Source:
https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-99r8h-152da06
The PNC Championship with Charlie and Tiger, Christmas music, and more on this week’s episode, hosted by Alex Lauzon and Michael Russell.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Alex and Michael are ready for it (1:52).
The PNC Championship included a lot of family duos, but all eyes were on Charlie and Tiger, and how Charlie was much better than Tiger (3:36).
The DP World Tour heads to beautiful Mauritius this week, an island off the coast of Africa that is too beautiful to host a golf event (7:04).
NBC Sports announced than Kevin Kisner is headed to the broadcast booth this year, and Alex is concerned the censors may have their work cut out for them (8:26).
Over on our YouTube channel, you can catch Alex’s adventure playing golf, eating BBQ tacos, and playing Vegas-style slots all in one day in Texas (9:38).
It’s the Holiday season, so Alex asks Michael to name the top 10 Christmas songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (10:34).
The Holidays mean family movies, and Michael shares his review of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka (12:54).
Alex spent the money and watched the now streaming Era’s Tour from Taylor Swift and shares his review (14:24).
Past guest Matt Sheerer of WBZ News Radio in Boston had an amazing story this week of a Bostonian singer he found in the streets that will restore your faith in humanity (16:03).
This week’s guests as the owners of Dripping Springs Country Club, more than just a driving range outside of Austin, TX. You likely know Stephen and Doug Bradford from their appearance on “Wheel of Fortune,” and their share stories from their time on the show, plus why Dripping Springs is so special (17:54).
Christmas means basketball, and there are a bunch of great games on to catch (40:08).
Christmas also means it’s Bowl Season, which is now in full swing, and started with a horrible game for Michael’s nearby Georgia Southern Eagles (40:58).
In the NFL, it was another losing weekend for Alex’s Patriots and Michael’s Giants, who have come back down to earth after a string of victories (41:54).
As we #AlwaysEndWithFood, it’s all about what’s on the menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas night (44:26).
Support our friends!
Save 10% on a Phone Caddy, Swing Aide Tumbler, and everything else with promo code COURSEOFLIFE at DesertFoxGolf.com
Make sure to check out our weekly Live Takes on the LIVETAKE app, available on your phone’s App Store.
Use our special link – https://zen.ai/thecourseoflife – to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.
Listen + Love + Subscribe: https://podfollow.com/1437411449
Read Alex’s Picks on Run Your Pool: https://www.runyourpool.com/articles/author/alexlauzon/
Support the First Tee – Greater Austin: https://bit.ly/3n09U4I
Join us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2NpEIKJ
Follow us on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2QJhZLQ
Watch us on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3qvq4Dt
Coming up this week on the course of Life podcast our front nine includes our review of tiger and Charlie Woods that’s right baby tiger out on the course 14 years young but bombing it we’re talking golf on TV looking like Nat Gio and an interesting broadcast headline from the
Game as well plus all sorts of holiday magic holiday festivities holiday music Talk conversations and a couple of fun tuned in reviews on Wonka and the AOS tour this week’s featured guest a couple of brothers that were recently on Wheel of Fortune who are also living out the
Tin Cup dream that’s right they own their own driving range out here in Central Texas I went and visited it and we have a full conversation with them coming your way and when we always end with food we’re talking holiday meal plans and more all of it brought to you
By our friends at Desert Fox golf happy holidays from the team at Desert Fox golf as well too excited to see what they produce for their final holiday sales I know they were going after it with all of their Cyber Monday Black Friday and holiday deals and the deals
Are always great because because they have really great golf accessories at a really awesome price point and not only they great for holiday gifts at any time of the year but they’re also really great for large scale golf events as well so if you’re hosting a golf event
DM us at Co podcast and just tell us a little bit about the event or the tournament you’re playing in and tell us why they should have Desert Fox gear there we’ll take care of the rest from there and you could get a cash referral just for sending that event our way
That’s right we’re helping desert fox Golf out get their products out to everyone and we’re helping you be stocked with the greatest accessories in the game courtesy of desert Fox Golf hello interwebs and welcome to course of life we are proud to be presented by our friends at Desert Fox golf in the live take app I’m Michael he’s Alex and Alex uh it’s it’s we’re inside the Red Zone we are within 50 yards of the green if the green and the
Cup is Christmas we are within Striking Distance it’s time to make the choice of whether you’re going with the putter because you’ve done all your shopping and you can take it smart or whether you need to go for gold with a flop shot and
Uh try try to make make it in the cup right now so that’s good for the golfers and the Christmas lovers out there I would say I’m probably about 35 ft pin High I I’ve got a kind of a decently difficult tput but I’ve made many of
Those before so I’m okay I’m pretty much covered you know I also have the pleasure of having a wife of mine who has a birthday on the day after Christmas so I’m just it’s basically just a poper of gifts I’m rolling out the red carpet all week uh for members
Of my family as well but it’s going to be good to be back in in Boston with the family so since since your wife has a birthday on the the 26th the day after so my question is then do you have like we set up a budget you know we
Budget for birthdays and and Christmas so do you ever roll that budget all together and give her one giant gift do you give her gifts for each day or are you like look you have me that’s enough of a gift I wish it was number three
That’d be amazing if it was but it’s it’s a fusion of one and two a soft budget but I basically treat it like a three-day Music Festival so so I roll out a nice gift on the 24th I roll out a nice one on the 25th and then I back it
Up with a really nice one on the 26th just to emphasize that the birthday’s there that that’s the game plan it seems to work well in recent years so I’ll let you know how it goes this year all right we’ll see uh this weekend though let’s
Talk about Tiger Woods back out on the golf course he was hitting the ball but let’s face it he sucked compared to Charlie he was just atrocious Charlie was just like don’t worry dad I I got this they didn’t win because of course the longers won but tiger and Charlie
Were really just all the Charlie show and shout out to you for predicting team longer getting the win that’s the fifth time Bernard longer has won that event with different kids now too he’s just running let rename this the the Bernard longer PNC Championship it basically is but yeah tiger and Charlie finished
Fifth overall and you’re right it’s amazing how good Charlie has gotten in the last year we saw the developments in the last few years at this event but I think this was the biggest leap in that past year he’d won the state championship as a freshman uh with his
High school team he’s 14 but he looks older he’s beefed up he’s taller he’s stronger he is absolutely ripping drives Mike he was driving par 4S with regularity they were about 310 320 yards out actual par fors The Recoil was going he was waving goodbye at bomb t- shots I
Mean the Swagger was just through the roof for 14-year-old Charlie Woods this past week I mean it’s just it’s just it’s almost disgusting how how good he has gotten the question is I mean does he have to go through Q school and everything or the the PJ were just going
Like go ahead Tiger’s going to caddy for you yeah yeah come come play please dad can you hand me some of your exemptions I’m about to go pro in a few years how’s that I mean that’s the question here is at what point what age does Charlie hit
The PGA Tour courses and is tiger on the bag for him I’m telling you what think about it this way Jordan spe made a debut at 16 Justin Thomas around the same age I bet you tournaments are already approaching the family and I bet you tiger is not letting it happen quite
Yet I think we’re going to wait for for when he’s a little more fully developed CU tiger knows best exactly when that moments right but that will happen in the next few years mark my words Charlie Woods will play PGA Tour event before he’s 18K Mar I don’t know how soon it’s
Going be but it will happen before then will it will it be the Genesis because that’s Tiger’s event I mean that’s fitting Hey My My a year or two from now if the back or the legs are acting up again uh I’m I’m not going to play this
Week but I have a perfect replacement in the field but tiger did say though that he plan his goal is to play one event a month yeah on the PGA tour and that he thinks he can win how I’m I’m just gonna I know what you’re going to say to me
But I’m going to ask this question anyway how realistic is that expectation now it it definitely is a little unrealistic I I think okay I would shoot for one every 60 days more conservatively I I really again I really think it’s a win if he’s able to play a
Handful of events each year Mo going in and out the between the Genesis and the majors essentially Genesis majors fatherson hero fill in one or two more if the opportunity presents itself that that is more than a full schedule for him with everything he’s gone through in
The last few years so little unrealistic to say once a month but once every 60 days we could lock that in for 2023 you know I think if tiger wants to win again and take the record because right now the record is tied for most wins on tour
He needs to be playing in like the John Deere classic we gotta we got to start cherry picking you’re saying is that what you’re saying exactly he’s got to go for what he knows he can win about that so PNC championship in the book team longer
Again with that fifth win uh the DP World Tour is having another one of these uh Nat Gio uh let’s do a photo shoot because it’s so beautiful oh and we’re playing golf at the same time basically yeah and do they’re in macius do do you what’s your knowledge level on
Macius as a country an island country I’ll be that I’m assuming it’s somewhere in the European or African part of the world yeah way down there off the coast of South Africa and it is stunning there are some highlights all over the DP World Tour social media feed and this is
Just a message for everyone out there regardless of if you even like golf or not if you just want to wake up in the morning and just have nice calm tranquil Sounds of Nature and just beautiful Vibes the DP World Tour is something you
Need to get in your life it’s I call it the most scenic golf in the world uh so just had to highlight that another nice weekend and they play right through the holidays too Mike they got tournaments all around the year so always nice to
Wake up with the DP World Tour yeah just just doing a quick Google search for pictures uh gorgeous just incredible stunning tiny little island country morcous if you haven’t Googled it by now take a look it’s beautiful down there down there east of Madagascar yeah in
Case you’re you know for all you you people who don’t know where that is and if you know where Madagascar is but you don’t know where macius is then very cool little pocket of the world maybe we get there one day Mike maybe maybe maybe uh hey let’s talk about Kevin kizner you
Know Kevin Kar we like ain’t no hobby Mr ain’t no hobby that’s his nickname uh he’s gonna be on the Telly for NBC for the Sentry and the Waste Management Phoenix as an analyst what do we think of Kevin kizner going to the television uh he curses a lot so they’re gonna have
To have that delay ready to go yeah that’s my first he’s going to be on a 14 second delay dou double 7 second can can we do that I think we’re going to have to but yeah he’s going to be on the call for the Sentry and the Waste Management
Phoenix he’s he’s a very popular golf personality on social sadly the game’s just been falling off in the last couple years so I think he’s kind of looking ahead to maybe career number two I if the tour card doesn’t resurrect itself properly in the next uh six to 12 months
So yeah it’ll be interesting to hear him in the booth it’s a provocative pick it’s a youthful pick for NBC so I appreciate them doing that and it should bring a little bit more flare to the broadcast yeah I’m I’m looking forward to see how he does there I think it’s
You know we need fresh voices out there and Max hom is in the prime of his career so we’re not going to get him and we only him on tter he’s too busy playing still yeah and we’re never going to get Phil ever now so and that’s
Probably a good thing he’d probably be betting while he’s you know commentating on everything so oh speaking of betting and golfing great great segue there yeah uh unintentional I should say uh you you played golf you ate barbecue tacos and then you won money right you won money
Gambling in Texas on Vegas slots yeah isn’t that great what a world right I it’s 2023 and things are happening fast in this world uh yeah logo Visto Texas Vlog is up on YouTube check out our YouTube channel not only do we post our post our full episodes there but at
Least once every week or so I’m going to get a video up there of my adventures and got a really cool Lakeside golf experience and did win I I’ll let you watch the video to find out how much but there were jackpots let’s just put it
That way so check that out on the YouTube and then this week I’m going to do just a nice fun little year Ender some nice Christmas lights from here in Texas some really cool spots uh to check out for the holidays and definitely a happy holidays cheers uh to our YouTube
Channel as well since it is the holidays that means we have to talk music because there’s that time of year when people are I I don’t know why we’re avoiding Wham again I I like Wham at the holidays oh yeah that’s a banger and and that’s
What I wanted to get to Mike so first off is that one of your all-time favorites what what are your all-time favorites when you think Christmas music would say that especially current favorite current uh pop favorites you got to do that you got to do Mariah
Carey um and and then I am going to go back to Classics I’m going to do like Rocking around the Christmas tree um I’m gonna put some manaheim Steamroller in there because because you got to oh nice picks there okay so so let’s get into the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 right now
You know I love this this is a niche little thing I love following the radio and the music charts but they get flipped upside down for a few weeks a year because everyone switches to play Christmas music and all of the sudden Christmas songs that are not on the
Charts for 11 months find their way back to the top of them already Crosby charting every year around this time of year you already mentioned the top two Brenda Lee Mike 65 years later Rocking around the Christmas tree the number one song in the country as it has been for a
Couple of weeks now you already mentioned Mariah Carey All I Want For Christmas Is You that’s number two name some other Classics what else do you think is in the top 10 you already named one as one other as well do we have white Christmas in there do we have Bing
Crosby anywhere in here he hasn’t cracked the top 10 I will I’ll give you the third one you already mentioned Wham last Christmas is at number four right now in the country okay any more thoughts before I reveal the rest of the top 10 do we have sonra or Dean Martin
In there great call Great call Great call I like that I did see Sinatra where is he oh uh Sinatra is there yep uh for Let It Snow Let It Snow Dean Martin Let It Snow uh Sinatra is there as well uh Burl IES Holly Jolly Christmas another
Classic on there Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Holmes also in the top 10 yep and uh I’m trying remember the name of the other one and I see if you can pull it out here before I reveal there’s one more I’m going to dig into my phone and see
If I can remember uh while I’m pulling it up but I I can’t at the moment so I’m going to let you it’s a classic that they used to use on the bowl season advertisements on ESPN Andy Williams It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Also cracking the top 10 so just just fun to see the Christmas classics making their way back up to the top of the charts yes indeed it is that time it also means it’s family movie time because you know you get that during during the time of the year and we
Actually went out and saw Wonka this weekend oh nice okay Timothy shalam as Willy won as willly Wonka a prequel to everyone’s favorite uh Wily Wonka in the Chocolate Factory um let let we all know and love and you know I I have to say that this was really quite good I really
Liked this version um and it felt like it really recaptured some of that m magic I got some Jean Wilder Vibes sham really kind of ched Jean Wilder in this and I and I like that they didn’t try to explain everything like they do in
Prequels we we kind of just took we took wiie Wonka and went okay we’re gonna have him start his Chocolate Factory and we didn’t care about where the Oompa loomas really came from or why they’re there or is he a magician is how is he able to put all his stuff in his
Chocolate we don’t care about that it doesn’t matter we’re just in that universe and we got to enjoy it and I really enjoyed this movie uh and and I would encourage everyone to go see it forget Johnny Depp that was a piece of this was really good I appreciate
Them not uh feeling the need to overex explain context I like the way you said that yes uh that was that was really refreshing so quite good Wonka Tam Wonka holiday winner if you’re home with the family going to the movies love that good stuff uh my review it was a movie
At home I missed I wasn’t spending $1,000 ticket to see ter tillers Swift on the Aros Tour live I didn’t find the time to spend 20 something dollars a ticket to see it in theaters but for $16 Mike I brought the AOS tour into my home last weekend I gotta say Mike definitely
Worth it I’m I’m a casual Swifty but a really really well done production just overall highlighting an LA show specifically at Sofi Stadium uh with an amazing energy it was really cool to walk through the eras they all kind of represent a different time in our lives
As well too seeing is how long Taylor Swift’s now been around and you could feel the power of just how big she is in the world of music and and Beyond so definitely going with another four out of five stars for for the AOS tour and I’m I’m highly recommending it if you
Haven’t already gotten to see the live show of the movie yet I think Taylor Swift had to make like a billion dollars off of this ays tour because all the money from the ticket sales and all the shows and in the movie hdden theaters and now on streaming and and I think the
Rental cost too there’s like additional footage so you’re trying to get everyone to then rent it even though you saw it in theater there’s new footage in it so I mean this is just a cash printing machine she paved like a new way to to like release music honestly it it really
Is it’s a it’s an all-encompassing release of music that that doesn’t just end at concerts it continues with telling the story of the concert and I think there’s a lot more you’re you’re going to start to see many more artist Beyonce’s kind of already followed along the same line and copying but you’re
Going to see many more artists try and replicate this same mold and just grab an ounce of the success Taylor shri’s had with the AOS tour this year speaking of success in the holidays we have to talk about Arab who everyone is probably going who’s ARB but if you watch Matt
Sher or listen to him out in Boston or you follow him on Instagram yeah reporter Matt on Instagram reporter Matt great guy past guest as well uh did this great he he goes and he finds people in Boston talks to him he I don’t know you know his his ability to just find
Regular People and he found this singer who is in lives on the streets of Boston and was able to tell her story and then just make her day beyond compare yeah essentially she told RB’s story um and her background in music as well too and showed off her vocal talents which are
Amazing and it led to all sorts of opportunities people and the internet and the and the world and as I like to say restoring faith in good Humanity one step at a time people actually acted and donated to her cause she was then gifted in a follow-up video an unbelievable sum
Of money uh to make her dreams come true she was brought into a recording studio to record that song Mike that she wrote with a Sharpie on a piece of cardboard that she was sleeping on on the streets of Boston that how’s that for perspective in a sentence right there um
And it was really really awesome what Matt did not only to tell the story but to give RB this this amazing moment for the holidays where she also got to reunite with her daughter as well yes tear jerking moment moments for sure um just crazy what what he was able to put
Together there for the holidays so yes faith in restored again everyone go watch those videos as soon as you’re done with this podcast reporter mat on Instagram we’ll have Matt back on maybe in 2024 because he’s just to tells an endless amount of really great stories
Uh in the Boston area and he’s just a fun follow again it was just a a great moment to see uh play out on social media this week all right let’s get to the turn and this week’s guests plural yes two uh and and I just need to stop
For a moment because the the name of this place is Dripping Springs that’s right baby Dripping Springs Texas little uh Hill Country suburb about 20 miles Southwest of Austin about a 30 40 minute drive out from where I am and uh it’s a beautiful little spot out there Mike it’s when you
Exit Austin City Limits proper and you get out into the real Texas that’s where that’s where we were in and I found these two brothers uh because they were playing Wheel of Fortune Mike my dad was just eating his dinner mining his own business and he texted me and says these
Two guys from Dripping Springs own a driving range on Wheel of Fortune and here we are now talking to him Stephen and Doug Bradford you talk to them about their driving range and everything else uh and we’ll get to that conversation with them in just a second but first
Let’s talk to you about the live take app this is where Sports debates are solved once and for all and we continue to talk about it because we continue to post there you can get additional content from us there and tell us whether you agree or disagree with our
Hot takes that we Dro there our five minute live takes where we publicly debate some sort of sport topic going on in the world like what we just did this last week about which PGA Tour superstar is going to jump to live golf next and uh right now it seems like the people
Agree with you that it’s going to be Colin morawa um but I I still don’t think it’ll be morawa I don’t think it’ll be kentley who’s who I said but I don’t think it’s going to be morawa this’s just yeah it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out but regardless
We’re hitting on golf topics current events pop culture Sports and everything on the live take app uh so be sure to check us out and follow us there at codcast Alex and at Co podcast Michael that’s right live take download it in your app store today live take let your take be Heard all right next up on the te we’re live at Dripping Springs Country Club with the owners of the facility I actually first spotted them on Wheel of Fortune funny enough and now we’re here at their property checking out the facility Stephen jug joining us here on the
Course of Life uh boys how we doing today doing excellent how are you sir awesome awesome it’s great to have both of you on so just to give people a picture of where we are we’re just outside Austin Texas we’re off Highway 290 about 45 minutes from downtown
Austin um but explain to me Stephen and Doug the the history and the background of this property and location yes sir so Doug and I have lived in Dripping Springs for roughly about 15 years and uh we’ve always driven by this place and we’ve been coming we we came here most
Of the time just with our little children when they were growing up and it was it was a driving range most of that time but it kind of went downhill just a tad and um we had the chance to uh to actually acquire the property in
August of 2020 so we decided to grab it at that point and uh we’ve been doing renovations on it ever since then and uh we’ve got some some awesome top Tracer screens and just a just a range that everyone in Dripping Springs can come enjoy this is a place for the
Neighborhood the town but also golfers just looking for kind of a unique driving range experience as well and uh Doug I’m curious tell me a little bit about um just the background on the timing of getting this property a few years ago kind of right during covid but
Also golf was having a bit of a Renaissance moment at the time D just explain kind of what went into that that time frame for you guys yes the the biggest thing for us is when we were com in and we found that there’s nowhere
Around here to play golf I mean maybe 20 mile radius you can go hit a ball we’re like this has to happen close by and it needs to have beer and it needs to have food yes so we can have a blast and and that’s that’s kind of what happened and
And Stephen’s wife Caroline she’s like the the brain of it all Stephen and I we were here weed eating and Mowing and we’re just the work we’re just the work yeah but yeah it’s and and you know my wife she she works at the cash register
She’s a champ I love it a true family business true family business and we you know we have to stop ourselves from coming out here because you know we have we have real jobs know outside of this and we’re like oh my God I love to play
So much we have the top Tracer screens you can play 15 different courses and approach Challenge and long drive Challenge and um it’s kind of hard for us to stay away and keep our friends away definitely yeah so I’m curious it sounds like this there’s some a bit of
Support there from the spouses and the family members what was the the first reaction when you told them that you were actually undertaking and and taking care of the facility now well I I mean so I always wanted the facility it took a while to convince my wife that this
Was a good idea um we we owned a little wedding venue right down the road and then and then right after that we we kind of got out of that business and I was like Caroline we need to do this it’s a great idea and she was like great
Idea you know a driving range she’s like you can’t go step yeah yeah exactly right so uh but no I mean after that we kind of T started talking about it a little bit more and we kind of got her in you know a little bit more in tune to
The idea of having a driving range out here and I think once once we started mowing started weeding started getting it looking you know the way that it should look she definitely got excited about it at that point and I mean it’s just been it’s been a fun and amazing
Experience ever since we’ve had it just because we we H we’ve hired quite a few people from Dripping Springs and then we let the school come out here and play and practice and those type things so we’re trying to be just Community oriented as possible and I mean it’s
Just it’s been a fun family thing and Community thing at the same time yeah work in the counter right he’s a he’s a high school golfer yeah it’s awesome very cool Doug I’m curious about that you mentioned the te talk golf technology so for people whove been to a
Driving range and they’ve also been to a top golf explain how you guys are able to bring Top Golf Tech technology specifically to the range kind of modernize the golf experience people practicing yes so like I said earlier we we want to go play golf and it’s very
Hard to find a place around dripping to go play golf it’s it’s a low empty Google search when you put in Dripping Springs Golf sadly absolutely but you guys do come up first now well and also on top of that we we love that it’s called a country club but it’s also the
Antithesis of a country club right so I mean that that’s kind of the way it work shout out Country Club Jason our friends in the podcast industry yeah but the main difference here is if you go to a top golf um you’re going to have a ball that’s chipped right that’s how they
Track them there are 10 individual Bays here with two big cameras on the side and it tracks every ball going out so I wish I knew who made that technology because that’s pretty impressive to me but just two cameras track each Bay and fall speed trajectory and you can chip
Put you name it it’s yeah so and everything is tracked through the app so if you want to come out and practice every day every shot that you hit is tracked on the app so you can totally do practice you can do fun you can do I mean there’s kids games there’s like
There’s there’s something for everyone on the screens out there right so that that’s kind of the beauty of having the top Tracer out here no I love seeing that and it adds a whole new element to the the idea of practicing because for some people that can be very laborious
And um a little bit tenuous at times but adding the fun gamified experience of top of golf it also keeps your stats as great and the other thing that I really love about this facility which we need to get to is just creating the actual Vibe of the golf experience that’s
Changed a lot in decades ago it used to be all buttonup polos and country clubs but as you guys know this is the antithesis of the country club describe the idea to bring the merch and the beer and the fun and The Vibes to this experience as well so when I say that
Caroline is the brains of the operation so she brought in the food the kitchen the beer okay and all the all the clothing yes and and those items so um that that part just comes with it like when people come in and they see us wearing our
Sunday Swagger around town I mean if I’m at a basketball game or a volleyball game for my children I’m I’m repping dscc I’m repping Sunday Swagger every time you know I’m out in public so people like to come in and get it well and in general I am I am referred to as
Sleevel steeve right so I generally do not like to wear sleeves on a shirt so this is a proper place for me to come how many days out of seven are you sess in a given week every single day wow seven out of seven really seven out of
Seven that is no joke yeah so this is a perfect place for me to come and do that and we’ve always got music going it’s just generally a good time and just like you said Vibes are always up here we we try to keep it that way and um I mean
It’s just we we enjoy it and we wanted to make it something that everyone could enjoy with us I guess yeah and Beyond the golf just you know bringing people here in the years to come tell me a little bit about just other thoughts and things that are ruminating through your
Brain for what this place could look like yeah so I mean you know Caroline and I always are trying to think of new things that we could make this into in general so I mean we love it in its current capacity and we’re doing everything that we can to keep it the
Way it is but I mean there’s definitely thoughts of possibly like a little part three course on one side you know and definitely more practice areas that and you know those type things and you know maybe little place to grab some food but you know like a more of a restaurant
Type place and and just those are all just thoughts in our head and they’re just ruminating at this point but you never know what you know what could happen Def and for me it’s competition I want to have tournaments here I want people to come out because you can have
A Pebble Beach Golf Tournament on all 10 bays and you can be competing globally or just in the US or just in Dripping Springs and that to me is super fun okay well we got the tour coming to Pebble Beach in like late January so that could
Be a little tourament idea for you guys in the works at the same exact time there you go love it awesome so I I got to tell the story about how I originally found you guys I find my guests in the world of golf from the strangest weirdest
Places but this one definitely Takes the Cake uh my dad who joined us today for the visit was enjoying his dinner watching The Wheel of Fortune and spots you two on a screen playing America’s game and and told me about you guys operating a golf facility in Dripping
Spring Texas so I knew I had to make my way out here I have to hear what the process was like for the two of you get on Wheel of Fortune so the the process itself was is that Caroline has been applying for me for the last I think 14
Years wow to get on okay so this is a long time this is this is a long process that’s been going on right so but finally got she just randomly got an email after one of these applications and was like Stephen is going to get an interview to possibly be on Wheel of
Fortune step two okay step two yes so I go on in a zoom call for an initial interview for this correct so we we do our Wheel of Fortune thing and I and uh but in that process I was like well I I actually love that I’m going this far
But is there any way that like I could get my brother involved with this too because we both love Wheel of Fortune we would love to be on family week and they were like well tell him to apply that would be a first thing right like he
Hasn’t done that yet so he applied okay and then he gets his interview and then after that we got to interview together finally and then it was crickets essentially and we were like oh crap we didn’t you know we didn’t do well enough we didn’t get on but then we just
Randomly we were at I think one of Doug’s daughter’s volleyball games and I just randomly got an email and said hey you have 24 hours to to lock it in and we said we’re in that process was from May to September May to September so about four or five months there
Interview okay and you know you’re trying to be as bubbly and joyful and jubilant as you could possibly well you don’t exude bubbliness every single day of the week while we were there every 30 minutes the executive producer would come up to me and say Doug we need you
To bring the energy we BR we need you to amp it up a little bit I’m like dude this is I’m not a loud person this is like this is excited as I get and that’s when you saw on the show they go oh Stephen I guess he’s the excitable
Brother yeah but I don’t think I’m a I’m a drag dude no no it’s not that I mean he was he’s also when we are playing wheel of even when we’re playing at the house each other he is very into the puzzles I mean it’s it’s no BS at that point right you’re
Game game face on right so I mean that’s what he’s doing at that time so I mean that’s kind of the way he was on the show okay so four or five month process to actually get on the show now I’m very curious everyone wonders like how how
Long or short is the actual taping process I’ve heard that it can be quite the wait to get on there what was that process like just waiting to actually play the game itself when once you arrive there so generally just a very long day right because first of all Doug
And I are very much like rule followers and if it says to be there at 5: we’re going to be there at 4:20 you know those type things so we were there very early we went to the Shell station across the street grabbed a cup of coffee and just
Kind of you know we’re taking it all in looking at Sony Studios across the street and we’re like oh man we’re here right so and that was at 5:15 in the morning and and then you just go through the entire process and it almost takes the entire
Day so we did not leave Sony Studios till 400 PM that evening wow okay so that really was a full day that was a full day just wa waiting rehearsing I mean just doing the things that go along with the process but yes it was it was a
Day and um I mean generally Doug and I like if we we have something like that going on maybe you maybe you like have calm your nerves or something like that right and I mean this situation was a tad bit different because you’re just you’re locked inside of they got you
Locked inside of a studio and I mean you’re just marinating with your thoughts all day so yeah it’s a it’s a process I’m curious um any practice spinning the wheel at all yes in the mock games yes okay did you like working on a chip or a pit shot on the Range and
Kind of honing that in how did how did the wedge feel kind of going into the game itself it was it was a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be heavier Club y yes and um I think it weighs 25 200 lbs they
Tolda but the the bad part about that was I was supposed to be the spinner and Stephen was supposed to be the letter picker and Stephen told me two seconds before we start I want I want to spin I want you to pick letters I said appreciate it bro just changed up all
The rehearsal of all day right on the right on the First Tee no breakfast ball no nothing just threw it out there so that’s the way it went that’s awesome I’m curious everyone wants to know um what Pat and B white are like behind the scenes what was the experience just
Talking with them I mean I think all I can say is the whole experience was awesome I mean we we enjoyed it all Vanna for certain was extremely bubbly and came in and met all of us and it was just a it was really neat to see them in
Person Doug and I have been watching Wheel of Fortune since we were born I guess so I mean it was just really cool to meet them and just have the experience and I I guess just be there and see them in real life right we Ultra professional but I know why Pat gets
Paid his M he’s just Savvy witty he can talk to any human being alive like none of that is rehearsed that that man can can talk and say something funny to anybody and that was very cool that is a gift indeed and uh one piece of advice
From each of you that you would give to someone who’s going on the show real quick um I think man that’s a really good question I would think rehearsal wise definitely have down what you’re saying what you’re going to say before you go in that the little intro paragraph the little intro
Definitely have that in your mind and rehears before you actually go in and just try to wing it okay it’s your piece of advice dog mine is is just to have fun don’t think about it too much it is a game and no matter all the paperwork
And legal and all that stuff just have an amazing time because it’s it’s so worth it and it was it went by so fast for us like actually playing the show um playing the game was like I mean it’s hard to even remember I’m so glad we
Have it on on tape to remember yeah exactly very cool Stephen Doug again here we’re live at Dripping Springs Country Club check them out on Instagram Dripping Springs CC um real quick shot questions here I’m very curious I’m sure you’ve seen shots or maybe hit some on
Your own out here at the facility what’s maybe the greatest shot you’ve seen or witnessed here at the country club in the three years you guys had property the way you put here is you hit a 50 yard wedge shot right at the Gopher and um I come and play Stephen and two
Of our other close friends and um normally that wins the 18 holes so I’ve done that a couple times Stephen’s done it a couple times you hit that 50 yard spot for 50 okay all right yeah I think uh I would say mine was like the first
Time that we got it and we got the top Tracer screens up I was absolutely dominating my friend group in general in long drive so I mean it was just it was it was great phenomenal and I just love it yeah I mean anytime that you can do
That and they can’t get within you know 20 30 yards of you it’s just a special time yeah and you’re talking to Mr 215 yard buttercut here the T so you’d be absolutely crushing me just like everyone else what’s your 33 no I think here it’s like
375 that’s far enough for sure um what’s the uh go-to uh order here what’s the snack or drink that you have to have once you finish your practice session the 19th whole here so I would always say a Coors Light and a chicken sandwich
Is is a top end right here for sure yeah definitely for us can’t go wrong with that what would you let what would you pick same thing pizza and Keystone Light okay pizza and beer Kors light chicken sandwich love it Stephen Doug thank you so much for hopping on the podcast
Looking forward to showing everyone the facility and the video we put out and I hit them straight out there to thank you sir appreciate It course of Life podcast is brought to you by by zener we’ve been using zenc Caster here since almost the very beginning as how Alex and I record this podcast from hundreds of miles away and it provides us with great quality audio that works every time and it’s something
That makes course of Life what it is and has kept us being able to make consistent episodes every week and now it’s super easy to record a podcast with Zen caster you log in using your browser and start recording a highquality podcast right away you record studio
Quality sound and up to 4K video with your guest you feel a sense of Zen knowing Zen Caster’s multi-layered backups ensure you always have your recordings in the highest quality even if the connection is unstable and if you ever wondered what you actually sound like Zen Caster’s post- production process makes you sound
Buttery smooth it automatically removes those Ms and aw in your recording it removes those awkward pauses in conversation too set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a click of a button head on over to zenc caster.com pricing and use our promo code course of
Life to get 30% off your first month of any Zen cter paid plan we want you to have the same easy experiences we do for all of your podcasting and content needs again that’s zenc caster.com / pricing and our promo code course of life sencer it’s time to share your Story we’re back great chat there with Stephen and Doug waiting for hours to play I I know from the little bit of time I did in live TV sports it was very much a hurry up waight mentality but for a talent like this to be brought in and
Have to hurry up and wait that’s just that’s brutal oh man it’s like you know what it’s like it’s like icing the field goal kicker for the game winner but for like eight hours basically and then I mean after that you got to perform it was really cool them
Walking through the the show process and hearing the background I love finding them on the Wheel of Fortune of all places and yeah Dripping Springs Country Club fun fun visit hey how how do you think you would be at Wheel of Fortune by the way I always claim that if I
Could pick one game show to be on that would be it I I love and pride myself on being a great solver do you think you’d be a good good wheel partner for me or no no I’d be horrible okay good I play I play wle and and I’m usually on the
Fifth you know it’s it’s my last last I got the word at the very end there so you know nice well regardless cool to hear about Steven Doug’s story on the wheel and I’m going to have a fun video coming from my visit there you saw some
Clips I’ve already posted where I was walking through abandoned school buses and just kind of like reliving my childhood memories um there’s going to be a lot more where that came from uh so again fun visit to uh to Dripping Springs to meet Steven and Doug and if
You like that conversation with Steven and Doug plus everything else we do here on this podcast make sure you punch that subscribe button leave us a rating thumbs up five stars it is the holiday season it is uh time to give five stars
Or more all all we ask is for you to be generous right now during this time of year during our weekly rating fun drive channeling my NPR for a moment only you can help us you’re our most important asset love that uh let’s talk basketball it’s uh that time of year basketball on
Christmas if you remember Alex on Li take a few weeks ago people said they looked like they were going to say Thanksgiving was the best holiday to watch sports but then they changed their mind and said no Christmas is and it’s because of all the basketball definitely
Five five NBA games starts at noon goes Past Midnight basketball fans dream great side conversation peace on mute while you’re enjoying time with the family that’s the way I like to look at it we’ll walk in for for Celtics Lakers though hot red hot Celtics team uh
Heading out to the Lakers to play LeBron oh I’m sorry inseason Tournament champion LeBron James and the Lakers I need to add that to their title from now on uh so we’ll see if they’re the real deal that’ll be my headliner for Christmas day but uh NFL games on
Christmas day too so just a very busy Sports weekend overall for everybody there’s college football of course we’re in the heart of bull season it started with uh my wife’s Georgia Southern Eagles this uh past weekend uh and uh man they they did they forgot how to fly
Yeah they got annihilated in the the first bowl game of the bull season but we’ve already got a six or seven down um watching one as we record they’re on at all hours of the day and night coming up this week and weekend great slate on Saturday ending with the Hawaii Bowl
Saturday night you know I always love talking about the Hawaii Bowl unfortunately PSA it’s moved it used to be Christmas Eve night but it’s moved back to Festivus night at 10:30 p.m. eastern time I’m gonna have to keep my eyes open for as long as I can just to
Catch the first half of that one the worst yeah the worst time ever Festivus is for Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength not for the Hawaii Bowl we’ll get we’ll get some more of that next week it’s a good tease uh let’s talk the NFL uh you know and and it’s important
To talk about the NFL mostly because the playoff picture is just becoming more and more crazy the Jacksonville Jaguars what went from like top seed to now they may not even make the playoffs in the span of two weeks something like that yeah it’s crazy out there I did I did
The whole path math article on Splash Sports um as well describing all the teams in the hunt and how their path was to get in the playoffs it’s it’s a little wacky especially in the NFC as well just a schorer board of mediocrity
In the NFL as I would like to call it uh and I’m I’m not even part of that mediocrity as a Patriots fan unfortunately with with the with the Patriots losing to the Chiefs and Taylor Swift Mike I mean not only did I cheer for Taylor Swift on Friday she then beat
Me on Sunday again and and took my Patriots uh Hearts uh with another loss three and 11 the disaster season continues and then the best part of it all Mike is I’m going to continuously ruin everyone’s Christmas Eve the Patriots are playing the Christmas Eve night Prime Time Standalone game and
It’s going to be an absolute embarrassment for all of us can can we Flex that game out too I mean we already flexed him out a Monday night desperately tried and we can’t it’s already locked in yeah we tried we can’t there’s no avoiding it so I’m going to
End my Christmas Eve with misery courtesy of the mile high State I mean at least you didn’t have a brief moment of thinking that your team was going to run the table and get a chance to make it into the playoffs and then just get demolished against the Saints yeah what
A strange story arc for the Giants you know Daniel Jones immediately out after all the money you gave him Tyrod Taylor out and Tommy chicken cutlets rises to fame and I actually did a little comparison like this to Tommy DeVito thing it’s got a little shade of Lin
Sanity remember when Jeremy Lynn came on the scene for the New York Knicks and went nuts for like a month or two and like couldn’t miss a shot it kind of feels like that right now with Tommy I heard I heard a a comparison of Tommy DeVito to wait for it Tom Brady
Oh my God Jesus my stomach just turned over gota you know what I will say though is that uh you know it’s hard to be a good quarterback when you get sacked what like seven times or something when the offensive line literally doesn’t exist it’s hard to be a
Quarterback yeah it is tough loss for for Tommy but we’re good news we’re all GNA get Tommy Chicken cocklet on Christmas day in the afternoon they’re playing Christmas Day MAA for the whole country to see Merry Christmas America speaking of Christmas let’s hash always end with food yep our food segment and
Our 19th whole segment to end every course of Life podcast talking all things food in our life and obviously it’s the holiday meal upcoming so I’m getting back you know I’m getting back to Boston for Italian and seafood but the Christmas Eve night Buffet spread is
The one that you’re going to see on Instagram this is a holiday party that could have anywhere from I don’t know 20 to 50 or 60 people at my house oh god oh this is baked stuffed shrimp it’s some sort of red meat entree but then it’s also my stepfather’s Italian side and
Then they always over serve everybody so we’ve got we’re going to have a a zillian cutlets just like the DeVito family chicken parm fried ravioli all sorts of different pasta garlic bread F days um it’s going to be a carb stuffing frenzy for for the Christmas Eve Buffet
At home so does that mean that you all wake up Christmas morning at like 10 or 11 just like in a in a carb stoer also no vampires obviously are to worry about coming to any anybody in the lazon family no not at all you’re right about
That garlic Galore and yeah it might be actually one of the mornings where I actually sleep in the longest which is funny because when I was a kid I would be up at the ass crack of dawn at like 5m. knowing what was downstairs I
Couldn’t even get to 7: a.m. I mean now Christmas morning yeah it could be one of my best sleeping mornings of the entire year you’re right about that yep there you go uh you know but I I take the Jewish approach Christmas Eve and that is Chinese food I love it I
Appreciate that and then Christmas night is standing rib roast because why if you’re going to spend the money on steak you got to get a standing rib roast I love that nice eloquent sign of the holidays the standing rib roast it’s just a sign of the Season you know it is
Garnished with the Rosemary and everything it’s chef’s kiss indeed that’s always end with food and a wrap on another great course of Life podcast happy holidays Merry Christmas to everyone out there uh we’ll be back next week with our Festivus a little a little early actually yeah we’re going
To drop it early actually we’re going in honor of Festivus we’re going to drop a twofer this week so later this week we’re going to drop a festiv us in a year Ender recapping all that was good and great in 2023 while also airing our grievances tune in to that on the next
Course of Life podcast until then we’ll see you next Week w [Applause] W
