Great time in NM

[Brad Swanson]

   Now that most of the fellas are filtering back home, I'd like to thank Ran, Mike, and Adam organizing such a fun weekend of golf and comaraderie.  Its been a while since I've played in a match-play format, I'd forgotten how fun it was, and Black Mesa and Paa-Ko are great match-play venues.
   It was great to put faces with names, and I'm looking forward to next year's gathering in ......... .

Cheers,
Brad Swanson

[George Pazin]

I'll echo Brad's thanks and add a big thank you to everyone who attended and Baxter for adding his thoughts in addition to his strong game.

Pretty cool when high expectations are exceeded...

[Doug Wright]

...And thank you George for the great shirts and towels, adding to the class of this Official GCA event.  

Happy trails to my fellow GCAers...

[A_Clay_Man]

It really is amazing how you can pick someone (Geo, Paz)up at the airport(someone you've never met before) spend four days in the car and on the course with that person. And never have a awkward moment or any friction whatsoever. I know if they were family I couldn't of lasted ten minutes without some conflict, but not when it's a fellow GCA junkie.

I'll echo the sentiment above and add much thanks to Baxter Spann, who fielded every question from whichever dilatante was brave enough to open their mouth. His gentlemanly demeanor and overall niceness was truely a testament to his love of the game and it's spirit.

We missed Dick Daley and David Silk who could'nt attend due to illness. Dick's spirit filled the room when the question was asked " What the hell were you thinking on 16?"

For those that didn't make it to Farmington. YOU F'd Up! We golfed in 3 hours 50 and the day was sublime. Golfing with Ran was oh so enlightening, with his special ability to notice aspects of the golf course many would never ever notice.

Great meeting everyone and special mention to Ms. Sheila for braving all that testosterone. A true testamnet to her bigger half.

[THuckaby2]

Well said by all of these fine gentlemen, concur, muchas gracias to all involved in putting on one hell of a great event.

Isn't it fun to "meet" friends you really already know, and find out they are even more fun in person than they are on here?  Man that happened time after time this past weekend...

As for playing golf with Ran though, yes, that is a joy.  Especially when his gamesmanship and trash talking fail to net him anything but a 3&2 loss.  Right, Brad?  

And damn right we f'd up missing Pinon... god damn I hate the realities of life... Missing Adam's house hurts also!

Two darn great golf courses also, by my reckoning... I'm sure we'll discuss them at some point... Ran's profiles ought to be very interesting.

TH

ps to Mr. Wright:  you lived up to your name... yes, I was able to get plenty of sleep last night as everything after the first quarter was pretty irrelevant.  Kudoes to the Broncos, they look great, dammit.  Your payment shall be on the way shortly.  

[Steve Lang]

 

WOW.. Land of Enchantment it Was!  

Univ of NM, South (hill and dale and keep drinking water)
Twin Warriors (home of the 300 yard drive on #16)
Black Mesa (& grey dust, plus Ran's #16 Putting Challenge)
Paa-Ko Ridge (take me to the top of the Turquoise trail)

What a drag coming back to sea level!  However, with some last words at the airport with George and Craig, an after flight recalibrating at Pappasitos and a quick visit to the club, re-entry to reality was somewhat smoothed out for us on Monday.

I certainly echo the remarks above and special thanks to our sponsors... I'd add that in any large get together, its usually fairly difficult to connect with more than a handful of folks, but this is an amazing group.  At dinner, around the range, tee, grill, etc, it was warm and friendly, educational and inspiring to share the gca passions and have fun just talking.  The networking promises to just get better!  

While one can't play with everyone, those that shared a tee box certainly were enriched by the overall experience.  I had a great time playing with Jason, Craig, Mike, Doug, Ran, Kevin, & Adam.  Ms. Sheila loved it all and is somewhat amazed at this group, but then.. not.

Certainly one of the funniest moments was the spontaneous "Golf Clapping" after the frost delayed tee shots at Paa-Ko.. truly fitting.  By the way, Ms. Sheila and Donna found well over a dozen lost balls at Paa-Ko, of reported high quality - low mileage type, during their clean-up round.   Y'all need to come to The Woodlands to claim them!

Ran, Sheila also told me you appeared to be playin a little army golf on Sunday and wondered why you didn't show us that dark side of things on the sat-pm round with Doug? We might have taken things to the end!

Bill, A Home and Home event at Pensacola and The Woodlands is definitely needed.

Adam, hope you finally got some sleep last night!

Lou,  Will look to play some in Dallas this fall.

And to all, thanks for a great time!

[Craig Van Egmond]

What a fantastic time in the Land of Enchantment, I can see why Adam calls it his home. It was a pleasure to put faces to the names once again and get a chance to play some fabulous golf courses.

Thanks to everyone who had a hand in putting this together and I encourage those who did not attend to try and make it to the next one, you will not be disappointed.

[dsilk]

back from "winnterpeg"  sorry I missed the fun and frivolity; sounds like you guys had a ball- hope to make it to a GCA event in the future..and sooner rather than later-
best regards,
ds

[Jonathan Cummings]

I'm still laughing over the Huckster recoining the title of the trip to "A land of Entrapment"!

JC

[Bill_McBride]

Just wanted to add my appreciation of a great weekend, sorry I missed Pinon Hills and Adam's hospitality up there.  Those courses (Black Mesa, Pa-a-ko Ridge and a Friday round at Las Campanas with Lou Duran) were too damned long for my tee ball, but what the heck, it was great playing such solid, entertaining courses and enjoying good competitive matches.  The company was super.  Ran, thanks to you and Mike Nuzzo for the organizing, and thanks to Baxter for fun golf and insightful discussion of the design of Black Mesa.  Particulalry for answering all the questions!  George, thanks for the shirt and towel, they will be great souvenirs of an excellent GCA golf adventure!  Huckster, we will follow our plan next spring at KPIII.

[Jason Hines]

Everyone,

Thank you very much for a great weekend of fun and relaxation.  As I mentioned in a couple of notes to others, I realized the true meaning of the weekend when I was sitting at my desk Monday morning at work ignoring the phone blaring in my face and a full email box recalling when Brad, Craig, George and I were sitting on the black 16 tee box on at Black Mesa with our feet practically dangling over the edge looking at the surrounds.

Adam, I really wish I could have made it to Pinion, anyone with course photos please send or post.  Also, my piece of #@!$ camera only took two decent pictures the whole trip, so anyone with extras please email if you get a moment.

Jason

[Brad Swanson]

Jason,  
   Taking in the view on the 16th tee during that second round was pretty cool and memorable, as was George's subsequent teeshot.

Cheers,
Brad

[George Pazin]

I was waiting for someone to bring that up.

Would it have been as funny if I hadn't called it?

 

[Brad Swanson]

George,
   Hell no!!  Your comedic timing was perfect!

Cheers,
Brad Swanson

[JohnV]

I just got home from my two days of sight-seeing after the golf and wanted to add my thanks to Mike, Adam, George, Baxter, Ran and all the rest of you for making it a great trip.  Hopefully next time I'll have at least my "D" game be of some help to which ever team I'm assigned.

It feels good to get a slightly higher flow of oxygen to the brain after all that week at high altitudes, including on 11,200 foot pass I crossed on Monday afternoon.

[Ran Morrissett]

That really did work out great and my 4 year old daughter is mesmerized by Yapper - a NM statue with an Indian headdress that I was dubiously awarded as captain of the losing team  

Originally when we booked the room at The Pink Adobe, I intended that we have a group chat after dinner but by then I was beat as I think we all were. Maybe next year we'll schedule a few hours between the AM and PM rounds?
 
Ben Dewar is going to take over the role of Mike "guys, you can sleep in until 6:00am" Nuzzo for our next big outing, which will be in Banff/Jasper Park next July or early August. Stay tuned for details as we'll need to commit this fall to this trip as these world class resorts/courses fill up months in advance.

I look forward to awarding Yapper to the losing Captian next year! My one wish is that we can talk Baxter Spann into a trip to Canada as he is a great guy, a super architect and a very fine player. Of course, going back to elevated courses like these in the Canadian Rockies has its down side as watching Lou Duran and Brad Swanson hit it over 330 yard holes   is somewhat depressing though listening to Doug Wright reasoning that a 4 iron was the right play for us from 240 yards out was way cool  

Cheers,

[RBSpann]

Ran, you wouldn't have to talk hard to get me out of Houston in July or August to go to the Rockies to see a course like Banff.  I have not been there, though Ken did some work in Calgary a number of years ago, and toured the course.  I remember it as one of the first courses I saw photographs of as a kid that made me salivate over the bunkering.  

The event last weekend was amazing and truly memorable.  Great weather, comradarie, golf, fine dining and world class trash talk!  I knew you and I were in trouble in the morning round on Saturday when I somehow summoned birdies on 6 & 7 only to halve both holes and remain 2 down to Brad and Tom.  Not even your devious mind games on the back nine could save us.

The one liners alone were worth the price of admission.  After everyone's intermittent difficulty over the first few holes, I believe it was Tom Huckaby who coined the term "The Land of Entrapment".  At the par 3 fourth, as one of our group hit his shot well right of the green, I said "O yeah, I forgot to mention that we call that area over there the "Valley of Death".  When we realized that the shot had gone beyond that 14 foot deep desert pit into an even deeper gorge beyond, Tom deadpans "Looks like he's in "The Valley of a Far Worse Death".  When the valiant recovery attempt kicked over the green and the adjacent fairway hollow onto the cart path, Tom announced "and now, The Road of Death".  

Later, as the rest of our group tried dismally to improve on your putt along the spine from the back of the 16th green, someone hit a severe portion of the slope at the wrong speed, sending the ball violently off the green out of sight into the rough adjacent to the arroyo side of the green.  Someone (Tom again I believe) says "damn, you know its a severe green when you lose a ball on your first putt!"

Great fun and great new friends! Also, wish more of you could have joined us at Riverview Monday afternoon.  Mario Ulibarri, the super, accommodated us graciously, allowing us as a sixsome to play the back nine.  We had a 3 vs 3 best ball, a rollicking end to a very full and wonderful three day weekend!  Looking forward very much to next time.  

[A_Clay_Man]

Actually Baxter,  dinner at The Outback, after Riverview, was where you'd have brought most of the participants in this esteemed group to tears.

When I asked about Joe Finger and his lineage your chronological re-count, was just a thrill to listen to and when the story about the 8th green at Augusta came out, that was the ultimate climax.

I hoped you realized I kept interupting so you could get a bite or two of your dinner in.

Thanx for connecting some dots. They really tell the story of your firms history, and perhaps, some of the design concepts behind them.

[THuckaby2]

Baxter:  a great course like Black Mesa, with just so much "going on", just brings out the quips in a quipster like me.   To say it is a fun course, an interesting course, hell a GREAT course, is to me an understatement.  The final proof of this in my mind is that I came off 18 after Brad carried me to a conquering of two stiffs ( ), with vim and vigor rarin' to go to play again.

Thanks again for the graciousness, and the info re how it all happened - that was one hell of a learning experience for me.  Watching you hit the ball kinda helped in the learning department also.

And Ran, thank you once again for being such a great sport, and for being the reason all this great fun occurs.  

Re next year, Banff sounds great and as I briefly mentioned before we all dispersed from Paa-Ko, it really is pretty easy to get to - fly into Calgary, hour's drive or so from there.

You set it up, I'll be there.  Now good luck to Ben next year having to read all my IM's and emails as I try, but fail, to tone down my control-freak tendencies!

TH

[Lou_Duran]

A great time was had by all.  A heartfelt thanks to all the principals.  Congratulations to the victors.  My apologies to my mates whom I let down with my "putrid" 1/2 - 2 performance.  NM does have some oustanding golf.  How people from all over the place and with so many different backgrounds can  get along so well together is beyond explanation.  More to follow after I have some time to reflect.

[Brad Swanson]

Not even your devious mind games on the back nine could save us.

Yes, our mild-mannered leader can certainly talk some smack!  The best was on the 15th green.  Tom had a putt for a halve, and Ran saunters up to him as he is lining up his putt and whispers

"Tom, do you know how easy it is to permanently ban someone from the discussion group?"

Needless to say, Tom missed the putt.  

Cheers,
Brad Swanson

[THuckaby2]

Oh man, EXCELLENT recall and addition to this thread, Brad.  That is exactly what our mild-mannered leader said, and oh yes, never have I been so conflicted over a putt.  Not that I'm the world's greatest putter, but perhaps the subconscious took over there?

 

Of course I also do know where my bread is buttered, as they say.

 

TH

[A_Clay_Man]

I tried a little on our organizer Mike Nuzzo, on the 16th at Riverview. Quoting our own Bob Huntley, I shared his pre-important putt parlance. "if he only knew the importance of this putt" ala a BBC sportscaster. Very similar to this years open championship on Ben Curtis last shot. Alll was in fun and Mike is one tough caballero... cause he drained it.

[THuckaby2]

Then it's too bad that Mike is so tough, because it prevented you from using the CLASSIC, ALL-TIME BEST Huntley line if he had missed:

"What a pity."

I swear one really hasn't experienced all there is to experience in this game until you have had that said to you by the master.  I count it among my proudest, and most shameful, golf achievements that he's said it to me several times.

 

TH

[Mike Nuzzo]

i wanted the top of the next page....