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Jason Topp

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Topp's Travels 2011 - Updated in Post 220 - Cabo Coda
« on: February 09, 2011, 11:31:16 PM »
In the deep freeze of winter, I have put together a fun travel year, including trips to Maui, Austin, Florida, the Dixie Cup and others.  The purpose of this thread is to provide my impressions of courses I visit.  Where appropriate, I hope to feature a few pictures to either make a point or convey the essence of the trip.  I have found in the past that taking pictures detracts from the golf experience for me.  My plan this year is to take (when appropriate) isolated pictures of interesting features or when the light is good. I hope to provide entertainment and develop some skills.

My first scheduled trip this year was to Phoenix in late January to play Phoenix Country Club with a new boss, spend some time with my wife and squeeze an additional round of golf into the trip.  The weather was beautiful - 80 degrees and clear skies.  Unfortunately, I was in Duluth, Minnesota. Conditions were not ideal for golf and reminded me of my first trip with GCA'ers to Sutton Bay:




 I went North because my daughter's figure skating coach decided she was ready to enter a competition and that she should do so the same weekend as my Phoenix trip.  I swallowed the $150 flight cancellation charge, drove my wife to the airport and paid inflated hotel rates for a room located near the arena - the hotel being filled with highly stressed and highly vocal girls and their parents from the Northern US and parts of Canada.  

Nonetheless, I was able to hone my camera skills as this shot demonstrates both me and my daughter in action:



In the picture I am attempting to videotape the performance.  Unfortunately, when I pressed the button to stop the video, the recording started.  This was an expensive mistake that led to the purchase of professionally created photos and a video.

Conditioning proved to be a problem at this venue as part of the ice on the one of the two rinks melted, throwing the competition schedule in disarray.  Because of this problem, I got to spend some wonderful moments with my daughter - me trying to talk to her - she willing to do so provided there was no chance anyone would see such an event.  

I know nothing about figure skating (my daughter's first lesson consisted of the coach telling her that the $25 skates I bought her needed to be replaced).  Nonetheless, I take full credit for the result - a flawless program and a medal.

Overall, I do not recommend Duluth Minnesota as a destination for a January golf trip.  On Friday, I will get on a plane for a quick weekend in the land of cart paths and alligators.  I am hoping for better golf conditions and I look forward to seeing my father and old friends.  However, I doubt I will have more fun.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2012, 05:06:36 PM by Jason Topp »

James Bennett

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nice post Jason.  I look forward to your periodic reports.

James B
Bob; its impossible to explain some of the clutter that gets recalled from the attic between my ears. .  (SL Solow)

Bob_Huntley

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Jason,

Congratulations to your daughter, she is beautiful. Must have a gorgeous mother.

Bob

Jason Topp

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Jason,

Congratulations to your daughter, she is beautiful. Must have a gorgeous mother.

Bob

Good analysis Bob.

Tony_Muldoon

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Jason,

Congratulations to your daughter, she is beautiful. Must have a gorgeous mother.

Bob


And a droll Dad.  It's a winning combination.

I look forward to more
Let's make GCA grate again!

Tom Yost

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Jason,

Congrats to your daughter.  You will only have a short time to make these memories, there will always be another trip to Phoenix!

January in Duluth, kind of ironic to have a problem with the ice!



Dan Kelly

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Jason --

A talented daughter is a joy to behold.

So is a friend's talented daughter! Congratulations to her (and to you -- and, of course, to the apparently *gorgeous* Claire!).

Rose and I used to spend a midwinter weekend in Duluth every year, with her traveling basketball team. I'd take one more of those weekends in exchange for a lifetime of winters in Phoenix!

Have fun this weekend.

Dan
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

George Pazin

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Can't put a price on a smile like that.

Thanks for sharing, look forward to your updates.
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04

Dan Kelly

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Can't put a price on a smile like that.

The banks and the airlines would, if they could get away with it!

Just heard a radio ad for a bank, where the woman asks to withdraw $100. The cashier gives her $97.50. "What's this?" the customer asks. "Where's the rest of my money?"

Let's see, there's the $1.50 service charge ... 50 cents additional for in-person service ... and 50 cents for "eye contact."

"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Jason Topp

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« Last Edit: February 14, 2011, 10:18:42 AM by Jason Topp »

Jason Topp

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Adding to a tough day at work, I had the added compensation of comparing my fate today, which included the following views:





with those of my wife which included the following:





She abandoned me in Minneapolis for work in India - a place I always dreamed of visiting.  

Anyone who doubts the power of India's intellectual capital would do well to keep in mind this comparison of a US building erected in 1982 for the purpose of sporting events as seen from my office:



versus my wife's view of a building built in India built in the 17th century inspired by love:



Fortunately, she returns home tonight.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2011, 06:38:44 PM by Jason Topp »

Dan Kelly

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A wise person once advised that the way one learns good judgment is through the exercise of bad judgment.  While I suspect John's advice is antiquated in light of the facebook era, I nonetheless respect his history and have changed my original post to delete pictures of my daughter.

Jason --

While not nearly so tragic as the events outlined in John's post, this deletion, too, strikes me as tragic.

Your suspicion about the Facebook age is correct -- and John's unimaginably sad experience is proof that the computer age did not invent such evil.

I hope that you will not self-censor the pride you rightly feel in your daughter, for fear of exposing her to forces to which all of us are, whether we know it or not, already exposed. You can't live a full life, hidden.

Dan

P.S. That's not such a bad view, from your office! Every day, you look down at that beautiful (to my eyes, anyway) Romanesque courthouse -- where justice may or may not be dispensed -- and down the way you see that horrible (in any condition), deflated Metrodome -- daily proof that there is, in fact, some justice in the world!

Look on the bright side: You could drive another 10 miles east, in crappy traffic morning and night, and be looking UP at Galtier Plaza and the 1st National Bank of St. Paul -- with its index finger permanently in the air, proclaiming "We're Number 1st!" (Who's kidding whom?)
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Jason Topp

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Jason --

While not nearly so tragic as the events outlined in John's post, this deletion, too, strikes me as tragic.


Dan:

Thanks for the words.  In the tradition of Solomon, I decided to go half and half.

Jason Topp

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Oh - and the view is actually from the bathroom of my office - the best view on my floor.

Jason Topp

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Re: Topp's Travels 2011 - Updated - Soul of the Game at Fiddlesticks
« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2011, 11:19:19 PM »
     When I accumulate marital points I cash in quickly.  Thus, when my wife returned from India safe and sound, I welcomed her home by giving her a hug, packing a suitcase and catching the first flight to Florida.  After an evening flight and a good night’s sleep I awoke to sunrise over the Peace River:



I then quickly scampered back inside.  In a fit of karma – the temperature was 37 degrees and the wind blew fifteen miles per hour out of the North.

    The itinerary included two rounds of golf with my father – one at Fiddlesticks in Fort Myers and the other at Bradenton Country Club with esteemed GCA participant Ben Kodadek.  

     I first visited Fiddlesticks in 1992.  One of my best friends in law school was travelling to Florida for a long weekend to visit his parents and, like the thoughtful friend I am, I invited myself along.  Our lodgings that original weekend consisted of a small condominium perfect for two, but with my addition housed six.  I showed my appreciation by drinking prodigious amounts of their beer.

     Our host was Curt Pearson, a giant bear of a man with a golf swing that defies all scientifically accepted theories of physics and biology.  Curt knows how to use that swing, he has a terrific touch with greenside shots that do not rise above knee height and is a ferocious competitor.  He also is a person who speaks his mind, but whatever thoughts he had about the impetuousness of a kid inviting himself to stay in such small confines, he held his tongue when he realized the profit opportunity that existed in competing against a shaky midwinter swing that still carried a summer handicap.  

     After that experience, Curt invited me back time and time again.  He also purchased a very nice and rather large house on the golf course.  I have no doubt that those two occurrences were related.  Curt is now 83 and his handicap has grown to absurd numbers but his scorecard always seems to read at least “1 up” when he plays with me.  

    Fortunately for my pocketbook, Curt injured himself this year and could not play.  He nonetheless found us a willing partner and followed us around the course, “helpfully” pointing out the water hazards along the way.

      For me, the Long Mean course at Fiddlesticks represents the best of Florida housing community golf.  As its name suggests, the course provides ample challenge and hosted the 2010 US Women’s Senior Amateur Championship.  It has served as the practice ground for a number of tour professionals over the years.  Even on this weekend, at least one member of the Senior Tour could be found in the clubhouse, no doubt getting ready for the event in Naples the following week.  

     For those that consider “Florida housing community golf” to be the lowest form of the game, I advise you to relax.  Fiddlesticks presents interesting strategic and shot making challenges that tempt and thrill all classes of player.  The flowers and ponds are artificial, but then again so is the concept of playing golf on swampland.  The birds are fantastic, and most rounds also include a lesson in how a different species finds food.  Furthermore, where else will you find a sight like this:



     Focusing on the golf alone, the Long Mean presents challenges that are difficult, but only if one overestimates his abilities.  Often, a conservative play will result in a lower score.  The challenge has only increased with changes to the grass on the greens – making them extremely fast, very firm and with enough grain to confound a northern visitor.

     The 15th is one of my favorites.  The hole measures 373 yards from the blue tees and could be classified as a Cape. It provides the classic heroic alternatives off the tee associated with the Mid-Ocean version of the hole.  A conservative bail out can result in a 200 yard approach.  An extremely aggressive drive can get one within 100 yards of the green.  The fairway is very wide on the left but narrows as one takes a more aggressive line off the tee.  



      The reward for an aggressive tee shot is ample as the approach is extremely demanding – to a small green that juts into the water and slopes significantly from left to right.  An overly conservative tee shot not only increases the length of the approach, but also presents a less attractive angle to the green with bunkers and slope protecting all but a very accurate shot:  



      My father hit the perfect tee shot, only to pursue a unique strategy on the approach – a shank.  At least I won that hole.



      I always look forward to playing the fifteenth but probably enjoy this view looking back the best.  It means I have survived:



      The ninth hole would receive howls of protest from many GCA participants.  It is an island green on a par four of 388 yards (blue tees).  It features a forced carry approach of approximately 100 yards but most often in the 120-150 yard range after a well placed tee ball.  Tee shots out of position wind up in waste areas on the left or trees on the right.  The green is large but contains enough slope that two-putting is a significant challenge if one does not place the approach near the hole.  
   
     View from the tee:


   
     Often, matches are decided by who hits the fewest iron shots in the water.  Hence, the decision to lay-up or hit a heroic approach when out of position off the tee is usually a difficult choice.  Laying up is usually the right call but a difficult one to make when it seems entirely possible to have a ball go under a limb, climb high in the air and land softly in the middle of the green.  My father decided the latter approach was the reasonable one even though he has never hit a shot of that nature in his entire lifetime.  I prevailed on the hole – one ball in the water against two for him and managed a draw on the front nine (our second).
   
     Curt applauds such decisions because they feed both his wallet in bets as well as his true passion – picking golf balls out of the water with the longest golf ball retriever known to humankind.
   
     View of the approach:



     While I am glad it is not a template, I enjoy playing the 9th each and every time I visit – whether it results in winning a hole by a score of 8 to 9 or the thrill of making a no stress par, the hole provides a memorable finish.
   
     For those with fixed views on what does and does not constitute “proper golf” I urge you to widen your horizons.  I believe the sight of an 83 year old man balancing on fake rocks to capture his eleven thousandth Top Flite reflects as much about the spirit of the game as one thousand hickory shafted golfers navigating around sheep droppings in Scotland.  

     I highly recommend Fiddlesticks and look forward to returning again someday.



    
« Last Edit: February 15, 2011, 06:41:19 PM by Jason Topp »

Jason Topp

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Could someone tell me how to adjust these pictures so they fit on the page?

I figured it out.  You start with [IMG width=800]
« Last Edit: February 15, 2011, 06:42:47 PM by Jason Topp »

James Bennett

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Adding to a tough day at work, I had the added compensation of comparing my fate today, which included the following views:




BMW Jason?

James B
Bob; its impossible to explain some of the clutter that gets recalled from the attic between my ears. .  (SL Solow)

Tom Yost

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Jason, I have the hookup and can get you on the Fiddlesticks here in Tempe:


Jason Topp

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BMW Jason?

James B

Yes - a proud moment of father and son working together.  My son is 15 and discusses at length potential cars we might want to purchase for him on his 16th birthday.  I explained to him that any car he gets will be of substantially lower quality than my car - at that time a 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan with 200,000 miles of experience.  He immediately began lobbying his mother suggesting that Dad needed a new car.  Soon, Mother and daughter were both lobbying me.  In an effort to help them both out - I bought a lease return this winter.

Bill_McBride

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Jason, I'm a little confused by the ninth hole. Is that the green beyond the tree in the distance?  Does the hole dogleg around the tree?

Jason Topp

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Bill. I will take a look at the picture when I get to a computer. The hole is a slight dogleg right with the line off the tee at the flagpole.

Bill_McBride

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Bill. I will take a look at the picture when I get to a computer. The hole is a slight dogleg right with the line off the tee at the flagpole.

That must be a neighboring green in the photo.

George Pazin

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Nice pix. As for resizing, I believe there is a way within the UBB code to do it when you do the img tag - someone like Scott Burroughs or Joe Bausch probably know how - might want to just try inserting a tag similar to the img tag, but with size=800 or something like that (that's just a wild guess) and then close it with /size. Or you can resize your original photos - my experience is that 800 pixels is the best size for pix on here, but others may disagree.

Look forward to the next update.
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04

Jason Topp

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Bill. I will take a look at the picture when I get to a computer. The hole is a slight dogleg right with the line off the tee at the flagpole.

That must be a neighboring green in the photo.

You are correct.  That is the putting green.

Lou_Duran

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Jason,

I played Fiddlesticks a couple of times some 30 years ago.  I joined a group of three Germans which included the then president of whatever the German golf federation is called.  The three had been to a Golf Digest weeklong camp, were burnt to a crisp, and could barely move from all the previous work on their games.  We all played terrible, had a great time, and they asked me to join them the next day which I did.  Loved the low profile construction, the beach bunkers, the somewhat unsual trees, and the great variety in this fine Ron Garl course.  Years later I met Ron at a golf conference and we had long conversations about the industry and his work.  Interesting man.  Good memories.

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