Ep. 141 - Tom Coyne

the United States. And we actually played a hundred holes of golf about a week and a half ago for a charity youth on course, so we talked a little bit about that, But then of course we dove into what's happening with the book and the travels and the golf courses and if he wants to throw his golf clubs in a lake or an ocean yet, how tough that can be. As golfers, we all know that there's times where you love it and you can't wait to get back out there, and there's times when you don't

even want to look at your golf clubs. So it was a great conversation. I love the guy. He is one of the more interesting people you will ever find in and around this game. So you'll enjoy the conversation for sure. This week's Clubhouse podcast, as all of them are, I brought to you by my good friends at titlist this week, I'm gonna talk to you abou out the TS drivers. They're awesome. I mean they've got T S two and TS three came out. People loved him than

T S four came out. Our good buddy Max Homa for into the program used it. He won for the first time at the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this year using the T S four. I played with Max about a week and a half ago. I'm not sure he missed the middle of a fairway. I'm not talking about missed a fairway. I'm saying missed the center line of a fair way. If we were playing cart paths, if you had to hit your driver on a cart path, he would have hit the T S four on a

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nearest titles fitting at titlist dot com. Check it out, go hit him, You'll love them. If it's wintertime, go hit him in a bay. Check out your numbers. Right now. In Phoenix there's no golf because every golf course is under the knife and being overseated, which is a huge bumber. But I am actually headed to Oregon this weekend to go to Bandon Dunes. I'm going to play a whole bunch of golf with a couple of buddies of mine. Very excited about that. I'm also excited about this. I

mentioned Tom Coin is on the program. Tom is a senior writer for The Golfers Journal. I've loved the Golfers Journal since it first came out. I have a new story coming out and the next issue that hits in November. And something cool that they're doing for us is if you haven't heard, I have this hole in one fund basically, and I'm sure you've seen this if you follow me on social media at all. I've never made an ace in my life. I'm thirty five years old. I'm gonna

be thirty six in November. And I started this a couple of years ago, just a jar, and I throw a dollar in the jar every time I play around a off without an ace. The jar now is over five hundred dollars. Now, I haven't played five hundred rounds of golf in a couple of years. I have had people donate, I've had friends send money in. I actually just mentioned this on Twitter last week and UH followers Mike Rice and Nicole Montenez both donated on Venmo some

money to throw in there. Once I make an ace, I'm gonna just take the jar to the Phoenix Children's Hospital and give it to them. And I've also had some friends of mine. I've got professional golfer buddies that have promised to pledge some money once it happens, if it ever happens. They said they'll pledge more money if they're actually playing with me in the round that it happens.

So a little extra pressure. But what the Golfers journal is gonna do and what why this matters is I'm gonna have a specific subscription link I'm gonna send out on social media. I will have it on my on my Twitter feed and on my Instagram profile, and if you click through that link and you sign up and subscribe to the Golfer's Journal, they're going to donate a portion of the money you send them to my Hole in one jar for charity. So it really kind of

a win win. You get the Golfers Journal, which is awesome. Any golf fan that just likes to read interesting stories that are evergreen and never go old, we'll love it. Trust me, I have them all. I read them every time I get them. Within the first couple of days. Every story is interesting and different, and that's really what they've been doing and changing really golf journalism in that regard. And you'll donate some money to charity, so it's a

win win. It helps us out. Our idea is to make the jar so overflowed that we have to get another jar, which is kind of depressing because that means I haven't made an ace. But hey, you know what, if nothing else, I can be seventy years old and sit here with a few thousand dollars and know that I can donate it somewhere or once I croaked, because my iron plate is that that bad, I'm gonna make one. Trust me, I'm gonna make one. I hope you guys

are having a great week. As I said, I know winner is approaching for people in the Northeast and uh and parts of the country, and golf is basically dwindling down. But there's you know, there's golf on TV. And we're gonna roll out some more podcast throughout the next few weeks. I'll have a little bit of a recap about Banded Dunes and my opportunity to get to play nineholes on

the Sheeper Inches I'm very excited about. But for now, let's get to our guest and we welcome back into the clubhouse one of my favorite people in all of golf, Tom Cone. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter at coin Writer, c O y in E Writer. He's a senior writer at The Golfers Journal. He also hosts The Golfer's Journal podcast, which I highly recommend, and he is working on his fifth book. And I would say, Tom Coin, this might be the biggest, I would say,

planned event you've done thus far. A course called America. Last I checked. America, a slightly larger place than both Ireland and Scotland. It's the biggest undertaking of my life, Shane. It is. Yeah. I uh, I knew it was bigger obviously than Ireland and Scotland, but it's proven to be a beast. I'm I'm here in Massachusetts talking to you right now. You're you're not. I'm talking to you from Massachusetts. And it's been wild, man. So I'm doing all fifty states.

I'm doing every US Open venue. I've been on the road since April. You'll notice it's October and uh, and I'll be on the road through December. So by that point I will have done you know, gold, I will have golf in every state and it will probably about

be about two courses. Um. So, Yeah, there's just been a lot to see, uh, a lot to take in and but it's been awesome, man, I mean it's just been it's been really cool to get to know my own country, which was the whole point to do in this project, is that I knew sort of Ireland and Scotland. I had traveled and researched there more than I had in America. You know, I certainly knew Philadelphia. But you know, it's just been it's been awesome to get out and

be a tourist in in my own country. Yeah, I mean when you when you first did the travel version of your books and you started in Ireland, I mean, I can only imagine you ever envisioned that it would become this. I mean, this is really it's kind of your stick. I mean, you traveled Ireland, you walked a lot of the country, You played all these golf courses

nobody had ever heard of. And what I love about your journey is I feel like you kind of jumped into this basically focus on travel and focus on fighting hidden gems right about the time that became popular. I mean, you know, we used to have a top of a hundred board on our wall, and we look at the top one hundreds by every golf publication out there, and

those were the courses we wanted to play. And what I find so fascinated about what you've been able to do and uncover with your with your words in your novels is you're showcasing a lot of places that once you read about it, you want to go play there.

And it has to be cool to finally get to do that exact thing in America, because as you said, it's it's your backyard and you know in reality, yeah, no, I mean that's definitely the goal and it's it's been the best part of of all the books is to sort of bring some light to lesser known places that are deserving of visitors. You know. Um, yeah, I had no idea when you know, when I pitched the Ireland Book. It was like, I think I want to write a book about golf in Ireland and this is like, and

I'll walk it. That'll be crazy, right, And then a publisher says yes, and you're like, oh my god, I have to do it. And and so you know, that becomes the Scotland Book and yeah, and that and that sort of takes me to hear where I am, but you know, I don't want to. I am visiting very well known places, um, and I'm telling some of their unknown history, which is cool. But I definitely it's always about like the find the the you know, the hidden gems,

the places that people don't go. Um. You know, that was something that you know, the Ireland Book comes out and and people and more people started going to carn Or two Crouch Island. Um. With the Scotland books, some people are going to Macrone that might not have known about it, or to Shiskin, or to Murker. Um. I'm not saying the only reason that the people go there is because of the books. But if it gets even a few dozen people to go there in some of

these little places, that has a real impact. And um, and that's been definitely the most gratifying experience of those two books. So if I can sense more folks to some of these places that I've found, um, And I'm not just finding cool places. I'm finding like cool golf trips in America, you know, like that where you could say, hey, like who whatever, they can go in to Mississippi for

a buddy trip. But here's an idea for like a really cool, you know, four day awesome golf trip in Colorado and Mississippi or in Alabama or something like that. So that's been you know, yeah, So I'm always on the lookout for for fine stuff that's off the radar.

And how is how has it been juggling the social media aspect of this, because really Scotland, you know, it kind of led into Instagram and Twitter and now it's really something I feel like you walk alongside I mean, you showcase where you're at and where you're playing, who you're playing with. I know you have given ways with some of your sponsors, like titlists where you can you know, you can invite people to come out and play with you and they get a chance to to kind of

be involved in the book. How has social media helped both helped and in a way maybe even heard a little bit giving away some of the stuff that you know is going to be in the book. Yeah, it's true. So, I mean social media, right with the other books, is just like every couple of days, Hey look at this cool picture. Um, It's it's a huge part of this

adventure though. Right from the start, you know, when I announced the project, it was via Instagram and Facebook and Twitter that I got most of the course recommendations and and also got most of the invitations, um from folks to come play at them. You know. So it's been hugely helpful in finding spots and in getting on them as well. I mean, obviously the challenge in America versus Ireland in Scotland is that most of our golf courses

are private, so so it's been very helpful that way. Um. What's been cool about it is that this sort of community is growing up around the trip um and that's something that you know I didn't have with the Scotland book and uh. And so right, like you said, when I have an open tea time or have a spot somewhere, I throw it out on on Instagram or Twitter and and three dudes show up, um or sometimes more. And and that's been pretty amazing. Uh. And that's been great

for the story. And then I'm getting to meet a lot of different people and get their stories, and um, it's just added a lot to you know, what will be the larger narrative. Uh. You know in the Scotland and Ireland books, like I invited a lot of friends, and I still have friends coming on this trip. But now it's like I'm inviting strangers. So like every day I invite I'm playing with three or six usually you know,

people I've never met before. Um, the Instagram world and in this listen, you and I are kind of in this. I mean there are people that that I can only imagine that that are way bigger than us, that get

these invites all the time. But a part and and I mean I'm sure people know this, but a part of quote unquote golf media is you do get invitations a lot from people that are members of these really knives golf courses, and it isn't in a way, it's it's an interesting dynamic because you do I want to go play here with these people I don't know, and then you go and you have an unbelievable experience, or maybe the person is a little weird, or they might

ask a whole bunch of questions that you get asked all the time. So it is I can only imagine it's a it's a balanced you have, but it's also something that's helping you with the book. I mean, you literally can can reach out and go I'm gonna be and let's just say, let's just say Birmingham. I'm gonna be in the Birmingham area this date, and you get four invites to certain golf clubs that you're looking to play.

So it's, uh, yeah, it is funny how it's kind of mirrored now compared to maybe some of the other books. Is you have to go, Okay, today, I'm gonna play with these random people that have been following me on Instagram for two years. Totally. Yeah, it's and it's really and it's really good. I it's you know, yeah, the folks who have been kind enough and generous enough to invite me places. But you, like you said, I mean

more than not. It's it's a matter of having to say no because there's only so many days and so many courses. It's a very good problem to have to have more invitations than than you can actually fit into your into your calendar. And you know my attitude, you know, it's with the Scotland book and where I did play with just a handful of strangers who came over to play with uh to to join me um and and had really good results with that UM in terms of

friendships and stories. I thought, you know, with this book, what the hell, I'm just gonna be totally open to it and be happy to play with random people. And and and from a storytelling point of view that if I get weirdos, you know, that's actually really useful. UM. I haven't had enough weirdos, to be honest, I was still looking for some. UM. This story needs some more villains.

So if you're a real jerk, um reach out at a writer on Instagram, send him all of the mesas yeah, bring all your weird things, your iron head covers, your trinkets, playing all of it, and he'll he'll definitely make the book. Well, you did get a chance to play with a weirdo in San Francisco. You played with me, and you played with me at Olympic Club. You invited me to be a part of this thing with Youth on Course, which they do an unbelievable job. And I'll let you kind

of dive a little deeper into that. But about a week and a half ago, we played a hundred holes of golf in one day, something I've never done, something you've never done, considering how much golf you play. To be a part of the most golf you've played in one day, I have really felt like a big honor. It was Yeah, by far the most golf I've ever played. And I was so you were like, I can't, I can't believe you said yes. And you were very quickly said yes. Once you got the green light, um from

your better half. You you were in and uh, which I really appreciate it because I needed a friend to do this with me and um, and you brought some great attention to the to the cause as well. I mean Youth Phone Course. I met them at the PGA show last year and they basically they're based out of Monterey and they make it possible for junior golfers to play um proper golf courses for five dollars, and they

underwrite their tea times. So it sort of picks up, you know, the first tea, you know, that introduction to golf, and then you get to this point that you know, they saw this sort of void there of like okay, well where can they play now? They now they want to golf and now what and and that's a big barrier for for so many junior golfers. So I think what they're doing is is really great. It's really smart.

They have mentoring even you know, beyond the golf for for um kids that are involved with youthhone course and um so they're a big fundraisers LL hikes. So even back then I was like, yeah, I'd be into that. Um. This was by the way, the p g A show, if people they don't know, is the very first month of the year. So Tom was you know, he's Brian

eyed and she tailed for the year season. Oh that would be great, not knowing that you know, five six, seven months later he's gonna have to go play a hundred holes after he's played thirty six a day for goodness, four or five months straight. Yeah, I mean it's January. I haven't played golf in there like you can plays golf. I'm like, yeah, let's go do it right now. And but yeah, and then after the trip comes around, you know, and I've been on the road, you know for months.

I've been in I was in Bend, Oregon, the day before, in Philadelphia, the day before that land in San Francisco. We get to the golf course that you know, six fifteen, six thirty in the morning and uh, you know, leaving in the dark, team off at seven o'clock. Um, it was just another one of those great moments that golf has given me, a lot of them that, you know, I look around and I go, how the hell did I get a here doing this? You know? And uh and and there we were playing the Olympic Club. UM

a lot around and around and around, kept playing. You can check out everything they do. It's Youth on Course dot Org. They do an unbelievable job. We're big fans of them. And uh. And if you want to go donate or do whatever you can to help out or be a part of the Hunter whole hike going forward, you can do it. What were you feeling like? What what was your whole number where you were thinking, my goodness, how many more do we have left? Um? Like four?

I think because I saw and everything, and I was like, I can go chill over there and have snacks and in water. Um no, I think there. You know, there's that initial excitement. You know, we go around the first nine, it's you're feeling good. Obviously you're still you're not tired yet. Um. You know what it was probably after we stopped for lunch, which you insisted on chowing down, and I'm glad you did, um because the Hokies well subs whatever, they were delicious.

But after that, it was like, I don't want to I don't want to golf. Yeah, fifty we stopped for lunch at fifty two holes. We we we got to we got the fifty and for some reason, so that let's play two more. So you know, just because listen, we're against us, we're against the establishment. We were playing fifty two, not fifty and uh and I my golf I brought golf shoes that are really comfortable golf shoes, but I didn't realize that they weren't waterproof. They're more

like the casual, non spike golf shoes, and I brought them. Well, it was really dewey in the morning, so part of my lunch break was to take my shoes and socks off and let him dry out, which was the best thing I did the entire day. But yeah, the the going back after lunch knowing you had basically the entire what you've just done already to do it again. I felt like that was that was a wall. We both hit. That was a wall. And and seeing the other golfers

finish like way ahead of us. Um. So for the folks who are listening, they were like, I don't know, maybe twelve people at this site doing um the hundred all like, and we were just spread around the property trying not to bum like get each other's way. But you know, it's like like during a marathon when there's also a half marathon going on, and like the half marathon is like split off to the finished line, and

like the marathon people have to keep going. Like that's what it felt like, you know, watching these guys like kind of wrapped it up, and I'm like, jeez, because and they were like and they these were veterans as well. I mean, you know they were playing with one club. The most impressive thing was I mean they were so savvy. They had those bald suction cup things like on their seven iron so they didn't have to bend over to pick up the ball. I mean, talk about hundred whole

pros that was. That was a classy move. So they were flying and you know they finish it whatever, like we're having lunch. They're wrapping it up and we've got fifty holes to go. Um. It kind of breaks your heart a little bit. I just want to take a quick break to remind you. Do me a favorite go get fit for the Titlist T S driver. They have a T S two, a T S three, at T S four, t S one, They've got all sorts of

TS drivers. They're all awesome. I would venture to say it's the best driver the Titlist has made in a few years. And I think you're seeing that professionally. You're seeing it out on the driving ranges. You're seeing it with your friends, the guys that always love to get the newest, latest, greatest drivers that is in the bag. I'm seeing it all over the place and The reason

is it's awesome. The TS medals let you raise your game with greater sp speed designed into every detail, and you can see what the title of Speed project can add to your golf swing. Hit the TS lineup against any other option out there and see how much faster fast can be. Find your nearest titleist fitting opportunity by visiting titlist dot com. Back to top. Yeah, I was.

My number was. We were like at six eight, and I was like doing the math in my head because I'm not very smart, so it always had to do the math to figure out how many more we had left and away on sixty threes next and then sixty four. But you know we were we were we were shooting some stuff for you, and so we had some other people around us, and we were all trying to keep

up with the numbers. By the way, I am, I am so bad at at counting when I need to count, So like if I'm jump roping, I I never know what number I'm on. If I'm trying to get to a hundred, I'll forget what number I'm on at about twenty. So playing a hundred holes, I knew I was going to struggle with that and we might have played a hundred and five holes, we might have played nine holes. There's a chance that we could be at least five

holes off. But I remember we had thirty thirty two holes left, and I was thinking to myself, this is basically two rounds of golf we have left, and we've already played so much already. And uh, and that was about the wall I hit. But I made you, I made you start yelling out how many holes we had left when we got to play about fifteen and uh and I think is excited to yell it out as knowing that that was one less we had to play.

And uh, yeah, it was a final funny And I was just screaming them out, you know, and you could hear it all over the golf course. I think I put a little pep in my step for sure. It made it feel like we were approaching the finish line, even though it was still you know, tylds away. Yeah, will you do a hundred holes again in your lifetime? You think? I don't know. I don't know, Shane. It's gonna have to sit for a while. It's not gonna happen this year. You know. It's one of those things

like the recall of the uh, the experiences. It's too it's too immediate. But and like with the marathon, you know, you do a marathon, you know, I'll never do that again, and then like six months later, sitting around and you sign up for another one. Um, I feel like that could happen. I've learned and having learned things from the experience as well. I mean the people the one club thing, which we did for a while for I think we did that for likes or something we're going to do.

We're going to do it, and we were really big fans of it. It was it was our face every part of the day. That was smart. And we also made up holes too. I think that was smart to keep it interesting, like going from to tease to different greens and stuff, because you know, just going around in loop after you know, loop after loop, it gets really monotonous. So I have learned some things from doing it the

first time, I'd be more efficient the second time around. Um, So I'm not going to close the door on it forever. So would you do it? I'm I'm with you. I said no. I was like, you know, that was great. I'm glad we did it. It's a great cause. We love youth. On course, you know, we hope we raised him some some good money. And then I was flying home the next morning. I was like, I'll never do that again ever the rest of my life. And then yeah, now we're talking not even two weeks ago, and you're like,

I could probably do it again. I could be convinced. How many of you done doing these books? I mean, you've done this is your third one. What's the most you've played in one day? So I've never even done the seventy two which some people do, like at the summer Solstice stuff. Um so fifty four holes, but that's at three different courses. Um in like Scottish Wind And I did fifty four holes in the Scotland book. I did it like five days in a row. That was borderline.

That was that was the most depressing part of the book when you were literally yeah, I was depressed doing it. I was depressed. I got depressed again writing it. It was horrible. But um I got to slay all those courses and cross them off my list, and and it's it's just, you know, the thing is with these stories, like if you're not doing something unreasonable or pushing yourself or like and and pushing yourself into weird, dark, uncomfortable wild places or corners. Then you know that's where the

stories are. You know, nobody wants to hear about, Oh, I played another great golf course today and then you know I hung out on the patio. Lunch was delicious. You know that's no one wants to hear about your wonderful vacation. There's gotta be struggle, um, and I've definitely built myself from struggle on the America trip um and laying hundred holes was was a good addition to that. So describe to me your relationship with golf, Like right now as you're in the midst of this and it's

your job. I mean, you're you're writing a book for your family and for your living and for your livelihood, and you're doing a podcast based around golf, and you've got some video series that you're that you're using and putting out on social media. Golf is a big part of what you are currently doing in your life, and it has been for a few years. So what's your relationship with golf? Do you love it still? Is it

still a huge passion to yours? It's it's probably unhealthy in that it is such a huge part of my life and that I am still obsessed with it like that there is still like um, because I don't know if that's it's if that's like a healthy balance. It's sort of probably dysfunctional. Yeah, like golf is with And when I say that, I mean like if you took golf away, like I don't know exactly who I would who I would be? Um, That's wow, that was that

was heavy man. Um. But it's it is such a big part of it's a part of my my work, and it's really the only thing that I do for fun is well, and and sometimes they cross over in in great ways and sometimes an unpleasant ways, and in a sense that like it's not always fun, you know,

if I'm not hitting it like that. That's the frustrating thing on this trip, Like three days ago, I couldn't miss um and was just int a grade I had had they answered to golf and I was just gonna, you know, drop dirties for the next three months and and today I like I couldn't find it. And so like when golf kind of abandoned you like that, And it's so it's not like I can turn it off. It's a tomorrow go fishing. You know, I'm going golf in tomorrow, and I'm a little nervous about it because

I was hitting everything off the planet today. So um, it's a it's the relationship is is a deep one. It's a it's a very deep one. I was thinking about that the other night. You know, this is just some game I started playing when I was a kid because my dad played, you know, and how it's basically become, um, my my life, you know, aside from my kids and my wife, it's it's my life. Yeah, it's it's funny.

I mean, it's I I feel like I battle, And I think battle is the right word, because at times I do wonder why I still love playing so much, because it is what I do for a living, and I do feel very surrounded and sometimes a little suffocated by golf because you know, it's it's posting pictures on social media, and it's talking about it, and it's watching on TV, and then it's broadcasting it and podcasting about it.

And yet you know, on Saturday, I'm going to Bannon Dunes to play thirty six a day with my buddies and why I want to do that is interesting. And I went through something. I don't know if you've gone through this, I'm sure you have. But a few months ago I was I just said, I gotta I've got to find another hobby. I mean, I can, I can always play golf, and I love the sport, but I've got to find something else. Is it gonna be guitar?

Am I gonna? You know? Am I gonna? I don't know, become a person that that works closely with his garden. Like I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I felt like I needed to do something else. Yet I come back to this and again, I'm I've been playing golf, you know, once a week since our hundred old hike, and I and I still go out there and grind and want to play my best I've ever played, you know. So it's it's an interesting relationship. It's it's set.

It's like every day wake up and think like, this is gonna be the day I'm gonna play my my best game, you know, the one I've been waiting for for forty for freaking years. You know that today is going to be the day that it's gonna happen. And and that is you know, that's not healthy thinking. It's not saying thinking, but maybe it will be, you know. So there is the pursuit of par or pursuit of birdies, or pursuit of holing ones or your your best round.

But really for me, it's just like things I'm trying to do in my swing. I just want to hit real solid shots now. Um, that is still so alluring. And yeah, and it pulls you right out of the house or debandoned dunes or or wherever it's it's wild. Did you find another hobby? He's something too. I started. I started juggling, which my wife thinks is massively dorky. Um, but Brad Faxson told me that it's really good for

the gray matter in your brain. Juggling is he's one of those guys that that he's got a new theory about life and physicality and how you can get in better shape and rube everything basically weekly, if not daily. So he was giving me this whole thing about juggling. Uh, the last summer and jew Linkster can juggle, and so I was like, I gotta learn how to juggle. So I was actually youtubing juggling the other day and I had these juggling balls and my puppy was looking at

me like those are mine, right, those are mine? Like now these are actually nice Actually for me, this is a part of my life now. But that's it. That's all I do. This is it's terrible to say. It's embarrassing to say. I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't have other hobbies. I gotta figure something out. But I

still love this damn game. It's so annoying. You were talking about and I asked you this on the golf course, and I think you touched a little on it, you know, in kind of in kind of your last point about the love of golf. But you're a competitive guy. I knew you were going to be a competitive guy before

I played with you. I knew. I mean, if you've read Paper Tiger, for goodness sakes, you know Tom wants to play well, wants to get better, wants to go out there, and if you're playing a twenty dollar again, he wants to win. And I asked you what happens when you go through those stretches when you're doing these books where you're playing terrible, because I, for one, when I'm playing terrible, don't want to play golf. I mean I want to put the clubs away for a week

or two. You don't have you you can't do that. I mean that's not something you're able to do as you're writing these journey books. How do you get through that? Yeah, that's the hard part when when your golf is sort of abandoned you because it probably wasn't that long ago that you know you had your finger right on it,

you know. Um, So it's been kind of cool on this trip and that going back to the social media and the posting and stuff, is I had my swing on video like four million times um on my phone. So what I'll do at night, um, this is I'll screwed up. I am. You know I should be doing

anything else. But I'll be going through I know where you're going with this, and it's awesome, and I'll be looking frame by frame what's going on, and I'll compare it to like a day when I was striping it to like oh this video from today where I couldn't you know, find the clubs days and I'll come up with just okay, this is my swing thought for tomorrow, and I swear to God, I'll get excited again like if I can, just like like today, it was like, all right, I'm gonna post on my left hip and

really fire my right side or you know, that was like two days ago, and it just totally worked, and I was so excited to go out and just have that one swing thought and use it. So I look at stuff and then I try to get um one thing that I'm going to try to accomplish in my swing and then go out and do it. And that

kind of gets me fired up. Well, and I'm sure I'm sure seeing and play in different places get you fired up as well, because if you if you don't, if you don't gloss over the sign you're pulling into every golf course and membership is really it's the most fun part. I can only imagine of doing these books.

I asked you this when we were playing together, But has there been a golf course And I know you've got you know, months left, but has there been a golf course throughout the journey that has shocked you, surprised you one you maybe you didn't hear about or knew

about before you got there. Gosh, just been like so many and that Yeah, that's of course definitely the part that that pulls me out of bed and gets me down the road is is that I get to play these new and wonderful play They're all new to me, you know. So Um playing uh Yeaman's Hall was um, totally like a trip back in time and I knew

nothing about that place. Um that was just a super interesting the history there of it sort of being this stop for the Rockefellers and the Catogs, et cetera on their way to Florida and they'd hang out there for a bit and have this beautiful, amazing, untouched you know. Rarely playing golf course, Um, that was super cool. Uh, Lawsonian in Wisconsin was like an eye opener for like a municipal course. I'm like, this is just as good

as it gets. Um, gosh, just so many. I played one yesterday yesterday Northeast Harbor in um up here in Maine. Uh five thousand yards and the course record is mine for it was so damn hard and so cool up in the granite. Um, the granite of Maine. Uh, just stunningly beautiful with incredible history to like seeing mcdonaldy staying out there and stuff. Man, I could bore your listeners for hours with all my fines. Or against Silver Valley Ranch where they had the goats. I mean people know

it for the goats, but the goat caddies. But um, getting there was just such challenge and then being rewarded for being there with this incredible reversible golf course that just blew me away. Um, oh my gosh. That the they're the surprises are they're endless? Yeah, I mean it's it is. I can so are you adding like are you adding courses? When you get to a place and somebody says to you, oh my goodness, you've got to

go play here? Were you add a course or do you have your basically your schedule and the agenda where you're gonna play it? How much time you can spend their set? Yeah? Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. Like a lot of it is. I mean, the ainerary for all intents and purposes is completely fill out. But if there's something that I really have to do, I mean I can swap out. Of course, Um, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings and and and head elsewhere, and

that happens once in a while. Um, I have a spot. Yeah, like I have a spot next week that I'm trying to have one spot and I'm trying to fill So there is just a tiny bit of flexibility. But all that stuff general really happened before I took off. You know, while I was building the itinerary, all the sort of you have to play here, you know, they all went

on the map. Um. And then I started looking at the map and plotting routes, and then I started breaking those down into days and weeks and putting those onto the calendar. So um, it was just the logistics of organizing the whole thing. Um. I mean that was a year of work and now six months out here doing it.

So yeah, I was I was reading Zach Low has this piece where he basically ranks the league pass NBA teams for the year and the most watchable and has you know this basically these these this number system he made up and and of course you know it's it's arbitrary to him, but you know that's how he ranks

the teams. Do you have any sort of a system, I mean it's not points, obviously, but do you have a checklist of things you're looking for in a golf course you're looking for, in a club, you're looking for in the playing partners you're with. Are there things as you enter the gate of a place you've never been before that that will make it a great experience, a

good experience, a decent experience, or even a bad experience. Yeah, that's a good question because I was thinking about that, like, there's a lot of little things when you're going to so many different courses and you know, what's the you know, is all right? Is there a gate? Is the guy going to be cool? Because that can set things the tone right there can be absolutely be really nice or kind of today is gonna be weird? Or I'm already a little bit afraid. Um, you know, can I just

chill and change my shoes in the parking lot? Or is that going to get some member kicked out? Um? So, you know, is there is to dude? Do I have to go to the back drop? Is there dude at the back drop? Do I tip the dude at the back drop? Like all these little things And not that I'm afraid to to people, but sometimes there's clubs where you're not allowed to tip, and then there's places where if you if you forgot to tip, then you embarrass somebody.

So it's like navigating that sort of language that sort of under these unspoken rules at all these different places is a little bit um is a little challenging. But I know it's gonna be well. I know it's gonna be a good day. Like today, I went to Cape a Rundel in Maine and walked right up saw the

parking lot. It had just a real quaint, small clubhouse, and it was obviously like, all right, I can change my shoes here in the parking lot, no problem, walk in, say hey here for some golf, you know, like that kind of attitude. I'm like, this is good. I like this place, like no fuss, no bullshit, I don't have to kill anybody's but um. And then it was even better when the system pro was like hey paper tiger, right, and then I'm like, all right, cool, now I don't

have to like beg for golf. Um. And it sound like what he didn't happen with them, but to say, I mean, that's really handy when that happens, because it's not and not not because of my ego, just because I'm not gonna have to like convince them that um, I'm not some dude who's just looking for free golf, um, which is actually what I am, but that I have

a legitimate purpose behind it. Um. But yeah, I mean it all starts, I think, really with the with the welcome that you get, which is it seems sort of obvious, but you get all sorts of different welcomes, and some feel like, you know, you're lucky to be here, and some feel like, you know, we're lucky to have it here. And obviously, um, the ladder is it's quite nice and and really for me like the less fussy and less

fancy the better. I sometimes have a hard time like summoning the energy to um get all excited about um, you know, just worrying about the locker room and this done and the other. I just I just want to golf. And any place that's just like this is built just so you can golf. I'm always excited about that. Yeah, I'm I'm imagining that there will be parts of the book, if not a part of the book, that will speak

on this. Considering it was Ireland, Scotland and now the United States of America, which is a place with some of the most incredible golf courses in the world, but a lot of them, as you mentioned, have gates and they're closed and they're not that excited to have you there. And so that'll be an interesting kind of theme of the book if it's in there, about the difference in

that because you had a chance to play. You know, when you think about Scotland, you can play any golf course in Scotland outside of one that everybody's heard of, and you can go walk up and if you pay your and you have a tea time you pay, they'll let you out there and you're good to go and here, even with your connections, I'm sure sometimes, as you said, you show up at these places and you feel like they are just ready for you to leave, and that

isn't always the best feeling, especially when you're excited about him. I mean, these are the top twenty, top thirty, top on whatever you want to call them, golf courses in the country, and uh, and sometimes you know, you you you definitely aren't gonna be changing your shoes in the park a lot, I know, And I have some of those coming up this week and and that's great and and I'm excited for it. Um, but that's absolutely a big theme that I hope that I don't hit it

too hard in the book. Actually, you know, I'll definitely make the point so that you know that the golf has this accessibility over there versus our sort of close country club model. Um which one is better? I mean, and there are good things about both, um and And I don't know if their system would totally work over here. And I understand why the private club exists in America. Um, you know, in this country of sort of like mobile class structure, etcetera. Like that's the year golf club was

a way to sort of distinguish yourself. Um And I get it. And and that's all. That's all fine and well, um but yeah, there there are those that that that sense of you know, when I leave the property, I get to exhale, like I get that at some places. Um And and that's not the best um and And it's kind of a shame because it's just the place to play a game, right, Um. We lump all this other stuff onto it and attach all this other sort

of meaning to it as well. Um And And on one side of it, that adds to the excitement and the lure. Uh And on the other side of it, it just seems like kind of like a hot air, you know, you know, you always there. There are flip sides to it, though, you know. I played Towel Club the day before our hundredhole High count in San Francisco, and I knew nothing about what to expect when I arrived,

and the membership from the start were unbelievable. I mean they were they These guys were getting up and introducing themselves, and somebody bought me a beer at the bar as the football was on because it was a Sunday, and they got me a locker and I could throw my travel bag in there because I hadn't gone to the hotel yet. And when we got done, it was like hanging around after it was. It was just one of those environments that you felt like you were a part

of it. You felt like you almost that they were excited to have you there, that you belonged, and that they didn't want to see you go. And that again, for a very nice private club, is a great feeling to have. So there are some out there that are the complete opposite, and those are the ones when you leave you're like, I cannot wait to get back to this place and play here. Again because the experience is better than the golf course, and the golf course is

damn good as well. I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions and i'll let you go. First question, somebody's about to play golf with Tom coyn during either this ex variance or otherwise. What's the one question they should not ask you while if you're playing eighteen holes? It's a long list. Um. Uh, they ask me why I'm not walking this one? That that that I get? What do they say? But so you're not walking this one? You know, because I walked to Ireland and I'm in America,

Like I'm not for not walking. That annoys me on numerous levels. Um, because it's like, well, you're first belittling what I'm actually trying to accomplish, and to um, you just wasted your breath because that was a stupid question. But yeah, alright, that's that's a good one. Um. Second question and then you get to go, you're gonna be in Phoenix. Are we playing golf while you're in Phoenix, Arizona? For the book? Hell? Yeah we are. Where are you

paying while you're here? Jeez? Looking life, I can't find my phone? Um, where's what's in Phoenix. I think you're playing I think you said you're playing Papago, which is a great municipal golf course in the center of town. And uh, it's a place that I would say might have one of the best money games early in the week every week, and you'll see many tour guys go out there and even PGA tour players at times. Corn

Ferry guys will play in it. And it's a it's it's a desert golf course where you can find your golf ball. So two thumbs up for Papaga. Yeah, I love Papago, and let's get some of that money game actually going. I think I think it's Monday. I get my shots. Ah, you don't. You don't get shots in the in the in the in the Pavago money game. You gotta play them straight up. But their skins involved.

There's closest to involved. And uh, there's about seventeen ways you can win and or lose money in those games because they're really well designed. But even if you're playing terrible, they have a final five game where it's the final five whole score and that's it. And if you play the final five a couple under you, you tend to win your money back. Dig it all right, I'm in.

Let's do that Papago and then hopefully I can take you out to Phoenix Country Club if it works, Tom, I appreciate the time, and thanks again for the invite for the Hunter Old Hike was like so much. Thanks for being a part of it. I could not have made it through without your following me through your optimism and your and you're good golf too. It's great to see a play. It was awesome. You can follow Tom at coin writer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow along by

all his books. They're worth the read. I've read them all well before I knew who he was, and he's as good a guy after you meet him as I thought he'd be when I was reading his books. It looks like I'm a Well that'll do it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode with Tom Coin. Make sure you follow all of his travels coin Writer.

He's great. His Instagram is awesome, He's got a digital series that's really fun and different, and of course you can read everything he does on Golfer's Journal and and of course in book for him coming out you know, in a year, year and a half or so, when this book hits, this is gonna be I think, I think it'll be probably the best one. I mean, I think American golf and everything that goes into it, and how expand so of it is, and the places that you and I have never heard of that he's gonna

write about. It's gonna be awesome. I hope you guys have a great week. Thanks to titlist. Thanks to The Golfer's Journal for helping out with the charity thing. Hit the link that I have on my Twitter or on my Instagram. If you haven't subscribed, my next piece, my second piece for the Golfers Journal, comes out in the next issue that hits hits the mailboxes in November, So if you are already subscribed, you'll get to read that. Let me know what you think. If you're not subscribed,

sign up. It's a It's a cool little thing, and it's a great gift if you have a golfer in your life and they're hard to buy for. It's a really really great gift for the holidays, coming up, for birthdays, anything like that. The Golfers Journal is great. We will talk to you Guys next week,