OT: Unique Experiences

[Adam Lawrence]

One night years ago couldn’t sleep in St. Andrews so went out in middle of night and spent an hour in the Valley of Sin just thinking about things.

As I recall, Steve Salmen has an even better story about time well spent in the Road Hole bunker one night 

I can't guarantee the truth of this story, but some years ago, the three main architects' societies (ASGCA, EIGCA and SAGCA) decided to come together and host the World Forum of Golf Architecture (there have been subsequent ones). The first was held in St Andrews, and there was a big dinner in the Links Clubhouse. When dinner finished, a couple of rather well lubricated architects were apparently walking back to their accommodation across the first and eighteenth of the Old Course (it was dark) and having a quite animated argument. This argument apparently turned into a fight just in front of the eighteenth green, and the two ended up wrestling along the ground. One rolled down into the hollow in front of the green, and in his drunken state the motion was too much for him. And, just for a short time, the Valley of Sin became the Valley of Puke.

[Steve Salmen]

A unique experience I had was 9 years ago today: I played the Redans at Shinnecock and National in 4 shots.


Getting to play either course by itself is quite unique.

[Kalen Braley]

Years ago, a fellow GCA'er was passing thru town and invited me to join up for a round at Jeremey Ranch Club in Park City.

As we checked in, the starter asked if we would mind pairing up with a single, and we said of course not.  To our absolute delight and surprise, it was Football legend all time great Merlin Olsen.  He only managed the front 9 as he struggled with poor knees from his playing days, but was such a gentlemen and genuinely engaged with us and even assisted on a few lost ball searches. 

I also vividly recall his massive hands and as an older guy still had such a physical presence.  What a day!

[Joe Zucker]

Kalen,  I had a very similar experience in Columbia, SC.


I was on a spring break trip with my D3 college team from Cleveland in 2009 and we were playing Cobblestone Park in Columbia.  It's our first round of the year on grass and we are playing an inter squad round to get our feel back.  On the 3rd or 4th hole a single comes up behind us, playing very fast and talking on his phone via a bluetooth headset.


We're on the tee waiting and he comes up and asks if he can play a few holes with us.  We obviously oblige as guests as this course and he introduces himself as "Sterling" and I shake one of the biggest hands I have ever held.  We play the next few holes and he is friendly and talks to us college kids (while taking several more phone calls).  Eventually one of us figures out this is Sterling Sharpe and we all become very nervous to hit shots in front of him.  We got a picture with him as he left after 9, but the size of his hands it what sticks with me!

[Tommy Williamsen]

Over the years, I have planned long layovers at airports near courses I wanted to play. I had an eight-hour Layover in Amsterdam and took the train and a cab to Kennemer GC. On the way back, I got on the wrong train and had to hustle to catch my flight to Bristol.


My congregation had a sister church in Slovakia. I made my own flight arrangements. Again, I had an eight-hour layover, this time at CDG. A friend knew the superintendent at Morfontaine, who picked me up at the airport, drove me to the course, lent me his clubs and balls, and then drove me back to the airport just in time to meet the rest of my congregation. None of them thought that what I did was out of character. "That's just Pastor Tom, being Pastor Tom." They were a great congregation.

[Daryl David]

“I can't guarantee the truth of this story, but some years ago, the three main architects' societies (ASGCA, EIGCA and SAGCA) decided to come together and host the World Forum of Golf Architecture (there have been subsequent ones). The first was held in St Andrews, and there was a big dinner in the Links Clubhouse. When dinner finished, a couple of rather well lubricated architects were apparently walking back to their accommodation across the first and eighteenth of the Old Course (it was dark) and having a quite animated argument. This argument apparently turned into a fight just in front of the eighteenth green, and the two ended up wrestling along the ground. One rolled down into the hollow in front of the green, and in his drunken state the motion was too much for him. And, just for a short time, the Valley of Sin became the Valley of Puke”.



I sure hope this is true. It’s a great story.

[David Whitmer]

A few years ago my buddies and I were the only guests at Ardfin. When we arrived the staff was waiting for us outside like Downton Abbey. The entire resort and golf course, which are both tremendous, were at our disposal.


We also hit the season’s opening tee shots one year at Dismal River on a Thursday and at Sand Hills on a Friday.

[Jeff Segol]

Here's a follow-up to Joe Z's Cobblestone Park story. In 2011, I won practice round tickets to the Masters. We actually stayed in Columbia, S.C., because it was the closest place with decent golf courses and hotels that weren't $500 a night during Masters week. One of the places we played was Cobblestone Park, which was the home course for the University of South Carolina. When we checked in, the head pro informed us that the Old Ball Coach (Steve Spurrier) was playing two groups behind us, and tended to play fast, and would we please let him play through if he caught us.


Sure enough, Spurrier comes up behind us on the 5th tee, and asks to play through. I'm wearing an entire outfit of University of California golf gear, so I say to him, "Coach Spurrier, why don't you call up Coach Tedford and set up a home-and-home with California, so I can come back here and play again."


His reply, in the thickest drawl I've ever heard, was, "I cain't. You'all are toooo far awaaaay." What I should have said was, "We weren't too far away from Tennessee, until they came to Berkeley and we kicked their ass." Before I could do that, Spurrier hits his drive and zooms down the fairway in his cart, followed by three of his assistants.


I told one of the kids working at our hotel that we had met Spurrier, and noted that he used to be a pro quarterback, who played for the San Francisco 49ers. The kid, who was a Brit, asked, "Did he cover him self with glory?' to which I replied, "No he covered himself with interceptions," which was true, if you ever saw him play.

[Mike Hendren]

On Monday night the members of The Other Senior Tour gathered for dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of my first Mens’ Club Championship at Rolling Hills CC in Ripley, TN.  The trophy made a nice centerpiece.

[Bill Gayne]

Any place you need to take a boat or ferry are unique. For me it's been the Machrie, Shiskine, and Fishers Island.


Dunaverty with the electric fences around a handful of the greens. Wasn't thinking or understanding and grabbed hold of the first electric fence.


On the morbid side, was on a course and we found a dead dog in a bunker with full rigor mortis. At a course in Richmond, there was a horrible stench by an area that homeless had camped out in and the pathologist in the group behind us knew exactly what it was that was creating the stench. Police came and closed that portion of the course and an ambulance came down the cart path.


I've been hit by a golf ball only once and the player who hit me should have yelled "two."


Friend who had a hole-in-one in his first round of golf. He gave up the game in five years.


I've seen many unique swings over the years that should have never worked but they were grooved so they consistently worked.


Bill

[Bill Gayne]

Here's a follow-up to Joe Z's Cobblestone Park story. In 2011, I won practice round tickets to the Masters. We actually stayed in Columbia, S.C., because it was the closest place with decent golf courses and hotels that weren't $500 a night during Masters week. One of the places we played was Cobblestone Park, which was the home course for the University of South Carolina. When we checked in, the head pro informed us that the Old Ball Coach (Steve Spurrier) was playing two groups behind us, and tended to play fast, and would we please let him play through if he caught us.


Sure enough, Spurrier comes up behind us on the 5th tee, and asks to play through. I'm wearing an entire outfit of University of California golf gear, so I say to him, "Coach Spurrier, why don't you call up Coach Tedford and set up a home-and-home with California, so I can come back here and play again."


His reply, in the thickest drawl I've ever heard, was, "I cain't. You'all are toooo far awaaaay." What I should have said was, "We weren't too far away from Tennessee, until they came to Berkeley and we kicked their ass." Before I could do that, Spurrier hits his drive and zooms down the fairway in his cart, followed by three of his assistants.


I told one of the kids working at our hotel that we had met Spurrier, and noted that he used to be a pro quarterback, who played for the San Francisco 49ers. The kid, who was a Brit, asked, "Did he cover him self with glory?' to which I replied, "No he covered himself with interceptions," which was true, if you ever saw him play.

Spurrier has an incredible memory for faces and names which is one of the many reasons he's a great ambassador for UF.

[Chris Hughes]

For 5 years my office was directly above the men's locker room at Bay Hill -- that was kinda cool...

[Dave Doxey]

Two stories from a long time ago.  When I was in college, a few of us golfers were introducing a friend to the game.  He returned from his 3rd time on a real course and announced “I just got my first hole in one”.  He’d bladed a shot which bounced through a bunker, hit the pin hard, and dropped in.  We told him to let us know when he got his second.  50+ years later, I’ve heard nothing.


When Troon North had just opened, I was in the area and showed up as a single.  The pro asked my handicap and said that he’d pair me up.  Later, a fellow introduced himself as the assistant pro and said that I could pay with him and another player.  The other player turned out to be Sandy Tatum, who shot mid 70’s from the tips.   He was very friendly and talked about knowing Tom Watson.  At the time, I did not know who Sandy was.  Back at my club, the pro told me who Sandy was and said “ Did you tell him your home club? I hope that you behaved yourself and didn’t throw any clubs.”

[Buck Wolter]

I used to travel to China fairly regularly for work but had never played any golf there. Don't remember how it happened but Andy Johnson helped set me up to play Yangtze Dunes outside Shanghai in order to give some feet on the ground ideas of the course for a write up (OCM had renovated an old Nicklaus design).


I was picked up from my hotel in Shanghai and spent 24 hours in one of the most lavish setups imaginable. 5 start accommodations basically all to myself. I remember they had a bottle of Blanton's and I ordered one -- the bartender said it had been opened for a while so he cracked a new one.


Terrific golf course BTW -- the write up from Fried Egg with a few of my quotes is still the First Google result when you search for Yangtze Dunes over 5 years later.