Pinehurst No. 2 - Final Round of the Trip

Pinehurst No. 2
Yards: 6307, Par 72, Slope: 70.7/130
Score: 89, Putting Average: 1.94
Miles Walked: 6.6 Miles

Today was the final round of the golf trip and what a fitting way to end it by playing Pinehurst No. 2! I've been interviewing throughout my golf trip and was fortunate enough to find a great company to start my new career. I'm heading up to DC tomorrow and spending some time with family before flying back to SF on Monday. I'll be shipping my car back so I don't have to drive the long trek back to SF :)

I couldn't have asked for a better day of golf. It was one of the best golf experience I've had ever. Great course, great company, and a legendary caddie on a historic course. I arrived at the club house at 7:15am for my 8:30am tee time, just enough time to hit some balls and work on my putting before I headed out. I was paired up with Mr. Bobby Hill, caddie legend from Pinehurst. Bobby has been caddying for 54 year and knows the course like no other. He's also the only person allowed to drive a golf cart anywhere, and I mean anywhere, on the golf course. I guess if you've been here for 54 years, you've earned the right to do that. I asked Bobby who all he's caddied for and he said: President Gerald Ford, Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer on their private match play, Sam Snead, Luke Donald...the list goes on and on. Getting someone like Bobby just make this experience so much more memorable!

At the 8:30am group was myself, Mark and Janet from yesterday, and Bob, a member of the course. Knowing the course will be fairly difficult, Mark and I decided to play the middle tees so we can actually enjoy the round. The first tee was pretty nerve wracking with everyone watching and the caddies trying to figure out if you have game or not. Wham...I hook one in the left waste area. Great, I thought...I really need to calm down here. Now the course was redesigned by Coore & Crenshaw in 2010 to restore the course to it's 1907 design by Donald Ross. Instead of the rough on either side of the fairway, it was restore to waste areas with natural bunker edges and native wire grass. It was a beast to hit out of that and you have to really pick the ball clean off the ground. That made it to be a very long and interesting round. I get to my ball and Bobby hands me a club and said, hit this. Aim just to the right of the pin. All I can say is, "yes, sir." What else are you suppose to say to a legend who know this course so well?

For the next 17 holes, I did exactly what Bobby told me to do. He would look at a hole and say you are 145 yards out, hit this 6 iron. Really? 6 Iron from 145 yards? I usually hit that 165 yards. I'd go up there and hit the ball and it's on the green every time. After the 3rd hole, I just hit what ever he handed me. He was even more amazing on the green, he knew every single turn, break, and bump on the green. On putts I thought for sure it was gonna go right to left Bobby just told me to aim on the left edge on the cup and it would go in every time. The greens were rolling super fast, maybe a 11 or a 12. We landed a few balls on the green and it would just roll off. We could not even find a divot on the green. Colin, the other caddie told us that they are not punching the greens until after the US Open in 2014 so the greens are gonna get faster. Should be an interesting Open to watch...

Now it was the one liners that he said that was just priceless. I've been hitting my drives really well and he would say, "Josh, nice drive, too bad you can't putt." That was just too funny...I had to just take it and laugh because it was true. Mark would be hear Bobby's comments and be in the back rolling on the ground laughing at his remarks. We estimated Bobby had caddied over 300,000 holes at Pinehurst over his 54 year career. As Mark and I walked off the tees, we can only chuckle at experiencing the caddie legend of Pinehurst, Mr. Bobby Hill.

Here are the pics from today. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

5th Hole, rated the 2nd hardest hole in the US

9th hole, false front. the ball trickles down to the rough if it's not hit right

#15, Nicklaus calls this trying to land a ball on a VW Bug. Obviously, I rolled off.

Me and Bobby Hill

Mark and Janet

Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon

After 5 good days in Sedona, I headed up to Page, AZ to start my whitewater rafting trip of the Grand Canyon last Thursday. I hadn't anticipated the coldness of the Arizona weather this time of the year and didn't bring much warm clothes with me. After all, I had been in the desert of Palm Springs and Phoenix for about 3 weeks until this point. On my way up, I stopped by Flagstaff to get the extra equipment that I needed for the 4 day trip, including rain gear, extra electrolytes, and warmer clothes.

The company that I went with was Wilderness River Adventures and the crew gave us an orientation the night before we left on our adventure. There was a total of 12 people that came on this trip with 1/2 of the group doing a 4 day trip instead of the entire 8 day trip. This was a pretty small group since the rafts usually fit between 10-14 people each and we had 2 rafts for the 12 of us. There were 4 crew members that guided us and made sure we didn't die in the canyon. Nate was the trip leader along with Dan, Sean, and Will on the trip. These guys were all very experienced and really knew how to take care of us.

We set out from Page, AZ to our starting point at Lee's Ferry on Friday morning. We loaded up the 2 large dry bags (one for our clothes, the other for the sleeping bag, the small dry bag, and our ammo can on the raft and away we went. What happened in the next 4 days was definitely an experience of a lifetime.

After we left Lee's Ferry we hit rapids about 2 mile into the trip. Since the Colorado River in the canyon stays at a consistent 42 degrees, we were told to put on our rain gear so we wouldn't get wet. Yeah...that didn't work so well. I had bought the crappy Coleman's rain gear and it didn't do much good in keeping water out, but it did do the reverse and kept water in. Having had water travel up my pants leg the first time, I resorted to the classic "tight roll" from my high school years. I looked ridiculous but I didn't care. It helped kept the water out...well, almost.

We stopped at our first camp site at around 5pm and I picked out a flat area for the night. The group help unload all the dry bags, sleeping cots, chairs, table, cooking equipment, and "Oscar" off the boat. Who or what is "Oscar" you ask? Being out in the wilderness for a few days, people naturally need to "relieve" themselves from time to time. Oscar is the port-a-potty that went with us on the trip. The company had so affectionately named the toilet "Oscar" after a jack-ass passenger from a while back.

While we were setting up our cots and sleeping area, the crew was busy making dinner. I am still amazed by the quality of food they were able to produce on the makeshift kitchen they set up. During the trip we had grilled pork chops, steaks, chicken breasts, corn bread, au gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes, saluted veggies, dutch oven brownies, and cheesecake for dinner. Breakfast was just as impressive with homemade biscuits and cream gravy, sausages, and made to order eggs, breakfast burritos, and bagels. We definitely didn't go hungry on this trip. 

After dinner, the group would sits around and listen to stories about the canyon with beers, wine, and spirits in their cups. Once the sun goes down, people usually head to bed by around 9pm since there isn't too much else to do afterward dinner. Sleeping took some adjusting to since I hadn't camped in about 6 years. The nights got down to around 45 degrees in the canyon and I was so glad I had bought that extra pair of sweats. Waking up in the middle of the night was an adventure on its own. The place is completely dark with the sound of the rapids rushing in the background. I would looked up in the sky and see millions of stars shining back at me. I was just awe struck. It brought a sense of happiness over me to experience such untainted part of nature. I drift slowly back to sleep huddled up in my sleeping bag only to be awaken by the yelling of "Hot Coffee!" in the morning.

The group got along really well and we all helped take care of each other during the trip. There were Jim, Kathy, and Mary-Anne from Houston that went on the trip last year and returned to do the trip again. Roxy and Kim, an awesome couple from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jim & Jim, doing a father/son trip from Chicago. Peter, Peter, and Oogly from Germany doing their annual guys' trip. And Linda doing a long road trip out of Florida. I am so glad I had the chance to meet all these wonderful people that made this experience all the more enjoyable.

On the second day of the trip I didn't something stupid. After about 3 beers, I was walking on some rocks by the shore when I slipped and tore a huge gash on the heel of my left foot. Maybe I should have bought better sandals instead of the flip flops I brought on trip. I immediately went and got the first aid kit out, cleaned the wound, and bandaged the hell out of the foot. My only concern was the 10 mile hike out of the canyon on day 4 and how I was gonna survive with me limping around the camp ground. The crew was great and provided me with extra stuff to really wrap my foot for the hike and I could barely feel the pain.

After rafting down 88 mile of the Colorado River, we arrived at Phantom Ranch on day 3, the starting point of our hike out of the canyon. We set up camp for the night and the hikers (Kim, Roxy, Peter x 2, Oogly, and I) got our hiking gears ready with extra bottles of water, our clothes, electrolytes, and whatever else we wanted to take back with us. There was a pile for extra clothing that we wanted to leave behind and the rafting company would donate them for us. Knowing it was gonna be a hard climb, I started hydrating during the day and didn't drink alcohol the day before. Also ate a hearty dinner for that extra energy the next morning. Our wake up call was at 5:15am and after eating breakfast and packed our lunch, we were on our way by 6:50am.

I have never been a good hiker and this was definitely a hard one to start with. We hiked the Bright Angel Trail out to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The trail itself is 9.3 miles long with a 4380 feet or 0.83 miles ascend in elevation. We started the hike at a pretty good pace and hit the first rest area, Indian Gardens at the 4.4 mile mark in about 2 hours. I was feeling pretty good at this point. My wounded foot was feeling okay and my energy level was pretty good. I had drank about 3 liters of gatorade by this point. I kept thinking gotta keep hydrated or else I'd end up in the hospital like I did in Singapore. After the first rest area, there were 2 more rest areas, one at 3 mile mark and the other at 1.5 mile mark. Now I know why they put these rest areas at 1.5 miles apart. The climb was straight up! The hike to the 3 mile rest house was okay. Drank lots of fluids and stopped for lunch to get that extra energy boost. Starting to feel fatigued I was stopping a little bit more to rest and take pictures of the awesome view. The hike to the 1.5 mile rest house was getting harder and harder and the rest of the way I had to stop every 200 yards just to catch my breath from the exhaustion and elevation change. My legs felt dead and my neck was sore from carrying a 20 LB bag on my back the entire hike. To get some extra motivation, I got my headphones out and started listening to music on my iPhone. Once I was 1/4 mile from the end I could see the Bright Angel Lodge, the top of the canyon. My adrenaline kicked in and my legs were no longer tired and I was no longer out of breath. A flood of emotion came over me as I looked out over the canyon I just conquered. Tears of happiness. With a huge smile on my face and tears running down my cheeks I felt a sense of accomplishment and peace.  I did it. I was able to do something I didn't think I could just a few hours before. The memories of this trip, the friendships I made definitely made this a trip I will never forget.

Here are some of my favorite pictures. Hope you enjoy these!

This one is my favorite

One of the hikes during the trip

Peter, Peter, and Oogly

Roxy amd Kim

Beginning of the hike out

6 Mile Mark

8.5 mile mark

Finished!!

Indian Wells Golf Resort - Players Course

Indian Wells Golf Resort - Players Course
Yards: 6326, Par: 72, Slope: 70.6/126
Score: 91, Putting Average: 1.83
Miles Walked: 6.9
Total Miles Walked: 29.1

I wanted to end my time at Palm Springs with a course I've been hearing about for years and it has definitely lived up to my expectations. I booked a 7:10am time at Indian Wells Golf Resort and played the Players course. Since yesterday was gonna be a hot day, I wanted to get out early so I can walk the course before it got too hot. 

The Players course is the longer of the two course at Indian Wells and was designed by John Fought. There was a mixture of classic and modern feel to the golf course and it reminded me of some of the classic Dr. Alistair Mackenzie courses I've played on. The first hole was a par 5 where you have to hit ball on the left side so it can trickle down to the fairway. If you go right on the hole then you are hitting out of the hazards area. The course puts an emphasize on accuracy and provided a lot of risk/reward scenarios for the player to decide. The greens were smooth and very well manicured. Overall the course was in great condition with even better service at the resort.

After Sunday's round at Classic Club, Blue called me and invited me to play with him on Monday. We played Terra Lago and it had about a 30-40 mph wind all day. Comes to find out Blue use to give golf instruction and a playing lesson while we played! I was all over the place at first but I think after yesterday's round, I'm finally beginning to control my new swing. Not sure if it's the new swing or the new clubs (love them btw) but I'll take it. After the round Blue and his wife Kathy invite me over to their beautiful home for dinner. Thanks for being such great host!

It has been a great 10 days in Palm Springs. Played some awesome courses and met new friends during my time here. I'm heading off to Phoenix and Scottsdale today to meet up with my friend Hwan for another 9 days of golf. It'll be good to see a familiar face on this trip. More to come after my rounds this weekend with Hwan.

Enjoy the pics from Indian Wells!

First Hole at 7:10am with a huge left to right slope

The 18th Hole

Classic Club

Classic Club
Yards: 6229, Par: 72, Slope: 71.0/129
Score: 99, Putting Average: 1.83
Miles Walked: 7.1
Total Miles Walked: 22.2

Happy Easter everyone! After 2 days of not playing golf, I was itching to get out there an hit the course again. Today I played the Classic Club in Palm Desert. Classic Club is designed by Arnold Palmer and hosted the Bob Hope Classic (now the Humana Challenge) from 2006-2008. The course is managed by Troon Golf and since I purchased a National Troon Card, I thought I might as well play it to get the reward points. So glad that I did.

The past few rounds have been hit or miss with my swings and I decided to take a lesson to work out some kinks. I hooked up with Jason Smith, one of the PGA teaching Pros at the Classic Club yesterday and he worked on my swing for about 1.5 hours. Comes to find out, I've been using my hands too much with my swing and not using the big muscles (legs, hips, shoulders) to hit the ball. This caused to me casting the club at the ball and resulting in either a pull or a ballooning slice. I also have a tendency to come out of my swing and lift up and again resulting in the slice. Now I just need to remember to stay behind the ball and coil instead of having the right to left shift that I'm so accustomed to. Since Jason fixed that problem, I'm starting to hit a nice draw on the golf ball. I've been trying to do that for years....thanks Jason! If you are ever in Palm Desert, go see Jason. He'll get you fixed up.

My original tee time today was at 10:50am and since I wanted to walk the course today I got there at around 8am to see if I can get out early before it got too hot. I was lucky enough to get out at 9:10am and was paired up with 3 locals that knew the course very well. The next 4.5 hours was probably some of the most enjoyable golf company I've had in a long time. Blue, Gino, and Joe were great guys who played golf with each other on a regular basis. I have never laughed so hard at some of the jokes they told. I guess the kind of joke you told when you were in your late-teens are still funny 30 to 40 years later. Overall, it was just a good time with great company.

The course itself was in great shape. Lush fairways, challenging (but fair) holes, and smooth greens. It was a classic Palmer course with lots of fairway bunkers and water on the right. This course was different from a lot of the courses in the area since it is located North of the I-10 freeway and it had no palm trees. The course has some smaller pine trees that will grow out in the next 5-10 years and make this course a nice change from the rest of the courses in the Palm Springs area. It still amazes me that the ball will turn towards the Salton Sea on your putts even if it reads uphill. I've seen it it 2 different courses now and I'm definitely a believer.

After my round with the 3 amigos I treated myself to a nice Easter Steak dinner at Mastro's. I figures that I burned off enough calories today that I should at least treat myself to a nice Easter meal. I'm playing again with Blue, Gino, and Joe tomorrow at Terra Lago North. Will give you all an update on that course after my round.

Don't worry, I still haven't forget about reviewing my new irons. Just need a few more rounds with them. Enjoy the pics below.

Me and Jason Smith, PGA teaching pro.

18th hole

Blue, Joe, and Gino

Birdied the first hole with a 50 yard blind pitch in.

Dirty Martini with Blue Cheese Olives

Easter Dinner. Filet, Creamed Spinach, and Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese