Something For The Weekend

Nish: 0:01

Every story has an ending. Does our quest to play the top 100 courses in 10 years have a good ending? I’m Nish and I’m here to guide you through this golfing journey. This is the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast, episode 21. Something for the weekend.

Nish: 0:17

Non-golfers will never get it, but a golf trip, a weekend or a holiday is one of the greatest things you can go on. There’s something quite magical about it. It sort of infects your brain. You can’t think of anything else and nothing gets you as hyped or excited.

Nish: 0:33

Now that I’ve done my public service bit for all you golfers there who need your partners to listen to that, we’ll move on and we’ll actually get talking about golf weekends and golf trips away. So we’re about to restart our quest to play the top 100 courses, with the fourth and the fifth course back to back on a golf weekend. It’s a little bit different for us because we are taking our families this time. However, it still means we just can’t wait. So we’ll discuss this throughout the episode.

Nish: 1:01

But I’ve got some special guests to join me in getting you excited about golf weekends, golf trips. Now these guys are legends in the podcast game, absolutely ripping it up. Watch out Grant Horvath. They’re coming for you, but they invite you to be on to their podcast, the Basic Bogies podcast, and please give them a listen. We’ll have the links in our description. I had a great time and hopefully, fingers crossed, we’ll keep our options open for getting on a course together one day, but for now we’ll just make do with being on each other’s podcasts. So I had such a good time I wanted to get them back onto mine and that’s what we’re going to talk about. Whether we’re going to talk about golf trips, particularly this difference in the US style golf trip versus the UK style golf trip, and those kind of different culture clashes potentially. So, without further ado, welcome Gary and TJ from the Basic Bogeys podcast. Thanks for having us, brother.

TJ: 2:01

Yeah, thanks.

Nish: 2:02

Did you enjoy your intros? That was great, magical.

Gary: 2:06

I feel like. I feel like the the master’s theme song should have been playing in the back. Like I know, I don’t need some really dramatic music in the.

Nish: 2:13

In the background it’s building it up. Anything to distract from my voice, um. So we’ll start off by just kind of finding out a little bit about how you guys got into golf, what your golfing journey has been so far.

TJ: 2:26

Yeah, I mean I started playing probably around 10 or so, just going out with my dad and my grandpa, but you know, never really took it too seriously. I think someone we had on recently kind of worded it best, whereas like I could never could really explain it, and he had I think it was Jeff there from. Alignment was just like as your kid and you’re playing golf, like you don’t get that instant gratification like you do when you shoot a basketball and you make it. You know it’s. It wasn’t until you know like 25 that I really started to kind of take golf seriously and get into it a bit more. Always loved watching it, to kind of take golf seriously and get into it a bit more. Always loved watching it. You know, growing up watching Tiger was pretty cool and seeing everything he could do, but then the love’s just, I guess kind of flourished here lately and then you know it’s perfect to get out with other just friends who are always out there having a blast.

TJ: 3:19

I was out to swim this morning with some guys. Oh, nice, yeah, how was the life? It was good it uh. Uh. Some other people the vegas almost didn’t make it because it was storming pretty bad. We got. I got like a foot and a half here.

TJ: 3:32

they got like over two feet where they were and I was like guys, it’s fine which you know, I was driving around the corner to the sim and they were coming 30 minutes to it, but we got there and it was uh, it was a good time for sure. Have you ever been like I’ve been on the same, just absolutely striping it and then I shot a 40 on the front and then I shot a 50 on the back today, so nice thought I had it and then, uh, it’s always the way, isn’t it?

Nish: 3:58

yeah, you get the turn, you go. Ah, I’m on for a good score here, but it’s the. It’s the two puts on the green that gets me. Yeah, I’ll take that. Thank you very much.

TJ: 4:07

Yeah, I kept getting boned by the threes today, just some three puts that were not going to happen.

Gary: 4:14

I didn’t have today off so I couldn’t go. And then I realized, even if I did have today off, my golf clubs are up in Utica Because I had to make room for the baby stuff in the car, so I didn’t even have room for my clubs.

Nish: 4:28

Oh man, priorities eh.

Gary: 4:32

You know it’s got to happen, I guess.

Nish: 4:34

Yeah, I know I question your commitment to the game, but there you go. You know what can you do. How about you, gary? How did you get into golf?

Gary: 4:41

So I don’t know, with golf I didn’t play as a kid, I didn’t really even watch it as a kid, you know, other than like a couple like driving range sessions and you know, just messing around. But I remember specifically, my first time on a course was my sophomore year of college. I went out with a couple of buddies that they were golfers and I was getting so frustrated because I’m spraying this thing left to right and I’m like what the break man? Like why can’t I get this? So then, you know, after a baseball season was done, I went home and I was like I’m going to give this a shot.

Gary: 5:17

So I started playing and took a couple, like a couple, of little lessons from a buddy of mine who plays college golf and uh, yeah, a buddy of mine who plays college golf and uh, yeah, the next thing, I know I kind of just started playing in the summer and trying to play more in the spring, um, kind of like a natural athlete where I can watch somebody do something and I’m like, okay, I can kind of emulate that kind of, you know, get it going uh. But yeah, it’s been something that now I I do, uh as much as I can, um with tj and I. We’re from the same hometown and we’ve gotten. We now live in the same area, that’s away from there, and it’s uh. We met through music because, well, reconnected through music, rather because he owns or he runs a uh recording studio here and I’m a recording artist, so it’s like we just connected through that.

Nish: 6:02

And then one drunken night, he’s like hey, you met over the mixing desk.

Gary: 6:05

Yeah. He’s like, hey, do you want to? We should start a podcast. I’m like, yeah, let’s do it. So now we golf together. And here we are.

Nish: 6:13

Now we’re all over the world Chat golf together and now you’re plotting world domination. It’s great. I love that. Yeah, I mean, is there any memories golf-related? We’ll keep it to that that really stick out as highlights of your golf.

Gary: 6:29

I think for me I have two, so there’s one where I was with TJ and a couple other guys. We were at our home course I’ll call it with Noah and we just played nine and we got to nine and had a really nice high. I missed a whole one by like half an inch, like literally half an inch. Like hit and rolled and it was like perfect. Everybody like in front it was in front of like 90 people in the clubhouse too.

Gary: 6:57

I was like yes, let’s go average age 77 probably, but I remember I almost hit that one and then, uh, my probably my favorite shot, because it won me money, was I subbed in on a on a golf league a couple years ago and I hit a shot in from like 180 yards out. So that was pretty cool.

Gary: 7:22

I had, I had an, I have an eagle, yeah, I had it all on a shit, yeah, par four, and I hit it like it was like 180 yard, hold it yeah, hit it off the back of like the, off the green, and it was like a, it was like a backboard, so I literally hit it and it rolled down to the green, went straight in. It was awesome that’s just using the lab exactly how it’s intended I’ll never do it again, but it was cool to do it then, so I’ll take it none of these things are ever repeated, not at this level. That’s why. That’s why I talk into a mic with a sock on it exactly.

Nish: 7:54

Yeah, that’s why we talk golf, we don’t necessarily play golf. Yeah, I was saying to christian that I can’t believe we’ve managed to make it. The last time we played on this challenge was the middle of october.

TJ: 8:06

It’s now the middle of february and we’re playing for another month, so we’re going to make it through five months but still managed to somehow talk yeah, I mean, I don’t think, I don’t think we’ve played around me and gary even played around, probably since the member guest, which was start of september. Wow, yeah, like I got out for a couple in september and maybe once in october and then, like I got, I got I got out a few times in october, but it wasn’t like like he was either already playing or I just had.

Nish: 8:35

It was like a spur of the moment thing, so yeah we haven’t played together since episode, since september, like planned and we’re looking forward to it sort of thing. And your hands get itchy, don’t they?

Gary: 8:44

oh, yeah, I’m like I need to need to hit the shot I really need to waste 40 dollars on golf balls you know that’s basically my golf at the minute, but there you go right.

Nish: 8:59

Well, we are here to talk about golf trips, and this morning I’ve recorded an episode with some guys about golf in Japan which was unbelievable. They even had a little mini earthquake while I was on. I mean, it was like he just went oh, hang on a minute. Just give us two seconds, kind of thing. I was like, well, right, okay, that’s weird. He assured me it wasn’t serious. If it’s serious, then his alarm goes off on your phone and that’s how you know.

TJ: 9:29

A different world.

Nish: 9:30

Yeah, totally different world. But I mean amazing golf culture. But I suppose I didn’t get into trips with him because it seems like everybody in Japan stays where they are and their culture’s quite formal with the way they play. So I think trips they have to make a trip anyway. They’ve got to travel like an hour and a half, two hours to get to to any kind of course. But, um, what’s it? What’s a golf trip like us style? Why? I’ve seen some stuff on instagram and I want to either fuel the myth or dispel the myth. So, like what happens?

TJ: 10:08

yeah, I feel like, uh, because like the us is a bit more widespread, like we’re not. If we’re gonna take a golf trip, it’s not like we’re going in the state, like I guess I wouldn’t really call that a golf trip. I’m thinking more like in the winter time, going down south. But the difference is, you know, when you’re doing the top 100, like you’re there in the, the uk you’re, you’re traveling a few hours, but it’s not major like climate changes, um, and so I think that’s a big thing, especially in winter.

TJ: 10:39

I haven’t been down to florida to play during the winter in a few years now, but it but you’re either driving with your clubs. It’s kind of like an unwritten rule. You don’t bring your clubs on an airplane because they’re going to get destroyed. So there’s companies like Shipsticks is a big one where you drop them off at UPS and they’ll deliver them to the course you’re arriving at, and then you get there and there they are, they’re picking them up, ready to go, and I’ve done that a few times down to, like my, the course where my parents live in their development and has that been okay?

Nish: 11:11

is that that works out okay?

TJ: 11:13

yeah, ship sticks, is that’s. I mean, we’re not a sponsor, but not a way to go.

Gary: 11:16

No, I was gonna say not a sponsor dad it’s.

TJ: 11:20

I feel like it’s normally. I want to say it’s like 50 or 60 bucks to ship them down and back, but it’s like you have a ship date and then they will come and pick them up from the golf course and then they get delivered back to my house here and it’s just, I don’t have to worry about it. You know, I usually ship them like a week ahead of time, so there’s plenty of time. They get there and you’re not. I’d rather like get there and have no luggage, but my, my clubs are there and I can play.

Gary: 11:44

Then, uh, yeah tj playing his flip-flops, he wouldn’t care.

Nish: 11:52

But a friend of mine went on a trip once and, uh, his, his um clubs got lost so he just had to rent some from the pro shop and they were very good or anything like that, but he had the best round of his life. Of course he did, of course he did just the way it is, isn’t it?

Nish: 12:06

and it was very good or anything like that, but he had the best round of his life. Of course he did. Of course he did just the way it is, isn’t it? Yeah, it was like some driver with like dents in the face and everything and he’s like mainly it down the middle yeah, I’d say I would to piggybacking off, like what tj said.

Gary: 12:18

Like, yeah, trips here it’s like I I would consider a golf trip is somewhere where, like I can’t drive home on the weekend, like you know, like a two, three hour trip home, like whatever. Um, like, if you’re going to take a golf trip right now, I’d love to go to like texas or florida or california, like well, the part that’s not on fire, just somewhere like where it’s warm for the weekend, whatever, who cares?

Gary: 12:44

I’m an american. We don’t have any sympathy for anybody else, even our own, clearly. Um it’s uh you. Either you either drive it down in your car or you spend. I didn’t even know about ship sticks, I thought you just had to pay for it, like in the carry-on early carry case that you send on the airplane but I’ve never done that. Yeah, I’m doing that, um, but yeah, I haven’t actually been on a golf trip, so I need to do that in the near future because that that would be a blast.

TJ: 13:11

I think, uh, another big thing that’s been growing in the US and probably the last five to ten years, is creating these like golf destinations, like there’s Big Cedar Lodge there in Colorado where they have like eight courses so you can go to this place and, you know, go and play Monday through Friday on five different courses like that. And Pinehurst is, you know there’s 10 courses at Pinehurst. They’ve got the par three course, you know like that’s becoming a more popular thing here, rather than just going for this one set course, which in the, if you go to a I mean we talked about before you can go to one place and there’s probably another couple high-end courses right nearby. Yeah, they’re a bit more spread out. So that’s why some of these places that have that premier golf course are building fourth, fifth courses right there so you can uh stay there and experience different levels of golf, um, kind of all the, the distances are bigger as well, aren’t they?

Nish: 14:07

So, you know, you’ve got to kind of be quite nearby. Yeah, yeah, interesting. The equivalent for us, for that would be going to Turkey, would be because they just made, like, these golf resorts. And there’s one golf resort that’s like they’ve taken over a whole fucking coast, like it. I think it’s about 12 courses or something like that, or I think it’s. Maybe they made 120 holes and they made these loops so you could do all these different combinations of it to get on. So it’s massive, like everyone, so you can see it from space and all this kind of thing. Well, yeah, of course, because it could be a little speck, but you know, yeah, it’s just this huge resort and they’ve got the facilities there are catered towards men, shall we say. You know, there’s casinos there and there’s like all you can drink irish pubs and all sorts of things.

Nish: 14:59

So it sounds like a blast when we go, it does exactly yeah now we obviously we don’t want to give too many secrets away about what happens on these trips, cause we don’t want to get questioned too much. Just golf, just golf, that’s all we do. We just think and breathe and live golf. But, um, so I’d say UK golf trip. I think you’re probably 60, 40. Golf is your focus, right so, and that’s probably a little bit generous to the other side of it. I think that people take that quite seriously. You know you’re gonna have probably a little bit of a mini tournament or something like that, um, but certainly pre-round during the round. That’s just in general. I think there’s not that much kind of drinking going on or anything like that. It’s like play your golf, do it all afterwards, that kind of thing. Sometimes there’s one poor saps who’s got to drive in between places and whatever. We then finish. You’ll probably eat something, you’ll probably have a few drinks at the course, then you’ll go out into a town somewhere to go and carry on drinking, yep.

Gary: 16:08

How does that?

Nish: 16:09

fit with what happens in the States.

Gary: 16:11

It’s pretty much the same, pretty much the same layout, but I think we’re aggressively drinking during it as well.

Nish: 16:17

That’s yeah, okay, that might be the biggest difference. I think I like that aggressive.

Gary: 16:24

Like I just think so, like I have I don’t know if we talked about it with when we had you on, but, um, like the like, the mini tournaments, like you’re talking about, I have a thing that I do called the drunken masters.

Gary: 16:36

So right, I think we sort of yeah, so so I chop it up as that because, like you know, you’re getting hammered during it and then then you, yeah, you go back, everybody gets you shower, you eat, you’re probably still drinking, and then everybody’s ubering out or you’re walking down the street to, from your airbnb, whatever, drinking, and then you’re gonna wake up the next day. Everybody’s gonna be pissed off and then you’re gonna do a shot of jameson and you’ll be right back on the horse and go again.

Nish: 17:00

That’s how it goes. I mean, it’s not a golf trip unless somebody’s puking on the first hole Day two, right, yeah, literally I find it an odd thing really that you can probably play. Yeah, I mean, I can’t play with any drink in me, that’s my problem. I think that’s what puts me off it. I mean, does it work? Do do you suddenly just go? Actually, I’m feeling really liberated here. I can, I’m losing you, yeah, but you have two opposite sides of the spectrum.

TJ: 17:32

I’ll let tg go first I think um, I don’t know if it’s big over there, but we do birdie shots too. So whenever we make a birdie, usually it’s like just the person that makes it, but sometimes, if we’re getting rowdy, it’s like the whole foursome. I’ll do a birdie shot and we had uh we had one tournament.

TJ: 17:51

If you’re not good, then you’re never gonna do it we had one tournament, we got hot and we started doing them and then it went downhill real quick I think it was it was match play, right yeah. So I think we had a big enough lead that we couldn’t blow it, but it went a few holes longer than it needed to because of the birdie shots.

Gary: 18:12

Well, because the qualifying round the day before we could not have shot worse. We were fucking god awful. And the second round we came out. I shot a 75 alone.

TJ: 18:23

And he shot.

Gary: 18:24

TJ shot like a 78. Like we were right, like we dominated.

Nish: 18:29

So you’ve obviously, you know, the day before you would have been having a few beers while you’re playing. You’ve gone probably out at night as well. Am I guessing that I think it was the member guest and so how that?

TJ: 18:40

works is there’s just a keg open nonstop. It’s just included. Yeah, so if you’re anywhere near the clubhouse, you’re grabbing probably two cups and then throwing them in the cart.

Gary: 18:51

but we were grabbing two beers they give you like the plastic cups. You put the tops on them and then we’re gone. But tj, when we he’s talking about the birdie shots, it’s just little little shots of fireball and if it’s a member guest I don’t give a shit. It’s a team birdie, right, so it’s. It doesn’t matter. It’s a team birdie, so it’s a cohesive unit that we’re both doing shots. We just happened to birdie a lot of holes that day and tj’s not tj’s not like a huge drinker and about by the third one.

Gary: 19:18

He looks at me, his birdie shots gotta stop and they didn’t stop oh, I love that.

Nish: 19:27

Yeah, I think when you’re, uh, when you start going, don’t you start going? That’s it like something’s gonna catch me here now. Yeah, maybe that’s a good one to start. Actually, I don’t fire enough birdies, I think I’m okay, I’m pretty safe with that can we do par shots? Or something, or yeah, it’s not too bad but we’ll call it an uh shot.

Gary: 19:47

You know, it’s like like what you said, though. Like when golfing or doing stuff, like when you have alcohol in your system, like I’m very much the kind of person where, if I’m doing something, like in a competitive way, I don’t like to drink during it, whether it’s golf, like bowling, like anything I don’t want to like where people are normally just having a couple beers chilling, I’m not doing that. If the goal is to get fucked up, then hell yeah, I’m your guy. I’m shotgunning white claws in the parking lot at 7 am.

Nish: 20:18

I don’t give a shit yeah, it’s funny actually, because you see, all um, like we, the algorithm on your social media is is obviously sometimes it’s not necessarily location sensitive, so we get ads for all sorts of things that look like a, a ball holder and actually it’s to get cans in and keep them cold and things like that oh yeah, it’s fucking cold enough outside, we don’t need something to get a bit cold but, um, you sort of see that you’re like why on earth would you need to do that?

Nish: 20:49

but again, that’s that’s the thing that that fascinates me, how the cultural difference, like you know, ah, you know, I don’t, we just, we just don’t do that. The best we’ll do is we’ll stop at the whole way up and you know, you’re just you’re having a quick beer, but then you’re looking at the other group come behind you, like are they going to stop as well, because if otherwise, they’re going to overtake us.

Gary: 21:08

And then like we lose our spot. Yeah, are they quick. We don’t know what’s going on. Do you guys not do a dog at the turn then?

Nish: 21:14

it’s not a big thing. So here it’s sausage rolls.

TJ: 21:17

In the uk, sausage rolls those are good yeah yeah yeah, so go on, sorry well, do you also not have?

Gary: 21:25

uh, you don’t have like a beverage cart out there driving around either very much have a beverage cart blasphemy the most I’ve ever seen tj drink during a round was probably his bachelor party, because we kept our, our buddy and I, tj and I split up. So there’s myself and, uh, a couple other people in a cart and then there another one we kept, uh, you know what icing is like with spironos yes, yes, we did that to him we did that to him all over the course, like I’d leave it like on a t-box.

Gary: 21:54

I’d leave it in the middle of the cart path, like when they had to drive up behind us so that is like it’s basically like you see it, you just gotta do the whole thing, yeah he’s gotta go down on a knee and chug it. We left one in a hole on a par three. I was really hoping that one got so warm it was.

TJ: 22:09

It was like 90 degrees by the time I got to it yeah, this is the pin of the bottle.

Nish: 22:13

Was like direct sunlight uh, I love that, yeah. So yeah, we’ve, we’ve uh sort of seen the whole like ice ice thing, so they’re called straw pedo over here. So you get torpedoes, okay, yeah. So basically you get any any kind of, so that we call those alka pops, those kind of drinks. So they’re very sweet alcohol, aren’t they like very sugary and all that kind of thing. So there used to be one well, there is still one here. It’s called reef. It’s like vodka and orange and it tastes absolutely delicious. So you do a power reef, which is you take a couple of sips out of it, you put another shot vodka in it, shake it up and then you put a straw in it, you bend the top of the straw over the bottle and then for the airflow and that gets the air going and it’s straight down. But I used to do that university.

Gary: 23:01

I can’t imagine doing it of course yeah, it’s hard, especially like I used to. I used to shack on beers all the time. I have no problem with it. We did it at tj’s wedding. Dude, I almost died after one, I’m like I got that dog in me, no more.

Nish: 23:16

How did that stomach cope with it then? Yeah, it’s awful, it’s madness, isn’t it? I mean, if my kids came and said to me, oh, that’s the kind of thing I want to do, but that’s just graceful, but do as I say, not as I do. Yeah, so I mean, if you’re probably the perfect person to answer this, so you’ve not been on a golf trip yet if you could plan your absolute dream golf trip. So there’s a couple of things I want to know where would you go, how long would it be, what would be the, what would the golf format be like? And just what have you got planned for extracurricular activities? Damn.

Gary: 23:55

Is.

Nish: 23:55

Florida quite a popular place to go. Is that like Florida?

Gary: 23:58

yeah, yeah because there’s just golf courses everywhere and it’s constantly warm. Honestly, I would probably pick Pebble Beach. If I’m going to be honest, I think that would just be. It might be an escape goat answer, but it just or a common answer, but I think Pebble Beach, like three days, so you don’t, it doesn’t lose, cause I feel like if you’re there longer it loses. It’s like nostalgic, like feel, you know. But yeah, just get like a nicebnb somewhere and they’re there by the water, you’re golfing with your buddies, you’re drinking at the house, you get like some. Go to like a nice little italian restaurant somewhere, just get sort of started down cultured gary.

Nish: 24:40

What’s going on you?

Gary: 24:42

know it’s that, it’s that bald head energy. It’s what it is all the messiness coming come on what’s happening?

Nish: 24:47

oh no, it’s debauchery all over.

Gary: 24:50

Debauchery is still happening, it’s just it sounds pristine. There’s things that I can say, but we’re recording, so I can’t say that yeah, absolutely.

Nish: 25:01

This is all just in jest. None of this actually happens.

Gary: 25:10

This is all some magical fairy land where this is all some magical fairyland, where this is what we’d like. So, yeah, yep, exactly. Um, no, these trips are always tame. Yeah, I will probably like day one, we’re doing like you know, I’ll probably do like uh, a scramble, I think, would be the best way to do it. Day two, I’m doing like uh, maybe like a 2v2v2, and then day three, we’re doing like an individual uh event based on handicap, and then we’re just going and we’re just going to see who can win. We’re going to bet on a bunch of dumb shit. Um, I don’t probably take off my pants at some point in the course that’s a good point, do you have?

Nish: 25:42

so, um, I know that they’re trying to rephrase what these teas are called. So we have the, the yellow championship or competition teas, or the yellow teas for the men, and then we have what they’re trying to call the forward teas, the red teas, but everyone calls them the ladies teas. So over here, if you hit your tea shot and you don’t make it past the ladies teas, you’ve got to play your next shot with your pants down. Is that a thing in the States as well?

TJ: 26:10

Interesting the thing is, a lot of these courses now are adding kids’ tees that are even in front of the ladies’ too, but they’re way up.

Nish: 26:21

Don’t take your trousers off there. Don’t do that.

TJ: 26:24

But that’s a big thing that I’m seeing more and more courses up here. Um, I think just the initiative of getting in these younger kids type of thing you can bring the whole family spread out over.

Nish: 26:36

Some adults could could do with playing off those much further forward tees, because yeah what are you doing like?

TJ: 26:41

just enjoy the game going t from, I think that’s a a good little tactic, even like every now and then like move up a tee box or two, and and like that’s a a good little tactic, even like every now and then like move up a tee box or two and like that’s how you gotta learn how to score and make birds and stuff like that, you know bracing to sambo, one of the first things he talks about when he’s doing that break in 50 challenge is he tells people.

Gary: 27:00

What’s the most fun part about golf is scoring right it’s like being under par when you’re learning to golf. It’s not cool to fucking to show off and go shoot a double bogey from the tips go up to the front tees and learn how to hit the ball on the green learn how to hit those certain shots.

Gary: 27:16

If that’s what you do, and so I, it shouldn’t be. I I don’t. I hate when it’s called like the women’s tees or like yeah b2. It’s just like beginner, like, just like beginner, like novice or intermediate novice, like just name them like that or just forward tease, you know, just whatever.

Nish: 27:31

It is just something that’s not. You know it is. Yeah, I think I feel that’s one bit that’s still stuck in the dark ages, I think in golf you know those kind of, although I found out today, uh, with the guys over in japan there was where you know, when they had the o, the Olympics, um, and just recently. So they obviously had golf, golf there, the um I don’t know what the name of the club is, I forgive me, so I don’t know the name, but the, the name of the, the club that they had the Olympics on. They had to change their local rules to allow women to play and then they’ve changed back now so women can’t play at that golf club. There are not many clubs that I know that have that still as a rule.

Gary: 28:12

Wow, crazy couldn’t believe it. It’s so funny because I feel like japan has so many like living in the future, like year 3000 moments and then they’re like um women can’t golf here like what?

Nish: 28:24

yeah, madness, but I mean the. So the it’s kieran was the chap I was talking to and he said you could book tea times online in japan in 2004. I mean, like the internet only just started up. You know, I didn’t have a smartphone or anything at that point, but you could go online and book a tea time and it’s like that’s so far ahead. All the cards and this is in almost all courses all of the cards, uh, they’re all magnetic, they’re on a magnetic track. You got a little clicker so you just press it to come up to where you are level. You go and get your clubs and you know, kind of carry on. And I was like it’s amazing, you know the technology that they’ve got, yeah, but women can’t do it, so it. So you know, yeah, it’s funny, isn’t it Really?

Gary: 29:09

really funny. I want to do the nighttime golf. They have like the courses that are just lit up at night. That looks so sick.

Nish: 29:14

Yeah, they do that in the Middle East quite a lot, don’t they? Yeah, as well. Again, a friend of mine, when we talked about golf in the golf, it was a completely different golf course, he, he said. Actually, interestingly enough, he said he found himself being able to hit it straighter at night. I was like, well, that’s that he goes. I suppose he can’t see anything else. All you’re looking at is just what’s in front of you. So it seemed the focus is aiming yeah, I know it’s not going to help me in the daytime. I thought it was interesting.

TJ: 29:50

You put blinders on your glasses yeah.

Nish: 29:53

Just get two bits of cardboard and stick them on your face. That’s all I want to look at. It’s a dog leg left. Oh shit, why does this look like?

Gary: 30:06

a pelican. What’s he doing?

Nish: 30:08

Absolutely. Oh God, I god, I love it. Yeah, but it was, it was. It was fascinating listening to that. Um, yeah, I think, uh, teas, teas definitely should be. Um should be renamed. But I just don’t think you can get over that now. It’s pretty a male sport. Still, there is this custom, you know yeah, play with your pants down when you don’t make the ladies tea. That’s, how do you get over? I don’t ladies tea.

TJ: 30:32

I don’t know how it is there, but like in the us at least, like since covid, like the number of new women golfers is an insane amount each year. Like it’s grown so much um. We’re like, honestly, like, if you’re looking at a lot of the, just like the average course, like even in new york state it’s probably the membership nowadays is probably like 60, 40 men to women, like it’s it’s pretty close yeah, I’d say.

Nish: 30:57

I mean, it’s definitely gone up a hell of a lot. It’s probably. It probably went through that little initial peak after covid. I think it probably dipped that down again, but a lot, a lot more kids got into the game, which is which is amazing. So like, yes, of course adapting with nearities and all this sort of thing. Now, um, you know, obviously they’re the ones that are going to carry the game on, aren’t they? You know, and I thought it’s great you can wear hoodies and things like that on a golf course. Now, it sounds thick isn’t.

Gary: 31:25

That’s why it’s so funny. You mentioned that that’s probably my biggest gripe with golf is like I understand, like cool, like a polo, like don’t dress like a scumbag, I get it right. But like dude Jason Day, like his fits right now 11 out of 10. I love it. I fucking. Let me wear designer, give me a track suit and I’m rocking the suit, yeah.

Nish: 31:53

why can’t I wear that? Yeah, exactly. Are you kidding me?

Gary: 31:55

Why can’t I wear? Wear like a fresh prince of bel-air early 1990s, windbreaker like let me do it.

Nish: 32:01

It’s ridiculous that you can’t do that. I mean, who cares ultimately? You know you’re right. Nobody wants you to look scruffy or anything like that. Yeah, just.

Gary: 32:09

But if you’re matching and like, if you’re, if you don’t look like, as long as you’re not covered in like dirt or like actual shit, I think that you’re fine, you know like there’s.

Nish: 32:18

There’s plenty of on my course, as you usually are, so we have courses.

Gary: 32:22

We have courses. One of my hometown courses literally I remember on the whole two I had a cow walk across the middle of the fairway.

TJ: 32:30

I’m like okay yeah, carry on there there is, um, some courses, like I’ve been to places before with someone not as a serious golfer that literally had to buy a like pants and a polo in the clubhouse because they had like a t-shirt on and shorts type of thing. But you know, like I, I agree with you, but there is certain like place, like if you’re going to play pebble beach or whatever it’s like certain places have those uh, different levels almost which is, I guess, I mean more of like a local.

TJ: 33:01

Yeah, yeah like like, but that’s the difference with like when noah, when noah is cool with like, like, you wear a hoodie, that’s it.

Gary: 33:09

You know what I mean when noah, you got guys that show up. They just got done changing carburetors for six hours and they’ve got jeans on and uh, and they’re covered in like oil and stuff and I’m like, the fuck, are you?

Nish: 33:20

yeah, that’s yeah, that’s pushing it a bit, a new pair of denim. You know exactly. I don’t mind, just get rid of the grease man, that’s all you need to do get rid of the green.

Nish: 33:33

It is interesting. I mean, I I’ve, I’ve one of my good shoes is what am I becoming? One of my good shoes is becoming one of my quick, very expensive hobbies. Now I’m salivating over getting some Sunday red shoes when they’re available in the UK but they’re like $250 or something, aren’t they? But they’re £250 here, so it’s ridiculous really. But I bought myself some Air, some air jordan 4 golf shoes and okay, they’re, they’re sweet, I love them yeah, that’s the third time I turned up to a golf course wearing those.

Nish: 34:07

I went to quite a nice golf course and the starter. So it’s very rare that you get a starter on the first team who’s like checking off and whatever. But this course had a starter. Yeah, I got an interesting look and I was just like what go on? Then what are you gonna say? What are you gonna say go on? And you never did it. But I knew what he was looking at. I knew he was looking at the shoes and I made a point of like leaning down and cleaning the because it’s got proper.

Nish: 34:34

You know, right, your uh grips like the soft spikes, yeah, yeah um, I made a point of cleaning them with my t-peg, you know that kind of thing, and I was like these are proper golf shoes. That’s just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean a color any shoe can be that, because you know there’s different.

TJ: 34:52

Um, I think it’s golf kicks that has it. They basically make like the soft spikes and you can put them on whatever shoe brilliant I just bought them I just I ordered it I ordered it like two or three days ago.

Gary: 35:03

Yeah, it’s literally like a wrench. You know, like, like how they have like the adjustment thing for your drivers. Yeah, yeah, it’s basically that. And whatever shoe you want, whatever, it doesn’t even be crocs for all. You give a shit, you literally punch it through the bottom of your soul and then it puts.

Nish: 35:19

You put the spikes right in there. I mean I’d love to do that.

Gary: 35:22

Listen, I’m not spending 250 hours on jordan for my personality yeah, my personality is I’d love to turn up in hell. Yeah, fucking have a harness or something and stick the yeah, give me like the high top air force, give me like the retro air force and like dude, I’ll turn anything into that.

Nish: 35:37

Yeah, yeah, absolutely I think the hoodie was interesting. So when the I was like this a hoodie, golf course in the uk is the most obvious item of clothing to wear. There’s always decent wind going around, you know it’s never really too warm, whatever. So if nothing else, you could just do that and you can carry on. You know my golf course, which is not particularly special, anything like that. There’s a whole email went out about some committee meeting they had about whether they’re going to allow hoodies on the course and I was like, hang on a minute, like tyrell hatton is wearing a hoodie open, why can’t I wear a hoodie at a golf course that, by the way, I’m paying. He’s not paying to play there, I’m paying to play here, and I remember why can’t I wear a fucking hoodie? It’s stupid. And it’s shorts. They were like you can’t have shorts for gentlemen, they can’t be above the knee.

Gary: 36:31

Above the knee, I only wear shorts above the knee.

Nish: 36:37

Exactly what am I supposed to look like?

Gary: 36:41

What am I supposed to look like Allen Iverson in college?

Nish: 36:43

What the fuck are we doing At the knee? They have to be tailored and all this kind of thing. And I’m like what’s going to happen if some old 70-year-old can see my knees? He’s got a bigger problem than me then.

Gary: 36:54

He’s going to call you a whore and then throw something at you. Dude, I think golf, just in general, I understand the integrity of the sport Because it’s a gentleman’s game. Right, you’re supposed to be honest and carry yourself in a certain way. I understand that. But some of these old heads, they just take it so so far, because they’re oh, they’re, they’re old and they now they’re out of out of tune or they’re out of touch with the, the norms, like who gives a fuck if a kid shows up and he’s respectful, but he’s wearing a hoodie?

Nish: 37:29

I don’t give a shit. I think there’s. There’s a really deep, uh deep. This is gonna get a bit um deep. Now I can’t. This point has come into my head that’s what she said 11. I can’t believe this is going to come to the potters about 11.

TJ: 37:46

That’s like his fifth episode in a row, whether that’s what she said. This is becoming so good though, is that becoming a phrase now.

Nish: 37:52

Is that like? It is no it just keeps happening I when I refuse to let him go well, if somebody’s setting you up, then fair enough, that’s what’s gonna happen, isn’t it? But it’s like, um you’ve, I forgot my point. Now you’ve made uh what was the old heads being out of touch yeah, I think the the deeper, the wider issue.

Nish: 38:14

I think there is that the the attire that somebody’s got is pointing to what your perception of their personality and character is. So you’re saying they’re wearing a hoodie, therefore they’re not going to be respectful, they’re not going to be honest, they’re not going to be person of integrity on the golf course because of wearing a hoodie. Actually, that wasn’t. You know, it’s that we’re supposed to move beyond that as a society and not judge people on that anymore. But yeah, it’s like the bastions of the rules they’re. They’re just not letting, can they?

TJ: 38:50

he says to the two americans going through probably one of the worst fucking crises in the world right now it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s funny because, uh, on our last episode that came out too, we had on the golf the gotham golfer, and he was even telling us like obviously he dresses as batman, but when he first started he had to wear a polo under that because they were like you have to have a collar out here on this course, so you can’t, you can’t see it. But now they, like they realize what he’s doing and like he’s not being disrespectful, he’s just shooting content, he’s carrying on, you know, staying out of the way of people and stuff. But when he first started, like his first few videos, I think he started like october, but he’s wearing a polo underneath the whole batman suit to be compliant.

Nish: 39:34

How does he keep that voice going? I was like I can’t, I couldn’t do that. He was brilliant.

TJ: 39:39

I don’t know, we even only took like one short little break during the episode. Like it, I thought he was gonna break character more.

Gary: 39:47

Yeah, he didn’t break even through, he didn’t break character.

TJ: 39:49

He just like yeah, it was.

Nish: 39:51

I mean, that’s good yeah, that’s getting stressed out. I think I need to take a drink yeah, just he was brilliant.

Gary: 39:58

He was brilliant, it was good, it was good.

Nish: 40:00

Yeah, it was a yeah. I mean to keep, yeah, keeping character like that and again it’s great. So one of his first videos it was like off in the pro shop and he was trying to buy golf balls and he’s like, yeah, but even that like.

Gary: 40:13

I bet you like for what he was doing, but he showed like, hey, I’ll put on a polo underneath this. This is what I’m doing. I’m not trying to be disrespectful. Course was cool with that, I know for a fact. I could name off probably five or six courses just in my area. That would be like absolutely fucking no, I’d be like why, it doesn’t matter.

Nish: 40:31

You know they’re not fighting against the um, just the way it’s going. That’s just how it is now, you know. But we’re quite I thought we were quite lucky in the uk a lot of the courses they’re pretty easy going. You know, there’s not much. I think dress code usually is always the one I think that that pulls, that people get pulled up on. But generally speaking, any other stuff like that they’re fine with. Just don’t hold up play, and I think that’s fair enough, you know, because it’s long enough as it is. But yeah, I mean, we’ve had experience just recently because obviously we’ve lined up our next few courses and some golf courses have been uber welcoming. You know just, oh, we can’t wait to have you here. Pop into the, the office, say hello, tell us how you’re getting on, and I think there’s one course that we’re playing in Wales that they know about the podcast, and they’re like, oh, the chairman of memberships is going to come and play with you and he can give you a course guide and we’re like yeah, that’s amazing.

Nish: 41:31

Contrast that with some place and they’re like no, you can’t even use your mobile phone on the call, we’re not gonna let you do it. And you’re like I’m not really asking your permission, I’m just doing it courtesy of letting you know. I’m still gonna film in that hole, you know that kind of thing. It’s like you can’t stop me um. And by the way, you said mobile phone, you didn’t say anything about camera. I know, I know this.

Gary: 41:51

This is. I know we’re now deep into this, I have. I do have a question, though how do you feel about music on the golf course?

Nish: 41:59

okay. So I’ve had a change of heart on this. So I used to be like, nah, you can’t do that. Can’t do music like it’s distracting, it’s just, it’s not the done thing, it’s not what you’re used to. I don’t want to put other people off. I played on my own once and I had my AirPods in and I loved it. I was like this is amazing. I rediscovered a couple of albums that I loved and I was like, yeah, that’s great. So now the JBLs come out with me and they’re all you know you can, because you only need it just loud enough so you can hear it. You don’t need it for anybody else. But yeah, I’m a convert, I think. Maybe nothing booming, but, um, certainly something you can, you can hear is great.

Gary: 42:45

Tj has a whole like tempo, swings, swing, or a tempo playlist that he listens to. Yeah, then he put it on on the course. One time was during one of the member guests and I was like, especially like you can feel with tempo and you’re like, okay, yeah, I like this. And then there’s nothing better than peering an iron on the downbeat of the end on the four Amazing.

TJ: 43:09

Oh God, that’s the thing is. I like the music, but if it’s not that right tempo, just being a musician and a drummer it starts to mess up my head even more than it just being silent. Right, because?

Nish: 43:19

then I’ve learned.

Gary: 43:20

But it’s only when it’s like my shot, you know, then it’s like, once I’m done, it’s I’ve learned that when tj’s shooting I have to turn off little john on the east side boys he does not like that it’s natasha beddingfield and that’s lovely.

Nish: 43:33

Yeah, yeah, you know you can’t go wrong with that. Just fantastic vocalist. What is it? What’s it I mean is it, has it got a, a bpm or something like that? That you’re yeah, so all the songs on my playlist.

TJ: 43:46

There are between like 70 and 80 bpm wow, okay um, and that’s like uh there’s different apps and stuff.

TJ: 43:53

That’s where a lot of like the pros try to keep it. You know, and I just put it on at the when I’m at the range warming up, especially like for a tournament, just so that I get all my swings in that rhythm um, and I that’s my biggest habit that happens. I start swinging fast when I get on the course, right, okay, and I’m at the point where it’s like, honestly, when, when I start swinging fast on the course, I start singing boston by augustana, because that’s just like it comes. I have it so ingrained in my head that that’s where my swing speed needs to be and it’s like a re-locking in no, no, no, not that, no, I know that’s a little quick, yeah, no, yeah, no jerking, that’s an easy, easy sweet no jerking on the course.

Gary: 44:38

That’s definitely not. Nobody wants to do that. Nobody should be allowed to do that.

Nish: 44:41

That’s ridiculous. Yeah, absolutely Wonderful. Right, I’ve got I think I’ve got an idea what Gary’s answer to this is because of where he wanted to do his ideal golf trip away. But, TJ, what would be your absolute A1 bucket list golf course?

TJ: 45:00

So I wore this hat for a reason because I wanted to talk about it. I don’t know if you know 1764 and what the significance is of it. So it’s a. They’re a company in america. I like the hat. I didn’t know the significance when I first got it. 1764, though, is the year that the committee at saint andrews changed it from 22 holes to 18 holes, and that’s when the 18 hole like regular, like standard, became a thing, and I think, like St Andrews is one that I would like, rather than play somewhere you know in the U S, like I’d rather get over there and play that course type of thing, just cause I think my play style, you know, I that like link style and these low bump and run, like I feel like I could play very well at that course rather than going to like a tpc, scottsdale or sawgrass or something like that you know it’s.

Nish: 45:50

It’s really interesting actually, because, uh, there’s there’s a couple of things about link style golf. Have you had any experience playing link style golf at all? Is that?

TJ: 45:59

no, there’s like there’s a course up north I used to play as a kid that was like it’s not really a lynx, but it’s more like that style, um yeah, and how all their courses are here, and I just like that being and and honestly like when, noah, you can play it similar to that, where you can land them short and run them up on type of thing.

Nish: 46:19

It’s really like. When I first started playing some of these courses so we’re probably only talking about three or four years ago I was really intimidated by them, because they have the biggest reputations, they’re always used for the open and you see them, people are winning the tournament with like two under par sort of thing. You know, oh man, this is a brutal golf course. What a friend of mine told me was that well, that’s happening because, number one, they’re playing from the championship tees, which are always way back, so any kind of wind is gonna make it worse and the you know the greens are quicker and they’re putting the rough up. All this kind of thing. They’re basically making it much more difficult for the professional golfer. Now, but what he said was when I started playing, what I loved about it was and I didn’t think I’d like this because I’m not too clever, so I thought I don’t want to be thinking about anything else really, but it’s the fact that you can think and plot your way around the golf course more and two, you know, we’ve had it on occasions when three of us have landed in a very similar spot and everyone’s played it differently because that’s how they’ve seen it in their head. You know somebody’s played a really low punched seven iron from 100 yards. Somebody’s gone really high and, you know, tried to get it to stick on the green and someone’s kind of somewhere in the middle or off a bank or something like that, and then everything just kind of gradually filters somewhere. You know there’s nothing too aggressive. It’s a wonderful way to play golf really is. Yeah, it’s a magical, magical way to play golf. So we’ll um.

Nish: 47:57

So, saint andrews, they have, um, obviously, you know they, yeah, it’s a magical, magical way to play golf. So, st Andrews, they have, obviously, you know they could do it as a public ballot. So if you like, you can turn up and enter the ballot. You can actually just turn and wait at the first tee and if there are any groups that they can get you on, they will get you on that day. So you’re taking a chance.

Nish: 48:20

But they also do a thing where, um, so let’s say, for instance, you were coming over, you can write to the committee to profess your love for saint andrew and his ability to make a course and just go. Hey, look, you know I’m over for, for whatever, it’d be amazing if we could, if we could play it. Uh, and they can actually do some pre-reserved, some pre-reserved slots. The committee does does do that. So I mean great, because st andrews is, is a in theory is a public course. It’s not. There is the court, the golf club isn’t st st andrews. You may use that course, but it’s st andrews links that you’re a member of. It’s kind of like a bit of a separate thing. I think I’ve got that right.

Nish: 49:04

That’s so cool. Somebody’s probably going to message me and say, no, you’ve got absolutely wrong Technically, no, factually, you’re actually incorrect. Factually you’re a fucking idiot.

Gary: 49:16

Yeah, hey, that was a good accent. I like that it’s called. It’s called autism, it’s fine.

Nish: 49:22

I feel I should. I feel I’m going to, I’m going to clip that up. I’m going to save that one. That’s a good one. Thanks, that was good. Yeah, gee, oh, lovely mate, lovely, ye little bastard you, I love it. Yeah, well, I like that. I like a golf trip coming over to the UK. But that’ll be, that’ll be nice. Well, one day, one day, we’ll make it happen, we’ll do a top 110 ex fake dick bogeys ex. Rick Shields yeah, we’ll do a. He’s in our dust now. He’s defected to live. Yeah.

Gary: 50:00

So funny.

Nish: 50:02

I mean, yeah, that’s big news, that right Big news, I guess.

Gary: 50:07

I mean, I don’t know, he’s not- as big here, I feel like Like people?

TJ: 50:12

I don’t think watch him as much as they used to. Other people have taken over.

Gary: 50:19

He’s not big here, unless you’re like already kind of intertwined in the golfing like, yeah, creator into that world, yeah yeah, I mean, he’s still the biggest, biggest thing here.

Nish: 50:30

So he’s actually he’s from the sort of local area to where to where we are. So it’s oh cool, nice to nice to know that should, should try and, uh, get a bit of a leg up from him really, yeah, give us a helping hand, you know, give us a few million from live, that’d be great um well, gents, I think we, I think we successfully navigated the intricacies of a golf trip without giving too much away. Uh, on these very boring golf trips that you know, and all you talk about is business golf trips?

Nish: 51:00

absolutely, yeah. So I mean, we always get it. Only if you go away with the boys, you always get that. So, uh, so how was? How was dave? I assume he was okay, any news? No, no, what about his wife? She’s? Uh, she wasn’t feeling very well, she, she never came up, it was never a discussion oh, right, okay.

Gary: 51:21

They broke up four years ago. Yeah.

Nish: 51:23

He didn’t tell you about his new job. Well, I better message him to let him know. Congratulations.

Gary: 51:30

I was trying to tell that to my girlfriend the other day too. When guys hang out, it’s not like that, Unless that’s the reason you’re getting together. It’s just like if you go golfing. It’s like just talk about the things that are around you and then it starts conversations. Yeah, and by the 18th tee you’re like yeah, by the 18th tee. If I’m like, if I chugged a bottle of whiskey, I could probably wrestle a grizzly bear for like two minutes, Like that’s where we get it.

Nish: 52:01

Yeah, for like two minutes, but that’s where we get it. Just it, just it never happened. Yeah, my wife, she’s always like you’ve just spent five hours with the guy. How did you not catch up on his new job? Right, I didn’t. I was, in fact, if anything, in the five hours, I probably wasn’t nearing that much, if I’m honest. Yeah, whatever, you know, I wasn’t there to listen. If he’s got something he wants to talk about, he’ll talk to me. That’s how you deal with it, exactly, exactly, you know. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why men go on a stag do, and they could just get on with each other, and women go on a hen do, and there’s always a fight. Somebody’s always having an argument with somebody because they’re wearing the wrong dress or they didn’t ask me how I couldn’t have said it better, or whatever yeah, so anyway, on that bombshell, we leave it, gentlemen.

Nish: 52:49

Well, it’s been a pleasure, as always. Yeah, thank you for your time. I appreciate it, sir.

TJ: 52:53

Thanks for having us man. We always love chatting.

Nish: 52:54

It was a blast yeah, and we’ll, um, we’ll catch up soon hell yeah, brother sounds good adios. So that was another great chat with the guys at the basic bogeys podcast. Look, I love having them on. They’re a great laugh, they just have fun and I’m sure we’re gonna hear from them again. We’ll catch up with them soon, um, so next time on the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast after the winter hibernation, we get to preview the fourth of 100 courses that we’re going to be playing, and that’s Royal St David’s Golf Club in Wales.