Shownotes
This episode of Grilling at the Green After Hours presents a multifaceted dialogue that transcends the mere technicalities of golf, veering into the realms of personal reflection and societal commentary. The primary discourse revolves around the essential question of whether professional golf is increasingly alienating itself from the average golfer. We examine the dichotomy between the aspirational nature of professional golfers and the accessibility of the sport for everyday enthusiasts, particularly in light of evolving formats such as those introduced by the LIV Golf series. Throughout our conversation, we also delve into the profound influences in our lives, the unsung heroes within the golf community, and the significance of camaraderie among players. Ultimately, we invite listeners to appreciate the dedication of those who labor behind the scenes in the golf industry, highlighting the importance of kindness and understanding in our interactions within this beloved sport.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Taylor Swift
- LPGA
- PGA Tour
- Liv
- Golf Forever
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcripts
Welcome to Grilling at the Green After Hours.
Speaker A:The conversation that took place after the show ended.
Speaker A:All right, Nicole, this is the part you probably didn't sign up for, but it's fun.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:These are some kind of abstract questions that I do in After Hours.
Speaker A:Start with something very important.
Speaker A:What's your favorite color?
Speaker A:Lifesaver.
Speaker B:Favorite color?
Speaker B:Lifesaver.
Speaker B:You know, I think I'm kind of weird, but I like the.
Speaker B:The white one.
Speaker B:That's pineapple flavor.
Speaker A:You're the only person that's ever said that.
Speaker B:I love the pineapple.
Speaker A:I'm a green guy.
Speaker A:I'm a green guy.
Speaker A:What's the one song you want to hear when you get in your car in the morning on the radio or SiriusXM, whatever you have.
Speaker A:What's the one song that, if you hear it, you're like, yeah, it's gonna be a good day.
Speaker B:Anything, Taylor Swift.
Speaker A:Anything.
Speaker A:Anything Taylor Swift.
Speaker A:I like that.
Speaker B:Big Swifty here.
Speaker A:Big Swifty.
Speaker B:That's all that's on the radio.
Speaker B:So there's no other option.
Speaker A:What's the first thing you reach for when you're done playing around?
Speaker A:A golf.
Speaker B:Hmm.
Speaker B:What do I reach for?
Speaker B:I guess my, like, little accessories bag to put all my little ball markers and tees back into.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Name an unsung hero, in your opinion in the golf world.
Speaker B:Unsung hero.
Speaker A:Excuse me.
Speaker B:That's a good one.
Speaker B:Trying to think.
Speaker B:Can we come back?
Speaker A:Yeah, sure.
Speaker B:Okay, back to that one.
Speaker A:What's the funniest thing you ever saw happen to a fellow player during a tournament?
Speaker B:I was in Australia and they have the little.
Speaker B:They call them buggies over there, push carts, but they had the electric ones that you put the little thing in your back pocket and it followed you.
Speaker B:We were in the middle of the round and.
Speaker B:And this girl's malfunctioned, and it started spinning in circles and it went straight into the lake.
Speaker B:And we had to call the rules official over.
Speaker B:The caddies had to, you know, hold each other and, like, we had to pull this.
Speaker B:We had to let the groups go through.
Speaker B:It was a mess.
Speaker B:It was like a 30 minute ordeal.
Speaker B:Yeah, pretty bad.
Speaker A:Who was the biggest influence on you personally in your life?
Speaker B:My dad.
Speaker B:Definitely my dad.
Speaker B:If.
Speaker B:I always joke, if Joe H. Can pump you up, nobody can.
Speaker B:But, yeah, definitely my dad.
Speaker B:And just so lucky that we had that era, you know, to.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker B:He and I have, just from age 7, playing in tournaments, going till my last tournament at St. Andrews.
Speaker B:He was there to hug it out with me on the Green and just my biggest cheerleader and supporter.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:Rhetorical question.
Speaker A:A bit.
Speaker A:Do you think professional golf is getting further removed from the everyday golfer?
Speaker B:Yes and no.
Speaker B:I. I think, obviously, like, what Liv is trying to do is making it more fun and relatable and loud to, like, bring in a crowd of people that, you know, are playing music and, like, just more relaxed out on the golf course.
Speaker B:You know, I think it's really hard for people to relate to the PGA Tour players because, like, who hits the ball like the guys?
Speaker B:And then, you know, you have the LPGA that.
Speaker B:I think it still blows my mind that the tour isn't bigger than it is, because you.
Speaker B:And more so your audience that's listening in can relate to the women.
Speaker B:Our club headscapes are pretty similar.
Speaker B:We're.
Speaker B:We're hitting clubs pretty close, still hitting it further than you guys, but sure, you can relate more to us.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I think it's kind of a mess right now, but I think they're trying to make it cooler, more relatable.
Speaker B:But, you know, you're always going to have the guys out there, and they're freaks.
Speaker B:I mean, they're just.
Speaker B:They're freaks, and they're like, the aspirational goals for you.
Speaker B:But as far as everything else in the game, I mean, you.
Speaker B:Everyone has access to pretty much the same equipment.
Speaker B:I mean, obviously there's tour models of things, but you could still dress like a pro, look like a pro, have the same bags and stuff, like, you know, things like that, play the same courses.
Speaker B:I mean, that's kind of the cool thing about golf, I think, is.
Speaker B:Is that I can't go to Yankee Stadium and start hitting baseballs.
Speaker A:No, no, you can't do that.
Speaker A:We have the.
Speaker A:The Portland Classic here where I live, and I've, you know, I certainly like to watch the pro guys.
Speaker A:I appreciate what they can do and that, you know, but for us mere mortals, it's always fun to go out, and I cover it.
Speaker A:But we, you know, go out and spend time with the LPGA players, and they're very open and receptive, and we'll talk to you, they talk to the kids, you know, and there's not a PR flack there going, you need to go talk to this guy.
Speaker A:You know, they just do it.
Speaker A:That's one of the biggest difference.
Speaker A:Okay, if you could play around a golf with one of your golfing heroes, who would it be?
Speaker B:Golfing heroes.
Speaker B:I mean, I've been pretty fortunate to.
Speaker B:To have been able to do that.
Speaker B:I think.
Speaker B:I say When I'm out at an LPGA event, I feel bad.
Speaker B:Duration of.
Speaker B:Of LPGA golfers because the veterans are, you know, Brittany Lincecomb, Stacey Lewis, Paula Creamer, and, like, they're my age.
Speaker B:When I got out on tour, I was welcomed with Open.
Speaker B:I mean, our generation was welcomed by Meg Mellon, Beth Daniel, Nancy Lopez, Annika, like, Lorena, like, I mean, it was just Julie Inkster, Webby.
Speaker B:It was incredible to have, like, that veteran presence out there.
Speaker B:And here's my number.
Speaker B:Call me if you want to play.
Speaker B:And like, they meant it.
Speaker B:And so I really was lucky.
Speaker B:I really did get to play with every person that I looked up to when I was a little girl.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I've been lucky.
Speaker A:If you were declared supreme leader of golf for one day.
Speaker A:Okay, what would Nicole, as supreme Leader of golf, decree?
Speaker B:What would I decree?
Speaker B:No covers.
Speaker A:You say that again.
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:No iron covers.
Speaker A:Oh, God.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I hate iron covers.
Speaker B:That's always a massive red flag when you get to the tee box and someone has iron covers.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:And no clanking of the clubs when you're carrying your bag.
Speaker B:Like, that's just.
Speaker A:No, there's ways around that.
Speaker B:Illegal.
Speaker B:Illegal.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Name something that you were really enthused about when you first saw.
Speaker A:Saw it or heard about it, and then with time, your excitement kind of fizzled out.
Speaker B:Trying to think probably, like, just.
Speaker B:Just all the things that you try as a golfer.
Speaker B:You know, you're like, oh, maybe the stack until it's going to work, and you get really excited about working on something on your swing, and you're like, this is not working.
Speaker B:And then let me try something else in my swing to, like, to.
Speaker B:To work on.
Speaker B:So I think, like, just all the.
Speaker B:The fads of.
Speaker B:Of golf, of things to try.
Speaker B:Yeah, I can't think of one specifically, but, yeah, you get really excited at first, and then you.
Speaker B:A little while later, you're like, no, that's not working.
Speaker A:I get that.
Speaker A:Looking back, is there anything in your life doesn't just need to be your career, but is there anything in your life you might.
Speaker A:Would want to change?
Speaker B:You know, I.
Speaker B:No, I don't have regrets when I make a decision.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm good with it kind of thing.
Speaker B:If anything, like, if I could go back in, like, as far as my career wise, I really wish I had the perspective that I have today of, like, it really doesn't matter at the end of the day what you score, and, like, it really isn't that important.
Speaker B:Like, there's so many.
Speaker B:I always joke, like, when you're in the bubble, though, like, you just can't see out of it.
Speaker B:And, like, it's literally like, life ending, shooting a bad score, missing a cut when you're in that bubble.
Speaker B:And then when you're out of it, you're like, who cares?
Speaker B:It doesn't matter.
Speaker B:And I almost don't even remember a lot of stuff from my career just because it's a distant memory.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker B:So that would probably be the only thing is just to, like, feel a little nicer to myself and.
Speaker B:And just to have a not.
Speaker B:Not that I didn't appreciate it, but just appreciate that that was what I was doing and, like, it didn't need to be so life and death.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:If you could dine with a historical figure, who would it be and what would be on the menu?
Speaker B:I think I would love to dine with, like, our forefathers, like, who drew up the constitution.
Speaker B:I love politics.
Speaker B:And I mean, if you really think about it, they were really smart coming up with that back in the day, like, not knowing all of the development, growth that we've had.
Speaker B:And, like, I mean, I would love to talk to them and.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And get into their brain of, like, how did you guys.
Speaker B:Oh, like, these things could have possibly happened in the future.
Speaker A:What would.
Speaker A:I would suggest the food from today, not from back then.
Speaker B:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker B:Yeah, 100%.
Speaker B:I probably would have had to, like, help them kill it or something.
Speaker A:Well, yeah, but you know that.
Speaker A:What's one thing you wish spectators at tournaments would not do?
Speaker B:Oh, gosh.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:You know what, though?
Speaker B:For me, though, I love.
Speaker B:I love people watching.
Speaker B:I love people listening.
Speaker B:But the commentators behind the ropes is my favorite pastime.
Speaker B:Now.
Speaker B:I've been fortunate enough to walk a lot of rounds with Scottie Schuff, his mom and dad, and we laugh so hard.
Speaker B:We're live.
Speaker B:I said we laugh so hard when we're listening to people in on Scotty or chirping in on the other player, and we're like, they have no clue what they're talking about.
Speaker B:Just so funny.
Speaker B:The commentary of what people assume or they think they know or like, oh, I have a friend that saw him at the gym.
Speaker B:And whatever.
Speaker B:Like, whatever commentary they.
Speaker B:They could chirp in, and it's just so far, like, not even close.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I would just say, like, the keyboard warriors, the.
Speaker B:The behind the ropes commentators, like, leave that to the act.
Speaker B:Leave that to the pros.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's kind of like when you're playing with somebody and they go, keep your head down.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You're like, that's.
Speaker A:No, that's, that's not, that's not it.
Speaker A:Trust me, trust me on that.
Speaker A:Last question, because I know you're busy.
Speaker A:If I gave you a box, Nicole, with everything you've lost in your life, what would be the first thing you would reach for?
Speaker B:I am like really responsible and I really haven't lost anything of importance except one thing, which is my Nicole necklace.
Speaker B:So when I was 15, I'm part Cuban and we celebrate like quinceanera, like when you turn 15 instead of 16.
Speaker B:And my mom got me like, it's just a gold chain.
Speaker B:There's Nicole.
Speaker B:And I went to the movies one night with my brother and it was gone.
Speaker B:And I had it for like 20 years.
Speaker B:So this one actually is pretty new.
Speaker B:I got it replaced pretty quickly.
Speaker B:But that is the only thing that I've ever truly lost before.
Speaker A:Consider yourself lucky.
Speaker A:Mine would be like a 40 yard dumpster full of stuff.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:Anyway, Nicole Hayes from.
Speaker B:I was gonna say I did think of the unsung heroes.
Speaker A:Okay, go ahead.
Speaker B:I thought of them.
Speaker B:I would say the staffs at golf courses, everything from the superintendent to the head pro, me working in the golf industry, it people, they don't understand the members.
Speaker B:Just be kinder.
Speaker B:They don't understand that they are up at 3, 4 o' clock in the morning and they are there all day and they're manicuring the course and they're preparing for your member event and they're preparing for lessons and they're preparing to just run the country club.
Speaker B:And they work six days a week, most of them work seven and they don't get days off.
Speaker B:And I think just people forget that.
Speaker B:Like there's people behind the scenes doing so much work, but you think it's like your job like 9 to 5.
Speaker B:Like I think every golf person in the golf industry would love a 9 to 5 job.
Speaker B:Monday through Friday.
Speaker B:But they work every single holiday.
Speaker B:I mean, who's at the Easter brunch?
Speaker B:Every single person at the country club.
Speaker B:Who's at Thanksgiving, who's at Christmas, who's at New Year's?
Speaker B:They're not with their families, they're with.
Speaker B:They're working.
Speaker B:So I think they are the unsung heroes in the golf industry and do not get enough credit.
Speaker B:So just be a little more kinder to them because they are the hardest working people.
Speaker A:Nicole Hayes from Golf Forever.
Speaker A:It's been a real pleasure to meet you.
Speaker A:I hope we can do this again sometime, anytime.
Speaker B:You ask great questions, too.
Speaker A:Oh, thank you.
Speaker A:I loved that you give them the websites and stuff.
Speaker B:One more hit here, golfforever.com.
Speaker B:that's where you'll find all that you need.
Speaker A:Okay, Very good for Nicole and I.
Speaker A:We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Speaker A:Don't eat too much, but I know you will.
Speaker A:And because I will.
Speaker A:And until then, go out, have some fun, play some golf.
Speaker A:But most importantly, be kind.
Speaker A:Everybody take care.
