caddy and stuff. But um, I'm imagining you've met some pretty cool people along the way since you've been there.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Yeah, I mean as a caddy at one of these kind of top tier clubs where it's pretty expensive to get in, everyone's pretty successful. It it's cool to heal hear different successful people's stories and perspective on different things. Um and then as far as working at the course, uh God, I'm just totally blanked out. Your day-to-day. Yeah. So uh it's it is interesting trying to balance the practicing and being ready for events and then also working and paying rent, you know. So um I've been looping four to five times a week, so that might be three to four days because you get doubles once in a while. Um luckily, I mean, that only takes three, four hours out of your day. I mean, people play pretty fast, and um, it's not like I'm working a nine to five and then have to go practice for an hour after work. I can kind of and I'm right at the course. So if I'm looping at eight, I can be done by noon and grind for a few hours in the afternoon, or do the opposite. If there's a loop in the afternoon, kind of um grind a little bit in the morning and off to make a few dollars.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Sure. In that in that environment, since you've been down there again since November, um what's the best story you have from the caddy experience and what's your best story you've had from just playing and maybe people you've gotten the opportunity to practice or play with?

SPEAKER_02 24:09

Yeah, it it's interesting because it kind of seems like a lot of the culture is golf like oriented around here, especially when you're at a course every day and meeting different people from different clubs. So, I mean, everyone's been really generous. Kind of if they know you're a decent player, uh hey, come to my club, we'll we'll tee it up, uh host you. So I've gotten to play a bunch of cool courses around here. Um, I mean, there's so many. It's it's pretty cool. Um gosh, stories cadding. I've had some uh pretty expensive bets out there for sure. Money that would make me a little nervous.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

A little uncomfy over a three-footer.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

Yeah, but it's fun. I I like caddying when there's matches like that because you kind of get into it yourself. Um you're I mean, I'm not gonna say you're bored sometimes, but when there's when there's more at stake and uh people are playing money games and you can kind of feel like you can guide them and help them out, it gets them excited and makes it pretty fun.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

I I imagine it starts to kind of feel like that player caddy kind of like team environment. Yeah. Who uh on on that note, who who do you have on the bag? Do you have anybody in particular that's on the bag for you when you're competing or do you solo or what?

SPEAKER_02 25:21

I don't have a like I've had friends do it. My my fiance Caitlin caddied for me a bunch up in Canada last summer, which was fun. Nice. Um but I don't know, I'm I'm kind of independent out there, even in college, like um I feel like coaches usually weren't worried about me management managing my way around the course and they could kind of help other guys. I I feel like I'm a pretty one of my strengths is kind of thinking out there and uh plotting your way around and making as few mistakes as possible. So um I think I can add value as a caddy for other people that that way too. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_04 26:00

How did uh how did Caitlin do caddying?

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Good. I'm I'm trying to convince her to caddy with me down here, but I don't know if that's gonna happen. Um but it it was it was fun. Uh she kind of calmed me down like out there. I mean, as golfers we can get pretty frustrated, so um just realizing it's not that big of a deal and uh acting a little more professional out there. She definitely helped me in that aspect.

SPEAKER_04 26:27

You did save fiance, and I did get to save the date in the mail. So you are getting, you know, we'll let everybody know that you're getting married this summer. So you will be back in Michigan uh for your wedding, obviously. Yeah. Gonna ask you, uh, are you do you plan on coming back to Michigan for a couple months this summer? Are you gonna play any events uh Michigan Open or anything?

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Um a little bit up in the air. I'm hoping to make it up for the open because it's right before the wedding, so it works out time-wise. Um, I mean, we're both working down here, so a couple months up there, probably not, but we're definitely gonna be up there as much as possible. I mean, Michigan in the summer is hard to beat. Um, I've kind of taken on a little more of a role other than just catting at the course down here, too. So my time might be more needed and less a little less flexible as far as leaving.

SPEAKER_04 27:21

So taking on an additional role means Garrett, we have a place to go next winter in West Palm and play golf.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

Nice. I'll be here. We got uh a small couch.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

There you go. You want to share it, McGee?

SPEAKER_02 27:37

Yes, I don't know if we can host two, one maybe.

SPEAKER_04 27:42

Yeah. So are you happy with uh where you're at right now in your professional career? Um because right out of college, like within a month out of college last summer, you went to Q school and got status for the Canadian tour. Yeah. So to have that success right away was great. Um and now you just came back from Q school for Latin America tour. You know, it's just are you happy? Are you can you talk about that?

SPEAKER_02 28:18

Yeah. Um, I mean, it was awesome to get that status right out of college last year. It kind of uh made the decision of even turning professional a lot easier because I I kind of sputtered down the stretch when my last year attack and was my confidence wasn't very high, and I was like, oh, do I really want to do this as a career? Like um just those thoughts that enter your head when you're not playing great, and to go out right away and get status kind of gave you that boost of excitement and confidence again. I mean, you you need something driving you to if you want to make it to the highest level and motivate you to practice and whatnot. So whenever you feel like, oh shoot, I really do have a chance of doing something, that kind of uh kicks you into gear. But it was really fun to kind of travel around and play professionally all summer. It didn't necessarily go how I would have liked. Like you've always liked to play a little better, so um, but it was great, and then lost status, so had to re-requalify for any tour. Um missed out in second stage in the fall, and then luckily this spring they actually changed it to having the Americas qualifying. Um and I really played good enough to get that full status. It was a little disappointing to come up short because I mean I ball struck it good enough and just had one of those weeks on the greens where a bunch of good putts weren't falling in, which happened. So it was a bummer. But yeah, it's kind of weird now as I mean, I do have status, but it a little bit feels like I don't since you're not guaranteed to play in any tournaments. Um it it's a weird deal, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:59

You uh you weren't kidding. Uh those greens down there in Dothan, man, those are no joke. You can have you been to that course? Yeah, yeah. I played a number of times. You can strike well around there and you can still have a hard time posting a number.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

Yeah. I I mean it's also what March in Dothan, Alabama, it's not exactly tropical, so you get some little bit dormant grass and uh a little bit unpredictability for me who didn't grow up on Bermuda all the time.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

Yep, absolutely. Uh a couple couple moments ago you mentioned motivation. Um, what motivates Charlie DeLong?

SPEAKER_02 30:33

I'd say what helped me a lot um as far as going from high school and college, what kind of my drive was almost just hating losing. Um it's funny, me and Coach Bissell always talked about that. I it's almost not the uh desire to win, it was like the hatred of not winning. Um it's kind of the the competitiveness in me. Um being competitive, I feel like is the biggest m motivator. Like you just want to win and um yeah, I I just like competition's so fun and um that feeling when you don't prevail on competition is uh motivates you enough to keep going.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Sure, absolutely. And then as you kind of continue to evolve, like now you're testing your game against different levels of competition. Yeah. Continually getting motivated that way.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Yeah, it's uh that's just always been uh what makes me go.

SPEAKER_04 31:34

Before we ask you some fun golf questions, like what's it what's in the bag and things like that. Any good stories for us from Texas Tech? I mean, one of the best players or young talents on the PGA tour was, you know, you were fortunate enough, I know from our conversations to uh be around and just like how good of a ball striker, what you know, what was it to witness that and just yeah, just dance around that we're talking about Ludwig here.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

Uh pretty good golfer, as everyone knows. Um it's wildly impressive what he's done in his first two years as a pro. I mean, being on the Ryder Cup team without ever even playing in a major championship is pretty wild and kind of speaks to what you were just saying, how impressive is the ball striking. Like guys on the team were just basically saw how good he hit it and couldn't refuse putting him on the team. Um, but equally good guy. I mean, like you said, I've gotten to play a few rounds with him and didn't play on the team with him, so we didn't get that close relationship, but just getting to see a top 5-10 player in the world up close and personal is uh that also motivates you to see how there's levels to this thing because I can feel pretty good out there there sometimes, but when you see that level, it almost makes you feel like I have a lot to work on.

SPEAKER_03 32:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

It's a good perspective.

SPEAKER_04 32:56

Right. Is it that good, the ball striking? It's pretty good. Pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 33:03

The combination of speed and height, it just for some reason it looks tour. There's no other way to describe it.

SPEAKER_04 33:09

Right. No, I get it. Um, Garrett, I'll ask the first, you know, just golf question. Uh, what is in your bag right now, Charlie? What what equipment are you playing? Are you uh testing anything?

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Um always testing. Okay. I might have to go look in my bag to see what's in it. Kind of like you, McGee. You've always got a different set when I see you.

SPEAKER_03 33:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

Um, but all tailor-made right now. I messed around with some titleess wedges once in a while just because they've got tons of different options, but kind of found settled on some tailor-made stuff I like. I got the the new driver, the 4D. Um loving it so far. I've kind of struggled with I don't it's not the models, but just struggled driving in general the last couple years. And since I got this, it took five minutes, and you can kind of just tell when something works a little better. Um driver, and then also got a mini driver at the same time uh I got that one. I've always really struggled at that gapping with what the one club below driver gapping. I've played three woods, high lofted three woods, strong five woods, just kind of trying to find that right combination of um good off the ground, good off the T, can hit it high enough. Um height's something always I've always struggled to get just naturally. If I swing, I'm not a real high ball hitter. So in that three-wood range, a normal one, it's kind of like a heater stinger just on a normal shot. But then the the four wood, I guess I would call it, it launches higher, but then doesn't go as far as I would like. So it's a hard gap to find. And this mini driver is kind of in a perfect combination because it's got that big head, so the CG is deep, so I can launch it high, but then it's lower lofted, so it comes off with a little less spin and goes that number I'm trying to hit it. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Um, so that's R7 mini driver.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

Yeah, I guess start talking about gear. This is this is the real podcast.

SPEAKER_04 35:14

Yeah. But what so irons, what are you playing?

SPEAKER_02 35:18

Well, oh, we you skipped over the most important club in Sevenwood. Oh got the QI10 Sevenwood a couple years ago, and that hasn't even thought about leaving the bag. I'll test a lot of other stuff, but that one's not going until it breaks. Love that.

SPEAKER_01 35:36

That thing's a gem.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

Yeah, it's just any shot you want. You can hit it from 190 to 250 with predictability, which is the key, because hybrids and three irons are have never been my favorite thing. So once I find that, it's not coming out.

SPEAKER_04 35:51

Yeah. For most of our listeners, myself included, probably all of our listeners and myself included, we are not hitting a 7 with 250. Some of these things are relatable. The 190 is more relatable to us.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Well, Mickey, you don't have that in the bag?

SPEAKER_04 36:11

Not that in the bag.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

If you hit it twice, I hit it twice. G Money's got that in the bag. He's got 260 in the back. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

And now with a seven wood, man.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

G Money played. What about you? No, what is what does Garrett have the new woods in?

SPEAKER_01 36:29

I I do have the new driver. Um, this this new driver's a cheat code, man. I I can't believe this thing. Obviously, you and I talked at length the last couple of years with QI10 and QI35, and and now to have this QI40, man, this thing is something special. Yeah. Um, so I do I do game the driver that was in the bag straight away. And then I still also play the QI10 Fairway Woods. I've not transitioned into the new fairways yet. Yeah. But like you said, man, when you get a club like that in your bag that you trust, and and for me it's a five with seven combo, that thing is just, yeah, it's hard to get those out of the bag.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

Kind of what you see on tour two, fairway woods are kind of the most stubborn clubs to get out of people's bag. It's just when they work, you don't want to change it.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 37:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:13

Okay, irons. Um, work in progress. I've used the Tailormade, well, they were MCs and now what CB, right? Um, for the last couple years since those came out. And I mean, great club. Um, you see, popular on tour, popular if you go to any amateur tournament, that's C B is such a good iron. Um, but I in my birthday in January, I texted one of my Tailormade reps kind of joking around. Uh, I've been all looking at the set of TWs for about four years now, and uh some send me a little birthday present. So I I have had those in the bag. Um honestly because I thought they looked cool to start. Um tested them out. I mean, it's it's that kind of that thing when you look down in the club and you just want it to be good and it looks so good to you, I feel like you hit it better. So I've I've kept them in. So we'll see how long that experiment lasts. But I've got the the blades in.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

Um are you are you playing it full set? 4-3 pitch?

SPEAKER_02 38:17

No, I got I have a beefy four iron too. Like kind of the same thing with seven wooden mini driver. I'm always looking for height. So yeah, um a blade four iron, even the uh CB4 iron kind of comes out low for me, so I put in the 770 for that extra height and spin. Um and then once I get into five, I can get that one up in there. So blade five through pit or five through nine, and then I've got the MG5s.

SPEAKER_04 38:42

What irons did you have in the bag at your qualifier?

SPEAKER_02 38:47

TW.

SPEAKER_04 38:48

You had the blades in.

SPEAKER_02 38:50

It was good. Ball striking was good. I just like I said, uh, short game stuff kind of let me down there. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Well just going back to what you said at the beginning though, before you moved on from the irons, man. Um when you mentioned KV, he's he swears by those darn things, dude. Do you still have the roars in? I I I don't have them in my bag, but I do still I do still have the roars iron sitting in a bag right next to me. Yeah. Which those are what's also good. I just put the wrong shaft in there. Um that was that was like you kind of a tinker project and took a flyer on something that I didn't already have in a set.

SPEAKER_02 39:25

So I know you gotta at least own a set of blades, even if they don't make it to the bay. Yeah. Yeah just to tease yourself.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 39:34

Garrett's like the biggest tinker I know. Once winter hits and the snow flies, him and Jake up there at Club Champion, he'll be in there all winter. Let's like add, what'd you like add weight to the glue and let's do this and let's do that.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

You're not wrong, man. Um, Jake and I had a time this offseason. Charlie, you you probably laugh too. I actually ended up building four different sets of irons outside of my gamers, um, just purely to tinker, just to try, just to find just that little extra advantage in some respect. Um, only to start the season off. I've I've played five rounds of golf so far, which has been quite nice for end of March already. Um, but I've had a different set in the bag for all five rounds. So we'll we'll find home once we get through this warm-up.

SPEAKER_02 40:24

Well, yeah, I I'm always trying stuff, but I feel like the it's almost to prove that what I have is correct. Because most of the time I'll try something and be like, oh, what am I doing? Just put what I know and what's worked at back end. So um it almost can give you it almost gives me more confidence in the clubs I'm playing. Yeah, hit other stuff and realize that my stuff's good. So uh even when I'm playing well and um everything's going decent, I'll I'll still try different stuff and I mean hopefully it's better, but most of the time it's not.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

I I literally just said that to the guys I played with today, because today I played with the set of clubs, the set of irons that I've had in the bag for the last two and a half years, and I just I said that same thing. I said sometimes you gotta kind of take this little like roundabout way of finding your way back home, and then when you get there, you're like, okay, what I had in the bag is good, and it is what I trust, and it is what's gonna continue to kind of propel my game.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

I did that like a month ago. I put a a driver that I had used a little bit this summer back in the bag, and I shot 87. I hit I think eight T-shots in the water, all snapbooks left. I was like, okay, I'm I was really mad about the fourth hole that I decided to tinker that day because it cost me a little money. Sure. But then you find your way back home and life's good again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:47

4D got in the bag and equipment is important because our motto for 2026 is if you hit 18 greens, you don't have to chip. Chipping's scary.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

McGee, are the 14 clubs in your bag for 2026? None of them are gonna be wedges, are they?

SPEAKER_04 42:10

No.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

You're not gonna even carry a wedge.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

That's smart. You can yip it if you don't even have it a wedge.

SPEAKER_04 42:17

People ask, like, why'd you throw that wedge in the water or the fluid? And it's like, because if I have it in my bag, I'll use it again. And if it's not in my bag, I won't use it.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

Nice. We'll we'll fix it. This is the year of chipping.

SPEAKER_04 42:32

You know.

SPEAKER_02 42:33

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Yeah, 18 greens, you don't have to chip. What uh what flastic you got in the bag, Charlie? What are you playing right now? So um I think my clubs are in the car.

SPEAKER_02 42:41

Uh I've got uh just a spider, kinda similar to the one Rory has, the just single-line spider axe, but mine's all black, which James Holly, the Taylor made putter rep, kind of hooked me up with a little custom one. So it's uh kind of the same thing I was just saying about the irons. I just love the look of it so much by the ball, it's it's hard not to use it. Sure.

SPEAKER_04 43:04

And you've been to the kingdom, correct?

SPEAKER_02 43:07

Yeah, a couple times. It's luckily the like I said at tech, the those reps kind of came to tournaments and helped us out. And then um the D1 national title being in Carlsbad now, uh San Diego area, uh, where all those club manufacturers have their headquarters kind of works out cool because I mean, a couple of my tide teammates that are titless guys got to go over to the performance institute there and test out stuff and just um get taken care of a little bit. Then I got to go over to the kingdom and um RJ and Todd and the guys over there kind of fit me for some stuff. Um it's just cool to be there. Um, kind of get to see the behind the scenes of club building and um what goes into building clubs for the best players in the world, and then on the other side of the road, getting fit with all the tech and being able to try absolutely anything you want. So for a tinkerer, especially. Pretty cool.

SPEAKER_04 44:01

Absolutely. Garrett promised he was going to take me to the kingdom, but that was like four years ago. Have not been yet.

SPEAKER_01 44:08

No, McGee, we'll get you there, man. Seriously, it's a special place. Both both the one in Carlsbad and Reynolds Plantation. Both are great spots. Yeah. Um on that tinkering note, Charlie, have you had the opportunity or taken the opportunity to tinker with the new ball? New TP5 and 5X?

SPEAKER_02 44:24

A little bit, yeah. Um I I think feel-wise, it's pretty identical for me. The old 510. I use I like a spinny ball, so I've never been a TP5X or Pro V1 guy. I've always been a Pro V1X or uh TP5. Just the spinnier model of each ball like helps me get that height that I'm always looking for. Um, so they've I mean, I don't know how, but they had to have added ball speed to this new TP5 to the last one because I actually kind of switched out of that old TP5 because I just didn't like sacrificing a couple miles an hour ball speed with drivers, because I mean statistically that can add up over a period of time. But now that the Tailor made ball can compete with the well, anything, it's probably equally fast to anything on the market. It's um it's been in the bag, so the new five is what I'm using.

SPEAKER_01 45:21

Nice. These uh obviously I've had the opportunity to kind of test a little bit with the prototypes. I remember flipping you some of the prototypes last year. Um so had a little bit of time to tinker, but this golf ball is something else, man. Some reps in with it and get comfortable with it.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

It's it's it's the most important piece of equipment to get comfortable with because if you don't trust your ball, it's it's hard to put it in. And that's why it was hard for me to put the last one in. Because I there's always that like doubt in the back of my mind, even if it really wasn't much of a difference. Like you just don't want to be sacrificing performance. And I mean, it was pretty instant with this new one, realizing I had the right one.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Yep, that trust factor is key.

SPEAKER_04 46:00

I I I want to know. Uh our Taylor made rep has not thrown up some uh new new balls yet to test out.

SPEAKER_02 46:09

They're available for purchase for purchase, money.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

We just ran a great buy three get one free promo. Ended today though, sorry.

SPEAKER_04 46:21

About tinkering with irons, we love it because anytime we get done playing with them at Quail, we'd like just you know, act like we're talking to him, like, hey Garrett, what have you been up to? But we just follow him to his car and went with on, just kind of take a glance. What you got back there, Garrett?

SPEAKER_02 46:38

What's in the back of the Jeep? Yeah, Garrett and Jake have people all over the city and state playing their clubs.

SPEAKER_01 46:46

I have a significant I've had a few guys tell me I need to take better inventory. The number of loaners that are floating around west and northern Michigan is absurd. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 46:56

Garrett gave me a couple wedges two years ago, and uh every every six months he'll reach out and be like, hey, did I loan you this wedge? And I'll be like, Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 47:08

No, no, I'm talking about strategic marketing at this point. There's a where marketing seating program.

SPEAKER_04 47:16

Oh all right, we have about five minutes left. Uh at the the end of the interview. Um, you know, we just want to make this a little fun for our listeners uh and to get to know you a little bit more, Charlie, as a person, not just a golfer. Uh we call this the clubhouse because when you're done with your round, you go in and just relax. So uh we'll just ask you some random questions, Charlie. Uh what type of movie guy are you? Are you like uh action?

SPEAKER_02 47:46

Or are you like uh I would say I'm on if there's a spectrum, I'm on the not a movie person. I mean, I'll watch movies, but I'm I definitely don't know actors and um don't go crazy to theaters, but kind of like you said, definitely action movies. I mean, I can get sucked into a Marvel or movie or something like that pretty easily. Um or if there's a something that looks interesting on Netflix or Prime, one of their new action movies they're releasing all the time, I'll watch those.

SPEAKER_04 48:15

But um Are you more Netflix or more Prime?

SPEAKER_02 48:20

Depends. Prime usually I kind of like their stuff that they have coming out.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

Yeah. Okay. New Rory McElroy documentary launched today.

SPEAKER_04 48:30

Did there?

SPEAKER_01 48:31

Yep. Pretty excited to watch that on Prime.

SPEAKER_04 48:34

I've seen some teasers about it, so yeah, I'll definitely watch that.

unknown 48:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

Oh, I I guess I did see it because it's the I got Masters one, right?

SPEAKER_01 48:42

Yep. Yeah, it's gonna be cool. Getting that queued up here after we wrap up tonight, probably.

SPEAKER_04 48:47

So when this uh episode airs next Tuesday, uh it will be Masters Week, so I'll ask Garrett and Charlie to your uh pick for the green jacket this year, and then give me your winner, give me uh give me two people who you feel like will contend for the green jacket, and then give me a dark horse. One dark horse. I might make these bets on your picks.

SPEAKER_02 49:18

I think Patrick Reed's gonna be a harder bet against, to be completely honest. He's kind of been ripping it apart overseas, and every tournament he's playing and he's in contention.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

He's pretty well on the DP. Gosh.

SPEAKER_02 49:35

Okay. We can't forget him. I feel like people are already forgetting about Scheffler after he took a month off from winning. Uh his odds probably slipped a little bit, but he's he's gonna be right there.

SPEAKER_01 49:46

Is he is he your dark horse?

SPEAKER_02 49:49

No. I don't think I can get away with that.

SPEAKER_04 49:52

Are those your two? Are you taking Reed and Scheffler?

SPEAKER_01 49:54

Yeah, we'll do those.

SPEAKER_04 49:56

Okay. How about you, G Money?

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Oh man. So my two, I'm gonna go. I've been I've been singing the praise of Jason Day for quite some time. Um, I think that he his game is trending in a very nice direction heading to Augusta. It has been for for a bit now, and he seems to play well and contend there often. And then I still think Xander Shoffley, man, he's he's one of those other perennial contenders at Augusta. And so I think he'll he'll be on that leaderboard in some capacity coming someday.

SPEAKER_04 50:29

Who's your dark horse?

SPEAKER_01 50:32

Dark horse.

SPEAKER_04 50:34

Oh man. Jason Day could be considered dark horse.

SPEAKER_01 50:38

He could he could be, but uh he's he's a top 10 player in the world. Yeah, his game's in great shape. I can't I can't put him in a dark horse.

SPEAKER_02 50:48

I'm looking at the leaderboard from this week because I I gotta make an educated decision.

SPEAKER_01 50:53

Yeah, I echo that.

SPEAKER_04 50:54

Um I'm going, I'm putting Rory. I think Rory's you know, winning it last year.

SPEAKER_02 51:01

I do not think we can count Rory McElroy as a dark horse. He's also ranked number two in the world.

SPEAKER_04 51:06

Yeah. One of my picks. Defen Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

Yeah, okay, good good pick.

SPEAKER_04 51:13

Neither one of you said him, but I just think, you know, he goes to Augusta, a little more carefree, enjoys the experience.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

Um, who's been playing good? I'm gonna go Thorby Ornson.

SPEAKER_01 51:29

Is he in the field is he's in is he in the field? Oh gosh, I hope so. I thought he was number, I think he's just outside. Is he? I th unfortunately I think he is because I want I would love to see that as well, but if I'm not mistaken, he's just a Well sorry, Michael, but he's just outside the top 50 in the world, so I don't think he's in it.

SPEAKER_02 51:50

Gosh, how is he outside? He's I feel like he's in been in contention a ton recently.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

Same. Yeah, because I I might have been scoping the fan duel like master's odds like a week ago, and he was not on that list. I was a little disappointed.

SPEAKER_04 52:03

We'll we'll do some research on that. The research department will uh get in.

SPEAKER_02 52:06

Does Woodland get in after this week? Because he's been playing great golf too.

SPEAKER_01 52:10

I imagine with the win, I imagine that does punch a ticket for him.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Okay, that'll be my official pick for Dark Horse winner.

SPEAKER_04 52:18

What a great uh, not to go off topic, but what a great story with him winning and just the emotion behind that. That was cool to see. That was really cool to see.

SPEAKER_01 52:28

I'm gonna throw a wild dark horse at you McGee and Charlie and Max Homa. That'll be my dark horse. I I feel like he too might not be trending at the clip that Jason Day is, but I feel like, like you said, he's figuring it out. And I also feel like he he could get hot for no reason. Um just taking golf so hard though.

SPEAKER_02 52:53

As players, we know how you can just lose it or not feel feel great and not play your best.

SPEAKER_01 53:00

So the real question, curiosity before McGee is unless you want to you want to pitch your dark horse?

SPEAKER_04 53:05

My dark horse?

SPEAKER_01 53:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 53:08

Man, I go ahead with what you're gonna say. Let me think a sec.

SPEAKER_01 53:16

You think a sec. My curiosity is how do we think Anthony Kim is gonna play at Augusta National? Because he is in the field.

SPEAKER_02 53:25

He is in the I'm kind of a weird age where obviously seeing the story of Anthony Kim is sweet, but I don't remember him in his prime. So yeah, AK was a little before your time. Kind of. I just think I might not have been into golf as as much as yeah, no, he's I did not know he was in the field.

SPEAKER_01 53:46

I'm I'm excited to see him compete at Augusta. Yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_04 53:56

He has a lot of Michigan ties. You know, when he was in uh I don't want people don't hold me to this because I'm just you know, I don't know the exact specifics, but when he was in high school, I believe, in the summers uh college, possibly, I think he lived up in Traverse City for a couple summers because he was working with Schreiber.

SPEAKER_01 54:20

Yeah. He actually, if I'm not mistaken, he held the course record at Arcadia Bluffs for at least a hot minute.

SPEAKER_04 54:28

You know, he Anthony Kim has some good Michigan ties from staying up here and um, you know, working. I I believe he lived here for a few summers. I could be wrong, so I don't want people like being like, oh, he's but he was here quite a bit working with Schrockner. Well we'll uh we'll have the fact checkers fact check that. Research department back. All right. Anything for him, Garrett? Anything fun before we wrap it up?

SPEAKER_01 54:58

Oh, Charlie, it you you then bouncing around, obviously, where are you gonna bounce to next?

SPEAKER_02 55:05

Oh god, I mean I'm loving it here, but if we leave, it's probably back home to Michigan. I mean is it? Um Michigan feels like home, and you guys are there and family's there, so uh it'd be pretty easy to convince me to come back there at some point, but also loving loving West Palm in Florida. Um escaping the winter has been pretty nice.

SPEAKER_04 55:27

You know, every year I say the winters aren't too bad, you know. This past winter put me over the edge. I was like, okay, I'm like, you know, just two weeks ago, the entire town of Ludington was shut down for two days because of uh you know, March storm. Yeah. And I'm like, all right, I'm done.

SPEAKER_02 55:49

Like maybe I'll just be a snowbird going forward because get the best of both worlds.

SPEAKER_01 55:54

I was I'm gonna go through the this state, McGee, like because obviously you know down in Grand Rapids here, like last week I played golf on Sunday and then on Tuesday I drove to Traverse City and there was two feet of snow on the ground.

SPEAKER_03 56:10

Right.

SPEAKER_01 56:10

Just make it's a two-hour drive, man, it makes no sense.

SPEAKER_04 56:14

So people talk about the uniqueness of Utah or Colorado when you get it just right. You could be up in the mountains skiing in the mornings and then play golf. Sure. Come down out of the mountains in the afternoon. Um you can do that in Michigan. You really could go to Crystal and snowboard for like an hour, jump in your car, drive to Grand Rapids, you know, get south, uh to like the West Michigan area and play golf because it'll be 48, 50 degrees.

SPEAKER_02 56:51

I gotta change the Pierre Michigan ad to that. Exactly. See, marketing. Well, it's a volatile environment. Come play golf in 41 degree and windy.

SPEAKER_04 57:00

Alright, last question, Charlie. What's your favorite piece of Great Lakes gear apparel? Uh the wave polo. Well, you like that, so we should do that summer.

SPEAKER_02 57:13

Oh no, is that not coming back? Do I change my answer?

SPEAKER_04 57:16

No, that's great. That was that's a good one.

SPEAKER_02 57:19

That specifically, but then hoodies too. The golf hoodie I'm in on, so it's nice that those are made for us.

SPEAKER_04 57:27

The uh heavyweight hoodie or the more lightweight soft hoodie?

SPEAKER_02 57:32

Uh I like the heavier one actually. Um I kind of feel like if I'm wearing like an outer layer, I want it to be warm. Like yeah. I thought if it's thin and if it's warm enough to wear the thin one, I'd just rather wear a polo, so I prefer the the thicker one.

SPEAKER_04 57:49

Nice. Anything parting form, Garrett?

SPEAKER_01 57:53

No, man. Charlie, it's just good to see you, dude. Good to see you catch up for a bit. Well, I'll be home in a month, so we're gonna have to tee it up. We'll we'll get a game. We'll pull KB in and we'll course. Naturally.

SPEAKER_04 58:07

All right, that's just where we recruit Corral War, which is where we recruit.

SPEAKER_02 58:12

So appreciate it, Charlie. Thanks for coming on. Yes, sir. Good to talk to you guys.

SPEAKER_01 58:16

All right, good thing. Good to see you guys. McGee, we'll catch up next week.