Photo TR: Scott's Ongoing Sports Venue Thread

[BeemerBoy]

^ You know, actually since I've just become accustomed to stadiums changing names every few years, at least this one works out as a great combo in my books. Huge parrothead + die hard phins fan = awesomeness....even though the beer sucks.

 

This week's special guest is DiSab. Check out this report of a great minor league park.

 

 

Jody Davis is managing the Daytona Cubs now, too.

Funny you should mention that....

 

 

 

Jackie Robinson Ballpark - Daytona Beach, FL - Daytona Cubs vs. Clearwater Threshers (PHI) 5-7-09

 

We got to catch a Single A game while we were vacationing near Daytona last week. Daytona Beach is home to the Single A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. This was awesome because I grew up watching Florida State League games in Fort Lauderdale.

 

The stadium itself was awesome, especially for a single A team. The location was prime, and it seemed like the locals really supported their team pretty well. I guess it doesn't hurt that the big league Cubbies have such a huge following, but still.

 

By the way, Jody Davis isn't managing them, Matt. I asked several people about that, and no one seemed to have a clear answer as to where he was, or had been moved to. I simply gave up asking, although they were raffling off a signed bat from Jody.

 

Let's go to the pics, shall we?

Gary, this must be a pretty widespread thing. I shot for the furthest one out there, which was $100 in cash. Both of my balls (hehe) were within five feet or so, but all that got me was nothing. Oh well.

 

 

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!

Cubs win! Cubs win!

I love the way this one turned out.

There was a big contingent of college kids in attendance. They naturally congregated in the "Bullpen." On a good clear night for baseball, with a pretty good selection of beers for cheap, how could you blame them?

Budweiser Bullpen POV.

This is tucked back in the right field corner, and it's pretty sweet!

Pepper.

Most stadiums seem to have these picnic tents now.

This is the "old" section.

The Clearwater Threshers. The Single A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yay Publix!!

A nice playground to keep the little ones occupied.

The gift shop. Why does that lady looked genuinely pissed off? I have no idea.

Okay, now this is something I didn't expect to see. Go B's!

A nice way to show who's gone through here and onto "the bigs."

This was pretty cool.

I wasn't a huge fan of the netting down the baselines.

Apparently this section has been around since the 20's. The rest of the stadium has been renovated over the years after certain storms passed through.

 

It fooled me. Seriously, the place looked brand new!

Check out Friday night. Confused? Yeah, we were too.

 

Faith & Family night, two dollar beers, and ladies night, FTW.

Those beer prices you saw a couple pics back were a bit off. The beer only cost $3.00, the dog, $1.25.

 

Honestly, the dog wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst either. But hey, when you can get a decent dog, and a huge beer for less than $5.00, who's complaining?

One of those she's holding is mine. There's a joke in there somewhere.

Your beer selection for the evening. Honestly, again, I was pretty impressed considering this was only Single A.

Time to grab a dog and a beer.

Okay, I never did understand the basketball rim, but eh, whatever.

They were a great touch.

They had a bunch of these signs up around the stadium.

On the other side of the waterway was a great strip of shops, restaurants, etc. Overall, the whole area was really cool.

See that on the ticket? The Cubs are defending champs of the FSL!! I don't wanna hear anymore about never winning anything.

Told you the location was prime!

[ParkTrips]

I have faith that cheap cider will get me a lady to take home.. I think that's what they want me to believe

 

I wanna go to a game in Chattanooga...

[bigstevet07]

Did Kyle Drabek start for Clearwater? Just curious, he is the son of Doug Drabek and the Phils have some hopes for him. Also, did Bastardo get any relief time? I'm not sure if he's still there or if he got called up to AA. He's got one of the coolest names for a pitcher.

[BeemerBoy]

^ You know, when I sat down and scanned the roster, I told Shannon, "Hey look, I bet this kid is Doug's son." Then I started to fill in the lineups to keep score, but was falling behind because the game was underway, and said, "eh, screw it." I flaked out and can't remember who got the start.

 

Bastardo wasn't on the roster though. I agree, that name is classic!

 

I can tell you that their first baseman was HUGE. I think he was #61, yet that's not listed on the roster either, and their website doesn't seem to list players' positions (glitch?), so I'm not sure. I'm thinking it was Michael Durant at 6'5'' 264lbs. If it was him, he was the only bright spot for them that night. He smashed one big over the left-center wall.

 

By the way, I really like the Threshers' logo.

 

 

^^ Good take on Friday's promotion. Yeah, you definitely need to see a game there. Lake Winnie/ Lookouts game is a great combo.

[mcjaco]

By the way, Jody Davis isn't managing them, Matt. I asked several people about that, and no one seemed to have a clear answer as to where he was, or had been moved to. I simply gave up asking, although they were raffling off a signed bat from Jody.

 

Weird. I wonder if he's in Peoria now, as they moved Sandberg to manage the Tennessee Smokies.

 

Jody was just up here for Jenkins and Maddux's number retirement ceremony, so he must be close by, but I can't find him on any of the MiLB sites either.

[carolinacaniac]

^^^^^^^That is EXACTLY the way they had it at the Bulls game. Certainly is a great idea though, seeing how many balls there are on the ground.

 

That seems like a pretty cool ball park, interesting how the old section doesn't even completely wrap around the infield like most minor league parks do, but rather kind of stops behind home plate, then one of the new sections start.

 

This PTR makes me look forward to tonight's ECU ballgame against Memphis that Melissa and I are going to (Last free game as a student, since my ID will be useless next year thanks to graduating last weekend!).

 

-Gary T.

[BeemerBoy]

The World Golf Hall of Fame - St. Augustine, FL - May 10, 2009

 

 

I've driven by this place so many times over the years, but never had the time to stop in. That all changed a couple weeks ago, and I'm really glad I got a chance to experience it! My dad had me swinging a golf club as early as I could remember, and this visit here was long overdue.

 

Golf is one of those sports that you either love or hate. If you happen to play it and love it, then you'd really enjoy a visit here. When they first opened this place in 1998, I was skeptical. Although I love the sport, I wasn't sure how interesting a hall of fame museum would be.

 

Well, it exceeded my expectations! It's grown into a pretty impressive complex, or "World Golf Village" as it is called. Besides the museum complex there's a hotel, spa, four courses, and residential areas.

 

To top it all off, what you receive for the price of admission just can't be beat. For $19.50 each, we got admission to the museum (which was come and go as you wish all day), greens fees for the 18 hole putting course, and an IMAX movie ticket to be used within a two day period of purchase (the feature film at the time was Star Trek....we passed).

 

If you're a golfer or golf fan, and you're ever traveling I-95 about 10 miles north of St. Augustine, I HIGHLY recommend visiting the World Golf Hall of Fame. For the record, our visit, including museum tour, lunch, and the putting course lasted about four hours.

I'll end the first part here with a look out from the top of the tower. You can see the "Challenge Hole" in the center of the lake. It was designed to resemble the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, which is just down the road in Ponte Vedra, FL.

 

You can take 2 shots for $5, or 5 shots for $10. You receive some lithograph for hitting the green. Stay tuned, as that will be covered in the second half of the report.

A close up look at the names etched in the Wanamaker Trophy for the PGA Championship.

 

Yes, these things are the real deal.

The Open Championship Trophy.

 

The original prize for the Open Championship, first played in 1860, was a red leather belt and a silver buckle. Tom Morris Jr. won the Open three times in succession, giving him permanent possession of the belt. It was replaced with the Golf Champion Trophy, commonly known as the Claret Jug, in in 1873, which remains the prize for this major championship.

The Wanamaker Trophy.

 

The PGA Championship was conceived by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker and first played in 1916. Held annually in the United States, the event is the culmination of golf's four major championships.

The Masters Trophy. Yes, besides the traditional Green Jacket, you also receive this.

 

Introduced in 1961, the trophy depicts the clubhouse of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the annual tournament.

The U.S. Open trophy.

....this. Every major trophy in golf!

As you exit these doors, you are witness to the following jawdropping view of....

Remember that tower? It's time to take a ride to the top. This elevator was almost as quick as the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.

A quick look at several exhibits showcasing personal artifacts from the game's greats.

"My name is Sam Snead, bitch. You better recognize."

 

Okay, bigsteve, we're looking for the artist and album that quote was from. The clock starts now.....

And the third. There has never been a silkier smooth swing than this man had. I still miss watching him play.

 

By the way, I'm the fourth. You didn't think I was just gonna stand and watch, did you?

The second.

The first of that foursome I mentioned.

Here's the second half of the bronze busts of the Hall of Fame inductees.

And there's a picture of the man. Bobby Jones is also pictured wearing his Masters green jacket.

An then it was time to pay tribute to the greatest golfer ever, at least in my book. He's also part of my dream foursome (that's a golfing term, you pervs).

A display featuring some examples of very old equipment. Check out that one in the center. Confused? Yeah, me too.

There was a very pleasant volunteer who taught us about how they produced the early golf balls using leather and bird feathers.

 

Then you were given a couple examples and a classic style putter to try it out. This putting green was created to replicate a surface that's about 4 on the stimpmeter (meaning pretty slow).

A replica of the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland.

In that small case in the foreground is the Rules of Golf.

Time to head upstairs, past the actual honorary Oscar presented to Mr. Hope.

I LOVE this picture. If you're a Big Lebowski fan, you're probably thinking of another Nixon-related sporting photo right now.

I was really impressed by this exhibit. I'm only showing a few pics of it, but the content could have filled up and entire report.

If you're not a golf fan, and you're wondering, "why Bob Hope?" well, it's basically because he was an incredible ambassador for the game. He and Bing Crosby were two influential celebrities of their time who really helped promote the game through the entertainment industry.

There's currently a section devoted to Bob Hope called "Shanks for the Memories."

The entryway.

The tower portion of the museum. Log this away for later, as there's something very special at the top of that tower.

Golf cart POV!!

Here's an overview of the complex. In the dead center is the museum. You can also see how close it is to the interstate.

[bigstevet07]

It was Sam Snead/Dr. Dre "U Better Recognize" from the Muder Was the Case Soundtrack, (was there ever a movie?) That was one of my favorite tracks on that CD. Snoop ruined the title track though, I like the original off Doggystyle much better.

 

By the way, great report! I love playing golf also. I've never seen the Masters trophy before for some odd reason. I seriously doubt I'll ever make it there since my wife hates golf.

[mcjaco]

My Dad was stationed in Georgia the year Nicklaus won the Masters. He had a weekend pass, and immediately drove out to see it, since he figured he'd never get the chance to do so again. He still talks about it to this day.

 

I tried golfing for a few years, but I just couldn't get into it. I got bored after eight holes everytime!

[BeemerBoy]

^^ Nice work, Steve. I don't recall a movie, but I always remember that line from Doggystyle. Your last comment made me stop and think just how lucky I am to have a cool wife who appreciates sports (looks to the sky...."Thanks.")

 

^ Matt, which year would that be? 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986? I still vividly remember watching that '86 title. Definitely one of the coolest moments in sports history. Tune it to the second part of the report this evening. There's a very interesting fact about Nicklaus and the Green Jacket that I never knew about until our visit!

 

Oh, and how do you not love playing golf? It's one of the few sports where you can actually drink while playing.

[mcjaco]

^ I believe it was '66. But perhaps '72???? Crap, now I'm going to have to ask.

 

Um, show me a course where they serve something better than Miller and Bud swill, and perhaps I'll rethink my decision!

[bigstevet07]

^^ My wife does like sports, she just hates golf. She is a big football fan, and will watch any of the 4 major sports live. She won't watch baseball on TV though.

 

I'm thinking about trying to get her out to a driving range though to see if she likes hitting golf balls at all. She's never done it, she just thinks golf is boring.

[larrygator]

Scott - If you had read those Jackie Robinson signs placed around the Daytona ballpark you would have understood why the basketball rim was there.

 

I eagerly await the outcome of your quest to reach the faux island green. While I'm only a hacker and not a huge golf fan I enjoyed my visit to the Hall of Fame back in 2005 and seeing all the old golf equipment.

[Hercules]

Thank you for a great part one of a place that you will see my name in about 25 years. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to go there and give a tour to everyone and show them where my name and bronze replica of my handsome face will be enshrined for ages, until the end of human-kind.

 

By the way, that old club in the middle that you were confused about, that is actually an old school retrieving club that was used to pick balls out of water and unplayable lies back in the day.

 

And my prediction for the "challenge hole":

If you did the 2 shots, you missed the green to the left the first try, and then overcompensated and pushed it just wide to the right on the second

If you did the 5 shots, you probably hit the green once.

[coolhandluke]

Great update! I'm hoping my next visit to Florida will include a stop there.

 

And I wholeheartedly agree with Payne Stewart. As terrible as my attention span was at age 10, I remember my dad and I watching most of the '99 US Open final day and that guy in the knickers. He was so easy to watch and pull for.

 

Looking forward to your challenge hole results.

[BeemerBoy]

Matt - Good point about the beer selection. When I lived in Florida, I was fortunate to have a bunch of connections that allowed me to play the better courses in the region, and they usually had decent beer selections. However, that was usually in the clubhouse, and not so much in the beer cart. Although, the nicer the course, the hotter the beer chick was, so sometimes the sacrifices weren't all that bad.

 

Steve - I guess the same is true with Shannon. She still thinks golf and baseball on TV are sleep inducing. I've taken her to a driving range once, and although she enjoyed it, I don't think she was ready to buy her own set of clubs and hit the links anytime soon. It's such a hit or miss kind of sport.

 

Larry - Wait, you mean actually reading the signs could've produced the answers I was seeking? That's just crazy talk. In truth, hunger and thirst won out over taking the time to investigate.

 

Jay - Ahhh, a retrieving club. That makes sense. I took that picture and moved on to the next exhibit. There was so much to see there, that I didn't read everything. Damn, there's that whole reading thing again.

 

 

 

 

We made the turn, had a quick lunch, and now it's time for the back nine.

Oh, and on the drive home, we finally encountered simplicity and truth in advertising. I love it!

Thanks for viewing. We hope you enjoyed!

And thus concludes our look at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

While it may not have been that challenging, it did look pretty nice, and was a lot of fun.

 

I finished +5 after struggling a bit down the stretch. Shan tailed of a bit, and wasn't able to keep the pace she started out with. Nonetheless, I was impressed with her game on this day.

Time to play caddie. No break, right?

She tried valiantly to hang tough, but this one rimmed out. Also, that's not the tee marker for this hole you see. Two holes shared one green on this one...much like a British Open course.

I was impressed with the way Shan started out. After nine, I was +1, and she was only 6 strokes off the lead.

A rare left to right putt. Left this one a bit short. The downside to this course...they had you putting with range balls. Fail.

We started on the back nine, and while I may have epically failed at a full swing, the short game never leaves me after time off.

Not pictured: me stepping up to my first putt and draining it, center cut.

Then it was time for the putting course. I was expecting something along the lines of Fantasia Gardens at WDW, but this was not as challenging. This one, however, had real grass. And for some reason, the architect really liked right to left putts.

Pretty cool stuff.

Apparently, the boys at OCC built a themed chopper for the place.

Then we perused the gift shop and saw this.

Lobster ravioli with a bit of a tangy sauce. This was VERY tasty!

Salad.

And here's the second. This place was actually pretty cool. I wasn't expecting anything more than your typical chain theme restaurant blah blah blah, but was pleasantly surprised.

The food was great, and reasonably priced, the wait staff was very nice and friendly, and the theme was carried out well.

Here's the first incredibly blurry picture from inside.

It's in the hole!

The fourth shot, as seen here was just as Jay predicted. It was pin high, but I left it out right. Splashdown. Time to close those hips and stay down through it.

 

The fifth shot: unfortunately, same result, although just off the island.

 

Overall: Epic Fail. It's tough on the psyche to go from an 11 handicap to feeling like you've never hit a ball before, but that's just life sometimes. Screw it, time to eat.

The camera was acting up, and I didn't get all five shots on film, but the first shot was a shank. Big surprise.....and ouch. I needed to stretch a bit more.

 

Seen here is the second shot. I play a natural fade, and with the wind left to right, it made sense to start it out that way, as you can tell by where the ball is.

 

Result: splashdown. Didn't catch it pure. I'm normally hitting a wedge from 132, but since I was a bit tight, I switched to an easy 9-iron.

Okay, for the record, I don't like excuses. It's either win or fail with me. But with that said, I knew this was gonna be interesting since I hadn't played in close to two years. A bad left knee was partially to blame for that.

 

Either way, it had been feeling pretty good recently, and with my competitive nature, I wasn't about to not take a chance.

 

Jay, I don't know what your routine is, but I usually like to have no less than 15 minutes on the range before stepping up to the first tee. I didn't have that luxury, so I knew I'd have to have 5 shots to get into some kind of groove by the third shot, at least.

 

Anyway, off we go.

Jay, I'm pretty sure they're reserving the locker in between these two for your stuff.

Nick Faldo: Severly underrated.

Johnny Miller: Conceited.

The "Locker Room." I loved this display idea for a Hall of Fame. Really well done in my opinion.

Then it was time to step inside the simulator. This would be the first time in close to two years that I took a golf swing....and it's only a half swing at that.

 

Will that layoff play a role in the challenge hole? C'mon, how could it not? lol

Weird, huh?

Okay, Matt. Here comes that Green Jacket story.

He had 19 second place finishes in majors too. Nineteen!

This is the shirt Ben Crenshaw wore when we proved how ugly Americans can be in victory.

This is the putting green for the modern era. The stimpmeter here: 14!

 

All you had to do was give it a little tappy. Tap tap tappy.

One of the many displays featuring the inductees' personal collections. This is Vijah Singh's.

 

On a side note, I wish this guy didn't get such a bad rep. One day, everyone's gonna look back at his career and realize just how good he really was. Had breakfast with him and Lee Janzen once. Two incredibly nice guys.

[larrygator]

So, did Shannon reach the island green?

[Jew]

Another awesome chapter in your thread. You have inspired me to go to the driving range tonight.

[Hilltopper39]

Nice report, I drive by that place on 95 all the time but have never been. That putting course looks pretty cool, Ive always wanted to see a minature golf type course similar to fantasia gardens but with real grass kinda like that one but a little more "fun". But that place looks pretty cool. I think out of 10 shots I could probably put one on that green, maybe if I was on.

[BeemerBoy]

Update time. Not too long ago, everyone's favorite sporting Jew hit me up and told me he'd be in town before the Texas trip kickoff. The plan was to catch a Braves game the night before he flew out to Texas. To sweeten the pot, since we both have sports threads, I suggested we try to accomplish something that the Braves feature on their website.

 

It's called 101 Things To Do And See (at Turner Field). He agreed, and the wheels were put in motion. Making things even better for me, the Mets were in town to play the Bravos. Joe was also there with us. But again, the METS WERE IN TOWN! Yay!

 

The following is our quest to accomplish as many of the "101 Things" in one park visit. Enjoy!

I'll leave you with Shan, and her favorite Brave of all time, Dale Murphy. Well, his uniform anyway. He should be in the Hall of Fame!!!!!!!

 

 

It's late. I need sleep. We'll continue this tomorrow. Thanks for reading, sports fans!

This is also inside the museum. By the way, the museum only cost a couple bucks to visit, and it was a nice touch to the stadium experience. The tour cost $12, and as long as you go earlier on game day than we did, it's worth it.

There *it* is. A true sign of futility. Hi, Braves fans.

 

Mark off #72.

For the rail dorks, there was a train car inside the museum. Why? I have no idea. I didn't have time to investigate. Sorry.

Joey is supposedly on his way at this point, so we're gonna go inside, and catch the start of the tour. Not pictured will be the Braves clubhouse because it was the last tour of the day, and too close to game time. Had it been available, it would have been done, so it gets checked off the list because we say so.

 

Mark off #12, 24, and 80.

This is a picture of me not happy at the fact that public transportation couldn't get Joey here on time for the start of the tour. This pic will have to suffice for #22 and #97 as well. One was blurry, and the other is implied.

 

 

Mark off #'s 19, 22, and 97.

This report is brought to you by the number 41.

Wait, this counts as tailgating before the game, right? Yes, yes it does.

 

Mark off #54.

Shannon visits the Warren Spahn memorial statue.

 

Mark off #33.

I did not realize this. Now I do. And knowing is half the battle. The new G.I. Joe movie looks incredibly sucktastic by the way. I'll pass, thank you.

Welcome to Turner Field.

Our ticket for the game. Since we were gonna be wandering around, and there was a chance of rain on that day, it made no sense to buy a more expensive seat.

 

I also used ticketFast on Braves.com, but a glitch prevented me from printing at home. Alas, the tickets were ready at will call.

 

Mark off #21.

This is an aerial shot of Turner Field. Some of you may remember it as part of the Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Summer Games. It's where the draft dodger himself, Muhammad Ali, lit the torch, blah blah blah.

 

Also, apparently you can eat in short right-center field. I did not realize this. Thanks, Google Earth!

Last part.

Tre.

Dos.

Here's the list, in four parts, so you can play along at home.

[themeparkguy27]

Agree 100% with you on Dale Murphy being in the hall. From 1980-87 he was a beast.

[ParkTrips]

I don't know, some of the newer Braves fans actually might know who Dale Murphy was if that were to happen. What else could we use as a litmus test to see if a Braves fan was truly lifelong/diehard?

[BeemerBoy]

^ Good point. Hmmmm, who was Chief Noc-a-homa?

 

Also, here's a random article I found this morning about Fenway vendors. It's a good read.

 

I'll try and finish up Turner Field this evening.

[BeemerBoy]

Yay for double posting....and the second batch of pictures.

The rest of us can just watch what is now the second largest screen at any stadium in the world. Jerry Jones says, "suck it, Ted Turner."

 

 

More to come later. Feel free to comment, compliment, or just yell at Joe in the meantime.

If I recall correctly, people fork out around $25K a year to sit in the first three rows. You'll notice the flat screen installed in the wall in front of them. As if being 10 feet from the actual action wasn't enough.

Joey joined us as we were getting a quick look at one of the luxury suites. Then it was time to take a look at more wealthy "fans" seating.

 

That's either a thunderstorm moving in from the left, or me not being familiar with a loaner camera's lens position since mine is being repaired. You make the call.

And finally, a look inside the 755 Club. Meh.

At this point, I was wishing I was actually at a casino.

The 755 Club. Named for what is *still* the all-time homerun record, set by Hank Aaron, who coincidentally played for the Braves. Yeah, Giants fans, I said it.

Next, we headed into the Golden Moon Casino Level (aka, where wealthy people pay to "watch" the game).

....that gap between the fence and the first row of seats. Just think about how many stupid homerun controversies could be avoided if every stadium had this.

While we're up here, I'd like to point out the single greatest design feature of ANY Major League Baseball park.....

Shannon dancing around under the misters.

 

Mark off #10.

Below: the 755 Club. This is where wealthy people sit, eat, and pretend to watch and care about the game.

 

Above: A giant refreshing bottle of Coke, and an equally giant cow....which tomahawk chops. Yeah.

Continuation of said overview.

From up here at the refreshing Coca-Cola Sky Field, you get a nice overview of the stadium.

Here's a good look at some of it.

And speaking of Joey, he showed up shortly after we visited this section, which is on the top level of the northwest corner of the stadium. It's refreshing too.

They made a stadium Joey's size too.

Bench.

[Hotlanta]

Another excellent TR scott. Was that the game during which they retired Maddux's number or is the next one? I am thinking the next game because number 31 is not even covered up in Left Field.

 

BTW for the same six dollars you can get pretty decent seats in the Golden Something Casino Level. That is a pretty neat deal they have going on all season. Already been to a couple of games thanks to that.

 

 

Now if i can only do a TR like you.

 

EDIT: BTW University of Texas also now has a bigger screen than the Ted i think.