GCA Outing at Greywalls?

[ed_getka]

Cary,
  Marital harmony. I live in Calif. so there are only so many times I am willing and able to fly cross country per year.

[Mike_DeVries]

Hi All,

I am back for the day and heading to Marquette tomorrow.  Sounds like we have a good start to a group outing and I will discuss with the Marquette Golf Club and get back to everyone.

Mike

[Joe Hancock]

Mike,

I will be there.....if you guarantee a parking spot for me next to the Cavalier.

Joe

[RJ_Daley]

Shivas, now that you have your geography straight, here is the plan... and I know I can count on you of all people to pull this off.  

I am in Ed's boat on the golf trips and marital harmony and all that happy horseapples...

For me from GB, which going the way of Escanaba, is only about 3-3.5 hours depending on how many times we'd stop for refreshment.  So, it isn't exactly a golf trip like going to Sutton Bay and Wild Horse for a week, or the Dixie Cup or like that.  It is sort of like this...

"Honey (I say to the wifey), I'm going out to the golf course to practice some chipping and putting."  I meet Dave out on highways I-43 and 172 , just blocks from my house.  I didn't give anything away to the wife on this caper since I had to take my clubs to chip and putt, right?  So I also pack a couple of extra shirts and stuff, and Dave picks me up.  I return home in two days bedraggled, unshaven, looking exhausted, and tell the wife I was kidnapped by UPers (a strange breed that inhabit the Upper Pennisula for those of you that haven't seen "Escanaba in the Moonlight"), who didn't do it for ransom - merely the sick fun tying me up and torturing me.  I tell her that in a determined effort, I untied myself and got free, and while hitchhiking home, it turns out a friend of mine named Dave was just driving through the area and picked me up and took me home, safe and sound.

Thus, it is up to one of you, if not Dave Schmidt and his special talent for hijinx, to do the kidnapping.

[Mike_DeVries]

Shivas, now that you have your geography straight, here is the plan... and I know I can count on you of all people to pull this off.  

I am in Ed's boat on the golf trips and marital harmony and all that happy horseapples...

For me from GB, which going the way of Escanaba, is only about 3-3.5 hours depending on how many times we'd stop for refreshment.  So, it isn't exactly a golf trip like going to Sutton Bay and Wild Horse for a week, or the Dixie Cup or like that.  It is sort of like this...

"Honey (I say to the wifey), I'm going out to the golf course to practice some chipping and putting."  I meet Dave out on highways I-43 and 172 , just blocks from my house.  I didn't give anything away to the wife on this caper since I had to take my clubs to chip and putt, right?  So I also pack a couple of extra shirts and stuff, and Dave picks me up.  I return home in two days bedraggled, unshaven, looking exhausted, and tell the wife I was kidnapped by UPers (a strange breed that inhabit the Upper Pennisula for those of you that haven't seen "Escanaba in the Moonlight"), who didn't do it for ransom - merely the sick fun tying me up and torturing me.  I tell her that in a determined effort, I untied myself and got free, and while hitchhiking home, it turns out a friend of mine named Dave was just driving through the area and picked me up and took me home, safe and sound.

Thus, it is up to one of you, if not Dave Schmidt and his special talent for hijinx, to do the kidnapping.

Dick,

I have you down as "IN" because I know someone will pull this caper off!

Mike

[PThomas]

if you execute this plan Dick we'd have to call you "Runaway Bride"...

[cary lichtenstein]

How do you explain to your wife that you not only escaped, but managed to take your golf clubs with you during the escape while running for your life?

[RJ_Daley]

Cary, ditch'ya miss de part aboat deese bein "UPers" det allechitly kitnapped me?  Go down to de store an rent de moofie, "Escanapa in de moonlite" an you will know wat I'm talkin aboat, dontch know der hey!  

[Craig Van Egmond]

If Mr. Daley does manage to make it, keep alert at dinner when Dick asks Mike the 64,000 dollar question:  "What the hell were you thinking on (insert your hole here)?"

After the Kinglsey tour the hole in question was 18.  

So Mike, how'd that hole turn out anyway?

[cary lichtenstein]

RJ:

I reread it, and you are correct, I missed that part.

Sounds like a good plan...and by the way, good luck with your wife , sounds like she may have your #

Cary

[Mike_DeVries]

If Mr. Daley does manage to make it, keep alert at dinner when Dick asks Mike the 64,000 dollar question:  "What the hell were you thinking on (insert your hole here)?"

After the Kinglsey tour the hole in question was 18.  

So Mike, how'd that hole turn out anyway?

Yes, that will interesting to hear Dick's straight-to-the-point questions -- something I truly appreciate.  I would love to hear his thoughts about 18 when he returns to play the back nine someday.

The hole works wonderfully and Dan Lucas has it mowed down where it should be now, which includes the left valley that Dick was so concerned about catching every drive (it doesn't).  The rolling fairway provides for great help or curbing of your drive, depending on which side of the roll you hit, thereby helping the short hitter get a little push off the first roll and probably a little uphill stance for his approach (on the second roll), while the big hitter may hit into the upslope of the second roll and effectively stop his ball -- of course, if he catches it really big, the drive could finish on the flat about 100 yards or less to the green.  The hole typically plays into the wind and that also affects the drive and approaches quite a bit.  There is very good width and the high right side is good for punching an approach to run on the green and sweep down into the bowl (great fun when you pull it off) and the left valley really gives a nice slot to take the aerial approach to the back right pins, which are a bit harder to get close to from the right due to the usual kick off of the surrounds.  I really like the hole -- it has great shot-making opportunities, you have a chance at birdie with well-executed shots but it is not a pushover, plus it emerges from the trees back into the openness of the front to complete the circuit and return to the beginning of the round.

Mike

[Michael Whitaker]

Mike - I'm very interested in attending this outing with another South Carolina GCA'er and a couple of Detriot lurkers. That's four of us in all. Early Sept is great!

[Mike_DeVries]

Wanted to bring this back up and let everyone know where the outing is . . .

The dates are set for Sept. 10-11, Sat. and Sun. in Marquette, MI, for Greywalls and the Heritage courses at Marquette Golf Club.  Dinner, architecture talk, and discussion on Sat. evening.  

Golf before or after the weekend at Lawsonia or Kingsley could be arranged for anyone interested.

Is there interest in some form of competition?  With the parties involved or perhaps enough players from another part of the country would like to come challenge the North-Midwesterners?  We are throwing down the gauntlet!!!!

Currently, those who are in for the event:
Mike DeVries
Jeffrey Formanczyk
Mike McGuire
Paul Thomas (and wife?)
Chris Clouser
Joe Hancock
Mike Whitaker + 3 more

Possibles:
Jeff Shelman
Brad Swanson
Dick Daley (needs a hijacker!)
Cary Lichtenstein and wife (will be there the weekend before, I think?)
Tyler Kearns

Golf cost is $75 for Greywalls, $29 for Heritage.
Hotel: Holiday Inn; close by, just remodeled last year.  Other options are available in town, see www.marquettegolfclub.com for other hotels.

Please reconfirm with me about your status via here, IM, e-mail, or phone at 231-933-9169.

Thanks,

Mike

[Jeff_Mingay]

This sounds like a promising get-together!

Having worked with Mike at Greywalls during the early phases of construction, I can tell you, it's worth the trek. Greywalls is a course any lover of golf architecture will enjoy playing very much.

And as has been mentioned, Marquette is a neat little town with a few great little pubs and some very good restaurants.  

I'm going to try my very best to make it up there in September for this event. Hey Tyler, let's get a few more hosers to go, too, and we can field a Team Canada!

[Jfaspen]

I should be able to make it and I might have a guest in tow if there is room.

Looking forward to it.

Jeff

[Tyler Kearns]

Jeff,

You can pass the motion to send a team from Canada to Greywalls at the next meeting of the Ontario chapter of GCA. I'll run it by Ian Andrew when I speak with him tomorrow - this could be a real exciting north-south clash.

TK

[Jim Franklin]

I will be there July 9 and am sorry to miss the September get together.

[John Morrissett]

I played Greywalls a couple of times last weekend and enjoyed it thoroughly.

In many ways it reminds me of some of my other favorites such as Pacific Dunes and Kapalua (Plantation) in that length is not an overriding factor and that a player feels as though he can handle every hole on the course but is frustrated (in a fun way that keeps him coming back for round after round) at his inability to string together everything in one round.  Like the two courses mentioned, Greywalls is simply fun, with one good hole after another.  I look forward to many more rounds there.

I'm sorry I will have to pass on the September get together as I will be traveling on business then.  I look forward to the report and pictures, though.

[Brian_Sleeman]

In many ways it reminds me of some of my other favorites such as Pacific Dunes and Kapalua (Plantation) in that length is not an overriding factor and that a player feels as though he can handle every hole on the course but is frustrated (in a fun way that keeps him coming back for round after round) at his inability to string together everything in one round.

Though you seemed to have very little trouble with just that in your first round, while I as quasi-host was dutifully and consistently showing you the places not to go...

With this recent trend of warm weather the fescue is sprouting and the greens are growing and able to be quickened up.  Things should be interesting in a few weeks for grand opening, and ideal for the GCA outing in the fall.

[Mike_DeVries]

The dates are set for Sept. 10-11, Sat. and Sun. in Marquette, MI, for Greywalls and the Heritage courses at Marquette Golf Club.  Dinner (cost to be determined), architecture talk, and discussion on Sat. evening.

Golf before or after the weekend at Lawsonia or Kingsley could be arranged for anyone interested.

Is there interest in some form of competition?  With the parties involved or perhaps enough players from another part of the country would like to come challenge the North-Midwesterners?  We are throwing down the gauntlet!!!!

Currently, those who are in for the event:
Mike DeVries
Jeffrey Formanczyk
Mike McGuire
Paul Thomas (and wife)
Chris Clouser
Joe Hancock
Mike Whitaker + 3 more

Possibles:
Jeff Shelman
Brad Swanson
Dick Daley (needs a hijacker!)
Cary Lichtenstein and wife (will be there the weekend before, I think?)
Tyler Kearns

Golf cost is $75 for Greywalls, $29 for Heritage.
Hotel: Holiday Inn; close by, just remodeled last year.  Other options are available in town, see www.marquettegolfclub.com for other hotels.

Please reconfirm with me about your status via here, IM, e-mail, or phone at 231-933-9169.

Thanks,

Mike

All right, bringing this back to the front so everyone knows what is going on.  The above will apply plus getting new blood involved:
Jeff Mingay (working with Tyler to get a team from Canada to play -- probably could use the Stanley Cup for a trophy since there wasn't any hockey last year!
Jeff Goldman
Josh Smith -- from California, looking to have a Team California come out.  Josh is a strong player, too, as he shot 74 at SFGC a few weeks ago!
Gib Papazian is a possible, with his friend Todd and possibly some others.
Might even get the mighty Emperor Tommy Naccarato -- if we can get him out of the Hamptons and its glorious late summer weather!

I would really enjoy having team contingencies from various areas come out.  Already we have:
Michigan (various sub-areas, too)
Chicago  
California  
Canada  
How about a Southern team and an East Coast team?  The more the merrier.

I think I will do a walk-around the course first thing on Saturday morning, before play, so everyone can get a feel for the course and will lead to more enjoyable play.  

I am open for ideas on a presentation topic for the evening dinner: slide show, round-table, direct talk, . . . ?

Looking forward to a very enjoyable event.

Mike

[Brian Cenci]

Mike,
     Count me in and possibly one other (if you are still inviting people).  I live in Lansing and am a member at Greywalls (just joined this year).  Also, worked at CD for six years....Greywalls is a fun course....#11 through #14 are great golf holes!

-Brian

[Lou_Duran]

Mike DeVries,

Can you send the corporate jet to pick me up at DFW or has the price of fuel gone up too much and made this prohibitive?  I can swing the green fees, room with Mr. Daley, and would love to join you guys.

Still haven't made it to Michigan to play Kingsley and Crystal Downs.  The visit is very high on my list.  I think that Wigler sitll owes me a round of golf up there as a result of our two alma maters locking horns on the football field and his coming on the short side.

Are you done with Meadow?

[Jeff Goldman]

Lou,

Come on out!!  You can fly to Chicago cheap and we can drive, playing our way up, or start there and play our way down!  

Jeff

[Brad Swanson]

Mike,
   Move me to the very probable side of the ledger.  Gotta check a few more things before its a definite, but its looking that way.

Cheers,
Brad Swanson (a.k.a. cheesehead hijacker)  

[PThomas]

help!  I tried Holiday Inn, then hotels.com, then expedia.com, and there are no rooms available for SepT 9 and 10!!!