A Man Walks Into a Bar

The original idea, like most of my ideas, started after a couple of cold beers with a few friends in the clubhouse of a local public golf course. The idea is thrown out, followed by some laughter, and then it starts to grow. Using the analogy of how an oak tree grows, a tree begins when a nut falls on the ground.  Similarly, an idea grows when my buddies and I are in the clubhouse. In the tree analogy, leaves and soil cover the nut and water provides the nutrients to start the growth process. Similarly, if you add a few beers to my group of friends, ideas will emerge. With luck 1 out of every 100 oak nuts will sprout a sapling. Similarly, 1 out of every 100 ideas with my buddies will make it out the front door. On this day the one idea that made it out the door was how much fun it would be to play a round of golf in each of the 50 states.

I am not saying that playing a round of golf in each state is an original idea by any means. The idea of the internet did not come from a bunch of guys drinking beer at a clubhouse; but for me, that is exactly where the idea started. Recently retired and being a novice at the game of golf I could not think of a better way to see the United States, meet new people, maybe shave a few strokes off my handicap, all while doing something I enjoy. And so “Chappie Golf Outing” was born. I will be playing a round of golf in each of the 50 states and documenting my experiences – the courses, the cities and towns where I stay, the food, the local attractions, and most of all, the people.  Joining me at times will be my girlfriend, Karen, and our Golden Retriever puppy, Callie.

First a few introductions

Hello and welcome! My name is Greg “Chappie” Chapman. I was lucky to retire early at the age of 63, still in good health, with the resources to travel. Of course, having the resources to travel can mean different things to different people. It could mean anything from backpacking and staying in hostels to flying in a G6 jet and staying at 5-star hotel. So let me say I’m somewhere in-between. In thinking about this exciting adventure, I decided not to put a clock on how long it would take me to visit every state. The mission would be to have fun and enjoy the experience.

I hope you’ll also join me on my adventure.  I’ll be updating this site with new posts along the way so please come back to read all about it.  And I’d welcome your feedback and any recommendations about your state.

So, as we say when starting a round -- Let's tee it up!