I am in, if you need a wee scottish guy for the goodies (rest of world)

cheers

jamie.

Venue: Moortown, Leeds home of the 1932 Ryder Cup. Nostalgia and a McKenzie Designed course. perfect!

I can help you with some of the US members....

The Dapper Bill McBride (wore plus fours at our last event, looked very classy)

Mr. Deeper than Deep Shivas - the man can pound the ball.

Mr. Bayou Bengal Bernhardt - no one lives and dies for LSU like this man.

Mr. True Scratch Player Fortson - our non-secret weapon.

Mr. Nicer than Nice Stan Whitey

Mr. Lori Wigler (if ever a man ought to be defined by his wife this is the one).

And of course the fact ROW is taking Goodale and Kilfara gives us a built-in excuse if we fall, so although we shall miss them I heartily endorse the idea.

TH

I'm only playing if the venue is Painswick.  Quick matches, more time for drinks.

This is my third try to post my thoughts on the format, something has happened each time to erase, maybe it's predestined!
Anyway, I think the question of participation and qualifying, etc, should be moot.  Wherever the match is played, the visiting team comes up with a number of players and the hosts match this number.  In this case, having Messrs Goodale and Kilfara as wild cards makes it simple.  A la the Kings Putter, whoever shows plays.  Rank all participants by handicap index and establish the pairings.  No need to qualify, no trips abroad which don't result in playing in all the matches.  After all, this event is not going to establish continental domination, it's just going to create a venue for GCA fellowship and good competition.

And by the way............when and where?  Macrahinish in May 2004 sounds awfully good!

With the help of Mr (More Posts) Tom Huckaby, we have some interesting [clean] names developing.

The team now reads:-

1)  Mr (Aerial himself) Scott Burroughs (dep' on location)
2)  Mr (More Posts) Tom Huckaby
3)  Mr (WANNABE!) Dan Kelly (but may not come)
4)  Mr (Dapper +4's /cut above) Bill McBride
5)  Mr (absurd -1.7 hcap!!!/longer than shivas) David Carroll
6)  Mr (info pls?) Michael Whitaker
7)  Mr (scr player/deeper than deep) Shivas
 Mr (Bayor Bengal Bernhardt/LSU/LSU)Tiger Bernhardt
9)  Mr (even more absurd!!!-True SCR Player) Jeff Fortson
10) Mr (Nicer than Nice) Stan Whitey
11) Mr (I.E.A.M.O.2.B.D.B.H.W.T.I.T.O) Lori Wigler
12) Mr (info pls?) Cabell Ackerly

ROTW  

1)  Mr James Edwards (ENG)
2)  Mr Ian Andrew (ENG)
3)  Mr (I'll have a hcap of 14 nxt year) Brian Philips (ENG/NOR)
4)  Mr Ronan Branigan (confirmed thanks BP)
5)  Mr Stuart Wilson (ENG)
6)  Mr Richard Myers (ENG)
7)  Mr Rich Goodale (New ROTW colleague)
 Mr Darren Kilfara (New ROTW colleague)
9)  Mr (secret weapon) Jamie Black (SCOT)
10) Mr (course analyst) Paul Turner
11) Miss (new secret weapon) Line Mortensen (DEN)
12) TBD

Mike,

Interesting idea - could be a possibility.  Also, lets come up with a name for the event as I'm sure it will become a regular event every year possibly two years.

Bill,

If we manage to get 12+ Americans on this side of the pond and 12+ ROTW players, you can be rest assured I will get press attention.  They would love to do a segment on architectural enthusiasts especially as it's a Ryder Cup Format.
Team colors that sort of thing.

All,

If we get say 34 players, the extra players will not miss a game of golf and no one will go home feeling like they haven't participated in the matches.  This was purely an idea to have a 12 aside team match on great courses meaning everyone gets the most out of the trip.  Everyone will be making a journey, spending cash, so we will accomodate everyone.

But, a team will be representing each side, each day so that a winner will be established.

If we manage to get 12+ Americans on this side of the pond and 12+ ROTW players, you can be rest assured I will get press attention.  They would love to do a segment on architectural enthusiasts especially as it's a Ryder Cup Format.
Team colors that sort of thing.

Press attention for a small gathering of unknown golf architecture enthusiasts?  Who'd be interested in that?  I certainly wouldn't think Joe Six-Pack, er, I mean Seamus Shotglass would care about that.

Scott,

I'm not saying that the BBC will cover the 3 days but maybe 1 of them   with a highlights package going over your way  ;)and then all the big boys on your side of the pond can fight it out for the future coverage rights.

Over here, we enjoy hearing about 24 players competing in a match on a famous course - it's just the way we are.

Tom,

Thank you - I'll keep in contact.

Dan,

Could this be arranged?  He might not be doing much next year?

Subject to all the caveats previously mentioned on this thread, count me in.  Dornoch or Ballybulion (sp) would be excellent candidates for venues, specially in the off-season when prices might be more reasonable and the weather a bit dicier.  If over-subscrived, a qualifier would be fine, maybe splitting the teams into A and B, and possibly having competitions between each class (USA-A vs.
ROTW-A, B vs. B, and totals as the tie-breaker). As Rich Goodale can attest to, I will need many strokes, but playing scratch within rather narrow handicap bands can work.  

Darren,

I guess it was Seamus MacDuff from Golf in the Kingdom that threw me off.  I'm embarrassed to say I've never read it  , but I can't find a reference to him being Irish (or not) on the internet.

More thoughts?  Only that you are 100% right on re all of this.  I'll be there in NM and solicit Ran re the idea.  Hell yes, it works better with his blessing, and thereby that of the site.

As for the Czar, you are so right that these things never actually happen without such a person... And it seems to me we have one:  this is JJSE's baby, so he's it until he says otherwise.  My offer to assist with travel and course arrangements, through the use of the wonderful company I use to handle such things when I go over, holds, however.  I stand ready when the word is given.

And you are VERY correct that if you're talking really any time in spring/summer 2004, now is absolutely not too early to make concrete plans, arrangements, reservations... the places we'd want to go are after all very popular, have limits on visitors, and do fill up quickly.  If we're talking a group of 32 or whatever we might already be too late for many courses....

TH

Rich I am glad you are bringing this up now too. I will miss New Mexico but 8 months is not that far away for a Scotland trip. We also need to figure the Kings Putter into all this.

That would be interesting, Tom!  Not only have the designated US and ROW teams, but also two blind stealth teams (NoCal and SoCal) so you never would know whether or not you wanted your teammate to make a putt since he might also be your opponent!  Cool.

TH,

The KP is early on its way to becoming a Left Coast major, a brand.  It should stand uninterrupted and undiluted on its own with the full support and sanctions of GCA.COM.

As a suggestion, why not hold the Ryder Cup during the early fall shoulder season in Ireland?  Certainly we can set football considerations aside for one weekend, and access as well as cost may be more manageable there.  I've heard it from several people that golf in Ireland is incomparable.

Now if we can get our friends in the NY/Philly metro areas to launch the Paul/Mucci/Childs/Cirba/Bahto et al. Matches in the summer, and with the various local and regional outings, we could have an active, geographically diverse schedule.  

As others have noted, the fellowship that this site fosters is a very neat thing.   We learn through these events that even though we may passionately disagree about some things, we all love the game, and genereally comport ourselves honorably.  The face-to-face contact softens some of the sharp edges, and we often learn that a guy such as JakaB is really a very nice man with a curious, mischevious bent.

All BS aside, May 2004 will not be a good Ryder Cup month for me with my son graduating from college.