It Is The Game of Golf-Darn

 Yes, golf is a game that can humble the heart.  It is also a game that can take you to new heights.  In my case, it can also take you to new lows as well.  These things are very true, especially if you have experienced "the wheels coming off" in a round.  We all know that golf is a game of a collection of shots and sometimes those shots are not our best.  We love the game, it is a challenge and is never the same each time we go out. No matter how great we play or on the other hand how bad we play, we always ask that age old question after our round, When is our next tee time.

I don't know how many of you experienced watching the end of the 2024 Byron Nelson Golf Classic?  It was certainly an exciting finish between the two top competitors in the tournament.  Tyler Pendraith won by one shot over Ben Knowles.  There are a couple of things I have to say about the finish of this tournament. 

First off, congratulations to Tyler Pendraith for winning what I believe was his first PGA tournament. This player from Canada was solid throughout the tournament.  However, I don't know at the end of the day that he didn't win the tournament so much as Knowles lost the tournament on the last hole.  Let me explain. 

Two questions have to be answered. The first question is why did Knowles try to go for the green with a hybrid on hole number 18 which is a short par 5 and supposedly the easiest hole on the course?  Why did you do that when you are leading the tournament by a stroke and all you had to do is lay up, take an easy pitch shot from off the green, make the putt for birdie and walk away with the trophy and  $1.7?  

And that my friend is not the end of it.  How could you chunk a wedge out of that thick rough? All he had to do is get the ball on the green and two putt for at least a par and a share of the lead leading to at least a playoff.  He could have put that wedge shot for a makeable birdie and a win.  For pitty sake, I could have taken out my 60 degree and blasted it out of that rough. I realize that the pressure was on, but come on. Such is the game of golf, I guess.  Disaster was snatched from the jaws of victory.  

I don't feel sorry for Ben Knowles.  That little missed pitch from out of the rough by the green cost him about $700,000.  Oh well, he still pocketed over a cool $1000000 so I don't feel sorry for him.  I have to publish a lot of blog posts and book for a million dollars.  One thing he did prove though.  It is truly a difficult and humbling game. But, we golfers already know that.       

  

Last Minute Golf In San Diego

  I usually like to take a trip out of Fresno in January. It is a time for me to get away and to refresh my winter batteries. This year, I chose a trip to San Diego, and when I left I really didn't have the desire to play golf but I carried my clubs with me down south. Who knows, the urge may strike at any time and I wanted to be ready with my sticks.

As I was sitting in my hotel room early in the morning after breakfast, I was struck with a harsh reality. What was I going to do that day? It was 6:00 A.M. and I had not planned my itinerary today. My mind was full of ideas about what to do and where to go, but nothing seemed like what I really wanted to do.

     Since I was by myself and I don't get to play golf much down in San Diego when I am with others I decided to play, but where? I called San Diego Country Club and talked to Tom, their head pro, to see what he could suggest. I knew that San Diego Country Club was private and I could not get on to play there so I could rely on the information that Tom would pass on to me.

I wanted a course that was a good layout and challenging yet wouldn't cost an arm and a leg in green fees, somewhere around the neighborhood of $50 with a cart. We chatted a bit about golf and he told me that that might be very difficult to do, to stay within my budget. He did suggested a couple of courses that I might be interested in, but highly recommended a course in the hills above Chula Vista where I was staying. We ended our conversation and he wished me good luck.

     Tom recommended Salt Creek Golf Course and said he didn't know what the green fees where there. I called Salt Creek and found out that the regular daily rate with cart was only $38 and my decision was made.  I'll take a shot at it, literally.  I was on my way and really didn't know what to expect.

     I was told that Chula Vista is a geographically large city. After driving around the city into the hills above and still being in Chula Vista, I began to understand the accuracy of that statement. This course was a long way away from where I was staying and yet was still in Chula Vista. The drive was truly worth it and the view of the city and the bay beyond was breathtaking.

     Salt Creek was designed by Cary Biddle and John Cook. Being a hill course, one has many side hill, downhill and uphill lies. You really have to work at keeping your mind in the game to play these differing lies. The greens are fast, but I felt they were true and rolled well. I was truly surprised at the design of the course, which was treeless and built into the natural landscape. There were very few trees and played like a links course.

     I know that I have not given much information or talked in depth about Salt Creek.I plan to return soon and I enjoyed playing the course. The experience at Salt Creek was well worth the hunt for it. For the price, the golf and the total experience, I highly recommend the course.

Of Golf, Sunshine, The Bay and the Rock--Morro Bay Golf Course

     When it gets cold and foggy in the winter or scorching hot during the summer here in California's Central Valley, most residents escape to nearby getaways. In winter the aim is to escape the cold, foggy, overcast chilly days and find the sun. During the summer we hunt for cooler climates in order to find relief from the 100 degree plus heat. We go to where the sun is away from the fog in winter and travel to cooler places during the summer. You have two options, the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Pacific Coast.
     I enjoy going to the mountains occasionally, but I prefer the Coast.  My roots are Greek and my grandfather was a merchant seaman so the ocean calls loudly to me.  I am an ocean person, and that is where I go to escape when I need a change from the Central Valley weather extremes. San Luis Obispo County is my ocean place and I normally end up in the small town of Morro Bay, California.  Of course, many time when I take the two and a half hour drive there I play golf at Morro Bay Golf Course.
     Morro Bay Golf is located just south of town and is built on the side of a mountain within the boundaries of Morro Bay State Park. If you are driving to the course from the south, be careful because the road up the hill which takes you to the course is not marked and sort of sneaks up on you.  That's OK because if you do miss the turn, you are in for a real treat.  The road loops around the State Park and campground besides the bay and you get a delightful view of the course on the right with the bay and Morro Rock on your left. Finally, you come to the city side of the course and the road which is marked that takes you to the clubhouse. This is the other end of the cut off that you may of missed that takes you to the clubhouse from the south.
     With the views from the course of Morro Rock, Morro Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond the course has the nickname of "A Poor Man's Pebble Beach". Although the course is not directly situated on the ocean, it is easy to see why it has been called this.  The views from the course are breathtaking, and each hole comes with different sort of vista. Golf and this kind of beauty, it just doesn't get any better.
     The course is an old style course built on the side of a hill. The "Old Girl" never looks her age as the course is always in great shape given the amount of rounds played on her each year. Fairways are lined by huge eucalyptus and cypress trees and the greens are small. Speaking of the greens, they are quick and very hard to read. When you are reading the greens always remember where you are in relation to Black's Mountain--the volcanic peak towering behind the golf course--and the bay.  Notice I didn't say ocean.  The course is kind of on a peninsula so just remember that the greens generally break away from the mountain and toward the water, wherever you are in relationship to the water. I would highly suggest that you take note of where the green is as you are walking up to it to putt which will give you a better idea of the orientation of the green in relationship to the hill.. When you are on the green, don't trust your eyes.  Remember where the mountain is and where the water is. By about the third hole I can almost guarantee that you will be talking to yourself. Don't worry about scoring though, just have fun and enjoy the views. If you do score well, that's a plus.
     Don't worry too much about bunkers.  I talked to a man who plays the course regularly and he said there are only six of them. There is a reason for this. The course was built in 1925 as a nine hole track and then was extended to eighteen at a later date. The course was tremendously busy, so in order to speed up play most of the original bunkers were removed. It was later discovered that this didn't speed up play and that it was the difficult to read greens that were slowing up play. The bunkers were not replaced, so when you played the course you just had to sit back and enjoy the experience. With the opening up of more courses in the San Lus Obispo County area, the play logjam has lightened up considerably and the pace of play has picked up. Expect a four and a half hour round when you play the course at a leisurely pace. But you don't want to rush so enjoy the course and the views.
     I have been asked many time what my favorite hole is on the course. Honestly, I don't have a favorite.  How could I?  Each hole has just a bit of a different flavor and a different view. I will say that after battling the slopes and side hills of the front nine, I enjoy playing the back nine a bit more than the front nine. It's a bit more on the level side, but you still play up the hill the last few holes to get back to the clubhouse. If I am partial to a hole, I would have to say number 10 a downhill par three. This is because of the view and it is just a lot of fun to play.
     Of all the courses that I have played, this course goes high on my list of favorites. It is always different and you never quite know what to expect. It is a fun course and will challenge your game. And the views--what can I say?

The tenth hole at Morro Bay