The best home course in the world

[Tyler Kearns]

Jordan,

When I completed my round at Pasatiempo, the first tee was occupied by high school golfers preparing for a match. The pro had to tell the visiting team that the player dressed in denim jeans would need to change.  

TK

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan,

When I completed my round at Pasatiempo, the first tee was occupied by high school golfers preparing for a match. The pro had to tell the visiting team that the player dressed in denim jeans would need to change.  

TK

Last year Coach Nelson wouldnt let any of us play unless we were wearing slacks or bermuda shorts, and all shirts had to be tucked in (seriously).  At a course like Pasatiempo, I would not understand why some one would come in jeans, especially during a match.

I wonder, is Whistling Straits home to any high school??

[Ron Farris]

As a freshman my home course was in the Sand Hills of Nebra ska - Ainsworth Municipal Golf Course.  My dad was the greenkeeper and my mother ran the clubhouse.  It is not much of a golf course by the current Sand Hills' standards set by Ben and Bill near Mullen.  However, it was/is a great part of the world to learn golf - especially if you want to develop a low screaming hook for wind control and distance.  At least that was the way it was when woods were wood.

[Mark Leo]

During our last trip to Kohler, the Kohler high school kids were getting ready for a match at Blackwolf Run.  The Starter told us that, yes indeed, they do play sometimes up at Whistling Straits (about 20 minutes north of town).

[Tom Huckaby]

I find quite interesting the course we did NOT get to have as our home course in high school although you could damn near see it from the parking lot it was that close - El Caballero - I went to Crespi HS, named for Father Juan Crespi, right-hand man to Junipero Serra.

Bonus brownie point for the first one to post WHY were weren't allowed that as our home course.  Several other schools did use it for such.

We did have a pretty good deal though - home course rotated from Hansen Dam (no lie) to Woodland Hills CC to Calabasas Park CC.  We did VERY well with away matches - you name a great SoCal club, we played there.  I always envied Pacific Palisades HS - theirs was Riviera.  Luckily our coach was great at arranging away matches.

Why would a kid wear jeans at Pasa, btw?  My answer is more why not?  I'm surprised more of them didn't show up that way.  Respect for golf traditions is not a strongsuit of that many high school golfers, from my experience.  It wasn't when I was that age, isn't now.

 

[Tom Jefferson]

Tom H.

You couldn't use El Caballero because it N.L.E.!
Designed by The Captain with an assist from Bell the Senior, the club abandoned the course and moved to a new site, the new course designed by W.H. Johnson.

Tom

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom J. - good guess, but incorrect.  The course right near my HS is indeed El Caballero CC - I guess it's the new course you refer to.  But you do get brownie points anyway.

The real answer is far more cynical.

TH

[Mike Benham]

I find quite interesting the course we did NOT get to have as our home course in high school although you could damn near see it from the parking lot it was that close - El Caballero - I went to Crespi HS, named for Father Juan Crespi, right-hand man to Junipero Serra.

Bonus brownie point for the first one to post WHY were weren't allowed that as our home course.  Several other schools did use it for such.

We did have a pretty good deal though - home course rotated from Hansen Dam (no lie) to Woodland Hills CC to Calabasas Park CC.  We did VERY well with away matches - you name a great SoCal club, we played there.  I always envied Pacific Palisades HS - theirs was Riviera.  Luckily our coach was great at arranging away matches.

Why would a kid wear jeans at Pasa, btw?  My answer is more why not?  I'm surprised more of them didn't show up that way.  Respect for golf traditions is not a strongsuit of that many high school golfers, from my experience.  It wasn't when I was that age, isn't now.

 

Based on the Golden Globes last night, doesn't El Caballero mean gay cowboy?  I'm guessing the Carmelites might not like that ...

Ok, maybe not because of gay cowboys but I bet it was a religious issue ...

[Tom Huckaby]

I refuse to speculate on the Carmelites' attitudes toward cowboys of that certain persuasion - there are too many accusations and rumors these days as it is.

 

But you are very much on the right track with your last statement.

Funny how three different public schools - all farther away geographically - used it as their home course.  We also did play a few away matches there - in fact my famous (to me) conquest of the club-throwing hothead Duffy Waldorf occurred there.  But never was it allowed to be our home.  

TH

[Dan King]

Years ago Pebble Beach had a very reasonable twilight rate they didn't publicize. I used to play it fairly regularly. The twilight started at four hours prior to whatever time was official sunset.

Sometimes prior to twilight golfers they would put high school matches. Back then Pacific Grove -- a public school -- played home matches at Pebble Beach. More often than not when the kids finished their matches they would walk in from the 10th hole, or earlier if their matches ended earlier. You think given a spot on Pebble they would want to play the In holes, but they rarely did.

I even saw one match end on the 6th hole, and the kids just turned and walked in. Didn't even play out the 7th and 8th, which were sort of on the way back.

It always worked for me because then we'd have clear sailing for most of the rest of our rounds.

Dan King

Youth is wasted on the young.
 --George Bernard Shaw

[Stan Dodd]

Jordan,
I am principal at Pacific Grove High School.  Our home matches are played at Poppy Hills and PG Muni or PG Puny as my team calls it.  We play once a year at CPC and play our league schools Carmel and Stevenson at Pebble and Spy respectively.  I don't have much trouble finding someone to coach the team.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I'll let Kevin Reilly chime in for his home course in high school, I know I can't top it ...

Fortunate to have been able to call a little Tillinghast gem in SF home my last two years of high school.  I don't think they still do that...this was early, early 80's.  Most matches were 9 holes...but that's a good opening nine there!

[Tom Huckaby]

Sad to say Dan, but that doesn't surprise me one bit.  We used to do the same thing at some pretty great courses.  It was all about competition and we were spoiled rotten.

But great use of that quote!

God was it wasted on me... we did three different trips to play Pebble-Spyglass for free - even added in Cypress one time - and all I really ever thought of any of it were in terms of road trip (party central) and wins/losses/score.  It's sad to think about these days.  It's also pretty great.

 

[Ian Dalzell]

I have to admit I was spoiled for choice as a junior golfer.

High school golf at Portstewart and my University of Ulster golf team claimed Royal Portrush as it's home club.  

It was a terrible childhood!

[Tom Huckaby]

I have to admit I was spoiled for choice as a junior golfer.

High school golf at Portstewart and my University of Ulster golf team claimed Royal Portrush as it's home club.  

It was a terrible childhood!

WHOA!  We have a new winner, until someone from Philadelphia area steps up and claims Pine Valley, anyway.  That is really cool.

TH

[Tim Gavrich]

My (Westminster School's) golf team plays out of Simsbury Farms GC, a mediocre muni that is no fun at all trudging the mud in the early spring (worst drainage I've ever seen).  I really wish our A.D. and coach could figure out a way to make it so we could play out of Wintonbury Hills.  It's only a couple minutes further away from school than Simsbury Farms, and probably not-too-much more expensive.  

A couple teams in our league play at really nice courses.  Taft owns part of the land of Watertown CC, which is a nice old course, and Hotchkiss had its own course, originally done by Seth Raynor (before new construction).  Canterbury school alternates between Lake Waramaug CC, a great little nine holer in New Preston, CT, and Fazio's Bull's Bridge CC.  Salisbury plays at turn-of-the-century Sharon CC, which has some of the smallest greens I've ever seen, and is great fun.  The Berkshire School plays at Wyantenuck CC, which I've heard is quite nice.

My Pre-Calculus teacher used to coach JV golf at Robert Louis Stevenson.  He's played Pebble, Poppy Hills, and Spyglass dozens of times each.  Why he decided to come to CT is a bit of a mystery.

[Andy Troeger]

My team's home course was a 9-holer called Robin Hood Golf Course. Do I win any points for the name?

[Steve Pieracci]

I need some educating.

No High School competition in the UK?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

A friend coaches the golf team at The William Penn Charter School. They play at Huntingdon Valley. Here are some others from the area:

Chestnut Hill Academy @ Sunnybrook
Haverford School @ Merion West
Malvern Prep @ Waynesboro
Episcopal Academy @ Merion West
Germantown Academy @ Philadelphia Cricket
Archbishop Carroll @ St. Davids
St. Joseph's Prep @ Philadelphia Country
Archbishop Wood @ Five Ponds
Cheltenham @ Ashbourne

I played my high school golf @ Juniata

[Andy Scanlon]

I believe Haverford High School (different from Haverford School, which is private) also plays at Merion West (at least they did when I played against them).

Springfield HS plays at Rolling Green.

[Sean Leary]

Hopefully Kevin Reilly's team got to play the front nine, not the horrible flowus interruptus back nine....

[scott anderson]

My freshman year st Sequoia High School our home course was the goat track at Emeral Hills.

As a sophemore I trasferred to Woodside High where we split our time between Menlo C.C. and Sharon Heights.  It was always fun to be hanging out in the practice green at Sharon with John Brodie....

P.A.L. Home Tracks
Menlo Atherton/Woodside     Sharon Heights
Menlo School/Woodside        Menlo C.C.
Aragon                              Peninsula C.C.
Mills                                  Green Hills C.C.
Burlingame                         Burlingame C.C.
San Mateo

[Brian Noser]

I was also blessd with the golf courses, our home course in HS was Paradise Valley, which I belive was featured in a golf magazinze back in the day, for the worst course in the country at one point in time. the reason I was blessed was that my father was the athletic director and he scheduled many away matches. There were a number of private schools in the area that play at such courses as. Bellerive, SLCC, Meadowbrook and some oter nice private courses in the area none of real recognition. So it was not terrible.

[Glenn Spencer]

I went to Alter High School in Dayton, Ohio and we floated around between Moraine CC and NCR South. This was very nice. The kicker is that 5 years after I left a member at Moraine took over the team, if the kids won state, they were rewarded with a weekend of golf at Pine Valley. They stayed in the cottages and everything. Needless to say, they won two years in a row! Timing is everything in life gentlemen!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom, The par 58, that's the one! My understanding it was Robinson. In fact, I have told him how much I love those greens!

It's a fun course. Do you know who designed the original 9 holer?