Please allow myself to introduce... myself

[Brian Colbert]

Hello Golf Club Atlas!

I had the pleasure of hosting Mark McKeever at White Manor Country Club on Sunday and he suggested I join the message board here. I have long been reading the website for its course features and occasionally the interviews, but never made my way onto the message board.

A little about me: I am a 22 year-old recent graduate of Villanova University outside Philadelphia. In September, I'll be moving to Chicago (which is where I went to high school) to begin a job with an accounting firm. I played four years of varsity golf at Villanova, once being named to the All-Big East team and twice making the Ping All-Northeast Region Team. I have played in three USGA Championships (2010 US Amateur, 2010&2011 US Publinks) and last week was crowned the 2012 Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Champion. Admittedly that may have been one too many sentences about my golfing ability.

I love golf architecture and that is why I have enjoyed my time as a member at White Manor Country Club. It is a course that, when presented firm and fast, gives the player many options around the greens. I first started to take an interest in architecture around age 16, and I figured out that when I applied what I knew when I was on the course it could actually help me save a couple strokes out there. While on the golf team at Villanova, I also had the opportunity to play Aronimink about 100 times and Overbrook about 300 times.

Anyway, a couple lists:

Top 15 courses I've played (IMO):

1. Pine Valley
2. Merion
3. Oakmont
4. Old Macdonald
5. Bandon Trails
6. Victoria National
7. Pacific Dunes
8. Garden City Golf Club
9. Bethpage Black
10. TPC Sawgrass
11. Olympia Fields North
12. Chambers Bay
13. Beverly
14. Lancaster
15. Aronimink

Honorable Mentions:
Sea Island Seaside
Adios
Old Memorial
Hideout
Huntingdon Valley

Favorite Architect: Ross
10 Courses I'd most like to play in the future:

1. Augusta
2. St Andrews Old
3. Ballybunion
4. Cypress Point
5. NGLA
6. Fishers Island
7. Sand Hills
8. Chicago Golf
9. Butler National
10. Riviera

Anyway I can't wait to get to know some of you through this message board and I hope I can learn from you all as well!

Thanks,

Brian Colbert

[Joe Bausch]

Welcome Brian.

Joe

P.S.  Were you a better student than McKeever?

 

[Jud_T]

Brian,

Welcome aboard.  Some pretty impressive playing credentials.  IM me when you get to Chicago.  I'd be happy to get together for a beer and give you my two cents on this great city.

[Scott Warren]

Welcome mate. That's a hell of a top 15 courses. Any relation of Stephen? Is the 't' silent?!

[Brian Colbert]

Welcome Brian.

Joe

P.S.  Were you a better student than McKeever?

 

As any accounting teacher in the whole school would put it... no.

[Brian Colbert]

Welcome mate. That's a hell of a top 15 courses. Any relation of Stephen? Is the 't' silent?!

No relation and not silent. For only having 22 years on this earth, I'd say I've done okay in the "golf courses played" category. Still many that I'd like to play but proud and appreciative of the ones I have.

[Tom Culley]

Welcome, from a fellow newbie!

I must admit, my introduction post seems pretty poor compared to this 

[Joe Bausch]

Welcome Brian.

Joe

P.S.  Were you a better student than McKeever?

 

As any accounting teacher in the whole school would put it... no.

But I'm guessing you can beat both Professors Emig and West in golf.   

[Scott Warren]

PS -- Bonus points for the Austin Powers gag!

[Luke Eipper]

Welcome, from a fellow newbie!

I must admit, my introduction post seems pretty poor compared to this 

Welcome gents. Like yourselves I too only recently joined the GCA family, but it did not cross my mind to write an introductory post to everyone.

I also must say Brian, you've played a number of very impressive list of courses.

Having never played much golf outside of Melbourne's sanbelt (I'm a member at Commonwealth Golf Club), I am particularly keen to learn more about your previous golfing adventures.

[Brian Colbert]

A couple photos in case you were interested, and if you weren't, well, who asked you anyway?

On the 9th tee at Chambers Bay during the US Amateur. You may notice that I am holding my driver despite being on the tee box of a par 3. Yeah, I don't know why either.


Teeing off on the 15th hole at Old Macdonald

[Mark McKeever]

Welcome to the board Brian!  We are looking forward to having your perspective around having played at a number of great golf courses so far.  Not to mention adding another tick to the "20 something's" tally as well.   

Mark

[John Kavanaugh]

Brian,

I never got to your level as a golfer, so what kept you from getting to the next level yourself?

[Dan Boerger]

Welcome Brian - Winning the Philly Amateur NO small feat. Congrats!

http://gapgolf.org/charts.asp?sfile=static/archive/2012_amateur_day_four_results.html

[Mark McKeever]

Agreed Dan!  Stellar performance!

Mark

[Jud_T]

Which is better, winning the trophy or getting an exemption to Pine Valley?!  As an aside, GCA could probably field a pretty solid team for an amateur event.

[Brian Colbert]

Brian,

I never got to your level as a golfer, so what kept you from getting to the next level yourself?

Nothing to do with desire, everything to do with talent. Last summer I played a competitive amateur schedule which included events such as the Monroe, Eastern, USAPL, etc. and got my butt kicked. It was after missing yet another cut that I realized I would make more money in my lifetime in business than I ever would playing golf. I'm perfectly content trying to make a run in the US Mid-Am while working at a comfortable corporate job every year rather than living the lifestyle of a mini-tour pro.

[Brian Colbert]

Welcome Brian - Winning the Philly Amateur NO small feat. Congrats!

http://gapgolf.org/charts.asp?sfile=static/archive/2012_amateur_day_four_results.html

To those who choose to click this link, please note that I am ordinarily clean-shaven. I had the playoff beard going!

[Brian Colbert]

Which is better, winning the trophy or getting an exemption to Pine Valley?!  As an aside, GCA could probably field a pretty solid team for an amateur event.

Of course the two rounds at PV are a great perk but having already played the course before, can't top getting your name engraved on a ~120 year old trophy.

[John Kavanaugh]

The rare dreams crushed by a great education sob story.  My only excuse was cheap weed and loose women.  Lucky you.

[Jason Mandel]

Brian,

Welcome to GCA and welcome to White Manor! As you can attest to its a course you will not tire of playing.

Congrats on winning the Philly Amateur, white manor's first member to ever do so.

BTW guys Brian did not just win the Philly AM, but also won the stroke play qualifying portion which is a very rare feat.

Jason

[Tom Culley]

Brian,

Are you Nathan Smith in disguise?   

[JESII]

Welcome aboard Brian and great playing last week at HV. Medalist and Winner is an incredibly rare feat in high level match golf and is certainly evidence of who the best player is.

Also, unbelievably savvy move putting Kavanaugh in your back pocket right from the start with your #6 listing...very impressive.


This is what he asked me when I first joined...

"Jim,

Is your dad the Jim Sullivan who wrote A Gay Guy's Guide to Dating and Romance... "

[John McCarthy]

Welcome aboard.  Where are you moving to?  I'll buy you a beer when you get here. 

[RJ_Daley]

Welcome to another philly guy.  I'll be interested to read any of your comments, as a good player, on some of these courses you've played, regarding what aspects of their architecture you enjoy most.  But, word of advise, even though you apparently have the cred to comment on Merion, and I hope you do; please don't fall into the black hole of the endless bickering on those threads.  Tell us your take, and then move on... without lingering too long among the carnage that is that train wreck!   

As a very good player, have you already formed an opinion of which course that due to its architecture - design, you'd most like to play day in and day out and never get bored?