My "I Want To Play That Course Someday" List That I Did Play Finally

     One of my earlier posts was about the 10 courses on the way somewhere that I want to play. We all have that kind of list. These are courses that we say we want to play and most of the time don't get around to playing.  Mine is still pretty long, but I did get to play some of these courses.
      I recently took some of them off my "I Will Play Someday" to my "I Have Played" list because I did get the opportunity to play them. Some I even went back to play again on another trip.  My "I Will Play Someday" list keeps growing. At some point I will play the ones on that list and I will replace those courses.  You know what? My "I Have Played" list off that "I Will Play" list keeps growing as well. We all know that there enough courses to keep us going for a very long time.
     I know that all that sounded a bit confusing. That's OK, I guess I am a bit confused by it too. At any rate, here is the list of  5 courses that I said I really wanted to play because I would pass by them or be near to them and finally decided to play.  More will be added to that list soon.:

1.  Coronodo Golf Course, Coronado, California: I have been to San Diego many times and there it was, right underneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. I kept saying on the Harbor Cruise and when we went to the beach in Coronado "I have to play that someday."  Someday came and it was a treat.  This is one great course that has scenery all around it and is fun to play. Coronodo is always in great shape as well. I like it so much that I did a feature article on in for West Coast Golfer Magazine. When you are in the San Diego area, make sure to put it on your list.  Plan ahead and make a tee time because as you can imagine, the course is very busy.

2.  Balboa Park (The 18 Hole Course), San Diego, California: Yes, it is located in Balboa Park in San Diego.  You turn left to go to the zoo, and right to go to the course. I wasn't sure about this one because it was completely redone in the 90's I think.  I did want to play it though. It is hilly and has some great holes on it.  I do remember one thing about the course.  I was playing with a couple of ladies and I asked about how to play my second shot.  They said just don't hit the ball to the right, there is a baranca there.  So I made sure to hit my ball to the left.  Guess what, there was a baranca on the left as well and I lost my ball. I asked the ladies why they didn't tell me about the baranca on the left and their reply was, you didn't ask. It is a fun course and was in pretty good shape.

3.  Lake Tahoe Golf Course, South Lake Tahoe, California:  As you drive into the South Lake Tahoe Basin you pass a large flat meadow and discover that there is a golf course built in it. You wold think that a golf course built in the mountains would have some hills on it. Not at this course.  It is flat. I drove by it several time as I went to Lake Tahoe the many times I have been there but wondered if I wanted to play it.  It was flat.  It couldn't possibly have any character to it. I was wrong.  What I didn't know until I played it is that the Truckee River runs through the property and cuts across the course in some very strange places. It is a fun course to play and very beautiful with the high mountains of the Sierra and around Lake Tahoe as a backdrop. It is a fun golf course and well worth it.  I never have hit a 5 iron 200 yards or a wedge 140 yards before.

4.  Manteca Park Golf Course, Manteca, California:  I was told so many times when I lived in Fresno that I should play Manteca Park. I finally did and I was glad.  The course is a kick to play and it was in very good condition even though we played it just soon after a heavy rainstorm.  It is short, but I was a bit confused by the high slope. It can't be that tough, why is it rated so high? It was tough.  The fairways are tight and the greens are small. I want to go again soon.

5.  Lake Chabot, Oakland, California:  A par six, are you kidding me.  Nope, the eighteenth hole is a par six and you kind of wonder when you haven't played there why it is a par six. OK, it is 633 yard of pure downhill bliss. The City of Oakland brings in snow and lets people ski down it during the winter. The cart path snakes back and forth through the fairway because if you went straight down the middle of the fairway it is so steep that you probably would turn the cart over.  Needless to say, the rest of the course is hilly as well. It is a fun course and not punitive but the greens are small and the course does get some getting used to. Ask the marshals for some local knowledge, they will help.  Listen to them, they know.

     I have many more courses that can go on this list and I will probably revisit this soon and talk about those courses. But for now, that's it. Don't forget to check out my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com to see some of the courses I played. Take a look at some of my course U-Tube videos and the instruction pages. Until next time, hit 'em long and straight.  Don't forget to not leave that birdie putt short.

Number eighteen at Lake Chabot.  It looks like Lombard Street in San Francisco.

The First Tee at Coronado.

Some Thoughts About The Ryder Cup: Brad Patterson

Congratulations to the American Ryder Cup team for bringing "The Cup" back to The United States, but not without some controversy. The play was outstanding on both sides but there were some pointed criticisms about the American fans. Here's what I find puzzling.  You don't hear much about European soccer fans from the European side.  That's just a thought. I also think that the PGA of America did the right thing in putting out the memo concerning fan behavior and enforcing that policy.

I found a post on Facebook by our colleague Brad Patterson that pretty much says it all.  I want to share that post with you.  Here it is.

I'm not one to hold back on an opinion but I'm at a loss on this one. Please read and offer your thoughts. Preface this to say whenever the Americans win a Ryder Cup on US soil there is a "trend" the Euros are quick to cite the over the top behavior on the part of our players or our fans. It happened in 1999 with Justin Leonard and "The Putt", Louisville in '08, and it happened again this weekend. (These are the only victories on US soil in the past 17 years).

Many of you heard the exuberance from the fans during the event. Most notably the cheering when the Euros missed putts. We simply don't do that in golf. Even Mike Tirico commented as many of you have that "many of the patrons are sports fans and not necessarily golfers." Sports fans all across the board cheer, trash talk, and heckle. How we get the 6th man, the 12th man, the aura of playing in "their house." But as golf transitions and appeals to the masses it also attracts a multitude of people not educated on the etiquette and traditions of golf.

Maybe it began with the Euros calling out a heckler Thursday in an attempt to embarrass him with playing on a stage in front of millions for money. Their plan backfired and Insurance Man made the putt. Did this give the hecklers even more fuel? Or was it the heckler screaming vulgarity at Rory Saturday on every hole?

Apparently it did. So much so, the PGA of America published this statement before the singles matches yesterday....

"Rooted in the ideals of sportsmanship and international goodwill, the Ryder Cup is about having a spirited passion for not only the victory, but for the game of golf. We are encouraging all spectators on Sunday to be passionate and support their team in a way that is respectful to those around them, the players, and the Ryder Cup.

"Our security staff will continue to enforce a zero tolerance policy, removing from the course any fans who are disruptive in any way, including the use of vulgar or profane language directed at the players. We look forward to a strong finish today that reflects the spirit of the Ryder Cup and provides a positive experience for all."

Sergio even gave an interview where he cited "I feel ashamed for my American girlfriend."

Rory's heckler was booted. Others were booted following the PGA's statement yesterday. Yes, you could see a decided behavior change from the fans yesterday. At the same time you have perhaps the most emotionally charged match in golf history occurring between Patrick Reed and Rory to lead off America's charge to victory yesterday.

Where does it end? How does it change? Personally? I actually take offense at The Euros attempting to put an asterisk on American victories in The Cup due to hostile playing conditions. But I also know The Euros are our guests and they do deserve to be treated with the utmost respect during the matches.

http://www.independent.ie/…/i-feel-ashamed-for-my-girlfrien…


Brad Patterson
PGA



Thanks Brad for those comments which really hit the nail on the head.

Way to go Lads!

Fifteen Yards, Maybe: Golf Memories Growing Up

    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.  We have surpassed 40,000 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