[Paul Gray]

I am very disappointed CBS opted for coverage of the PGA over The Buda Cup.

I had assumed the USPGA and the suitable representatives of BUDA had agreed the schedule to avoid any clashes! 


Hope you all have a great time, although I believe that's a given. 

[Michael Whitaker]

I am pleased to report that the Buda Cup ended "All Square." The North Americans had pulled out to a substantial lead after day one, but the UK team came roaring back (after Mark Pearce arrived, I might add) and the event finished in a tie.


This was one of our best events with the weather cooperating for the most part and the courses some of the best we have seen. I look forward to seeing the photos from all the cameras in evidence.


A massive thank you to Boony for making this event happen. Well done!!!   

[Michael Whitaker]

Captain Wilson tees off at Sherwood Forest to begin the 2015 Buda Cup

[Michael Whitaker]

Boony is pleased with his event finally getting off the ground... and, rightly so!!!

[Michael Whitaker]

Lynn Shackelford (resplendent as usual), Michael Graham and Craig Disher await their Buda opening.

[Michael Whitaker]

Tony Muldoon, Craig Disher and Rich Goodale enjoy the Sherwood Forest hospitality.

[Michael Whitaker]

Brian Izatt, Michael Graham and James Boon... making sure the bar orders are all in order!

[Michael Whitaker]

Tony Muldoon sorts the Buda finances... well done, Tony!

[Michael Whitaker]

Captain Conrad Gamble explains his plans for a UK comeback to Lou Duran, James Boon and Rich Goodale at our Day One dinner.

[Bryan Izatt]

Mike,

Thanks for the pictures.  The one of Ebeneezer Scrooge, the accountant, is an instant classic.   

The young Scottish stud with the world's shortest swing is Michael Graham (not George) - a fine young man and golf enthusiast.  You might want to change the captioning on his pictures.  He's the future of BUDA, so we should be nice to him.

Favorite Notts hole - the 3rd.  A par 5 where a drive will run forever if you hit the fairway and where some of us have a fair chance of getting there in two (although I didn't quite) - the green being protected by subtle features and nasty bunkers. Fun watching long Ben try to chip his 3rd shot back to the green by bouncing it off the road.

Least favorite Notts hole - the 15th - a brute of a par 4, uphill and narrowing down at the green with a green that was significantly enough uphill that I couldn't get a putt up to the pin despite knowing that I needed to bash it.

Lesson learned at this BUDA - I'm not a fan of subtle greens where I can't read the breaks and I'm always reading putts just wrong enough they didn't go in.

Best shot I saw by someone else - Sterling's second shot to the 18th at Notts with the alternate shot match on the line - one down on the last but a stroke coming to us.  With our opponent in trouble, my sage advice to Sterling was to lay up short right and let's make a bogey, net par.  Well, Sterling lines up and takes the fullest turn he's taken all day (while I'm thinking WHAT ......... IS ........... HE ........ DOING!!!!!).  But, you've never seen a more purely struck hybrid from 200 yards that drew beautifully in to 8 feet from the pin.  The hole was won right there and the match ended all square - a gentlemanly result.

Second best shot I saw by someone else - after losing our match to Ben and James somewhat early, Steve Wilson announces on the drop shot 175 yard par 3 13th that he's going to make a hole in one.  He pulls out his driver  and pulls one left, banks it off the side of the bunker and has it run down to the hole  ..................  where despite the exhortations of us all it trickles 2 feet past the hole.  Great fun!

My best shot that I didn't see -  at the 10th at NOTTS following a nice cut drive to the left rough I was left with a 117 yards G-wedge blind over a gorse bush and a ridge.  It was well struck, but Michael and I couldn't find it short or long or left.  Before conceding Michael's 8 footer for birdie, I figured I should check the cup - and there it was.  Eagle 2 beats birdie 3.  But, then Michael trounced me the rest of the way.

Thanks to James for all the organizing.

[Sean_A]

It was good to meet folks again and see a few new faces.  I don't think anybody walked away disappointed even though most looked beat up by Notts 

Bryan


Interesting take on Notts 15.  I like the hole because all courses need a few very difficult holes to allow proper golfers to be identified....but it is a ball buster. 


Favourite Hole: 16, wonderful shape to the hole, the big cross bunker is a thing of beauty and the green is the most interesting on the course.


Least Favourite Hole: Toss up between 5& 7.  Both are a bit bland in the context of Notts.


Biggest Surprise: 14, this is a very good hole which rarely gets a mention. 


Favourite Drive: 17 by miles, the best placed bunkers on the course guard the left side...superb design.


Least Favourite Drive: 6, big hitters have a huge and unreasonable advantage due to the fairway widening


Favourite Approach: Going for the 3rd green in two...its partly great because one knows there is still a decent chance for par if the 2nd goes (and it likely will) astray.


Least Favourite Approach: 17, its hard to reach in two and the pitch on is rather mundane.


Most Awkward Hole: 13, I never know how much yardage to subtract for downhill and subtract/subtract for wind. 11 and 15 are so narrow that they are just plain hard.


Biggest Hope:The course is widened a bit (or rough thinned somewhat) and greens firmed up (never seen the course with greens in top nick).

Biggest Hope II: Nots gets the Walker Cup.

Ciao

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Sean, as usual I agree with most of your assessments.  I too thought 15 was not much fun until the last day when Ian told me that the club Captain, Stuart, told him the second shot should be a low run up the hill to the green.   It was like a light went on and I tried it, almost making it up the hill.  Suddenly it became for me a hole to look forward to.  I can't say that thought about #11.  Demanding a straight shot on both the tee and fairway, if you find the fairway.
I think #3 if the most fun hole to play.

Thanks to all for planning and making the effort to participate.

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the pictures and descriptions of the folies undertaken! A squared match is highly desirable. Do the present holders retain this much coveted trophy then?


Nice to see a captain braced for the job of teeing off the first.


Good job well done gentlemen and I have been suitably entertained here in Naples, Italy! Nae gowf the noo!


Cheers Colin

[James Boon]

Gentlemen,


It was a real pleasure to be able to show you the club I am lucky enough to play every week. The smiles on your faces after you experienced the entrance drive, the view from the club house or the course itself only highlighted that not only am I lucky to play there, but also lucky enough to have such great friends!


Mike, Great photos! I especially like the one of treasurer Muldoon! Which reminds me, all these thanks are very welcome but Tony also deserves a lot of credit for helping out with the finances and being on hand while I was planning to talk things through and to prompt me into action when I thought I was too busy!


I believe Steve may also have some photos, so I look forward to seeing these and any others anyone else is able to post! Unfortunately I didn't take any photos this year when I usually take quite a few during a Buda...


Bryan, well played with an eagle on 10! I must say, some of the shots I saw (or heard about) this Buda really were some of the best I've seen at any Buda. Steve's tee shot on 13 as described by Bryan above, Mike's long bunker shot on 18 to pile too much pressure on me from the much nearer bunker (and Mike's excellent round in the singles that Ben told us all about) or most of the shots Lou threw at me at Sherwood Forest, or during his comeback during the middle stretch of the course in the singles. It really is a pleasure to play with you guys every year, and see such good golf on display! Now about those handicaps...           


Looking forward to hearing further details regarding next year in Ireland! Till then gentlemen, Cheers


James

[Michael Graham]

Gentlemen,


I'm glad I made such an impression on Mike Whitaker  . [size=78%]Thanks to all those who made it to Notts and Sherwood for making my first Buda such an enjoyable few days. A special mention to James for making it all happen and to Tony for his bookkeeping skills and for organising pre Buda golf at Cavendish. If anything Notts exceeded my expectations. What a course. The 16th was the standout hole for me (and not just because I putted into the front bunker in the afternoon four balls). A totally different hole depending on where the hole is cut. [/size]
[/size]
[/size][size=78%]Already looking forward to Carne and Enniscrone in 2016.[/size]
[/size]
[/size][size=78%]Michael[/size]

[Steve Wilson]

I think an appropriate caption might be


HAVING ROUNDED UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS CAPTAIN RENAULT...


A few things I want to call attention to. 


If it wasn't enough that Mike goes out and shoots 76 thus personally re-igniting the eternal argument of CONGU vs. USGA handicapping, he also wears the Deal socks, and stands on the periphery.  Table about being a standout.  I don't blame as if I were in his socks I wouldn't want to associate with any of us either.  It's the Wallace Chesney phenomenon.


Secondly, I want to call attention to shocking decline in the quality of Apple products as these pictures demonstrate.  It is virtually impossible to identify Poulter, Westwood, Rose, McIlroy, McDowell and the other ringers that Conrad summoned in to overcome our insurmountable lead.  I thought it odd he was spending so much time on "business" conference calls. Well we all know what that business was don't we.  I personally had my headhanded to me by a personable Irishman who claimed to be Tony Muldoon, but I think it McDowell wearing lifts.  Can there be another explanation, I ask you?


No hard feelings though.


I was going to thank James for trying to help me with my swing by pointing out that on my practice swing that I eliminate the chopping motion and really rip it.  It was only later that I recognized that this had been pointed only after I admired his spinning pocket watch and listened to the Woody Herman version of Woodchoppers' Ball.


Lastly I'm not making any accusation but if Ben or Ian happen to be missing any valuables I call attention to the position of Rich's left arm in these two pictures.  Since being successfully pickpocketed in Milan last year I'm sensitive to these things.


Given time I could probably impugn the reputation of everyone in these pictures and probably several who didn't make it or were present for the earlier sessions.  Given the edit function the possibility still exists.


That may have to wait though as I'm preparing for the tabloids a tell all memoir, "Reflections on a Failed Captaincy."  In it I point out what a blow it was to my confidence when Lynn presented his son's book "The Captain" and I realized it was about George Thomas instead of me.


That's the 18th behind us, and in all truth the day was finer than the picture shows.  Thanks to James for his efforts, thanks to Notts and  Sherwood Forest for hosting us and thanks to everyone who participated (even those damned ringers).  I wish more people would make their way to some of these gatherings.  We need young blood ( or fresh meat) yes I mean you Michael Graham and Sterling (how is it the most British of names was an American?).


Next year in Ireland, let's make it the biggest BUDA yet.  And speaking of BUDA, for all of you skeptics out there, myself principal among you, there's the fabled BUDA cup in the foreground.





Sent from my iPad

[Craig Disher]

Is it just me or is anyone else unable to see Steve's pictures?

Tried both IE and FF - nada.

[Michael Graham]

I also tried Chrome without success. Is it Steve's iPad's way of saying the photos aren't fit for general consumption?

[Steve Wilson]

Well that is disappointing. It previewed just fine.  Perhaps Apple noted my jesting reference to quality control.  Back to the dark room.

[Michael Whitaker]

I'm glad I made such an impression on Mike Whitaker 

Sorry, Michael... I knew better... it was just a senior brain fart! 

[Michael Whitaker]

Steve - there doesn't appear to be any picture links in your post. 

[Bill_McBride]

I have no idea how to post photos from my iPad. 

[Steve Wilson]

It would appear I finally got the line up posted.

[Bill_McBride]

Is it too early to inquire about the dates in Carne next year?


And another question:  is Carne reasonably walkable for an older gent with a dodgy hip and knee?


Congratulations to both teams for a hard won half!   

[ward peyronnin]

So has it been settled? We are set for Carne next year?

I propose we sort out a recruiting program directed at some younger GCAers and past participants who have mentioned overseas trips in the past.

Good work you all; where is the physical cup? Featured in one of Tony's corporate groves?

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