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Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« on: February 28, 2009, 07:57:16 PM »
A perfect weather day today to visit the new USGA Golf Museum at Far Hills, NJ.  I had last visited back before the renovations, and the updates are fantastic.  The trophy room reminded me of the Hockey Hall of Fame's trophy room, which is a high compliment.   The AV presentations were great as were the static displays.

The USGA has done a fantastic job and I urge you to visit.  For $5 ($7 if you're not a USGA member), it's probably the best bargin in golf.

PS - Gil's putting green looks great too.  They're going to try to open it for the year sometime in March.

PPS - I was also told that the USGA technical center (open Tuesday - Friday) is also a very worthwile visit.  This tour is included in the museum entry fee.

Mike_Young

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2009, 09:37:01 PM »
Join the USGA Museum facebook group....
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

TEPaul

Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2009, 10:23:27 PM »
I would encourage everyone to visit the new Arnold Palmer History Center which houses the USGA Museum/Library, and certainly Gil Hanse's app. 11,000 sf and dramatically undulating green behind it which features a very prominent mound in the approximate middle that is named after one of the world's greatest, even if somewhat not globally known, creative architectural/conceptual geniuses!

Please do not let me keep you guessing----the prominent and middle dominating mound is known as "Mont Paul." It is my sincere hope that to pins in its basic vicinity it will be a total and everlasting pain-in-the-ass!   ;)

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2009, 07:33:04 AM »
Let me tell you - that's one huge mound when you see it in person!

Mike_Young

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2009, 07:41:24 AM »
I would encourage everyone to visit the new Arnold Palmer History Center which houses the USGA Museum/Library, and certainly Gil Hanse's app. 11,000 sf and dramatically undulating green behind it which features a very prominent mound in the approximate middle that is named after one of the world's greatest, even if somewhat not globally known, creative architectural/conceptual geniuses!

Please do not let me keep you guessing----the prominent and middle dominating mound is known as "Mont Paul." It is my sincere hope that to pins in its basic vicinity it will be a total and everlasting pain-in-the-ass!   ;)

TE,
It may have een more appropriate if Gil had placed a small mound on the sde or top of the large mound in your honor....you know sort of like the "pimple on one's a**"  ;D ;D ;D
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

TEPaul

Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2009, 08:38:27 AM »
MikeY:

You're absolutely right about that. I just happened to be there the day he was shaping that green and I certainly didn't ask him to shape something in my honor. He got off his dozer and I asked him if maybe that big mound in the center was going to effectively dominate all play around it. As he was thinking about that I therefore asked him if we could just name it Mont Paul and he said go for it. At that point the director of the Museum/Library showed up and I told him about Mont Paul. His reaction to that was a literal no comment!  (non verbal).

Therefore that big mound in the center of that enormous green will hereinafter and for all time to come be known as Mont Paul. ;)

I also proposed the USGA should sell names of various contours in that green for contributions to the Museum/library of not less than $10,000 minimum, but to my total surprise that idea has not yet generated any traction. I figure it can't have anything to do with my brilliant suggestion and it must have more to do with these dreadful economic times!

One must latch onto these rare opportunities when they present themselves and I would suggest that the architectural passionistas on this website and elsewhere send in their contributions anyway and request a contour to be named after themselves. The putting green is very undulating and imaginative and it is also around 11,000 sf, therefore I just can't imagine it would raise less than a million dollars in name request contributions. Of course since I thought of the whole thing then naturally Mont Paul should be on the cuff; however, I might be willing to consider selling a name change on it for offers starting at something over $72,000 before the green actually opens for play. After it's open for play offers will have to begin at something over $200,000.

Again, opportunities to memorialize one's name in architectural history in this manner may not come again in our lifetime.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2009, 09:08:26 AM by TEPaul »

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2009, 09:21:11 AM »
Tom, Can I name a hollow after myself?  ;)

TEPaul

Re: Semi OT - In praise of the new USGA Museum
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2009, 09:39:18 AM »
Sure Dan. I think hollows go for around $7,500. But you better get on the stick about it as I hear hollows have become even more popular than mounds. If you make an annual $1,500 maintenance contribution they tell me you can even get some extra special top-dressing and fertilizer on your very own hollow for the rest of your life. You may even get to pick if it's of the highly toxic variety (but apparently really delicious that gives your grass something of a on-going high) or of the blander organic type.