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A Quest to Play the Top 100 Public Golf Courses in the United States
A Quest to Play the Top 100 Public Golf Courses
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... (CONT'D) ...
(Written by Jim Allen - 7/3/08) ... No ..., that isn't a painting. That would be the awesome view of the 28th ranked course in the United 
States -- Crosswater Golf Club - located at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon. Officially, it's a family vacation, but I'm doubling-down by considering it a Golfest "fly-by" opportunity. The plan is to play Crosswater on July 12th. According to the on-line scorecard, water comes into play on at least seven holes, so I'm packing some extra balls. A course review will be coming in the near future, along with more photographs. ... Just in case you missed it, we have added a course review on Arcadia Bluffs. We didn't like the course, but we sure do like Katherine Zeta Jones. Read more ... 2008 is already half over, but there has already been a years worth of activity on our GolfestOnline.com website and for our members. What started out as a year where getting out to a golf course has hampered by mediocre weather or work, has shaped up very nicely. For those of you at home keeping notes, here are some of the things that Golfest members have been able to pull off so far in 2008:
... Bob Potts started off the year strong by scoring his second career hole-in-one. It took place at the Talon Course at the Grayhawk in Scottsdale. ... Mark Suzda and Jim Allen traveled to Augusta, Georgia to watch the Masters Golf Championship. If you ever get a change to go, our advice is "GO!" ... Golfest 2008
roared through Michigan and tackled the Great Lakes Tour on another great trip. Seven more rated courses were played as we toured the entire state. Even though the weather was a little on the cold side, it was a great trip. ... Jim Allen managed to work in a trip to Kauai in March to play the rated Kauai Lagoons course and another round at Turtle Bay. At this point, he has played all of the ranked courses in Hawaii. ... Mark Suzda won a $42,000 Buick Enclave with a hole-in-one at "Tiger Jam" at Cascata Golf Course in Boulder City, NV ... An assortment of charter members loaded up to 
attend the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Among them were Jeffrey Adkins, Jim Allen, Jim Dee, Joe Arellanes, Tony Fernandes, Mark Suzda, and Mark Pickering. We had first class hook-ups with VIP Sports Marketing which made it an over-the-top experience. ... Kasey Scheidenlein is a changed man. Not just in appearance, sporting a new beard, but on his scorecard. Kasey has shaved about 10-strokes from his scores in less than a year. ... Art Taylor's game has been coming around also. On June 30th, he shot a career best 92 at Woodcreek Oaks in Roseville, CA ... Spanky Hayes is going to be a dad. ... Mark Suzda shot a career best 74 at Oak Quarry on June 20th. And that included a pair of double bogeys on the back nine. ... We have added two new Golfest members to the mix -- Mike Rittner of Chatsworth, CA, and Mark Pickering of Yorba Linda, CA ... Our GolfestOnline.com website has scored an amazing 22,000+ hits in only one year. ... Mike Werner is still alive after nearly choking to death on his food in Michigan. ... Tony Fernandes and Joe Arellanes played the awesome Luana Hills Country Club on Oahu. Although it isn't a rated venue, it should be. ...
Whats on the horizon? Word has it that their are Top 100 excursions scheduled by Jim Dee at the Brickyard Golf Course in Indianapolis and Jim Allen is headed to Crosswater Golf Course in Oregon. Mark Suzda is trying to work his way into Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. There is also a rumor of a Golfest FLY-BY taking place in August. Stay tuned for details. ... A planned trip to Florida in October has been sidelined, because the meeting that we were originally going to attend got cancelled.
... (Written by Jim Allen - 06/16/08) ... There is only one thing better than watching the U.S. Open on television; and that is
actually being at Torrey Pines to experience it first hand. Several charter Golfest members made the trip to San Diego as guests of Ferguson Heating & Cooling and VIP Sports Marketing over the Father’s Day weekend.
Our accommodations were first class at our base camp at the Morgan Run Resort in nearby Rancho Sante Fe. VIP, which recently hosted Mark Suzda and I at the Masters, rolled out the red carpet once again for the second major championship of the year. So how exactly do you roll out the red carpet at a major? Well, I'm glad you asked! It takes more than just a pair of tickets for Saturday and Sunday! Our experience included an endless supply of great food, Hors d’oeuvre and drinks at Morgans Run, an open bar, massages, freshly-rolled cigars, U.S. Open souvenirs and transportation to the event. And when walking the course wore us out, VIP stocked our base camp with a dozen flat screens to view the action. Roll all of that together and it permanently registers as a very memorable experience.
And lets not forget about the good friends thing, as our group included Golfestians Jim Dee, Tony Fernandes, Mark Suzda, Joe Arellanes, Mark Pickering, Jeffrey Adkins and I, plus 2009 Golfest participant Justin Holliman, Tom Gudvangen, and Steve Auld. Dee won the long haul award, flying in from Indiana. How’s that for dedication in quenching ones golf fix?
The drama of this year’s event was also over the top with Tiger’s bum knee, a leader board that was in a constant state of flux, Super Rocco, and of course
the putt heard around the world that forced the playoff.
On a Golfest level, we figured out that it’s kind of hard to stay together as a group, as we herded among the 40,000 spectators. Torrey Pines is a great venue, but hard to get around in some places. We adopted the U.S. Marine’s mantra of "no man will be left behind," which lasted most of the day until some of us found a great spot on the ropes. "Hey, there’s Tiger!!! Who were we looking for again?"
We ended up eating dinner and spending Saturday night at the Harrahs Rincon Hotel and Casino in Valley Center. The food was great, but the accommodations were a little dorm-roomish, as nine guys wedged into two hotel rooms.
It was sort of like that Steve Martin-John Candy motel scene in Trains, Planes & Automobiles.
"Where are your hands?'
"Between two pillows."
"Those aren't pillows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Needless to say, we all survived because
that is what we do.
After a few hours of sleep, we managed to work in some Morgans Run golf on Sunday before the U.S. Open action and the weather heated up.
Unfortunately, something called a career and a long ago scheduled sales meeting prevented us from calling in sick for Monday’s playoff action. However, I think most of America’s workforce was faking it on this day anyway, logged on to ESPN.com for the live NBC feed. By the luck of the draw, the last four holes coincided with our lunch break and we watched it to its awesome conclusion. …
… By the way, Jim Dee made a great suggestion to me on the drive down. Since Torrey Pines was my second major of the year, he suggested that I pursue the Jim Allen-Grand Slam in 2008. It’s something similar to the Tiger Slam, except all I have to do is show up. The PGA Championship is in Michigan. That’s doable with a Southwest coupon! But that trip to the British Open might be a little tough, unless Southwest starts adding some Trans Atlantic flights. Just thinking …, can I can survive on two little bags of peanuts on an 11-hour flight? …
... On a different note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our website! GolfestOnline.com reached its first on U.S. Open Sunday. In just one year, our site has scored more than 20,000 hits. How cool is that? And it appears that we are picking up momentum (and fans). I have received e-mails from all around the nation, plus a few from across the pond. Thanks for the support. …
... Have you checked out Jim Dee’s review on Bay Harbor yet? You should! There are a lot of other projects in the pipeline, so stay tuned! ... (MORE)
(Written by Jim Allen - 7/3/08) ... No ..., that isn't a painting. That would be the awesome view of the 28th ranked course in the United States -- Crosswater Golf Club - located at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon. Officially, it's a family vacation, but I'm doubling-down by considering it a Golfest "fly-by" opportunity. The plan is to play Crosswater on July 12th. According to the on-line scorecard, water comes into play on at least seven holes, so I'm packing some extra balls. A course review will be coming in the near future, along with more photographs. ... Just in case you missed it, we have added a course review on Arcadia Bluffs. We didn't like the course, but we sure do like Katherine Zeta Jones. Read more ... 2008 is already half over, but there has already been a years worth of activity on our GolfestOnline.com website and for our members. What started out as a year where getting out to a golf course has hampered by mediocre weather or work, has shaped up very nicely. For those of you at home keeping notes, here are some of the things that Golfest members have been able to pull off so far in 2008:... Bob Potts started off the year strong by scoring his second career hole-in-one. It took place at the Talon Course at the Grayhawk in Scottsdale. ... Mark Suzda and Jim Allen traveled to Augusta, Georgia to watch the Masters Golf Championship. If you ever get a change to go, our advice is "GO!" ... Golfest 2008
roared through Michigan and tackled the Great Lakes Tour on another great trip. Seven more rated courses were played as we toured the entire state. Even though the weather was a little on the cold side, it was a great trip. ... Jim Allen managed to work in a trip to Kauai in March to play the rated Kauai Lagoons course and another round at Turtle Bay. At this point, he has played all of the ranked courses in Hawaii. ... Mark Suzda won a $42,000 Buick Enclave with a hole-in-one at "Tiger Jam" at Cascata Golf Course in Boulder City, NV ... An assortment of charter members loaded up to attend the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Among them were Jeffrey Adkins, Jim Allen, Jim Dee, Joe Arellanes, Tony Fernandes, Mark Suzda, and Mark Pickering. We had first class hook-ups with VIP Sports Marketing which made it an over-the-top experience. ... Kasey Scheidenlein is a changed man. Not just in appearance, sporting a new beard, but on his scorecard. Kasey has shaved about 10-strokes from his scores in less than a year. ... Art Taylor's game has been coming around also. On June 30th, he shot a career best 92 at Woodcreek Oaks in Roseville, CA ... Spanky Hayes is going to be a dad. ... Mark Suzda shot a career best 74 at Oak Quarry on June 20th. And that included a pair of double bogeys on the back nine. ... We have added two new Golfest members to the mix -- Mike Rittner of Chatsworth, CA, and Mark Pickering of Yorba Linda, CA ... Our GolfestOnline.com website has scored an amazing 22,000+ hits in only one year. ... Mike Werner is still alive after nearly choking to death on his food in Michigan. ... Tony Fernandes and Joe Arellanes played the awesome Luana Hills Country Club on Oahu. Although it isn't a rated venue, it should be. ... Whats on the horizon? Word has it that their are Top 100 excursions scheduled by Jim Dee at the Brickyard Golf Course in Indianapolis and Jim Allen is headed to Crosswater Golf Course in Oregon. Mark Suzda is trying to work his way into Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. There is also a rumor of a Golfest FLY-BY taking place in August. Stay tuned for details. ... A planned trip to Florida in October has been sidelined, because the meeting that we were originally going to attend got cancelled.
... (Written by Jim Allen - 06/16/08) ... There is only one thing better than watching the U.S. Open on television; and that is
actually being at Torrey Pines to experience it first hand. Several charter Golfest members made the trip to San Diego as guests of Ferguson Heating & Cooling and VIP Sports Marketing over the Father’s Day weekend. Our accommodations were first class at our base camp at the Morgan Run Resort in nearby Rancho Sante Fe. VIP, which recently hosted Mark Suzda and I at the Masters, rolled out the red carpet once again for the second major championship of the year. So how exactly do you roll out the red carpet at a major? Well, I'm glad you asked! It takes more than just a pair of tickets for Saturday and Sunday! Our experience included an endless supply of great food, Hors d’oeuvre and drinks at Morgans Run, an open bar, massages, freshly-rolled cigars, U.S. Open souvenirs and transportation to the event. And when walking the course wore us out, VIP stocked our base camp with a dozen flat screens to view the action. Roll all of that together and it permanently registers as a very memorable experience.
And lets not forget about the good friends thing, as our group included Golfestians Jim Dee, Tony Fernandes, Mark Suzda, Joe Arellanes, Mark Pickering, Jeffrey Adkins and I, plus 2009 Golfest participant Justin Holliman, Tom Gudvangen, and Steve Auld. Dee won the long haul award, flying in from Indiana. How’s that for dedication in quenching ones golf fix?
The drama of this year’s event was also over the top with Tiger’s bum knee, a leader board that was in a constant state of flux, Super Rocco, and of course the putt heard around the world that forced the playoff.
On a Golfest level, we figured out that it’s kind of hard to stay together as a group, as we herded among the 40,000 spectators. Torrey Pines is a great venue, but hard to get around in some places. We adopted the U.S. Marine’s mantra of "no man will be left behind," which lasted most of the day until some of us found a great spot on the ropes. "Hey, there’s Tiger!!! Who were we looking for again?"
We ended up eating dinner and spending Saturday night at the Harrahs Rincon Hotel and Casino in Valley Center. The food was great, but the accommodations were a little dorm-roomish, as nine guys wedged into two hotel rooms.
It was sort of like that Steve Martin-John Candy motel scene in Trains, Planes & Automobiles.
"Where are your hands?'
"Between two pillows."
"Those aren't pillows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Needless to say, we all survived because
that is what we do.
After a few hours of sleep, we managed to work in some Morgans Run golf on Sunday before the U.S. Open action and the weather heated up.
Unfortunately, something called a career and a long ago scheduled sales meeting prevented us from calling in sick for Monday’s playoff action. However, I think most of America’s workforce was faking it on this day anyway, logged on to ESPN.com for the live NBC feed. By the luck of the draw, the last four holes coincided with our lunch break and we watched it to its awesome conclusion. …
… By the way, Jim Dee made a great suggestion to me on the drive down. Since Torrey Pines was my second major of the year, he suggested that I pursue the Jim Allen-Grand Slam in 2008. It’s something similar to the Tiger Slam, except all I have to do is show up. The PGA Championship is in Michigan. That’s doable with a Southwest coupon! But that trip to the British Open might be a little tough, unless Southwest starts adding some Trans Atlantic flights. Just thinking …, can I can survive on two little bags of peanuts on an 11-hour flight? …
... On a different note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our website! GolfestOnline.com reached its first on U.S. Open Sunday. In just one year, our site has scored more than 20,000 hits. How cool is that? And it appears that we are picking up momentum (and fans). I have received e-mails from all around the nation, plus a few from across the pond. Thanks for the support. …
... Have you checked out Jim Dee’s review on Bay Harbor yet? You should! There are a lot of other projects in the pipeline, so stay tuned! ... (MORE)
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