A frightening statistic

[Tom_Doak]

Just for fun, I have been keeping track of the number of hours I've spent in airports and on airplanes this year.  I count from the time I get to the airport [at least 1 hour before departure, of course, except in Traverse City] to the time I get on the road.

As of tonight I am up to 416 airport/airplane hours this year, not counting one overnight being stranded in Chicago.  Or, as Jim Urbina pointed out for me, I've spent 10 1/2 forty-hour work weeks just TRAVELING to and from work.  And I'm being as efficient about it as I can ... I'm making fewer and longer trips than most architects in the interest of minimizing my airport time!

Those of you who wish to become a golf course architect (or are thinking about marrying one) should consider the numbers above carefully.

[TEPaul]

TomD:

For starters can you say anitpodes?  

New Zealand and all those furin places you've been hanging out recently aren't exactly as near as Chicago is to Traverse City.

I'm damn glad Alister didn't count the hours much less the days he spent on ships! I guess I'm glad his wife didn't too!  

[GeoffreyC]

Tom

Don't you have your own Gulfstream V yet?

You're obviously not charging enough for your services.

Tom Fazio canceled a meeting with the Golfweek crew a couple of year's ago in French Lick/ Victoria NAtional because his jet had an engine problem.  If you had your own plane you could get out of sticky meetings too!  

[RJ_Daley]

Well, if I married one I'd probably have my own modern situation comedy show ,  

Too much time with the mouse away, requires a pretty storng relationship, indeed...  

[TEPaul]

What you need is one of them Gulfstream jets that can span  continents on one tank of gas. That way you'll have plenty of time and space to spread out those really big topos and get to designing more golf courses. And obviously there's plenty of room in a private plane that size for me to come along too to convince you that it's really OK to do some wild and natural concepts!  

We can even talk over some of the finer points of Max Behr's principles!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Geoff,
I will be willing to lay HUGE money on it (money I don't even have! ) that Tom Fazio, who if I remember right, claimed he was in South Bend, Indiana, not all that far from Victoria, was actually in the nice coozy confines of Hendersonville, enjoying some family time. (Judging by what Tom Doak is saying, I don't blame him.)

Didn't our very own Jonathan Cummings offer to go fly up at his expense and go get him? And didn't he refuse?

Yep, I think I would win this bet!

[TEPaul]

TomD:

If you're not going to break down right now and buy a big globe-trotting Gulfstream at the very least you should refuse to even consider working for any client who won't put one at your constant disposal!

Not only that but you should tell those clients that there has to be room for at least six other people at all times that you need for inspiration and/or feedback! Tell them super creative minds don't come cheap and need lots of care and coddling!

[Joel_Stewart]

Tom:
How many miles have you flown this year?  Hopefully most of those miles have been in the first class cabin.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Tom - I took an anthropology course as an undergrad years ago and I remember the prof telling us something along your lines that has stuck with me.

Modern industrial man, with his planes, cars, trains, etc spends 20% of his waking hours in the process of going to and fro.

A study of the most primitive tribes in Africa (pigmys or something like that) who are hunter/gatherers with no transportational devices other than their feet spend a grand total of 5% of their time in the process of going to and fro.

Kinda gives you pause....

JC

[Bob_Huntley]

The Gulfstream V needs too much runway to get into some of the places an architect plies his trade. Now a Falcon Fifty can get into just about anywhere.

[TEPaul]

Jonathan:

Who, in your opinion, was the greatest pygmy golf architect, and in what order would you rate his courses? Not to influence your choices but I've always been partial to Hottentot National.

[TEPaul]

Bob, if there's a site that can't handle a GulfstreamV then TomD should tell the client he should pass on the site or the client better get his GulfstreamV a better set of brakes!

[Jonathan Cummings]

TP - I'm working on my list.....  

[Dan Kelly]

My favorite is The Challenge at Lilliputt.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Let's not be disparaging!  The pygmy’s were obviously the inventors of miniature golf!  Haven't you heard of the Wee Open?

(ok, ok - I promise to never post again...)

[Darren_Kilfara]

I read Tom's opening post to my wife...her response: "What, is he looking for your sympathy or something?"

 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Sadly I am just over 1/2 of Tom with only 10% being real business. I may need to take a look at the schedule in the future in light of this discussion.

[buffett_guy]

fractional ownership

www.netjets.com

owned by warren buffett

never had an accident

tiger uses it

much cheaper than owning a plane

[jg7236]

www.flightmaker.com

[ian]

The flip side is how many hours are you creating.......most people would do "anything" to have that experience. I drive a zillion miles a year, there is always someone who drives more than me.

[TEPaul]

"The pygmy’s were obviously the inventors of miniature golf!"

That's possible Jonathan but it's anything but obvious at this point. The documentation to prove that just doesn't seem to exist. I've been researching this issue for over five years now and all the evidence seems to point at this time to Tom Thumb's agent.  

[Tom_Doak]

I'm not looking for sympathy ... I enjoy what I do.  If there's anyone you should be sorry for it's my wife and kids.  I'm just letting you in on a little reality.

One of the reasons I've been keeping track is that I'm trying to figure out how much time a private jet would save.  I certainly don't charge enough to use one now, though I could start to be more demanding about it.

The flip side of that is that then I'd have to think more about the money, and turn down more of the cool jobs that can't really afford to pay my market value.  The Greg Ramsays of the world wouldn't like that, and I'm sure a few people here might call me a sell-out too.  One of the above posts implies that Tom Fazio is a sell-out, when in fact what he's doing is spending time with his family ... it's just gradually led him to the point where he will only take on clients who can pay big-time.

[Mike_Sweeney]

and I'm sure a few people here might call me a sell-out too.  

Tom,

The Emperor would turn on you quicker than a downhill putt at Augusta in April.

[MargaretC]

As of tonight I am up to 416 airport/airplane hours this year, not counting one overnight being stranded in Chicago.  Or, as Jim Urbina pointed out for me, I've spent 10 1/2 forty-hour work weeks just TRAVELING to and from work.  And I'm being as efficient about it as I can ... I'm making fewer and longer trips than most architects in the interest of minimizing my airport time!

Those of you who wish to become a golf course architect (or are thinking about marrying one) should consider the numbers above carefully.

Tom:

Your remarks should also be carefully considered by anyone who thinks that most business travel is "glamorous."  Most "road warriors" spend huge chunks of their lives in just the "to and fro" and other mundane and incredibly boring activities that are beyond their control.

[Dan Kelly]

I am up to 416 airport/airplane hours this year...

Maybe you could think of it this way, if it'll help you keep taking jobs in great spots where the developers don't have unlimited funds:

That's 416 hours to read and write and think -- without the distractions of operating the vehicle.

I'm sure any number of posters here have spent 416 hours this year stuck in automobile traffic between home and work -- 416 hours offering considerably less potential value than your 416 hours in airports and aloft.