WEBVTT - The Tiger Slam, Designing Golf, and In-Person TGL Thoughts 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 --> 0:00:07.200 And when I find my ball in a fried egg. 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.600 Friday egg, the dreaded Frida egg Friday Frida egg egg, 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:13.200 fridagg bride egg Lie, I'm about ready to run off 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:13.640 of the hump. 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:41.400 Welcome back to another edition of the Friday Golf Podcast. 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:46.479 I am here today. I've got a great episode today. 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:50.560 I've got a interview with Kevin Cook about his book 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:55.760 Tiger Slam, which goes into detail about the two thousand, 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:59.320 two thousand and one seasons of Tiger Woods and his 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:04.400 remarkable I think sometimes, honestly, I think sometimes we forget 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:07.640 about all the remarkable Tiger feeds. But winning four majors 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:10.479 in a row is when you just start to think 0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:14.920 about like the feasibility of doing this completely ridiculous, like 0:01:15.480 --> 0:01:18.520 this would not happen today. I don't think it will. 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:23.959 And there are so many Tiger records that are seemingly 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:28.920 untouchable and unfathomable in today's modern era of golf. So 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:33.480 we talk with Kevin Cook about that. Also, this is 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:38.319 a big episode. Garrett Morrison, former co host of this podcast. 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:42.160 His new podcast, Designing Golf launches this week. 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:44.119 So Garrett put. 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:47.760 Together three episodes, so if you go over check out 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:50.440 his feed Designing Golf, there are three episodes to make 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:52.760 it easy to give you guys a little bit of 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:55.360 a flavor of what Garrett's podcast is going to be. Like, 0:01:55.880 --> 0:02:01.680 we have his episode with Jeff Ogilvie in this podcast today, 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:04.720 so that'll be the lead segment of this podcast is 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:08.440 Garrett's interview with Jeff Ogilvey. It happened while he was 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:12.760 in Australia this winter and they talk about the four 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:18.519 courses that most influenced Jeff Ogilvy. So really fun conversation 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:21.760 and gives you a little flavor of his podcast. So 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.400 there are three episodes in there. I'm on one of them. 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:31.240 Pj our producer is on the other, and that podcast 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:34.760 will roll out once every two weeks. So that's Garrett's feed. 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:39.559 Go subscribe on Apple or Spotify wherever you get your podcasts, 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:42.040 so you never missed one of those episodes and you'll 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:45.600 get a flavor of that in a few minutes. First, 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:48.800 I was going to talk a little bit about my 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:55.919 on the ground TGL thoughts, just some general TGL thoughts. Brendan, 0:02:56.520 --> 0:02:58.920 myself and PJ were there. We're going to have a 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:02.960 full breakdown on the shot on start of going just 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:06.440 a couple thoughts on TGL. We're four weeks in and 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:10.080 I think we've got we've seen. I think it's been 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:14.800 a mixed bag. I think it's really hard to just 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:19.080 launch a product, a brand new version of a sport 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:24.120 to an audience of a million plus people on ESPN. 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:28.440 You know, usually the way things get on ESPN is 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:31.920 that there they build a fan base over time and 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.239 then ESPN looks at it and it's like, wow, that's 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:35.280 really interesting. 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:36.440 Let's let's try that. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.560 Obviously, you have the basis of golf, and the reason 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:43.120 that this is on ESPN really is you have Rory 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:46.640 McElroy and Tiger Woods behind this, the two biggest names 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.760 in sport. So you have this kind of new concept 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:53.520 and there have been kinks. It's not been perfect, but 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:56.800 this is like any new product, like you have to 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.520 work out the kinks, and they have the toughs of 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:04.600 working this out in front of a million people. So 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:08.280 I was in attendance last night, which was Monday. That 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:12.720 was the Jupiter Links versus Boston common match. I kind 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:15.720 of went in as a fan. I did not go 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:19.080 and do the media the typical media thing. I wanted 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:22.200 to see what it was like to be a fan. Honestly, 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:25.200 I had a good time. I had a good time. 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.880 I know the ticket prices are really expensive. I don't 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:31.240 necessarily think it's like a great ticket value, but I 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.599 thought it was actually easier to follow. It made more 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:40.280 sense on in person than on television, and I thought 0:04:40.480 --> 0:04:41.800 I kind of thought it was going to be the 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.320 opposite because in the arena, you don't get the banter, 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:49.120 you don't get the miked up players. You can't hear them, 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:51.839 like it's not like they're on a speaker in there. 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.000 But I could see everything and it just, you know, 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:58.960 I think, like overarching my big thought, my big takeaway 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:03.080 from going to see it person, the broadcast is really 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:07.280 doing this product no help, Like I don't know what's 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:07.640 going on. 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:09.080 Like, there were a lot of cool features. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:12.680 There's a lot of data that you can see when 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:15.160 you're in person. One of the things I liked the 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:18.000 most about it is they have like the hole laid 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:21.320 out on a big screen next to the simulator and 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:25.479 you can see exactly the line of players taking and 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:28.280 it's like little things like this the broadcast isn't showing, 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:32.200 and it just helps you understand what's going on. It's 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.760 something that you don't really get in regular golf, right, Like, 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.760 there's no other version of golf where I can actually 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:43.520 see exactly where Tiger Woods is aiming and where the 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.200 ball goes. Like, I think that's a really interesting thing 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.360 even for a common fan. And it's really cool when 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:52.200 they hit it a little offline or you can see 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:55.760 exactly where they're aiming on a shot into the green. 0:05:57.080 --> 0:06:00.279 So anyways, I think, like just in general, my big 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:05.880 overarching thought is the broadcast really needs to improve. And 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:09.960 again this has never been done before. This is a hard, 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:12.599 a tall task. You have to figure it out. To me, 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.839 it just seems like there's way too much stuff in 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:21.679 the broadcast and too little emphasis and attention on making 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:25.000 sure that we cover the sport. In this case, I 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:27.520 do it's maybe a little bit of a leap to 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:31.479 call this a sport, but there's too little emphasis on 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:36.080 explaining what's happening in the game, which is why somebody's 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:38.680 going to tune in to watch this thing. 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:39.520 Is the game? 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.400 I don't think anybody's going to tune in to hear 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:49.520 some corny banter between Tom Kim and Cam Young. You know, 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:53.400 when when NYGC squares off against Juweplanes, I don't think 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:54.400 anybody's tuning. 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:54.720 In for that. 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:57.080 At the end of the day, people are tuning in 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:01.320 to watch these superstars play golf, to hit golf shots. 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:04.520 So that's got to be the focus of the broadcast. 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:09.040 And I rewatched the broadcast when I got home. It's 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.000 just a night and day difference, and I thought, like, 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:16.000 you know, watching it there really and obviously it was 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:17.920 a competitive match. I think that's one of the other 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:20.520 things that's another big takeaway that we can get to 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:23.240 right now, is like when the matches are competitive, it's 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.720 obviously a lot better. And this is with any sport. 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:28.840 Nobody likes watching the clock run out on a thirty 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:33.200 point deficit. In college basketball, that's a painful last ten 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:37.320 minutes of a college basketball game. And the TJL, frankly, 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:41.240 for the first three weeks was uncompetitive. They were just blowouts. 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:44.200 Now are we going to see more blowouts and more 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:48.680 close matches? I think, you know, Jupe Blinks clearly played 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:51.200 much better than they did when they got like completely 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:54.560 blown out to water in the second week, and that 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:58.280 close match made it really exciting. I think there is 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:02.640 like a genuine excitement of watching Tiger and Rory play 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:05.520 one hole against each other. That's we don't get to 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:09.840 see super scar stars square off. And that's one of 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:13.160 the things I'm wondering about with this is you know, 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.720 what are like when we look at this at the 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:18.920 end of this year, what are the best things about 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.440 the league? To me, one of the best things about 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:25.280 the league is you can see these superstars match up. Now, 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:30.040 my question would be would be better as like, you know, 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:32.280 if the back half of it is like a three 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:37.040 hole match with two players and then you know, two 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.880 man alternate shot for three holes or something, you know, 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:44.200 thinking about a little outside the box of just singles, 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:47.400 because I think the single section has been a little 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:51.960 dragging And the biggest appeal of this I think would 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:56.120 be seeing a three hole match between Rory McElroy and 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.760 Tiger Woods after they play their triples format that alternate 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:02.679 hut format. I think people would be super into that. 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.960 And could you imagine like a three hole match with 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.600 Rory and Tiger the last three holes are between the 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:12.480 top players and that's what's settling last night's match not 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:17.000 you know, the way the formatting worked out. It was 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:20.640 Kegan Bradley versus Tom Kim on the last hole. So 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:23.520 I think there's just some small things in terms of 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:27.960 like the gameplay that the golf holes. I've been pleasantly 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:30.079 surprised with some of the ways the golf holes have 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:33.400 played out. I'm not like a huge fan of many 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.520 of them. I think we had Augie pisa on here 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:38.880 a couple of weeks ago. I think he really understood 0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:43.160 what the idea of virtual golf holes can be. But 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.400 I mean Adam Scott talked about it. There are some 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:48.560 hard approaches that this is one of the things that 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:52.280 this league can do that frankly real golf courses can't 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.600 do anymore because of equipment. Is these golf courses can 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.720 put long irons into players hands. I think the biggest 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:03.640 thing that they from the golf course and gameplay standpoint, 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:08.160 outside of like formatting, that they really need to hone 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:10.920 in on is that the green is whack. I mean, 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:15.760 it is not good. I think it's the undulations need 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:20.400 to be reworked for the next year. It's very, very severe. 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:23.280 If you were playing this this green in real life, 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:28.920 you'd be like, holy shit, this is completely overcooked, and 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:34.560 so that just you know, the fixed nature of it 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.920 with the bunkers, like it can't move right or left. 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.720 For those that haven't watched this, they have like a 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:44.720 fixed green and you play into the green from inside. 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:45.280 Like forty yards. 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.960 You're basically just chipping around this green. But like the 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:53.200 green is so severe it doesn't allow for differentiation. I 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:56.000 think if the green and they have like movable jacks 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:59.679 that can change slopes, but the sections are so severe 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:03.480 they Watching it in person, I was like, wait, is 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:06.200 this green even moving? On the telecast you can't see it, 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:10.559 but like, apparently it is so like from my perspective, 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.800 I actually think that if you went way flatter on 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:17.520 the green, it would very much improve the gameplay because 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:21.120 you could use those jacks to make really varied contours. 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:25.040 Right now, there are like three really distinct sections because 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.920 the slope is so big. But if you flattened it 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.320 a little, then you could get that kind of ripley 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:36.280 potato chippy contours where you could make waves and contours 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:41.400 in all different spots. So that's another takeaway. I think 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:44.520 that Week four was a big Like after week three, 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.800 it kind of was like, where's this going? I think 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:53.320 the biggest question in the room is how long vleish 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.880 does this have? I think if we have more nights 0:11:56.920 --> 0:12:00.680 like last night where it was really exciting came down 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:04.480 to the wire, I think there is a real potential here. 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:06.679 I think the last thing to hit on is that 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:10.160 it is appealing to a younger generation, which is something 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:14.400 that golf has tried to do for years, you know, 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:18.920 But the leash question, you know, how long does ESPN 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:21.720 have patients? How long will they continue to put it 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:26.240 on primetime television? Because that that's the big win here 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:30.720 for golf is that it's it's primetime television during the 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:34.520 week in the winter, a time when people are home 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.720 and sitting inside and are looking for something to watch. 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:40.920 So I think this is overall, like I there are 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.480 a lot it's a divisive topic TGL. I think there's 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:45.040 a lot. 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:47.640 Of things that you can criticize about what they're doing, 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:50.520 but there are also a lot of things that we 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:56.440 should be hoping for workout because it is a great 0:12:56.679 --> 0:13:02.199 platform opportunity for golf to appeal to new demographic and 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:06.080 reach new fans. So yeah, I think you know. The 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.439 big thing for me is the broadcast has to get better. 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:11.400 But where it's being broadcasted and the time is being 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:15.160 broadcasted is the probably the best placement golf's ever had. 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:20.199 That's enough on TGL. Let's get over to Garrett's interview 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:23.600 with Jeff Ogilvie. As a reminder, this is the new 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:27.280 Designing Golf podcast. We decided we wanted to launch it 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:29.480 over here, give you guys a little flavor of what's 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:33.079 going on. If you want to listen to the other ones, 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.600 just look up Designing Golf on wherever you get your 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:38.280 podcasts and you'll be able to find this. 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:39.040 Subscribe. 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:42.360 Big thanks to Jeff for coming on the podcast, and 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:47.560 congrats to Garrett Morrison on launching his new podcast. On 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.600 the back half of this will be Kevin Cook with 0:13:51.320 --> 0:14:02.480 just some astonishing Tiger anecdotes from his book Tiger Slam. 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:06.400 Jeff, I gave you an assignment for this podcast. I 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:10.520 asked you to think about four courses that have shaped 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.880 you or influenced you in some significant way. They don't 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:17.160 have to be architecturally great courses or anything like that, 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.600 but I had do you think about that subject before 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:22.720 we talked. Was that kind of a fun assignment or 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:24.200 was it a pain that I asked you to do this? 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.120 No, it was It was interesting actually because I mean 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:32.760 you would instantly go to childhood and growing up and 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.560 obviously grew up in this area, and then other stuff. 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:38.840 I've played overseas, But does it really influence you if 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:42.080 you haven't played at a lot of times, you know? So, 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:44.000 I've got one from over season three from rod here. 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:47.960 Actually, oh interesting, Okay. I was wondering what percentage might 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:50.920 be in the Melbourne area, which is where we are 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:53.280 right now. We're actually filming this at Victoria Golf Club. 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:58.120 We've just played around out there. Absolutely delightful course and 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:02.600 one of many really really good courses in the Australian 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:05.600 sand belt. So you have kind of a rich array 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:09.840 to choose from among childhood courses. I would imagine a 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:14.040 lot of people their childhood courses might not be good courses, 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:18.360 but for you like it, there might be some some 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:21.360 of the world's greatest courses among those that you played 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:22.200 when you were pretty young. 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:25.160 I mean, I was so lucky I grew up I 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.160 don't know, two miles from this spot, probably just over 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:28.920 the other side. 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:30.160 Of Royal Melbourne. 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.720 I was about probably a drive of five on from 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:37.200 the fence at Royal Melbourne. So and I was playing 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:39.960 golf at a very young age. And when I got 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:41.800 my first little golf clubs, I was chipping around in 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:43.960 the back garden with Dad following around, and then I 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:45.760 think he saw that I was really interested, so I 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.480 got the little half cut down set out of the 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:50.560 mixed barrel, you know, like back in the old days 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:53.440 when the pro shops had the loose clubs and the 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:55.920 mixed barrels of clubs. Dad made me up a little 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:57.800 half set of those, and he used to take me 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:00.960 to Sandy which is now Sandy Lynx, but it was 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.480 Centeringham Golf Gold Golf Club, I guess public golf course 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:08.240 most Sundays, I seem to remember. He'd go and play 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:10.400 his club golf on Saturday. He was a member at 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:12.280 Yariara at first, and he ended up being a member 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:14.160 at Victoria, so he would go play on Saturdays, and 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.520 then Sunday was dad n Iday. And this was from 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:19.240 probably seven or eight. We were doing this what felt 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:21.080 like to me every weekend. I'm sure it wasn't. When 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:23.400 you're a kid, your memories are a bit I think 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:25.760 so Sandy, I would have said, I think I told 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:26.120 you today. 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:26.720 I think. 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:30.680 Eighty of my first one hundred rounds of golf were 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:34.400 probably at Sandy at that age. Because that age, public 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:35.840 golf is the only access you could. 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:36.640 Back then. 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:38.960 It's a little different now, but accessing these sand belts 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.360 and the private golf clubs in Melbourne was pretty much 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:45.240 impossible until you were sort of fourteen fifteen sixteen. So 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.040 the first course that I ever really sort of played 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.560 a lot and fell in love with it was my 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:52.400 home course with Sandy, which is right next door to 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:55.600 Roal Melbourne. And at the same time while that was happening, 0:16:56.480 --> 0:16:58.800 there was tournaments. This is in the eighties. Sort of 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:02.840 from early eighties through to sort of early nineties, there 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:05.879 was a tournament at Royal Melbourne. It felt like every year. 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.639 There was Austrain Open. In eighty four, there was I 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:11.520 think the Train Open in eighty five, this Train Open 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.560 in eighty seven. There was a tournament called the bar 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:18.520 Centennial Classic in nineteen eighty eight, which was half a 0:17:18.520 --> 0:17:20.480 million dollars to win in nineteen eighty eight, so it 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:22.080 was a mega tournament. It was the biggest tournament in 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.600 the world. I think that year Nicholas came Norman game. 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:27.600 Fred Kupeles ended up losing in a playoff to a 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:28.600 guy called Roger Davis. 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:29.640 In Australian. 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:34.000 Crenshaw was there, Payne Stewart was there, Tom Watson like everybody. 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:36.879 Watson won the Australian Open in eighty four. Like the 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:40.080 who's who of golf were here in the eighties, at 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.199 right next door to where I grew up. So I 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:45.560 used to sneak up the side of the fence at 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.520 Royal Melbourne and jump over the fence to get into 0:17:48.560 --> 0:17:51.040 these golf tournaments to watch these guys play. So I 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.480 would play golf at Sandy, but I would watch the 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:56.320 best players in the world player Royal Melbourne. So those 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:57.879 two sort of go hand in hand. One and I 0:17:57.960 --> 0:17:59.159 was playing a lot and the other one I was 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.920 watching the best from the world all play. And then 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:05.800 eventually I became a caddy at Royal Melbourne where they 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:07.919 still had They don't really have caddy programs here anymore. 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:09.679 There's caddies that you can get if you. 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:11.239 Sort of order them in then they will caddy at 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.320 all the courses around. But back then they were the 0:18:13.400 --> 0:18:16.840 last Melbourne Course to have a caddy program, and I was, 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:22.159 I think thirteen. You could start becoming a caddy and 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:23.720 you would caddy on the weekends. You would turn up 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:24.760 and you would sit out the back of the pro 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.359 shop and be beckoned when you were required and. 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:29.320 Go caddy for one of the members. 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:31.040 And we've got ten dollars I remember, which I thought 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:33.000 was all the money in the world, but maybe not 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:34.880 as much money as I felt like five hours out 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:36.760 dragging someone's clubs around. 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:36.760 And. 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:39.159 So I cardyed a little bit. 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:41.560 But the best deal about being a caddy was they 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:43.520 let us play the East Course at Royal Melbourne after 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:46.959 four thirty full access. You could do whatever you want 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:48.640 because the course was empty. None of the members went 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:51.520 out there after four thirty. So at four twenty nine 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:52.960 Mon would drop me off at Roll Melbourne and I 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.200 would go play the East Course every day in summer. 0:18:56.400 --> 0:18:56.880 For years. 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:59.359 Were anywhere we went anywhere it allowed, anywhere near the 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:02.760 West Course, because that was sort of the deal with caddies, 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:05.440 which which at the time everybody kind of has always 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:07.520 given it. Well, the West Course is better than the East, 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:10.560 but it's really not that different. They're really great. The 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:12.240 best part about the East Course for me was six 0:19:12.240 --> 0:19:14.240 of the composite holes, and the composite course is the 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:17.639 one that they played the tournaments on were on the 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:19.280 East Course, so I got to play these holes that 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:21.520 I'd seen Nicholas and Norman and Tom Watson and all. 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:22.000 These guys play. 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:27.720 So those two courses especially were the beginning of my 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:30.280 golf I had the local municipal public course and I 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:32.280 had one of the best golf courses of the world. 0:19:32.320 --> 0:19:34.560 It's right next door to each other. For the experience, 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:35.280 it was pretty amazing. 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:38.520 So your first two of four would be Sandy Golf 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:39.720 Links or Sandringham. 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:42.520 It was Sandringham Golf Club golf course at that point. Yeah, 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:44.879 and then it evolved in the Sandy Lynx Yeah, and. 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:47.119 The East Course at Royal Melbourne. Well, let's talk about 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:50.280 Sandy a little bit more for people who aren't familiar 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:53.919 with this area or that course. What is kind of 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:56.679 the role of that course in this area. What's the 0:19:56.720 --> 0:19:59.960 course like, what are some of the basics about Sandy Golfling. 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:02.639 Yeah, well, I guess it's a city course owned by 0:20:02.800 --> 0:20:05.960 the council or it's it's government land, so it's it's 0:20:05.960 --> 0:20:08.800 a public access golf course always been pretty cheap. It 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:10.800 had the best pro shop in Melbourne at the time, 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:13.240 back when pro shops were really, really exciting. Now we've 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.560 got Taylor Made, Titlist, Galloway stricks On and a few 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:18.800 little bits and hangers on, But back then you'd have 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:23.320 all the it had sort of there was fifty different 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:24.400 companies that made golf clubs. 0:20:24.400 --> 0:20:27.000 Back you'd have Links and like Honmar was in. 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:30.840 There, and the Mazino stuff, and we'd have exotic Japanese 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.359 stuff and all the different Ballada balls, like the rec 0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:36.280 Stars and all the different stuff, and all the gloves, 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:38.280 and they'd have foot Joy Classics in there, and all 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:41.960 the pink putters which we used to bore over and 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:44.000 the pink wedges were really cool in the day. And 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.840 they'd have Walter Hagen Crenshaw grinds, you know, remember those, 0:20:46.960 --> 0:20:49.680 the blades and Persimmon woods, and it had everything. 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:51.320 So we'd hang out in the pro shop after the round. 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:54.200 Dad loved to pro shop well as well, so it 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.240 had a great shop that was sort of the we're 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:00.000 here at the Ray Drummonds, which is the big golf 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:03.160 superstore America's like Nevada Bab's or something like that. That 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:04.680 was one of those, that was one of the original, 0:21:04.760 --> 0:21:06.520 one of those where you would go to buy golf clubs. 0:21:06.640 --> 0:21:08.160 So it was a great club from that respect. 0:21:08.320 --> 0:21:10.119 So it was sort of a public golf shop, but 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:12.280 it was also a public access golf course. 0:21:12.080 --> 0:21:13.000 That was very busy. 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:16.200 You'd get on the phone seven o'clock in the morning 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:18.520 on Monday to try to get a tea time, a 0:21:18.600 --> 0:21:20.880 good tea time on Saturday morning, like all the great 0:21:20.920 --> 0:21:22.520