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Dave McCollum

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #50 on: August 20, 2012, 12:56:13 AM »
I think it’s interesting that a lot of lists start with a cheap and accessible dog track.  Being an old fart my list goes back a long way and seems to be more about what I thought about golf than golf courses.   I’ve only played a hundred or so golf courses.   I wrote out my subjective history about how I became obsessed with golf and golf courses.  It seems pretty boring and pedestrian, but since I enjoyed reading others, here’s goes my personal evolution.
       
1950’s—1960’s Golf was for sissies who couldn’t play real sports.  As a kid, I loved to hang out at Blue Lakes CC, a 9-holer in beautiful, wild landscape (Twin Falls, ID).  Mostly doing anything but golf.

1974-75 Helped father grass and grow-in 9 holes at Canyon Springs right across the river from BLCC.  At one point it was conceived as 2nd nine for BLCC.  That didn’t fly with the membership so my father built it anyway.  Grow-in was interesting and difficult.  Spent a lot of time with the architect, who had his office in our maintenance building.  Wasn’t much interested in golf, but got a hole-in-one the first time I played the course.  The architect landed the job of expanding BLCC to 18 holes and was doing the design during our grow-in.  Thought these two 9-hole courses were pretty cool and in a special environment.

1975-1994 Played golf once or twice annually when visiting home or entertaining a friend from Japan when he visited LA.  Still thought BLCC & CS was a special landscape for golf (both expanded to 18 holes).  Used Wilshire CC, Riviera, Lakeside, Sherwood (pre-construction), and others as filming locations.   Jogged around the 36 holes at Brookside nearly every day that I wasn’t working or traveling.   Golf was a game like pickup basketball, tennis, or bowling.   Nice places to take a jog, though.   Worked in Scotland for about 3 weeks and have no lasting visual memory of seeing a golf course.
   
1990-‘94 Moved back to Idaho.  Charged with running CS as the owner.   Other businesses and family were more important.   
1994 Started to learn how to play.  Became addicted.  Played Sun Valley Resort, the favorite to date.

1994-‘99 Began reading about golf, golf courses, golf history, and the business of golf.  Mostly played CS, BLCC, other locals, and Sun Valley courses.  Started wondering what made one golf course better or more fun than another.  Courses that influenced my thinking:  Oasis and Wolf Creek in Mesquite, Coral Canyon and Entrada in St. George, UT.  Sun Valley still the fave.  Made my first trip to see a golf course I had read about:  Old Works in MT.  A fun course and a more interesting social project.  Golf was mostly about the folks I played with, but beginning to pay attention to the different venues and designs.
 
2001 Organized first buddy trip to Bandon Dunes after following its development for years.  Played BD in a complete whiteout fog.  Quit after 9 holes due to injury.  Couldn’t see a thing except a final glorious sunset.  My world changed.  To be honest, had more fun playing at courses along the way-- Black Butte Ranch and Sand Pines (really!), for example—but was hooked on golf along the ground and in the dunes.  Bandon and Pac Dunes were inspired golf.  Didn’t get to play PD because of injury, couldn’t walk.

2002 Tweaked the routing and built four new greens at Canyon Springs.  Improved the course, but the work is embarrassingly amateurish.
   
2007 Solo trip to Scotland.  Discovered gca.com doing the research.  Each course was the best I’d ever played:  Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Dornoch, Brora, Machrihanish, New, TOC, Ellie, North Berwick, etc.—all very cool and exciting.  Dornoch was the best until TOC.  Nothing surpasses TOC.  How’s this for luck?  I was there in May.  An hour-long squall hit while I was playing Brora.  In all of the rest of my golf in Scotland, some 44 hours spent playing 14 courses (I play fast), it rained for a total of 10 minutes.
     
2008 Played my first Pete Dye course:  Mission Hills in PS and was amazed how a really good course had been wrecked by the housing—specifically, the ponds put in to separate the housing from the course.  TOC still the fave.
 
2009 Played the best mountain golf course I’ve ever seen:  Rock Creek Cattle Company.
 
2010 & ‘11 Annual pilgrimages to Bandon.  Walked The Preserve with the builders.  Incredible place.  All that great golf in one place.  At one point I forgot I was in Oregon and was just lost in some links heaven.
 
2011 Was blown away by Irish golf:  Ballybunion, Lahinch, County Down, and Portrush.  Thought that RCD was the best I’d ever played and perhaps Ballybunion the most fun.  For pure visual excitement and the grand scale of the dunes, Irish golf can’t be topped.  I didn’t even care that the weather sucked.

Now I’m old, back where I started, and hanging out at CS, fairly cheap and accessible, not a dog track, but just a golf course in a nice spot.  What’s the best?  I don’t know.  Does it matter?  I’ve enjoyed the journey.  Like others here, TOC is a pretty special place.

Matthew Rose

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #51 on: August 20, 2012, 02:45:57 AM »
I'm not even sure what the greatest golf course I've played is. Probably Kapalua or the Dunes. Add TPC Scottsdale if you go by television exposure, although that is not that special architecturally.

My list is pretty pedestrian. I was fortunate to have been taken along on a lot of Spring Break trips during my teens and early 20s, as my parents had been doing well enough financially to indulge us. My dad did corporate real estate for a lot of outlet retailers and had a ton of conventions in Orlando and other warm, sunny places around that time of year, and we often tagged along. Unfortunately, things aren't going that well for them these days, but I do have some great memories thanks to them. I just wish my taste in architecture had been a bit more sophisticated then.

Here are some of my milestones anyway....

Summer 1983 - Jim Ager Junior Golf Course, Lincoln, Nebraska, age 6

Summer 1985 - Riverside Municipal, Janesville, Wisconsin. Where I played 90% of my golf for this and the thirteen years that followed. Haven't been there since 1998. Miss it.

March 1991 - The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach, SC. Pretty sure this is the first course I played that was ever in the top 100 at any point. First RTJ.

March 1992 - First Florida trip, played the Disney courses, none of which were that interesting. Liked Fazio's Osprey Ridge the best.

June 1992 - As a member of my high school golf team, I was allowed access to the Janesville CC for the summer. JCC is one of the five oldest clubs in the US (1894) and has hosted a couple of US Open qualifiers and the Wisconsin state amateur. I have no idea who designed the course, but it was my introduction to old parkland-style architecture typical of what you see USGA events played at. It was and is too short for an Open, but I got a good idea of what playing in one might have been like. We were never that good a golf team, but we had a phenomenal home course advantage. The hotshot Madison guys would come down and fall to pieces.

May 1993 - Played a match against Madison Memorial High School at Blackhawk Country Club in Madison and got a real taste of some serious quirk. Par fours under 300 yards everywhere, but nigh on impossible to birdie. Very good lesson in how a golf course with no length at all can still defend itself very well.

March 1994 - Traveled to Hilton Head, but could not get on Harbour Town. Still hurts. Played Palmetto Dunes, a Nicklaus course I can't remember the name of, and a terrible Arthur Hills track somewhere else where I hit snap hooks off the tee into hidden lakes all day and was generally miserable.

July 1994 - Spent a week in Michigan and played all the courses at Treetops, including the awesome par-3 course twice. Made a hole-in-one at the original Smith course. The architect himself was driving around in a cart with his dog.... told the man about my well-struck 6-iron, and he signed the card for me.

March 1995 - Second Orlando trip. Nothing remarkable.

March 1997 - Third Orlando trip, stayed and played everything at Grand Cypress. Loved the "New" course. Also played a forgettable Rees Jones course.

April 1998 - Phoenix. Played Talking Stick, Grayhawk Talon (site of early WGC match play), TPC of Scottsdale Stadium - at this point I was 21 and felt playing "tour" courses were the most important thing. Talking Stick was recommended to us by a guide, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Really nice, smooth greens. I bought a new putter the day before and made everything. Still use it.

July 2002 - Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia - the first and only Sandbelt experience and an extremely important one.

February 2005 - Maui. First and only trip to Hawaii, and I made it count. Kapalua Plantation.

April 2009 - Moved from Australia back to US, settled down in Colorado. Soon after, played my first Pete Dye, which was Plum Creek

2010 - First Doak, Commonground. First Ross, Wellshire (though this appears to be disputed). Also played Fossil Trace for the first time.

2012 - Probably the best course I played this year was the two original nines at Breckenridge, which was a nice way to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with my wife. I did manage to play Plum Creek again. Otherwise, it's been a lot of trips to Park Hill and Hyland Hills for me.

I lived in Wisconsin for 18 years but never played anything at Kohler. I did go to the 98 Women's Open as a spectator.
I also spent seven years in Australia, but only played one round on the sandbelt. I have regrets about both, although in the latter case most of the other sandbelt clubs rejected my letters.

Bucket list: Pebble, Cherry Hills, Castle Pines, a UK tour involving as much of the British Open rota as possible, and Royal Melb and maybe further sandbelt exploration. I also spend a lot of time in Nebraska so I need to get to Wild Horse at the very least.

American-Australian. Trackman Course Guy. Fatalistic sports fan. Drummer. Bass player. Father. Cat lover.

Shane Wright

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #52 on: August 20, 2012, 09:34:40 AM »

1981 - Sportscenter Par 3 - Topeka, KS
1985 - Lake Shawnee Golf Course - Topeka, KS
1986 - Leavenworth CC - Leavenworth, KS
1987 - Shawnee Country Club - Topeka, KS
1988 - Topeka Country Club
1995 - Terradyne CC - Andover, KS (a Doak 0, but it sure looked and felt like something from Scotland which I dreamt of traveling to, I still think it has a really good front 9)
1998 - Mira Vista CC - Fort Worth, TX
1999 - Midland CC - Midland, TX
2000 - Silver Creek Plantation - Morganton, NC
2001 - Muirfield
2008 - Royal County Down
2011 - The Old Course


Joe Stansell

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #53 on: August 20, 2012, 10:27:00 AM »
Dave, I grew up in Twin Falls. My first round was at Twin Falls Muni, and I later graduated to Canyon Springs and Blue Lakes CC. All three were (and still are) fine places to get in a round of golf.

Carson Pilcher

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #54 on: August 20, 2012, 12:10:10 PM »
I could go off an wax poetically about the places special in my heart, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet:

1979: The Cabbage Patch - Augusta (some of you know what I'm talking about)
1980: Augusta Country Club
1990: Woodside Plantaion - Rees Design - best course around at the time, and I was still a kid.
1996: Country Club of the South, Ruby Hill, Pasateimpo, Spyglass, Olympic, Cypress Point

Cypress would remain in the top position for 10 years.  I played other greats, but none topped Cypress until...

2006: The Old Course.

I have been blessed to play the Old Course many times, and it's beauty, charm and endless strategy options became more apparent with each pass through.  'Til my end of days, I will be hard pressed to find a finer test of golf (but I'll keep looking!).

Howard Riefs

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #55 on: August 20, 2012, 12:38:46 PM »
1983:  Turnberry Isle (North)
1986:  Callaway Gardens (Mountain)
1990:  Doral (Blue)
1992:  Westchester CC (West)
1998:  Cog Hill (#4)
2005:  No. 2
2007:  Whistling Straits (Straits)
2009:  Kiawah (Ocean)
2009:  Shoreacres


"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Joe_Tucholski

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #56 on: August 20, 2012, 12:54:36 PM »
1995 - Goose Run Golf Course, Groton CT (The first course I played on was the 9 hole course at the sub base in Groton...my dad still bitchs about how nice the courses are at aviation bases)

1995 - Norwich Golf Club, Norwich CT

1997 - York Golf and Tennis Club, York ME (Donald Ross design where I really started to play golf thanks to the Junior membership)

1999 - Bayonet and BlackHorse, Seaside CA

2000 - Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach CA

2001 - Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach CA

Dave McCollum

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #57 on: August 20, 2012, 02:58:46 PM »
Joe S--

Imagine that--another TF kid on this site.  Thanks for the kind words about our local golf which, as you know, is defined by our affordable golf market, our golfers, and plenty of choices for a relatively small population base.  Most of the golfers we see have a very different set of expectations than many of the ones commonly expressed here.  For me personally, it's always sort of refreshing to see golfers who are interested learning about other styles of golf and golf courses.  Professionally, I try to keep most of my views and personal preferences in the closet. 

Wecome to the site.  I don't drop in much and especially not during the golf season.  Look me up if you ever get back to your old hometown or fancy a round on your old stomping grounds.   

Matthew Petersen

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #58 on: August 20, 2012, 04:35:09 PM »
Have to admit, many of these years are guesses

~1987: Windsor Gardens par 3, Denver, CO (to the best of my recollection, the first golf course I played)
~1988: Centre Hills par 3, Aurora, CO

I don't really recall when I graduated to start playing the "big courses" but I don't remember ever playing anything other than various local munis for the first few years anyway. The best of those would have been ...

~1991: Meadow Hills, Aurora, CO
1992: Grand Lake, CO
1992: Breckenridge (Nicklaus), Breckenridge, CO
1993: Starr Pass, Tucson, AZ
1993: Perry Park, Larkspur, CO
1994: Riverdale Dunes, Brighton, CO (at this point, probably mostly because it was simply in better condition than any other course I'd ever played. I specifically remember suddenly understanding why pros putted from off the green. The fairways at RD were as good as many of the greens I was used to putting on.
1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)
1995: Eisenhower GC (Blue), Colorado Springs, CO
1998: Princeville (Prince), Kauai, HI
(Played a ton of courses in the interim, including virtually everything in Arizona and a few more in Hawaii. Not sure if I would have called anything I played better, but certainly not in retrospect)
2005: Kapalua (Plantation), Maui, HI
2012: Spyglass Hill (for about 12 hours)
2012: Pebble Beach

David Davis

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #59 on: August 20, 2012, 05:57:12 PM »
I don't think I get the rules of this one so I'll create my own. I have to do my favorite "greatest golf courses" each year I guess. Top of the best each year in terms of personal enjoyment is in brackets.


2006 - [Kingsbarns], Carnoustie, Muirfield, Old Course (yeah I can count and that's 4....can't follow the rules in this case) Incidentally, my first ever golf trip after playing for 3 years.) Included several other courses...
2007 - Royal Melbourne, [Kingston Heath], NSW (honorable mention - Metropolitan, Royal Adelaide, The National) BTW was an amazing trip to play 15 of the top 20 in OZ. I hope more buddies will be getting married around the world to give me excuses to do this.
2008 - [Pacific Dunes, Whistling Straits], Shoreacres (honorable mention - Bandon, Bandon Trails, Pumpkin Ridge and Chambers Bay)
2009 - [Royal County Down], Royal Portrush, European Club
2009.5 - Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart, [Cruden Bay] (honorable mention Royal Aberdeen)
2010 - [Ballybunion], Lahinch, Waterville
2011 - [Cypress Point], MPCC, Pebble Beach (honorable mention Spyglass, Pasatiempo, Olympic Club, Old Head (Ireland))
2012 - [Royal St. Georges] (honorable mention - PGA de Catalunya, Royal Cinque Ports, West Sussex, Oitavos Dunes)

Have been busy with and interested in architecture since the first golf trip to Scotland. Just joined GCA.
Sharing the greatest experiences in golf.

IG: @top100golftraveler
www.lockharttravelclub.com

Carl Nichols

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #60 on: August 20, 2012, 06:06:38 PM »
Mac:

1972 -- Peru Municipal, Peru IN (grandmother introduced me to the game at age 5)
1977-- Brookwood, Fort Wayne, IN
1980 -- some course in HI some island in HI (maui or kaua'i)
1982 -- Orchard Ridge CC, Fort Wayne, IN
1989-- Eagle Creek, Indianapolis, IN
1990 -- Ross Course at French Lick
1997 -- Pebble Beach
2003 -- The Old Course
2004 -- Lahinch
2009 -- Merion
2012 -- Royal Melbourne

Another Hoosier...but didn't get to Crooked Stick as a youngster.

Bart:
My parents belonged to Orchard Ridge from 1992-1997.  It won't make my list . . . would be curious why it made yours?  Just the best you had played out of a not-very-illustrious group?

Mark Pearce

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #61 on: August 20, 2012, 06:12:17 PM »
Carl,

Isn't that the point of this thread?  The greatest (best) course played at any time.  There'll be some pretty crap courses at the start of my list, too.
In June I will be riding the first three stages of this year's Tour de France route for charity.  630km (394 miles) in three days, with 7800m (25,600 feet) of climbing for the William Wates Memorial Trust (https://rideleloop.org/the-charity/) which supports underprivileged young people.

Carl Nichols

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #62 on: August 20, 2012, 06:23:23 PM »
Mark-
Yup, I was modifying my post when you wrote yours.  Really wondering if it was just the best of a not good bunch, or if Bart thinks (thought) it was better than, say, I did. 

Bart Bradley

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #63 on: August 20, 2012, 06:27:27 PM »
Mac:

1972 -- Peru Municipal, Peru IN (grandmother introduced me to the game at age 5)
1977-- Brookwood, Fort Wayne, IN
1980 -- some course in HI some island in HI (maui or kaua'i)
1982 -- Orchard Ridge CC, Fort Wayne, IN
1989-- Eagle Creek, Indianapolis, IN
1990 -- Ross Course at French Lick
1997 -- Pebble Beach
2003 -- The Old Course
2004 -- Lahinch
2009 -- Merion
2012 -- Royal Melbourne

Another Hoosier...but didn't get to Crooked Stick as a youngster.

Bart:
My parents belonged to Orchard Ridge from 1992-1997.  It won't make my list . . . would be curious why it made yours?  Just the best you had played out of a not-very-illustrious group?

Carl:

Yes, I had played nothing but crap courses (perhaps Doak 3 at best) until I was in my 20s.  Orchard Ridge was the best course I had played at that point.  I was 16 years old when I played Orchard Ridge for the first time.  I have come to realize that the architecture there is dreadful, and my father in-law is partly responsible  :)

Bart

Daryl "Turboe" Boe

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #64 on: August 20, 2012, 09:45:09 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?
Instagram: @thequestfor3000

"Time spent playing golf is not deducted from ones lifespan."

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

Jason Topp

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #65 on: August 20, 2012, 10:01:56 PM »
1976 Westwood - Newton, IA
1978 Waveland - Des Moines, IA
1980 Wakonda - Des Moines, IA
1992 The Old Course
2005 Royal Melbourne West
2006 Sand Hills

Anthony Butler

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #66 on: August 20, 2012, 10:32:05 PM »
1978- New South Wales
1981-Royal Melbourne West
1994-Cypress Point

The End
Next!

Daryl "Turboe" Boe

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #67 on: August 20, 2012, 11:31:26 PM »
Ill give it a go.  Early on especially I wont bore you with all the minutiae because every subsequent course I played probably got better.  Funny how as time goes along and you start to play some actually good ones, and eventually great ones, it becomes harder and eventually almost impossible to top them.  I feel some of the early ones need some explaining, but hopefully some of the later ones need less explaining.

1984 - Memorial GC - Huron, SD  (anyone who has ever played here would know it had to be my first and thus the best I had ever seen)

1988 - Meadowbrook GC - Rapid City, SD (first real test of golf I think I probably played while in college and still just dabbling at the game. so I dont really remember much, it held the 1984 Womens Public Links so it must be pretty good)

1989 - Latrobe CC - Latrobe, PA (I moved there after college and started actually getting into golf, met Arnold Palmer my first time at LCC and hit balls on the range with just Arnie, myself and one other guy there for probably 15-20 minutes, really helped push me over the edge golf wise.  That course was the most exclusive to me at the time, well manicured, and just had an aura about it that I had never experienced to that point).

1990 - The Kahkwa Club - Erie, PA  (took aura to another level, I believe it was my first Donal Ross course, although I didnt know what that really meant in the grand scheme of things at that time.)

1993 - Banff Springs GC - British Columbia, Canada (absolutely blew me away at the time with the shear beauty)

1994 - Pasitiempo GC - Santa Cruz, CA  (In hindsight probably should be higher on the list and eclipse some of the entries that immediately follow, but at this point I was still primarily focused on conditioning and esthetics as my measures of greatness.  This course began my awakening to actual GCA awareness.  I couldnt explain why but I knew there was something great about this course even though I couldnt explain what it was.  Fate stepped in and put a copy of Mackenzie's book "Spirit of St. Andrews" in front of me in the proshop as I was buying souvenirs of my day there.  I bought the book and began to read and peal back the layers...)

5/95 - Troon North GC (Monument) AZ (I remember being absolutely blown away by the visuals of this my first really spectacular desert layout)

8/95 - Blackwolf Run GC (River) - Kohler, WI (beautiful track, still one of my favorite parkland courses, at that time I felt it was the greatest course with stunning beauty, and great shot values and architectural strategy as I learned more about that)

6/97 - Laurel Valley GC - Liggonier, PA

8/97 - Pebble Beach Golf Links - CA

6/98 - Oakmont CC - PA

9/98 - The Old Course - St. Andrews, Scotland

7/99 - Sand Hills GC - Mullen, NE

8/99 - National Golf Links - NY

2000 - Cypress Point Club, CA

i was considering putting 2011 - Royal County Down, N. Ireland at the bottom of this list, but I rescinded that and decided to stick with Cypress being the best I have ever played.  I am sure I missed a bunch early on that werent real noteworthy, but this is my best attempt at remembering the major milestones anyway.  
« Last Edit: August 20, 2012, 11:37:17 PM by Daryl "Turboe" Boe »
Instagram: @thequestfor3000

"Time spent playing golf is not deducted from ones lifespan."

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

Matthew Essig

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #68 on: August 21, 2012, 12:06:00 AM »
'07 - Tumble Creek
'08 - Chambers Bay
'09 - Spyglass ------------> Pebble Beach ------------> Pasatiempo
'10 - '11 - Chambers Bay
'12 - Pacific Dunes -----------------> Present : OLD MAC
"Good GCA should offer an interesting golfing challenge to the golfer not a difficult golfing challenge." Jon Wiggett

Doug Wright

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #69 on: August 21, 2012, 01:14:15 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?

Daryl, Bear Creek is private "men only" (for now?) club. Designed by Arnold Palmer's group--I think Ed Seay was involved. Agree it is a tough golf course.
Twitter: @Deneuchre

Matthew Petersen

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #70 on: August 21, 2012, 01:20:45 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?

I think Doug has it right. Strange name for a Palmer design, certainly, but so it goes.
Daryl, Bear Creek is private "men only" (for now?) club. Designed by Arnold Palmer's group--I think Ed Seay was involved. Agree it is a tough golf course.

Scott Szabo

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #71 on: August 21, 2012, 01:25:06 PM »
1985 - Sterling Country Club - CO
1986 - Loveland Municipal Course - CO
1987 - Arrowhead Golf Course - CO
1987 - Riverdale Dunes - CO
1988 - The Woodlands - TX
1989 - Eisenhower Golf Course - CO
2003 - Wild Horse - NE
2007 - Sand Hills - NE

Not nearly as impressive as the rest.  Most of my early days were spent playing courses in the Sterling, Colorado area with junior events.  A couple of national events during my senior year, followed by some college golf.  Wild Horse was discovered during a charity event in Kearney, Nebraska and we've been going back every year.  July 11, 2007 at Sand Hills will be a day I'll never forget.
"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Scott Szabo

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #72 on: August 21, 2012, 01:26:38 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?

Daryl, Bear Creek is private "men only" (for now?) club. Designed by Arnold Palmer's group--I think Ed Seay was involved. Agree it is a tough golf course.
The last I knew Jon Petersen held the course reocrd at 63.  Jon was an assitant pro at my home club in Sterling for a number of years in the late 90s.
"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Doug Wright

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #73 on: August 21, 2012, 03:43:36 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?

Daryl, Bear Creek is private "men only" (for now?) club. Designed by Arnold Palmer's group--I think Ed Seay was involved. Agree it is a tough golf course.
The last I knew Jon Petersen held the course reocrd at 63.  Jon was an assitant pro at my home club in Sterling for a number of years in the late 90s.



FYI in 1988 at Bear Creek, Billy Mayfair won the Pacific Coast Amateur by 18 shots. He was the only player under par at -18. An incredible performance.
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Scott Szabo

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Re: Your History of Greatest Golf Course Ever Played
« Reply #74 on: August 21, 2012, 03:47:45 PM »

1994: Bear Creek GC, Denver, CO (At this point in my life hard=good. If that was still the calculation, then Bear Creek might still be #1. Just a brutally difficult golf course)


I played there years ago, and man it was hard!!  Was that a private mens club at one time?  With "Bear" in the name it was not designed by Nicklaus was it?

Daryl, Bear Creek is private "men only" (for now?) club. Designed by Arnold Palmer's group--I think Ed Seay was involved. Agree it is a tough golf course.
The last I knew Jon Petersen held the course reocrd at 63.  Jon was an assitant pro at my home club in Sterling for a number of years in the late 90s.



FYI in 1988 at Bear Creek, Billy Mayfair won the Pacific Coast Amateur by 18 shots. He was the only player under par at -18. An incredible performance.

A quick google showed the 1988 Amateur at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta California, and not here in Colorado.  Could that be a typo maybe?
"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

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