December 15, 2020 • 26 mins
In this episode of the Clubhouse with Shane Bacon, Shane Bacon is joined by Damon Hack to share a major announcement! Shane and Damon are launching a new show on the Golf Channel called: "Golf Today". The guys talk about their excitement level, their chemistry and things you can expect from their new show launching in January! You can follow Damon on Twitter @DamonHackGC and Shane @ShaneBacon.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Clubhouse with Shane Bacon, a production of
I Heart Radio. Welcome to the Clubhouse with Shane Bacon.
I am your host, Shane Bacon, and don't normally do this,
we don't invite the guests right in, but uh, you know,
this whole episode is about myself and the guest, so
(00:22):
I figured why not introduced him right away and we'll
get going. Damon a Hack of the Golf Channel joining
me Shane Bacon of the Golf Channel. Is that is
that what we say here? Damon? I think the rumors
are true, but we're gonna be working together. It sounds
like a pretty darn suon. Yeah, announcement today, really exciting stuff.
Um really happy to be joining the NBC team in
(00:45):
the Golf Channel crew. I feel honored, I feel humbled,
all of those emotions that come when somebody reaches out
to you with interest. Is uh, is a part of
what's gone on the last few weeks, in the last
couple of months. But Damon, as I was talking to
the people that are our bosses and the people that
are the movers and shakers in and around NBC Sports
(01:05):
and Golf Channel, I was waiting around to see who
I would be working closely with, and I find out
about a week and half two weeks ago it's you,
which is like, you know, it's like opening the perfect
holiday gift and then walking outside wearing the jacket and
realizing that they also bought you a car. You know,
it's like this this I shouldn't be this lucky. This
(01:27):
is awesome. Well, I'll tell you what the feeling is. Mutual. Um.
I was kind of left in the dark, not really
knowing what was gonna be happening with me in this
move in one who I'd be sitting next to, and
when I found out that it was gonna be Shane Bacon, Uh,
someone who I've respected from Afar, who I spent a
magical week with at at bandoned Dudes. And I'm sure
(01:49):
we'll get into that as the days, weeks and months
and maybe this podcast we're on. But Buddy, yours as
versatile and talented as anyone in the business. You love
this game much to anyone in the business, and that
means a lot just on its own. So to be
able to work with you and talk about this great
game was We're gonna do five days a week on
(02:10):
Golf Channel. I could not ask for anything better. Yeah, well,
the new show, just so people know, it's called Golf Today.
Obviously playing off NBC's Today Show success and the great
job they do over there, Golf Today is gonna be
a daily show. You and I are gonna be rocking
and the roll and I believe Wednesday through Sunday, Is
that right, Damon, That's exactly right. Wednesday through Sunday will
(02:30):
kind of set up that week's tournament and then really
every day set up every round and kind of get
inside the game and the stories. And we've kind of
talked about you know what, we what we hope the
show will be. I think it's gonna be unpredictable and
not really a formulaic type of show. But we're gonna
go where the where the tea leaves take us, and
(02:51):
where the stories take us, you know, inside what these
players are working on the best players in the world,
but also just the game as a whole. As you know,
we're lovers of this game. We play this game at
two completely different levels. By the way, one of us
is actually a very good player. I'll let your listeners
decide us think whom on us is really really good?
Who happens to just be passionate, loves it, but but
(03:13):
can barely get the ball around the golf course. But
I think all of those things combine our love of
covering the game, of talking about the game, of playing
the game, of interviewing the best players in the world,
and the coaches and the movers and shaskers and stakeholders
in this game, it's gonna be what I envisioned, a
(03:34):
one stop shopping for the golf for the golf fan.
And I think it's gonna be an absolute blast really
seeing this show evolve into whatever eventually becomes. Yeah, definitely,
I was gonna ask you that I was gonna get
into it in a bit, but I figure, I mean,
I'll do it right now. Since you mentioned, I mean,
you joined the Golf Channel back in two thousand twelve,
and you know you have worked in a lot of
(03:54):
positions at the Golf Channel. How excited are you for
this opportunity to create eight a show? I mean, you
you were You've been a part of so many shows,
and I know you've been so influential and how those
shows go, but this really your your first chance to
kind of create from the ground up a new show.
With our producers and with all of our talented team
behind the scenes. But how excited it is that for you.
(04:17):
It's a huge honor. I don't take it lightly. It's
a it's a huge responsibility, uh, to really start something
fresh part of Morning Drive now. Since so thankful that
that Molly Solomon, the executive producer, brought me down. I
was living in New York and working for Sports Illustrated
and to have the chance to to make the move
(04:38):
to television and for her to trust me in my
background as a sports writer covering golf in the National
Football League for s I and the New York Times
and for news Day and with the Sacramento b and
taking this you know, ink stained wretch as it were,
this old newspaper guy and magazine guy and let them
(04:59):
talk and run his up on television has been quite
a joy and connected with viewers and being excited and
passionate about the game. And I want to take it
to the next level. I want to continue to build
relationships with our viewers and be transparent and and be
you know, authentic, and I know that you're you're built
the same way, and um, I think it's gonna be
a collaborative effort between us and our producers obviously, but
(05:21):
I think it's also a great chance to to build
on the chemistry I think we already have. I think
both of us a kind of quietly excited about, you know,
what this show could become and what a great honor
for both of us at Golf Channel is kind of
giving us the ball and say, hey, you know, you guys,
go with it and let's see where it goes. Yeah,
I had my we had our first meeting, official meeting,
I guess on Monday, as you guys are listening to
(05:43):
this on Tuesday or beyond, had our first official meeting
on Monday, and damon my wife and I and my
wife credit to her is an unbelievable rock star when
it comes to managing, you know, paperwork. And I would say,
all the tasks that I hate doing when it comes
to something huge like a move, my wife just does
(06:03):
them all. And I'm the guy that's like she, you know,
kind of dragging his feet, and she's given me the side.
I like, hey, you need to you probably need to
box some stuff up today. But I'm watching during this meeting,
you know, the Women's open is wrapping up on a Monday,
and I have the iPad onto the side, as I
think everybody in the meeting had, because obviously we have
to keep one eye on on what's happening in the
golf world. And I couldn't help but feel like the
(06:24):
Women's Open was mirroring my life. They showed a replay
of Thursday. All the players are in shorts, and it's
this beautiful day in Houston. And come Sunday, Uh it
is it is this really, really nasty ear muff park
a jacket weather day. And and I brought up my
wife to say one thing We've both echoed throughout this
(06:45):
whole experiences. I am, you know, on cloud nine in
terms of the excitement level of the job part. But
we also have to move our lives from Arizona to Connecticut.
I couldn't help but look at this and go, it's
a little about what I'm gonna have to deal with.
I'm gonna go from short weather I'm wearing shorts right now, damon,
to the northeast. It's a little bit chillier there. You're
there right now? What are we? What are we? What
(07:07):
are we in uh expecting? As we encounter Connecticut in January. Oh,
I can tell you what you're expecting and what I'm
living with and dealing with right now is snow today.
Today was my first snow day in Westport, Connecticut was today,
and it was upon me what degrees the real field
temperature they called real field temperature? You know what's a
(07:29):
real field temperature. I'm learning about that as well. I mean, buddy,
not a lot of golf courses are opening are shut down.
I mean they're the really good clubs in places they
might have like an indoor facility where you can kind
of get a little toasty and hit some shots out
of like a three sided trailer or something. But buddy,
it's it's gonna be very hard to work on your
(07:50):
game year round. You have to really improvise and trying
to figure things out. And that's okay. I mean, we
are going to be busy. That that's the key is
We're gonna be so busy January, February March and beyond that.
I'm not sure that we'll be missing really time on
the links. I think once uh, once we get away
from work, it's gonna be families and kiddos and as
focusing on that. But we have a positive only rule
(08:15):
in our household right now. So again with moving and
packing and you know, wrapping glasses and I one of
my jobs today was to wrap all our pictures and
that sticky you know safety whatever the hell of the
plastic is that they give us, but that was one
of my jobs today. And yeah, I'm still sitting there.
I'm whistling, I'm enjoying, and I'm listening to a podcast.
I'm trying to stay positive as I'm getting set to
(08:36):
where a few more jackets than we tend to do
here in Arizona. But I wanted to go through with you, um,
if you will, a few questions that people might have.
I jotted down some questions that people might have for
us about our new show Golf today. Uh. Number one
question that I could see people asking, and so I'm
gonna present this to you is Damon and Shane. You know,
(08:58):
we we know you guys love golf, but there's not
an analyst on the show. How are you guys going
to dive deep into the golf? So I wanted to
present that to you first, Aim. I think it's a
great question. I think we'll have analysts on from time
to time, but not necessarily a regular analyst. I think
we use our powers of observation, our powers of reporting.
Both of us have you know, a pretty good role
(09:20):
of deex of people that we know inside the game,
from players and coaches. I'm not above texting a player,
texting a coach calling a coach calling a player. From
time to time, it'll be great to get some insight
from inside the ropes on a Wednesday or Thursday and
interview some players and get some players press conferences and
(09:40):
pull some quotes from from the internet, from social media,
from press conferences that we're able to break down and
talk about. I mean, we've both been covering this game
and loving this game for a long time, and I
think if there are things that we need to to
pull some different opinion, if we need a you know,
Aim and Lynch from Golf Weak to talk about a
(10:01):
story he wrote, or Brandon Shamblita to break down a
specific aspect of the footwork or the shafflene of a player.
I'm sure it will be about bringing somebody on and
having them leaving their expertise. But I think both of us,
with our knowledge of the game, love of the game, uh,
we're not gonna be afraid to to take some pretty
(10:21):
big swings ourselves into the matters that are surrounding our
great game. Yeah, I I think it's it's knowing the
sport and it's explaining the sport with the knowledge that
is well beyond your abilities. I guess it's probably the
key way of doing that. You know, I give a
lot of credit to uh now, the No Dunk's Crew,
but they're previously the starters and Basketball Jones even before
(10:43):
that when I used to work with Jay Skee. Yeah
who sports back in the day. But you know, I
give a lot of credit to two groups of people
like that who started a show about basketball. And those
four guys on the set weren't professional basketball players and
didn't play professional basketball, but they were knowledgeable enough to
speak on the sport. They knew what to say and
(11:05):
how to say it. They never overstepped, you know, really
into that player world trying to talk of of maybe
the ins and outs of behind the scenes because they
didn't know that much about it. And I even think
in our sport, I mean, the No Laying Up guys
have done such a great job of establishing a group
of people that talk about golf and No golf, and
they have different personalities and you know, different experiences in
(11:27):
the sport, but they're able to talk on it because
they know enough about the players and the stats and
the history of those players at events, at tournaments, and
so really we've seen people do this before. I just
feel like on TV, you know, it maybe isn't the
normal thing to have to have a show without analyst.
But I think you and I are also two guys
that are okay with asking the questions. You know, we
(11:48):
don't have to see it, and actually we know everything.
I think that's a very important part of this is
asking the wise to the people that know the answer
to our questions. Absolutely. I think at the basic level
for both of us were curious minds where reporters I
love asking questions, probing questions, questions that elicit answers and
(12:10):
responses where I can kind of stay out of the way,
and where I can learn and be educated and the
viewer can learn and be educated. And there's different different,
you know, aspects and strengths that will bring to the
to the show. I mean, I've been to South Korea,
for example, I was thinking about al m Kim winning
uh this US open that we saw on a Monday
finish and I'm thinking, my god, I've been to South Korea.
(12:30):
I might not be able to break down all the
aspects of her swing, but I I do know what
that country is like as a powerhouse golf nation that
has minor league you know, we're talking about the l
p g A over there. It's the k LPGA is televised,
and then there's minor league golf below that's televised, and
then the level below that is televised. And speaking of
(12:52):
levels they have, you know, you talk about top golf
and shot makers and all these you know, things that
are sprouting up here that that's been the way of
South Korean golf for decades and decades. They're dotted all
over Soul in different parts of South Korea, and it's
and it's no wonder that they're producing major championship winners
(13:13):
at such a high clip. So we'll be able to
figure out our way around this great game, as both
of us have done from Afar, and now we'll do
it side by side. We're gonna take a quick break
and be right back. David, this is more of a
(13:39):
question for you because you'll have obviously a better feel
for that now and and and especially over the last
few years of just working on it. But you know,
with Morning Drive going away and and and golf today,
you know, coming out in the start of two one,
what do you feel like will be similar or similar
to Morning Drive? What do you feel like will be
different to Morning Drive? With what you and I are
gonna do? I tell you it's been such a joy
(14:02):
for me, who a TV newbie back in twelve to
be able to work alongside you know, too many great
people to to count on Morning Drive and and to
be able to laugh and and have some fun. And
that's probably my biggest joy was collaborating with with people
on the show and having some great laughs with with
(14:23):
the Charlie Rhymers and and Gary Williams of the world,
and a more recent vantage of you know, Robert Dammer
and and LT and Hannah Whiteley and Page. It's just
been fun to to have a group that that you
wake up with every day and you're you know, you've
got the the your eyes are barely open when you're
walking into the office and you're you're trying to figure out, okay,
(14:43):
you know, what's this rundown? What it looks like and
then you you build a family. And I think that
chemistry is so important. And my favorite aspect of Morning
Drive was the chemistry that we built, and I think
that that's gonna be a big part of what makes
our show successful, Shane, is that that we have the
chemistry and the respect for one another, and the and
the idea of rowing in the same direction and not
(15:05):
being afraid to disagree if we do disagree, but also
having a healthy respect for one another. So I think
chemistry is hugely important and I imagine that will be
a big part of what we do. We interviewed a
lot of people on Morning Drive. Imagine we'll do that
as well. What we'll have the the cameras on the
ground as we did at times at Morning Drive. I'm
hoping one thing that's differences we have more cameras on
the ground for golf today, that we're able to sit
(15:27):
on players a little bit more and talk about what
they're working on, what are their joys and what are
their fears, and what are their you know, ceilings and
limitations in this game. And both of us have spent
enough time around these players, is you know, interviewees and
interviewers spending time with them after major championships or or
tour events and talking to them about what they're working
on and what they want to accomplish. So I'm just
(15:49):
hoping that we can convey our love of the game
and in talking to the viewers of golf channels, that
they know that, uh, you know, my energy is really
your energy is really I'm so excited to have the job.
I have to be able to talk about the game
that I love to collaborate with people on the air,
and I hope that that good feeling of chemistry and
(16:09):
collaboration continues, and I expect that it will. Yeah, I
mean it. It's interesting you bring up the chemistry part
of of Morning Drive and how much fun you had
working with that crew. You know, my first ever TV
opportunity back in two thousand and fourteen, Um, I went
into an office at one point with the Modra shot,
who you know I watched, you know, as a kid,
(16:30):
and and it was an awe of you know, everything
he did in and around the n B A and
uh and so I'm kind of in this in this
room with a mod Rashot. You know, You're like, oh
my god, is this guy gonna say to me, and um,
he told me. He said, you know, the most important
thing about television, especially a studio show, is chemistry, because
the show is only as good as the chemistry you
(16:51):
have with with your coworker, with your co host. And
I uh, I always took that and found that so interesting.
I've I've had opportunities on both sides where it's worked great,
and I've had times where maybe it wasn't the most
amazing chemistry in the world. And every time that's been
the case, I always go back to that modershot moment
because it's so true what he told me. So that's
that is something I'm again going back to the fact
(17:11):
that I got the announcement, Hey, Damon and you were
doing this. I was like, well, this this is I'm
getting paid as as well, and this is like such
a bonus. I mean, the chemistry part checked the list,
which brings me to my next question, Damon. The next
question viewers might have, didn't you guys peak in ten?
Is the question, and it's it's a fair one to
(17:33):
bring up. It's a fair one to bring up, I wondered,
did Matt Jenella asked that question? Who get that texted
in or something? And we took down at the Uncle
Tony Invitational Abandoned Dudes, and that's where this relationship really started.
I mean, both of us were kind of making our
way in the business before then, but we were we were,
(17:54):
you know, paired together, team together at Bandoned Dunes. And
this is of course a well known in golf circles match,
you know, as annual you know, hitting giggle, I guess
you call it, but it gets pretty serious there on
on the weekends as folks trying to bring home that title.
There's a lot of revelry and laughs, you know. You know,
they've had it at Pinehurst, they've most you know, notably
(18:16):
had it more regularly had it at Bandoned Dunes. And
we went out there and Shane, of course, who's you know,
trying to qualify for for national championships and and competed
at at Pack twelve Powerhouse out in Arizona. And here
I am like new to the game for the most
part as a player, stuck in the high teams of
my handicap at we somehow well, I'll tell you from
(18:37):
my perspective, if Shane Bacon is your partner, uh and
I imagine this could be both in front of the
camera or when you're when you're you know, playing golf together,
it just frees you up to be your best. So
I'm playing alongside the big left to you see the
three hundred yards and somehow I'm able to put together
two or three rounds. In the eighties, a couple of eagles,
(18:58):
including on the third hole abandoned tray down, win three
for one. This bumps all around, and we took Matchella
out and that was really that was the haymaker. That
was like the big punch. And and and Janella and
his partner Tim, they never really recovered Shady and you
were there. You saw the look of doubt in their
eyes that they've been visited by by Nicholas and Palmer
(19:21):
in the Wryter Club. We took them down. I will
never forget the look on their face. So so Hack
makes three for one on a part five. Okay, makes
an eagle, gets a couple of pops, so he makes
a net one, which for those counting of homes good
on the card. That's a really good thing to do.
So the next hole is a tricky kind of difficult
(19:43):
part four. And then the next hole abandoned trails is
one of their signature short part three's on the entire
resort and you hit the flag, so you went three
for one and then hit the flag two holes later,
and they just they were looking at each other, they
were looking at us, they were look in the caddies.
I mean, they were looking at the deer that were
passing over behind the greens. You know, everything they could
(20:05):
stare at. They couldn't believe what was happening. And with
all that going down, I remember Janelle had a putt
on eight team to tie us, and I believe he
lifted out from like he had a hell of a punt.
But that was a lot of fun. And to answer
the question, yes, we did Peek in two thousand fourteen,
possibly as golf partners, not TV partners. Yeah, exactly. I
(20:26):
think that was a good place for us to. You know,
who would have known six years later and now he's seven,
talked about one that we would be able to collaborate
on a golf show together. But man, that was that
was the real deal. My golf has not really improved that.
That was probably my high watermark as a golfer. And
I even probably about it to have that week of
(20:47):
just joy and to have a partner who's playing so
well that I was able to kind of just you know,
out of my own head for for a couple of
days and just kind of see the ball hit the
ball hit a couple of fairways, make a few put
I hope we get to do that again. I imagine
were you being down in the Northeast and us doing
a show together. We'll get out and play some gold
(21:07):
when I start going out and like start taking some
folks down. We'll go to clubs and we'll go to
some muties to start to like like Trevino back in
the day, we'll do. We'll go out there and start
to get cleaning people's cloth. I like that. I like that.
I won't even carry any cash in my pocket. I
just know it. You know that's I guess that's to
continue at the Trevino legacy. We're gonna take a quick
break and be right back. Ye damon, before I go,
(21:42):
you're up there, you've already moved. How much research have
you already done on where you may possibly uh layer
sticks so we say and become a member how much
because I've I just want to say, I may or
may not have done a decent amount of research already
and I'm still in Arizona. Well, buddy, you that's a
(22:03):
great question that you asked, and I can tell you
quite a bit. I've had phone calls, i have visited places.
I've talked to membership directors, directors of golf head professionals
both on the Connecticut side of the border and the
New York stile and the New Jersey. I've been to
New Jersey as well. So I'm not afraid to to
(22:25):
to pick up a phone and go make a visit
to golf club anywhere in the I say, within fifty miles.
We'll say I've been to quite a few places. Uh,
things are shutting down, but my eyes are wide open
and I am I'm open to the to the I
guess the highest bider whoever wants to be shading. Maybe
we'll be a package deal. Maybe will say, hey, you know, well,
(22:45):
let let's take us both and maybe we'll make make
something happen, maybe have some fun. Yeah, I'm not sure
how how our bosses are gonna like it when one
day we both show up on set and we're both
wearing the logoed polo from the same course. Like, guys,
you have to chain change. I want to let you
know that you will not be allowed to wear this
on on set. At the same time, we get the point.
(23:06):
We get you guys joined a club. But I think
you can hear in our voices we're really excited. I'm
really excited. I again just want to say um to
everybody at the the NBC team and the Golf Channel crew,
to Molly and everybody. I mean to get a chance
to do a show on Golf Channel, um is is
a dream come true. You know, Damon, I don't know
(23:27):
if you know this about me, but I've had one
job that I wanted to do my entire life, and
it was to be a sports broadcaster. I mean, I
have you know, videos VCR VHS videos that I tossed
in the VCR back and my my high school days
and even in seventh and eighth grade where I was
recording Keith Jackson games and listening to him and reading
about broadcasting. I I sent Stuart Scott a note when
(23:50):
I was in high school on best processes of of
getting into the broadcasting world. He was nice enough to
write back. I went to school, I I joined the
newspaper my freshman year. I had to lie and say
I was a writer, and I went home and wrote
a couple of fake stories and and brought him to
the newspaper and then they hired me. I mean, I've
always wanted to get and be in this world, specifically
(24:10):
on the TV side, And so you know, to to
to to have your name associated with the show on
Golf Channel is um, yeah, I mean I I couldn't
ask for for anything better. And again, as I said
to start to start this, I'm I'm humbled and honored.
I'm excited. I I can't wait for our first show
and our second show, and our fiftieth show and our
(24:31):
two hundred show. I just I'm excited about it. I
can't wait to put our hands on it and see
what comes out of it. So thank you for agreeing
to this. Thank you for you know, agreeing to have
me as a part of this as well. I can't
wait to get out there and and and get the
ball rolling on it. And I cannot wait to U
to sit next to you and talk golf. But you
were a kid in Texas and I was a kid
(24:53):
in California, you know, listening to Vince Scully and and
and Chickern and and dreaming of a similar career. So
for us to be able to have some heroes this
business and to be able to follow through on our
dreams and to be able to talk about a game
we love and to do it with each other, I
cannot ask for a better gift for one And I
can't wait to get started, my friends. Golf Today is
(25:15):
our new show, Golf Today, UM and uh and we
will we will start rocking in early January. And UH
to everybody out there, thank you so much for listening.
Cannot wait to transition you from a listener to a
viewer I believe is the right term. So UH, I
hope you follow along as well with this new journey
in my life. And uh and and and I would say,
(25:36):
a different street that Damon's gonna go down, you know,
same neighborhood, different street, but it's a lot of new stuff.
And as I said, the show will look a little
bit different in March than it looks in January, and
probably will look different in June than it looks in March.
So that's UH. Our commitment is to give you the
best product and to uh to give you something that
we would want to watch as well. And that's what
we're excited about, So tune in and early January, Damon,
(25:58):
enjoy the time off for me because I'll be there
soon and then you'll have to hang out with me
a lot, so that that's gonna be part of the
God job that works for me. Safe travel, Rest up, buddy,
because we have a lot of fun. We'll spend a
lot of energy on the air. Absolutely, Thanks Damon. The
(26:22):
Clubhouse was Shane Bacon as a production of I Heart Radio.
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Welcome to the Clubhouse with Shane Bacon, a production of
I Heart Radio. Welcome to the Clubhouse with Shane Bacon.
I am your host, Shane Bacon, and don't normally do this,
we don't invite the guests right in, but uh, you know,
this whole episode is about myself and the guest, so
(00:22):
I figured why not introduced him right away and we'll
get going. Damon a Hack of the Golf Channel joining
me Shane Bacon of the Golf Channel. Is that is
that what we say here? Damon? I think the rumors
are true, but we're gonna be working together. It sounds
like a pretty darn suon. Yeah, announcement today, really exciting stuff.
Um really happy to be joining the NBC team in
(00:45):
the Golf Channel crew. I feel honored, I feel humbled,
all of those emotions that come when somebody reaches out
to you with interest. Is uh, is a part of
what's gone on the last few weeks, in the last
couple of months. But Damon, as I was talking to
the people that are our bosses and the people that
are the movers and shakers in and around NBC Sports
(01:05):
and Golf Channel, I was waiting around to see who
I would be working closely with, and I find out
about a week and half two weeks ago it's you,
which is like, you know, it's like opening the perfect
holiday gift and then walking outside wearing the jacket and
realizing that they also bought you a car. You know,
it's like this this I shouldn't be this lucky. This
(01:27):
is awesome. Well, I'll tell you what the feeling is. Mutual. Um.
I was kind of left in the dark, not really
knowing what was gonna be happening with me in this
move in one who I'd be sitting next to, and
when I found out that it was gonna be Shane Bacon, Uh,
someone who I've respected from Afar, who I spent a
magical week with at at bandoned Dudes. And I'm sure
(01:49):
we'll get into that as the days, weeks and months
and maybe this podcast we're on. But Buddy, yours as
versatile and talented as anyone in the business. You love
this game much to anyone in the business, and that
means a lot just on its own. So to be
able to work with you and talk about this great
game was We're gonna do five days a week on
(02:10):
Golf Channel. I could not ask for anything better. Yeah, well,
the new show, just so people know, it's called Golf Today.
Obviously playing off NBC's Today Show success and the great
job they do over there, Golf Today is gonna be
a daily show. You and I are gonna be rocking
and the roll and I believe Wednesday through Sunday, Is
that right, Damon, That's exactly right. Wednesday through Sunday will
(02:30):
kind of set up that week's tournament and then really
every day set up every round and kind of get
inside the game and the stories. And we've kind of
talked about you know what, we what we hope the
show will be. I think it's gonna be unpredictable and
not really a formulaic type of show. But we're gonna
go where the where the tea leaves take us, and
(02:51):
where the stories take us, you know, inside what these
players are working on the best players in the world,
but also just the game as a whole. As you know,
we're lovers of this game. We play this game at
two completely different levels. By the way, one of us
is actually a very good player. I'll let your listeners
decide us think whom on us is really really good?
Who happens to just be passionate, loves it, but but
(03:13):
can barely get the ball around the golf course. But
I think all of those things combine our love of
covering the game, of talking about the game, of playing
the game, of interviewing the best players in the world,
and the coaches and the movers and shaskers and stakeholders
in this game, it's gonna be what I envisioned, a
(03:34):
one stop shopping for the golf for the golf fan.
And I think it's gonna be an absolute blast really
seeing this show evolve into whatever eventually becomes. Yeah, definitely,
I was gonna ask you that I was gonna get
into it in a bit, but I figure, I mean,
I'll do it right now. Since you mentioned, I mean,
you joined the Golf Channel back in two thousand twelve,
and you know you have worked in a lot of
(03:54):
positions at the Golf Channel. How excited are you for
this opportunity to create eight a show? I mean, you
you were You've been a part of so many shows,
and I know you've been so influential and how those
shows go, but this really your your first chance to
kind of create from the ground up a new show.
With our producers and with all of our talented team
behind the scenes. But how excited it is that for you.
(04:17):
It's a huge honor. I don't take it lightly. It's
a it's a huge responsibility, uh, to really start something
fresh part of Morning Drive now. Since so thankful that
that Molly Solomon, the executive producer, brought me down. I
was living in New York and working for Sports Illustrated
and to have the chance to to make the move
(04:38):
to television and for her to trust me in my
background as a sports writer covering golf in the National
Football League for s I and the New York Times
and for news Day and with the Sacramento b and
taking this you know, ink stained wretch as it were,
this old newspaper guy and magazine guy and let them
(04:59):
talk and run his up on television has been quite
a joy and connected with viewers and being excited and
passionate about the game. And I want to take it
to the next level. I want to continue to build
relationships with our viewers and be transparent and and be
you know, authentic, and I know that you're you're built
the same way, and um, I think it's gonna be
a collaborative effort between us and our producers obviously, but
(05:21):
I think it's also a great chance to to build
on the chemistry I think we already have. I think
both of us a kind of quietly excited about, you know,
what this show could become and what a great honor
for both of us at Golf Channel is kind of
giving us the ball and say, hey, you know, you guys,
go with it and let's see where it goes. Yeah,
I had my we had our first meeting, official meeting,
I guess on Monday, as you guys are listening to
(05:43):
this on Tuesday or beyond, had our first official meeting
on Monday, and damon my wife and I and my
wife credit to her is an unbelievable rock star when
it comes to managing, you know, paperwork. And I would say,
all the tasks that I hate doing when it comes
to something huge like a move, my wife just does
(06:03):
them all. And I'm the guy that's like she, you know,
kind of dragging his feet, and she's given me the side.
I like, hey, you need to you probably need to
box some stuff up today. But I'm watching during this meeting,
you know, the Women's open is wrapping up on a Monday,
and I have the iPad onto the side, as I
think everybody in the meeting had, because obviously we have
to keep one eye on on what's happening in the
golf world. And I couldn't help but feel like the
(06:24):
Women's Open was mirroring my life. They showed a replay
of Thursday. All the players are in shorts, and it's
this beautiful day in Houston. And come Sunday, Uh it
is it is this really, really nasty ear muff park
a jacket weather day. And and I brought up my
wife to say one thing We've both echoed throughout this
(06:45):
whole experiences. I am, you know, on cloud nine in
terms of the excitement level of the job part. But
we also have to move our lives from Arizona to Connecticut.
I couldn't help but look at this and go, it's
a little about what I'm gonna have to deal with.
I'm gonna go from short weather I'm wearing shorts right now, damon,
to the northeast. It's a little bit chillier there. You're
there right now? What are we? What are we? What
(07:07):
are we in uh expecting? As we encounter Connecticut in January. Oh,
I can tell you what you're expecting and what I'm
living with and dealing with right now is snow today.
Today was my first snow day in Westport, Connecticut was today,
and it was upon me what degrees the real field
temperature they called real field temperature? You know what's a
(07:29):
real field temperature. I'm learning about that as well. I mean, buddy,
not a lot of golf courses are opening are shut down.
I mean they're the really good clubs in places they
might have like an indoor facility where you can kind
of get a little toasty and hit some shots out
of like a three sided trailer or something. But buddy,
it's it's gonna be very hard to work on your
(07:50):
game year round. You have to really improvise and trying
to figure things out. And that's okay. I mean, we
are going to be busy. That that's the key is
We're gonna be so busy January, February March and beyond that.
I'm not sure that we'll be missing really time on
the links. I think once uh, once we get away
from work, it's gonna be families and kiddos and as
focusing on that. But we have a positive only rule
(08:15):
in our household right now. So again with moving and
packing and you know, wrapping glasses and I one of
my jobs today was to wrap all our pictures and
that sticky you know safety whatever the hell of the
plastic is that they give us, but that was one
of my jobs today. And yeah, I'm still sitting there.
I'm whistling, I'm enjoying, and I'm listening to a podcast.
I'm trying to stay positive as I'm getting set to
(08:36):
where a few more jackets than we tend to do
here in Arizona. But I wanted to go through with you, um,
if you will, a few questions that people might have.
I jotted down some questions that people might have for
us about our new show Golf today. Uh. Number one
question that I could see people asking, and so I'm
gonna present this to you is Damon and Shane. You know,
(08:58):
we we know you guys love golf, but there's not
an analyst on the show. How are you guys going
to dive deep into the golf? So I wanted to
present that to you first, Aim. I think it's a
great question. I think we'll have analysts on from time
to time, but not necessarily a regular analyst. I think
we use our powers of observation, our powers of reporting.
Both of us have you know, a pretty good role
(09:20):
of deex of people that we know inside the game,
from players and coaches. I'm not above texting a player,
texting a coach calling a coach calling a player. From
time to time, it'll be great to get some insight
from inside the ropes on a Wednesday or Thursday and
interview some players and get some players press conferences and
(09:40):
pull some quotes from from the internet, from social media,
from press conferences that we're able to break down and
talk about. I mean, we've both been covering this game
and loving this game for a long time, and I
think if there are things that we need to to
pull some different opinion, if we need a you know,
Aim and Lynch from Golf Weak to talk about a
(10:01):
story he wrote, or Brandon Shamblita to break down a
specific aspect of the footwork or the shafflene of a player.
I'm sure it will be about bringing somebody on and
having them leaving their expertise. But I think both of us,
with our knowledge of the game, love of the game, uh,
we're not gonna be afraid to to take some pretty
(10:21):
big swings ourselves into the matters that are surrounding our
great game. Yeah, I I think it's it's knowing the
sport and it's explaining the sport with the knowledge that
is well beyond your abilities. I guess it's probably the
key way of doing that. You know, I give a
lot of credit to uh now, the No Dunk's Crew,
but they're previously the starters and Basketball Jones even before
(10:43):
that when I used to work with Jay Skee. Yeah
who sports back in the day. But you know, I
give a lot of credit to two groups of people
like that who started a show about basketball. And those
four guys on the set weren't professional basketball players and
didn't play professional basketball, but they were knowledgeable enough to
speak on the sport. They knew what to say and
(11:05):
how to say it. They never overstepped, you know, really
into that player world trying to talk of of maybe
the ins and outs of behind the scenes because they
didn't know that much about it. And I even think
in our sport, I mean, the No Laying Up guys
have done such a great job of establishing a group
of people that talk about golf and No golf, and
they have different personalities and you know, different experiences in
(11:27):
the sport, but they're able to talk on it because
they know enough about the players and the stats and
the history of those players at events, at tournaments, and
so really we've seen people do this before. I just
feel like on TV, you know, it maybe isn't the
normal thing to have to have a show without analyst.
But I think you and I are also two guys
that are okay with asking the questions. You know, we
(11:48):
don't have to see it, and actually we know everything.
I think that's a very important part of this is
asking the wise to the people that know the answer
to our questions. Absolutely. I think at the basic level
for both of us were curious minds where reporters I
love asking questions, probing questions, questions that elicit answers and
(12:10):
responses where I can kind of stay out of the way,
and where I can learn and be educated and the
viewer can learn and be educated. And there's different different,
you know, aspects and strengths that will bring to the
to the show. I mean, I've been to South Korea,
for example, I was thinking about al m Kim winning
uh this US open that we saw on a Monday
finish and I'm thinking, my god, I've been to South Korea.
(12:30):
I might not be able to break down all the
aspects of her swing, but I I do know what
that country is like as a powerhouse golf nation that
has minor league you know, we're talking about the l
p g A over there. It's the k LPGA is televised,
and then there's minor league golf below that's televised, and
then the level below that is televised. And speaking of
(12:52):
levels they have, you know, you talk about top golf
and shot makers and all these you know, things that
are sprouting up here that that's been the way of
South Korean golf for decades and decades. They're dotted all
over Soul in different parts of South Korea, and it's
and it's no wonder that they're producing major championship winners
(13:13):
at such a high clip. So we'll be able to
figure out our way around this great game, as both
of us have done from Afar, and now we'll do
it side by side. We're gonna take a quick break
and be right back. David, this is more of a
(13:39):
question for you because you'll have obviously a better feel
for that now and and and especially over the last
few years of just working on it. But you know,
with Morning Drive going away and and and golf today,
you know, coming out in the start of two one,
what do you feel like will be similar or similar
to Morning Drive? What do you feel like will be
different to Morning Drive? With what you and I are
gonna do? I tell you it's been such a joy
(14:02):
for me, who a TV newbie back in twelve to
be able to work alongside you know, too many great
people to to count on Morning Drive and and to
be able to laugh and and have some fun. And
that's probably my biggest joy was collaborating with with people
on the show and having some great laughs with with
(14:23):
the Charlie Rhymers and and Gary Williams of the world,
and a more recent vantage of you know, Robert Dammer
and and LT and Hannah Whiteley and Page. It's just
been fun to to have a group that that you
wake up with every day and you're you know, you've
got the the your eyes are barely open when you're
walking into the office and you're you're trying to figure out, okay,
(14:43):
you know, what's this rundown? What it looks like and
then you you build a family. And I think that
chemistry is so important. And my favorite aspect of Morning
Drive was the chemistry that we built, and I think
that that's gonna be a big part of what makes
our show successful, Shane, is that that we have the
chemistry and the respect for one another, and the and
the idea of rowing in the same direction and not
(15:05):
being afraid to disagree if we do disagree, but also
having a healthy respect for one another. So I think
chemistry is hugely important and I imagine that will be
a big part of what we do. We interviewed a
lot of people on Morning Drive. Imagine we'll do that
as well. What we'll have the the cameras on the
ground as we did at times at Morning Drive. I'm
hoping one thing that's differences we have more cameras on
the ground for golf today, that we're able to sit
(15:27):
on players a little bit more and talk about what
they're working on, what are their joys and what are
their fears, and what are their you know, ceilings and
limitations in this game. And both of us have spent
enough time around these players, is you know, interviewees and
interviewers spending time with them after major championships or or
tour events and talking to them about what they're working
on and what they want to accomplish. So I'm just
(15:49):
hoping that we can convey our love of the game
and in talking to the viewers of golf channels, that
they know that, uh, you know, my energy is really
your energy is really I'm so excited to have the job.
I have to be able to talk about the game
that I love to collaborate with people on the air,
and I hope that that good feeling of chemistry and
(16:09):
collaboration continues, and I expect that it will. Yeah, I
mean it. It's interesting you bring up the chemistry part
of of Morning Drive and how much fun you had
working with that crew. You know, my first ever TV
opportunity back in two thousand and fourteen, Um, I went
into an office at one point with the Modra shot,
who you know I watched, you know, as a kid,
(16:30):
and and it was an awe of you know, everything
he did in and around the n B A and
uh and so I'm kind of in this in this
room with a mod Rashot. You know, You're like, oh
my god, is this guy gonna say to me, and um,
he told me. He said, you know, the most important
thing about television, especially a studio show, is chemistry, because
the show is only as good as the chemistry you
(16:51):
have with with your coworker, with your co host. And
I uh, I always took that and found that so interesting.
I've I've had opportunities on both sides where it's worked great,
and I've had times where maybe it wasn't the most
amazing chemistry in the world. And every time that's been
the case, I always go back to that modershot moment
because it's so true what he told me. So that's
that is something I'm again going back to the fact
(17:11):
that I got the announcement, Hey, Damon and you were
doing this. I was like, well, this this is I'm
getting paid as as well, and this is like such
a bonus. I mean, the chemistry part checked the list,
which brings me to my next question, Damon. The next
question viewers might have, didn't you guys peak in ten?
Is the question, and it's it's a fair one to
(17:33):
bring up. It's a fair one to bring up, I wondered,
did Matt Jenella asked that question? Who get that texted
in or something? And we took down at the Uncle
Tony Invitational Abandoned Dudes, and that's where this relationship really started.
I mean, both of us were kind of making our
way in the business before then, but we were we were,
(17:54):
you know, paired together, team together at Bandoned Dunes. And
this is of course a well known in golf circles match,
you know, as annual you know, hitting giggle, I guess
you call it, but it gets pretty serious there on
on the weekends as folks trying to bring home that title.
There's a lot of revelry and laughs, you know. You know,
they've had it at Pinehurst, they've most you know, notably
(18:16):
had it more regularly had it at Bandoned Dunes. And
we went out there and Shane, of course, who's you know,
trying to qualify for for national championships and and competed
at at Pack twelve Powerhouse out in Arizona. And here
I am like new to the game for the most
part as a player, stuck in the high teams of
my handicap at we somehow well, I'll tell you from
(18:37):
my perspective, if Shane Bacon is your partner, uh and
I imagine this could be both in front of the
camera or when you're when you're you know, playing golf together,
it just frees you up to be your best. So
I'm playing alongside the big left to you see the
three hundred yards and somehow I'm able to put together
two or three rounds. In the eighties, a couple of eagles,
(18:58):
including on the third hole abandoned tray down, win three
for one. This bumps all around, and we took Matchella
out and that was really that was the haymaker. That
was like the big punch. And and and Janella and
his partner Tim, they never really recovered Shady and you
were there. You saw the look of doubt in their
eyes that they've been visited by by Nicholas and Palmer
(19:21):
in the Wryter Club. We took them down. I will
never forget the look on their face. So so Hack
makes three for one on a part five. Okay, makes
an eagle, gets a couple of pops, so he makes
a net one, which for those counting of homes good
on the card. That's a really good thing to do.
So the next hole is a tricky kind of difficult
(19:43):
part four. And then the next hole abandoned trails is
one of their signature short part three's on the entire
resort and you hit the flag, so you went three
for one and then hit the flag two holes later,
and they just they were looking at each other, they
were looking at us, they were look in the caddies.
I mean, they were looking at the deer that were
passing over behind the greens. You know, everything they could
(20:05):
stare at. They couldn't believe what was happening. And with
all that going down, I remember Janelle had a putt
on eight team to tie us, and I believe he
lifted out from like he had a hell of a punt.
But that was a lot of fun. And to answer
the question, yes, we did Peek in two thousand fourteen,
possibly as golf partners, not TV partners. Yeah, exactly. I
(20:26):
think that was a good place for us to. You know,
who would have known six years later and now he's seven,
talked about one that we would be able to collaborate
on a golf show together. But man, that was that
was the real deal. My golf has not really improved that.
That was probably my high watermark as a golfer. And
I even probably about it to have that week of
(20:47):
just joy and to have a partner who's playing so
well that I was able to kind of just you know,
out of my own head for for a couple of
days and just kind of see the ball hit the
ball hit a couple of fairways, make a few put
I hope we get to do that again. I imagine
were you being down in the Northeast and us doing
a show together. We'll get out and play some gold
(21:07):
when I start going out and like start taking some
folks down. We'll go to clubs and we'll go to
some muties to start to like like Trevino back in
the day, we'll do. We'll go out there and start
to get cleaning people's cloth. I like that. I like that.
I won't even carry any cash in my pocket. I
just know it. You know that's I guess that's to
continue at the Trevino legacy. We're gonna take a quick
break and be right back. Ye damon, before I go,
(21:42):
you're up there, you've already moved. How much research have
you already done on where you may possibly uh layer
sticks so we say and become a member how much
because I've I just want to say, I may or
may not have done a decent amount of research already
and I'm still in Arizona. Well, buddy, you that's a
(22:03):
great question that you asked, and I can tell you
quite a bit. I've had phone calls, i have visited places.
I've talked to membership directors, directors of golf head professionals
both on the Connecticut side of the border and the
New York stile and the New Jersey. I've been to
New Jersey as well. So I'm not afraid to to
(22:25):
to pick up a phone and go make a visit
to golf club anywhere in the I say, within fifty miles.
We'll say I've been to quite a few places. Uh,
things are shutting down, but my eyes are wide open
and I am I'm open to the to the I
guess the highest bider whoever wants to be shading. Maybe
we'll be a package deal. Maybe will say, hey, you know, well,
(22:45):
let let's take us both and maybe we'll make make
something happen, maybe have some fun. Yeah, I'm not sure
how how our bosses are gonna like it when one
day we both show up on set and we're both
wearing the logoed polo from the same course. Like, guys,
you have to chain change. I want to let you
know that you will not be allowed to wear this
on on set. At the same time, we get the point.
(23:06):
We get you guys joined a club. But I think
you can hear in our voices we're really excited. I'm
really excited. I again just want to say um to
everybody at the the NBC team and the Golf Channel crew,
to Molly and everybody. I mean to get a chance
to do a show on Golf Channel, um is is
a dream come true. You know, Damon, I don't know
(23:27):
if you know this about me, but I've had one
job that I wanted to do my entire life, and
it was to be a sports broadcaster. I mean, I
have you know, videos VCR VHS videos that I tossed
in the VCR back and my my high school days
and even in seventh and eighth grade where I was
recording Keith Jackson games and listening to him and reading
about broadcasting. I I sent Stuart Scott a note when
(23:50):
I was in high school on best processes of of
getting into the broadcasting world. He was nice enough to
write back. I went to school, I I joined the
newspaper my freshman year. I had to lie and say
I was a writer, and I went home and wrote
a couple of fake stories and and brought him to
the newspaper and then they hired me. I mean, I've
always wanted to get and be in this world, specifically
(24:10):
on the TV side, And so you know, to to
to to have your name associated with the show on
Golf Channel is um, yeah, I mean I I couldn't
ask for for anything better. And again, as I said
to start to start this, I'm I'm humbled and honored.
I'm excited. I I can't wait for our first show
and our second show, and our fiftieth show and our
(24:31):
two hundred show. I just I'm excited about it. I
can't wait to put our hands on it and see
what comes out of it. So thank you for agreeing
to this. Thank you for you know, agreeing to have
me as a part of this as well. I can't
wait to get out there and and and get the
ball rolling on it. And I cannot wait to U
to sit next to you and talk golf. But you
were a kid in Texas and I was a kid
(24:53):
in California, you know, listening to Vince Scully and and
and Chickern and and dreaming of a similar career. So
for us to be able to have some heroes this
business and to be able to follow through on our
dreams and to be able to talk about a game
we love and to do it with each other, I
cannot ask for a better gift for one And I
can't wait to get started, my friends. Golf Today is
(25:15):
our new show, Golf Today, UM and uh and we
will we will start rocking in early January. And UH
to everybody out there, thank you so much for listening.
Cannot wait to transition you from a listener to a
viewer I believe is the right term. So UH, I
hope you follow along as well with this new journey
in my life. And uh and and and I would say,
(25:36):
a different street that Damon's gonna go down, you know,
same neighborhood, different street, but it's a lot of new stuff.
And as I said, the show will look a little
bit different in March than it looks in January, and
probably will look different in June than it looks in March.
So that's UH. Our commitment is to give you the
best product and to uh to give you something that
we would want to watch as well. And that's what
we're excited about, So tune in and early January, Damon,
(25:58):
enjoy the time off for me because I'll be there
soon and then you'll have to hang out with me
a lot, so that that's gonna be part of the
God job that works for me. Safe travel, Rest up, buddy,
because we have a lot of fun. We'll spend a
lot of energy on the air. Absolutely, Thanks Damon. The
(26:22):
Clubhouse was Shane Bacon as a production of I Heart Radio.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com