New Member Introduction

[John Ronalter]

Hi everyone,

I've been following gca.com for about two years now and feel ready to contribute!

First, let me introduce myself.  My name is John Ronalter.  I am eighteen years old and I live in Newington, Connecticut.  In the fall, I will be attending Providence College.  I am not a very good golfer, but I know that doesn't mean much to most of you guys anyway.  I haven't played many "good" courses, but I am intrigued by golf course architecture and love reading your posts to help further my education.

I first became aware of gca.com while trying to find actual photographs of Pine Valley on the internet, which I'm sure at least some of you know is quite difficult.  One of the top results on google is the course profile on this site.  At first, the majority of my time on this site was reading the course profiles and it wasn't until later that I discovered the discussion group.

I can't wait to start posting and if anyone is in the Greater Hartford area this summer or Providence in the fall, I'd love to meet some gca'ers!

-John R

[Mac Plumart]

Welcome John!!

[Wade Schueneman]

Welcome John,

My experience was somewhat similar to yours.  I found the site when researching courses for a golf trip to Scotland in 2004.  I studied all of the profiles and then followed the discussion group for 5 years before I joined (mostly out of deference to the incrediuble collective knowledge of the members of this site).

[Mike H]

Welcome!!!

[JLahrman]

Welcome.  If golf ability were a prerequisite I would have been booted by now.

Way back when, it also took me about a year of reading course profiles before I even realized there was this discussion group.

[Mike Hamilton]

Welcome John.

We sound similar.  Not a great golfer and also spent about 2 years readinf the course profiles before even realizing the discussion group was here.  Wish I was starting college again...then I'd have about 30 more years to work on my game .

[hick]

Welcome John, And check your message box.

[Tim Martin]

John-Welcome. I live one town away in West Hartford. Hope all is well.

[Dan Herrmann]

John - what courses do you like in CT?  I've played Wintonbury Hills and really liked it.  Some gca.com gentlemen were instrumental in that course (Tim Liddy and Brad Klein).

There's a mini-GCA outing at The Orchards - it's $75, but I know you'd have a ball.  (I know - I was broke in college and couldn't afford to play golf unless I picked water balls out of the local hazards, which today, years later, was one of my fondest memories).

Just keep asking questions, participate in the discussions, and have fun!  Welcome!

[John Mayhugh]

Welcome.  Interested in hearing what courses you like up there. 

Have you made your way down to Yale yet?  If not, make that your primary golf goal for this summer.

[Ronald Montesano]

John Mayhugh, he clearly chose Providence College over Yale....duh!

Seriously, new John, welcome to the cage.  You'll have quite the opportunity on this site to continue learning about architecture.  Make improving your game one of your priorities; it helps to be able to attempt the shots (even the most challenging ones) that the architects hoped you might pull off.

My bro and sis in law live in Middletown, so I'm sorta kinda that way every summer.  If I'm heading there this year, I'll message you.

[Derek Dirksen]

Welcome John!!!

[Tim Gavrich]

John--

Welcome to GCA.  It's good to see a new Hartford County member (I'm from Avon) on GCA.  I echo Dan Herrmann's sentiment; you should definitely check out the Orchards event.  I'll be there and so will my father most likely, along with other GCAers who are far more interesting than we Gavriches. 

Be sure to get your fill of Triggs Memorial once you're a Friar.

--Tim

[John Ronalter]

Dan and John--

I have not yet had a chance to play Wintonbury Hills or Yale but hopefully I will get over to WHGC before the end of the year.  I have played Shennecossett in Groton though, which I absolutely loved.  For some background, it is a Donald Ross course (the only public one in CT) that was originally a resort course then it was sold to the town of Groton.  When Pfizer moved in next door, they needed 3 holes of the course to build their labs, so they traded some land Pfizer owned on the Thames River for the inland 3 holes.  It is a municipal course so the maintenance levels are not great, but they do keep the greens in good shape.  The terrain is undulating and there are very few trees in the course of play.  Many of the things I've read here and what I believe to make a good course apply at Shennecossett.  The bunkering is different from anything that I've seen and it plays firmer than other courses I've played.  I definately would not mind playing Shenny everyday! Not to mention the views are awesome!

Tim and Dan--

I definately will try to make the event at the Orchards, but transportation is always an issue for someone who doesn't own a car!  It sounds like a lot of fun and hopefully I can make it.

[PCCraig]

Welcome John!

[Carl Nichols]

John:
Welcome.  I grew up in Simsbury and went to Simsbury High School.  Have you played any courses in Avon, Farmington, or Simsbury?  How about Indian Hill in Newington, which IIRC is a pretty old course?

[John Ronalter]

John:
Welcome.  I grew up at Simsbury and went to Simsbury High School.  Have you played any courses in Avon, Farmington, or Simsbury?  How about Indian Hill in Newington, which IIRC is a pretty old course?

Carl--

Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to play any of the courses in the Farmington Avon Simsbury area.  Although CC of Farmington and Golf Club of Avon look intriguing.

Indian Hill has my home course for the past four years and I currently work there as a bag boy.

The quick course history...
IHCC opened as a 6 hole layout in 1899 then added more holes until 18 was reached in 1921.  Robert Pryde, the architect at Wethersfield CC, did some of those holes, but the layout that exists today was designed by Robert Jack Ross (of no relation to Donald).

Today, the course is a typical New England parkland course but does not possess the strategic features that are found on most Ross courses (Donald that is!).  It is very well maintained and the greens normally run at a 10 (10.5 max).  I and most of the members like the course because it is a significantly better than most of the public options in the immediate area.  The past four years I've been able to play there because Newington High School golf team members can play after 2:00 for $5!

[Mark Pritchett]

Welcome John!

 Looking forward to posts about golf in the Nutmeg State.

[Mac Plumart]

John...be very, very careful around Mark Pritchett.  He had the audacity to wear a Ballyneal hat, Augusta Country Club shirt, use a Mackenzie bag, ride in a golf cart, take yardage from a range finder, and step off distances from sprinkler heads while at Palmetto this last weekend.  Oh, the humanity!!!!









Never mind the ride in a golf cart was on my insitance after 10 holes of walking in the 115 degree heat on the gentle terrain of the Aiken/Augusta area and the range finder was mine.   

 

[Mark Pritchett]

John,

You may not want to OL when you play with some GCAer's.  OverLogo!

Mark

Mac,

Where was your ballmarker from?

[Mac Plumart]

Mark...my ball marker...hmmm...let me see...my golf bag is logo'd St. Ives, my shirt was Pete Dye Golf Club, my bag tags are East Lake and The Classic Club...and my ball marker, huh...I can't remember?   It was a gift from some charity tournament I went to. 

[Anthony Gray]

  Be Brave

[Mac Plumart]

Be afraid

[Mark Pritchett]

Mark...my ball marker...hmmm...let me see...my golf bag is logo'd St. Ives, my shirt was Pete Dye Golf Club, my bag tags are East Lake and The Classic Club...and my ball marker, huh...I can't remember?   It was a gift from some charity tournament I went to. 

The marker looked familiar...

[Mac Plumart]

All right, all right...it was Seminole!!!  Not only was I double logo'd, but quintiple logo'd.  Now if it had rained, I would have been sextuple logo'd as I keep a Pine Needles hat stuffed in my bag just in case.