Your first golf day in Heaven and your playing partners

[Jay Flemma]

A while back, for the one year anniversary of Mike Strantz's passing, I wrote this piece called "A Page From Mike's Diary in Heaven."

http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=344

Basically, the parameters are you get four rounds a day in Heaven - 72 a day.  For Mike, I had his playing partners as CBM, Alister, and a mutual friend and admirer.  He played Pasa, Tobacco Road, Crystal Downs and Merion.

On the day I die and St. George hands me my clubs, I hope to play with my dad, Mike Strantz, Alister MacKenzie, and, if he's dead, Jack Nicklaus (I idolize him as a player and sportsman), if Jack's still alive, Seth Raynor.

I'd pick The Old Course, Monterey Peninsula (Shore Course), Tobacco Road, and Oakmont for the first day...not in that order...I'd start at TOC and end at MPCC.  Oakmont third, I'll need the warming up...

...and you?

[John Moore II]

I would play Cypress Point, Pine Valley, Pine Needles, and a course of my personal design with the exact holes I think would make an ideal golf course.
My foursome would be Hogan, Nicklaus, and Old Tom Morris

[BVince]

Great question as it is hard for me to pick just four courses or three additional people as I hate to leave people out of this figurative experience.

Courses: I would like a progression that would let us see most of the vairations that golf has to offer.  Start with TOC, Merion, Sand Hills, Cypress Point.  That seems like a great mix.

People: Bobby Jones, My Best Friend, and My Old Man....hard to beat that one in my eyes.

[cary lichtenstein]

I wouldn't pick Hogan or Nicklaus, they don't talk when they play.

I'll take Fuzzy, Trevino, and Frances Ouimet's Caddy

I'll play Tobacco Road with Michael Strantz on my bag. Listening to the shit that the 3 of my partners would dish out to Strantz would make my day.

[Michael Dugger]

This is a no-brainer.

It doesn't matter where we play, but my foursome surely consists of Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer and Christie Kerr.

Sasha from Bandon can caddy.

[cary lichtenstein]

This is a no-brainer.

It doesn't matter where we play, but my foursome surely consists of Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer and Christie Kerr.

Sasha from Bandon can caddy.

You forgot Laura Baugh, you'd have to work her in there someone

[Wayne_Freedman]

Any course, and the same guys I play with now...
but only because they're all older.

[Bradley Anderson]

Day 1 with my dad and my grandfather on the same worn out muni track that we first played on when I was a boy. No fourth because it was always just the three of us.

Day 2 Augusta with Bobby Jones, Tiger, Jack, and Palmer. I would caddy for Jones.

Day 3 The Old Course with Old Tom, Young Tom, and Robertson

Day 4 NGLA with Raynor, MacDonald, and Wayne Morrison.

[John Kavanaugh]

I'd play Ballyneal with Huckaby, Gene, and Dick Youngscap.  I'd know I was in heaven when they kept telling Huck no.  Just for giggles I would paint "Sand Hills this way" on the door to hell.

[Don Hyslop]

Moe Norman, Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet on my first day and Lee Trevino, Doug Sanders and Gary Player for my next round.

[Melvyn Morrow]

My foursome would be my father (my caddy), Young Tom, Old Tom and Tiger Woods.

The courses need to prove the quality of each, so I would select The Old Course, New Course, Bridge of Allan and Cullen. Sorry Guys, but Scotland
is still the only place to play golf (as I enjoy it).

I would also want to use two set of equipment (balls/clubs etc), a set from today and one used by Old/Young Tom.

Boy, I think I would spend most of my time watching Tiger and Young Tom, but would never discount Old Tom as his game was more than consistent, although his short game became a little nerve racking at times.

Thanks Jay, for the few minutes of fun I had in compiling the lists and courses.

If only? (in getting to Heaven - with my record)

[JohnH]

Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan.

Merion, Ballybunion Old, and ANGC.  If there was a day two:  Oakmont, Cypress Point, and TOC.

[Bill Shamleffer]

On day one I would want to play with Francis Ouimet, Harry Varden, and Bernhard Darwin.  The courses would be St. Andrews, The Country Club, Cypress Point, and the course I spent my youth caddying at Algonquin Golf Club in the suburbs of St. Louis.

I considered Herbert Warren Wind, but then I thought that since Darwin was there during the 1913 US Open, he would be perfect to fill out this foursome.

The courses thus are obvious.

From all I have read, Mr. Ouimet appears to be one of the most honorable men this great game has been graced with.  My father never played the game, but he very much enjoyed watching and following professional golf, and I think he would enjoy walking with Mr. Ouimet and Varden.

Don,
I too considered Moe Norman.

[Dan Herrmann]

Assuming heaven is immune from time, how about TOC in the late 1800's, Pine Valley while Crump was still living there, and 2 other great courses that haven't been built yet.

I'd get my dad.  Just a twosome, please.  (he's still alive, thankfully, but can't play due to age)

[RJ_Daley]

I'd like to play in a 4some with, Dr. Richard Feynman with Virgil his Caddie, Samuel Clemons-Mark Twain with Plato as his Caddie, and Ernest Hemingway with Carl Sagan his Caddie, and me with Ayn Rand schleping my bag.  Then through out the rounds, I'd like them to explain how in the heck any of us ended up playing on some golf course in heaven...

Of course the actual course would be called the Heaven's Gate Municipal Golf and Fishing Club, which would be far better than any goat track that existed here on the planet earth.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Since Mike S was originally from Toledo, I think he would play Inverness, and then retire to Tony Packo's for world famous Hungarian Hot Dogs.

[wsmorrison]

Sorry Guys, but Scotland is still the only place to play golf (as I enjoy it).

I can't argue with you there, Melvyn.  However, have you played golf in the US?  If so, where?  If not, any idea where you would want to play?  Given the exchange rate, you ought to come over sometime.  If your trip started on Long Island and ended in Philadelphia, You would enjoy it!  Merion and Pine Valley might prove to be an excellent denouement. 

I feel like I am in golf heaven right here in Philadelphia. 

[Patrick Glynn]

I like this topic! Since we are in Heaven I am assuming time, exchange rates, mortality status are all irrelevant. I would have to go with:

Augusta - with my father & Jack Nicklaus taking on myself & Tiger Woods
The Old Course - with my father & Severiano Ballesteros (in his prime) taking on me & Tiger
RCD - with Ari Techner & Old Tom Morris taking on me and Tom Doak
Royal Melbourne - Geoff Ogilvy & Allister MacKenzie taking on myself and Colin Montgomerie

[Matthew Mollica]

I'd play Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne Composite, TOC & Augusta National

Alister MacKenzie, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones would be beside me.
I'd have Old Tom Morris as a caddy too

MM

[wsmorrison]

Good one, Bradley.  I would more than likely get into an argument with that curmudgeon Macdonald and his sidekick, Raynor.   They might not have liked my graveside visit a few years back     Just kidding, George.  No need to get in a fuss.

[Doug Siebert]

So what you are you guys shooting on these rounds in heaven?

If you do too well you might find yourself like that guy in the episode of the Twilight Zone where a gambler goes to heaven and wins everything he plays.  At first he thinks its great until he gets sick of winning all the time and misses the risk, and the thrill not knowing the outcome.  Then its revealed to him that he had just assumed he was in heaven, and he was actually in hell.

So maybe in hell you play like Kim Jong Il and make a hole in one on every hole, so there's no challenge, no strategy, and no interface with the architecture.   I'm not sure what score you would expect to shoot in heaven, if you play to your "potential", whatever that is then the pursuit of improvement is lost.  If the game isn't frustrating and maddening its not golf, but getting kicked off the course for swearing would have much bigger implications in the afterlife, so I guess its lucky I don't believe in any of that stuff anyway

[Dan Herrmann]

I want to know who the poor schmuck is that gets to caddy for us.  Would that be golf "purgatory"?

[Norbert P]

Mom and Dad and God.

[Chip Gaskins]

My dad, Tony Gorski, Ben Crenshaw and me.

1) Pine Needles
2) Royal Portrush
3) St. Andrews - Old
4) Augusta

[Jay Flemma]

On day one I would want to play with Francis Ouimet, Harry Varden, and Bernhard Darwin.  The courses would be St. Andrews, The Country Club, Cypress Point, and the course I spent my youth caddying at Algonquin Golf Club in the suburbs of St. Louis.

I considered Herbert Warren Wind, but then I thought that since Darwin was there during the 1913 US Open, he would be perfect to fill out this foursome.

The courses thus are obvious.

From all I have read, Mr. Ouimet appears to be one of the most honorable men this great game has been graced with.  My father never played the game, but he very much enjoyed watching and following professional golf, and I think he would enjoy walking with Mr. Ouimet and Varden.

Don,
I too considered Moe Norman.

Ooooh Bill, there's a great one...Herbert Warren Wind and maybe add Grantland Rice too...

Wayne, I like the way you think too...