Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
Welcome to the Golfweek Amateur Tour Podcast!
If you love amateur golf, the thrill of competitive golf events, and the camaraderie of the golf community, this is the podcast for you!
Join hosts Tim Newman and Chris Rocha as they bring you the latest from the Golfweek Amateur Tour, covering everything from all of the local golf tours through the road to the National Championship. We’ll break down recent golf tournaments, highlight standout players, and dive into what makes amateur golf competitions so much fun.
But that’s not all, we sit down with tour directors, course pros, and players from across the country to hear their stories, get insider perspectives, and maybe even pick up a few tips along the way. And, of course, we’ve got Roger’s Rules, where we tackle the quirkiest, most debated rules in golf (because let’s be honest, we all need a refresher sometimes).
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Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
Amateur Golf, Pro-Level Passion: Celebrating Ryan Nicholson and the Spirit of the Tour
This week on Golfweek Amateur Tour – The Podcast, Tim and Chris tee up an episode full of community spirit, competitive fire, and a few rulebook reminders just in time for Father's Day and the U.S. Open.
We spotlight May Member of the Month Ryan Nicholson, who’s already played 15 amateur golf tournaments this season, traveling across state lines and representing the Indianapolis Tour with passion and positivity. Hear about his favorite courses—from Firestone to Notre Dame’s Warren Course—and why French Lick Resort is still on his radar as a must-play.
Indianapolis Tour Director Amal Irudayaraj shares how he’s grown his tour to 125+ members in a compressed season by building relationships with premier golf courses like Sagamore and Chatham Hills. His commitment to creating a competitive golf environment that’s also welcoming shines through.
Then, USGA Rules Official Roger joins the conversation for a breakdown of what to do when you’re stuck with an unplayable ball in a bunker. He also weighs in on club throwing, sportsmanship, and how local golf tours can maintain integrity while keeping the game fun.
Plus, Tim and Chris reflect on how tour directors around the country are ramping up engagement with player spotlights, social media, and recognition programs—all reinforcing the Golfweek Amateur Tour’s core: Where Amateurs Play Like Pros!
Key Topics Covered:
- Ryan Nicholson’s 15-event journey and favorite courses
- Growth of the Indianapolis Tour under Amal Irudayaraj
- Why access to top-tier courses matters
- USGA Rules insights: Unplayable ball relief options & conduct expectations
- Father’s Day reflections & U.S. Open buzz
- Community-building through player recognition and nominations
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Whether you're new to the Golfweek Amateur Tour or a returning member ready to make this season your best, head to amateurgolftour.net or senioramateurgolftour.net to join your local tour. And don’t forget to follow us for more episodes of the Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast.
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Hey there, welcome back to the Golf Week Amateur Tour of the podcast. Chris, should we tell people how to join the tour Of?
Speaker 2:course, Whether you're a seasoned member or just tuning in to learn more, we're here to help you dive into the ins and outs of the tour. If you've been on the fence about joining, there's no better time than now. It's a fantastic way to play competitive golf, meet other passionate golfers and step up your game.
Speaker 1:Registration is open. All you need to do is go to AmateurGolfTournet, click Join the Tour button and pay your local tour's membership dues.
Speaker 2:And if you want to keep up with all things Golf Week Amateur Tour, make sure you're subscribed and listening to the podcast on your favorite platform. Don't forget to download each episode, share it with your golf buddies and, if you're enjoying the show, drop us a like and a review. Your feedback helps us grow the community and reach more golfers just like you. Thanks for tuning in. Now let's get into today's episode.
Speaker 1:Welcome back, Chris, we're, you know we're it's been June Welcome back, chris, father's Day. But we're like I said, it's middle of June and we're just steamrolling right along through the season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, like we've talked before, it's once, I think. Once every tour starts their season, you blink twice and then we're at the award ceremony for directors, so it goes by pretty quick. I think now that you and me have been doing this for a while, it goes by a little bit quicker. Yes, I feel like we just booked and did interviews and we're already booking for the next two months, so it's, before you know it, season's over, which is sad but also nice for us directors, in kind of a weird way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know, let's talk about this a little bit in the closing. But from the standpoint of when we started this, you know, three or four years ago we didn't know it was going to turn out like this. But if everybody doesn't know, I do another podcast for the speaking and coaching business and I was a guest on another podcast and we were actually talking about this one. We were actually talking about the golf week one. It's kind of evolved for us and for the tour and how our season goes. It's it's completely changed how I, how I view the tour season.
Speaker 1:You know the way we have to look at the way we have to plan for it, and some of those other things. Um, it's not bad, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's just different. And it's to me, on one hand, it's fun because we know you and I know some of the things that we have coming up that most people don't know about yet, and how we plan for that. So it's good, but it just makes things go by so much quicker.
Speaker 2:Right, it really does. And from the director's standpoint, and you understand this, you know we make our schedules end of October, november for the new year At least the guys that start early when you think that's all the work that's done. But no, it leads up. You know the week leading up to it Event information emails. Hey, I know registration the week leading up to it event information emails. Hey, I know registration closed. Can you squeeze me in Contacting courses to see how it's going? Go visiting courses, like it does take time, and before you know it, your events fly by and you're awarding your own members, you know their awards, and then you're punting nationals trips and it's crazy how, how quickly it goes. I mean, you know when this episode airs I'll be heading over to arizona twice in a 20-day span, which is crazy for two events.
Speaker 1:You can't just stay over there. No.
Speaker 2:You could Well. Here's the thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you have a place to stay when you got back, but you could.
Speaker 2:No, I'm taking them with me, but one I mean. It just happens that I got sick for one of my majors and couldn't make it, so I have to go make up those points. And the closest tour that has a major at a private country club in Sedona, you know, shucks.
Speaker 1:Do what you gotta do. Yeah, Do what you gotta do. All right Well let's get. We got a really good episode this time. Like always, let's go ahead and get started. We'll finish this up here. I know we will.
Speaker 2:Yeah, putting shifts up here. I know we will, let's get started, let's do it.
Speaker 3:Ladies and gentlemen, Golf Week Amateur Tour proudly presents Golf Week Amateur Tour, the podcast talking about all things Golf Week Amateur Tour, including interviews with tour directors, players and course professionals. Now here are your hosts, Tim Newman and El Paso Las.
Speaker 1:Cruces Tour Director Chris Rocha. Chris, welcome back to the post-Father's Day edition of the best golf week amateur tour podcast. That's ever been how you been Good. How about yourself Doing?
Speaker 2:awesome. Did you enjoy Father's Day? I did. I'm exhausted, but it was a fun time. It's always a fun time.
Speaker 5:Great.
Speaker 2:US Open Not better than the Masters, but it's still great.
Speaker 1:Why do you have to start already? I mean, we're just getting into this. Why you got to be this way? Because I have to. That's just wrong, man. That's just wrong. Everybody knows that because the US Open is played on Father's Day, that our national champion is crowned every Father's Day. It's our national championship. Anybody can win it if you qualify, if you qualify. If you qualify, anybody can win it, so come on now. Anyway, we got a great one again this week.
Speaker 1:Best one yet Best one yet. Now, before we get into it, I do just want to make sure I can't remember if we wished everybody Happy Father's Day last time, but if we didn't, you know the post-Father's Day, happy Father's Day. Maybe it will save us just a little bit, I think.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I don't think it's as bad as the Mother's Day that we keep missing.
Speaker 1:No, we, I think we're okay there.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean, you know there's a lot of fathers that play golf on our tour and you bring their sons out to play. So happy Father's Day to everybody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we do have a good, really good, episode. This week We've got our May member of the month, which again it was real close and we'll talk about this after our guest. But we've got May member of the month. We've got Roger coming back on. He's going to talk about some club throwing incidents and how we're going to stop that or if we're just going to encourage it. I don't know what we're going to do Right, and talk about a few other things Ready to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm excited, let's do it. So let's just go ahead and bring in our main member of the month, ryan Nicholson, and his tour director, amal Iradira. Say it for us, amal.
Speaker 5:Iradira.
Speaker 1:There you go, we got it, it's been.
Speaker 6:Amal. As long as I've known him, there's no point in even trying. You got it.
Speaker 1:Every once in a while I get it right. Every once in a while I do.
Speaker 6:I copied and pasted it to put it in my phone when I first met him, so there's no point in going any further.
Speaker 1:Well, guys, thanks so much for joining us and, ryan, congratulations on being the May member of the month. Amal says some very nice things about you and I'm just going to go ahead and read the nomination that he sent in and, as I'm doing this, understand that Chris and I aren't the ones that picked this. What we do is we send them to Dennis, we take off all the identifying information and then he makes a decision. Okay, and so, as we do this, for those that are listening, one of the pieces of feedback that we got from Dennis was the write-up is so important. The write-up is critical, and so, amal, you did a really nice job with this, because, I mean, there were some other really good nominations as well. So here we go, from Amal, I am nominating Ryan Nicholson for Player of the Month for May 2025.
Speaker 1:While my Indianapolis tour is a small market, recognizing dedicated players like Ryan with this award could be incredibly impactful for our tour's growth and visibility. Despite our size, ryan has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to playing and supporting golf across various levels. Demonstrated an exceptional commitment to playing and supporting golf across various levels. Throughout April, he actively participated in an impressive 13 rounds, including three regionals, two rounds on other tours and one local tour event. His dedication to playing at such a high volume speaks volumes about his passion for the game. Furthermore, he has already signed up for our second Indianapolis Tour event on Monday, may 5th that's already happened and the third event on May 12th, showcasing his continued support for our tour.
Speaker 1:Beyond his participation, ryan has been an outstanding promoter for our tour. His genuine love for golf is evident and he consistently encourages others to get involved. For a smaller market tour like ours, having such an enthusiastic advocate is invaluable. While I don't have specific performance metrics from all his April rounds, the sheer number of events he has played, coupled with his active promotion, clearly indicates his dedication and impact. Recognizing Ryan with this award would not only acknowledge his contributions, but also significantly boost morale and awareness for the Indianapolis tour. As the saying goes, the numbers speak for themselves in terms of engagement and enthusiasm. I believe Ryan Nicholson is a deserving candidate for Player of the Month and I urge you to consider his nomination. Winning this award would mean a great deal to our small market tour. So, amal, you did a heck of a job with that. I don't know how much of it's true, but you did a great job.
Speaker 6:So thank you for doing that. No, absolutely Amal. I appreciate the nomination and I'm sure we'll get into more details, but it's been a fun couple of months for sure.
Speaker 1:So Amal talk to us about Ryan and some of the things that he does and the relationship with the tour that he has. That's not on paper, because the paper stuff is great, but what we found as we've gone through and do this, it's really the relationships with these members of the month that has brought out the best stories.
Speaker 5:So the nomination that I sent when did I send Last month, right? Yeah, probably April 2nd week or 1st week.
Speaker 5:I don't remember, but at the time I was going through all this. You know my players in Indianapolis, how many games they are playing, what they are playing, and then how many times I'm hearing from players you know, so to speak, right. So that's what based on. And also, when I am talking to you know my players, like Ryan, and then how do they communicate to me. You know other players, how do they react. You know, during the tournament, everything it's not just like you know.
Speaker 5:Oh, he's playing 15 events. Yeah, in fact, he played the 15 events till May. I thought I beat him. I played 12 events, but he already played 15. So, anyway, so it's not just a simple thing. Tim and Chris, I observe, based on my observation, he deserved to be the you know, player of the month for April. So that's my nomination. It's not just a one thing. You know, he normally constantly texts me and ask you know, questions, and then sometimes I ask him okay, hey, what is the? He's a member of one of the clubs. And then I ask him okay, hey, what is the? You know team workers, colors, what do you think we should be playing from? You know?
Speaker 6:we don't always agree on all those things, though that's but we bounce, you know, our ideas off of each other.
Speaker 5:So that really helps. It's not like. You know one thing, as I said, uh, you know it's based on my memory. At the time I was thinking through, you know, a bunch of players in my tour, then he stood out, so that's how I nominated ryan. And then, you know, as I said, uh, wherever I go, he's, he's there. I mean, I'm talking about traveling. You know, whenever I go to uh play other tours, guess what? He? He's going to be playing next to me.
Speaker 1:He's stalking each other, yeah.
Speaker 2:Hey Amal, I will start off by saying you know great nomination, but stop considering yourself a small market tour man. You got over 125 members, averaging 60 players an event. That's a medium-sized tour. Congratulations on that.
Speaker 5:to begin with, you say that, chris, but still, I think it's a small market. You know, based on my view, that's what I think it's a small market. And also the reason why I say that it is a small market is we basically play I don't know three and a four months. That's all we have. You know, uh, so to speak, like what, august is my last tournament, and then we won't be able to start until first week of May, and then there are so many holidays in between right so if you, if you think about it, there are only like 12 weeks in a year where I can run the tournaments.
Speaker 5:so that's the one thing. And also, even though you said 120 members and every time I'm getting 60, I would say I'm getting lucky. Okay, I don't know, for some it's always, you know, hit or miss. This year how many tournaments already we've been through. I forgot how many rounds. Anyway, eight or nine tournaments, all of them are sold out. My number is 60 players max. Okay, that's what I talk to when I sign a contract with golf courses. I say 60 is the max, but all the events are sold out. I'm lucky this year.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 5:But still I consider myself as a small market because when you consider Hilton Head, charlotte or Michigan, they all have 200, 300 members right, and then every event they are what is there? I don't remember how many players play in each and every event. 150 players, I guess. So that's huge. That's a big market. That's why I call myself as a small market. Indianapolis is a small market.
Speaker 1:I thought you were modeling yourself after the Pacers or something.
Speaker 2:Settle down. Settle down.
Speaker 5:Oh, yes, no, that's true. Do you see what they are talking about? Pacers.
Speaker 6:Always got to be the underdog. Always got to be the underdog.
Speaker 5:I like to be underdog all the time. Yes.
Speaker 1:So, Ryan, tell us about your time on the tour and some of the highlights that kind of stand out for you.
Speaker 6:Sure. So I think this is my third full year playing events within this tour. I played for a few years prior to that with competing tours and just to kind of throw some love of malls way, I actually uh was approached about running a competing tour at one point, and I know what it takes uh to to take on the workload and spend your entire day, regardless of what your tea time is or what your your commitment on your round is, uh to be able to do the whole thing. It's, I'm sure it's a full day and so 60 guys is is what, in my opinion, the the minimum we should. We should appreciate, uh, what a mall does by putting on these, these events.
Speaker 6:And so I know there's other tours in the, you know, within a couple hours from here, and I've I've gotten a chance to meet those tour directors uh play a lot of their events as well as well. Um, um, I have some family over in the cincinnati dayton area, so it's a good excuse to take the family over to visit with the in-laws for a couple hours while I go headed around, um, so that gives me an opportunity to kind of spread out. I travel a little bit for work as well. So um opportunities come up when I'm going to be traveling that I I find something on the on the schedule to make sure I can get out and play.
Speaker 1:so where's when you travel? What's your favorite? What's your favorite tour to play on when you travel?
Speaker 6:well. So I mean cincinnati probably has, uh, one of the followings that you know. I know a lot of the guys on that tour. I've known tyler for a long time and got a chance to play with tyler, uh, when we were out in vegas at the regional at piute early in the year. Um had a blast, him. Neither one of us played well in 30, 30 mile hour winds and 45 degree temperatures, but uh, but no, I had a good time with Tyler and and I mean it really comes down to is the tournament well ran, um and all of so far that I've played have have lived up to that expectation.
Speaker 6:And really, what courses are we putting on the schedule? And so when you look at something at the beginning of the year, regardless of the tour, you look at it and you say, okay, which golf courses are the ones that I want to play? Like Amal said, I'm a member of one of the top country clubs here in the Indianapolis area, at the Sagamore club, and I can play there every single day. But I choose to go play some of these competitions for the opportunity to play courses that that I wouldn't necessarily play otherwise.
Speaker 1:So Well, you know, and I'm and I'm glad you say that because, as I'm, I'm looking at your schedule now and you know, I well, I do agree with you that you're the small market from from the time, from your availability that you can play. I definitely give you that. But you've got some really good courses, and I'm just looking. So you played Sagamore at Sagamore, then you played Blackthorn, then you played the Warren course at Notre Dame, which is a good course. You've got the Indiana, the IU course on there, which I've heard nothing but good things about that. You've got Purdue's course on there again, which is another really good course. So you all are playing really good courses in Indianapolis, right, let alone the ones that you, that you're traveling to, right?
Speaker 6:Right, yeah, no, and as a Boilermaker, I don't. I. It was against my nature to think it was a good idea to go to Notre Dame and play up there. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to miss the foul course at IU this year, but for my health it's probably better to stay as far away from there as possible. So I will be at camp in an Ackerman at Purdue, there's no question about that. So looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Is the foul course that wedding anniversary birthday?
Speaker 6:You know, I don't know exactly why, but I kind of go through at the beginning of the season and put together my list of what I'm going to do, and I must have had a pit feeling in my stomach when thinking about going to Bloomington. I try to avoid that place at all costs, okay. I got you. I won't make a lot of friends here in that regard here in the Midwest, but that's okay.
Speaker 1:That's funny, ryan, that's a good one. So obviously, outside of that course and Sagin, where you're a member, what's your favorite course? That's on the regular rotation.
Speaker 6:On the local tour. I really enjoyed the Warren course at Notre Dame. I unfortunately came up just short. There's a story behind that. I'll give you a quick one here. I had an opportunity to win that one sitting in the back of the flight, kind of being able to take a look at the leaderboard and understand where I was at. And I needed par on 18 to finish that one off. I hit a perfect drive and then let the nerves get to me just a little bit and chunked a sand wedge from 85 yards from the middle of the fairway and making bogey and losing in the first hole of the playoffs. So uh soured me.
Speaker 6:I just attribute it to being a Notre Dame. Nothing good can happen up there in South Bend, so yeah, play like a champion, man Play like a champion. Well, you know I walked into their pro shop and I said man, if I was a Notre Dame fan, this is a spectacular pro shop. They have anything and everything you could ever want, but uh pro shop.
Speaker 1:They have anything and everything you could ever want. But uh, yeah, I it's not for me there, well so, so I was there a number of years ago and I am a notre dame fan um I'm sorry. Well, hey, settle down. Um they, their, their, their practice facility and and their um their players only lodge.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you've ever been in there that place is yeah, that place is, I'm telling you, but I don't know if, if I was any good at golf and younger, that's where I would go, cause I'd just hang out in in, in that, in that place it's, it's um. So I don't know if you've been to to Harbor town for the icebreaker, uh, and I haven't played in that event.
Speaker 6:I've played down in a lot of golf courses in the Hilton Head area they're on the island and several in that area but I have not been down to the golf league event.
Speaker 1:So when we do that, they open up the bar area in the players' locker room. That place is nothing compared to Notre Dame's team Nice Lodge.
Speaker 6:Nice.
Speaker 1:It's phenomenal. Yes, it really is good. So who I want you to call somebody out to? Who's your favorite person to play with on tour?
Speaker 6:Oh, wow, you know I I've had, I've had a lot of opportunities to play with Don Hubbard this year, so Don and I share a little bit of history, both former baseball players, don's based out of the Cincinnati tour, uh, and I think I've played five or six events this year down there and and I've actually requested I know Amal loves when guys do this, but I requested to play with Don a few times, um, just to to make sure that I enjoy my round. That that's kind of the crapshoot that comes with this, right, you know, some days you like your pairings and some days you're like man. I don't know if I really want to play golf with that guy again. So it happens against.
Speaker 5:So it happens. I understand that. That's a good point, ryan. Yeah, players like you, you request for you know? Hey, I want to play with this guy. Please put me with this guy. You know, I respect that. Sometimes I can do it, sometimes I can't sure. And also, another thing is I I cannot do it. I mean, that's a good question. You're bringing it up right. Right, it's not possible for me to put two guys every time in the foursome I try to avoid.
Speaker 5:And also another reason is this just happened last weekend One of our two players okay, he come to play tournament. The other player is saying hey, you are in the wrong place, this is not for you Because he doesn't know. He's the tour player, our tour player. He's in.
Speaker 5:C flight. He's in other guys in Champ or A flight, you know. So, they don't know each other. So I'm even I'm thinking about, you know, mixing Champ with A, a with B, you know, something like that. So we all we have 125 members right now so I would like to, you know, have everybody mix with every flight. You know, that's what I'm thinking, but my only concern is going to be it's hard.
Speaker 6:It's an intimidation factor for some of the lower flights, I would imagine.
Speaker 5:If it is a D flight, they don't want to play with the champ. Even when I put them together, they are already thinking about Amar. Why are you doing this?
Speaker 1:Well, what I would do and I did this for probably, I did it probably for 10 years is I created a team, stable for format, where it was still individual stroke play, where we did a side tournament, no extra calls for anybody. I threw in money for all the prizes and trophies and random draw. You know it could be a champ, a, b and D player, and so they got to know them, but it was also. They didn't really have those types of feelings because it was still they were playing as a team for a competition right, and that turned out to be, you know, one of the most popular events we had.
Speaker 5:I was yeah, I was thinking of doing something like that at the very beginning, like a two-man scramble. Just pick names from. I mean let's have two um pools, champ a and b, and then c and d, something like that, depending on the agit index, and then pick from the ad team and then let them play a two-man scramble. You know, that's what I was thinking, but once again, just like I said, I don't have enough weeks right where I can get those things done. But back of my mind I'm thinking about that also. Yes, well, and to that point.
Speaker 6:So my first win this year, actually down on the Cincinnati tour. Down at Hamilton Oaks I was a late sign-up. Tyler needed somebody at the very last minute. I wasn't going to play. I talked the wife and kids in to go in and see and some family for the afternoon, and when I ended up playing, I talked the wife and kids into going and see and, uh, some family for the afternoon. And when I ended up playing I got thrown in the middle of the a flight and so I played with folks that I had never played with before.
Speaker 6:Um, and and some some people thrive on that. Some people would be intimidated by that. It worked out well for me that day. Uh, but uh, but yeah, that certainly would be nice to to meet a lot more of the guys. Um, but I think there's a good group of guys on both Indy Cincy tour and others I've played with that. Uh, you know you get done after the round. There's some guys that stay around for a beer or stay around to watch and see what's going on. So you know the players are in the other flights, um, and if you're sociable, you can certainly meet guys that way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one other question I had for you, ryan how did you like Firestone?
Speaker 6:Firestone was epic. Firestone was other than the weather on day one Firestone is up there with some of my top courses and it's funny there's a story to that.
Speaker 6:I probably hit the ball as well as I've ever hit it for a full 18-hole round of my life on day one at Firestone but I couldn't putt to save my life. I had 41 putts and shot, I think in the high 80s. It just was one of those days where nothing would go in the hole and it was a frustrating day in that regard. Then flip-flop that go to the south course couldn't hit it nearly as well as I did, but I made the putts that I needed to on that day. So third place finish there wasn't what I was looking for, I think making the turn to the back nine, riding with the guy who was leading making the turn, I was one back and just kind of let that back nine fall apart. But that's easy to do up there. So that's a golf course, both of those courses that I could play every day.
Speaker 1:No question, that's awesome, and I'm still kicking myself that I missed that one. Yep. Mark your calendar, tim.
Speaker 5:I know, next year at the same time, same week, we are going back the issue is I had a family issue that came up.
Speaker 1:The plan was for me to be there, but I had a family issue that it was one of those things that it was better for my health if I did not go.
Speaker 6:I actually got to use it a little bit as a corporate thing. So I'm in sales and I have a customer in Columbus, Ohio that is an avid golfer as well, and so I talked him into coming up and playing with me and he had a ball. We got paired together in the first day by request, Didn't play together in day two, but he had a great time on day two as well. Nice Didn't play particularly well, but you know you talk about the difference between competitive golf and going out and playing with your buddies. You know he got on that first tee day one and he walked off the tee box after not hitting his best drive and he kind of was like wow, that that's a different feeling standing on the tee box when, when it matters.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly breakfast ball there's no, uh, there's no second shot here. You're, you're playing for score already, so yep. So so, maul, you know, with, with what you got left, and again I still think you got a really good schedule. Um, so so you know, good on you for the work that you're doing there. Um, what's the? And you can't say French Lake, because we're going to get into French Lake separately here, but what's, what's the one can't miss tournament? I mean, for all those listeners out there and they say you know, we're going to, we're going to go to Indy, travel to Indy, what's the one can't miss tournament?
Speaker 5:Oh, I would say Purdue course. I like those both courses, Ackerman, Allen and Kempin, because they are two different setups. Layouts.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 5:So one is more like a parkland, another one is more like a link style. One of them is really really tough. First one is I play really good, so I call it a little bit easier course. So I would suggest yes, the Purdue courses are a good one. It's a two-day event and also I have it on senior side and also both golf week side also.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a good get if you got it. You know, for both events Is senior a two-day event as well.
Speaker 5:Yes, senior also two-day events.
Speaker 1:yeah, that's awesome that that's again for for a college course to give up four days like that, it's uh, that's a good job yeah, the important thing that we do.
Speaker 5:I mean, like ryan and all of my, all of our members okay, there are one or two, you know, there is always exception right, right, all our members are. Wherever we go and play, they respect the course. Okay, at the end of the day, I go and talk to the pros. They always say, hey, you guys are easy to handle. All I'm doing is giving you the card, you guys are playing, and then your guys are coming back. No complaints, nothing, you know. So they always say that I just want to go and ask them. Okay, hey, give me your feedback. And then always they want us to come back.
Speaker 1:And. I think I'm lucky. Well, that's a tribute to you and the players, obviously, but how?
Speaker 1:well, you run the events right, because generally we are easy, Just like you say. We show up, we bring everything. When they go off, they run the credit card and we come back in, they clean up the carts and go home. But you know, part, like you said, is we're not tearing up the course. Hopefully we've got decent pace of play and you know we're coming in and we're spending a lot of money with them and for them not to even have to do anything.
Speaker 5:That's exactly what our members are doing. You know they spend money. I tell them okay, hey, this is what you're going to get. They are going to come and spend money eating, drinking and buying your merchandise.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 5:So they always have some racks you know, sale racks available for us, for our group, uh, whatever the course we go and play. And then I make sure you know they're going to keep that pro shop open even after, you know, at least one or two hours after our round is complete. So those are the things I normally work with the courses. And you know, monday we are going to be playing uh, chatham hills that's another country club uh, it's just like a sagamore, that's one of the premier courses in that same area. It's hard to get in somehow I got in, so when I get the opportunity you get, you know I jump, yeah, I get on it, that's all.
Speaker 5:So I don't know how I get it. I don't know how I get lucky to go into all these courses. But players ask know, hey, I want to go to this course, okay, I will try. So sometimes I get lucky, I get in. Sometimes they say no, sometimes I don't even hear from them, so that's how. I'm getting all those courses in my schedule.
Speaker 6:Again, you're doing a great job. I appreciate Amal talking about the Purdue as being the highlight, but Chatham certainly has got to be up there as well. I mean hosting a live golf event here in October or, I'm sorry, august. That's a place that is exclusive, private and I would say 90% to 95% of the guys that are going to play out there are not going to get on otherwise or unless they, you know, have a connection somewhere. So those are the type of events that when you're looking at that schedule at the beginning of the year, you say okay, yeah, this is, this is absolutely one I have to mark that I have to make yeah, that's that's again.
Speaker 1:That's that's good. Uh, good on you. I'm off for being able to pull that one off. But let let's talk real quick about French Lick. This is your third year coming up on that and I went out there last year and that was one heck of a job. The courses were amazing, the staff out there was great. Everything was top-notch out there. So again, if you haven't committed to it yet, I'm just telling everybody who's listening that's when you got to go to Amal. What do you got?
Speaker 5:Yeah, that's one of the courses. You know, I always want to go and play those two courses, especially the Donald Ross. It kills me. I shoot like a hundred and the next day it works out, you know. But Donald Ross course, I've been playing that course for a long time. Pete day I did not play, but donald ross course I've been playing almost. You know, when my son was in college he used to go and play the course. Uh, in the end of the season he he's got a age group championship or something when he was playing. Okay, so that's how I know those two courses. Those are really just like you said, Tim, you saw the course.
Speaker 5:Those two courses are really beautiful and awesome, well-maintained and the staff are really, really, really good. They are, you know, whenever they ask any questions, they're always there to help me and then if I ask them to do something, they immediately do it. I don't get any excuses or anything from them. They always appreciate our group coming and playing, so I'm very thankful for them hosting us. This is our third year. Hopefully I can keep on. You know, keep this French League regional in our schedule for as long as I can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I hope so too. And let me just make one more mention on that when I say the staff, it wasn't just the golf staff, I'm talking about the resort staff, the hospitality staff. The casino staff. You got to go to the casino. Everything there was top notch.
Speaker 1:It really was Well. Guys, thank you so much for spending some time with us tonight. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I'm glad we got it worked out so it's not on game night. I'm talking about Pacer game night, ryan. Congratulations, ryan. What will we see you at Hilton Head this year?
Speaker 6:Certainly planning on it. Yeah, yeah, no, I'd like to make sure that I maintain that lead in the flight division there and get my schedule worked out to make that trip down. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Well, you know we are running out of time, but I was going to suggest you just bump right up to the B flight and knock out the leader of the B flight. That would be my suggestion.
Speaker 6:Yeah, amal and I had a conversation earlier this year, cause that's where we started and that's probably where a longer term, I probably want to be. But uh, right now I've accrued the points where I'm at and so I'm like, okay, well, now I got to decide which direction I want to go here, so we'll just keep playing golf. See where it lands.
Speaker 1:You guys again, thanks so much for joining us. Take care, and we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 5:Thank you guys. Thanks Ryan Bye.
Speaker 4:Let's take a break from the show to hear about Strixon's ZX Mark II drivers. Zx Mark II drivers are for major players, major winners, major power.
Speaker 2:All new ZX Mark II drivers. Drivers only from shrixod. Well, tim, another member of the month, has been interviewed. We're making some great progress on it. But I mean, you know, ryan, he's played a lot of events and for that tour to not be able to have that much time of golf, um, he's sure going now and making other events, which is pretty cool, but you know, one sneeze of a low score and he's back in B flight exactly.
Speaker 1:I like seeing that. Well, number one, I like seeing that he's playing right. I mean that to me is really where it's at and that he's helping grow membership and he's somebody the guys want to play with and all those other things we talk about. But also like the idea that you know he's, he's obviously right there on that cut line and you know we didn't really talk about this. But, um, I would probably say, just go ahead and move now, right, right, you know, just go ahead and make the jump. You may lose some points, but you may end up losing even more the longer you wait, right, yeah, and with maybe not as much time to make it up and, you know, still be competitive in that. You know, in that, overall, points race in that overall points race.
Speaker 1:But just based on his personality and that little conversation we had, I don't think he's really that worried about the competition piece. I mean, he likes playing golf, he likes having fun. Obviously the competition is there, but if you lose some points, you lose some points. It's not a big deal.
Speaker 2:He's still going to play, he's still going to go out and compete and let things fall where they fall oh, definitely, he's not one to uh shy away from from playing some competitive golfs, so, uh, I don't think that's any problem it was fun and um, yeah, I I like having them all on.
Speaker 1:Uh, he's. He's kind of funny in his own way. I made that joke about the Pastures because I think that's really why he wants to be considered small market. He wants to consider himself the Indiana Pastures of the Gulf Recapture Tour.
Speaker 2:I was trying to let him know I don't consider myself small, small market, maybe a medium market, and me and him. I was looking at his membership. We are the same amount you know, and we're averaging about the same per event. Wow. And I have. I mean, I've been playing since the end of January averaging that, so I understand where he's coming from. But I hate for our directors to feel like they're not doing their part or they're failing when actually they're doing more than they think that they're doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a really good point.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's just because we're all together, you know, and if we're not all succeeding, then the tour is not succeeding. So I feel he's doing a great job. You know, setting a goal of 60 players in an event and selling out Some, he had more than 60. So you know, the courses are usually pretty happy about that when you get more than what you're asking. Right so.
Speaker 2:I don't consider him a small market but, like you said, if he wants to be like the Pacers and be considered a small market, then his room was painted yellow, so it might be that mindset.
Speaker 1:Whatever it takes, Right. But again, I mean, he's obviously doing a great job. He's got some really good courses. You're getting some of those private courses and getting this again. You know, getting those college courses for two days, I mean even in the summer, that's hard. That is hard Um because it.
Speaker 2:They're not small colleges either.
Speaker 1:No, they're not, and you know, you know getting getting a college course like that, at least over here on the East Coast. I don't know what it's like, you know West Coast where you're at, but they're not giving them up. They're almost like private courses, right.
Speaker 1:Yes they bring in outside groups and outside play come in but they're not giving up. You know, two days when I was the upstate tour director trying to get on Clemson, the Clemson course very difficult, but we did, trying to get on Furman, and I think Furman did away with her golf team, and I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong on that, but the Furman golf course phenomenal, phenomenal golf course, very difficult to get on. So it is what it is, but let's move on. We've got Roger with us today. You know again, it's been about a month or so, so I'm glad he's back on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so let's bring Roger in. Roger, welcome back bud.
Speaker 7:Hello gentlemen, Glad to be here.
Speaker 1:Well, first off, happy Father's Day. Hope you had a good Father's Day.
Speaker 7:Awesome Father's Day, except my daughter left town, my son wasn't in town and my other son had plans too. So, yeah, I had a great Father's Day playing golf and didn't have to worry about the kids.
Speaker 1:Oh there you go. I'm sure they were thinking about you and yeah, I didn't get to see my kids either.
Speaker 7:They were thinking about me and the biggest thing they did, they asked me had I lost my clubs lately? So I haven't lost a club lately.
Speaker 1:Oh my, they're still in the car.
Speaker 7:I did break a 7-iron between the last time I talked to you and now so that's getting fixed. But everything's good on the on the club front we're good yeah we're good yeah, happy father's day to you guys too thanks, bud, I I appreciate it.
Speaker 7:So what else been going on with you with golf it's been a while it has been raining a lot here so on tour I haven't been able to play that much. I've played right now. It seems to be a benefit golf season. This past weekend I played in an Alzheimer's tournament. We had over 100 players. It was awesome. I've played in a couple of those lately, so golf's been good. We're getting it in when the weather's been okay. Supposed to play again this weekend and I've signed up for two tour events. We're having back-to-back single-day events here on the Golf Week Amateur Tour for Tidewater, so I'll be playing in those. So I'm really looking forward to those.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So you guys Tidewater, richmond and DC did something really interesting a few weeks ago when you played three days back to back to back.
Speaker 7:Right, tell us about that. Did you play in that? Okay, so I hate to make excuses for why I didn't play. We had a wedding that weekend so we were out of town and then the only day I could have probably played was Monday. But I didn't end up playing on Monday. It was about it was two and a half hours from my house, so I didn't play in that.
Speaker 7:But the guys had a great time and I think one of our players, mike Hartzell he's in the champ flight. He won two days in a row in the champ flight, so that was really exciting. A lot of the guys on the Richmond tour used to be on our tour, right, so some of our fields have gotten a little smaller because we can't fill 120 anymore, but that was a great event because we had all three, like you said, all three tours combined and a lot of the things that we've done. Even with the DC tour. Our players know their players, so you know we talk about old friendships and everything, so it's like just a big old family together, everybody's together, and they get to see each other and they had a great time for those three courses, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and obviously Lyle. I can't say enough good things about what Lyle does. I mean that's just across the board. Anything he touches turns out really well because he puts a lot of effort into it. Cephas is doing a great job in DC, but you know what? Sean Redman has been a gem, an absolute gem, in what he's doing in Richmond and good on him for the accomplishments that he's gaining. I mean, he's doing a great job.
Speaker 7:Yeah, I lived in Richmond for about five years when I worked there and I got some good golf friends up there and two of them I know have joined that tour, so it's been great and they love it. They can't say enough about it and they didn't know Sean previously and they said he's just such a fun guy, he does such fun stuff and he's great to be around. He's like a happy guy. And he makes you feel welcome and all that yeah it's awesome.
Speaker 1:I'm actually hoping. I think he and Lyle are coming down to Fripp, I think, this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing them. If they're going to be there, I'll be there on Sunday, looking forward to seeing them.
Speaker 7:Great. Yeah, it's a great event, yep.
Speaker 1:So, with all the rain, you obviously haven't been playing much, but what is that doing to the bunkers and the playability of the bunkers? What do you got? What do you got for us today and the?
Speaker 7:playability of the bunkers. What do you got? What do you got for us today? So funny? You asked. So you know some of these other tournaments I've been in. They've actually employed some of those rules that we used to have, like during COVID. You remember how we would rate and place the ball, but if that's not in play then a lot of times your ball could get in the bunker and we I'd like to go over the unplayable ball rule in a bunker, yes, um, okay.
Speaker 7:So I don't know about you guys, but you know there's nothing better feeling. Or maybe you hit a 300 yard drive, that feels great. But making an up and down from a bunker, oh yeah, I don't know about a 300 drive, I don't know what that is, but sure. But you hit it in a bunker and you got a nice lie and you hit it out of there, nice, and your friends are all like great shot and maybe you make a bogey or a par, hopefully, and it's a great feeling. But a lot of times that's not going to be the case.
Speaker 7:Your ball gets in a bunker. It's way over near the lip or it's it's. It's dug into the bunker where and it's soft sand and it's hard to get out. And sometimes your best option is to use the unplayable ball in a bunker option and it's going to cost you a stroke or two. But I, I know and maybe not with the champ play or you know some people's abilities in a bunker you could be a D-play player or a champ player. You never know what you're going to do out of the bunker. But I have a couple of friends and I, you know, they just cannot get the ball. They just don't have the skill to get out of a bunker when the ball is lying poorly in the bunker and out of a bunker when the ball is lying poorly in the bunker. And they'll take three or four strokes at it and we're in a friendly match and they'll just pick up because what are?
Speaker 7:they going to do, right yeah, and you feel bad for them. But on tour, if we don't have the rake rule or something like that, maybe your best option is to take the unplayable ball relief. Okay, so you have a couple of options, and mentioned before for an unplayable ball other than if you're in a penalty area. You can take an unplayable ball relief anywhere on the course other than a penalty area, and that includes a bunker. The rule is Rule 19. And it is a little bit different for bunker play though, because for bunker play, if you're going to not use stroke and distance, your ball, when you take that drop for the one-stroke penalty, has to remain in that bunker.
Speaker 7:So let me give you some examples. So you've hit the ball 250 yards off the tee, you're in the bunker and you've got to decide what do you want to do? Do you want to use stroke and distance? Well, who knows stroke and distance? You go back 250 yards and you hit back into that bunker again. That's not going to be. Or maybe you hit it out of bounds. You never, you never know.
Speaker 5:Right.
Speaker 7:So maybe that's not your best option. You take stroke and distance, though, from. Let's say you hit the ball into the bunker and you're only 20 yards behind that bunker. Well, there, you still get only one stroke penalty, but you get to hit again from 20 yards behind that bunker instead of, you know, like a 250 yard shot. So stroke and distance is always an option. That's your first option. You can also have lateral relief in the bunker and that's where you drop laterally, no closer to the hole, but your ball must remain in that bunker. And lateral relief to club lengths. And then your third option all of these are one strokes Third option.
Speaker 7:And let's say it's wedged in the top of that bunker. There's no way you're going to get it out. You can go that back on the line relief within the bunker for one stroke, so you line up the pin with where your ball lays and you can go all the way back in that bunker as far as you like. Staying in the bunker, one-stroke penalty, okay. So those are your three one-stroke penalty options, but let's say none of those are good.
Speaker 7:You'd rather hit out of the bunker. You don't want to go back 250 yards, but you could go back on the line relief outside of the bunker within just a few yards. You can do that but it's going to cost you two strokes. So you can take back on the line relief out of the bunker, but that's going to cost you two strokes. But all for my friends who can't get the ball out of the bunker. And as much as they try, maybe that's the option they play, maybe they drop it one stroke back on the line relief for one stroke. So just to recap, there you've got a couple of options. You've got one stroke back on the line relief in the bunker. One stroke lateral relief within two club lengths in the bunker. One stroke lateral relief within two club lengths in the bunker. One stroke stroke and distance. But you have to go back to where you originally hit it. So those are your three one stroke options and then for two strokes back on the back on the line relief outside of the bunker, got it?
Speaker 1:you got it, but now let me throw a wrinkle in here for you. Okay, oh, here you go. So, so let's say, as a, for example, you're behind the green and you're you're trying to chip up and you skull the ball across the green and it embeds on the backside of a bunker. Okay, on the back side of a bunker.
Speaker 7:Okay, another bunker.
Speaker 1:Yep, okay, right, and so instead of being on the front, on the leading edge of the lip onto the green, it's on the back edge.
Speaker 7:Right and oh, and you're saying it's unplayable, then yeah, you're going to have a tough time.
Speaker 2:Just pick up your triple.
Speaker 1:How do you know that I already had a tough time doing it? I mean because that did happen to me and I'm not going to get into what happened. Yeah, this was a while ago. Okay, zach, I'm not going to tell you that I did the second topic that we're gonna talk about today, but I was not very happy and it right it just it was just take a triple and walk away.
Speaker 7:So yeah, um. So maybe your option like so maybe you're on that back edge and you're saying you can't even drop within that bunker there Maybe your option is to go back and play from the original bunker.
Speaker 1:That could have been it. Yeah, but I was so mad that probably didn't. I couldn't have even thought that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:At that point, take your triple, tend the flag for everybody else and call it a day.
Speaker 1:I may have Happy Gilmore'd the flag. You never know.
Speaker 7:You know, there's a new Happy Gilmore coming out. I do, I do Good. Yes, I saw some previews.
Speaker 1:I saw the. You know it was on full swing. Some of the filming with the pros. It was on full swing. Um, some, some of those, some of the filming with the pros, and I'm thinking that must've been such a fun day or days, uh, as a pro you know, doing those, uh, doing those filmings with it. That must've been hilarious.
Speaker 7:So I've also been watching separate stop. I've also read to this new show with uh Owen Wilson called Stick on. Apple TV A new golf series. Is it good? It's pretty good. I think it's produced by the same people that did the soccer one.
Speaker 1:Ted Lasso.
Speaker 7:It's not as good as Ted Lasso, but it's still pretty good.
Speaker 1:I've seen a lot of the highlights I I haven't seen. I haven't watched any of it yet, but that that is on on my list to to do yeah, uh, you know the thing about that unplayable.
Speaker 7:I think a lot of people forget about the stroke and distance uh option and hopefully you can get. You're skilled enough to get out of the bunker, but you know, not everybody is, and you know stroke and distance. It's only going to cost you one stroke and you're getting to hit. You know, if you hit out of a nice grassy area to begin with, you know it might be a better option, right? I mean it's gonna. It's gonna cost you a stroke to get to hit that shot out of the bunker, right?
Speaker 7:right so that's a stroke. If you choose not to take that stroke, it's not like you're adding a stroke to your score. Well, I mean you are, because you're taking a penalty stroke, but you're taking that stroke from the fairway plus the penalty stroke. Right, I mean not the fairway, but wherever you were.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7:Yeah, the stroke and distance where you were, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean it could be the fairway.
Speaker 7:Yeah, could be the fairway. Yeah, it could be the fairway, exactly, yeah, so.
Speaker 1:You know. So, roger, I don't know if you've seen this or not, but on the PGA Tour there's been a lot of or let's just say a fair amount of club throwing instances. There was one a few weeks ago where Wyndham Clark threw a club through a sponsorship sign. There are actually two club throwing instances in that tournament. I forget which one it was. There's been that one, and some of the reporting was because of the purses and the more money that's involved. That's causing more stress. To me. It doesn't. Whatever, I don't care what it is, but let's talk a little bit about you know what's number one? What's the actual USGA rules on club throwing?
Speaker 7:Sure, well, first I'll say, shoot, I've thrown a club over $2, so I feel bad. Now say, shoot, I've thrown a club over $2, so I feel bad now. And I should say that. So we have this unwritten rule in our group If you do something silly like that, have you ever like, let's say, you're a righty thrower, you have to take a golf ball and you have to throw it with the opposite hand or the club? You have to take a golf ball and you have to throw it with the opposite hand or the club. Like you have to throw it like lesby and you feel like such an idiot and then you laugh about it. So that's our new unwritten rule. Like, if you do something dumb like that, you got to throw it lefty the next time. So okay, just try that next time, you'll see how silly it feels someone will get hurt that way yeah, pretty much, yeah much.
Speaker 7:Yeah, throw your shoulder out, yeah. So things like that throwing a club, whacking your club on the ground on a putting green and maybe damaging it I refer to it like cussing other players fighting with other players I mean, you've probably seen some of these crazy YouTube videos where people fight and stuff Even people they're playing with it's ugly. So that comes under the standards of conduct within the rules of golf. Standards of conduct are in the rules book and basically it has to be something. I'm just going to read this because this one thing it has it's so removed from what is expected that A player could be DQ'd is justified. So it's so removed from what the normal golf position is that it justifies someone being disqualified. So, if you know, maybe just tossing a club in anger gently is not so removed, that's. You know, you get mad, people get mad. We understand that. Yelling at another player hey, you talked in my backswing. You know those are things that you can control. It's not that bad.
Speaker 7:But let's say fighting, let's say whacking your club, damaging a golf cart with a club like a club's golf cart and whacking it on the windshield Correct, because I've actually seen that happen. Those could be grounds for an automatic disqualification. But if it's not as serious, most of the time what they ask, what's done, is the committee and we're all the committee. Let's say you're the committee of your tour and Chris is the committee of his tour. You make a local rule and most of the times you get one warning and then from there the committee will make a decision on what's the next step. Is it one penalty stroke, is it the general penalty, which means two strokes and stroke play, or loss of hole and match play, or is it disqualification? So let's say club throwing, you decide as the committee we are not going to allow club throwing at all, 100%. You get a warning, then you get DQ'd and you could make that decision and you put that. But that has to be written as a local rule. Okay.
Speaker 7:And if you don't have a local rule then it falls under that standards of conduct. Is it justified in disqualifying someone?
Speaker 1:Chris, what do you guys do?
Speaker 2:Keep it under the table. My, my favorite's the over, the over, the tomahawk I understand see if you can stick it to the ground.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, honestly, I don't think, you know, in our tour we don't have that issue. Um, I see it more often in in the fun rounds that we do or the friendly matches where you see that happening for a quarter or whatnot, but on tour I haven't seen anything to have to make a local rule, um. But I think you know, we put on such a great tournament and when I say we, I mean we as a as a whole golf week um to where it's kind of like an unwritten rule that people know. You know, we, we take that serious and we don't allow that around here. So, yeah, I mean I haven't had to deal with it, but me personally, on my practice rounds or fun rounds, the over-the-top is probably the best, so I can't go with just the left hand.
Speaker 7:That would See Right, see you asked Well, it's funny, I had a friend who he tossed the club and it almost took me out and he probably he apologized. He just felt like a fool afterwards and you just feel so silly afterwards like why, did I? This is just golf, you know we love our golf, but we don't need to be doing that right.
Speaker 2:I think the most that I've seen is usually on the tee box when their tee shot goes away and then they swing a little harder on their tee and kick it out on their tee. I think that's the most I've seen poor tees.
Speaker 1:A couple years ago, one of the nicest guys we had on the Atlanta tour was having a bad day and again, one of the nicest guys, funnest guys to play with, had a bad day and, and, um, again one of the nice guys bonus guys to play with had a bad day and he threw a temper tantrum and and he's a big guy and he, he threw his ball. He wasn't paying attention. We threw his ball and hit somebody right in the forehead. Ooh, yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 7:Yeah, luckily we don't have too much of that on our on the door.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so we had, we had to deal with that and but you know, it's um, yeah, again it it happens, but it doesn't happen very often and again it comes back to the culture that we built and and you know, like, like Chris said, you know, across the board, it's not, it's not something that we tolerate and that's something that you know, we allow to happen. It's just not good. Yep Well, Roger, thanks again so much for joining us and giving us that great information.
Speaker 7:One last thing.
Speaker 1:Oh, go ahead. What do you?
Speaker 7:got Got to show out my shirt here, my Oakmont shirt there you go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oakmont shirt, there you go.
Speaker 7:Oakmont. That's where they're playing this week. Yeah, so, hopefully so. I found out in 2000. Oh shoot, not 2027. So I worked Wingfoot in 2006 and I saw that it's going back there and that's where I have some family up in New York, okay. So, uh, us Open week this week. I'm, I'm hoping to be able to get up there to work that event. I mean, I know it's a couple years away, but uh, the US Open's a, you know, really tough test the golf, that's for sure and uh, I'd love to go back and work that one again and hopefully I. I worked the U S amateur there as a rules official. Uh.
Speaker 7:I was there for the 2006 open. Uh, and then I I hope to go back again in a couple of years. I was just looking at who. Where are the opens coming up?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 7:And Seneca Hills up in and then. Oh yeah, so.
Speaker 2:I hope to get up there for that, Roger. Well, if two tickets happen to fall out of your pocket and you need somebody to find them, I'm pretty sure me and Tim. I got two guys.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you got it. You're first on the list. Don't worry, because my kids who didn't show up for file they're not coming, they're out, they're out.
Speaker 2:They're on the bottom list, they're out. They're on the bottom list, they're out.
Speaker 1:They're out. Roger, I don't know if you know this or not, but Joe Jasper's qualified for US Senior Open next week at Broadmoor.
Speaker 7:Awesome.
Speaker 1:Not next week. It's the 26th to the 30th of June.
Speaker 7:Okay, cool.
Speaker 1:So not this episode but the next episode. We'll know if we have a USU Open champ on our tour.
Speaker 7:That's awesome. Yeah, I'll definitely check that out.
Speaker 1:Yep. So again, roger, again, thank you so much for what you do and spending some time with us. I really do appreciate it and hopefully we'll see you real soon.
Speaker 7:Thank you guys, Keep those questions coming in you got it bud All right Later.
Speaker 1:Thank you, guys, Keep those questions coming in.
Speaker 7:You got it bud, All right.
Speaker 1:Later. Thank you, let's take a break from the show to hear about Strixon's ZX Mark II irons.
Speaker 4:A great iron set needs more than good looks. It's got to be fast and got to be pure, but good looks never hurt either. The all-new ZX Mark II irons from Strixon.
Speaker 2:Tim, it's always great to talk to Roger. I mean I can't believe it's been over a month, or close to over a month, that we've had him on. But rules are always something that's going to be part of this game, whether you like them or not, or whether they benefit you or hurt you. You know I had a rule come up from my champ flat guys about um, a ball being embedded in a tumbleweed and he couldn't really identify it. Uh, but he hit he, he thought it was his, he hit it out, come to find out it wasn't his and he goes back and it's maybe 10 paces to the to the left. So you know the rules are always there and not everybody knows them. At the time I had to look it up and confirm that I was given the right ruling, um. But you know it's, it's, it's part of the game and it's great to have somebody that we can lean on to uh to get the correct ruling on it. I mean, this guy knows like the back of his hand.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and again, if you know the rules, you can use them to your benefit. Right, that's the other key. Like Roger says, all the time, it's not meant to punish you or hurt you. If you know the rules a lot of times, you can use them to your benefit. And just like he talked about today, with the embedded ball rule in a bunker, you know, know the rule and you don't have to take three strokes at an embedded ball in a bunker. You can pull it out, take a drop and move on from there, and it could be the difference between bogey and triple bogey it could be two strokes.
Speaker 2:Correct. And I mean, you know, in our group chat between us three, we're always sending videos. Mean, you know, in our group chat between us three, we're always sending videos of, you know, the USGA coming out with a video on explaining a rule or this and that just to keep us fresh on what's going on. Um, hitting left-handed when you're right-handed, hitter um, there's all these rules that that you may not know about, that you know, at the end of the day can can help you and save your round exactly.
Speaker 1:And um, don't throw clubs. Just just don't throw clubs, or balls, or hats, or glasses or anything to other people, just be normal.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you, tomahawk, best one Gets your stretch on your shoulders you know stretching behind and it goes straight up in the air or straight forward. Oh God, see, see, see, see, I'm a bad influence.
Speaker 1:You are, you are and and see, people are gonna think that's the norm now because chris chris on the podcast is doing it.
Speaker 2:That means everybody can do it no, no, no I said, I only do it on on friendly rounds when there's a little too much to uh, too much beverages around. Okay, that's when that chris comes out. Tournament golf is different, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, you know we had Roger and we had Ryan Nicholson on from the Indianapolis tour. Again, you know we had some really good nominations for the month of May and you know Dennis' feedback was something that you and I had talked about the month before, because we look at it and you and I talk about it, but we're not the ones who make the decisions. But the write-up is important and when Dennis saw it and his feedback to us was how important that write-up was to his decision-making, it's important, right is decision-making. It's important Right Now. Before we go into this, one thing before I forget is you know I really like your email to your players with the player spotlight. Appreciate it. You did a really nice job of that and bring Lyle up. Lyle always does a really good, good job and lyle's the one who does the the graphic for the player of the month right um, he did.
Speaker 1:He did one that was really nice, and when I sent him an email told him that I liked it, he said, well, I, if you want, I'll do the graphic. For that I said, no, you just keep doing the graphic the way you're doing it I just want to let you know that, that that I thought you did a good job with that, um, um, I mean everything he does, I mean all of his graphics are, are, are really good.
Speaker 1:He's really really good at that but uh, and I think you know I don't know how true this is, maybe it's just, maybe I'm in my head with this is that some of these things that we're, that we're doing um are elevating um, what local tour directors are doing in in highlighting their players?
Speaker 2:for sure. I mean, like I can't take the credit. I got it from the arizona guy arizona tour, when when they started it I didn't even know lyle was doing it for his um. So I kind of you know, they put it in the group chat and I kind of said, hey, that's a great idea, I'm stealing it. And once I posted out, I got I'm not kidding 10 text messages asking how they, why they were not the first. Well, it had to be Jordan, it had to be somebody right. And when your assistant texts you, you ask you why he's not first. I told him, because you work for me, you're not a member, you're an assistant director and if you keep it up.
Speaker 1:I'm going to make you do it for everybody, right right, right, but no, I do think it elevates us.
Speaker 2:You know, it challenges me when I see see my, you know the, the tours around me do more social media, because then it's like, okay, what can I do? Right, you know, I, I want my guys to to be able to have things to post out, um, because they like to brag on themselves plain and simple golfers like to brag, especially when they win.
Speaker 1:Go back to what Trey told us when we were in Louisiana last year. He said if you involve people, they want to hear other people talking about them.
Speaker 1:And they want to talk about them. That's not a knock on anybody, that's just human nature. But Trey was spot on and you're right, they want to brag on it. Here's another. For example, we had a tournament and I had my granddaughter with me last week and I took her back and, uh, I hadn't posted the pictures yet on Monday. Monday Saturday hadn't posted pictures yet on Monday, and one of the guys who who got his first one of the year, he said you know, you're going to post these pictures anytime soon.
Speaker 1:Um, and, and, and he did, and he did it with a laughing emoji, Right? So I mean, it's just the way he was. I was like, oh my God, man, and I took it the way that it was meant. You know, I didn't take any offense to it, but that's it.
Speaker 1:They want to see it and they want to post it and they want to brag on themselves and they want all those things, and good on them for doing it as well. So it does elevate us, it does make us um, not only, as you know, from podcasts, but also from individual tour directors. It makes us work, work more to, you know, to keep up with with um what the players want.
Speaker 2:For sure, for sure, I mean, and there's always different ideas to do. You know, yeah, like you mentioned, trey and Louisiana, they do their pre-tournament podcast. It takes time, man, it takes time. We tried to do it last year and trying to get all that organized is crazy. It is crazy. But I think you know when you do it, it does elevate it. When you don't do it and you have done it in the past then members ask you know?
Speaker 1:where is it?
Speaker 2:Why hasn't it been done? Why?
Speaker 1:are you?
Speaker 2:slacking off, dude, right right, do your job and I just can't wait. I enjoy every year, because every year you find something that someone else does and you're just able to elevate yourself.
Speaker 1:And that's what it's about for us and our players in the tour.
Speaker 1:Let's run through the other nominations Again. All good nominations, I'll start. We had one from the other nominations. Again, all good nominations, I'll start. We have one from the Mississippi Tour and this is. I would like to nominate Ronnie Averitt. Ronnie's been around for a while. He's a longtime member of Golf Week and Senior Tour, always willing to help, always recruiting and is playing on our tour just about every weekend. And that's true. Ronnie is all over the place. He plays regionals, local tournaments and he plays both national championships and you know, again, ronnie's been around for a while and does a great job in promoting the tour and getting members from Mississippi. So, ronnie, keep it up bud and looking forward to seeing you.
Speaker 1:Hopefully, we'll see you at a regional and or national championship.
Speaker 2:Definitely. We also got another one from the Nashville tour and I guess this is where you bring up. Write-ups are very important. A-flight player, Matt Warren, longtime player, very competitive, always a voice of reason and always helps to recruit players. Loves Hilton Head, yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know again, I'm not knocking anybody, I mean that's not on Matt, I mean it is what it is. But you know again when you compare that write-up to Ryan's or the next one I'm getting ready to read. You know it may take a couple extra minutes, but the presentation of it and the write-up of it um is really important that.
Speaker 1:Go back to to what Tyler did without Albert Delamar out of St Louis. Tyler did a really good job with that, had a nice graphic. I mean, he, he did a really really good job with that and, um on, let's put it this way, I'm not, let's put it this way, I'm not knocking any winner or anybody, but I was surprised that Albert didn't win just based on that write-up. Not that Mike Cobb wasn't deserving, because he was Right, but I mean that write-up was phenomenal.
Speaker 2:But anyway, it helps when it comes down to the wire.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And Dennis has to decide who to pick. Like the extra wording helps.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So here's the last submission for May. This comes from Tampa and the nominee is Mike Horn, and the nominee is Mike Horn, and what Shane wrote was this is the write-up we did about him in one of our recent newsletters. So he was a player spotlight for Tampa. It says back in 2023, mike Horn won a tournament and never expected what happened next. Two years and 47 tournaments later, this player found his next win Wow, wow.
Speaker 1:During the time in between, he started to doubt himself and wonder if this game was for him. He knew he couldn't quit because he was teaching his two kids I would never give up on something you love to do. So he kept pushing forward, regardless of the outcome. We've all been there. Keep pushing forward and love the game, because life is too short to give up. Mike always helps us at tournaments with unloading the truck, setting up or whatever is needed. He's always sharing our Facebook posts to other golf Facebook pages in order to help grow our tour. He always has people that want to play with him, but he remains neutral and plays with whoever he is paired with, plays in all other tour tournaments, goes and checks out courses for us prior to a tournament when we do not have time to do so. He deserves to be chosen for all the reasons stated above, and that's a good write-up because it really kind of gets into again some of the things that we've talked about who our ideal member is.
Speaker 2:Right, right, I mean I've had members that have gone through the same thing. You know, I think jordan went three plus years without winning a tournament and just kept I mean he didn't miss a tournament, kept persevering, trying to get there and he finally got one.
Speaker 2:Um, you know it takes a lot of weight off your shoulders and I'm pretty sure that's what happened with Mike as well. But you know, like you said, it's it, it was tough between him and Ryan and it it comes down to to how your directors view you and and see you as a, as a member and, you know, kind of a spokesperson for the tour itself. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, you know. You know kind of a spokesperson for the tour itself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely, you know, you know I would say all the nominees were deserving of of being chosen, but but but you know, good on Ryan, good on Amal, and you know I, I think Amal is absolutely correct that you know, having somebody chosen out of the 47, 48 tours from your tour being member of the month, it does look good for your tour, for sure.
Speaker 1:Absolutely does, for sure. So get your nominations in for the month of June, because we already have four. Where is that five? January, february, march, april we already have five, so we only have three left June, july and August. So get your nominations in by July the 5th, and looking forward to see who that, who the, who the June winner is. This could be fun.
Speaker 2:It will be. I can't wait it's going to be awesome.
Speaker 1:So so what do you got going on? I know you got some ornaments. I mean you, you, you got busy, you got busy in 30 days yeah. The countdown's on for you. You're under 30 days, right? You're right at 31 days.
Speaker 2:I could probably ask my son and he'd tell you exactly how much. But it's getting close. Let's see. We got head out to go to Sedona, arizona, for a golf tournament there. Come back, have a weekend off. Then go back to Arizona for a golf tournament there. Come back, have a weekend off. Then go back to Arizona for our two Bach tournament. Come back, have a local tournament. Then I leave to Hawaii for 10 days Play some golf up there. Can't wait. You're going to love it and people keep asking You've been surfing.
Speaker 2:I've never surfed. They'll teach you. Do you think my round body would yes?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Do it. I'll give it a try. I'll probably fall on my ass, but I'll give it a try.
Speaker 1:That's okay, try it. I mean seriously Just do it, literally just do it when we went out there. So we went out there. Oh, this is probably 15 years ago, I'd say 1900s. Oh my God, why are you going to be this way? I'm trying to tell you something.
Speaker 2:It's because the other day in the car I asked my wife let's play some 90s summer hits playlist. That popped up. She's like, yeah, that'd be great. And then my youngest from the 1900s, that's too old. I mean, you're not wrong.
Speaker 1:But that is messed up.
Speaker 2:They're funny, man, kids are funny. So, let me just show this to you real quick here.
Speaker 1:Let's see here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, while you pull that up, I mean we're going to rent some UTVs that I get to drive. Okay, and go into the mountains area. They have like a little tour where they film Jurassic Parks. Oh snap Huh. All right, if you can do it, I'll do it. See, I was thinking the big wave that like went over my head and all that. No, this is just. This is a kiddie pool.
Speaker 1:See, oh, just so you know, that's AI, that's an AI picture, although I'm not going to lie. When we went out there again when we went out there, it was probably 15 years or so ago we did go surfing. Jen went surfing. I mean, they'll teach you. You need to do it because it's fun, but it's hard work, I mean it's not easy.
Speaker 4:Oh, I'm pretty sure it is not easy. It's a bunch of leg and core.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. And so we were there in January. It was January, we were there and we probably only did it for maybe 45 minutes tops, and when we were done I was so dehydrated, had a headache, I couldn't even drink, you know, the daiquiri up at the pool afterwards I had my head my head hurt so bad.
Speaker 2:I believe it I mean. People forget that it's harder, like when you're by the ocean or you're on the ocean. You dehydrate a lot quicker because just the way the sun hits off the ocean, yeah Gets you I believe it, so we give a shot, oh man.
Speaker 2:I'll have pictures of show. I'll send you pictures. I can't wait. I'm super excited. I got a Royal of the show. I'll send you pictures. I can't wait. I'm super excited. I got a Royal Hawaiian Golf Club. I have a 610 tee time, first one to go out by myself. Okay, that's going to be.
Speaker 1:You take the boys with you.
Speaker 2:I'm going to offer it to them, see if they want to go, but the views are going to be spectacular. They say at that time, okay, so I'm not going to offer it to them, see if they want to go, but the views are going to be spectacular.
Speaker 1:They say at that time Okay, so I'm not going to tell you anything, but what you need to tell them. It's not an option, just come on, let's go.
Speaker 7:We're going.
Speaker 1:Just get sleeping in your clothes, whatever, but we're going. But we're going Because you know again, those are things that you're. It's not like you can do it again next week.
Speaker 7:Right.
Speaker 1:Right, right. So but anyway, you got, you got busy time coming up and I mentioned, you know, in the opening that you know how, how the podcast has evolved and some of the things that it's done for us and how it's kind of changed the way we, how we get through the year with the tour and it. It really is funny I, I, with the other podcasts, I do, I do, I do guesting on it, um, and people interview me and that type of thing. And we were actually talking about this podcast and, um, the podcasting journey, how we've, how I've grown, how we've grown, how, how both, how, how both of the podcasts have grown. And I told him you know, if you go back and listen to our first episode, it's nothing like it is now.
Speaker 7:No.
Speaker 1:You know the quality of the sound. I think we're both much better interviewers. The show has a lot more direction to it and it just feels a heck of a lot different. And when we made the decision to go from just audio to video, we should have just been doing video, I would say right from the start, but almost right from the start.
Speaker 2:I brought it up. I think it elevates us.
Speaker 1:It did it does you know every time we do it you know. The downside to that is you know before, when we were, when we would travel, if we're just doing audio, it was no big deal. Right now, now, now when we travel, we have something going on, like both of us do mainly you it's. It's not as simple as just as just you know. Take the microphone and soundboard, right, you know, right, we've got. We got other things we have to think about but that that's. Those are good things.
Speaker 2:Um, it's great and um it's fun, man it's fun to to just get people on on the camera and you know people say that they're nervous but you can't tell that they're nervous talking to us. I think, I think we we have to, you and me have too much fun doing it to where it relieves the nervousness from everybody else, Exactly, by the way having too much fun.
Speaker 1:Uh, dennis had a tournament almost right by my office last week or two weeks ago, whenever it was, and uh, had a tournament almost right by my office last week or two weeks ago, whenever it was, and hadn't seen him in a while. You know, he's got all the stuff that he's got going on. So I just, you know, as I was heading into my office, I figured I'd just go check in and say hi and ran into the mayor, saw him. Of course he better be there. He was there, saw a couple of the other guys and again, it's the. It's good to see them and it's also good to know that they're listening, because that's how they recognize us Right, that's how they recognize me, because that's how they recognize us Right, that's how they recognize me, you know, and I you know, and I know you do it.
Speaker 1:I appreciate the support from all our members. It's great and that's why we do it. We do it for them anyway.
Speaker 2:I mean, when I was out at the Ohio regional, a handful of people hey, you look familiar. Where do I know you from Podcast. Oh yeah, that's right, you know you're on the logo, this and that. So, or Dennis introduced me to people and oh yeah, this is the co-host from the podcast, like, not even tour director, just co-host from the podcast. So it's fun and it's nice and, like you said you, you said we interview so many people throughout the year, or we've interviewed. I'd be curious to know how many people we've actually interviewed at all these places, because when we go to nationals and I go to my tournament, it's like 5, 10, 15 guys, people that notice and recognize exactly, it's fun and we enjoy it.
Speaker 1:So we got the raffle for the clubs.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:Put all that in the show notes, and next time we talk it'll be almost July, jeez.
Speaker 2:Don't say that hey.
Speaker 1:Is what it is. I'll be going to, so here's the thing.
Speaker 1:Let's remember this Next time we talk we have to put in our notes, our show prep notes. Happy 4th of July we'll do because you know we it was belated. Happy Father's Day. It's also belated. Happy Flag Day. Flag Day and Father's Day were on the same day this year. I don't know if you celebrate. I don't know if you celebrate Flag Day. Flag Day and Father's Day were on the same day this year. I don't know if you celebrate Flag Day. My family has been celebrating Flag Day for years.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you could hear that, but Jen's on the other side of the curtain over there laughing. That's kind of an inside joke for my youngest daughter, but anyway, it's all good things, man.
Speaker 2:It's always. It is always.
Speaker 1:You take care of yourself Best of the family.
Speaker 2:Likewise.
Speaker 1:And we'll talk to you soon. All right, sounds good. All right, bud. See ya. All right, that's a wrap for this week's episode. But, chris, after all this time, you would think we would remember this stuff.
Speaker 2:We forgot to tell people how to register, didn't we? Yep?
Speaker 1:take it away.
Speaker 2:Well, if you're not already part of the Golf Week Amateur Tour, what are you waiting for? Grab your clubs, join the fun and see what competitive golf is all about. You can sign up today and start meeting some incredible folks who love the game as much as you do.
Speaker 1:All you need to do is go to AmateurGolfTournet, click the Join the Tour button and pay your local tour's membership dues.
Speaker 2:And hey, don't forget, if you're enjoying the podcast. You can catch us on all of the major podcast platforms. Be sure to download, share with your golf buddies and throw us a quick review if you're feeling the love. It helps us keep bringing you the good stuff and reaching even more golfers out there. Thanks for hanging with us and until next time, keep swinging and having fun out there.
Speaker 1:We'll see you next time. Take care.
