Sunday, August 31, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
CATALINA!
It is official!
Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance
Actually, romance isn't waiting for me there and it is only 22 miles, but golf is waiting. I am finally going to play Catalina Golf Course. Thank you Mark!
You probably didn't know that Catalina Island had a golf course. It does, and a good one at that. It is a 9 hole track, 18 from a second set of tees, set in the canyons above Avalon the main town on Catalina. I have been told that it is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi River that has been in continuous operation since it was opened as a three hole course. I don't want to totally get into the history of the course, but I do want to let you know that I have been invited to play the course and do a You-Tube video and feature it on my website. I will also let you know what the course was like here on my blog.
Catalina and I go back about 18 years to the first Carnival Cruise I took there in 1996 with my family. Each time I have been there it has been on a cruise ship as a port of call. I have been there several times and have yet to totally explore the island. I'm told that there is a lot to see, especially the buffalo. That's another story. Let's face it folks, I am a golfer, not a naturalist. I tend to focus in on what golf options there are in a location. On this trip we took a golf cart tour and it stopped at the course. at the time I didn't stop in, but I did say, hmmm--I have to play this course some day.
I have been to the course several time and have chatted in depth with Mark the pro there. He is a great guy to talk to. You can tell he really knows his course taking the time to talk about it at great leangth. Every time I go up there, he remembers me and always cordially invites me to experience his course. To this point I have been unable to play the course for a number of reasons while I'm there. I have decided it is time and so in a couple of weeks, again on a cruise I am going to play the course and take pictures. I only hope that what I produce is as good as it can be.
I have some other stories that I will share with you as the time gets closer about my visits to Catalina Golf Course. I have to run now. Don't forget to visit my website, http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. If you would also be so kind to take a look at my new video about The Golf Course Travel Bag and myself on You Tube, I would truly appreciate it. don't make me beg. Here is the URL http://youtu.be/2VSgOYis-M8
and I hope you will enjoy it as well as my other videos you can find on my website. Just remember to hit 'em long and straight...don't leave that birdie putt short. One last thing, it's only 22 miles.
Twenty- six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance
Actually, romance isn't waiting for me there and it is only 22 miles, but golf is waiting. I am finally going to play Catalina Golf Course. Thank you Mark!
You probably didn't know that Catalina Island had a golf course. It does, and a good one at that. It is a 9 hole track, 18 from a second set of tees, set in the canyons above Avalon the main town on Catalina. I have been told that it is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi River that has been in continuous operation since it was opened as a three hole course. I don't want to totally get into the history of the course, but I do want to let you know that I have been invited to play the course and do a You-Tube video and feature it on my website. I will also let you know what the course was like here on my blog.
Catalina and I go back about 18 years to the first Carnival Cruise I took there in 1996 with my family. Each time I have been there it has been on a cruise ship as a port of call. I have been there several times and have yet to totally explore the island. I'm told that there is a lot to see, especially the buffalo. That's another story. Let's face it folks, I am a golfer, not a naturalist. I tend to focus in on what golf options there are in a location. On this trip we took a golf cart tour and it stopped at the course. at the time I didn't stop in, but I did say, hmmm--I have to play this course some day.
I have been to the course several time and have chatted in depth with Mark the pro there. He is a great guy to talk to. You can tell he really knows his course taking the time to talk about it at great leangth. Every time I go up there, he remembers me and always cordially invites me to experience his course. To this point I have been unable to play the course for a number of reasons while I'm there. I have decided it is time and so in a couple of weeks, again on a cruise I am going to play the course and take pictures. I only hope that what I produce is as good as it can be.
I have some other stories that I will share with you as the time gets closer about my visits to Catalina Golf Course. I have to run now. Don't forget to visit my website, http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. If you would also be so kind to take a look at my new video about The Golf Course Travel Bag and myself on You Tube, I would truly appreciate it. don't make me beg. Here is the URL http://youtu.be/2VSgOYis-M8
and I hope you will enjoy it as well as my other videos you can find on my website. Just remember to hit 'em long and straight...don't leave that birdie putt short. One last thing, it's only 22 miles.
 |
| Yes Virgina, there really is a golf course on Catalina Island. Move your finger when you take the picture, will you. Sorry, I'm not used to taking pictures with a phone. Isn't that what a camera is for? |
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
New High Tech Clubs
I finally gave in to the high tech club craze. The last time I played my old clubs, I knew it was time to change to something a little more modern that truly fit my game given my age and strength. The search was on.
I visited a lot of golf stores wanting to find the sticks that fit properly. All the well known brands were in the mix, Taylor Made, Callaway, Nike, Mizuno and I really liked the Adams clubs. What I chose was the most high tech I could get.
These clubs had some very interesting characteristics. They were made out of a new material that is beginning to show up in golf, a polymer that is supposed to help your game. The price was right as well as they didn't cost an arm and a leg, $3.99 at Wal-mart including three brand new balls. Such a deal! These clubs should really improve my game.
I am thinking very seriously of putting together a group of golfers to play together on a trip to a location somewhere in California. I haven't quite come up with the location, and wanted to get some input from you. It will probably happen sometime in the spring of 2015 and will be from three to five days. If you could give me some ideas of where we should go, that would be great.
In the meantime, don't forget to visit my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and take a look at some great instructional videos as well as some videos of a few outstanding golf courses. Hit 'em long and straight--don't leave that birdie putt short.
I visited a lot of golf stores wanting to find the sticks that fit properly. All the well known brands were in the mix, Taylor Made, Callaway, Nike, Mizuno and I really liked the Adams clubs. What I chose was the most high tech I could get.
These clubs had some very interesting characteristics. They were made out of a new material that is beginning to show up in golf, a polymer that is supposed to help your game. The price was right as well as they didn't cost an arm and a leg, $3.99 at Wal-mart including three brand new balls. Such a deal! These clubs should really improve my game.
I am thinking very seriously of putting together a group of golfers to play together on a trip to a location somewhere in California. I haven't quite come up with the location, and wanted to get some input from you. It will probably happen sometime in the spring of 2015 and will be from three to five days. If you could give me some ideas of where we should go, that would be great.
In the meantime, don't forget to visit my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and take a look at some great instructional videos as well as some videos of a few outstanding golf courses. Hit 'em long and straight--don't leave that birdie putt short.
 |
| The new sticks. They should slash strokes off my game. |
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Ten Reasons I Play Golf
I was listening to a radio broadcast last night on my way home from a trip, and the subject was how this generation of children growing up never suffer from boredom. With all digital virtual world that our children live in, there is very little time to just sit there and be bored. There is no "down time" for the brain, and creativity is not given time to grow because their brain is always on. It's an interesting idea, and I don't want to discuss or debate the full intricacies of the argument but the idea has merit. The bottom line was the speakers son took up golf and loved it because it was natural and creative.
This got me thinking. Why do I love golf so much? Here are ten reasons:
1. Golf is natural. You are playing it and it is unfolding as you play. You are not playing a microchip, but experiencing a game that is real, not created in cyberspace. Besides, there is nothing like the natural sound of a club, any club, striking the ball on a good shot. One of the best natural sounds in the world is that of a golf ball dropping into the cup for a birdie. That lake is real, not cyberwater.
2. Golf exercises your creativity and imagination, and in a real way. How do I hit that shot around the tree and get the ball to the green? Believe me, I have had to do that on several occasions. Do I carry out the shot every time, no. I still have to create the shot in my mind. Whether I pull it off may be fantasy, but I still have to think it up. Again, this is all real, not cyberspace.
3. Golf is good exercise. Whether you walk and carry, walk and pull a cart or ride in a golf cart, golf is exercise. There is a lot of physical activity involved in swinging that club. You still have to swing a club and hit a ball. Even if you ride a cart, you still have to get out of the cart and hit the ball and do't forget walking from the cart to the tee, or the cart up to the green and depending on some greens keepers and where they put the cart signs, that can be quite a hike.
4. Golf is played in the real outdoors on some very beautiful pieces of land. This is true wherever the course is. The worst "goat track" still is much prettier than a city alley. It is real as opposed to created in cyberspace. If you have played The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch, Stevinson Ranch, DeLaveaga or Coronado, you know what I mean. Go to my You Tube Video page on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and see what I mean. These are real sights, sounds and smells.
5. Staying along with #4 I give you this reason. Golf courses are located in some very beautiful places. Have you ever played Trump National Los Angeles or Pacific Grove Muni? You almost can forget your game and slip into the trance of the surroundings. All this beautiful scenery, and a golf course too. Life doesn't get any better.
6. You can travel to the places where the golf courses are located. Yes, you can play your wonderful local golf course or you can go to other places. I can drive to Monterey and play a course there. Not only do I get to play golf, but I get to enjoy what the city of Monterey, or wherever has to offer. How about a box of carmel corn from the pier or a seafood dinner with some exceptional clam chowder. What does cyberchowder taste like anyway?
7. You use real strategy when you play golf. You don't use a controller to hit the ball, you use a real stick to hit a real ball. You get the true feeling of a stick impacting the ball. You get the true emotion of hitting a real shot, not a cyber shot. In this, it takes real skill to hit the ball where you want it to go. It takes real skill to drive, hit an iron, chip and putt. With this real skill comes the real emotion of playing the game that is real. What do I do to keep the ball out of the lake? How do I shape the shot to go around the dog leg? You get real feedback from the real world that is not possible in the cyber world.
8. There is more to golf than just hitting a ball and putting in in the hole. There is the "emotion" of golf. How do you feel after you hit a great shot? What do you you do when you hit a bad shot? This emotion is real, not created in a cyber world. How many of you have lost a $5 ProV1 in a water hazzard because you shanked a shot? You know what I'm talking about.
9. You can get away from the world in a real way for five hours. There are no computers except GPS devices out here. The main computer is left in the pro shop. By the way, turn your cell phones off, please.
Golf can be a refuge from our busy digital world. That is one of the reasons that I think golf will come back. People are tired of the digital world and are searching for a real world. Golf can provide that real world.
10. Golf is meant to be played with friends. What did the first players do when they played? The took a fifth of whiskey and shared it. That is where we get 18 holes, the time a fifth would last share among four golfers. There is nothing like sharing a round with a friend or even making new friends on the course. What about the 19th hole where you swap stories about the round? "Tis a wonderful thing, laddie.
That's about it. I guess that I didn't share how I like that golf is also mano-y-mano as well. You are not playing against someone, you are playing the course. After all this, I think it boils down to one thing as far as why I enjoy golf so much. It is a heck of a lot of fun.
Don't forget to stop by my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and check out the videos. There will be more soon. In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight, don't leave that birdie putt short.
This got me thinking. Why do I love golf so much? Here are ten reasons:
1. Golf is natural. You are playing it and it is unfolding as you play. You are not playing a microchip, but experiencing a game that is real, not created in cyberspace. Besides, there is nothing like the natural sound of a club, any club, striking the ball on a good shot. One of the best natural sounds in the world is that of a golf ball dropping into the cup for a birdie. That lake is real, not cyberwater.
2. Golf exercises your creativity and imagination, and in a real way. How do I hit that shot around the tree and get the ball to the green? Believe me, I have had to do that on several occasions. Do I carry out the shot every time, no. I still have to create the shot in my mind. Whether I pull it off may be fantasy, but I still have to think it up. Again, this is all real, not cyberspace.
3. Golf is good exercise. Whether you walk and carry, walk and pull a cart or ride in a golf cart, golf is exercise. There is a lot of physical activity involved in swinging that club. You still have to swing a club and hit a ball. Even if you ride a cart, you still have to get out of the cart and hit the ball and do't forget walking from the cart to the tee, or the cart up to the green and depending on some greens keepers and where they put the cart signs, that can be quite a hike.
4. Golf is played in the real outdoors on some very beautiful pieces of land. This is true wherever the course is. The worst "goat track" still is much prettier than a city alley. It is real as opposed to created in cyberspace. If you have played The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch, Stevinson Ranch, DeLaveaga or Coronado, you know what I mean. Go to my You Tube Video page on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and see what I mean. These are real sights, sounds and smells.
5. Staying along with #4 I give you this reason. Golf courses are located in some very beautiful places. Have you ever played Trump National Los Angeles or Pacific Grove Muni? You almost can forget your game and slip into the trance of the surroundings. All this beautiful scenery, and a golf course too. Life doesn't get any better.
6. You can travel to the places where the golf courses are located. Yes, you can play your wonderful local golf course or you can go to other places. I can drive to Monterey and play a course there. Not only do I get to play golf, but I get to enjoy what the city of Monterey, or wherever has to offer. How about a box of carmel corn from the pier or a seafood dinner with some exceptional clam chowder. What does cyberchowder taste like anyway?
7. You use real strategy when you play golf. You don't use a controller to hit the ball, you use a real stick to hit a real ball. You get the true feeling of a stick impacting the ball. You get the true emotion of hitting a real shot, not a cyber shot. In this, it takes real skill to hit the ball where you want it to go. It takes real skill to drive, hit an iron, chip and putt. With this real skill comes the real emotion of playing the game that is real. What do I do to keep the ball out of the lake? How do I shape the shot to go around the dog leg? You get real feedback from the real world that is not possible in the cyber world.
8. There is more to golf than just hitting a ball and putting in in the hole. There is the "emotion" of golf. How do you feel after you hit a great shot? What do you you do when you hit a bad shot? This emotion is real, not created in a cyber world. How many of you have lost a $5 ProV1 in a water hazzard because you shanked a shot? You know what I'm talking about.
9. You can get away from the world in a real way for five hours. There are no computers except GPS devices out here. The main computer is left in the pro shop. By the way, turn your cell phones off, please.
Golf can be a refuge from our busy digital world. That is one of the reasons that I think golf will come back. People are tired of the digital world and are searching for a real world. Golf can provide that real world.
10. Golf is meant to be played with friends. What did the first players do when they played? The took a fifth of whiskey and shared it. That is where we get 18 holes, the time a fifth would last share among four golfers. There is nothing like sharing a round with a friend or even making new friends on the course. What about the 19th hole where you swap stories about the round? "Tis a wonderful thing, laddie.
That's about it. I guess that I didn't share how I like that golf is also mano-y-mano as well. You are not playing against someone, you are playing the course. After all this, I think it boils down to one thing as far as why I enjoy golf so much. It is a heck of a lot of fun.
Don't forget to stop by my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com and check out the videos. There will be more soon. In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight, don't leave that birdie putt short.
 |
| Need I say anything more? |
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Money, Money Money Part 4
Are you ready for the solution to the decline in golf? I have already talked about courses closing and the supply shrinking. Remember, water seeks its own level. That is a good thing for the sport, to a point. What that equalization point in, I don't know. The point where the demand for play is stabilized with the number of golf courses to play on will be reached, although I don't know what that point is. I hope it goes slightly in favor of golfers so as to keep green fees down. When there are too many courses, you have a lot of competition for that golfing dollar.
As I have mentioned before in other posts, some private courses have opened their doors to public play. Their membership is dwindling or they are in a cash flow crunch and need the play. I applaud this decision. The Club At Crazy Horse Ranch, formerly Salinas Country Club, has followed this route. I applaud them for that. It is a great course and I hope they keep sharing the course with we in the general public. You can get a taste of Crazy Horse Ranch by watching my video of the course on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com or by going directly to http://youtu.be/ZAF3Ve9VH_A. Madera Country Club has followed the same path.
I want to talk briefly here about the high cost of equipment. You have to ask yourself, do I really need that $300 driver or putter. Will the ProV1 really improve my game. Don't take me wrong, I love it when I come across a ProV1. It probably is one of the finest balls in the game today. I'm sorry, but I just can't afford the $50 price tag for the dozen. I will play a less expensive ball that I like. Same thing with equipment. I will stay with that Nike Sasquatch that I won in a tournament. It works, and for me it's the swing and skill not the club. I don't want to pay the advertising budget of Nike or Taylor Made, and even though I love Phil I don't want to pay his salary or Calaway's advertising budget.
Let's talk about the great big elephant in the room, shall we? Green fees have got to come down. I don't know how that will happen, but it must. The average person at present rates cannot afford to play as many rounds as they used too because it is getting too expensive--period.
Thank God for on-line tee time services such as Tee-Off.com and Golf Now. They started a trend to bring lower cost golf to the public. Courses had unsold times and these companies spotlighted those times and at a discounted rate to the public. That is a great thing. In most cases, you can find a discounted tee time on just about any course you want and save a lot of money.
I am seeing special on tee times. One of my favorite courses in the Monterey area whose rack rate is $120 for eighteen holes and cart during the week is offering specials at $559. I would think twice about paying $120, but for that course $59 is well worth it.
For the longest time, special rates on green fees were almost taboo in the golf industry. That mindset is changing as the industry comes into this time of marketing. Slow dime or fast nickle, that's what it's all about. Do you want to turn dollars and get people on your course to play it, or do you want the course sitting and rotting, not generating revenue in order to pay the bills. Basically, that is what the question is today. Courses have to have cash flow and the way you do that is by reduced green fees to get people on to your course to play it. As far as I am concerned, end of story.
It's Saturday today and I have some things to do so I will end this. Don't forget to check out my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. I have some great courses featured on the You-Tube page so take a look. In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight...don't leave that birdie putt short.
As I have mentioned before in other posts, some private courses have opened their doors to public play. Their membership is dwindling or they are in a cash flow crunch and need the play. I applaud this decision. The Club At Crazy Horse Ranch, formerly Salinas Country Club, has followed this route. I applaud them for that. It is a great course and I hope they keep sharing the course with we in the general public. You can get a taste of Crazy Horse Ranch by watching my video of the course on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com or by going directly to http://youtu.be/ZAF3Ve9VH_A. Madera Country Club has followed the same path.
I want to talk briefly here about the high cost of equipment. You have to ask yourself, do I really need that $300 driver or putter. Will the ProV1 really improve my game. Don't take me wrong, I love it when I come across a ProV1. It probably is one of the finest balls in the game today. I'm sorry, but I just can't afford the $50 price tag for the dozen. I will play a less expensive ball that I like. Same thing with equipment. I will stay with that Nike Sasquatch that I won in a tournament. It works, and for me it's the swing and skill not the club. I don't want to pay the advertising budget of Nike or Taylor Made, and even though I love Phil I don't want to pay his salary or Calaway's advertising budget.
Let's talk about the great big elephant in the room, shall we? Green fees have got to come down. I don't know how that will happen, but it must. The average person at present rates cannot afford to play as many rounds as they used too because it is getting too expensive--period.
Thank God for on-line tee time services such as Tee-Off.com and Golf Now. They started a trend to bring lower cost golf to the public. Courses had unsold times and these companies spotlighted those times and at a discounted rate to the public. That is a great thing. In most cases, you can find a discounted tee time on just about any course you want and save a lot of money.
I am seeing special on tee times. One of my favorite courses in the Monterey area whose rack rate is $120 for eighteen holes and cart during the week is offering specials at $559. I would think twice about paying $120, but for that course $59 is well worth it.
For the longest time, special rates on green fees were almost taboo in the golf industry. That mindset is changing as the industry comes into this time of marketing. Slow dime or fast nickle, that's what it's all about. Do you want to turn dollars and get people on your course to play it, or do you want the course sitting and rotting, not generating revenue in order to pay the bills. Basically, that is what the question is today. Courses have to have cash flow and the way you do that is by reduced green fees to get people on to your course to play it. As far as I am concerned, end of story.
It's Saturday today and I have some things to do so I will end this. Don't forget to check out my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. I have some great courses featured on the You-Tube page so take a look. In the meantime, hit 'em long and straight...don't leave that birdie putt short.
 |
| We play some beautiful courses in this game. It is worth the cost. |
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Money, Money, Money--Part 3
Yes, I am a couple of days late with this post. I took my time and thought about what I was going to write. Do you believe that? Actually, I got caught with some personal business that took a bit more time than I thought. If you can forgive me for that, I would appreciate that. Come on now, I came clean and told the truth. I could have told you that I was abducted by aliens and was studied and operated on in their mother ship, but I was truthful with you so cut me some slack please. Enough fun for the day, let's cut to the chase.
The decline in the number of golfers playing golf is simple economics. Two things have happened. First, supply had outpaced demand and secondly the economic situation throughout the world has changed. With a shortage of courses and demand high, green fees skyrocketed. Put very simply, the boom times of a strong economy are over and they built too many golf courses. With demand high, supply low and a booming economy, people were willing to pay the price to play. The economy goes bust people make choices and golf was a luxury that they could cut out. The same is true for overpriced equipment. To sum it up, not enough money and too many choices for the consumer as to places to play or spend their money on other things in many cases more important.
Where do we go from here as to growing the game again? First, we have to realize that "water seeks its own level". There has been a downturn and I don't know if we have seen the bottom of it. However, I am an optimist and it will come back and grow again. I see some changes being made in the industry that will stop the trend.
Real estate was a problem. Developers saw the growth of golf and the rosy projection as to how the game and economy were going to grow and built developments around golf courses. The bust of 2008 came and there was no money to invest in lands or upscale homes. Buyers for their homes evaporated because of not having the money to purchase. The courses were private and memberships were not sold to support the course and development. In many cases, the house of cards the developers built fell down and the courses closed. This is sad I have to admit, but it is necessary to return golf to health. Just like you prune a tree of limbs for the good of the tree, some courses that can't make it have to close.
I am getting a bit wordy and long here so I think I will stop and continue this in my next post. We haven't explored green fees and the cost of equipment so I will leave that to the next post. I do have a lot to say about that.
One of my favorite things to do is to travel. In most cases, golf is included in those travels. I would like to put together a golf trip to a location in California that is affordable. It won't be Pebble Beach, but it will be a great golf location. I was thinking perhaps the San Diego area, The Monterey area to play a couple of the little known courses such as DeLaveaga or Crazy Horse. We could even include Bayonet/Blackhorse. We could also do San Francisco or some other area. I don't know, what are your thoughts. I would like to center this trip around courses that are not that well known, but are a treat to play. Costs will be kept down. PLEASE give me some feedback on this. I should have more information on this on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. Check out my You-Tube videos as well. They are on the site as well. I have launched a newsletter to go along with the website so watch out for that.
Hit 'em long and straight and don't leave that birdie putt short.
The decline in the number of golfers playing golf is simple economics. Two things have happened. First, supply had outpaced demand and secondly the economic situation throughout the world has changed. With a shortage of courses and demand high, green fees skyrocketed. Put very simply, the boom times of a strong economy are over and they built too many golf courses. With demand high, supply low and a booming economy, people were willing to pay the price to play. The economy goes bust people make choices and golf was a luxury that they could cut out. The same is true for overpriced equipment. To sum it up, not enough money and too many choices for the consumer as to places to play or spend their money on other things in many cases more important.
Where do we go from here as to growing the game again? First, we have to realize that "water seeks its own level". There has been a downturn and I don't know if we have seen the bottom of it. However, I am an optimist and it will come back and grow again. I see some changes being made in the industry that will stop the trend.
Real estate was a problem. Developers saw the growth of golf and the rosy projection as to how the game and economy were going to grow and built developments around golf courses. The bust of 2008 came and there was no money to invest in lands or upscale homes. Buyers for their homes evaporated because of not having the money to purchase. The courses were private and memberships were not sold to support the course and development. In many cases, the house of cards the developers built fell down and the courses closed. This is sad I have to admit, but it is necessary to return golf to health. Just like you prune a tree of limbs for the good of the tree, some courses that can't make it have to close.
I am getting a bit wordy and long here so I think I will stop and continue this in my next post. We haven't explored green fees and the cost of equipment so I will leave that to the next post. I do have a lot to say about that.
One of my favorite things to do is to travel. In most cases, golf is included in those travels. I would like to put together a golf trip to a location in California that is affordable. It won't be Pebble Beach, but it will be a great golf location. I was thinking perhaps the San Diego area, The Monterey area to play a couple of the little known courses such as DeLaveaga or Crazy Horse. We could even include Bayonet/Blackhorse. We could also do San Francisco or some other area. I don't know, what are your thoughts. I would like to center this trip around courses that are not that well known, but are a treat to play. Costs will be kept down. PLEASE give me some feedback on this. I should have more information on this on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. Check out my You-Tube videos as well. They are on the site as well. I have launched a newsletter to go along with the website so watch out for that.
Hit 'em long and straight and don't leave that birdie putt short.
 |
| The seventh hole at Stevinson Ranch. They have some great par threes. |
Monday, August 18, 2014
Money, Money, Money--Part 2
I am a little late with this post. I know that I said that I would write a companion post the day after I wrote Money, Money, Money Part 1, but things got a little hectic around here. Let's just say I went a little off task. I didn't get to play golf either. As a golfer/writer I thought that that would be the key to playing more golf, but what happens is that you become a writer first and golfer second. At any rate, I continue with my thoughts on the game and money as it applies to the decline in players.
In the 90's and early 2000's, golf and the economy was booming. The number of golf courses and the number of new players to the game rose in meteoric fashion. Players were there and money was not an object. New courses were built and the equipment business took off like a rocket. Demand was high, both for places to play and for the new equipment that the manufacturers were developing and marketing. A $350 driver was something every golfer wanted to have because it straightened out a slice or generated ten extra yards on the drive. New balls came out, each with a hefty price tag per ball or dozen. After all, we did want to play the ball the pros play on tour. Never mind that it didn't fit our game. Golf marketing was running amok, and as with equipment "If they built it, We would come". Green fees went through the roof as well, because there were not enough courses and money was plentiful. Golfers would pay, and they had money. They spent money on golf like drunken sailors.
We said hello to 2008. In essence, we went backward. The financial boon that had brought a huge growth in the world economy went bust and with it the expansion in players of golf came to an abrupt halt. There just weren't the financial resources. Let's see, if you have to make a choice between living in a house and paying rent as well as eating or playing golf, what responsible choice do you make. Golf suffered as the result. The money was no longer there. People just didn't have the money for a luxury like golf and left the game. As far as courses and golf real estate, "They did build it, and they didn't come.". They couldn't afford it.
One more thing that is true about this. The 30 something generation seems not to have time for a four and a half round of golf. My opinion of this is simple, I am not exactly sure of the validity of that argument but I'm not going to cover that here. I may talk about that in another post, we will see.
What are the solutions to this? We will talk about this in the next post. The industry is already taking the steps to change this.
My friends at The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch would really like to share their course with you. The course is in great shape and they would like you to stop by and try the course out. It is a lot of fun to play. You can see a lot of it on my YouTube Video which you will find on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com or go directly to YouTube at http://youtu.be/ZAF3Ve9VH_A to see it. The course is very green and the greens play fast and true. With its hills and valleys, it is a great layout and challenging to all levels of golfers.
Hit 'em long and straight, don't leave that birdie putt short.
In the 90's and early 2000's, golf and the economy was booming. The number of golf courses and the number of new players to the game rose in meteoric fashion. Players were there and money was not an object. New courses were built and the equipment business took off like a rocket. Demand was high, both for places to play and for the new equipment that the manufacturers were developing and marketing. A $350 driver was something every golfer wanted to have because it straightened out a slice or generated ten extra yards on the drive. New balls came out, each with a hefty price tag per ball or dozen. After all, we did want to play the ball the pros play on tour. Never mind that it didn't fit our game. Golf marketing was running amok, and as with equipment "If they built it, We would come". Green fees went through the roof as well, because there were not enough courses and money was plentiful. Golfers would pay, and they had money. They spent money on golf like drunken sailors.
We said hello to 2008. In essence, we went backward. The financial boon that had brought a huge growth in the world economy went bust and with it the expansion in players of golf came to an abrupt halt. There just weren't the financial resources. Let's see, if you have to make a choice between living in a house and paying rent as well as eating or playing golf, what responsible choice do you make. Golf suffered as the result. The money was no longer there. People just didn't have the money for a luxury like golf and left the game. As far as courses and golf real estate, "They did build it, and they didn't come.". They couldn't afford it.
One more thing that is true about this. The 30 something generation seems not to have time for a four and a half round of golf. My opinion of this is simple, I am not exactly sure of the validity of that argument but I'm not going to cover that here. I may talk about that in another post, we will see.
What are the solutions to this? We will talk about this in the next post. The industry is already taking the steps to change this.
My friends at The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch would really like to share their course with you. The course is in great shape and they would like you to stop by and try the course out. It is a lot of fun to play. You can see a lot of it on my YouTube Video which you will find on my website http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com or go directly to YouTube at http://youtu.be/ZAF3Ve9VH_A to see it. The course is very green and the greens play fast and true. With its hills and valleys, it is a great layout and challenging to all levels of golfers.
Hit 'em long and straight, don't leave that birdie putt short.
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| Crazy Horse Ranch's Signature Fifth Hole. Par Three and downhill, make sure you don't overclub. |
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Changes--Three Great Courses, Three Great Changes
Vacation is over, sort of. I really wasn't on vacation per se. I have just been so busy with other things that I just haven't taken the time to sit down and write. My golf U-Tube and website business is starting to take off, so I have had to devote a lot of time to it. I do miss sharing with you and will be more consistent posting. The bottom line is that I really enjoy doing this.
Changes are hard in golf. Let's face it, we play a very conservative game that is slow to initiate and embrace change. There have been some evolutions in the game such as changes in the ball, different club heads, and putters but the basic game has not changed much. The idea is simple. Take a ball on a large patch of ground and try to get that ball in a hole several yards away in the least number of strokes possible.
Changes have been made nevertheless.
Three courses that I have played recently have entered the waters of change. All three courses have made some significant changes in different ways for the good of the game in this time of a slight decline in play. I think that the changes they have made are wise and help preserve the game. In the coming weeks, I will feature these courses in detail here on my blog but today I just wanted to mention the changes they are making. I congratulate them for their forward thinking and the changes they are making.
Stevinson Ranch outside of Merced, California has installed the TaylorMade 15 inch cup. Their greens are large and will accommodate two pin locations. At first, I was not a fan of the 15 inch pin, but I played in a tournament there July 4th and it was a kick. Let's face it folks, you still have to get the ball to the hole. In fact, your brain sort of overcompensates for that bigger hole. You have a tendency to leave the ball short of the hole. I know this very well as I missed three birdie putts short of the hole. You can see more of this on my U-Tube Video that I produced called Stevinson 15 (here's the URL http://youtu.be/_Kx3Qrv18IE). Take a look and I hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed the tournament and believe it or not playing the 15 inch hole. I wouldn't want a steady diet of it as I am a bit of a golf snob and purist, but it was fun.
DeLaveaga is located in the hills above Santa Cruz, California. Being on the coast of California it does get a lot of rain and for the most part is very lush and green. With this year's California drought, some decisions had to be made as to the amount of irrigation water to be put on the course and where best that water could be used given the limited supply. Yes, there are brown areas that are not being watered, but these areas for the most part don't come into play--or at least shouldn't-- and the course is in great shape. The landing areas and greens are still lush and green. Overall, they are doing a very good job of water management on a great course. Take a look on the U-Tube video I just did on DeLaveaga to explore more about the course (here's the URL http://youtu.be/pUzEB0tmzMQ).
Just east of Monterey lies the sleepy town of Salinas. My daughter used to live in Salinas and I used to play the public course there called Salinas Fairways. Outside of town was a private country club which I had always heard great things about but was unable to play. Why? Because it was private. I had heard that Salinas Country Club was one of the finest courses in the area. It was kind of the forbidden fruit and I longed to play it some day.
My how things change. Just recently I discovered that Salinas Country Club had opened to the public and had changed their name to The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch. This was done to increase outside play and as such to increase revenues to the course. I finally got to play it last week and what a gem it is. It took a lot of courage from the membership to open this beautiful course up to outside play, but it was a good decision for the good of the game and for the course. I congratulate them for this difficult decision and sharing this course with the public. Crazy horse has some magnificent views of the rolling hills and area around the course. You get a feel about how beautiful the course is on the U-Tube video I did for the course (here's the URL for that video (http://youtu.be/ZAF3Ve9VH_A).
If you are playing golf today, think of me. I am laid up here at home with a bad back, so it will be a while before I can play again. I look forward to that, but until then hit 'em long and straight. Don't leave that birdie putt short and don't forget to visit my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.
Changes are hard in golf. Let's face it, we play a very conservative game that is slow to initiate and embrace change. There have been some evolutions in the game such as changes in the ball, different club heads, and putters but the basic game has not changed much. The idea is simple. Take a ball on a large patch of ground and try to get that ball in a hole several yards away in the least number of strokes possible.
Changes have been made nevertheless.
Three courses that I have played recently have entered the waters of change. All three courses have made some significant changes in different ways for the good of the game in this time of a slight decline in play. I think that the changes they have made are wise and help preserve the game. In the coming weeks, I will feature these courses in detail here on my blog but today I just wanted to mention the changes they are making. I congratulate them for their forward thinking and the changes they are making.
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| Stevinson Ranch |
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| DeLaveaga |
Just east of Monterey lies the sleepy town of Salinas. My daughter used to live in Salinas and I used to play the public course there called Salinas Fairways. Outside of town was a private country club which I had always heard great things about but was unable to play. Why? Because it was private. I had heard that Salinas Country Club was one of the finest courses in the area. It was kind of the forbidden fruit and I longed to play it some day.
 |
| The Club At Crazy Horse Ranch |
If you are playing golf today, think of me. I am laid up here at home with a bad back, so it will be a while before I can play again. I look forward to that, but until then hit 'em long and straight. Don't leave that birdie putt short and don't forget to visit my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
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