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Tom Huckaby

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #50 on: October 26, 2006, 03:27:07 PM »
Rich:

I rather meant what I said about you in the post to Tim as a compliment.  That is, you are likely much better equipped to assess the nuts and bolts of a golf course than I am.  I am far too emotional.

But I honestly did think you stated - in here and in person - many times that things like this don't effect you much.  And what I mean is how private/exclusive a club is, or what tradition it exudes, the feeling one gets about the greats that have played before him, etc.  If I am wrong about that, then my apologies.  

Help me correct my consistent ignorance about you.   You DO feel these things?

And if so, well then why is CPC #16 a "simple driver to the right side, no big deal" and otherwise "the very definition of eye candy"?

TH

[edited for typos and better clarity]
« Last Edit: October 26, 2006, 03:33:38 PM by Tom Huckaby »

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #51 on: October 26, 2006, 04:28:19 PM »

I hate to be so agreeable I 18 and a lunch at Muirfield was a day I will never forget. I forget why but we were not able to play a second 18 but we did sit around the clubhouse in our jackets and ties, drinking Rusty Nails and looking at the library and trophies. If they would have let me I would have just stayed until the Rusty Nails made me fall over.

The other recollection, other than the course, is how you would never know where the place is unless you had directions. You drive down a narrow road out of Gullane and come to a fence with a small oval sign with "HCEG" in scroll.

Mark Pearce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #52 on: October 27, 2006, 03:46:31 AM »

Thus I for one was thankful for the system in place.  Oh, it wasn't the perfect cool fun it would be perhaps to experience with one good guest friend and two member friends... but at times beggars can't be choosers.

I find it somewhat odd that people who are supposed to be really into golf courses and golf architecture are often at least as interested in the atmosphere of the club.  Tom H, I'm sorry to use your post as the springboard for this comment, but if people are often (consciously or not) judging courses by criteria other than the course itself, I can understand why people don't rate a course like Pacific Dunes as highly as others--no old money feel to the place.
"Old money feel"?  There's no doubt that the traditional exclusive British golf clubs are, well, exclusive and very comfortable places.  Most of the membership, however, is not, in most cases termendously wealthy - Muifield, for instance has a membership which at times seems to consist almost entirely of lawyers.  Comfortably middle class, no doubt, but old money?  No, I don't think so.

I'll make the point I've made on the other Muirfield thread.  I don't think that money (old or new) is the litmus test for membership of these clubs.  Subs are, relatively, low.  The membership have an idea of what makes a "chap" suitable for membership but, to be fair to them, money is not a key deciding factor here.  Perhaps this is different at exclusive US clubs, where entrance fees and annual dues may be more of a barrier.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2006, 03:46:48 AM by Mark Pearce »
In June I will be riding the first three stages of this year's Tour de France route for charity.  630km (394 miles) in three days, with 7800m (25,600 feet) of climbing for the William Wates Memorial Trust (https://rideleloop.org/the-charity/) which supports underprivileged young people.

Tim Pitner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #53 on: October 27, 2006, 12:30:42 PM »
Mark,

I made a couple of leaps in logic that I didn't spell out in the post.  I understood some posters on the Muirfield-related threads to be saying that they didn't want U.S. clubs to adopt the Muirfield model of allowing visitors to play because it would allegedly diminish the golf experience.  Interestingly, they seemed to be saying this from the perspective of guests of members, not from the perspective of members themselves.  I inferred that people were saying that they didn't want to lose the exclusive club atmosphere by opening the gates to the unwashed masses (even on a very limited basis).  That's where my old money comment came from.  I wasn't referring to Muirfield.  BTW, I'm an attorney so perhaps I'd fit in well at HCEG.  

G Jones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #54 on: March 18, 2007, 06:45:30 PM »
having just searched "kummel" on the forums, I would just like to say that the little know panmure barry club definately has a claim to drink the most kummel, although they drink metzendorff kummel as opposed to the wolfschmidt that some other clubs drink. While not an expert I find the metzendorff far superior!

also, on the subject of kummel, the only clubs in america I've found kummel at so far were pine valley and merion. And I think that kummel was leftovers from a visit from a group of golfers from london. Poor showing from the americans...

Tim MacEachern

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #55 on: March 18, 2007, 09:26:15 PM »
Just to be perfectly clear here for those who are reading.  As well as "jacket and tie", make sure you have dress shoes.  You'll read on the sites web pages "no trainers" -- for North Americans that translates into "no sneakers".

And yes, the lunch is definitely not to be missed.  

Two things got me at Muirfield:

1) Cut doglegs at your peril.  The long grass can kill!

2) Yardages are to the front of the green, including the yardages on the par 3s.  For some reason, figuring the numbers on the par 4s and 5s weren't a problem for me, but the par 3s were.  I'm used to getting to a par 3 tee and having a sign say 156, then not having to adjust it too much.  At Muirfield, if the pole says 156, you'll never use that distance, middle of the green will be 170 or so.

Michael Christensen

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #56 on: March 18, 2007, 10:25:45 PM »
thanks for updated info Tim......I have been studying online maps all day and night (seriously!) for my trip next week....guess it starts with driving on the right side, yikes! :o

any and all info about muirfield will be greatly appreciated....just learned that Greywalls has a putting green to get the kinks out...

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #57 on: March 19, 2007, 02:55:38 PM »
..guess it starts with driving on the right side, yikes! :o

Michael, repeat after me:

"I am driving on the LEFT side of the road.  I get in on the RIGHT side!"

Every time you get in the car.  "I am driving on the LEFT side!"

Otherwise it can be life threatening if you don't break the old habits.

 ;D ;)

See you next week.

Michael Christensen

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #58 on: March 19, 2007, 05:57:05 PM »
bill....my right side comment wasn't meant to be directional...I know that much....just worried about the Massachusetss type rotaries in Edinburgh.....could see me doing a European Vacation type thing around the city!

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #59 on: March 19, 2007, 06:06:07 PM »
The 'rotaries' are known as roundabouts in all of Scotland, except strangely Dundee, where they call them 'circles'. (No frills in Dundee!)
When approaching give way to traffic on right (who are already on roundabout), then join in - Wheeee!
There's normally arrows on road to show you which lane to choose, but they can be inconsistent.

Be careful out there...

FBD.
The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #60 on: March 19, 2007, 06:17:47 PM »
Martin - you forgot to mention that you should join the roundabouts at a high rate of speed, much easier to merge ...

"... and I liked the guy ..."

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #61 on: March 19, 2007, 06:23:14 PM »
Mike,
indeed - it's kind of a planetary motion orbit kind of thing! 8)

When Stan and the Pacific Grove team were here, I spent the first 30 minutes at Kingsbarns with them helping fix a flat tyre - the result of a small disagreement with a kerb! Pretty nicely dented rim too. That left side kerb can leap out and grab ya!

FBD.
The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Brent Hutto

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #62 on: March 19, 2007, 09:14:50 PM »
I spent two weeks in England last summer banging the left front wheel of my hired Ford Focus into curbs (kerbs?) from Oxfordshire to the Kent coast. Hubcap was gone by the end of the first day and the rim dents just kept accumulating.

As I explained to a passenger at one point, the more times you bang the curb the more the car pulls to the left. The more it pulls to the left the more you bang the curb. Then at some point it evens out and you can just keep a constant pull to the right on the steering wheel.

Somebody nicked my antenna (aerial?) on about day five so I was surprised to find that the entire damage bill payable to Hertz was only about 45 pounds at the end of the fortnight.

Doug Siebert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #63 on: March 20, 2007, 02:05:54 AM »
..guess it starts with driving on the right side, yikes! :o

Michael, repeat after me:

"I am driving on the LEFT side of the road.  I get in on the RIGHT side!"

Every time you get in the car.  "I am driving on the LEFT side!"

Otherwise it can be life threatening if you don't break the old habits.

 ;D ;)

See you next week.


I don't see how anyone could ever have a problem with this.  The fact I'm sitting on the wrong side of the car has always been reminder enough that I need to drive on the wrong side of the road over there ;D

I got the hang of roundabouts right away and have always loved them.  Then the city I live in added roundabouts in a few places (three way intersections only) in the last few years, and at first I found them a bit unnerving because I felt like I was going to hit someone head-on entering a roundabout on the right side!
My hovercraft is full of eels.

Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #64 on: March 20, 2007, 05:11:21 AM »
To our American friends you will be driving on the correct side of the road.....remember when our first roads were built we thought the world was flat and Tiger Woods was a small forest in Northern India.

Gordon - Fine analysis on the Kummel you know your at the finest cubs when you get the option of metzendorff or wolfschmidt. When I hit the Kummel i'm usually over dined so cannot tell the difference!

Mark Pearce - I've a very good friend who is a HCEG member it took him 11 years to get his membership even though his father was also a member. Apparently it can be nearer 20 years if you are an "outsider".
Cave Nil Vino

Mark Pearce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #65 on: March 20, 2007, 05:31:03 AM »
To our American friends you will be driving on the correct side of the road.....remember when our first roads were built we thought the world was flat and Tiger Woods was a small forest in Northern India.

Gordon - Fine analysis on the Kummel you know your at the finest cubs when you get the option of metzendorff or wolfschmidt. When I hit the Kummel i'm usually over dined so cannot tell the difference!

Mark Pearce - I've a very good friend who is a HCEG member it took him 11 years to get his membership even though his father was also a member. Apparently it can be nearer 20 years if you are an "outsider".
Mark,

I'm sure it can take forever.  I'm not even certain that the waiting list (which is many years) is even open.  I certainly hold out littlehope of ever joining, despite the family connection.  They still have a box into which members place white or black balls to "elect" new members which those of us playing there on Tuesday will be able to examine.
In June I will be riding the first three stages of this year's Tour de France route for charity.  630km (394 miles) in three days, with 7800m (25,600 feet) of climbing for the William Wates Memorial Trust (https://rideleloop.org/the-charity/) which supports underprivileged young people.

James Bennett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #66 on: March 23, 2007, 08:25:31 AM »
Roundabouts hints for our American friends - Remember to go clockwise at the roundabout (a la the Reverse Course).  That is, turn left at the roundabout.  Do not go right (anti-clockwose).  That could be very ugly.

PS  I found the comments about the left kerb jumping out and biting tyres to be hilarious.  I 'enjoyed' the opposite experience last week in the US!

James B
Bob; its impossible to explain some of the clutter that gets recalled from the attic between my ears. .  (SL Solow)

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #67 on: March 23, 2007, 06:28:57 PM »
Gents,
all this combined talk of Roundabouts and Kummel.

DO NOT, under any circumstances, have more than 2 Pints and then drive in this country. The Constabulary and Judiciary take an exceedingly dim view of alcohol-related driving accidents. They will lock you up (and probably give you a right good kicking) if you are caught.

There is AUTOMATIC breathalysing for ANY traffic related incident - even if it wasn't your fault. These boys are good. REALLY GOOD.

Be careful out there.
FBD.
The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Michael Christensen

Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #68 on: March 23, 2007, 06:35:24 PM »
MGB,

no roundabouts between Muirfield and Greywalls! ;D

seriously, d&d anywhere is a bad way to go.....try it in southern georgia...you may never be seen from again if you dont convince the judge (aka $$$$)

see all of you Monday!
« Last Edit: March 23, 2007, 06:36:03 PM by Michael Christensen »

Sean Walsh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #69 on: March 24, 2007, 07:45:03 PM »
I was thinking about packing my bag tonight for the trip south and realised I had made one oversight.  

I don't have a jacket with me in Scotland  :o

Does anyone  that is going have one I can borrow for the occassion?  

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #70 on: March 24, 2007, 08:46:38 PM »
I was thinking about packing my bag tonight for the trip south and realised I had made one oversight.  

I don't have a jacket with me in Scotland  :o

Does anyone  that is going have one I can borrow for the occassion?  

Don't forget a tie as well!

Sean Walsh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Muirfield - Jacket and Tie?
« Reply #71 on: March 24, 2007, 09:50:19 PM »
Bill,

Shirt and tie aren't a problem as I have to wear them at my current job.  Which currently entails (for the next 2 weeks anyway) staring out at the rear of the R&A building and then gazing across the west sands to Carnoustie as the sun rises.

Life is good.  And only gets better next week  ;D