Sick Golf Trips

Shaun Diachkoff is a TPI-certified golf fitness coach who works remotely with everyone from weekend warriors to tour players. He lives in the Cayman Islands, grew up in Australia, and spends half his year traveling to meet clients at courses like Ridgewood and Aronomink — places that won't let you take a cart. Shaun explains why most golfers are trying to tune a Ferrari engine on a rusted chassis,...

We visited TeeBox in San Marcos, CA and spent an hour with Raymond Mistarz, a certified TPI coach, inside one of the most tech-forward indoor golf facilities in the country. Trackman simulators, 3D motion capture, physical assessments, and AI-driven swing analysis — all under one membership. Visit https://tbx.golf/san-marcos This week we cover: Why TeeBox starts every golfer with a physical assess...

Dr. Chase Cunningham breaks down how he got on St. Andrews by buying a caddy drinks at the Nine Iron bar, why Shadow Creek might crush St. Andrews in quality (but not in history), and how he's turning an indoor golf simulator into a bank-funded man cave. We cover: The Nine Iron bar hack: how one night of drinks landed a St. Andrews tee time Playing Scotland: Carnoustie, Turnberry, King's Course, a...

Lance Botthof joins us to break down how he turned Ram's Hill's amateur "Ramateur" tournament into a full-blown group trip — growing it from 4 guys to 12, with welcome parties, meals, and handicap flights all built in. We cover: • How the Ram's Hill "Ramateur" tournament works (2 rounds, 3 flights, gross + net) • Lance's group growing from 4 to 12 people — and aiming for 16 next year • Welcome par...

Award-winning golf author Joseph Bronson breaks down why Spain and Portugal are the underrated golf destinations most American golfers completely overlook — and why they might be the smartest international trip you can take. This week we're joined by Joseph Bronson (@josephbronson), award-winning author of the PARdon Me book series, former Silicon Valley tech executive, and 40-year veteran of the...

This week we're joined by Harrison Carter, a VP of strategic marketing from Boca Raton, FL who picked up golf three years ago and hasn't looked back. He went from shooting 120 to an 11 handicap, and now he's loading up on golf trips. This one started as a wedding invitation and turned into back-to-back rounds at one of the most scenic courses in the country. We cover: • How a wedding invitation be...

This week we're joined by Jerry McGarvey, Kerry's friend and volunteer organizer behind a guys' trip to Northern Michigan that over-delivered on every front. Jerry walks us through the courses, the expectations, the optional logistics, and why this will be a sick golf trip. We cover: • How the "Michigan? Really?" skepticism turned into "when are we going back?" • Forest Dunes — a Tom Doak public g...

A Couples Golf Trip to Cabot Cliffs: The #1 Golf Course in Canada Michael Son joins us to break down his couples golf trip to Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia — three couples, three courses. Michael breaks down the trip, lessons learned, and what he would change if/when he goes back. We cover: • Cabot Cliffs (#4 in the world, #1 in Canada) — why it lives up to the hype • Cabot Links — scoring better wh...

Mirko Zizka joins us to break down his annual 8-guys golf trip to Myrtle Beach — 80-100 courses, budget-friendly pricing, and why this destination has been in his group's rotation for over 15 years. We cover: • How an 8-guy group plans a 7-night, 7-round trip without losing their minds • Using a local agency to book tee times and accommodations • The two-man scramble format that keeps everybody en...

Sick Golf Trips Podcast Ep 15: Maybe the Ultimate Golf Trip is Playing and Watching! — Kyle Porter, Normal Sport Kyle Porter of Normal Sport joins us to break down his golf trips covering major tour events, including the Open Championship trip to St. Andrews and makes the case that the ultimate golf vacation might be one built around a major tournament — where watch the best players in the world p...

Pete flew from Long Island to Madison, Wisconsin, waited over a year on the waitlist, and finally got his college crew onto one of the most talked-about golf destinations in the country — Sand Valley. Spoiler: it lived up to the hype. This week we're joined by Pete, a software sales pro and golf app founder from Long Island, New York. Pete and 7 of his college buddies have been doing an annual gol...

This week we’re joined by Greg Johnson , a Chicago golfer who met Berkeley on a local course and casually mentioned he’d just returned from a 7-day Ireland trip with 12 guys. One thing led to another, and here we are. Greg breaks down the entire journey: how they planned it through Fairways & Fun Days, why they picked Ireland over Scotland, and what it’s like walking some of the most iconic li...

This week we’re joined by Patrick Koenig — a former software salesman turned golf course photographer who set the world record by playing 580 different 18-hole golf courses in a single calendar year. Patrick tells us how he went from a comfortable corporate gig to living in an RV, driving across 41 states, and turning his passion for golf photography into a full-time career.

Jason Kauflin of Wisconsin Golf Trips joins us to break down everything you need to know about planning a Wisconsin golf trip — the courses, the costs, the logistics, and why Wisconsin quietly has the best public golf in America. We cover: • How Jason went from stay-at-home dad to running golf trips for 84-person groups • The Kohler "requirement" and how to navigate their package maze • Whistling...

This week we're joined by Joe (@golftravelerjoe), a Pinehurst member who has played 483 golf courses and counting. Joe breaks down his epic 8-day Ireland golf trip where he brought 20 Twitter followers together to play 7 rounds across the West and East coasts of Ireland. We cover everything: the courses, logistics, caddies, costs, group dynamics, weather, pub culture, and why you should never try...

In Episode 9, we welcome Tony Rudy to the Sick Golf Trips podcast to break down his annual Pinehurst golf trip — 15 guys, caddies, gambling, and some of the most diabolical greens in golf. They dive deep into what makes Pinehurst No. 2 special, why No. 4's greens might actually be harder, the legendary caddy stories, and the wild drainage that gets greens tournament-ready 10 minutes after a storm....

In Episode 8, we welcome Ryan Berger to talk about his annual college crew golf trip. In 2024, they went to Kiawah Island in South Carolina. This group of guys met in their freshman year of college in 1998 and their 2024 trip to Kiawah was one for the books. Ryan breaks down how an unofficial "golf trip committee" plans everything from courses to Airbnbs, why they timed it around NFL Draft weekend...

In Episode 7, we welcome Tam Nguyen to talk about his legendary 19-year-running golf tournament at TPC Stadium Course at La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. What started as a post-college guys' getaway morphed into a full-fledged annual competition with stroke play, a Ryder Cup-style team event, a 3-foot trophy, and the infamous "Nibe Award."

Mike Preston wanted a special way to ring in his 40th birthday. He arranged a tight foursome with his brothers, they brought the wives for the after-golf festivities and did it right. Mike shares stories, tips and costs that made their experience a Sick Golf Trip.

Kerry and Berkeley welcome guests Danny Roberts and James Ramos to break down Kerry's first-ever organized golf trip to Honey Pond Farms in Middletown Springs, VT. They cover booking a private 18-hole course for 16 guys, the unique scramble format with shared fairways and greens, travel headaches in rural Vermont, total costs, house amenities, and more. This is definitely a unique experience, but...

Chris Roach, CEO of Porter Road, joins the pod to share his experiences touring a few courses located on the Great Peconic Bay on Long Island. It's an intimate trip with a very good friend, but they made it a family trip around golf. Unfortunately, his golf game ruined one of his golf experiences, but that's golf! Definitely try the meat at https://www.porterroad.com It really is top of the top me...

Jeff Kaplan joins us to break down his annual guys golf trip. This year, they went to Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida — home of the Copperhead Course, where the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship is played. Jeff has been organizing this group's golf trips for 18 years, and they've got it dialed in with a championship belt called "Live Until You Die," a unique point scoring system, live scor...

Dr. Chris Kurrami joins the pod to break down his annual golf trip to Bay Harbor, Michigan, a hidden gem on the shores of Lake Michigan, north of Traverse City. The good doctor shares how he first got invited, the Stableford scoring format they use, and their legendary player auction where you can bet on the winner of the tournament. We also cover surrounding courses, travel logistics, costs, and...

Bandon Dunes. No carts. No excuses. Four guys take on golf's bucket list destination and find out if it actually lives up to the hype. Our guest breaks down his trip 4-guy trip: the courses, the logistics, the cost, and weather, and more. Is this trip an Annual Lock or a Once-in-a-Lifetime, one-and-done? If you've ever had this trip in your group chat, this episode is for you.