Golf Magazine Top 100 You Can Play Logo Balls I began playing traveling golf in 1989 when I took my first “Buddy Trip”. For ten years, eight of us spent three days in Northern Michigan on what became know as “The Seve Tour” named after its founder, Steve “Seve” Ramp. We played at Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain, The Treetops, Garland, and Shanty Creek. It was the highlight of our year. We were relatively young and we all worked for a financial services company in Fort Wayne, IN. As with many trips of this ilk, we had a “skin pot” and a trophy but most of all, it was a chance for camaraderie and three days away from the rigors of Corporate America.
As the Seve Tour progressed, the five rounds of golf we played each year just weren’t enough for me and I began extending the trip, first on the front end and then on the back end too and the three day trip became a full week. As families grew and jobs changed, the Seve Tour became a fond memory. But I was hooked on traveling golf.
As the Seve Tour progressed, the five rounds of golf we played each year just weren’t enough for me and I began extending the trip, first on the front end and then on the back end too and the three day trip became a full week. As families grew and jobs changed, the Seve Tour became a fond memory. But I was hooked on traveling golf.
Seve and I continued to travel the Midwest on mini-trips. In addition to day trips in Indiana, we continued our play in Michigan and added Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin. We played at well known public courses such as Cog Hill, Blackwolf Run, Whistling Straits, and Cantigny. And my wife Linda and I began taking one or two week long road trips to Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, playing at many of the well advertised resorts and trails.
My initial subscription to Golf Magazine coincided with that first buddy trip in 1989. I read it casually in the early years. But in May, 1996, I received an issue that contained Golf Magazine’s first “Top 100 You Can Play” list. In perusing the list, I discovered that my early trips had allowed me to play 21 of the courses on that inaugural list. Immediately I thought, “hmmm...the first 21 didn’t seem to be too difficult to snag...I am going to try to play the entire list.” Thus, “The Quest”, my attempt to play all 100 courses on Golf Magazine’s List, was born.
It did not take long to understand how daunting The Quest would be. During the next two years, my total reached only 23 courses. With the publication of the second “Top 100 You Can Play” list in May 1998, I realized The List is fluid; it is a biennial list. And my new total for the 1998 List was back down to 21 as four of the courses I had “ticked off” the 1996 list were gone, fortunately replaced by two courses I had already played. This happened every two years and my totals grew as I became more serious about The Quest and my golf trips moved beyond the Midwest. But when the 2000 list was published, my total had sunk from 28 to 26. I redoubled my efforts and made good progress but when the 2002 list was published, the total had fallen from 44 to 37. Did I become discouraged? Heck no! “What’s so bad about having to play more highly rated courses?” I thought. And taking golf trips!
When the 2004 list was published, I had played 62 of the courses on the 2002 list. By that time, I had started taking long two week vacations where 36 holes of golf at two different venues in one day became the norm. One trip in 2003 to the Southwest included 28 rounds in 16 days in eight states. When daylight cooperated, three 18 hole rounds at three different venues were even possible. This was pre-grandchildren and my wife Linda accompanied me on many of these trips. I was making great progress on The Quest.
But the change in the 2004 list was massive and I was now down to 54 courses. Fortunately for me, my job at the time found me traveling to the Hartford, CT and Philadelphia, PA areas. During 2004, I spent every other weekend during the non-winter months in the Northeast. And I was able to knock off every course on The List in the Northeast. 2004 also saw a trip to the Southeast, my first trip to the Pacific Northwest, and the annual fall trip to Michigan. During 2004 alone, I played 99 golf courses that were new to me including 17 courses on The List.
Separate trips to Jacksonville, FL, Austin, TX, and Myrtle Beach, SC in 2005 lopped six courses off the list and a second trip to the Southwest in 2006 took care of four more. By September, 2006, I had played 72 courses on the 2004 list. Changes to the 2006 list moved my total down to 61. And by the time the 2008 list was published, my total had shrunk to 55. It was at this point that I reframed The Quest. I would now try to play EVERY course that had ever been on any of the lists.
From 2006 to 2009, four of the courses ever on The List were closed, mostly due to the poor economy. Fortunately for me, I played each course before its demise. As of the 2012 List, 202 golf courses had received Golf Magazine’s accolade. I had played 73 of the 2012 List and 139 of the 202. Progress!
If all goes as planned in 2013, I will have played 80 of the current Top 100 List and 154 of the 202 that have ever been on the nine biennial lists starting in 1996.
And as I now see the light at the end of the tunnel, I have expanded The Quest again. I will now try to play every course that has ever made Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" list.
How boring life would be if you didn't challenge yourself to reach some interesting goals? Right?
My initial subscription to Golf Magazine coincided with that first buddy trip in 1989. I read it casually in the early years. But in May, 1996, I received an issue that contained Golf Magazine’s first “Top 100 You Can Play” list. In perusing the list, I discovered that my early trips had allowed me to play 21 of the courses on that inaugural list. Immediately I thought, “hmmm...the first 21 didn’t seem to be too difficult to snag...I am going to try to play the entire list.” Thus, “The Quest”, my attempt to play all 100 courses on Golf Magazine’s List, was born.
It did not take long to understand how daunting The Quest would be. During the next two years, my total reached only 23 courses. With the publication of the second “Top 100 You Can Play” list in May 1998, I realized The List is fluid; it is a biennial list. And my new total for the 1998 List was back down to 21 as four of the courses I had “ticked off” the 1996 list were gone, fortunately replaced by two courses I had already played. This happened every two years and my totals grew as I became more serious about The Quest and my golf trips moved beyond the Midwest. But when the 2000 list was published, my total had sunk from 28 to 26. I redoubled my efforts and made good progress but when the 2002 list was published, the total had fallen from 44 to 37. Did I become discouraged? Heck no! “What’s so bad about having to play more highly rated courses?” I thought. And taking golf trips!
When the 2004 list was published, I had played 62 of the courses on the 2002 list. By that time, I had started taking long two week vacations where 36 holes of golf at two different venues in one day became the norm. One trip in 2003 to the Southwest included 28 rounds in 16 days in eight states. When daylight cooperated, three 18 hole rounds at three different venues were even possible. This was pre-grandchildren and my wife Linda accompanied me on many of these trips. I was making great progress on The Quest.
But the change in the 2004 list was massive and I was now down to 54 courses. Fortunately for me, my job at the time found me traveling to the Hartford, CT and Philadelphia, PA areas. During 2004, I spent every other weekend during the non-winter months in the Northeast. And I was able to knock off every course on The List in the Northeast. 2004 also saw a trip to the Southeast, my first trip to the Pacific Northwest, and the annual fall trip to Michigan. During 2004 alone, I played 99 golf courses that were new to me including 17 courses on The List.
Separate trips to Jacksonville, FL, Austin, TX, and Myrtle Beach, SC in 2005 lopped six courses off the list and a second trip to the Southwest in 2006 took care of four more. By September, 2006, I had played 72 courses on the 2004 list. Changes to the 2006 list moved my total down to 61. And by the time the 2008 list was published, my total had shrunk to 55. It was at this point that I reframed The Quest. I would now try to play EVERY course that had ever been on any of the lists.
From 2006 to 2009, four of the courses ever on The List were closed, mostly due to the poor economy. Fortunately for me, I played each course before its demise. As of the 2012 List, 202 golf courses had received Golf Magazine’s accolade. I had played 73 of the 2012 List and 139 of the 202. Progress!
If all goes as planned in 2013, I will have played 80 of the current Top 100 List and 154 of the 202 that have ever been on the nine biennial lists starting in 1996.
And as I now see the light at the end of the tunnel, I have expanded The Quest again. I will now try to play every course that has ever made Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" list.
How boring life would be if you didn't challenge yourself to reach some interesting goals? Right?
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