Things To Do in Golf Before I Die List

A tee time at Augusta National. A pairing with Tiger Woods. A hole in one. These are the things that make up the everyday golfer’s “bucket list.” Or in plain English, they are things that golfers dream of accomplishing before they die.

However, I am not your everyday golfer and I have a strong dislike for cliches. I actually cringed when typing out the words “bucket list.” That is why this post is named “Things To Do in Golf Before I Die List.” Don’t get me wrong, I would certainly love to make a hole in one on Augusta National while playing golf with Tiger Woods, but that’s a lame ass cliche. You won’t find any of that nonsense on my list below.

Here is my official “Things To Do in Golf Before I Die List.”

• Drive a golf ball through a phone book. I have been trying this for years. It may never happen.

• Get struck by a golf ball at a PGA Tour event. I would love to take a header from Tony Finau or get plunked in the thigh by Gary Woodland. Caveat: No permanent physical damage.

• Witness a double eagle. A hole in one is nice but the double eagle is the real deal.

• Be a golf fan in the background of a historic golf moment. I want to be the guy who looks like he $hit his pants after watching Tiger Woods hole his putt to win the 2024 Masters and his 19th major. Although, I would have settled to be the dude in this sombrero.

• Do a cannonball into a body of water on the golf course. I refuse to do this for any reason other than making a hole in one. The key here is that the cannon ball is the list item, not the hole in one.

• Make par on all 18 holes in one round. I have made it through 16 holes twice.

• Hole out from the fairway to win a tournament. It doesn’t have to be the US Open. I would settle for the local Wednesday night Shamble Mixer. The riot in the fairway would be legendary.

• Cash in on my Rod Pampling golf bet. At 750:1 odds, I stand to turn my $20 into a cool $15k when Rod Pampling holes the winning putt on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

• Witness this exact same thing. Seriously change nothing.

• Get randomly paired up with Fred Couples. I am golfing solo and I run into a two-some, instead of letting me play through, they ask me to join. One of those golfers is Fred Couples.

• Watch any golfer accidentally fall into the water after playing a golf shot. The key here is that this must be fully accidental. Full submersion is preferred.

• Hit a 600 yard drive. I am playing a 400 yard par 4. I hit my normal 270 ball but it finds the cart path and rolls 330 additional yards. I have to play 200 yards back towards the green.

That’s it for the “Before I Die” list. For the “After I Die” list I only have one request. That request is for my ashes to be spread on a golf course. There should be a bench or a moniker of some sort that will remind people that “Koenig was here.”

“That old man Koenig sure was a real asshole. But man, he loved to whack that little ball.” That is what they will say.

Smash in the sun

“Swing as hard as you possibly can.” Whenever someone asks me for a hot golf tip that is always the advice that I offer. It’s not too serious and it usually makes people laugh. However, when attending the Ak Chin “Smash in the Sun” World Long Drive event in Maricopa, AZ, that is the only advice that makes sense. You are gonna need everything you got as these competitors routinely hit the golf ball over 400 yards.

Fortunately, for the Pro Am we would have these competitors on our side. The night before the main event, we paired up with the professionals and squared off against other teams in a “most yards wins” scenario. Press LaBrie was our pro for the team competition and we got right to slamming the long ball.

Screaming is an important part of the @WorldLongDrive @AkChin_SoDunes pic.twitter.com/u0hYd1oz7d

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) April 16, 2019

My plan for distance was a simple 4 pronged approach.

• Untuck my shirt for maximum flare and rotation.

• Scream like I was being murdered.

• Sell the follow through like it’s going 600 yards.

• Swing as hard as I possibly can.

In a shining moment of long ball greatness, I was able to put one out on the grid 319 yards away from where I hit it. That particular drive was good enough to put our team over the edge. and we would be crowned the Smash in the Sun 2019 champions. I rank this victory slightly behind my Cinco De Mayo Scramble triumph at Diablo Creek back in 2008. We received a complimentary “Mexican fare lunch” instead of prize money.

The sun had already set as the “Smash in The Sun” Pro Am champs were crowned.

I may never see that # next to my name ever again.

The futility of our long drive attempts became apparent the next day when the big guns came out firing. The World Long Drive events future both a men’s and women’s division and the Golf Channel cameras were there to catch all of the action. With the sun was shining and the wind blowing, we settled into our seats to watch the golf balls fly.

First up was the women’s division and it’s no joke, people. Each one of these women can pound it farther than 99.9% of the male golfing population. That fact was clearly evidenced when Phillis Meti hit her golf ball 413 yards to win in the finals against Alexis Belton. No, she didn’t launch her golf ball out of a cannon, she hit it with a golf club. That drive set a new record for the longest drive ever recorded in the Women’s Division at a World Long Drive competition. 413 yards.

Troy Mullins came up just short in the semi final round of the competition..

Not yet out of diapers, this young golfer was already calculating launch angles in between matches.

Golf Channel’s Alex Olaughlin calls the action

Chelsea Pezzola made sure that all of The Smash in the Sun fans had a good time.

With a record already in the books for the women, the men’s division had their work cut out for them. Tim Burke would deliver in stunning fashion when he hit a 474 yard bomb down the left hand side of the grid to win the event. 474 yards. To help put that into perspective…

• Tim Burke’s drive was over 1/4 of a mile. He literally hit that thing a quarter mile.

• The USGA’s current yardage guidelines for par 5’s are 471 to 690 yards.

• Tim’s drive covered approximately 40 yellow school buses lined up back to back.

• If you laid the Empire State Building on it’s side, Tim’s drive had it covered by several hundred feet.

Kyle Berkshire reacts to his final drive of 466 yards coming up 8 yards short of champion Tim Burke.

Phillis Metti successfully defends here title at the Ak Chin Smash in The Sun in record setting fashion.

Tim Burke and Phillis Meti capture victory and hoist their hardware.

The Ak Chin Smash in The Sun was the first of six televised events in 2019 with the season culminating in September at the Volvik World Long Drive Championships. If you manage to attend one of these events, you will find a fun party atmosphere like no other in golf. They pump up the crowd in between sets and even hand out noise makers to the spectators. If you can’t catch the WLD in person, you can always watch live on the Golf Channel.

With the long drive behind us it was time to take in some of the excellent public golf that the Phoenix area has to offer. We had 3 delicious courses lined up for the visit.

• Ak Chin Southern Dunes

• The Phoenician

• Troon North’s Pinnacle course

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes is easily one of the best public tracks in the Phoenix area. However, it’s about 45 minutes away from the golfing center of Scottsdale and doesn’t always get the attention that it deserves. Created by the architecture team of Schmidt-Curley Design and the help of golfing legend Fred Couples, Southern Dunes is a wonderfully routed championship test of golf. Our group gladly took on the course on a sunny day and returned for dinner as a storm rolled in. The result was a fantastic double rainbow situation.

A visit to the newly renovated Phoenician was up the following day and before the golfing commenced we got a tour of the AAA 5-Diamond resort. Not only was the tour of the resort amazing, our group was also treated to some first class male model poses.

Male model fountain posing

One of the many pools at the Phoenician

The Phoenician is a Luxury Scottsdale, Arizona resort and it is clearly one of the finest in the Phoenix area. Featuring an upscale spa, fitness center, and top notch dining, the resort has a lot more to offer than just golf. There is an expansive pool complex, tennis, shopping, and more activities than I can even list.

We even scored accommodations in the luxurious Canyon suites on the property. Now, a Canyon Suite is not your normal hotel suite. These rooms have rooms within the rooms, it’s more like a canyon complex, I got lost several times looking for the bed. These suites are also good enough for Hollywood types as I passed David Spade in the hallway as I returned to my room. I excitedly blurted out “Spade!” and he calmly replied with a “What’s up man.”

The AAA 5-Diamond Phoenician resort

The short par 3 17th at The Phoenician

The par 5 15th hole at The Phoenician

Completed in 2018, Architect Phil Smith transformed the previous 27 holes at The Phoenician into a much more cohesive 18 holes of golf. Gone are the blind hazards and unwelcome surprises and the result is a course that flows much better. Golf purists will be drawn to the back nine as it is a much more cohesive unit set into the Sonoran Desert.

Sun rises over The Phoenician’s 11th hole.

The tag line Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale is “Pure. Desert. Classic.” I decided to do some investigating on each of these words to assess their validity. After several visits and double bogies, I have reached the conclusion that each word rings true. I like to imagine the marketing meeting where each one of these words was discussed in detail. Words like cactusy and rattlesnake would have been casually dismissed. But pure, desert, and classic do an excellent job of describing both golf courses at Troon North.

Emily Lawrence attempts to take out the camera man.

Our leader for the day at Troon North was Emily with Experience Scottsdale, but I was in charge of picking the team names for our 2 v 2 showdown in the sun. It was Emily Lawrence and Art Sticklin on “Team Cartpath” vs Brian Gifford and I on “Team Viper.”

They wanted “Team Tempo” but I strategically downgraded them to “Team Cartpath.” By establishing an opposing and powerful team name, I had heavily stacked the odds in our favor. They would never recover from the psychological blow.

The 10th hole at Troon North’s Pinnacle course is one of my favorites.

Getting Wild on the wild dunes at Wild Dunes Resort

The 18th hole on the Links course at Wild Dunes in Isle of Palms, SC.

“You know, the 18th hole used to be a par 5?” said Jeff Minton, the Director of Golf at Wild Dunes Resort. I was fumbling around with my 8 iron as I tried to figure out the logistics. “What!?!” I replied. “Yeah it used to be a real beauty around that corner but the green eroded into the ocean last year.” “Well you guys certainly replaced it with a real dump of a par 3.” I replied sarcastically. “A real trash dump.” Jeff agreed.

It’s kind of like if your husband Bard Pitt got sent to prison and you had to shack up with George Clooney instead. You will probably make due. The plan is to rebuild the 18th hole and return the par 5 to its former glory in the year 2020. As it stands now, you’ll just have to put up with one of the most scenic golf holes on the entire property.

The 17th green leads you right into the finishing 18th hole on the Links course.

The temporary par 3 18th plays at around 190 from the back tees.

Throughout the Wild Dunes Resort property you will have your hands full of resort activities. From tennis to water sports, Wild Dunes Resort has you covered. You can pig out at Huey’s Southern Eats and then learn basket weaving if you want to. Or you can go to the spa and experience the “Bubbles and Bliss” package. I passed on the spa and the basket weaving but I did remember to pig out at Huey’s. I got the bbq chicken with the macaroni and cheese and it was spectacular. However, the real reason that I was on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina was to check out the golf.

The 18th hole on the Links course from the tee box.

The par 3 12th was also one of my favorites

There are two golf courses that await the vacationing golfer at Wild Dunes Golf Resort, the Links course and the Harbor course.. Both courses were designed by Tom Fazio and The Links course is the more highly regarded of the two. When it opened in 1980, it was on the list as one of America’s Top 100 golf courses.

The 16th on the Links course starts a 3 hole finishing stretch right on the Atlantic Ocean.

Even though the Links course has the pedigree, I found the Harbor course to be the more challenging of the two. With small greens and tight landing areas, you need to have some control over that golf ball. When the wind picks up, you could be in for a tough but scenic scoring day.

As you make the turn on the Harbor course, you will find a handful of golf holes that sit right on the intercostal waterway. These holes stand out in terms of aesthetics and make for a visually stimulating finish to the round.

Along with the golf at Wild Dunes Resort, I also got a serious helping of wildlife. We saw several gators, egrets, and even some snakes. After hitting our tee shots on the 8th hole, one particular alligator grabbed my attention. I approached the prehistoric beast, I looked him dead in the eye, and challenged him to a wrestling match. Sensing my confidence, he turned and immediately jumped into a nearby pond. I do not recommend this strategy to amateur gator wrestlers.

Since the resort is located directly on the Atlantic Ocean, I decided to take a break from the golf to spend some time on the beach. This was the perfect opportunity to work on my sand game and my golf tan. While my bunker game is in great shape, I fear that my golf tan game is beyond repair. Walking on the surface of the sun may be the only remedy for this disaster. Please accept my apologies for the jarring yet artsy image below.

The 12th hole on the Harbor course.

The sun sets on my Wild Dunes experience.

My visit to Wild Dunes Resort was a brief one but the golf was as intense as my golf tan. If you are interested in learning more about Wild Dunes Resort give em a visit here.

You guys golfing in that Wigwam?

When it comes to winter golf destinations, there are certain places that immediately rise to the top of the list. States like Hawaii, California and Florida jump into my brain and scream.. Pick me!! Pick me!!

Today we are giving the readers of pjkoenig.com another option to consider. We are talking The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, AZ. With Spring training in town and located only 30 minutes away from the Phoenix airport, the resort is a popular option from February to March. Scottsdale gets most of the love from the Spring Training crowd but The Wigwam is King of the West side and it’s been in charge for quite some time.

In 1918, the Goodyear Tire company discovered that cotton was a key ingredient in making higher performing and longer lasting tires. To help meet the increasing demand for their tires, Goodyear purchased 16,000 acres of land for cotton farming in Arizona and established lodging for local ranch suppliers. Naturally, these guests grew to love the place and suggested it would be an ideal spot for winter vacations.

On Thanksgiving Day of 1929, The Wigwam opened its doors to the world as a guest ranch. Over the next 90 years, the resort would host presidents, celebrities, and various high society types. In 2019, they added Patrick Koenig to their already impressive roster of esteemed guests. Note: Esteemed guest list does include Britney Spears. I immediately classed up the place with a professional teepee modeling shoot.

Pose 1: Power Teepee Pose

Pose 2: Teepee Tabletop Pose

Even though the Wild West ended somewhere around 1895 and the resort’s history picks up some 30 years later, you can still feel the spirit of the wild frontier at The Wigwam. In this modeling shoot, I attempt to capture that spirit. Photo credit goes to Rick Cicci, Head Golf Professional at the resort. His zest for participation in the photo shoot should tell you a lot about the fun loving atmosphere at The Wigwam. Without Rick none of this would have been possible.

Pose 3: Hip Pop Teepee Pose

Pose 4: Teepee Tantalizer Pose

In 1930, golf would enter the picture with the creation of a 9 hole Red Course. 5 years later course architect Red Lawrence and head professional V.O. “Red” Allen would expand the routing to include 18 holes. Today, the Red course is a local favorite as it is the most player friendly option of the 3 courses at the resort.

In addition to the Red course, Robert Trent Jones Sr. marched onto the scene in 1965 and delivered 36 more holes of golf. Honoring the history of the resort, the new courses were named after the colors of the Goodyear Tire logo, Blue and Gold.

Playing 7,345 yards from the back tees, the Gold course is the true championship test at the resort. The course was once listed as a Top 100 golf course in America and has hosted numerous US Open qualifiers, NCAA Championships, and currently holds one of the top amateur competitions in the world, The Patriot All-America Invitational.

The greens sites also add to the difficulty of the round with dramatic slopes on a number of the putting surfaces. On the first hole, I was sure that my second shot was going in for an albatross two. Even though we couldn’t really see where it finished, I was confident I was at least facing a short putt for eagle. As it turns out, I never stood a chance of holding that green and I had rolled down into a bunker. I ended up tapping in for a smooth 6 and a solid welcome to The Wigwam.

The golf moat on the Gold’s 18th has ruined many promising rounds.

The Gold course’s golf moat is one of my favorite features on the property.

While the pjkoenig.com golf blog is not much for pictures of food, the cuisine at The Wigwam is inspiring. Between Litchfield’s and Red’s Bar & Grill the dining options abound. The resort even offers fireside s’mores at The Wigwam bar. I could spend several paragraphs raving about the eatery, but I will leave you with just one pearl of wisdom.

The scallops at Litchfield’s earn my first ever 5/5 food star rating. While the food star scale isn’t fully vetted, in order to receive 5/5 the dish must be considered life changing and these scallops did exactly that. The picture below is just a preview of the full 4 scallop main entree that I would order later. I would have taken a picture, but I was busy with my life changing 5/5 food experience.

Pictures of food

5/5 life changing scallop

The Blue course also opened in 1965 and plays about 1400 yards shorter than the Gold course from the back tees. Even though the par 70 course lacks distance by modern standards, the small sloped greens establish it’s difficulty. On a day when I hit the ball well enough to find 12 greens in regulation, I only managed to find 5. Almost all of the greens are of the pushup variety and you’ll have plenty of fun testing your short game around the greens.

The island green on the Blue course’s 15th hole.

Wigwam Superintendent, Chad Parron, escapes from the sand.

After 3 days of various staff interactions at the resort, one thing became abundantly clear. The employees of The Wigwam love The Wigwam. It feels like almost everyone has been at the resort for over 10 years. The staff is fully invested and it shows. They even have one employee with 48 years of tenure. In the hospitality industry, this sort of loyalty is very rare and it makes a huge difference in the overall Wigwam experience. Plus they have a waterslide in the pool. Who isn’t going to be happy about waterslides?

The 2nd hole on the Gold Course with the 17th on the Blue on the far left.

Sarah would kick in for an easy par.

Even if you didn’t bring your golf clubs, you can still play golf at The Wigwam… foot golf that is. The rules are the same as golf but you have bigger holes and bigger balls. Just kick the ball down the fairway and count em up at the end. Foot golf is a great way to get everyone involved and any one can play. It’s a pretty social sport that can involve as much or as little side shenanigans as your group deems necessary.

In the picture above, we find the Pelé of foot golf, Sarah Boyd. Sarah is the Social Media and Marketing Manager for the resort and is often recognized on the streets as the host of The Wigwam’s bi-weekly video blog. Tune in here for some behind the scenes Wigwam footage.

A near hole in one. My Ace Hunt efforts come up short even in foot golf.

With The Wigwam resort celebrating 90 years of existence, they are throwing a weekly roaring 20’s party every Saturday. Just like everything else that The Wigwam does, these parties are done to perfection. They have disguises, fake cigars, and smoked manhattans. Our group gladly joined in on the action and roared hard.

Selfie from 1923

Late evening reading at The Wigwam. The bowtie helps with comprehension.

If you are interested in roaring into your own Wigwam adventure. more information can be found here.

Discover Puerto Rico!

When the opportunity arose to visit Puerto Rico in the middle of February, I raised my hand quickly. It was 40 degrees in California and I was happy to pay a visit to the 80 degrees and sunny scene. Having never visited Puerto Rico before, I was excited to enter unexplored territory.

The next day, our group quickly jumped into the golf agenda at TPC Dorado Beach’s East Course. We had a full foursome of golf “influencers” in addition to myself, here was the lineup.

• Lee Abbamonte - Visited every country in the world. There are travel experts and then there is Lee.

• Hailey Ostrom - Golf Shotmaker / Shot Caller

• Chelsea Pezzola - Winner - Best RGV Tour Rooftop Pose - 2018.

With firepower like this, it was necessary to put it all on the line in a winner take all death match. It would be the Chicos vs Chicas. The battle would be life threatening and intense.

“Prepare to lose and cry,” barked an enthused Chelsea Pezzola. Hailey Ostrom followed up the taunt with a casual “This won’t even be close.”

That was all the motivation that Lee and I needed. The boys came out hot and never looked back. With the women down 3 on the 16th hole, Pezzola holed her bunker shot for birdie but I would also make birdie to seal the match. The ladies came up with plenty of excuses but nothing could take away the sweet taste of victory. Final Score: Chicos win, 3 and 2.

In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated much of Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster on record to affect the island and the category 5 storm caused $91.6 billion in losses.

The good news is that Puerto Ricans are persistent and the country has bounced back aggressively. There are still signs of the devastation as you travel the countryside but at the resorts we visited, the damage is unnoticeable. Puerto Rico is definitely open for business.

After arriving in San Juan, we headed out on the town for some dinner. Azabache Restaurant was the decision. The gnocchi shrimp was good but my taste buds are still recovering from the dessert. I can taste it right now just looking at the picture again. Look at those gold flakes!

A look into the loser’s locker room from today’s death match at @TPCDoradoBeach @discover_PR pic.twitter.com/5ClmVq9WzL

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) February 22, 2019

Hailey pounds her drive on the 5th hole at TPC Dorado.

Just about every swing was documented by this duo of powerful Instagram influencers.

Today, there are currently two courses open for play at TPC Dorado Beach, the East course and the Sugarcane course. Running through lush jungle and coconut groves, The East course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and restored by Jr in 2011. In 2016, Golf Digest named the East course the #1 course in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, our group didn’t have time to explore the Sugarcane course but it sounds delicious.

Today’s power foursome. @LeeAbbamonte @clpezzola @HaileyOstrom #power #foursome pic.twitter.com/fPM02DZU2P

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) February 22, 2019

After the round our party made a quick transfer to the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. Over the next several days, our group would take full advantage of the 10 different restaurants and bars on the resort. My personal favorite was the conveniently located Ice cream bar. Who needs whiskey when you have ice cream? It must be noted that they have a corn bread ice cream that was surprisingly delicious.

The resort also has a casino that Lee and I made a run on. I was up $50 and Lee cashed in around $250. It’s always fun to walk out of a casino with some money in your pocket. But the best walk for me will always be on a golf course.

The grass courtyard at The Wyndham is one of my top 5 grass courtyards.

The best part about the Wyndham is that this is the backyard.

After we settled into the accommodations, it was time for the ‘death match’ rematch at Bahia Beach, which is just 20 minutes down the road. The course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones and later tweaked by Robert Trent Jones Jr in 2008. The golf course requires the golfer to keep the ball in play off of the tee as the lush Puerto Rican jungle awaits your wayward tee shots. If you brought your slice with you to the island, you will need to make sure you brought a couple extra sleeves of Chrome Softs.

We would struggle out of the gate and hover around 3 down for most of the day. A late surge was also thwarted by some untimely 3 putts. I blamed the views on the 15th hole (shown below) for most of our team’s putting woes. In the end, the chicas would prove too much for the chicos and we would be forced to enter the loser locker room. Final Score: Chicas win, 1 up.

The pivotal 15th hole at Bahia Beach.

Also onboard at Bahia Beach was professional photographer Omark Reyes, who was following our group for the day. Omark did an excellent job of documenting the match and it was a pleasure to be on the other side of the camera for a change. Although it was labeled a death match, nobody would lose their life and we would all emerge bonded as survivors and friends. Although, with the death match victories tied at 1, a death match rubber match will need to take place.

Hailey Ostrom looks on as I pound one… probably 400 yards.

Lee Abbamonte sends one deep into the woods during a tough front nine stretch.

Death Match Win Totals

One of my favorite parts about the golf courses in Puerto Rico are the ever-present iguanas. They can be found near just about every body of water and appear to be huge fans of the game. I informed the iguanas that I was putting together the world’s greatest iguana photo gallery and they reluctantly posed for some photographs.

After the round at Bahia Beach it was time to watch some professional golf at The Puerto Rico Open. In 2006, Tom Kite designed four nines at Coco Beach Golf & Country Club and the course has hosted the Puerto Rico Open since it became an event on the PGA Tour in 2008. The tournament is the only official PGA event in the entire Caribbean. I would only catch the tail end of Saturday’s round but I would find some cool sunset action.

The 17th hole at Coco Beach Golf & Country Club

Oro the Cat has legitimate press credentials to the media center at the @PuertoRicoOpen and it’s amazing. pic.twitter.com/qcEAIKAkhe

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) February 24, 2019

The highlight of my visit to the Puerto Rico Open was when I got a chance to meet Oro the Cat. Oro is in charge of Player Support in the media center and is one of the friendliest golf cats in the industry. Oro is a very big deal.

We also filmed a mock player interview in the media center that I am unable to post due to a copyright claim by The PGA Tour. Rest assured it is hilarious.

There was time for one more round in Puerto Rico and Wyndham’s Rio Mar River Course was up on deck. Guests of the resort have 2 options for golf on the property, the River Course, designed by Greg Norman, and Fazio’s Ocean Course. The River is the more difficult of the 2 courses and I was up for the challenge.

The 16th hole at the 2018 Puerto Rico Open.

The view from behind the 12th green at Rio Mar’s River course.

The River course derives its name from the Mameyes River that winds its way through the property. Wisely, Greg Norman took advantage of the river’s natural charm and routed a number of holes along it’s banks. With views of the nearby Yunque Mountains the course is a beautiful and challenging experience.

Since I was the only golfer to rise early enough for the final round, I was golfing alone. I have always enjoyed golfing by myself and being surrounded by the Puerto Rican country side made the walk even more enjoyable. The death match rubber match would have to wait until we return to discover more of what Puerto Rico has to offer.

Bahamas!

During 2018’s RGV Tour across the United States, tour operations were temporarily halted for a visit to Great Exuma in The Bahamas. If you are going to halt operations for a destination, Sandals Emerald Bay Resort in The Bahamas is a good place to do it.

The Sandals resort is an all inclusive type of place. You pay just once and then keep your money in your wallet. Just stroll up and start ordering… then order again. They have options for Italian, Indian, American, Japanese, etc. You get the idea, you are not going to starve at this place. Below are my top 5 favorite spots at the resort.

• Croquet fields - Challenge your spouse to death match .

• Cafe De Paris - Pig out on different desserts and coffee all day long.

• The beach - Just beyond the pool lies the beautiful Flamingo Bay.

• Soy - As much sushi as you can you eat.

• The Drunken Duck - Shoot pool, throw darts, dance like an idiot.

The resort has a lot more to offer than just my top 5. However, the main reason for the visit was to focus on some world class golf. Just next door, the resort has a Greg Norman designed golf course and it was hosting The Web.com Bahamas Great Exuma Classic.

Before the official tournament began, it was time to kick off the Pro-Am. Little did the Bahamas know that it was about to encounter the world’s greatest Pro-Am team and witness the most unbelievable Pro-Am performance in the history of the world. The format was a shamble and the team was led by Harry Higgs himself. We started off eagle, eagle and never looked back. Putts dropped from all over the place, shots were holed out. We even recorded a net ace. When the smoke cleared, we were -22 and 6 shots ahead of the field. As I type this, jaws are still being picked up off of the floor at the Sandals Resort.

The rainbow shines down on the world’s greatest Pro-Am team.

Nothing to see here.

It must also be noted that Brodie Smith hammers it about 350 off the tee and put us in position to score all day long. Brodie is relatively new to the game, but you can instantly tell that the ceiling for his golf game is very high. I am excited to see what the future holds for Brodie as he explores the world of golf.

Emotions run high as another putt finds the bottom of the cup.

Only 3 of the 5 members of the world’s greatest Pro-Am team were able to make it to the podium. The other 2 members were being treated for exhaustion.

After the performance in the Pro-Am our team needed to cool off with a quick swim. Naturally, we decided it would be best to swim with the pigs 🐷. Joining me for the adventure was Brodie Smith and his fiancé Kelsey Lowrance.

Posing with Big Squealy.

Lil’ Squealy was my favorite piggy.

Amongst the pigs, you also have rays looking for a quick bite to eat. Brodie’s excitement for Kelsey’s terror is inspiring.

Just across from Pig Island is Iguana island. These Bahamian rock iguanas are pretty friendly.

When I learned that Kelsey Lowrance had been previously affiliated with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and had some modeling experience, I immediately challenged her to a model-off.

MODEL POSE #1: Rock pile lounging

MODEL POSE #2: Beach bathing

Like many other people, when the results of the model-off came in, I was shocked. That lizard made a surprise run at 2nd place, but I held him off like a seasoned veteran. Enjoy 3rd place, silly Bahamian rock iguana.

Model-off Results

Brodie and Kelsey are scheduled to be married and become Mr and Mrs Smith. A common name, an uncommon couple.

Perhaps the best part about the Sandals resort is that you can just walk right over to the golf course. Brodie and I took full advantage of this and happily enjoyed a lot of live golf. The quality of play and depth on the Web.com tour is significant and most of these players can compete at the PGA Tour level. The biggest difference is that the players are not playing for millions of dollars in front of huge crowds. They are grinding for a paycheck and fighting for the ability to play golf for a living. Some of them will succeed and live out their dreams and others will become real estate agents. The stakes are as high as it gets.

Our group was also treated to a tour of the Golf Channel production facilities. Most viewers have limited knowledge about the effort that it takes to put on a golf tournament and it was eye opening to walk behind the scenes. These guys are working hard to make sure that every second of live golf is as good as it can be.

The tournament does a great job of employing the local Bahamians. Brodie and I salute their work.

That evening we were treated to a dinner with golf royalty. Greg Norman would be joining us for dinner at the resort’s Il Cielo restaurant. I had previously had the chance to photograph Greg at a launch event and I was excited to talk with the golfing legend. Greg had stories for days and it was a joy to ask questions about his projects and achievements around the globe. For the most part, I was just trying not to spill drinks or dump food in my lap.

Every time that you visit the Bahamas, your time will certainly be up too soon. As we scurried off to the airport, I snapped a couple of parting shots as the sun rose over paradise for another day. If you are interested in catching your own Exuma sunrise, click here.

The RGV Tour

At the end of every golf trip I think to myself... "What if I didn't have to stop playing golf?  What if I could just drive down the road and go to the next golf course? The next state? Just never stop playing golf?"  For years, that has been my dream.

I have decided that the time to live the dream is now.  I have resigned from my sales position, I have purchased a recreational vehicle (RV), and turned it into a recreational golf vehicle (RGV).  I am touring the country playing golf for the next 12 months.  I will be raising money for the First Tee and I am inviting you to join me.

“The time is now for me to play golf every day.”

— Patrick Koenig - RGV Tour Founder

Yes, that's right, I quit my job to play golf every single day.  Over the next year it will be my goal to play golf in the lower 48 states.  I will be looking to play everywhere, the local gems, the top 100's, the quirky par 3 courses, the local municipalities, and the top tier putt-putt tracks.  I am starting the Recreational Golf Vehicle Tour, or the RGV Tour and it is going to be glorious.

The best part about the RGV Tour is that I will be raising money for a worthwhile cause, The First Tee of Greater Seattle.  The First Tee positively impacts the lives of young people by building character, instilling life-enhancing values and promoting healthy choices through the game of golf.  With all that the game of golf has given me, I feel it's important to start giving back.  My goal is to present a check for $10,000 at the season ending check ceremony.

The second best part about the RGV Tour is that it is coming to your town.  I am inviting you to join me and you don't have to go to Q School to get your RGV Tour card.  All you need is a passion for the game and a 9 iron.  Just consult the schedule and send me a message l and I will do my best to bring the RGV Tour to you.

After we golf our socks off, you will be invited to sign The RGV Tour guest book with other legends of the RGV Tour.  Upon signing, you will automatically be entered into the RGV Tour hall of fame. Yes, everyone that joins the RGV Tour is a member of the hall of fame.

At 26 feet long, the recreational golf vehicle will serve as the RGV Tour headquarters for the next 12 months.  Now leaving behind your home and no longer having a "mailing address" can be scary, but this ride should ease the pain.  The Tour bus is complete with a mini golf library, and is stocked full of golf balls and energy bars.  It is #golfparty headquarters.

I have also transformed the RGV common areas into a portable podcast studio.  Please find me on the RGV Tour podcast with PJKoenig.  We will go behind the scenes as I golf like a maniac and talk golf with fellow RGV Tour pros, my favorite golf brands, and various special guests, 

While I have a tentative schedule for the states, I believe the magic resides in the spirit of exploration and adventure. The goal of the RGV Tour is to explore the places and people that make up the American golf landscape. 

It all starts on January 28th 2018 at the RGV Tour kickoff event at Chambers Bay.  If you are interested in joining, please let me know as spots for this premier event are limited. 

The first tour event of the season is at Chambers Bay on January 28th.

Please head on over to the RGV Tour Blog as the regular blog has been suspended temporarily due to the RGV Tour.

Oui, France, Oui!

With The Ryder Cup coming to France in 2018, I deemed it necessary to visit Paris before Patrick Reed gets his "shush" on and angers the French fan base.  I was able to sneak in one last 2017 trip and my partner in golf crime was Stephanie Wei.

When a normal person thinks about France, they think of the Eiffel Tower, French bread, and maybe some of those silly hats.  For me, I think... "I bet they got some cool golf courses out there."  Now, France is not well known for it's golf, but in this post, I uncover some gems and play some courses that are definitely not on your radar.  When you pair those gems up with the typical French destinations, you have got yourself a serious golf vacation.

Our first round of golf was at France's finest links course, Golf De Granville.  The course is an HS Colt design and is a time tested routing.  Like any true links test, we faced Granville in a pretty good side-ways downpour.  I started out with 2 great shots and a 3 putt par.  The golf party was on.

The clubhouse behind the 9th green.

I love a good riveted bunker.

On June 6th 1944 US, British, and Canadian troops stormed Omaha Beach on World War II's infamous D-Day.  Today, France is no longer occupied by German forces and instead of Nazi soldiers, there is a golf course on the bluffs above the beach.  Fittingly, the beach was getting stormed, with rain, as we put our tees in the ground at the Omaha Beach Golf Club.  Eventually the rain would lift and we would enjoy a gap in the clouds.

The 6th hole finishes right on the edge of the bluff overlooking the sea.

A view of Omaha Beach from behind the 6th hole.

Good times for PJKoenig on the MPKoenig hole at Omaha Beach. pic.twitter.com/uV1chWz94u

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) December 7, 2017

After storming Omaha, we were off to Le Golf National, the host course for the 2018 Ryder Cup.  As we rolled up to the course we caught a glimpse of the rolling WHITE fairways.  To our despair, snow had covered the course the night before and we would not be able to play.

However, the snow and frost would not stop us from touring the course, getting some great pictures, and enjoying the day.

Le Golf National is perfectly suited to host a large professional championship.  With stadium seating on just about every hole, the Ryder Cup experience is sure to be a good one for the spectators.  The French fan base has already gotten their tickets with the event selling out in around an hour.  

The sun rises over a chilly 16th at Le Golf National.

The most prominent and challenging string of holes at Le Golf National is on holes 15-18.  Players will need to be both long and accurate on this key stretch if they want to stay dry and put points on the board.  There is sure to be some spectacular drama come September 2018.  Early odds are 10:1 that someone chucks a putter in the pond.

They have the flags up and the carts fully charged.  Le Golf National is Ryder Cup ready.

The frozen 15th and 18th greens.  You will want the Ryder Cup matches to make it to these holes.

After a solid scouting of the Ryder Cup venue, it was time to take in some of the French scenery.  There is an endless amount of obvious attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles to see in the Paris area.  We did our best to see what we could in a short amount of time.

"Look at all of the gold and rich stuff in there."

Stephanie Wei is happy to be in Versailles.

The fine folks over at De Vinis Illvstribvs had us out for a drink in Paris.  Even as a non drinker, I enjoyed the wine tasting.

Arc De Triomphe pose.

Successful high kicks start with consistent stretching.

For a golfer, the ideal way to take in the Eiffel Tower is obviously from the golf course.  That is exactly what you get at Golf de Saint Cloud.  Since St Cloud is a private club, the course isn't accessible to all tourists.  Fortunately, it's not Augusta and if you are interesting in experiencing this one of a kind golf experience, it's entirely possible.   You would just need to contact Private Golf Key for the details.  Just ask for Olivier and tell 'em Large Marge sent, ya.   Mentioning this blog post also works.

Two greens and the Eiffel Tower.  Golf courses don't pose much better than this.

Found The Rolling Stones bunker! pic.twitter.com/JCr2rgvKnE

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) December 11, 2017

Next up on the agenda was a visit to the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) in Cannes.  The IGTM is an annual get together of countries and tourism boards looking to promote golf and tourism within their countries.  It is a big deal and you get a really good idea of some of the amazing golf outside of the US.  As if my list of countries to golf in needed to get any longer.

After a serious rain fest at nearby Golf de Saint Donat, it was finally time for the sun to come out.  We tackled the Golf de Grande Bastide on a brisk but sun filled afternoon.  The course is set amongst the foothills of the Niçoise hinterland and has a strong Southern France vibe to it.  We had a tense 3 way duel that included several clutch putts with an overabundance of 3 putts.

High above the partially frozen fairways of Grande Bastide.

After a spirited day on the links it was time to kick off the IGTM.  With France hosting the Ryder Cup in 2018, the country is set for a huge year in golf and the IGTM coming to Cannes was no coincidence.  The Mayor of Cannes and the officials in charge of the Ryder Cup welcomed us and talked briefly about the unique opportunity that France has to assert itself as a legitimate golf destination.  France is not going to replace Ireland or Scotland but any visit to France should certainly involve several trips to the golf course.

The IGTM took place in the The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the same venue as the Cannes Film Festival

The Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, kicks things off with a ribbon cutting.

After a full day scouting the various golf destinations of the world, we decided to head down the street and actually visit one of them.

Good times in Cannes with Leo.

It's hard to capture the serene feeling that the surrounding trees on the Old Course provide.  

There is a golf cart boat that takes golfers to play holes 3-12 on the other side of the river on the Old Course at Cannes Golf Links. #golfboat pic.twitter.com/Ds9FgtmWFu

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) December 14, 2017

The Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia founded the Old Course at Cannes Mandelieu in 1891 and the routing would later be altered by HS Colt.  The most beautiful aspect of the course is without a doubt the canopy of trees that surrounds just about every hole. While it is not long at only 6,300 yards it is certainly a very enjoyable round of golf.

I teed it up with 2 Frenchman who did not speak a word of English.  Since I did not speak a word of French, there was not a lot of chit chat.  However, all 3 of us spoke the language of golf and we traded groans, grunts, and fist bumps as the highs and lows of our rounds unfolded.  

Even though we did not talk, I would rank my playing partners high on the enjoyability scale.  If you have the opportunity to play with someone and only communicate through golf noises, I would recommend it.

I only had to punch out 3 times on the 4th hole.

The short 16th was my favorite of the par 3's.

With only one course left to play in France. we were lucky enough to play one of France's finest.  We were headed out for some twilight action at Golf Country Club de Cannes Mougins.  The course hosted the Cannes Open in the 1980's and 1990's featuring winners such as Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros.  If you only have time to play one course in the Cannes area, this is the course you want to play.

Long Shadows.

Longer Shadows!

If you are interested in creating your own French experience please reach out to Paris' premier golf & art de vivre travel concierge, Private Golf Key.  The CÔTE D'AZUR website is also a great French reference.

Our trip to France ended in Cannes with a fantastic party that generated this awful selfie of me attempting to lick the Ryder Cup.  As an FYI, I google image searched "People licking the Ryder Cup" and found lots of people kissing, posing, and drinking from the cup, but as far as I can tell I am the first person in history to lick it.  According to my nieces, cooties only last a week, so we should be good to go come presentation time in 2018.

Sea Island Sweepstakes!

"I am already sold, sign me up for the free sweepstakes."  

In 2016, I went to my very first Masters and it was an experience that I will never forget.  However, you don't actually get to play golf and since they wouldn't let me out onto Augusta for a quick nine, I had to look elsewhere.  The course that I wanted to play was Sea Island in nearby St. Simons Island, GA.  The course is home to the PGA Tour's RSM Classic and it was time I paid it a visit.  Sea Island has 3 championship courses, The Seaside, The Plantation and the Retreat.  I was after the Seaside course.

The Seaside course winds its way around tidal creeks, marshes, and sand dunes on the southern tip of Sea Island.  Not only is the golf course fantastic, but the entire area and resort has a fabulous five star feel to it.  In fact, it's a Forbe's Five Star resort. 

Top notch conditions!

Basket pins!!

You:  "Patrick, this looks cool.  I also want to visit Sea Island." 

Me:  "But didn't you just lose your life savings on an overly aggressive Nassau last weekend?"

You:  "That son of a bitch!  With those pants he was wearing, it should have been a sure thing!! 

         "But yes... I now have no money."

Me:  "Fret not my friend!!  I have the perfect solution for your woes"

        "Everything you see below can be yours."

• Three (3) night’s stay at the Sea Island Resort located in Sea Island, GA
• Ground Transportation between Brunswick Golden Isles Airport or Jacksonville International Airport and Sea Island Resort
• One (1) $1,000 gift card to use towards travel costs
• One (1) round of golf for winner and one (1) guest
• BMW vehicle for transportation during stay at Sea Island Resort
• $500 Sea Island Resort credit for use at Sea Island Resort

Just click here to make this hypothetical conversation become a reality.  The deadline is December 1st, 2017.

Tathata Golf Launch Party

When Kyle over at Tathata Golf (www.TathataGolf.com) informed me that they were having a launch party to celebrate the new 60-Day Training Program and membership platform, I was excited.  When Kyle mentioned that he was inviting Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Annika Sorenstam to help launch the program, I was even more excited... and when Kyle invited me to help celebrate the occasion, I punched a hole in my wall with excitement.  For years, I had watched these legends dominate the sport and now I was getting the chance to meet and photograph them.  

Since Tathata Golf's teaching foundation is based on the movements of the greatest golfers of all time it only made sense to have Jack, Greg, and Annika join in the presentation and launch of the new training platform.  Greg Norman, the best driver of all time, was going to walk us through his approach to driving the golf ball.  Annika Sorenstam, the best female golfer of her generation, was going to demonstrate her wedge game.  Jack Nicklaus, the best pressure putter of all time, was going to share his thoughts on putting.  The evening would conclude with a $1 million closest to the pin competition with the proceeds going to the winner's charity of choice.  The event was aptly titled "A Celebration with the Greats" and it would be streamed on the Golf Channel.

Annika's approach to the wedge game is simple,   Every time she gets a wedge in her hands, she is looking to place the ball inside of 10 feet.  She has created a very repeatable fluid motion that allows her to do this consistently.  

Although it's no surprise, Annika stresses practice and really being able to get a feel for those shots inside of 100 yards.  It is a pleasure to watch as she drops wedge after wedge right next to each other.  Annika was going to be tough to beat in the million dollar closest to the pin competition.  

Up next was Greg Norman and his approach to driving the golf ball.  After twenty or so minutes of istening to The Shark talk about hitting a driver, I came away with a couple of things

• Pick the smallest target you can, every single time.  Small... I mean the leaf on a tree 400 yards away small.
• Try to hit the front of the golf ball and not the back of it.  This is a great way to visualize and feel the acceleration through the impact zone.
• Greg Norman is the man.  Even at 62, with large gaps of time away from the game.  Greg steps up and bombs the driver like a 30 year old.

“I never really got nervous, I would just get excited.”

— Greg Norman

It's not often that Annika or Greg aren't the main attraction at an event, but when Jack Nicklaus is in the building, all eyes are on the Golden Bear.  With 18 major championships to his name, Jack is arguably the best golfer to ever walk the earth.

Jack starts off by highlighting the importance of keeping your eyes directly over the ball and strokes a couple of putts.  It is a surreal feeling to be on the same putting green as Jack Nicklaus and at one point Bryan Hepler, the Founder of Tathata Golf, comments "Isn't this the coolest? Just hanging out with Jack and watching him roll some putts?"  

The biggest takeaway from listening to Jack talk is that he values the mental side of putting just as much as the fundamentals.  Because Nicklaus has built up such a strong mental game, he is much more dangerous when he fully engages his mind on the putting green.  Because of this approach, Jack is a notably better putter when he "needs" to make a putt.  If anybody can will a ball into a hole, it's Jack.  Well, maybe Tiger did it once or twice... (In corner, Michael Jordan raises hand)

Jack's head covers are cooler than yours.

The hands of 18 majors grip the putter lightly

Jack's philosophy on putting centers mostly around the importance of speed.  Three putt avoidance is important to Jack and he likes those second putts to be stress free.  He recalls several seasons when he made it to June or July on the tour without a three putt.  Most of us are lucky to make it to the third hole.

Jack doesn't just stick to the putting stroke and offers up his thoughts on the full swing.  Nicklaus clearly embraces a natural swing that develops from a golfer's own personal style. He also gives a few lines on today's competitive landscape.  "Jordan Spieth will be a much better golfer than he is today."  So Jack is clearly on the Spieth Wagon with the rest of us.

There is even a discussion about the whereabouts of a putter Jack used to win the Masters.  Apparently those things are valuable.  Side note:  If anybody knows where the Lynx putter that I used to win the 1994 Junior Varsity Bruin Invitational is, please let me know.

This quote may NOT have actually happened.

Greg, Annika, and Jack pose along side Bryan of Tathata Golf.

The roundtable discussion on the grounds of the Tathata training facility.

After the roundtable discussion winds up, it is time for the $1 Million shootout.  It's a 60 yard wedge shot and they only get one shot, closest to the pin wins $1 million.  Not to be left out, each runner up receives $200k for the charity of their choice.  The Greats warm up and give the honor to Annika.  Like a champion, she sticks it to 3 feet.  With the pressure on, Jack finds the sand and Greg catches it heavy.  Jack later laughs  "Greg and I couldn't get it over a bunker 40 yards away."  At 77, his game isn't what it used to be, but his mental outlook remains solid and fun.

Nice lil' check for Annika

With any luck, you picked up one or two takeaways from this post, I know I picked up 2-3 strokes just by meeting these legends.  It was truly a special treat.

If you are looking to improve your game at all, I would suggest checking out Tathata Golf and their new membership platform. It contains a variety of beneficial features in a Netflix-like user experience; training courses, weekly TV shows, 200+ Video Library, and mobile companion app.  If it's special enough to attract these champions, it is worth a moment of your consideration.

Jack, Greg, and Annika were gracious with their time and met everyone at the party.

The sun sets on Tathata Golf and one of my favorite golf days.