Tone50
New member
Phil, I can see you smiling from here!
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
It took me parts of three days to capture everything i wanted to, and go figure i left some things out but ill post them a little laterDamn PhillyV, you know how to put together one hell of a recap man. Thanks for taking the time to do that, very enjoyable reads in those posts.
YES! Kills me I can't see the video from work, but soon.
I'm ready for this thread, but I'm also at a loss of where to start with all of this awesome that unfolded. This event changed everything for me. Everything.
Team Redemption
In no particular order
Jman - You were named captain last year and reluctantly walked away for the birth of your child. When you got your chance, you took the ball and ran with it. You did things differently, you did things your way and in the end, I was so proud to be a member of this team. For us that does not stop, and for that we will always be thankful. You gave me back a restored faith in humanity and as a person, I am honored to call you a friend.
ddec - It was hard typing in your name for obvious reasons. It shouldn't have been, but it was. We shared each round together in the cart, and you got less revolting as the time went on. You put up with me leaving you in bad places, and when I put you in a good spot, you buried the putt to ridiculous close out shooting -3 in 6 holes of Alternate Shot. But it wasnt about the golf, it was about the situation and despite us sharing many over the years, sharing this one with you was special.
Tbaker34 (yes you got a new name now) - What a whirlwind it must have been during selection time. We had met previously and you are always so quiet and this week you got to come out of your shell a bit. The moment Jason Finley met you and said "Whoa" will never be forgotten and I know on a personal level that this week hit you right square where you needed it. Congrats on the journey to being the person you have wanted to be and we know you can be.
Nebgolfer - MVP of the King. Got the autobid and found himself with set plans on fitness and health and we are all so proud of you for it. When people call the Grandaddy a life changing event, I think you stand as the epitome of that. I know you were a bit hard on yourself after the golf, but then it hit you what this is all about. Kudos and I know you will cherish it forever.
PhillyV - MVP of the Gauntlet. Something about your attitude while there became infectious. You realized early on what this whole thing was and hit a home run from every angle. Im sure as a Browns fan, the loss we suffered doesnt hit you as hard (I kid I kid), but from the minute we got there, you knew what stood in front of you. Let me tell you from the outside looking in, seeing you and your wife evolve and set goals over the last 2 years is awe inspiring. You were my MVP on a team full of MVPs.
Rallo - Dude, you became a verb with like 50 meanings at this thing. But you took it all in stride and came out smiling. FYF (which means Eff your face for those following) may have been one of those unique moments where I realized how much of a verb you really are. Legendary and learning from the greats that say "leave your mark".
TexasHacker - Brother, you are a beast. Well, half of a beast now anyway. I am now committed thanks to you and it feels good. I know you wanted to tar and feather the man on the course, but you know better than anybody, that it didn't matter (all that much anyway). For every Superman there must be a Lex Luthor and I cant think of a better dynamic duo than that. You came, you saw, you improved and you never know when you might get another shot.
cdpkook132 - One of my favorite memories was at dinner when you said "I cant wait to come back in a few years at the 2012 Grandaddy". I remember Ethan's face and it was priceless. You lived this like it was yours and I know you soaked it all in like a sponge. It came at the perfect time for you, so I am so glad you got to experience it.
mikeg_74 - From organizing the gift for Jman, to the time we arrived in San Diego, you were ready. You wore your heart on your sleeve and embraced every last second of our time there. There is something to be said for a guy that just gets it, while we were out there and this whole team did, partly because of how you handled yourself. I know you put a lot of work in, and it was a blast to watch from the outside looking in.
Harvmp28 - Talk about a guy that was all smiles all week long. From the time I met you till the time we said our goodbyes, you were smiling. Watching your fitting was a lot of fun and seeing your interaction go from amazement to even more amazement made me remember what this is all about. Not the event only, but life. You dont know it, but that had a big impact on me and thank you.
misike - Something about your posts all week long made me realize what this was this event does to people. Im not sure why, how or what made me single yours out, but just something I noticed. Whether it be because I could literally hear the excitement from the text on the screen or I was saying it in your voice as I was reading it, I have no idea, but it was incredible.
Team Redemption I went in saying I would have preferred just watching from the sidelines and came out saying I wouldn't have changed a thing. You 11 men + my amazing best friend and wife brought me something this week that will be impossible to explain, but knowing me, I will try. You brought me an understanding of life, emotion and something I like to call motivation. Not motivation to redeem or win, but motivation to bring you the best, and this was the best. Not motivation to smile more or be happy (I am happy), but motivation to remember. Things go by quickly and when you stop and smell the roses every once in a while, you realize that you are surrounded by greatness from all walks of life.
I went back to read my post I made before the event, the one with the questions that I said "read this post event and see what your thoughts are" and mine changed dramatically. I wouldnt want to do this with a group of homeless people, but I sure as heck would pick each and every one of you up along the way to do it again. I love you all and cant wait to see everybody again.
And that post right there is why im proud as hell to call you my captain.I only know one way to do this, and thats to just put it all out there, for the sake of size, I'm going to do several entries over the next several days though...
Part 1 - #TheGrandaddy as a Whole
Man, where to begin? I really believe that the scope and breadth of this event cannot be put into words, and that is part of its brilliance. We as THP'ers, everyday average golfers, are essentially given the ultimate golden ticket to have Callaway throw back the curtain and make our wildest dreams become a reality in what I truly believe to be the greatest amateur golfing even anywhere. My ride in this one has been an interesting one, I remember like it was yesterday being on the edge of my seat in awe of the first group from start to finish of this event and getting a text from GG to immediately get on the forum and press record...only to see a video from Harry naming me the captain. JB mentioned it, and many here know, my wife and I were blessed with a wild little girl named Charlotte who decided to make her appearance what would have been a day or two before the event, it took a lot out of me to step aside for that, but knowing #Cookie would take my place made it easier. I won't mince words that the entire time I was rooting those guys on I was daydreaming of THIS year, fortunately it came true and I was given the ultimate second chance opportunity, the chance to lead #TeamRedepmtion, the chance to make a difference.
This chance meant and means WAY more to me than just being in #TheGrandaddy itself, my only mission coming in was doing everything I could to make damn sure it had the absolute BEST chance to come back for more and more to have the opportunity to experience it all. I've been on THP many many years and through MANY "big" events, with those the usual patterns always seemed to occur with teams and the forum, there was always a sort of dividing/separating line between them and it has always confused me (moreso having been a part, sadly, in those very things) because the events happen BECAUSE of the forum. So, for better or worse, I wanted things to be vastly different and to show that things can be done different, thats where the "Pillars" of #TheGrandaddy came from and why the emphasis was that it would ALL be on the forum, no chats, no text chains, no facebook groups, NO DRAMA. Its insanely hard to do things differently than they have been done before, particularly when some have been around and a part of that mentality/mindset, but dammit, my team took what I asked them to heart and trusted it. At times, I know it was hard, but when we all sat down at that table together in Cali the first night it all made sense and meshed seamlessly. We showed that it CAN be done without the behind the scenes stuff, that and emphasis on this place (THP) can keep people engaged through a year AND drive us as a team. I want it clear that this path was NOT a knock on Hawk or #Cookie, those two are FAMILY to me even off the forum that I love like brothers, to me it had simply come time to do something different to try and keep this beautiful event going on for years and years. We did that. #TeamRedemption did that. TH-freaking-P did that. I could not be more proud.
I'll get into the people on both sides, the fitting, the golf, the Hideaway, the competition, and all of that with subsequent posts but this one is just for the bigger picture. This event CHANGES you. Myself and Ddec (Dean) have seen some amazing things while we have been on THP, we have met people, been places, worked with equipment, all of that....but we both LITERALLY said the word "wow" aloud about 1,000 times each during this week in Cali. This is so so so so so much more than a competition, this is a revelation, a journey, and a destination for dreams to come true. Literally every single thing is thought of by both Callaway and The Hideaway, EVERYTHING including things you would have never considered. Better yet though, the joy that they get by bringing joy to all of us THP'ers is what makes it. Never in my life could I dream up something as amazing as #TheGrandaddy, never in my life could I completely and TRULY understand just what this event is until I experienced it. Its two entities (THP and Callaway), getting together, making a wild idea become a reality, and giving average people like you and me the chance to live out a dream.
The best thing I heard all week though, was that #TheGrandaddy was returning. It lives on. It will grow. It will evolve. It will improve (somehow). I can safely say that because of that, I feel like my personal mission was accomplished. Competition is a small fraction of what this is. I saw 11 others see that this year, and thank goodness now I get to watch another group see that.
May this event live on forever. It will FOREVER be the crown jewel. #TheEffingGrandaddyofemAll