Foulpointe, Madagascar

[John_Conley]

Two Ds in Sidd.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I don't have time today to go into my experience at Foulpointe, but will do so later. In truth, I was holding back because of reasons of National Security, my experiences as a Naval Aviator, and when I had the great fortune to met Forrest Richardson for the first time.

I will certainly continue.

BTW, I had the honor of meeting Sidd Finch once, and if anyone doesn't believe the story's of his legendary fast ball, as well as his unique pitching style, then you aren't able to draw or color outside the lines. Trust me, it is real. You can't see it, its that fast!

[ForkaB]

Great stuff, Forrest

PS--I have never heard of Sidd Finch, but surely he must pale against the greatest pitcher of all time, the ill-fated Gil Gamesh of the Ruppert Mundys.........

[BCrosby]

Rich -

Sidd Finch showed up at the Mets spring training camp in1969. His fastball was clocked at 125 mph. According to accounts at the time, the Mets catchers had to insert special metal plates in their mitts after one broke a bone trying to catch him.

George Pimpton's SI article on Sidd quoted Tom Seaver as saying that Sidd pitched at a level he could never approach. Word was that his control needed some work, but everyone agreed that he may have had the most amazing arm anyone had ever seen.

Plimpton was on TV about a month ago, still talking about that amazing spring at the Mets camp. The real shame is that Finch never made it to the bigs. Something about drugs, head wasn't on right, dunno. A real shame.

I understand that Sidd is now a haberdasher in Lowell, Mass.

Bob  

[Forrest Richardson]

The third hole at Mongoky was a unusual uphill short hole — a par-3 — measuring just under 200-yards. Mutîn explained that the green was not visible, but that most shots would somehow find their way to the center, even if hit slightly left or right. "The buggar is the short, missed shot," he said. "Miss one and you'll be in the berries."

Berries, it turns out is the nemesis of the third. Hans had gone ahead and in his tractor and walked a short ways down a path well forward of the tees. He returned carrying a large bunch of elderberries. Turns out a small gorge created by an ancient lava flow runs in front of the tees and crosses the fairway. It's full of elderberries — and bees. The white flowers of the honeysuckle like bushes created a fragrant hum throughout the area. Hans was walking back toward us, eating at the same time, his lips stained by the dark reddish juice of the berries. "Take some," he said, looking cautiously toward Mutîn, but while extending a handfull to me.

I did. Can honestly say I'd never tasted such a berry. First, I couldn't recall when I last ate an elderberry. But something was different about these. The taste was slightly tart, almost as if the berries had been soaking in brandy — or something with a kick. Mutîn looked at me as if he was waiting for something to occur. I looked back and noticed he had moved away from Hans, almost as if to avoid having to take some berries. All of a sudden Hans let out a loud yelp that sounded like a cross between a wild pig and a large man with a booming voice exclaiming after a holed, very long putt. Mutîn just shook his head and looked up at the green. I frowned at Hans as his outburst startled me. Hans had finished the berries and, I supposed, was just exclaiming his appreciation for the sweet and delicious taste.

"It's a good 40-feet higher than we are," said Mutîn. You got to crack an iron to get it there, unless your a big hitter. "Long will never hurt you, but on your first go you'll not believe that...especially if you've eaten some berries."

I questioned the comment about the berries and was told by Mutîn that there are some who will believe that the berries have strange powers. "But that's a crock," he added. "Nothing to it — they're just decent due to the acid in the gorge — that's all."

Then it hit me. Although I cannot recall too much, I will tell you that I became dizzy and almost drunk, but just for a few minutes. It was a weird feeling. The dizziness went away after  just a few seconds. But the drunk feeling lasted, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it. I felt like I'd drank two shots of good whiskey. Mutîn looked at me and asked if I was OK. I could tell he was worried. I assured him I was and asked if there was anything on the berries — some chemical or something. "No," he said, "just good Mongoky soil. really, there's nothing it. Just soil."

Hans explained Slifkin's intent at the third. The golfer was being given a test: Could they negotiate a blind shot up a hill and judge the extra club needed? "Fine hole," he pointed out. "You'll not see another like it — and there's no hole in the world with as good a berry crop!" Another yell, only this one more controlled. I noticed Hans was walking better and moving more freely. He almost seemed a new man, save the physical limitations.

Mutîn produced a 3-iron and threw a ball done on the smooth tee. he proceeded to strike a smacker which climbed and flew the green, disappearing on the blank horizon which was nothing but sky above the front and sides of the green. Then another.  Mutîn asked me to pay attention, to see what happens when the advice to reach the putting surface is missed. Smack. He purposefully hit a low, thin shot. The ball climbed along the ground only to stop and began a slow roll backward toward us and the gorge. The grass was cropped close and we could see each subtle break of the small fairway as the ball rolled and turned toward us on its way back down.

Another yell. Hans went of walking, mumbling something about how he would go retrieve the shot. Mutîn looked at me, smiled and gave me a look of disgust about Hans' behavior. "Those damn berries," he said, "nothing but trouble — but I suppose he deserves some — he's had a hard life, especially without his golf, you know."

Hans became a blur as he walked into the bushes. And then we heard another yell. "I'll get the tractor," said Mutîn.

[Mike Hendren]

Forrest,

Are we waiting for the effect of the elderberries to wear off or still looking for Mutin's mulligan off the third tee?  Get on with it, man

Regards,

Mike

[Mike Hendren]

Well?  

"What next?" - Will Parker, from Oklahoma's "Kansas City"

Mike

[Chris_Clouser]

Just wanted to bump this up in case Forrest wanted to continue with the saga.  I can't wait!  

[Mike Hendren]

Chris,

Apparently Foulpointe is the only 3-hole course in existence.

Regards,

Mike

[Forrest Richardson]

I am writing using Mr. Richardson's computer to let you know that Mr. Richardson has been in the care of a clinical psychologist as a result of his recollections about his time in Madagascar. As soon as he is well I will share with him your desires.

— Miss Lilly-Ann

[Forrest Richardson]

Mutîn had apparently linked up Hans with the tractor. Next thing I knew Hans was riding up a dirt path cussing.

The fourth tees were set beyond a ridge. As we arrived I could see the meandering fairway, but had no clue what a golfer was to do. Then I saw it. A wide fairway to the left, but just a narrow bottleneck to the right. In the middle was a large rock outcrop — a series of naturally stacked boulders with eba-weeba cactus growing nearly as high as the stack itself. Mutîn was grinning. "Here is the hole I told you about," he said. I explained I hadn't recalled to which he made some rude comment about my drinking that evening. Mutîn was amazingly quick — and rude — despite his otherwise quiet appearance.

Hans handed me a ball. "Found it in the shit," he offered. Fine, now I have a ball with a Green Peace logo. I thanked him and teed it up.

No. 4 was a delight. Left or right. The bottleneck was flanked by trees and bushes, natural grasses and a berm which almost looked artificial, but was some sort of weird geologic formation. To the left was a ravine, probably the same beginnings of the deeper raving we encountered on earlier holes.

This was a 400-yard, par-4. The green was set beyond some craggle which it turned out was hidden from the tee. The damn boulders hid the view. I played right, setting my usually straight drive short, but well within the narrow confines of the right path. Mutîn said he played right, but his ball worked left, finding ample room in the expansive left route. I didn't believe him...the shot was clearly a cop out to the left but it did have a draw.

The advantage of right play at No. 4 is the approach to the green. No craggle is really in the way, just a strip along the left. While an approach from the left has to negotiate the craggle (brush and bumps) all the way. The green is narrow and held on either side by slopes from berms — again, somewhat artificial, but well worth whatever effort was used to build them. I cannot describe the hole better than it simply looks "constrained". An interesting opposing look considering the two fairways are probably 150-yards wide from far left to far right.

The green here has an interesting depression in the middle which is cockroach shaped. A putt from one side to the other is  awkward, but fun. Our "pin" was right, which gave me another advantage. No dip to putt through. Mutîn, on the other hand, had quite a putt, breaking both ways and with two downs and one significant up.

I liked No. 4. Hans said absolutely nothing as we played. I asked Mutîn quietly if anything was wrong and he chalked it up to the berries. "You don't know the story American boy. Just play your golf and smile."

[Mike Hendren]

Paging Dr. Katz.

The fact that I have been waiting for this saga to continue and that there have been no posts today only confirms that I am apparently not well at all.  That, and the fact that I have no interest whatsoever in the Tennessee v. Florida game Saturday confirms that this site is my ruination.

Alas,

Mike

[Chris_Clouser]

Please tell us more Forrest.  I'm on the edge of my seat.

[Mike Hendren]

Well?

[Forrest Richardson]

I have ordered a case of decent merlot. When it arrives I'll begin jotting down my recollections.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Forrest, You know what sort of makes me sad is you don't recollect my flyovers over the course in my F-18, dropping a payload or two to create some of the unique bunkering at Foulpointe.

[Keith Durrant]

http://www.3dmadagascar.com/foulpointe

We really ought to despatch a correspondent to investigate !
So is this 9 hole (1967) (recently expanded to 18), based on an original design before 1939?





Situé sur la côte Est de Madagascar, à 60 kilomètres au Nord de Tamatave, le golf de Foulpointe est un superbe parcours de 9 trous.

Créé en 1967 par Paul Duponsel, il offre à ses vingt membres permanents, ainsi qu’aux fréquents passages des joueurs du golf Rova, une ambiance familiale

.Les golfeurs, qui viennent séjourner sur la côte Est de Madagascar, sont heureux de pouvoir disposer d’un parcours accessible à tout niveau de jeu, et de savourer les plats typiques Malgaches et les grillades de fruits de mer au Manda Beach Hotel, situé à 2 kilomètres du golf.

La particularité de ce parcours de 9 trous est que les greens sont en sable et non en gazon, mais le projet de les transformer est à l’étude

.En outre , son extension à 18 trous est en cours d’aménagement, et sera opérationnel au cours du deuxième semestre de l’an 2000.

Le golf de Foulpointe dispose d’un Par 3, de sept Par 4 et d’un Par 5.

Beaucoup de trous se jouent en aveugle, le parcours étant très vallonné, ce qui donne du piment au jeu !

Vous devrez vous concentrer sur le trou n° 6 (370 m), qui est un dog-leg particulièrement apprécié par les joueurs confirmés !

Le trou n° 7, large fairway de 350 m, vallonné, sur lequel vous jouerez en aveugle, vous mettra également à l’épreuve.

Le trou n° 8, seul Par 5 du parcours (432 m), est une ligne droite très vallonnée entourée de plusieurs bunkers. Le départ " femmes " offre un point de vue impressionnant sur l’ensemble du golf.

En revanche, le trou n° 3, large fairway en ligne droite et plus plat, est idéal pour les débutants qui pourront s’amuser.

Foulpointe est un endroit magique, où tous les habitants forment une grande famille qui accueille chaleureusement les visiteurs, dans le cadre idyllique.

[Forrest Richardson]

That's not Mongoky!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Here is what is says traslated. You'll have to figure out the rest.

Situé on the cÃ' Is you of Madagascar, à 60 kilomètres in the North of Tamatave, the golf of Foulpointe is a superb course of 9 holes.

Créé in 1967 per Paul Duponsel, it offers to à its twenty permanent members, thus qu’aux fréquents passages of the players of the Rova golf, a family atmosphere

.Golfeurs, who come séjourner on the cÃ' Is you of Madagascar, are happy to be able to lay out d’un course accessible à any level from play, and to enjoy the Malagasy typical dishes and the seafood grills in Manda Beach Hotel, situé à 2 kilomètres of the golf.

The particularité this course of 9 holes is that the greens are out of sand and not in grass, but the project to transform them is à l’étude

.Moreover, its extension à 18 holes is in hand d’aménagement, and will be opérationnel during the deuxième six-month period of
l’an 2000.

The golf of Foulpointe lays out d’un By 3, from seven By 4 and d’un By 5.

Many holes are played as a blind man, the course étant très vallonné, what gives pepper to the play!

You will have to concentrate on the hole n° 6 (370 m), who is a dog-leg particulièrement apprécié by the players
confirmés!

The hole n° 7, broad fairway of 350 m, vallonné, on which you will play as a blind man, you à l’épreuve will put également.

The hole n° 8, only By 5 of the course (432 m), très vallonnée entourée is a straight line several bunkers. The départ "women" offers an impressive point of view on
l’ensemble golf.

On the other hand, the hole n° 3, broad fairway in straight line and more dish, is idéal for the débutants which will be able s’amuser.

Foulpointe is a magic place, où all the inhabitants train a great family which accomodates the
visitors cordially, within the framework idyllic.

[RJ_Daley]

This looks like Forrest's first draft earliest manuscript of his masterpiece thriller set at Foulpointe... before Kelly edited it, and before he discovered the real Foulpointe when he finally met Mutin and Hans at Mongoky.

[Rick Shefchik]

Forrest, it appears you were misinformed.

[Forrest Richardson]

I am never misinformed. Just missing.

[JNC Lyon]

I was just searching through the archives, and I became absolutely riveted by the story of Foulpoint. I was wondering if there might be any more information available. Is this just a myth?

[Forrest Richardson]

MYTH!!!??  My God, my man. Have you lost your only wedge while standing 100 yards out from the stick? Has your only copy of THE LINKS been given to the Goodwill by your wife?

Just ask Mike Hendren or several other contributors. They have absolutely confirmed most all of this material without too many exceptions at all.

[Pete_Pittock]

Forrest,
Sorry, my recollection is faulty. I could have sworn there was a steep path somewhere around the fourth hole. Turns out it was earlier.
For the rest of you, enjoy/