If you got a letter

[Dale_McCallon]

If you got home today, and in the mail was an invitation to join ANGC, what would you do?  Forget the financials, we are  living in a dream world anyway.

Would any of you who know so much more about how to set up a course and running  a tourney say, "You know as much as I appreciate the offer, I have to decline because of all the changes you have made.  It's a priniciple thing."

Or would you be like the other 99.99999% of the golfing population and cry like a little girl at an American Idol taping?

[john_stiles]

It would be nice to be a beneficiary of identity theft.   The other guy could hold my bag while I enjoyed at least one day at ANGC.

[RJ_Daley]

I don't think you could handle the truth if I told you...  

Hypothetically, twenty years ago, I possibly could have gotten that letter, like Sam Skarda did in Shefchik's book... except for only had I won the US Public Links Championship... and they had a couple member murders they needed me to work on.  

[George Pazin]

Isn't it a federal offense to open someone else's mail?

[tlavin]

Or would you be like the other 99.99999% of the golfing population and cry like a little girl at an American Idol taping?

I'd scream like the girl on Little Miss Sunshine when she found out that she had qualified for the beauty contest.  I'd scream like I did when I got my bar exam result.  I'd scream like a stuck pig and then I'd book the next plane to Augusta.

[John Kavanaugh]

If I lived in Nigeria I would start sending out the letters and emails.  I have always thought that this would be a great scam...I bet I could even be had on the lesser "Do you want to play?" deal.  

[Wayne_Kozun]

Wouldn't this be a great practical joke to play on your buddies?

[John Kavanaugh]

Wouldn't this be a great practical joke to play on your buddies?

If it worked at Yeamans...

[Voytek Wilczak]

If you got home today, and in the mail was an invitation to join ANGC, what would you do?  Forget the financials, we are  living in a dream world anyway.

Would any of you who know so much more about how to set up a course and running  a tourney say, "You know as much as I appreciate the offer, I have to decline because of all the changes you have made.  It's a priniciple thing."

Or would you be like the other 99.99999% of the golfing population and cry like a little girl at an American Idol taping?

I'd say: "Do me, where do I sign?"

And I'd cry like a little girl...

But I'd cry more (seriously) if Sebonack, Pine Valley, or Shinny sent me the letter.

[Rob_Waldron]

I would reply that my jacket size is 46 Regular

[John Kavanaugh]

Sebonack...Come visit me and I will house you, feed you and let you pay the $17 green fee to play a Doak course where he was not influence by Nicklaus.  Sebonack...puke.

[RJ_Daley]

I'm surprised you are not on the "no fly list".

[John Kavanaugh]

I'm surprised you are not on the "no fly list".

After my Sebonack comment I probably just made the Net Jets no fly list.

[cary lichtenstein]

I'd decline because the course was too hard, or because it's closed all summer, or because they don't have pastrami or corned beef, because I'd have to wear long pants, because I couldn't have 7 guests, because they wouldn't accept my son becasue he was born north of the mason-dixon line

[Voytek Wilczak]

Sebonack...Come visit me and I will house you, feed you and let you pay the $17 green fee to play a Doak course where he was not influence by Nicklaus.  Sebonack...puke.

Yo, yo, yo, John.

I walked Sebonack.

I walked Augusta.

Gimme Sebonack any day.

[Ron Farris]

Given we are in lala land:

I would politely decline and invite them to join me for a nice round of golf at the Sand Hills Golf Club and later a trip around Ballyneal.

[Tim Gavrich]

I cannot possibly conceive of a situation in which anyone in his right mind would turn down an invitation to join ANGC.

[Guy Phelan]

Join!

[David Lott]

Ah, this is not Waterville.

It doesn't start with an unexpected letter.

[Garland Bayley]

I cannot possibly conceive of a situation in which anyone in his right mind would turn down an invitation to join ANGC.

You have to know who you are, and know who they are. I suspect I would fit in at Ballyneal a lot better then at ANGC. I would decline. I can find plenty of golf that makes me happy. It is not a sure thing that golf at ANGC would necessarily make me happy. The golf course there actually seems quite strange and quite contived to a country boy like me.

[ed_getka]

I cannot possibly conceive of a situation in which anyone in his right mind would turn down an invitation to join ANGC.

Tim,
    You need to get some more imagination.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Cary

I am pleased to inform you that the pastrami and corned beef are excellent at my new club, ANGC. The sandwiches are served a la Katz's Deli in New York, hand cut, not machine sliced, and on perfect rye bread with brown mustard,without mayonnaise.

My friend Chuck(and Warren and Bill) sponsored me for membership.

We'll invite you for a tryout.

Steve

[Tim Gavrich]

I cannot possibly conceive of a situation in which anyone in his right mind would turn down an invitation to join ANGC.

Tim,
    You need to get some more imagination.

Ed--
That is probably true.  I do suffer from egocentrism at times, with the occasional overgeneralizations and uses of hyperbole .

The realistic version of what I meant to say: What kind of mentality would it take to turn down such an invitation, and that I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who would sincerely decline.

Garland--
I see your point about the people in the club.  I suppose that if one found the membership to be unpleasant, one might not be disposed to joining.  If I (in this dream-world into which we have inserted ourselves) found myself in such a situation, I suppose I'd end up playing a lot of solo rounds.  And while it's not exactly a "back-to-nature" kind of ambiance, I think I'd quite enjoy my solitude roundabout Amen Corner.  But if I had to choose between such a scenario at ANGC and a slightly less-hallowed club with a membership into which I would fit much better, I could see difficulty arising in that choice.  However, it would stand to reason that receiving the invitation letter from Augusta would mean that I would be sufficiently wealthy to afford membership most anywhere .  But still, the point is well taken.

Cheers.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I actually have thought about this.  I am so happy at the clubs to which I belong that I might turn it down.  In fact I have a friend who did turn down an invitation to join.  He said he gets to play it a few times a year, why pay dues just to play it a few more times?

[Wayne_Kozun]

I suppose that if one found the membership to be unpleasant, one might not be disposed to joining.  If I (in this dream-world into which we have inserted ourselves) found myself in such a situation, I suppose I'd end up playing a lot of solo rounds.  And while it's not exactly a "back-to-nature" kind of ambiance, I think I'd quite enjoy my solitude roundabout Amen Corner.  But if I had to choose between such a scenario at ANGC and a slightly less-hallowed club with a membership into which I would fit much better, I could see difficulty arising in that choice.  However, it would stand to reason that receiving the invitation letter from Augusta would mean that I would be sufficiently wealthy to afford membership most anywhere .  But still, the point is well taken.

Perhaps those who have been there can comment on this, but I have heard that the bulk of the rounds are played with one member and three guests.  If so then it may not really matter what the other members are like since you will rarely play or interact with them, particularly since most of the members are from out of town and the club is not open all that much.