Grateful thanks

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Courtesy of GCA members I have been fortunate enough to have played (in the last few days) Yale (Macdonald/Raynor), The Creek (Macdonald/Raynor), Ridgewood (Tillinghast), Gulph Mills (Flynn), Rolling Green (Flynn), Four Streams (Smyers), Winged Foot, East and West (Tillinghast).  

All I can say is that I have been bowled over by the imagination and invention of their architects.  The more I experience of classical-age architecture, the more I wonder at their architects' ability to extract the maximum potential from the site given them.  OK, Gulph Mills and Rolling Green are undulating sites on which any of us could construct some kind of course - but THAT interesting?- of course, not.  Here was a master at work.

If any course gave me heart about the soundness of classical architecture it had to be the West Course at Winged Foot.  The view from every single tee was encouraging - more so than the demanding East - even to a golfer of my incompetence.  Yet the penalty for being in the wrong bit of  fairway at the wrong time was serious.  

But where did I start?  Yale.  It's all so fabulous.  Why don't I take a few golf lessons?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Mark it was great to see you and play with as well. I hope all is well for you and your family until our paths cross again.

[TEPaul]

Mark, the look on my wife's face as she walked toward the front door with the opera going on inside was priceless.  

[wsmorrison]

Mark,

It was great to see you again.  Our golf was a little spotty but it sure was fun.  A real pleasure to walk Gulph Mills, Rolling Green and of course, Merion with you.

The look on your face when Tom Paul started to address the green committee at Rolling Green was priceless  

[Geoffrey Childs]

Mark

Thanks for taking the time to spend with us on your fabulous journey.  It was great to meet you, play a round of golf with you and to share our mutual love of the game and its courses.

I hope that we get a chance once again.

Geoffrey

[TEPaul]

"The look on your face when Tom Paul started to address the green committee at Rolling Green was priceless."

I'm sorry I didn't notice that. However, after reviewing about five holes I did notice that Mark is so polite he wasn't coming within 20 yards of that green committee out there. Of course this forced me to loudly explain to that Rolling Green green committee that this was their last chance to get some free architectural advice from a real English Heathland golf architecture expert!  

Wayne. Jim Nagel told Warren that session at Rolling Green was by far the least contentious and one of the most productive meetings he'd ever seen with the green committee. It must have been because of me. I don't think I'll be joining Rolling Green but is there any reason you can think of why I shouldn't serve on their green committee anyway?

[wsmorrison]

"I don't think I'll be joining Rolling Green but is there any reason you can think of why I shouldn't serve on their green committee anyway?"

I cannot think of a single reason.  It would be great for the club but it might give you some grey hairs.  Oh, never mind  In fact I am going to propose at the annual meeting that you are named consulting non-member.  

"Jim Nagel told Warren that session at Rolling Green was by far the least contentious and one of the most productive meetings he'd ever seen with the green committee. It must have been because of me. "

No doubt because of you.  Seriously, did Jim really say that?  After how many beers?  I thought it was a very productive impromtu get together (on our part at least).  Jim is really good at tact and diplomacy as well as being really knowledgeable.  He and Ron make a powerful team.  I liked when there was some particularly odd suggestion to move the 5th fairway to make room for an even further back tee on 18 (the new back tee makes no sense, this one even less so and I didn't think that possible) that Jim listened politely, explained why the left fairway should be extended a bit in the landing area, but not the fairway shifted, so that an ideal angle might be lost by going farther left and have trees down the line come into play--just like I thought.  When the committee pressed the idea, Jim stuck to his guns and said that they could think that way but this is what they're recommending and sticking to.  Polite and intransient at the same time.  I'm going to try and remember how to do that.

[Brian_Gracely]

Isn't Gulph Mills a Ross design?

[mike_malone]

My assessment of why this time for Jim Nagle was less contentious.
   The first time he did not have credibility --sorry we are a tough bunch!. Impassioned members believe they know their course best. They have seen outside experts screw it up.So, they guard their turf.

     After having a chance to fully express themselves and argue with other impassioned members they stand back. When the consultants come back with a good report that gets implemented effectively,THEN credibility is earned on the next trip.


   Also, we learn. Maybe how to communicate better or more hopefully more about GCA.



Tom Paul's entrance could have gone badly if our guys were not so gracious.

[wsmorrison]

Yes, with some Maxwell, Stiles, McGovern, Gordon, RTJ, Tom Fazio,Hanse and Paul.  With a bit of Flynn agronomic magic thrown in.

[TEPaul]

"Tom Paul's entrance could have gone badly if our guys were not so gracious."

Mayday:

I'm surprised you haven't yet noticed that I bring out extreme graciousness in people that some don't even know they have.  

[Mike_Sweeney]

Mark,

I hope the music was as good as the golf.

[mike_malone]

I want to clarify that it could have gone badly if ANYONE who was not a member showed up and got involved. It wasn't because of Tom specifically. In fact, because it was Tom it went well.

[Willie_Dow]

Sorry I missed not playing the #6 on the West, Mark. I was in your New England colony !

[TEPaul]

Mayday:

Do you mean to say I was not remotely expected over there? In that case the committee and Jim Nagel certainly were gracious. Let's blame my appearance totally on Wayne. When we go to the diner he can pummel you, I'll pummel him, we'll both pummel you and then you and Wayne can pummel me. And then we'll all order.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Tom,

As I recall you were kind enough to drive over to Rolling Green to show me the way, knowing full well that I would have got hopelessly lost if left to my own devices.  That you then encountered Wayne driving furiously on a golf cart to get himself rapidly into the thick of debate was propitious, to say the least.

Mark.