The Travis at Garden City - two GCAers play well!

[Jay Flemma]

Pat M - yes, families are welcome at the Travis, the only thing is non-members can't go in the clubhouse, but families and frienbds are welcome on the grounds.

As I delineate below, congrats to GCAer Jamie Slonis who won the fifth flight of the tournament!

Also, Congrats to GCAer Michael Wharton Palmer, who had a great tournament, surviving the rain on friday and winning a match yesterday.

Here is a recap of the action:

Day 1:

http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=894

Day 2:

http://jayflemma.thegolfspace.com/?p=895

It's also on cybergolf.

[Michael Moore]

Jay -

You refer to this event as "greater New York City’s premiere amateur golf event".

Can you tell us how the Met Amateur is a lesser event? Thanks.

[Matt_Ward]

Michael Moore, Jay Flemma, et al:

Good point on the MGA Amateur -- you could also make a strong case for The Ike Championship -- the major stroke play event for amateurs by the same association.

As good as the Travis is -- it is strictly an invitational event.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay -

You refer to this event as "greater New York City’s premiere amateur golf event".

Can you tell us how the Met Amateur is a lesser event? Thanks.

Michael,

The Travis gets a National and International field.

It's really a great mix of local, regional, national and international golfers.

The Met Amateur is limited to members of clubs belonging to the MGA.

Shivas,

See my remarks above.

I'm happy to say that I sponsored Jamie into the tournament.

And, Jamie can tell you that qualifying for match play is no easy task.

[rgkeller]

That legendary amateur golfer is David EGER.

[Jay Flemma]

David Eger is one of only two men in the last thirty years to win the medal for the stroke play day and then win the Tournament...and he did it three consecutive times (1999-2001).  The other was last years winner, Greg Kennedy.

Jamie ended up in the fifth flight because the weather friday was a great equalizer.  Moreover, its only 18 holes, so one bad hole can knock you down.  Finally the field is jam-packed with amateur internationally of the highest order.  Once, former mid-am champ played an 8x NJ state champ in the fifth flight.

Congrats to jamie slonis who WON the fifth flight (and a beautiful crystal trophy!).  Jamie, I'm sorry we missed each other for an interview, but congrats to you and also to Michael Wharton-Palmer on a great GCA showing.

Michael, its nice to see you on the thread.  The MET is a super tournament too.  I dont have the time to research the met and go into chap and verse, I have deadline by midnite, so please let me - for the moment - defer the debate to others.

Mike Kelley of New Albany, OH won.  What a semi final...Kevin Hammer and he were tied at 17, Hammer in the left bunker, Kelley short of the green, pin tucked hard right, middle.  Kelley threads the needle and puts it seven feet to the RIGHT of the pin.  hammer steps into the bunker.  His ball was on an upslope...he took his stance and swung.

The ball sailed over the pin, over the green, over the boundary fence, and into  Rockaway Blvd on the fly.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jay,

What also makes the Travis so special is that the competitors are given access to the golf course from Sunday afternoon prior to the qualifier on Friday.

I don't know of any other tournament or golf course that does that.

The caddies are also terrific.

Who won the Senior Division ?

[TEPaul]

"Can I ask a silly question: how in God's green earth is Jamie Slonis in the fifth flight of anything?"

Shiv:

Sure you can but it is still a silly question nonetheless!

Jamie Slonis is a great player but not all great players play great in stroke play qualifying for match play in those kinds of tournaments year after year. Didn't you realize that even great amateur players can have bad rounds sometimes and if it happens in stroke play qualifying for match play in tournaments like the Travis or the Crump what can one says but----OOPS?! Do you think Jay Sigel qualifyed in the Crump Cup flight every year (that he won about nine times?). Not in a long shot and that's the interest and fun of it all in tournaments like those ones!! The deal is with "full field" qualifying you never know who you might run into. Do you think I should run into players who won National championships like Sigel, Cowan, Holtgrieve in tournaments like that? Of course not, but still I did! 

[Jay Flemma]

Tom, that's exactly right.  Where it's one round, anything can happen.  Look how Jamie righted the ship - he won his division.


Moreover, the weather Friday was beyond difficult.  The wind blew the three adidas stripes right off my windshirt.  One player - who owns the competitive course record at GCGC, a 67 - shot an 85, including a double, double, double, bogey finish.

Just as an aside, the golf course has really made me curious to see other Emmet designs and Travis designs.  I think later this summer I may head up to Leatherstocking and The Yahnundasis.

Guys, what are some of YOUR favorite Emmet designs or Travis designs?  Some fave holes?  Emmet studied under CBM for a while...and there are some holes that resemble holes from NLGA and their progeny.  I also know that the Yahnundasis has a punchbowl...did Travis ultimately come to use some holes derived from NGLA?

Not for nothing, I know Emmet spent a lot of time in the islands.  Are there some great Emmet designs in Bermuda or the Bahamas?

[JSlonis]

Jay,

Nice to meet you as well.  If you have any questions, send me an email or a PM and I'll respond.

Shiv,

I shot 81 and was only 3 over after 9 holes with bad conditions...the weather got worse from there.

The weather later on Friday was perhaps the worst conditions I've ever played a competitive round in.  I think there was only one player who teed off after 10:45 who made the Championship Flight with a score of 76.  When I started my round it was about 55 degrees, raining and the wind was blowing 15 mph.  By the time I made the turn, it was about 50 degrees, really raining and the wind was 20-25 mph with higher gusts.  To say it was miserable would be an understatement.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Pat Mucci for sponsoring me into this event about 6 years ago.  It is truly one of the highlight tournaments of the year.  What makes this tournament so special is obviously the great golf course, but even more so is the overall love of the event by its members.  There is no other tournament except for maybe the Crump Cup where you are made to feel more welcome then you are at the Travis.  The support of the membership throughout is very unique, and the atmosphere that they create at Garden City is really special.  The great Bob Lewis made mention of this yesterday when he spoke after winning the Senior Flight.  He said something to the effect of, "As long as I'm upright, I plan on returning to the Travis each year."

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Jay
ditto to Jamie's remarks..great to meet you and nice job on Cybergolf..great write up...
as for friday weather...the last tiem I had to endure that was playing at Royal Birkdale...only I think Birkdale was warmer!

It was very difficult indeed and anybosy who teed off after 10.30 or so had the worst time...but so be it...those last four hles killed me Jay...I wasa doinf great until you showed up!

Great golf course  and I really do mean great...the members are terrific, fully embrace the event and make us all very welcome indeed.
It is not that often that one is mode so welcome..huge Kudos to all at Garden City..thanks...
Pat thanks again for my intro into the event hope to actually meet you someday.....

[Patrick_Mucci]

Shivas,

The beauty of these tournaments is that a diverse field is invited, they tee it up and qualify at scratch, and are flighted based upon their qualifying score.

There is NO "right of entitlement" to get into the championship flight, or any flight.

You have to PLAY your way in, which is how it should be.

I've always felt that some USGA events were unduly weighted by the number of exempt competitors.

If a college scholarship golfer won the U.S. Amateur at age 20, why should he receive an exemption to the Senior Amateur 35 years later, potentially depriving a more deserving golfer ?

MWP,

Hopefully, we'll meet next year.
I did play Wednesday afternoon with some friends.

If there wasn't some rugged weather, it wouldn't be the Travis.

I've played in it when it was 38, raining and windy, and
there's nothing like those great hot showers to revive you.

[TEPaul]

Shivas:

If they were going to "flight" the field before qualifying, then what do you think the point of qualifying would be??   

Haven't you ever played in one of these invitationals like the Crump or Travis where the entire field qualified FIRST to make up the flights?

It's pretty damn interesting, I'll tell you, because you never know who you might run into in those flights and it also makes the tournament pretty interesting for the entire field because that round (or two) of qualifying gets real intense, and that's half the beauty of it.

Trying to qualify into the flights in the Crump is probably the most intense rounds I've ever played and not to mention the fact that the entire field does not even make the flights. Always in the back of your mind you knew if you miss in qualifying into a flight two years in a row you were out and off the invitation list.

If you missed the flights one year can you imagine how intense qualifying is the next year knowing if you don't qualify in that round you are out of the tournament for good?   

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Tom..sorry I missed you..maybe next year.
You are correct about the intensity of qualifying at The Crump and Travis..in fact the Travis is maybe even tougher as you only get 18 holes to qualify..at least at Pine Valley you have 36 holes to mess up

Both formats are great though..the dospiersion of the quality players amongst the flights is so interesting to see, as aws the case this apst weekend.

I agree with BoB Lewis as long as the invite continues to come in the mail...I will be there

[Phil_the_Author]

Pat,

Not looking for controversy, just understanding. Would you consider the Anderson at Winged Foot equal in scope and stature to the Travis?

[Jay Flemma]

I know that the Anderson is a marvelous event.  Remember that's a TEAM event. Ready for a strange twist of fate.  The two finalists in this years Travis met in last year's Anderson!  Mike Kelley and partner beat Joe Saladino and partner.

Saladino had the best line - he got engaged the night before the semis/finals of this years Travis.  "Sure I lost the Travis.  But my fiance gave me the greatest victory of my life."

How about this -they are both great, great tournaments.

[Robert Emmons]

Joe Saladino plays out of Huntington..1910 Dev Emmet

[John Blain]

You can lump alll of the following together:
  - The Travis (Garden City GC)
  - The Coleman (Seminole)
  - The Anderson (Winged Foot)
  - The Williams (Oak Hill)
  - The Crump Cup (Pine Valley)
  - The Hochster (Quaker Ridge)
  - The Champions Cup (Champions GC)
  - The Henry Picard (Canterbury GC)
  - The Senior Am/Mid Am (Inverness)
  - The Hugh Wilson (Merion - and now defunct)
  I'm sure I'm leaving some out but you get the drift, high quality course and clubs and many of the same players playing in all of them. Mid Am's in their 30's, 40's and 50's that are all good players and many that have a significant financial net worth. It's what David Eger referred to as  the "cocktail circuit".

John

[Jay Flemma]

John, please tell us all more about the Williams and when it's held?

[Phil_the_Author]

JD,

If you're going to include the defunct Wilson at Merion then mention must be made of the incredible, and still on-going, Sunnehanna Invitational at Sunnehanna. It is one of the top amateur championships in America, though not one of those in the MGA.

[John Blain]

Jay,
The Williams is played in mid - September over the East course of Oak Hill CC. It generally gets teams from 20 or so different states and has a long and venerable history. This year's event will be the 46th annual. It was played for the longest time as a 36 hole qualifier with the low 16 going into match play but since 1995 it has been played at 54 hole stroke play. Some past winners include Dick Siderowf, Andy North, Don Allen ,Bill Britton, Danny Green, etc....

Phil,
The Sunnehanna Amateur is an entirely different animal from the events I mentioned. The events I listed are all invitational Mid Am events while the Sunnehanna gets the "best of the best". I believe it's commonly referred to as the nation's tournament of champions and I've heard nothing but really nice things from those I know that have played in the event. I would put it right up there with the Porter Cup and the Northeast Amateur or maybe even above those two in terms of prestige. And like the Porter Cup and the Northeast it gets not just college kids but also the best Mid Ams in the country.

John

[Patrick_Mucci]

You can lump alll of the following together:
  - The Travis (Garden City GC)
  - The Coleman (Seminole)
  - The Anderson (Winged Foot)
  - The Williams (Oak Hill)
  - The Crump Cup (Pine Valley)
  - The Hochster (Quaker Ridge)
  - The Champions Cup (Champions GC)
  - The Henry Picard (Canterbury GC)
  - The Senior Am/Mid Am (Inverness)
  - The Hugh Wilson (Merion - and now defunct)

  I'm sure I'm leaving some out but you get the drift, high quality course and clubs and many of the same players playing in all of them. Mid Am's in their 30's, 40's and 50's that are all good players and many that have a significant financial net worth. It's what David Eger referred to as  the "cocktail circuit".

Those are all wonderful events, but, only the Travis allows the competitors full use of the facility from the Sunday preceeding the tournament.

It's quite unique.[/color]

[John Blain]

Pat,

Is it also true that there is no entry fee for the Travis?

I've heard through several friends who have played The Travis that it is 100% backed and supported by the membership and they make the players feel both wanted and welcome.

Unfortunately, not every membership that hosts these events feels the same way.

John

[Patrick_Mucci]

JPBlain,

You're correct, It's an event sponsored by members who support the tournament.

I was on the committee of a major invitational that didn't allow practice rounds, yet, they invited competitors from as far away as California.

The wondered why they couldn't attract a better field.

I told them it was because they didn't treat the competitors properly and if they wanted to attract good teams they had to accomodate them and make the tournament "player friendly", which they finally did.

GCGC goes overboard in trying to make the competitors feel at home and I think they do a great job.

Jay's articles capture the spirit of the club, the membership, the atmosphere, the golf course and the event.

GCGC and The Travis are very special.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Jim, the manager, Tony, the chef and the entire staff do an excellent job in making everyone feel welcome.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Patrick
EVERYBODY...does a great job...Tony et al included...the caddies are well informed and do a great job...
my caddy last week a young man called Danny was superb, a golfer himself, you could tell he was actually enjoying his job, it was great we ahd a great time together.
The caddie master is superb, the pro shop staff wonderfgully welcoming and great to have Gill as starer for the event.

Huge kudos as well to Pat Foggerty who is the consumate chairman...works very hard t welcome all and then competes himself.
A great great event..n a masterpiece of a golf course.

I would love to play it in the height of the summer, when it is a little browner and faster running with all the fescue hues are in their full bloom.
Some of thsoe sight lines off the tee would be even more intimidating.