[Garland Bayley]

I was scheduled to play the Open Preview at Chambers Bay on Sunday. So I took time to practice Thursday and Friday. On Saturday I was schedule to play in a "6-6-6", 6 holes partner best ball, 6 holes scramble, 6 holes Chapman. I hate nonstandard formats, so seldom play them. Played with on of my regular partners, turned in our score having no idea how we did having next to no familiarity with typical scoring, mid week my partner calls to say we won the thing by a considerable amount. Since it was not flighted, it was the biggest prize I have ever won as we split $350 pro shot credit. I guess that was my personal best as my partner thanked me for carrying him to victory as I was 6 under net on my own ball the first six holes.

I guess I had another best as I birdied three in a row (gross) for the only time in my life in our club match play.

I can't believe I wasted all that money and time to fly to Rome to get blessed by the Pope.  One post and my heart is already full of hate.  How do you sleep at night?  I enjoy playing in random games with strangers but people like you make it impossible.  Did you post those scores and or do you really sport a 22 hdcp?  Please let us in on where these or other scores are posted.

You don't post scores from a 6-6-6.
The three birdies were in either a 92 or 93 (I forget which) that the pro shop posted as all tournament rounds are posted by them. It is posted on ghin.com just like I suppose your scores are.

[Eric Smith]

Best New Course Played: Sebonack  Runner Up: Wolf Point
Best Course Played on a Return Visit: Dismal River Red
Most Challenging Course Played: Prairie Dunes
Most Surprising New Course Played: Sequatchie Valley
Best Round: 78 at the Hermitage
Worst Round: xxx at Shinnecock
Most Memorable Stroke: 60' putt from off the green for eagle on the 5th at Shinnecock!
Best Proper Club Experience: Kinloch GC
Best Fourball Partner: David Davis  Runner-up: Chris Johnston
Best Bar on a Golf Trip: Hilton Garden Inn - Lakeland, Florida
Best Golf Trip: 5th Major Week
Best Cheesesteak Topping: Iceberg Lettuce
Best Beer Discovery at a Golf Club: Dogfish 60 Minute IPA at St. David's
Most Comfortable Bed on a Golf Trip: Guest Suite at Casa de Csigo
Best Mixologist on a Golf Trip: Chris Shaida (In Perpetuity)
Best Meal at a Golf Club: Steaks at Ardsley CC
Best Home-Cooked Meal on a Golf Trip: Frogmore Stew at Whitty's
Best Clubhouse Shower: Southampton GC
Best Golf Wife Known to Man: Keith O'Halloran's

[Carson Pilcher]

Best comment by my wife:  Her - "How did you play today"?  Me (after a round at East Lake) - "Well, I was 2 under through 15 and then bogeyed the last three holes to shoot 73".  Her - "That's mental.  You need to fix that" and then walked off.

Best round and bounce-back after her comment: 68 at Peachtree.  1 under through 15 holes.  Thought of the wife - Eagle on 16, Birdie on 18 to fix the mental problem.

[Mac Plumart]

Classic, Carson!

BTW, what is your low round at Settindown?

[Brian Finn]

Best New Course Played: The Golf Club  Runner Up: Plainfield CC
Best Course Played on a Return Visit:  Dormie Club
Course I most wanted to go around again (and did): Rock Creek Cattle Co.  Runner Up: Kingsley Club
Course I most wanted to go around again (but didn't): Streamsong Blue  Runner Up: Yale
Most Challenging Course Played: Streamsong Red
Most Surprising New Course Played: Exmoor CC
Best Hidden Gem Played: Moraine CC
Best course where I shot a million: Paramount CC
Best conditioned course (sand): Kingsley Club
Best conditioned course (non-sand): (tie) Lookout Mountain GC & Holston Hills
Favorite Par 3: #9 at Yale  Runner Up: #13 at RCCC
Favorite Par 4: #2 at The Golf Club  Runners Up: #8 at Yale, #7 at RCCC
Favorite Par 5: #16 at Plainfield  Runner Up: #10 at Lookout Mountain GC
Best shot: Near ace on #11 at Plainfield  Runner Up: Near ace on #7 at PDGC
"So, that is how you play that hole": #18 at Kingsley - made birdie with only my 5 iron (after taking X in 3 out of 5 "normal" rounds)
Most welcoming GCAer: Mac Plumart
Most generous GCAer: Carl Johnson
Best GCA Trooper: Matt Schmidt - carried me entire match in which I made zero contribution, and then voluntarily played a bunch of cross-country golf with us
Friendliest GCAer: Buck Wolter
Funniest GCAer (individual): JC Jones
Funniest GCAer (duo or group): Tim Martin & Ron Csigo
Best Clubhouse: The Golf Club  Runner Up: Exmoor CC
Best Golf Trip: Kingsley Club, Midwest Mashie
Best Halfway House amenity: Jerky at RCCC
Best Beer: Schlitz at Exmoor

[Mac Plumart]

Best use of angled hazards....Kinloch

Best cross country putting course...Kinloch

Best place to play golf and see Justin Verlander...Kinloch

Best place to play golf and have an excuse not to answer your cell phone (for 4 days)...Dismal River

Best course I shot 75 on...Cherokee

Best course that changes the pins from the morning round to the afternoon round, when my group is the only group at the entire club...The Golf Club

Best course I played that I'm not allowed to tell anyone I played...well shoot, I forgot the name of it.  

Best course to play on your way to Dismal and only have a quick 7 hour car ride left...Prairie Dunes

Best course to invite people down from NJ to play...and then bail on them...Peachtree

Best course I had to turn down an invite to...Cypress Point.  (I'll never forgive my kids!)  

Best course I'm waiting for my membership invite to come from...Augusta National  (must be lost in the mail)

Hardest course I played...The Golf Club of Georgia Creekside

Easiest course I played...The Hooch

Best 5th Major Partner...Mike Hogan

Worst 5th Major Partner...Mike Hogan

[Bruce Wellmon]

Best Host: Bella, Prairie Dunes.
Best Host/Men's Grill/Locker Room Dept: Pancake, Colorado Golf Club.
Best Mixologist: Chris Shaida.
Best food, non Club setting: Cozy Inn, Somewhere in Kansas.
Best Breakfast, Club setting: Brown sugar Bacon, Biscuits and gravy. Olde Farm.
Best cart driver: Keith O.
Best equipment : Japanese Pro V-1's, Eric Smith.
Best shot: Olde Farm, 17th, left Fairway bunker, 200 + yard hybrid to the green to win the match.
Best shot, next group: CJ, drove the par 4#14 (?) at Prairie Dunes.
Best worst shots, next group: CJ, everything that happened after the drive, 14, Prairie Dunes
Best surprise course: Hope Valley
                             Runner up: Southern Pines.
Best Restoration: Old Town.
Best (new to me) course: Prairie Dunes.
                                     Runner up: Wade Hampton.
Best course I have played before: Dismal River Red.
Best Round: Eagle Point, 78.
Best day: 54 with Mac at Dismal.
Best moment: 54 hole day, 17th tee, Dismal Red. Mac, Eric and I in near darkness. Being watched by 6 deer up on Little Horseshoe.
 
 

[Rob Curtiss]

Sounds like to me, all of you guys had a very good 2013 and have some great games..

[Nigel Islam]

Sounds like to me, all of you guys had a very good 2013 and have some great games..

No joke, I can't compete with any of this. Although I might get worst golfer to get mentioned in somebody else's best list!

[Ronald Montesano]

Best equipment : Japanese Pro V-1's, Eric Smith.

So wait...Eric Smith has the best equipment? As in...

[Scott Weersing]

Best Course Played: Rustic Canyon
Best New Course Played:  Independence Golf Club, not too bad for a Tom Fazio
Best Round: 71
Best Round (score) with GCAers: 73 with Carl Rogers at King Carter GC
Best GCA player played with: Wade Whitehead
Most Friendly GCAer: Too many to mention
Best Shirt: Donald Ross shirt from Ballyhack
Best Shot: Hole in one on June 27 at Sewell's Point with a seven iron from 163 yards.
Best Golf Trip: King Carter for a day with Carl Rogers

Best Old Par 3 played: 6 at Rustic Canyon
Best Old Par 4 played: 7 at Riverfront
Best Old Par 5 played: 14 at Riverfront or 10 at Ballyhack
Best "I played this hole bad but loved it": 12 at Ballyhack

Best course that I was going to play but couldn't: Ballyneal until then my partner tore a tendon in his finger two weeks prior to trip.

[Josh Bills]

Best Course Played: NGLA runner up tie- Shinnecock and Ocean Course Kiawah
Best Round: 71- Eagle Eye best rounds on consecutive days: 78 NGLA next day 77 Shinnecock both from member tees.
Best Shot: 9 iron to Redan at NGLA to 3 feet right/above hole. Watched member putt from off green right directly on my line and saw it slowly roll past my ball then the hole and then keep rolling off the green back left. Made the putt for birdie thankfully after barely touching it.  
Best Golf Trip: Long Island
Best Road Trip: Masters/Kiawah
Best Almost a Great Shot: NGLA Eden hole hit tee shot on green 15 feet away spun back into front bunker that took me three shots to get out.
Best Solid Week of Golf: Vacation at Lake Chautauqua (36 at Institute, 54 at Point Chautauqua and 18 at Moonbrook CC)
Best Beer on a Golf Course: NGLA
Best surprise: Winning Masters lottery and going to Monday practice round.
Best Most Disappointing Course: Maketewah
Best "Living the Dream" Moment: Eating lunch on porch at Shinnecock (beer was pretty good too)
Best New Par 3 played: Redan at NGLA.  Second, Plateau -Shinnecock
Best New Par 4 played: Thom's Elbow - Shinnecock
Best New Par 5 played: Moonbrook CC #5 or #14 both fun
Best "I played this hole bad over and over again"- Columbus Country Club hole #2, there is just no where to hit the ball off the tee, I have tried everything but a wedge off the tee and still can't figure it out.
Best "most painful loss of year": My father beat my two brothers and I in our best ball against him at Indian Springs over Thanksgiving. I shot 76 and missed a birdie put on 18 for the tie. (My brother who is a local pro was injured but tried to play but was not his usual self, my dad claims the Money Belt and the Skins Trophy)
Best "most fun irritating my wife and kids" Flight to LGA on time with wife and twin 2 year old daughters to catch late afternoon tee time at NGLA. Hertz made me wait an hour for a car that ended up being not the car I wanted and was supposed to be waiting with two car seats. Instead drove a little (maybe a lot fast and) erratic to South Hampton where one daughter threw up 1/2 hour from course everywhere in vehicle. Decided to drive on and wife dropped me off at course and she proceeded on to house where we were staying. Played in 2:45 minutes walking as a threesome at NGLA on a perfect September afternoon/evening.  Vehicle and vomit were waiting for me upon return, but it was worth it, and I happily cleaned it up.  Still married.
Hoping I've done enough since then to make it up so that a trip to the 5th major happens!


  

[BHoover]

Josh, I know how you feel about #2 at Columbus CC. I've played it 100+ times and never know how to play it. There's just no room because of the trees. Unless you can hit a tee ball with laser-like precision, I think the best play is to play a 200 yard shot at the right bunker and hope you find the right edge of the fairway or just go into the rough, but you have to stay short of the bunker because the tree overhangs the line to the green. The other option is to hit driver and just hope you get lucky.

If any course is screaming for tree removal, it's CCC.

[Brandon Urban]

Too many great memories to write them all down but here are a few.

Best Day on a Golf Course: 120 holes on Dismal River Red on July 1st
Best Post Round Drink: Sand Hills Mule (my lovely wife, to be mentioned later in this list, got me a set of copper mugs for Christmas after hearing me rave about them for months afterwards)
Course I fall more in love with each time I am lucky enough to visit: Ballyneal
And my favorite best of: Best Golf Related Text (sent by my previously mentioned, unbelievably understanding wife on the last day of my epic NE, 5th Major, Hundred Hole Hike trip)

[Jason Thurman]

Best GCA Trooper:  Me for enduring 36 holes with Jason Thurman as his swing was faltering  

That hurts coming from someone my wife calls one of my Internet Boyfriends.

I told Lebron about your arduous day at Crystal Downs and Arcadia while I mostly crapped my pants for 36 holes. He asked me to send you this message.

[HarryBrinkerhoffDoyleIV_aka_Barry]

Brandon - That text message is awesome!  Thanks for the morning laugh :-)  

Too many great memories to write them all down but here are a few.

Best Day on a Golf Course: 120 holes on Dismal River Red on July 1st
Best Post Round Drink: Sand Hills Mule (my lovely wife, to be mentioned later in this list, got me a set of copper mugs for Christmas after hearing me rave about them for months afterwards)
Course I fall more in love with each time I am lucky enough to visit: Ballyneal
And my favorite best of: Best Golf Related Text (sent by my previously mentioned, unbelievably understanding wife on the last day of my epic NE, 5th Major, Hundred Hole Hike trip)

[Josh Tarble]

Best GCA Trooper:  Me for enduring 36 holes with Jason Thurman as his swing was faltering  

That hurts coming from someone my wife calls one of my Internet Boyfriends.

I told Lebron about your arduous day at Crystal Downs and Arcadia while I mostly crapped my pants for 36 holes. He asked me to send you this message.

HAHAHA!  I'd gladly "suffer" through that again. It was a damn good day.

[archie_struthers]

 


-1

[Terry Lavin]

Brandon Urban,

Your dear, sweet, loving bride earns best post of the year, IMHO. She's a keeper. So is her mama!

[Bill Crane]

Best course played 2013 Merion GC.   Runner Ups :  Royal Dornoch / Old Course

Best GCA host:   David Tepper at Royal Dornoch & Golspie

Best Surprise golf Scottish golf course:   Golspie !   Much more interesting than expected.  Super pictures on this early September day.

Best GCA event at renovated golf course 18 holes;   Paramount, NY

Best GCA event at renovated golf course  9 holes;   Philadelphia Cricket Club, St  Martins, Chestnut Hill,PA

Best Golf Gluttony Event  US:   144 holes in 5 days at  C3  (Chechessee Creek Club-112 holes) & Yeamans Hall (32 holes)

Best Golf Gluttony Event  International:  198 holes in nine days of golf in Scotland (9 days of golf out of 11)
  
Most fun tournament of the Year:  Outpost Club -  Punch Bowl at Yale   (never before seen 70+ people drinking scotch consecutively teeing off on a 236 yard par three).

Best Golf Accomplishment of the Year:  Springdale Membership was FULL again by year end with 4 on the waiting list!!! ( I am membership Chair).
  Runner Up:  My first Hole in One (with new two week Mizuno irons) .  The current 13th Hole – 126 yards ( old #15 ).

Best Fear & Loathing  Golf weekend:  36 holes at Westchester C C – and a thorough bar & wine experience. (During a bout with the flu).

Best Tournament Venue:   Somerset Hills, NJ.  Outpost Club Senior Championship.

Best Round before April:   77 at C 3 ( Chechessee Creek Club) around March 20.

Best Scottish Golf day:   36 holes at Royal Dornoch.    Runner Up:  Jubilee and The Old Course (finished last 2 holes in the dark).  

Best Day with my son:   27 holes at Merion – 3 weeks after the US Open (18 on the East, 9 on the west) with a Wayne Morrison tour of the Archives.

Best 2 day D Ross experience:  Alamance CC (Burlington,NC) & Pine Needles (Southern Pines, NC)

Best Home State course never before played:     Hollywood Golf Club - Deal ,NJ  ( wow !!)


All the Best for a great New Year!

Wm Flynnfan

[Keith Grande]

Best "most fun irritating my wife and kids" Flight to LGA on time with wife and twin 2 year old daughters to catch late afternoon tee time at NGLA. Hertz made me wait an hour for a car that ended up being not the car I wanted and was supposed to be waiting with two car seats. Instead drove a little (maybe a lot fast and) erratic to South Hampton where one daughter threw up 1/2 hour from course everywhere in vehicle. Decided to drive on and wife dropped me off at course and she proceeded on to house where we were staying. Played in 2:45 minutes walking as a threesome at NGLA on a perfect September afternoon/evening.  Vehicle and vomit were waiting for me upon return, but it was worth it, and I happily cleaned it up.  Still married.
Hoping I've done enough since then to make it up so that a trip to the 5th major happens!

 

Josh, as a fellow Long Islander,it's a great story.  Your daughter may be scarred for life from that terrifying ride, but at least you got to play NGLA!   

[Jeff Shelman]

Best New Course Played: Ballyneal.  Runner Up: Bethpage Black
Best Course Played on a Return Visit:  Northland CC
Most Challenging Course Played: Bethpage Black.
Most Surprising New Course Played: Oklahoma City GCC
Best Hidden Gem Played: Eau Claire GCC
Best course where I shot a million: Colorado GC
Course that is going to be really good in a year or so: Cedar Rapids CC
Best beer (tie): A whole bunch of Coors with Will MacEwen after a hot round at Ballyneal; Schlitz at Exmoor with Shiv.
Best post-round activity: After a morning round at Hillcrest in KC with Brandon Urban and Jeff Goodman, my better half and I went to a Sporting KC match with Brandon and his wife.
Best round: 74 in a MGA Member's Day at Northland CC with Shane Wright (and our team won).
Best shot: A hybrid second shot on No. 10 during the above round at Northland that let to a birdie, a gross skin and a net skin.
Best equipment move: Replacing my Ping i20 irons with a set of more forgiving G25s.
Two non-top 100 clubs that would be cool to be a member at: Wakonda Club, Metairie CC

[Brandon Urban]

Brandon Urban,

Your dear, sweet, loving bride earns best post of the year, IMHO. She's a keeper. So is her mama!

Thanks Terry. I still laugh every time I read that text. She is indeed a keeper and probably pretty representative of most wives/significant others of guys in this discussion group... crazy understanding to put up with our sick obsessions. I mean, she doesn't even blink when I ask if it's cool if I go to the middle of nowhere and hang out with internet golf buddies fo a week. On that day, however, 7 days alone with three kids had taken their toll and she was ready for me to come home.
The part you missed, though, is that the mom she was referring to was mine. And before you ask, yes, I still listen to and do whatever she says

[Bob_Garvelink]

Best New Course - Oakland Hills South
Best Round - 79 at Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry)
Best 36 Hole Day - Forest Dunes & Arcadia Bluffs
Best Brewery After Round - Shorts - Bellaire Michigan
Best Shot - 8 iron on Eagle Eye # 17 within 6 inches
Best Greens - Forest Dunes
Best Deal - 18 holes with cart @ Black Lake for $35
Best Golf Trip - Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes, Bay Harbor, Little Traverse Bay, Black Lake, Otsego Club, Hawkseye, A-Ga-Ming
Best New Golf Gear - Under Armor Bent Grass 2.0 Shorts
Best Service - Tullymore (after a 6 hour round they gave me a free foursome)
Best Value Trip - 2 days unlimited golf and lodging @ Treetops for $99
Best New Golf Toy - Garmin G-6
Best Memory on Course - taking my 2 year old son to Bay Harbor - he had a blast and loved every minute of it.
Best New Course That Most People Have Never Heard Of - Island Hills - Centreville MI
Best Tip - "go for it"


Cheers!

[Ronald Montesano]

I love Bay Harbor...those who don't can sock it, big time.

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