Diesel in Bloom: Jeremy's Jibberish

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Jeremy's Jibberish

Golf Weekend

So let me start by saying I have the best wife ever...and yes, I said that hoping she would let me do a golf trip again at some point. I think she is really hating how much I love golf, jealousy. If she thought about it a little, she could really take advantage of this obsession. How much would I sacrifice for a new Taylormade driver or a new set of irons? I am fully aware that this blog audience will find this post boring at best, so please just let your husbands read it. If that sounds sexist, that's because it is. In my opinion, few females truly understand the mystique and reverence of the game of golf. Anyway, back to the golf weekend. So my dad invited me to go with him to a partnership meeting for a course he owns in Livermore, and so I invited a couple of my buddies to come along as well. Golf is meant for a foursome, so I figured we were two short. Well, once we figured out we had the right number, a two day trip would just not work, so we went for the four day trip. I've always been a huge fan of symmetry. During our planning stages, one of my dad's partners invited us to play Cypress Point, probably one of the most exclusive clubs in the world...special thanks to Phil. So we set up the itinerary; Half Moon Bay - Saturday, Cypress Point - Sunday (Bad, I know, but seriously Cypress Point), Wente Vinyards - Monday, and Pasatiempo - Tuesday. So for you non-golfers, Alister MacKenzie designed Cypress Point and Pasatiempo in the 1920's, and they are still considered some of the greatest golf designs ever done. Pics will show below. Our warm up round at Half Moon Bay was a little cold and foggy, but the Kemp boys still took $50 off of our unfortunate companions. Sunday at Cypress was epic. The clubhouse and locker room are not what you would expect, they seem old and run down, but have a unique ambiance of a nostalgic past. We ate lunch in the dining room, best halibut I've ever eaten, then teed off. The first tee shot is over 17 mile drive, the famous road in the golf area of Monterey. Since Wes won't be reading this, I don't feel bad saying that he shanked two balls off the tee because he was so nervous. The nerves calmed after about two holes, and the day was perfect. At Cypress you walk, no carts unless you just had a hip replaced, and you take caddies. It is exactly how golf was meant to be played. I would totally become a caddie, but Cassie would steal all my tips. Holes 12-18 have to be the greatest walk in golf. The greens were wicked fast, but the caddies helped with every read. Absolutely epic. Monday we played in Livermore at The Course at the Wente Vinyards. A fabulous Greg Norman design, with every hole original and unique. I am a bit partial, since Big Earl still owns part of the course, but it is an amazing track. Tuesday was Pasatiempo. Pasatiempo was probably Alister MacKenzie's favorite design, with his favorite hole, #16. He said it is the perfect two shot par four, and it won Wes and me $30, so I agree with him.

Hole #16 at Cypress Point - 220 yard carry over water onto a peninsula - Lucky par for me.

#15 - Par 3 at Cypress Point, also over water...yes Dad, I know you birdied.

#5 at Cypress Point, Par 5. Alister MacKenzie learned about hiding bunkers from the wars he fought in for Britain. Notice how the bunkers are totally hidden after you reach the green in the next picture...amazing.

Wes on #13 at Pasatiempo.

#12 at Pasatiempo.

Big "E" on #11 at Pasatiempo.

Me, Big "E", Chris, and Wes on the tee box of #10 at Pasatiempo. It was probably the greatest back 9 design ever done. Each hole was incredible. Look closely at Wes' heels...tippy toes? That angry little elf just gave himself 2".