Lister No. 3 -- Places to have my ashes scattered when I die

[Jay Flemma]

I may be an indifferent golfer, but all my life I have loved the game like a tour player and it has loved me back.  It is the cement that kept my family together.  I celebrate my life victories with golf.  I welcome my friends new and old with golf.  I comfort my pain with golf.  I shared many miracles on the golf course, including my father's surviving a heart attack and quadruple bypass at the age of 78.  I thanked the good Lord that day that I got to play with him again.  Golf has been part of the fabric of my life since I could walk.  I have played since I was three.  When I die I want my ashes scattered at courses that have warmed my heart.

Top 10 courses to have my ashes scattered when I die.

1. National Golf Links of America - Still my favorite, and the cornerstone of all great GCA to me.  The course where I came the closest to weeping with gratitude.  Holy ground to me.

2. Bulls Bay - I remember when we did the course draft in October of '08 and I drafted Strantz with the 3rd overall pick people said, "too early," but twice when my life was in turmoil, going there put my heart at peace.  I'm deeply grateful to call the Strantz family and Mike my friends, and cherish their mutual love and respect.  They were kind to me when I was green and grateful.  My first interview of any architect as a writer was Mike at Bulls Bay.  I feel Mike's there every time I play, and my heart lifts and sings when I get to the car park.  All the members feel the same way, and if you love Mike, it's a shrine to his memory.

3. Garden City - Being welcomed there to cover the Travis is an honor I look forward to each year.  I love it as much as covering the Open, Masters, Ryder Cup, and PGA.  It's a weekend in heaven, and I seem to write well each time.  Plus they are the inspiration for my favorite poem that I wrote, Our Green and Gothic Home.  I can't thank them enough for the honor of being of service to the club.

4.  MPCC Shore Course (see Number 2)

5. Augusta National - My yearly trip there is every bit as moving as the time I met Pope John Paul II as a Trinity student.

6. Oakmont - My favorite major venue and a quintessential course in U.S. history.  I fell in love with it almost as much as Nancy.

7.  Pacific Dunes - A heavenly spot to be buried.  Who could disagree?

8.  Winged Foot West - Another golf time capsule and one where I felt the touch of the Golf Gods the day Phil fell out of the sky with an almighty crash.  Terrible, but moving nonetheless.  Covering that day was unforgettable.

9.  Sawgrass - Playing there New Years Day is my second favorite way to spend New Years and was a tradition I still relish deeply.

10.  Hiawatha Landing - My first membership and a place that is still dear to me.  I placed 4th in the 2-day National Writers Tournament one year...when I could play...

Honorable Mentions:

Bethpage Black - Not really one of my faves but I must show it loyalty as it was my home course for ten years.

Black Mesa - A lovely view of heaven in the rugged wild of New Mexico.  plus I can haunt Eddie Peck's ass:)

When I die, and St. Andrew hands my my clubs at the Pearly Gates, look for me at these places on a starry night, playing with the troops of angels bright, with all their inextinguishable light of halos wings and Holy Might.  I know I'm no saint, but may God award my adamantine certainty of fighting for what is saintly by letting me spend eternity here with my beloved departed friends.

My next list...Top Ten Places to Propose marriage to your girl!

[Sean Leary]

Jay,

It seems like there was an order and protocol with this with George. Did he tell you to post?

[Ronald Montesano]

Why Jay Flemma rates in my top-five of must-read posters on this forum:

Good:  His training in law and whatever else gives him a gift with the language, no matter what the topic; his course selection for ash-scattering is top-notch; his access to places and people is hard- and well-earned...

Bad:  His name-dropping (tournaments he's covered, Pope John Paul II, National Writer's Tournament) is constant; his reach for a word like "adamantine" reminds me that fun writing is fun and serious writing is serious...

Ugly:  We all have our uglies, so I shan't cast any stones today.

Now, mind you, I'd have been much more impressed if he had mentioned meeting Pope JPI, as the poor prelate lasted only 33 days on the job.

[Scott Warren]

Someone must have hacked Jay's profile.

Jay would have done his list on his blog and just posted a link here

[Jud_T]

Nice list Jay, but only two public courses among the lot, and pricey ones at that.  How're the huddled masses going to commune with your spirit? 

[Jay Flemma]

Sean and Scott, thanks for the nice sentiments, and for the good idea...that would be a good article.  Yes, I cleared it with George, even though I may have surprised him with how quickly I turned it around.

Ron, it's not that hard to get an audience with the Pope, actually.  Colleges do it all the time with students abroad in Rome, and Trin had a Rome campus.

Anybody wanna talk about the choice of courses?

Jud:  I hear ya about not many of them are public, but this is a deeply personal list, not one meant for people to emulate.  Personally, I'd find it interesting to hear where others would like as their final golf resting place.

[Keith OHalloran]

Jay,
I like the list. I think I would like my ashes divided, so I can have them on several courses at once. Here is my wish list. Now, mind you I have no way to access the first two course on my own, so I think it will be very fun to see how my wife will do it with a bucket of ashes!
1. Put some long and left of the 11th green at Shinnecock. It feels like many a round died there, so it seems like a good resting place.
2. Put some in the huge bunker on the left of the 11th at Sand Hills, it seems like I have already spent eternity there anyway.
3. My home course just added about 80 bunkers. Hopefully I have enough years left to find a suitable place to spread some ashes and watch all future members have fun on the renovated course.

Keith

[Sean Leary]

Jay,

You might have mentioned that George told you to go ahead of Kyle. Otherwise, people will continue to think that you are the most narcissistic poster on here.

[Dan Boerger]

This is easy for me to answer. At my home club, and preferably on the greens. Look for your putts to drop if I like you.

P.S. - I hope this is many years off!

[Bob_Huntley]

Bad:  His name-dropping (tournaments he's covered, Pope John Paul II, National Writer's Tournament) is constant; his reach for a word like "adamantine" reminds me that fun writing is fun and serious writing is serious...

Ronald,

Are you opposed to all unusual multi-syllable words or just those used by Jay?

Bob

[Jay Flemma]

Thank you, Bob.  "A good vocabulary is like a banquet and most poor bastards never even bother to sit down and have a bite!" - Bryce Voter Lambert.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

My next list...Top Ten Places to Propose marriage to your girl!

Still waiting for this thread Jay.  I might be able to add to that one.

[Jay Flemma]

Thanks for the reminder.  Let me finish my article due today from the event I'm covering, and I'll get to it.  A day or two at the most.

Nice to see you Big D

[Sean_A]

Jay,

You might have mentioned that George told you to go ahead of Kyle. Otherwise, people will continue to think that you are the most narcissistic poster on here.

Jeepers - thats a bit harsh. 

Jay - assuming you are not a cat with nine lives, you will only have one pile of ashes to spread.  Where? Why?  When is probably too flirtatious with God's plan, but if you do know, tell us - maybe we help you live a day longer - tee hee. 

Ciao

[Jay Flemma]

Hey Sean, thanks for the props.  I don't want all my ashes scattered in one place.  Most of them will go in my family burial place, but a small packet can be spread in several places.  As for when, no one knows?  ...And I won't tempt fate by guessing.  I just pray I get enough time to make a good impact on as many lives as possible.  Narcissistic?  I don't think so...I think that's right in line with the human condition many of us share.

Although I will say I'm surprised that someone could call me narcissistic without ever meeting me, sharing a meal with me, playing golf with me, talking to me face to face or voice to voice, etc...I'd love to hear - over email or IM what his issue is, because I've never met him or crossed his path on a thread even.

And I also marvel that someone else who was told time and again that Ran specifically told me that the protocol was that if I chose, I could post links to an article I write here, would continue to object at every opportunity, despite countless posters telling him it's getting old and pointless.

Dick Daley, got any thoughts on this?

[Brian Marion]

Wow, Jay, I always told my wife to scatter mine at Pebble, even if she had to put me in her pocket and take a long walk (think Shawshank Redemption)

Reading your list, I still want Pebble but she may have to divide me up a bit........and travel!

[Jay Flemma]

As the executor of my will said, "Well someone will get a nice trip out of this and we'll have a few fond farewells in some nice places."

Granted, I don't expect to get every one on the wish list, but I've left instructions for a few.

Brian, that's the beauty of being cremated.  You can be shared with relatives and friends, and still have some in your burial marker with the family.

[Dave Falkner]

I cant get the image from the Big Lebowski out of my head

"Goodnight Sweet Prince!"

http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=8986