The middle day of my most recent trip found me in San Jose. So far in my experience, this general area is home to some of the most challenging courses around. Last year, I played Cinnabar Hills and Eagle Ridge (in nearby Gilroy). Both courses were very beautiful, yet extremely difficult. The Valley Course at... Continue Reading →
Updated Course Review: Poppy Hills Golf Course
I’ve been looking for an excuse to come back and play the “new” version of Poppy Hills since it reopened from its major renovation in 2014. I made a point to play it not too long before it closed. You can read that review from the summer of 2012 here. Pictures were tough that day because... Continue Reading →
Short Course Blitz: 101 Ways to Wander
I took another little road trip this weekend, as I worked my way up the 101 Highway and then back down for a Sunday GK Plays (Greenskeeper.org) at La Purisima. It was a convenient excuse for another adventure. My driving route took me all over the place as I tried to check more courses off... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Laguna Woods Village Golf Club
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit this local course. Being that this club is part of a 55+ community, it was a tricky one to access. Thankfully, a friend had a client who lives here and was nice enough to invite us out for a round. Technically, there are 36 holes within this community.... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Santa Anita Golf Course
Some golf buddies and I got together for an early morning round yesterday at San Dimas Canyon, which I reviewed fairly recently and things haven’t changed too much. If anything, the fairways have actually gotten worse there, which was sad to see. Nonetheless, this article will focus only on the afternoon round at Santa Anita... Continue Reading →
Short Course Blitz: Odds and Ends
Recently, I’ve been trying to get more aggressive in order to find ways to play some of the more obscure private short courses in Southern California. I’ve tried many strategies and have been successful at a few places so far. Some of these courses are the toughest to access. Most are parts of private residential... Continue Reading →
More Central Valley Surprises
According to Mr. Newton, what goes up must come down. I went up to Modesto (albeit the very scenic route through Yosemite) on Friday. Monday saw me working my way back home. Again, it wasn’t the most direct route as I had to go out of my way for different courses along the way. As... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Micke Grove Golf Links
I’ll just review this course by itself. It was the only round I played over the weekend while staying up in Modesto, with full golf days on Friday and Monday to bookend the trip. I had a chance to get out for a quick round on late Sunday afternoon. From Modesto, Micke Grove Golf Links... Continue Reading →
Heading for the Hills
I’m back up in Modesto this weekend on business, but I made the most of my drive up on Friday. I took a rather circuitous route to get here in order to check out some new golf courses along the way. In the morning, I was just east of Fresno for my first round of... Continue Reading →
Course Reviews: Mission Hills Country Club
Last Thursday, a friend and I had the great opportunity to visit Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. He was able to line up a round on the Pete Dye Challenge Course, but we ended up getting to play all three courses on a slow, hot afternoon in the desert. We played anything but... Continue Reading →
Bogeys Across America 