[Matt_Cohn]

There is a small possibility I might get a job offer in Newport Beach. Probably not, but possible.

Is there a course within 20 or 30 miles that would be a good home course for a competitive player?

For comparison, in the Bay Area, I'd think of courses like Metropolitan (challenging layout, $60 max green fees, and lots of good players hanging around), Roddy Ranch, Shadow Lakes, Coyote Creek, and Cinnabar Hills (all well-conditioned, tournament-style layouts with good practice areas and all-you-can-play memberships from $2,000 to $5,000 per year).

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Matt, It would be good having you as a fellow O.C.'er.

Lets get together soon and I'll explain some of the possibilities for you. One course that might be affordable, and it's beautiful out in the middle of nowhere, yet probably no more then a half hour to forty minutes from Newport Beach and has a somewhat good quality of players is Western Hills.

[Mike Benham]

... good practice areas ....

Which means grass ranges ...

[Jon Spaulding]

Have them toss in a membership at Big Canyon...or turn the offer back .

In the price range you mention, you're looking at Costa Mesa or Mile Square, unless you want to spend major time in the car plus gas money. From memory, there are some decent players up at CM; they also have a nice city am every year.

The other specifications you list do not exist in OC unless you add zeroes. And then you're really getting hosed.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

As far as a practice area, Oak Creek's is bar none, the best practice facility in maybe all of Southern California, public or private. Strawberry Farms isn't bad either, in fact it's a pretty cool place to practice. As far as playing, as far as Matt's level of play, he would be better to utilize a course like Western Hills which has some length and quality players that could give him a game, and as well, the peaceful existence of Carbon Canyon. The practice facility isn't all that great there, but it would be good enough to hit balls and practice the putting.

[Matt_Cohn]

Jon,

I can only assume your suggestion about Big Canyon was made with tongue planted firmly in cheek?

Doesn't Tiger have the course record there at 61 or 62?

[Jon Spaulding]

Very deep in the cheek; I think it was a 61 in the Pac 10 tournament. He had an "honorary" membership there which was odd, considering all the fuss over a free dinner from Arnie....

[Matt_Cohn]

So that's it for courses, eh?

[Jon Spaulding]

Unfortunately yes . Welcome to golf hell, save a few places.

At least the weather is always good......so we've got that going for us, which is nice.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Arroyo Trabuco is the closest your going to get to the others. (Cinnabar, Roddy Ranch, etc.) It's a good golf course and an excellent practice facility.

[Kalen Braley]

Unfortunately yes . Welcome to golf hell, save a few places.

At least the weather is always good......so we've got that going for us, which is nice.

I heard trump has the number 1 course down there.  For the cheap green fee of $300, it can be had again and again...

[Jon Spaulding]

Arroyo Trabuco is the closest your going to get to the others. (Cinnabar, Roddy Ranch, etc.) It's a good golf course and an excellent practice facility.

AT is now $100 on the weekends....but at least your first drink is whatever you shoot. So in Matt's case he can get the party started for 65-70 cents!

[Jon Spaulding]

Unfortunately yes . Welcome to golf hell, save a few places.

At least the weather is always good......so we've got that going for us, which is nice.

I heard trump has the number 1 course down there.  For the cheap green fee of $300, it can be had again and again...

Absolutely; on top of the green fee, he would have a nice relaxing drive from Newport to LA to hit a bucket of balls.

[Pete Lavallee]

Anybody know what's going on at the old El Toro MCAS course?

[Jon Spaulding]

Anybody know what's going on at the old El Toro MCAS course?

It was closed a few months ago for "some form" of remodel, concurrent with the great park project. Have no idea who's involved other than Lennar. Here's some text from a recent article:


Extreme makeover: El Toro golf course Lennar Corp. begins plotting out the course's new layout.

Round by round the El Toro golf course is getting a makeover. The course closed the last day of 2006, but the Lennar Corp. will reopen it in fall 2008. Tom Martin, Lennar's regional vice president, recently showed off the course – mid-transformation.

In early 2007 the grass was killed and some trees marked to be removed. Now, designers have marked the new tee boxes, greens and sandtraps, trees have been boxed to be saved, and designers are working on the new clubhouse's California-ranch architecture style. The course, Martin said, will be "old-new" – meaning it will keep some of its best known features while being renovated. For example, the course's 6,850 yards can be extended for championship play. Yet, Martin said the course's tees will stay close together to keep the course "walkable," the 18th hole – despite moving – will still be a Par 4, dogleg left and many of the course's old Pepper, Ash, Pine and Eucalyptus trees will stay. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering the mirror used on the 14th hole is going, but the Eucalyptus tree everyone hit is staying.

[Tim Leahy]

Aliso Viejo is public, not far from Newport and has 27 championship holes and a great pracitice area. Afternoon rates are pretty good during the week and there seemed to be quite a few good players there when I played there.

[Tim Leahy]

Aliso Viejo is public, not far from Newport and has 27 championship holes and a great pracitice area. Afternoon rates are pretty good during the week and there seemed to be quite a few good players there when I played there.

Oops, I just checked their website and found out it is going private and reducing to 18 holes.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tim,
You and good golf course architecture still remain a paradox. Aliso Viejo? Puleeezzzze......... Just of note, AV has been playing as an 18 hole course for over two years, if not more. It was originally a Casey O'Callaghan design which unfortunately Casey was passed over for a Jackie Nicklaus II designed golf course. In fact, it may have been his credited first course.

I've heard people int hat community will be rather pleased once the entire place is razed for houses, especially after the threats of it's former owner/developer wanting to build a multi-story resort hotel in the middle of a residential development. A scheme so bizarre that no bank would fund it.

Getting away from Aliso Viejo......

The former El Toro Marine Base/The Great Park of O.C., it will feature a Todd Eckenrode-designed course that will be an ode to classic Californian golf architecture. This would simply mean that it will probably be the best course in Orange County once it is finished. (By a rather large margin)

The course will also feature a practice facility that will be on a par with Oak Creek's which should make it one of the best practice facilities, not just in O.C. but in Southern California.

[Kalen Braley]

Hey Tommy,

Is that big fire going on down south threatening any of the courses in the area?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Kalen,
Griffith Park's Roosevelt course I heard was affected by it, which is ashame. Its a blast of a little nine-holer to play.  I'm sure the two other courses have been affected also considering how close the fire was to the zoo last night, and that the animals were soon to be moved out.

A real tragic thing that fire, as Griffith Park is one of my favorite parks ever since I was a kid. It's a magnificent place. Who knows, maybe this could spur on a restoration effort for the Wilson and Harding courses which would be a good thing!

[Kalen Braley]

Thats to bad to hear about the neat little 9 holer.  Fires are only good when they take out the crappola golf courses not the good ones.  

If memory serves right, didn't Rustic have a fire go thru there?  How did all of that work out?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

We've had a couple of them. In both instances the golf course saved many houses, although the last fire, this last year, it did claim the house up o the hill above #16.

The first fire did in fact contribute to the major damage that would eventually happen once we had our major rains in 2005. Of course you probably experienced that rain too!

[Kalen Braley]

LA seems to have more than its fair share of fires in the area.  Are there many thunder storms that come thru that way, or is there just the old fashioned numbes game that millions upon millions or people in the area will generate x amount of pyros?.  

And for the record, I got most of that stuff out of my system in my boy scout days...  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Probably the later. There's enough lunatics just drooling over Paris Hilton, that the thought of fire is a reliable alternative.

[David Stamm]

Matt, San Clemente is not a bad course to call home. As Jon Spaulding can attest, it's a neat old Bell, Sr. and Jr. design. I never have a problem getting on. Tommy, you need to come down and play that course.

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