I'm definitely bringing the sticks. Plan on playing Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, Wolf Creek in Mesquite, NV and Pebble Beach on my way to Laguna Seca.
Not sure if I'll play that WFO weekend, mostly because GF and I will be doing that weekend as a motorcycle event. Moreover, like I said, I almost don't play anymore -- I'm not kidding when I say I probably couldn't play to a 20 now -- need to take a month or two to get back into it, esp. to find a short game that is non-existent. But with Lakeridge, you picked one that really tempts me. I haven't played it in maybe 15 years, and really really enjoy that course.
What I really need to tell you, however, is about Pebble Beach. My ex and I moved there in the mid 90s and she worked in the Pebble Beach golf shop, managed the Pebble Beach Tennis Club and then worked in HR; I spent some time on the Spyglass greens crew. So, I'm giving you the skinny most people don't know.
Despite what a lot of people think, you cannot just come out and get on Pebble. Every day, there's someone sitting around the first tee HOPING someone doesn't show up so he can squeeze on as a single . . . because he could NOT get a starting time when he called ahead a couple weeks or month earlier. Maybe it's changed in the last few years, but I seriously doubt it. Here's what happens and how you do get on:
The typical pilgrim sets aside the $350 or whatever it now is in greens fees, decides he's gonna play this golf shrine, and calls way ahead to try to get a starting time. What he finds out is that they won't take a reservation that far in advance; they tell him to call 24 hours in advance. So, he dutifully sets his alarm the day before to make sure that at 6 am, he's on the phone with the Pebble Beach starters. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, no dice, nothing available, and when he persists, they tell him that he can show up early the next morning and hope someone doesn't show up so he can get on. Not only does this almost never happen, but too frequently, if it does, some VERY rich couple with the tee time doesn't want to play with rabble, and pays the additional greens fees to be able to play alone. You'll understand in a second.
The way it works is that in order to get a starting time, you MUST stay at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, or at the Inn at Spanish Bay. These are both Pebble Beach Company properties, are extremely high end, and lodging rates reflect that. If you stay there, you get to make a tee time for Pebble wayyyy in advance and you even get a nominal (maybe $50) discount off your greens fees. Even doing this, it's essential that you get your reservations well in advance (I'd suggest doing it NOW) and make sure that you make reservations to play Pebble during your stay -- at the same time you make room reservations.
The Pebble Beach Company caters to the hideously wealthy, and if you have enough money, you will get your whims addressed. Technically, Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public course (anyone CAN get on), but most don't have the money (not JUST astronomical greens fees) to do that. Pebble Beach Company also owns Spyglass Hill G.L., Spanish Bay G.L. and Old Del Monte Golf Club. All three are great courses, with Old Del Monte being their lowest end product (still a great golf course). I'd highly recommend Spyglass or Spanish Bay if you can't get on Pebble. You are, however, talking about extremely difficult golf courses that put a premium on playing smart; an attempted heroic shot by a less than scratch golfer will result in a triple or worse, even though it isn't obvious at first that the risk is what it is.
I've played Pebble 8 or 9 times (ex played it maybe 15 times), Spyglass maybe 60 times, Spanish Bay maybe 10 or 12 times and Old Del Monte maybe 25 or 30 times. You're going to drool at this explanation. Don't know if it's still this way, but it used to be that every P.B. Co. employee had, as a benefit, the right to get a foursome on each of the company's 4 courses one time per month (a total of 4 rounds per month) after revenue. ("After revenue" means after the time when they can't guarantee that you'll get in 18 holes -- varies with season, but typically means beginning sometime around 2 to 4 pm. Most of the time, I got in 18, even if the last hole or two was in the twilight, and tough to see where you'd hit it.) The reality was that most employees never got on Pebble, because the after revenue times were all booked up when you'd call in. Note that between the ex and me, we had a potential for 8 comped foursomes per month.
My ex and I quit our professions (for a while), moved there to feed our golf addiction (we knew a few people there already), and while she was an 18 -20, I was a 7 to 10 during that time. We also bought unlimited annual passes at Rancho Canada at the mouth of Carmel Valley where we played when we weren't on the P.B. Co. courses -- obviously, I played or practiced nearly every day. When she got a job at P.B. Co., she worked in the Pebble Beach golf shop -- right next to the starters -- and got to know all the starters and pros pretty well. In fact, she used to make killer chocolate brownies which became very well known at each course's pro shop. As a result, she could get us on Pebble regularly. (Whenever we got on after revenue at any of the courses, the starters had come to expect that they would get a plate of brownies, and we both made a point of always bringing them -- I mean, the rewards were wayyyyy too good.)
It used to be funny when we'd tee off at Pebble, because the whole pro shop would come out and cheer her first tee shot -- made her feel self conscious and nearly whiff it, but it was funny how all the people milling around from all over the world wondered who the hell we were. But the very best part was this: it was a real gas to be able to comp friends from all over to play Pebble (or "the glass" or "the bay") with us -- for free! I still get a grin and shiver at recalling friends go gaga when the course (Pebble) would hit the ocean at 4, and then be even more in awe as we proceeded through the truly spectacular stretch from 7 - 10. (My highlight at Pebble was a birdie on 8 the first time I played it -- a hole I will always regard as the greatest and most unique hole in golf.) I digress.
Because I was in the "golf division" when I went to work on the course at Spyglass, I also got to play almost every day after work there. (The mechanic and I were both 7 or 8 handicaps at the time, and had a game going almost every day -- he used to like to catch me on a day where I'd had a weedeater in my hands all afternoon, though, since it usually meant I was going to be leaving everything out to the right after work, while putting money in his pocket.) I've been on the course and kept my mouth shut when people came through in NCGA zone tournaments and watched them take the predictable triple bogies from stupid shots that they could have gotten away with at their home courses. The key to these courses is to play every shot to spots (flat spots) from which to make your next shot (this is why caddies are popular there), especially your approaches into the greens. It's very subtle, but you just cannot be hitting from a sidehill lie into those greens with all the trouble there is there. Trust me -- I've mowed every green at Spyglass, and know ever undulation and tendency. Pebble has small greens and they all slope toward the ocean -- more than you will think the first time.
Anyway -- enough of the stroll down memory lane. Since I moved away in '97, I've probably played golf only a dozen times or so. I never thought I could give up something I loved that much or was that addicted to, but other things got in the way. I do intend to get back into it, but my memories are of being somewhat competent, and when I've played in the last few years, it's almost painful to hack as hard as I do.
Sounds like you're going to have one fun vacation next July!
