Golfing highlight of 2019.

[Greg Smith]

A beautiful four on the 11th at Merion East.   That was a big deal for me, an 18-cap only managing 5-6 rounds a year.  My game is not what it once was, but I held it together that day (and the putter still works!)

[Erik J. Barzeski]

After she settled down and realized she belonged there, I think my golfing highlight of 2019 was a caddying highlight: caddying for my daughter at the West Penn Women's Am at Fox Chapel.

It was my first time really getting to see the entire course and walk around it.

My best true self-golfing highlight? Yeesh. I didn't play as much as I'd have liked this year, so it might have been playing the practice round at the Virtues Club. I'd played there when it was Longaberger, and I shot 70 without having practiced or played much leading up to it, and it was cool to see how much my game had progressed from the last time I'd played there.

But that's a stretch, as that wouldn't have made the top ten in highlights for a more regular year.

[Philip Gawith]

Highlight was getting to play or see some of Japan’s best courses - Yokohama, Tokyo, Naruo and Hirono.


Playing Merion again after recent changes was also a lot of fun. They have taken the presentation of the course to another level (and maybe set off an arms race in the process!).


Philip

[Paul Jones]

Spending the day at Morfontaine


Playing 2 Travis courses back to back: Ekwanok and Cape Arundel


Spending the day at Ohoopee

[Ira Fishman]

the 18th hole of the last match of the Solheim Cup.

Ira -

Yes, that was a great moment in golf.

DT

David,


My second highlight on the playing side was my first round ever at North Berwick which was magical by itself and made even better by randomly having Catriona Matthew's husband Graeme carry for me.  A great guy. Their house is 50 feet from the 18th tee, a fact he did not share.


So I felt one of those not legitimate but sort of real personal connections when watching the last hole at the Solheim.


Ira

[Jason Topp]

Returning to Buda after an eight year absence was a clear highlight for me.


- Paid tribute to Bill McBride at the Dunvegan


- Classic Mayhugh (Arble inspired) tour of great, quirky and goofy golf courses


- Got to experience Muldoon again who would make a terrific character in a romantic comedy as the kind, quirky uncle who gives great advice to the lead female who is incredibly good looking but is confused as to whether she really is in love with the leading man.


- Almost got to see a fight after Kluger hit into a big guy putting to win his match.


- found my overseas spiritual golf home in Goswick.


- reacquainted with many people who felt like close friends even though I had not seen most of them for eight years


- Met some wonderful new people including Nancy (FBD better half), Michael Graham, Mayday Malone (who I felt like I knew even though I do not believe we had met), Bill Gayne and many others.


- learned new combinations of curse words watching a truly horrific Hearts of Midlothian Football match


- Finished chasing 18 holes at sunset on one of the more beautiful spots on earth.


I can't make it in 2020 but will do everything I can to make it in 21. 

[Tim Martin]

Having coffee with Mike Kiely at Canterbury during a rain delay and getting a look at the 1938 Henry Picard Masters green jacket which the club proudly displays behind glass. What a great ambassador for Canterbury and the game of golf.

[BHoover]

I did not play a great deal of new golf in 2019, but the highlight for me was meeting several new friends while experiencing London heathland golf for the first time.

[John Kavanaugh]

One of my highlights was having Hoover set up a poll on the refuge so people could vote if they like me. I had a 90% approval rating last I checked. Thanks Brian.

[PCCraig]

Playing 2 Travis courses back to back: Ekwanok and Cape Arundel

I played Cape Arundel for the first time this year during a trip to Maine. I was lucky to play some pretty great golf courses this year, but Cape Arundel may have been my favorite golf course/experience. Just perfect.

[PCCraig]

It was a pretty great year of golf for me, plenty to be thankful for. Even though I didn't play my first round until about June as White Bear was closed with dead greens in the spring.


My two personal "highlights":


1) For some strange reason I went on a heater July/August, including shooting a 67 during a friendly round at WBYC and following it up a few weeks later with a 68 in the Member/Member. I have no idea if I'll ever play that good of golf again.


2) My other highlight was coming from behind to win our flight at the Shoreacres member/guest in July, after getting pummeled in our first match. We managed to make it all the way to the last hole of the shootout, only to watch what I thought was a perfect punch 9-iron hit a mound short of the 9th green and take a 90* left bounce into the back left bunker. We didn't win but we sure partied that night in downtown Chicago like we did!

[JHoulihan]

Historically speaking it cannot be topped. Pinehurst #2 with a caddy. I have replayed the course so many times in my head since wondering when I will return. Making 1 birdie and 4 pars seemed like such a win!


During the same trip I played PH #4, Dormie Club, and the one I hope to play again and learn more about, Tobacco Road. The fact that I scored well shooting a 74 felt great but remembering the hills, humps, and bunkers will last longer mentally than the final score. Cannot wait to see my next/second Mike Strantz course.


Justin

[Rob Marshall]

My highlight is going to be tomorrow when I call my cousin. Just found out from my Aunt that his boss told him to cancel the meeting he had scheduled for Thursday. He was needed to fill out a foursome at Augusta. He’s a great guy, I’m so happy for him and incredibly jealous.

[Jeff Schley]

My highlight is going to be tomorrow when I call my cousin. Just found out from my Aunt that his boss told him to cancel the meeting he had scheduled for Thursday. He was needed to fill out a foursome at Augusta. He’s a great guy, I’m so happy for him and incredibly jealous.

Wow great Rob..... god bless him.

[archie_struthers]

 


Joh Kavanaugh whats your handicap? College player ? Mini tour?  just wondering....64 pretty good from any tees!

[archie_struthers]

 


Played the Member Guest with my good friend Jim Sullivan (member) at LuLu in Philly and had a great time. Playing as his partner is like having a big brother who is a champion wrestler and Golden Gloves boxer on the side.


Also enjoyed my sometimes erratic play all summer! Should have embraced it more often in my youth....

[John Kavanaugh]

.

[archie_struthers]

 




That’s good playing even at 290😎

[MLevesque]

Playing a late fall round at Hooper (NH) with same of my best buds and some new friends from the No Laying up crowd out of Boston.  Our last 5 holes we had the course to ourselves and played an eightsome; laughs and birdie juice was aplenty.  We capped the weekend off with a round at Bellows Falls (VT.)

[Cory Lewis]

As I think back on 2019, my highlight was very surprising.  We were scheduled to play Ballyneal on a Thursday in early October.  We flew in to Denver on Tuesday and enjoyed temperatures in the high 70's for two days and were baffled by the forecast calling for up to 6 inches of snow on Thursday.  With uncertainty surrounding our visit, we called an audible and headed south to Santa Fe. 


Our 54 hole day in 65 degree temperatures while it was snowing in Denver began at Santa Fe Country Club.  I knew nothing about this course and was shocked to find out it was a Bendelow design and one of the oldest courses in New Mexico.  Finding a course with classic architecture bones which was a really great walk turned what could have been a rotten day watching it snow at Ballyneal into a really great day. 


After our round at Santa Fe we played both courses at Las Campanas completing the best improvised and unexpected day of golf I have ever experienced.

[John Kirk]

Chiming in.  It took me a while to remember a good highlight.  I knew where it happened.

I only played about eleven rounds this year: six at Ballyneal, four at Pumpkin Ridge (one at Witch, three at Ghost) and my final round of the year at The Valley Club in early October.  The round coincided with the traditional pilgrimage to California to see Van Morrison.  Van is getting old, but he was in strong voice and high spirits this evening at The Santa Barbara Bowl.  The Santa Barbara Bowl is a terrific concert venue.  It would be a top 100 venue in the medium-large, high-falutin' category, if music fans were crazy enough to engage in such nonsense.

I had played a few rounds at Ballyneal about three weeks before, but hadn't practiced since, so I was a little rusty.  But I got off to a nice start, and managed to scrape it around for two over par on the front nine.  I then proceeded to botch the very easy 10th hole, and then sort of eased off trying so hard, since we were playing a bit too slowly and needed to keep up.  I made a few more pars coming in for about an 80 or 81 for the day.

The hole was located in the front right portion of the 18th green.  After a good drive, I decided to try and bound a low 5-iron up the false front onto the green from about 175, but pulled it into the left bunker.  There's a significant drop from the back to the front of the green, and so a safe play was to play your sand shot up high and let it drift down to the hole.  I missed my spot by a couple yards and it failed to catch the slope, leaving a 15 footer with a pretty significant left-to-right break, maybe 12-18 inches.

A few seconds into analyzing my putt, I abandoned the traditional strategy and started looking at the steep slope above the hole.  After seeing the spot I needed for the fall line, I wasted little time in executing the putt.  This time I hit my spot, aiming for a sharp parabolic putt about 70 degrees left of the objective.  It never once looked like it would miss, slowly working its way down to the hole and dropping in for a par.  I received a small applause from the members having breakfast on the balcony, and tipped my cap in response.

Next year will likely be another off year for golf, but after that I may begin to make golf a higher priority.  At the time, I thought that might be a good way to finish my golf career, but it's more likely I'll give it another go here pretty soon.   

[Sean_A]

Returning to Buda after an eight year absence was a clear highlight for me.

- Almost got to see a fight after Kluger hit into a big guy putting to win his match.

I can't make it in 2020 but will do everything I can to make it in 21.

Thats Jerry No Apologies Kluger. That tif ran into the evening meal....Jerry stood his stubborn ground.

You will be missed in 2020.

Happy Hockey

[Scott Szabo]

Chiming in.  It took me a while to remember a good highlight.  I knew where it happened.

I only played about eleven rounds this year: six at Ballyneal, four at Pumpkin Ridge (one at Witch, three at Ghost) and my final round of the year at The Valley Club in early October.  The round coincided with the traditional pilgrimage to California to see Van Morrison.  Van is getting old, but he was in strong voice and high spirits this evening at The Santa Barbara Bowl.  The Santa Barbara Bowl is a terrific concert venue.  It would be a top 100 venue in the medium-large, high-falutin' category, if music fans were crazy enough to engage in such nonsense.

I had played a few rounds at Ballyneal about three weeks before, but hadn't practiced since, so I was a little rusty.  But I got off to a nice start, and managed to scrape it around for two over par on the front nine.  I then proceeded to botch the very easy 10th hole, and then sort of eased off trying so hard, since we were playing a bit too slowly and needed to keep up.  I made a few more pars coming in for about an 80 or 81 for the day.

The hole was located in the front right portion of the 18th green.  After a good drive, I decided to try and bound a low 5-iron up the false front onto the green from about 175, but pulled it into the left bunker.  There's a significant drop from the back to the front of the green, and so a safe play was to play your sand shot up high and let it drift down to the hole.  I missed my spot by a couple yards and it failed to catch the slope, leaving a 15 footer with a pretty significant left-to-right break, maybe 12-18 inches.

A few seconds into analyzing my putt, I abandoned the traditional strategy and started looking at the steep slope above the hole.  After seeing the spot I needed for the fall line, I wasted little time in executing the putt.  This time I hit my spot, aiming for a sharp parabolic putt about 70 degrees left of the objective.  It never once looked like it would miss, slowly working its way down to the hole and dropping in for a par.  I received a small applause from the members having breakfast on the balcony, and tipped my cap in response.

Next year will likely be another off year for golf, but after that I may begin to make golf a higher priority.  At the time, I thought that might be a good way to finish my golf career, but it's more likely I'll give it another go here pretty soon.   

The "very easy 10th hole" at Ballyneal?

[John Kirk]

The "very easy 10th hole" at Ballyneal?

#10 at the Valley Club, a downhill par 5 that plays short.  Sorry that wasn't clearer.

[Scott Szabo]

The "very easy 10th hole" at Ballyneal?

#10 at the Valley Club, a downhill par 5 that plays short.  Sorry that wasn't clearer.

That makes more sense.  The 10th hole at Ballyneal has proven to be one of the two or three most difficult for me over the years.