[Ash Towe]

I think it is close enough to the end of the year to start this thread.

My highlight was a visit to the US.  I played the 3 courses at Bandon plus the preview 10 holes at Old MacDonald. I also had the pleasure of meeting Tom Doak at Bandon and had a thoroughly enjoyable discussion with him.  Thanks Tom.  Then onto Wild Horse, Sand Hills, Ballyneal,finishing at Olympia Fields and Beverly CC.  The golf was amazing but I manged to catch up and play the mid-west courses with Ed Getka.  I would like to thank him for his company and sharing his expertise with me.  Our host at Ballyneal made the visit there even more special.  We managed to catch up with the GCA group in Denver and had a great evening with them.
My host in Chicago could not have been more generous.  I had a fantastic time and it was a fitting finish to a wonderful trip.  It was great to meet the other gentelmen at all the courses and share a round with them.

Other highlights on GCA for me was watching Kevin Palliers exploits in the US; reading Kyle Henderson and Sean Arbles course tours and the review of Castle Stuart by Rich Goodale.  Thanks guys.

My last highlight was having a hole in one for the first time.

[Mark Pearce]

The week od BUDA, 5 wonderful courses (Huntercombe, Rye, Littlestone, RCP and RSG) but more than that, 20+ blokes, most of whom I knew slightly, if at all, all of whom were good mates.  RSG is one of the best 5 courses I have ever played, all the others have a shout at top 20, at least.

[Dan Herrmann]

Ash,
I am not worthy  

Actually, my highlight was playing a truly horrible private golf course out here in the Western burbs of Philly for the first time.   It made me realize just how good I have it at my home course.

(The real highlights were playing Lancaster CC, attending the Walker Cup at Merion, and going to Ran and Ben's presentation of Cabot Links at the Links Club in New York City)

[Joel Zuckerman]

Managed to play about 50 new GC's in 2009, with two highlights in particular:

1)  99 Holes in Kansas in early October over 4 days--36 at wonderful Flint Hills National, followed by 63 at phenomenal Prairie Dunes.

2)  A July foray to the Northeast was supercharged--unsurpassed in my personal annals for the combination of quantity and quality.
25 separate rounds, not a repeat course among them, in less than four weeks time.  If not for a single rainout and then another day with car trouble, I would have added two more rounds, and thusly pitched "a perfect game:"  27 rounds in 27 days.
Even better—a dozen of the 25 rounds were completed on never-before-seen courses; no easy feat for me, as I was mining some of my usual territory in Western Mass, Boston’s North Shore, and greater Philadelphia, among other regular haunts.  

Here’s the best of what I saw for the first time:  Waterbury CC (CT) a little-known Donald Ross hillside beauty, the picture-book definition of “hidden gem.”  CC of Fairfield (CT) a low-profile, windblown Seth Raynor standout hard by the Long Island Sound.  Boston Golf Club (MA) a Gil Hanse stunner with an initiation rumored to be some 300k.  Portsmouth CC (NH) a semi-private looker with lots of water views on the truncated stretch of land known as New Hampshire’s seacoast.  Lancaster CC (PA) a classic William Flynn design that’s well balanced, eye-pleasing, and lush.
   Here are a few of my favorite “encores” I was lucky enough to revisit:  Pine Valley, Merion, Rolling Green, Huntingdon Valley, Garden City Golf Club, Salem, Worcester, Essex County, Myopia Hunt.  Definitely a good year.....
 

[JC Jones]

A handful of mine:

1)  Crystal Downs with Ed Getka and a great member.
2)  Kingsley with a group of great guys.  Greywalls with a group of great guys.
3)  Dixie Cup.  Awesome people there too.
4)  The countless rounds at Belvedere.

And there will be more too with a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on the docket and another round with John Mayhugh (my 3rd of the year - eat your heart out Anthony!!)

A great year and I owe most of it to this website.  Thanks to all of you as the company far exceeds the golf courses every time.

[Ash Towe]

Dan,

I really like where I live but I do get envious when I read about attending The Walker Cup and attending a presentation by Ran.  Thats why people in our part of the world make such long trips and are meticulous about their planning.

We all need a reminder like you experienced in the West at some stage.

[Garland Bayley]

Big Bird defeats The Cookie Monster 1 up.

[Mac Plumart]

My golf related highlights for 2009 were...

--Playing golf with my wife, 7 yr old daughter and 5 year old son on New Years Day

--Watching my daughter drive the green on a par 3 from the womens tees this summer

--Making my first eagle

--Putting up my best round ever 81 right before my second surgery

--Walking all 18 holes at East Lake today...3 months after my second surgery!!!

[Tom Yost]

2009 was a very good year for me on the golf front.  I got to visit Seattle and play Chambers Bay with most gracious host Rich Choi.   I played in a series of AGA tournaments called the Summer Mid-Am series which was held at some very nice private clubs including Desert Forest, Troon CC, Superstition Mountain and Blackstone where I shot my "career" best score of 75.

But hands down, the highlight for me was the King's Putter, where I was able to meet, play golf with and share a few adult beverages with a great group of GCA guys.    

[Lou_Duran]

Mac,

Any reports on East Lake?

[Mac Plumart]

Lou...

Oh yeah...I've got lots to say about East Lake.  It is one of my favorite courses and I have the good fortune to play it often.

I describe it as subtle brilliance.  Most people who play it the first time, don't see what the fuss is all about...other than the history and/or experience.  And frankly, I felt that exact same way the first 2 or 3 times I played it.  But as I became a better golfer and a more astute observer of quality golf coure architecture, I began to appreciate its subtle brilliance and how it challenges every aspect of your game and your ability to plan and strategize around a golf course...but this assumes you know what the strengths and weakness of your game are.

Another great thing about East Lake became understood by me regarding other Ross courses.  After playing Inverness and CC Of Columbus, I understood what the original Ross greens had to be like as both Inverness and CCC have very similiar greens...slopes, undulations, etc.  But East Lake has less undulation and slope, but the greens are much faster.  I take this to be Rees Jones' doctoring of the course to make it playable and acceptable for the PGA Players.  Frankly, I prefer the Inverness type of greens, but for some reason the PGA guys like the high stimp and fewer undulations.  Hey...to each their own.

Bottom line...I LOVE East Lake!!!

[Sean Leary]

CPC on Pallier's US tour
LACC on Spaulding's Whore tour
Prairie Dunes with Benham, Huckaby, Pieracci, Edgmand, Schultheis and Tufts.
The W8
Toscana with Daryl David
Annual Seattle Summit with Bogey, Brush Tee, Peter P, Jesse and Brent
Chambers Bay with Dr. Herreid

Regretfully this year, I missed:

-Playing with John Kirk. Usually we find a way to play at least once a year.
-Beating Jordan Wall like a red headed stepchild, which is normally an annual tradition you can set your watch by.
-Kings Putter. Just not a good year to do it.
-Bandon Dunes trip. First year since it opened that I haven't made it.

[Mike Boehm]

The two days at Kingsley in my first GCA outing this summer is definitely the biggest highlight.  Second highlight probably is playing in my first stroke play tournament in about 10 years and managing to better my handicap on for the round (at U of M, a course I love, to boot).

[Anthony Gray]

A handful of mine:

1)  Crystal Downs with Ed Getka and a great member.
2)  Kingsley with a group of great guys.  Greywalls with a group of great guys.
3)  Dixie Cup.  Awesome people there too.
4)  The countless rounds at Belvedere.

And there will be more too with a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on the docket and another round with John Mayhugh (my 3rd of the year - eat your heart out Anthony!!)

A great year and I owe most of it to this website.  Thanks to all of you as the company far exceeds the golf courses every time.

  JC,

 I only had two rounds with John Mayhugh. I guess if you room with joe Hancock they throw in a round for your sacrifice.

  Anthony

[Anthony Gray]

  Too many to pic just one. But a very special thank you to GCA for restoreing my faith in golf by finding passion for "The Ground it is Played On". Great fellowship and face licking this year. MOM had a great time despite falling off the wagon a few times. I had a few number of posts and started a few topics (boy are my arms tired). Thanks for the felowship,entertainment and education in 2009. It has been nice to mow you.

 Anthony

[JC Jones]

A handful of mine:

1)  Crystal Downs with Ed Getka and a great member.
2)  Kingsley with a group of great guys.  Greywalls with a group of great guys.
3)  Dixie Cup.  Awesome people there too.
4)  The countless rounds at Belvedere.

And there will be more too with a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on the docket and another round with John Mayhugh (my 3rd of the year - eat your heart out Anthony!!)

A great year and I owe most of it to this website.  Thanks to all of you as the company far exceeds the golf courses every time.

  JC,

 I only had two rounds with John Mayhugh. I guess if you room with joe Hancock they throw in a round for your sacrifice.

  Anthony

its not nearly enough to compensate for the many hours of counseling i've needed since.

[Brad Fleischer]

Not so sure this can be called a "highlight" but it would have to be my first trip to Ballyneal . The company was grand or so I thought . I now seem to be "stuck" with a "few" individuals from that excellent trip . I have yet to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing but I will say I am glad I am not the only weirdo out there when it comes to our shared dysfunction.

All kidding aside without this site I wouldn't have met a bunch of guy's I now consider friends .

The second highlight would have to be playing Kingsley numerous times from June to Sept. I love that place. I also got to witness my third hole in one from some cattle rancher whose name escapes me right now on the 9th hole.

Third would have to be my 75 at Architects and my subsequent downfall two weeks latter at said Ballyneal. Wait a minute it's all your guy's fault my game has disappeared and has not returned !!!!!!!

Brad

[Joe Hancock]

A handful of mine:

1)  Crystal Downs with Ed Getka and a great member.
2)  Kingsley with a group of great guys.  Greywalls with a group of great guys.
3)  Dixie Cup.  Awesome people there too.
4)  The countless rounds at Belvedere.

And there will be more too with a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on the docket and another round with John Mayhugh (my 3rd of the year - eat your heart out Anthony!!)

A great year and I owe most of it to this website.  Thanks to all of you as the company far exceeds the golf courses every time.

  JC,

 I only had two rounds with John Mayhugh. I guess if you room with joe Hancock they throw in a round for your sacrifice.

  Anthony

its not nearly enough to compensate for the many hours of counseling i've needed since.

The information he gleaned from me after forcing me to drink several Guinness is confidential........but I swear, if I incriminated any architects, it was against my will and under the influence.......

I drank enough Guinness to have a nightmare involving Anthony, an orange outfit and something to do with face licking......JC better not have taken advantage of me that night or I'll be pissed I missed it......

[Ben Sims]

My golf highlights of 2009

1) Asking my now father-in-law for his daughter's hand on the back terrace of the Tap Room at Pasatiempo

2) Seagrams and 7!Up on the Sheep Ranch

3) Dinner with Michael Murphy at McKee's Pub after a few hours at Old Mac

3b) Presenting Hank Hickox a US Flag flown in combat over Afghanistan for The Resort's hospitality

4) Nearly dying of heat exhaustion on the 17th fairway at Stone Eagle with PFerlicca

5) Mike Wagner's old school ball flight

6) The 7th green at Ballyneal

7) Mike Young eschewing ODG architecture when I called his 16th at Longshadow a "Cape" hole

Watching Brad Fleischer "teach" a fairly successful golf architect at Crystal Downs

9) Watching Wyatt Halliday ace the hardest par 5 in golf--the 9th at Kingsley

10) Getting thunderstorm stranded in Traverse. Leading to more golf at Kingsley!

11) Gib introducing me to The Burger Dog amid a great round at Olympic with Neal Meagher

12) Michael Robin's unconditional generosity and sheer likability.  And my best score of the year--an 85 at Riviera.  

13) The Alps at Lookout Mountain with a talkative dentist.

To Peter Ferlicca, Mike Young, Tom Doak, Gib Papazian, and especially Michael Robin.  Thank you for your generosity, your company, and your tolerance of a "labrador" like me.  To Wyatt Halliday, Jim Colton, Brad Fleischer and Matt Schulte.  My golf bro's.  I've never met a more varied, and yet genuine group of fast friends.  I can't wait to tee it up again guys.

It has been a ridiculously magical year for me.  I highly doubt any "golfing" year will be as cool as this first one has been.  But in the spirit of any true GCA geek, I will damn well try.  

[RSLivingston_III]

Only one little golf highlight this year.
Was able to play two gutty balls up the tenth at Kingsley with my 1880 clubs. Shot a pair of 5's.

[Jim Colton]

In a year where I played Ballyneal, Sand Hills, Crystal Downs, Kingsley Club and Harbour Town, this was the highlight of the year for me:

http://www.wegoblogger31.com/2009/12/first-roundthe-last-round.html

[Tim Gavrich]

For me, it was playing Yale a couple times in August, as well as playing the CC of Farmington in June.  Two special courses--one well known, the other a hidden gem.

[Andrew Bertram]

I rate 2009 as my highlight year for golf with a few highlights that I cannot split.

1. March Conference in Arizona - following a conference in Phoenix i spent a week with golf at california Club, Pasatiempo and Cypress Point followed by 3 days at Bandon playing Pacific, bandon and Trails.
California Club was one out of the blue and far exceeded my expectations, I love Pasatiempo and had a great time and to take 3 fellow pros that had never seen Cypress before and experience the joy from first timers was fatanstic.

I had high expectations for Bandon and although the weather was horrendous it met expectations. Fortunately we played 36 holes in and out fo rain on the first day as we could only get 18 in the second day and the 3rd day was so bad we changed flights from the afternoon to the morning to ensure we got our flights back to Australia.

Loved every minute of the weekend even though we all had to buy a second rain jacket we got that wet the first morning.

2. I spent July in the UK escorting golfers to the Open and doing some work with some players. 24 rounds on a wide variety of tracks. In of enjoyment they went as follows:

Morfontaine
Sunningdale Old
Swinley Forest
Royal Birkdale (30 on the back nine helps!)
Fontainebleau
Ganton
Walton Heath
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal St Georges
Western Gailes (finished with 5 straight birdies into the wind)
Royal Lytham St Annes
Royal Zoute
Royal Liverpool
Prestwick (18 holes in 90 minutes following the Saturday at The Open before dinner)
The Berkshire Red
Alwoodley
The Addington
The Berkshire Blue
Wentworth
St Annes Old Links

Watching The Open with a group of good friends was just sensational, to follow Matty Goggin with Watson for the compete last round was hard work but worth it.

I will not go into all the courses as i will post a full run down before the year is out.

3. The highlight of the trip to the UK / France was spending a weekend in the battlefields of WW1 and in particular Fromelles were my great grandfather was killed. Seeing his memorial was extremely emotional and made grateful for all his generation sacrificed for us.


4. On the home front - the new Peninsula South is a great renovation by Clayts. His work at Victoria, where i played as a kid, has improved the golf course and next years Masters should show case a wonderful course.
Having Tiger in town was great for golf in Melbourne and we hope it gives a burst to kids all over Australia wanting to play golf.

5. Spending many hours with Martin hawtree as he made designs for necessary changes at Yarra Yarra. Attending many meetings and walking the course as part of his process was very enjoyable.
We do take it for granted but playing all sand belt courses over the year was as enjoyable as ever.

I know i cannot match this year as i have promised the family i will only be away a few times. However i have booked Japan with Kawana. Hirono, Naruo and Tokyo organised for May. February brings a family trip to Hong Kong with Clearwater bay on one morning.

I will spend some time at barnbougle when the new course opens and plan to take some golfers there that have not been there before to enjoy what is a wonderful place.

The highlight of teh lot was my 5 year old making a 5 on a 350 metre par 4 with no help. Pure luck that he connected with 4 good shots and holed a putt! He plays golf in the back yard every day and just loves it.

 

[Dale Jackson]

I usually have the chance to play at least a few memorable courses each year, not so much this year though.

I will say the highlight for me has been becoming one of the chosen 1,500 and getting to know some of you.  This site (as we all know) can be one of the most entertaining, educational and, sometimes, infuriating places to be part of.  Thanks to you all, and I hope to meet some of you face to face in the future.

[Michael Dugger]

Thrilled to see Pumpkin Witch for the first time in the spring...

Played Wine Valley with architect Dan Hixson....

Another trip to Bandon....this never gets old....

Oh, and met Bill Coore, Urbina, Hepner, et al checking out Old Mac.  Yet to tee the course up but walked it twice now, mid and post construction....

I'm beyond thrilled everytime I spank a 300 yd drive on any course.....or hit a great chip shot/roll in a long putt.

Golf is such a great game....

If things go according to plan I'm going to notch my bedpost with Barona Creek and Journey at Pechanga before Jan 1. as well.

We are golfing in the end of an era...

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