- Moderator
- #5,201
I think the most shocking part of the Pre-Nesting is the fact ya'll got ID'ed. Like come on, what's the need for a bouncer in a place like that. Are they checking for senior discounts?
LIVE UPDATE THREAD 2019 The Grandaddy with Callaway Golf
Can't believe I missed this! I'm at the hotel sound asleep, while you're out making the old ladies drool.
you started talking about tom petty at 10:29pm. by the time you finished discussing your mutual love for last dance with mary jane, 10:30 tony informed you of the barefoot ass whooping.
- Joined
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Must be playing a game of Quiddage! Love the new name choice!
cant wait for next portion of the recap!
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2013
- Messages
- 74,717
- Reaction score
- 88,227
- Location
- Ponte Vedra, Florida
- Handicap
- 11.9
Maybe the bouncer was...
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
- Messages
- 7,872
- Reaction score
- 5,455
Anyone without an AARP card gets carded
no walker? no hover round? no ensure caked on the upper lip? card him!
The recaps are awesome!
- Moderator
- #5,209
Walkin up right? God damned kids trying to come into our dance hall with their rock and roll music and their slicked back Just For Men free hair!
I'm glad one of us was able to document that. Lol. I saw it but didn't have my phone with.
This is where I stand. Not making another bank purchase till January.
Wednesday was the first day of competition and we were all ready to get started kicking the Zoo Crew around the Hideaway. It was already raining at the hotel before we left for the course and it had picked up by the time we arrived. After a quick breakfast and range session with our brand new clubs it was time to get our match started. @JourdanInMich at the time @HarryPotter now and I were excited to be paired up together thinking we were going to destroy our opponents @StevenS_CG and @MbrowningCG.
The drive to the 17th tee was cold and wet and our new clubs were already soaked by the time we arrived. I put my rain gloves on and we let our first drives fly into the cold grey sky. Jourdan and I had talked about us being a good pairing and that we should do well together. That was not the case, like it or not the Grandaddy had us both off of our games and the cold wet conditions made things worse. Slinger was missing his draw but Browning was on fire and the two of them throttled Jourdan and I in the first match.
Starting our second match Jourdan and I had come to grips with our ass whipping and we literally had nothing left in the tank. We were both trying to lift the others spirits but the nasty weather and poor performance had us down. We had a heart to heart talk about not letting this ruin the day or put a damper on the event. MikeG gave us a pep talk and we were off to the races.
What happened on the second match was great. Jourdan and I began playing a bit better and Browning came back to earth just enough to make it a match. We ground out some tough holes and made some clutch putts down the stretch. We were able to do just enough to win the second match. The weather had improved a bit and we rolled into the horse race with a whole new outlook on the event. The horse race was a blast and a couple blueberry vodka lemonades was just what I needed to set my mind right for dinner and the Nest.
The drive to the 17th tee was cold and wet and our new clubs were already soaked by the time we arrived. I put my rain gloves on and we let our first drives fly into the cold grey sky. Jourdan and I had talked about us being a good pairing and that we should do well together. That was not the case, like it or not the Grandaddy had us both off of our games and the cold wet conditions made things worse. Slinger was missing his draw but Browning was on fire and the two of them throttled Jourdan and I in the first match.
Starting our second match Jourdan and I had come to grips with our ass whipping and we literally had nothing left in the tank. We were both trying to lift the others spirits but the nasty weather and poor performance had us down. We had a heart to heart talk about not letting this ruin the day or put a damper on the event. MikeG gave us a pep talk and we were off to the races.
What happened on the second match was great. Jourdan and I began playing a bit better and Browning came back to earth just enough to make it a match. We ground out some tough holes and made some clutch putts down the stretch. We were able to do just enough to win the second match. The weather had improved a bit and we rolled into the horse race with a whole new outlook on the event. The horse race was a blast and a couple blueberry vodka lemonades was just what I needed to set my mind right for dinner and the Nest.
Awesome recap man! Thanks for catching Al’s speech too. I’ve listened multiple times and it’s still so ridiculous how much that speech captures the spirit of this event. Looking forward to the rest of your Grandaddy tale.
I never really understood how @JB could attend events, not swing a club and still have a great time. This past week I saw how it can happen. I didn't swing a club and I had a blast. I'm sure the event and all that it means played a big role, but I can see how sitting back and watching THPers get the first class treatment makes it easy. The whole time I just found myself randomly smiling and truly happy for each of these guys.
Hope it comes with sanitation wipes. Ewwww ?
Day 2 - ECPC / Dinner at Al's
Time and again we hear about people not sleeping well as they worry about missing the bus, etc, but while I woke up at 5:30 am every day, I slept well. Then again, I've never had many issues with sleeping, anywhere, anytime.
Since we were checking out of the hotel this morning, I used this extra time to repack my bags, since I now had 8 new clothing items to take with me. One thing I had never thought of, but, I didn't bring anything to remove all of the tags from the clothes. So, future participants, pack some small scissors or nail clippers.
We met downstairs for some breakfast before the bus arrived to take us over to the ECPC. We've all seen pictures of the sign at the entrance, but it was fun to get that team pic by it. After the photo, we started the short walk up to meet Jason and the staff.
We arrived as the fitters were still getting everything set up. Jason welcomed us and we visited with those that were there, before we received instructions on how the morning would go. We were broken down into groups of four. I was in the group that had our putter fitting first. So, into the indoor putter fitting studio where we met up with Luke and Tony Toulon. They told us to pick a putter shape that we liked and hit some balls with it. After a few minutes, one by one, Luke would get us set up and place a laser directly in front of the club face. It would show us how accurate our setup was in relation to aim point. It's a very useful tool, since you can think you are lined up straight only to find out you aren't. I went with the Stroke Lab Black Ten with a double bend neck.
After the putter fitting, the next stop was a full swing fitting. Nick Arthur was going to handle my fitting, so as I got out there @radiman was finishing up, and goodness that boy can punish the ball.
Once Radi was done, I was up. Trackman was set up, ready to record the goodness that was upcoming, and the iPad so Nick could see the magical numbers as he made changes for me.
We started off hitting some with Epic Forged which had the Steelfibre shaft. I don't care for the Steelfibre, but the club felt like what I had remembered from my limited time with it at PGA Tour Superstore. He switched me over to the new 2020 iron with the Catalyst shaft and that was really nice. He swapped over to a steel shaft for some comparison numbers, then back to the Catalyst, and I could quickly tell that this was a great combination. After that, we moved to driver. I've been playing my XR16 at 9*, so we started with the 2020 driver at 9*. He quickly switched me to the 10.5* head and he liked the ball flight I was getting after that. Initially was in the Project X Riptide and tried the latest HeLIUM offering, but went back to Riptide. Such a nice, smooth stroke, and the shaft itself is such a good looking scheme. Nick spent the latter half of my time in almost a semi-lesson mode. Making some minor recommendations to my shoulder position at address, and how and when to better turn my hands over during my swing. The guy is a legend and he could have easily just jotted down some notes for my fitting and moved on to the next person, but actually took the time to not only get me a setup that would work for me, but to help insure I was also successful. We didn't have any more time to swing wedges, so we talked through what I currently use, what my new iron setup would be, and what gapping would likely work well for the MD5s.
So, I ended up going with the new 2020 driver (Riptide 60g), new 2020 3, 5, 7 2020 fairways (Riptide 70g), 4, 5, 6 2020 hybrids (Catalyst 65 5.5), and 2020 irons 7i-AW (Catalyst 65 5.5). Wedges were the Jaws MD5, 52* and 58* with the DG S200 steel shafts.
Next moved into the apparel presentation. Started off with us finding out that we get a pair of Cuater shoes! They had randomly divided the group into half that got Moneymakers and half got Legends. I was given a pair of Legends. While I've never had what I'd call a classic styled golf shoe, this one was very comfortable.
(I've now played a total of 3 rounds in these, and they are a really nice shoe. One round in rain, and my feet stayed dry.)
After all of our fittings, we had to leave ECPC and head over to headquarters, where lunch was waiting for us.
We took lunch into the conference room where we had a question and answer time with Austie, Doc Hocknell, and several Zoo Crew members. We were able to ask any question and they were all very forthcoming and transparent. This would have been something that I wished we had more time for, but paradise awaited.
We loaded up the bus and began the 3 hr journey to the desert. The bus ride was something that I had looked forward to for quite awhile, and it didn't disappoint. People moved around and talked to multiple people. While this was such a small part of the overall event, it really was enjoyable as you weren't having to think about anything other than just talking with friends. One thing I'll always remember about the Zoo Crew is that I never interacted with anyone that wasn't friendly and welcoming.
We arrived at the hotel, quickly showered and changed, and back down to the bus for the 15 minute drive to Al's house at the Hideaway. Al was waiting out front to greet all of us with a big hug and welcome us to his home. Pictures truly don't do this place justice.
The dinner was amazing. The menu was Italian and while I didn't get any food pics, I know some others did.
@badolds @HarryPotter and @TylerSheanCG
One of the funny stories Al and Shelly told was that they had finished all the centerpieces, only to noticed they had used balls from another OEM. They quickly had that fixed. I had missed which one of them had slipped up in the first place. But everyone had a laugh at that one.
Shortly after dinner was the pairings for the next day. Front 9 would be best ball, back 9 would be a shamble, and the new twist would be a horse race after that 18. Sounded like a really fun way to close out the day. I was paired up with @zbeekner4 and we would be battling @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber on day 1. So very excited to get the competition underway.
After pairings, we thanked Al and Shelly as well as the other hosts and loaded back up on the bus and went back to the hotel.
Such a crazy day, and we still haven't even seen the golf courses or our new clubs.
Next up - Day 3
Time and again we hear about people not sleeping well as they worry about missing the bus, etc, but while I woke up at 5:30 am every day, I slept well. Then again, I've never had many issues with sleeping, anywhere, anytime.
Since we were checking out of the hotel this morning, I used this extra time to repack my bags, since I now had 8 new clothing items to take with me. One thing I had never thought of, but, I didn't bring anything to remove all of the tags from the clothes. So, future participants, pack some small scissors or nail clippers.
We met downstairs for some breakfast before the bus arrived to take us over to the ECPC. We've all seen pictures of the sign at the entrance, but it was fun to get that team pic by it. After the photo, we started the short walk up to meet Jason and the staff.
We arrived as the fitters were still getting everything set up. Jason welcomed us and we visited with those that were there, before we received instructions on how the morning would go. We were broken down into groups of four. I was in the group that had our putter fitting first. So, into the indoor putter fitting studio where we met up with Luke and Tony Toulon. They told us to pick a putter shape that we liked and hit some balls with it. After a few minutes, one by one, Luke would get us set up and place a laser directly in front of the club face. It would show us how accurate our setup was in relation to aim point. It's a very useful tool, since you can think you are lined up straight only to find out you aren't. I went with the Stroke Lab Black Ten with a double bend neck.
After the putter fitting, the next stop was a full swing fitting. Nick Arthur was going to handle my fitting, so as I got out there @radiman was finishing up, and goodness that boy can punish the ball.
Once Radi was done, I was up. Trackman was set up, ready to record the goodness that was upcoming, and the iPad so Nick could see the magical numbers as he made changes for me.
We started off hitting some with Epic Forged which had the Steelfibre shaft. I don't care for the Steelfibre, but the club felt like what I had remembered from my limited time with it at PGA Tour Superstore. He switched me over to the new 2020 iron with the Catalyst shaft and that was really nice. He swapped over to a steel shaft for some comparison numbers, then back to the Catalyst, and I could quickly tell that this was a great combination. After that, we moved to driver. I've been playing my XR16 at 9*, so we started with the 2020 driver at 9*. He quickly switched me to the 10.5* head and he liked the ball flight I was getting after that. Initially was in the Project X Riptide and tried the latest HeLIUM offering, but went back to Riptide. Such a nice, smooth stroke, and the shaft itself is such a good looking scheme. Nick spent the latter half of my time in almost a semi-lesson mode. Making some minor recommendations to my shoulder position at address, and how and when to better turn my hands over during my swing. The guy is a legend and he could have easily just jotted down some notes for my fitting and moved on to the next person, but actually took the time to not only get me a setup that would work for me, but to help insure I was also successful. We didn't have any more time to swing wedges, so we talked through what I currently use, what my new iron setup would be, and what gapping would likely work well for the MD5s.
So, I ended up going with the new 2020 driver (Riptide 60g), new 2020 3, 5, 7 2020 fairways (Riptide 70g), 4, 5, 6 2020 hybrids (Catalyst 65 5.5), and 2020 irons 7i-AW (Catalyst 65 5.5). Wedges were the Jaws MD5, 52* and 58* with the DG S200 steel shafts.
Next moved into the apparel presentation. Started off with us finding out that we get a pair of Cuater shoes! They had randomly divided the group into half that got Moneymakers and half got Legends. I was given a pair of Legends. While I've never had what I'd call a classic styled golf shoe, this one was very comfortable.
(I've now played a total of 3 rounds in these, and they are a really nice shoe. One round in rain, and my feet stayed dry.)
After all of our fittings, we had to leave ECPC and head over to headquarters, where lunch was waiting for us.
We took lunch into the conference room where we had a question and answer time with Austie, Doc Hocknell, and several Zoo Crew members. We were able to ask any question and they were all very forthcoming and transparent. This would have been something that I wished we had more time for, but paradise awaited.
We loaded up the bus and began the 3 hr journey to the desert. The bus ride was something that I had looked forward to for quite awhile, and it didn't disappoint. People moved around and talked to multiple people. While this was such a small part of the overall event, it really was enjoyable as you weren't having to think about anything other than just talking with friends. One thing I'll always remember about the Zoo Crew is that I never interacted with anyone that wasn't friendly and welcoming.
We arrived at the hotel, quickly showered and changed, and back down to the bus for the 15 minute drive to Al's house at the Hideaway. Al was waiting out front to greet all of us with a big hug and welcome us to his home. Pictures truly don't do this place justice.
The dinner was amazing. The menu was Italian and while I didn't get any food pics, I know some others did.
@badolds @HarryPotter and @TylerSheanCG
One of the funny stories Al and Shelly told was that they had finished all the centerpieces, only to noticed they had used balls from another OEM. They quickly had that fixed. I had missed which one of them had slipped up in the first place. But everyone had a laugh at that one.
Shortly after dinner was the pairings for the next day. Front 9 would be best ball, back 9 would be a shamble, and the new twist would be a horse race after that 18. Sounded like a really fun way to close out the day. I was paired up with @zbeekner4 and we would be battling @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber on day 1. So very excited to get the competition underway.
After pairings, we thanked Al and Shelly as well as the other hosts and loaded back up on the bus and went back to the hotel.
Such a crazy day, and we still haven't even seen the golf courses or our new clubs.
Next up - Day 3
So that is why I didn't get carded. I knew that card was gonna come in handy at some point.
While I can not take credit for any tampering of your burrito, I can speak to a flawless execution of a beatdown.
You got some great pics of Al's house! It looks so nice in the pics. Even better in person.Day 2 - ECPC / Dinner at Al's
Time and again we hear about people not sleeping well as they worry about missing the bus, etc, but while I woke up at 5:30 am every day, I slept well. Then again, I've never had many issues with sleeping, anywhere, anytime.
Since we were checking out of the hotel this morning, I used this extra time to repack my bags, since I now had 8 new clothing items to take with me. One thing I had never thought of, but, I didn't bring anything to remove all of the tags from the clothes. So, future participants, pack some small scissors or nail clippers.
We met downstairs for some breakfast before the bus arrived to take us over to the ECPC. We've all seen pictures of the sign at the entrance, but it was fun to get that team pic by it. After the photo, we started the short walk up to meet Jason and the staff.
View attachment 8918428
View attachment 8918429
We arrived as the fitters were still getting everything set up. Jason welcomed us and we visited with those that were there, before we received instructions on how the morning would go. We were broken down into groups of four. I was in the group that had our putter fitting first. So, into the indoor putter fitting studio where we met up with Luke and Tony Toulon. They told us to pick a putter shape that we liked and hit some balls with it. After a few minutes, one by one, Luke would get us set up and place a laser directly in front of the club face. It would show us how accurate our setup was in relation to aim point. It's a very useful tool, since you can think you are lined up straight only to find out you aren't. I went with the Stroke Lab Black Ten with a double bend neck.
View attachment 8918430
After the putter fitting, the next stop was a full swing fitting. Nick Arthur was going to handle my fitting, so as I got out there @radiman was finishing up, and goodness that boy can punish the ball.
View attachment 8918431
Once Radi was done, I was up. Trackman was set up, ready to record the goodness that was upcoming, and the iPad so Nick could see the magical numbers as he made changes for me.
View attachment 8918432
We started off hitting some with Epic Forged which had the Steelfibre shaft. I don't care for the Steelfibre, but the club felt like what I had remembered from my limited time with it at PGA Tour Superstore. He switched me over to the new 2020 iron with the Catalyst shaft and that was really nice. He swapped over to a steel shaft for some comparison numbers, then back to the Catalyst, and I could quickly tell that this was a great combination. After that, we moved to driver. I've been playing my XR16 at 9*, so we started with the 2020 driver at 9*. He quickly switched me to the 10.5* head and he liked the ball flight I was getting after that. Initially was in the Project X Riptide and tried the latest HeLIUM offering, but went back to Riptide. Such a nice, smooth stroke, and the shaft itself is such a good looking scheme. Nick spent the latter half of my time in almost a semi-lesson mode. Making some minor recommendations to my shoulder position at address, and how and when to better turn my hands over during my swing. The guy is a legend and he could have easily just jotted down some notes for my fitting and moved on to the next person, but actually took the time to not only get me a setup that would work for me, but to help insure I was also successful. We didn't have any more time to swing wedges, so we talked through what I currently use, what my new iron setup would be, and what gapping would likely work well for the MD5s.
So, I ended up going with the new 2020 driver (Riptide 60g), new 2020 3, 5, 7 2020 fairways (Riptide 70g), 4, 5, 6 2020 hybrids (Catalyst 65 5.5), and 2020 irons 7i-AW (Catalyst 65 5.5). Wedges were the Jaws MD5, 52* and 58* with the DG S200 steel shafts.
Next moved into the apparel presentation. Started off with us finding out that we get a pair of Cuater shoes! They had randomly divided the group into half that got Moneymakers and half got Legends. I was given a pair of Legends. While I've never had what I'd call a classic styled golf shoe, this one was very comfortable.
View attachment 8918436
(I've now played a total of 3 rounds in these, and they are a really nice shoe. One round in rain, and my feet stayed dry.)
After all of our fittings, we had to leave ECPC and head over to headquarters, where lunch was waiting for us.
View attachment 8918437
We took lunch into the conference room where we had a question and answer time with Austie, Doc Hocknell, and several Zoo Crew members. We were able to ask any question and they were all very forthcoming and transparent. This would have been something that I wished we had more time for, but paradise awaited.
We loaded up the bus and began the 3 hr journey to the desert. The bus ride was something that I had looked forward to for quite awhile, and it didn't disappoint. People moved around and talked to multiple people. While this was such a small part of the overall event, it really was enjoyable as you weren't having to think about anything other than just talking with friends. One thing I'll always remember about the Zoo Crew is that I never interacted with anyone that wasn't friendly and welcoming.
View attachment 8918443
We arrived at the hotel, quickly showered and changed, and back down to the bus for the 15 minute drive to Al's house at the Hideaway. Al was waiting out front to greet all of us with a big hug and welcome us to his home. Pictures truly don't do this place justice.
View attachment 8918444
View attachment 8918446
View attachment 8918447
View attachment 8918448
The dinner was amazing. The menu was Italian and while I didn't get any food pics, I know some others did.
View attachment 8918450
@badolds @HarryPotter and @TylerSheanCG
View attachment 8918451
One of the funny stories Al and Shelly told was that they had finished all the centerpieces, only to noticed they had used balls from another OEM. They quickly had that fixed. I had missed which one of them had slipped up in the first place. But everyone had a laugh at that one.
Shortly after dinner was the pairings for the next day. Front 9 would be best ball, back 9 would be a shamble, and the new twist would be a horse race after that 18. Sounded like a really fun way to close out the day. I was paired up with @zbeekner4 and we would be battling @TylerSheanCG and @Backfordstabber on day 1. So very excited to get the competition underway.
View attachment 8918456
After pairings, we thanked Al and Shelly as well as the other hosts and loaded back up on the bus and went back to the hotel.
Such a crazy day, and we still haven't even seen the golf courses or our new clubs.
Next up - Day 3
in actuality, it was one flawlessly executed shot that facilitated the beat down. you’ve grown so accustomed to the beat downs, let me set the stage.
#1 on the dye.
i don’t recall who hit first. but i do recall that you snap hooked your drive left off the bunkers down the left. i hit maybe my best drive of the week and was in position a.
you were in the rough, but had a decent lie to advance the ball. ...which you proceeded to top about 20 yards. and the 3 worse words in golf applied: you’re still away.
your third shot was hit well, just didn’t draw enough, leaving you pin high on the fringe between the green and the deep greenside bunker on the right, laying 3.
i hit a pretty good iron shot, and was surprised to see it come up about a club short. no biggie, the jaws wedges gave me a ton of confidence the day before.
pulling up to the green, there was actually a ball on the front of the green and i was told it was mine. i thought i was short, but was pleasantly surprised to have a putt for birdie. we get to the ball, and it’s not mine. i am short of the green where i thought was, but actually even shorter. to your credit you encouraged me to go get the club i wanted, but i opted for putter to speed us along and because i thought it was still a good play. the fringe was wet and slower than i thought, so my chutt came up well short. i putted up, missed it, and was conceded bogey.
now it was your shot. up and down pushes the hole and we both get off to different but decent starts. only you’re jason f——-g finley. so you chipped in. for par. and the 1up lead.
and that, my friends, is how you win a match on the first hole.
And that is what is called a Finley Par! 1 down! And why they say there are no pictures on the scorecard.
it was fun to watch you carve up the course. fingers crossed we can tee it up again someday.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2015
- Messages
- 2,453
- Reaction score
- 2,755
- Handicap
- 16
Day 1A & 1B- Travel/Callaway HQ
Day 1A
I'll call this day 1A/1B just so my days align with the rest of the team. The first leg of my trip started a bit hectic, there was a snowstorm coming in and @zbeekner4 and I were texting back and forth quite a bit all morning about when/how we were going to get to the airport since we were on the same flight. I had decided I was going to stay at a hotel close to the airport and hope for the best in the morning. That's where our trip started turning into one of those legs of the Amazing race. I was a bit late finishing packing since the luggage I ordered that was supposed to come before thanksgiving never came, so I got all my things together and was ready to pull out the old luggage from storage to start packing. As I started the final preparation for the next day I noticed that I had a ton of missed messages, it was @zbeekner4 letting me know that he had been in contact with the Callaway travel folks. Carol and Penny where absolutely amazing to us and they were going to try to get us out a day early due to the snowstorm. It was then the doorbell rang, and low and behold the new luggage showed up, so within about an hour or two, I went from staying near the airport with a day to go, to having to shred open a box of luggage dump as much as I could in there and get to the airport as fast as I could. I was more than happy to do so, and Callaway was so awesome to just change all the flights for us on the fly.
From there it was off to the shuttle bus and I got to the airport just as the first few flakes started to fall, I wandered about the terminal just to keep my self sane, hoping that we would not be delayed. Since @zbeekner was en route, I set up camp and ordered a @mikeg_74 special to prep for the long flight. That's an espresso, with two sides of espresso. Rather than having enough caffeine that I could have ran to California, I opted for the single.
I started prepping my movie lineup for the trip when I got the text from @zbeekner4 that he was almost through security and where I was. I let him know I was the only lunatic in the airport wearing shorts in a snow storm and I was by the coffee shop. We finally meet up in person after months of chatting online with the team, and decide to grab a quick meal and a beer before the flight. I think that's where it all started to sink in for the both of us, we were about to embark on the most insane golf trip ever. The final boarding call hit, and we were off, squeaking out right before the snow hit. Again I can't thank the travel folks enough for ensuring we were able to get out in time and making accommodations for the both of us.
After a bumpy but otherwise uneventful flight we finally touched down in San Diego. It was chaos in the airport as the rest of the folks traveling from thanksgiving had filled the baggage claim. We found our driver, grabbed our bags and were out the door. Having a driver pick us up was fantastic, as the cab/ride share line was probably the longest I have ever seen at any airport to date. Gladly we bypassed that straight to our drivers brand new Cadillac, and found a in/out burger 5 min after we left the airport, a couple burgers later, and a comfortable ride, we checked into our hotel and ended our first day.
Had to stop - Double Double Animal Style
Day 1B
Since @zbeekner4 and I got in a day earlier, we had plenty of time to get settled while we waited for the rest of our team to show up. So of course we scope out anything golf related in the area and are able to find a golf shop reasonably close by and we went off for a bit of a warmup. The place @zbeekner4 found was perfect for the first day, they had all sorts of pre-owned sets, and told us to grab whatever we wanted and hit away. So naturally we hit every Callaway club we could find just to get some swings in and get a feel for our post flight swing. This was such a great way to kick things off, just the fact I could take a few swings the day before the fitting really helped calm my nerves and allowed me to show up with at least a serviceable swing at the fitting.
@zbeekner4 getting that work in.
A Random find as we waited for the team.
After a couple hours of wandering around and doing a bit of last minute shopping, grabbed a coffee and we headed back to the hotel to meet up with @tomcat and the man, the myth, the legend @Snickerdog while we waited for the rest of our team to show up. It was so great to finally put names and faces together and meet the rest of our team mates. We sat in the lobby hanging out and every so often another driver would pull up and more of the team would arrive. No shortage of high fives here.
We decided that we had enough time grab a quick burrito at a place that @Luke WilliamsCG reccomended and all hopped in a couple cars and headed to Encinitas. It did not disappoint, I went with a traditional chicken burrito and it was fantastic. We got to know our team mates a bit more and then took a quick walk down to the cliffs to check out the ocean. This was a great way to start everything. @radiman was with us in spirit. I know it was a rough start for you buddy, but everyone was constantly checking for updates on your progress. No man left behind! (Well not yet at least).
@HarryPotter testing out his invisibility cloak
We all made it back to the hotel and gathered what we needed and hopped on the bus ride over to Callaway HQ. This is where I think it all started to feel real in for me. We made it, this wasn't an extremely elaborate Candid Camera episode, we actually made it. After months and months of preparation and speculation we were finally there. We walked in the office and met @JB and @JasonFinleyCG in person for a quick overview in the lobby and we then headed into the marketing area where many of the zoo crew were there to greet us and begin our journey.
We then headed into the Callaway Studio for the presentation on the new gear, as we walked in, we each found a chair with an amazing OGIO backpack with a name tag on it full of new swag and our scripting for the week. I think it took me about four attempts before I found the right zipper to get in the main section. This pack had so many bells and whistles I still don't think I have found everything yet. Loved it, and it will be put to good use for sure.
We started off with a few housekeeping items around what we were about to see, what can be shown or disclosed, and what was off limits until our reviews. Head on a swivel in that place, even when you were looking at one thing, you had to make sure nothing else was in your peripheral. We got to see some great presentations around all the upcoming 2020 line and it was really impressive. I'm a big 'why' person when it comes to implementation details and we got it all, why things changed, how things improved year over year, and why some of the changes that will be coming were made.
We got presentations from @JasonFinleyCG on Golf balls, @Luke WilliamsCG on putters and @DNevsCG on Woods and Irons, while @21Gonzo ran the board. @j_sizzle9 will have an incredibly detailed writeup on @DNevsCG section for sure. (Sorry Bud, I had too ). We also were treated to a run-in from @SeanToulon, who clearly must have the same affection for the Vacation movies that I do. His reaction to my THP screen name was one of the highlights of my trip. I might have to order myself a custom Christmas Vacation Toulon Garage Putter one of these days.
Overall I think folks will be pretty impressed with the approach they took with the enhancements, how they went about implementing them and at the end of the day how they have improved on prior designs. And with that @radiman has arrived. YES! Our team is now complete. On the way out, we got a couple more surprises, a limited edition blueberry lemonade Hideaway candle made by none other than Penny herself (it smells fantastic), and a very nice Smathers and Branson belt.
To end the night at Callaway HQ we had a nice meal and got to meet all of the rest of the Zoo Crew while watching the MNF game on the TVs in their cafe. It was awesome to start to put all the names with the faces/voices we've seen and heard from on the forum and podcasts etc. There was clearly some sizing up of the competition from both sides as we get ready to go into the ECPC the next day. Also @SeanToulon laid out the bet that if we won the overall competition that we would all be getting Toulon garage putters to sweeten the pot.
We headed back to the hotel but the night was not totally over. @JohnnyRodCG was staying at the hotel with us, so we headed over to a tap house down the road to have a few drinks before a quick trip to in/out for those who were still hungry. I got to sit across from @JohnnyRodCG while at the tap house, and man he was a riot. Truly a nice guy and you could tell he was genuinely excited for us to all be there, knowing what was to come over the next few days.
Day 1A
I'll call this day 1A/1B just so my days align with the rest of the team. The first leg of my trip started a bit hectic, there was a snowstorm coming in and @zbeekner4 and I were texting back and forth quite a bit all morning about when/how we were going to get to the airport since we were on the same flight. I had decided I was going to stay at a hotel close to the airport and hope for the best in the morning. That's where our trip started turning into one of those legs of the Amazing race. I was a bit late finishing packing since the luggage I ordered that was supposed to come before thanksgiving never came, so I got all my things together and was ready to pull out the old luggage from storage to start packing. As I started the final preparation for the next day I noticed that I had a ton of missed messages, it was @zbeekner4 letting me know that he had been in contact with the Callaway travel folks. Carol and Penny where absolutely amazing to us and they were going to try to get us out a day early due to the snowstorm. It was then the doorbell rang, and low and behold the new luggage showed up, so within about an hour or two, I went from staying near the airport with a day to go, to having to shred open a box of luggage dump as much as I could in there and get to the airport as fast as I could. I was more than happy to do so, and Callaway was so awesome to just change all the flights for us on the fly.
From there it was off to the shuttle bus and I got to the airport just as the first few flakes started to fall, I wandered about the terminal just to keep my self sane, hoping that we would not be delayed. Since @zbeekner was en route, I set up camp and ordered a @mikeg_74 special to prep for the long flight. That's an espresso, with two sides of espresso. Rather than having enough caffeine that I could have ran to California, I opted for the single.
I started prepping my movie lineup for the trip when I got the text from @zbeekner4 that he was almost through security and where I was. I let him know I was the only lunatic in the airport wearing shorts in a snow storm and I was by the coffee shop. We finally meet up in person after months of chatting online with the team, and decide to grab a quick meal and a beer before the flight. I think that's where it all started to sink in for the both of us, we were about to embark on the most insane golf trip ever. The final boarding call hit, and we were off, squeaking out right before the snow hit. Again I can't thank the travel folks enough for ensuring we were able to get out in time and making accommodations for the both of us.
After a bumpy but otherwise uneventful flight we finally touched down in San Diego. It was chaos in the airport as the rest of the folks traveling from thanksgiving had filled the baggage claim. We found our driver, grabbed our bags and were out the door. Having a driver pick us up was fantastic, as the cab/ride share line was probably the longest I have ever seen at any airport to date. Gladly we bypassed that straight to our drivers brand new Cadillac, and found a in/out burger 5 min after we left the airport, a couple burgers later, and a comfortable ride, we checked into our hotel and ended our first day.
Had to stop - Double Double Animal Style
Day 1B
Since @zbeekner4 and I got in a day earlier, we had plenty of time to get settled while we waited for the rest of our team to show up. So of course we scope out anything golf related in the area and are able to find a golf shop reasonably close by and we went off for a bit of a warmup. The place @zbeekner4 found was perfect for the first day, they had all sorts of pre-owned sets, and told us to grab whatever we wanted and hit away. So naturally we hit every Callaway club we could find just to get some swings in and get a feel for our post flight swing. This was such a great way to kick things off, just the fact I could take a few swings the day before the fitting really helped calm my nerves and allowed me to show up with at least a serviceable swing at the fitting.
@zbeekner4 getting that work in.
A Random find as we waited for the team.
After a couple hours of wandering around and doing a bit of last minute shopping, grabbed a coffee and we headed back to the hotel to meet up with @tomcat and the man, the myth, the legend @Snickerdog while we waited for the rest of our team to show up. It was so great to finally put names and faces together and meet the rest of our team mates. We sat in the lobby hanging out and every so often another driver would pull up and more of the team would arrive. No shortage of high fives here.
We decided that we had enough time grab a quick burrito at a place that @Luke WilliamsCG reccomended and all hopped in a couple cars and headed to Encinitas. It did not disappoint, I went with a traditional chicken burrito and it was fantastic. We got to know our team mates a bit more and then took a quick walk down to the cliffs to check out the ocean. This was a great way to start everything. @radiman was with us in spirit. I know it was a rough start for you buddy, but everyone was constantly checking for updates on your progress. No man left behind! (Well not yet at least).
@HarryPotter testing out his invisibility cloak
We all made it back to the hotel and gathered what we needed and hopped on the bus ride over to Callaway HQ. This is where I think it all started to feel real in for me. We made it, this wasn't an extremely elaborate Candid Camera episode, we actually made it. After months and months of preparation and speculation we were finally there. We walked in the office and met @JB and @JasonFinleyCG in person for a quick overview in the lobby and we then headed into the marketing area where many of the zoo crew were there to greet us and begin our journey.
We then headed into the Callaway Studio for the presentation on the new gear, as we walked in, we each found a chair with an amazing OGIO backpack with a name tag on it full of new swag and our scripting for the week. I think it took me about four attempts before I found the right zipper to get in the main section. This pack had so many bells and whistles I still don't think I have found everything yet. Loved it, and it will be put to good use for sure.
We started off with a few housekeeping items around what we were about to see, what can be shown or disclosed, and what was off limits until our reviews. Head on a swivel in that place, even when you were looking at one thing, you had to make sure nothing else was in your peripheral. We got to see some great presentations around all the upcoming 2020 line and it was really impressive. I'm a big 'why' person when it comes to implementation details and we got it all, why things changed, how things improved year over year, and why some of the changes that will be coming were made.
We got presentations from @JasonFinleyCG on Golf balls, @Luke WilliamsCG on putters and @DNevsCG on Woods and Irons, while @21Gonzo ran the board. @j_sizzle9 will have an incredibly detailed writeup on @DNevsCG section for sure. (Sorry Bud, I had too
). We also were treated to a run-in from @SeanToulon, who clearly must have the same affection for the Vacation movies that I do. His reaction to my THP screen name was one of the highlights of my trip. I might have to order myself a custom Christmas Vacation Toulon Garage Putter one of these days.Overall I think folks will be pretty impressed with the approach they took with the enhancements, how they went about implementing them and at the end of the day how they have improved on prior designs. And with that @radiman has arrived. YES! Our team is now complete. On the way out, we got a couple more surprises, a limited edition blueberry lemonade Hideaway candle made by none other than Penny herself (it smells fantastic), and a very nice Smathers and Branson belt.
To end the night at Callaway HQ we had a nice meal and got to meet all of the rest of the Zoo Crew while watching the MNF game on the TVs in their cafe. It was awesome to start to put all the names with the faces/voices we've seen and heard from on the forum and podcasts etc. There was clearly some sizing up of the competition from both sides as we get ready to go into the ECPC the next day. Also @SeanToulon laid out the bet that if we won the overall competition that we would all be getting Toulon garage putters to sweeten the pot.
We headed back to the hotel but the night was not totally over. @JohnnyRodCG was staying at the hotel with us, so we headed over to a tap house down the road to have a few drinks before a quick trip to in/out for those who were still hungry. I got to sit across from @JohnnyRodCG while at the tap house, and man he was a riot. Truly a nice guy and you could tell he was genuinely excited for us to all be there, knowing what was to come over the next few days.
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