The last day of my work trip to SoCal was a golf match (picked up very politely by one of our vendors, who in turn got to ride around with us and discuss business) at the rather fabulous Pelican Hill Golf Course. Located in Newport Coast (which immediately tells SoCalians that it’s going to be tres pricey), it’s a gorgeous course to play on, some holes down overlooking the beach, many with ocean vistas.
Immaculate grounds (though it’s a bit annoying that Friday morning is when all the groundskeepers are out trimming the trees and mowing the rough) and a lovely club house. Very, very nice.
Complementary valet parking, not to mention valeting of your clubs down to the carts. There was a very tasty breakfast snack stand (hot food from the restaurant, lots of muffins and the like) down by the carts, too.
Oh, yeah, the carts. Little coolers with bottled water. GPS systems that tell you how far you are from green center (and other landmarks, like those traps, or the edge of the plateau). Very, very nice.
And when youg get back from the round, your clubs are grabbed to be cleaned and taken back up to the parking lot, and you are handed scented, cold, wet towels to wipe off your hot, sweaty neck and face and hands.
Nice.
Of course, green fees are outrageous. I don’t play places that cost more than I shoot, at least not regularly. It’s not someplace I’d go to on my own; I’m not sure I got five times as nice an experience as when I golf at my local muni course (even though I struggled mightily to get as many strokes out of the game as possible).
Final score: 125 strokes (!), about 15 balls lost (!!), and a good time.
And, boy, am I glad to be home.
Wow…a whole box of balls. Thankfully I’m down to just a sleeve (except for Arrowhead…that course is a 3 sleever).
Ordinary course (e.g., South Surburban GC), I can usually Net Zero. But when anything off the fairway is in Deep Brush, Slopes with Trees, Ravines, I’m in trouble.
Racoon Creek was the last time I went through so many (shudder).