Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Hardest Course to Get On

My learned readers have spoken and agree that Augusta National is the hardest course in the United States to get on because you have to play with member and only fifteen or so live locally. Also, a member can only have three guests on the property at one time. For added difficulty, take a look at the list of members, half are CEOs or ex-CEOs and it's not particularly easy to wiggle an invite from the likes of Warren Buffett, Bill Gates or Lou Gerstner, Jr. 61% voted Augusta National as the most difficult course to get on.

I'm still trying to get on Augusta and have two leads I am pursuing. A friend recently played and send me a long email about the experience, which sounds better everytime I hear a new story. "My bed in the Berckman's Cabin was merely a place to lay down, the ability to sleep was impossible," pretty much sums up the experience.

Cypress Point came in as the second most difficult at 15%. Again, a small membership of 250 members, only 75 of whom live locally. Chicago Golf Club came in third at 8%, because there are only 125 total members. Fishers Island came in 4th at 7%, Seminole at 4% and Shinnecock at 1%. Let's keep the list in perspective, though, all six courses are exceedingly difficult to get access to.

Thank you for all those that took the time to vote. A new poll question regarding the best architect of all time has just been launched.


My next post is my ever popular year and review with reader comments, followed by Camargo.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

The World's Top 100 Photo Montage

The winter months always present a challenge to post new write-ups. Over the next couple of months we will present our year end review and some other interesting posts that will no doubt dazzle my readers. The year end review is always one of my favorites because I recount reader comments from throughout the year. I have a trip planned to Australia in March so the spring and summer should be filled with a rich line-up of new course postings.

At great sacrifice to my family and work I have been traveling the world in the service of my faithful readers to report back my view of the top golf courses in the world. I've been toting my digital camera for the last four and have accumulated a nice collection of photos from the far corners of the earth. Here for your viewing pleasure, I have assembled my own favorites together in one place. Alfred Hitchcock has also inspired me to insert a cameo appearance in one of the photos.

Like the lovely lass in Seinfeld, there have been no touch-ups. All my pictures are real and they're spectacular. Enjoy!

CP 15th-2

Cypress Point's par three 15th hole

Cypress 3rd Green

Cypress Point's par three 3rd green

CP 17th hole

Cypress Point's 17th along Monterey Bay

Val 2

The approach to Valderrama's second with the ubiquitous cork trees

LL 5th-1

The beauty of Loch Lomond's par three fifth hole

Rossdhu

Rossdhu House, Loch Lomond's world beating clubhouse

DSCF0787

The par three 14th at Crystal Downs in Michigan

Maidstone

Maidstone's par three fourteenth along the Atlantic Ocean

Myopia #9

The 9th hole at Myopia Hunt Club, Massachusetts on a fall day

6th racecourse

Sweeping the dew at Somerset Hills 6th hole, site of a former race track

15th hole

The view from the elevated tee on the 15th at Friar's Head, New York

DSCF1371

Inside the clubhouse at The National Golf Links of America, New York

Sebonack 11th green

Sebonack's 11th hole at dusk, Southampton, New York

yhdrive

The exciting Entry drive at Yeamans Halls, Charleston, South Carolina

DSCF2418

Seminole's pink clubhouse, Juno Beach, Florida

DSCF2145

Sunrise at Cabo del Sol, Mexico

cds#6-2

The desert meets the ocean at the 6th, Cabo del Sol, Mexico

horseshoe3

The "horseshoe" third green at Yeamans Hall, South Carolina

11 short
The 11th, "Short" hole at Camargo Club, Cincinatti

approach to morfontaine

The mystical approach to Morfontaine, north of Paris


# 4 valliere

The wild par three 4th hole at Morfontaine's Valliere Course, France


Chantilly 17

The magical par three 17th hole at Chantilly, France

third hole

Durban's 3rd hole routed through the bush, South Africa

17-5

Durban's 17th hole with wild-undulating fairway, South Africa

N1 fairway

The narrow first tee shot at Naruo, near Kobe, Japan

Naruo tram

The automatic traction system that shuttles clubs around Naruo, Japan

H14 fwy

The massively sloping 14th fairway at Japan's Hirono Golf Club

k17-2

The mist lifting on the 17th hole at Kawana Golf Club, Japan
k15-2

The world-class par five 15th hole at Kawana, Japan

Prairie Dunes 8th

The uphill dog-leg, wavy fairway on the 8th hole, Prairie Dunes, Kansas