Starting Fri., 5/14/10 - Get To Know Ben Sims

[Dan Herrmann]

If you want to see a fascinating contrast to the Blue Angles/Thunderbirds (both of whom are awesome), check out the RCAF Snowbirds sometime.  Sublime beauty....

[Ben Sims]

Well they fly off those carriers, right?

The Blues have lost 3 planes and pilots in the 15 years I've lived here, all single aircraft crashes.  Didn't the Thunderbirds have a major multi-craft collision years ago?

All those guys perform unreal maneuvers at unreal speeds.   

Bill,

Yes they do.  And I'll tell you, a ton of effort is spent on being good at that skill.  Look at the aerial photos from say, NAS Pensacola and contrast that to say, Eglin AFB just down the road.  Look at the rubber pattern on the runway and see who practices landing on a spot.  It's certainly not the Air Force! 

The 'Birds lost a jet a few years back, but not the pilot.  He ejected safely. 

[Ben Sims]

If you want to see a fascinating contrast to the Blue Angles/Thunderbirds (both of whom are awesome), check out the RCAF Snowbirds sometime.  Sublime beauty....

Dan,

Those guys are on the list.  I really need to see them fly.

BTW, here's what I wrote about TPC San Antonio elsewhere.

...I walked holes 1-4, 7-9, 14-18 yesterday, and I wasn't very impressed.  Aesthetically, the edges of the bunkers and greens look like someone gave a rabid chimp a machete and asked them to make lines in the sod for fun.  They really went overboard in their attempt to be more natural.  I do like how deep the bunkers are, and about 2/3's of them were well positioned in my opinion.  The biggest consequence of the bunker depth and aesthetic so far seem to be a conditioning issue more than an architectural one; lots of sod separating in cracks due to the slopes and shape of the bunker walls.

 Most--if not all--of the green complexes are substantially raised above grade.  I would liked to have seen much more variety in that respect.  The internal contouring does  decent job of matching the external contouring of the green surrounds and fairways.  I was impressed with some of the creative pin placements available.   The double green at 2 and 7 is a desperate attempt at creativity.  It honestly has no business being a double green. 

In the end the course will do exactly what it was designed to do.  Which is a good thing for investors, the Tour, and those that wish to pay to play it.  It's definitely a cart course based on many of the ultra long transitions.  It is hard, requires long and straight tee shots, and aerial approaches to the raised greens.  Putting could be fun though.  Maybe I'm a architecture snob, I just wasn't all that impressed.  And all the folks in the gallery telling me how great it was was even more depressing.  Especially considering I was wearing my Old Macdonald hat that garnered ZERO questions.

[John Moore II]

Ben,
(sorry if these have been asked, my underway connection is slow and I don't have the patience to wait for the whole thread to load)
Where are you currently stationed?
What is your favorite military golf course actually at an operational base (Air Force Acedemy doesn't count)?
Primary airframe flown?
Favorite golf course anywhere?
Where do you want to be stationed next?
Most exotic/out of the way golf course played?

Thanks,
John

[Ben Sims]

Ben,
(sorry if these have been asked, my underway connection is slow and I don't have the patience to wait for the whole thread to load)
Where are you currently stationed?
What is your favorite military golf course actually at an operational base (Air Force Acedemy doesn't count)?
Primary airframe flown?
Favorite golf course anywhere?
Where do you want to be stationed next?
Most exotic/out of the way golf course played?

Thanks,
John

John,

Underway?  What vessel and port? 

1) Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, TX.

2) Hmm.  Other than Eisenhower at USAFA, I'll have to go with the course at Ramstein AB, Germany.  Although, Royal Worlington & Newmarket is so close to Mildenhall AB that it could count.

3) My primary airframe is the C-17.  But my current assignment is instructor in the T-6 Texan II.

4) My favorite golf course anywhere?  Geez.  That I've played?  Hmm, it's very close between Pac Dunes and Crystal Downs.  That I haven't played?  NGLA.   But honestly John.  I have a love affair with about 30 or so courses worldwide. 

5) I would like to be stationed at either Charleston, SC or McGuire AFB, NJ.  McGuire is very close to Philly.  It's all about the golf.

6)  Sheep Ranch has to take the cake here.  But as far as out of the way and exotic.  Places like Ballyneal and Kingsley come to mind as well. 

[John Moore II]

John,

Underway?  What vessel and port?  I'm on the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa out of Portsmouth, VA. Currently deployed in support of JIATF-South.

6)  Sheep Ranch has to take the cake here.  But as far as out of the way and exotic.  Places like Ballyneal and Kingsley come to mind as well. 
Lame, I was hoping to hear of something crazy out of the way in Kuwait City or something.

[Ben Sims]

John,

Underway?  What vessel and port?  I'm on the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa out of Portsmouth, VA. Currently deployed in support of JIATF-South.

6)  Sheep Ranch has to take the cake here.  But as far as out of the way and exotic.  Places like Ballyneal and Kingsley come to mind as well. 
Lame, I was hoping to hear of something crazy out of the way in Kuwait City or something.

John,

Nah, nothing too crazy. I haven't played a ton of golf overseas.  I'm not in the Coast Guard, so I actually have to work when I'm on duty

[Brad Fleischer]

Wow this site might have just jumped the shark. Of all the worthwhile people on this site to interview we get the bottom of the barrel.
Oh well as always I'm late to the party but better late than never so hear goes.

1) Aren't pilots supposed to be in shape ? How hard is it for you to get in and out of that small cockpit ?
2) Since your supposed to be in shape how in the world did you throw out your back out at CD ? Isn't that the same time you were trying to lose weight to fit in to your big and tall tux ?
3) Did it occur to you that since Mike D is a big CD fan he made that bunker that size so you could see it on the 7 tee ? Is it true you really don't like the size because you couldn't carry it with your bad back ?
4) What position did you play in baseball other than the bench ?

Ok some easier one's
5) The best bottle of wine you ever had ?
6) The most memorable bottle of wine you ever had ?
7) Your favorite type of wine ?
Who has the biggest influence on your architectural idea's of perfection ?
9) If Tom D asked you to join him for one round at any of the courses he has built which one would it be and why ?
10) He also say's you can only ask him one question and one question only and for the rest of the round you would have to keep your mouth shut what would that question be ?
11) Out of nowhere you mention Philly so what club would you join in Philly if money was no object and if they would have you and that's a big if ?
12) What has been the best part of your GCA experience ?
13) You must be smarter than you look so what was the hardest part of the Air Force Academy academically speaking ?
14) What advice would you give to somebody who wanted to learn to fly.
15) Is it possible to land a commercial jet like they do in the movies when both pilots wind up getting whacked ?
16) Since you bailed on Ballyhoo who should I make fun of now since you won't be there ?
17) What is your favorite single malt scotch ?
18) If you could make one change on Pacific Dunes, Pasa, and Ballyneal what would they be ?
19) Is it true you like the ground game because most times you can't hit the ball in the air ?
20) How bad did it kill you that as smart as you are there was no chance you could win the armchair contest since you can't read a topo map ?
21) How would you have made Jim C book better ?
22) What was your favorite line in  I'm on a Doak ?
23) I heard Wyatt gave you ten strokes a side and still beat you is that true ?
24) When did you realize CORKY was the perfect call sign for you ? God that's perfect .

Just so everyone knows and being that there has been a lot of negativity on here lately I consider Ben to be a gentleman and somewhat of a scholar but more importantly a friend . So please don't flame my inbox on Ben's behalf in case you found any of my questions insulting or in bad taste . It's bad enough he is held in such high regard around here .

Brad

[Dan Herrmann]

Ben,
Don't worry about your Old MacDonald hat not being recognized.  I can't tell you how many local Philly non-GCA guys don't know anything about Pine Valley, and it's only 50 miles from here.

[Ben Sims]

Wow this site might have just jumped the shark. Of all the worthwhile people on this site to interview we get the bottom of the barrel.
Oh well as always I'm late to the party but better late than never so hear goes.


Brad

Brad,

For a dude from Jersey, you sure are nice!  As I actually have to work for a living instead of patrolling 42nd Street, I will get to your questions this afternoon. 

[Brad Fleischer]

Ben

If I was from NY it would have been worse

Hey you get your views from the air i'll take my views from the street . Flying is work ? I thought that was a recreational activity ?
Eagerly awaiting your answers .

Have a nice day !!

Brad

[John Moore II]

John,

Underway?  What vessel and port?  I'm on the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa out of Portsmouth, VA. Currently deployed in support of JIATF-South.

6)  Sheep Ranch has to take the cake here.  But as far as out of the way and exotic.  Places like Ballyneal and Kingsley come to mind as well. 
Lame, I was hoping to hear of something crazy out of the way in Kuwait City or something.

John,

Nah, nothing too crazy. I haven't played a ton of golf overseas.  I'm not in the Coast Guard, so I actually have to work when I'm on duty

Hey, hey, hey now....I'll have you know that I started work at 0515 this morning and just now got off, 1930. The next 4-5 days look to be at least that amount of hours per day. So, I earn my keep too.     Pilots, puuhh...

[Ben Sims]

Wow this site might have just jumped the shark. Of all the worthwhile people on this site to interview we get the bottom of the barrel.
Oh well as always I'm late to the party but better late than never so hear goes.

1) Aren't pilots supposed to be in shape ? How hard is it for you to get in and out of that small cockpit ?
2) Since your supposed to be in shape how in the world did you throw out your back out at CD ? Isn't that the same time you were trying to lose weight to fit in to your big and tall tux ?
3) Did it occur to you that since Mike D is a big CD fan he made that bunker that size so you could see it on the 7 tee ? Is it true you really don't like the size because you couldn't carry it with your bad back ?
4) What position did you play in baseball other than the bench ?

Ok some easier one's
5) The best bottle of wine you ever had ?
6) The most memorable bottle of wine you ever had ?
7) Your favorite type of wine ?
Who has the biggest influence on your architectural idea's of perfection ?
9) If Tom D asked you to join him for one round at any of the courses he has built which one would it be and why ?
10) He also say's you can only ask him one question and one question only and for the rest of the round you would have to keep your mouth shut what would that question be ?
11) Out of nowhere you mention Philly so what club would you join in Philly if money was no object and if they would have you and that's a big if ?
12) What has been the best part of your GCA experience ?

Okay Turtle, I'm going to tackle all of these in two installments.  

1) I am in shape.  10:20 mile and half, 57 pushups and 54 situps in one minute.  That's our active duty fitness test.  Not very hard to climb in an out of the jet.  It's cool though.  The small cockpit feels like you are strapping ON the jet instead of strapping in the jet.

2) I have no idea.  It's one of the mysteries of my life.  Hasn't happened before or since.  But dude, after that bomb on #8, I had nothing left.  I couldn't even play through it. God was smiling on Jim Colton that day.

3) Okay, geez.  The fairway bunker on #8 at Kingsley.  I get it.  I am the ONLY person on the planet that doesn't like it.  I do like a bunker in that spot, just not so built up and huge and making the front of the green blind.  But as to argument about the view from 7.  I looked at a few pics and frankly, the bunkers in the foreground--left side of 7 fairway--dwarf the complex in the distance.  The only aesthetic reason I see for it's shape and size are the bunkers up int he native along the ridge on the right side of 8 fairway and how they trickle downhill to the aforementioned bunker complex.

4) I was a catcher.  I loved being a field general.  Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies, and I always loved that coach would trust me with our young "Nuke Laloosh's"

5) 2004 Silverado Solo.  Napa. Stags Leap. Single vineyard Cab that was the first wine I ever tasted and really understood how complex and beautiful wine could be.

6) 2006 Scott Paul "Audrey".  I had this wine at McKee's when on my Bandon trip last April.  Wow.  It's probably the "coolest" wine I've ever had.   Apparently, this Scott Paul guy is a genius with the elusive Pinot Noir.

7) That's so tough dude.  Probably Pinot Noir.  It's just hard to get right and you can drink it with anything, anytime.  But any cabernet that's "big" enough to "take my mom out for dinner and never call her back" is a good one too.

That's fairly up in the air right now.  I know what I like.  I think Tom D--obviously--has influenced me greatly just due to how many of his best I've played.  But CB Mac and Raynor have a hold on my ideas too.  I find myself driving down the road, building golf holes in my head and invariably I go back to the themes I've learned in reading Anatomy and Evangelist.  I've yet to play the perfect golf course.  I'm not sure I'd give a 10 to any of the best I've played.  But updated--for technology and modern conditioning--interpretations of classic themes strike me as close to perfect as you can get.  Old Mac may very well do it for me.

9) This may be a surprise, but probably Sebonack.  I've seen some of his other collaborative (loosely defined) work at Old Mac.  I'd be interested to see how he worked with Mr. Nicklaus and his people.  That's two very successful dudes on one very nice property.  And then maybe I could sneak in a round at The National.  

10) I'd say this.  I get to guess every time I see something that doesn't quite seem "doak-ish" and you have to say yes or no and why.  That'd be enough.

11)  Merion vs. Pine Valley.  Gulph Mills and Aronimink are in there too. That's so tough man.  Pine Valley by a nose hair.  But Merion is great for so many reasons other than just the routing and size.  

12) This is easy.  The friends.  In a bit over a year, I have met guys from all over.  NYC, Chicago, Texas, DC, Seattle, LA, Pittsburgh.  It goes on and on.  To a man, all have been great people.  Just solid, real, guys.  And almost 100% of them know a helluva lot more than I do about golf architecture.  Which obviously feeds my addiction even more.  I truly enjoy any opportunity I get to see golf courses with anyone, but especially my GCA friends.  

[Paul Stephenson]

If you want to see a fascinating contrast to the Blue Angles/Thunderbirds (both of whom are awesome), check out the RCAF Snowbirds sometime.  Sublime beauty....

I get a front row seat of The Snowbirds every year.  Captain Michael VandenBos Public School here in Whitby is named after a Snowbird pilot from nearby Oshawa killed in a training accident.  The Snowbirds do a flypast on the first day of school each year on their way home from the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto.  The whole school goes out to see it.


The guy in red at the podium is a member of the team.

[Ben Sims]

Wow this site might have just jumped the shark. Of all the worthwhile people on this site to interview we get the bottom of the barrel.
Oh well as always I'm late to the party but better late than never so hear goes.

13) You must be smarter than you look so what was the hardest part of the Air Force Academy academically speaking ?
14) What advice would you give to somebody who wanted to learn to fly.
15) Is it possible to land a commercial jet like they do in the movies when both pilots wind up getting whacked ?
16) Since you bailed on Ballyhoo who should I make fun of now since you won't be there ?
17) What is your favorite single malt scotch ?
18) If you could make one change on Pacific Dunes, Pasa, and Ballyneal what would they be ?
19) Is it true you like the ground game because most times you can't hit the ball in the air ?
20) How bad did it kill you that as smart as you are there was no chance you could win the armchair contest since you can't read a topo map ?
21) How would you have made Jim C book better ?
22) What was your favorite line in  I'm on a Doak ?
23) I heard Wyatt gave you ten strokes a side and still beat you is that true ?
24) When did you realize CORKY was the perfect call sign for you ? God that's perfect .

Just so everyone knows and being that there has been a lot of negativity on here lately I consider Ben to be a gentleman and somewhat of a scholar but more importantly a friend . So please don't flame my inbox on Ben's behalf in case you found any of my questions insulting or in bad taste . It's bad enough he is held in such high regard around here .

Brad

Alright Brad, back at it. 

13) I think what is so tough is the broad range of subjects in the core.  I was a business (management) major and my core classes consisted of 7 engineering classes, 4 maths, 4 sciences, 1 computer sci, 4 english and comp, 2 foreign language, 2 histories, 2 econs, etc, et al.  The academy called it "broad liberal".  I called it torture.  The normal semester was 6 classes.  I graduated with 164 hours.  Enough for a minor or double major at 90% of the schools out there.

14) Just do it.  It seems to cliche' to say, but if you want something in life, take it.  I never even considered that I wouldn't fly airplanes.  And I just did whatever I needed to do to get it done.  If that's be good in school, then be good in school.  If it's go a certain school, then find a way to get in.  If it's physiological, work as hard as possible to get a waiver. 

15) I doubt it.  I doubt that I could take a complete pedestrian and tell them over the radio what to do.  It's more intensive than that.  Just turning on the autopilot/autothrottles in the C-17 takes the right sequence of a dozen or so things.  So no, I don't think so.

16) I've been asked this one a lot.  I think Jim is ripe for the picking this year with his Cypress trip and book release.

17) Lagavulin.  If I'm drinking scotch--which is a once every couple months endeavor--I want something that has some power.  This stuff smells like pure scottish peat smoke.  It's a meaty scotch, and it suits my tastes for scotch well.

18) At Pac Dunes I wouldn't change a thing.  Even the extremely slight weaknesses aren't really weak at all.  At Pasa, all they need is a tree removal.  Some of the holes are laughable--6 and 7 in particular--in how tight they are.  At Ballyneal, I'd probably built up that saddle between the two dunes on 15 a little more.

19) I like the ground game because it affords options to those that don't play the ball in the "tour" style.  High and hard isn't the only way to play golf.   I get steamed when folks say, "you just don't like that particular hole because it's hard."  That's bunk!  I don't like that particular hole because it's only playable to 3% of the golfing population.  And for the record, I'll hit the ball higher and farther than you any day of the week.

20) You know, if the armchair archie contest had been more about routings and not presentation (just my opinion) then I think I woulld've had a shot if I had entered.  I need to get that The Design Process thread back up and running.  I think i had some nicely routed holes on there.  But that was only after Doak had fragged me a few times. 

21) Less Tang. 

22) There's two.  1) Use my ground game 'cause this lie is so crisp. 2) This ain't the Straits Course, this is real as it gets.

23) Not true.  I think the last time we played he gave me 6 pops a side and beat me 2&1.  Yeah, he's solid. 

24) I never realized it.  It was issued to me at a vile ceremony called a "Naming".  But I don't decrie its use.  I actually think it fits well.  And besides, that character was beloved. 

Whew...am I done yet? I blacked out a little there at the end.  24 questions?  Seriously man! 

[George Pazin]

Ben, I had a weird experience on a relatively small plane once, wondering if you could share some insight:

My wife and I were flying from Pittsburgh to DC (National) (didn't think it through - had a free ticket, thought flying to Newark would allow us to spend a little more time with friends - forgot about early arrivals, flying through DC, etc, ended up being the same door to door). Plane seated about 19, I think. What made the flight interesting (to be kind) was we were bouncing in every way possible - up and down, side to side, and even a little twisting thrown in. Various loud buzzers kept going off, almost sounded like stall indicators. This went on for close to the whole flight, which was maybe an hour. The pilot never once came on and said we were experiencing routine turbulence.

Were we as close to dying as it felt? My biggest regret on the flight was that I didn't ask the pilot how bad it was.

[Brad Fleischer]

CLAP CLAP CLAP....

I was going to give you more but I figured I would be nice I had some real zingers. I had a sheet at fifty but didn't want to piss anyone off .

Your right one out of every twenty swings you do hit one higher and farther . I was hoping for a little more on the what would you change but I figured you would take the easy way out as we all know about your stalker obsession.

I will take care of the rest when I see you in person

Thanks for the answers I enjoyed it immensely.

Turtle