I was fortunate enough to qualify for the MA Amateur in 2003. It was played at The Country Club, Brookline, MA. This is the same course that hosted the Ryder Cup in 1999 (The year of the comeback).
To understand where I come from as a golfer, the best I ever got at golf was the ability
if I played well to qualify for things like the MA Amateur, I had no chance to win. I had won if I got in.
Showing up that day, being treated that special, having a sign with my name on a spot on the diving range was a thrill and will leave me with memories for the rest of my life. Heck, as I get older my 2 day score even gets lower and lower
.
The history of the place was amazing, the locker room with trophies and letters from past champions. The laugh I get to this day at my good friend's (and caddy) face when he was kicked out of the locker room because he was not a player. He was told caddies use the portapotties out back
The first day of the tournament, we played the exact same course as the big boys played in 1999 Ryder Cup. It was quite a rush. Walking the same holes I had just watched the pros walk a few years earlier. This is not the normal course setup for TCC, it is made up selecting 18 of their existing 27.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Country_Club