Boys, Golf Digest just came out with its issue of Best 100 Private Courses and Best 100 Public Courses for this year. I looked over the list closely and came up with a few ideas on which venues we should pursue. Of course, we need help with some of the private courses….we have seen recently the problem with Birmingham CC and the need for members to play with us. We didn’t have that situation at Old Overton, Oakland Hills, Oakmont or So. Hills, but that’s because we had friends at high places. ( or bros in high places )

MARYLAND….Congressional ( #77 ) Blue is the key to playing there, with Caves Valley, Baltimore CC, Bulles Rock, Burning Tree and Congressional Gold as the other possibilities. Let’s put Snooter in charge of Maryland and see if we can get to play Congressional Blue and the others.

CALIFORNIFICATION…Olympic ( #27 ), Preserve ( # 68 ) and Monterrey Penin. ( #79 ) are the plums. Joe Hodge never got the responses we needed. Let’s put Duke in charge and maybe contact Gil to see if he has any leverage.

MICHIGAN….Forest Dunes was listed as # 99 in the Private 100 list…a pleasant surprise Neck. And we have played #12 Crystal Downs, #24 Oakland Hills, #49 Arcadia Bluffs on the private list AND #44 Black Lake, # 66 Bay Harbor and #81 Grand Traverse ( Bear ) on the Public list. But wait, there are more we havent played…….#33 True North, #36 Tullymore, #53 Eagle Eye, #69 Elk Ridge and # 88 Lakewood Shores. Let’s place Neck in charge to see if we can play those NEW courses, of course depending on logistics. Are these courses north or south? Then, we have Belvedere etc.in the north as well.

The WDI has played a bunch of both the 100 Private and Public Courses….of interest per their rankings, first on the Private 100 are: Oakmont #4; Pebble #6; Crystal Downs #12; Pacific Dunes # 15; Whistling Straits #17; Oakland Hills #24; Bandon Dunes #28; Pinehurst # 2 ( 37; So. Hills #38; TPC Sawgrass #41; Arcadia Bluffs #49; Spyglass #52; Laurel Valley # 55; Bandon Trails #63; Blackwolf Run #71; SHOAL CREEK #72; and Froest Dunes #99.

The 100 Public Courses that we have played is more extensive: Pebble #1; Pac Dunes #2; Whistling #3; Bandon #4; Pnehurst #2 (8 ); TPC Sawgrass #9; Arcadia #10; Ban. Trails #14; Blackwolf #15; Forest Dunes #20; Torrey Pines #43; Black Lake #44; Pine Needles #48; Golden Horseshoe #50; World Woods #55; Span. Bay #57; pga wEST #62; bAY Harbor #66; Pinehurst #8 ( 68 ); Grand Traverse ( Bear ) #81; and how bout Innisbrook at #93 ( which we have played but not as a group )

Finally, we are playing in Alabama in May…they rank the courses we are playing as follows: 1. Shoal Creek; 5. Old Overton 7. Farmlinks ( we played Greystone 2 years ago it was rated 9 ) Unfortunately, B’Ham Cc was rated 2 and the other courses rated were some of the Rob. Trent Jones Trail Courses. But not the ones in B’Ham.

So boys, let’s get to work and see if we can get on the primo courses…because our motto is, ” We gotta play as many of the World’s Top Courses before the Good Lord takes us.” Let’s have an executive meeting in B’Ham in May….I expect each of you gentlemen to present your findings to the entire board at that time!!!!!

Yours golfingly,

Kapalua