[Anthony Gray]

  Not to beat a dead horse but the the first time you play Cruden Bay you never know what is next. Each hole is a surprise. I found Diamante to be like that.

  Anthon

[Terry Lavin]

  Not to beat a dead horse but the the first time you play Cruden Bay you never know what is next.   Anthon

Horese been embalmeded, as you might tipe.

[Tim Johnson]

Anthony, I agree with your comment on Cruden Bay, played it with my father in September 99 on a foggy day. We couldnt see more than a 7 iron so it felt like just me and him playing the course and remains one of the best rounds we have played on a links course. We actually played to the 11th green from the 10th fairway because we lost our stroke saver and it was the only green we could see. Seeing the 4 gentlemen emerge from the fog as we noticed too many golf balls on the green. They were kind enough to loan us a stroke saver and we carried on our way.

Went back in 07 and played on a sunny day and it wasnt the same experience...still loved it though but as they say "you cant go home again"

Mike, your comment about walking to play TOC with your clubs on your back is what golf is all about...the anticipation of playing something great. That walk must have been great!!

[Peter Pallotta]

A wonderful thread with some very fine/enjoyable posts - thanks gents.  

You know, most of us seem to assume that our experience is shaped by what we take in, i.e. by what the external world presents to us; but maybe in truth it's the other way around, i.e. maybe the joy and magic and peace and sense of the numinous we sometimes feel is already there, already inside of us, just waiting for a chance to emerge/express itself.  Maybe a place like Sand Hills is special not only because of what it is, but because it somehow allows us to see who we are -- who we really are.

Just thinking out loud, excuse the poetry please.

[BCrosby]

Exactly so, Peter. Spot on. No one has those experiences until they are ready to have them.

Bob

[Mac Plumart]

Peter...you are awesome!!  Oh yeah, and right.

I think that is why I love the destination courses so much.  It takes awhile to get there and the entire way I am excited and anticipating it.  And then when I get to these remote locations...cell phones go away, internet is gone, peace is allowed to take hold as the clutter of the day to day and tyranny of the urgent has no choice but to disappear.  And then the magic of simply living (and playing golf) takes hold.

Then a few days later it is over and it is back to the grind.   

[Ben Sims]

Can anyone objectively define best experience?  Is there an element of exclusivity?  Is it about your playing partners or is it the service?  Food?  Practice area?  Car wash while you play?  Ballyneal with the Colton gang is about as fun as it gets.  But I've worn boardshorts to dinner at plenty of places.  So does the coat and tie at Augusta make it better?  Or different?  I've heard that the bar at Sand Hills can be the most raucous room in Nebraska, especially if Mr. Youngscap is holding court.  Is that the best experience?  What about lobster lunches in Southampton or turtle soup in Clementon or cream of tomato on a balmy summer day in Pittsburgh?  Is that where it's at?  Testing your rain gear at the Sheep Ranch with your best friend and some bourbon?  Eating tacos and beer while playing golf with a jean short wearing genius on a course that's more exclusive than a ticket on the space shuttle?

I'm being ridiculous and rhetorical of course.  But this could mean many thing to many people.  For me personally, it's all on the list, even Augusta.  Unless life is in the way, yes is generally the answer to anything unique and exciting.  We are a fortunate lot around here. 

[Doug Wright]

Dan:

What I will say about "the Augusta experience" is that it is a perfectly controlled environment where everyone has essentially the same experience, by design.  They control when people get there and when they leave and every facet of how things are done, and they do it as well as it can be done.

But it is only "the greatest experience" if your idea of a great experience coincides with theirs.

Tom you make Augusta National sound like Disney World. Which actually isn't far off. It is all superbly orchestrated. My one and only visit to a practice round was a great--though not greatest--experience for me. I  hope my greatest experience lies ahead, whatever it may be.

[Ben Jarvis]

My greatest experience was last years father-son golf trip to America - just two Australian guys and our caddie at CPC, on a perfect July morning – no sun but no fog.

While all 18 holes are truly unforgettable, I vividly remember the adrenalin pumping through my body while walking up 13, wowed by the beautiful green setting, and anticipating the 15-17 stretch.

When we walked over 17-Mile Drive and turned left to the 15th tee, this was the moment I will forever remember as the greatest view in golf. It was here that I remember thinking how truly fortunate we were to be where we were. While the views on #16 and #17 are awesome, that on the 15th is my favourite and the one that will be stuck in the forefront of my memory for the remainder of my golfing life.

Golf aside, CPC would not have been the greatest experience if it weren’t for friendliness of the Club. While we weren’t permitted in the clubhouse (unaccompanied guests), I have never felt so welcomed anywhere, anytime, period! The staff in the Pro Shop were so incredibly hospitable and our caddie quickly put our nerves at ease with his easy-going nature.

Sharing this morning with my father made the experience all the more special and quite simply the greatest experience of my life….golf or otherwise.

PS. I’m not married with children – I’m allowed to say this without fear

[Ash Towe]

For me playing at CPC, in great weather, terrific caddies, playing well and most importantly in the company of Ed Getka, Tom Huckaby and Rich Shefchik.

I have had other great experiences but not one when so many of the golfing gods were in attendance.

[Mark Pearce]

Ben is right.  The whole experience of a club depends a lot on the approach of the staff.  Something that, from my experience, both CPC and HCEG (despite its rep, which I think dates back to an earlier regime) get just right.  The pro at CPC in particular was great.  I must have spent 20 minutes talking to him before my host arrived and he was interesting, interested and very friendly.  Discovering that he knew people I've played with over here was a bonus!

[Sean_A]

I am sure I can't even remember some of my greatest experiences on a golf course.  For sure most would have taken place when I was a kid and most blend into a warm, happy feeling of freedom and well, just growing up.

As an adult, one of my best experiences was playing Pennard for the first time.  All I knew about the course was that Doak wrote (essentially) Pennard is ott.  To some degree, I am still blown away by how good and beautiful the course is.  Playing fun shot after fun shot I kept waiting for the duds to come along until I finally gave in to reality around the 12th; there wasn't going to be a less than magic hole or moment...and I still feel this way.  There are so few courses I can say this about.  I can recall years later reading Finegan's take in All Courses....: "I have no reason to back away from an unflinching conclusion: Pennard is a very great course...".  I still think his summation is closest to hitting the mark than any other offering I have read or heard.  I also don't think it a coincidence that Pennard is the last course profiled in the book.  Its probably quite unusual to come across someone who seems to have experienced a course in the same light as oneself.

While the course is nowhere near as good as Pennard, I had toned down experience this past fall at Cleeve Cloud.  Now the trick is to see if that initial feeling can hang with after subsequent visits the it has for Pennard.

While not nearly the same thing, Kington too has been a great experience for me these past 10 years.  Its almost as if the experience has been in slow motion and I sense that it finally ended this past fall.  I have avoided going back a few times since then almost out of fear that Kington and the people I associate with the club can't possibly be as wonderful in person as in my mind's eye.

Ciao  

[Kris Shreiner]

Wonderful thread, as the variety of what comprises "The greatest experience" runs the gamut. CPC dials it up about as well as anyone.
It's nice to see the staff vibe, especially the caddie experience, get the acknowledgement of how important that element is to the feel and rightness of a place.

The current head pro at CPC is one of the classiest guys I've ever met. The club tapped him after he came over from Pebble Beach, where he was an asistant pro and caddie master. A fine player, he was hired at CPC to help administer the caddie program and work in the shop. After the wonderful long-time pro there retired, they elevated their caddie master to Head Professional. I can't think of another top club on the planet that would make that call in the modern era!

Obviously, he had an array of skills far beyond what most would accord that position. Food for thought for those that have "difficulty"
with understanding what value the caddie dymanic has in today's game.

Cheers,
Kris

[Dan Kelly]

A wonderful thread with some very fine/enjoyable posts - thanks gents.  

You know, most of us seem to assume that our experience is shaped by what we take in, i.e. by what the external world presents to us; but maybe in truth it's the other way around, i.e. maybe the joy and magic and peace and sense of the numinous we sometimes feel is already there, already inside of us, just waiting for a chance to emerge/express itself.  Maybe a place like Sand Hills is special not only because of what it is, but because it somehow allows us to see who we are -- who we really are.

Just thinking out loud, excuse the poetry please.

Who'd ever have thought we'd find a "sense of the numinous" here, of all places? But, with luck, we occasionally do. And the best comes out of us.

Keep the poetry coming, Peter.

And speaking of poetic prose: Please don't miss "Out the Window," by Donald Hall, in the January 23rd issue of The New Yorker.

[Jim Franklin]

Best experience - The Old Course (I agree with Shivas AGAIN!!). I have not played or been to Augusta.

[Joel_Stewart]

On an extrinsic level, playing Shadow Creek the first time was something.  The 3,000 square foot room, the limo and the drive in at 5mph with dozens of wild birds cluttering the road was something I had not experienced before.  The staff at attention when the limo arrived and then to be taken into the locker room and using Bill Gates locker, it almost became fantasy land.

Like Augusta it's a very tight, well orchastrated event.

On an instinsic level, walking the fairways on a warm day at Fishers Island is pretty special.  I also had a great experience playing Maidstone by myself and the last few holes the church bells  where chiming.  It again was a warm day with no wind and it was almost magical.

[Chris DeNigris]

It's easy for those that have never played (or even been to) Augusta to look down their noses and say that it wouldn't even make their top ten golf experiences.

How about we rely on those that have actually had the experience to comment on how it stacked up...that would probably answer the question a little better.

I've been there as a spectator for 2 actual rounds and a practice round and I'd have to rank my first visit (85) as one of my all time best golf experiences.

Can't even imagine what it would be like to actually tee it up there.

TOC is and probably always will be my number one experience (since I'm not likely to ever participate in the Reverse Jans)...but if Augusta ever came a calling...I might have to re-evaluate.

[Mike Hendren]

On an extrinsic level, playing Shadow Creek the first time was something.  The 3,000 square foot room, the limo and the drive in at 5mph with dozens of wild birds cluttering the road was something I had not experienced before.  The staff at attention when the limo arrived and then to be taken into the locker room and using Bill Gates locker, it almost became fantasy land.

Like Augusta it's a very tight, well orchastrated event.

On an instinsic level, walking the fairways on a warm day at Fishers Island is pretty special.  I also had a great experience playing Maidstone by myself and the last few holes the church bells  where chiming.  It again was a warm day with no wind and it was almost magical.

Joel, perhaps you failed to notice that every locker had Gates' name on it.

Bogey

[Lou Cutolo]

Mine is the when you pass through the tight gate off Sebonac  Inlet Road, park in the football shaped parking lot, put on your jacket, drink a southside, eat some lobster then head out to the Valley. Can you guess the experience?

[Michael Essig]

Tough choice. First and only time at TOC, or first time at Pacific Dunes (very little private club play in my history). In each case, it was because all of the elements came together. At PD, my wife walked the course with me, had a great caddy (a local kid on the Bandon Dunes HS golf team), and a wonderful dinner and drinks afterwards. At TOC, friendly playing partners, all that history, and great time chatting up the locals after the round.

Interesting that no one in the string talks about how well or poorly they played, and how much the experience is influenced by non-golfing aspects of the experience - playing partners, 19th hole, the drive into the course, etc. As much as we go on about courses on this site, the "experience" is influenced as much or more by the what we get when we aren't swinging a club.

[Dan Kelly]

Interesting that no one in the string talks about how well or poorly they played, and how much the experience is influenced by non-golfing aspects of the experience - playing partners, 19th hole, the drive into the course, etc. As much as we go on about courses on this site, the "experience" is influenced as much or more by the what we get when we aren't swinging a club.

As much as ... or, in my case, WAY more.

How I've played at these charmed places hasn't meant squat to me.

The best example, among many: When I played Sand Hills, in September of 1996, I had no driver in my possession that I could confidently hit. So I played 1-iron off the tee all day both days. Scored miserably. Had the time of my life.

[Kevin Pallier]

Golfing experience....visiting TOC at St. Andrews.

Whislt I've been fortunate to see a lot of other amazing places - nothing comes close to it in my mind at least.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I do think ANGC is as cool a viewing setting as one could dream of. As for me there are to many to mention. My first victory in a tournament, first time to play Pebble, first time to play 4 at Spyglass, first time to play 15 and walk the walk at Cypress, first time to stand on TOC and then to play, to even be in St Andrews, To play Olympic Lake first time, to soak in the world from half way hut on MPCC shore, to hit winning shot on last hole to win team event at Portmarnock,first hole in one as a child at Bayou Desaird CC 4, last one at Mountain Lake 5th, first shot at NGLA, first round at Shinny being my daughters Ass coach on her college golf team, so many friendships made, walking land to build course on, learning and study of golf architecture and design, taking one in the chest for Arnold Palmer many years ago to keep his ball in play and it goes on and on. what a game so many great people, so many shots and so many incredibly cool places.

[Bob_Huntley]

I cannot place the greatest experience in over fifty years in the game but one of the most enjoyable was seeing my good friend John 'Tiger' Bernardt get on the par five sixth hole at MPCC in two shots. Battling a virulant cancer and fifty pounds lighter that his normal weight he looked majestic.

I do hope I can face what this man has endured with the good grace that John has exhibited. He is what you might call, grace personified.

Bob

[Jim Tang]

I know someone who has played ANGC, as well as just about every other top private club in the country, including Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Chicago, Oakmont, Merion and the list goes on and on.  I remember him telling me that Augusta didn't have the best golf course.

But, the chance to drive up Magnolia Lane, stay in the cabins, explore the clubhouse, see the Crow's Nest and then go play golf for 2 or 3 days was an incredible experience, unlike anything he had ever seen.

Much of what I love about golf is found within this thread, which is the width and scope of experiences this great game offers.  So many here speak of totally different experiences, but, to them, register off the charts as being their "greatest" experience.

Walking TOC and playing ANGC, I would imagine, are vastly different experiences, maybe, polar opposites.  Yet, each is very, very special, in their own way.

There is so much to see.

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