It's been some time since we've done a crew-wide Q&A — and after a big year, I figured there was no better time to survey the NLU squad. Let's dive in.
Neil
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Allow me to first go down the leaderboard of honorable mentions as it’s been a really fun year: competing with my close personal friend ‘Jordy’ at Kapalua, playing miniature golf with Jason Benetti in Phoenix, sleeping in a tent among the ‘Scousers’ at the Open Championship, and watching Carlota Ciganda stuff the pinata in front of King and Country to win the Solheim Cup would all be easy answers…
But, The Roost Club Championship at Sweetens Cove is the true highlight of 2023. Sweetens Cove and specifically, The Birdhouse, hold a really special place in my heart. I get a great deal of joy out of watching people play the course, especially in a competitive format, for the first time. I will never get sick of making the trip to Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley, and if you haven’t joined a Roost yet, consider finding one in your area in 2024.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
I’ve been ripping through episodes of Acquired, a podcast that dives deep into the history and success of different businesses, during long runs and road trips. Warning: these podcasts are 3-4 hours long, but I really love the approach the hosts take: well-researched but conversational. They explore the history of each business and then analyze why they think the business is successful or unique. It’s something KVV and Soly are doing with our recent topic-based podcasts on the 1996 Major season and what we are trying to do with our NFL Owners podcasts.
Episodes I’ve enjoyed recently: Enron (fascinating, especially because I remember it happening in 4th grade but never really knew how bad these hombres were), Nike, Porsche, and Costco.
Favorite course you played this year?
One of the perks of this job is getting to play a lot of different golf courses, but at the same time, I only played 3 courses this year more than once. I often finish a round dying for another chance to play and hit certain shots again. One of those courses was Camargo in Cincinnati, where I played in a member/guest with one of my best friends. It was a joy to play one of the best courses in the country on repeat for 3 days, and I think Carmargo has some of the best par 3s in golf.
Least favorite athlete ever?
Grade school Neil would say Mike Piazza (but D.J. has urged me to reconsider). New answer is John Elway (his steakhouse in the Denver airport sucks too).
Best purchase of 2023?
Easiest question of 2023. My new Dyson vacuum. I spent way too much time researching this purchase, and I’m thrilled I ponied up for this bad boy now that I have a black lab in an apartment with a white color palette!
D.J.
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
A lot of directions we could go here. I had such a fun time in Rome, both on our scouting trip with Justine, Soly and Ben, and then during the actual Ryder Cup with Soly and KVV. It’s easy to circle dates on the calendar years in advance and say “I can’t wait for X tournament in Y city,” but oftentimes those trips are contained solely to tournament dates and you spend most of your time there in media centers, shuttles and trying to find convenient meals before early wake-up calls. This year in Rome was one of the first times we’ve actually made a significant effort (with the help of the homies at BMW) to go over early and really get to know the course, the area, the people and let that excitement build all year. It made the Ryder Cup so much more fun and hopefully made our coverage better as well.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
I’m going to go movie-related. Of course: “Oppenheimer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “The Killer.” Underrated things I loved: “Past Lives” and “They Cloned Tyrone.” But the one that I want to shout out is “Beau is Afraid.” I don’t think it was the best movie I saw. I honestly don’t know what I thought about it. But I can’t stop thinking about it. I dare you to watch it. God, you might HATE it. It’s so sick.
Favorite course you played this year?
Punchable answer: Sand Hills. Absolutely tip-top of the bucket list and it delivered on every expectation. I could play Nos. 7 and 8 all day every day for the rest of my life.
Non-Bucket List Answer: Lundin Links. We had a chance to sneak out one afternoon during a shoot in St. Andrews and it’s a round I’ve thought about a lot since. It’s obviously drowned out by its more famous neighbors, but I can’t wait to go back.
Least favorite athlete ever?
Carlos Zambrano.
F*** the Cubs.
Best purchase of 2023?
One thing I really wanted to upgrade when we moved into our new house in Milwaukee was my audio setup. I love collecting records, but I’m like a 20 handicap when it comes to actual gear expertise. We decided to go with a new turntable from U-Turn Audio, which I’ve really loved. The gear is all very simple and clean and the ability to choose all the options you want and build a custom turntable not only helped me learn a lot more about how different pieces work but also allowed us to get exactly what we needed for our room. Highly recommend!
Casey
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Justin Hueber fixing my putting on Film Room - a legit game changer!
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
I'm going with what I know will be at the top of my Spotify 2023 Rewind - the new album that I have listened to by far the most this year is Paramore's This Is Why. In particular, the song "You First" - it gets me fired up as soon as I hear the first note.
Favorite course you played this year?
Sweetens Cove! Finally checked that one off the list, and there was no better way to do it than at the Roost Club Championship. Had a smile on my face the whole time I was there - just a super fun course made better surrounded by our great community.
Least favorite athlete ever?
I will run back my answer from October's Nest pod - Otis Nixon!
Best purchase of 2023?
My Rollo wireless label printer. As someone who does a lot of shipping from home, the ability to now print/peel/stick a label in a matter of seconds from my computer or phone has been a massive upgrade to the shipping process.
Randy
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
I really, really loved the video we made about Jim Hartsell called “When Revelation Comes”. I was extremely proud of the work Tron, DJ, Matt Golden, & Paddy Neill did in capturing and producing Jim’s story. It’s an amazing piece of content and one I’m so proud lives on our site.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
It didn’t get any more enjoyable this year for me than the Oppenheimer one-two punch. Knowing that the Christopher Nolan movie was releasing later in 2023, I began reading the book the film is based on - “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” - early in the year. The book is amazing in its depth and breadth and was an awesome primer for the movie, which did not disappoint at all.
Favorite course you played this year?
I was fortunate to get to play several amazing courses for the first time this year, Pine Valley among them, but the course that sticks out the most in my mind is Woking Golf Club outside London, England. Cody and I went over there on an afternoon prior to the start of the Women’s British Open and I could not have been more charmed by the place. It was quaint, challenging, fun, and walkable. And the colors were incredible—purple heath everywhere the eye could see. The highest compliment I can pay to Woking, or any course, is it’s a place I would love to play over and over day after day.
Least favorite athlete ever?
N/A—not feeling the hate for anybody.
Best purchase of 2023?
My best purchase of the year is a membership to a yoga studio near me. As I turned 40 this year, I decided I had to get serious about reclaiming (and preserving) my flexibility and mobility. I had been ignoring and putting off stretching as part of any workout routine with the result being a pretty constant feeling of tightness in my hips, legs, and low back. I’m now a couple of months into a dedicated routine of yoga (3x per week) and my back feels so much looser, and my body generally feels better than it has in a couple of years.
Cody
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
2023 AIG Women's Open with the Big Guy. From playing in the Pro-Am to doing BBC Radio throughout the week, it was a blast! Lots of "face for radio" jokes from people we ran into. But the highlight of it all was spending 1 on 1 time with Big. We played some great golf courses, ate too much curry and Chinese with Ian Carter and family, and tried all the G&Ts we could. I cannot wait for the Old Course next year.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
I feel like everywhere I turn there is a new series or book being recommended to me. Sad to see Succession and Ted Lasso go out, but was excited for The Bear and The Crown to come back strong.
In the golf world, everyone thinks they deserve buckets full of cash. Your allegiance must be stated to support this or that. But we did have something cut through. Watching "When Revelation Comes" will be a defining moment for me this year. Not because we did the project, but because of Jim. His vulnerability and openness to discuss the single hardest moment in any parent's life made me stop and think. It taught me to cherish what is in front of you because you never know when it is gone. It made me reach back out to friends, family, etc. It taught me to be present. It would not be possible without the love and support TC put into it. Coupling his vision with D.J. Pie to create something that will last long after we are gone. And Matt Golden seeing the whole thing through, with support from Paddy Neill and the great Justine Piehowski. If you have not sat down and watched the 50-minute film, please do so. You never know what you might be missing out on.
Favorite course you played this year?
Sand Hills. Thanks to TC and D.J. Pie for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will be hard to beat. Those two with an amazing host made it something I will never forget. Shout out to Commander Taco, Ben's porch, and ruby red Squirt (a splash is delicious in your vodka).
Least favorite athlete ever?
Mike Vick, followed closely by Ryan Leaf.
Best purchase of 2023?
My wife's 40th Birthday trip to Italy. I hope it brings me goodwill for years to come.
Ben
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Playing a match with Golden, Big, and D.J. at Lundin Links after a great day filming at the Walker Cup.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
I’ve been trying hard to get into reading (specifically business/self-help books) more this year. Neil asked me to read Shoe Dog and I am so happy I did. From fostering that competitive mindset to stories about Pre and Bowerman - the whole book is a real treat.
Favorite course you played this year?
Royal Melbourne Composite
Least favorite athlete ever?
Any KU Basketball player that isn’t playing well at the moment.
Best purchase of 2023?
At-home baby monitor. That peace of mind knowing the baby is still kicking was a big help in our household. Don’t tell our doctor.
KVV
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Asking Rory McIlroy to join The Trap Draw for an episode of The Perfect Club where we previewed Season 4 of Succession. Rory had to talk so much this year about the future of golf, it was great to see him step away from that for an hour, and talk about something as fun and dumb as his favorite TV show. One thing I like to keep in mind about golfers is they have normal lives away from the course; they consume pop culture and have unique takes on art like any of us, no matter how famous they are. Rory’s reveal that watching Succession made him think long and hard about how he wants to raise his daughter in a world of wealth was a fascinating tidbit about how thoughtful tries to be, both as a person and father.
Runner-up: I am as proud of “The Disease of More” as anything I’ve ever written.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s piece about Taylor Swift fandom from the New York Times Magazine, which you can read here via a gift link even if you are not a Times subscriber. I think it’s my favorite write-around (a magazine term for when you can’t get the subject for an interview, but have to profile them anyway) since David Foster Wallace wrote about Roger Federer. I genuinely felt like I understood my 13-year-old daughter better after finishing it, which is invaluable as a father. Brodesser-Akner spent much of the last two years working in television, adapting her excellent novel, Fleishman’s In Trouble, for Hulu. But it was so nice to have her back (even temporarily) writing celebrity profiles. She has no equal.
Favorite course you played this year?
Royal Birkdale. I had hoped to play several rounds of golf prior to The Open Championship, but it didn’t happen after Virgin Atlantic lost my golf clubs and didn’t get them back to me for two weeks. I figured it was a bust. But some delightful Birkdale members invited me out anyway, and with rental clubs, I played a wonderful late-afternoon round that was filled with history lessons, good stories, laughter and pints of Guinness at the end.
Least favorite athlete ever?
After giving this considerable thought, I’ve landed on James Harden. Never has an athlete been this productive while also being this unpleasant to watch. A narcissist and a clown.
Best purchase of 2023?
Golf lessons for my 11-year-old daughter. It’s so fun to see her learn from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. I have no delusions that she’ll ever play on the LPGA Tour. But give it a few years, and I’m going to bring her to an NLU event.
TC
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Being afforded the privilege of telling Jim Hartsell and his son Jordan’s story and working with Matt Golden, DJ, Paddy Neill, Robbie Wilson, and Jim Sitar to bring it to life. The filming trip was magical and took me to a few places that rank among my favorites anywhere in the world, with the Isle of Arran at the top of that list and met some people who are likely lifelong friends. Humbled by the way Jim opened up in the book and by the resolve he showed in opening the wounds again for video. And grateful to the rest of the team for believing in the project when it was just a crazy idea. A close second would be the moment that KVV/Poosh/Randy told me on one of our TrapDraw NFL episodes that Daniel Jones’ nickname is ‘Vanilla Vick’ - that’s the hardest I laughed all year.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
Technically came out on Christmas Day ‘22, but Zach Bryan’s live album from Red Rocks got a lot of play on my phone this year. And stretching the bounds of “content” here, but on the front-end of the trip to Spain for the Solheim Cup I stopped in Basel, Switzerland to visit my friend Pascal (who I met at a previous NLU event), see his gelateria (that we discussed on the TrapDraw a couple years ago and was exceptional), and we enjoyed the tasting menu at Restaurant Tanja Grandits. It was by far the best meal I enjoyed in 2023.
Favorite course you played this year?
Tough one! There were some sentimental ones (Corrie, Shiskine, Dunaverty) and some repeat favorites (Kingston Heath, Royal Melbourne, LACC, etc.), but Tara Iti took the cake. It was everything I expected it to be and so much more. It got better each time we played it. Feel very fortunate to have experienced it. Stateside, an unexpected delight was Park Mammoth in Kentucky - make it a point to get there if anywhere within a few hours.
Least favorite athlete ever?
(tie) Patrick Cantlay, James Harden, Curt Schilling. No explanation necessary. Not good! Serena Williams used to be on this list but I’ve softened a bit on her, and Cam Newton was another least favorite, but I’ve done a total 180 and he’s among my favorites now!
Best purchase of 2023?
Objectively: I probably use my AirPods Pro more than anything else I own, so buying a fresh pair of those probably takes the cake - and I’m amazed how consistently great they work, from battery life to connecting quickly.
Subjectively: booking a room at the Pulitzer Amsterdam for a trip with my wife Alex to start the year off right. Wonderful hotel in a magical city.
Jordan
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
The U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble was the easiest yes in my 26 years of life. Killing two bucket list items – Pebble and covering a major championship – with one stone? But what made it even more special was spending the week with Randy, TC, Cody and KVV, all of whom I had just met IRL for the first time. Not only did I laugh some of the hardest I ever had in my entire life, but I learned so much. They’re some of the hardest working, most inspiring people I have ever been around, and were so gracious and patient with me in my scatterbrained-ness.
Especially on the live shows. I cried my eyes out the day before I left for Pebble, terrified of sounding like a rambling idiot being perceived live on the internet for public consumption. I didn’t tell them that, obviously, because uh, haha I got this, but they made me feel so comfortable and really encouraged a space where I could just be myself. I will never forget that trip and can’t thank them enough for allowing me to join them that week.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
Katie Heindl’s Basketball Feelings is an instant open every time it hits my inbox. She is brilliant at weaving the minutiae of daily life and trending stories in the NBA in a way that really stirs the soul.
Favorite course you played this year?
One of my best friends recently picked up the game, and we’ve played some deeply, deeply unserious but joyful rounds at our local par 3 course. Before that, none of my friends were really into it and I saw playing golf as sort of a chore when it was all I thought about all day. And while I have zero issues being alone, having that accompaniment has broadened my entire perspective on it. The par 3 is nothing special, but it’s super kind to my wallet and the site of some of my best memories of 2023.
Least favorite athlete ever?
I am nominating two coaches who have been responsible for my greatest heartaches this college football season: Billy Napier and Gus Malzahn.
Napier has coached my alma mater, the Florida Gators to utmost mediocrity and has become the unofficial author of the coachspeak manual. Please relinquish the play-calling control. Like, yesterday.
Malzahn coaches my adopted CFB team, the UCF Knights, whom I semi-unironically root for. His follies have been as equally hilarious as they have been frustrating. I recommend everyone adopt a “bad” team.
Best purchase of 2023?
A ticket to Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Boston. It was the best spontaneous decision I’ve ever made (especially because the Heat embarrassed the Celtics), and restored my love for the NBA, something I held near and dear to my heart as a teenager but got super burnt out on. I actually wanted to write about basketball before I ever wanted to write about golf, but admittedly, I don’t think I’d be too good at it. It’s been a treat to rediscover the love for it from a hobbyist’s perspective.
Soly
What has been your “NLU highlight” of 2023?
Kicking off the year at Kapalua with Jordan and Justin and turning it into our most successful video ever was a big energy boost to begin the campaign. Rarely do you catch dudes that well rested and that energized, and in that good of a mood. It’s what makes that first event unique and I felt like we captured that well, and people loved it. Hope to do more of that in 24.
Honorable mention was a more personal experience than it was an NLU one, but playing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am was probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing golf and was just an incredible experience that I’ll likely never replicate.
Best piece of content you’ve consumed in 2023?
Season 2 of the podcast “In The Dark” was whatever the equivalent is of a “page-turner” in the podcast world. It’s about a guy who has been charged with the same murder six different times and the corruption behind it all. I won’t spoil it, but it’s the most comprehensive and impressive journalism feat I’ve seen in a true crime series. There’s no ads, and the work that Madeleine Baran and Samara Freemark did on this should be taught in journalism school. I listened to it while painting the garage and I didn’t want to stop painting.
Favorite course you played this year?
Royal Melbourne (Composite). But even more enjoyable than playing was getting to walk it for six days at the Asia Pacific Amateur. I got to see it in so many different winds and conditions, and truly appreciate its brilliance down to the smallest level of detail. How the shots changed from day to day based on the pins and the winds, and the different shots that were required just to hold those firm greens with the bunkers cut into them had me longing for a lot more top-level golf to be played on this golf course. You have to shape the ball up against the wind to hold these greens in crosswinds, and it’s just such a remarkably thorough test without just punching you in the face with narrow fairways and thick rough.
Least favorite athlete ever?
This is not going to go over well, but it’s Kobe. He fell ass backward into a ridiculously good situation, got crowned with three rings as the second-best player on the team, got Shaq traded, was nothing without Shaq until he got Gasol, went 6 for 24 in a Game 7 and still somehow got a ring, and gets paraded around as one of the best ever. He was not an efficient scorer. LeBron could miss his next 3,600 shots and still have a higher field goal percentage than Kobe did. No thanks. (A lot of the hate is not actually Kobe’s fault, it’s the Kobe fans that could never make the case for him without saying “5 rings.”)
Best purchase of 2023?
It seems impossible that I could spend as much money as I have in 2023 and not be able to think of a good purchase I made. I’ll go with Indow Window inserts for our bedroom. We live close to a busy road and it reduces sound by 70%. Have I installed them yet and can I testify that they work? No. But I’ve bought them and man do I hope they do.