gizmo3putt
Active member
Great video recap JB/Morgan, laughed seeing Phil with his 'ole buddy Roger' talking golf again.
The 2015 Grandaddy Recap Thread - Thanks For The Memories
lightningbolt44
Well-known member
Going to have to sit down and read through all these when I get home. From what I have read so far it as always blows me away. THP and Callaway always go well beyond expectations and make dreams come true for average golfers such a great thing to watch and see.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
The 2015 Grandaddy Recap Thread - Thanks For The Memories
I also plan on posting my recaps in a few different posts over the next couple days. Here is part one:
Leading up to the event
I had been a member of the forum for a few years, but mostly just browsing and very little posting. This year I started to get more active, posting more and also attending 1 event (Olde StoneWall). I still remember following with the rest of the forum as we found out MVP’s of the two majors (Nebgolfer and PhillyV), and also participating in each Grandaddy contest, with the hope I would win one. I ended up winning the last entry, that moment will be etched in my mind forever. It was 6pm my time, Sept 24th. I had just finished playing a soccer game and checked my phone on the way to my car. I saw an email saying I had a PM from JB. I read the contents. “Congratulations on becoming the 11th and 12th members of Team THP in the Grandaddy of em all. Sit tight for a bit as we finalize a couple things and then travel arrangements will be getting done. Congrats again and welcome to Team THP.” I read and reread it. I have it printed and in my office, and read it every day before the event. I visualized getting that message so many times in my head, I just couldn’t believe it actually happened. The only one who wasn’t surprised at all was my wife, because she said I had been talking about the Grandaddy to her almost every day for the last 3 months, lol. Being from Ohio, usually my golfing season starts to wind down in October. Not this year. 10 weeks of trying to improve and prepare for the Grandaddy. Early morning runs, lunch at the golf course putting and chipping, early morning weekend golf and range sessions; and lucky enough to have warm weather almost the whole time leading up to the trip. I can tell you that during those 10 weeks, there were nights I couldn’t sleep I was so excited, or mornings that I’d wake up early thinking about The Grandaddy with no chance of going back to sleep. Anytime something “bad” would happen, it would take just one quick thought of being in the Grandaddy to raise my spirits back up. I had also never really met any of my teammates before, so it was really cool to be able to read their posts on the forum, and realize they were having many of the same thoughts I was.
Day 1 - Sunday - Travel Day
My flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30am, and of course on Saturday night there was a “freezing fog” warning. WTF. I’d never even heard of that term before. I was flying out of Akron which was only 20 minutes away, so I wasn’t worried about getting to the airport, more that the flight would be delayed. Only thing I’ll say about the flights was that I was so relieved when I touched down in San Diego that I made it with no delays. There were 8 of us that landed at the same time in San Diego, and the Callaway driver was there to greet us and get our stuff loaded into a big van. Riding to the hotel there was some small talk about various things, and I felt a huge sense of anticipation for what was to come. I checked into the hotel and headed down to the bar to meet with my teammates. It was fun getting to meet everyone in person finally. Jeff Neubarth even made an appearance, and seemed just as excited for the event as we all did. I had a chance to head up to my room for about an hour to get cleaned up and just lay down and relax. At dinner, JB and GolferGal ordered some delicious food for us, and it just kept coming, and coming, and coming. I think that this is when it really started to hit me that this group of people would be different. There were no “fake” chats, no forced conversation, nothing like what most would expect from a group that was only together for the first time a few hours prior to that. I just felt a real sense of comfort and camaraderie around my teammates, which was a really cool feeling. I’ve been part of many sports teams growing up, and I don’t think any of them gelled as quickly as this group did. Then Jman got up and gave his speech (find it in the Grandaddy thread if you missed it) and talked about pairings and why he matched things up the way he did. All of the sudden JB excuses himself for a minute, and next thing you know in walks Finley wearing a longsleeve shirt with the Grandaddy logo on it and a cart loaded with duffle bags and a box containing the signed flag that MikeG coordinated for Jman. After Jman opened his flag (which was so cool to see in person), Finley starts passing out the duffle bags. I got mine and remember thinking “holy cow, it’s loaded with stuff”. He starts to go through it and explain the awesome sway, every piece embroidered with the Grandaddy logo! I don’t remember even going through it all until later that evening in my hotel room. Finley was getting ready to leave, and we were commenting that we just needed Rallo to show up to complete the evening, and right on cue, in walks Rallo! This moment will stick with me, because this guy had been traveling for probably 16 hours straight, walks right to dinner and doesn’t miss a beat. His first comment was something like “Oh man, I have some catching up to do”. Then 20 seconds later he says something that has the whole table busting up. Just like that, he had caught up and was part of the group. The team hung around for awhile after dinner, it was pretty apparent that we were all pretty beat from the travel day, so we finished the night with some patron shots and headed up to our rooms. Before I went to bed, I spread all the swag out to take a picture and post to the forum. As soon as I did, I saw that most of my teammates had the same idea, and had put up pictures of their stuff. All except Rallo, who did a video review of a rain jacket that is a must see (go back and find it if you didn’t see it, trust me it’s worth it). Then it was finally off to bed to get ready for Monday at ECPC.
To be continued...
I also plan on posting my recaps in a few different posts over the next couple days. Here is part one:
Leading up to the event
I had been a member of the forum for a few years, but mostly just browsing and very little posting. This year I started to get more active, posting more and also attending 1 event (Olde StoneWall). I still remember following with the rest of the forum as we found out MVP’s of the two majors (Nebgolfer and PhillyV), and also participating in each Grandaddy contest, with the hope I would win one. I ended up winning the last entry, that moment will be etched in my mind forever. It was 6pm my time, Sept 24th. I had just finished playing a soccer game and checked my phone on the way to my car. I saw an email saying I had a PM from JB. I read the contents. “Congratulations on becoming the 11th and 12th members of Team THP in the Grandaddy of em all. Sit tight for a bit as we finalize a couple things and then travel arrangements will be getting done. Congrats again and welcome to Team THP.” I read and reread it. I have it printed and in my office, and read it every day before the event. I visualized getting that message so many times in my head, I just couldn’t believe it actually happened. The only one who wasn’t surprised at all was my wife, because she said I had been talking about the Grandaddy to her almost every day for the last 3 months, lol. Being from Ohio, usually my golfing season starts to wind down in October. Not this year. 10 weeks of trying to improve and prepare for the Grandaddy. Early morning runs, lunch at the golf course putting and chipping, early morning weekend golf and range sessions; and lucky enough to have warm weather almost the whole time leading up to the trip. I can tell you that during those 10 weeks, there were nights I couldn’t sleep I was so excited, or mornings that I’d wake up early thinking about The Grandaddy with no chance of going back to sleep. Anytime something “bad” would happen, it would take just one quick thought of being in the Grandaddy to raise my spirits back up. I had also never really met any of my teammates before, so it was really cool to be able to read their posts on the forum, and realize they were having many of the same thoughts I was.
Day 1 - Sunday - Travel Day
My flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30am, and of course on Saturday night there was a “freezing fog” warning. WTF. I’d never even heard of that term before. I was flying out of Akron which was only 20 minutes away, so I wasn’t worried about getting to the airport, more that the flight would be delayed. Only thing I’ll say about the flights was that I was so relieved when I touched down in San Diego that I made it with no delays. There were 8 of us that landed at the same time in San Diego, and the Callaway driver was there to greet us and get our stuff loaded into a big van. Riding to the hotel there was some small talk about various things, and I felt a huge sense of anticipation for what was to come. I checked into the hotel and headed down to the bar to meet with my teammates. It was fun getting to meet everyone in person finally. Jeff Neubarth even made an appearance, and seemed just as excited for the event as we all did. I had a chance to head up to my room for about an hour to get cleaned up and just lay down and relax. At dinner, JB and GolferGal ordered some delicious food for us, and it just kept coming, and coming, and coming. I think that this is when it really started to hit me that this group of people would be different. There were no “fake” chats, no forced conversation, nothing like what most would expect from a group that was only together for the first time a few hours prior to that. I just felt a real sense of comfort and camaraderie around my teammates, which was a really cool feeling. I’ve been part of many sports teams growing up, and I don’t think any of them gelled as quickly as this group did. Then Jman got up and gave his speech (find it in the Grandaddy thread if you missed it) and talked about pairings and why he matched things up the way he did. All of the sudden JB excuses himself for a minute, and next thing you know in walks Finley wearing a longsleeve shirt with the Grandaddy logo on it and a cart loaded with duffle bags and a box containing the signed flag that MikeG coordinated for Jman. After Jman opened his flag (which was so cool to see in person), Finley starts passing out the duffle bags. I got mine and remember thinking “holy cow, it’s loaded with stuff”. He starts to go through it and explain the awesome sway, every piece embroidered with the Grandaddy logo! I don’t remember even going through it all until later that evening in my hotel room. Finley was getting ready to leave, and we were commenting that we just needed Rallo to show up to complete the evening, and right on cue, in walks Rallo! This moment will stick with me, because this guy had been traveling for probably 16 hours straight, walks right to dinner and doesn’t miss a beat. His first comment was something like “Oh man, I have some catching up to do”. Then 20 seconds later he says something that has the whole table busting up. Just like that, he had caught up and was part of the group. The team hung around for awhile after dinner, it was pretty apparent that we were all pretty beat from the travel day, so we finished the night with some patron shots and headed up to our rooms. Before I went to bed, I spread all the swag out to take a picture and post to the forum. As soon as I did, I saw that most of my teammates had the same idea, and had put up pictures of their stuff. All except Rallo, who did a video review of a rain jacket that is a must see (go back and find it if you didn’t see it, trust me it’s worth it). Then it was finally off to bed to get ready for Monday at ECPC.
To be continued...
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MONDAY -
I surprisingly slept pretty good. I wasn't quite adjusted to the time change and I woke up before my alarm. I started to get ready and pack because we were not coming back. While packing I had to sit down. I STILL could not believe this was happening and where I was. It will be a theme for me throughout my recaps. I'm just an inner city kid from the barrios of Houston, Texas. These types of things don't happen to people like me where I grew up. I've had to scratch and claw my way out to build the life I have now. Even though I am blessed with more things than I could ever want, this event and me being a member of this team hasn't quite set in. I shake it off and finish packing. Head down to the lobby and meet up with the rest of the team.
AS we all filed into the lobby we had our various Grandaddy shirts on we were given the night before. Finally the day is here, first stop ECPC. We all had breakfast before getting on the bus. During the ride you could feel the excitement. As we pull into ECPC my first thought was "This bus driver is a BOSS" if you saw the narrow spots he had to drive that thing through you would be impressed. Getting off the bus my heart starts racing again. One more piece to the puzzle is getting laid out before us and it's fitting perfectly. It's hard to describe the practice are once you walk through those gates. It was just as good, if not better than most high end courses I’ve played.
Harry, Finley, ScottyG, Hashtag, and RFC were there also. Yes, RFC was there! I know it may not seem all that to many, but meeting him was pretty cool and an understated part of this trip. After a few words from Harry and Finley, we are led into the facility for a quick tour. After that we are let loose like a bunch of kids that just heard the recess bell.
I'm in the last group to be fit, so I figured I would chip for a bit and get warmed up. Next thing I know I'm standing over a bag full of MD3 wedges and discussing why I play the wedges I do with Mr. Cleveland. We discuss the bounce, leading edge and how they are your friends and enemy when trying to execute the proper wedge shots. After watching him hit some shots each of us take turns in the bunker so he can get us set up for success. When it's my turn I get set up and hit two or three of the best bunker shots I’ve ever hit. Mr. Cleveland looks at me and says "That's beautiful son, don't change a thing & remember to stay down through the ball with your weight shifted" I could have left right there and my trip would have been complete. I was on cloud 9. A few more chips from the grass and off to figure out a putter with Taylor.
As Taylor and I open up the door to ECPC I hear a voice & immediately know it's Phil Mickelson. It's Phil and I look at Taylor like 'What do we do?". As we walk around the corner, sure enough its him talking to someone and has a couple dozen of prototype balls in hand. Taylor and I were trying to figure out if we should say something or approach him, but in the end we decided to act like we've been there before and give him his space. I gave him a polite nod as we walked by and went into the putting studio. It's funny because we were both giddy like a couple of school girls who just saw their favorite pop star.
Getting fit for the putter was quicker than I thought. With the Milled Collection 6M out of the questions, I went to the new Works Tank Cruiser line for my options. That indoor green was fast. You barely breathe on the ball and its moving. I pull the #1 (which looks like a 1W) and start rolling a few. Not bad results, but Steve noticed I had a little too much toe hang than he would like. He suggested the VLine and boom, night and day difference. I soled the putter flatter and was consistently hitting my lines. Works Tank Cruiser VLine it is.
Next it's my turn to get fit. I wish I could have remembered my fitters name because he was awesome. We chatted a bit about my current bag and how I have it set up, what type of ball flight I like to see, etc.. I told him the only numbers I care about are carry distance and spin. Everything else will fall into line if we get those two parts of the equation settled. We start off with irons. We tinkered with a few steel shafts and I just wasn’t comfortable with the weight. We started hitting the Recoils & my dispersion, spin and carry all got better. I hit a 7i about as good as I am gonna hit it and the numbers were longer than anything I’ve ever seen before. This helped solidify the shaft. Time to hit the woods.
This was the biggest shock for me. Going in I have been killing the GBB with the Grandura 530. The VSeries 3W & HW were perfect in their spots and needed a club to gap from my 6i to HW. Long story short the new tech in the GBB fairway woods had the HW & D9 overlapping/duplicating some distances. This was odd, but I told myself trust the fitter. After a few swings we decided the transition would be D9 to 3W. The Kuro Kage 50S was the best shaft that gave me optimal results. I would add a 5i instead to complete the set. We hit he lie angle board to validate I'm 1* up and done.
Now time for the driver. I was 100% sure GBB would be in my bag based on my time wth it. Not sure if my swing was off or the Grandura made that much of a difference, but we couldn't control the spin with any of the shafts they had. The fitter pulls the 816 DBD. I'm shocked & happy at the same time. We tinker with shafts a bit and settle in on the Kuro Kage 50S. Boom! Immediately SS, launch, carry and spin all fall into place. A few more tinkers and we are set. I end up with 816DBD 9* & Kuro Kage 50S. We tinker with the loft settings and at +2 like I had my GBB the spin was high but still manageable. We dropped it down to -1 and spin was better, but sacrificed a little distance. With my swing being off I told him to set it +2 | D and let's get the weight and GC done. A few more swings and heavy weight in the heel, gravity core down. Driver is set and just in time to get it submitted. For never having been fit outside of my irons, it was a treat.
Now it's time to get on the bus and head over to Callaways offices. Lunch was ready, but not before we did a quick walk through and spot some familiar faces.I know it's work to them, but that place is just cool. You can just feel the fun vibes in that building and it's infectious.
We sit down for lunch and just sit back and relax for a bit. We all had a whirlwind morning and it's just the beginning. Soon after the Q&A session starts. All the Callaway people in the room introduce themselves and we are off. We pepper them with questions from putter designs, release cycles, etc.. Then Chip walls in. The CEO of Callaway walks in and starts answering questions. I will say that it was refreshing to get honest answers from someone that high up and not just canned answers. The good and the bad was discussed, what works and what doesn't & how to not make those mistakes again.
I'm biased, but the discussion/ back and forth with Chris Koske & Austie Rollinson was my favorite. Hearing them talk about Odyssey and hearing their passion for the brand as much as I have is awesome. Needless to say our voices are being heard & where it makes sense more model offerings will come to the US as it makes sense financially. At the end of the day it boils down to maximizing profit in the putter market and making sure the cost of materials are maintained as such to not impact he final price of a putter. We all want tungsten or fine metals, but that comes at a cost, keep that in mind.
Then Finley walks in with a bag of headcovers like Santa. The beautiful green #TeamRedemption custom Odyssey headcovers we will use for our newly fitted putters.
This led to Koske asking to see them and us talking about my putter cover collection. He was genuinely enthused to see it and shocked I had as many as I did. When he told me he doesn't even have the new NoThreeJacks I have that made me smile. Some back and forth and next thing I know he tells me to grab one of the custom covers from the bucket in his office. Since I have the VLine in play I grabbed a mallet mystery milled cover.
Off to the tour of R&D and golf ball manufacturing. I won't bore you with the details because most of the golf ball knowledge will be shared In due time, but it's cool to see how they are approaching next gen club design with 3D wax moldings. We were truly "nerded out" as Hashtag said. During the tour Austie and Koske find me and hand me a couple more putter covers. I'm speechless at this point. Austie hands me a tour only Dinah Shore mallet cover. Theses were only made for the LPGA major and I can't find one anywhere. He hands it to me and says thanks for being a loyal fan. I'm floored at this point and truly speechless.
As we are leaving the facilities we are directed back to the Callaway Live set. Two gentlemen are sitting on stage and we all take a seat. Shortly we all realize the two guys are from Oban. They have been working on a shaft that excluSively will be paired/offered with Callaway drivers. It gets better, before anyone in the WORLD has a chance to get these, is 12 get one today, Shut The Front Door!!! Prototype Oban shaft and we each get one??!!?? The shaft is called the Hashimoto 04 & has the properties of being tip soft & firmer as it get to the butt end. It's a high launch/low spin beauty. We also get custom Callaway score cardholders. I've just hit the mother load and it's only day one. Many say its not about the gear it's about the experience, but the gear/gifts are what makes the experience special IMO. Without the product this isn't the Grabdaddy, it's another great THP event & not the crown jewel that it is.
Bus Ride -
I'm guessing because of Hashtag's nausea & AJ's bladder of an infant, we got a tour bus with its own bathroom. Ethan set up shop in the back with all the snacks and drinks. We are all taking and having a great time. Traffic was brutal getting to the desert, but being on that bus didn't matter. We were all having a good time when in a blur JRod runs to the restroom. We all thought he had to go really bad. Next thing I know, he bursts out of the door and makes a bee line for jman. He has his superman pj's on and he's wearing the belt. we all have a good laugh and the belt is passed around.
HeyPeteCG and I had a great conversation about family, golf and life in general. It's cool to see and talk to someone who is as passionate for this game as any of us. The dude was working away on his laptop the whole way there & that was impressive. The genuine interest all of the ZooCrew had in each and every one of us & our journey here was amazing. You never felt out of place. During the ride Matt Wood sent out a message with a picture of swag bags and a fireplace. Holy Crap we are headed to the Hideaway for dinner!
Traffic held us up a bit so we are told to check in, clean up (we have 15 minutes) and back on the bus for dinner. I get cleaned up in record time. We all get back on the bus and of course it's time for the "Where's Rallo" game. (Love ya buddy!) once we are all on board, off to the short ride. The anticipation is killing us at this point. It's dark outside so we can't see much other than a couple of lit palm trees. As we pull into the club we get a glimpse of the beauty that this property is. A few turns and we are heading to the dining area. We are met with the best tasting margarita on the rocks you've ever had and the biggest TacoTuesday spread you could ever want. Tortilla soup, enchiladas, queso, fajitas, ground beef, and all the fixings you could want. I piled my plate and went to town. I sat next to Neubarth and JRod at the table and that was the right call. Neubarth had the drinks coming fast and furiously. I like his style! Once I picked my head up from my plate I noticed the fireplace, nice brown Hideaway bags laid out and that was the picture Mattt Wood teased us with.
Several of us went out to the patio and enjoyed the night. It was pitch dark and had the feeling like a curtain was blocking the awesomeness that was the course. We could not see anything and to be honest I'm glad I couldn't. We all hung out for a bit, then back inside for the first day pairings.
Now we knew what day 1 of competition would look like. Me and Mike (Misike) would take on Ethan & ScottyG for Shamble and Best Ball. DNevs would replace Ethan in the afternoon for Alt shot. Some light hearted banter was had and then the gift bags were handed out. WOW! A Hideaway polo with the Grandaddy logo on it. Two tumblers & an awesome NextBelt with a Hideaway buckle. Back to the bus. A small goodbye to the course mentally and I can't wait to see this place in the morning.
We settle into the hotel bar and continue to hang out and talk like a bunch of old friends catching up. The laughs and the jokes that were shared. Ralloed was born as was #FYF. Phil and I stepped out to the patio for a cigarette and again just couldn't believe what we've experienced so far. Hanging with Phil was just easy and like two old friends. We both were at a loss for words with what we just experienced and that the golf has not even started. We head back into the bar and see Nate & Steve from Callaway. These two guys are the reason our clubs made the 2 hour trip out to the desert. Once the clubs were made and put into our bags, they drove them out. They were happy to do it also. For those that don't know playing in #TheGrandaddy is as much an honor amongst the #ZooCrew as it is for THPers. Spots on that team are fought for and desperately coveted. They want into the golf as much as we do. One thing I remember from talking to Velardo was that he has never hit balls at ECPC. I'll say that again, he works for Callaway and has never hit balls or been fit at ECPC, let that sink in.
A few drinks later and it's time to call it a night. The Hideaway awaits in the morning and I need some rest.
Up next, Day 1 of competition
I surprisingly slept pretty good. I wasn't quite adjusted to the time change and I woke up before my alarm. I started to get ready and pack because we were not coming back. While packing I had to sit down. I STILL could not believe this was happening and where I was. It will be a theme for me throughout my recaps. I'm just an inner city kid from the barrios of Houston, Texas. These types of things don't happen to people like me where I grew up. I've had to scratch and claw my way out to build the life I have now. Even though I am blessed with more things than I could ever want, this event and me being a member of this team hasn't quite set in. I shake it off and finish packing. Head down to the lobby and meet up with the rest of the team.
AS we all filed into the lobby we had our various Grandaddy shirts on we were given the night before. Finally the day is here, first stop ECPC. We all had breakfast before getting on the bus. During the ride you could feel the excitement. As we pull into ECPC my first thought was "This bus driver is a BOSS" if you saw the narrow spots he had to drive that thing through you would be impressed. Getting off the bus my heart starts racing again. One more piece to the puzzle is getting laid out before us and it's fitting perfectly. It's hard to describe the practice are once you walk through those gates. It was just as good, if not better than most high end courses I’ve played.
Harry, Finley, ScottyG, Hashtag, and RFC were there also. Yes, RFC was there! I know it may not seem all that to many, but meeting him was pretty cool and an understated part of this trip. After a few words from Harry and Finley, we are led into the facility for a quick tour. After that we are let loose like a bunch of kids that just heard the recess bell.
I'm in the last group to be fit, so I figured I would chip for a bit and get warmed up. Next thing I know I'm standing over a bag full of MD3 wedges and discussing why I play the wedges I do with Mr. Cleveland. We discuss the bounce, leading edge and how they are your friends and enemy when trying to execute the proper wedge shots. After watching him hit some shots each of us take turns in the bunker so he can get us set up for success. When it's my turn I get set up and hit two or three of the best bunker shots I’ve ever hit. Mr. Cleveland looks at me and says "That's beautiful son, don't change a thing & remember to stay down through the ball with your weight shifted" I could have left right there and my trip would have been complete. I was on cloud 9. A few more chips from the grass and off to figure out a putter with Taylor.
As Taylor and I open up the door to ECPC I hear a voice & immediately know it's Phil Mickelson. It's Phil and I look at Taylor like 'What do we do?". As we walk around the corner, sure enough its him talking to someone and has a couple dozen of prototype balls in hand. Taylor and I were trying to figure out if we should say something or approach him, but in the end we decided to act like we've been there before and give him his space. I gave him a polite nod as we walked by and went into the putting studio. It's funny because we were both giddy like a couple of school girls who just saw their favorite pop star.
Getting fit for the putter was quicker than I thought. With the Milled Collection 6M out of the questions, I went to the new Works Tank Cruiser line for my options. That indoor green was fast. You barely breathe on the ball and its moving. I pull the #1 (which looks like a 1W) and start rolling a few. Not bad results, but Steve noticed I had a little too much toe hang than he would like. He suggested the VLine and boom, night and day difference. I soled the putter flatter and was consistently hitting my lines. Works Tank Cruiser VLine it is.
Next it's my turn to get fit. I wish I could have remembered my fitters name because he was awesome. We chatted a bit about my current bag and how I have it set up, what type of ball flight I like to see, etc.. I told him the only numbers I care about are carry distance and spin. Everything else will fall into line if we get those two parts of the equation settled. We start off with irons. We tinkered with a few steel shafts and I just wasn’t comfortable with the weight. We started hitting the Recoils & my dispersion, spin and carry all got better. I hit a 7i about as good as I am gonna hit it and the numbers were longer than anything I’ve ever seen before. This helped solidify the shaft. Time to hit the woods.
This was the biggest shock for me. Going in I have been killing the GBB with the Grandura 530. The VSeries 3W & HW were perfect in their spots and needed a club to gap from my 6i to HW. Long story short the new tech in the GBB fairway woods had the HW & D9 overlapping/duplicating some distances. This was odd, but I told myself trust the fitter. After a few swings we decided the transition would be D9 to 3W. The Kuro Kage 50S was the best shaft that gave me optimal results. I would add a 5i instead to complete the set. We hit he lie angle board to validate I'm 1* up and done.
Now time for the driver. I was 100% sure GBB would be in my bag based on my time wth it. Not sure if my swing was off or the Grandura made that much of a difference, but we couldn't control the spin with any of the shafts they had. The fitter pulls the 816 DBD. I'm shocked & happy at the same time. We tinker with shafts a bit and settle in on the Kuro Kage 50S. Boom! Immediately SS, launch, carry and spin all fall into place. A few more tinkers and we are set. I end up with 816DBD 9* & Kuro Kage 50S. We tinker with the loft settings and at +2 like I had my GBB the spin was high but still manageable. We dropped it down to -1 and spin was better, but sacrificed a little distance. With my swing being off I told him to set it +2 | D and let's get the weight and GC done. A few more swings and heavy weight in the heel, gravity core down. Driver is set and just in time to get it submitted. For never having been fit outside of my irons, it was a treat.
Now it's time to get on the bus and head over to Callaways offices. Lunch was ready, but not before we did a quick walk through and spot some familiar faces.I know it's work to them, but that place is just cool. You can just feel the fun vibes in that building and it's infectious.
We sit down for lunch and just sit back and relax for a bit. We all had a whirlwind morning and it's just the beginning. Soon after the Q&A session starts. All the Callaway people in the room introduce themselves and we are off. We pepper them with questions from putter designs, release cycles, etc.. Then Chip walls in. The CEO of Callaway walks in and starts answering questions. I will say that it was refreshing to get honest answers from someone that high up and not just canned answers. The good and the bad was discussed, what works and what doesn't & how to not make those mistakes again.
I'm biased, but the discussion/ back and forth with Chris Koske & Austie Rollinson was my favorite. Hearing them talk about Odyssey and hearing their passion for the brand as much as I have is awesome. Needless to say our voices are being heard & where it makes sense more model offerings will come to the US as it makes sense financially. At the end of the day it boils down to maximizing profit in the putter market and making sure the cost of materials are maintained as such to not impact he final price of a putter. We all want tungsten or fine metals, but that comes at a cost, keep that in mind.
Then Finley walks in with a bag of headcovers like Santa. The beautiful green #TeamRedemption custom Odyssey headcovers we will use for our newly fitted putters.
This led to Koske asking to see them and us talking about my putter cover collection. He was genuinely enthused to see it and shocked I had as many as I did. When he told me he doesn't even have the new NoThreeJacks I have that made me smile. Some back and forth and next thing I know he tells me to grab one of the custom covers from the bucket in his office. Since I have the VLine in play I grabbed a mallet mystery milled cover.
Off to the tour of R&D and golf ball manufacturing. I won't bore you with the details because most of the golf ball knowledge will be shared In due time, but it's cool to see how they are approaching next gen club design with 3D wax moldings. We were truly "nerded out" as Hashtag said. During the tour Austie and Koske find me and hand me a couple more putter covers. I'm speechless at this point. Austie hands me a tour only Dinah Shore mallet cover. Theses were only made for the LPGA major and I can't find one anywhere. He hands it to me and says thanks for being a loyal fan. I'm floored at this point and truly speechless.
As we are leaving the facilities we are directed back to the Callaway Live set. Two gentlemen are sitting on stage and we all take a seat. Shortly we all realize the two guys are from Oban. They have been working on a shaft that excluSively will be paired/offered with Callaway drivers. It gets better, before anyone in the WORLD has a chance to get these, is 12 get one today, Shut The Front Door!!! Prototype Oban shaft and we each get one??!!?? The shaft is called the Hashimoto 04 & has the properties of being tip soft & firmer as it get to the butt end. It's a high launch/low spin beauty. We also get custom Callaway score cardholders. I've just hit the mother load and it's only day one. Many say its not about the gear it's about the experience, but the gear/gifts are what makes the experience special IMO. Without the product this isn't the Grabdaddy, it's another great THP event & not the crown jewel that it is.
Bus Ride -
I'm guessing because of Hashtag's nausea & AJ's bladder of an infant, we got a tour bus with its own bathroom. Ethan set up shop in the back with all the snacks and drinks. We are all taking and having a great time. Traffic was brutal getting to the desert, but being on that bus didn't matter. We were all having a good time when in a blur JRod runs to the restroom. We all thought he had to go really bad. Next thing I know, he bursts out of the door and makes a bee line for jman. He has his superman pj's on and he's wearing the belt. we all have a good laugh and the belt is passed around.
HeyPeteCG and I had a great conversation about family, golf and life in general. It's cool to see and talk to someone who is as passionate for this game as any of us. The dude was working away on his laptop the whole way there & that was impressive. The genuine interest all of the ZooCrew had in each and every one of us & our journey here was amazing. You never felt out of place. During the ride Matt Wood sent out a message with a picture of swag bags and a fireplace. Holy Crap we are headed to the Hideaway for dinner!
Traffic held us up a bit so we are told to check in, clean up (we have 15 minutes) and back on the bus for dinner. I get cleaned up in record time. We all get back on the bus and of course it's time for the "Where's Rallo" game. (Love ya buddy!) once we are all on board, off to the short ride. The anticipation is killing us at this point. It's dark outside so we can't see much other than a couple of lit palm trees. As we pull into the club we get a glimpse of the beauty that this property is. A few turns and we are heading to the dining area. We are met with the best tasting margarita on the rocks you've ever had and the biggest TacoTuesday spread you could ever want. Tortilla soup, enchiladas, queso, fajitas, ground beef, and all the fixings you could want. I piled my plate and went to town. I sat next to Neubarth and JRod at the table and that was the right call. Neubarth had the drinks coming fast and furiously. I like his style! Once I picked my head up from my plate I noticed the fireplace, nice brown Hideaway bags laid out and that was the picture Mattt Wood teased us with.
Several of us went out to the patio and enjoyed the night. It was pitch dark and had the feeling like a curtain was blocking the awesomeness that was the course. We could not see anything and to be honest I'm glad I couldn't. We all hung out for a bit, then back inside for the first day pairings.
Now we knew what day 1 of competition would look like. Me and Mike (Misike) would take on Ethan & ScottyG for Shamble and Best Ball. DNevs would replace Ethan in the afternoon for Alt shot. Some light hearted banter was had and then the gift bags were handed out. WOW! A Hideaway polo with the Grandaddy logo on it. Two tumblers & an awesome NextBelt with a Hideaway buckle. Back to the bus. A small goodbye to the course mentally and I can't wait to see this place in the morning.
We settle into the hotel bar and continue to hang out and talk like a bunch of old friends catching up. The laughs and the jokes that were shared. Ralloed was born as was #FYF. Phil and I stepped out to the patio for a cigarette and again just couldn't believe what we've experienced so far. Hanging with Phil was just easy and like two old friends. We both were at a loss for words with what we just experienced and that the golf has not even started. We head back into the bar and see Nate & Steve from Callaway. These two guys are the reason our clubs made the 2 hour trip out to the desert. Once the clubs were made and put into our bags, they drove them out. They were happy to do it also. For those that don't know playing in #TheGrandaddy is as much an honor amongst the #ZooCrew as it is for THPers. Spots on that team are fought for and desperately coveted. They want into the golf as much as we do. One thing I remember from talking to Velardo was that he has never hit balls at ECPC. I'll say that again, he works for Callaway and has never hit balls or been fit at ECPC, let that sink in.
A few drinks later and it's time to call it a night. The Hideaway awaits in the morning and I need some rest.
Up next, Day 1 of competition
NewGlfr
New member
I got goose bumps watching the vid and all emotional reading your recaps. I wasn't even there!!
You guys ROCK and thanks for sharing such a special event with all of us here on THP. Absolutely unbelievable to be able to follow along.
You guys ROCK and thanks for sharing such a special event with all of us here on THP. Absolutely unbelievable to be able to follow along.
Cdpkook132
Active member
The 2015 Grandaddy Recap Thread - Thanks For The Memories
Man that takes me right back there and puts a tear in my eye. Ill collect my thoughts and get a good recap going.
Man that takes me right back there and puts a tear in my eye. Ill collect my thoughts and get a good recap going.
Jgross44
Member
Philly, that was a great recap!!! Sounds like you guys had a blast.
vFLASHv
Member
This is the kind of video you just wish would keep going. Loved it
- Staff
- #60
And if you say the gear isn't a big part of this awesome, you're insane.
Is it everything? Nope its not. But badassery like the below is a BIG FREAKING DEAL!
Is it everything? Nope its not. But badassery like the below is a BIG FREAKING DEAL!
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #61
Good gawd that is pretty.
Finally got a chance to sit down and watch this... Goosebumps. Wow so well done
emart2173
#journey2017
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2014
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- 32,082
- Reaction score
- 7
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- North of my desired location
- Handicap
- 10
Love the recaps. As if reading Phil, Jmans and JBs were bring some water in the eyes then reading MikeGs. Can't wait for the rest
PhillyV started it out strong with the recaps and I'm loving each and every one. Thanks Mike, PhillyV, Misike, JB, and Jman.
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #66
One day...One day!
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #68
So tomorrow morning, THP HQ sent a congratulatory breakfast and cake over to Callaway HQ for the entire Zoo Crew. There may have been a small message sent with that as well. Stay tuned for more info on that, but when its all said and done, we will post it in the appropriate thread (2016 announcement thread) for all to see as we think this thread should be about the recaps.
lightningbolt44
Well-known member
It will mark it down. Guarantee captain Dan and his team bring it home.
On the topic though these recaps are just amazing. Still have some more to read but they have been great.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Sunday:
Day one of my Grandaddy experience. I woke up super early, imagine that? I was so excited to get the journey started. I grabbed a quick breakfast and double and triple checked my bag to make sure I would be ready, and then I headed to the airport way too early to get the trip started. I was lucky that I had a direct flight from Kansas City to San Diego, so I loaded my iPad up with some episodes of Gotham and watched that and THPed the entire flight. When I landed in San Diego it started to hit me. I was getting flashbacks of my first trip as the plane descended over the water and into beautiful California. I quickly exited the plane and found my driver waiting for me. The entire drive to Carlsbad was surreal. I kept replaying the thoughts I had during my first trip over and over again, realizing what awaited me. I arrived and checked into the beautiful hotel and headed to the gym. Once I finished my workout I showered and met everyone down at the bar. It was just like any other THP event. Everyone sharing a few beverages. I met most of my team and Callaway’s own Jeff Neubarth. We shared stories, we laughed, and we discussed what lucky people we were to be able to attend this incredible event. At about 4 O’clock everyone was exhausted and we headed back to our rooms for a quick nap before dinner.
Dinner time was awesome. We met in the hotel restaurant and Josh and Morgan graciously bought enough food for 30 people. We enjoyed truffle mac and cheese, flat breads, amazing homemade chips, and more. We shared more laughs, and you could feel a sort of nervous excitement over the room. About 30 minutes into dinner James stood up and announced the groups, and I found out I was going to be paired with Matt Harvey and my boy TBaker, or soon to be known as Leishman (more on that later.) I was ecstatic. Two great guys to share a round with. After Josh and James gave some words of encouragement I explained to the team the amazingness that they were all about to be experiencing. We were all feeling good and then Jason “Darth” Finley himself walked in… Carrying bags and bags of swag. He handed each of us our bags, and when we opened them we were blown away by the contents. It wasn’t just 2 pullovers and 2 shirts which we saw in the picture on Twitter. It was 6 polos, 4 jackets, a belt, a long sleeve t-shirt, 3 hats, and an incredible gray duffel bag. We were speechless. Jason stayed and offered some words of wisdom, and some advice for the following days.
As soon as Jason was about to leave in walked the final member of #TeamRedemption, Rallo. I will have more to say about each of my teammates at some point, but Rallo is a character. Never has a guy made a name for himself as quickly as he did, and he is truly one of the nicest people I have ever been fortunate enough to meet. After a bit Josh, Morgan, and Jason left and the remaining 11 of us sat around had a couple beverages, and shots of patron, and just bonded. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We sat in a room, most of us hadn’t known each other but a few hours, and it was like we were long lost high school buddies. We eventually retired to our rooms where everyone but Rallo went to sleep. He was too busy making Callaway Rain Jacket videos.
I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep, but all I could picture was the beauty of ECPC. Wondering what clubs we would be offered, wondered if RFC would be there, and those thoughts consumed me until I finally just passed out due to pure exhaustion. Monday coming next
Day one of my Grandaddy experience. I woke up super early, imagine that? I was so excited to get the journey started. I grabbed a quick breakfast and double and triple checked my bag to make sure I would be ready, and then I headed to the airport way too early to get the trip started. I was lucky that I had a direct flight from Kansas City to San Diego, so I loaded my iPad up with some episodes of Gotham and watched that and THPed the entire flight. When I landed in San Diego it started to hit me. I was getting flashbacks of my first trip as the plane descended over the water and into beautiful California. I quickly exited the plane and found my driver waiting for me. The entire drive to Carlsbad was surreal. I kept replaying the thoughts I had during my first trip over and over again, realizing what awaited me. I arrived and checked into the beautiful hotel and headed to the gym. Once I finished my workout I showered and met everyone down at the bar. It was just like any other THP event. Everyone sharing a few beverages. I met most of my team and Callaway’s own Jeff Neubarth. We shared stories, we laughed, and we discussed what lucky people we were to be able to attend this incredible event. At about 4 O’clock everyone was exhausted and we headed back to our rooms for a quick nap before dinner.
Dinner time was awesome. We met in the hotel restaurant and Josh and Morgan graciously bought enough food for 30 people. We enjoyed truffle mac and cheese, flat breads, amazing homemade chips, and more. We shared more laughs, and you could feel a sort of nervous excitement over the room. About 30 minutes into dinner James stood up and announced the groups, and I found out I was going to be paired with Matt Harvey and my boy TBaker, or soon to be known as Leishman (more on that later.) I was ecstatic. Two great guys to share a round with. After Josh and James gave some words of encouragement I explained to the team the amazingness that they were all about to be experiencing. We were all feeling good and then Jason “Darth” Finley himself walked in… Carrying bags and bags of swag. He handed each of us our bags, and when we opened them we were blown away by the contents. It wasn’t just 2 pullovers and 2 shirts which we saw in the picture on Twitter. It was 6 polos, 4 jackets, a belt, a long sleeve t-shirt, 3 hats, and an incredible gray duffel bag. We were speechless. Jason stayed and offered some words of wisdom, and some advice for the following days.
As soon as Jason was about to leave in walked the final member of #TeamRedemption, Rallo. I will have more to say about each of my teammates at some point, but Rallo is a character. Never has a guy made a name for himself as quickly as he did, and he is truly one of the nicest people I have ever been fortunate enough to meet. After a bit Josh, Morgan, and Jason left and the remaining 11 of us sat around had a couple beverages, and shots of patron, and just bonded. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We sat in a room, most of us hadn’t known each other but a few hours, and it was like we were long lost high school buddies. We eventually retired to our rooms where everyone but Rallo went to sleep. He was too busy making Callaway Rain Jacket videos.
I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep, but all I could picture was the beauty of ECPC. Wondering what clubs we would be offered, wondered if RFC would be there, and those thoughts consumed me until I finally just passed out due to pure exhaustion. Monday coming next
Harvmp28
Active member
I just got a chance to read these guys! Busy day at work so far and I get off tomorrow morning, I will definitely be bringing some Recap to the table!! You guys are killing it so far! And JB I'm still smiling that wide telling people about #TheGrandaddy of Em All!
My brother asked me 'are you a Callaway guy now?' And I said, 'how could I not be, these are hands down the best clubs I have ever hit!' As I have told other people all about the trip I tell them what my brother asked and the overwhelming response from most people is 'Hell, I'm a Callaway guy now just hearing about how amazing they are!'
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My brother asked me 'are you a Callaway guy now?' And I said, 'how could I not be, these are hands down the best clubs I have ever hit!' As I have told other people all about the trip I tell them what my brother asked and the overwhelming response from most people is 'Hell, I'm a Callaway guy now just hearing about how amazing they are!'
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
emart2173
#journey2017
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2014
- Messages
- 32,082
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- North of my desired location
- Handicap
- 10
greggdrews
Active member
That was an awesome video to watch JB/GG and the updates by PhillyV, Jman, MikeG, Misike and texashacker were out of this world. So happy you guys were able to experience such an amazing once in a lifetime event and share it all with us.
