Remembering A Friend on The Fairways, Celebrating Nichole King's Digital Ingenuity and a Conversation with Tour Director Adam Cahill

Speaker 1: 0:45

Welcome back, chris. Hope you made it home from Vegas, all right.

Speaker 2: 0:47

Yes, I did. It was a fun time, you know. Great to see everybody. Even better time at the airport. You know, when you have some time to spare you can actually gamble there at the airport and it turned out to be a very successful hour and a half wait, but Glad to be back and serve our season pretty quickly.

Speaker 1: 1:07

Yeah, punch was that went out. There came back winners. You know we won't talk too much about what we won with or what we came home with, but we came back winners.

Speaker 2: 1:15

Yes, we did. I think the whole group did for a while there.

Speaker 1: 1:18

Yeah, anyway, like I said, we're back and ready to get to. We started you. You were in Phoenix last week and you got another one coming up, so Ready to get started? Yeah, let's go, let's do it.

Speaker 3: 1:37

Ladies and gentlemen, golf week amateur tour the podcast Talking about all things golf week amateur tour, including interviews with tour directors, players and course pros. Now here are your hosts and Atlanta tour director, tim Newman, and El Paso last cruises director, chris Rocha.

Speaker 1: 2:07

Hi Chris, you know it's been two weeks since Vegas. Hope you recovered and I Know you had a tour of this past weekend and in last week you were in and and Phoenix bunch of that's on what happened in Phoenix.

Speaker 2: 2:21

Yeah, I mean Vegas was fun. You know we'll go over play by play of how I played. It wasn't very, very pretty, but you know the jokes of my putt and keep, keep coming up on the live podcast and I guess I got to fix that if I don't want to Be the the butt of all the jokes. But that was fun. You know, went into Phoenix Was a different mood there we we did lose one of our members to cancer, so Literally the day before, so it was a little tough, but it was nice to see. Gave one for his flight, another guy one for his fight. That was one of his best friends, so it was nice to see. It was nice to be there with everybody and just hang out and, and you know, talk memories again. I was up there in the leaderboard and then the wheels didn't fall off, they exploded off. You know my, my tournament was a bigger turnout than I expected, but we had a great time. Well, that's good.

Speaker 1: 3:16

We'll, we'll, we'll talk about. You know the sad part of it. You know, at the end, you know we're have a little bit more time, you can go and then talk a little bit more about it, but there's nobody that hasn't been touched by cancer. Right, you know, I think it tore. We, you know we do a pretty good job of bringing awareness to it and I don't know how much just been publicized. But you know we're moving away from Sam to cancer and moving to, I think that's, the the V foundation.

Speaker 1: 3:43

If that hasn't been announced yet, I know it's coming soon. But you know, like I said, we'll talk about that in the near the last segment of the podcast, because that I do want to be able to give you some time to share some thoughts and memories. But you know it, at national championship, you know we talked about all the support that we get from the national office and you know everything they do. You know, without them we keep, we can't run the tournament the way that we run them. Well, national is part only a new member and she has been doing a phenomenal job. You know, every time she posts on something like oh my god, that's, that's incredible. You know the creativity level is is off the charts.

Speaker 2: 4:25

Yeah, it's great to have people that can help out. I mean, this new person has already given me great ideas just from my tour alone in the last month or two and it's just something that Kind of helps Jennifer and Susan with their day-to-day. But, like you said, the posts on social media if you haven't seen it or you're not following, I suggest you do, especially Facebook if you want to be part of our short contest. But even that idea Flourish from from some of our our new national office member.

Speaker 1: 4:58

Yeah, let's, let's bring Nicole in it. Nicole King, she wears a number of different hats, but Nicole, thanks for everything and welcome to the show.

Speaker 1: 5:06

Hey, thanks for having me, guys Well it's, it's, it's almost embarrassing, you know, because I send you the sound bites. You know that comes with a nice little logo and I send it to you and then you, you do what you do, you do, you work your magic and you post it on on Facebook and you take the silly look logo we're thinking I've sent you and you keep rid of that and you and you, you create this incredible visual that you know, every time I see what you're doing, it really kind of blows me away. So I'm sorry for you know, you know Not coming very strong with what I'm sending you, but I appreciate your, your willingness to, you know, to not laugh too hard and and and create what you create force.

Speaker 4: 5:50

Yeah, for sure. I try to make it, you know, different, because nobody wants to see the same thing or they Probably just think it is the same thing. So you got to make it a little different and I kind of just go with the flow and wing it.

Speaker 2: 6:02

Well, it's great to see it every week or every two weeks that we post something, but even the, the stuff you put, you know, from national office or the national meeting that we had starting last year, just the evolution that Facebook posts have become, is just something that's out of this world right now.

Speaker 4: 6:21

Definitely. Yeah, you know you want to be different, you want to be make it pop, so it's. You know it tracks everybody to the, to your tour or your site. So I try to make it different, try to make you know Little logos that stand out, just like for the shirt contest. You know it's the podcast shirt contest, but I wanted it to be, you know, just for that.

Speaker 1: 6:46

Well, again you, you did a really good job and and I don't want to let the cat out of bad bag too much you created another little video that I think, once we put the final touches on that, it's, it's, it's really good, it's one of my favorites something that the two hasn't done.

Speaker 1: 7:04

Yeah well, you did a great job. I guess I don't want to let too much out of bag we got. There's some more final touches that you have to do with it and I don't know what the ultimate plan is. But you know we're you're doing things that the tour has never done before, and I think it's really gonna elevate and and bring a little bit more awareness to the tour. That just kind of brings me into question how do you know what's the goal and what's the plan to get you know users or members a bit more engaged in, in social media, whether it be Facebook or Instagram or whatever it is that were, that were, that were using?

Speaker 4: 7:41

Yeah, so I, my goal is to you know Show what golf week in the senior amateur tour offers, because I feel like there's a lot of things that we do and they just don't know about it because either they have to find about it on the website and you know there's not a lot of social media posts, with whatever platform they have Facebook, instagram or whatever. So I I try to make it interesting because you know you want to catch their eye on what's going on with our tour and you know you want to keep them engaged, not lose them, you know, five seconds into a video or Whatever. But anyone on your post, your single post, you want it to, you know, draw their attention for, like the main point. So you know you want to make things bigger than other things. So you just got a. So what do you? What?

Speaker 1: 8:34

specifically what, what your, what your your role in the national office?

Speaker 4: 8:39

Sure. So they brought me on to help, like you said, with. You know Jennifer and Susan's day-to-day task when I'll print or, I'm sorry, I'll create and all the tours posters and brochures and then get those mocked up for them Any social media post or videos, which is also for the tours, not just national. So if a director came to me and said, hey, can you help me think of something to promote my new side game, you know I would Do that for them and I try to make it different for everybody so it doesn't all look the same and you know everybody's like, oh well, they're doing the same thing that this tour is doing, which it might be, but I want it to look different, so it looks different. And then I also Help the directors with their website.

Speaker 4: 9:36

So, if you know I will say that is probably the biggest struggle is the homepage, learning that format and making it how you know you want it to look when you. You know that's the first thing that some players look at and you want it to be, you know, professional looking and not just list everything on your home page where they just scroll and scroll and scroll and then all of a sudden there's your schedule. You know you want it to be right there, down to the point. That's what it is. So, yeah, I help with directors with their website if they just don't have the time or they just don't know how to figure it out so that their website is more engaging, player friendly.

Speaker 1: 10:21

Yeah, especially with some of our tour directors and again, I'm not going to any of them, but most of our tour directors don't really have any real background in web design, development and marketing and those types of things. So what you're doing is really beneficial to every tour across the country.

Speaker 4: 10:44

I appreciate it. Yeah, I mean I enjoy what I do, so I'm glad it's helping other people along the way and getting their tour out there to make it bigger than it should be.

Speaker 1: 11:00

So what's your background? Have you always had this creative I don't know mindset to you?

Speaker 4: 11:07

So I want to say yes, I feel like my creative side has always been with me since I was young. As professional wise, I wouldn't say I have any background, because I was a manager at Menards for five years and then I worked at a hearing aid office for seven and then a health software company. It was my latest job. So it's really I just kind of I see things online just like everybody else and I tell myself I can make that. So I give it a shot and it just comes from trial and error and practice and sometimes it comes out great. Sometimes it needs a little work, but really that's just how I started. I have an imagination and big curiosity so I just put my mind to it and I'm open to new experiences and ideas. So it helps me create that on the computer.

Speaker 2: 12:05

I guess you could say I would have never thought that, seeing the product you've put out, I would have thought you have a masters in graphic design and all of this other stuff, so it's great to hear that story.

Speaker 4: 12:18

Yeah, yeah, I know you would think I wish I would have known this is what I loved doing and wanted to do, and then I could have went to school for it. But yeah, that wasn't the case. But I'm but you know I enjoy learning new things. I learned things every day and you know, I not that it's a school, but I will watch videos and try to learn how they did that, cause I'm like that's really cool. I want to know how to do that and I don't want to make it look janky, so I wanted to look right, so I'll try to watch how to actually do things.

Speaker 1: 12:54

Well, you know, that's what beauty with beauty is, with taking the home chief. You know there's. You go to YouTube. There's, there's videos on how to do anything. You know how to build an engine, you know how to. You know take videos. You know what the setting should be, you know what the lighting should be, you know how to do graphics, all these different types of things. You know. I mean, you can learn how to do it If you, if you just want to spend some time, you know, doing some searches and trying to figure it out.

Speaker 4: 13:22

Definitely. It does take time and patience, for sure Cause don't get me wrong I get my frustrations and you just got to walk away for a minute, a minute and take a moment and then just come back to it. And I mean, in some programs you want to, you might have to spend a little money. Some programs out there are free. So if you know other directors want to try to do it on their own, great, I mean, there are programs out there that they have a free version and they could do half the stuff that I do.

Speaker 1: 13:54

Yeah, but it takes time and patience and some, some and at least a little bit of technical knowledge or abilities. You know, you know there are some tour directors and again I'm not knocking anybody who aren't as bad as this. Where you know, you know my, you know where I used to work. I used to have to go in and show an individual how to save a file. Oh boy, you know how to do save, as you know. You know how to save a file Every other day. I mean, I show them like 15 times as it's, save it. Now we don't have tour directors that are that bad with technology, but you know, when you're talking about some of the things that you're doing with with graphics and sound and video and and putting it all together so that it makes sense, you have to have some understanding of of technology and how it works.

Speaker 4: 14:42

I agree, I remember training a girl at one of my jobs and she did I, you know. I told her to open up a page or a what do you call it? The, the chrome thing. Open up a page, a tab, a tab, and she was like she's like what's that? And I go oh, dear John, and I was pregnant, so I was like I can't do this.

Speaker 1: 15:07

You know, sometimes almost like trying to teach guys how to log into the live score. I mean, go to the website and go all the way down to the bottom.

Speaker 4: 15:16

That's why I put it on the Kansas tour page right there on the front Click there.

Speaker 1: 15:21

It's funny sometimes.

Speaker 4: 15:23

Yes, it is More idea. Yep, and I'm actually coming up with something where, because I know everybody's like oh, I want an app, I want an app, which is great, but I'm sure that costs a lot of money to create an app and coding and stuff. But I mean there are other ways to go around it which it's not technically an app but like, for example, iphone because I'm an iPhone user, you know you can save that live score on your iPhone that looks like an app. So all they have to do is click that and boom. You don't have to go to the Internet Explorer, it's just right there on your phone. Click that little button, you're in live score.

Speaker 1: 16:16

Yeah, and that's true. And thank God you're an Apple person, because you know we don't, because I generally don't do well with non-Max.

Speaker 4: 16:29

Me either. I'm like illiterate. I'm like how do you get to your menu?

Speaker 1: 16:34

How do you live, how do you get through a day without just trying to, you know, without destroying your phone? Yeah, but yeah. So are you a golfer at all?

Speaker 4: 16:44

I am Ever since I started helping my dad with the Kansas tour. It got me. You know. I'm there all the times. I'm like you know what. I'm going to start golfing, like a little over a year ago, and I will say it's addicting. I'm not the greatest, but I will say I'm probably an average D flight person.

Speaker 1: 17:04

But at least you're, at least you're playing and you know, maybe you know you'll, you'll start playing on a tour.

Speaker 4: 17:11

Yeah, I know a lot of our players say why don't you play? And I go well, who would run the tournament? So I go well if only if it was a shotgun I could maybe do it, but it would be stressful For me because then I wouldn't be organized with the cash games and all that stuff.

Speaker 1: 17:27

Well then you get the normal tour director experience.

Speaker 4: 17:30

Yeah, exactly, some. Some of them don't get that luxury where you know they have a little assistant to go with them and get to play at every tournament.

Speaker 1: 17:39

So what's your favorite thing about the tour?

Speaker 4: 17:41

I will say probably going to the tournaments. I like getting it organized and checking everybody in and just being there and meeting new people. I'll tell them about the tour I do. Another favorite part is getting the scorecards ready, because, yes, you know, you go in your live score and you print your scorecards. But I put a little twist on mine and I make mine color coded and I put the sponsor on there, I put what title of the tournament it is and you know what holes each flight supposed to go on, what holes are your long drive, so that they I don't know. It just looks nicer and sometimes color coded is better for players. So pay attention to yeah, we're not yeah, and I know that they appreciate it too, because one time it was like a two day and I was just so tired I didn't do it on day two and they're like it's not color coded what holes? I'm like well, it's written right there, so, but so I know they appreciate it If you don't do it.

Speaker 1: 18:50

one time?

Speaker 4: 18:51

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 18:53

I do that with my scorecards. I color coded.

Speaker 4: 18:55

Yeah, it helps a lot.

Speaker 1: 18:58

I do mine too. Only problem is, you know if you do it wrong one time they never forget that either. Yeah, Like, because how do I know it's actually right? Well, read the rule sheet and you'll know.

Speaker 4: 19:12

Yeah, I guess I'll set this up one time and they because I put like, do holes one, two, that? Or I did one dash two, dash four, dash 12. So they thought four through 12, when really I was just trying to separate it, and they're like, well, she puts it color coded there and she writes it. So you had two ways to look at it and so I don't use dashes anymore. Let's say that I don't know like periods to separate the whole numbers.

Speaker 1: 19:43

They'll figure it out yeah. You know, if they just read the rule sheet or the web page or the other any other emails that that are sent them, they'll figure it out.

Speaker 4: 19:55

That too. Especially when your dad's the director and he's still asking you. I'm like you're the one who made up the holes Right.

Speaker 1: 20:06

So again, you mentioned that you, that you help your dad out, and your dad is David King from the Kansas tour. What's that like you know? What's it like working with your dad? Well, you know some remember he doesn't listen to that, so just go ahead and.

Speaker 4: 20:23

Those some days are, you know. So weekends are better than most, I mean, and you could tell you know we're father daughter at some tournament, but I do. I do enjoy working with him. We have a great time, we work well together. He's a better speaker than me and, you know, explains better or explains things better to the players where I'm more behind the scenes and everything. So it just kind of works out well with what we do and he he knows the rules a little bit better than me, since I'm still learning. But I mean I've learned a lot and I enjoy it because you know it gives us something to do as father daughter, where you know sometimes it's hard to find stuff to do. Father daughter wise. We have a good time. Yeah, it's really fun.

Speaker 1: 21:12

How do you keep him focusing on track?

Speaker 4: 21:14

And, um, it takes patience with him. I mean I could say something four times to him and he's still not listening, or he'll ask me the same thing the next day. I'm like we just talked about this. I wouldn't say I really have a way to keep him on track, I just do it. I mean you could ask players on the tour who really runs the tour, but no, he's great at what he does, his part or his role.

Speaker 4: 21:51

He's a better public person than me, where I'm kind of shy and I'll be like kill him this. He's not shy, he'll walk into Casey.

Speaker 1: 22:02

What's going?

Speaker 4: 22:03

on.

Speaker 1: 22:05

Your dad is doing a phenomenal job, and part of it is, like you said, his personality. He's all over the place all the time, and so being able to have somebody like you there that can kind of guide him when he starts getting veering off and going back and the players have got that really have got to appreciate your role in that.

Speaker 4: 22:32

Definitely I'd like. Just you know he'll, because whenever he does the like plays in the tournaments, you know he'll do the first tee box. If it's tee times and then outs everybody and then he's be flight and so I have to come out there like in the middle of it and he sometimes will be. I'll be like it's five minutes till the first tee time, like what are you doing? You know you always complain about pace of play, like you're not even on the tee box with them. So you know, sometimes I'm like go, we're at the yell at him. You know, because he'll just lose track of time because he's out running like people Where's your dad? I'm like I have no idea. I was like he's somewhere.

Speaker 1: 23:11

He's talking to somebody somewhere.

Speaker 4: 23:14

So I'll, and then after it gets to his tee time, you know I'll take over and I'll announce all the players on the first tee box to keep it going and make you know, make sure everybody's teed off at the right time. And so it's fun. It's a lot of fun, yeah that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 23:27

And yeah, I've got I've got two adult daughters myself and I try and do things like I said. Sometimes it's hard, you know, and you know now that we have a little bit of distance, you know where they live and where I live. And the most recent thing, I was working with my younger daughter and I'm driving her nuts because she's being her and I mean, I'm driving her nuts because I'm being me, she's driving me nuts because she's being her and. But at the end of the day, we both really enjoy that that time and and and those. You know those interactions, so cherish them while you have them.

Speaker 4: 24:01

Yeah, I definitely cherish, you know, those times with dad, to say the least, just cause you know you don't know how much longer you have with them, but I will. And when we go to tournaments I definitely drive separate because I can't handle his driving crazy. But but now we get there, you know, at the same time, and we set up everything and we have a lot of fun.

Speaker 2: 24:23

That's awesome. Yeah, I can't wait to put my kids to work at the tournaments.

Speaker 4: 24:28

They're young, aren't they?

Speaker 2: 24:29

They're yeah, they're 11 and eight, but eventually they'll be out there and the flags are doing something.

Speaker 4: 24:35

We'll figure something out, they could be ballspotting.

Speaker 2: 24:38

Yeah, they get you to show that.

Speaker 1: 24:40

They'll go run around in the woods.

Speaker 4: 24:42

That sounds like my son or they'll run in the desert.

Speaker 1: 24:44

Yeah, my son's six.

Speaker 4: 24:45

Or they'll go pick up the ball and be like look what I found. Yes, yeah, yeah. If me and Reese are not moving on the golf cart, he is gone.

Speaker 1: 24:56

Well, nicole, thank you so much for all that you do you know for the tour and what you're doing for the podcast and us and posting all of our content. Really looking forward to the first month of shirt entries to see what you can come up with for that, how that gets laid out. I know I've got my vision and I'll do that, but I'll send it to you and you'll probably say to me we're not doing any of that.

Speaker 1: 25:22

We'll do something that looks better than that. So, but that's coming up real soon. Today's the the uh where this episode comes out on the 29th, so we should have our first uh entries here next couple of days, chris.

Speaker 2: 25:37

Yes, I am pushing that from my tournament, so we will see what happens. It's supposed to be nice weather so they can have it, uh, worn throughout the round. Let's hope so.

Speaker 4: 25:48

So I can't wait to see him.

Speaker 1: 25:49

All right, Nicole. Again, thanks so much for all that you do for us. I appreciate it. Thanks for spending some time with us this morning, and we'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 4: 25:56

Awesome. Thanks guys.

Speaker 2: 25:58

Thank you, Tim. What a great interview with Nicole. It's great to have her on staff now, Um, but also the incredible work she's been doing on social media is just top notch, and I think it just takes um the tour in general on the whole new level.

Speaker 1: 26:14

Yeah, it really, it really does. Um, you know the, the, the creativity that she has. You know the, the speed in which she turns things around and and and really is, like you said, you know, taking things in a whole different direction that you know we've never had before. What are some tour directors who are doing her best and, and you know, most of us don't have the, the, the skills or the background or, you know, to be able to, to be able to do some of the things that she's doing and uh, like I said, every time she posts something I'm like, oh my God, it's the, the creativity, and where that stuff comes from is, like I said, just really incredible.

Speaker 2: 26:52

Yeah, it's been great to see. You know I've already reached out for a couple of things, but I mean just the, the different mindset of somebody that's not really a tour director but knows what we're looking for. Um, it's just great to have that extra mindset, so it's been great to be able to talk to her, introduce her to everybody that's on a tour with us and, uh, can't wait to see what, what the future holds as far as our social media goes.

Speaker 1: 27:38

And especially you know all the help she's given us with the uh trade contest and and you know, and posting these podcasts episodes for us.

Speaker 2: 27:46

Yes, yes, it's been great it's been. It's been a lot of help, especially, I bet, on your end as well, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 27:54

But let's go ahead and transition now. Um, you know I know the NFL play officer in full swing in Kansas city played uh off low this past weekend. So we're going to go from Kansas up to New York upstate and talk to the uh New York upstate uh tour director, Adam Cahill. Adam welcome, but hey, how you doing Awesome. Uh, how's the weather up there and are you a bills fan?

Speaker 5: 28:18

Uh, the weather right now is a mix of rain and snow, but I'm actually not a New York fan at all, I'm a I'm a Green Bay Packers fan. So I had a, uh, I had a rough Saturday night with a miss field goal, like Buffalo understands, and another, another year that we, uh, we lose to the 49 or so. Uh, you know, we, uh, I was happy with the Packers season but, uh, unfortunately, uh, you know, we fell short, just like Buffalo, based on field goals. But hey, that's, that's football, I guess.

Speaker 1: 28:46

Yeah, you know, the packers really kind of surprised me, right, you know, at the at the end of the season, you know middle about the middle of the year, okay, they're going to miss the playoffs and they really came on strong and the way they they handled. You know, one of my favorite teams, dallas was was just, you know, phenomenal.

Speaker 5: 29:03

I really love that.

Speaker 1: 29:04

Yeah, we definitely handled them for a little bit, but by way of there's no Dallas fans on here at all, so that's good so tell us a little bit about yourself. You know you, you're going into your. Is this your third year going into your third?

Speaker 5: 29:18

year, yeah, third, uh, third year coming up, yeah.

Speaker 1: 29:21

How'd you get involved in the tour?

Speaker 5: 29:23

Well, uh, I originally uh. What happened is is that in 2020, um January, uh, my father uh passed away. He uh and my mom lived down a little river, so at the time, I worked for the state. Uh, we were in a uh shutdown based on COVID, so we were working from home, uh, 100%. So, you know, at the time when my father passed, I went down to Myrtle Beach and I had the honor, you know, and privilege to be down there for five months and being a uh avid golfer for pretty much most of my life. Um, you know, the weather was nice compared to New York.

Speaker 5: 29:56

In January, I looked online and I uh Google the uh you know, tours in Myrtle Beach and I came across the golfing game tour and, uh, I got on the website, looked around and saw the uh different uh events at some courses that I usually have known well, you know, because I always go down there at least once a year or once every other year Since I was little. We'd have family reunions there. So a lot of the courses I knew and I remember playing uh, uh, I said, wow, this looks really great. I ended up uh playing over in Oyster Bay, um, which is uh in Calabash, north Carolina, and uh met the director at the time there and uh played and ended up winning my first event and um, I joined as a member that year and I remember after that tournament I said you know, this is, this is fantastic. You know how do we get it up in New York? Because in New York there was nothing really going on except for what we call the New York State Golf Association and uh, a lot of it's just a gross net and I wasn't really a fan of that as a competitive golfer. Um, and he's like, if you want one star one, I'm like star one.

Speaker 5: 31:01

So so, uh, in February I ended up uh on board as a tour director and um, you know, obviously, trying to get the uh information out um was a little bit more difficult because, you know it's it's a brand new thing. So, luckily, during that same timeframe, there was a golf expo going on in Albany, new York, where we're located right now, and on our first year we ended up with a 74 members total and uh, this past year we had, uh, I think, 89, I believe we ended at. So, um, you know, that's how I got involved in the actual golfy game tour. I believe I played seven or eight events in Myrtle Beach and just that was it. I was sold on it. I said I want it up in New York and you know it's been. It's been a great time since, you know, with all the things going on up here now and the words finally getting out a lot in the local area. So that's really good for uh, for upstate New York.

Speaker 2: 31:56

That's awesome, I mean just being able to. You know that's how I was. I started by playing and then next thing, you know what made me. Eight, nine years later I'm running a golf tour. So uh kind of falls in your lap at some point. But uh, great to hear that you know you were able to find the tour and you enjoyed it that much that you wanted to keep uh doing and you know, basically starting a tour that that you wanted to promote out there that you enjoy playing in.

Speaker 5: 32:25

Yeah, and I knew, uh, you know, a lot of the times, uh, you know, as a low handicap golfer, I mean a lot of times you're playing with guys who, in tour lingo, are C and D flight players and a lot of the times they would be too intimidated to go play in these near golf association events. So, you know, with this tour, I knew that if I bring it up to New York, a lot of my friends in general would benefit from this because of the tournament act. You know, tournament field, you know the live scoring, the banners and flags being up, you know a lot of people there to compete. You know everything that you feel while you play. Just, even you know a two foot pot for par, you know, feels a little different than when you're playing just for fun on a Saturday with your friends.

Speaker 5: 33:09

So I knew that this would intrigue a lot of the golfers up in the uh, you know, new York area, because most of the people in this local area are just weekend warrior golfers. They just go out and, uh, you know, pick up gimme's and so they don't really they never felt tournament action. So that's why I, uh, you know, was really intrigued with how the golf week tour was and just the you know the longevity of how long it's been around and you know, talking with Dennis, you know, for the first time, you know, before I came on board, I could just tell his passion for the game itself that really, uh, you know, helped me, uh, you know, grow, you know, to start it just in general with him, you know, and I talking, you're a champ like player right.

Speaker 5: 33:54

Oh yeah, I'm a champ yeah.

Speaker 1: 33:57

And you know, chris, we've talked about you know a number of times that you know how the champ plate really kind of kind of drives. You know the local tours. So having to have the good strong champ flight and having a tour director as a champ play player, that's a strong champ plate players is. Yeah, it's really good.

Speaker 5: 34:14

Yeah, yeah, that's what we're trying to build on. You know, the last few years is that, uh, you know, we're trying to build that champ flight to be, uh, you know, pretty substantial. I mean, right now, I think, our BC and D is, I think, nationally, probably that's about the same for the most players. But, um, you know, we do got some pretty solid champ flight players uh, so far signed up this year and are going to be signing up. So, based on 2021, when we first started compared to this coming up year, there's going to be a lot, uh, a lot better, uh, you know, champ, uh, champ division.

Speaker 1: 34:45

So what is the New York upstate? What does that area look like?

Speaker 5: 34:49

Uh, I mean it's, it's nice. I mean, uh, there's, uh, it's a lot of, it's very rural but a lot of mountains, um, the Adirondacks are nearby, uh, the Cascals are near us, um, a lot of lakes that we have in the local area, but, uh, you know, benton grass is the golf courses, uh, mainly in the area. But it's nice. I mean Albany itself is the capital of New York, obviously, and it's a small city compared to New York city. Most people say you know where you're from New York. They say, oh, the city, and they forget that there's a rest of the state.

Speaker 5: 35:22

But you know, overall, upstate is basically you, uh, you own land you're going to have, or if you own a home, you're probably going to have an acre to four. The total, I mean there's there's, you know it's, it's busy, um, but it's not at the same time. But golf is, golf is pretty big around this local area. I mean, uh, since COVID and I mean I think nationally it's been, you know, grew, but you know, even in this local area in the past three years has been much bigger than it has been. I mean you used to be able to call a course up and get a tee time, but you know, right now it's uh in more difficult because a lot more people are playing, which is good. Right, you know, to get the uh, get them on board with the tour.

Speaker 1: 36:01

But so when do you actually get to start playing golf? You know it, you know for the normal golf, or when I would see you not playing now. Um, when will the courses be open again to to start playing?

Speaker 5: 36:16

Uh, probably late April. Um, I know our first event is May 11th, but I think day after Christmas I was out playing on a local course because, uh, it was actually like near fifties. So, uh, there's about three, there's about three courses in the area that are actually open all year round. Um, I mean, they're not the, they're not the nicest, but uh, they're par four and five. You know 72, uh, par 72 courses. So you know, some of the uh, the crazy, uh golfers, uh, you know, are getting out as best. I mean, I think Friday is supposed to be 50 degrees in New York and some of the snow is going to be gone before then, so there'll probably be people playing. But overall, everybody in New York in this area, all the courses open around the end of April usually.

Speaker 1: 37:05

Yeah, Chris, you want to move up there.

Speaker 5: 37:10

No, no, you know, we play indoor. We play indoor golf now.

Speaker 1: 37:14

So you have some indoor places that you play.

Speaker 5: 37:17

Yeah, we, we, I. Every Saturday I do a indoor golf league. I do use it as a way to promote the tour. I open it up to anybody who wants to play. On our Facebook media page we have for the golf week tour. I also send mass techs out to players who want to play and then when they show up we have like a piece of paper where the golf week tour logo on. There. I have the you know, my business cards there for people to use if they haven't been there before. We put up that red banner, you know, by the door, just so people when they come in they they get a feel of.

Speaker 5: 37:50

You know Some of what the tour is, even though we're playing indoor and we do like a different formats and stuff just to make it fun. You know team formats like two man scrambles or you know a four man team. You know two best balls. There's just something fun, just so people can get out and swing during the winter time. Get better. I know simulators are not as accurate as outside, but hey, it's better than nothing in my opinion.

Speaker 1: 38:12

Yeah, you had like said you're out there swinging and you know, chris, you know they have them up up there for the cold weather. Maybe I'll pass. I should. Should be getting some Know for July and August when it's too hot to be outside. We think no, it's a rather be outside.

Speaker 5: 38:28

You can make. You can make some money off those. Yeah, we uh about which is funny about five years ago we probably had about two or three simulators in the area and I think now this year I think there's up to like 28 to 30 now in the local area. So they're actually growing these in these indoor places because, you know, a lot of people are just trying to get out now and get out of the house during the winter time and skiing and stuff. The winners haven't been the same as it has been and we don't get as much snow as we did, you know, five years ago. So and skiing is getting expensive. I mean you're talking 180 dollars for a day of skiing when you can go pay you know, 30 bucks or 40 dollars indoors to play. You know courses that you know. Normally you wouldn't be able to play because simulators are pretty, pretty cool at how the technology is now.

Speaker 1: 39:16

So that would cost you know for for a round I guess you pay by app pay by the hour At that.

Speaker 5: 39:23

Yeah, I mean we, for Saturdays we got a nice deal. The course that, or the place we use, is called next gen indoor golf and they're one of our sponsors for the uh, new York upstate, so they they give us a good deal 40 dollars a man for four hours worth of golf. So we're playing anywhere between 18 to 27 holes. So this past, this past Saturday, we played a harbour town so I couldn't make the icebreaker, so I said I'll play where it's 75 indoors.

Speaker 1: 39:51

And that's. That's actually pretty bad yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 5: 39:54

Yeah, it's not bad. It's actually cheaper to play, you know, indoor sometimes and out, but obviously you're just not getting the. You know the outdoor feel you're more stuck into a bay. So, right the numbers. They use track man. So I think the numbers are pretty accurate overall. You know with your swing. So it reads it. I think it reads it pretty good.

Speaker 1: 40:14

Yeah, but the the parting is parting and shipping is is, uh, really so suspect, though.

Speaker 5: 40:21

Oh yeah, I mean, uh, you know it just depends. Sometimes you play one bay and the speed is at 8 on the greens and then one is like 11. But I mean it definitely. Uh, it's definitely better than it was. The track man has a good format. So, but yeah, you're not going to go chipping in an indoor simulator and go out and be Phil Mickelson outside. Yeah, because you're. You're always on a straight flat line, no matter what, no matter what your lie is, you're always, you know, on a flat lie. You're not like outside.

Speaker 1: 40:47

Exactly, but but again, it's you know you're, you're playing golf with the guys you know you're. It's the social aspect and and some of those other things that they go along with, with, uh, with golf and being part of the tour.

Speaker 5: 41:00

That's important as well, yeah, so far, I mean, that's uh, it's been huge. I've been doing that, for this is the third year, um, or the second year that we've been playing indoors and, uh, we probably uh have gotten maybe 20 to 28 members Last year that we met through the indoor Uh golf. That's all, so it actually, it's actually, it's really. It really is a good way of uh Just sharing what the tour is about and meeting the people throughout the winter. So by the time you go out on the spring, you already know each other. So you're like, you know, uh, you know, let's go outside now.

Speaker 1: 41:34

It's up the schedule and some of the highlights that you got coming up for, uh, the 24 season.

Speaker 5: 41:38

Uh, currently, right now. Um, you know, we're building the schedule still. Uh, I believe we have 10 events so far up on the schedule. I'm looking to get about 15 at the end of the year. Um, one of the big highlights of this year is we got a course Uh, it's called the ranch Uh, which is about 40 minutes uh east of albany. It's in western massachusetts. Uh, we played there last year but it's uh, it's a phenomenal course. We got uh two day there. Uh, we have three other two days uh this year coming up.

Speaker 5: 42:08

Um, but overall, I mean the schedule uh, this year is a lot of good, solid courses, a couple of new ones that we've had this year. Um, there's a another course in turning stone which is out Uh, it's at a casino resort in western new york. Um, one of the top uh, probably the top 10 uh in the local new york area. Um, I think there's one course it's rated the top three hardest in new york. It's called kaluya Um, but we're playing shanandoah at turning stone. But uh, you know a lot of the local courses um, you know, this year the ones that we have in the schedule are going to be really good. Um, a couple of private coming up. Semi-private we're getting this year Um, so the schedule is going to be really good. Um, this year. I'm really excited for what's coming.

Speaker 1: 42:57

But that's awesome. Tell me about the father's day shootout. Do you get a lot of father sons, father, father daughters out for Father's day?

Speaker 5: 43:07

um, yeah, this year, uh, when I, when I first initiated the uh schedule for that particular course, I uh wasn't even thinking father's day. I myself, I don't have any kids or anything, just a dog. But, um, one of the guys, uh, he's like, hey, you know that day's father's day, right. And I'm like, okay, I said, well, if I'm a father, I definitely want to go off instead of hanging out with, uh, you know, kids sometimes, but that's just me.

Speaker 5: 43:31

But uh, yeah, the father's day shootout. I mean, essentially what I'm looking to do is, uh, you know, just, uh, you know Whoever can go out there and, uh, we're playing early that morning. So, you know, based on that course, I know it's going to take less time to get through the round. It's a smaller course but it's challenging. Um, but We've already had about four members asking if they can bring their uh, you know, their son with them, that uh to play on the tour this year. Um, you know they're all over the age of 16, but, uh, you know they're excited for that particular tournament because they are going to bring them with them. So I figured, uh, why not call it the father day shootout, you know?

Speaker 1: 44:08

It's a great time to do it. You know, we had, um, last year in Atlanta we did a combination tour with the upstate tour and it just so happened that the, that the, uh, there were, we, I think we had seven father son combination. You know, for the first talker I kind of did a, you know a little side side, you know, side prize for for the winner of that, and that kind of you gave me the idea to do something for Father's Day as well. And it just so happened that, uh, on that day, father won the d-flight, son won the c-flight. But that was that was also, you know, kind of a kind of a good thing that uh, that way came out of it.

Speaker 5: 44:46

Yeah, that's nice, yeah, so, uh, we didn't want to do anything for mother's day, though that's a little bit of a uh, a different subject. You don't want to do that.

Speaker 1: 44:55

No, you don't. You learn that one early. You don't play mother's day.

Speaker 5: 44:58

Yeah, I learned. I learned that the first year when I put one on the schedule. And because I again, I'm, you know, I don't have any children. So I'm married, my wife and I don't have kids, so I, you know, mother's day to me is just another sunday, but uh, and my mom lives in myrtle beach, so she's down in, uh, south carolina, so of course I can't just get in the car and go hang out with her for the day. And then guys, like we can't do father's day, my wife would you know, you know, destroy me and I'm like, okay, fine, we'll move it to the saturday. Then Exactly.

Speaker 5: 45:27

Well, father's day, you know we'll we'll probably get a good crew for that one, for that, uh, that event. I'll probably do something, uh, you know, special for that event, or, uh, you know, get a special trophy or something.

Speaker 1: 45:38

Yeah, it's also tell me about the ranch golf club. You mentioned that and that's the.

Speaker 5: 45:44

Yeah, we played it. I played it before on my own but it's it's a really nice course. I mean a lot of Hills, some of the part. There's a par five on the back nine that has a 300 foot drop off the tee so you can really crank a drive. It's like a. It's like 580, 580 yards. But you know, last year I remember hitting a driver and I had about 158 yards in from my second second shot.

Speaker 5: 46:12

But you're, you know you're so far up but you know it's just overall. I mean the course itself is very pristine. I mean there's water everywhere. It almost feels like you're down south Because a lot of it's all lined up with you know homes. There's a lot of the courses in this local area. You don't get you know houses lined against fairways or rough a lot of its woods, because you know we have a lot of woods up here. So there's a couple of courses. That one especially, you know, almost feels like I'm down south. It's just Obviously we have hills, you know a lot more mountains, but just a real nice course of greens, roll rice and smooth there. They're real fast. We played a one day there last year but everybody who was there they just absolutely loved it and I asked them that night After the event and I said can we hell hold the two-day in 2024? They said absolutely and I said all right, great, how about July? All right, we'll book in now. So.

Speaker 1: 47:08

Nice, that's the way to do it. If you can book, you know next year before you leave, that that's perfect.

Speaker 5: 47:14

Yeah, that's what I try to do each and every time. Some of them just don't allow it. Based on their system they have to wait until January or something. But we got another course in June, june 1st and 2nd, at Norman side. That's our first two-day. I call it the Masters at Norman side.

Speaker 5: 47:29

That's a semi-private course in Delmar. Really great course. Got a lot of high Fescue. You can't miss the fairway because they like to keep the rough as high as Bethpage black and you know that. Just a great way to start your Season. The first two events that we're playing in May are gonna be a little bit of an easier course, just so we can get that. You know I'm gonna call one of them the the shake off the rust tournament, you know right, just. And then come June 1st when your first two-day major is happening, you know they're gonna get a nice taste of, you know a nice. And you know be smart off the tee, hit it in the fairway. You're gonna be, you know, ripping that wrist to get it out of the, out of the rough.

Speaker 1: 48:11

So it's time to get time you serious in June.

Speaker 5: 48:14

Yeah, I would love to get Bethpage black, but it's a walking only course. And there goes our older, our older field.

Speaker 5: 48:22

Yeah, yeah, that course is amazing but, yeah, a lot of good courses this year that you know myself, I, I know that when I build the schedule I like to build it not only to benefit those who are, you know, lower handicaps, but obviously I want to make sure that those that are in C&D and B flight they also can, you know, have where they're not getting too frustrated either with the type of difficulty of the actual course.

Speaker 5: 48:49

So that's what I try to build my schedule. Iran is just making it Good for everybody in in combined Not too easy for champ, but not too hard for D, right, right, but also an experience that they're not gonna get, you know, with the course and how beautiful the course may be. Or, you know, a lot of the times a lot of these guys they've never even considered playing this course because, like I, I Would never think to drive 40 minutes to, you know, the ranch or to turning stone. Or, you know, they just play the local courses. They know because they feel intimidated. But once they get going there, they're going there, they're loving it and that's kind of what, what you want to right.

Speaker 1: 49:29

I mean, you want some trying or horses and playing with different people, and you know, and and having that, that Overall tournament experience but a lot of the group of guys we have so far, that's been there for the past three years.

Speaker 5: 49:41

I mean the friendships that we've had. The first year we had 15 at Nationals. This past year we had 14. We all stay at the house together. We run an Airbnb and you know we're we're still talk each and every day. We have, you know, guys are hanging out, you know playing golf outside of tournaments or calling each other up. So I mean the friendships that I've gained in the past three years. I mean you wouldn't get there anywhere else, you know, by just playing it. And I mean that's what really? People who are new for this coming year, they're gonna go to these events and they're gonna just see how much fun you're gonna have. They're gonna meet these new players and then, before you know it, you know they're, they're sharing a, they're sharing a room in Hillen Ed.

Speaker 1: 50:24

Here you go right.

Speaker 5: 50:26

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 50:27

Adam, thank you so much for taking some time with us today. I really do appreciate it. I know it's gonna be a while before you guys can get back out, but hopefully this disperse some excitement and you know it gets that membership going and looking forward to the your first tournament. One male evidence.

Speaker 5: 50:44

Yeah, I mean, I'm actually myself going to the four ball and Myrtle Beach in February, so I'm looking forward to that. Let me go on down there. One of the guys that my partner in that tournament. Actually he played indoor golf Three weeks ago and I asked him. He's a higher handicap, he wanted to really play in one of these regionals. So I asked him to go down to Myrtle Beach and play. And he's. He just signed up three weeks ago. He's gonna be my partner down there. He's excited, he can't wait. He's never played, he just played. He started golf in a year ago and he's already breaking, you know, 95 on a daily basis. So that's, it's really good. We're excited for that. We're gonna drive down to Myrtle Beach Get a few rounds in before the actual event, so I'm looking forward to that.

Speaker 1: 51:29

That's four ball events. It's a good time.

Speaker 5: 51:32

Yeah, I mean the day the love in the die course at barefoot. I've played there numerous times. Like I said, when I go down there and visit my mom I just go to like TBC Myrtle Beach, barefoot, a lot of different courses, but those courses are beautiful, the love and die. So Looking forward to that tournament big time.

Speaker 1: 51:49

Yeah, absolutely so. You know, if you guys, if you guys want to come down, you know, for your other tournaments We'd love to have you in Atlanta and and, as you know, there's there's a bunch of regionals in that, in the Myrtle Beach area this year too.

Speaker 5: 52:02

Yeah, I think there's another one in June or July, yeah Well, yeah, I mean, I like to look at the regional. I know some of the guys up here. One of the guys already went to Harbor Town for the icebreaker. He was down there. A couple of guys are looking to plan to go to Innisfrook in Florida in April. So the New York upstate, you know some of the guys are really just taking advantage of. You know what we have to offer as a tour, not only locally but nationally. I think there's one guy going to California For vacation and he's looking to play in one of the events out there.

Speaker 1: 52:37

So well, there's courses that that Don Rizner gets those guys on, or top-notch courses, every single one.

Speaker 5: 52:45

Yeah, I see him on Facebook and stuff, but that's that's the one thing that really Gets the new members when they sign up, they're just wait, I can go play anywhere in the nation. I was like, yeah, I mean, if you take a vacation somewhere and there's a tournament in the local area, just you can just sign up and play as a member. I was like, oh, I thought I just paid to become a member and play it only New York. I said, no, you, you can, you're up, you can play in any of those that are on the website, any tour, any regional, and they just, you know, obviously you get the, you get them. You know, the merchandise for the pro shop that really, you know, really excites people when, when they see that, and you know that's obviously Fantastic, that Dennis and then you know, offer that for new members and any member of this each, you know, each year you can get that $50. So that's huge. I mean, I personally, you know, enjoy the shirts, you know. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it's going to be exciting year.

Speaker 1: 53:40

We're looking forward to big things from you. Hopefully you'll be at that 125 member level this year.

Speaker 5: 53:45

That's my goal. I was at the directors meeting this past year and everybody's, you know I was. I was almost at a hundred and I was like man, I really need to, I need to get there. So Things are good. I'll be On my car. Actually, I have, you know, an advertisement for the Golf Week End Tour, you know with the QR code on there, so a couple of people have already seen it and called me about it.

Speaker 5: 54:11

You know we're getting the word out now this year as best as we can just to keep building our numbers up and just to introduce something that you know these guys are just gonna, they're gonna love. I mean, I haven't had one guy yet go to an event and say I'm never playing this again. They just went. The next one Was the next one.

Speaker 5: 54:31

Yeah, they had that first, first event where they lose by one. They get mad, so they're hitting the range up the next day and they haven't been in a range you know all their life. And now they're hitting a bucket of balls, getting lessons Exactly new potters and buying new drivers and getting fitted Because they see it, they love it.

Speaker 1: 54:47

That's great, all right, but take care, we'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 5: 54:51

All right, we'll see you.

Speaker 2: 54:51

Thanks, that's right yeah we do so now we another director starting up a tour. You know we've had plenty of them that have had seasoned time as directors. You know you're included, but it's nice to hear from new directors and their mindset behind it and how they actually got started to Do this. You know, kind of like how I did become a player first, enjoyed the tour so much that you just stick around and next thing you know you're getting asked to run the tour, which is something that you I don't think you expect when you start playing in these events. But it sure is nice to know that you, that people can see you as the director of something so big.

Speaker 1: 55:34

Yeah, and and in upstate New York it's really no different than places like Michigan or Chicago or Minneapolis or Milwaukee or place like that where the golf season is really short and so you've got a short time time frame to to grab you know golfers attention to get them to join. And he's doing a really good job with, with, with numbers and and as really grounded over the first two years and I'm sure that this year gonna grow even more.

Speaker 2: 56:02

Oh yeah, I mean just to look at the fact that just taking it outside the box as well and doing these Indoor golf events. You know they're not gonna get points, but they're gonna get members to come in and get to meet each other and get to get to know each other in the offseason and get ready for, and they are able to get out to the course, something that you know might be a great idea for other Tourers out there that are up north but keeps everybody. You know we're always doing something to keep everybody together in the offseason Us fortunate that that get to play a year around. You know we get to have these little events, these two-man scrambles, this and that, but the guys that can golf, you know, at least he's figured out a way to Incorporate them all.

Speaker 1: 56:46

Yeah, you know, get, get them in golf, get them involved with golf and around each other, with that social aspect. And you know it's relatively cheap, you know, to do what he's doing, you know, compared to even playing a, playing around the golf right, right I. Completely agree with that. Yeah, so I'm good on him for that, you know. Keep up the good work and I'm, like I said, I'm really looking forward to you know seeing what the numbers look like. And he's got he's got some good courses this year too.

Speaker 2: 57:16

Yeah, if people are gonna complain, you know that's they're not going out there and playing these courses, that he's gone out there to Take everybody ready for exactly that I'd do, like his mentality.

Speaker 1: 57:27

You know we'll give you a couple easy courses in May, but come June 1st it's time to get serious and and we're gonna play some serious golf. I like that mentality.

Speaker 2: 57:37

I mean, yeah, that's what most of us do. You know, we start off pretty easy, you know get the new, the new members accumulated to, or accustomed to, playing golf tournaments and then boom, we're right at it.

Speaker 1: 57:50

Yeah, I'm, I guess I'm a little bit meaner. So we're playing. We're playing tough course. I, yeah, I'm gonna shorten it up a little bit, you know, but not even too much. I don't give them too much for break. We're going full-bore right, right from the get-go.

Speaker 2: 58:07

Man just cutting them quick.

Speaker 1: 58:09

Exactly that. No lift clean in place, playing the ball down, all that stuff. Man, we're playing golf. Well, there you go.

Speaker 2: 58:17

Good luck. Good luck to anybody out there that, uh, that is a part of his tour. See now.

Speaker 1: 58:23

I do cut them, I do come a little bit of break. But you know, in Atlanta you know we don't have any real easy courses, it's they're all. They're all tough, championship level courses. And I do, I do shorten it up, you know, at least through middle of April. You know, because that's good, we also get what we get weather. So we get rain and you know a lot of rain in March and and April. So you know the where the courses are in good shape.

Speaker 2: 58:49

You know it's generally very wet and I see, I see, yeah, we, we have dry weather year-round, so the courses is usually, for the most part, they're pretty the same all year long. But if you haven't played, you know West Texas winter golf it's a lot different. What does that mean? I mean, because the grass isn't as high, the ground you'll hit and still get a 40 yard roll because it rolls down a little bit farther. Puts are a little bit slicker, but you have to get used to it. So I guess, I mean, I guess, looking at that way, you know I make it tough because we certain the winter golf, but uh, you get used to it pretty quickly and if you download, then you're gonna be struggling for a while.

Speaker 1: 59:28

Well, you gotta do is, you know, just hit low stingers and and they'll just run out for you sometimes.

Speaker 2: 59:34

Sometimes we hit low stingers on accident because we top a lot of shots and then it gets there farer than we would like it to. We know how to hit the stinger is just not on command, not okay now purpose, understand, I understand.

Speaker 1: 59:49

So you went out to to Arizona after after Vegas. Yeah, what's going on in Arizona?

Speaker 2: 59:57

Oh, so Arizona had their kickoff event. It is a Special event for me because it was Gabe's first Tucson event when he became Tucson director. I wanted to go support him and he's had it at the same course every year since he's been director at Tucson. Then we took over. All of Arizona has been the same course every year. So it holds a little, a little piece of my heart and you know, luckily I went out through the first year I won and haven't won since. Which kind of stings. But A great course. So all a golf club, I believe a University of Arizona calls out their home course the Wildcats. So you know it's gonna be a tough course all around. Love seeing the Arizona guys out there and love it when I have the belt in my possession and able to show it off. You know case they forgot what it looks like from November till now. So I was able to go out there but it was a little bit. You know I was a Sadder event because we did lose one of our close friends from Arizona battled cancer for eight years and finally Wasn't able to battle anymore and we lost him the day before the tournament. So it was nice to see everybody kind of be there for everybody.

Speaker 2: 1:01:07

And Funny story. I mean, I know it's funny story is not probably the right words for it, but whenever I take the belt with me to their tournaments I tend to show it off a lot and my buddy, sean Downs, would always take it from my cart and hide it somewhere on the course or give it to somebody else to hide. And I always knew it would happen. You know it's like clockwork, it's gonna happen. And sure enough, I didn't even realize it was gone from my cart. So I got to the first hole and I was like wait a minute, where did it go? And my riding partner, who was a friend of mine from El Paso, was like I don't know, I put it here, kind of showing it off, and I thought you took it back to the car. I was like no, I didn't take it.

Speaker 2: 1:01:50

So you know, a piece of me might remember, hey, sean, you so always take this. I won't get really upset about it, I'll get at the end of the round, no big deal Round ends. They bring it back to me like, oh, you're missing it. You know, blah, blah, blah, kind of making a joke. And then I told them the story and they're like, wow, we didn't even know that that would happen. Every time you bring the bill, I was like, yeah, every time I brought it, sean was there. It was gone. So it was kind of like a I don't know how you say it a cosmic event that happened, I don't know, but it was something that we could share. He is truly missed by a lot of members up there in Arizona and the guys I've known from El Paso, but it just shows you know, as we talk about on this podcast, that the tour is more than just 40, 50 guys going out to play a golf tournament and you get to know these guys very well and it becomes something bigger than that.

Speaker 1: 1:02:45

Yeah, and you know, it's a lot bigger than that and he was playing as late as national championship. So he was in Hilton Head and we're in national championship this year.

Speaker 2: 1:02:58

Yeah, and we were talking about stories and one of the guys mentioned that he told Sean, we need to get you out there and we'll help get you out there because you know it's not the same when you're not there and we all travel as a group. So they got him out there. I got to spend time before you and me when I had dinner at nationals with him and you know, just talking and talking shit to everybody and talking about the Ryder Cup coming up and things like that. Like it's always a good time and you know, you never know when it's gonna be the last time, and I wanted to make it a chance. Maybe go see him. Wasn't able to.

Speaker 2: 1:03:34

I know Gabe and a couple of guys went to go see him and from what Gabe was telling me, he was actually trying to make it to the event to see a couple of the guys he hasn't seen in a while. You know, unfortunately, what happened happened, but his memory will live on and, like you said, you know earlier in this podcast, it almost hard nowadays to find somebody who hasn't been touched by cancer and the fact that we're there for them and be able to hopefully help them out throughout it is what the most we can do, and I know as a tour we have been and we're gonna continue to do things for that, yeah, and not just our players, but the players' families.

Speaker 1: 1:04:19

You know what the tour means and knowing that it's an outlet for them or their family members, and that it's the tour's life, family.

Speaker 2: 1:04:30

Right, right, right. I mean, one of my assistants lost his father to cancer last year and we're dedicating his favorite course this year to him and memory of him, so got some things planned. I don't wanna put all the cats out of the bag right now, but it's gonna be a good event and I can't wait to get that one started.

Speaker 1: 1:04:54

And just the other day I know you would send me that email about Sean, but just almost like right after that, chris Crook, who's the assistant tour director from Indiana, western Kentucky, his brother, has a very rare form of cancer he just found out about. So I was thinking about him and his family and Todd's going out to that. Cancer is ugly. It really is when you have and I don't want this to sound wrong, right.

Speaker 3: 1:05:28

But when you?

Speaker 1: 1:05:28

have regular cancer or cancer that everybody is aware of, it's one thing, but when you have a rare form of cancer and from what I understand this is the rarest form of cancer that Chris Crook brother has that's even more at least in my mind traumatic, because we don't even know how we're gonna treat this. If it's that rare, right, Right, right. Hopefully they've got a good treatment plan and they're aggressive with it and get it taken care of. I can't imagine what the family's going through.

Speaker 2: 1:06:01

Yeah, it's tough. It really is. I thought some prayers are out to anybody who's dealing with it, whether it's immediate family, friends, somebody you know, a co-worker. It's ugly. All we can do is be there for them.

Speaker 1: 1:06:16

But hopefully for a little bit of solstice to them and their family and support them.

Speaker 2: 1:06:23

But, on a positive note, I still didn't build my putting, my putting was still bad out there, but I didn't lose a golf ball, which is nice, but yeah I mean. And then we have our kick, our El Paso kickoff event. At the course that we have our kickoff event every year, sonoma Ranch, where we won the Ryder Cup, in case I gave listening, getting to see the amount of memberships that are coming in January, keeping my fingers crossed that hopefully we win the tour monthly member competition that we're having with the directors, cause I know my members would love to have a free entry fee to the nationals that we raffle off.

Speaker 1: 1:07:03

Yeah, we've got I think it's got some work to do. We've picked up some, but we've not picked up a great. I would like Right. Well, did you just see that? Little bubbles? Yeah, where'd that come from? I don't know, what are you playing with over there, dude, I didn't do anything. I was just that scratched my arm. That was weird, dude. I didn't do anything. I swear that's bizarre.

Speaker 1: 1:07:29

If only this was a video podcast. It was like the thumbs up, you know, like the bubble Right and weird. I'm gonna have to. I generally don't watch the video portion of this, but I'm gonna have to go back and watch it and this probably won't get cut out to such a. No, that's fine. I've lost my whole training, thought oh so, but anyway, we haven't picked it, we haven't got the, we haven't kept the pace that I would have liked. So you know we got a few days left to pick it up and put it this way, as long as we're gaining more members, that's all I can ask for. Hopefully we'll be lucky enough to win, hopefully we'll beat you by one and you know we'll get that.

Speaker 3: 1:08:09

I won't hear the end of that either.

Speaker 1: 1:08:12

We'll get the free entry and raffle it off anyway, but we also do have.

Speaker 2: 1:08:17

you know, it's almost the end of the month and we gotta get some short entries yeah, I mean, I've gotten a bunch of text messages from my members asking you know what are the details? Can I wear this shirt, Can I wear that shirt? And I just tell them look, if you think it's unique, you gotta post it. You remember, you gotta have it worn all the entire round, no cover up, Like. People need to see this shirt and you need to post it and you need to tag the Golf Week page and you need to use our hashtag so we can see it, Cause if we don't see it then you don't get to put your entry in. I did get a question asking you know, it's not a polo, but it's a golf shirt. That's unique. I mean, enter it. See what happens. I'm not gonna tell you, no, it's a golf shirt. You know, make sure you're a tour director and the course is okay with you wearing that shirt the whole time.

Speaker 2: 1:09:17

I guess that'd be my main thing.

Speaker 1: 1:09:19

Yeah. So, if it was wondering, the all the rules can be found and there's a link in the show notes where all the rules and the hashtag is hashtag GW Podcast Shirt Challenge. It's hashtag GW Podcast Shirt Challenge. There's a link to the rules in the show notes, it's also. You can also go to the Golf Week Facebook page and see the post that Nicole did on this and that also has all the information.

Speaker 2: 1:09:53

Yep, so let's start seeing some shirts. I mean, january is almost over. Heck, if we only get one entry, guess what that one entry already wins and there's no, we don't have to pick one, that's right.

Speaker 1: 1:10:05

And there's lots of tournaments going on, you know, in January too. So let's hope that the players say that they're listening and will submit their entry, because you know, I think it's $750 national championship this year.

Speaker 2: 1:10:21

Right or for a free entry. I mean a chance for a free entry. You already, think about it. You're already in the bracket because you're January, right. So it's already what an eighth of a way from winning and you can win the monthly competition more than once.

Speaker 1: 1:10:40

There you go. Obviously it has to be different shirts, but I mean Right, so I mean we're not leading anybody to, we're not getting any inside information.

Speaker 2: 1:10:51

We're letting out there for everybody to know. But if you're listening you get that extra tip over. The rest of the members that may not know, or the tour director may not have said anything about it yet, but I know I have, and I know a couple of guys that have reached out asked. You have reached out asking if they can wear this shirt or wear that shirt and you do what you want. But if you enter it and you're the only shirt, congratulations. I might as well shake your hand now for at least making it to the bracket portion.

Speaker 1: 1:11:17

We'll see. Let's make it happen.

Speaker 2: 1:11:20

Yes, sir, I can't wait. I'm excited for it. I wish I could enter because I'd be okay with a couple of shirts I have, but apparently employees of Gulf Week can enter.

Speaker 1: 1:11:30

You can enter podcasts podcast hosts. It'll be a bad luck. Hey remember we're not voting.

Speaker 2: 1:11:38

We're not voting. Let's see I'll take the A seed.

Speaker 1: 1:11:41

Oh, we'll see. That's where we do have the, where we have some leeway by seed, I'm right.

Speaker 2: 1:11:49

Right, right and honestly I can't wait for that, because I think that episode that we're gonna post on just seeding the shirts, there's gonna be a who.

Speaker 1: 1:12:01

Yeah, that'll actually have to also be a visual as well, right, right, I think we might have to have a.

Speaker 2: 1:12:09

maybe the person we're not gonna give names, maybe the person that started this whole conversation with the shirt he wore, maybe he can be a guest on here and help us out. Maybe we'll see. Yeah, I do enjoy it, though that's just you and me, Because I mean, you saw in Vegas, people are listening and people are getting excited. People are getting excited for us to travel now and get to some regionals out there. So be ready. If we call you to interview, get ready. And, like we told all the champions in Vegas, you don't get your trophy and award until you come talk to us for a fight.

Speaker 1: 1:12:47

Until you have a sit down.

Speaker 2: 1:12:48

Yep, Like the Godfather. Yeah, come on.

Speaker 1: 1:12:52

Come on, let's talk for a little bit you know, it's too bad that you weren't there the last night. Went to dinner with Gabe and I forget his friend's name off top of my head. Oh my goodness, jason. Yeah, I think it was Jason, he was. So it was Gabe, jason, me and Dennis. We were talking about the hot tub. Hot tub incident at the. Just ask Gabe if he's gonna get in the hot tub.

Speaker 1: 1:13:19

Okay, I will the next time I see him, that's you know, in that text message I replied to the other. You know they was.

Speaker 2: 1:13:25

I didn't get it from the hot tub cause I wasn't in it, so I saw that I was a little confused, but I just I let it go. Pretty sure it was. I can't wait to ask.

Speaker 1: 1:13:39

Yeah, but apparently you know what happens in Vegas doesn't actually stay in Vegas, cause I brought it back and and I got Chen sick and and I think Jennifer's sick now.

Speaker 2: 1:13:50

You must have gotten it from the plane ride.

Speaker 1: 1:13:55

Well, Dennis and I were on the same flight. You weren't.

Speaker 2: 1:13:58

No, we weren't, but from the airport, maybe because I didn't get sick, Gabe didn't get sick and I think what we spent all three nights hanging out.

Speaker 3: 1:14:07

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:14:09

Maybe, maybe it's because I love.

Speaker 1: 1:14:10

Maybe it's because I love Dennis.

Speaker 2: 1:14:12

Hey, hey, hey, hey, it's family show here. Family show.

Speaker 1: 1:14:20

Let's leave it on that.

Speaker 2: 1:14:23

Yes. You can ask us in person when you, when you come interview for the podcast. We'll tell you the story then.

Speaker 1: 1:14:29

It'd be funny.

Speaker 2: 1:14:32

That's like a James brother story. You don't say it unless you're in person Exactly.

Speaker 1: 1:14:38

But we were good, we didn't get in trouble. No, we were Didn't do anything wrong.

Speaker 2: 1:14:43

Enjoyed, enjoyed it. Probably too many fireball shots on the second day, but I needed something to help me. That round was rough. It happens I was talking too much trash to Kevin Durant about being a director and he turned it around on me.

Speaker 1: 1:15:00

You don't start talking trash all after it's all over with.

Speaker 2: 1:15:03

Yeah, it's better when it's at the beginning. All right, my friend. Well, you be safe, get better. All right, we will get with you the next time.

Speaker 1: 1:15:14

All right, man, have a good weekend. Good luck. If anybody has any questions, please send me an email at tim and ATC at amatragolftournet or Chris.

Speaker 2: 1:15:25

At El Paso, at amatragolftournet. All right, we'll leave it there.

Speaker 1: 1:15:28

All right, my friend, have a good weekend and we'll talk to you soon. Yep, likewise.

Speaker 2: 1:15:33

Have a good one.

Speaker 3: 1:15:50

Thank you.