Another banner year is in the books with GolfClubAtlas.com doing what it does best: bringing together an ever-increasing number of people worldwide to discuss golf course architecture. It can't be said often enough – THANK YOU for everything - the comradery, lively discussions, articles, donations, and get-togethers. A special thanks as well to Chris Buie for all the grizzly behind the scenes Word Press stuff. Growing-up as an architecture enthusiast in the 1980s was a lonely affair as there wasn’t anybody with whom to share and exchange ideas. No more! We learn much more together than separate - and it’s a lot more entertaining. I'm heartened that this GCA community continues growing and expanding organically in ways that seem pure and healthy, even if the sport itself doesn’t. The coolest get-together I have heard about is set for Gullane No. 3 - this month! Sign me up for next year's one. There were many highlights this past year and the Feature Interviews were especially diverse. Can you believe that the number of major championships won by our Feature Interviewees AND the Interviewer year totals 18?! Add in my U.S. Amateurs and those of the interviewees and the number mushrooms to 20! 
Thinking about Jack Nicklaus, the Morrissetts on Christmas Eve had the great fortune to blunder upon a re-airing of his 1994 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match with Arnold Palmer at Pinehurst No.2. Nicklaus wielded a metal driver against his persimmon-hitting rival and had a typically magnificent putting round inside 15 feet to seal a comfortable victory. However, it was the sight of the 55 year old Nicklaus hitting 159 yard 6 irons and 170 yard 5 irons that mesmerized me (age 52). Those two legends were amply challenged by a 6,700 yard course as were Faldo and Norman in their Shell's match at Sunningdale Old when the 6,505 yard Lady more than held her own.Those two contests staged in the mid-1990s spoke volumes because I could quasi-relate to how the game was played. Plus, I enjoyed noting that both classic courses are better today than they were then. But so what? Joe Andriole's 24 year son, a 2 handicap, grew up watching players like Jason Day and Adam Scott swinging hard with 460CC drivers in an era were 300 yard drives became commonplace. Do these Shell matches even resonate with younger generations? I don't know but have come to understand that this stick and ball sport offers something for everybody and therein lies its beauty. Play hickories, play with eight clubs, play only seven holes, dress up as a clown in plus fours - do whatever but get outside and have fun.As marvelous as it is to watch DJ pound his tee ball and hit a mid-iron to a 600 plus yard hole on the 72nd hole in this country's biggest golf event, it amplifies the huge disconnect between top professionals and viewers at home. When I grew up television united golfers and provided the talking points; today the Internet has usurped that role. Guess what? That's GolfClubAtlas! When we went 'live' in 1999, most club committeemen didn't 'surf' the Internet. That's no longer true. Everyone uses the Internet to gather current, topical information. We are at the center of that, right where we want to be.
To that end, we continue to strive to make GolfClubAtlas the best it can be. Occasionally, it takes time for an upgrade to function universally (as Sean's snarly
post indicates) but I promise, we are trying. Recent developments like a more feature-rich platform for the Discussion Group enable us to tag threads, split threads, provide a more friendly cell phone experience, and enable an ignore feature to block out the bores who incessantly post. Keeping things uncluttered and user-friendly remain vital to our mission; the 'search function' of the site is always high on the list of things to improve. Volunteers in New York, Illinois, Michigan and Texas have offered help when it comes time to tag threads etc.There remain nearly 50,000 archived threads after we deleted ~4,000 of no lasting merit last winter. A smaller purge will occur shortly. Our goal, as usual, is to improve content and functionality across all segments of the site. Though the Discussion Group is a free-for-all, the remainder of this site espouses the best traditions of the game. That will never change. Ben, Joe and I strongly believe that the game is enjoyed most when it is kept simple. That isn't very sexy for television but is something that we can study and appreciate on this website. Evidently, many people feel the same. Viewership continues to rise and a stalwart group of supporters have given for many cumulative years, be it 5, 7, 10 plus times. Thanks to this group (each individually acknowledged in the Contribution section), GolfClubAtlas charts its own, pleasurably advertisement-free path.
As is true for many, I was happiest in 2015 at places that respect and cherish the game, like Ridgewood, Olympia Fields, Inverness and the Cal Club, where the late afternoon sights and sounds of people carrying their bags and the buzzing club bars signified that I was among kindred spirits. Golf comes in many shapes and sizes, something that television fails to capture - but 'we' do here. For me, playing the 5700 yard Pinehurst No. 3 with hickories in the company of Bill Case and Jay Mickle was particularly rewarding. As late as the mid-1920s, No. 3 was the resort's premier course and featured a bunch of arresting holes across surprisingly rolling hills. Another winner was the wind-swept March round at the sub-6000 yard Kilspindie with the Goodales and architect Todd Jerome while my daughter snapped photographs. Other pleasant eye-openers include nine holes at the Victorian age Saratoga Golf and Polo Club with David Normoyle and Benjamin Litman's introduction to Long Island's Quogue Field.
Exactly 120 years ago, golfers flighted gutta percha (!) balls over the edge of the wetlands to reach the 3rd green at Saratgoa Golf & Polo Club. The challenge of this 200 plus yard hole hasn’t abated since despite huge changes in technology. Studying the evolution of golf course architecture is at the heart of GolfClubAtlas.com.Sadly, I've become hooked on "The Game of Thrones", a TV series rife with people consumed by ill-conceived motives. These characters remind me of some of my less-worthy golf opponents 
. Indeed, what were they thinking? Much had already been made (albeit, only by me) of the three shots longer than 103 yards that I holed this year, one being the underpinning to an under par round (Al Jazeerza suggested HGH). Yes, I was undefeated for the sixteenth straight year (apart from the countless matches where charmless people beat me). A smattering of this year's victims: the ever gormless Ted Sturges whose eyes bulged and exploded at the ground game options at the tawny colored, fast running Cal Club; Eric the Viking Smith who stormed GCA world fortress in March and later continued the assault on my liver at Dismal; and Steve Lapper, annihilated with hickories at Paramount, his home course (George Blunt, who witnessed the gore, thinks the Queen alluded to the match in her Christmas address when she spoke of light triumphing over darkness).Apart from your opponents' looks of abject defeat, what were your favorite sights of the year? For me they would include the long view from the crest of the hill on 17 at Cabot Cliffs, Kilspindie's majestic 8th that juts into the water, a fast approaching storm at Dismal River and the high rim at Chambers Bay as the sun broke through. These scenes and experiences are unique to golf and elevate us among the most fortunate people on the planet. Thankfully, we acted like that in 2015 when the tenor of the Discussion Group's was noticeably improved. The number of 'report to moderator' emails dropped nearly in half from last year. One long time contributor wrote of his browsing experience, 'I really enjoy the time spent with you.' This came from a gentleman I've never met, so the words truly rang home.Sentiments like this propel us forward in the New Year. Contrary to public opinion, it is a dynamic time to be covering golf course architecture. Architecture at the high end has taken a huge step forward during the past two decades so that the best of our time stacks up well with the finest Golden Age work. Just as important, daily play courses are finally part of the movement. Common Ground in Denver is a startlingly good and thought-provoking as well as affordable and accessible. Seeing a place like George Wright reach center stage in one of the world's great cities is incredibly heartening and vital to the game's health. Quality architecture is being produced worldwide and more talented people are available than at any time since our site went live in 1999. Just as Pete Dye's apprentices made a difference from 1990-2015, Doak's and Coore's lieutenants (among others) are now in the field. Golf has much to look forward to from those who do 'great for cheap'. These largely unknown but very talented 25-45 year olds will be prominent in our Feature Interviews this year.As far as we are concerned, all of golf eventually relates to golf course architecture including the three hot topics of water conservation, expense and pace of play. Our community, as a leading voice, makes a marked difference in how golf course architecture is perceived and valued only when we comport ourselves and engage in meaningful discourse. As we charge ahead in 2016 - thanks again for making it such a special journey and best wishes for another great year!Ben, Joe and Ran