Starting now, Mon. 10/5: Get To Know Bill McBride

[Ted Kramer]

Bill,

What is your favorite book, or favorite books? Fiction.
Do you play chess? If you do, any favorite openings or lines of play?

-Ted

Hi Ted,

My favorite fiction?  I read a lot of series detective fiction - James Lee Burke's Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux, Donna Leon's Venetian detective Guido Brunetti, Lawrence Block's New York detective Matt Scudder.  I love that kind of fiction, when it's well written, for its depiction of place and ambience as well as story line.  My all time favorite is the Hornblower series of British naval captain fiction by C.S. Forester.

I love to play chess - do you think it has much in common with match play golf? - and my favorite opening is the Sicilian Defense, Najdorf variation.  I love the aggressive style.

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for such a thoughtful response.
And I'm so glad I asked what I did, I haven't really had any fiction that I was excited about for the last few months.
I think I'll dive into some of your favorites as I'm big fan of a "depiction of place and ambience" throughout a novel.
Now to chess . . .
Do I think chess has much in common with match play? Yes, I do . . . I often find myself thinking about chess and how it relates to lots of things that I'm interested in. Chess amazes and baffles me, even more than golf does. I think I'd rather be a great chess mind than a great ball striker. As white, I have tended to play more queen's pawn openings lately, but some of those Bobby Fisher English Opening games are amazing . . . that 5. a6 move for black is pure genius . . .

Thanks for contributions to this website. I've always enjoyed your posts.

-Ted

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,

What is your favorite book, or favorite books? Fiction.
Do you play chess? If you do, any favorite openings or lines of play?

-Ted

Hi Ted,

My favorite fiction?  I read a lot of series detective fiction - James Lee Burke's Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux, Donna Leon's Venetian detective Guido Brunetti, Lawrence Block's New York detective Matt Scudder.  I love that kind of fiction, when it's well written, for its depiction of place and ambience as well as story line.  My all time favorite is the Hornblower series of British naval captain fiction by C.S. Forester.

I love to play chess - do you think it has much in common with match play golf? - and my favorite opening is the Sicilian Defense, Najdorf variation.  I love the aggressive style.

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for such a thoughtful response.
And I'm so glad I asked what I did, I haven't really had any fiction that I was excited about for the last few months.
I think I'll dive into some of your favorites as I'm big fan of a "depiction of place and ambience" throughout a novel.
Now to chess . . .
Do I think chess has much in common with match play? Yes, I do . . . I often find myself thinking about chess and how it relates to lots of things that I'm interested in. Chess amazes and baffles me, even more than golf does. I think I'd rather be a great chess mind than a great ball striker. As white, I have tended to play more queen's pawn openings lately, but some of those Bobby Fisher English Opening games are amazing . . . that 5. a6 move for black is pure genius . . .

Thanks for contributions to this website. I've always enjoyed your posts.

-Ted

Did you ever play any postal chess?  That was a nice leisurely hobby.  Once I was playing a really interesting pair of games against a young Pole from Warsaw when he suddenly stopped playing!  This was in the Cold War era of the '70s when I lived near San Francisco.  He came to the US as part of a scientific tour and called me up from Corning NY to ask if I could come play a few games!  When he stopped responding to my post cards, I wondered if he had been made to disappear.  It was very unnerving.

[George Pazin]

Knowing next to nothing about chess other than the rules and a handful of trivia, it strikes me as a game that would benefit GREATLY from the internet - has it?

[Bill_McBride]

Knowing next to nothing about chess other than the rules and a handful of trivia, it strikes me as a game that would benefit GREATLY from the internet - has it?

Don't know George, but I think the pace would be too fast!  Chess is meant to be leisurely and the Internet is all about right now!

[Scott Warren]

Postal chess sounds cool, though I did hear of groups who play postal scrabble and that did seem a bit strange to me...

Bill,

What hole or holes sum up the type of course design that you like to see?

Have you ever played Down Under?

Has equipment technology's march forward over the past 15 years made golf more or less fun, in your eyes?

[Tim Leahy]

Bill I had the pleasure of meeting you and listening to some of your golf tales at a couple of Kings Putter dinners. I am a big California golf nut. What are your top 5 favorite public golf courses in California? Why?

[Ted Kramer]

Bill,

What is your favorite book, or favorite books? Fiction.
Do you play chess? If you do, any favorite openings or lines of play?

-Ted

Hi Ted,

My favorite fiction?  I read a lot of series detective fiction - James Lee Burke's Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux, Donna Leon's Venetian detective Guido Brunetti, Lawrence Block's New York detective Matt Scudder.  I love that kind of fiction, when it's well written, for its depiction of place and ambience as well as story line.  My all time favorite is the Hornblower series of British naval captain fiction by C.S. Forester.

I love to play chess - do you think it has much in common with match play golf? - and my favorite opening is the Sicilian Defense, Najdorf variation.  I love the aggressive style.

Hello Bill,

Thanks so much for such a thoughtful response.
And I'm so glad I asked what I did, I haven't really had any fiction that I was excited about for the last few months.
I think I'll dive into some of your favorites as I'm big fan of a "depiction of place and ambience" throughout a novel.
Now to chess . . .
Do I think chess has much in common with match play? Yes, I do . . . I often find myself thinking about chess and how it relates to lots of things that I'm interested in. Chess amazes and baffles me, even more than golf does. I think I'd rather be a great chess mind than a great ball striker. As white, I have tended to play more queen's pawn openings lately, but some of those Bobby Fisher English Opening games are amazing . . . that 5. a6 move for black is pure genius . . .

Thanks for contributions to this website. I've always enjoyed your posts.

-Ted

Did you ever play any postal chess?  That was a nice leisurely hobby.  Once I was playing a really interesting pair of games against a young Pole from Warsaw when he suddenly stopped playing!  This was in the Cold War era of the '70s when I lived near San Francisco.  He came to the US as part of a scientific tour and called me up from Corning NY to ask if I could come play a few games!  When he stopped responding to my post cards, I wondered if he had been made to disappear.  It was very unnerving.

I can imagine that scenario being "unnerving". I have never played postal chess, it doesn't appeal to me. The idea of being able to look up and reference different moves really turns me off. I'd prefer to play on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, 2-5 minutes a side. But my favorite way to play is with a glass of bourbon or scotch against a good friend. Unfortunately I don't have many who play. I just bought a book on the Najdorf from Amazon. . .

 

[Niall C]

Bill

Similiar to Scotts question. Since you started playing what particular thing in golf course architecture or equipment or the game itself has got worse or has made the game worse. Likewise what has been an improvement.

Niall

[Jason Topp]

1.  Your best golf trip

2.  Your tips for organizing a terrific trip

3.  Scotland, Ireland or England?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Bill, Bill who, is he a newbie? Or are we talking about 'Elie' Bill

Melvyn

[Ted Kramer]

Knowing next to nothing about chess other than the rules and a handful of trivia, it strikes me as a game that would benefit GREATLY from the internet - has it?

The internet has made sharing, pursuing, and digesting the INCREDIBLE amount of information on the subject infinitely easier. But like Bill said, there is something about the immediacy of the internet that robs chess of its very personal nature. Computers and the internet make every effort to reduce chess to number crunching. Certainly at the highest levels there is value to this approach. But for me, as a pretty lousy player, chess is much more about feel and instinct . . . I don't have any desire to crunch numbers.

-Ted

[Bill_McBride]

Postal chess sounds cool, though I did hear of groups who play postal scrabble and that did seem a bit strange to me...

Bill,

What hole or holes sum up the type of course design that you like to see?  Lots of options.  Risk - reward.  I don't like the type of holes where there is only one clearly defined way to play the hole.  Links golf offers more of this type of play than softer courses, makes it more fun.

Have you ever played Down Under?  Not yet, but thinking about it!

Has equipment technology's march forward over the past 15 years made golf more or less fun, in your eyes?

  I don't think the extra length enjoyed by top level players has done one bit of good for golf in general.

It hasn't done a thing for me, my tee shots keep getting shorter!  I do enjoy square-grooved wedges and just bought a new set of Clevelands that will hopefully last past the termination of these grooves.

[Bill_McBride]

Bill

Similiar to Scotts question. Since you started playing what particular thing in golf course architecture or equipment or the game itself has got worse or has made the game worse. Likewise what has been an improvement.

Niall

Niall, I'm a bit of a Luddite so don't think much of the new technology has done much to improve the game, whether it's GPS devices, electric carts or 460 cc drivers and Pro V1 golf balls.  I loved my persimmon woods and miss them.  What's the point of making equipment that hits the ball farther and then building new courses to accommodate this added length?  This really argues for a competition ball.

I do think golf architecture has passed a threshold where all new courses had to be 7200 yards.  Many of the good new courses are more flexible and many are shorter.  But I could be wrong, Chambers Bay is what, 7500++ yards.  I do think the "New Golden Age" golf design is a vast improvement over 20 years ago, or what is being produced by some mainstream architects today.

The other negative influence is also a positive to many.  I think the demand for pristine conditions on American courses, and in other countries where our example is followed, has cost us a lot in playability.  Too many soft, green courses, not enough firm, brown courses - like those we saw at the Buda a couple of weeks ago in Kent. 

[Bill_McBride]

Bill, Bill who, is he a newbie? Or are we talking about 'Elie' Bill

Melvyn

Yes indeed, "Elie Bill" who guzzled or passed about your lovely flagon of Glenmorangie at the 2008 Buda Cup!  Thanks again!

[Bill_McBride]

1.  Your best golf trip  The one in June 2008 where we saw you in Scotland was pretty good!  All my golf trips have been really good and fun, so I couldn't pick one.  This most recent Buda was nearly perfect.

2.  Your tips for organizing a terrific trip  The more detail you plan in advance, the fewer things you'll have to worry about  -- other than being overserved! -  while you are there.  Planning a trip is at least half the fun.  My #1 tip would be to avoid moving every night, pick a central location and exhaust the possibilities in that area before moving to another.  St Andrews, Dornoch, North Berwick, and now Kent, all meet that objective.  I would also prefer to stay in B&Bs or small inns that something larger and impersonal.

3.  Scotland, Ireland or England?  A political three way tie for first, although I've only been to Northern Ireland.

[Anthony Gray]

  Bill,

  What do you think about Cruden Bay?

  Anthony

[Bill_McBride]

Bill I had the pleasure of meeting you and listening to some of your golf tales at a couple of Kings Putter dinners. I am a big California golf nut. What are your top 5 favorite public golf courses in California? Why?

Hmmm, Tim, that's not easy.  "Public" also has several meanings.  If you mean you can pay a fee and play, here goes:

Pebble Beach
Spyglass Hill
Rustic Canyon
Sonoma  
Harding Park - nostalgia

I haven't played the public courses of Sacramento or the Sierras/Tahoe so can't comment there.

Really nothing unexpected there.

[Bill_McBride]

  Bill,

  What do you think about Cruden Bay?

  Anthony

I tried to take our Gang of 8 there in June 2008 but they were full up with members on a Saturday and that was the only day between Dornoch and St Andrews on that trip.  I hope to see it one day, love your photos of the place.

[Garland Bayley]

...
It hasn't done a thing for me, my tee shots keep getting shorter!  I do enjoy square-grooved wedges and just bought a new set of Clevelands that will hopefully last past the termination of these grooves.

You probably would hit it longer with the old soft balls than with the new ProV style of ball. What the new balls did was adopt the old rock flite style of spin performance to the new balls. This made a lot of players shorter off the tee rather than longer.

Have you gotten on a launch monitor and been fitted for a ball?

[Bill_McBride]

...
It hasn't done a thing for me, my tee shots keep getting shorter!  I do enjoy square-grooved wedges and just bought a new set of Clevelands that will hopefully last past the termination of these grooves.

You probably would hit it longer with the old soft balls than with the new ProV style of ball. What the new balls did was adopt the old rock flite style of spin performance to the new balls. This made a lot of players shorter off the tee rather than longer.

Have you gotten on a launch monitor and been fitted for a ball?

Yes but it didn't help!

[RJ_Daley]

I didn't see this thread until tonight, and by now, every conceivable question seems to have been asked.  And, just as we know him, Bill has engagingly hung in there and had a very interesting answer to all comers.  I just want to thank Wild Bill for inviting me to that Valley Club deal a few years ago.  Bill has been a golf companion and competitor with me about 4 times in what I would say are undoubtedly among my very best memories in golf. 

OK, here is a question... You and Kathleen are really great travellers.  Would you and Kathleen attend an Olympiad, if they had golf as a competition?

Do you think golf should be in the Olympics?

You mentioned once, but I didn't quite fully consider the luck of that until now and realise how it could give you such a distinct advantage at events like the Dixie and KP;  but, you don't have hangovers?   I only knew one guy like that -ever, my Father-in-law.  But he was a nice guy and he wouldn't take advantage of me in a golf match the next morning like you would... 

I'd pay for a ticket to see you and Jamey rip it up down there at Camden this year the night before playing a match.  And considering "that" guy's feat at Longshadow with a world class hangover, it might be something to bear witness to. 

[Kyle Henderson]

B McB,

If I wasn't such a twit, would people like me as much as they like you?


Serious question:
You've professed an admirable love for links golf and the maintainence practices that provide the ideal turf conditions (firm and fast) for that style of play.

What courses in Florida would you say most closely approach such ideal playing conditions in your experience? How about in Oregon (aside form Bandon)? California?



Note: Bill was among the first GCA participants I ever met, after Bob Huntley and Pete Pittock. No wonder I'm hooked! He's also witnessed some of the worst golf I ever played...

[Bill_McBride]

I didn't see this thread until tonight, and by now, every conceivable question seems to have been asked.  And, just as we know him, Bill has engagingly hung in there and had a very interesting answer to all comers.  I just want to thank Wild Bill for inviting me to that Valley Club deal a few years ago.  Bill has been a golf companion and competitor with me about 4 times in what I would say are undoubtedly among my very best memories in golf. 

OK, here is a question... You and Kathleen are really great travellers.  Would you and Kathleen attend an Olympiad, if they had golf as a competition? I've never been interested in attending the Olympics, seems like it's much too crowded.

Do you think golf should be in the Olympics? No, I don't see golf as an essential part of the Olympics.  I love the track and field and volleyball and swimming stuff, but don't see much of a role for golf.  In Brazil it would be played on one of only a handful of courses in the country.

You mentioned once, but I didn't quite fully consider the luck of that until now and realise how it could give you such a distinct advantage at events like the Dixie and KP;  but, you don't have hangovers?   I only knew one guy like that -ever, my Father-in-law.  But he was a nice guy and he wouldn't take advantage of me in a golf match the next morning like you would... 

I'd pay for a ticket to see you and Jamey rip it up down there at Camden this year the night before playing a match.  And considering "that" guy's feat at Longshadow with a world class hangover, it might be something to bear witness to.    Dick, hope you are well and wish you were coming to Aiken.

[Bill_McBride]

B McB,

If I wasn't such a twit, would people like me as much as they like you?  Hey, your series of photo essays on your wonderful trip to Scotland was a real hit on GCA.com, I have no idea how you kept track of all those photos on all those courses.  That's a real talent.  And organizing a Kings Putter next year?  Get out of here!   By the way, you are a tremendous slouch, er twit!  Keep up the good work!


Serious question:
You've professed an admirable love for links golf and the maintainence practices that provide the ideal turf conditions (firm and fast) for that style of play.

What courses in Florida would you say most closely approach such ideal playing conditions in your experience? How about in Oregon (aside form Bandon)? California?  Due to the prevailing weather here - lots of rain and generally humid conditions - you don't see enough fast and firm here in Florida.  When the new course first opened in 2006 at Pensacola CC, it was fast and firm but a couple of wet seasons and general overwatering - IMO - have taken that keen roll out of the fairways and surrounds.  Bermuda rough is also a factor.  Rustic Canyon is fast as hell in California, they do a great job there and that canyon slope keeps things dry and firm with good maintenance practices and design.  Other than Bandon I haven't seen much that's F&F in Oregon, certainly nothing around Portland.  I haven't seen the newer courses in the high desert area so can't comment.



Note: Bill was among the first GCA participants I ever met, after Bob Huntley and Pete Pittock. No wonder I'm hooked! He's also witnessed some of the worst golf I ever played...  Yeah, but your dad made a hole in one!     Go Scott!

[Garland Bayley]

... He's also witnessed some of the worst golf I ever played...

Don't worry Kyle. Now that he as seen me play on two occassions, the memory of your bad play is completely wiped from your mind.

Bill,

What are your favorite courses in the Florida sand belt?

By your lack of response, I take it you don't have a chess rating. Correct?