Golf Season Unwrapped (your 2024 season in review)

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Stealing an idea from @RobbieVogel over at The Golfer’s Journal… let’s hear about your 2024 golf season highlights!

Favorite New (to me) Course: Had the pleasure to whack it around Oakmont in September, and I haven’t stopped thinking about the round for all the obvious reasons. Can’t wait to see it next year at the US Open.

Underrated Course: Not sure if George Wright is underrated or properly rated, but I had a blast at the Boston area Donald Ross design with Robbie and a few TGJ members and can’t wait to get back there someday.

Overrated Course: Kapalua. It was very much fine, and the views are what make it great. The golf course itself is pretty boring. Shut up, @RyMo.

Best Golf Hang: Played 72 holes at Gamble Sands in 3 days this summer with @Joezwickl, @fishtopher18, @jasonnutter, @zangief76, @macros, and a few others, and can’t wait to get back there next year on Scarecrow’s opening day!

Best Moment: I haven’t made anything from off the green without a putter in YEARS until the 4th hole at Old Mac in October, pitching in from ~30 yards with dying speed. It’s something that I continue playing back in my head on and off the course.

Best round: My best round this year was an 81 (twice) at Gamble Sands, but I’m going to cheat and instead suggest a couple of front 9’s where I was inexplicably golfing the hell out of my ball. I shot an even par front nine 34 at Old Mac in the aforementioned best moment category, only to follow that up with a front 9 even par 36 at Pacific Dunes the following day. Please don’t ask me what my 18-hole score was for both of those rounds. Respect my privacy.

Worst round: I think the idea behind this question originally is share your worst score, but I’m going to go in a different direct. My worst round was my worst experience, but it had nothing to do with the golf course, the staff, or anyone playing that day. I went out to Landmand this year for the NLU Cornstalk event 2 months removed from knee surgery, and this was my 2nd 18-hole experience post-surgery. Unfortunately, it rained the night before, and it was walking-only and I could only play the first 7 holes before throwing in the towel both days. It was a huge bummer. But S/O to @bignanski and @kcurry11 for organizing and really hoping I can make it to Cornstalk 2!

Coolest New Hole Played: I’ve got a tie, and it’s between Landmand #5 and Presidio #15, both for very different reasons. Landmand #5 reminds me of another King Collins project, the “King” hole at Sweetens Cove. The green is just massive, and there are so many fun slopes, the hole can be remarkably different every day and I can’t wait to get back there and play it. And Presidio #15 is an elevated par 3 that sort of reminded me of something that would have been designed by Alister McKenzie. It’s maybe not the “best” hole at Presidio, but it’s the one that I continue to think about.

So let’s hear it Refuge… what were the highlights (and lowlights) of your 2024 golf season!

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Also, since I reached my @ limit… S/O to @fullbodyfix, @OnOff, and @D4ndrews for joining me at Presidio!

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Burying the lede a bit, they got 6 inches of rain the prior week and another inch or so overnight between our two days. Walking that golf course fucking sucks even with two mostly good knees and a moderate level of fitness. Kudos to you for giving it a shot both days, I was legitimately shocked to hear you went out again on Monday.

And you better fuckin be there again this year.

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POST YOUR GOLF SEASON UNWRAPPED, COWARD

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Dunes Course. Just an awesome 18 hole experience working your way through the woods towards the Pacific. Crossing 17 mile drive to play #14 right on the edge of the ocean is something special. Here’s a photo of #10 I took

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Underrated Course: I played El Caballero Country Club just north of LA and came away really liking the place. They had a Rees Jones reno a few years ago but I actually like a lot of what he did. They’re hosting the LPGA event normally at Wilshere next year so excited to see how the women play it.

Overrated Course: I didn’t play any that really struck me as personally overrated so I’ll just put Bethpage Black since it’s way too high in the Top 100 rankings.

Best Golf Hang: Playing a team event with my dad in July was a great one. He’s 65 and starting to lose some of his golf game so any chance I have to play with him is always going to be #1.

Best Moment: Nearly acing the 14th at MPCC Dunes in front of a large group of tourists at Point Joe was an incredible one. Ball somehow landed a foot short and left of the hole, ended up a foot right and long of the hole and didn’t go in.

Best round: Scorewise: 75 at E. Gaynor Brennan, my little 5800 yard muni. Level of play wise was Bethpage Black, shot 80 from the White tees which tied my best score there to date. As someone who only pokes it 250 routinely that place gets long quick.

Worst round: Shot 87 in a local qualifier where I just had nothing going, every hole was just hoping to have a par putt. Didn’t help my playing partners were two kids who boatraced me.

Coolest New Hole Played: Hole #6 at Brae Burn in West Newton, MA. A downhill Par 3 that’s like trying to land an 8 iron in a kiddie pool with how severe the green is.

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Ballyneal, enough said.

But honorable mention Green Hills CC in San Fran. An absolutely charming little Alister Mackenzie in San Fran area. Just had a perfect day out there and can’t wait to see it again.

Underrated Course: Gearhart. There are not many places I’d rather play a morning round, and drink beers with buddies, and head out for an evening 9.

Overrated Course: Nothing overrated comes to mind.

Best Golf Hang: The 8some alt-shot at Gamble sands with @Joezwickl , Amber, @jasonnutter , @macros , @zangief76 , @notjustinkaiser , & Jon+1 was truly all-time. Tight Ryder cup scoring event through all the rounds, ending with alt-shot - in the dark - and Amber making the 10’ putt in the dark to end all tied was truly sick.

Best Moment: Getting 2 holes in one during competitions this year, both with buddies in the group was immensely awesome. The first at the PNGA with my friend Austin who happened to be paired with me, and the 2nd at the US 4ball Qualifier with none other than @davidc .

Best round: -1 (not my best score for the year) at the Snohomish Open but it secured tying the course competitive record & got me my first solo victory in an actual tournament. Ended up beating a few D1 players and some D1 has beens so felt like a legit accomplishment given field strength.

Worst round: Shooting -1 in the first round of the WA State Am and being in the mix, only to then get annihilated by the wind and post an 81 to miss the cut by 1 in the second round was devastating. I can still feel this in my bones. That was a lonely 3 hour drive back home.

Coolest New Hole Played: #2 at Gamble Sands fuqs hard.

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It doesn’t get mentioned often, but I did not lose a match at Gamble Sands that weekend.

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I think you’re in good company. My fav hole on the course. Was fun to tee it up again brother. :+1:

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I dont think you are prepared for how locked in I’m going to be to kick your ass next year.

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Jerry Lawler GIFs | Tenor

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Cool idea @RobbieVogel and @notjustinkaiser. Apologies for the long post in advance. TL;DR it was a very, very good year of golf.

Favorite New (to me) Course: Victoria National was pretty cool, and I had the classic 3 under through 3 “lol heard this course was hard”… BLOW UP. But I’d say favorite course was Arcadia Bluffs. Maybe not the best design, maybe a little manufactured (ok very manufactured). But you know what, for someone who lives in the middle of flat cornfields the dunescape was wild and fun and the views on the cliffs overhanging Lake Michigan were sick. Very, very fun day.

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Underrated Course: same trip, but man Michigan really might just be pretty “Pure”. Pilgrim’s Run was such a cool course. Incredible design (DeVries himself might just be the real answer for most underrated…), immaculate condition. Hole number one is stupid, bad tree placement. And then the 17 other holes are banger after banger. Such a cool setting winding through the woods where each hole feels like it’s own intimate little environment.

Overrated Course: This one is very much an answer for my @ConfluenceGC brethren, but Aberdeen sucks. Stop pretending like it’s the crown jewel of STL public golf. It’s bad.

Best Golf Hang: Got to play golf at my home club with Illini legend and personal childhood hero Dee Brown. They say don’t meet your heroes, but he was probably the coolest and most fun golf hang I’ve ever had period. Constant trash talk, bumping tunes. I shot a smooth 71 that round and afterwards sitting on the patio over drinks he facetimed Deron Williams to tell him that I’m the best golfer Dee’s ever seen and Deron needs to play with me (lol)

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Best Moment: I played briefly in college, quit the game for roughly 5 years with some personal stuff going on, and now I’m at a point in my life where I’ve fallen back in love with the game and am trying to compete in some Am stuff before kids and life get in the way. Well moving back to STL this past year I got involved with an amazing community called the Gimme Golf Club (google it, vibes central and a model that needs replicated all over the country imo). They had their first ever Club Championship this year. I was leading after the first round by one shot over the overwhelming favorite and “best golfer at Gimme”. Going into the second round, I was nervy. Hadn’t been in a position like this since freshman year of college. Well… I chipped in for eagle on the first hole, drained a 20 footer for birdie on 2, and stuck a wedge to 3 feet on 3. It was over. Such a cool day that I’ll never forget.

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Best round: I set goals this year to end the year at a + handicap and to break 70. Check and Check. In another Gimme event I shot 69 (nice), and the real pride in the round is that I got overheated and projectile vomited on hole 15, but still powered through and had tap in pars on 16, 17, and 18. Didn’t win the event, it was a net event. :rage:

Worst round: I don’t think I had any truly bad rounds this year. Not in terms of score, but in terms of enjoyment and mindset, which is a huge win for me and something I’ve been working very hard on. Mental game got out of whack and was one of the reasons I gave up the game for awhile, so it’s nice to truly enjoy the game now.

Coolest New Hole Played: As a long ball hitter and horrible iron/wedge player, I generally very much dislike most par 3’s. So if one sticks with me… that’s when you know it’s a great hole.

#16 at Arcadia Bluffs South Course is epic. It’s a 246 yard par 3 that I believe usually plays downwind (at least it did for us both days). The right half of the green has a flat plateau that feeds up and onto the green and the hole is meant to be run up into obviously. But there’s risk to that shot, as from the middle of the green and left is a HUGE drop off/collection area, truly a chasm it’s wild. Probably 30 feet below the putting surface. The first day I missed just so slightly and ended up way down in the collection area. I had probably a 25 yard shot up a nearly vertical slope 30 feet to the green. I pulled putter (had the chipping yips… tough scene) and knocked it stone dead to tap in range. It was sick. The next day I played it the way it was supposed to be played, though, by hitting the run up area and had a nice look at birdie. Very, very cool hole. Simple, but genius.

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like… dude who almost blew up the Refuge DC?

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I don’t think so? @davidc = DC.

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Secession GC - Yeamans Hall is still 1A, but Secession is 1B. Incredible host, great weather, fun time with @willh and @jtshelley42

Underrated Course: Quixote Club - as good a course as you’ll find in SC, tough greens, great clubhouse, great golf course food

Overrated Course: True Blue - not in the five best strantz courses, and prob not a top 10 public course in SC. 6.5 hour rounds didn’t help.

Best Golf Hang: Really Enjoyed the event at Legends in MB with the Palmetto Golf Society gang! I wish we hadn’t gotten rained out at the Tree Farm.

Best Moment: Playing with the boy @Paden at the GCC Member guest! We had tons of fun and i’d do it again!

Best round: I still haven’t broken 80, but I shot 80 twice in two days, second one was on my birthday. SO close. We’ve done that four times this year.

Worst round: i shot like 90 at the tree farm at the event after shooting 81 there last time. I spiraled hard after that and got real sad :frowning:

Coolest New Hole Played: 17 at secession is the same distance as 17 at sawgrass with a green 1/3 the size. I made birdie*

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thought he was talking about Punchbowl Pack DC lolol

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Wildhorse GC exceeded all of my expectations. I can’t wait to get back to Nebraska.

Underrated Course: I will beat the drum for Kahuku National until the day I die. It’s my favorite golf course in the world. Greens are :pinched_fingers:

Overrated Course: Unfairly played the day after Wildhorse but I was underwhelmed by Colorado GC. A couple cool holes but nothing that blew me away.

Best Golf Hang: The DBL DBL continues to be the classiest event on the NLU adjacent schedule. Big shoutout to @Forty for putting it together. Can’t wait for next year.

Honorable Mention to @notjustinkaiser for dodging me not once but twice this year.

Best Moment: Anytime I get to play with my kids will always be my #1 moment of the year. Had the chance to walk Kahuku with my son earlier this year. He carried his bag the whole way.

Best round: Again I reach out to Nebraska. The 18 I played there was not remarkable golf but I was paired with 2 locals and a complete psycho who drove from Michigan to play it and drove back the same day.

Worst round: Spent 7 hours playing a 8 man scramble at Hoakalei GC. I was tricked by some salesmen who made it sounds like it was a regular tee time.

Coolest New Hole Played: I really enjoyed #5 at Soule Park. Fun par 5 with a great green. Never played it exceptionally well, but it’s the whole that stuck with me after the trip.

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Rangitikei (In New Zealand). Weirdly Craig Perks (2002 Players champions favourite course in the country). Only $23 USD to play and was outstanding.

Underrated Course: Dumbarnie, walks the line incredibly well between challenging but also extremely playable for every handicap level.

Overrated Course: Only courses I just haven’t played enough to truly understand.

Best Golf Hang: Playing the Jubilee with my fiancee and the starter asked if it was okay for a single to join us. Ended up being an retired American who went to Scotland for 3 weeks every year to play golf and his children now reside there. Just loved hearing his positivity for all things Scottish Golf.

Best Moment: Getting engaged on the Swilcan Bridge.

Best round: Having never shot under 80 before breaking 80 at my original home course and then doing this again with 4 birdies (I’m usually lucky to get 1) at my new home course.

Worst round: Shooting 120 at Old Head in a 5 club wind. Made me realise I don’t have those shots in my locker as my Fiancee shot even Par.

Coolest New Hole Played: If it didn’t have a big letter hat associated with it then ‘The Pit’ at North Berwick wins hands down. 3 way tie between 14 at Cruden Bay, 17 at Dumbarnie and 5 at Lahinch

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Favorite New (to me) Course: The Old Course, no need to elaborate.

Underrated Course: Gus Wortham in Houston. Fantastic track and would play every day for $55.

Overrated Course: North Berwick GC. Played 6 courses in Scotland and this is by far the course I think about the least. Some cool holes on the back 9 but all in all was pretty disappointing.

Best Golf Hang: Played a round with my brother and a couple of his friends for his bachelor party at Highland Pines. Drinks were flowing and shockingly the game didn’t vanish. Will remember this round for a long time.

Best Moment: Getting it to -3 through 8 at the Old Course. Won’t forget the feeling of draining a 30 footer to get there (or the massive collapse that followed).

Best round: 73 at Clear Creek Golf Club, a tie of my best score ever.

Worst round: 87 at Golf Club of Houston member’s course. Probably found the hosel more than the middle of the club face this round.

Coolest New Hole Played: A lot of Scotland in this already but the Road Hole at St. Andrews is everything people say about it and more. Honorable mention to 4 at Chambers Bay.

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This guy wins best moment

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Favorite New (to me) Course: Charleston Muni. Pretty awesome to what a municipal course can be and had some awesome views on the back 9 of the river.

Underrated Course: Scarlet Woods in Toronto is my happy place. It is in stark contrast to Charleston as a short par 61 course. You can get around without any woods but every round there is a great time and forces you to lock in to avoid big numbers.

Overrated Course: Woodington Lakes. Good not great course but enters that higher end price for courses.

Best Golf Hang: Played with a friend from high school about four days before he proposed to his girlfriend. One of those days when you take a look at where you are in life and how far you’ve come.

Best Moment: I played a three man Wolf game against two of my friends who are better than me. Closed out a win with an 8ft putt on 18. Also going to Augusta and getting to see the entire production that it is.

Best round: As I high handicapper, every round is a rollercoaster. My best round this year was a 95 at Lakeview. The two groups ahead of me were both first time golfers so it was a try effort in patience and having to snap back to it after long waits on the box or fairway.

Worst round: A true mess start to finish. Friend told us we had booked a tee time, turns out he hadn’t and the course was hosting a shotgun so we couldn’t jump in. Found a place on GolfNow, roll up and its an absolute goat track, basically a mowed field. Course didn’t serve food and I ended up getting dehydrated and shooting a miserable 112.

Coolest New Hole Played: More of a series, but the run of 11,12, & 13 at Charleston was awesome. We were playing with a bit of a setting sun and it was some really cool vibes. Also cool that my buddy hit it to 6 inches on 11, but neither of us could see it into the sun.

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