Aerial of the Day #182 - 27 Aug 2002

[Scott_Burroughs]

I have to admit, I thought this course was in a different part
of the state than it is.  I now have a new, uh, frame of reference.

Because I thought it was somewhere more remote in the
state, I also didn't think there'd be an interstate highway
right next to the course on the NW border, not shown.

Trees, however, are not a surprise.

[RJ_Daley]

It looks like the runway tees alone play to about 2000 yards!
Hmm...large lobed greens, probably multiple tiered, runway tees, and
 large looming traps either left or right all but one on inside of
dogleg.... would RTJsr be a fair guess to start the morning?

[Scott_Burroughs]

A certain amateur who wears "donated" logo gear recently
won a big tournament here (quite easily, in fact).

The big tournament he won is very inaptly named.

Someone on this board almost joined here.

Dick is on the right track, this isn't Devlin/Von Hagge.

[Kevin Smith]

Hey Scott,

I spent a night in one of the cottages here one time and nearly poked my eye out when I was startled by the alarm clock and lunged into the abnormally tall night stand.  It was a miserable example of getting the "Point".

[Boreum_Hill]

I'm new here, so if Scott or someone could provide the local rules for playing Aerial of the Day....

I hope throwing more clues out doesn't spoil the game for others.

The tournament is not so inaptly name if you know the history of American golf and the organization that runs this fine event.  I attended this year's landmark event for the 14th time, and as always was very entertained.  The winners engraved on the trophy are most impressive.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Boreum,

The unwritten "rules" are not to give it away until I do in the
afternoon (EDT), and to give "hints" (can be clever or not) to
help people figure it out.

I'm sure there's a good historical reason for the name of the
event, it's still "inappropriate", for it's location.  Is it because
it's in the western part of the state?    The same
goes for the 'inaptly'-named Tour event 90 miles to the
west.  2/3 of the country (geographically) are further west
than that tournament!  



I guess this must be located on the 'tip of the forest'.

Do people in these parts pronounce "The Weather Channel
Babe's" name "Meesh" Michaels?

Kevin,

When you hit your eye, did it sound like POW!  




Back in a few hours.....

[Boreum_Hill]

Thanks for the guidelines, Scott.

The event played at this course used to rotate every year before this course was chosen as its permanent home in 1971.  IIRC, when Jack Nicklaus won it, the tournament was played in Mississippi.

BTW - The same organization runs both events you spoke of; that's where the name comes from, not geogrpahy.

Incidently, there was considerable debate in the 1890s between this organization and the USGA over who would be the ruling body in the United States.  Thankfully for all of us, the members quietly acquiesed to its brother organization in New Jersey.

[Robert Kimball]

WOW!!  I finally got one!!  I remember the "donated logo" amateur issue was discussed in a recent thread. Speaking of
amateurs, I wonder if young Eldrick ever played here. It would
be appropriate.  

[Boreum_Hill]

yep, he won here.

so did Phil, the year they gave an exemption to an NBA superstar who played nearby (yes, he missed the cut horribly).

I believe Justin won here, IIRC Curtis did, and so did Hal.  Few others I should be remembering but escape me.  Like I said, it's one impressive who's who on that trophy.

[RJ_Daley]

OK gents, at the risk of guessing stupid and after spending
 time this morning playing with my Capt, Ovaltine decoder ring, does IIRC mean
"if I remember correctly"?

Yes Barney, that is all I played with...

[Boreum_Hill]

Yes, and I am now recalling correctly that other pros who captured this amateur event include Crenshaw, Fehr, Wadkins, and Weiskopf.  

Other famous winners include Charlie Coe, Chick Evans, Joel Kribel, Steve Melnyk, Francis Quimet, Skee Riegel, Steve Scott, Frank Stranahan, Harvie and Bud Ward, and Jack Westland.  For names you don't recognize, SEE US AM.

Now if you're thinking how could anybody IIRC that well, I looked it up for this list.  

[John Foley]

Didn't one of our illustrious tree-house members w/ broad shoulders recently rave about the course? If recall also some fine pictures were around also.

[Scott_Burroughs]

This is Point O'Woods, in Benton Harbor, MI, by RTJ, Sr.  
Point O'Woods hosts the prestigious Western Amateur every
year (since 1971).  The Western Amateur (and Western
Open) are run by the Western Golf Association, based near
Chicago.

To me, it's ironic that the "Western" Amateur, is in the
Eastern Time Zone of the U.S.!  And "western" Chicago is in
the eastern half of the U.S.  2/3 of the U.S. is to the west of
Chicago.  That's western?  

I had always assumed that POW was in NW
Michigan/Traverse City area, not SW MI, down near the
Indiana border and not far from Doak's Lost Dunes.

here's POW's web site, with a few small pics, and info on the
recent Western Am:

http://www.pointowoods.com/

clues include:

"trees" = "woods"

runway tees 'point' to RTJ, Sr.

"donated logo" Amateur, Klauk, the subject of a recent
thread, won the Western Am a few weeks ago here.

"point" in the eye

"tip of the forest" = "Point O'Woods"

"Meeshigan" = "Meesh" (Mish) Michaels, The Weather
Channel's babe for their 'Atmospheres' segments.

"POW" = Point O'Woods' initials


IIRC is a new one for me, too.  Does it stand for what Dick
asked for earlier?

[Matt_Cohn]

Three notes here.

#1: Trees. Lots and lots and lots of trees. So many trees.

#2: If you think it's iffy having the Western Amateur in Michigan (and I agree), try this one out. The Western Junior this year was at Sea Island, Georgia. In other words, the Western Junior was held on an island in the Atlantic Ocean!

#3: The highway is deceiving - it's still in the middle of nowhere.  :-)

[redanman]

To me, it's ironic that the "Western" Amateur, is in the
 
Eastern Time Zone of the U.S.!  And "western"
Chicago is in the eastern half of the U.S.  
2/3 of the U.S. is to the west of
Chicago.  That's western?  

Scott

Most of us fly over the majority of the United States to get

to California (And now Bandon! ), but if you think of ground

 travel around the start of the 20th century, the left coast
 
was a foreign country for most, with no hope of ever getting

 there.  In the 1860's, the mOrmons almost disappeared just

 getting to Utah.

I'd be curious how many here have ever driven coast to coast

 instead of reading a book from LA to Chicago.

Remember that you can basically fit all of New England in

Colorado, for example.

There is so little between the Mississippi and the coast even

 if you don't take out Denver and Phoenix.

It's all relative.

[ChipOat]

New guys - one other unwritten rule:

Please hit the "Enter/Return" key at the end of each line in
the box of text when you post.  If you don't, the width of Scott's aerials means that your posts will go on and on to the right just like this line and make it more difficult to read.

If you hit the key at the end, though, your post will show up
in a nice tight format like this.

Good to have new blood on the site.  Welcome.

[Boreum_Hill]

thanks 4 the tip Chip!

[THuckaby2]

redanman:

I have indeed driven from Los Angeles
 to Chicago (w/o stopping much) and
 on another trip from Los Angeles to
Canton, OH (guess what the end
destination was) in a trip bouncing
all over national parks and other
interesting sites, with Canton being
our most eastern destination.

And you're right, "western" is indeed
relative.

And as I'm sure David Wigler would
remind us, when one "hails" the "victors",
one is saluting the "champions of the
west", correct?

Illinois (and Michigan!) were indeed
as "west" as most Americans could
reasonably imagine to get to for a long,
long time.

TH