Tetherow Golf Club 17th, Bend, OR

As you can see from my infrequent posts lately, I haven't been a very artful blogger. My golf game hasn't been very artful either. My putting comes and goes. My driver is costing me more strokes than ever! I seem to have lost that artful swing. But, as it has before, it'll eventually return.

Over the past few months, I was shooting rounds in the 70's about 75% of the time, including a couple rounds under 70. But this month, I'm back to shooting half my rounds in the 80's. However, I continue to sprinkle in a good round or two every 20 rounds to keep my handicap at 3.

Last weekend, after shooting several rounds in the 80's, I then shot a round of 73 that included 3 double bogies! I then followed that with another round of 80 yesterday that included 5 penalty strokes from bad drives. One recent round of 81 included seven 3-putts! It's been very frustrating!

Although I've struggled lately, I did get to enjoy a trip to Bend, Oregon last month. I played Tetherow, Aspen Lakes, Sunriver Meadow and Widgi Creek. I loved playing among the Cascades and put together some good rounds there, but struggled some too. My favorite round took place on my drive home. I stopped at Running Y Ranch, a Palmer course in Klamath Falls. I played well, enjoyed the company of my wife, who rode along in the cart with me, and simply loved the natural setting! I'll definitely plan to get back to Central Oregon in the future for some more great golf.

While back here at home here on the Central Coast, my blogging may continue, but at an infrequent pace. I've found it much easier to simply share artful links and quick updates using Twitter! You can follow me there at twitter.com/artfulgolfer.

Labels: Bend, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Oregon, Twitter

My wife and I just returned from our first trip to the Big Island! We stayed at Wyndham's Kona Hawaiian Village and enjoyed lots relaxing, sight-seeing and good dining. I also snuck out on my own several mornings for a total of 4 rounds of golf.


Hawaii Golf

I played my first round at the nearby Kona Country Club's Beach Course. I hooked up with Ed, a local from Hilo who moved to the Big Island about 5 years ago from Minnesota after a divorce. He looked to be about 60. He told me he missed being married and just having someone to argue with. He wasn't having a lot of luck finding love on the island, but at least got to enjoy a lot of golf. However, he didn't have any local course knowledge to share here. He'd only played Kona Country Club once, many years ago when visiting the island on vacation with his wife. We played the middle tees which only played to 5976 yards (70.0/130), a very short course by my standards. I found the course easy to play. Fairways were generous, greens receptive. However, the greens were very fast and undulating! I made the mistake of leaving my approach above the hole on too many occasions and paid the price with 3 or 4 3-putts. I was barely off the green above the hole in 2 on one of the par 5's, looking at an easy up-n-down for birdie. I then watched my delicate chip run right past the flag, down and off the green. My return putt from the fairway was pitifully short and I 2-putted from there for bogie. I still managed to come in with a 76, even with some poor putting an OB on 18 to end the round. I enjoyed the course, especially the natural settings along the Pacific Ocean and gorgeous mountain views. Ed gave me a lot of good advice about what to see on the island too.

Next up was Mauna Lani, the recipient of Golf Magazine's Gold Medal Award as one of America's Best Golf Resorts every year since 1988 and host to the nationally televised Senior Skins Golf Game for 11 years. I was planning to play the North Course, but they setup the "Classic" Course the day I arrived. Last month, Mauna Lani began offering golfers its original 18 hole layout on select days. The "Classic Course" is comprised of 9 holes on the South Course and 9 Holes on the North Course, providing the golfer with 2 signature holes! I hooked up with a Japanese couple from Honolulu, who moved to the island several years ago from Orange County. The wife had just competed in a women's golf tournament that was held that week on several courses on the island. This tiny 100-poundish woman won the long-drive contest on the 2nd day. My driver was off this day, costing me several shots in penalties. I ended up using my 2-hybrid off the tee most of the round. Although the couple played from the whites, I moved back to the blue tees (6436 yards, 170.5/128). I really liked this course, chiseled into a vast lava flow and providing breath-taking views along the ocean. Despite more poor putting and an errant driver, I hung in there for a tidy 78.

I then moved inland and up the mountain to Pete Dye's Big Island Country Club. I hooked up with the owner of Sunshine Helicopter Tours, a 35-year island resident who flew helicopters in Vietnam. Big Island CC happens to be his favorite golf course on the island. He was joined by a friend from Virginia who inspects Helicopter Tours around the country. Again, I joined my fellow golfers on the white tees, only 6041 yards (69.0/126). This was your typical Dye course - lots of water, sand, and railroad ties. It also was home to what seemed like thousands of turkeys, pheasants, geese, quail, and other birds! I found I preferred this rural mountain setting to the manicured resort ocean settings. Although I lost 3 balls to its ever-present water hazards, some impressive chipping and putting led to my best round in months - a 1-over 73! I grinded for several pars after landing in lakes and fairway bunkers from the tee. I didn't manage a birdie until 15 and 16, then barely missed another birdie from 10 feet on the island green 17th. I'm usually a risk taker, but I played this course conservatively most of the round, aiming for the middle of greens instead of pins tucked next to lakes and large bunkers. I need to implement this approach to more of my rounds!

I wanted to end with Mauna Kea, but it was closed for a renovation by Rees Jones, son of original architect, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Instead, I played another RTJ design, The Waikoloa Beach Course. I was a little disappointed with this course. It wasn't until late in the round that we even saw the ocean. Condo's lined much of the course, obstructing most views. It really wasn't very challenging, even though I played the back tees (6566 yards, 71.6/134). I wish I'd played the King's Course instead. I joined two sisters about my age who were also on the island to compete in the same women's golf tournament as the Japanese woman I played with days earlier. Interestingly, one of these sisters won the long drive contest on the first day of the competition! All three women were great golfers and could really hit the ball! We played behind a slow foursome made up of older men. They never offered to let us play through even though they saw us wait on practically every shot and the course was pretty open in front of them. Perhaps they didn't want to play behind women, but these gals were much better golfers than they were! I finally got my driver working for my final round in Hawaii, but messed up a couple holes and finished with a 6-over 76.

I had a wonderful time and enjoyed great weather and good company. I played pretty well too. I'm looking forward to a return trip to the Big Island. There's so many more courses I want to play!

Labels: Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Hawaii, Rounds

My wife and I just returned from a 2-week trip in our small motorhome, traveling to one of our favorite destinations - Colorado. Over the years, we've traveled to Colorado several times with our children on summer "hiking" vacations. One vacation was spent in the San Juan Mountains, visiting Ouray, Telluride and Durango. During another trip, we stayed in Glenwood Springs and visited nearby Aspen. Two other trips took us to Rocky Mountain National Park, staying once in Estes Park and the other in Grand Lake. We also spent time in Steamboat Springs during one of those trips. I've also traveled to Colorado on several ski trips with friends, each time staying in Summit County and skiing or boarding Arapaho Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Vail. This was my first trip to Colorado that included golf!


The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction, CO

We spent 2 long days driving there to get through the brutal California, Nevada, and Utah desert heat, stopping in St. George, UT or first night, then in a quiet State Park campground just outside Grand Junction the second night. The following morning, I headed over to The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, a Jim Engh design incorporating wonderful views of the Grand Mesa, the Bookcliffs and the Colorado National Monument. I got an early start to beat the heat and ended up playing alone. Along the way, three twosomes let me play through and I finished in only 2 1/2 hours. I played from the blue tees (6486 yds, 69.9/133) and found the course relatively easy from that distance, hitting 8 fairways and 12 greens in regulation. My biggest challenge was club selection, not only due to the higher elevation near 4500 feet, but due to so many elevated tees. I managed to par every par 3, and avoided double bogies except for one on the par 4 6th where my drive carried 300 yards into a lake beyond the dogleg. Fortunately, my only birdie of the round came on the prior hole, so I still finished the front with a 39. If it weren't for that double bogie and overall poor putting - 37 putts including 3 3-putts - my round of 79 could have been closer to 75. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, the setting, and my initiation into high desert golf.


Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club, New Castle, CO

After the round, we traveled along I-70 to to Glenwood Springs, where we stayed two nights in a campground along the Colorado River. The first morning, I headed back 15 minutes on I-70 to New Castle to play Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club, another Jim Engh design. Like Redlands Mesa, Engh provides the golfer with many elevated tees, with drops up to 100 feet to the fairway below. The setting however, had transitioned from high desert to rugged mountain canyons near 5500 feet. Again, I headed off by myself and played through a couple twosomes, but met up with 3 locals about my age from Eagle on the par 3 9th and finished the round with them. I was having a good round on the front, finishing 1-over with 1 birdie and 2 bogies. The course knowledge shared by these locals helped me keep up the good round and I finished with a 3-over 75 from the blue tees (6369 yards, 69.5/126), despite another 37 putts! I hit 14 greens in regulation this round along with 9 fairways. I found these 2 Engh courses fun to play, but might tire of all the elevation changes if played regularly. Plus, both courses are best played with a cart, and I prefer walking. We finished the day with a drive south of Glenwood Springs, including a nice hike along the Maroon Bells Creek, followed by dinner in the quaint village of Aspen.

The following day we drove east, then headed north to Steamboat Springs. The next morning, I played Haymaker, a challenging links-style course designed by Keith Foster, with sweeping views of Yampa Valley and nearby Mount Werner. I joined a local named Steve (who broke 80 that day for the first time ever) and 2 visitors from Austin, TX, one of which appeared to be quite an accomplished golfer. He was tall and lanky, with a fluid swing providing a long straight drives. It wasn't long before I found myself swinging for the fences from the gold tees (6728 yards, 70.9/129), not only to keep up (and surpass) his drives, but to fully take advantage of the warm air and elevation approaching 7000 feet. I was absolutely clobbering my drives here, with carries around 300 yards rolling out to 315 to 325 yards. I nearly cleared a hazard 260 yards out trying to reach the 280 yard par 4 8th from the tee with a 4-wood. After a long drive on the 525 yard par 5 13th, I hit my 5-iron well over a green from 210 yards out. I cleared most of the lake bordering the 406 yard par 4 10th, leaving me with only 83 yards to the pin. Steve told me he'd never seen anyone that close to the green! Unfortunately, my aggressive play and sometime poor club selection (flying greens from 140 yards out with my PW) led to a slew of double, triple and quadruple bogies! For instance, I tried to drive the 318 yard par 4 11th, but failed to carry the 300+ yards required to get over the lake in front of the green by about 2 feet. I then made a mess of the hole after that. Several wayward shots during the round found the long, dense native grasses lining the fairways, where I failed every time to find my ball. I was also the only golfer walking in my foursome, and it was hot. Anyway, what proved to be my worst round in well over a year, my round of 92 was as much fun as I'd had playing golf in some time. I wish I'd had time to play Haymaker again to redeem myself (and swing a little easier), but next up was 3 golf-free days in Colorado wilderness. I still find it hard to believe that I followed up a round of 75 at Lakota Canyon with a 92 at Haymaker!


Haymaker Golf Course, Steamboat Springs, CO

After enjoying a night dry-camping along a 30-mile stretch of gravel road starting near Rabbit Ears pass and passing through Buffalo Park (and only seeing 4 other vehicles all day), we made our way to a campground near Bear Lake in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Here, we found the best campsite we'd ever stayed in, surrounded by pine and aspen, along with a perfect view of Flattop Mountain. We spent 2 nights here and enjoyed an incredible hike up to the Mandall Lakes. This is just what our trip needed. It was very rewarding to get away from towns and people - and golf - for a few days.

On the day we left the Flat Tops, I wanted to get on the private Red Sky Ranch (Norman) course, but failed to do so. Instead, I headed over to Eagle and played Eagle Ranch Golf Club, the course recommended by the 3 locals I played with at Lakota Canyon. This Arnold Palmer design was long and included nice mountain views. I joined a local pro who played the tips (7530 yards, 74.4/138), but I played the gold tees (7151 yards, 72.7/135). Although I was hitting some more long drives, his drives were right next to mine in the fairway even though he was 20-30 yards back on the tee. I got off to a rough start on the front with the long irons in and way too many 3-putts and found myself 9-over after 12. But then the rain started coming down, along with some impressive thunder and lightning. My partner decided to call it quits and headed back to the clubhouse. That's when I started playing some golf! I finished the last 6 holes even par in a pretty good downpour to finish with a respectable 82.


Breckenridge Golf Club, Breckenridge, CO

After spending that night in an RV Park along the Eagle River near Gypsum, we headed to Breckenridge. Here, we stayed 2 nights in an upscale RV Park just north of town, alongside million-dollar Prevost motorhomes. Our little Winnebago View looked like a Mini-Cooper. Before heading into town to finally do some shopping, I played a round at the Jack Nicklaus designed Breckenridge Golf Club (Bear/Elk, 6642 yards, 71.5/132). I joined a single named Greg vacationing from Los Angeles and an older couple in their 80's, Ken and Eleanor, from Kansas City. After Ken parred the opening hole with a strong drive and fairway wood, I asked him if he shot his age on a regular basis. He'd obviously played a lot of golf over the years and didn't seem to loose much distance or talent. He said he didn't, but after watching him make some quality chips and putts too, I think he was just being humble. Greg and I walked the course and I found the Bear nine both easier to walk and easier to score than the Elk nine, however I shot 3-over on Bear thanks to failing to get up and down from 3 bunkers and shot 2-over on the Elk after getting my first and only birdie on its 540 yard par 5 8th. On the uphill 274 yard par 4 6th, I drove the ball over the green and nearly ended up in the forest well above the green. I made a Phil-like lob shot back down to the green and 2-putted for par. I found this to be my most enjoyable round of the trip. My 77 was a satisfying score and the course, setting, and scenery were simply beautiful.

The next morning, I put my clubs on my back and rode my bicycle to the course so my wife could sleep in and stay in the RV Park to read and scrapbook. This time I hooked up with 3 guys about my age from Washington D.C. and played the Elk/Beaver course (6542 yards, 71.1/136). The sloppy drives I experienced at Haymaker returned for this round. Instead of shooting 2-over on Elk like the day before, I shot 9-over. That even included a birdie on Elk's par 4 6th where I landed the green from the tee this time instead of ending over the green. Like Haymaker, errant tee shots at Breckenridge turn into lost balls. The native grasses are just too long and dense to waste anytime looking for your ball. I managed a slightly better back nine on Beaver with a birdie on it's par 5 2nd, but still came in with a disappointing 85. The other three avid golfers in my group struggled even more. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed Breckenridge and mountain golf in general, and look forward to a return visit soon.

I managed to drive home from Breckenridge in 2 days. Then, probably due to exhustion, played one more horrible round a couple days later in my travel league. Fortunately, I quickly regained my form and shot 1-over this week in my Tuesday night 9-hole league, then a 1-over 73 2 days later at Cypress Ridge Golf Course (6443 yards, 71.2/129). I spent a little time on the range after that last poor round and got my driver back under control. Over vacation, I just started swinging too hard to take advantage of the elevation and attempt those 300+ yard drives. I think I've finally learned that straight is better than long!

In response to my prior post on making short putts, everyone's advice really helped and was very appreciated. Even though I had trouble adjusting to new greens while on vacation, my putting began to improve over those 2 weeks and was instrumental in my last 2 rounds of 1-over. A regular playing partner recognized immediately how much better my putting stroke looked. Still holding out hope for a sub-70 round before turning 50 next February!

Labels: Colorado, Courses, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Rounds

My wife and I traded our timeshare to visit Kauai last week. We stayed in Princeville, on the north side of the island. I brought along my golf clubs, hoping to sneak out a few times while my wife enjoyed shopping or sitting by the pool. I was able to get 4 rounds of golf in!


The Prince Course, Princeville Kauai

The first course I played was 5 minutes from our condo - The Prince Course at Princeville. I played with a threesome from Auburn, CA consisting of 3 friends and their wives. The wives each drove a cart, the husbands rode along and played golf. We had 4 carts between us! The group was very friendly and fun and made me feel very welcome joining their group. Two of us started off nicely with birdies on the first hole. I had opportunites for several more birdies on the front, but had difficulty dealing with the slow and grainy bermuda greens and turned a couple opportunities into bogies. Still, I had a good round going into the back nine with just 1 mishap on 8 - a double bogie tallied from the frontside bunker. I figured out then that you had to pick the ball out of these sandless traps.

The back nine is where the challenge began. Somehow, I found a way to par the horseshoe shaped par 5 10th after nearly going OB to the far right off the tee, then barely getting back to the fairway. A landed a long approach from there by hitting across the canyon, found inside the horseshoe shaped fairway. On the short par 3 11th I hit a solid PW into the right to left headwind that carried the ball just enough left to loose it forever in the jungle below. I dropped near the green and chipped up close to save bogie.

The course then presents you with a long drop from the tee on 12 to a narrow jungle and tree-lined sliver of a fairway below. I hit a solid 5-wood, leaving me with an easy 9i in. A par here kept me 5-over.

The trouble began on 13 where the fairway is cut in half about 200 yards out by a ditch lined with dense shrubs. I hooked my hybrid and found the ball directly behind some rocks, forcing me to pitch out to the fairway, still leaving me 185 yards out. From here I pushed a 5i right of the green and never found the ball. When it was all over, I'd quadrupled the hole. I followed this with 2 bogies and a double bogie over the next 4 holes to ballon my round to 13-over. A respectable par on the #1 handicap 18th kept me from scoring over 85.

The next day, eager to master that back nine, I invited my wife to ride along with me after showing up early and finding the parking lot empty. Apparently, The Prince Course is empty on weekends since tourists just assume it'll be too busy to play and locals play elsewhere. For most of the round, my wife walked from each tee to green while I played the hole with the cart. She'd show up at the green about the time I'd hole a putt and I'd then give her a ride to the next teebox. She got some exercise and enjoyed the views. I got to play a much better round.


The Prince Course, Princeville Kauai

I made the turn at just 1-over, a score which would have even been a few strokes lower if I had figured out those greens. I made a mess of 10 again, but chipped in from behind the green to get another par! I made the exact same mistake on 11, taking too little club and letting a slight draw get carried left of the green by the headwind. This time I failed to get up and down and added a double bogie. However, I managed another par on 12 and improved on 13. This time on 13, I hit 5i to the end of the 1st half of the fairway, then hit 6i to the green. I caught a little bit of shrubbery trying to carry the ditch and came up just short and bogied. I parred the remaining holes to finish just 4-over! And I only lost 1 ball, on the 11th!

I had the opportunity to play The Prince Course one more time a few days later and played well. This time, although I finally parred 13 with a 5i followed by another 5i, I blew up on 12. I skied a 5w off the tee, then laid up to 100 yards instead of trying to hit this small green surrounded by jungle from over 200 yards out. Somehow, I then shanked my wedge from there and lost the ball right of the green. I stumbled in with an 81, going 8-over on the back! I got to enjoy this round with 3 other singles, 1 who I learned lives just 30 minutes south of me and plays the same home course.

On the afternoon of our last day, just prior to taking the red-eye home, I played my final round at Poipu Bay Golf Club. My wife did a little sight-seeing and shopping, then enjoyed the pools at the Hyatt while I played with 2 other singles. On my first trip to Kauai 2 years ago, my son and I played this course. I was hoping to play much better this time around, but poor play in the wind on the back nine only allowed for incremental improvement over that initial round. I did manage to finish the front just 3-over, but I 3-putted so many times on both nines, that I decided to just let go of the score and enjoy the setting. The finishing holes with the ocean bordering the left side of 15 to 17 are breathtaking, and challenging! The long drop to the par 3 17th green is quite fun. From 185 yards, I first tried hitting a 7i, but went a little right and long. Just for fun, I hit another ball from the tee with my 8i and put the ball just 10 feet right of the pin, carrying the frontside bunker! I nearly birdied 18 to finish off a fun week in Kauai.

As much as I enjoyed the golf, the highlight of the trip was a helicopter tour of the island. The views of the waterfalls and Napali coastline were beyond spectacular. Of course, we enjoyed the beaches, dining, and hiking as well.

Next trip, I'm planning to play the Kiele Course at Kauai Lagoons, whose back nine was closed for renovation; Puakea, which I'm told provides superb scenery and a just a great stretch of holes from the 11th to 17th; and Kiahuna Plantation, a RTJII course that was recently revitalized into a quite interesting course. Looking forward to that next visit!

Labels: Courses, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Poipu Bay, Prince Course, Princeville, Rounds

"When you disappear - the thoughts, worries, and judgments you have about yourself - Golf as Art shows up." -- Fred Shoemaker

I had the very good fortune of being introduced to the book, "Extraordinary Golf" by Fred Shoemaker, only six months after starting to play golf on a regular basis in 2005. The book came highly recommended by a friend of Fred's, Tony Criscuolo, whom I had just met in San Luis Obispo. Tony teaches yoga for golf classes nearby at Avila Beach Golf Resort and works with the Cal Poly SLO golf team. I was rewarded with a round of 76 the day after I read the book!


Fred Shoemaker and Jo Hardy of Extraordinary Golf

I consider this good fortune, not only because the book helped me break 80, but because Fred's approach inspired me to coach myself by becoming more aware of my own swing, instead of taking the traditional route of learning to play golf by taking lessons, which often creates a dependence on others for ongoing instruction and tips.

I found myself drawn to Fred's approach, not only for the independence it offered, but for the potential he described for golf to be like art. As a person whose creativity is limited to software design, the possibility of making golf creative was appealing. The key to this creative approach requires only that we let go of the "thoughts, worries, and judgments we have about ourselves," and become fully present in the moment - allowing the genius of our body to create the desired shot.

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Fred while attending a week-long golf event at Bandon Dunes, hosted by Fred and Jo Hardy from Extraordinary Golf, and The Shivas Irons Society's founder, Steve Cohen! I enjoyed an extraordinary week of incredible golf with very interesting people in a breathtaking natural setting in the Oregon sand dunes along the Pacific Ocean. Playing Bandon Dunes has been a dream of mine. Doing so in the company of this inspiring group of golfers exceeded any expectations!


Bandon Dunes 5th by Joann Dost

This trip was intended more for exploration, discovery and adventure than instruction. Fred didn't hold any formal clinics, but was available for questions each day on the range. In response to a golfer's question about playing shots in preparation for strong winds, it became apparent that Fred wasn't your typical golf teacher.

Without going into detail, Fred's instruction quickly had the group convinced we'd discovered "the secret" to making a perfect swing! By incorporating what I learned, I pulled off a Tiger Wood's "stinger" using a 3-wood to reach the long par 5 12th at Pacific Dunes in 2, into a good headwind. On our last day, an older participant with a handicap of about 14, shot a 39 on the back nine at Pacific Dunes on a windy day by using what he'd learned from Fred. His wife nearly aced the 10th!

I expected Fred to have us throwing clubs, which he is well known for, in order to help you discover your natural swing by swinging at the target instead of the ball. Instead, Fred used a new technique that helped us discover our natural swing and tempo. For many of us, this made revolutionary improvements to our ball striking quality and consistency!

Fred's instruction certainly wasn't limited to ball striking. His main emphasis was about enhancing our performance by helping us reconnect with our love for the game and bringing one's "self" to the golf course by being fully present.

I was placed in a foursome with Fred during the first nine holes of our trip, which we played at Bandon Trails. Our first round took place on Monday, before any instruction had taken place on the range or during our numerous group gatherings. Interestingly, I played my best nine holes of the trip during this round with Fred!

Admittedly, I was a little nervous at first about playing with Fred, but not overly so. Thanks to Fred's book, I'd already made a lot of progress learning to play without trying to impress others or worrying about what other's may think of my swing or ability. I did notice however that I was a little tense on the first hole. I pulled both my tee shot and my approach just a little left of my target, then knocked my very first putt from just off the green a good 20 feet past the hole! I then took a deep breath, relaxed, and 2-putted for bogie. From then on, I stayed relaxed, played my own game, let go of any expectations, and took in all the beauty surrounding me.

I finished the front nine just 1-over! I tallied 3 birdies to help offset my struggles in the bunkers, taking 2 shots to get out of 2 separate greenside bunkers.

Fred recognized that I had a good round developing and encouraged me to stay present by centering my attention in my solar plexus between shots. This helped me to breathe normally, stay relaxed, and prevented my mind from racing into the future, considering the potential for a great round. I have to take some credit for playing well, but Fred did provide a very calming influence.

But then Fred switched to another foursome at the turn while we stopped briefly to eat a sack lunch. On the back nine, I'm not sure if it was Fred's absence, a change in the rhythm of the round from stopping to eat, or that I simply started "trying" to score, but I just kept getting bogies. My only par on the back was on the par 3 17th. After the round, I realized I'd barely looked up to appreciate where I was and who I was with during those last 2 hours. I have to wonder what the front nine might have been like without Fred's influence!


Pacific Dunes 13th by Joann Dost

However, I did experience more extraordinary play in subsequent rounds at Bandon and Pacific Dunes. But perhaps due to the back pain I started the trip with, I never put it together for an entire 18 holes. Nevertheless, that wasn't the point of the trip. I was there to for the extraordinary place, people, discovery and adventure - and I experienced all of it!

If you ever get the opportunity to attend an event or golf clinic with Fred Shoemaker and Jo Hardy, I highly recommend you do so. They are wonderful people whose commitment to empower golfers to step into the very heart and soul of the "gaeme", provides access to new possibilities in performance, enjoyment, and learning.

Thank you Fred, Jo, Steve, all who attended, and all the caddies and employees at Bandon, for a memorable an extraordinary golf vacation!

There's an excellent interview with Fred Shoemaker in the latest (4th) issue of The Journal of the Shivas Irons Society. You can learn more about the programs presented by Fred at www.extraordinarygolf.com.

"Use your time between shots to put the past in the past, create a future that is powerful and full of possibility, and live into that future." -- Fred Shoemaker

Labels: Bandon Dunes, Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Shivas Irons Society

"It is here, on this remote stretch of the wildly stunning Oregon coast, where the finest golf courses in the whole world quietly await you." -- Golf Odyssey

Later this month, I head out for my first trip (of hopefully many) to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, joining Steve Cohen from the Shivas Irons Society and Fred Shoemaker and Jo Hardy from Extraordinary Golf, for a week-long gathering in celebration of the magic and mystery of the "gemme".


Pacific Dunes 11th by Joshua CF Smith

Fairways & Greens writes, "Without question, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is America's most wonderfully minimalist golf destination. It's still not easy to reach, but that doesn't deter thousands of pilgrims from seeking it out every month. They head out into the dunes with windbreakers and pull carts (or caddies, if they're smart). They bash it around Bandon's broad, bumpy fairways and Pacific's angular, more dramatically undulated layout with the ocean's growl and the breeze's brogue as their soundtrack."

To get in the spirit for this pilgrimage, I just read "Dream Golf - The Making of Bandon Dunes" by Stephen Goodwin. As soon as I began reading, I quickly learned that Mike Keiser really understands the golfer and what we're looking for in a golf experience. Bandon's success makes that obvious.

I was struck by Keiser's description of "what golf ought to be", made after visiting a variety of famous courses in preparation for creating Bandon Dunes. He observed that, "Somehow or other the architects of Pine Valley and Merion and National Golf Links had perfectly expressed the feeling that he had about what a round of golf ought to be, the feeling of expectation and adventure. They'd captured the flow and rhythm of the game, preserving a sequence of surprising, stirring holes, each one different from its predecessors but all of them forming a single, harmonious whole... In plain terms, these courses were the work of artists."

I certainly have those feelings of expectation and adventure about Bandon Dunes and I haven't even played there yet! Just looking at photos of Bandon Dunes and learning about its creation, there's no doubt these courses were the work of artists.

Goodwin describes them as "wild in a way that creates the ideal conditions for play, and beautiful in a way that speaks directly to the dreams of golfers." The place can be described, to quote the words Keiser wrote years earlier, as "nature perfected."


Bandon Dunes 16th by Joann Dost

Bandon Dunes opened in 1999. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, the course is perched on a bluff high above the Pacific Ocean. The course unfolds along pristine native dunes where expansive ocean views are revealed on nearly every hole. The course is completely natural and routed through an environment of indigenous vegetation. Beyond breathtaking scenery lies the game of golf in its truest form. This is a thinker's course. Winds are ever-present, and the varying elements create a new experience each time you play. [Recommended Reading]


Pacific Dunes 14th by Joann Dost

Pacific Dunes, designed by Tom Doak, opened in 2001. It is remarkably different in character and shot making requirements. Pacific Dunes doesn't feel like it was built as much as it was discovered. Rippling fairways remain just as they were found and natural bunkers line the landscape as they have for centuries. The course emerges from shore pines to spectacular 60-foot sand dunes. When the wind blows, precise approach shots are a necessity. Pacific Dunes is short enough to give you hope, but rugged enough to test every facet of your game. [Recommended Reading]


Pacific Trails 18th by Joann Dost

When Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw began working in the sand to uncover our third course, they faced the challenge of following Bandon and Pacific Dunes. Opened in 2005, Bandon Trails begins atop a massive sand dune, quickly opens in to a sprawling meadow, works higher into the coastal forest, and finally returns to finish in the dunes. The course is enjoyable to walk and is a constant reminder of how the game was originally created among inland rolling dunes with dramatic ocean vistas. [Recommended Reading]

And Old Macdonald, Bandon's fourth course, begins construction this winter and is scheduled to open in July 2010! The Old Macdonald course, designed by Tom Doak on 400 acres northeast of his Pacific Dunes course, will be a tribute to Charles Blair Macdonald, the favorite golf course architect of Bandon owner Mike Keiser. The course will draw inspiration from Old Mac's celebrated design elements, like Alps and Redan holes, and Biarritz greens. The site is all sand, including one huge, long sand dune and a bit of ocean-front property, though not the extensive ocean vistas of either the Bandon Dunes or Pacific Dunes courses.

"Bandon Dunes is taking its rightful place in the most mystical, sublime, and enchanting golfing annals from around the world." -- Andrew Penner

Labels: Bandon Dunes, Dream Golf, Fred Shoemaker, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Shivas Irons Society, Stephen Goodwin

I just returned from a trip to Sedona, AZ. Sedona is a long 10 hour drive from our home near San Luis Obispo, CA, across a lot of hot desert. Our route takes us along Hwy 58 through Bakersfield and Tahachapi, then I-40 from Barstow to Flagstaff. Sedona is just a short drive south of Flagstaff, through scenic Oak Creek Canyon. In addition to taking several hikes with my wife, I worked in three rounds of golf at Sedona Golf Resort in the Village of Oak Creek. I usually try to play a variety of courses on vacation, but I liked this course so much after the first day that I kept returning.


Sedona Golf Resort, Sedona, AZ

I joined a father and son from Edmonton, Alberta and a local named Ernie for my first round. I thoroughly enjoyed Ernie, a recent Assistant Mayor of Sedona who got involved in local politics in an effort to stop plans for a new 4-lane freeway into this picturesque town. Lots of development including tons of new multi-million dollar vacation homes have already sprung up since my last visit 15 years ago. Ernie succeeded in getting elected to the city council, but the council later filled with pro-development representatives, so Ernie has made plans to leave.

Ernie proved to be a great guide for my first visit to the course, giving advice on the best targets for tee shots and approaches. His biggest advice was to avoid the bunkers, which were more like crushed red rock than sand. What made the round especially memorable was the weather. The winds were up, but we weren't expecting rain. But after playing the first two holes, storm clouds began appearing over the mountains to the west and began drenching us by the time we reached the third fairway. I could tell the other three golfers really wanted to turn back, but I was eager to keep on and mentioned it would probably pass over quickly. Instead, the rain turned to hail. We got hailed on four times, making for interesting putting! On one fairway, I stood over my ball and watched a huge wall of white hail approach us. It was remarkable watching this curtain of white pass over the distant green, then approach us yard by yard down the fairway. I got my shot off just as the hail reached us. The cart made for timely cover! By the time we reached the sixteenth, the thunder and lightning were so frequent and close that sirens began to sound and our cart's display panel informed us to return to the clubhouse. Our Edmonton friends left, but Ernie and I continued on, agreeing that the lightning seemed to have already passed us to the south. The sun finally came out on the eighteenth, casting shadows while we made our final putts! The weather definitely hurt my score, finishing with an 83, but I actually loved being out in it and watching the storm and it's incredible cloud formations among the spectacular red rocks surrounding the course.


Sedona Golf Resort 10th

Wanting a chance to improve on my score and experience the course in better weather, I headed out again two days later in complete sunshine. I played this round with only another single, which made for a lot of waiting over many shots since the course was full in front of us with foursomes. Although the weather was very pleasant, my partner, who was a personal injury lawyer, spent most of the front nine on the phone attending to business. I'm pretty easy going, but it became very distracting. Due partly to his lack of etiquette and also due to slow play, I finished the front nine 6-over. I had shot 4-over on the front two days earlier in harsh weather conditions! Fortunately, my partner had to make a court appearance by three o'clock and had to stop after 13 holes! I finished by myself and shot even par on the back with 1 bogie and 1 birdie, happily ending the round with a 6-over 77! It's interesting what you learn about someone in a single round of golf. I learned that my lawyer buddy is 37 years old, married, 2 kids (5 and 7), is originally from Phoenix, runs the biggest personal injury office in Northern Arizona, and has a 5400 sq. ft. home on Flagstaff Ranch Country Club, which he bought for $875k, including the $75k golf membership. Boy, you sure get a lot more for your money in Flagstaff than where I live!


Sedona Golf Resort 11th

I played a final round the very next day among spectacular cumulus clouds, but no rain. I hooked up with another attorney, from New York, and an old Irish twosome from Long Beach, CA. This attorney was not only a very good golfer, starting the game when he was 6 years old, but was pleasant to play with as well. He also had an appointment which cut his round short, but he never pulled out his cell phone. One of the two Irishmen was an absolute joy. He started the round duffing one shot after another, but putting his lobs right up to the pin. After a few holes, he apparently got warmed up and remembered how to play, and began hitting pretty impressive drives for such a squirrelly swing. I finally got off to a good start, parring most of the first holes, but lost a ball on one tee shot causing a double bogie, then loosing another soon after, leading to a triple! I snuck in a birdie to finish the front just 5-over. I got a little sloppy at the end of the round, trying to repeat some great drives I'd hit earlier in the round - trying to keep up with the crushing drives of the attorney. I landed a lake on both 16 and 18, and finished the back nine 3 over for an 8-over 79. Not a bad finish to a wonderful vacation!

I absolutely loved the course! Not only was the setting spectacular, but I found it much more difficult than it's 120 slope would indicate. The greens were fast and undulating, and well protected by crushed red rock bunkers. Many fairways were tight, with menacing desert shrub grabbing any ball that seemed only slightly offline. But what challenged me the most was the thin air at nearly 4500 feet of elevation. I never quite figured out what club to use on my approaches. Although I loved hitting my 8 iron 170 yards, it usually resulted in finding a bunker beyond the green. On the downhill par 5 eleventh, I crushed a 345 yard drive, leaving me only 189 yards out. I then hit a 7-iron 10 yards past the hole, thinking I'd leave my shot below the hole for an uphill chip or putt! Believe me, I've never hit a 200 yard 7-iron before!

I definitely look forward to returning someday to Sedona, to enjoy another hike to Cathedral Rock, and to play a few more rounds at Sedona Golf Resort!

Labels: Arizona, Courses, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Rounds, Sedona, Sedona Golf Resort

In March of last year, I took my first vacation centered around playing golf. Although I played one round during my vacation to Kauai in 2005, this trip was my first-ever golf vacation. My wife and I traded one of our timeshare weeks to stay at the Desert Oasis Resort in Palm Springs, just a 5 hour drive from our home on the Central Coast. While my wife and I enjoyed time together shopping and dining, I also got to sneak out for 5 straight days of golf! Prior to this trip, I'd only played golf on back-to-back days a total of 3 times.


Silver Rock in La Quinta by golfslo at flickr.com

In all honesty, Palm Springs isn't really my cup of tea. As more of a nature lover, it's a little too upscale for my liking. However, being situated at the base of the snow covered Mt. San Jacinto, made for quite an impressive desert setting. The deeply weathered summit of Mt. San Jacinto stands 10,800 feet above sea level, and is the second highest mountain range in Southern California. That's a pretty impressive backdrop from the 500 foot elevation in the desert, making for the largest elevation gain from base to peak in the continental U.S.

I'm particularly drawn to this mountain since my in-laws own an old cabin in Idyllwild, which we love to visit. Idyllwild is located one mile high on the other side of the mountain, among the majestic Ponderosa and Sugar Pines and Incense Cedars.

With so many golf courses to choose from, I decided to whittle the list down to only those with 4 and 4 1/2 star ratings from Golf Digest Magazine. I also tried to pick a couple courses I could walk.

I decided to start off easy at the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort - Resort Course (Whites 69.9/123). The Resort Course was designed by Ted Robinson Jr. and opened in February of 1995. The course is a links style desert layout, and like many of the courses in Palm Springs, is lined by homes on many of it's holes. I joined three other singles - all walkers. One of the golfers was in his early 60's, retired, and lives year round in Palm Springs. He plays Tahquitz Creek regularly during the months that all the tourists are in town, but spends the hot, but quieter, summer months playing 36 holes a day at all his favorite local courses. I can't imagine playing 36 holes a day in temperatures over 100! Anyway, the guy could play golf! As I remember, he shot 1 over on the front and 2 over on the back. He shared with me later in the round that his son plays on the Nationwide Tour, so I imagine they both play a lot of golf. Even though from the whites the course was easier than most of the courses I play at home, I had a rough start and came in with an 88. However, I was playing to about an 9 then, rarely breaking 80 and still getting scores in the high 80's perhaps 1 or 2 rounds out of every 10.

My next stop was Indian Wells Golf Resort in Palm Desert. I joined a threesome and played what was then called the East Course (Whites 70.1/131). I think it's now been redesigned and renamed. This is the first course I'd ever played where you get young guys taking your clubs and parking your car as soon as you pull in. A men's club tournament was going on when I got there, so I had to wait a couple hours for my teetime. I used that time to get in some good practice on their very nice range and putting green. That seemed to make a difference. I played well and shot a very respectable 80. The course difficulty was about the same as the two courses I play the most at home. Overall, I loved the course, but the pace of play was horrible. They were putting foursomes out every 7 minutes! That was a little painful, given the $125 I'd forked out to play.

The next day, I headed over to Silver Rock Resort in La Quinta, a new course that will soon be home to the Bob Hope Classic. This turned out to be my favorite course. The area around the course was still undeveloped and it sat right up against the region's rocky foothills. The course didn't have any homes bordering its fairways, but instead was lined with native desert sand and flora. Sand traps were everywhere! Again I walked, but joined a delightful threesome (1 couple and a friend) from Pennsylvania in carts. They were playing the whites (72/130), so I did too. I played another great round, avoiding all but 1 bunker, coming in with an 81. I was pretty happy to record an 80 and 81 for my last 2 rounds on relatively difficult courses I'd never played. I highly recommend this course.

A first trip to Palm Springs isn't complete unless you try your hand at the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta. Many golfers believe there may be no greater challenge in the game of golf than the PGA WEST Stadium Golf Course, designed by Pete Dye and ranked in The 100 Greatest Courses in the U.S. by Golf Magazine. Nine of the holes have water very much in play, and almost every hole displays Pete Dye's tremendous bunkering. It's no wonder the Stadium Golf Course has been the site of so many high-profile events, including The Skins Game, The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. I hooked up with 3 young guys visiting from San Diego who insisted on a milder challenge, so I again played from the whites (70.4/135), still nothing to sneeze at. Amazingly, I landed only 1 or 2 greenside bunkers and 1 lake. I even hit the green in 1 on the fabled 17th island green (which we played from the back tees). My good play continued and I finished my initiation at PGA West Stadium with a respectable 81. Next time I visit La Quinta, I plan to play the PGA West Nicholas course, which was recommended to me by the friends from Pennsylvania.

I ended the trip at Desert Dunes Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course over on the windy side of the freeway. Desert Dunes is widely considered one of the best layouts in the Coachella Valley. Mr. Jones took maximum advantage of the natural sand dunes and native desert vegetation when creating this timeless masterpiece. Perfectly situated to provide some of the most stunning views of the surrounding mountains, this championship course was one of my favorites and is known as one of the best golf experiences in the area and a favorite among both locals and visitors. I thoroughly enjoyed it's natural setting with fairways lined with native desert shrub and chaparral. The views offered of Mt. San Jacinto were stunning. I arrived early to save on greens fees and avoid the common 40 mph winds. I walked the course, playing again from the whites (70.2/124), with another single from the Midwest. My partner shared my appreciation for birding and we quickly started identifying the many desert birds during our round. Before I knew it, I realized I was only 1 over on the front! Being one of my first experiences with such a good start, I faltered on the back and shot 42, still managing a 79 - my first sub-80 round on vacation and a pleasant way to end the trip!

Labels: Courses, Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Palm Springs, Rounds

During my first year playing golf in 2005, I took my family on a vacation to Kauai. Being a family vacation, I didn't bring my golf clubs, but thought I'd rent some and try to get one round in with my son, who was 19 at the time. This would be my first golf round I'd ever played away from home and my son's first ever round of golf on an 18 hole course, so I wanted to pick a good one.


Kauai's Poipu Bay Golf Course by golfslo at flickr.com

Since we were staying on the south side of the island, I decided to play Poipu Bay Golf Course - one of the best 18 courses in the U.S. according to Golf Magazine and home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf!

This obviously turned out to be a great pick! I was a little unprepared for the strong headwinds the course is known for, but managed just fine. My first experience renting clubs went well too. The course provided a nice set of Ping i3 irons and woods.

I introduced my son to the twosome we joined from Los Angeles. I let them know right away that he'd only played twice before on a 9-hole course, but was a good hockey player.

My son then stepped up and drove his 3-wood right down the middle of the fairway within a couple yards of my drive. He then hit the green with a 7-iron and 2-putted for his first par. As expected, he didn't keep that up the entire round, and had a few blow-up holes, but he surprised all of us by finishing with a very respectable 101. I was impressed with how well he played in his first round with strangers and on a full-length course, and at Poipu Bay no less. He even recorded his first birdie!

I shot a 41 on the front nine, with 4 pars and 1 double bogie. I found the greens slow, but putted well overall. I had a more difficult time shooting pars on the back due to strong headwinds. I ended with a par on 18 for a 45 on the back nine and 86 for the round. I was pretty happy with the round, especially for my first visit to this course and using rental clubs.

I forget what the round cost, but I think I paid about $150 each for my son and I to play with a cart and rental clubs! The expense wasn't much of a factor since I felt so fortunate just to have the opportunity to play this beautiful course along the Pacific Ocean, and with my son.

Labels: Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Hawaii, Kauai, Poipu Bay