The "Best in the World" hype.

[T_MacWood]

I have no idea about Emmet and Travis’s sexual preferences…I have seen pictures of their wives, and based on that, bestiality is not out of the question.

Regarding the Old Man’s ability to generate tremendous power from his small wiry frame—there is a connection between the mechanics of the sex act and the golf swing.

The point in the sex act when the body seems to be in a state of suspended animation, not going up, nor going down, but suspended for a split second in some kind of mysterious leveraged mode, more or less defying the laws of gravity (and physics), this is known as Full Relkney. Travis was one of the few golfers in history able to reach Full Relkney with his golf swing…some claim the fact he wore a truss was the key.

Regarding my own game….I’ve been having a lot of trouble off the tee lately.

[TEPaul]

Tom MacWood:

I'm familiar with the linksland style of architecture---the heathland, parkland, mountain, desert style, the sand-belt style, even the "gay" style, and recently the "arts and crafts" style of architecture. Would you say Walter Travis's style of architecture could fairly be called the "full relkney" style of architecture?

[Mike_Cirba]

Tom MacWood:

I'm familiar with the linksland style of architecture---the heathland, parkland, mountain, desert style, the sand-belt style, even the "gay" style, and recently the "arts and crafts" style of architecture. Would you say Walter Travis's style of architecture could fairly be called the "full relkney" style of architecture?

Tom Paul,

You must get out more.

Actually, Hollywood would have been one of the first "full Relkney" (it's always proper to capitalize Relkney, named after the first practicioner, Elsnore Relkney, a 16th century drifter who spent his life perfecting the art) courses and was for a number of years, until...

First, Tillinghast, in his "selling out" period removed tons of symbolic and functional bunkers in the 30s, ostensibly to save the club money (but he obviously had darker motives, as despite his repeated and clumsy attempts, was unable to actually perform the Relkney successfully, leading to his departure from the profession and subsequent death) , and then...

Rees Jones came along and "Reesified" the surrounds of the remaining bunkers and mounding, removing the last vestiges of "Relknian" architecture.

[T_MacWood]

TE
I'm surprised you're not familiar with the Relknian-style, sometimes referred to as the Hicksville School. It was a small school, just Travis and his protege, HH Barker. Dev Emmet was in it for a short time, but he was expelled.

[Mike_Cirba]

On a hot tip, I just called some guy in Merchantville, and mentioned Relkney and George Crump in the same sentence.  

The hesitant, startled silence, and subsequently speedy hang-up on the other end spoke volumes.  

[Kyle Harris]

Wow, how does a thread go from Best in the World to questioning the sexual preference of Dev Emmet and Walter Travis???

Mike, you need to get out of Conshohocken, that Schuylkill River water is playing with your mind.

[Mike_Cirba]

Wow, how does a thread go from Best in the World to questioning the sexual preference of Dev Emmet and Walter Travis???

Mike, you need to get out of Conshohocken, that Schuylkill River water is playing with your mind.

Kyle,

Actually, I have moved from Conshohocken, having been asked to leav...ahem...having forcibly been...er....well, let's just say that I've moved further out in the burbs.

That being said, and because you're relatively new to this vaunted Discussion Group, I would point you to the following thread as the source of many of our conjectures regarding that experimenting little pioneer, Devereaux Emmett, and his particular proclivities.  I suggest that pages 4 & 5 of the thread are particularly illustrative.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=15487;start=75

[T_MacWood]

Mike
I'm not surprised, they are a wee bit jumpy in Merchantville...I understand there's been a run on Depends in the village.

The truth is Crump was experimenting with full Relkney, unfortunately  he wasn't exactly fit (being stuck in a cabin for three years will do that to you...Ted Kasinski was also a mess). It didn't go well. He severely pulled his groin. The groin is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone is connected to the jaw bone, the jaw bone is connected to infected teeth, and next thing you know you've got brain abscess.

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

Thanks for that. Oddly juxtaposed since I have actually told myself to learn more about Emmet and play more of his courses this season.

Where in the burbs?

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,

Thanks for that. Oddly juxtaposed since I have actually told myself to learn more about Emmet and play more of his courses this season.

Where in the burbs?

Kyle,

I'm in Douglassville, which is an architectural haven for golf course study.

I'm trying to decide where to spend my time between John McLean's gem at Arrowhead Golf Course, Richard Kidder's brilliant creation at Hickory Valley, Leon Sell's vaunted work at Twin Ponds, Robert Sterrett's blaze of glory at the 1997 course that's changed names three times since inception (near the nuclear plant), John Benincasa's subtly challenging course at Gilbertsville, and Ed Beidel's beauty at Turtle Creek.

Not to mention that I'm now closer to the storied courses in Reading, PA, and all that entails.

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

Quite familiar with Douglassville, Great Aunt and Uncle lived there until they got flooded in the seventies... (You're still close to the Schuylkill, what you float upstream?)

They're in Boyertown now. Haven't played the Turtle yet, but want to because of the Five Ponds connection.

Have you played Bella Vista? I am a huge fan of Blaukavitch, and that's one of his finiest. IMO.

How do you feel about Hickory Valley?

When I get back from throwing up at mentioning the name, I'll tell you how I feel...

[Kyle Harris]

Just realized, that may be the only time Gilbertsville and Hickory Valley ever come up under a thread titled, "Best in the World..."

[Mike_Cirba]

Kyle;

Well, I'm actually in Amityville, but my post office address is Douglassville.

Yep, I've played Blaukovitch's Bella Vista.  Some good holes on a fairly good propery...yet he's never quite approached his original, seminal work at Stone Hedge in NE PA, IMO.  

Turtle Creek is pretty good, as well, and worth a visit for a guy who likes to see a lot of courses.  

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

Olde Homestead is another good Blaukavitch course, and he did a miraculous job with Island Green in Philly/Montco, considering it was a flat industrial site not too long ago.

When it warms up, we need to play a few rounds together.

[Mike_Cirba]

Oops...missed your question about Hickory Valley.

Back in the old days, I actually won the 2 day club championship there.  

If you saw me play these days, you'd never believe it.

Obviously, I think the course is one that uniquely tests that skills of the best golfer.

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,

Olde Homestead is another good Blaukavitch course, and he did a miraculous job with Island Green in Philly/Montco, considering it was a flat industrial site not too long ago.

When it warms up, we need to play a few rounds together.

Blaukovitch does some neat stuff, and fills a much needed niche for affordable public golf in the area.

I'm certain I'd enjoy getting together for a round...I'd suggest Kelly Blake Moran's Morgan Hill course in Easton because it's a blast and worthy of study, but anywhere would be good.

It's obvious from the courses I've named here that I'll play anywhere, particularly with someone who's similarly crazed.  

[Kyle Harris]

I had a VERY bad experience in the PAT there on the Presidential. Greenkeeper aerated the first nine (the newest of the two). Which for a PAT is ridiculously unfair since you are shooting for score and not against the field.

Not the fault of the architecture, I know... cause I liked the stretch of holes from 2-9, otherwise, unimpressive to me.

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

Since I know almost nothing of KBM, and he is building a golf course in my back yard (well, down the road a bit), and he is from Reading (I'm a PottsVILLE boy, myself) AND he posts on here pretty regularly, strikes me as someone I should get to know both personally and with his work.

Sounds like a good plan, since I've never actually heard of the course.

And you know a round at Five Ponds with you and I will illicit some great discussion on the finer points of architecture.  

[Mike_Cirba]

I had a VERY bad experience in the PAT there on the Presidential. Greenkeeper aerated the first nine (the newest of the two). Which for a PAT is ridiculously unfair since you are shooting for score and not against the field.

Not the fault of the architecture, I know... cause I liked the stretch of holes from 2-9, otherwise, unimpressive to me.

Kyle,

Back about 15 years ago, they held a 4-day state amateur tournament at Hickory Valley on the older two nines (both designed by Richard Kidder...the new nine is Ron Prichard).  A lot of good players came.  

The winning score was 302, and he won by about 10 shots.

It's a test of patience, no question.  

[TEPaul]

Tom MacWood:

Don't talk to me about the Hicksville school. I grew up on Long Island a mere ten miles north of Hicksville. That was the mid-island corridor of Emmet and the National school. Travis was never a comfortable practioner in that particular school. I think he'd basically been suspended or expelled for something he tried to do to Emmet while they were all out collaborating on the site of NGLA. I know horses were involved somehow. Macdonald and Whigam were present. I don't know much more than that though but I do know where to find more on it. All the documentation now resides in the office of an auto body shop in or around Southampton L. I.

[TEPaul]

"On a hot tip, I just called some guy in Merchantville, and mentioned Relkney and George Crump in the same sentence.  
The hesitant, startled silence, and subsequently speedy hang-up on the other end spoke volumes."

Mike Cirba;

Didn't you know? Divulging the cause of death in New Jersey is sort of semi-illegal or semi-legal (depending on who you're talking to and depending on the information derived) but divulging information regarding a deceased New Jerseyian and relkneyian golf architecture is definitely a capital offense. Didn't you know that Travis published to rather exuberant fanfare in American Golfer (complete with a few drawings) his expectation of turning PVGC into a reverse routed golf course? He proclaimed he had Crump's blessing to do this, then suddenly it was all over---the idea was totally dropped and perhaps expunged by a Crump glorifying membership. One wonders why. Was "reverse" an early teens architectural code word on Travis's part for "Bi" architecture that Crump at first did not understand? It's extraordinary to imagine how close the world's great #1 golf course came to a brush with sexually deviant golf architecture! Should this be researched and revealed today? Should the club look into a project to restore or recreate this architectural application along with it's expected tee length addition and tree removal project? Should I mention this fascinating research find to them? Do I care if I'm ever allowed within 1000 yards of PVGC again?

[T_MacWood]

Hicksville maybe 10 miles from the north shore, but in social terms one might as well be Uranus and the other the Sun. I'm not surprised a veteran of the National School wouldn't be aware of the Hicksville School. In these parts we've got the Blacklick Creek School (pronounced crick)...there are a lot of Schools that are fairly obscure.

[TEPaul]

"Hicksville maybe 10 miles from the north shore, but in social terms one might as well be Uranus and the other the Sun.'

No Sh.....!!

"The groin is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone is connected to the jaw bone, the jaw bone is connected to infected teeth, and next thing you know you've got brain abscess."

Tom MacWood--that looks like particularly poor research on your part. You're apparently getting your scenarios confused. Your findings and secret interviews should read and reveal;

"The groin is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone is connected to the jaw bone, the jaw bone is connected to infected teeth, and next thing you know you've got a gun in your hand and your brains all over the floor and a membership that goes into a rapid action coverup in a combined Crump architectural glorification and Colt architectural minimizing mode!"

One really does wonder what the hell Crump and Colt were doing out there together in that little tent at PVGC in 1913!


 

[TEPaul]

Mike and Kyle:

Are you two actually trying to talk about golf course architecture? This is GOLFCLUBATLAS.com---what's the matter with you two?

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,

Since I know almost nothing of KBM, and he is building a golf course in my back yard (well, down the road a bit), and he is from Reading (I'm a PottsVILLE boy, myself) AND he posts on here pretty regularly, strikes me as someone I should get to know both personally and with his work.

Sounds like a good plan, since I've never actually heard of the course.

Kyle;

If you use the "Search" function here, you can find a lot of commentary (and possibly still some pictures) on Morgan Hill.  It's in Easton.

Which KBM course is opening near you?  Lederach?

Good to know you're a coal cracker, too.  I'm from near Scranton, in the heart of the anthracite region.  Most of my college buds were from great places like Frackville, Shenandoah, Mt. Carmel, etc.  

Shot and a beer towns...  

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