Having been without internet service due to a recent move and having played on the road recently it got me thinking. “What should I write about?” It then came to me… seeing that I am getting set to hit the road for an event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania I figured I would talk a little bit about life on the road.

Of course we playing the Mini-Tour circuit do not have access to private jets or lavish accommodations but what we do have is the ability to be opportunistic and resourceful. This really became apparent in my second event as a professional. My wife and then caddie Ryan were on the road. We were playing in a Great Lakes Tour event near Keswick, Ontario. Where? You ask. Exactly my point.  Anyways, to be totally technical it was located in a real small town on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Central(ish) Ontario in a place called Jackson’s Point. The course (The Briars) was a gem of a course.  The fact of the matter remains that there were no chain hotels or motels in the area.  There were some cottages around for rent overnight but according to sources these cottages were not suitable for cockroaches. Crooked walls, broken stairs, and dirt that made dirt look clean. We were going to consider that place as well. So we settled for a place called The Driftwood. It was a place to sleep and not much else. The television worked… when it wanted to and Playoffs for both the NHL and NBA were on. It clearly said “In Case of Emergency Call 9-1-1” the only problem was that there was no telephone in the room. It was one of those rooms where you had to walk sideways to walk past the bed that was conveniently located outside of the bathroom door to get into the bathroom.  The Eastern European owner was extremely concerned when he thought my white towel which I was cleaning my clubs with was his. Buddy… you have bigger fish to fry then that. Anyways, we made it through the night and vacated the premises the next morning. It ended up being a good thing because I would meet another professional playing in the tournament and his wife and caddie Wayne and Vicki. We remain friends and they told us about the cottages.

As bad as The Driftwood was my first motel this past February in West Palm Beach, Florida was somehow worse. After a flight that included me nearly missing my connection to West Palm in Baltimore (I fell asleep in the concourse woke up to the strangest dream that I was being paged… when in fact I was being paged) my clubs going missing for 30 minutes which felt like an eternity, and having a flat on my rental car before leaving the parking space I get to my digs for one night. A lovely Comfort Inn at the intersection of 45^thAvenue and I-95. This room had it all… double bed, an elevated toilet (I felt like royalty), bars everywhere and my personal favourite a commode. Okay… the room had those features but it wasn’t great. Oh yeah! The Wi-Fi connection was one bar and really shouldn’t have been a service rendered. Anyways, after missing a planned practice round that day when I arrived and going to a range I found out some info about that particular part of town and property. I was making conversation with the range worker and he informs me “Oh… you don’t wanna stay there!” I respond with “Oh… why?” I was then informed that more than one episode of “COPS” was taped there. Later that night… “Pop…pop…pop” gunfire. No big deal but I checked out by 6 and couldn’t wait to move on. It wasn’t all that bad though because my wife works for the Hilton brand and I stayed on PGA Boulevard at Embassy Suites. Fortunately with my wife Crystal working for the Hilton brand she receives discounts. When she is with me we stay in some pretty serious hotels for a great price. Love the employee discount pricing.

But it isn’t all that bad. Life on the road means dining out at fine establishments like Tim Horton’s, Burger King, McDonald’s and Taco Bell to name a few. The various “Value Menu’s” are a Mini-Tour player’s best friend. All of that nutritious low cost food… mmmmm the best. If there is one thing that I love about being on the road at different venues and events it’s the fact that I love the friendships that you make out there. Talking to locals and seeing the different sites and sounds it’s great. I love meeting new people. Okay so the mattresses can be lumpy, the food glum and if you’re a family guy like me… life on the road as a Mini-Tour player can be a lonely place. But for those guys that are willing to put up with it… it’s all worth it. It’s a game that we all love no matter what level you’re at and regardless of the complaining it’s all a big part of the journey. If there was no adventure like bad motel rooms would it really be a journey?

It’s 6 in the morning and the alarm has just disturbed the quiet morning air. I wake up feeling good and almost rejuvenated. I go through my ritual of taking my morning cardiac and diabetic meds and then hit the shower. The cold water hits me and I’m ready to take on the day. I return to the bedroom to wake up my caddie who sleeps like a hibernating bear. Oh the joys of having your wife as your caddie. I’m amped up and we’re finally ready to leave for the golf course for the first event of 2012. The plan is as always… get there one hour before tee time.

After watching the Masters you can’t help but be happy for Bubba. Whether or not you like his pink driver, his long hair, and his crazy antics, the look on his face and those tears of joy and relief were something that still gives me Goosebumps. His first major win was a long time coming in my opinion, but did he potentially set in motion something that will hurt the game of golf?