Sounds amazing Scott,
now for the $64,000 question. Do you usually have extra time left over at each venue to get in 18 holes? If so do you need an equipment carrying assistant?
Have clubs, will travel.
The sad truth is that even though we visit some of the most amazing courses in world we rarely play more than about 5 holes. And by 'we' I mean the host. Any guest who plays golf with us is usually in for the tough reality that TV golf is no fun. A whole lot of start and stop as we move the camera into different positions.
Some of our producers like to really direct & craft the golf, lots of time spent looking for the perfect angles and even asking for shots to be hit again for better ball landings. Personally I like the more fluid approach to shooting the golf segments. It may not turn out perfect visually but when our host & guest are having fun on the course I think it makes a big difference to the segment. I just like to move fast.
I usually shoot from the tripod, or the ground, when we cover a tee shot & a fairway shot. And I usually get behind the green for par 3s and try to see the ball hit the green. Once on the green I like to work handheld. I can move quickly and that way I don't have to hold up putts.
Now and then we have been on a location and time permitted us to put the camera away and all play some holes. When we shot our 3 episodes in Ireland my audio guy, Stephen from Dublin, was about as good a golfer as Chad. The producer Sam and I were both beginners. So we had a few 'Above the Line' vs. 'Below the Line' holes; Sam & Chad against Stephen and me.
We played a bit at Narin & Portnoo, Waterville, and Ballybunion. In fact I got my first par ever on the 15th at Ballybunion. We had finshed filming Chad's stand up at about 9:30pm and there was still light in the summer sky. Sam announced that we'd all play one hole. I used Chad's 3 wood off the tee and landed on the lower tier of the green. My putt ran up the hill and stpooed about 10 feet to the left of the cup. Chad handed me his putter and reminded me that if I sunk it I'd have my first par. No pressure!!
He helped me read the line and my ball died at the edge of the cup - then dropped in! It was just past 10pm. The next day Sam bought me a print of the hole, one of my treasured posessions.
I got my 2nd par, unassisted, later during the trip on #17 at Waterville. The competition was a little 'hotter' then as Stephen and I gave Sam & Chad a run.
One last story - in season 1 we filmed the 4 boys on the kids course in Scotland at North Berwick. After shooting the segment we grabbed Chad's clubs and played one par 3 hole. I had never really swung a club yet, the Wandering Golfer was still a new experience for me. I landed a ball in rough on a hill behind the green about 40 feet from the flagstick. I took a hopeful swipe with the putter and the ball hopped down the hill and onto the green. After a meandering roll it dropped into the cup.
Chad took the putter from me and suggested I don't play any more golf on the trip. That way i could say I birdied every hole I played in Scotland!