It's December 22nd.  Time to hear about everybody's 2005.  What were your architectual high points?  What courses surprised you?  What courses disappointed you?  What were your top ten courses for 2005?  What discoveries did you make in terms of designers or course styles?  Any good things happen off the golf course?  Fond memories of people or events associated with GolfClubAtlas?  Let's hear it!!!

Didn't play a whole lot this year, but the highlights were playing
2 of Gil Hanse's latest: Applebrook and French Creek. Also
enjoyed Kelly Blake Moran's Morgan Hill up in Easton, and
Torresdale Frankford..

Another highlight was watching an afternoon at the amateur @ Merion, then playing there a few months later.

I think my swing is finally coming back.

I made my first ever golf trip this year (a vacation including golf).  In Maui, I played at Kapalua Plantation and Bay, and also Kaanapali North.  Kaanapali and the Bay course ceased to impress me, though the Bay was cool due to ocean.  Plantation was great as everyone says plus I birdied 18.  It was my first CC course and now I really want to play another one...or two!  I also played Salishan in Oregon, and I was pleasantly surprised.

My Favorite 2005 Courses I had never played before:

1.Kapalua Plantation GC
2.Sudden Valley CC
3.Salishan GL
4.Mill Creek CC
5.Kaplaua Bay GC (because of the ocean)

One really cool thing that happened to me off course was Arnold Palmer helped me with an English Project and called my house from Pennsylvania.  It was cool and made me feel pretty special.  My goal for this year is to maybe play a golf with a member of GCA from the greater Seattle Area.    

My biggest surprise golf course of the year, was Black Sheep outside of Chicago, it was great, I can't say enough great things about it.  I'd fly up there to play it again at a drop of a hat.

My 2005 highlight was 11 rounds in 7 days, driving around Scotland with my dad.  The "surprises" of the trip were probably Boat of Garten and Kingussie (we witnessed a pretty sporty sheep dog demonstration up in the Highlands too).  

I played my first C&C (Cuscowilla) and was impressed with how much fun and interest fairway width and centerline hazards can create.

My wife birdied #7 at Pebble.  My dad (18-ish handicap) holed probably seventy feet worth of putts on the first three holes at TOC.  I went around Pinehurst #2 without a three putt.  I have tried (unsuccessfully) to explain to my golfing buddies why a biarritz green is not "tricked up."

I played the back nine at Birmingham CC with John Bernhardt, my only live GCA contact of the year.  I hope I can get to meet more of you guys next year -  

 

It is hard to compete with the GCA outing at Casa de Campo or Mucci's great Hidden Creek outing...

Starting construction of my first new solo course is my golf architecture highlight.

Mike, please tell us more about the new course!  

One of the only good things about getting a bit on in years is having time to travel and perhaps the wherewithal to enjoy great courses.  I had a wonderful year and the opportunity to play with a number of GCA folks.  It was all fun and thank you all.

My first ever hole in one in 50 years - at Stevinson Ranch at the Kings Putter.  With a driver.    Just missed another at Mid Pines at the Dixie Cup in Pinehurst (3" behind the hole - with a driver.)    Pasatiempo and Cypress after KP and a round with Ran and his hickories before the Dixie Cup.  Tobacco Road was a lot more fun and interesting than anticipated; seeing Mike Benham play it so well was exciting if a defeating experience!

Pennard, Painswick, Alwoodley (thank you Mark R), North Berwick, Crail and the Open at St Andrews.  Lunch with Goodale and girls in Aberdour.  Drinks with FBD outside the Dunvegan.

The Walker Cup at Chicago Golf Club, best golf viewing experience ever.  Start making plans now for Royal County Down in 2007!

Yale, the Creek (thanks Mike Sweeney), Friars Head.  Great trip in spite of Delta losing my clubs on a non-stop flight.

Talking Stick North South and We-ka-po last week in Arizona.

The ongoing construction of the new Pensacola CC about which more later.

As Frank Sinatra sang, "It was a very good year."  

Guess I'll respond to my topic.

My year was very good.  I played some very high profile courses and got to know the works of Alister MacKenzie, Seth Raynor, and AW Tillinghast better.  The course that really surprised me was The Meadow Club in the Bay area, WOW, that place is the ultimate hidden gem, amazing MacKenzie greens restored expertly by Mike DeVries.  I had more fun playing that golf course then I did any other course this year.  

I had the honor of playing golf with several people from GCA, many thanks to those that hosted me at their place, and those that made the trip down to Beechtree for a round. Off the golf course I got engaged, which is very exciting.

Great find for me: Stamford Golf Club in Stamford, NY. Their "new" course, built in 1937, is located a mile or so behind the original 9 that was located in Granthurst Park. It surrounded the Rexmere Hotel. Some of the old corridors can still be seen but houses were built on a lot of the old grounds. They are cottage style with arts and crafts thrown in here and there.

The "new' 18 is not long, about 6,300 yds, and landing areas are generous in most cases. Very little irrigation so you get brown and firm. The greens are a mix of flat, tiered and wildy undulating. Some are bunkered, some not. All are meduim-fast and in good repair.
Fun start- the 1st is a par 3 with a steep downhill drop of 50' or so to a green that slopes away from you.
Fun finish- a par 4 that is the reverse of the 1st, you play your second back up the steep hill. The surface of the green is blind and undulated and sits in a 1/2 bowl.
My favorite is the 12th, a slightly dowhill par 4 of 450 yards. Nearly impossible to find a flat lie on this canted fairway. The approach is to a smallish, mini-biarritz green.  
 
The views are very good, the staff is friendly, waiting is non-existent and if you play fast everyone out there lets you through with zero grief. Costs $20 to $26. A beer and a sandwich on the porch overlooking Mt. Utsayantha (Northern Catskills) is a great way and a great place to linger after a round.

I've asked but no one seems to recollect who the architect was.  

I had a pretty confined year.  I played more rounds than ever at home. I didn't go to anywhere I hadn't seen before, and only really a couple of trips beyond my home area - returning to Sutton Bay/ Nebraska.  I played in the coldest most invigorating rounds ever with some new GCA acquaintences.  It was actually brutally fun.  Then I returned to Nebraska later in year with one of my very best local friends to introduce him to both Wild Horse/Bayside and some of my very best GCA internet friends.  So, that in and of itself was most gratifying.  

"Being tracked down and receiving a large wedge of cash while drinking agua tinta at Ran's was a most pleasant surprise."

I have no idea why Sean was surprised about that - when I was planning my trip to the UK in July, Pennard sounded great so wanted to play and Sean said he would call and make the tee time, a very nice thing to do.  When we got there, I found out he had also paid the green fee in advance!  So I brought along an appropriate amount of $$$ to Pinehurst where I knew I'd see him.  

This all typified the spirit of generosity and camaradarie that to me makes GCA.com the wonderful organization it is.  Thanks for making those arrangements, Sean, Pennard is great fun!  

oh Sh**, Jim, I forgot !

but I will plead for the court's mercy because  I did include"etc" on my initial post!!

FF is a great course with in an almost too-good-to-be-true setting.......the white fence, the beautiful clubhouse, the hills...a truly idyllic scene...twas a beautiful day and a great morning Jim...even thought your tee balls went way too far past mine!

and you remember my goal for us this year!

pt

2005 was a great year for me in the world of golf course architecture.  First of all I played in Pat Mucci's Hidden Creek event with Tommie and George and had a great dinner with the guys at Chef Volas.  Also played Galloway while I was in the area which is my favorite Fazio course.  

Was lucky enough to get to Long Island and play Friar's Head, NGLA, Shinnecock and Maidstone, as well as walk a few holes at Sebonack.  There simply is nothing like it.

Played Kapalua and Princeville on a family trip to Hawaii, and I thought the Plantation course is one of the best ever.

Played Silverleaf, We-Ko-Pa, Quintero, Desert Mountain and Troon on a trip to Arizona, and they all were great.

Played Baltimore CC and French Creek on local trips which are great examples of classical and modern architecture.

I'm looking forward to trips to Hilton Head, Bandon and Nebraska this year to expand my knowledge of golf course architecture.

2005 was also the first year that both of my sons played with me which is the coolest experience of them all.