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A month. Getting into the Tour Van and traveling from city to city for a month. It started out as a great idea, became slightly scary and concluded with memories that will last a lifetime. This thread will serve as a chance for us to discuss each of the Tour Van Events and remember fondly these memories. We took a look of pictures and videos on the road (not as many as we should) and they will go here as well. I know this post is rather lengthy, but I hope it gives some real insight into the journey. GG and I will continue to update this thread as more fond memories and wonderful thoughts come to us.
Over 3200 miles.
Through 15 states.
Over 60 hours of driving.
It sounds staggering and in many ways it was, but with each passing weekend, GolferGal and myself realized just how incredible the members of THP are. 5 great cities each with their own unique twist opened their arms to us, fellow golfers and tons of equipment for 2 straight days of fun. It was a unique plan that we believe had never been done, and that is too bad, because there was that much fun to be had.
Day 1 - Going through the original planning, THP was still in Florida, so deciding on Charlotte, turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we could leave on the Saturday morning (4am or so) and go straight to the golf course. It was the first and GG and I had crazy thoughts going through our heads. What if there was no parking? Is the course ready for us? What some overlook is one of our biggest concerns. The Tour Van takes up 8 spaces roughly and must have the ability to turn throughout to get in and out, so parking lots are very tough. We forgot that we left the planning to One-T and he handled all of that. There was ample parking for the Tour Van that was perfect and we found a great spot in the corner between the club house and the range for people to come on board, grab their Lamkin Grips, Bridgestone Golf Balls and Limited Edition THP Hat.
Checking in the course was ready for us and excited that we were there. They had range space and plenty of range balls for our group set aside on the range and the players started filing into the parking lot. This is where the "magic" happened, and by "magic" I am referring to my absentmindedness and complete lack of anything that remotely resembles organization. Golf clubs were everywhere and a special thanks go to the guys that grabbed the flat bed carts and helped us load up to drive them over to the range. See, this is the first event. The first of its kind, and while planning would have been nice, it was hard to do when not knowing what to expect. The guys "tolerated" our lack of organization and we had a great time out on the range.
Guys got into groups of four and then we head out to the course for 18 holes. I was able to play some great THPers over the 2 days in Charlotte and this was the beginning of a journey that reminded me that I still love this great game.
Dinner was a fun little gathering. It was pouring outside and we met everybody at a local sports bar and got a chance to relive the golf from earlier in the day as well as the college football that was going on around us on TVs. Just a fun night and the wings were darn good. After dinner the guys went out for more fun, but due to it being a huge storm, we could not leave the puppies on the RV without us on their 1st night away from home.
When Sunday's round was complete, I realized that this Tour Van Event was over and it saddened me. I immediately knew I would not see many of these guys the next day and its harder to deal with than one might think. You spend two great days with someone and then poof, they are gone until the next one, but it is what makes us stronger and something very unique about THP and the members here. The Charlotte stop showed us all the things that were great about these events. They tolerated our lack of organization and we applaud them for it. Some awesome random memories.
Random guy on range that got angry about leaving and offered to play for his house.
Pulling up and seeing Chunky standing on the cart path as his son "used the facilities".
Staples Swing never gets old.
Grant's game is incredible now and watching him evolve as a golfer is awesome.
Playing golf with One-T is kind of like a date with a 2nd cousin. It is going to be a little weird, slightly different, but so much fun.
Watching GrantD order wings with no sauce.
Hearing Setho's stories about "learning to gamble".
Hearing "I did not go on the Tour Van, can you send me my SWAG?". (If we ever hear this phrase again it is too soon).
And just knowing that this is the one, the beginning and the kickstart to this huge journey.
Monday morning came and we hit the road early to head North to Atlantic City. This is quite the hike in the RV and we knew we would not be able to make the drive in one day. The goal was to get up to the Maryland/Delaware area because that would leave very little for the next day. As we were seeing signs for cities, one said "Elkton" and GG and I were sitting there saying "I swear we know someone that lives there". She of course doing all the shipping knew it was Kmac, so we sent him a message to find out if the area we were looking at sleeping at was safe. He offered to stop by and film a fun little video on his birthday no less and give us some pointers to save on the stupid Delaware tolls. It was nice to chat with a familiar face when on the road and we thank the artist formerly known as OEM Kevin for doing that for us.
Tuesday morning it was up at 5am and on the road with the next stop being Atlantic City. GolferGal is meticulous about planning where we are going to stay. She reads reviews on parks from multiple sources, looks up information for days and days and frankly this is all stuff I really take for granted. She finds unbelievable spots for us to stay when in the Tour Van and we have created some incredible memories because of it. This one however, was not her finest work, but its not really on her, its on the fine folks of the state of New Jersey. One of the most "interesting" states I have ever been to, by far. We roll up to the park and see the wonderful welcoming signs of Dixie Flags and aluminum foil windows on RVs in the north. We park the RV in our spot, hook up and take the dogs for a walk. We get back to the van and immediately she goes to work, but there just is no place else to stay, so we a huge thanks go out to Golf4Life & Mrs. Golf4Life as well as Buckjob here for giving us pointers on where to go. Booked a hotel at the Homewood Suites that had parking for the Tour Van and accepted dogs. That would be our home for the next 5 days or so and it was great.
Friday morning we met up with ddec, nerfny and buckjob and we played some golf while the ladies went and did their thing. What a blast of a round it was playing with ddec and Buck. We laughed, laughed some more and played something that slightly resembled golf, all the while talking about life. Ummm, yeah Buck hits the ball kind of far, but Dean and I showed him how we roll with bad short games to match our equally bad driving. When we got back to the hotel, a package was waiting for me (thank goodness) and the Miyazaki Shafts had arrived. Ddec offered to help me (not as much offered as told he was going to) get them prepped for the demo and he is owed a thanks for that for sure. Friday night we ate some dinner, then Dean, Buck and I played some basketball at our hotel. Well I played some basketball, as I am not sure what the two of them were doing as they played against me and lost rather badly, but the 3 of us spent more time laughing than anything else. A shout out here to Kmac for picking up Frank at the airport so Buck did not have to drive back. I still owe you...
Saturday morning GG and I are up early and head to the course where we meet Jason (from the resort) who guides us to a very unique parking space. The road right next to the range became our space and it was perfect. Hats off to Jason from Seaview for taking such good care of us the entire stay. As soon as we pulled in, we knew that Buckjob, Golf4Life and Mrs. Golf4Life had a special place for us this weekend. Two amazing courses on property and the range was perfect. And those 4 days that we had at the hotel. Yeah, I may not be that bright, but I knew I had to get more organized than Charlotte, so I went to work on the club storage situation and made sure we were better prepared on our end. As we got everything out for the demo parts of the weekend, people got a few swings in and then the rain came down. Then it came down more and then it came down a little more. It stopped for a second and then came down even more. I blame New Jersey personally.
The conditions were a little damp, but we got out there and had our 1st SeeMore Putting Contest on the putting green (thanks to my disorganization we did not have one in Charlotte). Gioguy came up with a huge putt and took home the prize. Then it was off to play our rounds. I was paired with TheOrangeOne (bmik), FrankA, and Curt Slice. Great round of golf with the fellas and we did a lot of laughing. 3 great guys for sure.
Saturday night Mrs. Golf4Life got us all setup in a little private room for the dinner at the casino. What a blast. Good food that I was trying to eat my weight in and great conversations with everybody as we laughed and talked golf. As well as everybody trying to explain to Thainer (the cooler), what craps was and that that giant wheel with dollar bills was not a good bet. Spent the evening gambling and learned a few things.
1. Man do I love the game craps.
2. bmik can roll the dice.
3. No wonder the cowboys stunk the next day, Demarco Murray was playing craps with us.
4. The cooler does exist.
GG and I got back to the hotel and crashed and got up early to go play some golf. She went out with the girls for the day and I played with Buckjob, Golf4Life and Dankill. I now know what its like to be Chunkylover in every day life. Being the shortest guy in the room by huge margins. These guys outdrove me by 30 yards all day, but what a blast on the course. Golf4Life has been to almost every outing, but we had never played before, so the two of us took on Buck and Dankill and lost pretty badly. We knew it was going to be a long day when Buck topped his first drive 10 feet, then hit his second shot 40 yards, and then hit a 250 yard hybrid to the green and made a 40 footer to halve the hole with a par. Great round with 3 great men.
After the round those that wanted to stay and grab food, we went to Chickie and Petes and I still miss those crab fries. Watched some football and then back to the hotel. This was a tough one, because I knew this wonderful weekend had come to an end, and like Charlotte, I knew that I would not see many of these guys for several months. Some random memories.
FrankA never missing a fairway.
The look on Frank's face anytime Thainer walked near him in the casino.
Thain learning how to play craps.
bmik's incredible dice skills.
That buffet, had me at hello.
Seeing my wonderful wife around the other girls for both golf and shopping made me smile.
Buckjob's metal detector.
Jersey Nate's shirt was awesome.
Buck and G4L, doing their best Jersey Nate impersonation of him hitting the ditch.
Smartest drink girls ever on a course. "When's your event?" or "Are you in a band?"
Monday morning we were ready to hit the road and had a long journey ahead of us to Des Moines, IA. We knew the drive to Des Moines was going to be LONG, but were secretly hoping we could do it in 2 days. The drive through the Poconos was special as you are driving straight through the tunnels, you realize you are actually going through a mountain. Every 3 hours or so, GG and I would switch from driver to passenger to help keep us fresh when we have this long of a drive. It worked out well and we made it all the way to Fremont, OH on day 1. Parked for the night and it was quite pleasant. Day 2 came and we hit the road early and after a few hours, realized that we probably could make it all the way to Des Moines before the end of the day. To say this drive is boring is an understatement. While there are some scenic areas, much of it is just farm land for hundreds of miles at a time.
As we approached the Des Moines area, it was surreal to see where our RV park was. It was as if they carved out a giant area in a corn field and put an RV park and the area was perfect. Well kept, large, lots of great grass for the dogs and a pond running through the middle. GG completely redeemed herself with this one because after a day or two here with all the peacefulness that it provides, we were hooked. Couple of little things about this trip that we remember from before the weekend.
Casey's General Store rocks and has the best frosted cookies.
Bee Bops is awesome fast food.
And how much I missed that midwest hospitality that some areas there offer.
Over 3200 miles.
Through 15 states.
Over 60 hours of driving.
It sounds staggering and in many ways it was, but with each passing weekend, GolferGal and myself realized just how incredible the members of THP are. 5 great cities each with their own unique twist opened their arms to us, fellow golfers and tons of equipment for 2 straight days of fun. It was a unique plan that we believe had never been done, and that is too bad, because there was that much fun to be had.
Day 1 - Going through the original planning, THP was still in Florida, so deciding on Charlotte, turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we could leave on the Saturday morning (4am or so) and go straight to the golf course. It was the first and GG and I had crazy thoughts going through our heads. What if there was no parking? Is the course ready for us? What some overlook is one of our biggest concerns. The Tour Van takes up 8 spaces roughly and must have the ability to turn throughout to get in and out, so parking lots are very tough. We forgot that we left the planning to One-T and he handled all of that. There was ample parking for the Tour Van that was perfect and we found a great spot in the corner between the club house and the range for people to come on board, grab their Lamkin Grips, Bridgestone Golf Balls and Limited Edition THP Hat.
Checking in the course was ready for us and excited that we were there. They had range space and plenty of range balls for our group set aside on the range and the players started filing into the parking lot. This is where the "magic" happened, and by "magic" I am referring to my absentmindedness and complete lack of anything that remotely resembles organization. Golf clubs were everywhere and a special thanks go to the guys that grabbed the flat bed carts and helped us load up to drive them over to the range. See, this is the first event. The first of its kind, and while planning would have been nice, it was hard to do when not knowing what to expect. The guys "tolerated" our lack of organization and we had a great time out on the range.
Guys got into groups of four and then we head out to the course for 18 holes. I was able to play some great THPers over the 2 days in Charlotte and this was the beginning of a journey that reminded me that I still love this great game.
Dinner was a fun little gathering. It was pouring outside and we met everybody at a local sports bar and got a chance to relive the golf from earlier in the day as well as the college football that was going on around us on TVs. Just a fun night and the wings were darn good. After dinner the guys went out for more fun, but due to it being a huge storm, we could not leave the puppies on the RV without us on their 1st night away from home.
When Sunday's round was complete, I realized that this Tour Van Event was over and it saddened me. I immediately knew I would not see many of these guys the next day and its harder to deal with than one might think. You spend two great days with someone and then poof, they are gone until the next one, but it is what makes us stronger and something very unique about THP and the members here. The Charlotte stop showed us all the things that were great about these events. They tolerated our lack of organization and we applaud them for it. Some awesome random memories.
Random guy on range that got angry about leaving and offered to play for his house.
Pulling up and seeing Chunky standing on the cart path as his son "used the facilities".
Staples Swing never gets old.
Grant's game is incredible now and watching him evolve as a golfer is awesome.
Playing golf with One-T is kind of like a date with a 2nd cousin. It is going to be a little weird, slightly different, but so much fun.
Watching GrantD order wings with no sauce.
Hearing Setho's stories about "learning to gamble".
Hearing "I did not go on the Tour Van, can you send me my SWAG?". (If we ever hear this phrase again it is too soon).
And just knowing that this is the one, the beginning and the kickstart to this huge journey.
Monday morning came and we hit the road early to head North to Atlantic City. This is quite the hike in the RV and we knew we would not be able to make the drive in one day. The goal was to get up to the Maryland/Delaware area because that would leave very little for the next day. As we were seeing signs for cities, one said "Elkton" and GG and I were sitting there saying "I swear we know someone that lives there". She of course doing all the shipping knew it was Kmac, so we sent him a message to find out if the area we were looking at sleeping at was safe. He offered to stop by and film a fun little video on his birthday no less and give us some pointers to save on the stupid Delaware tolls. It was nice to chat with a familiar face when on the road and we thank the artist formerly known as OEM Kevin for doing that for us.
Tuesday morning it was up at 5am and on the road with the next stop being Atlantic City. GolferGal is meticulous about planning where we are going to stay. She reads reviews on parks from multiple sources, looks up information for days and days and frankly this is all stuff I really take for granted. She finds unbelievable spots for us to stay when in the Tour Van and we have created some incredible memories because of it. This one however, was not her finest work, but its not really on her, its on the fine folks of the state of New Jersey. One of the most "interesting" states I have ever been to, by far. We roll up to the park and see the wonderful welcoming signs of Dixie Flags and aluminum foil windows on RVs in the north. We park the RV in our spot, hook up and take the dogs for a walk. We get back to the van and immediately she goes to work, but there just is no place else to stay, so we a huge thanks go out to Golf4Life & Mrs. Golf4Life as well as Buckjob here for giving us pointers on where to go. Booked a hotel at the Homewood Suites that had parking for the Tour Van and accepted dogs. That would be our home for the next 5 days or so and it was great.
Friday morning we met up with ddec, nerfny and buckjob and we played some golf while the ladies went and did their thing. What a blast of a round it was playing with ddec and Buck. We laughed, laughed some more and played something that slightly resembled golf, all the while talking about life. Ummm, yeah Buck hits the ball kind of far, but Dean and I showed him how we roll with bad short games to match our equally bad driving. When we got back to the hotel, a package was waiting for me (thank goodness) and the Miyazaki Shafts had arrived. Ddec offered to help me (not as much offered as told he was going to) get them prepped for the demo and he is owed a thanks for that for sure. Friday night we ate some dinner, then Dean, Buck and I played some basketball at our hotel. Well I played some basketball, as I am not sure what the two of them were doing as they played against me and lost rather badly, but the 3 of us spent more time laughing than anything else. A shout out here to Kmac for picking up Frank at the airport so Buck did not have to drive back. I still owe you...
Saturday morning GG and I are up early and head to the course where we meet Jason (from the resort) who guides us to a very unique parking space. The road right next to the range became our space and it was perfect. Hats off to Jason from Seaview for taking such good care of us the entire stay. As soon as we pulled in, we knew that Buckjob, Golf4Life and Mrs. Golf4Life had a special place for us this weekend. Two amazing courses on property and the range was perfect. And those 4 days that we had at the hotel. Yeah, I may not be that bright, but I knew I had to get more organized than Charlotte, so I went to work on the club storage situation and made sure we were better prepared on our end. As we got everything out for the demo parts of the weekend, people got a few swings in and then the rain came down. Then it came down more and then it came down a little more. It stopped for a second and then came down even more. I blame New Jersey personally.
The conditions were a little damp, but we got out there and had our 1st SeeMore Putting Contest on the putting green (thanks to my disorganization we did not have one in Charlotte). Gioguy came up with a huge putt and took home the prize. Then it was off to play our rounds. I was paired with TheOrangeOne (bmik), FrankA, and Curt Slice. Great round of golf with the fellas and we did a lot of laughing. 3 great guys for sure.
Saturday night Mrs. Golf4Life got us all setup in a little private room for the dinner at the casino. What a blast. Good food that I was trying to eat my weight in and great conversations with everybody as we laughed and talked golf. As well as everybody trying to explain to Thainer (the cooler), what craps was and that that giant wheel with dollar bills was not a good bet. Spent the evening gambling and learned a few things.
1. Man do I love the game craps.
2. bmik can roll the dice.
3. No wonder the cowboys stunk the next day, Demarco Murray was playing craps with us.
4. The cooler does exist.
GG and I got back to the hotel and crashed and got up early to go play some golf. She went out with the girls for the day and I played with Buckjob, Golf4Life and Dankill. I now know what its like to be Chunkylover in every day life. Being the shortest guy in the room by huge margins. These guys outdrove me by 30 yards all day, but what a blast on the course. Golf4Life has been to almost every outing, but we had never played before, so the two of us took on Buck and Dankill and lost pretty badly. We knew it was going to be a long day when Buck topped his first drive 10 feet, then hit his second shot 40 yards, and then hit a 250 yard hybrid to the green and made a 40 footer to halve the hole with a par. Great round with 3 great men.
After the round those that wanted to stay and grab food, we went to Chickie and Petes and I still miss those crab fries. Watched some football and then back to the hotel. This was a tough one, because I knew this wonderful weekend had come to an end, and like Charlotte, I knew that I would not see many of these guys for several months. Some random memories.
FrankA never missing a fairway.
The look on Frank's face anytime Thainer walked near him in the casino.
Thain learning how to play craps.
bmik's incredible dice skills.
That buffet, had me at hello.
Seeing my wonderful wife around the other girls for both golf and shopping made me smile.
Buckjob's metal detector.
Jersey Nate's shirt was awesome.
Buck and G4L, doing their best Jersey Nate impersonation of him hitting the ditch.
Smartest drink girls ever on a course. "When's your event?" or "Are you in a band?"
Monday morning we were ready to hit the road and had a long journey ahead of us to Des Moines, IA. We knew the drive to Des Moines was going to be LONG, but were secretly hoping we could do it in 2 days. The drive through the Poconos was special as you are driving straight through the tunnels, you realize you are actually going through a mountain. Every 3 hours or so, GG and I would switch from driver to passenger to help keep us fresh when we have this long of a drive. It worked out well and we made it all the way to Fremont, OH on day 1. Parked for the night and it was quite pleasant. Day 2 came and we hit the road early and after a few hours, realized that we probably could make it all the way to Des Moines before the end of the day. To say this drive is boring is an understatement. While there are some scenic areas, much of it is just farm land for hundreds of miles at a time.
As we approached the Des Moines area, it was surreal to see where our RV park was. It was as if they carved out a giant area in a corn field and put an RV park and the area was perfect. Well kept, large, lots of great grass for the dogs and a pond running through the middle. GG completely redeemed herself with this one because after a day or two here with all the peacefulness that it provides, we were hooked. Couple of little things about this trip that we remember from before the weekend.
Casey's General Store rocks and has the best frosted cookies.
Bee Bops is awesome fast food.
And how much I missed that midwest hospitality that some areas there offer.
