Superbowl Tournament...A Repeat

     I have written a lot about golf in the past years.  Many of these gems have been published, but it has been a long time since they have been shared.  Today, I thought I would share one one of my classic articles.  I will be doing this every now and then so sit back and enjoy.

Where Were You February 1^st?

By

David Rallis

Oh wow, Superbowl Sunday has come and gone! The titanic clash this year between the Arizona Cardinals of the N.F.C. And the Pittsburgh Steeleers of the A.F. C. was quite a spectacle of color, pagentry and athleticism. Most Americans were glued to their T.V.s the better part of the day for what is called “America's Unofficial Holiday”. It seems as if all the world stops for Americans and the place to be is watching the event, pre-game, commercials and finally the game itself. Does it get any better? Well, yes it does.

I admit that I will watch the game, but I am not that much into football. When the 49ers and the Raiders were eliminated (about the third week of the season this year I think) my football season pretty much ended. I caught bits and pieces of the playoffs as I was doing other things (like playing golf). What alternatives are available to sitting in front of the T.V. for several hours on Super Bowl Sunday? This year, for me it was golf. Not only that, but it was golf in beautiful Monterey, Ca. at Bayonet Golf Course, one of the areas finest courses. I will take that any day as opposed to staring at a T.V. set all day.

Bayonet is located in the hills above Monterey on what used to be the U.S. Army's Fort Ord.

There are two courses here and Bayonet shares the site with it's sister course Blackhorse. Both are excellent golf courses and have recently undergone an extensive renovation project. I had played the new front nine at Bayonet the year before but the back nine project had not been started, so you played the new front nine and then the old back nine. When the opportunity came to play the newly reopened course, with both front and back nines completed I jumped at the chance. Who cares if it was on Super Bowl Sunday and we had to play in Bayonet's Super Bowl Sunday Tournament. I was excited, and I thought the Tournament would be a lot of fun.

There were a few minor details that had to be ironed out. First, would the whole trip be approved by headquarters (my wife). This small detail was quickly dispatched (I would play golf and she would go on a shopping spree at a later date). The tournament was a four-man event, and I needed to find three other golfers to join me. This was going to be a tougher task. You can just imagine how hard it was to tear loose three other guys from their T.V. and onion dip, and give up their Super Bowl Parties. It was hard, but I did it. There was Steve, a policeman, who really wasn't into football. Next, there was Rick who like me, his football season ended early with the elimination of the 49ers. Rick wound up not going, when his wife invited relatives to stay for the weekend and he told us he was not going the day before the tournament. I still needed to find a fourth.

My youngest daughter who lives with us played junior golf and competed with both her high school and a local junior college. Bekah is quite the stick and can hit the ball a long way (past her dad, but that is a different story). At first, she didn't want to play, but I convinced her to join us. Isn't amazing what can happen when you tell someone that they will have to start paying rent.

Tournament day and the day of the Super Bowl arrived and all of us (except for Rick, of course) were thrilled about playing. We checked in at the clubhouse, payed our entry fee and went to our carts.

Bayonet's pro, Evan Boone, gathered all the tournament players and went over the rules. This was a four man better ball cha-cha-cha format, best of the four balls on the the first hole(cha), best two scores added together on the next hole (cha-cha), and finally best three ball scores added together on the third hole (cha-cha-cha) all with full handicap strokes. This sequence is repeated each three holes until all 18 are played. We were truly chomping at the bit to get started. It was a shotgun start, and we were fortunate enough to start on hole number one.

The view from the clubhouse at Bayonet/Blackhorse is breathtaking. From there, you can see much of the beautiful courses with their lush green fairways and rough, Monterey Cyprus trees lining each fairway, and the beautiful white sand bunkers. The city of Monterey is below with most of beautiful blue Monterey Bay beyond. Many holes have this picturesque view as the courses are laid out on the hills overlooking Monterey. Sometimes you forget that you are playing golf and just want to admire the view. You haven't even started your round, and the view is just the beginning.

It was time to play and off to the first tee we went. We never were able to pick up a fourth, so Evan would provide a fourth score on a blind draw. Number one is a par 5 and goes down a slight hill and then up the same hill to a small green. It seems such a benevolent hole that it sort of lulls you to sleep. I must have been snoring very loudly, because I took an 8 on the hole. Isn't it funny how scoring becomes rather difficult when you smother your drive, pull your second shot into the fairway bunker, leave the ball in the bunker and then, well I kind of think you get the idea.

One thought kept me going even on my fiasco of a first hole. I must par or bogie the 18^th hole. That hole has been my nemesis and I have a history with that hole. I usually take double or triple on that hole. It has ruined many a good round at Bayonet for me, and if I par or bogie it my day would certainly be considered a success. This time, the 18^th would be brought to its knees. Come on Dave, this is only the first hole. Luckily, Steve bogied the hole and we walked away with a net par.

It was a struggle on the front nine, but we played just well enough to not make fools of ourselves. We hung in there, keeping the net team score on the front nine between the three of us respectable. All of us contributed to the team at the necessary times. I must bogie or par the 18^th hole.

On to the back nine. I was very excited about playing it, wanting to see the changes that were made during the renovation. The old course was designed by the commandant of the fort at the time, General Robert McClure. As the story goes, General Mc Clure was a golf fanatic who played left handed and had a wicked left handed slice (ball goes to the left). Hole number 10 is a straightaway par 5 of 500 yards, a nice hole which is almost a carbon copy of the first hole. From here the course got interesting, especially for a right hander. You enter what is known as “Combat Corner”.

Have you ever played a hole that has a dog-leg left and 90 degrees at that. How about three of these beauties in five holes (11,12 and 15). And, these holes were not short at say 375 yards, but all three were over 400 yards. The straight holes were tough as well with an over 400 yard straight

par 4 and a 180 yard par three, uphill I might add.

The fun didn't stop there. Number 16 looked like a short par four on the card of about 320 yards if I recall. Easy hole you would think, until you saw it. The fairway sloped severely to the left at what appeared to be a 45 degree angle. Anything hit to the right would trickle to the left and roll into the trees. If you did happen to hit the fairway as a righthander, you were faced with a side-hill uphill shot to a small green. You really want to run up the white flag of surrender at this point, but you can't because you were still faced with two more holes.

Sixteen was an elevated par three of about 175 yards. As you looked at the hole, it seemed that you were faced with a 1000 foot drop to the green from the tee. Eighteen was the par 5. Actually, it wasn't a hard hole, but by the time you got to it you were so drained mentally and physically that it seemed to take forever to get finish the hole in say 20 strokes. When I would take my eight on this hole I was glad to put my clubs in my car and quietly leave the course. (If I par or bogie 18 in this tournament, the day would be a total success.)

The 18^th hole was basically unchanged from when I played it before. It had been manicured and cleaned up a bit, but it basically played the same. What was “Combat Corner” going to be like? What did they do to it, and did it keep it's unique character? To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised. I wanted to par or bogie the 18^th hole.

The tees on 11 and 12 had been moved over making the dog legs not so severe. The new alignment of the holes, plus they were both shortened to a more playable length made the holes more fair to play for both left hander and right handers. We had played the first three holes of the back nine and were doing fairly well. What would the next holes have for us?

On we went to the downhill 13^th hole. This hole had basically stayed the same as far as it being straight, but it was now contoured which made the hole more pleasing to look at and I thought more playable. The length stayed about the same. The team took a net par for the hole if I remember correctly. It was on to the uphill 14^th, a par 3 which remained relatively unchanged as well except for some trimming of the trees. On to a hole that I really hated before the renovation, the 15^th.

Is this the same 15^th that I knew and hated. No, it wasn't. It was a kinder and gentler 15, shortened and with a new green. The old green was almost unreadable, as it was built into a hill. What looked uphill, was actually severely sloped downhill. The new green was very fair. I took my bogie here after getting on in two and walked away a very happy man even after three putting.

On to the par four 16^th, and the first thing I noticed was that it was still uphill but the fairway was shaped and still sloped but it was a gentler more playable slope. This was a great improvement, both for its playability and the way it set up visually. I was on in three but missed a short par put for my bogie 5. The 18^th hole is near, and I must par or bogie it.

The 17^th was still a par three with what seemed to be a 1000 foot drop but the hole had been moved over from tee to green more to the left. I was worried that this would ruin the character of the hole but it didn't. It was still a fun hole. This was it guys. We went on to the par 5, 18^th hole which I had to bogie or par. It was time to show what I had in me!

I pulled my tee shot off to the left into the trees about 220 yards out but was past the tree line on that side. I had an open shot, and hit a 3 wood to the middle of the fairway about 160 yards to the green. The next shot was a fat 4 iron into the wind which came up about 60 yards of the green but in great shape. My wedge shot flew straight and true and landed within 4 feet of the hole and I was lying 4. Would I make par? Would my day be a success? Could I make my bogie and walk away from the course with my head held high, or would I three put from 4 feet? You can't handle the suspense, or should I tell you what happened? Are you ready? OK, enough is enough I missed the 4 foot par putt but made the 2 footer coming back for a bogie. I could go home a very happy man! What a golf course! They truly did a magnificent job in the renovation.

How did we do in the tournament you ask. When we holed out we looked at the scorecard and thought that we didn't have a snowballs chance of placing in the tournament. We didn't play that badly but felt that we didn't play well enough to place. We went on to the bar-b-que, which was excellent by the way, and waited for the tournament results as we ate and watched the Superbowl. There was also a raffle with the course giving some great prizes. Rebekah drew the winning tickets for the raffle, and we all had a great time.

I would like to thank Even Boone and his staff for showing us some excellent hospitality. They went out of their way to make sure that our every need was taken care of. The course itself was the star of the show. If you are in the Monterey area and have the time to play golf, play it. The renovation has made this course one of the finest in the Monterey area, if not in the state of California. Again, a sincere thanks to all the people that put on the Tournament.

By the way, we came in second.

Pre-Tournament Briefing

The First Tee

Such a beautiful Course

The Real Pro

The Three Amigos

What a View From The Eighteenth Hole!

The Leader Board

I Know What You Are Going Through Phil.

     I am really sorry that you had to withdraw from the San Diego Open, Phil. Back problems are painful and they sure foul up your golf game. There are a lot of us out there that suffer from them, and for many of us back problems have made it hard for us to play the game that we love. Our prayers for a speedy recovery and a full return to the tour go with you.
     

Why Not Play The Western Swing?

     The new professional golf season is here and we are right in the middle of the PGA tour's West Coast Swing.  Why aren't the big names out here for the whole swing? We out here in the West would love to see them.
     I remember growing up and watching The Bob Hope Desert Classic, The Crosby, The Andy Williams San Diego Open and the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open.  These tournaments showcased some of the best courses on the West Coast. Plus, all the big names like Nicklaus, Palmer and Player played these tournaments.  The fields were large and the play was exceptional. Players came out west to enjoy the great courses, the weather, and of course the money. They were all there adding to the prestige and excitement of the events.
     That has all changed, for the most part.  The Bob Hope Desert Classic is now a shell of what it once was, especially on the passing away of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. It is now The Humana Challenge and has lost much of its luster along with most of the big name golfers of today. It is really a shame. The Crosby has been adopted by AT&T but the field is often sporadic.  Phil has played it often, but Tiger chooses to bypass it most of the time. He doesn't like the pace of play.  That's not the whole idea though, Tiger.  Its a matter of giving back to the fans here on the West Coast who want to see you.
     The Andy Williams San Diego Open is now The Farmer's Insurance San Diego Open.  I am OK with the change in sponsors and it is one of the few West Coast stops that draws a good field.  Tiger plays it because he likes Torrey Pines and Phil plays because he is from San Diego.  By the way, sorry to see you withdraw this week with your back hurting. hope you get better.  Plus, the weather in San Diego is almost always gorgeous this time of year.
     I am not sure that the weather is keeping golfers away.  The weather this time of year out here is fantastic! There have been years that it has been cold and miserable in both San Diego and Monterey, but that doesn't happen very often.  Most of the time it is quite sunny and relatively warm. I remember going to The AT&T and wearing shorts.  I was actually almost hot. Also, what a beautiful venue, even if it is freezing.
     It is exciting seeing new names on the tour.  Besides, there has to be a first time for a new player winning a tournament. I can see that, but I have to ask Who is Russel Knox? New names need to be atop the leader board in order for golf to survive and new superstars need to come forth.  But give us here on the West Coast a break.  We want to see the Tigers and the Phils here in the west.

First tee, Coronado.  this was the first week of January and the temperature was about 75 degrees.

The starter shak at Coronado on that same day. Beautiful and sunny!

   

Ridgemark: Holister, California

     I travel to Monterey, California quite a bit to enjoy the beauty of the place and to play some great golf. On the road to Monterey from where I live you have to pass through Holister.  The town has been bypassed by a new throughway, but you still know that you are passing it.  Most of the time you just drive on, not thinking much about the town, but as just a place that is on the way to somewhere else.
     The town's claim to fame is that it was the site of the 1947 "Motorcycle Gang Riot" that was portrayed in the movie The Wild One staring Marlon Brando. Nothing very earth shaking happens there--actually I take that back.  The town is located in a valley formed between the Diablo Range and Gabilan Range of the Coast Range Mountains, almost directly on an active area of the San Andreas Fault. Its quaint downtown was heavily damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. All told, it is a sleepy little town in a sleepy though shaky part of California.
     Ridgemark, a semi-private facility, was a place that had been on my radar for a long time. I have known for a long time that the course was there. A few people that I play with on a regular basis have played it and I have vowed for some time to stop by and see what the course was like.  Again, it was one of those "I have to play that course some day" kind of thing. The time to make a trip to see for myself what Ridgemark was like was long overdue. I finally took the plunge with my expectations soaring high.
     There are two courses at Ridgemark, the Diablo and the Gabilan. The separate tracks were named after the mountain ranges and you can see the ridgelines clearly from the course. We played the Diablo course which is said to be the more forgiving of the two courses, although people I have talked to that have played both courses have said that there is not much difference in the difficulties of the two courses. Supposedly, the Diablo course is the more picturesque. I will have to play Gabilan in order to decide for myself as to the difficulties.  Diablo is said to have the better views of the valley, and as such more pretty.

The Clubhouse

     We checked in at the pro shop and proceeded to the first tee where we were greeted by the starter/course assistant.  He was very friendly as we talked about some of the nuances of the course. He warned us about the course signature hole, number seven. After giving us a few tips on how to play the hole, he also let us know that the greens were fast at about a ten on the stimpmeter and to stay below the hole on most greens.  This info would come in handy during our round.

The first hole.

     
      The first hole was a dog leg right from an elevated tee. There is a stand of trees on the left of the hole which can come into play if you pull your drive. The green is slightly elevated and the green putts true.  The view from the first tee gives you a great introduction to some the tee box views on the front nine.
     Hole number four was a favorite of mine.  It wasn't exactly picturesque or special, I just kind of liked it.  It is a par three from an elevated tee to an elevated green, a distance of 144 yards on the card. There is a lake at the bottom of the hill, although when we played the lake was dry.  Not a hard shot, just a fun hole.

Par 3 number 4

       There it was, hole number seven.  Time to suck it up and go for it. The view from the tee of the valley and the ranches around the course almost took your breath away.  The tee is eleveted, which gives a great view of the valley and the barranca that you have to carry to get your ball to the fairway. From there, the fun does not stop because the barranca doubles back on you. You have to either lay up or go for it. I did neither and wound up in the barranca--twice. That was it for me, pick up and on to the next hole.  I do want to play this hole again when I know what to expect.

The seventh tee: What a view

The seventh green: a breathtaking hole

   
             
    The back nine is a bit different from the front.  You don't have the elevation changes as you do the front. The fairways on the back are a bit tighter with more trees lining the fairways.  On to number ten.
     I really like the par threes at Ridgemark.  I talked about number four and number eight was a kick in the pants as well. The back nine starts with a slightly downhill short par 3, measuring 144 yards on the card. The hole is very playable and user friendly. There is a tree on the left and a huge bunker on the right. The green is generous in size and set in among the trees, as were most of the greens.  Again, watch out for that tree.  You think that they won't come into play, but they can.

Par 5 eleven tee

     Hole number eleven is a par five.  It doglegs right around a sort of lake, I guess you could call it, which shouldn't come into play. It is a very short par five at 437 yards.  You can shorten it by staying on the right, or make it a long par 5 by going left.  There is not much trouble and birdie is a good possibility.
     How about a short par four at 273 yards.  For some players, this hole is driveable if you go over the lake which is out of bounds and also carry the green bushes which surround the lake.  I would have none of that.  I hit a three wood into the fairway and got on the green with a wedge leaving about a twenty foot birdie putt. I really hate when a birdie putt lips out.  I hit a great put, but it just didn't want to go in.
     Ridgemark is truly a work in progress. The course was feeling its age when it was sold to new owners and a new management team took over. The courses were neglected and the new owners and management team are committed to making Ridgemark a world class facility.  There is a lot of work to be done as I noticed that some of the fairways were sparse, but we also played the course in early November when the bermuda was going dormant.  The greens were lush and putted true, but the bunkers needed attention. I am sure the new management is addressing these concerns.  All in all, the experience was a great one and I would live to go back and play the Diablo Course again and try the Gabilan Course. I wish this great venue the best of luck and success. I would recommend Ridgemark especially if you were looking for a great golf experience with some great value.


***Check the course for greens fees, however they shouldn't be more than $50 a round with cart.
   
 
   
     
   

Way To Go Phil!

     I have always been a Phil Mickelson fan from way back.  I love his fresh personality and his "Go for broke" attitude.  Besides, not only is he a golfer but he is a pilot as well.  By the way, did Phil fly his plane to Scotland or did they fly commercial?  I wonder. At any rate, Congratulations Phil on your Open victory.  You deserve it.
     OK, I admit watching you come up to the eighteenth hole with a two shot lead wondering if you were going to drive the ball somewhere into England out of bounds. But no, I was proud of you.  You kept the ball in play and birdied the last hole.  You went from a two shot lead to seal the deal with a three shot slam-dunk.  What a day!
     That claret jug looked good in your hands.

Its not Muirfield in Scotland, but nevertheless its very beautiful and on the ocean.

I Made It!

     The deed is done!  I made it and lived to tell the tale.  I survived the 110 degree day in the heat of the afternoon.  Will wonders never cease.  Shot a good round too.
     As a writer, you are never supposed to start a story with "The day was....".  Well, The day was overcast and the heat had not peaked as we teed off.  I was prepared for the heat.  What was unexpected was there was a bit of monsoonal moisture which flowed up from Mexico which made the day very humid.  The temperature was not what you would call comfortable. It was hot and humid, but bearable.
     I came prepared for the heat. My normal hot weather equipment includes a large spray bottle and towels so I can spray myself down with cold water.  This worked for most of the day, even though the humidity was up. I was 13 over at the turn.  Sweating like a pig and hot, but comfortable.
     The clouds disappeared and the temperature began to soar.  It got hotter, and you could feel the temperature leap.  The eighteenth hole was a welcome sight, even though I double bogeyed it to shoot a 96.

    

I'm Still Here...I'm Just Resting

     I want you to know that I am still here.  Sorry for the extended vacation, but I will be returning to regular posts probably tomorrow.  I took a couple of days off for a sort of vacation around the 4th and it turned into a longer vacation than I thought as well as a sort of strategy session for what I will be doing soon with my writing and other opportunities.  I am excited about these things and will keep you posted.

Golf In Canada--Vancouver