GCA Battle Royale in S. Carolina Make your bets now

[Jamey Bryan]

The South Carolina contingent on GCA is a small one, so opportunities such as this don't arise often!  December 14-15, three GCAers will be competing in a South Carolina Golf Association 40+ Four Ball.  Keeping this somewhat on-topic, the event is being played on Tom Doak's Heathland course at the Legends complex.

Teams (handicap index) are as follow:

Representing the Upstate/Greenville Golfing Society
Michael Whitaker (7.0) and Marvin Bales (9.2)

Representing the Midlands/Camden Country Club
Jamey Bryan (8.5) and Jeff Tindall (4.4)

Representing the Low Country/Yeamans Hall
Ed Galbavy (0.0) and Phil Farley (1.8 )

This is regional rivalry at it's best   Cutthroat competition with the winner having bragging rights for a LONG time (at least until the next Dixie Cup).

Anyone for a Calcutta?  This is gonna be fun.....

Jamey

[Tom_Doak]

I hope they set up the course well for you.  There are some great places to hide the pins on those greens, if somebody is looking for them.

[Mike Hendren]

I Volunteer to support Big Ed.

[RJ_Daley]

I don't really know Marvin, Phil or Jeff's game, BUT----

Mike and Ed better get some serious stroke negotiations underway with Jamey at 8.5 and Ed at 0.0 and Mike at 7.0!!!  And, for goodness sakes Ed and Mike, don't let Jamey get anywhere near the bar the night before!  I never saw such a feat of golf performed under the influence of mass quantities of 'aiming fluid' as the Long Shadow D.C.  If Jamey shows up on the tee in the morning looking a little bedraggled, BET THE FARM ON HIM, even if he had a hack like me for a partner!!! 

[Michael Whitaker]

Jamie Bryan - an 8.5 index!!! Jeeze, Jamie... what are you doing, playing the back tees at Camden and posting your scores from the up tee?

My money should be on Jamie... I've seen his act before!

Marvin Bales is my good friend, accountant, and fellow Greenville Golfing Society member. Neither of us is playing very well right now, but we'll give it our all. We'd be willing to accept a small wager with you Jamie on our best ball net score each day, plus the overall. Say 5-5-5. Is that how you do it? I'm new to this wagering thing. 

TD - As for tucking the pins on the Heathland Course... this is a tournament for 40+ year olds, with 20% of the field reserved for seniors. It won't be set up too tough, or too long. I just hope we catch two days of decent weather.

[Jamey Bryan]

Mike....   We're on with 5-5-5!  Actually my current index (going up) is a result of stupidity such as hitting 8 at Green Valley (in the last 40+) and 5 putting (that was our first hole....  it's hard to come back).  Hey....  I hit 4 pretty good putts!

We should get together for dinner (hopefully with Ed and his partner) one night.

Tom:  The SCGA does take pity on us old guys and doesn't set up the course too long.  That being said, it does seem like they generally find 3-4 really good pins each day, and another 5-6 that are better than average.  Hap found one a couple of years ago for the SC Senior Am at Camden that our super has fallen in love with!  (I'd never seen it used before).

Dick:  I'm afraid my Long Shadow performance was a "one off", but my partner in this tournament is a "career drinker".  Fortunately, Danny Young has assured me that they have unlimited supplies of Makers Mark....

Jamey

[Michael Whitaker]

Jamie - Joe Fairy is also playing in the tournament. We're planning to get together on Saturday night in Murrells Inlet for some seafood. I update you when a location is determined.

[Bill_McBride]

Jamie - Joe Fairy is also playing in the tournament. We're planning to get together on Saturday night in Murrells Inlet for some seafood. I update you when a location is determined.

You guys have fun, that sounds like a really fun event!

[BigEdSC]

Sorry guys, I didn't see this thread until this AM.  At least I got to say hi to Mike and Jamey at the tournament.  I've been spending time burning up I-95 between Jacksonville and Charleston, so I've been out of the tree house for sometime.

I wished that we did hook up for dinner one night.  The story of my life is a day late and a dollar short.

As far as the golf course and the set up, I thought that it was fair and we all caught major breaks because of the weather.  Sunday was 65 and Monday was 70 and sunny both days.

As far as the calcutta, my partner and I shot 76 best ball the first day (which put us near DFL in the net).  The second day, we caught a little fire and shot 67 best ball to finish in the middle of the pack.  I think that we shot 138 net.  I'll let Jamey and Michael chime in on their results.

On Saturday, I remarked that I thought that someone would of shot 63 the first day.  I think that 66 was leading after that day.  The course was enjoyable and fair.  It was pretty wide open as far as driving was concerned (except for some of the water hazards.)  The greens were good.  Had some good tough pins.  All in all a fun tournament. 

Next time, we'll hook up for dinner one night. 

[Michael Whitaker]

Ed - Great to see you and Jamey. I am pleased to report that I was able to snatch $5 from Jamey's tight fist... and, that is saying something. My partner and I won the Sunday match and the overall... Jamie and his partner won the Monday match. We shot 66-66 (net) to finish in 4th place in the tournament!!! Jamie and his partner shot 69-65 to finish one shot out of the money!

If anyone is interested here are the complete results for the event:
http://www.scgolf.org/2008/plus/legendsfinalresults.htm

There is a lot to be said for this course. Jamey is planning to start a discussion about the par 5 13th hole... we still have not figured out the best way to play it. My partner and I scored 6-6 & 6-7 on that hole... didn't even come close to making a par. it will be interesting to see what you guys think about it.

Heathland is a really good and fun course. The only problem is that it is located in the Myrtle Beach market where "green" is king. If the course could be maintained firm instead of overseeded and soft it would bring a lot more of design elements into play. But, that is the nature of the beast in MB. If the courses aren't green the customers won't come back.

Stay tuned...

[BigEdSC]

Michael

     Congratulations on finishing 4th.  I think that winning the net is tougher than winning the gross.

     As far as 13, I birdied it both days.  I hit good drives and was around 250 out on both days.  To carry the water was 180 and I was able to hit OK 3-woods around the green and pitch on and make the putts both days.  My partner hit good drives also.  He played it over the water, over the bunker to about 100 yards out.  He hit it on and missed his birdie putts

The holes that seemed to get us was 7, (two tough pins for birdie IMO), 16, (we just could not seem to hit decent drives) and 17, the par 3.

You're right as far as a good and fun course.  The fairways were pretty mushy.  It would be a blast playing under firm and fast.