Sawgrass Stories - The Players Championship

The Tin Cup Club joins the show to talk everything Players Championship.  

The Players Championship, held annually at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, has a significant economic impact on the region. 

The event attracts thousands of attendees, including players, officials, and fans, which boosts local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation services. Additionally, the tournament's charitable contributions and elevated prize purses further enhance its fiscal footprint.

However, we're not here to just talk about the economic impact of The Players.  We're sharing memories, giving our thought on if it has reached "the 5th Major" status, and even what our personal favorite food trucks are on the grounds.  

The Players isn't just about how many balls get hit into the water on 17 - enjoy! 

Transcript

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Jesse Stakes: Hey, everybody, welcome to making sense of it all. I am very happy to have the Tin Cup Club back on the podcast.

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Jesse Stakes: To talk about everything that has to do with the players championship right here in good old Ponte Vedra, Florida, Mike Shelton. Thank you so much for making making time to join us again.

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Michael Shelton: Anytime Jesse. Thanks for having me.

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Jesse Stakes: Wes. Glad to see you as always.

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Wes Altice Golf: As always great. Seeing you too, brother.

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Jesse Stakes: Mike Padron, I am very happy to have you back as well.

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Mike Padron: Yes, sir, how was a good time?

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Jesse Stakes: And joining for the 1st time Dr. Chris Blakely. Thank you so much.

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Chris Blakely: Hey? It's a pleasure to be here. I'm glad I get get on with you, boys.

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Jesse Stakes: And I'm not trying to short short change you there, Dr. Michael Shelton. I just figured I'd church him up, since it's

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Jesse Stakes: I'm not on call. I'm not on call. I'm not doctor right now.

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Jesse Stakes: thank God. So, as always, everyone's got a cup in their hand. Everyone's got something in it.

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Jesse Stakes: I'm as. So we're going to start with Chris Blakely. What you drinking.

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Chris Blakely: I'm drinking a Midwinner's night dram act 12.

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Chris Blakely: It one. I usually like to mix when I'm making my old fashioned, but I'm just drinking it straight today.

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Jesse Stakes: Nice.

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Jesse Stakes: Wes. What are you drinking?

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Wes Altice Golf: I went to my old trusty, I got my buffalo trace.

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Jesse Stakes: All right.

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Jesse Stakes: The drone.

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Mike Padron: I've got. I always show you the bottle, Elijah Craig toasted barrel.

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Mike Padron: but I also made it into a old fashioned today. So a little change for me.

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Jesse Stakes: Churched it up a little bit.

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Jesse Stakes: What are you drinking.

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Michael Shelton: I thought that was a heavy pour for straight Bourbon. But yes.

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Michael Shelton: yes, of course I was gifted a bottle of Blanton's gold recently, so I was waiting for something special to open it, for I'm not gonna share with you all at 10 cups. So I figured tonight was a good night.

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Jesse Stakes: Fair enough. I am drinking a single malt from India. It's actually called Indri. And so it was part of this tour of the world I know I had shared last, I think, last month, when we were talking I was drinking something different from a different part of the world. So this is the 1st time I've ever had a whiskey made in India. So, gentlemen, cheers glad we could do this.

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Wes Altice Golf: Cheers, gentlemen!

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Michael Shelton: There's.

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Jesse Stakes: Talking everything about the players championship that's in Ponte Vedra. It happens every single year as the people that are listening to this, I'm sure that they know that

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Jesse Stakes: 1st question for you guys, what was the 1st experience you ever had at at Tpc. Or at the Players championship? Mike Padron.

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Mike Padron: Mine. I was trying to think of that. All I could recall was, I think it was midnight. I'm almost positive it was 1996.

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Mike Padron: And I wasn't really into golf, and we played a little bit

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Mike Padron: and all. I remember. I only remember the name Tommy Tolls, because somebody told me you gotta go out there and you gotta watch this up and Comer Tommy Tolls.

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Mike Padron: And we did. And we followed him around. And I actually, because we only went like Thursday, I believe, or Friday.

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Mike Padron: I don't even know until I just feel good right now. He he lost. He was in second place to Fred Couples when he won that year 4 strokes behind. I'm like, that's kind of a cool thing. So whoever told me to go watch. Tommy Tolls was right that week, so there was no tiger in the field. No, nothing. I mean all the names. Yeah, Greg Norman in there you got. It was a great field, but somebody told me to watch this up and comer Tommy Tolls, which is probably like 60 years old now. But

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Mike Padron: yeah, 1996 man.

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Jesse Stakes: Very cool. Wes. What was yours?

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Wes Altice Golf: I was freshman in college, 1998 is my 1st year.

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Jesse Stakes: Anything memorable about it, or.

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Wes Altice Golf: I was just getting into.

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Jesse Stakes: In college, so there is nothing you remember about it, one or the other.

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Wes Altice Golf: No, no, no, I I found out what the the week was all about, for

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Wes Altice Golf: people go on Friday afternoon and Saturday. So yeah, it. I remember being there. I just may not remember everything.

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Mike Padron: One that you're if you want to know.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yes, yes, you did.

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Jesse Stakes: Shelton. What was yours?

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Michael Shelton: Well, it's funny, I think when Padron was there. My! I didn't go in high school when I was here, but I actually think my dad went out there with. I think it may have been Padron Richie and someone back there. So it may have been 96 that they went and I could not go, and so I moved away for a little while. But since I've been back in Florida since 2,014, I've tried to make it a point to to go almost every year. So I guess that was what 11 years ago is my 1st one.

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Michael Shelton: But yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: All right, Blakely. What about you?

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Chris Blakely: Yeah, I mean, compared to these guys, I'm more of like a Tpc novice. My 1st time was 2019, and it was, it was great. You know I was already a full grown adult, so I was able to participate in everything going on. And it we had pretty good decent weather that year, I think I might have actually ran into Shelton that 1st year I went with a couple of buddies, 2 of which, you know, are some tin cup

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Chris Blakely: players, and we had a good time.

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Jesse Stakes: Cool.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: All right. Mike comes with a story. So

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Jesse Stakes: 1st time that I ever went we was Sunday of 2,004, and I wasn't a golf fan like through through high school and through college. I mean, I was baseball, basketball, football fan. And so a friend of mine had an extra ticket and asked me if I wanted to go. So

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Jesse Stakes: why not? Sporting event? Never been something that I've heard about for years? Let's let's do it.

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Jesse Stakes: Load up the pockets of my cargo shorts, so I kind of age myself with that one. But I load up the pockets of my cargo shorts with a bunch of minis, and we proceed to drink very heavily before we get in the gate. And the 1st thing that I do we're walking down part of the front 9. I believe it was 6 or 7,

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Jesse Stakes: and a ball comes right at me. I'm in the rough. I'm in the trees, and the ball lands right at my feet, and I look, and I got a little bit of a buzz at that point in time, and I look at the marshal or the volunteer that's standing there. And I looked at him. I said, What would you do if I kicked that ball right into the woods?

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Jesse Stakes: And he looks at me like, and he turns stark white, and he goes. Please don't, sir. That's Mr. Woods's ball.

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Jesse Stakes: and so.

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Mike Padron: Tiger.

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Jesse Stakes: So so Tiger Woods is walking up. He doesn't know me from Adam. I'm just some guy in the crowd, but I'm like I'm a semi athlete or a near former athlete at that point in time. And I'm like, I want to see how big this guy is so like. I like intentionally stand as close to the ball as I can, just waiting for him to come up, because I want to see how big the guy is. And it's amazing like when I when I thought about it, I mean, they say, you know, 6 foot 6 foot one.

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Jesse Stakes: The guy's got like a 28 inch waist, you know his shoulders are not that wide. And I'm looking at this guy, and I'm like there's no way in the world. This guy hits the ball further than anybody on tour. And it's just it's amazing like, how much like that was. The biggest impression that I had from that moment was just how much speed that Guy delivered from such a small compact package. But I thought it was. It was very, you know. That's my 1st memory ever of Tpc, so I don't know that I'll top that one.

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Mike Padron: I mean you could have topped it by kicking into the.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah, that would have been your last dpt memory. Ever 100%.

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Jesse Stakes: 100%.

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Michael Shelton: Should have should have done it. Jesse should have done it.

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Wes Altice Golf: There's a lot of shit is in my life. Please please don't.

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Mike Padron: Sir, I love it.

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Wes Altice Golf: Please don't search Mr. What's his ball?

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Jesse Stakes: So all of us are, you know, have either spent time or from the Jacksonville area, from the you know, from the the Saint John's County area in Florida.

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Jesse Stakes: This tournament has been here for I mean, it's arguably, I mean, really, since it's been the Jacksonville open. It's been here a very long time. I can't even put a number to it, but it's been Tpc. Or the players, for you know we're talking probably 40 plus years that it's been that. It's been that, you know, kind of had that moniker now 1974. There we go.

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Jesse Stakes: So

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Jesse Stakes: to you guys like, what does it mean to Jacksonville, I mean, do you think that this is kind of like Jacksonville? And and you know, Ponte Vedra, the whole area?

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Jesse Stakes: Shelton, what do you think that it is to like to this area? Is it? Is it something that we hang our hat on every year?

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Michael Shelton: I think we have to, and I think it's kind of hard. Go to someone who grew up in Orlando and ask them how Big Disney is.

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Michael Shelton: It's a whole lot different. It's a different scene. You're used to it. It's always been there, and that's how it was for me in the beginning is, I didn't realize how big of an event it was.

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Michael Shelton: but once I moved to Birmingham and was up there and started getting more into golf. You just realize how big an event this is so I don't think you'd understate the value of it for Jacksonville and the Ponte Vedra area. Like. Chris can probably answer a little more, just because again, he's an outsider, because, you know, this has always been our backyard. It's been there since we grew up. But I think moving away for those 7 years made me realize how important this event was.

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Michael Shelton: And again, that's why it's been pretty much a have to event every single year since I've been back.

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Jesse Stakes: Well go right to Chris there, cause he kind of called you out. So I mean, tell me, what do you.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah. So like, he's right, I'm I'm coming from outside of the the area. And for me.

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Chris Blakely: I knew about tpc, you know I like golf. I watch quite a bit of golf, and I knew it was a big deal. But when I got to Jacksonville

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Chris Blakely: I just feel like for the people who live in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra, it kind of puts them it on the city on the map, not as to the same extent, as the masters does for Augusta. But you know I live up here now, and I tell people I used to live in Jacksonville. They're like, oh, that's where they have the golf tournament where you have to hit onto the island. I'm.

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Jesse Stakes: Right.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah, it's down in Ponteres, the Tpc, it's 1 of the best best around. And so it really puts them on a map for like name recognition, but like over and above that.

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Chris Blakely: the it's 1 of the highest grossing

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Chris Blakely: events for the city and for northeast Florida in general. I know there was a there's a little university in a place called Gainesville, Florida, but they they estimated a couple of years back like it was 150 million dollars or something I remember reading

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Chris Blakely: for like northeast, and I don't know if that's I don't think it's just for the weekend or the week. I think it's like for people who come back. The revenues at the hotels and the restaurants get but for Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra and northeast Florida. I think it. It's essential. for revenue and the potential like economic boom that we get every year.

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Jesse Stakes: Patron, what do you? What about you?

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Mike Padron: Yeah, I think to that point, kinda people don't realize how small Ponte is.

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Wes Altice Golf: Hmm.

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Mike Padron: I mean, it's there's

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Mike Padron: you take out the course and a couple of other I mean, there's nothing there. Honestly. Gosh, dang it! One second I'm having the can. You hear me?

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Jesse Stakes: Yes.

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Jesse Stakes: Correct.

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Mike Padron: I'm having some difficulties here. But

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Mike Padron: like people don't realize how how small Ponte is, and for that, for this tournament to come here and do what it does each and every year is huge for the area, for the obviously for the city of Ponte region, for St. Johns county. And then for for Jacksonville, is just I mean, it's massive. I mean, it's it's a

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Mike Padron: I mean, it's I would argue. It's bigger than any jaguar game that we have here.

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Mike Padron: I think it's it's kind of a staple in this area. Obviously, people know it because of the green for me. It kind of.

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Mike Padron: and I don't know is because I'm partial to it. But it's kind of like me looking at

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Mike Padron: how I look at the waste management. I feel like the rest of the country looks at sawgrass as well. It's like, you know it, you know. It's a great time, you know. It's just a iconic

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Mike Padron: course

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Mike Padron: with an iconic hole. And people look at it that way. And obviously we will talk about 5th major in a little bit, but that's kind of the way it is, too, is just become in it. And again, it's the best fielding the game, I mean, I think.

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Mike Padron: as any of the top guys in the in the world are coming here. And it's just

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Mike Padron: it's just become. I think it's just become bigger and bigger every year.

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Jesse Stakes: So.

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Jesse Stakes: my Wes, I'm gonna ask you this a little bit differently, because I think that you've been a you've been a part of the you know, as far as

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Jesse Stakes: green grass around here, all of the way that it impacts the actual golf courses in the area, the way it impacts hospitality. What have you seen over the years like? How much of an impact does it have on the actual golf industry and bringing people into the area.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, I think

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Wes Altice Golf: easiest way to sum it up is if you go online right now and book try and book tee times here in Jacksonville area. You're gonna see limited tee times, and you're also gonna see the rates jacked up quite a bit just to accommodate, you know. Get that nice little dip

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Wes Altice Golf: of a revenue for them each course. I mean it. It makes sense, every place, does it? But yeah, like even you know at the venue here at Topgolf, like we get a ton of corporate outings that are coming in.

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Wes Altice Golf: You know you now they got the

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Wes Altice Golf: with the Creator classic going on on Wednesday. So you're gonna have a different set of eyeballs on Tpc this year. And I think that's obviously going to be fantastic. And

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Wes Altice Golf: I always like in this event to it's the classier version of like waste management, you know, people still go out there. They're still gonna have their drinks. The girls are in their sundresses. The guys are either dressing up like complete fools, or they're in like top to bottom. Peter Millar like it. So it it's always fun. I look forward to it every year. But the economic impact, as far as the food entertainment, all that you can see it all around city, and it just doesn't extend in Ponte Vedra. It goes outward to Jacksonville and

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Wes Altice Golf: out toward Flemry Island. Green Cove. They're they're all cashing in on it for sure.

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Jesse Stakes: No doubt, no doubt. I mean I always think about it, because to me that's what kind of the city was known for. That's you know, if you want to hang your hat on a sporting event that we were known for

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Jesse Stakes: it was Tpc. Or the players championship, and it was, you know it was the the biggest tournament that the PGA tour put on itself, and it was right here, because this is their. This is where they're headquartered, and so it was their backyard, and it was kind of that, was it? And then.

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Jesse Stakes: you know, 95 comes around. We get the jaguars. Now, all of a sudden we have Nfl games. And so you know, it's it's, you know. Is it the biggest sporting event in the area, you know. Arguably, you could say the Nfl. Is the biggest ticket in town for any for anything. We had the Super bowl in 2,005, I mean. So it's like. But but I think historically, when you look at what this area is known for when you look at why people travel into this area for tourism.

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Jesse Stakes: I mean, it really does it. It's 1 of the top golf courses in the world. I mean, it's usually in the top 5 for places that you can play, and it is, you know, it's a showcase. Every single year you get people that are coming in. It's a destination. They play all around town while they're here they eat at all the restaurants like you said, it's it's a fantastic event. They do a plus job with it. And speaking of that.

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Jesse Stakes: you know, one of the things that they do a really good job with is their military appreciation concert that they do every single year, and a pretty good friend of all of ours is one of the people who actually put it on. Shelton. Tell me a little bit about it. What they do.

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Michael Shelton: Well, going back to what I put forward by days, I try to make sure the Tuesday of the week is open, so I can go. Unfortunately, last year we're in spring break and couldn't go. But yes, a good buddy we grew up with. Let's say his name out here. Greg.

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Jesse Stakes: Double a productions. Greg, Adams.

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Michael Shelton: Productions, has has put on this concert for quite a few years, and we all play ball together, you know. Live close to each other. But he has done just an amazing job with this concert. So I think tomorrow it's either 4, 30, or 5. The military appreciation part starts, and they typically end it with a concert. I think last year was Riley Green. This year is Jordan Davis, I believe, is that I mean, yeah, so we'll be there. You know, it's

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Michael Shelton: they've just done an amazing job. Jacksonville's a military town, so that's another thing, too. If you want to hook their hearts either do monster jam, which was 2 nights ago, which they would probably argue is the biggest event in Jacksonville.

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Michael Shelton: But anything you can do to bring the military into this town gets this place going so it's been the last quite a few years now Tuesday of Tpc. Military appreciation. There's a flyover, I think, about the 125th Squadron, and it's just, it is amazing. So Tpc does a great job putting this on double a productions is fabulous so I can't give them enough credit for this. What they do.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah, a hundred percent. They do a fantastic job. Big shout out to double a productions. Chris Albright, Greg Adams. They do a tremendous job. They got a great team that puts on events.

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Jesse Stakes: padron. You said it a little bit ago, and you were talking about this being potentially. You know what people have considered the 5th Major, and that's been an argument that people have had. They've had it for years now, and you know I don't know that there's a real answer to it, unless somebody were to actually just kind of give it, you know, kind of give it that official status if they ever decided to. But in your mind, do you feel like this? Is the 5th Major? Do you feel like that? The players championship is the, you know the

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Jesse Stakes: equal to, or at least a close second to, the 4 majors that are played every single year.

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Mike Padron: I mean, I may be in a minority here. I think it's a 3rd major for me, I mean, obviously, I've got a lot of. I got a lot of

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Mike Padron: I mean history here, but living here, going to it. But I mean you. You listen. Just the players talk about it.

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Mike Padron: That's the one thing I I mean. You listen like I'm watching right now the live from the players, and it's just the the way the people, the way the players talk about this tournament, you know that it's important.

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Mike Padron: It is one of the trophies that they absolutely want. Obviously, you got Augusta as number one. I think that's far and away. I don't think anybody close to the masters. To me. Number 2 is, I like the open. I'm just a big links, Guy. Love the actual open. But I think there's an argument to be had between the us. Open the PGA and the players as

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Mike Padron: 3, rd and that's maybe just me. I mean, I know there's some, you know, golf guys that are be like, no, no, there's only 4. But the players is up there with, we look at the field. It's kind of a limited field to begin with, and it's the top top guys in the world and I actually don't know about the lift guys, I mean, I guess, unless you have an exemption, you're only the only way you're in right.

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Jesse Stakes: No, you can't. I mean.

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Chris Blakely: Tour event.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah.

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Mike Padron: Right? So maybe not the maybe not the top guys this year, but soon to be top guys in the world. But yeah, I think it's right up there. I can. Obviously, obviously I can make argument that it's 5.th But I could. I could move it up the list for sure. And that's just from enjoyment, from the architect, from everything, from the course

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Mike Padron: and I'm very partial to it, of course, but that's the way I feel about it.

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Jesse Stakes: Blakely. You live in Atlanta, or you live close to Atlanta. So it's like, you're you're you've got the tour championship right in your backyard. Yeah, like, when people up there compare it like, look at it and say, you got you kind of the the ending event for the year where they're crowning a Fedex Cup champion versus the players, I mean, what do people up there say about it?

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Chris Blakely: So yeah, I mean, I'll say we think it's really cool that they crowned the champion up here. It's a great tournament. Eastlake is such a cool spot to walk around or play golf at. But it's not on the same level as Tpc. For me personally, and I think for most people that are up here. If you go to that championship, it's a limited field. Yeah, they are the top players

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Chris Blakely: at the time, but it's limited. Down at Tpc. I think

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Chris Blakely: it's over a hundred. What is it? A 104. How many people.

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Wes Altice Golf: Think they go once.

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Chris Blakely: Or something like that.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, they may have changed it. But I think the fields right around that. Yeah.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah. And it's we're talking about the top guys. If you win the PGA, if you win the Tpc, you get an invitation to Augusta for 3 years, and an exemption in the other majors for 3 years, like, it's a really big deal, and it's called the Players Championship. I mean, like it's, in my opinion, should be at the 5.th Major. I think you have, like Mike, said the masters. Really, the other 3, or PGA in the Us. Open in the British

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Chris Blakely: than Tpc.

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Jesse Stakes: Sure, Wes, do you think that like that this has been impacted calling it the 5th major? Because, you know, the live guys are not playing in it, they're not even allowed to play in it. So every other Major, you've got truly the best golfers in the world competing for it. But for this one. Now you only get the best golfers on the PGA tour.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, correct. And that's probably the the shot it takes about moving into the 5th major. And you know, the past 3 years since live came along prior to that.

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Wes Altice Golf: There's definitely the argument, for I mean you. You have the history. You have the super strong field you've got major champions that have won this. They mention it like, Hey, he's won this tournament, and a players like they keep throwing that in there. It's like, Oh, he's won a green jack. He's won us open. Oh, and don't forget. He's also one. He's a players champion, so it's

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Wes Altice Golf: they kind of, you know.

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Wes Altice Golf: I know they advertise it as that. But I mean they you got a lot of stuff going for it now, I think once

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Wes Altice Golf: live gets back, you know, on board, and that whole thing gets ironed out and you get the players back. Then you can start the conversation again. But I think right now you it has to just sit there as it's

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Wes Altice Golf: the next tournament everyone wants to win outside of a major. That's my thought on it. I've always kind of like yeah, you. If they put it in as a 5, th I wouldn't, you know.

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Wes Altice Golf: go nuts over it. And I, if they said no way, we're never gonna do it. I'd be okay with that, too, I but it's just prestigious enough that

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Wes Altice Golf: for them to talk about it. And you know the golf channel treats it as a major. I mean they you don't go to live from unless it's a super big championship. They only do like live from. For like the playoffs. And this event essentially so, yeah, I think this is A

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Wes Altice Golf: can be in the conversation once they get this live Pj tour crap figured out.

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Jesse Stakes: 100%. Shelton, do you think that the the change in the month, like as far as because they've moved it back and forth between March and May, and now they moved it from May to March. And it's been, I think it's it's been in March for 3 years. Now. Do you feel like that? It impacts the the quality of the event at all?

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Michael Shelton: I don't think so. I understand some of the I know when they 1st did it. They were talking about why they were doing it, and

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Michael Shelton: there was some concern when you know everyone wanted Augusta to be the the 1st major, the 1st big term of the year kind of like Daytona for Nascar but I do think it kind of puts it on the because we have the players in March, the masters in April, and then they go each month. There's a major, so it's kind of you had that divide. You had the Augusta then a week or 2, then the player or whatever, and then one more else. So I think it puts

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Michael Shelton: timing a little bit better I was laughing when Blake was talking about East Lake, and I was just wondering or thinking about what would you do if Tpc. Was the last

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Michael Shelton: event of the year? Like? If if roles were reversed. Would it make it bigger or smaller? But the problem you have in Florida is as you get closer to summer. It gets hotter. I personally like the cooler weather of March versus the 95 degree days of May. But I don't think it's necessarily change anything. It's just one of those things people would hook on when it is they could play it in on December 31.st I think it would still have the same turnout as as it does now.

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Jesse Stakes: It's a really good question, though, like, if you stuck it kind of at the end of the year, I mean, do you guys think that that would have an impact on the popularity of it to me. I mean, I feel like I kind of feel like the same way that you do to where it would still be popular. But at the same time you've got to.

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Jesse Stakes: You've got all kind of like you have. Hope you have like when you liken it to Daytona or anything else. It's like it's the beginning of the season. There's all kinds of hope. Everyone feels like that. They have a chance versus if you stick it at the end of the season all the majors are done. Everyone kind of knows where they fell. Do they? All of a sudden. Now does the event kind of feel less than if you, if you brought it to the end of the year? What do you think, Blakely?

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Chris Blakely: So. No, I actually contrary. I think that it would be could even be a little bit more, because you said all the majors are done. But we've already sat here and said, everybody thinks of this as a 5th major. So this would be an even bigger build up to this tournament, in my opinion, if it still had, like the field of 140, and it wasn't cut down or trim down by your Fedex points. So I think it could even make it bigger. Personally.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah, what do you think, patron?

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Mike Padron: I disagree with Blakely.

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Jesse Stakes: Okay.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: Here we go!

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Mike Padron: Although, although I think it would, it would make it literally the 5th major. I think

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Mike Padron: for me a way I look at it is right now. These last 2 weeks coming into the players for me is the official beginning of the season. I mean, it is go time now between the I feel I feel like the cognizance. Pretty good field, but the Api is a different field, and then now it just cranks up with the players, and I think it just. I think it gives it a more excitement.

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Mike Padron: To the rest of the season going into the masters playing the players before the masters. And not only that, it gives you a break of

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Mike Padron: the the players in March. The masters in April. I think it's the PGA in May. You know what I mean. So you have. Every single month you've got a major tournament.

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Mike Padron: And I think the way they break that up is is perfect, I think at the end of the year not the people. Golf enthusiasts like ourselves will always have interest, but I think some people kind of just start fading off where now you still have all the excitement of the whole season. To go, and this is kind of like the kickoff of it.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah.

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Chris Blakely: I would just say 2 things. One, I think the beginning of the year is some golf tournament in Maui. If I'm not mistaken.

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Chris Blakely: and 2, if you just said it, would de facto make it the 5th Major. How was that? Not bigger than where it is now? And people are like. Oh, it's kind of the 5th Major. So.

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Mike Padron: In line of one through 5. So

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Mike Padron: but yes, I see both arguments of it honestly. But like the best argument is probably Shelton's. It's gonna be hot as hell at the end, whatever it is.

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Chris Blakely: To that point when you were talking about moving it from May to March, I actually came on when it had already gotten moved to march. And Shelton's like, yeah, I used to be in May.

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Chris Blakely: and for me I was like, man. It's kind of chilly out here, you know, chilly for Jack. We're talking about 70 degrees and the the rain so much threat of rain. And I was like, I don't like this as a fan coming to watch. You know I've

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Jesse Stakes: Yes.

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Chris Blakely: Stuck Mike with work so I can get out and go to the golf course. And now it's raining. I did that all for naught, but after looking a little bit more into it and thinking about it with it being colder and it being windier, the course plays much harder

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Chris Blakely: in the summertime. They're just bombing drives. It's dry. The ball's rolling and you know they're taking clubs on those holes.

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Chris Blakely: Granted they're hitting from the pro pro tees. They're taking clubs on the holes that we wouldn't take in March. They're still having to go, driver, and you know, 5 iron on 18, which is what I would be doing, you know. And so I have more fun watching them hit the clubs that I'm going to hit, because the conditions are more difficult for them. So I do think in that regard, having the course play a little tougher, it's better in March.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: I don't know. I feel like it's funny. I listen to all y'all's arguments for for one or the other, and for me.

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Jesse Stakes: I don't know that I see it as a 5th major right now. And my reason because is is a hundred percent, because it's not an open field. It's a closed field, and some of the best players in the world don't even have a chance to play in it right now. So to me, until they open it up, or until they actually make it to where anybody can play in the players championship that that can qualify for it. Then to me, I don't know how you can call it a major.

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Jesse Stakes: Private. It's a private event. Essentially, it's a great private event, but it's a private event. And for me, for the for the month.

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Jesse Stakes: like I really did like the switch from March to May when they originally did it, and I liked it because I thought that it brought the whole field in. Because to your point, Blakely, you're right. It plays longer in March. It's it's a softer golf course, and I think that there's a lot of people who own like the bombers are, you know, people who have an accurate driver have the best chance of winning, and I think but the guy, the guy who's going to, you know, play the ball on the ground. Let it run out.

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Jesse Stakes: He didn't really have a shot in comparison. Now I say that and watch somebody watch the short knocker win this week. But.

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Michael Shelton: Okay.

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Jesse Stakes: But that's really I mean to me. I just thought it brought the whole field into the event when they, when they changed it to May.

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Chris Blakely: I could see that.

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Mike Padron: And with the overseater ride it looks beautiful in March.

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Chris Blakely: It does look better.

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Mike Padron: It does. It looks gorgeous obviously, that has nothing to do with everything I'm talking about, just for me, looking.

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Jesse Stakes: Sure.

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Chris Blakely: But it's the course. Yesterday, a couple days ago.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah.

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Chris Blakely: Which he didn't respond to my text. But that's okay. Course is looking great. Yeah.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, for sure. They

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Wes Altice Golf: the switch over. I'm I'm more of a fan of March because you're gonna get a course that can play both ways. If we don't get rain and the conditions

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Wes Altice Golf: or right, they can still get that place fiery. And you add in the rye rough. Now, all of a sudden the players and this is what messes players up. They have doubt over. Their ball's actually going to end up

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Wes Altice Golf: so you can have a fiery golf course. Those guys are worried if there's going to run through and get in the rough.

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Wes Altice Golf: So I think this, you can potentially get 2 different golf courses every single year. It can play fiery as hell, or it can play really soft.

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Wes Altice Golf: So I think that's kind of cool with it. I do like the cooler weather, although we are.

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Wes Altice Golf: you know. Sometimes it'll rain, sometimes it doesn't. But one thing we could always guarantee there's gonna be some breeze out there, and when you throw breeze

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Wes Altice Golf: out on Tpc. Sawgrass, I mean, that was it. 3, 4 years ago, when Justin Thomas had it like a 5 iron into 17.

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Wes Altice Golf: I mean

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Wes Altice Golf: you. You got some crazy stuff that can. They can happen? The one thing about putting this event at the end of the season. I think we're forgetting about football. I think that would kill the viewership. That's probably why they've

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Wes Altice Golf: I guarantee they toss it around. They're like there's no way we'll get numbers with football season going on, especially they finish on Sunday

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Wes Altice Golf: jaguars in town that's gonna kill their attendance. So them putting at the end of the season would. I don't think, ever happen, because I think they'd lose way

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Wes Altice Golf: too much money on that one.

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Wes Altice Golf: I like it where it's at. Just because to me it kicks off major season. It's like, Okay, sweet. We got the players. Now. We got a gust of like

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Wes Altice Golf: the drone said. We know every month we've got a major tournament, and I think it flows really nice, because, like I,

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Wes Altice Golf: whoever wins the players like. All right, they're kind of the the big dog heading into all the majors, because, you know, they just wanted a major golf course, and it's not necessarily a guy you would expect. I mean, if you look at all the past champions.

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Wes Altice Golf: it's every single type of player. It's a plotter. It's a bomber.

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Wes Altice Golf: you know. Course, manager, all of it. So it's

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Wes Altice Golf: it. More I talk about the more fun. I'll you know I love this term because there's just no prototype or archetype that wins this golf term. It's just the guy who's playing the damn best, and I love that.

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Jesse Stakes: You're selling me on it.

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Jesse Stakes: Who knew?

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Jesse Stakes: Shelton? How do you think this compares? Like as far as other sporting events that you've been to being, you know, being at this golf, you know this event essentially like, how do you think it compares to other sporting events that you've been to.

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Michael Shelton: Again. I put this as one of my number one events of the year, so I've been a season ticket jaguar holder for the last 7 years and make fun of sports. Well, that's been rough trying to survive through the stadium renovation. But just to compare it to another golf tournament. So for the last couple of years I've actually gone to the Rsm. Up in St. Simons.

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Michael Shelton: and it is just a whole different vibe. I mean, here you're looking at 100,000 people each day. I mean, like, as I joked, I think in the last podcast there are certain people who I don't think, even see a golf ball the entire day. They're there to have fun and party and social and mingle. And then you go to Rsm. And I feel like there's like

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Michael Shelton: 2,500 people there. You walk wherever you want. There's no concessions. There's like, basically a little ring of food trucks. But it's it's so. It's very neat. But I I this is still one of my favorite sporting events of the year. I have not gone to the master, so I can't say anything about that. But there is a reason

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Michael Shelton: anywhere else.

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Michael Shelton: Number one. There's there's a reason this is Number one, and there this may be the reason I'm taking my kids out of school tomorrow to go hang out.

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Michael Shelton: Of course.

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Jesse Stakes: Alright!

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Michael Shelton: Yes, Nope.

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Michael Shelton: don't let them hear that. But yes, the Shelton family will be in Ponte Vedra tomorrow, for the practice round in the military and the military Appreciation concert.

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Wes Altice Golf: I'll see you. There.

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Jesse Stakes: Padren, what do you think.

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Mike Padron: I will also be there tomorrow. No, I I think also it's for me. It's number one in the area, for sure.

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Mike Padron: It's 1 that I go to every single year. Last year

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Mike Padron: it was spring break, so we actually

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Mike Padron: headed out of the country, went to the Caribbean for the week, and I was having to watch this on TV, and it hurt a little bit.

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Mike Padron: and and it just kind of the 1st time I've I've not seen it in a while or in person.

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Mike Padron: and actually, next this tomorrow is the 1st I want to say. Practice round I've ever been to. I'm I'm always. I'm always a Thursday, Friday, guy, and then Saturday and Sunday at home. So I'm actually looking forward to being there during a practice round in the military, I mean, I've been to the concert, but we usually get there.

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Mike Padron: you know, the afternoon just kind of go straight to the concert. We've never really walked around the grounds

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Mike Padron: all day. Tuesday. So that'll be that'll be kind of fun to do tomorrow. But yeah, I mean, I I don't think sporting event

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Mike Padron: because it's a once a year thing you. I don't think there's anything that's gonna compare to it in Jacksonville, at least even even, you know you look at Florida football down the street, or you know, jaguars here, it's still, you know, 8 to 10, whatever 8 Sundays, a year 8 Saturdays or 6 Saturdays, whatever it is.

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Mike Padron: The only thing, I think, that can compare to it up here is a Florida Georgia game. I think that's 1 thing that people

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Mike Padron: always look forward to every year, and

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Mike Padron: everybody in Jacksonville wants to go to Fort Georgia because they want to be there and post about it, and I think that's what players has become. I want to post, especially girls. I want to post in my dress and my like girls out there in freaking heels. Some for some reason. I don't know idea, you know, and they want to post that, hey? I was at the players, and they never like Shelton said they never saw a shot of golf. They don't even know what's happening. And but they were there, and that's kind of like that's when you know it's a good event is when people just want to say I was there.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah.

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Mike Padron: And they do a great job of putting it on and

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Mike Padron: the I wanna say that the merch shop is probably one of the best. You'll see.

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Mike Padron: It's absolutely incredible. And I will be there tomorrow.

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Mike Padron: Oh, yeah.

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Chris Blakely: I forgot.

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Mike Padron: I will be there tomorrow, and they get you because they say if you spend $350, you're gonna get a $20 yeti, and of course, here we go. We spend 3 50, and then if we get to 600, we might as well get 2 yetis. Let's get a 700.

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Mike Padron: They they get you. Which is how I got a Peter Millard $120, Hoodie.

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Mike Padron: Nice.

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Chris Blakely: It looks great.

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Mike Padron: What do you think black is swimming.

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Chris Blakely: I mean, I'll echo what everybody said I love Tpc upset that. I'm not gonna be there this year. Obviously, I think that.

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Mike Padron: Playable.

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Chris Blakely: One of the things that I've really recognized.

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Chris Blakely: it's like what Wes said. It is a it's still a classy event, I mean. Ponte Vedra is a you know. It's a classy establishment, but people are still down there and they want to get after it, you know. You got access to food and beverage tents by just you can just go online and buy the ticket heck. The 1st year I went I bought my tickets at Publix. I was picking up eggs and beer, and I said.

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Jesse Stakes: Yes.

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Chris Blakely: Go get these tickets, you know. And so it's just easily accessible. You get there. It's

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Chris Blakely: It's an affair where people want to be seen, but also want to watch golf and want to have a great time. And then you also, even though we're pulling in people from all over the country, and actually, internationally, too.

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Wes Altice Golf: For sure.

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Chris Blakely: You see the people from around town. You see the people like I ran into Michael. I ran into some other partners from work. I ran into friends that I live nearby, and it's just like everybody's out having a good time in Jacksonville and kind of celebrating this marquee tournament marquee event that we have. Like Padron said.

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Chris Blakely: Really, the only event, like external event that I would compare it to is Georgia, Florida. That's 1 day. I mean, it's a weekend. Yes, but it's really one day, and you know, plus this is also bringing in like 4 times the amount of money for the city. And I I don't think that it's I think it's important to not lose that fact.

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Chris Blakely: it it helps keep, you know. Keep Jacksonville going without having it be crowded every 3, 65, you know.

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Jesse Stakes: No doubt.

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Chris Blakely: Like that at that point.

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Jesse Stakes: What about what about you, West? I mean when you compare it to the other experiences that you've had in sports? How does it rank for you?

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Wes Altice Golf: It's way out there, I mean. I was fortunate last year to go to the masters, so I mean Masters is the masters.

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Wes Altice Golf: You can't compare Masters to anything else. It's that good. But yeah, the players experience is awesome. I mean, I feel like

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Wes Altice Golf: most of the volunteers are. You know, they're pleasant. They're not, you know, on a power trip or anything like that. That's always a big one for me. I personally, I think the best day to go is tomorrow for the practice rounds, especially if you have like a family. And kids like they can get close to the guys they want to see, the guys are a lot looser.

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Wes Altice Golf: you know. They're they're playing some money games out there. They're talking a little shit like they're but they're at the same time they're getting ready. They're kind of into it. Go into the driving range, watch them prepare for the tournament. What are they working on? You can see how good these guys are. They're working on stuff.

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Wes Altice Golf: and their dispersion is off the charts like, you're like, no ball looks different to me. It's just like boom! Boom!

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Wes Altice Golf: So I think that for me is the golf sicko I am. That's why I love Tuesday Tuesdays for me like, hey? You could only get to go Tuesday every single year. I'm like, that's fine with me.

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Wes Altice Golf: Go. I'm going Sunday this year, too, because to me that's going to be the calmer of all the days, maybe outside of Thursday.

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Wes Altice Golf: But yeah, I think

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Wes Altice Golf: it's just the best time to go see these guys prep. And you know, especially when they get around the greens they're hitting different shots of different pins. And

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Wes Altice Golf: it's really really cool. And I think another thing that's just cool about it is. It's the same course every year, and we've all we've all been fortunate enough to play sawgrass and to see these guys getting in certain spots you're like, Oh, I've been there, and then they do something like, yep. That's why I'm on this side of the ropes, and they're in there making millions and millions of dollars. So it just showcase. It just showcases how good

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Wes Altice Golf: these guys are and how precise they have to be. And

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Wes Altice Golf: if I had to say to anyone, go Tuesday, especially if you got kids that are golf sickos, too. They'll

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Wes Altice Golf: they'll love golf even more because they get to see the best players in the world up close and personal. And the players there are actually really good with, you know, interacting with the kids at that autograph area, you know. They'll all stop for.

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Wes Altice Golf: you know, 1520 min. Some of them just give out autographs, you know, the

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Wes Altice Golf: chuck balls over to the kids that are waiting and stuff like that. So it's it's a great experience just any day of the week. But if you're there to party, it's Friday afternoon and Saturday.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah, no, I think it's I mean, all of you, all of you guys made great points. I think one of the things that I would bring up. That we didn't really talk about is the hospitality that they create around, like all of the chalets, all of the tents, everything that they do to support the business community. It's it's first, st it's it's, you know. It's 1st class. I know that we have people coming in from all over the country that are going to be at the event, and they're not only going to be at the event on Thursday and Friday, but

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Jesse Stakes: you know they've got supporting clubs and everything that puts on parties around it. They put on. You've got charities that put on things on Friday night. It's just if you have. If you have business clients, if you have people that you're entertaining, there is no better event that I've ever been to, as far as the way that they make sure that people can see the action, but that they can also have a 1st class experience with food and beverage, with the, you know, with the with the way that they're treated around the event. It's amazing

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Jesse Stakes: for me

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Jesse Stakes: event wise one of the things that I would say I mean, like for me. Yankee stadium was was Number one like going to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium and being around that crowd. And

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Jesse Stakes: and you got people that you know, they know their baseball. They're very aware of everything that's happening. They watch every single game, and it's just such a cool experience to me. And that's probably because I grew up, you know, just being a baseball nut. But as far as golf I have been, I have had the benefit of going to the masters. It's like Disney world, I mean, and it's but it's but even that it's it's an experience. There's no, there's no real

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Jesse Stakes: hospitality for for my clients. If I'm trying to bring somebody for business, it doesn't. It doesn't do anything for me.

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Jesse Stakes: But for the event itself, as far as just, you know, having a $4 pimento and cheese sandwich, or having a 3 or $4 beer. It's a cool novelty, and the.

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Jesse Stakes: The place is amazingly beautiful, but when it comes to the actual event itself, and what it means for for me, and how much value I get out of it. I don't think it holds a candle to what they do at the players championship.

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Mike Padron: Yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: Them.

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Chris Blakely: Yeah.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, I mean the fact that they

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Wes Altice Golf: showcase all these different like restaurants. For throughout.

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Jesse Stakes: 100%.

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Wes Altice Golf: I mean, it's it is insane. You're like, Oh, my God! There's you know, Taco Lou, there's this, you're just like they're everywhere. And they they did

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Wes Altice Golf: when they started bringing in like the food trucks to like right there off a 10, and you go back to town to 14. There's a whole area there. I mean, it's just insane. Just in the past 5 years. How much they've added.

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Chris Blakely: I like how they do that as well, because, like you, said, Ponte, is not a big town, you know, even though Jack in Jacksonville's largest city. By land, mass, right? Our county, you know. It's it's huge.

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Wes Altice Golf: No.

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Chris Blakely: But they bring all of the local restaurants and things to the course. So people come down. They get to taste Jacksonville.

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Chris Blakely: Having to leave this little small town. I think that's some of what brings people back, you know. Maybe they let's go vacation in Jack's Beach, you know.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah 100%.

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Jesse Stakes: You guys got a favorite food truck that's out there.

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Wes Altice Golf: I always like tacos on 12, I mean.

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Jesse Stakes: Okay.

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Wes Altice Golf: It's Taco. It's Taco Lou, man, it's it's always pretty dang good. I mean.

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Wes Altice Golf: this is Staple and Jack's. Why not?

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Jesse Stakes: Anybody else.

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Mike Padron: Who does the barbecue off of 11 green. There, that's really good.

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Mike Padron: I can't think of it now.

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Jesse Stakes: But.

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Mike Padron: A little like horseshoe area.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah.

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Mike Padron: But there's a barbecue place there, and I'll think of it in a minute.

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Mike Padron: that's always there every year, and that that whole area is good with food, but that barbecues

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Mike Padron: they have some burn in some burn ins there that are my staple every time we go. They're so good.

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Jesse Stakes: Nice.

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Michael Shelton: It's funny. The pizza just had a post where they were talked about 10 years ago. They were looking at places like Taco Lou some other staples in Jacksonville, and they got invited about 5 or 6 years ago to come and serve at the players that they just love being able to give back to the city. They they do a spectacular job with with the hospitality.

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Mike Padron: Yep.

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Jesse Stakes: Anybody else got one.

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Michael Shelton: I like them all, man.

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Jesse Stakes: I don't know if you I don't even know if they're around anymore. But it was actually one that was around town. They always had their stuff out there, too. It was called Delish Kebab, and it was ridiculous. The kebabs they had there were fantastic, and they used to be in that little food truck alley.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah.

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Jesse Stakes: not sure if they're around or not, but shout out to those guys, they did fantastic, alright guys before before we wrap this up. I'm gonna turn it over to Padron to to lead this just.

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Mike Padron: Okay.

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Jesse Stakes: I think I'll botch it if I if I try to.

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Jesse Stakes: We're gonna give our picks. Who we who we think are going to be our winners here. And with that, Mike, I'm going to turn it over. So I don't jack this up.

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Mike Padron: It's easy. I kind of made this up. So it's really easy. I I figured we're gonna do this. We're gonna try to do this for all the majors and the players. Since the players is the 3rd major

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Mike Padron: and we'll go. What I figured is, we'll go. We'll pick a we'll pick up our our top, pick each.

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Mike Padron: and a dark horse the dark. The what qualifies the dark horse is 200 to one odds to win or greater.

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Mike Padron: You're gonna get for the your regular pick. You can get 5 points and make the cut 10 points. If the top 25 finish

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Mike Padron: 25 points for a top, 10 finish, and 50 points if they win, and then if your dark horse does any of that, your points are doubled, and we'll just keep track kinda every week, and then for the

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Mike Padron: we'll do this. We'll do the 4 majors and maybe throw in the

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Mike Padron: the tour championship or something, somehow.

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Mike Padron: But I figured we'd go around, get our get our pick and our dark horse, and

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Mike Padron: and see where it goes, from, there.

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Jesse Stakes: Works for me.

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Mike Padron: I'll let you go, Jesse, you go 1st and say you're the host.

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Jesse Stakes: All right, so I've got jordan. Spieth is my winner.

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Jesse Stakes: and Billy Horschel is my dark dark horse.

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Mike Padron: Alright is Porsche, 201.

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Michael Shelton: See him on the Olympics.

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Chris Blakely: 200 to one.

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Jesse Stakes: Come back to come back to me for the dark.

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Wes Altice Golf: Alright! Let me look over your list.

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Mike Padron: I sent the list. So I'm using hard rock, because

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Mike Padron: that's the only thing we have in Florida. Unfortunately, I'm using hard rock as our betting app.

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Chris Blakely: All you have in Florida. There's no rules in Florida, baby. You can have.

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Mike Padron: You know it is.

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Wes Altice Golf: Super gambling.

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Mike Padron: Yeah, yeah.

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Michael Shelton: I forget.

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Wes Altice Golf: Okay.

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Mike Padron: Yeah, you've gotta go. You gotta go everything through the Indian reservations. So they they control kind of everything here.

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Chris Blakely: We got nothing.

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Mike Padron: And but alright, Wes, what you got.

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Wes Altice Golf: All right.

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Wes Altice Golf: I'm tossing between the winner either Hideki or Daniel Burger. But I am gonna go Hideki.

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Wes Altice Golf: like that close to going to Burger, but I'm gonna go hit Decky.

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Wes Altice Golf: my dark horse. I'm going with. Adam. Had one.

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Chris Blakely: Oh.

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Chris Blakely: I hope you win it, man, because I think that was my dark horse.

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Mike Padron: I I lost the Internet there. So I'm gonna right when you picked. So what are the 2 picks again?

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Wes Altice Golf: I'm going. Hideki.

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Chris Blakely: And then if you, Vinnie Hodges, I think, yeah.

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Michael Shelton: Don't!

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Wes Altice Golf: My second guy was gonna go with. I was gonna go. I'm sorry I was gonna go, Hoagie, but I'm gonna.

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Mike Padron: You got.

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Wes Altice Golf: That.

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Mike Padron: Hadkey.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah. Did you see Hideki's?

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Mike Padron: That 8, 24 tea time on Thursday. Ludwig, Oberg, Jt. And Hideki.

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Mike Padron: Yeah.

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Wes Altice Golf: Pretty, solid.

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Mike Padron: Good golf right there.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, all right, Blakely, what you got.

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Wes Altice Golf: So I'm gonna go move it over which I thought you were just thinking which really hurt me, so I'll take that

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Chris Blakely: The backup dark horse throwing some darts at the wall. Let's just say

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Chris Blakely: damn rider.

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Wes Altice Golf: Oh, okay.

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Mike Padron: All right.

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Chris Blakely: Please see it, Brad.

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Wes Altice Golf: Okay.

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Mike Padron: Nice I like it shelv.

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Michael Shelton: Why don't have to go last? Does that mean.

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Chris Blakely: I'm last.

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Chris Blakely: Your own hasn't gone yet.

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Mike Padron: I'm going last.

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Michael Shelton: You have to go last year for the winter.

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Michael Shelton: I know it's not gonna happen because we've never had a 3 time Winner button. Scotty keeps proving me wrong and everything he does in life. So I'm gonna go, Scotty Scheffler.

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Michael Shelton: alright, and we'll need it

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Michael Shelton: back. And yeah, I mean, I'll I'll get off the horse when it bucks me. Cam Davis.

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Chris Blakely: Nice.

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Mike Padron: Davis. I like that.

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Chris Blakely: I like that.

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Wes Altice Golf: I like. I like that one.

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Mike Padron: Alright. So I'm going with Set Straka as my winner here.

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Mike Padron: He's been on a roll lately, he finished. He finished. I did a little research T. 16 last year.

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Mike Padron: You know he's got 6 top 15 s. This year. He won at the Amex. He's got top 5 at the at the Api. He's playing absolutely lights out right now.

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Mike Padron: so he's gonna be my my top guy.

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Mike Padron: And then, you know, I gotta go with the smoothest swing in the PGA as my dark horse.

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Mike Padron: and that's Jake Knapp. And now he could blow up pretty.

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Chris Blakely: See that? How are his odds that look high? I mean.

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Mike Padron: He's right at. He's right at 200. He's

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, he was right at it.

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Chris Blakely: Oh!

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Mike Padron: The reason I like him. He's he's made surprisingly. He's made 7 or 8 cuts this year. But he, as you saw last or 2 weeks ago in the Cognizant. He's hit or Miss Man. He he shot a 59 and shot a 1 over the next day. So it's it's

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Mike Padron: you know he's hit or miss, but I like him enough to do it at least the 1st 1st time we do this.

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Mike Padron: Let's do that, hey? I actually, just, I'm gonna come up with a rule. Now that we

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Mike Padron: we're gonna call the rule here mid mid picks.

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Mike Padron: It's 1 done. You can't pick them again for the masters.

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Chris Blakely: Oh, say that you don't care either, so that.

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Wes Altice Golf: Just that.

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Jesse Stakes: Let me!

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Chris Blakely: It's gonna reset when we start the official majors. Yeah.

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Wes Altice Golf: You know what that's.

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Wes Altice Golf: There you go!

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Mike Padron: We can do that, then we can do that once.

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Wes Altice Golf: Take. Once we take.

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Mike Padron: Masters. Once we pick them up.

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Wes Altice Golf: One, and done.

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Michael Shelton: Can't pick him again.

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Mike Padron: All right.

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Mike Padron: I like it, Jesse. We gave you enough time, Buddy.

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Jesse Stakes: Give me bowhostler from my dark horse.

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Wes Altice Golf: Oh, the bow! Show.

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Chris Blakely: Who knows?

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Wes Altice Golf: The bow show baby.

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Mike Padron: I'll keep track of everything. And beautiful man, I love it.

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Jesse Stakes: Awesome.

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Wes Altice Golf: Awesome.

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Jesse Stakes: Well, guys, anything you want to leave us with before we before we sign off here.

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Michael Shelton: You said the best place to watch.

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Michael Shelton: Yeah. Best place to work.

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Wes Altice Golf: Oh, yeah.

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Michael Shelton: Mine, anyone. It's a stadium course. It was designed to be able to watch from any angle anywhere else. Obviously 17

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Michael Shelton: is what it is, and sometimes you sit in some of the little chalets, and it's very difficult to track the ball sitting right behind 17. Watch them tee off is amazing. But we, what we actually do is we actually walk the course. We'll pick a group or a foursome, and we'll just walk the entire course, with that same one like that's probably been my favorite thing to do. My wife's not a big golf fan, but she actually picks up on it

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Michael Shelton: and we, that's what we do. So that's the favorite thing is just pick a course and walk the course with them, see the course and its beauty.

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Jesse Stakes: Nice.

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Jesse Stakes: Wes. What about you?

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Wes Altice Golf: I know the defaults always behind 17 T. But

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Wes Altice Golf: there's something cool about watching them opening the round behind number one, because they've flattened out all that area, and you can just stand directly behind them. That's a really cool tee shot, actually, so I I kind of like hanging out there to watch the players get going, because one. I'm a golf sicko. I can watch them warm up, and I can watch them warm up, putt, and I can just turn around and watch them tee off on one to start the day. Nice if I can't. If I can do 7, you know, behind 17 T. It's for me. It's standing behind one tee box.

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Jesse Stakes: What about you, Pajon?

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Mike Padron: So most of the back in the day. I don't know if you guys remember when you 1st started going, it was the hill between 9 and 18. It's all chalets now. You could sit on that hill watching come in on 9 and 18 all day long, and it was beautiful, but now

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Mike Padron: I do. I do enjoy for many reasons. Sitting right there at 11 green.

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Mike Padron: and then walking over to 12 T. 12 is a drivable par. 4.

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Mike Padron: You've got all those vendors right there. You've got a bar right there. You've got a restroom right there. You've got everything you need 1111. You see them going in going in for 2, if they need to. A lot of them have been laying up recently.

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Mike Padron: 12 drivable far, 3 or 4, and then you actually don't walk too much further, and you're in probably the toughest tee shot

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Mike Padron: on the course is 14 and you watch them tee off on 14. So you right there, within.

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Mike Padron: you know, 100 yards of of just walking back and forth, you can watch some 3 pretty cool golf holes.

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Jesse Stakes: Blakely, what's your favorite spot on the course.

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Chris Blakely: So I mean, I'll say, like kind of what Mike said. There's not a bad spot on this course, in my opinion. Obviously, if you sit on that little hill on 17 kind of where they have that where they have the military appreciation concert.

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Chris Blakely: Awesome. Right? You got the stands behind you. Everybody cheers. It's a fun hole, but I do like I make sure every time I go to the tournament that I go by one because I like to see them walk up. You know. I can remember vividly the 1st year I went Tiger Woods walking up. He had a green shirt on, and I was like.

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Jesse Stakes: Take his ball.

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Chris Blakely: Today, you know. So

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Chris Blakely: but so I like watching them walk up and just launch that drive. I personally do enjoy

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Chris Blakely: sitting on 3 on the left side.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yes.

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Chris Blakely: Watch them come to that green. It's a big, it's kind of a tricky greens you get up there, you can watch them put. And it's just really neat to see how they think about it. And then I do like to post up on 16 kind of at the Green, but near to where I have a good view of that TV behind 17, and you can see the green. So so I watch them have to navigate the oak ones on 16

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Chris Blakely: coming into the grain, you wash the puts, and then you can see them go over there and see that approach shot. So that's I do like to hang out over there.

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Jesse Stakes: Nice.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yeah, that's a that's a good one.

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Jesse Stakes: Yeah, I was thinking about that. The hill on 3 like, because you can sit there on. You can sit there at the top of the hill. Watch all of that par. 3 on number 3, and then you can see the green on 2, which is the par. 5, and then.

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Wes Altice Golf: You can.

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Jesse Stakes: Turn right around and watch people warm up on the driving.

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Wes Altice Golf: Yup, exactly. Yeah. So I do like turning around and seeing that, yeah, solid.

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Jesse Stakes: That was.

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Chris Blakely: You know, if you.

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Jesse Stakes: One of my biggest. Go ahead.

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Chris Blakely: Well, I was. Gonna say what Mike said, though.

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Chris Blakely: about padron, about having being near a restroom and a place to eat.

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Wes Altice Golf: That's good thinking. That's good thinking.

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Wes Altice Golf: 100%.

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Jesse Stakes: Alright, boys, I really appreciate you guys jumping on having this conversation with that, we're gonna wrap this thing up and we'll catch you guys on down on the road, down the road.

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Wes Altice Golf: Cheers, cheers, cheers! Man!

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Mike Padron: Go, stalker.