[Ryan Farrow]

"He's played half the Top 100 courses in America without paying. Or being invited. Who says membership has its privileges?"

Here is the entire article:

http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/travel/ranked/article/0,17742,1098034-1,00.html
(copy the entire text. The link wont display right)

I remember reading this article in golf magazine about a year ago and was just wondering what you all think about this man and what he has done. For those of you who belong to a more recognizable club do you feel this is a disrespectful and ignorant act?

I would like to hear more of his story. I hope he tried some other options before he decided that sneaking on was they only way to play a private course.
 Personally, I really can't blame someone for trying to play the best courses out there. I feel everyone with a true passion for golf shouldn’t be denied a round of golf because they are not extremely wealthy or are not friends with a golf clubs member.


At least the guy has a good GCA taste:

This is his comment on the National Golf Links of America
"Probably the best course I've ever played. A spectacular place -- makes Merion look like the local muni."

[Jim_Kennedy]

Ryan,
I think the guy should hook up with Jaka's blog buddy, T100.
Their reviewing styles are similar.

[rgkeller]

It is a little known fact that members of exclusive golf clubs love to have members of the masses play on their hallowed grounds. They do not publicize that fact because they cannot handle high volume. But they do abide the occasional interloper and with glee.

[Peter Galea]

 The guy probably pulls a "dine and dash" at some of the world's finest restaurants too.  He's a thief.

[Jim Adkisson]

Living a badly sliced drive off the second fairway at Waverley Country Club in Portland, OR when I was a teen presented my brother and I with the enticement of experiencing the glory of this "most exclusive club in the area"...

Crossing the lane and over the white fence we would go to play a few holes in the back corners of the course away from the prying eyes of the clubhouse...

We did this in the evening when the course was deserted and the grounds crews were all safely at home with their families...we loved the condition of the course and made sure to leave it in as good, or better shape when we were done for the night...

One evening we were out on a typical foray and an assistant pro locked up his brakes while on the drive out...he got out of his car came up to the fence...my brother and I thought we were "busted"...the pro yelled out, "Hey, if you guys are going to sneak on, at least look like you belong here, OK?"  We thanked him for the tip and told him we would look our country club best the next time we jumped the fence.

The next evening decked out in plaid pants and dress shirt smartly under a vee necked sweater we went out and played our typical 6 holes, disturbing none of the paying members, respecting the work of the greens crew and enjoying a beautiful summer evening together.

[Dan_Callahan]

I must admit that I snuck on a private course once. I was in high school and spent a weekend at the house of a girlfriend. I had little appreciation for golf architecture or history at the time. Her house backed up to a fairway, so we grabbed her dad's clubs and went out on the course. We probably played 12 or 13 holes before heading back inside for other activities. Turns out, the course was Essex Country Club. I can't remember a single hole. Damn.

[TEPaul]

Dan:

I sneaked onto a golf course---The Everglades---once with a girl but it was in the middle of the night and not the same thing as your sneaking or the sneaking of the guy mentioned in this thread. I guess they would've been pretty ticked off at me if they caught me but at least I wasn't playing their golf course.

[Jonathan McCord]

   I'm not sure if it's just me, but I LOVE kicking people off the course and confronting them when they sneak on.  I realize this sounds devilish, but you get some great stories on why their on the course in the first place, and some priceless reactions when they intially see me coming.

I love it!!!

[Emmy]

I've never favored the act of golf trespassing. I also never thought about the humbling and humorous life lessons associated with sneaking on golf courses (until I read this thread). Too funny!

[Dan Herrmann]

Back in high school, we used to pay green fees without carts at local public courses very late in the afternoon - VERY late.

We'd always walk so no carts were involved.

It'd get dark after several holes and then we went to work.  Off with the shoes and socks and into the ponds looking for golf balls (well - actually feeling for them with our feet).   We'd pull out about a hundred in a night, clean them up, keep the best for us, and sell the rest to folks in the neighborhood.

We were far from rich, and selling golf balls let us really enjoy the World's Greatest Game by footing the bill for our yearly golf passes at the local muni.

[Joel_Stewart]

I played Merion maybe 20 years ago on New Years Day when it was unseasonably warm.  We parked our car on Ardmore Ave. and started on the 3rd hole.  We looked very professional, waved to the marshall a few times and never had a problem.   It was a little gutsy when we finished the 18th and went to the 1st tee but by that time we had it made.

[Wayne Freeman]

A buddy of mine who played on the European tour for a couple of years in the 70's got married on the 15th green at Cypress Point.  The wedding party just ignored the trespassing signs on the nearby road......  they've been happy ever since!

[Anthony Butler]

I played Merion maybe 20 years ago on New Years Day when it was unseasonably warm.  We parked our car on Ardmore Ave. and started on the 3rd hole.  We looked very professional, waved to the marshall a few times and never had a problem.   It was a little gutsy when we finished the 18th and went to the 1st tee but by that time we had it made.

I too have done the Merion mid-round 'break-in'. Also gotten a few holes in late one summer week day at Shinnecock Hills. While not advocating that the country's elite private courses should be populated by non-fees paying interlopers, the key word is respect... A light carry bag for about 6 holes at the end of the day and following the club's dress code is the recipe for success. A light blue belt with whales on it will also throw any nosy marshal off.  

[HamiltonBHearst]

Sadly, it takes more than a whale belt for someone like you to belong Mr. Butler.  Do you check membership policies and attitudes before you sneak on?

[Craig Sweet]

Hamilton...you forgot a couple of other items to check...."pocketbook"...."connections"....

[rgkeller]

Sadly, it takes more than a whale belt for someone like you to belong Mr. Butler.  Do you check membership policies and attitudes before you sneak on?

I agree. He should add a pink shirt.

[Craig_Rokke]

I was unable to download the the article. Stories like this
strike me as far-fetched (50 of the top 100?), like the comment about Merion relative to the National. I'd be surprised if more than 10% of the guys on GCA have played 50 of the top 100, let alone done it illegally. I suppose such a feat is possible if you travel a lot and are determined enough.

The teenager in me says "keep up the good work, dude!" The adult says "I hope someone prosecutes your cocky ass."  My personal sneaking-on list is unimpressive with just six complimentary holes played at the scruffy Valley Forge GC as a 21 year old with youthful indiscretions.

[Kyle Harris]

Craig,

Good meeting you today.

Tell me, do you think that Valley Forge is in better shape now than it was then?  

[Bob_Huntley]

A buddy of mine who played on the European tour for a couple of years in the 70's got married on the 15th green at Cypress Point.  The wedding party just ignored the trespassing signs on the nearby road......  they've been happy ever since!

It's just as well that Charles de Bretteville didn't happen along, they would have spent the first night of their honeymoon in the Monterey County  pokey.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

My good friend Pete Galea was with me when I encountered a couple of trespassers who came off the 4th green at the Shore Course at MPCC. They were confused as to where to go. There is a bit of a cows gut as to which direction to take to play the fifth.

Another giveaway was that they were wearing shorts. After a brief interrogation it was obvious that they were sneakers. I pointed out that they were committing a misdemeanor, trespassing. Pete also reminded me that there was a felony involved... "Depriving an inkeeper of his income."

The culprits scooted off with nary a word of dissent.

Bob

[Craig_Rokke]

Craig,

Good meeting you today.

Tell me, do you think that Valley Forge is in better shape now than it was then?  

Likewise, Kyle. Valley Forge might be in better shape today.
It is a shame that another old course has bitten the dust.  With a little TLC and vision, it could have been better.

[Anthony Butler]

Sadly, it takes more than a whale belt for someone like you to belong Mr. Butler.  Do you check membership policies and attitudes before you sneak on?

I agree. He should add a pink shirt.

I try to remember that Hamilton grew up in a town where Michael Skakel represented someone who was "good membership' material for the local country club. Never mind, Hamilton, he should be available for a round in about 2030.

[Glenn Spencer]

Are you sure that it was Skakel, I thought someone just wandered in from the highway and killed Martha with his 6-iron.

[JLahrman]

For people who work at courses:

Is it common to actually prosecute sneakers?  Obviously it's within your rights.  Like others I will plead the 5th as to my sordid past, but a, uh,  good friend of mine has snuck on numerous courses.  He has never been cocky in that he knows he could get caught, but has never had anyone tell him worse than to scram.

[Anthony Butler]

Are you sure that it was Skakel, I thought someone just wandered in from the highway and killed Martha with his 6-iron.

Glenn, I heard that Danny Noonan was a suspect for many years. BTW-Also seemed to remember it was a five-iron.... Hamilton?

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