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Mike Schott

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I'm new here, introduction
« on: November 05, 2012, 11:08:23 AM »
I am thrilled to be here and have been following GCA for the last 18 months or so. Here's a bit of my background:

I live in the western Detroit suburbs, grew up in this area and graduated from Michigan State University many moons ago with a degree in marketing. I golfed often in high school but didn't start to play with any frequency until after I graduated and have played pretty regularly ever since. That means 25+ years of mostly public golf. For many years we had a regular foursome every Saturday AM teeing off at about 7am at Hilltop Golf Course in Plymouth, MI. This course is a bit maddening as it's on a nice rolling piece of land and it well laid out with many tees and greens on plateaus with some of the wildest greens in the area. Unfortunately it started as a 9 hole course and later another 9 was squeezed into the property. To alleviate the danger of getting beaned, they overplanted which has made the course claustrophobic. About 10 years ago we moved to the Farmington Hills Golf Club which is a nice muni with the front 9 holes on reclaimed land, the back 9 across the street with the 2 nines connected by an underground tunnel. It's a good local track that is a bit wetlands challenged on the reclaimed front nine.

My number of rounds have drastically declined in the last few years following the birth of my now 2 year old son but this has not dampened my enthusiasm for the game or certainly in course architecture. This site has really opened my eyes in terms of the trend back to natural courses.

As I have relatives in the SF Bay Area I've been able to play many of the nicer public tracks in the area. Perhaps the best course I've played is Pasatiempo, pre-Doak restoration. I also had my first eagle on it's ninth hole, holing a wedge. I also played Bethpage Black in the dark days, probably about 1996, before it was restored. It was a mess but still among the best courses I've ever played.

A bit more about myself, I am in sales and travel often to Southern California to visit customers. I hope to play Rustic Canyon one of these days and have a customer in Oxnard a bit SW of there. Other interests include family, music (I am a serious amateur musician and played in the Marching and other bands while at MSU) and cars.

I look forward to learning more from GCA and would like to thank Ran for his gracious invitation.

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2012, 11:14:08 AM »
Mike,

Welcome to Thunderdome!.  What instrument do you play?  I'm an amateur guitarist.  Good news.  You're within striking distance of Kingsley Club.  Bad news, you went to the wrong school in Michigan.   ;)  Welcome aboard...
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Mike Schott

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2012, 11:47:23 AM »
Mike,

Welcome to Thunderdome!.  What instrument do you play?  I'm an amateur guitarist.  Good news.  You're within striking distance of Kingsley Club.  Bad news, you went to the wrong school in Michigan.   ;)  Welcome aboard...

;D

Thanks Jud.

Regarding the school's that's a story unto itself as i was raised a UM fan but later saw the light.  ;) I've played the UM course a number of times as well as MSU's Forest Akers West which unfortunately has had it's routing badly twisted to accommodate a new clubhouse and conference center leaving 7, 9, 10 and 12 as par 3's and messing with the balance of the course.

I play the euphonium (Google is your friend) and a few years ago picked up acoustic guitar. I haven't progressed past open chords on the guitar yet.

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2012, 01:14:49 PM »
Welcome Mike!
H.P.S.

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2012, 02:10:58 PM »
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Jon Wiggett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2012, 04:29:04 PM »
Welcome to the group Mike.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2012, 04:36:52 PM »
Mike, have you played any golf up around Traverse City?  Kingsley, Crystal Downs, Arcadian Bluffs, Forest Dunes...lots of good to great golf up there.

Mike Schott

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2012, 09:11:36 PM »
Mike, have you played any golf up around Traverse City?  Kingsley, Crystal Downs, Arcadian Bluffs, Forest Dunes...lots of good to great golf up there.

Hi Bill.

Most of my golf is on public courses but I've played many of Michigan's best public and resort courses. In NW Michigan area I've played the late lamented High Pointe 3-4 times, Lochenheath, Cedar River at Shanty Creek, Dunmaglas, Belvedere (3X), Bay Harbor, Boyne Highlands Ross Memorial and the Heather Courses, Black Lake, Little Traverse Bay and a few others. I've played all the Treetops courses, Black Forest, Forest Dunes, Elk Ridge and a favorite on the east side, The Gailes at Lakewood Shores and The Blackshire at the same resort. Of those, my favorites would be High Pointe, Forest Dunes, Belvedere, Ross Memorial and The Gailes. All are worthwhile courses

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: I'm new here, introduction
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2012, 09:14:38 PM »
Mike, have you played any golf up around Traverse City?  Kingsley, Crystal Downs, Arcadian Bluffs, Forest Dunes...lots of good to great golf up there.

Hi Bill.

Most of my golf is on public courses but I've played many of Michigan's best public and resort courses. In NW Michigan area I've played the late lamented High Pointe 3-4 times, Lochenheath, Cedar River at Shanty Creek, Dunmaglas, Belvedere (3X), Bay Harbor, Boyne Highlands Ross Memorial and the Heather Courses, Black Lake, Little Traverse Bay and a few others. I've played all the Treetops courses, Black Forest, Forest Dunes, Elk Ridge and a favorite on the east side, The Gailes at Lakewood Shores and The Blackshire at the same resort. Of those, my favorites would be High Pointe, Forest Dunes, Belvedere, Ross Memorial and The Gailes. All are worthwhile courses

It's a great place to be in summertime!

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