Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Paul Jones on June 10, 2022, 10:20:50 AM
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Where have you been that was a unique experience?
This could be a nine hole muni with a box for honor pay system or could be a private tour of the wine cellar at Augusta Natl.
I am scheduled for a trip to Japan later this year and have not been this excited about a golf trip in a long time because of the unique golf experiences in Japan.
FYI...I have never played a course with honor pay system nor have I been given a tour of the wine cellar at ANGC and I have never been to Japan.
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One of the coolest experiences I've had in golf is driving towards St. Andrews. Just past the hotel, the expanse of grass of 1 and 18, the Swilcan Bridge, and the R&A clubhouse comes into view. The reaction is disbelief, that you're actually at the home of golf.
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These were two of my favourites days in golf:
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58358.msg1368603.html#msg1368603 (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58358.msg1368603.html#msg1368603)
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47989.msg1078101.html#msg1078101 (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47989.msg1078101.html#msg1078101)
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Steve,
We had a taxi/tour guide drive us from North Berwick to St. Andrews. When we got to St. Andrews, she gave us a quick driving tour, and near the end turns into what looks like a narrow alley, and we emerge driving on the 18th hole. I almost peed in my pants.
Ira
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Hard to beat playing my first round ever round on the Old Course, followed by a tour of the R&A clubhouse and then lunch upstairs in the dining room.
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My only round at The Old Course was done by waiting in line at the starter's hut. I woke up at 2:30 am and walked with my clubs down through the town of St. Andrews. Everything was perfectly quiet and I didn't see another person on my 5 or six block walk. It was just such a unique experience capped off, of course, by playing The Old Course for the first time later that morning.
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17 mile drive in Pebble Beach is the most beautiful drive in the world. Starting at the north entrance you drive past The Links at Spanish Bay, Moss Beach, MPCC Dunes and Shore courses, Granite Beach, Bird Rock, Seal Rock and beach, Spyglass Hill course, Cypress Point Club, the Del Monte forrest, the Lone Cypress, Pebble Beach Golf Links and finishing in Carmel by the Sea and Carmel Beach. The best mix of beauty and golf in the world. 8)
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Dinner in the R&A clubhouse. I was there for their Referees school and the class always ends with a dinner at the clubhouse. So cool to look at all the history in there.
I’ve played at a few courses with honor boxes. Durness during the pandemic is the one that sticks in my mind the most.
Running the Palmer Cup at Latrobe CC. This is the version between the club pros and amateurs in Western PA, not the college event. Arnold played in it every year. One year Doc Giffen asked us to rearrange the schedule. We had a shotgun start for the morning matches. When everyone finished there was a tour bus in the parking lot. We got in and we’re driven across the street to Mr. Palmer’s office. We toured it and talked with him in his office for a while. Then we went to the other end of the course where there was a large barn with all his stored memorabilia. The Penzoil tractor was in ther as well as a huge collection of clubs including one that was supposedly the driver he drove the green at Cherry Hills with although I believe they claim to have it there.
We went back for the afternoon matches and as always, Arnold played for the pros and then hung out in the bar with us for an hour or two telling stories.
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The one I always think of because it is so hard to describe but playing alone, with hardly anyone on the course, at New South Wales.
I was walking and carrying my bag and on the fifth hole which plays over a hill with a long gentlish slope down to a green on the edge of the water I hit a driver into the middle of the fairway. I am told a good player should carry the hill but I was left with a blind second shot.
I hit a five iron, which at the time was about a 190 yard club. I thought the shot perfect, over the crest and down the hill in the middle of the fairway.
Of course, I never found the ball and the "unique experience" part of the shot was that I I searched for about twenty minutes .
There was wind, and very firm conditions and I could not fathom where the ball could have stopped so my search entailed areas up the hill in the rough that must have been two hundred yards from the green, as well as green side bunkers, the rocks and water beyond the green and a glance in the hole as I walked by.
How neat that the ball could be anywhere?
Adding an architectural element, perhaps this experience was what initially turned me off from the parkland courses in my area, incuding my own which seem to prize high velcro rough.
I do think it also turns me off a little from all the modern courses that wind through sand both sides that effectively serves as the dreaded "saving bunker".
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Where have you been that was a unique experience?
This could be a nine hole muni with a box for honor pay system or could be a private tour of the wine cellar at Augusta Natl.
In the last month I have been fortunate enough to do both.(not really an honor box but a volunteer in a kiosk at a unique busy 9 hole "muni")
While the wine tour was "unique" to me, you probably can't guess which experience I can't wait to repeat.
Actually, you probably can.... ;) ;D
Not a complaint, but rather an embarrassment of good fortune.
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:)
Jeff W - and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving fellow, this unique experience that is the very epitome of unique experiences!
Now, to 'pay for' this abundance of good fortune, please share with us: what did you shoot?
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My time in the US military has afforded some unique playing experiences.
Being in the national capital region when president Obama, secretary Rice and I shared a home course (weird having snipers off the fairway and seeing a black SUV instead of a golf cart).
I learned to play at a course where a bad shot could hit a submarine.
I've played with anti-aircraft and active machine gun turrets off tees.
Recently played a round in Greenland on a course that wasn't much of a course despite the incredibly picturesque setting.
I also got to play a lot of golf in Asia and at first I didn't appreciate the customs. I left loving the shower, hot tub and cold tub at the end of the round, so Paul don't skip out on the locker room baths (it was definitely weird at first sitting naked in tubs with 10 other guys but it quickly became normal, although it never felt normal when one would ask me to scrub their back with a luffa).
My favorite was playing at USAFA the day before graduation. The fact that I was graduating was important but also the Thunderbirds practicing for the show the next day above the course. It felt like a wedge would bounce off the canopy as they flew by.
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:)
Jeff W - and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving fellow, this unique experience that is the very epitome of unique experiences!
Now, to 'pay for' this abundance of good fortune, please share with us: what did you shoot?
37...
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:D ;)
My time at Pine Valley stands out in my golf experiences. Meeting so many greats of the game from GCA to tour players was a rare experience and treasured to this day. As to all the members and guests from all walks of life who I worked for , thank you. Many remain friends to this day . For those who have passed the memories are still vivid.
But my special pleasure was to walk the course alone every night after work and try to hit shots and putt those fabulous greens from all angles before the drive home to the shore. On many an evening I would drop a bunch of balls around the greens and try to get up and down in two. There were so many interesting shots to try and again those greens. For many years no shot around the green scared me ...not necessarily the case now ;D
An aside to this is when it gets dark at PVGC it's really pitch black. Scary dark ! You can imagine the Jersey Devil showing up to work on his favorite bunker :o though he might be scared of then super Dick Bator too.....lol
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In 1964 I was a senior in high school. My father was stationed at Ft. Meade in Maryland where I played golf every day in the summer and after school three nights a week. One day during that summer, six black cars pulled into the golf course parking lot. One of the cars had plates that had five stars on it. No state name, just five gold stars. Most of us were hustled away, when a bald old man got out of the car with the five stars. It was Ike who came to play. He hit five shots on the practice tee then headed for the first tee with three other guys. I “liked Ike” after that a lot.
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17 mile drive in Pebble Beach is the most beautiful drive in the world. Starting at the north entrance you drive past The Links at Spanish Bay, Moss Beach, MPCC Dunes and Shore courses, Granite Beach, Bird Rock, Seal Rock and beach, Spyglass Hill course, Cypress Point Club, the Del Monte forrest, the Lone Cypress, Pebble Beach Golf Links and finishing in Carmel by the Sea and Carmel Beach. The best mix of beauty and golf in the world. 8)
Tim, again we agree. What is going on? I played Pebble and the next day Spyglass. All I wanted to do was call my dad and tell him how incredible it was but he had passed about a year before. Heading into Carmel for lunch with my wife before driving to San Fran I could hardly speak. My son is getting into golf and I will at some point take him out there. It’s magical.
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I had the opportunity to experience The Sheep Ranch about a decade before it became the actual golf course it is today. Back then, they just had (I think) a total of thirteen greens and fairways running every which way. A buddy of mine had a friend who had the key to the property, so for a good bottle of whiskey and a few bucks we got to go out there and spend a day picking our own holes ("okay from this tee here to that green there") and basically playing "Choose Your Own Adventure" golf.
While I've played courses before and since that were "better" golf courses, I'm not sure I've ever had a better golf experience. We played something like 54 holes and never replicated a single "hole" while having the time of our lives. At the greensite located at the end of what I think is Five Mile Point, with nobody else on the golf course, we just sat down and grabbed the sandwiches we brought along and ate lunch at the foot of the Pacific Ocean.
It's a shame that this concept is so difficult (probably near impossible) to replicate as it was absolutely joyous.
Curious if anyone on the thread here can imagine how one might replicate this concept elsewhere.
I think The Match course at PGA National has a choose your own tee element, but I'm not sure I know of any full blown golf course that replicates this concept. The Loop is somewhat similar in that you play the same greens from different directions, but it's not quite the same idea. I think there is also something called the Horse Course at the Prairie Club in Nebraska that has some component to it where you are picking the tees, but I'm not sure you have any flexibility on which greens you play to from those tees.
I understand how difficult it would be both in terms of how to handle traffic as well as how to create a viable business model for this idea, but we've got some of the best design (and golf business) minds in the world around here. If there is a way this could actually be workable, I bet someone on here has the idea for how you'd have to do it.
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Managing to organise 8 aside matches at Olympia Fields, Flossmoor, Chicago GC, Inverness, Oakland Hills and The Country Club on the same trip will go down as my most unique achievement.
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17 mile drive in Pebble Beach is the most beautiful drive in the world. Starting at the north entrance you drive past The Links at Spanish Bay, Moss Beach, MPCC Dunes and Shore courses, Granite Beach, Bird Rock, Seal Rock and beach, Spyglass Hill course, Cypress Point Club, the Del Monte forrest, the Lone Cypress, Pebble Beach Golf Links and finishing in Carmel by the Sea and Carmel Beach. The best mix of beauty and golf in the world. 8)
Tim, again we agree. What is going on? I played Pebble and the next day Spyglass. All I wanted to do was call my dad and tell him how incredible it was but he had passed about a year before. Heading into Carmel for lunch with my wife before driving to San Fran I could hardly speak. My son is getting into golf and I will at some point take him out there. It’s magical.
My most personal and meaningful moment on a golf course came a few weeks after my Dad passed away several years ago. He loved the game dearly. After his funeral, I grabbed a few of his balls. On the 16th tee at CPC, I grabbed one, turned toward the Pacific, and drove his ball into the ocean. I am pretty sure I have recounted this story on here before. Evidence of how deeply the moment resonates with me.
Ira
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;D
Ira that was beautiful....thanks for sharing
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17 mile drive in Pebble Beach is the most beautiful drive in the world. Starting at the north entrance you drive past The Links at Spanish Bay, Moss Beach, MPCC Dunes and Shore courses, Granite Beach, Bird Rock, Seal Rock and beach, Spyglass Hill course, Cypress Point Club, the Del Monte forrest, the Lone Cypress, Pebble Beach Golf Links and finishing in Carmel by the Sea and Carmel Beach. The best mix of beauty and golf in the world. 8)
Tim, again we agree. What is going on? I played Pebble and the next day Spyglass. All I wanted to do was call my dad and tell him how incredible it was but he had passed about a year before. Heading into Carmel for lunch with my wife before driving to San Fran I could hardly speak. My son is getting into golf and I will at some point take him out there. It’s magical.
Rob, if you start that drive a little farther north you can include Pacific Grove Golf Links, Lovers Point and Sunset Beach that your wife and son will love.
My folks passed away several years ago but we would go to Monterey at least twice a year on vacation and my mom who didn't play golf would wait for my dad and I at the 17th tee at Pacific Grove overlooking the crashing waves at Lovers Point. Great area and great memories. ;D
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My only round at The Old Course was done by waiting in line at the starter's hut. I woke up at 2:30 am and walked with my clubs down through the town of St. Andrews. Everything was perfectly quiet and I didn't see another person on my 5 or six block walk. It was just such a unique experience capped off, of course, by playing The Old Course for the first time later that morning.
Very similar for me. I was in line by 5am (October, so freezing my Titleists off...) and I had the old starter shack, the 1st tee, 18th green, and the entire fairways all to myself for about two hours. Just me and the stars.
The crowd started to shuffle in about 730am, I got my tee time set for about 11. Went back to my room (only a few blocks away near the Castle), crushed a full breakfast, took a nap, then had the best day ever.
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A couple of neat experiences for me, are similar to others stated above.
I was in my 20s, broke and traveling with my best friend to St Andrews. We shared a room in a small bed and breakfast and woke up at 4am to get in line at TOC. That entire week was amazing.
I was able to play Sheep Ranch 1.0 when it was trespassing. A friend of mine got to know the Sheep Ranch super and gave me directions and instructions on how to open the gate. I also got a map with letters for each green and whomever won the hole, got to pick the next green.
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Around 7 years ago Michael Whitaker and I played Nairn Portnoo in the morning and we were told by some folks at the course that we had to go and play Cruit Island which we had never heard of. So off we went with the final leg being a narrow one lane road leading us to the course. We went inside and were greeted by a sign saying we could be lifetime members for 1,000 Euros. We then paid the bartender 15 Euros and played this wonderful 9 holer with spectacular views of the sea from various points on the island.
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Some golf related meals:
Watching the President's Cup at Sand Hills with Coore, Crenshaw and crew celebrating the 10th anniversary of the course.
Lunch in the R&A clubhouse with Renton Laidlaw at the next table and being called to the first tee on the Old Course just as we finished the meal. I understand that the R&A no longer allows members to issue guest passes for the clubhouse so I doubt that one can be repeated unless accompanied.
The Lobster/Cigar dinner at the Creek Club. Food and setting are about as good as it gets.
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There’s a lot of unique experiences in golf. Some with the people you meet or play with, others with the grandeur of places you play.
In late April I played Augusta for the first time and was really taken back by the entire facility. We had probably a two hour tour of the administration building, the press center (which is incredible), Berkmans place, the tunnels around the facility and the media and social media buildings which are across the street. We stayed in the Butler cabin which to my surprise is 8 bedrooms and rivals a Four Seasons Hotel and then dinner which probably would receive a Michelin star if reviewed. Yes we received a tour of the wine cellar which was smaller then I expected but I live in California. Augusta doesn’t have one sommelier they have two. The amount of Screaming Eagle is astonishing. We also received a tour of another cellar under the clubhouse. This cellar which you view through a glass wall is of all the green jackets. There’s two video presentation’s of the history of the jacket and another on how they are made. It’s an amazing experience that takes multiple days and there’s a surprise around every turn.
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Winning 2005 Golf Magazine Armchair Architect Contest judged by TD & spending 3 days with him, Brian Slawnick & Brian Schneider at the ill fated Bay of Dreams.
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In late April I played Augusta for the first time and was really taken back by the entire facility. We had probably a two hour tour of the administration building, the press center (which is incredible), Berkmans place, the tunnels around the facility and the media and social media buildings which are across the street. We stayed in the Butler cabin which to my surprise is 8 bedrooms and rivals a Four Seasons Hotel and then dinner which probably would receive a Michelin star if reviewed. Yes we received a tour of the wine cellar which was smaller then I expected but I live in California. Augusta doesn’t have one sommelier they have two. The amount of Screaming Eagle is astonishing. We also received a tour of another cellar under the clubhouse. This cellar which you view through a glass wall is of all the green jackets. There’s two video presentation’s of the history of the jacket and another on how they are made. It’s an amazing experience that takes multiple days and there’s a surprise around every turn.
Fascinating details, Joel, thanks. Hard to imagine there's a better time to have that experience than in the immediate wake of the tournament.
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I’ll add my Augusta experience to the mix. I guess what makes mine unique is that I volunteered at The Masters for nine years.
As a “thank you” for working the tournament, the club invites volunteers and vendors back the week before Memorial Day weekend to play a round of golf (Play Day).
You’re given a tee time about a month before Play Day. When you get there the first thing everyone does is go to the main tournament pro shop building (not the real pro shop) where they are selling all the leftover stuff from the tournament for 50% off. Mind you, this was back when the current driving range was still a parking lot so it wasn’t like you had to walk very far to unload everything you just purchased.
You’d check in and then go hit some balls at the range. At this point you could do one of two things, you could go over to the par 3 Course and take a quick spin around before your tee time, or you could get on a list to slide into an open tee time on the main course that was earlier. I always opted for the latter because play stacked up as the day wore on, so the earlier you got out, the better.
There was typically a huge crowd hanging out on the first tee or putting on the practice green which ratcheted up the first tee nerves by a factor of five. When you get on the first tee and you feel like a teenage kid about to get lucky for the very first time. You can’t believe you’re actually doing this. “Just get it out there at least 200 yards.” That was goal. No piss missiles, or dubbed shots. Not in front of all these people.
The tee shot went off without a hitch and away we went. I should add that due to volume this was solely a golf cart affair, a unique experience for Augusta in itself. I’m not a cart guy, but for the volume of golfers, it was an absolute necessity.
I don’t know how fast the greens were relative to the tournament, but I found myself subconsciously hitting every putt a couple of clicks softer than I thought I should and I did fine.
You get done with your round and they have a nice spread for lunch served out near the oak tree. With your round finished you could tour the facilities which I found incredibly interesting. My favorite part was going up into the Crow’s Nest.
You could play the Par three course as much as you wanted, i.e. until you ran out of golf balls. And that’s exactly what I did.
It’s my belief that The Masters is by far the best fan experience in professional sports. It is always interesting to see the incremental improvements made each year. Concession tents becoming structures with fans. Porta potties evolving into buildings with actual plumbing. Upon returning in May? All gone.
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One of my most unique, happy and memorable golf experiences was a trip to Colorado and Nebraska about ten years ago. I was the unaccompanied guest of a former poster on this site at Ballyneal. We had never met and the only advice/caution he gave me was “Don’t be an A-hole” The only other golfer at Ballyneal that weekend was also a GCA poster. I basically had the course to myself for two days. I shared dinners with the then owner/founder of the club, exchanging golf and Grateful Dead concert stories; got a very helpful swing tip from the pro; and met the chef. After a twilight round, I called my host in Chicago to tell him that when I reached the fourth tee, which sits atop one of the highest points on the course with a vista that continues forever, to tell him that I was in golf Nirvana. He was in his car with his wife and asked me to repeat that for her and we all just laughed. From Holyoke, I was off for my 90-mile drive on a pitch-dark moonless night to Lake McConaughy for a stay and play at Bayside. At some point after exiting Interstate 80 the road to Bayside was closed for repair and my GPS couldn’t figure out an alternate route. After finding many a dead end, and driving down some long unpaved roads only to pull up to a farmhouse, I decided to go back through blockade and venture on the closed road. After about 15 minutes I finally saw a car coming toward me, flashed my lights to stop him and asked for directions. I was told by the guy (who reminded me of Carl Spackler and shouldn’t have been driving) I had just passed the entrance to Bayside and to back up, keeping an eye out for a gap in the post & rail fence, and that I could still make the party hosted by a Nebraska State Legislator in Cabin 4 if I hurried. At least I had that going for me, which was nice 😊
Another favorite and very unique, happy and memorable golf experience was the Halloween golf party at Wolf Point in 2017 where I had the pleasure of meeting Mike N, Don M and many other really nice people from this site, had the rare opportunity to play Wolf Point, see an air show overhead as we played, and win a sleeve of Wolf Point logo golf balls for my Halloween costume (I had no chance of winning anything for actually playing golf.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4493/38077594991_3135e5c1a7_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/211MCot)
Wolf Point #4 tee camel 811 (https://flic.kr/p/211MCot)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4506/38053703221_e191ec3b2e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZYFbcp)
Wolf Point airshow 2017 (https://flic.kr/p/ZYFbcp)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4469/38077589681_184c13a85b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/211MANV)
Wolf Point #10 ghost flying from flag (https://flic.kr/p/211MANV)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4543/26384112129_7785493a1a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GcttjZ)
SA as Bushwood golfer pre Halloween flight to Texas 2017 (https://flic.kr/p/GcttjZ)
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I had quite a few great memories at Wolf Point, but nothing beat the charity tournament we had quite a few years ago to support a local family. We had dinner the night before at the owner's restaurant and picked teams, I was caption of one team and Sam M was the captain of the other. All money went to family who lost everything in a fire.
The next day we did Ryder Cup type matches with no range finders and no yardages on the course. I was playing against Nuzzo and would always ask how far and he would give me the same answer about 125 yards no matter if the distance was 50 yards or 250 yards :-). The food was great, the golf was great, but the company and the cause was incredible. My wife even had hats made to give away for an additional donation to the family. I think we had people from 5 different countries and many different states.
Don and team made sure we had lots of beer and great food throughout the course. I miss that place !!!
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Just last week I had one of these.
Was in Bordeaux and Saint Emilion in SW France and, after 3 nights in the village, my wife and I stayed at Grand Saint Emilionais GC - a Tom Doak design.
arrived at the club at 7:00 pm and (we knew) it was closed. Checked into our cottage, grabbed a 7 iron and walked the course by ourselves. I was blown away.
Bordeaux wine country with no one in sight and zero outside noises on a TD course in June.
No fertilizers or chemicals used on the course. seemed all natural.
we walked up 18 at around 9:15 with plenty of light.
Wish I was smart enough to post pics as these are worth seeing.
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I was a walking scorer on Thursday afternoon last year at the US Women's Open at the Olympic Club. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that. The amount of information the scorers had to record for each of the 3 players in their group on each hole was comprehensive, far beyond just the score they made on each hole.
All went well thru the first 10 holes. Then, on the 11th hole, one of the players in the group, who was -3 and on the first page of the leaderboard, made a quadruple bogey 9. As you might imagine, that caused a bit of commotion in the scorer's tent and on the Golf Channel. I think it was the only quad-bogey made by any player during the entire tournament.
Meanwhile, one of the other players in the group, who was -1 thru 10 holes, birdied #11, #12 and #14 to move on to the first page of the leaderboard.
It was an exciting stretch of holes and a memorable afternoon.
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As mentioned by a few gents already, a day having lunch in the R&A clubhouse, then playing The Old Course, then having drinks in the R&A clubhouse made for one of the best days.
Played two rounds at Muirfield one magnificent day in early May, and during the afternoon alternate shot match we were the only four people on the golf course. This was two months before the 2013 Open.
Stayed and played at Ardfin last month. There were six in our party, and we were the only six guests on the property. That was an unbelievable experience...nothing but first class golf, accommodations, and service.
Maybe 25 years ago I was a club pro and was in a back room of our pro shop. All of a sudden I heard a voice talking and thought "That sounds an awful lot like Tom Watson...what the hell?" Sure enough, he was there with the club's developer, looking at an adjacent property. It was a treat to meet him...he was a total gentleman. Strange, the random things that sometimes cross your path.
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As mentioned by a few gents already, a day having lunch in the R&A clubhouse, then playing The Old Course, then having drinks in the R&A clubhouse made for one of the best days.
A great memory for me as well. Golf on The Old Course (5 birdies, a triple on 17 kept me from a career best) followed by lunch and drinks in the R&A clubhouse courtesy of the much missed Bob Huntley. He told me they stopped the practice of unaccompanied guests for lunch soon after. Not because of us...probably.
Others have mentioned similar experiences but I have a few great memories of being the only group all day on some of the greatest golf courses in the world, including a memorable 54 hole day at Morfontaine where they told us how to lock up after we left.
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I had quite a few great memories at Wolf Point, but nothing beat the charity tournament we had quite a few years ago to support a local family. We had dinner the night before at the owner's restaurant and picked teams, I was caption of one team and Sam M was the captain of the other. All money went to family who lost everything in a fire.
The next day we did Ryder Cup type matches with no range finders and no yardages on the course. I was playing against Nuzzo and would always ask how far and he would give me the same answer about 125 yards no matter if the distance was 50 yards or 250 yards :-). The food was great, the golf was great, but the company and the cause was incredible. My wife even had hats made to give away for an additional donation to the family. I think we had people from 5 different countries and many different states.
Don and team made sure we had lots of beer and great food throughout the course. I miss that place !!!
Every person I picked was for access purposes. When you don't win your team forgets you.
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Most memorable for me was playing TOC late on a summer evening. Rained all day until about 4 PM when the clouds parted in time for our 4:45 tee time. As we walked to the 18th tee box our wives joined us. The entire town and R&A clubhouse was bathed in a brilliant golden hue as the sun was settling behind us. The walk and requisite picture on the Swilken bridge was glorious.
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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.
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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.
Deep, brother. 8)
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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 :o
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Probably my most unique golf experience was playing the reversible William Flynn designed Picantico Hills course on the Rockefeller estate "Kykuit" in Tarrytown, NY. No doubt I have posted about this in the past.
After lunch with a client, my host who is a family member suggested we play golf since I had made the comment that my home club - Springdale, was redesigned by Flynn in 1926 and he was eager to show me the course.
The first tee is near the clubhouse with the hole playing down the hill and back up on the second, after our tee shots on the third the clouds parted revealing the most astounding view of the Hudson River looking up a big bend in the river.
Making the turn after nine requires playing back down the hole just finished.
My host suggested that I try his Hickory clubs and I took him up on his offer and played the back with the "Hicks". The 18th is a distinct par three and after enough swings with the old clubs I was able to hit a solid shot to the middle of the green, and sink the putt for birdie.
This was probably over twenty years ago, long before the Loop. I gather it is being marginal maintained now, although a quick look on Maps reveals some of the bunkers with newer white sand - so maybe there is hope that this unusual gem will live on.
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The Rockefeller Family are very strong environmentalists and they have rightfully nuked the golf course.
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I’m lucky to have quite a few, but two that stand out in terms of architecture were playing the original routing at Banff with a certain Morissette (thank you Ben!) and also playing Kingsley Club with Mike DeVries (thanks Bart!)
My wife and I stayed at Gleneagles a few years ago and the staff thought I was a writer, not a rater😂😂😂.
The halfway house lady stayed late out there to meet me😳. As I approached the 18th tee, a crowd of about 50 made their way out to the fairway. As I tried to figure what to do, a four plane dog fight took place overhead. Some rich guy had purchased the show for his birthday.
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Last month I visited Kykuit. By chance, there was a small exhibit in the carriage house about the family and golf. Before I write anything here, I will double check The Nature Faker to determine if the exhibit presented new info. Also trying to obtain History of The Pocantico Hills Golf Course by Steven C. Rockefeller, Jr.
I second Bill's use of astounding here and staggering elsewhere to describe the views. A word for the topography of the golf course: hilly!
OT: I knew the place has art, but so much and of such high quality! Astounding. Staggering. The attention to detail was very impressive. Our docent compared the (relative) restraint of Kykuit with the grandeur of Biltmore, suggesting they are representative of differing family temperaments. I am not qualified to comment on that. Nelson's mother was a founder of MOMA and he collected modern art in a big way. A huge Miro in the drawing room of a 1913 home! The list goes on. And yet I could see the docent's point. This property is the most beautiful place I have been.
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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 :o
This might be the best golf course architecture nerd story of all time!
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Playing with Greg Norman, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd in pro-ams
Playing unique hole at Cypress, Pebble, Yale, and so many more.
zlunch at National, staying at the 1708 House, meeting so many members of so many course all over the world.
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Strange that you refreshed this. My part of the “nerd” story is something I think about often. Something about pictures of the R and A, with people who have now passed on, give me a peaceful feeling. It is a shame Ben Hogan never saw St. Andrews. I believe it would have softened his exterior. Golf, GCA and the law run together in my mind, in some indescribable deep fashion. I understand the nerd element to this. Thanks for reminding me!
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Francesco Molinari & his family lived next door to us for about 4-6 months on Jackson Street in San Francisco over the summer of 2020. The funny thing is he did not play in the PGA Championship held at Harding Park that year.
I only had a chance to speak with him briefly a couple of times. After experiencing a cool, foggy & windy summer in San Francisco, Francesco & family departed to Los Angeles.
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I played in the Canadian Open Pro Am about a decade ago and Rory Sabbatini was the pro. During the pro am he and his ex-wife were (@FormerMrsSabo) were having a public spat on Twitter.
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A few weeks ago I played in a golf day at the Berkshire. As we played the 2nd we saw a four ball on the 16th green including a short old bloke dressed all in black who looked like, as one of the players in my groups said "that bloke, the one that always dresses in black". As we hit our tee shots on 3, one of our group (Giles Payne, sometime of this parish and a regular BUDAite) blocked his into the trees on the right. He turned round and received a playing lesson from Gary Player, who proceeded to have a chat with us before playing on up 17.
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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 :o
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.
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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.
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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. ;D
I also vividly recall his massive hands and as an older guy still had such a physical presence. What a day!
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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!
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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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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For 5 years my office was directly above the men's locker room at Bay Hill -- that was kinda cool...
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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.”
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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.