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Brian_Sleeman

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #25 on: April 05, 2006, 08:28:46 AM »
Brian,

I do believe the course record is held by Gay Brewer with a 62.


Thanks for the correction.  I'd read about the 63 in Golfweek's recent rankings issue - specifically the article on Jim Langley:

"He got to play regularly, and in summer 1978 carded a 63, equaling an official course record then held by Ben Hogan and Bob Lunn (and matched some years later by Adam Scott)."

Maybe the 63's were in tournament conditions and the 62 was not.  In any case, I can't imagine a better course on which to hold the record!

David Wigler

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #26 on: April 05, 2006, 08:33:14 AM »
Jeff,

Very well said.  CPC is overwhelming to someone who is passionate about golf.  I read every post on CPC, as when each person describes their first time, it is a reminder to me of why I love golf.  Congratulations and great shooting.

Dave
And I took full blame then, and retain such now.  My utter ignorance in not trumpeting a course I have never seen remains inexcusable.
Tom Huckaby 2/24/04

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #27 on: April 05, 2006, 09:48:59 AM »
Jeff:
Welcome to the brotherhood.

And wait 'till you play Sand Hills.

I never thought CPC could be surpassed.

1. Sand Hills
2. CPC
3. NGLA


 ;D

Evan Fleisher

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #28 on: April 05, 2006, 09:58:27 AM »
Fortson,

Thanks for your recounting of the tale, and it is great to see your excitement telling the story of your magical day there.

Last year I had a chance to play, and to make a long story short some things happened to prevent me from making it out...I still regret it to this day and hope to get another chance once this century.  But I still love everyone's tales of their first time around and look forward to telling my own story one of these days....seems like an incredibly special place...

Born Rochester, MN. Grew up Miami, FL. Live Cleveland, OH. Handicap 13.2. Have 26 & 23 year old girls and wife of 29 years. I'm a Senior Supply Chain Business Analyst for Vitamix. Diehard walker, but tolerate cart riders! Love to travel, always have my sticks with me. Mollydooker for life!

Matt_Ward

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #29 on: April 05, 2006, 10:15:40 AM »
Jeff:

Thanks for the answers -- love the cig response / re: 18th hole.

Couple of others ...

1). Most overrated hole at CP ?

2). Most underrated hole at CP ?

Thanks ...

TEPaul

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #30 on: April 05, 2006, 10:15:56 AM »
Speaking of first times at Cypress Point, I believe I've told this story on here before but perhaps not.

It involves a friend of mine I went to school/school with many moons ago. He was always a good golfer and he went on to Princeton and I believe became the captain of the golf team.

Later he became a member of Five Farms G.C., Fishers Island G.C., Seminole G.C, Pine Valley G.C. and Merion G.C. (and those are only the ones I happen to know he belongs to---there may be more)

When he was still in college he traveled out to the west coast and played Cypress Point for his first time. Apparently while playing with the president of the club he shot what reputedly was or was close to the course record (perhaps for an amateur). And as he putted out on the 18th green the president of the club said to him;

"Mike, would you like to be a member of Cypress Point, because if you would I'm prepared to make you a member before you walk off this putting green?"

Mike, somewhat taken aback, says he thought about that for a few seconds and then said;

"Sir, that is such a nice offer but I just can't imagine when I'd ever be out here again, so thank you very much, but no thanks."

The denoument of this story when Mike tells it is:

"If you ever hear I committed suicide, now you'll know why."

(He says, without question it was the stupidest move he ever made in his entire life).
« Last Edit: April 05, 2006, 10:17:04 AM by TEPaul »

A_Clay_Man

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #31 on: April 05, 2006, 10:18:44 AM »
Realy liked the reference to fun. Versus the taxing golf many aspire to create.

Jeff, Isn't it amazing that as great as CPC is, to some, it is #2 in the neighborhood?

TEPaul

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #32 on: April 05, 2006, 10:26:26 AM »
"Jeff, Isn't it amazing that as great as CPC is, to some, it is #2 in the neighborhood?"

That's what that friend of mine from PVGC basically said in that year when the moon must have been in the wrong heaven and Pebble was voted #1 over PVGC for that single unfortunate year. He said;

"For God's sakes, that golf course isn't even #1 on its own peninsula."

....and not long after that those who run Pebble Beach came to play PVGC and were overheard in the parking lot to say:

"Our gplf course is nowhere near as good as this one."


;)

Gene Greco

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #33 on: April 05, 2006, 10:39:40 AM »
Jeff:

     As Tom H. states above, welcome to the club which firmly believes golf is GAME and is meant to be FUN!

Even the tone of your post is much subdued from previous ones. Indeed, so reverential. And rightly so.

It DOES seem as if you were born again.
"...I don't believe it is impossible to build a modern course as good as Pine Valley.  To me, Sand Hills is just as good as Pine Valley..."    TOM DOAK  November 6th, 2010

Mark_Fine

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #34 on: April 05, 2006, 10:47:32 AM »
Jeff,
Now you know why some of us have played or try to play most of the great golf courses of the world  ;)  Some people discount that experience.  Honestly, I think there is nothing better than being there to see and play courses like CP first hand.  I'm going to PV for two days starting tomorrow.  Like CP, not a bad place either to enjoy and study golf course design.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2006, 10:49:01 AM by Mark_Fine »

Mark Arata

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #35 on: April 05, 2006, 11:07:08 AM »
Having just played CPC for the 1st time on Friday, (well, 16 holes anyway, as most of you know by now ;D), I agree with everything said about it on this thread. The greatest golfing day of my life, and something I will never forget. I have been lucky enough to play a bunch of really wonderful courses, but I really cant imagine anything beating this.
New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #36 on: April 05, 2006, 11:08:47 AM »
Mark - you'll be pleased to note Mr. Huntley was telling tales about you blokes via the telephone as well... well done marching on to play 15 and 16.  One does only live once!

 ;D
« Last Edit: April 05, 2006, 11:09:11 AM by Tom Huckaby »

Mark Arata

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #37 on: April 05, 2006, 11:13:31 AM »
"The sea was angry that day my friends.....like an old man trying to return soup at the deli........"

We really would have kept going, but we couldnt even see the 17th tee box, and the hail was putting dents in my skull.....thanks to the caddie that switched bags on me and left my umbrella and rain gear behind  :P He does get some credit for staying out there with us though.

Honestly, short of that hole (16) falling off into the sea, nothing was going to stop me from playing it!
New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #38 on: April 05, 2006, 11:14:52 AM »
Mark, that elicited definite audible yuks.

I use that line all the time on my kids... basically any time we're near any body of water...

 ;D ;D ;D

You shall go down in legend.

TH

Sean Leary

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #39 on: April 05, 2006, 11:17:26 AM »
I have nightmares about getting the call to play CP and getting rained out.  I don't know if that is worse or playing up to 14 and not being able to continue for whatever reason.

Mark Arata

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #40 on: April 05, 2006, 11:26:53 AM »
All I can say is that it speaks to how gracious Bob and Enzo were to put up with that weather and allow us to play that day. It would have been bad have a round rained out, but to fly across country to have it rained out would have been a double whammy.

It was absolutly goregous when we started, and on the 3rd hole, in full sunshine, Enzo tells the caddie that the weather is coming in.....by the time we got to 10, it started raining, and when we finished 13, it was really on........I think they might have played there a few times to see that coming eh?



New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

ed_getka

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #41 on: April 05, 2006, 11:30:10 AM »
Jeff and Mark,
   How about that walk from 15 through the trees and then have the tableau of #16 open up before you. One of my favorite experiences that never gets old.
    Heaven on earth, glad you guys had the chance to see it. Hopefully James B isn't being washed out to sea as we speak.
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Mike Benham

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #42 on: April 05, 2006, 11:51:21 AM »
One of my first posts on GCA, was to state that CPC was over-rated in a thread titled "Most Overrated Course".  My slant was that CPC was not a difficult golf course, and it was I who assumed that CPC's high ranking was based solely on difficulty.

As many have noted here, it is fun golf, challenging, not in ball-buster mentality, but a course where most mortals might hit every club in the bag.  The greens look simple but are anything but.

The setting is wonderful, peaceful and gives the impression that the masses of mankind are hundreds of miles away.  Playing it in the rain is quite enjoyable.


Ed - the walk from 14 green to 15 tee also gets the heart a pumping ...

"... and I liked the guy ..."

Mark Arata

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #43 on: April 05, 2006, 01:01:11 PM »
I dont know about you, but the opening tee shot is pretty terrifiying....standing in front of the clubhouse, hitting to a blind fairway over a hedge, just thinking you are there to start your round on one of the most famous courses in the world and you could easily kill someone if you duff it.....Never been that nervous in my life.

Everything about the place gets your heart pumping, but once you got between the opening on 14 and saw that amazing Cypress tree, and then walk across to the 15th, it was like an out of body experience....(and believe me, no one would like to be out of this body more than me ;) )
New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #44 on: April 05, 2006, 01:04:14 PM »
Mark - ok, you need to fess up - you're either a stand-up comedian or a writer of comedy in real life, right?  Man you are killing me today....

 ;D ;D

In any case I'm sure as hell with you re #1 tee shot.  I've survived there only by going brain-dead as much as possible (not much of a stretch) and trying to swing away.

You want NERVOUS though?  Try 16 tee on a doable day... Oh, that was only the one single shot I had dreamed about my whole freakin' life... no pressure on that one, not at all...

 ;D

Eric Franzen

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #45 on: April 05, 2006, 01:19:59 PM »

In any case I'm sure as hell with you re #1 tee shot.  I've survived there only by going brain-dead as much as possible (not much of a stretch) and trying to swing away.

You want NERVOUS though?  Try 16 tee on a doable day... Oh, that was only the one single shot I had dreamed about my whole freakin' life... no pressure on that one, not at all...

 ;D

Oh yes, a thrilling shot. But still it is just you, fellow players and the caddies in a very secluded area ...and the sea lions.

The first tee shot at TOC. In front of 50 people or so. That is scary. That is pressure. That is terror... that only a few pre-round pints a Russacks can cure.

 

Mark Arata

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #46 on: April 05, 2006, 01:20:36 PM »
Just a fat guy from NJ with a twisted view of the world.......

16 wasnt really an issue, because when we got there, it was so bad I didnt think there was anything in my bag that could reach it. Best shot of the day to get it on the front left of the green (Full disclosure, my first ball sleeps with the fishes, it was a mulligan....of course, it was pouring and the wind was blowing like 35 mph....)

The 2nd scariest shot of the day was 15, I had a decent round (for me) going, and they had the pin on 15 lower left, looked like you had about a 3 foot circle to land the ball in to get it close, and of course, I missed that by oh...30 yards.  You can see all of the hazards on 15, really gets into your head. For some reason, standing on 16 you think that long left is safe and it really isnt.


New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #47 on: April 05, 2006, 01:22:21 PM »
Eric:

I've done that one as well.  Oh yes, it is an ass-tightener for sure, for EXACTLY the reasons you state.  It's just such a relatively easy shot - any sort of solid contact, aimed left, ends up just fine - that it is a tiny bit less puckering, for me, than 16 Cypress.

But these are both in the pantheon of ass-tighteners, for sure.

 ;)

TH

ps - you know what's also GREAT fun?  Sitting inside the R&A clubhouse, drink in hand, CASTING that evil eye.  Oh yes, that was VERY fun indeed.

Tom Huckaby

Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #48 on: April 05, 2006, 01:23:58 PM »
Mark - understood re how 16 played out for you -that's why I said "doable day" in my post.

And heck yeah, 15 is a tightener as well... for different reasons.. it's so short you're SUPPOSED to get it on.  But that green ain't that easy to hit, is it?  And once on, there are no gimme putts.

 ;)

Eric Franzen

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Re:Cypress Point - I'm a changed person
« Reply #49 on: April 05, 2006, 01:43:47 PM »
ps - you know what's also GREAT fun?  Sitting inside the R&A clubhouse, drink in hand, CASTING that evil eye.  Oh yes, that was VERY fun indeed.

I can only imagine. Mortals like me have to stick to the pints at Russacks and a window seat next to the 1st/18th fairway.

I was just yanking you chain a little bit (...since I am a bit restless before the champions league game between Arsenal and Juventus starts). As you state, 16th at CPC is a make it or break moment while TOC still offers you relief when the wings of history and the bystanders gets a bit too overwhelming.

Anyway, Jeff and Mark. Thanks for sharing your stories about CPC. I really enjoyed reading them.

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