New Member Intro

[Joey Chase]

Hi everyone,

  My name is Joey Chase, I work for architect Roger Rulewich as a shaper/project manager currently.  I have been with the company now for 8 years.  I studied at Rutgers University for Turfgrass Management.  In my time with Roger I have been a part of major renovations in the U.S., Jamaica, Bermuda, as well as new courses in the U.S. and Portugal. 

  I have a love for classical golf design as well as a love for links golf.  My favorites include; Royal St. Georges, Machrihanish, Lahinch, Waterville, Portrush, Aberdovey, Royal Dornoch...  to name a few.  I look forward to being part of the discussion!

[David Harshbarger]

Welcome!!!!

[PCCraig]

Welcome Joey!!

[Bill_McBride]

Joey, it's great to see you have been abroad and played some of the great links.

How much of what you saw and learned there have you been apply to your work here in the U.S.?   Do you feel the designs you've worked on here exemplify what you enjoyed about those links courses?

Did you work on any of the Robert Trent Jones Trail courses?   I guess most of those are > 8 years old except perhaps Ross Bridge in Birmingham.

Welcome to GolfClubAtlas.  Don't take everything said here completely seriously!

[Joey Chase]

Hello Bill,
We recently finished a new design in Portugal that we were able to incorporate several of the design elements that make links golf fun to me.  For example: several of the green complexes had no tie-ins to their surrounds, many had false edges that would funnel the ball away from the pin locations, creating great fun in recoveries.  It was a blast taking the trips up to the links, seeing some of the really quirky design features on the links, like the 6th at St. Enodoc or the criss-crossing holes at Royal West Norfolk or even the local rules concerning dung heaps at Royal North Devon! 

When I joined the Group, The RTJ Trail was basically done.  We have since gone down and done some reworking of holes in Mobile.  There will hopefully be more to do down there in the future.

[Chris Johnston]

Welcome, Joey!

[Ronald Montesano]

Welcome, shaper.

Can you give us a list of courses of RRs that you worked on? By way of introduction, while I won't shy away from an RR design, the ones that I've played (Fox Hopyard, Saratoga National and Crump'n Fox) have largely kicked my arse around the block, laughing all the way.

[Tom_Doak]

Welcome, Joey.

A question many on here would like to understand:

How did you learn to shape?  How much of it was taught to you by someone, vs. just getting enough time on the machine to learn by yourself?  And how long did it take you to become really good at it?

[Joey Chase]

Thanks for the welcome!
I have worked on several remodels since my time with Roger, including;
Point O' Woods in Benton Harbor, MI
Green Acres CC in Northbrook, IL
Half Moon Club in Jamaica
Crumpin-Fox Club (small bunker renovation, with more to come hopefully!) Bernardston, MA
Black Hall Club in Old Lyme, CT
Scarsdale GC in Hartsdale, NY
Port Royal GC in Bermuda
Silver Spring CC in CT
Metedeconk National GC in Jackson, NJ


A few new ones;
Cascades course at Crystal Springs in NJ
Roncao d'El Rei in Portugal
Meadowbrook GC in RI (was an existing course but routing was changed completely)

I wish the list of new ones was bigger, but we do have some interesting stuff on the horizon!
 

[Michael George]

Welcome Joey.  Look forward to your participation.

And congrats to my fellow GCA'ers, this is the 2nd welcome in a row that did not degenerate into a terrible thread 

[Chris Johnston]

Welcome Joey.  Look forward to your participation.

And congrats to my fellow GCA'ers, this is the 2nd welcome in a row that did not degenerate into a terrible thread 

Amen, Brother.  Amen.

[Joey Chase]

Brian,  
It would be too hard to list just one.  If I could join just one club I would probably say Machrihanish.  It is so remote, no big pro shop, no crowds, just pure great golf.

Tom,
I have been fortunate enough to work with some patient and good teachers.  I will say that I still feel there is so much to learn, every site, every hole is different.  There is so much to take away from each project.  One thing I will add is I learn so much from playing the finished product and seeing it in play.  It is interesting to listen to the input of others that play it as well.  I have no doubt you must get so much enjoyment from visiting your projects and seeing them played, I know I enjoy playing them!

[Steven Blake]

Welcome aboard ole' friend! Good to have some Rutgers boys on here! 

[Joey Chase]

Welcome aboard ole' friend! Good to have some Rutgers boys on here! 

Great to see you on here too Steve!  How's North Shore looking these days?

[Kyle Harris]

In Buckley we trust.

[Joey Chase]

In Buckley we trust.

Thanks for giving me nightmares of Sclerotinia Homeocarpa for the next few nights!