THP Tour Van Event - Atlanta, GA

[Canadan]

It was about the only time I didn't care too much, since I was at an outing and nothing else really matters except the fellowship and having fun. But, with that said, I had a lot more fun Sunday with only two of those 7s and a lot less Bermuda to deal with.

Oh man, that bermuda was absolutely killer. I hit a few balls directly on the sweet spot of the club and they went all of 40 yards haha. Crazy.

 

[mikedean441]

Ok, its RECAP time.

3 days, 2 nights, 985 miles, a few dozen thpers, a crazy amount of clubs, Lots of great conversation....oh, and some golf

Picked up the rental and Dan and heading down to GA. We made some really good time and ended up there in 7 hours with 2 stops along the way. Managed to get into PGA Superstore for an hour before they closed the place on us. After swinging like a moron for the first half of it, I started to get in a groove and when the dust settled I ended up hitting the Diablo Forged so freaking well.

Checked in at the "sketchy" Super 8 and was surpised to hear that Freddie and Ryan were going to stop by. I had met both in Florida but wasnt able to chat it up enough with them. Freddie is a great guy to hang out with, dude knows his stuff, has an awesome game and its great to see the excitement in his eyes for all of the wonderful things THP has done and is doing in the future.

War is...what can I say...a character. We seem to have very similar personalities, which lead to some very interesting and enlightening conversations. Way to talk about how crappy your game was and then go out to shoot well on Saturday. For not having an lessons, you are a sweet freaking golfer. As a person, after getting to know him more, I can see why JB and GG picked him as MC captain. He really "gets it" and will be a huge asset to this site and the MC.

Saturday morning, with Chili in hand we went over and checked out the THP Tour Van. This was my first time in there, man thins thing is sweet. We were greeted by GG and she hooked us up with some sweet swag (grips, balls, hat, cup). After being able to talk to her awhile about her travels we headed over to the range. Shoutout to Chewie for putting all of this together. Having done some of these smaller gatherings I know what your headaches probably were and appreciate all that you did.

A nice sized group of THPers were already there and swinging away. After fist bump from JB, I said hellow to mostly THPers that I had never met before, carried on some conversations and then started hitting some clubs. I primarily hit irons, but before that I was hitting the new Cobra Amp Cell Driver. After Freddie got my swing back in line, I started hitting this thing pretty well. It was set for 11.5* which would have been too high for me, so next time I will be sure to try this thing in a lower loft.

I proceeded to then mainly hit a bunch of irons. Then I got to the J40 DPC's and that was the end of the iron search. Those things felt so freaking awesome. I hadn't been that "giddy" about irons in quite some time. My plan was to take the 7I out onto the course til War Eagle helped piece me together a make shift set (less a 8I and 9I).

Congrats to Donnie on winning the putting contest. I put a decent roll on it, but I ended up long, if I had only hit the tee in the ground I would have richocheted it into the cup lol. I had one of the later tee times so it was cool to stand around and watch just about everyone tee off. My round was a 3-some with Lefty and Bama. For maybe the first time ever, I was the minority as a righty. These 2 guys were a blast to play with. Lefty absolutely pounds his R11 irons. The ball just sounded absolutely crushed when he made impact and he hits his long irons unbelievably well. Bama was using his Amp driver for the first time and really hit that thing very well. Seemed he was in the fairway more times than not and with the exception fo a few blowup holes by all, I think we played pretty well.

And also in between the demo day and the putting contest, JB gave me a AWESOME THP Wilson Staff bag. I was floored at this awesome gesture by a very generous person. THis thing is a beauty and I will be honored to game it with The Hackers Paradise proudly displayed on the front of it. I'll never be able to say thanks enough...but thanks again.


After a quick shower it was off to dinner. As expected some great times there as well. Good conversations all the way throughout dinner and beyond and I think we ended up eventually leaving some 3 hours after we got there. You really lose track of time and it flies by when your around these awesome people.
On the way back I was pleasantly surprised that Dairy Queen was still open, so stopping was a must. I had myself a nice Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, and my partner in crime Canadan went ALL OUT and got himself a KILLER small vanilla cup of icecream.

Up bright and early Sunday and got to the course in time for some more range time and I continued to love the J40 irons. War let me try his with the KB shafts in them (the ones I was demoing had Project X 6.0 flighted) and the KBS's felt great as well, would still lean towards the 6.0s though. Chatted it up a bit before having the first tee time with Large Phil and JB.

This was one of the most enjoyable rounds of my life. I havent laughed that hard and that often in a really long time. Tons and tons of GREAT golf played that day. Large phil was a pleasure to golf with. Dude does NOT MISS A FAIRWAY. He has been working hard on his game and is definitely headed in the right direction. A really good dude that you can tell is just a genuine guy on and off of the golf course. Dollar bills were passed around as this group was really dialed in on the par 3's......JB, Im not sure what to even say. There were so many epic one lines and things that happened that day that I dont think there's enough room in this thread for me to type them all up. It was a real pleasure golfing with you and being able to spend some time talking to you over the few days we were there. Great golf and non golf conversations and getting to know you a little better was great. Hopefully my erratic game doesnt scare you away from teeing it up again. And if you remember my 1 liner that made you spit up your drink, please let me know!

After the round we hung out with JT, Chewie and the gang and watched most of the groups come in on #18. Then we sadly had to depart and head back home. For those I didnt name here, I enjoyed meeting and cahtting it up with all of you and hopefully we can meet up again.

To my man Canadan, you are my dude. I really appreciate your friendship that has developed from this site. The time in the car flew by as we chatted it up about Golf and Life. I love seeing you super active again in the site and the excitement that you have for THP and all things golf. Im sure this will be the first of man road trips for us.

And finally to JB and GG.

A huge thank you for all that you do. From the site, to the outings, to the Morgan Cup you guys have created a place that has become a sanctuary for so many people. There arent too many places in this world that you can go to regulary and be yourself, but this forum and these outings are that place, and these experiences have been like nothing else I have ever done before and I will cherish these times forever. I look forward to meeting up again and truely thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do.

My Top 10 experiences this weekend (in no order)

#1-There is no other place on earth where you can meet people for the first time and talk to them as if you have known them forever.
#2-According to Canadan I snore loudly
#3-Yelling "fore" and having your ball land 80-100 yards short of the guys in front of you can be somewhat embarassing
#4-Freddie really knows the art of the golf swing, dude just knows his stuff
#5-Thank to chutting I feel like a celebrity, and its popularity is spreading like wildfire
#6-THP really does have some dudes that absolutely crush the ball, verified internet distances
#7-My awesome cell phone is a thing of beauty, but I do at least have a text plan unlike some people, and next time I see War Eagle Im going to slam it against his S3
#8-Never thought we could make it to Atlanta and back with only 2 tanks of gas....SOLID
#9- PGA superstore closing at 8am is lame, Dairy Queen staying open til after 11 is AWESOME
#10- The site of the "golden ticket" on #18 will be something I never forget
#10a-I love this freaking site and Im going to get into the Morgan Cup!

 

[Canadan]

Picked up the rental and Dan and heading down to GA. We made some really good time and ended up there in 7 hours with 2 stops along the way. Managed to get into PGA Superstore for an hour before they closed the place on us. After swinging like a moron for the first half of it, I started to get in a groove and when the dust settled I ended up hitting the Diablo Forged so freaking well.

You hit the DPCs better haha!

I proceeded to then mainly hit a bunch of irons. Then I got to the J40 DPC's and that was the end of the iron search. Those things felt so freaking awesome. I hadn't been that "giddy" about irons in quite some time. My plan was to take the 7I out onto the course til War Eagle helped piece me together a make shift set (less a 8I and 9I).

SEE?!?!?! hahaha

On the way back I was pleasantly surprised that Dairy Queen was still open, so stopping was a must. I had myself a nice Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, and my partner in crime Canadan went ALL OUT and got himself a KILLER small vanilla cup of icecream.

To be clear, it was delightful.

To my man Canadan, you are my dude. I really appreciate your friendship that has developed from this site. The time in the car flew by as we chatted it up about Golf and Life. I love seeing you super active again in the site and the excitement that you have for THP and all things golf. Im sure this will be the first of man road trips for us.

Seriously dude. Anywhere, whenever... as long as we're driving!!! You're my boy Deano.

#2-According to Canadan I snore loudly

Loud is offensive to what that was hahahaha! Headphones are a must.

#10a-I love this freaking site and Im going to get into the Morgan Cup!

Ohio representing!!!! You and me both buddy.

 

[mikedean441]

Oh man, that bermuda was absolutely killer. I hit a few balls directly on the sweet spot of the club and they went all of 40 yards haha. Crazy.

bermuda=fail

 

[lmaz806]

Well I guess it's the new guy's turn. All I can say is WOW! What a great group of people. Everyone made me feel welcome right from the start. From the tour van to the range to the putting contest and the first tee it was amazing how fantastic this group of people are and what a wise choice I made by not only joining THP but also for making the trip Saturday for my first outing. I only wish I could have stayed for the dinner and played Sunday but the timing was a little off for me. My round with SeeMoreGuy and JT723 Saturday was a blast. I didn’t play too well….87 with 2 triples & 4 doubles! What a short game I have! JT is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. I wish him all the luck in the future with his studies and I hope he walks on his college golf team. Oh to be 18 and 140 pounds again.....to be honest I would settle to be 38 and 200 pounds again right about now. SeeMore is so level headed, and never gets upset, I swear. If he makes a bad shot he comes back with 2 good ones. Hope to hook up with some local rounds with him and ATLGolfer in the very near future. Found out that Ole Gray and KellyBo just moved by my work. I would be glad to show them some of the courses in their new area. Hey Tadashi I want to thank you for picking out the correct Bridgestone balls for me, they were great right up until they managed to find there way off of the golf course. By the way I will be in your neck of the woods next month for my semi annual trip to FL. I could go on naming all the great THP’ers that I met but I have been long winded enough. But I would like to thank Chewie and Pinky for setting it all up at the course and for JB and GolferGal for taking the time to bring this big undertaking all together. Thanks again to everyone….IT WAS A BLAST!

 

[War Eagle]

Stay with me, this could get long...

A few weeks back I decided that I was heading to ATL to hit up the last leg of the Tour Van stops. Talking it over with Mrs. W.E, she told me to get there as if I did not, I would regret it. I'm always up for a THP Event, and this was my 3rd "Official" THP Event and it lived it up to the billing.

Friday:
My trip started on Friday morning with a quick drive to Tampa to hop a plane to Atlanta. Got to Atlanta at 3:00pm and Freddie met me promptly at 3:15 to give me a ride. For those that have met Freddie, you know he is a good dude. Seriously, he has become like a brother to me, and if you ever see us standing next to each other, you can kind of see the resemblance... But seriously, Freddie is a great guy, and a great friend. Freddie offered me a room at his folks place in Atlanta for the weekend, which was far too kind, but I am glad that I was able to crash there. I got to meet Freddie's Mother and Father, as well has his younger brother. An absolute awesome Family he has, some of the most kind and generous people you will meet. Chatting it up with his Mom and talking Ryder Cup with his Dad was awesome. Made me feel at home, even though it was the first time ever meeting them. Again, thanks to Freddie and his Family for the hospitality.

Freddie and I were running a bit late so we jumped up and said Hello to JB, GG, Duke and Ellie at a sweet camp ground. Seeing the Tour Van always gets me excited, until I remember those storage compartments packed with staff bags underneath it and what it takes to unload it. I always look at is as a challenge, like golf club jenga, always a fun task to tackle... After checking out Yelp and seeing that "City Wings" was the hot place to eat in lovely Cartersville, GA, we decided to eat there. Not too many places can specialize in Mexican/Wing food, and pull them both off well. It was a random restaurant but the salsa was good and the wings were delicious.

We started to head back towards Freddie's folks place, and I got a text from Dan that they were at a Super 8 that was on our way home. We decided to stop by there and chat it up for a while. I had met MikeDean at the outing this year, but he didnt really talk to me then so I didnt really know him. Freddie and I pulled up to the Super 8, I didnt remember the room number but one room had their door open and there was a flurescent glow coming from it, that was Canadan. Walked in, sat down, had a tall boy Miller Light and chatted it up for a few hours. It was random, but damn it was fun. Hanging out with Mike and Dan on Friday night was awesome, felt like we had been friend for years. We stayed for a while until Mike asked us to leave, not really, but we had to get up early so on home we went.

Saturday:
Saturday morning came QUICK. Got to the course at 7am to offer a hand with the equipment. I have loaded and unloaded the tour van more times than I can count now, and I swear it never gets easier. Lifting a fully loaded staff bag from a squatting position is quite the task, slightly tougher than leg pressing 1350 lbs. Anyway, got the gear unloaded and to the range where we saw Dale Earnhardt, or the Intimidator. I swear it was #3 hitting golf balls on the range. THPers started to trickle down to the range and hit some clubs and banter back and forth. A lot of praise for the new equipment, and some love for some of the stuff that has been around for a while (a TON of DPC love).

Some quick thoughts from the range;
- I found someone that is a bigger Auburn homer than I am (shout out to Wluker)
- I found that I can effective lay up on the driving range.
- I found that I can actually hit the ball backwards if I try hard enough with a 3Wood.
- When trying to hit balls next to Canadan, wear sunglasses.
- Largephil showed up, Im still trying to figure out where the name comes from.
- I outweigh JT by about 150 lbs, and hit it 150 yards shorter than he does. Awesome.
- One of the Razr Fits has a nasty sky mark on it (not from me though).
- I laughed so hard on the range at times that my stomach was absolutely killing me, what a blast that was.
- Clubs that really impressed me for the day were the Classic 270 w/ the same shaft as my CG Black. AMP Cell Driver and 3W, the adjustability is such a sweet piece of technology. The new Cobra Encore was a very, very good club for me. I really enjoyed hitting that driver, plus I liked the design of it, nice progression on the Encore from last year. And, once again, I was blown away with the AMP Forged Irons, just a solid club and I hit them so well.
- I hit the Baffler irons, but not too well. Could be the only iron I have ever hit TOO high. But I did watch SeeMoreGuy do some work with them on the range, he was hitting some beautiful shots with them.

We made our way to the putting green. Morgan gave us a good read, and if she were in the contest, she would have won. Seriously. I went first, Donne went second and got it closer, and then nobody knocked him out of it. Heck of a day for Donne, win a new SeeMore and shoot a personal best! Putting challenge was great, and fun to watch everyone take their turn at it.


Saturday's Round: Played w/ Greg, Motoo and ATLGolfer.
Prior to the round, MaryC had put cookies out on the first tee. I ate a good bit of them, but not as many as the Starter did. I swear he went back to the bag about 5 or 6 times for more. Hello deliciousness.

This round was an absolute blast to play. I rode with Greg, who I like to call Little Dufner. Rolls the anser style putter with the Superstroke jumbo on it and has the laid back attitude to his game. The dude can hit it a country mile and just loves to play the game. Mitch, aka Motoo, was a joy to be around. He is on quite the journey now and I wish him safe travels and hope that if he finds his way down to South Florida, we can tee it up. ATLGolfer can swing the Classic with the best of them. We had some fun football banter back and forth, and I am sure enjoyed taking my money on those Par 3s. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We all played quite decent, and we decided to play a little 4-Ball on the back 9, everytime Greg and I thought we would win a hole, ATLGolfer would drain a putt or chip in or pull something out of his - - - that would keep them right in it. We lost down 1 on 18, but what a fun time it was.

I played pretty well, had some putts drop and made my way around the course (elevation changes really mess with my mind). Not much water in play on the course, really only on 18. Yeah, my ball rolled in to it. Just a reminder to folks, be careful when fishing your ball out of a pond, never know what you might find. Boom-- Golden Ticket :bulgy-eyes:.

Saturday Dinner:
Got to Dinner at the Arena Tavern in Atlanta where Chewie hooked us up with a private room for our party. We had TVs with every game on, some ryder cup action going on, and a great group of friends to share it with. I had French Fries w/ Gravy, while sitting next to a real live Canadian. Dan told me I am now an Honorary Canadian... I declined the offer. Haha! Had some great food, some cold beer, and some...interesting conversation (looks North to Ohio at MikeDean...). We laughed about the day, and talked about the rounds and the Course and just had a blast.

I am fairly certain that MikeDean wants to come to Tampa/Sarasota now, come on down, but leave the Spirit Hands in Ohio. Dan and I matched Yuenglings for a while, but I swear the glasses kept getting bigger each time the brought them out. Chatted it up with JB and GG, Chewie and Pinky, Freddie, Dan, Mike and anyone else that would listen to me ramble on. It was an awesome time, thanks again to Chewie and Pinky for setting this up, the atmosphere was awesome, the food was great, and the time spent with friends made it perfect!

Sunday:
Got to the course, and went down to the range and met up with everyone. Apparently I looked like Cupid, I thought I looked pretty dang good though. Hit some balls, poorly. Got compared to a 3 year old out on the range that was hitting the ball better than I was, thanks guys. Heard that some people went to Dairy Queen and didnt invite others, but it's ok because all that was had was a cup of vanilla ice cream? Really, Dan? Really?

Even though the Tour Van was packed with the clubs, we managed to dig around for a while and find some clubs that some of the guys wanted to take out on the course. Dan was smoking the CMBs on the range on Saturday, so I wanted to hear how they treated him for a full round...Glad you enjoyed them buddy!

Off to the first we all went. I played with Chewie, JT and Freddie. A great group of guys to play with. JT is like Rickie Fowlers mini-me, he chipped in for birdie on #4 and let out a big "LET'S GO!, LET'S GO!" It was awesome, kid can swing the stick and has some serious game. It was great to tee it up with Chewie, I didnt have the opportunity to do so at the Outing, so this was a must-do for me. We had a great day riding together and shooting the bull. A great friend and an amazing guy for organizing this entire thing at his home course. Playing with Freddie is always awesome, always gives me a pointer or two that gets my game headed back in the right direction. I completely lost my swing for about 3 holes on the back 9, but was able to turn it around and finish strong. Watching Freddie and JT pound their tee shots out there a mile was fun, gave me a little extra encouragement to get after my swing a bit, and actually had the longest drive a few times (maybe once? hehe).

We finished on 18, where LargePhil, MikeDean and JB were hanging out for a second. We had a little scavenger hunt, which was...interesting to say the least. Sometimes you just never know. We hung out on 18 for a while as the rest of the guys came in and chatted it up for a while. Unfortunately, it was time to hit the road, as I had to catch a flight home. Freddie carted me around the entire weekend, picking me up from the Airport and dropping me off. Thanks again bro, I cant express how thankful I am for the hospitality that you and your folks showed me this weekend.

What an amazing weekend.

Thank you to Josh, Morgan, Duke and Ellie for making this 5 week long journey and bringing THP to all of us. These THP events are always special to me, and I am glad that I was able to make it to this event in Atlanta.

Chewie and Pinky...you two are awesome. Thank you for setting this up and showing us all a great time. Also, congratulations on beating Auburn this weekend...

From hanging out with the Ohio Contingent of Deano and Dan on Friday night, bantering it up on the range with some old friends and new friends, hitting shots backwards and thinning some irons, an awesome dinner with a great group of people, to two awesome rounds of golf, it was a memorable weekend. I could be here for hours giving a shoutout to everyone I chatted with and met, but it was just a great weekend with great friends. Always good to put faces to names, and to see instant friendship get formed. These events are what THP is about, bringing us hackers together for a great time to share an awesome experience. Thanks to everyone for making this weekend one to remember.

Ryan

Edit; I piled up all my closest to the pin winnings on my desk and snapped a picture...

Spoiler

 

[Ole Gray]

Well I guess it's the new guy's turn. All I can say is WOW! What a great group of people. Everyone made me feel welcome right from the start. From the tour van to the range to the putting contest and the first tee it was amazing how fantastic this group of people are and what a wise choice I made by not only joining THP but also for making the trip Saturday for my first outing. I only wish I could have stayed for the dinner and played Sunday but the timing was a little off for me. My round with SeeMoreGuy and JT723 Saturday was a blast. I didn’t play too well….87 with 2 triples & 4 doubles! What a short game I have! JT is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. I wish him all the luck in the future with his studies and I hope he walks on his college golf team. Oh to be 18 and 140 pounds again.....to be honest I would settle to be 38 and 200 pounds again right about now. SeeMore is so level headed, and never gets upset, I swear. If he makes a bad shot he comes back with 2 good ones. Hope to hook up with some local rounds with him and ATLGolfer in the very near future. Found out that Ole Gray and KellyBo just moved by my work. I would be glad to show them some of the courses in their new area. Hey Tadashi I want to thank you for picking out the correct Bridgestone balls for me, they were great right up until they managed to find there way off of the golf course. By the way I will be in your neck of the woods next month for my semi annual trip to FL. I could go on naming all the great THP’ers that I met but I have long winded enough. But I would like to thank Chewie and Pinky for setting it all up at the course and for JB and GolferGal for taking the time to bring this big undertaking all together. Thanks again to everyone….IT WAS A BLAST!

Lou, we will be teeing it up for sure in the very near future :thumb: I'm thinking Lane Creek will be on the Calendar real soon and we will schedule a round with ya. Who would of thought that Kelly and I would meet someone, who works so close to our new home town through a THP outing. You just never know huh

 

[Canadan]

hahaha awesome recap War. Some decent chirps in there, but at least all my swings made the ball go more than 20 yards straight down or sideways!!!

And you might have been a bit confused on Saturday. I was wearing pants. I have B.Asha skin, not Vanilla soft serve skin!

.....I also have a number of signed one's!!!

 

[War Eagle]

hahaha awesome recap War. Some decent chirps in there, but at least all my swings made the ball go more than 20 yards straight down or sideways!!!

And you might have been a bit confused on Saturday. I was wearing pants. I have B.Asha skin, not Vanilla soft serve skin!

.....I also have a number of signed one's!!!

LMAO @ B. Asha skin...

 

[TC]

Great recap War. LOL @ your spoiler picture. That has me in stitches!

 

[War Eagle]

Great recap War. LOL @ your spoiler picture. That has me in stitches!

Everytime I hit a good shot, it was wiped off by someone else. I got hustled.

I also think Freddie takes bigger steps when pacing his ball off.

 

[Ole Gray]

Stay with me, this could get long...


Ryan

Edit; I piled up all my closest to the pin winnings on my desk and snapped a picture...

Spoiler

That's funny stuff and looks like my winnings too

 

[TC]

Everytime I hit a good shot, it was wiped off by someone else. I got hustled.

I also think Freddie takes bigger steps when pacing his ball off.

hahaha, I always blame the long stride too buddy. At least you hit the green, right?

 

[War Eagle]

hahaha, I always blame the long stride too buddy. At least you hit the green, right?

Exactly dude, GIR's are where it's at, $'s are just icing on the cake.

Silver lining and all, ya know?

 

[TC]

Yes I do. I just thought that picture was freaking hysterical. Glad you made the trek buddy.

 

[JTnumbers]

I tried to give Ryan a dollar because I thought he was closest on the short Par 3. I even wrote on the dollar... But I remember that Freddie was actually closest. Thank you for the kind words man. It was fun teeing it up with you. I think mini Rickie is a bit much, but I don't mind the comparison And you thought that chip in was loud? I would've gone all Jeff Overton on you guys if I had holed out for Double Eagle. Haha

 

[wluker17]

Recap time!

Friday was great. 7 hours in a car with my boy Deano was supposed to be a bit of a chore, but it ended up being full of great discussion the entire way. The States were flying by, and despite that stop in Tennessee smelling like somebody's woodshed, we made it safe into Atlanta in time to hit up the PGA Superstore (to get loosened up for Saturday haha) and grab some really unique ATL food (or five guys haha!).

We got an awesome visit at our sketchy Super 8 by FK and War that was an absolute GREAT way to start the weekend. Both of these guys are fantastic and their love for the game is evident. Long discussions about the site, about the experiences with other great hackers, and what would be in store for the weekend made it nearly impossible for me to sleep, but I am truly glad they came out.

Saturday morning started with some McDonalds and AMP energy. Between the excitement of the demo day, meeting so many great people, and that combination of food, I thought my stomach was ready to pack up and leave before i was. Despite that, Chewie was there with a smile first thing, and a great discussion with GolferGal and some free swag got us started the right way.

Heading down to the range, we were met by a handful of THPers and the man himself, JB, who was blasting away the new Cobra AMP driver with Freddie. The experience was memorable with great jokes, stories, and some seriously awesome equipment. Like a demo day newb that I was expecting to be, I took too many swings with not enough clubs, and felt it immediately. I'd comment on everyone I met at the demo day, but I made it a point to say hello to as many people as I could, so in short, it was a treat to meet and greet with all of you.

The putting contest was a blast, despite my feeble attempt. Donnie put out a great putt that held and got himself a beautiful new SeeMore putter. Lots of laughs there and a LOT of pre-round lingering brought on even more awesome conversations, which carried through the entire group as the putting green overlooked the first hole.

My round Saturday was great. JB was generous enough to allow me to take the B.Asha 5x on course along with a SeeMore m9 and both were tremendous. LargePhil/BigPhil/SmallPhil/FairwayFinder and WLuker/TheBigSwinger were wonderful guys to tee it up with. Very encouraging on solid shots, i found myself on cruise control just enjoying the moment. I gave a few dollars and received a few, and completed a pretty solid round with two gentlemen.

After watching the rest of the pairings come in, we hit up the hotel for a quick shower and headed over to the Arena Tavern. We were met by even more great conversation which lasted hours, along with some really good food (although I hear their bread is expensive). I was considering going toe-to-toe with War on Yuengling's, but decided to cut it short considering the Sunday I had upcoming. In any case, you guys and gals were great at dinner.

Sunday morning brought much of the same atmosphere. Early to the range, and a good little wait until we could get on course. I took too many swings with the B.Asha thinking I'd have to cough it up before my round, but was greeted by War, looking like he'd just run a marathon, with an entire set of Adams CMBs with C-Taper shafts in them (you are the man, dude). I went to work on the range getting them dialed in and took them on the course with me, and they were fantastic. So incredibly rewarding.

My Sunday round consisted of great conversations with Bama all the way through. I may not have played my best golf, but I had a blast, despite the power faders Russel/Rusty and Randy/MHG taking my dollars!!

The drive back was loaded with great commentary. I have so many positive memories this weekend of golf, THPers, people I consider to be friends now, and equipment. One final shoutout to my boy Deano. Dude, you are unofficially my THP partner in crime. An entire weekend together and we never ran out of things to chat about. Two loud nights and 14 hours in a car and I would do it all again tomorrow in a heartbeat. Thanks for being my THP wing man.

THP truly is a wonderful asset to golf and people who love it. I cannot wait to see everyone again, hopefully soon.

It was great playing with you too, Dan. I hope I didn't annoy you complaining about how horrible my round was. I just can't turn the perfectionist in me off.

 

[Canadan]

It was great playing with you too, Dan. I hope I didn't annoy you complaining about how horrible my round was. I just can't turn the perfectionist in me off.

Everyone has off days dude.. When you finally found the screws on that G20 you were throwing the hammer down. BIG SWINGER!!!!

 

[cpljohnst]

I tried to give Ryan a dollar because I thought he was closest on the short Par 3. I even wrote on the dollar... But I remember that Freddie was actually closest. Thank you for the kind words man. It was fun teeing it up with you. I think mini Rickie is a bit much, but I don't mind the comparison And you thought that chip in was loud? I would've gone all Jeff Overton on you guys if I had holed out for Double Eagle. Haha

I bet we would have heard that "boom baby!" from 4 groups behind yours!

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[wluker17]

From the moment I arrived I had fun. First person I met was Bama. We are the long and the short of it partner (Bama pointed out on the range that standard clubs don't fit either of us). Then all the rest of the crew, as I made my way down to the range to hit a few clubs. It was nice to see, I wasn't the only petite person on the range. I need to play with Toad at some point. JB made me feel right at home. His first comment wasn't hello, but, something like, your forum handle doesn't fit does it (Sarcasm intended). Since that is a big part of who I am, (can't get away from the size) it took all the apprehension away. I usually feel like an extra from planet of the apes, until folks get to know me. Thanks for breaking the ice JB.

I had fun watching everyone pounding balls for two hours. I think it probably affected a few of us by the end of the day. I really was surprised how much I liked the new red Cobra Encore. It felt like hitting an anvil, solid. The Amp gel was cool as well. I think there is something mentally stimulating about red. Ferrari's, Corvette's and the like. It helps if a club is appealing. Cobra is getting it. They have one upped the industry for the moment.

Back to clubs. From an iron perspective, I hit several. It is hard to judge irons when hitting standard lies, but, I did like the Bridgestone DPC's and really like the Adams V4's. I ordered a set of the Adam's fit to my size. The Hybrids are the real deal and the forged irons make it all work for me. I like forged irons, but, hadn't found a set that really fit. The Adams appear to fit that bill. Dang it JB, I may have to trade my Anser FW's for mashie's. I should not have hit them, nor watched you and Deano. Anybody looking for an Anser 3w,5w regular flex? Lot's of other really great clubs, those are the ones that stand out.

Now for the golf. The highlight was the people. Dan and Will were fantastic the fist day. I am taking lessons and it has my swing a bit flaky at the moment. I drove the ball reasonably both days, but, scoring and approaches are where I need my swing dialed in. It wasn't. Thanks for putting up with me guys. I did role the rock the first day. SeeMore for the win. Will takes a rip at it. If I went at the ball that hard, they would have to call life flight. Man you hit some bombs out there. Dan, you played great. What else can you say, guy shoots 75 on a course he has never seen. Well done. I brought a fist full of dollars and gladly paid them out.

Next came JB and Deano and the "Golden Ticket". What a blast. Thankfully both days I hit my drive down the middle on 1 and 18. Everything in between was hit or miss...ok, just a little pun. Deano, all I can say is "Fore". It is hard to concentrate when you can't stop laughing. What a blast. JB finished very well. My goal for the weekend was to take one dollar from JB. I did, with and audience. My life is complete. . Deano is a great guy. He made a dumb bet that did not allow him to chutt this week. What a shame, I was looking forward to seeing the master at work. I am working on a mini plumb-bob to help you get your tee's in the ground straight (just kidding). Deano also hit some bombs, but, much better with those mashies. I did not need to see how easy those are to hit, did I say that already? lol

Oh, the "Golden Ticket", it will remain a mystery to those of you that did not attend the event, until you can speak to someone in the know. Let me tell you, don't ask though. You just don't want to know.

Finally, It was so good to put so many faces with names. For those that I didn't thank earlier. Well done Mary for the Cookies, Kelly for the pictures and everyone else for the fellowship. Freddie, it was nice to hang with someone that likes a fine cigar. Lefty, it is neat to see someone else that is vertically challenged. We need to play. I can't wait for the next one.

It was fun playing with you too, Phil. You were showing those greens who was boss on Saturday. I just can't get the hang of bermuda greens.

 

[SethO]

I don't even want to read this thread because I don't want to know how much of a good time I missed.

 

[War Eagle]

I tried to give Ryan a dollar because I thought he was closest on the short Par 3. I even wrote on the dollar... But I remember that Freddie was actually closest. Thank you for the kind words man. It was fun teeing it up with you. I think mini Rickie is a bit much, but I don't mind the comparison And you thought that chip in was loud? I would've gone all Jeff Overton on you guys if I had holed out for Double Eagle. Haha

Haha. Dude, you can flat out hammer the ball. If you would have dropped in the Double Eagle, I would have been screaming loud as well.

 

[Canadan]

I don't even want to read this thread because I don't want to know how much of a good time I missed.

Dude, between you, me, and Luker, I think would would have had TinyPhil throwing his shoulder out!!!!

 

[mikedean441]

great writeup WE

Id love to come down that way, but its so hard to walk away from wonder weather in Ohio, especially December-March

Spirit hands FTW!

 

[wluker17]

Some quick thoughts from the range;
- I found someone that is a bigger Auburn homer than I am (shout out to Wluker)

What can I say, it is a gift.