Mikey,
First off before I get to Annandale, Instead of being really defensive, simply do like many other fine and well-mannered people (Mike Cirba, John V. etc.) in this discussion group and simply say, "I apologize for what seemed liked the strong tone....."
Please try to make a difference. We just have way too much in-fighting going on here sometimes, and it certainly does ruin it for all regardless of who is right or wrong.
Now on to Annandale. The design is originally Norman MacBeth with Billy Bell coming in later (A slight misnomer on my part since BB Sr. started his career in golf here as Annandale's superintendent) and adding the famed Bell trademark bunkering that may have been only outdone at Riviera. Its a somewhat hilly course that resides just due southwest of the Rose Bowl. One of the club's favored sons up until last year after his death was Paul Runyan, who still played/practiced/taught here. So many times I wanted to go up there and talk to the man, but never afforded the time. A HUGE mistake.
Architecturally, about two or three years ago, Annandale hired Schmidt & Curley to come-in and recreate the once dramatic bunkering that existed here. It was such an over-whelming failure that they ended up saying that they were giving it a classic touch and feel. To add insult to injury, they utilized crushed white marble which made it look even worse. Supposedly the bunker sand has been toned-down dramatically since that--what-ever-you-want-to-call-it. However the depth of the bunkers makes some of them close to unrecoverable because Brian Curley thinks that is how Billy Bell intended his bunkers to be played, which of course is wrong. They were to reflect the jagged cuts and natural hollows of the Pasadena hillsides, covered in all sorts of beautiful stark ruggedness. You know, the type of stuff that doesn't look pretty because it isn't green and lush year round. Also, like most SoCal classics, mix and add about a million trees, and it will spell it all out for you. You were still supposed to be able to recover out of them. the only recovery now is when paramedics are called to the scene to revive many of the club's older member's that has exasperated themselves trying to get out of the new bunkers.
At one time, Jim Petralia was one of the better players here in SoCal. I did once meet him in passing, and I was introduced to him as one of SoCal's finest teaching professionals. You can't miss him because he looks like everyone's favorite talking equine "Mr. Ed." You know, "A horse is a horse of course of course, that's unless he is a talking horse...."
Jim lives here, behind the Orange Curtin and heads up a golf teaching institute called, Golf Performance Lab in Laguna Hills. You can reach him at 949-215-7061
Hope it all works out for you, and remember--BEING POSiTIVE IS CONTAGIOUS. (Let that be for all of us!)