Access to play golf courses

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

I had a really horrible experience recently.

At GCGC,
I hosted two fellows from this site that I had never met.  They were from California.

As we were getting ready to tee off, I was shocked,
They were LEFTIES.
not one of them, but both of them.
I was moritified.

But wait, it gets worse.
As we began our round, and played each hole,
I noticed more of them, LEFTIES
They were littering the entire golf course,
They were everywhere.

I immediately thought of
"Close encounters of the Third Kind"
where all these people from all over the United States were strangely congregating at Devil's Mountain.
Only here, there were strange LEFTIES congregating at GCGC.   As we played our round, I kept on hearing these four or five musical tones, and more of them seemed to appear.

When we finished the round, the manager called me over, and asked, "did you bring them here ?"  I said, "who",  He said,
"you know who  ..... them........the LEFTIES
I said that I had two guests, but that I had no idea that they were LEFTIES.  He reminded me of the guest re-orientation program that I had to go through several years ago for a similar transgression and suggested that I take a refresher course.

I thought that I was over my initial shock, the one that occured several years ago, when I was paired in the same foursome with two other LEFTIES that I sponsored at GCGC, Mike Cirba and Geoffrey Childs.

Only one month earlier, I had just been removed from double secret probation for that faux pas, and now, I'm on quadruple secret probation for an indefinite period for this latest episode
of double LEFTY exposure.

Do you know how long it takes your mind and body to clense themselves from a double exposure of LEFTIES ?
Do you know how many members have complained that they've been contaminated ?
It takes years !

And, just when I thought that I was fully clensed, my mind free of impure thoughts, after two whole years, I get a double dose of the curse from the west coast.  My game hasn't been the same since, and the members won't even talk to me.

I'll tell you TE, you can't be too careful or too selective.
Those LEFTIES are a menace, and they seem to be everywhere.   Have you noticed this ?

[TEPaul]

"As we were getting ready to tee off, I was shocked,
They were LEFTIES.
not one of them, but both of them.
I was moritified."

Patrick;

Do I really have to explain everything to you? They're from  California for God's sake? Of course they're lefties---what did you expect?

[paul cowley]

...tom ,you're  right on about seeing a course sans clubs.....i know my own game can be a distraction ,especially when it takes me away from something i want to see.....it really depends more on if you are interested in 'seeing' the course or playing it..........and if i only had one chance ,i would opt for seeing it.

p.s. i am pationately waiting for your kind response to my request stated earlier in this thread............

[TEPaul]

Paul:

For you I'm prepared to pull out all the stops for access to the Fernandina Municipal golf course. It may be hard and it may take me some time, perhaps even as long as next spring but I'll do it and it will be worth every minute of it. I mean how often in golf does one really get to experience 1947?

[paul cowley]

tompaul...now you've done it ......i'm so anxious i just went ahead and cleared my entire calender for  all of next spring!....no family ,business,nothing....hell, if you could get them to let us ,we could even have a 3 club match during a full moon!!!........but wait ,that would be playing, not seeing, the course .....do you think we could go around twice? [i have some hunting friends i could borrow some night vision goggles from,for the 'seeing' round of course].......just let me know.....

[TEPaul]

Paul:

Don't fret--I've played plenty of golf couses without using mundane things like golf clubs or even golf balls for that matter--just ask Ran--he's even got it on film!

[A_Clay_Man]

TePaul- That is what I was suggesting but only if there was some serious breach of ettiquitte.

Otherwise, it appears ( not enough info to tell for sure ) you have been swamped with requests to gain access.

In keeping with my "fart" theory (which can really ruin a good "groove" in the pit) I will go on record as saying I having never asked you for anything sans joining the land of embalmment outing, which you never responded to.

[TEPaul]

Adam:

I don't know I ever implied anything like "swamped" or even anything to do with "etiquette" either. All I'm trying to say or imply here is perhaps anyone trying to get on golf courses through people who are not members of those courses but have friends who are members of those courses should understand better what all that entails and the problems it can sometimes cause. To me it's just a lot better if the go-between and the host knows those people in some real way.

I never got stiffed either that I can recall--well maybe I did but long before this website ever existed. There was a time when I arranged golf for people I did know at places like Seminole but through my father. My Dad was a most generous man of the old school of golf where friends and golf buddies lent money to each other all the time and sometimes never even wanted to get paid back. But those were times of pretty familiar cameraderie which all revolved around that interesting culture that golf can often produce.

But when I arranged access at clubs through him with people I knew who he didn't I could tell it was still making him uncomfortable even though he was my Dad. I even got into the habit of paying him myself immediately for anything and everything and a bit more and then collecting on my own. But still he seemed a little uneasy. And I see that today amongst my friends who belong to clubs I don't.

I guess what I'm saying here is try to get to know a go-between real well or even a host somewhat first. I don't think any of this is about "etiquette" problems or anything of that kind. This kind of thing is sort of unique and individual anyway. There was an instance at Maidstone this year with TommyN and the pro there that stacks up as one of the most touching things I've ever seen in my years around golf. It's sort of hard to define but TommyN just exudes something that people can sense in a New York second! The man has a gift--and the gift has a lot to do with the true culture of golf! On the other end of the spectrum, someone who has absolutely no clue about that real culture of golf, in my opinion, although I really don't even know who he is, is that rpurd character!

But there seem to be some who sort of assume that they have some kind of automatic right somehow to access to any club or course and that type of attitude makes me very angry because I think it's pretty arrogant. Those types of folks at the very least should spend about five minutes with TommyN and learn something and they'd probably understand better what I'm trying to say here.

[A_Clay_Man]

Thanx for the expansion on your original post. It's much clear now. I thought it odd your original post was a little short and the additional 500 words(?) clarified matters as usual.

Now, Let's go play Lido ( do you know anybody who can get us on?) in that style Ran has on tape.

[Lou_Duran]

TEP- so Pine Valley and Merion are out of the question?  If my only "contact" with the eastern establishment says "NO", what is this poor soul to do?  Suffer quietly while you all recount the virtues of PV and mourn the bunker work at Merion?  God, such attitudes might just drive me to becoming a liberal!    What's to become of me if I can't fill my northeastern void?  Be damned to low-quality, bermuda pastures that pass as golf courses here in Texas?  The horror!

[Andy_Lipschultz]

It's sort of hard to define but TommyN just exudes something that people can sense in a New York second! The man has a gift--and the gift has a lot to do with the true culture of golf!

What Tommy has is an unfettered passion which he wears on his sleeve. I took him over to stage 28 at Universal which has part of the original Phantom of the Opera set (1932?) and his sense of awe and pleasure was palpable. And that is something you just don't see much of.

[GeoffreyC]

Pat Mucci

It is I who is mortified that I actually told you how to make text BOLD. Why I did that will now haunt me.  It should have remained a lefty secret.

[SteveTL]

Is it that priorities of golf course architecture and access to widely recognized private clubs for the purpose of evaluating their merits has become priority over courtesy, etiquette and common decency?

[Mike_Cirba]

Patrick;

Ok...you've found us out.

We lefties not only are secretly out to take over the world of golf, but we also are clearly subtle and devious in our methods.

We're still upset that Ben Hogan couldn't find left-handed clubs, or you guys would have never heard of Nelson or Snead.  

[HamiltonBHearst]

Perhaps this post can be linked to the post on people not going by their real names.

Some use this site as a means of access.

The GHIN systems provides a ready means to find out club affiliations.

Some have no shame in trying to acquire access.

[Norbert P]

 Damn, Tommy, I was hoping, with your contacts, you could get me on to play at Wirral.  

[THuckaby2]

Not many want to look and not play, that's for sure, Tom!

Excellent points here one and all, and as one of the people given the "America's Guest" moniker, well... this obviously hits close to home.

All I can say is this:  anyone who would "pressure" a man like TEPaul for access anywhere just isn't worth even responding to.  Wanting to meet people and play golf is one thing, but anything beyond that, well....

Hopefully people have common courtesy.  If they don't, they truly aren't worth even two seconds of your time.

Tom, the only thing I've ever been involved in with you was the wonderful big group day at Applebrook a couple years ago, for which I remain VERY grateful.  I hope to see you again somewhere in the future, and I'm sure I will.  But rest assured that the vast majority of us America's Guests do know how this all goes, and we remain beggars that do not become choosers.  If some bad apples go against this, well.... just don't listen to them!

 

TH

[Lou_Duran]

Huckster-

I am taking notes, learning at the feet of one of the masters.  Alas, I am making progress- a tee time at the venerable Z-Boaz (of Jenkins's Goat Hills fame) might be forthcoming in January- but so much more schooling is needed!  

[THuckaby2]

HA!  

Now obviously Z-Boaz is the holiest of grails.  Please do keep us updated.

TH

[DMoriarty]

I feel for you Patrick . . . I was recently repeatedly paired with some tall guy with one of those lanky uncoordinated lefty swings.  How was I supposed to concentrate and hit after (and it was always after) having to watch that on every tee?  I still have nightmares.  

[George Pazin]

Patrick -

If you didn't know Dave M was a lefty from all of his previous posts, that is your oversight.

If anyone needs to get on at my home muni, North Park Golf Course, feel free to drop my name.

Sorry to hear people have had bad experiences - everyone I've met through the site has been tremendous.

[Lou_Duran]

Shivas- on this blue Monday, I miss the meaning of your remark.  Please expand on it if you care.

Dr. Moriarty- a bad dream might for a conventional player to be rounding out a foursome with you and the two EC lefties; a nightmare would be a riding fivesome with the same three plus the Shack who still plays golf.  As the lone righty, where would he stand or park his cart?  And how could he take part in all the banter that only those similarly afflicted would understand?  One can just hear it- NGLA is unfair to lefties, the euipment companies discriminate, the ADA should be amended to include lefties, why should the bunker rakes be right handed?, etc.
 

[David Wigler]

Tom,

I have struggled with whether to respond or not to this thread.  On one hand, I would be uncomfortable trying to help someone I had not met arrange a game at a club I did not belong to, where I would not be present.  On the other hand, I would absolutely love to host a friend of yours, Pat's, Scott's, Cirba's or any of the other regulars who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting but feel like I know through three years on this site and would hope that they would feel comfortable calling me.

Quick side story.  Last week, a GCA newbie was coming to Michigan.  He knew MW. Burrows.  MW and I communicated through IM and I ended up hosting this gentleman.  It turned out to be one of the most informative and enjoyable times I had on the golf course the entire summer.  This seems like one of those situations where there is no good answer.

[Doug Siebert]

TEPaul,

I guess I'm surprised that people who don't know you have the balls to ask you to set them up for a round on a course you aren't even a member of.  Just because you are fortunate enough to play places like PV doesn't mean we all should get to just because we happen to visit the same web site as you.  Sure I'd love to have a chance to visit places like PV, NGLA, Cypress, Sand Hills and so on I'm not about to approach anyone I don't know begging to be hooked up, even if they did belong to the club in question, unless they'd personally offered to do so beforehand.

The only time I've really taken advantage of someone I didn't know was a few years back when my dad and I planned a last minute (bit less than a month in advance) trip to Scotland and I posted on Usenet inquiring about whether there'd be any chance to play Muirfield with such short notice (due to a cancellation or whatever) and if so how to approach them.  Of course they have tee times more than a year in advance, so I wasn't hopeful, but a very wonderful gentleman wrote me and said he might be able to help and would see what he could do.  Turned out he could do a lot, as he served in the Royal Navy with the former club secretary and while he wasn't a member still had a bit of pull there and was able to make it happen.

Him doing so when he had never met me or even had any email correspondence with me was a very generous act that made it all that much more memorable.  Had it instead been the case that I had just known or suspected he had the connections to make it happen and I approached him unprompted, even if he'd agreed and done the same, it'd still make me a bit uneasy to relate the story if people asked how I was able to get onto Muirfield with such short notice.  Somehow "I bugged some guy I'd never met on the Internet" wouldn't work for me.