Who Are You Guys(revisited)?

[Cory Lewis]

I think the first time I posted on one of these was at least 4 years ago so I decided to update my profile, maybe others will as well:

Name: Cory Lewis
Age:  28
Location: Wilmington,DE
Married
HDCP: 0
Occupation: 1st Assistant Golf Professional, DuPont Country Club

In my years of being a golf professional I have worked at some golf courses with great architecture, both classic and modern, and I have worked at some with just awful architecture. 

I had the pleasure of working at the soon to be NLE Beechtree Golf Club for two years,  I had two small outings at Beechtree for GCA'ers and many of those people that I met at those outings are very good friends today.   

I have been very fortunate in my life to play some of the best courses in the world but my favorite course will always be Royal Dornoch. 

I think I have played golf with at least 30 people from GCA and every single one of them was a gentlemen, and a pleasure to play with.  Many thanks to Ran for creating such a fantastic site with a tremendous group of people.

[G Jones]

Think I posted on one of these threads when I joined a few years ago, but here it is again:

Name: G Jones
Age:  25
Location: London SW1
Occupation:  Management Consultancy - Supply Chain
Home Clubs: Panmure and Deal

Favorite Courses played, in no particular order:
-  Pine Valley
-  ANGC
-  Merion
-  Shinnecock
-  Carnoustie
-  Pebble Beach
-  St Andrews
-  Muirfield
-  Deal
-  North Berwick
-  Cruden Bay
-  Panmure
-  East Lake
-  Lehigh
-  Walton Heath
-  Peachtree
-  Yale
-  Pinehurst no.2

Courses that I'd kill to play:
-  Cypress
-  NGLA
-  Garden City

[Garland Bayley]

...
Courses that I'd kill to play:
-  Cypress
-  NGLA
-  Garden City

Wow, I'm glad I'm not in a position to obtain access for you for any of these.

[Chip Gaskins]

bump for some of the new members

[Anthony Gray]

  Anthony Gray
     Married again.....14 month old daughter
     Handicap 11.3
     Only keep score in weekend Low-ball
     Chattanooga TN
     44 years old
     I love to set the pins with the crew in the morning
     Dentist with ambitions to be a cart boy
     Noncompetitive golfer
     Yearly Scotland visits
     Father-in-law former caddie at Teeth of the Dog
     Top 5 favorite courses
         1 Cruden Bay
         2 Cruden Bay
         3 Cruden Bay
         4 Cruden Bay
         5 Tie Pacific Dunes and Cruden Bay

      Honored and Humbled to be include in the discussion group.

      Love the idea of annual meetings.

     










         
         

[Abe Summers]

Abraham ("Abe") Summers
Age: 26
Married, no kids yet.
Hometown: Philadelphia
Currently reside: Spring City Resort, Kunming, China
I work for PGA Magazine in Asia and handle a lot of work coordinating PGA of America and China Golf Association (CGA) cooperation.
Handicap: About 18, but improving, hoping to be a regular in the 80s by next year.

Some of the best I've played:
Ballybunion & Waterville (both are outstanding)
PGA Centennial Course (Formerly the Monarch's at Gleneagles)
Spring City Lake Course
Galloway National

I dream of playing:
Merion
Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes
Mid Ocean Club
Bayonne
Liberty National
Cobb's Creek
Go back to Ireland and play everything there!

[Shane Wright]

Shane Wright

Age - 33 (Updated July 2010)
Location - Minneapolis, MN (via MO, KS, TX, NC, FL)
Married - 15 month old son
Education - Texas Tech University B.B.A. Marketing/Finance
Occupation - multifamily real estate development
Handicap - slowly creeping up after being a 0 for a number of years
Home Club - I'm a nomad - but play a lot on 1-2 trips each year

Favorite Courses Played - no order
RCD
Portrush
Ballybunion
Waterville
Muirfield
TOC
Dornoch
Pacific Dunes
Prairie Dunes
Sand Hills
Wild Horse
Ballyneal

Most Want to Play
Cruden Bay
Sunningdale
Cape Kidnappers
Turnberry
Old MacDonald
NGLA, CPC, SFC, ANGC, Merion, Oakmont, Shinnecock - the obvious ones


2001 - scheduled my first trip across the pond right after the sudden and drastic passing of my mother to leukemia.  This truly was the start of my affection of golf architecture and design.  

Love Maxwell, CC, Doak, really want to get to more Ross courses, and definitely CB's.  I also have really enjoyed Brauer's two northern MN gems.

Dream - build an ageless goat track somewhere in the U.S. - already have the name, but I'm not foolish enough to think I could design it.  

Any of you that come visit the Twin Cities area, send me a note and we will get out somewhere.  If its in Jan/Feb - we might have to resort to dark beverages.  

[Wade Whitehead]

I'm posting information only because I enjoy reading what everyone else has volunteered.

Wade Whitehead
Age: 36
Location: Roanoke, VA
Happily married with two children (6 and 9)
Education: College of William & Mary (B.A.) & University of Virginia (M.Ed.)
Occupation: Educator
Handicap: 2
Home Club: Officially Countryside Golf Course (Roanoke), though I'm currently in (thus far unsuccessful) negotiations to convince my wife that joining Ballyhack is in our best interest(s)

Ten Courses I Enjoyed Playing:
The Cascades
Old Tabby Links
The Olde Farm
Primland
Harbor Town
Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon)
World Woods (Pine Barrens)
Conewango Valley Club
Old White
Royal New Kent

I would welcome the opportunity to play most of the great courses discussed at length on these boards.  For the record, Pine Valley, Augusta National, Merion, Sand Hills, Ballyneal, Cypress Point, National Golf Links and Seminole are of particular interest and are invites I would gratefully accept.

I enjoy this site very much and appreciate the pleasure of interacting with so many qualified and interesting individuals.  GCAers, give me a shout anytime you're in or near Roanoke and we'll get up a game.

[Patrick Kiser]

I must be on the old "who are you guys" thread because I could have swarn to have posted way back...  So not a newbie per say.

Anyway, here goes:

Patrick H. Kiser
Age: 40 and DINK
Golfing Age: 8
Home: San Francisco, CA & Neuilly-Sur-Seine, FRANCE
Born: Fort Ord, CA
Raised: Orchies, FRANCE
Email: kiserph@yahoo.com
Occupation: Product Manager
Club: SF Resident Card
Alumni: U.C.S.D. (B.A. Math)
HCP: 18 but coming back to the 15 of last year...
Introduced to GCA by:  Gib Papazian (save Sharp Park!)

First GC Ever Played: Real Del Mar, MX

Favorite Golf Course Book: Scottish Golf Links
Favorite Golf Architecture Book: Golf Architecture (MacKenzie)

Top 5 Favorite Courses Played:
- Pasatiempo
- Spyglass
- Pebble Beach
- Black Mesa
- Rawls

Courses Would Like To Play:
- St. Andrews
- Royal Dornoch
- NGLA
- Shinnecock
- Merion
- CPC
- SFGC
- Royal Melbourne
- Swinley Forest
- Cape Breton Highlands
- Ballyneal
- Bandon

Most Memorable Golf Experience: Cross country solo trip from SF to Miami

What I believe in golf wise:
- Water doesn't belong on a golf course (irrigation aside)
- Tree management
- Homes don't belong on a golf course
- Walking is preferred
- Match play
- You're only as good as your last shot...

GCA Dream: somehow ... someway ... fully restore Sharp Park.  Dreaming's for free...
Golfing Dream:  Playing King Putter, Dixie Cup and BUDA in the same year ... and not get divorced

Outside of golf...

Most Memorable Moment (outside of getting married to my lovely wife): 1998 World Cup Final in St.Denis ... France 3 - Brazil 0

Favorite Sport: Soccer (Allez les Bleus!!!)
Baseball Team: Padres
Football Team: Chargers
Hobbies: Travel, cooking, wine & spirits, photography, BMW 2002tiis

Background:
Been around the block a little.  Born in Pacific Grove area (Fort Ord), raised in France then settled back in Carlsbad, CA around 17.  Moved up to SF around 1999, moved to Hollywood, FL in 2005 but promptly moved back after Katrina, Rita, and Wilma triple whammy.  Hopefully staying put for a long time ahead.

How Did I Get Hooked on Golf?
By accident actually.  Around 1999 / 2000, my boss at the time basically told me I was going to be working with many vendors and would just have to learn the game.  He gave me a blank check and told me to go buy some clubs.  How do you like that?  At the time, golfing sounded less interesting than watching bowling on TV.  I had less than zero interest, but I decided to be open minded about it. 

How Did I Get Into GCA?
When I hung up my soccer cleats around 2003 ... that's when I started to gain interest.  I needed an oudoor outlet and golfing was starting to feel ... comfortable.  However, the more I played ... the more I became interested in the courses themselves.  So much so that when things starting going worse for Sharp Park, I decided to see what could be done about it.  That's when I came across Gib and GCA.  One thing led to another ... and here I am.  Sad to say but not much has changed for Sharp Park.  I don't post much.  I tend to read more and try to learn more.  On occasion I'll contribute.  If anything, I'll ask questions.

Great site, great knowledge base, and great people!

Thanks Ran for keeping me on 

[George Pazin]

bump

[Garland Bayley]

George,

I'll see your bump, and raise you a bump.

Garland, Reply #270

[Adam Jeselnick]

Adam E. Jeselnick
Age: 27

Home: Scottsdale, AZ
Born: Chesterton, IN

Occupation: Architect
Alumni: University of Notre Dame

First GC Ever Played:  Mink Lake Golf Course, Valparaiso, IN

Favorite Golf Architecture Book: Anatomy of a Golf Course

Top 5 Favorite Courses Played:

-Pebble Beach
-St Andrew's Old Course
-Prestwick
-Kaluakoi
-We-Ko-Pa Saguaro

Courses I Would Like To Play:

-Cypress Point
-Pacific Dunes
-Crystal Downs
-Sebonack
-St. Andrew's Castle Course


Most Memorable Golf Experience:
Father-son trip to Scotland with my dad in 2004... unforgettable golf from a torrential downpour at Royal Dornoch, to a 6 pm tee time at Nairn; rounds at N. Berwick, TOC, and Prestwick; and nail-biting matches at Montrose, Cupar, and Millport... along with many non-golf related stops along the way.

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle Henderson
Age: 29
No kids. No wife. Not gay.   ==> 6ft.-tall, Swedish Nurse girlfriend
Started golfing in 2002 on an “as wallet allows” basis.
Hometown: Livermore, CA
Favorite word: stercoraceous
Occupation: Physiologist/Humble Badass
Alumni: U.C. Davis 2002 (B.S.), 2005 (M.S.)
Introduced to GCA: Played a video game version of Tobacco Road. That led me to look up the course online… From nerdy to nerdiest.

Favorite Golf Course Book: Alister MacKenzie’s Cypress Point Club
by Geoff Shackelford

Top 5 Favorite Courses Played:
Ballyneal (2008)
Bandon Trails (2008)
Pacific Dunes (2008)
Sand Hills (2008... It’s been a VERY good year)
Tobacco Road (2005)

Wish List:

U.S.
- Cypress Point Club
- Pine Valley
- NGLA
- Shinnecock
- Merion
- Oakmont

U.K.
- St. Andrews- Old Course
- Royal Dornoch
- Royal County Down
- Ballybunion-Old
- Sunningdale - Old
- Swinley Forest

-Meet more GCAers!!!

-Own a pet miniaturized elephant.

-Become more rich than stupid.

-Give up crack habit.

-Limit sarcasm.

[Matt OBrien]

Matt O'Brien
Philadelphia Pa
21 yrs old     golfing for 2 and a half years
Found GCA when I was looking up pine valley

Favorite courses played:
Pine Valley
Oakmont
Merion
NGLA
Shinny
Bandon
Pacific
Bandon trails
Aronimink
Huntingdon Valley

Wish List:
Cypress
Seminole (2 weeks)
Augusta

Always looking for game in philly

[Mike Sweeney]

Matt O'Brien
Philadelphia Pa
21 yrs old     golfing for 2 and a half years
Found GCA when I was looking up pine valley

Favorite courses played:
Pine Valley
Oakmont
Merion
NGLA
Shinny
Bandon
Pacific
Bandon trails
Aronimink
Huntingdon Valley

Wish List:
Cypress
Seminole (2 weeks)
Augusta

Always looking for game in philly

Wow, this kid is a player and I have no idea how he plays golf! 

Matt,

Nice resume! 

[Andrew Hastie]

Andrew Hastie
age: 35
Home: Amsterdam,The Netherlands
Family: Married 4 years, 1 child,
Born: Sydney, Australia
Occupation: Teaching Professional Rosendaelsche G.C. (NL)
Played: 26 years
HCP: Lack of Talent

Favorite courses played:
Royal Melbourne west
Cypress Point
Pacific Dunes
Friars Head
TOC
Swinley Forest
Royal County Down
Plainfield
NSW

Wish List:
NGLA
Merion
Garden City
Sand Hills
Pine Valley
Oakmont
Royal Dornoch
Old Macdonald

Most Memorable Golf Experiences:
Playing a European Tour Event, Dutch Open
Tee shots off the first at Cypress Point & TOC.

The first thing I do every morning is check out what's happening on GCA, I just wish I had more time and better typing skills to be able to post more often. 

[Garland Bayley]

Andrew Hastie
age: 35
...
Occupation: Teaching Professional Rosendaelsche G.C. (NL)
Played: 26 years
HCP: Lack of Talent
...

My apologies Andrew if this sounds critical, but my first laugh of the day was seeing the old saying "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." embodied in your post.

[Kyle Harris]

Matt O'Brien
Philadelphia Pa
21 yrs old     golfing for 2 and a half years
Found GCA when I was looking up pine valley

Favorite courses played:
Pine Valley
Oakmont
Merion
NGLA
Shinny
Bandon
Pacific
Bandon trails
Aronimink
Huntingdon Valley

Wish List:
Cypress
Seminole (2 weeks)
Augusta

Always looking for game in philly

Wow, this kid is a player and I have no idea how he plays golf! 

Matt,

Nice resume! 

Matt gets around. Helluva golfer too.

[Andrew Hastie]

Garland, Everyone has their calling!

[John Kirk]

Quite a few newcomers in the last couple weeks.

If you are new, could you please introduce yourselves, as others have done, so we can get to know you better?

[Alfonso Erhardt]

Alfonso Erhardt
Madrid, Spain
36, Single
Hcp 3
Occupation: Mezzanine lender
Cannot remember how I found out about GCA
Currently researching on Colt and Simpson in Spain + Javier Arana's life

Favorite courses in no particular order (haven't travelled that much)
 - Portmarnock
 - West Sussex
 - Swinley Forest
 - Puerta de Hierro lower
 - El Saler
 - Pacific Dunes
 - Neguri
 - Oitavos

[Andrew Brown]

Andrew Brown

An Australian living permanently in Norway (kidnapped by a blonde Norwegian 7 years back)
Handicap has oscillated between 9 & 11 the last 20 years
Home Club - Moss & Rygge Golf Club, Moss.

I am a referee with the Norwegian Golf Federation - everything from C grade juniors up to a recent European Challenge Tour event.

Ambition on GCA...learn more ....and start a thread that others deem interesting enough to reply to.

Favourite course played - TOC
Courses I'd really like to play at some stage - Barnbougle Dunes & Ballyneal - actually any courses Tom Doak's had a hand in...

[Jon Terbell]

Jon Terbell

22 year old senior at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. I play on the golf team with a 3 handicap. Also interned for Golf Digest Editorial this summer and spent hours pouring over old GCA posts. This is my first.

Favorite courses played (in order of sentiment):
Yale
Country Club of Fairfield
Valley Club of Montecito
Hotchkiss School Golf Course
Merion
Pine Valley
NGLA
Shinnecock
Piping Rock
Cape Kidnappers

Current wish list:
Cypress
Augusta
Winged Foot
Maidstone
Garden City
Bandon
Sand Hills
Ballyneal
Seminole
Chicago GC

Favorite golf memory...
This summer at CC of Fairfield I shot my first under-par round in a race against the sun. Teed off alone on a Monday evening (about 5:30) only intending to play nine, but after being three under for the front side I couldn't leave. By the time I reached the 18th I couldn't see 100 yards into the darkness, but after two-putting for a 5 on the uphill 18th I had my first 69.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Jon,
Welcome, and I'm happy to see we made your list of sentimental favorites.

I enjoyed reading your GD piece, "Caddie's Diary", about your experience looping for Miss Beth Sellers in the U.S. Girl's Junior at Hartford GC.
I thought a sentiment you expressed bears repeating, hope you don't mind:
 
 ....."the image of caddies in an amateur championship encapsulates the ideals that established golf in America. It was once a game played only for the thrill of competition, at the highest level a sport residing above the pettiness of monetary consumption."

the whole blog:
http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/blogs/localknowledge/us_girls_junior_golf_championship/index.html

[Michael Rossi]

Michael Rossi
Canadian
Superintendent

I am a mew member who has been reading posts for a few years and have finally been granted membership.  Thanks go to JM and BCD. The most recent victim of the economy, my course is filing for bankruptcy. This should free up some more time for GCA. I currently reside in Newfoundland, but have worked throughout Canada building and maintaing courses.  I look forward to some great dicussions.