Katieshack

Palm Springs for less: New story on World Golf!

 

There are few places more perfect to play in the winter months than the Coachella Valley, but sometimes those pesky $200-plus green fees can keep us off the course. Fear not, there's a solution! Read my new story at WorldGolf.com and GolfCalifornia.com about great places to play in the desert that won't break the bank. You can take me out for a premium microbrew afterward with all of the money you saved.

New stories on World Golf and Golf California!

 I know, I know -- you've missed me so much! I'm flattered.

Just because I haven't been at the Katieshack doesn't mean I haven't been up to my eyeballs in golf for the last couple of months. It's been a really busy summer folks, full of tournaments (none of which I've played in, I'm really not good enough), magazines (Santa Barbara cover on FORE!) and other general golf gossip. A true testament to how the game can be a job and a lifestyle. However, there's a couple fun stories up on WorldGolf.com and GolfCalifornia.com right now of two courses in particular that I'd highly recommend.

The homepage story on WorldGolf.com right now is a story I did on Desert Willow Golf Resort, a 36-hole facility in Palm Desert that is one of my top recommendations for those unfamiliar with the Coachella Valley golf scene. They kept the environment in mind when they built this place too, which I always like. Look out for some fantastic changes to the clubhouse to be complete this fall...Desert Willow's 19th hole is getting a facelift!

The other story is on Angeles National Golf Club out in Sunland, about 30 minutes from downtown L.A. and home to one of the newest clubhouses in the L.A. area. Beautiful and challenging, and close enough to the city yet far away from the chaos. A win-win in my book.

Check them out!

Desert Springs Resort makes for hot summer fun

Since I'm all for great sizzling summer golfing deals in the desert (it's a DRY heat, people, it's fine!), I recently wrote about one of my favorite properties in the Coachella Valley, the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert. This place is an absolute monstrous oasis of pools, tennis, shopping, spa-ing, eating and, most importantly, golfing. The two Ted Robinson courses make for the best I've felt on a golf course probably ever.

There's even parrots in the lobby, near the gondola that takes guests around the waterways and drops off at restaurants along the way. You don't even have to walk here!

Read all about it at GolfCalifornia.com, part of the WorldGolf.com family powered by the Golf Channel! There's also a story on Industry Hills Golf Club's Ike Course I did a couple weeks ago.

Pebble's grandstands are up

We're only 11 days from the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and the video above shows a cool time lapse of the grandstands going up! This particular shot is of the 18th hole; I'd like to remind everyone that I bogeyed this particular hole thanks to some really stellar approach shots. Go me.  

San Diego teen scores 6-under-par in three holes at Barona

In the category of "all teenagers are apparently better golfers than me," 16-year-old Xander Schauffele of Scripps Ranch scored a double eagle, a birdie and an eagle on consecutive holes at Barona Creek Golf Club, shooting 6-under par for three holes. Wow.

As reported by Tod Leonard, FORE Magazine contributer and golf writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the feat this kid accomplished is so rare, the PGA Tour doesn't even have a record of it happening. The odds of shooting a double-eagle are actually much higher than a hole-in-one also (12,000-to-1 for an ace compared to anywhere from 1-million- to 6-million-to-1 for an albatross), making Xander's hotstreak even more impressive.

Playing with dad Stefan and with PGA teaching professionals Ross Marcano (of Barona) and Paul Marchewka, Xander told the Union-Tribune that “I was so happy I couldn’t stop smiling. I had a face cramp from smiling...It’ll be a good story for my kids. This will never wear off.”

If you want to be depressed about your game, read the entire story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Golfweek names Best Course You Can Play: Go California!

Drum roll please...of the 25 California courses named in Golfweek's 2010 Best Courses You Can Play, 12 of the properties awarded are in Southern California! Although the list came out in March, many folks are just getting the print edition in their mailboxes. Pebble Beach Golf Links is at the California helm, but some of golfers' favorites have made this year's list. A quick look at these fine properties, shall we?

4. Barona Creek Golf Club, San Diego (modern): Barona's one of my favorites in San Diego County. A Todd Eckenrode design that recently hosted a U.S. Open Local Qualifier, the course has garnered a number of awards since opening in 2001. Fairways are expansive and forgiving, greens are slick, and golfers can push back as far as 7,300 yards off the tee box. It's beauty, though, with more than 100 bunkers, mature oak trees and the smooth rock formations of the surrounding mountains are what golfers will remember. Stick a couple bucks in the slots at Barona while you're out there. The 5x Pay machines are my fave. Info: barona.com/golf

5. Rustic Canyon Golf Club, Moorpark (modern): Gil Hanse designed the ranch-style Rustic Canyon in 2002, a great open golf course with expansive waste bunkers (I'm always in them!) and native shrubbery. The course was ravaged by flooding in 2005, but amazingly, rebounded a year later when Hanse returned to repair damaged holes including the fourth, which was buried under 4 feet of mud. Great test of golf. Info: rusticcanyongolfcourse.com

6. PGA West TPC Stadium Course, La Quinta (modern): What can be said about this beast of a course that hasn't been said already? It's been the host of PGA Tour Q-School where players are challenged by Alcatraz and other holes, sports beautiful views of Coachella Valley mountains and is one of the toughest tests of golf around. Info: pgawest.com

8. Classic Club, Palm Desert (modern): Classic Club, an Arnold Palmer design, is a thing of beauty right off I-10 in Palm Desert, with its evergreen, rolling fairways and spectacular clubhouse. It's unique in that there's not one palm tree on the course. It's also a past host course of the Bob Hope Classic. Info: classicclubgolf.com

9. Torrey Pines South, San Diego (classic): Who doesn't remember the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines? A Rees Jones design approaching its 40th anniversary, the South offers some of the best ocean views in the Southland and is a great place to make some Open memories of your own. Read about my Torrey Pines experience. Info: torreypinesgolfcourse.com

18 and 19: Indian Wells Golf Resort's Celebrity and Player Courses, Indian Wells (modern): Perhaps one of my favorite properties in Coachella Valley, Indian Wells GR underwent major renovations in a couple of years ago at the hands of Coachella Valley resident Clive Clark (Celebrity Course) and John Fought (Players Course). Each has a distinct look and feel: the Celebrity plays into the Santa Rosa Mountains and Eisenhower Peak and is spotted with an abundance of flowers, while the Player course is classic, rolling and studded with mature trees. Check out the IW Club after a round, it's pretty awesome. Info: indianwellsgolfresort.com

20 and 22: Pelican Hill Golf Club Ocean South and North Courses, Newport Coast (modern): Renovated by Tom Fazio in 2007 and 2008, both the Ocean North and South courses boast unbeatable ocean views on layouts that are very player-friendly. On a clear day Catalina sunsets are some of the best in the area, and the impressive Resort at Pelican Hill, along with its portfolio of restaurants and amenities, offers players a reason to keep coming back. Info: pelicanhill.com

21. Maderas Golf Club, Poway (modern): Maderas is one of North San Diego's hidden gems, rated Zagat Survey's No. 1 golf course in San Diego. Robert Muir Graves and Johnny Miller designed the course in 1999, but only a handful of years ago the fires that ravaged San Diego ripped through the property, fortunately jumping fairways and greens but burning a bridge and rough that revealed hundreds of abandon golf balls. Maderas is as good as new, however, with cliffs, creeks and rock outcroppings providing challenge over six sets of tees. Info: maderasgolf.com

23. Journey at Pechanga, Temecula (modern): On a personal note, this is one of my favorite properties in the Southland, it's breathtaking! Literally 10,000 years in the making is both the course's slogan and reality at the newest property on this list, opened in late 2008. Part of Pechanga Resort and Casino, pure beauty is how this course can be described, routed around ancient burial grounds and rock outcroppings as it "sets out at the base of a large mountain, crosses the Pechanga River...then basically sets off into the sky," said architect Steve Forrest. Afterward, get in a quick hand of Pai Gow at the casino or grab a bite at one of Pechanga's great restaurants. The Journey's End in the clubhouse serves up a delish club sandwich. Info: journeyatpechanga.com

24. Trump National Golf Club, Rancho Palos Verdes (modern): Fabulous views, fabulous clubhouse, it's the only way Donald Trump would have his West Coast golf course. Reborn from what was once Ocean Trails Golf Club before its 18th hole collapsed and was swept into the Pacific in 1999 (making it one of the most expensive holes in golf at $63 million to rebuild), the Pete Dye design was reincarnated into a Donald J. Trump Signature Design in 2002. It's a pricey little venture to play, but the panoramas can't be beat. Info: trumpnationallosangeles.com

I came, I saw, I didn't conquer, but I'm OK with that.

Today was an absolutely picture-perfect, turquoise-water, fogless, nearly cloudless, windless and almost-warm day to play one of the world's most sought-after bucket-list locales: Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Too bad I played yesterday, when it was raining, cold and windy before parting clouds released golden rays of sun on the 17th and 18th holes. That's the mystique of The Beach, however, and THAT makes for a better story anyway. 

Yes friends, yesterday was the day. The round I was going to make my magical best-round ever, the time I was going to manhandle the elusive course that continues to evade the grasps of so many professionals and highly ranked amateurs. Did I? Among other things I discovered the hard way that Paul Goydos and I have something in common -- we both carded a 9 on the par-4 14th hole at Pebble. More on that later.

Preceding golf was the U.S. Open Media Day, when more than 150 radio, newspaper, television, magazine and website folks convened at The Lodge at Pebble Beach to learn of the latest official happenings on the 2010 playing of the U.S. Open Championship, teeing off June 17-20. Among news reminded is that the great Tom Watson has accepted a special exemption into this year's championship (confirmed in April), and the USGA's senior director of rules and competitions, Mike Davis, spoke with passion about the conditions the course would play in, course changes that were made at the hand of Arnold Palmer, and what to expect for the fifth time that that the course would host the U.S. Open. It was a terrific way to get amped up for the preview round ahead, which Pebble Beach's vice president of golf operations RJ Harper prefaced with, "tricky Sunday pin placements out there that were those of the 2000 U.S. Open."

Listening to that little gem naturally freaked me out. "That's it," I concluded. "No way I'm playing well if the pros couldn't even play well." I decided it would be unwise to hit the range before, so I mentally prepped myself for the day ahead sitting in my cart. 

I was happily paired with friend and colleague Pete Wlodkowski of amateurgolf.com as a twosome, and our caddie Sticks, a native of Seaside, was along for the ride.  At 6-foot-9 and a 10-year veteran of Pebble, Sticks could literally see more of the course than I could dream, and got to know our games and skills almost immediately. "I have to forewarn you," I told him as we waited to tee off, "My iron game's pretty decent, but I'm a 17-handicap because my short game is not pretty." His response? "The average handicap that plays out here is around a 14. There's nothing you can do that I haven't seen before." Reassuring.

And as we teed it up for the first time that day, all I can say is that first tee shot at Pebble Beach is a complete thrill, especially after seeing it go straight down the middle of the fairway. No pressure, especially after no warm-up. And no problem, clearly proven by my stellar drive.

After three lip-out par putts on the first three holes, I felt like I had a chance out there. Hey, I was on the dance floor, at that point it's just a matter of some putts dropping. Holes four and five, especially the great par-3 fifth bordering the water? Spectacular. Sunday pin placements? The heck with it, I could do it. But then "it" hit. The storm. The wind and rain and freezing cold. "Crap," I thought, feeling like that rain scene in Caddyshack. "Please let up."

It didn't let up for a few holes. Pete and I were soaked to the bone, and freezing to boot. Club grips were slipping, pant legs were dripping at the cuff with water. "It'll pass," Sticks yelled to us as he pulled on his rain hat. I ducked behind the windshield of our cart for refuge, as Pete bravely sprinted to his ball. At that moment, Pebble became twice the golf course.

A month out, Pebble's infamous rough was difficult enough as it is. Spray some water in your eyes, a few gusts of wind for fun along with a soggy golf glove and leaking golf shoes, and each hole becomes a shot longer. I began to leak oil at that point. My hands were red and numb. Pete and I would just look at each other and shake our heads in amazement. "We're doing this," we agreed.

Some hot chocolate at the turn and a few less dedicated groups off the course (who could quit a round at Pebble, of all places?), we teed it up on 10 to no showers but bitter cold. Pete began a string of pro-quality pars, while I was having trouble recovering. I had a couple bogeys and a couple doubles. Along comes hole 14, and just like Mr. Goydos, I watch my TaylorMade Penta TP miss the back tier on the small green and roll back into the fairway. It became brutal. It also didn't really bother me, despite my ultracompetitiveness. It wasn't about the score, I realized. It was about the experience of the course, and the memories that were being made. I was having a blast. And besides, the more strokes I had, the more I got to "play" the course. Sound logic, I know.

Sticks had me pull out my 5-wood on the signature 17th hole, a long par-3 into the wind that juts out into the water. "No way," I plead. "I can't hit this. Give me my 5-iron."

"Just tee it up a half-inch and swing," he said. "What's the worst that's going to happen?"

I begrudgingly, yet miraculously, hit the best tee shot with a wood I've ever hit, still short in the front bunker, but a happy bogey as a result. Overall, I'm thrilled with the way I struck the ball out there. Despite the crazy weather, my swing and contact was solid, and made me excited to tee it up again.

One of the best moments on the course, though? Playing the 18th hole at the end of the day, walking up the fairway to see my parents, and all of their new neighbor friends in surrounding rooms, out on their balconies of The Lodge applauding and cheering, and tipping my hat to them after making two stellar shots for a bogey-5. There is no better feeling than waving up to everyone rooting for you, and it's clear to see how the pros can get an adrenaline rush.

So what did I shoot, you may ask? Hey, does it really matter? I scored higher than I have in a while. The weather conditions weren't great, and I missed some key shots. It was one of those rounds where the score didn't reflect the quality of play. I didn't have the round of my life but I'm happy with the way I struck the ball and am looking forward to the day that I can take my revenge on this place. Sooner, hopefully, than later.

My advice now for people playing Pebble for the first time? HAVE FUN. Look around, take in the scenery, and realize how lucky you are to be on a course that so many people can only dream of playing. Take in all of the people watching and cheering and smile and laugh while you're out there. To watch people not having fun out there is painful. If you can't enjoy yourself at Pebble, and if it doesn't truly mean something to you, then don't waste your time, because maybe you're not quite ready for it yet.

As I had dinner with some media friends at The Tap Room that evening and spoke with RJ Harper, he said something that summed up the day for me: "Katie, I've worked here a long time. I've seen the people that come here who have saved every single penny they had to make the journey. I've seen the people who have lost a friend or loved one, and come to play out here because it was their loved one's dream to do so and they never had the opportunity. I've seen people from all over the world use Pebble as a memorial. Pebble Beach truly isn't about the golf for a lot of people, it's about the meaning and the memories. And I feel really lucky to see that."

May your experience at Pebble be as memorable as mine.

The pain, the torture: I almost went down in (my own) history

Wednesday was almost IT, people. The round of my life. My lowest score ever.

But it wasn't.

A work outing took me to Rancho Mirage's Thunderbird Country Club, Coachella Valley's first 18-hole golf course and first host site to what would be the Bob Hope Classic. Aside from its star-studded history, this course has immaculately manicured fairways, clean greens nearly free of ball marks and a parkland feel that makes for a really enjoyable round.

When you're manhandling the course like I was, though, of course it makes for an enjoyable round.

I didn't expect anything crazy coming into the day. I always play fairly consistently, hitting long-ball, drawing tee shots, solid approach shots, then a bit sporadic from about 80 yards in. Sometimes my short game's great, or sometimes I'll chip it dead right into a bunker, then take another five shots to get to the green. No rhyme, no reason. Just happens. 

I always like to say that I'm just trying to see all of the course.

Not on this day though. Although I doubled the first hole, I was OK with that. I'm normally easy on myself for the first couple, still "warming up." Followed it up with a bogey, then a par, then pure magic of parring the first two par 3s. Other good holes ensued. 

"Woah," I remember thinking to myself upon realizing that if I could keep this fluke up, I was not just going to break 90 for the first time, but by a lot, also.

So what do I do? I got nervous, but cocky. "If I can par all those holes on the front, the back will be easy," I thought as I ordered a (really great) sandwich at the turn (against my MO normally; as a true performance athlete I've always executed better on an empty stomach). Alas, the food and desert heat made me tired and lethargic. I four-putted the next two holes for doubles and made an all-world par before dunking the same ball I had played with for 13 consecutive holes, the new TaylorMade Penta TP (great five-layer ball), one yard short into the pond from 40 yards out. I tripled the last two par-3s. "Land sakes," I say.

The rest of the round I've blocked out. Thank goodness for scorecards, because I was reminded after that I'd shot a 54 on the back. Devastation.

I learned a lot about my game and myself from that round. I have the potential to be a really good golfer, if I didn't have to work all the time. I need a short-game boot camp. I shouldn't have lunch in the middle of a round. I need to play golf one hole at a time, instead of dwelling on the consequences or successes of a particular hole. 

Most importantly, I prefer an ice-cold pale ale to a margarita at the 19th hole. 

The fun part of the round though? The two single-digit handicaps I played with gave a great show out there, and despite my score, the company was great and the experience was a blast. And it proved to me that using what I learned at Thunderbird, I'm still going to shoot the round of my life at Pebble Beach on Monday. 

Stay tuned.

I get to play Pebble Beach.

In 10 short, short days friends, yet another bucket list item will be checked off. I will be teeing it up at Pebble Beach Golf Links. For the first time ever. And probably for the last time ever if my putting doesn't start to improve pretty quickly one of these days. Nevertheless, insert your jealousy here.

The memories, stories and photos that will result from this round will be worth their weight in gold. But also, on this one May day I'll have on the course amongst my fellow golf friends and colleagues, I will finally conquer the most frequently asked question I'm asked when one finds out what I do for a living. "Ooh, have you played Pebble Beach before?" 

It seems like a reasonable enough question. I mean, of course sometime in the last five years I would have played Pebble, right? I've been to Hawaii, Canada, and the greater part of the western United States for golf, why not a six-hour drive north of L.A. for a piece of golf's history? But I'd never had (or took) the chance. The question always made me feel like the only kid that wasn't invited to the party. 

"No, no," I respond, modest yet slightly dejected inside. "I've been to Pebble several times, though. I've walked the course, seen a couple tournaments there. Beautiful property."

Inquisitive looks, cocked heads. 

"Well wait, I've played several of the courses around it," I offer, feeling a little defensive. "Like Spanish Bay and Monterey Peninsula; that one's super private. And exclusive..."

Glancing at watches, "looking" at BlackBerrys. I'm losing them.

"But no," I finally confess. "I've never played Pebble. Crazy, I know."

Oftentimes they gasp in horror like it's sacrilege. Other times, they might roll their eyes or become "distracted." Is it such a travesty that, not even at the ripe age of 28 yet, I haven't experienced this 1919 Jack Neville and Douglas Grant design? No, not so much. In my opinion.

"Why? Why have you never played it?" comes next. Normally I say I don't know why, then turn the tables on them. But I do know why. The reason? I've never really felt like I was worthy of it. 

Aside from being a pricey little venture of which my game does not currently justify, Pebble Beach is a bucket list locale. It's a destination that golfers take their parents, best friends or that special someone with whom they want to share the mystique of the links. It's chock full of history, remarkable beauty and an amazing collection of dining, shops and activities. To be honest, I feel a little guilty about playing it. I'll be the first to say how lucky I am to have this opportunity, and while it's a long time coming, it never comes for some. I hope it does. I hope that every golfer has the chance to play Pebble like I do.

But wait. That doesn't mean I'm not going to go out there and completely and totally manhandle the course. I am, that's the plan. Because Pebble Beach is one of those magical places where the truly average-but-single-digit-potential-with-practice handicappers like me get a hole in one, or shoot their career best round (please please please break 90!), or strike the ball purely with every swing. It's kismet.

I'm going to make something happen out there. And when I do, the answer to my Frequently Asked Question will proudly change to, "Yes, yes I have played Pebble. And it was the experience of a lifetime."

San Antonio is my new love

 

For the last several days I was lucky enough to visit San Antonio, Texas, one of the coolest cities I've yet to grace. It has history, culture and Southern Hospitality, and lots of golf courses to complement.

A testament to the "everything's bigger in Texas" philosophy, the focal point of the visit was the newest Tournament Players Club property, TPC San Antonio. The 36-hole facility has gained a lot of attention for courses that were only opened a matter of months ago: The Greg Norman-designed AT&T Oaks Course, which had Player Consultant Sergio Garcia involved in the work, will host the nationally televised Valero Texas Open May 13-16. The Pete Dye-crafted AT&T Canyons Course is one of the prettiest and most enjoyable resort course layouts in the area. Together, the duo make up a perfect combination of championship golf and a leisurely, but testing, round. 

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem says that TPC San Antonio will be the most ecologically friendly courses built in the United States, soon to be certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. And although San Antonio experienced some unusually wet weather, these courses were tested, and succeeded with flying colors, in their dynamic drainage system. The closed irrigation system allows water that goes through the turf to be captured and recycled; the result is fairways that are nearly dry after a heavy rain, bunkers with no puddling, and firm greens that the ball rolls true on.

The courses aren't the only grandiose part of the property, however.

The Lodging

Opened in January, the adjacent JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is one of the largest and most finely appointed resort and conference centers I've encountered. More than 1,000 rooms make up this Southwest-themed property, with more than 140,000 square feet of meeting space alone. 

Rooms have large balconies, oversized bathrooms with soaking tubs and all of the modern amenities enjoyed at home, like wireless internet, flat-screen TV and oodles of outlets to plug in phones, computers, iPods and other accessories, nearly anywhere in the room. Saddle blankets grace the foot of each bed, while Southern leather accents adorn the headboards. It's a great retreat after a round of golf or a day of conferencing.

Outside of the resort, take a spin down the raging water slide! A literal water park, guests can grab an inner tube and set sail down the slide into the oversized pool, or lounge at an adjacent pool overlooking the 18th hole of the Canyons Course. 

If you had an exceptionally long day on the course like I normally do, a trip to Lantana Spa is in order. Treatments include hot stone, Swedish and deep tissue massage. I recommend services from David, a San Antonio native and avid golfer who can pinpoint areas of the body that are most affected by the golf swing and can be most benefited by massage. Afterward, a few minutes in the Inhalation Room relaxing with the scent of lavender or citrus, followed by a sit in the steam room, will have your golf-torn body feeling rejuvenated.

The Food

One of the cool dining facilities is called High Velocity, a sports bar with massive projection televisions extending the length of the room. The Lobby Bar has a mean blackberry mojito, while Cibola Moon serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a great club sandwich and these cool little biscuits in an iron skillet, compete with fresh, locally made strawberry jam. At the clubhouse, 18 Oaks, considered the fine-dining steakhouse restaurant, offers an amazing filet, comfortable decor and funky Southwest accents, like carved wood lighting and colored glass walls. 18 Oaks overlooks the golf course and is the perfect ending to a perfect round.

The Town

Outside of Hill Country, where the JW Marriott is located, a tourist and local favorite is Riverwalk, a 14-mile stretch of waterway that was originally constructed for flood control, but now is a haven of restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping and other fun attractions that all face the water. Riverwalk is absolutely idyllic; a boat tour meandering through the canals is a great way to learn about the history of the architecture, famous names and other neat things in the area. The Alamo is within walking distance to Riverwalk, which is, as one of my travel mates described, "an incredibly moving reminder of American history."

Another fun stop is Pearl Brewery, built in 1883 and home to the Culinary Institute of America. Pearl is a 22-acre redevelopment that not only includes food and beer, but retail, live/work spaces, galleries, and more. It's a must-see after a day at Riverwalk.

The good folks at the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau know all when it comes to the area, and are a great resource for whatever your trip to San Antonio may contain!