The first thing I want to say in this post is that I generally try to avoid self-indulgent, tire-pumping posts about myself on this site unless they’re satirically self-deprecating, or for some sort of reason that may be helpful to others. But this has been an insanely wild year for me personally. (If you’re bored and need to kill some time reading on your phone, you can get a little insight about that here and here.) One of the wildest years of my life with all sorts of unexpected twists and turns, and given ’tis the season, I wanted to reflect and show some appreciation for some of those that have specifically done a lot for me this year. Apologies in advance, I’m well aware that this is a very self-serving blog. I hope you don’t mind giving me this one.
So in no particular order, here we go…
(Warning: I thought this was going to be a quick and breezy run, but alas, it got away from me. Strap in…)
Sub 70 & Co
Sub 70, what can I say? These guys are notoriously supportive of so many people, and I’m often one of those beneficiaries. However, following a fairly rough start to my summer, I can’t say enough for how much these guys have all supported me individually as friends. Little things like a call out of the blue from Jason Hiland just to check in and chat, impart some motivational doses of reality, etc. I know this guy well enough to know how insanely busy he is, nevermind having his own family, so it really means a lot. This guy has really meant a lot to me and I look forward to many more great therapeutic strolls with this guy.
Or Chicagoland’s arguably greatest bass player from the 2000’s “emo …From a Scene” era, Ryan Armour, talking music, bbq, and just making sure I’m properly outfitted for recovery. It’s also worth noting that Ryan’s wisdom from his “day job” was invaluable right when I got out of the hospital. Can’t express enough how much I appreciated him this year.
Then there’s the beloved Jay Armour. Violent J. Jay Armour the Third. JA3. There were multiple times on the “back 9” of this season where Jay supported me in all sorts of ways. Between helping me with material to keep this site going with fresh content, playing rounds with our buddies, or just distracting me with general world complaints, he’s been a great supportive friend and I’m truly grateful for it.
Tour Edge
Tour Edge is just down the road, literally, from me and has been extremely supportive of DRH from the start. It’s not necessarily any different from usual, but Jon Claffey’s support really meant a lot to me over this year. Again, whether it’s material for creating fresh content on the site, or just a friendly check in to bust my chops, it really went a long way. Even without the weirdness this year brought, I can’t thank Jon and Tour Edge enough for everything they do.
TRUE linkswear
A lot has been going on in TRUE linkswear world, including our guy Brandon Wallach having his first kid. Even with all of that going on, they were also regulars checking in with me and keeping me properly equipped for my recovery. Since being out of the hospital this summer, I’ve been putting a ton of mileage on multiple pairs of TRUE linkswear shoes. They provide a certain sense of comfort both physically and spiritually. I’m serious, I can’t explain it any other way. I absolutely love their gear, but the brand and the people are amazing as well. So huge thanks to them, I really appreciate everything they’ve done for me this year. Special shout out to Brandon for always making time for me, and of course, Paul!
Scott Readman Concepts (Obviously)
Where do I even begin? I know no one reading this will be surprised because I talk about SRC all the time on this site, but they’ve been incredible friends for years and continue to do so. Scott and Emma have had plenty on their own plates to keep them more than busy this year, but still managed to put up with me all the time. Especially taking advantage of being in a timezone six hours ahead giving me some friendly faces to talk to during many sleepless nights. This really meant a lot for me, and was super helpful in keeping my spirits up.
The Golf Shaft Industry?
Interestingly enough, this seems to be a niche pocket of the golf industry where I’ve made some pretty good friends over the years. I’ve mentioned Victor Afable in posts like this time and time again for always helping me out with the site whether it’s sending me products to review, appearing on random YouTube shows or podcasts, sharing Traeger tips, or just answering a dumb question I have (which is most of them). Victor’s support of the site this year has been really great, but his regular check ins just to make sure I’m doing alright and seeing if there’s anything I needed has been even better. He’s the best.
Then there’s Eric and Spencer at Fujikura who have been fantastic as well. More often than not, I’m having regular conversations focused on kids, BBQ, BBQ competitions, and collecting old golf equipment. Sometimes you just need like-minded distractions more than anything and these guys have been more than happy to do that.
It just occurred to me as I write this that the golf shaft industry seems to be directly correlated with good barbecue…
The Vintage Range Hero
Many of you might know Justin Thompson from his contributions to this site around classic golf equipment. Justin’s insight on hickory golf gear, classic brands, and collecting has helped opened my eyes to a wonderful new area of this hobby. I can’t thank Justin enough for keeping the vintage posts coming this year as I’ve needed some extra help getting fresh content posted. Not only does it help fill the schedule, but I think his posts provide great vintage golf perspective and knowledge that’s otherwise difficult to find on the internet.
Justin also managed to make his way to this corner of the country for work this Fall and paid a visit to my house. Naturally, he came bearing some amazing treasures to add to my collection and we got to do some pretty fun golf nerd activities. More importantly, I got to introduce him to the world-famous Chicago cuisine, Italian beef from Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park.
To a Wild Year in 2022!
I wrote somewhere between 600 and 900 words about my close family and friends, but I ended up deciding to keep those more personal. So many people have been amazingly supportive, helpful, and (dare I say) inspiring in my personal life this year. There’s certainly no question I would be in a pretty tough spot right now without all of them. Especially my wife Sarah, my kids, and my parents. Jon and Tweeds for our late-season golf adventures. Tommy being a fresh breath of air. Kris for always being there to help figure out whatever new dumb idea I have or with much-needed insight. Chris and Mark for bringing some much welcomed calmness and positivity in my life. Ryan Q Info and his incredible support no matter how crazy busy he is. The list goes on and on. Like I said, 600-900 words. Minimum.
Fortunately, the year is ending on a pretty good note and I’m excited to see what happens next year. Of course, we all have really big plans and some fun ideas, so hopefully we’ll get to some of them, play some cool courses, and stay out of trouble. Thanks to anyone still reading at this point, and the ongoing support of DRH. I know it’s super cliche to say it, but obviously we couldn’t do any of this without you. I’m very aware of this and hope you’ll keep coming back to our corner of Golf Internet! Enjoy the holidays!
