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Dear Lord when I die can I go to Nemacolin...pleeeese!"
Shooters I don't even know where to begin here. This may become a 2-part series one on Nemacolin Hotel & Resort and followed by The Hardy Classic. This is just too much for one Post. Thankfully I was met the first morning by Kay Maghan, Director of Public Relations. She bought breakfast and gave me the Grand Tour of the 3000 acre property. WOW! Now shooters you know I have brought you to many shooting venues across our country...and I have raved about all of them. But so far in my travels I have not seen the COMPLETE RESORT....until now. The activities are endless, start here-------------------------->> www.nemacolin.com and follow along with me as I try to explain what Pennsylvania has hidden away in the beautiful Laurel mountains.
Oh lets begin by saying bring everyone you know AND everyone in your family when you come...that's right everyone! Bring the kids, the grand kids...bring Mom and her Mom, don't worry there is plenty of space...bring Dad and his Dad you guys are going to have a ball. If it rained everyday you would stay busy and NEVER get wet....unless you wanted to!
Here's the deal....get here any way you can but just get here. From PGA Golf to Bengal Tigers to Rock Crawling 
in your own Hummer. Antique cars and planes..one owned by Steve McQueen. To incredible artwork and sculpture and hand painted men's ties. Cigar rooms, pool tables and Bourbon tasting. Old fashion ice cream parlor and Vegas type shopping mall. While YOUR out shooting the family will be soooo busy they won't even know your gone.
Restaurants, cafe's and even Starbucks! You will never need to leave except to visit the next exhibit--- PLUS-- what separates this Resort from a couple of others on the East Coast that would compare.....They represent yesterday. Joe Hardy is creating TOMORROW..and you do not need at jacket and tie to eat here! (Click on any photo to go full screen and copy.)
This is the dream of a LUMBER BARON not a committee of politicians and ne'er-do-wells. Joe Hardy stated clearly that his resort should be for people who want to get away loose the tie and jacket NOT bring it with them. The dinning rooms are absolutely beautiful ---> NO JACKET REQUIRED! Now it may be prudent to mention at this juncture that it was after all the Rockwell family that first opened this Tudor-style lodge. 
They did so for hunting friends. So even from the beginning it was never designed for the Tux n Tails. But I should also mention going into the dinning room wearing a ball cap and shorts....well I"m going to tell your mother!
Since we are on a bit of a history lesson....what does the name Nemacolin mean...and why couldn't a Lumber guy come up with something easier to pronounce....maybe a number like 84 or something??? Well Glad you asked...seems a few years back say around 1740 an Indian carved the first trial from Cumberland Maryland to Brownsville Pennsylvania...who was that Indian----------> Chief Nemacolin of course. Keep up readers there is a test later....
If your into golf or someone in the family is....not one but two beautiful courses. The "Mystic Rock" course is a par-72 7,471-yd designed by Pete Dye, and, is home to the PGA TOUR'S 84 Lumber Classic. 
"Mystic Rock" giant boulders and strategically placed bunkers will test even the most experienced player. It has a 77.6 rating and, a 149 slope and is one of the top 10 most difficult courses in the country! 
"The Links" course is the 2d course, 73.0 rating and a 131 slope. Both open year around...weather permitting.
Soooo here's the challenge shooters. Next time you see George Digweed and/or Bill McGuire (both golfers) you tell them that this D class shooter will challenge BOTH of them to meet me here...and I will give them boy's a good old fashion Texas WOOP"EN on either one of these golf courses! Of course I am allowed a "second" to take my place---> I don't play golf so it's only fair....right? 
But she's a girl...just a little girl, nothing two big guys should worry about. But hey if either one of them WIN... I'll pay his hotel expenses. Looser has to buy the PINK GOLF BAG! But just to show I am a good sport I will take everyone to dinner. Now if the little girl wins--->I get free shooting lessons FOREVER! Now lets see who's man enough to step up to a real challenge...lol...lol....my little girl is soooo little they call her Wendy!
The Shooting you say, you want to hear about shooting....oh your a shooter-->30 stations! Paved road and guess what LOTS an LOTS of lumber used on these stations. Nice...very very nice. Now this is a creation! The club house is...well you got to come! 
Just do it! And when you see Mr. Hardy just tell him "James the radio guy" sent you and he will....well I don't want to ruin the surprise.
But I have never seen anything like this and I promise you will have a great shoot. By the way...when you call Nemacolin reserve one of the condo's. It's a good deal and they are IN THE WOODS! You just will not believe these places and they have fireplaces AND the fire wood is free! It's like having a home away from home, not a hotel. They have kitchens! Well try to be here for the Digweed/McGuire GOLF CHALLENGE....
Croquet anyone, hand ball, lawn bowling and tennis. A magical pool for everyone AND a SPA that is one of the best in the country. I had a message there that left me, well if you have had a message that drains you.... and you were sooo weak you could hardly walk back to your room then you know what a really really good message is like...the entire facility from the gym to some very mystical treatments is out of this world great. I generally like to go to the gym do a little aerobics, use a few machines to work individual leg muscle's...hey its like your shooting instructor said "a good foundation is important to the results" so I work the legs, back and lastly upper body. Then I hit the Whirlpool! 20 minutes there, steam room and sauna....quick shower and up to the lounge to wait for the message. Hey life is GOOD! One more time---> www.nemacoln.com (click on any photo to copy)
I am on my way to meet with Robert Crown, asst. director of the Shooting Academy.
It should not surprise you shooters that Robert is a graduate of Illinois State....one of Bruce Hering students! Young guy with a great future, sharp as a tack when it comes to managing a Clay Range at a major resort
. We had a short and quick interview on the radio in which he described the Hardy Classic and the Hardy Invitational. By the way for those of you who are still asking..."who's Hardy"---->
OK so there is a hint. Mr. Hardy who lives on the property can be seen easily driving here and there or in and out of the Spa. Nice guy. Signature cigar always in his hand. I am told he has over 400 of these "84 Lumber stores" around the country. No wonder each station is built like a castle!
But moving along let me say that Nemacoln has been very generous. They have comp'ed the room and food and tomorrow the rock crawling course PLUS the spa treatment. I did insist on paying for the shooting, however Kay was prepared to comp it as well.
I was also fortunate to meet Paul Christman, CPA and Controller for Nemacoln on the shuttle returning from dinner. Before I knew who he was I was bragging about the steak I had just eaten. After he introduced himself he told me that offering a REAL porterhouse steak was new for the "Aqueous" restaurant which had previously specialized in California cuisine type dishes....but the steak had become a big hit with men....a beautiful cut cooked perfectly to order. But what a nice guy. Paul has a very solid background and serves the Nemacoln Resort well. His staff are well trained and I am especially impressed with the young Europeans who are staffing in many areas of Resort. Very professional. They give you the feeling of being in another country far far away... If there were a negative to this venue shooters I promise you I will not hold back because of the invitation by the hotel....I'm still looking for one so I'll get back to you when I find it. Well there is one or two---->the food is toooo good and the deserts are to sweet. But I'll keep looking.....
Prelim Day Friday 8-17---9am.
"And all the kings men...." yes many of faces I see at each shoot were there. The Die Hards, the Professionals and the Rich & Famous. This is a shoot that if you miss it...you'll have to wait a year and listen to everyone tell you about what you missed. The Targets were not difficult...tricky yes, but long shots--->60-75 yd..NO.
It was a good clean Prelim. Designed to prepare you for the Main Event.
So far I have gone from hoola hoops dropped in the dirt to shoot from to this...a shooting stand with built-in benches to observe you fellow squad members while they shoot...WOW! I guess you have to own a lumber company to make your shooters feel they are worth something more than a "hoola hoop in the dirt". 
ThanX Joe Hardy for being such a class act!
I was fortunate to have some real professionals on the squad. Jack Concannon, Richard & Karen Adlassnig and Brad Wiley. Jack did have a great start but as usual with guys like Jack they are always being asked questions and offering help to weaker shooters....you have to ask yourself how do they keep their concentration.
Then there was Richard, his primary gun broke down, had to go back and find a back up gun...it failed and about the time I thought Richard was just about done for the day Brad Wiley offered his special K-80 to Richard. It was magic! If it flew it died! Richard smashed everything he pointed the gun at....we were sure he was going to buy the gun from Brad, but every time he hit another bird u
sing Brads gun we RAISED the price on Brads gun until it was about selling for about the same as the model number--->$ 80,000.....it was good fun. Brad did say he would take a little less than 80K..but not much less...lol...lol. Richard later did get his gun working again. Just needed a little TLC.
Another couple I see everywhere...Dawn & Glen Potts. They travel quit a bit with their beautiful big rig bringing 
Lincoln Trap Machines from one shoot to another around the country. Nice hard working folks. They each have a cart and can be seen running back and forth staying ahead of any problems and helping out where ever they are needed. Good team. Dependable. Another couple who make life easy for shooters is Tom & Jean Hostetler...they go everywhere doing custom gun fitting, forcing cones, porting, stock modifications, ESP Hearing Protection and apparel for each show. These folks are essential to gunners....and you never think about them until something goes wrong, THEN you see them askin
g"...where is HOSTETLER!
The Main--
There could not be a more perfect day to start a shooting competition. The setting is perfect. The weather is perfect. One the way to the Shooting Acadamy I did something I rarely do...rolled down the windows.
Normally its toooo cold, toooo hot, tooooowet, toooo something. But these are the Laural mountains...today they are the best they can be and that is exactly what I want to be.
I shot well, very well. Not as good as my buddy Mark Kiddie. But remember I just punched up to D class at Addieville only a week ago. I felt some pressure to do better. I did. I have not aced 4 stations in a row before..so I felt accomplished at the end of the day. Admittedly I am a little superstitious....I never handle the score card at a shoot, I also do not check the score board at the end of each day. There are a few others but I'll save them for a laugh the next time we shoot together. So anyway I did not know at this point my standings in the Prelim or after the first day of the Main. Sunday would tell all there is...
Sunday came.....I began at the 5-stand just warming up or getting my ears ringing as Dan Reeves use to tell me. Then for some reason the shells I was using had problems...there was a flash at the end of the barrel and a "POOFFF" sound after I pulled the trigger. Most of my squad came to my rescue and lobbied the official to allow another shot. But the second time it happened I began to loose it.
I went to the next station. I gathered my thoughts, took a deep breath and aced that station.
But lets not end on a sour note! There were lots of people under much more pressure than I that made this one of the best shoots I have ever attended...and if asked I Will return again next year.
Now let me ask you this.....who do you think holds the record for the first shooter to hit 100,000 targets??? Ok who do you think holds the record for the MOST regulation targets shot....a staggering 31, 650! Ok you guessed it MR. BOB LePOR!
The one driving force between sitting in a studio and talking about Shooting Sports on the radio OR traveling some 7000 round trip miles in 40 days is the friends I have made. Here are a few that I look forward to seeing at every shoot!
The Southern California TOP GUNS! I have seen them win all over the country and I am a proud sponsor to boot....keep up the hard work! Oh and by the way Joshua I hope the rain coat I left you helped. It rained all the way to Pennsylvania I sure missed that rain coat!
Then there is Matt & Sheri Ochs. Matt is the hardest working shooter I know...tuff o
n targets and tuff on himself. But he has Sheri as support...she keeps him human! Oh Sheri remember that picture I took for fun?? Yea the one with the red nails?? I tried to use it but you were right...
Hey a couple a real serious shooters from out of the East Lewis McMurray and Michael Allen. Not only Master class sho
oters but really reflect the Conrade of Sporting Clays. Hope I get to shoot with you guys some day.
Well shooters I'm on my way to Montana for the much anticipated Kruger Challenge...hope to see you there
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