GOLF IN CALIFORNIA
Serendipity
is not a word usually associated with Golf and Golf Courses. However it was serendipitous for us to spot a
golf course in the middle of the most uninhabitable tract of wasteland.
It
was a pleasant surprise to see the sign board and I had to take a photo at this
unique spot.
However I was denied the pleasure of a round of golf as it is said that the course is so tough that “Only the Devil could play Golf on its surface” Needless to say that even ‘Preferred Lies’ would be unplayable due to the rough texture from the large halite salt crystal formations.
The Devil's
Golf Course is located in a large salt pan on the floor
of Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert within Death Valley National
Park.
The park is in eastern California and is one of the most hottest and dry region on our planet
Earth. Temperatures have been routinely recorded at over 115C / 46C.
Another View of The
Devil’s Golf Course
Another site off the beaten tourist path is an out of this
world spot.
Ubehebe Crater (pronounced YOO-bee-HEE-bee
Ubehebe
Crater is located at the north tip of the Cottonwood Mountains quite close to the
Devils Golf Course. The crater is about half a mile (one kilometer) wide and
500 to 777 feet (150 to 237 m) deep. The age of the crater is estimated from
2,000 to 7,000 years old.
It is a relatively young volcanic crater and likelihood of it erupting in the
near future is a distinct probability.
This
area is extremely rugged and resembles a rocky planet similar to what may be
found on Mars. Hence it has been used to test the Mars Rover Vehicle prior to
its launch and exploration on Mars.
PLAYING
GOLF IN CALIFORNIA
Now to get back to the purpose of this article. Northern Californa (NorCal) has some
beautiful Golf Courses consisting of private exclusive country clubs and
municipal public golf courses. The private
golf clubs are pretty expensive and can be upwards of $250 a round. Pebble Beach is one such course and available
only for guests resident at the resort.
A weekend package costs a bomb and needless to say that one didn’t
enquire about reservations and tariffs for a vacation.
However I did partake of an excellent brunch and explored
the course for a photo opportunity.
Brunch at the Club House @ Pebble Beach
@The
Locker Room in front of Tom Watson’s locker
Jack Nicklaus’s locker
View
of the course
Another
View of the Course
I had the privilege of being a Marshal at the Ellie Mae
Classic Golf Tournament at TPC Stonebrae, Hayward, CA.
As a scoring marshal I had to walk along with the players
and mark the scores of the players on a hand held PDA. The PDA was a Samsung smart phone with the
software built in. It had the players
names in each group and information about the course. The scoring marshal has to key in each player’s
stroke as well as the club used. Around the course were laser beams which would
track the trajectory of the golf ball and measure the distance travelled. The information from the PDA and the Laser
beams would be recorded at the central server located at the control room. The information then would be relayed live to
the Television Broadcast Van.
This is how the Television commentators are able to give
detailed live information on the game.
One of the guidelines given to me was to watch out for
rattle snakes and immediately report it to the control room!
The course is extremely difficult with lots of bunkers
and unforgiving roughs outside the fairways. The view is magnificent as it
overlooks the San Francisco Bay and is surrounded by the Hills around Silicon
Valley. It is also elevated and requires walking up and down steep slopes. For some of the elevated holes the players
were provided with buggies to take them up the steep paths, apparently they
have special permission granted by the PGA.
I enjoyed playing golf at quite a few courses around the
San Francisco Bay area. I played at the Redwood Canyon golf course near my
house. A lovely 18 hole course which is
close to the a national park and nature trail.
It has a driving range where one drives the balls into a lake.
Another reasonably priced golf course is the Monarchbay
Golf Course a public municipal course.
It is a links type of course with the San Francasco Bay on two
sides. The fairways are quite broad
and the greens are very good and true.
One can celebrate a closing putt even five feet from the pin. The fairways are quite soft and a divot
happens without having to punch the club.
The course is quite friendly with very few hazards or trees. Speaking of hazards it was a little
disconcerting to be confronted by coyotes. Quite a few coyotes appeared
especially as the twilight progressed and a nip was in the air.
Driving at Monarch Bay, San Francisco
Coyotes on the course
Golf in California can be enjoyed all year round. The weather is pleasant and never extreme.
What can be better than “Golf in God’s Own
Country”.