Shout out to the people in the Southern Tier from tour caddy | Syracusefan.com

Shout out to the people in the Southern Tier from tour caddy

Orangeyes

R.I.P Dan
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I get updates from a caddy on the Senior Tour and he had a lot of nice things to say about Endicott and the people in the region. I skipped some parts to include just those areas the folks down there would be interested in

"I just left possibly the best event on tour, apologies to Des Moines you switched courses on us, and a lot of wonderful friends.

Every year when we settle in for our week in Endicott there are many familiar faces and friends we haven't met. It's the year's biggest event, a golf tournament with a county fair atmosphere and they throw in a Tim McGraw concert on the 18th green Friday night. You really can't ask for any more, but I don't stick around for the late night festivities. Way too old I guess and after a couple hours of "people watching" on the first tee retaining wall, I'm ready for the couch and some Little League Baseball World Series.

Volunteers and caddies gather after duties are over and reminisce about the old B.C. Open days and watch the entire community stroll through the courtyard area. There were estimates of 25-30,000 people at the Friday night concert and I think I watched most of them gather before I left for the Endwell Greens farmhouse, my digs for the week. There were 8 caddies staying at the old, supposedly haunted, five bedroom farmhouse/B&B but it was quite sedate except for one minor altercation and someone playing with my feet a couple of nights.

Usually by August caddies and players are a bit testy. The summer heat, which didn't make it to the Susquehana River valley this week (supposedly there were snow flurries at the airport one morning) and long schedule starts grinding a bit and the boys get restless. Long story short, there was a caddy altercation Tuesday evening at a local watering hole. One went to the hospital that night and the other to jail Saturday, neither missing a tee time or a minute of work. We're a resilient bunch, aren't we?

Endicott has been my favorite stop on tour since 1988. I'd rather sit on the retaining wall behind one tee than under the Magnolia behind Augusta's clubhouse. It's the people, everyone knows everyone, and they can't do enough for you. Keith, John, Billy and the rest of the caddy crew bend over backwards; every pro-am group is a blast, especially this year. By the third hole we were all old friends and as I was telling a Murph story from 1988 their mouths dropped. They were good friends with Murph's son-in-law, Rob. I've got a free room next year and they snuck me in the steak, lobster, and shrimp awards dinner Thursday night. I hid in the back corner, caddies aren't to be seen or heard at these functions.

A practice round with Funk and Goodes Tuesday cost us a few skins, but Fred, the big winner bought lunch at the Big Dipper Ice Cream and BBQ. Outdoor seating only and the best BBQ chicken I've inhaled in a long time.

We had a nice evening at the Binghamton Mets AA game.

Sunday afternoon as the players pack up and make their way to the parking lot, volunteers, fans, and a few caddies gather along the walkway to thank them, wish them well, and almost beg them to come back. Don't worry, we all love it there, there's too many memories not to enjoy them every year.

Sorry, gotta go, planes leaving."

Comment:

Just thought you folks in the Southern Tier and people here on the board should know how well thought of that area is.
 
Ahhh... the B.C. Open...
I lived in Endicott from 1984-1990, with my place of employment only a mile away from the course.
Good days those were.

Spiedies at Lupo's. Pat Mitchell's ice cream. Wings at the Sports Page. Food & drink at Kelly's. The Endicott beer crawl. Kristofor's (a.k.a. as bldg K). O's. Ne'er mind. :)
 

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