If you're a fan of ESPN’s long-running “World Series of Poker,” you’re no doubt a fan of Lon “The Voice of Poker” McEachern, who joins “Talking GolfGetaways” hosts Mitch Laurance and Darin Bunch for this wide-ranging podcast, presented by 2UNDR apparel (use the promo code GNN20 for 20% off your next purchase).
LISTEN to the show on audioBoom!
After Mitch and Lon discuss the beginning of their 25-year friendship, forged over a week of co-hosting 40 ESPN Billiards shows in the 1990s, Lon describes how he got started in golf in junior high school, how much his first set of Hogan clubs meant to him, how his first (and only) hole-in-one (during his 3rd-ever round!) hooked him for life, and how he’s continued to play the game over the course of a long-running and multifaceted life in sports broadcasting. He details how he fits golf into any job he does around the world, and how he picks the courses he’d like to play along the way.
A resident of Northern California, Lon then discusses courses he enjoys near his home, including Edgewood Tahoe, Apple Mountain, plus a few nine-holers he favors, including a funny story about the unique Little Borax Golf Course on Borax Lake in Clearlake, where the driving range is actually a lake itself and golf balls dissolve due to the high borax content.
Lon then talks about his history in broadcasting poker and the explosive rise in popularity of the game, explaining how he went from part-time mortgage broker (to make ends meet) to Main Dude of the Main Event. He details how impending legislation to legalize gambling in certain states may continue the game’s rise in popularity, talks about playing golf with some of the game’s stars, including 14-time World Series of Poker champion Phil Helmuth, and gives tips on playing golf against poker players who live to gamble, no matter where they are.
Lon next gets into his favorite courses in the Las Vegas area (where he spends so much time doing poker broadcasts) including Canyon Gate, the three courses at Paiute Golf Resort, the two courses at Primm Valley, Cascata (his favorite track) and Wolf Creek in Mesquite. He ends the podcast sharing his new-found love for the experience he recently had at Top of the Rock in Missouri and the courses and off-course options at Big Cedar Lodge, which drew rave reviews.
Great guy, great life, great podcast. We hope you enjoy the connection.
