Myrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 5
(This is a continuation of a 5 part post about my 2014 golf trip to Myrtle Beach. Please scroll down for the first post)
The last round on day 5 looked like it might get rained out. Some people left early. I decided to get started on the bourbon and cigars before teeing off, in case of a thunderstorm ending our round prematurely.
The rain held off, and we had a great round. I shot about as well as I did all week, and finished the round by sinking about a 15 foot putt off the fringe in front of the whole group.
On the last day of the trip, at the 18th green, a party starts as the first golfers finish, continue drinking, and start heckling the groups the come in after them. It builds and builds until the last golfers finish. Our group was the second to last to come in. By the time we arrived, the festivities were in full swing.
The partying continued in the parking lot outside the rooms. Some partied harder than others…
We went up to Gary and FJ’s room (where many a coke was exchanged) to figure out the final numbers, hand out winnings, and do some more drinking. As is apparent in some of the pictures, the party had still not ended.
Since it was the last night, we went to a steak house. I had a ribeye and a few more beers. We had a great meal, and it was a great way to end the trip. The next day we packed up, had one last IHOP breakfast, and headed home. I can’t thank Gary enough for planning such an awesome trip. I can’t thank my dad enough for including me, and my friends. It really is about the most fun group of guys you can imagine. It was a trip I’ll never forget, and I can’t wait ’til next year.
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Myrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 4
On the forth day, we played The Wizard. As you can see below, Jay is celebrating the miracle that occurred that enabled him to be in playing shape that morning. Jason was not doing quite as well. The rest of us faired better than anticipated, given the previous evening.
We queued up, and watched the first drives over water.
Larry enjoyed a little impromptu driving range time into the water.
Jason pulled it together and teed off (above).
The rain wig was in effect, and some old crow in a shot glass my dad bought me helped with the weather.
The rain started slow, then really started coming down. It came and went, but didn’t ruin the round.
After the round, we all piled in our vehicles and headed down to the beach for dinner at Soho. After a great dinner, Gary added up our scores, and figured out the skins, longest drives, closest to the pins, and longest putts.
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Myrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 3
On day 3 of the trip, I woke up, got a coffee, and watched players on Wizard approach and putt out on our screened porch. Then we headed to IHOP for breakfast, and then the Witch for our round. It was pretty hot out as we warmed up.
I never got a shot of the whole group at once, but this is about half of us. My dad, my second cousin Larry, Winn-Dixie, and his son C-Note teed off in the group before us. I rode with CW.
The Witch had a lot of wildlife on the course. Including a pretty fearless raccoon, and thankfully, some more disinterested gators.
It was my birthday, and we got paired up with some young guns. This was by far my worst round score-wise, but we had a great time. We played with one of these guys last year, and had a very similar experience. Hopefully, we’ll get to play together again next year.
Before the booze kicked in, we did have some pretty incredible shots. The young gun in the white shirt bent a ball around a huge tree to land on the green. It was incredible. He even called his shot.
It was hard enough to find errant balls without the oyster shells.
Larry told me that one year the course didn’t have its liquor license. He was feeling thirsty, and drove the cart across the (very busy) street, to buy some beers.
The course was beautiful, and despite worrying slightly about pace of play as some of my buddies started to feel the affects of intoxication, I had a great time. The group behind us was also from West Virginia, and the small talk with them prior to the round may have kept them from complaining. I hope we didn’t slow them down too much, but I imagine we may have. Hopefully they still enjoyed the round.
I happened to wear the exact same shirt as Taylor that round. He gets a little stressed about his golf game on occasion, but its nothing a few beers and some bourbon can’t fix. He might have gotten just a tad carried away, as he took a spill on the 18th green and made a bit of a knee divot. Larry got out his repair tool, and I have to say, its the first time I’ve seen a knee mark repaired on a green. Notice how Corey is still lining up a putt despite the chaos around him.
The young guns didn’t make it, but we had a pretty epic evening out. If you want details, you’ll have to ask me about it. Specifically, ask about how they climbed to the rafters, C-Note got tackled, Jason miraculously didn’t get us kicked out, the desperation line, and about CW’s G bucks. I had an awesome birthday. I couldn’t have had a better time. We finally dragged Jason out and got home around 2am.
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Myrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 2
On Saturday, we got up early to get down to SC. We saw some familiar sights on the drive down. The trip is organized by Gary, my dad’s best friend growing up. Its about 40 guys, mostly from the Huntington area of WV. The majority of the guys about my dad’s age, but with a few guys just older and younger than me as well. We met up with everyone at the Man O War course. It was a beautiful day and an awesome course. I rode with Winn-Dixie, and we both played pretty well.
We started off with plenty of swing lube, but as you can see below, we had to make a run after the round.
That evening, we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings, and called it a night.
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Myrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 1
My dad (and mom) grew up in a small town in West Virginia. A friend of his puts on a golf trip each year. Last year, my friend CW and I were lucky enough to get an invite. This year, we all went again, and invited a couple more friends. The base price of the trip is under $400 bucks, and includes 4 rounds of golf (carts included, coolers allowed), and 4 nights in Myrtle beach, as well as breakfast, and lunch, and an included steakhouse dinner. Its an unbelievable deal, but similar ones can be found via a quick google search. If you have a group of golf buddies, you’d be crazy not to check it out.
On Thursday, my dad and I drove down to our friends’ house in Fredericksburg to miss some traffic the following morning. We sat around and talked late into the evening, played a little piano, and told old stories. This was the view when I got up and had some coffee. Then we met up with my friend CW at the waffle house.
My friend C-Note’s Dad, Winn-Dixie, is a regular there, and his banter with the staff was as enjoyable as my biscuit and bacon. We headed down to Durham to play a round with one of Winn-Dixie’s former coworkers. He invited us to play at his country club, and even bought us lunch. Very generous. He lost an arm, but still plays golf. I can now say I’ve lost a round to a one armed man. We also played with a character who’s license plate is featured below. The weather and company was great, and the trip was just beginning.
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The Masters, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons, hitting the range
I watched some of the range coverage at the Masters this afternoon, and tried to figure out why I seem to have a backswing/swing plane problem. I consulted an old favorite, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Short of seeing an instructor and practice, reading the five lessons is about the best thing you can do for your golf game. I think this is especially true if you’re just starting out. After brushing up, I went to Oak Marr and hopefully made some progress.
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The Masters (online schedule), Azalea Cocktails, Pimento Cheese
Tuesday, live coverage at the range begins on NBC Sports LiveExtra at 9am! Part 3 contest Wednesday at 3 on Masters.com. After that, there is pretty much full time coverage online. NBC Sports LiveExtra has even more live coverage. The first round starts Thursday, fourth round is Sunday. Since I won’t be around a computer or TV for the main event, I’ll post a few pics from last year’s party, and simply remind y’all to get your Azalea Cocktails ingredients ready, and pimento cheese made.
Pictured: Big CW enjoying an Azalea cocktail, complete with Azalea garnish from the back yard. The wife getting started on the Pimento cheese sandwiches (yes, we also had ritz crackers).
For more Masters blog coverage, check out RedClaySoul. He’s already two Masters posts in, and there will definitely be more to come. I look forward to the RCS Masters coverage each year.
Enjoy the Masters everyone. ¡Viva El Pato, y Jiménez !
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The most interesting man in the (golf) world
I was doing a little reading about the upcoming Masters, and found an article from Cigar Aficionado about a golfer that my dad said I would like. The article is about Miguel Angel Jimenez, and how he appreciates the finer things in life. The article is very interesting, and it seems that Jimenez has a laid back demeanor that has led to a successful and satisfying life. I think a lot of people would be better off if they were a little more like Jimenez. As you can see in my previous post, I’ll be on a golf trip during The Masters, but when I do get to watch or check updates, I’ll be pulling for Jimenez to make the cut.
The article of full of gems, but I’ve provided some of the best parts below. However, I’d definitely check the article out in its entirety.
Hitting on the terrace of the Doral Country Club in Miami, a demitasse of espresso in one hand, a Vegas Robaina cigar in the other, Miguel Angel Jimenez could have been another spectator at the Cadillac World Golf Championship event. With his graying red ponytail and goatee, his little pot belly, his air of ethereal calm accentuated by the faint haze of smoke, the 47-year-old Spaniard struck a pose that belied the fire within—a fire that burns for golf, a fire that burns for life.
In the era of flat bellies and distant personalities, in the era defined by Tiger Woods, fitness trailers and prize money fit for a king, Miguel Angel Jimenez stands as his own man. Sure, he’ll hit balls before he plays. But he might also have a glass of wine. Sure, he’ll putt and chip. But he will certainly have a cup or two of espresso. Sure, he’s determined to be the best player he can be (with 18 European Tour victories), but he will also make sure he takes the time to savor his life.
“He’s a man of his own and everyone appreciates him,” says Chandler. “He lives his life and plays the game the way he wants to. He never rushes anything, he savors everything. He just inhales life, and he exudes it. I’ve never known someone more comfortable in his own skin than Miguel.”
In a sense, Miguel has become the perfect representation of the European Tour, which still has a more idiosyncratic atmosphere than its big brother, the PGA Tour, in the United States. He’s a true individual, with a very distinct character but that fits in well in Europe. He thinks nothing about having a glass of wine before he goes out to play. He will surely have wine at dinner and maybe a nice brandy or whisky.
Being a very proud Andalucian, you just had to figure his taste in wines would center around the Spanish greats, especially those from Rioja. Among his collection are Cirsion, Ardanza, Torre Muga, Marques de Riscal and Roda. He also has a number of wines from Ribera del Duero—Pesquera, Protos, Vegas Sicilia, Emilio Moro, Abadia Retuerta and Mauro.
Of course he also enjoys a glass of fino sherry and a number of rums including Barcelo Imperial, Brugal and Zacapa. A Bushmills 1608 Irish whiskey or a Lagavulin 16-Year-Old single malt Scotch whisky will do him quite well. “The Lagavulin is nice and smoky, goes great with a cigar,” says Jimenez, relishing the words in the manner he would relish the whisky and the cigar.
Then there are the cigars. Ah, yes, the cigars. He usually smokes four or five a day. He will smoke cigars during practice rounds and pro-ams, but he does not, he is careful to say, smoke during an official round. But you can bet a box of Montecristos that he will have one just before he tees off and just after he finishes, often lighting up before he signs his scorecard. He is such a fan of the Cuban cigars that he attended the 2010 Festival del Habanos.
“I love Cuban cigars. They have that spiciness and sweetness that are missing from some others,” he says. “One day at the festival I smoked nine cigars and I feel nothing in my throat. That is good cigars, no?”
He likes his cigars big and juicy, generally a 52 to 56 ring. His favorite is the Siglo VI and he regularly enjoys the Cohiba Behike, but really any Cuban cigar will do. He figures he has about 400 cigars in his humidors, and he can’t quash a wry grin when saying that he gets them at a bargain rate in Spain.
“It is relaxing to enjoy a good wine, a cigar, good food, a whisky,” he says. “You have to take the time to enjoy them. You cannot enjoy them if you rush them, no? You cannot enjoy life if you rush.”
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Kitted out for Myrtle, Golf Trip Essentials
I’m headed down to Myrtle Beach for a golf trip with about 40 of my, and my Dad’s, friends. I’m trying to see what I need to pack and buy today, so I figured I’d throw up a post about the essentials.
1.) FootJoy shoes with BOA lacing system. I have an older pair, but it does have the BOA system. For comfort and convenience, they can’t be beat.
2.) Bonobos/Maide Golf pants. I have these in a couple colors. Great for all seasons. I wore these on the trip last year and highly recommend them.
3.) Thermal/Cooler bag. Mine is from Bass Pro, but I don’t think they made them anymore. If you have an old golf bag without cooler pockets, just throw one of these in a side pocket and you’ve got yourself a cooler bag. Even in my small carry bag, it holds about 8-10 beers depending on ice.
4.) Cigars. I like Arturo Fuente Hemingways. Easy to light, consistent, and delicious. 
5.) Chubbies Mint Julep short pants. I say short pants, because the inseam is 5.5″.
6.) Koozie. Because ‘Merica. Always keep a few in the bag.
7.) I’ll be on the course during The Masters, so lets hope the NBCSportsLiveExtra app gets good reception.
8.) Brooks Brothers Golf Polos. A staple. You won’t find me in crazy shirts or flat brim hats.
9.) Jet lighter with a punch, for when its windy, and you forget your cutter. I’m a rose gold fan, but generally, I just carry a ronson in case I lose it. Don’t forget to purge your lighter before you refill.
10.) Caddyshack Belt. This is the one item on this list I don’t own, but it looks pretty sweet.
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District Flea, 12Pole Jewelry, Pepe Food Truck, FCC Chamber of Commerce Gala
On Saturday we went to the DC Flea. My sister has an etsy company called 12Pole, and is running a booth. We took an Uber in, and I caught a pic of some early cherry blossoms.
While there, I had a jamon and manchego sandwich from Pepe, the Jose Andres food truck. It was delicious. They also had some guys smoking a whole hog which looked and smelled pretty good.
There was a lot to see, but besides my sister’s table, the only other place that really caught my eye was Brown & Williams. They import vintage clothing from England. Lots of tweed and barbour. I did flip through some records, and left with some vinyl.
Later that night I went to the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Gala. Any opportunity to break out the black tie is fine by me. I also managed to win a few items at the silent auction. I took home a round of golf, some Kennedy Center tickets, and some Eden Center gift certificates.
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