[MCirba]

Amen.

[Garland Bayley]

Way back in the old days of GCA, we had an epic outing at Sand Hills, Nebraska in 2005 with a cast of characters:




Neil Regan, Pat Mucci, Tom Huckaby, Tom Paul, Ran Morrissett, Gene Greco, Mike Sweeney, and George Bahto

Sand Hills, Nebraska - June 2005

Some of them have left this world, some have left GCA, and some don't post much any longer for a variety of reasons. Now there are two

I guess I don't understand, because George passed away, and Tom Paul left the site, but the rest are registered members of the site.

[Terry Lavin]

My first gca round was in 2002 at Olympia. Among the illuminati were Ran, Brad Klein, Rick Holland and Mike Keiser. One light is flickering. We have to stick together.

[Geoff_Shackelford]

Scarcity of courses for a couple Archies has possibility of inflating their value. 

You should be careful dissing George Thomas in this way.  You'll get Shack's dander up.

Tom, why would you drag GCT Jr. into this? Are you suggesting he's overrated? In the spirit of the original point of this post, that would be pretty amazing given his supposed influence on your writings and what's left of your work (or were you just paying lip service?). Captain Thomas was one swell character, innovator, great American and visionary who designed a pretty amazing collection of courses in a short span, all free of charge. And when he joined forces with Billy Bell they did some amazing things in a tight window before the Depression and his war injuries got the best of him. I'm hoping that's how you feel too. If not, maybe you should just avoid LA and our lousy golf and restaurants.

[Frank M]

It's hard to "stick together" when I don't even know what people are talking about.

[Tim_Weiman]

I'll try to keep this brief, although I feel like I could go many paragraphs on this subject.  I have greatly enjoyed my years on GCA.com, and feel like I was one of the early contributors.  So, what sparked my many years of daily obsession with posting?  What lured me to travel to many of the GCA gatherings from organizing a hybrid Bravenet/GCA.com outting at Southern Pines, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and a few got on #2 in 1998,  to subsequent Dixie Cups, Kings Putters, to Buda Cup?   

Well, the threshold criteria was to think I actually knew a little of the subject having tried to develop a golf course after self study of turf management and golf course design and construction techniques.  Then I found others of similar passion and knowledge on a chance search that landed me on the Old Tommy Naccarato, Tom Huckaby, Redanman, Mike Golden, et al Bravenet site.  Suddenly we had a network of GCA fanatics and plenty of fun comments and a few meetings to do what we love best - play on a nice golf course that we knew why it was so.  Ran and his Bro John, Dad, and his close supporters whilst in OZ nurtured the idea of GCA.com and many other like minded found they weren't so strange to obsess about this subject, and we caught on like wild fire and the web sent us world-wide.  It spread through many circles of golf society from the muni golfers, wanna-be golf course developer-owners of which I had a few near commitments, variety of club members and greens chairmen and other club officials, USGA officials and administrative personnel,  golf writers of GCA and the game, superintendents, and of course our contributing architects of these fields of play; thus the discussions on which we were bound.  People from all walks of life were generous, engaged and participants in these GCA.com daily discussions, discoveries, history, and debates.  All was passionate........AND NEW to those early fanatics. 

But, I believe I am like most of the early GCA.com folks, in that I have acquired a large number of the books to add to many I already had pre-GCA.com, and feel like those daily obsessive discussions just started to repeat themselves to the point we were saying the same things many times over for years.  As I age, I feel like I have forgotten much of what I used to be 'up on'.   But, that doesn't even bother me anymore.  It is more interesting to see a newbie come along and discover or mention something many of us have discussed ad nauseum over a decade ago.  Some very passionate newer generation GCA.com contributors really took it to higher levels which was exciting to see their research and discoveries. 

I think the most corrosive thing that has been a distraction and turn-off are the folks that want to be 'too cute by half' with the cutting and biting comments that put others down.  I like a good barb as much as the next guy, but we have seen it over and over that some folks don't know how to back off.  And, many just get tired of that. 

As for Mike's recounting of Ran's hope to 'stick together',  I think the faithful and real folks who love this subject and want to share with others for all the right reasons, will stick together and continue to find each other just as we early ones found an avenue by chance, stumbling onto the two websites that merged here in GCA.com. and engaging with others around the web who feel similarly   Where there is interest and good will, there will be community, IMHO.   It is simple as 'sharing is caring'. 

The most important thing to keep this going is make an effort to meet and enjoy and respect fellow contributors by meeting up to play the game and discuss what you all enjoy.  And, write and celebrate about it here.

Dick,


Thanks for the memories. I remember the Bravenet days and certainly very fondly remember that trip to Pinehurst.


Nice to also see Mike Sweeney in this thread. Mike was at Yale when Tommy gave the brass his famous tough love speech. Absolute classic. Wish you were there.


Hope all is well.


Tim Weiman

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

Way back in the old days of GCA, we had an epic outing at Sand Hills, Nebraska in 2005 with a cast of characters:




Neil Regan, Pat Mucci, Tom Huckaby, Tom Paul, Ran Morrissett, Gene Greco, Mike Sweeney, and George Bahto

Sand Hills, Nebraska - June 2005

Some of them have left this world, some have left GCA, and some don't post much any longer for a variety of reasons. Now there are two

I guess I don't understand, because George passed away, and Tom Paul left the site, but the rest are registered members of the site.

So TE Paul is still alive? I wish he'd come back to the site then. I go back and read his posts all the time, most recently the thread about Piping Rock. Like Obi Wan talking about a lightsaber, he reminds me of a more civilized age.

[MCirba]

Tom Paul is alive and as well as ever according to local lore.  He hosted many a GCA shindig at his barn back in the glory days.

[Kalen Braley]

I'll 3rd that motion for TP to return...


He's definitely the one GCA legend I'd like to meet the most! 

[Joe Bausch]

Tom Paul is alive and as well as ever according to local lore.  He hosted many a GCA shindig at his barn back in the glory days.

I met with The Lurker a few times this past off-season as part of some informal Barn Fests with a couple of other GCAers.  He's doing well.  Maybe I'll see if he wishes to lurk here again.   

[BCowan]

A cheese steak sounds good for lunch.  Tom deserves to be back in the big leagues with the unwashed.

[Mike Sweeney]

We are a bunch of mutts but we are stuck in the same kennel.

So I decided to challenge this theory for myself and I drove to Hamilton, NY:





And I found a new threesome:





These guys were very cool. The had a keg party:




with a band:




and fabulous views of Colgate University in the distance:



They told me about a cool little golf course that was built in 1925 that is a few towns over. But alas, it would appear that Judge Lavin is correct. My new friends are nice guys BUT Seneca Falls Country Club is a Doak 3 with tree issues !!





Today, I am back in the GCA kennel with a first time trip to Leatherstocking, built in 1909 by Devereux Emmet, and then Seven Oaks by RTJ.

Thanks to Ran for creating this little kennel.

[Jud_T]

We are forging new friendships, finding new and old gems and furthering the cause beyond our confines.  I now count several of my good friends among the members here and am fortunate to have several more at my club.  I have been able to play great courses because of this site and I no longer am a slave to bedpost chasing the top 100 lists because of this site.  I found out about Langford & Moreau because of this site and I've had the privilege of playing with some of today's best GCA's and hearing their first hand perspective on their work and the work of others.  Hell, I even found out one of 'em is an old B-School buddy! While some of the old trolls no longer post, there are new trolls who have taken their place.  While I don't post as often as I used to (you're welcome), I still find useful information and, god forbid, the occasionally enlightening golf architecture discussion.  I've made friends with old enemies and made new enemies.  I'm still looking forward to finding that one new gem that will be a surprise.  Rock on...

[John Kavanaugh]

I think it's great we're all buddies and everything. I just don't understand posting pictures of each other in a group hug like a bunch of school children.

[BCowan]

John,


    Weren't you in a photo with your buds from across the pond?   Double standard? 

[Kalen Braley]

Jon,


Life is short and the world is shitty, why no love for group pics?  Make the world a better place and hug your buddies, hug your friends, hug your co-workers, even hug a stranger.  Remember Jon, its the little things that makes the world go round and round.. 

[Steve Lang]

    and so why would someone link to this eh?






Open tee times on MySpacehttps://myspace.com/gillettesilver

[John Kavanaugh]

It's ironic.

[Terry Lavin]

We are a bunch of mutts but we are stuck in the same kennel.

So I decided to challenge this theory for myself and I drove to Hamilton, NY:





And I found a new threesome:





These guys were very cool. The had a keg party:




with a band:




and fabulous views of Colgate University in the distance:



They told me about a cool little golf course that was built in 1925 that is a few towns over. But alas, it would appear that Judge Lavin is correct. My new friends are nice guys BUT Seneca Falls Country Club is a Doak 3 with tree issues !!





Today, I am back in the GCA kennel with a first time trip to Leatherstocking, built in 1909 by Devereux Emmet, and then Seven Oaks by RTJ.

Thanks to Ran for creating this little kennel.

Woof woof!

[Mike Sweeney]

Cathartic Healing:


I spoke with John today between rounds and before he went to 5 o'clock mass. He apologized for everything that he has ever done over the years on GCA, and was going to say a prayer for my son at Mass.


John - we got cut off in the mountains, here is where The Boss is doing her fundraiser


https://www.snacknyc.com/dusty






Greatest Golf Scam Ever:


So I drove my wife to her college reunion, went to one barbecue, and played lots of golf while she hanged out with her old boyfriends


The morning round was at Leatherstocking, which is all over the archives here at GCA. Enormous amounts of fun in a spectacular setting. At $106 on a 68 degree day in June, it was a great bargain. If you want to see a Dev Emmet course, just do it:





Then there was Seven Oaks at Colgate University. It is one of the better RTJ courses, but it is tough for sure. RTJ was the first architect I identified with as I played his Cornell course (his first) during two years of graduate school. The "hard par easy bogey" gets tiresome during the second round of the day, but better players would like it. The greens were in phenomenal condition:

The course is pretty flat in comparison to Leatherstocking, but it compensates with many tricky streams on many holes:

[Bruce Wellmon]

Nice pic. Reminds me.........
BRING BACK MIKE

[Bruce Wellmon]

Everybody.....Bring back Mike C......

[Phil McDade]

Today at Cape Arundel on a 71 degree day in Maine, there is an epic match of three Maine architecture gurus and Ran:

* Mr Moore - Secretary of Maine State Golf Association, GCA member, and many time Maine Amateur player
* Hal Phillips - Maine based golf writer, entrepreneur, and guitar player in a band
* David Cummins - Former mini-tour player, Maine based golf architect/shaper/builder/fixer-upper, many time winner of many New England tournaments
* Ran Morrissett - GCA and Cabot Links founder
 

Mark Plummer wasn't available?


Suffice to say, I am glad both Messrs. Sweeney and Kavanaugh are contributing to GCA; this place needs both of them.

[Eric Smith]

Sticking together sure beats the alternative. See Twitter.


Take this photo from last summer - A group of GCAers, all smiles, including Kavanaugh (!) , about to set out on the Old Course at St Andrews.



L to R: Marty Bonnar, yours truly, John Kavanaugh, Josh Bills, Brian Finn, Mike Hogan. GCAer Barry Doyle is behind the lense.

Thank you for the thread, Mike Sweeney and thank you for GolfClubAtlas, Ran Morrissett.

[Garland Bayley]

JK seems to have lost a bunch of weight. Good for him.

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