Episode 7
Ep.07 (GDL) Lt. Col. Dan Rooney: Golf, Country, and the Cost of Freedom
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney—fighter pilot, PGA pro, and founder of Folds of Honor—joins Jeff to talk golf church, bringing the national anthem to the PGA Tour, and how persistence, faith, and the game have shaped his mission to serve military and first responder families.
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney is the founder of Folds of Honor, a fighter pilot, and a PGA professional who’s helped award more than $330 million in scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders.
In this powerful conversation, Dan shares how golf became his “church,” what it means to serve through the game, and why faith, discipline, and purpose continue to guide his mission.
In this episode:
- The story of American Dunes and how Jack Nicklaus helped create golf’s most patriotic course.
- How Folds of Honor Fridays brought the national anthem to the PGA Tour.
- Dan’s thoughts on loss, fatherhood, and staying resilient through purpose.
- Why “everything good” in his life ties back to the game of golf.
- Jeff’s crazy idea: walking 36 holes a day for 13 days to raise $100K for Folds of Honor.
From fighter jets to fairways, Dan’s story is a reminder that golf isn’t just a game—it’s a mission.
🎧 Learn more or become a Wingman: foldsofhonor.org
Links & Mentions
- Folds of Honor: foldsofhonor.org
- Become a Wingman ($13/month): foldsofhonor.org/wingman
- American Dunes Golf Club: americandunesgolfclub.com
- The Patriot Golf Club (OK): patriotgolfclub.com
- Folds of Honor Friday (PGA Tour initiative) – National anthem + red, white & blue on Fridays across PGA/Korn Ferry/Champions
- Anheuser-Busch / Budweiser x Folds partnership – 15+ years of support, Folds-branded cans and NFL activations
Show Partners
Transcript
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Speaker B:Different paths, different stories.
Speaker C:This, this, this game tells all.
Speaker C:Golf don't lie.
Speaker A:What's up, everybody?
Speaker A:Welcome to Golf Don't Lie, where we have incredible conversations with cool guests.
Speaker A:And the common thread is always the love of the game of golf.
Speaker A:I'm here with my host, Justin Bryant.
Speaker A:Jb, my man.
Speaker A:What's going on?
Speaker B:Not much.
Speaker B:It's finally kind of that fall weather and, you know, St. Louis, I feel like a golf season, it's kind of slowing down here in St. Louis and makes me a little sad, to be honest.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know we've still had some pretty darn good days.
Speaker A:Some, some weather where it's a little hot still.
Speaker A:Even the trees don't even seem to be changing color that much.
Speaker A:But it's definitely starting to shift over into less golf.
Speaker A:Getting prepared for winter.
Speaker A:We've had a little bit of rain, which we've needed, but yeah, I think a lot of people are starting to kind of shift the clubs over to the closet.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's like, for me, it's like, sad.
Speaker B:I'm trying to get in those, like, kind of last outdoor, you know, loops.
Speaker B:But it kind of like, I get excited because it's kind of now like the off season, you know, quote unquote.
Speaker B:And it's like time where you can kind of put in the work.
Speaker B:And I was just joking with you that hadn't, you know, been.
Speaker B:Been in the gym in a while and it's, it's time to get on that.
Speaker B:But it's also time to kind of look at how I kind of played this year and kind of how I want to improve and, you know, always just trying to look to get better.
Speaker B:And that's why this game just drives us crazy because you can always, you know, make little improvements here and there.
Speaker B:So I'm definitely going to be tinkering a little bit this offseason to try to see how, how we can make some improvements.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm the same.
Speaker A:I was actually already tinkering today.
Speaker A:We had our little.
Speaker B:What were you working on?
Speaker A:Just the.
Speaker A:Really, the way that I come through at the ball.
Speaker A:As I was watching a couple videos from the last or from this last weekend, just that kind of.
Speaker A:As I got more tired throughout the, the trip, I could tell that, you know, the body was just not moving quite as well and getting that over the top move a little bit lumberjackish is the way I described it to a couple people.
Speaker A:I moved the Ball.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:I actually played pretty decent golf, but I just don't like the way that it looks and I know that it has a big impact on my club path and my position and everything.
Speaker A:So I was just in the net banging some balls with no feedback, just hitting it into a blank net.
Speaker A:I didn't have the time to pull out my rapsodo, so just wanted to kind of work on some feels.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, I think you guys, sometimes you have to work on the swing with just no idea where the ball's going because you're kind of working on a movement.
Speaker B:I think that's, that's healthy.
Speaker B:Tell us a little bit about the golf trip.
Speaker B:I was kind of following along, very jealous and can kind of see in some stories from you and some of the other guys.
Speaker A:Yeah, I've had a couple people tell me they had some FOMO when we were posting a few things.
Speaker A:So we had, we just had the most incredible time.
Speaker A:We had 16 guys and we ended up at the Macklemore Resort, which is down at Lookout Mountain in Georgia.
Speaker A:Rising Fawn, Georgia was the name of the, the actual town.
Speaker A:But a bunch of us from St. Louis, we flew into Nashville and we got a car and then we drove down to the College of the south and played the course at Sewanee, which is a nine hole course.
Speaker A: It was redone in: Speaker A:And it's such a great nine hole loop.
Speaker A:It's hard, it's got some quirks to it, but it was just so much fun.
Speaker A:So we looped that twice and just had a blast.
Speaker A:And then from there we moved on, drove down about another hour, a little over an hour down to McLemore and the rest of the guys met us.
Speaker A:We had, we had guys.
Speaker A:One was from la, one was from Charlottesville, one was from Wichita, a few from Kansas City.
Speaker A:So we had a good mix from all over the place.
Speaker A:And the McLemore Resort, if you haven't heard about it yet, you're going to hear about it in the next couple of years.
Speaker A:We played the original course first, which is the Highlands, and this is the one.
Speaker A:If you've seen it on Instagram or anywhere, it literally has an 18th hole that is hanging off the edge of a cliff.
Speaker A:And the, the green is sitting out perched up just in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker A:And it was just amazing.
Speaker A:And then we got to the, the second course the next day called the Keep.
Speaker A:And that's a walking Only.
Speaker A:Or in the afternoon.
Speaker A:You can take carts, cart path only, but you have caddies with it with you.
Speaker A:And our caddy was saying, you know, if you guys liked the course yesterday, this one's ten times as good.
Speaker A:And we're like, no way.
Speaker A:And I'll tell you what, dude, it.
Speaker A:It blew us away.
Speaker A:It's on the top of the mountain, so you had even more holes off the edges of cliffs.
Speaker A:Very playable.
Speaker A:Intimidating looking, but very playable.
Speaker A:I think I lost one ball.
Speaker A:And it was.
Speaker A:It was just such a great day.
Speaker A:We had incredible weather.
Speaker A:Felt like you were walking in the clouds as we're playing.
Speaker A:Couldn't have been better.
Speaker B:It looks unbelievable.
Speaker B:It looks.
Speaker B:It literally looks like you're playing in the clouds from the picture, as I've seen.
Speaker B:And, yeah, I gotta make my way out there.
Speaker B:Any really memorable shots from the week from anybody?
Speaker A:Let's see.
Speaker A:I mean, so Buddy E, our buddy Eric, his driver, was lights out, which was so fun to watch.
Speaker A:But myself and John Shepard, we took down Buddy E and my boy TJ in a little match, a little match play.
Speaker A:Obviously, we're.
Speaker A:We're netting it out.
Speaker A:And John Shepard played his lights out.
Speaker A:And so MVP right there.
Speaker B:Shep can turn it on.
Speaker B:I feel like when I've played with him, he's like.
Speaker B:I'm like, like, wait, what'd you shoot today?
Speaker B:And it's like, you know, net 32 or something.
Speaker B:And so, yeah, I could see.
Speaker B:I could see him being dangerous.
Speaker A:It was funny because we'd have a hole, and then we'd tell Eric, you know, like, oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Remember, we were popping there, and he's like, oh, you gotta be kidding me.
Speaker A:So it was such a fun day.
Speaker A:It came down to the last.
Speaker A:The last two holes.
Speaker A:We finished him out, but we had an incredible caddy, a guy named Adam.
Speaker A:And actually, I'm gonna have Adam on as a.
Speaker A:As a guest in the next few weeks.
Speaker A:He's a retired Air Force veteran, lost some of his hearing due to an IED explosion.
Speaker A:And this is his retirement.
Speaker A:He's just.
Speaker A:He's retired.
Speaker A:He's about my age, but just goes out there.
Speaker A:He's like, I come out here, I get to work in this incredible place.
Speaker A:I get to go play golf.
Speaker A:He had the course record until Steven Yeager came out and beat it.
Speaker A:So Adam had a 66 out there, and Jaeger came out and fired a 64.
Speaker A:And then we ended up actually getting to play.
Speaker A:We finished our loop, and we were getting ready to go do a little replay, and we're Like, Adam, you want to come.
Speaker A:Come play with us.
Speaker A:Because we weren't taking caddy the second round.
Speaker A:He's like, I got my sticks in the car.
Speaker A:I'll be right back.
Speaker A:So we played a few holes with him, and then we ended up on the sixth tee box.
Speaker A:We look up, and all of our other buddies are up on the eighth tee box, like, on the tips of the eighth tee box, which is a really cool par three at the top of the.
Speaker A:At the top of the property.
Speaker A:And they're like, guys, come up.
Speaker A:And we're like, oh, we want to.
Speaker A:We want to keep playing.
Speaker A:We're.
Speaker A:We want to hit a couple more holes with Adam here.
Speaker A:We only got a little bit of daylight left.
Speaker A:They're like, no, get up here.
Speaker A:So we went up there, and they were hanging out with one of the other caddies, and it was a spot where you could see three different greens.
Speaker A:And so we hit shots to all three different greens.
Speaker A:One was 240 away, one was like 130, and one was, like, 195.
Speaker A:And then from there, we all walked out and finished out those holes.
Speaker A:We were the last people on the property.
Speaker A:It was, like, the coolest thing ever.
Speaker A:Couldn't have been a better day.
Speaker A:Couldn't have ended the trip any better, so.
Speaker B:That's so cool.
Speaker B:Got to get the dream.
Speaker B:There's always times where, like, I'll play a course, and you'll be on a different fairway or different tee box, and you kind of look over, and you're like, this would be kind of, like, a cool shot to hit, but you normally can't do it, you know, because it's the middle of the play and somebody else is on the hole or something.
Speaker B:So you're like, you're living out one of my dreams right there.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I don't know how many people will be able to do that, because this place is going to get so popular.
Speaker A:And, you know, I didn't realize this, but it just opened to the public October 1st, so we were some of the first people to actually play this that weren't part of, like, the.
Speaker A:The soft opening the last year.
Speaker A:And it's going to get quite a bit of notoriety as the course grows in.
Speaker A:It's going to become.
Speaker A:I mean, it's not as, obviously as big as band and dunes with different courses and everything, or a sand valley yet, but I could see it being talked about in those kind of respects, especially if they maybe put another course up there.
Speaker A:The resort was incredible.
Speaker A:We stayed on the property at A We had two houses rented and a townhouse between the 16 of us.
Speaker A:And just the whole thing was great.
Speaker A:The restaurant at the club was incredible.
Speaker A:Had a cool steakhouse that we could also go to for breakfast in the morning.
Speaker A:Cool patio, little par 3 off the.
Speaker A:The patio on the edge of the mountain.
Speaker A:So we did that to warm up before we went and played the keep.
Speaker A:And then you take a little shuttle over to the keep, like 10 minutes away, and you just kind of pull up into this wide open expanse where you're.
Speaker A:I mean, literally, we were up above the turkey vultures that were soaring around in the canyon, which, you know, my little guy loved hearing that.
Speaker A:He thought it was so cool that we were up there by the birds.
Speaker A:So it was really, really fun.
Speaker A:If you guys, if.
Speaker A:If you want to take a good look at the keep, I sent you this video, JB, but anybody listening, go to.
Speaker A:Just look up the McLemore Resort.
Speaker A:And I think if you go to golf and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll find the video.
Speaker A:There's a video that's also on YouTube, but it's about the building of the keep, and Reese Jones is one of the designers.
Speaker A:I forget the other designer's name, but it just is a very cool video kind of showing you the views and how.
Speaker A:How incredible the place is.
Speaker C:Is it a.
Speaker B:Is it a tough walk?
Speaker B:I know you have a.
Speaker B:You know, you're kind of training for a tough walk.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:That you kind of.
Speaker B:I guess you launch it in this.
Speaker B:This episode, huh?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So in this episode is when we talked to Lt. Col. Dan about the.
Speaker A:The 36 holes a day for 13 days, and that whole challenge that I'm embarking on.
Speaker A:And I would say that the walk was.
Speaker A:It is a tough walk.
Speaker A:So the first nine is.
Speaker A:It's hilly, but not terrible, and.
Speaker A:But the second nine, you have some monsters that you're climbing up and climbing down.
Speaker A:Specifically, once you get to, like, number 12, I think is a little bit of a climb, but once you get to 14, 15, those things are, like, straight up the hill.
Speaker A:15's a par five that is, like, straight up the hill.
Speaker A:And then 16 kind of comes down a little bit again, and then 18 comes way downhill again down towards the.
Speaker A:The clubhouse, which is a trailer right now.
Speaker A:So, you know, it's that fresh where the.
Speaker B:Oh, really?
Speaker A:The pro shop is still a trailer, the halfway house is still a trailer.
Speaker A:But everything out there is complimentary once you're on property, except for any kind of alcoholic drinks.
Speaker A:When you.
Speaker A:When the cart Girl shows up.
Speaker A:If you want a snack, you want a snicker bar, you want crackers, you want whatever, Gatorade.
Speaker A:It's all there.
Speaker A:And then when you get to the halfway house, they got pimento cheese sandwiches and chicken salad and whatever.
Speaker A:So, like, everything about it was just.
Speaker A:Was just so cool.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:How about you?
Speaker A:What's cracking in your golf world?
Speaker B:Not much.
Speaker B:You know, my.
Speaker B:I think we talked about last time with.
Speaker B:With Ozzy is, you know, working on getting.
Speaker B:Getting to 180.
Speaker B:Ball speed was the goal at the beginning of the year.
Speaker B:Maxed out at 175.
Speaker B:We had a little bit of a hiccup.
Speaker B:I sent you the video.
Speaker B:The driver shaft.
Speaker B:My driver shaft broke, unfortunately, on.
Speaker B:On one of my swings.
Speaker B:So I don't know if that means we're making progress or I just need a new equipment, but I had a. I had a backup shaft.
Speaker B:Not the same thing, but definitely a little jarring for that to happen, but no making some ways there.
Speaker B:And, yeah, as I said, like, my tournament season's kind of over until February, so I'm.
Speaker B:I'm kind of analyzing now, like, what I.
Speaker B:What I want to do.
Speaker B:I want to max that ball speed out of 180.
Speaker B:I want to work on putting a little.
Speaker B:It just some.
Speaker B:Some kind of setup things.
Speaker B:Like, the more I play golf, the more I realize the littlest things make the biggest differences.
Speaker B:Like, you know, you see Scott Scheffler, like, checking his grip with that, you know, the grip trainer.
Speaker B:So, like, just getting in the right posture, the right alignment.
Speaker B:You know, I tell myself I've swung enough times now.
Speaker B:Like, I kind of know how to hit it, but if you don't set yourself up in a way for success, it makes it a lot harder.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And it doesn't.
Speaker B:It doesn't feel as good.
Speaker B:So I'm getting better at that with the full swing.
Speaker B:The putter is still kind of trying to figure out what's.
Speaker B:What's the right setup.
Speaker B:And getting in that setup every time, it's.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's harder than it should be, Jeff.
Speaker B:So going to work on some setup stuff and just.
Speaker B:Just some minor stuff.
Speaker B:So excited to kind of work on that.
Speaker B:I kind of nerd out on the.
Speaker B:On the data and kind of trying to get better from that aspect, but going to try to sneak in a couple rounds here before.
Speaker B:Before winter really settles in here, so.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:When you sent that video, I couldn't really tell what happened.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:I saw you all of a sudden, we're ducking.
Speaker A:Shocking.
Speaker A:You're bobbing and weaving.
Speaker A:So did the shaft, like, break on your back as you came through?
Speaker C:It did.
Speaker B:So I've had, I, I've had two really bizarre.
Speaker B:So I, I, I set up a net and a mat in my backyard, and I had, I had a lot of golf balls there.
Speaker B:Just because, you know, three, Three kids don't have as.
Speaker B:It's just, I mean, we live close to a golf course, but, you know, anytime you can sneak out there for 15 minutes and hit some shots, I could.
Speaker B:So earlier this year, I had a driver go through the net.
Speaker B:Like a golf ball flew through the net, which was shocking.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:So I needed a new net, and then, yeah, it just swung and kind of the, the recoil in the back, like, it, you know, you're swinging harder.
Speaker B:And I think I was swinging 120something.
Speaker B:I mean, not crazy fast.
Speaker B:It was fast for me.
Speaker B:And that shaft is like seven, eight years old.
Speaker B:And I guess it, it had enough.
Speaker B:And it had enough swings, so it, it flew backwards.
Speaker B:My little guy Luke was back there.
Speaker B:Luckily, like, missed him everything.
Speaker B:But, yeah, it was shocking.
Speaker B:It was disappointing, too.
Speaker B:Just like.
Speaker A:Well, you know, like I said in my text, that looked like, what happens to the long drive guys?
Speaker A:So you must be doing something right.
Speaker A:It's getting closer.
Speaker B:We're getting, we're getting closer.
Speaker B:It's, it is, like, amazing.
Speaker B:I look back and I remember, like, when I was, like, in college, like, I, I don't think I could swing at, like, 110.
Speaker B:Maybe I swung at 109, 110.
Speaker B:And like, I felt, you know, max effort and just like, slowly over time, it's like, you know, now my Cruiser is at 114 to 117, and then I can kind of crank it into the low 120s when I need it.
Speaker B:And it just, I think you just got to be diligent with it and keep working at it.
Speaker B:But it's, it's doable if your body, if your body will let you so.
Speaker B:Well, we're going to keep pushing it a little bit more, Jeff.
Speaker B:So we're gonna, we're gonna have to do some once, Once you get back, we're gonna have to do some.
Speaker B:Find some ways explosive.
Speaker B:I've seen, I've shown the boys some box jump.
Speaker B:Box jumps in the back yard last week, so.
Speaker A:All right, we're getting it started.
Speaker A:I've seen that driver in action.
Speaker A:If it gets too much longer, we might have to put the scoot the green back into the street.
Speaker A:At Ruth park on number nine.
Speaker B:Number nine.
Speaker B:You know what?
Speaker B:That one I'm gonna have to hang my hat on.
Speaker B:I don't know if I can make another two on nine ever again.
Speaker A:That was pretty.
Speaker A:That was pretty sick.
Speaker B:That was fun.
Speaker A:That was pretty sick.
Speaker B:That was fun.
Speaker A:All right, my man, enough of our ramblings.
Speaker A:Let's get into our.
Speaker A:Our guest here, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, the founder of Folds of Honor.
Speaker A:I've had.
Speaker A:I had him on the show years ago, and he's just such an incredible guy.
Speaker A:What he's built and what they're doing with Folds and providing scholarships for fallen heroes for their families as well as for first responders is just incredible.
Speaker A:I think they're up to over $330 million that they have now awarded in scholarships.
Speaker A:But I was kind of surprised that they still talk about how.
Speaker A:How much need there is out there and how many family members are still waiting on fulfillment of these scholarships or money that they need in order to.
Speaker A:To be provided.
Speaker A:And so it's just so important to get the message out of Folds of Honor.
Speaker A:But we talk about all the cool things that they're doing.
Speaker A:They are now really ingrained in the PGA Tour with the Folds of Honor Fridays, where they're doing the.
Speaker A:The national anthem.
Speaker A:They have the.
Speaker A:The Folds of Honor collegiate.
Speaker A:Folds of Honor Collegiate tournament.
Speaker A:They have the course up in Grand Haven, which is American Dunes, which we talk about a little bit.
Speaker A:It's just pretty incredible.
Speaker A:And then you go to like, QT and you see his face on the.
Speaker A:The little pamphlets and you go to the local grocery store.
Speaker A:They're just all over the place.
Speaker A:It's so much fun to talk to him and see what they're doing.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's been cool.
Speaker B:I was like, say a little bit familiar with them and just kind of with our friendship, kind of seeing what you've done with them, it's been.
Speaker B:It' been cool to kind of see how they've grown and all the good work they're doing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So we'll.
Speaker A:We'll get into talking to him about, you know, his background.
Speaker A:Obviously, not only is he a golf pro, but he is an Air Force pilot.
Speaker A:And I mean, Top Gun type stuff has won the Top Gun award.
Speaker A:It's just he's.
Speaker A:He's so humble, but he's such an incredible guy.
Speaker A:So deep in his faith.
Speaker A:And we.
Speaker A:I got to ask him about his.
Speaker A:His dad who passed away last year and how much his dad meant to him and just what a role model he was for Dan and just what that meant was really special to be able to talk to him and hear the kind thing he says and how he knows that his dad's helping him in this mission and what they're doing and just helping all of the heroes out there that have sacrificed so much for us and for their families.
Speaker A:So this is an incredible episode with Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney.
Speaker A:Hope you guys enjoy it, and we will catch up with you next week.
Speaker A:Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, welcome to golf.
Speaker C:Don'T lie Honor to be here to speak a little life.
Speaker C:Everything good.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:So have you been playing more golf lately or flying more planes lately?
Speaker C:You know, combination of both.
Speaker C:Get really blessed to get to combine who I am with what I do.
Speaker C:Never enough of either one of those things.
Speaker C:But also do a lot of God's work sitting at the desk, so I don't feel like I'm missing out.
Speaker C:But no, yeah, flying a little bit, playing a little golf.
Speaker C:It's a wonderful time a year to play golf, which is really good.
Speaker C:And yeah, getting it around.
Speaker C:We know we.
Speaker C:We care and love our golf games way too much.
Speaker C:Those people tuned into this get it.
Speaker C:We got the.
Speaker C:We got the disease.
Speaker C:So it's never enough.
Speaker C:I put.
Speaker C:I did put a sweet sim Folds of Honor product plug here, but we have a great partnership with foresight and, and working with our friends at Put View.
Speaker C:And I've got the sweetest dojo in my house now, so I get like 15 minutes a day regardless.
Speaker C:So that has been a game changer for sure.
Speaker C:I don't think my wife likes it, but it is what it is.
Speaker A:Have, have you been playing much out at the Patriot or traveling and playing golf or what's.
Speaker A:What's the real golf look like?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So combination on the road a lot and.
Speaker C:But we're really excited, you know, as we head into this next week where the KORN Ferry finals event here at the Patriot live on the Golf Ch Channel.
Speaker C:So, man, I'm watching, you know, all the stands and that stuff going up.
Speaker C:And we just finished the Folds Collegiate at American Dunes two weeks ago.
Speaker C:So we're like over the span of three weeks, basically, you know, Golf Channel for seven days, which is so cool to bring these events together.
Speaker C:They're like my soul coming to life through the game of golf, getting to.
Speaker C:To do our work at Folds and, and combine it with the.
Speaker C:With the golf church of as.
Speaker C:As the vehicle.
Speaker C:So, yeah, I mean, it's.
Speaker C:It's a combination.
Speaker C:I'm not out on Saturday mornings like most people, teeing it up.
Speaker C:Life's A little bit busy, but the places I do tee it up are generally pretty darn good.
Speaker A:Well, I've got my golf church hat on, if you can see that there.
Speaker A:Tell us a little bit why, why do you call American Dunes golf church?
Speaker A:And then I want to hear about the collegiate because I don't know that much about that event, but it looked really cool when I was looking at.
Speaker A:Looking it up.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So, I mean, it's part of a bigger plan.
Speaker C:But I was just up there at the Folds Collegiate, which is the kickoff to college golf.
Speaker C:It's a really cool event.
Speaker C:And the inspiration was the.
Speaker C:The three service academies never play together.
Speaker C:So I'm like, I'm going to build a golf tournament around the three service academies, so Army, Navy and Air Force.
Speaker C:And it's just turned into this just unbelievable event where we got, you know, some of the best teams in the country from, you know, Alabama to Texas to Florida State coming alongside the service academies.
Speaker C:My alma mater, University of Kansas, actually played well this year.
Speaker C:So that was, that was cool.
Speaker C:But you got 14 men's teams, 12 women's teams, an HBCU and a Division 2.
Speaker C:So it really looks like our scholarship profile.
Speaker C:I mean, we pumped out 12,000 scholarships this fall, so about 58 million in awards out the door.
Speaker C:You know, biggest year in the history of folds that just watching God's grace here continues to grow.
Speaker C:But 46% of our recipients are minorities, 56% are females.
Speaker C:So having a golf tournament that represents who our recipients look like, that are coming from the schools where we are sending tons of kids, it's just, it's just such a cool thing and American Dunes.
Speaker C:And we could spend an hour talking about American Dunes.
Speaker C:But Mr. Nicholas, who was just here in Tulsa with me on Monday, all day Monday.
Speaker C:So it's very, very cool to spend a.
Speaker C:The day with a go.
Speaker C:But he donated his $3 million fee to build American Dunes, which we call the inner circle, the golf church.
Speaker C:And the reason it is is because it's God first, then our country and then the game.
Speaker C:And you, you, you go to American Dunes.
Speaker C:You go through the memorial scripture on the wall.
Speaker C:We have scripture on every hole.
Speaker C:But the real golf church, the candle on the cake is on the 18th T there is a 13 foot white cross.
Speaker C:And when you come to the first tee at American Dunes, they give you a nickel and they're like, hey, hang on, you'll know what this, you'll know when.
Speaker C:And as you go through the course, we got the little GPS and you get stories from Jack and recipients.
Speaker C:But on the 18th tee as you pull up there, I thank you for playing golf's most heroic round because everything goes back to benefit folds.
Speaker C:And we're at the tune of like 5 million raised through four seasons.
Speaker C:But we ask you to put your nickel at the base of the big white cross.
Speaker C:And it's a time honored tradition as fighter pilots, we throw a nickel in the grass at the graveside of our fellow pilots who have fallen.
Speaker C:And we ask in a prayer for those out on the frontier, say prayer for those on the frontiers of freedom.
Speaker C:And we've got like a hundred and ten thousand nickels there now.
Speaker C:And it's turned into this, just this, you know, it's just biblical.
Speaker C:I mean, it really is.
Speaker C:You say that sounds redundant with the cross, but their dog tags there, they're MIA bracelets, people have left ashes there.
Speaker C:I mean, it's just this Reverend beautiful place that is peerless in the world of golf, where we bring Jesus Christ the game we love.
Speaker C:And we pause and, you know, back to the collegiate, you know, watching these college kids, you know, stop and take their hats off and put their nickel and sit there in prayer for 30 seconds.
Speaker C:It's just such a cool thing.
Speaker C:But, but that is the golf church and why we call it that because, man, it's, you know, it's unlike any golf course in the world.
Speaker C:And it looks a lot like the Bible.
Speaker C:I always say that's like, the Bible's not a rebook, it's playbook.
Speaker C:And man, we're running, we're running the play, taking care of widows and orphans and, and bringing people to, to our Lord and Savior.
Speaker A:Man.
Speaker A:I had the chance to go up and play it two summers ago, I think, and I remember communicating with you and Glenn ahead of time and he said, make sure that you get there at a time where you'll be there at either one.
Speaker A:Is it one o' clock and five o'?
Speaker C:Clock?
Speaker C:1300.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker C:1300, yep.
Speaker A:And because of the, you know, everybody stops, everybody comes out, you play taps and it was one.
Speaker A:I mean, it just giving me chills right now just thinking about the experience.
Speaker A:But, but walking into the clubhouse, you need to pull up and it's not this huge, ostentatious clubhouse, but you walk through that memorial of the, the soldiers, everything is decorated, so incredibly patriotic.
Speaker A:And then you walk out on the course and I'll never forget, I think it's, is it after the second hole where you just kind of come up and you like, then it, you just see the dunes and it's like, oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:Like, I didn't expect this to be back here.
Speaker C:And it's like, ah, I. I use the analogy.
Speaker C:So I'm a big Cubs fan.
Speaker C:I remember the first time my dad took me in a Wrigley Field.
Speaker C:Like, when I walked up those stairs, I'm like, oh, there it is.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And it's coming up.
Speaker C:It's after the third green.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:And you pull up over the hill and you're just in golf nirvana.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker C:And it's just.
Speaker C:It is so big and so pure.
Speaker C:You're like, oh, my gosh, I get to go do that?
Speaker C:Yes, you do.
Speaker A:Because you don't.
Speaker A:You don't expect it.
Speaker A:The first, I mean, the first whole second hole, third hole are beautiful, but there's houses, you know, you're kind of like weaving your way through, and it's like, okay.
Speaker A:And then it's like, boom.
Speaker A:This huge expanse and like, oh, that's.
Speaker A:That's American Dunes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:That was so cool.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:I mean, it's just such a special place.
Speaker C: And it is: Speaker C:What you do at the Patriot, too.
Speaker C:It's a tradition I. I stole started at the Patriot, but it's in American Dunes, which is one o' clock if you're not in the military.
Speaker C:But we play Taps, and The bell tolls 13 times for the 13 folds that bring the flag to its shape.
Speaker C:Our origin name of the folds of honor comes from those 13 folds, specifically the Sixfold.
Speaker C:A lot of people don't realize each fold has a definition.
Speaker C:If you haven't checked it out, you should look those up.
Speaker C:They're beautiful.
Speaker C:I mean, it's poetry.
Speaker C:And they'll read those at a military funeral as they fold the flag 13 times to get it to that triangle shape.
Speaker C:But the sixfold is one nation under God, where our hearts lie.
Speaker C:And so that is why we pause at.
Speaker C: At: Speaker C:And if you're biblical like myself, you know that there's 12 apostles.
Speaker C:Jesus is number 13.
Speaker C:And just on the heels of Rosh Hashanah, I mean, for the Jewish folks, there's 613 commands in the Torah.
Speaker C:Thirteen is like the most biblical number out there.
Speaker C:But, yeah, it's a really cool tradition.
Speaker C:The whole place shuts down a couple minutes, and I just, you know, I'm a big believer in being quiet.
Speaker C:And I give my gift that.
Speaker C:Give myself that gift every morning.
Speaker C:But so few people, they were, you know, sit still for two minutes anymore.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Like.
Speaker C:And that's where you communicate with yourself and God and.
Speaker C:And all that.
Speaker C:But it's.
Speaker C:It's a neat moment for a lot of reasons.
Speaker A:Yeah, we had.
Speaker A:We had a day where it wasn't that crowded when we went out in the morning.
Speaker A:And so we had that experience where.
Speaker A:Because we went out pretty early and we got out there and there was really, like, nobody in front of us, and it was just kind of like.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:Like just.
Speaker A:Just kind of heavenish, as you had mentioned.
Speaker A:And then what hole is it that has all the pine trees surrounding.
Speaker A:I think it's the long par 5, all the pine trees surrounding the green, and it's like you're just driving up into this huge.
Speaker A:I have the greatest picture of my son and I in front of those pines.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:How cool is that to get to do it with your son, too?
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:So, and, And, And.
Speaker C:And that's a great segue because we got the Ryder cup starting, but Gary Woodland is one of the assistant captains of the Ryder cup, and that's actually his hole.
Speaker C:He sponsored that hole.
Speaker C:And it is number 13.
Speaker C:Go figure.
Speaker C:You would go back.
Speaker C:Yeah, that.
Speaker C:That God would keep showing himself up on our podcast together.
Speaker C:And that thing from the back tees is 687 yards.
Speaker C:It's the longest par 5 in North America.
Speaker C:Not at elevation.
Speaker C:There's some like, 6,000ft that are longer than that.
Speaker C:But, yeah, it is just a beautiful cathedral as you go down the hill into these pines and the dunes and.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Unreal.
Speaker A:Unreal.
Speaker A:I was just in your neck of the woods last weekend at a place called the Shangri La Resort.
Speaker A:Are you familiar with the Shangri La?
Speaker A:It's funny because I walked into the clubhouse restroom, which is a locker room, and sitting on the table, there is a book by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney.
Speaker A:I took a picture of it.
Speaker A:I meant to text it over to you, but I assume you've been up there.
Speaker A:I assume, you know, they have the battlefield, which has very much a folds of honor feel with the patriotic theme.
Speaker A:What a cool place that was.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And great friends did that.
Speaker C:The Gibbs is the name of the family, and so great fold supporters.
Speaker C:Great friends.
Speaker C:And that's how my book probably found its way up there.
Speaker C:But, yeah, Shangri La, Grand Lakes, just a great, great place.
Speaker C:Were you just there on vacation?
Speaker A:No, we had 20.
Speaker A:We tried to get 24.
Speaker A:We ended up being 23 guys, mostly college friends, that it was our 14th year of our Ryder cup, and we.
Speaker C:Decided, oh, yeah, the last vacation.
Speaker A:That was, oh, absolute Vacation.
Speaker A:Yeah, but it was.
Speaker A:It was so much fun.
Speaker A:The property is so cool.
Speaker A:The 27 holes we played, the battlefield.
Speaker A:The one morning, they have the wiffle ball stadium.
Speaker A:They've got the basketball court there.
Speaker A:So we felt like little kids again.
Speaker A:It was so much fun.
Speaker C:Yeah, That's a great place.
Speaker C:It's only about an hour from where I live, so we sneak up there a couple times a year.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Hey, so tell me a little bit about the Folds of Honor Fridays.
Speaker A:I know that that's.
Speaker A:It started, what, a couple of years ago, but it's taking off this year for sure.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So we're in our.
Speaker C:We finished our first full year.
Speaker C:And this is like.
Speaker C:I mean, it's such a God thing, right?
Speaker C:Because none of.
Speaker C:None of our ideas are our own.
Speaker C:And I was watching golf.
Speaker C:This is, you know, it's two plus years ago.
Speaker C:I was watching golf, and I'm like, you know, my favorite sport's the only major sport that doesn't observe the national anthem.
Speaker C:And, you know, you can rationalize it.
Speaker C:Well, they start at different times.
Speaker C:It's international fields, blah, blah.
Speaker C:But it was like, yeah, there's.
Speaker C:There's no way to rationalize why we don't observe the national anthem.
Speaker C:And I reached out and I called Commissioner Monahan, and his response was like, everybody, as I've ever said this to, they're like, oh, my gosh, I never even thought of it.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:The sin of omission.
Speaker C:And he said, hey, Dan, we're going to figure out a way to do it.
Speaker C:And to his credit, he's a beautiful guy, strong Catholic guy.
Speaker C:I mean, just.
Speaker C:Just a wonderful human being Jay is.
Speaker C:But I didn't.
Speaker C:I didn't know him well.
Speaker C:We got to know each other a lot better on this.
Speaker C:On this journey to bring the national anthem to gol.
Speaker C:And we met.
Speaker C:Went down to the PGA Tour headquarters and met with their team about really elevating the national anthem.
Speaker C:And I say that in the most humble way.
Speaker C:But, like, I would say that, like, the silence after the anthem is one of the most powerful things.
Speaker C:Everybody's ready to go somewhere, do something, and then we go to a commercial, and.
Speaker C:And that's where Folds of Honor Friday was born.
Speaker C:Like, yes, number one objective, we're bringing the national anthem to the PGA Tour.
Speaker C:But number two is, wouldn't it be awesome if we could create a day where we honor service?
Speaker C:And we do that by having fans and players wear red, white, and blue?
Speaker C:And you'll see the ribbons on Fridays.
Speaker C:Pretty much ubiquitous across all three tours.
Speaker C:Now, and.
Speaker C:And we award 13 scholarships.
Speaker C:There's that number again at each one of these tournament venues and.
Speaker C:And partner with the Tour.
Speaker C:And this year, we were over 50 events executed FSVAR Friday.
Speaker C:Next year, it looks like we're going to be about 85.
Speaker C:So pretty much went from zero to.
Speaker C:Everybody on the PGA Tour is going to be observing the National Anthem in two years.
Speaker C:And it's one of those, like, why wouldn't you not do it?
Speaker C:It's awesome.
Speaker C:But there's a lot of logistics and start times and field sizes and.
Speaker C:And all of this.
Speaker C:But it's turned into this beautiful new tradition in the game of golf.
Speaker C:And, you know, I. I told Jay about.
Speaker C:I was like, hey, man, you can put this one on my tombstone.
Speaker C:Brought the National Anthem to the PGA Tour, and that is just such a cool thing.
Speaker C:And if you've seen, there's a PSA that just started running about a month ago that Mr. Nicholas did for us.
Speaker C:And the whole concept really goes back to American Dunes, where when he said yes to donate his $3 million fee, he said, dan, he said, you know, I love the game of golf, but I love my country even more.
Speaker C:And that's the first thing you see at American Dunes.
Speaker C:And the whole PSA, it's 30 second spot that's, you know, running during the Ryder cup right now.
Speaker C:I just saw it pop up on TV over here that he loves the game, but he loves his country more.
Speaker C:And the PSA is like, hey, we're bringing the National Anthem to golf.
Speaker C:And if you love golf and you love your country, join me.
Speaker C:And it's the goat, right?
Speaker C:It's so cool because it's.
Speaker C:It's his voice, but it's his iconic moment at the US Open.
Speaker C:And it's showing him in his youth and these patriotic moments, and he's the voiceover.
Speaker C:And then it ends with this awesome flyover and this call to action for Jack to really, you know, join him on his final mission.
Speaker C:And I think he would agree.
Speaker C:Man, it's like, hey, man.
Speaker C:Bringing the country and the game I love together.
Speaker A:Unbelievable.
Speaker A: Take me back to: Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:So, like, no way.
Speaker C:But, you know, that, like, the undefeated, like, truth and.
Speaker C:And all of this, as I.
Speaker C:As I look back and, you know, on a personal level, I just thank God, like, Folds of Honor saved my life.
Speaker C:It's just turned me into a person I never dreamed I could or would be.
Speaker C:Because you feel such a responsibility to walk the walk when you're witnessing God's hand every day out there.
Speaker C:And I'm my little own personal standard in life is hide nothing, have nothing to hide.
Speaker C:And it's pretty clear, right, there's no maneuvering around that statement and living every day in a manner that, that you can execute that.
Speaker C:And I'm just, you know, personally evolved a ton.
Speaker C:And that's, you know, for me selfishly, obviously, trying to get to heaven, that's the greatest blessing.
Speaker C:But you know, where Folds has gone and you know, we're up over 74, 000 scholarships, $330 million out the door.
Speaker C:I mentioned the partnership with the tour for everybody loves golf.
Speaker C:We're going to be partnering with the LPGA Tour next year.
Speaker C:We're kicking off our first event with Annika at her tournament and I think that's November, but harness in the game of golf.
Speaker C:But beyond that, you know, week eight of the NFL season, this year's Folds of Honor week around first responders, which I'm hugely passionate about as a group that shows up every six seconds 240 million times a year to rescue us.
Speaker C:And there's basically no national charity and none providing the gift of education to our fallen or critically wounded first responders.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:But anyway, so, you know, watching God expand, it has just been such a blessing and I think, you know, a couple key takeaways at this inflection point.
Speaker C:We just turned 18.
Speaker C:For folks that are out there and how you translate this in into Your life, number one, Luke, chapter 11 is all about persistence.
Speaker C:And it's like, you know, you ask and you shall receive.
Speaker C:You keep knocking on that door.
Speaker C:And I, I'm truly believe like that's the divine currency of life.
Speaker C:And it's really the only thing that we control.
Speaker C:We don't control any outcomes where things end up, but we control, you know, getting up every day and.
Speaker C:And maximum effort, which I know, you know, you're connected with, but that's on a personal level, physically, spiritually, emotionally.
Speaker C:But on the Folds level, in my laugh, I'm just like a dog that chases cars.
Speaker C:I have no idea why, you know, why I keep doing it other than God gets me up in the morning because most of them try to run over me.
Speaker C:But I'll latch onto a bumper every once in a while and it might be the PGA Tour or the NFL and you're like, oh my gosh, but if you don't keep chasing the car, you're never going to catch a bumper.
Speaker C:And I would say in my life, you know, people look at it and be like, oh, it's folds of honor.
Speaker C:It's so awesome.
Speaker C:You know, I'm 9 out of 10 text messages not returned.
Speaker C:And, you know, life in the day, it's like life's about what you do when it doesn't go your way.
Speaker C:And just getting up every day, man, and, and making sure that heart is on fire to, you know, be the best version and, and just staying resilient and persistence because, you know, we get it.
Speaker C:They're, they're incremental gains.
Speaker C:Every once in a while you'll hit one out of the park.
Speaker C:But that's like the coolest parable of what, what folds is.
Speaker C:And if you could look behind the curtain here, it's trying to get people to talk to that are too busy and don't want to talk to you because they're making money or they're doing something else and.
Speaker C:But once you get in the fight and you bring the Holy Spirit in there and you watch God put the hand on the heart of the CEO at Chipotle or Yeti or, you know, Jay Monahan at the Tour, you sit back and you're like, oh man, I get it.
Speaker C:I'm a vessel.
Speaker C:I'm a good and faithful servant.
Speaker C:I'm going to keep knocking on that door, per Luke chapter 11.
Speaker C:And you're going to open it at some point in one of these knocks.
Speaker A:And we'll be right back.
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Speaker A:Hey guys, we don't run ads for golf.
Speaker A:Don't lie.
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Speaker A:Okay, let's get back to the show.
Speaker C:I'm Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney and golf don't lie.
Speaker A:That message of persistence and resilience I know runs completely through your book as well.
Speaker A:And it's one of those messages that we try to iterate here at 18 strong so much again, from the fitness side, from the golf side, whatever it is, from.
Speaker A:From the lifestyle side of things, of just one foot in front of the other.
Speaker A:Get up, do the work.
Speaker A:It's not so much about what the goal is that you have set to achieve, but what's the process that you're.
Speaker A:That you're going after to get to that goal.
Speaker A:And that's something that rings true from the conversation that I had with you back in.
Speaker A:I think it was 20, 21, we had it.
Speaker A:And I just think a lot about that conversation, how everything boils down to the process.
Speaker A:And just what are you going to do to get there?
Speaker A:What are you going to do day after day?
Speaker A:And so you absolutely live that out.
Speaker A:I know you have huge partners that you work with.
Speaker A:AB is one of them here in St. Louis.
Speaker A:Have you been back to St. Louis anytime recently or any plans on coming back?
Speaker C:I have not been to St. Louis recently.
Speaker C:They've got a bunch of their, you know, their hq.
Speaker C:So their C suite also are up in New York City, so I'll go visit them in New York City.
Speaker C:But we have an exciting new partnership with Form Energy that is based right there.
Speaker C:And I know you know those guys.
Speaker C:There you go.
Speaker A:They're actually, they're the prime sponsor of this podcast, as a matter of fact.
Speaker C:Oh, look at that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And so AB partnered with.
Speaker C:With them and we've got a Folds of Honor can coming out flavor and it's fun.
Speaker C:You know, yesterday was on with ESPN and working on some cool stuff with Dana White and ufc.
Speaker C:And Dana's a big partner in form is as well, so I got to connect with him there.
Speaker C:But yeah, man, Anheuser Busch is just.
Speaker C:It's unbelievable, the support we're going on.
Speaker C:Oh, where is it?
Speaker C:Check this out.
Speaker B:Hold on.
Speaker C:I know this isn't all on video, but this one's pretty cool.
Speaker C:But if you buy any Budweiser or Bud Light, you'll see the folds of honor can on flag there.
Speaker C:15 year partnership, $33 million.
Speaker C:And that's why we're doing week eight of the NFL is with Bud Light and the National Football League.
Speaker C:Those guys are just undefeated.
Speaker C:They've been the greatest, most consistent blessing in, in my life on this full journey and just great people committed to serving our military and first responders.
Speaker C:But yeah, it's a, it's a good one.
Speaker C:And they're a really fun partner too.
Speaker C:If you like any kind of sport, any kind of concert, like they're there.
Speaker A:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker A:And I should clarify, we work directly with first form, not specifically form Energy.
Speaker A:I know that there are two kind of related companies, but.
Speaker A:But not necessarily directly.
Speaker C:All good.
Speaker A:But yeah, yeah, I mean, AB is one of those companies that has been.
Speaker A:I mean, I grew up here in St. Louis.
Speaker A:It's an icon here, so it's involved in everything.
Speaker A:Some of my dad's good buddies were in the sports marketing department at a, at AB back in like the heyday.
Speaker A:And so just, you know, it's one of those things that I grew up with.
Speaker A:My half of my uncles worked at AB and it's just in our blood.
Speaker A:That's why, you know, a good, good old fashioned Budweiser.
Speaker A:Just nothing beats it.
Speaker C:Yeah, I fell in love with Budweiser watching Top Gun.
Speaker C:How cheesy is that?
Speaker C:Man, I've been a Bud Heavy guy ever since it was in Top Gun.
Speaker C:So good stuff.
Speaker A:Incredible.
Speaker A:Hey, I want to.
Speaker A:I hope this is okay for me to bring up.
Speaker A:I am very sorry for the loss of your, your father.
Speaker A:And I know he was.
Speaker C:Oh, I really appreciate you bringing that up.
Speaker A:He was a hero of yours.
Speaker A:And I'd like for you to just, you know, give us a story of your dad and how much you and to the whole mission of folds.
Speaker C:Yeah, you know, everybody, people are, I'm sure, listening that have gone through this and none of us are getting out alive.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:But if you're blessed to have an incredible dad.
Speaker C:I mean, he was my best friend and, and my hero.
Speaker C:And I think that like the big void is like he got me and, and that is, you know, I got a great marriage and great family, but there's, you know, to have one person just get you.
Speaker C:And we were so similar and he was the first person I'd call when it was a win or a golly, this Day sucked and just having that lifeboat not there with me, you know, he was the inspiration for our mission of education at Folds of Honor.
Speaker C:He was a college professor at Oklahoma State for 40 plus years.
Speaker C:And I just saw the way education, unlike anything else, just changes the whole trajectory of people's lives.
Speaker C:And when you teach someone how to fish and they go on and live a productive life.
Speaker C:And he was the guy that was behind me, you know, building the Patriot Golf Club, American Dunes Golf Club, starting Folds of Honor, going to be a fighter pilot.
Speaker C:And so he's.
Speaker C:He's up in the fairways of heaven.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Good golf story for you guys.
Speaker C:The last round of golf we played together, he was 85 when he passed away.
Speaker C:Guy shot 77.
Speaker C:It was just, just on a heater.
Speaker C:And no, nobody ever warns you when it's the last time in life either.
Speaker C:You know, I'm raising kids and nobody tells you, hey, they're never going to ask you to go on the swing again.
Speaker C:And then you, six months later, like, oh, my gosh, that just happened.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:They're never going to come down at night and climb in your bed.
Speaker C:And, you know, I didn't know it was going to be the last round of golf with my dad.
Speaker C:And, you know, he went.
Speaker C:He went really quick, like the good ones do.
Speaker C:Never stopped being himself and.
Speaker C:But it's just, you know, part of me every, you know, every day and.
Speaker C:Yeah, man, just.
Speaker C:Just such a blessing.
Speaker C:You and you figure out how to do life.
Speaker C:And I look at it and I'll close with this.
Speaker C:And I feel like with me, when you lose, like when you lose your dad, you're not a kid anymore.
Speaker C:And that's a weird thing.
Speaker C:I'm 52 years old, but I was a kid until I lost my dad, and.
Speaker C:But I feel like, like he, he did his work with me.
Speaker C:I'm ready.
Speaker C:There weren't.
Speaker C:There weren't things that I still needed to learn and kind of feel like I'm out there a little bit alone and, and unafraid now.
Speaker C:And we just did a big memorial tournament for him back in Stillwater and had a bunch of the Oklahoma State golfers, you know, come back out and play, had the Oklahoma State national championship team came out and played in his honor.
Speaker C:And so, you know, we'll keep his legacy alive.
Speaker C:But, yeah, that's a freaking big hole, and life's not near as good without him.
Speaker C:But, you know, it's life and, you know, we.
Speaker C:We got to keep on rolling.
Speaker C:But I find myself crying at the weirdest Times and the weirdest places.
Speaker A:I'm sure, I'm sure.
Speaker A:I, and I know, I am sure that he is, you know, looking down and so proud of everything that you've, that you've done.
Speaker A:He probably told you that so many times, but I knew that he was a huge part of, of your inspiration.
Speaker A:So thank you for sharing that.
Speaker A:That's, yeah.
Speaker C:Huge part.
Speaker C:And I believe like the people have gone through this or haven't gone through it.
Speaker C:The one, the one thing I'm certain of is that here in heaven is closer than we think.
Speaker C:He, I mean it is like undefeated the way you know that he is showing up and communicating and you get good.
Speaker C:Like that fills you in a good way.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So we've kind of shifted gears on this podcast from the old 18 strong podcast, which, you know, we now call it Golf Don't Lie.
Speaker A:And so it's, you know, we like to think that there's so many lessons that golf teaches us about ourselves, about other people.
Speaker A:And I've heard you say several times that the best things in your life have happened because of golf.
Speaker A:Obviously we see what folds of honor has created.
Speaker A:What are other ways.
Speaker A:Or let me ask you this, where do you see Dan Rooney if golf never showed up in your life?
Speaker C:Oh, like, who knows?
Speaker C:Like everything good in my life, like every significant moment in my life is connected to the game.
Speaker C:And, and that's why I call it golf church.
Speaker C:Like that we look at church is this, you know, place you're rolling it out on Sunday.
Speaker C:But if you love the game, you, you get the spirituality, you get the fellowship, you get the, the inner, you know, personal reflection and the prayer aspect of, of, of what this game is.
Speaker C:And I think that's why we connect to it at such a deep level.
Speaker C:But like markers in my life.
Speaker C:I was 12 years old, I met my first fighter pilot on a golf course.
Speaker C:That's what I told my dad, man, I'm going to go be a fighter pilot.
Speaker C:I went to the University of Kansas to play golf.
Speaker C:I met my wife there who's, you know, 26 years and the mother and awesome best friend in my life, you know, mother of five daughters.
Speaker C:I was on the way to my parents golf course, the Grand Haven Golf Club, when the good Lord put me on the flight with Corporal Brock Buckland, who'd been killed and his twin brother, Brad Buckland was bringing him home and he had a four year old son and that was the inspiration for the night.
Speaker C:I felt a calling from God to start Folds of Honor.
Speaker C:But I'm not going to the golf course.
Speaker C:I'm never on this flight.
Speaker C:Turn to the game of golf, the PGA of America, and say, hey, man, what if we started this thing called Patriot Golf Day and everybody just got to play golf that love their country and make a donation and.
Speaker C:And they say, yes, and Mr. Jack Nicklaus builds American Dunes, which I think is the most impactful, reverent golf course in the history of the world.
Speaker C:If people haven't played it, you know, you need to go play it.
Speaker C:But it just goes on and on.
Speaker C:The people that we've connected with.
Speaker C:But, like the key, pivotal moments in my life, without the game of golf, they never happen.
Speaker C:And that's why I look at it, man.
Speaker C:It.
Speaker C:It's my church.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker C:It's the.
Speaker C:You know, the beginning.
Speaker C:And in the end, I love the game, and I love the people, and I.
Speaker C:And I love the fact.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And I say this humbly, because it's not me, but I believe that Folds of Honor has taken the game of golf to the highest level that it's ever been as far as using the game we love to truly do good.
Speaker A:I've been to several of the Folds of Honor tournaments here in St. Louis, which are incredible, put on by the Suntrup family and many other partners, obviously.
Speaker A:But you're right, the camaraderie and the unity that it brings in those events.
Speaker A:One thing that I do want to point out that I read on the website is, you know, we hear the stats that you guys raised $54 million in the last year, but what I read was that there's still so many students that need funding.
Speaker A:So, you know, people will hear that.
Speaker A:Big number.
Speaker A:People hear $330 million, and like, okay, they got.
Speaker A:They got all kinds of money.
Speaker A:But I read there's 7,000 plus students that are really waiting for funding for scholarships.
Speaker C:Yeah, I love that you bring that up.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker C:And it's like.
Speaker C:Because you do talk about these big numbers, and you talk about ANHEUSER Bush at 33 million, like, oh, what, My donation doesn't make a difference?
Speaker C:So, like, we fill the glass at $13 a month.
Speaker C:That, like, that is our power play.
Speaker C:And we call those wingmen, and we understand the number of 13 become a wingman at Folds of Honor.
Speaker C:And, yes, record year, 12,000 families to school.
Speaker C:This fall, we had over 7,000 qualified unfunded families as an organization.
Speaker C:And that's why I get up and, you know, run my routine.
Speaker C:99 out of 100 days, man, I am up early.
Speaker C:Coffee, Bible, gym, and Getting after it to try to close that gap.
Speaker C:And I'm just like everybody out there.
Speaker C:Well, there might be some super rich people out there listening to, but I'm a normal guy, right.
Speaker C:George Washington, great quote.
Speaker C:Given proportion to your purse.
Speaker C:13 bucks a month.
Speaker C:Those are our greatest assets.
Speaker C:And we have thousands of people that can afford $13 a month to say thank you for my freedoms.
Speaker C:To say thank you to all Those people that answer 911 when, when you dial that and, and taking care of those families.
Speaker C:So I'm so glad he brought that point up.
Speaker C:And people can Visit the website foldsofhonor.org and become a wingman.
Speaker C:And we send out cool T shirts and some other stuff to affirm you becoming a wingman on an annual basis and just being part of God's, God's church, man.
Speaker C:Folds of Honor, it's, it's a church of action.
Speaker C:It's 87 times in the Bible they say take care of widows and orphans.
Speaker C:And that is what we do unapologetically, faith forward and caring for these heroic families.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:For 13.
Speaker A:13 bucks a month.
Speaker A:I mean, you guys send out updates on everything you have going on.
Speaker A:You said you got cool swag, you got all of it.
Speaker A:But, but most importantly, I mean, $13, it's the least we can do for the sacrifices that have been made.
Speaker A:So I, I have a bit of a crazy idea that I'm even a little bit nervous to bring this up for to you.
Speaker A:But that's what I said when I.
Speaker C:Met with Jack Nicklaus about American Dunes.
Speaker C:I said, jack, I have a crazy idea.
Speaker A:I kind of figured at the end.
Speaker C:Of it he crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, I hope, I hope you say the same at the end of this.
Speaker A:So for a long time we've been affiliated with you guys for a while and, and I've, I've wanted to see if we could do something very special with the 18th strong community to, to make a bigger difference in the Folds of Honor family.
Speaker A:And so recently, it's funny how all this came up.
Speaker A:I talked to Glenn, your right hand man, a while ago about doing something kind of crazy.
Speaker A:And then just recently I, I was on Instagram and I saw this guy who, he proposed to his wife that if he got a hundred thousand followers on Instagram, he could quit his job.
Speaker A:And I was like, that's interesting.
Speaker A:Well, in like 10 days he got 100,000 followers.
Speaker A:So I said to my wife, what if.
Speaker A:Because this would take some time and effort and planning and, but coming back to the number 13, for some reason I have this calling to play 36 holes a day for 13 days straight, which I know is a crazy thing to do, but awesome thing to do.
Speaker A:Four folds of honor with the intention of raising $100,000.
Speaker A:But I told my wife I'd have to take off work.
Speaker A:I'd have to do all kinds of things.
Speaker A:If I can raise or if I can gain a hundred thousand followers to increase the awareness of this, would you grant me the.
Speaker A:The ability to go do this and for Folds of Honor?
Speaker A:And so I really haven't talked it through with her that much, so we'll.
Speaker A:We'll see what happens after I tell her that I told you this.
Speaker A:But that's my crazy idea.
Speaker C:I love it.
Speaker C:I love your idea.
Speaker C:And, And I'm in for the first thousand bucks, which is a lot for me.
Speaker C:So you have your first donor, so that is an unbelievable idea.
Speaker C:I'm jealous.
Speaker C:I don't know if I could.
Speaker C:I could do it.
Speaker C:It would hurt.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:But I could do 36 in 13 days.
Speaker C:Think how good it be for your golf game, how good it would be for our country and.
Speaker C:Yeah, brother, I love it, man.
Speaker A:Let's.
Speaker C:Let's do it.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker C:I'm in.
Speaker A:We'll.
Speaker A:We'll.
Speaker C:We'll mobilize folds behind you.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Percent Will you play one of the rounds of golf with me?
Speaker C:Yes, I will.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker C:I'll play a 36 hole day with you.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Let's do it at the church.
Speaker A:Maybe.
Speaker C:Yeah, Maybe we should do our last 36 holes at the Patriot.
Speaker A:I like the sound of it.
Speaker C:Depends on when you do it.
Speaker C:Depends on when you do it.
Speaker C:It might be cold at.
Speaker C:At American Dunes, but I'm in either way.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:There's going to be some planning.
Speaker A:There's going to be all kinds of.
Speaker A:I mean, this is.
Speaker A:And here's.
Speaker A:Here's the scenario.
Speaker A:I'm running 100 days to do it, and it requires me to do 100 posts on Instagram leading up to it.
Speaker A:Raising awareness, talk, telling the story of folds of honor.
Speaker A:But I'm going to commit to you that we're going to.
Speaker A:We're going to do this thing.
Speaker C:I love it.
Speaker C:I love it, brother.
Speaker C:Here we go.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker C:We've been together for a long time.
Speaker C:I know it is such a blessing using the game.
Speaker C:We love making people's lives better.
Speaker C:It's a.
Speaker C:It's a beautiful thing.
Speaker C:I'll leave you with this trinity in my life.
Speaker C:Passion, aptitude, impact.
Speaker C:People ask me, and what should I do?
Speaker C:I was like, hey, passion, do you love it?
Speaker C:And also will it sustain you during suffering?
Speaker C:Because man, we all suffer.
Speaker C:Aptitude, are you good at and an impact, does it make a difference?
Speaker C:And you're, you are aligning those three things every day.
Speaker C:I think that's why we're kindred spirits on, on the journey.
Speaker C:But it's great, great being on and great catching up.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Always a pleasure to have you on.
Speaker A:Always an honor and just can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you're doing for our, our fallen soldiers, our first responders and, and for the game of golf and, and for the rest of us out there playing it.
Speaker A:So what I do have one last question we ask everybody on, we have asked everybody on the show this question.
Speaker A:So golf exposes the best of us, exposes the worst of us.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I want you to tell me one story where golf taught you a lesson about yourself.
Speaker A:And it could be good, bad or indifferent.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I think the big thing that I discover in golf is every time I go someplace uncomfortable and I don't, you know, I just don't have enough time to play and practice, but I'll, I'll still go and compete.
Speaker C:That that's when God shows up and I, and I think that's a, just a powerful lesson for all of our lives and why it is so important to go uncomfortable places because that's when God shows up and that's when you build self belief and self worth that whatever you might visualize it not going well at, it doesn't ever, it doesn't manifest that way.
Speaker C:But having the courage and faith and you know this to go before you're ready.
Speaker C:I say it all the time.
Speaker C:I think that's the, like the biggest lesson golf has taught me.
Speaker C:It's not like, find a fighter, man.
Speaker C:Nobody's going to come rescue you.
Speaker C:You're out there all by yourself and you're going to have to navigate through the good shots, the bad shots and all this.
Speaker C:Sounds just like life.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:But that's the big, biggest, biggest lesson for me in my life is I've gotten comfortable being uncomfortable through the game of golf.
Speaker C:And most people don't ever get to that place and there aren't vehicles maybe in their life to get there.
Speaker C:But that's the greatest gift that golf has given me.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Well, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney or Noonan, as many call you.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Can't wait to play 36 with you at the church.
Speaker C:All right.
Speaker A:All right, my love man, thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker C:I know I gotta go pick my daughter up at sixth grade so when I'm home I don't miss.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Thank you Dan.
Speaker C:Take care.
Speaker C:God bless.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in to Golf don't lie, an 18 strong podcast.
Speaker A:I truly appreciate you spending part of your day with us, whether that be on your commute, at the gym, on the range, or during one of your strong walks.
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Speaker A:We're constantly posting golf fitness and lifestyle content from the crew to help you play more golf and live more life.
Speaker A:Golf Don't Lie is brought to you by our team here at 18 strong.
Speaker A:A special thanks to our producer Bill Smith for making us sound like we know what we to Beth Daniels for artistic skills that designed our sick podcast cover and Jordan Bombstark for his Mix master skills in music in each episode.
Speaker A:Until next time, I hope you play more golf and live more life.
Speaker A:And remember, no matter who you are, Golf Don't Lie.
