Meet Joe Bausch

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Joe Logan interviews Joe Bausch- Chemistry Professor, Golfer & Golf Course Photographer:

http://myphillygolf.com/blogs.asp?blogid=1

[Mike Hendren]

Joe's a gem.  Nice cameo by Redanman.

[Mac Plumart]

Awesome!

F'n Redanman sneaking in there.   

[Mark McKeever]

Nice job Bill!!   And Joe   

Mark

[Joe Bausch]

Nice job Joe!

 

I was also asked my favorite golf course and favorite architects.  Logan chose to leave those answers on the cutting room floor.  

[RJ_Daley]

Looks like Renee had the best swing action of the group! 

[Joe Bausch]

Looks like Renee had the best swing action of the group! 

Stevie Wonder could see that.   

[RJ_Daley]

Joe, FWIW, it occurs to me watching your swing that it is a less violent version of mine, but with all the same dynamics; including too fast back swing, going well past parrallel, and then my needing to move a lot more weight from the caboose to get the load down the track.    Too bad Stevie can't see your excellent photo tours, they are always a treat.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe, FWIW, it occurs to me watching your swing that it is a less violent version of mine, but with all the same dynamics; including too fast back swing, going well past parrallel, and then my needing to move a lot more weight from the caboose to get the load down the track.    Too bad Stevie can't see your excellent photo tours, they are always a treat.

So you stink at golf too, eh?

 

[RJ_Daley]

Oh yeah.  There is just too much going on with all the extra moving parts to hope for more than the occasional serendipity of putting it all together to shoot consistent low 80s, much less break 80.  But, it is fun to get a decent pic and show the folks the architecture and design of what you wish you could execute and is the best line of vision through the hole you encounter.  You do that well.

[Peter Pallotta]

Joe: you sly snake in the grass, putting on here all those great photo threads/essays of yours and then also being a crack gca researcher and supplying all those old articles and then being a good guy and a Chemistry professor at a presitgious universoty -- and all of that just so that I'd never suspect even after all these years that you're a dreaded magazine rater!! Always close to the vest, eh Joe (if that's even your real name)?

 

[Joe Bausch]

then also being a crack gca researcher and supplying all those old articles

P2, do you think there is still lots of good historical info to be discovered pertaining to early golf in this country?  Or do you sense that with the digitization of many old magazines, newspapers, etc, over the past decade that there isn't a whole lot left to be found?

[Peter Pallotta]

Joe - I can't stress enough how much of a guess this is, as I don't know that world (i.e. researching, and researching gca in particular) hardly at all; but I would guess that, then as now, there was much being written in obscure journals and out of the way newspapers and industry technical papers, and written by media-shy and/or nerdy experts and amateurs, that hardly saw the light of day back then, let alone now. And I would guess that, nowadays, consciously or not, researchers are bringing assumptions and preferences and approaches to their study/research that have been shaped in large part by decades worth of materials that DID make some sort of splash (however modest) back then and that have thus pre-shaped the narrative of those times for us and that thus inform even what we are LOOKING for, let alone what we FIND. In short, my guess is that we don't even know what we don't know about the wealth of gca-related material still to be mined.

Peter
PS - hope you didn't mind calling you a sly snake in the grass...  

[Joe Bausch]

Joe - I can't stress enough how much of a guess this is, as I don't know that world (i.e. researching, and researching gca in particular) hardly at all; but I would guess that, then as now, there was much being written in obscure journals and out of the way newspapers and industry technical papers, and written by media-shy and/or nerdy experts and amateurs, that hardly saw the light of day back then, let alone now. And I would guess that, nowadays, consciously or not, researchers are bringing assumptions and preferences and approaches to their study/research that have been shaped in large part by decades worth of materials that DID make some sort of splash (however modest) back then and that have thus pre-shaped the narrative of those times for us and that thus inform even what we are LOOKING for, let alone what we FIND. In short, my guess is that we don't even know what we don't know about the wealth of gca-related material still to be mined.

Peter

I knew you would hit a home run with your response Peter.

I agree with your opinion.   

[Ronald Montesano]

Kevin Lynch is digging in our neck of the wape (how come he's here?) and unearthing incredible and unbelievable (in the literal sense of the words) findings. There is much out there.

[RJ_Daley]

Taking a stab at Joe's question of whether there might be much more historical information to be discovered about the early years 'in this country', I think only folks like Joe and other of our contributors (that I'm not going to try to go through the list to name and leave someone out) they are the best situated to try and answer from their experience of rummaging through the various archives.  The only real first hand knowledge I have in any period historical research has been using our State Historical Society library, microfilm and such going back to H.S. and college years.  But, I really have never done my own focused research on any historical golf related matters.  So... my opinion isn't all that informed.

Yet, considering Peter's answer, I have a feeling that pretty much all the significant material has been unearthed.  I think of it as 'what are the odds' that significant new information will be uncovered, given we are talking about an era of about 50-60 years, about a subject rather obscure and during that era, not a ubiquitous activity or sport followed or written about as widely.  The significant material was observed and recorded in articles and books by a very small sample of writers in comparison to other subjects.  So, the significant publications and likely sources where knowledgeable and expert observations and writings were published or recorded, are few and known to these old archive hounds.  Maybe some obscure isolated and one-off publication or records may be unearthed in some old musty attic, but the odds that the material will be of truly 'expert value' written by a someone seriously experienced in aspects of the game of golf and its playing fields design, is slim that anything is left.  

Enjoy those rare gems that folks like Joe may still unearth, but I am skeptical there is much left.  And, be wary that any new material written by some casual observer without that era credential of recognized expertise of those times (like some local all purpose sports columnist) should be take with a grain of salt, anyway.  IMHO.

Now, if you find the double secret confidential diary of some woman alleging to be the concubine of Dr. MacKenzie -or more shockingly Tom Bendelow  , - and who had written something told to her about GCA intent of a particular project.... then you might really have something!!!  

[Joe Bausch]

Taking a stab at Joe's question of whether there might be much more historical information to be discovered about the early years 'in this country', I think only folks like Joe and other of our contributors (that I'm not going to try to go through the list to name and leave someone out) they are the best situated to try and answer from their experience of rummaging through the various archives.  The only real first hand knowledge I have in any period historical research has been using our State Historical Society library, microfilm and such going back to H.S. and college years.  But, I really have never done my own focused research on any historical golf related matters.  So... my opinion isn't all that informed.

Yet, considering Peter's answer, I have a feeling that pretty much all the significant material has been unearthed.  I think of it as 'what are the odds' that significant new information will be uncovered, given we are talking about an era of about 50-60 years, about a subject rather obscure and during that era, not a ubiquitous activity or sport followed or written about as widely.  The significant material was observed and recorded in articles and books by a very small sample of writers in comparison to other subjects.  So, the significant publications and likely sources where knowledgeable and expert observations and writings were published or recorded, are few and known to these old archive hounds.  Maybe some obscure isolated and one-off publication or records may be unearthed in some old musty attic, but the odds that the material will be of truly 'expert value' written by a someone seriously experienced in aspects of the game of golf and its playing fields design, is slim that anything is left.  

Enjoy those rare gems that folks like Joe may still unearth, but I am skeptical there is much left.  And, be wary that any new material written by some casual observer without that era credential of recognized expertise of those times (like some local all purpose sports columnist) should be take with a grain of salt, anyway.  IMHO.

Now, if you find the double secret confidential diary of some woman alleging to be the concubine of Dr. MacKenzie -or more shockingly Tom Bendelow  , - and who had written something told to her about GCA intent of a particular project.... then you might really have something!!!  

RJ, that was a great post.

I'm thrilled to see (with a little help on my part) where this thread is going.  

[Tim Martin]

I don't know when Joe finds time to sleep as he has many pursuits and seemingly devotes the requisite amount of time to all of them. Besides being a top notch researcher,historian and photographer he is just a great guy to spend time with. He knows all the great golf courses in and around Philly as well as all the good restaurants. I have had the pleasure to play a fair amount of golf with Joe over the last few years and it is always a blast and never short on laughs as he has a wry sense of humor. I am wishing him plenty of luck on the Cobb's Creek project as he has been a tireless advocate for a most worthy cause. Joe is the best.

[Joe Bausch]

I don't know when Joe finds time to sleep as he has many pursuits and seemingly devotes the requisite amount of time to all of them. Besides being a top notch researcher,historian and photographer he is just a great guy to spend time with. He knows all the great golf courses in and around Philly as well as all the good restaurants. I have had the pleasure to play a fair amount of golf with Him over the last few years and it is always a blast and never short on laughs as he has a wry sense of humor. I am wishing him the best of luck on the Cobb's Creek project as he has been a tireless advocate for a most worthy cause. Joe is the best.

The check will soon be in the mail Tim!

 

[Mike_Young]

Nice video Joe..congrats.

[Mike Sweeney]

Joe Logan interviews Joe Bausch- Chemistry Professor, Golfer & Golf Course Photographer:

http://myphillygolf.com/blogs.asp?blogid=1

and new Big East basketball fan?

Joe,

Any thoughts?

[Steve Lapper]

Careful what you say about Joe...he's GCA's Walter White!

[Donnie Beck]

Nice piece. I enjoyed it.

[Stewart Abramson]

Love the Bausch collection. As a GCA photo nerd, Joe, you're one of my idols.

[Evan Fleisher]

Pretty cool stuff...thanks for sharing that video!!!