Ron,
Firestone West was a totally unexpected surprise, just like The Outlaw at Desert Mountain.
I hadn't heard of the West course, so when I saw it while playing the South course I inquired about it, because the bunkering, greens and holes looked so different from the North and the South courses.
While the South course seems to get all the publicity as a PGA Tour stop, I was really impressed by the West.
It had everything I like about a golf course. Wide fairways, variety, large greens, great bunkering, directional changes, elevation changes and a skyline green. It was a real treat.
So, my purpose in posting was to alert those who never played it, or never heard of it, to put it on their list of courses to play.
As to playing dog tracks, I do get my share of invites to courses you might label as a dog track, but, I usually decline them.
Time is precious, and given my druthers, do I want to spend half a day playing a course I won't/don't like versus one I really like.
I met the fellow who invited me to Firestone when I was a guest at a Member-Guest last year.
He was in my foursome and we really hit it off and kept in touch, so when he invited me, and our host for last year's member-guest, I accepted.
I had a great time.
The weather held out, the company was great, the courses very good.
One of the highlights of the trip was on Friday afternoon, when we finished playing the North at 4:00.
Dinner wasn't until 7:00, so I said that I wanted to hit balls, but, one of the fellows said that we'd first have a drink on the second story porch overlooking the 9th green on the North.
I want to tell you, I haven't laughed so hard, for two hours as I did that afternoon.
As we were sitting on the porch, watching the golfers play the 9th, our host, I'll call him Bill, turned to the fellow who introduced us the previous year and said, I'll call him Roger, and said, "I'll bet you $ 1 that the guy in the fairway (80 yards) doesn't hit the green". Roger says, "you got it" I say, "I'm with Bill". The guy hits it short of the green, in the left rough, so Bill and I win. Then I say, I bet he doesn't hit the green from there (20 yards)." Roger says, "you got it." The guy then hits it over the green by about 7 yards, into some pretty heavy rough. So, I win again. Now I say to Roger, "Give me 10 to 1 odds and I'll bet you $ 1 to $ 10 that he doesn't get it on the green" Roger takes the bet. The guy goes right under his ball, moving it about 6 inches. I'm now laughing hysterically.
I say to Roger, "Give me 20 to 1 and I'll bet you another $ 1 that he doesn't hit the green on his next shot". Roger says, "you got it"
The guy then blades the ball back over the green, down the fairway. I now have tears in my eyes I'm laughing so hard, and so is Bill.
Bill has piggybacked all my bets and has the same bets with Roger. Roger can't believe that these guys are so bad and that he's getting killed.
Now remember, we've been drinking for a while and the porch is now crowded with people who are witnessing our betting.
The golfer now goes back down the fairway and I say to Roger, "do you want another bet"
He says, "No". Now the guy chips the ball onto the green 10 feet from the hole and Roger stands up and yells, "Hey, you in the blue shirt, you stink, you just cost me $ 100" We laugh hysterically.
Now, the next foursome approaches.
A guy, tacking his way down the fairway/rough, is about 60 yards from the green and I say to Roger, " $ 5 says he doesn't hit the green" Roger takes the bet. He hits his ball into the right greenside bunker. More laughter.
I say to Roger, "I'll bet you the guy doesn't hit the green from the bunker" Roger takes the bet. The guy leaves it in the bunker.
I bet Roger again, and again, and again. The guy can't get the ball out of the bunker. Bill, myself and our 4th, whom I'll call Ran, are laughing so hard we can't see. Roger is pissed beyond belief. He gets up and yells at the guy, "Go take some bunker lessons, you stink and you just cost me $ 100.
Now, the whole porch is laughing and like a contagion, everyone is betting on everyshot every golfer is hitting.
For two hours, all we do is bet, drink, snack and laugh, laugh to the point where we can't see because we have tears in our eyes.
Roger, who is very quick witted, and very smart and very pissed, as he loses bet after bet after bet, is like a stand up comedian, his comments are even making those whom he's making fun of, laugh.
After about a dozen foursomes have come through,
in the next group, a guy has a ten foot putt, to two putt.
I had bet Roger that the guy would three putt.
So Roger, who's seen other golfers putt, stands up and yells the read to him.
Bill and I immediately protest, claiming that Roger has forfeited the bet for providing outside advice.
The guy on the green hears all of our arguing.
Roger stands up and yells, "This putt is worth alot of money to me, it breaks a cup to the left and it's fast."
I yell, "Don't believe him, he's really betting against you, he's betting that you'll miss it"
Now, even his foursome is laughing.
He misses the putt, Roger yells, "you suck, where did you learn to putt ? I gave you the perfect read.
The entire porch is hysterical with laughter.
Now, we've been overserved considerably, except that I always order a very weak drink, and no matter what a golfer does, I tell Roger that he lost another bet.
Roger says, "I don't remember making that bet". I say, "That's because you've had too much to drink".
We laugh and laugh and laugh as each group goes through.
Nothing is sacred.
The way they dress, the way they swing, the results of their shots, the entire porch is hysterical.
At the same time, workman are putting up the stands/bleachers.
We tell some golfers that they should give up golf and help build the stands.
I don't think I've had so much fun, for two straight hours, and I don't think I"ve laughed that hard, for two straight hours, as I did Friday afternoon.
As we're leaving to get dressed for dinner, Roger says to me, "and you were wondering what your were going to do for the rest of the afternoon. Was this better than hitting balls or what ?"
The next day, we're playing # 9 and some guys are sitting up on the porch.
I hit a good drive and pull my approach slighly left and short, in the greenside rough on the upslope.
I play a running sand wedge to about 6 feet and make the putt.
I look up and ask the guys on the porch, "who owes me half their action ?" The guys say, "what do you mean ?" I say, "If you're not betting on the play of the golfers on this hole, you're missing out on alot of fun and entertainment, now how much is my cut for making that putt ?"
We really had a terrific time and I commented to the fellows that golf was really a great game because of the people we meet and play with. The comaraderie, the challenge, the bantering, the jokes are all part of this great game.
So, what's the point of me telling you this ?
You referenced "Dog tracks". But, the truth of the matter is that it almost doesn't matter where you play if you play with great guys.
Sure, NGLA and CPC are great golf courses, but, I've seen people play those courses and be miserable.
So, what good did it do them to play those majestic courses ? They didn't have any fun.
Given the trade off between a great course and being miserable and a dog track and having the time of your life, the dog track gets my vote. The only caveat being "slow play".
I love the challenge that golf presents, but, I also want to have fun, and you can have as much fun on a "dog track" as you can on one of the iconic golf courses. It just depends upon who you're playing with and who you are.
I've been lucky in that I've been invited to play iconic courses, but, I think that part of the reason I receive invitations is that I enjoy playing with "golfers" and they enjoy playing with me. Not people who play golf, but "golfers" I think there's something special about them and I consider myself to be one of them.