HISTORY OF THE WDI
It is late January……., a small group of well-dressed men are huddled around a large glowing candle which protected them against the harsh elements of the cold night. Their taut, weathered faces were slightly illuminated by the flickering of the candle. Concern was written all over their faces. (IS THIS 1776 AND A SMALL GROUP OF MINUTEMEN IN BOSTON?)
Then one of the group, a small, stocky gentlemen with a German accent, slowly stood up, looked seriously at the others and blurted ” Boys, I think we need to find an alternate venue….Pebble Beach is under water.” Damn
The WDI was born!!!!!!!!! The idea that became the WDI, did spring up in January 1994, after playing the 1st leg of a golf trip at a little known course in California, called Pebble Beach. Following a superb dinner with delicious California Cabernet at the Sardine Factory in Monterrey, California, the 8 golfers reflected on their golf play, dinner and Opus X cigars. And wondering what the other half were doing.
Well….the other half, back in sunny Florida, were spending our hard-earned money; our kids were matriculating at well-known and expensive private high schools, colleges, and law schools; our secretaries were bitching at us and our clients were driving us crazy. WE DESERVE this break from reality, bitching, blah, blah, blah, Goshdammit!!~!!!!!
So the fact that WE DESERVED this type of a respite became a no-brainer and WE DESERVE IT became our battle cry, our mantra, if you will for ALL of our golf trips from 1994 to date. Eventually, the initial 8 golfers have evolved into a cadre of 51 alumni, who have played in at least 1 WDI Tournament over 17 years and 99 courses world-wide!
The first 8 were made up of a combination of some friends, some business acquaintances, a brother and some newly-introduced friends. Mike Nuechterlein became the Neck; his brother Chuck, obviously Bro-Neck; George Cappy became Kapalua; Steve Bolter the Bolt; Floyd Juster–Flojo; Bill Chastain, aptly called Chaz ;Bill Miller, well, no nickname and one and only trip for him , and last , but not least, Jim McNulty…probably the best golfer of the group with the most unusual nickname of Snoot or Snooter, or how about Snoot Doggy Dog.
What started out for these 8 Joe LunchBuckets @ Pebble has turned into a WDI Mantra of” We have to play as many of the World’s Top Golf Courses before the Good Lord takes us.” (Actually, it was Mike ” Neck’ Nuechterlein’s mantra)
Of these 99 courses played by the WDI through February of 2011; 64 have been in the U.S.; 20 in Ireland; 7 in Great Britain; 6 in Scotland and 2 in Latin America. The WDI has played ALL the British Open venues in the British Isles……St. Andrews, Turnberry, Troon, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal St. George and even the ONLY British Open played in Ireland—Royal Portrush.
IRELAND…Royal County Downs,Ballybunnion, Old Head, Waterville, Tralee, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Portmarnock, European Club, The Island, County Louth, Royal Belfast, Carne, Enniscrone, Connemara, County Sligo( Rosses Point ), Adare Manor, K-Club and Druid’s Glen.
SCOTLAND/ ENGLAND…..in addition to the British Open Courses, The Belfry, Sunningdale and Walton Heath. Kingsbarn, St. Andrews New and Jubilee.
U.S….these fabulous Major Venues….Pebble, Whistling Straits, Oakmont, Oakland Hills, Southern Hills, Pinehurst No. 2, Shoal Creek, Firestone (South) AND these other great courses; Arcadia Bluffs, Crystal Downs, TPC Sawgrass, Bay Hill, Lake Nona, Islesworth, Black Diamond, World Woods, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Irish Course at Whistling, Golden Horsehoe @ Williamsburg, Spyglass, Spanish Bay, Blackwolf Run, La Quinta, PGA West, Cherokee, Pinehurst #4,5,6,7,8 , Treetops, Black Lake, Bay Harbor, Bear @ Traverse, La Costa, Del-Mar, Torrey Pines (North and South), Co. Club of Oklahoma and Laurel Valley.
LATIN AMERICA…Casa de Campo, Teeth of the Dog and To Dye For (River Course)
As we now enter our “Golden Age”, a new mini-tour has emerged from the fraternity of WDI…..simply called THE SNOOT. Along with the ‘trademark’ WDIers are added a new, special group—-their sons, brothers and cousins, to continue in their footsteps. What better way to spend those special times on the golf course with: Alan, Brian, Jake, Ryan, Joey, Matt Jr., Robert, Adam Alex and many more.
It now looks like we have gone full circle…..so, while the WDI was initially started for 8 lonely golfers, has been tailored into something special. Let’s hope that both Tours will continue to evolve for years to come.
ADDENDUM: WDI GOLF CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN 2019
For everyone who missed it….the WDI celebrated its 25th year anniversary in Dec of 2019, with a dinner party at the home of Kapalua, one of the founders of this golf group. The WDI was on the verge of having played 49 WDIs stretching from 1994 to 2019 with 2 more Scottish/Irish WDIs planned in 2020……152 different golf courses…102 in the US; 48 in Europe and 2 in Latin America. A good crowd showed up, enjoying libation, food and great stories. Who would have thought 2020 would be the Year of Covid and close EVERYTHING down for the majority of the year? As it was, the 50th WDI was held in Orlando over one night and 2 courses, when things calmed down, in December of 2020: BAY HILL and COUNTRY CLUB OF ORLANDO. Covid did cancel, however, 2 WDI trips to the British Isles in June and July of 2020..and.as of August 2021, they have been re-scheduled for 2022.
More importantly, and as an outgrowth of the WDI, the SNOOT FATHER-SON GOLF TOONAMINT inaugarated in 2008 in ATLANTA at Cherokee Golf Club and was played yearly from 08 til 2020 at different venues in Fla., Alabama and Georgia when Covid struck. The SNOOT would be back in March of 2021: the 13th rendition of Father-Son golf. It was held at PONTE VEDRA in Jacksonville for the 4th time, with the always “special” party on Saturday nite at THE WEEDCAMP, on the St Johns River, home to WDI close friend and famed Golf Course architect Bobby Weed. His handiwork is nothing short of remarkable with this short list of courses he has designed: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra, World Golf Villages ( Slammer and Squire); TPC Las Vegas; Spanish Oaks in Austin, Tex; Olde Farm in Va.; U of Fla Golf Course and The Grove XXIII, Michael Jordan’s course in Hobe Sound , Fla.
From the initial group in 1994……Bill Chastain and Bob Wilson have passed away. But, as of this story, over 90 different golfers have played in at least ONE WDI…..not to mention the number of players in the SNOOT on a yearly basis. The 51st WDI will be special. It is set to be played at SAND VALLEY ( courses are Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes, designed by the same group that built BANDON DUNES in Oregon) and BLACKWOLF RUN in Wisconsin in OCTOBER of 2021.