[Pete Blaisdell]

First off, I want to thank Jim Urbina for sponsoring me and Ran for giving the OK for my participation with GCA.

I am Pete Blaisdell from Keene, NH. I have played this great game for 56 of my 61 years. Married 40 years , two children and 6 grandchildren. I have been fortunate to have played many of the great and not so great courses and I love them all. I consider " lists " as a source of entertainment and should not be taken too seriously. I do have my favorites, Cypress, Oakmont, Old Mac, Salem, Sankaty , Riviera, Taconic, Old Town, Minikahda, Seminole and Quaker Ridge to name a few. I am a rules official with 34 years of experience serving the USGA on the Green Section and Public Links Committees. Have worked 51 USGA Championships, refereed 94 USGA Championship matches. Have served the NCAA Rules Committee since 1995 and have served the New Hampshire and New England GA since 1984. Worked the pro ranks as Senior Rules official for the New England Pro Golf Tour, Cleveland Pro Tour and the North American Pro Golf Tour. Have had the great honor of meeting Francis Ouimet, Gene Sarazen , Lord Byron, Arnold, Jack, Sam and am particularly proud of the opportunity to watch Mr. Hogan hit balls. Have played with Irwin, Crenshaw, Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, John Havilek, Dom Dimaggio, Pdge Fisk, Johnny Majors and others.

I hope to make a contribution to GCA but most of all to make some new friends and learn from all of you. Thank you for this opportunity.

[Keith OHalloran]

Welcome Pete, I look forward to hearing some of the many stories that I am sure you have!

[Mike Sweeney]

Pete,

I am in New Hampshire roughly twice a year visiting family, so perhaps we can drag Mr Moore over from Maine and play. Let's start locally, your Top 10 in New Hampshire? So far I have not seen a Doak 7 in New Hampshire but I have not played many courses outside the Nashua area and Bald Peak.

Oh, and to really kick things off here at GCA.com, who do you like in the Presidential primary?  

[Anthony Gray]

  Pete,

  Welcome. Which one of those athletes is the best golfer/most fun to golf with?

  Anthony

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Welcome Pete. That's some resume of golf related experiences.

[Pete Blaisdell]

Anthony
  Thank you for the welcome.

  The best player among the proathletes/coaches /celebs that I have seen was Coach John Majors (Tennessee, Pitt).

  The most fun to be with is atossup between 'Spaceman " Bill Lee from the Red Sox and Coach Rollie Massamino (Villanova, Cleveland State)

[Pete Blaisdell]

Mike
  In New Hampshire, these are the courses that I feel are worh a look.

  Alphabetical

  Baker Hill, Balsams, Bretwood, Dublin Lake (9 hole), Hooper Golf Club (9 holer), Keene CC, Lake Sunapee, Lake Winnipesaukee, Manchester, Montcalm, Nashua, Golf Club of New England 2012 USGA Junior), Portsmouth, Waukewan and Wentworth by the Sea.

  As far as the primary goes and with 30 years of political experience in NH, I think it's too early for a pick but I'll say this. I'm not impressed by any of them.

  Thanks for the welcome

[Pete Blaisdell]

Keith
  Appreciate the welcome.

  Couple of stories (short versions)

  Public links qualifier(1998 George Wright GC)-- Penalized a player 2 strokes for violation of Rule 8-1 (advice), player went ballistic on me, really got in my face, threatened him with DQ if he did't calm down, he added the two, did not qualify , end of day we all go home. End of story, not quite. 3DAYS LATER, I'm sitting in my church with my family, 100 miles from George Wright, attending a wedding. Who sits down next to me in the pew to my left but this player. Was a cousin of the bride's father. Longest wedding I ever sat through. Did he recognise me? Yes. Anything said, no.What are the odds???

  NCAA'S-inverness-first year we had match play. I'm refereeing Adam Mitchell from Georgia and Kevin Tway from Oklahoma State. Strange sequence of events on holes 5-8. 5, 6 AND 7 are three brutal holes, a par 4, a 3 and a 4. Mitchell goes 2--2--3. I checked with the pro afterwoods and they had no record of any player posting 2--2--3 on those holes ever. Mitchell is 5 up after 7 but comes to me on 8 green. 15CLUBS--Two hole deduction. Crazy game!!

[Anthony Gray]

Anthony
  Thank you for the welcome.

  The best player among the proathletes/coaches /celebs that I have seen was Coach John Majors (Tennessee, Pitt).

  The most fun to be with is atossup between 'Spaceman " Bill Lee from the Red Sox and Coach Rollie Massamino (Villanova, Cleveland State)

  Pete,

  Coach Majors brother Bobby is a neighbor and a fine player himself. Welcome again.

  Anthony

[Eric Smith]

Welcome, Pete. I miss the days of seeing Coach Majors' name in the headlines. Any anecdotes you could share from your time spent with him?

[JC Urbina]

Pete,

 I hope that you can offer your enthusiasm for the game.

I appreciate what Pete sees in a golf course, I know he understands the history but his statement to me about how Fun a golf course could be was compelling.

[PCCraig]

Welcome Pete!

I went to school in Boston and miss New England quite a bit...especially the golf course architecture and the seafood

[Pete Blaisdell]

Donal--Brian--Eric- Jim--Pat

Thanks for the hello-
   Jim--Appreciate the kind words and your sponsorship. Can't wait to get back to Bandon. I was totally mesmerized by Old Mac.Never saw a course with so many options. One of the great walks I have had in golf.
   Brian-I was 11 when my Uncle Ed took me over to Seminole to watch him practice. I still get chills thinking about it. The power that the man generated from such a small frame blew me away. The SOUND of ball coming off the irons was piercing, like a hunting rifle. I sat akimbo on the ground behind and to his left for a couple of hours. He stopped to light a cigarette once and turned and looked at me. I could not breathe.I was afraid he might talk to me.I'll never forget the experience.
   Eric-I worked a match with Coach, Steve Nelson (Patriots), Jerry York (BC hockey coach) and Gerard Phelan (BC receiver, Hail Mary from Flutie)Coach was always 30-40 yards behind these guys but he cleaned their clocks.
   Pat-Two of the newer courses up here you need to play are Old Sandwich and Boston Golf Club. OS IS EXCEPTIONAL!

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

Thats an extremely exceptional entrance to GCA.com.  Can't wait to hear more of the fascinating stories you got stored up in your noodle.

But first things first!

What your take on the rules as they concern the Titleist cheater lines they put on thier balls and the belly/long putter!!   

[Pete Blaisdell]

Kalen
  Thanks for the welcome.

  Cheater lines--Here's what I think. I asked my optometrist (a golfer) what he thought, is there a benefit? He said he would check it out, he was going to a conference and he would consult his peers. What he told made me laugh. IF a player can focus his retina directly over the center of the ball, if he does not move his head one iota, IF he can keep that point in his eye, the ball AND if he can retain the line on the ball and the hole within the context of his visual acuity,IF he can take the putter back and through along this line through the ball and IF the speed and chosen line are spot on, it might be a benefit. In short, if you are a Red Tail Hawk, you can do it but humans can't. The only benefit is that the human mind might percieve it as a benefit. So, no, I have no problem with cheater lines.
  Long /belly putters-- As the great rules man Mac Englund once said, "Ah, it has the look of evil "I don't like them, it's not golf. But, they are legal and I don't see a change coming any time soon. I don't like it when they are anchored against the body. But, it is what it is and I learned a long time ago not to get too worked up about things I can't possibly change. I will, however, continue to treat them with a raised eyebrow.

[PCCraig]

Pete,

I caddied out at The Country Club on the weekends while in school...any thoughts on the course? Think it'll ever host another US Open?

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

Once again excellent post.  I'm glad to see someone bringing a scientific approach to the discussion that's been waging here off and on for a few years.  That sure as hell makes a lot of sense to me. 

But you might want to be careful about using too much logic around here, you could be excluded from most of the arguments which usually thrive on fallacy and emotional responses!! 

Seeing how you certainly roam in various circles that I will never be privy too, can you let us in on some of the talking points that the rules makers have had over the past few years concerning long putters/ belly putters?  I would very much be interested in what the mindset has been with them, both pros and cons.

Thanks,

[Brian Potash]

Whew, just needed to log in to make sure Pete didn't bump me out of GCA Membership!

This is how I feel when Michigan lands a 4 star recruit.

Welcome Pete, I hope you will love this site as much as the site is sure to love your contributions.

Regards,

Brian

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Pete,

When and how did you first get involved in officiating and why?

[Mike Sweeney]

Mike
  In New Hampshire, these are the courses that I feel are worh a look.

 Dublin Lake (9 hole), Hooper Golf Club (9 holer),

Pete,

Interested in Dublin Lake as it is pretty close to my in-laws. I drove into Hooper but did not have time to play.

Curious if you have played:

1. Carter GC near Hanover/Dartmouth (9 hole)

2. Bald Peak - Lake Winnepausauke - 18 hole

They are sort of my benchmarks for NH golf.

[Jim Nugent]

It would be interesting to do a study on cheater lines, to see if people really do putt better with them. 

[Pete Blaisdell]

Pat
  The Country Club is one of my favorite places to be in golf. Mr. Ouimet, who I met at Woodland in '58 as part of a Junior Invitational, often said " the grass is always greener, even the rocks are warm". The place just oozes history and tradition. Ghosts still tee it up at great old lady.
  I've played it 7 or 8 times but not in the last 10 years. You've given me the push I need to get down there. The lowest score of my life was a 64 in 1975 at a very average but enjoyable course in NH. But, the BEST round of golf I ever played was in 1989 at The Country Club was a 70 on the Composite Course.
  Another National Open for TCC?? Well, the 2013 US Amateur will be played in Brookline (second course will be Charles River).I'm sure Mike Davis will be looking very closly at how the players will handle the great lady. I'm looking at my notes on the course and in 1913 it played at 6245 yds, the 1982 US Amateur (Jay Sigel) was played at 6896 yds. In '88 for the National Open won by Curtis Strange , it maxed out at 7010.You and I can probably agree that there is not a hell of alot room to lengthen the course. In my mind, I count 14 holes where there is just no room.I think the membership is not interested in an Open but mindsets can change with time. At this moment, I see no future Open for TCC and that is sad. I think that down the road you could see a Curtis or Walker Cup or a Mid or Senior Amateur. Plus the staggering logistics of staging an Open limits using TCC. I will be very interested at how Merion will handle the problems of spectator flow, parking etc. in 2013. That will give us a better idea how TCC will compare on the logistical front.

[Pete Blaisdell]

Kalen
  I have served the USGA for 22 years and I am basically a foot soldier. I have never served on the Executive Committee and never will. I have served on the Rules Committee at a number of Championships but never on the actual USGA Rules Committee and that is where the power lies in changing /modifying/adding a rule of golf . The USGA and R & A Rules Committees join in a joint effort every 4 years to solidify the Rules of Golf for all players on the planet. I am not privy to what they discuss but every once in a while I'll pick up some info on what's coming up for changes.It is my understanding that any change concerning long/belly putters is simply not on the horizon.
  How would I change the Rules of Golf to eliminate long putters? Here's a little story. Sitting with a group of fellow officials having a few beers at the host hotel at aUSGA event a long time ago, your topic came up. Now, remember , when you add/change a rule of golf, you have to cover all your bases for all possible situations or it becomes a mess.I'll give you the short version of what I said with 4 Budweisers under my belt. IN MAKING A STROKE, A PLAYER MAY USE ONE OR BOTH HANDS BUT IN THE CASE OF A STROKE MADE WITH BOTH HANDS, THE HANDS MUST BE TOUCHING.. Now , my fellow officials, all good rules minds, looked at me like I had two heads and I'll never forget what one, a close friend and a published lawyer who is now a judge, said to me----" Pete, that would never work, it's too simple!". Defeated, I think I said--" Johnny Walker Black, neat.

[Pete Blaisdell]

Mike-
  Never played Carter but have played Bald Peak.I found BP to be very enjoyable, short with small greens. Carter and BP are both Ross courses(1923 and 1921). Carter was a stake and run. Not sure about BP, that may have been a hands on work, lot of subtle touches on BP. I think Ross may have spent some personal time in that area. Always been a lot of monied people up in that neck of the woods.

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

Thats a good one.....but one could still use a belly putter in that situation.  The one I came up with is this:

"Thou shalt only touch thy club with thy hands, and when thy hands touch the club, they shall touch nothing else"

I can't think of any wiggle room there.  No more lodging the end of the putter into the belly and for long putters, no more lodging that top hand into your chest/shoulder.

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