Money, Money, Money--Part 1

     Why the unusual title for this post you may ask?  The reason is simple.  Golf is on the decline as far is play and there are several reasons as I have talked about before. One of the main reasons for this decline is the cost of participating in the sport. Is golf pricing itself out of the market? I kind of think so.
     Golf, as in other things in this world has pretty much forgotten basic economics.  What comes into play here is the basic law of supply and demand. As golfers we would like to think that generally the law of supply and demand do not apply to golf, but it does. When the supply of a product goes up and the demand for that product goes down, what do you do to that product. That product has costs associated with it which must be covered, but the product is not being sold. What you do is to lower the cost to the consumer for that product to stimulate purchase or usage of the product or service. It's just that simple. Sorry I'm bothering you with this.  I'm into this, I used to teach history.
     I used to be in sales. If we had something that wasn't selling, what would we do. Yes, we made a lot of money when we sold a high ticket item with a steep price, but those sales were few and far between. Dollars were not changing hands and we still had the investment of the high priced item. A business is based on cash flow.
     We would call this, "slow dime, fast nickel". What this means is you are making a lot of profit on the expensive item, but unless it sells it is a liability. Something that has less profit built into it makes you less money, but your money is being turned.  You are generating fast revenue or profit. In other words, you don't make money unless it sells. When something wouldn't sell or was priced to high, we would lower the price or put it on what? ON SALE! Stay with me on this one, there will be a prize at the end.
     How does this relate to golf? I will get into that tomorrow. Don't forget to check out my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. Hit 'em long and straight, don't leave that birdie putt short.

The first tee at Bayonet. This is a great course in the Monterey area and right now are offering some great specials on green fees. 

         

Goodbye Riverbend. I'm Glad I knew You

     I am in mourning today.  I didn't loose a close friend or relative, but I did loose something that was very special in my life for a very long time. Riverbend Golf Course has been sold and they have changed her name. She is no longer Riverbend but Dragonfly, and it is time to say goodbye to a good friend.  With that said I say goodbye Riverbend and may you prosper in your new life as Dragonfly. What more can I say?

Goodbye my friend.  I will miss you.

   

Another Favorite Course-Coronado

I just got finished producing a new U-Tube video of one of my favorite courses.  this course will go on another one of my favorite course posts, but I wanted to share the video with you.  Take a look at it.  I am also going to post it on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com, so you can see it there as well.  I'm proud of my videos. Here's the link:  http://youtu.be/hVoPtxKiQJ8

The Starter Shack on the first tee at Coronado.

My "Top Ten Favorite Courses I Have Played" List

     You really have backed me into a corner. Many of you have asked me to commit to writing about my favorite ten courses. Let me get one thing straight. All the courses I have played are my favorite. If they have green grass, good greens, a good layout that is fair and some good fairways and I am playing them at the moment, it is my favorite. I know that that is very noncommittal, but sorry I love golf and the courses I play. So, if you ask me what my favorite course is, I would say the one I am playing right now.
     I promised you a list of ten.  Now remember, these are not in any particular order. Please also keep in mind that these are the courses I am thinking about that come to mind off the top of my head. The list is not comprehensive either.  Here  is my list.

1.  Trump National Los Angeles:  The layout of the course and the views of the Pacific Ocean will truly take your breath away. You can see more of this beautiful course by going to my website and reading about it as well as viewing the video. I want to go back and play it, even though the green fee is over $200. Check it out on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.

2.  Pacific Grove, Pacific Grove, Ca.:  Yep, this really is a poor man't Pebble Beach. It is short, but can give you a headache if you can't make some shots. Views of the Pacific from the back nine will make you stop in mid round and take in all the beauty.  The Pacific Ocean is right across the street and you can literally see and hear the waves crashing on the rocks.  The course isn't anything to gripe about as well. It is a lot of fun and challenging.

3.  Bayonet/Blackhorse, Seaside, Ca. (Monterey Area):  It seems as though many of my favorite courses happen to be in Monterey.  I'm sorry for that, but if you have ever been to Monterey and played golf, you know what I'm talking about. These tow courses are located on the former Fort Ord Army Base in the hills above Monterey which has been closed for a long time. The courses are now owned by The City Of Seaside and are open to the public. Both courses have been renovated and offer some great vistas of Monterey Bay.  The courses aren't too shabby as well with some lush fairways which are lined by Monterey Cyprus trees and some great greens.

4.  Monterey Pines, Monterey, Ca.: Shhhhh!!!!!Don't tell anyone about this one. This course is very well known to golfers who live in Monterey. They know this great track as "The Navy Course" as it is owned by The U.S. Navy and is located above the fairgrounds on the grounds of The Naval Post Graduate School. It is a short course, but very well maintained and tricky.  The greens are always in great shape and the fairways are narrow. This course is truly Monterey's best kept golf secret.

5.  Moro Bay Golf Course, Morro Bay, Ca.:  I really love this course, not because of the beautiful views of Morro Bay and the fact that it is a kick to play but because I have decided that I am a very crazy person. With that said, if you are already crazy this case will not take you there because you already are crazy. It is a great layout, set in the pines above Morro Bay and Morro Bay State Park. I am not sure that there is a level lie on the course but the greens are what sets this course apart. You will be saying things like, "I swear that putt was uphill!" as you ball rolls ten feet past the hole on what was originally a two footer. How about, "Did that break right two feet?  There's no way, just look at that.  It has to break left.". Prepare for a lot of fun when you play Morro Bay.

6.  Metro West, Orlando, Florida: I got to play this course when I was on vacation in Florida.  The kids wanted to go to Disney World and I didn't because they wanted to go to a different kingdom than I did. I played golf here instead.  I found it by accident. The course had some great greens, which were Bermuda by the way. It is an adventure putting on Bermuda Grass. I enjoyed this course very much and found out that grass grows very quickly in Florida and 85 degrees isn't necessarily 85 degrees.

7.  Stevinson Ranch, Stevinson, Ca.: Out in what seems to be the middle of nowhere admidst the farmland, dairies and cattle ranches of the western Central Valley of California lies the little town of Stevinson.  Who would of thought one of the best public golf courses in the United States would be located here.  It is. Stevinson Ranch is a "links style" course which is a lot of fun to play. Although it is basically flat, there is a lot of areas you can get yourself into a ton of trouble. The greens here are large and undulating.  What a kick in the pants.  You can see more of Stevinson in pictures and work by going to my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com where you can watch the video I shot there.

8.  Ridge Creek, Dinuba, Ca.:  Many of you will ask where in the world is Dinuba, Ca? It is a few miles south of Reedley out in the peach orchards. Is there a golf course there?  Yes, there is and it is a good wone.  It is owned by the City of Dinuba and you just wouldn't think that a smalltown would have such a great course.  It does.  This is a "links style" course which has the feel of a course in Scotland. Keep the ball on the fairway, and don't get into any of the fairway or greenside bunkers Laddie, or your score will certainly soar. The pro shop staff is very friendly and helpful.  Hi Rosa, I'm going to come and take pictures of your course soon and do a video.

9.  Sherwood Forest, Reedley, Ca.:  Who would of thought that Reedley would have a course, let alone Dinuba. Whereas Ridge Creek is just out side of Dinuba, Sherwood Forest is out of town about 10 miles and set on the Kings River.  The River runs though this course which is one of the most picturesque courses in the Central Valley. They built this course in a grove of 100 plus year old oak trees with the river running through the course and in play on several holes. The fifteenth is my favorite.  What a beautiful and natural place for a golf course not on the ocean.

10.  Riverside Golf Course, Fresno, Ca.:  Home, what can I say. When E.T. says, "E.T. phone home." he means another planet.  When I phone home, I call Riverside for a tee time. That's not true Denise, but it sounded good. At any rate, Riverside has been my home course for a long time except when I had my membership at River Bend in Madera.  I grew up in golf on Riverside, and it is a great "Old Parkland Style Course".  You can see more of Riverside at my website in my U-Tube page.  Yes it was 108 degrees, but we loved every minute of playing this classic course.

     That's basically it for now. You know I can't boil down all the courses I have played to my ten favorite, that is impossible.  I haven't even scratched the surface.  Stay tuned.
     As I have mentioned, these courses are on my website. Some of the courses have videos, so go to my website and take a look.  Got to http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and take a look. Until next time, hit 'em long and straight.  Of course, don't you dare leave that birdie putt short.

The short par four  8th at Stevinson Ranch. And the hits just keep on comin'. 

    


















 

10 Things I Don't Like In Golf

     Yesterday, I wrote about the ten things I like in golf.  As I explained in the post, these were not the things I liked most or least, they were just ten things I like. They were not in any order as well and there are many more and I will share those with you later as I think about them. I hope you enjoyed the list.
     This is a polar world we live in.  The world has its North and South Poles. Good has its opposite, bad. Love has its opposite, hate.  So it is with me.  I have what I love about the game, and I have what I don't exactly like or what strikes me as not exactly good. Yesterday was what I liked about golf and today will be what I think is the negative aspect of the game, at least from my perspective.  Here goes.

1.  Golfers that play once a year can really make a round unbearable, especially if you are playing behind them. I'm not talking about the ones who only play once a year and come out because a good friend has asked them to play.  I'm talking about the "Once A Year, Let's Buy A Lot Of Beer And Tear Up The Place Because A Golf Course Is a Great Place To Get Drunk" group.  You know what I'm talking about. In most cases, they come out with no respect for the course and tear it up.

2.  I don't like idiots, sober or drunk who do not respect the course. These are the guys that don't respect the "Keep Carts On The Cart Path" sign.  Now granted, some of the greens keepers have a tendency to put the "No Carts"  signs a bit too far away from the green, but on a par 3 when it says no carts, that means no carts.  These are also guys that take a huge divot out of the fairway, and laugh about it without pouring sand in the divot.

4.  This one is a two for one, I guess. Speaking of not repairing your divots, that is a pet peeve of mine as well. Don't complain about a fairway or green that is like the surface of the moon and not repair your divots on the green and in the fairway. Courses should make sure that there is turf builder, or at least sand in the container on the cart and everyone should carry a divot repair tool for divots on the green.  I repair mine and one more.

5.  I don't like those people who complain about the condition of a course and do not repair their divots.  Most people when they play a "goat track" should expect "goat track" conditions. The same is true for a great course. Respect the course and help manage it and the course will be in good condition.


6. I hate fivesomes that don't play fast. You can visit and have a great time, but make sure you understand that there are others playing behind you.  I have played behind fivesomes that play faster than a lot of twosomes, but that is rare. The stories I could tell you about on this one. Let's just leave it at I don't like slow fivesomes.

7.  When I hook up with a couple of guys on the first tee, I want guys who will chat between shots.  I am a social kind of guy and like to chat about whatever, and especially about the great game we play. If I get hooked up with someone who is taking their round very seriously and not talking almost to the point of ignoring me, I don't like that.  Yes, you keep silent when someone is hitting but between shots is time to visit. I have to admit that when I do play in a tournament, I get very serious most of the time.  I can be guilty of getting in that zone and not being sociable, but that is a different story. Chatting and cracking jokes loosens me up most of the time.

8.  I don't like "hard" distance golf balls. I am not a distance player, but a finesse player.  I like a golf ball that "dances" around the green. The short game is my friend.  I can't do what I do around the green with a hard distance ball.

9.  I don't like "trash talk" in the game of golf.  This is a gentleman's game.  It is not football, basketball or baseball.  There is no place in the game for a trash mouth and trashing another player. Encouragement should be the rule, not tearing someone down. OK, maybe a little bit.

10.  I hate "lip outs" for whatever score, birdie or quadruple bogey.

     I guess that you could say that these are annoyances in the game of golf.  There are many, and most of them involve golfers themselves. With all the annoyances in the game, I love to play the game and won't let those annoyances bother me to the point that I will leave the game. It is a great game, and I love playing it.
     Don't forget to stop by and visit my website. All the courses that are in the course directory I have played personally. You will also find a lot of other great "golf stuff" there as well including course U-Tube videos and some great U-tube videos on instruction and tips. I didn't do the "Tips" videos of course.  Think about that one for a moment.  Would you really want a golfer like me to give you golf tips?  At any rate, check out the website, http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.
     Until next time, hit 'em long and straight.  Don't you dare leave that birdie putt short.

I would sure like to be playing here.  This is the Ninth Green at Sharp Park. Take a look at my video on Sharp Park.

    

Ten Things I Like In Golf

     I thought about something to write about today in my blog and It was very hard to come up with a subject. I thought and I thought--which as you know if you read my other blog is a very hard thing for me--an mind was blank.  Many of you think this is a common occurrence for me, but actually it isn't.  In fact my mind races all the time.  The problem is I have to focus all those thoughts. Maybe it is time to return to the subject at hand and that is golf. Needless to say, I was having a hard time coming up with something.
    I love the game of golf. What do I like, or should I say love, about the game. If I were to boil it down to ten things I love about the game, what would they be? There are so many things I love about the game, why just ten? I have decided on ten today, because I like that number and I only have limited time and space here to share these with you. In the coming months, you may see more posts about the things I love in golf but today it will be just ten. These are not in any particular order, either and here we go.

1.  I enjoy meeting new people. Many times I will go to the golf course by myself and take pot luck as far as getting up a game. On the first tee, generally I have never met the people I would be playing with. By about the third hole, it is like we have been friends forever. Yes, you do get some guys and galls who are not friendly and don't interact, but generally a good conversation strikes up during the round and by the 18th hole it is like you have known the people you are playing with forever. I like that and golf is the common denominator.

2.  Of course I would have to say the 19th hole. What a lot of people who don't play golf don't understand is that golf is a social game.  Yes, it is fun to play the game but it is also a lot of fun to interact with the people you have played with.  It is fun to hash out the round and to tell some tall golf tales over a soda or lunch at the coffee shop or bar after the round.

3. The sound of a club hitting the ball. There is nothing like it in any other sport.  Baseball has the crack of the bat, but golf has the clunk of the ball hitting the club. That sound, whether it is a good hit or bad miss is still one of the greatest sounds in sport.  It has changed over the years, especially with the woods no longer being made of wood but the sound is still music to my ears.

4.  Sinking a fifty footer on the putting green can make your heart sing. It doesn't matter if it is for birdie or triple bogey, it still is a thrill when it goes in from the cheap seats.

5.  How about taking out a new dozen golf balls and playing them.  It doesn't matter what brand they are and yes I do prefer Titleist but it doesn't matter the brand. When you take that dozen out and open the first sleeve, the newest of the balls and how shiny they are brings a warm and fuzzy feeling. It is too bad they won't stay new for long.

6.  I would have to say that if I did have a most favorite thing, and my mind would change often, is that my wife plays golf.  She is very competitive as well.  Plus, she knows how to play the game. I don't have to baby her around the course, and I wouldn't want too.  She played basketball, volleyball and softball in college as well as almost going pro in softball.  She know her way around sports.  I very much enjoy the time we spend together on the course.

7.  Along those same lines, I am glad that I have two of my children who play golf.  On is actually starting to give lessons and she is going to get her Class A pro degree.  My son plays as well and loves the game.

8.  I like to hit the green in regulation.  I don't very often right now because I am not playing as much.  When I have that six footer for birdie, which I used to make with regularity but since I don't play much I don't, makes me feel giddy.

9.  Which brings me to the next thing, which goes along with number eight. Believe me it is doesn't happen very often, especially now.  That is sinking that putt for birdie. YES!

10.  Taking pictures of golf courses. I really enjoy sharing those courses I have played in pictures and in words. There is nothing like the feeling of setting up a shot--picture--of a green when the sun is low in the sky. The lighting itself makes it all worth the while.

     That's about it for now. Don't forget to check out my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.  Remember to hit 'em long and straight.  Don't hit that birdie putt short.

What a great game!

Sharp Park 0001

Bajamar 0001

Cherry Island--Elverta Clifornia

     When I lived in the Sacramento area in the early 80's the golf options were few. You had to get up very early and wait on hold for a tee time anywhere in the area.  There were only a few courses available to the golfing public. What would happen is, you would wind up at Haggin Oaks to play the red and blue courses, because that was the only choice you had. I'm not saying that Haggin Oaks is not a bad course and I did enjoy playing the MacKenzie course which back then was called The Eighteen Course. Those were your options.
     Things have changed dramatically in Sacramento and the Sacramento area. Just after I left, there was an explosion of  course building, and now Sacramento has a large number of golf options.  As I talked to some of the pros in the area, almost too many. There are some truly great courses in the Sacramento area and I guess I just need to bite the bullet and spend a week playing as many as I can to write about them and photograph them.
     When I was there, Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation was considering building another course somewhere in the north of Sacramento to take off some of the pressure on their other Sacramento course, Ancil Hoffman. They finally decided it was time, and created Cherry Island.
     I finally got to play Cherry Island a couple of weeks ago.  Much had been said to me about the course, all good of course. I wanted to play it, so when I took my wife to the Sacramento airport I decided if  I had to be up there I might as well put the time to good use and work. I am glad that I did.
     When you look up in the dictionary the definition of "target golf"  you will find a picture of Cherry Island. You definitely have to hit your spots on the course to score well. It helps if you know those spots if you have played the course before. yes, It is a "target golf" course, but I did think that it was fair. As the course winds through the oaks and environmental creek areas, you have to hit your spots.  I didn't.
     Speaking of the oaks and the setting of the course, it is very picturesque with two creeks running through the course. The course designer, famous course designer Robert Muir Graves paid very close attention to the environment as he designed the course around the property which was a Cherry Orchard at one time. The fun starts on the first hole which is a dog leg right where you have to carry a creek that runs through the middle of the hole. You must keep your ball in the fairway, because there is the creek to the right and left as well as environmental areas that surround the hole. It's a lot of fun, trust me on this.
     The course was in fantastic shape, with the greens running at about a 9 on the stimp and putting true. I am not going to review the course in depth here, I will do that on my website. What I have done is produced a U-Tube video that you can go to and see the course and some of the pictures that I took while playing the course. Here's the link, I hope you enjoy it. http://youtu.be/8Yv4tgMLZAA
     I enjoyed playing Cherry Island and recommend it highly. The pro shop staff was friendly and helpful, especially when they had to put up with me and my constant batter. That's it for now. Remember to take a look at my website.  If you are out of town and want to find a course to play, take a look.  Someone asked me how many courses I have played and reviewed and I guess it is close to 100. Each course in my directory I have personally played and experienced.  You will also find some helpful golf tip videos and some course videos as well.  Go to http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and take a look. I would appreciate the view. Hit 'em long and sraight, don't leave that birdie putt short.

Women Golfers

     I don't know if I like that term "Woman Golfer" or even "Lady Golfer".  Aren't we who play the sport just that, golfers?  I hope to think so. This should be an egalitarian sport, not one defined by a person's gender. In order to grow the sport, I think that attitudes have to change. Why am I kind of charged up about this?  I saw a U-tube video. Attitudes men have toward women playing the game have to change.
     I have to admit that the video was humorous. I did chuckle.  It shows three guys sitting down in the posh members lounge in an obviously posh English Country Club. They are watching two quite curvaceous, good looking women play golf.  Of course their golf outfits are quite brief, tight and low cut in the bodice. There were the natural snide remarks from the three gentlemen about the ladies, but then they hit some shots. The shots they hit were very good, one going into the cup from off the green.  It was clear that these ladies could play the game.
     My daughter plays golf, as does my wife. Both are very capable of playing from the men's tees and whipping anyone's butt. Both hit long and my daughter played on state championship teams in high school and junior college. My wife played competitive softball and can play any sport with the best of them. You ought to see her play poker. Believe me, they both don't mid beating up on lesser foes, be they male of female.
     I had a family membership at a local golf course and would play often with my daughter. We picked up another twosome one Saturday afternoon and were ready to tee off.  The twosome that joined us would play from the men's back tees and I would on occasion. I stepped up to the back tees as well, and the twosome teed off and then I teed off. My daughter kind of waited until we teed off and then I asked her which set of teed she would like to tee from. She said, "I'll go ahead and play the blues with you guys, if you don't mind."
     She proceeded to go to the back tees with us. One of the guys in the twosome saw this and said,"Are you sure you want to do that, little lady?"
     My daughter's response was, "Yes, I don't want to hold anything up."
     "Are you sure?" was the sort of patronizing reply from the male golfer.
     "I'll be OK." was my daughter's reply.
     These two guys were fairly big hitters who would hit their drives about 240 yards.  My daughter hit her drive and it sailed passed theirs about twenty yards. After she hit her drive, she just picked up her tee, smiled at them and returned to our cart.  I still remember the looks on their faces as the ball flew passed their drives. They could have caught a swarm of flies with the way their jaws dropped. Needless to say, she waxed their tails when the scores were finally tallied at the end of the round.
     Check out some of my U-tube videos on my website.  I am very proud of them. Watch them and enjoy the courses which I hope you get to play some day.  These are some great courses. Go to my website http:the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and take a look.  There is much more on the site as well.  In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight.  And please, don't leave that birdie putt short.

Ho-hum, another 250 yard drive.  I don't think I caught it all. My daughter, I'm proud of her.

Stevinson 15

The 15 Inch Cup Revisited

     What do I think of the fifteen inch cup as marketed to golf by Taylor Made?  My thoughts have changed on the subject after playing a round with them in a tournament at Stevinson Ranch on Fourth Of July. It was a lot of fun to play them.  I wouldn't want a steady diet of them, as I am a golf purist.
     Stevinson Ranch, I am told, is the first golf course in Northern California to have the fifteen inch cup. It seems as though they will put the fifteen inch holes out in addition to the regular holes and pins, giving golfers a choice of which pins they want to play. Stevinson is to be congratulated for their innovation and wanting to try new ideas for the good of the game.
     The idea is two-fold. The larger cup is supposed to make the game go faster.  Time on the green is lessened because with the larger hole you don't really need a degree in advanced trigonometry or advanced calculus to get the read on a putt. It doesn't take as long to read a putt.  However, the greens still do break and speed is critical.  You must get the ball to the hole, even though that hole is a LOT bigger. Believe me, you can still come up short on a birdie putt.  I know, I did three times.  How can you miss with a cup the size of a hub cap? It is possible.
     The second idea behind the larger cup is that it gets new golfers on the course sooner and gives them a sense of  success in the game, at least when they get on the green. Instead of taking six or seven putts on the green and having to card a 12 or thirteen because of a misread of the the speed or break of a putt, the ball gets into the hole quicker. This actually moves the game along for the beginner and gives them a sense of accomplishment.
     The concept behind the bigger cup is kind of like that in baseball. First when you are just starting out in the game you play tee-ball and then graduate up the steps and levels until you are able to play in the major leagues. Eventually, you graduate from the driving range to the par three course to the big course playing the 15 inch cup to the regulation cup. I think that this is a great idea. At first I didn't, but we have to get creative to get more people into the game, especially now.
     I don't think that the intention is for the fifteen inch cup replace the regulation four and a half inch cup. I'm sixty years old and still a purist. The game requires a lot of skill, and reading a green is a big part of that skill. The fifteen inch cup is there for the growth of the game.
     I have a video that is about the Fourth Of July Tournament at Stevinson.  Take a look at it, I think that you will enjoy it. Here's the link: http://youtu.be/_Kx3Qrv18IE, or you can go to my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and see it there. By the way, stop by and visit my website. I am always  updating it and listing new courses and such as well as new golf tips and places to play. Take a look.  In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight.  Don't leave that birdie putt short, even with a fifteen inch cup.

How can you leave a birdie putt short with a fifteen inch cup?  I did, three times. SNAP!

 

Cherry Island 0001