[Jay Flemma]

Is anyone going?  I'm covering the Travis for Cybergolf and would love to meet up.  I met Scott Stearns today and we had a lovely day there.  What a great course. 

Fave holes were 4 - par-5 with canted fwy one way, green tilting the other

5 - sort of a bottle hole

13-18 = what a finish!

One thing I was psyched to see...when I visited both Inwood and Atlantic City CC, I notices strong similarities between the bunkering and shaping between those two courses.  GCGC was nothing like that at all...totally old style more akin to Oakmont, just not as topsy turvy.

I also thought that there were similarities to Hiawatha Landing in Apalachin, NY

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

I may be there, depending upon the weather.

It's a wonderful golf course, with little in man made amendments.

[Jay Flemma]

Pat, what are some of your favorite features?  I like how the fairways smoothly melt into the greens.  I love the bunkering.  The Eden hole blew me away.  I love how some of the greens cant...however I did feel they were a drop on the flat side.  Even so, it was a terrific holistic experience.  A nature walk with the clubs...out and back three and a half hours later with a bigger smile than when I started.

I had some great up and downs...one, three, four and a sandy on 18 come to mind...out of the travis bunker!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

I really like the cross features, complete and partial.

These features are found throughout the golf course, from the first hole to the last.

The cross bunkering on many holes is spectacular.

Unfortunately, hi-tech has rendered the chevron like cross bunkers on # 11 obsolete for most good golfers

Cross features, complete or partial can be found on about 15 holes.

While you may feel that the canted greens are a little flat, with pace, they become extremely challenging.

[Jay Flemma]

Yeah we had them at a controllable 9.  I made a goodly number of putts.  You're right, I liked the cross hazards too.

Honestly, even with the cant, you can get a good bead on a read...there were a couple with some great internal contour...4 leaps to mind right now.  But I understand Doak's restraint...preserve what's there...don't tinker.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

Except for the 12th hole which needs to be restored.

And, the 7th hole which needs the second fairway returned to its 1936 configuration and lines.

[Jay Flemma]

Tell me why the old chocolate drops worked and weren't goofy.  I saw pics and they are on the edges, so they don't impact putts unless the putt is really bad or you roll up against one.  Should it be as long as a fairway wood?  Does that not inject too much luck or require too tough a shot?  I'm just asking, not criticizing.  Teach me.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

I have a long letter from Mel Lucas who served at GCGC for some time.

In it he explains the problems associated with the 12th green.

Paraphrasing and perhaps taking some license, I'd say it was a combination of mismanagement, maintainance and mischief on the part of the local utes.  And, probably the element of timing and the nearby presence of RTJ.

I'll go into it in further detail when we meet

Another attribute of GCGC is the almost constant breeze that sweeps the property, mostly from the south-southeast.

[TEPaul]

Patrick:

Did you know the super at GCGC that preceded the Lucases put something like 50 million gallons a year on that golf course? Ask Mel Lucas about that sometimes. That was maybe 50 years ago and the course is probably just beginning to dry out now.   

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

Yes, I was aware of that.

That's one of the reasons that the 12th green was a mess.

Excessive water, difficulty in growing grass and bicycle riders using the mounds as launching ramps contributed to the hole's demise.

[Jay Flemma]

WHAT?!?:!  Bicyclists using them as launching ramps?!

That made me spit up my cappucino!  How did they get on the course in the first place?!?  Who the hell would figure that out?  hey guys, lets go over to GCGC and use the golf course for an obstacle course?

Hanging is too good for them.

[Kyle Harris]

WHAT?!?:!  Bicyclists using them as launching ramps?!

That made me spit up my cappucino!  How did they get on the course in the first place?!?  Who the hell would figure that out?  hey guys, lets go over to GCGC and use the golf course for an obstacle course?

Hanging is too good for them.

Seems pretty logical consider that the area courses are the largest bits of open space in that part of Nassau County.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

Kids will be kids.

Very few courses fenced themselves off in the 50's and early 60's.

[Jay Flemma]

And what about 15!  Great cross hazard...I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

I like all of the cross hazards, the ones at a right angle and the angled hazards such as on # 11 and # 13.

However, I suspect, in the next five years that someone will drive it over # 15's cross hazard, leaving them a wedge into the green.

The beauty of that hole is the approach into that green with a wood, long iron or medium iron for the bombers.  Somehow, that shot should be preserved for the ages.

To a degree, the same can be said about # 10.

I'm sure the cross hazard at # 9 has already been flown.

Breaching the cross hazard

[JSlonis]

Jay,

I'll be there.  Arriving late morning Thursday for a practice round.  Hope to meet you during the tourney.

Jamie

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I will be there playing at about 9.00 om the thursday morning for my practice round.
I cannot wait, last year was my first and I am even more excited about returning...awesome golf course...hope to see you there.

[Patrick_Mucci]

MWP & JS,

That's the 15th, not this Thursday.

If the weather's good, perhaps I'll join you.

[Jay Flemma]

Jay,

I like all of the cross hazards, the ones at a right angle and the angled hazards such as on # 11 and # 13.

However, I suspect, in the next five years that someone will drive it over # 15's cross hazard, leaving them a wedge into the green.

The beauty of that hole is the approach into that green with a wood, long iron or medium iron for the bombers.  Somehow, that shot should be preserved for the ages.

To a degree, the same can be said about # 10.

I'm sure the cross hazard at # 9 has already been flown.

Breaching the cross hazard

Funny you should say that, I played with the head pro and a contestant and they lamented that someone recently did just that...carried the cross hazard on 15.

That's what happens when people get to use Superballs for golf.

Guys, I'm excited to meet you all...if the weather is warm, I'll be dressed in all black.  If not, my pullover my be a deep blue adidas long sleeve.

I look forward to meeting you all there and studying the course with you.  I'll arrive 7 a.m. on Friday, the first day of the tourney where they whittle down the 130 man field to the flights of 16 or 8.

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