[Ben Smith]

Pardon the interruption. Newest member here and wanted to introduce myself:


Name: Ben Smith
Age: 29
Current City: Houston, TX
Profession: Attorney
Index: 1.5
Home Course: Champions GC


Similar to most, I've been a fan a GCA for a long time. It's changed the way I perceive courses and I look forward to learning more from everyone here. I'm married to a general surgery resident so I get a pass to play on most weekends she is working. No kids, yet. Look forward to connecting to other members any time y'all are in Texas!

[Mark Pritchett]

Welcome Ben. 

[Josh Tarble]

Welcome, Ben.

I recently had the opportunity to play Champions.  What a wonderful place.  The course is great fun and I have to say I've never been to a clubhouse the fits in to the general vibe of a club more than Champions! I look forward to reading your posts.

[Ben Smith]

Welcome, Ben.

I recently had the opportunity to play Champions.  What a wonderful place.  The course is great fun and I have to say I've never been to a clubhouse the fits in to the general vibe of a club more than Champions! I look forward to reading your posts.

Thanks, Josh. Hopefully you got the chance to talk to Jackie.

[Ari Marcus]

Name: Ari Marcus
Age: 24
Current City: Orlando, FL
Profession: Production Associate at Golf Channel
Index: 1
Home Course: Boca Rio Golf Club


I grew up in South Florida and currently reside in Orlando. I work at Golf Channel, working primarily on our "Live From" shows. I enjoy traveling to major championships and playing new golf courses. I am here on GCA to learn more about golf course architecture.

[Steve Lang]

Pardon the interruption. Newest member here and wanted to introduce myself:


Name: Ben Smith
Age: 29
Current City: Houston, TX
Profession: Attorney
Index: 1.5
Home Course: Champions GC


Similar to most, I've been a fan a GCA for a long time. It's changed the way I perceive courses and I look forward to learning more from everyone here. I'm married to a general surgery resident so I get a pass to play on most weekends she is working. No kids, yet. Look forward to connecting to other members any time y'all are in Texas!

Welcome Ben,  note, some are already here counselor...     We're in The Woodlands, does your wife play??

[Ken Fry]

Welcome, Ben.

I recently had the opportunity to play Champions.  What a wonderful place.  The course is great fun and I have to say I've never been to a clubhouse the fits in to the general vibe of a club more than Champions! I look forward to reading your posts.

Thanks, Josh. Hopefully you got the chance to talk to Jackie.

Ben,

One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Burke's book is along this line:

A golf club filled with high handicap players is like a yacht club filled with people that can't sail.

Ken

[Michael Wolf]

Hello All,


Longtime lurker, thought I would finally introduce myself, as Ran was nice enough to provide me a log in.


Michael Wolf
Age: 45
Reside: Birmingham, AL
Index: 7-11


Background: Grew up caddying at Clovernook in Cincinnati. Eventually became caddymaster while in college. Took an interest in achitecture from researching Clovernook's first head pro, Archie Simpson, and playing and looping in tournaments at most of the great courses around Ohio. I'm pro-Graeters and Camargo, anti-Skyline and Coldstream.


Current gig: Business manager for Tour players. Owner of 288 Sports. I'm on site at 6-8 events a year.


Personal GCA focus: My main area of concentration are the ties between great courses and the events and players they've hosted over time. I've been lucky enough to play all of the Rota courses, and almost all of Walker cup sites. Still plenty of US Open and USAm sites I'd like to visit. After 22 playing trips to the UK, I'm thinking it's getting to be time for my first trip to Oz.


It's nice to meet everyone electronically.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Welcome, Michael! I'm a Cincinnati native myself, but anti-Skyline? C'MON! 

[JLahrman]

Michael,

I'm in Austin TX now but I also grew up in Cincinnati (Loveland HS). My dad (Roger Bacon HS) learned the game while caddying at Clovernook. Dick Plummer, who would eventually become the longtime head pro at Camargo, was an assistant at Clovernook while my dad was there. I worked in the bag shop and caddied at Camargo for several years. I'm a vegetarian now, but ate two lifetimes' worth of Skyline growing up.

Nice job you have there...don't they usually say getting a job in the golf business is a great way to not play much golf? Doesn't seem to be true for you.

[Michael Wolf]

Mr. Plummer must have been working for Frank Gelhot at Clovernook, the longtime pro before Bob Harrison. He would still occasionally come around in the mid 80's. Mr. Gelhot finished in last place in the 1939 US Open, making him the only player Ben Hogan finished ahead of!


Mr. Plummer was very generous in letting us play Camargo on Monday's. But most of the time we were asked to skip 1,9,10 and 18 if there were members expected in the clubhouse.


Jason Thurman has posted a nice write up on Clovernook already, and I know a GCA group visited the Nook and Hyde Park a couple of years ago. With a little encouragement, Clovernook could be brought up to almost Lawsonia level IMO. Although sadly it seems to be trending in the other direction.

[JLahrman]

Yes we had to tread carefully around #9 and #10. No teeing off on #10 if there were members eating out on the patio. And no hitting approaches to #9 if there was anyone in that little pavilion...which is certainly understandable - a thinned shot could easily wind up in there! I definitely miss all the time I spent there. Unfortunately I've never played Clovernook or Hyde Park; I was hoping to get to that outing a few years ago but couldn't make it.

[John Murray Jr.]

Hello to Everyone,


Recent addition to this great site.


John Murray
McHenry, IL
Attorney - private practice now.  Previous CPT in JAG Corps.
Index 2.3
Member - Geneva National (three courses - Palmer, Player, Trevino)
email: murrs15@yahoo.com
my website - www.thegolfsage.com - my public scrapbook of golf course pictures and reviews of my experiences.  My website comes more from the perspective of what everyday golfers can expect at the courses I go to and what they will encounter as a player.


Look forward to learning from the experiences of each you and the different viewpoints of what makes golf and courses great or duds. 

[Rich Goodale]

Hello All,


Longtime lurker, thought I would finally introduce myself, as Ran was nice enough to provide me a log in.


Michael Wolf
Age: 45
Reside: Birmingham, AL
Index: 7-11


Background: Grew up caddying at Clovernook in Cincinnati. Eventually became caddymaster while in college. Took an interest in achitecture from researching Clovernook's first head pro, Archie Simpson, and playing and looping in tournaments at most of the great courses around Ohio. I'm pro-Graeters and Camargo, anti-Skyline and Coldstream.


Current gig: Business manager for Tour players. Owner of 288 Sports. I'm on site at 6-8 events a year.


Personal GCA focus: My main area of concentration are the ties between great courses and the events and players they've hosted over time. I've been lucky enough to play all of the Rota courses, and almost all of Walker cup sites. Still plenty of US Open and USAm sites I'd like to visit. After 22 playing trips to the UK, I'm thinking it's getting to be time for my first trip to Oz.


It's nice to meet everyone electronically.

Hi Michael


I'm interested in what you have learned about Achie Simpson's time in America.  As you may or may not know, I wrote an article about him and his architectural achievements several years ago:


http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/The-Pioneer-Archie-Simpson


Please feel free to ping me if you want to chat off line, and hopefully we can meet some day.


Slainte Mhor


Rich Goodale
rfgoodale@gmail.com

[Paul Jones]

Welcome, Michael! I'm a Cincinnati native myself, but anti-Skyline? C'MON! 

I'm with Michael... I love Graeters Ice Cream and Camargo, but did not like the Skyline chili which is really just runny spaghetti sauce.

[George Smiltins]

Hi Everyone,


I'm a new addition to the group, as well. I've been poking around on the site for years now but thought I'd take the plunge into the discussion. Thrilled to be "official" now. Looking forward to some good conversation and hopefully crossing paths on the course.


George Smiltins


Cleveland, Ohio (grew up in Buffalo so Bills and Sabres are my teams but have been more than happy to adopt Indians and Cavs)
33
Retired Attorney (never practiced), now work as an administrator at a University.
Member at Canterbury Golf Club
4.2 index (feel more like a 10 right now)
email: smiltins@gmail.com - Feel free to get in touch if you want to play if you're in the area.

[BHoover]

Welcome, George! I like your choice of baseball and basketball teams!

[Joe Zucker]

As a native Clevelander, I certainly agree.  But the real questions is, which course do you prefer? I imagine it would be fun to have access to two courses with vastly different character.

[George Smiltins]

As a native Clevelander, I certainly agree.  But the real questions is, which course do you prefer? I imagine it would be fun to have access to two courses with vastly different character.

I joined having only played Sand Ridge which I really like (Secluded. Easy walk. Generous driving areas) but Mayfield has really grown on me. I first played it on a cold March day without pins in the greens. Reached the 2nd tee and saw a fairway that looked like it was built on top of a department store with a green somewhere on the other side. I only played a few more holes due to time constraints and resigned myself to sticking to the other course. But I persisted (persisted being a key word as Mayfield is a very tough walk but still my preferred method of travel) and have been steadily acquiring the local knowledge needed to have a blast there. Very solid greens, too.     

[Bob Simons]

Hi everyone,


   I just wanted to introduce myself, as I'm a new member here. I've been lurking this discussion board for years, blown away by the input and knowledge shared here. You guys have really made me look at course and holes in a different manner. I'm from the Philadelphia area, Bucks County to be exact. I've played primarily public courses my entire playing career but am very intrigued by the new memebership pricing and structuring of Philmont Country Club, I hope to pull the trigger in the next few days. I really got the GCA bug right before my first visit to Pinehurst about 4 years ago, #2 is probably my favorite course I've ever played. I look forward to learning more and sharing some input of my own here. Thanks again to Ran for allowing me to join.


Bob Simons
38
Bucks County, PA.
Union Carpenter Superintendent
Index: 9.2
Simons6329@gmail.com

[Ira Fishman]

I have posted way more than I informed Ran I would when he graciously allowed me to join so I should introduce myself properly:


Ira Fishman
Age 59
Bethesda, Maryland (but heart remains in the Chicago area of my youth)
Kenwood CC
Hope Valley
I do not keep a handicap because it is a foolproof way to say no when my wife wants to play in mixed couples events, but the pro says I am 13-14.
Chief Operating Officer for the National Football League Players Association


Thanks for inspiring me to plan seeing more courses.

[Steve Fekety]

I will also add to the wave of newbies to post an introduction.  I am now 41 and I feel like the only one in my generation that can say I learned the game on the sand greens of a small 9 holer in Montana.  I was a former club pro.  I was lucky enough to spend most of my time at Pumpkin Ridge GC - Witch Hollow.  It was a great experience where I met a handful of you.  After a back injury, I got into insurance simply because they were hiring.  I have since moved to Scottsdale and am playing about 65 rounds a year throughout the western US.  The handicap is on the rise, 3.3 after today's revision.  I have spent the last 3 years reading your opinions about the great courses in the world.  Your comments, review, and photos have inspired me to play more golf.  I am honored to join such a knowledgeable group of golf course architecture aficionados. 


Steve

[Ryan Carey]

Longtime lurker. Saw too many threads that I wanted to comment on, so I eventually caved  and joined!


Ryan Carey
founder, Green Jacket Auctions
Age: 36
Boston, MA (I'm new to Boston), originally Tampa, FL

[Brent Gremillion]

Live in New Orleans
46 years old
Married
7 year old daughter
Index bounces from .6-2.0 the last couple years.
Learned of the site from Ben Cowan (Michigan) while at a walking golfer event. Lurked for a while then decided to begin posting. If anyone comes around NOLA please give me a shout.

[Jason Topp]

Name: Ari Marcus
Age: 24
Current City: Orlando, FL
Profession: Production Associate at Golf Channel
Index: 1
Home Course: Boca Rio Golf Club


I grew up in South Florida and currently reside in Orlando. I work at Golf Channel, working primarily on our "Live From" shows. I enjoy traveling to major championships and playing new golf courses. I am here on GCA to learn more about golf course architecture.

Ari - I had the pleasure of playing your course a few years ago.  It is a lovely walk.

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