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

[Jason Mandel]

thanks for the responses guys.
to be honest,
i'm almost excited to lose my competitive edge. I've been lucky enough to do a lot of things in the last 8 years with my golf game, including winning an acc championship on the duke team. But with the courses in the NY area that i might be lucky enough to play in the next 20 years, I'm really excited to start a new golf life. i'm also excited to play golf not expecting to play great everytime out. it sorta gets tiring expecting urself to perform, becomes more of a job and less of a game. i'm looking forward to ENJOYING a solid 75 with 4 birdies and a couple of skins haha

Bryce,

I wish  you the best in both golf and business.  However, as a Maryland grad, I would remiss if I didn't say F*** DUKE!!! Especially in basketball!!! I hate everything  that team stands for, especially that twerp Reddick

Let me know when you get up to NY, the philly gca crowd will make sure to show you some good golf and good food in our area.

Jason

[Mike_Cirba]

Bryce:

A word of advice...actually two.

1.  If you're temped to go get an MBA or a JD or whatever someday, do not, under any circumstances quit golf cold turkey.  I did that for 3 years to go to law school.  Shot 69 at Beverly the day before....didn't break 80 for 4 years after that.  Now it's true that some guys somehow manage to not lose it ... but some guys do, me included (although I never sniffed +4 -- nobody did -- back in the olden pre-technology, persimmon & balata days).  And even if you keep playing, expect school and work to take their toll in the real, working world.  A 65 hour a week job is worth 1 a side.  80 hours is probably worth 2.

2.  A wife is worth 1 a side.  Each kid is too.  

So basically what I'm saying is that unless you practice like a banshee, between investment banking, a wife and 2 kids, you run the serious risk of waking up for your 30th birthday as a 4 handicap... a dangerous-as-hell 4 with a crapload of offense that everybody in the world will want for better-ball and team events[/i], for sure, but a 4 nonetheless....it happens...these are the tradeoffs in life...

Shivas,

This might be the most insightful post you've ever written and it should be posted in the locker room of every NCAA Division I golf team, if only to give them some early exposure to the realities of life and golf.  

My brother played to scratch in high school.   He went to Pitt for undergrad expecting to play Division I golf and the year he went there they cut it from their program due to Title VIII funding issues.   He played very little and then stayed there 3 more years to get his law degree.

Basically, from that point forward, he's sucked at golf.   Oh, he might have a great day and shoot in the low 80s periodically, but I've seen him shoot as high as 113 in the years after.

Putting down the clubs is always a crapshoot.  

[Brock Peyer]

thanks for the responses guys.
to be honest,
i'm almost excited to lose my competitive edge. I've been lucky enough to do a lot of things in the last 8 years with my golf game, including winning an acc championship on the duke team. But with the courses in the NY area that i might be lucky enough to play in the next 20 years, I'm really excited to start a new golf life. i'm also excited to play golf not expecting to play great everytime out. it sorta gets tiring expecting urself to perform, becomes more of a job and less of a game. i'm looking forward to ENJOYING a solid 75 with 4 birdies and a couple of skins haha

Bryce,

I wish  you the best in both golf and business.  However, as a Maryland grad, I would remiss if I didn't say F*** DUKE!!! Especially in basketball!!! I hate everything  that team stands for, especially that twerp Reddick

Let me know when you get up to NY, the philly gca crowd will make sure to show you some good golf and good food in our area.

Jason

Jason, as a Tarheel, I was holding back but wanted to say the same thing.  It's almost that time of year!!!  Can't wait!!!

[Tim Gavrich]

Tim Gavrich
Age: 18 (as of 10/10/07)

Handicap: 0.3 Index, at last notice.
Residence: Avon, CT
Home Clubs: Hop Meadow CC, Simsbury, CT (Geoffrey Cornish, 1961); Pawleys Plantation G&CC, Pawleys Island, SC (Jack Nicklaus, 1988)

My father introduced me to golf when I was six.  I made a double bogey on the first hole of golf I ever played (313 yards, 1st hole at Hop Meadow CC), which I deem pretty darned good.

My first taste of golf course architecture came one night when I was 7 and my family was eating dinner in the dining room at Hop Meadow.  Service was slow that night and my father distracted me by starting to draw a golf hole on the back of his paper place mat.  That drawing is "NLE," but the curiosity-cum-passion it sparked will live as long as I do.

I attended the Westminster School (Simsbury, CT; NOT Atlanta, GA, as many people around here [see below] claim as their high school alma mater) for four years, playing for the golf team each spring.  In my sophomore year I attained what still stands as my greatest golfing achievement, the MVP award at the end of the team's best season in its history.

I am a freshman at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA.  I am on the golf team, and I am proud to say that I played well enough in practice to make the traveling squad for three of our four Fall tournaments.  One week ago, I played the best round of competitive golf I have ever played, shooting 69 down in a tournament north of Atlanta, GA.  My career goal in golf is to qualify for a US Open someday (as an amateur, of course).

Outside of golf, I fancy myself a bit of an intellectual/nerd.  I'm told by many people that I'm the oldest 18 year old they've ever met; I've always found more interesting company in the adults around me.  however, college is teaching me to embrace my youth a little more.

I plan on majoring in English and supplementing that major with a healthy dose of Philosophy, Politics, and Business courses.  I see myself working for a little while in the corporate world, but I really want to teach English at my high school alma mater for at least a couple years at some point in my adult life.

Sorry for the verbosity.  I should also mentioned that I tend toward long-windedness.

--T.G.

[Steve Verde]

...

[RJ_Daley]

Welcome to the treehouse to all the new youngsters.  

And, a big salute to Bryon, and thank you very much for your service.

Bryce, do you have a Wisconsin connection?  Your name sounds very familiar and I'm associating it with something around here.

[John Kirk]

Welcome to the treehouse to all the new youngsters.  

And, a big salute to Bryon, and thank you very much for your service.

Bryce, do you have a Wisconsin connection?  Your name sounds very familiar and I'm associating it with something around here.

I second that emotion.

Wow we've got lots of talented people here.

[Brian Brown]

Brian Brown
31
Brooklyn, New York
Married- no children
Employed by the City of New York

I first found this site when I was living a stones throw from Shinnecock and NGLA.  I found myself sitting in my car on the side of the road admiring these amazing places for hours on end and knowing so little about them.  I googled Shinnecock, found this site and have been lurking ever since. That was in 2002.

I currently live in Brooklyn and play mainly at Dyker Beach GC.  It is a muni that was designed in 1920 by John Van Kleek.  Also take the drive out to Bethpage and play the Red and Yellow courses as often as possible.  I still spend a lot of time in the Hamptons and look forward to posting some of my photos of my favorite holes.

[Matt OBrien]

Matt O'Brien
Abington Pa
20 years old
Caddy at Huntingdon Valley

I found this site a few years back when I was googling Pine valley and I have used it ever since to look up courses I am traveling to play. I was fortunate to meet a few great members last week at oakmont and I look foward to meeting many others.

I am not a member at any club and love getting invited to play other courses. If any body ever needs a fourth let me know

[Greg Krueger]

Greg Krueger
Raleigh, NC
Age: 42
Handicap:3
Occupation: Sales

Love this site and am pumped to be part of it!! I'm only
90 minutes from Pinehurst if you need a fourth!

[George Pazin]

I had the pleasure of joining Matt for dinner the Sunday evening before the Oakmont event.

It always warms the heart to meet a younger golfer with such enthusiasm. Hopefully his 1 round at Birdsfoot didn't scare him from the Burgh , and I hope I get to join him at one of Flynn's 101 Philly masterpieces sometime in the not too distant future.

Welcome to the site.

[wsmorrison]

Steve Verde,

Like you, I live in PA (Merion).  Although I'm 50 and you're 18, we have two other things in common.  I am also a 5.4 handicap and have what I always thought is the largest standard deviation in scoring.  I can shoot low 70s or high 80s and once or twice a year I'll throw in a 91.  While I never hit a tee shot 3 fairways over, I almost hit one OB right on the 4th hole at Merion East    

Matt,

Nice to have another young man from Philadelphia on the website.  Huntingdon Valley is one of my favorite places.  The course setup is superb.  Check out the Feature Interview (or maybe its the In My Opinion) where Scott Anderson discusses how he maintains that classic Flynn.

George,

Get you slightly older butt out to the eastern part of the state.  Your Flynn education is sadly incomplete.

[Matt OBrien]

Thanks wayne and George. It was nice meeting you george as well as Paul and Pete and hopefully I can meet you sometime Wayne.
I know that the one time you almost hit it ob right on 4 there was a complete fluke because that is quite a mis-hit. Im not going to lie ive had my fair share of those.

[Gib_Papazian]

Well, by the looks of things, we have quite a few new guppies in the kiddie pool of late. New blood is a good thing I suppose, although we already have quite enough AB Negative between Barny and I expelling snot all over these threads.

I took a look at my previous post a few years ago, now so outdated as to be completely inaccurate. Things change, only my duck hook remains.

Gilbert "Gib" Papazian II

Home: Hillsborough, CA

Home track: Olympic Club - 34 years.

Age: 48

Wife: "guessst" (a.k.a. Darva D. Campbell)

Children: Twins Nicky and Katie (nearly 10) and 15 year-old step-monster Campbell, who delights in describing himself as "the fine print when you married my mom."

Occupation: Vegetable peddler. . . . . well, how about a more accurate moniker of "International Agriculture Marketing."

Still, the essence is vegetable and fruit peddling.

My former sideline of golf writing has gone by the wayside for reasons too tiresome to recount. My editor(s) think I am dead, please don't let them know the truth.

Neal Meagher occasionally lets me play with his pencil and sketchpad to humor me. I spent so many years writing for George Bahto that everything I draw looks like a Rededenbiarritzcape . . . . . Neal is a patient man.

I'm one of those raters that everybody beats on around here. If it wasn't for guys like us, how would you find all the hidden gems?

Se la'






 

[Tim Bert]

Bryce:

A word of advice...actually two.

1.  If you're temped to go get an MBA or a JD or whatever someday, do not, under any circumstances quit golf cold turkey.  I did that for 3 years to go to law school.  Shot 69 at Beverly the day before....didn't break 80 for 4 years after that.  Now it's true that some guys somehow manage to not lose it ... but some guys do, me included (although I never sniffed +4 -- nobody did -- back in the olden pre-technology, persimmon & balata days).  And even if you keep playing, expect school and work to take their toll in the real, working world.  A 65 hour a week job is worth 1 a side.  80 hours is probably worth 2.

2.  A wife is worth 1 a side.  Each kid is too.  

So basically what I'm saying is that unless you practice like a banshee, between investment banking, a wife and 2 kids, you run the serious risk of waking up for your 30th birthday as a 4 handicap... a dangerous-as-hell 4 with a crapload of offense that everybody in the world will want for better-ball and team events[/i], for sure, but a 4 nonetheless....it happens...these are the tradeoffs in life...

Yes... I knew I was really a 2 at the core.  Turns out I'm giving up 8 strokes a round.

[John Kirk]

I thought I'd bump this back to the top again, in an effort to encourage another wave of new members to introduce themselves.


1.  Received first cut down clubs built by Scottish grandfather at age 5 or so.  Used them in the backyard mostly.

2.  Discovered golf board games like SI Golf and Thinking Man's Golf around age 12.  Still dabbling at this point, and noting the great golf holes pictured on the games.  Starting to notice golf books on golf courses also.

3.  Began actually playing golf around age 21.  My father resumed playing golf at the same time, after taking 25 year break from the game.  Started a 12-15 year transition from basketball to golf as best sport.

4.  Nowadays, fully involved in a growing passion to experience great golf courses.  Perhaps the best example in my life where a dream has been fulfilled.  If that sounds maudlin, perhaps that's because I'm watching the last fifteen minutes of "Hoosiers".

Champion of modern golf course design.  My perspective of golf grew immensely with a trip to Scotland, and the introduction of the Bandon Dunes resort in my home state.  I love golf courses built on sand.

I like to observe nature while playing, perhaps more than I analyze the architect's work.

Lately I've been prone to take some pretty indefensible positions on a few subjects.  I don't want to alienate myself.  No golf course is perfect, or has everything the game can offer.  I'm a "glass is half empty" perfectionist, and look for flaws.  It's not personal.  I've made a lot of great friends here.  GolfClubAtlas has been a wonderful addition to my life.

[Pete_Pittock]

bumping this and updating my old post. In review, this is the second thread, and this links to the original

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?board=1%3baction=display%3bthreadid=240%3bstart=0

Peter Pittock
Portland, Oregon
Reserve Vineyards & GC (Bob Cupp 18, John Fought 18)
Have been active on greens and handicap committees, likewise at my
previous course -Tualatin CC
Hdcp 11.2

Single, no kids.
62 yrs, retired fingerprint technician

Started golfing 50+ years ago at Portland GC. Worked swing shift so I could play 90 holes a week. Now that I am retired, I play less, go figure.

Talked my father into a trip to Scotland in 1975, he was 60. Have been to GB&I and Ireland nine or ten times. Two trips to Australia, spent six weeks total. Need to return for Barnbougle, Kidnappers and Kauri, hopefully next year for the Seniors' Masters Games in Sydney.
My collection of logoed golf balls is closing in on 300, probably 100 are international.

I've been on the board since just about the beginning. Got into rules officiating with the Oregon Golf Association and this will be my 17th year. John Vanderborght and I broke in at the same time.

[Grant Saunders]

Grant Saunders
Queenstown, New Zealand
No home club
Was a 1 handicap now play to around 6 when I get out
29 years old
Live with my wonderful partner Louise

I have been working on golf courses for around 13 years as a greenkeeper and now in golf course construction. Highlights of my career include working at Kauri Cliffs during construction and just recently working as a shaper at Castle Stuart in Scotland. I am currently involved with the construction work of Scott Macpherson and Greg Turners latest project in Queenstown.

For me, the time spent in Scotland, was an experience that really made me re-evaluate what I appreciate in golf courses. The opportunity I had to work with Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner, Chris Haspell (superintendent), Stuart McColm (project manager), Mark Parsinen and the whole team is something that will stay with me for my entire career. Playing courses like Dornoch, Brora and Kingsbarns totally exceeded my expectations and managed to reignite my passion for the game.

I really enjoy this forum as a learning tool that assists me in my work. I find the comments specific to courses and features help me when doing shaping work and when evaluating the holes Im working on.

I consider myself very fortunate to spend my working days doing something that I truly enjoy.

[David Druzisky]

Welcome Grant.

I never did do this when I first signed up several years ago so I will now.

David Druzisky
Husband to Tracy
Father to Gillian, Gabrielle, and Gray
Residing in Eagle, Idaho (Boise)
Age 41
Born in Chicago - Highland Park
Member of American Society of Golf Course Architects
9.5 but do not know date of last posting

Father is a golf course superintendent so I grew up on a couple Bell courses in CA and learning that side of the industry through dad.  Has been very applicable.

Arizona was home from 78 on and eventualy earned a Bach degree at U of Arizona in Landscape Architecture although a music scholarship is what initially got me to school.

Worked in golf course construction on several projects from high school through college and a little after.

Was fortunate to do a couple internships at GC Design firms.  First one with RTJII in Palo Alto where I got to know all those great guys there at the time.  Second was with Bob Cupp in Atlanta.

Shortly after college I went to work for Bob Cupp.  Worked in Atlanta for a year then he moved me to Portland where he and Fought were partnering up.  Pumpkin Ridge was our big project at that early time.

I made my way back to Arizona and went to work for Keith Foster as he was departing Hills.  We did well fairly quicky which facilitated the introduction of my good frien Art Schaupeter to the team.

Eventually Keith moved the main office to St Louis but I stayed and manned an office back in Phoenix to manage western projects (SunRidge Canyon, Paradise Valley CC remodel, Druids Glenn, etc)

I established my own firm in 1997 working out of my house which worked great until kid #2.

Moved my office and of course my family to Idaho in October of 06.  We live in Eagle but I have a great office Downtown Boise. (For those that have been here you now how cool downtown is.)  got here in time to see this community go crazy over the big Fiesta Bowl win over Oaklahoma!

Since moving here I have purchased a kayak, a season ski pass to the ski area 45 mins from the office, camping gear, and similar to take advantage of what this area offers.

The one negative to being a one man shop, and now sort of on a bit of an island up here in Idaho, is that I miss talking golf and design.  This site helps that tremendously, even if I mostly just check in breiefly when I get the chance and simply read whats going on.  I am thankful for that, and for the internet for that matter.

I am continuously impressed with many of the participants here on GCA and their depth of knowledge on specifc things - historical reference, detailed aspects of courses, and so on.  Keeps me thinking, which I need.

Oh yeah, favorite old guy architect would be Thomas and his extension with Bell.  Only wish Thomas had done more so those of us on the west coast had more to enjoy.

DbD

 

[Art Roselle]

Name: Tiger Woods (posting under my code name)
Handicap: +13.75

Married with one daughter

Home Club: Isleworth (although I have open bids in to purchase Cypress, Pine Valley and Seminole.  No takers yet, but everything has a price and I just keep getting richer)

Favorite Course (ever): Augusta, before they planted all those trees and rough.  I could shoot 59 there now if they hadn't screwed it up.

Favorite Course (now): Muirfield.  I shot 81 there, which was my first 80+ round since I was 4.5 years old.  That has to earn it some respect.  I figure it had a rating and slope that day of 87.5 and 197.  Awesome

Biggest Rival: huh?  Maybe Bill Gates? 

Idol:  Not Nicklaus.  Probably Dad.  Maybe Edwin Moses.  He won 122 straight races.  That seems like a reasonable goal.

Best round:  I think it was about 62 in competition, but I routinely shoot between 56 and 59 at Isleworth when the "pressure is off".

Golf goal: to break 240 at Augusta.  Or, to win the US Open using hickories and a wound ball.  That'll learn-em

Life goal:  To beat Chelsea Clinton in the 2028 Presidential race.

Favorite Movie: I Am Legend
Favorite Book: The Natural
Least favorite Book:  Golf is Not a Game of Perfect (sure it is)

Biggest Fear:  That someone will figure out that I am actually Bagger Vance and disqualify me for being immortal and a deity

Biggest Challenge:  Playing right-handed in competition to make it fair.  You should see me from my natural side.

Why I like Golfclubatlas:  Because people don't spend all their time discussing how to "Tiger-proof" anything.  Who cares if I shoot 50?  That doesn't make your course any less great.  I am not normal.

Golfing philosophy:  WWJS  (what would Jesus shoot?)

Architecture philosophy:  I want to try to design a course that (i) keeps me out of the 50s, (ii) allows the average golfer to have fun and shoot a reasonable score and (iii) somehow makes Phil and Rory shoot 85.  I think I can do it.

Nice to meet you guys.  let me know if you are every in Florida.

[Ed Oden]

Art...uhm sorry, Tiger:

If I'd known your real identity, I'd have insisted on a face to face closing when we bought your old house! 

Ed

[Art Roselle]

I'd have given it to you.

I think I did a real one on the other "who are you" thread, but if not

Art Roselle
37
Charlotte, NC
Married: 3 kids under 10
Hdcp: 5
Home Course: Charlotte CC
Favorite Courses: Merion East, Royal County Down, Cypress Point.  I also tend to love Macdonald/Raynor courses, although I have not played some of the really great ones.

Enjoy all the discussions, although I think a few of you guys (Pat Mucci) must have ghost writers helping you to keep up with all the threads.

[Sean Walsh]

Art,

Very Very Funny.  And that's at 5.00am in the morning after dealing with drunk teenagers all night. 

Thanks

[Mark Chaplin]

bump

[PThomas]

Name: Tiger Woods (posting under my code name)
Handicap: +13.75

Married with one daughter

Home Club: Isleworth (although I have open bids in to purchase Cypress, Pine Valley and Seminole.  No takers yet, but everything has a price and I just keep getting richer)

Favorite Course (ever): Augusta, before they planted all those trees and rough.  I could shoot 59 there now if they hadn't screwed it up.

Favorite Course (now): Muirfield.  I shot 81 there, which was my first 80+ round since I was 4.5 years old.  That has to earn it some respect.  I figure it had a rating and slope that day of 87.5 and 197.  Awesome

Biggest Rival: huh?  Maybe Bill Gates? 

Idol:  Not Nicklaus.  Probably Dad.  Maybe Edwin Moses.  He won 122 straight races.  That seems like a reasonable goal.

Best round:  I think it was about 62 in competition, but I routinely shoot between 56 and 59 at Isleworth when the "pressure is off".

Golf goal: to break 240 at Augusta.  Or, to win the US Open using hickories and a wound ball.  That'll learn-em

Life goal:  To beat Chelsea Clinton in the 2028 Presidential race.

Favorite Movie: I Am Legend
Favorite Book: The Natural
Least favorite Book:  Golf is Not a Game of Perfect (sure it is)

Biggest Fear:  That someone will figure out that I am actually Bagger Vance and disqualify me for being immortal and a deity

Biggest Challenge:  Playing right-handed in competition to make it fair.  You should see me from my natural side.

Why I like Golfclubatlas:  Because people don't spend all their time discussing how to "Tiger-proof" anything.  Who cares if I shoot 50?  That doesn't make your course any less great.  I am not normal.

Golfing philosophy:  WWJS  (what would Jesus shoot?)

Architecture philosophy:  I want to try to design a course that (i) keeps me out of the 50s, (ii) allows the average golfer to have fun and shoot a reasonable score and (iii) somehow makes Phil and Rory shoot 85.  I think I can do it.

Nice to meet you guys.  let me know if you are every in Florida.

sounds like Tiger might need to make some changes to the above...