Playing Lombard Street

    I have heard about Chabot Golf Course in Oakland, California and have always wanted to play it.  Finally, Denise and I took a trip out of the Central Valley and took the plunge. I was not disappointed.  What a great course.
     I am not going to review the course here.  I will save that for a full review at a later date.  What I did want to share with you is the unique par six,  eighteenth hole.  I had heard of it but really didn't know what to expect. Unique is not quite the word to describe the hole.
     As you drive into the course, you look off to your right at what appears to be a very high, totally green hill, mountain actually.  At the end of this hill is a green and you notice a cement path crisscrossing the hill. On the path are small little munchkin movers-- oh, wait a minute they are golf carts.  Those are golfers.  They are playing a hole.  This doesn't look like a golf hole, it looks like Lombard Street.  This thing is steep and long.

Lombard Street.  Notice the cart path.

It's steeper than it looks. Wahoooooooo!

It is all of 600 plus yards.  Notice the cart in front of the green.

     I have a suggestion for the City of Oakland.  Put a chairlift up the side of this hill and people can ski down it.  That would help the City's budget crisis. It snows in Oakland about as often as the A's win the World Series or the Raiders win the Superbowl--I can say that because I am an A's fan. You can always rent snow making equipment.  This is not a hill, it is a mountain. What a hole!

I'm Back...Sort Of

     Well, I went out and did it yesterday.  My back is feeling much better and I actually went out and did it.  Let me explain.
     I was invited yesterday to play golf, and I went.  I didn't know how my back would hold out but I am feeling better and almost back to normal.  When I was invited to play Stevinson's Ranch, I was apprehensive but I went anyway.  I am glad that I did.
     I have no pictures and I wasn't working to share the course.  My intention was just to play and enjoy the round and get through it.  I finished out, though my back was beginning to show signs of pain on the 16th hole, which I pared by the way.  I have decided I like Stevinson's, providing the wind isn't howling at 100 MPH. It is a great track.
     Yesterday's round at Stevinson's began at check in at the pro shop.  I know that that is kind of redundant because most rounds begin when you check in with the pro shop.  OK, a confession here.  I have snuck onto a golf course without checking in, but I have only done it___times. I was impressed with the shop staff and got to have a lengthy conversation about many things related to golf with Kris who was behind the counter.  He was very helpful and I enjoyed our conversation.  Mike later joined us, who also worked in the pro shop.
      We hooked up with two other guys on the first tee.  It seems that we had been paired with a couple of guys that were very pleasant and we enjoyed the round.  Doug and Greg were from Visalia and had been playing a lot of golf lately.  We talked and laughed through the whole round making the day enjoyable.
       Yesterday was my first day back in three months, and I actually played fairly well. the lack of play on my part was evident, but I did have some great shots and birdied number three. In the words of that immortal philosopher and cowboy singer Gene Autry, "I'm back in the saddle again!".  

I'll Be Back

     Please don't get angry with me.  I know I haven't posted on this site for a couple of days, but I have been extremely busy.  I promise to post next week and be very consistent with my posts.  There is a lot to share with you about what is happening in my life and I will let you know soon.  Thanks and stay tuned.

Anchors Away, My Boys

     You may have noticed, or maybe not, that I haven't weighed in on anchored putters.  They have been outlawed by the USGA and The Royal and Ancient. My thoughts on this are if that is what they are going to do, they are the ruling body so they have a right to do it. I'm not so sure that it is a right decision but the decision is on the books and now is golf law.
     I play with a few players that use the so called "belly putter" and I am ok with that.  Many of the guys that I play golf with cannot putt with the traditional putter and in the traditional way.  If it were not for the "belly putter" they would wind up leaving the game.  Let's face it folks, the three footer still has to be made. You can miss a three footer with a "belly putter", or excused me the anchored putter, as you can with a traditional style of putting.  Believe me, I have seen this phenomenon first hand.  Even the PGA professionals miss short putts using their long putters.
     Those of you that have played with me know that my choice is a traditional putter and traditional putting style.  In all my more than 45 years of playing, I have only changed putters three or four times and have tried such putter as the "three ball".  I find that most just don't have the "feel" I need to putt well. that is just a matter of choice for me.  I make more than I miss with my putters and it is the stroke, not the putter and if my putting goes south it is because of a mechanics problem in my stroke. All I have to do is work it out and my putting improves. But, if you think that your game is better using an anchored stroke and it is keeping you in the game, by all means use the anchored stroke.

    The anchored putter and putting stroke are history whatever your opinion is. As for me, I am not so sure that is a good idea, but "them's the rules". Good luck!  

Yesterday's Tournament Results

     Yesterday, as you know, was New Year's Day.  It is traditional for me to play in what is called "The Hair Of The Dog" tournament. As I said earlier, New Year's Day for me is a non-holiday and winds up being fairly boring.  There is only so much football you can watch and really there is only one real "bowl" game and that is the Rose Bowl from Pasadena. So it winds up being before the game watching a stupid parade, then tuning in on "World War II In Color" reruns that I have seen a million times and then watching the game.  All this and the experience of stuffing my face with dip chips and onion dip.
      With that in mind, why not get up early and play in a fun tournament where most everyone is suffering from a hangover from the night before.  What fun!  I much prefer playing golf.  There is one problem and that is I still can't swing a club because of my back. You can conclude from what I just said that my day yesterday was not spent on the course having fun, but sitting at home on the couch bored to tears scarfing on onion dip and drinking fruit punch crystal light.
     I was going to write today as if I had played in the tournament and intended to give you results of that tournament.  Those results never happened and the events in the tournament I was going to write about never happened.  After some time of deep thought I decided that that would be a little, for want of a better word, stupid so I am not going there. Don't get me wrong, I wish it had happened and I am really looking forward to when I can play again.
     Please be assured of one thing.  I am not going to play with you on this.  I am not going to submit you to that kind of nonsense, so don't worry.  The idea should not have crossed my mind in the first place.  It would have been a grave disservice to you and a critical blow to my credibility as a writer.  I am not going to do it to you.

           

Patience

   Please be patient, I will have a brilliant post for you shortly.  I am watching a fantastic college football game.  It is Nebraska against Georgia.  Be back in a bit, and if not I will post tomorrow.  

Why Not Somewhere Else and Playing Golf?

     Here I am sitting at my computer writing my golf blog.  My other blog post is done and posted, after this I will work and post on my travel blog.  You may ask, why am I still here and not playing golf.  After all, it is a beautiful but brisk day outside.  Wouldn't it be great to take a trip over to the Pacific Coast and play one of the courses over there to start the New Year?  If not the coast, why not somewhere in the lower Sierra Nevada?
     If I could, I would.  My ladyfriend plays golf and she would like that as would I, but not this year.  I would like to make that a new year tradition, but given my health and financial status this year that is not going to be possible.
     That doesn't mean that it is not going to be a great New Year's Eve. We are going to a movie later and then out to dinner, or maybe dinner first and then a movie.  We should be in early and will probably stay up to watch the ball drop at midnight.  Here on the west coast that is a bit of a non-event because it has already happened three hours earlier, but it is a lot of fun and is a tradition.

     I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year.  May God bless all of you and keep you safe.  I will see you next year.