What are you missing…

[Brian Finn]

My travel "bucket list" is a bit more conservative than most, because I'm a bit more pragmatic than most. Currently trying to center my experience/expertise on Ohio, as I live right in the middle of it. Doing pretty well in terms of getting to the "bests," as well as the obscure/semi-obscure Golden Agers but, as you may be surprised to learn, it's those "top 10" that are the tough ones to find a buddy at.

Eventually, when they money's right and the kids a bit older, I aim to join a club. Probably not a Scioto Country Club, or even a Columbus Country Club. Those clubs are already "there." I'd like to join one that's not there yet but has the potential to be there...

...which transitions into goal no. 3, which is to be on a greens committee and help usher a club with a potential become something worth talking about.

Ryan, perhaps you can add your thoughts to this thread on the best courses of Ohio from a few years ago.  I can't recall exactly how/why I ended up posting the list, as Ben Cowan had done all of the groundwork, but it stirred up some good discussion.  I wonder how all of the recent (and ongoing) work would re-configure the results today.

Ohio Top 40 (December 2017) (golfclubatlas.com)

[Bruce Katona]

8. Gonna add one..........which is unatainable:


Since I did get to meet him briefly and we're about the same build (all-be-it he lifts weights/works out and has a V upper body buold I never did) hit the ball as far and like Rory for just one day!

[Kalen Braley]

If we're limiting this to what is actually missing, as opposed to Make-A-Wish foundation type requests...

I think there are only two for me:

1)  A trip to ANGC, preferably a practice round to get a front and center look at the course.
2)  A pilgrimage to the home of golf in Saint Andrews.

[John Kavanaugh]

I’m proud of the small role I played in making large green side fans obsolete. In that vein I’d like to do the same with drones.

[Mike Hendren]

I carried in the U. S. Senior Women’s Championship a few years ago and would love to carry in any top amateur or professional events. Referrals appreciated with $50 finders fee.


That and play a George C Thomas, Jr. course.

[John Handley]

I am in a really good spot with my golf resume in my mind but there are some goals I have still...


* Win a club championship.  Now that I'm 56, I guess it is in the senior division. 


* Win a member/guest.  We usually get whipped because we have real handicaps and my partners like to have more fun and booze it up vs. get too serious, which is fine.  But it would be fun to win.


* The top 5 US courses I want to play (not including Augusta)
   Pine Valley, NGL, Shinnecock, Sand Hills, and Chicago GC.  I think I've got a track to make it happen.


* Top 5 GB&I course I want to play
    Birkdale, St. Enodoc Church, Royal Porthcawl, Rye, and Deal. I definitely am going to make this happen.
    (I'm playing Moortown, Alwoodley, Canton, Woodhall Spa, Brancaster, Hunstanton, Sherwood Forest, and Hollinwell next year so I am not including those).


* I'd like to get a trip booked in the future to go play in Australia and New Zealand.  They're probably two separate trips but they're on the list.


I've played 36 of top 100 in USA and 37 of top 50 in GB&I (including next year's trip) but I don't have a huge desire to try to get all. I love playing great courses but if I miss a few, it doesn't bother me.
   

[Brad Tufts]

Wow, this sent my head spinning.  I've been so lucky to do so many amazing golf things through age 43, but of course I have more wants!


1.  Continue to foster my kids' love of the game.  They are 12g/8b now and enjoy it so far, at least to the point of making Dad happy.  Mayyyybe my wife will start playing too, which would be fun.


2.  Take some more trips with my dad...he turns 70 next year...time to check some trips off his list.


3.  Win one more club champ.  I'm lucky to have 9, but 10 would be fulfilling.  I have 12 more years before I can play in our senior CC tourney, but not sure if any # of those equals 1 actual CC.


4.  Write some sort of history book for Tedesco, maybe just on the golf course(s).


5.  Complete a T100 list.  I believe I've reached 70 on one of them, but I'm becoming less willing to make it happen to play somewhere where I question if I will love the experience.


6.  England!!  Never set foot in England outside the confines of LHR, need to fill this gap.  I'd love to start going over for a week every year for golf in the UK/Europe.


7.  Australia/NZ, might need a month or two!


8.  Travel somewhere offbeat for golf...Iceland would be easy as it's close to Boston...but I'm thinking something like Vietnam, or Argentina.


9.  Qualify for a USGA event...just one would be fine!  Probably have the best chance in the 4ball, but lightning has to strike.


10.  Stay competitive playing-wise in a gross context into my later years...long way to go!

[Stewart Abramson]

The biggest thing I missed was playing golf as a youngster. I never held a club until I was in my forties. I thought it was a stupid game, but was immediately addicted the first time I hit a well struck shot. Wish I had started younger.


I'd love to see Aus & NZ but probably will never get there


I've been all over Ireland except the Southwest, and have played many courses across the southern half of England so do hope to visit the regions of England & Ireland that I haven't yet seen.


Never been to Hawaii. My wife hates long flights but I'm still trying to convince her.


As far as courses that I've never seen, my bucket list top ones are: Mountain Lake, NGLA, Somerset Hills, Plainfield, Mountain Ridge, Fenway, Cobbs Creek, Aronomink, Oak Hill, Glens Falls and Monroe

[Tom_Doak]

1.  When I did my first web site, I listed the ten places I’d most like to work someday, and incredibly, I’ve checked off nine of them.  I’d still like to build one in New England.


2.  I haven’t built one of the top ten courses in the USA/World.  I’m not sure it’s even possible to get the credit for doing it, even if you did build a course that good, because those spots are already taken.  But maybe one day I’ll have a site that good and a client with aspirations that high, and we’ll see.


3.  None of my family are golfers!  Golf is the thing that took me away from them, and my club wasn’t close to home, so they pursued their own interests, which is totally fine.  But we do have eight grandkids now, and it would be nice if some of them appreciated my work for the work itself.

[John Kirk]

What am I missing?  Nothing, really.  I have a nice resume of golf experiences, enough to claim a good grasp of the spectrum of possibilities.


What did I miss?  The friends I made in the process.

In 2004, I joined Golf Club Atlas and in September that year I joined Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club.  Early in my "career" at GCA, I made a couple of thoughtful observations about golf and earned some respect among the website's members.  During the next few years I was introduced to a network of golf course enthusiasts, a polite society complete with handwritten thank-you notes and an attention to proper golf etiquette.  I read and contributed to GCA every day and built most of my friendships with people around the country.  My wife generously allowed me to travel for golf several times a year, and I accumulated enough wonderful memories to last a lifetime.  Golf course enthusiasts tend to have personality traits close to my own, and my time at GCA has yielded the best friendship I have ever known.  I couldn't be more grateful.

As time went by, I traveled less and gradually lost touch with the many friends I made along the way.  To an extent, I had sacrificed friendships at home to pursue friendships with fellow course enthusiasts around the country.  I continued to read GCA but stayed in touch less with my "internet friends."  I'm sure I also pushed some people away without intending to do so.  I am a "frank commentary" purist who has occasionally caused resentment. 


Breaking away from the GCA life was difficult.  We're getting older and my wife isn't so keen on me leaving for a week at a time.  I'm not so keen on it either.  In the past few years my wife and I have renovated our home life, downsizing into a smaller clubhouse and a simpler life.  After 7+ years of playing golf just a few times a year, I decided to pick the sport back up again.  The Covid pandemic makes it more dangerous to travel.  Losing those friendships I made through GCA was tough.  I don't take friendship lightly; it takes a while to know someone.  I am now devoted to build my final circle of friends here in Oregon.  I'm always happy to hear from my GCA friends of course, and I don't rule out visits to California and my beloved Ballyneal.

[Matthew Lloyd]

What am I missing?  Nothing, really.  I have a nice resume of golf experiences, enough to claim a good grasp of the spectrum of possibilities.


What did I miss?  The friends I made in the process.

In 2004, I joined Golf Club Atlas and in September that year I joined Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club.  Early in my "career" at GCA, I made a couple of thoughtful observations about golf and earned some respect among the website's members.  During the next few years I was introduced to a network of golf course enthusiasts, a polite society complete with handwritten thank-you notes and an attention to proper golf etiquette.  I read and contributed to GCA every day and built most of my friendships with people around the country.  My wife generously allowed me to travel for golf several times a year, and I accumulated enough wonderful memories to last a lifetime.  Golf course enthusiasts tend to have personality traits close to my own, and my time at GCA has yielded the best friendship I have ever known.  I couldn't be more grateful.

As time went by, I traveled less and gradually lost touch with the many friends I made along the way.  To an extent, I had sacrificed friendships at home to pursue friendships with fellow course enthusiasts around the country.  I continued to read GCA but stayed in touch less with my "internet friends."  I'm sure I also pushed some people away without intending to do so.  I am a "frank commentary" purist who has occasionally caused resentment. 


Breaking away from the GCA life was difficult.  We're getting older and my wife isn't so keen on me leaving for a week at a time.  I'm not so keen on it either.  In the past few years my wife and I have renovated our home life, downsizing into a smaller clubhouse and a simpler life.  After 7+ years of playing golf just a few times a year, I decided to pick the sport back up again.  The Covid pandemic makes it more dangerous to travel.  Losing those friendships I made through GCA was tough.  I don't take friendship lightly; it takes a while to know someone.  I am now devoted to build my final circle of friends here in Oregon.  I'm always happy to hear from my GCA friends of course, and I don't rule out visits to California and my beloved Ballyneal.

John - this is a very thoughtful post. I’ve found that since I started playing more golf and making efforts to travel to do so (mostly in the last five years) I’ve also lost touch with friends who don’t golf or share the interest. It wasn’t by design - it just sort of happened as I prioritized golf travel for the first time in my life to experience new places (I’m currently 47). I’m not married so wasn’t sacrificing “time at home” to make this happen - but have noticed a fading away of older friendships. That’s something I’m going to try and address going forward - your post is a good reminder to keep this in mind. Thank you.

[Matthew Rose]

Playing partners. Since I live in Australia now, I don't get to play with my father and brother much anymore, and the old man is getting on.

Trying to get my sons playing; it's a slow process. The older one is keen but very uncoordinated and impatient.

Of all the things I've seen and done, I realize at this point in my life that the company was what I cherished more than everything else.

I would like to continue to see and occasionally play the sandbelt. I have played Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra and have been a spectator for events at RM, Victoria, and Huntingdale. They are all architectural marvels and I hope to get to experience more of it. I would like to get to King Island and play the two courses there.

I have never been to the UK. That's always a bucket list thing. Yes TOC and it would be also nice to see one or two others on the rota. I'd also love to see some of the great Irish courses too. County Down, Portrush.

I played Pebble for my 40th birthday and it was everything I wanted it to be.... except that I played poorly. I'd always love to be able to go back there with a sharper game, and maybe play some others in the area. I'd like to see Spyglass and maybe Pasatiempo.

My family is still in the Denver area, and I try to get there once a year. My brother is an assistant pro at Pinehurst CC there and has been able to get me on some places like Lakewood and Frost Creek. I'm still holding out for Cherry Hills and Castle Pines one day.

I'm also really looking forward to Rodeo Dunes.

Scoring wise, I'd love to break 70 just once. I've shot 70 right on the number on two occasions, a couple of 71s, and a lot of 72s. I've always been a guy who can make a lot of pars but never many birdies or eagles.