GCA-
Excited to be a new guy on the site. Grew up playing a handful of times each summer with my father then after two failed summers of caddying at Winged Foot (Age 13) and Nantucket GC (Age 18), I was lucky enough to loop at Shinnecock for 5 years starting before the Open in 2004. I've been addicted to golf ever since while learning a lot about golf and life as a looper along the way.
After sinking a putt to win a match in the Geary Cup (a Ryder Cup format match between NGLA and Shinnecock Caddies) in 2008 I entered the "real world" and quickly realized I had been spoiled rotten by getting used to Shinnecock, NGLA and Maidstone as a youth. Golf took a backseat for a few years after college even though I discovered some public gems in Chicago during those years.
For the past couple years I have been a weekend warrior in the Chicago, MI, WI area and was lucky enough to log in 55 rounds last year in the area.
Here are some lists I thought of tonight:
Top 5 courses I have played IMHO:
1) Shinnecock (biased but don't challenge me after a few libations)
2) NGLA
3) Bethpage
4) Yale
5) Butler
Top 5 "Bucket List' rounds that probably won't happen:
1) Cypress
2) Pine Valley
3) Chicago Golf
4) Fishers Island
5) Crystal Downs
Top 5 rounds that I hope will happen:
1) Pebble
2) Pinehurst
3) Whistling
4) Bandon
5) Chambers Bay
Top 5 Chicago Courses played:
1) Butler
2) Skokie
3) Shoreacres
4) Olympia Fields (Both are amazing)
5) Medinah
Top 5 Public Courses I like to play in the Midwest
1) Arcadia Bluffs (best vista in the Midwest)
2) Erin Hills
3) Forest Dunes
4) Cog Hill
5) Harborside/George Dunne
Not to mention everywhere in Ireland and Scotland.... One day!
Cheers!