We bring you a lot of stuff this week.

Great interview with Dave Esler of Esler Golf Designs and Vintage Golf Construction.  We talk about his playing days and how he got into course design. We talk about his main passion of restoring courses to their original design - he doesn't like to paint over Mona Lisas.  Dave let's us in on current projects, both around Chicago and on the Pacific coast.  And finish up with Scramble.  It was really fun to talk with him.

Also in the episode:
Lagunitas limited release Citrusinensis - go get some - only available through June.
Volcanic activity.
Players Championship recap.
Byron Nelson - both the player and tournament.
Open gifts from Erik Lang and Jason Way - thank you!
Spotify additions.

You keep tuning in and we'll keep teeing em up.  Cannonball!

Enjoy.

018 - Digging into Design with Dave Esler

A concoction of golf, life, music, and adult beverages. Guests share their stories, too.

Professional

Sports & Recreation

Amateur

Outdoor

College & High School

Brad Gehl returns to the pod to catch up on developmental tour life, or lack there of over the past year. The downtime created time to make a film, Summer School, which crosses the skateboarding and golf cultures.

We discuss the joys of city golf at Canal Shores (Chicago) and Rancho Park (LA).

Brad is dripped in a new LPGA #HoodieForGolf designed by Michelle Wie-West benefitting the LPGA Renee Powell Fund and the Clearview Legacy Foundation. The former provides needs-based grants to LPGA*USGA Girls Golf programs to help girls in Black communities participate in golf. This in the name of Renee Powell, the second Black player on the LPGA Tour. The latter helps endow and preserve the Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, OH. Renee’s father, Bill, established the golf club to counter racial discrimination he encountered returning from World War II. Today, Renee is the head pro at Clearview.

Brad has been on the bag recently for Michelle. He talks about the experience and his takeaways for his game.

He also looped for Justin Thomas at the PNC Championship where Justin and his father, Mike, took down the championship. Brad read one put and tried to give one line off the tee. Oh, and he range-findered a bunker on a Par 3 that led to the greatest meme video in the history of professional golf.

Fluff caddy sighting. Brad’s take? “Quickest first step in caddying.”

He discusses how COVID has affected the developmental tours and his plan for 2021.

HANGRY PROJECT & SUMMER SCHOOL. The Hangry Project was started by Brad and provides a stocked refrigerator at skate parks. This had led to meetings at city halls and now a short film “Summer School” that he wrote, shot and produced. Premieres in June. And check out the swag… approved by Augie - Swag Connoisseur.

We end with some glory days of junior and high school golf. Always fun to relive the moments of being a kid, especially when some of those kids are playing and winning on tour.

Brad Gehl on Summer School, Q School, Caddy School

Main pod ep with Augie and Charlie! They recap the tournament, analyze the commentary, and go down the usual unplanned roads. Also, the boys have a little spring golf under their belts and scramble szn sign-ups are already popping up. It’s a great time to be alive.

Pimento Cheese & Domestics - 2021 Masters Recap

The umbrella is on display this week at Bay Hill - the iconic Arnold Palmer logo that takes money out of pockets. So let’s try to win some this week. A lot of choices which Stu will take. Augie will try and narrow it down. Other topics sneak in thanks to margaritas and Little Sumpin’… not sorry.

The Gambling Show* - Bay Hill

After a week off-ish, we’re back in action. Life got in the way for Stu and Augie, but the latter was able to make a couple wagers, one being on the larger side.

Quick recaps of the past two week. The Cannonball Players Of The Week keep making cuts in the big pool, but are getting passed. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is not only a zero waste event but also a zero betting win event (there’s more jokes in there, but you know… beer and gelatin weed).

As for Pebble, Stu didn’t lose what he didn’t put in the middle - sometimes you just need a week off. Augie bet big (relative to $1 units) on a Chicagoland native - free money. If you followed on IG, Twitter, et al, you would have made easy money too. Not even a sweat.

The Gambling Show* - Riviera

The best tournament/party of the year - although muted for the 2021 edition. The Cannonball Golf Team is gaining ground in the season long one and done. Stu gets off the gravy train and in now captain of the Gravy Boat… big week for him. Augie, turns the most slim of weekly profit, but is still down from whiffing the week prior.

A lot of big names this week, strong field - gonna be fun to watch, especially with some skin on the line. The biggest question remains that we didn’t discuss - do we take the hole in one bet or not. Gotta take it, right?

-Augie

018 - Digging into Design with Dave Esler

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