Country Music & Golf: Masters Talk & Country Golfers + Raising Cane’s 1,000th Opening

Sun’s out, clubs out on this week’s Country Music Rocks Podcast! We’re teeing up a fun crossover between country music and golf just in time for the Masters Tournament. The timing couldn’t be better with the release of Thomas Rhett’s take on “Georgia On My Mind.”  The classic song is already setting the tone for the tradition of the prestigious tournament and all the excitement that lies ahead.

In this episode, we’re diving into country artists that can really hold their own on the course, who we’d pick for our dream golf partner, and Danny shares a great story about the time he hit the links with Vince Gill.

We’re also sharing details from Julia’s recent trip to LA with Raising Cane’s to celebrate the opening of their 1,000th restaurant. It’s quite the story hearing about Raising Cane’s Owner Todd Graves’ journey on starting the popular restaurant chain and building an incredible brand.

 Be sure follow along as we'll have a new episode each week! Follow the Country Music Rocks Podcast on all streaming platforms:  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube and more.

Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram, as well as our main Website so you can stay up to date with all the country music news!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Turn it up. You're listening to the Country Music Rocks podcast with Danny and Julia. Your all access packed to all your favorite artists, untold stories, and the real behind the scenes of country music.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Ooh, I am so excited. The sun is shining, seasons are changing, spring's officially here.

SPEAKER_04 0:21

And you are dressed for it. You look like you're ready to hit the course.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

I am so ready for golf season.

SPEAKER_04 0:25

Honestly, I am too. I I don't, I'm not dressed for it, but I yeah, I'm t I'm totally ready.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

I did this today because I wanted to represent, because it's it's a big week, as we know.

SPEAKER_04 0:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

There's so many country artists that love to golf on a daily basis. Yep. As you know, they travel from city to city. They're like, okay, let's uh where's the closest golf course? Uh I think instantly of Morgan Wallen because everybody uh had no idea when he was here a couple years ago at the at the amphitheater. He and his crew loaded up with Ernest and they went and played at Try Mountain Golf.

SPEAKER_05 0:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

So the girl that actually like checked them in probably was freaking out. Oh, I'm sure. Like, this is Morgan Wallen at my golf course.

SPEAKER_04 1:03

Do you think she even noticed at first? Because I feel like, you know, they're not announcing who they are when they walk in the door. So it's almost kind of like was she kind of thinking, was that Morgan Wallen? Or did she know, like, oh my god, it's Morgan Wallen? Yeah. I kind of wonder.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

I don't know. I want to ask one of our record rep friends because I'm sure that they they could use an alias, I'm sure. Oh, of course. Or it could just be one guy going in, hey, I'm signing in for one of my buddies. Right. Yeah, yeah. I don't think they have to know the name. They usually ask a name, and it's usually like Courier or Dwyer, and like, you know, a Tusome or whatever. Yeah. So they may not even have known.

SPEAKER_05 1:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

But I think it was kind of interesting. But I think of all the golf tournaments around and everybody who's into it so much. I mean, the other per I there there's three golfers that really stick out to me that are like amazing golfers when it comes to country music. Vince Gill, which is like a scratch golfer. He's which I actually didn't know that until Yeah, he's actually good enough to play on the tour.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Like incredibly good. It's disgusting. Wow. Chris Lane is a nice.

SPEAKER_04 2:00

I knew that. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Chris came to my golf tournament a couple years ago and showed us how like some point.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

Showed how everybody had to play golf. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Great guy. Yep. Uh Colt Ford.

SPEAKER_04 2:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Massive golfer. He is. He he actually did the not the main PGA tour, he did the tour below that.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Okay. Still. That's impressive.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

He's got it on his resume as a pro golfer.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

As he should, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

He was really good friends with John Daly.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

And then uh Jake Owen.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Another one. Yep. Right. I mean, Jake's a great golfer as well.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

He has his own um annual golf invitational as well. So yeah. And he's really into it.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

This year, earlier this year in Phoenix at the Waste Management, we saw Zach Top play.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Last year, Miranda Lambert played for the first time, and now she's hooked.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Exactly. So she's like, she's got like you. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

You got hooked, you got in, so you went to golf galaxy. You got your clubs, your shoes, your gear. You're good to go.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Some of the stuff haven't even used yet, but I have it. Right? Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

We've been um tempting my wife a little. I will I won't lie.

SPEAKER_04 3:00

We've hit top golf a couple times now with you guys. Yeah. And she's good.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

She's I think she's just nervous because she doesn't want to make she's the she's the type of person, uh, God lover. She doesn't want to go to the gym because she's afraid that people are gonna judge her. Right. And I'm like, you can't, you don't, you can't do that. Right. You have to go and play to learn, to understand the game. And if you're playing with your friends, obviously we're not gonna judge you, right? Like we're there to have a great time. Absolutely. Drink some beers and the warm sunshine and make memories, but enjoy the game of golf.

SPEAKER_04 3:29

Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Why did you take up the game of golf for yourself?

SPEAKER_04 3:32

Honestly, so I was at a company party with my husband, and one of the outings was going to top golf. And so we went to top golf, and I was like, and kind of like you're right. If I was like, no, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna play in front of all these guys, blah, blah, blah. And I did, and I was like, oh, that was that was kind of fun. And I mean, top golf is a little bit different, but you know, you kind of got like the fundamentals down with the swinging and stuff, and I was like, that actually kind of felt good. Like I feel like I could actually do that, right, you know, on a course, never had been on a course before. So then John and I had gone to a driving range like a couple weeks after we got home, just just to see, you know, is this just a phase? You liked it for the uh two hours and that was it. And we went to the driving range and I loved it.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Right.

SPEAKER_04 4:13

And then I was in, like literally in. And I was I bought golf clubs, I got a bag, I got the shoes, I got the everything. I mean, I was ordering like I said, some of the stuff I still don't know what it does.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

Right.

SPEAKER_04 4:26

It's in my bag. My bag is full of everything.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

So it goes, Do you have this? I got it.

SPEAKER_04 4:31

The only thing that I did not have is I didn't realize the first time I went golfing, I think I had one ball. I I brought a ball.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

Oh, yeah. You're thinking you're having that one ball from the ball. Yeah, a ball.

SPEAKER_04 4:42

And that was gone after like the first swing. And I was just like, I gotta go back to the pro shop. What is this? This is a racketeer. Like, what is happening here? So now I I know how to, yeah. Yeah, I'm well stalked.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Well, it was good. At least you got a great experience by going to Top Golf. And I agree, Topgolf is a fun place.

SPEAKER_04 5:01

Well, because you start to have fun. And then I think that's kind of because I think when you think of golf, especially for women, it's well, first of all, you always think it's a guy sing, and then it's not. And then you also were like, oh, golf's boring, because it's like you think of watching it on TV.

SPEAKER_06 5:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:15

Prior to two, was it two or three years ago? Yeah, I would have said the same thing. Like, I'm not watching golf on TV. Now when we go out, like we're sitting like in a bar at a restaurant and golf is on, both my husband, Ben, and I we're totally paying attention. We're like, oh, did you see that? Did you see how we chipped that? Or yeah, it's it just I don't know, it's such a thing, and I love it.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

It's good. I I'm excited because we've talked about this a moment ago. The masters are coming up.

SPEAKER_05 5:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

And I every year look forward to this because my son Tanner got into golf. Uh a strange story. My way I came into golf was through my grandfather and my dad.

SPEAKER_06 5:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Um, my grandfather always said that he wanted to do something with his kids that he can enjoy time with his grandkids and know that he could just do whatever.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

Right.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Golf was that game. Golf and pool. He loved to play pool and he loved golf. Yeah. My dad said the same thing. My dad took up golf to spend time with my grandfather, and then they got to spend quality time together.

SPEAKER_04 6:07

Which totally makes sense. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

And so I decided, okay, I'm gonna do it. And I had friends that were live when I was living in LA at the time that were really good golfers. One of my good friends, Sean Parr. Um, he is disgusting good. And he plays all the time with Brett Young, he's playing with Darius Rucker, because he lives in Nashville.

SPEAKER_04 6:26

All the great golfers, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

I mean, it's just and he's played with Chris, he's played with Morgan, but um he used to hold a golf tournament every year in Southern California, and he got me into the game a little deeper than what my dad would because I was kind of like, okay, I'll just do whatever. Yeah. Sean actually explained the game to me, gave me like a used set of clubs to get myself into it. Then a couple times when, because we used to work for Dick Clark Productions, so we would always go to the ACM golf tournament.

SPEAKER_06 6:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

And one year, um, Thomas Redd's dad, Red Akins, flew in for the show. Garth was hosting the ACM golf tournament in Burbank. It was a great day. Uh, and Thomas realized uh that he was with his dad. We forgot clubs. They the bags didn't come in time. So they were trying to get some clubs from the clubhouse and they didn't have enough because all the artists were coming. Right. They didn't have enough. So Rhett actually borrowed my set of drivers.

SPEAKER_04 7:21

No way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

So I and it's funny because I'll show it to you next time we play. There's a dent in one of my drivers because he sliced a ball when he hit it off the T and it dinged my brand new driver. Okay. So I have a dent in it from him, and it makes me laugh. Every time I use it, I'm like, Rhett Aikens did that too in a golf club. So it's okay. He did it. So it was cool. So that's why I took up the game of golf so I can do it with my dad and spend time with him. Because even I said, well, this is what I want to do with my boys. Because when I'm 85 years old, I still want to get that exercise.

SPEAKER_04 7:52

Exactly. Get out there and golf.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Yeah, I'm not gonna be driving it like Tiger Woods and those guys anymore. But I can still extend the day with my kids and my boys. And now my wife. Yes. Because we're trying to get her. I think this is the year we're gonna get it.

SPEAKER_04 8:05

I think it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

I really and she's really more excited about just driving the golf cart.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

It's fun, it's funny because she's totally gonna love that. She's totally into that. But even sometimes it's like my husband will be off, like, all right, I'm gonna you take the cart, and I'm like, okay, this is actually kind of fun. Because before I'd be like, no, no, no, you drive it, you drive it. I'm like, yeah, I got it. Yeah, yeah. I'll pick you up.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

But looking to the masters next week, uh, it's uh you never know who's gonna show up. I mean, the regular guys that are on the tour, and I can't name them all. I mean, I know there's so many, yeah. Yeah, there's so many. In fact, I just went blank on one of the names, but I mean, you know, the uh Rory is gonna be there and McElroy is gonna be there, and DeShambo is gonna be there, and a bunch of others.

SPEAKER_04 8:42

You're saying names that I don't even know. Like, I what is it? Uh Scotty Sheffer?

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Scotty Sheffer's gonna be there, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:47

That's the only name I can throw out.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Yeah. Well, that's why we watch the Masters because we want to watch and we want to grow and we want to learn. And this is the best of the best coming to like the Super Bowl of golf, which is cool. Um but I'm interested to see who's gonna show up on Media Day for the country artist. I know because I know Colt has played there before. Um I don't want to give the name of the person that I know that every year goes to the Masters. And there's a couple of reps in Nashville that they go to Augusta and they play, and then an artist gets to play because I think an artist still has to pay. You just don't have to be a member because you're a celebrity, okay, but you get a chance to play there. Yeah. And I'm like, man, to play Augusta to just not not not even during the masters, just to even play there, yeah. Is like one of the greatest opportunities.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

Like literally can't even imagine.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

I have a former friend that I used to work with, and her grandfather was grandfathered in to always get tickets. They get four tickets a year every year because they were members back in the early 50s and 60s and 70s, and he had something to do with the club.

SPEAKER_05 9:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Um, so every year she goes. That's cool. Yeah, and I'm like, can I just go with you as your guest one time? Just once.

SPEAKER_04 10:00

I know.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

I just want to go see. I mean, I would hate to go now without my son because he's so into it. So I'm two tickets to Augusta. I would love to see it. And of course, you have to get on a list in like two years. Like I wouldn't be able to go next year. You'd have to go in 28.

SPEAKER_04 10:15

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Because it's so popular.

SPEAKER_04 10:16

I know it's I mean, I know it's very prestigious, and it is like the golf tournaments of golf tournaments. Like, like you said, it's a Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

So it's gonna be crazy. I think the the media tournament is on Wednesday. We'll start seeing stuff on ESPN. I'm hoping like Zach Top and Jake get the chance to go, maybe Chris Lane, maybe Brett Young. That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

That would be really cool. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Even Darius Rucker, I mean, he's now he's a different sport and he loves golf, he loves basketball. He just got into NASCAR.

SPEAKER_04 10:43

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

But I mean, still, I know he's a big big time golfer, so that would be cool to see.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

I wonder if because I know Colt was having some health issues the past few years. I wonder if he's able to get back out on the course and wonder if he's gonna be a good one. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Yeah, yeah, he had a he had bypass surgery. Uh uh, he had a heart attack, but he's I'm sure he's I know he's performing again.

SPEAKER_04 11:03

Uh yeah, I know he's been performing here and there, not quite as extensively as he was before, but he's if he's back on the stage, I'm sure he's back on the course in some capacity, but maybe not tournaments. I don't know. I hope so. I feel like that would be good healing.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

Another up-and-coming golfer who's really good that I've noticed now, they do this in Maui a couple times a year. In fact, they I was like a Maui?

SPEAKER_04 11:22

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

This is uh if you ever get to Maui, uh, I will tell you that Maui Nui is a great golf course. Okay, it is beautiful, it is so cool. The carts are so nice. They actually have GPS on the carts, so like if you it's incredible. Like, I've played some great courses here in the Pacific Northwest, but it was nothing like Maui Nui, and that wasn't even playing in like uh Waikiki because there's some great courses in Waikiki. Yeah, but in Hawaii, you get a chance to play, you gotta play in Hawaii. And both my boys had the chance to play. So we've made those memories. And if you ever get a chance to go to Maui, make sure you check out Maui Nui. It's a local corporate, it's not even a it's just a local course. You don't have to be a member, it's a public course, which is really nice. I think it was like 75 bucks for the round. Oh, wow. And that included your cart.

SPEAKER_04 12:11

And that's cheaper than here.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

I know. So I was like, yeah, we'll play in Maui. Now my one son was like, I don't want to go, I want to go, let's go play every day. And I'm like, well, I don't want to drop 75 bucks every day, yeah. Because I want to go to the beach and I want to ride scooters and stuff like that. So we did that, but it was still to this day one of the greatest memories of me with the boys on the golf course in Hawaii. Yeah. Cool. Um, and then Tanner and I got a chance to play in uh Koalina at the Koalina golf course, which is next to Disney's Aolani.

SPEAKER_02 12:41

Right.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Um, it was that's a really nice course, too. It's just under a PGA course, and it's also a public course. A little bit more money, it was like 125 bucks a round.

SPEAKER_04 12:52

I still feel like that's not bad considering. I mean, here in the Pacific Northwest, it gets pretty spendy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

And I think it was like 60 bucks for the clubs because we didn't pack our clubs. Yeah. So I think it was like around 150 for both of us. Yeah, yeah. But that included the clubs, the game, the round, and the golf cart.

SPEAKER_04 13:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

But you also, you know, you you it's an experience. They give you a ball, a sleeve of balls. Okay. They give you your teas, they give you all that stuff. So it's some keepsake stuff too. So it was pretty cool. So those are my two that I really like in Hawaii that I think they're just awesome if you ever get a chance to play them. Very good. Now, of course, the shops at Wyelea, YLA golf course. I drive by it every time we're in Maui and I'm like, someday.

SPEAKER_04 13:31

Someday, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

It's a bucket list. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

I think I would have a hard time choosing between the shops at Wyalea or golfing at Yalea. No, those shops. So you kind of suck it in. There was some good shop in there.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Oh, I know. I've I've walked past them a few times and I've seen some things in there that I'm like, I really like that Rolex watch. Someday I will have my Rolex. I'm saving my money, I will have my Rolex exactly someday.

SPEAKER_05 13:53

But there you go.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Uh I love the fact that it's always tied into golf, Rolex and golf. So it's cool. Uh, what are some have you played any other courses anywhere else or just here?

SPEAKER_04 14:02

No, I have not. I'm not there yet, but I do want to start, and it was funny because my husband and I were just saying this past weekend because it was so nice, um, we want to get out early. Like we golfed a couple times this winter because we had such a mild winter. I mean, yeah, it was cold, but I mean it was just good to get out there. And um, so we're still just kind of doing the easy courses around here, but we do want to start getting out there and doing some some bigger ones and maybe even traveling and going to some courses like in Arizona or maybe California or yeah, maybe Hawaii. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Been blessed to go play at a bunch because of tournaments and with friends. I've gotten invited to a bunch of them.

SPEAKER_05 14:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Um, I will give you my top five here.

SPEAKER_05 14:42

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

In in locally in the Portland, Vancouver, Salem area. Um, there's Mint Valley, which is in Kelso Longview. There's Lewis River, which is a really course for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_04 14:55

It's great to start out at.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Yes, really good. Um, I also like um oh gosh, I just went completely blank on it. Lewis River, uh Colwood, Cole Wood's another one, which is really kind of cool. Um what's the one in oh campus meadows?

SPEAKER_04 15:10

Camus Meadows, okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Campus Meadows is really wide, except for like one little area.

SPEAKER_04 15:15

When you're in like literally a neighborhood.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:19

It's the only way I can describe it. I mean, there was a lot of things. It's a little nerve-wracking. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Um, and then Bandon Dunes. But Bandon Dunes is along the coast. It's gorgeous. Everybody wants to.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

Everybody loves that.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

It's a great course.

SPEAKER_04 15:30

I remember when Jordan Davis came to town. Yes. Um, he uh specifically took a couple extra days because he wanted to go down. And I think he visits, if he can, he goes down to Bandon every time he's in town. Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah, it's one of those courses.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

I I've had Russell did the same thing. Okay. A bunch of those artists had done the same thing. So if you ever get the chance to, like you said, you want to tour and go do that, go play it. It's a little spendy, yeah. But it's one of those courses, like you can say it's like Pebble Beach. Yeah. Right? Like you're in California. You you want to go see it.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

You're gonna go have drinks there and have dinner there. It's one of those things. Um, and then it's in Bend, there's a couple courses that are just gorgeous. Oh, yeah. That are just awesome. So yeah, every time that I can go to Bend and play, I'm like, oh sign me up. I'm gonna go. You're there. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 16:13

Um for you, who like if you could golf with somebody for the day, a country artist, who would you wanna who would you wanna golf with for the day?

SPEAKER_01 16:20

For the day? Um, oh, that's a really good question. I I will tell you, it would not be Vince Gill because it would not be Vince Gill because the man is so serious at golf. I will tell you a funny story moments from now uh that included Vince Gill and Sean Parr and myself. Uh, we got a chance to golf in Alabama at the Fort Payne June jam.

SPEAKER_04 16:44

So you golfed with Vince.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

I have golf with Vince.

SPEAKER_04 16:46

Okay, we gotta hear that.

SPEAKER_01 16:47

Yeah, it's it's very funny. So I I want to tell I will tell you why I would not pick him. Okay. Um if I had somebody that we could really teach me on a great level, I think it would probably be Chris Lane again. Okay. Because he's he's consistent, he's very um prepared, yeah, and he knows how to how to think, you know, like is it slicing it? Am I hooking it? Whatever it might be. He was very informative when it came to actually teaching us at the golf room. So I'd like to spend some more time with him.

SPEAKER_05 17:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Um, my buddy Sean, though, is not in he's in country music, but is not as an artist.

SPEAKER_05 17:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

As an artist, yeah, it would probably be Chris Lane uh to have some fun. I mean, Morgan would be fun.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Well, of course.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

You know, we go out there and hang out and drink some beers and stuff. But I think Chris would probably be my main guy. I will tell you a funny story. Okay. So years ago, uh Sean and I worked at a station in Southern California at the time. It was called KZLA. And Sean and I both worked for Dick Clark Productions. I was a escort and a runner for the Academy of Country Music Awards. Sean was the voice of the Academy of Country Music Awards, just like he is for the Golden Globes and a bunch of other things that he always does.

SPEAKER_04 17:57

He's like the perfect voice. Yeah, he's a great guy.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

I love the man. He's such a great guy. Uh, so we got invited to go to June Jam in Alabama when it was in Fort Payne at the time. Okay. And at this particular instance, it was a week after the CMA music fest. So it was called Fanfare at the time. So everybody would go to fanfare. It would be uh Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And then on that Wednesday, it was Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Fort Pain, which is like three hours away by bus. Everybody would come to Fort Pain because Alabama was the artist of the decade. It was their hometown, and they would invite their friends to come play. Two stages. Um, almost like I mean, it would be bigger than Stagecoach.

SPEAKER_05 18:42

Wow. I mean, it was huge, it was huge.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

And they would do two stages. So one stage would be Alan Jackson was performing while Alan was getting ready, you know, performing. Um, Winona was on the next stage setting up when Winona was done, then it was this artist and this artist and this artist. And then eventually each night, Alabama performed each single night. So during those four days, each member of Alabama has a different thing. Uh at the time, Randy was more or less into um, well, I'll go back. Jeff was into fishing, he loved to fish, and there's all these great lakes around Fort Payne, Alabama, uh, that we go fishing at and stuff. Jeff uh was a huge bass guy, just loved to do fishing. Randy was more of a softball guy. So one day it was a softball tournament, a fishing tournament, um, and then Teddy was more or less the golfer. So, and then they have all their friends come and golf. So at this particular time, we got, and this was a really funny story because uh Alabama in Fort Payne, it's a dry county, so there's no alcohol. And this golf course is kind of crazy. Yeah, and there's always thunderstorms, and when there's thunderstorms in Alabama, there's tornado shelters, there's all sorts of stuff. Certain houses had basements that you'd have to get into.

SPEAKER_05 19:57

Wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Well, so we're we're golfing, we're having a great time, thunder's thunderclouds come in, uh-oh. The alarms start going off. We have to get out of the golf carts, park them, go to this house. We go to this house, and it was like CRS. You open up this suite, and the bathtub is full of alcohol.

SPEAKER_03 20:15

Oh, how funny. You're right. That is like that's exactly how CRS is.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

We're like, okay, we're gonna stay and party this. No, it was crazy. Um, so that was one experience there, but that particular golf tournament that I got to play in with the Randy Owen crew was um Diamond Rio was there.

SPEAKER_06 20:32

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Uh, Reba and her husband at the time, which was Narval Blackstock, was there. I golfed with the mayor of Alabama and Vince Gill. Um, and I can't even remember all the other artists that were there, a part of it, but it was great because that day on our team, on our force and it was Sean and I, the mayor of Alabama, and one other gentleman who owns something. I don't even know what it was. But they it was hysterical. So, funny story on this part where Vince Gill is he is such a competitive golfer. Okay. Like he is like unbelievably golf. I mean, it's it's it's crazy how good he is. I would say he could probably at the masters, if they're doing 12 under, I'd say Vince could probably take it to about eight, maybe nine under.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

Really?

SPEAKER_01 21:17

That's how good he is.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

That's impressive.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

It's it's yeah, he's such a great golfer. So, anyways, uh, you know, if you've seen these tournaments, and I'll just use the masters as one as an example. We walk up to this hole and there's hundreds of people. Okay, I mean hundreds, because they all want to see Vince Gill do the perfect swing and John Daly do the perfect swing and everyone else. So we're up, we're we're behind them because as usual, you're running just a few moments behind. We get up to the hole and there's still 200 people there. And I had to tee off first. Oh, and we pleaded off in a scramble. So I was literally panicked because I had just really kind of started golfing, so my drives weren't great. Right. I would either hook Slice and they were always going right or always going left.

SPEAKER_04 22:03

I know all about it.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah. So I literally had to ask every at this particular day. I don't know why. I just kept going left.

SPEAKER_05 22:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

And so I asked everybody. I'm there, must have been 60 people at this hole. And I'm like, because they all took off, they were starting to follow. They just wanted to see everybody. Yeah. They weren't leaving their spots. So I had said to everybody, can you please just all go to the right? Yeah. Just go on the right side. I know my ball always goes left. I don't want to hit anybody.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Because you just don't. Yeah. You know. And um, so they're like, Yeah, yeah. So everyone, everyone moves over, and to my left is a giant shed. And you've seen those sheds at golf courses. They're either full of like sand and gravel and seed and all the equipment, or they're full of golf carts. So I get up first, and sure enough, I hit this ball and it just hooked immediately. Left. I mean, it was probably going a thousand miles an hour and it hit this building in the biggest bang went off. And Vince Gill literally was half a hole ahead of us. Uh-huh. He yelled, you know, some curse words.

SPEAKER_06 23:12

What the hell?

SPEAKER_01 23:13

And I was like, oh my God, I was so embarrassed. So for the other the rest of the day, I was like, you guys please go first. Because if you guys have the longest drive, I get to play off that. You don't think on my drive. Yeah, yeah. So they stopped taking my drive.

SPEAKER_06 23:24

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

But I just remember scaring the hell out of everybody. And then I was like, I when it came time for dinner afterwards, I did not want to sit down for dinner. I wanted to just get out of the room. Who's the guy that hit the building? Yeah. That would be me.

SPEAKER_04 23:38

Hey, it's a great memory, great story.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

It was fantastic. And I I Sean and I talk about it. He's like, How's your golf game? I'm like, it was better than it was 40 years ago.

SPEAKER_03 23:46

There you go. As long as you've improved.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

Yeah. Oh gosh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

And I I mean, and I've golfed with you. You are a great golfer.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Thank you. I appreciate it. I've I take my time and I've learned a lot over the years, and I learned a lot from him. But it's it's fun to go with people that are really good because you can, you know.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

I feel like you always take away something. Like if you if you want to, you have the opportunity to learn from somebody if they truly are really good and if they want to take the time to sure show you a thing or two.

SPEAKER_01 24:10

And I think about this game is that if you haven't golfed, don't be scared of it. Try it like we have. Go to Top Golf, learn it. You might enjoy it. Yeah. I think for me, the enjoyment is going with my friends, like we've gone out before. We've played Camas Meadows and just having great laughs. Because like it's always fun. Yeah. I mean, it's there's something always going on. And you could have a great day, and then you're like, that's what keeps you coming back. And I've told that to my son Tanner. I'm like, you cannot always drive the ball a thousand miles an hour straight down the four. Yeah, you know, there's just no way. No, you're not like Tiger Wood. No, if you went out and that's all you did every single day, it'd be a different story. Yeah, exactly. But we we can't do that, so we have to play on weekends.

SPEAKER_05 24:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

So yeah, I I'm looking forward to the season. It's here.

SPEAKER_04 24:55

I know.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

I'm getting excited.

SPEAKER_04 24:56

I am too.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

I passed a Tri-Mountain golf course in Ridgefield. That was another golf course that I really, really love. Um, I want to take you to Mint Valley because I think you'll like Mint Valley.

SPEAKER_04 25:05

You've talked about that one before. Yes, we have to do that this week.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

It's wide, it's a it's just it's a really nice course, it's beautifully set up, and there's some spots that just it's it seems like it'd be very, very easy. I Tanner started. Yeah, I was nervous for him because I was like, oh, I don't know, but he actually loves the course. Does he? So it's a it's a great beginner course.

SPEAKER_04 25:22

We'll have to definitely do that.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Intermediate course for sure. Definitely.

SPEAKER_04 25:26

I think that if I got the opportunity to golf with an artist, I think I would pick Jake Owen. Okay. Because I feel like he's a girl dad, right? Yeah. So he's got patience. And I bet he's already taken Pearl out golfing and stuff, and and he's he's great at it. Yes. So I just feel like for some reason he would he would be my guy that I would want to go out and just because I just feel like he would have, like I said, have the patience and I think I could learn a lot from him.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

That'd be good. Yeah, I that's the thing. Patience is the thing because everybody gets so mad, you know, because it's not going where they want it to go. It's not as easy as it looks. Yes, on TV, they make it look so easy. I'm like, some of the shots, I'm like, are you kidding me? Yeah. And in and this last weekend I was watching one of the tournaments down in Houston, and these two guys came up and they both they're la they were tied. Their final shot, they both blew it and they were so mad at themselves. And I'm like, I get it. I understand. You know, your pressure's on the line, it's a hundred thousand dollars, a trophy. Yeah, you know, there's a lot of pressure. There is when you when you don't have the pressure, go enjoy it, just have fun.

SPEAKER_04 26:31

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

The only thing about golf that I don't like is that I always feel like I'm rushed.

SPEAKER_04 26:37

Yes, that that is yeah, because we've golfed before and we uh are together. And you're right, like when you have somebody behind you, it's like, you know what, just go. Yeah, just go ahead of us. If you're in if you're coming to golf as a race, right, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, I understand. Don't lolly dag and don't, you know, take 10, 15 minutes at each hole. But at the same time, we're all here, we're all starting out. We're all we all have to learn. So yeah, it's like routine. I hate feeling rushed. Yeah, that's the one thing.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

I hate when people come up behind me, I'm like, just go, just go. Because I'm not, I'm not, especially if I'm at a really nice course like in Maui Nui, yeah, you know, or YLA, you're paying a lot of money. Like, I want to enjoy the view. Exactly. You're there to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_04 27:18

Yeah, yeah, not to just get through it and onto the next. Yeah, that's for sure. No, that's a good point.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Um, yeah, and I'm I'm I'm excited about next week. I can't wait. It's gonna be awesome. No, it's gonna be a good one. I'm excited about it. It'll be a really good, it'll be a really good season, and with it coming, um, if you know of a course that you really, really like that you want to, uh tell us. Tell us what your favorite courses are. I'd love to hear some.

SPEAKER_04 27:38

We need to visit some different courses.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

I haven't done a lot in the Oregon area. I know that Coldwood was one of them. What's the one by PIR? The US. Uh Heron Lakes.

SPEAKER_04 27:47

Actually, that's a really nice one.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

Yeah, that's a good one too. I have a few friends that played that. I believe it or not, played at Portland Meadows. They had a golf course in the middle of Portland Meadows. Oh. And years and years and years ago at the horse track, I actually got to play right before it was closing. I got to play there one day with a buddy of mine that was in radio. He's like, Come on, let's go play. I was like, All right, let's go check it out. And never knew there was a golf course there. It was just a small nighthole, but it was still fun.

SPEAKER_04 28:09

That's fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Yeah, it was cool. So I'm I'm pumped. I'm ready for the season.

SPEAKER_04 28:13

Me too.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

I got a new putter for Christmas.

SPEAKER_04 28:15

Oh, there you go. So you're definitely ready.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

Yeah, I'm definitely ready. I've got new gear. I just went to the golf show, got a new bag for myself.

SPEAKER_04 28:22

So awesome.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

Well, my wife goes, Do you really need another bunch of balls? Do you really need I'm like, honey, you'll see really quick.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

Exactly. Yes. You'll understand.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

So my my goal is to have her out within the next month.

SPEAKER_04 28:36

Good. I hope so. That would be fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:39

When um I was in LA uh last week, and or was it last week or yeah. Yeah. Um, it was last week. And anyways, it was so nice. I mean, it was just gorgeous. It was beautiful, and I was like, man, I wish we were spent spending an extra day to go golfing because I wish like the weather was like in the high 90s and it was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Yeah. There's some great courses in LA.

SPEAKER_04 28:59

Yeah, I bet there is.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

In Calabasas, there's some great. I used to live across the street from Calabasas Country Club, and we'd always ride our motorcycles around it, and there's I just remember this big, beautiful lake and the fountains, and I'd be like, Yeah, I want to play there one day. Yeah. There's and there's some in Ventura, California. There's a bunch.

SPEAKER_04 29:16

I know there's yeah, they're all around. We um ours was just a quick trip in and out, but actually, um, so we went to For Keynes. Yeah, we went for Reese and Keynes. They opened opened their thousandth store. Wow. Right on Hollywood Boulevard. Awesome. Which was pretty incredible, I gotta tell you. Um it was interesting because it was the weekend, so it was the Oscars that weekend. Right. And then that Sunday night. Yeah, and then we flew in on Tuesday. I mean, and you can still see the tents and everything set up. So where Canes is at is literally steps from where they held the Oscars.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Oh my gosh, right there on Sunset Boulevard.

SPEAKER_04 29:48

On Hollywood Boulevard. Hollywood Boulevard.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

Okay, so it's I think it's close to Hollywood and Sunset.

SPEAKER_04 29:52

It is, it's right on that, like that cross, but it's so cool.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

It's a great place.

SPEAKER_04 29:56

It's a great location. Yeah, yeah. Location. I mean, you just can't beat. Um, and it was really interesting because I know we talk about it on the podcast all the time, uh, you know, chase your dreams. Right. And you know, we've had artists say the same thing, you know, chase your dreams. And it's so interesting because uh Todd, the owner, he literally had to chase his dream to get to where he is today. Right. You know, he didn't just fall into the restaurant business. You know, he went to school and he went to college and he presented his business plan, and his professor was like, I don't think this is gonna work. You can't have a restaurant just serving basically one thing. And Todd was like, No, I think I can. And you know, so he went and he bought a suit, he bought a briefcase and tried to go meet with investors, tried to go to banks, and everybody turned him down. So he ended up, it's it's interesting, um, full circle back to California and just started working as a boilermaker. And he's just yeah, for countless hours, like hundred-hour weeks. And then he ended up going to Alaska for fishing just because he wanted to raise money. He wanted to see it through.

SPEAKER_06 30:58

Right.

SPEAKER_04 30:59

And now, you know, 30 years later, he's opening his thousandth store, and it is a really cool store. Like it's you walk in, you're it's like you're on the red carpet. Um, it's really cool. He's got like all the menus, like in like the Hollywood stars. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, it's it's a great location. I mean, in the location, you just literally can't beat the location.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

I haven't been there in quite a few years. Last time I was there, I saw Brothers Osborne at the Greek theater.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:24

Um, which was an amazing show. If you ever get a chance to go to the Greek, yeah, you need to get there. That was the very first stage I ever did my very first stage introduction on at the time. Uh, because another story was Sean, his dog uh ran through a barbed wire fence that particular day. And it was Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Mavericks. Okay. And so I got a call from my boss and said, Hey, Sean's dog is having an emergency. He can't make it. You need to get there as fast as you can. I was like, okay, cool. So I'll never forget that moment because it was amazing. It was like to stand on that historic stage. Right. But in sunset and Hollywood Boulevard, like it's just one of those, you know, it's like you see, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_04 32:02

It's an iconic, exactly. It's an iconic area.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

And you got to see it the perfect timing because, like you said, the night before was the Oscars. So they had cleaned literally everything. Right. Like the streets were all cleaned, everything was picked up. Yeah. Because when they're presented on TV, it's a whole different story.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

But when the next morning, I love that because John's like, you were right, all the security's here. Yeah. The next morning you guys woke up and boom, it was like magic. It was all gone.

SPEAKER_04 32:25

All gone. Yeah. It's it's crazy. But it's funny because like you always see like the celebrities eating out after whether they're at Taco Bell or In and Out. Or so now Canes is at like the perfect location for them to, you know, walk up, get a box combo, and kind of hang out on the boulevard.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

I wonder if it'd be cool for them to get tied in with Jimmy Kimmel because Jimmy Kimmel's studio is like right there.

SPEAKER_04 32:44

It's like literally across the street. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:46

Like, I mean, it's you know, you know Guillermo's gonna be in there.

SPEAKER_04 32:49

We um well, it's funny because he was part of the Halloween event that we went to back in October.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 32:55

He was there kind of doing his thing with Todd. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

That's cool.

SPEAKER_04 32:58

Yeah, it's just it's just really cool. Todd's just a great guy, he's connected with so many people, he gives back so much. He does.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

I love the story of success right there. Hearing it from that point.

SPEAKER_04 33:07

Truly, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

It reminds me of Asha McBride. That teacher always told her, You're never gonna be anything.

SPEAKER_03 33:12

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

You're never gonna amount to anything. And she even told her she and so you know, she's like, You're just never gonna be that kid ever. And then um, you know, Ashley wrote a couple songs about it, Fat and Famous, and I just love it.

SPEAKER_04 33:24

Yeah, no, it I think it's great. And yeah, he's he's just he's doing great things. There's so much more to come. That's great. I think it's gonna be an exciting, not only just this year. I mean, I think he's set to open uh I think it's like a hundred more stores or restaurants this year. Holy cow. Yeah, and then expanding to London to Mexico.

SPEAKER_01 33:41

So I see some trips in your future. If your husband can never make it, just know you got a great background.

SPEAKER_04 33:51

There we go. Exactly 100%.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Sorry, honey, I'm going to London with uh Julia.

SPEAKER_04 33:56

Yeah, I know. We'll send a postcard.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

That's funny. Well, listen, we hope you enjoy the game of golf. If you haven't done it, please take it up. Just go have some fun. Trust me, you're gonna love it. Uh, and all your favorite country stars are playing it, and who knows? Yeah, they might bump into them one day.

SPEAKER_04 34:11

That is, but that's so true. What a great point.

SPEAKER_01 34:13

I have not played in Nashville. I do want to play in Nashville.

SPEAKER_02 34:17

I actually should actually do that. We should figure that out.

SPEAKER_01 34:20

We should actually. Uh, Sean obviously lives in Nashville and he's a part of a country club. Okay, and that's where everyone's at. I don't know where it's at. I know it's somewhere near Franklin.

SPEAKER_04 34:30

Maybe that's another thing we need to manifest this year.

SPEAKER_01 34:32

Yeah, go play golf in Nashville.

SPEAKER_04 34:35

Yeah. If and when we are in Nashville this year, while we're manifesting all these things, we need to add that to our list.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Yeah, we're adding the CMAs to that, uh, the CMA music fest to that. Um, I I will say that Sean's got a big enough house, he's like, just come on over, just fly here, get here, you're fine. We'll go golf.

SPEAKER_02 34:51

There we go.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

So yeah, we've got an open invitation anytime. But we'd love to have you come golf with us too. So if you know of some great courses, let us know. Yeah, definitely. We'd love to pop up and go hit the sticks one day with you guys. That might be a possibility.

SPEAKER_04 35:03

You can text Julia at uh email me at julia at countrymusicrocks.net or Danny at Danny is at country musicrocks.net as well.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

Love to hear your favorite course. Let's get out there, let's go play and enjoy the masters. And until next time, thanks for hanging out, Country Music Rocks Podcast.