new member introduction

[Michael Blake]

Greetings all.

Mike Blake
38 yrs old
Worcester, PA (philadelphia suburbs)
married, 2 kids (around 3, around 1)
former teacher, current stay-at-home dad for 3+ years. (not sure how much longer I can do it as i'm beginning to go crazy)

Kids nap time has provided me plenty of time to become a daily lurker on this site for a couple of years now, and to practice my stack and tilt 3/4 swing.

Playing golf since 15yrs old. (has it been 23yrs already?)  handicap has been 11-15 during that time.  Grew up in Essex/Morris County, NJ playing such courses as, Francis Byrne, Galloping Hill, Weequaik (sp?), Flanders Valley.....

Became interested in architecture when a friend of mine and member of this site began a career as a course designer.


Being a stay at home dad with two young kids doesn't allow for much playing as time is scarce and money is tight.  But I have been playing fairly regularly this year..... Mostly play at Jeffersonville (Ross/McGovern?) which is only a few miles from home.  Probably the best bang for the buck around these parts.  Also play twilight rates at Lederach (Kelly Blake Moran.)


The one positive about not playing as much pre-kids is that my interest in architecture make each round much more meaningful and enjoyable now that my eyes are open.

Look forward to being an active member of the site.  And to meeting the Philadelphia area posse of GCA, maybe at the Cobbs Creek outing.  I used to play there a bit in college and I do remember my last time there I had a hard time completing my backswing with the bulletproof vest I was wearing .


Mike

[james soper]

welcome aboard mike. if staying at home doesn't make you crazy, this place sure will. enjoy the lunacy but remember, you have been warned.

[James Edwards]

James, Id say a stay at home father has a strength and courage far greater than logging on to GCA on a daily basis///   ... or maybe not, time will tell... keep that bullet proof vest handy though Mike...

Welcome Mike, just say it as it is...

James.

[Phil_the_Author]

Michael, from one stay-at-home dad to another... welcome aboard!

[TEPaul]

Welcome to the barroom brawl on a Friday night in Dodge City that is GOLFCLUBATLAS.com's Discussion Group.

I will say to you what I say to all newcomers----eg if you want to survive comfortably on this site the best thing to do is agree with everything I say and no more than about 3% of what Patrick Mucci says.

[Michael Blake]

Thanks guys.

Philip, encouraging to hear there are more out there!

TEP, after lurking for a couple of years I've observed that survival might best be achieved by allowing you and Mr. Mucci to duke it out yourselves.  

[Jim Nugent]

Tom, which 3% is that?

[Mike Nuzzo]

I was doing some math, and I think you are a little off.  I started caddying when I was 14 at the Maplewood CC and had been playing a bit prior.  You started a little after me, and we had some pretty good monday matches, you may have been playing prior to 15.

Mike and I have known each other since 2nd grade when we were 2 of 5 mikes in our class.  We've done a bunch together since then too.

Mike originially didn't want to join the discussion because he didn't think he had enough knowledge to share about the subject.  Then I saw him posting on Shackelfords blog about his disagreement regarding Golf.coms take on Bandon Trails from his experiences.
I thought it was time.

As for my anonymity, maybe Mike didn't want anyone to know he was the first one invited to play Wolf Point over 1.5 years ago while we were in Bandon.

[Cliff Hamm]

Welcome Mike...I played most of my beginning golf at Galloping Hill while also caddying at Baltusrol and playing there on Mondays.  Talk about two different worlds.  I played at the Hill in the '60s when they had mats for tees.  There is often discussion on this board about whether tees should be level.  What are the architectural merits of mats?  

[Dan Kelly]

TEP, after lurking for a couple of years I've observed that survival might best be achieved by allowing you and Mr. Mucci to duke it out yourselves.  

Lurking time well spent, obviously.

Welcome.

And enjoy those little kids. It goes far faster than you can possibly imagine. Two days ago, my older daughter was pleading with me: "Take me swinging, Daddy. Take me swinging, Daddy!" Yesterday, she graduated from high school.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Cliff,
I think Galloping Hills still had mats when Mike and I played there in the '80s.

At the time I didn't know that I could have ridden my bike in the other direction to get to Baltusrol.  

Cheers

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Mike,

Welcome aboard!  I happen to live about 5 miles up Valley Forge Rd. from Worcester--give me a PM sometime when you're up here to play Lederach.  

[TEPaul]

"Tom, which 3% is that?"

Jim:

Pretty good question.

[TEPaul]

Michael Blake:

Pat and I aren't duking it out. What we are is all about allegiance over thought-processes even if one must figure that out for one's self.

The weird thing happens to be we're friends despite all this. But there are some serious issues here and some serious issues between us. The trick here is if you can read between the lines, if you try. If you can, you're probably home free---you're in the Treehouse to stay and noboby, not anybody can flip you out of it.

But in the real world of sustainable "Test of time" credibility Pat is right about 3% of the time and I'm multiples ahead of him on that.

This place is all about offering opinions and whether you can defend them reasonably. And/or humor to some effect in there. But in the end who really is right? Only time can tell. It does help, though, if you believe in yourself and your opinions. That and a buck and change can definitely buy you a passable cup of coffee.

[George Pazin]

Welcome.

Any friend of Mike's....

Have fun and don't be shy.

And I'm a full time dad, too. Maybe we should start a support group.

I'm crushed I didn't receive the first invite to Wolf Creek!