The Club at Morningside – Golf luxury…pure luxury!

Spring is in the air is a term that just did not fit the best place on earth this year. In fact, it was warmer in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics than it was from March through April. Golfing was a real challenge unless you like wearing 10 layers of clothing and fur-lined golf gloves. Being a golf addict, I tried to play, but ended up looking like the Pillsbury Dough boy!

So after a few pathetic attempts at playing the links, I decided it was time to strip down and head down to hotter climates. My golfguy and I flew to Palm Desert at the end of April to enjoy some heat and work on our games. We played golf every day and really enjoyed some great courses, like the Classic Club and even the “50 mph wind tunnel”, AKA Desert Dunes.

But our “come back tomorrow” course had to be The Club at Morningside in Rancho Mirage.

Morningside is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course that opened in 1981. It was the first course Jack designed in the desert cities of Southern California. He designed it the same year he won the US Open and PGA Championship – 1980 – the year “Jack was back” at 40 years of age. That man can really multitask!

Anyway, the 155 acre course is stunningly beautiful and immaculately maintained, offering gorgeous views of Mt. Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto. 20 acres of lakes come into play on 14 holes (I can attest to a few of those).

They have one of the most extensive practice areas I have ever seen. I could have stayed there all day and been perfectly happy. They offer two practice putting greens, a practice pitching area with target greens, practice fairway bunkers, and some of the most breathtaking views in all of Southern California. What more could you ask for?

The fairways are raised and undulating and many of the greens are tiered; yes, there are even some Jack-style “double greens” that can play havoc with your sky caddie at times. The first time I played, I used the wrong club twice because of wrong yardages on that blasted device! But… those 3-putts aside, I really liked the bent grass greens. They rolled true even though they’d been punched a week earlier.

But the thing that stands out in The Bear’s masterpiece is the landscaping. I read that each fall they plant 250,000 individual flowers on the golf course. No wonder Ken Venturi, Lee Trevino and Amy Alcott used Morningside as backdrops for some of their television and magazine ads. 

Here are some of my most memorable holes (yardages from the white tees)…


3rd Hole – 144 yard par 3


Besides the gorgeous landscaping around the tee boxes on this hole, I loved the confidence I felt over my tee shot as I looked at the green. Have you ever stood at a hole and just knew you would going to hit a good shot? It’s rare for me to feel that confident on a tee box, but with this hole, I felt a sense of calm, even with the water looming in front.

8th Hole – 462 yard par 5

Now here’s a hole I can’t wait to play again. I have a love/hate relationship with it. The #1 handicap hole for women (7 for men), it’s a dogleg left with water all down the left side and a narrow landing area. If you make it on the fairway safely and not ended up in the trees on the right, you feel like you’re okay. But, don’t get cocky. You may be patting yourself on the back after your 2nd shot, but pay special attention o n your 3rd. Although it’s beautiful as you approach the green, there is trouble all around. Don`t you just love a challenge!

Between the 10th and 11th Holes

Okay, so this isn’t a favorite hole in the traditional sense, it’s the view between the 10th and 11th holes. But just look at this…is this gorgeous or what!

12th Hole – 155 yard par 3

Another beautiful hole, this one looks daunting with all the water and tons of sand all around the green, but it’s not bad if you follow one rule – take more club than you think. Par felt good the second day after I made the mistake of not taking enough club on day one.

It’s one of Jack’s double greens, so there’s more room up on the putting surface than you think. 

18th Hole – 518 yard par 5

This is a very long hole for a high handicapper. But it is a really beautiful closer. There is water all down the right hand side, but the fairway is pretty generous so you shouldn’t have too many problems with that if you keep to the left the whole way to the green. But even with that, the approach can be intimidating. I chose to lay up on my 3rd shot because I was not going to try and reach the green with water and bunkers everywhere. The green is quite generous (it’s the other half of the 12th green), so if you play it safe, come in from the left and take a bit more club, you should be okay. 

The Club at Morningside is a private club, so it's not that easy to get a tee time.  But if you can wangle a way onto this Nicklaus masterpiece (maybe through your club pro), I strongly suggest you bring your camera. Because, even if you’re having a bad day with your swing, just look around and enjoy the beauty – this course gives you one Kodak moment after another to take away any of any pain the course dishes out.


The Club at Morningside wouldn’t pass the “official women-friendly test” from Golf For Women Magazine because the yardage from forward tees is about 240 yards longer than GFW would like to see. But I played it twice and the yardage wasn’t an issue and there were no long carries over water or waste areas. And in terms of amenities, their on-course bathrooms make most golf course washrooms look like outhouses. I’ve never seen such an elaborate bathroom on a golf course in my life. 

Jack designed The Club at Morningside specifically for “country club members”, including spouses and guests of any handicap, making a round of golf fun, but still a real test for players of all skill levels.


In my books, this is golfing luxury….pure luxury!


Golfgal

Peggy Ference is making golf history and playing in the US Open Challenge at Pebble Beach!!!

WOOHOO!!!!

We did it!  We banded together, blogged and facebooked and twittered about it.  We voted religiously every day in April and our votes resulted in Peggy Ference winning the US Open Challenge Contest.  Check out the story in Golf Digest.

I am so excited for her.  Now everyone of us golfgals can live a bit vicariously through her as she  tries to do what no one has done before - break 100 at the US Open Challenge.

Congratulations Peggy!  We are so proud of you!  You go girl!!!!

Golfgal
 

Greg Norman and Sandals host 11 talented women golfers looking for their Big Break

Well, the wait is over for all of us Big Break fans.  Big Break Sandals has finally been announced.  And it's promising to be the most entertaining Big Break since the ladies battled it out in Maui in 2008.

Check out this line up of chicks with sticks...

From left to right:  Maiya Tanaka, Sara Brown, Elena Robles, Ryann O’Toole, Lili Alvarez, Taryn Durham, Carling Coffing, Seema Sadekar, Kelly Sheehan, Chris Brady, Stacey Bieber.  

I know only one of these ladies personally and can't wait to see how she does - Sara "No H" Brown.

Sara Brown (24, Tucson, Ariz.) – After a successful collegiate career at Michigan State University and a stellar rookie season on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Brown endured a “sophomore slump” in 2009, to the point where her usual smile turned to frustration, nearly causing her to quit the game.  Refreshed and energized after a winter hiatus, Brown has her eyes set on winning Big Break Sandals Resorts.

I interviewed Sara last spring and was immediately drawn to her bubbly personality and fabulous sense of humor.  I finally got to meet her in person and see her golfing talents when she competed in our CN Women's  golf event last spring in Vancouver.

Sara was very impressive ending up in a tie for 3rd place, 1 back from Courtney Erdman of Big Break Ka'anapali.   I am excited for Sara that she's been given this opportunity to break into the big leagues.  I think she can do it and can't wait to watch her every week get 1 step closer to her Big Break.

Another golfgal that really interests me is a fellow Canadian - Stacey Bieber.

Stacey Bieber (25, Fort Worth, Texas) – Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Bieber nearly quit golf after college to pursue a professional career in investment banking.  Realizing she could not give up her dream of one day competing on the LPGA Tour, she re-dedicated herself to the game.  Her goal is to be on the LPGA Tour in 2011.

Canadian's have been pretty successful in Big Breaks before.  Let's not forget Derek Gillespie won Big Break PEI in 2009 and Christina Lecuyer was in the final four on Big Break Ka'anapali.  I'll always have a soft spot for Christina -- she was the first Big Breaker I ever interviewed and kicked off my weekly interviews on that show and every Big Break since.

I hope to get a chance to talk to Stacey during the series and get to know her better.  She's got good roots growing up in the city that will host this year's Canadian Women's Open.  And she going to have a bunch of passionate Canuck golfers, including me, cheering her on, all the way to the LPGA.

Here are the rest of the ladies...

Lili Alvarez (26, El Paso, Texas) – One of Mexico’s elite amateur golfers who grew up competing alongside Lorena Ochoa, Alvarez’s fun loving personality is infectious on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.  A student at Tulane University in New Orleans who endured the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Alvarez learned to appreciate life to the fullest.

Chris Brady (25, Charlotte, N.C.) – The lone contestant who had exempt status on the LPGA Tour (2008), Brady hung up her golf clubs when her game and the economy took a downturn in 2009 to pursue an engineering career.  Big Break Sandals Resorts will be her test to see if she has the competitive fire and passion to resume her golf career and attempt to return to the LPGA Tour.

Carling Coffing (24, Middletown, Ohio) – A sweet, Midwestern young lady on the surface, Coffing is a tough competitor who has overcome enormous odds to achieve her dream to be a professional golfer.  Coffing was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 5, and after years of giving herself dozens of shots every day, she switched to a diabetic insulin pump in 2008, which is connected to her 24 hours a day.  Coffing now competes full-time on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.

Taryn Durham (24, Glasgow, Ky.) – The quintessential All-American sweetheart, Durham has the looks, the southern charm and southern accent.  While Durham’s resume stacks up with her fellow competitors, she has an edge over her fellow competitors in that she is the only contestant who has competed in a Major Championship (2007 U.S. Women’s Open).

Ryann O’Toole (23, Los Angeles, Calif.) – The youngest competitor on Big Break Sandals Resorts, O’Toole’s mission is to dominate women’s golf.  A recent graduate from UCLA – she was a teammate of fellow contestant Maiya Tanaka – O’Toole also is one of the longest hitters in the field, averaging more than 260 yards per drive in tournaments she has played in 2010.

Elena Robles (26, Redondo Beach, Calif.) – A fierce competitor who works numerous odd jobs to make ends meet (substitute teaching, modeling and serving as an extra in television and film), Robles has a history of having a fiery temper on the course.  After finding faith and re-dedicating herself to golf in 2009, Robles believes her goal to compete on the LPGA Tour is within reach.

Seema Sadekar (24, Las Vegas, Nev.) – One of the most fashionable players on the women’s golf circuit – she has a custom-made golf bag covered in faux diamonds and wears stylish golf attire – Sadekar always manages to be noticed wherever she goes.  In addition to competing full-time on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Sadekar is heavily involved with her older sister’s golf events company, and also is co-founder of a golf marketing and apparel company.

Kelly Sheehan (32, Orlando, Fla.) – The lone contestant who has not competed full-time on the professional circuit, Sheehan plans to channel her 10 years of experience as a certified PGA of America and LPGA teaching professional to overcome the various challenges facing her on Big Break Sandals Resorts.

Maiya Tanaka (24, San Diego, Calif.) – A success story from The First Tee Program, Tanaka currently lives out of her car and competes on four professional golf tours (Golden State, California Players, Cactus and the Duramed FUTURES Tours).  Tanaka and fellow Big Break contestant Ryann O’Toole were teammates at UCLA and are longtime friends.

Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club at Sandals Emerald Bay will host this series and designer Greg Norman is expected to make an appearance on the show.  Lucky ladies!

I'm also pretty happy that Tom Abbott will make his Big Break debut as host, joining co-host Stephanie Sparks.  I think they'll make a great team.


So, the question is...who should I interview each week?  Hmmm....Sara and Stacey are obviously high on my list, but I really don't know the others well enough to choose. Who do you think would add some spice to the weekly episodes and interviews? But not too much spice - I really would rather not have a return of the drama of Big Break Ka'anapali.  THAT was over the top! ;)



Golfgal