[PThomas]

Matt - excellent!

Love that little stud....

 

And you know, it's all just envy from us old married guys.  You're on the right track of course.

Cheers!

TH

ditto!

congrats and best wishes to all in your house!

[Paul Stephenson]

Congrats Matt!

My missed opportunity was TOC.  I went to England and Scotland with my grandmother and when asked what I wanted to do after landing in Edinburgh I said, "let's go to St. Andrew's."

The lady in the shop gave me a putter and let me putt on the 18th green.  I could stay and putt until I saw a group on the 18th tee.  20 minutes later I returned with putter in hand and a smile on my face.  She then said it wasn't too busy and I should go see the starter about playing as I was a single.  I wasn't about to leave my grandmother for the afternoon.

We went to the abbey ruins instead.

[Tom Huckaby]

 Shivas' life sucks.  
 

Hey, at least I made it to KP III, albeit late at night and got to play the front nine, anyway.  Now, that sucked....

That was one hell of an effort, without a doubt.

TH

[Doug Wright]

The Old Course, March 1990. They were "resting" the course that month for the upcoming Open Championship so we couldn't play it. we walked it though, which was a treat.

Olympic Lake, February 2000, rained out.

[Steve D]

This summer I was hoping to play Sand Hills and one day received an unexpected email from a member inviting me to come out to Nebraska in two weeks for a 3 day weekend doing 36, 36 and 18 holes with 15 other guys.  That night I was online about to book my flight when I suddenly realized I already had an obligation that weekend and couldn't make it.  What a bummer.  The invite has been extended for 2009 so hopefully I can make it next year.

[David_Elvins]

Have chosen to walk but not play 3 of the world's top 10.
St Andrews
Royal Melbourne
Pebble Beach.

The walks around Pebble and St Andrews with a couple of balls in the glorious evening sunshine are two of my greatest golf experiences.  I struggle to work out how playing golf could have improved the experience, especially at a cost of an extra AU$500.  Never regretted either decison for a second.

David:

I respect that even if it is so far from my ken that I just can't imagine it....
BUT.... being that close to each and NOT PLAYING them would be an exercise in frustration to me, to the extent it would likely freak me out completely. 

Tom,
I suspect that the difference in opinion might have something to do with our respective golf games.  My game has as much ability to dampen an experience as heighten it.  When I was at Pebble I imagined myself hitting a nice 3 wood to the top of the hill on the 8th and then hitting 4 iron to 20 feet.  If I had actually taken clubs, I would have not  hit it that good.   

[John Kavanaugh]

This thread proves my point that those who barter time hurt the game. 

[Tom Huckaby]

David:

It's not like I'm Tiger Woods.  I actually played Pebble fairly recently and after a fine 3wood just as you imagined, I dumped a 4 iron into the high grass short of the green.

But that to me was still a lot more fun than imagining a great shot.

It's all good.  It's just fun talk, that's all.  

TH

[Guy Nicholson]

This thread proves my point that those who barter time hurt the game. 

Can you elaborate?

[John Kavanaugh]

This thread proves my point that those who barter time hurt the game. 

Can you elaborate?

Golf has become too expensive and difficult to be supported by people who do not "own" their own time.  You can not trade enough golf time with work responsibilities and remain productive.  You can not trade enough family time for golf time and remain in a stable relationship.  Golf needs people who take the time to support the game instead of those who must bank the capital of time until they are allowed out to play.  This has zero to do with money or status in a community.  It has everything to do with character, believing in ones self and not making decisions based in fear.  Golf just does not need and wasn't built on the backs of people who wish they were somewhere else.

[John Kavanaugh]

I am a child, father, employer and employee and can smell those who barter time with me.  It shows a lack of respect, love and commitment that leads to a desire to spend no time with the individual at all.  Take the time, don't trade for it, to do what you love or find something else worth the effort.

[Mike Hendren]

I should also add that I stood at the gate of the Sheep Ranch but alas the caretaker never showed as scheduled and could not be reached by phone.

What a pity.

Bogey

[Kenny Baer]

Have chosen to walk but not play 3 of the world's top 10.
St Andrews
Royal Melbourne
Pebble Beach.

The walks around Pebble and St Andrews with a couple of balls in the glorious evening sunshine are two of my greatest golf experiences.  I struggle to work out how playing golf could have improved the experience, especially at a cost of an extra AU$500.  Never regretted either decison for a second.

David:

I respect that even if it is so far from my ken that I just can't imagine it.

Walking each of those courses would be fun, for sure.  I have walked around Pebble Beach several times. 

BUT.... being that close to each and NOT PLAYING them would be an exercise in frustration to me, to the extent it would likely freak me out completely.  I tend to enjoy the Pebble Beach walks only because I have been lucky enough to play the course multiple times.  But even then, the itchiness sets in if I walk around too long.

I fully understand the financial issues - money is money and if that is the main thing, then yes, I get it.

But outside of that....

Your experiences would have frustrated me more than given any great sense of enjoyment.

But we've discussed this before in here... things like this separate the students of the game from those who simply love to play it.

I love to play the game a LOT more than study it.  It would seem the study is enough for you.

And I respect that quite a bit.

To this end... I have been wracking my brain to give a an answer for this topic... but I can't think of a single course that I wanted to play and realistically could make happn which I didn't eventually manage to play.  I also can't think of golf plans that have had to be canceled.  Just lucky, I guess.

Well said; Just attending the Masters aggrevates me that I can't drop a ball down and start to play; although I respect your sentiments it is just not me.

[Ian Andrew]

I played Riviera CC last year and stayed onsite for a few days in the clubhouse with my wife - while there, I was offered the opportunity to play at any of the other private clubs in the area, namely LACC, Bel Air or Sherwood CC.

While my wife said she was 'okay' with me playing one more round on our West Coast vacation, for the sake of marital harmony, I reluctantly passed

I still think about the missed opportunity occasionally but know deep down I made the right choice.

Matt,

Good choice from my point of view.

I passed on Sand Hills because it was the exact date of my 10th anniversary - I haven't played it YET - but I will.

I never regretted that decision - you'll play LACC another time - the offer will come again. After all you played Riv while on holiday with her - so you have a keeper.

I played Banff and Jasper with the encouragement of my wife who "insisted" that I take my clubs on our honeymoon to play both courses. 17 years in May....

Ian

[John Kavanaugh]

I am the only person who attended the first Kings Putter and has not played Cypress Point.

[Mike Benham]

I played Pine Hill in NJ and couldn't figure out the hype.
Tough course? Check.
Sandy waste areas? Check.

Dramatic carries? Check.

Dense forest? Check.
But #1 course in the world???

When I got home my buddy told me I was thinking of Pine Valley. Doh!  No woner they let me schedule a tee time without any questions.

Great story, thanks for sharing    I wonder if you might have had the same thoughts if you played Bandon Crossings ...

[Joey Smith]

I was to play Seminole a few winters ago.  Beautiful 85 degree Wednesday in January.  (It was 25 in Nashville)

Could not wait.

Woke up - got ready - was in the hotel waiting for my host to call, which was a member.

He called and said he was sorry - but business called and he had to abruptly fly out of town.  In his Gulfstream no doubt.

I was heart broken.  Especially when I found that the club actually will host unaccompanied guest.  I guess I found out how I stood with this guy. 

He told me the next time I was in West Palm to let him know. 

Like I'm in West Palm every few weeks...

Oh well...

[Tim Bert]

I've turned down games at a lot of highly thought of courses, but two stick out in my mind.

1.  I'm walking from the parking lot into the church for the rehearsal for my cousin's wedding at about 4 pm or so on a Friday in Milwaukee.

The cell phone rings.

"Can you play Pine Valley tomorrow?"

That sucked.

2.  I have agreed to go, then had to cancel, 6 trips to Bandon.  That might suck even worse, in the aggregate.

 

I had to read #1 about ten times to make sure you weren't referencing your fiancee's wedding (yes, I mean your wedding) or your daughter's wedding (but I know she's too young.)

Cousin???  It seems your decision making may be a bit off.

[Chris Avore]

Best courses I haven't played probably include Spyglass, which was closed for a NorCal Amateur tourney when I was staying at Pebble, and Chambers Bay, as I had to drive from Seattle to Bandon in one day and no time to take a 5+ hour detour in Tacoma. 

Another time I was following a buddy to England and was bored out of my skull in a little village for four days; while I made it to Hoylake to play Royal Liverpool, if I had known the town would have been so dead I would have hopped back on the train north to Scotland--I heard there were some courses up that way worth checking out...

[Tim Bert]

Mike B.

I think I played the actual Bandon resort but now you have me wondering.

My other missed opportunity was at this year's KPC when someone told me we would be playing part of the Pebble Beach resort. I went from hole to hole trying to figure out which series of holes was the best in the world. And why didn't we have to stay at the resort. And where the hell is the ocean anyway?

At dinner Shivas and Dave Miller broke the news to me that the pro-am wasn't played at Old Del Monte and I was likely confused with another course on the Pebble web site.
Oh well. I hope to play Bethpage Purple or one of those other fancy colored courses that hosts the Open next year.

[Mark Chaplin]

Weekend at Nairn and never played the course.

Several visits to St. Andrews only played there once.

Merion East - double booked with Pine Valley.

Royal Melbourne West - 11am tee time, 6am flight from Sydney diverted to Adelaide due to fog finally arriving at noon, managed to get on Metro instead. Re-booked for the following day, went out for Thai in local restaurant that night, missed tee time in the morning due to making calls on big white telephone! Next day RM West was full so played the East and flew back to Sydney.

[John Kavanaugh]

I am not sure if this is a constant theme but it seems that once you let your wife enter the workplace you no longer own your own time.  We are talking cousins wedding here.  I come from a number of huge Catholic families and have never been to a cousins wedding.  I have been to nieces and nephews...cousins, I ain't going to no stinking cousins wedding.

btw..What is this new phone icon on several posts like the one of Tim Bert above?

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I am not sure if this is a constant theme but it seems that once you let your wife enter the workplace you no longer own your own time.  We are talking cousins wedding here.  I come from a number of huge Catholic families and have never been to a cousins wedding.  I have been to nieces and nephews...cousins, I ain't going to no stinking cousins wedding.

btw..What is this new phone icon on several posts like the one of Tim Bert above?

I couldn't agree more.  I'm not even sure that I know all of my cousins.

I think the phone icon comes up when posting from a mobile.

[John Kavanaugh]

Please don't show the phone icon.  I need my privacy.  This test was posted from my phone and the icon did not show.Test two logged off base.

[Jeremy Rivando]

Had an offer from a member while I was working at Boulder CC to play Sand Hills.  It hadn't been open too long at that point and I knew it was good, but didn't quite realize just how great it must be.

It was one of those in passing "if your interested" offers and neither myself or any of the other pro's could put the logistics together to get away for a weekend.

I'll call that a mistake.

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