Golf Trips and Bucket Lists

Number 8 at Pebble Beach

For years, I have had the opportunity to travel and play golf. For this, I am truly grateful! It really started when I would add a couple of days to my trip for business to Phoenix and then take the opportunity to coordinate meeting my friends, my dad and my uncle for a round or two on the weekend.

I have been lucky enough to be invited to play with business colleagues at places like TPC Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico, Tierra del Sol in Aruba and Heron Bay in Florida - opportunities I always appreciate.

The golf trips that were planned with my friends and family are always the most memorable. For my 50th birthday, a group of my pals and I rented a house in Cave Creek, AZ and played three days of golf. We were able to have my dad and my uncle join us and the memories of that trip resonate with me to this day.

For my 60th birthday, many of the same pals from the 50th, plus another couple new participants took me to Mesquite, NV and we played three great courses in sweltering heat over 4 days. Among the courses we were able to play that trip were the famed Wolf Creek (NV), Coral Canyon (UT) and Coyote Springs in Moapa, NV (it was only 112 degrees for that one)!

This was my first planned golf trip without my dad as he had passed away a few months earlier, but I felt his presence and smile the whole time. We had shared so many of these special moments over the years, that it was certainly bittersweet, but again I felt blessed that we shared so many of these trips.

Back in 2008, after my father suffered his second heart attack and pending triple bypass surgery, I made him a promise to make sure that we spend more time playing memorable golf courses. At the top of that list was Pebble Beach; arguably one of the most iconic golf courses in the world!

I will never forget the excitement surrounding our initial trip - even though I had to postpone it by a few months due to an unexpected back surgery (number 2 for me at the time). As it worked out, he and my mom were planning on having Thanksgiving with our family in CA, so we had them come a little early so that Dad and I could make the trip.

We drove up the coast on PCH (which always takes longer, but it was an event) on the Monday before Thanksgiving, arriving at the storied Inn at Spanish Bay Monday evening. We had dinner and a couple of drinks and hit the sack for our 10:00 a.m. tee time at Pebble on Tuesday morning.

I can tell you that standing on that first tee, the nerves were firing in anticipation of this momentous opportunity. Fortunately, we both found the fairway with our tee shots and our caddy congratulated us on getting off to a good start.

I remember I shot 92 and I remember that Dad birdied #6, we took pictures and laughed and really just soaked in the occasion. He had a commemorative Pebble Beach Flag on his wall at his house from that trip that he displayed proudly and we talked about that trip regularly with fondness and awe.

Not long after Pebble, another unforgettable chapter came at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona with my dad and uncle. It was here that I heard one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received on a golf course. I had just double bogeyed a hole and was pretty upset with myself when my uncle told me, "Hey, you're not good enough to get mad!" Boy, no truer words have ever been spoken and, even though it stung to hear that, I remember it to this day. I also remember after spending a couple of days in AZ with my Dad and Uncle that my cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling the whole time.

Over the years prior to my father's passing in 2023, we played a number of tremendous golf courses on our list, including: Torrey Pines - South, La Costa, TPC Las Vegas, Pelican Hill, Bear Creek. These great venues solidified our love for the game, but the regular rounds with our friends and family were just as special.

My dad passed away on a golf course — his Rock Star Moment. As hard as it was to lose him, I can’t think of a better way for him to go. He lived and loved this game fully, and every time I tee it up, I feel him with me.

If I can leave you with one thought, it’s this: make the time for those golf trips. Don’t wait. The score will fade, but the laughs, the stories, and the memories — those last forever. Cheers, OG."