November 10, 2023 • 34 mins
Upon hearing about his competition in this year’s Wishbone Brawl at Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, Calif., in which Xander Schauffele (No. 6 in the world) and Chris Riley (PGA Tour winner and former Ryder Cupper) will be taking on Geoff Ogilvy (U.S. Open winner) and Colin Featherstone (Korn Ferry Tour player and local legend), as well as Jasmine and Janae Leovao, 19-year-old twins who are sophomores at Long Beach State where they’re coming off back-to-back team wins in the Big West Conference, and who grew up playing Goat Hill Park, Schauffele couldn’t help but acknowledge what most people are thinking: “When I said we were slight underdogs, I was talking about the field.”
In part 2 of our Fire Pit podcast series previewing Wishbone Brawl VI, Schauffele shares his thoughts about how and why this event means so much to him, John Ashworth’s effective leadership, the evolution of the course’s condition, the magic in that land, the smiles on the kid’s faces and why Goat Hill Park, a 4,500-yard, par-65 municipal course is so conducive to this type of event in which women won’t just play with the men, they’ll play against them.
For updates throughout the day and during the Wishbone Brawl, be sure to follow Fire Pit Collective’s social channels, Goat Hill Park and Linksoul.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
I remember one of the cool moments. These two girls
gave me a bracelet last year on one of the
Part five's and I put it on and I ended
up chipping in on the next one and turning around
to them and seeing how happy they were. I still
have the bracelets.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
In my back.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
You know, I'll probably, you know, I'll probably they're going
to be out there, I assume, so I'll throw it
on for the event tomorrow. So it's just small, small
things like that, and it does it does make you
feel really small, i'd say, in the whole scheme of things,
and just to be able to make a few extra
kids smile along the ways is really meaningful to me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Put another log on the fire Nobody here is get
the time.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Welcome to the fire Pit with Matt Chanella as goad
Hill Park lights the kindling and their new fire pit
to the left of the first we're sharing part two
of our Wishbone bral preview featuring Xander Schoffley, currently number
six in the world, winner of seven PGA Tour events,
one Olympic gold medal and three Wishbone brawls. But before
(01:13):
we get to our conversation on the magic of Goathill Park,
this year's brawl field, the lay of out Twins, and
why this community an event means so much to him.
I want to do two things. First, some specifics. The
sixth annual Wishbone Bral is at Goathill Park in Oceanside, California, Saturday,
November eleventh. Gates open at nine point thirty, range, clinic
(01:35):
kicks at eleven am, and the tournament tips at noon.
Tickets are still available, Parking is limited, kids are free,
and dogs are welcome. For much more on the brawl,
go to Firepitcollective dot com and or listen to part
one of this podcast series in which we hear from
John Ashworth, Dave Emmick, Colin Featherstone, the lay of out
(01:55):
Twins and more. I'd also like to thank our sponsors.
I'm lucky to John Ashra, the dear friend, big brother,
and life coach. He co founded link Soul, the lifestyle
brand that I've worn on and off the course for
a better part of a decade. Go to linksoul dot
com and use promo code fire Pit twenty five for
twenty five percent off your next purchase. We just put
our Firepit logo on some new Link Soul gear, which
(02:17):
can be found in the Pit Shop at Firepitcollective dot com.
Dormy Workshop is a brand based in Halifax, Nova, Scotia,
and we partner with them for any and all fine
leather goods such as headcovers, stash pouches and more. Go
to Dormy workshop dot com and use promo code fire
Pit fifteen for fifteen percent off your next purchase, or
(02:37):
go to the Pit shop and order some of our
Dormy gift boxes. Truly hard Seltzer is a big sponsor
of the Wishbone Brawl, which everyone appreciates. It'll be flowing
yet again this Saturday in Oceanside where it'll be clear
skies and temperatures in the seventies. And then there's Olacai,
which makes durable, handmade premium footwear. Not only are they
an official sponsor of My Journeys and travel content, but
(02:59):
they're also sponsoring this year's Wishbone Brawl. And now part
two of our preview of Wishbone Brawl.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Six s Andrews Shaffley. Yo, what's up, buddy?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Just another bra We're on the eve of the braw.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
How you feeling?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
I feel great because I don't have to hit any shots,
you know what I mean? If I hear you, I'm
headed up there this morning. I'm bringing my little guy
and we're gonna we're gonna play with Colin and Ogilvy's
running a little late. He's flying in from Melbourne today.
He's flight is delayed, so he's he's gonna come come
in hot to try to make a twelve to ten time.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
He's incredible, doesn't he go back after the you meant too?
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
I think he's literally coming for like two days from
Australia to play the wishbumb Brell.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, because I know they have. He has all of
his like National opens right like shortly after, I think.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, and then and then his Sandbelt Invitational in like
three weeks, and you know, so he's got a lot
going on. I mean, but I I you know, if
you talk to him, he's like, I would never miss this,
Like I think he's and I think Fred is bump.
Fred tried to move things around because he hated the
idea that he was going to miss it.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
I think it's it's just something.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
That you know, as we've discussed before.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
I just think it's one of the.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
You know as you know full well, all that's happening
at the top level of professional golf can be just
so overwhelming and just uh, you know, hard to navigate
as probably a player, but also as a consumer, as
a as a viewer, you know, just sort of watching
all of this unfold and hopefully it comes to some
sort of resolution. But in the meantime, it's thing like
(05:00):
this that I just find to be just so clean
and simple and special and an impactful you know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, No, for sure, that's Yeah. There's a lot of
stuff and a lot of noise that seems to be
going on during whether it's our Ryder Cups or like
normal events, and this is a yeah, I mean for me,
this is kind of where where it all started, so
or at least it makes me feel like it connects
me back to where it all started, which is what
(05:30):
I love about it. So it's kind of a breath
of fresh air and a nice origin for the roots.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, I would imagine, And again it does that for me. Obviously,
Goat Hill Park has done that for John right, this
was a place that he grew up playing and that's
why he decided to fight so hard to save it.
You know I remember ten eleven years ago.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
He's like, I grew up.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
We can't let this die, you know what I mean,
we can't let this die. And wait, I don't know
you were there last night.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I saw you.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I didn't say hi because you had already started your
thing on the range and I was just coming out
off course. But I, uh, but like, did you get
a look around as to what's going on there in terms.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Of yeah, look, I mean it is. I mean you
can't even really call it's nice. They have those those
uh those pop bunkers on each I got a little glimpse.
I wanted to really walk over, but I was like,
you know, I'll save I'll save my excitement for for
next Saturday because I wasn't really golfing. So but they're
telling me to look around and tell me all the
(06:33):
adjustments or upgrades I should say to the property. But yeah,
the places, I mean forts tight Range. I mean, the
place is legit. You know, it's not like it's it's
far far beyond you know what it was and what
it was going to be. So I mean, yeah, John's
dide an incredible job. And the places, yeah, I mean
I was looking around like these kids are lucky, you know,
(06:55):
they really are lucky. Like they have this amazing facility
and such a cool play around there, and it's awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, I mean, and I think I say this all
the time. Now we're doing this Wednesday sunrise like dawn patrol,
like underground, Like if people show up at six.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Am, they just show up and we're going to we're off, right.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
So I've always loved sunsets of Goat but now sun rises,
it just puts in a whole different, whole different light.
And I just think to myself and I'm raising my
son there, you know, we you know, we have family
time there. My little guy is now six, but like
he's like the little mayor of the place, right, I
can let him go and everybody's looking out for him,
and he knows everybody. And I think to myself, like,
(07:36):
what would we do without Goat Hill Park?
Speaker 5 (07:39):
What would we do without.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This sort of the glue to the community that John has.
You know, he's resuscidate. It's like finding a it's like
finding a puppy on the side of the road or something.
You know, and then you know, you see all these
stories and you think to yourself, like this has happened
one little piece at a time. And then you know,
obviously the Wishbone Brawl, Well your involvement, people like Dean
(08:04):
and and people like Jeff making the effort, and and
you know you got Freddy and and you know Mike
Weir has come in, Charlie Hoffman and now Chris Riley,
who's who's a local. I just find this to be
it's just all that you know, the game has and
give so much, and the potential of the game. You know,
we we all have felt it in many different ways,
(08:26):
but here it is like just simplified and brought down
to the very essence of community, you know, connective tissue,
a place to call home and to feel safe and
welcome and warm without having to pay one hundred thousand
dollars membership, you know what I mean, Like it just
comes down to that.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, it's you know, this is our sixth fifth, sixth event,
I think, right, And you guys, you've always m seed
and you've always talked to me. And it's kind of
funny when I look, when I reflect, at least it's
you don't really like it was hard for me to
put a finger on what was so like I knew
it was really special. I knew it was really cool,
(09:07):
and I knew it felt different when I was on
property there. But the more you do it, the more
you kind of see the outcome and how the kids
are on property and how the parents are and like
you said, how the family show families show up and
how community shows up, and you do get that big
presence of the community. And you know, the longer you
(09:27):
kind of do this, you do you summed it up
very nicely, like I wouldn't have been able to sort
of after two or three years at at Goat Hill,
I had that feeling, but it was hard for me
to describe and pinpoint what made me feel so like
warm on property and then everything you just said that
that really hits home, you know, even when I'm doing
I did the Colony boxt week and it was it
(09:49):
was it was awesome and it's I was telling I
was telling my wife, I was like, what a what
a cool place to sort of start because the people there,
and you know, the people showing up and the way
the kids are and the way the kids were, you know,
during that clinic, I was sort of nervous. I've never
really done anything like that. Where I had nothing to
really go off of. I was kind of just winging
it almost, and I was worried these kids weren't really
(10:11):
gonna ask any questions. And man, these kids were just
firing questions like they were going, they were teeing off.
Like the adults were quiet, you know, because they already
kind of listened to my spiel, and the kids were going,
they're coming after me. So it was, it was, it
was really cool. And then I heard, you know, a
couple of people traveled from from different parts just to
kind of because they've heard about the Goat and they've
heard about sort of that area and what that what
(10:32):
the Goat Hill brings to the community. So it really
is you summed it up really well. And the more I,
you know, the more time I spent on property, and
the more brawls we do, it really it kind of
cements that sort of feeling, and it does feel like
it's sort of, i don't know, like that old school
(10:53):
sort of cool to sac neighborhood vibe where everyone's house
is you know, everyone's front door is opened and you
can just walk in their house and grab anything out
of the fridge and kind of go back out and
play and then you know, even go take a shower
at a different person's house because it doesn't really matter,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
And you know, you know, I know you're close with
the emerics, and and I say that. I said to Dave,
we just dropped the podcast yesterday on this, and I said, Dave,
this is literally your front point. I mean, you know,
if this golf course gets churned up, or if it
goes away, or if it stays sort of like you know,
underappreciated or poorly funded, what's the difference between your you know,
(11:33):
your you know, property value, just just baseline, the property
value of what you're looking out in your front yard.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Now he drives his cart into and he goes, he goes.
It's like I opened the gates of Heaven. Every day
like this is you know, I mean, you know, and
so the emerics and the locals. I know, some people
probably don't feel the same because their house might get
hit occasionally with golf balls. But John's tending to that,
and that's part of the reason why the eighteen. But
you know, this is it's it's it's so much deeper
(12:05):
and that park mentality, I think John says it all
the time. I look at this as a part where
you happen to play golf and if you if you
take that mentality and perspective and vision, because then it
becomes a place where you can go and hang and
not have to feel intimidated by the game or by
certain sort of expectations of what you need to do
(12:27):
as a golfer. You're just there as a local. That
is the that that is why I think the clientele
is so diverse and why you have men, women, boys, girls, young, old,
all different shape sizes, colors and skill levels like that.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
And you got.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Affordability, right, thirty dollars and thirty five dollars green fee.
That is just the sum total of what John and
Dave and you know, the whole team as has cultivated here.
And you know, yeah, the last ten years gone from
zero to sixty, slow lane to fast lane. You cannot
get a tea time today's Andy. You will not be
(13:07):
able to rock up and just like get a tea
time a goat Hill Park.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
There. I mean, there's just there's nowhere else like it.
And like you said, there's nowhere else that is where
you can kind of show up and you know, with's
the shirt off if you wanted you know what I mean?
Because you are in a park. Anyone can show up
to a park. You can have a picnic in the park,
you can play off in the park. You can throw
a football, you can throw a frisbee, you can bring
your dogs, you can bring a stroller. It doesn't really matter.
So I get it. I'm not surprised it's completely booked out.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
All right, So wishbone brawl. You and Chris Riley, let's
start there. What do you have a history with Chris
or what's your what's your relationship? How are you feeling
about this part? You know, I don't think we've ever
had the same field in all six bro there's never
been a repeat, you know, competition, there's been you know,
(13:58):
you and Dean have won a couple and Dean, I
think one with Mike.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
We're one year and you're like, that's it. I'm going
back to Dean.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
But here you got you got Chris Riley this year.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
How you feeling.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah, it was yeah, Fred super bummed. Obviously Fred couldn't
make it. And then Dean's got a family matter. And
then I think Ash saw Riley at the grocery store.
I saw him.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
I saw him at the DMV.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
This is you saw him at the DNV, that's right,
and you kind of like mentioned it to him. I'm like,
you don't want to talk about community here. So I
showt him a text. I think ashe told me that
you saw him at the DMV, and he texted me,
He's like, you need a partner, and I was like,
I was like, Chuck is in Bermuda. I was like,
I'll just text Ryles and I because Riles is always like, dude,
invite me to play. So I hit him up and
(14:47):
I mean he literally gave me a thumbs up. Didn't
even ask about when or you know, the time or anything.
He just was like, I'm in. And I was like, perfect,
We're partners. So he's he's awesome. He's really good with kids.
He is, you know, a steaky legend here in San Diego.
He's currently coaching at a USD, doing a great job,
(15:07):
and he still plays. I think he plays quite a
bit with his kids. So he's he's going to be
an awesome partner.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
His daughter's legit, and he's he's going to make a run.
He's going to turn fifty next year and he's going
to make a run on the Champions Tour. I think
he's going to leave USD. And so, yeah, the the
idea there was talk about.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Like oh, is Dean gonna be able to make it?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And what's going to happen and who's the four that
at that time it was still four And I'm texting
with John that morning and I'm trying to get a
new driver's license. I'm going through the whole dmb L,
like you know, the whole dmb thing that God forbid.
And I'm in the middle of somewhere San Diego.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
I could not tell you where I was to this day.
And I'm going through and I'm doing the lines and
I'm hitting all my marks, and I get called to
my window of like a twenty eight right, and I'm
up at a twenty eight and someone goes Janella, and
I was like, who could I possibly.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Know in this?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And I look to my left and it's Chris Riley
at a twenty seventh, I mean, and I was like, Ryles,
And it's so crazy because we're talking about the Wishbone
braw and I don't know how this is going to
shake out, But like they're looking, you know, they might
be looking for a guy who goes, well, I'm always
in I might go just to watch even if I
don't play, which he's done in the past, you know
what I mean. And that's how serendipitous that whole situation was.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I mean, I can't make it, make it up.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You can't make it up.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
You know.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
And then now we've got Colin Featherstone, San Diego State
grad by the way, twenty twelve, who you know, had
a really solid year on the corn Ferry Tour last year,
pairing up with you know, the legend himself and Jeff
Ogilvie and link soldier and goat lover and proponent of
an event like Wishbone Brawl to the point where he
(16:50):
started the sand Belt Invitational, where men and women compete
on you know, elite venues in the same kind of format.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So got to be a little concerned about that squad.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, of course, Uh yeah, they're they're both staples. Featherstone probably,
I mean, actually know for a fact out of anyone
the twins may have logged more round growing up, but
as I'd say, now that they're in college, they're out
of town. Feather Featherstone for sure has log the most
reps and rounds at goats, so it's gonna yeah, it's
(17:24):
gonna be. I mean, we get for Simon Woods, you
know as always, so that'll that'll hopefully level the playing
ground a little bit and make it a little bit
weirder for them in terms of like what yardes they have.
But yeah, we're i'd say we we might be slight
dogs here.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I mean, father is going to be a handful, I
can promise you. I played with them last Saturday and
it was like this. The the amount of yards he
hit away from the hole, you know, like in a
combined was not much. It was not a big number,
you know what I mean, just kept going very close
to the hole. I was like, he's this feather. This
(18:01):
is not He's not He's not messing around. I think
he's been. He's been itching to try to be a
part of this event for a while now.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And I think he has three nine.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Unders at goad Hill Park with Persimmon woods, and will
will Crop has break. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I mean I saw I saw feather out at the
at the goat when I did that event. He shot
there's like a club championship or something you shot, like
a scramble. He sat like fifteen hundred with his partner.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Like you know, I was with him that day. It
was was a two man scramble they had, you know,
it was a he was feather in it and and
he's the guy. His partner was a two handicap. We
played with him, we were six hunder, felt like we
played good and we lost to him by six. I
mean they were like Road to Tilly, Road to tild Us.
So I was like, oh shit, and now yeah you
(18:51):
got Jasmine and jay Lee, Jasmine and Jane Laval who
the beautiful you know part of this going back to
Goahill Park and this this, this beautiful story that's developing
as this as this hub of community they are that
they're like the poster childs of this this, this, this, this,
you know, this story that John has has cultivated because
(19:13):
they go from North County Junior golf with Dave, they
go to scoring and standard bearing and caddying at the
Wishbone Brawl. Last year's ender, they couldn't watch because they're
helping their brother at the hot dog stand. And this year,
after coming off, they just won back to back tournaments
(19:34):
at Long Beach State. One of them is the Big
West Player of the Year of the month because she
has a scoring average below seventy. And they are like
at home at Goat Hill Park, and they're going to
have like a ton of home energy. Plus they get
Ada and Annabelle Lee, who are currently in the Junior
Caddy and Leadership Academy. And Fred said, the two best
caddies in San Diego. So you're going to have to compete,
(19:56):
not with just those two, you got to compete with
those four.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
And when I said I was we were slight dogs.
I was talking to the field. Yes, oh wa Ash
gave me, was giving me updates on on the twins.
I saw, I have a hot dog. I saw. I
don't know the brother's name, but I knew. I knew
he was a brother. I saw him. I talked to
him a little bit at the event. He was he
was growing up some dogs and he was, we're talking
(20:20):
about it. So yeah, I mean they are. They are
the poster family for the event. To be completely honest,
I mean I had I can't differentiate the twins always
when I see them. Sometimes can but I can't remember
which one caddide for me. But I've had I think
both maybe have caddied for me in this event, and
now they're shooting sixty fowards in college. So what are
(20:43):
you gonna do? You know, I'm gonna have to go.
I need to go to the range right now after
we get off this phone Calle was about to happen.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
I'm telling you about this is gonna be.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
This is gonna be. And I think the idea of
kind of going to three twosome's and and so essentially
becomes a stroke play event as opposed to match play
making sure it goes to eighteen, which is a nice.
I mean, it's kind of always goes to eighteen anyway,
and it's gone beyond in some cases. But I think
this is a cool opportunity to make it almost like
(21:15):
guaranteed it's coming to eighteen.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Anything can happen at any point.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
I think is kind of a nice And the addition
of going back to you know again Goadhill Park forty
five hundred yards par sixty five, where we're at with
the games and er in terms of the growth of
women and you know, incorporating you know, there's all this
murmur and it's going to be happening I know you're
going to be a part of it. But men and
(21:41):
women playing together in this case, Godhill Park is like
the perfect venue in which they can play against each other,
you know what I mean where you know, distance is
always a factor, but it's mitigated by by you know,
the way this golf course works in terms of elevation
changes and working the ball right and left and having
(22:02):
to hit your spots.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Can't really overpower the goat.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Don't you feel like this is like the perfect venue,
the perfect event in which we can showcase how and
why men and women can play the game against each other,
same tease, same course, same time.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Absolutely, the way the way you goat hills route, the
routing of the property, and it's like it's a sneaky distance.
It doesn't really feel that you are as you just
spit out to me. It can kind of play a
little longer just because the way some of the trees
and the doglegs sit, you can't always, like you said,
you can't really overpower it. And sometimes when you try
(22:42):
and force it, you get goaded. And that's that's happened
to me. That happened to me in my first ever brawl.
So I was cruising down the property and try to
force it and I know it hit some dirt mound
just to the right of the par five and my
ball was like in a canyon and all these kids
are looking for my ball and end up making like
an eight on a part five and I was, you know,
sitting there looking my chops trying to make an eagle.
(23:03):
So yeah, distance is not is not key. It's it's
a much more precision and leaving yourself, you know, below
the hole and scrambling. Short game is big out there.
You know, you're not always gonna hit greens and you
got you know, it's a no park, so you've got
a bunch of different types of grass and it doesn't
really give you know, any man or any woman a
true edge maybe on two or three holes with the
(23:26):
part fives, but that's you know, that's honestly it. And
I think all the girls can reach at least two
twins for sure, can reach the par fives and two
no problems. So it's uh, well, you know, perfect setup,
perfect venue, and yeah, I think going to stroke play
funny enough. I don't know how our matches have always
gone to eighteen. It's incredible now that I think back
on it, you know, but it just shows how fair
(23:47):
fair the course plays, and the better team will definitely win.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
And the volatility of scoring is always there because you know,
you know, there are those reachable fours and that you
know they talked about that part five. But the par threes,
the eight par threes are you can make a two
or a ten.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, yeah, you missed the green. Your ball is you know,
fifty feet below a surface. It's it is. It's far from.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
Ideal when when you're out there and you're traveling the
world and you're you're engaged in all these you know,
these elite level events, do you ever get does do
any better ever? Does the wishbone brawl come up? Or
does anybody ever talk to you? Or like on the
heels of this, do you get shout outs or text messages?
Is this something of a national you know, a global curiosity?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean I think all the all the all the
all my boys, all my teammates on Ryder Cup kind
of know about it. They whenever, you know, they ask
what I'm up to or anything, they always know of
this event I played, and especially since Fred Tapton to
playing last year, this event that I played with Persimon
was and they all think it's awesome just to sort
of go back in time away from our current technology.
(24:59):
And they know everyone I'd say, all the all the
top RAND guys are so charitable, so they all kind
of know what it means to the community, and to
sort of tie it into competition and old technology and
equipment is just a really cool thing. So I'd say, yeah,
a lot of the boys are pretty aware of the
event and or or you know, some thought or idea
of it.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
The you know, we talk about this every year, but
I think it's important. As you know, they're I think
they're upwards of almost two a thousand tickets, which then
means that's not counting kids. So now you'd say three
hundred and four hundred kids and probably fifty to one
hundred dogs. And as John always points out, you know,
no rope, so let kids come up front. And I
(25:41):
think it'll be nice because it'll move at almost a
little slower pace. This sometimes it almost goes too fast,
you know, like yeah, for sure, so having six balls
and play might kind of slow it down and allow
people to kind of get in position. But and I
know I talked to Jasmine and Jane about this. I've
talked to Jeff and Rowle's but looking into the crowd
(26:04):
and watching seeing the faces on these kids, and I'm
sure you probably had some of that last Saturday too.
It brings us all back to our childhood. It brings
us back to a simpler time with all the craziness
that's happened in the world around us, beyond well beyond
the world of golf. It's just it's it's nice to
be able to take a second, take a breath, look
(26:25):
into the eyes of these kids, remember who we were then,
and know that the impact that we can have on
them as because I'm sure that probably means something to you,
right Like this is that moment I'm you know, you're
starting a family, you're building up you know, who knows.
But like it'd just become more and more meaningful as
I think we age out into you know, our adult life.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, it gives it kind of adds for me at least,
it definitely sort of adds to the whole purpose purpose
point in life a little bit. You know. I actually
was telling my wife, you know, it really is sounds
like a cliche, but I was like, it really is
about the kids. You know, during when I was doing
that clinic, you know, I was a little nervous and
seeing all these kids so happy and just so just
(27:12):
so blue eyed, is so innocent too. Not all of
them are innstant. They're asking me some tough questions. But yeah,
it brought me. It brought me way back, you know,
way way back to when I was just sitting on
the range as a kid, just hitting balls and I
was just just a happy kid, you know, And it
makes me feel really lucky. It makes me feel really blessed.
And yeah, when I look into the crowd, everyone's so excited,
(27:34):
everyone's so happy, and like you said, there's one hundred dogs,
so if the kids aren't super into golf, they're playing
with the dogs. But for the most part, you are
just marching down these fairways and you just have this
wave of people and there are no ropes, and everyone,
you know, anyone and everyone can just come up to
say what's up. I remember one of the cool moments.
(27:55):
These two girls gave me a bracelet last year on
one of the par fives, and I put it on
and I ended up chipping in on the next one
and turning around to them and seeing how happy they were.
I still have the bracelets in my back. You know,
I'll probably you know, I'll probably they're going to be
out there, I assume, so I'll throw it on for
the event smiles. So it's just small, small things like that,
and it does, it does make you feel really small,
(28:17):
i'd say, in the whole scheme of things, and just
to be able to make a few extra kids smile
along the way is really meaningful to me.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I've always said that. And this is this is this
is pretty well documented that you know, Native Americans used
to use that land that fifteenth t seventh tea box
overlooking the land. If you look out the back of
those tea boxes, it goes all the way out to
the ocean. So Native Americans, you know, if you, if you,
(28:46):
if you I've talked to a land specialist. Essentially that's
that was the home base of a Native Native American
tribe that used to look out because that used to
be a water or a river. That that that road
that goes down Oceanside Boulevard that goes all the way
out to the water, that river.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They used to sit up there. That there's there's shells and.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Rocks and things that sort of take you back to
that are origins of that land. I've always said that
with John saving this land, this is there's something special
there that I think the land feels, you know, I
know this is crazy and deep, but I think the
land feels appreciative that it gets to still be what
it is and people get to roam around there and
(29:32):
have these walks and hikes with their families and dogs,
and and I think if you look back at this
Wishbone Brawl, specifically, you're chipping on fifteen, Jeff's ace on
the playoff hole, Will Crops putt on seventeen, Dean's ace
on number five. You know, Chris Riley making you know,
buckets and buckets of putts, you know, coming off like
(29:56):
not playing a ton of golf, and all of a sudden,
you know, I just you know, I get chills even
talking about it, because it just seems like there's going
to be something special that happens again this year. There's
going to be something like there's magic in that land
and this is a magical event. That's the sum total
of all that's been done for you and your career,
(30:17):
you know, Jeff, and you go back to Dean's idea
and John and his life and career, and it can
go to me in mind, but I think everybody has
a little piece of that that's put into this We're
all in it together kind of a mentality, and that
energy is coming up out of the ground and into
this event.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
That's I know that sounds deep, but I just feel
like it's a reality. I really do.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Now I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't think
it's far fast at all or too deep. I mean,
I'm you know, I'm a big fan of using the
land to benefit and I think I think that place
means something different. You know, everyone is there, and it
means it's different. The meaning of Goat Hills is different
to each and every dive, whether it's one of the dogs,
(31:01):
or one of the kids, or a teenager or a
high schooler or someone's grandparents. You know, that's an a
stroller like you see it all out there. So I
think the fact that one one one spot can give
so much meaning to so many different people, it shows how,
you know, truly special it is. And I didn't know
that fact about the property, and you know, for John
(31:23):
to sort of honor in that way, to keep it
apart and to just keep it as a sort of
raw land and as a home to so many is
a really cool thing.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
All great, Uh, And obviously you've you've you've taken all
of this to a level that I don't think anybody
could have ever imagined. And so on behalf of the community,
and you know, I mean, you'll get a lot of appreciation.
Probably got it last Saturday, You'll continue to get it
this Saturday and beyond.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
I think you've.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Got the whole Goat community that's always in your corner
no matter what you're doing or where you are, and
you represent, you know, the community in such a such
a special way. And so thank you for all that
you do and you're doing and you continue to do
to try to continue to stay close to to your
roots and this community in particular, because there's a point
(32:14):
of pride there that we fly this Zander Shoffley flag. Uh,
you know, in your honor as you go out and
I'm embarking this big, big, bad world we're living in.
So thank you and thanks for this time. And and
we'll see you. We'll see you on the range tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Yeah sounds good. I am. I'm gonna go I'm gonna
go find and arrange myself right out hits the balls.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
I saw the Layo out twins, I saw Feather walking
in as the sun was going down and it was
pitch black dark, and the whole layove Out family came
up off of nine and I go, oh my god,
you guys have been out there and they were grinding, grinding.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think Ryle's and I unfortunately on
a similar program.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
And by the way, the course is in mint condition.
In Fernie's double role in these Greens, do not get
above this hole.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I can I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you, thank you so much for having me. And yeah,
I feel I definitely feel a love from the community,
from all the goat Go Hill lovers and just just
San Diego in general. So it's it's definitely a special thing.
And you know, if anyone and everyone please come out,
we look forward to seeing you out there.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Wait to see the new fire pit.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
By the way, that'll be going so left of first t.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, I know that's Santa Anna's kind of been hanging around.
It's been a little bit warmer than than the years past,
so hopefully, I mean we get one more, one more
good day.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
She is Andrew.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Thanks Matt, you tomorrow, Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Put another log on the fire. They here is get
the tired
I remember one of the cool moments. These two girls
gave me a bracelet last year on one of the
Part five's and I put it on and I ended
up chipping in on the next one and turning around
to them and seeing how happy they were. I still
have the bracelets.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
In my back.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
You know, I'll probably, you know, I'll probably they're going
to be out there, I assume, so I'll throw it
on for the event tomorrow. So it's just small, small
things like that, and it does it does make you
feel really small, i'd say, in the whole scheme of things,
and just to be able to make a few extra
kids smile along the ways is really meaningful to me.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Put another log on the fire Nobody here is get
the time.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Welcome to the fire Pit with Matt Chanella as goad
Hill Park lights the kindling and their new fire pit
to the left of the first we're sharing part two
of our Wishbone bral preview featuring Xander Schoffley, currently number
six in the world, winner of seven PGA Tour events,
one Olympic gold medal and three Wishbone brawls. But before
(01:13):
we get to our conversation on the magic of Goathill Park,
this year's brawl field, the lay of out Twins, and
why this community an event means so much to him.
I want to do two things. First, some specifics. The
sixth annual Wishbone Bral is at Goathill Park in Oceanside, California, Saturday,
November eleventh. Gates open at nine point thirty, range, clinic
(01:35):
kicks at eleven am, and the tournament tips at noon.
Tickets are still available, Parking is limited, kids are free,
and dogs are welcome. For much more on the brawl,
go to Firepitcollective dot com and or listen to part
one of this podcast series in which we hear from
John Ashworth, Dave Emmick, Colin Featherstone, the lay of out
(01:55):
Twins and more. I'd also like to thank our sponsors.
I'm lucky to John Ashra, the dear friend, big brother,
and life coach. He co founded link Soul, the lifestyle
brand that I've worn on and off the course for
a better part of a decade. Go to linksoul dot
com and use promo code fire Pit twenty five for
twenty five percent off your next purchase. We just put
our Firepit logo on some new Link Soul gear, which
(02:17):
can be found in the Pit Shop at Firepitcollective dot com.
Dormy Workshop is a brand based in Halifax, Nova, Scotia,
and we partner with them for any and all fine
leather goods such as headcovers, stash pouches and more. Go
to Dormy workshop dot com and use promo code fire
Pit fifteen for fifteen percent off your next purchase, or
(02:37):
go to the Pit shop and order some of our
Dormy gift boxes. Truly hard Seltzer is a big sponsor
of the Wishbone Brawl, which everyone appreciates. It'll be flowing
yet again this Saturday in Oceanside where it'll be clear
skies and temperatures in the seventies. And then there's Olacai,
which makes durable, handmade premium footwear. Not only are they
an official sponsor of My Journeys and travel content, but
(02:59):
they're also sponsoring this year's Wishbone Brawl. And now part
two of our preview of Wishbone Brawl.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Six s Andrews Shaffley. Yo, what's up, buddy?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Just another bra We're on the eve of the braw.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
How you feeling?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
I feel great because I don't have to hit any shots,
you know what I mean? If I hear you, I'm
headed up there this morning. I'm bringing my little guy
and we're gonna we're gonna play with Colin and Ogilvy's
running a little late. He's flying in from Melbourne today.
He's flight is delayed, so he's he's gonna come come
in hot to try to make a twelve to ten time.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
He's incredible, doesn't he go back after the you meant too?
Speaker 5 (03:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
I think he's literally coming for like two days from
Australia to play the wishbumb Brell.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, because I know they have. He has all of
his like National opens right like shortly after, I think.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, and then and then his Sandbelt Invitational in like
three weeks, and you know, so he's got a lot
going on. I mean, but I I you know, if
you talk to him, he's like, I would never miss this,
Like I think he's and I think Fred is bump.
Fred tried to move things around because he hated the
idea that he was going to miss it.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
I think it's it's just something.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
That you know, as we've discussed before.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
I just think it's one of the.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
You know as you know full well, all that's happening
at the top level of professional golf can be just
so overwhelming and just uh, you know, hard to navigate
as probably a player, but also as a consumer, as
a as a viewer, you know, just sort of watching
all of this unfold and hopefully it comes to some
sort of resolution. But in the meantime, it's thing like
(05:00):
this that I just find to be just so clean
and simple and special and an impactful you know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, No, for sure, that's Yeah. There's a lot of
stuff and a lot of noise that seems to be
going on during whether it's our Ryder Cups or like
normal events, and this is a yeah, I mean for me,
this is kind of where where it all started, so
or at least it makes me feel like it connects
me back to where it all started, which is what
(05:30):
I love about it. So it's kind of a breath
of fresh air and a nice origin for the roots.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, I would imagine, And again it does that for me. Obviously,
Goat Hill Park has done that for John right, this
was a place that he grew up playing and that's
why he decided to fight so hard to save it.
You know I remember ten eleven years ago.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
He's like, I grew up.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
We can't let this die, you know what I mean,
we can't let this die. And wait, I don't know
you were there last night.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I saw you.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I didn't say hi because you had already started your
thing on the range and I was just coming out
off course. But I, uh, but like, did you get
a look around as to what's going on there in terms.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Of yeah, look, I mean it is. I mean you
can't even really call it's nice. They have those those
uh those pop bunkers on each I got a little glimpse.
I wanted to really walk over, but I was like,
you know, I'll save I'll save my excitement for for
next Saturday because I wasn't really golfing. So but they're
telling me to look around and tell me all the
(06:33):
adjustments or upgrades I should say to the property. But yeah,
the places, I mean forts tight Range. I mean, the
place is legit. You know, it's not like it's it's
far far beyond you know what it was and what
it was going to be. So I mean, yeah, John's
dide an incredible job. And the places, yeah, I mean
I was looking around like these kids are lucky, you know,
(06:55):
they really are lucky. Like they have this amazing facility
and such a cool play around there, and it's awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, I mean, and I think I say this all
the time. Now we're doing this Wednesday sunrise like dawn patrol,
like underground, Like if people show up at six.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Am, they just show up and we're going to we're off, right.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
So I've always loved sunsets of Goat but now sun rises,
it just puts in a whole different, whole different light.
And I just think to myself and I'm raising my
son there, you know, we you know, we have family
time there. My little guy is now six, but like
he's like the little mayor of the place, right, I
can let him go and everybody's looking out for him,
and he knows everybody. And I think to myself, like,
(07:36):
what would we do without Goat Hill Park?
Speaker 5 (07:39):
What would we do without.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This sort of the glue to the community that John has.
You know, he's resuscidate. It's like finding a it's like
finding a puppy on the side of the road or something.
You know, and then you know, you see all these
stories and you think to yourself, like this has happened
one little piece at a time. And then you know,
obviously the Wishbone Brawl, Well your involvement, people like Dean
(08:04):
and and people like Jeff making the effort, and and
you know you got Freddy and and you know Mike
Weir has come in, Charlie Hoffman and now Chris Riley,
who's who's a local. I just find this to be
it's just all that you know, the game has and
give so much, and the potential of the game. You know,
we we all have felt it in many different ways,
(08:26):
but here it is like just simplified and brought down
to the very essence of community, you know, connective tissue,
a place to call home and to feel safe and
welcome and warm without having to pay one hundred thousand
dollars membership, you know what I mean, Like it just
comes down to that.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, it's you know, this is our sixth fifth, sixth event,
I think, right, And you guys, you've always m seed
and you've always talked to me. And it's kind of
funny when I look, when I reflect, at least it's
you don't really like it was hard for me to
put a finger on what was so like I knew
it was really special. I knew it was really cool,
(09:07):
and I knew it felt different when I was on
property there. But the more you do it, the more
you kind of see the outcome and how the kids
are on property and how the parents are and like
you said, how the family show families show up and
how community shows up, and you do get that big
presence of the community. And you know, the longer you
(09:27):
kind of do this, you do you summed it up
very nicely, like I wouldn't have been able to sort
of after two or three years at at Goat Hill,
I had that feeling, but it was hard for me
to describe and pinpoint what made me feel so like
warm on property and then everything you just said that
that really hits home, you know, even when I'm doing
I did the Colony boxt week and it was it
(09:49):
was it was awesome and it's I was telling I
was telling my wife, I was like, what a what
a cool place to sort of start because the people there,
and you know, the people showing up and the way
the kids are and the way the kids were, you know,
during that clinic, I was sort of nervous. I've never
really done anything like that. Where I had nothing to
really go off of. I was kind of just winging
it almost, and I was worried these kids weren't really
(10:11):
gonna ask any questions. And man, these kids were just
firing questions like they were going, they were teeing off.
Like the adults were quiet, you know, because they already
kind of listened to my spiel, and the kids were going,
they're coming after me. So it was, it was, it
was really cool. And then I heard, you know, a
couple of people traveled from from different parts just to
kind of because they've heard about the Goat and they've
heard about sort of that area and what that what
(10:32):
the Goat Hill brings to the community. So it really
is you summed it up really well. And the more I,
you know, the more time I spent on property, and
the more brawls we do, it really it kind of
cements that sort of feeling, and it does feel like
it's sort of, i don't know, like that old school
(10:53):
sort of cool to sac neighborhood vibe where everyone's house
is you know, everyone's front door is opened and you
can just walk in their house and grab anything out
of the fridge and kind of go back out and
play and then you know, even go take a shower
at a different person's house because it doesn't really matter,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
And you know, you know, I know you're close with
the emerics, and and I say that. I said to Dave,
we just dropped the podcast yesterday on this, and I said, Dave,
this is literally your front point. I mean, you know,
if this golf course gets churned up, or if it
goes away, or if it stays sort of like you know,
underappreciated or poorly funded, what's the difference between your you know,
(11:33):
your you know, property value, just just baseline, the property
value of what you're looking out in your front yard.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Now he drives his cart into and he goes, he goes.
It's like I opened the gates of Heaven. Every day
like this is you know, I mean, you know, and
so the emerics and the locals. I know, some people
probably don't feel the same because their house might get
hit occasionally with golf balls. But John's tending to that,
and that's part of the reason why the eighteen. But
you know, this is it's it's it's so much deeper
(12:05):
and that park mentality, I think John says it all
the time. I look at this as a part where
you happen to play golf and if you if you
take that mentality and perspective and vision, because then it
becomes a place where you can go and hang and
not have to feel intimidated by the game or by
certain sort of expectations of what you need to do
(12:27):
as a golfer. You're just there as a local. That
is the that that is why I think the clientele
is so diverse and why you have men, women, boys, girls, young, old,
all different shape sizes, colors and skill levels like that.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
And you got.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Affordability, right, thirty dollars and thirty five dollars green fee.
That is just the sum total of what John and
Dave and you know, the whole team as has cultivated here.
And you know, yeah, the last ten years gone from
zero to sixty, slow lane to fast lane. You cannot
get a tea time today's Andy. You will not be
(13:07):
able to rock up and just like get a tea
time a goat Hill Park.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
There. I mean, there's just there's nowhere else like it.
And like you said, there's nowhere else that is where
you can kind of show up and you know, with's
the shirt off if you wanted you know what I mean?
Because you are in a park. Anyone can show up
to a park. You can have a picnic in the park,
you can play off in the park. You can throw
a football, you can throw a frisbee, you can bring
your dogs, you can bring a stroller. It doesn't really matter.
So I get it. I'm not surprised it's completely booked out.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
All right, So wishbone brawl. You and Chris Riley, let's
start there. What do you have a history with Chris
or what's your what's your relationship? How are you feeling
about this part? You know, I don't think we've ever
had the same field in all six bro there's never
been a repeat, you know, competition, there's been you know,
(13:58):
you and Dean have won a couple and Dean, I
think one with Mike.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
We're one year and you're like, that's it. I'm going
back to Dean.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
But here you got you got Chris Riley this year.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
How you feeling.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah, it was yeah, Fred super bummed. Obviously Fred couldn't
make it. And then Dean's got a family matter. And
then I think Ash saw Riley at the grocery store.
I saw him.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
I saw him at the DMV.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
This is you saw him at the DNV, that's right,
and you kind of like mentioned it to him. I'm like,
you don't want to talk about community here. So I
showt him a text. I think ashe told me that
you saw him at the DMV, and he texted me,
He's like, you need a partner, and I was like,
I was like, Chuck is in Bermuda. I was like,
I'll just text Ryles and I because Riles is always like, dude,
invite me to play. So I hit him up and
(14:47):
I mean he literally gave me a thumbs up. Didn't
even ask about when or you know, the time or anything.
He just was like, I'm in. And I was like, perfect,
We're partners. So he's he's awesome. He's really good with kids.
He is, you know, a steaky legend here in San Diego.
He's currently coaching at a USD, doing a great job,
(15:07):
and he still plays. I think he plays quite a
bit with his kids. So he's he's going to be
an awesome partner.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
His daughter's legit, and he's he's going to make a run.
He's going to turn fifty next year and he's going
to make a run on the Champions Tour. I think
he's going to leave USD. And so, yeah, the the
idea there was talk about.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Like oh, is Dean gonna be able to make it?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
And what's going to happen and who's the four that
at that time it was still four And I'm texting
with John that morning and I'm trying to get a
new driver's license. I'm going through the whole dmb L,
like you know, the whole dmb thing that God forbid.
And I'm in the middle of somewhere San Diego.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
I could not tell you where I was to this day.
And I'm going through and I'm doing the lines and
I'm hitting all my marks, and I get called to
my window of like a twenty eight right, and I'm
up at a twenty eight and someone goes Janella, and
I was like, who could I possibly.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Know in this?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And I look to my left and it's Chris Riley
at a twenty seventh, I mean, and I was like, Ryles,
And it's so crazy because we're talking about the Wishbone
braw and I don't know how this is going to
shake out, But like they're looking, you know, they might
be looking for a guy who goes, well, I'm always
in I might go just to watch even if I
don't play, which he's done in the past, you know
what I mean. And that's how serendipitous that whole situation was.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I mean, I can't make it, make it up.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You can't make it up.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
You know.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
And then now we've got Colin Featherstone, San Diego State
grad by the way, twenty twelve, who you know, had
a really solid year on the corn Ferry Tour last year,
pairing up with you know, the legend himself and Jeff
Ogilvie and link soldier and goat lover and proponent of
an event like Wishbone Brawl to the point where he
(16:50):
started the sand Belt Invitational, where men and women compete
on you know, elite venues in the same kind of format.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So got to be a little concerned about that squad.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, of course, Uh yeah, they're they're both staples. Featherstone probably,
I mean, actually know for a fact out of anyone
the twins may have logged more round growing up, but
as I'd say, now that they're in college, they're out
of town. Feather Featherstone for sure has log the most
reps and rounds at goats, so it's gonna yeah, it's
(17:24):
gonna be. I mean, we get for Simon Woods, you
know as always, so that'll that'll hopefully level the playing
ground a little bit and make it a little bit
weirder for them in terms of like what yardes they have.
But yeah, we're i'd say we we might be slight
dogs here.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I mean, father is going to be a handful, I
can promise you. I played with them last Saturday and
it was like this. The the amount of yards he
hit away from the hole, you know, like in a
combined was not much. It was not a big number,
you know what I mean, just kept going very close
to the hole. I was like, he's this feather. This
(18:01):
is not He's not He's not messing around. I think
he's been. He's been itching to try to be a
part of this event for a while now.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And I think he has three nine.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Unders at goad Hill Park with Persimmon woods, and will
will Crop has break. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I mean I saw I saw feather out at the
at the goat when I did that event. He shot
there's like a club championship or something you shot, like
a scramble. He sat like fifteen hundred with his partner.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Like you know, I was with him that day. It
was was a two man scramble they had, you know,
it was a he was feather in it and and
he's the guy. His partner was a two handicap. We
played with him, we were six hunder, felt like we
played good and we lost to him by six. I
mean they were like Road to Tilly, Road to tild Us.
So I was like, oh shit, and now yeah you
(18:51):
got Jasmine and jay Lee, Jasmine and Jane Laval who
the beautiful you know part of this going back to
Goahill Park and this this, this beautiful story that's developing
as this as this hub of community they are that
they're like the poster childs of this this, this, this, this,
you know, this story that John has has cultivated because
(19:13):
they go from North County Junior golf with Dave, they
go to scoring and standard bearing and caddying at the
Wishbone Brawl. Last year's ender, they couldn't watch because they're
helping their brother at the hot dog stand. And this year,
after coming off, they just won back to back tournaments
(19:34):
at Long Beach State. One of them is the Big
West Player of the Year of the month because she
has a scoring average below seventy. And they are like
at home at Goat Hill Park, and they're going to
have like a ton of home energy. Plus they get
Ada and Annabelle Lee, who are currently in the Junior
Caddy and Leadership Academy. And Fred said, the two best
caddies in San Diego. So you're going to have to compete,
(19:56):
not with just those two, you got to compete with
those four.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
And when I said I was we were slight dogs.
I was talking to the field. Yes, oh wa Ash
gave me, was giving me updates on on the twins.
I saw, I have a hot dog. I saw. I
don't know the brother's name, but I knew. I knew
he was a brother. I saw him. I talked to
him a little bit at the event. He was he
was growing up some dogs and he was, we're talking
(20:20):
about it. So yeah, I mean they are. They are
the poster family for the event. To be completely honest,
I mean I had I can't differentiate the twins always
when I see them. Sometimes can but I can't remember
which one caddide for me. But I've had I think
both maybe have caddied for me in this event, and
now they're shooting sixty fowards in college. So what are
(20:43):
you gonna do? You know, I'm gonna have to go.
I need to go to the range right now after
we get off this phone Calle was about to happen.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
I'm telling you about this is gonna be.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
This is gonna be. And I think the idea of
kind of going to three twosome's and and so essentially
becomes a stroke play event as opposed to match play
making sure it goes to eighteen, which is a nice.
I mean, it's kind of always goes to eighteen anyway,
and it's gone beyond in some cases. But I think
this is a cool opportunity to make it almost like
(21:15):
guaranteed it's coming to eighteen.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Anything can happen at any point.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
I think is kind of a nice And the addition
of going back to you know again Goadhill Park forty
five hundred yards par sixty five, where we're at with
the games and er in terms of the growth of
women and you know, incorporating you know, there's all this
murmur and it's going to be happening I know you're
going to be a part of it. But men and
(21:41):
women playing together in this case, Godhill Park is like
the perfect venue in which they can play against each other,
you know what I mean where you know, distance is
always a factor, but it's mitigated by by you know,
the way this golf course works in terms of elevation
changes and working the ball right and left and having
(22:02):
to hit your spots.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Can't really overpower the goat.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Don't you feel like this is like the perfect venue,
the perfect event in which we can showcase how and
why men and women can play the game against each other,
same tease, same course, same time.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Absolutely, the way the way you goat hills route, the
routing of the property, and it's like it's a sneaky distance.
It doesn't really feel that you are as you just
spit out to me. It can kind of play a
little longer just because the way some of the trees
and the doglegs sit, you can't always, like you said,
you can't really overpower it. And sometimes when you try
(22:42):
and force it, you get goaded. And that's that's happened
to me. That happened to me in my first ever brawl.
So I was cruising down the property and try to
force it and I know it hit some dirt mound
just to the right of the par five and my
ball was like in a canyon and all these kids
are looking for my ball and end up making like
an eight on a part five and I was, you know,
sitting there looking my chops trying to make an eagle.
(23:03):
So yeah, distance is not is not key. It's it's
a much more precision and leaving yourself, you know, below
the hole and scrambling. Short game is big out there.
You know, you're not always gonna hit greens and you
got you know, it's a no park, so you've got
a bunch of different types of grass and it doesn't
really give you know, any man or any woman a
true edge maybe on two or three holes with the
(23:26):
part fives, but that's you know, that's honestly it. And
I think all the girls can reach at least two
twins for sure, can reach the par fives and two
no problems. So it's uh, well, you know, perfect setup,
perfect venue, and yeah, I think going to stroke play
funny enough. I don't know how our matches have always
gone to eighteen. It's incredible now that I think back
on it, you know, but it just shows how fair
(23:47):
fair the course plays, and the better team will definitely win.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
And the volatility of scoring is always there because you know,
you know, there are those reachable fours and that you
know they talked about that part five. But the par threes,
the eight par threes are you can make a two
or a ten.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, yeah, you missed the green. Your ball is you know,
fifty feet below a surface. It's it is. It's far from.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
Ideal when when you're out there and you're traveling the
world and you're you're engaged in all these you know,
these elite level events, do you ever get does do
any better ever? Does the wishbone brawl come up? Or
does anybody ever talk to you? Or like on the
heels of this, do you get shout outs or text messages?
Is this something of a national you know, a global curiosity?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean I think all the all the all the
all my boys, all my teammates on Ryder Cup kind
of know about it. They whenever, you know, they ask
what I'm up to or anything, they always know of
this event I played, and especially since Fred Tapton to
playing last year, this event that I played with Persimon
was and they all think it's awesome just to sort
of go back in time away from our current technology.
(24:59):
And they know everyone I'd say, all the all the
top RAND guys are so charitable, so they all kind
of know what it means to the community, and to
sort of tie it into competition and old technology and
equipment is just a really cool thing. So I'd say, yeah,
a lot of the boys are pretty aware of the
event and or or you know, some thought or idea
of it.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
The you know, we talk about this every year, but
I think it's important. As you know, they're I think
they're upwards of almost two a thousand tickets, which then
means that's not counting kids. So now you'd say three
hundred and four hundred kids and probably fifty to one
hundred dogs. And as John always points out, you know,
no rope, so let kids come up front. And I
(25:41):
think it'll be nice because it'll move at almost a
little slower pace. This sometimes it almost goes too fast,
you know, like yeah, for sure, so having six balls
and play might kind of slow it down and allow
people to kind of get in position. But and I
know I talked to Jasmine and Jane about this. I've
talked to Jeff and Rowle's but looking into the crowd
(26:04):
and watching seeing the faces on these kids, and I'm
sure you probably had some of that last Saturday too.
It brings us all back to our childhood. It brings
us back to a simpler time with all the craziness
that's happened in the world around us, beyond well beyond
the world of golf. It's just it's it's nice to
be able to take a second, take a breath, look
(26:25):
into the eyes of these kids, remember who we were then,
and know that the impact that we can have on
them as because I'm sure that probably means something to you,
right Like this is that moment I'm you know, you're
starting a family, you're building up you know, who knows.
But like it'd just become more and more meaningful as
I think we age out into you know, our adult life.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, it gives it kind of adds for me at least,
it definitely sort of adds to the whole purpose purpose
point in life a little bit. You know. I actually
was telling my wife, you know, it really is sounds
like a cliche, but I was like, it really is
about the kids. You know, during when I was doing
that clinic, you know, I was a little nervous and
seeing all these kids so happy and just so just
(27:12):
so blue eyed, is so innocent too. Not all of
them are innstant. They're asking me some tough questions. But yeah,
it brought me. It brought me way back, you know,
way way back to when I was just sitting on
the range as a kid, just hitting balls and I
was just just a happy kid, you know, And it
makes me feel really lucky. It makes me feel really blessed.
And yeah, when I look into the crowd, everyone's so excited,
(27:34):
everyone's so happy, and like you said, there's one hundred dogs,
so if the kids aren't super into golf, they're playing
with the dogs. But for the most part, you are
just marching down these fairways and you just have this
wave of people and there are no ropes, and everyone,
you know, anyone and everyone can just come up to
say what's up. I remember one of the cool moments.
(27:55):
These two girls gave me a bracelet last year on
one of the par fives, and I put it on
and I ended up chipping in on the next one
and turning around to them and seeing how happy they were.
I still have the bracelets in my back. You know,
I'll probably you know, I'll probably they're going to be
out there, I assume, so I'll throw it on for
the event smiles. So it's just small, small things like that,
and it does, it does make you feel really small,
(28:17):
i'd say, in the whole scheme of things, and just
to be able to make a few extra kids smile
along the way is really meaningful to me.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I've always said that. And this is this is this
is pretty well documented that you know, Native Americans used
to use that land that fifteenth t seventh tea box
overlooking the land. If you look out the back of
those tea boxes, it goes all the way out to
the ocean. So Native Americans, you know, if you, if you,
(28:46):
if you I've talked to a land specialist. Essentially that's
that was the home base of a Native Native American
tribe that used to look out because that used to
be a water or a river. That that that road
that goes down Oceanside Boulevard that goes all the way
out to the water, that river.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They used to sit up there. That there's there's shells and.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Rocks and things that sort of take you back to
that are origins of that land. I've always said that
with John saving this land, this is there's something special
there that I think the land feels, you know, I
know this is crazy and deep, but I think the
land feels appreciative that it gets to still be what
it is and people get to roam around there and
(29:32):
have these walks and hikes with their families and dogs,
and and I think if you look back at this
Wishbone Brawl, specifically, you're chipping on fifteen, Jeff's ace on
the playoff hole, Will Crops putt on seventeen, Dean's ace
on number five. You know, Chris Riley making you know,
buckets and buckets of putts, you know, coming off like
(29:56):
not playing a ton of golf, and all of a sudden,
you know, I just you know, I get chills even
talking about it, because it just seems like there's going
to be something special that happens again this year. There's
going to be something like there's magic in that land
and this is a magical event. That's the sum total
of all that's been done for you and your career,
(30:17):
you know, Jeff, and you go back to Dean's idea
and John and his life and career, and it can
go to me in mind, but I think everybody has
a little piece of that that's put into this We're
all in it together kind of a mentality, and that
energy is coming up out of the ground and into
this event.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
That's I know that sounds deep, but I just feel
like it's a reality. I really do.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Now I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't think
it's far fast at all or too deep. I mean,
I'm you know, I'm a big fan of using the
land to benefit and I think I think that place
means something different. You know, everyone is there, and it
means it's different. The meaning of Goat Hills is different
to each and every dive, whether it's one of the dogs,
(31:01):
or one of the kids, or a teenager or a
high schooler or someone's grandparents. You know, that's an a
stroller like you see it all out there. So I
think the fact that one one one spot can give
so much meaning to so many different people, it shows how,
you know, truly special it is. And I didn't know
that fact about the property, and you know, for John
(31:23):
to sort of honor in that way, to keep it
apart and to just keep it as a sort of
raw land and as a home to so many is
a really cool thing.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
All great, Uh, And obviously you've you've you've taken all
of this to a level that I don't think anybody
could have ever imagined. And so on behalf of the community,
and you know, I mean, you'll get a lot of appreciation.
Probably got it last Saturday, You'll continue to get it
this Saturday and beyond.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
I think you've.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Got the whole Goat community that's always in your corner
no matter what you're doing or where you are, and
you represent, you know, the community in such a such
a special way. And so thank you for all that
you do and you're doing and you continue to do
to try to continue to stay close to to your
roots and this community in particular, because there's a point
(32:14):
of pride there that we fly this Zander Shoffley flag. Uh,
you know, in your honor as you go out and
I'm embarking this big, big, bad world we're living in.
So thank you and thanks for this time. And and
we'll see you. We'll see you on the range tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Yeah sounds good. I am. I'm gonna go I'm gonna
go find and arrange myself right out hits the balls.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
I saw the Layo out twins, I saw Feather walking
in as the sun was going down and it was
pitch black dark, and the whole layove Out family came
up off of nine and I go, oh my god,
you guys have been out there and they were grinding, grinding.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think Ryle's and I unfortunately on
a similar program.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
And by the way, the course is in mint condition.
In Fernie's double role in these Greens, do not get
above this hole.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I can I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you, thank you so much for having me. And yeah,
I feel I definitely feel a love from the community,
from all the goat Go Hill lovers and just just
San Diego in general. So it's it's definitely a special thing.
And you know, if anyone and everyone please come out,
we look forward to seeing you out there.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Wait to see the new fire pit.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
By the way, that'll be going so left of first t.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, I know that's Santa Anna's kind of been hanging around.
It's been a little bit warmer than than the years past,
so hopefully, I mean we get one more, one more
good day.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
She is Andrew.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Thanks Matt, you tomorrow, Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Put another log on the fire. They here is get
the tired
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