My Bucket List
LARRY BERLE By
In 1992, I set out to play the Golf Digest Top 100 and 10 years and 117 courses later I crossed the finish line. I know...I know...117 when my goal was
only 100. But that list kept changing and several
that I accomplished fell off, so I just had to keep going. Doesn’t that just evoke your sympathy?
My dream was born in
1992, when my wife took
me to Pebble Beach for
my birthday. As I stood
on the 18th tee box, my
caddie said, “you are
standing on the tee box
of the greatest finishing
hole in all of golf.” That
statement resonated
strongly and as I walked
up the fairway I could
truly feel that I was walking in the spike marks of
golf's legends: Palmer,
Nicklaus, Player etc. I
wanted to re-create that
emotional feeling, so the
next day I announced to
my wife my intention to
play the Top 100.
It turned out to be
much more difficult to
get on most of these courses than I had antici-
pated; only about 15 percent allow public access—
Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Troon North, Bethpage
Black, for example; the other 85 percent are private
and most guard their privacy, fiercely. The head pro
these courses. Several friends came forward and
asked about the list. “I know someone who may be
a member there,” became music to my ears.
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