It's just wonderful that the golf community and particularly folks at the great clubs, by and large, recognize the passion people have and either by invitation or auctioning off a charity round, make it possible for so many of us to have that one go at these masterpieces. Please never stop!
When I'm old and gray, the one course I'd regret having never played is Pine Valley. From my earliest golf memories, paging through books of courses from libraries, the images of the monstrous bunkers, the tales of the difficulty, the stories of the focus and considerable efforts of Mr. Crump to build a masterpiece, the history, it's always stood out as my sort of holy grail in golf.
But if it never happens, and I do find myself falling into regret, I'll quickly think about the birdie on 11 at Augusta, walking down that incredible fairway corridor on 15 at Friar's Head, the initial amazement at seeing the tenth at Winged Foot West, looking up at the 4th at Bethpage Black, the redan at National, coming over the ridge of the 10th at Shinnecock, the 18th at Pebble, the views up on Gullane Hill, the 17th at Muirfield, the people, the comraderie and I'll be thankful...very thankful.