That's a great column from a great start, i.e. dissing the ASGCA book. My brother gave me the book for Xmas as a gag gift ... and it worked!
Ron must have been saving up all that stuff for a long time, and I can't believe he put it all in one place.
The stories you hear about Long Cove are all true, and way more besides. We worked 80-90 hour weeks, and then had a softball team that played once or twice a week in the evenings. (It should be noted that Bobby Weed played for a separate, good team, instead of the crew team.) I was not there for the sand pro jumping contest, but I don't doubt it happened.
I do know I didn't get to design or shape or build anything until the last week I was there, when they threw a party for a crew member going back to school, and the next morning the only two people who showed up for work were me and Pete Dye!
It was a special summer, and it does not seem all that long ago, even though it's 28 summers ago.