The evolution of 'Protect the Hill' explained at Grass League Summer Grind
Grass Clippings League host Todd Dobson spoke to local legend John Ashworth about Goat Hill Park where the Grass League Summer Grind is played.
Video Transcript
2026 Grass League Summer Grind continues at Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, California.
The world's best par three golfers representing their franchise in a fast-paced team competition unlike anything else in the game.
Should be a lot of fun.
Here's Grass Clippings League host Todd Dobson with local legend, John Ashworth, on local pride at the famed Goat.
And there's a, there's a saying around property when you have 108 golfers ascending on this golf course for this golf tournament, and some are coming from Buffalo, New York, Florida, and all over.
But then there's some locals here.
There's a handful of guys and gals that, that call this place home.
Yeah.
And there's a saying called protect the hill.
Can you put a shed a little light on that?
Protect the hill is something that's just evolved over the last, you know, I don't know, 10 years or so, where we do have a stable of really good golfers.
'Cause it's a You know, even though it's a short course, it's par 65, you have to hit a lot of shots.
You know, you have to It's a very challenging course, and it's attracted a lot of really good golfers in the area.
And, and we've just It's You know, we've developed this tight group of guys that have a great relationship, and when they go play somewhere else or somebody comes to play here, we just started this saying of protect the hill.
And it's great, and we do.
And we I mean, you know the story about, you know, Will Crop, who last year won this thing.
And, you know, unfortunately Will's not here this year.
He moved to Oklahoma.
But, you know, we've gotten kids that grew up here, you know, the Tw- LaValle twins that play at Eastern Michigan that, you know, and they, they, you know, they use that protect the hill mantra as well.
So it's just a cool little mantra for our local group.
On behalf of the Grass League and the Golf Channel, we wanna say thank you for, for accepting us and, and all this.
But could we get just one last prediction on maybe who wins or what the winning score is?
Well, first of all, it's a pleasure to have you guys here.
We love it.
I think it's, it's, it's just a great relationship.
And I You know, the winning score is always tough.
Last year I think it was 21, which- 20.
For f- 20 for 54 holes, right?
36.
Oh, 36.
Oh, my God.
I'm gonna say 19.
I don't think they're gonna get to It's not Will Crop.
I don't think they're gonna get to 20.
So yeah.
