Mike Whitaker Farewell to Broadway Tour

[Mike Sweeney]

The tour has involved many continents, many countries, and many golf courses. However in the last few weeks, The Whitaker Tour has been focused locally here in NYC. This leg started at Yale with group ranging from The Big East, ACC and SEC:



Mike Whit, Murph, The Author, Chris Shaida

Our golfer from Carolina has learned how to navigate the weather of the Northeast. While I was snowed out at Yale one week later, our Carolina golfer was in Virginia:


Next came the fancy dinner in Midtown NYC with GCA Royalty flying in from both coast:



Mike Sweeney, Dave Falkner, Mike Policano, Mike Whitaker, Chris Shaida, Dr Gene, Tom Dunne, David Greene, Steve Lapper, Neil Regan, Bob Huntley, Pat Mucci

Other Whit sightings from this past year before he moves back to Carolina are appreciated.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike,

Tonight was a special night, a wonderful get together featuring our guest of honor, Bob Huntley.

It was nice to see so many familiar faces, except Gene Greco's, who I still haven't forgiven for giving my friend and opponent in the National Singles, Terry McBride, a putting lesson the afternoon before our match, which I lost 1 down, due to a dozen holed putts from 15 to 5 feet.
It was also great to finally meet a number of familiar names from GCA.com.

Everything about the evening was terrific, I wish it would have lasted longer

Mike, thanks for putting this together and hosting us at such a nice site, it was very thoughtful of you.

It was also great to see "thumb's up" Huntley again, he looked terrific and was in great spirits.
Bob's special, and a very interesting person.

We missed TEPaul, Tiger Bernhardt, Ran Morrissett and many others.
Although there was some discussion on the seating arrangements had all of the Merion and Pine Valley participants attended

Mike, thanks again for a most enjoyable evening

Hopefully, Neil Regan's planned Spring event will come to fruition, if not, I'll host a golf and dinner event at Mountain Ridge.
By that time Gene Greco should be off double secret probation.

It's events like this that make GCA.com so special

[RJ_Daley]

The dinner photo has the aura of something right out of the gilded age.    If it were black and white, it would look like a dinner gathering of club movers and shakers planning a new addition to the club house and discussing which ODG to design their new 18 on recently acquired land from the rail road.




Did the 'occupy' crowd know you gents were in town?   

[Patrick Kiser]

Good show lads!

[Scott Warren]

Fellas in the top pic must be tall to make Whitty look like such a midget!

[Mike Sweeney]

It was also great to see "thumb's up" Huntley again, he looked terrific and was in great spirits.
Bob's special, and a very interesting person.

Sitting on Park Avenue, The Racquet and Tennis was a easy walk home to where Bob Huntley is staying in NYC. The walk home was also very enjoyable on a Fall evening. My iphone camera needs a better touch than mine, but here is Neil Regan and Bob Huntley with the lights of Park Avenue behind.

[Keith OHalloran]

Wow, someone at that table must be pretty important! The Dr. was across the canal, and in a tie!

[Michael George]

This is a really great string.  I am sure that events like this really make Ran proud of the site.  Honestly, it has me questioning why anyone would ever leave the site, as detailed in Mac's recent post.

I am hopeful that years of being involved with the site will bring me such great friendships with fellow golfers and admirers of golf course architecture.  Looks like a very special group.

[Lou_Duran]

What an august group!

Isn't there a poem and a song that went something like this:

"Oh I wish I could be
Michael Whitaker"

Or was it "..... Bob Huntley".

OK, maybe it was ".... Richard Cory".

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

What a wonderful night in the city. I am very sorry to have missed such grand affair. This motivates one to work harder every day to get healthy and be able to see all of you very soon.

[Eric Smith]

Nice thread, Mr. Sweeney. And I thought you were TALL...standing next to Murph, you look almost average! And Whit looks like a kid!

You had him in the city and I had him in the country. It would seem Mike adapts well to all environs. What a year!

[Mike Sweeney]

Nice thread, Mr. Sweeney. And I thought you were TALL...standing next to Murph, you look almost average! And Whit looks like a kid!

Murph threw in an 81 at us his first trip to Yale with a 16 handicap!

It is a tough transition year for me this winter as I am no longer able to HATE Duke basketball:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22727&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=205227592&Q_SEASON=2011

Nothing has changed with ND Football however.

 

[Sven Nilsen]

There was a Traveling Whitaker spotted in Melbourne and Tasmania.  I also caught a bit of his Summer tour stop in the Chicago area where he managed to get in some time at Shoreacres, Lost Dunes, The Dunes Club, Olympia Fields and Flossmoor.

[David_Tepper]

A better question to ask is where hasn't the good Mr. Whitaker played golf this year!

[Jim Franklin]

Baltimore Country Club enjoyed his company recently.

[JLahrman]

I think it's time for a game of Six Degrees of Michael Whitaker.

Having met Michael Whitaker at the KPI this year (including being paired with him for the round at Bandon Trails), I am only one degree away.

[Mark Saltzman]

A better question to ask is where hasn't the good Mr. Whitaker played golf this year!

I don't believe that he's made his way to Canada (though, he has a standing invitation)

[Eric Smith]

I think it's time for a game of Six Degrees of Michael Whitaker.

Having met Michael Whitaker at the KPI this year (including being paired with him for the round at Bandon Trails), I am only one degree away.

I slept with him. Sorry, sorry... I meant to say I slept in the same room with him (@ Ballyneal).

[Anthony Gray]

I think it's time for a game of Six Degrees of Michael Whitaker.

Having met Michael Whitaker at the KPI this year (including being paired with him for the round at Bandon Trails), I am only one degree away.

I slept with him. Sorry, sorry... I meant to say I slept in the same room with him (@ Ballyneal).

  Eric....I was paired with him at the Dixie Cup in Acon. I did not know he had been a woman.

  Anthony

[Evan Fleisher]

We were all graced with his presence this year at the Dixie Cup in Richmond.  Glad we got to be one of his "tour stops"!

[Bob_Huntley]

Michael,

Thank you for arranging the dinner last evening and at such an elegant venue. I must say the Racquet Club, quite probably, has the most comprehensive facility and valuable club site  in the country. it is an architectual gem

It was good to see so many old faces, all of whom were in good spirits. It would be a happier event if we could recall the absentees and remember that we all have a love of the game and its playing fields; even though our defense of their provenance does get testy from time to time.

To all the attendees I thank you for taking the time to join me, it certaily was the highlight of my visit to the Big Apple.

Best wishes to you all.

Bob

[RJ_Daley]

I like the idea of the 6 degrees of separation in the Mike Whitaker club, if the standard of first degree is being in a foursome with him at a golf gathering of GCA participants.  So I got that covered and off the bucket list... come to think of it, got it covered with Sir Boab as well. 

What is the standard of the lowest sixth degree?  Maybe... know a guy that knew a guy that slept with a guy that was formerly a guy in one of his foursomes of a GCA unsanctioned event? 

[JLahrman]

I like the idea of the 6 degrees of separation in the Mike Whitaker club, if the standard of first degree is being in a foursome with him at a golf gathering of GCA participants.  So I got that covered and off the bucket list... come to think of it, got it covered with Sir Boab as well.  

What is the standard of the lowest sixth degree?  Maybe... know a guy that knew a guy that slept with a guy that was formerly a guy in one of his foursomes of a GCA unsanctioned event?  

Nice...allow me to suggest a scale:

1 degree:  Playing a round of golf with him at a GCA event
2 degrees:  Playing any other round of golf with him
3 degrees:  Chatting with him at a GCA event...maybe sitting next to him at dinner, for instance
4 degrees:  Exchanging email banter or PMs with him on the website
5 degrees:  Seeing him walk past you, but not getting his autograph, handshake or any small bit of conversation due to the paparazzi
6 degrees:  None of the above

[RJ_Daley]

The 6th degree of Whitaker separation of $ from wallet... taking Clemson, giving the points....

[Jim Franklin]

I like the idea of the 6 degrees of separation in the Mike Whitaker club, if the standard of first degree is being in a foursome with him at a golf gathering of GCA participants.  So I got that covered and off the bucket list... come to think of it, got it covered with Sir Boab as well.  

What is the standard of the lowest sixth degree?  Maybe... know a guy that knew a guy that slept with a guy that was formerly a guy in one of his foursomes of a GCA unsanctioned event?  

Nice...allow me to suggest a scale:

1 degree:  Playing a round of golf with him at a GCA event
2 degrees:  Playing any other round of golf with him
3 degrees:  Chatting with him at a GCA event...maybe sitting next to him at dinner, for instance
4 degrees:  Exchanging email banter or PMs with him on the website
5 degrees:  Seeing him walk past you, but not getting his autograph, handshake or any small bit of conversation due to the paparazzi
6 degrees:  None of the above

So what is the person that plays a round at a GCA event but not with Mike, but does speak to him briefly? 1.5 degrees?