Access, money, etiquette and common sense

[Tom Huckaby]

Of course that is well said also, Mr. Huntley.  There must be a limit to everything...

 

[Marty Bonnar]

Open invite to all GCAers (yes, EVEN you, Huckaby!):

As a member of a 'mid-range', Scottish parkland course, I hereby extend the hand of compatriotship to one and all. Come play my Home Course the next time you're in Scotland.

At the ridiculous expense of a tenner for a 'members guest', I will happily meet your green fee, provided you buy the beers. Tennent's, Carlsberg, Belhaven Best and Guinness all on tap for £2 a pint in the clubhouse.

Looking forward to many's a happy day!

FBD.

[Adam Clayman]

Tim Pitner-
Could you please tells us how you and a guest were able to access one of the newest courses to open in Colorado?

[Voytek Wilczak]

Tennent's, Carlsberg, Belhaven Best and Guinness all on tap for £2 a pint in the clubhouse.

That's about £400/hectoliter....

Uhh, never mind. I'd love to visit bonnie Scotland again someday. The place grabs you and never lets go.

[Anthony Butler]

This thread has gotten waaay OT... the topic being that Hamilton is better bred than anyone on GCA.com .... I think the appropriate way to close this thread is for Hammy to offer to host all interested GCA.com members at one of his clubs.

For my part, I promise to park my El Dorado in the far corner of the member's car park with the rusty primer panel  facing away from the clubhouse ... I will dump at least one hundred of the Big Gulp cups currently on my passengers seat, and put some bandages over the weeping scabs on my knees... I will even wear a collared shirt instead of my usual golf outfit, my Tedi Bruschi replica jersey. (GO PAAATS!)

It has a Dunkin Donuts logo on it so I hope that's okay....

[Bob_Huntley]

Anthony,

A good friend, the one that wore the Johnsons Corner Truck shirt to ANGC, joined MPCC  quite a few years ago. He had a second home in Carmel and bought a really old, clapped out VW bug, in vivid red to breeze about the Peninsula. Upon seeing it in the parking lot I had the club secretary type up a sheet, in a large f, asking him to park the thing in the employees lot. He did, and I chafed him about it for months thereafter.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

That was a large...font.

[Anthony Butler]

Viszlas are great dogs - hugely intelligent. Did anyone mention they come from Hungary? Makes you think well of that country.

Great swimmers too... our Vizsla went 400yds out into the middle of a lake in New Hampshire last weekend... some friends of ours were dog sitting... the husband went after her freestyle and the wife grabbed a canoe out of the boathouse. When she got to the dog, the husband needed a canoe ride while Stella swam back to the dock.

[Mike_Golden]

I hosted many GCAers during my years at Lake Merced, some on multiple occasions, and, except in one isolated instance, never asked anyone to pay a greens fee or any other cost of playing golf that day.

I've had a few reciprocations over the years, certainly not nearly as many as those I have hosted, but overall I would not change the way I approached it and treasure several non-hosted experiences that have come my way through my friendships at GCA.

Mike,

You are a good egg, but when you write you have had many GCA'ers as guests, is that 5, 10, 20 or what? For a goodly number of years I always hosted a first time guest, however, when my accountant pointed out a few short years ago that I had entertained something like a hundred golfers over a twelve month period, I changed my policy.

Obviously these were not all GCA'ers as I have visitors from the UK, Australia and South Africa but it seems when it comes to golf in America, all roads lead to Pebble Beach.

Bob

Bob,

I'd have to try to remember but I'm guessing in the 25-30 (it's most likely more, I just remembered some invitations at San Jose CC before I joined Lake Merced)  range if you include repeat invitations.  I know that pales in comparison to the number you've entertained at MPCC and other places and wasn't suggesting to anyone that should be the norm.  At the time most of this was happening I was in a position where the cost really didn't matter to me as Lake Merced had a very reasonable guest fee (about $45-65) and I also had some comped weekday guest fees I could use as well.  By the way, two of the treasured days I mentioned were because of your generosity.  And, if and when you ever get to Orlando I hope to be able to reciprocate (I'm in the process of joining Rio Pinar CC right now).

Mike

[HamiltonBHearst]

Anthony Butler

Maybe I can get you on Greenwich CC. The round will be on me also.

[Jim Nugent]

Mike

To bring this back OT, my father's Vizsla was called "Buda."  Can you ship yours over to Hoylake in early October.  We need a mascot.

Rich, speaking of the Buda, how is she shaping up?  Yanks the favorites to put the pretenders in their place?  

[ForkaB]

Jim

I'm just the eminence grise of Buda IV.  Philip Gawith is in charge.  That being said, I might look favourably on yet another Captaincy for the USA team, and if such is forthcoming, I have absolutely no doubt that success will be ours, even if any of the many AD/DC players who have signed up (Arble, Cole, Disher, Goodale, etc.) choose to play for the ROW out of sympathy.

Rich

[Philip Gawith]

Jim, it is shaping up well - 24 or so people down to play. And remember - it is being played on the infamous, fast running Hoylake links, and there are two rounds of foursomes, so the lob-wedge wielding Yankees don't stand a chance.

Admittedly, as Rich points out, there are a number of AC/DC nationalities participating, so one might be able to level things out a bit with a bit of gerrymandering.

[JMorgan]

From the NYTimes this morning:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/fashion/sundaystyles/30BRIDGE.html

[Craig_Rokke]

Don't know if anyone asked this: what courses definitely want
you to leave the digital camera in the car?

[TEPaul]

James Morgan:

Thanks for the link to the NT Times article on The Bridge. I love it---The Bridge is definitely pushing "The Big World" theory when it comes to a type and style of golf club.  

Craig:

I think PV would PREFER you leave your camera in the car. I don't believe they ban the taking of photos but they do not want anyone taking photos that get used for commercial purposes.

[Lloyd_Cole]

Jim

I'm just the eminence grise of Buda IV.  Philip Gawith is in charge.  That being said, I might look favourably on yet another Captaincy for the USA team, and if such is forthcoming, I have absolutely no doubt that success will be ours, even if any of the many AD/DC players who have signed up (Arble, Cole, Disher, Goodale, etc.) choose to play for the ROW out of sympathy.

Rich

Rich, much as I am a big fan of Angus Young and his rocking family, I only live over here. Passport remains British, and I have yet to root for the US in any sporting event, except maybe Olympic Basketball..

[ForkaB]

Lloyd

I'll take that as a "no."

[Lloyd_Cole]

Lloyd

I'll take that as a "no."

Rich

Not quite sure what I may have refused, hopefully nothing I wanted, but if it was citizenship, then that's just fine. Unfortunately I don't share Phillip's optimism - based on The Open statistics, the yanks with their lobs wedges have a distinct advantage.. I was just hoping that some trash talking might divert from this..

[ForkaB]

Lloyd

In the past, membership on either Buda Cup side has been based not only on citizenship and/or residence but preference and necessity.  Darren Kilfara played on both sides in each of Budas I and II.  Philip Gawith was drafted into the USA side for Buda III (craftily, I might say!), and a few Painswick members played for the USA in Buda II on days when we needed to make up the numbers.

What will happen at Buda IV, I know not, but if we have 12 of each USA/ROW players on the tee at all of our matches I will be surprised-pleasantly, I should add.

Getting back to the question, if there ever was one.....citizenship is not required if you wish to play for the US of A, but it might just stand you in good stead should the INS come to call one day......

To further clarify, Buda Cups are more like the "doubles" matches played by Eric Idle and his fellow cross-dressers in the "Angus Podgordny/Blancmanges from the Planet Skyron" sketch from Monty Python than the white hot nail-biting stuff we will see at the K Club in August.  And, we should all be thankful for that.

Rich

[Lloyd_Cole]

Rich
All good. Very interesting concept - representing the opposing team. Excellent test of honourable behaviour when sabotage is an easy option.  Somehow puts me in mind of those 1970's war films which always seemsed to include  POW's overcoming differences to beat the Gerry guards at soccer (football). This distraction allowing others to tunnel to escape.

[ForkaB]

You gotta admit it, Lloyd.  Sly Stallone was the best 5' 7" goalie ever to play in an International.

[PThomas]

You gotta admit it, Lloyd.  Sly Stallone was the best 5' 7" goalie ever to play in an International.

I walked out on that movie, I thought it was so bad!

[Tim Pitner]

Tim Pitner-
Could you please tells us how you and a guest were able to access one of the newest courses to open in Colorado?

Mr. Clayman,

I'm not sure I like the accusatory tone of your question, nor am I sure you're entitled to an answer.  But, since I understand you're a member of the club in question, I'll give you a response, privately.  If you're looking for a scandal, there isn't one here.  

[JR Potts]

This sounds too good to be kept private.