2011 THP Outing Questions/Suggestions

[v3.0]

1. Time of year to hold outing?

Late February, early March would have my preference. That would provide me with a good incentive, as there is no chance I can play in MA then.

As for the rest of the questions: From what I can see the outings look like a lot of fun. I am sure the next one is going to be fun too! I have no strong preferences for items 2 thru. 10.

 

[bstonerjk]

JB and THP family,

While I wasn't able to attend this outing, it sounds like a blast and given my experience planning events similar to this, I think I may be able to offer some insight. So here's my two cents, take it for what its worth.


1. Time of year to hold outing?
This really depends upon location. For instance, if you chose Bay Hill as the location, you wouldn't want March because prices will be out the rear-end because of the PGA TOUR event just having been or about to be played there. Likewise, if Innisbrook is the resort of choice. I would say March is really the ideal time to do an even like this as more equipment companies will be able to showcase new wares that will just be hitting retail shelves weeks later. Also, equipment companies will be much more interested in getting their equipment in your hands prior to the start of the golf season, rather than as it wraps up. Imagine if Bridgestone could have gotten 50 of you to try the B330-RX and RXS back in March instead of now. Theoretically, that gives you more of the golfing season to be purchasing equipment. From a business standpoint, that makes it much more attractive to donate equipment to an outing like this, so you'll benefit by getting a lot of good stuff to try. Also, the baseball fan in me says March is a great time to be in FL, so maybe i'd take an extra day and hit up some Spring Training.

2. Stay & Play vs find your place/golf courses
- I've done a dozen of these things and stay-and-play is the only way to go. Everything else is too much liability and much more of a hassle.

3. What area in FL?
Orlando and Tampa seem the obvious choices for me. While Southeast FL is great you can't beat the options for traveling to Tampa and Orlando. Also, the other activities offer a multitude of things for non-golfing family to do during the day.

4. PGA National again vs another resort or area
We did our Bridgestone Golf Coming to America Event in 2005 at PGA National. Still one of the best places we've ever hosted an event, so always a great choice, but really this depends more on what kind of deal you can get. Just cause you got some ridiculous pricing this time around, doesn't mean they'll offer it again, especially when THP the Mag has already covered the resort.

5. 3 days vs 2 days (tcalloway1 came up with an idea of having the event run 3 days with the 1st day being a full day of demo day)
3-days for a number of reasons. That doesn't mean that someone couldn't come for 2 days or 5 days depending upon their availability.

6. THP Dinner...Did you enjoy it? Should we do it again?
Group dinners while logistical nightmares are always fun and worth it in the end.

7. Did you enjoy the contests?
Sounds like the raffles and putting content were well received, so I would keep them. Other things that been well-received in the past are other types of golf fun events (shamble, 9-hole captain's choice, etc.) Think about a 9-hole captain's choice after One-T's full demo day. You'd only be taling 2.5-3 hrs of extra time and the fun would be pretty unbeatable.

8. Was the price of this outing worth it?
Sounds like everyone who attended received a great deal. The 2 for 1 at the bar is unheard of.

9. Would you come again or will you make it to the next one?
I'd like to join you all for the next one.

10. What was the highlight? (or what would you have thought your highlight would have been had you come)
Sounds like world-class golf, meeting people and the overall resort experience made for a memorable weekend.

 

[JB]

I dont see the answers? Am I missing something?

 

[Kmac]

I want to add one more thing to this event planning, is that I would very much like this to offer world class golf. It would be hard to go play a regular public course after having gone through the courses we went through this weekend. I love the idea of playing tour stop golf or VERY good resort golf. We are researching like crazy on our end.

I agree, after PGA National it would be hard to go to a "regular" course. I like the idea of playing the best course Ive ever seen.

And more on demo day. I think it needs to be just as structured as before and not just an all day free for all. From 8-12 is drivers and hybrids. And Im not sure if this could happen but I think with 50+ people having two launch monitors would be a huge benefit. And then from 1:30-4:30 could be putters and wedges. That way its kept organized and everything is fit in one day. Still time for lunch and a break from being outside.

One more thing. I think if we could start golf earlier, like 7 or 8 AM, the quality of golf and enjoyment level would go way up. Then the replay could come into play for those interested in making their own groups later.

 

[Ole Gray]

1. Time of year to hold outing?
I vote for the spring or fall months that are not in the high rent zone.

2. Stay & Play vs find your place/golf courses
Stay & play. More time to socialize with fellow Thper's

3. What area in FL?
WPB was very nice and I would not mind at all meeting there again. Orlando & Tampa would be great for out of state travelers. The gulf side of the state is beautiful so that would be on my radar as well.

4. PGA National again vs another resort or area
PGA National would be in my top three

5. 3 days vs 2 days (tcalloway1 came up with an idea of having the event run 3 days with the 1st day being a full day of demo day)
3 days

6. THP Dinner...Did you enjoy it? Should we do it again?
If it's not too expensive or stress related then sure. I thought the private dinner environment was excellent.

7. Did you enjoy the contests?
Yep

8. Was the price of this outing worth it?
Yes however for couples, it gets a bit more costly. Going to places such as WPB two times in a calendar year could be a cost factor for many.

9. Would you come again or will you make it to the next one?
We will be there!

10. What was the highlight?
A. Meet & Greet at the I - Bar in a relaxed atmosphere
B. Playing or at least attemping to play on PGA National

 

[SW]

Late February, early March would have my preference. That would provide me with a good incentive, as there is no chance I can play in MA then.

Those would be some crazy high green fee's, for example my weekly course charges $40/25 AM PM tee time currently, in FEB and MAR, it's 140+ Gotta wait til the snowbirds head north

 

[adwillingham]

1. Time of year to hold outing? I think that either April or September have their plusses and minuses. April is probably less humid, and your chances of tropical storms/hurricanes are less than in September. Depending on the destination, April may be affected by Spring Break travel (whether you consider that good or bad), whereas September after Labor Day is between the summer vacationers and the snow birds. I would echo some of the earlier statements though in that, for the people who don’t live in the Southern US, April might be a great time for an event like this to break out of the winter doldrums. From the equipment side of things, I know I am more excited about equipment in the early spring when I have the whole golf season ahead of me versus at the beginning of fall where I won’t be playing much more. On the flip side, with the release schedules the way they are, spring may limit the amount of pre-release equipment (although we would still have many things that had just been released that we could talk about). A September date (while still worth it mind you) did tie up one of the early football weekends. All that said, personally I would prefer April over September.
2. Stay & Play vs find your place/golf courses – Before this outing, I would have voted against Stay & Play, so that I could have shopped around and found a better rate. Two things did change my mind. The rate for what was included was outstanding and unbeatable. Second, the fact that we were all in the same place, and that no one had to drive after the evening celebrations, was terrific too. So now, if the price is good, Stay & Play is the way to go.
3. What area in FL? Selfishly, I would prefer Orlando, Tampa, or Jacksonville/St Augustine. Those airports would have more options available. For those of us driving, they would be significantly closer to get to from anywhere but South Florida. Personally, Orlando would be ideal so that I could turn it into more of a family vacation.
4. PGA National again vs another resort or area – I enjoyed the PGA National Resort, but I would rather try somewhere else than play the same place again. Maybe I’m alone in this (and maybe the wind affected my enthusiasm), but I liked Sarasota National in the spring about as well as I liked either PGA National course from a layout, playability, and condition standpoint. The overall perks were better at PGA National though.
5. 3 days vs 2 days – If we only did one main outing every year, I could support three days for the reasons expressed by others. Also, there could be some really good flight deals for Thursday arrival/Monday departure. I would hate to limit the Demo Day to just Friday though because you would have people who wouldn’t be able to participate though.
6. THP Dinner...Did you enjoy it? Should we do it again? – I loved everything about the dinner. The food was great, the giveaway was great (and tremendously run), and it gave us a chance to be together as a group away from the rest of the hotel/resort. I know it was expensive and may not be possible each time, but I enjoyed it a lot.
7. Did you enjoy the contests? – The contests were very nice. The giveaway let people participate as heavily or as lightly as they wanted. I’m not sure that I would change anything about it other than, if someone won a second prize, letting them choose right then which they wanted, and putting the other back up immediately. The format where each winner could only win one prize was terrific. The putting contest was fun too, and I agree with the other comments that the group support around each participant was awesome. I’m sure that the roar when Bulldog sank the putt was the loudest roar the resort had seen since the Honda Classic in March.
8. Was the price of this outing worth it? – The price was outstanding for what we got in return. The pricing of food and beverages was a bit ridiculous, but probably typical for a resort. There were other options close by however that could be used if that was a major concern. To me personally, the cost of attending two separate outings is more than I can handle each year, but I wouldn’t miss one if I could help it.
9. Would you come again or will you make it to the next one? – I would absolutely do everything possible to make it to the next one.
10. What was the highlight? – The highlight to me was and always will be the people. Everything else was great, but visiting with and playing golf with this group far outweighs the other details.

 

[bama]

Unfortunatley ALL of our official outings will be held in FL. We cannot transport this much equipment to other areas. Fortunately there are plenty of great places to host this kind of thing here.

[edited about venue]
nevermind

 

[JB]

I am not that far from FL, so it works personally, but cant the manufacturers just drop ship the equipment at the venue of choice....if it was to be held in say...like Hilton Head??

And would you like to pay to ship it back to FL? We review the equipment for our home page after the demo day process. We have said all along, we encourage people to have outings and get togethers, however the THP Official Outings will be held in FL.

 

[GolferGal]

And would you like to pay to ship it back to FL? We review the equipment for our home page after the demo day process. We have said all along, we encourage people to have outings and get togethers, however the THP Official Outings will be held in FL.

I want to elaborate on this just a little. Besides the expense of shipping the items back after we also have the liability of having items sent to a hotel. We need to catalog all items as they arrive to us to make sure we know what is coming in and what is left after the outing. A company may say they sent x, y,z clubs but we need to be there to confirm that's what was sent. If items are sent to a hotel they are not going to open the boxes and tell us what is there, and even if they did they could be dishonest. I don't think that would happen but it could and then we are responsible for stolen or lost items. It's just not a risk I am willing to take. Plus with pre-release items, it's important that we, THP staff, keep an eye on those items at all time. The last thing we would want is for hotel staff to take pictures of items and leak the information. That would then be brought back on us and we would be held responsible and possibly cause irreparable damage to our relationship with the company. It's just too much risk to do it that way.

 

[Hanks]

I think the key question of this thread is really 3 days vs. 2 days. 3 days would allow for some more interaction with fellow THP'ers. I think the extra day would allow for some extra time for everyone to use as they please. After a whirlwind couple of days of golf I realized after reflecting on the trip that I didn't get to talk enough with some of the new members or original 'founding fathers' from the original outing let alone play with them. Of the new people that I met you are truly in a great place here at THP and for those whom I didn't really get to talk to I hope we can continue to get to know each other more on the forum and possibly hit the links together until THP Outing 2011 is announced.

 

[bama]

And would you like to pay to ship it back to FL? We review the equipment for our home page after the demo day process. We have said all along, we encourage people to have outings and get togethers, however the THP Official Outings will be held in FL.

Not trying to rile you up JB but some of us are not "in the know" on how the shipping was paid for...How do we know that the major manufacturers did not offer to pay shipping both ways ?? With that being said, here are my answers to your questions:

1. I prefer the cooler months, but I will golf anytime with fellow THP'ers
2. While on the spendy side, the Stay and Play was very nice
3. I like the Orlando area as well as that affords me a family vacation portion as well
4. Definitely another resort area..(maybe with only a 15% gratuity and not on the advil self purchased at the gift shop) :bad:
5. I like the Full Demo day idea as I only got a little bit out of it (for obvious reasons)..that way I could play around after I tested the Lefty stuff
6. While the dinner was really nice, I think sitting together in the Bear Trap having dinner as a group was just as fun
7. Contests were fun..I think a pay if you want Par 3 and Long Drive contest might be neat
8. The price was definitely worth it. While the meals at the resort seemed quite spendy, a little creativity with the hot dogs and brats could save you some $$$
9. I plan on making it to the next one.
10. The highlight was definitely making new friends. in a close second was the golf. I realize that a lot of effort is put into Demo Days, but for this lefty, it falls towards the bottom of the list..(not complaining...just commenting on minimal lefty equipment)

Bama

 

[JB]

Not trying to rile you up JB but some of us are not "in the know" on how the shipping was paid for...How do we know that the major manufacturers did not offer to pay shipping both ways in exchange for some good reviews??

We have NEVER taken a dime for good reviews. Never ever ever and the insinuation of something different is flat out wrong. And there are a few staff writers here that would take MAJOR EXCEPTION to having their morals and ethics taken into question.

There is nothing to be in the know about. We have said from Day ONE, that our outings will be held in FL.

 

[JB]

4. Definately another resort area..(maybe with only a 15% gratuity and not on the advil self purchased at the gift shop) :bad:

Bama

If you find this, let me know! Make sure you compare apples to apples in that you were getting 2 drinks for the price of that one and one tip. But that 3% can add up for some, and we addressed it in the other thread.

 

[ddec]

I did find it funny that you got charged 18% for a thing of toothpaste at the convienience area. I definately understood and had no issues with it for all of the other areas. The 18% is not a deal breaker for myself

 

[RxGus]

I did find it funny that you got charged 18% for a thing of toothpaste at the convienience area. I definately understood and had no issues with it for all of the other areas. The 18% is not a deal breaker for myself

Or at a self service food place where the only time you saw a waitress was to bring you your check.

 

[ddec]

Or at a self service food place where the only time you saw a waitress was to bring you your check.

even that I was OK with, because in reality she brought me my drink and what not. I would have left a tip for her, so 18% there didn't bother much. Though I know adwillingham and dadwillingham came in and got there stuff to go. They got the 18% too and really they took 2 to go containers got their hot dogs and chips and were out to the course.

 

[TC]

geez bama, a little harsh man. you and i both know that you can't expect a ton of lefty gear, that's just the way it always is. i know you are just trying to be honest but to imply that there's payment for good reviews is misguided, b/c the forum members are suppose to be doing the reviews, not just JB and GG. it's the one time that we can take someone's equipment, hit it on the range, throw it in the bag for a round, and then share our thoughts.

 

[bama]

If you find this, let me know! Make sure you compare apples to apples in that you were getting 2 drinks for the price of that one and one tip. But that 3% can add up for some, and we addressed it in the other thread.

oh...the 2 for 1 on the drinks definately made up for the food prices....
I am sure the majority spent more on drinks than food anyway.

I think getting a drink special is almost required wherever the next outing is...

 

[GolferGal]

Or at a self service food place where the only time you saw a waitress was to bring you your check.

18% is still cheaper than paying a resort tax or higher sales tax which is often the case at resorts. A resort tax is often well over 22% and sales tax jumps from the usual 6.5-7% up to 11% and sometimes higher, so in relation to those numbers 18% is on the low side. As a person who was in the hospitality business for so many years I not only understand the 18% but agree with it, however, for those who may not have experienced that before I can udnerstand why it might be sticker shock.

 

[ddec]

18% is still cheaper than paying a resort tax or higher sales tax which is often the case at resorts. A resort tax is often well over 22% and sales tax jumps from the usual 6.5-7% up to 11% and sometimes higher, so in relation to those numbers 18% is on the low side. As a person who was in the hospitality business for so many years I not only understand the 18% but agree with it, however, for those who may not have experienced that before I can udnerstand why it might be sticker shock.

well put. In the end the deals we got at this place outweighed a little 18% gratuity.

 

[GolferGal]

10. The highlight was definitely making new friends. in a close second was the golf. I realize that a lot of effort is put into Demo Days, but for this lefty, it falls towards the bottom of the list..(not complaining...just commenting on minimal lefty equipment)

Bama

geez bama, a little harsh man. you and i both know that you can't expect a ton of lefty gear, that's just the way it always is. i know you are just trying to be honest but to imply that there's payment for good reviews is misguided, b/c the forum members are suppose to be doing the reviews, not just JB and GG. it's the one time that we can take someone's equipment, hit it on the range, throw it in the bag for a round, and then share our thoughts.

I would like to elaborate on this one as well. To get lefty gear is near impossible. We had to pull as many strings as possible to get even the minimal lefty gear that we got. Lefty samples are just about unheard of and it's even harder to convince a company to send lefty gear when only 2 of the 48 golfers are left handed. There is little to no incentive for them to send the gear and to be 100% honest we are fortunate to have received as much as we did. Look at the 2.0 seeding for example. All the right handed players got their clubs at or before the outing while TC, a lefty, is still waiting for his. The orders are harder to fill, the invetory is less, and the demand is lower. I promise that I tried my absolute hardest to get as much lefty equipment as possible, but most companies are simply not interested in sending the goods, and often times they don't even have them to send.

 

[bama]

geez bama, a little harsh man. you and i both know that you can't expect a ton of lefty gear, that's just the way it always is. i know you are just trying to be honest but to imply that there's payment for good reviews is misguided, b/c the forum members are suppose to be doing the reviews, not just JB and GG. it's the one time that we can take someone's equipment, hit it on the range, throw it in the bag for a round, and then share our thoughts.

ok...ok...I fixed my post...I had no intention of implying that we got some monetary compensation for the reviews. (be it shipping or otherwise) I was just guessing at the way the process might have worked because I did not know. Morgan explained what I wanted to know very eloquently.. thx Morgan.

 

[Hawk]

I was personally amazed at what you were able to pull in, GG. For both the lefties and for the ladies.

 

[bama]

I would like to elaborate on this one as well. To get lefty gear is near impossible. We had to pull as many strings as possible to get even the minimal lefty gear that we got. Lefty samples are just about unheard of and it's even harder to convince a company to send lefty gear when only 2 of the 48 golfers are left handed. There is little to no incentive for them to send the gear and to be 100% honest we are fortunate to have received as much as we did. Look at the 2.0 seeding for example. All the right handed players got their clubs at or before the outing while TC, a lefty, is still waiting for his. The orders are harder to fill, the invetory is less, and the demand is lower. I promise that I tried my absolute hardest to get as much lefty equipment as possible, but most companies are simply not interested in sending the goods, and often times they don't even have them to send.

totally understood... I was just giving you my honest opinion from a LH player. Had I been RH, I am sure my answer would have been different. I really appreciate the stuff you did get for TC and I to hit, but I really was not trying to be harsh...