[Jon Terbell]

Jim,

Thanks for the welcome and kind words. It seems like it's been longer than four years since David Lau and I were leading the Bearcats into quad-matches. I might not always take Hotchkiss over Pine Valley. But my afternoons in Lakeville - an extension of my early lessons in New Haven - embedded my appreciation for and desire to learn about golden age design.

[Lyne Morrison]

Hello All,

Lyne Morrison, Golf Course Architect; Canberra, Australia
Hcp: 10-12, began playing at age 9

I now understand how it is that my children become absorbed with particular websites!

I have worked out of my Canberra office for the past 10 plus years where I have combined the challenge of raising a young family with an often absent military husband - while holding onto a career in course design. This has involved curtailing travel for the moment and focusing on regional remodelling opportunities and undertaking green committee duties.

Prior to this I was fortunate to spend several years with Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright working out of their Honolulu, Singapore and Sydney offices on projects throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

I subscribe to the ideals of The Spirit of the Game, admire the contribution of the architects of the Golden Age and have a keen interest in sustainable golf and its inherent relationship to the roots of the game.

Thanks to Ran for GCA -- I look forward to scanning and contributing to the many interesting threads.

Cheers, Lyne

[Mark Woodger]

Hi All,

Mark Woodger,
Age 29
H'cp:12

Grew up in England and have been lucky enough be a member at Deal (Royal Cinque Ports) for the past 10 years. I now live in New York and work in CT, USA.  Have been reading GCA for the past few months and really enjoy the lively discussions that take place and find GCA to be a very informative resource. It has also caused me to start viewing golf courses in a different way and i hope it will help my golf game in due course.

Are there and GCA events based in NYC?

Favourite Courses played:
Deal
Kiawah Ocean
Bethpage
Royal St Georges
Inwood


Wish list:
To play 18 holes in less than 5hrs on a NYC public course.

Most memorable golf experience:
The first time i played Deal. Aged 15. I walked onto the first green and fell in love with links golf.


Happy New Year,
Mark

[Niall C]

Niall Carlton
Age 43
H'cap: 9.4 and going up !

I'm relatively new to GCA having started visiting the site a couple of months ago. Born and brought up in Scotland I have played golf since the age of 5. I'm a qulaified Chartered Surveyor (thats a real estate valuer for you guys in America ) which given the current economic climate means I now have plenty of time to go on GCA !

I'm currently a playing member at Glasgow Golf Club and a past playing member at Silloth on Solway GC and Bothwell Castle GC.

Over the years I've managed a few golfing trips to US, Ireland, Spain and Portugal and my top 5 from those trips are (in no particular order);

Rosses Point, County Sligo
Old Course, Vilamoura
San Lorenzo, Portugal
True Blue, Myrtle Beach
Caledonia, Myrtle Beach

Top 5 Scottish courses;

Carnoustie
Gullane 3
Silloth on Solway*
Queen's Course, Gleneagles
Nairn

ok, lets make it the top 8

Darley, Troon
Machrihanish
Prestwick St Nicholas

Niall

* once upon a time the border between Scotland and England lay further south than where it is now. Lets just call it poetic licence.

[Shane Wright]

Niall - wow, no Berwick, Dornoch, or Muirfield in that group?

[Niall C]

Shane,

What I should have said was that these are my favourite courses, not necessarily the best I've played. That said, after I'd sent the post I thought of North Berwick (The Glen at North Berwick also came to mind). Maybe I should have made it my top 20.

No, I wouldn't put either Dornoch or Muirfield in that group for various reasons. I've only played Muirfield once, in a howling gale, so can't fairly judge it from a playing point of view although I have been a couple of times to the Open when it has been there. Dornoch - the twice I have played it has been in the winter when the course has been shortened and on one occassion when two of the greens were out of action, so again not the best golfing experiences.

The courses listed tend to be shorter (Carnoustie the obvious exception) and more fun for a hacker like me as theres more of an emphasis on the short game.

Niall

[Shane Wright]

Thanks for the explanation, but you really need to see Dornoch in the spring/summer.  Your opinion could definitely change.  Muirfield is tough anyway you slice it. 

Shane

[Jim Thornton]

Hello All-

Jim Thornton
Age: 48
Index: 16.5

Home: New Jersey
Born: Virginia
Alumni: Virginia Tech

Occupation: Marketing -  Emerging Markets
Played: 26 years

Home Club: Hidden Creek Golf Club, NJ
Away Club: Farmington Country Club, VA

I am a new member of GCA.  I stumbled across GCA about 5 years ago while doing research on Hidden Creek and I've been hooked ever since.  Up till now, I've been quite content to watch from the sidelines, but recently I've developed to itch to enter the fray.

I learned to play at the world renowned Par 3 Ski Shop in Richmond, VA.  It was literally a combination 9 hole golf course with a ski shop serving as the clubhouse.

Favorite U.S. Courses Played in No Certain Order:
Par 3 Ski Shop
Merion
Myopia Hunt
Garden City
Pine Valley
Cypress
Pebble Beach
Newport
Shinnecock
Sand Hills
Prairie Dunes
NGLA
Golden Horseshoe

Favorite International Course Played in No Certain Order:
TOC
Royal Dornoch
Muirfield
Ballybunion
Prestwick
Western Gailes
New South Wales
Club de Golf Chapultepec (Mexico City)
Waterville
Teeth of the Dog

Courses I Most Want to Play in the Future:
Crystal Downs
SFGC
Chicago GC
The Country Club
Valley Club
Pacific Dunes
County Down
Portrush
Royal Melbourne

Favorite Golf Book:  Tie between World Golf Atlas (1976) and Confidential Guide (bought CG for $35 at my local Barnes & Noble in 1997).  The slip covers are long gone on both of these books and the pages are dog-eared and worn.  I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Most Memorable Golf Experience:  Driving from Denver to Sand Hills, not seeing a living soul for 100 miles at a stretch, getting lost, and then getting directions from a beautiful young lady roller skating down the middle of the road in Mullen, NE.  When we sat down for dinner at Sand Hills later that evening, the young lady was our waitress.

Most Memorable Golf Experience (Runner Up):  Leaving NJ at 4 a.m., driving to Newport, RI, playing golf at Newport CC, driving back to NJ same day and arriving home at 11 p.m.

Favorite Golf Trip: 16 days playing golf in Scotland and Ireland in 1989.

Ambition on GCA:  Provide the perspective of a high handicap player on the playability of courses for those who don't hit the ball a mile.  My average drive is about 190 yards total distance and I hit my 6 iron 130 yards.  Course strategy becomes all-important with limited length.  I usually tack from point A to point B to point C when playing long holes.  I strongly believe courses should offer the ability to advance the ball on the ground from tee to green as much as possible which is one reason I really like Hidden Creek - it's imminently playable even for the high handicapper.

Pet Peeves:  18 holes should be played in about 3 hours.  Walking should be required except in cases of medical necessity.

A big thank you to Ran for granting me access to GCA.  I look forward to conversing with the group and hopefully meeting and playing golf with many of you over time. 

Best Regards-


Jim 

[Tim Leahy]

Jim, you must describe "Par 3 Ski Shop" and why it is in your favorites???

[Jim Thornton]

Tim-

Sadly, a shopping mall now sits on the former grounds of the Par 3 Ski Shop so I will need to work from memory.  What  makes it one of my favorites?  Alas, like all men, your first always holds a special place in your heart.  Ugly and crude though she may have been, she was mine.

Again, working from memory:

Check-In:
Enter the ski shop and pay the man $7 cash.  Keep in mind this was not a combination golf and ski shop...it was a ski shop only.  Not snow skiing and water skiing either...just snow skiing.  So you walk in there in the middle of August and the weather in Richmond is 97 degrees and 80 percent humidity and the shop is chock full of snow parkas, hats, gloves, and of course, skis.

Clubhouse Amenities:
There was a Coke machine and a snack machine outside on the side of the building.  For about $1, you could get a can of Coke and a pack of Lance Toast-Chee crackers, and that, my friend, is eating.  Some of the most satisfying meals in my golfing life were consumed right there next to those vending machines.  I don't care what anybody says about the lobster lunch at NGLA, I'll put the Par 3 Ski Shop dining experience right up there with any of them.

Practice Facilities:
There was a putting cup cut into the ground just beside where the vending machines were located.  It was mostly dirt since they never moved the cup, and there was never real grass there anyway Whatever weeds were there died out from being trampled on constantly.  We played putting games that were sort of a combination of croquet and golf...you had to putt in and around obstacles.  I became pretty good at this as evidenced by the time I started in the parking lot 30 yards away, putting/croqueting under a broken down school bus, around the building, off the Lance vending machine, and into the hole in 3 strokes.

Have to go now, but more to come later on holes to note.

Best-


Jim

[Stephen Britton]

Stephen Britton
Age: 30
H'Cap: 9

Grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Australia. Began playing golf at Centenary Park Golf Club in Frankston, then joined  Long Island Golf Club. Landed an apprenticeship on the grounds staff at Royal Melbourne Golf Club after high school and feel in love with greenskeeping. Since then I have moved to the States were I was an assistant Superintendent at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville VA for over 3 years. Currently I'm the Superintendent at Piedmont Club in Haymarket VA, a private Tom Fazio design country club.

Favourite Courses Played:
Royal Melbourne East & West
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
Victoria Golf Club
Kingston Heath Golf Club
Peninsula Country Golf Club
Old Memorial Golf Club
Columbia Country Club
Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Current Wish List:
Augusta National Golf Club
Cypress Point Club
Oakmont
Merion
Shinnecock Hills
Pasatiempo
Friars Head
Baltusrol

Most memorable moment: Mowing the Presidents putting green at the White House.

[Nick Church]

Nick Church
Age: 35

Home: Nashville, TN
Born: Ft. Bragg, NC (proud Army Brat)

Occupation: Partner / Operations
Alumni: Western Kentucky University
             University of Tennessee

Member: Fairvue Plantation Club
Handicap: 1

First GC Ever Played:  Ft. Ord - Bayonet & Blackhorse

Favorite Golf Architecture Book: World Atlas of Golf (As a kid, this was my introduction to GCA)

Favorite Courses Played:

- Pebble Beach
- We-Ko-Pa Saguaro
- Crooked Stick
- Whistling Straits
- Tobacco Road
- Pinehurst #2
- RTJ Grand National
- Valhalla
- Olde Stone

Courses I Would Like To Play:

- Cypress Point
- Pine Valley
- Pacific Dunes
- NGLA
- St. Andrews
- Ballybunion
- Augusta
- Sand Hills
- The Honors
- Cape Kidnappers
- Sebonack
- Merion
- Kiawah Island
- Royal Melbourne

Most Memorable Golf Experience:
Returning to the Monterey Peninsula after nearly 20 years to finally play Pebble Beach.  Since I've already posted to experience here, the sum is the my caddie Rock helped me break 80 from the back tees and hit the shot of a lifetime to the eighth hole.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Jim Thornton,

Welcome, from another Hokie!

[Scott Warren]

updated 2/2/11

Scott Warren
Age: 28

Home: Sydney, Australia

Occupation: Newspaper Editor

Member at Royal Cinque Ports (Kent, England) and Bonnie Doon (Sydney, Australia).

Handicap: 6

First GC Ever Played:  My grandfather's nine-holer that he build on his riverside property after retiring as a landscaper. First "proper" course was Windsor Country Golf Club.

Favorite Golf Architecture Book: Planet Golf and Planet Golf USA just shade the World Atlas of Golf.

Favorite Courses Played:
Pine Valley
Riviera
Fishers Island
Sandwich
Dornoch
TOC
Deal
NSWGC
Walton Heath (Old)
The Valley Club of Montecito
North Berwick
Silloth-on-Solway
Swinley Forest
St Enodoc
The Addington
Brora
Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
West Sussex
Hankley Common
Renaissance Club
Co. Louth (Baltray)
Woking
New Zealand
Rye
Newcastle
The Lakes
Royal Canberra
Royal Sydney

Most Memorable Golf Experience:
A split between a) coming back from six down after 10 to win a junior pennant game 1-up against an older kid who sledged me from the first tee and b) watching my 27-marker dad birdie the 5th at NSW.

[archie_struthers]

 

ARCHIE STRUTHERS

Ocean City  NJ

Age 52

Handicap  2.8 Index ,,,God only knows how they compute same

Business   own smalll real estate company McLaughlin / Struthers OCNJ 08226

Favorite Courses

in no particular order

Pine Valley
Shinnecock
Royal Portrush

and many others

favorite architect   tie ...  William Flynn and  Mr Tillinghast

dislikes in architecture.....tight quirky courses
likes ........................big , quirky courses  lol


Resume  .. newspper route....Caddy ...college student  (Terp) ...asst. golf professional ..(only two years )  built one course Twisted Dune ,  South Jersey, looking to do one more before I get too old

 

[Scott Furlong]

Scott Furlong
Age – 38
Home – Gainesville, VA
Married – 4 kids
Occupation – Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Superintendent
College – Terp
Index – 10

Some of my favorites:
Bandon Dunes
Pacific Dunes
Bandon Trail
Sheep Ranch
Merion
Sawgrass
Shoal Creek
Caves Valley
Pinehurst #2
Berkeley Hall
Old Memorial
Metedeconk National
The Ridge at Back Brook
Kinloch
Harbour Town
Lochinvar
Baltimore C.C.
Beechtree (sad to see it go)
Bulle Rock
Golden Horseshoe
Barton Creek
Lehigh
Forest Creek
Southern Highlands - Vegas
Kapalua Plantation

Most like to play:
California and New York tour and the one down in Georgia

Most Memorable Golf Experience – Bandon Dunes trip with the final round at the Sheep Ranch.  6 of us played with no one on the course (no golfers, no staff, no clubhouse, nothing).  Winner of each hole picked the next hole and the par.     

[Kyle Harris]

Might as well update:

Kyle Harris
Age: 25
Handicap: 8-9

Spray Technician
Huntingdon Valley Country Club, Abington, PA

Interviewing for Assistant Superintendent positions in the Philadelphia area
Apprentice Professional from 2001-2006
Penn State PGM

Past places of employ:
Hunter's Green Country Club, Tampa, FL
Mountain Lake Country Club, Lake Wales, FL

Favorite Courses:
Huntingdon Valley
Bethpage Red
Jeffersonville
Paxon Hollow
Manufacturers'
Merion West
Penn State (White)
Mountain Lake
World Woods Rolling Oaks
Brooksville CC
Dunedin CC
Lekarica
Schuylkill CC
Lancaster CC

Currently seeking: Golf companions, employment home for the next 3-5 years, Mrs. Harris

Current projects: Raising awareness of Penn State's White Course, low impact golf maintenance programs, restarting a Genesis cover band, Boy Scout training and programming, learning wines, enjoying Beer and Whisky

[Brian Laurent]

Been on here a little over a year now and don't think I've posted on this thread, so here goes:

Brian Laurent
Columbus, OH
Age: 30
Married with one child
College:  Ohio State (THE Ohio State University)
Full Time Job: Industrial/Commercial/Retail Floor Coating sales
Volunteer Job: Event Management and Sports Agent
Handicap: 3.5

New Years resolutions...be more active on GCA and set up an Ohio vs Michigan gathering this summer

Favorite courses played (no particular order):
Calusa Pines
Muirfield Village
Double Eagle
Saucon Valley (Weyhill is my favorite, but all three are good)
Merion
Ohio State - Scarlet
Cuscowilla
NCR
Holston Hills

Wish list (pretty standard):
Cypress Point
Pine Valley
Augusta
TOC
and anywhere else I can get a game with good company

[Cristian]

Cristian Willaert (updated May 2013)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Born: 1967, hcp index: 8.2
Married, two children
Occupation: Football (soccer) Journalist/reporter

Favourite courses played worldwide:

TOC
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Royal County Down
Cruden Bay
Ballybunion
Royal Dornoch
Royal St George's
North Berwick
Old Mac
Carnoustie
Pac Dunes
Royal Lytham
Morfontaine
Woking
Bandon Trails
Walton Heath Old
Rye
Waterville
Bandon Dunes
Alwoodley
Pasatiempo
Haagsche
Royal Aberdeen
Machrihanish
R5Ports
Noordwijk
Pan
Royal Zoute
Glasgow Gailes
Casa de Campo (teeth)
Kennemer

Top of wishlist:

NGLA
CPC
Crystal Downs
Ballyneal
Sand Hills
Tobacco Road

I'd like to learn more about gca and courses I haven't played and hope to raise some awareness and interest in the quality of some lesser known courses in mainland europe. (This summer, or spring I hope to do some picture threads).

[Keith Buntrock]

Keith Buntrock
Milwaukee, WI
Age:19, hcp index: 0.3
Currently playing as a college freshman

Held the competitive course record at Erin Hills for 3 hours at the 07 Public Links qualifier

Notable Courses i have played:
Sand Ridge (Ohio)
Greywalls
PGA National Champion Course
Mission Inn Resort El Campeon
Most of the southeast WI courses

Looking forward to seeing the snow disappear

[Carl Nichols]

Scott Furlong
Age – 38
Home – Gainesville, VA
Married – 4 kids
Occupation – Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Superintendent

Scott:
Welcome.  I played RTJ in October and the greens were the fastest I had ever played -- and they were pure too (just like the rest of the course).  Seems like you do a terrific job out there.

[Bob_Huntley]

Cristian Willaert
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Age: 41, hcp index: 11,9
Married, two children
Occupation: Football (soccer) Journalist/reporter

Favourite courses played worldwide:

Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Royal County Down
Ballybunion
Royal Dornoch
Royal St George's
Royal Lytham
Morfontaine
Walton Heath Old
Waterville
Alwoodley
Pasatiempo
Haagsche
Machrihanish
Fontainebleau
Noordwijk
Pan
Royal Zoute
Glasgow Gailes
Casa de Campo (teeth)
Kennemer

Top of wishlist:

NGLA
CPC
Bandon
Ballyneal
Sand Hills
Tobacco Road

I'd like to learn more about gca and courses I haven't played and hope to raise some awareness and interest in the quality of some lesser known courses in mainland europe. (This summer, or spring I hope to do some picture threads).

Cristian,

 A most impressive list of courses but I notice a notable anomaly; Glasgow Gails and no Old Course?

Your own Johann Cruyff(sic) was out at Pebble Beach last year and played with a GCA'er whose name escapes me. Now there was probably the best footballer ever.

Bob

[Patrick Kiser]

Your own Johann Cruyff(sic) was out at Pebble Beach last year and played with a GCA'er whose name escapes me. Now there was probably the best footballer ever.

Bob

Bob,

Nice try there, but this Frenchman has to disagree. :-)

Pele
Maradona
Zidane
Platini
Cruyff
Beckenbauer

in that order.

[Stu Grant]

Been a long-time reader of GCA and a part-time poster, hoping to contribute more in 2009. 

Name:  Stewart Grant
Resides:  St. Marys, Ontario, Canada
Age:  35
Handicap:  7
Married:  yes, with two kids (ages 3 & 1)
Occupation:  Chartered Accountant.  CFO of three Bermuda insurance companies.
Member:  St. Marys Golf Club in Ontario and Mt. Pleasant Country Club in Michigan.
Sports other than golf:  hockey, curling, crokinole
Favorite Teams:  Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Blue Jays 
Favorite Courses Played:  Plainfield CC, Oakmont, Bethpage Black, Inverness, National GC of Canada, Somerset Hills, Kingsley Club, Tobacco Road, Redtail, Mid Ocean, Port Royal, Bayonne

Miscellaneous Golf Facts:
1)   Started playing golf at age 10 and like a good accountant I have every course that I have ever played on a detailed spreadsheet, sortable by course architect, country, number of times played, etc.
2)   Fought the yips for five long years before getting a belly putter in 2006. 
3)   Campaigned successfully to save the uphill par-3 16th hole at St. Marys Golf Club from re-design
4)   First person to play golf in London Ontario this millennium (played Golfland in the snow on the morning of January 1, 2000)
5)   Never had a hole in one despite roughly 5,800 attempts on par-threes.   
6)   Looking forward to my first GCA gathering this summer at Kingsley.

[Charlie Goerges]

Stu, you RULE!

curling

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