Any honest GCA confessions out there...

« **on:** October 14, 2009, 08:22:16 PM »

I played here in the summer of 1989 and thought I had died and gone to GCA heaven!

Anyone else out there willing to admit their first thoughts as they began their GCA education....

Have fun....

« **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2009, 08:33:55 PM »

Torrey Pines was the end all be all when I first played it about 16 years. I have not seen as much as a lot of folks here, but since then I've seen a few more and I've learned so much.

« **Reply #2 on:** October 14, 2009, 08:44:53 PM »

Quote from: Chip Gaskins on October 14, 2009, 08:22:16 PM

I played here in the summer of 1989 and thought I had died and gone to GCA heaven!

Anyone else out there willing to admit their first thoughts as they began their GCA education....

Have fun....

OMG, is that the 10th at some Jack Nicklaus course in Aunt Myrtle?!

« **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2009, 08:46:44 PM »

Quote from: Joe Bausch on October 14, 2009, 08:44:53 PM

Quote from: Chip Gaskins on October 14, 2009, 08:22:16 PM
I played here in the summer of 1989 and thought I had died and gone to GCA heaven!

Anyone else out there willing to admit their first thoughts as they began their GCA education....

Have fun....

OMG, is that the 10th at some Jack Nicklaus course in Aunt Myrtle?!

Rees? Look at all those 'pieces.'

« **Reply #4 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:03:45 PM »

Guilty as charged.

I don't remeber much other than that hole was not as bad as it looks and the other holes on the course we're not bad.

Granted that was a long time ago pre this GCA - fetish

« **Reply #5 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:08:31 PM »

Quote from: john_foley on October 14, 2009, 09:03:45 PM

I don't remeber much other than that hole was not as bad as it looks and the other holes on the course we're not bad.

Oh yeah...

« **Reply #6 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:11:15 PM »

And another condescending, holier than thou GCA thread is given birth...who gets to cut the cord on this thread? Count me out, please.

« **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:35:16 PM »

Ronald

Sorry you think this is condescending, actually just the opposite, I was actually poking fun at myself for loving (at the time) architecture that I am pretty sure I have heard most on here find issue with. Nothing more, nothing less.

Chip

« **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2009, 10:00:09 PM »

My first hardcover on golf course architecture was Tom Fazio's book.

« **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2009, 10:43:06 PM »

I'm not poking fun at myself but the following opinions, which I still hold, are generally out of whack with what people here would admit to:

(1) Keystone Ranch (RTJ Jr.) is the best mountain course in central Colorado; and

(2) Heritage at Westmoor (Hurzdan, Fry) is one of the top 3 or 4 public courses in metro Denver, well above, for example, anything done by Mr. Engh.

Nothing earth-shattering, I realize, but that's what came to mind.

« **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2009, 10:54:15 PM »

Golf architecture is like fine wine. You don't start off drinking Ch Latour, you drink $25 bottles that you think cost too much. There is nothing wrong with starting from the bottom, working up and growing into the best.

« **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2009, 11:48:39 PM »

I was a big Robert Bruce Harris fan. But then I still am.

« **Reply #12 on:** October 15, 2009, 12:02:57 AM »

It is a fine line between education and the emporer's clothes.

« **Reply #13 on:** October 15, 2009, 02:59:31 AM »

I did not like St. Louis CC the first time I went around the course, as a caddy. Pretty quickly it grew on me, and became by far my favorite in the St. Louis area.

« **Reply #14 on:** October 15, 2009, 04:03:50 AM »

I ranked courses with the criteria "which one has the most beautiful bunkers?"

« **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:15:37 AM »

I'm proud to say that I still have a very special heart in my place for the 2 town municipal courses on which I leaned to play: Brighton and Sheridan Park in Tonawanda, NY. Both were designed by William Harries. Sheridan held the 1962 USGA Publinx.

« **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:15:29 AM »

I enjoyed both Crab Meadow and Sunken Meadow on Long Island. Don't tell anyone...RHE

« **Reply #17 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:21:51 AM »

Exactly 10 years ago, here's what my Top 20 looked like.

Blackwolf Run (River Course)
Whistling Straits
World Woods (Pine Barrens)
Kiawah (The Ocean Course)
TPC at Sawgrass (Stadium)
Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys)
World Woods (Rolling Oaks)
Eagle Ridge (The General)
Cog Hill (Dubsdread)
University Ridge
Disney (Osprey Ridge)
Geneva National (Palmer)
Kemper Lakes
Prairie View
The Bog
WeaverRidge
Pine Meadow
SentryWorld
White Columns
Cantigny

« **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:23:56 AM »

Quote from: Chip Gaskins on October 14, 2009, 09:35:16 PM

Ronald

Sorry you think this is condescending, actually just the opposite, I was actually poking fun at myself for loving (at the time) architecture that I am pretty sure I have heard most on here find issue with. Nothing more, nothing less.

Chip

Then maybe your most embarrassing admission is that you let the groupthink here do your thinking for you?

Jim Colton,

That is not a bad top 20, assuming you don't get to play a lot of the old line NE courses. And, you would not be alone in liking modern courses more than older ones. Even the highly mounded style shown in the opening post is a style worthy of study and preservation - mark my words, the best of the 80's will start getting some props in a few decades, if they aren't now.

« **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2009, 11:10:55 AM »

Quote from: Jim Colton on October 15, 2009, 10:21:51 AM

Exactly 10 years ago, here's what my Top 20 looked like.

Blackwolf Run (River Course)
Whistling Straits
World Woods (Pine Barrens)
Kiawah (The Ocean Course)
TPC at Sawgrass (Stadium)
Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys)
World Woods (Rolling Oaks)
Eagle Ridge (The General)
Cog Hill (Dubsdread)
University Ridge
Disney (Osprey Ridge)
Geneva National (Palmer)
Kemper Lakes
Prairie View
The Bog
WeaverRidge
Pine Meadow
SentryWorld
White Columns
Cantigny

Wow. You poor thing. That must feel good to get that off your chest.

« **Reply #20 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:04:45 PM »

1. I thought Columbia CC was a tricked-up joke of a course the first time I played it.

2. I think RTJ is great.

« **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:24:49 PM »

The only way to judge a green is by speed.

« **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:33:36 PM »

OK, honestly, my idea of a good golf hole was a bunker on each side of the landing area(s), and a bunker on each side of the green front. For those of you counting, that's four per hole for and average of 72 bunkers on an 18 hole course. Looking back, my sole criteria for judging a course was how many bunkers it had. And it wasn't because I was a good bunker player - far from it.

Ouch, painful to look back but fun to realize how much I have learned.

« **Reply #23 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:49:41 PM »

Quote from: Carl Nichols on October 15, 2009, 08:04:45 PM

1. I thought Columbia CC was a tricked-up joke of a course the first time I played it. I'M SORRY.

2. I think RTJ is great. HOW DO YOU RATE IT TODAY VS COLUMBIA?

Columbia is my favorite of all the courses I played in the D.C. area during the 13 years I lived there. I loved the variety of the holes, and the challenges presented by the shorter, quirky holes. I thought RTJ International was a very good course, and enjoyed seeing the first two President's Cups out there.

« **Reply #24 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:58:17 PM »

Bill:

My ever-shifting view of DC courses has RTJ, Congressional and Columbia as my top 3, in that order. I really like Columbia but think it has a couple of so-so holes that keep it at that spot.

IMHO, one huge advantage RTJ has is that they get the maintenance meld right -- every time I've played there it's been appropriately firm and fast, which makes you really have to think on almost every shot.

News:

Chip Gaskins

David Stamm

Joe Bausch

Bill_McBride

John Foley

Chip Gaskins

Ronald Montesano

Chip Gaskins

Brad Swanson

Tim Pitner

C. Squier

Bradley Anderson

mike_beene

Jim Nugent

Emil Weber

Dan Herrmann

Robert Emmons

Jim Colton

Jeff_Brauer

tlavin

Carl Nichols

Michael Huber

Mike Bowline

Bill_McBride

Carl Nichols

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