The golf party always rocks hard whenever The Golfography Experience comes to town. However, for the 2021 Arbor Links edition we decided to dial it down a notch and focus more on the charitable aspect of golf as well as the Dormie Network experience at Arbor Links.
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Out-modeling the Model
It’s no secret that the world of male modeling is violently competitive. It is a dog eat dog existence and only the best looking are going to survive. Given my tendency for unnecessarily bold assertions of confidence, I jumped into the world of competitive modeling with reckless abandon.
After years of heartbreak mixed with moderate success, this model is still standing tall. Most importantly, I have many excellent stories to tell from my adventures as an elite male model. One of my favorite tales comes from my encounters with Instagram superstar and world class model Paige Spiranac. Every time that I run into Paige, a ferocious desire for competition immediately overwhelms me and I feel compelled to beat Paige at her own game. Here is a look at my attempts to '“out-model the model” over the years.
Model-off #1 - Pebble Beach power face
When I first met Paige it was at Pebble Beach for an event with Gotta Golf. This particular model-off took place on the 18th fairway as we finished up the round. As you can see both of our model games are strong but relatively basic. Here we have a classic blue steel showdown.
At this point, Paige had roughly 100k followers on Instagram and I figured that I had a chance to take her down... I was seriously wrong. The voting for this model-off took place on my Pebble With Paige post. The final vote count is below.
Paige: 2,312
Patrick: 4 ( One of those votes was from my mom)
It was immediately clear that I had some serious work to do. I retreated back home and set up a series of meetings with my stylist and my male modeling psychologist. It was a crushing defeat and I needed time to regroup.
Several years later, I had mentally recovered from the devastating loss and I was ready to get back into the elite model game. Over this same period of time, Paige had witnessed a meteoric rise to fame and was currently on the cover of Golf Digest magazine.
I had scheduled an appearance at the 2016 Golf Digest Think Young Play Hard Invitational in Las Vegas and I had plans for revenge.
Model Off #2 - Las Vegas Lunge
Let’s take a moment to dive into the details of this rematch.
Paige: Exuding a high level of confidence from her recent success as a Golf Digest cover model, Paige shows effortless grace as she recreates her iconic pose.
Patrick: Koenig shows off a great deal of potential with a wide range of flexibility. However, it is clear that Koenig is trying too hard here. He wants revenge badly and it shows.
As you can see from Paige’s response below, she knows that she is dominating the model-off. It’s pretty much just a pity tweet at this point.
Model-off #3 - Dirty RV Duel
After several defeats in a row, I decided to find some solace on the open road. It was time to quit my day job and start The RGV Tour in 2018. I knew I had the modeling chops to compete with the world’s elite; I just needed some time to hone my poses and polish my glances. After a full year on the road, featuring countless local television appearances, my male modeling game was finally rounding into form. I scheduled Paige on the RGV Tour Podcast knowing full well that a model-off would ensue.
Let’s breakdown the details of the 3rd official elite model-off between Koenig and Spiranac.
Pose - We se a really good pop from Paige here, but Koenig holds his own with near perfect balance.
Vibes - A strong natural aura emanates from both competitors. New records for confidence and swagger are set in the “Modeling next to a dirty RV” category.
Attire - Close call here. Neither model is really stealing the show. The dueling visors play nicely with the camera.
Sexiness - Koenig holds a strong edge here with a noticeable reveal of an impressive leg tan line. You can almost hear the crowd react favorably.
Voting: Home match for Koenig with voting taking place on his personal Instagram story.
Paige: 2,431 votes
Patrick: 2,442 votes
Model-off Results
I had to count the votes twice myself, but Instagram doesn’t lie. Rising from the pits of despair and defeat, I was able to out-model the model in one of the most narrow modeling victories that the internet has ever seen.
As you can tell by the graph on the left, this vote was tight. I was pacing back and forth in the RV, sweating profusely, as the tally came down to the final minutes.
Side note: I lost the “unofficial” model-off that Paige posted in her own Instagram story by about a billion.
Model-Off #4 - The Cheesecake Factory Showdown
One thing that I know about Paige is that she hates losing. She hates it. It’s clear in this latest model-off that she has returned with her A game and has no intentions of losing twice in a row.
Do I even stand a chance?
Why are we modeling in front of a Cheesecake Factory?
Vote Below.
UPDATE: As expected. Paige dominated both the online and Instagram voting portions of this competition. Even with the home field advantage, I lost the model off badly. Paige’s lunge form is near perfection, and it’s clear that I have lost my edge.
Paige: 4,534
Patrick 1,289
Model Off #5 - PGA Show pose off
After a solid beating in front of the Cheesecake Factory, it was time to return to the drawing board. Do I have what it takes to return to the winner’s circle of world class modeling? Am I washed up loser nobody? What is wrong with my face? These thoughts plagued my brain for months.
I decided the answer was practice. I hit the modeling circuit hard and honed my craft. After a showdown with some of America’s greatest actors, it was clear that my game was still in tip top shape. DiCaprio, Clooney, and Bieber were all easily dismissed as inferior models. It was time to re-engage my nemesis.
Our next pose off would come at the 2020 PGA Show in Orlando. After a busy day of talking Medterra, it was time to get down to the business of modeling.
After the competition was officially launched, it was clear that this was going to be a close competition. The votes poured in as I eagerly monitored the competition. 51% to 49%… 49% to 51%.. the verdict wavered back and forth. I quickly took to the grounds of the PGA Show and even did some grass roots campaigning. In the end, my efforts returned fruitless.
Paige: 4,231
Patrick: 4,123
Bonus: PGA Show Patrick V Paige:
In an attempt to even the score, I decided to incorporate a number of new challenges with Paige. The result was similar and predictable.
Model off #6 - Mexican Masterpiece
After feasting on a fine Mexican fare dinner, my energy was low and this pose-off caught me by surprise.
The list of excuses runs deep here. Paige wasclearly working on her moves during dinner and I was entirely focused on devouring my enchiladas.
I even untucked my shirt during dinner to finish off my second order of tacos.
To be fair, Paige’s pop is first rate and my standard macho lunge is no match for her talents.
Final Score:
Paige: A billion
Patrick: 2
Model Off #7 - RGV TOUR 2.0 Redemption Duel
With just one victory in the history of pose downs, I knew that I had to return to my strengths in order to achieve victory again. Since my lone victory came on The RGV Tour 1.0, it only made sense to attempt to repeat history on RGV Tour 2.0.
Final Score:
Patrick: 2554
Paige: 753
I blamed the shadows for my defeat, you really don’t get the full effect on the depth of my lunge here.
Paige’s leg extension here is one of the finest that I have seen from her. She clearly brought her A game to avenge her only defeat.
It was a frustrating loss but I clearly did not deserve the victory, However, I did get the world record for most different 18 hole golf courses played in a single year.
Bonus Duel:
After I lost the duel with Paige off of the golf course, I made sure to take care of business on the golf course. Check out my match with Paige at The Phoenician below.
The Canadian Rockies
When you think of the top 5 public golf destinations in North America, do the Canadian Rockies come to mind? Probably not... but it should. For most of the US, it's a relatively short flight to Calgary and an hour or so drive into the heart of the action. Between Jasper, Banff, Kananaskis, and Canmore there are 6 courses on the trail. Let's dig into the details of my recent adventure into the Canadian Rockies and sort out the details.
My partner in golf crime for the trip would be McKenzie O'Connell, most people call her Kenzie or Kenz, I decided to call her K Dawg. Now, K Dawg is a 5 handicap and certainly a valuable addition to any golf trip. She also jumped right in and showed off her impressive golf modeling chops. Things were starting off nicely.
The view looking back on the restaurant atop the Banff Gondola.
Golf hard, model hard.
After getting into Banff, we took the Gondola up for a view of the local scene and had a fantastic meal at the top, courtesy of Brewster Travel. In terms of easy things to do in Banff, I would highly recommend the gondola ride. With views of downtown Banff and the surrounding mountain ranges, it was an excellent preview of what was to come.
Afterwards, we headed back to our first class accommodations at the Delta Hotels Kananaskis Lodge. The hotel was centrally located in Alberta and has easy access to local hiking and biking trails with outstanding views of the Rocky Mountains. A world class spa will be opening in 2018.
In the morning we were headed out to Kananaskis Country Golf Course for our first round of golf in the Canadian Rockies. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and opening in 1983, the 36 hole layout is a favorite of local Albertan golfers. In 2013, floods seriously damaged the course and it has been shut down for the past 4 years with funding and rebuilding underway. In a sneak peak event, I was able to get some of the first photos of the new course, as 27 holes will officially open to the public for the 2018 season. You can click on any of the images throughout the post to get the full course gallery.
Image courtesy of Robert Trent Drones.
The dual green on the Mt Lorette 18. You can see the 9th hole on the Mt Kidd 18 still under construction below the mountains.
The Mt Kidd 18 will open with 9 holes available in the beginning of 2018
The best part about the event at Kananaskis was the emotion demonstrated by the participants and the staff as they returned to their course after a 4 year hiatus. I watched as head professional, Bob Paley, high fived and hugged a couple of familiar faces, afterwards he would turn to our group with a huge satisfied smile on his face... "See, this is the stuff that I miss the most, the people, the camaraderie... it's just the best." Bob was immediately one of our favorite people we would meet on the trip. The only downside was that smoke from nearby wildfires would cloud the view of the normally spectacular mountains.
Next up was paddle boarding courtesy of Rebound Cycle, we would change that to golf paddle boarding as K Dawg would pull off a pretty sweet trick shot effort!
When traveling with a golf model, it is necessary to note that just about every location is a modeling location. Here are some of those shots from early on in the action. As a published Golf Digest model, I would push Kenzie to be the best model she could be, while providing her with the experience and modeling guidance that she needed.
Golf stairway modeling
Model off standings: PJKoenig: 1. K Dawg: 0
Next up on the Canadian Rockies agenda was Silvertip Golf Club. With 600 feet of elevation change, Silvertip offers some outstanding views of the Three Sisters and nearby mountain ranges. Unfortunately, the normally amazing views would be partially clouded by smoke.
“As a professional, I’ve played all over the world and I find the Silvertip Golf Course to be one of the most spectacular I’ve ever played. Between Les Furber’s incredible layout and the scenery, it is easy to see why.”
I would come out of the gates firing with birdies on the 1st 2 holes, The flames would fizzle.
With several rounds under our belt, we were ready to put the pedal down on the EZ-GO and turn up the golf action. With an early start on the Stewart Creek Golf Course, we would find our golf groove for a day of 36.
Stewart creek is one of the more unique locations for a golf course as it is actually built on top of an old coal mining operation. The shafts and tunnels run beneath the golf course and several of the mine entrances are still visible on the course. We were told it was safe, but I took it easy on the divots to avoid plummeting through the fairway and into any abandoned mine shafts. A big thanks to our host Greg for helping us avoid the pitfalls!
This coal mining shaft would cease operation in 1978.
With several mine shafts and several models on the property, this was naturally the perfect time to start production on our 3 part series: "An Introduction to Male and Female Amateur Mine Shaft Modeling" As you can clearly see in the video, I have increased my lead in the model off competition with a score of 2-0.
The stunning downhill 9th hole: I would get nasty and make a 2!
From time to time, I would find a slight gap in the smoke coverage and get a shot of the mountains. These views are commonplace on all of the courses we would play in the Rockies.
Next up on the tour of the Canadian Rockies was the highly anticipated Fairmont Springs Banff Golf Course. We were in for a treat as veteran Golf Broadcaster, Luke Elvy, would join us for the round. Luke is one of the best dudes you can play golf with and he was happy to lend advice, share stories, and even call the action as we golfed our balls. He also has an Australian accent.
Exhausted from the mine shaft modeling, I would take the day off from the competition. Surprisingly, K Dawg would still only manage a narrow victory.. Update; PJKoenig 2 K Dawg: 1
Kenzie would nearly make an all world 2 on the "Devil's Cauldron" Check out the video here.
Even with a heavy dose of smoke covering the mountains, the Stanley Thompson course was a highlight of the trip. The course is strategic, scenic, challenging, and fun to play.
A shot from behind what was originally the 18th hole. The routing has been changed due to clubhouse and capacity demands.
For the final round of the trip we headed out to Canmore Golf & Curling Club. In 1926, the original course was only 9 holes with sand greens and coffee cans for holes. In the 1960's a curling rink would be added, and today, Canmore offers a full test of golf with stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Thanks to our host Darren Cooke for showing us around.
Even during a historically dry season, The short par 3 11th at Canmore Golf & Curling Club is still a stunner.
Local golfing stud, Jack Stoliker would come out of the gates hot and birdie the 1st two holes.
The view from above the 10th hole at Canmore.
One of the most compelling parts about the Canadian Rockies is that there is a lot more than golf in the area. Even though our trip was compromised mostly of golf, the opportunities for hiking, helicoptering, kayaking, shopping, and of course, modeling, are endless.
With only one day left in the model-off competition, I decided to give Kenzie a chance to even the score on the downtown streets of Banff. Naturally, K-Dawg rose to the challenge and pulled off some sort of movie shopping montage. It is important to note that the original score called for Billy Idol's Dancing with Myself. However, Billy Idol did not return our requests for copyright approval. With the score even at 2-2, a return trip is in order.
Thanks for tuning in to watch these two heavyweights golf hard and model hard. #GolfHardModelHard