Who Are You Guys(revisited)?

[Jim Sherma]

Jim Sherma
46 years old
Hershey, PA
Home Course: Hershey CC
HCP: 4.6
Married, daughter 9, son 6

Grew up with the game and got serious in Jr. High School

Home: Currently live in Hershey and grew up in Bethlehem, PA and the courses I cut my teeth on were Bethlehem Municipal and Green Pond CC
Favorite courses played (In no order other than the first): St Andrews Old, St Andrews New, Ballybunion Old, Lancaster, Lehigh, Hershey West, Pine Valley, Baltusrol Upper, Lebanon, Hershey Parkview(NLE)

School: Grsaduated from Lehigh University with a BS Business/Economics, BA Philosophy and an MS Economics/Finance (never finished my dissertation for the PhD)

Work: I am the retail forecaster for The Hershey Company (the chocolate company) focusing on the ACNielsen syndicated data. I have also worked in the credit card industry and at the research group at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Hobby: Golf

[John Kirk]

Bumping so that our new members can add to it:

[Andy Shulman]

Been around a while since reading about GCA in Sports Illustrated and begging Ran to let me join the treehouse.

Andy Shulman....52 years old....Born in Cleveland, OH (Shaker Heights, actually) and have resided in Reston, VA for 20+ years
Handicap: 13.8
Single, never married - Why do I suddenly feel like I'm on Match.com?
Education: Emory University (1983) - Bachelors in Business Administration

Work: I'm a CPA who transitioned into HR work about six years ago.  I manage the executive compensation function at Freddie Mac.

Hobbies: Golf, of course, and reffing high school basketball.  You know, a black-and-white striped shirt and a whistle.  Been doing it for 30 years now and have reffed games at the homes of two recent Final Four teams, the Patriot Center (George Mason U's home court) and the Siegel Center (where the VCU Rams play).  Most of my games, though, are in standard issue high school gyms.

Favorite Courses: St. Andrews (Old), North Berwick, Royal Dornoch, Lawsonia (Links), Pasatiempo, Ballyhack, Bedford Springs and Mountain Ridge.  That last one, while legit, is also an attempt to suck up to Pat Mucci in the hopes that he'll host another event there!

Other GCA Events Attended: The inaugural George Cup at Ballyhack in 2011 and the last soggy day of the 2011 Dixie Cup at Kinloch.

[Rees Milikin]

.

[Ryan Kennedy]

Suppose I should introduce myself as well.

I too have been following for years and was introduced to the site by my old Super, Kurt Desiderio.

My name is Ryan Kennedy, living in Ventura, Cal.

My favorite tracks are;

Cypress point club
The Creek
Shinnecock
Valley club
Ballybunion
La hinch
Waterville
Friars Head
SF


Thanks to all the great Pros for hosting me!!!

[Chris DeToro]

I've never properly introduced myself either--I joined the site earlier this year after a few years of scouring the site looking at pictures and reading about some of the best courses in the world...

Chris DeToro
29 years old
Army brat so grew up all over the world, but currently live in Battle Creek MI
Single, no kids that I know of
Education: Undergrad at William & Mary, MBA from Indiana University
Work: CPG market researcher
Handicap: 6
Home club: Battle Creek CC (1919 Willie Park design)
Favorite courses: in no particular order--Prairie Dunes, Royal County Down, St Andrews Old, Crystal Downs, Pebble Beach

I always try to play as many rounds as possible every year and try to play as many of the great courses as possible.  Outside of golf, my biggest hobby is college basketball--last winter went by really fast with IU's comeback into national prominence :-)  

[Nigel Islam]

Go IU. Hopefully that Vonleh kid will be enough to replace Cody and Watford!

[Chris DeToro]

And Oladipo...it might be a long year.   

[Andrew Buck]

Since these keep getting bumped, I'll add my info here

Andy Buck

Age: 38 - married, two sons, Noah (5), Jonah (1)

Handicap: 0.0

Residence: Peru, IL

Occupation: Accountant by trade, corporate finance for large international privately held company.

Home Club(s): Deer Park Country Club - 9 holes established 1904, newer 9 built in 1980's.  Nice humble club with some character on the greens.  Senica's Oak Ridge - semi private (read Public) James Spears design, good condition and value.

Favorite Courses:  Kapalua, Olympia Fields (north), Crooked Stick, French Lick (Ross) Flossmoor, Beverly, Wolf Run, St Albans, Wakonda Club, Bull Valley, Exmoor, Cambrian Ridge

Hometown(history): Dwight, IL, played collegiate golf at Bradley University in Peoria followed by 12 years in Chicago/Palatine.  

Hometown Courses: Dwight Country Club, where I worked on the grounds crew from the time I was 13 to 21 for my dad, who has been superintendent for 33 years.  1913 course that has 1 sand trap, but a few unique greens, all fast and smooth and had enough good golfers to teach me lessons and take my money growing up.  Also played many, many rounds of golf at Pontiac Elks, Wolf Creek and Morris CC in those formative years.

Grew up enamored with golf courses and architecture, and probably "designed" thousands on notebooks.  Wish I would have found this site earlier, as it sounds like I missed a lot of substance discussion in the early years.  Right now my passion revolves more around how maintenance practices and decisions impact the architecture for existing courses.

[Dwight Phelps]

Didn't want to start a new New Guy thread, but remembered this one (though I was surprised it wasn't stickied)

Dwight Phelps
Age: 30 - married with one son, Dean
Handicap: 10
Residence: Inland Empire, CA
Home Club: Sierra Lakes (likely to be Goose Creek next year)
Favorite Courses: I haven't played many, but I'd say that La Purisima and Oakmont CC (Glendale) would be 2 of my favorites.

History:  A true golfing child of Tiger, I got my first set of clubs in the summer of 1997.  Learned to play at Brookside in Pasadena (where, at the time, local students could play after 1pm on weekdays for $1.50 - that's the way to learn to play).  I played in HS and then at college at Occidental College.  Was never great (lowest Handicap about 5 during college - I wasn't the best at keeping track in those days).  Only recently has be affinity for collecting yardage books manifested into full-blown interest in golf architecture, helped along (so far) by Doak's 'Anatomy' and MacKenzie's 'Golf Architecture'.  Can't wait to see and learn more.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

My "hello world" post is on the front page right now, so this feels a bit redundant, but...

Tom Bacsanyi
Age: 33
Handicap: 2.7
Residence: Vail, CO
Home Club: Red Sky
Work:  Ski instructor/Greenkeeper

Favorite Courses:

CommonGround
Old MacDonald
Pinehurst No. 2
Sonnenalp (originally Singletree)
Forest Dunes
Burning Oak (Houghton Lake, MI)
Jackson Park (South Side of Chicago)
Pinemeadow (Mundelein, IL)

[Ryan McLaughlin]

Ryan McLaughlin
Age: 38 married with two boys
Handicap: 0.0
Residence: South Orange County CA
Job: Financial Advisor
Home Club: Tijeras Creek Golf Club
Favorite Courses Played:
Riviera
Pasatiempo
Goose Creek
Valley Club
Oakmont (CA)
Sandpiper


I started as a caddie at 14 after my mom started taking lessons at Mission Viejo CC and she connected me with the pro there.  Worked in the cart barn through high school.  Went to college as a PGM major but realized I had no interest in being a golf pro.  Left to play jc golf in Santa Barbara where our home courses were, Sandpiper, Valley Club, Birnam Wood, Montecito CC, La Cumbre and La Purisma if we felt like driving....pretty good for a junior college.  Left college and realized I didnt know how to do anything else but golf so I became a PGA pro.  Worked muni, private, and resort golf in LA and OC.  I left the business for the financial services biz and play a heck of a lot more golf now.  I've always had an appreciation for architecture but browsing the pages of GCA has transported me to some of the greatest course all over the world.  

[Bill Vogeney]

Bill Vogeney
Age 52
Handicap 5.9, along with a swing that, while it has improved, was once described as "Furyk on Acid"
Live in Colorado Springs
Job: EVP and Chief Lending Officer at a mid-sized community based financial institution
Home Club: Colorado Springs CC and national member at Prairie Dunes
Favorite courses:
Prairie Dunes
Oakmont (played it 5 times, have family that are members)
Shoreacres
Riviera
Pebble
Olympia Fields South
French Creek

Been playing since I was 15. Worked at a golf course restaurant in high school and college, that's the only way I could have afforded to play back then. I never played a private club until I was probably 22 or 23. Never really thought about golf course architecture until the last 5 or 6 years, thanks to my buddy Clint Squier. Trying to accumulate all of the classic books on GCA when I am not busy tending to my previously out of control Scotty Cameron collection. I have collected clubs since I was a poor college student. Once found a perfectly good vintage Wilson 8802 sticking shaft end out of a garbage can when I was working in a pro shop on weekends after my undergraduate studies.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

I've introduced myself elsewhere, but it seems that I should add my information here.

Ricardo Ramirez-Calvo
Age 49
Married, 6 kids (4 boys and 2 girls all with the same woman)
Hcp 14
Live in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Work corporate lawyer, partner of a law firm in Argentina, Professor of Constitutional Law at several universities and author of a couple of books on the subject
Home clubs: Hurlingham Club, Mar del Plata Golf Club and Golf Club Argentino. Very recently joined Royal Cinque Ports as an overseas member
Other golf related activities: member of the Board of Directors of the Argentine Golf Association, member of the Board of Directors and the Rules Committee of the Mar del Plata Golf Club and member of the Golf Committee of the Hurlingham Club, rules official at both professional and amateur tournaments in Argentina
Favorite courses (in no particular order):
Jockey Club Red
Mar del Plata Golf Club
Sunningdale Old
Royal Cinque Ports
Rye Old
Pebble Beach

Started playing golf when I was 5, my best handicap was 7, I've always been interested in golf course architecture.

[Bob_Garvelink]

   
Re:Who Are You Guys(revisited)?
« Reply #179 on: August 26, 2003, 10:48:40 AM »
Quote
Name:  Bob Garvelink
Age: 33
Marital Status: Married with 2 children (2 & 5)
Location: Portage MI
Career:  Teacher
Education:  Western Michigan Univ. & Grand Valley State Univ.
Interests Outside of Golf:  traveling, watching sports and fishing
Handicap: 15
Favorite Course:  Kingsley Club -  hopefully my wife will give me the ok sooner than later

I have become a huge fan of golf course architecture and I firmly believe that Northern Michigan is the best hidden gem in the world!

 Cheers!

Bob

[Michael Felton]

Somewhat repetitious, but anyway.

Name: Michael Felton
Age: 37
Just married, no kids yet
Home Club: Walton Heath and Effingham GC, both in Surrey, UK
Handicap: 1
Live in NYC
Career: Actuary

Favourite courses:

US:

Pine Valley
Winged Foot West
Bethpage Black
Winged Foot East
Merion
Bethpage Red
Twisted Dune
Desert Forest, AZ
The Rim, AZ
WeKoPa Saguaro, AZ
Galloway National
UK & Ireland:

Turnberry
Muirfield
TOC
Royal St Georges
Ballybunion Old
Royal Porthcawl
Kingsbarns
Walton Heath Old
Sunningdale Old
Walton Heath New
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal Liverpool

[Mark Chaplin]

Michael welcome, just too old to play in Charlie Waud's Wedge team!!

[Adam Warren]

First post and this was at the top, so I thought I would start here:

Adam Warren

31 years old
Married with 1 child
Reside just outside of Louisville, Ky.
Handicap: 1.2
Job: Financial Analyst for a large Health Insurance Company
Education: BS in Agricultural Economics from University of Kentucky
Current Home course: Henry County Country Club

Background:
In a previous life I was a golf club professional.  In the summer during college I would return to my hometown and work at Wasioto Winds and play golf 5-6 days a week. In my first year working there I probably went from about a 15 handicap to 3-4 hdcp. After college I turned pro and worked at Cherry Blossom in Georgetown, Ky. for two different stints and for a year at Maywood in Bardstown, Ky.  

After growing tired of the 60 hour weeks with no time for any kind of life, I left the golf business for other ventures.  I wound up in my current role and after taking about 3 years away from the game started back last year when I joined HCCC.  It's a small semi-private club not far from my house that is easy to get a game so it works great.  Due to my background, after about a year there I was asked to run for the board and am currently on it and am a member of the tournament committee and the chairman of the greens committee.  For further background into that and part of my interest here, is that we are losing about 150 trees on our course soon due to the chemical Imprellis and will soon be doing some tree/renovation work to replace these trees.  

My travels are expanding and I look to see some great courses in the next few years.  I'm looking forward to my time here at GCA.

[David Harshbarger]

Adam, welcome.  Great to have you here, and make a point to travel to the GCA events.

Hope you all at the Big H have a good transition to the new market.  I'm with a regional plan and had a chance to visit your R&D unit 7 years ago.  Wow, you all are good.

Best, and don't be shy.

Dave

[Ed Brzezowski]

Bill Vogeney
Age 52
Handicap 5.9, along with a swing that, while it has improved, was once described as "Furyk on Acid"
Live in Colorado Springs
Job: EVP and Chief Lending Officer at a mid-sized community based financial institution
Home Club: Colorado Springs CC and national member at Prairie Dunes
Favorite courses:
Prairie Dunes
Oakmont (played it 5 times, have family that are members)
Shoreacres
Riviera


Pebble
Olympia Fields South
French Creek

Been playing since I was 15. Worked at a golf course restaurant in high school and college, that's the only way I could have afforded to play back then. I never played a private club until I was probably 22 or 23. Never really thought about golf course architecture until the last 5 or 6 years, thanks to my buddy Clint Squier. Trying to accumulate all of the classic books on GCA when I am not busy tending to my previously out of control Scotty Cameron collection. I have collected clubs since I was a poor college student. Once found a perfectly good vintage Wilson 8802 sticking shaft end out of a garbage can when I was working in a pro shop on weekends after my undergraduate studies.

The French Creek outside of Philly?

[Amol Yajnik]

I posted a New Member thread, but I'll put a little more in here.

Name: Amol Yajnik
Age: 33.  Married with our first child on the way.
Live in Brookline, MA. Grew up in Columbia, SC.
Home Course: George Wright Golf Course (not a member of any club)
Handicap: 8.8
Occupation: Pediatrician at Boston Children's Hospital

Favorite courses, in no particular order:
We-Ko-Pa Saguaro
Caledonia
Bulls Bay
Dormie Club
Tobacco Road
Punta Espada

I grew up in a neighborhood that had a golf course, but never really played golf when I was a kid.  Tiger won the 1997 Masters just before I started college, and I decided to take up the game in the summer of 1998.  One of the best things about that is that my dad had given up playing golf when I was born, but then started playing again after I started to play.  Now my dad is retired and hooked on the game, he plays 3-4 times per week.  When my schedule allows, I can usually play 1-2 times per week.  I'm just not in a position to join a club up here right now, but would love to do that sometime in the future.  I'm lucky right now because half of my working hours are evenings or overnight hours, so on the flip side I get at least a couple of weekdays off during every week that serve as my time to play golf.  I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you as we interact on here.

[Philip Caccamise]

Phil Caccamise
Age 35 Married, no kids
BS Drexel University, MS Rutgers University
Commercial credit portfolio manager at a large bank

I grew up mostly in Western New York. I started playing golf in 1986 after seeing Jack win the Masters. Early on, since we didn't have a lot of money and none of my family played I'd take the bus to the courses in the Rochester area that were accessible by public transportation (Genesee Valley, Durand Eastman, etc) then later worked at a few different clubs. I started getting interested in architecture when I was in college and working at Gulph Mills. I noticed a lot of similarities in Main Line courses and other courses in Western NY and the NYC metro area and made it a challenge to play as many new ones for comparison as I could.

Worked on Wall Street for about 10 years before moving to Kentucky to support my wife's obsession (horses.) My home course(s) in NY was Bethpage. Don't have one at the moment here as the course I was a member at went public and don't feel the membership value is there anymore. I run a golf tour which takes up a lot of my golf time anyways.

Some of my favorite courses played: Bethpage Black and Red, Winged Foot West and East, Camargo, Merion, NCR South, Gulph Mills, Manufacturer's, Country Club of Rochester, Country Club of Buffalo, Whirlpool GC

[Carson Pilcher]

Name: Carson Pilcher
Age: 42, married with one daughter (4)
Live in Atlanta, GA.  Born and raised in Augusta and have lived in San Francisco, Boulder, Aspen and Wichita Falls, TX.
Home Course: Ansley Golf Club/ Settindown Creek
Handicap: 0.0
Occupation: Partner in a Commercial Construction GC. - formerly and airline pilot for Continental Airlines.

Favorite courses, in no particular order (other than the first):

St. Andrews Old Course
Settindown Creek
Cypress Point
Timuquana
Country Club of Columbus (GA)
Cuscowilla (back when the greens used to be fast)
Lookout Mountain
Honors Course
San Francisco Golf Club
Olympic -Lake
Pasatiempo

Certifiable nut on two accounts.  I LOVE golf and the Grateful Dead.  They do not have to go together, but if I look lost in thought, it's because I am thinking of one or the other.

[Garland Bayley]

Adam,

Your first assignment is to give your committee its proper name.

[William_G]

Been on GCA a little while but have not posted here

GHIN: 0.5
Residence: Oregon
Home Club: Eugene Country Club
Work:  Orthodontist

Favorite Courses that I have played:

Cypress Point Club
Pinehurst #2
Lawsonia Links
Mountain Lake
Bandon Trails, LOL

 

thank you