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Nick Pozaric

  • Karma: +0/-0
My California trip
« on: February 22, 2005, 07:02:47 AM »
I just got back to town last night after 8 days in Cal. Thanks to all those who gave me advice for my trip. My first rounds of golf were last monday.  I opened up with 18 at Cypress Point followed by 18 at Spyglass.  The next day  I played San Francisco Golf Club and was rained out at the Olympic Club.  Wed. the next day  Iplayed Pebble Beach in the morning first group out and then drove up and played the Olympic Club in the afternoon.  All of the course were in fantstic shape and a incredible expereince.  if I had to rate them Cypress would be first followed by the O Club and Pebble tied for 2nd with San Fran a close theird and Spyglass a close 4th.  Cypress Point is an incredible place and I found it very difficult to hit alot of the shots because its such a beautiful place and I was just in awe of the holes and layout.  15-17 is the best 3 stretch of holes I can think of in terms of beauty and enjoyment.  Spyglass is a terrfic course as well, the first stretch of holes are great with ocean views on all of them.  The 4th green there is very wild, shallow and very wide.  The only thing I didnt like about Spyglass was the Ocean holes had so many distractions with houses and cars.  A very difficult and enjoyable golf course.  SF Golf Club I played tuesday am, the first 9 was in a downpour, thanks Zero Restriction! This place is incredible, beautiful course routing, you name it.  From what I heard the routing on the back 9 wasnt all orignal because some of the holes had to be moved to allow for the freeway many yrs ago.  I enjoyed the front 9 very much but not the back 9 as well.  The 7th hole is the duelling hole were one of the last duels was in the US, they have the guns used in the duel in the locker room, which was a step back in history as well.  Olympic Club as well as Cypress is one of my new favorite courses.  I was lucky and played it on a day when very few people were out there so I flew around.  It started off with one of the famous hot dog shaped hamburgers which is out of this world.  The golf course is awesome, the landscape, bunkers, just the feel of the place was really great.  And then there was Pebble Beach.  We were first group off and played in 4:30, one guy in our group took about 4 rolls of film and on top of that was very slow golfer.  It was an enjoybale round, 65 and sunny.  The course was so much fun, it was also fun to play the course just days after the tounry, it was in immaculate shape.  Its neat to play a course like that thats been seen on TV and video games so much.  I shot 39 on the front and slipped a couple shots on the back.  I finished the last 3 holes in even par.  the hole on 17 was back left and I had about a 15footer which I just barely missed for birdie.  I went to the Golf Antiquities shop at Pebble and that was a great place.  Drinks at the Tap Room and also drinks in the lounge at the Lodge, it doesnt get any better! :D   On the way to the Airport we stopped at In and Out Burger, good food but for those who enjoy it need to try Steak and Shake some time, it blows in and Out Burger out of the water. We also had dinner at Phils Fish house and Al Fornaio, both very good! Ill post some pics later today.  Feel free to ask any ?s

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2005, 08:10:03 AM »
Nick-

Glad to see you got a fair amount of golf in on your Nor Cal trip. With all the rain we have been having, I was worried you were going to get washed out.

DT  

Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2005, 08:33:15 AM »
Did you play Cypress Point?
Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

JakaB

Re:My California trip
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2005, 09:10:40 AM »

You played so much golf in such a short time, get back to us in 7-10 days,let it settle, especially for a first NoCal trip.  ;)

redanman,

Why...when a guy goes on a trip and only plays the best of the best what can he possibly tell us we don't already know...A trip like this is really only fun to talk about with a guy who has not been exposed to GolfClubAtlas....Kudos to Nick for bitching about the traffic and houses on the Spyglass Ocean holes....that was original.

JakaB

Re:My California trip
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2005, 09:30:09 AM »
redanman,

I spent six years in college and never attended one frat party or even a rush....My son thinks it was because all I did was sit in my room and smoke dope (I personally don't recall even wanting to go to a Rush party, it was the 70's and I don't think my kinda friends were frat boys)....he is a member of Mike Hendrens beloved Lambda Chi Alpha.   btw...my first concert was Muddy Waters way back in 78..and until it came to golf courses I never joined a damn thing in my life..

Nick Pozaric

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2005, 10:41:04 AM »
Overload is a good word for it.  Take the golf and the driving back and forth.  I totally ran out of steam on the last 3 holes of the O Club.  I did try the Double Double with onions, Im just a steak and shake guy.  I did play Cypress Point which was one of my best golf experiences ever!  I didnt go into too much detail as noted because there is so much to say and you guys know most of it already.  Another Lambda Chi Alpha guy here as well.  THe only rain I got was the front 9 at SFGC.  THe O CLub was closed tues but made it up wed.  Take away the ocean from Pebble and it would drop way down on the list, the ocean is a big reason its rated so high, being from the midwest that kind of stuff is really cool!:)

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2005, 01:54:39 PM »
Steak and Shake has NOTHING on In n Out - that's almost an offensive statement.

That's like saying hey, if you liked Riviera, you need to try the TPC at Heron Bay.

;)

THuckaby2

Re:My California trip
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2005, 01:57:44 PM »
Ryan:  thank you.  Now granted I have no idea what a Steak and Shake is, so I wasn't about to judge... but... In 'N Out is a world unto its own.

One does know have to order correctly, though.  One can only assume Nick was unaccompanied or with rookies.

The only downside of In 'N Out these days is how common they are.. they are everywhere... I dunno, it was just more fun when you had to work to find one... or travel to go back to a fave you knew about.  Oh, they are very consistent, the quality doesn't suffer due to quantity... it's just not the same "feel."

 ;D
« Last Edit: February 22, 2005, 02:00:23 PM by Tom Huckaby »

Andy Doyle

Re:My California trip
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2005, 02:00:42 PM »
My favorite when I lived in Fresno was simply called "Fat Burger."  Truth in advertising!

AD

THuckaby2

Re:My California trip
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2005, 02:02:05 PM »
Andy - those are all over SoCal.  Pretty darn good also, and yep, very aptly named.

 ;D

The other good SoCal fave is TOMMY'S.. we've waxed poetic about such in here before also.

TH

Kevin_Reilly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2005, 02:08:04 PM »
The only downside of In 'N Out these days is

...the fact that the standard burger is about 1/8 of a pound.  That's why you have to order a 2x2 or get two of them...

To bring this back on topic....Nick - looking forward to seeing your pictures...hope there were not too many rain drops on your lens!
"GOLF COURSES SHOULD BE ENJOYED RATHER THAN RATED" - Tom Watson

Nick Pozaric

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2005, 02:16:51 PM »
how do u post pics?

Jeff_Stettner

Re:My California trip
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2005, 03:57:16 PM »
No offense Nick, but In and Out closed out Steak and Shake 6 & 5.

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2005, 07:18:54 PM »
if I had to rate them Cypress would be first followed by the O Club and Pebble tied for 2nd with San Fran a close theird and Spyglass a close 4th.

 From what I heard the routing on the back 9 wasnt all orignal because some of the holes had to be moved to allow for the freeway many yrs ago.  I enjoyed the front 9 very much but not the back 9 as well.  

Olympic Club as well as Cypress is one of my new favorite courses.  I was lucky and played it on a day when very few people were out there so I flew around.  

Nick:
In terms of rating, are you talking about your experience or conditioning?

As for SFGC, the only holes that are not original are 13,14 &15.

How was the condition of Olympic?

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2005, 07:45:47 PM »
Ryan:  thank you.  Now granted I have no idea what a Steak and Shake is, so I wasn't about to judge... but... In 'N Out is a world unto its own.

One does know have to order correctly, though.  One can only assume Nick was unaccompanied or with rookies.

The only downside of In 'N Out these days is how common they are.. they are everywhere... I dunno, it was just more fun when you had to work to find one... or travel to go back to a fave you knew about.  Oh, they are very consistent, the quality doesn't suffer due to quantity... it's just not the same "feel."

 ;D

Gotta agree with that...there was something almost traditional about scrambling for a table, waiting in a huggge line, or in a long drive-thru line, all for the fresh food -

Finding a table?  Yeah the best thing would be seeing someone about to get up and running to claim the table, which would still be covered in lettuce shreds and smeared special sauce....then sending your co-diners to track down the high school kid with the goofy had and red apron with the ENORMOUS safety pin holding it up to come wipe it down for you.


It's still a Simper tradition to stop at the one in Victorville on the way to Vegas...every time, dont care what time it is or what anyone else feels like eating...


Nick Pozaric

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2005, 09:20:26 PM »
if I had to rate them Cypress would be first followed by the O Club and Pebble tied for 2nd with San Fran a close theird and Spyglass a close 4th.

 From what I heard the routing on the back 9 wasnt all orignal because some of the holes had to be moved to allow for the freeway many yrs ago.  I enjoyed the front 9 very much but not the back 9 as well.  

Olympic Club as well as Cypress is one of my new favorite courses.  I was lucky and played it on a day when very few people were out there so I flew around.  

Nick:
In terms of rating, are you talking about your experience or conditioning?

As for SFGC, the only holes that are not original are 13,14 &15.

How was the condition of Olympic?
Rating as far as experience.  All courses were in awesome shape.  After #12 at SFGC I seemed let down for some reason.  The last few holes overall just didnt do it for me for some reason, especailly when compared to the front.  Dont get me wrong, its an incredible place and I loved every second out there, this is just my opinion

Gerry B

Re:My California trip
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2005, 12:14:50 AM »
Nick:

Glad you enjoyed it -played  the same courses in December. The weather cooperated every day except for one of my 2 rounds at Pebble. The weather on the days that I played SFGC and Olympic were as good as it gets in December. 65 degrees and sunny.

Your comment re: SFGC - 3 holes on the back nine are not originals- I was told by my host that they  were a re-design d by the club pro in the 1940's. One day they might go back to the originals. I agree that the front is the better nine  -maybe one of the best 9's anywhere  -what a start! But there are some gems on the back. I was disappointed in #18  - but then again #18 at Cypress cannot touch the previous holes as well.

james soper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:My California trip
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2005, 10:56:40 AM »
i'm partial to white castle or krystal's.