No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - 1071: NLU Personal Golf Spotlight - Big Randy

Episode Date: September 19, 2025

It’s time for Randy to step into our personal golf spotlight as Soly and Neil quiz the big guy on his swing and gear setup, his changing relationship with the game, his top ten favorite courses and more. Join us in our support of the Evans Scholars Foundation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nolayingup.com/esf⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our Sponsors: Titleist Rhoback The Stack If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Nest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: No Laying Up’s community of avid golfers. Nest members help us maintain our light commercial interruptions (3 minutes of ads per 90 minutes of content) and receive access to exclusive content, discounts in the pro shop, and an annual member gift. It’s a $90 annual membership, and you can sign up or learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nolayingup.com/join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the No Laying Up Newsletter here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://newsletter.nolayingup.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the No Laying Up Podcast channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@NoLayingUpPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Be the right club today. Yeah, that's better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most! Better than most! Expect anything different? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No Laying Up podcast.

Sali here, here with the Strat Boys. And in a rare occurrence, they're not in trouble. There's no malfeasance going on. No shenanigans with the budget. Mr. Big Randy is who we're going to be covering today. Helping me with that is Mr. Neil Schuster. Hello, Neil. Oh, good afternoon, Sally.

Mr. Big, always a pleasure. I love talking about your golf game. I love hearing you talk about your golf game. I'm so fired up to shine the spotlight on you today, Big Boy, Yeah, thanks. I don't know if I like talking about my golf game, but we're going to give it, we're going to give it a go here. I appreciate you guys shine in the spotlight on me. Yours is the one I've been looking forward to the most, and I think a lot of people will be looking forward to yours the most in particular because I may be painting with a broad brush here, but sometimes I wonder about your, your relationship with the game seems different than all of ours. I think you very much enjoy going out to play golf.

you'd ever tend to crave playing it greatly? Is that a fair assessment? I think that has become more fair. Yes. I, listen, I'll just be honest about it. I think working in the game of golf has changed my relationship with playing golf a little bit. Not that I don't like it, but golf for me used to be a total escape, right, from whatever I was doing. And so it was a chance to kind of get away from work, get away from whatever's going on in my life, and just get out on the course and sink into golf. And now with a lot of my professional life and with golf, taking up a big part of my day to day, it just doesn't offer that same escape to me. I still enjoy playing golf. I get excited about when I can go out. But yeah, I'm not beaten down the door to

play every single day. And I think more than that, I really enjoy a golf offseason again. Since moving to Colorado, you know, I kind of put the clubs up at the end of October-ish and then get them out sometime April-ish unless we have, you know, some type of work trip or something in those intervening months. So, yeah, it's been a bit of a, I don't know, I think just coming to that realization, and almost getting comfortable that that's like my new relationship with the game of golf has, I'm certainly more comfortable with it, let's say.

So not to throw a soft track here, but what I love is that Randy can be a walking contradiction sometime. And what I mean by that is like you and I get a lot of juice out of the competitive stuff. Sure. For sure. Randy's actively like, I don't care about that. But the minute you get out on the course,

nobody wants to hit cups and keep score and play strictly by the rules. Yeah, that's right. as much as Randy. But it's this weird thing where it's like it's not about competing against anybody else. It's his own personal thing. So it's like it's kind of how a lot of people look at golf of like, oh, it's just a good walk. It's a meditative practice. It isn't that for Randy.

It kind of is that, but he wants to keep, he wants to play. He wants to keep score. And I find that to be slightly contradicting. But Randy, would you agree with that? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. If I'm, if I'm going to play golf, then let's play golf. You know, I used to really resent just like, oh, we'll go out for a quick nine holes.

It's like, eh, if we're going to go through the trouble, like, let's play all 18, you know. Certainly, let's follow the rules. Let's hit cups. I think, Neil, you know, here's something that you might get a kick out of, Neil. I, and I'm curious if you're still journaling. I don't do any type of journaling, right? But I look at my handicap and I look at the scores that I post as something that is we'll stand the test of time, right?

I can look back and I can tell you on May 17th, 2021, this is exactly what I shot, right? And my handicap will say this is exactly how, you know, quote, unquote, good of a golfer you were at this exact moment in time. And there's not a lot of stuff that does that, right? There's not a lot of stuff inside or outside of golf. And so I look at, maybe it's the accountant in me, maybe it's, you know, wanting to categorize things. But I just, if I'm going to play golf, I need to know how good was I on that day.

What is my score? That's very important. And you don't want any noise in that data, right? You don't want it's like, oh, I don't want to be like switching key boxes. I don't want to be like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, that's a thing. It's little thing. Like, Ray is like, I don't want, no, this tea, like you got to.

see this back to you, we should play it from back here. He's like, absolutely not. We chose to play the one-ups. That's the point. And I get such a kick out of your, how rigid you are about that, but how like when you're off the course, like, yeah, I can play or not. You know, like that to me is contradiction might not be the right word, but it's just a funny combo. Because most people, you would think like that are like golf, you know, addicts, right? Like I want to play all the time. And you're like, no, when I do want to play though, I want to play the right way. I wouldn't call it To answer your question, I have not been journaling, but I have been writing, I haven't been journaling, but I think that's more of like a ship captain's log, you know, it's like,

okay, here we are on the open ocean and the weather is X and the, you know, it's like, I think that's sweet. I love that. It's like, this is the official record and I don't want any noise or bullshit. I love it. That just gets me very jacked up. And since the start of 2021, I can tell you exactly what day, what hole, what course and what the par is of that hole of every birdie

that I've made. All right. Well, let's that's what I keep track of. Let's do a level set here. 2025. What's your handicap? What did start at in January? What's your handicap now? Ball speed. And kind of personal feelings on your current golf game year to date.

Sure. The handicap at this second is 6.8. It's nice, maybe. That is. Yeah, it's not bad. I know. It's not bad. My handicap to start the year was 5.9. and I played probably the best round of my life at the very end of 2024. It was at our NIT event at Dobson.

I shot an even par 72. That is what really took my handicap down to 5.9. And so as soon as that score got off the books this year, it took a little while. My handicap went up. I think I got up to about an eight, but now over the last month or so, it's it's back to a 6.8 so that's where we are right at this second uh i'm i'm quite happy with that right i have no qualms uh my ball speed neal i truly have no idea could not tell you my ball speed i you guys might have a better guess even than i do uh i know it's not like

fast so you know whatever whatever whatever's in that like elegant range i don't i don't know what that is well i make a point to capture that next time like at the club championship or something and sally i'm gonna put that on you make sure we get this guy on a launch monitor because i'm curious i'm not 150 i'm not curious so much as like what is you know what's randy cruising out i'm curious where it stands like uh like have you kept because you're playing a lot of tennis so i could see you you know kind of i'm do you feel like anecdotally are you hitting the ball better or worse now than you were at the beginning of the year or farther like so two two part question there i don't feel like i'm hitting it with more distance but i do feel like at this

moment i'm hitting it better i've more more consistency i think my golf game through the years always kind of ebbs and flows throughout a season uh just based on if i like a swing thought or you know maybe if i'm happen to be in a stretch where i'm playing a decent amount of golf versus not playing a decent amount of golf uh but yeah at the moment we're we're we're feeling good i think the biggest thing and maybe this can lead into like some of my equipment stuff but I really think over the last let's call it five years and certainly going back longer than that I am hitting my driver so much better and more consistent than I think I ever have in my life and you know what's a good drive for me you know to I mean gosh like I'll like 230 to 260 right somewhere in that range

but I stand over the ball on the tee box and I have a good idea of not only what I'm trying to do with it but I have a very good idea of where that ball is going and I found that golf is a lot more enjoyable when you're driving the ball well and it certainly helps the scoring when you're getting off the tee. Before we move on,

I'm curious as far as like personal feelings on the game. I love watching you hit the ball, Randy. I mean, because you're no secret, you're tall. But like the way that it's a very athletic move because you drop the hands. You get in, I'm jealous of how inside out you get on the golf ball. It's something I really, really, really struggle with. So I'm wondering, and I also know you're like me,

you like to ride that swing feel like Seattle's slew. It's all like that. What are we working with right now? What is the feel that you're going for when you're hitting it well? Yeah. we have we have kind of two main fields i'll say and then some like subsidiary feels i you know i i think everybody's probably best when they're not thinking about a lot might be stacking those feels baby right the the worst habit the very worst thing i can do and i feel like i've done a much better job of

this over the last couple years uh i think on takeaway i used to really roll the club face open And I guess how I think about that and how I verbalize that is like my first move at takeaway, I feel like my wrists, especially my right wrist would kind of roll open, that club face would get very open. And I feel like that, if you're going to do that, you're just like you have to time up the kind of flip of the wrist at the bottom of the swing perfectly, time and time and time again. so my biggest thing is to try to keep that the wrist and the club face from rolling open on takeaway it's almost like for me it's a shut feeling i'm sure the club face is not shut and it's probably still a little bit open but it feels much more shut and so then when i kind of drop in from the inside it's it's a much more freeing motion through the ball where i'm not feeling like I got a perfectly time, kind of a flip at the bottom.

So that's like the overarching one. And then my second big one, anybody who's seen me swing and there's video out there, you know, I tend to get behind the ball. And I think my hips and kind of my lower body can sway out in front of me. And so the thing that I'm trying to think of is like making my golf swing, turning like I'm up against a wall.

right and so that that left hip for me that lead hip don't let it sway forward kind of feel like there's a wall up against me and i'm i'm turning more like that hip behind me i think those two things are generally have been a good guiding principle in my golf swing and i think that yeah those are kind of the two overarching ideas that i bring to the golf course and i try to think about ahead of most shots i think there's no other golfer that i play with that i can almost because i i you know i'm not a swing nerd but i i can kind of see it randy at the top if that right side you think about it like your left hips going you know out your your swaying i see it like it's a total collapse you know it's like fold you're like folding on yourself on the right side i'm like that's not it's

like you know and it takes a while for that close face to get down to the ball i'm like that's not going to go well it's like there's enough time for me to like comprehend that before you make contact and I'm like oh that's not going to be a good one yeah and I love I just get such a kick out of watching you hit it I love it man because when he's hitting it good man it looks really that's right that's right easy it's right it's and it looks athletic and it is athletic to get that club in the in the slot the way you do so I just want to make sure because I love playing with you that you're enjoying the game like that's important to me you know what I'm saying. I'm sincere about that.

I get jacked up when Randy is jacked up and I want him to be jacked up to play golf. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I think I've had a lot of enjoyment from the game of golf this year. And I kind of put them in three buckets. One, have been able to take some wonderful trips. And I think some of these trips will play

into some future answers. But, Solly, getting to go to Northern Ireland with you and DJ and then running it back in Milwaukee, like those those were very fun like work golf trips right i just got back from like a personal golf trip to sand valley you know not a work trip those are becoming fewer and further between for me but it's really nice to be able to just take a trip where you're truly just playing golf you know you there's you don't have to think about like what you're going to say about a hole a course whatever you're just out there playing golf and then i've tried to be more active in our roost here in denver and not only playing

in some stroke play events but I'm in this like fall two man best ball kind of tournament set up and that brings me some fun too Neil to your point it's like a little competition you know you're out there playing a playing a match with with a buddy against you know two other guys and yeah that's that's what I enjoy um those have been I enjoy playing golf again I just I'm not the guy that needs to go bang balls on the range four times a week like that's that's never been me and that I don't think that will ever be me okay well I know you're a gearhead so sally we got to hit the what's in the bag we'll get to that it's like the only excuse I'll make for you here randy is I think you're going to get some people that roll their eyes at what you're saying about working in golf and and

not having that disconnect uh you know or you know not having that outlet as it as I totally just want to vouch for you that I see where you're coming from there like there is a mental energy that goes into working in the space for 40, 50, 60 hours a week at times and not wanting to necessarily reach for a club and go play at the end of it. Like that makes total and complete sense to me. So I'm looking to, I'm bailing you out. I'm trying to help you out. Well, if anybody can't understand that, like, you know, maybe. Well, no, it's not the people can understand it. I think it's just like a fuck this guy, man. Like he gets to, you know, work in golf and he doesn't want to go play. I don't know. No, I think it's the, the way I

I feel that sometimes, too. The way I would phrase that is, like, I think the pros far outweigh the cons, but there are some, there are some burnout stuff, some burnout stuff to that of like when, you know, it's like,

yeah, we're going and technically you think it's free, but there's, it's not free. You got to like, we have to create content out. It can be very mentally taxing in a way. And like,

and then there's pressure on like, well, if I don't hit the ball well, like I'm going to get made fun of for the next six months or maybe six years. If it's me, you got to wait like four months. months until it gets published. Yeah. You know, it's just kind of like adds. It's just like cloud your mind.

You're like, you know what? I'm, I think I'm just going to go play tennis. Well, and that's more than anything. It's just like I guess I'm looking for something that, yes, like golf and, you know, we think a lot about it. We talk a lot about it. We like, it's just in my mind. And so I'm looking for activities where I can go and like get away from all this stuff that's just constantly going on in my mind. And so tennis has kind of filled that void, Neil, as you say. for me yeah so what is in the bag randy what uh take us take us to your golf bag yeah uh driver gt1 driver and i love it i said i've i've truly been uh i was in a tsr one and have made a smooth

transition to the gt1 let me train you up just a little bit on this that's a title list gt1 from from titleist the tidalist the tidalist golf company i believe you tsr one it was you nelly corda Jack Blair. I got to think that those were the back three. Who knows what they're playing now. It's a 12 degree. My GT1 is a 12 degree. And I have it set at the A3 setting, which I think even promotes Morloff.

So like, I'm sure my driver's up maybe 13, 13 and a half degrees. But it's, it's beautiful. I should mention the ball, the title is the Pro V1X. The X is for people like myself that need more spin. So the Pro V1X is the golf ball. I use. Going down through the bag, I have two woods, fairway woods, five wood and a seven wood. Now, they're each lengthened a bit. So my five wood is really like the length of a three wood. My seven woods, the length of a five wood. Those are the new GT fairway woods from from Titleist.

And then I recently got fit into a blended iron set. And so I'm in a T-250, four-iron, and five-iron, and then into T-15. 56 iron through pitching wedge. And then the SM10, my wedge gaping, I have a 50 degree, a 54, and a 58. I've kind of been on that four degree differences for the last few years now. So I truly, what are you chipping with these days, Randy? You still, you bumping that five wood at all? Time to time, not as much if I'm being honest. I've found the hybrids to be a little bit more comfortable than the.

five would bumping around the greens i listen i reach for the 58 more than anything i i do a lot of my chipping with the 58 i'm trying to get a little bit better with the 54 uh and just a little bit more um fun some of those longer pitches from around the green um and trust and it'll have some check on it so yeah a lot of 58s but trying to mix in some 54s and you know when when we do get to go across a pond i get a big thrill out of you know bumping like a seven iron or eight iron or something like that when i can what about putter oh the putter is a rotating cast of characters i believe the one i'm gaming now is the phantom five the the scotty cameron phantom five uh it's probably my most consistent putter i got um i have like a mallet scottie cameron that i don't putt well

with it all it looks great but i i'm like i don't i probably shouldn't use that and then i got really long. Oh, it's not behind me. I got a really long, it would be like a belly putter, I think, to most normal people, but to me, you were exploring this, explore in the space a little bit on the arm lock? Yeah, it'd be like an arm lock putter. And again, I'm like, I'm just not putting that well with it. I'm just not going to be a good putter with anything I putt with. But I feel like the Phantom 5 gives me the best chance to start in the ball on the line that

I want to start it on. And you're committed out. I feel like people are not arm locking anymore. I haven't heard that phrase. You don't hear as much about. about it my dream and tylus please if you're listening like my the final boss of putting i want to be in a in a broomstick so if they can make one big enough for me i would gladly go to that you just put two putters together and then that would be big enough for you yeah that might be what we have to do are you you were the the first of many to uh or an early adopter of the of the of the claw or the saw yeah and that's still we're we're still there Yeah, I went through some bad yips, right-hand yips, and I claw, I claw pretty much like 10 feet and in roughly.

I'll go to the claw. Longer puts, I'll go left-hand low sometimes just to feel like I can swing the putter head a little bit more naturally. But, yeah, when we're in close and we're really trying to like concentrate and make a putt, I got to go to the claw. It's been such a delight. ever since you started playing the ProV1X just like watching your ball leave a totally, totally different window. You just played golf the wrong way

for so many years and one fitting and all of a sudden it was like, oh, it's supposed to go that high. Like that's so much fun. Yeah. And I notice a theme in the bag too with just the 12 degree, maybe tuned up to 13.

Just like the theme, getting the ball up in the air, launch of the launch window. We've just got to launch them. Truly, though, you're right. Like between the, the ball, the driver. I mean, that's really why I'm in a five wood and seven wood,

just a little bit of extra help getting the ball up in the air. Like, I know that they're a sponsor, but like the tireless equipment is wonderful. It has made me, really, it has improved my game a lot. Because like the constant throughout the years is like I haven't put a ton of practice work into my game and so like why do i feel like i'm hitting it better well you got to point to the equipment it's it certainly does make a difference it has made a difference for me what about from a uh give us your favorite favorite shoes this year for joy quantums you know i think i'm officially

a hashtag old guy they just are the most comfortable i i am comfort above all else um i yeah i have a footjoy i actually have a couple pair of footjoy quantum size 14 and i just You know, I can walk around a golf and before where my dogs used to be barking. It's just so much more comfortable for me to walk. Those are great, too, for tournament watching because you can kind of get away with, like, no one's going to accuse you of wearing golf shoes as a spectator. Pretty casual. Yeah, exactly.

You know, kind of kind of a little bit of a crossover there. So good stuff, Mr. Big. I love it. Yeah. All right. So let's go back in time. How did you get into the game and maybe one or two of your earliest golfing memories? yeah this is something you know this is always fun to think about how did i get into the game um

i i think i have to credit my dad and i have to credit my dad's mom my grandma uh my dad played casually you know growing up so you know he'd go out with buddies and and whatnot um his mother my grandmother was an avid golfer and a very good amateur golfer in northwest ohio um Her family, my great-grandfather, they actually bought a plot of land up there and turned it into a golf course in like the early 19, what was it, 1930s, I think. My grandma grew up working at like the family golf course. So that's how she learned. So I think that was the progression for me. I can remember my parents had still have a membership at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati.

And I think like the earliest memory, I can remember doing one of those kids clinics, you know, where I'm sure it was like Monday to Friday for a couple hours each day. They take you out to the range. They, you know, they show you how to grip a club. I always remember that I learned the interlock grip that week. have been using it ever since they teach you some very fundamental swing stuff you know they just expose you to the game of golf and so i think that's really how i started um when i would go up to what age would that be sorry if i had to guess maybe six seven years old i i would say and so from that point uh going up to northwest ohio napoleon specifically uh there was a nine

whole golf course that my grandma played a lot, the Napoleon golf course. And she would take me out from time to time. So I'd play there with her. There was a Pupp Putt facility at that course. So I'd love to play Puppet with her. And then when I would be at home in Cincinnati, Hyde Park would let juniors out on Mondays. You know, the club was kind of closed, but you could go out and walk the course. And so me and my buddy, Scott, would, you know, Mondays in the summer. And summer, we would love to just go out and walk nine holes. It would be the two of us or maybe we'd be playing with some other kids or something. But a lot of experiences that way. And so golf for me has always just been a summer. It started as just a summer activity, right? Something you were kind of doing when school was out. And it really stayed that way, I mean, all through my life until NLU really took off. The other like vivid memories. memories that I would certainly shout out. I had a good friend get a job at the Little Miami Golf Center when he was two years older than me. I want to say he was probably eighth grade, ninth grade. And so a group of us would always go down. It was very close to my house, the Little Miami Golf Center. And it was it was wonderful. They had nine holes regulation golf course. They had a nine hole par three golf course. They had a big putting green. They had a driving range. and they had an 18-hole pup-hut course.

And so we would go down, we'd get dropped off, we'd have a few bucks, we'd pay to play the par three course usually. You could spin that usually a couple times. They didn't make us repay or anything. We'd go mess around on the pup-put course. We'd grab a hot dog and a soda and just, you know, you could spend eight hours there on a nice summer day. And so that's what I did a lot of kind of fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth grade

was, I think, where I really came to enjoy and really sink further into the game of golf. Wow. Getting joy out of a short course. I never thought I'd hear it. Which nine hole course. It's like, yeah, exactly. Unbelievable.

I know, I know. What's happened to this old cremugent? Yeah, I've lost my way. Did you end up, did you work at a golf course at all growing up? Yeah, I did. not in high school, but when I transferred to Miami in college, I came home and worked at Cincinnati Country Club for two summers. So I worked as a bag boy, two of my favorite summers.

They were very generous with our playing privileges. Not only could we play on Mondays, they let us go out any time that the T-sheet wasn't full, which is like at a nice private club in Cincinnati is crazy. when I look back on. Rainia is standing Saturday morning tea time. Pretty much. So I played a lot of golf.

That guy's not doing anything. Just send him out of the course. Get him out of it. Yeah. No, truly. I mean, you just rock up and yeah, I'm going to go out and play this private. Anyway, it was a great job. Love the guys I worked with.

A lot of stories. Just I think everybody should work at a golf course. So I did that for two years. And then, I mean, I went. back in my 30s and worked for a season and a half up at Boing. Yeah, that was a loaded question. I knew that, but I was thinking more like, I forgot about that. Yeah.

So, so I did put in more time. I just worked the front counter and did a little caddying and outside work from here and there. If anybody's curious about that, uh, Torres sauce, what was that season six, Michigan. Michigan. Yeah, like episode seven. I think it's just a, yeah, pretty much a deep dive into, into Randy's

career post college career which is which was awesome last last thing on the kind of getting into the game any any mentor other than your grandmother and your dad

any early golf mentor a coach or someone maybe worked at worked with or a guy out at the little Miami spot did you just remember no there was he's still the pro at Hyde Park a guy named Larry Drees

who was very nice I can remember getting the shanks and I and I went to Larry and I was like Larry I can't hit a golf ball right now can you just help me and so a couple times he you know you could call it a lesson it was pretty much just like let's let's get you hitting the golf ball again but we were always self-taught I would say as far as golf mentors go just somebody that I've like and again you can watch it in that tour sauce video but Dave Trudell who was my boss and and the pro at the heather golf course up in up in michigan just a great guy and honestly just

taught me a lot about like working hard and putting in a you know a good day's work um but i've never had that you know neal i've i've never had that like consistent voice or that consistent guidance in my game i guess i've i have always lacked that do you want that yes and no i think if it was the right person and the right time in my life, I would like it. And I do say, like, I make a thing about not practicing, and it is kind of a joke. I've tried to think about more, like, why I'm reluctant to do that. And I think for me, it boils down to two things, and I'm not sure how to weight both of them. I think, one, golf can get physically uncomfortable for me. Like, my back can start to hurt, my hips, like, just,

the bending over and the swinging and the swinging like it's not the most comfortable natural activity for me and so i think that's part of it and then i'm sure there's a part of like i don't know if it's like scared or like i'm sure there's some of like what if you put a ton of effort into this and you don't get better i i like there's got to be some of that at least at a subconscious level too so i i don't want to like ignore that part of it but i do feel like if I was you know if I'm settled down over the next however many years and I find a home club and there's a person I really just vibe with and they kind of understand my relationship with golf and and I can clearly think and communicate like what do I want from this game I think

I would love to work with somebody that could kind of just be a little bit of a constant voice and and kind of help me work towards those goals but quite honestly I'm not sure what those like I think step one would be like what do I like what would I want from this question literally my next question is like what goal like in golf would do you think you know what's the North Star what would make you the happiest to achieve well I think I would get a real big thrill at a break in par one time like I hit 18 cups like you know and you were so close I know I know where you're just like that was a real round of golf and I was under par I think that would probably be my biggest goal. I don't know if I really have like competitive aspirations. And so that's

where I get a little bit like, yeah, I don't know. That's a great goal. I mean, yeah, you don't need to have competitive aspirations. You play golf for a totally different reason. Like you play for your own personal, you know, score anyways. Like it, yeah, I don't think you need to have competitive aspirations. I think my, I think my goal in golf would be to find, a consistent game with a group of people that, you know, hey, Saturday morning or maybe it's once, twice a week where, you know, like, Sally, like the Thursday Jacks game was probably the closest I've got to that, where it was just like, ah, yeah, the Thursday, yeah, let's play golf.

That's, you know, I think I'm a little bit away from that still in my personal life. I, you know, ideally it would be, we're settled. somewhere on the home front for the next 10, 15 years and maybe, you know, honestly, maybe it's joining a club or a country club and, you know, having something like that. I think I would really enjoy, but we're not quite there yet. And then we're all, at least I'm in the same boat. Like I, the consistency, because that's what takes some of the things that don't want to

make me play golf are like when it's an all day affair or it's like, you don't know who the fourth is like my buddies here in the city that they stink but they're playing a lot of golf and they have this four son they're the bogey boys and they go play like dyker beach at like five a m you know and i'm like i'm like i'm like the alternate and you know but i feel left out i'm like i'm like i'm craving that a little bit but i also know that like that doesn't really fit for me right now like they don't right none of them have like a kid and you know they're they're it's just but i i'm i'm i'm jealous of like the joy they're getting out of i i i'm i'm jealous of like the joy they're getting out of and the joy they're getting out of it is getting a little bit better but just like it's like

a little group thing it's like their little adventure every friday morning and that's kind of that's that's kind of that's a good enough goal for me man i look at my well good bar if if anybody knows and we we mention them here my brother-in-law eric uh belongs to macotihuah in cincinnati and i i kind of look at his relationship with golf you know he plays a lot he's got a good group of people that he plays with and then you know he he he gets excited for the McAtewa big events, right? You know, he's got his name on the board.

He's won a couple of them. I could see myself getting to a point like that where it's like, you know, maybe it's the club championship and it doesn't have to be like the first flight, you know, maybe it's whatever flight I'm in, like, ah, that could be fun. You know, I could, you know,

maybe get up for something like that. But I think that will probably... Get your name on the board. Throw that on my short list. Yeah, yeah. Just getting your name. on a board somewhere. I think the other thing I was thinking about too is I'm I'm almost sheepishly like I have

now most of my friends from college are really into golf and we don't have an annual like trip like you said we you know we play a lot of golf for for work and but I'm like man I like to have like a buddy's trip like and Goodbar has that right the the Boyn Cup and I think that that kind of annual thing to look forward to as it also doubles is basically just like a reunion with your friends as everybody scatters is also kind of on my. on my uh my hit list a little bit yeah a good buddies golf trip i mean we are we're in a strange position where like i know it's work but we're friends so it's like we do do those but yes i i think just like the the buddies trip where it's like yeah you're not worrying about work stuff is those

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But this cook, we cooked this one up in July, baby, excited about this. I think we're looked to schedule sometime in the spring or summer of next year. And listen, if I get to be on that trip and play against the winner, let's play a little friendly, you know, $2 match and we'll hit cups. Hell yeah. I guarantee you that. Hell yeah. What a thrill that would be.

Randy, what's the, what's the, like, top round, your favorite round? You can go any route with that that you've played in the last 12 months. Guys, I've been fortunate to play some, like, really, really good golf courses. Solly, it's Royal County Down. And it's a combination, I think, of four factors. Obviously, great golf course. The weather could not have been better. The company could have been a little better, but it was okay.

It's fair. I kid, I kid. And then the fourth, like, variable that probably puts it on top of, like, for instance, Cypress Point for me, I felt in control of my golf ball the entire round. So I felt like I was, I was golfing, right? So that was that was the one in the last 12 months where I'm just like, man, you bring together four factors right there and it just doesn't get any better than that. It's true. I mean, I try not to let it when we're filming impact my, like, opinion of a course, but just such a head start if you're hitting the fairway. Like, I could miss 18, 10 footers and still, if I'm hitting, hitting, you know, approach shots consistently. I'm like, man, fun day. Like, that's that. It's kind of that simple for me. So I, that resonates with me, Randy. Yeah. What, if we expanded that beyond 12 months.

Like what's what's the favorite golf experience you've ever had, your top golf experience you've ever had? This was not on the agenda, so I did not spring on you, but I'm curious your answer here. Listen, I think, I can think of some, I can think of a few things. First time going to Band and Dunes. Just seeing the courses out there, seeing the property, what a treat. I say the same thing about Scotland and same. andrews specifically just could not be more of my shit uh love love love that beyond that uh i

certainly like that round at the nit last year from a pure golf standpoint was like oh wow yeah that's probably the best round that you've had to this point i think though like if if it's like one specific Sali I think this was not on that first tourist sauce to Scotland I think it was

going back and when we were it was before we had taken the group to band and we went over and we were doing like the Masters live shows

Yeah 2022. And I think we got out to Ely at that point and it was just like the nicest evening

kind of and I just I don't know if I felt as just happy and content on a golf course, then kind of back there by like 9, 10, 11, 12. Like, I don't know, man, like on a nice evening, the sun's getting a little lower, the sky, the ocean. It just is like, I just don't think it gets any better than that for me. I would agree, but I get that feeling anytime I'm on the back nine of any course

and I can't see anybody else. And I think that's one of my favorite things about golf. Like you could hit me with that at like Sweetens Cove. I feel that way all the time. And you're like, oh, I see one group like I'm on three green and there's only one other group over on one. And you're just like, hell yes, you know, it just feels like everything's good. A doork round at the end of Torosaw season two.

And with that Ely round, because it was during the, I think it was England, Croatia, World Cup match. And there was literally nobody else on the golf course in one of the most pristine nights of golf ever yeah doesn't get that's so true neal when you feel like you have a golf course to yourself there there really is not there aren't many better feeling there's not many courses that that would suck enough for that not to hit me you know like all as long as it's you got like you can see the kind of sky change in color and maybe there's some rolling hills or something something visually to look at that isn't like a highway um it's what makes sylvie so sweet yes you almost

always have the course almost completely to yourself randy another i'm going off of you agenda too but I'm curious about this question for you do you think your best golf is ahead of you or behind you that is such a good question you know I think I'm a better golfer now than I have been and so I think my best golf is ahead of me because I think I think I need to become a better putter I need to get more consistent with my fairway woods and my long irons. But I do, I am confident my best golf is ahead of me. And like what other activity can you say that about, you know, physical one that we're, Sali, what do you think about that?

You think your best golf is ahead of you're behind you? I regrettably believe it is behind me. I hate, I don't, I don't think it has to be. I think this is like, I, I, uh, hey, I got news. You weren't that good, Sally. I was so good in 2020. I was. So good.

I was so much better at golf than I ever thought I ever would be. And it is proven to be the outlier. I just, I don't even take a divot. I don't even take a divot. I'm from flushing it. Randy, I'm with you.

I'm wholeheartedly just a throaty. Hell yes. Best is ahead. Because I agree with you. A lot of the things that I, and more so for you, I think your game, and I don't want this to sound like a backhanded comment,

is built for old man game. like you weren't it's not like you were playing the old man game kind of right now you're playing it so it's like you can you i think that's going to stay and you just get a little sharper from a hundred and in and like you said i mean you don't have a three wood in the bag but that was always a little bit of kryptonite for you is just what to do on a par five you know you're not you don't have the easy easy birdies getting home and two um but i love i love hearing that and i just found that to be an interesting question um for people you know because it it's all i mean right here i i still think man mentally you know the golf you can play i think you could get back

there i know this isn't a spotlight for you but i we got to change that brother situation is changed on my home front my friend there's just not i just not i just not i'm just like i'm able to be able to play that much golf it's just not i know but more more of a reason to just stay in shape don't let the old man in i don't want to let the old man in i'm with you there i think but yeah i mean i literally playing probably a third of the golf that i was playing back then i just don't i don't see 140 rounds in my future anytime soon. God, that's so many. That's so much golf.

Randy, how many rounds you're going to play this year? That's truly three years for me. Yeah. I mean, at least. I don't think I've played over 100 ever. That's so much golf. I mean, it helps to live in a state where you can play 12 months. Yeah, I know.

But even, yeah, in Florida, I wasn't really. We were traveling a lot more back then to play even more golf than we were filming back there. And that was during COVID and it was just like, there's not much else going on. who wants to go play and a lot of people are playing golf i to date i've posted 24 rounds last year i posted 28 2023 i posted 29 so we're yeah you'll get over 30 this year yeah yeah um you know those are those are yeah those are great numbers but it's not great no no but Okay, so here's something that I'm, it's a theory of mine. I think I have noticed, and especially on trips, the more golf I play, the worse I get.

I think I play better golf with breaks in between. And I don't, I don't know if that's just a rhythm and timing thing, but I do think I play better with my golf a little bit more spaced out. I think that's a physical thing. I mean, you alluded to it earlier in this conversation. You're on a bit of a pitch count. Like, I can see how banging balls on the range is, you know, it's a tough movement for you getting down and dropping the club in the slot. There is a lot of timing in your swing.

Do you think the data would support that? Or do you think you just play better compared to expectations after time off, then, you know, you've played a lot, you've gotten more reps, you've played more golf, and you're not playing as well as you'd like to. having played the extra golf, but the scores might actually be a little bit better. I would have to crunch the numbers.

I just think on like tours. I can run that through my models if you want, yeah. I remember Australia. My best golf was the first couple days by far. I forget Scandinavia. Yeah, it's, I think it probably is more of like a physical thing, quite honestly.

And I do think, I've always felt, golf to be very like mentally taxing and I think it is because a lot of like there just have to be there there has to be so much to go right in my golf swing for me to like hit the ball well and I do think like that takes its toll and after a while it's just man some of that just starts to a road if I'm if I'm playing you know back to back to back to back days yeah I find on those trips so even one day off really like I agree with you that it mentally gets the cobbl webs out or kind of the like it refreshes things enough if you have the off like an off day then

you can go you know three in a row again or something like that but yeah um yeah all right so let's let's let's move on what who was your favorite professional golfer of all time randy and why uh it's phil i i think you know i can tell stories i feel like i've told them before i don't know if you want me to bore but phil is my guy phil is my first like favorite athlete really um I really, I mean, Phil fans will know, like, he was such a thrill to watch play golf. Like, truly, you never knew what was going to happen. He'd get himself in trouble. He'd get himself out of trouble.

He would have moments of brilliance. He would have moments of complete buffoonery. It just was, it was a thrill ride. And I do think, you know, I appreciated how he paid. attention and interacted to the fans and I always respected how he would talk to the media and kind of say what was on his mind most of the time. So yeah, I'm, I'm a Phil guy through and through. So I was, I figured you would have that answer. So I was, I had another question teed up. Kyle Porter brought it up on the one of the Ryder Cup roundtables with you, Sully. He kind of

said he doesn't think we've seen the end for Phil, uh, that there's that there's a, there's a final coming in the next five to ten years how do you feel about that where do you stand on that i hope so i think he still got like a weird master's contention in him like i know he just finished second a few years ago but i i think you know he'll be like front page of the leaderboard on a saturday uh into his late 50s early 60s i hope there's a reconciliation with the pGA tour and kind of the folks in and around professional golf, at least outside of live, because I do, I guess my dream for Phil would be to see him take an analyst job and to call professional golf.

I think he would be the best in the world at it if he so chooses to do that. Here, here. I feel the same way. And I think that that I think that will happen. Do you think it comes? with some sort of reconciliation and some sort of like hand up here like maybe i i apologize i you know i don't know if i needed to have a lawsuit entitled mickleson at all i don't know if i needed to cooperate with the department of justice's inquiry into the pga tour do you think it comes

like a little hand up in there like i don't see that happening without any of that i think it would be an alfred plea uh or at or what i'm going to call a phil of alfred a phil of Yeah, or a TC plea. You know, sometimes TC will just... I'm sorry, you're upset. Yeah, yeah. It's like, oh, no, I haven't mentioned that in years. Like, yeah, you know.

But you said all that stuff a year ago. No, but we're past that now. Like, that's what I anticipate from Phil. I think there has to be, Sali. And I guess my worry would be like he's not going to do it anytime soon. And it's going to be pushed out until he's like very much into older age. Yeah. But the fact is he's probably not, he's not ready to be an analyst.

yet he still sees you know talk about your main character energy he still thinks he can can win you know majors right now i bet if you asked him i i haven't heard him have to have gone away by then and i don't know if that it is you know i don't think he could possibly not be involved with live golf in some way like i think he would graduate to the live booth before he would on a on a main stage what's uh his so he's he's guaranteed masters u.s open no But PGA is at a lifetime, like the Masters for PGA champions? He's in that field, right? I think he's 10 years for that one because that's the one he won.

I could be wrong there. Well, he's at least, yeah. So he's definitely into that for 10. But I was wondering if guys got the kind of master's invite with the PGA championship. And how does the Open do theirs? I always forget. That is like lifetime or like I think around 60. They kind of give you the.

So he's got a handful of starts if he wants him left there at least. Yeah. All right, Randy, who's your least favorite professional golfer of all time? My least favorite. Like for a long time when he was at, like I was not a Tiger guy because I was a Phil guy. You know, I felt like it was an either or. So that question for a long, long time was Tiger Woods. and that was mainly because of the quote-unquote rivalry with Mickelson

and just how damn good in an inevitable he was right like he was he was everything phil was not they were such good polar opposites of each other there for a while so i i say that more as like coming from like a fan and rooting perspective like i i just was against Tiger. What a tough stretch that was for you during the Just to clarify. Just getting just watching Tiger win everything and just not like it. He is exempt.

Phil's exempt in the PJ championship for life. That is a lifetime exemption for life. Yeah. That's why it was like so going to Wingfoot in 26. You know, had Phil closed that. That would have been his third straight major. And he would have had a look.

at the tiger slam which is like unthinkable right um that was a real heartbreaker there any honorable mention any other just not well the one he blew at marian is no no no really the one oh no i'm talking about he's favorite golfers we're all fill now okay uh least favorite trying to think of like guys that like viscerly like listen i the ricky stuff was was was a bit that turned into like, oh, yeah, no, I'm not rooting for him. I'll preface all this, but like, I've never, I've never had, like, a least favorite golfer because of, like, who I perceive them to be as a person. Yeah, not personal.

It's more like not my tempo. Just take it away. Take it away. It's like how I love to root against the Chicago Cubs, right? Like, that's when I talk about least favorite golfers, yeah, Ricky would be on that list. For a little while there, Bryson, but I don't mind Bryson these days. listen Rory at times has found his way onto that list for me who else

I'd never really rooted against him but I never could get into Ernie they're just I never Interesting Yeah I just never got there Anybody else on the women's side like Lexi Doesn't really do it for me Yeah that's that's probably the extent of it I guess All right we'll go back

quickly to personal golf. If you could ask the genie for one thing to help your golf game, what would it be? Like, teach me how to hit a consistent fairway would. I've never quite gotten that. I thought it was going to be putting related. Well, listen, if the genie wants to stick around and give me some more. Pudding, I know, like, man, if I really grinded and practiced and I feel like I could improve my putting, I literally don't know what to do about the Fairway Woods.

Like, I feel like it's the same swing I use for other stuff, but like it just, I have such trouble launching the ball and hitting it consistently in the air. Okay, so I was going to say that that's always surprised me, like what is hard about it. You just struggle to get it airborne. Yeah. Like I don't know if it's like coming so far inside and like sweeping the ball. It just is tough with, with Fairway Woods, but I've never, never. been able to hit them well because that's always just been weird that you've struggled with that

because it feels like beginner golfers it's always like they have a bag full of woods yeah beginner i always think like not that you're a beginner but you know like people that are struggling at the golf ball i know i know what that sounds like but you know what i'm trying to say yeah no i do i do someone was like hey you were struggling at the ball airborne they'd be like hey let me fill your bag up with like hybrids and woods like when i'm faced with like 210 to two 10 to two 25. I just, I don't feel confident. I don't feel comfortable. There was a time there I hit hybrids really well. And often, I wonder if I should just go back to hybrids. But I don't know. If I knew the answer, I would try to fix. I truly don't know the real Achilles Hill with me in Fairway Woods. But I think that's what I would ask the genie. I almost think about it, like, maybe it's somewhat mental or subconscious where you're trying to lift the ball because you've had such star tissue of like not trust. Like, man, I can't get this airborne.

So you're, because I remember I was doing my driver fitting last year and Lucas to fitter was like, I was launched at like five or six degrees. And he was like, you are trying to let you know this is a problem. And you've been trying to get the, you've been trying to manufacture a launch angle. And that's why you're hitting the spinny ball. And he's like, we just need to change the, you know, I went to an 11 degree driver. And it was like, oh, now I don't have to do that anymore. So I wonder if that's some of it, too. I suspect you're very right about that where I feel like I have to do something to really get the ball in the air.

And it's like, no, no, no, like the club will do that. You need to just worry about kind of making a good swing. Yeah. It's interesting. Well, I think it, yeah, if you were, I don't know, if you could, you could also just wish for, with the genie, you could wish for more distance. and then like then you're you know your mid irons get up into that into that level and it you know and then you're kind of covered off there. Oh, God.

I was surprised. I thought Randy was going to be like, I wish I wanted to be a speed freak. Well, if you did want to be a speed freak, you go to the stack system. com slash NLU and use code no laying up for 10% off a bundle there on that website. Let's go. Listen, it's a great, great, great tool. If you want to increase speed in your golf swing, it's a great tool. If you want to get more dialed in with your wedge distances, it's a great.

great tool if you want to figure out some if you have some questions about your putting about left to writers right to lefters did my putting better with the mallet with the saw grip you can enter all that data into the stack app they've got great training tools to help you with essentially anything you want in your golf game it's fantastic i have been i've become a bit of a speed freak out there i can swing a driver much much faster now than i could but before i started the program and it's been really really fun to do i wish i've been i need to get a little bit more diligent into the wedge and putting activities, but I just go in my backyard, do a good

stretching routine. It walks you through how to stretch. It tells you exactly what weights to swing, how often to swing them, how long between sets and how long between reps, measures everything, gameifies it, sends you encouraging messages. It's great, Randy. So I really would like to see you get into this. Go to the stack system.com slash end all you. Code no laying up 10% off a bundle, and it is going to change your golf game,

I promise you. Randy. You don't want to give me into the stack. What's that? And I bet it would. I should do it because I want more. speed in my tennis game it would 100% and you would love the just the warm up routine that i now like try to do a like shorter version of it it's so much more beneficial to do that

versus hit balls like before around it's like why don't you just get loose which talking about some of your like the way your body feels sometimes with golf and if not being a natural motion it's like and it's that's not groundbreaking stuff there it's even got a pre round priming session you can do where you get loose and you do a few fat swings like it's just meant to warm you up for your round and then yeah you go to the first tea like warmed up instead of taking two holes to get warmed up it's great that's nice all right well i know we'll have an end of your goal uh that's one i need to write down for goals pod next year i like i like hitting balls once a once a week that was that was so sick you don't know though neil you know you don't know those goals not supposed to hit all your goals people

Okay, that's the first rule of making goals. If you hit them all, you didn't set good goals. That's right. All right. Randy, let's get into the 10-round split game. Solly, I got the first one. You got any dialed up? I don't have any ready, but I can get some ready.

Okay, I'm going to go first. We're going right to the top. St. Andrews or Cyprus? Split? Yeah, 10 rounds split between St. Andrews and Cyprus. I mean, I truly, it's a cop-out, but I think 5-5. that is a cop out but we'll get to your top your list of top 10 favorite courses here in a moment sallie you're up ely and old mac ely and old mac i love them both i would give a slight lean to ely six four

okay i'm going to go the lido belito the lido the lido god i stink i panicked right right before I said that, the Lido, or Somerset Hills Country Club. Oh, my gosh. I have played each of those one time, and I truly, it would be like 9-1 Somerset. Okay. All right, because I thought you gave some really good praise of the Lido, because you played it last week, right? Yeah. I love that the Lido exists.

I love the history of it. I think it's a course that would be fun to play once a month maybe for me maybe once a quarter but I love everything about it all right well let me let me hit you with Somerset though

because I know how much Somerset's so good I've freaking love Somerset the small little clubhouse the two nines that feel a little different the walk it's yeah well we'll throw another heavy hitter in there Pine Valley

versus Somerset Yeah. I would rather play Somerset. I think it would be like 7-3 Somerset. Hell yeah. What about Mamet? You've got Somerset membership literature they want to send. I can be your cheerleader.

Did you play Mammoth Dunes on this most recent trip to San Valley? Yeah, we played everything at San Valley once. Mammoth Dunes or Pacific Dunes? Oh, my God. I think Mammoth Dunes. 7-3. Wow. Because I would like to get out to Pacific

and test myself, see if I still hate it from time to time, but Mammoth is like... So fun. Tempo. It's so fun. It's like easy. It's fun.

It's easy. Yeah. It's like golf should be fun sometimes. Sure. That's really interesting. You know what I compared it to on the trip? Neil, you'll like this.

Mammoth is like going against the scout team defense. Yeah. Like they're giving you a looks, but like they're not, they're running cards they're running cards i need you you know come on like you thought them up here but like we want this play to go well like don't we you know the fake punts coming don't don't go up and under it's like out here just trying to help us execute better they're just giving us looks that's such such a good way to put it i really like that one um all right i'm trying to think

of a good one here because i have one but i want to pair it up with the right sally if you've got one go um have you played um have you played shore acres no no or chicago golf no very blind in chicago and long island very blind spots for me all right i'm gonna i'm gonna throw one out like kingsley or the ral's oh kingsley um i love kingsley uh that would be like 10-0. Okay. God, because I thought the Rawls was... No, I like the rolls.

Yeah, yeah. But... I was trying to give one... The setting at Kingsley, the walk, the... Hard to be it. Yeah. Yeah. Another bad choice by me.

I stink. Stupid. Lido. Lido. Sinks. I thought you're going to say Kingsley or Crystal, which would be a interesting one. I think I would lean slightly Kingsley

just because it's a bit more fun. I only played Crystal once, but Crystal, I remember just thinking like, damn, this is hard. Royal Melbourne East, Royal Melbourne, West. Oh, West 8-2. I mean, East is just harder, I think. East is hard. Yeah, that's how I felt about it. All right, Randy, let's get to the main event here.

In descending order, your top 10 list of favorite golf courses. Yes. in the world. I know it's my list. I can do anything. So guys, what I did with this, I made a list of courses.

To be on my list of favorite 10 courses, I have to have played it more than once. Okay. Do you think that's fair? I feel like to know a course, you've got to play it more than once. It's your list. Yeah.

If you have to, if you have to, so part of that exercise, can I read through some of the courses that are not going to be on my list because I have played them one time and one time only. Please.

Please. Is this a humpbacked session? Pine Valley. Royal County Down. Royal Melbourne. Royal Port Rush. Royal Dornock. Kingston Heath.

L.A.C. North. Tara 80. Pebble Beach. Bally Bunyan. Crystal Downs. La Hinge, Carnusty. Cow Club, Old Town, Somerset, Castle Stewart,

Lido, Porthcall, New South Wales, Crune Bay. On and on and on. There are so many good golf courses. I've been so lucky. But I've only played them once. So I didn't feel comfortable making it.

You can go to any top 100 and, you know, you can see where those courses are. So my only criteria, I have to have played it more than once. We'll start with number 10. It's always going to have a soft place in my heart. I, when I have trouble falling asleep, I play this course mentally in my mind. And that is the Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. It's a Donald Ross course. They're actually doing great work to it.

I think I might not even recognize some of the holes since when I was a kid. But just prototypical Donald Ross, small piece of land, greens that go back to front, great place to play golf, Zoya Fairways. I think that's partly why I'm such a sweeper. That ball just sat up on those Zoya fairways. But that's my 10. I'd like to unpack you playing that course to go to sleep, but we can. Do you guys ever do that? Like when you have trouble?

I haven't, but I might need to. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, because you're big on like the sleep stories. Yeah, just take yourself to a golf course, you know, intimately and just start playing the round mentally. I feel like you won't make it to the back. I mean, do you play it honest or is it like you're hitting every fairway in green? I try to hit every shot. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I'm saying, do the shots go well in your dreams or is it like? I actually don't see the shots that specifically. It's more like, okay, I'm in this area of the course. And now I've played my shot and I'm moving up to this area of the course. Okay. Wow. All right. I love it. Take me to number nine. Number nine is just it's it's proper. It's a great test. It's a real treat every time I've gotten to play it. That's the Harbor Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Okay. Good selection. Yeah. Number eight is the only local course to where I am now that's going to make the list. Guys, the Colorado Golf Club, Akoran Crenshaw, is outstanding. It is. Yeah,

it is. It's just a really, really, really good golf course. Such good visuals out there, too. Kind of like the mountains are, like,

it's just vast. And I don't know, even when I see pictures of it, it just has a, you can, like, spot that course immediately. Like,

I know exactly where, like, what place I've, I've been there, I've only been there once. Um, or no, I guess,

maybe twice. But yes, that's, that's, that's fantastic. Randy. Number seven, another good test. You know, I didn't, I'd be lying if I said I'd really enjoyed this course from the jump,

but I've come to appreciate it. And I think it will always be one of those places where, like, it's a litmus test for me. And that's Pioneer's number two. Yeah, Pioneer's number two. Welcome to Donnie's place. That's right. That's right. You think you're playing well right now?

Go play Pioneer Number two. And let's see if you're actually playing. well right now um that's that's what that is and you know play you'll be in the one ball club yeah it'll be comfy it could be a comfy over four at the dish but you're going to find out where where your game stands after playing the deuce number six is my favorite course in northern michigan and that's kingsley kingsley golf club um i just think it's it's it's fun it's a wonderful setting it's a great walk I really really enjoy Kingsley that is number six for me here here number five I can report I get to play this I think it'll be the third time I get to play it going out and seeing

push in Santa Barbara it's the valley club of Montecito it's a doctor McKenzie joint and listen is it bougie hell yeah strap boys are dead you guys sold out you stink I hate you guys I'm glad you said it's a McKenzie. It is just, it's really, really freaking good. The clubhouse, the little patio, you know, it just, I love the Valley Club of Montecito. Totally my damn. God, I don't think the strap boys ever made those sounds. Number four, band and dunes.

Yeah, let's go. Really? Yeah. I guess trails is still an option here. trails is still an option i'll say trails isn't going to hit my board but it's a very good golf course i love band and dunes i love i i just i love being on the water i i think it's challenging yet in my mind a little bit more fair and playable than pacific dunes for instance i i just man i love golf is great when i'm when i get a chance to be out of band and play banded dunes

number three is old macdonald which is my favorite course out there i i just think it's sublime it it gives you you know that reveal on seven green is i think the best on property it's an expansive playing field as you come over by the ghost tree on number three you can kind of see like 14 of the holes i just i really love old mac um number two Two is Ely. I struggled with Ely, whether to put it one or two. Number two is Ely. It doesn't get better than a nice evening at Ely.

Again, it's just my speed, right? No par fives. It's not like, you know, no force carries off the tea. I very much like golf courses that are friendlier off the tea. You know, just get it out and play. And then the challenge comes with your approach and around the green. If there's a style of golf course that I really, really love, it is that. And I think that's Ely to a T.

And number one, it is St. Andrews for me. It's the old course. There's no better feeling than walking up 17 and 18. They're just, it doesn't get better than that. 17 is such a freaking good hole. And then 18 to finish feeling like you're in town, it's as good as it get so yeah the older get the uglier that hotel gets yet that hole is just it's sweet but i mean just if you really kind of just if an alien came down the big this

hole this is what you guys that building sucks you're hitting over that monster can you imagine if somebody build a hole like that at like a expensive resort somewhere people would lose their I know, like, Omni Frisco, if you were hitting over the hotel, like, that's, it wouldn't be okay. Actually, the swing of the hotel is kind of in play. Yeah, no, we just, we just, you know, kind of got tied on space. So we just built the hotel out over, like, one of the finishing holes, like, one of the best holes on the course. I just don't, I can't, I can't, I can't get past it. I don't disagree.

Like, the hole is awesome. And, like, because of the quirk, it, you know, it just, I just kick it. Sometimes I'm like, what the fuck? Yeah. That green is just, like, that. the challenge of that second shot. It's best, man. It's really, really good.

So, yeah, those I, I, I, great list. It's great list. I like how you did it too. Yeah, I had to kind of put some confines because otherwise it was like, yeah, it's like, you know, it's the names everybody knows from the top 100. Well, and I think it, I said this in last week's pod too. I mean, the one time I played Cyprus, I was like, I mean, yeah, it is what I thought it was. It's extremely good.

Like, yeah, that, that check. out didn't like blow my socks off like but it was obviously very very very good and then walking it for two days the walker cup i'm like oh my god this is the greatest golf course in the world like i totally missed this i didn't even understand it with this pin and oh my god this is incredible i i totally miss it the first time around so i think that's very fair to to eliminate uh that's a great way of doing it i just i think about that one a little bit more yeah i here's a question that you haven't asked me but that I asked myself, of the courses I've only played once, what would be top of the list if you could go anywhere and play again?

And the one I settled on is Royal Melbourne. Yeah. I think either the West course specifically or if I got to play like the composite course. But I just think that more so than Cyprus or Pine Valley, I think it kind of blends them a little bit. and yeah, I think that is where I would pick to start, like, hey, if you could play another course again, what would it be? That's great.

Maybe it would be Vizby. I was waiting for a Vizby. I know. It didn't get called out. Unbelievable. Yeah. Next time we do this, we should do your top 10 golf benches. That's a good one.

Which, do you have a favorite bench? I would probably say. that if I have to struggle it I probably don't have an answer what's the bench I think it's at the preserve the one I can't tell you what hole

it it's on but one of the preserve benches where you just kind of have everything It's on like six like the one that looks out at the water before you turn back around I was going to say the reason I thought of it was the bench on seven of old Mac on eight on top of of eight you're saying or top of eight behind the beer it's right i think that's exactly right that might be

the spot i feel like there was there one at royal dornock too that um would probably be the spot too yeah that's a good that's a good that's something to keep track of going forward as well i know when you start tracking these benches randy start you start logging them in your in your your daily log i really should that's that that would be another good stat to keep another piece of feedback i'd have for our friends at the usgia with the uh with the you know tracking stats it'd be great if you could like log a journal about the round and a picture or two yeah yeah like hey this is just so you when you clicked on it like what you're saying i agree with you like i like looking at the stats but it would also be fun to go revisit around and and be like did

you you could kind of create different categories like for us did we three putts and lost ball like did you was it a trophy ball round like that kind of thing is always that's where this stuff gets really fun with the captain's log as you put it or as I put it but I think you use it as no I agree that's that's honestly a great idea yeah just a couple quick thoughts maybe snap a picture or something that they do well to do something like that last question Randy what gives you what gives you the biggest satisfaction in golf what's the this was this was such a fun question to think about and where I have where I have landed is hitting a shot exactly how I imagined it and intended it I think is the biggest satisfaction in golf for me like that's

everything right that that is golf that is golf and I spend so much time you know so much my golf experience is like managing misses and and you know reacting to like yeah it's not really what I was thinking but like when you do hit those shots where it's like you you imagined it you had this intention and that's exactly what the ball does god that's a thrill i think all right then the natural follow-up is what what one from this year can you you know paint me a picture when you've done that this year okay let me you put me on the spot here um I mean, it's, it's anything. It's, it can be a great approach shot.

It can be a drive that kind of like, yeah, I want to, I want to start it at this and kind of peel it off. I guess I don't have a, I wish I had a better answer for you there, Neil. I do. I think the one for my San Valley trip that immediately springs of mine just because it's fresh in my mind. We were playing mammoth, that 18th is a par five at mammoth. the wind was very up so and it was into us on that 18th hole and I mean like pretty good wind for me I remember I had like a 155 shot for my third and I pulled out a five iron and my intent was I'm going to choke down I'm going to think about this as about a 185 190 shot to give you an idea of the wind

I'm going to start it right of the pin is I'm starting it right at the flag because I don't want to be too far right of it anyway make the swing the ball just jumps off the club face for a five iron the wing kills it comes down about 12 feet pin high left and it's like that's what I was trying to do that's exactly what I was trying to do with this golf ball from the from the yardage to the direction to the you know like that's that's the that's golf um and so that was a thrill i missed the birdie put but i don't care like that that's the shot that like just sticks out and like yeah man you you you fucking did exactly what you were and that's exactly what i was trying to do with that question is that it that is it man it's like oh you you took all the variables into play and you're like i hit it i hit the shot and it's even more satisfying when it's like the ball has to start away from the hole and it's just working towards it and it's going to get there eventually but the delay is almost it's long it's not like you don't need it to be in a hurry to get online like the longer it takes to get

online the more of a thrill like oh if it stays 30 feet right of the pin and it takes it's going to take that slope it's going to run all the way back there that's just where the biggest thrill comes i don't know i yeah when you when there is a heavy variable that you know is yeah only going to push push it like a binary thing like the wind's only going to push it right right and you want it to go that way it's like you reach safe harbor midway through the ball flight you're like okay that that like we've we've we've canceled that the bad stuff. That is an awesome feeling. Michael Bamberger and I, after I interviewed him for the podcast, he took me, we went and played Marion West. Oh, God, that place rules. Obviously,

the sister course to the east. Yeah. Just kind of smaller, quirkier. Anyway, this, this all reminds me we were having a conversation, Neil. And I think this can be the beauty of Link's golf is, Like hitting a proper shot, right? And sometimes you got to play 30 feet away from the pin, but you know that you have hit the shot that was called for and you hit a proper shot. We were talking about how being able to do that, right? Like diagnosing what the proper, quote unquote, proper play is in executing that, even if it's not like the point was, you know, let's say whatever the one,

wind's doing the green's doing like it is the proper shot to play to the fat part of this green to leave myself 25 feet and I think by executing by the sheer fact of executing those types of shots our thesis was that's what helps you get into like more of the flow state and what can really propel your round I think more so than you know getting away with oh man I really went for that flag you know ding could have gotten my hand stuck in the cookie jar uh but got away with it it's like when you can start stacking just like what is the proper shot in this circumstance and execute like that's where i feel like golf builds for at least michael and i thought that it builds for us it it tracks with our stealth startup sensible sensible setups right like god what a good punch out

you know what a nice layout that's it exactly yeah like no that was the problem that's so proper that's so smart and safe and exactly what i'm supposed to do there's a lot there is maybe we're getting old brother because there's a lot of joy in that i know i know that's one thing i can most certainly confirm we are getting older all right rainy uh that's going to bring us to wrap my friend uh it has been great diving into uh a brain that i think everybody wants to get a little deeper into and oh yeah this was this was a lot of fun dude uh it was fun and maybe want to play some golf with you man well yeah i love playing golf with both of you guys truly and i appreciate you guys giving me space to think about this stuff and uh and and to share my thoughts really cool

all right that's going to wrap thanks for tuning in crack on