THURSDAY, JANUARY 26
Another slightly overcast morning that quickly gave way to sunny skies and warming temperatures. We couldn't have asked for a better day for CPC, though *any* day in that sacred setting would be perfect.
What a beautiful set of par three's, beginning with this at the 3rd. The club itself has done extensive work to restore their bunkers in recent years, and it shows.
You can't help but feel at least a little like you're in Augusta when you climb the dogleg-left, par five 5th - the first of two great shortish back-to-back par fives. This green is at the very top of the course if I'm not mistaken, and the furthest away from the ocean.
Anna at the tee of the semi-blind 8th, a sharp dogleg-right clinging to the side of the dunes. That's our caddie, Louie McIntyre, who was extremely helpful and fun and made the day that much more unforgettable.
A look around the dogleg toward the green - at this point you're back in view of the ocean. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize how much I'd forgotten about the back nine as we made our way through the pines and dunes on the front. I wondered beforehand how difficult it would be to keep my mind on the hole we were on rather than let it stray too far ahead to the famous shoreline finish. All I'd heard before our visit to CPC was pretty much focused on the back nine, but I could play nothing but the front nine here over and over for the rest of my life and be plenty happy.
This was taken from the same spot as the previous photo, but in nearly the complete opposite direction, at the 9th green. I was educated immediately on the strategic options and risks that came with overly aggressive play there.
Anna and I on the tee at the 9th, with the ocean and the beautifully restored bunkers of the 13th behind us.
The group standing on the tee of the 14th really brings out the grand scale of the greenside bunkers at the 13th. With the wind usually coming out of the right and into your face, it's extremely tempting to throw your approach out over the less-menacing bunkers to the right and hope that the wind takes it back. As I would discover, that sometimes doesn't work.
The tee at the 14th, and the beginning of the oceanside finish. The tree pictured in my previous post is in the right side of the fairway here. But, as Anna would find out...
...the tree on the left side of the fairway is equally beautiful and challenging.
Walking along the left side of the par three 15th, one of the most beautiful settings on earth.
With all the scenery to take in, the 15th can quietly wreak havoc on your score. This shot of Anna chipping onto the green reveals just how narrow that front finger is.
This one's going on the wall.
Anna's 3rd. Her tee shot went onto the 17th fairway and left our caddie, who had 29 years of experience at the club, at a loss for a yardage. It was surprising to me just how loud the ocean is, and this was on a fairly calm day.
And when there is a lull in the sound of waves crashing on the rocks, these guys more than make up for it.
Anna's tee shot on the 17th. We were advised to play left of the famous giant Cypress in the middle of the fairway, but we both missed our shots directly behind it, which left some serious decision-making.
The 18th, which, after all the negative things I'd heard about it in the past, was a pleasant surprise to me. I've played far worse holes, and although this one fails to match the grandeur of its preceding few, it is a solid test of ball-striking and demands you get your head back into the game and away from the majestic scenery around you.
I took this photo a few days later. Our caddie explained to us that MacKenzie had at one point wanted to use this rocky island as the back tee for the 18th, with a suspension bridge connecting it to the rest of the course. I'm not sure what the rest of the story is, but it was the first I'd heard of it.
Olympic Club is next...