78. Cold in Boston…TCC in Fabulous Condition… Tommy’s Honour…Next Trip, etc.

Cold in Boston…TCC in Fabulous Condition… Tommy’s Honour…Next Trip, etc.

Have been back in Boston for about two weeks, and to date the average daily high has been 59F…with the highest temp being 66F.  Weather has been far superior in Pinehurst.

Have played just short of 5 rounds since we returned.  The good news is that Brookline is in simply great condition.  Fairways and greens are surprisingly firm/fast given all the rain here recently.

The Tommy’s Honour event at Brookline went extremely well.  The two Executive Producers are simply first class guys and were great speakers.  About 125 members, spouses, and guests attended and all seemed to really enjoy it.  As an added bonus, a group of us went to see the film a couple of days later.  While it was panned by the NYT (which any discerning person should take as a hearty recommendation), it was really very good...and the story itself (which was very well told) is certainly the most compelling in the history of golf and perhaps the most compelling in sports.  I heartily recommend both the book and the movie.

On Monday I shall take a quick five day trip to play 9 courses in the Midwest and surrounds: IL (Flossmoor and Beverly), MI (Lost Dunes), OH (Miami Valley, Moraine, Kenwood, and Camargo), KY (Big Spring), and IN (French Lick—Ross Course).  Assuming all goes as planned, I will play:

·      5 of my missing 17 PGA sites (Flossmoor, French Lick, Moraine, Miami Valley and Big Spring);

·      2 of my missing 18 USA Top 100 Ever courses (Beverly and Lost Dunes);

·      2 of my 5 missing US Amateur sites (Flossmoor and Kenwood); and

·      one course that will be a replay…Camargo…which I played about five years ago and simply loved.

One last point that hit me this past week, especially after Tommy’s Honour.  Over the past 62 years, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting literally thousands of club pros and other golf staffers…head pros, teaching pros, assistant pros, interns, starters, caddy masters, caddies, head greens keepers, greens keepers, and other golf staffers…at private clubs, resorts, etc.  I say honor and privilege because almost universally they are incredibly fun, bright, caring, good, honest, fair people, who make the game better for all of us who play it.  Given the amount I have written about the game on this blog, I thought it was important to make this point.  The game is simply much much better because of these folks and we should thank them more than most of us do!