My Once in a lifetime trip to PING (UPDATED on Page 2)

[IUbball23]

[quote name='pinhigh27' timestamp='1351915352' post='5885357']

Regardless of last 3, I think you did pretty well! whats your cap?
[/quote]

Towards the end of the season at my home course I was at a +1.3. Realistically traveling cap is between scratch to a 2 or so.

[IUbball23]

Here is the official card, and yes, we played the tips.

[Gutz_it]

Haven't read a more interesting story on here in a long time bro
Enjoy the new sticks and thanks for posting

[PZero]

Thank you for sharing your experience, truly awesome.

[douggolf4]

Great post and it sounds like a fantastic experience.

[kekoa]

So what was hunter like? Was it just u two playing?

[a-B]

Great thread, thanks for sharing!!!

[Tread]

Best thread I've read in a long time. Thanks for sharing the stories and pics.

[Night train]

sometimes words aren't enough............wow

[WVP]

Only way this story could be better is if you held it together and beat him. Awesome story.

[bullie76]

Must be nice to rip out 310 yard drives. Of course you are young and a pretty big guy and I'm just an old fart. Hunter had a pretty bad day shooting a 79, but I know how the glasses thing can screw you up when you are not use to them. But what a great day you will remember the rest of your life.

How was Hunter? Did he treat you well?

[Doc Mcstuffins]

[i]Come on guys[/i]...4 important questions no one here has asked yet!
1. What was in his bag...(clubs/shafts)?
2. Did you grab his cell phone while he was teeing off and check out any "unsavory" pics?
3. Did you ask if he's ever heard of WRX or checks out the site?
4. And most importantly, did he fart in your backswing?

Come on...spill it. Everyone wants to know if he's just like [i]you[/i] and [i]I[/i].

[skyking]

IUbball23, I don't mean to rain on your Ping Parade here but after having an appointment set 3 months in advance, I got the following email this morning from our assistant pro that was forwarded from the head pro who's in Palm Springs this week, which was forwarded from the local Ping rep that covers this area:

"John.

Just to let you know we will not be having any tours till first of the year so could you please let the party that the November 15thh is cancelled

Millie"

I have sent a response to the head pro requesting clarification as to whether only the tour is cancelled or the fitting OR both. Needless to say and keeping this all G rated, I am beyond upset about this if the fitting is cancelled as well. Airfare, buying 2 club glove travel bags, Phoenician Resort, outrageous car rental fee...you get the idea. Yes, we planned on staying several days but the trip centered around the "tour" fitting experience and would have probably gone to the Carribbean with friends instead.

My original golf instructor left the Troon facility I learned to play at in San Antonio a few years ago and now is director of instruction at the Phoenician. If this doesn't work out, I'll ask him if he has any juice at Ping and I'll give HIM the order for 2 complete bags of clubs the wife and I planned to buy.

IUbball23, was there anything said about discontinuing the fittings\tour while you were there?

[Doc Mcstuffins]

[quote name='skyking' timestamp='1351969952' post='5886981']
IUbball23, I don't mean to rain on your Ping Parade here but after having an appointment set 3 months in advance, I got the following email this morning from our assistant pro that was forwarded from the head pro who's in Palm Springs this week, which was forwarded from the local Ping rep that covers this area:

"John.

Just to let you know we will not be having any tours till first of the year so could you please let the party that the November 15thh is cancelled

Millie"

I have sent a response to the head pro requesting clarification as to whether only the tour is cancelled or the fitting OR both. Needless to say and keeping this all G rated, I am beyond upset about this if the fitting is cancelled as well. Airfare, buying 2 club glove travel bags, Phoenician Resort, outrageous car rental fee...you get the idea. Yes, we planned on staying several days but the trip centered around the "tour" fitting experience and would have probably gone to the Carribbean with friends instead.

My original golf instructor left the Troon facility I learned to play at in San Antonio a few years ago and now is director of instruction at the Phoenician. If this doesn't work out, I'll ask him if he has any juice at Ping and I'll give HIM the order for 2 complete bags of clubs the wife and I planned to buy.

IUbball23, was there anything said about discontinuing the fittings our while you were there?
[/quote]

Dude, he won an all expense paid trip sponsored by Ping. Quite different than you scheduling your own trip.

[skyking]

Socrates, I just read your post about the November 30th cancellation. Were you scheduled for a "tour"\VIP...or whatever they call it, fitting as well? If so is that cancelled as well? AND, if so you are taking the news a heck of a lot better than I am. I'm not so interested in the tour as the fitting experience.

Thanks....

[skyking]

"Dude, he won an all expense paid trip sponsored by Ping. Quite different than you scheduling your own trip."

Not exactly. Our head pro is a big Ping guy so I asked him last summer if he could get the wife and I set up for the REAL Ping fitting at the factory and tour. HE scheduled the appointment. I've dropped over $4,000 to be there. Of course the pro knew we'd be ordering over $3,000 on his Ping account so THAT was his incentive.

"Millie's" email was written in such a way as to be unclear regarding the "fitting".

No more from me on this till I get confirmation one way or the other as to whether the actual fitting has been cancelled and I apologize for the rant...truly.

You had an awesome experience IUbball23. I've enjoyed reading your posts and thank you for taking the time to post them.

[KrazyTrain18]

Amazing, great write up aswell !

[PingG10guy]

So you were tied with Hunter Mahan when you stepped on the 17th tee?

Nice. After the first 4 holes I bet he was pissed lol

[IUbball23]

[quote name='PingG10guy' timestamp='1351973827' post='5887199']
So you were tied with Hunter Mahan when you stepped on the 17th tee?

Nice. After the first 4 holes I bet he was pissed lol
[/quote]

Actually not to sound like a jerk but I still had him by 1 stroke standing on the 17th tee... My nice double, double, par finish compared to his par, par, birdie finish is what led him to winning by 2.

Skyking:
Sorry to hear that, I do know that they are shutting the tours down because of a massive renovation they are doing at the complex. It is a BIG undertaking that is going on. I would IMAGINE that the fitting may still be on though because I wasn't told they were going to shut down the Tour Player's range (where your VIP fitting would likely take place) they were talking of expanding it though.

[KDMullins]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing.

[strick13]

What a trip and story, I'm green with envy. I'm glad you had a good time though!

[skyking]

Thanks for the response IUbball23. I'm still waiting for a response from the Ping rep via our club pro. I did look at the back and forth email string and the Ping rep stated in an email to our pro yesterday morning, "Still working on this for you, should know today." Of course we are still waiting...

This trip, along with sticks from the absolute best fitting possible, was to be our Christmas present to each other. Yea, I know...some jewelry or the like had better be under the tree for her as well but even the wife is pretty bummed. She's been on the phone this afternoon checking to see how bad of a cancellation hit we're gonna take on everything.

[scottvw13]

[quote name='skyking' timestamp='1351969952' post='5886981']
IUbball23, I don't mean to rain on your Ping Parade here but after having an appointment set 3 months in advance, I got the following email this morning from our assistant pro that was forwarded from the head pro who's in Palm Springs this week, which was forwarded from the local Ping rep that covers this area:

"John.

Just to let you know we will not be having any tours till first of the year so could you please let the party that the November 15thh is cancelled

Millie"

I have sent a response to the head pro requesting clarification as to whether only the tour is cancelled or the fitting OR both. Needless to say and keeping this all G rated, I am beyond upset about this if the fitting is cancelled as well. Airfare, buying 2 club glove travel bags, Phoenician Resort, outrageous car rental fee...you get the idea. Yes, we planned on staying several days but the trip centered around the "tour" fitting experience and would have probably gone to the Carribbean with friends instead.

My original golf instructor left the Troon facility I learned to play at in San Antonio a few years ago and now is director of instruction at the Phoenician. If this doesn't work out, I'll ask him if he has any juice at Ping and I'll give HIM the order for 2 complete bags of clubs the wife and I planned to buy.

IUbball23, was there anything said about discontinuing the fittings our while you were there?
[/quote]

Some things are better handled via PM.

[Socrates]

[quote name='skyking' timestamp='1351970890' post='5887035']
Socrates, I just read your post about the November 30th cancellation. Were you scheduled for a "tour"\VIP...or whatever they call it, fitting as well? If so is that cancelled as well? AND, if so you are taking the news a heck of a lot better than I am. I'm not so interested in the tour as the fitting experience.

Thanks....
[/quote]
I was called personally by the Ping Tour admin. staff (they had my number which I left when I booked it) and they said the same thing as IUbball23 said: Re-tooloing was taking place. I guess they didn't know the exact date of the closure leading to the confusion. She did clearly say that they WERE open for fittings.

I know you are disappointed in that aspect, but you are getting 3rd hand info. A quick phone call to the Ping Tour Booking staff would have cleared up your questions.

Edit: Just re-read your first email… Seemed pretty clear to me what was cancelled. She might not have any info of the fitting aspect since that is a different department.

[color=#282828][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]"John.[/background][/size][/color]

[color=#282828][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]Just to let you know we will not be having any [size=4][b]tours[/b][/size] till first of the year so could you please let the party that the November 15thh is cancelled[/background][/size][/color]

[color=#282828][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]Millie"[/background][/size][/color]

[Pure745]

Beyond unreal!!!! Thanks for sharing!

[seasterl]

Thanks for sharing the experience and especially for all the details. You let us experience it in a nice way. A lot of guys would not have remembered or cared to share a tenth of the info you did, and I appreciate it. Your write-up should win a thread-of-the year award,... or an all-expenses-paid trip to GolfWRX headquarters, or something!

[skyking]

Thanks Socrates for your thoughts. I hope you are correct in that ONLY the tour is cancelled. Your comment sounds logical that all "Millie" knew about was the tour. I also hope by being open for fittings she means the tour fitting and not just hitting at a tarp or whatever.

I DID call Ping HQ less than 5 minutes after receiving the emails but security answered and said I'd have to call back at 7:30 local time on Monday.

The tour fitting...or whatever it's called and the actual tour was set up by our head pro through his Ping rep. I would have to assume my telephone number was not given to the rep so no one called.

Oh well...I'll just have to wait until Monday unless the Ping rep emails our pro with a clarification.

Thanks...

IUbball23, any more thoughts on your trip are welcome. Can't get enough.

[scratchswinger]

Craziest part of this thread is that Hunter only had one birdie, I know it's probably not that important to you now, but man you could have beat him.

[seasterl]

For the OP, you shot very well! What do you do for a living that allows you to focus on your game so much to go head-to-head with a PGA Tour pro and do so well for so many holes. It's not like you didn't have any pressure to keep the ball in play and make GIR.

[T Shaf]

[quote name='scratchswinger' timestamp='1351982538' post='5887551']
Craziest part of this thread is that Hunter only had one birdie, I know it's probably not that important to you now, but man you could have beat him.
[/quote]

First, for the OP, even this Boilermaker is green with envy, I can't even imagine such an experience!

Second, wonderful job on the write up, it was an extremely nice read. I'm sure you learned to write in high school somewhere. Thank you for sharing!

Lastly, having had lasik, I cannot imagine playing golf the day after. Even though I could see perfectly the day after, focus took a while and bright lights were very stressful. Kudo's to Hunter for playing. I think we can attribute his one birdie to a lasik hangover.