Grass League | 2025 GCO Champs Discuss The Grass League on the Golf Channel - FOGOLF

Grass League | 2025 GCO Champs Discuss The Grass League on the Golf Channel

The Grass League is a unique golf league where players compete on lighted par three courses in teambased formats. This weekend the season opener was held at the Grass Clippings Open presented by Hilo River Resorts and Casinos which took place under the lights in Tempe, Arizona. Now, the Grass League is made up of 132 golfers across 11 franchises with teams representing cities in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, and Canada. Now, the league consists of all par three golf tournaments, which they call high stakes par three golf, which open participation for rising amateurs and seasoned pros. The weekend concluded under the lights at the grass clippings rolling hills course in Tempe, one of the few lighted courses in the US. The event was a 36hole twoperson scramble. All 11 franchises were represented with six teams of two who were decided by a draft earlier in the week. And ultimately it was Curt Watkins and Jake Byum of the New York Bluebirds franchise who won the tournament by three strokes with a 36ole score of 19 underpar thanks to Monster Birdies on the last four holes. And how about that? This is what it is all about. The celebrations, the great reactions, and I’m sure a fun night that ensued following the victory. So with that, I’m so pleased to welcome in the champions, Curt and Jaca. a big congrats on the victory with the New York Bluebirds. I’m sure that was such a thrill. You had such a brilliant finish birding the last four holes between you. Uh take us through the winning moments and kind of just how exciting that was for both of you. Kurt, coming to you first. Yeah, you bet. Um we’re a couple working stiffs, right? So, um we’re a couple amateurs. We compete. It’s what we love to do in golf and we’ve been playing golf our entire lives. So, um, just to kind of get out there and be on that stage, which we don’t get to do very often, was just a blast. And then, um, to be able to perform, uh, was just icing on the cake. Jake, you had some extreme weather out there in Scottdale towards the end of the Sunday. I know you guys had finished a little bit earlier, but how did that sort of add to the drama because that wind and the rate, it was howling. Yeah. Um, I’m not much of a leaderboard checker when I know that we’re in a contending spot like that. Um, Kurt and I got up to number 13 and that win started to pick up a lot and we had a really good round going. Um, I knew that’s something we needed um to make a run at it. So, it was it was brutal though that that wind really picked up. How tough is the competition out there in the grass league when you’re coming down that final stretch? Did it feel like the pressure was really starting to build? Yeah. Um, you know, it the all these guys out here are great players. Um, anywhere from being in insurance like I am or you’re out there PJ tour caddies and many tour players alike. Um, you know that anyone is capable in going out shooting 12 under. Um, and you know, we we took it we took the pressure in a great way and went out there and it was just, you know, the birdies were on our side that day. Kurt, for someone who has never watched the Grass League, how would you describe it to them? Because it is such a cool experience. It’s a proper party vibe. You know, there’s open bars and there’s lots loud music and people having a great time. If someone had never seen it, how would you explain it? Yeah, the guys um over at Rolling Hills Grass Clippings have done an incredible job of just remaking this golf course. Um they add the lights which uh you know it’s probably one of the tougher tea times to get in the valley especially when we start to get a little bit hotter here. But you know going out to the grass league the concept was there. Um they pair it with uh live music in an event. I’ve never been to a live event. Um I’ve had friends that have and they said it’s just kind of a blast. We have something obviously you guys know very well um the waste management open which um is basically a party on grass too. Um you know I I can’t say it’s a parallel to that. It’s um it I would say it’s similar because you know Jake and I have been to that multiple times. We’ve had friends play in it. Um it’s just a really fun vibe. Um, I say the difference is is when you go out to the grass league, um, you don’t have to really know about much about golf. You’re just kind of there for a good time and um, and uh, you can enjoy golf and watch some really good good golf. Um, but then you can also just kind of hang out and um, and enjoy the music and enjoy the atmosphere. And Jake, your dad, Kurt Byum, of course, a colleague of us here at Golf Channel PGA Tour winner. He knows a thing or two about golf, but you said he was having a pretty good time out there on Sunday. What does he make uh of the events and what kind of experience did he have uh as as a as a fan there? Yeah. Um he had no expectations to go out there um until I talked to him the morning of Saturday and said that we had a decent round the day before and he’s never been out uh to grass clippings. So, um he said, "You know what? Why not? I’ll go out there and check it out. you guys, we’ll go out and watch you on the back nine. Um, so when he showed up out there and he saw, you know, fully built out tents, music blasting, um, beer gardens, you name it, people out there watching, um, I think he realized that this wasn’t just a go and dink it around, uh, par three golf course little tournament. It was more of a bigger deal than that. Um, and then when those birdies started dropping, I think he uh he started getting into that dad mode wanting us to win the thing. Um, you know, I saw him on 18 when we came up. Uh, I didn’t know exactly what we needed to do on 18. Um, but I could just tell in my dad’s eyes, you know, he was he was so excited, so stoked. Um, he was uh I would say that’s one of his top top five moments of my entire golf career that he watched me play. uh going out and watching me watching Kurt and I go seal the deal over there. That’s awesome. And Kurt, you could see the celebrations at the end there. And just in terms of what the grass league offers as sort of golf continues to loosen its belt a bit and really push into the entertainment space. What value do you think this high stakes par three competition brings and who do you think it it appeals to on a wider audience? Yeah, I think since COVID, you know, we’ve really seen this like catalyst there um where golf is just really booming and um seems like everybody wants to play. If you go out to to Rolling Hills, Grass Clippings um on any night, uh they have that I think it’s Shot Tracer um on the range and it’s packed. I mean, there’s a there’s a waiting list. It’s all abilities. And so I think like the grass league is the concept is there to just kind of um welcome anybody that wants to get into golf, play it, watch it, um just enjoy being out there. Um and it really is it’s just it’s it’s a fun and electric environment that um you know anybody can participate in. And just finally, Jake, you know, this concept of playing for a team franchise is something we’re becoming more familiar with with Liv and of course TGL had that concept as well. Now that you’ve been a part of this, what does it feel like to be part of that team and to be representing that franchise? What does it add to the experience as a player? Man, I I played college golf. Um, that’s something that you do miss after college is uh golf’s a lonely sport. Uh, I played it I I gave it an attempt to play professionally. Um, and then when I made that exit, got a career going. Um, that was something that I really did miss. Um, being a part of this team brings back memories. It’s it’s literally identical to being on a college golf team again. Um, except most of us all have jobs going on. I’m sitting in my office right now. Um, but then you have a mix of guys where we got a great player, Michael Feeles, on our team, two-time all-American at Illinois who’s still out there giving it a whirl. Um, so it’s really cool. It’s a it it kind of feels like a mini fraternity or a sorority. Um, you know, it’s it’s just a great feeling being a part of a team when you when you go out and win this thing. It’s not just us winning, it’s the whole team. Well, boys, congratulations once again on the win. a lot of fun and a different dynamic alto together in the game of golf. So, thanks so much for your time and enjoy it. We’ll see you at the next one. Thank you. Sounds great. Thanks.

(Video courtesy of Golf Channel and affiliates)