From a Dream to a Reality TV Show
Unique golf-themed travel series debuts next spring
What started out as little more than a casual idea between two friends almost a year ago has turned into a real life, real adventure television show scheduled to hit the airwaves on three separate television networks it was announced this week.
Highways To Fairways – a show where two guys hop into an RV and traipse the globe in search of the world’s most unique golf courses – is set to launch jointly in Canada on OLN and CHEX Television and in the United States on R&R TV in the Spring of 2011.
“We’re very excited to debut internationally in our very first year,” says Wayde Greer, Highways To Fairways Executive Producer & Co-Host and one half of the two-man buddy team. “Being associated with a great brand like OLN adds instant credibility to what we’re trying to do here with this show.”
“We’re trying to take the elitism and starch out of golf,” explains Charlie Teljeur, Creative Director & Co-Host and the other half of the Highways To Fairways team. “Most golf-themed shows are about playing high-end exclusive courses. We’re not like that. We will only play public courses and there has to be some unique feature that makes it worth the visit.”
The show’s beginnings read a bit like a storybook. The two concocted Highways To Fairways one night in Teljeur’s basement simply to combine their love for travel with a business plan and, after discussing the idea with a local government development agency, the idea went from wishful thinking to legitimate in one short week.
“In the course of one month we had to go from simply having an idea to hitting the road (to film the pilot) with financing and a vehicle and camera equipment, none of which we had,” says Greer.
That’s where living in a tiny town like Haliburton, Ontario became very beneficial. In addition to the development funding, the town and its residents rallied around the pair through things like funding drives (for gas), the donation of a vehicle and promoting their plan through a local radio station.
“We were humbled by the support and the amount of people willing to add what they could to this endeavour,” adds Teljeur. “We couldn’t have produced a pilot without them.”
They did however, complete it and the ambitious pilot was enough to impress three networks but now they know the real work begins. Teljeur and Greer are set to hit the road again in September, only this time to gather enough footage for thirteen half hour episodes. The pair anticipates being away from home for up to two months, which can put some strain on relationships back home but such are the sacrifices in this type of venture.
“It can be heart-wrenching but it makes for great TV,” says Greer, a single father with an 8 year old daughter.
Although all the destinations have yet to be disclosed (and discovered) the pair expects to log another 7000 plus miles and intends to take in, among a lot of other things, the longest hole in the United States; golfing at a prison; golfing at a NFL-themed course; playing as many holes as possible at Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones trail and a round inside of the world’s most famous racetrack.
“We have a list of places we expect to visit,” says Teljeur, “but, as anyone who’s ever done something like this can attest, the road ultimately decides the destination.”
About Highways To Fairways:
Highways To Fairways (HTF) is a multimedia brand created by business partners Charlie Teljeur and Wayde Greer, aka Bent Nose Media. HTF presently exists as a serial television show debuting in the Spring of 2011 on OLN, CHEX TV and R&R TV and is in the process of branching out to include a similar print Highways To Fairways publication.
Media contact information:
Wayde Greer Executive Producer
705-854-0626
wayde@highwaystofairways.com
5 Bobcaygeon Road, Box 147, Minden, Ontario, Canada K0M 2K0
August Chamber AM Breakfast at Pinestone Resort
From Left: Natalie Stephenson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pinestone Resort, Nick Lawrence, President Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Territory Sales Manager for Van Houtte Coffee, Barrie McAndrews, Sales & Promotions Manager of Resorts of Ontario, Frank Vismeg, President of Skål Toronto North and Managing Director at Pinestone Resort, Sonia Radunovic-Vismeg, Director of Operations at Pinestone Resort.
Nearly 40 attendees were present for the August Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce Breakfast held at Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre – Spa & Golf Course. Increasing tourism to the Haliburton Highlands was the focus of this breakfast and guests left with beneficial information and ideas of how to attract more travellers. Barrie McAndrews informed all in attendance about the benefits of being a member of Resorts of Ontario as well as recent changes to make searching for resorts and specific features much easier for travellers. Frank Vismeg presented information on Skål International, an international organization that encompasses all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Members of Skål work closely together to increase business to all members, giving access to over 22,000 tourism professionals who are interested in doing business among friends, which actually happens to be one of their slogans. In the past five years, Mr. Vismeg has attended four Skål International World Congresses in Zagreb/Dubrovnik (Croatia), Pattaya (Thailand), Antalya (Italy), Budapest (Hungary) and this year will be heading to Sydney, Australia with over 30 Skalleagues to represent Canada, Skål Toronto North through networking and spreading the word about the natural beauty and excellent facilities in the Haliburton Highlands and Pinestone Resort, Conference Centre & Golf Course. Promoting and building tourism is extremely important and will soon be the largest industry in the world.