[Matt OBrien]

I have had a pretty amazing year for courses played:

Sand Hills
Ballyneal
National GL
Shinnecock
Friars Head
Maidstone
Creek Club
Southampton
Yale
Pine Valley
Huntingdon Valley
Philly Cricket Wisahickon
LuLu
Pacific Dunes
Bandon Dunes
Bandon Trails
Sheep Ranch
Lookout Mountain
Oakmont
Pittsburgh Field Club
Fox Chapel
Greenbriar Old White
Homestead Cascades
Chambers Bay
Franklin Hills
Eugene CC
Bandon Crossings
Waverley CC
Bayonne
Shoreacres
Olympia Fields North
Olympia Fields South
Lawsonia Links
Erin Hills
SFGC
Pasatiempo
Camargo Club
Kirtland
University of Michigan
Meadow Club
Cuscowilla

The highlight for me was a non-resident membership at Lookout Mountain GC where I plan to start spending more time.

Must Be Nice Ari!!!

[Mark Pearce]

Carling Cup Final, Chelsea 1 Spurs 2
Arsenal 4 Spurs 4

Golf: Cruden Bay for the first time, Muirfield, Lundin Links for the first time in too long, getting to know Crail, first time at Beau Desert.

[Patrick Glynn]

Ari,

And 2007 was such a poor year with only Lahinch, RCD and Portrush on your played list

Patrick

[Matt OBrien]

Ari,

And 2007 was such a poor year with only Lahinch, RCD and Portrush on your played list

Patrick

Patrick
I cant wait for the year when he realizes theres no more courses to play and he gives up the game. Thats when we step in and take over his company!!

[Tim Gavrich]

I've got two.

- Playing for the D-III National Championship (we made the cut and ultimately finished 16th) and seeing then-team captain Nathaniel James win the prestigious Byron Nelson Award--the first D-III player to even be a finalist for it.

- A 2 1/2 week trip to the UK which included a week playing at and around St. Andrews with my father, as well as a round at Sunningdale when we were visiting family in London.

[John Kirk]

Proof that no matter how good a course is, the people you meet and experience it with are just as important. I had a blast, and for that I'm thankful.
WH

Say you played Ballyneal with some assholes.  Would the experience SUCK?

He did, and it didn't.

That was a very successful trip.  I also enjoyed showing up unannounced at the King's Putter, riding around MPCC with Bob H. and especially meeting Mike Benham, who grew up in the same town at the same time as I did.

There were two favorite golf experiences.  The first was the Kinloch member/guest.  The night before the final matches, four out of the six first flight teams were bowling at a member's private two lane bowling alley nearby.  More accurately, they were yelling at his two lane bowling alley in his backyard barn.

The other was the Ballyneal member/member.  Live music, big party, meeting the Barnetts and other new members, all with the same passion for our new golf club.  Great weekend.

[Michael Dugger]

Proof that no matter how good a course is, the people you meet and experience it with are just as important. I had a blast, and for that I'm thankful.
WH

Say you played Ballyneal with some assholes.  Would the experience SUCK?

He did, and it didn't.

That was a very successful trip.  I also enjoyed showing up unannounced at the King's Putter, riding around MPCC with Bob H. and especially meeting Mike Benham, who grew up in the same town at the same time as I did.

There were two favorite golf experiences.  The first was the Kinloch member/guest.  The night before the final matches, four out of the six first flight teams were bowling at a member's private two lane bowling alley nearby.  More accurately, they were yelling at his two lane bowling alley in his backyard barn.

The other was the Ballyneal member/member.  Live music, big party, meeting the Barnetts and other new members, all with the same passion for our new golf club.  Great weekend.

I'm crushed, John, and here I thought your highlight would be meeting me!

Creep!

[Carl Nichols]

Ari:

I have to ask:  HOW?  How did you manage that?  Are you a pro?  What do you do to get that kind of golf in one year?  Youy just blew poor ole Tufts out of the water....

And if you tell me you are a computer programmer with a wife who works and three kids who all play sports, I will hunt you down and kill you.

 

Tom,

I am the founder and President/CEO of Scratch Golf Clubs.  (www.scratchgolf.com)  I do a ton of traveling for work, going around to different clubs and atores working with them on selling our hand made irons and wedges.  I am VERY fortunate to get to play a ton of great courses along the way.  Also, as you might have noticed the similarities in our list, Patrick Boyd works for me and we travel together most of the time.  

Ari:
Any trips scheduled to DC in the next month?  Could use some new wedges to help w/ my crappy wedge game.

[Carl Nichols]

2008 was a terrific year for myself.

Between the Monterey KP event, a trip to Colorado, short trip to Spokane, and some cool treats here in Utah it made for a great year.  And it was topped off with one of the final looks at Beechtree before its NLE...

A hearthy thanks to the many fine GCA folks who have been very generous with thier time and resources in arranging all of the various events and outtings this year.

Did you play Beechtree?  It was pretty cold this weekend.

[Tom Yost]

My highlights pale in comparison to some... but

March - Meeting a bunch of GCA guys at Papago.

April -  25th wedding anniversary trip to Maui and a round of golf at the Plantation.

August - Tagging along with my wife on a business trip to Seattle and getting to play Chambers Bay while she was working.

[Tim Bert]

A couple for me:

Does it get any better than standing next to these two guys on the first tee?  60 years apart in age, but both very classy!!  Also, anyone around to see the gentleman on the right deliver his toast at the KPC dinner would be hard pressed to site a better highlight for the year.



A round at Spyglass with these clowns was up there as well (even though they ditched me for Pebble that afternoon as made evident in this photo.)


Finally, my nomination for comment of the year is simply "Sorry!" uttered moments before this timely photo was captutred by Mr. Mayhugh.  If ever a photo was worth simply one word, this is it.  More on that when we get to the 16th commentary on Kingsley.


An absolutely wonderful year - thanks to all!!

[Andrew Mitchell]

Buda was my highlight of the year - a return to Cruden Bay followed by three days at Elie & Lundin Links.

I also had a trip to Portugal which included:
Vale do Lobo Royal
Quinta do Lago South
Vilamoura Old

Other notables were first time visits to:
Wentworth
Royal Birkdale
Beau Desert

[David Sneddon]

Early in the year, was able to play The Tribute, (The Colony, TX) several times, with one of my best friends, when I was able to schedule weekends in the Dallas area.  Played more rounds on the Trib by June of 2008, than I did on my "home" course - daily fee Ambassador GC in Windsor ON.

As far as 'name' course - The Rawls Course in Lubbock, TX was an excellent day of golf. 

Amarillo TX is NOT a golf destination.

Played Tour 18 in Houston, nice, not overly impressed, greens were bumpy and what I would consider poor shape.  I did like their 'Amen Corner', though the 11th green should have been tucked a little farther left, bringing the pond more into play.

Had two great weekends in Ohio, playing in John Pflum's RSG-Cinci, and David Collard (Thor)'s RSG-OHIO golf tourneys/ get togethers.

Only downside of the year: I was unable able to make my tee-time at Kenwood GC in Cinci, for the US Sr Am Qualifier, as I was delayed in NC.

On the upside, best round of the year was at Ambassador GC,(www.ambassadorgolfclub.com) a 2-under 70.  Robert Thomson has a review:   
http://www.ontgolf.ca/g4g/2006/10/18/review-ambassador-golf-club-windsor-ont

Looking forward to 2009 with a trip to Scotland in May.

[Kalen Braley]

2008 was a terrific year for myself.

Between the Monterey KP event, a trip to Colorado, short trip to Spokane, and some cool treats here in Utah it made for a great year.  And it was topped off with one of the final looks at Beechtree before its NLE...

A hearthy thanks to the many fine GCA folks who have been very generous with thier time and resources in arranging all of the various events and outtings this year.

Did you play Beechtree?  It was pretty cold this weekend.

Carl,

Kyle Harris and I did go play despite the chilly conditions.  It always good fun trying to hit approach shots to greens that are frozen solid...made for some good laughs.

More details to come hopefully tonight in the form of a quasi-course review.

[Cory Lewis]

In 2008 I got to take two nice golf trips:

In August had a very good trip to Chicago area, played both courses at Whistling, both at Blackwolf, Medinah, Black Sheep, Shoreacres, Skokie, Conway Farms, and had the absolute pleasure of playing Lawsonia with Dick Daley and Adam Clayman, two gentlemen of the game.  

In October took a nice trip to Ohio, played The Country Club, Canterbury, Kirtland, Brookside and Muirfield Village.  Brookside was a fantastic Ross with over the top greens that were so much fun to putt on.

I was able to enjoy many rounds at DuPont with several GCA'ers, always a great time.  I was also happy to finally complete The My Home Course profile of DuPont, researching the project and getting to talk with Lester George was a great experience.  

[Mark Chaplin]

Meeting Wayne Morrison at Merion and returning his hospitality at Deal and Royal St Georges.
Pine Valley a boyhood dream.
A week with Dan Moore in Chicago playing a host of great courses including Chicago GC.
MCC golf dinner in the Long Room at Lords.
The usual days at the South East's best links and heathland courses.

[Andrew Hastie]

Well the year started off pretty good with Olympic and Cypress Point in January.


The middle of the year was a bit of a dry patch, but the end was as good as the beginning with rounds at The Creek, East Hampton, Maidstone, Baltusrol (lower), Plainfield, Quaker Ridge, Westchester and Friars Head.

It's going to be hard to top that in 2009.

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