Question about PGA tour stops & Pro's playing other courses......

[Cliff Hamm]

Mark... Great story about Rich Beem.  He played Triggs in Providence last year during the FedEx at TPC Boston.  Triggs is a wonderful Ross course and is about as far away from a country club as you can imagine. 

Anyway, I played a few days later and the pro shop staff were still talking about it.  He had eaten lunch on Federal Hill, wonderful Italian section of Providence with great restaurants, and had  too much, maybe way too much to drink.  Then played Triggs and supposedly was a hoot.  Needless to say I am now a huge Rich Beem fan.

Mickleson played Baltusrol on Wednesday before the Open at Wf with Bones to bring back good memories.  It was certainly effective on Sunday 

[Kenny Baer]

Matt W.
 I was thinking that, that the pros probably have not played most of these courses we talk about here.
I would think Brad Faxon has played every single top tier course in New England, but probably not around the country....Same goes for lets say David Love and the South East but probably not the rest of the country.
 Also, thinking or remember someone saying about Seminole and all the pros playing there during one week  of a tournament that is played in that area around that time? Just got me thinking, and had to ask.
 Maybe learning some of the favorite courses the pro's play that are not on the venue.

My guess would be the total opposite; I would bet most pros have played all of the courses mentioned on this web-site.  They love golf, they do it for a living, of course they want to play the best courses if they have the chance.  The #1 thing is they know the right people to get on these courses, so access is not a problem, which for most of us it is. 

They aren't robots who just show up where they are told and play. 

[Kenny Baer]

I know Tiger has played all the great courses in Ireland, him and O'Meara take a trip every year before the British.  The guy I played with on Saturday had just gotten back from Scotland/Ireland and his caddy was telling him about where Tiger had hitten his tee-ball at one of the holes at Old Head.

[Wayne_Kozun]

The #1 thing is they know the right people to get on these courses, so access is not a problem, which for most of us it is. 

I doubt the tour pros have to know anyone to get access - they could call the course and the head pro would find them a time or they could even show up.  Pro athletes would also get the same consideration - Roger Clemons used to play the top private courses in Toronto on a very regular basis when he played for the BJs.  They would generally be asked to make a donation to the club's Junior program in lieu of a guest fee.

[Bob_Huntley]

I do believe that Cypress gets much attention during the A.T.&T.

Bob

[Michael Mimran]

My foursome let Matt Kuchar and Notah Begay III play through us last year up at Turning Stone on the Kaluhyat course on Saturday after they missed the cut.  Real nice guys.

[Kirk Stewart]

Phil and Bones came to Atlanta National the week of the PGA at the Athletic Club.  Phil used to practice "off campus" at most of the majors at least one day. I remember TGC reported him playing Chicago GC when Medinah hosted. Not sure if he still does this or not.

At the Waterville House look in the guest book just below the pic of Duvall, Omeara, Scotty McCarron, and Tiger .

On the same trip, I had a interesting conversation with the Captain of Waterville after our 1st round. I was telling him how much I loved the golf course, the town etc etc..
The discussion turned to the difficulty of course and I mentioned how fitting the name of the first--"The Last Easy"..

The Capt explained that Tiger played the wonderful second with a drive and nine iron. The next day the winds turned and the Capt asked Tiger how the second played--driver, 3 wood and wedge Tiger replied.

Love that place.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Dennis Paulson and Todd Demsey have been playing the best courses in the area when they are not scheduled in the Wed. pro-am for a number of years now.  Todd shot 67 his first time at GCGC.  Dennis shot 68 his first time at Shinny.  Dennis has played Winged Foot, Quaker, Century, Stanwich, Somerset, Baltusrol,Sleepy Hollow, Deepdale, GCGC, and Cherry Valley during his tournament appearances in NY over the years.

[John Kirk]

Another Matt Kuchar sighting, this time at the National Golf Links last September.  The guy gets around.

Nice to hear Friar's Head is his favorite.  A worthy choice.

[Kenny Baer]

This is a question to everybody,  do you know of any pros that have played Sand Hills; my guess would be the list is very long, and that is in the middle of nowhere?  If they would play there then they would always seek out the greats.

[John Foley]

Faxon plays and brings a few of his freinds to The Bay Club in MA which he designed.

I seem to recall a story about a bunch of pro's flying over from Denver to Sand Hills durring the International

[Kenny Baer]

Mickelson was at Atlanta Country Club on Tuesday of this week; for those who know our golf course he drove #7 green with a 3 wood from the blue tees.  Much easier for a lefty to do than a righty.

Funny this thread is up right now; I missed him but I would have love to have seen him there.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

A member at Myopia Hunt Club told me that Lee Janzen played there a few years ago the week of the Deutsche Bank tournament. 

Apparently somebody told him that they had a 350-yard par-4 that he could not birdie.  He didn't believe it, and allegedly he played #13 several times, and could not birdie it.

[Bryan Drennon]

I know Ben Crenshaw used to make a trip to Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken pretty regularly right before the Masters.