Highlight of 2007

[Ash Towe]

We are coming to the end of year and I was thinking about my golfing highlight.  No doubt it was my trip to Nor Cal in September.  
It was great to catch up with Ed Getka after hosting him on his trip to NZ and Australia.  Then meeting and playing golf with-
Bob Huntley
Kevin Reilly
Rick Schefchik
Tom Huckaby
Evan Green
Thanks to you guys for making this trip a great experience.
It was great to play Cypress Point, MPCC Shore, SFGC, Spyglass and Quail.
It would be interesting to here what other people on this site have enjoyed the most this year.

[Bill_McBride]

Forrest Richardson's Links at Las Palomas in Northern Mexico.  
North Berwick, Muirfield, TOC, COT, Lundin Llinks, New at St Andrews.    
Royal Portrush Valley, Ardglass and Castlerock in N Ireland.  
Walking Royal County Down during the Walker Cup and then getting stiffed by the starter that same week.  
Mike Young's Longshadow during the Dixie Cup!  

"It was a very good year." - F. Sinatra

[Brian Laurent]

My highlight of 07 was last week...spent three days at Cuscowilla with my father and some good friends.  Can't go wrong with great golf, great friends and tasty grub!

[Chris Kane]

*Playing TOC many more times
*Kingsbarns
*Elie
*Carnoustie, and seeing the Open there

The lowlight was having to return to Australia, but seeing my home club Commonwealth in its best ever condition was definitely a highlight.  I've been openly critical of the course and committee here on here before, but the place is now looking fantastic, and the committee should be very proud of what is happening there at the moment.

[Mike Mosely]

Friars Head.  Alpine.

[Bob_Huntley]

I didn't travel far, played no new course, had an escalating handicap but I had many a highlight in meeting new GCA friends and sensing their pleasure in enjoying the golfing delights of the Monterey Peninsula. (Dan Kelly will kill me for that run-sentence.)

I witnessed some good golf from a number of players but the swing I want to emulate is that of Andrew Biggadyke. Not the longest guy in the world but oh so syrupy.


Bob

[ed_getka]

    My maiden voyage Down Under to NZ and Australia. The warm reception I had throughout my trip by the many GCA'ers down there made it my best golf trip ever. To have golfed on many of the great courses down there was just icing on the cake compared to the hospitality shown. Having the chance to stay with Ash Towe and his lovely wife Chris was special. It gave me a chance to learn more about NZ and how people live down there.
    Walking the property at Aetna Springs with Jim Urbina and meeting some of the Renaissance crew was a great treat. What seemed at first to be a non-descript rolling meadow with  some oak  trees, turned out to be an interesting property where the team seems to have taken advantage of every possible feature. I really look forward to getting back up there to see how it plays.
     Having a chance to help Ash plan his trip and then see him elevate his game at Cypress on a magical day will be a lifelong memory. We so enjoyed having Ash and Chris stay with us that my wife is still talking about it months later.
     Meeting Kyle Phillips and Mark Thawley at our Morgan Creek get together that Jed Peters  arranged was also a lot of fun. The passion and enthusiasm that Kyle and Mark have for what they do was great to see.
   
   

[Ash Towe]

Ed,
That day at Cypress was so special.  The weather was perfect, excellent caddies and each member of the group played so well, enjoyed each others golf and company.
Chris and I often comment on yours and Cathy's hopitality.
Great times!

[cary lichtenstein]

Playing Augusta National twice + the par 3,  and then taking my son to the Masters 3 weeks later.

[Cory Lewis]

2007 was my first full year of marriage, so obviously I played alot less golf than the previous five years    I did have the pleasure of playing with several GCA'ers both at my club and other places.  I managed to take one golf trip to Michigan.  It was my first time in Michigan and I will be back.  Every course I played was amazing.  A great variety of architecture and experiences.  An incredible trip.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I had highlights in score and courses.
I shot a 69 in a tournament, my lowest tournament score in years.

As for courses Sebonack, Bayonne, and Ballyneal.  I expected them to be good just not as good as they are.

Yet they both pale in comparison to a granddaughter who was born in November.

[Joel_Stewart]

For Gods sake, Augusta, Cypress Point, Dornoch you guys played some good courses.  I played a muni and a putt putt course

[A.G._Crockett]

Best GCA item: Played Long Shadow and Cuscowilla on back-to-back days in the spring.

Best "other": Won the senior club championship by making a 25' putt for birdie on the first playoff hole.  (Whew!  I've been waiting 3 months for a place to work that in!  )

[RJ_Daley]

A wonderful long weekend basing out of Ogallala, playing with some heros, the house and grounds staffs at SH, DR, Bayside owner, and their dean of turf, Cory, an all the extra curricular fun that came with those days.  Fantastic day at Bally followed by WH with a particularly generous host, and playing with their Sicilian donkeys, the fright of night flying cats, and lovable doggies...  

Another wonderfully organized and well attended Dixie Cup with GCA.com luminaries...and experiencing the excellent design work of Longshadow and good humor of a good old boy from the area who happened to design it.  

Although painfully played rounds with deteriorating back, the Langford-Morreau tour was a kick thanks to Dan Moore.

The pleasure of continued golf friendships at various interesting new golf course locations, EH GW you know who and where you were.

[Mike Boehm]

Without question, the golf highlight of the year was a trip to Bandon Dunes in November.  After spending two days in pouring rain in Portland and driving through the rain in the AM to get to Bandon, the sun broke through about 30 miles north of town and didn't stop shining for three days.  It was an amazing three days.

About a month prior, I was invited out to Oakland Hills by my boss.  As it was a Saturday morning, typically reserved for only member play, we were to play the North course - an underrated course itself.  As we were finishing our warmup and getting ready to cross the brdige to the North, he talks to the starter and all the sudden we're on the first tee of the South.  That was a pleasant surprise.

[Sean Leary]

Another blessed year of golf for me.

Bandon Trip in Feb with Messrs. Hendren, Huckaby, Benham, Pieracci, Kelly, Simper and Noser.

Merion and Pine Valley Long Weekend in April.

Prairie Dunes Member-Guest in May where my partner and I the won the opening night Horserace in a playoff against (amongst others) Bill Murray and his brother Brian Doyle Murray.

Two week Ireland trip in June/July.

Played in Renaissance Cup at Tumble Creek with Tommy Naccarato in August, meeting Tom D and Crew.

Chambers Bay with Mr. and Mrs. Kirk, Tiger, Mike E, Cos, Peter P. and Dr. Katz.

Destroying Jordan Wall at The Home Course in Sept

Making 5 birdies in a row (a personal record) with Tiger Bernhardt and Mike Erdmann at Aldarra (lipping out a 8 footer for a 6th). Hosting numerous other GCAers.

Going to be hard year to top.

[igrowgrass]

Another blessed year of golf for me.

Bandon Trip in Feb with Messrs. Hendren, Huckaby, Benham, Pieracci, Kelly, Simper and Noser.

Merion and Pine Valley Long Weekend in April.

Prairie Dunes Member-Guest in May where my partner and I the won the opening night Horserace in a playoff against (amongst others) Bill Murray and his brother Brian Doyle Murray.

Two week Ireland trip in June/July.

Played in Renaissance Cup at Tumble Creek with Tommy Naccarato in August, meeting Tom D and Crew.

Chambers Bay with Mr. and Mrs. Kirk, Tiger, Mike E, Cos and Dr. Katz.

Destroying Jordan Wall at The Home Course in Sept

Making 5 birdies in a row (a personal record) with Tiger Bernhardt and Mike Erdmann at Aldarra (lipping out a 8 footer for a 6th).

Going to be hard year to top.

What about you Reaser Cup comeback?

[igrowgrass]

It was a great year in 2007.
Made a job change back to Seattle.

Played in my first GCA outing at The Home Course.

Beat my brother by 2.

Won a few club tournaments and scrambles.

Dressed better than Jordan Wall.

Played two more Top 100's: Quaker Ridge and Chambers Bay.

[Garland Bayley]

...
Played in my first GCA outing at The Home Course.
...

Sean hits the ball a fair distance. I decided to not take any big swings and make him feel bad.

[Jason Topp]

My highlight was shooting 82 - 81 = 163 to miss the cut by 10 shots in the Northwest Amateur in Spencer Iowa on a course that rates somewhere between a 3 and a 4 on the Doak scale.

This weekend is very special to me for many reasons.

The Northwest Amateur represents a disappearing segment of society in general and golf in particular - the major event in a small town.  Approximately 350 players participate and the skill level ranges from top level midwestern amateurs to guys who are 80 years old and shoot 90.  Decent size galleries follow the lead groups and the winning score on what was once considered a difficult 7000 yard test now is in the range of 14-18 under par with top players hitting wedge on nearly every par four.

The people who run the tournament do an outstanding job.  The course is firm and fast every year.  The course is set up in a benign fashion for the first two rounds which makes for an enjoyable day in which you can only blame yourself for screw ups.  The tournament officials strike the right balance between running a serious tournament and recognizing that most people are there to have a good time and try their best.

I took my first real hard knock in golf here.  After playing well for 30 holes at age 16, I realized that 1 or 2 over for the rest of the round would make the cut.  My hands started shaking, breathing got shallow and I suddenly felt fear and had no idea how to deal with it - triple, double, single, double, single, single for an 82 to miss by 4.  I thought the world was going to end.  That was in 1983.  I played a couple of more years, but never made the cut.  My friends and I drifted seperate ways and lost a burining desire to compete at golf after being exposed to real talent in the game.

A few years ago, I got the idea to go back, even though at 36, I was a 12 handicap and had no hope of making it to Sunday.   Before I tried to put a plan in motion, a high school friend called me with the same idea.  We have been going back for five years.  One lives in Seattle, one in Santa Cruz, one in San Francisco and I live in Minneapolis.   On average, one of us makes the cut in flights (153 or so) and 1 year we had a guy make the championship flight at 1 under.  

Each year there are a set of young skinny pimply faced kids who have not yet been hardened by the pain associated with of trying to shoot a low score in competition.  Most are not as good as they think they are.  I've felt the pain they are about to go through.

There are oddball stories, like a father son pairing that slept in a tent in the parking lot this year.  

There are many memories from high school and college days when exhuberent nights led to stories best left alone - except for the time one friend being chased leaped from a ladder 50 feet in the air into a pool that was used for a show by an act called the human torch and only escaped police when some unknown guy yelled, put a halt to all the commotion, allowing my friend to make a run for it.  When everybody left he said he had to do it, it was the coolest thing he had ever seen.  

I get to meet my childhood hero who invited me to play with him and caddie for him when I was new to Des Moines, knew no one who played golf and who still has a smooth swing and still cracks 80 often even though he has to be closer to 80 than 70 in age.  Whenever I see him I think "Stay to the right and shut up" which was his primary instruction to me when I carried his clubs.

There is a long drive contest on Friday night that has become a tradition for us to attend, primarily because of the free beer.

Kids set up lemonade stands along the course and the tournament officials do a great job of setting up an event that is enjoyable both as a social ocassion and as a serious competition.

My friends are much more subdued in their 40's.  Nights rarely make it past dinner.  We spend most of our time catching up and bragging to each other.  

I've never made the cut.  Maybe next year.  

[Matt_Cohn]

MPCC

[Jeff Doerr]

I can echo the good year had by many.

Played 42 at Bandon Trails in March (Followed by 18 at Dunes and a limped in afternoon 18 at Pacific).

Got to play a number of first timers in Central Oregon - Sunriver Meadows, Lost Tracks, Aspen Lakes, and Juniper (x2 - Really liked Juniper).

Enjoyed 18 with fellow GCA'er Mike Erdmann at his fine classic course. I vicariously followed the schedule for Mike's Scotland and Ireland trip. Someday I'll get across the pond...

Got to do the preview round at Chambers Bay (w/ Jordan!). I had 3s and GIRs on all the par threes.

Went to Vegas in July and wanted to play something new, but wimped out at 112 degrees.

Finally, got to see Spanish Bay for the first time and CPC. At CPC I went -1 for the last six holes, going 3, 3, 3 on the ocean. After birdie on 17 I could have fallen off the cliff and still would have had a smile on my face all the way down.

Really a great year shared with some truly great friends!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Well since we didn't do this last year (that I know of anyway) I'm going to start of with December of 06' since it's been exactly a year since I was in the Great State of Joerjay experiencing Longshadow.
What a great place-ruined by the thought of the architect of record releasing his bladder in the most pristine lakes on the course.

This carried over to da Athans Coontree Club, where I found out that ya'all had one fine Donald Ross course there built by a bunch of farmers and mule skinners.

In April, After a 28 hour stratch of not sleeping from LA Mirada to Seattle, Sean Leary picked me up and we rushed over to walk the wonderful new RTJ II course, Chambers Bay; hit a few shots off of mats and see some pretty cool golf architecture, topped off by one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life at El Gaucho in downtown Tacoma.

The next day, I was just minding my own business while working on my race car in the pits of Seattle International Raceway when this young, two-bit punk happened to come up to me; all pissed-off that I threw him off of this website. He grabbed my arm and held it behind my back, getting me to scream uncle until I agreed to let him back on. This treatment was typical of our youth in America today, I think he started feeling bad, and by the time I got back up there in August, he then shows back-up at the track, only this time with his unbelievably hot mother to kick my ass for picking on her son.......

For some of you that don't know me, I have a pension for going places and wearing out my welcome.

In 2005, I went to the wonderful Pat Mucci/Hidden Creek get-together and then went up to Long Island to stay for one week to finish up some work for a friend. Two months later after wearing my welcome out at every major club on Long Island he escorted me to the LIRR, telling me to never come back. That he had enough.

This year to celebrate the aggravation I put him through, I decided to do that to a racer friend and his wife, staying at his Tuscan-style Villa on American Lake in Lakewood, Washington. Two and a half months later, I was convinced that there is no place better in the world for me other then Los Angeles, and when the said friend took me back to the airport, he told me, Next time, call me and warn me when your coming.....

But I did get to some really great places, like the wonderful and charming Fircrest Golf Club.As Sean mentioned, Tumble Creek, which maybe the best conditioned course I have ever played in my life. Impeccable would be a better term. But even better was taking full advantage of one W.H. "Cos" Cosgrove by showing up at his wonderful club, Oakbrook, and insulting him on how they should be doing this and that; going in to the clubhouse and shoving all of the Pinaud products I could into my golf bag when no one was looking; getting caught and telling them to just add it to Mr, Cosgrove's tab. They did and I can only say this, my face has never been smoother after a shave; the girls really like the smell of Bayrum; and never, ever talc while wearing black.

Oakbrook is like less then a mile from the entrance to Chambers as a Seahawk flies, but yet takes about 20 minutes to get to it by car from there. This is proof that no one knows how to do some common sense civil engineering in the Pacific Northwest.

On return from Washington, (after being told to leave and never come back), I supposedly got further enjoyment of getting my gumbahs/henchmen/culprits together to try and throw a certain person off of the site. After all that's what evil people like myself do--wait every freaking minute pf their life to throw someone off because I get such joy out of it. Still humanity reigned supreme and he is still with us! See, even the devil has a heart!

This week, I got to repeat what was said to me by the people at Reynold's Plantation; and I got the architect so mad that he actually joined the site! Pretty clever trick isn't it?!?! One could only wish I could do the same with Ted Robinson, Rees Jones, or, gasp His holiness, Tom "The King" Fazio... wouldn't that be something! Just how good of a Golf Club Atlas feat would that be? nabbing those guys and committing them to participate with everyone of us lunatics..........

Yep 2007 was pretty good, I hope for a repeat in 2007!

[David Ober]

The highlight of my year was my practice round for the State Amateur at MPCC with Bob Huntley, and my two Kelly Cup rounds at Lakeside (where I hit balls next to Joe Pesci and used Kevin Costner's locker during the tournament).

I made the 10 player stroke play cut, but had to withdraw after my father took ill. Would have loved to have grinded (ground?) out the final round there....

[Kyle Henderson]

Meeting may GCAers, Mark Thawley and Kyle Phillips at Morgan Creek and the incomparable Bob Huntley at MPCC.

Walking the MPCC Shore and Dune courses during the Cal Amateur.

Walking the Lake and Ocean courses at Olympic Club during the U.S. Amatuer.