We talk to Tour Directors from across the country after the 2023 Golfweek Amateur Tour, Annual Tour Directors Meeting.
Podcast Homepage
Golfweek Amateur Tour
Senior Amateur Tour
Facebook
YouTube
#GWPodcastshirtChallenge
J Butler Golf
Meridian Putters
John Robinson (JR) Contact Information
Cell - (843) 422-3767
E-Mail - hiltonheadjr@aol.com
We talk to Tour Directors from across the country after the 2023 Golfweek Amateur Tour, Annual Tour Directors Meeting.
Podcast Homepage
Golfweek Amateur Tour
Senior Amateur Tour
Facebook
YouTube
#GWPodcastshirtChallenge
J Butler Golf
Meridian Putters
John Robinson (JR) Contact Information
Cell - (843) 422-3767
E-Mail - hiltonheadjr@aol.com
All right, Chris, welcome to Hilton Headbud.
Speaker 2:Hey, it's great to be back. Travel was a little difficult yesterday, but I'm glad to be on the ground and ready for this week. It's always an exciting week for the tour.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and for me, one of the best things is where we're at tonight. So you ready to go ahead and get this started?
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's go Great.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Golf Week Amateur Tour, the podcast. We are your hosts, Tim Newman and Chris Rocha. As the oldest and largest amateur golf tour in the country, we put on individual stroke play golf tournaments that are handicapped by flights in 48 markets across the country the Golf Week Amateur Tour, where amateurs play like pros. Thank you All right, so welcome to Hilton Head and National Championship. We just finished up the tour director's dinner and awards, so let's talk about what's going to happen this week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean the directors are. As you can hear them. They're having a good time mingling Probably people that haven't seen each other for a while, but being able to throw some ideas to make the tours better for next year all around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's always good to see all the tour directors together and hear what some of the accomplishments that they've done. A lot of times we get nervous with the bubbles and we don't necessarily talk amongst tour directors very often.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. It's always a good time to be able to come together. Obviously, we have our awards that we try to accomplish as tour directors to showcase our local tours, but it's good to just see familiar faces and I know you and me have made a big impact with the podcast that being able to talk to those people as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but there's some people that don't get mentioned very much and the tour doesn't actually run without them, right? They're critical pieces to the organization Most of the time, as players, you never even hear about them, you never see them. Sometimes as tour directors, you don't even really talk to them very much. But the National Office has a fairly small staff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do, and it's just a handful of people that are behind the scenes for the most part. I mean, obviously we have the McCormick's, who are the face of the tour. Without Dennis and Jennifer, you know, it wouldn't be, we wouldn't even be here. They're 30-plus years of experience and running the tour, so without them we wouldn't have been.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what a lot of people don't know about Jennifer in particular. She has an incredible marketing background. She's the one that really kind of monitors our brand, takes care of all of our brand stuff, makes sure that us as tour directors don't do things that we're not supposed to do. I mean, I know I would never do things I've never, done anything I'm not supposed to do, but she's also the one that had the idea of the fulfillment, you know, in terms of the Goody bags, and that's been a huge success.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's always good to get something when you go playing in the tournament, especially something as big as this being able to walk away with something to show you know, even your local tour friends hey, I was there, you weren't so hot type of thing.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And then another, Susan Geller. I don't think anybody knows who Susan is.
Speaker 2:No, unless you're in this room, you don't know who Susan is.
Speaker 1:Well, susan is the one who takes care of all of the payments, you know, for the national office. So anytime that you all, as players, registered to becoming a member, susan processes that pay everybody that registered and paid for it. National championship Susan is one of the processes that those payments. You know that I mean. Without her, you know, I don't know, I don't know where we would actually be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean coming from the director side. When you see an email come from her, you know that you got yourself a new member and it's always great to see. But she's she just sits back there in the background and processes all these payments and then you know we get on with our way. So she's a huge partner to our success.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And then you know, at this award center this is the only time we see this other guy, mike Richardson, who is our IT tech guy. God bless him. He has a. I think he has probably the most difficult job on the tour.
Speaker 2:Yes, especially this year, with us transitioning to a new life-sporting system, basically a whole new system that none of us were used to, and having to deal with the bugs and what everybody wants and starting from scratch to where it is now is just incredible.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And you know, with that new system, from day one, when nobody knew how it was going to work or anything like that, he was up making sure things worked from the Thursday before all the way through the weekend. Won't help this cause.
Speaker 2:I know I started my season in January, so I know it was one of those. You know this isn't working, or this is showing this, or you know we're getting an error on this page, and just having to figure it out throughout the day is just incredible what he's able to do.
Speaker 1:It really is and again, god bless, that's not my area. I turn the computer on and hope it works, and that's it. I know how to check my email, but you start looking at code and other types of things. That's all for you.
Speaker 2:No, I'll pass.
Speaker 1:Mike Richardson. Thanks so much for all you do. Let's go back to one thing I also want to mention about Jennifer McCormick. Most people don't know. So we had over 9000, we're almost 9000 paid members this year between golf week and senior. That doesn't even count the number of members, the non-paid members, right? Jennifer looks at every single registration, every single one, and so she knows everybody. You don't become a member without crossing her desk and making sure you know when you fill out the registration form. You know she makes sure that if you've been a member before, that no information has changed or that you type things in wrong, right, you know? Thank God for that. You know. Just think about that job in themselves and how big that is.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it's huge. I mean, if anybody has ever had a guest or taken a guest to an event, they have to fill out a player profile, and those are the ones that she still has to go through. Create a whole new profile for them, you know, and in hopes of them becoming members. And if they do, I'm pretty sure they fill out another one and she sees it again. Okay, we need to weed this out. So she does a lot of work as well.
Speaker 1:Yes. So, and just think about. You know the times that you've brought a guest and they sign up on Saturday morning and you've got a 10 o'clock tea time. Oh man, and yes. So, yes, you know she does that and that's why we say a lot of times don't worry about it if you're named on show, don't worry about it right away, we'll get you taken care of. That's why Jennifer has such a hands on with this and does such a great job with, you know, making sure that our members are taken care of it. That's a huge.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely, it is a big help.
Speaker 1:No, I'm going to, you know, brag a little bit. You know, next person on the list is Jen, my wife. You know I joke all the time that you know she's the one that does all the work you know for, just for Atlanta. But she's also the one that answers all the support questions that players turn in, send in. She's the one that does all the training for all the tour directors. You know she is what Dennis and Jennifer called the flex seal. She plugs all the holes and fixes everything. And you know, I tell her, I tell her all the time I said it's good thing that you're doing it, because it would be a much different result if I had to answer all these emails and how much you are to these people sometimes at Wicott Blaster. I mean, she does a phenomenal job.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I can imagine. I know I bugged her a lot beginning of this year trying to get the system going and being a little guinea pig for the new life scoring system and everything like that. So if I felt like I bugged her and there's 40 other people in this room I can just imagine it was going through her phone.
Speaker 1:It's insane. You know because you know again. You know we live in the RV so you know if I'm home I hear all the conversations. You know I try and block it out because I just can't. I got my own stuff I got to worry about. But you know she's on the phone with players and directors day and night. You know 9, 30, 10 o'clock at night. You know it gets text messages at six in the morning. You know I've got eight o'clock shotgun start and this is work, or that's it.
Speaker 2:Or even with our podcast guests. When we have the technical difficulties, she's on the phone trying to get them through a world. We're here waiting for the interview. So, exactly, nonstop for her, exactly.
Speaker 1:You know. So when that happened, basically what I do is, you know, I take my headphones off and I call her and say Jen, you know we're doing the, doing a recording, so you need to call so, and so here's a number. You know, get them hooked up and make it fast, because we got.
Speaker 2:We're doing this. We have another interview in 10 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know she does it with a smile.
Speaker 2:Right, the staff here is is incredible. You know they don't. They don't look for the credit, they don't look for the thank yous, but it is well deserved and well needed.
Speaker 1:It really is. And so another person that works with national office is Dan Reese. You'll see him, you know, in and out over the course of the weekend. He does a number of different things. National office, you know, is not one specific thing, but there's a number of different things for the tour.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know he's. He's fairly new on staff but you can just tell with even the media covers that we've had that it's been a whole lot better.
Speaker 1:It really has. And then we have a Nicole King who's taken care of all of our social media posts and engagements for this weekend and if anybody's seen anything she's done so far oh, it's incredible.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, seeing it come, come across my Facebook and Instagram pages. You know, for me it was, it was impressive to see and now, now I know who's doing it. I didn't know, I didn't know which of the staff had time to be able to post all this stuff, but it's incredible, you know. I hope she has a great time this weekend. I know, even at the director's dinner that we had, that she was taking a lot of pictures. It would be nice to see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't wait to see them and and see what she comes up with you know for, you know for the, for the weekend. So yeah, so yeah, I did, did not want to go this week without you know, mentioning that those because, again, you know we can't do what we do as tour directors and tour doesn't function without those people that I say they're behind the scenes but they're really the driving force of the success of our tour.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they are and it's incredible to see, see everybody you know I know we've had a lot of directors as guests on our show but be able to just hang out with them, you know, talk about how the season went and then kind of pick your pick everybody's brain to get ideas for next year. I know David King's here, we've had him on the show and, like Jennifer said, he's the king of side games and all the all the tours and I've already borrowed one of his side games and it's just great to see what progress we can have for next year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm looking forward to that and just you know kind of see where we go and you know before we even get to next year, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens, you know, tomorrow in the skins game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's going to be interesting. If anyone's looked at the weather, good luck, but it's going to be very interesting to see what happens.
Speaker 1:Well, if you know anything about me, if there's any weather, you know where I'll be Inside.
Speaker 2:Well, the good thing is I'm not playing the skin game either, so I'll be inside as well.
Speaker 1:Yes, so tomorrow is actually. It's also a registration for where we're checking. You get your go to bag. That's over at the Hillsports, at Palmetto dooms, and I think that goes from four to eight, and we're going to be live tomorrow right there at check in but inside, yes, from five to six. So please, you know, if you're, if you got there listening right now, please stop in, say hi and come and talk to us for a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, anybody's welcome. Come chat with us. You can see how it feels to be on our podcast. I know we had some great guests, but just come say hi, come hang out. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know it's kind of funny, I say you know, I've got the face for silent, I mean the face of radio for silent movies. And now we're here, and here we are alive. And you know we've come a long way in a year and I'm looking forward to seeing how we grow, you know next year as well, right, I mean. And again, you know, just kind of a side note for those that are watching and listening, you know it was kind of comical. You know I was trying to get this, oh my God.
Speaker 2:It was get this set up. It was a journey, to say the least, and brought me back to our time, our first episode. We're trying to figure out just how to use that system and then now trying to do it live. We're only going to get better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're going to get absolutely so. We got, we got the skins game tomorrow, and then registration and check in, and then Friday it's an 830 shotgun start and Saturday, 30 shotgun start, and then Sunday, you know, final round and we'll be crowned the five national champions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. Please, though, if you are playing and you're watching us today or tomorrow, make sure you're going to the right course. Oh, my goodness, count the time that we hear that you're at the wrong course. And, granted, the island isn't as huge as you would think, it still takes a little while to get from one spot to the other.
Speaker 1:It does and especially you know the courses that generally get mixed up a lot are Paul Meadow Hall, arthur Hills, and Paul Meadow Dunes, arthur Hills. Double check, yeah, make sure you know where you're going, and especially when it's all the time.
Speaker 2:Then B-Flighters, if you think you're at Hampton Hall and you're not.
Speaker 1:Oh man, hampton Hall is a hall, but I'll tell you what. That's one of my favorite courses, but that's what. That's one of my favorite courses and if you think back to last year, that's where Chan played and he saw all those really low scores. So I don't care what flight you're in, B-Flighters out there this year.
Speaker 2:Yep, I got to make the hall out there.
Speaker 1:So swing away and you know there's going to be some really good scores out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited for it. You know, I get the privilege of being able to talk to HB Kim about the course and kind of get in his knowledge of it, so I hope I can get a pretty low score out there.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that you will. I hope so. I'm not even bringing up the old back situation. You don't think you can move around pretty good?
Speaker 2:It's been testy. It's been testy, but I think we'll be all right. I feel good about it.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that you will. So let's talk a little bit about some tour directors and some of the good things that we've seen this year. We had 12 tours that joined the 100 main club this year.
Speaker 2:Yep. Well, there's one in particular that I'm a little biased to, which I'm excited for keeping that streak alive, but I can definitely run down the name. We got the Indianapolis tour, michigan, west California tour, which is a big state, so good for them. Kansas, mississippi, upstate, washington DC, metro. We've got Charleston, south Carolina, denver, north Central Florida, cleveland, akron, ohio, and then of course, the El Paso, los Cruces, fort.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you weren't in that 100 main club, you and I would have a different conversation.
Speaker 2:If we weren't in the 100 main club, I probably wouldn't have come, you know you make me laugh, excuse me, if you look at that list.
Speaker 1:New Tour Director, washington DC good for them. New Tour Director Denver, north Central Florida. New Tour Director. So even New Tour Directors have done a really good job, especially reaching that 100 man level in their first year.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I mean, I remember when I was a New Tour Director. You know you tend to look at the shoes members, because they're so comfortable with the old person. They know the old director, whatever it may be. So being able to still maintain that is a huge accomplishment. And you know it's not anything to sneeze over 100 members.
Speaker 1:No, it's not, it really isn't.
Speaker 2:It takes a lot of commitment, takes a lot of marketing, it takes a lot of comfort from your regulars to bring and invite people to come play on tour.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm glad you said that because you know it's really testament to the members that bring their friends and their guests out. You know just say hey, you know you're going to spend your hard-earned money on something that's good and that's positive, that's running at a high level. You know we can talk about marketing and social media and this, that and the other thing, all you want but if we're not, you know, providing a good service and guys don't guys and women don't like what we're doing they're not going to come back. So you know it's really testament to our members to say you know this is something that we value, this is really good and we're going to bring our friends and family out and continue to do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I mean the directors get recognized here, but it's really the members that deserve all the credit, exactly.
Speaker 1:And I think this is probably the one time a year that directors do get recognized, and it's good. We need to make sure that we do that. We also have to remember, you know, what that drive force really truly is Right.
Speaker 2:And most of this is most of sorry. Last year I thought most of this is where the mouth to Absolutely, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So now we have the 150 man clubs. So these are tours. Let's see the 100 man club for seniors too. We got them. Where's my list?
Speaker 2:All right, go ahead 100 man club for seniors. We got Southeast Virginia, Central Carolina, Chicago, Michigan, Orlando, Augusta and Columbus.
Speaker 1:And again, let's look at this right. So Chicago you know what. We'll come back and we'll talk about Chicago here in just a little bit. Michigan is in the second year, orlando first or second year, augusta first or second year tour director. So again we got relatively new tour directors. You know, again reaching that high level.
Speaker 2:Right, it's a challenge, trust me. I've had two years in seniors and it's been. It's tough to get a tour off the ground. So being able to get 100 plus members in your first couple of years, kudos to you. I need to get with you to figure out how to do that.
Speaker 1:Exactly exactly. So let's look at the 150 man club, for, you know, for golfing right. So we've got Louisiana, South Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, Chicago, Arizona, Tidewater, Louisiana, North, Tampa, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, Arkansas, Alabama, Jacksonville, Orlando and, yes, Atlanta. So we got the 150 man club again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, congratulations on that. I think I was there last year, barely missed it this year. But you know, great, great numbers on there. You got Arizona, who always has a good turnout. I know the Louisiana tours have been working their butts off to get those members out there, right. So just great to see some new faces on that list and then some familiar faces that are just constantly keeping that going.
Speaker 1:Exactly so you know. So I mentioned Chicago and you know David Bush is not with us this weekend. You know he and Emily just had their first baby a couple weeks ago and it's been a struggle for them and I'm so happy with that. It's finally working out for them.
Speaker 2:Right. Congratulations on that. New babies are not easy.
Speaker 1:No, they're not. No, they're not, you know. But on the downside, though, you know Gabe in Arizona is not here. So this is the downside. His father is dealing with the medical issue cancer and you know they, gabe in Arizona raised the most money for standard cancer again this year. So this really kind of shows Gabe's commitment to not only that but his family. He's taken his dad to get some treatment.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, trust me, I spoke to him before I came. He really wanted to be here, but you know you got to take care of some stuff sometimes, and once you're able to do that, then he'll be all right.
Speaker 1:You want to get on this? You want to pull up the microphone? Well, you're right in the shot there. Come on in. So you got to see the backside of my lovely wife.
Speaker 2:Jennifer, whenever, we're ready now, right here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's doing a little bit of running force again. God bless her.
Speaker 2:Hey, you know what? This is our first live. We're learning as we go.
Speaker 1:Exactly, Exactly. And then 150 man club for seniors. We had Louisiana and Eastern North Carolina, and actually it looks like we've got Marty coming in with us right now. But Eastern North Carolina did a heck of a job this year. Come on in.
Speaker 7:Hey guys, how's this work? Grab a headset.
Speaker 1:If it's too loud, let me know I'll turn it down. No, it's fine, you're fine. Yep, it's fine, all right. So we've got Marty Martinez, eastern North Carolina and Steve Kubik from Augusta. Welcome guys.
Speaker 8:Hey, appreciate you having us.
Speaker 1:So, marty, we were actually just talking about you and you had a really big year across the board. Your golf numbers were up, your senior numbers were up, and then you took on a really big challenge and I know exactly what you went through and God bless you. You did a phenomenal job.
Speaker 8:I appreciate it. Yeah, that was a lot of hard work on the back end of my schedule because I had to go with the other directors' schedule that he had set up. So throwing that on top of our Eastern schedule, that was pretty demanding, I understand. But you know what?
Speaker 1:you did it great and the guys kept turning out and you kept your numbers up and that's really all you got to do?
Speaker 8:Yeah, true, what I wanted to do is just showcase what some of these guys were missing in that other tour and yeah, they lost a little bit of numbers, but we started gaining them back up toward the back end, just because, of the things that I do for the players.
Speaker 1:Well, that's evident in your Eastern North Carolina tour. To begin with, you're always one of the top producers, and so that always shows.
Speaker 8:Oh, yeah, and you know it's the players. All I do is do me and Pateena, do what we do and the players just follow. And that's what I love about the Eastern tours, that's the guys. They travel no matter where we go. They're willing to travel to play the tournaments that we are attending, even if we're just there to help out, they're going to follow us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Steve, I kind of miss you this year. I never see you three or four times a year. I didn't see you at all this year. How you been Good, good.
Speaker 5:I suppose, doing great. We've got a number of members this year. I'm going to include it again. That's all due to the numbers. I added some incentive bonuses and some other money gains and it's really the members that drive the membership up.
Speaker 1:They get your buddies involved, and so I'm not mistaken, this was Augustus Bestie Reverand, Senior, right? Yes, I mean that's you know, and that's really saying a lot. This is your second year as a tour director, right? And you took over, for you know, one of my favorite people of all time and Phil Robinson, and so for you to take and endure them what he did, I mean I can't say it. I'll think good things about that.
Speaker 5:There was a great guy. I've been in his school for six, seven years. I wish he was with us today. He's a great guy.
Speaker 1:Always be remembered, absolutely. So what do you have planned for next year?
Speaker 5:We're going to run the same thing. We're going to put a couple more specials, some least specials out. The hole in one pot is still growing. It's done a bit. In the last year we got two hole in the nose. This year it started. It's a three hole in one pot, you know. So the members didn't get one.
Speaker 5:Right and yeah, two of them. That's going to hurt. So you know we got some new incentives. I thought of what we're doing. We got some cash games down here, separate from nationals. Okay, you win your flight, highest position in your flight. Out of just a dozen orders, $200 cash.
Speaker 6:Really, that's a great idea.
Speaker 2:Can.
Speaker 1:I get in that.
Speaker 5:See, that's a great idea bud. I'm trying to increase it, but that's what we can do now. Right, so that's a thousand dollars for five flights of 200. And then you know, I have five sponsors this year, I hope the Maxel sponsors next year and that helps so much Definitely, and are you playing in both golf week and senior?
Speaker 5:I plan to play this year the last time I do the regular golf week. My little brother's 49. He turns 50 next year. So that's it. Those guys are too long for me, but I'm going to give them the world.
Speaker 1:And, marty, you're not playing golf week this year.
Speaker 8:No, Patina is going to be playing this year. That's how we all play. So she does the golf week side of the house, and then I'll do the same side.
Speaker 1:Okay, but you generally do well in the uh.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's my two man?
Speaker 8:Yeah, I'm two man, but yeah, I won. Um, I won it in 2019. So that was my acolyte for winning these things.
Speaker 1:It was fun and I really like it when the poor director wins the national championship. You know we've only had a few of them. You know over the years I've been around but you know that that that to me is is great. You know I'm the one that calls out people's names when they win and it to me that you know, don't, don't get wrong, I I love calling people's names when they win, but but it's really something special when you know the person is a tour director and you know the work that goes into it. You know it's so hard to to play and run a tournament and keep your skills up, and so that just makes it a bit special.
Speaker 8:Yeah, it's, it's uh attending all the uh sister tours. That helps me out. You know, like I'll go play in the maintenance tour up in Virginia or Central uh Myrtle Beach, I use all the other tours that are local around Eastern to kind of help me out. The way I look at it as a director, I can find them in a little bit of a uh I'm there for Eastern players, right, so I'll take them to go somewhere else and help me, uh, you know, get recognized by a lot of other players from other tours. Yes.
Speaker 8:So when they do come down from, say a regional or something like that, or a two day major, uh, it helps me out with how we're notified.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right, absolutely absolutely. So what? What do you play and predict here? I guess we'll be back down.
Speaker 8:I'm going to be doing three regionals total because I'm going to pick up Myrtle Beach's slack. Okay. So, right off the bat, you know Dennis has got the senior ice breaker Great. Then I'm going to step in and help out with the four ball four ball weekend, right. And then I've got the senior masters. Now, normally our senior masters in April. We do it in River Landing. Right River Landing this year is a book solid. So the bonus to use another really great course, cudder Creek. They just did the.
Speaker 8:CGA you know senior chapters this year, so that'll be our course that we use in April and then after that, uh, the Independence Day, which we normally do at the legends. This year I booked it for Grand Dunes. Okay, to give the Myrtle Beach players and people that are coming in for other tours of a really great venue. We played it twice this year with the Myrtle Beach on the golfing side and the senior side, and that course was in the fun. Yeah, it is. So they're going to be in for a treat To get Grand Dunes two days in a row.
Speaker 8:Yeah, so we're going to finish it off with the Low Country. Myself from Tim Sumchant, charleston, we did a combo there with True Blue and Caledonia. Now normally we do that at Paul's invitation at the top, but the record for Myrtle Beach always booked it on the second week on Tennessee's run for senior ice club. So the first thing I told Ben is that I'm definitely changing that day because I want to come play Eladdy Boons and Harry Poins. So that'll be in July, then that part of July.
Speaker 1:Awesome, but in the three regions it's too bad. Jack will be at Riverland because I've heard really good things about that.
Speaker 11:Yeah.
Speaker 8:But unfortunately they're just their book's solid for April. That's the only thing, and they're starting to really get a lot of membership because they've expanded their growth and it just makes it harder for me to get weekend venues. All the senior stuff is okay, but unfortunately they got some. I think it's a US qualifier that's going to be happening and their book, too, is two weeks solid when I need them.
Speaker 1:But we're fighting that all over the country, trying to get good quality courses on Saturday. Obviously, nothing as locally, as good as we're in the land, but it's all over the country. We're fighting all the same things. Well, guys, thank you so much for taking time to join us. It was great seeing you guys. Congratulations and good luck. Thanks, guys Appreciate you, thank you. Man, we're lucky to get both Steve and Marty. Like I said, I generally see Steve three or four times a year. I didn't see him at all this year.
Speaker 2:I mean when you travel, what does he do around the area?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, steve's right down the road. He's right in Augusta. He took two hours away and we didn't see him at all. I mean, we actually did a combo with her golf week and he wasn't there. Oh, we got another one coming on it. Where's your partner? Come on, thompson. Come on, thompson. Come on in bud. Come on.
Speaker 2:Remember when's the voice and when's the smarts.
Speaker 1:Time's not coming in. And what happened? Jump in bud. Oh boy, we got two more good ones here. All right. So we got Cephas Franklin from DC and we got a brand new Heather, even started as a tour director. Yeah, but you know who it is. Tell them who you are. He's Michael Biggs, matt Gisquire it's good seeing both of you guys.
Speaker 6:Yeah, sir, glad to be here.
Speaker 9:All right, gentlemen, so how you guys doing man?
Speaker 2:We're doing good. How about yourself?
Speaker 9:Man we're excited National championship 2023. Dc gonna take it all home this year. I got 25 players coming down here, man and them boys ready yeah.
Speaker 1:I like the guys that you brought. You guys brought a good and stable players. Now, Thompson I'm a little worried about, though. He jumped up from D-Flight to C-Flight. I'm a little worried about it, but everybody else I think it'll be fine. Yeah, well, you know.
Speaker 9:Tom and Wolf.
Speaker 3:they've been teetering all year right there on the cusp and I've been on them like, hey, man, that might as well just move up.
Speaker 9:I don't know why y'all want to sit there and play in D-Flight. I said, y'all know y'all C-Flight guys and I actually copped with it too. So now you know both of them are down here. We just started a senior tour with Dave Fultz and I tell you, man, we expect to see a big thing that they see next year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you did a really good job. I mean you've pretty much been a tour director already, but I mean for the first year of all on your own. You guys really did a really good job.
Speaker 9:Yeah, you know, tim, I learned from the best Jen. You know well, you and Jen, I had hats off to you guys. You know it's a family atmosphere. We're still trying to keep that family atmosphere going. You know, the big thing that hurts us right now I'll just be honest with you is the courses man, the courses don't want to work with us like they used to, and in the D-C market they're almost about to patch us out. So do you realize, tim? You know we play for coming to show us for years. Right, can't get to come to show us. They will not even allow the tournament on the weekend.
Speaker 6:We're seeing that in Milwaukee too. Because we want to play University Ridge, get that bag on the schedule. And the guy said, yeah, we just don't want to schedule tournaments on weekends.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, I was just talking about that with Murray, but it's tough, but I think we'll get through it. I think you know we'll get another year with prices going up and I mean I'm really doing so. Well, you know, people not playing as much golf they're going to have to come down a little bit. You know, we just got to stay the course, put the best schedule that we can together, you know, and offer that customer service and those other things that make us great.
Speaker 9:Yeah, so let's talk about some of the old for D-C I have to tell you and add these boom-ass mitts here. I went out with Dave Phillips and we played it. I have my son on the clock. The pro came looking for me who's driving that car right now? And I talked to him and I was like, look, I have been trying to get them on the schedule for two years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's been a while since we've been there.
Speaker 9:And then, yeah, I met the pro and the GM and he was like, yeah, sure, so I got his car. I went out to Oak Creek. Remember the last time we played Oak Creek? Right? So with Oak Creek, you know, Oak Creek is now part of Club Court Okay, and a lot of the Club Court courses up there again, we'll let you tell them we can't. Well, I talked to the pro and he was like sure, so I'm looking at Oak Creek, Blue Mash, I'm going to go back to University of Maryland. We haven't played University of Maryland in years.
Speaker 9:I hear that's in great shape. So I'm reaching out to them next week. But yeah, we're trying to spice up the schedule a little bit. To you know the trees and things. We got three combo tournaments this year with Tidewater and Wicked. So Tidewater will do the one in April, dc will do the one in May. So right now I'm looking at Blue Ridge for that. 120, 120 punts golfers.
Speaker 1:One day or two days for that Okay.
Speaker 9:So all of them one day. And then Loud just told me for Risma we've got a private course for the one in June. So I'm like you know that works, it does. So we're trying to spice it up a little bit.
Speaker 9:We'll work with Dave a little more on the senior tour Got me up at the senior tour numbers up. So the goal this year. So we're right around 128 this year, number wise, and not where we wanted to be but the market and some other things going on. So we had like 10 guys that were really hurt this year that he come back. But I've talked to all of them and they're like hey, we're back. You know, we have a couple guys have heart attacks, this year.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm glad you brought that up. It was Gary. You know my buddy Gary. He's Glad he's back and doing well. Yeah, and he made it down, yeah, yeah, he had me worried about him, you know, for a while, because I don't even hard attack the others. Other complication, yeah.
Speaker 9:Yeah, so you know, gary, we had just come off of playing. It's a group of guys. We were playing about 25 years, right? So this is our 20th year. We went down to Birmingham. We just played five days in a row. Gary say he had some problems down there, but you know, didn't think about it and he got home and went play. What was the morning? And he said? He said I've never quit at night hold, I've always played a table. Well, he got to the night hole and he said my body just was looking. He went home. All the doctors went to the hospital On a Wednesday afternoon and then after noon the doctors said hey look, you need to come back on Friday morning. We're gonna do a stick. They ran another test and say hey look, sorry, we can't do a stick as a matter of fact.
Speaker 9:We are putting you in an ambulance right now and we're seeing you. They went in and did the surgery. It was over me three hours. They got in there and figured out oh wait a minute, you don't have one block, it's in 90% you have three. So we have triple bypass surgery. Uh, in early May the doctor, he worked himself back and uh, dr Gabe McClaren said in office, so he played in the last sermon and all this. And then played the last two and he's here for the next 10 years.
Speaker 1:Thank god he's here. Thank god he's here.
Speaker 9:You know that was scary, did it? Yeah, and then shaggy. That kid you know that kid I tell you man, that's all you can say.
Speaker 1:shaggy that, kid, that kid that's my boy shaggy.
Speaker 9:As a matter of fact, we just talked to him.
Speaker 12:He's on his way down.
Speaker 9:Now he's stopping in uh Charlotte and saying get up early in the morning, he's coming down. But you know shaggy had had uh Hard problems to last yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know, not that you would think Gary would, but when you look at shaggy, yeah, oh no, you would get shaggy shaggy.
Speaker 9:He is probably 125 130 pounds, so it's wet, you know. Yeah, for a prostate test, it's crazy. Yeah, I was telling them, I said so now. I understand why we haven't seen Rick this year Um.
Speaker 10:You know, we're not that old, you know I, I hear, I hear about my.
Speaker 1:You know my dad's dead and my mom's not good. But you know I I talked to Jen's parents a lot and say, well, we're at that age, see, we're not that old. This should not be happening to us.
Speaker 9:Well, I don't know about you not being that old.
Speaker 11:We're not that old, you're not, you're not that old.
Speaker 9:But tell you, tell I'm about. I'm a few years away from collecting and I'm talking about we're not that old. Hey, I'm getting mine the first day I can get it. You should, you should. You know I ain't waiting because you know Ain't nothing promised. But you know, going back to God, man, I'll tell you. Man, I'm just looking at this room on folks, uh, you know, it's family. It is yes you know, chris and I I make Chris, you know, we play, we played here.
Speaker 9:This is just four years ago when I met Chris, you know we were here, yeah, right here we were playing. And now, look, you know, I went out to uh, arizona and play. Chris was there, you know. So, hey, tom.
Speaker 7:You didn't want to be on the podcast.
Speaker 2:We gotta take care of business.
Speaker 6:I'll see if I like to tell the story. I mean first time that I ever played in the bet.
Speaker 6:Uh, Tim and Jen had taken over the tour of Milwaukee for a year to help on it, and that was the first year I played first tournament event. Tim and Jen made me feel like I had played for 20 years, yeah, I mean, and that that left an elastic image with myself. I love Tim and Jen. That's one of the reasons why I'm taking over the walkies my respect for them, right, and my respect for this tour. Yeah, I want this thing to grow up here by us.
Speaker 9:Well, I'll tell you. You know, uh, I met Tim at the Washington golf shop. And hold on, what am I saying? I'm gonna get the exact time, Hello.
Speaker 7:Tim.
Speaker 9:I know, I know it ain't gonna take me but a minute. So, uh, because Tim already knows. Uh, this is my 14th year, my 14th year on the tour. Yeah, so I met Tim 2000, 2000,.
Speaker 1:It has been January 2009.
Speaker 9:Yeah, 2009 January, and I was just walking through the Washington golf golf show and I walked up on the table and Tim started talking to me Like he's known me forever and he said, hey, you like to play compared to golf? I said, yeah, man, that's what I'm looking for Come on down bro. You need to come on and sign up for the tour.
Speaker 9:And I said what he and Dan were sitting there. He and Dan had to run up and Tim and Jen were sitting there until we talked. So I signed up and I will tell you, from a golf perspective, that is the best thing that I ever did, you know, because we play on the weekends and we play with our buddies, but the level and the intensity and they play about the rules, you know, if everybody's on a mother team, they want to roll them in the fairway. You know they want to do all that stuff, you know. And then when they get to the end, they want to say, yeah, I should have sent me nine. Well, you really didn't. You know, you had some other things going on.
Speaker 9:You took a mother to me right there, but playing on this tour, I went back and started to tell you all I was playing with this group for over 20 years now. I went back to those guys and started playing and they walked up to me and said, hey, man, your game is changed, your intensity level is changed. And I said, yeah, this tour makes you play. You're playing by the rules. There are no gimmies. You got to put everything down, you know. You can't, you can't. You have to take a long play of a life. You're on the roof, but you got to hit it. You know you don't get nothing free. You know, and I told so, tom. I'll never forget it. A couple years later, tom, take him to remember a guest at Rock Harbor Town, and you paired us with two A-flat guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the one guy's name is right on. Tip my tongue too.
Speaker 9:Yeah, and so he had a guest. I had a guest. So which A-flat? The other A-flat. So here we go, man, we tee off and they hit they out on the fairway. Tom and I hit here on the fairway, they hit up on the green. They probably got about 40 and 30 flip butts, tom and I off to the right, we're shaking the ball and we finally get to the green. So we get to the green. These guys are walking around the green, they're looking, they're lining up and Tom is just watching. I'm laughing. Tom is just looking at them. And the guy on the far end, 40 footer, he hits up. He's stopped right at the whole Cal State of the Park. The other guy that was 30 foot out did the same thing and I said he hits, boom. He dropped the birdie, so I bowed it to him. Go, we get in the car. Tom looks at me. He said man, what were those guys doing? They were serious. I said man, I told you your game is gonna change.
Speaker 6:There is nothing better than the world Nothing better than the fall. You're right.
Speaker 9:The juices are running. I mean you got a hole, you got a hole, you got a hole. A bunch of things running.
Speaker 1:Especially when you're playing really well or you're playing with somebody who plays really well. To watch somebody who's playing well, that's good to watch.
Speaker 6:I had that experience in Geneva National during the regional, or not during the regional during the major this year when I saw one other guy and we were just going back and forth He'd make a birdie, I'd make a birdie, he'd make a par, I'd make a par but back and forth and we just kept pushing each other and we both shot great at the end it was a fantastic round of the ball. Can we still talk about one of the best rounds we've ever seen?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean competitive ball. Football is incredible. I remember my first round. I called my dad I don't know what the hell I'm doing up here and he says just hit the ball play golf. You competed your whole life and you'll be alright. And I was like, okay.
Speaker 6:The first round I had, I had a 10 shot lead with Katarinen, Didn't know it, and I was like you know, all of a sudden it was like I called my wife in the round and I said you know, hey, how am I doing? She went, you're fine, and then all of a sudden the wheels came off and it was like I hung on to win by three. That's a story.
Speaker 1:Alright, so let's talk about a 10 shot lead. No, no, no, I'm 10 shots down after three holes. Well, guys, thank you so much for coming, and especially for the families. I appreciate it. Saturday, saturday, saturday, looking forward to seeing you guys. Good luck this week, you bet.
Speaker 8:Alright, guys take care.
Speaker 1:Thanks guys thank you Two really good guys. Thank God they're with us. One thing again this is our first time doing this and we're supposed to be watching these comments. Right, I do have some comments from Wally, from Wally Bombarek from Chicago. Wally, I appreciate you watching and you're right, david Bush's demand and you guys got a good one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you do. He's a great guy to hang out with. Come on.
Speaker 1:We got two more guys coming in. We got Brandon and Steve. Brandon and Steve welcome guys. What's up?
Speaker 2:How y'all doing Good. Good, you guys excited.
Speaker 7:Yeah, my first podcast. Hey, Emma, let's do Count Zoom for third grade.
Speaker 1:Well, Maybe we'll go with that. So what do you think of your first year?
Speaker 7:I think we gave away a lot of money.
Speaker 1:That's okay though.
Speaker 7:Yeah, that's okay. I think we shocked some people with our money game, yeah, where we did the carryover scans and they get done and they're like $742. Yeah, bro, yeah, I mean, the look on some faces are like.
Speaker 1:So how does that work?
Speaker 7:Yeah, I expect this to how does it work? We changed our skins game to basically a dollar per whole, per player. Okay, to get in that game it's $18 and basically you start like you're At the beginning of the year on hole number one, that's your starting hole 18s are finished and you go through and if nobody makes a birdie from 7 to 18, that's 11 skins.
Speaker 7:So 11, say you had 80 players in, okay, we take 11 times 80, that's what that guy went from 7 to 18. And you may have other skins like 1 through 7, right, and if they're singular, that guy makes 80 bucks on a skin. You could have a big banger in there where you're like man, I almost made a grand today. Wow, that's a good day.
Speaker 1:That's a really good day. That's a good day, that's a really good day.
Speaker 7:So, we put and everybody's in this one put Everybody in. And here's the best part. I think we had like 94% participation in the hole Entire skin tape. Because of that, we would have like maybe one or two guys that don't get in.
Speaker 1:And you look at them and you go, oh guys, well, the one guy was like I never get in, well, you never win.
Speaker 7:I'm like alright, there you go, so there was always that one guy, and then maybe a guy that was like I'm only playing this week as a guest, so I'm not getting in, and that was like our two people that didn't get in.
Speaker 1:Right, and so those guys. What I would do is I'd throw in 18 bucks Right.
Speaker 7:Right, seriously, You're like I won.
Speaker 1:You know, I did that a couple years ago At the senior national's, you know, because again it's 20 bucks a day. And I looked it was like the course I was working at I had four or five guys that didn't get in. So I went down and looked at it and I said, okay, this guy makes some buries, pay for him, pay for him. And so and I put on the envelope and this guy gets a thing comes to me. So one guy did, I took a half and I gave him half there you go.
Speaker 7:We had the master emails over here. Okay, this guy, if you can think about a question for a tournament, it's an email. That's that guy right there. Where do I go to the bathroom?
Speaker 1:Pull number six, there you go.
Speaker 7:Here's the bathroom code.
Speaker 1:We need that. You know I'm a college professor and I get all kinds of questions. They're really what's a syllabus? You know I wrote it all down there for you. I got to read it. It's right there bro.
Speaker 2:But then you get the players that don't even read your emails and they ask you the question and you're like did you read it?
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, sure, that's actually me.
Speaker 2:He gets angry, he's like, did you read the email?
Speaker 7:And I'm like, uh, no, that's me, that's this guy. Oh no, we had fun. We picked uh, we tried to pick some really good golf courses that we know are always in good shape. We got commented on that. Yeah, we work together really well. We brain and organize everything. I execute the game play where we get there and if there's any trouble, it comes up. I've always been the one that thinks on my feet like oh, what do we?
Speaker 7:do here we had one tournament where we didn't have a team or a crowd of hold so I pulled some Gatorade caps off and threw them down. Oh yeah, that's all I had that works yeah.
Speaker 1:You got to do some times right.
Speaker 7:Yeah, definitely, definitely. What did you think about the years? What were you excited about? I just love the fact that people were gravitating towards the trophies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the new I'm going to ask you about the trophies Go ahead.
Speaker 7:Yeah, it was a kind of continuing our last podcast I was about to wrap it up and the outpouring feedback about winning an ax or championship belt or, as Steve found, a deer horn knife you just never really know what you're going to get and it's just something that went down the plaque or a trophy that you don't like yet. And I kind of tied it to the name of the event to kind of get a little bit of an affair. And one of the other fun things I did was I gave a lot of the players wrestling nicknames. Like we had Steve's rival, which is James Bell, and he won at the Julian course that we had the Viking Axes at.
Speaker 7:Nicknamed him.
Speaker 6:Viking James first of his name.
Speaker 1:So, ed, he used to be a professional wrestler.
Speaker 7:Yes, oh, that's my fellow Wisconsinite.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:I have got to tell him in detail because I did not know that oh yeah, I mean he talks to you for hours, bob, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that. That's our ax. You're doing that again, right?
Speaker 7:Oh yeah, that'll be every year. That'll be every year. Yeah, awesome. I mean, here's the thing about that golf course. You show up and it's all run by females and they're all very, very good looking, all right. And they have a set of tee boxes called the Viking Tees. Ok, all right. So we show up with these axes in boxes and probably the most beautiful girl, you've ever seen run a golf course comes out, she's like can I get a picture of that?
Speaker 7:Yes, Because she's like that's the most awesome thing I've ever seen there you go.
Speaker 1:Anything you want you can do.
Speaker 7:I'm pretty sure, for their club championship. There we go to weigh in axes.
Speaker 2:He started to addition them. We have battle in the axes. Battle in the air. So we have falls.
Speaker 1:So, Brandon, are you playing this weekend?
Speaker 7:I am, yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward to it, believe it or not. The Golden Bear course. I used to come out here as the best twilight race in the afternoon, so I played that golf course the most when I come to the island. So, it's nice to have a course on the other side.
Speaker 1:That's a really good course. It was our first time last year and automatically became one of my favorites. Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 7:That's all right. Any Nicholas course that does so well is just one of those things.
Speaker 1:Jennifer, jennifer, say hi to camera. I was too late. You're already in there.
Speaker 7:You might as well just wave you might as well wave. Come to that. Yeah, come to that.
Speaker 1:That's why the podcast is rated, not For Kids.
Speaker 7:Not For Kids. We gave away some weird stuff and I think they liked it.
Speaker 1:It's something different. It really is. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 7:We tried to come up with names for events like the Cinco de Mayo Play-O Players' Championship. One of the golf courses that we play is supposedly an old school last four, last four, last four of it. So we and so we it was shortening it.
Speaker 1:You know, for for some it was shortening nine our champion, a flight finished but everybody else was was shortening. You know that, and I kind of especially at the end of the year that that really kind of hurts momentum, you know. I mean, if it's if it's in the middle of the year, it's okay, it kills you if it's the beginning of the year too. So you guys got really lucky yeah, we did, we did so so do you have anything new planned for next year that you want to talk about?
Speaker 7:we might do a extra game like a modified stable for next year, all right, where there's a flight hit modified stable for, and then overall like a superskid, okay, and then the superskid would be you're paired up with a blind partner oh, that'd be awesome, yeah, so even if you play bad, your partner might rock, exactly you know, and you might make some money.
Speaker 7:So I gotta, I gotta, thank uh, my boy from Tennessee. Oh, jeff, we're always looking for different games so that guys feel like they can come and maybe, maybe, hit it be it's a player you're like yeah, I mean I played, made money, we want guys to make money.
Speaker 1:They make money.
Speaker 7:They're coming back they're coming back right, absolutely yeah, we put chum in the water. We want the sharks to come back exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I go modified stable for what you know, one, one tournament a year, okay, where it's a random pick, random, random draw. Pay them draw, you know, and our guys love that, primarily because you know you're playing with people that you don't outside your phone. Yeah, yeah, um, and that that's generally one of our biggest, biggest points okay so that's what we're up for, ideas.
Speaker 7:We're always up for trying again more participation and guys to be like hey, bro, you know, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like golf, we can't for me, and I'm like 800 bucks, exactly there you go right exactly 800 bucks, yep and, like I said, you put the chum in the water and that's no, come exactly exactly.
Speaker 1:Well, guys, thank you so much for for joining us. Yeah, you guys did a great job this year and and uh, we'll talk to you soon all right bud. Chris, they did a phenomenal job. Yeah, let me uh.
Speaker 11:I think we got the next few guests.
Speaker 1:We got the next guests coming up here we go.
Speaker 11:What do we do? Hey guys, put your headphones on. I have phones on how you guys doing talking to Mike, you've been on hello what's going on? How you been been good man just got here today through the hallway from Tampa, got here, uh probably about four o'clock to the shower. I went behind the pillow. We were staying on about 15 minutes of balls. That's uh on the hold that I was staying hold up and here we are what are you doing?
Speaker 11:you guys did a great job this year you know, I couldn't do it without my wife, my wife Marie but we already know that she does all the work.
Speaker 1:I mean because I'm in the same position as you are right um, you probably do a little more work than me.
Speaker 11:I doubt it, I doubt it, I doubt it I doubt it. I doubt it. What are we before? You know, they keep us alive and keep us straight, exactly, exactly so. I love her. She's standing there looking at me. Make sure I talk to you about her things.
Speaker 10:She's already shaking her head. She doesn't look too happy and Don, you came from California.
Speaker 1:I sure do, and you know you come out here every year and you know I'm glad you're with us. You know you had a pretty bad accident a couple weeks ago and I'm glad you're able to make it out here and be able to play yeah, I appreciate it.
Speaker 10:I'm a little banged up. I'm gonna do my best to compete this weekend and we're taking on the Tampa team in the Ryder Cup. So we're gonna use our scores from Friday, saturday, sunday and I picked 10 guys and he picked 10 guys and we're gonna go head to head and a little dredge match. East Coast West Coast wow, that's new, wow. So what we did is we we picked obviously, he has more team players than I do. So what we did is we picked guys within basically half a point of each other. Okay, so 15 players against the 14, five or 15, two. Then we have a guy in each flight going head to head and we have our head to head bets and then we have a couple we're gonna pass back and forth between the two teams that's a really good idea.
Speaker 1:I mean, we're just first. You never gonna shoot this shit. Yeah, I don't get it all.
Speaker 10:There's good idea. So what I'm doing is I have 10 guys it's the first five California's ever had a team and I want them to perform. So not only will each round count as their individual score, it's also going to count as their team score. And it's going to count as their Ryder Cup score, and they're going to be in the two man tournament. So every guy playing your score is going to count four times. So the pressure's on and you can't let down. Everybody's on the tour.
Speaker 2:That's a. That's a lot of pressure it is, but I'm just.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's a, this is a phenomenal idea yeah, it's.
Speaker 2:It's just cool to be able to take two tours on the opposite side of the country and be able to essentially come together and compete against each other and since this will be broadcast later, we're crashing it's live now.
Speaker 10:Well, just if Tampa, if you're listening, we're crashing your team party, so he has no idea who won the national championship last year.
Speaker 11:All the records it's 28 years. He doesn't know what toward, didn't that? Yet, but it's 2023.
Speaker 10:So it's a new year, but but you brought 10 guys from California right right, yeah, I've got 10 tenor, but the 11th guy went to the senior, so we got so he already lost one, but they had 11 on the list.
Speaker 1:But that's what we already won oh don, that's a really big view, it really is.
Speaker 10:I apologize, it is 11 oh, there we go.
Speaker 5:He got him back. He already heard he got it back.
Speaker 10:I'm sorry he's a free handicap playing in the beef light. Oh, we got some of those dude dude.
Speaker 2:No, bringing 10 people across the country is not a small fee. Yeah, you came all the way from El Paso. That's still.
Speaker 11:That's still half ways, yeah, still half way.
Speaker 10:You still gonna take it 300 bucks, not only that I have to give out a shout out, because one of my older players retired, retired army veteran he rented a car and drove here. Oh no, so he rented a Cadillac and drove across the United States. He got here today and played golf with me no, what I'm doing that yeah, so he, uh he went the extra mile.
Speaker 11:So Don let me ask you, since we're uh, you know, we're live on the air, do we still have that hundred dollar bet that my tour is gonna be your? I thought it was 50, did you know? It's 50 for each single player? Okay, but tour against tour against tour, I figured a hundred bucks all right. I mean, it's easy to come up with a hundred dollar bill and $50 bill. Now there we go.
Speaker 2:I don't know, tim, but I might have to take camp on this one.
Speaker 1:You can have California oh, don, you gotta hit that. Don't do me dirty. Don, come on, bud, we're, we're working at that's.
Speaker 11:That's awesome though there is a lot of good golfers comes from California. You gotta realize that, though. Um, and they all migrate and end up in Florida, um, so they start in California and come to Florida but they're, they're.
Speaker 1:They're going from California. Either Texas or Florida is where they're going.
Speaker 10:That's because I live in a communist state, but that's the same. Oh, thank god, we're gonna bring that up. You know, I didn't say a word.
Speaker 7:I didn't say a word.
Speaker 11:I didn't say they were they. You know they were. They were, they were moving. I believe we call it come, come before you. I'm right there with you well so.
Speaker 1:So now, what's one thing that you're, you're really, you're most proud of, that you accomplished this year.
Speaker 10:I think that the biggest thing is just trying to increase the participation and get the number of members of. As you guys, as everybody in the room knows, I have the hardest time out there because I'm surrounded by tours. They go head to head with us. They go the same venue, same date, right across the street. They do everything they can to knock us out. Yeah, so trying to not only keep the golf week name alive but to grow the tour is extremely challenging, and so each year we try to get a few more members out. You know, this year I'm going to start a little bit early, trying to generate the interest. I've put a countdown calendar for the Black Friday registration on the front page of my website and just trying to, you know, keep the guys together in the off season. We want to roll into 2024.
Speaker 1:We want to try to hit 200 cameras each year but I mean you, you've grown it every year, so I mean it's, it's not. It's not out of the out of the realm of possibility no, it's just a.
Speaker 10:It's just a matter, honestly, it's just getting the word out. Social media and everything I've learned from the other directors here well, will help me to increase the turnout. Obviously we have the best tour and going into the new year, well, no, no, the best tour of all the brands, okay we'll go with that, we'll go with that but?
Speaker 10:but what I'm saying is this year I've looked at the competition I have out there, I've looked at the prices they're charging, I've formulated the strategy. So basically, you'll be able to play 10 events on my tour a regional and two majors for under 3,000 bucks. Wow, that's pretty good that's tough in California well, that's tough anywhere yeah, my competition. Their average price for event is 229 and their majors are between 599 and a thousand. Yeah, and I'm keeping all of mine under 500 which is not easy no, it's not crazy.
Speaker 11:They're selling out. That's what I can't get right.
Speaker 1:I don't understand that either.
Speaker 10:I don't understand it at all and as far as my biggest accomplishment, I think that would be last year we actually got to play Tory Pines twice. So we played right after the pros and then again at the end of the year we were invited back. So well, as long as you're invited back, that's the key and I'm working on getting us Pebble Beach one of the years. Well, good luck.
Speaker 1:Good luck with that one. So so, chris and I are going to be traveling to to regions this year, okay, so if Pebble Beach is on the list, you know, you know we'll be out there.
Speaker 10:I'm working it. We got right now. We got PJ West, the Jack Nicklaus tournament and LaKeitha Mountain, which are fantastic.
Speaker 1:Those are great courses and Shane. You guys had, I think, the biggest percentage increase across the tour, did you?
Speaker 11:yeah, yes, we did. We went from average of 60 players to 176 this year in your second year. Right, yeah, my second year, my second year. You know, the tour has been going for 10 years, pretty much, but I got in there and I've been playing with golf week for 14 years. I put my foot in the door and I got my wife on board. I told her that's the only way I'd do. It is if I had 100% good partner to go in here and fight this and make this tour happen. And what I did to make this tour grow is I built a relationship with players. I made a 25 handicap or a scratch off and feel like they are part of the toys you're not just a player, you're part of the tour you got.
Speaker 11:You have an input, you have a say of what goes on where we play. If there's something you don't like, I want you to bring to our attention. And a lot of the players they they feel like they're part of something. They feel like they're part of something, they show up, they bring their friends and it's really turning out really well.
Speaker 1:I'm hoping next year to break the 200 mark well, you're, you're again, you're right on the cusp of that and you should do that. I mean it's.
Speaker 11:I hope so. I hope so. You know, like I said, it is golf. All the courses are raising the rates up 20 percent, so I have to raise my rates of 20 percent. I'll tell you. But the good thing I do for our players is you know we do the. We pay out the visa gift cards for all placements and they all like the money and I told them, I said, look, this is the way you win at home for playing golf on Saturdays.
Speaker 11:When you win a gift card, you go home, give it to your wife, all right, big go, you give that gift card to your wife, all right, and if you win some skin money you keep that in your pocket. Okay, that'd be your damn glad money. Damn glad you don't know about exactly.
Speaker 2:All right, and I do it the wrong way, then I give you good money in my life.
Speaker 11:No, no, no. And then two weeks later you say hey, I want to go play in that tournament. And she goes oh, that one, you gave me that $200 gift card, so yeah and it should be like oh all right, go practice you know and next thing you know you got them hooked exact, but yeah, it's turning out good. It's really growing. All the players, they love each other. I thought 30 guys here this weekend.
Speaker 11:This goes to nationals and they are stoked and I told them about competing against California all 30 of them when you compete and I'm like, well, I gotta pick a level. They didn't like that too much, so California well, you know what you tell.
Speaker 11:Shane play better well, I told them play better to get their handicaps closer because, we took the handicaps that are closest to each other, right, so it's fair, um, in each fight, you know we got one champ fight guy. He's got one champ like guy. So they're head to head. We got a two or three, eight fight. We know one of them's like a four and a half, I got like a five, he's got like a five, I got like a five and a half. So we're making these guys battle at the same fight, the same fight, and they're they're battling head to head for 50 bucks. There you go out of their pockets, um, and they mean Don, we're battling out say 200.
Speaker 5:I heard it was 200 and we got a trophy on top of it. What we got?
Speaker 11:a nice trophy and we're gonna bring back next year, and which is gonna be great, because whoever wins is gonna take that to tournaments and tell the guys what they've done, what we've done here, right, and they're gonna want to show up and say, wow, this is, this is getting serious, it is right. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:um, then we're gonna, we're gonna take this to the next level and then we're gonna have people beat on our goal when we want to get in some of our deals.
Speaker 11:Exactly that's what we want, man. We want to build a relationship, a friendship, but on the first team, you know what is battle time? It's on exactly exactly well, guys.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much.
Speaker 10:I really like that Ryder Cup idea idea well, we're hoping, we're hoping eventually maybe we can do. You know, as more tours want to join, it'll be El Paso, arizona and California versus Tampa, jacksonville and Miami, or something like that. Um good, that's.
Speaker 1:That's not hard to do, yeah gotta get the players. Yeah, we'll get them all.
Speaker 11:That's on you, brother, I know, I know, hey, I'm from Texas, so I'm about to get some Texas steamy blood on my. You know, I bet he could live up to good food. I thought I'd do that at home. There we go that's all I do, hey he's staying in my spot in my house this year.
Speaker 11:All right, we'll get talking to y'all thanks, everybody out there roof of Tampa, california, and the whole national uh golf week amateur tour. Man, come see us and come play with us, check us out. I guarantee you once you come you'll never go back.
Speaker 1:Shane down. Thanks so much. Good luck this weekend and uh, let me know who wins the 200 oh you'll, you'll see the 300, I mean are you kicking in the other two?
Speaker 11:how about handicap it? Uh, okay, you all know all right, guys.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, that was great. All right, thanks, buddy, take care, we'll talk to you soon. I like that.
Speaker 6:I like that a lot and then I.
Speaker 2:I like it. You want to join us? Come on, sit down. Just came to say hi come on down bud because that's a great idea with a radical. My wife's watching all right, well, and and she just texts me saying, yeah, get me some more money, whatever.
Speaker 1:Tim says I didn't do it well, we, we've got two more guess we got scot-eyed from from charlotte and Matt foes from from Minneapolis. Matt, matt, I'm I'm really glad that you're with us, because I mean you, you've really grown Minneapolis from almost nothing to almost a hundred overnight, and that's phenomenal when you can only play golf for two weeks a year that's very true, but it may feel like overnight to you guys.
Speaker 2:It feels like a long time for us, a long time coming anyways, matt, just a tip when you're at 99, just put John Doe in there, just put it in there, get your hundred, and then it'll all start flowing.
Speaker 1:After that it's all right, we do got a guy, we just we fell on the hundred yard line, I guess it's all good and and Scott, you gave me a tip last year when we were here about the you know, the reach and texting and that worked out. That worked out great. I appreciate that.
Speaker 8:But the texting is the best thing that I came up with.
Speaker 1:My guys are informed. It's like even now, when we're at the national championship. I am in touch with all my guys and they know when to meet for pictures or whatever. Everybody knows everything that's going on and it's awesome. And if they don't, it's on them that they didn't read it right. That's exactly right, Exactly so, Matt, how did you and I'm going to go back to the overnight thing, Because I'm really impressed with what you did how did you do that?
Speaker 12:So I guess I had to give a lot of credit to Facebook. We put a lot of ads out there, but beyond that it was just pounding the pavement. I personally play a lot of tournament golf. So every tournament I'm in I'm glad handing out cars and telling guys hey, if you like this, you've got to come check out the golf week Because we've got a fantastic tour going and I think you'd love it. So that's really how we've grown quite a bit.
Speaker 2:I remember talking to you last year and how nervous you were to get started. So it just sounds like you've been doing this for years now and it's only been a short period of time and I've said it before on the podcast I've been in your shoes and being able to, like you said, pounding the pavement and getting there. It feels good at the end of the day. Just keep it up, You'll be fine.
Speaker 12:You playing this weekend though? Yeah, we're going to play. I mean, that's really what this is about for me.
Speaker 1:Well see, Chris, I don't know if you know this, but Matt can play. Oh, I've heard. Matt's a good stick right here, I've heard. As I understand it, he just said he can play.
Speaker 2:No, no, I believe last year you played with HB. Yeah, that was a fun run and he told me that you can play, and HB said that in our tour HB is like the professional that we have, so if he can say that and leave a good comment, I don't doubt it.
Speaker 12:Well, I appreciate it and I would say that right back to him, because boy could he play. He can move the ball.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't know if you know this, but Chris Cattie form and a USGA qualifier and he got fired Is that right.
Speaker 2:It's a work in progress, like this live stream.
Speaker 1:So, scott, you had a really good year of both golf week and senior, and you've been doing this for forever. What do you attribute your overall success to? I would have to say that everyone tells me that we have very well run tournaments. They enjoy the day because we do everything very professionally and the guys love the fact that everything is ready for them. Of course, it's always set up for them that when they come in, everything is spot on Quick. You pay out quickly, give out the awards, everybody's there.
Speaker 1:I think they just really like the experience and every time I get a new player that comes out for the first time, they always say the same thing. They say this is the best experience that I've ever had in tournament golf. So I think that's really a key to some of our success is has been that it feels like it's a well run machine. Well, that's because it is, and I say that I've been up to your tournaments right and you're selling out all the time and, now that I think about it, your payouts are probably some of the quickest I've ever seen. I mean, you get through the cards and you verify it and you get things done really quickly. Guys aren't waiting around for hours, and hours and hours for you to get it done, which is huge because around golf is four and a half to five hours as it is. They don't want to wait around for another two to get the payouts.
Speaker 11:That's right.
Speaker 1:And now that obviously with PayPal and Venmo and all that sort of thing, we tell the guys look, and if you don't want to stick around, you get your payout in the morning, exactly, and I make sure to pay everybody within 24 hours, and they all love that. So it's just being efficient, I think, is the bottom line, and everybody loves it, and we're actually increasing our payouts this year. So our first place is now going to be, if we have 100 guys in the tournament, it's going to be a $500 first prize in every flight. So we're really trying to do things to make the guys excited about playing every event.
Speaker 8:And we're also increasing.
Speaker 1:We're going to pay the top five places at the end of the year versus paying just the top place. So it's going to help at the end of the year when we have guys that are still trying to fight for that fifth position as well as number one through four.
Speaker 8:And so it's going to attract more.
Speaker 1:I think overall at the end of the year when some guys kind of fizzle out, we're tournament participation kind of fizzles and drops off.
Speaker 4:I think everybody's thinking that's a really good idea they do.
Speaker 1:Like, if they know they're not finishing first place, why am I going to come and spend that money? Save it to go to Nashville, and I can't give myself the credit. I got to give it to Chuck Smith out of Central Carolina. That's a Chuck Smith one. Yeah, he came up with it this year and he told me to make sure that, to tell everybody that it was his idea. Hey, chuck, we got it, and Chuck's the guy that's listening to this right too. Absolutely. So, matt, what do you have planned for next year?
Speaker 12:Well for next year we're going to be doing well for this winter actually coming up. We've got a lot of indoor stuff going on so it's going to be exciting. So we'll have a lot of tournaments and skins game going on. Winner should help boost our membership as well.
Speaker 1:OK, so winter goes from October to April.
Speaker 12:Yeah, april, sometimes into May, we got snowed out a couple of our first events over the years.
Speaker 1:That's why I moved. Yeah, you don't have to live up there, bud.
Speaker 12:I shouldn't.
Speaker 1:It's July 4th and winter up there.
Speaker 2:No, I'll pass.
Speaker 12:Yeah, you know it's beautiful in the summertime.
Speaker 11:Yeah, I guess for the week and a half.
Speaker 12:But we make good use of it right.
Speaker 1:And so it stays like a lot longer too.
Speaker 12:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we're out there. It's about 9.30 at night in the heart of the summertime, so that's nice.
Speaker 1:So you can get up at probably 5.30 in play.
Speaker 12:Oh yeah, absolutely yeah, first heat time. A lot of courses, I mean some of them stretch it. They watch out there at 5. If you want to come up, sun's coming up.
Speaker 2:You know what the golf course is. You've heard about that, right.
Speaker 1:What's that?
Speaker 2:Band and Dune where they play. I think it's like four courses in one day. It's the longest day of the year, ok.
Speaker 1:I hope those guys have fun. Hope those guys have fun.
Speaker 2:No, I want to do that, but I might have to go over here and just go play for one day and see how much I can get in. We'd love to have you guys.
Speaker 1:Well, guys, thanks so much for taking some time with us tonight. I really do appreciate it. That's great seeing you. I see you once a year, Scott, I see you more regularly. It's so good to see you, but you know how it is. Good luck this weekend and we'll talk to you soon. All right thanks guys, Thank you.
Speaker 12:Good luck guys.
Speaker 1:Well, chris, we said we were going to be here for an hour maybe, and we are running, oh boy, hour and a half. An hour and a half, yeah, an hour and a half.
Speaker 2:I mean when we do get guests that you know, like Mr Frankl, who can tell a story.
Speaker 1:Yes, he can.
Speaker 2:It tends to happen, but it was fun. This was great.
Speaker 1:It had a great time.
Speaker 2:And I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm a little nervous if people stop by and they want to chit-chat. I know at least on Facebook. One of our regular guests commented that he's going to come crash Mr Loose.
Speaker 1:Tell him to come on down.
Speaker 2:Oh, he's already claiming it. So from five to six, that's all you got, if you're not here between five and six.
Speaker 1:sorry, we got to cut it short because you know six o'clock for a Twitter record from the early.
Speaker 2:No, no, I think they need us to help them with welcome bags or something.
Speaker 1:I don't know, that's what we're bringing with us. Oh boy, this was great and I'm glad we got to do this one time. Practice for tomorrow. Remember guys? Tomorrow, from five to six. Well, check in Tomorrow is from, I think, four to eight. Four to eight at the Hills Corpse in Palmetto Dunes. So make sure you go there, and then we'll be live from five to six. Right now, somewhere in the area. Well, yeah, probably right around there, but excuse me, but inside we'll be inside.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, we will be inside. I will take transfusions all day.
Speaker 1:That's what she's going to say. Don't you got this?
Speaker 2:Just in case anybody wants to come and say hi, I won't say hi, let's do something Just kidding, just kidding.
Speaker 1:Well, as you can see, we're ready to get rolling here. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. We appreciate it. We'll see everybody tomorrow at five.
Speaker 2:Yep, have a good one, be safe.