[Garland Bayley]

Chambers Bay
I organized the GCA preview round there. Played there with Anthony Gray the day before GRUDGE MATCH I. Closed Anthony out on the 17th hole after saving par from a near impossible lie. I defeated Kalen in GRUDGE MATCH II there. I played the US Open preview round there organized by Rich Choi, and for a while held the closest to the pin on 15. Played there with my buddy Bob after he destroyed the field at KP Sagebrush.

As a side note, Bob didn't have a handicap when he played Sagebrush so I suggested they give him a handicap two higher than mine. I have sensed there was some grumbling that we sandbagged them with that. However, when I next got together with him in Northern Ireland, I gave him 10 strokes and lost one match out of nine.

Addition: Perhaps I should mention it is also the most scenic course that I know of with the sea dotted with forested islands, and snow capped Olympic Mountains in the distance.

[Anthony Gray]

 I enjoyed La Romana. Enjoyed the golf and facilities. The people. The food. Then got married there and ruined my life. Wish my plane would have gone down in the ocean before I got there.


 Will say I went to St Andrews every year for a decade. Sometimes staying with the locals. They were guests at my house also. Enjoyed the town. Even got to caddy TOC and mow a little of it. Kingsbarns had great soup but the last time I stoped by to pickup a hat I was not allowed soup unless I had a tee time. The three people there had plenty of soup for themselves. The old town just smells old. I enjoy TOC more on Sunday than the orther days. Finally found the restaurants I liked. Took some fashion photos at Butts Wynde. Paid tribute every trip to Alan Robertson and the Morris’s. Just so peaceful. Slow. Chilly. The first time I went I got there on Saturday. Sunday walked the course. Entirely alone with just a rainbow that stayed with me. Never found that rainbow again but that’s ok. Got kicked out of a B&B once but got some punches in first. Knocked the side view mirror off my rental trying to stay on the correct side of the road. Really need to get back. Not so much to golf but to see old friends and familiar places.

[Kalen Braley]

I suspect these responses will be all over the map considering the best/favorite golfing experiences we've had often have nothing to do with the course.  Some of my best memories are playing round after round on a pair of DS 3 courses in the Spokane area that I would never recommend to anyone here should they find themselves in the area.  Whether it be early morning 5:00 AM summer time rounds, hours of competitive games on the putting green after work while knocking a few back, or squeezing in an evening 9 as the sun set over the final hole, it was all epic stuff!

P.S.  Garland, in full disclosure you failed to mention how I utterly eviscerated you in our KP Sagebrush match... 6 and 5 as I recall?  

[Tim Martin]

 I enjoyed La Romana. Enjoyed the golf and facilities. The people. The food. Then got married there and ruined my life. Wish my plane would have gone down in the ocean before I got there.


 Will say I went to St Andrews every year for a decade. Sometimes staying with the locals. They were guests at my house also. Enjoyed the town. Even got to caddy TOC and mow a little of it. Kingsbarns had great soup but the last time I stoped by to pickup a hat I was not allowed soup unless I had a tee time. The three people there had plenty of soup for themselves. The old town just smells old. I enjoy TOC more on Sunday than the orther days. Finally found the restaurants I liked. Took some fashion photos at Butts Wynde. Paid tribute every trip to Alan Robertson and the Morris’s. Just so peaceful. Slow. Chilly. The first time I went I got there on Saturday. Sunday walked the course. Entirely alone with just a rainbow that stayed with me. Never found that rainbow again but that’s ok. Got kicked out of a B&B once but got some punches in first. Knocked the side view mirror off my rental trying to stay on the correct side of the road. Really need to get back. Not so much to golf but to see old friends and familiar places.

Anthony-Glad your back. Great stuff!

[Doug Wright]

Bandon Dunes Resort

[Anthony Gray]

 I enjoyed La Romana. Enjoyed the golf and facilities. The people. The food. Then got married there and ruined my life. Wish my plane would have gone down in the ocean before I got there.


 Will say I went to St Andrews every year for a decade. Sometimes staying with the locals. They were guests at my house also. Enjoyed the town. Even got to caddy TOC and mow a little of it. Kingsbarns had great soup but the last time I stoped by to pickup a hat I was not allowed soup unless I had a tee time. The three people there had plenty of soup for themselves. The old town just smells old. I enjoy TOC more on Sunday than the orther days. Finally found the restaurants I liked. Took some fashion photos at Butts Wynde. Paid tribute every trip to Alan Robertson and the Morris’s. Just so peaceful. Slow. Chilly. The first time I went I got there on Saturday. Sunday walked the course. Entirely alone with just a rainbow that stayed with me. Never found that rainbow again but that’s ok. Got kicked out of a B&B once but got some punches in first. Knocked the side view mirror off my rental trying to stay on the correct side of the road. Really need to get back. Not so much to golf but to see old friends and familiar places.

Anthony-Glad your back. Great stuff!

 Thank you 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I’m glad I’m back too.

[Garland Bayley]

...
P.S.  Garland, in full disclosure you failed to mention how I utterly eviscerated you in our KP Sagebrush match... 6 and 5 as I recall?  

Kalen, you failed to mention that I had arthritis in my hands for that one, thereby under performing.

[Kalen Braley]

...
P.S.  Garland, in full disclosure you failed to mention how I utterly eviscerated you in our KP Sagebrush match... 6 and 5 as I recall?  

Kalen, you failed to mention that I had arthritis in my hands for that one, thereby under performing.

Garland,

Ha that's noting.  Try having my golf swing for a couple of decades...now that's a real liability. 

P.S.  That was such a great KP, I wish they were all like that.  Fantastic course, superb company, one of the coolest post-round hangout spots... the victory was just the cherry on top!

[Anthony Gray]

 Very nice thread Tommy. The GOLF TRIP is one of the Elements that makes golf so endearing. There is so much more to golf than hitting the sticks. It’s the whole experience. Football in the south is much better with a tailgate party and a course is much better with a nice town around it. Wonderful to have pleasant surroundings when not golfing. Great experiences like finding your way to the villa you don’t know the name of at 2AM in a Mexican town with a West Virginia shirt on. Or a world class fish bar. Enjoy the locals is always a plus. Just don’t marry one.


Much of my golf travel was as a single and I seemed to bond with the caddies. Been to their hoses and met their families. Kept in touch. I really enjoyed Donny Miller at Pinehurst. Second or third generation caddy and accomplished basketball player. I hadn’t been to pinehurst in many years and was there to get away and not golf when I was sitting on the patio. Donny was walking under the patio and looked up and saw me. Stop and smiled and said come on down. I had no clubs but he arranged them and we spent the next day together on No 2. Can’t remember one shot or my score.


 The caddies always know the best places to eat and the worst places to find trouble. My X father-in-law was a caddy at Casa de Campo and I still talk to him every week.


 My favorite place to be and golf is Bangkok. Never had a chance to golf there.


 Next year I hope to make a loop where I grew up and return to my golfing roots. Minimalist courses are all you have when coal miners are building courses. North central West Virginia as a great place to be and golf. Best Italian food in the world including Italy and hot dogs. Natural minimalistic public play courses that go back into time. Also the home of Fielding Yost, John McKay, Nick Saben and Jimbo Fischer. That’s 18 college football national championships.

[Quinn Thompson]

I was "stuck" in Japan last Christmas - I use stuck in quotations because I've been in more dire situations, obviously, but - I decided to make the most of it and spent 4 days and 3 nights down at The Kawana Hotel and Golf Course on the Izu Peninsula. Magical place - especially that time of year, when the korai grass goes dormant and the weather is spot-on. Played 1 day on the Fuji course and two on the Oshima course and spent the remaining time either driving around the Izu Peninsula, soaking in the hotel's outdoor onsen, or swinging on the old swing set in front of the old majestic hotel, with feet and eyes pointing towards the sea. My favorite place / golf escape / experience I've ever done; hands down on the table. I applied for a dishwashing position upon checking out, just cause I didn't want to leave the place...unfortunately, I still haven't heard back on that. People talk about the showers at Friar's Head - never been - but have you taken a post round soak in Kawana's locker room Onsen ? It's like being baptized again, or, for the first time - beautiful old tiled room. I'd recommend that to anyone who reads this: spend a Christmas at Kawana ( I'm sure the wife / partner wouldn't complain ), and if you do, bring a copy of Kawabata's "The Izu Dancer" and read it at the breakfast table and then go search out those places mentioned in the writings during you down time - The Izu Peninsula is the greatest place I've ever been to - plan on retiring there soon and opening up a Chicago Hot Dog shop; somewhere in Shimoda, by the beach.


Oh yeah - the golf courses ! They're both incredible and very different: the Fuji course being a "proper" 18 of "Championship length", and the Oshima course being short and quite quirky, which makes for an excuse to "stay and play" all the more worthwhile. And take a caddie out onto the Fuji Course and practice English with her; she'll love it.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Much of my golf travel was as a single and I seemed to bond with the caddies. Been to their hoses and met their families. Kept in touch. I really enjoyed Donny Miller at Pinehurst. Second or third generation caddy and accomplished basketball player. I hadn’t been to pinehurst in many years and was there to get away and not golf when I was sitting on the patio. Donny was walking under the patio and looked up and saw me. Stop and smiled and said come on down. I had no clubs but he arranged them and we spent the next day together on No 2. Can’t remember one shot or my score.


 The caddies always know the best places to eat and the worst places to find trouble. My X father-in-law was a caddy at Casa de Campo and I still talk to him every week.

Anthony, my very first trip was to Pinehurst with with my very best friend. It was 1982. I really had not been on many trips like that. We were there for five days and played 36 every day. The first day our caddie was a 70 year old named Ashley. He had been caddying there for forty years. After the first day he put on special green caddie outfit because "you get me me at my best."  He would walk down the the middle of the fairway and wherever our ball was he tell us the distance and how to hit the shot, but he NEVER left middle of the fairway. No matter where we hit the ball he'd tell us, "You can get home from there." Our last day and the third time we played #2 I told him that his job was to help me break 80. WE got to number four and I said give me the driver. He handed me the four wood. I said, "I want the four wood." He replied, "Do you want to break 80? Then hit the four wood." I did, madE birdie and shot 77.  That trip is one of my fondest memories.

[Anthony Gray]

Much of my golf travel was as a single and I seemed to bond with the caddies. Been to their hoses and met their families. Kept in touch. I really enjoyed Donny Miller at Pinehurst. Second or third generation caddy and accomplished basketball player. I hadn’t been to pinehurst in many years and was there to get away and not golf when I was sitting on the patio. Donny was walking under the patio and looked up and saw me. Stop and smiled and said come on down. I had no clubs but he arranged them and we spent the next day together on No 2. Can’t remember one shot or my score.


 The caddies always know the best places to eat and the worst places to find trouble. My X father-in-law was a caddy at Casa de Campo and I still talk to him every week.

Anthony, my very first trip was to Pinehurst with with my very best friend. It was 1982. I really had not been on many trips like that. We were there for five days and played 36 every day. The first day our caddie was a 70 year old named Ashley. He had been caddying there for forty years. After the first day he put on special green caddie outfit because "you get me me at my best."  He would walk down the the middle of the fairway and wherever our ball was he tell us the distance and how to hit the shot, but he NEVER left middle of the fairway. No matter where we hit the ball he'd tell us, "You can get home from there." Our last day and the third time we played #2 I told him that his job was to help me break 80. WE got to number four and I said give me the driver. He handed me the four wood. I said, "I want the four wood." He replied, "Do you want to break 80? Then hit the four wood." I did, madE birdie and shot 77.  That trip is one of my fondest memories.

  Made the trip- more special and memorable. My caddies aren’t familiar with the middle of the fairway.

[Richard Fisher]

Nothing remotely original in my choices


Harlech - the views, the challenge, the club atmosphere, the place I have had more fun than anywhere else on earth
Porthcawl - the setting, the challenge, the club atmosphere, the chance of bumping into a British Lion
Brancaster - the setting, the challenge, the club atmosphere, the peace and quiet and tranquillity of the far holes
Westward Ho! - the challenge, the club atmosphere, the view from the 6th tee, the sense of being just one amongst many 'recreations in a landscape'
St Andrews - for the town and university atmosphere as well as the golf
Prestwick - for the club atmosphere, and abiding sense of (huge) fun


Inland I love Huntercombe for the calm, quiet, the views, and civilised, gentle sense that surrounds the whole


As I said, nowt surprising here!

[Tommy Williamsen]

Nothing remotely original in my choices

Westward Ho! - the challenge, the club atmosphere, the view from the 6th tee, the sense of being just one amongst many 'recreations in a landscape'


As I said, nowt surprising here!

Richard, I had an overseas membership at RND for about ten years when I went to England to lecture at Oxford. I would spend a week there before I lectured. I enjoyed their competitions and the membership. I had the same B&B every year so I got to know my host. There is something nice about playing new courses every year, but after you have played most of the ones you want, there is something about being at place where you know folks and love the course.

[Pete_Pittock]

If there is any common theme in responses it seems to be an out of state course where you took up a membership. In my case it would be Sagebrush, where I felt like part of the family and seldom found an uninteresting shot.
Beyond that I would look to Prestwick, North Berwick, Pacific Dunes and Tara Iti.

[Richard Fisher]

Thanks Tommy, and 100% agreement. What were you teaching at the U of Ox?


I mucked up posting the second part of my message, which went on to add (again very unoriginally)


Prestwick
Hoylake
St Andrews


as my three favourite places to be and play golf amongst the historic Open venues of the UK. Either Hoylake or Prestwick would be top of my 'clubs you would most like to be a member of' listing, offering bags of history and tradition but also a huge sense of fun and sheer golfing enjoyment...

[Thomas Dai]

One of the nicest aspects of golf at least to me is the peace and tranquility of the course and the surroundings. Unless the Club take steps to reduce the amount of members and the amount of visitors, which obviously has financial consequences, big name locations and/or popular courses wouldn’t be my first choice because of the difficulty in getting to play them especially during the main season.
The joy of turning up unannounced at your home club and being able to walk out onto the 1st tee or start on another hole if the 1st tee is taken has long been an important aspect of the game to me.
That said my first choice was somewhere with a great deal of love herein and elsewhere although in my own defence my choice wasn’t the main course at the Club.
Atb

[Robin_Hiseman]

I think my special place is the 14th tee at Carne. I have very fond memories of taking my father to Carne, for the one and only time, and of us taking pause down by the ocean to tuck into our packed lunch, sit in the dune grass by the sea shore and watch the waves rolling in.


It takes a special effort to get to Carne and whilst everybody is smitten with the high dunes, it is this brief encounter with the Atlantic Ocean that I look forward to every time I visit.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Thanks Tommy, and 100% agreement. What were you teaching at the U of Ox?


I mucked up posting the second part of my message, which went on to add (again very unoriginally)


Prestwick
Hoylake
St Andrews


as my three favourite places to be and play golf amongst the historic Open venues of the UK. Either Hoylake or Prestwick would be top of my 'clubs you would most like to be a member of' listing, offering bags of history and tradition but also a huge sense of fun and sheer golfing enjoyment...

I was at Exeter usually for ten days and was part of a symposium that met at the Oxford Union.

[David Kelly]

Sunningdale at the beginning of a 36 hole - Old & New - day.

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