Mark Brooks - Part 3 (The 1996 PGA Championship and the Majors)

Outro Music 0:07

Straight down the middle. It went straight down the middle.

Bruce Devlin 0:13

Then it started to just So finish off that 1996 year with the with your greatest victory at the PGA championship. That was that had to be something special.

Mark Brooks 0:26

So to win the 996 PGA, I have to back up to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 92. I was paired with Tom Kite in the last round who ended up winning. That was the fairly infamous day. The wind blew about 30, 30, 40 miles an hour. The greens got really purple and very, very difficult. And I imploded to, I don't know, 84, 85. I shot a million. I mean, it was a brutal day. Only a couple of guys actually broke 80 in the last like you know, 10 or 12 uh tucsons. But I learned a lot that day, you know, about not changing, you know, learning how to adjust, shift your game plan uh on the fly, you know, things change. Um, it wasn't about, well, you know, you went into the last round time, you know, in contention. I actually think for a moment there, you know, for history's sake, for my you know, my great-great-grandchildren, I wish I could live that long, I held a share, at least I held a share or partial lead through the second hole the last day. So, you know, you were there. I was right right in the middle. And uh promptly started to implode and the wind took over. And I got to watch Tom Kite, who's a good friend of mine lifelong. I mean, going back to even when I was in high school to meet him, you know, win a U.S. Open. I mean, the pinnacle of his career. And I watched it uh, you know, him just masterfully get his golf ball around that golf course on, you know, one of the toughest days I've ever experienced in professional golf, whether I had a good outcome or not. And so I learned a lot from that. That pass forwards you to 96. Now now you hear all this, you know, you don't have to have your A game, or you don't have to no, I you have to have your you have to have parts of your game have to be A plus to win events, no doubt about it. Um unless you're supremely talented and that's reserved for just a few. But I was playing good. I mean, so it's not a surprise. I wasn't shocked to be in contention. I think it's one reason a lot of guys don't win or have trouble winning, you know, and you go, what happened? Well, it's almost it's a little shocking to the system when you're finally actually in contention, down the stretch, five holes to go, four holes to go, three holes to go. Uh it you know, it's tougher than people think. Um it's it's not the people, it's it's just it's a it's a it's tough to close the deal. You know what I mean? It's just a real tough deal. So I had already failed miserably on a huge stage for me. Final round USO playing with the winner. Are you kidding? I mean, they're probably they're having to show some of my shots. You know, you know, they're they're having to show them. They have nothing else to put on because there's only like one group behind us. So it was humbling, it was learning, it was all those things, and that is what helps you win later. And it did, it proved to help. Um and so that 96, I was playing good already. And I wasn't shocked by any stretch that I was actually in contention. And, you know, did things have to fall right? Absolutely. If you watch, I've watched that, you know, whatever, the clip, the 20, 20-minute clip of the final round. There are a lot and a lot of guys that had a chance to win that major, that that particular PGA. It wasn't just one or two. There were uh, you know, six, seven, eight guys probably with nine holes to go, and even with just a few holes to go, there were still five or six guys that could, you know, birdie the last hole or eagle the last hole. Or, and I'll be honest with you, um you know, for my benefit, several of them, you know, semi-imploded on themselves on that par five, eighteenth at Valhalla, and I actually made a birdie, and sure enough, there it is. Uh, I mean, Kenny Perry, who ended up in a playoff with, you know, he made six on the last hole, though he bogeied that part five in regulation. And uh, you know, he was several quite a few holes ahead of me. And uh, I ended up, you know, hit two good shots, made a good up and down. You know, again, where best bunker shot up, you know, under pressure. It was I had nobody talked about the toughest shot I had was the bunker shot in regulation on seven on eighteen. Uh, you you know, it's one of those you had to be there to know while I was in there, and I had the ball above my feet pretty good, you know, six inches above my feet, so it's going left. Then there was a ridge that ran diagonally from left to right, and the further you went, more you went towards the hole, the longer the carry. And this was like a 30-yard bunker shot. This was not like a little flip-out. And I hit a more than serviceable bunker shot there to about six feet. And I'll just tell you, because you had already won earlier, you know, twice in the year, uh I wasn't gonna miss it. Okay, that I'll just, and that's not being cocky. I wasn't missing that putt. And I've seen my reaction when it's done. You would probably agree. You'd go, no, you weren't gonna miss that putt. There was no surprise. The you know, there was no ridiculous celebration. You know why? That's why I practiced. It's like I watch all these other sports, these guys do these wild crap. I'm like, dude, why are you acting so you're shocked? You trained to do that. Why are you surprised? So, you know, that's one of the reasons for the subdued uh reaction to some of the things. It's like I kind of I expected it. All right. I mean, so uh anyway, so that was the best bunker shot I hit under under the gun, no question about it. Uh and made the punt and the the playoff history. I hit I had a couple good shots, and uh Kenny got tangled in the bluegrass, and you know, lots been said about it. You know, he should have got out of the booth. Uh uh really, it's 90 degrees, man. I mean, you know, it's it's uh I I wouldn't blame the booth, but uh, you know, and I and Kenny's a good friend of mine, but uh, you know, parts, no regrets, man. He went on to have a I I'll say I spurred his career. I mean, this Kenny went on after that to have a phenomenal career. He had not won a lot going into that event. He ended up winning like 14-15 times on the tour. So more power to you, Kenny. I inspired you to move you on. He you know, ended up with a phenomenal Ryder Cup experience there. So he learned from 96. So his 1996 would have been my 92 Pebble Beach.

Mike Gonzalez 6:57

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 6:57

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 6:58

Well, much like uh, you know, uh you made the six-footer, you get in the playoffs, so that's much like 77 back in Pebble Beach when uh when Lanny uh uh was surprised to learn that uh they were going to sudden death playoff against Gene Littler, because I don't think they'd done it before. In your case, this was the final time they used the sudden death format to settle ties, and uh you go to 18 again. Kenny Perry, take us through the final hole.

Mark Brooks 7:26

I I I I think I just did. He got tangled in the rough. He hit a pretty good looking T-shot, went too far. They had, you know, I'm not a big fan of it, never have been, and it caught Kenny. It's that heavy rough between the fairway and the fairway bunker. And, you know, it's thick and it gets irrigation and it was thick and nasty. And he tried to advance his second shot too far up the fairway. I actually hit it the fairway. Another one of those uh rare moments where being a little shorter was a plus because my fairway was pretty darn wide because I couldn't reach the bunker. Anyway, I knocked it on the green in two, and uh, you know, I had a long putt, but I knocked it on in two safely, and you know that had to affect even now his third shot because he was still in the rough. Now he's got like, I don't know, 150 yards left, but he's in the gnarly, nasty hey. So I'm sure he tried too much, and uh turned out, you know, I could have I I honestly I think I'm I'm almost positive I could have three putted for Parr to win the playoff, but uh you know his second shot kind of doomed his fate there, and uh you know, like, whoa, don't get lost. I hit a drive down the middle and knocked it on a two. I put for Eagle. It's sort of the same story. Uh yeah, it's a little different twist. You know, from my view, you know, he didn't lose it. I won it. So that there you go.

Bruce Devlin 8:46

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 8:47

All right. This this was no uh scorecard incident.

Mike Gonzalez 8:51

So how did winner winning a major championship change life for Mark Brooks?

Mark Brooks 8:56

Not a lot, I'll be real honest with you. When you, you know, already been on tour at that point a dozen years. I was I had children. Um, you know, here we go, back to the old background. Where'd you come from? Um, you know, I didn't I wasn't raised in a one-room shack, you know, on a dirt road. I mean, I'm and I'm not knocking it. I'm for all everybody, but I wasn't, and I wasn't from privilege either. That's a mistake. I was from hardworking people that, you know, pulled put on their boots every morning, went out and you know, earned their way. So that was my deal. And I think the fact that I'd already had some success during that year, winning twice, I won three times that year. I mean, I had probably legitimate shots at player of the year, winning the money list, all that kind of you know, dreamy stuff, or you know, stuff you don't you don't write, I didn't write down as goals of mine. Are you kidding? You think I sat down on January 1 of 96 and said, I'm gonna win three times major, I'm gonna win the money list and you know, play on a President's Cup team? Hell no. I was let's see how many times, okay, let's see how many times we can be within a we in contention with nine holes to go. And I did a pretty darn good job of that for, you know, and sure enough, somehow closed the door on three of them. Somebody opened the door, you got to walk through. Sometimes, you know, sometimes you bang the door down, sometimes they open the door. There's all kinds of ways to get in there. I only got there seven times. It's pretty pretty obvious I wasn't very good at getting to the door, but uh uh, you know, there's lots of ways to win, but uh I was, you know, those were not goals. Those were not goals starting the year. Being in contention, again, statistically, my best years were 91-92, probably.

Mike Gonzalez 10:38

Yeah. Well, uh, 1996, that PGA championship at Valhalla, that uh turned out to be your seventh and final win on the regular tour. I thought what we'd do is maybe touch a little bit on your experience in each of the majors and just reflect on some of your favorite memories, maybe starting uh in April with the Masters.

Mark Brooks 10:58

I have wonderful memories of Augusta, except for the playing of the golf. My golf. Uh I I had I won't say I told you earlier in one of the podcasts here about you know, streaky putter. So I went with a lot of fear. All right. I went to I stepped on Augusta's grounds my first time, and I, you know, vowed to never go there before I wasn't in the tournament, and I stuck to it. And I didn't go in early, you know, weeks ahead of time. I'd been told by, you know, obviously friends of mine that have even won Masters, like, you can go, but it's not going to be like it is the week of the tournament. So I waited, but I went in with quite a bit of fear and trepidation about you know the speed of the greens. I'm like, this is something I'm not really I'm I'm I know I'm not used to uh playing at Muirfield, you know, Mr. Nicholas's place in Dublin, Ohio. I learned to play there because his services were pretty level, actually. Believe it or not. You know, the actually Jack's Greens were not crazy sloped at Muirfield. They were lightning fast. I mean, unbelievably quick. But, you know, and I've learned how to play decent there. I actually had a lot of good tournaments at the Memorial, shockingly, because it wouldn't fit the profile of my game. But Augusta, I was scared to death going in. I was intimidated. I mean, I sure I'll assure you I opened the tournament with a double. Let's just give it, put it that way, by opening hole. You know, back center pin. Tried to shoot it on in there, and creeped over the back left corner down, and there it goes. And I'm like, I'm dead. You know, Bruce knows exactly where I am. You're just you're toast over there, and you know, I couldn't even play for bogey. I walked off with six. So welcome to Augusta. So I was intimidated by the place. Uh you know, you get length envy there from the guys that can reach all the par fives, for example. You know, they're whipping it down here. You're you're back there occasionally trying to bounce a maybe a three wood up through a gap on two. So, you know, I wasn't the shortest hitter by any stretch during my good, those good, my good year runs, but I certainly wasn't long either. So I was a pretty middle of the road guy, probably sneaky long occasionally because when it got fast and runny. But I was intimidated by Augusta. And now I didn't have a lot of success there. But what's interesting is I made the last four cuts there when I played playing at Augusta, and that was after they lengthened the golf, started lengthening the golf course.

Outro Music 13:33

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 13:34

T-38, T-40, T-31, T-24.

Mark Brooks 13:38

Well, those were decent finishes for me. Uh, those were in the early 2000s, so they had started lengthening the golf course, lengthening the golf course, as you know, famously Tiger won in '97. Uh, you know, by a zillion, you know, you know, just beat everybody and hit it nine miles, and uh they decided to start making alterations there. And actually, you know, you know, well, how in the world did you do that? It should have been tougher for you. Well, my my basic theory was uh more guys had to play the golf course a little bit more like I was always having to play the course. I had bad years right 77, 78 for two rounds and head home. Also missed the cut pretty close a couple times, you know, 72, 73. But I was I'm not gonna say, oh, I became some, you know, a better player at that. That's not true. I just, you know, I was more experienced. I actually had learned to play the place. Uh by winning the 96 PGA, you know, I was in for, you know, I guess five years you're guaranteed to be in. So I got to know the place. I was able to stay in the same house every year, you know, rented the house for like five years, you know, a nice, a nice, comfortable little place. And so I became more familiar with it. But the length of the golf course, lengthening of the golf course, more guys had to play the golf course more the way I did, which was lay up a little more often on par fives. Wedge play became more important. Uh, a couple of T-shots honestly became a little bit easier for me uh by like virtue of not being able to reach a bunker. They'd stretched out there to three, you know, 300 to get to it. So I didn't my my scores, my personal scores didn't change much. And if the stats will prove it out, but all of a sudden the golf course got a little harder, harder overall for everybody, and therefore I made made more cuts. So that I mean it's not complicated, but I love Augusta, but I wouldn't have uh I you know it's I just went there that to summarize, I went there with a lot of fear, and it took me quite a few trips to Augusta to kind of get over that. So that was that was my Augusta experience.

Mike Gonzalez 15:48

Bruce, Mark uh is not the first guest we've had that's talked about not going into that tournament with the right mindset.

Bruce Devlin 15:57

No, well, it's uh uh as Mark has said, you know, uh I think his point about uh the golf course uh the Jack built up in uh Dublin, Ohio, uh it's a difficult golf course to play, but the greens there are not as severe, severely contoured as what they are at Augusta. And uh yeah, it's intimidating. If you if you sort of lose your uh confidence on those greens at Augusta, I mean you can three putt five or six times a day. Easy.

Mark Brooks 16:26

Oh, for sure. You know, and fastest uphill puts you'll ever have. You know, I mean, I don't know about anymore. There's so many places that have fast greens now, but Bruce, though I remember, you know, you'd have this 30-footer kind of up the hill, and I mean, you could run it by five feet in a heartbeat.

Outro Music 16:44

You're like, what?

Mark Brooks 16:46

How you know, it's like it's uphill. Do you give it a run? Not really. Not really. It's uh it's slick. So there are there are a lot of uh unsavory comments about the speed of those greens that are very humorous that have been passed on through the through the years about how fast are they? So uh we'll we'll leave it there.

Bruce Devlin 17:07

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 17:08

So why don't we touch on the uh the US Open briefly? Because you had a uh a couple of shots. You you you had two top fives, probably your best chance uh back in 2001 at Southern Hills.

Mark Brooks 17:21

I had a couple of chances, you know, really I had a couple of shots there. Pebble Beach, obviously, uh 92. I had a shot at Medina, honestly, uh the year Hale Urwin encircled the green multiple times with his you know famous victory. I had a good shot there. I I finished in the, I want to say top five or something there, but uh, you know, I was kind of feast or famine with the U.S. Open, like I'm not unlike a lot of guys, you know. You sort of either get it or you don't. Um that's it's an interesting not to anybody else but me, probably, or you know, the the pill pillow on my sofa, but uh you should be honestly more intimidated by playing a U.S. Open than Augusta with no rough. No rough. When I, you know, most of those years I played, they didn't even have a uh you know, first cut they call now. So I was not intimidated by playing in U.S. Opens only because I was fully prepared for what was about to come. And I think all the pre-tournament buildup, uh, you know, you you kind of thought when you got there on you know Sunday or Monday, let's just say, that you were gonna go out there, and when you walk down the first fairway, you're gonna look over, and that rough's gonna be about knee high, like literally. And you get out there and you sort of realize, yeah, it's nasty, but uh, you know, this can be done. I mean, it you know what I mean? There's a way to solve this puzzle. And it's a is it a typical chess match? No. That guy standing on the other side of the table is a little a little more wily this time, and uh, so you better, you know, be able to take a punch. I mean, I could name all the euphemisms and you know cliches, but being able, you know, it's way beyond uh, you know, take your medicine or some silly thing like that in a U.S. Open. In a U.S. Open, you are going to take body blows. I mean, there's everybody takes a body blow in a typical U.S. Open setup. Uh I'll I'll back you to uh I'll age myself again, another contemporary of Bruce's. He won the U.S. Open at Marion. David Graham.

Bruce Devlin 19:38

D Graham.

Mark Brooks 19:39

And I'm I'm so sorry. David, I'll give you the story. So the U.S. Open's at Wingfoot, this would have been 1986, I'm gonna say. I'd been on tour a year or two. West the Westchester Classic, which it was at Westchester Country Club, was the week before. We stayed at the same hotel. These courses are like within 10, eight miles probably of each other, if not less. We stayed at the same hotel for two straight weeks, playing the Westchester, playing at Westchester, and then the next week at Wingfoot. And David Graham happened to be at my hotel, and we'd run into each other at dinner, and you know, we he knew me casually, and you know, played a practice round here or there, and we got to talking, so we he was kind enough to invite me to breakfast, you know, let's say Monday morning, and let's go play a practice round. I think we'd actually both made the cut maybe at you know what the week before Westchester. So Monday morning, we have breakfast, we go out to the course. I'm gonna play a practice round. I mean, this guy's you know, he's up there, man. This guy's a legend for me. And you know, I'm a bit of a I'm a bit of a golf club, you know, uh tinkerer is the wrong word, but uh I I like to, I like I'm intrigued, and I've learned a lot about golf club design and builds. You met your match with him. I had met my match. So this was a match made in heaven. And fast forward, so we play a practice round pretty early. Pretty early. I mean, we probably teed off at 7. And you know, we're eating breakfast at 5:30. Soon at whatever time it opened, we're there. And I'm meeting him there and I'm dressed, ready to go. And we so we finished about lunchtime, and he had just played 18 holes with me, and just probably, you know, he'd observed, you know, he's he's actually now he's got his mentoring hat on. And Bruce, I'll tell you, we finished that round and we were in the one of the trailers, and my shaft, my he was building, putting new shafts and all my irons, my driver, everything. So he totally revamped my setup. It was a four and a half hour club fitting for David Graham to Mark Brooks. At Wingfoot on Monday of U.S. Open Week. And did it work? I'm sure I didn't make the cut, but it was like sort of my start into understanding how important the equipment can be and be a part of, you know, a part of your success or failure. And so, you know, we became good friends. He gave me several sets of irons over the years that you know he designed, as you know, as Bruce is well aware. David was a very knowledgeable and uh and skilled club maker. So that was my that was my foray into you know wing foot and US Open stuff. So uh it was a great, great sidebar. But back to the toughness, uh, you know, taking the gut punches. Uh I was just, you know, it was not everything didn't, nothing really came that easy for me, guys. And so I it it wasn't really anything new to go try that, you know, do did I do it well? Absolutely not. I had to learn take my lumps, but I did have a few good U.S. opens, and I promise you it was more mental, being you know, mentally prepared for the battle more so than the skill level. Okay, prom I promise you that.

Bruce Devlin 23:17

Yeah. So uh Mike, you didn't play uh you didn't play the open championship very much.

Mark Brooks 23:24

I played ten times.

Bruce Devlin 23:26

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 23:27

Well I'd say for a guy of my stature to play in the British Open, which you guys call the Open Championship, we only say the word to I'd make sure the identifier is correct. I played in the open championship ten times. And it was quite expensive to go. And you know, this started, I'm gonna say, early 90s for me. Um when you felt like you were actually let's say safe enough on the PGA tour because you were skipping an opposite field event to go play in that event. So don't for people don't get that's can't be lost on people. Oh, why didn't he go play the the open over there? Well, it was a pretty big trip, it was an expensive trip, and you were skipping an opportunity to make money, and you're trying to make sure you keep your card and be exempt. And so that was one reason you didn't go quite a few of the years. And when I finally did go, I started uh I'm gonna say my first foray was in '91 at Burkdale, which uh Ian Baker Finch won. Yeah, another world-class putter. I'm sure he didn't make anything that week week either. But I did I started there, and Bruce, I played in a full 10, and I think I made seven or eight of the cuts. So I fell in love with Lynx golf, and that tie is clearly back to municipal golf in Texas. Playing shots on the ground, playing in heavy wind, uh funny looking conditions, you know, it doesn't look like it's in very good shape, but I fell in love with j not only the turf, the smells, the feels, the people, and the style of play. Um it's my favorite golf by far. Not even close. I'm a Lynx fan. So yeah, I love I love Lynx golf. I loved, I got to go down to finally Australia and play the you know, sand belt stuff. Just love it.

Bruce Devlin 25:34

That's a great, great lot of golf courses down there.

Mark Brooks 25:37

Probably partial to the Australian version. I mean, to be honest. So yeah. It's a little more refined, I would say, is the word I'd use. It's a more refined, sandy, you know, linksy experience. It's a more refined.

Mike Gonzalez 25:51

Yeah. So, Mark, let's talk a little bit about your experience uh playing on the President's Cup team in 1996.

Mark Brooks 25:58

You know, I I got close to winning a British British, by the way. For not going very many times. I finished uh third and fifth, 95 and 96. And uh St. Andrews was the Roka Daily playoff. I missed that playoff by one. I doubled 16. Oh.

Mike Gonzalez 26:18

Not good.

Mark Brooks 26:19

And then they did their antics on 18, so that would have been 95 at the old course.

Mike Gonzalez 26:24

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 26:25

95, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 26:26

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 26:27

Close call there.

Mike Gonzalez 26:28

And then the next year at Litham.

Mark Brooks 26:30

At St. Andrews.

Mike Gonzalez 26:31

The next year at Litham, you were close.

Mark Brooks 26:33

I played pretty good there. Tom Lehman ran. Tom Lehman got out in front of everybody there, made a nice run of birdies on the backside, kind of put that one out of reach. But uh no, I just I loved Lynx golf. It was uh I got it. I mean, you know, you either get it or you don't, and uh it just it and obviously it fit my game. I learned uh, I'll give this is one of the things I loved about Link Scoff, not just growing up in the wind. I was a good win player, uh no doubt about it. Um we had to, you had to be a good win player in Texas. So that goes back to tell you one reason so many great players are you know, I'm not, but good players and great players ended up out of the state of Texas. You grow up on wiry Bermuda grass, um, golf course conditions changed throughout the year. We played golf year-round, but we played on dormant, hard pan, all the way to lush, you know, soft, you know, thick Bermuda in the summer. So playing growing up and playing of the bulk of your golf in Texas, you experience a lot of different conditions on the same golf course. You are just exposed to it. So I would say that one of my things I learned at uh at the obviously, besides you know, keeping it out of the pot bunkers, and Bruce would appreciate this into the wind, long shots. When you have linked and you can put the ball on the ground, I'm talking low, like low you don't even see anymore. I learned very early on, I was able to shorten those shots by trajectory. Meaning, you go, what are you talking about? I go, I'm talking about I'm 200 yards out, I'm blowing into a 25 mile an hour fan. If I can take this two iron out and you know, put it on the ground, this this surface is a couple things. One, it's usually dry. Number two, and most importantly, it's predictable. Are the bounces predictable? Not necessarily, but the bounce and the the let's call it the rebound of the turf is predictable on Lynx Golf. That's why it works. That's why you can play so many beautiful, well-judged bump and runs and things from around the greens and up the slopes, because it's because of the turf and the type of grass. And unfortunately, uh, this will be my only tirade into the design thing, these tightly mown areas that have become so popular and they are beautiful. They don't really work as intended, and that's because of the type of grass and you know the subsurface. That's all. They're gorgeous, but you know, you just see guys, why are they all lobbing over there? I go, because it's unpredictable. That's why I just beyond all that. That's one of the reasons I kind of got it early on. There's a reason you put it on the ground, you know, it's because it's predictable. And uh just absolutely fell in love with it and studied it. And uh I played I to my just to my my personal portfolio, I've played well over 75 different links golf courses in uh in the British Isles. So I I've got some experience with it.

Mike Gonzalez 29:45

Well, let's let's move ahead then to your team experience. Uh, and I'm talking now about the President's Cup that you qualified for in 1996, which was a win at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club where uh Arnold Palmer and Peter Thompson were the captains.

Mark Brooks 30:00

They were. It was a very interesting experience. I had not had, I didn't make a Walker Cup team. Um probably only had one good shot at maybe making that team. So I had not had the golf team experience. Uh, it was a learning experience. I didn't play particularly well that week, probably put too much pressure on myself. Uh that was in '96 as well. And that was a very, I'll be honest with you, uh, I was pretty exhausted by that time of the year. So, you know, you asked it, did my life change from the 96 PJ? It didn't change in vast material ways, but time-wise, yes. So uh I'm gonna excuse uh my performance and my actual recollection of the President's Cup from you know pretty much exhaustion from the from the year. And I traveled overseas, but fortunately, you know, the Freddie couples came through in the clutch. I know he did because I was out watching him finish it up. Uh the internationals had made it very very close, and Freddie came through in uh typical fashion and and shut shut closed the matches out for us, and uh we had a nice celebration and moved on. So that that was I again uh I think exhaustion uh you know from from the earlier part of the year. So my writer, my presence cup experience was fantastic, but uh no offense to anyone, it's it wasn't the Ryder Cup. So I've I've been to a couple of those.

Mike Gonzalez 31:31

So uh I'm sure Bruce is anxious just to compare notes with you on your golf course design experience.

Mark Brooks 31:38

We have no notes to compare. I have no notes. I've done a couple of golf courses. Bruce is prolific. He's designed so many golf courses, and I've played it. I've played actually a lot of them. Uh, one of my favorites is Crown Colony over in Lufkin, East Lufkin, Texas. You know, it's still rated one of the best. You know, there have been so many courses built, obviously, Bruce, from between then and now when y'all finish that, but it's a fantastic golf course. Uh it's got you know everything you'd want on a golf course besides the beautiful piece of land. I mean, it's got a vast variety of holes. And uh, we played a lot of tournaments there. Honestly, we played some state amateurs there. Scott Verplank kicked my butt there one one year. Um so I got to play quite a bit over there, and that's just one of a zillion. I've done a couple. Uh, to be honest, uh golf had kind of boomed out by the time we were really getting into it, and it was time to slow down building. We overbuilt you know, a lot of golf courses there uh, you know, at the end of the 90s, so there was a little bit of a glut. And so it wasn't the best time to get into golf course design. And uh no, we have no notes to compare, I'll promise you. I've done a couple. Um, I'm an ardent student of the game and the student and a student of architecture. I'd love to someday, who knows, if we ever get a chance again. I would the next time around, as you get older, I would love to collaborate with somebody. And I think you might end up with a better product and uh might take the pressure off of you a little bit to to be right because you never get it right the first shot, you know, you never get it right. So my hat's off to Bruce on that one. I'm not gonna compare notes. I just uh accolades and uh I know you know he had a he had an illustrious career, not only that, and also in broadcasting. So we don't have a lot of we don't have a lot of notes to compare.

Bruce Devlin 33:32

I appreciate that. But I you know you did win on the golf course that we built, though. At Woodlands.

SPEAKER_04 33:39

Yes, sir.

Bruce Devlin 33:40

You won the won the Houston Open there.

Mark Brooks 33:42

I did. Yes, that's you that put all that water on those last cut. That's right. The last two holes, I mean you know, you talk about feast or famine. I mean, you can go birdie birdie and you can go uh eight eight. So uh no, it's it's awesome. Y'all did a fantastic job of that property.

Bruce Devlin 33:59

No, thank you.

Mark Brooks 33:59

Um the it's again, there again, same deal, a lot of variety of holes, mix of dog legs. Uh, you know, it doesn't favor anybody, to be honest with you. Um it's uh it's fantastic. And they and to to Bruce to your credit, they haven't changed that golf course really any. They messed with one par three.

SPEAKER_04 34:20

Yeah.

Mark Brooks 34:20

And I'm just I think it was out of boredom, almost like they wanted to test a different strain of grass to see if it would work on the property. And so they kind of made some alterations, which was number eight. I mean, I I know the golf course, you'd you you wouldn't want to know how many times I've played the Woodlands. I I've played your golf course probably 300 times. So uh anyway, it stood the test of time. Uh, we still go back there for a champions event every year, the Sparity. And uh anyway, great, love it.

Bruce Devlin 34:47

Well, listen, Mark, we've had a we've had a wonderful time uh chatting with you today. I know I know Mike's enjoyed it as much as I have, and uh uh I don't know what more to say, except uh we appreciate you being with us today. You've been a great guest, and uh we hope uh hope everything continues well for you for uh the rest of your life. And thanks again.

Mark Brooks 35:09

Well, I I'm I'm honored you guys asked me to do it, and uh I hope your editor can do some proper editing. He can he can he can make it look better than I'm sure it actually is.

Bruce Devlin 35:20

So you're looking at the editor.

Mark Brooks 35:22

My hat's off, my hats off to the editor, please.

Bruce Devlin 35:25

There he is. Mike's the editor.

Mike Gonzalez 35:28

I'll do my best. Thank you, Mark, for being with us.

Mark Brooks 35:31

Thank you, Mike.

Mike Gonzalez 35:32

Thank you for listening to another episode of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, but tell your friends until we teat up again for the good of the game song.

Outro Music 35:56

It went smack down the fairway. It started to slice, just spit offline. Headed for two, but it bounced off time. My caddies, as long as you're still in the state, you're okay.