[Jason Topp]

                For the first time since 2005, I was unable to attend any of the big GCA events this year.  In order to compensate, I organized a Minnesota GCA event, held October 21st at my new club, Windsong Farm.
  
   Going through the exercise gave me new respect for the skills the organizers of the Kings Putter, Dixie Cup and the Buda.  Finding a date, a course, a price that works, a format, team names, selecting tees and getting good weather are all challenges.
The biggest decision, of course, was coming up with an event name and team names.  We wound up with the Barley Cup involving teams representing Minneapolis and St. Paul.  Beers were the natural inspiration for team names so after much research, Team Fulton (Minneapolis) and Team Summit (St. Paul) were drafted for the event.

                Team Summit consisted of Rick Shefchik, Dan Kelly, Jeff Shelman, Pat Craig and Andy Ryall.  Team Fulton included me, John Crowley, Mike Hogan and two non GCA participants, Chad Hartman and Jon Bishop.

                The scheduled date was a big gamble.  Odds were that stocking caps and hand warmers would be needed.  The forecast, however, turned out to be the biggest success – sunny, 70 degrees and a nice wind to make things interesting.
My group consisted of Hartman and Topp on Team Fulton v. Shelman and Craig on team Summit.   It was really fun until Shelman ruined the experience by making a bomb for birdie on 7 to even the match, made a bomb on 8 to halve the hole and then made a bomb on 9 for another birdie to beat us one up.  Our individual matches were very close – resulting in halves in each match.  

              I encouraged everyone to take some photos and contribute them to this thread.  I tried to do my part with my new phone but my first picture of the course turned out like this:

 

Who knew that phones now have cameras on both sides?

My next picture turned out to be a panorama from the 10th tee.  I am not sure it illuminates much:


Hopefully others will provide decent pictures and commentary on the course.  Thanks to everyone for playing, Windsong Farm for accommodating us and congratulations to Team Summit, who won the event 5-3.  Revenge will be ours next year.

[Dan Kelly]

I'm sure it was lovely at Cypress Point and NGLA yesterday, and possibly even in Dornoch and Bandon, but there was no better place to be on Sunday, October 21st, 2012, than Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minnesota.

It was one of those glorious warm fall Midwestern days that almost make up for February, with enough wind to make things interesting, on a fine golf course that accommodated (and sometimes rewarded) a very wide variety of shots. I'll post a few pictures later -- but it was a Playing Day, not an Architecture Day, so I doubt if my pictures will reveal much about the golf course.

Here's what I like best about the Windsong Farm course, after two plays (the first 10 years or more ago):

The Ground Game is very much alive there. The greens are almost all open at the front, and the ball bounces and rolls (and rolls and rolls and rolls sometimes). It's best not to stop watching your ball until it comes to a halt.

The competition was spirited and friendly. The camaraderie (mostly born here at golfclubatlas.com) was palpable. Here's hoping the Barley Cup will be an annual affair.

Thanks, Jason, for hosting (and especially for organizing). Thanks to the other Windsong members (GCAer John Crowley, Jon Bishop and Chad Hartman) for welcoming us to your club.

P.S. It's a small world -- especially around here.

Over excellent burgers at the nearby Ox Yoke, Jason told us that his wife, who plays the cello, had a couple-of-minutes scene, as part of a quartet, in a miserable movie called "Drop Dead Fred." (IMDB summary: "A young woman finds her already unstable life rocked by the presence of a rambunctious imaginary friend from childhood." IMDB readers' rating: 5.3. Try to find one lower!)

John Crowley, seated to Jason's immediate left, said: "That movie was filmed at our house."

[PCCraig]

Well said Dan. It was an awesome day yesterday on with a great group of guys. Many thanks to Jason for putting everything together! I took a few photos on my phone and will try to post later.

[Tyler Kearns]

Jason,

Please don't keep the Barley Cup a secret in 2013!!
I'de love to attend and make an extended trip to see the many architectural gems of Minnesota, if you'de be open to some international competition!

TK

[Mike Hogan]

We hit the jackpot and could not have asked for a better day.

The golf was pretty good but the comradery was even better.
It was nice to finally be able to put with names with faces.

Thanks to Jason for arranging everything, great job. Sorry I couldn't get the team a point. I ran into a buzzsaw..

Hopefully this will become an annual event.

Some photos

Our captain.


Pat Craig chipping.


Mr Kelly


Rick pondering his options.


Group Shot.
L-R Dan Kelly, Jason Topp, John Crowley, Rick Shefchik, Andrew Ryall, Jeff Shelman, John Bishop.

[Jason Topp]

Jason,

Please don't keep the Barley Cup a secret in 2013!!
I'de love to attend and make an extended trip to see the many architectural gems of Minnesota, if you'de be open to some international competition!

TK

We would love to have you visit Tyler.  Watch for something next fall.

[Jason Topp]

We hit the jackpot and could not have asked for a better day.

The golf was pretty good but the comradery was even better.
It was nice to finally be able to put with names with faces.

Thanks to Jason for arranging everything, great job. Sorry I couldn't get the team a point. I ran into a buzzsaw..

Hopefully this will become an annual event.

Some photos

Pat Craig chipping.

This is where it started to go wrong.  Pat got this up and down.

[Jason Topp]

Twins separated at birth?


[/quote]




Note the Minnesota half is more understated - makes sense in the land of Lake Woebegon.

[Mark Johnson]

looked like a great time.

can't wait to play next year once I am fully recovered.

[PCCraig]

Mike & Jason,

What hole was that picture taken on? With my ball striking yesterday I had a lot of long pitch shots!

[Jason Topp]

Mike & Jason,

What hole was that picture taken on? With my ball striking yesterday I had a lot of long pitch shots!

#2 unless I misinterpret the picture

[Dan Kelly]

Definitely No. 2. I got pretty much the same picture, as you shall presently see.

[PCCraig]

Ah, right. Thanks. Couldn't tell by the angle of the picture.

[Dan Kelly]

A few pictures; others at  http://s175.beta.photobucket.com/user/kellys17_photos/library/Barley%20Cup%202012

Flags in a fine sky at Windsong Farm:



Head Pro Jim Kidd chats with Rick Shefchik:



Pat Craig pitches to No. 2:



Mike's Hoganesque finish:



Jon Bishop at the turn:



Jason Topp shows what he thinks of Jeff Shelman's putter (left to right: Chad Hartman, Jason Topp, Jason Topp's finger, Pat Craig, Jeff Shelman):



Shefchik out, Hogan in:



Windsong Farm No. 18, from tee-shot landing area:



Jason Topp, John Crowley, Rick Shefchik:



Andy Ryall & Pat Craig:

[Sam Morrow]

I guess my invited got lost in the mail, I expect it from Topp but thought Shelman had my back.

[Jason Topp]

I guess my invited got lost in the mail, I expect it from Topp but thought Shelman had my back.

If you are nuts enough to fly to Minnesota to play golf in late October, you are welcome any time.  You can stay with Shelman.

[Sam Morrow]

I guess my invited got lost in the mail, I expect it from Topp but thought Shelman had my back.

If you are nuts enough to fly to Minnesota to play golf in late October, you are welcome any time.  You can stay with Shelman.

I'm in, the course looks really good.

[Jason Topp]

My terrible quality picture of 14 green.  The green is perched on a hill with short grass funneling short shots back down the fairway and long shots past the green.  The bailout is to the right side, leaving a long downhill putt, or, in my case, a long downhill chip that I hit over the green.  Shelman thrashed it around in the weeds and somehow bogeyed to halve the hole.

[Andy Ryall]

]It was an outstanding day, to say the least.   John Crowley and I had a spirited singles match as we were designated the lead two-some and we played quickly, if not erratically.   With a south wind and a routing that offered shots into, with and and across the wind, Windsong Farm certainly has the ability to never get dull.    I struggled with the very quick and large green complexes on top of my pathetic driving exhibition.   Regardless, John was a great host and playing partner/opponent and it was great to finally play WF after years playing across the street at its public neighbor; Pioneer Creek.

Andy

[Andy Ryall]

The downhill 7th playing about 146 yards




The devilish 10th



John Crowley making a full turn on 11 tee:



The 16th.  Interesting routing that brings the course back to the clubhouse so late in the round; excellent for match play events

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