On Saturday, I began making the long journey home to Southern California. Naturally, I stopped for plenty of golf along the way because the weather was looking pretty good in Northern California. Saturday turned out to be a “play it by ear” kind of day and eventually became a Short Course Blitz. My initial plan... Continue Reading →
Short Course Blitz: The Bandon Less Traveled
While I’m in the general area for the holidays, I made it a point to visit Bandon and take care of a few odds and ends in this new golf mecca. I’ve played the four main courses at Bandon Dunes Resort in the past, but I came back to round out the short courses, as... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Pacific Dunes
I’m going to go a little out of order with my reviews, so I can group a few other courses together and focus this post on one of the top-rated courses in the world. Whether you agree or disagree with Golf Magazine’s bi-annual “Top 100 You Can Play” list that ranks Pacific Dunes #1 in... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Baywood Golf & Country Club
I’m visiting the northern coast of California for the holidays this year. Even though the weather reports are dreary and it has rained almost every day this month, I still came with the hopes of squeezing a little golf in while here. I decided to head up earlier than I originally planned because I saw... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Shady Canyon Golf Club
Well, I am officially in the 700 Club. But no, not the religious TV show. Yesterday marked my 700th course played. As usual with some of the milestone numbers I’ve reached, I wanted it to be a special course. With this year giving me access to so many private clubs throughout Southern California, it’s only... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Strawberry Farms Golf Club
This morning, I took advantage of an opportunity to play one of my local courses. Though I live in Irvine, I rarely golf in Orange County because most courses are vastly overpriced, overrated and/or overcrowded. Such is the case with Strawberry Farms Golf Club. Strawberry Farms has built up a little bit of good karma... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Arrowhead Country Club
Note: At some point after I played here, this course turned public. Yesterday, I ventured out to San Bernardino to check out another private club. Admittedly, it was a bit weird playing golf in San Bernardino less than a week after the tragic and senseless shootings there. However, I just happened to get an invite... Continue Reading →
Course Review: Thunderbird Country Club
On Sunday, I was able to play one of the oldest courses in the Coachella Valley, Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. It was my last SCGA outing of the year, but it was a big one at this classic desert track. Ultimately, things worked out in my favor because last year’s outing here got... Continue Reading →
Tucson Thanksgiving, Part 3: Arizona National & Ventana Canyon
I was fortunate to be in the first group out on Friday morning at Quarry Pines, and paired with some quick players. I had a bit of a drive to get to my second course for the day and I needed to take advantage of every bit of daylight. The frost delay stressed me out... Continue Reading →
Tucson Thanksgiving, Part 2: Starr Pass & Quarry Pines
After finishing Thursday’s morning round at Sewailo, I felt very confident about squeezing in another round in the afternoon. After all, it was Thanksgiving and my experiences in previous years have shown me that most courses are very empty on Thanksgiving afternoon. At the same time, many will have a morning shotgun and then close.... Continue Reading →
Bogeys Across America 