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Opportunity to play Ballyneal on June 20th - Fundraiser for Paralyzed Caddie Ben Cox


HOLYOKE, CO -- On June 20th, Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club member Jim Colton will set out on a mission to walk 108 holes of golf in one day to raise money for the healthcare of Ben Cox, a Ballyneal caddie who was paralyzed from the chest down following a downhill skiing accident in March.

In addition to collecting lump-sum and per-hole pledges, Colton is offering the opportunity for others to take an active role in the event. Colton has pledged to pay the Ballyneal guest fees for up to 16 non-members who raise at least $500 for the cause and commit to the "half-marathon" of 54 holes or more on the 20th.

Cox, a 2006 graduate of Haxtun High School, grew up about 25 miles from Ballyneal in northeast Colorado. He attended Wayland Baptist University in Texas before transferring to Texas Tech, where he was studying civil engineering at the time of the accident. Cox hopes to return to school in January 2012 to complete the last two semesters needed for his degree. He is expected to be discharged from Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., on June 14th and hopes to be at Ballyneal six days later to greet Colton and the other golfers as they finish their rounds.

Ben's mother, Melinda Cox, doesn't know the total amount of the medical bills resulting from Ben's care, but related that just one surgical bill was $330,000. Cox is expected to have additional medical needs moving forward.

"I get real emotional talking about the support shown by Jim Colton, Haxtun residents, Wayland Baptist, Ballyneal and others," said Melinda Cox, a teacher's aide in Haxtun who has remained with her son in Denver since the accident. "I thank God each day. It's amazing how people have rallied around us."

"I've definitely had more good days than bad," Ben said. "You've got to keep a good attitude about it. It is what it is. You can either look at it that you can't do this or that, or you can figure out what you can still do."

Colton resides in Wheaton, Ill., and is known for being a golf fanatic through his blog www.wegoblogger31.com, and his 2009 book entitled, "One Divot at a Time: Diary of a Full-Fledged Golf Addict." He has received pledges of more than $20,000 and hopes the chance to play Ballyneal will raise even more money. "The Coxes are a great family with a positive attitude and tremendous faith in the face of this life-changing injury," said Colton. "As soon as I heard about the accident, I knew I had to do whatever I could to help."

Thanks to June 20 being one of the longest days of the year, Colton plans to tee off for his first round at 4:45 a.m. and golf until dusk at 8:45 p.m.

"Although the event is called 'The Ben Cox 108', I view 108 holes as the starting point instead of the finish line," Colton said, relating that numerous contributors have creatively structured their pledges with bonuses for playing more than 108 holes. "Knowing that each extra hole will be worth hundreds of additional dollars to the cause will motivate me to keep going."

As an additional incentive to donate to the cause, Colton is collecting prizes that will be awarded by raffle to those who pledge more than $100. The grand prize is a threesome of golf and lunch at a golf course scheduled to host a future U.S. Open. To date, other raffle prizes include:

  • Two foursomes of golf at Ballyneal 
  • One foursome of golf at Dismal River in Mullen, NE 
  • One foursome of golf at The Kingsley Club in Kingsley, MI 
  • One threesome of golf at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, NY 
  • Two nights accommodation at the Fairmont St Andrews and one round of golf at The Torrance or The Kittocks
  • Two pairs of TRUE Linkswear golf shoes.
  • One threesome of golf and caddies at Skokie Country Club in Skokie, IL

To learn more, call Ballyneal at 970/854-5900 or e-mail head pro Matt Payne at mattp@ballyneal.com.

Ballyneal, ranked 20th in the 2009 GolfBlog100, is a private golf club located in the sand hills of northeastern Colorado, 2.5 hours from Denver. The Ballyneal land is referred to by locals as the "chop hills," due to the unique characteristics of its dunes. Ballyneal was Travel + Leisure Golf's Best New Course of 2006 and currently is ranked No. 6 Best Modern by Golfweek, No. 48 in the U.S. by Golf Magazine, and one of Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses. Ballyneal includes the golf shop, a fine-dining restaurant and three lodges with private suites. For more information, visit www.ballyneal.com or call 970/854-5900.

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San Francisco Golf Club




San Francisco Golf Club (16th 2009 GolfBlog100 U.S.)


  • Designer: A. W. Tillinghast (1918)
  • Course: Private; 6828 yds, par 71
  • Course Rating: 741; Slope: 136
  • Links:Top 100 Golfer
  •   Golf Course Gurus
  • Other Rankings: Golf Magazine (2009) - 17th U.S., 27th World; Golfweek (2011) - 11th Classic; Golf Digest (2011) - 33rd in U.S., 5th in California


    • Scorecard:




    Address:
    1310 Junipero Serra Blvd
    San Francisco, CA 94132
    Ph: (415) 469-4100

    Map:

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    Aerial:

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    Tom Doak's Top 25

    Back in December 2009, I started a little topic on GolfClubAtlas called "Whip It Out: Post your Top 25 Courses Played." Little did I know it would go on to become one of the most prolific threads on the site this side of a Merion debate, with over 19,000 views.

    Late last night, famed architect Tom Doak became the latest to whip it out. His list of top courses is viewed as the holy grail of course rankings, especially considering his seminal The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses a) only grouped courses on a 10-point scale and b) was published over 13 years ago, thus missing all of the great courses built during this new golden age of architecture. Where modern gems would score on the Doak Scale is a subject of much speculation and debate on the site.

    Doak's late-night post may bring the GCA servers to a screeching halt. Just in case, here is Doak's Top 25, followed by list of 25 more 'favorites', in alphabetical order:

    Top 25
    1. The Old Course at St. Andrews
    2. Royal Melbourne (West)
    3. Sand Hills (see course profile)
    4. Pine Valley (see course profile)
    5. National Golf Links of America (see course profile)
    6. Cypress Point (see course profile)
    7. Crystal Downs (see course profile)
    8. Shinnecock Hills (see course profile)
    9. Royal Dornoch
    10. Merion (East) (see course profile)
    11. Pacific Dunes (see course profile)
    12. Ballybunion (Old)
    13. Muirfield
    14. Pinehurst (No. 2) (see course profile)
    15. Royal County Down
    16. Barnbougle Dunes
    17. Kingston Heath
    18. Ballyneal (see course profile)
    19. Pebble Beach (see course profile)
    20. Augusta National (see course profile)
    21. Seminole
    22. Prairie Dunes (see course profile)
    23. Rock Creek (see course profile)
    24. Riviera (see course profile)
    25. North Berwick (West)

    Note: Doak has seen but hasn't played Oakmont, therefore it wasn't eligible for the list.

    25 More 'Favorites'
    Brora
    Cape Kidnappers
    Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
    Cruden Bay
    Cuscowilla
    Garden City
    The Golf Club (see course profile)
    Lahinch
    Long Cove (see course profile)
    Pennard
    Prestwick
    Royal West Norfolk
    Royal Worlington & Newmarket
    Rye
    St. Andrews Beach
    St. Enodoc
    St. George's (Toronto)
    St. George's Hill
    The Sheep Ranch
    Stone Eagle
    Swinley Forest
    Walton Heath (Old)
    White Bear Yacht Club
    Whitinsville
    Woking
    Woodhall Spa

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