[Joe Bausch]

Stenson vs Mickelson in the final round of the British.

[Jeff Shelman]

Several highlights this year:

- Minikahda with three great friends.
- College World Series with a round at Omaha CC
- An awesome afternoon at Beverly
- The very cool Southampton
- Playing well in a local member-guest
- Sweetens Cove highlighted a nice October weekend where I played 54 holes in about 28 hours

But the No. 1 highlight? That's easy: My maiden journey to Sand Hills. Wow, what a golf course and what a place.

[MCirba]

Highlight of the year was a 2700 mile drive up through Maine and Nova Scotia with my loving wife Jennifer and then back down with a stop in New Hampshire.   Some guy named Bausch and his lovely wife accompanied us for much of the trek.   The best part of that trip was having Jen walking along with our group on the back nine at dramatic Cabot Cliffs where I actually held it together and played pretty well.   

I played a fair amount of new courses this year (36 to date, hoping for a couple more Christmas week in NOLA and possibly 'Bama), and some nice repeats.   Just for funsies, I'm going to assign my personal Doak Scale number to each and we can argue from there. 

New Courses in 2016

Meadia Heights (PA) - 3
Ballyhack (VA) - 8
Waynesborough (PA) - 5
Lawrenceville School (NJ) - 2
Greenacres (NJ) - 3
Johns Island (West) (FL) - 8
CC of Florida (FL) - 6
Breakers (Ocean) (FL) - 3
Sandhill Crane (FL) - 3
Palm Beach Par 3 (FL) - 4
Lake Worth (FL) - 2
Cape Arundel (ME) - 5
Kebo Valley (ME) - 6
Dundee (NS) - 1
Cabot Links (Cabot Cliffs) (NS) - 9
Cabot Links (Cabot Links) (NS) - 9.2
Cape Breton Highlands (NS) - 8
Mount Washington (NH) - 4
Forsgate (Banks) (NJ) - 7
Rossmoor (NJ) - 3
Bath (NY) - 4
Spring Creek (PA) - 3
Michigan University (MI) - 6
Radrick Farms (MI) - 4
Ottawa Park (OH) - 3
Inverness (OH) - 8
Sylvania (OH) - 6
Tomassos (NY) - 2
DJs Par 3 (NY) - 1
Caves Valley (MD) - 5
Wanango (PA) - 5
Foxburg (PA) - 3 (But oh so ultra cool a place)
Indiana (PA) - 4
Overbrook (PA) - 3
Deal (NJ) - 5
Swope Memorial (MO) - 6
Lakewood (LA) - 4
CC of Mobile (AL) - 6

Some Repeat Performances

Cobb's Creek (PA) - 4.5...for now
Indian Mountain (PA) - 2
Rich Maiden (PA) - 3
Glen Brook (PA) - 5.5
Berkleigh (PA) - 5
Cabot Links (Cabot Cliffs) (NS) - 9
Mount Airy (PA) - 2
Ace Club (PA) - 4
Lehigh (PA) - 7
Merion (East) (PA) - 10

[David Wuthrich]

Playing through a group in front of us at The Bear's Club as we rushed to beat the weather and finding out the group was none other than Jack Nicklaus himself preparing for the Master's ceremonial tee shot.   He couldn't have been friendlier, thank goodness!!!

[CJames]

I was quite fortunate to have a wonderful series of highlights this past year, including: hosting Mike Keiser at Cal Club while playing with my sponsor and all-around gentleman Al Jamieson; finally being able to join a good friend and fellow Dunes Club member at the stellar Camargo; four trips to Prairie Dunes, one of which included a very memorable 63-hole day with our very own Jason Way; a likely one-and-done pilgrimage to NGLA; meeting Mike DeVries and Ben Crenshaw alongside Jason W. at Sand Valley; and an awesome Milwaukee CC/Green Bay Packers road trip in late October.  In 20 years, when I'm too arthritic to walk 18 holes, will remember 2016's courses and companionship very fondly.

[Brad Engel]

• Four straight days of sun up to sun down golf at Sand Hills & Ballyneal playing until my hands bled (literally), topped off by scraping together enough game to bury our opponents (and travel partners) in the final match of the week with a birdie from the left greenside mounds on #17 at Ballyneal
• Reliving memories from the high school golf team at Cassel Hills outside of Dayton and emerging victorious vs. our adversaries and getting to gloat as they made good on their wager later that night on the dance floor at a friend’s wedding reception
• Doing “dawn patrol” around the Airport Course in Columbus on a chilly Fall Saturday morning followed by Ohio State Buckeye tailgating festivities (which actually started on the back 9…)
• First trip to Northern Michigan and first loop around Kingsley Club with the pops to celebrate his 60th birthday
• Racing the setting sun at LACC to squeeze in 36 holes after a cross country flight with an old pal in what has now become a biennial tradition of sneaking in some golf during work trips to the Left Coast

[James Brown]

4 rounds over two days at Royal St. George's with awesomely variable links weather and the course to myself, a great caddie, and a proper lunch each day.  After 4 rounds, I really felt like I got to know the place and appreciate the genius of that routing and some of the green contours. 

[Matthew Petersen]

I like Mr. Doak's idea of the top rounds of the year, but I'll keep it to 5:


5. Playing Falcon Dunes (Luke AFB course) on the day of the air show. Loud and wild.


4. My wife and I got a weekend away in Vegas in April and snuck out to Paiute. I played the Wold course on a blustery but otherwise tranquil afternoon, with my wife along with me. Played pretty nicely, too.


3. PGA West TPC Stadium with a buddy on a quick weekend Palm Springs trip. Not a course I'd want to play often, but it's more interesting and playable than a lot of other extremely difficult courses ... as my 4 double, 2 bogey, 2 birdie 80 will attest.


2. Played Troon North with a friend in July on a day that wasn't as blistering as some July days can be. He'd never been there before and we had no one with us. I started with a brutally ugly triple (two balls in the desert) and then rallied to shoot one under with five birdies and a bogey to go along with that opening triple, including a really nice long birdie putt at the last.


1. My first-ever visit to Rustic Canyon this fall. Went out alone on a crisp but sunny morning. There were maybe 3 people on the course before me and I barely saw anyone. Golf is a wonderful sport for companionship and my best golf memories usually involve friends or my dad along with me, but it was really special that morning to just walk a course in such a quiet peaceful place, all on my own, taking it in, trying out goofy putts here and there, and just having the ability to really feel the, well, rustic quality of the place.

[Ira Fishman]

A coin flip between first hole in one in 45 years of playing and drinks at bar at Mid Pines watching the last groups coming up 18 in the rain.

[MCirba]

Highlight of the year was a 2700 mile drive up through Maine and Nova Scotia with my loving wife Jennifer and then back down with a stop in New Hampshire.   Some guy named Bausch and his lovely wife accompanied us for much of the trek.   The best part of that trip was having Jen walking along with our group on the back nine at dramatic Cabot Cliffs where I actually held it together and played pretty well.   

I played a fair amount of new courses this year (36 to date, hoping for a couple more Christmas week in NOLA and possibly 'Bama), and some nice repeats.   Just for funsies, I'm going to assign my personal Doak Scale number to each and we can argue from there. 

New Courses in 2016

Meadia Heights (PA) - 3
Ballyhack (VA) - 8
Waynesborough (PA) - 5
Lawrenceville School (NJ) - 2
Greenacres (NJ) - 3
Johns Island (West) (FL) - 8
CC of Florida (FL) - 6
Breakers (Ocean) (FL) - 3
Sandhill Crane (FL) - 3
Palm Beach Par 3 (FL) - 4
Lake Worth (FL) - 2
Cape Arundel (ME) - 5
Kebo Valley (ME) - 6
Dundee (NS) - 1
Cabot Links (Cabot Cliffs) (NS) - 9
Cabot Links (Cabot Links) (NS) - 9.2
Cape Breton Highlands (NS) - 8
Mount Washington (NH) - 4
Forsgate (Banks) (NJ) - 7
Rossmoor (NJ) - 3
Bath (NY) - 4
Spring Creek (PA) - 3
Michigan University (MI) - 6
Radrick Farms (MI) - 4
Ottawa Park (OH) - 3
Inverness (OH) - 8
Sylvania (OH) - 6
Tomassos (NY) - 2
DJs Par 3 (NY) - 1
Caves Valley (MD) - 5
Wanango (PA) - 5
Foxburg (PA) - 3 (But oh so ultra cool a place)
Indiana (PA) - 4
Overbrook (PA) - 3
Deal (NJ) - 5
Swope Memorial (MO) - 6
Lakewood (LA) - 4
CC of Mobile (AL) - 6

Some Repeat Performances

Cobb's Creek (PA) - 4.5...for now
Indian Mountain (PA) - 2
Rich Maiden (PA) - 3
Glen Brook (PA) - 5.5
Berkleigh (PA) - 5
Cabot Links (Cabot Cliffs) (NS) - 9
Mount Airy (PA) - 2
Ace Club (PA) - 4
Lehigh (PA) - 7
Merion (East) (PA) - 10

I've updated my annual list with my last two courses this week.  13 states and Nova Scotia and some wonderful golf and friends old and new will be tough to top in 2017.

[Tim Martin]

Ballybunion with my son Jack

[Ronald Montesano]

Mike Cirba...what were you doing in Bath, NY?


Tim Martin...congratulations! the best type of memory


Cjames...will you adopt me? (despite us being probably about the same age.)

[MCirba]

Ron,


Three of our kids and 5 of our grandkids live in the Corning/Elmira area.  Hoping to get to Buffalo next year.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ah-ha! Let us know when you are coming to WNY and we will roll out the red carpet.

[Drew Groeger]

An easy one for me this year: my first golf trip to Scotland! Tons of great memories. Hard to rank individual moments, but in no particular order:


Playing The Old Course for the first time ever AND having my wife walk along with us for the entire round. So special.


Playing North Berwick on a glorious September day. I've never played an entire round of golf with a smile on my face, just a remarkable place.


An emotional day at Dunbar Golf Club. I am a Dunbar on my mother's side so I felt some sort of deeper connection there. Great links that should get talked about more, imo.


I'll always remember that kid-at-Christmas feeling I had teeing off for the first time ever in Scotland at the par 3 1st at Kilspindie. Thanks go to Ran for his write up on it last year (which led me there) and to you GCAers in general for exposing me to so many great courses and places.

[MCirba]

Ah-ha! Let us know when you are coming to WNY and we will roll out the red carpet.

And ditto for your Philly visit next year Ron.  Happy New Year!

[Andrew Simpson]

Sitting in the bar at Brora having some food after a round in very pleasant conditions and listening in to the old codger at the next table speaking golf. (the old codger was Peter Thomson)

[Mike Tanner]

Two long weekends at Ballyhack comprise my golfing highlight of 2016. Thanks to my friend and two-time George Cup-winner, Scott Weersing, I enjoyed (mostly) multiple rounds that produced emotions ranging from pure joy -- a kick-in birdie at the 17th hole -- to intense frustration -- damn that 14th hole! I also got to meet fellow CGAers Wade Whitehead and Tommy Williamsen, whose good nature on the golf course carries over beautifully to the dinner table. On the calendar for 2017 -- first trip to Bandon!

[Bill Gayne]

Playing ANGC last March with my 16 year old son and seeing him par all of the par threes.

[Michael Goldstein]

Playing Highlight: Tara Iti at the Renaissance Cup, an epic few days of golf and socialising.


TV Highlight: Watching Stenson v Mickelson in their historic duel.


Spectating Highlight: Taking the mrs to the Masters


Watching-on-from-a-far Highlight: Reading each new ratings list & my facebook feed as they featured Cape Wickham


Person Highlight: Becoming a promoter for my first LPGA Tour event. 


Here's to a big 2017, happy golfing to all!!!

[Wayne Freeman]

Playing Olympic Club early morning Christmas day with my new friend Ian Lagowitz ( thank you
David Tepper for introducing us)...  pristine, still, and perfect.. no one else on the entire course.

[Scott Warren]

In a year that featured only 28-30 games of golf on nine courses, I was fortunate to have five memorable highlights of the year that stand out.


In no particular order:

1. Playing 14 holes solo at NSWGC in 1h45 on December 29, finishing by playing 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 17, 18 in three-under, maybe one other group on the course and a firm wind blowing. After a couple of years' break since last playing it, and 20 years since I first played it as a teen, it's a dream come true to have it there to explore every week until they put me in the ground.


2. Mark Pearce's time in Sydney in November. Showing him Bonnie Doon and taking a road trip to GMBF's old stomping ground at Stockton, which was in the best condition I've ever seen it.


3. Barnbougle in July. Winter rates, playing with my mates on deserted courses, drunk foursomes in the twilight after a round and a good lunch.


4. Winning the Interclub challenge with Bonnie Doon in June, followed by the annual tournament dinner. The club's third-straight win (a record) and justice for me given we lost in the final the last time I played on the team in 2013.


5. Watching the next tranche of five new holes develop at Bonnie Doon, taking OCCM's long-running renovation to the point that only three holes will remain to rework once the current batch opens in April. It has been a long time coming but it's on track to be done by early 2019.

[Jim Smith Jr]

My golfing highlight of 2016 was being fortunate to share the experience of Cypress Point with my father and my son!  We've gotten to play a lot of wonderful places together and there is nothing better than playing with loved ones and to be able to do it on arguably the finest course in the world on a perfect weather day created a memory I'll cherish for a lifetime!

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