What would you pay to play................

[Mike_Cirba]

Anywhere I've played has been due to the overwhelming graciousness of good friends and like-minded aquaintances who share my love and respect for the game and who are willing to take the risk that watching my short game won't affect them adversely for life.    

Those are the ones I look up to.  

Beyond that, I agree with Gib that this topic makes me very uncomfortable.

[THuckaby2]

Anywhere I've played has been due to the overwhelming graciousness of good friends and like-minded aquaintances who share my love and respect for the game and who are willing to take the risk that watching my short game won't affect them adversely for life.    

Those are the ones I look up to.  

Mike, you've seen my swing.  Another nickname I have is The Medusa of Golf.  Best to look away, lest madness befall ye.

Thus I feel the same admiration you do for those who shlep me along under this type of pressure!  

TH

ps - your short game seemed damn fine when I played with you!

[Tim_Weiman]

Tom Huckaby:

This topic doesn't make me uncomfortable.

If one likes wine and wants to become familiar with good wines, finding a good local wine store and gradually sampling the goods to your hearts content may be all that is required. In other words, you can pay for the wine and that is it.

But, sampling golf architecture is a different matter all together. It requires significant time and expense devoted to travel. The green fees can be a very small part of the overall deal.

So, the real question is how much time and money you are willing to devote to golf related travel. A related question is how creative you can get combining business and personal travel. For example, within the past several weeks I've checked out work at three Top 50 venues by making a detour while on a business trip.  On average it cost less than twenty dollars and about a half day of my time.

The major gap in my golf architecture education is Australia, mostly due to time pressures. The cost of sampling Royal Melbourne et al is a consideration, but until I find at least a few weeks to devote, money doesn't seriously come into question.

I see being a student of golf architecture as something long term. My interest started with the publication of Dan Jenkin's Sports Illustrated book in 1966. But, each year I try to build on what I haven't seen and what I really want to see. Playing large number of venues doesn't interest me anymore, not with my commitment to being with my daughter as much as possible.

Also, I should say that playing courses I visit is no longer mandatory for me. Increasingly, I like going to visit projects in progress, including either new projects or "restoration".

Besides, my game stinks these days!

I think we should all credit Tom Doak for the courage to publish The Confidential Guide and Ran Morrisett for maintaining Golf Club Atlas.  Very few people have both the time and money to go check out everything.  Tom's courage and Ran's commitment helps one sort out what is really worth one's time and money.

Bottom line: being a student of golf course architecture involves considerable expense. That's just a fact of life.

[Tim_Weiman]

Tom Huckaby:

Sorry, I guess I should have directed my comments to Mike Cirba and Gib.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tim,

I'm hardly uncomfortable with the question you asked, which is "how much time and money you are willing to devote to golf related travel?"

The original question was a bit different, although I'm sure the intent was simply benign and theoretical.  I just think we should shy away from questions of "access" on here, lest anyone feel put upon, or otherwise obligated.

[Tim_Weiman]

Mike:

I would favor deleting any threads on the subject of "access".

We are trying to attract more people to GCA and any suggestion that GCA is about "access" discourages participation, in my opinion.

For example, the current thread about "The Hardest Course To Get On" probably crosses or comes too close to the line. I'd go for the delete button on that one.

[THuckaby2]

Tim,

I'm hardly uncomfortable with the question you asked, which is "how much time and money you are willing to devote to golf related travel?"

The original question was a bit different, although I'm sure the intent was simply benign and theoretical.  I just think we should shy away from questions of "access" on here, lest anyone feel put upon, or otherwise obligated.

 

Agreed 100%, and didn't I say I live by Mike's teachings?
Well said as always, Mike.  THAT is why this is a "touchy" subject and best shied away from, or tred lightly with.  I couldn't agree more.  I just felt I had to say SOMETHING, just in response to my wonderful friend Mr. Huntley.

BTW Tim, I'm with you:  there is always going to be some time and expense involved in this "avocation."  I've come to learn that the marital currency trades far higher than the dollar.  Oh yes, there is a price for everything, indeed.  Thus I too tend to combine business trips with golf, which is a wonderful thing.

TH

[THuckaby2]

Mike:

I would favor deleting any threads on the subject of "access".

We are trying to attract more people to GCA and any suggestion that GCA is about "access" discourages participation, in my opinion.

For example, the current thread about "The Hardest Course To Get On" probably crosses or comes too close to the line. I'd go for the delete button on that one.

Well said, Tim.  You'll notice I stayed the heck out of that one.  

TH