Who are you guys......really???

[Tony Petersen]

Tony Petersen
29 years old
Tournament Director - The Desert Mountain Club
U of Minnesota - undergrad
U of Amsterdam - grad
Worked in advertising as a creative director/copywriter. Took over the marketing position for a few clubs in the Colorado Moutains.
Played Div. I hockey, between that and skiing 100+ days per year for a long time, knees trashed. Moved to the Desert for the winter season last year. Summers in CO, Winters in AZ.
Been playing 4 years. Currently a 4 handicap
Fell in love with Sand Hills and next thing you know...

[Ted Kramer]

Ted Kramer
29 years old  
Just got married in August '04
Grew up on Long Island (Oceanside and Long Beach)
SUNY Oswego - undergrad
Moved to south Jersey in April 0'4 (Haddonfield)
Work for Fox TV (National Sales Manager, WTXF/Philadelphia)
8 handi, Pine Hill Golf Club

[mikes1160]

Mike Scaletta
44 years old
Advertising manager - John Deere Golf & Turf Products
Location: Cary, NC
Home course: Devils Ridge G.C., Holly Springs, NC

Golf has gone in and out of my life, and for the last seven (since landing in NC and working around the biz), it has definitely been in.

Grew up in west suburban Chicago area (Downers Grove, played at what was the original Chicago G.C., now a muni 9 holer). Played until early twenties, then got sucked into the advertising biz, working in downtown Chicago for several agencies. Took it up again in the early thirties, then moved to St. Louis and really didn't play much. That all changed upon coming to Raleigh/Cary in '97......

By virtue of working for Deere on golf maintenance equipment, I've been fortunate to visit - and play - some of the great courses in NA and beyond. Particular faves include Old Head, East Lake, Prarie Dunes, TPC of Sawgrass, Pinehurst #2, and Chicago GC.

Easily the best customer segment/profession I've ever experienced in my career are golf course superintendents. I've met hundreds of them and haven't met a bad egg yet.

Heard about GCA through the infamous SI article. I lurked for a long time before dipping my toe in earlier this year. The education for myself has been mind-boggling - thanks to Ran and all the legendary posters here......

I have a lovely wife, a beautiful daughter, and I live an hour-fifteen from Pinehurst. Life is good

 

[RJ_Daley]

Attention Tom Huckaby,  looky here, Tony is a hockey player who loves the sand hills!!!  And, more co-incidentally he is a 4 like you!  Maybe he can teach you how to hit that low drawing knock down 6 iron to the 4 hole at SH#17.  

Fresh red meat, don't you just love it.  

[Steve Lang]

 

sadistic

[John Goodman]

John Goodman
age 42
I'm a courtroom lawyer in Birmingham, Alabama.
Clubs - Greystone (Birmingham) and Farmington (Charlottesville VA)
Index 9.5

I stumbled onto GCA this summer while trying to figure out where to play during a two-week trip to England.

I haven't played many of the great courses in the U.S. but have hit a lot of the high spots in GB&I over the last five years.

(This shot worked out okay but the second ended up in the Road.)

Best GCA experience was playing a round here in Birmingham with JakaB last month.  My golf buddies continue to give me a hard time about my "internet friend" (they liked him too).

I tend to find something worthwhile about every golf course, but I'm sure that will change as I learn more from the scholars on this site.    I've been particularly impressed with Mark Rowlinson's GB&I course descriptions and pix.      

[John Kirk]

I reviewed this entire thread last night, and discovered I had not participated.  I am...

John Kirk, age 46
Born and raised in Palo Alto, CA, now live in North Plains, OR


Member of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club and Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club

Introduced to GCA by good friend John Vander Borght, who now resides in Pennsylvania.

Played basketball as a kid.  Started playing golf about 25 years ago, and it keeps getting more important to me.  My handicap gets down to 1-2 in the summer these days.

Married 13 years, two grown stepchildren.  First grandchild on the way.  Make that grandchildren.  Twins!

My lovely wife could not be more supportive of my neverending quest to experience great golf.  I doubt it ever gets better than Pacific Dunes, but that doesn't keep me from searching, and there's a lot to be said for variety.

By re-reading this thread, I noticed how many architects and course superintendents participate, and for that I am grateful.

I'm doing a terrific job killing threads lately.  If I kill this one, I'll consider it a major accomplishment.

[Andy Doyle]

Andy Doyle, age 46
Born and raised in Orlando
Learned to play around age 10 at Winter Park Golf Course
Currently live in Atlanta
Married, 2 boys (5 and 9)
Faculty, Georgia State University (Exercise Physiology)
Undergraduate - Clemson University (Go Tigers!)
Grad - Georgia State and Ohio State

Home club - Stone Mountain (mostly to keep handicap)
Index - 12.2
Mostly play various muni and daily fee courses around Atlanta - most frequently Charlie Yates GC at East Lake

Have not played that many notable courses (Ohio State Scarlet for $6 as a grad student!), but in the last 2 years have been able to play East Lake and Pebble Beach, and just had my first golfing experience in Ireland (Lahinch, Waterville and The European Club).

Found this site while looking for golf course reviews a year or two ago - eventually started lurking on the DB.  Have started reading more about GCA, and like many, am amazed by the golf course knowledge on this site.  For someone who just loves golf and golf courses, it's great to be part of a site with people from so many aspects of the golf world.

I'd say tolerant describes my wife better than supportive, although she does let me use her frequent flyer miles and tag along on the occasional business trip, allowing me to play some cool travel golf.  She has referred to golf as being like crack for middle-aged guys, but I keep reminding her it could be sports cars or hookers.

[Ian Dalzell]

Ian Dalzell
Age 33
born and raised in Northern Ireland, less than a mile from Portstewart Golf Club
Current member of both Royal Portrush and Portstewart
Lived and worked in Glasgow for a year with Brian Morgan, playing all the top Scottish courses at every opportunity
Currently the Head Golf Professional at Hidden Creek, New Jersey
Claim to fame is edging Ben Crenshaw in a exhibition match to open Hidden Creek in 2002, shooting 69 to his 70
I have played golf extensively in Scotland, Ireland and the US and feel I have a unique perspective as I have worked greens maintenance in both Ireland (Portstewart)and the US (Laurel Creek, NJ).

Top 10 courses I have had the pleasure to play ;

Pine Valley
Oakmont
Muirfield (not the one in Ohio!)
Royal Portrush
Merion
Quaker Ridge
Hidden Creek
Pinehurst #2
Friars Head
Winged Foot



Courses I just "didn't get" when I had the pleasure :

Ballybunion
Westchester
Royal County Down


Questions?

[Buck Wolter]

Ian-
Welcome to the board.

That's quite an admission that you don't get RCD, from a native nonetheless. It's the only course I've played in GB&I and I was blown away, literally and figuratively. As someone I'm guessing who has played it often and well I wonder if you could elaborate on why you don't get it.

Any hidden gems off the Portrush, Portstewart, RCD, Ardglass path in NI you can tell us about? I may be spending some time there this spring. Know anybody in Cookstown?

Cheers,
Buck

[Ian Dalzell]

Buck,

I think I had heard so much about RCD growing up, that when I finally got there I was left wanting.  The first hole was a little weak and weird I thought, and I'm definitely not a fan of blind shots.  Take #11 for example - WHAT IS THAT tee shot all about?  I just don't buy into the line that courses in those days were laid on the land . blah blah blah.  The last three holes there perplex me - the pong on hole #17 just does not look right in the middle of all that open space, and 18 was another weak hole IMO.  So there you have it - weak starter, weak finisher and a course that a liked, but did not rever in the way many of you on GCA do.  I'm not saying it is a poor layout, but I would not rush back.  (and I have a school friend who is now the Assistant there!)  It just didn't get my hairs to stand up on my arms like Oakmont or TOC

As far as hidden gems, I'm not sure I have any.  Americans have just about unearthed every good course in Ireland.  Malone in Belfast is a good parkland.  Ardglass is pretty cool place to play golf.  Castlerock, Portstewart and Portrush are all pretty close together, and actually the site of a tournament my father used to run called the Causeway Coast Amatuer Golf Tournament sponsored by Bushmills Distillery.

I do have a friend in Cookstown, but she is a non-golfer and would be no company for you!

Other courses in the North (not in the class of RPGC or RCD but worth a look)

Lisburn
Clandeboye
Shandon Park
Moyola Park

Best of luck

[Jeff_Mingay]

Ian,

You posted the most interesting tidbit on this thread, about edging Crenshaw in a match on the opening of Hidden Creek! Very cool.

I honestly talked with him the next day (during a practice round for the Canadian Senior Open) and he didn't mention it  

[Sean Leary]

Sean Leary
I live in Seattle
born and raised in Woburn MA
Age: 33
Handicap: 5ish
Married

Played (poorly) on the worst college golf team in the country at Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine.

Clubs:  Members Club at Aldarra
          Prairie Dunes
 

[Eamon Lynch]

Name: Eamon Lynch
Born: Northern Ireland
Live: New York City
Age: 33
Occupation: editor at Golf Magazine
Favorite course: Shinnecock Hills

[ForkaB]

Buck

I gave a talk in Cookstown about 4 years ago and had dinner with the County Council in the evening.  It was (and probably still is, things in do move a bit slow over there...) perfectly split between the various political parties and factions of Northern Ireland.  The head of the Council was a Unionist and the Deputy was Sinn Fein.  I sat between them at dinner, and they both were charming and even civilised to one another.

It would be wise (and politic) to adopt a neutral stand on any major issue (except GCA, of course) if you do spend some time there.  It is a charming place.

[TEPaul]

IanD:

You liked Malone better than Royal County Down? I thought Malone was a pretty little parkland course, lovely overall setting for that type of thing.....but, I'd trade a dozen Malones for one RCD! Matter of fact, you said such harsh things about Royal County Down I was thinking of getting in my car and racing down to Hidden Creek early this morning and beating the ever-living tar out of you for saying what you did about that course!

But on second thought, you're probably both bigger and a whole lot tougher than I am so I think instead of driving about 75 east to Hidden Creek to try to sneak up on you and beat you up I'm going to drive about 75 miles west to Adamstown to buy a piece or two of antique furniture!

But come springtime you better start looking over your shoulder because I plan to sneak up on you and attack when you're least expecting it!

My God, man, you're Irish---what's come over you? What has this golf architectural crumb-bum country of mine done to you? You need to go quickly to Newcastle, lie prone and face up on that rock that one needs to aim over on #11 RCD and say your very sorry to whatever Irish Gods might be hanging around the Mountains of Mourne!

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Name: Eamon Lynch
Born: Northern Ireland
Live: New York City
Age: 33
Occupation: editor at Golf Magazine
Favorite course: Shinnecock Hills

Eamon--

If you would have stuck around for another day to play The Ocean Course, you might have had two favorate courses... I had arranged for Raymond Floyd to play with you...    

[Eamon Lynch]

Mike
True, I likely would have enjoyed playing the Ocean Course, but your choice of playing partner for me might have ensured that I not live to talk about it.
EL

[Buck Wolter]

Rich-
I visited Cookstown last May and can assure you I didn't bring up the 'Troubles' at all. My marriage is one Protestant and one Catholic, that's enough controversy for me.

Ian- Now that you've unleashed the fury of TEPaul, maybe you can work out of it by giving us your 2 pfennings worth about Royal Portrush and the fairway width. Their was a thread a couple months ago comparing them to bowling alleys I believe. Not sure how often you get back but I'd be interested on your take on that subject.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=14174


Buck

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Born and raised in suburban Chicago (Wilmette)
Prof at WKU for 16 years.
2 stepsons (both live and work in DC area), 1 daughter still in the nest.

Came to golf seven years ago - before then, not a clue. I'm a 14 handicap that enjoys the fun of it -- and this Board is opening my eyes. It's my "course on courses"

Spend a lot of time in Michigan during the summer, so very familiar with Arcadia Bluffs; been fortunate to go to Ireland last 2 summers:

RCD
Carne
Lahinch
Ballybunion
Ballyliffin
Royal Portrush
etc - all kicked my butt but left me smiling!  

[Bob_Huntley]

Buck

I gave a talk in Cookstown about 4 years ago and had dinner with the County Council in the evening.  It was (and probably still is, things in do move a bit slow over there...) perfectly split between the various political parties and factions of Northern Ireland.  The head of the Council was a Unionist and the Deputy was Sinn Fein.  I sat between them at dinner, and they both were charming and even civilised to one another.

It would be wise (and politic) to adopt a neutral stand on any major issue (except GCA, of course) if you do spend some time there.  It is a charming place.

IDalzell,

I would pay heed to our friend Rich. Northern Ireland can be most unkind to people who step on sectarian toes.

To give an example.

"It was Lord Scarman's apparent willingness to move in the outside world, and his talent for public relations which he showed at the Law Commission, which distinguished him from other judges when a beleaguered James Callaghan was looking for someone to head the tribunal investigating the Northern Ireland disturbances in the summer of 1969.

Scarman was told that it might be a six-week job; it took three years. He and his wife took a house on the Co Down coast at Bangor. As he arrived at Aldergrove airport, he was asked by a waiting journalist: "Are you Protestant or Catholic?" "Neither," Scarman replied. "I'm an agnostic."

"That's not good enough," the journalist persisted. "Are you a Protestant agnostic or a Catholic agnostic?"

And so it goes.

[Sam Sikes]

Sam Sikes
23 year old senior on the golf team @ University of Richmond.  Chose Richmond for the academics  Took interest in architecture at a very young age.  Watched construction of The Ledges, Hurdzan Fry in Huntsville AL, about a mile from my house, which increased my libido.

Favorite Courses: Camargo, PV, CPC, NGLA, SFGC, WF, PB, and Kinloch.

Favorite Classic Architect:  Raynor/MacDonald, absolutely fell in love with Camargo.

Proof im a nut:  Lugged my golf clubs all over Europe so that I could play Chantilly on the one free day.

Hope to go to the UK this summer for the first time to seek out some of the golden age's best.  

Hope to be in the architecture business someday.

Club Affiliation:  Kinloch G.C., The Ledges

[david h. carroll]

Sam--I lugged mine all through France for 10 days just for the one round at Morfontaine!!!  Definitely worth it!

[ChasLawler]

Kinloch at 23 and still in college....must be nice

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Michael Wharton-Palmer
Born..Great Barr..England
Reside..Texarkana ,Arkansas
Occupation...Pediatric Dentist
Club afiil....Texarkana cc...Langford/Moreau design
Hcp..+ 2.8

Favourite courses...Pine Valley..Merion...Royal Birkdale...Pacific Dunes...Cypress Point...Woodhall Spa..Ganton

Started my interest in how these golf courses were built and by whom, once I realised how lucky I was to have played at some of them.
Now I am horribly addicted to reading all I can on the subject.
Found this site by accident, but what a lucky break it was.
The knowledge and expertise on this site, far exceed any boof I have read..it really is a great source of information, and the occasional "opinion"

Equipment....Only doing this because my buddy Jamie did it as well!!!!

Driver..Nike Ignite...9.5*  Fujikura tour speeder
3wood...Cleveland 13*    UST GOLD  95 GRAMS
2/3 iron...Taylor made  rescue 22*and 19*
4 thru 9  Nike prototypes
46*
50*        All nike prototype wedges
54*
61*
Putter..TP Mills  mizuno workshop

Ball...Nike..black/gold   depending on golf course conditions.

The Philadelhphia era of architecture is the primary source of my interest, mainly because I love PV and Merion so much.

I would love to have any of you here to play a true Langfod.Moreau any time you would like..how about staging the DIxie Cup here..it is certainly the south.