The 2015 Grandaddy Recap Thread - Thanks For The Memories

I could even if I wasn't physically in California for it. The community is a large part of what #TheGrandaddy is and it is like no other because of it! But I do hope whoever lands that headcover games it, rocks it, shows that s*** off, because it represents Amateur golf at its 'Apex'! No higher place in my mind


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Nailed it!
 
I could even if I wasn't physically in California for it. The community is a large part of what #TheGrandaddy is and it is like no other because of it! But I do hope whoever lands that headcover games it, rocks it, shows that s*** off, because it represents Amateur golf at its 'Apex'! No higher place in my mind


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Not a knock at the community at all, but for me I would have to be one of the lucky 12. Like I said, just me and my idiosyncrasies.

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I really want to apologize to the community and to #TeamRedemption for the lack of a recap. Fell into a bit of a personal funk when I arrived home, but working to get out of it. Just want you guys to know that I haven't disappeared or not being as active now that the event is over. I miss each one of you guys and I talk about and smile about this event daily. The recap is coming


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I really want to apologize to the community and to #TeamRedemption for the lack of a recap. Fell into a bit of a personal funk when I arrived home, but working to get out of it. Just want you guys to know that I haven't disappeared or not being as active now that the event is over. I miss each one of you guys and I talk about and smile about this event daily. The recap is coming


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You know I will find you! Haha

Love ya brother! You know where to find me if you need an ear!
 
You know I will find you! Haha

Love ya brother! You know where to find me if you need an ear!

I honestly don't think I could leave this place even if I wanted to haha. I have made so many good friends and experienced so many incredible things because of this community. This is more than a forum to me
 
Final Recap - Team Redemption.

It’s been 3 weeks today since I returned from The Grandaddy, but the memories feel like they just happened yesterday. I miss all you guys. I’m so blessed to have experienced this, and even more so with such an amazing group of people. I hope to tee it up again with all of you. It’s been said before by others, but if any of you ever need anything, I’ll be there. Hard to put my thoughts about you guys on paper, I’m gonna give it a shot. So, in alphabetical order, except for Rallo, who I put last, which just seemed fitting :)

ddec: You just have a calm presence about you. I felt like you were the voice of reason on the trip. I’m not sure why, but it just seemed like you had the perfect witty comment for every situation. I know you had your mind blown like the rest of us, you just seemed to be so calm and in the moment. Some of the times I was struggling to pick my jaw up off the ground I looked over to see how you were handling it, and you were in awe too, just handled it like a pro. And, despite any preconceptions coming in, you weren’t even just a little bit revolting.

cdpkook132: I really enjoyed watching you smile the whole time. And a few times I heard you talking about how lucky you were for your wife, coworkers and everyone else that sacrificed something so that you could have the experience of a lifetime. You’re appreciation really shined throughout the whole trip. It really was heartwarming to see someone as happy as you all the time.

GolferGal: Can’t really say thank you enough for all of the hard work you put into this event, leading up to it and on the course providing updates. I remember one of the days overhearing you say something like “I love seeing all these smiling faces. I feel like a proud mom, all of my children are happy”. I think that it was evident to all of us how much you enjoyed being there, and just watching us all soak it in.

Harvmp28: The first guy I met on the trip. You’re a real genuine guy, and always have a story for every situation. You remind me so much of one of my friends from home, I couldn’t help but laugh at all of your stories. We had a crazy few minutes in baggage claim in San Diego, but it was all uphill from there. You’re going to make an excellent father this spring.

Jman: Captain, you really did a hell of a job at the helm of the ship. Everybody on this team just fit together, and I strongly feel that a large part of it had to do with the way you made sure this event was inclusive for everyone from the beginning. You led by example, and had fun while doing it. And, even though things didn’t end up the way we wanted on the scoreboard, everything else was a grand slam. You’re a great role model who leads by example, and I’m glad that you’re working with some of the most impressionable of us (our youth). It was a real pleasure to meet you, play for you, and now call you family.

JB: You’ve been through this a few times now, but you seemed just as excited as all of us out there at The Hideaway. You also just fit right in as one of the guys on the team, and it was a blast to really get to finally meet you and see you hanging out with all of us having the time of your life. You took a chance on yourself by starting THP, and myself and so many others are thankful for that, since we wouldn’t be here otherwise. I’m really happy you were playing in this and not just watching from the sidelines, and hope to get to tee it up in the same group sometime.

mikeg_74: Well, brother, I had a hell of a time playing with you both days. Even in the most intense situations you kept your cool and never let the nerves show through. And hit some clutch shots under pressure both days. I’ll never forget those two days of us golfing out at the Hideaway blasting the tunes and enjoying every second of it like two old buddies. We had some real close and intense matches, but never for one second were we not having fun, and that was evident to everyone in our group. I’ll partner up with you on the course any day brother.

Nebgolfer: Talking to you that last day, it turns out that we have so much in common. Maybe more so than anyone else on the trip. Not sure if I told you or not, but following you on your MVP run and weight loss journey prior to the event was something that really inspired me to keep practicing every day. And that was pretty funny you and I trying to stuff all of our swag into the car for the ride back to the airport on Thursday.

PhillyV: It was nice to finally meet my fellow Ohio THP’er and MVP of the Gauntlet. It’s easy to see why you were an MVP, you really appreciated every single aspect of this event, and it clearly showed. You’re passion in person also bleeds through on the forum as well. Glad to help you represent the great state of Ohio and our freezing fog at The Grandaddy. I’m glad you live not to far away and know we’ll be teeing it up again many more times.

TexasHacker: It’s awesome how you set a goal and met it with your weight loss. I was pretty impressed to see you stick to your workout routine even in all of the jaw dropping craziness that we were experiencing. And, every time anyone talked about The Hideaway on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, you had this glow to your eyes just stuck with me. I remember you saying, “just wait guys, just wait until you see it. I can’t even begin to explain it to you”. I’ll never forget that look in your eyes as you tried to prepare us for what we were about to see.

Tleishman (formally tbaker): The gentle giant. We didn’t get to talk much, but every time we did it was a fun conversation. And, the look on Finley’s face when he saw you on Sunday night was priceless. You’re way to nice to be an “enforcer” though, and that’s a good thing. It was cool to see someone so young (well, the youngest of us, at least) still appreciate this experience and not take anything for granted. Helped put things in perspective for me.

Rallo: Ah man, were do I start. You made a splash from the minute you entered dinner on Sunday night. And, to be fair, the first 2 times you were late it wasn’t your fault. All the other times though…. In all seriousness, you really are a kind and caring person, more than most, and I’m glad we got the chance to sit and talk quite a few times. Some of the funniest moments of the trip for me involve you, and that’s awesome. Don’t be a stranger, and I look forward to some more of your product reviews soon.

Happy New Years to all of you!
 
I just typed a massive recap on my fitting and lost it due to my stupid work computer restarting unannounced. I might cry. Seriously.

In the meantime I shall re-write it and hopefully have it posted in an hour or so.

Also wanted to post that I a) love this thread and b) genuinely hope to read more from some of the members of #TeamRedemption
 
It has been 28 days since the end of this event, and in my mind I'm still in California. Every day something different pops in my mind about the event and it makes me smile. Looking forward to your recap James
 
Tomorrow I will put my Grandaddy bag on the course with THPer War Eagle for a round.
I will instantly be moved back to this event with each of you and our Zoo Crew counterparts.

This is the first bag of gear I have had in a while, that literally has me CRAVING to hit it.
 
I just typed a massive recap on my fitting and lost it due to my stupid work computer restarting unannounced. I might cry. Seriously.

In the meantime I shall re-write it and hopefully have it posted in an hour or so.

Also wanted to post that I a) love this thread and b) genuinely hope to read more from some of the members of #TeamRedemption

I've got stuff jotted down all over the place. Need to throw them all together
 
Tomorrow I will put my Grandaddy bag on the course with THPer War Eagle for a round.
I will instantly be moved back to this event with each of you and our Zoo Crew counterparts.

This is the first bag of gear I have had in a while, that literally has me CRAVING to hit it.
I would say something like "Hit 'em well", but I cant at the moment.

Always love when you are excited about gear. I will be peeking in your bag a bit.
 
Links to my previous thoughts:
Sunday Recap: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...Thanks-For-The-Memories&p=4172766#post4172766

Day 2 ECPC Fitting, Bus Ride, Etc: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...Thanks-For-The-Memories&p=4182838#post4182838


My Teammates:

ddec: My good buddy. We have spent time together before, and I really enjoy talking baseball with you. I was thrilled when you were selected for this thing, because I know how much THP means to you, and you are definitely someone who understands the process, and can see the forest through the trees. You played some great golf, but you were also one of the first ones to laugh off anything that may not have gone your way. You are a good egg, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

cdpkook132: What can I say about Colin? The dude is awesome. He always has a smile on his face, and his personality is sort of infectious. I spent some time with him in KC before the event, and it is clear to me the dude worked hard on his game, and it showed. With these new clubs in your hands, you are going to be lethal.

GolferGal: The boss lady! She was the glue that held us together at this thing. Constantly rocking the forum with updates, even when she had to ride solo. Morgan is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and I enjoy the time I get to spend with her at each and every THP event. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did for us at this event.

Harvmp28: Partna! Man you were an absolute blast to play with at this thing. I knew from the second I met you and then subsequently when I found out we would be playing together, that we would have a blast. We ham and egged it, and if not for Finley and Rhi playing out of their minds, I think we would have secured 2 full points. You have some game dude, and I look forward to watching your progress going forward.


JB: Josh, thanks for everything. Thanks for building this site, thanks for working with the OEMs, thanks for helping put together the best damn amateur golfing event on the planet. You make once in a lifetime opportunities possible, and I cannot thank you enough. One of my favorite parts of all of this is that honestly you were just as excited as everyone else. As someone who has experienced the graciousness of Callaway and the Hideaway multiple times, it seemed like you were in it for the first time. I shared lots of my feelings on my selection with you and you always seemed to be able to steer me in the right direction. I hope to see you multiple times this upcoming year.

mikeg_74: #TeamHighCrown. MikeG is one of my best friends from THP. We go back awhile, and we have shared quite a few rounds together. Man I hate using the word “deserve,” but if I had to pick someone I knew would embrace this event from the start, you would be right at the top of that list, and you didn’t disappoint. You worked your butt off for this, and I know you left everything out there. Thanks for spending so much in the pro shop that I didn’t feel guilty! See you soon dude.

Nebgolfer: Man I love Ryan. The dude worked super hard on his game and his fitness and it showed. Start busting out that drive dude. I think once you get that confidence back you will see some low scores. Thanks for sharing the last round with me, even though things didn’t go as planned, we had a blast. Hope to get a round or two in with you this year.

PhillyV: Philly, my man. It was great to finally meet you. I am glad I could school you on some of the finer points of not responding. Watching you hit balls at ECPC was awesome. You have a heck of a golf game, but you are an even better person.

Tleishman (formally tbaker): Leishman! We had a blast together dude. I am glad I was able to be around when the nickname was first coined. You hit the ball a long way, and you are so much fun to be around on the course. Spending 9 holes with you, I knew you just got it. You understood and embraced the event, and I was so happy to see that. Keep up the hard work, and remember you have so much going for you buddy! Look forward to seeing the changes you make in the coming years.

Rallo: #FYF dude. Seriously, Rallo is such a blast to be around. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met. You need a new alarm clock, but besides that, you are an alright guy. You need to come visit so we can get a round in.

Jman: Man, this one is tough. I love James like a brother. I met him a looooong time ago at the original Des Moines Tour Van stop. He called me loud, we shared some laughs, and those memories are still with me to this day. You did it different, and you did it right. I loved this team, and I consider every one of them family, and that is thanks in large part to you changing the game for this event. I really enjoyed talking with you about pairings, playing some pre-event golf, and then obviously being around you in Cali. You are truly one of the great ones, and I look forward to seeing you again soon man.

Just to sum this up, I love you all. It was very difficult to write this, and I find myself still tearing up a bit thinking about this whole experience. This is something that changes the way you look at golf, at OEMS, at golf courses. I am forever grateful to have experienced this event, not once, but twice. I don’t know what I did to be so lucky, but man am I glad I was.
 
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I love this thread as well! A lot more to come from my recapping, only have my words down through ECPC on here. Holidays hit hard but they will get in here sooner than later. JB I know that craving all too well when I'm staring at this!

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Man, the memories are real!

Taylor! Love ya dude!! Thank you for the kind words brotherman!
 
Man, the memories are real!

Taylor! Love ya dude!! Thank you for the kind words brotherman!

Of course. Meant every word. I was struggling to finish recaps (Still am) because it just brings me back, and makes thinking about anything else very difficult.
 
Because I hope we see more of the guys post up their thoughts soon, I'm putting links to previous recap posts of mine below:

Part #1 - #TheGrandaddy as a Whole - http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...The-Memories&p=4171794&viewfull=1#post4171794

Part #2 - Travel Day - http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...The-Memories&p=4176917&viewfull=1#post4176917

Part #3 - The ECPC/Fitting

SO, this will be my SECOND time writing down this portion of my recap, so bear with me!

In all honesty, when I was named to captain #TheGrandaddy (both times, hahaha), THIS day was the day that I looked forward to the most. Yes, there is the FREAKING AMAZING Hideaway aspect, but prior to this I had never been fully fit by a professional for my clubs, and doing what I do with THP that was a rather big deal to me.

The morning started amazingly for me, I slept all the way to my alarm and had none of the sleepless nights so many from the past and present seem to talk about, which was likely due to having a 1 year old at home haha. For me, I love to see others having fun, and that is what this entire trip was, the morning of day one though was special because you could literally SEE all the emotions on people as we met for breakfast and boarded the bus. Excitement, trepidation, anticipation, eagerness, bewilderment, they were ALL there and it was awesome to see.

After a short bus ride, we pulled up outside of what I would call the very inconspicuous ECPC and the walk in with my team is something that I will cherish for the rest of my days…including the gate shutting half of the team out hehe. As we walked up though, we were greeted by Finley (he’s so cute), Harry, Hashtag, and the Ethanator. As we all gathered around and craned our necks to see everything around us Harry gave us the big welcome talk and you could really tell how excited the #ZooCrew was to get this show going. Finley then gave us the rundown of the day and took us on a quick tour of the ECPC so we could get our bearings for what/where we would be through the fitting sessions. After that the first group broke off to go meet the fitters and get the show on the road.

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I was lucky enough to get paired with Nick Arther who is a full-time fitter at the ECPC and honest to goodness one of the absolute best in the business (and also a +3 HCP if I remember correctly). Finley told me that Nick was a big numbers guy and it would blow my mind but in reality it made me as happy as can be, as a staff writer here at THP I freaking love diving into the numbers, and boy would we today.

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I grabbed an Apex Pro 7i to warm up while Nick was fixing some things with Flightscope and began hitting some balls, soon enough he came down and had me keep warming up while we took a sample of about 12-15 good shots with the Pro’s/PX6.0. From here Nick asked me about my swing and what I was gaming prior (XR Pro w/ Program F15 95’s) and I know for a fact the shafts I was playing surprised him, which would make sense to me soon enough. I told him I was totally open to either iron head as well as shaft selection, though I had a lean towards graphite, and also I believed I was playing too short of clubs for me as well as too flat. From here we dove in further and it was awesome.

He handed me the Apex CF16 w/ the same PX 6.0 and asked me to start hitting shots. While we recorded 12-15 good shots here as well he did confirm to me that we definitely needed to go longer and more upright with whatever we ended up with. After the data collection Nick called me over to see the tablet/data and wowza, the CF16 were 10 yards longer than the Apex Pro in the same shaft setup and had better dispersion. Here he explained that I’m steeper and because of it generate a good bit of spin, because the Pros are players irons they naturally spin more and as such though I was seeing the high flight I yearned for I was also costing myself a LOT of distance, so I knew the Pros were out for me immediately.

Here we started talking about shafts and he asked why I was playing the lighter programs, I said they were a review shaft and he said that he really didn’t want to fit me into graphite as he believed I needed a heavier option and steel would be better for me with my swing. From here he handed me a 2* up CF16 7i with a PX 6.5 in it, I’ll admit the flex freaked me out, but I went at it. 12-15 more, and I gained about 2 yards and a LOT of dispersion from the 6.0/std-lie setup, though I did not at all like the feel and wanted to try something different. He was a-ok with that and came back with a PXi 6.5 setup, holy crap it was amazing. They felt better, my launch came up, spin stayed down, dispersion was even better, and I was averaging 181 (with multiple in the 184 range) with a 7i. I came in fully wanting to try 4-5 different shafts (CT, CTL, MODUS, DG Pro, Recoil) but there was NO doubt this was the setup. CF16, 2* up, 1/2” long (according to Nick it would get me to 3* upright which was needed and also soften the flex a touch), Acid UTx w/ 2 wraps.

From there Nick asked about long irons/hybrids, I was open to playing a 5i but a 4i was out of the question. He came over with a stock 4hy Apex and said that I really didn’t need the XR distance (I came from those so I agreed) and though these would do the job wonderfully as iron replacements. Hit the stock setup OK, little off on dispersion, he plugged in a Graphite Designs 95ish gram shaft in X and again it was crazy. I got more launch, better spin numbers, distance came up, and dispersion was night and day. What and addicting club these are as well, sounded SO good and I even said aloud they were the first square(ish) toed hybrid I actually liked to look down on. One drawback was not knowing if they would have this shaft when they started to build, so we discussed a couple other options in case they didn’t (fun fact, Ethanator actually came and found me at HQ with Anthony Taranto on the phone about options they did have and we went with the Tour-Spec Motore Speeder HB90 in X). Ended up going 4hy AND 5hy in the Apex with the shaft mentioned above, Acid UTx +2 wraps.

Now came the big-dog, the one I was most scared of coming into the fitting and my swing had vanished on me the week prior. We talked about my current gamer and setup (GBB 10.5 +2, draw, w/ Hand Crafted 6.0 57g) and he grabbed a GBB 10.5 head set it +2, and let me swing at a few. After a couple we saw some pretty high spin (in part to my swing for sure) but he left and came back with the GBB 10.5 set to standard/draw and paired with the 70g Rogue I/O. The club came to life again, really pretty flight, and I looked down to my surprise to see that it was actually a 70X in the club. Nick explained as I was quick the heavier weight was better and then casually mentioned the flex needed to go up to that because I was hitting 114 on the Flightscope…..excuse me? I have to say, that shocked me, despite having had Dan/Canadan tell me again and again I’m stronger than I think I refused to accept it and basically beat myself down over it all, not to discount someone I trust more than just about anyone else, hearing it from Nick was eye opening…and a bit freeing honestly. We went GBB 10.5 set to N/D on the cog and with the weight one spot away from full draw, paired with the Rogue I/O 70X and Acid UTx +2 wraps. BOOM!

My time was almost up so I asked about fairways, most specifically the heavenwood. I think Nick was shocked I was playing one but I told him I’d been playing it with the Rogue I/O 70X to bring it down a bit and loving it so he was OK with us going that way here too. I then asked about 3w and he didn’t hesitate, seriously, NO hesitation, 816 16*, heavy weight forward, neutral everything, Rogue I/O 70X. Coming from the GBB fairway I was concerned about the 816 but trusted him when he said it made more sense for my spin numbers, plus it’s the highest MOI they have ever had on a fairway.

From here it was wedge time and as I walked over to join my boy Thomas/Leishman I hear a voice behind me asking what I normally play in lofts with my wedges. R-F-C! I answered 54 and 60, he said grab a 54 and hit some pitches. We were probably about 20-25 yards and I was hitting shots for ROGER CLEVELAND, moreover, I got a compliment on my technique and spin into the green on the shots! Soon Dean/Ddec came over and Mr. Cleveland asked if we wanted to get in the bunker, I’m pretty sure we all just nodded really quickly. From there he actually got in the trap and raked it for us (pic below hahaha) and we got to work. Now, I have read in amazement about every single time a THP’er has spent time with Mr. Cleveland, but it doesn’t do it justice, he’s a legend, he’s a genius, and he has an uncanny ability to teach. The sand lesson was amazing. A-mazing. From there I asked him what he thought about my wedge setup and he recommended sticking with the 54W MD3 and going 60W MD3 as well (“These are like cheating”) which surprised me coming from a 60 PM grind but I went with it. So it was 54W/60W MD3 in satin, PXi 6.0 (I wanted same shaft as irons but lighter flex, just my preference), 2* upright, 1/2” long, Acid UTx +2 wraps.

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Last was the putter, and it was easiest for me really after seeing what our selections were. I will say Steven who was manning the putter room took a look at my stroke and 100% nailed my usual miss, he recommended going with more MOI than a blade which I liked. Ended up with the Big-T #5 at 1* flat and 36”. Dean/Ddec and I actually grabbed 4 or so putters after and went outside to help him decide and I aaaaaalmost switched to a #9, but thankfully JB talked me out of it haahaha!

The fitting was amazing, seriously an insane day (and we hadn’t even gone to HQ yet) but my absolute favorite part was getting to sit down and just watch all of my guys smiling ear to ear as they continued fittings, tinkered, hit extra shots, etc. THAT, made the whole trip worth it for me, to see the joy of my 11 team members. I think its safe to say the fitting changed some guys games entirely, I know Ryan/Neb gained TONS of yardage in his irons, and I also got to see first-hand Thomas/Leishman and Matt/Harv become totally different players after being fit, TOTALLY DIFFERENT. It was amazing.

From there, we headed out from the ECPC to the Callaway HQ for more fun followed by a bus ride for the ages to the desert, but I’ll save that for tonight/tomorrow!
 
Loving the reviews, gentlemen. I am finishing up putting my thoughts together, and apologize for the delay (which I'm sure surprises no one). I'm hoping to have it finished up sometime this Saturday.

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Great read there Jman
 
Great post Jman, I still can't comprehend what it must be like to have that kind of experience
 
No surprise here, but Captain does words good!


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No surprise here, but Captain does words good!


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Haha, thanks buddy. I have practice at it, but this event, makes it insanely easy. Greatest THP event ever.
 
I keep day dreaming about being on the bus.
I keep looking out of my window at my office wishing i was looking at mountains.
I miss heading to the hotel lobby 90 minutes early and being the third guy down there lol
I miss you all. It sucks being stuck in winter too. I want to go out and play my gear. I cleaned my clubs again last night just so i could take each one out of the bag and grip it like i was going to hit a ball. This is by far the worst and longest lasting event hangover imaginable
 
I know the feeling about wanting to play your clubs. I took mine out for cleaning again yesterday, but they were already cleaned from the day before, lol. Settled for rolling a few putts indoors instead.

Nice recap James. Puts me right back to ECPC.
 
Watching AJ do the Callaway Live Minute on Twitter and noticed his 1/4 zip. So awesome
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I love how much Zoo Crew loves this event too
 
I'm wearing the white one today. I only wish I had on a rope hat.
 
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