East Coast Golf Journey

2019 Myrtle Beach World Am Play-Write Article: Carolina North

August 28, 2019 By admin

Finally a decent round of golf in the 2019 World Amateur! Of course it came at a Freddie Couples designed golf course! I have played and love his Chapel Ridge golf course outside Cary, NC. Played the Ibis-Heron nines at Carolina National! I would love to come back and play the third Egret nine! Love Freddie Couples whether he is on the golf course playing well as he did shooting a Sunday 63 a few weeks ago at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open or if I am the one golfing on one of his golf courses! Steady round of 41+41=82 puts me at T12 in sniffing room of a backdoor Top 10 to go along with my T4 finish last year! Not sure what happened to the boat…

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-28-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

2019 Myrtle Beach World Am Play-Write Article: King’s North

August 27, 2019 By admin

We played the awesome & great King’s North at Myrtle Beach National in Round 2 of the 2019 World Am! What a treat to play an Arnold Palmer Signature Design with his statue outside and his presence in the Memorabilia Room inside the clubhouse! Simply a great design and fun golf experience even though I did not score as well as I would have liked!

Home of ‘The Gambler; the Most Unique Par-5 in All of Golf;’ Dedicated by Kenny Rogers on June 21st, 1996 with these famous lyrics: “You got to know when to hold ‘em; know when to fold ‘em; know when to walk away; know when to run…” I gambled and hit the island fairway with a hybrid; went for the green but was short in the water; took a drop at the end of the island fairway; hit a 7-iron over the water onto the green and 3-putted from 40 feet for double bogey! What I found interesting was that some golfer after hitting the island fairway reverted back to the regular fairway on their second shot which was no easy layup! Great risk-reward Arnold Palmer and Kenny Rogers hole!

Tough 9 am shotgun start with an errant drive on the par-4 14th hole. Then I hit the next five greens in regulation only to 3-putt three of them from 15, 50, and 30 feet! My chipping let me down a bit; only one 1-putt and seven, yes, seven 3-putts! Total 42 putts; worse even in my life!

Everyone had a tough day. I didn’t realize I was playing with the leader Jim until after the round. He shot an 83 net 73 to maintain a 2-stroke lead. My cart mate and Facebook friend (we played together last year) shot the same score and is T7, eight shots back. It was just one of those days that I had what my golfing buddy Sir Walter phrased as “the melon head.”

Believe it or not I did get the hang of reading the grain by looking at the cup and adjusting “the break” and speed accordingly! I also realized that I have been putting on bent grass greens the last 3 months up north in New York!

No excuses, I shot 90 net 81, and wound up 25th 18 strokes back of Jim! But with thoughts of what could have been as I hit 11 greens in regulation and on any other day would have shot in the 70s! But like there is no some day in the week; same for any other day!

If you want to play a “Go for Broke” Arnold Palmer design; this is it and in my opinion all 18 holes are a gamble including the 18th hole with 40 bunkers (3-putt bogey from 30 feet) and the “SC (South Carolina) bunkered par-3 12th hole (3-putt bogey from 30 feet).

Enjoy King’s North at Myrtle Beach National as soon as you can!

PS: As the flowers on this golf course are so beautiful they must have a full-time horticulturist on staff!

#MBWorldAm

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-27-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

2019 Myrtle Beach World Am Play-Write Article: General Hackler Course at CCU!

August 26, 2019 By admin

Good first round in the 2019 PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur! Had a great time today—played the General Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University, made three new friends—Taco (Rodger); Bryan from Bittersweet; and Lanny; and shot 85!

Such an enjoyable round on such a beautiful day—one of those days on the golf course where you feel the gentle, refreshing breeze, hear the birds singing, and feel present and at peace with nature, life, and the world in general!

We started on No. 12, the longest par-4 on the golf course. Taco Beef can hit the ball a long way, made a 25-footer and birdied it! After imperfection replaced perfection he called the birdie on the first hole played a curse for the tournament. I am not sure about that as he played a solid round! Just before his birdie Lanny made a BOMB for par! We were off to a good start!

On our fifth hole Bryan and I realized we both lived in Gurnee, Illinois a northern suburb of Chicago. He lives there now and I did for 10 years starting back in the mid 1990s. Then I realized he was wearing a Bittersweet shirt which was my home club when I was there! So out of 3,215 we somehow were magically paired together!

We started chatting about SJ our mutual friend which distracted me a bit (my rationalization of course since I never have half-shanked and popped up a hybrid-2 into a fairway bunker, then tried hitting a hybrid-4 only to be left in deep rough 200 yards from the hole hitting four; fore! LOL!

Even with the double bogey I managed to be only 4 over par the first 9 holes boosted by a birdie on No. 1. BTW, for the record, we were talking about Jesus on that hole, not SJ!

I was rolling along, playing well, even learning along the way, imagine that! After seeing Taco Touch’s (really is a great putter) putt on the par-3 5th hole run out I adjusted to the changing green conditions and had a nice 2-putt par from about 25 feet.

Then I got a freaky bad break on the par-5 6th hole! My drive, slightly off line to the right hit something and ricocheted up 20 feet and directly right 30 feet out-of-bounds. Nines are automatic in the World Am but I still tapped in my final putt to make it official.

Going 1-over for the last 3 holes including a mindless 3-putt from 15 feet on the par-3 10th hole was a good omen for tomorrow’s second round. Taco Accuracy put one in close on the 10th to win the Proximity Award for the day!

Despite a nine and two double bogeys, the 85 was a good start, the highest score I could have shot by 5-7 strokes! No tournament is ever won on the first day of a four-day competition! Here in the World Am you hope to make the cut and win it on the 5th day!

I am late for the World’s Largest 19th Hole…

FYI, a little tongue-in-cheeks golf writers humor embedded in the pics…

#MBWorldAm

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-26-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

2019 ECGJ: A Road Trip through the Thousand Islands & the Adirondack Mountains!

August 11, 2019 By admin

Road trip to the Thousand Islands & Adirondack Mountains! Route 81 North to Alexandria Bay, East to Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Lake George, Saratoga Springs, then back home to Binghamton in time for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open! Where is the BEST place to stay???

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 1 Pic; 8-10-19)

Day 1 of the Thousand Islands & Adirondacks Road Trip segment of the 2019 East Coast Golf Journey! Lots of open road, history & scenic vistas!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-11-19)

Climbed my first of the 46 Adirondack Peaks this morning! Thinking 4-to-5 a year during the upcoming 7th decade of my life would be a good thing! Passed on nearby Mount Marcy, the highest in New York State, started with one of the easiest, Baxter Mountain! Great trail, great hike, passed 23 adults, 14 children, & 2 dogs going up & coming down! Took about 2-1/2 hours with 30 minutes up on top! More TROML Thoughts to come! Glorious view, awesome feeling of being ONE with nature! God’s Country! Here are the pics in order of ascent! Thank you to Ranger Rob for some great trail insight & advice! Adirondack Park is well run, organized & maintained! TROML Baby (an exclamation of Joy and Gratitude)!!!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-11-19)

CLICK HERE to join me on a Spiritual Journey to the Peak of Mt. Baxter!

Day 2 of the Thousand Islands & Adirondacks Road Trip segment of the 2019 East Coast Golf Journey! Lots more of open road, history & scenic vistas! Stayed in a rustic, yet comfortable cabin off the grid! Pretty much up at daybreak and backtracked a little to Keene Valley to climb Baxter Mountain, my first of 46 Adirondack Peaks! Combination Farmers’ Market & Craft Fair with pony rides at Marcy Field before heading south to Lake George and Sarasota Springs! Took I-88 home to Binghamton! Sure seems like it is all downhill but I checked the elevations and Binghamton is actually higher than Albany! Short, but sweet little 2-day trip of 700+ miles!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 8-11-19)

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Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey

2019 ECGJ: Playing the Historic Binghamton Country Club, an A.W. Tillinghast Gem!!!

July 26, 2019 By admin

Fun, Fun, Fun at BCC!

What a treat, what fun to play. Binghamton Country Club today! Especially with my two good Hobart & William Smith College friends Professor Chip who teaches a golf architecture course and Ken the Statesmen Golf Coach!

The golf course is in incredible shape benefiting from recently completed tree removal and bunker restoration programs! The course conditions have historically been impeccable and they were no different today! The greens, the course’s main defense, along with the engaging high shot value A.W. Tillinghast design, were rolling at an 11.3 on the Stimpmeter today!

The long & difficult par-3 18th home hole at BCC!

Binghamton Country Club is the bedrock, the history, the origin of golf in the Greater Binghamton area and all of Broome County and somewhat beyond! The club dates bank to 1889 with the first course on the flat lands near the Susquehanna River. The famous and tremendously skilled golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast designed the current golf course and it opened in 1921.

George F. Johnson in line with his workers ringing out on the Time Recording Clock Machine! (Picture Credit: Bundy Museum)

George F. Johnson was a charter resident member of BCC and such a big proponent of golf he built his Endicott-Johnson shoe workers a golf course of their own. Originally called the En-Joie Health Golf Club, the workers’ golf course opened in 1927. George F. influenced Thomas J. Watson not only in business but also in golf. Watson, who also became a BCC member was the man who built International Business Machines (IBM). He also built a golf course for his workers; the IBM Country Club which opened in 1938. The En-Joie Golf Club has brought the world of professional golf to the Triple Cities (Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton) since 1971 (Credit source of this information to BCC Club Historian Louis R. Panigrosso, Esq. and his 3-part series ‘E-J, Big Blue, & BCC.’)

Binghamton University Campus from the 15th green at BCC.

With views across the Susquehanna Valley to Vestal in the South direction one can easily see the Binghamton University campus from the 15th green near the clubhouse. There are even better views from the 17th green all the way east up the Susquehanna River to Downtown Binghamton and my beloved Ely Park Golf Course on the western slope of Mount Prospect!

Great golf history, hometown views, and great camaraderie made for an exception day! While my buddies had to head north and home to Geneva after lunch in the grill room I ventured back out on the golf course for a second 18 holes! I had to make up for the round lost after being cut after two rounds in the TCGA Amateur Championship Keith Chesk! For those of you who know me and the TROML/SSS process I am always joyous and rejoicing so why not play and replay this beauty?

View from the 6th green at BCC!

A Heartfelt Thank You to Hobart and William Smith Colleges

http://www.andygolftraveldiary.com/a-heartfelt-thank-you-t…/

Today also brought back memories of being selected as the 2015 John Henry Hobart Fellow in Residence! What a great on-campus experience with the freshman class which just now graduated four years later! Time indeed flies! I hope they learned as much from my share as I learned from them! TROML Baby (an exclamation of Joy and Gratitude!)

(Andy Reistetter; 7/27/19; Facebook Post with 30 Pics)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Greater Binghamton, NY

Visit Rochester, New York and You May Never Leave!

July 21, 2019 By admin

Visit Rochester, New York and You May Never Leave!

Rochester, New York is Limitless!

Visit Rochester like I did in July 2019 and you may never leave!

Limitless in terms of pretty much everything- accommodations, restaurants, history, museums, scenic vistas, and yes, of course, golfing opportunities which is what initially caught my eye!

But after experiencing Rochester I would say that what is the most limitless about it would have to be the people I met while visiting—their personalities, their dreams, and their realities!

Of course, I include all people—those living that I interacted with and those that lived in the past that interacted with me- both types spirited, creative, and impactful!

New friends found at the Woodcliff with a view of the Bristol Valley from the 4th tee behind!

Take for interest, Dusty Odenbach, PGA Director of Golf and fourth-generation owner & operator of the Links at Greystone, an impressive Craig Schreiner-designed gem of a links-style golf course. This is a perfect example of a young and new generation taking the family business, the altered family legacy to new heights. Earlier in life the Odenbachs expanded from the mining business to recreational golf business. Now Dusty and the family team is taking the authenticity of this links design to new levels with fields of yellow-tainted fescue heather and revealed expansive golf course vistas as trees are being removed. This golf course takes you back, all the way back to the roots of the game on the seaside links of Scotland!

With Dusty Odenbach after playing The Links of Greystone!

Yes, Rochester lies north of the 42^nd Parallel and experiences a winter season when golf is not possible for the rationally-inclined normal golfers. Albeit those that venture out into the winter wonderland with tethered orange colored golf balls, what is one to do on a golf course in the months of January and February?

Snow Tubing at Greystone!

The ‘hit-into-a-slope’ driving range is being converted to a state-of-the-art tubing facility! With lighting, snow machines, and a tube lift to pull you up the 100 feet to the top, having fun at the Slopes of Greystone will be like tapping in that gimmie for birdie to close out a buddy and win the match!

New friends made at Ravenwood, including Rich from Visit Rochester's who shot a 74 with 3 straight birdies!

New friends made at Ravenwood, including Rich from Visit Rochester (under flag) who shot a 74 with 3 straight birdies!

Kick back and enjoy the 1,000 foot long & slick coast back down to the flat lands of Greystone. Whether you do one run or a golfers’ magic number of eighteen the clubhouse and Stoney’s Pub is sure to be your post-tubing destination! Enjoy the ‘Speedie’ Marinated Beef with House Made Cheese Sauce on a Pretzel Roll like I did. And if you are from Greater Binghamton like I am, let Dusty know that proper spelling is ‘Spiedie!’

The larger-than-life Dusty, the UCONN baseball star pitcher that could have made it on the PGA TOUR in my opinion after playing a round of golf with him, is obviously vibrant and alive. But so too to me was Margaret Woodbury Strong after visiting the Strong National Museum of Play, the Ultimate Play Destination, and the No. 1 Rochester Attraction according to TripAdvisor.com.

Margaret Woodbury Strong finishing her swing in life with grace, power, and meaning!

A kindred spirit and benefactor of children, young and old like me, is Margaret! After seeing a picture of her golfing in style back in the 1930s and experiencing her fascinating legacy museum, I felt like I spent the afternoon playing golf and experiencing life at its essence with her!

Don’t pass by the Merry-Go-Round as you enter without taking a ride (or as you leave but do upon arrival!)! Chip in the dollar to ride with gratitude and hop on a horse or if you are lucky enough ride in the ‘Lover’s Tub’ with your forever valentine. Afterwards, pass by the Bill Gray’s Skyliner Diner if you can, pay the modest admission fee and enter America’s Playland. Be sure to note that Happy Hour at the Skyliner is 2:30 to 4:30 pm every day with milkshakes at half price!

Honored am I to become the 17th member character of Sesame Street!

I had an amazing afternoon at the Strong National Museum of Play! We learned through fun and I learned a lot about myself in a couple of hours. I was honored to become the 17th member character of Sesame Street during their celebratory 50^th year! Then, if that wasn’t enough, I was voted Wegman’s Employee of the Month! Locals know all about Wegman’s and you should too! My play friend Margaret’s collections are amazing! Yes, even Mabel, Margaret’s first doll that started it all, especially my namesake Raggedy Andy (and Ann). The only sad occurrences of the day were when the ride of the Merry-Go-Round ended and the play museum closed at 5 pm. Hopefully you can visit on a Friday or Saturday when they are opened to 8 pm.

My three days visiting Rochester were magical. I did not want them to end!

The Art Deco Suite at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa.

Accommodations in the Art Deco Suite at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa were over the top! My first of four rounds of golf was right there on top of Woodcliff Mountain with a view all the way down the Bristol Valley from the 4^th tee. My final round would be in the distance, on the west side of Canandaigua Lake at Bristol Harbour. The Cook Family, in their fourth year of ownership, continues to renew the Finger Lake’s premier golf resort. The historic and renown Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course with so many scenic views never fails to impress the beauty of nature upon golfers and guests from around the world!

My Bristol Buddy Joe and I on the 7th green with the view of Canandaigua Lake behind us!

In between the Woodcliff and Bristol Harbour, I played The Links at Greystone and another gem of the Golf World—Ravenwood Golf Club. Host of the 81^th New York State Men’s Amateur Golf Championship in 2003 and then again the 87^th in 2009, this centrally located golf course is public golf at its country-club-like best. The Robin Nelson-design on gently rolling topography speaks for itself directly into any golfer’s heart. Challenging but not too difficult, this masterpiece is true to its designer’s vision of “If you hit a good approach shot, you should have a chance to make the putt” and walking off the 18^th green you will leave wanting to come back and play Ravenwood again!

As far as culinary delights and satisfactions, my indulgences at Label 7 in the village of Pittsford, Stoney’s Pub at The Links at Greystone, The Cub Room in Downtown Rochester, Genesee Brew House overlooking the gorge-ous waterfall of the Genesee River, Rohrbach’s Brewery & Bitter Honey on Railroad Street, and at the Restaurant at Bristol Harbor were all memorable!

Visit Rochester, New York and You May Never Leave!

Additionally, I visited the George Eastman Museum and Mansion which are beautifully located on East Avenue amidst the most elegant and architecturally sophisticated residential area of Rochester. Founded by George Eastman and Margaret’s father Henry Strong in 1888, Kodak continues to this day along with the Xerox Corporation, another Rochester corporate baby. A Kodak Moment and a Xerox Copy is as American as it gets. Kodak’s legacy and Eastman’s personality are to be found below the canopies of estate trees along East Avenue.

Whether through the lenses of golf, community, or entertainment Rochester, New York is seen clearly as limitless. Visit Rochester like I did in July 2019 and you may never leave!

For more specifics on each Rochester venue I visited, please click here to follow a play-by-play recap of my visit to Rochester, NY!

Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey, Travel Golf

2019 ECGJ: Play Ravenwood Golf Club in Victor, New York outside Rochester!

July 18, 2019 By admin

Everyone’s coming to Visit Rochester! Pure coincidence that the SJF group is here! Well then again was that really my friend Phil BOMBING that drive or an imposter! WHAT, no invitation for Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary??? Play well gentlemen!

CLICK HERE to see a Video of my friend Phil bomb a drive off the 1st at Ravenwood Golf Club!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 1 Video; 7-18-19)

Great round of golf at Ravenwood Golf Club with Rich of Visit Rochester who shot a 74 with 3 straight birdies! Thank you to GM Mike Roeder for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 7-18-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

2019 ECGJ: Play The Links at Greystone in Walworth, New York outside Rochester!

July 17, 2019 By admin

Fantastic golfing experience at the Links at Greystone in Walworth, NY just outside Rochester! World class design by Architect Craig Schreiner; fantastic course conditions & setup by GCSAA Superintendent Tim Hahn, and playing partner Dusty Odenbach, PGA Director of Golf and 4^th generation of the Dolomite mining and golf legacy made for an extra special round of golf. Golf like it ought to be all the time!

This links masterpiece opened in 1996. The third in succession of the Odenbach mining family turned golfing family—Shadow Lakes—Shadow Pines—then Greystone! At 7200+ yards from the tips, with sloping greens and fairways it is all the golf course you could ever want! The greens are rolling pure and true!

Hole Nos. 5 through 8; what I call Odie’s Valley (Odie an affectionate nickname for Odenbach) is particularly scenic on an overwhelmingly scenic golf course! Dusty’s grandfather, the golf originator of the family in the 1980s, doesn’t play the difficult uphill par-4 7^th hole hole with a blind approach anymore. Legacy has its privileged. I hit two great shots and a magnificent chip and putt to score a par, in effect a gift from Heaven on the hole they call High Heaven!

All the shots are played and all the clubs used on this golf course. Very playable with one golf ball. There was a memorable photo opp with Dusty amidst the grey stones high right of the fairway on the par-5 12^th hole. The second nine meanders up the slope to give you an especially dramatic view coming down to the par-4 home hole. As an ode to the legacy I managed to par the 18^th too!

Playing with Dusty was an exceptional experience and a great opportunity to see the golf course and family business through his eyes and heart. A top prospect out of UCONN in baseball he pitched in the Kansas City Royals system for four years. While he didn’t make it to the major leagues in baseball his contributions to the family legacy are above major league. Planting of fescue and tree removals for scenic vistas and views of the clubhouse coming in are the top priorities to transform the links design ever closer to a true links course.

The reality that the family sold the mining and golfing operations only to buy back the Shadow Lakes and Greystone ten years later tells you all you need to know about the Odenbach family and their love of golf and the golf business. The Clubhouse and Stoney’s Pub have a historic golf memorabilia flair. The golfing and culinary experiences are a magnet for corporate tournaments and league play. A travel foursome from Toronto joined me and Dusty at the bar for lunch. I was intrigued by and loved the Speedie Marinated Beef with House Made Cheese Sauce on a Pretzel Roll.

I have seen the best play the game of golf. Dusty’s athleticism and club head speed is amazing! Our round and good time together is what golf is all about. Go and play with folks you already know like the Canadian foursome was doing today at Greystone. Go and play by yourself and meet someone new through golf like I did today. Either way it is a win-win!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 7-17-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

2019 ECGJ: Triple Cities Amateur; Kyle Nedlik Wins; Andy Reistetter Finishes Dead Last!

July 15, 2019 By admin

With Round 1 playing partners Scott Strong (left) and Bobby Goerlich (right)!

Kyle Nedlik Wins the 2019 Triple Cities Amateur; Andy Reistetter Finishes Dead Last!

What a thrill to play in the first round of the Triple Cities Golf Association (TCGA) Amateur Championship at the Conklin Players Club today! Beautiful, challenging golf course as you can see in the link below from Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary’s visit in September 2016!

Conklin Players Club, Greater Binghamton’s Own Augusta National…

Tough course setup today—I think it was hard pin day—the lowest score in the 45-man field was a 3-over par 75! I shot an 88 with 38 putts including 5 one-putt greens! As many 3-putts and YES, you do the math; I did 4-putt after a brilliant chip on No. 4 and avoided another 4-putt making a tough downhill breaker from 3 feet on the 14th for par after hitting the par-5 hole in two shots! Decent run of 4-over par for 9 holes mid-round but 10 over on 4 holes and no birdies was the real challenge for me today!

It’s been a while since I last played competitive golf last August at the 4-day World Am in Myrtle Beach; finished T4 but that was handicapped and flighted!

Play the World Am in Myrtle Beach; It will make a Professional out of You!

Need to go low tomorrow Saturday at En-Joie Golf Club to make the Top 30 cut for the final round at Binghamton Country Club on Sunday! Know I can do it!

Great golf courses and competition in the Triple Cities of Johnson City, Endicott, and Binghamton! Reasonably priced too! And yes, En Joie Golf Club is the home of the PGA TOUR Champions’ Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and the previous BC Open on the PGA TOUR!

Bed time; early tee time tomorrow (11:40 am)!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 3 Links; Friday, July 13^th, 2019)

Even tougher day today for this golfer! Not only missed the cut but finished dead last except for a DQ and everybody else that did not play in this tournament! LOL, as Hogan said, there is golf and then there is tournament golf! Still a great experience playing two great golf courses. I will live to play another day, actually 3 or 4 in the coming week! TROML Baby (an exclamation of JOY)! (Andy Reistetter; Facebook Comment; Saturday, July 14^th, 2019).

2019 TCGA Final Round Scores

Congrats to Kyle Nedlik – Great Playing!

Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey, Greater Binghamton, NY

2019 ECGJ: En-Joie-ing Endicott. New York’s En-Joie Golf Club Twice in One Week!

July 14, 2019 By admin

2019 ECGJ: En-Joie-ing Endicott. New York’s En-Joie Golf Club Twice in One Week!

Fortunate to enjoy En Joie two out of the last four days! Great golf course design, great golf course conditions but not enough golfing talent on my part! LOL, watch where the pros play and then playing it is always so much more difficult! They make it look easier! What a Broome County Treasure! Hats off to PGA Golf Professional Mike Deuel and GCSAA Superintendent Anthony Chapman for making it all happen so that we can enjoy En Joie!

Wednesday practice round with my buddy The Greek, aka John Yianni Koutsaris and Saturday’s Round Two of the TCGA Amateur Championship with former Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan!

Too many DSGO stories to write about The Greek (yes that is him in the bunker on No.2 but it is not his drive), but here is one on our 2-term Mayor Ryan: his first hole-in-one came on December 26th at Endwell Greens (proof positive for global warming) just in time to be the very first member of the Golf Channel Hole-In-One Club when they first went on the air on January 17th, 1995! Wouldn’t that be an interesting feature on this year’s DSGO broadcast?

So once again, the golf course that Ernie Smith designed and George F. Johnson built for his workers in 1927; home to the B.C. Open for 36 years and immortalized by local cartoon artist Johnny Hart; where Butch Harmon won the inaugural event in 1971; where EJ Assistant Pro Richie Karl beat Bruce Crampton in a playoff; where local favorite Joey Sindelar was the first to win two times; where Brad Faxon was the first to win back-to-back titles; where Palmer, Watson and Couples have played; where the PGA TOUR Champions’ DICK’S Sporting Goods Open has been played since 2007; where Bart Bryant became the first to win two times last year; and where Jack Nicklaus is coming this year… IS nearly perfect for the upcoming 2019 DICK’S Sporting Goods Open… only 4 more weeks and it is Keith Urban party time!

I hope you enjoy En Joie as much as I do!

Thank you to Mike Deuel for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary; The Greek, aka John Yianni Koutsaris, for having fun no matter what I shoot and Keith Chesk and the TCGA for recording what I shot and cutting me (deservingly so as I was not so deserving) and carrying on with the final round at Binghamton Country Club! Play well fellow amateurs!

(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 7-14-19)

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Greater Binghamton, NY