WEBVTT - Introducing Fried Egg Guides 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:02.520 I miss a green for example, I'm already upset. 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:04.920 When I find my ball in the bunker, I'm really upset. 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:06.920 And when I find my ball in a fried. 0:00:06.720 --> 0:00:10.040 Egg Friday egg, the dreaded Frida Egg Friday, Frida Egg 0:00:10.080 --> 0:00:12.040 brid Egg, Frida Egg Bride Egg Lie. 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.080 I'm about ready to run off of the hump course. 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.400 Welcome back to the Frida Egg Golf Podcast. I am 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.920 your host, Andy Johnson, and today I'm really excited. We 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:46.800 got some new stuff cooking. If you haven't been to 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:49.920 our website in a while, we've been uh investing a 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.560 lot of time and energy into the website. We've got 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:57.400 Bo on our team who you probably have never heard of. 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:02.000 He does great work on the web website, constantly improving 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:06.319 it and the latest feature is called fried Egg Guides. 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:10.440 So what we're going to do with these pages is 0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:14.720 kind of breakdown popular destinations. So this podcast is all 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:21.480 about a couple popular destinations Pinehurst, Sand Valley and as 0:01:21.520 --> 0:01:25.880 well as Northern Ireland. And you should go check out 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:29.120 the website, thefrid Egg dot com and go find the 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:31.760 guide pages. They'll be easy to find right on the 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:35.679 home page and you can read about all these destinations 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:39.039 as well, So check out the website if you haven't 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:41.200 been there in a while. We've done a lot of 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:44.520 work on that and there's a ton of stuff to 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:47.920 read about golf courses on the website, tons of photos 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:51.960 to produce through, so check that out and other big 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:56.880 Fried Egg news. We're really excited we have published our 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:01.880 first book. It's a coffee table book and it's spent 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.360 something that we've talked about doing lots of people have 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:09.560 asked us to do for years and really excited about 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:12.840 this one. It's gonna be volume one of uh, you know, 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:17.280 books about golf courses that we create. This one. The 0:02:17.280 --> 0:02:21.000 theme of it is, uh, it's really centered. We turned 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.880 ten years old, so it's been ten years since the 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:29.440 start of this which is wild in December. But the 0:02:29.440 --> 0:02:34.160 theme of this volume one is golf courses that shaped 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:38.320 Friday Golf. So it's it's a lot of golf courses 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:42.359 that we visited in the early years and it's it's 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:47.120 writing about those photographs from those and you can pre 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.919 order this book at proshop dot Thefrida Egg dot com. 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:54.239 I'm pretty excited about it. I think it's going to 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:58.519 be a very beautiful book and lots of photography and 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:02.440 and some really good writ in the book. So big 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:06.480 thanks to our entire team that has kind of pulled 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:10.240 this together, all the writing and there, I think it's 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:16.040 predominantly between me, Garrett Morrison, and Matt Rusch's it's it's 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:20.080 all about golf courses. So this is a great gift 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:25.079 for the holidays. This is a great book for your 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:29.160 coffee table, your office, wherever it may be. I think 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.640 our idea we wanted to design something that felt a 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.920 little bit different than your your standard golf book. So 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:40.880 I'm really excited about this. I've looked at uh, I've 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:44.880 gotten some advance not a copy. I haven't gotten an 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:49.080 official copy yet, but I got the pages. You know, 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:51.160 I don't know how these book things work, but I 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:55.080 got pages. I got sent just a a big pile 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:58.720 of pages that were the pages of the book, and 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:03.440 the covers covers yellow. It should be. It's pretty cool. 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:07.760 I'm excited about that. So it's at proshop dot thefried 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:12.880 egg dot com. You can see that there. And let's 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:17.560 get to our guests. So joining us on this episode 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:19.839 are a couple members are our team that put together 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:23.479 these various guides. I've been to all these destinations, so 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:28.160 you know, riveting discussion about all of them. We are 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:33.039 joined by Brendan Poorath, Will Knights and Abby Libenthal on 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:37.840 this episode to break down these various destinations. All right, 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:42.120 let's get to Brendan Poorath and let's talk about Northern Ireland. 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:53.320 All right, Brendan, welcome on this side of the podcast world. 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:54.240 How are you. 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:55.680 It's good to be here. 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:58.200 I have to talk in more hush tones and use 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:03.040 some fancier terms on the side. Just be yourself, all right, 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.560 make more MPR type phrases, turn of phrases. 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:11.400 Okay, I don't think that's this this podcast. No, I don't, Yeah, 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.839 this is this is a fairly low brow podcast. That's 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:19.760 not true. We are talking about your your Guide of 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:25.039 Northern Ireland. New website features very exciting We went to 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:29.520 Northern Ireland together. We did a whole podcast feed about it. 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.760 If anybody wants to dive in really deep, it's called Explorations. 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:39.720 It's in there. But you wrote about your your experience 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:42.760 going to Northern Ireland. You obviously went this year again 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.240 for the Open Championships, so you've got two weeks of 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.960 your life under your belt in Northern Ireland. Obviously haven't 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:52.240 seen everything, but you know you've seen some stuff. You've 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:58.000 you're you're more more educated than most about the subject 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:03.840 in America, not not in Northern Ireland. What are your 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:06.600 kind of tips other than don't get lost in downtown 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:08.560 Port Rush. 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:11.840 That was the great amusement of the Open Championship was 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:15.200 Joseph referring to a downtown Port Rush. And I think 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:19.160 the entire country of Northern Ireland seeing this TikTok and 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.680 mocking him for a week or two on end. I 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:24.719 don't understand the TikTok bloodstreams or how it got there. 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:27.360 But yes, there is no downtown Port Rush. There's just 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:32.440 Port Rush. Port Rushi is a small town, so it's substantive. 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.240 It is a town. It's not like you know, one intersection. 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:38.640 It's substantive. It's a port. But I don't think you 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:43.200 could characterize as mid downtown uptown. It's just Port Rush. Ah, 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:46.360 But that became a subject of amusement to the locals. Yeah, 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.960 I think the first thing, like, obviously we're excited about 0:06:49.000 --> 0:06:52.760 these guides on the website, and as you stated, I've 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:55.440 been there twice now in two years. I don't think 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:58.560 we're narcissistic enough or diluted enough to suggest this is 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:00.960 the end albeit all noah at all, but it is 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:05.120 like we have pretty substantive experience going there for I 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.880 don't know about twenty days of my life the last 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:11.400 two years, and leaning on the locals who have lived 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:14.720 there their whole lives, like we get a flood of recommendations, 0:07:14.720 --> 0:07:19.280 a flood of do not go there, overrated, that's shite 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:22.200 or whatever you want to call it, from the locals, 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.559 And that's kind of what we've done to compile the guide. 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:30.280 I think, you know, the overarching, overarching takeaway is the 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:34.240 fact that I've been there twice in about I don't know, 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:38.440 twenty five months or so, or no, thirteen months, thirteen months, 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:42.760 you know, twice in about thirteen months suggests that it's 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:46.280 much more within reach than I thought, right, And sometimes 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:51.400 the idea of going international, the idea of planning international, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:55.160 is way more daunting than just actually going and doing it. 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:58.760 And once you do it, like, ah, that's not that bad, right. 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:01.320 It's sort of like the you got a surgery or something, 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.720 so like a dent disappointment, you're way more worked up 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:07.280 about it then what actually happened, and then like getting 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:09.360 there is just not that hard, especially as an East 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:12.280 coaster in the United States. It's almost too short on 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:14.679 the way over as a red eye, it's like there's 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:17.640 not a lot of sleep in time. It's five five 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:19.120 and a half to Dublin. 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:23.920 You're saying this to man that has a series of 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:27.040 red eyes in this near future that are all shorter 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:29.000 than that red eye. 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:32.600 Right, I understand, it's just it is too short if 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:35.319 you're really trying to get a lot of sleep, more 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.559 than a couple hours. But it's so within reach you leave. 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:42.240 And this I speak as someone who had travel difficulties 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:46.000 on this last go round. I still maintain this point 0:08:46.040 --> 0:08:48.160 of view that is not that hard. And you're in 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.120 Northern Ireland. You're in Newcastle within two hours of landing 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:53.720 in Dublin if you don't choose to stay in Dublin, 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.319 which I would suggest, if you're going to Dublin, you're 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:58.720 flying in and out of Dublin. You append a couple 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.520 of days to your trip to experience Dublin. But it 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:05.120 is so for an East Coast or New York, DC, Boston. 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:09.240 Let's be honest, it's probably easier to get to than 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.160 some remote, remote American resorts. 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:17.120 Yeah. I think that's the thing that I always feel 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:22.000 when I get over abroad, is that I feel this like, 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:23.720 and I live on the other side of the country, 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:28.240 is I feel like, that wasn't that bad? Now for me, 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:33.000 the eight hour time change, communicating with my family that 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:38.120 we that is challenging, like that that presents unique challenges. 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.680 But when I get there, I'm like, this was not 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:44.600 that bad. And every time I'm there, I'm kind of 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.640 thinking to myself, why don't I do this more often? 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:52.080 But then when I get home it becomes daunting again. 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.040 And I do think for the East Coast, this is 0:09:56.120 --> 0:10:00.800 extraordinarily easy. This is you know, direct flight into Dublin, 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:05.920 direct flights into Edinburgh, direct flights into you know, various 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:10.680 you know, London. These are all very achievable and fairly 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:13.719 easy things to do. And if you're looking at like all, 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.960 like I think what's particularly interesting is like when you 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:21.840 start looking off peak, you know, non summer travel, like 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:23.800 very affordable flights. 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:29.560 Totally. It was another thing. I'm very inexpensive, and I 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:33.080 went July from DC. I booked it maybe two months 0:10:33.120 --> 0:10:35.719 in advance. I think it was like five hundred and 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:38.600 six hundred bucks for like not the most basic whatever 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:40.160 one not premium or not. 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:41.160 I'm not conm like five. 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:43.760 Hundred and six hundred dollars that's hard to get even 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:46.480 to like cross country in the US nowadays, and that's 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:46.880 in July. 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.760 I think one of the things that uh and I 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:53.760 don't want to speak for you, but one of the 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:57.520 things that I was taken aback from our trip to 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:02.360 Northern Ireland was I think people like Cement. This is 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:05.240 a you know, in the like Let's be real, most 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.439 people listening to this, most people reading these guides are 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:11.200 going to go for golf trips. But one of my 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:14.480 takeaways from our Northern Ireland trip was this is not 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:19.280 strictly a golf trip destination. This can be a trip 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:22.559 where I play a couple rounds of golf and also 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:23.680 have my family with me. 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:25.720 I would totally agree. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.160 I think when we were there, I would shade that 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.120 is much more applicable to the Causeway Coast area. And 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.640 writing this guide, I was thinking back a little bit more. 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:39.079 I don't know if Newcastle like RCD like is the thing, right. 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:41.439 It's a cool town, it is its own town. It's 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.920 not a nothing Burger, But I feel like if you're 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.080 going with your family like that really applies to the 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:52.320 Causeway Coast area of Port Sewer, Port Port Rush, Port Ballintray. 0:11:53.000 --> 0:11:55.319 And that is the very northern part. 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.880 Northern side of Northern Ireland, not the northern most part 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.600 of the island of Ireland, and as Donegal actually was 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:05.840 more north, but that's part of the Republic. Yes, the 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:09.520 northernmost part of Northern Ireland is the Causeway Coast and 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:12.080 I think there were several times when we were there 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.160 we're like, oh, I kind of wish like we'd see 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:18.160 like families and kids kind of bouncing around the beach 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:20.400 or in the coffee shop, like I could do this. 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:22.160 I think my wife could do this. I think my 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:24.600 kids could do this. Now, all in them there is 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:28.800 its own challenge, but there was it was much more 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.400 than just you're only here to play golf. All you 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:34.360 can do is play golf, and why would you do 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.480 anything else around here? That for sure is the case 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:38.560 on the North Coast. 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:42.959 I think you you know, I obviously live in a 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:47.079 part of the country that has a lot of active hikers, 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:50.760 but you could make the case that if you if 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:55.280 you're you know, into a couple other active lifestyle things 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:59.000 such as hiking. Newcastle with the more mountains is like 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:03.800 a a viable stop and there's stuff to do, Like 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:06.880 I think, like one of my big regrets was that 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:09.640 we didn't go do the Morn Mountain hike. It was 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:13.000 probably because I had just completed a marathon days before 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.800 and wasn't enough for the seven hundred foot incline. 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.400 But the Morn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:25.280 essentially like a National park right next to Newcastle RCD. 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.440 And then the other thing I would hit on is 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:34.360 port Rush, like some other towns in Ireland, very active 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:38.720 surf culture. So if you are a surfer, which you know, 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:43.560 there's I think there's a small subset of like people 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:47.240 that love the idea of places I can go surf 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:49.880 and golf at the same time. This is a small 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:54.000 subset of golferst but this is this should be on 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.720 the list of places where you can actively surf and 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:01.760 golf along with the Hinch you know you could go 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.520 down to. You know, there's a bunch of other places 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.560 you know, all over but if you could do port 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:11.680 Rush a surf there plus golf, that's about as good 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:14.680 of golf, the golf version of that trip as you 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:16.920 can get. I know, I know the waves can be 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:20.400 a little inconsistent there, but it is does have an 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:21.520 active surf culture. 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:22.440 Yeah, that was. 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:24.800 That always hoppen too in July when we were there 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.160 for the Open, whether it was a surfing or just 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:30.400 kids families on the beach. It was a little amusing 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:33.840 to see like Americans and tourists over from for the 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.200 Open and be like, oh my god, it's like seventy 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:39.280 and windy and who knows what the water is, but 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:41.640 it felt like one hundred to a lot of the people. 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.640 It would just hoppen a lot of surfers, great beach 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:45.720 scene there in July. 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:50.040 It's hard you get centered on these golf trips and 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:55.480 I feel like you don't always do the extracurricular activities. Sure, 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:01.440 I think that is like some I regret from our trip, 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:04.360 and it was March was I was. I regret that 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.840 I didn't go in the water, like I didn't go 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:11.480 in a swim. We were right next to the we 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:14.880 were effectively stayed on the water, and I know Matt 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:18.480 from our team went in. I did not go. I 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.920 regret that, But there are extracurriculars. 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:22.280 You know. 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.080 A couple of things we did do that I was 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:28.280 very happy about was the Causeway Coast. You know, we 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:32.720 obviously hit up a lot of different restaurants and and things. 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:37.280 What are your recks outside of golf for Northern Ireland. 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.760 I think you've hit on a few of the activities already. 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:42.720 I think you have to hit the more mountains. 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:43.320 We did not. 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:49.120 You were decrepit and from your marathon we went over there. 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:51.720 We did not do the hike. You have to do that, 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:55.000 have to serve, have to see the coastal towns of 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:58.760 Port Rush and Port Stewart. I think like immersing yourself 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:03.280 in the actual town, like there's there's stuff there. I 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:05.320 think like sometimes when you go on these golf trips, 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:10.400 you are just you're sort of beholden to the itinerary 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:12.920 that is set for you by a resort, and you 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.440 only eat at a resort, and you only eat at 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.040 like it's the same burger and it's the same beer, 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.720 and it's it's all coming from the same kitchen, and 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:24.400 it's all coming from the same you know till and 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:29.000 here there are actual towns to go immerse yourself in. 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:36.240 And I found Port Stewart on return, I think it's 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:39.360 just like a really really charming town. I think it's 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:43.200 it's coffee and food. Seeing i'd probably put a tick 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:46.000 above Port Rush. I don't know if that's going to 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:48.960 bother some people. They're more more or less the same, right, 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:51.320 I mean, let's not. I don't think there's any great rivalry. 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:53.800 Maybe there is amongst the golf courses, but not amongst 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:58.720 the towns that I saw. My favorite meal we had 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:01.800 was this place of Michi restaurant. It was an Italian 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:03.560 place and I was like, ah, you go to the 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:06.520 northernmost part of Northern Ireland to get Italian. But it 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:13.040 came like super super recommended from everyone, fancy folks, regulars, locals. 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:17.000 And we had that during like at like ten pm 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:20.159 on a before the open started. And that was a 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:23.359 must too for me in terms of it's a flexible 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:25.439 kind of menu. And it was like right on the 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:29.360 water on the cliffs next to the old course Port Stewart, 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:31.560 and that was a cool scene. And of course Lost 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:33.720 and Found has become sort of our home away from home. 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:36.359 This coffee shop on the other side of Port Stewart, 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:39.240 Amichi is is between Port Rush, and Port Stewart, but 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.359 this Lost and Found coffee shop, which we got to 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:43.840 know the owner, Dave, lying us a little bit. We 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:45.920 went back multiple times when I was there for the Open. 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:48.800 We went there two or three times on our first trip, 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.159 I think. And so those were some of like just 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:55.399 the little bites of culture where you feel like you 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:59.000 are not being shoveled everything that a certain golf resort 0:17:59.119 --> 0:17:59.800 has to offer. 0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:05.080 I think the other thing that the particular the Causeway 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.320 Coast area has is they have a lot of like 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:13.000 smaller golf options. Yeah, and we didn't visit these, but 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:16.639 I've heard from enough people that I trust that like 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:24.320 affordable and like quick rounds of golf are available at Bushfoot, 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:27.280 which is right next to the Bush Mills Distillery. 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:31.040 I'll say on that Shackleford, who you know we would 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:35.119 consider a trusted source and friend played it multiple times 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:36.840 when he was over the open and would like come 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:39.000 in the next day just talking about how charmed he 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:42.520 was playing bush Foot. It's a nine hole or multiple routings, 0:18:42.520 --> 0:18:44.359 you can make it eighteen, but it's nine holes on 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:47.840 the river bush and Shaq was like just fired up 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:50.560 with some like twilight post dinner rounds of bush Foot, 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:51.400 but go ahead with. 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.119 And these are really long days. Yeah, And I like, 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:57.960 I think like one of the things, I don't know 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:00.600 if this is me aging, but like as I you know, 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:05.000 as I plan more golf trips, and you know, I 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:08.120 obviously go on a ton of golf trips every year, 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:16.600 I really like to build in time for different activities, 0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:21.520 time to be in the town, but also time to 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:25.560 just like go show up at golf courses that aren't 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:29.359 necessarily the famous ones. And I think when you're in 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:32.520 that area, obviously the ones that you have to hit 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:36.160 or try to have to hit are both courses at 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:42.520 Port Rush and then Port Stewart, particularly the front nine 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.560 is like extraordinary. And then you know, I think Castle 0:19:46.640 --> 0:19:49.760 Rock was really fun, but you know it might not 0:19:49.840 --> 0:19:52.200 be in the very like the top of the bucket. 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.240 I think the we course is about as fun of 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:59.280 a golf course as you can play. The bond at 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:00.000 Castle Rock. 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:02.800 I was reading back on that I didn't play that 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:05.200 I was writing and you and Cameron went out for that, 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:10.000 and Cameron's like, bring like a twelve brin a dozen 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:12.159 golf balls. This is the most penal golf course. But 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:14.639 it was an absolute blast. It was so fun. That 0:20:14.800 --> 0:20:16.880 ninth hole, or I mean the last. 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:20.439 Hole there is like a ninety yard part three and 0:20:20.440 --> 0:20:24.480 it's really cool. It's like blind but like it's lost 0:20:24.520 --> 0:20:25.840 ball if you hit miss the green. 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:29.720 But you guys both came up like god, that was 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:31.600 fun and you played and I don't know what the 0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:35.280 ninety minutes last forty minutes, yeah, yeah, fifty minutes quick. 0:20:35.359 --> 0:20:37.080 I was trying to write an article and you were 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:38.280 you were off before that. 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:40.840 I think that's like the thing is like you have 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:44.080 the you have bally Rag, which terryll Hatton was playing 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:47.520 like the night before the Open Championship. 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:49.399 Kind of situated up above on the cliffs like we 0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:50.040 talked about. 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:54.959 I think it's like ten pounds. Yeah, it's like on 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:55.560 the ocean. 0:20:56.680 --> 0:20:58.520 It's one of these things where the locals are like, ah, 0:20:58.560 --> 0:21:00.679 that's kind of a shit, like but they don't know 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:02.880 how good they got it. Just to have it as 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:05.600 a thing, as an option to play for forty minutes 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:06.000 or whatever. 0:21:06.040 --> 0:21:09.440 It is the original Port Stewart course. I've always wanted 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:14.160 to play, and you've got bush Foot, you've got the 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:17.560 Bond Course, Like you have these like small golf options 0:21:18.080 --> 0:21:20.720 so doing a day where you play a morning round 0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:23.520 somewhere and then you just leave the afternoon open. You 0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:26.600 have all these options to go play more golf. You 0:21:26.640 --> 0:21:28.840 have the option to like hang out in town. You 0:21:28.880 --> 0:21:31.840 have the option to go get a nice lunch, late 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:37.920 lunch and sit somewhere. I think that's like the charm 0:21:36.440 --> 0:21:41.560 of trips to the UK, And I think like people 0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:44.919 don't necessarily think about Northern Ireland in that vein, but 0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:50.760 I think it's absolutely an opportunity to do that. 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:55.360 So one thing I struggled with the guide or not struggle, 0:21:55.359 --> 0:21:57.600 I confind the question of like, if you go to 0:21:57.680 --> 0:22:02.399 Northern Ireland and you don't play RCD or Royal Report 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:06.439 Rush or somehow both, do you have to play both? 0:22:06.880 --> 0:22:09.320 If you go there to feel fulfilled or walk out 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:11.600 of there considering it a success? 0:22:12.160 --> 0:22:15.560 You know, I think that's a good question. I would 0:22:15.640 --> 0:22:22.159 say that the proximity of them to Dublin is a no, 0:22:23.080 --> 0:22:27.000 because it's not far away. That's yeah. 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:28.360 I think that's where I landed. 0:22:29.320 --> 0:22:29.880 Play one. 0:22:30.000 --> 0:22:31.919 I think if you go when you play neither, you're 0:22:32.000 --> 0:22:35.840 probably feeling a little unfulfilled. But I think you're gonna 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:38.320 And I struggle with this like with everything I do, 0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:41.080 whether it's a golf trip or Disney World, it's like 0:22:41.560 --> 0:22:44.280 I'm so anxious while I'm there to do everything, but 0:22:44.400 --> 0:22:47.680 when I leave, it's like, God, that was a great time. 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:49.679 And I think that would be the case if you 0:22:49.760 --> 0:22:52.600 don't see one of the two pillars. I think that's 0:22:52.640 --> 0:22:53.080 the case. 0:22:53.560 --> 0:22:55.720 I did. I agree. I would agree with that. I 0:22:55.720 --> 0:22:58.440 think you can you can do it without seeing it, 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:00.760 and and I think like one of the things is 0:23:00.800 --> 0:23:03.840 like you can make this trip really affordable if you 0:23:03.880 --> 0:23:09.320 wanted to make an affordable fun golf trip, Northern Ireland 0:23:09.480 --> 0:23:11.520 is a place you could do it where you could 0:23:11.560 --> 0:23:15.680 do these kind of like more mom Pa golf courses. 0:23:17.640 --> 0:23:19.840 I now, like, do I think it's like the best 0:23:19.880 --> 0:23:22.240 trip in the world. No, But do you get to 0:23:22.280 --> 0:23:28.920 go experience links golf and culture and the culture there without, 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:31.880 you know, without breaking the bank? Yes? 0:23:32.880 --> 0:23:35.440 Can I A let's play a little games. So we 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:38.440 were there for the Open and we played Royal County 0:23:38.480 --> 0:23:41.320 down on our way out of town with a morn member, 0:23:41.640 --> 0:23:44.399 which meant we had to go late on Monday, like 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:46.919 five o'clock, which was great. We had a day we 0:23:46.960 --> 0:23:48.600 needed to get out of port rush work. Are we 0:23:48.720 --> 0:23:52.040 down and get to Dublin by night time? So it 0:23:52.080 --> 0:23:53.800 was it worked out. It was like a five pm 0:23:54.680 --> 0:23:58.160 How much do you think the reputed number one golf 0:23:58.160 --> 0:24:00.920 course in the world, Royal County down? What was talking 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:02.760 about mod pa and affordable? 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:03.399 What do you think? 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:05.000 What do you think it was? I don't even know 0:24:05.000 --> 0:24:09.280 if it's twenty thirty pounds, yeah, thirty pounds. It's the 0:24:09.280 --> 0:24:10.760 way North Barracus too. 0:24:11.119 --> 0:24:12.480 It was. 0:24:12.640 --> 0:24:15.840 I was with someone from Ireland who knows the whole scene. 0:24:15.880 --> 0:24:19.520 It was like incredulous even at that at that price, 0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:24.040 and yeah, so it's it is affordable. I would you know, 0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:26.359 having gone twice now and I think you can speak 0:24:26.400 --> 0:24:26.960 to this too. 0:24:28.720 --> 0:24:29.000 I don't. 0:24:29.040 --> 0:24:30.359 I don't know if it cuts into the cost a 0:24:30.400 --> 0:24:33.840 little bit. I do think going in a non tourist 0:24:34.080 --> 0:24:38.200 time or heaviest tourist time is a good idea, is 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:41.720 a good thing to explore. When we got pretty fortunate 0:24:41.720 --> 0:24:45.160 with weather in March, but we got like real Port Rush, 0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:49.439 real culture, real Newcastle. This was like it wasn't just 0:24:49.480 --> 0:24:53.040 a bunch of Americans there And I'll say, like the 0:24:53.119 --> 0:24:55.920 open going to the Harbor Bar was a shit show 0:24:56.200 --> 0:24:57.280 and it's the Open. 0:24:57.359 --> 0:24:57.760 I get it. 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:00.520 There's thousands of people in town. The guinness wasn't very good. 0:25:00.560 --> 0:25:02.920 It wasn't as good. There's a bunch of drunk idiots. 0:25:03.200 --> 0:25:04.399 But I'm not center around. 0:25:04.760 --> 0:25:07.919 Yeah, Bomber wasn't around. Like I'm not suggesting it's like 0:25:07.920 --> 0:25:11.720 that every July when there's not an open, but there's 0:25:11.720 --> 0:25:14.520 not the American tourist element in March. I don't know 0:25:14.560 --> 0:25:17.560 if you found that to be sort of more of 0:25:17.600 --> 0:25:19.159 an advantage disadvantage. 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:19.800 I was. 0:25:19.960 --> 0:25:24.160 I've been working on another guide on Fife in St 0:25:24.200 --> 0:25:27.639 Andrews area, and obviously the first time I went there 0:25:28.080 --> 0:25:30.920 was the Open Championship, and then this spring i went 0:25:31.680 --> 0:25:34.440 and something that I think about like that I would 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:37.520 recommend to anybody that's going to Saint Andrews And this 0:25:37.560 --> 0:25:42.439 will be probably a future podcast, but I would really 0:25:42.480 --> 0:25:46.280 recommend going when school's in session because there's like an 0:25:46.320 --> 0:25:51.399 added energy to that town when there's when the university 0:25:51.680 --> 0:25:55.359 is in and it's just I don't there's something about 0:25:55.400 --> 0:25:58.920 like college towns that I find like really like wonderful 0:25:59.560 --> 0:26:03.439 and versus like when I went Peak in the summer, 0:26:03.480 --> 0:26:07.960 it's just peak tourism and we went in April this 0:26:08.080 --> 0:26:11.879 year and April's the driest month in Scotland. But also 0:26:12.200 --> 0:26:16.120 it's like not when it's just jammed with visitors, it's 0:26:16.160 --> 0:26:20.520 a little bit slower, and I think that really lends itself. 0:26:20.520 --> 0:26:23.320 It's easier to get into the restaurants you want, it's 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:26.639 you interact with more locals, which to me is what 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:29.920 I want. In particular, when we went to Northern Ireland, 0:26:31.119 --> 0:26:34.359 all the courses hadn't opened their visitor tea times yet, 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:38.119 so we were literally, you know, for for better or worse, 0:26:38.320 --> 0:26:42.359 we were picked out like store thumbs by locals, so 0:26:42.440 --> 0:26:44.919 they knew they were all Everybody was asking us what 0:26:44.960 --> 0:26:47.359 the hell we were doing there because they knew that 0:26:47.440 --> 0:26:51.359 this was not a tourist time, but it was you know, 0:26:51.480 --> 0:26:58.159 there's I think, like the generation, the travel generation right now, 0:26:58.280 --> 0:27:02.919 like the travel trends, people are seeking out authenticity and 0:27:03.040 --> 0:27:08.680 authentic experiences and genuine experience, unique experiences, and I think 0:27:08.720 --> 0:27:11.560 when you go to these places when they are a 0:27:11.640 --> 0:27:15.480 little less busy, it lends itself to a little bit 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:20.080 more of culture. And I think like one of the 0:27:20.400 --> 0:27:22.480 like super underraty things is like when you have a 0:27:22.520 --> 0:27:24.719 little bit less daylight, you're less inclined to play as 0:27:24.800 --> 0:27:28.720 much golf, and that also lends itself to you feeling 0:27:29.560 --> 0:27:33.520 better and also experiencing more things outside the. 0:27:33.480 --> 0:27:34.879 Golf, more discovery. 0:27:35.000 --> 0:27:36.520 Yeah we did that. 0:27:36.640 --> 0:27:38.800 I mean we played golf till ten pm at Port 0:27:38.840 --> 0:27:40.600 Stewart and it's like all right, now we got to 0:27:40.640 --> 0:27:42.600 find dinner, right and we were lucky to find our 0:27:42.640 --> 0:27:45.320 way to Michi. I will say, like Port Stewart, you 0:27:45.320 --> 0:27:48.320 probably need to add that front nine. It's for the 0:27:48.359 --> 0:27:51.639 American it's Lamaanya was like, oh, this is the greatest 0:27:51.640 --> 0:27:53.680 golf course I've ever seen in my world, ever seen 0:27:53.680 --> 0:27:56.240 in the world. He's walking off, like, you know, I 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:58.199 think this is better than narcd Like it makes an 0:27:58.200 --> 0:28:00.760 impression from the dunes. It's worth going just for the 0:28:00.760 --> 0:28:03.560 impression it will leave you with. But yeah, we had that, 0:28:03.640 --> 0:28:08.920 and and I don't know, I think going to Northern Ireland, 0:28:09.760 --> 0:28:14.600 I have Irish ancestry. I was keenly aware of the troubles, 0:28:14.720 --> 0:28:17.639 keenly aware of like what that like, is this place 0:28:18.000 --> 0:28:18.800 like in turmoil? 0:28:18.920 --> 0:28:19.680 Is it dangerous? 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:22.439 And all these things, and that that was sort of 0:28:22.480 --> 0:28:25.760 its identity right for a long time, we Joseph had 0:28:25.800 --> 0:28:28.680 no sense of that had no idea that like much 0:28:28.720 --> 0:28:30.520 of that background. I think some of us when on 0:28:30.520 --> 0:28:33.640 our first trip weren't to weren't. 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:34.000 Aware of that background. 0:28:34.080 --> 0:28:39.760 And I think you go now and you know it's 0:28:40.000 --> 0:28:41.840 there's a matter of fact details that you're in a 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:44.560 different country, right, there's the currency, there's a license place, 0:28:44.600 --> 0:28:48.360 there's all that stuff. But you know, there's no sense 0:28:48.400 --> 0:28:52.520 of turmoil or anything like that. You see it right away. 0:28:52.560 --> 0:28:56.040 There's different flags flying all over the place. There may be, 0:28:56.120 --> 0:28:59.760 you know, an undercurrent of tension. I think, like, you know, 0:28:59.840 --> 0:29:02.480 they know who's who and what's what if you're a local, 0:29:02.960 --> 0:29:06.720 But I didn't really sense at this point it's part 0:29:06.760 --> 0:29:09.960 of their history of recent history. But it wasn't anything 0:29:09.960 --> 0:29:11.920 that was imposing at all on the trip, and it 0:29:11.960 --> 0:29:15.760 feels much more open to that kind of tourists tourist trip. 0:29:16.280 --> 0:29:19.360 I would. I would recommend anybody that goes this was 0:29:19.600 --> 0:29:21.520 kind of on my list. Anybody that goes to Northern 0:29:21.560 --> 0:29:27.240 Ireland read, especially Americans, read Patrick Radd and Keith rad 0:29:27.240 --> 0:29:31.640 and Keith's book Say Nothing So honestly like one of 0:29:31.680 --> 0:29:34.960 the best books I've ever read, and it's all about 0:29:35.000 --> 0:29:37.960 the troubles. He does like an incredible job of kind 0:29:37.960 --> 0:29:42.560 of weaving these different kind of stories together. But it 0:29:43.400 --> 0:29:46.320 I was reading it while we were there, and it 0:29:46.360 --> 0:29:48.760 was a you know, I was having trouble sleeping because 0:29:48.800 --> 0:29:52.400 I couldn't put the book down. And I think like 0:29:52.960 --> 0:29:56.640 just in general, like when we talk about non golf 0:29:56.680 --> 0:29:58.760 things like one of the things that I would like 0:29:58.840 --> 0:30:01.440 to go back there and a lot of like the 0:30:01.560 --> 0:30:09.080 black taxi tours and explore that kind of history. Uh more. Uh, 0:30:09.520 --> 0:30:13.160 it was obviously like a very difficult time for that 0:30:13.160 --> 0:30:18.720 that area, but you know in terms of of history, 0:30:18.760 --> 0:30:24.200 and it's a it's a it's a fascinating kind of 0:30:24.280 --> 0:30:28.760 moment and in a troubling way obviously with what was 0:30:28.800 --> 0:30:32.080 going on, but you know, the history of of that is, 0:30:33.360 --> 0:30:35.840 you know, just something that after reading that book, I 0:30:36.080 --> 0:30:38.520 I would like to and talking to locals, I think 0:30:38.600 --> 0:30:44.040 like that's another part of of the local aspect of 0:30:44.200 --> 0:30:47.520 being there and talking just interfacing with with people from 0:30:47.560 --> 0:30:50.680 the area, is you just learned so much about about 0:30:50.680 --> 0:30:53.840 that time, and uh, it's definitely part of their history 0:30:53.920 --> 0:30:56.680 and it's it's one of the big reasons why Port 0:30:56.760 --> 0:30:59.800 Rush wasn't in the Rota for a number of years. 0:30:59.840 --> 0:31:05.520 And and why Northern Ireland it was not considered a 0:31:06.360 --> 0:31:11.000 golf destination until you know, the recent coupled last decades 0:31:11.120 --> 0:31:15.680 is is this is a golf destination that I think 0:31:15.800 --> 0:31:21.920 is emerging and and becoming more and more popularized as 0:31:22.200 --> 0:31:24.880 you know, more time passes from from the trouble. So 0:31:24.920 --> 0:31:28.560 it's impossible to talk about the area without you know, 0:31:29.200 --> 0:31:34.880 understanding that history. And I think Belfast, like we stayed 0:31:34.880 --> 0:31:38.560 in Belfast our last night, I was coming down with 0:31:38.640 --> 0:31:43.400 some sort of plague, but we still went out. It 0:31:43.480 --> 0:31:46.160 was the plague hit really when I was on the 0:31:46.760 --> 0:31:49.480 on the plane home, which was which was a disaster 0:31:49.560 --> 0:31:55.360 in itself, but the I think Belfast was a place 0:31:55.400 --> 0:31:57.520 that I would have liked to spend some time too. 0:31:57.560 --> 0:32:01.520 And that's you know, another option of where you center 0:32:01.600 --> 0:32:04.480 your you know, some of your stay is Belfast, where 0:32:04.480 --> 0:32:09.600 there's great restaurants, an emerging night life scene and some 0:32:09.760 --> 0:32:10.800 really nice hotels. 0:32:11.240 --> 0:32:15.840 Yeah, yeah, Belfast. We visited Hollywood, which I thought was 0:32:15.920 --> 0:32:18.720 cool experience to see Rory and Rory's obviously not even 0:32:18.760 --> 0:32:20.880 more of a prominent figure having won the Grand Slam. 0:32:20.960 --> 0:32:22.560 I thought that was cool. I don't know if anybody, 0:32:22.960 --> 0:32:24.840 maybe if you're arrange it in advance. I don't know 0:32:24.840 --> 0:32:26.440 if you can just be like pulling up like it's 0:32:26.440 --> 0:32:29.080 a museum. It's still a golf club. But that was 0:32:29.080 --> 0:32:30.080 cool on the outskirts. 0:32:30.120 --> 0:32:33.040 I feel like you probably could be completely. 0:32:32.520 --> 0:32:37.000 Honest maybe, Belfast, I feel like you could go have 0:32:37.120 --> 0:32:42.000 lunch there. You were getting sick, Belfast. I you know, 0:32:42.080 --> 0:32:43.920 we kind of we stopped on our way in the 0:32:43.960 --> 0:32:46.880 impression I get is that it's it's still trying to 0:32:47.080 --> 0:32:51.640 figure its way up and it's a little drab. And 0:32:52.200 --> 0:32:54.600 you hear that from people down south, who you know, 0:32:54.760 --> 0:32:57.880 make it seem like you're going to Siberia and it's not. 0:32:58.080 --> 0:33:02.160 There's good food, there's gas stations, there's life, there's self service, 0:33:02.200 --> 0:33:06.280 all these things. But people down south did recommend dairy, 0:33:06.640 --> 0:33:09.120 like people like fancy folks. We got to know a 0:33:09.120 --> 0:33:12.720 little bit who might have some discerning tastes, said Darry. 0:33:12.880 --> 0:33:15.040 Is a cool time and a cool weekend up north, 0:33:15.080 --> 0:33:16.680 and we were about another what is it like another 0:33:16.680 --> 0:33:20.280 thirty forty five minutes past Castle Rock and Will Knights 0:33:20.280 --> 0:33:22.720 went there later at a subsequent time, and it has 0:33:22.800 --> 0:33:26.080 dairy journals and guides up for that that will include 0:33:26.080 --> 0:33:29.400 in our guide, which is mostly food, drink, golf in 0:33:29.520 --> 0:33:34.440 Port Rush, Portstewart and Newcastle. But Dairy came highly recommended 0:33:34.480 --> 0:33:38.320 from people down south, with some discerning taste as a cool, 0:33:38.400 --> 0:33:41.120 cool place to go with a good night life. And 0:33:41.200 --> 0:33:44.160 I think Belfast if you are interested in this sort 0:33:44.200 --> 0:33:50.600 of massive historical struggle in recent history, which is an 0:33:50.720 --> 0:33:54.920 interesting it's not enjoyable, it's tragic, but it's an interesting 0:33:54.960 --> 0:33:57.520 history to study it on the list, Belfast is worth 0:33:57.960 --> 0:34:01.520 kind of stopping on your way through or for multiple 0:34:01.640 --> 0:34:04.600 nights going from Port Rush to Newcastle or vice versa. 0:34:04.720 --> 0:34:11.279 So all right, well you got anything else, No, I'd 0:34:11.280 --> 0:34:16.480 say go read. It's hard. This is society today. Not 0:34:16.560 --> 0:34:18.720 a lot of people read. But that's probably the best 0:34:18.760 --> 0:34:20.640 place to convey a lot of information. 0:34:20.880 --> 0:34:23.120 It's bite sized nuggets too. I'm not gonna hit it 0:34:23.200 --> 0:34:25.359 with the wall of text. You can read quickly if 0:34:25.400 --> 0:34:25.960 you want. 0:34:26.320 --> 0:34:28.280 Put any stay aways there in there. 0:34:32.000 --> 0:34:34.239 I you know the pizza place. 0:34:35.719 --> 0:34:39.480 In Newcastle that everybody which you know, I recognize that 0:34:39.600 --> 0:34:42.600 everybody told us to go there, like the locals who 0:34:42.640 --> 0:34:44.680 know the scene told us to go there. Maybe we're 0:34:44.760 --> 0:34:48.200 just the American outliers. But I mentioned that it was 0:34:48.239 --> 0:34:48.840 just crowded. 0:34:48.880 --> 0:34:53.120 Maybe I love I feel like sometimes telling people not 0:34:53.239 --> 0:34:56.040 to go places is more powerful than telling people where 0:34:56.080 --> 0:34:59.840 to go. Yeah, that is true. 0:35:00.400 --> 0:35:04.960 Just want to be cognizant of maybe the mob pa 0:35:05.080 --> 0:35:06.839 that might be on the other end of such a thing. 0:35:07.000 --> 0:35:11.239 But yes, like Ziggy's and Saint Andrew's, that's a stayaway 0:35:11.280 --> 0:35:14.120 from me. I tell everybody that goes do not go 0:35:14.160 --> 0:35:14.760 to Ziggy's. 0:35:15.000 --> 0:35:19.480 All right, the ribs, What did you think? Did you 0:35:19.520 --> 0:35:22.400 find anything that was super overrated or not that great? 0:35:23.560 --> 0:35:26.719 I mean, look, you're playing golf and looking to fill up. 0:35:26.800 --> 0:35:30.000 There's stuff that I've ranked higher than others, right, And 0:35:32.800 --> 0:35:36.040 you know, the Remore has such a stranglehold on Port Rush. 0:35:36.160 --> 0:35:38.719 They like own the whole all the restaurant group, like 0:35:39.120 --> 0:35:43.280 Harbor Bar, Harbor Bistro, the Italian Pizza Place, the Remore 0:35:43.360 --> 0:35:47.040 Wine Bar. They own like the entire thing. And I'm 0:35:47.120 --> 0:35:49.120 just fresh off the open where it was like that 0:35:49.200 --> 0:35:51.759 was the only place you get any table. So I 0:35:51.800 --> 0:35:55.640 think that could kind of constrict variety in a way. 0:35:55.760 --> 0:35:58.239 I enjoyed going to the Harbor Bistro, which is the 0:35:58.680 --> 0:36:01.200 food place attached to the Harbor Bar, But I just 0:36:01.440 --> 0:36:03.680 I thought it felt like sort of a monopoly on 0:36:03.719 --> 0:36:04.319 the whole town. 0:36:05.400 --> 0:36:11.680 Honest earnest recommendation, gas station sausage rolls on the way 0:36:11.680 --> 0:36:15.640 into Port Rush. There's a gas station from town a 0:36:15.640 --> 0:36:21.959 couple of times. Yeah, pretty good, ernest opinion. Pretty good. 0:36:22.360 --> 0:36:24.839 You know, it's kind of like Texas where the gas 0:36:24.880 --> 0:36:29.400 station food isn't isn't vile. You know, Texas, you stop 0:36:29.400 --> 0:36:33.560 at a gas station, get some barbecue. That's that's fine. And uh, 0:36:35.080 --> 0:36:38.239 Northern Ireland stopping at that in Port Rush stopping at 0:36:38.239 --> 0:36:40.160 that gas station on the way into Port Rush and 0:36:40.160 --> 0:36:43.280 getting a sausage roll, big line of people. Good spot. 0:36:44.080 --> 0:36:45.120 Yeah, that was a good spot. 0:36:45.160 --> 0:36:47.239 We went in there multiple times after working at Port 0:36:47.320 --> 0:36:50.160 Rush late we stopped there. The only other thing is 0:36:50.200 --> 0:36:53.319 like staying feels like Airbnb is the way to go 0:36:53.480 --> 0:36:58.200 on both sides, Port Rush, Newcastle, Port Stewart, or or 0:36:58.680 --> 0:37:02.200 a vacation rental service Newcastle. 0:37:02.320 --> 0:37:05.160 Obviously you got the Marine in Lawn the sleeve donner, 0:37:05.320 --> 0:37:09.239 which comes with some access to RCD, but you know 0:37:10.280 --> 0:37:11.719 you're paying through the nose on that. 0:37:12.239 --> 0:37:14.680 So it's a taste of American private equity in Northern 0:37:14.760 --> 0:37:16.200 Ireland is what it is. 0:37:16.280 --> 0:37:17.040 And that's fine. 0:37:17.719 --> 0:37:20.120 It's still the authentic build like it's the same spot 0:37:20.160 --> 0:37:22.680 where it's always been. We had a lunch in there 0:37:22.719 --> 0:37:24.600 on the way to the golf course last time through. 0:37:24.680 --> 0:37:27.279 It's cool, sat in some high leather, high back leather 0:37:27.440 --> 0:37:29.400 chairs and had a good lunch. 0:37:29.560 --> 0:37:32.879 But you brought up American private equity. I will say 0:37:33.040 --> 0:37:36.799 one of the charming aspects of Northern Ireland because of 0:37:36.840 --> 0:37:42.440 its recent you know history, is that it's had less 0:37:42.440 --> 0:37:48.239 time to have American private equity ruined places. There is 0:37:48.400 --> 0:37:55.399 a raw authenticity to the area because of the you know, 0:37:55.719 --> 0:37:58.080 it was not a place that people wanted to dump 0:37:58.120 --> 0:37:59.280 money for a number of years. 0:37:59.719 --> 0:37:59.919 Yeah. 0:38:00.920 --> 0:38:03.640 Yeah, I mean they're building and Galgoram is building the 0:38:03.719 --> 0:38:08.520 first new course in some decades, like decades, maybe fifty 0:38:08.719 --> 0:38:15.560 a long time, probably another several miles west of Castle Rock, 0:38:15.600 --> 0:38:17.880 which is like this big development. So they're seeing the 0:38:17.960 --> 0:38:21.560 demand for tea times just I think that element is coming, 0:38:22.320 --> 0:38:23.000 is what I say. 0:38:23.040 --> 0:38:23.319 It is. 0:38:23.400 --> 0:38:26.440 So so we'll say, sure sleeve. 0:38:26.280 --> 0:38:30.279 Don If America is great at one thing, it's it's 0:38:30.320 --> 0:38:34.520 putting money into far flung destinations and ruining them. 0:38:34.680 --> 0:38:38.600 So but it's awesome. It's a fabulous spot right now. 0:38:38.680 --> 0:38:41.359 I think it will maintain it's some of its authenticity 0:38:41.360 --> 0:38:45.160 and independence. Highly recommend a trip there. We think it's 0:38:45.160 --> 0:38:47.120 within reach. We of course go into all the golf 0:38:47.120 --> 0:38:49.759 courses too, whether it's you know what we saw walk 0:38:49.760 --> 0:38:52.480 in the Valley course to Dunloose RCD. 0:38:52.600 --> 0:38:55.879 We have those in depth real quick. And that one 0:38:55.920 --> 0:39:01.000 other thing that we haven't hit on is our glasses. 0:39:02.480 --> 0:39:06.000 Not my favorite golf course in my opinion, stunning some 0:39:06.080 --> 0:39:11.120 stunning we used, so it's like pretty crazy, not really. 0:39:11.320 --> 0:39:14.680 I would not characterize this as a well designed golf course, 0:39:16.120 --> 0:39:19.440 but it's it's visually stunning. And the other thing I 0:39:19.440 --> 0:39:23.080 will would hit on is that the town is a 0:39:23.239 --> 0:39:26.279 really cool place to stop and have a have a 0:39:26.880 --> 0:39:28.200 guinnocent Yeah. 0:39:28.320 --> 0:39:31.800 The arms the arms bar yeah. 0:39:31.760 --> 0:39:37.239 By by Shane Lowry's former caddy now now TikTok's. It's 0:39:37.239 --> 0:39:40.840 a favorite influencer. Min Lulie's caddy, Beou Martin. 0:39:41.200 --> 0:39:42.560 He's staking it. 0:39:42.680 --> 0:39:45.359 Yeah. I see him and all of his kids in there. 0:39:46.080 --> 0:39:47.800 If you if you're there at the right time and 0:39:48.080 --> 0:39:49.560 just you know, rubbishing around. 0:39:50.440 --> 0:39:53.480 I think our glasses worth the whatever. It was thirty 0:39:53.480 --> 0:39:57.080 five forty minute detour from Newcastle, Like if you're up there, 0:39:57.320 --> 0:39:59.880 you know, hit the town, get over there, you want 0:39:59.920 --> 0:40:04.240 to play. It's it's stunning. It's different, different kind of cliffs, holes, 0:40:04.280 --> 0:40:08.960 seaside holes inland hills. Elevation changed a little different, different 0:40:09.040 --> 0:40:09.879 taste for sure. 0:40:10.000 --> 0:40:12.040 Yeah, so it could be if you get it on 0:40:12.080 --> 0:40:13.800 a windy day, it'd be about as hard as it 0:40:13.840 --> 0:40:19.160 could cat that day. We however, so the first hole there, 0:40:19.480 --> 0:40:21.480 it's amazing. Get tea off from the back of a 0:40:21.560 --> 0:40:24.480 castle over at Bay and the day we were playing, 0:40:24.520 --> 0:40:26.880 it's just blown like thirty five miles an hour and 0:40:26.920 --> 0:40:28.600 it was about forty degrees out. 0:40:28.960 --> 0:40:30.880 It's one of those couldn't hear the person next to 0:40:30.880 --> 0:40:32.160 you unless I didn't. 0:40:31.920 --> 0:40:33.920 Want to get out of the van. That day, it 0:40:33.960 --> 0:40:37.840 was like had some flashbacks to some junior golf rounds 0:40:37.880 --> 0:40:40.799 in like early spring or late fall where you're just 0:40:40.920 --> 0:40:43.360 like you're you're sitting in your carts early in the 0:40:43.400 --> 0:40:45.640 morning and you just don't want to get out because 0:40:45.680 --> 0:40:49.759 you know how cold and windy it is. Yeah, but 0:40:49.920 --> 0:40:51.160 we did it. It was good. 0:40:51.280 --> 0:40:53.279 We got we got through those first few holes when 0:40:53.320 --> 0:40:56.640 it was at its worst. So good, good experience. Yeah, 0:40:56.760 --> 0:41:00.279 it's a great trip, great trip for obviously for many Americas, 0:41:00.880 --> 0:41:03.319 and you have those two pillars that draw people there, 0:41:03.360 --> 0:41:04.920 but I think there's just a lot more once you 0:41:04.960 --> 0:41:07.200 take it, so hopefully the guide hits on some of that. 0:41:08.040 --> 0:41:11.440 All right, thanks for joining, Thanks for talking Northern Ireland. 0:41:11.960 --> 0:41:23.880 People can read your profile on the website. All right, 0:41:23.960 --> 0:41:27.839 let's talk about our partner, Mercedes Benz. For more than 0:41:27.920 --> 0:41:31.240 thirty years, Mercedes Benz has supported golf around the world 0:41:31.320 --> 0:41:34.680 from partnering with the most prestigious major championships, tournaments and 0:41:34.719 --> 0:41:38.240 players in the professional game. When it comes to excellence, 0:41:38.320 --> 0:41:42.640 Mercedes Benz SUVs deliver an elevated experience behind the wheel 0:41:43.320 --> 0:41:49.640 with formattics, impressive all wheel precision, on inspiring mbux technology 0:41:49.960 --> 0:41:52.440 and state of the art acoustics that immerse you in 0:41:52.480 --> 0:41:57.040 every moment. Performance means more in a Mercedes Benz. Discover 0:41:57.160 --> 0:42:01.560 the Mercedes Benz SUV that's right for you at MBUSA 0:42:01.719 --> 0:42:05.000 dot com. All right, let's get to will Knights. Who's 0:42:05.040 --> 0:42:07.600 going to talk to us about the Sand Valley area. 0:42:08.440 --> 0:42:10.279 I guess it's not really an area. Who's going to 0:42:10.320 --> 0:42:22.080 talk to us about Sand Valley? William, Welcome on, you 0:42:22.120 --> 0:42:25.120 are coming to us from the state of Wisconsin to 0:42:25.239 --> 0:42:30.600 talk about I think what's become Wisconsin's premier golf destination, 0:42:30.760 --> 0:42:35.120 Sand Valley. You wrote up our Sand Valley Guide. I've 0:42:35.120 --> 0:42:38.600 got a soft spot a little story time for Sand Valley. 0:42:40.000 --> 0:42:44.240 When I started this business, it was late twenty fifteen, 0:42:44.560 --> 0:42:47.239 and then in twenty sixteen I started to go to 0:42:47.280 --> 0:42:51.480 golf courses to write about golf courses. And one of 0:42:51.480 --> 0:42:56.120 my probably like really my first real golf trip with 0:42:56.239 --> 0:42:59.480 fried Egg. The first like golf course I wrote about 0:42:59.560 --> 0:43:03.440 was was Sweeten's Cove, but I visited there while I 0:43:03.480 --> 0:43:05.400 was at a wedding, you know, it wasn't like a 0:43:05.440 --> 0:43:08.560 real golf trip. The first real golf trip that I 0:43:08.600 --> 0:43:12.600 went on was with a couple buddies, you know, under 0:43:12.640 --> 0:43:16.240 the guise of Friday, was to Wisconsin and we played 0:43:16.680 --> 0:43:20.200 University Ridge in the morning, and then we drove to 0:43:20.680 --> 0:43:24.239 Sand Valley to do the Preview Loop, which at the 0:43:24.320 --> 0:43:31.320 time I think was eleven holes of golf, maybe twelve 0:43:31.360 --> 0:43:35.240 holes of golf, and they were operating out of a trailer. 0:43:35.640 --> 0:43:38.680 And so this was twenty sixteen, summer of twenty sixteen. 0:43:39.280 --> 0:43:43.239 Now we fast forward nine years and the resort I 0:43:43.360 --> 0:43:45.799 just like every time I go back, I'm amazed at 0:43:45.840 --> 0:43:50.160 how much growth, how much bigger it is, And it's 0:43:50.239 --> 0:43:54.560 just a great memory of for me when the business, 0:43:54.640 --> 0:43:57.840 our business was in the nacient days and their business 0:43:57.920 --> 0:44:00.880 was in the nascient days, and it's just always I 0:44:00.920 --> 0:44:04.920 always reminisce, And it's been amazing to watch that resort. 0:44:05.080 --> 0:44:09.560 And obviously you're a Midwestern Midwesterner at heart, even though 0:44:09.560 --> 0:44:11.960 you live on the East coast now, like, it's been 0:44:12.000 --> 0:44:15.160 just amazing to watch that kind of resort grow and 0:44:15.600 --> 0:44:18.759 populate and become super popular with all the masses in 0:44:18.800 --> 0:44:19.440 the Midwest. 0:44:20.480 --> 0:44:23.320 It's funny to say that because I think Sand Valley 0:44:23.400 --> 0:44:26.040 was actually the first trip that I ever took under 0:44:26.040 --> 0:44:27.960 the guys of Frida Egg as well. It was like 0:44:28.160 --> 0:44:30.920 very early when I started writing for you, like on 0:44:31.000 --> 0:44:34.080 the side of my day job, and I reached out 0:44:34.120 --> 0:44:35.480 to you. I was like, Hey, is this Sand Valley 0:44:35.480 --> 0:44:37.759 place like worth checking out? This was like before I 0:44:37.800 --> 0:44:41.319 knew anything about golf courses or golf travel, and you 0:44:41.440 --> 0:44:43.319 helped me get me set up with a buddy, and 0:44:43.400 --> 0:44:45.759 so I think we went up there the week that 0:44:45.840 --> 0:44:49.080 Mammoth Dunes opened, and so it's been very similar to you. 0:44:49.400 --> 0:44:51.920 I have a very early memory of what that resort 0:44:51.960 --> 0:44:54.560 looked like. And now when my first trip, the main 0:44:54.600 --> 0:44:58.520 lodge was built and like Craig's Porch was established. But yeah, 0:44:58.640 --> 0:45:01.760 it's been kind of crazy that in the last eight 0:45:01.880 --> 0:45:07.480 years it's gone from a very immature operation to one 0:45:07.520 --> 0:45:11.200 of the most bustling places in the Midwest. And the 0:45:11.280 --> 0:45:14.560 fact that just about everyone from around the country now 0:45:14.600 --> 0:45:17.200 wants to come to Wisconsin to see this resort is 0:45:17.239 --> 0:45:17.920 pretty amazing. 0:45:18.760 --> 0:45:23.719 Yeah, it's it's the last place you would expect these 0:45:23.800 --> 0:45:30.200 massive sand dunes. And obviously Craig Haltam, that's why it's 0:45:30.200 --> 0:45:32.759 called Craig's Porch, had found this land and then got 0:45:32.800 --> 0:45:37.200 the Kaisers involved with it, and it's Michael and Chris 0:45:37.280 --> 0:45:42.600 Kaiser's operation, and they've done an incredible job of growing 0:45:42.640 --> 0:45:48.000 it and delivering a world class golf experience, which all 0:45:48.040 --> 0:45:52.879 stems from their belief of kind of presenting golf as 0:45:53.280 --> 0:45:56.840 you know, in its truest form, and you know, using 0:45:57.680 --> 0:46:01.920 extraordinary sand dunes and credible playing conditions. I think, like 0:46:02.000 --> 0:46:05.319 when I think about Sand Valley, they've got some really 0:46:05.400 --> 0:46:09.040 great golf courses, but all the golf courses are amplified 0:46:09.239 --> 0:46:14.319 by the incredible turf operation they have where they have 0:46:14.360 --> 0:46:17.960 some of the best playing conditions in the world, and 0:46:18.080 --> 0:46:23.120 particularly in America. The turf is just so firm and 0:46:23.239 --> 0:46:27.160 fast that it amplifies all the architecture that they have there. 0:46:27.480 --> 0:46:29.600 And that's kind of one of the things that always 0:46:29.640 --> 0:46:33.080 sticks with me is the is the is just the 0:46:33.160 --> 0:46:35.440 turf there, and it's a world class surface. 0:46:36.920 --> 0:46:40.239 The sound that the ball makes when it hits it's 0:46:40.280 --> 0:46:42.799 really every golf course out there, but especially like the 0:46:42.840 --> 0:46:45.440 newer ones when you play lead over Sedge Valley or 0:46:45.440 --> 0:46:48.560 even Sandbox, because you're so close on some of those shots. 0:46:49.000 --> 0:46:54.480 The trampoline nature of that stud is. I mean, there 0:46:54.520 --> 0:46:57.440 is not another place in the Midwest that I've heard that. 0:46:58.080 --> 0:47:01.040 And every time you return, like you play every golf course, 0:47:01.600 --> 0:47:04.320 it is as firm and fast as it was the 0:47:04.400 --> 0:47:06.920 last time you were there. I think what a lot 0:47:06.960 --> 0:47:10.479 of people, especially people who are like a nervous looking 0:47:10.480 --> 0:47:13.400 at the weather, like if there's rain in the forecast, 0:47:13.800 --> 0:47:16.120 if it rains overnight, like you're not going to know 0:47:16.480 --> 0:47:18.200 that when you show up the next morning. It just 0:47:18.280 --> 0:47:21.480 absorbs it so well and they have their their maintenance 0:47:21.520 --> 0:47:25.600 practices to your point are incredible. Every single golf course 0:47:26.440 --> 0:47:29.960 is at its highest level all year round when they're open, 0:47:30.480 --> 0:47:34.200 and yeah, like getting to play those firm conditions and 0:47:34.320 --> 0:47:38.560 experience that sound is something that you can't find many 0:47:38.560 --> 0:47:40.000 places around to the Midwest. 0:47:41.600 --> 0:47:47.040 So the golf there has expanded. The Sand Valley Course 0:47:47.120 --> 0:47:49.399 is the original course. I think this is this will 0:47:49.400 --> 0:47:53.040 be a little bit different than the previous two conversations 0:47:53.040 --> 0:47:55.520 on this podcast, where you have like a surrounding town 0:47:55.600 --> 0:47:59.560 and stuff. You know, it's pretty remote. You can venture out, 0:48:00.239 --> 0:48:03.560 you know, if you're a brave soul, I would recommend 0:48:03.680 --> 0:48:06.120 trying to find a supper club. That's kind of a 0:48:06.160 --> 0:48:08.800 Wisconsin tradition. If you wanted to go off site for 0:48:09.280 --> 0:48:13.319 a meal, find a local supper club. That's a time 0:48:13.360 --> 0:48:18.200 honored Wisconsin tradition that is worthwhile pursuit. But I would 0:48:18.239 --> 0:48:20.120 say that most people are just going to stay on 0:48:20.200 --> 0:48:23.840 site and there are dining options there. Let's just talk 0:48:23.960 --> 0:48:26.720 about the golf real quick. You have the Sand Valley Course, 0:48:26.719 --> 0:48:28.920 which is the original core Crunchhalk course, that was the 0:48:28.960 --> 0:48:31.680 first golf course that was built there. Then they built 0:48:31.760 --> 0:48:34.920 David McClay kids Mammoth Dunes. This is the most popular 0:48:35.040 --> 0:48:41.000 golf course on the property. It enthralls people with low 0:48:41.040 --> 0:48:45.040 scoring opportunities, and you know, it's a big course. There's 0:48:45.160 --> 0:48:49.120 dramatic dunes. It's a very well routed golf course because 0:48:49.120 --> 0:48:52.640 it gets through some really dramatic pieces of the property. 0:48:53.000 --> 0:48:55.600 And I would say, you know, it probably is the 0:48:55.600 --> 0:48:58.160 course that takes the longest to play, just because you 0:48:58.280 --> 0:49:02.560 traverse so much property on it. The third course that 0:49:02.640 --> 0:49:07.360 was built was Sandbox, a seventeen hole part three course 0:49:07.400 --> 0:49:11.560 by Core and Crenshaw. Then they have the Lido and 0:49:11.719 --> 0:49:14.560 Sedge Valley. Those are two of the newer options. The 0:49:14.640 --> 0:49:19.080 Lido is a private club. You can get access to 0:49:19.120 --> 0:49:22.279 it during the week in certain t time blocks, but 0:49:22.440 --> 0:49:25.879 the access is limited, so you're not guaranteed it if 0:49:25.880 --> 0:49:27.759 you're staying at the resort, but you have to stay 0:49:27.800 --> 0:49:30.279 at the resort in order to get access, or you 0:49:30.360 --> 0:49:35.799 need access through a member. And then the final in 0:49:35.840 --> 0:49:40.120 the Sedge Valley is obviously a Tom dok. It's a 0:49:40.160 --> 0:49:43.839 sub seventy pars. We've had so many discussions with Tom 0:49:43.920 --> 0:49:46.840 about this golf course on this podcast, but it's a 0:49:46.880 --> 0:49:50.080 really fun golf course, really neat piece of land. And 0:49:50.120 --> 0:49:53.960 then the newest design is the Comments, which was a 0:49:54.000 --> 0:49:58.120 collaboration with Michael Kaiser and Jim Craig, a longtime Core 0:49:58.160 --> 0:50:02.480 and Crenshaw associate. It is another kind of the idea 0:50:02.480 --> 0:50:06.239 of fast golf round would come to mind. And I 0:50:06.239 --> 0:50:11.960 think what's neat about these these golf courses is they 0:50:12.040 --> 0:50:16.480 have a lot of like quicker afternoon options or morning options. 0:50:16.680 --> 0:50:19.160 One of the things I like is they have three 0:50:19.239 --> 0:50:22.920 really big golf courses in Lido, Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes, 0:50:23.120 --> 0:50:25.680 but they also have three golf courses that can be 0:50:25.719 --> 0:50:30.440 played in much shorter periods of time and sedg if 0:50:30.440 --> 0:50:32.880 you're in the morning, particular on Sedge in the afternoon, 0:50:32.880 --> 0:50:35.600 it kind of takes the same amount of time. Commons 0:50:35.680 --> 0:50:39.879 and the Sandbox, you run all of our events and 0:50:40.120 --> 0:50:43.080 we have, you know, had an annual event every year 0:50:43.120 --> 0:50:45.880 at sand Valley. How have you been going about like 0:50:46.120 --> 0:50:48.200 laying out itineraries there? 0:50:49.520 --> 0:50:52.279 So I think with any golfers already kind of there's 0:50:52.320 --> 0:50:54.520 kind of a learning experience that goes with these and 0:50:54.560 --> 0:50:59.399 as they add new courses, like my preference for how 0:50:59.440 --> 0:51:02.440 we set those up has changed, and it will change 0:51:02.480 --> 0:51:05.360 even further with the addition of the Commons starting. I 0:51:05.360 --> 0:51:07.400 think they're going to allow some previewplay this fall and 0:51:07.440 --> 0:51:11.480 then really get going in twenty twenty six. But the 0:51:11.880 --> 0:51:14.880 idea that I am starting to tell people and what 0:51:14.920 --> 0:51:17.120 I lay down in the guide is as you as 0:51:17.160 --> 0:51:19.239 you mentioned like the three big courses, like if you 0:51:19.280 --> 0:51:21.279 want to take on two of those in one day, 0:51:21.400 --> 0:51:24.080 like have a it, that is your prerogative. You're welcome 0:51:24.120 --> 0:51:27.280 to do that, but you're going to be like extremely tired. 0:51:27.680 --> 0:51:30.759 So if you do Mammoth Dunes, I would say you 0:51:30.760 --> 0:51:33.560 can definitely do that and paired with another golf course, 0:51:33.960 --> 0:51:36.560 but just know that this is your big day of golf. 0:51:37.200 --> 0:51:42.479 An important note, you know versus like Bandon, Bandon's never 0:51:42.600 --> 0:51:46.880 getting above seventy degrees Scotland. Similar like the temper, the 0:51:46.920 --> 0:51:50.200 temperate climate, one of the things to be prepared for 0:51:50.560 --> 0:51:53.560 is this Midwest summer can be very hot and humid, 0:51:53.760 --> 0:51:59.760 and that's it's taxing. You played numerous USA I'm thirty 0:51:59.760 --> 0:52:05.520 six hull qualifiers in your childhood or in those days 0:52:05.520 --> 0:52:07.759 could be really taxing in thirty six holes. That Sand 0:52:07.800 --> 0:52:11.400 Valley can be taxing if you play both the big courses. 0:52:11.920 --> 0:52:14.480 Definitely, and like it's not impossible by any means. But 0:52:15.080 --> 0:52:16.799 I think what I would tell people is, if you're 0:52:16.800 --> 0:52:20.480 going to play two of Mammoth, Sand Valley, and Liedo 0:52:20.560 --> 0:52:23.000 in the same day, just like just understand what you're 0:52:23.000 --> 0:52:24.759 getting into, and you kind of have to plan it 0:52:24.800 --> 0:52:27.239 around Lido if you're playing that round. But what I 0:52:27.280 --> 0:52:29.880 would say is, if you're playing Mammoth and Sand Valley 0:52:29.920 --> 0:52:33.080 the same day, I would do Mammoth in the afternoon 0:52:33.160 --> 0:52:35.759 when you're like on the more tired side because you 0:52:35.920 --> 0:52:38.960 have that more forgiving off the t space and it's 0:52:39.000 --> 0:52:41.200 like you're probably still going to be able to score. Okay, 0:52:41.520 --> 0:52:43.600 Although we did have someone at our event this year 0:52:44.040 --> 0:52:48.360 he shot sixty five in the afternoon on sam Valley 0:52:48.480 --> 0:52:51.080 after playing Mammoth in the morning, so he shot eight 0:52:51.080 --> 0:52:53.399 shots better on Sand Valley, but it was his career 0:52:53.520 --> 0:52:56.919 low round. So in general, when I'm scheduling a trip 0:52:56.960 --> 0:53:00.560 to Sand Valley, I think I'm trying to avoid doing 0:53:01.239 --> 0:53:03.480 two of those three on the same day if possible, 0:53:03.880 --> 0:53:05.360 But at the same time, you kind of have to 0:53:05.400 --> 0:53:08.600 work around what Leado tea times you have. I think 0:53:08.800 --> 0:53:13.480 moving forward with the three kind of different options you 0:53:13.560 --> 0:53:18.000 have with Sedge Valley, the commons and sandbox. You kind 0:53:18.000 --> 0:53:20.839 of have the option to do like an alternative day 0:53:20.880 --> 0:53:23.440 where you play all three of those in once and 0:53:23.840 --> 0:53:26.239 you wouldn't ever be tired at the end of that. 0:53:26.280 --> 0:53:29.520 It would be three like very distinct unique kinds of golf, 0:53:29.840 --> 0:53:31.399 and I think it would be a super fun day, 0:53:31.480 --> 0:53:34.440 like something that you can't really experience many places in America. 0:53:34.800 --> 0:53:37.480 So that's something to consider. But I think in general, 0:53:37.600 --> 0:53:41.560 if you're pairing a mammoth with a sedge or a 0:53:41.600 --> 0:53:44.400 mammoth with a sandbox, you're going to have two or 0:53:44.400 --> 0:53:46.480 three of those days and you're going to get out 0:53:46.480 --> 0:53:50.560 of there like feeling pretty good. At Like at Bandon, 0:53:50.840 --> 0:53:54.560 it's such a remote destination that you kind of know 0:53:54.640 --> 0:53:56.200 that your legs are going to be tired. You're playing 0:53:56.239 --> 0:53:59.279 thirty six every day. There's not really an easy walk 0:53:59.320 --> 0:54:01.760 out there. Branch is a little bit easier. 0:54:01.400 --> 0:54:03.800 Than the other sportier, but it could be a little 0:54:04.080 --> 0:54:07.000 The elements can wear you out out there because you're 0:54:07.080 --> 0:54:09.560 just like it should be just exposed. 0:54:10.960 --> 0:54:12.799 I think the only yeah, and the only element that 0:54:12.800 --> 0:54:14.880 you're gonna get. And you kind of mentioned the humidity 0:54:14.880 --> 0:54:17.000 in Wisconsin like can get you and if you're like 0:54:17.040 --> 0:54:19.640 playing Lido in your orst Mammoth really, like if you're 0:54:19.680 --> 0:54:22.560 in the sand all day and you're trudging through that, like, yeah, 0:54:22.600 --> 0:54:24.360 your legs are gonna get a little tired. But I 0:54:24.360 --> 0:54:26.680 think those are the only things that I would really 0:54:26.680 --> 0:54:29.359 consider when trying to pair thirty six holes out there. 0:54:30.680 --> 0:54:32.360 I think a lot of people go up there and 0:54:32.400 --> 0:54:35.040 they have time for a second golf course. This is 0:54:35.080 --> 0:54:40.080 a common question with bandon trips too, What's what's the 0:54:40.120 --> 0:54:42.799 golf course that you play if you could, if you 0:54:42.800 --> 0:54:46.239 were up there and we'll take Lido out of this, 0:54:46.719 --> 0:54:51.759 because it's unlikely you're gonna play Lido twice. I would say, 0:54:51.800 --> 0:54:53.960 if you have the chance to play Lido twice, that's 0:54:54.120 --> 0:54:56.759 gonna be the one that you're gonna learn. Is gonna 0:54:56.760 --> 0:54:58.600 be the most revealing if you get to play it 0:54:58.600 --> 0:55:01.000 a second time. But if if we take Leedo out 0:55:01.040 --> 0:55:04.640 of it, of those, which of those golf courses would 0:55:04.719 --> 0:55:06.120 you play a second time? 0:55:08.239 --> 0:55:13.080 I think right now I would lean Sedge because it 0:55:13.160 --> 0:55:18.319 is so different when you're on opposite sides of the fairway. 0:55:18.520 --> 0:55:21.480 Not that Mammoth and Sand Valley aren't, but I think 0:55:21.640 --> 0:55:26.760 the architecture at Sedge does reveal itself in multiple rounds 0:55:26.760 --> 0:55:29.280 of golf, and you can play different teas out at Sedge. 0:55:29.400 --> 0:55:31.440 It's not a very long golf course, but if you 0:55:31.480 --> 0:55:34.120 can you can move forward and move back. There's kind 0:55:34.160 --> 0:55:35.960 of some hidden tea boxes out there if you want 0:55:35.960 --> 0:55:38.759 to really start poking around. So I think that's a 0:55:38.760 --> 0:55:42.759 golf course where, especially if the wind changes in the afternoon, 0:55:43.120 --> 0:55:45.920 you could really get some different stuff out there. I 0:55:45.920 --> 0:55:47.799 don't know that I would play it. I guess we're 0:55:47.840 --> 0:55:49.959 probably not talking about playing it twice in the same day. 0:55:50.200 --> 0:55:52.640 But if the pins change out there and you play 0:55:52.680 --> 0:55:54.239 it back to back days, you're going to see a 0:55:54.239 --> 0:55:57.719 completely different golf course. And then if that's not your 0:55:57.760 --> 0:55:59.560 cup of tea and you want to play one of 0:55:59.560 --> 0:56:02.040 the other two, like, I wouldn't blame you by any means. 0:56:02.320 --> 0:56:04.319 I think it just kind of depends on what you're 0:56:04.360 --> 0:56:07.640 looking for. If you want to like just go make 0:56:07.640 --> 0:56:09.480 a bunch of birdies and have fun with your buddies, 0:56:09.520 --> 0:56:13.040 then like go play Mammoth Dunes twice. But if you're 0:56:13.120 --> 0:56:15.960 looking for more of a championship test, I would definitely 0:56:16.440 --> 0:56:19.360 do more of a look at Sand Valley or Sedge 0:56:19.480 --> 0:56:20.520 for that second round. 0:56:21.600 --> 0:56:23.520 Yeah, I you know, I think one of the things 0:56:23.560 --> 0:56:28.719 that Sedge has and why I'd probably pick it. I 0:56:29.200 --> 0:56:32.960 do really like the Sand Valley course a lot, and 0:56:33.040 --> 0:56:35.240 I think it kind of gets slept on a little 0:56:35.280 --> 0:56:39.280 because it's just the first one, and you know, Mammoth 0:56:39.440 --> 0:56:43.920 Was is such a commercial hit. I think one of 0:56:43.920 --> 0:56:50.040 the things I appreciate about Sand about Sedge is I think, 0:56:50.080 --> 0:56:53.880 like the strategy sense like people love to like, you know, 0:56:54.320 --> 0:56:58.640 I would say that I romanticize strategy, So I'm saying 0:56:58.680 --> 0:57:05.200 myself when I say this and others strategy, you know, 0:57:05.280 --> 0:57:08.759 you have that like lines of charm, like right and 0:57:08.840 --> 0:57:12.200 left side. I think like where Sedge is right pretty 0:57:12.239 --> 0:57:16.520 fascinating is there's a lot of distance strategy in sense 0:57:16.560 --> 0:57:19.480 of do I push up near the green because there 0:57:19.480 --> 0:57:21.720 are a lot of shorter par force. Do I push 0:57:21.800 --> 0:57:24.520 up near the green or do I lay back? And 0:57:24.560 --> 0:57:27.200 I think that's what makes it. You know, like you 0:57:27.240 --> 0:57:28.720 can play a hole and you can push it up 0:57:28.800 --> 0:57:30.280 near the green and you can be like, oh, I 0:57:30.520 --> 0:57:33.520 do not want to be here, and then you want 0:57:33.560 --> 0:57:35.200 to play it a second time because it's like I'm 0:57:35.240 --> 0:57:37.560 gonna hit three iron off this tee and that golf 0:57:37.600 --> 0:57:40.080 course has a lot of variability and how you can 0:57:40.200 --> 0:57:44.640 play the holes from a strategic sense of of club 0:57:44.720 --> 0:57:47.440 selection off the tee. I'm not talking about lines, but 0:57:47.520 --> 0:57:50.720 club selection off the tee. So I think that is 0:57:51.880 --> 0:57:54.400 that's probably the course that I would play a second 0:57:54.640 --> 0:57:57.800 second time if I uh, it's probably the course. Like 0:57:58.160 --> 0:57:59.840 you know, I think they are like these like there's 0:57:59.840 --> 0:58:03.080 a lot of differences in golf courses. And I've said 0:58:03.120 --> 0:58:05.640 this a lot on this podcast, Like there are like 0:58:06.760 --> 0:58:10.840 dramatic like golf courses that you you know, if you 0:58:10.880 --> 0:58:13.720 had one course, one round left in your life, you 0:58:14.200 --> 0:58:16.720 go play this golf course. But then there are also 0:58:16.920 --> 0:58:19.440 like the you know, golf courses that you'd like to 0:58:19.480 --> 0:58:22.600 play over and over and again. And I think Sedge 0:58:22.600 --> 0:58:26.000 falls into that bucket, like it would be a delightful 0:58:26.040 --> 0:58:27.640 place to play every day of your life. 0:58:28.880 --> 0:58:32.720 I think the other fun part about Sedge, especially you 0:58:32.760 --> 0:58:35.240 don't have to be a good player, but like because 0:58:35.280 --> 0:58:37.360 you look at the scorecard and you see fifty eight 0:58:37.440 --> 0:58:40.000 hundred or fifty seven hundred and par sixty eight, like 0:58:40.080 --> 0:58:42.160 you think you're going to put like a low number 0:58:42.240 --> 0:58:45.680 up there, and the most of the time that's not 0:58:45.680 --> 0:58:47.560 going to happen. It's going to sneak up and bite you, 0:58:47.840 --> 0:58:49.120 and you're going to get towards the end of the 0:58:49.200 --> 0:58:51.200 round and you write down whatever your score is, or 0:58:51.240 --> 0:58:53.080 you're going to play a match and you're going to 0:58:53.160 --> 0:58:55.400 say like, like I really just want to give that 0:58:55.440 --> 0:58:58.080 another try. There's shots out there that I can do 0:58:58.160 --> 0:59:00.440 better this time, Or I would love to play different 0:59:00.480 --> 0:59:03.760 match against somebody from a like they pulled off the shot, 0:59:03.800 --> 0:59:06.440 I want to try to pull that off now. There 0:59:06.520 --> 0:59:09.520 is there's also like the walk element to it. I 0:59:09.560 --> 0:59:12.320 think they did a really good job with the environment. 0:59:12.360 --> 0:59:16.200 When you're out at Sedge Valley, just walking through the 0:59:16.240 --> 0:59:21.280 section of four or five, six, seven is so compact 0:59:21.320 --> 0:59:24.400 and tight and it's just a really neat kind of hillside, 0:59:24.840 --> 0:59:28.440 and then you get out into the expanse of nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, 0:59:29.120 --> 0:59:33.360 and each of those different sections is such a unique 0:59:33.480 --> 0:59:36.880 experience and kind of feels very different than the rest 0:59:36.880 --> 0:59:39.640 of the resort and it is a really cool place 0:59:39.680 --> 0:59:41.360 to go back to multiple times. 0:59:41.680 --> 0:59:43.840 Yeah, yeah, I think you hit the nail on the 0:59:43.840 --> 0:59:47.960 head there. Let's talk a little bit about about food 0:59:48.240 --> 0:59:52.440 dining options there. They have obviously the Mammoth Bar. They 0:59:52.440 --> 0:59:54.720 have Aldos, which is like a kind of their high 0:59:54.800 --> 0:59:58.600 end restaurant. They have the New Gallery, which is a 0:59:58.680 --> 1:00:01.320 you know, it's like an Italian restaurant. It's it's hoppened. 1:00:01.360 --> 1:00:05.840 It's in the Tennis Center. And then they have Craig's Porch, 1:00:06.360 --> 1:00:08.960 which is up at the top that's right at the 1:00:08.960 --> 1:00:12.520 first tea of the original sand Valley course. What are 1:00:12.560 --> 1:00:15.200 your what are your favorite places to eat and drink there? 1:00:16.840 --> 1:00:20.760 I think you Also we also got Bill's Barbecue over 1:00:20.840 --> 1:00:23.160 by the sandbox, so they've done a really good job. 1:00:23.520 --> 1:00:26.240 I think, as you haven't ever had Bills barbecue, this 1:00:26.320 --> 1:00:28.560 is oh well, this might be the one place I 1:00:28.560 --> 1:00:29.320 haven't eaten there. 1:00:30.240 --> 1:00:32.840 There you go, so, yeah, has just sandwiches. 1:00:32.920 --> 1:00:35.760 It's very simple. If you're over there, you can get 1:00:35.800 --> 1:00:38.560 just a sandwich. It's good though, Yeah, you know for sure. 1:00:38.600 --> 1:00:41.360 Yeah, they got a little little bar. I think for 1:00:41.720 --> 1:00:44.880 my what I put in the guide was my recommendations 1:00:44.880 --> 1:00:47.520 for breakfast and lunch are to kind of save your 1:00:47.600 --> 1:00:51.680 pennies and go to Craig's Porch or have breakfast sandwiches 1:00:51.800 --> 1:00:54.200 at the golf courses. Because you can go out to 1:00:54.200 --> 1:00:56.760 Craig's porch and get tacos for a dollar, or you 1:00:56.760 --> 1:00:59.680 can be on Sedge Valley and when you're I mean 1:00:59.760 --> 1:01:02.040 it's kind of an inopportune time, but they're halfway house 1:01:02.120 --> 1:01:04.840 is right by twelve Tea and they have these hand pies. 1:01:05.320 --> 1:01:08.840 I think they're called salcitas. I might might be butchering that, 1:01:09.000 --> 1:01:12.400 but they're effectively like a really large amponada and they're 1:01:12.440 --> 1:01:16.200 also a dollar. You can get breakfast sandwiches at Craig'sport 1:01:16.280 --> 1:01:18.240 for three bucks, so if you want to. 1:01:19.440 --> 1:01:21.320 I think one of the one of the best things 1:01:21.400 --> 1:01:24.240 to do when you're there, and this is someone that 1:01:24.360 --> 1:01:26.040 I think like one summer I might have been up 1:01:26.080 --> 1:01:29.240 there like eight or nine times. One of the best 1:01:29.240 --> 1:01:31.760 things you can do early in the morning is just 1:01:32.360 --> 1:01:36.080 wake up, walk up to Craig's porch, sit down and 1:01:36.240 --> 1:01:38.320 enjoy breakfast sandwich while the sun's coming up. 1:01:39.480 --> 1:01:41.800 It's so peaceful up there and you can kind of 1:01:41.840 --> 1:01:44.320 just watch people. You go off one and just like 1:01:44.400 --> 1:01:47.400 go down that hill and it's such a really nice 1:01:47.520 --> 1:01:50.720 view of just like golfers walking out into the expanse. 1:01:50.840 --> 1:01:54.360 It's really neat and the other so other food and 1:01:54.400 --> 1:01:57.600 beverage notes would be also at Craig's Porch, like ice 1:01:57.640 --> 1:01:59.960 cream sandwiches up there, you can kind of get care 1:02:00.160 --> 1:02:04.120 away pretty easily. And then at so at Bill's Barbecue, 1:02:04.720 --> 1:02:07.440 it's a really cool spot because you're overlooking the Ninth 1:02:07.480 --> 1:02:10.680 Hole on Sandbox, which is basically the putting hole, and 1:02:10.720 --> 1:02:13.480 there's all so much ground action that's it's basically dinner 1:02:13.560 --> 1:02:17.360 and a show over there. They have this massive walking 1:02:17.440 --> 1:02:20.640 taco which they put in like a free Doo's bag. 1:02:20.680 --> 1:02:23.400 It's it's not like the walking taco you had at 1:02:23.440 --> 1:02:23.959 Little League. 1:02:23.960 --> 1:02:25.480 It's like had side. 1:02:26.320 --> 1:02:29.560 So I mean it's terrific, so really good spot. And 1:02:29.560 --> 1:02:33.800 then I think the the Aldos and the Gallery are 1:02:33.920 --> 1:02:37.120 interesting because they are like the Gallery seems like super 1:02:37.160 --> 1:02:40.160 imposing because it's this big tennis building, but then you 1:02:40.240 --> 1:02:42.760 go in there and they have like family style pastas 1:02:42.760 --> 1:02:46.280 and pizzas and it's really inviting and just this big 1:02:46.400 --> 1:02:48.880 kind of food hall. And they do a really good 1:02:48.960 --> 1:02:50.680 job with the drinks that are offered in there, and 1:02:51.280 --> 1:02:54.080 if you're if you're looking at the wine lists, they 1:02:54.200 --> 1:02:57.800 have different wine lists between the restaurants. So the one 1:02:57.840 --> 1:03:01.400 of the Gallery is like very focus on Italian lines 1:03:01.440 --> 1:03:03.920 because they're paring it with pastas and pizzas, and then 1:03:03.920 --> 1:03:05.680 you go over to all those and it's kind of 1:03:05.760 --> 1:03:07.640 more paired with the meats and poultry that they got 1:03:07.680 --> 1:03:10.760 over there. So they really did like a job of 1:03:11.080 --> 1:03:14.520 kind of setting you up for each individual experience. And 1:03:14.560 --> 1:03:17.280 then the bars at Mammoth Bar is great. And just 1:03:17.360 --> 1:03:19.280 to have some cheese curds and spotted cows at the 1:03:19.360 --> 1:03:19.600 end of the. 1:03:19.680 --> 1:03:21.680 Night or cheese curds are a rack. 1:03:22.040 --> 1:03:22.280 You know. 1:03:23.000 --> 1:03:25.000 Do you have any stay aways? Do you have any 1:03:25.000 --> 1:03:27.960 stay aways? Is there something that that just doesn't do 1:03:28.000 --> 1:03:28.480 it for you? 1:03:29.600 --> 1:03:31.600 Well, I mean it might just be like my stomach 1:03:31.680 --> 1:03:33.400 kind of thing. But in the Mammoth Bar, they offer 1:03:33.440 --> 1:03:36.000 a buffalo cheese curd and that's just like super not 1:03:36.120 --> 1:03:39.200 for me. So it's I mean, I'm. 1:03:39.040 --> 1:03:41.120 Sure I like the buffalo cheese curd. 1:03:41.960 --> 1:03:45.360 No, it's just like they taste amazing. But then if 1:03:45.360 --> 1:03:47.320 you're trying to have that on a hot day and 1:03:47.320 --> 1:03:49.400 then go out and play golf, it's just like, I mean, 1:03:49.400 --> 1:03:51.160 it's Wisconsin in general, like you just got to get 1:03:51.240 --> 1:03:53.960 used to the cheese kind of thing, but the buffalo 1:03:53.960 --> 1:03:56.960 in particular are delicious. Just kind of make sure you're 1:03:57.080 --> 1:03:58.280 prepared and ready for it. 1:03:59.000 --> 1:04:04.800 I will I will say I think the Sandbox Twilight 1:04:05.200 --> 1:04:11.280 Round late nights, it's an incredible scene out there, it 1:04:11.640 --> 1:04:14.600 just ain't it's not for me anymore. It's gotten too slow. 1:04:16.000 --> 1:04:21.680 It is so packed now yeah, yeah. 1:04:21.880 --> 1:04:25.880 It just has gotten and for me at that point, 1:04:26.160 --> 1:04:29.760 I'm just like, I'm tired from the day and one 1:04:29.800 --> 1:04:33.360 thing I'm not interested in is really slow golf. I'd 1:04:33.440 --> 1:04:36.400 rather just be like chilling at that point, and I'd 1:04:36.480 --> 1:04:39.440 rather like, for the amount of time I'm gonna invest 1:04:40.040 --> 1:04:42.400 I'd rather go I I don't know if they still 1:04:42.440 --> 1:04:44.520 do it. I'd rather go play the six hole Sand 1:04:44.600 --> 1:04:49.480 Valley loop than like play an insanely slow round of 1:04:49.520 --> 1:04:53.000 the Sandbox. That would be I'm just gonna this is 1:04:53.080 --> 1:04:56.080 my This is my personal opinion. I also think, though, 1:04:56.120 --> 1:04:58.560 if you're playing an eight s and it's like all 1:04:58.640 --> 1:05:01.880 your boys and you're like, that can be an amazing 1:05:01.920 --> 1:05:05.800 experience too, So I get it. For me personally, it's 1:05:05.880 --> 1:05:09.400 not my jam. I'd rather just like hang out and 1:05:09.480 --> 1:05:12.480 talk or go play like six holes at the sandbo 1:05:12.720 --> 1:05:14.720 or at the sand Valley because they have a nice 1:05:14.720 --> 1:05:17.520 little sick hole looper they at least used to that's 1:05:17.560 --> 1:05:20.720 like incredible, like and there's nobody out there and I 1:05:20.760 --> 1:05:24.880 can just I can hit all the shots, I you know, 1:05:25.280 --> 1:05:29.640 So anyways, that's me. That's my stay away. A couple 1:05:29.960 --> 1:05:34.240 other things that I would recommend as someone who's spent 1:05:34.320 --> 1:05:38.600 like an exorbitant amount of time there, I would recommend 1:05:38.760 --> 1:05:42.320 if you have free time, if say you're staying off 1:05:42.400 --> 1:05:44.320 site and you have like one of the weird tea 1:05:44.400 --> 1:05:46.760 times that's a little bit later, which a lot of 1:05:46.760 --> 1:05:49.480 people do, and it's not like I would say, there's 1:05:49.520 --> 1:05:51.760 a lot of things you can do there that make 1:05:51.800 --> 1:05:55.120 it worthwhile to do that. A couple of things I've 1:05:55.160 --> 1:05:58.520 done that I would recommend swimming. They have some lakes 1:05:58.840 --> 1:06:06.000 go swimming. It's honestly delightful. Another thing, the trails are 1:06:06.000 --> 1:06:09.240 pretty cool. As someone who's like hoofed it out to 1:06:09.520 --> 1:06:15.480 drone there so many times in my life I've taken 1:06:15.480 --> 1:06:18.040 a lot of those trails. They're pretty cool. And they 1:06:18.240 --> 1:06:22.360 do these bikes on trails. So like recommendation, like if 1:06:22.400 --> 1:06:24.400 it's full, I know there's like a lot of angst 1:06:24.440 --> 1:06:27.720 about like it fills up. It's a lottery system. I 1:06:27.720 --> 1:06:29.240 don't think it's the end of the world. If you 1:06:29.280 --> 1:06:32.080 stay off site and you book these non peaked times 1:06:32.400 --> 1:06:37.000 because there is stuff to do, grass court, tennis awesome. 1:06:37.360 --> 1:06:40.840 This is not like there is a world if you 1:06:40.880 --> 1:06:43.640 did the house rental where this is not a crazy 1:06:43.680 --> 1:06:46.760 thing to do with your family. It's not crazy like 1:06:46.840 --> 1:06:50.920 it's remote, like you could tone down your golf and 1:06:51.000 --> 1:06:56.880 there are activities. The biking, the swimming, the tennis are 1:06:56.960 --> 1:06:59.840 all pretty awesome. And I think that's one of the 1:06:59.840 --> 1:07:03.800 things that's unique about about Sand Valley in comparison to 1:07:04.800 --> 1:07:09.760 Abandon is that like there is some family activities that 1:07:10.160 --> 1:07:12.120 is going to make it, like I think probably in 1:07:12.200 --> 1:07:16.920 ten years, a pretty interesting family destination. And the lakes 1:07:16.920 --> 1:07:18.120 are like fun to go in. 1:07:19.360 --> 1:07:22.600 Yeah, I think they just kind of built the new 1:07:22.680 --> 1:07:26.520 one over by the Commons and the lake also over 1:07:26.560 --> 1:07:31.000 by Sand Valley. They're amazing freshwater lakes and definitely would 1:07:31.000 --> 1:07:33.919 recommend that. The biking is is fat tire biking, which 1:07:33.920 --> 1:07:35.959 I've never done it. Have you done it at Sand Valley? 1:07:36.000 --> 1:07:38.760 I mean it looks super fun, so it's a very 1:07:38.760 --> 1:07:39.960 different kind of experience. 1:07:40.040 --> 1:07:43.280 Yeah, that's where like if you don't have like it's 1:07:43.520 --> 1:07:45.080 it's not the end of the world. If you're only 1:07:45.080 --> 1:07:47.640 playing one round golf there because there is other stuff 1:07:47.680 --> 1:07:49.920 to do they have. They have a small gym too 1:07:49.960 --> 1:07:52.320 if you're into that, if you want to do that. 1:07:52.520 --> 1:07:57.880 But like, there's such good outdoor activities to do out there. 1:07:58.920 --> 1:08:01.280 The one other thing I'd love to hit on is 1:08:01.760 --> 1:08:05.200 so getting there. People fly into O'Hare, people flying to Milwaukee, 1:08:05.440 --> 1:08:08.840 people find a Madison a couple of recommendations on the 1:08:08.880 --> 1:08:13.480 way up, Eagle Springs, a nine hole Mompa golf course. 1:08:14.240 --> 1:08:16.640 If you're coming from O'Hare, it's worth the stop on 1:08:16.680 --> 1:08:21.280 the way up. It's awesome, it's memorable. You will you'll 1:08:21.320 --> 1:08:25.280 never forget the first two holes. Laws Sonia obviously is 1:08:25.640 --> 1:08:28.080 at the top of my list of places to go 1:08:28.160 --> 1:08:32.040 in Wisconsin. And it's not like necessarily out of the way, 1:08:32.320 --> 1:08:35.679 it's not super convenient. And then I would just say, 1:08:35.720 --> 1:08:38.200 if you if you're flying and you can fly direct 1:08:38.200 --> 1:08:42.840 into Madison, that's the ideal way to get to get 1:08:42.920 --> 1:08:46.160 up there. And so I would you know, that would 1:08:46.200 --> 1:08:49.760 be the ideal. I think most people will fly into O'Hare. 1:08:50.040 --> 1:08:53.679 Minneapolis is another option to fly into, but those would 1:08:53.720 --> 1:08:57.720 be my res for getting up there. Will thank you 1:08:57.800 --> 1:09:00.680 for writing this guide up people can read it on 1:09:00.720 --> 1:09:03.560 the website. Any parting thoughts before you get out of 1:09:03.560 --> 1:09:04.880 here on Sand Valley. 1:09:05.760 --> 1:09:07.760 No, I think you hit it on the head. I 1:09:07.800 --> 1:09:12.120 think I should mention that I am currently in Green Lake, Wisconsin, 1:09:12.280 --> 1:09:14.880 next to las Sonia, and we talked to people on 1:09:14.920 --> 1:09:18.120 the putting Green that are driving to Sand Valley this afternoon, 1:09:18.200 --> 1:09:20.800 so they stopped at Lawsonia on the way, So I 1:09:20.800 --> 1:09:24.040 would just echo that. I think stopping at Eagle Springs 1:09:24.080 --> 1:09:26.680 and or laws Sonia, or if you want to tag on, 1:09:26.840 --> 1:09:29.240 like you could do a day in Madison. It's a 1:09:29.280 --> 1:09:30.519 wonderful college town. 1:09:30.640 --> 1:09:34.519 You could pair it go on the lake. 1:09:35.400 --> 1:09:37.439 Yeah, oh, that's a terrific town. You could even like 1:09:37.520 --> 1:09:39.760 get over to the New Glares Brewery which is out 1:09:39.800 --> 1:09:41.840 that way. I mean, there's a lot to do in 1:09:41.880 --> 1:09:43.760 Wisconsin if you really want to make a big trip 1:09:43.800 --> 1:09:45.200 out of it, and then you can always pair it 1:09:45.280 --> 1:09:47.880 with Aaron Hills or Whistling if you want to kind 1:09:47.880 --> 1:09:49.920 of get out of the way. But I think doing 1:09:49.960 --> 1:09:52.960 non golf activities mixed in just makes this trip even 1:09:53.000 --> 1:09:53.599 that much better. 1:09:53.960 --> 1:09:57.280 You hit on Madison. I used to work. I had 1:09:57.840 --> 1:10:01.480 one of my jobs before this. I with like intertwined 1:10:01.520 --> 1:10:05.200 in restaurant and hospitality scenes. And one of the places 1:10:05.240 --> 1:10:09.440 I would go occasionally for work trips is Madison. Wonderful 1:10:09.479 --> 1:10:10.479 place to spend a. 1:10:10.560 --> 1:10:14.040 Night in the summer, especially like they have those like 1:10:14.320 --> 1:10:16.640 concrete stairs where you can just grab a beer. It 1:10:16.760 --> 1:10:18.719 is unbelievable over there. 1:10:19.040 --> 1:10:24.120 Yeah, I would uh, great bars, great great food. Also 1:10:24.439 --> 1:10:29.200 like good concert good concerts come there. Like don't sleep on, 1:10:29.400 --> 1:10:32.360 like planning the stop on the way up if you 1:10:32.400 --> 1:10:35.760 and like say you can't get accommodations a certain way, 1:10:36.520 --> 1:10:38.760 don't sleep on, like look at the show list if 1:10:38.800 --> 1:10:43.320 you're into music. And because Madison gets like legit bands 1:10:43.360 --> 1:10:46.800 that come through there, so uh yeah. And if you 1:10:46.960 --> 1:10:49.200 if it's the fall, obviously you get the school in 1:10:49.280 --> 1:10:52.000 session and there's even more stuff going on. 1:10:53.120 --> 1:10:53.559 It's right. 1:10:53.640 --> 1:10:55.439 You can watch the batteries beat up on the Alina. 1:10:55.920 --> 1:10:59.040 Oh get out of here. We're we're we're a dominant force. 1:10:59.240 --> 1:11:02.320 And badgers aren't beating up on the line I anymore. 1:11:02.400 --> 1:11:05.080 Those days are gone. We got Burt, you know you 1:11:05.200 --> 1:11:08.800 got to Yeah, we got we got their former coach. Uh. 1:11:09.920 --> 1:11:12.800 You know, the stories of Bert and Madison are amusing 1:11:12.920 --> 1:11:15.280 if you if you find the right, people. But uh 1:11:15.320 --> 1:11:18.240 but yeah, the days of Wisconsin beating up on on 1:11:18.240 --> 1:11:20.719 on Illinois might be by gone. 1:11:21.880 --> 1:11:25.200 That's okay. We there's still still worth a stop in Madison. 1:11:25.400 --> 1:11:28.000 And uh hell if you could even just drop the 1:11:28.080 --> 1:11:30.320 kids off at Wisconsin Dell's if you really want to 1:11:30.360 --> 1:11:32.760 and then go on a golf trip. So if there's 1:11:32.920 --> 1:11:35.120 if the water parks scene is what they're after, then 1:11:35.240 --> 1:11:36.360 there's a right option for you. 1:11:36.520 --> 1:11:41.120 That's right, the Dell's. All right, Thanks Will, we'll talk dude, 1:11:41.240 --> 1:11:43.760 and thanks for all your work with the with the 1:11:43.800 --> 1:11:48.040 events and and making those run uh uh smoothly and 1:11:48.160 --> 1:12:04.080 uh and and shown everybody an awesome time. Absolutely, all right, 1:12:04.120 --> 1:12:07.439 let's talk about our partner viewery. Uh. I gotta say 1:12:07.560 --> 1:12:12.000 personal personal testimony right here. I'm about to be on 1:12:12.080 --> 1:12:14.360 a on a heavy red eye kick and I took 1:12:14.400 --> 1:12:19.040 my first Red Eye of this run the other day, 1:12:19.479 --> 1:12:23.800 and I wore the viewery dream Nick Jogger. I've I'm 1:12:23.960 --> 1:12:26.479 I'm a jogger guy. On I saw there was a 1:12:26.479 --> 1:12:30.720 lot of controversy about about the rider European Ryder Cup 1:12:30.880 --> 1:12:34.960 players that wore jeans on a on a transatlantic flight. 1:12:35.960 --> 1:12:39.040 I think that's okay. I if you got comfy jeans, 1:12:39.080 --> 1:12:41.920 it's okay. But let me tell you, you are missing out 1:12:42.000 --> 1:12:47.120 if you're not wearing their dream Nick jogger. This red eye. 1:12:47.200 --> 1:12:50.360 Like I've tried a lot of joggers in my day, 1:12:50.560 --> 1:12:55.240 this is the best jogger I've had. It is so comfortable, 1:12:55.439 --> 1:12:59.400 it is incredible. I was, I was so delightful. It 1:12:59.520 --> 1:13:05.880 made a red eye and coach pretty you know I was. 1:13:06.040 --> 1:13:09.880 I was okay, and mostly because of my joggers. So 1:13:10.000 --> 1:13:12.600 check out the dream Neet Jogger. They also have just 1:13:12.720 --> 1:13:16.679 tons of athletesa where Viory draws inspiration from the coastal 1:13:16.720 --> 1:13:19.840 California lifestyle and they make products that stand the test 1:13:19.880 --> 1:13:22.240 of time and they hope to inspire others to live 1:13:22.360 --> 1:13:26.360 vibrant and healthy lives. On top of the jogger, the 1:13:26.360 --> 1:13:29.479 Core Short's a great short, great short to work out in, 1:13:29.640 --> 1:13:33.320 great short to hang out in. They have just a 1:13:33.400 --> 1:13:36.960 ton of stuff and just a recommendation. I had this happen. 1:13:37.040 --> 1:13:39.800 I got a big package from Viewury. My wife said, 1:13:39.840 --> 1:13:43.799 where's mine. If you're going to order Viewery, order something 1:13:43.840 --> 1:13:47.800 for the partner that'll go a long way. If you're 1:13:47.840 --> 1:13:52.040 interested in Vieory, it's vu O ri I dot com 1:13:52.040 --> 1:13:56.679 slash egg and you get twenty percent off your first purchase. 1:13:56.960 --> 1:14:00.439 So go to Viory dot com slash egg and you'll 1:14:00.439 --> 1:14:03.400 get twenty percent off your first purchase. As I mentioned, 1:14:04.160 --> 1:14:06.720 they got awesome athletes to wear. This is stuff that 1:14:06.760 --> 1:14:09.360 you just wanted to just lounge in, but it also 1:14:09.479 --> 1:14:12.080 is nice. You can go do stuff in these in 1:14:12.160 --> 1:14:17.600 these clothes also extremely comfortable. The dreamnt jogger was a 1:14:17.720 --> 1:14:21.240 revelation on my last right eye. I can't wait to 1:14:21.280 --> 1:14:24.960 wear them again. But check out Yori dot com. And 1:14:25.040 --> 1:14:27.519 let's get back to the pod. All right, Let's get 1:14:27.520 --> 1:14:31.560 to Abbie Libenthal, who's going to talk to us about Pinehurst, 1:14:31.560 --> 1:14:43.439 the Pinehurst area. I think the expression is it's always 1:14:43.479 --> 1:14:45.760 a lovely day in Pinehurst. I'm not sure it could 1:14:45.760 --> 1:14:50.480 be wrong, but I'm excited to bring in our resident expert, 1:14:50.200 --> 1:14:54.280 our head of Marketing, Abby Libenthal, who happens to live 1:14:54.439 --> 1:14:57.080 in the Pinehurst area. So this is a great honor 1:14:57.160 --> 1:15:01.120 to talk about somebody's hometown. I guess do you call 1:15:01.160 --> 1:15:03.040 it your hometown when you live there but you're not 1:15:03.120 --> 1:15:06.839 from there? These are all questions that we can figure out. Abby. 1:15:07.080 --> 1:15:10.320 Welcome on the Friday Golf Podcast for the first time. 1:15:10.840 --> 1:15:14.839 Thank you, first time, longtime fan, and I think partially 1:15:15.280 --> 1:15:17.920 would be upset with you saying it's a lovely day 1:15:17.920 --> 1:15:18.439 in Pinehurst. 1:15:18.479 --> 1:15:19.959 It's a beautiful day in Pinehurst. 1:15:20.320 --> 1:15:24.160 Beautiful, Yeah, beautiful day. Do you have any clarification on 1:15:24.240 --> 1:15:29.679 the hometown versus yeah, where you live. 1:15:29.920 --> 1:15:34.040 I don't tell people that my hometown is Pinehurst. I 1:15:34.080 --> 1:15:35.760 tell them it's like where I reside. 1:15:36.080 --> 1:15:40.360 Now, okay, Yeah, if you went off pro golfers, they 1:15:40.560 --> 1:15:44.040 you know, the tournament's list hometowns, and it's generally where 1:15:44.080 --> 1:15:44.479 they live. 1:15:44.640 --> 1:15:47.400 Now, a lot of sea Island. 1:15:47.320 --> 1:15:52.320 Of Jupiter, Scotts Sale. There's not a lot of diversity 1:15:52.400 --> 1:15:56.360 in the hometown on the PGA tour. Why yess Why 1:15:56.960 --> 1:16:00.439 you know Leishman always stuck out with Virginia Beach. You know, 1:16:00.479 --> 1:16:03.519 there's always a you know, a nice little nugget in there. 1:16:04.000 --> 1:16:06.839 Or Mett McCarty's a Chicago guy. He lives in Chicago. 1:16:08.200 --> 1:16:10.200 That's good. We need some more diversity. 1:16:11.479 --> 1:16:15.400 Let's talk about Pinehurst. So you put together a guide 1:16:15.439 --> 1:16:20.200 here on Pinehurst. I think everybody knows about Pinehurst, so 1:16:20.479 --> 1:16:23.160 we don't. I don't think we need to like break ground. 1:16:23.720 --> 1:16:26.960 In terms of Pinehurst, I think one of the unique 1:16:26.960 --> 1:16:33.040 things with this this destination versus a broad destinations. You know, 1:16:33.360 --> 1:16:36.920 obviously American destinations you get in the Sand Valleys, the 1:16:38.000 --> 1:16:43.120 Pinehurst abandoned the access the way I understand that the 1:16:43.280 --> 1:16:48.120 access to Pinehurst is really controlled by staying there. Correct, Yes, 1:16:49.320 --> 1:16:51.639 how can you play if you don't stay at the resort? 1:16:52.320 --> 1:16:56.240 You can call I believe, like a select number of 1:16:56.320 --> 1:16:58.760 days in advance for each of the courses. You know, 1:16:58.800 --> 1:17:02.280 they kind of tear their golf courses two, four, eight, ten, 1:17:02.920 --> 1:17:06.280 and then everything else. And I even think the Cradle 1:17:06.320 --> 1:17:08.519 you can call like twenty four hours in advance to 1:17:08.920 --> 1:17:12.479 book a tea time. But otherwise, yeah, they you know, 1:17:12.520 --> 1:17:14.880 they are really pushing for people to actually stay at 1:17:14.880 --> 1:17:17.559 the resort to secure those tea times. And if you're 1:17:17.600 --> 1:17:19.680 making a trip, you kind of want to know you're 1:17:19.680 --> 1:17:20.479 going to be able. 1:17:20.240 --> 1:17:22.120 To play those courses. 1:17:22.760 --> 1:17:25.439 So that's kind of the biggest difference, I would say, 1:17:25.439 --> 1:17:29.040 within like the last five years of visiting the area. 1:17:30.760 --> 1:17:33.320 Yeah, I think I think that's and it's different from 1:17:33.360 --> 1:17:36.320 like Sand Valley. You can get on in the afternoon 1:17:36.720 --> 1:17:41.240 even if you're staying offsite abandoned. Similarly, you can stay 1:17:41.240 --> 1:17:44.839 off site and get on the t sheet still. But here, 1:17:45.479 --> 1:17:47.720 you know, if you want to play those courses you 1:17:47.760 --> 1:17:50.760 don't like by I guess my only recommendation is if 1:17:50.800 --> 1:17:54.439 you're going for a significant period of time and maybe 1:17:54.520 --> 1:17:57.280 leave it an afternoon free and try and get out 1:17:57.360 --> 1:18:00.439 then and you can play one of them. In terms 1:18:00.479 --> 1:18:03.559 of the Pinehurst golf courses, we'll just touch on them quickly. 1:18:04.960 --> 1:18:07.800 You know you recommended a few in your guide. You 1:18:07.840 --> 1:18:13.040 have number one, number number three, I mean number two, 1:18:13.120 --> 1:18:19.240 number three, number four, number eight, number ten, Yes, number 1:18:19.240 --> 1:18:22.920 two obviously Championship course. Number four is the golf course 1:18:22.960 --> 1:18:26.519 that Gil Han's renovated. Number ten is the brand new 1:18:26.560 --> 1:18:30.200 Tom Doak course. Two courses that haven't really been covered 1:18:30.280 --> 1:18:34.120 much by this podcast, or I would say in the 1:18:34.120 --> 1:18:39.719 golf architecture community, are number three and number eight. Number 1:18:39.720 --> 1:18:43.800 three's one that I haven't played that I would really 1:18:43.880 --> 1:18:46.160 like to play. Tell us a little bit about number three. 1:18:46.320 --> 1:18:50.559 Oh yeah, so three is shorter. I think it maxes 1:18:50.600 --> 1:18:52.880 out at like maybe fifty six hundred yards. I'd have 1:18:52.960 --> 1:18:56.720 to double check. But the greens are really small and 1:18:56.760 --> 1:18:59.920 they're really challenging. They're like incredibly undulating. 1:19:00.080 --> 1:19:00.479 There was. 1:19:00.640 --> 1:19:04.720 Last summer, I was practicing a lot more to try 1:19:04.760 --> 1:19:07.839 and play in a mid am qualifier, and so somebody 1:19:07.880 --> 1:19:10.200 recommended to me, like, go over to three and play 1:19:10.280 --> 1:19:13.960 as much of it as you can, because your approach 1:19:13.960 --> 1:19:15.200 game is going to get a lot better. 1:19:16.560 --> 1:19:19.120 So it's a really fun course. 1:19:19.000 --> 1:19:22.080 And it is kind of a nice equalizer if you're 1:19:22.080 --> 1:19:24.960 playing with maybe you have some women in your group, 1:19:25.000 --> 1:19:26.720 maybe you have some guys in your group that are 1:19:26.720 --> 1:19:28.760 really long hitters. It kind of like balances it out 1:19:28.800 --> 1:19:31.720 because everybody's kind of like smushed together on the tea 1:19:31.760 --> 1:19:35.120 boxes and it just makes for a really fun round. 1:19:36.160 --> 1:19:38.719 So I really like three. You can just get around 1:19:38.760 --> 1:19:39.360 it quick too. 1:19:40.439 --> 1:19:44.160 I think like people go nuts on golf trips. They 1:19:44.200 --> 1:19:47.559 play a lot of golf, yeah, and I think what 1:19:47.680 --> 1:19:51.479 happens oftentimes is that they get fatigued from playing so 1:19:51.560 --> 1:19:54.880 much golf, and then you kind of can ruin some 1:19:54.920 --> 1:19:58.320 of the later days in your golf trip. To be 1:19:58.439 --> 1:20:01.960 that golf course seems like a an ideal thirty six 1:20:02.040 --> 1:20:04.840 hole day golf course to put in there in the 1:20:04.880 --> 1:20:07.799 afternoon after playing one of the big golf courses. 1:20:08.320 --> 1:20:13.160 Yeah, absolutely, And then I really like eight. I used 1:20:13.160 --> 1:20:16.960 to not like eight. I it was a it's a 1:20:17.000 --> 1:20:21.040 bigger walk and a lot of it was tree lined, 1:20:21.160 --> 1:20:24.240 especially on the back nine, the final stretch of like 1:20:24.280 --> 1:20:25.280 fifteen to eighteen. 1:20:26.000 --> 1:20:26.720 I didn't love it. 1:20:26.760 --> 1:20:29.639 But they redid the greens a few years ago and 1:20:30.120 --> 1:20:32.680 took down a bunch of trees and it's just like 1:20:32.920 --> 1:20:37.360 it's a much more fun finish. You can look around 1:20:37.360 --> 1:20:41.120 and like see everybody else playing golf, and the holes 1:20:41.120 --> 1:20:43.360 are much more open. So it used to not be 1:20:43.439 --> 1:20:45.439 one of my favorites, but now it is. I think 1:20:45.479 --> 1:20:49.760 it's a fazzio. And you know, Pinehurst does add that 1:20:49.840 --> 1:20:52.240 a lot. If you're looking to book like four rounds 1:20:52.280 --> 1:20:56.160 on your trip, it's a good addition. And the nice 1:20:56.160 --> 1:20:58.840 thing about it is they just added a bunch of cottages, 1:20:59.040 --> 1:21:00.920 so for people who like don't want to stay in 1:21:00.920 --> 1:21:03.640 a hotel, you can get all your buddies in one 1:21:03.680 --> 1:21:07.080 of the cottages and they're on hoo eight and number eight. 1:21:08.000 --> 1:21:11.000 That is delightful. I do think that's like one of 1:21:11.000 --> 1:21:15.519 the things that the Sand Valleys of the world, the 1:21:16.280 --> 1:21:21.040 bandon the and really the destination clubs have done so 1:21:21.200 --> 1:21:25.000 well is the idea of the cabin and you you know, 1:21:25.080 --> 1:21:27.080 you go to dinner, but then you have this great 1:21:27.120 --> 1:21:30.920 place to just hang out with your friends for you know, 1:21:30.960 --> 1:21:33.519 a night cap, or you know, it's the morning and 1:21:33.560 --> 1:21:35.040 you have a little time and you kill it in 1:21:35.080 --> 1:21:38.440 the living room. I do think that the cabin experience 1:21:38.479 --> 1:21:42.280 when you're on a trip is delightful. Yeah, you talked 1:21:42.320 --> 1:21:45.559 about the packages. Like the way I've generally seen it 1:21:45.720 --> 1:21:49.400 done is like two four ten eight or two four 1:21:49.520 --> 1:21:53.920 eight or you know two four ten is are the 1:21:53.960 --> 1:21:57.000 popular ones. Is that pretty much the only way to 1:21:57.040 --> 1:22:00.480 get number two access at this point is through the pages. 1:22:01.240 --> 1:22:02.160 That's how I see it. 1:22:02.360 --> 1:22:06.000 Yeah, it is really hard, and if you do get on, 1:22:06.120 --> 1:22:08.679 you may be starting on number ten, like whole ten 1:22:08.840 --> 1:22:12.040 of number two, and then you're finishing on nine. That's 1:22:12.040 --> 1:22:14.160 the way that they try to get more rounds out there. 1:22:15.000 --> 1:22:17.200 So if you like really just want to guarantee playing 1:22:17.320 --> 1:22:21.320 number two and starting on number one, you're gonna you 1:22:21.439 --> 1:22:22.960 probably have to stay the on site. 1:22:23.920 --> 1:22:26.320 I mean, they're they're far worse things. I do think, 1:22:26.439 --> 1:22:30.000 like in terms of like how I would rank the 1:22:30.720 --> 1:22:32.920 golf courses in the area, I think it's kind of 1:22:32.960 --> 1:22:36.240 pine urse number two and then you can put a 1:22:36.280 --> 1:22:39.400 bunch of courses in a second bucket, and we'll get 1:22:39.400 --> 1:22:42.360 into some of the ones in Southern Pines, which include 1:22:42.400 --> 1:22:46.960 Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Southern Pines, and then I think 1:22:46.960 --> 1:22:50.919 I would put probably number ten in that bucket. I 1:22:50.960 --> 1:22:53.960 am not the biggest fan of number four. I like it. 1:22:54.040 --> 1:22:58.120 I think, you know, well, has it reopened from the 1:22:58.120 --> 1:23:00.840 the closure and you know, figure out the grass. I 1:23:00.880 --> 1:23:03.160 think it's it's a good golf course. But one of 1:23:03.200 --> 1:23:05.920 the things I take away from that project having been 1:23:05.960 --> 1:23:09.080 out there is like just how much work goes into 1:23:09.240 --> 1:23:14.080 undoing an old golf course to redo it. And I think, like, 1:23:14.560 --> 1:23:17.000 it's not my favorite, but some people like four and 1:23:17.040 --> 1:23:21.240 more than number two. So in terms of the way 1:23:21.680 --> 1:23:23.519 I would think about, like if I was going to 1:23:23.600 --> 1:23:26.599 go there for four or five days, I'd probably want 1:23:26.600 --> 1:23:29.679 to hit at least two of the Pinehurst golf courses 1:23:29.880 --> 1:23:33.560 in a trip like that. You made an interesting recommendation 1:23:33.640 --> 1:23:37.639 to me. I was going last fall for Tom Doks 1:23:37.640 --> 1:23:41.920 Renaissance Cup, and I had a choice of where to 1:23:41.960 --> 1:23:47.599 stay at Pinehurst between the Carolina, the Holly and the Manor, 1:23:47.760 --> 1:23:50.240 and I was surprised at what you what you suggested, 1:23:50.320 --> 1:23:53.400 But then pleasantly surprised when I got there. What what 1:23:53.400 --> 1:23:57.799 what is your preferred place of occupancy of the Pinehurst Resort? 1:23:57.920 --> 1:23:59.000 Did I tell you the Manor? 1:23:59.400 --> 1:24:02.760 Yes, yes, so, yeah, I really like the Manor. Pinehurst 1:24:02.760 --> 1:24:06.040 Resort required it a few years ago, and it sits 1:24:06.160 --> 1:24:09.759 right next to the Pinehurst Brewery. And then in addition, 1:24:10.160 --> 1:24:12.800 within the Manor is the North and South Bar, which 1:24:12.840 --> 1:24:15.680 is a whiskey bar. It's you know, you're not at 1:24:15.680 --> 1:24:18.680 the Carolina, which is the Marquis the Queen of the 1:24:18.720 --> 1:24:21.360 South as they like to call it hotel, But the 1:24:21.400 --> 1:24:24.439 Manor it's a little smaller, it's quaint. They have like 1:24:24.479 --> 1:24:28.040 a little library down there, and you can still walk 1:24:28.120 --> 1:24:30.479 into the village. You can still walk, obviously walk to 1:24:30.520 --> 1:24:33.160 the brewery. It's very central still, but it's just like 1:24:33.320 --> 1:24:34.200 just off the path. 1:24:35.520 --> 1:24:40.080 Yeah. I the Carolina doesn't really do it for me, right, 1:24:40.560 --> 1:24:44.960 you know, I I don't know, I don't know why. 1:24:45.280 --> 1:24:48.360 I just I'm not I'm not like a huge fan 1:24:48.400 --> 1:24:51.639 of the Carolina. I found the Manor to be much 1:24:51.680 --> 1:24:54.160 more my kind of speed. It was a little bit quieter, 1:24:54.479 --> 1:24:59.200 less going on, honestly, sometimes for me, like I prefer 1:24:59.320 --> 1:25:05.120 less service than more service. And that was something that like, 1:25:05.640 --> 1:25:08.400 I know, like everybody's all about, but like to me, 1:25:08.560 --> 1:25:11.080 the manner was just like kind of like very chill, 1:25:11.479 --> 1:25:15.120 right and laid back, and that was it kind of 1:25:15.200 --> 1:25:17.559 I really liked it. And as you said, the location, 1:25:18.600 --> 1:25:22.280 I think something that like I know that some of 1:25:22.280 --> 1:25:24.800 these packages come with food, Like I mean, the job 1:25:24.840 --> 1:25:29.160 of a resort, if you're a running resort, what you're 1:25:29.200 --> 1:25:32.120 thinking about is like how do we maximize how do 1:25:32.160 --> 1:25:36.600 we get every dollar of somebody's spend. Sure, what I 1:25:36.640 --> 1:25:39.680 would say as someone who has frequented the area, and 1:25:39.760 --> 1:25:42.880 I think you would probably agree with this statement, and 1:25:42.880 --> 1:25:46.040 and I'd lean on you for specifics. But to me, 1:25:46.760 --> 1:25:49.559 if I go to if I go to Pinehurst, the 1:25:49.600 --> 1:25:53.439 Pinehurst area where I want to hang out at night 1:25:53.720 --> 1:25:56.880 is nowhere near Pinehurst, and I want to be in 1:25:57.000 --> 1:25:59.760 the Southern Pines area. Would you agree with that? 1:26:00.560 --> 1:26:00.880 Yes? 1:26:01.200 --> 1:26:04.800 I So what I will say is that I think 1:26:04.800 --> 1:26:07.920 it's pretty awesome that you can go to Pinehurst Resort. 1:26:08.479 --> 1:26:11.160 And what makes it unique compared to all the other 1:26:11.240 --> 1:26:13.599 resorts in America is you can walk into a village 1:26:13.600 --> 1:26:16.719 where like people live and like breathe and love golf, 1:26:17.360 --> 1:26:20.679 So you can spend time in the village and still 1:26:20.720 --> 1:26:24.240 like maybe not go to a resort. I recommended Lisy 1:26:24.680 --> 1:26:27.680 in the guide, and Lisa's this Italian restaurant that is 1:26:28.080 --> 1:26:31.559 just like it's so good. It's a gem for the middle, 1:26:31.680 --> 1:26:35.840 you know, a landlocked North Carolina and has a great bar. 1:26:37.320 --> 1:26:39.599 But that's really the only one of the only places 1:26:39.600 --> 1:26:42.240 I'll actually eat in the village. I live closer to 1:26:42.280 --> 1:26:44.240 Southern Pines and that's where I spend most of my 1:26:44.320 --> 1:26:47.559 time off of the golf course, and a lot has 1:26:47.560 --> 1:26:49.840 popped up there in the last few years because there's 1:26:49.880 --> 1:26:53.360 a big military presence in Southern Pines, so there's a 1:26:53.360 --> 1:26:56.000 ton of families that live in the area and just 1:26:56.040 --> 1:26:59.360 like a lot of like business growth, so plenty of 1:26:59.360 --> 1:27:00.920 good spots in Southern Pines. 1:27:02.000 --> 1:27:05.599 Yeah. I you know, my wife and I like can 1:27:05.720 --> 1:27:09.240 contemplated moving there years ago. We like looked around, we 1:27:09.320 --> 1:27:12.840 stayed there, and we really liked it. I think this 1:27:12.920 --> 1:27:15.240 is like a big miss of people is that they 1:27:15.240 --> 1:27:17.920 go to Pinehurst and they just stay at the resort. 1:27:18.040 --> 1:27:22.880 I think going to like Southern Pines for food, beverage, 1:27:23.080 --> 1:27:26.880 coffee in the morning is like an excellent move and 1:27:26.880 --> 1:27:30.920 it you know, as somebody, I probably spend a little 1:27:30.920 --> 1:27:33.599 bit more time at resorts. Albeit this year I haven't 1:27:33.640 --> 1:27:36.680 really spent any time at resorts, but I spend more 1:27:36.680 --> 1:27:40.000 time at resorts than most of the common person. I 1:27:40.040 --> 1:27:43.200 feel like sometimes at golf resorts, I get like kind 1:27:43.200 --> 1:27:48.880 of resorted out. It's there's just something about being I 1:27:48.960 --> 1:27:52.400 just I like to get to where like normal people are. 1:27:52.840 --> 1:27:57.360 And to me, this is the cheat code of Pinehurst 1:27:57.840 --> 1:28:01.640 is if I were building a trip to go to Pinehurst, 1:28:01.960 --> 1:28:06.720 I would do the minimum trip to there to get 1:28:06.760 --> 1:28:09.480 to play number two. And if I had the ability 1:28:09.560 --> 1:28:12.560 to play a few more days, then I would probably 1:28:12.600 --> 1:28:16.439 go rent a airbnb in Southern Pines. And albeit I 1:28:16.439 --> 1:28:18.640 think this is probably going to change with Marine and 1:28:18.720 --> 1:28:22.760 Lawn coming into Southern Pines and doing the Mid Pines there. 1:28:23.240 --> 1:28:25.240 That was the news a couple of weeks ago that 1:28:25.240 --> 1:28:28.040 they're going to rehab a lot of the lodging around 1:28:28.040 --> 1:28:32.760 Mid Pines and Pine Needles. But while it's set up 1:28:32.800 --> 1:28:35.880 the way it is, I think the ideal trip there 1:28:36.000 --> 1:28:38.360 is a couple of days at Pinehurst to play number two, 1:28:38.960 --> 1:28:41.920 maybe play you know, number ten in another course you 1:28:41.920 --> 1:28:45.439 can pick your poison, then hop over to Southern Pines 1:28:45.520 --> 1:28:50.400 to Airbnb there and enjoy kind of small town North 1:28:50.439 --> 1:28:54.160 Carolina living at its finest. I think that like because 1:28:54.200 --> 1:28:59.160 of obviously the golf tourism, Southern Pines punches way above 1:28:59.720 --> 1:29:04.360 it's wait in terms of food and culture in that area. 1:29:04.960 --> 1:29:09.519 Yeah. Absolutely, And there's plenty of places to stay. You know, 1:29:09.560 --> 1:29:12.639 you can find Airbnbs right on that main broad street, 1:29:13.120 --> 1:29:16.320 or you can stay somewhere closer to Pine Needles, Mid Pines, 1:29:16.439 --> 1:29:17.200 Southern Pines. 1:29:18.160 --> 1:29:19.439 It's all like everything. 1:29:19.479 --> 1:29:22.519 You know, even if you drive between Southern Pines and 1:29:22.560 --> 1:29:25.960 Pine heresay ten minute drive, like nothing's far, and then 1:29:25.960 --> 1:29:28.759 once you're in Southern Pines, everything's like six minutes away. 1:29:28.840 --> 1:29:31.600 I would say, So you can't really go wrong with 1:29:31.920 --> 1:29:34.880 the accommodations there. And then yeah, I'm super interested to 1:29:34.960 --> 1:29:37.000 keep track of the marine and lawn development. 1:29:37.200 --> 1:29:38.600 It'll it'll just be fascinating. 1:29:39.200 --> 1:29:43.400 And so we stayed there for the US Open last year. Yeah, 1:29:43.439 --> 1:29:48.760 and it was like, after spending like a week there, 1:29:49.000 --> 1:29:51.920 it's just like, God, this place has so much potential. 1:29:53.439 --> 1:29:57.360 All three of those golf courses, Southern Pines, Pine Needles, 1:29:57.479 --> 1:30:01.639 and Mid Pines are like terrific golf course wonderful golf courses, 1:30:02.800 --> 1:30:06.200 and I think the the accommodations there have like a 1:30:06.200 --> 1:30:12.360 lot of room to grow, but it does offer I 1:30:12.439 --> 1:30:18.720 would say, a much quieter experience to Pinehurst. Yeah, kind 1:30:18.720 --> 1:30:22.920 of a welcome, like much more like quaint experience, like 1:30:22.960 --> 1:30:26.840 the if you could trast the mid Pines or the 1:30:26.880 --> 1:30:30.080 Pine Needles Bar to you know, the Deuce, It's like 1:30:30.120 --> 1:30:33.160 you couldn't be more diametrically different. Yeah. 1:30:33.400 --> 1:30:35.880 Yeah, you're going to find like four old guys sitting 1:30:35.880 --> 1:30:38.599 in the Pine Needles Bar just like who've been going 1:30:38.640 --> 1:30:40.759 there every night for the last thirty years. 1:30:40.840 --> 1:30:42.479 So just keep an eye out. 1:30:42.880 --> 1:30:45.080 It's a great bar too. It's got the like the 1:30:45.120 --> 1:30:48.280 sub like the low the low bar with like the 1:30:48.800 --> 1:30:52.519 cozy arm arm chairs. Elite golf bar. 1:30:52.920 --> 1:30:54.760 I have to say, yeah, it's great. You like walk 1:30:54.800 --> 1:30:56.519 down the little pit and there you are. 1:30:56.640 --> 1:30:56.880 Yeah. 1:30:57.400 --> 1:31:00.200 I love those bars that are like sunken down it 1:31:00.280 --> 1:31:05.000 kind of it's uh, it's definitely like a by gone 1:31:05.680 --> 1:31:08.720 design style for a bar, but one that I you know, 1:31:08.880 --> 1:31:11.439 it's very easy to spend a lot of time at. Yes, 1:31:12.520 --> 1:31:16.439 in terms of uh, what are your favorite I guess 1:31:16.520 --> 1:31:18.799 you know, we just hit on those three golf courses. 1:31:18.800 --> 1:31:21.320 But what are your favorite courses outside of like the 1:31:21.439 --> 1:31:25.600 main you know, known golf courses in Pinehurst, because I 1:31:25.680 --> 1:31:26.880 know there are other ones there. 1:31:27.240 --> 1:31:29.759 I mean, I mean, granted, these are all private courses, 1:31:31.479 --> 1:31:34.280 so some of them are like going to be harder 1:31:34.320 --> 1:31:39.880 to access. But I really do love Dormy Club. It's 1:31:39.920 --> 1:31:42.719 a really fun place to play. They've kind of changed 1:31:42.720 --> 1:31:44.400 their model a bit too, where you have to stay 1:31:44.400 --> 1:31:48.880 and play with a member on site, but you know, 1:31:49.040 --> 1:31:54.880 it's definitely, you know, outside of the Pinehurst area, so 1:31:55.280 --> 1:31:56.000 you do feel like. 1:31:55.920 --> 1:31:57.240 You're kind of in the middle of nowhere. 1:31:57.320 --> 1:31:59.160 And it goes back to you know that stay and 1:31:59.240 --> 1:32:02.960 play of like a tree farm or those other locations 1:32:03.080 --> 1:32:06.479 where it's there's not many rounds out there every day, 1:32:06.520 --> 1:32:11.240 but it is really fun. And then CCNC Country Club 1:32:11.280 --> 1:32:14.040 of North Carolina is really great. They hosted the Junior 1:32:14.040 --> 1:32:17.920 Am not too long ago on their Dogwood course. It's 1:32:17.960 --> 1:32:20.080 another good place. And then I play a lot out 1:32:20.080 --> 1:32:24.000 of Forest Creek, which has two Tom Fazio courses, But 1:32:24.040 --> 1:32:27.360 I'm not sure about many other like public access courses 1:32:27.400 --> 1:32:28.320 aside from Tobacco. 1:32:29.200 --> 1:32:31.839 I think, like the thing I would say about public 1:32:31.920 --> 1:32:35.840 access there is you know, most of those golf courses 1:32:35.840 --> 1:32:38.639 are built like one of the just key ingredients from 1:32:38.920 --> 1:32:44.600 for the jump of golf is land and the topography, 1:32:44.720 --> 1:32:49.400 the natural elements of golf there, you know, plus the 1:32:49.479 --> 1:32:52.519 sand makes it makes a lot of those golf courses 1:32:53.560 --> 1:32:57.639 that are not the big ones really fun to play 1:32:57.760 --> 1:33:00.280 because they have the elements of you know, hey, this 1:33:00.360 --> 1:33:04.160 isn't maybe the most in vogue architect or the most 1:33:04.360 --> 1:33:07.160 you know, well thought of golf course, but this is 1:33:07.200 --> 1:33:12.240 worthwhile because you know, you're playing golf on on nice 1:33:12.360 --> 1:33:17.559 land with well well draining soils. Where where do you 1:33:17.560 --> 1:33:21.680 fall on tobacco road? We've ever talked about. 1:33:21.400 --> 1:33:25.080 This, I know, so funny quick story. I took my 1:33:25.160 --> 1:33:28.320 dad out there like three years ago for his sixtieth birthday, 1:33:29.000 --> 1:33:31.479 and you know, we finished first my husband and I 1:33:31.560 --> 1:33:34.479 and his friends, and then behind us is our dad 1:33:34.560 --> 1:33:36.720 and my dad and he's and I'm like, what'd you think? 1:33:36.800 --> 1:33:39.400 Because like it's so big and sprawling and like it's 1:33:39.439 --> 1:33:42.439 wild out there. He goes fucking hated this golf course. 1:33:43.400 --> 1:33:45.120 I was just like, okay, got it. 1:33:46.600 --> 1:33:49.160 So I naturally bought him like the tied eye t 1:33:49.280 --> 1:33:51.920 shirt with strands on the front. And that's his gift 1:33:51.960 --> 1:33:57.840 every year, So some sort of tobacco road gift. I 1:33:57.880 --> 1:34:00.840 it's like so gimmicky, right, Like you're just playing like 1:34:00.960 --> 1:34:05.040 Target Jurassic Park golf out there. It's definitely like a 1:34:05.080 --> 1:34:08.439 site to behold, but it's not my favorite. It's kind 1:34:08.439 --> 1:34:09.320 of really expensive. 1:34:09.880 --> 1:34:13.280 So that's one of the crazier things. I went there 1:34:13.320 --> 1:34:16.240 like eight years ago, and I think at that time 1:34:16.360 --> 1:34:19.519 the peak rate was probably about one hundred and fifty 1:34:19.920 --> 1:34:23.040 dollars or so, and I think now it doesn't it 1:34:23.080 --> 1:34:26.599 push up into the three hundred, Yeah, And I think 1:34:26.640 --> 1:34:32.400 that's like where you know, I I thought playing it, 1:34:32.520 --> 1:34:34.679 I thought there's some really neat stuff out there. 1:34:34.760 --> 1:34:39.559 It's visually like really fun to explore and like run around. 1:34:40.320 --> 1:34:44.519 There's some really good golf holes out there too, But 1:34:44.760 --> 1:34:47.640 for the price. At this point, I you know, it 1:34:47.680 --> 1:34:50.640 becomes like like I think it's a place, it's one 1:34:50.640 --> 1:34:53.120 of the more unique golf courses you're going to see. 1:34:53.200 --> 1:34:55.599 It's a you know, and obviously there's there's a lot 1:34:55.640 --> 1:34:58.759 of love for Mike Strands in the world of golf. 1:34:59.240 --> 1:35:02.479 I might not be the head of the Mic Strands 1:35:02.520 --> 1:35:07.320 Society whenever it comes up, but but I used to 1:35:07.400 --> 1:35:09.480 you know, I used to say, yeah, this is absolutely 1:35:09.560 --> 1:35:13.280 a must play, must see, but now like with where 1:35:13.320 --> 1:35:16.000 the price is going, it just you know, to me 1:35:16.920 --> 1:35:19.800 it I don't know, I you know, I'd rather go 1:35:19.880 --> 1:35:23.720 play Piners number ten for that pure and play it 1:35:23.760 --> 1:35:28.160 a bunch. It's more walkable one. I think that's one 1:35:28.200 --> 1:35:30.720 of the things is walking up Tobacco Road not really 1:35:30.760 --> 1:35:34.040 a fun thing to do. That being said, it is 1:35:34.120 --> 1:35:36.920 like I think like the thing that people could take 1:35:36.960 --> 1:35:39.519 away is like it is a one of one golf 1:35:39.560 --> 1:35:43.160 course and it's you know, if you have the means 1:35:43.280 --> 1:35:46.400 and that, but have the means to you know, do 1:35:46.479 --> 1:35:48.519 a bunch of golf courses down there that are three 1:35:48.600 --> 1:35:52.360 hundred bucks or plus, Like, yeah, do that. But I 1:35:52.400 --> 1:35:54.360 think like you get a lot more value out of 1:35:54.400 --> 1:35:57.599 the Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Southern Pines than you do 1:35:58.000 --> 1:35:59.160 going to Tobacco Road. 1:35:59.439 --> 1:36:03.519 And that's like the big thing about the Pinehurst area there. 1:36:03.560 --> 1:36:05.439 You know, you're going to do more than one trip 1:36:05.479 --> 1:36:08.479 there if you you know, really love golf and maybe 1:36:08.479 --> 1:36:11.880 you really enjoyed playing that type of like topography and 1:36:11.960 --> 1:36:14.720 the rolling terrains and the sand, like you're probably going 1:36:14.800 --> 1:36:16.760 to go back, so like maybe it's just for the 1:36:16.800 --> 1:36:17.680 second trip. 1:36:18.520 --> 1:36:21.240 It's true. I do like that is the unique thing 1:36:21.240 --> 1:36:23.519 about Pinehurst. It does feel like a place that you 1:36:23.560 --> 1:36:27.240 can go multiple times, more so than other ones. I 1:36:27.280 --> 1:36:31.400 think Sand Valley now with like it's it's proximity to 1:36:31.640 --> 1:36:34.719 the Midwest, is probably one that people feel that way. 1:36:35.040 --> 1:36:39.800 But I do think that's where Pinehurst. You are you're 1:36:39.920 --> 1:36:40.760 really into. 1:36:40.479 --> 1:36:43.080 Food, Yes, I love eating. 1:36:44.280 --> 1:36:48.320 I mean it's delightful. Who doesn't love livations, you know, 1:36:48.400 --> 1:36:52.799 and food, food and drink. What's the what's the place 1:36:52.880 --> 1:36:56.200 that you you unequivocally say you can't miss there? 1:36:57.000 --> 1:37:00.880 So in Pinehurst, I would say Lisa, like, it's a 1:37:00.920 --> 1:37:04.040 great meal, the atmosphere's fun. They've got the patio, the 1:37:04.080 --> 1:37:07.719 indoor space is fine. They've got the bar. In Southern Pines, 1:37:08.680 --> 1:37:12.760 I really like one American Fusion. It's they have a 1:37:12.800 --> 1:37:18.040 good outdoor patio and the menu is pretty unique for the. 1:37:18.040 --> 1:37:19.840 Area out there. We did go there. 1:37:19.920 --> 1:37:22.479 Yes, they have a really good cocktail list as well. 1:37:24.360 --> 1:37:26.640 It's just like good variety. It's different food. It's you know, 1:37:26.680 --> 1:37:28.439 when like you were saying before, you know, when you 1:37:28.479 --> 1:37:31.040 eat resort food, you're having like meat and potatoes or 1:37:31.080 --> 1:37:32.360 like salmon and potatoes. 1:37:32.439 --> 1:37:33.519 Every single meal. 1:37:33.840 --> 1:37:38.000 Is that Cisco truck Jackson. You know, it's like the 1:37:38.400 --> 1:37:42.320 not Cisco or fine technology you've provided provider partner, the 1:37:42.320 --> 1:37:45.439 food company. It's like the same one that was that 1:37:45.439 --> 1:37:47.880 that brought you all your meat to your door when 1:37:47.920 --> 1:37:50.080 you're in college, right, right. 1:37:50.000 --> 1:37:52.800 So you want to switch it up. I do like 1:37:52.840 --> 1:37:56.719 one five American Fusion. There's Chef Warren's is really good too. 1:37:56.920 --> 1:38:01.240 It's a French, a French restaurant that's that's really solid 1:38:01.280 --> 1:38:03.400 and just again like unique dishes. I don't know how 1:38:03.479 --> 1:38:06.000 much PJ is going to eat at either of those restaurants. 1:38:06.040 --> 1:38:09.519 Probably not much, but uh but maybe we'll convince him 1:38:09.520 --> 1:38:11.280 when he makes his next visit to the area. 1:38:12.960 --> 1:38:15.760 I'm going to offer one stay away. Yeah, this is 1:38:15.800 --> 1:38:18.960 just a personal, experienced stay away. Don't go to the 1:38:18.960 --> 1:38:24.519 Beltree tavern. Oh that's my stay away. Yeah, don't go there. 1:38:25.160 --> 1:38:30.559 Underrated low key great, low key option. Oh sure for 1:38:30.680 --> 1:38:36.400 people that enjoy like a nice porch and go to 1:38:36.520 --> 1:38:41.760 Southern Pine's brewery, order order some uber eats yep, and 1:38:41.880 --> 1:38:45.000 just sit there enjoy some beers. I feel like I 1:38:45.120 --> 1:38:47.559 like I love the like the patio. They have that 1:38:47.720 --> 1:38:50.519 just it kind of sits up. You get a nice 1:38:50.520 --> 1:38:54.559 spreeze and you just order your food there and you 1:38:54.600 --> 1:38:56.280 can just enjoy enjoy that. 1:38:56.720 --> 1:38:59.800 Yeah, get soapies for pizza. Just bring the pizzas over 1:38:59.840 --> 1:39:02.719 it an easy meal. It's good people watching too, because 1:39:02.760 --> 1:39:06.080 across the street there's like a there's a few restaurants 1:39:06.120 --> 1:39:08.000 and you just like watch people walking around. 1:39:08.920 --> 1:39:11.120 What's the pixel click for coffee. 1:39:12.000 --> 1:39:15.000 So in Southern Pines, I really like a new place 1:39:15.040 --> 1:39:19.000 called Mazonet. They have it just you know, it's a 1:39:19.040 --> 1:39:21.880 classic coffee shop, but they do have some food. And 1:39:22.000 --> 1:39:24.280 if you don't need food and more, Diego is this 1:39:24.360 --> 1:39:28.559 like Colombian coffee shop that's really solid and they make 1:39:28.640 --> 1:39:30.519 fresh croissants every morning there. 1:39:30.640 --> 1:39:31.360 It's very good. 1:39:32.240 --> 1:39:36.280 I went to Mason that you recommended that for me. Also, 1:39:37.000 --> 1:39:38.759 if you have your kids, they have kids. 1:39:38.560 --> 1:39:40.400 Toye yes, a lot of kids there. 1:39:40.680 --> 1:39:43.839 I would point out. I was, I was there working, 1:39:44.040 --> 1:39:46.120 I have a young kid, and I was looking around 1:39:46.200 --> 1:39:49.760 us like I could conceivably drop my kid here and 1:39:50.320 --> 1:39:52.880 get some work done. Because of the kids toys. I 1:39:52.880 --> 1:39:57.519 think kids toys in coffee shops are like they're brilliant 1:39:58.120 --> 1:39:59.960 it's the only way you're going to get a pair, 1:40:00.040 --> 1:40:03.559 aren't with young kids into to sit at a coffee shop? 1:40:03.760 --> 1:40:06.479 Yeah, and they do. They're there all day. So it's 1:40:06.479 --> 1:40:09.559 a good spot though. And it's just easy to walk 1:40:09.640 --> 1:40:12.000 up and down that main street in Southern Pines and 1:40:12.040 --> 1:40:13.920 like pop in and out of shops, you know, like 1:40:13.960 --> 1:40:16.960 a really good bookstore. There is even a Pinehurst like 1:40:17.439 --> 1:40:20.479 shop there too, So if you're like, well, I got 1:40:20.479 --> 1:40:22.040 to get the merch like, you can still do that. 1:40:22.760 --> 1:40:25.280 It's just like a really nice place to walk around 1:40:25.280 --> 1:40:27.240 and kind of see what the community is actually like. 1:40:28.479 --> 1:40:30.559 I uh, yeah, I'm a I'm a big fan of 1:40:30.600 --> 1:40:34.720 Southern Pines. Yeah. But other other other tip from me, 1:40:35.040 --> 1:40:37.519 just don't speed in More County. Once you get close 1:40:37.600 --> 1:40:40.679 to More County, it's not worth it. They're gonna they're 1:40:40.720 --> 1:40:43.080 gonna say that you have to come back for court 1:40:43.160 --> 1:40:45.400 in person, and the only way to get out of 1:40:45.439 --> 1:40:47.840 it is higher local attorney. It's gonna cost you an 1:40:47.880 --> 1:40:50.040 arm and a leg. It's gonna be the most expensive, 1:40:50.479 --> 1:40:54.680 uh speeding ticket, you know, nominal normal speeding ticket that 1:40:54.720 --> 1:40:57.920 you can find. That's just a personal anecdote. Don't when 1:40:57.960 --> 1:41:01.120 you get close to more County do not whatsoever. 1:41:01.640 --> 1:41:02.720 Well, and they trick you. 1:41:02.840 --> 1:41:05.839 It goes from like sixty five to fifty five real fast. 1:41:06.880 --> 1:41:08.680 You come over the hill. That's the right way. They 1:41:08.720 --> 1:41:14.720 got me so dangerous. Just yeah, just be careful with that. 1:41:14.840 --> 1:41:18.080 It's it's a pain in the ass. Speaking from a 1:41:18.120 --> 1:41:22.080 personal experience, any parting Pineher's advice. 1:41:22.160 --> 1:41:26.479 Hmmm, you know, you know, but don't assume that you 1:41:26.479 --> 1:41:29.280 can get an uber from Pinehurst back to the Raleigh Airport. 1:41:29.880 --> 1:41:33.800 You really can't. So run a car if you're staying 1:41:33.840 --> 1:41:35.920 at the resort. They have shuttles that will take you 1:41:35.920 --> 1:41:38.200 to and from the Raleigh Airport. I just had a 1:41:38.200 --> 1:41:43.000 friend visit and she had like multiple ubers cancel on her. 1:41:43.439 --> 1:41:45.520 You can't get uber here in Pinehurst. 1:41:45.800 --> 1:41:45.920 You know. 1:41:46.040 --> 1:41:48.920 The last time I did this, the guy that was 1:41:49.520 --> 1:41:52.360 driving me was pitching me on trying to He wanted 1:41:52.400 --> 1:41:57.560 me to buy his cab business, getting into the cabusiness. 1:41:57.640 --> 1:42:01.040 Yeah no thanks, yeah, so just kidding. I mean, it's 1:42:01.040 --> 1:42:02.760 a great it's a great place to visit. One thing 1:42:02.800 --> 1:42:05.960 we didn't talk about too is like when I would 1:42:05.960 --> 1:42:10.640 say like peak, yeah, peak time to visit Pinehurst, I 1:42:10.640 --> 1:42:13.320 would say, like march to the end of May is 1:42:13.400 --> 1:42:16.280 really awesome. June you were there for the US Open. 1:42:16.280 --> 1:42:18.000 It's really hot and really humid. 1:42:19.400 --> 1:42:23.280 I didn't think I walked away from that week being okay. 1:42:23.000 --> 1:42:26.960 Okay, so like you would probably go through June wasn't terrible. 1:42:27.520 --> 1:42:31.040 Yeah, it gets really yeah, it gets really gross in 1:42:31.120 --> 1:42:33.160 July and August. I think they might even have like 1:42:33.240 --> 1:42:37.439 off peak pricing during that time. And and then the 1:42:37.439 --> 1:42:38.440 fall is beautiful. 1:42:38.720 --> 1:42:39.639 It's so nice. 1:42:40.360 --> 1:42:42.960 November yeah, incredible. Yeah. 1:42:42.960 --> 1:42:45.160 Sometimes we played on like on Christmas. 1:42:45.360 --> 1:42:51.680 So when what's like January? People always wonder about January 1:42:51.800 --> 1:42:52.400 through March. 1:42:52.720 --> 1:42:56.320 Yeah, so, I mean last year we did get a 1:42:56.360 --> 1:42:59.519 little bit of snow. It lasts like a day. But 1:42:59.600 --> 1:43:01.880 like if you're trip is book during that time, it's 1:43:01.920 --> 1:43:04.960 just not ideal. It's you know, the grass is dormant, 1:43:04.960 --> 1:43:06.840 which is like really fun to play on and like 1:43:06.920 --> 1:43:13.439 visually really cool. I would say it's really hit or 1:43:13.479 --> 1:43:17.080 miss in January and February March, you can get away 1:43:17.120 --> 1:43:17.439 with it. 1:43:19.240 --> 1:43:22.160 I went one time in February or March. It was 1:43:22.160 --> 1:43:24.559 when I lived in Chicago. I was kind of naive. 1:43:24.760 --> 1:43:27.200 We thought it was going to be nice and warm Chicago. 1:43:27.600 --> 1:43:31.200 Yeah, and I was like God, it's not very pleasant 1:43:31.200 --> 1:43:32.080 down here right now. 1:43:32.200 --> 1:43:36.599 No, No, it's still like it's not it's not the South. 1:43:36.760 --> 1:43:37.679 It's not like Florida. 1:43:39.720 --> 1:43:44.679 Rally's definitely the way way to go getting in there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 1:43:44.760 --> 1:43:48.000 it's the drive from Charlotte. The first time I the 1:43:48.160 --> 1:43:51.519 first course I played in Pineer, Syria was Dormy actually 1:43:51.600 --> 1:43:54.479 when it was public and it was my buddy got 1:43:54.560 --> 1:43:57.519 married in Charlotte and I drove. I was in my 1:43:57.600 --> 1:43:59.519 mid twenties. I drove all the way out there and 1:43:59.600 --> 1:44:03.439 back and that that was not a fun drive from Charlotte. 1:44:03.960 --> 1:44:07.000 If you can do the Raleigh Airport, it's pretty pretty 1:44:07.000 --> 1:44:09.719 easy drive from there. Yeah. 1:44:09.760 --> 1:44:11.880 So no, I mean we obviously love it. 1:44:12.000 --> 1:44:14.840 We lived there for the last three years, and I 1:44:14.920 --> 1:44:17.759 just think like Moore continues to develop in the area, 1:44:17.840 --> 1:44:20.719 but ultimately like it really is all centered in golf 1:44:20.880 --> 1:44:24.360 in both communities, which works well for me. 1:44:25.160 --> 1:44:27.880 Yeah. All right, Well, thanks for coming on. You could 1:44:27.920 --> 1:44:31.680 read Abby's full guide. She's got a lot of recommendations 1:44:32.080 --> 1:44:34.200 on the website, lots of rex. 1:44:34.280 --> 1:44:34.439 It was. 1:44:34.760 --> 1:44:37.360 It was great having somebody that actually like lives somewhere 1:44:37.520 --> 1:44:40.759 do the guide. I don't know, that's like my favorite 1:44:40.800 --> 1:44:43.200 thing when I go travel somewhere as I usually like 1:44:43.240 --> 1:44:45.599 to talk to somebody that lives there and to find stuff. 1:44:46.400 --> 1:44:49.720 And this was great. So thanks Abby, and we'll have 1:44:49.760 --> 1:44:51.160 you on again sometimes, I hope. 1:44:51.200 --> 1:44:51.960 So thanks guys. 1:44:52.120 --> 1:44:54.040 We'll see what's the next what's the next guide? 1:44:55.120 --> 1:44:55.519 I don't know. 1:44:55.640 --> 1:44:57.400 You may be the only person to spend a cabot. 1:44:58.000 --> 1:45:01.400 Yeah, I could do cabot. So let's go to Halifax. 1:45:03.160 --> 1:45:05.640 It's it's so hard to get to Yeah, it's a 1:45:05.680 --> 1:45:08.559 topic for another day. Like when I talk to people 1:45:08.600 --> 1:45:11.439 about getting there, it's like I'll just go to Edinburgh, 1:45:11.520 --> 1:45:28.360 correct stud Correct? All right? Thanks Avy, Thanks guys, all right, 1:45:28.439 --> 1:45:32.519 big thanks to all my guests for joining me on 1:45:32.560 --> 1:45:36.280 this podcast. Check out Frida Egg Guides at the Friday 1:45:36.320 --> 1:45:39.120 dot com. Just peruse the website. It would be my 1:45:39.920 --> 1:45:43.040 piece of advice. There's a lot of stuff up there. 1:45:44.520 --> 1:45:48.200 And big thanks to PJ Clark for editing and producing 1:45:48.240 --> 1:45:52.000 this podcast. This one was kind of a beast put together, 1:45:52.360 --> 1:45:55.120 so big thanks to PJ. We'll be back next week 1:45:55.200 --> 1:46:00.080 with our preview Five Things about the Ryder Cup with 1:46:00.120 --> 1:46:05.720 guests not guest now Frida Egg team member Kevin Bean 1:46:05.800 --> 1:46:09.759 Welkenberg We're super excited to add kvv to the team. 1:46:10.320 --> 1:46:14.120 He will be a fairly regular guest of this podcast 1:46:15.000 --> 1:46:18.240 We've got and also another reason go check out the 1:46:18.240 --> 1:46:22.840 website more writing on the website. He will be a 1:46:22.880 --> 1:46:27.639 regular contributor to our newsletter, subscribe to that and can't 1:46:27.640 --> 1:46:32.519 wait to see the stuff that KVB puts together for 1:46:32.560 --> 1:46:35.360 the Ryder Cup, which is right around the corner at 1:46:35.360 --> 1:46:38.920 Bethpage Black. So we'll have five things about the Ryder 1:46:38.960 --> 1:46:44.040 Cup coming live on Sunday, as we usually do for majors, 1:46:44.120 --> 1:46:46.839 So check that out there, and big thanks to everybody 1:46:46.920 --> 1:47:05.680 for listening, and we'll talk to you next week.