[Steve Kline]

Lots of incredible scores and neat stories here.  Makes me worried for my wallet if I ever make it to one of these events.

I wouldn't post except for the fact that I shot my best score ever on Saturday, an 85 at my home course.  My handicap has been steadily going down from 22.1 a year ago to 15.3 today.  I got to share my round with a couple of very good women who played from the same tees I did (6700 yards, 71.7/128 for men).  I think I beat them, but it was very close and took closing par-par-par as they tired at the end of the round.

But my best "round" was a preview of Old Mac this summer where we threw away the scorecards because the wind was blowing 40+ and the course wasn't even rated.  I was playing with Grant Rogers as my partner and he made a two putt birdie to seal our victory...from 160 yards.  It was just a magical day of golf discovering that course in those conditions, with wonderful company and the ability to explore the place because we had it all to ourselves.

Don't forget all the GCA events are handicapped. I'm prepared to take a serious can of whoop ass upside my head.

[Jud_T]

My best round actually involved one of my close friends David.  We were playing TOC on the final day of our annual trip.  I had arranged for David to have a caddy I'd had earlier in the week and liked quite a bit.  This was Dave's first round at TOC and he was embroiled in a bitter grudge match with another friend Barry.  Dave wasn't having a great time. He wasn't playing his best, didn't get on great with the caddy and the weather was all over the place.  He wasn't getting the whole St. Andrews thing...We came to 18 and he was 1 down in his match which had grown fairly large by this point.  His second on 18 ended up short and right in the Valley of Sin.  He stepped up and drained his 105' putt (we paced it off) to square the match and proceeded to get a standing ovation from the 50-100 tourists/spectators lining the fence around the final hole in town.  He doffed his cap, made some offhand remark to the crowd about it being a routine 3, and we haven't been able to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face ever since....

[Rich Goodale]

Don't forget all the GCA events are handicapped.

Not exactly true, Steve.  KP I had no handicaps (we scored matches the old fashioned way, by "holes up") and BUDA II at Painswick matched players roughly by combined handicap but didn't allow any strokes.  It was an idea ahead of its time....

[Eric Smith]

My best round actually involved one of my close friends David.  We were playing TOC on the final day of our annual trip.  I had arranged for David to have a caddy I'd had earlier in the week and liked quite a bit.  This was Dave's first round at TOC and he was embroiled in a bitter grudge match with another friend Barry.  Dave wasn't having a great time. He wasn't playing his best, didn't get on great with the caddy and the weather was all over the place.  He wasn't getting the whole St. Andrews thing...We came to 18 and he was 1 down in his match which had grown fairly large by this point.  His second on 18 ended up short and right in the Valley of Sin.  He stepped up and drained his 105' putt (we paced it off) to square the match and proceeded to get a standing ovation from the 50-100 tourists/spectators lining the fence around the final hole in town.  He doffed his cap, made some offhand remark to the crowd about it being a routine 3, and we haven't been able to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face ever since....

This is great Jud, thanks for sharing.

Can you tell us what his playing competitor's (Barry's) face looked like after he drained it?

[Jud_T]

Not good, especially with all the pressing going on.....I think all the blood drained from his face (and wallet!)

[Mark Woodger]

best rounds ever:

79 a Kiawah Ocean Course. That was the first time i broke 80.
78 at Inwood, New York. went out of bounds on 15 too.

the only two times i have broken 80 both last year.

Plenty of 1,2 over 9 holes but never kept it going for 18 holes. Missed a 6 ft put for level par for 9 holes once. Still kicking myself at that!

[Ken Moum]

My favorite/most interesting rounds:

2.  a very odd 72 at Cantigny when it first opened where I bogeyed the first 6 holes, birdied the next 6 and parred the last 6.  Making those last 3 pars was tough because I almost didn't want any of the birdie putts to go in because it was so wierd.

That's a mirror of my best round ever.

Four birdies in the first six, followed by six consecutive bogeys, with four more birdies in the last six.

Of course it wasn't anyplace famous, just Hillsview GC in Pierre, SD.

But it was in the men's club championship.

[Chris Wirthwein]

To Scott Sander --

Yes, Sahm is an Alice Dye solo design as she has told me herself as I was researching my book about the history of Crooked Stick.

Also, the May 6, 2005 issue of Golf for Women magazine corroborates this in an article by Ron Whitten, entitled: "The Woman Who Changed the Way We Play." (Tried to find a web link but GFW magazine is defunct. I have a hard copy of the article.) Here's the excerpt...

"In 1960, another Dye course, William Sahm Golf Course (formerly North Eastway Municipal), in Indianapolis, was built. The design is often credited to Pete, but Alice says it's 'the only one I ever did entirely by myself.' In fact, she has a second course solely to her credit: St. Andrews Club, an 18-hole par-3 course near their Florida home."

And so it goes...

More at www.crookedstickbook.com

[Chris Flamion]

I actually had 16 of the best hole of my life today.  I was 5 over on the back nine thru 8 holes (damn good for a 22 if you will allow me that) then proceeded to plink tee shot in water, push the approach into the water and 3 jack out of a bunker on my way to a nice even 10. 

I didn't have a drop of booze all round but I am not sure I could have told you what I was at anywhere other than back at the clubhouse.  I was just out goofing off and hitting everything on the screws.

[Tony Weiler]

5 under 67 a few years ago.  Chipped in for a birdie on a par 5 where I went in the water, and was off.  6 birdies, one bogey.  Haven't really come close since!!!

[Scott Sander]

To Scott Sander --

Yes, Sahm is an Alice Dye solo design...

I truly learn something new every day.  (Or would that be something old every day?!)

In any event, given the new information about Sahm, it's now clear that over the years I've misdirected quite a few invectives that I'd have never said about a woman.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Media day for USGA Mid-Am at Cassique.  Started on 15 (shotgun) and was one over when I reached the 11th tee (paring the front nine even with the USGA rough).  Tried to launch a drive over the trees to cut the corner on the par-5 11th.  Thought I hit it perfectly but it ended up 3 yards short of the fairway in the thick bermuda rough (I could barely see the top of the ball).  Tried to muscle it out and pulled a muscle in my side.  Finished double, double, par, double for a smooth 79.  Had that drive just bounced forward a little bit...

[Jim Franklin]

Media day for USGA Mid-Am at Cassique.  Started on 15 (shotgun) and was one over when I reached the 11th tee (paring the front nine even with the USGA rough).  Tried to launch a drive over the trees to cut the corner on the par-5 11th.  Thought I hit it perfectly but it ended up 3 yards short of the fairway in the thick bermuda rough (I could barely see the top of the ball).  Tried to muscle it out and pulled a muscle in my side.  Finished double, double, par, double for a smooth 79.  Had that drive just bounced forward a little bit...

That bermuda rough can be thick. Too bad, sounds like you were stripping the ball. Cool course too.

[jonathan_becker]

Mark Woodger,

Breaking 80 at Kiawah for your first sub-80 round is quite impressive.  I mean, that's really impressive!  Assuming you played the ocean course and the wind was up, that's like shooting under par.  Well done.

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