So, we are what, 3 weeks into the arctic wonderland that the Inland Northwest has become? Too bad I traded in my skis for golf clubs long ago. Now the problem is, you can’t hop over to Kennewick or Lewiston to play… not even the Seattle area, unless you like to golf in 40 degrees with a 90% chance of rain. As a matter of fact, I checked the weather report for one of my previous getaway suggestions - Beaumont, California, and the ten day forecast doesn’t crack 60 degrees! If you’re bothering to get on a plane to play golf, it should be warm, right?

So, here’s the new plan: Head to Florida. I know, that’s a bigger commitment than So Cal, but there’s more golf there than any state in the union, and it will always be around 75 degrees. The other plus to FLA is the humidity… nasty most of the year, but now it is an early - round golfer’s dream. The overnight lows dip down to maybe 62, and by 7:00 AM it’s close to 70 deg. already! No frost delays like you always get in the Southwest.

The problem? Well, it takes a bit longer to get there, obviously, but the big one is cost. Golf is plentiful, but not cheap this time of year. If you head for, let’s say Doral, you’ll pay at least $200 for an average round, or up to $325 to play the Blue Monster! Yikes! So, where to go for great golf that won’t break the budget?

The Answer: Port St. Lucie, Florida. Where? Yes, I hadn’t heard of it either. It’s just north of West Palm Beach, where you would fly into, although I would look at flying into Orlando and driving down - it’s only an hour’s drive, and you get much better deals on flights and rental cars in Orlando. The one reason (the only one, by the way) to check out Port St. Lucie is PGA Village. A development sponsored by the PGA of America, this huge sprawl just outside of town is a golfer’s mecca. The main teaching school for PGA pros is here, with a practice facility you won’t believe… and it’s lighted for night practice too.

The main draw, however, are the 3 courses at PGA Village. You want name designers? How about Tom Fazio, who designed the original 2 courses (Wanamaker and Ryder), and the one and only Pete Dye? These are 3 of the best courses I’ve played, with tour - quality conditions and challenge. The fascinating thing to me was the diversity in the 3 courses despite being on the same, very flat land (It is Florida). The Wanamaker is a classic Florida golf course… meaning lots of palm trees, water, and gators. The Ryder course is very different, it being a “Carolina” style course. Think Pinehurst… with scrub pines, elevated greens, and massive bunkers. The Dye course? Well, I’m not sure how to describe it. The PGA seemed to just let him have his way here, and he created one of the quirkiest courses I’ve ever seen. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but you will play shots there that you’ve never seen in your life. Tons of humps and bumps, awkwardly placed pot bunkers, no rough at all - just waste areas - and tightly mown grass from tee to green… like I say, it’s tough to describe, and even tougher to play! Yet, you will never be bored.

The kicker? Rates are $65 prime time, and $39 twilight, which starts at 2:00, and you can usually get all 18 in until probably 2:45. Even at their highest rate of the year, which I think is $100, this is one of the best deals in golf I have ever found. For what you get in service, conditioning, and level of golf, I’m not sure it’s beatable anywhere. They have many stay and play packages through Pga Village, but you can also rent one of thousands of condos from a private owner, most for under $1000 for the week. The entire development is only a decade old or so, so most rentals are newer, and are most likely right on one of the fairways.

If you go, drop me a line. The closest I’ll come this winter is playing the TPC Sawgrass on Tiger Woods ‘08.

Another WGC event gone by, another Tiger Woods win. His dominance is almost boring, if it wasn’t so astounding at the same time. I was very interested to see tiger go head to head with Paddy Harrington, a great golfer who you could only knock by saying he won 2 majors last year… with Woods out of commission. How would he stand up to Sunday pressure playing alongside Mr. Woods, on one of his favorite courses?

As it turned out, very well. He took a one-shot lead into the 16th hole… and, well, if you watched it, it was a bit grim. Tiger hit an unbelievable 8-iron to about a foot, while Padraig made a snowman. End of drama. I hadn’t heard this until Monday morning, but apparently the group was put on the clock on the 16th tee, and there’s some talk that this lead to Harrington’s demise.

My response to that: tough. You shouldn’t be that far behind anyway, so deal with it. I like Harrington a lot, but he does slog around the course at times, analyzing shots way too much. Hit it, find it, and hit it again. Follow Tiger’s lead. He’s not Sabbatini fast, but he picks a club and hits it. Commit, then hit. I don’t care how important the tournament is… rules are rules, and a Tour rule is pace of play.

So my question then becomes: If someone can tell 2 of the best players in the world to speed it up a bit, why are local courses afraid to maintain a decent pace of play on their own turf?

With temperatures soaring into the triple digits this weekend, our family retreated into the comfort of AC, getting projects done in the early morning and then shutting up the house so as not to let the cool out. Of course, later in the heat of the day we ran out of needed supplies (beer and ice cream), so I ran to the store, braving the desert landscape like Lawrence of Spokania.

However, as I passed Qualchan golf course, what did I see? Most holes on the front side full of golfers. Only 2 had umbrellas to at least keep the scorching sun off their skull. So here is my question… what’s going on here? I consider myself to be as hardcore of a golf nut as anyone I know. I’ve played in crazy winds, in torrential rains, even when it was briefly snowing. But 100 degrees? Isn’t that too hot? Am I a hot weather wimp, or are those folks out of their sun-lovin minds?

I’m going to say mid-90’s would be my tipping point. Plus, if that’s the forecast, don’t you wake up early and play at 5:00 AM? Or play 9 holes after sundown? If we lived in Vegas or Scottsdale and had no choice, so be it. But you know living in Spokane it won’t stay that hot that long. Of course, in a few months winter will be here, perhaps I’ll change my tune then. My advice: at least play Indian Canyon or Downriver, where you can get some shade on almost every hole. Or, like me, just watch the Buick Open and have an iced tea next to the swamp cooler. Oh, by the way, Tiger won. Go figure.

What a week for the Open Championship. If watching Turnberry in Hi-Def doesn’t make you ache to go over to Scotland to play golf, you might need to take up tennis. Today, the Monday after, the story is “Poor Tom Watson”. I admit, I was rooting for him too… how could you not? When you think of the Open, “old” Tom Morris, one of the founders, comes to mind… but when he was winning opens, “old” meant he was in his 40’s. At just shy of 60, Tom Watson came out of nowhere to not just sneak up on the field, but almost go wire-to-wire for the win! Amazing. However, it was not to be, and Stewart Cink is your winner. Should we feel sorry for old Tom Watson?

Please! That would make history, and a great story, but would that really change Watson’s life? He’s won the thing 5 other times! He’s won the Masters twice, the US Open at Pebble! He’s going to be just fine. What’s one more claret jug to throw on the pile? Meanwhile, if some real jerk came in and won instead, maybe you could get mad, but how do you root against Stewart Cink? He’s one of the nicest guys on the tour, with all the talent needed but just never came through in a major… until now. Unlike Watson, this totally changes Cink’s life. He goes from just another golfer with a few middle-range tour event wins under his belt to a major champion. If he wins one more in his career, we’re now talking possible hall of fame stuff. This could send his confidence up to where he becomes a 2 or 3 time winner every year on Tour. Plus, he realizes the downside for Watson, and spoke of it. Hey, I say give him credit… he didn’t sneak in, he made that putt on 18 with just as much pressure as Watson’s, and he buried it. My one issue with Cink’s victory? That lime green shirt - hat combo. Really? On Sunday at the Open? Sir, you are going to be in every paper and in history books if you win, and you let Ian Poulter’s hairdresser pick your Sunday wardrobe?

If you want to feel bad for a guy, feel bad for Lee Westwood! He probably played better than anyone on Sunday, but couldn’t get it done in the end. What must sting this morning is knowing now that just 2 putting the 18th green would have gotten him into the playoff. I can’t fault his logic, though… he was trying too hard to make that first putt, thinking Watson would easily make par from the fairway behind him. So his agressive play was not rewarded, and now he will think about what might have been if he had played it conservatively for a long time.

One last thing… immediately after Tiger missed the cut, I saw articles popping up “He’s not recovered from knee surgery!”. Okay, but did you watch the event? He played like crap. Simple. End of story. I love Tiger, but stop with the excuses for him! He’s allowed to play poorly one in a while. Don’t sound like my mother-in-law, who every event that Tiger’s not leading says “What’s wrong with Tiger??” Then I have to explain for the 500th time how it’s amazing how often he does win, that his winning percentage is crazy for golf, tha blah blah blah… enough already. He stunk. He’ll win at Firestone, probably win the PGA at Hazeltine, and guess what? The Open is back at St Andrews next year, and he will win that too.

The Open championship is underway in Turnberry, Scotland, and the difference in true links golf to what we typically play in the US is on display. The Alisa course has no trees, severe bunkers, and will completely change depending on the direction of the wind. Wind is the main defense most links courses have, being seaside with no trees to block the ocean breeze. Typically as well, tall fescue grasses await errant tee shots, so driving it well is usually a premium.

Have you ever played a true links golf course? Some might answer yes, but just because the course has “links” in the name does not mean it’s truly a links golf course. (The most obvious example is Harbor Town Golf Links in South Carolina: There couldn’t be a less links-style course, yet there it is, right in the name) Obviously, only some can be ocean-adjacent, but removing that element does not mean a course’s design isn’t a true links. The closest you will come in the Northwest, and probably the entire US, is Bandon Dunes in Oregon… on the ocean, no trees, pot bunkers, the whole deal. Just amazing, and true to the purest of links golf. The people at Chambers Bay in Tacoma claim to be a links course, and it comes somewhat close, but has some features that don’t hold up to the test… mainly the lack of ability to play low shots, running ghots into the greens.

Locally, the closest you’ll come is aptly named, The Links in Post Falls. I’ve always been a big fan of the Links, I think it’s a great course, and typically has some of the best greens in the region. Is it a true links course? Yes and no. It is treeless, mostly. It does change dramatically in the wind. The greens are large and have the kind of undulations that you would want in a links. In the past, they also grew the rough up tall, which was great and very linksy, but normally they do cut it, and I can’t say I disagree with that, since guys continue to drive it into the fescue and then look for their 50 cent top-flite for 15 minutes. (Note to those guys: the tall rough is to encourage you to hit the fairway… and if that means clubbing down to a 3 wood or hybrid, just do it, okay?)

What hinders the Links as a real links design are a few quirks… no real pot bunkers or real links-style hazards, and several holes again do no let you run the ball up to the green low, as windy links golf is normally played. (#10 is the worst culprit, with a somewhat hidden bunker right in front of the green 10 yards short). Yet, is you want to feel like you’re in Scotland, head to Post Falls on a windy day, do NOT take a cart (The Scots look at golf carts like I look at Tofurkey… kind of the same, but just plain wrong), and get used to playing low, running shots, having fun with it rather than fighting it. I was out there with a buddy of mine who refused to adjust his game to the wind… just getting yardage, picking the club, and hitting a hard, high shot, and then getting mad when the wind knocked it down 20 yards short of the green. Maybe you will hit a 5 iron from 135. Maybe you will putt from 150 feet. Links golf requires different shots, and if you try it out you might just like it.

The latest issue of Golf Digest has a great article on municipal golf (they abbreviate it as “muny”, which I don’t really get, but okay). The gist is that while we see tour pros on privately owned, perfectly manicured courses, the real heart and soul of golf in the US is on publicly owned, down-to-earth munis. As I’ve said before, in Spokane we are truly blessed with municipal courses that, while publicly owned and without frills, are a better golf expericence than most munis around the country. However, there is a fun quality to the small-town 9 hole course, the one with the donation box out front when no one is there to start your round… and we also have a few of these around as well.

As far as the donation box, that’s as close as Eagle Ridge short course… out of towners may be confused driving down highway 195, as you see some holes for Qualchan at first, and then see Eagle Ridge on the right. You should not confuse the two. The short course is very aptly named, with I believe only one hole measuring over 100 yards. It’s fun to play, and you see a lot of families with kids there on summer afternoons. And yes, especially late in the day, the “clubhouse” is closed, and you stick your $7 in the box and go to the first tee.

I recently stopped off in Dayton, WA on the way to Walla Walla to get in some golf at the Touchet Valley Golf Club. Sounds fancy, maybe french? It borders a small river, and has 3 really good holes, but this is a rural golf course if there ever was one. The biggest indication? At one point, you play into the rodeo arena, where 3 holes are set up, but during rodeo season they are closed to golf. After the rodeo is gone, eventually the grass grows back, and you have those 3 holes to play again. Yet, most of the course was in good shape, and the $9 for 9 hole price I paid was right. Once again, if no one is at the desk, just stick a Hamilton in the box by the first tee, and you’re off.

 

There’s been some improvements to already great golf courses in our area this year. I bring it up because I recently got to play the two new greens at the Creek at Qualchan, #10 and #15. If you can remember those holes, both were very challenging greens… too challenging, it turns out. #10 sloped off the front of the green so severely that any ball short of a front pin location could not hold the green, and any putt coming from above the hole went racing by, off the green as well. The result? Very limited pin locations on that green. The same issue was true on #15, with the entire left portion of the green unusable for hole locations.

Both greens have been re-done, #10 raised up to create a false front to the green, but with a realistic slope to the putting surface. The big bunker in front of #15 has been changed as well, allowing for that section of the green to be more level. These aren’t huge changes, perhaps not even noticed by the once or twice visitor to Qualchan, but it will greatly increase pin positions, and as a result, conditioning of the greens.

Serious renovations at Hangman Valley have resulted in some complaints by a few people… concerning the bunkers. Hangman renovated all of their bunkers this off season, and added some new tee boxes as well. Trees behind the green on #4 were removed, to give it more sun. All in all, I love this improvement. Hangman has always been in my top 3 in the inland NW, with 2 caveats: It tended to dry out in the summertime, and the bunkers were a joke. Shallow, with the worst sand this side of Meadowwood, you couldn’t play a proper bunker shot in years past. With the sand being so crusty and shallow, you would skip off the top and hit the ball flush 6 times out of 10. Now, the bunkers are deeper, more visually appealing, and yes, full of soft, fluffy sand. I’ve heard some say they are full of too much sand, that you can’t even get out of them. My advice? Learn to play out of them. Just because you were used to the old bunkers does not mean the new ones are wrong… it’s just very different. Plus, in the sand trap, more is better than less. At least you can swing under the ball and know the sand will lift the ball out. Bottom line, with the course improvements, Hangman is right up there for top to bottom quality in the Northwest. You would pay $75 or more almost anywhere in the U.S. to play a course that good.

One change that goes back 2 years in the making is the sixth hole at Downriver. For sure, this is the biggest change to one hole of any of the changes made to a city course recently… complete revision of the hole. If you recall, #6 was always a blight on an otherwise great older golf course… a totally blind par 3 that went straight uphill - and you had to hit off a rubber mat. Really? Yet, that was the case for many years. Now, they have moved the tee box up the hill and back into the trees, so you play across the hillside, not up. It’s not like the hole has become a top par 3 in the region or anything, but as far as improvement, going from an absolute dud to a proper hole is well worth it in my book. Now, the question is… can someone figure out how to do the same at #13 at Qualchan?? Please???

 

 

The US Open was not quite as tough this year, with torrential rains softening up Bethpage Black to the point the pros could spin back wedge shots on the greens… a sight that makes the USGA cringe. In years past, they didn’t give the putting surface any water - to the point it was like hitting an approach shot into the parking lot. Remember Shinnecock?

Regardless, the Black course was still a stiff test for the world’s best, and if you don’t believe it, play it for yourself! Yes, following up last year’s Open at public-owned Torrey Pines, Bethpage Black is a municipal golf course, open to all. You may recall the famous “warning” sign at the first tee of the Black, which informs players not to even play the course unless “highly skilled”. The big elevation changes, massive bunkers, knee-length fescue grasses, and uphill shots into smaller greens will testify to the course’s reputation as a monster. Designed by famous architect A.W.Tillinghast, the Black course has stood the test of time… although greatly helped by the recent renovations by the USGA.

If you wonder if golfers are masochists, the difficulty in getting on the Bethpage Black will confirm that. Even though its difficulty is well known, the only thing harder may be procuring a tee time. The primary tee times are given through a phone-in lottery system, but with the entire eastern seaboard calling in, the real lottery may be easier to win. As a result, you see golfers showing up early to get in line for the early morning slots available before scheduled tee times start, first come, first served. How early? Well, 6:00. The previous evening, that is. Yes, like Torrey Pines out west, golfers sleep in their cars in hopes of grabbing one of those precious first-out slots. If that doesn’t sound appealing in your rental car, a third option is to pay a surcharge through a tee time service, but expect to pay big bucks. The nice thing about the Black course is even though it is one of the top courses in the nation, out-of-state golfers pay only $100 midweek to play through the normal tee-time channels. If you go, keep in mind that Bethpage state park has 4 other golf courses, so you can try to get on at the black, and then catch a round on another course if you get turned away. (The Red course was also designed by Tillinghast.)

A much closer option for NW golfers is to head to Tacoma and get a round in at Chambers Bay. How is that a substitute for Bethpage Black? The 2 courses could not be more different in many ways… Chambers Bay is a links style course, with no real trees to speak of, and plays 180 degrees different than Bethpage. Yet, it is also a municipal golf course, it is walking only (like the Black), and it will also hold the US Open, in 2015. Plus, it is much easier to get a tee time these days… last year, when it opened to rave reviews, it was difficult to get on, but in recent months they have even gone so far as to lower greens fees and expand the twilight rate to get players out there.

 

 

This week’s PGA Tour event in New Orleans turned out to be quite dramatic coming down the stretch on Sunday, with a lot of guys in contention, but nobody grabbing it in the end. Saturday’s leader Jerry Kelly won for the 3rd time on tour, and I think we’re all okay with that- he seems like a good guy, very down-to earth.

I was actually rooting for Charles Howell… I know, why am I rooting for someone with “III” at the end of his name instead of a regular joe like Jerry Kelly? It’s mainly due to his getting a lot of guff from the analysts on TV lately about his approach to the game, that he’s too technical with his game and should play more by feel. Well, that’s fine to say once, but they keep asking the poor guy almost every week, and it seems to be getting old. I will say that when you see his swing in slow motion, you wonder how he doesn’t win every time he tees it up. It’s just a beautiful swing… meanwhile, he loses to Jerry Kelly, whose homemade swing is put together these days with bailing wire and Advil.

When all is said and done, I wonder if Chuck the III will regret his decision on how to play the par 4 16th hole. It’s a short par 4, and they moved up the tees to only 295 yards on Sunday. there’s a lot of risk… water all down one side, and the other side is humps and bumps like crazy. Yet, most players were bombing it down there and doing well, and Gary McCord questioned Howell III’s decision to lay up off the tee. I guess it’s easy to question it now, after he airmails the green with a wedge and barely makes par. He could have really put the win to rest by being aggressive there, of course he also could have hit it in the water and flopped. I still think he will sleep poorly tonight wondering if he should have hit a driver.

The course, after opening 4 or 5 years ago to mediocre reviews, seems to be winning over the players and critics. A latter-day Pete Dye, it’s open to the public, and at $100 in the off-season, it may be the cheapest course to play that is a PGA stop . The good thing is, it’s only about a 25 minute drive from the French Quarter, so if you’re down on Bourbon street, check it out.

Okay, it’s time to play, right? Enough is enough. How can I get my season started right with a crazy, way too much golf at once blitz? Well, let’s see…

If you can get to Circling raven this week, the rest of April is only $50. That’s a great start.

Packages at the CDA resort are all the way down to $100 for room and golf. Plus they have a reasonable replay rate.

I still say the best “local” deal is Wildhorse in Pendleton, OR. We played there a few weeks ago midweek… it was $28, with NO replay rate… just a 2nd cart fee if you take a cart, and there was perhaps 2 other groups on the course. Plus, it’s in really good shape!

You want golf? How about UNLIMITED golf? Go to Eagle Crest resort just outside Bend, OR. They are having a $99 unlimited golf package… which includes room, golf, cart… and range balls? Are you serious? They have 2 very fun courses there, plus a short course that is very tough! A great deal.

Have you ever played Kayak Point over on the coast? Apparently no one else is, because the deal they have midweek is crazy… $38 for all day golf, cart, a breakfast sandwich, and lunch too! All for the one price.

So I’m guessing you watched the Masters on Sunday… if you didn’t, why in the world are you on this website? One of the best Sundays at Augusta… just incredible. For me, even better, it was up for grabs, as opposed to Tiger winning by a comfortable margin. He had his shot… as did the rest, but kudos to Angel Cabrera for squeezing out the win. Especially after hitting it right behind a tree in the playoff!

Regarding Tiger… I love Tiger, don’t get me wrong. I don’t worship him like some, but I respect his dominance. That said, I can’t remember anything better than seeing him hit a tree on 18 trying to hit one of his miracle shots. Plus, not just grazing the tree, he hit that thing more solid than any shot all day! I shouldn’t revel in it so much, but man, that made me feel better than the birth of my child.

What about Phil? Does that not make you wonder why any of us play this game?? That he plays the front nine better than anyone I’ve ever seen play it at Augusta, just absolutely dominating the golf course, and then makes the turn, and with one bad swing at #12 goes into the toilet like nobody’s business. Absolutely amazing. He still hit some good shots, but especially in hindsight, that was his tournament to win after that front nine. Just make pars on the other holes, and birdie the 5’s, you’re going to win. If he had posted 12 under… I think the rest would have wilted under that pressure.

Speaking of shocking changes in fortune, poor Kenny Perry. I was rooting for him, as were all there I think, but man… how do you hit that shot on #16, that honestly should have been an ace, to clunking up so badly on 17 and 18? Again, why any of us play this game, I’ll never know.

The week before the Masters is usually unnoticed, but some interesting things happened at this year’s Shell Houston Open. Since moving the tournament to the Redstone golf club 3 years ago, they try and emulate Augusta conditions to prepare the players headed to the Masters… i.e. very fast greens, shaved banks around the greens, and the like. This lead to a delay on Thursday… it seems Augusta-fast greens and Texas winds don’t match up so well. Balls were literally blowing right off the putting surface. Afterwards, things calmed a bit, and a very competitive tournament resulted.

By the way… as always, I love a Tour event held on a public facility. Redstone is open to the public… it’s $175 to play. Maybe a lot for a course that looks like it will beat you up to no end. But, if you’re in Houston, check it out.

Sunday was a logjam at the top of the leaderboard, with a lot of guys to root for. Most notably, Fred Couples, who we all love and want to see win, but if you watched his Sunday round at the LA Open, you knew what was going to happen. His putter can’t hold up to Sunday pressure anymore, it seems. Let’s hope he saved his best for Augusta, to get another green jacket.

The guy who got in the clubhouse early was J.B. Holmes, then proceeded to wait 3 hours before going out and hitting his first shot in the playoff into the water on 18. Ouch. Now, I don’t blame him for that. Did you see that shot?? That’s probably the hardest tee shot on Tour other than #18 at the Players, and he has to come out after 3 hours of negative thoughts and hit it. I’ll give him that one. My problem with J.B. is his pace of play. I loved him when he first got on tour, mainly for the fact that, being 5-10 and having a homemade awful looking swing, he absolutely crushes the ball… hitting it 350 no problem. Yet, is a slow player to start with, and when he gets into contention, he grinds to an absolute halt. On Sunday, it was normal for him to take 15 practice swings… for each shot!! Come on, J.B., step up and hit it! It’s not helping your mental game to think about it that much. At the very least, think of us at home having to watch you agonize over shots like a Russian chess master. Hit it!!

Paul Casey was the winner, and it’s suprising he hasn’t won several times on tour already… he’s that good. This will probably open his confidence up for multiple wins. The interesting guy for me to watch on Sunday was Geoff Oglivy, the current FedEx points leader, already with 2 wins this year, and he looked like he couldn’t hit the planet with many of his shots. He was consistently 50 yards wide of almost every target, just fighting his swing like crazy… strange for someone playing so well this year. The thing to notice? He shot 3 over. On a day where he had no control over his ball, he still only lost 3 strokes to par. What that tells me- if you really want to shoot consistent low scores, stop hitting large buckets of balls at the range. Go practice your game from 100 yards and in for at least 75% of your practice time. The guys on Tour hit it wildly like us sometimes, but they always get it up and down for par. Meanwhile, what should be at worst a bogey turns into 7 or 8 with a crummy short game. Practice chipping and putting!

Here’s a plea to the 7 people who read my blog… please post local course conditions so we know were to go! Here’s what I know:

Indian Canyon: hit balls there the other day, not a lot of grass on the range, and it’s very wet. The course is open, bit muddy. Wear the right pants.

Qualchan: In amazing shape. Played it Monday, and had very few if any wet conditions… greens were mowed on Tuesday, so they should be even better than when we played, and they were not bad then. 2 temporary greens from rebuilding, #10 and #14. Other than that, i would be shocked to find a local course in better shape.

Fairways: they are open, but it’s walking only, and even that’s tough. It’s very wet, with quite a bit of casual water. Greens are rolling nice.

Has it really been 4 years since Retief Goosen had won a PGA Tour event? Seems like it couldn’t be true, but his win at the Transitions (?) Championship in Tampa this week was his first in quite a while. He has come back in to form recently, with multiple wins on other tours worldwide, and now he seems to be on target as we head to Augusta. My question… where did his game go?? You look at him swing the club, so smooth and effortless, you wonder why any of us try to play the game part-time when even a man like Goosen can lose it for a period of time. He recently turned 40, and has made a commitment to fitness that has apparently paid off. He said he keeps reminding himself that Vijay Singh won more in his 40’s than his entire career previous, so he plans to follow suit.

The difference maker on sunday was his putter… the greens at Innisbrook got very baked out and fast, and guys were running it 5 feet past the hole on a regular basis. Add to that list Goosen, who just needed to 2 putt from 20 feet for the win, and then ran his first putt by the hole at least 4 or 5 feet. He managed to sneak in the comebacker, but all of us were thinking Southern Hills 3-putt time when that happened, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. In his interviews, he admitted yes, that came to mind. Pretty amazing even a major champion has bad memories jump back at the worst time… I suppose the difference is, he shrugs it off and makes the putt anyway.

Mental toughness seems easy for Goosen, at least keeping his emotions in check does. Or does he actually have emotions? He had a good putt lip out hard at 15 or 16, and he barely blinked. He snuck in the winning putt, and calmly took off his hat to shake hands. Come on, Retief! At least raise one arm? Anything? The next tournament you win, I would like you to please drop to the green, do the worm for about a minute, and then run over to the TV camera and slap it around Happy Gilmore-style, yelling”That’s riiiight, baby! Plenty more where that came from!!!” Or not.

Following this week’s World Golf Championship at Doral, interesting things happening in the world golf rankings. Phil Mickelson has jumped over Sergio Garcia for #2 in the world, and is closer than he’s ever been to overtaking Tiger Woods for #1 in the world. If Phil decides to play Bay Hill, and beats Tiger, I believe that will do it. My question is: is that really news? You’d think so from watching the Golf channel, but I don’t think so.

Let’s face it: the only reason anyone is close to Tiger in the rankings of anything is the tiny matter of his not having played golf for 9 months. Add to that, the last time we did see him play he was winning the US Open one one leg, hobbling around like Blackbeard with a 7 iron instead of a peg leg. So can anyone get excited that the world rankings are closer than normal? If Sergio had been able to win the PGA last year, and hadn’t gotten bounced in the first round of the match play event, he’d already be #1 in the world. Sergio! A man who, although being maybe the best ball-striker alive, has as much confidence on the greens as I do in front of my mirror in a speedo. Bottom line: give it 2 months, Tiger will be back at #1 with a comfortable margin.

Hey, I hope I’m wrong! I get bored when Tiger wins all the majors and everyone else sheepishly comments on how great he is. I would like to see Phil, Sergio, maybe Ernie challenge him on a regular basis. Yet, history has shown us that Mr. Woods is just that much better than everyone else on earth… I my mind, not a knock on any of those players, just a testament to the superiority of Tiger’s game.

Phil did say the right things after winning… that Tiger’s the greatest player ever, and how he doesn’t really put much stock in where his world ranking is day to day. But you know he would love to have at least one clipping from GolfWorld reading “Phil Mickelson: #1 player in the world” on his mantle somewhere. It might happen. Regardless, he’s playing great, and you know Tiger will play great soon. Here’s hoping for a Woods - Mickelson showdown at Augusta National. How great would that be? Even their caddies can’t stand each other. Coming down the stretch, even going in to the back 9 on Sunday? With CBS constantly cutting to show who has the hotter blonde wife, or the cuter toddlers? I’m setting my Tivo just thinking about it.

Monday morning… watching highlights of the tournament at Doral. OK, so it’s not in the 80’s and we won’t have perfect greens to putt on for quite a while, but oh well. Can we play yet?

Painted Hills is open on permanent greens. If you haven’t played there, it’s in a quiet little part of the valley, and has some nice holes for a 9 hole course… and it’s 9 regulation holes, not a pitch-and-putt. They do have a short course, but the main 9 holer has 2 par 5’s, long par 3’s, and some solid dogleg par 4 holes. My one beef is the faux-Pinehurst effect they originally tried on several greens, elevating the front for no good reason except to obscure your view of the pin. The other reason to go out there is one of the better practice areas in town… and I think we’ll all need a bit of practice before going out to play. They have a grass area to the range as well as mats, and a seperate green for chipping and putting practice, which is always nice. Somehow I always end up practicing putting when some guy is chipping to the hole behind me… and of course, chips 8 balls into me in the process.

I will address the local golf situation first, sad as it may be, with snow falling this Sunday in the first week of March. Assuming it warms up beyond freezing, Painted Hills golf course in the Spokane Valley is open, on permanent greens. It’s a bit brown out there, but it’s golf on real grass, so what do you want, anyway? You can go play the regulation 9 holes, and then play their short course as well to get the rust off your short game… typically this time of year that’s the weakest phase of the game for most of us.

Also, I got down to Columbia Point, in Richland, Wa last week. I really like that course… I know some who don’t, and they usually point out the setting, how you either have the highway next to you, or a shopping center. It’s not exactly set in a pristine natural environment, but I enjoy the actual course. If you can’t play the Club at Black Rock, and you won’t be in Colorado for some time, Columbia Point might be your only chance to play a Jim Engh designed course. He really did a lot without much natural help… the biggest compliment I can give is that it’s just fun to play. I always want to go back after playing it.

The benefit to going down to Tri-Cities, even if some Spokane courses open, is conditioning. I was amazed at how well the greens were rolling down there. We won’t see speeds like that until May, I fear. Nice job by the Columbia Point grounds crew.

If you are headed to West Palm Beach, FL, first of all… I hate you. Second, you might stop by PGA National, home of this last week’s Tour event, the Honda Classic. If you play the host course (The Champion), bring a bunch of balls and prepare to get beat up. The multitude of water on the course, combined with the spring winds, make for a real challenge… as evidenced by the single-digit winning score. Be warned, though… greens fees are over $250, a lot to pay to shoot in triple digits. Thankfully, PGA National has 4 other courses to play, all easier and cheaper as well.

Plus, just up the road is PGA Village, a smaller, less pretentious version of PGA National, and they currently are having an “unlimited play” special… If you pay for one greens fee, you can play as much as you want that day based on availability. The one clubhouse serves 3 courses, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting on one of them in the afternoon. Based on the quality of these courses (2 designed by Tom Fazio, one by Pete Dye), this is currently my pick for the best deal in golf!

The Accenture Match Play event this last weekend became much more exciting when it was revealed it would debut the return of our lord and saviour… oh, wait. Sorry. It’s actually Tiger Woods. If you watched any commercials for it though, you would have thought it was the second coming, and Tiger’s followers would be raptured as he made the turn. I realize Tiger is the draw in golf, and really, without him the Tour would be in real trouble financially, but tone it down a bit, will you? Especially in a match play event!

Tiger’s record in match play is very good. Yet, anything can happen in a match, which is why it’s so much fun to play… or watch. If you’ve ever been in a match where you know you’re better than your opponent, and the creep just keeps scratching out ugly pars hole after hole, then you can feel for Tiger. He didn’t play poorly against Tim Clark, but on the few holes he did, Clark took advantage. He’s the classic steady Eddie on the golf course, and it came back to bite Tiger in the end. I’m guessing Tiger will play the next WGC event in Doral, where he just about owns the place, so don’t worry too much.

Here’s my thought as the Tour moves from the West coast to Florida… which would you rather watch, guys making birdies almost every hole on what to them is a glorified pitch and putt, or guys grinding it out on a tough course to win with a score of -3? The Florida swing has really toughened up in recent years… The Tampa event at Innisbrook was always tough, Mr. Palmer tweaked Bay Hill to be a par 70 instead of 72, and when the Honda event moved to PGA National, some serious golf needed to be played. The ever present wind in Florida helps toughen things, but the courses are just flat harder than the ones played out West. Is that better or worse to watch on TV? I know I would rather make birdies than struggle for pars, but I think these guys on Tour are so good, they should be tested. Add to that, when the course is more challenging, the cream tends to rise to the top. Players with more game, more shots, better nerves seem to prevail. The last 3 holes at PGA national will test your nerves, I know that. If you’re going to Florida, it’s a course you can play, as well.

Nice title, right? Actually, this year’s LA Open (Northern Trust Open? Please) was very entertaining, but not quite a Hollywood ending. I’m guessing most screenwriters would have Fred Couples winning, his balky putter somehow coaxing the final putt to creep over the edge of the cup, sending Phil back to Butch Harmon’s ranch in despair. Instead, Phil managed a one shot victory, straightening his tee shots just in time to catch the tour’s new “Can’t finish the deal” guy, Steve Stricker.

Many interesting things developed during Sunday’s final round. Watching the TV guys dissect Phil Mickelson’s swing breaking down mid-round, it occured to me: Why do any of us try to play this game? Here’s one of the best players of all time, a 30-plus winner on the Tour, a 3 time major champion, and he is fighting his swing like it’s a rabid dog. He had Butch Harmon flown in after Friday’s even-par round to help him figure out what was wrong. Really? And I get mad when I play poorly after taking 3 months off, with a workout regimen designed by Krispy Kreme? What shot do any of us not named Eldrick have??

Yet, Phil fixed it, and managed to win. The hard part to watch was Freddie Couples on the greens. If there is one thing in golf I will never understand, (and there’s a lot) it’s how Fred can have the smoothest, most relaxed, fluid golf swings any of us have ever seen, but when he picks up a putter he morphs into a spasmodic 25 handicapper with Torret’s Syndrome. Typically a golfer’s putting stroke is a reflection of their full swing… i.e. Ernie Els, and the like. Not so with poor Freddie. If that wasn’t bad enough, he still had a chance to win coming down 18. He smokes a drive past his partners, has just a 9 iron into the green… and hits a tree. Hits a tree? Wow. The pressure of the win doesn’t seem to be agreeing with Mr. Couples’ senior years… but the Champions Tour is less than a year away. He’ll be fine.

The drama continued with another guy fighting his golf demons… Steve Stricker moved into the lead, only to have the driver turn on him as it did at the Bob Hope earlier this year, and as it did years ago when he fell of the face of the earth golfwise. If you read about his struggles back then, he had the yips with the driver so bad he felt he couldn’t hit the planet from the tee box. Kind of the reverse of the Freddie situation… Stricker is a world-class putter, yet fights his driver from time to time. If those 2 were in a scramble, look out.

The one bummer for me watching this week is the venue, Riviera Country Club. One of the best courses in the country, but very private. No room for you or I to play. How can it hold up against all of the other great California courses? It is a great design, with holes that are interesting without being too quirky. Like #6, a par 3 with a huge bunker in the middle of the green. You don’t see that every day. Then #8, with a split fairway, forcing more decisions off the tee. When mentioning decisions, no hole at Riviera forces them more than #10, a very short par 4 at right around 300 yards, but with a myriad of options on how to play it. I thought it was interesting that Couples, one of the longer hitters on the course, laid up with an iron all 4 days. He has a plan, and he’s sticking to it. The great part of the design is you can get it right up by the green with your drive and still make bogey. One of the great short holes, in all of golf. The greatest testament to the quality of Riviera? Look at the list of winners. Big-time players, most with majors. This is not a golf course where a johnny-come-lately can play sloppy golf and still get a win. It requires power and shotmaking… a rare combination today.

The AT&T at Pebble Beach is always fun to watch… more for the course than for the actual tournament. Especially this year, when the weather went nuts to the point of canceling the final round, and they just hand the trophy to Dustin Johnson. Here, take this. But I still watch, mainly since I will never pay $450 to play any golf course, Pebble or not. So since that was a dud of a finish, let’s talk about the LPGA.

How bad is my golf addiction? Yes, I will watch an LPGA tournament. That puts me in the minority, but I would highly advise it for the average male golfer. You can really learn a lot from how the ladies play… most of them hit it about as far as you do, they don’t put crazy backspin on iron shots, and they have to lay up on most par 3’s… it is a similar game to what you might do on the course on a really good day. The good thing they do is manage their way around they course, and through just solid play they shoot 3 or 4 under without major fireworks. Still, most men apparently do not agree with me, and ratings are never that great for an LPGA event.

Enter… Michelle Wie! The Tiger-esque savior of that tour. She qualified through Q-school, and is a regular member of the tour now, not sporadically jumping through the schedule like in the past. If you watched the Golf Channel’s coverage of the SBS Open, you might have thought Wie has won as many majors as Annika, the way they were building her up. Then she held the lead going into the final round, and she’s going to break through for her first LPGA win!!! Except… well, let’s just say she’s not what you would call a closer. After #10 she held a 3 shot lead, and promptly hit it into a water hazard and made double bogey on the very next hole. For all of the hype around Wie, and her obvious natural ability, I’m not alone in questioning her mental strength down the stretch in tournament play.

Now, in her defense, she’s 19 years old. I had the mental strength of a turnip at 19, so who am I to judge. Plus, after watching the final round, other than that bad hole on #11, she actually played okay… but winner Angela Stanford played great. She really closed strong, and won the tournament rather than Wie giving it away. If they still held a second event in Hawaii, I would put money on Wie no question. Bottom line, she was putting great. She has always been solid tee to green, but average with her short game. If she putts as well as she did on Oahu, she will win fairly quickly. Plus, I stick to my theory that once she gets the monkey off her back and does win, she will win in bunches.

The AT&T at Pebble Beach was held this weekend, and the annual time for me to wistfully stare at the TV, drooling over holes 7-11, is here. Add to that the Golf Channel just had a top 10 show of “Top 10 Ocean Courses”, and guess which was #1? Pebble. Now, if you know me, I’m cheap. Really cheap. I was cheap in a good economy, and now I’ve become the Uber-Costanza of cheapness. So, that begs the question… do I play Pebble Beach?

Well, if you check their current rates, the answer is obvious. A round of golf is up to $495. For one round. Also, to get a tee time, you must stay at the resort. The cheapest room in the joint starts at $600 a night. So, to stay one night and play, you’ve dropped over a grand. Even in the best of economic times, no sir. Not going to happen. I know guys who have gone and say ‘Just bite the bullet, give them your credit card and don’t think about the money’, but that never seems to work for me. I can’t even stop thinking about the cost of my meal at a fancy restaurant, and that’s 100 bucks. How am I going to blow off a thousand dollar bill for golf?

Ok. So what if I’m down at the Monterey Peninsula? Well, all is not lost. For the cost of the room and one round, you can have a nice golf trip. Here’s my suggestion: Good golf can be had that will not kill your budget. First stop: 36 holes in Monterey at Bayonet and Black Horse courses. They were recently renovated, and should be in great condition. Rates start at $115, and after 1:00 it’s $95. The redesign was led by Gene Bates, who we know locally from designing Circling Raven.

For more good inland golf, head just south of Carmel to Carmel Valley. There’s another good 36-hole complex at Rancho Canada… good, solid golf that starts at $75, and again after 1:00 goes down to $35. That may be the best deal in the area. A bit further down the valley road is Carmel Valley Ranch, a Pete Dye design that also just underwent a major renovation. Whereas the Rancho Canada courses are fairly flat, CVR has wild elevation changes, with several huge downhill par 3’s, and lots of water and tight fairways. It’s maybe a bit steep at $145, but I would surely pay the twilight of $85. They also have good packages to stay and play, and a lot of the rooms are nice bungalows with fireplaces, for not too much dough.

Ok, so we’re on the Pacific coast, and we can’t play golf anywhere near the water? Other than some distant views from the Bayonet course, so far no ocean views. If you want them, but don’t want to sell a kidney, head to Pacific Grove, just north of the courses at Pebble Beach. There you’ll find one of the coolest muni courses in the country, Pacific Grove Golf Links. The first 9 was designed by Chandler Egan, who built Indian Canyon, and the back 9 was built later by the original designer of Pebble Beach. It shows, since the back 9 plays alongside the ocean, with views the whole time, and 3 oceanside holes. For $40, you will never play golf that close to the ocean. Now, this is not a full length course (only 5700 yards), with some short, kind of pitch and putt holes, but hey… you’re playing golf next to the ocean for 40 bucks. Can’t beat it.

Ok, time to bust the budget… a bit. The one deal I would go for in the courses at the 17 mile drive is twilight at Spyglass Hill. It’s still $175, and that’s a lot to pay when you may not finish the round before dark, but here’s why: Spyglass starts out with views of the ocean, and the early holes play right down to the water. The back 9 is good, but not oceanfront, so if you can’t finish, you still got the good holes in. So with that, taking the drive around the 17 mile dr, and going to get a beer at the taphouse at Pebble Beach… that might do the trick. Or, play one round at Pebble. Your choice.

Have you ever been watching the US Open, the hardest test in professional golf, and thought, “I could play that course.”? Well, typically that will never happen, as the Open is usually played at high-profile private courses, like Oakland Hills, Winged Foot, or Shinnecock. However, the USGA has recently been holding the Open at public courses, starting with a great course just down the road from Shinnecock… Bethpage Black. The site of this year’s US Open. Last year as well, the Open was held at Torrey Pines, just north of San Diego in La Jolla, California.

Torrey Pines is a very scenic, oceanside golf facility that features 36 holes, both of which are in play during the annual Buick Invitational. The South course gets all the love, and it was the course the US Open was held at. It continues to be a tough test for the pros… it’s very long, almost 7800 yards, and when they keep the fairways narrow, with the many dogleg holes on the South, you need to be really striking the ball well that week. I would think many amateurs would actually prefer the North course… it’s much shorter, easier, and actually a bit more scenic than the South.

Certainly if you go, play both, but don’t snub the North course. At $90 midweek, it’s still a great deal. The South is $160 midweek, and $200 on weekends… and that might be a bit too much. Why? Well, yes, there’s some tournament history, and yes, the ocean views are great, but make no mistake: This is a municipal golf course, one of the busiest in the country. It’s very crowded, play is usually terribly slow, and course conditions are typically average at best. Sometimes it’s quite beat up. So, if you’re like me, and $200 is a lot to pay for a round of golf, think about getting a twilight deal. Or the best option… make friends with some locals. They pay $43 for the South course! One of the best deals in golf.

Of course, that’s deceiving as well. Just getting a tee time for the normal rate is almost impossible. They have a call-in lottery system that may be harder to hit than the actual lottery. The first time I played there I showed up at 4:30 AM, since tee times start at 8:00. I figured I would get on no problem… and found out I was 46th in line. Around 30 guys had slept in their cars in the parking lot to secure a spot in the morning. Luckily, I got with a 3some of locals who let me tag along. For the local rate, which then was $34. So now, with last year’s US open still in mind, I can’t imagine trying to secure a tee time that’s not a year in advance.

So - playing Torrey might be more trouble than it’s worth. Any other deals in the San Diego area? Well, if you want to see the water, head to Coronado Island… the Coronado muni course is never going to hold a US Open, but it’s a fun little track, and fees are $25. I think you can get an advance tee time for $38. Still a great deal. The Balboa Park course by the San Diego zoo is also a bit beat up, but can be fun to play, especially for $30. If you want the most bang for your buck, I would say Barona Creek is your bet. It’s a casino course (bet- get it?), which means no houses or condos on the fairways, and it’s a new, very scenic course for around $100 midweek. They held the Nationwide Tour Championship here for a few years, so it’s the real deal. Another good option on that side of town is Steele Canyon, a Gary Player design with 3 9’s that wander through the canyons, and rates will be around $120.

This week’s PGA tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego, the Buick Invitational, is typically where Tiger Woods begins his play for any given year. Of course, that was mostly due to his sponsorship with Buick, which is no more. Maybe we’ll actually see him at the Mercedes championship someday. Anyway, ratings will be down, and not much buzz was seen at Torrey with no Tiger, but is that a good thing?

I love watching Tiger play golf, but what I love more is a competitive golf tournament. Watching Tiger win by 5 shots on a course that obviously suits him very well… kind of boring. I enjoyed this week’s contest a bit more, since, as usual, the leader slipped and let almost 5 guys back into contention. 2 guys playing a reachable par 5, tied for the lead, to win? That’s good stuff. Congrats to Nick Watney for holding up in the end, and for validating the win he had in New Orleans a few years ago.

A few notes on the tournament: Is it just me, or does it hurt to watch Camilo Villegas swing? I love his game, but yikes! He’s like the anti-Ernie Els. That violent move he makes at the ball through impact… I’m not sure he can keep that up as he gets older. I forsee some swing changes for Camilo down the road, or his #1 sponsor will be Advil.

Of course, he always hits the ball solid… did you see Luke Donald shank his tee shot on the par 3 8th hole? Wow. Donald has one of the prettiest swings in the game, just a classic move, but here just cold shanked it. Is it wrong of me to love seeing that now and again? I know it’s sadistic, but seeing a tour pro hit such a rotten golf shot gives the rest of us hope, I think. Plus, Luke made $160,000 this week, so I think he’ll be fine.

Another shocking thing to see this week was Retief Goosen… putting with a belly putter? Really? One of the smoothest putting strokes in the game has wavered that much? To quote David Fehrety, if you do not have a belly, you should not be allowed to use a belly putter. So either smooth that stroke out, Retief, or hit the IHOP all-you-can-eat flapjacks deal for a few weeks in a row.

Finally, you have to feel for John Rollins. Again, he’ll have the $575,000 he made to salve his wounds, but losing is always hard, especially when you give it away like he seemed to. If I heard correctly during the telecast, he has never won going into the final round with the lead. He’s always won (twice) coming from behind. You would think having the lead would be easier, but a lot of times it is not. After making eagle on #13, he all of a sudden went from aggressive to protecting the lead… which can turn into trying not to lose instead of trying to win. In the end, though, I can’t root for a John Rollins. Why? He plumb-bobs every putt! Hey, grampa, knock that off. If you need a better read, have Camilo teach you his laying on the green thing he does. Man, that looks like it hurts too! Everything that guy does is painful. Even the painter’s cap he wears to play golf in.

Hey! This week’s PGA event was held at TPC Scottsdale, a public course, and you know I love when the big boys play a venue where you or I can hack it up there and play almost the same game. Question is… is it worth it? After all, you’re in Scottsdale, where you can’t spit without hitting a fairway of some course in the area. Does the TPC merit your time, and more importantly, your cash?

To clarify, I have spent pretty much zero time playing in the greater Phoenix area, so my info is from others, and my own research (I’ve planned about 8 trips to Phoenix, but it never seems to work out). That having been said, I would have to say no. Peak season (which is now) they want $272 to play… and that does NOT include tax! So, we’re talking $300 to play a fairly average desert-style course. I know it’s a tour stop, but really? There’s no oceanfront holes. No major championship was held there. There are 3 really good holes, and the rest are fairly ok. The 17th was pivotal this year, and that’s a testament to great design by Mr. Weiskopf. A short par 4, half the field can hit the green with a 3 wood. Too easy? Well, because of water in play, smart bunkering, and a crazy green, this is a classic risk-reward hole. You can drive the green and make eagle, but on Saturday and Sunday I saw plenty of bogeys made by guys in contention. Great hole. $300 great for me to play? I say no. Let’s face it… for most of us, a $300 greens fee better be for a bucket-list life-changing round of golf. You can do better… even in the Scottsdale area.

One suggestion… for deals, you have to be willing to drive. Some of the better golf is east of town. Out in Fountain Hills, there are a number of top-rated, yet cheaper options. The best is going to be We-ko-pa, a 36 hole facility on Native American land. Translation… there’s no houses on the course, and a casino nearby. It’s around $200 to play, but they always have specials running, especially in connection with the casino.

The other 36 hole option east of town is Gold Canyon golf resort… a bit older than We-ko-pa, but the Dinosaur Mt. course is consistently rated as one of the best in AZ. It has classic desert-style golf, and with more elevation changes than you’ll see in town. It costs $180, and the other course is around $100, but package deals there drop the price a lot. It’s worth the drive.

Of course, with such an abundance of golf in the area, I would also call a tee-time service if you are flexible on where to play. As with the Palm Springs area, several companies buy up the unused spots on the tee sheets at area courses and sell them at at least 50% off. I found several amazing deals just yesterday at Golfnow.com, one being a $90 round at the Boulders, which is another $275 greens fee in peak season. Those are booked online, so bring your laptop. Otherwise, call Stand By Golf, which is all done over the phone.

On tour this week was the FBR (Phoenix Open), played in Scottsdale in front of the largest crowds all year for a tournament. If you watched it, they love to show the 16th hole, a short par 3 that normally would not be a big deal at all, except they pack almost 100,000 people around the thing who have been boozing it up since breakfast. This leads to the most un-golflike response to player’s shots… they scream like banshees as the ball leaves the clubface - and sometimes before that - and then if the player hits a bad, or even mediocre shot, he is booed! And somehow, it works. I love it, and most people, even the players, seem to agree.

This is odd, because if that happened on any other hole at at any other tournament, I would be outraged. I would demand those hillbillies be thrown off the course. Seriously, is there anything worse than someone hitting a tee shot, and then the primal scream that follows: “GET IN THE HOOOOLE!!!” If you have ever been that guy, please kill yourself. No one, not even your buddies, is impressed. Yet, it seems to happen every week on tour. I think that’s the difference at #16 on TPC Scottsdale… everyone is going to yell, and everyone knows it. It’s a joyful yelp for all to join in. Whereas, if you’re the lone guy screaming after a tee shot or putt, you’re a selfish jerk. You’re saying “Hey, isn’t that funny, what I just shattered your eardrums with?” Well, no. It may have been, the first 200 times it happened, but at this point you may as say “Hot enough for ya?” in July. Shut your mouth, and clap politely. Or, even better, go to that monster truck rally you’d rather be at anyway.

Anyway, Kenny Perry beat Charley “get a haircut” Hoffman this week in a playoff. As is the case almost every week, it fascinates me that the guys like Hoffman can destroy a golf course with a combination of power and touch around the greens, and yet can’t seem to get comfortable over any putt coming down the stretch. The 3 footer he missed on #17 really messed him up, because everything he hit after that needed more speed. The only one he should have hit with finesse was that short birdie putt, but he tried to ram it in. Once again we see why Tiger is the man on Tour… if he has any of those putts, you have no doubt they are in. Anyone else… even premier players… you cringe as they try to sneak in a winning putt. I think I’ll spend some time today putting in my living room. Beats chipping in the snowbank out back.

This week the PGA Tour stops in the Palm Springs area… La Quinta, to be precise. Perfect golf conditions are leading to record scores… 20 under in 2 days? Sheesh. But, I’ll take perfect golf conditions any day… 75 degrees, no wind, perfect greens… sign me up. However, this year for some reason, 3 out of the 4 courses used are private… only Silverrock is a public course. (I haven’t played it, but some friends highly recommend it.) Where do you play down in the desert?

First stop: Desert Willow, in Palm Desert. One community over from La Quinta, Palm Desert contains several high-end resorts, like the Marriott Desert Springs. There are 2 ok courses there, designed by Ted Robinson, but I would suggest going right across the street to Desert Willow. There are 36 holes here, and strangely for the area, not connected to a resort. It’s actually owned by the city, which makes it a municipal course, but you’d never notice it as such by the level of service, and the the level of golf. The Firecliff course is probably my choice, but both are fun to play, and the main thing you’ll notice is the beauty of the courses. Desert golf can be a bit stark sometimes, but here it’s like playing in a desert garden of some kind. All of the cactus is flowering, and colors abound in the waste areas, giving a gorgeous backdrop to the perfect green fairways and greens. This is one of the better deals in Palm Springs, with fees usually around $150, and twilight for under $100. That’s not exactly cheap, but for average costs down there this is way more golf for your buck.

Right up Monterey ave from Desert Willow is Shadow Ridge, a very nice course designed by Nick Faldo. It’s not the usual desert design you see in the area, there’s a lot more grass, and a few less forced carries… if you watch these courses on TV and aren’t sure about constantly having to hit shots over desert areas, Shadow Ridge might be for you. Not to say it’s a pushover, it has plenty of length, and tons of very challenging bunkers. It’s supposed to be inspired by Australian courses… I’ve never played down under, but apparently they like their sand traps bigger, taller, and more numerous. It’s also a good value at around $100-$125 per round, and less if you stay at the resort there, which I highly recommend… very nice timeshare resort, and if you take their tour you can get vouchers for some free rounds! Another benefit there is one of the nicest practice areas you’ll see anywhere.

A bit outside of town, towards Indio, is The Golf Club at Terra Lago, which used to be called Landmark Golf CLub, host of the Skins Game a few years ago. It has 2 courses on site, both classic desert designs, with quite a bit of water in play, and bighorn sheep roaming around on some of the higher elevation holes. They also have a timeshare being built there, so check for the same deals for free golf!

There are too many options in the Palm Springs rotation to mention, but a good way to save some cash on tee times is to call a tee-time service… probably Stand-By Golf (standbygolf.com). They scoop up unused tee times from almost all the courses in the valley, including all of the ones I’ve mentioned, and if you don’t really care where you play the next day, you can grab off-peak times for at least 50% off. I played Terra Lago 1st time out - by myself, for $65, and I got put with a threesome at Desert Willow for under $50. If you have a group of 4 guys, this might not work, but for 2somes and singles, I would give it a shot. Either way, you’ll be warm and playing golf, and I’ll be freezing in Spokane writing blogs at least 2 people find almost interesting.

It seems like just yesterday when the national media largely ignored the Northwest as far as premier golf courses are concerned. If it wasn’t somewhere in California, a western course was unknown. The creation of Bandon Dunes in Oregon brought much attention to this part of the country golfwise, and the latest new course rankings seem to continue the trend of recognizing great NW golf.

Golf Digest and Golf magazine both gave Best New Course honors to Chambers Bay in Tacoma, and the praise keeps coming. Home to the 2015 US Open, Chambers Bay is a testament to having golf as a vision… turning an unsightly quarry on Puget Sound into a top golf course takes vision like few have these days. Having played it this summer, all I can tell you is get there before 2015, so you can still get a tee time, and bring extra balls. This is not your typical public course, and certainly not a resort layout that pampers you while stroking your golf ego. Chambers Bay is more of a golf mugging. It’s big, tough, rough around the edges… and you have to walk. Period. Bring good shoes and a good knockdown shot into the wind, but you won’t be bored.

Top new private honors went to Gozzer Ranch on lake Coeur D’ Alene, and with some heavy competition, this is a huge honor. With competition from Black rock across the lake, and the venerable CDA resort course in view, how does Gozzer Ranch compete? With Tom Fazio doing some of his best recent work, on an incredible piece of property. Add to that incredible amenities, like “comfort stations” that are quaint log cabins filled with anything your heart desires (espresso, homemade elk jerky), and top-notch service top to bottom, this place has it all. Mostly though, it has a golf course that may possibly be the best in the Inland northwest… time will tell if Gozzer or the Engh course at Black Rock will hold that honor.

Honorable mention went to another new NW layout, the Home course in Dupont, Wa. Where?? Dupont is just south of Tacoma, so you could hit Chambers Bay and the Home course back to back. It is also a reclamation site, built on an old dupont manufacturing site, the only reminder are the sticks of dynamite that mark the tee boxes. Is the course a blast? I haven’t played it yet, but I’ll report back later.

With new golf options close to home and on the coast, it’s looking like 2009 might be the time to take a Northwest golf tour. Although… the courses in Seattle are wet, but open. Maybe I’ll start the tour early.