Elite Course Playoff -- NCAA Tournament Bracket Style

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Spring needs to arrive soon so we can stop with pointless activities like this and actually play golf.

From your mouth to God's ears...

I have been checking the Climate Prediction Center's long range models and they are even more depressing then the weather today. Through mid-April the Midwest is showing below average temperatures and above average precipitation...

The weather here in central Ohio has been bad enough, but I truly do feel sorry for you guys farther north, especially in places like NE Ohio, Michigan, Wisconson and Minnesota.  The seemingly endless winter has been tough to take...I imagine that prescriptions for Prozac, Lexapro and similar medications are at all-time highs. 

Yes, tough it has been and not a lot of hope on the horizon.

I haven't been on any of the above, but a Dr. Riefs' prescribed trip to Streamsong two weeks ago was good for the soul...

[Mac Plumart]

Fun!

My final four are:

NGLA (who overcame Shinnecock Hills and Pine Valley to make it)
Cypress Point (who kinda cruised in, although had an interesting battle with Pebble)
Augusta National (the most interesting battle in that bracket was Kiawah vs PDGCofWV---Dye vs. Dye)
Sand Hills (tough bracket)

And in the final four:

Augusta vs. NGLA is an iconic battle

as is Cypress vs. Sand Hills.


Hello, Friends...Augusta squeaks out a win with a back nine charge.
And Sand Hills pulls the upset.

Augusta vs. Sand Hills in the finals.


Bobby Jones would be proud...Augusta National is the victor!!!!

[Alex Miller]

Mac,

We had the same final four. I will trust you know what you're talking about in picking a winner from it. 

[Mark Bourgeois]

I would agree the Golf Digest is the RPI of the golf course rankings. Golf Magazine is the Coaches poll, Golfweek is KenPom and Links100 is the Sagarin ranking.

Hmm, I don't think any rankings really correspond to KenPom but it would be an interesting thought exercise to come up with "tempo-free" rankings. I wonder how much of VORD already captures this?

Mac...I'm pretty sure any course in the SE could pound Sand Hills right now. Isn't it buried under snow?

[Jud_T]

What's the line on the Augusta-Valhalla match?    Blue Horseshoe likes Old Mac in a squeaker over the Kikuyu King...Why we're using Digest I have no idea...

[Mark Fedeli]

some upsets are a-brewing: http://challonge.com/GCAelitecourses

#13 Old Mac surprising #4 Riviera!
Can Spyglass take down Olympic?
Can Butler take down Muirfield Village?

[JC Jones]

What's the line on the Augusta-Valhalla match?    Blue Horseshoe likes Old Mac in a squeaker over the Kikuyu King...Why we're using Digest I have no idea...

Because Golfweek has Calusa Pines as the 24th best Modern.

[Chris DeToro]

I think the Golf Digest rankings have added an extra wrinkle for sure!  Can we reserve the right to re-seed based on the draw?  The Midwest region is stacked.  Poor Wichita gets another tough draw...

[Josh Bills]

some upsets are a-brewing: http://challonge.com/GCAelitecourses

#13 Old Mac surprising #4 Riviera!
Can Spyglass take down Olympic?
Can Butler take down Muirfield Village?

Mark, Thanks for setting this up, it was easy to vote.  Be interesting to see how it all plays out.  When will you close voting on the first round? 

[Mark Fedeli]

some upsets are a-brewing: http://challonge.com/GCAelitecourses

#13 Old Mac surprising #4 Riviera!
Can Spyglass take down Olympic?
Can Butler take down Muirfield Village?

Mark, Thanks for setting this up, it was easy to vote.  Be interesting to see how it all plays out.  When will you close voting on the first round?  

my pleasure. how long do you guys think i should leave it open for each round? 48 hours? more? i don't think i can set a pre-determined time. i just have to go and close each match individually when the time comes.

and hopefully when Matt Lloyd checks in again he can add the bracket link to the first post.

[Matthew Lloyd]

nice to see that this topic is providing some amusement!  many thanks for setting up the bracket challenge, makes it way better.

i will try to re-post the link to the bracket in the original post right now...

as for the regions and seeding, there were inevitably some errors, but like the NCAA tournament, the entertainment value of the individual matchups ultimately covers up the committee's mistakes.

Old Mac is my favorite sleeper in this draw

[Mark Saltzman]

Whistling Straits is now 70-30 vs Victoria National (I presume 7-3).  I'd be curious, how many of those 10 have played both and on what basis those that have voted for WS over VN.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Several courses must have won their respective conference championships to be included and one can only assume some of the missing teams are in the process of rebuilding years and hoping to have good recruiting classes.
The East region is stacked for certain and sure several of the coaches are wishing their schools were located elsewhere.
As is,  a final four of perenials in Pine Valley, Cypress Point and Augusta National joined by the upstart Sand Hills.

[Russ Arbuthnot]

This is really fun. Thanks for setting up. I'm very interested to see how it progresses. We should do more of these: International, Classics, Moderns, different states, by architect, by style, publics, privates, resorts, etc.

[Mark Fedeli]

The worst i can confess to is not voting for my home course, Bethpage Black, over Fisher's Island (which I've never played). It's punishment for the set-up problems at BPB and a vote of confidence for Mr. Raynor.

Home court advantage will be restored once Black removes the rough on the left side of 10 and brings the fairway right up to the bunkers. I'll also accept shaving down the slope to the right of the 8th green.

[Mark Saltzman]

Rd 2?

[Mark Fedeli]

Rd 2?

round 2 is up: http://challonge.com/GCAelitecourses

[Matthew Lloyd]

surprised to see Oakmont with a comfortable lead over Prairie Dunes.  i've played neither unfortunately, but based on what i've read here and elsewhere, would have thought it would be closer.

[Chris DeToro]

I thought we might see a 2 seed go down (Pebble was the one I thought)

[Mark Fedeli]

round 3 begins: http://challonge.com/GCAelitecourses

EAST
(1) Pine Valley
vs
(5) Fisher's Island

(6) National Golf Links
vs
(2) Shinnecock Hills

WEST
(1) Cypress Point
vs
(4) Riviera

(3) Pacific Dunes
vs
(2) Pebble Beach

SOUTH
(1) Augusta
vs
(4) The Ocean Course

(6) Southern Hills
vs
(2) Seminole

MIDWEST
(1) Oakmont
vs
(5) Whistling Straits

(3) Crystal Downs
vs
(2) Sand Hills

[Alex Miller]

Wow LA North and Chicago GC rightfully fought til the end.

PS Sand Hills is a 2 seed. 

[Mark Fedeli]

Wow LA North and Chicago GC rightfully fought til the end.

PS Sand Hills is a 2 seed. 

thanks! fixed.

[Michael George]

Sweet 16

East

Pine Valley - in a very close match, PV wins based on the strength of every hole
Fishers Island

NGLA - in the toughest region in the tourney, NGLA beats Shinnecock.  Who made these seedings?  I mean these 4 teams could be a final 4.
Shinnecock Hills

West

Cypress Point - Cypress ends Old MacDonald's nice run.  Just too tough
Old Macdonald

Pacific Dunes - Pacific Dunes wins based on its strength inside (ie. the interior holes)
Pebble Beach

South

Augusta National
Kinloch -in the surprise of the tournament, Kinloch upsets ANGC based on ANGC over-confidence

Alotian - Alotian wins in a poorly played game
Seminole

Midwest

Prairie Dunes - Prairie Dunes wins in a blow-out.  Never close.  
Whistling Straits

Crystal Downs
Sand Hills - Sand Hills wins all facets of the game, but it stays competitive throughout

Final Four

NGLA (beats Pine Valley in the best played game of the tournament - shame there had to be a loser but tree growth at PV made it miss free throws at the end of the game)
Cypress Point (beats Pacific Dunes in another close game, but its beauty is unsurpassed)
Kinloch (beats Alotian and its Cindarella season continues.  Alotian coach from the same tree as ANGC and must have been over confident like ANGC)
Sand Hills (beats Prairie Dunes in a return to fundamental basketball - pick and rolls; lock down defense; no turnovers)

NGLA beast Cypress Point with better "strategic" game plan.  
Sand Hills ends Kinloch's Cindarella season in a somewhat lopsided final 4 game

Sand Hills beats NGLA in the final.  Sand Hills was the most complete team the entire tournament and go on to cut the nets down.

[Jay Flemma]

To me, NGLA wins every time.  To the golf world, I'd be in America Augusta would win.  Across the pond, TOC...maybe Royal County Down...

[Jud_T]

Crystal Downs and Sand Hills in a battle for the ages!