[Dan Kelly]

#16 is a great shit selection hole as well...

At the Harvester, that's known as a "fertilizer selection" hole.

[Brian Cenci]

That wasn't some sort of frudian slip or whatever.  But, none-the-less, I like the shot selections on the hole.

[astavrides]

re/ harvester...

16 is pretty weird.  i hit it over the hill, and it just barely hung on the precipice of going into that creek.  i agree it is risk/reward though, because it makes for a shorter 2nd.  probably i'll lay up next time though.  17 is kind of do or die if the pin is in back like it was when i played it.  a pretty narrow landing area back there.  i suppose one could take a club or so less and play to the center of the green, but who wants to do that.
i thought 18 was fantastic.  like that famous par 5 at the Dunes, but better because it wasnt sopping wet like that hole at the dunes was the day i played it, but moreover because it is reachable in 2.  as dan kelly said it would be too easy without the left greenside bunkers to guard against the bailout on the 2nd shot.  I hit the far bunker with my second and that is no easy long bunker shot with the water in the background.  
and yes 14 and 15 are very good holes as well.

[Jeff Shelman]

I thought 'great shit selection' was very fitting. I really, really like The Harvester, but I also don't like that hole. To me, it's the one hole that doesn't fit in.

The long par 4 where you pretty much have to lay up might be my least favorite kind of hole out there. I feel the same way about the hole at The Quarry on the back (14 or 15).

That said, I really like the rest of the Harvester. It's a very strong course that seems a bit underrated.

[nandoal]

How much did this trip cost?  How did you manage to get on all these couses?

[Brian Cenci]

nandoal - the trip cost us each around $3500, not including merchandise purchases which I probably bought around $500 worth of stuff (and my playing partner very little).  We had thought to camp out several of thenights but it just didn't happen that way.  Tough to set up a tent when it is 2:00 in the morning.  Most of the courses we played were public, so obviously anyone can play.  There were 4 privates that we played and withought devulging any secrets the same method that others I'm sure have used, I asked in a letter if I could play.

-Brian

[Dave Kemp]

We had a fellow join us as a single week before last at Highlands Links in Cape Breton.  He was a retired school superintendent and had been on the road for a year and a half.  He estimated he had played over 150 courses throughout North America in that time.  He travelled alone (divorced) hauling a trailer on a "fifth wheel" and had covered a good part of the continent.  No real set agenda .... the day we played he was driving the Cabot Trail, had heard of the Highlands and stopped in to see if he could got on and play.  His next "scheduled" stop was Pinehurst in October to hook up with 11 other guys to play for the week.

Can you say envious.  

[Brian_Gracely]

October in Pinehurst?  He sounds like the kind of guy that should be playing in the Dixie Cup II (Oct.21-23).  If you hear from him again, tell him that he's welcome to join in.

[Brian Cenci]

This was a trip myself and Dave Neveux did almost two years ago.  I'm working on a sort of "short story" / article regarding some of my golf treks across the country.  I'm looking for some "friendly" advice.  Is 16 days, 23 rounds, 7500 miles of driving from Michigan to Oregon something that has been done, not necessarily often?  If it were to be a premise to an article would anyone think...."not another one of these stories?"  Thanks in advance for any comments.

-Brian

[Rich Brittingham]

Congrats on the trip.   Its enlightening to read your praises for each and every course, as too often the posts here tend toward the negative.  Playing 23 rounds in 16 days with so much time on the road, it would be easy to let the negatives of the trip/courses come through in your summary.  But its great seeing just how excited you are reflecting back on a trip many of us only wish we could take.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

There must be somethiing in the water up there at Michigan State.  When I went there, we used to hop in the car for a weekend in Florida to get out of the Winter.  Leave Friday afternoon and drive straight through (record from East Lansing to the Ft. Lauderdale-- 16 hours) and drive back in time for Tuesday classes (no one ever made Monday classes...).

[Adam Clayman]

Brian, To answer your question..I don't think it has been done too often. But then again, I barely read any print media anymore.
 One interesting note would be how your feelings on some of the course may have changed in just over two years. Plus, How much the trip would've cost today with gas so much higher in price. Moral being, golf america before it's too expensive to drive down the road.

[Eric Smith]

There must be somethiing in the water up there at Michigan State.  When I went there, we used to hop in the car for a weekend in Florida to get out of the Winter.  Leave Friday afternoon and drive straight through (record from East Lansing to the Ft. Lauderdale-- 16 hours) and drive back in time for Tuesday classes (no one ever made Monday classes...).

I'm with ya Mike.  My buddy up there at Tyrone Hills, an MSU grad, went with me to Florida for 4 years in a row back in the 90's to see all of Peyton Manning's bowl games while at Tennessee.  It was like, " Hey Hambone want to go to the Orange Bowl?" and he'd be in Knoxville in literally 7 or 8 hours. Then I'd drive us down I-75 from there.  Damn that was fun.  Played Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and World Woods over 3 days the last time.   

I'm paying him back these days by heading UP to Michigan to play golf in his great state.  I'm going there in about two weeks, following the weather channel daily, hoping for the weather to break.  Also looking forward to playing a round with the author of this thread, Mr. Cenci.

[Brad Tufts]

Brian's story brings back memories:

I did one of these wild treks in 2002, but in a mini east-coast version...

Over about 7-8 days, played:

Saucon Valley Old
Saucon Valley Weyhill
Lehigh CC
Stonewall -Old
Merion
Twisted Dune
Stanwich
Yale
Kenwood in Bethesda, MD
Breton Bay, Southern tip of MD
Tedesco at home to round things out.

Driving was from Boston to the end of Maryland and back, only a measley 1000 miles.
Went out in AC, Philly, and DC along the way, I had just turned 21...
Hit a BYOB strip club in Bethlehem, PA...ugly in more ways than one.

To answer the question of "Is my trip diary publishable?," I would say your diary probably has more personal value to refresh your own memory of your awesome time.  There have been a few trip-diary golf books that have come out over the last few years, perhaps lessening their appeal.  Might make a fun article in an off-the-wall golf mag though!

[tlavin]

"Is my diary publishable?"  Not unless you've had other work published, would be my first instinctual reaction.  There's nothing remarkable in the feat itself even if you had the trip of your life.  You'd have to have the writing/humor talent of David Feherty or Dan Jenkins to make this readable.

[Brian Cenci]

"Is my diary publishable?"  Not unless you've had other work published, would be my first instinctual reaction.  There's nothing remarkable in the feat itself even if you had the trip of your life.  You'd have to have the writing/humor talent of David Feherty or Dan Jenkins to make this readable.

I've been published about 50 times in various outdoor magazines throughout the United States, on different fishing topics, but nothing for golf.  I appreciate the comment regarding not being remarkable as that's what I'm trying to figure out if it was remarkable or not....to the magnitude in which we played.

-Brian

[Brian Cenci]

Brian's story brings back memories:

I did one of these wild treks in 2002, but in a mini east-coast version...

Over about 7-8 days, played:

Saucon Valley Old
Saucon Valley Weyhill
Lehigh CC
Stonewall -Old
Merion
Twisted Dune
Stanwich
Yale
Kenwood in Bethesda, MD
Breton Bay, Southern tip of MD
Tedesco at home to round things out.

Driving was from Boston to the end of Maryland and back, only a measley 1000 miles.
Went out in AC, Philly, and DC along the way, I had just turned 21...
Hit a BYOB strip club in Bethlehem, PA...ugly in more ways than one.

I've done 3 or 4 like this one and am currently going on another 8 dayer in a few weeks.

To answer the question of "Is my trip diary publishable?," I would say your diary probably has more personal value to refresh your own memory of your awesome time.  There have been a few trip-diary golf books that have come out over the last few years, perhaps lessening their appeal.  Might make a fun article in an off-the-wall golf mag though!

[tlavin]

"Is my diary publishable?"  Not unless you've had other work published, would be my first instinctual reaction.  There's nothing remarkable in the feat itself even if you had the trip of your life.  You'd have to have the writing/humor talent of David Feherty or Dan Jenkins to make this readable.

I've been published about 50 times in various outdoor magazines throughout the United States, on different fishing topics, but nothing for golf.  I appreciate the comment regarding not being remarkable as that's what I'm trying to figure out if it was remarkable or not....to the magnitude in which we played.

-Brian

Well, then, the answer should be "yes".  A talented writer should be able to get it done.

[Matt_Ward]

Brian C:

Just one quick comments -- Harvester gets very little mention here on GCA and likely it's tied to its location more than anything else.

[John Kavanaugh]

Make it a handbook on how to become a Golfweek rater and I will publish it myself.

[Brian Cenci]

Make it a handbook on how to become a Golfweek rater and I will publish it myself.

I wouldn't want anyone to follow the guidelines of the trip I took just to be a rater.  Besides the fact that we were stuffed in a corvette for 7500 miles, we drove thru the night several times while I know I could barely keep one eye open.  Furthermore, I played all these courses and was never a rater.  Just a good old pen and paper to get on.

-Brian

[Adam Clayman]

Brian, Weren't you just published in Golfweek?

[tlavin]

Brian, Weren't you just published in Golfweek?

That's a good one.

[Eric Smith]

I believe both Brian and George Freeman were quoted in a recent issue

[John Kavanaugh]

Make it a handbook on how to become a Golfweek rater and I will publish it myself.

I wouldn't want anyone to follow the guidelines of the trip I took just to be a rater.  Besides the fact that we were stuffed in a corvette for 7500 miles, we drove thru the night several times while I know I could barely keep one eye open.  Furthermore, I played all these courses and was never a rater.  Just a good old pen and paper to get on.

-Brian

I know that...It is journey to become a rater that is interesting.  Given that you were just quoted in Golfweek I have no doubt we could make a profit selling your how to guide on ebay.  I will pay to publish the book, take on all expenses of sales and marketing and give you 50% of the profits.

note:  Our own Paul Richards was also "published".

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