It’s the last day of our trip!! And yay for a record setting Ryder Cup victory by the Americans! Jake has already requested to get up early so he can actually warm up more than 10 minutes. He’s ready to beat Brian today. It’s a good thing he wanted to do this because we discovered at the last minute that our tee time was at 8am instead of 8:30 like it has been each day. Holy smokes I’m just hoping we make it in time now! The course is close but it’s a winding drive back in there. An early arrival at and warm up is not going to happen.

It’s a lengthy shuttle ride to the first tee and I tried to make the group late by going to the restroom. Oops…sorry guys!

We are paired with our caddie, Henry, a young golfer from Michigan. There are two singles in our group that are paired with Kyle. It’s going to be a great day on the course! Henry strikes up conversation with Jake right away and can tell he’s a High School golfer and a tournament competitor. Turns out Henry played college golf all 4 years and spends his time caddying here 5 days a week and playing 2 or 3 times a week. He mentions he just loves the game and wants to be around it in any capacity. Not to mention he doesn’t love the cold in Michigan. A recurring theme that people here don’t like the cold. He has a helpful, positive, and easy-going demeanor. I enjoy listening to the caddies and their language and perspective.

I’m not sure if my pictures are capturing the beauty of what I’m seeing in my eyes here but I hope it’s somewhat visible.

We’re 5 holes in a Brian is not real happy with his game but he’s already shot his best round ever here so let’s just focus on that. Jake is doing well and the best news is there’s no waiting today!

The weather has been absolutely amazing. It couldn’t have been better! We’re told that all of these courses here are already booked up the entire month of October and beyond. Another reason why rescheduling this was going to be near impossible.

This hole ended up being Brian’s nemesis today and for the other two guys but turned out good for Jake today.

I have some nice conversation with my buddy Henry. I explained to him how I miss watching my daughter play but she’s enjoying the college life. He said his mom misses watching him play too. Before long he’s offering to caddie for Morgan and I if I ever get back out there. Such a good guy. You’re hired Henry! Taking lessons with Morgan was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. We would just laugh and laugh. Chris Mabry (LQ golf Pro) probably talked about us afterwards. The difference is, she actually got good and I never followed through. I’m glad she didn’t take after me (bad example setting on my part😂).

Jake shot his best round of the weekend with a 76. Brian had a few bad holes today but lots of good ones too. Of course a trip into the pro shop and I’m treating myself to a sweatshirt. On my way out I’m complimented by a nice guy who thought I was doing a great job walking along with my group. Best supporter on the course!

We had plenty of time so the guys showered in the locker room and we had a wonderful lunch on the terrace overlooking the ocean and 18th green. We ordered the crispy shrimp on Kevin’s (the dentist from Boston) recommendation. He was right, it was delicious! What a fun day and a great ending to this momentous trip.

We are so excited to see what he does in the years to come! Love you so much Jake.

Our drive back to Charleston was a long one. Traffic was not fun but we made it and hopped right on the plane.

First class for the lucky ones!!🥰

We are missing the all city cross country meet as we fly home but we hope they are doing great! A huge thank you to Jennifer, Bob, Shauna, Nanny, and Papa this week. Without these rockstars, none of this would’ve been possible.

A quick stop in the Delta sky lounge per Jake’s suggestion even though we have a short time between flights. I should’ve gotten a picture of him stuffing his bag with snacks.

Thanks to Brian’s airline status, Jake has managed to get himself up to first class again. Lucky kiddo! A giant thank you to Brian for making all of the arrangements for this wonderful trip.

As we arrived in KC we discovered all 5 of our bags have not made it in the plane🤦🏼‍♀️. All the while, an older gentleman starts fighting with a teen who is not wearing a mask in baggage claim, a lady in a wheelchair leaps out of her chair to grab her bag off of the carousel and proceeds to walk right out of the airport (much to the bewilderment of the airport staff person who had been assisting her in the wheelchair), and we pass a real life ghostbuster car on the interstate home. I can’t make this stuff up!! Are we in the twilight zone or something!?! All I know is I’m happy to be home to tuck in my littles and praying those bags/clubs show up on our doorstep in the morning!!

Cheers to 16!

We have reached day 3 of golf and we are at Cougar Point. It’s a stunning clubhouse…Wow! Of course Brian picked up breakfast at the Hemingway. I think we can officially be called ‘regulars’ there now😉. This course is where the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance was filmed.

We are paired up with Steve who is originally from Ohio but retired here and has a home on the course. He quickly noticed Jake’s AJGA tag on his bag and asked if he was a competitive player. His son played college golf for 3 years for the University of Cincinnati. As he saw me riding along and taking pictures, he mentioned his wife was his son’s biggest cheerleader and his only regret in life was being too hard on his son and critical of his play. Jake said (I can’t remember the exact words), my dad does a really good job being positive with me. It was a great moment and it made me think most of the day about the way we handle our kids sports. It also took me most of the day to figure out who Steve reminded me of—his voice was just like Brian’s uncle Scott Graham. He gently gave advice about the course along the way.

Jake spent a little bit of time in trouble areas but seemed to get himself out without a problem. At one point he was in this ladies yard and she was meditating! Oops!

Steve told us they get a weekly report on the number of alligators in the community. They keep very close tabs on them and the transport them to different areas of need be. It’s apparently a full time job managing the alligator population here. He also told us that deaths occur here every year of stupid people who get to close to the water and fall in or get dragged in by gators. Oh my goodness, if I wasn’t scared before, I certainly am now! This explains why our caddies at Ocean Course were freaking out when Jake went into a marsh to get his ball.

Steve was similar to Kevin from yesterday when he would make a bad shot he would say “oh Steven what are you doing!?” 😂 and similarly said his 2 year old grandson is the love of his life. This grand parenting gig seems like it’s going to be the best thing ever according to these fellas.

Somehow Jake managed to miss a 4 ft putt on 18 to lose the round to Brian (they have a running bet that I don’t really understand). I just know that Jake has to give Brian strokes on certain holes and he is determined to make up his deficit tomorrow.

We decided to head straight back to the villa and eat our snacks because we bought so many and have yet to even open them.

We left Jake to watch the Ryder Cup and nap on the couch with his snacks while we hit the beach.

In the meantime both of our littles have made it to their championship games!! Way to go kiddos!! But the timing did not work out well and we had to scramble around to send Reece home from Minneapolis with a teammate and Shauna caught the flight. Options were so limited on getting out after the timing on the Final game. Both ended up losing which was a bummer but we’re so proud of them making it to the finalist position.

I think Drew has had a lot of fun living the bachelor life at home and Jake isn’t far off. Look at his room here at the villa…

We’ve been keeping up with a Morgan too and she had her first Pi Phi flag football game today. She has a little bit of work to do to improve her game but love the effort! She’s the cutest and a little banged up🤪)

This evening we were so excited to go back to our favorite pizza place and it was closed! So sad. We decided to head back to Cougar Point to get the cheeseburger on Steve’s recommendation then quickly back to the village for ice cream. Jake has been asking for ice cream since we arrived and it’s always closed. He’s so tired of everything being closed so early! We made it with 10 minutes to spare before 9pm.

Final post will be coming tomorrow when we wrap up our 16th birthday adventure!!

Is there such a thing as too much golf? (asking for a friend😂). I had to make this day into it’s own “part” on the blog because it was a 12 hour 36 hole day. We started our morning with Brian bringing tea and breakfast sandwiches from The Hemingway (the cute place nearby we found on day 1), then off to Osprey Point for our first round of the day. We are paired up with Josh and Greg, a couple of great buddies from Tulsa, OK. Right away Josh has mentioned that he lost his range finder the day before and it wasn’t turned in. We are experienced in range finder loss too so we have something in common right away.

We hit the golf shop for gear and a flag. We are collecting flags now from all the courses he’s been fortunate enough to play. We’re back tracking a bit to some courses and calling in some mail orders too. Now that he has his own room we have some new decorating happening on the walls that involves a combination of interests, golf and skim boarding.

Osprey is a very pretty course with beautiful wooden bridges. I’m not surprised it’s beautiful because everything here on the island is pristine. The homes here are even larger and unique. Josh and Greg are a fun duo with lots of stories. Josh is a US Air Force guy with kids and grandkids and his best friend was a former KSU football player. Before long, he was inviting Brian to play at his course, The Patriot in Owasso OK. Seems like a fun road trip!

What a joy it is to share a cart with Jake. He’s just a fun person to be with. He laughs at me when I say dumb things, banters with Brian, and he just loves the game of golf. You can’t beat the scenery and the company and luckily for me, I don’t care what the scorecard says.

From here, we say goodbye to Josh and Greg, Jake shoots a 77, and we head to the ocean course. We don’t usually leave without a stop in the pro shop. We bought a cool hat on the way out. It’s quite dangerous taking Jake into a golf pro shop. I’m feeling like Morgan is owed a lot since her trip did not include any shopping!

As we arrive at the Ocean Course, we find that most of the dining is being shut down for a private wedding. Oh my word. This wedding must cost $200k to shut this place down! Jake is in heaven in the pro shop picking up items left and right and we are allowed to order lunch on the terrace despite the closure. My dad would be so proud of me that I ordered a pimiento cheese sandwich with a fried green tomato. He believes all people should love tomatoes! You’re not worthy of you don’t love tomatoes, right siblings!?😂.

This course is gorgeous. Home of the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2021 (Phil Mickelson taking the title). Many are taking pictures and buying souvenirs and we are lucky enough to be playing the course. We meet with our caddies John (who is with Kevin, a dentist from Boston who has a 2nd home here in Kiawah) and Robert who is caddying Jake and Brian. He’s a retired Army guy with a calm an quiet demeanor. John and Kevin are having so much fun together and Jake and I are enjoying listening to them. John is from Philly and came to SC on vacation years ago and couldn’t go back to the family packaging business in Philly because he fell in love with this area and hates the cold. They have so many funny comments to each other and it seems as though they have been paired together in the past. Kevin says after several shots “oh you dope Kevin” Talking to himself😂 He speaks of the shear joy of being a grandpa and that seems to be a a recurring theme amongst our playing partners.

Meanwhile Brian seems to be having the round of his life! I have no pictures or videos of his amazing chip in or spectacular long putts because I’m here for Jake ‘s 16th and wishing it was him behind the club. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for all great golf shots and I do wish I had captured those moments but I pull for Jake always and at times I’m finding myself cheering for sweet Kevin from Boston☺️.

Being out here on the Ocean course is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The views are stunning. Although I think these guys are trying to kill me with an overload of golf, walking this course has been fun. It’s been a slow round but I’m a silent observer and pick up a lot from the sidelines and enjoy the time.

I’ve learned that this gigantic mansion belongs to the former CEO of Lowe’s and wealthy folks are owners of property all around the area. There seems to be so much beautiful real estate here and I find myself wondering, who lives here!?

As we finally make it up to the 18th green, Jake makes an amazing shot in the dark that even the wedding participants are talking about. What a great round and beautiful expensive wedding! And congratulations to Brian for shooting his best round ever!! Woo hoo! So close to an even round par but ended +1 73. Jake shot 78.

We went straight to dinner at Cantina 76 which was great Mexican food. The village was very busy but we managed to get in and get served.

It was a long but fun day and we’ll be back to see you on Monday Ocean Course!

Whoa I’m already way behind on this and not sure how to catch up. Today alone I took about 200 pictures so I’m pretty much in big trouble here. I’m sure everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting for these updates😂

Let’s go back to the remainder of yesterday after we played at Oak Point and declared Jake the winner of the round. We decided to head to Freshfields Village which is a very nice, upscale, and quaint little shopping and dining area in Kiawah. We grabbed pizza at LaTele Pizzaria and it was delicious. All 3 of us said it was some of the best pizza we’ve ever had.

Then we hit the market that we tried to go to the night before and missed the closing time. It’s tradition to get wine and snacks!

The beach is just a short walk from our place so we decided to check it out!

There are so many great houses along the way. We love how no two look the same and many of them are right on the beach. I think we should rent one in the future!!

The beach is vast and wide and perfect for relaxing except for the flies that apparently love me and Jake too!

Jake brought along his skimboard and gave it a try. It’s pretty good conditions for doing tricks he says but he needs to learn how to do tricks. We’ll work on that!

After some great time on the beach we decided to head back to our villa for showers, watch the Ryder Cup, and of course Jake took a nap!

We went back to the Freshfields area for dinner which seems to be pretty much the main area to go eat and shop (that I can see). We had a good dinner at King Street Grille-a cheeseburger for Jake of course!

Meanwhile we are regularly checking in with the rest of the crew! Shauna seems to be settling in nicely to her soccer mom duties and we are so appreciative of her willingness to help us. She is sending us regular updates, meeting everyone on the team, and has wised up and picked up a bottle of wine. Smart girl!

Meanwhile Drew has had the run of the house and been out and about having a great time with friends.

Wahlburgers shenanigans with a Jordy and Carter

He had a late 9:30pm tourney game and it was chilly and rainy but they got a win!!

In the meantime, Morgan was preparing for her first Pi Phi date party! Look how cute!!

It’s been a fun time keeping track of all of this and we are feeling blessed to have family help this weekend so we can spend time in this really beautiful place with Jake!

For our kids 16th birthdays we take them on a trip of their choice (within reason). No siblings or other visitors allowed. It’s quality time with mom and dad, which as I think about it, is probably opposite of what a 16 year old wants to do😂. Morgan chose Seattle (an amazingly fun trip!) and Jake chose a golf trip to Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Here we are in beautiful SC! The timing of this trip is absolutely dreadful. Since it was planned months ago, Drew had a soccer tourney pop in the schedule and Reece a tournament in Minnesota! Our arrangements here were not revisable and my parents are out of town at the Ryder Cup with friends. Call in the troops. And by troops, I mean the Aunts! Both of them are big soccer fans so this is a perfect plan😉. 2 flights to Minnesota are booked, a rental car secured, and Reece is expected to get her carryon bag equip in the morning by herself. What could go wrong? Between the soccer and the shenanigans that go on at out of town tournaments (i.e. kids running wild in the hotel), Shauna will be in rare form. Or she’ll come home and want to take over the life of a soccer mom. Either way, I’m anxious for updates! Did I also mention we are missing the all city cross country meet for Reece and Drew?🤦🏼‍♀️

I was so worried about making sure my littles were on track I forgot about packing myself. I quickly raided Morgan’s closet for golf clothing, threw it in a suitcase, and hoping for the best. We certainly have a lot of baggage for a weekend trip!

We had a slight scare that a few of our bags didn’t make it to Charleston but crisis averted.

I FaceTimed with Reece after her soccer practice and she was showing me the cute goodie bags parents made for the trip to Minnesota. I was already in bed after an unsuccessful trip to the grocery store for food and water. Everything closed early here in this sleepy golf town!

This is our cute little villa for the next few days in Turtle Point.

Finally they are taking me to get food and water! Embarrassingly, I’m a self-proclaimed water snob and need bottled or filtered water🙈. Our microwave is broken so we boiled water on the stove to make tea and proceeded to spill the entire cup in the rental car on a sharp corrective turn to get to breakfast. Oops!

How cute is this little spot on the way to the course!?

And hello…look at my handsome date for today!

We arrive at Oak Point golf course and Jake and I love the southern charm and architecture of the plantation style homes, pretty trees, and marsh filled waters. A beautiful area.

I’m on alligator watch and spot a GIANT one within the first 2 holes. I was too scared to get close but he was huge!

Of course we’re watching the Ryder Cup on phones as we go along here. This is golf, golf, and more golf.

And we have a winner with a 78! Go Jake!

More 16th birthday trip adventures to come!