It was great to have SEan Leary and Rich Choi up at Sagebrush for a couple of days and I really look forward to seeing a bunch of you on August 9 and 10. I still have some maybes and ask that those who were on the fence about attending get in touch with me asap by email.
It is very interesting to see reactions to the course from those seeing it the first time. Love it and the more times I go around the place, the more I love it. There is so much to learn about Sagebrush. Your first round is often a "wow" round and it takes a few more trips for it to sink in. But it will not disappoint!
A couple of thoughts from the few days up there this week:
- The Hideout truly is a great experience, especially for dinner. The food is great and the company with Dick, Terry, Scotty the chef and others is both informative and entertaining. Most of all however, and this is not belittling those above, were the two bald eagles sitting in the trees across the lake at the Hideout and watching one of them take a couple of "swoops" across the lake before a quick dive, barely touching the water with his talons, to scoop up a Kamloops trout. It was truly amazing and about 50 feet from 20+ of us sitting on the deck sipping beer and wine or in Rich's case, a GT (he would fit in very well at Deal!). What a spectacle.
- Sean is correct in that "The Book" is essential for first timers. There are directions on how to play the course, the most important of which are the line of attack off of the tee, which in several cases is not at all apparent.
- I hate to be so agreeable but Sean is correct in the walkability of the course. It is only those climbs from green to tee that he and Jeff mention above that would keep me from walking and I am an old f__t.
- I have said before how much I love the green complex at 9. It is truly amazing and unique and both Sean and I agreed. Back left creates the flow across a green that most of us on this site love to see. I do find plenty of greens where the ball runs out, contrary to Sean.
- I will post more later on best holes and it was interesting to see Rich and Sean playing the blacks, as I and my buddies before had stuck to the blues.
- Only one upsetting note to the trip was the logo display from Sean. A Capilano shirt the first day was okay but on the second day, knowing poor Matt Bosella was nearby, faced us with looking at a Cypress Point shirt with a Merion cap. I suspect Matt was visibly upset.
- A question to Jeff M. Why is the bunker on 14, one of the best drivable par 4s anywhere, known as the "Penguin's coffin"? Phillipe must have been living in it.
Regards and see a lot of you on August 9 and 10! More posted in the next couple of days.
Bob Jenkins