Around the Top 100 World – Day 31 to Day 40 / Tokyo to Adelaide

Click here for trip summary & overview

Day 31  Play Kasumigaseki (East)                                                   Train Tokyo/Kobe

At 7 am I took a 25-minute cab ride to Kasumigaseki (East Course rated 70, designed by Fujita and Alison 1929)(first played November 1988 and again July 1993/total two rounds) (26 miles northwest of Tokyo) where I was met by a lively playing companion Eiichiro (Eddie) Tsuji. He is a club committeeman and was snappily dressed in plus fours. Eddie is retired from the Mitsui trading company and had overseas stints in New York City, Montreal (he is still a member of Royal Montreal), and Sydney (still a member of The Australian). We were the first ones off the first tee at 7:50 am with a female caddie pushing a cart. The weather was overcast and warm, and no breeze was present. As the morning progressed the skies brightened, with the sun appearing on the eleventh tee, and the temperature  reached the low 70’s.

The day before I had been told by a person supposedly knowledgeable in the rating of golf courses, particularly in Japan, that the east course at Kasumigaseki had changed since my 1993 visit. He said that there had been some design alterations that had turned out to be negatives. In addition, he said the course was in poor condition because of heavy play even though the club is considered one of the most eminent private clubs in Japan. From what I could determine, the warnings were totally untrue, and Kasumigaseki remained at the same high level experienced in 1993.

Narou Golf Club in Japan

Eddie and I zipped around the front nine in less than 1 ½ hours. As we approached the ninth green there were at least 24 people waiting to hit off the tenth tee, and many foursomes were visible playing the back nine. I envisioned that the second half of the round might take three hours. But like magic the seas parted, and we finished the entire round in less than three hours. The club had arranged for a forecaddie carrying a red signaling paddle. The young lady walked down the center of the fairway and simply waved the foursome in front to the side and directed us through. Eddie and I were like Moses walking through the Red Sea. All those people must have wondered who the Ginga was, and I felt a responsibility to concentrate and hit some respectable shots. As I holed my five-foot birdie putt on eighteen, Eddie happily reported a score for me of one over par on the back nine.

After a quick lunch in the large and modern clubhouse, a 30-mile cab ride took me to the Tokyo Central Station. There I met an old friend, Miki Fujioka, who had been so instrumental in arranging  my 1993 and 1997 visits to Japan. After retiring from the Japan Golf Association two years ago Miki has been working to develop golf on the Internet. He is on the Board of Directors of The CyberWing Golf Club, which is offering playing access to many courses in Japan as well as overseas.

Miki helped me haul my luggage up the stairs to catch the 2:45 pm Hikari Super Express. The 368-mile trip put me into the Kobe station at 6:15 pm; there I was met at the platform by D. Nakamoto (1993) and his chauffeur. We went to the Portopia Hotel, and then D took me and an American representing a franchised food chain to a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 32              Drive Kobe/Naruo                              Play Naruo                          Drive Naruo/Kobe

At 8 am D’s friend Mr. T. Nishio picked me up at the hotel in his Mercedes. We drove one hour (30 miles) up in the mountains halfway between Kobe and Osaka to a narrow winding road (it reminded me of the old route into Dornoch). At Naruo (rated 87, designed by Crane 1904 and remodeled by Alison)(played July 1993) we were met by the club manager Hedemi Nakahira and a playing companion Junichi (Juun) Ikada.

Even though Naruo is a private club with high prestige, the course was crowded on that day which was mostly sunny 70-degrees with a light breeze. A single caddie had our three bags on a Sanyo Eagle Master II electric-powered trolley that ran on tracks at the sides of each hole.

After play we had a snack and refreshments in a private dining room. Mr. Nakahira asked for suggestions about the course. I make it a practice never to volunteer any suggestions to a course member or manager. However, if sincerely asked I give candid opinions. My one suggestion for Naruo was that they could put some of their greens back to what looked like slightly larger original putting surfaces.

I drove back to the hotel in Junn’s chauffeured Mercedes, which featured a computerized mapping system tied into a global positioning satellite. That evening we had dinner at D’s restaurant, Aqua di Maya, in his Maya Plaza. The main course was a large and absolutely mouth-watering steak. The next morning I asked D if he had served the famous Kobe beef. Not only did he say yes, but he also knew the farm from which the beef came and even the exact animal!

Day 33              Drive Kobe/Miki City           Play Hirono                 Drive Miki City/Kansai Airport

Fly Osaka/Auckland, New Zealand

D picked me up at 7 am, and we drove 20 miles to Miki City and the highly esteemed private Hirono Golf Club (rated 40, designed by Alison 1932)(first played November 1988 and again August 1993/total 2 rounds). Our foursome had two caddies with pull carts. At the start it was cloudy and cool (55 degrees) with a light rain. By the back nine the rain had stopped and the sun came out part of the time.

After golf and lunch D’s chauffeur took us back to D’s office in Kobe and then took me 60 miles to the brand new Kansai airport built on an artificial island. In planning the trip I had not wanted to go back to the hectic Tokyo international airport and then on to New Zealand. PerryGolf found a flight from Osaka to Auckland that went in the late afternoon every other day. Reflecting the smooth nature of the trip, this flight left on the required day, and I was able to have a full day of golf before departure. At 5:45 pm an almost empty Air New Zealand twin engine Boeing 767-300 took off on a 5,534-mile 10-hour flight over the Pacific Ocean. Because my business class section contained two people it was almost like being in a private jet.

Day 34              Arrive Auckland                                                       Fly Auckland/Wellington

Drive Wellington/Paraparaumu Beach                   Play Paraparaumu Beach GC

The next morning watches had to be set ahead three hours because I was now backtracking relative to the international dateline. The plane landed  ten minutes ahead of schedule at 7:30 am, and I was the first one through passport control. My luggage came around the corner of the conveyor belt just as I arrived. After warnings that New Zealand is very fussy about having ultra-clean golf shoes, clubs, and balls upon entering the country, I had been extra vigilant in making sure all items were cleaned at Hirono. As it turned out I zoomed through customs without any search.

Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand

As a result of this especially quick entry into the country, I was able to take an earlier-departing, one-hour, 298-mile Air New Zealand flight to Wellington. There I was greeted by Bob Glading. We had been corresponding since my first visit to New Zealand in 1990 but had never met. Bob is a former New Zealand Open champion and with John Lister runs golf tours to New Zealand and Australia. He is also a golf writer (“The Glading Report” for the NZ Golfing World).

Under cloudy skies Bob raced north through Wellington and up the west coast for a one-hour 30- mile drive to the small town of Paraparamumu Beach. I thought Bob was driving awfully fast for a 78-year-old man. Then I remembered he flew propeller planes off aircraft carriers for the British Navy during WW II. We arrived safely and checked into Wrights by the Sea (actually by the main road; the sea is definitely not visible).

At the club (rated 71, designed 1930 by unidentified person and remodeled by Russell)(played 3 rounds November 1990) we were greeted by the ever efficient and friendly manager Mrs. Pat Taylor (1990). In planning the trip I ended up having to play some courses during the late fall in the Southern Hemisphere. That day was the equivalent of late November in New Jersey — 50 degrees, overcast, 20-mph winds, and an ominous-looking front on the horizon. On the first tee, with clubs on pull carts, Bob and I were joined by Ian Ewen, who had been in on the original formation of the present course.

By the eighth hole the weather had deteriorated to a steady heavy rain and stronger winds. I could not take any more notes and just hung on for dear life. Believe it or not, there were other crazy people on the course ahead of us, and we had to wait a few times as the rain pelted down. This  proved to be one of the worst weather days of the trip.

That evening the Gladings and the Ewens joined me for dinner at the Country Life Restaurant. The food was good, and I found that the American dollar goes a long way in New Zealand.

Day 35  Drive Paraparaumu Beach/Wellington                               Fly Wellington/Sydney

There was some thought that we might play again the next morning, but rain was pelting down and the wind was fierce. So instead we had an unhurried morning, and then Bob drove me back to the Wellington airport. In another scheduling triumph we found a non-stop flight from Wellington to Sydney, and I did not have to return to Auckland. At 3:45 pm a Qantas 767-300 took three hours and 35 minutes to fly 1,387 miles to Australia. Even though New Zealand and Australia look fairly close to each other on a world map, there is a two-hour time difference between them.

A newspaper on the plane reported that the R&A might ban the long putter. I chuckled to myself because I would be at St. Andrews in 17 days; when people saw my collapsible putter with wings the R&A would probably accelerate the ban.

At the Sydney airport I was met by the smiling faces of Mike Cooper (1990) and Ian Gross (1992), two of the “boisterous” fellows from the Newcastle Golf Club. Mike is a golf course architect in partnership with former British Open champion Kel Nagel. The boys whisked me to Royal Sydney Golf Club on the left-hand side of the road. On the way Ian suggested stopping at a driving range to hit several buckets of balls. (This serves as a sample of his humor.)

Staying at Royal Sydney Golf Club was not ideal for play the next day at La Perouse, but it was felt that the quality of the accommodations and food would add to the Australian flavor of the trip. Unfortunately, the flavor turned decidedly sour when I presented myself at the registration counter and was told very rudely that no room was available. This was despite several faxes and phone calls confirming the reservation request. I was further informed that no thought had been given to notifying me or the person who had made the reservation. No apologies were offered, and I was coldly informed that a reservation had been made at the nearby Hotel Cranbrook in Rose Bay.

The three of us had planned to have dinner at Royal Sydney, but needless to say we wanted to get as far away from there as quickly as possible. We had a mediocre meal but the refreshments and conversation made for a delightful evening at the Cranbrook. The boys from Newcastle will keep you on your toes and will absolutely not let you take anything too seriously.

Day 36  Play New South Wales GC                                             Fly Sydney/Melbourne

The next morning I had a discussion with the hotel owner because Royal Sydney had booked me into a “super deluxe” room at a corresponding rate. I would hate to see an ordinary room if mine was “super deluxe.” The owner was cooperative, and I paid for a regular room.

New South Wales, Australia

Mike and Ian picked me up at 7:30 am, and we were in La Perouse just before 8 am. We were greeted by David Burton, the young general manager from Canada, who had gathered Tony Sernack, greens committee chairman; Stan Davis, recent club president; and Robert Dick, recent captain.

David signed us all up for the day’s competition played under the traditional Australian Stableford system. I experienced New South Wales (rated 54, designed by Mackenzie 1928)(first played November 1986 and again November 1990/total 2 rounds) at its windiest best. With a birdie on the eighteenth hole, my 33 points was the best score amongst our two foursomes. After golf and refreshments in the recently refurbished ($1.8 million) clubhouse we gathered around small tables for lunch and a long discussion of the course’s architectural history.

David also showed pictures and relayed a few incidents of the President Clinton/Greg Norman golf game played here in November 1996. The formal meeting with the White House Advance Team had been scheduled to be held in Davis’s office, but when a total of 28 men filed in the meeting was moved to the club’s boardroom. On the big day the pro shop offered the President an option of three different shirt, sweater, and hat combinations to wear. He selected one combination for play but without hesitation took all three back to the U.S.! Despite losing several balls President Clinton was so enthusiastic about New South Wales that he and Greg played until almost dark. This was while Hillary was waiting in the plane to take off for the States.

Mike and Ian drove me back to the Sydney airport where we had another enjoyable chat before I boarded a one-hour 439-mile Qantas 767-300 flight to Melbourne. The airport is north of the city and my destination was south of the city, making  a 20-mile taxi ride through the heart of the city necessary. The cab driver did not have a clue as to the location of the Victoria Golf Club. With some general help from me he eventually fumbled his way to the front door.

My four-night stay at Victoria Golf Club was the longest in one location on the trip. It afforded the opportunity to regroup and type up many pages of notes. The comfortable, quiet old clubhouse has en suite accommodations for 30 people (no in-room radio, TV, or phone). Well prepared and graciously served meals are included in a reasonable price. Dinners were the feature, with coat and tie required in an elegant dining setting. The five-course meals were as gourmet as you can find at any golf club in the world.

What made this four-day stop possible was the “sandbelt” region south of Melbourne where the four rated courses are close together. Two doubleheaders would have polished them off but I allocated a full four days in case of bad weather or other unforeseen problems. It was also a nice change of pace to do everything in a relaxed way.

Day 37              Play Victoria

The Australian part of the trip was well organized by Wellington (Welly) Chin (1987). Welly appeared just before our 8 am tee time. When we started there was frost on the ground at Victoria

(rated 91, designed by Mackenzie 1927)(for every rated course in Australia I first played them in November 1987 and again November 1990/total 2 rounds). The temperature eventually rose to 45 degrees, and it was partly cloudy. A cool wind meant a sweater all day.

Following golf I took a long walk to the nearby town of Cheltenham and found laundry service.

Day 38              Play Commonwealth

Welly was at Victoria at 7:30 am for a short drive to Commonwealth Golf Club (rated 97, designed by Bennett 1919 and remodeled by Lane/Morpeth and then by Hartley). The weather was nippy, and the club professional provided hand warmers. It immediately turned into a beautiful fall day as the sun came out and the wind was light at 5 to10 mph.

Following lunch we were joined by the secretary manager Max Tritton and later by the greens superintendent Barrie Mau. As we talked about the extensive design changes recently made in the course  I was gazing out the clubhouse window at the magnificent bunkering surrounding the eighteenth green. The sand in this region binds so well that bunker edges are cut razor sharp and stay that way for several years. Thus the bunker designs in the “sandbelt” area are among the most distinctive in the world.

Day 39            Play Kingston Heath                                                 Play Capital Golf Club

Kingston Heath, Australia

Welly picked me up at 7:30 am and drove a short distance to his beloved club, Kingston Heath (rated 33, designed by Soutar 1925 with bunkers added by Mackenzie 1926). There we were met by the club captain Ian Jones and the club greens superintendent Grame Grant (1987). It was partly cloudy, with no wind and 50 degrees. We toured the course pulling trolleys.

During the round Grame mentioned that he was doing some consulting for the Capital Golf Club (designed by Peter Thomson and Michael Wolveridge, opened 1996). This is a $26 million (golf course for the exclusive use of high rollers at the new $1.3 billion Crown Casino (opened May 1997 and the largest casino in the Southern Hemisphere). Lloyd Williams, the casino/golf-course owner, has patterned everything at the course after Steve Wynn and Shadow Creek. Gaining access to play the Capital is extremely difficult, to say the least. I asked Grame if he could arrange a round, and by 3 pm we were on the first tee.

We were in a cart with the whole course vacant. It became totally dark as we putted out on the eighteenth green at 5:23 pm; we had squeezed every ounce of playing time out of the day. On the par-3 160-yard eighth hole my tee shot hung on the lip of the cup. When asked what I would have received for a hole in one, the director of golf  Ken Loy said alarms would have gone off at the casino and I would have won one million Australian dollars (worth about 650,000 U.S. dollars).

Day 40              Play Royal Melbourne (Composite)                                   Fly Melbourne/Adelaide

Welly picked me up at 7:30 am, and we literally jumped over the fence to Royal Melbourne (Composite Course rated 6, designed by Mackenzie and Russell 1926) which is just across the street from Victoria’s twelfth green. There we were met by the club secretary manager Bill Richardson and Michael Bodney from the administrative staff of the U.S. PGA Tour. Mike is billeted in Melbourne until February 1999 as the Tour’s representative for The President’s Cup, to be held at Royal Melbourne in December 1998.

It was partly sunny, 65 degrees, with 10-mph wind when we teed off at 8 am. Thanks to Bill we were permitted to play the Composite Course (available only for member play twice a year and never to visitors on any other day), and he then led us around. The Composite takes the best from the West Course (twelve holes) and the East Course (six holes) to avoid roads that cross both courses.  The flow of the Composite holes  relative to the holes on the two regular courses is very confusing.

After completing the round I had done something no one in Melbourne would have believed possible — played the Capital Golf Club and the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne within less than 24 hours. Either one is almost an impossible undertaking.

Welly drove me back to the Victoria Golf Club, where I repacked and had lunch. Before leaving Victoria I had a nice chat with the general manager Ken Manders and thanked him for providing such a pleasant and efficient staff. (In my own mind I was contrasting my rude arrival at Royal Sydney with the very pleasant stay at Victoria.) Ken gave me an interesting laminated 1931 aerial view of the golf course that featured the outline of all the impressive bunkering.

Welly drove me to the Melbourne airport. Then a Qantas 737-300 took one hour to fly 398 miles to Adelaide, where dark skies and strong rain were present. A taxi took me to the modest Aviators’ Lodge, where a good night’s sleep was obtained while it rained intermittently. After five days in Australia my body and mind had just about become accommodated to the time zone change. However, Adelaide has a curve ball, with a one-half-hour time-zone change. So my watch was set back one half hour.

TO BE CONTINUED

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Around the Top 100 World – Day 21 to Day 30 / Cabo to Kawana

Click here for trip summary & overview

Day 21  Play Cabo del Sol           Drive Cabo del Sol/Airport            Fly Los Cabos/Los Angeles

The alarm went off at 5:15 am, and before 6 am we were back on the road for a short drive to Cabo del Sol and our 6:50 am tee time. After a short conversation with the director of golf Brad Wheatley (1996) we were off the first tee as a twosome. The sun was blazing (almost blinding), the temperature was in the high 70’s (eventually it reached the low 90’s), and there was no breeze. We were the only people in long pants (to conserve luggage space I had not packed any short pants). My traveling companion was driving the motorized cart, and I was on foot. There were some steep walks up and down slopes (real hamstring stretchers), but being on foot afforded the opportunity to see some lovely ocean views that cannot be appreciated from a moving vehicle. There is a long walk between the seventh green and eighth tee down to the floor of a ravine that weaves through rock formations and a view of the sea and waves that you would miss on a speeding cart.

Cabo del Sol, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Cabo del Sol is a very expensive resort course (rated 68, designed by Nicklaus 1993)(played April 1996) and a massive real estate development. Substantial building had taken place during the year since my first visit. By the ninth tee there was a huge sign announcing “Grand Opening – Hacienda Del Mar – World Class Vacation Ownership,” and five-story buildings were partially blocking the ocean views from the course. Even with our early starting time there were two slow foursomes in front, and we had to wait on many shots. We did not have any breakfast, so a granola bar was a welcome addition at the tenth tee as was a sandwich on the sixteenth tee.

After golf we drove back to the airport, where I told my traveling companion that I thought it would be best if he went home. Earlier in the trip we had reviewed his responsibilities, but little progress had been made, so it became obvious to both of us that we should call it a day for him. I had paid all his expenses, and he had played 20 of the best courses in the world. The parting in the LA airport was amicable and convenient for both of us.

At the Mexican airport passport control the same government official from the previous night was present. He was friendly but suspicious. Why was I in and out of this remote part of Mexico within 15 hours? Fortunately he believed my explanation. The 910-mile 2:30 pm Alaskan Airlines flight arrived in Los Angeles at 4 pm (watch set back one hour).

I was met at the airport by Tim (the Cheech) Clark (1963), and he was the perfect tour guide for the next 24 hours — chauffeur, meals, bed, playing companion, tension relief. I did not have to worry about directions in this crowded and complex town. At Tim’s new “dream house” in Pasadena we were greeted by wife Diana, an ice- cold Foster’s, and shrimp on the barbie.

Day 22  Play Riviera              Play Los Angeles (North)                           Fly LA/Las Vegas, NV

At 6:15 am we were on the road in Tim’s Lincoln Continental. The destination was Riviera, where we found host Norman Klaparda (1990) and club historian Geoff Shackelford. As noted previously, Norman was the second person to play both the World 100 and the U.S. 100 and is also an active member of the panel to choose the World 100. Usually club historians are ancient club members, so I was surprised to meet a young man. Geoff is the ideal golf club historian because he is an excellent golfer and is knowledgeable about the history of both the club and the architect; he has already put his knowledge into two books — The Riviera Country Club: A Definitive History and The Captain (George C. Thomas Jr.) and his Golf Architecture.

Riviera (rated 27, designed by Thomas and Bell 1926) (first played May 1981 and last played May 1991/total 3 rounds) is a busy full-facility country club with Japanese ownership. At 7:15 am on the first tee the weather was typical gloomy May/June Los Angeles — mid- 60s with low gray haze suggesting the real possibility of rain. The temperature quickly rose to 75/80 degrees and the sun eventually came out in the early afternoon.

The greens at Riviera have been a point of major contention within the club and have received national and international scrutiny. The total rebuilding was done with sod instead of seed and since then the grass has never been healthy. Today a new problem was evident, huge patches of Poa annua that made putting unpredictable.

Following golf it was back into Tim’s car and on to the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC), where we had lunch with co-hosts Mitch Milias (1973) and Carl Murray. We were very lucky to be able to play LACC at this particular time because the North Course had just reopened in late February after a one-year program to completely rebuild and regrass the greens. On this day there were guest play restrictions on the North Course because a similar program had begun on the South Course.

In developing the restoration program the LACC was able to observe the just described difficulties experienced by Riviera. A new bent grass called A-4, developed by Dr. Joseph Duich at Penn State, was seeded. The entire project was carried out by the golf course architect John Harbottle of Tacoma, WA. From my observation the initial aspects of the finished product are a total success; we putted on immaculate surfaces that looked and felt like velvet. Only time will tell how A-4 will hold up under the very hot and humid summer conditions experienced in the LA area.

At 1:20 pm we were on the first tee (North course rated 53, designed by Thomas 1921) (first played July 1979 and last played April 1988/total 5 rounds) with caddies. There are no tee times at LACC even though the club has a large and active membership (no movie stars allowed). The weather was still overcast  but much warmer than in the morning. On the second hole the sun came out, and it became very humid. LACC is a fairly hilly course, so the second 18 of the day proved to be a workout. In addition to the greens rebuilding and regrassing, many trees were removed to improve air circulation and open vistas. The removal is not noticeable to an outsider because there are still 40,000 trees and shrubs at LACC.

After  refreshments, Tim took me to the LA airport for an 8:45 pm 236-mile United flight to Las Vegas. Arriving at 10 pm, I retrieved my luggage and went out for a taxi. Even at what I would consider to be a fairly late hour there was a huge line with  a long wait for a cab. I was finally in my room at the Mirage Hotel a little past 11 pm.

Shadow Creek Golf Club, Las Vegas, Nevada

Day 23  Play Shadow Creek         Fly Las Vegas/San Jose, CA             Drive San Jose/Carmel

At 7:30 am a cab took me out of  town along a desolate, flat, ugly, brown, scruffy, desert landscape. I have made this drive before, but I was still amazed that a world-class golf course among hills and trees was just down the road. Shadow Creek (rated 49, designed by Fazio and Wynn 1990) (played May 1991) is the eighth wonder of the world from a golf-construction standpoint. Some people think they have been transported to the sand hills of North Carolina, but I am reminded of the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains because of the mountain backgrounds at Shadow Creek.

After hitting six balls on the best practice range in the world  I was on the first tee as a single with caddie at 8:30 am. I had the course to myself except for a twosome that was playing a hole or two behind. This provided an opportunity for a leisurely stroll and absorb all the ambience, which includes a plethora of wild life. The weather was bright sun with a temperature of 73 degrees (eventually rose to 92).

The caddie’s name was Chris Berry; he is on the University of Nevada at Las Vegas golf team and was a contemporary of Tiger Woods. Chris was the sixth ranked junior golfer in the country coming out of high school. He had grown up in the next town to Tiger and said that all the boys liked Tiger because he was not a braggart and let his clubs do the talking. He also said that even though Tiger was the best player at each level during his early career there was some skepticism among his peers as to whether he would be so dominant at the next levels.

On the 145-yard eighth hole I came within an inch of a hole-in-one (the closest I would come on any of the top 100 played on the trip). When I played the course in 1991 the tenth hole was under reconstruction. The finished product is quite attractive. With a mountain range as background, it is a sharp dogleg right totally encased by a wall of trees fairly close to the entire fairway and surrounding the green. The somewhat small, semi-angled two-tier green is in a bowl with a bunker on the right side.

The look and playability of eleventh hole has been substantially changed from 1991. Originally there were two separate greens on this short par-4. I had thought one of the greens was a weak sister and could not understand why Fazio even bothered with it. By 1997 the feeble alternative green was gone and the complete hole had been tightened up to reflect the shortness of the hole. The other major difference between 1991 and 1997 was the growth of the 21,000 imported trees, in both height and density. The original course was a challenge, but the changes made by 1997 made the course play more difficult.

Immediately after golf a Mirage Hotel stretch limousine was taking two players back to the hotel, so I hitched a ride, and then the friendly driver took me to the airport. There I discovered that my 4:15 pm Reno Air flight to San Jose was indefinitely delayed. (Luckily, this was the only plane delay of the entire trip!) The alternative was Southwest Air, but the madhouse atmosphere along with unfriendly and inefficient agent service caused me to return to Reno Air. Fortunately the 386-mile flight was only two hours late. At 8 pm Dan Turner met me at the San Jose airport, and we drove 73 miles to Carmel and the La Playa Hotel.

Day 24  Play Pebble Beach                                                                    Play Cypress Point

Dan and I were up at 5 am, but nothing was open for breakfast. We drove to a shopping center and found a grocery store with 24-hour service. There we purchased orange juice and some granola bars. Luckily, I was able to obtain the first starting time of the day (6:30 am) at Pebble Peach (rated 3, designed by Neville and Grant 1919)(first played May 1975 and last played June 1992/total 4 rounds). At 6 am the pro shop and first tee area were a beehive of activity. There must have been 60 bags lined up on the rail. With Dan driving a cart (on cart paths only), I was paired with three hotel guests who were medium-handicap players.

Although Pebble is officially a public golf course, 80 percent of the starting times are allocated to guests staying at The Lodge or The Inn at Spanish Bay. The room cost is about $400 a night. The Pebble greens fee for hotel guests is $245. Although this includes a cart, the best way to play Pebble is with a caddie, which adds about $70. Thus a guaranteed round of golf at Pebble is $665 not including tax and service charges. But it is worth every penny! Not only is the course an exalting experience, but also The Lodge is a great place to stay with a commanding view of the golf course, Carmel Bay, and the blue Pacific. Evenings are usually cool, and so the dry wood in the fireplace is easily lighted into a comfortable blaze. Rooms and tee times are booked 18 months in advance, by groups up to five years in advance.

The only other way to arrange to play Pebble is to call 24 hours in advance or just show up at the first tee and hope for a cancellation. The cost for non-hotel guests is $295 plus $25 for a cart. Thanks to Paul Spengler, VP of golf, and R.J. Harper, director of golf, I was granted the courtesy of the course.

It was mostly cloudy and 55 degrees when I teed off as a happy dew-sweeper. As if on cue, on the beautifully situated par-3 seventh tee the sun came out for the rest of the day. There are so many panoramic views at Pebble, and they begin there as you look across the bay to the seventeenth and eighteenth holes, the Lodge, and beyond down the shoreline. You could end your round right there and just soak up this ambience.

Pebble has the smallest greens of any course in the Top 100, so even a good player is going to miss a few of them. A new and more difficult element has been introduced at Pebble. Long, thick rough is growing just off the putting surface, which makes chipping a guessing game. Compounding the challenge is the fact that most bunkers are set back from greens so that the long rough grass is between the bunker and the green. Thus your bunker shot must carry all the way to the green or your ball will come to a quick halt in the long grass. I have no quarrel with this added difficulty, but it must exasperate the already excruciating slow pace of play. Mercifully,  in first position we played in 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Walking to the fifth tee I was able to inspect the property that Pebble had just purchased to build what could be a spectacular new par-3 fifth hole. On the property there was a dilapidated Daniel-Boone-looking cabin. For $5 million this had to be the ultimate “knockdown” structure.

One of my all-time golf heroes was a hacker when it came to playing the game. However, Samuel Morse was personally responsible for creating Pebble, Cypress Point, the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and Spyglass Hill. I was told on this trip that a video tape of this work had been made, and I purchased it in the Pebble pro shop.

Following lunch at Pebble, Dan and I went less than two miles along the rugged coastline of the 17 Mile Drive to Cypress Point (rated 2, designed by Mackenzie 1928)(first played November 1977 and last played June 1992/total 4 rounds) where we met host Ken Schley (1988). In the blink of an eye we had gone from the hurly-burly of Pebble to an ultra-private and almost deserted club. It was as if you had been transported to a different planet — no tourists, no concrete cart paths, almost no real estate development, and almost no golfers. The small parking lot, the modest clubhouse, and the lack of activity encourage total relaxation because of the calm and understated atmosphere at Cypress. Amazingly, there is no guard nor even a gate at the entrance. Actually there is no visible entrance, just a simple short turn from 17 Mile Drive into the parking lot. The general public could easily do the same, but this does not happen; the “Private Property – No Trespassing” sign is enough to keep tourists at bay.

On this early afternoon Ken, Dan, and I were on the first tee with caddies in gorgeous weather — sunny, 65 degrees, light breeze. Cypress is one of the most beautiful courses in the world, and we had it all to ourselves. After one of the most relaxing rounds of the trip Ken treated us to one last thrill. We changed into coats and ties, entered the main part of the clubhouse, and wandered out to the patio. There we could not believe what we were experiencing — high above the sixteenth through eighteenth holes with a panoramic view out to the blue Pacific. In the late-afternoon setting sun, the ambience was overpowering — on three sides were gnarled Monterey cypress trees, green golf holes, wild grasses, rocky cliffs, a sparkling ocean, a member walking his dog, deer grazing near the fairways, hawks soaring and swooping — and we tried to absorb it all. This is one of the most glorious golf settings in the entire world and is the perfect way to cap a wonderful day. How lucky can a guy be? That day, in beautiful weather, I had the good fortune to play Pebble early in the morning and then stroll around Cypress in the afternoon. Doubleheaders do not come any better than that, although later in the trip came  a close second!

Dan and I had a productive dinner at La Playa. We discussed the two courses seen during the day and made revisions in the rough drafts. We also went through the itinerary to determine which part of my companion’s reservations would be canceled by Dan and which would be handled by PerryGolf. The bad news was that 75 days of hotel and golf course reservations had to be terminated or modified in an efficient and thorough manner. The good news was that Dan could now play some of the courses if his schedule permitted. We then discussed Dan’s meeting me in Ireland. Finally, I was able to give Dan all the course material I had accumulated since leaving Atlanta. This lightened the suitcase load somewhat.

Day 25  Play Spyglass Hill                                        Drive Monterey Peninsula/San Francisco

We were up at 5 am, but Dan had to leave for Portland. Again I had the first tee time of the day, 6:30 am. Spyglass (rated 93, designed by R.T. Jones 1966)(first played May 1975 and last played June 1992/total 4 rounds) is part of the Pebble Beach Company and thus a course for its resort guests as well as a high-end daily-fee course. I was paired with two young bucks (probably in their late 20’s). They wanted to play from the back tees, so, to be sociable, I did likewise. As it turned out none of us had any business playing from the tips on this extremely difficult course. The only difference between us was that I knew I was not able to handle the challenge, and they did not have a clue that their games were totally inadequate for anything over 6,500 yards.

They took the only available caddie (Donnie), so I slung my bag on my shoulder, and we were off in 50 degrees, shrouded in fog, with a strong breeze. We were real dew-sweepers. The fog was gone and the sun  appeared by the time we reached the tenth tee.

On the second fairway the caddie said he would club me and read my putts for a $30 fee. I thanked him by saying that my score was not important and I would manage by myself. For the next few holes I had a pleasant conversation with the two players and the caddie. Then on the seventh hole my tee shot just dribbled into the thick wet rough where the caddie happened to be standing. His players hit their shots to the other side of the fairway, so the caddie and players went to their balls. I could not find my ball and after a few minutes dropped a substitute. During this whole time no one made the slightest effort to help locate my ball.

On the next tee the caddie started a conversation with me as if nothing had happened. Then on the thirteenth hole the same thing occurred. After they made absolutely no effort to help locate my ball just off the fairway, I waved them on and enjoyably played the rest of the round by myself.

After golf I drove 125 miles north to San Francisco and the residence of June and Jim McCarthy (1993) in the Pacific Heights section near downtown. Their condominium was sumptuous, and I felt as if I were at the Ritz. I was able to do laundry, and then we had dinner.

A few months before Jim had asked if there was anyone I would like him to invite for dinner. This gave me the opportunity finally to meet Gerry Heffernan. In 1991 I had run into Gerry’s name in England. He had played several hundred courses in the British Isles, so I wrote him and we struck up a friendship through the mail and over the phone. Gerry is a Canadian and played on the Stanley Cup championship Montreal teams in the 1940’s. He is a lovely man, and the four of us had a marvelous evening at the McCarthys.

Day 26  Play Olympic (Lake Course)                                                      Play San Francisco GC

At 6:30 am I drove over to the Olympic Club (rated 30, designed by Whiting 1927)(first played May 1975 and again June 1993/total 2 rounds) where, at 7:15 am, I was met by host Steve Katz (1992), Roeg Cushing (1994), and the club historian Jim Innis (1992). About 10 balls were hit on the large range. These would be the last practice balls struck until Day 72. The routine after Day 26 was hopping out of a car, stretching for no more than one minute, taking a couple of  practice swings, and then praying. All my hosts thought they were doing me a favor by awarding me the honor of hitting first. So I prayed just to just make any sort of decent contact in front of an expectant audience of anywhere from one to seven players.

Olympic Club, San Francisco, California

Day 26’s scheduling took some maneuvering. I wanted to play a doubleheader to leave the next day open. The two courses are so close together that playing both in one day is easy. However, it was ladies’ day in the morning at San Francisco, and Olympic had no guest play on the Lake Course for the whole day because of an afternoon Senior Tournament. Olympic has a very large membership with tee times in demand. Thus it took an “act of God” for me to play the Lake Course that day. The head professional Jim Lucius and the general manager Paul Kennedy were involved in this special dispensation.

On the first tee with caddies it was in the mid 60’s, cloudy, slightly overcast, and no wind. We  finished with the sun out and a temperature of 70 degrees. While we were on the front nine Gerry Heffernan came out to walk a few holes with us and to give me a tie. Gerry is the epitome of the type of person I have met through writing the “O.” He has had a substantial professional career, knows and loves golf, is articulate about his views on golf, and, most important, is kind, considerate, and a great guy.

Following lunch in the newly reconstructed and redecorated massive Olympic clubhouse, Roeg led me out the Olympic back gate, and within five minutes I was at the nearby San Francisco Golf Club (SFGC)(rated 24, designed by Tillinghast 1918)(first played May 1976 and again June 1992/total 2 rounds). There I found playing partners Jim McCarthy and Sandy Tatum. We were on the first tee with caddies in glorious sun, light breeze, and 70 degrees. This high-prestige, low-key club has no starting times and few players, so we had the course to ourselves.

When Jim told me the night before that our playing companion was going to be Sandy I could hardly sleep. Representing Stanford in 1942, Sandy won the NCAA golf title. After becoming a successful San Francisco lawyer, he was president of the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) in 1978 and 1979. Sandy is still heavily involved with many important aspects of golf and is acknowledged to be one of the most respected, knowledgeable, and articulate men in the entire world of golf. (Later in the trip someone appropriately categorized Sandy as a Victorian gentleman). During the round I asked him so many questions I got a headache! Sandy is a serious golfer, and I am sure he was distracted by my machine-gun burst of questions, but I was not going to let this priceless opportunity slip by.

Sandy was terrific. He answered every one of my questions about SFGC, Olympic (he was a member there for many years), Cypress Point (member for many years), Pebble, and Samuel Morse. Sandy actually had  played a round of golf with Morse. I had a hard time keeping up with asking questions, scribbling notes like mad, hitting shots, and absorbing the course.

What amazes me about Tillinghast is that San Francisco was really his first course of note, and it is the course where he did his best bunker design. On this part of the U.S. trip the best bunkering I saw was here along with Riviera and Los Angeles CC.

Following refreshments in the aged and comfortable clubhouse, Jim and I returned to his residence, and then Jim and June went out to a party. I went down the street for dinner but had such a bad sinus headache that I could barely finish the soup. (I felt as if I were going to be like the guy who collapsed face down in his soup.)  I wobbled back to the condominium and collapsed into the cozy bed for a long night’s sleep. This was the most exhausted I would be on the entire trip, and it might have been partly due to the fact that my body knew no golf was planned for the next two days.

Day 27              Fly San Francisco/Tokyo

Day 27 had been scheduled as an open day in case something should go wrong during the early part of the trip and I would be forced to backtrack because of inability to play one of the scheduled courses. I had created a few such buffer days to handle emergencies. However, the next day’s travel to reach the desired destination was quite hectic. Being able to use the buffer day for such travel was a great luxury.

Because the trip had gone so smoothly through San Francisco, I was able to call PerryGolf and have them rebook me to Tokyo a day early. In our correspondence Jim had confidently stated that “…it almost never rains on the West Coast in late May.” Well we woke up to heavy rain the morning of Day 27. The good news was that no golf was scheduled that day. After re-packing I said goodbye to the McCarthys and their comfortable residence. At 11:20 am I was in the business class section of United Airlines on my way over the Pacific Ocean to Japan.

Day 28              Arrive Tokyo

After 10 hours and 30 minutes of flying time covering 5,159 miles and crossing the international dateline the plane touched down at Narita Airport (2:40 pm local time; watches had to be set ahead eleven hours). The weather was 70 degrees, with very dark skies, heavy rain, and winds of 30 mph. After passport control, luggage retrieval, and customs I maneuvered the fully loaded luggage cart down one level on an elevator to the Japan Railroad terminal entrance. A barrier kept the cart from going any further. I did not realize it at the time, but I would have desperate need for this type of cart several times over the next 15 hours and none would be available. The alternative was to take a cab to downtown Tokyo, but the cost of $150 to $200 seemed prohibitive.  However, what followed has convinced me I definitely would take a cab the next time.

The one-hour 64-mile Narita Express train brought me to the lowest level of the large and complicated Tokyo Central Station. The only way to move my luggage was on two long, steep escalators up to the ground-floor exit. Once away from airports the Japanese have no system for moving luggage. No porters or carts were available anywhere, and I was  forced to wrestle with three heavy pieces of bulky luggage, plus a light hanging bag, on an escalator. The only saving grace was that the station was almost empty because it was late Saturday afternoon. Although the Yaesu Fujiya Hotel was only three blocks away I had to take a taxi because of exhaustion and the steady rain. My single room was about one-third the size of the Ritz-type accommodations at the McCarthys’.

A mediocre dinner at the hotel was followed by a phone call from Mr. Tatsuo Kato (1988), reception manager of the Kawana Hotel, saying he had received a fax from PerryGolf announcing my earlier arrival. Happily, Mr. Kato said he would meet me at the Atami station the next day. My last remark to him was a request to please turn off the precipitation; at that moment showers were so heavy that I could barely see out the window. The rain was so strong that there was a warning of possible flash flooding and even landslides.

Day 29            Train Tokyo/Atami/Ito       Driver to Kawana Hotel             Play Kawana Hotel (Fuji)

The ideal schedule for Japan would have been to play in Tokyo (Kasumigaseki) first, go to Kawana, and then to Kobe. However, as previously stated, I had felt that for safety’s sake, an open day should be placed at the end of the first leg of the U.S. schedule.

Thus the original schedule called for the first day of golf in Japan to be on a Monday. My number one contact in Japan, Miki Fujioka (1993), informed me early in the planning process that all courses in Japan are closed on Mondays except at the Kawana Hotel. Thus, a less- than-ideal travel schedule was constructed through Miki’s friend, Mr. Yoshinobu Ikeda of Universal Express. Mr. Ikeda did a lot of work on train tickets (for a reserved seat you buy a basic ticket and also an “express supplement”), hotel reservations, and communications that made the first part of the trip in Japan go smoothly. Thus I recommend that anyone who has travel needs in Japan contact Mr. Ikeda at  011-81-3-5644-3600 (fax-3611) for efficient and courteous service.

From the hotel I took a taxi three blocks to the Tokyo Central Station and then hauled my luggage through the building and up two levels of stairs. (Why the escalator went down and not up in this area was a mystery.) At 9:10 am the Kodama Super Express train took one hour to get to Atami, where I was so grateful to be greeted again by the ever faithful Mr. Kato and one of his young assistants. We hauled the luggage down and then up several stairs leading to the local Ito train. I could only imagine how much effort it would have taken if Mr. Kato had not been there and I had to perform this maneuver on my own. At Ito a Kawana car took us to the hotel with its lovely and peaceful surroundings. Like magic my hectic world was transformed into paradise.

Kawana is a stately luxury hotel located on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula and in terms of beauty is on a par with Pebble Beach and The Lodge. The hotel and two golf courses (Fuji course rated 50, designed by Alison 1936)(first played October 1988 and again July 1993/total 3 rounds) are perched on the side of a mountain with sharp cliffs right at the edge of the blue Pacific Ocean. In another direction Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance. From the hotel there are striking views of magnificent old trees and then the sea. The hotel caters primarily to a Japanese clientele but is fully able to provide all Western-style amenities.

After lunch with Mr. Kato I was a single player at 1:15 pm on the first tee with the traditional Japanese lady caddie. It hardly needs saying that the weather was perfect — bright sun, no clouds, light breeze, 70 degrees. I told Mr. Kato he could take full credit for this glorious situation, but he insisted that I had brought the weather with me. The round started off well; I made a birdie on the first hole, which greatly impressed the non-English-speaking caddie. I finished in splendid early-evening shadows and enjoyed a delightful dinner  in the main dining room with Mr.Kato.

Day 30  Play Kawana (Fuji Course)                               Train Ito/Tokyo(Kawagoe)

Partly because farmers are so strong politically in Japan but also because the Japanese like to rise early, day-light saving time is not practiced there and so the sun rises at 4:30 am and sets at 6:45 pm during the summer. (After WW II the U.S. Army tried daylight saving time, but it did not work.) Having been in Japan for less than three days, I was not fully over jet lag and thus got up at 4 am. As I typed up my notes and thoughts from the previous day I was looking out of my window down to the extraordinary landscaped grounds and out to the ocean with the glistening sun causing almost a blinding reflection off the water and making the computer screen difficult to read. There was no noise except birds chirping, and the feeling was of total serenity. Other similar experiences that come to mind are the clubhouse patio at Cypress Point and the second-floor clubhouse balcony at Augusta National.

At 7:30 am I was again on the first tee as a single player. There was a small crowd gathered around the tee, and when I fortunately struck one down the middle I received a round of polite applause. This morning was a good example of why I enjoy playing by myself. The course and its surroundings are so beautiful that it is hard to concentrate on the golf. It is one of the loveliest settings in golf. The course blends so agreeably that a soft feeling is produced in a quiet atmosphere. Some of the holes border cliff tops 100 feet or more above crashing surf. Mt. Fuji is visible 80 miles in the distance along with Ito Bay and the ocean island called Oshima with its active volcano. I could reflect on having been on one side of the Pacific Ocean less than one week before and now being on the other side in another magnificent spot.

After lunch with Mr. Kato I said goodbye to him and the managing director Takashi Asaka. I certainly did not want to leave and definitely wish to return. In the early afternoon I retraced my steps from the previous day except for ending up in a suburb of Tokyo and the Kawagoe Prince Hotel, which was back to reality with a miniature single room. As forecasted, light rain began to fall in the late afternoon. Then heavy thundershowers and lightning caused an almost total electricity failure in the hotel and the surrounding area.  Dinner at the hotel was passable.

Sleep that night was a story out of hell. Walls in many Japanese hotels are paper thin, and I am a light sleeper with rabbit ears. About one in the morning I was shot awake by a brief ear-piercing scream. For the next two hours this scream was repeated about every five minutes. After the first 15 minutes I decided to call the front desk but first had to determine which side of my room the noise was coming from. After each scream there would be brief audible sounds from a gruff male voice and then momentary whining from a female voice. Finally I was fairly confident about where the disturbance was originating and called the front desk. About 10 minutes later I heard the phone ring in the next room and a short, angry conversation take place. My complaint went unheeded;  the same sounds were repeated over and over again. I contemplated taking the matter into my own hands but was too timid to find out what type of reaction might greet me if I knocked on the door. Eventually quiet was restored, and I did  get some sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Video #7 / Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland

Prestwick is Scottish golf royalty. It was founded in 1851 and lies adjacent to Royal Troon along a stretch of Ayrshire coastline as famous as any in the world for prime golfing terrain.  It was here in 1860 where the first Open Championship was played and won by Willie Park from Musselburgh with a score of 174 for 36 holes, 2 shots clear of Tom Morris.  Prestwick would go on to host 24 Open Championships plus 11 Amateur Championships, the most recent in 2001.

Read more “Video #7 / Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland”

SHARE

Around the Top 100 World – Day 11 to Day 20 / Pinehurst to Cabo

Click here for trip summary & overview

 

The iconic Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst

Day 11  Play Pinehurst (#2)                                                     Drive Pinehurst/Cashiers

In arranging the trip there had been some doubt about the availability of Pinehurst #2. They are hosting the U.S. Open in 1999 and had closed the course in 1996 to regrass all the greens. Fortunately the job went smoothly, and the course reopened in March 1997. Over the past few years I have been dealing with Mrs. Gaynell Greene, the secretary to the director of golf. She had kindly arranged for us to be the first group out as a twosome at 7:30 am. We had a conversation with the starter, who told us play was limited to 110 people a day on the #2 course. This was pleasantly surprising because Pinehurst (#2 course rated 9, designed by Ross in 1903 and massaged by him through 1935)(first played November 1965 and last played November 1992/total 4 rounds) is a busy resort that also has membership play. Again I had to reflect upon the comparison with the excessive heavy play at the TPC at Sawgrass.

On the first tee it was a cool 60 degrees with bright sun, no clouds, and a slight breeze. With no one in front we played in an unhurried four hours. The rangers were friendly. The new greens (Penn G2 bent grass) were perfect, and the cups were cut as sharply as I have ever seen.

We then departed on one of the longer and more difficult drives of the trip. Wade Hampton is at the very tip of southwestern North Carolina and high up in the Great Smoky Mountains. The last hour of the non-Interstate 250-mile drive was tedious. Because of the steep mountains the narrow road snaked up, down, and around in very tight turns. Halfway into this agony I was dying to reach the finish line, and then there would be another road sign indicating that we had a ways to go. Mercifully we eventually reached the Wade Hampton’s guarded entrance by 6 pm and collapsed in one of its rustic cottages.

At 7 pm we went over to the clubhouse and were greeted by Willaim McKee (1991), the creator and owner of Wade Hampton. He had invited eight golfers (a mixture of Wade Hampton members and guests) to listen to an informal presentation by yours truly. It was an enjoyable evening, and William kept referring to the trip as “The Amazing Odyssey.”

Peachtree Golf Club, Atlanta, GA – courtesy of Russell Kirk

Day 12  Play Wade Hampton                                                 Drive Cashiers/Chattanooga, TN

William took us to an early and full breakfast at the nearby High Hampton resort, which is owned by his family. At 9 am we were on the first tee with William and John Pickerel (1991), director of  marketing. It was cloudy, windy, and 60 degrees with refreshing, clean mountain air. The club has an active caddie program during the season, but that day only motorized carts were available. Wade Hampton (rated 77, designed by Fazio in 1987)(first played June 1991 and last played October 1996/total 9 rounds) is a private course for landowners in the surrounding upscale real estate development. After lunch we were back on the winding road going west to Chattanooga.

After 120 miles we arrived at  Elder Mountain and the home of  Betsy and Bob Montague (1990) at 5 pm. Thanks to Betsy we were treated to the first home-cooked meal of the trip. We also  watched the Weather Channel closely because the forecast was calling for heavy rain during most of the next day.

Day 13  Play The Honors                                                 Drive Chattanooga/Birmingham, AL

The next morning we drove east past the city of Chattanooga and out to Ooltewah. At 8:45 am the three of us were on the first tee at The Honors. This is a private golf club (rated, 57 designed by Dye 1984)(first played April 1987 and last played October 1992/total 4 rounds) with absolutely no housing surrounding the property. As you have learned from previous “O’s” Bob has only one leg (he lost his left leg to bone cancer at age 15) but has a strong single-digit handicap and can walk the entire course if need be. Today he took a cart, I had a caddie, and we had the course to ourselves.

We  started off with a beautiful day — 70 degrees, no wind, mist being burned off by the bright sun. By the sixth hole some really dark clouds had arrived, and on the eighth hole the clouds opened up. We plowed ahead, and by the fourteenth hole the sun reappeared. Lunch was enjoyed on the clubhouse patio, and then it was back in the car in the early afternoon.

After a quick 176-mile drive on non-winding Interstate roads we arrived at the home of Gaynell and Buell Moore (1990) in Shoal Creek (watch set back one hour). The Moores treated us to dinner at the Shoal Creek clubhouse with  Hall Thompson (1992), the club founder, and his wife Lucy. Five years before I had had the pleasure of having dinner with the same group. During the meal there was some kidding about the agreement of both Hall and Buell to start play the next day at the ungentlemanly hour of 8:15 am. When Buell was a member of Canoe Brook in Summit, NJ, he organized a 10 am group because he felt gentlemen should not play golf before 10 in the morning.

Day 14  Play Shoal Creek                                                         Drive Birmingham/Atlanta, GA

Around 7 am Gaynell produced her famous Southern breakfast, including grits. After this fortification it was off to hit a few practice balls and then to the first tee as a foursome with caddies.  The weather was perfect — bright sun, 70 degrees, light wind. The reason for the 8:15 am starting time was the need to be ahead of the club’s Saturday morning men’s event called the “dog fight.” Being out ahead of the field gave us the luxury of having the course to ourselves.

Shoal Creek Golf Club (rated 69, designed by Nicklaus 1977)(first played October 1982 and last played October 1992/total 5 rounds) is a private club with a few homes spread inconspicuously throughout several hundred acres. In the 1992 “O” I discussed Hall in detail. Suffice it to say, I consider him to be one of the most substantial people in the business, golf, and philanthropic areas that I have ever had the honor to meet.

A relaxed lunch in the clubhouse was followed by a 166-mile drive on the Interstate to Atlanta and the home of Bonnie and David Heinsma (1959) (watch set ahead one hour). My next two hours were spent consolidating all the loose paraphernalia strewn around the car into three pieces of luggage for air travel. The luxury of having one’s own car would disappear the next afternoon. I would be living out of  a suitcase for 53 consecutive days. One group of items that you might not think of as bulky were the folders for each course. I had individual folders containing key correspondence, a rough draft for the book on the course, and lodging information pertaining to where I was staying near the course. Having to stuff 53 of these folders into the luggage made for a very tight fit.

For a change of pace in our food intake, dinner was at Little Szechwan.

Day 15  Play Peachtree                                                                           Fly Atlanta/Tulsa, OK

David joined us on a short drive to the sedate Peachtree Golf Club, where we were meet by host Walter Driver (1993). Peachtree (rated 75, designed by R.T. Jones and Bobby Jones 1948)(first played May 1976 and again April 1993/total 2 rounds) is a very private, low-key club. We had the course to ourselves on Sunday morning at 10 am. The foursome teed off in bright sun, no clouds, light breeze, and 70 degrees. Walter is very knowledgeable about the architecture of the course and was helpful in pointing out some of the subtleties.

Following play the golf bag was quickly packed, including a long putter with a collapsible shaft. I have played with a 52-inch Ping B90 for the past five years. However, it takes about five extra minutes to pack and about two extra minutes to unpack. In March I met a golf club inventor who assembled putters with  “Long-Lock Collapsible Shafts” that easily slip into a golf travel bag. The club does not come apart like a pool cue because that is illegal (could be turned into two clubs). The functionality of the collapsible shaft was offset by the ugly head — a hunk of aluminum with two long gull-winged runners. Needless to say, this head drew many comments such as “Does it fly?” and  “Does it play a tune?” When it comes to putting I’m not particularly proud about the implement if it gets the job done reasonably well. However, once the airplane segments of the trip had been completed, the collapsible putter was retired to a dark closet, never again to see the light of day.

From Peachtree it was a quick 36-mile trip to the busy Atlanta Airport. A sight for concerned eyes was  Bill Bennett (1973), who had kindly agreed to fly in from New Jersey and drive my car back to Springfield.

The original schedule had me flying from Atlanta to Ft. Worth, but as previously mentioned the deck had been reshuffled and we went straight to Oklahoma. This forced change had a wonderful benefit in that we were able to stay with my younger brother Doug and his lively family for the next three days. At 5 pm American Airlines took us 674 miles to Tulsa, where Doug met us (watch set back one hour). We then went to his new home and were greeted by his wife Regina, daughters Stacy and Jenny, and twins Sara and Patrick. Doug demonstrated his famed ability on the outdoor grill by producing delicious steaks.

Day 16  Open

Because Day l6 had originally been reserved for Colonial, it became our second open day; I did not want to bother the other courses on this short leg with possible changes. In addition to  laundry there was some catching up done on writing up trip notes. At 6 pm it was off to Doug’s second daughter Jenny’s softball game. She is the star pitcher for the Blazers, who play out of the Jenks Park recreational facility. Regina produced individual lawn chairs for comfortable viewing, and  the pop corn stand was found. Jenny was a major contributor to her team’s 11-to-10 victory (two runs batted in, one run scored, and, most important, five assisted putouts). A McCoy victory celebration was held at The Bistro at Seville.

Day 17  Drive Tulsa/Edmond                 Play Oak Tree                            Drive Edmond/Tulsa

At 6:10 am Doug’s high-performance BMW shot out of the garage, the radar detector was activated, and we zoomed along Interstate 44 at roughly the official speed limit of 75 mph for 116 miles. Heavy spring rains made the countryside green. The tree-lined landscape is occasionally dotted with stripper oil well rigs or cows. Oak Tree Golf Club (rated 90, designed by Dye 1976)(played one round May 1981) is a private club 20 miles north of Oklahoma City in a spacious real estate development. The friendly and efficient assistant pro Chad Barney had been most cooperative on the phone and was the same upon our arrival.

At 9 am we were a threesome on the first tee with clubs on a motorized cart and no one on the course. A picture-perfect day was evident — bright sun, dark blue sky, no clouds, and a temperature of 65 degrees (eventually reached 80). The course proved to be another battle with Pete Dye. He is famous for steep bunker faces shored up by railroad ties. These are here in abundance as well as lake edges supported by planks. Oak Tree wins the award for the use of more milled wood than any other course in the world. There is the feeling that if the course were set on fire half the hazards would disappear. To the left of the sixteenth green is a tall dead tree with a hangman’s noose dangling from a limb. By this time the course has knocked the stuffing out of you, and there is the urge to imagine the diabolical Dye swinging at the end of the rope. Following the round Chad informed us that Willie Wood, mediocre PGA Tour player, held the course record with an unbelievable 61.

After lunch at McDonald’s we headed back to Tulsa, where we put Doug on a plane. Unfortunately, duty called, and he had to be in Baltimore with the mayor at an official ground- breaking ceremony for Doug’s new building. He is senior vice president of Metris Companies, which has been his second very successful credit-card-company start-up. A very good evening meal was had at Gradys.

Prairie Dunes, Hutchinson, Kansas – courtesy of Kansas Golf

Day 18  Play Southern Hills                                                       Drive Tulsa/Hutchinson, KS

With Doug in Baltimore my companion and I drove a short but traffic-clogged distance to Southern Hills Country Club. At 8 am we were greeted by host John Baumgarner and head pro David Bryan. Several years ago my friend Tom Hassen (1970) had sent John an “O,” and John (an executive with the Williams Company) had called with an open invitation to play Southern Hills. After a few practice balls on the spacious and well-laid-out range (including a large short-game area) we were off to the first tee. The weather was again picture-perfect with bright sun, no clouds, light wind, and 65 degrees climbing to 80.

Southern Hills Country Club (rated 42, designed by Maxwell 1935)(played one round July 1977) is an active full-facility club surrounded by many houses and busy roads. The foursome in front of us was really moving, and John informed us that the normal round at Southern Hills consumes 3 ½ hours. I was fascinated by the many varieties of old trees. John said Oklahoma did not become a state until 1904 and the course has 100-year-old Indian directional trees. I was also impressed by a ground crew that was well organized, hard working, and effective.

John treated us to a hearty noon meal in the active men’s grill. Then it was back to Doug’s home to pack. Just before 7 pm we met Doug as he flew into the Tulsa airport on a private jet after his day with the Baltimore city officials. Dinner consisted of shrimp, crab meat, and smoked salmon from Doug’s plane and was enjoyed in the airport lounge. Then it was a 260- mile drive west and then north to the Ramada Inn in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Day 19  Play Prairie Dunes               Drive Hutchinson/Wichita              Fly Wichita/Denver, CO

After a  6:30 am large and cholesterol-filled buffet breakfast we drove a short way out of town in the countryside and reached the course at 7:30 am. During the planning and execution of the trip I came into contact with many hard working, efficient, and courteous head professionals. Thus I am reluctant to single out a particular person, but Prairie Dunes has one of my all-time favorite head professionals, Charlie Craig. He has been at this country club open to the public (rated 25, first nine designed by Perry Maxwell 1937 and second nine designed by Press Maxwell 1957) (first played May 1981 and again June 1993/total 2 rounds) for 29 years and had been most cooperative on my previous visits. He is quiet, sticks to the point, has a friendly smile, and does everything. On Day 19, at that early hour, Charlie was manning the shop by himself and also seeing that the motorized carts were in their appropriate places for convenient use.

At 8 am we were a threesome with our bags on pull carts. With the first tee time of the day we had the whole course open in front. However, Prairie Dunes is a very busy operation, and we had to keep moving at a fairly swift pace so as to avoid holding up the foursome directly behind. It was partly sunny, 65 degrees, with a light breeze. By the time we reached the tenth tee the sun was bright and the temperature was in the mid 70’s. On the twelfth tee there is a panoramic view of the hundreds of acres exactly as Perry Maxwell first saw this special terrain — some beautiful trees; some scrub trees; tall, wild, brown grasses; and the many unexpected sand dunes in a part of the country that is dead-flat farm land.

After golf we had an informative discussion with Charlie while he also served several customers who had a variety of needs, including a Bandaid for a hangnail. After another McDonald’s lunch we drove 50 miles to the Wichita airport for our 428-mile 4:30 pm United flight to Denver. Doug returned to Tulsa. From the Denver airport (watch set back one hour) a cab took us 30 miles to the Quality Inn South in Englewood, where we had a much-less-than-high-quality dinner.

Day 20  Play Cherry Hills        Fly Denver/Phoenix/Mexico       Drive Airport/Cabo San Lucas

At 6 am a Russian cab driver, Dmitry Kroner, took us and all our luggage from the motel to the nearby Cherry Hills Country Club (rated 62, designed by Flynn 1922)(first played July 1973 and again May 1991/total 2 rounds). We made arrangements for Dmitry to return at 11 am. At 7 am we were joined on the first tee by caddies and the head professional Clayton Cole. Cherry Hills was one of the very few courses where I had thought I had a friendly member and was surprised not to receive a response to my initial communication. Plan B was to contact Mitch Milias (1973) in Los Angeles, who then produced Cherry Hills member Bob Manning as my host. Then Bob had to be out of town, so he asked Clayton to look after us.

Cherry Hills in Denver, CO – courtesy of USGA Archives

Clayton was terrific. He is a superior player, having qualified for the Senior Open played at Cherry Hills in 1993. He had some interesting stories about playing practice rounds with Palmer and Nicklaus. Clayton was also very informative about the evolution of the design of the course.

Needless to say at 7 am we had the course to ourselves. The energetic young man on my bag was Rob the caddiemaster. The first tee is 5,361 feet above sea level, which is the highest of any world 100 course. This made me reflect on the fact that just two weeks before I  had been below sea level at the TPC at Sawgrass. From the first tee at Cherry Hills there is a spectacular panorama of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. The sun was bright, there were no clouds, the sky was a dark blue, and it was about 65 degrees. The day was so clear we could see Pikes Peak 70 miles away.

Just before 11 am Dmitry took us to the Denver airport for an America West 2:15 pm flight. In creating the original itinerary I was concerned about this tight scheduling. However, thanks to Bob Manning, Clayton, and the weather the Denver part of the trip was a breeze. After a 589-mile flight we were greeted in Phoenix by 103-degree weather. For some reason Phoenix is not on Daylight Saving Time so my watch was set back one hour. The 3½-hour layover was productive in terms of writing on the computer. The next leg was a 6:30 pm America West 721-mile flight to Mexico, and we eventually arrived at the Los Cabos airport at 9:45 pm. This was the last flight in, and my bags were the last ones off the carousel. While we were going through passport control a Mexican government official struck up a short conversation.

We were at the very southern tip of the Baja California peninsula (called Baja California Sur). After picking up a Budget car rental (35,000 hard miles on the odometer) we had a 26-mile drive in total darkness to the Los Cabos Golf Club apartments. In the research for the trip it was discovered that the starting price for a room in this rapidly growing tourist area was over $225 a person. However, I had an ace up my sleeve; Best Golf in Aliso Viejo, CA (888-817-4653), produced newly constructed accommodations for $90 a person. Before hitting the sack I set my watch ahead one hour because this part of Mexico is on Mountain Daylight Time.

TO BE CONTINUED

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

SHARE

Video #6 / Machrihanish Golf Club, Scotland

Machrihanish was established as a “full” golf course in 1879 when Old Tom Morris expanded it to eighteen holes including the famous first where you have to carry a healthy corner of the Atlantic.  If there’s a breeze be happy with five on this very unusual hole.  Otherwise, Machrihanish is one of the most natural links there is.

Read more “Video #6 / Machrihanish Golf Club, Scotland”

SHARE