News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #25 on: November 14, 2012, 05:28:12 PM »
Great comments, all.  Keep them coming.  Greg, never worry - I've played all the courses at Bandon and Chambers to boot. 

Mike

Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #26 on: November 15, 2012, 03:27:28 AM »
A trip I would enjoy would be from Amsterdam to Paris.  There are about 10 courses on the radar, highlighted (for me) by Zoute & Morfontaine, but I could easily add 4 or 5 from the other 7 for a nice week of golf.    

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Ally Mcintosh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #27 on: November 15, 2012, 08:03:23 AM »
I think a Scottish trip that many (including me) should try is the highlands, islands and west coast... i.e. Deliberately leave the East out of it (St.Andrews & East Lothian)...

Fly to Glasgow, travel up to Dornoch where you take in Brora and possibly Castle Stuart before heading west and boating over to Askernish... Come back, drive down the most beautiful scenery you will find, past Skye,  past Oban... head over to Machrie on Islay... back to Machrihanish and Mach Dunes.... then get the ferry to Arran... play Shiskine... and back over to Ayrshire for Prestwick & Turnberry before flying back from Glasgow...

This trip gives you great golf (big names), great golf (out of the way gems), spectacular scenery and a feeling of having been in the real Scotland... Islands, ferries.... Wonderful...

Once you've accepted that the East coast is for another trip, this one would be a star...

P.S. Imperative to take your time....
« Last Edit: November 15, 2012, 08:06:33 AM by Ally Mcintosh »

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #28 on: November 15, 2012, 09:14:44 AM »
Bogey

Something like this:

Year 1--take a few weeks just staying at home, playing mostly your home club, thinking about what it means to you, what is good and not so good about it, how it relates to the great courses elsewhere you have played, and ultimately, why you have chosen to live and stay there.  Play mostly with your friends.

Year 2--go back to Monterrey.  Take a few more weeks there to revist the great and newly visit the ones you have never seen.  Venture up to San Fransisco and play the greats and quirky goods.  Go to Napa/Sonoma and drink the wine and eat the food and look at a golf course or two, if you feel like it.  Get to know Gib Papazian.

Year 3--fly into Glasgow, drive south and stay in Ayrshire for at least a month.  Go up to Glasgow from time to time to visit the most vibrant city in all of the UK.

Year 4--Melbourne.  Do not pass go and try to visit any other part of Oz.  Stay in St. Kilda.  Play as often as you can at Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne, and slum the rest of the time at the other great courses on the sandbelt.  Spend at least 3 weeks, maybe more.

Year 5--London.  Forget about the golf, and focus on the city, but make sure you play a large selection of the heathland courses and also spend some time in Kent to enjoy Littlestone, Deal and Sandwich.

Year 6--Ireland.  Fly into Dublin, hire a limo with a driver and circumnavigate the wee island, at your leisure.  Pay the driver for 3 days waiting time while you enjoy Dublin.  Then go clockwise to Cork (no great golf, but great Craic), Ring of Kerry (Waterville), Ballybunion, Lahinch, Connemarra, Mulranney, Carne, Ballyliffin (don't miss a night out at the pub in Clonmany) , Portsalon, Portrush, County Down, Louth, Portmarnock, etc.) then back to Dublin

Year 7--(Assuming you are still alive)  Back to the USA and Boston.  Where golf really began in the States and where the States really began.  Myopia, TCC, Essex, Winchester, Charles River, Brae Burn, Walden Pond, Gardner Musueum, Fenway Park, Gloucester, Faneuil Hall, etc. in terms of both golf and even more important aspects of culture and history.

Year 8--Go back to Bandon.  Only god and Mike Keiser knows what will await you then.  Use whatever is there to serve as a benchmark against what you have now seen.

Year 9--Dornoch.  Rent a house overlooking the course for 2-3 months.  Invite all your family and best friends to visit you.  Play the course daily and walk over it at night and in the early morning when you can.  Relax.  Get to know the locals that you want to get to know.  Read all the books you have wanted to, either first time or again.  Take day trips into the hinterlands, when you feel like it.  At least once a week, walk out to the 3rd and 18th tees and stand there and realize how lucky you re to be alive and be there.

Year 10--Repeat Year 1 and then Year 2, etc. etc.  And most of all, enjoy.

Rich

« Last Edit: November 15, 2012, 09:18:57 AM by Rich Goodale »
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #29 on: November 15, 2012, 11:58:59 AM »
Damn you, Rihc.

Trying to get a little work (WORK!) done, and now you've made me get all dreamy-headed again....
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #30 on: November 15, 2012, 12:21:16 PM »
Thank You.  Now get back to work, Dobie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9Shd4_gOU
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Peter Pallotta

Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #31 on: November 15, 2012, 12:32:13 PM »
Rich - I'm a modest man: might not it do me simply to skip to No. 9 and spend 2 months in one place with only a wonderful golf course, my family and the best of friends, some great books, and the peace and solitude for company? Do you think a modest fellow like me would miss No. 1-8 even for a second?


Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #32 on: November 15, 2012, 12:48:03 PM »
You might be able to do that, Peter, but you would be immediately blackballed from this forum on the grounds of immodest modesty.
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Rick Shefchik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #33 on: November 15, 2012, 01:13:09 PM »
Thank You.  Now get back to work, Dobie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9Shd4_gOU

Thalia Meninger to Dobie: "My father says love won't butter no parsnips."

Now we know where that expression came from -- Thalia's father.
"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #34 on: November 15, 2012, 01:20:21 PM »
Thank You.  Now get back to work, Dobie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9Shd4_gOU

Thalia Meninger to Dobie: "My father says love won't butter no parsnips."

Now we know where that expression came from -- Thalia's father.

Ha!

My understanding is that it's an Irish idiom, originally: "Fine words butter no parsnips."

Here's my amendment to Thalia's father, based on my own childhood eating of parsnips (which, unaccountably, my father liked):

Love means NEVER SERVING NO PARSNIPS, with or without butter. Talk about foul! Gag me -- literally.

Back to work (WORK!) now.

Thanks to you and Rihc for recognizing my reference to Maynard Walter Krebs. Does that make us all Older Than Dirt?
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Ken Fry

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #35 on: November 15, 2012, 01:31:01 PM »

I think a Scottish trip that many (including me) should try is the highlands, islands and west coast... i.e. Deliberately leave the East out of it (St.Andrews & East Lothian)...

Fly to Glasgow, travel up to Dornoch where you take in Brora and possibly Castle Stuart before heading west and boating over to Askernish... Come back, drive down the most beautiful scenery you will find, past Skye,  past Oban... head over to Machrie on Islay... back to Machrihanish and Mach Dunes.... then get the ferry to Arran... play Shiskine... and back over to Ayrshire for Prestwick & Turnberry before flying back from Glasgow...


Did anyone else think this itinerary would be the dream golf/scotch tour too???

Ken

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #36 on: November 15, 2012, 01:32:57 PM »
Just yesterday I was offered "Potato and Parsnip Soup" at my local diner.  I declined.  If only I had thought of adding a knob of butter....
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #37 on: November 15, 2012, 01:53:04 PM »
Just yesterday I was offered "Potato and Parsnip Soup" at my local diner.  I declined.  If only I had thought of adding a knob of butter....

I'm picturing the movie, with Jack Nicholson as Rihc.

Waitress: "Would you like a bowl of Potato and Parsnip Soup?"

Jack/Rihc: "Well, yes I would. But I have a little request, ma'am. I'd love a bowl of Potato and Parsnip Soup -- but please hold the parsnips."

Et cetera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XylSAxvujeA

 
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #38 on: November 15, 2012, 01:55:42 PM »
Just yesterday I was offered "Potato and Parsnip Soup" at my local diner.  I declined.  If only I had thought of adding a knob of butter....

I'm picturing the movie, with Jack Nicholson as Rihc.

Waitress: "Would you like a bowl of Potato and Parsnip Soup?"

Jack/Rihc: "Well, yes I would. But I have a little request, ma'am. I'd love a bowl of Potato and Parsnip Soup -- but please hold the parsnips."

Et cetera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XylSAxvujeA

 

That was very eerily like the conversation yesterday, and I wasn't thinking of any film.....
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Alex Miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #39 on: November 15, 2012, 02:30:38 PM »
Re: Rich's Year 2

Tour California from LA to SF. There are at least 4-5 courses to play in LA that would fit in anywhere with the rest of your trip, not to mention a handful of people who would enjoy your visit.

2-3 days in LA
Rustic on the way out and maybe Valley Club on the way up to Monterey
Continue as Rich recommends  :)

As for the rest, I shall go back to daydreaming...

Mac Plumart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #40 on: November 15, 2012, 08:53:23 PM »
If you want to get weird...

Year 1...St. Andrews Old, Prestwick, North Berwick, Old Musselburgh, Muirfield

Year 2...Lahinch, Royal Country DOwn, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion

Year 3...Sunningdale Old and New, Swinely Forest, Walton Heath

Year 4...Myopia, NGLA, Maidstone, Garden City

Year 5...Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Royal Adelaide, New South Wales

Year 6...SFGC, Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Olympic

Year 7...Merion, Royal Liverpool, Interlachen, St. Andrews Old (again)

Year 8...Hirono,  Kawana, Tokyo

Year 9...The GOlf Club, Muirfield Village

Year 10...Sand Hills, Dismal River, Ballyneal, Colorado Golf Club



EDIT...On second thought, you might want to scrap the "Grand Slam Year"...move Year 8 into Year 7, Year 9 to Year 8, and add the following into year 9...Harbour Town, Kiawah Ocean, Frederica, Ocean Forest, and maybe The Sea Island resort couses.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2012, 09:24:47 PM by Mac Plumart »
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #41 on: November 15, 2012, 09:40:35 PM »
If you want to get weird...

Year 1...St. Andrews Old, Prestwick, North Berwick, Old Musselburgh, Muirfield

Year 2...Lahinch, Royal Country DOwn, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion

Year 3...Sunningdale Old and New, Swinely Forest, Walton Heath

Year 4...Myopia, NGLA, Maidstone, Garden City

Year 5...Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Royal Adelaide, New South Wales

Year 6...SFGC, Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Olympic

Year 7...Merion, Royal Liverpool, Interlachen, St. Andrews Old (again)m

Year 8...Hirono,  Kawana, Tokyo

Year 9...The GOlf Club, Muirfield Village

Year 10...Sand Hills, Dismal River, Ballyneal, Colorado Golf Club



EDIT...On second thought, you might want to scrap the "Grand Slam Year"...move Year 8 into Year 7, Year 9 to Year 8, and add the following into year 9...Harbour Town, Kiawah Ocean, Frederica, Ocean Forest, and maybe The Sea Island resort couses.

You fellows who overlook the links courses along the southeast coast of England - Rye, Littlestone, Deal, Sandwich and Princes - have no idea what you are missing.  It's one of the world's greatest golf experiences. 

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #42 on: November 15, 2012, 09:52:34 PM »

You fellows who overlook the links courses along the southeast coast of England - Rye, Littlestone, Deal, Sandwich and Princes - have no idea what you are missing.  It's one of the world's greatest golf experiences. 

Bill:

Perhaps they are not overlooking those links courses.  I took Bruce Hepner on a combined tour several years back, and I think that our visits to Rye and Sandwich spoiled the heathland courses for him.  The heathlands are a great venue, best appreciated separately.

Connor Dougherty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #43 on: November 15, 2012, 10:42:15 PM »
I would think a New Zealand/Australia tour would be incredible.  Although you'd likely need minimum 4 weeks to do both properly in the same trip.

My dad and I did a trip last winter that ended up being a month long down there. We had my mom and brother who don't golf, but we ended up checking out a lot of the tracks down there. I don't think I've ever seen such high quality golf courses in one area like I did in Melbourne. Maybe I'm biased because I can't play the best on Long Island, but wow.

We played Royal Melbourne West, Yarra Yarra, Metropolitan, St. Andrews Beach, Royal Adelaide, New South Wales, and the Barnbougle courses in Australia, and Cape Kidnappers, Jacks Point, and Kauri Cliffs in NZ. I don't know if this is still the case, but Jacks Point looked like it wasn't doing too well. No one was playing the course and the bunkers had grass growing in them. Shame.

I'm hoping to get down there again to play Kingston Heath and RM's courses. Probably take a look at Commonwealth as well
"The website is just one great post away from changing the world of golf architecture.  Make it." --Bart Bradley

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #44 on: November 15, 2012, 11:13:11 PM »

You fellows who overlook the links courses along the southeast coast of England - Rye, Littlestone, Deal, Sandwich and Princes - have no idea what you are missing.  It's one of the world's greatest golf experiences. 

Bill:

Perhaps they are not overlooking those links courses.  I took Bruce Hepner on a combined tour several years back, and I think that our visits to Rye and Sandwich spoiled the heathland courses for him.  The heathlands are a great venue, best appreciated separately.

I was just referring to Mac's list. 

Last year during Buda, I played Walton Heath Old, Hankley Common, Liphook, Rye, Littlestone and New Zealand, in that order.  It was spectacular golf.  The links and the heathland complemented each other.   England has an incredible variety of wonderful golf courses.  It's amazing how accessible these courses are. 

hhuffines

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #45 on: November 15, 2012, 11:23:31 PM »
Ally,

Very interesting itinerary!  Would two weeks be ample time to make that journey and play the courses more than once? 

Leo Barber

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #46 on: November 16, 2012, 03:41:02 AM »
..... and Cape Kidnappers, Jacks Point, and Kauri Cliffs in NZ. I don't know if this is still the case, but Jacks Point looked like it wasn't doing too well. No one was playing the course and the bunkers had grass growing in them. Shame.


Conner

Jacks is doing great, the naturalised bunkering complete with broken edging and internal grass is precisely the look they are trying to promote I understand.  That, Kinloch and Otago GC some of the best bunkering in NZ for mine.

Being on this website you obviously have an appreciation of GCA and purely in the interest of some personal market research did the Doak 7, Paraparaumu Beach enter your reckoning whilst touring NZ? 


Ally Mcintosh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #47 on: November 16, 2012, 04:05:52 AM »
Ally,

Very interesting itinerary!  Would two weeks be ample time to make that journey and play the courses more than once? 
I think so... There's a bit of travel time but in this case it's all sitting on ferries and moving through beautiful scenery and villages... To do it properly and soak in the atmosphere it should not all be about the golf though so the longer the better... Staying in Skye for a night or two, perhaps Inveraray... Hope you like Whisky?... I am Scottish myself but still might put this trip No.1 on my wish list...

Connor Dougherty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #48 on: November 16, 2012, 05:38:23 AM »
Conner

Jacks is doing great, the naturalised bunkering complete with broken edging and internal grass is precisely the look they are trying to promote I understand.  That, Kinloch and Otago GC some of the best bunkering in NZ for mine.

Being on this website you obviously have an appreciation of GCA and purely in the interest of some personal market research did the Doak 7, Paraparaumu Beach enter your reckoning whilst touring NZ? 

I actually had the thought that it may have been intentional when I played it. It didn't seem to affect play out of the bunkers too much.

As for Paraparamu, we did not, but I was really bummed not to. The course looks fantastic from everything I've seen. Dragging my dad to go play it would have been easy, but with my mom and brother, it was hard to fit into the schedule. I'm hoping to play there and Titirangi at some point in NZ. Perhaps I'll go when Tom Doak gets done with his new course down there. Of course, I'm always open to more suggestions. I would never have even heard of Titirangi if it weren't for this website, or made anything of the drawing of the course that sits in the back of the Claremont CC pro shop.

"The website is just one great post away from changing the world of golf architecture.  Make it." --Bart Bradley

Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: An Architecture Enthusiast's Ten Year Plan
« Reply #49 on: November 16, 2012, 10:56:59 AM »
Hopefully others have enjoyed this exercise.   As of now I' thinking:

1.  Erie Canal Tour:  Lookout Point to Taconic
2.  LA - son's in school there and I must see the remaining work of George C. Thomas, Jr.  (any left at Whitemarsh in Philly?)
3.  Chicago - A great city with great guys.  Starting w/ Mr. Goldman's stewardship of Bendelow's OF-South
4.  Charleston - w/ an exception at Yeaman's Hall, most interesting grouping of moderns with Bull's Bay, Ocean Course and Harbor Town
5.  Canadian Rockies - Gotta get me some Stanley Thompson
6.  Scotland - The Highlands plus Cruden Bay and Cullen! (Plus a mad dash to Machrihanish and Shiskine?)
7.  Melbourne.
8.  Ireland - Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, then wherever.
9.  Southeast England
10. TBD

Thanks to all.  A  man can dream, can't he?
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....