2011 THP Outing Questions/Suggestions

[JRod]

You know it Dooooood! Got something REALLY cool lined up for that event.

But just talked to someone that said "I promise you will make the next event BETTER than the one that just happened".

Think contests, think lots of them, and think FUN!!!!

I will not be missing another one of these. Hopefully by then I am much closer!! (As in SC!)

 

[TC]

incredible! we already have someone who wants to be on board to make it better? we're like spoiled children, i love it.

 

[adwillingham]

It should be noted that it can be done cheaper as well for people depending on where their flights are coming from and what they choose to eat and drink. I know some that shaved a couple of hundred dollars off that price.

I probably did this about as cheaply as possible. We drove down, only stayed two night at the resort, and didn't have alcohol costs. Including gas and tolls, I would estimate I spent more like $600.

 

[JB]

I will not be missing another one of these. Hopefully by then I am much closer!! (As in SC!)

Awesome, we look forward to meeting you.

incredible! we already have someone who wants to be on board to make it better? we're like spoiled children, i love it.

Wait till you hear about this one. Very cool contest idea and we will have LOADS of cool contests again.

 

[TC]

Awesome, we look forward to meeting you.



Wait till you hear about this one. Very cool contest idea and we will have LOADS of cool contests again.

No hints huh?

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[White Rhino]

Wow go out for breakfast and I miss 3-4 pages of chatter... let me try to catch up!!

While we are on the subject, WR, you are right, we COULD do the 2nd outing outside the state of FL. We are not opposed to that depending on the planning since there will be no demo day. I can assure you the 1st one would be local to us because of logistics, but outside of that, we could explore other areas.

i think that's completely fair, and i must admit, it's a bit exciting to think that i could be playing in a THP ryder cup in california, or arizona, or south dakota, or new york, or ohio, or hell, even canada!

i like the direction in which this is going!!

one thing to consider though guys concerning floating the smaller event around from region to region:

it will still be a THP event! we're wanting to create a smaller outing that obviously doesn't revolve around a demo portion, but more of a golfing portion. we want to create a format that gets the competitive juices flowing and naturally and RC format makes the most sense. JB and i have been discussing this and he's wanting to take it to the next level:

-shirt sponsorship for each team
-hat sponsorship for each team
-a widget on the thp.com that will update match results
-and of course, serious shwag and prizes for the winning side

if we go that route unfortunately these smaller weekend outings will more than likely need to be near THP HQ, b/c the prizes/shwag is going to hopefully be considerable. we're also talking about some other competitions involved as well (putting/chipping/long drive/closest to the pin/most accurate tee shot) so there will still be some merchandise for them to tote per se.

Summing all this up in one response. JB thak for finally at last stating that you at least see a possibility of smaller outings being outside the state of Florida. To your point in bold about them having to be "THP events" and the schwag requirments would mandate it be near Florida, youare going backwards again my friend. The schwag is not necessary, that is fine for the "major outing" the second outing can be one just a bunch of people getting together for a round of golf. I personally have no problem helping to set something up if it were to be in SoCal or in the Southwest area so like I belive Mary said you and GG can relax and just be part of the event without having to stress over every detail. You did a tremendous job with this last one, let others of us help out if wanted. I think you are sticking to hard to the "THP outing" emphasis and I do understand your thinking or I believe I do. But really when you think of it THP is more than this website or THP media, it is the people who are members here, who contribute both monetarily and in discussions in the forum. So therefore any gathering of the members could be considered a THP outing. I am not looking to split hairs or start an argument, all I am saying is simply consider a second smaller outing that can be rotated, maybe the event could be North vs South and it alternates every year. I am just saying there are alot of good people here with alot of good ideas

 

[MaryC]

I don't know if this was mentioned, but if you don't mind me asking. How much was the outing with some drinks, other food, plane tickets, etc. cost? Just trying to get an idea of how much the total cost would be. If not allowed to say it on the forum, someone feel free to pm me please. Just trying to see if I would have the funds to be able to do this for the next outing. Thank you!

And if I can afford it, I'm open for anything. Whatever JB and GG plan, then I'm sure it's going to be awesome! I'm still jealous of the last one lol

My total for three nights/4 days including all my drinking/eating was $733. Now, in fairness, I didn't share a room (only single female at outing), used frequent flyer miles for my airfare, and drank quite a bit at the iBar and had lunch there two of the three days (there were cheaper food options). But, I was shocked how cheap my weekend was. My normal solo vacation at a resort like PGA National, which I take at least once a year, typically runs me around $1300 - 1500. So that attests the type of deal we had at PGA National, even with the 18% gratuity.




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[JB]

Wow go out for breakfast and I miss 3-4 pages of chatter... let me try to catch up!!









Summing all this up in one response. JB thak for finally at last stating that you at least see a possibility of smaller outings being outside the state of Florida. To your point in bold about them having to be "THP events" and the schwag requirments would mandate it be near Florida, youare going backwards again my friend. The schwag is not necessary, that is fine for the "major outing" the second outing can be one just a bunch of people getting together for a round of golf. I personally have no problem helping to set something up if it were to be in SoCal or in the Southwest area so like I belive Mary said you and GG can relax and just be part of the event without having to stress over every detail. You did a tremendous job with this last one, let others of us help out if wanted. I think you are sticking to hard to the "THP outing" emphasis and I do understand your thinking or I believe I do. But really when you think of it THP is more than this website or THP media, it is the people who are members here, who contribute both monetarily and in discussions in the forum. So therefore any gathering of the members could be considered a THP outing. I am not looking to split hairs or start an argument, all I am saying is simply consider a second smaller outing that can be rotated, maybe the event could be North vs South and it alternates every year. I am just saying there are alot of good people here with alot of good ideas

I respectfully disagree with some of what is said. Nobody is stopping anybody from having get togethers and outings anytime in different regions. Heck we are constantly encouraging it. But our 2 events a year, if they go that route, will be special. And while we understand that travel is involved and is not for everybody, it can be a requirement for what it is we are trying to do here.

THP for us is about the media company that we have created. A part of that is our friends that we have met online and enjoy spending time with. For that we try our best to put on fantastic things like outings that can be enjoyed by all. However traveling is part of that.

For those that do not like to travel, we always recommend and encourage having local get togethers to hang out with fellow THP'ers and meet new people that share a common bond. But our outings that are official THP events are something different. They are supposed to be larger than life and that means different things.

I have said that for a smaller tournament type of event we would CONSIDER venues outside of FL, however the 1st one would be in FL and as of right now the Official THP Outings WILL be held in FL due to the equipment.

We think we are offering the best of both worlds here. For those that can travel, we have some incredibly special events that we are planning that most will tell you are a great time. For those that cannot travel, we encourage planning weekend or day trips with other THP'ers in your area. Heck the only real difference is that GG and I cant be there because of work, and frankly we are not all that fun anyway.

This is an ever evolving work in progress and we hope everybody continues to have a great time in what we are planning. We think that we have something special here with THP because of the members and these outings show that.

 

[GolferGal]

Apparently I don't know the difference between pink or orange either. Just ask adams_girl.

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[Puttin4Bird]

WOW, I had a lot of catching up to do. So let me try to do my best to catch up here. The biggest questions were 1. Would I like a PGA Nat'l THP Outing yearly and the answer is YES YES YES. This place has it all and the price is right. I would like going there every year because it would offer us a little chance to get to know the courses a bit and each time we went we can measure our skills versus ourselves from last year and years past. When you look at how good we really had it at PGA National I think it becomes a no brainer.

The topic of 2 outings a year, one being Ryder Cup style. I am in absolute LOVE with this idea and the only thing that would keep me from it would be $. That being said I won't be going to Vegas every year and I won't be taking the kids to Disney World every year so that will free up some funds for sure. I know that I can fly into Orlando for dirt cheap so if it were in or around there that would definitely help the cause too.

 

[bulldog]

I'm not sure if I can make the next one or not. But for me the PGA was nice & I wouldn't mind it again. Play the Champ course again & maybe 1 of the other courses I didn't get to play. airline fare is really the same to WPB or Orlandol from Wichita & the W.P. Beach airport was east to get thru & around.

 

[Osahar]

1. Time of year to hold outing? I like the April/October idea, but depending on the area September may work better due to "season" rates. Weather isn't usually overly hot/humid in the late Sept and April timeframes here

2. Stay & Play vs find your place/golf courses I was originally one of the fans of the find your own place plan, but after reading about all the goings-on at PGA National, I think I'd lean towards the Stay & Play for any larger gatherings so everyone is staying together and can socialize well after the golfing is finished for the day.

3. What area in FL? I'd lean towards an Orlando location for the next one since it's usually a cheap flight from anywhere and has some first-rate courses. But maybe bring next fall's outing back to PGA National?

4. PGA National again vs another resort or area See above

5. 3 days vs 2 days (tcalloway1 came up with an idea of having the event run 3 days with the 1st day being a full day of demo day) If it's at a resort course, I like the 3 day idea, especially with one day (arrival) dedicated to Demo Day.

6. THP Dinner...Did you enjoy it? Should we do it again? I know I loved the get-together we had at your house in the spring, so an even larger dinner like the one you had must have been a blast! Definitely do it again!

7. Did you enjoy the contests? I liked the contests, and also like the idea of the usual tourney-type contests. Maybe even do them with a twist like a company outing once did - longest drive (using a beach ball) or other similar silly ideas as well as the normal stuff.

8. Was the price of this outing worth it? Looking back, I'd say the price was well worth what everyone got out of the outing.

9. Would you come again or will you make it to the next one? I'm wishing I hadn't missed this one, and definitely plan to try and make the next one!

10. What was the highlight? (or what would you have thought your highlight would have been had you come)

-Golf Courses Played
-Resort
-THP Dinner
-Demo Day
-i-Bar
-Contests
-Other

I think the highlight would have been meeting all my fellow THP'ers (some again), especially at the THP Dinner and i-Bar

 

[9-Iron Man]

Seeing as cost is the issue for many (ourselves included) the issue must be raised. For everything, AdamsGirl and myself paid $2500 for this trip. Yes, we came early and stars late, but we kind of had to to justify the costs for the trip. Our flights were $850 and the resort costs came to $1300. The remainder of our costs came for misc expenses such as the shuttle. All in all this was an expensive trip for us but we did travel the farthest to get there.

Let me also say that we will try our darnedest to make every outing. We had a complete blast. But at the end of the day we are not millionaires and if costs get too high, we won't be able to make it. For this reason, if I may suggest, hold the main outing in the fall again and have the smaller one in the spring if that is the decision. That way people would be able to save more for the big outing.

 

[JB]

Thanks for the continued feedback everybody. We hope to have some more information back from 3-4 more resorts next week and maybe even make a few announcements coming up soon.

 

[CharlieMoy]

Wow. Announcements so early? Makes it super easy for planning thats for sure

Thanks for the continued feedback everybody. We hope to have some more information back from 3-4 more resorts next week and maybe even make a few announcements coming up soon.

 

[thedue]

Overall costs for me was very minimal thanks to TC for suggesting it to me and Spank for his place to stay for two of the days. The flights that I checked were always cheaper to fly into Orlando and staying at spanks the first and last night saved me a pile. Heck he even shuttled me to and from the airport, (He's just that great a guy, thanks spank).

Overall cost was just over $1000 for me, but included prize tickets, new clothes, some nicknacks from the proshop, etc. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT TRIP, even if I go 20 more times. If I put a figure on what I won and the enjoyment that I had, let's just say I came out way ahead. The cost will play a factor in the next one, especially if done in the spring for two reasons:

1. In my business winter is when I make the least money and need spring to get back on par.

2. I will do everything possible to take Liz the next time I go. She deserves a little pampering and this was the right place for that.

But, I will start having garage sells, saving beer cans and/or selling my body on the street to make the next one, lol. It was that good of a time.

 

[Ole Gray]

1. Do you want PGA National or another location? And Why?

PGA National would make a great HOME resort for the annual "Big" THP outing which includes equipment testing, etc. Why -- Because we would get to know each course better (4 of them) thus the scores should be better. Also the service at the National was second to none.

2. Would you like 1 event a year or 2?

2 events yearly with the Big Daddy being at WPB & the pure golf and smack talking Ryder Cup style event at a smaller but nice venue.

3. If you chose 2, would you like the 2nd event to be a cheaper option that loses demo day and THP Dinner and instead is more of a competition with some fun?

I would prefer the 2nd event to have the cheaper option with no demo or THP dinner. Just a plain simple let's get together and play golf and chew the fat type of outing. The Calloway boys are precertified to take charge of the beer runs etc.

I think each region can have their own little event scheduled for those that for whatever reason are not able to make the "Big" annual event at WPB. It's not a big deal to organize a regional outing and a have a good time. You bring your own clubs, BYOB or beer, and split the cost of a large house or cabin or hotel and buy food at the local Uncle Johnny's stop & go. Heck we paid $69.00 each which covered the accomodations for two days in North Ga. Kelly & I will plan on attending both events that are THP events and plan one Southeast event per calendar year.

 

[JB]

^^^^^

Grays first post with no smilies. Congrats.

I kid, thanks for answering and helping.

 

[Ole Gray]

^^^^^

Grays first post with no smilies. Congrats.

I kid, thanks for answering and helping.

I win the first post with no smilies award for 2010! That is too funny. My pleasure to help team THP whenever I can.

You folks out there that have not me these fine folks (JB & GG) need to make a special effort to come to at least one of the upcoming events. Heck I can get you a job driving a bus in Ga. to save up on your vacation money )... This smilie did not count as it was a self drawn one. he he......

 

[RxGus]

If I was going to be picky I would prefer the following:

1. Big event with a demo day in the spring, when we can all try the new gear and make changes in our bag
2. Smaller RC format outing in the fall when our games have been fine tuned and everyone's golf game is firing on all cylinders

From a timing/skill standpoint that seems the most logical to me. Also note... even though it was the fall outing I played awful at PGA National.

 

[TC]

the more i've been thinking about this the more it just makes sense to have one resort be our annual host. pga national really did a wonderful job and they want us back. we'll continue to explore options but imo, there's nothing wrong with having a regular stop. i also like the idea of getting a chance to get familiar with the courses, see how differently i can play them in a plethora of conditions.

 

[bama]

I have no problem summing up my costs....
I had adual occupancy rate so my cost was a little better

I spent $680 at the Hotel and $240 on the plane trip
toss in a couple of incidentals and I spent around $950 for 4 nights and 5 days.
I am all for spending more days/nights to make the plane cost worth it

So...golf, food, drinks, friends, travel and accommodations came out to about $211/day ($950/4.5)

bama

 

[Danilo]

JB, I take it Doral is likely out of the question? Their pricing would make me think so... but maybe they do a good group rate?
The "Blue Monster" looks like a killer, and they offer a total of 5 courses (3 are 7000+ yds)

 

[JB]

JB, I take it Doral is likely out of the question? Their pricing would make me think so... but maybe they do a good group rate?
The "Blue Monster" looks like a killer, and they offer a total of 5 courses (3 are 7000+ yds)

They are on the list and we have been in talks with them.

 

[Danilo]

They are on the list and we have been in talks with them.

That's awesome! Blue Monster looks like a fun place to loose a dozen balls!