Walking in the Footjoys of the US Amateurs at The Home Course

A few weeks ago I was priviledged to play one of the best courses in the US (and possibly the world) - Chambers Bay in Washington State. If you read my review on Inside Golf Magazine, you'll probably come away with the distinct impression that I was quite taken with Chambers Bay :) But I'm not the only one...I'm in good company - the USGA has chosen it to host the 2015 US Open.

That's a big deal, especially given that Chambers Bay is a muni. Yup - a govt run golf course like the "affordable" ones we played when we were learning the game. Except...Chambers costs about $160 to play it - Ouch!!!!

Anyway, golf magazine readers like me already knew about Chambers Bay and the US Open, but did you know it is also the host of next year's US Amateur Championship? Not only that, did you know that only 1/2 hour away lies another great course that will co-host those same amateurs as they compete for the prestigious Havemeyer Cup August 23-29, 2010?

Check out The Home Course, a lovely new course south of Seattle, with panoramic views of Puget Sound, The Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier.

I was lucky to play The Home Course the day after I played Chambers Bay. And although I didn't find them all that similar in style/design (and price - The Home Course was 1/3 the price of Chambers Bay), the Home Course does have that "links" feel on a number of holes where the Sound comes into view. And yes...there is a lot of fescue.

At the beginning of our round the starter told us we could take a "free placement" in the fescue if our ball landed there (which it did - more than once). There are some rocks in that long grass and the placement rule is there to protect your clubs. I liked that rule!

I also liked the course, even if the dynamite that marked the tee boxes was a bit "telling" about some of my scores.

It is a very walkable course, but don't make the mistake of thinking this course is a cake walk. It has its challenges for sure - especially the greens. But at the same time, I didn't feel beat up either. I think The Home Course would appeal to all levels of players. Naturally, the USGA wouldn't have picked it unless it offered a serious challenge for the top US Amateurs, but even from the forward tees, there were interesting elements (hazards and such) for high handicappers to "enjoy". ;) So often you play a course where the forward tees look like they were an afterthought. But I didn't find that to be the case at The Home Course at all.

One thing I did find a little bit strange was the use of gas powered carts. Why not electric? For a new course, you would have thought they'd invest in electric (quiet and green) transportation. Hmmm...oh well. You want quiet and green? Then walk!

Also... don't be put down by the lack of facilities. What the course gives up in a fancy club house (it was under construction when we were there), they give back in quality. The course was in immaculate condition. The first cut of rough was nicer than most fairways I play. The fairways themselves rolled and meandered towards greens that would challenge even the best PGA players. Thankfully the starter gave us some very useful tips before we teed off that saved our bacon more than once.

For example on the par 4 third, whatever you do, don’t be long with your approach shot. You cannot imagine how much of a backdrop there is behind the green. Trying to come back from there is brutal because the green slopes so severly back to front.



We watched two gents behind us make this fatal mistake, landing their shots on our tee box over their green. Thank goodness they had senses of humor or we might have seen wedges fly as they tried to get up and down!

And then there's the par 4 seventh. You should drive your cart up to take a look at the green before you tee off.



You'll see that you don't really want to be any closer than about 140 yards from the pin (it's the only flat spot out there). From there it's all downhill to the water in front.

I like starters who give tips like that. It's not often I've received that kind of help. Usually starters look at me and the first thing that comes out of their mouths is where the washrooms are on the course. Haha... NOT that bathrooms aren't important, but I can usually find them when I need them. What I want to know is "local knowledge" that will help shave strokes off my game.

Now let me share some memorable holes...

The 2nd hole was lovely with the water behind the hole, a nice wide fairway and not a sound of civilization - just chirping grasshoppers and a warm breeze.

The 6th hole was beautiful to look at as well, but it eats Pro V1s. Seriously....I hit a great tee shot that unfortunately came up a bit short. My golfguy and I saw it land in the front bunker, but when I went up to hack it out, it was gone. I looked everywhere....no luck.

I even looked in the hole :). In the end, I gave up the hunt, scratched my head and watched my husband par the hole. To this day, I am convinced that my ball plugged itself into the side of the bunker and then sand rolled over it to hide it. The bunker looked like no one had touched it all day. But if I had had a shovel, that pristine sand trap would have ended up looking like "Ground under Repair".


No. 14 is a pretty par 3 with water down the right and a huge bunker on the left - lots to distract you ;). You can see that construction is already underway on a new building.

Not sure if this is the new clubhouse or not. I read that The Home Course will be the permanent home of the PNGA and WSGA, so perhaps this is an office building for them. I guess I'll find out next year when I go back.

The 17th was my favorite hole on the course. When you drive off the tee, you feel like your ball heading straight for the ocean...

And the green on 17 is a real treat - haha! NOT!!! It's sloped severely front to back, so make sure you get your ball over that ledge, or be prepared for the putt from double diamond ski slope territory! I actually got lucky on this hole and my ball trickled down close to the hole (which is why it is my favorite). Had that not happened? I might have put this under the category of beautiful but deadly. I can't wait to see where they put the pin on this hole for those Amateurs.

The Home Course is one I will definitely play again. In fact, that whole area in Washington State just south of Seattle is full of great courses I have yet to try. So I will be back next year to see the US Amateurs compete and then spend some time exploring other clubs close by.

And of course, I will also enjoy the beautiful city of Seattle, with so much to do. It's one of my favorite weekend getaways, especially when the Mariners are playing. Check out these Travel Guides and search on Seattle to discover more.

Golfgal

PS: BTW...if you are playing the 6th hole and find a Pro V1 with two "Gs" on it, play it where it lies and then tell me what I might have scored ;)

For a romantic golf getaway - Check out Alderbrook in Washington State

After two weeks vacationing with the kids this summer, my golfguy and I wanted a getaway just for ourselves - somewhere where we could golf, but also enjoy being pampered with luxury accommodations, fine dining, and a spa - all on the water, of course.

And as luck would have it, I received, out of the blue, an email promoting a resort just SW of Seattle that fit the bill for us - Alderbrook Resort and Spa.

I had never heard of Alderbrook, but the website sounded like it was made for us. And their Ultimate Golfers Escape looked like a really good deal. Starting at only $309/person you get:

- Luxury overnight accommodations
- Bottle of Wine
- $50 Dining Credit at the Restaurant at Alderbrook
- Two Rounds of Golf at the Alderbrook Golf Course
- $50 Calloway Gift Card
- One Under Armour Scramble Golf Bag (retail value $125)
- Valet Parking

Not too shabby, eh? And when we arrived there, this sign told me we'd arrived at the right place!

Haha...this was my kind of resort! And what was even better, the place is pet friendly - we saw all kinds of dogs and even some cats. Funny, I didn't see any children at all. I guess the signed worked ;)

We had a lovely 2 room suite overlooking the water. It was so quiet and peaceful. We slipped on the courtesy bathrobes and enjoyed a glass of wine while looking out at the canal. It was hard to believe we'd just been in I5 gridlock an hour before. The miles just fell off our bodies.

The restaurant/bar was buzzing - seems we hit the season opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the bar was jam packed with fans. I was surprised no one was watching the Mariners (I'm a baseball fan, not a football fan). Apparently, that was on in the kitchen. We almost asked if we could dine with the chef ;)

After a lovely meal (highly recommend the open faced ravioli), we strolled through the resort. The lobby is gorgeous with high vaulted ceilings and a rustic charm that makes you want to grab a good book and just sit by the fire and relax.

The next day we checked out the other amenities. There are tons of areas outside on the grounds to sneak away during the day and relax, or you can enjoy water sports at the end of a very long dock.

I enjoyed standing at the end of it, looking back at the resort. It was as beautiful looking from the water as it was looking at the water - A truly picturesque setting. I heard a rumour that Bill Gates owns property next door (shhh, it's supposed to be a secret). I wouldn't doubt it after seeing how beautiful the whole area is.

Now, I'm not really a lake/ocean swimmer, so I was looking for a pool, hot tub and spa. They weren't hard to find.



I saw a woman coming out of the spa as I was heading in. She looked very very relaxed. After some pretty brutal massage therapy at home to fix some golf-related issues, I was looking for something a bit gentler here. So I walked in and said to the receptionist, "I want whatever she had!" haha...

Of course golf was high on our agenda so we headed out to check out the course. It's across the street from the resort, about a 5 minute drive high up in the hills. I knew as the car climbed higher that we were about to face some ups and downs that day.

The first "up" was the clubhouse. It only just opened in the spring and it still had the "new" smell to it. I felt bad walking in with grass on my golf shoes.

The course was in very good shape - very well maintained and quite beautiful. Unfortunately we arrived when the greens were being aerated. In fact, we actually watched the maintenance guy sand the 17th hole as we were coming up on our approach shots. This happens a lot to us. Memo to Gayle - "Check aeration schedule before booking tee times!" Oh well, it just gave me lots of excuses for my putting. ;)

There are a lot of trees and houses on the course (AKA watch out for the OB stakes). The fairways are very narrow, making the front nine tricky. And the severe sloping of fairways like #4 and this one on #6 made keeping it in the short grass a challenge. But who wants an easy course, right? Ummm...me??? ;)


Our very friendly starter, Mark, told us that the back nine plays about 9-10 strokes easier. Apparently the two nines were designed by different people - sort of a Hyde/Jekyl thing going on, I'd say.

But to be fair, the course really is beautiful. There were moments when we just stood there and looked around at the towering trees. It felt almost like being in a cathedral - I swore I heard an echo.

On one hole, my golfguy was chipping up from the rough onto the green. He was quite a bit below the putting surface, and as he was doing his practice swing the sun was peeking through the tall trees behind him. The brush of the grass sprayed the dew in the air and it looked like he was bathed in a sun shower of crystals. It was quite stunning and reminded me that it was time to look around and appreciate the beauty of this course and forgot my score card for a while.

The fairways and rought are rye grass and the greens bent grass poa. And in the morning with the dew's dampness the rough was really rough. The ball had a tendency to settle down inside the grass, making escape even a problem for Houdini.

Now the 8th hole is one I won't forget. A par 5 where the women's tees are maybe 10 yards ahead of the men (not the women-friendliest of holes), this is known as the "Z" hole. You have to aim for the hill on the right and let it roll left. Then on your 2nd shot, aim left and let it roll right. This is the first hole I ever played where Army Golf was a good thing. I felt like I was playing PONG. LOL! It actually was a lot of fun.

The 10th hole was one of my favorites. A short dogleg left, it was beautiful looking forward up the fairway, but even better looking back towards the mountains.



I can only imagine how gorgeous it would be with the snow on them in the spring.

Now I mentioned there were houses on the course. And usually I hate that, but they were nestled nicely into the trees and frankly, it was like no one lived in them. It was soooo quiet. The only time I heard any signs of civilization was on #13.

I had such a hard time on that "funnel" hole. You look at it and are convinced that all balls will roll to the centre of the fairway. And...I expect they do when the rough is dry. But when it's wet, like the day we played, oh my! I had the worst uphill and downhill lies on that hole!


And when I finally made it to the green, I couldn't read it for love or money. As I dragged myself off the green,I heard a baby start to cry. It was perfect timing - someone to share my pain!

Funny how golf is. Just when you want to give it up, the gods of golf give you a birdie. I loved the 16th hole!



18 was pretty special too - a great closing hole that awards you vista views of the sound as you head to the green.



They even have a telescope at the tee to either look for golfers ahead or just check out the scenery. Cool!



At the end of our round, we watched the one of the Fedex Cup playoffs at the bar and had some lunch. The bartender was very friendly (actually all the staff were great) and I was very happy they had my post-round drink of choice - champagne splits.



Alderbrook Golf Course is one I will definitely play again - partly for revenge, I must admit. It may be a resort course, and it's not that long at only 6338 yards from the tips, but it's not easy with its elevation changes, blind shots and difficult rough. I heard rumours they are trying to make it a championship course. I expect all it needs is some length - they got the hard part down pat I'd say!

The time flew by at Alderbrook. That's what happens when you're having too much fun I guess. But it just made me want to come back again to take advantage of some of the water activities. Next time I think we'll try the cottages. They have full kitchens and the staff will even deliver groceries to your door. We love to cook, so that's right up our alley.

Alderbrook really is a hidden gem in Washington State. The only advice I can give you - try and avoid rush hour traffic on the I5 to save an hour or two and a few grey hairs on your way there. (Now...is that even possible?).

Golfgal

Private Golf Courses No Longer Off Limits

As a "public golfer" I occasionally get to play at private clubs where friends of mine have memberships, but most of the time, private country clubs and courses are off limits to me and my golfguy.

It's not that I don't love public courses. There are a ton of them that are great - just look at Chambers Bay - it's not only public - it's a muni! And let's not forget Torrey Pines.

But there are so many private golf clubs out there that I would love to play, but just can't find a way into them....until now. I just discovered Boxgroove.com.

For a nominal annual fee of only $49, Boxgroove.com offers anyone the opportunity to play at private clubs in the USA (they are working on some in Canada as well). I only heard about Boxgroove recently, but I'm already planning some golf trips in the spring where I will use it to see how "the other half" plays.

As some of you know, when I find something new I can use, I have to go to the source to find out the whole scoop. So I decided to talk to founders, McRedmond Morelli and Mike Hall, to learn more about how Boxgroove started, how it works for clubs and players, what makes it different and where it's going...

So...Tampa in January, Arizona in February (can't wait to try out Greg Nash's Bella Golf Club and Pete Dye's Red Mountain Ranch Country Club) and Palm Springs in April. Sounds like a plan for the spring.

Now what about summer...Hmmm...Looks like there will be some great WA courses to play and if I get lucky, maybe a few in Vancouver BC. Maybe I'll spend my summer vacation at home next year. That would be a treat.

So...Get to work boys! I need Vancouver's Marine Drive, Point Grey, Shaughnessy and Capilano on your site by June!

Golfgal

My Favorite Bobby Jones Golf Tips

Well, the 2009 Fedex Cup is almost over and the golf season is winding down. Where did the time go? I feel like it was just yesterday we were watching The Masters and talking about the legendary Bobby Jones, as we do every year when the azaleas are in bloom.

Well, this year, we get to remember him twice because this year the Fedex Cup ends its season at East Lake, the oldest course in Atlanta, where Bobby Jones started his golfing career at the age of 6, and ended it at the ripe old age of 28.

Mike Southern at ruthlessgolf.com thought it would be fun to have a bit of a blog-a-thon about Bobby Jones during the Tour Championship. Cool idea, don’t you think? Check out all these great posts from fellow bloggers!

Art Murphy from LifeandGolf gives us ...We Play the Ball Where It Lies, a collection of miscellaneous quips and quotes about golf and golfers from Bobby Jones.

Mike Southern at Ruthless Golf wonders Could Bobby Jones Have ‘Cut It' Against Today's Pros?, and shows us what science and Jones's own notes have to say about the debate.

Vince Spence from The One-Eye Golfer writes about An Affair to Remember - Bobby Jones and St. Andrews, as he looks at the affection of the champion golfer for the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland which started in 1921.

Greg D'Andrea at From the Rough talks about Golf's Proper Place. "Bobby Jones played competitive golf only three months of the year, always keeping in perspective the game's original intent - 'a means of obtaining recreation and enjoyment.'"

Charles Boyer from Me and Old Man Par has chosen Bobby Jones' Competitors: Many of Them Were Good, One Was Great. "It is often thought that Bobby Jones showed up and crushed his competition on the way to another victory," Charles says. "The truth is that he had many worthy competitors and one, Walter Hagen, stood above all the others as Jones' most worthy competitor."

Michael Green at Aussie Golfer tells about Searching for Bobby Jones, where a search for Bobby Jones in Australia finds remarkable similarities to modern day golf.

Jon Blackburn from The Common Golfer looks at Bobby Jones: Golf's Original Common Golfer. It's a celebration of Bobby Jones' life, and what made him unique amongst his golfing peers.

Apryl DeLancey at Women Like Sports features in her weekly Wild World of Wednesday post about how good friends Alexa Sterling and Bobby Jones continued to play golf during WWI in order to raise money for a good cause.

And Ryan Ballengee from Waggle Room sends us a vlog from East Lake about how Jones' spirit influences the club and community today.

At first, I was wondering what to write about, but it didn’t take me long to remember how much I enjoyed watching his series on TV (filmed in 1931) “How I play golf”. I have watched all 12 episodes and am still in awe of his fluid swing and uncanny ability to make golf look easy.

Now, many of his swing techniques would not be considered “proper” these days (e.g. turning his lower body too much, lifting his left foot so high, coming inside quickly on his backswing, and his unorthodox re-gripping of the last 2 fingers of his left hand on his transition from backswing to downswing), but there were some gems in his TV shows that I still remember today and try to apply to my own game. Here are just a few…

1. Forget your right hand – only think of the left. If you try and use your right hand to “help” the ball, you’ll probably hook it. Yup…happens every time! I remember Camilo Villegas saying something similar in this month’s Golf Magazine. “Keep your left wrist flat when you strike the ball.” CV says that’s his all time favorite swing tip. It’s mine too.

2. Tuck your right elbow close to the body on the downswing. This is one I have to really think about when I practice. I’m not sure why, but I have a chicken wing problem that needs constant attention. And when that wing tries to fly, Shankerella rears her ugly head.

3. Get your left hip out of the way. Although I don’t like to lift my left heel on the takeaway like Bobby did (I lose all control if I do that), I do think about smacking my heel down in my shoe to help me start my downswing with my lower body. It’s really more of a weight shift trigger for me, but it started by watching Bobby Jones’ left foot on his downswing. If I don’t do this, I tend to use my arms too much, blocking my hips and getting a big fat slice.

Two other traits of Bobby Jones’ swing I’d love to copy are his tensionless body and his balance. Those two goals are still a “work in progress” for me – especially the tension. By the 18th hole my left forearm is often in pain because, in my effort to keep it straight, I end up creating enormous tension. Bobby Jones’ left arm had a curve to it. He didn’t lock it stiff like so many of us are told to do when we first start playing. It is very hard to have a straight arm without tension. Actually it’s very hard to play golf without tension, period!

And then there is the mental tips/quips…
Bobby Jones was quoted as saying, “Some people think they are concentrating when they're merely worrying.” Boy, did he have that right! How many of us think we are focused, but really, we just have too many swing thoughts in our heads. How many of us walk up to a ball in fear? Bury my ball in the sand and my concentration will turn to worry in very short order.

He also said, “Sometimes the game of golf is just too difficult to endure with a golf club in your hands.” Haha…isn’t that the truth? Yup, even the great Robert Tyre Jones Jr. understood that as easy as he made golf look, it just isn’t. Nope…as my golfguy always says, “Life is easy – Golf is hard”. Something tells me even for the greatest golf legend of all time would probably agree with that.

Golfgal