No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 34: The Tour Junkies

Episode Date: April 5, 2016

In a special edition of the No Laying Up podcast, TourJunkies Co-founders and Augusta natives  David Barnett and Pat Perry join Big Randy, Tron Carter, and Young Neil for a roundtable Masters discussion, stories from... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 34: The Tour Junkies appeared first on No Laying Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yes! That is better than most. That is better than most. Better than most! Expect anything different! Welcome to another edition of the No-Lang up my cat. I'll be hosting today, this is Neil Schuster, co-founder and merch star over at NLU. And we also have special guests, Tron Carter, my brother, also co-founder of NLU

and hot cake of Fessianato on the line, Tron, how we doing today? Good afternoon. Good to be here. Pump for the master's, next week. And I can't forget, fellow NLU co-founder, Big Randy, his shake has joined us from the great state of Ohio. What's going on, big Randy?

Hey, me, all the guys. And also on the round table, pre-masters discussion, we have Augusta Nathas, David Barnett, and Pat Perry, co-founders of Towardjunkies.net, great podcast. You can find on iTunes and at TowardJunkies.com. David and Pat, how you guys doing? We are doing good, man. Tom, to be here. Doing great. You have enough. Yeah, definitely. Thanks for taking the time to join us. So to kick things off, we'd love to hear a little bit of background about Torjunkis. I've enjoyed podcast recently, but how long have you guys been doing this?

Yeah, Neil. We started thinking about this and kicking this around probably like summer of 2015 and Pat and I just got regular guys who loved golf and we found ourselves talking about daily fantasy golf specifically every week for an hour. One day we worked together, of course, and so we were wasting the company's time doing this. One day, Pat was like, man, we should start a podcast. I was like, yeah, I love listening to podcasts. I do it all the time. We had no idea how. We knew that there were some out there that we would listen to on a weekly basis. And they were pretty good, but then some weren't as good, and we felt like we could be better.

So we just kind of, we actually practiced for about 12 weeks. We would record our wives thought we were the just biggest morons on the planet. We would, you know, spend an hour and a half or so, two hours a week, just recording and editing our show. And we did about 12 episodes and you know started to let some friends listen to it towards the end, but just trying to work on what was going on. We finally released our first episode on iTunes and SoundCloud in October for the fris.com, which I guess is the first event of the little swing season there.

And we've been going ever since, man. So we've done some strategy shows and we've done some, obviously the weekly shows on the PGA tour schedule. And we've had incredible guests on so far. We've had Brooks Kevco on the show. We've had John Peterson, who's just hilarious. Scott Brown and Kevin Kizner, a couple of guys who are near and dear to our heart in hometown of Augusta. We've got some other good ones coming come in. It's going to be a good year, good first year for the tour junkies, that's for sure.

That's great stuff. It sounds like a similar route to no laying up. Some of our favorites from Rook Skepka and everyone knows Sally just can love with him and what's not to like. Yeah, he's a man-done. He's a man-done. Sure. Well you know we're looking forward to Tron and I will be down in Augusta and I look forward to joining you guys next Monday for the practice rounds. Kind of everybody's got

a master's fever. You know coming up here this week I think the shelf used to know it's kind of an afterthought Definitely a great track But you know we want to open it up here and kind of start off with some stories that you guys both mean a gut the natives I Like to know and I think Tron and I were talking about this before You know, what's your favorite masters that you've been to in your lifetime? Oh, man, you know, that's a that you've been to in your lifetime. Oh man, you know, that's a tough question.

I've got two of those for me that are my favorites. One, and I'm a little bit older than David, as he'll probably point out many times, but I would never point that out, Pat. Yeah, well, mostly, but 87 was probably one of my favorites. That was the Larry Mies one. Good God, you are old. Anyway, let me get

through this before your comments. I was about to have this. Anyway, 87 was a great one. I was there when he kept in right there at England corner. Of course, I was a little bit too short to actually see it, but it was pretty incredible. Also 92 when couples won, couples was always my favorite player growing up. I tried to emulate him when I played golf. I had his links, irons, and his ashworth, golf shirts, and I just loved him. And so I was on 18 when he came up in one.

And that was just an incredible moment. I'll always remember. So those are probably my two favorites. Pat, don't let Pat fool you. He still wears a lot of ashworth and pleated pants. My favorite would be in this century, and that would be in 2005. I was sitting on the rope. I had a buddy who's dad was a gallery guard.

And so on Sunday, on the final round, he would get in before the patrons. And man, let me tell you one thing. No laying up if you guys could ever get there for Sunday and somehow be in the crowd that rushes the gate on Sunday morning when they open up and you see everyone speed walking through the gate to get to 18 green because if you run you're going to get kicked out. It is a really fun thing to see, but we got lucky because. I like it real quick.

How do you know for, I mean, is there some kind of mystical hierarchy or is it just, like, first comes, first serve? No, yeah, it is. It's down in that spot. You're in yours. That's exactly right. It's one of the things you know Pat and I talked on our Master's Preview podcast this past week. It's one of the things you know Pat and I talked on our Masters Preview Podcast this past week. It's amazing. People, when they get on the grounds of the Augusta National

become different people. You're more polite, you're more respectful, and you adhere to rules, even if you've never been a rule follower before. And the rule is that a gust of it, if there's a chair on the ground, you don't move it. You don't move it. You don't sit in it. If it's not chairs, it just is what it is. And if you're reported to a gallery guard or somebody that's on staff, you could be escorted out. So it's a big deal.

So on Sunday morning, you have people that get there really early and they've got their chairs. And when they open the gate to the patrons, it is a speedwalk fest because you're not allowed to run. And there are people calling you out and will pull you out if you run. So there are people, you know, speedwalking as best as possible to get to that 18th green on the ropes

as soon as possible just to get their chair in place. And if the chair is in place, then they can leave until four o'clock in the afternoon, and it will be there. So one of my friends, dad, was a gallery guard and got us in early before they opened the gate. So we are literally on 18 green by ourselves sunrise before anyone else, you know, any other patrons out there, our chairs chairs are to chairs are on the rope um... you know that front left in location that Sunday pin location on eighteen on the road literally as close as any patron could possibly be to the flag

and we left them there and we came back later that afternoon were were watching groups come through and this is the year that tiger hit the chip on sixteen and i i i got goose bumps just telling you about it but i've been the tournament rounds out you know not as many as pat but i've been to plenty of them and you know the roars and a gust of our or some of them just the most incredible things that to hear and feel when you're there but nothing like the roar that we heard on sixteen

uh... not having any idea what happened you know because you can have your phone out there so nobody knows what what what what no knows what happened you just saw you just heard the roar and then you saw the scoreboard go up or tiger got a birdie you're like what how did he that that you know we just knew it was a hole in one from tiger because it was bigger than a birdie roar uh... and then that was the year he ended up winning in a playoff against

christomarko uh... in two thousand five and and i was right there i winning in a playoff against Chris DeMarco in 2005 and I was right there. I was in a couple of magazine behind you know behind Tigers bicep in the fifth pump picture. I was back there. It was pretty cool. That was easily my most memorable tournament moment for sure. That year was awesome. That's one of my favorite. I mean really DeMarco went, I mean, toe to toe. You know, slayed the dragon. I mean, that wasMarco went, I mean, toe to toe, you know, slayed the dragon. I mean, that was one of the four remarkable performances of our lifetime, I think. It was a good one. And then as far as where you, you know, when you go Saturday or Sunday,

where do you typically, I mean, 18, obviously, you said, but anywhere else that you typically like to post up? You know, I think, um, and I think this is a little more low key. There's some places, and it just kind of depends on what you're looking to do out there. You know, if you really want to watch some golf, I think number two green is actually a great place to post up because you get to see, everyone come through, you can see the approach shots,

being a par five, some will go for it, some will lay up. And then, you know, so that, you know, speaking of no laying up. But, so I think it's, and then you get to see him put on the green. So two to me is actually a pretty underrated spot. And you usually get in there pretty good. Kind of the party area though is right around 16 and six, both obviously 16 are really famous for 3, but then 6 is the par 3 also. That's kind of where you see a lot of younger crowd drinking beer, here's the one ever kind of party in a little bit. So, you know, those are kind of two places and I definitely try to hit up almost every

time I'm there. Yeah, 16 is my favorite spot. And I love going to 16 on Tuesday, actually, which is, you know, that's the practice round where you're going to have every player that's, they're going to be practicing. There's nobody skipping that day. So you're going to get to see a lot of groups, but there's bleachers right there at the 16T, that sit right over the teabox. So you're going to see them hit into 16. And then that's the day that traditionally they go and, you know, skip balls over the water.

And that's a lot of fun. Last year I saw Steve Stricker, there were these four turtles on the bank right between where the tee box and the flag. And the whole crowd, every time the group would walk up, they'd start chanting turtle, turtle, wanting them to try to skip it and hit the turtle. And nobody was doing it.

Well, Steve Stricker hit one and dropped him into pond and the crowd just went crazy. But that's a fun spot to sit on too. Because you've also got the, like Pat said, you've got concessions right behind you so you can make a very short walk to get your green beer and your, you know, your pimento cheese or eggs salad or barbecue sandwich, whatever you get

and then you hop right back up. That's a favorite spot. There's also a good little corner between 14 and 15 that I like. There's a section of ropes right in between the fairway of both of those holes where you can see them hit the approach shot into 14 and any kind of put. And that's an interesting green to watch because it's just so much undulation on that on that whole but then you can also watch them hit the t-ball coming back down 15 so I kind of like that little corner to there's never anybody there either so you can easily walk back and forth and get you a good view yeah I've been that actually that was one of my favorite spots yeah between 14 15 there and then also standing kind of off to the right side of 13.

13 green, the second shot into 13 and then the T-shot on 14, which is fantastic. I got a question for the group. Do you guys think that the Tider-Shirt guy is going to be on 16 this year? Stand behind the tee Even without big cat around I'm gonna say no my vote would be no, I think you I think you skipped this year. Yeah, I'm ready to think No, there's no chance. No, I don't I don't think that. Yeah. Yeah, I won't rule it out until the Thursday round begin. Hold on, Neil, go back to the tiger shirt guy. I'm totally blanking on that. Explain that one. So tiger guy, where's the bright orange

vingled tiger shirt stands right behind the tee on 16 and real animated guy just gets real injuries and the gust of treasure in my opinion. I wonder if you guys have run into him at all in your careers. No, but we might we'll try to hunt him down and maybe get him on the show one day or something. Yeah, he always stands behind the tee like first row or he's sitting like for at least three or four years in a row And I I always text Tron times. There he is. You know, he's got that giant Orange bingled tiger shirt on t-shirt

Yeah, he's on 16 behind behind me. Yeah, ready. Do you know it's literally just like a tiger shirt guy? Like a first. Yeah, I feel so ashamed. I'm going to repeat all I know though. Who this is, I'll have to talk my head, but I'm on Google. Yeah, there he is. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah, we could get this guy on.

So, you know, moving on, David, is he, were you and Pat both Caddy's at Augusta? Or just one of you guys? Just David. Yeah. David, how long did you do that for? I was there for 2007 and 2008. Not long enough, I was wrapping up my last year at college, first year being married.

But it was incredible, for sure. Okay, you've got to be lying down. It's actually easier than you think and it really, like, I don't have a lot of regrets in life, but the one regret I have is that I never looked into that sooner. You know, I spent like the first four years of college doing the whole restaurant, you know, F&B thing, being a server and getting treated like garbage and making terrible money. It was like, I was almost done with school and one of the managers at a restaurant I worked

for was like, you love golf, don't you? And I'm like, yeah, love golf. And he said, well, I got a buddy that was a caddy master at Augusta. Would you want to be a caddy? And I was like, hell, yeah, I want to be a caddy. And I'm like, and I've been here my whole life and had no idea. So basically I just showed up and your made a phone call showed up and you take this test, right? I'm sitting in the caddy house

of a Gus National and they give you this paper test. Now this is in those sevens. Actually late oh six is when I took the test. It is the dumbest test you could ever imagine. If you can spell golf, you pass the test. That's the first test. It is just so stupid. I mean, it's very elementary. Then they take you out with a couple of senior caddies. This is in the evening when play shut down. They

take you out with some senior caddies and they take you a few greens and they talk through reading the greens and through, you know, just kind of theory of that kind of thing. And if they still don't think you're a total dumbass, then they invite you to do this, this caddy thing at another golf course. So basically you caddy for one of the head caddies at a local course for nine holes. And you have to treat it as if you were at a gust. So even though it's not a gust, you have to do everything that a gust makes you do on their golf course. And if you don't screw that up, which plenty of people do, believe or not, but if you don't have a golf course, do they take you out there?

It's the river golf club. It's in in North Augusta which is technically in South Carolina it's just across the river so it's at the river and yeah if you pass the nine holes they say all right congratulations to your caddy and you can play the back nine if you want and we're going home and report to work or whatever. It's so just happened and it was amazing. So it was pretty cool. And best bag you carried. Any good stories? Do it with your top one or two.

I definitely have some good stories. I carried for, let's see, Scotty Cameron was a pretty cool guy, very cool guy. He requested me after day one. He was there for two days, very cool guy. He requested me after day one. He was there for two days and he didn't have to request me after day one, but he did. I was pretty happy with that. He didn't give me a putter though, and I was too scared to ask because the national would just fire you on the spot if you did something like that. Caddy's for the former GM of the Atlanta Braves, John Scherholz.

He was a really nice guy. Good golfer too. You know, saw a bunch of people out there, I mean, I saw the mannings out there one day, never cadding in their group, but saw Archie, UI, and Peyton. I saw Bill Gates and Warren Buffett on the same hole one time playing together, which is pretty surreal to think about. And then I have two really, you know, the most memorable rounds that I ever did. One was at the Agatha National. The other one is at the Agatha Country Club, which is a course then i have to really you know the most memorable rounds that i ever did one was

at the again that's a national the other one is that the against the country club which is uh... of course that pack grew up at and it's a beautiful golf course an old course it's it's right next to a guess a national fact it but up to the national and raise great runs through it just like just like the national uh... but the week of masters the uh... a guess the country Club will contract out the national caddies to be four caddies because they're entertaining a lot of big names and big players that week.

So they kind of step it up a notch. And obviously we weren't needed the week of Masters because the players don't need us. So it gave us work to do and it was a chance for extra money. And so I'm there and I was about to get married. It was the summer before I was going to get married. And I was like, man, I'm going to do double loops. You know, I'm going to do 36 holes. I'm going to make a bunch of cash. And I get there, like Monday, Tuesday, really slow.

And I wasn't getting two loops. And the guys I were getting were just total buttolls. And I wasn't getting great tips. And I was just ticked. So Tuesday night, I go to my caddy master and I said, look, man, you got to help me out. I need more getting great tips. I was just ticked. So Tuesday night I go to my caddy master and I said, look man, you gotta help me out. I need more money than this. This is a waste of my time.

You know, you got terrible caddies getting taken out to dinner by their groups and stuff and I'm just getting stiffed over here. And he's like, be here tomorrow at 1.30. And I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You heard me, bro, I need money. I need two loops tomorrow. I need to be here at 8 a.m. And I'm gonna be off again at 1. no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I get to the course at one o'clock and he says your players on the range, he's the tall

guy with Afro. And I'm like, look over and all of my wildest dreams come true. It was Will Farrell and he was filming Semi-Pro, that ABA basketball movie. So he had the curls and the big hair and it was like three colors of red and orange. And that was my loop for the day. And this is a four caddy thing. So basically you guys know the four caddy is like I'm there to babysit all day. I'm not carrying a bag. I'm just riding on your car. I'm cleaning your ball and fixing your pitch march. And so Will Farrell was my round. And it was the most amazing five hours of my life. It was pretty incredible. So I won't get into all the stories because I don't know if we have enough time but there's some really good

stories that I had from that round. Is that all that decent stick? No, he's awful. When I walked up to him, I introduced myself and I walked up to him and you sit in a few balls and we're getting comfortable, you know, and he had on, I remember because I really cared about this back in 2006, I don't as much anymore, but he had on these like Jay Lindenberg Puma shoes that are $230 golf shoes. And I was like, your golf shoes are killer and he's like, really, I don't even know what these are, are they nice? And I'm like yes somebody he's like somebody just gave them to me. And he had like the old tailor-made bubble like bubble shaft drivers and stuff and all these grab this grab bag of clubs. His bag was like a brown leather old heavy bag with a single strap

no logos you know nothing and he was awful. I he was awful. I mean, he's hitting his driver straight up in the air and, you know, chunking spare way was terrible. But he was fine with that. He totally owned it and could laugh at himself. He was really cool. It was a great round. I was able to ask, what about member wise that I've just done? Anybody, any regulars come through? It would request you No, I didn't really get any requests. That was part time

I would get there was one local guy that that would request me every now and then but the part timer is really you just had to get lucky I did get my best round at Augusta was Caddy and for Arnold Palmer. I got a caddy for him one time, which was pretty stupid Good at the kid man. time, which was pretty stupid. Good at the cad, man. Yeah, it was, you know, the Arnold Paul around and the Will Ferrell around were the two greatest memories I have, which is funny because those two could not be more opposite. I mean, you know, the whole time I'm caddy and for Arnie, it's just, it's just reverent, you know, and the mood is different and it was surreal the whole time and he was just incredible.

And then of course, Wolf Arrow, who like absolutely adore and is hilarious, but a totally different vibe and experience as you could imagine. But yeah, Cady and Farahny was pretty cool. That was a one-day 18-hole thing. You know, it was actually kind of sad too because he was so this was a caddy for arney and o8 so he was pretty I mean he was starting to get there you know pretty pretty bad off and he just couldn't hit the golf ball like he used to and and I remember telling my dad when I got home that day you know that it was kind of sad because you could tell that he still had plenty of competitive juices flowing because he he honestly got mad at himself

when he wasn't hitting the ball well and he hit a bad shot and he would seriously be mad at himself. He had all this expectation and I'm like, you're freaking Arnold Palmer. Just don't worry about it, you know, but he was just mad and he just didn't like that he couldn't hit it like he used to and put it where he wanted to and he didn't feel that great. So he didn't talk a whole lot. I mean he was nice and cordial but the one thing he did say on 18 he hit his approach shot short and we're about to chip up and I'm standing in front of him. He's got his wedge, he waggle a little bit and he looks up at me and he goes, he looks at my hat, my name's on the side of my hat, he probably didn't know my name until that point and he read it and he goes, David, you know what I'm

going to do after this? I said no, sir, Mr. Palmer, he said I don't know if you know this, but there's a real cute young lady that gives massages up in the members lounge and I'm going to have a good drink and I'm going gonna let her rub my shoulders. And i said, your palm or that sounds fantastic. And he hit his chips and he left, that was it. Wow, that's awesome. That's so good.

He's the breeder. He's the breeder. He's the breeder. He's the breeder. He's the only opening t-shot. Like, you could always tell, he really, they got a shit about he does a ball is going you know you have a immense amount of pride in that i was respected to have a lot of that yep it's going to be sad not seeing him do that this year

yeah it really is uh... at the catty-honored Augusta is there is it a pretty good mix of kind of lifers and and guys that are that are kind of floating in and out? Yeah, it really is. There's a lot of lifers. When I was there, there was a lot of, let's be real, man, a gust. They're hanging on to a lot of black caddies. And they stick around and they get treated really well and they have members that request them all the time and they've been doing it for 40 years they remember when you know there was nothing but black caddies there. So there's

some really incredible stories in that caddy house for sure and then you've got you know some some guys who are in the middle of that lifetime run and you've got some guys like me who are just kind of coming through as part-timers or college kids or you know just don't know what else they're going to do. And my biggest regret, like I said, was not doing it earlier because had I done it earlier, you know the summers the course shuts down and if you're employed by them you can travel to almost any major golf course on the planet and they will give you a job for that season. A lot of guys were going to Aspen and the Summers are going to St Andrews and Catties and St Andrews and you know, Roomin with other Catties for a summer and doing your thing

at St Andrews. I mean, there's nothing I can't imagine what I could have done that would have been better than that, but unfortunately, I waited to lighten life and love my wife, but I got married. So I can't do that. Have you ever read the book? There's a book called Loopers? No, I've never read that. I've never read that. I thought you were going to say Freddie and me, but I'm not read Loopers.

Loopers actually ran, you recommended that one to me. Man, I think I read it like 36 hours. It was pretty good. It was sweet. But yeah, this guy's out at either Chinacog or National Golf Links and then another spot up in Connecticut. And he actually goes out to Aspen. You know, good to Aspen does, works at Sherwood, out in LA,

does bands. He's got some awesome stories that are definitely up your alley. You should check it out. No, I mean, the Caddy Barn is a laughin' minute and stories galore. I mean, it's just the best. They just say, those categories really should get together and come up with some sort of book or something because I'm sure

they have got just some great stories. As far as the club, I've heard from people that it's like, everything's like this golf macabre, but for like local members of Augusta, people that have kind of been either grandfathered in or have some serious family ties, do they kind of walk around? I don't want to say on eggshells, but are they kind of watching themselves versus, you

know, it feels like it's changed a lot. You've got a lot more international, you know, human areas and corporate executives in there now. Is that kind of the case? Yeah, I mean, you still got a good many local folks that like you say kind of get grandfathered in. But I mean, they're their members for a good reason to and I wouldn't say eggshells, but you know, a lot of a lot of local members aren't over there as much as you think. They're actually over to got to Country Club way more than they are at the National.

And they get hit up all the time to try and take folks out there. So I think that gets a little bit of an ointment to them also. But yeah, I mean, they're still pretty good in any local guide. You just don't really hear about them much because they don't like to talk about it. So you're hearing about the Warren Buffets and Bill Gates of the world. I think, is Spur your memory yet? He's not a memory yet. I know he wants to be, but some of those type guys you hear about more, but there's still good and any local members.

I've always heard stories about such matters will not be discussed. Yeah. Yeah, and I think that's true. I mean, I think that's somewhat true. And I think Billy Payne has done a lot to bring in a little more diverse membership. But I do think they will always maintain local membership as well. It's just because historically that's what it's been. So even though, you know, I mean, and listen, a lot of your local members are doctors and attorneys. I mean, they're not

billionaires, but that's how it's going to be. I mean, there's actually a really prominent doctor here in town that I know. I used to coach his kids baseball, and I had no idea he was a member until last year. I was at the drop chip and put, and I saw him in a green jacket, and I had no idea he was a member until last year I was at the drop chip and put and I saw him in a green jacket and I was like what? You just had no idea. So yeah they don't talk about it that much and they're not like they're out eating dinner in their green jacket. Hi David Pat.

Question, this is super random but I feel like it's just like it's been on my mind ever since I went to my first actually I will only say my first master's but you know ever since I went after I was maybe 18 or so and was really you know really really drinking beer when I was there is so they got the domestic and the import beer they got the clear kind of the clearest cup and the green cup I've always tried to figure out which one for which, what kind of beer is in each one. Any window into that? All right, so when you miss one, so they actually they break out the domestic, so you have domestic, you have light, and then you have the uh, the international whatever they would import import import always forget that

The backstick is Budweiser the light is Miller light And the import is Hanukkah I can't reveal though how I know that I know I was gonna say I didn't even I didn't even know that Well, you know, I know you like to going to say I didn't even know that. Well you know I know you like to talk a lot David but you know you got to ask another question. Interesting okay very cool that's been a way for a number of years. I appreciate it. Someone got like off you two dollars and fifty cents for each other. part. Pat, I wanted to ask you, what's the being pretty deep in the game over the Gusta Country Club?

What's the word? I guess the Gusta National purchased some land, abutting the 13th T. I guess it was at the 9th hole, but I guess the country club? Yeah, that's right. It's the 9th and where 10th is. And I think they've got to work out. I mean, it was, I've heard of some pretty contentious discussions between members of the country club

and members of the national who were also members of the country club kind of on this field because I know a lot of the ACC members were hoping to get some badges as part of the deal, which is just not going to happen and the national is not going to do that. And from what I'm here and now I think it, you know, they're moving down that road and they're going to buy all of the kind of non-bearway in green and then that 10-tier area. They're going to back up 13 to more so that the above is not hitting sand ledges into

the green. They're also really wanting an access road built back there. I think that's probably not talked about as much. Obviously, they're going to talk about the course changes, but that's one of the biggest reasons that the national wants to land is for an access road back there for them. Yeah, I mean, if you guys have been to Augusta before, when you come this year, it's going to look so different. The national has bought up a ton of land on the other side of Berkman Road. And I mean in a very short amount of time they have just made that thing look amazing and they're just getting ready to make the fan experience and the hospitality experience even better. So I was, we were driving my

wife and I were driving downtown, I guess a couple maybe a week or so ago and we were driving past it and I was like you know maybe a week or so ago, and we were driving past it. I was like, you know, think about what this place looked like when we were kids and what it's going to look like when our kids are our age because it has changed so much and Augusta just continues to bottle in that surrounds them and make the experience even better. So it's pretty cool to watch. It takes place here in Augusta. It's a big drastic change and they do what they want.

In fact, they had to lend the county money to do the construction. What side of the course is Berkman Road on? It's like your face in the front gate, like you're going down Magnolia Lane, it's on the right. So it's the side of the course where like one green, three green, four, four, that par three, and that's the that side of the course. Yep. And that was just kind of rural country road or words that we both,

it was a neighborhood house. And they just started buying up the houses, probably, I don't know, 20 years ago. And just eventually buying up the houses probably 20 years ago and eventually took over the entire property there and built the parking. There's actually one or two holdouts. They still have houses. Yeah, there's two. In fact, they would be really fun to get on the show if they would talk to us because there's one that's in particular that is in the middle of all of this and i mean you know there

there is their house and you can see i'm sitting on their back porch and then you know around them for as far as you can see it's just the august and action taking over and they're just sitting in the middle of it and they're holding out for dear i mean i don't know if they're waiting on you know one point four million for their hundred twenty thousand our house versus one point two it's crazy the whole that is there. Everybody will see it this year. It's pretty funny. Yeah, I was going away last time and went just the difference between, you know,

times maybe seven years ago and the time, you know, three or four years ago. And it was just, you know, the parking and then that whole kind of plaza where you walk in yeah there by I guess that's like what five green that was just was just mind blowing because before it was just like you essentially would walk in kind of a corner in the property here like oh shit I'm gonna gust that out yeah yeah yeah but going back to the to a basic country, so like that's a Donald Roth course, right? Right. So so what's the I mean, like, is it got the national pain for the architect fees and then where are they going to put that nine that nine three ten teeth? So there's kind of a big gap between 8 fairway and 10 fairway.

And so they're going to make 9 kind of go up towards the 14th tee, which is a par 3. So they're going to totally divert that hole. And then there's pretty much going to be able to keep 10 I think about the same they may have to change the t-boxes and things like that But but yet there's going to be a major Reconstruction to that non the entire night hole and then the 10th t is from what I hear it and as far as architect and all that kind of stuff I'm not really sure how that's going to work

About early 2000-2001, they did a complete redo of a lot of the course, and it kind of got in a way from the old Donner Rolf design, and so they kind of brought that back. And they may use the same designer that they used when they did sort of remodel in early 2000. And then more other question I got for you guys. This just fascinates the hell out of me. If he hears back, I remember hearing stories about Augusta, you know, when they were ramping up the whole lottery thing, well, and Billy Payne was kind of in really asserting some of his influence.

They went out and basically bought up a bunch of badges on the secondary market and then basically sent people letters and said, you no longer have badges because we caught you selling it. Is that an urban legend or is that is that true? I'm sure it happens. One of the things I've heard this year for anybody that's going is that there may be some folks out there asking if you'll do a survey and part of that survey will involve how you got to take us whether it was secondary or whatever else. Of course, nobody has to answer a survey, but I have heard that that's kind of the rumor I think going around.

I don't know. We'll see when we get there if that's really happening. It totally happens. I've had a friend of mine whose father sold his tickets. And the guy he sold them to was actually a ticket broker. Drops his book that lists all because each ticket or each badge has a number on it. He dropped his book out at the national and of course somebody found it, turned it in and my friend's father lost his badges forever because they were all on the book and everybody else I'm sure he was on that book

lost theirs as well. But not bad. We actually are lucky enough to have a couple badges and my dad treats them. It's amazing. It's like I have to sign a book checking them in and checking them out. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, every year there's always rumors of the national doing stuff or cracking down. We've got friends who are in the hospitality and take it brokering game. And every year there's this big scare about

something is going to happen and it never turns out that way it really doesn't. I do know they monitor eBay and all that kind of stuff and they'll send you a reply if they see you doing something on there. I know I had a couple of caddies I worked with that even got in trouble for trying to sell their single-day tickets. They were doing it on eBay and got caught. So I know they do stuff like that, but I think as long as you're doing it by their rules which is far enough away from the gate, they know it happens. I mean, listen, if you drive down Washington road right now, and even three weeks ago, the

golden tickets bus is parked, you know, a mile and a half away from the gate in a gas station parking lot and all they do all day is buy and sell tickets. So to me, if the national really was going to crack down on that, those guys wouldn't be there. So I don't, as long as it happens far enough from the gate and they don't see it going down immediately, right there at the gate when you walk in, then I don't think it's going to be a big deal unless somebody uses that thing and goes in and acts stupid then he can guarantee that the national taking that take it away. And how many tickets are there outstanding you guys know?

No idea. I would love to know. I would love to know. I would love to know. I've always wondered that too. How many people are on the ground at the time? The numbers of the national are pretty lip tight. I've heard the locals too.

The locals complaining about the last maybe 10 or 15 years that there's more people out there. It seems like there's an increase in number of badges. Yeah, and there's less locals getting tickets uh... that's like when i talk to my parents and my parents used to get to all the time you know it seems like every year less and less people in a gustar are are getting their names pulled out a lottery but then again you know

that can be all just total ds but i don't know at the end of the day that the, the nationals are going to do what they want to do. Yeah, absolutely. That's what's going to happen to them. Well, hey, guys.

I think coming up on our time, I'm about to hear. So, really appreciate David Pat here time. I look forward to seeing you guys next week. Randy, Tron, as always, at the pleasure. Got a lot of things on deck here for no laying up. We're doing a website redesign.

We've kind of been underground for the past two or three weeks, scutting things on the merchandise side, coming out during postmasters, so stay tuned for that. Otherwise, I hope everybody enjoys the shell open this week, and then, of course course golf Christmas next week. So yeah, that's all I've got and everybody take care. Thanks for joining us. Be the right club today. That is better than most. That is better than most.

Better than most. Expect anything different?