1004. Rest of Trip--China, S Africa, Ireland
Email 5/16/2014:What the hell is going on here? Is there a top 100 golf course in Ethiopia? Who amongst you folks has played it or will I be the first?
Absolutely crazy day. Played Shanqin Bay, on Hainan Island about 250 miles southwest of Hong Kong...looks like an appendix on the belly of China. I will be brief about the round. Fabulous 2 year old Coore Crenshaw track on an fascinating piece of land. Was the only player on the course today and have a sense that means it was a crowded day. About 2200 rounds/year. Not as good as Sandhills and don't think as good as Friar's Head, but otherwise may just be best C-C design i've seen.
Left at 1:30pm to catch a 4:40 flight...plenty of time. Taken there by driver and "shadow" provided by SB. To try to be brief, as we boarded this flight in Haikou a set of thunderstorms came rolling in and we sat on the tarmac for about 2+ hours waiting first for the weather to clear and then for the inevitable air traffic control overload to clear. No way to catch my Singapore Air flight out of Hong Kong (as i need to go thru customs/immigration and then re-check my luggage) unless it is seriously delayed, South African Air and Cathay Pacific have flights that leave later that would work, but best i can tell from phone calls/web inquiries from plane is that SAA is overbooked and CP is available but big $$$ as it is not in my round the world alliance. Also, handicapped in trying to resolve this by two issues...the cellular connection was very very slow, and my phone battery was running low.
We land at HKG around around 8:00pm (Singapore Air was just leaving), and by the time I get my luggage and get to ticket counters CP says they are fully booked as is SAA. So I sit down calmly (as I know how) and do some research....and find a flight on Ethiopian Airlines (ET) to Johannesburg and Durban (connecting thru Addis Ababa). Cost is alot less than CP. So i go to investigate (given the size of the HK airport, "go" is quicker said than done). As I explain the situation a supervisor hears by tales of woe and allows that ET is a member of my round the world alliance so the flight switch will be free for me. Gets me to Durban 6 hours later but since I am not playing till Sunday morning it works. Sooo, the journey continues, just as all hope seemed lost. I had almost thrown in the towel but remembered back to the brilliant rallying speech uttered by John Bellushi in "Animal House" and that provided the inspiration to find a way.
Anyhow, I am booked and will be visiting Ethiopia for the first time even if just briefly. Searching the web has not yielded a Top 100 there, but if one of you knows of one, let me know, perhaps I can get in a quick 9 between flights. The flight from HKG to ADD will be about an hour late so should be OK..and you better hope so also, or you'll be subject to another of these emails from me. Door to door this will be a 31+ hour journey. I is nuts!!
Got other things to do now...but w Shanqin Bay, that put me at 98 of the magical 100 with my last two scheduled for Sunday (Durban) and Monday (European Club south of Dublin).
Email 5/18/2014:
Thought you might want to know I played a course named Durban CC in Durban, South Africa today. After the round, noticed they had a sign saying it was rated one of the 100 Top Courses Worldwide. Amazing. In any case, a guy I met there said if I liked it, I should try The European Club about 50 miles south of Dublin. So I decided to fly up there and play it tomorrow. Got myself a tee time at 2:00pm.
Mentioned this to someone else, and he said the European Club is also in the worldwide top 100...beginning to wonder what courses are not. Will let you know how tomorrow goes...
Email 5/19/2014:
Am almost 3 hours into a 10:40pm flight from Joburg to Zurich (connecting there to Dublin) and just woke from one of the best 2 hour 30 minute "power naps" of my life! Feels great, but wiill need more sleep later for that to last! This latest chapter is intended to catch-up on my delinquent course reporting, with comments and pics from Naruo (Japan), Nine Bridges (South Korea), Shanqin Bay (China), and Durban (South Africa). Doubt I will do all four before I get to Ireland but let's see how far I do get.
(skip writeups of Naruo and Nine Bridges that were included in Post #1003)
It is now 5:30am European time on Monday. We land in Zurich in 40 minutes. This has been the best flight on this journey by far. Wonderful staff on board and lie flat beds make all the difference. Swiss Air has always been a fabulous airline...even better than Ethiopian Airlines. Since I missed my Singapore Airline legs from Hong Kong to Johannesburg, Swiss Air wins the best airline award for this trip...walking down the last fairway with a 10 stroke lead (with no fears of being overtaken by US Air tomorrow). Got a good 5-6 hours sleep, and partially caught up with you guys. Have a 2:50 layover at Zurich then Swiss Air to Dublin. Hoping for decent weather, but who knows with Ireland and weather. Will try to at least get Shanqin Bay done before arriving at The European Club.
Keep smiling...the good news is that these journals will be over in a couple of days and your email inbox will quiet down (till my next trip....)
2nd Email 5/19/2014:
Current time (May 19)
Good to get the feet back on land after we disembarked. The "path" we took brought us along a long passage way with big glass windows to our right. We were on the ground floor of the terminal building and parked planes were to our right. Not often you look up at a big jetliner from the ground. They are really big. Brought back memories of TWA flight to UK in Sept 1970 which was the first time I flew a 747...and with no jetways in those days (and certainly none built to accommodate a 747) you walked up to the plane, looking up at it in awe, wondering how the hell this thing was going to get off the ground. Thank you Mr. Bernoulli (spell?).
Now, back to trip progress as of Thursday night:
Arrival Hainan Island, China, Thursday May 15
Arrived at Haikou about 30 minutes late. Got off plane and thought I had stepped into a steam bath (the passageway was not enclosed). I was in Southeast Asia..the tropics. Go to a map of China and you will see Hainan Island about 250 miles southwest of Hong Kong and you will see an island that juts out of China's "belly" looking almost like an appendix. Haikou is at the north end of the island and Shanqin Bay is along its east coast...about half way down the coast. After I mentioned Hainan Island in an earlier email I received a response from a friend in Pinehurst who stated:
Hainan Island, of course, is in the Gulf of Tonkin. The last time I was there I didn’t have a smile on my face. I’d trade the “golf of Tonkin” for the “gulf of Tonkin” any day.
Certainly an interesting perspective. As a side note I also received emails from three friends who had been to Ethiopia, two of whom had played golf there (and named the best course in the country). Add my "forbidden" comment above...but remember the region of the world we are talking about. Also true regarding the flight path of the Hong Kong to Ethiopia flight 2-3 night ago...flying close to Yemen, Somalia, et al. Have traveled to some currently dangerous parts of the world as well as some historically important ones. I never thought about that when planning this journey.
OK, I heard you...back to trip.
Got thru immigration and customs and saw a woman in her early 20's carrying a "Paul Rudovsky" sign. Now I need to backtrack. I had heard that Shanqin Bay uses a "shadow" system. When I was advised that I would be able to play SB by Joey Garon, SB's GM, he added that I would be assigned a "shadow", Summer Chen, who would take care of my transportation and hotel requirements, tee time etc etc etc. From later email correspondence with Summer, I knew that Summer and a driver would pick me up at Haikou Airport. I had assumed Summer was a man, and when I saw the woman with the sign, wondered why they used a female driver. Of course, that was Summer, who is one of two "shadows". She has been working at SB since graduating from college and simply loves her job. We traded stories about other visitors to SB who she "shadowed" and who i knew. Once again, golf is a very small world. Drive to hotel took 90 minutes. A new airport is under construction (expected to open late '15 or early '16) about 15 minutes from SB which will obviously make it far more accessible. The hotel was spectacular and part of a large convention center. My room was superb (and would have been even better if I could have figured out all the lighting controls). Got to bed late after some more repacking...as Friday afternoon would start a very long trip to Durban including 4 flights. Tee off was set for 8am so I planned to arrive at SB no later than 7:30 (pick up by driver and shadow at 7am) and set the alarm for 5:30.
Citic Shanqin Bay Golf Club, Friday May 16
Was picked up Friday morning by driver and Joey Garon (GM serving as substitute shadow). The car took us directly to the driving range, which, with the possible exception of Augusta National's new one (utilized only during the Masters or when Masters invitees are there playing a practice round), it the most astounding range I have ever seen. Must be at least 350 yard deep and 250 yards wide. Tee area has space for dozens and dozens of players simultaneously...and remember, this club had 2,000 rounds played in 2013. The teeing area had flat areas, and sloped areas so that you could practice virtually any shot from any lie or stance. Interestingly, i was playing from mats (didn't inquire why) which were perfect and covered to shield the sun. There wasn't a divot in sight.
After hitting balls for about 10-15 minutes, we drove over to the clubhouse and course itself. There must have been at least 50 clubhouse staffers ready to take care of me (remember..I am the only guest or member playing today). Summer was there as was the other "Shadow", Vicki. The clubhouse is very modern, large but not gigantic, and very comfortable. It sit on top of a hill overlooking the course, the South China Sea, and a large "bay" known, understandably, as Shanqin Bay...which looked a little bit like Santa Cruz Bay between Monterey, CA and Santa Cruz, CA. The view is awesome, and the land moves in every direction. And the holes are clearly reflect a strategic design (wide fairways with many options..but you really do need to hit the correct side of the fairway to have a decent shot into a green) as opposed to a penal design. Certainly not at all surprising with Bill Coore the architect (Ben Crenshaw does his best to avoid arduous overseas travel, so here at SB, he made only one trip compared with dozens by Bill Coore). I am now really excited about playing it, and I go to the first tee, with at least 20 staffers looking on and proceed to pull two straight drives into heavy heavy bushed left. No gun handy, i proceed with a weak smile and say no thanks to Joey's suggestion to hit a third (Joey decided to watch me play the whole round). At least they didn't boot me off the course. We couldn't find either so I just dropped another and proceeded to hit a fine 3 wood to about 20' from the pin. This is a stupid game!!
Side note...as I look out the window (on the Zurich-Dublin flight), we are flying over the beaches of Normandy. Pat and i were here celebrating out 5th anniversary literally one year and one week ago, loved the sights, and were emotionally overwhelmed by our tour of the beaches, cemeteries, and towns where important battles were fought almost 70 years ago. Another example of important places this journey has taken me to or over. And, my dearest Pat (aka Mulli), i cannot wait to see you in about a day and a half.
My caddie, of course was a young woman, named Cee-Cee, who came here from Shanghai 2 years ago. She drove a cart, following me around, and I alternately walked or rode in the cart. Joey, who runs regularly and is in great shape, walked the whole way (this is a tough course to walk!) in almost 90 degree heat (and about the same humidity), wearing a suit (but no tie). It was soaked by the end of the round. Turns out Joey and I have several mutual acquaintances from Joey's days at PGA West and Doral. It was great talking with Joey about SB's short history and some of the design decisions and challenges face by Coore. The club is owned either by the Chairman of Citic (a very large conglomerate in China with huge real estate development projects) or Citic itself.
Back to the course. First of all, it is in absolutely perfect condition. Hardly a divot anyplace, fast and firm (but could have been a little more so) and stunning ambiance. Literally every hole offers a view of the sea. There simply are no weak holes. There certainly are no flat holes. It is critical to consider the flow of the land when playing every single shot. We faced a wind of about 8-10 mph when we teed off which strengthen to about 15 mph by the end of the round. Enough to make it interesting; I would guess that this place would require one's best game in 20+ mph winds. There is a stone wall running through the property. Turns out, this land included a Chinese military base used during the Vietnam war and was abandoned later. The wall was built some 60 years ago and Bill Coore consciously worked to keep the wall on the property...it not only does not negatively affect play, but it adds some history to the site and helps define several holes (you will see it in some pics below).
We are coming in for a landing at Dublin Airport...so will try to get back to this tonight!!
Shanqin Bay (con't)
I was writing about Shanqin Bay (SB) as I was flying into Dublin 8 days ago, saying would try to get back to this that night. In case you didn't notice, that did not happen. Another mark on my overflowing permanent record card!!
OK, SB was completed about 2 1/2 years ago and was much anticipated. As Ben Crenshaw rarely travels overseas, the leadership for this track came primarily from Bill Coore, who spent more than 125 days at the property from initial evaluation thru completion (Ben made one visit). One of C-C's design associates, James Duncan, helped me secure access to SB, and Pat and I had the pleasure of playing Monterey Peninsula CC (Shore) w James back in February. He is a first class guy with a wonderful sense of golf architecture, tradition, and history. James spend much time on Hainan Island and I am sure is very proud of what he helped build. He is also the creator of "James Town" a half way (part way?) house that preserved and renovated an old farm house near the 5th hole. He currently is working on a development just north of Napa, intended to operate as North Berwick and The Old Course operate in Scotland. I will tell you that if I lived near the west coast (and if I hadn't stopped drinking almost 20 years ago) I would for sure have invested in this project ("Brambles"). Of course, if I hadn't stopped drinking...(that is another topic not for now).
In my mind, there are no weak holes at SB. The best in my mind were:
#4---428 yd par 4 turns right , uphill off tee, then down to green. love the flow of the hole as it uses the land as it was...C-C does not move much dirt...they discover courses rather than build them. Valley about 280 off tee that falls off to right must be carefully negotiated and do not go over or to right of green (which is tough since fairway slopes left to right, tending to push your second shot...third in my case...to right)
#5--wonderful 402 yd with very very wide fairway and lake on left. But fairway ends about 120 yds out on right, do if you want to try to overpower hole and leave short second to TOUGH green, you must flirt w water. Last 120 yards are uphill and then down to green which slopes front to back (and somehow in a mere 402 yds the fairway turns right to left then left to right)...and potentially down to beach!! From fairway, player can barely see top of flag so 2nd shot is blind and somewhat terrifying when one knows what they are facing (remember that Scottish phrase "A hole is only blind once"...as a first time played I was happy to be dumb and blind). This summer they plan to tame the fall off behind the green to keep most long shots from reaching the beach. I agree. So much going on here and it fits together perfectly...but you might not think so if you go long.
#6--tough 446 par 4 with carry over water off tee, and the lake then extending along left side of fairway (think 18 at TPC Sawgrass with tee 75 yards left of actual position)...which makes it a Cape Hole and a very good, very tough one.
#8--too good to describe adequately this is a 150 yard slightly downhill par 3, over a ravine with nothing much but sand dunes between tee and green, and a tough back right pin position over a mid sized dune (which is where they stuck the pin that day)...played into the wind and i hit a career 6 iron to about 15' but missed the bird. Green moves every which way but is good sized (must be given exposure to wind) but nicely divided by ridges. (pic)
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| Par 3 8th at SB |
#9---uphill shortish 358 yd par 4 with perfectly placed fairway bunkers forcing player to think hard about how to play (driver or layup) and to be careful even of playing safe. Green sits on crest of hill, with bail out zone right, and deep bunker left (green slopes right to left...so bailout leaves tricky chip to pin).
#10---very good par 5...wanted to show you how "wall" is utilized to right of green as part of hole...in this case to right of deep right greenside bunker (and this picture had nothing to do with my escape from this bunker to about 4' to tight rightside pin...yes you SOB's, I did miss the putt!!). pic
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| Bunker along right side of green at par 4 10th at SB |
#13---heroic par 5 at 647 yards, slightly uphill. I played from 633 yards, hit real good drive and 2 3 woods leaving me high left in 3. Shows that either (a) I ain't so old, (b) the wind had picked up considerably, (c) course plays firm and fast as it should, or (d) some combo, probably of (c) and (d). Wonderfully placed fairway bunkers require real thought on drive and second shot.
Now it gets really good....
#14--a perfectly framed uphill par 3 of 140 yards...do not drift right. see pic...dumped it in bunker front left..not a picnic there either...green slopes left to right
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| Uphill par 3 14th at SB |
#15--best hole on track....462 yard par 4, downhill off tee, then uphill to green. Hole turns left to right and fairway slopes heavily that way, so aim left to bring a strong draw. Fairway bunkers to right are not fun. Hit off back tee over stone wall. Green feels like it is about to fall off cliff to right. Everything to right trundles sharply to sea thru overgrowth. That is clubhouse left of green in pic. Hit great wedge in and sunk putt for par
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| Par 4 15th at SB---oh what a setting!! |
#17--361 yard par 4 and the picture says it all. perfect green setting that in some ways reminds me a little of #17 at Diamante. Yes, the beach is in play, and no i did not hit it there. Hit fairway and green and got my par.
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| Par 4 17th at SB along beach---sadly this hole NLE...fairway planted with sapling trees a couple of years ago!! Plans for new #17 unclear. |
#18---short par 4 of 309 yards...played into strengthening wind (see quiz on hole 13 description). Very drivable (30 years ago...but may have hit the clubhouse) and excellent risk/reward trade-off. Unusual to have short par 4 to finish but how bad is Olympic? Tee shot over wall again. Hit fairway, put second to 10' and got me birdie. Happy guy...and in love w this course.
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| Sort pat 4 18th at SB--clubhouse at upper right |
Yes this is a very new course. But because of how it flows with and fits so well into the natural land, it feels like it had been here for decades. Very very special. Very simply, superb. Fun, exciting, fascinating, challenging, and then some. Didn't ask the initiation fee.
Showered, had a wonderful lunch with Joey and Summer, bought a shirt for Pat (and me), and headed to airport, noticing some dark clouds coming in... Goodbye to my new best friend and shadow, Summer, and on to South Africa...but you have already heard about that trip.
Oh...i didn't even describe #16 but this is a photo that was taken from the tee, early in the morning about 3 months ago...those are squid boats on the horizon, and it is obvious that I was not the photographer:
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| Not by moi...from 16th tee. footnote, I eagled this par 4 on return trip in April 2016 |
3rd Email 5/19/2014:
Top 100 completed today at approximately 6:25pm Ireland time at The European Club. It has been an overwhelming day. A friend of ours, John Cornish of Melbourne Australia had recommended a tour service owned by a friend of his in Ireland to provide a car to take me from the Dublin Airport to The European Club today. So I arrived at DUB this morning around 11am and after getting my checked luggage and clearing customs, I looked for the driver with a sign with my name. I saw a "Rudo" sign, then looked at the driver and it was John Cornish.
John and Pat have been planning this surprise (behind my back of course) for three months. What a wonderful greeting...I was blown away. John and his bride to be Kay are getting married this Friday in Manchester, England and have been over here from Australia for about a week. Unfortunately, Pat and I cannot attend the wedding Friday because of family obligations in Boston this weekend.
John, his friend Eamonn Kennelly (www.golfvacationsireland.com), and I then drove down to The European Club, arriving around 12:45. The owner and creator of The European Club, Pat Ruddy was there to greet us. He said a member of the irish golfing press would be there later in the afternoon and wanted to interview me, and that Larry Lambrecht, one of the great golf photographers in the world was in Ireland and was planning to come by also (I had met Larry about 15 months ago at Streamsong Resort in Florida). Anyhow, John, Eamonn and I went off to play The European Club just after 2pm. With cameras clicking away, I two putted 18 and the deed was done!! Pat Ruddy and his family (who both own and operate this wonderful facility) had a cake made up with 100 candles (very appropriate as I feel like I am about 100 years old right now). I had my press interview, picture taken cutting the cake...it was to put it simply, really neat. And on top of that, Pat Ruddy offered me an Honorary Membership here at The European Club!!! I was so honored and immediately accepted. What a wonderful man he is, as are his son and daughter who help him run this place. True entrepreneurs.
I gather others helped in planning this event...and I thank you profusely (you know who you are)...emails and calls to come.
In the meantime, the adrenaline rush stopped on the drive back to the airport, and I am now exhausted. So excuse me for late replies and thanks for your support!!
I also will send out a partial write-up I did this morning after arriving in Zurich and taking the flight here.
Email 5/27/2014 (con't):
Durban CC
I arrived at Durban Airport around 4pm, about 5-6 hours later than planned but since my game is tomorrow morning (Sunday), no problem. Drove to hotel and took nap as I was totally exhausted...and excited at the same time. Now really at home stretch and weather forecast for tomorrow is good. Am playing about 7:15am. Woke from nap around 9pm, had dinner in hotel and back to sleep.
Woke very early...repacked for flights this evening (Durban-JoBurg-Zurich-Dublin) had breakfast in hotel and off to Durban CC. There was a walking race near the club and the highway exit recommended by Google Maps was closed and the police officer wouldn't let me use it...got lost, had mild panic, but with the skills of Lewis and Clark, found the club and arrived around 6:40. Went off as a single at 7:15 and was joined by a petroleum engineer on the third hole. Absolutely loved the first 3-4 holes at Durban. The land is wonderful...filled with natural mounds,, not a flat lie anyplace, and there is an absolute need to think about where to place your shots. Great golf holes with exceptional bunkering and some great views of downtown (behind you as you play #1) and the Indian Ocean (about 150 yards to the right). See these pictures (the one of me at the first tee at 7:07am shows me in my Kissena Park hat):
Problem is, from about 5-15 course is fairly flat (with one or two exceptions, most notably #12 a superb par 3 with a "volcano" green), and doesn't get real interesting till it returns to the "tumultuous land" near the clubhouse on 16-18. But, as noted by Bob McCoy, it is the only Top 100 course where monkeys come out to play (the ones pictured below live near the 18th tee):
Finally, standing with 99 of 100...here I am with my caddy, Bethwel, on the 18th:
Truth be known , this is the penultimate course on my trip and quest, and i am losing powers of concentration. Am anxious to move on to Ireland.
Trip North to Ireland
Easy flights and really great service on Swiss Air. Smooth transfers in JoBurg and Zurich. Lie flat seats on JoBurg-Zurich flight save the day. I have related the story of getting out of Customs at Durbin airport and finding my good buddy John Cornish awaiting me with a big "Rudo" sign. That was so very special. John married his new bride Kay on Friday May 23, just outside Manchester England. Pat and I are so happy for them...
The European Club
Truly a unique experience. Conceived, built, owned, etc etc by Pat Ruddy...a classic entrepreneur. Pat's family runs the place and he hopes and expects that it will be around for generations to come. Pat can talk forever and loves life like few others. I shall always be honored to be part of this very special place. As an Honorary Member, it would clearly be inappropriate for me to comment on the course. So I will forgo such comments, which allows me to get to bed tonight!!
However, I will share these photographs that Larry Lambecht forwarded to me of that special afternoon. And that leaves just one more email to go...summary/wrap-up and future plans/bucket lists. My two index fingers will enjoy the rest.
From left to right: Dermot Gilleece, Pat Ruddy, John Cornish, Paul Rudovsky.
Email 5/25/2014:
See the following link to an article by Dermot Gilleece that appeared today in the Irish Independent. Pat Ruddy, the founder, creator, and owner of The European Club invited Dermot to come out for an interview last Monday.
We are back in Boston. I hope to finish up my reports on the trip this week.
Best from The "Journeyman"
Paul
PS-- Golf World wrote an article about trip for their June 2, 2014 edition but the PDF will not load to my blog. If anyone wants a copy...let me know and I will forward it.
Email 5/29/2014:
random odd thoughts--
--Ethiopian Air--three 787's on ground in Addis Ababa, but no paper towels...kleenex in both dispensers on both flight
--book censorship in China regarding golf books ("Greatest Game..." and "The Match")
--new mileage and total time info
--33+ hrs from SB to hotel here...now will be estimate of 24:45
---now that i'm out of town and pat's back in pinehurst, she's invited out about every night. doen't happen w us when we are both there. wonder what that means?
--caught up w 24
clinky golf cups in japan and korea
warm toilet seats but nio wifi in rooms
scores
CO GC 88
Wild Horse 79
Broadmoor W 83
Capilano 85
Tokyo NA
Kasumigaseki 80
Kawana 79
Phoenix 93
Hirono 87
Naruo 87
Nine Bridges 84
Shanqin Bay 83
Durban 86
Euro Club 86
scares threatening trip completion:
--IOC at Kasum 5/10
--lost golf clubs Haneda 5/8
--exhausted at Tokyo GC
--thunderstorm at Kasum
--rain at Phoenix
--fog at 9 bridges
--2 pull hooks 1st tee SB--throw me off?
--thunderstorm at HAK---bouncing around HKG
--getting lost on way to DCC
--last few holes with the press at European Clun
weather bullets
--t storm and winds Kasum
--rain day before 9 bridges
--phoenix
--t storm later at SB
--rain 10 min after done at EC
future-
--2 us bucket lists (8 to go, including forest dunes end june)
--all GM ww 100 in history (14 to go)
--GD WW 10 to go
--GM USA top 100 ever (17 to go)
--GD USA top 100 ever (54 to go)
--a few more USA top 100's
--US Open EVER venues
--Ethiopian Air--three 787's on ground in Addis Ababa, but no paper towels...kleenex in both dispensers on both flight
--book censorship in China regarding golf books ("Greatest Game..." and "The Match")
--new mileage and total time info
--33+ hrs from SB to hotel here...now will be estimate of 24:45
---now that i'm out of town and pat's back in pinehurst, she's invited out about every night. doen't happen w us when we are both there. wonder what that means?
--caught up w 24
clinky golf cups in japan and korea
warm toilet seats but nio wifi in rooms
scores
CO GC 88
Wild Horse 79
Broadmoor W 83
Capilano 85
Tokyo NA
Kasumigaseki 80
Kawana 79
Phoenix 93
Hirono 87
Naruo 87
Nine Bridges 84
Shanqin Bay 83
Durban 86
Euro Club 86
scares threatening trip completion:
--IOC at Kasum 5/10
--lost golf clubs Haneda 5/8
--exhausted at Tokyo GC
--thunderstorm at Kasum
--rain at Phoenix
--fog at 9 bridges
--2 pull hooks 1st tee SB--throw me off?
--thunderstorm at HAK---bouncing around HKG
--getting lost on way to DCC
--last few holes with the press at European Clun
weather bullets
--t storm and winds Kasum
--rain day before 9 bridges
--phoenix
--t storm later at SB
--rain 10 min after done at EC
future-
--2 us bucket lists (8 to go, including forest dunes end june)
--all GM ww 100 in history (14 to go)
--GD WW 10 to go
--GM USA top 100 ever (17 to go)
--GD USA top 100 ever (54 to go)
--a few more USA top 100's
--US Open EVER venues
3rd Email 5/29/2014:
Folks--
Promise, this is my last email regarding the Round the World Trip. This is intended as a short wrap-up and to outline future plans and bucket lists.
But first, not sure all of you read my long email yesterday about Shanqin Bay to its conclusion. If not, you missed a stupendous picture:
Now, back to the main purpose of this email:
Overall
As I look back at the itinerary, I was very very lucky. There was little or no give in the schedule, and with 17 flights, 14 rounds, 7 countries, etc., the chances of a major disruption caused by bad weather, lost luggage, flight cancellations, or flight delays was probably in the 80+% range...yet somehow it happened. I did a pretty good job of planning the trip but have to admit that I was big time dumb for trying to schedule a trip this tightly, and big time lucky that it happened on schedule. I have so many folks to thank...and if I thank many of them publicly, they might get inundated with requests to play their course. So let me leave my public thanks to the following:
--John Cornish, for coming over to Ireland from England to join me at #100...that was so very special;
--Pat Ruddy, the indefatigable entrepreneur who created The European Club, my #100, and hosted the wonderful closing event on May 19, not to mention conveying the deeply appreciated Honorary Membership;
--Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and Golf Week for creating these Top 100 lists and providing an activity to keep nuts like me off "the streets"; and
--most of all, my bride, Pat, who has been incredibly supportive of this trip, and more importantly supportive of me during these past 8 years...she is simply The Best!!
Courses/Clubs
A number of you have asked how I would rate these 14 courses. Obviously, I have courses I love and courses that are on the other side of the scale. It is important to note that those designs "on the other side of the scale" are still wonderful courses...but the scale we are dealing with here is pretty tough company...whether a course belongs in the Worldwide or USA Top 100. Sort of like a PGA tour player who doesn't make the cut...there ain't a single one of us who wouldn't take their game on bad days rather than our own games. That is important to keep this is mind. That said, I would offer the following thoughts...but please note, as an Honorary Member of The European Club, I am excluding it from these evaluations (all listed in order of play):
--Biggest Positive Surprises...Capilano (Canada), Kawana and Naruo (Japan)
--Best Clubs...Capilano, Hirono (Japan)
--Best Public/Resort Courses...Wild Horse (USA), Kawana
--Most Scenic/Spectacular...Colorado GC (USA), Capilano, Kawana, Nine Bridges (S Korea), Shanqin Bay (China)
--Best Design...Kawana, Hirono, Shanqin Bay
--Best Condition...Tokyo GC (Japan), Kasumigaseki-East (Japan), Hirono, Shanqin Bay
--Best Overall on trip...Shanqin Bay
--Best Golf Course in the World...Cypress Point (no change!)
A couple of you have said you thought my opinion of courses was influenced too much by how well I played. Hopefully, I (and all course raters) make real efforts to not have that influence our ratings. In fact, in terms of scores (all "for handicap" purposes), my 83 at SB was tied for 4th among the 13 rounds where I kept score (I really was so hit by jet lag at Tokyo GC that I gave up on scoring), and my scores at Hirono, Naruo, and Colorado GC were among my worst.
More importantly, I believe the relationship between quality of play and one's like/dislike of a design is a classic "chicken and egg" question. I find that when I don't like a course, I often do not play well, and when I love a design, the adrenaline flows and I will often play well. So who knows what causes what.
Time Spent, etc Statistics
Most of you know I love numbers and keeping track of things. So here goes, updated for Ethiopian flights:
--Total length of Trip: 16 days 11 hours 19 minutes
--Scheduled miles flown (17 flights): 28,328 miles
--Scheduled Time from Departure to Arrival (excluding delays): 2 days 19 hours 35 minutes
--Actual time traveling (flights, trains, cars, etc): 6 days 16 hours 42 minutes
--Time playing golf: 2 days 6 hours 12 minutes (14 rounds plus 2 holes..European Club has 20 holes)..average round 3 hours 50.5 minutes
--Time at Golf Clubs (including meals, Showers, Japanese baths, etc): 3 days 9 hours 19 minutes
--Time spend writing these emails (remember...hunt and peck method)...too much
--Time spend by you reading these emails...way way too much
Other Surprises Not Previously Mentioned/Important Other Notes
Not in any order:
--At Addis Ababa Airport, Ethiopia, saw three Ethiopian Airline 787's on the tarmac..would would have thunk that!
--My Shadow at SB, Summer Chen, loves to read about golf...so I send her 3 iBooks: The Match, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and Tommy's Honor. Because of China's censorship, she could not download these subversive publications
--Every toilet seat I saw in Japan (no I didn't count them) included warmer and "spritzer"...yet 3 of 4 hotel rooms did not have WiFi
--I caught up with "24"
--with exception of 30 minute thunderstorm at Kasumigaseki, and back nine at Phoenix, really no precipitation while playing
Future Plans
--Win the Forbes Invitational at The Country Club this weekend with my partner and our "Outlaw", Peter Harris
--Enjoy Boston his summer with da Bride and Munchkins (G-kids), get a little more rest (but actually feel fine now...based on the "day per time zone" rule, should be normal now, at least as normal as I can be), then
--Finish my USA Bucket Lists...every top 100 on current Top 100 for all three magazines, and every Top 50 ever for all three magazines...8 left (out of 201)
--Play every course that has ever been on Golf Magazine's Worldwide Top 100...14 left (out of 190 ever)
--get back to my nasty political comments!!!
Have a great summer...you are a terrific audience...your messages helped to keep me going, so THANK YOU.
Travel Case For Golf Clubreview
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