Diary of a golf trip

[RJ_Daley]

Did he have a caddie?  

Oh, and I want to know how he liked the 7th.  

[John Kavanaugh]

Sadly I was much too busy enjoying myself to post from the site.  I can't think straight right now because I am on a public pay machine and the cents are counting down with each key stroke and I seem to be short on such.

The best analogy that came to me on why Hendren is so confused was thinking back to the first time I fell in love.  I remember the feeling more than I remember why.  

It may take awhile before I go into any detail why I think my destination was so great.  I'm not sure I want to share this fantastic experience with people who may not even want to be as happy as I am today.  I can already feel the tentacles of criticopolis grabbing at my ankles begging me to find fault at a place where after four rounds I still believe none is to be found.  I refuse to feed the beast.

[Peter Pallotta]

John K - lovely post.
Adam C - Nice take. My 'happy ending' referred to being at that golf course, at this time, with that host.

Peter  

[Adam Clayman]

Peter, I actually mis-read your post. Replacing story for shot, dyslexicly.

JK, Glad you could be happy. Hope it lasts.

p.s Paul Cowley is already looking into the market on Ebay for Internet Celebrity Merch.

[John Kavanaugh]

Is it poor form to wear a golf hat on a plane?  

[Mike Benham]

Is it poor form to wear a golf hat on a plane?  

In the era of soft spikes, how about golf shoes?

[John Kavanaugh]

Golf shoes would not bother me as much as hats do.  I really hope my seat is not next to the guy I just saw with a hat and open toed sandals.  I am starting to wonder if there is a correlation between Mothers Day and the migration of large people.  This plane is going to be nothing short of packed.

[RJ_Daley]

It may take awhile before I go into any detail why I think my destination was so great.  I'm not sure I want to share this fantastic experience with people who may not even want to be as happy as I am today.

I really couldn't say it better and that is exactly how I felt.  I still have refrained from making the obvious comparisons that everyone wants to know about the two major courses out there.  JK, your 4 rounds is a far better platform from which to build an opinon of comparisons than my one round.  While I've played the other course 5 times now, I feel like there is just too much to take in on one round on either course.  IN a way, I'd rather have a rule... no comparisons!  One should just be able to gush on and on about both, without making comparisons.

I guess I'll just go with, "It is the best of its kind I've ever played"  

[Michael Robin]

JK -

Any truth to the rumor that you are now known as "The Closer"?



Any truth to the rumor that you are also now known as "Lefty"?

[John Kavanaugh]

JK -

Any truth to the rumor that you are now known as "The Closer"?



Any truth to the rumor that you are also now known as "Lefty"?

Michael,

It does say something about a course that provides enough of an interesting finish that a guy like me is not too tired at the end to close out a match.  If I had worn capants instead of shorts I might have not had to hit the three left handed shots...Each was as much a desire to not yucca up my legs as the best option available.  I'm just glad no one is calling me "Muskrat"...but I'm not sure you heard about that one.

[Tim Pitner]

Can we officially call this exercise a failure?

[John Kavanaugh]

Can we officially call this exercise a failure?

That is an interesting observation based on what I have posted here.  Every post in this thread was done when I was alone.  It took me about one second to realize the rudeness of posting updates once I hit the ground and found my destination.  That does not mean that I do not have a successful diary of the trip...It only means I did not share it for reasons that have become very clear to me.

[Tim Pitner]

John,

With due respect, I'm more interested in Ballyneal and less interested in John Kavanaugh.  I was hoping you might say something about the course; your observations on courses can be quite interesting.  I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.  

[John Kavanaugh]

I don't believe I have ever mentioned where I was going.

[Tim Pitner]

Yet, amazingly, I was able to deduce it.  

This may be even more of a narcissistic exercise than I originally thought.  

[Gordon Oneil]

Very mysterious, and I was initially intrigued and still remained curious as this post overflowed onto page 2.  But I gotta say I'm starting to feel an very similar to how I did after all those unbearable "I think maybe we will, maybe she'll let me" dates in high school...TEASED with no relief in sight.  
Valid?  Or just impatient?

[John Kavanaugh]

This would work on a trip alone to a public course.  Photos and the whole deal...It is just not the nature of a retreat with friends to break away and post on a Blackberry or stop the action to take photo's.  I actually couldn't even tell you what time it was once on the property.  All you need to know is when you are hungry or thirsty and if there is time for another 18.  I could not have imagined such solitude at the start of this exercise when I started the tread while sitting in a Southern Indiana airport.  I didn't come back to electronic versitude until I hit Hertz and was confronted by costumer service.

Gordon O'Neil...Did I meet you there?

[John Kavanaugh]

Yet, amazingly, I was able to deduce it.  

This may be even more of a narcissistic exercise than I originally thought.  

Tim,

If you think this is narcissistic you should have seen me signing golf balls outside the proshop.

[Peter Pallotta]

"I actually couldn't even tell you what time it was once on the property.  All you need to know is when you are hungry or thirsty and if there is time for another 18.  I could not have imagined such solitude at the start of this exercise.."

John
have you ever had that kind of experience on any other golf course? If so, I'd be curious to know where. If not, how do you think you'd rank that solitude and immersion in terms of the "total golfing experience"?

Thanks
Peter

[Tim Pitner]

Yet, amazingly, I was able to deduce it.  

This may be even more of a narcissistic exercise than I originally thought.  

Tim,

If you think this is narcissistic you should have seen me signing golf balls outside the proshop.

John,

That's funny.  

I don't understand why we're tiptoeing around the fact that you played Ballyneal and why you don't have anything to say about the course.  You've never been at a loss for words before.  

BTW, I completely understand why you didn't do a photo essay on the course and why you didn't take time out to blog about it.  I have a very difficult time pausing during a round to snap a few pictures.  

[John Kavanaugh]

"I actually couldn't even tell you what time it was once on the property.  All you need to know is when you are hungry or thirsty and if there is time for another 18.  I could not have imagined such solitude at the start of this exercise.."

John
have you ever had that kind of experience on any other golf course? If so, I'd be curious to know where. If not, how do you think you'd rank that solitude and immersion in terms of the "total golfing experience"?

Thanks
Peter

No I have never had that experience golfing anywhere else.  I think one of the great things about the destination is that it is so far from everything else and the private nature of the destination separates it from a resort like Bandon where you are at the mercy of other golfers and schedules.  At the destination you don't even need to get out of bed until you choose even though when heading west it is of little problem since I have "free" hours on my side.  I think solitude ranks very high on the golfing experience which is one reason I have always been against the practice of hit and run golfing at such retreats.

[John Kavanaugh]

I had many people ask me if I was going to wonder off site and see other famous courses in the area.  I never even inquired to such as it is not and was not something I feel fits in a three day trip on your first visit.  Of course I did find out when at the destination that other destinations do not open until June anyway...Thank God for little policies as I may have been tempted to delay my trip until later if I was a hit and runner.  I have a strong feeling I may have seen the finest three days for golf in the history of the state....May is an absolute delight and I feel sorry for members of other destinations which may be closed because of misdirected needs for perfect turf.

[Michael Robin]

John -

You got it!

There is this amazing combo of world-class golf, great food, a wonderful room, and friendly familiar service in a Small Town USA setting. All this adds up to this remarkable, relaxing experience. It's hard to believe that everybody who gets to walk these grounds doesn't get it, but I'm glad that YOU got it. And I'm really glad that you had such fun.

MR.

P.S. The $20 you lost on Saturday is now in a frame

[John Kavanaugh]

I've come up with a list of my 71 favorite things at the destination.  These are not in order:

1.  The walk from one tee to four tee sets up the round in a way that is comfortable for all levels of fitness.  This is the first and only course since Pinehurst #2 that I have walked 36 holes straight since I had children.

2.  Michael,  if you recall I paid you with two fives and a ten...The 20 you have framed must the the one we won as a team against Kirk and Darling.  

[John Kavanaugh]

Please note that I do not carry a score card so rarely know the hole number of where I am playing unless completely obvious...please excuse and feel free to correct any misnumberings.

3.  13 gets harder as you move up to a shorter tee because of the random fairway bunkers that are not afraid to collect.

4.  The reverse bunker on 13.

5.  When you order the side of fruit with a lunch sandwich it comes built like an African jungle castle where the cantalope is balanced like elephant tusks.

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