Best Memories of 2015

[iacas]

Simple question: what were your three best, favorite, most liked, most cherished, etc. memories of 2015?

[gogolfing]

2015 has been a good year; here are my top 3:

1. My brother and his family moved back to Vancouver Island after spending over 10 years away, mostly in Colorado. I flew down in June and helped him move back....was quite the road trip and was well worth having them back here. Didn't realize how much I missed all of them until we had them back here full time. 

2. My son turned 14 this past August, and it is great to do things with him on a different level. He's become an avid golfer and it is great getting out and playing with him, and starting to compete with each other. As well, I took him to the US Open at Chambers Bay for the last 3 rounds...got to spend Father's Day in the grandstand on 18 with him and it was quite the experience. I also took him to the U2 Concert in Vancouver and we were on the floor, right at the front. It was the seventh time I had seen them, and it was great to take him to his first concert and have it be such a cool experience. 

3. I took a leap professionally and put my name in the hat to become a Vice-Principal in the school district where I have worked since '96. I had been a teacher, then a guidance counsellor for 23 years, and had been encouraged for a long time to apply for Administration, but had never done it for several reasons. I was interviewed this past June (actually interviewed Thursday morning then got in the car and headed to the US Open) and found out the day I got back from the US Open that I was a successful candidate. I was placed this fall into my first VP job and am greatly enjoying it. 

It's been a great 2015 for my family and I. Happy New Year to all of you on TST.  

[boogielicious]

1. Three close friends retired on June 30. I was master of ceremonies at the party.
2. February 1 - Malcolm Butler intercepts Russell Wilson to seal the victory for the Pats as Super Bowl Champs.
3. Shot a personal best 37 on the last league round of the year to win the Fall League Cup trophy.

[Dave325]

1. Got to spend some good times this pas year with my grandson.

2. Finished the final edits on my first novel (I have been doing technical writing for Cisco Press up till this time). The novel should be coming out this spring.

3. Fell in love with golf again... And for the first time in my life... Got serious about learning it.

[Patch]

1. Always has to be family stuff. Especially the two youngest grand daughters who are beginning flourish in soccer and basketball. One even likes "hanging with "G-Pa" at the golf course. Their older sister is a freshman at UNLV who just turned 16. There were a few other family things that went on that made for fond memories.

2. Would be the road trips, and hikes my wife and I have taken this past year. We saw some great scenery, and wildlife. Played a few new to me golf courses too. 

3. Since this is a golf site, I will mention my hole in one (with witnesses) I managed to get back in August. A one bouncer and in the cup it was. Drinks afterward for our 8 some were of historic measures. 

[imsys0042]

1 - hole in one on the 18th hole on a round in October. 

2 - first tee on day 2 of my club championship with a lot of people on the first tee and I smacked a driver down the right center of the fairway 

3 - topping a drive 20 feet into the junk while playing with someone else who said "ive never seen you play like this".  

[jbishop15]

1 - Graduating from college in May, sitting next to one of my closest friends in the world. Out of all the things that I gained while while I was in college, her friendship might be my favorite (besides my degree, of course )

2 - The Newport Cup as a whole, and specifically the sushi dinner on the last day. Being able to hang out with a group of people and become friends with those people was an experience that I'll always hold in high regard.

3 - Seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my dad a few weeks ago. We've seen every Star Wars movie in theaters that I've been alive for, and we've watched the original trilogy together more than a few times. I've come to appreciate those moments. 

[CoachB25]

My daughter, in picture, was recruited by several colleges for softball.  She chose to attend a school only 34 minutes away because a coach that was recruiting her to a D-I school (Assistant Coach) took the head coaching job of this local D-II.  He told her that if she came, she would break every offensive record at the school.  He also said that if she came, she would turn that program into a national power.  It was such a neat Spring watching her wrap up her Senior Year.  They were ranked #1 in the nation in NCAA D-II Softball.  My daughter was the MVP of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association "Legends Tournament" to kick off the year.  She was several times "Player of the Week" for her conference.  She shattered just about every offensive record at the school.  (Too many to mention but this year hit 18 home runs to give her a career record of 50 and she broke the career hits record among many other records.)  Unfortunately, she tore cartilage in her knee at the end of the year.  Her team still won the Conference Tournament for the 3rd Time in a row and she played every game though she could barely walk.  For her efforts she was again recognized by two organizations as an All American.  However, I am more proud that she was recognized as only the 11th athlete in the history of her university to be named an Academic All American.  When she graduated, the Chancellor of the university came over to us and thanked her for changing the climate of her school.  He said that no athlete has ever been as well known by all of the faculty and student body.  My Wife and I were/are very proud of her. 

Edited January 1, 2016 by CoachB25

[JonMA1]

1. My wife is still with me after suffering a heart attack in May. No heart damage and a resulting effort to stick with a cardio workout program the remainder of 2015 and into 2016.

2. Both my sons graduated from college with degrees, one in Engineering and the other in Chemistry. Each secured jobs in their respective fields and moved downstate with very little help from Mom and Dad. 

Somehow, listing a third golf-realated event just doesn't seem fitting.

[PEZGolf]

1. Winning the Member Guest at St. Lawrence University GC with my son and we played with the defending Champs on the final day. After the first day, we had a 7 point lead, and then EXPANDED that by 3 points and won by 10!    

  2. Lowering my handicap to scratch, the LOWEST it has ever been (and I am 67!).                           3. Shooting a 1 over 73 at Stonebridge, my lowest career score there, and I had s 1 under 35 on the back 9!

Edited January 2, 2016 by PEZGolf
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[colin007]

Not many, 2015 was a pretty terrible year for me, actually probably the second worst of my life.

But one thing I've never done before was shoot under par for 9 holes. -2 under 34.

[DaveP043]

Up until a couple of days ago, mine was the entire Newport Cup experience, the tours, the competition, the gifts, and most importantly the new friends, but that was eclipsed on Thursday.

My wife and I had planned a quiet weekend, early home on New Years Eve, and a quiet birthday celebration for me today.  So on Thursday, we head to the grocery store to pick up a few things for late NYE dinner.  I walk around the corner to the few tables where you can eat your salad bar or hot foot purchases, and there's a bigger crowd than normal.  And a couple of them look familiar.  In fact, ALL of them look really familiar!  Its my three sisters, their husbands, and just about all of their children.  They had cooked up a surprise visit for my 60th birthday, and my wife had actually kept the secret.  A few more filtered in over the next day, so by the time we had dinner on Saturday night, we had 19 people there. The group came from Michigan, Florida, North and South Carolina, and Maryland.  Now its Sunday, and they're all heading back home. but that grocery-store surprise is my favorite memory of 2015.

[cipher]

It may have been one of the roughest years for me in a long time, but I can look at it positively in many ways.

1. Being able to play golf even if it was just one and a half rounds total.

2. Finding a couple new outdoor hobbies to enjoy.

3. Getting to travel to some great places with the family.

 

[Dave325]

2 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Up until a couple of days ago, mine was the entire Newport Cup experience, the tours, the competition, the gifts, and most importantly the new friends, but that was eclipsed on Thursday.

My wife and I had planned a quiet weekend, early home on New Years Eve, and a quiet birthday celebration for me today.  So on Thursday, we head to the grocery store to pick up a few things for late NYE dinner.  I walk around the corner to the few tables where you can eat your salad bar or hot foot purchases, and there's a bigger crowd than normal.  And a couple of them look familiar.  In fact, ALL of them look really familiar!  Its my three sisters, their husbands, and just about all of their children.  They had cooked up a surprise visit for my 60th birthday, and my wife had actually kept the secret.  A few more filtered in over the next day, so by the time we had dinner on Saturday night, we had 19 people there. The group came from Michigan, Florida, North and South Carolina, and Maryland.  Now its Sunday, and they're all heading back home. but that grocery-store surprise is my favorite memory of 2015.

That is excellent, Dave! What a great surprise. Happy 60th Birthday!

[jsgolfer]

1. My Son Graduated from College in December

2. Daughters 21st Birthday Event In Vegas with the Family

3. Malcolm Butler Interception for Pateriots to Win Superbowl - Hat Tip to boogielicious

As for golf,

1. Played Golf With Dad over Christmas

2. I played 141 rounds this year, started year as 7.9 and dropped to 4.9

3. Played Golf in Kauai, HI

 

 

 

[GolfLug]

Non-Golf:

1. Turned the big 4 point OH. Great surprise party by wife (yes, I actually was surprised). Don't feel a day over 39.

2. Wife turned 40 as well. Best time out in Napa and Sonoma. That was my surprise to her.

3. Countless memories with kids. Our days are consumed with raising kids which includes all the clichés and trappings of a suburban family - sports, music, vacations, education. Take up about 60% of the memory board so hard to not include in memories section even though no clear milestone. One big memory..

Golf:

1. Making the Newport Cup team. A large part of the first half of the year was spent prepping and working to get the HCP for eligibility. I managed to get it down to sub-10 for the first time in my 10+ year golf life which is a memory in itself.

2. Attending the Newport Cup: There's a thread with a detailed account, so I will not repeat.

3. A swing picture: This is the first year that I have come close to fully understanding my picture, my tendencies, and my priorities, which of course has made a truly telling difference in my game. A sincere thanks is in order to this site, Erik Barzeski and David Wedzik of Golf Evolution. The map is lot clearer for 2016.       

[Wally Fairway]

4. My youngest son making wind symphony (not really that big a deal to me, but it meant a lot to him & therefore to me)

3. My youngest daughter graduating from high school & getting an academic full ride to college

2. My oldest son enlisting into the National Guard (again something he's been working on for about a year)

1. My oldest daughter gave birth to my first grandbaby . . . a beautiful baby girl (I win, at least to me)

[Divot Master]

1. My daughter's graduation from MIT.

2. Hiking the old Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with her as a graduation gift.

3. Playing 12 rounds of golf at my home course between the normal closing date of October 31 and the actual closing date in mid-December.