Keeping up with the Jones: “We should take a golf trip!”
I was at a holiday party when I found myself at the corner of the downstairs bar with my wife, my group of friends and their wives. One of the guys set down his drink and made a proclamation, “In 2025, we should take a golf trip together!”
By then, the bourbon was flowing, and I was incapable of inner dialogue. I blurted out, “Golf trip? When you have my job, that’s called a ‘work trip.’”
When one of the wives scowled at me, I realized I just dashed someone’s idea of a good time. So, I followed up with, “Or, you could always just come with me to the U.S. Open or the Masters because you know I’m going to those.”
Apparently, that wasn’t a great follow-up either.
Just a few days later, I was again reminded how lucky I am to be in the golf business. The Palm Beach GCSA invited me to speak at their chapter meeting. A big snowstorm was heading toward the Midwest, and Southwest Airlines offered to move my flight to Florida up a day to beat the storm. I got the green light from my wife — I love my wife — then headed out.
As ice and then 12 inches of snow smacked northeast Kansas, I was smacking a 3-wood down the fairway (OK, sometimes fairway, sometimes elsewhere) at Longboat Key Club (see my 19th Hole interview with Longboat Key’s Bob Coffey in this issue). That trip was one for the record books as I got in 45 holes in three days, saw some incredible projects that we’ll feature in future issues and maybe even upset a LIV golfer when I hit a shot from near his backyard (probably should’ve picked that one up).
So, this is just that annual reminder that while I know you all work like hell, especially during the peak season, this industry comes with some great perks — like free admission to the Masters for you Class A GCSAA members. Take advantage when you can. Because the busy season is coming …
On to a few bullets:
- Following up on that above note, this issue features the first story in a series — sponsored by our friends at Quali-Pro — on superintendents hosting professional tournaments. In this issue, we’re spotlighting the work done recently at TPC Sawgrass, host of the Players Championship. The sponsorship will continue in the Tour Guide issue, which will be out soon, and will also spill over into in-person events at several tournaments — including the Players, the Masters and the U.S. Open, among others. Keep your eyes peeled as we’re hopeful to host a bunch of our readers at these events in 2025.
- Welcome to the team Will Coughlin, Golfdom’s new digital media specialist. Will is in charge of all things digital — the website, social media, the e-newsletter, etc. Will is an absolute golf nut, both playing and watching. When I grabbed a drink with him recently, the first thing he asked me was, “Did you watch The Match?” The kid is eager to talk golf with you all, and I’m a little worried he’s also prepared to take my money in our fantasy golf pool.
- I was sad to hear of the passing of my favorite dog of turf, Pinki, who was the loyal sidekick to my friend Damon Di Giorgio at Point Hardy GC in St. Lucia. I told Damon that Pinki might have been the most famous dog in the industry — she was once featured in the New York Times, after all. In her 17 years of being by Damon’s side, the Chihuahua-Yorkshire mix became friends with then-Vice President Joe Biden and was also a regular cart mate of Rickie Fowler and his wife. Pinki also did volunteer work when she’d visit hospitals to cheer up folks battling Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Cheers to Pinki — she was a good dog.
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