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Mike Hendren

Palladin Award
« on: January 29, 2003, 02:22:28 PM »
My friends think I'm nuts because I day-tripped from Nashville to French Lick to play today's AOTD, about 4.5 hours each way.  I can never convince them to join me for such a road trip ???

For all you hardcores in the Treehouse, what is your best (i.e., most extreme) "have clubs, will travel" escapade.

Regards,

Mike
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Robert Kimball

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2003, 02:33:08 PM »
I was living in Spartanburg SC at the time (upstate, near Greenville), and a friend called me at 10:00 Friday night from Kiawah and said that they had an extra spot at the Ocean Course for 8:00 Saturday morning.  

Needless to say, I packed a razor and some contact lens solution and drove the 3 1/2 hours to Kiawah.  This was about 10 years ago, when TOC was substantially more difficult than it is now.  But, it was worth it.   :D

P.S. I would love to tell you that I broke 80, but not every story has a happy ending!!! :'(
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

THuckaby2

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2003, 02:43:30 PM »
Does driving from San Jose, CA to Lafayette, LA non-stop to see one's college play in an NIT quarterfinal basketball game count?

I guess not, this is about golf.

I guess the stupidest, er I mean most extreme thing I've done recently is drive 6 hours through the night to SoCal to play in a tournament, then drive home the same day post-round.  The course wasn't even that big of a deal... the friends who where there WERE.

Beyond that, me dropping everything for golf pre-marriage, and concluding negotiations that would make Trump proud for golf hallpasses during marriage, well... that's kinda my normal life.  Too many stories to focus on one particular one here.

TH

ps - flying from CA to Nebraska for 2.5 days of golf last June is a good one... of course given the venues, I'd expect anyone on here to do the same thing... but try explaining to your wife that you need to miss a family trip to play golf in Nebraska.  Oh would that there was a tape of that "conversation"....
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:01 PM by -1 »

Gary Smith (Guest)

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2003, 03:14:46 PM »
Tom,

Driving non-stop from San Jose to Lafayette...wow, you are a hard-core fan! How many hours did this take? Surely you had others to help out?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

CHrisB

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2003, 03:15:06 PM »
Instead of playing in the US Open local qualifier at a course I knew in town, I drove 10 hours from TX to KS to play at the Prairie Dunes qualifying site.  Great experience, bad score.

My wife and I drove 1587 miles from NC to play Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia (with a couple of other stops--turned into quite a vacation).

Oh, and then there was my honeymoon, where my wife and I left together but she returned home alone because of my detour to play in the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst #2 (yes, we're still married)...  Hey, at least I didn't play Pine Valley on the honeymoon and make her wait outside the gate like Jack did to Barbara way back when (not that I wouldn't have if I got the chance ;)).
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

THuckaby2

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2003, 03:17:56 PM »
Gary:

Oh yeah, there were four of us in the car... it took app. 36 hours, with minimal stops, as I recall... yes, we did live and die for our beloved Santa Clara Broncos!

TH


Quote
Tom,

Driving non-stop from San Jose to Lafayette...wow, you are a hard-core fan! How many hours did this take? Surely you had others to help out?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2003, 04:18:16 PM »
On Thursday of US Open week in 2001, we drove an hour plus (I got up at 5:00AM) for a 7:00AM tee time at Poppy Hills followed by a +3 hour drive to Paso Robles for a 3:00 PM tee time at Hunter Ranch, followed by a +3 hour drive to Pasadena, CA.  

Up at 6:00 AM the next morning, for a 7:00 AM tee time at Brookside (North), followed by sitting in LA traffic on the Ventura Freeway in the sunshine, getting back to NorCal by 11:00 PM ...

My wife almost didn't miss me and yes Tom, fellow Broncos were involved ...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2003, 04:37:56 PM »
Back in 1969 I drove from Santa Monica to Pebble Beach for an hours lesson with Art Bell, drove out to Carmel Valley Golf and C.C., now known as Quail Lodge, played a quick eighteen and drove home. Elapsed time about sixteen hours. On the way I travelled on Hwy 1 from Morro Bay up through the Big Sur. I had a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and it was one of the best drives imaginable.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Chris_Blakely

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2003, 04:53:34 PM »
New York City to Boltons Landing, NY and back.

New York City to Atlantic City and back.

NYC to Bedford Springs, PA (left late at night and arrived for first tee time in the morning)  then drove from there to McDermott, OH from there drove to Toledo, OH to meet my wife and then returned home after resting for a night.

Over a two day period, I travelled to Vermont and NH and played four courses and from the 4th course (St. Johnsbury, VT), I made it back to NYC in 5 to 5 and half hours.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Steve Lang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2003, 04:55:38 PM »
:D

two good ones for me..

1) Martinez, CA 5:30PM Friday get off work, fight traffic down I-5 and tee off in Santa Barbara, CA 0700 Hr..  rental car.

2) Broadway, England, in the Cotswalds, SW part of UK island, 0500Hr at hotel door, cab and three trains later picked up in York around 1100 or so, travel to Ganton GC in Yorkshire for a spot of tee, a quick sandwich and 18 holes, then back off to York and missing the 5:30 train to Birmingham by a minute..  They have a very nice railroad museum there in York!  Did you know the Vikings used to wreck havoc on York too?  Overnight at a Monk's gate hotel and back to Broadway next day for a pint at the local pub.


« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2003, 06:30:28 PM »

Quote
I had a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and it was one of the best drives imaginable.

Bob,

A few questions ...

1.  Did the lesson help?
2.  What did you drive better, the ball or the Ferrari?  ;)

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2003, 06:35:10 PM »
Mike.

1.  Not for long

2.  The car.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Dan King

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2003, 07:55:27 PM »
Bob Huntley wrote:
On the way I travelled on Hwy 1 from Morro Bay up through the Big Sur. I had a Ferrari 275 GTB/4.

Just one of the many reasons you are my hero Bob. You are willing to make that extra sacrifice for the good of the game.

Dan King
Quote
"I can sympathize with everything except suffering."
 --Oscar Wilde
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:01 PM by -1 »

JohnV

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2003, 07:56:03 PM »
On a trip to check out potential sites for the US Mid-Amateur I played 36 holes at the Golf Club of Georgia, got in my car and drove as far as I could, slept for the night, drove up to Charleston, WV to play a round with Andrew Bernstein at his home course, which ended around 7, drove to Bridgeport WV, spent the night, played Pete Dye Club the next morning and drove back to Pinehurst for the first gathering of some of the fine folk from this site (actually we were on another site in those days.)
Later in the trip, went from Charleston SC to Kiawah where I played the River course, had lunch, toured Cassique while it was still dirt and then drove to Valdosta GA to work the NCAA Div II Championships for 4 days.

Ended by going from Valdosta up to play Cuscowilla, driving to Atlanta, flying to OK City and driving to Fort Smith AR in one day, driving in to Little Rock, playing Chenal and driving back to OK City where I played OK City Country Club the next day before flying home that night.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2003, 08:51:08 PM »
I would have to say my best trip pretty much for golf in this manner would be what i did this past february.  My father visits Hawaii once a year for business, and this year my whole family was going while I sat in class in freezing Vermont.

So, to surprise my dad, I flew to Maui to play two rounds of golf with him and my brother.  The trip was, either way, a two hour drive to Albany from central Vermont, an hour and a half flight to Dulles, six hours to LAX, and five and a half to Kahului, Maui, hour cab ride to hotel.  He had business the first day so I play at the hotel (Kaanapali North, a waste of time) but played the next day at Kapalua Plantation, one of my favorites.  

Two and a half days later, I returned to Vermont exactly how I came.  So basically for a round at Plantation and three hours of snorkeling, I traveled 18 hours each way.  The look on the baggage guy's face when I boarded the plane in 25-degree Albany in shorts and flip-flops was priceless.

The Middlebury legend that surpasses this is the story of four guys who, fed up at the lack of quality snow in Vermont one January, drove 24 hours straight to Vail in Colorado for one day of skiing before returning the following day for classes.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2003, 09:34:39 PM »
There are so many I have to laugh.

First was when I was invited to play Shadow Creek when it was exclusive.  I was told by this person my father knew to fly down the next day and we would be playing with Steve Wynn.  I flew down (at full fare), rented a car and drove out only to be turned away at the gate.  They never heard of this guy and said Mr. Wynn wasn't around??  It ended up raining hard anyway.

Another time I flew from California to Charlotte and my suitcase got lost.  My clubs made it though so I decided to drive 6 hours to play Wade Hampton.  Thats a dark tough drive up in the mountains and I didn't have a hotel reservation. To make a long story short I arrived at 3am and slept in the car only to have to start it every 30 minutes to warm up.   I drove over to the club at 7am but couldn't play because I was too tired (I'm a wimp) so I drove back to Charlotte and flew back to California.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #16 on: January 29, 2003, 10:01:52 PM »
Joel -

I think we will have to DQ you from the contest, although they are great stories, to qualify for the award, I think you actually have to play golf on the journey  ...  ;D  ...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Pete_Pittock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #17 on: January 29, 2003, 10:18:09 PM »
2002 Sydney to Newcastle GC and return, then Sydney to Royal Canberra and return.

1997 Stay with relatives in Derby. Next morning drive to and play Woodhall Spa, then reverse north as far as possible. Get up early and complete drive to Ganton, attend wake for greenkeeper killed in rabbit hunt on course, then back south past Woodhall Spa so I could get up for 10 am tee time at Royal West Norfolk, waiting for tide to recede from entrance road.

Dont know how many day trips from Portland to Bandon and return.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Lynn Shackelford

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #18 on: January 29, 2003, 11:02:51 PM »
Pete
how did the greenskeeper get killed or die during the rabbit hunt?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

THuckaby2

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2003, 07:47:05 AM »
David Schmidt, Esq.:

I was waiting for you to chime in here.  You remain among the highest in my pantheon of heroes.  I expected nothing less than these stories, and also assume these are only the ones fit for public consumption.

BTW, said Detroiter is abstaining from GCA talk for the time being, but is alive... I heard from him last week.

And now Mr. Benham:  it figures more Broncos are involved in stories like this.

And finally to Mr. Huntley:  your place in the pantheon of heroes is never in doubt, but this just adds to the legend.

Great stories, one and all... I love this stuff!

TH
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Dan King

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #20 on: January 30, 2003, 08:21:51 AM »
Hi, My name is Dan King and I am a recovering golfaholic.

My son was going to school at UCSD. Every so often I'd drive him to school and then play either Torrey Pines or Tijuana CC. I could have put my son on the plane, but I liked driving him there and then playing some early morning golf before heading home.

What was different about this day was I also had a tee-time early the next morning with some golfing buddies at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe.

We left home in San Jose at around 10:00 at night for the 450 mile drive to La Jolla, dropped Tony off on campus at 5:00 in the morning and then went to Torrey Pines to get in line. Got to tee off on the South course before 8:00. I ended up playing 36 holes. One of the guys I was paired with had a tee time on the North Course that afternoon and asked if I wanted to fill their empty spot.  

Then it was back in the car around 6:00 that evening for the 600 mile drive to Tahoe. I arrived in Tahoe by about 4:00am, took a quick two-hour nap in my car and was ready for our early tee time. After the round, it was back in the car for the 250 mile drive home.

That was around 1300 miles of driving with plans to play two rounds of golf (that turned into three.)

That was the old Dan. The Dan that would often drive the 5 hour round trip to Los Banos to play the uncrowded Hunter Ranch in under 4 hours rather than play a Bay Area course in 5˝ hours. Now it feels like too much work to step out the back door and play the empty course in my backyard.

Dan King
Quote
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
 --Dean Martin
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

A.G._Crockett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #21 on: January 30, 2003, 08:29:36 AM »
Coincidentally, I'm leaving Atlanta this afternoon in a rented van on an NC trip to pick up furniture.  HOPE, if a really complicated set of plans all fall into place, to have a good post on a Palladin trip Sunday or Monday.

In any case, I have enjoyed reading of the sickness of others...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »
"Golf...is usually played with the outward appearance of great dignity.  It is, nevertheless, a game of considerable passion, either of the explosive type, or that which burns inwardly and sears the soul."      Bobby Jones

THuckaby2

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #22 on: January 30, 2003, 08:30:16 AM »
It goes without saying the both Old Dan and New Dan have a place in my pantheon.  But damn, that up and down the state trip is the stuff of legend.

Of course you know this, but Hunter Ranch is nowhere near Los Banos.  Paso Robles, my friend.  I know, what are two smallish CA cities amongst friends...  As for taking a total of 9 hours for fast golf as opposed to 6 hours for slow golf closer to home... obviously you have no wife to answer to!  It's times like these when the single life looks really good....

TH

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

Mike_Cirba

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #23 on: January 30, 2003, 08:42:03 AM »
Oh..there have been many.....driving the 4 hours each way to the tip of Long Island and back any number of times (NGLA, Montauk).  

Once, on the way back from Montauk, I got caught behind a horrible accident on the LIE, then missed a turn zigging around Manhattan and ended up in Chinatown on a Saturday night, desperately looking for signs directing me to either a tunnel or bridge outta there.

THe upshot is that my 4 hour drive home turned into an 8-hour odyssey.  And that was just to play Montauk Downs...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »

THuckaby2

Re: Palladin Award
« Reply #24 on: January 30, 2003, 08:47:09 AM »
Mike - glad to hear I'm not the only one getting lost going through NYC.  I may have told you this before but after our Applebrook adventure, on the way from Philadelphia out to Southampton, I missed a sign on the far side of the Narrows Bridge and ended up in what sure as hell looked like a scene from West Side Story... two gangs ready to rumble, idiot tourist me in the middle... I was lucky as hell to find a place to turn around (illegally), and with them yelling at me I hightailed it back on to the bridge and started over... Yes, the great state of NY or whoever the hell gets the tolls got me for $8 or something twice.

TH
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by 1056376800 »