Seattle
Last Seen: July 23, 2008
I'm very excited to check out Chambers Bay, a new links course that opened in 2007 in Tacoma, Washington. So far, there has been a lot of hype: Best New Course in 2007, Home of 2015 US Open and 2010 Amateur Open. Wow- all that and it JUST opened. www.chambersbaygolf.com
It should be pretty sweet, the pictures look sweet and it is along the water. It looks similar to Bandon Dunes in the pictures. I'll be very excited if is half as beautiful as Bandon.
I'm looking forward to watching the final rounds of the Masters this weekend. I've got a bet going with my husband. I took Phil, Ogilvy, Vijay, Furyk, and Els. He has Tiger. I should've probably taken the whole field vs. Tiger.
The rain has slowed, so we're back out on the courses! I've actually just returned from my second round this week and it is good to be back. I played two fantastic courses, The Golf Club at Newcastle -China Creek http://www.newcastlegolf.com/ and Trophy Lake in Bremerton, Washington http://www.trophylakegolfclub.com/. Newcastle was freezing cold yesterday. It was about 41 degrees but it felt like it was 35. No sun, but fortunately no rain. The hardcore golfers seemed to be out because everyone was playing fast and our round took less than 4 hours. Newcastle has incredible views of Seattle and the eastside. I'm not a huge fan of the course generally though. It is poorly marked and it is so narrow that you walk up to the tee box and you can see a few different flags and it is not obvious which way you are supposed to aim. Also, players are right on top of each other because of the narrow fairways. You have to watch out for players' errant shots. If a player does not hit it in the fairway of their particular hole, it is in the fairway of another hole, or you could hit one of the several houses that line the course. The houses all look exactly alike ...suburbia at its best. My final gripe with Newcastle is that it is expensive and they don't even have the computer screens on the cart to show you the hole and/or distances. But, the views are fantastic.
Trophy Lake, on the other hand, is sweet. It is an hour drive from Seattle. Beautiful course with several different lakes. If you wanted to, you could also bring a fly rod and fish in the rainbow trout stocked lakes.
During the winter, I took a trip to Hawaii and played a round at Plantation in Kapalua. Also, we went to Fiji and played a cute little par 3 course on Taveuni Island.
My first round back I shot a 92 at Trophy Lake, which was formidable, considering I haven't been playing at all. I beat my husband in a skins game in the process. He's got a 4 handicap and we are very competitive so it's great to beat him :-)
I returned from Florida approximately 3 weeks ago and it feels like forever since I've played golf. It is awfully cold here in Seattle and I'm not sure I have it in me to go hit the links on the weekend when I could be watching football in the comfort of my home. This just means that it is time for me to put together another golf trip to a warmer climate. It has been an amazing summer: Bandon, TPC Snowqualmie, Pebble, Semiahmoo, Newcastle...Florida was also terrific. 80 degrees, sunny and beautiful courses and good golfers everywhere.
It is going to be tough to plan a trip with courses that are on par with what I've becomed acustomed. That's the beauty of golf though, it is always nice to try new courses, play with new golfers and take in the scenery of a new destination. I'm considering a trip to hawaii in January but my game will be awful by then...I just might have to take a weekend trip to Palm Springs or something this fall. Any ideas?
Tonight we're heading to Naples, Florida, home to several famous and beautiful golf course, america's worst drivers, and my parents! I'm excited to play golf with my parents since it has been a while and my game has improved considerably. My mother is a two-time club champion at her home course so it is very fun to play with her and watch her terrorize the men and take their money.
It's crazy to play courses in southwest florida because there is so much scenic wildlife along the course, including alligators in the bushes and in the waterholes. You have to take a club with you at all times, especially if you hit your ball into a group of trees or bushes, because there is always something in the bush (birds, snakes, alligators, varmit), VERY different than the northwest golf experience.
I am looking forward to some 80 degree weather, dinner at 5:30 p.m. and bedtime at 9:00. It is very relaxing to hang with the parents...
Pebble was GREAT. I've uploaded some pics so you can see some of the course. The water/view holes are amazing, BUT, I hate to say this but I liked Bandon Dunes better. Pebble is not in the best condition, the greens were recently punched and so they were a little bumpy. Also, it was SLOW. Our round took 5 hours and 10 mins and I don't like playing that slowly. I walked the course and carried by own bag so that I could get the full experience, but it was painfully slow.
The holes along the water are amazing and beautiful, but I'm not so sure that I would play it again. I'm very glad that I went there and played it once, but I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon, especially since it costs almost $500/round. I also found out that they don't really let the caddies play the course very often so that they can book more "paying" rounds and that really bothered me. I was so nervous to tee off on #1, but the truth is, it is just a golf course. The first three holes were so underwhelming that I wish I would've played better and focused on my game rather than being intimidated by "Pebble." Overall, so glad I did it, but it didn't exactly meet my expectations as the #1 course in America.
Yes, it is true. I'm going to the golf holy land in 9 days and I can hardly wait. I'm very nervous; it is a mixture of exhilaration/terror, but in a good way! ;)
I just want to play well and have fun and not worry too much if I hit a few bad shots. So much golf history there and what a beautiful location. I'm sure it will be a very memorable experience, no matter how I play.
Let me know if you have played Pebble, I want to hear about it!
Just returned from a exhilarating trip to Bandon Dunes! Pacific Dunes is probably the most beautiful course I have ever played. The rugged coastline and the rolling terrain make this course stunning and tough! It is easy to get distracted by the beauty. Jeffrey and I were paired with a very friendly father and son duo from N. Carolina. As the only woman, as usual, I was determined to get off to a good, solid start and I did! I hit every tee shot perfectly- cranked them straight down the center of the fairway and out drove the men every time (they were playing the green tees and I played orange). My game was on and after 9, I was 9 over- having a decent round considering it was a tough course that I had never played. On the turn, I was patting myself on the back and thought that I was too good for Pacific Dunes! What a mistake! It seemed like I was aiming for the bunkers or something. I went in the bunkers on 6 of the back 9.
Beware of the 9 foot bunkers. The bunkers are treacherous. They are like an abyss and I couldn't get out of them! I quickly racked up several shots and before I knew it, I was finishing the round at a big fat 100! Yowza!
