June 11, 2005 The greatest thing about Heaven is savoring the presence of the Almighty. The undending waves of peace and joy and love for all our siblings transcends any words I could write. It’s more wonderful than anything we could imagine – and it’s eternal! The second greatest thing about Heaven is that even though we don’t walk the Earth...
Pre-eminent golf course architect Mike Strantz passed away one year ago today from oral cancer. He was fifty. In honor of his legacy – Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course), Tobacco Road and Caledonia to name a few – but also to honor his legion of loyal, adoring fans, I’m reprinting my piece’s on Mike’s passing from last year...
Jack Nicklaus has obviously learned from his association with eminent architect Tom Doak. As you may know, the minimalist Doak and the normally flowery Nicklaus have collaborated on the highly anticipated and touted Sebonack Golf Club – a private design tucked neatly between The National Golf Links of America and Shinnecock Hills and which asks over $575,000 as...
The team here at AWITP is heading out to North Dakota. You read that correctly…there is indeed great golf with North Dakota. Jim Engh designed the 1997 best new course winner Hawktree in Bismarck. Mike Hurdzan just won bext new course for Bully Pulpit in Medora. Finally, at trails end Links of North Dakota (also called Red Mike for those of you scoring at home)...
For all my new readers, welcome to your first feature on the Honor Roll. Old readers love this feature because it’s that place where I take time to praise the accomplishments of truly superlative individuals who set the bar higher for all of us in any field of endeavor. My friend and former soccer teammate Lee Sossen made the Honor Roll for the second time...
A GREAT CADDIE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE You only have two choices playing Pinehurst No. 2 – take a cart or hire a caddy. Of course, I recommend being old school. (To quote David Carradine in Kill Bill 2, “and you know I’m all about old school.”) Pinehurst is all about old school too. The caddies there must be the best in America. Over 100...
Just keep going until you can’t go any further. Then go further, because the moves you make then – when you’ve run out of steam and you’re totally on subconscious and not even thinking about the mechanics – the moves you make then are incredible. – Jeff Buckley Musician Jeff Buckley was talking about himself, but he was speaking...
We interrupt this golf trip to offer hearty congratulations to two of the AWITP extended family. First, you read here about my buddy Lee Sossen who won the very first biatholon he entered back in May. Lee has done it again, winning another nationally reknowned biatholon event this weekend in the Northeast. Moreover, Lee got named to the US national biatholon national...
I shed a tear as I typed the lead for this piece. It was a tear for a gifted man taken from us far too young and in the prime of an extraordinary career. It was a tear of sadness for a family’s loss of a devoted husband and father. It was a tear for his design partners, business associates and golf course design colleagues who sorrow for their collective loss...
Golf and politics blogger and foreign war veteran Mike Reed died Saturday at his home in Texas after a massive heart attack. He was 52 years old. Known to bloggers as “Bunker Mulligan,” Mike was renowned for his patriotism, his service to his country, his fierce loyalty to his home state of Texas, his concise and poignant political writing and his...
From the “and I thought I was doing cool stuff” page, here’s a great feel good story. My best friend, entertainment lawyer David Rose of Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn saved some guy’s life last week. Apparently while waiting in line at Tony Luke’s Restaurant, some fella started choking on his cheese steak. According to the store...
I am thrilled to introduce everyone to one of my dearest friends and favorite people in the world, Cameron Myler. Cameron is a four-time Olympic athlete in the sport of luge. (Just think back to when we all slid down hills in grade school on lunch trays, only way faster and more dangerous). Perhaps the greatest testament to Cameron’s dedication, sportsmanship...
AN OPEN LETTER TO DAVID DUVAL A lot of ink has been spilt and bandwidth absorbed chronicling the recent on-course tribulations of David Duval. Sure he has certainly carded some cringe-inducing scores and shouldered some searing, withering criticism. Sure he is a long way from the form that made him immortal back in the summer of 2001. Several folks have joked about...