2008 Favorite Threads

[Patrick Kiser]

Continuing with the end of year threads...

Let's bring up an oldie, but usually a goodie, and recall some of our favorite threads of the year.

No top 5 or 10.  Just go for it.

Please elaborate a little on why the threads stand out for you.

I'll post later but I'm really digging the banter going on with Tim Bert's Kingsley thread.

[Jason Topp]

I have really liked the picture threads from the last month.

[PCCraig]

Duh...the Merion threads!!!!!! 

[Wyatt Halliday]

Two of my favorites:

A FAN'S PHOTO TRIBUTE TO PACIFIC DUNES by Tim Bert
-For Tim's patience and dedication in seeing it through to the end
-For Tom's contributions that read like would be excerpts from The Making of Pacific Dunes

FOUR BIASES IN COURSE EVALUATION by John Kirk
-A good example of why the Clayman edict should be followed (read, learn, then post)
-Points out why we should take another look at our local favorites (among others)

WH

[Anthony Gray]

   All the good ones got deleted.

  Anthony

[Kirk Gill]

Pat, you may have been saying that tongue-in-cheek, but I really enjoyed those Merion threads. Particularly when Wayne was able to find the letter from Macdonald to the club - it was an exciting moment, I thought. There was a lot that had to be dug through to get to the "good parts," but the good stuff was there.

I've also enjoyed the many photo tours, especially those of Sean Arble, who gives me insight into places I've never seen, and may never see.

I must also apologize for all the threads I've personally killed this year. Sorry.

[Charlie Goerges]

I must also apologize for all the threads I've personally killed this year. Sorry.

Like this one?!

[PCCraig]

Pat, you may have been saying that tongue-in-cheek, but I really enjoyed those Merion threads. Particularly when Wayne was able to find the letter from Macdonald to the club - it was an exciting moment, I thought. There was a lot that had to be dug through to get to the "good parts," but the good stuff was there.

I was only half kidding. I enjoyed them as well, I just know to not bring up Merion or a thread without ducking first!

[Norbert P]

 I liked John Kav's thread on

 "How To Fold A Shirt"

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1798437

(Uplif... , I mean, updated version)

My ADHD negates the pedagogical intent.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Sean's course reviews - and lots of others, too many to name individually.
Neil's fantastic research into MacKenzie.
Ran's perceptive course reviews.

[Kyle Henderson]

There was a terrific thread on Ballyneal back in July...


Less "self-aggrandizingly:"

I've particularly enjoyed a number of posts authored by John Kirk, Tim Bert, Sean Arble, and Peter Wagner (where has he been???).

But, as always, I've enjoyed the input from practicing architects most of all (Doak, Brauer, Moran, Nuzzo, Johnston, Urbina, Cowley, Andrew and everyone else in the business I've left out or whose name I didn't spell correctly just now). I hope Engh and Lehman come back into the fold.

Conversely, that Spaulding guy is worthless.

[Ash Towe]

I would endorse Tim Bert's tribute threads.

Kyle your thread on Ballyneal was one of the best.

Sean's reviews of the British courses plus the one on Merion were great.

Maybe I just like pics of courses.

[Wyatt Halliday]

There was a terrific thread on Ballyneal back in July...

Given my fondness for Ballyneal, the oversight is unforgivable. My apologies!

WH

[Kyle Henderson]

Thanks for the bump, Wyatt.

I forgot to think "Art Fuller" for creating a data base linking all of the pictorial threads via delicious.com. You rock, Richard!

[Carl Nichols]

In addition to others alreadly mentioned, I enjoyed several of Matt Ward's threads, especially the ones where he quickly gives up his positions and concedes that someone else's position has merit.





Seriously, I really enjoyed his NYC Metro area top 50 and his Arizona and Nevada top 10's.   

[Mike_Cirba]

Personally, I think Tim Bert's hole by hole threads, Sean Arble's (and many others) pictorial essays, and Joe Bausch's amazing research findings are by far the best of what this site is all about.

Most of the rest of what we type, myself included, is too much posturing and not enough meat.

[Tim Bert]

Thanks for the nice comments to those of you that mentioned the course discussion threads.

While this wasn't the thread of the year, the post that kicked it off was one of the best during a tense time on this site...
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36515.msg746384.html#msg746384

[Matthew Rose]

Photo and aerials.

Also enjoyed the "show your favourite template par-3" threads.

[Mike_Cirba]

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that Peter Palotta and Kirk Gill added a much-needed dose of thoughtful sanity to more threads than they had to.

Also, Kalen Braley has a passion that is palpable, and if he played golf with Kyle last weekend in freezing weather at Beechtree, then that's all I need to say about that. 

[Patrick Kiser]

On top of Tim's tribute threads, I especially liked the other pic threads (e.g. Kyle's thread on Ballyneal, Tommy's Woodhall Spa, Patrick's Lahinch tribute, Mark's Alwoodley, Scott's Portmarnock, Ed's St.Enodoc and John's Maidstone to name just a few). 

For some of the older courses or restorations/renovations, I especially like the before and after pics (e.g. like Ian's Lookout Point - Ian where did the pics go?, Mike's Lake Merced 8th, and especially Dan's Lawsonia)

I especially liked Bradley's discovery of the MacKenzie photos.  Great stuff there.  It's like finding a pirate's treasure chest or something.

I wish we had more threads on Colt, so I was happy to see a little love from Alfonso's Evolution of HS Colt as an architect.

Mike's Cobb's Creek is still going and attests to the interest.  Wow!  For different reasons David's Merion was interesting and ... memorable.  I don't think I've seen a thread like David's create so many spin-off threads...

Chip's unbelievable golf trail was very cool to witness.

The KP thread was good fun as usual.

I'll second Kyle's mention of Art's delicious.com reference.

I'm already forgetting plenty others, but so it goes...

[Pat Burke]

All of them with the exception of the political.
You guys have been a source of great entertainment and education for a guy that has been a fan of architecture since I was about 12 and drawing golf courses in my notebooks instead of studying
Thanks for allowing me to participate and more importantly to learn

[Phil_the_Author]

Pat,

So I guess you're what, 13, 14?

[Jon Spaulding]

There was a terrific thread on Ballyneal back in July...


Less "self-aggrandizingly:"

I've particularly enjoyed a number of posts authored by John Kirk, Tim Bert, Sean Arble, and Peter Wagner (where has he been???).

But, as always, I've enjoyed the input from practicing architects most of all (Doak, Brauer, Moran, Nuzzo, Johnston, Urbina, Cowley, Andrew and everyone else in the business I've left out or whose name I didn't spell correctly just now). I hope Engh and Lehman come back into the fold.

Conversely, that Spaulding guy is worthless.

I agree with most of that assessment. Since worthless is really a compliment within your homoerotic vernacular, thank you for the kind words.

Kudos to anyone who took the time to put up pictoral threads this year.

[Richard Boult]

Tim Bert's Photo Tribute to Pacific Dunes was a favorite of mine. Kyle's subsequent tour of Ballyneal then inspired the creation of our new Photo Tour Directory. Scott Burroughs had previously created a thread where he listed old photo tours that helped get things started.

[JMEvensky]

Any/all maintenance related threads,especially those that got detailed responses and explanations from the Supers.

I was hoping George Pazin's inchoate weekly topic would take off.Most of we lay people could benefit from learning to understand why our courses are maintained as they are with all the different things/constituencies being brought to bear.Thanks to those guys for taking the time to teach we slower children.

Also,any thread which elicited a full scale remembrance of TEPaul's childhood,especially Fern and Dring.Proust hasn't got a thing on Tom Paul.