A new friend of mine, Scotty Wood from the Chicago area, just completed playing the Top 100 in the US and sent me the following email. It is great to see others finish this daunting goal. As I read this email I re-lived the day I completed the top 100 in 2002 at Atlantic Golf Club on Long Island.. On that eventful day for me one of my playing partners, Rusty Ripenberger, shot a 66 which was the course record. What a day.. I finish the top 100 and he shoots the course record. Quite an accomplishment, but nothing compared to getting a phone call from "The Donald"
Larry
Yesterday I played Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey and completed my 13 year quest to play the Top 100 Courses in America. Here is a picture of our foursome yesterday taken on the 18th green with the clubhouse in the background. The fellow on the left was my host, Ed Russo, who handles Don Trump's golf operations and was Donald's partner at their member-member event last weekend(they finished third).
During our round, Donald Trump called Ed to discuss a business matter, and Ed put me on the cell phone. Donald congratulated me on this milestone and promptly asked me to return to Trump National in Bedminster later this year to rate the "new" (no official name yet) Fazio course that is scheduled to open there after Labor Day. Ed had told him that I am now a course evaluator for Golf Digest Magazine, and Donald wants evaluators to show up as soon as possible. I have a long list of people who I owe a debt of gratitude to for their hospitality, help, support and generosity. At the head of that list is my bride, Stephanie, who has been "the wind beneath my wings". I will do my best to thank all of them personally. The greatest memory of this whole quest are the people that I have met along the way. It is a testament to the wonderful nature of the game
love this game
Scotty Wood
