Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Mac Plumart on November 12, 2011, 10:04:57 AM
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I wanted to put this post up and thank you guys for helping make 2011 the best year of my entire life. Golf pulled me out of a tough place in my life and Golf Club Atlas played no small part in that.
I won’t bore you will non-golf details, except to say my family had a wonderful 2011…business has never been better…and my health will never be what it was, but with the help of golf, I’m fine with that.
**FYI, I think I got all the major golfing items in this post in the correct time frame…however I may have made some mistakes…my apologies in advance if that occurred**
On the golf front, January was kicked off with the “Thaw Out”. Due to a snow storm in Atlanta, Harbour Town and Penny Branch were cut out of the trip for me…but I was still able to check out Old South and Secession. But more importantly, I got to see some great friends (all from GCA) and to meet some new GCA’ers as well. What a way to kick the year off!!
From this...
(http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/mplumart/atlantasnow.jpg)
To this...
(http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/mplumart/Secession18.jpg)
In March, I snuck up to check out the “new” #2 with, you guessed it, some GCA’ers. We also played #1, Southern Pines, and The Dormie. And while we were there, we met up with even more GCA’ers who make their home in the Pinehurst area…and, yes, I’m insanely jealous of them!!
Master’s Week was NUTS!! First off, a GCA’er from Chicago was in town, so we played some golf at The River Club…great time. Darius Oliver was in Georgia for The Master’s, so I worked it out so Chris Cupit could have a golf get together/meet and greet at Rivermont with Darius. Some GCA’ers and some non-GCA’er golfing friends of mine took part in this…it was great fun. After that, I hosted a group out at East Lake…and then high tailed it down to Seminole for a nice quick getaway (no GCA’ers at Seminole this time however).
Two weeks later, I was hosted at Sage Valley…by a GCA’er.
A few days later, I played The Farm (barefooted for most of the round) with some GCA’ers.
(http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/mplumart/TheFarm2011023.jpg)
(Worst round of my life...shot over 100...fell in a creek to add insult to injury :'( )
Then in May…I was off to Scotland.
Muirfield as a single…met two members at the turn and ended up finishing the round with them. Great fun!
Renaissance as a single. Met a GCA’er who works there…who invited my wife and I over to his house and to dinner with him and his wife. Amazing generosity!!! And a great time.
Then North Berwick and Old Musselburgh as a single.
Off to St. Andrews, where I met up with a GCA’er for a boondoggle to Crail Balcomie…which was set up by a GCA’er. This was one of the great times of my life.
Then Jubilee and The Old Course. And then I hightailed it to Askernish…what a great adventure that was.
A few weeks later, I day tripped it to Shinnecock due to an invite from a GCA’er whom I has down to East Lake the month prior.
In June, I set up a getaway to Rock Creek and, of course, a number of GCA’ers joined me on this adventure.
July 4th weekend was the 5th Major at Dismal with a quick stop at Ballyneal and, of course, the focal point of that is getting together with one of my best friends and many other GCA’ers…including one who owns Dismal.
A few weeks later was my annual family retreat to Kiawah…and a few rounds at The Ocean Course.
And a few weeks after that I had business in NYC so I figured I’d hit Baltusrol, Tallgrass, NGLA, and Sebonack with some GCA’ers beforehand.
August was a “business trip” with clients to Dismal River and Ballyneal.
A few weeks later, I had business in Chicago…so why not hit Shoreacres and Old Elm?
A friend and GCA’er invited me for a daytrip to the Honors a week or so after my Chicago business trip. And later that weekend a GCA’er from Canada was swinging through my neck of the woods, so we met up with another GCA’er in Augusta for a round and then spent the weekend at Chechessee Creek.
September 12th I took part in the most unbelievable of all golf tournaments. The East Lake Invitational. I had the pleasure of getting two GCA’ers out there to round out my foursome. All I can say about that experience was WOW!!! I was dumbfounded by that experience and I am pumped for next year!!!!!!!
And that next weekend, I went to Dismal with someone who is technically a GCA’er...but isn’t a huge participant anymore.
A few weeks later, I had business in Indy…so I took the chance to hit Harrison Hills as a single. Upon returning, I linked up with a GCA’er who was in Atlanta for the weekend and we hit East Lake together.
Then in October, I went to Bandon Dunes for a Golfweek retreat.
A few weeks later, a GCA’er from New York came down and we hit Rivermont (which he has subsequently joined as a national member) and East Lake.
Like I said, I post this to say “Thank you” to all of you guys….this experience on the day-to-day front has been amazing. Talking golf all the time, learning new things, hearing different perspectives from people with the same passions…it is amazing!! But beyond the day-to-day, it is even better. The “Thaw Out”, 5th Major and other events that I’ve yet to get to (Dixie Cup, etc) set up times to actually meet one another and begin to have real and meaningful relationship with, again, people who share similar passions. It is so incredible that I struggle to put into words how fortunate I feel to be part of this.
In addition to saying thanks, I also want to mention I’ve taken to heart the fact that golf has had such a meaningful impact on my life and I’m trying to share that joyful impact with others. I’m involved with The First Tee, I’m a member of The National Amputee Golf Association, I’m involved with The East Lake Foundation, and I’m a supporter of The Tufts Archives.
Furthermore, I see what takes places on the positive front from you guys and some of the people you are associated with…and that stuff spurs me on. One item of specifc note on this front is, The Ben Cox event that Jim Colton did. WOW!!
I’ll stop/shut up now…but as I look back on this year and think how bad 2008 was for me (most specifically on the physical front) I am humbled, amazed, awe-struck, and overwhelmed that a year this wonderful was even possible. And you all are no small part of why something this wonderful is possible. Thanks again!!
(I thought about deleting the detials of all the golfing rounds for fear it would be taken the wrong way...but I left it there because I feel this kind of stuff is how this website can be taken to the next level. And that is by actually meeting the people who post rather than just post. To me, it doesn't matter if we meet to play Old South...or Shinnecock...East Lake or Lane Creek...it is spending time with people with the same passions...who usually turn out to be great people).
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WHATEVER Mac! ::)
;D ;)
I'm just kidding...what a year!
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Well done, hope you make it to the Burgh one day soon. As we used to say up here, you've got a friend in Pennsylvania.
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Mac - call me a dork, but I'm telling you - the first thing that came to my mind after reading your post was that great old line for The Beatles:
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"
Good for you, pal - putting out the good energy and getting it back pressed down and overflowing.
Peter
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Mac - call me a dork, but I'm telling you - the first thing that came to my mind after reading your post was that great old line for The Beatles:
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"
+1
Peter said it perfectly...you're a good guy Mac/i really enjoyed our game together
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Thanks guys.
I felt I had to post this and highlight a lot of the good that comes not only through the game of golf, but from GCA.com. I know sometimes there is non-sensicle arguing, fighting, ego clashes, clique-ish behavior and a few wild acts of stupidity that hurt the image of the site ...but the good that comes from it is worth wading through the non-sense.
Not in 2011, but I'll never forget Anthony Gray insisting he carry my bag for me at Holston Hills when I was struggling with pain issues. Little things can identify clues into someone's character from time to time.
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I could have sworn we met in 010.
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I could have sworn we met in 010.
My mistake...the title should read "2011---The Second Best Year of My Life" :D
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Mac,
What am I, chopped liver? I must be the only GCA guy you DIDN'T play with this year! Just kidding, and congrats on a phenomenal year. You're the most consistently upbeat guy I've never met.
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Mac,
What am I, chopped liver? I must be the only GCA guy you DIDN'T play with this year! Just kidding, and congrats on a phenomenal year. You're the most consistently upbeat guy I've never met.
Jud...Our paths may just cross in May of 2012 in Michigan. You've been warned!!
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Really well said Mac. You start on this site because you have a passion for golf course architecture. However after a short time, you quickly learn how wonderful the people on this site are. The generosity of people to welcome gca'ers to their clubs and into their lives never ceases to amaze me. As I said after seeing the pictures of the Michael Whittaker dinner in NYC, I hope that I am lucky enough to make such wonderful friends after years of being involved on this site.
Hopefully the weather holds up and we can add to that list. Since you are the routing guy on the site, I may have to arrange a visit to Firestone S to see the worst routing ever for a good golf course.
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Jud,
He keeps promising to come up this way, too, so maybe we can have a crybabies "Never Played With Mac" event in 2012.
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MacRib,
Thanks for the post. A heckuva year for sure and a nice run down of the particulars, though you still have 45 days or so to REALLY round it out. Are you sure you can't slip in a trip to L.A. before the New Year? Direct flights from ATL! Nudge, nudge.. ;) ;)
My cameraman missed the mark on this one, (I had bunny ears held up behind your head before you turned around!) but still I think captures the spirit of our group on the first tee at Ballyneal. Great times!
(http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr7/rednorman/da01c8c5.jpg)
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Mac, It warms my heart to hear people see the beauty i life. I hope 2012 is the best yet and it no doubt will be. cheers
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Fewer people are more generous than Mac.
Even with all you got this year, Mac, it still doesn't match what you've given to others. Here's to a great 2012!
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Really well said Mac. You start on this site because you have a passion for golf course architecture. However after a short time, you quickly learn how wonderful the people on this site are. The generosity of people to welcome gca'ers to their clubs and into their lives never ceases to amaze me.
Michael:
That isn't really about this site. It's about the community of golf. I have been a witness to it for thirty years, well before this site existed.
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TD and Michael:
While it's not SOLELY about this site, it is important to concur with what MG wrote. Michael, I've only had the chance to play with Tim Martin and John Lyon on blind GCA dates, although we did receive an all-time assist from GCA for Ballyhack and Kinloch in 2010. I do concur, while at the same time, I trust what TD says about the golf community.
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Tom. Yes but you are / were always destined to be in the golf industry - the golf community to which you refer is not accessible to everyone - only if you achieve what you have in the golfing sphere or if you join GCA because you are crazy about golf architecture and hold the traditions of the game dear. This community is not to be found at your average golf club anywhere...but having said that, for folk like Mac and the rest of us who are not high profile figures in the golf world, you will not get the full benefits of GCA without truly engaging with your fellow participants - I can't think of any other forum that would enable an individual to get this close to the heartbeat of the golf industry without formally having a stake in it - I think this is what Mac is celebrating
You are not as close to the heartbeat of the golf industry as you think you are!
If you were, you probably wouldn't use a term that connotes it having a heartbeat.
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Congrats Mac!
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Mac- Congrats on a spectacular year. It couldn`t happen to a better guy. I`m coming to East Lake in 2012 to collect on our wager if you can fit me into your schedule. I hope that 2012 makes 2011 look boring. :) 8)
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I mean this in a really kind way Mac. Please laugh...
I want to punch you in the face so hard! ;D
Keep the passion. Never grow up.
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Mac:
Perhaps your great year started in late 2010 in Kiawah playing with me :o.
Glad yours was a great year. Nearly everyone who posts on this board can thank golf for making their life better. I think that is why we all love it so much. I am constantly amazed at the power of the game and the relationships made through it. May God bless you with many more years like this past one.
Best wishes to all,
Bart
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Mac:
Perhaps your great year started in late 2010 in Kiawah playing with me :o.
And I thought it was playing with me that time Bart!
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Good news Mac. You haven't been to New Mexico yet, so 2012 has the potential to be even better!
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Mac,
Good, good, good, good vibrations a la Peter Pallotta. I bet you're so young you have to Google The Beatles and Beach Boys.
May the good times keep flowing and I was honoured to have been a wee part of it in The Kingdom.
Aye yours,
Colin
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Brian,
I don't think Tom said anything terse or equivocal in his response to #19 post. I think it is great that Mac has gained so much from this site and there are a lot of really good guys on this site that allow such.
But this is not a golf industry site. The part of this site that really keeps it interesting for me is when some of these post do think they are so close to the "heartbeat" of the industry. That's when true Golf Dorkism really comes out.. ;D
I think it is critical for guys to remember this site is mainly entertainment. And it takes people with a common interest gives them a place to vent or write. That's good and it's interesting. It's like being in a Justin Beiber Fan club or a New York Yankees Fan Club or Ga Bulldogs barking club ;D ;D ;D
Reading these post made me ask myself a question which I would like to ask others here. How many people on this site play most of their golf with others on this site? I rarely do but wonder if it is common with some on here.
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Justin Bieber fan club? Thy words sting this here golf dork!
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Tom. Yes but you are / were always destined to be in the golf industry - the golf community to which you refer is not accessible to everyone - only if you achieve what you have in the golfing sphere or if you join GCA because you are crazy about golf architecture and hold the traditions of the game dear. This community is not to be found at your average golf club anywhere...but having said that, for folk like Mac and the rest of us who are not high profile figures in the golf world, you will not get the full benefits of GCA without truly engaging with your fellow participants - I can't think of any other forum that would enable an individual to get this close to the heartbeat of the golf industry without formally having a stake in it - I think this is what Mac is celebrating
You are not as close to the heartbeat of the golf industry as you think you are!
If you were, you probably wouldn't use a term that connotes it having a heartbeat.
Did you mean having a heart? ;D
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Tom:
I know you to be correct about the wonderful community of golf. While nowhere close to your involvement, I have made many friends through my participation in the game of golf. As Harvey Penick said, "if you play golf, you're my friend" - which I have not found to be uniformly true, but there certainly is something special about the golfing community.
However, I do think this site has helped to create special friendships that are valued by many of us. I think in general most golfers don't care about or appreciate golf course architecture. For instance, I ran a trip out to Bandon Dunes in September for 28 guys from northeast Ohio, all of which are avid golfers and members of private clubs. If you asked them, they would tell you that they are serious golfers that know a lot about the game (I am sure that they could spout off most PGA Tour players, events and courses). However, I was the only person in the group that has taken a "hobbyist's" interest in golf course architecture. When I did surveys of everyone's favorite holes, the results were heavily slanted toward the oceanfront holes of PD 4 and 13 - which I am sure would not surprise you, Mike Keiser (based on his understanding of the retail golfer) or Alister MacKenzie (who said "a beautiful hole appeals not only to the short but also the long handicap player). Likewise, when I asked about the least favorite holes, the results were again slanted toward those holes that the average guy would call "unfair" - like #6 and #16 at Pacific Dunes (both of which I really enjoyed - in fact, I think #6 may be one of my favorites on the course).
While I cherish my many friendships with these guys, I have also appreciated the few friendships that I have made on this site and hope to make more as time goes by. This site gives many of us a vehicle to talk about a topic that we love with people that often know more about it than we do. While your minimalism ;) of the friendships made on the site may be appropriate in your circumstance (with a job that many of us could only dream about), I don't think it is for many of us.
On a side note, I also agree with you that I am nowhere close to the golf industry. I just enjoy talking about and playing great golf courses.
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Mike Young:
I agree with your post. Even enjoyed your Justin Beiber analogy. In answer to your question, I have only played with people on this site at the wonderful outing that Terry Lavin hosted at Dunes. I enjoyed playing with Terry and Jim Franklin thoroughly - again, I am sorry to the both of you that you got stuck with me --- at least my caddie was good looking. However, I look forward to playing more golf with gca'ers in the future.
Mac:
In recanting your year and the amount of money that you must have spent on golf in 2011 and considering the health problems that you referenced, I would suggest that you buy a snowblower (that picture is painful) or hire a snow plow in the future. Me, as well as others up north, can help you if you need it.
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That might make me the only guy in the world to have played with Young AND George in the same summer no less
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Did you mean having a heart? ;D
No, the golf business has a heart. It's the heartbeat I'm concerned about. I've got about a dozen talented interns and no place for them to go and thrive on their own.
Michael:
I didn't mean to minimize the friendships made on this site; only to say that the world of golf is full of them.
The first time I went to Australia, a friend gave me an introduction to a fellow named Richie Benaud -- I had no idea who he was at the time, as Google didn't exist in 1988. He and his wife invited me for dinner at his apartment in Coogee, to see if I was for real, and after dinner he made a couple of phone calls to friends, and I was plenty well looked after in Adelaide and Melbourne! [And I should point out that, at the time, I was a part-time writer for GOLF Magazine and the architect of 1/2 of my first golf course.]
Likewise, I will not soon forget the name of Larry Zullinger, the green chairman at Merion in 1980, who called my mom one evening that summer to make sure I was going to get there okay after visiting Pine Valley the day before. That was the day my mom understood I was on the right career track.
The internet makes it all much easier, but the people have always been the same. If you love golf, you have friends.
P.S. I was lucky to meet Harvey Penick one day as well. He was a great man, although having him watch me hit balls on the range at Austin C.C. was a little bit unnerving.
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Tom:
I did not really think that you were minimizing them. I just liked the pun. It is Saturday night and I am at home with all 5 kids (they are watching the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family). Sorry for the poor choice of words.
That book by Mr. Penick is one of my favorites - other than all of your books, of course. ;)
Thanks again for your input.
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A anecdote.
I arrived at Dismal River around dusk/dark when I went up to help Don and the Renaissance guys. Before I could even introduce myself and talk about the golf hole we were on (I was in board shorts and flip flops naturally), Don tossed me a rake and yelled over the hydroseed pump motor that, "THIS IS BRIAN SLAWNIK. HE WANTS YOU TO HELP FINISH #13 TOMORROW"
No pointing and talking, no introductions, no waving hands around wistfully and talking about shot values or ground movement. Just a rake and a tire track to finish out.
That illustrated to me all I needed to know about how far GCA.com is away from the golf business. ;D
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I was lucky enough to be part of 5 of Mac's rounds in 2011. I would agree with the others that say that this site is great for meeting really good people. The one exception, as I am sure most will agree, is that I met JC Jones on 2011! So you see, the site isn't perfect! :D
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Reading these post made me ask myself a question which I would like to ask others here. How many people on this site play most of their golf with others on this site? I rarely do but wonder if it is common with some on here.
Mike - I am pretty sure that 2011 will go down in history as the first year where I played the majority of my rounds with people from GCA. It is mostly attributable to the fact that all of my golf came in short bursts that involved many rounds of golf and all of those short bursts had at least one other person from GCA as part of them. Of course at least two of the people involved were very good friends before any of us were on GCA so I am probably cheating a bit in my count!
Mac - Wonderful to hear you had such a special year. Your enthusiasm comes through in every post.
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That might make me the only guy in the world to have played with Young AND George in the same summer no less
Terry - somehow I don't think that is as good as Whittaker, Saltzman and Mac's years??? :D Hopefully we get a chance to play again where I can have a "bev" or two with you and play better than I did that day (which should not be hard). I plan on having an Ohio outing this summer. Hopefully, you can make it.
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I was lucky enough to be part of 5 of Mac's rounds in 2011. I would agree with the others that say that this site is great for meeting really good people. The one exception, as I am sure most will agree, is that I met JC Jones on 2011! So you see, the site isn't perfect! :D
Youuuuuuu........you're no gentleman.
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I was lucky enough to be part of 5 of Mac's rounds in 2011. I would agree with the others that say that this site is great for meeting really good people. The one exception, as I am sure most will agree, is that I met JC Jones on 2011! So you see, the site isn't perfect! :D
Youuuuuuu........you're no gentleman.
BY THE WAY...congrats on being named a finalist for the 2011 EZ-GO/Textron Riding Golfer of the Year Award! We're all pulling for you!
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So, it looks like Jud and I are the only two people Mac HASN'T played with. Alright, fine. I've been keeping my membership in Pine Valley a secret for long enough ....
Peter
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Thanks Eric, rumor is that the prize is a rangefinder! I am keeping my fingers crossed.
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I just got back from a great day of hanging out with my son while my daughter was at a friends and my wife was shopping...what a great day. And I am laughing at the posts on this thread. Funny stuff!!
On the comments about friendships through golf and GCA...of course this kind of stuff isn't limited to GCA. It is the magic of the game of golf. And I think I just might love golf so much, because I am not "in" the industry. It is pure recreation for me.
Now conerning the GCA'ers I haven't played with...now is that my fault or yours?!?!? Peter...gentlemen, sir. I seem to recall you posting about your ideal round of golf being at some course in England...maybe Walton Heath...and I PM'd you and said, "Hey, do you want to set up a round over there together?" Which you turned down. So, don't say I didn't try. :)
Also, the 5th Major...Dismal...East Lake...Rivermont invites...Hmmm, hmmmm....what say you all?
You know I'm just goofin'. But I do have a strong desire to meet many of you...not all of you ;)...but most of you.
On Bart's comment about Kiawah...Let me just say he is RUDE as heck on the golf course. He's playing in the group behind me on the 16th hole (I think it was) on The Ocean Course. My group has hit our drives and we are somewhere between our 2nd and 3rd shots...well over 350 yards off the tee...and inconsiderate Bart rifles a drive that rolls right by our group. Over 350 yards long and right by us...not missing us by more than 5 yards to the right. What a jerk!!! Avoid playing with him at all costs...or at least playing in the group in front of him!! :)
And Colin...you were not a "wee" part of my golf in Kingdom experience. That was the highlight...St. Andrews Old Course included. And that is the epitome of what I'm talking about. You meet me and my wife in St. Andrews. We share a conversation and coffee...then you and I hightail it to Crail. We enjoy more conversation and lunch. Then play one heck of an epic round of golf...sideways stinging rain...wind like I've never seen...then the rain subsides, the sun shines through in glorious fashion...but the wonderful wind keeps blowing...and we enjoy something Old Tom gave us. WOW!!! What a day!!
What a life. What a journey!!
EDIT...Ben Sims...of course I'll take that the right way. I really can't wait for that round of golf with you at your club after I win the Aggregate Course Competition. Rumor has it, if you ain't finishing with Inverness...you are wrong!!
EDIT II...Sorry for the double edit...better than a triple post, right? But I keep finding things I need to respond to. Michael on that snow shoveling picture. Note the spade I am using. Check this out...I go to the Home Depot here in Atlanta and ask for a snow shovel to prepare for the coming storm. And the person I ask this of looks at me with the weirdest look. "Snow shovel? We have shovels. But nothing called a "snow shovel." Evidently, buying (or the selling of) snow shovels down South isn't a common practice. So, I say, "Okay. Where are your shovels. I need to get one." Surreal for an Ohio boy.
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Mac, love the post and I can somewhat relate.
I'm really looking forward to meeting you next year
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Mac
There's still enough time to finish it off at the Presidents Cup next week "down under" ?
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Mac,
An incredible year, we are all envious but also living vicariously through your exploits. I hope that 2012 proves to raise the bar even higher!
...and I hope we get the chance to tee it up someplace, whether it be here in NEO, down in ATL (I'm coming there more often as I'm doing work with The Home Depot now), on a GW rating trip, or any other pace for that matter. 8)
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Mac
There's still enough time to finish it off at the Presidents Cup next week "down under" ?
Kevin...you have no idea how much I'd love that. Royal Melbourne is an absolute must play/must see for me. Not to mention all the Australian GCA'ers. But it ain't gonna happen for at least 18 months.
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Mac,
Thanks for posting this up. I think you've done a great job of eloquantly tapping into the essence of the commrodarie we all feel on this site when playing with others. I absolutely enjoy every GCA.com event, whether they be large or small, and very much look forward to meeting you and others this upcoming year as I'll have a little more flexibility in my travel schedule.
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Thanks Eric, rumor is that the prize is a rangefinder! I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Clearly having middle-school level reading comprehension isn't a requirement to pass the NY bar. He was talking about me!
Eric,
I would be honored to be the first recipient of the "Riding Golfer of the Year" award. I think that there are fewer awards in the golfing community that truly reflect my passion and values more than the RGoY.
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Don't worry, Mac, I invited Peter to play Kingsley with me this summer and he turned that down too.
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JC:
I have 2 rules re: invitations:
1. A rejected invitation is one irrevocably lost - Henry Fownes, Jr.
2. If possible, I welcome my invitees to bring guests. However, if you bring an idiot, you become the idiot.
Also, I think you need to play with a buddy of mine that went to Bandon with me. I asked him about the trip and he said "Best golf resort in the world, I just don't understand why they won't let me take a cart - it would have made it so much easier to carry the beer"
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Your buddy sounds like a GREAT guy. ;D
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JC,
If you are going to be snarky, and question someone's comprehension skills, please follow the rules and do it in green!
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Keith...excellent point!!
As far the the Riding Golfer of the Year Award, I hope the judges took into consideration this display of commitment to the riding game.
(http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/mplumart/WalkingGolfersatTheFarm.jpg)
Hickories and a Mackenzie Walking bag in the back of a cart. That is dedication!!
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Tom I like that Richie Benaud anecdote! For the Many who won't recognise his name - one of the most famous cricket players Australia ever produced and subsequently one of the greatest cricket commentators of all times.
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Mac is one of the greats! And certainly one of the biggest golf addicts alive...what's the phrase "no believer like a convert"? Just to illustrate that point, when I arrived at Dismal it was about 43 degrees, raining, and windy. The rest of us could barely stand to be outside. I asked the guy at the clubhouse where Mac was. His reply: "he wanted to get in a quick nine".
That said, he's not above the bending of a few rules!
(https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1pmngPUb0EpcYRYmnX0eVdye-3ZnOQj7GAEdfCbXBkhes__dVuCaIP9ZJxbsz9cWL4ra7Vqlt4flQ/DSC00138.JPG?psid=1)
The above is an over-dramatic dramatization.
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Mac,
We have another month and a half to run up the score with more great golf (thus setting an even higher standard for 2012). We should get crackin!
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Mac is one of the greats! And certainly one of the biggest golf addicts alive...what's the phrase "no believer like a convert"? Just to illustrate that point, when I arrived at Dismal it was about 43 degrees, raining, and windy. The rest of us could barely stand to be outside. I asked the guy at the clubhouse where Mac was. His reply: "he wanted to get in a quick nine".
That said, he's not above the bending of a few rules!
(https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1pmngPUb0EpcYRYmnX0eVdye-3ZnOQj7GAEdfCbXBkhes__dVuCaIP9ZJxbsz9cWL4ra7Vqlt4flQ/DSC00138.JPG?psid=1)
The above is an over-dramatic dramatization.
Actually Charlie...I think he was just about to turn that club over and play the hole left handed, therefore he would clearly be behind the tee markers.
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Thanks Eric, rumor is that the prize is a rangefinder! I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Clearly having middle-school level reading comprehension isn't a requirement to pass the NY bar. He was talking about me!
Eric,
I would be honored to be the first recipient of the "Riding Golfer of the Year" award. I think that there are fewer awards in the golfing community that truly reflect my passion and values more than the RGoY.
Why fight over it guys? There are two seats in a golf cart, so theoretically you both could win.
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That is a pretty impressive year Mac! Hope to play with you again in 2012.
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Mac,
Congrats on your great year as well as your quick appreciation and enjoyment of the greatest game!
Your inherent passion is obvious and I'm glad to know you.
Looking forward to more great years one day at a time!
Watched "Seven Days in Utopia" with my son today after watching the Ducks trounce my sister's Stanford last night....after a great week @ the office, on to Bandon for TG with family!
Thanks.
Gray
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Gray...Bandon for Thanksgiving. How in the heck do you pull something like that off?!?!?!? Genius, I say, genius!!
Now for the record...that picture at Dismal with me teeing off in front of the tee markers was staged for that specific picture. Something about Tommy Naccarato and Merion. ;)
However, that day I put my hickories in the cart and drove was not. That was the same day I hit 108, fell in the creek (as mentioned previously in the post) and was walking barefoot when I threw in the towel and rode.
Wade...I have the makings of a Thankgiving golf plan coming together. Perhaps a little cross country golf in Ohio is in the making. 8)
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Wow, if you keep this pace up Mac, it seems quite possible you'll meet and play with every one of the 1500 worldwide blokes that post on GCA, by 2015. ;D
Maybe you should have some logo tees and balls made that are stamped, "Mac was here" and sprinkle the tees about teeing grounds and hit the odd drive into the grunge so scroungers like me (I never buy tees, since I always pick up others and just collect them along the way and don't think I bought balls all year hawking them in rough where I usually have to go anyway). With the notion of the six degrees of separation, it shouldn't take but a few years and every world wide golfer will have found and played with at least one "Mac was here" tee or ball. 8)
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Good stuff Mac. Nice bumping into you this year and meeting you for the first time. Next time we'll have to get a round in.
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Wow, if you keep this pace up Mac, it seems quite possible you'll meet and play with every one of the 1500 worldwide blokes that post on GCA, by 2015. ;D
Maybe you should have some logo tees and balls made that are stamped, "Mac was here" and sprinkle the tees about teeing grounds and hit the odd drive into the grunge so scroungers like me (I never buy tees, since I always pick up others and just collect them along the way and don't think I bought balls all year hawking them in rough where I usually have to go anyway). With the notion of the six degrees of separation, it shouldn't take but a few years and every world wide golfer will have found and played with at least one "Mac was here" tee or ball. 8)
I'll order them today!!! ;D
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Thanks Eric, rumor is that the prize is a rangefinder! I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Clearly having middle-school level reading comprehension isn't a requirement to pass the NY bar. He was talking about me!
Eric,
I would be honored to be the first recipient of the "Riding Golfer of the Year" award. I think that there are fewer awards in the golfing community that truly reflect my passion and values more than the RGoY.
Why fight over it guys? There are two seats in a golf cart, so theoretically you both could win.
I have no problem sharing the award, just not with such a walking stalwart as KO. That man is a Melvyn in an ugly Irishman's clothing.
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Mac
I second all you say....but perhaps the funniest characterization of this site was offered up by Lorne Smith( damn I think thats his name) at Cline last fall during the 10 BUda.
We were in the locker room and one of the local golfers/ranchers inquired what was up with these blokes from all different points on the American/Uk golf map running around the golf course that day and Lorne, dressed in his plus fours and possibly ascot, replied that we were all participants in this internet "chat" room. I think maybe Boonie was standing there with me and we quickly edited that version to clarify that it was a golf discussion group. Our host by association looked mightily relieved
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Deleted
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Mac, that is an incredible year of golf.
We still haven't met but we've exchanged many emails over the past couple of years and I look forward to the day we finally get to tee it up together. Perhaps at the 5th Major in July!
Continued best wishes...
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You reckon you had a good year mac -
I hosted John Mayhugh, Patrick Kiser, Michael Whitaker, David Kelly, Brian Walshe,
Mark Ferguson, Scott Warren, Justin Ryan, Bruce Hardie and David Elvins among others...
And I'm rounding it out in the next 5 weeks with Chip Gaskins and Bill Schulz!
MM
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Mac
What a great year, all so well so celebrate, but alas the year was not as good as you convey in your thread, it shows defeatism, compromise and acceptance that the traditions of golf can be discarded at a moment’s notice. I of course am referring to the photo re your reply#55.
How any dedicated follower of the Royal & Ancient Game of Golf can lower his standards is beyond me (joke), but then I must remember that you have a good reason to fall back to the cart if needs arise.
Well done, it has been a brilliant year for you and your game, for that I do share your moment of celebration, of all on here you certainly deserve the respect of all of us for the way you have faced all the challenges head on yet all the time with such a positive frame of mind.
You are good for the game and I believe make a great Ambassador for all things Golf.
Melvyn
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The one exception, as I am sure most will agree, is that I met JC Jones on 2011! So you see, the site isn't perfect! :D
I must be out of the doghouse.
Signed,
F.N. Benham
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Wow, if you keep this pace up Mac, it seems quite possible you'll meet and play with every one of the 1500 worldwide blokes that post on GCA, by 2015. ;D
Maybe you should have some logo tees and balls made that are stamped, "Mac was here" and sprinkle the tees about teeing grounds and hit the odd drive into the grunge so scroungers like me (I never buy tees, since I always pick up others and just collect them along the way and don't think I bought balls all year hawking them in rough where I usually have to go anyway). With the notion of the six degrees of separation, it shouldn't take but a few years and every world wide golfer will have found and played with at least one "Mac was here" tee or ball. 8)
Dick...I kid you not. I got these for Christmas from the guys in my office. No requests. No hints. No nothing. Either you tipped them off or it was meant to be. ;D
(http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/mplumart/macwashere.jpg)
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Dick...I kid you not. I got these for Christmas from the guys in my office. No requests. No hints. No nothing. Either you tipped them off or it was meant to be. ;D
A nice gift from your colleagues. They're much kinder than I am. I sent my dad a few dozen of these...
(http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i352/hriefs/Martygolf.jpg)[/url]