Baby Its Cold Outside

     I just checked the thermometer outside. The reading is thirty-two degrees and the normally brown dormant lawn outside is covered by a thin layer of white. No, its not snow. If it were I would have my camera in my hand and would be taking pictures.  It doesn't snow here.  However, we do get some heavy frost during the winter and it has returned for the winter. It looks like our tee time for today will be delayed, probably for a couple of hours. Its cold out there.
     I realize that to some of you in other parts of the US and the world thirty two in the winter is a summer vacation.  Here, it is cold. We still play golf, but play is delayed until the course warms up and the frost melts. When you are expecting to tee off at eight in the morning and expect to be home by one, that frost delay really cuts into your day. At least it isn't snowing.  I hate snow.
     Living in a warmer climate I do feel rather fortunate. During the winter months we do have to put up with some inconveniences, but in most cases we still are able to play. We bundle up when it is cold or we drive a couple of hours to an part of the state where it is not nearly as cold. We go south to Southern California or go west to the ocean.  Isn't it amazing that the climate can change so dramatically in about 100 miles. Here it does. I do still brave the cold when I can't get away, and it is still a good day of golf albeit a cold one.
     So I'm off to the golf course for my tee time. It's a bit brisk outside but I am dressed for it. I have to put my shorts in the drawer and put on long pants, a long sleeved shirt and a  sweater, but I'm still going to play golf. I hate long pants, long sleeve shirts and sweaters but I guess that's the price you have to pay.  
 

Some Food For Thought

    Yesterday just before my round I was
reading through FaceBook and came upon
this article.  Written by Sam Adams and
 posted yesterday on The Essentially Golf Blog.
 I would have to ponder this a bit, but it does
make a lot of sense. Personally, I prefer a tight
cut fairway, but that's just me. At any rate, I hope
 you had a very Happy Thanksgiving and I will be
back Monday for sure with my own content.
Enjoy Sam's comments.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Have More Fun Playing Golf!

I have been involved in an untold number of discussions about the decline of golf and I think one of the major issues is that people are not having enough fun to justify the time and expense.  I am not going to get into all the possible reasons for the decline or this would become a book instead of a blog.  The one thing I am going to do is offer a simple suggestion.

Let everybody that wants to use a tee and tee it up in their own fairway.  I phrase it this way because I think there should be an advantage for hitting it in the fairway.  Now before the purist start lighting their torches let me explain.  By some estimates around 90% of golfers are already playing “lift, clean, 

and place” (winter rules) year round.  Is it such a leap

 to let them lift, clean, and put a tee under it?

One of the battles that rage in clubs and Golf Committee 

meetings around the country is the height of cut of their

 fairways.  The low handicappers want them tight and 

the vast majority of the members/players want them 

longer so they can set the ball up.  Longer fairways have

 several major draw backs.  Aesthetically, you need 

definition between rough and fairway.  With a higher 

fairway cut the rough gets deeper and slows play 

down.  It also makes the fairway softer and the ball 

won’t roll as far making the course play longer.  The longer

 cut seriously penalizes anyone that plays the ball “as it lies” 

because it produces flyers from the fairway.

The simple solution is short mowing heights and let less

 skilled golfers use a tee.  Everybody is happy

 (in my wildest dream).

There is already a lot of discussion about two different

 sets of rules - one for tournament/serious play and 

one for everyday play.  That’s wonderful, but you have

 a better chance of winning the Power Ball Lottery than

living long enough to see the USGA and R&A come out

 with that.

My suggestion is start now.  As long as everyone in your 

group plays by the same rules it doesn’t matter.  If you play 

in a league they can adopt it for all of their members.  You 

don’t have to wait for anyone to “officially” recognize it.

The vast majority of golfers don’t have established USGA

 Handicaps now, so that isn’t a problem.  The one 

drawback is that you can’t have it both ways.  If you do 

decide to establish a handicap this way you will be at a 

severe disadvantage if you decide to play in an event 

played by USGA Rules.

My point is that we need to do things now that help people

 enjoy the game more so they won’t quit as fast and 

I believe this is a much better alternative than 15 inch

 cups and “Foot Golf”.

I’m simply throwing this out as a suggestion and

 food for thought.  I encourage you to bring your friends

 into the discussion through social media, email or 

whatever you are most comfortable with.  I would 

love for you to leave comments on this.  Be sure to

 check out my Facebook page and follow me on Pinterest.

Thank you Sam for that.

Enjoy This, I Played Golf Today And Am Off Duty

Turkey can wait.  Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm off playing golf today. Enjoy this post from Golf Digest's blog  published November 20, 2015.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Yep, Here's where I'm at.

Here's why golf should be part of your Thanksgiving

By

Joel Beall

Share this story:

the-loop-thanksgiving-meal-lg.jpg

Thanksgiving is known for three things: food, family and football, and not in that particular order.

The first two are the basis for the festivities; the third isn't that far off, as the first gridiron game on turkey day was held in 1869, just six years after Thanksgiving became an official holiday.

But, while we're certainly onboard with watching any level of football on Thanksgiving, it's time backyard touch takes a seat on the sidelines.

However, we can't totally dismiss exercise or recreational activity; you're about to woof down 4,500 calories. So in its place, we are recommending a round of golf.

True, going against Thanksgiving pick-up pigskin is as unAmerican as the metric system, Heineken or (shrudders) Coldplay, but hear us out.

For starters, take a look in the mirror (figuratively, that is, although I suppose literally as well). Chances are, you're not in your athletic prime. The thought of throwing a tight spiral, hurdling a defender or diving for a pass is enticing. But your arm is shot, you have the hops of Andrea Bargnani and lunging towards the wet, cold ground is no fun.

Leave the football to the professionals.

Golf, on the other hand, welcomes all levels of physicality. Tiger Woods and Gary Player are fitness specimens; conversely, the game's best player was once called "Ohio Fats" and John Daly won two majors on a diet of Coca-Cola and chocolate doughnuts. It truly is a sport for one and all.

Plus, there's a slim chance you'll spend Thanksgiving in the ER from pulled hammy or broken arm from hitting the links. Hell, Rory McIlroy, who's in prettydamn good shape, got hurt kicking a futbol around. Imagine what could happen to you playing real football?

Which brings us to strike number two against football: safety. In case you haven't turned on a TV or surfed the web in the past decade, football has a few occupational hazards, with brain trauma the foremost issue. The NFL would like you to believe concussions and their effects are an ongoing discussion; "Is Phil Mickelson a left-hander?" is a more debatable topic. And if it is a debate, well, we are taking the side of Will Smith.

While two-hand tag may seem impervious to danger, head injuries are notforeign to flag football. In golf, the only thing in harm's way is your pride.

And while we are on the subject of harm, Thanksgiving Eve is noted as one of the biggest bar nights in America. Assuming you'll be participating in the festivities, and subsequently hurting, running around and getting tackled for two hours is not conducive to this night-before behavior.

Not that we would ever condone walking to the first tee in a inebriated haze, but hitting a stationary ball is slightly easier in a hangover state. Of course, depending on how heavy you hit the bottle, that ball might seem to be moving.

Trust us, the course will be empty.

Besides, you'll be watching football the rest of the day. Don't you want to give your pallet some variety in the morning?

But the above is built in a "football vs. golf" framework. Playing a Thanksgiving round can stand on its own merit.

Previously mentioned, the concept of family and friends is the foundation of the holiday. Whereas other outdoor activities can be exclusive in nature, golf can be played by young and old, men and women, Lions and Cowboys fans. If you don't want someone to feel left out of the proceedings, golf is the exercise of choice.

Then there is the duration of the round. Or should we say, lack thereof. While some clubs hold Thanksgiving-themed events, many of the country's courses are bare on Thanksgiving. If you're like me, the worst part of the game can be waiting between shots. That issue is non-existent in late November, as the fair-weathered fans are long gone. The place is yours.

Speaking of weather, Thanksgiving could be your last chance to play before the winter elements grace the land. A look at the early forecast shows most of the U.S. furnished with a favorable outlook. To not take advantage of this blessing would be a sin.

After all, this is a holiday for giving thanks. What better way of acknowledging all the fortune in your life than teeing it up on Thanksgiving with loved ones?

---

San Juan Oaks In San Juan Bautista, California

     I am very careful not to trash a course when I am reviewing it. In most cases the pro has been kind enough to give me a free round and so I play the course, take my pictures then leave to go off and write my review. Unless of course it is a Johnny Miller designed course, but that is another story. Well Johnny, you now have company in the "Dave's Terrible Course Designer Club". Freddy Couples, take your chair. Put simply, since golf is a simple game, San Juan Oaks and his course is a terrible design.
     I admit that I didn't play well at all. It took me six holes to make an adjustment in my swing to even get the ball up in the air.  Putting was good as was my short game.  My long game I think I left back at breakfast.  Let's just say that it was a frustrating beginning.
     I kind of liked the front nine.  It some some really good holes. There were some risk and reward holes, but they were doable and fair. My favorite hole was the par five ninth which doglegs slightly left and there is a lake on the right side as you get closer to the green. This was a well designed hole that pr was coming back.esented options for the long hitter. I parred the hole, but that's not the reason I liked the hole. I though it was challenging but fair. On to the back nine.
     After the par on number nine I was excited about the back nine since it seemed that my swing was coming back. Holes ten, eleven and twelve I thought were pretty good holes. Thirteen is where I started to not like this course. The design has barrancas going through them and they do come into play.  I don't mind the laying up because I am a short hitter, but the barrancas come into play where your layup should go. This is not a good thing.  And if you do lay up, the fairways slope into the barrancas such that you are NOT going to stop the ball.  A golf course should play tough, I realize that but it should also play fair.
     The day's round found me in the bunkers quite a bit. I don't mind that and I am not afraid of a bunker.  Would you do me a favor San Juan Oaks?  If I am going to pay this much to play your course, would you please have some sand put into your bunkers? Most all the traps were very hard tamped down sand. You could not get  your club underneath the ball to his a decent sand shot out of the bunkers.
      I have crossed San Juan Oaks off my "I Should Play That Course Someday" list. With so many great courses in that general area, This was the first and last time I will play it.

See ya' later San Juan Oaks. 

   
   

Its The Little Things...

     As I mentioned a while ago in another blog post I played golf last week with my wife for the first time in about three weeks. My golf frequency has been about once every three months and I may keep that pace until it warms up in the spring. Its not that it is cold and damp but I am in the middle of a very important project and time is at a premium. I will miss the game though and so will my wife. Monday you will see what I am working on.
     I want to share with you that little things do count in the game of golf.  My round last Saturday was a disaster.  I was topping everything and it was like I never had a club in my hand before. The front nine of the course I played was not that hard, I thought but I was very frustrated.  I just could not get the ball up in the air and lost four balls on the front nine.
     I tried several adjustment as far as my posture and swing, but these didn't work.  It finally came to me that maybe I am playing the ball just a bit too far forward in my stance, which is causing me to impact the ball on the upper half of the ball, not low on the ball as I should be doing. Guess what, that was what the problem was. There were still minor problems in my game for the rest of the round, but these were "feel" issues which it was clear that were the result of my lack of play. However, my topping the ball ended and I hit the ball fairly well but didn't score well.
     Little things are important in our sport. Moving the ball maybe a half inch back in my stance made a difference.  I was getting the ball in the air again. That's the way it is with this great game. Experience told me to check my ball position and from there I was automatic. Such a small thing can really make a difference.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

High Tech/Low Tech

     A couple of days ago I noticed a post on FaceBook that was talking about the way the game is taught these days. The discussion focused on the high tech methods as compared to some of the low tech approaches to teaching the game. I am not against high tech in any aspect of the game, but there is something to be said about the low tech as well.
     When things get too complicated the human brain can shut down. I know, it happens to me all the time especially when my wife gives me too many tasks to do at once. We are trying to get too technical with a game that is oh so simple. Plus, the human experience factor is very much a part of our game. Machines can't play golf but humans can.
      I think many times we get so wrapped up in the machines we have created not only to teach the game but in all aspects of the game that we have forgotten what the game is all about.  This is a simple game with a simple outcome and that is to hit a ball with a stick and get in into a hole a distance away in as few hits as you can. That's it. We have become so dependent on technology that we don't talk about the game, but the technology involved with the game and that gets in the way of the enjoyment of the game.
     Golf is a strategic game. If I am stuck behind a tree, I have to use my knowledge and experience to try to hit the shot that I can recover from behind the tree and save as many strokes as I can.  I don't go to my computer and ask how I should play the shot.  I know how and it is only a matter of execution. My laptop doesn't tell me what to do, my brain does and most of the time it woks out just fine.
     On the course, before I hit a shot I am thinking about what kind of shot I am going to hit and how far. A driver I try to hit as far as I can to a spot that makes the hole play better. I don't use a Sky Caddie but trust my instincts.  If I haven't played a course before I will check the scorecard map to see what lies ahead.  I try to put an iron or whatever club it takes and hit it on the green. I check the fairway markers and adjust my distances accordingly in order to select the club I am going to use on my second shot.
      My short game and putting also depend not on technology, but on my experience.  I can see the slope of the green and where to hit the ball. I estimate the distances to the hole and the speed of the greens and then hit the shot. I read the green and putt. It is that simple.
     We have tried to bring technology to the game. I don't know how good this is. We have brought launch angle, ball hardness or softness, shaft flex, wedge loft, swing speed and a lot of other math to the game. I don't know how good this is. I am not against it and it makes for great conversation. For me though, I prefer the Keep It Simple Saint method. By the way, can I still get some hickory shafted clubs, some true woods and a featherie ball?

High Tech lesson for a low tech guy.

In My Opinion...Addendum

     You probably saw the golf balls in my last post that were skydiving. If you noticed, none of them had parachutes.  Think about that for a minute. I want to say that none of the golf balls were hurt in any way and are now having a beer in the skydiver's lounge. Remember, golf balls bounce and even from the altitude that they jumped out of the helicopter, they bounced when they hit the ground. That is part of the fun for them. So those of you who are golf ball protectionists, don't get angry. The balls do this all the time. Here is a picture of them returning to earth.

See, they bounce. They also land on nice soft grass.

In My Opinion...(Conclusion)

     I have thought long and hard about what I am going to comment on.  I have been given a very important task, commenting on an issue that effects our game. Are you ready for it.  I want you to read my words and contemplate what I have to share with you. The opinion I am about to express is directly related to the very foundation of our game. Here it is.  The golf ball is very important to our game. That's a pretty profound statement, isn't it?
     Without the ball, our game would be nothing. When the game first began over 500 years ago, it was little more than shepherds on the coast of Scotland would hit rocks around pastures with sticks and try to get that rock into a hole a distance away.  It was found that rocks were very inconsistent in their size and shape, as well as their tendency to break the favorite "goff sticks" of the shepherds. Not only that, they didn't roll well on the beautifully manicured greens.
     Something had to be done. Let's see, what do we do.  I know, let's take a small leather pouch and fill it with a top hat full of feathers then sew the pouch up and hit the crap--uh, feathers--out of it. That makes a lot of sense. I always wondered how they got all those feathers into that pouch. This was the introduction of the golf ball.
     The ball evolved from that leather sack of feathers. A rubber ball was introduced.  Knobs were added to the ball to give it a better flight. The ball's design changed and became a true ball that had a small liquid or solid center that was wrapped in rubber bands with a thin rubber outside cover with dimples to make it fly better. These balls had very good senses of humor and were very quick to detect bad swings. After about four holes the showed that sense of humor by smiling back at you. I think I still have a couple of those balls and they are still laughing at me.
     Then came the ultimate design, the solid ball. In my formative years of playing golf, I used to play solid balls and was laughed at. Now, that is the way the ball is designed. They can make a solid ball behave anyway designers want it to with their three, four, five, six, twenty-eight layers of different types of high technology polymers. I think I even saw a ball sing a Willie Nelson tune they are getting that technologically diverse.
      In my opinion, a ball has to be round, hard and have dimples.  The ball is a key part of our game. Now there, is that enough of an opinion for you.

All those balls that were laughing retired and took up skydiving.

     

In My Opinion...(Introduction)

     My partner says that he wants a more content rich post from me.  He would like me to write more about significant issues that face out wonderful game and what my opinion is toward that issue. He knows that I can do better than writing the drivel that I have been posting so I have decided to take up his challenge. Here goes.
      Let's see, what do I write about?...Hold on, I
hope you are patient.  This may take a while.

I'm thinking long and hard on this one.

Tuesday About Saturday

     Yes, I know today is Tuesday but I wanted to share with you my experience on Saturday.  As I mentioned somewhere, my wife and I played golf Saturday.  It was a road trip with friend to a course I had heard a lot about and never played but wanted to give it a go. I am not going to mention the name of the course because I have strong opinions about the course and how Freddy Couples designed the course. I played terribly as a result of my being on the "once in three month" golf plan.  Bottom line is though that my wife and I had a ball, even though we came back from the course with a dozen fewer.
     It used to be that I could saddle up my clubs, walk to the first tee and hit a wonderful drive somewhere down the middle of the fairway about 220 yards out. Those days have been gone for a long time since my frequency of playing golf has gone from four time a week to once every three months. That decrease in the number of times you play has a definite effect on a persons game.
     The consistency of scoring has gone as well. I shot an 85 at Pacific Grove when I went a couple of months ago, followed by a 92 (would have scored better but I couldn't get the hang of the slow greens and couldn't putt) at Rancho Canada.  I then decided two weeks ago to play DeLaveaga in Santa Cruz, California and shot a 102. I couldn't read the slow greens there either.  I hit the ball well but the par threes were a disaster. I didn't cry or get angry because I was playing golf.
     Saturday was a repeat of the DeLaveaga debacle, but again at least I was playing golf. I had my favorite person along playing with me, my wife. It seems as though my golf balls wanted to play different games with me other than golf.  They played a lot of hide and go seek. I didn't do a good job of finding them in the many barrancas. I think they also thought they were on vacation, because they went swimming a lot. Is there such a thing as a water seeking ball?
     I was topping everything. It took me until the eighth hole to figure out that I had the ball too far forward in my swing. I have to tell you, this was ugly.  It is pretty bad when you see a snake ducking. I had never seen that before.  I guess there is a first time for everything.
     Golf makes you a better person. I know because with all the adversity I encountered from the shots I hit, I am a better person. All kidding aside though, my wife and I had some very good quality time and we did enjoy ourselves immensely. What a great game!  

From a much better time and place.

Oh Happy Day!

     This is a very happy day for me and my wife. Is it our anniversary? No.  Is it her birthday? No.  Do we get to go to Chic-Fil-A for lunch?  No. In about an hour and a half we are leaving to play golf--together. I am so excited.
     When we moved away from Fresno I moved away from my golf community. This has made me very sad.  In fact, as I have said in other posts I have not been playing much.  I went from paying three to five time a week and playing in tournaments to only playing about once every three months. Denise loves the game and only has been able to play about three times a year with her busy schedule and her shoulder injury. Today is going to be a special time together on the golf course.
     My good friend Steve moved away from Fresno as well to Las Vegas.  We don't see each other and today we are playing together.  Steve and I get along very well and tease each other both on and off the golf course. In fact, he was very happy to find out Denise was going to play with us today and said that he was happier to see her more than me and that he likes her better than me.  He was only kidding, of course--I think.
     That is one of the great things about golf, the lifelong friendships you make because of the game. Now if you will excuse me it is time to load up the clubs.
      One last thing that I do need to say. I am saddened by the tragedy that happened in Paris, France yesterday. My sympathy and prayers go out to those who lost their lives in this brutal assault on humanity. To this I say "Viva La France". When will this madness end?

What a beautiful place to put a golf course.

Fog

     If you are expecting some artistic description of playing golf in the fog, you would be very much mistaken. I don't do artsy-fartsy, but I have contended with playing golf in the fog. Believe it or not, I have had some of my best rounds in the fog, even one in a tournament.
     There are two things that you have to contend with here in California's Central Valley when you play golf during the winter. Yes, we are fortunate enough to play year round here but you do have to put up with a few annoyances. The first one is frost. We don't get snow on the floor of the valley, but the temperatures do hover around the freezing mark beginning about the middle of November. Many times you have to put up with two hour frost delays. Many of you on the East Coast are probably reacting to this by saying "Oh, poor babies," and you think we Californians are spoiled. We are, but the cold is still a nuisance and we have to deal with it. It is still COLD.
     The way most of us deal with that two hour frost delay is to just hang out in the coffee shop and have that breakfast burrito and second cup of coffee. The breakfast burritos are pretty good out here.  If you come out here to play, I highly recommend you try one. A lot of time is spent sharing golf yarns--slightly embellished, of course--and trying out new putters rolling the balls on the carpet of the pro shop.  In most cases, in order to pick up time because of the short daytime the pro starts everyone off on a shotgun start. We Californians are flexible, and we can still get the 18 in and have time for a beer at the nineteenth hole. As usual, the conversation normally comes around to the poor golfers back in Buffalo who are snowed in and can't play.
     The second condition that we have to contend with here in "The Valley" is the dense tule fog.  It hasn't been as bad in recent years--I don't know why--but you still have to deal with the reduced visibility. You can't see where your ball lands or is going when you hit it. You hope that the fairway on a par four or five is clear or the green is clear on a par three.
     When visibility is only one hundred yards, that can be a problem. You try to hit the ball between the tree on the right and the tree on the left and hope that the group in front were all clear when the guy in the foursome hollered "FAIRWAY CLEAR".  You hit and wait for silence. If you hear someone scream "OUCH! I'M STILL IN THE FAIRWAY" in pain out of the fog, you know you hit your shot just a bit too soon. Sometimes, that shot returns to you as if out of nowhere, at least out of that thick grey wall in front of you . You have to be careful. But, we still soldier on.
     I actually play better in the fog.  It seems as though you are not concentrating on how far the ball goes, so you make a very smooth swing. You know it is out there somewhere and in which general direction. After striking the ball--hopefully--the suspense is heightened awaiting any sound that may come your way such as the ball striking a branch or someone's head. The whole process is quite the adventure and well worth it. It's kind of like what they say in roulette, "Round and round--of course the ball isn't going around but it may be going to the left or right--she goes, where she stops, nobody knows."
     So, I play on even in winter. The game of golf must go on and I must play. By the way, I'm sorry about hitting you on the head in the fog yesterday.  I didn't see you. How about I send some flowers or maybe a box of See's candy. what's your hospital room number?

Thick fog in The Central Valley. I think this was the first hole at Riverside. Oh c'mon, I know this isn't fog but I don't have any foggy golf day pictures.

Thank You!

      Today's post is not about golf.  It is about those who served or are serving in our military who work to keep us free. I say a hearty THANK YOU. Enjoy this video. Happy Veteran's Day.

Busy Day Today

     I have a busy day today and probably won't get to my computer to post until way late this afternoon. I don't want to leave you hanging so I am going to share with you a post from one of my other blogs that I posted last year. As you know I enjoy lists, so here is one that I think you will enjoy.

  I travel a lot, as I have shared.  How many times have you, like I have, been on a trip with a definite purpose and driven by a beautiful golf course next to the road and said, "That looks like a great course and going to play it someday."? I do that all the time.  The course doesn't have to be by the roadside.  It can be in a city I pass through, but can't stop. It happens all the time and I have prepared a list of those courses I have thought about playing but haven't.  At some point in my life, I will make a special trip if I have to.

Here's the list and they are not in any particular order:

1.  Coyote Creek, San Jose, Ca.: There are two courses here, The Tournament and The Valley Courses and I want to play them both. Every time I drive to San Jose or somewhere south of San Francisco I pass this venue and vow to play them.

2.  Edgewood Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada:  Of all the "Drive By" courses this is probably the one I most want to play.  I don't get up to Lake Tahoe much anymore, but I have to play this course at some time in my life.

3.  Metropolitan, Oakland, Ca.:  This course has an interesting history.  It started out as a golf course and then it closed because the Port of Oakland needed somewhere to dump the toxic dredging when they deepened the Port.  After a while golfers became angry and wanted their golf course back, and finally they did.  The course was completely redone and is now Metropolitan.  I understand that you want to play this one in the morning, because it tend to get very windy in the afternoon.

4.  Tulare Golf Course, Tulare, Ca.:  I have a lot of friends who have played this course.  They say it is nothing special, but I would like to judge for myself.  I was hesitant to play Rancho Del Rey, but I am glad that I found that course.

5.  Mace Meadows, Pioneer, Ca.:  This course is located on Hiway 88 on the way to Carson Pass and Reno beyond. I have passed by it many times and have heard some great things about the course.  It is there just waiting for me.

6. Lockeford Springs, Lodi, Ca.:  Before you get to Mace Meadows, a long way before, you have to pass Lockeford Springs just out of Lodi. I have heard a lot about this course and it has been featured on the "hooked On Golf" golf program.  It looks very inviting and I can't wait to make a special trip up there.

7.  Shoreline, Mountain View, Ca.:  This one is not really right on the road, but I want to play it. My daughter played the course a couple of times in junior tournaments and I had to walk along lusting at the course wanting to play it.  She got all the fun, I got the sore muscles.

8.  Poplar Creek, San Mateo, Ca.:  Growing up and in later years I have fond memories of driving to Candlestick Park and freezing at a San Francisco Giants game.  In order to get to "The Stick" you have to pass Poplar Creek just off of US 101. I wanna play this course!

9.  Crystal Springs, Burlingame, Ca.:  This is another course my daughter has played and I haven't. It lise just over the hills of the San Francisco Penninsula in a small valley between the Pacific Ocean and The San Francisco Bay. Once again, she played it and I walked it watching her play.  This was true torture. I plan to go back there and vindicate this injustice some day. It will probably take a special trip and time set aside to play it, but it is well worth it.

The First Tee At Catalina.  I'm Coming Soon!

10.  All The Los Angeles Courses, Los Angeles, Ca.:  I don't travel south very often, and when I do it is normally to board a ship for a cruise out of Long Beach.  We don't stay.  There are several great courses down there, and someday I will get down there to play golf.

     There is one course that I did not mention which is probably my eleventh course.  You can't drive by this one, you have to take a boat because it is on Catalina Island.  Yes, they do have a golf course on Catalina Island and I'm dying to play it.  I plan to in September as I am going to be on a cruise. I always stop by the course whenever I am on a cruise and the ship stops there.  Mark, the pro, is a great guy to talk to and has been wanting me to play the course. This next trip is the trip and I will feature the course on my website.  More about this later.
     If you have a course that you drive by and want to play, let me know. In the meantime I have to run.  Don't forget to check out my website, http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  Remember, hit 'em long and straight and by all means don't leave that birdie putt short.

 NOVEMBER 10, 2015 Editor's Note:  I got to play Catalina finally.  Here is the YouTube code if you would like to see it:

https://youtu.be/5QIxV0Oj8dw

The Golf Course Travel Bag: Pacific Grove

Rain, Rain, Rain

     We are getting some rain here on the West Coast. It is very much welcomed, but it does play temporary havoc with everyone's golf game out here.  That's OK, whats a little liquid sunshine. Besides, I would rather play on green fairways that have been watered instead of the brownish green with bare spot fairways we had to play on many courses this summer. Rain and El Nino, we welcome you to California.
     I don't mind playing in the rain.  I have many times before and have played many tournaments in the wet stuff. You just have to be prepared for it. You bring extra towels,cover your clubs, keep your grips and hands dry, bring a couple of extra gloves, and make sure that your umbrella doesn't have a hole in it. You can survive this wet stuff. In fact, I have played some fun rounds in the rain.
     I remember the year that our club had a "Hair On The Dog" tournament one New Year's Day. I think I was the only sober guy there and I wasn't suffering from a hangover from the night before's celebrations and parties. Some of the guys hadn't even been to bed yet.  To make matters worse, it was raining heavily. One brave soul went up to the pro to see if he was canceling the tournament. "Hell no!" was the emphatic answer from the pro. The pro said in no uncertain terms that if we were in Scotland we would be playing.  This was what golf was supposed to be like and we were just spoiled Californians.
      It really wasn't raining that hard when we teed off--yet.  About the fourth hole, the rain started to pick up just a bit. The temperature began to drop as well. As the wind began to blow just a bit harder it became obvious to us intrepid golfers that we were no longer playing in a gentle California squall, but a full blown hurricane. Well, maybe not a hurricane as we very rarely get hurricanes in California but it did get very gold, wet and windy.  We soldiered on.
     When we finally made it to the final hole, we noticed that the course seemed rather lonely. Of the fifty golfers who started the tournament, there was only my foursome and another that completed the tournament. For our efforts, we were rewarded with the first place prize and a free pint of beer. All eight of us looked like drowned rats and were frozen to the bone. I think my toes are still defrosting after fifteen years and I know that I still have that glove that I used in the tournament. It has shrunk about four sizes and I don't even think my  young grandson can get it on his hand.
      One last thing I want to ask you about with regards to playing in the rain. Maybe you can explain this to me. I was watching TV this morning and a commercial came on with William DeVane talking for Roslind Capital about buying silver. He is on the golf course and it is raining cats and dogs, yet he is not getting wet. His golf cart is dry, but it is really coming down around him. His shirt is dry as is the golf cart. He pulls out an umbrella and it is not getting wet. How did he do that? The sun is even shinning behind him, but it is coming down in buckets and he is dry as a bone. Hmmmmm.....
      Have fun playing in the rain.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures of playing in the rain. Enjoy this rainy day picture as its one of the few I have.

Where Everyone Knows You Name

     I used to watch Cheers on TV.  My favorite character was Norm as he was the one who everyone greeted as he walked in. I can relate to that, although I have also been accused of being a Cliff Clavin as sort of a know it all. I prefer the Norm persona. At our course I was the Norm and was always greeted with I "Hey Dave", one thing that I truly miss now that I moved away from Fresno and don't play golf regularly. I have no golf course that I regularly go to as was the case when I was a member of the club in Fresno.
     That is one of the great things about the wonderful game we play. Playing is wonderful as it is a great game which requires a good amount of skill, strength and mental toughness. But when the round is over, there are others that have played and it is a lot of fun to go over your round with golfers who have also played.  The nineteenth hole makes golf unique.  The social part of the game I think is what makes  the game so addictive.        
     There is nothing like walking into the pro shop and being greeted by your first name. What's next is truly priceless as well, and that is when you receive the good natured ribbing and teasing from the other golfers that know you. You know most of the people in the shop and they are there to play.  It is a wonderful experience and you are part of it. That atmosphere continues after you finish your round when it starts all over again rehashing the round.  You do this not only with those in your foursome, but whoever played that day. This is special.
       Even if you are at a strange course and don't know a soul, by the time your round is over you have made new friends. The nineteenth hole is still a place to tell the stories of your round and of your families It is a time to relate to other golfers who have many of the same experiences you do. Five hours ago you were strangers, now you have a very strong bond. You began five hours ago as strangers and now you have come together almost as brothers and sisters.  There is nothing like it in any sport.
       It will never be "Hey, Norm" but I miss the "Hey Dave". Maybe soon, this will change.

The stories they tell.

 

Fifteen Yards--Maybe

     God bless my mom. She was an interesting person.  I kind of felt that she was always in a state of anger, but most of the time it was because of the pranks I pulled on her and my Dad's extracurricular activities. Let's just leave it at that. At any rate, there were times in my golfing career that she went out of her way for me, that is until I really got hooked on golf. That's a different story that I may share a different time.
     I practiced a lot when I first started the game. Our living room turned into a makeshift putting green with one of those putting discs being the target. I putted on all the surfaces in the house, whether it be carpet, tile or kitchen floor.  I'm a pretty good putter because of that. The back yard, which was very large, looked like the surface of the moon from all my divots and practicing my short game back there. Lesson were few and far between because the salesman who sold Dad the tuna kind of went back on his word about giving me a lot of lessons. When he did schedule a lesson, I was sure to be there no matter the weather.
     I remember very vividly a lesson I had one cold January evening. It gets cold and damp--I know you North Easterners are saying Oh, poor California boy, playing in the cold--and very foggy in the part of California I live. In fact, we measure how bad the fog is by the number of lines you can see down the middle of the road. A one liner is the worst because you can only see one line on the road in front of you and then the world dissolves into this thick, grey wall. Needless to say, this was not the night to go to the driving range for a golf lesson.  Unfortunately, it was the only night that was open for my teacher and it would be a very long time before we could get together again, so I wasn't going to miss my lesson.  Mom agreed to take me to the range.
     It was a true one liner. In fact, it was hard even to see the traffic signals when they went from red to green. We were not deterred though. It was my lesson day and I was not going to miss.
     We got safely to the driving rage and pulled into the parking lot--I think. There were a couple of cars there and there were people on the range hitting balls into the murky grey wall fifteen yards ahead of them that was the fog bank. I payed for my balls and took my 5 iron and balls out to the range and had my lesson. It was a good one, and we focused on making good contact on the ball. Where the ball went was of no concern.  We couldn't see anyway, but what was important was what my ball flight was when it left the club. Looking back, it was one of my best lessons because the swing was the key and not where or how far the ball went. I will never forget that lesson.
     We made it home safely.
     There is one last thing that I must say today.  Yesterday we surpassed the 1000 views mark for this blog. I want to thank you my readers from the bottom of my heart for tuning in and reading. We have a lot planned for our "Golf Is For Everyone" brand, so stay tuned. Again I say a heartfelt THANK YOU!

Fog has gotten better here in The Central Valley of California

   

Memories, Tucked Away In The Pages Of My Mind

     I was asked the other day about golf and my fondest memories of playing the sport for almost 50 years. There are so many of them and it will take many posts to share them all. Is that booing I hear in the background. Just wait a minute, I have some great stories, most of which are true and you should enjoy reading about them.
     My first introduction to golf was a very reluctant one. My father managed a local grocery store where many salesmen came in to sell him products. One of these salesmen was a former professional golfer who still gave lessons on the side. I was in the store with my Dad and the salesman just happened to come in. He saw me with my Dad and decided to come over and talk.
     "Hey Bill (that was my Dad's name) is that your son? He is a great looking kid. What's his name?
     " Dave," my Dad answered.
      "That's a great name. He looks pretty strong.  I'll bet he could hit a golf ball a mile. Does he play golf?" Of course I didn't play golf.  I was only twelve years old at the time and never had seen a golf course or clubs or balls for that matter.
     "Tell you what I'll do Bill. If you buy this truckload of Tuna, I will give him golf lessons. You would like to learn to play golf, wouldn't you Dave. You would be very good at it."
     My Dad said yes to the deal. Mind you, I had no say in the matter, a decision that would effect me for the rest of my life. Just like in a desert camel transaction--is that politically correct enough for you--I was the final chip that sealed the deal for a truckload of tuna.  That sounds pretty fishy, and to this day I wonder what would have happened if my Dad had turned the salesman down.
THANKS DAD

Yep, that's me taking a lesson.  I'm the one watching and I wasn't twelve.

   

   

The Golf Course Travel Bag: Rancho Del Rey, Atwater, Ca.

Its Sixth Period, Where Are You Going?

     I have been playing golf now for almost fifty years now. When I first picked up a club at the age of thirteen it wasn't really the sport that a young man took up. A normal young man was playing Babe Ruth Baseball or Pop Warner Football. No, we didn't have Soccer back then in the dark ages but we did have TV. My choices were limited. The truth is my Dad got me into the game even though he never took the sport up.  That is a whole other story that I will share another time.
     During junior high when most kids were going to baseball practice, it was off to my golf lesson for me. You can't imaging the teasing I took for that. Things were said by my buddies and acquaintances that I can't share here, this being a family blog and all. It was pretty bad, to say the least. All I could do is look back at those who were tormenting and just know that someday things will change. I guess the fact that I was a bit of a nerd and a bit overweight back then didn't help matters.  The ribbing made a better man out of me, because I knew something they didn't. I was a golfer, and I could take a lot of pride in that.
      I tried baseball, but wasn't good at it.  I could hit but I was slow. You have three guesses which position I played.  I tried out for second base, but I wound up where else but Right field. As the song goes, I play right field--you can be awkward, you can be slow so that's why I'm here in right field watching the dandelions grow. Thank you Peter, Paul and Mary for those astute observations and that summation of my baseball career.
      Then came high school. In high school it is every young man's dream to play football. I never was a very big guy and if you thought I was slow in baseball, it is a bit unsettling when your coach brings out a calendar to time you in the forty yard dash.
      People hit you in football, and hard.  They run into you and you feel it even though you have pads on. It hurts. And this was just practice. It became clear that I was not enjoying this so it was time to consider the old adage of discretion being the better part of valor. I never got into a game, but I think my liver is a milimicron to the left of where it should be from all the hits. Football was not for me. So, I decided to try out for the golf team and I made it.
      I had great success on my golf team and knew this was where I was supposed to be. Life was fun again, especially when you got to get out of the last two boring periods of the day. It was also a lot of fun walking out of class and the football players in the class asking where I was going.  When I told them I was going to a golf match and had to leave early, they were very envious.
       I remember the comments from on of my football buddies as I left the classroom one day. "Where you going?" he asked.
       "Oh, I have a match today and I have to leave early for the golf course." I calmly replied.
       "Rallis, you...Only old men and sissys play that stupid game. You will never catch me playing that stupid game. You woman."
        You have to remember that in 1971, calling someone a woman was the ultimate slander and you have to put his comment in historical perspective. I just looked back at him sort of knowingly and thought about the fact that I was leaving class and he wasn't. My ultimate destination was the golf course to play a game that I truly love and he was stuck at school for a couple more hours.
       Things have a way of taking care of themselves though. I was vindicated. One of my activities that i have done over the years is to serve as a course marshal. One Saturday afternoon about thirty years after we had graduated from high school, I was driving up a par 5 and spotted what looked to be a familiar form coming up the fairway. No, it couldn't be but it was. It was the football player that gave me such a hard time in high school about playing golf.
      He tried to hide as he recognized me. That is pretty impossible as he stands six feet five and weighs close to three hundred pounds. I went up to him and only said, "Hi Joe, is that you? It has been a while, hasn't it?"
       His reply was very simple, "Don't you say a word."
      I left it at that, though we did briefly catch up on what each other was doing and had done over the
years. I see him a lot on other golf courses and it seems he has fallen in love with the game. What can I say.  Golf is for everyone.

Golf is more fun than school.