No better sight to awake to and no better town to do it in. Santa Barbara is just one of those places.
A hint as to whether I am about to make the correct turn off East Valley Road.
I think it was Chip Gaskins who posted a pic of this sign once, and ever since I have dreamed of laying my own eyes upon it.
I arrived so early it seemed there was no one around other than me and the crew getting the course prepared.
Can you think of a place you'd rather stand and hit balls?
Gazing back up the 1st hole.
My grandparents had this cute little Silky Terrier when I was a kid. A tiny little hairy thing that just looked so gorgeous and harmless, but as soon as you bent down to pat him, he'd try to take your hand off.
For some reason I was reminded of that dog after putting off the green from five feet above the hole on the 2nd at the Valley Club, just moments after thinking "this course looks pretty sedate, might be a nice relaxing stroll today..."
When my playing partners, who've been members since the 1980s, followed suit, I remembered that even after he'd got to know you, that old dog occasionally had a nip at you. You know you're in trouble when 25-year members look at you after de-greening a putt and say "I've never seen this pin position before!". The 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 15th and 18th greens also had plenty of venom if you were above the hole to the pins we had.
Looking back along the 4th to the 3rd green - a sea of short grass to warm the cockles of the heart!
The San Ysidro Mountains loom over the course. With the sea on the other side (though only visible a couple of times), I can't think of two more beautiful features to spend the day. This is the 5th green.
The green for the short par four 6th, on which perennial club champion John Pate (Steve's brother), Fred Couples, Dr Bob Rotella and two others, playing in a five-ball, recorded an ace, an eagle and three birdies - five players playing a par four in a total of 12 strokes!
The par three 8th, benched beautifully into the hill.
The third par three is the 11th, downhill to a beatutiful green from the same hill upon which the 4th and 8th tees are located. It's a great feature of the routing and a great triumph that none of the holes are reminiscnent of the other two. Look at all that short grass, with the kick zone to the left to help you on the green.
The 12th green flows off the hill gently and is one of the few greens at The Valley Club that look more fearsome than they are. For the most part the main bite of the greens is in just how subtle the slopes are, but the ball just keeps rolling.
Unfortunately the 14th was out of play, robbing me of the chance to make 2 on all four par threes. Still an amazing view though!
The 15th green at the foot of the clubhouse.
The 16th green.
The 18th was one of my favourite holes on the course, and far from a gentle closing hole. I hit driver/5i. For a shortish course, the likes of 3, 5, 16 and 18 have some length to them, but for the most par the challenge is in approaching the greens and placing your ball correctly in relation to the pin.
I have never before seen an eat-in locker room!
Inside there is the card from Freddie's course record 59 - he opened with eight consecutive 3s and all told had 13 3s and five 4s!