Best day on a golf course?

[David Cronan]

I’ve been lucky to have played golf 1/2 around the globe (no Australia, Asia, Far East) and won some am tournaments and club championships, but 2 days on the course I hope to have the facilities to remember forever:


1. I was a founding member of a northern Michigan club (Lochenheath) as my now ex-wife and I had a lake cottage nearby. One day I took my 5 year old kids to introduce the game to them. We spent a little bit of time on the range going over etiquette and fundamentals (the pro came out and gave an impromptu lesson) and then hopped in a cart. It was a perfect August day and we had the course to ourselves. In addition to my clubs and 1 set of US Kids clubs, I brought along a couple fishing poles and a bait net to catch frogs. We played maybe 3 holes and caught (and released) several fish in Grand Traverse Bay and some frogs in a creek that ran down the 14th hole and watched a pair of Bald Eagles flying not 30 feet directly in front of us as that part of the course runs along a high ledge above Grand Traverse Bay. It was my best day ever, golf or no golf.


2. In the summer of 1981 I participated in the Irish Way program, part of the Irish American Cultural Institute,which was held at Gormanston College, north of Dublin. There were 90 of us Irish Americans who were chosen and I was a 16 year old kid from Michigan. That summer Gormanston College was also home to a program that brought Catholic and Protestant kids (10-12 year olds) from Belfast and Derry to participate in a football camp in the hopes of understanding each other. This was during the height of The Troubles as Bobby Sands died less than 4 weeks earlier. Gormanston College had a rudimentary pitch and putt on campus and one afternoon, after classes, I went by the field house and borrowed a set of clubs and some beat up balls. After a couple holes I noticed about 10 of the kids in the distance, walking towards me, obviously interested in what I was doing. Initially, they stood with “their own” but after only a few minutes of playing and competing with each other, the barriers broke down and they just enjoyed the challenge our game and each other’s company. For a while, at least, they were just kids who shed all of the baggage that was part of their cultures at that moment in time. We were out there laughing and playing all afternoon. Another perfect day.

[Stephen Smith]

I did a yearly golf trip with a group of high school buddies for 20+ years to Myrtle Beach.  One of the guys passed away and we spread his ashes on a specific par 3 down there (at his request).  The first time I played that hole after that, I had hole-in-one. 

[mike_malone]

My most recent one was at North Berwick last September. Our host was Tony Muldoon ( check). My good golfing buddy was experiencing the course for the first time after our one stop flight. ( check)The sound of the water was great as we approached the first tee. And most importantly the wind was perfect , the clouds were just right , and the temperature as well. (Check)


Under these conditions it was one of the best days.


Here’s where my senility sets in. I don’t remember the fourth.

[Eric Zimmerer]

Been fortunate to have a couple really good ones but one absolutely comes to mind.


I played in my first Carnegie Shield this past summer, and that alone both days playing Royal Dornoch is as good as it gets. However I did make my pops make the trip over for a good boys trip. The Sunday after the tournament, we were able to squeeze in a late round at Dornoch before making the trip down to Prestwick. This Sunday round was a picture perfect Scottish Highland summer afternoon, with little wind and mid 60s. We both played out of our minds respectively and laughed the entire way around. Standing of 7th tee overlooking the entire course was as close to a religious experience I could get, knowing that this is all finite and memories with my dad (best friend) chasing this white ball around in Scotland will be something that I will tell my son at some point.


Only second to that was playing in USGA Mid Am qualifier with my dad on the bag, at our home course. Didnt play particularly well that day, but was happy to have my dad watch me compete for the first (never watched me play events) and last (I dont have the time anymore) time.

[Joe Hancock]

FAR too many to pick just one

I wish it was easy to put up a picture I have of you wading through the deep fescue at Greywalls many years ago. That was one of many good days…

[Tim Martin]

Too many good days to count but one may go to the head of the line. I went on a college scouting trip to Philadelphia with my son about fifteen years ago and we were lucky to add some golf. Before heading home I watched him shoot his first even par round at LuLu GC and was just as proud to witness his annihilation of the “Schmitter” at McNally’s Tavern immediately following the golf.

[Bob_Garvelink]

I have had some of the best memories of my life on golf courses     Two def stand out


The first was this summer at High Pointe and I always regretted not playing it prior to it closing.  A childhood friend and myself were together this summer alone on the course on one of those perfect nights in late July.  He and I had a bet going to see who was gonna birdie the first hole at High Pointe with the loser buying dinner.  We got to the new 11th hole and pin was up top and I somehow managed to nail a pretty tough 20 footer for birdie which put smiles on both of our faces as I had won the bet    My friend also had a pretty tough 15-20 foot putt and I decided to tell him if he drained his birdie I would buy his dinner.  Well he nailed it.....and I am sure we will talk about this for a long time.  There are so many great holes at High Pointe but the 11th is probably mine and this memory is probably the biggest reason why.


The second was my first trip to Bandon Dunes with a group of 15 buddies from college.  I got there a few days early and played my opening round on Bandon Dunes.  I got to the 16th hole as the sun was setting.....couldn't see a sole in the world and I sat on that tee box and took it all in.  I thought to myself if this is a start to my golf trip this will be one of the best weeks of my life.

[Philip Gordillo]

Excellent thread.  Fortunate to have had so many great moments. However, it’s hard to top my first trip to NGLA.  It was 2022 which was the centennial year for Metairie CC.  Two of our founders were members at National so it was sort of a pilgrimage for me.  I could not have had a better host.  After a proper lunch, we teed off and I birdied the first hole.  Felt like quitting right there!  After an amazing round, he put me up in the clubhouse and I felt so welcomed by the staff.  I think about that day often. 

[Enno Gerdes]

My most recent one was at North Berwick last September. Our host was Tony Muldoon ( check). My good golfing buddy was experiencing the course for the first time after our one stop flight. ( check)The sound of the water was great as we approached the first tee. And most importantly the wind was perfect , the clouds were just right , and the temperature as well. (Check)


Under these conditions it was one of the best days.


Here’s where my senility sets in. I don’t remember the fourth.

Yes, who might have been the fourth... If only I could help you remember... 


My "best" day on a golf course was in late december 2018. I travelled to Edinburgh for the first time between Christmas and New Year's. At that time, I was reading the discussions on GCA, but was not registered. I wanted to play one or two rounds while in Edinburgh. So I booked Musselburgh Old, and tried to get a game through Thousand Greens. Luckily, someone reacted and was willing to host me at North Berwick. I was positively shocked to be able to play North Berwick (off mats) for 5 quid, and of course playing North Berwick is one of the best golf experiences you can imagine.


But what really made it the best, and most consequential, day: my host turned out to be GCA's own Michael G., who encouraged me to send Ran an email asking to register. This one round led to many more in and around the last four Buda's, and meeting many, many great people.

[mike_malone]

My most recent one was at North Berwick last September. Our host was Tony Muldoon ( check). My good golfing buddy was experiencing the course for the first time after our one stop flight. ( check)The sound of the water was great as we approached the first tee. And most importantly the wind was perfect , the clouds were just right , and the temperature as well. (Check)


Under these conditions it was one of the best days.


Here’s where my senility sets in. I don’t remember the fourth.

Yes, who might have been the fourth... If only I could help you remember... 


My "best" day on a golf course was in late december 2018. I travelled to Edinburgh for the first time between Christmas and New Year's. At that time, I was reading the discussions on GCA, but was not registered. I wanted to play one or two rounds while in Edinburgh. So I booked Musselburgh Old, and tried to get a game through Thousand Greens. Luckily, someone reacted and was willing to host me at North Berwick. I was positively shocked to be able to play North Berwick (off mats) for 5 quid, and of course playing North Berwick is one of the best golf experiences you can imagine.


But what really made it the best, and most consequential, day: my host turned out to be GCA's own Michael G., who encouraged me to send Ran an email asking to register. This one round led to many more in and around the last four Buda's, and meeting many, many great people.

Proving my senility since every round with you is memorable. 

[Ian Andrew]

I built a golf course called Ballantrae Golf & Country Club north of Toronto. I was working for Doug Carrick at the time. It was my first design (which I will never receive any credit for). It was a 800 acre housing project with 4 feet of elevation change. But it was on sand. There was a large requirement for materials to go to the housing. Every feature on site is created, except the two woodlots. It's had some changes made by Doug since (new 11th). But it meant a lot to me at the time.


Doug made a ace on the 15th on opening day!

The reason I bring that up is I took my father to play a few days after opening. It's got wild greens and extensive short grass, which my father realized was based upon our Pinehurst #2 trip when I was a teenager. It was a full circle moment. I got to thank my father for supporting my dream to be a golf course architect by showing him the impact of the time he spent showing my great golf courses on family holidays.



Left of the 18th green (ponds were required for stormwater and storage)

[Adam Lawrence]

I wish you posted more often Ian. The first day I spent with you at Highlands Links, the day you (and the crew) dug a ditch by hand across the sixth fairway, is one of my top days on a golf course

[Ian Andrew]

I wish you posted more often Ian. The first day I spent with you at Highlands Links, the day you (and the crew) dug a ditch by hand across the sixth fairway, is one of my top days on a golf course

Appreciate the nod to Highlands Links and that particular day there. That began with a flooded 6th fairway. Probably a Spring Tide. It wasn't the only drain I dug by hand.    I was fitter then and did when we had no equipment.

Tom Dunne and I recently reminisced about the time he worked with the crew to build a fairway bunker by hand. It's the right fairway bunker on the 7th hole. I let him and one of the summer kids work it out themselves with a photo in hand. Easiest way to experience the work. I dearly miss the crew. Most are gone now, took other work in the Park when they leased it....

As for posting more, I'd rather paint ....

[Ally Mcintosh]

I wish you posted more often Ian. The first day I spent with you at Highlands Links, the day you (and the crew) dug a ditch by hand across the sixth fairway, is one of my top days on a golf course

I hope you did something else other than watch Ian dig a drainage ditch that day, Adam?…. Or was it just a beautiful ditch?

[Adam Lawrence]

I wish you posted more often Ian. The first day I spent with you at Highlands Links, the day you (and the crew) dug a ditch by hand across the sixth fairway, is one of my top days on a golf course

I hope you did something else other than watch Ian dig a drainage ditch that day, Adam?…. Or was it just a beautiful ditch?

As I recall, I got there not long before sundown, so I went out to the sixth hole, where Ian and the crew were digging their ditch, then he and I had dinner togeether in the Keltic Lodge, and walked the entire golf course the following morning. But I can't be wholly certain at this distance.

[Bill Seitz]

Second to last round I ever played with my dad.  Arcadia 3-par, where he taught me the game.  All holes about 85-135 yards, give or take.  Fortunately they had added a few carts, since he wasn't getting around very well at that point.  We had played it a year earlier, and I was hitting sand wedge on the holes where I used to hit 5-irons as a kid.  Hitting SW off mats, I was sucking every back off the greens.  So this time I worked on a little distance control, and knocked down pitching wedges on most holes.  Made 8 birdies and shot 47 at a course where I remember being ecstatic about breaking 80 as a 10-12 year old.  You could take me to my home club and give me a funnel pin and 18 balls from 100 yards and I'm not sure I'd get 8 of them up and down.  I think we played there one more time with my brother, and he passed not long after.  Going through his things after his passing, my mom found that he'd kept the card from that day. 

[Quinn Thompson]

I played in a golf outing many years ago, back in Chicago ( Evergreen CC to be exact ), and a good buddy of mine “found” a bag of mushrooms while looking through his golf bag on the second tee box - for a tee I guess.


When you’re standing on a par 3 tee box, on an Autumn Sunday, in Chicago, and a Friend says: “ Want to eat some mushrooms ? ”


You say “of course.”


I hit a 3 iron on that day - it was “magic”. I’ll never forget the putts that were made that afternoon: we ended up winning the outing by a dozen strokes, and then just kept on playing until dusk…

[Sam Morrow]

I played in a golf outing many years ago, back in Chicago ( Evergreen CC to be exact ), and a good buddy of mine “found” a bag of mushrooms while looking through his golf bag on the second tee box - for a tee I guess.


When you’re standing on a par 3 tee box, on an Autumn Sunday, in Chicago, and a Friend says: “ Want to eat some mushrooms ? ”


You say “of course.”


I hit a 3 iron on that day - it was “magic”. I’ll never forget the putts that were made that afternoon: we ended up winning the outing by a dozen strokes, and then just kept on playing until dusk…

Posts like this are why we need the Upvotes back.

[Stewart Abramson]

I played in a golf outing many years ago, back in Chicago ( Evergreen CC to be exact ), and a good buddy of mine “found” a bag of mushrooms while looking through his golf bag on the second tee box - for a tee I guess.


When you’re standing on a par 3 tee box, on an Autumn Sunday, in Chicago, and a Friend says: “ Want to eat some mushrooms ? ”


You say “of course.”


I hit a 3 iron on that day - it was “magic”. I’ll never forget the putts that were made that afternoon: we ended up winning the outing by a dozen strokes, and then just kept on playing until dusk…

Was it real?

[Charlie Goerges]

I played in a golf outing many years ago, back in Chicago ( Evergreen CC to be exact ), and a good buddy of mine “found” a bag of mushrooms while looking through his golf bag on the second tee box - for a tee I guess.


When you’re standing on a par 3 tee box, on an Autumn Sunday, in Chicago, and a Friend says: “ Want to eat some mushrooms ? ”


You say “of course.”


I hit a 3 iron on that day - it was “magic”. I’ll never forget the putts that were made that afternoon: we ended up winning the outing by a dozen strokes, and then just kept on playing until dusk…

Was it real?

What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.

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