Pebble Beach was a Dream Come True

Pictures will follow as we just got back last night at nine o'clock and I didn't feel like sitting at a computer downloading pictures when I was already exhausted. Greg Wanee and Bob Hand did a great job of taking pictures on the course and as soon as I get their pictures on disk or e-mailed to me, I'll add those as well. My initial thoughts on returning from the three day extravaganza is that every golfer should be able to experience the thrill and awe inspiring aura that is Pebble Beach. The vistas and smell and sound of the ocean crashing just feet away from the world class golf course that you are playing on is hard to explain. The course itself is so immaculately maintained and so lush and so well tended that it is hard to find a bad lie in the fairways. On top of that, the service and attention to detail that the staff give you is incredible. We were truly treated like royalty from the check-in at the Spanish Bay resort to the experience at Pebble Beach and at the Spanish Bay golf courses.

The weather was mostly ideal, with a mixture of sun and clouds and temperatures in the mid to upper sixties. Monday dawned overcast and misty with fog along the coastline and a definite chill in the air. We didn't tee off at Pebble until 10:30, so the fog actually burned off before we teed off. I eschewed shorts that day for long pants and a wind jacket. We all met for breakfast at Roy's, the restaurant at Spanish Bay. Boyd was a little late to breakfast and looked pretty solemn when he came in. He told us that his 87 year-old mother had passed away overnight. She was a pioneer woman and never understood Boyd's passion for golf (to her it was time wasted) and there he was in Pebble Beach playing golf. That was definitely a bit of a downer way to start our trip, but Boyd was prepared for her death as she had recently taken a turn for the worse and they had moved her into a critical care facility.

We were over to Pebble by nine fifteen and they shuttled us over to the driving range where we hit balls and did some chipping and putting. It was fun to be putting on the big practice green as tourists wandered around and pointed at the golfers. The weather held for the front nine, but got windy on the back and I struggled to a 46+44=90 round. I wanted to break 90 so bad, but finished double-bogey, double-bogey with the wind blowing off the ocean at 30-40 MPH. It was hard to even stand up, much less hit a golf ball and it was a disappointing finish. I was primed for an 88 and a back nine of 42 with just two bogeys to finish, but alas...

I did manage to par the famous number 7 par three green which hangs over the ocean on three sides and is always a tough test at the AT&T championship. My experience from the gold tees at Pebble makes Tiger's 19 under par score in the US Open at Pebble that much more fantastic. The trip was definitely a dream come true and every golfer should experience standing on the tee at number seven on Pebble with the wind blowing in off the ocean, the waves crashing on the rocks below and hitting to that tiny green 107 yards away and praying you land on the green. I did and just missed my birdie putt leaving the ball on the cup. I went into the shops at Pebble and bought a picture of number 7 taken from an aerial view and it hangs in my office across from my desk to remind me that I lived my dream.

Tuesday dawned sunny and bright with a bright blue sky, a high sun and not a breath of wind in the air. It was the kind of day that you dream of in Pebble Beach and if I could have had my way, I would have flip flopped the days and had the better weather for Pebble Beach. We played Spanish Bay in ideal conditions and I shot a 39+44 = 83 and even birdied the opening par five hole for grins. The course is set up as a 35 front nine and a 37 back nine. The course is a links style course with large undulating greens whereas Pebble has postage stamp sized greens with little elevation change. Every night at 5:45 PM the bagpiper walks out of the clubhouse and stands on the number one tee box and plays several cat screeching songs and then walks to the Spanish Bay Inn lodge where he plays at the fire pits out side the lodge for another half hour. Boyd and I met on the putting green at Spanish Bay on Sunday night and we listened to the bagpiper on the adjacent green as we practiced putting. It was a fantastic way to spend an Easter Sunday night.

Darla had a good trip as well with several shopping forays into Carmel with her friend, Debbie Hand. Sunday night we went to dinner with Bob and Debbie to the Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel for New York steak and Prime Rib. We all met on Monday night for dinner and went to, of all things, a Chinese restaurant for fried rice, four entrees, pot stickers and soup. Boyd's wife, Jo, did not join us as she had been on the phone all day making funeral arrangements and was exhausted.

Darla and I drove back through Walnut Creek and had dinner with Jennifer and John. They have a great apartment and live close to restaurants and shopping. Jennifer served hors de ouevres and we sat and visited for an hour. Jennifer's cats are very skittish about interlopers (which we were) and both hid the whole time we were there. Jennifer couldn't find the bigger cat and was afraid she had snuck out of the apartment. We were looking for her in the courtyard when John came out and told us he'd found her. Somehow she had clawed her way into the arm of the sofa from below and was hiding out in the furniture. We walked down to an eclectic little restaurant called Tiki Tom's, which is a Hawaiian style restaurant. It was Taco Tuesday and Darla, Jennifer and I all ate tacos, while John had the Triple Cheeseburger in Paradise and Darla had some French onion soup. Afterwards, we all walked down to the shopping mall and walked off dinner. Jennifer is doing amazingly well with her post surgery, although her foot still gets sore and she is still wearing a splint and a walking shoe. It was a great visit and I'm glad we stopped by to visit. Their apartment is in a very expensive community in Walnut Creek with townhomes and $600,000 condos across the street. There is a small park across the street from their complex and shops, movie theaters, stores and restaurants all within an easy walk of their home.

We were home sort of late and I have a lot of work to do, so will add more to this with pictures in the next couple of days. I hope all are doing well and are happy with their lives and strong in their walk with the LORD. Ciao.