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Lou_Duran

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #100 on: March 17, 2014, 12:40:53 PM »
Neil,

Can I infer from your post that George is a relaxed man?  That was my impression from my limited time with him, a man comfortable in his own skin.  A great personal attribute I think.

Tim_Weiman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #101 on: March 17, 2014, 12:43:17 PM »
One of George's favorite golfers is W.C. Fields.
Here he is in a non-golfing scene which George can quote with all of Fields's body language.

W.C. Fields, It's a Gift, Porch Scene





Neil,

Small world. My Mom was very close friends with Fields's grand daughter Harriet. And, if memory serves, Harriet had some Ballybunion friends.
Tim Weiman

Jeff Spittel

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #102 on: March 17, 2014, 01:41:29 PM »
God bless, George. Here's to a speedy recovery.
Fare and be well now, let your life proceed by its own design.

Pam Bahto Schulien

Re: George Bahto
« Reply #103 on: March 17, 2014, 02:49:00 PM »
a special note to all you George Bahto enthusiasts – the entire family is keeping up with your posts and we want to convey our sincerest thanks to all of you for sending along your thoughts, prayers and stories of personal interactions with our husband / dad / brother / uncle / grandfather & great grandfather.  how blessed we have been to have had him in our company all this time – sharing and teaching from his seemingly bottomless well of knowledge, enthusiasm and humor.
be assured he is comfortable and surrounded by great care and love, including that expressed by all of you.  we are so very happy & grateful to know how he has touched so many of your lives.
fondly,

Pam Bahto Schulien

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #104 on: March 17, 2014, 03:30:58 PM »
George and Gib, Evangelist author and editor, at Old Macdonald. A course that would probably not exist as we know it without their efforts:


Dan Herrmann

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #105 on: March 17, 2014, 05:00:48 PM »
Bill - AMEN!

Neil Regan

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #106 on: March 18, 2014, 04:18:55 AM »
I am sorry to report that George has passed away.
He was with his loving family until the end.
He died in peace, and lived at peace with himself and the world.
Let us all remember his joy for life.
Pray for him, and cry for us, for we have lost a good man and a good friend.

Grass speed  <>  Green Speed

Sam Morrow

Re: George Bahto
« Reply #107 on: March 18, 2014, 08:15:55 AM »
God Bless the family in this difficult time.

Michael Blake

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #108 on: March 18, 2014, 08:34:25 AM »
Very sad news.  Rest in Peace.

Rob Curtiss

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #109 on: March 18, 2014, 08:50:30 AM »
My deepest condolences to the family and all that knew George.
A very sad day.
He brought many happy moments to all he met.

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #110 on: March 18, 2014, 09:25:28 AM »
Profoundly sad. He will certainly live on, in our memories and his words.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Lou_Duran

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #111 on: March 18, 2014, 09:33:10 AM »
Golf has lost a great friend.  Condolences to the family.

Josh Smith

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #112 on: March 18, 2014, 10:09:09 AM »
God Bless you and your extraordinary life George.  I feel honored to have met you at Bandon.  You are an inspiration for those of us who have hobbies that are our nights and weekends passion, next to family time.  That dream is something you never let go of and inspire many of us to be better people.  You will be truly missed, but your spirit will live on forever.  Love my Evangelist book, only wish I had taken better care of it.  It is probably the most well used one on the market, although it isn't on the market.  Thank you.

Brad Klein

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #113 on: March 18, 2014, 10:15:33 AM »
George will be missed by all of us in golf. He was such a wonderfully spirited enthusiast, fan of CBM and Raynor, excited to have discovered a second career as researcher, author and design shaper. I will always cherish the experience of him out at Old Macdonald, walking and talking with energy and expertise. I feel blessed to have worked with him and played golf with him.

Tommy Naccarato

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #114 on: March 18, 2014, 10:33:10 AM »


The Dry Cleaner Was Alright......

As the sad news came tonight that our good friend of Golf Architecture, George Bahto had moved on to his greater rewards, I feel I need to find the words about this kind man that I had affectionately called, "Uncle George."

The first time I had met him in person, it was literally 15 years and four days past this very day, March 14th, 1999, at a desolate, almost seemingly vacated Apache Indian Reservation outside Globe, Arizona where George, myself and the entire Renaissance golf crew held court till 3:30am in the morning talking about all things golf architecture related as we narrowly avoided the thieving one-arm bandits and crooked black jack tables of the Apache Gold casino.

A lot of things were discussed that night and into the early morning; lifetime friendships created, because that's what events like these produce and the good times just kept on coming like a New Jersey Devil highlight film. Oh the memories!

One of my favorite days with the great man occurred in 2005, when smiling Uncle George pulled up into the parking lot of the then temporary Friar's Head clubhouse with the top down of this red convertible Cadillac Allanté. The day was perfect, nothing but blue sky and scattered clouds; I jumped in and off we went. Instantly, I was thinking of the rock band Rush's hit song, "Red Barcetta" heading into the direction of Long Island's Southampton where we pulled into the Shinnecock superintendent's parking area where we got out to look and rummage around the large mound of dirt that was once the remains of Seth Raynor's Biarritz hole there. Hoping back into the Cadillac, we made our way over to the National, visited with our good friend Bill Sallenetti, who then gave us a golf cart to be on our way. No sticks mind you! None needed on this golfing journey and tour with the National Golf Links of America's biggest fan.  Nothing more then two blue collar guys on the grounds of the golf course of America's most elite. This was a hole by hole journey where each architectural feature of the golf course was discussed and celebrated. Soon, we jumped back into the Allanté and drove up through the NGLA gates where George told me the sad story of the day they took C.B. Macdonald to the hospital for the last time.  His driver drove him on the same road we sat on, probably with the same view to give Macdonald one last glimpse of his creation--the famed NGLA clubhouse--and away they went for good. You could see a glimmer of a tear in George's eye and anyone that was fortunate tour NGLA with George, no doubt knows this look that was on his face.

Soon we found ourselves in the Southampton cemetery, George knowing exactly where to go; we pulled up, got out and were standing at the foot of C.B. Macdonald's grave. A few feet over, that of his son in law, H.G. Whigham and across from that, the grave of Seth Raynor, which Macdonald had moved from the cheap section of the cemetery, to be located with him and his family in the pristine and manicured Macdonald family plot.  Uncle George said with a tear in his eye, "Macdonald would have none of it, he wanted Seth with him over here!"  Passion and love of a subject matter just doesn't get any better! That particular day was one of the best!

The last day I was fortunate to see George on my last trip back to New York, it was a chilly but beautiful October morning at Sleepy Hollow and Uncle George was over-seeing the finishing touches of the carry bunkers on hole #2. For years, George literally frothed at mouth to get to Sleepy Hollow and restore it, and when both he and Gil Hanse were allowed to do so, they recreated and in some cases, vastly improved most of the great features of that wonderful place.  Its a testament again to how an elite club in America could trust the intellect of a working class owner of a dry cleaning shop in Edison, New Jersey, and they were right in doing so.  To them, Uncle George was alright! He got it and flaunted it and the results are in the restored beauty of a great golf course with the backdrop of the Hudson River Valley.  Oh, and I got my tour again that day with him as we surveyed the old Biarritz of that club.  There was never a dull moment either, as later we said our goodbye's after a Mexican feast of a dinner much the same way the first night I met him-knee deep in architecture enthusiasts, builders and architects from the firms of Gil Hanse and Mike DeVries, who happened to be working at nearby Siwanoy.

As I sit here this early morning thinking to myself, hoping that George's journey to meet his maker was rather good. Sitting there waiting for him at the gates were both Misters Macdonald and Raynor, not there to guide him, but more thank him just like I do here today.  He enriched my life with his friendship; his intelligence and most, his desire to do something beyond the normal and took it way beyond the next level. He was a major inspiration to those that wanted to excel in their lives.

Uncle George, you were more then alright, you were good!

Robin_Hiseman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #115 on: March 18, 2014, 10:37:32 AM »
I never had the pleasure of meeting George, but I have had the great pleasure of owning his great book , 'The Evangelist of Golf'. It is probably my favourite of all golf design books and the one to which I refer most often. I thank George most sincerely for sharing his love of all things CBM and NGLA, so that those of us not so fortunate as to be exposed to his work can learn so much more than we otherwise could.
2024: RSt.D; Mill Ride; Milford; Notts; JCB, Jameson Links, Druids Glen, Royal Dublin, Portmarnock, Old Head, Addington, Parkstone, Denham, Thurlestone, Dartmouth, Rustic Canyon, LACC (N), MPCC (Shore), Cal Club, San Fran, Epsom, Casa Serena, Hayling, Co. Sligo, Strandhill, Carne, Cleeve Hill

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #116 on: March 18, 2014, 10:44:44 AM »
Golf Architecture lost a great man. 

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Mark Hissey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #117 on: March 18, 2014, 11:02:11 AM »
Ahhh crap. That is so sad. RIP George. Golf has lost a great one.

Eric Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #118 on: March 18, 2014, 11:23:29 AM »
I'll never forget the first time I spoke with George, back in January of 2003, four years before I joined this discussion group. We talked about his new book, Mike Keiser's (then) dream of an homage to CB Macdonald and my dream for a golf course in tribute to my grandfather. I wanted George to one day help me build it. It may or may not ever get built, but George helped me. He inspired me to keep dreaming. I think it is fitting that just six weeks ago I had the opportunity to play Old Macdonald for the first time. Did it come as a surprise that it leapt to the top of my favorites list, side by side with the Old Course at St Andrews? Hardly. There were dreams realized in the making of this course!

Thank you George for dreaming...and daring!

May you forever rest in peace.

Eric

Shane Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #119 on: March 18, 2014, 11:35:54 AM »
God Bless George and the Bahto family.  Many men and women spend entire lives trying to figure out how to leave their mark on the world.  I never had the opportunity to meet George, but it is clear that he left his mark.  Congratulations and thank you.  Many blessings to your family.

Ben Sims

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #120 on: March 18, 2014, 11:42:13 AM »
I'll choose to remember Uncle George on a tee box at The Preserve at Bandon. While being given a tour by a few friends, we rounded a dune and in the morning mist, leaning against the hairy lip of a rugged tee, surveying the land with his eyes, was Uncle George. We embraced. He was as excited to see me as I him. Having only met him once previously, we knew what each other was about. Every encounter made you feel like you'd known each other for a decade. What's beautiful is that there's a thousand other people that see Uncle George the same way I do. His vivacity for life--and golf courses--was something to admire.

So Uncle George, I hope you're still sitting in the crisp morning air, staring at the art you loved so dearly.

Here's a toast.

Sven Nilsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: George Bahto
« Reply #121 on: March 18, 2014, 12:18:16 PM »
A sad day for anyone for whom this is more than a game.  

I did not have the privilege of meeting George, but in many ways I feel like he was the trailblazer laying down the path through the woods that many of us have followed in our GCA journey.  

My condolences to his family, and a silent vow to continue to tread down the road he so loved to walk.

   

   



"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Rees Milikin

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #122 on: March 18, 2014, 12:25:45 PM »
Rest in Peace

Chris Roselle

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #123 on: March 18, 2014, 12:30:04 PM »
Although I never had the pleasure of meeting the man I did have the pleasure of playing Sleepy Hollow Country Club this past summer during the Williamson Cup Matches.  I immediately feel in love with the place and Mr. Bahto's work.  May he rest in eternally peace.


Jim Franklin

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Re: George Bahto
« Reply #124 on: March 18, 2014, 12:52:21 PM »
Condolences to his family. RIP George.

And Tommy, nice write up.
Mr Hurricane