Topic: HIGHWAY 18

[georgiapeach]

Episode 3 of 10  ...or how confusing can it get... 

Excuse me for a second, my brain is about to explode after watching tonight's show.. 

All will be revealed later....  but first the teams are subjected to pointless racing from challenge to challenge before the pace of the show grinds to a screeching halt.... to play golf... WTF? 

There seems to be a racetrack theme running through the first half of the show, with an accuracy challenge at a horse race track and then a interesting but pointless racing /chipping challenge at the Daytona Speedway.  Hit the car with your shot, and take a lap off of your partenrs 4-lap ride.  Our resident NASCAR Mom (puddin) would have liked this, but too bad she don't get this channel... 

Then they race to the clubhouse challenge where the order of their arrival gives them a penalty in the stroke challenge.  ...did I lose you yet, because my brain was spinning at this point...

Team with highest combined scores of a par 4 and par 5 hole plus penalty points is the loser... carry the three, square root of 2...   BUT wait... there's a twist...or two...or three.... 

THIS IS A SUPER LEG.... WTF?     that means it's a Non-elimination leg, no strikes, just a time penalty for the losing team next week.   Don't pass go, don't collect $200,   

BUT THERE'S MORE.... (oh save me lord)   the winning team (after we adjust for magnetic north and position of the planets during a full moon) get next week off...(aka IMMUNITY!)   

If you followed all that you're a better man than I am.... OK, so here's the results after 3 legs ...

Team Good Ole Boys    0 strike
Team Salt & Pepper     1 strike  --- IMMUNITY, take next week off!
Team Brother & Sis      0 strike  --- start with time penalty next week
Team Dad & Son          0 strike
Team Ashley/Ashleigh  1 strike

...oh yeah, did I tell you, these folks can't play golf to save their lives....   
OK TARAsia Fan, looks like we're the only two watching this show...let the bashing begin...

You crack me up Boingo!

[TARAsia Fan]

You can hate on the contestants and the show but not the members so yeahthatsright hacker.

Remember, only I can hate on people.

[puddin]

lol, hes joking hacker

[TARAsia Fan]

No he's not. 

You know I love you, puddin.

[Boingo]

Episode 4 - Lesson in interpersonal relations, or how to trash talk your partner as well as your competition.      

It's all in the "trash talk" as we once again hit the road in a frantic race to the finish line.    

After the teams do a 20 yard sand shot closest to the pin on Daytona Beach, they race to their next "golfing challenge" (and I use that term loosely)  at that bastion of sporting excellence, the RDV Sportsplex.... huh...where...huh   Oh yeah, Team Bro & Sis get a 5-minute penalty after the last team finishes the sand challenge.     They make it up in the drive to the next venue, because we all know that mere humans cannot properly navigate the roads of central Florida even with an OnStar GPS navigation system. (hmm...must be because the streets are clogged with all those senior citizen "land yachts" known as Cadillacs.)   



At the Sportsplex we meet the Orlando Magic dancers who proceed to handle the players balls while they attempt a 75-foot putt on a basketball court into a so-called "shoebox".  Oh the excitement...can you feel it.... I know I can.... and here are a few highlights shown below.   

OK, on to the clubhouse challenge, where we meet Team Salt & Pepper, well rested after their immunity prize.  But wait, they get to pick the hole for the other teams alternate stroke-for-par challenge.     Of course they give the hardest hole to Team Dad & Son.  Trash talk rises (or should I say, sinks) to a new level.    

You guessed it, Team Dad & Son blow through their hole and arrive first at the finish line.  Trash talk continues...   After the usual re-do of the holes and other such golf stuff, the last team to arrive is....you guessed it..... Team Good Old Boys.... 

So what does that mean, who gets eliminated.... the answer is NOONE   

Damn it, four weeks and still no elimination.....    can't we send some of these posers home    This could go on forever....heaven help us all.... 

OK, here are the standings after four legs:

Team Good Ole Boys    1 strike
Team Salt & Pepper     1 strike 
Team Brother & Sis      0 strike 
Team Dad & Son          0 strike
Team Ashley/Ashleigh  1 strike

[TARAsia Fan]

Yeah, no one's getting eliminated here. What is going on? It would up the ante if someone got booted. I'm a bit sick of a couple of teams like bro-sis and salt&peppa.

[Boingo]

Yeah, no one's getting eliminated here. What is going on? It would up the ante if someone got booted. I'm a bit sick of a couple of teams like bro-sis and salt&peppa.

   I know what you mean.  I thought these teams would grow on me, but frankly, they are starting to bore me.  Even the "Good Ole Boys" act is wearing a little thin.   I wouldn't mind if the annoying Bro & Sis team got the boot soon, but they look like they might make it to the finals.      Get on with it already, Golf Channel.   

[hacker]

I love that no one has been eliminated... what are the chances?  It means that even though some have shown to be stronger at times, there is no clearly dominant team.  I'd rather it keep me guessing than be predictable.  Boring?  Not a chance!!
The personalities are only just now coming out!  The earlier shows are easily more boring than the newer ones!!  They were more reserved & aware of the cameras even through show 3, but now we're starting to see who they really are & politeness is going by the wayside & the true competitive nature of each person is starting to show!  It's only going to get more fun to watch. They're getting more entertaining each week!  Unfortunately for you guys, it could potentially be three more weeks before an elimination!!!  HAHA!!

Maybe since this is the only reality show I watch, I'm just less jaded by the format.  It's just real people in an unreal situation, doing the best they can & we get to watch.  It's great.

[hacker]

P.S. - nice wordplay on the review.... "dancers who proceed to handle the players balls"

[TARAsia Fan]

They're getting more entertaining each week!  Unfortunately for you guys, it could potentially be three more weeks before an elimination!!!  HAHA!!

I have to respectfully differ with you, hacker. I think the teams are getting extremely annoying, especially bro/sis and salt/peppa. I wouldn't mind if either or both were eaten by sharks. That would be one hell of an elimination. 

[Boingo]

Episode 5 - "...same old, same old..."

First place: Team Ashley/Ashleigh
Last Place: Team Dad/Son

Team eliminated this week:  NONE       

Standings after five legs:     

Team Good Ole Boys    1 strike
Team Salt & Pepper     1 strike 
Team Brother & Sis      0 strike 
Team Dad & Son          1 strike
Team Ashley/Ashleigh  1 strike

"...wash, rinse, repeat....."
 :BBored

[TARAsia Fan]

I missed this week's show. I guess nothing new this week. I'll catch a repeat on Sat.

[hacker]

C'mon guys, this episode was a perfect example of why you cast "regular people" to see how entertaining it is for us to put them under pressure.  I mean, you got an awesome storyline of "talented cocky golfer" (Jay) with his teammate "decent passive golfer" (Peach) - & some amazing twists & turns of this team.  Jay's yelling at Peach about directions in a way that no son should talk to his father- they get to the first golf challenge & Jay does well himself but proceeds to give his dad crap about struggling... that's entertaining!  Some of the things he said to his dad... WOW.  But it gets better: so now the team that's been the shoe-in the whole season is in last place with still a chance to save face with their golf ability.  They get to the 2nd golf challenge.. Jay hits a monster drive perfectly, Peach duffs it into the trees - on their way to the 2nd shot, Jay says: "you can still make bogey, I'll make birdie"... Wow.  That sets them up perfectly for what happens next.  Peach gets on the green after hitting 2 horrible shots but still a chance to save par.  Jay hits a hilarious bunker-to-bunker shot that perfectly satisfies your love/hate feeling about him.  Now both guys are putting about 5 footers for par, Peach's is obviously the harder putt with a huge right to left break.  Drains it.  Now it's Jay's turn to back up all the crap he's given his dad all day &..... miss.  That was the karma moment of the day.  You couldn't have written it better.  Follow that with a temper tantrum the likes of which we haven't seen all season...  Love it!  And that was just one storyline!!  You have the redemption from the bad golf of shows past by the the Ash team, lighting it up on both challenges, proving that they can play, the hilarious antics & amazing golf shots of Parker & Andy - & the other two teams hanging in there- struggling, but still doing what they have to do.  Sorry guys.  This show was not "same old" it was "best yet". 

[hacker]

First place: Team Ashley/Ashleigh
Last Place: Team Dad/Son

Is "same old"

Really?

[TARAsia Fan]

Hacker, I respect your opinion, but I've seen nothing to feel that this show is breaking any ground. Same old, same old.

[hacker]

There has not been anything like this on television for golf fans.
It's not NBC guys.  It's the Golf Channel. 

There is nothing groundbreaking about reality television period. 
It's just simply taking something that has been done in movies, etc... & using regular people instead of actors & scripts. 
The only thing that you could say was groundbreaking about reality tv is that they save loads of money not having to use high-priced actors & writers. 

[Boingo]

....I've seen nothing to feel that this show is breaking any ground. Same old, same old.

   Thank you, TarAsia Fan, I was wavering in my opinion of this show, but your insight has convinced me to do something better with my time.  I'll be switching to watching the 5-time Emmy Award winning "The Amazing Race" season 12 reruns on Travel Channel, starting Wednesday.  Lifes too short to spend on a TAR "wannabee" such as Hwy 18.  There truly is a god, and he has saved us from TV mediocrity.    

Ba-bye   

[TARAsia Fan]

There has not been anything like this on television for golf fans.
It's not NBC guys.  It's the Golf Channel. 

There is nothing groundbreaking about reality television period. 
It's just simply taking something that has been done in movies, etc... & using regular people instead of actors & scripts. 
The only thing that you could say was groundbreaking about reality tv is that they save loads of money not having to use high-priced actors & writers. 

Since you're in a reality TV forum, you're not going to win with that argument, but I'll say this. Tonight's episode was decent, but it still was not compelling.

[Mandoli]

I saw a little bit of one episode and was not impressed. Reading through all of the posts in this thread, it seems kind of corny.

They finally get rid of anyone yet? If not, consider this show a snoozefest.

[TARAsia Fan]

Well, the finale was tonight. I caught the last 20 minutes which was sufficient. Brother-sister team Rob & Charlotte were pitted against hot chicks Ashley & Ashleigh. The last challenge was for each team to birdie a par 3. Rob and Ashleigh were able to do it. However, Ashley and Charlotte had to spend a lot of time playing their respective holes over and over again.

It got to the point where both girls got demoralized. Charlotte finally birdied her hole after 8 tries. After 10 tries in the hot Florida sun, Ashley had to be hospitalized with dehydration and could not finish. An ambulance came to take Ashley to the hospital so we got a very anti-climatic finish for a show that limped to the finale.

Rob & Charlotte were given two candy bars and three golf balls as prizes and were instructed to swim back to their hotel some 10 miles away.

The Ashleys never even made it to the finish line, but were thrown out of the hospital because neither of them had insurance.

[Pedaler]

Thanks for making me aware of the show.  It took me awhile but I finally finished watching the shows.  It was an OK show but I won't watch it again if the program returns.

I liked the double elimination concept but the series dragged with the unnecessary non-eliminations.  Even though some may find seeing the cameramen at times amateurish, I felt that it added a sense of chaos, especially when all of the teams were running at the same time to their car or a cluebox.  Like TARAsia Fan, I felt that the last episode was just awful.  I blame the producers and the editors, not the golfers.

My favorite part of the show was in the next to last episode where that smug pr*ck Jay fell and hurt his arm.        
     
In an earlier episode he referred to a poor golf shot as a Thurman Munson.  Any baseball fan in their mid to late 30's or older will remember that tragic summer day in 1979 where Thurman lost his life in a plane crash when he flew to see his family on an off day.  When Jay was asked what's a Thurman Munson, he said it's a shot that was a dead yank.  Dead Yankee = Thurman Munson.  That's one of the most offensive and stupid things I've ever heard on a TV program. 

I feel like venting some but won't, because I don't ever want to think of that PoS Jay again.

[TARAsia Fan]

Pedaler!

Well, the Golf Channel has a better reality program called "Big Break" and it's already into its 10th season. Highway 18 borrowed a lot from Amazing Race. If they want better ideas (and to get out of the State of Florida), I would be happy to consult with the producers because this show was very amateurish compared to TAR.

Staying within a 30 mile radius is not compelling TV. I would have rather the golfers go on a course filled with alligators than watch this show again.

[puddin]

Golf Channel comes to Placid Lakes


By DONALD RIDGEWAY

News-Sun sportswriter

LAKE PLACID - If you are a fan of reality television you will love to know that reality TV has come to Highlands County.

The Placid Lakes Country Club played host to the Golf Channels "Highway 18" reality golf show.

The show is a sidekick of the Amazing Race, or Survivor, where contestants are sent around the state of Florida to compete in challenges.

The race covered more than 1,000 miles, stretching from St. Augustine to Key West.

There were road challenges which would put contestants on a roadside driving range to running at the Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville).

The contest also had a clubhouse challenge where contestants were asked to play a hole or a series of holes at golf courses that range from famous championship courses to Municipal facilities that are off the beaten path.

"Sometime after the Sottile Golf Tourney a group of guys came by and played the course," Placid Lakes head golf pro Shane Ward said.

"When they were done they called and asked if we were interested in having the show. I thought they were joking."

A few weeks later the Golf Channel crew were out in the parking lot setting up their equipment and began filming.

The set up for the show was five, two-man squads that were asked to play holes 8, 9, 10, and 11.

One team was exempt because they had won immunity the week earlier.

Each squad was using a scramble format with the teams needing to make a birdie or better to get off the hole.

The last group to come in would be eliminated.

"It was neat for our course to be the first for someone to be eliminated," said Ward. "I guess one day we will be some type of trivia question."

Before coming to Lake Placid, the contestants were asked to hit golf balls and guess their distance at the Bluffs in Zolfo Springs.

"I hope the show put Placid Lakes on the map," said Ward. "People have come up to me and told me they saw it on TV. We hope that this gets more people in to play."


http://www.newssun.com/sports/SUN-11-30-PlacidLakesTV