GolfGuide

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

If you’ve lived in California your entire life as I have, it’s easy to forget that summer temperatures ranging from just above freezing to well over 100 degrees in different locales are normal in a way they aren’t in, say, Indiana. Yes, the Golden State brings you mountain golf, desert golf, beach golf, lake golf, urban golf, airport golf, country lane golf—you name it, you can probably play it on any given day. As Louie Armstrong famously sang, “What a wonderful world…” And it’s ours, here, for the taking.

As we begin our 15th year of publishing Golf Guide, we are grateful to the thousands of readers who take advantage of the golf course directory service we provide. Many of you also get your money-saving “play golf” certificates from our website, which we appreciate as we presume you do. We are also grateful to the hundreds of “golfcentric” businesses such as golf courses, golf shops and hotels that provide distribution points for each issue. If you don’t find copies of Golf Guide at your favorite course, ask the management to request more copies; we’re happy to oblige.

In the months ahead, we will be hosting a few special “Play Days” at various courses we have partnered with. I can’t promise they’ll be mountainous or in desert oases, but that’s part of the charm of Golf in the Golden State—it’s always ready to surprise. Go online to GolfGuideMagazine.com for more information and sign-ups.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Let’s run a few numbers relevant to the golf world that we know—not as spectators marveling at the exploits of pros, but as participants, fully engaged, with our whole selves, in this game we love.

•  More than 1,000 golf courses are open for business in this truly Golden State.
•  About 40 tee times daily per course.
•  Go ahead, pick three of your buds and make it a foursome.
•  Add up the three points above and you’ve got 160,000 rounds of golf capacity every day.
• Over a year, that means 58 million rounds of available golf times. (And that’s just in California.)

Clearly, that’s a lot of golf waiting for you to indulge. What’s that? Too busy figuring out the ins ’n outs of the electronic gadgets you got for Christmas? Your golf partner’s job just transferred her to another state?

One of the beautiful things about golf is that you can always luxuriate in a solo round when the spirit moves you, but rare is the occasion when you can’t, with just the tiniest bit of social bravado, introduce yourself to join another solo player or group.

Enough with the self-imposed isolation of computers and smart phones! By far the smartest thing to do in this world is to enjoy other people. Good for your head, your heart, and maybe even your business.

So go on: get outside, breathe some air, extend a hand, clink a glass when you’re done. Expand your circle of friends. If you’re living in or passing through Southern California, leave the crowds behind and settle into Beaumont for a day’s play at Tukwet Canyon Golf Club. That will take one available tee time off the list.

Only 57,999,999 more to go.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher


These are interesting days with the economy in flux, politicians putting party before country and people often hesitant to do the right thing (or even to know what the right thing is). Good thing for us golfers that we always have the opportunity to do the right thing, whether it’s taking our penalties or selecting a tee box appropriate for us.



A question: Are you reaching the green in regulation more often than not? If the answer is no, please consider selecting a tee box more suitable to your game. One assumption in this great game is that whether you’re a scratch golfer or a duffer with a 30+ index, you should require no more than two putts to drop the ball into the hole after reaching the green. With a bit of practice and concentration, anyone can become a proficient putter. Even my 90-year old dad is still exceptional at putting, working his flat stick on a regular basis. I think the bigger challenge is to use the rest of the clubs in your bag to move the ball down the fairway and onto the green.



That said, I have found over many years that many guys (yes this is mostly a “guy” thing), insist on teeing off from boxes that are not correctly suited for their game. By selecting the right tee box, you will reap immediate and delightful benefits such as a faster round, happier golfers behind you, and most important, lowering your score and index. (See, your ego wins after all!)



So as the days shorten into fall and we plan our cool season schedules, make your “doing the right thing” statement and play from the tees that best suit your game. You and everyone around you will be grateful.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher
From the top to the bottom, there are not many other places on the planet where you can play golf from over a mile above sea level to hundreds of feet below sea level without getting quite wet at the latter. California is quite an amazing place.

Speaking of wet, we have entered the time of year when rain rarely interrupts our rounds and we should be paying more attention to protecting our skin from the sun’s UV rays. As a survivor of skin cancer for the past 22 years, I feel quite fortunate to be alive every day, let alone be able to still regularly play golf. I try to make sure it can all continue by protecting myself with a broad-brimmed hat and plenty of sunscreen. I even wear long-sleeve shirts more often than not, to prevent doing more damage to my already weathered skin.

Those precautions in mind, this is a fantastic season to enjoy the game of golf, and a wonderful time not only to frequent your favorite track but to make a point of sampling ones you have only dreamed of or never even heard of. How about playing a course you have never played before at least once a month? Think you can handle the expanded pallet?

Finally, please remember to take advantage of our online store (www.GolfGuideStore.com), where you can secure green fee certificates at substantial discounts. Your savings will more than allow you to fully enjoy the 19th hole of your new favorite track.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Having just wrapped up another fun year of playing lots of golf, I must nevertheless note that I have yet to experience life as a single-digit golfer. Yes, I have sniffed rounds where my final score for 18 holes was in the 70s, but they have been few and far between. No hole-in-ones, a couple of eagles, not enough birdies and pars, plenty of bogies and way too may doubles. The rare single-digit rounds make me think, “Hey, maybe I’m O.K. at this game,” but my next round usually brings me back to earth.

My personal all-season golf challenges aside, let me say a word or two about the joys of winter golf. Even in California, far too many golfers keep their clubs tucked away because they don’t believe they can have fun playing in cold or inclement weather. I beg to differ. No, I don’t venture forth when snow is on the ground or lightning is hanging around, but that’s about it for conditions that stop me from getting out. Otherwise, California with its 1,000+ golf courses beckons with autumns that stretch into winter and springs that creep in from the other direction by late January. It’s a life made for an all-year outdoor game like golf. Dig into it!

In 2011, I’m intending to play even more golf and to break through my personal barrier and become a single-digit guy. Not sure I’ll make it by winter’s end, but I promise it won’t be for lack of playing!

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

It’s a good thing my self-esteem is not determined by the skill I demonstrate while on the golf course. Or should I say, lack thereof? I constantly find it amazing how difficult it is to hit a little golf ball (which is just lying there motionless, for crying out loud) in the direction intended and with the distance desired. No problem, I’ll just keep at it. It’s that commitment to attain the too-often unattainable that probably makes most regular golfers more alike than not, even with the widely varying skill levels seen on any given course. And in this edition of Golf Guide, several new additions to our pages will provide sweet rewards for that commitment.

In California, where we can play golf from the beaches along the Pacific to the high mountains, it is most always golf season (winter snow-outs in mountain golf being a notable exception.) After reading about Trinitas, our cover course, I know you will soon be hankering to get to Calaveras County. Great story, great course.

A couple of new additions in Plumas County are also worthy of your attention. Joining Plumas Pines there are the semi-private Grizzly Ranch and the fabled Dragon. All ready for your pleasure, or in some cases “torture,” depending on how you play.

I’ve said it before, but darn if it isn’t still true: the fall months are the best time to enjoy this wonderful game in this part of the world. With cooler air and prettier light, it’s the perfect time to embrace the courses featured in this magazine and on our website, www.golfguide.org. Each golf course has a unique signature, but it’s your active and enthusiastic participation that helps to shape every stroke of the pen.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

You know how when you are in an elevator, there is rarely a 13th floor? The buttons go from 12 to 14. Heck, if I did that in elementary school, I’d have flunked math. (Well, I almost did anyway, but will spare you the details.) I’ve always found it kind of silly for the number 13 to be so readily abandoned. That is even more so today, as we enter our 13th year of publishing your golfing bible. Fear not, I feel compelled to say—we shall embrace the number 13 with appreciation and even, perhaps, the tiniest bit of swagger. I like to think of our 13th anniversary as possessing the charms of a baker’s dozen rather than something to avoid.

Ten years after the course opened and graced the cover of Golf Guide, the gem of Roddy Ranch still has no homes reachable with any club in your bag, despite the huge building boom that took place in nearby communities over the past decade. Among the more fun and challenging golf courses in Northern California, Roddy greets you at every hole with a new look and demand. If you have yet to treat yourself to its many pleasures, time to get on over there, Pardner. In spite of the western theme, they do not have horse-drawn golf carts.

Our Web traffic is up at GOLFGUIDE.ORG, and for good reason. Seems like more folk are discovering they can get all the goodies found in the print version of Golf Guide in our online version. In addition to the pleasing photography, our Web site contains captivating write-ups of dozens of courses highlighted in each issue of Golf Guide, along with unique driving maps that make it even easier to be on time for your next round of golf. Store activity has also been brisk, with the most popular items still our unique golf certificates that enable you to play over 70 different courses at significant savings. Of course, the money you save is only temporary, as this simply allows you to feel more generous as you enjoy your post rounds at the 19th hole.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

GOLFGUIDE.ORG now includes a directory of golf courses throughout California, (meaning 1,000+ courses), and 100+ courses in southern Oregon and western Nevada. All from our site. In addition to the expanded website, a Southern California edition of Golf Guide is now in circulation thanks to the efforts of experienced publishers and golf enthusiasts Wade and Pam McCurry.

There are a few other matters we’re excited about as we go to press with this print version at the start of a new decade. GOLFGUIDESTORE.COM now offers golf certificates from more than 70 courses in California, Oregon and Nevada. That means savvy readers can save from 20 percent to 70 percent on green fees, which in turn translates into: you can afford to play more golf.

And then there are GOLFGUIDE PLAY DAYS…Last year, we sponsored some play days at a couple of the more spectacular courses in the state that also happen to be highlighted in both our print edition and web directory. Look for more such events in 2010, which should include a return to TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae, Pasatiempo Golf Club, Winchester Country Club and more. Check with our website, GOLFGUIDE.ORG for dates, details and sign-ups.

Finally, our cover course this issue, Mare Island Golf Club, is a hidden treasure, located, exactly as its name suggests, on an actual island! You need not be a pirate to enjoy this gem, but you owe it to yourself and to the course’s rich legacy in Bay Area golf history to get out there and breathe deeply of the ocean breezes and all that is best of this treasured pastime we share.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Whaddaya know? It’s my favorite time of year to play golf. Not that I don’t enjoy playing any time of year, but the fall is really something special.

Here in the Bay Area, fall is when it warms up near the coast, and those pesky winds that sometimes challenge our summertime play seem to die down. The greens have recovered from the summertime aeration and usually roll true. (If only I could always putt as true…Well, if I could, I’d probably be playing golf on tour instead of publishing this fine guidebook.)

In reality, I have no idea what it would be like to make par most of the time, with a smattering of birdies and eagles to break up the monotony. My rounds seem to be filled with bogies, and when my pars outnumber my doubles, I consider it a good round.

As many of you have noticed, there seems to be a few more players on the course with you these days. Finally, the slowdown that has plagued the golf course business these past few years seems to be turning around. This should translate into better course conditions, along with more comrades to play with.

Given the upward trend, it’s worth noting what a drag slow play can be on a quality round of golf. When playing, be sure to agree to play “ready golf.” Keep track of your playing partners’ shots, and help the search-and-rescue effort when those shots have gone astray. And as lovely as it may be out on the golf course, be sure your group spends no more that 15 minutes on any given hole. In fact, traffic circulates much better for everyone when you’re playing at a 10 -12-minute-per hole clip.

Finally, try to remember this: When you’re playing golf and miss a shot, you could be doing something else altogether. But why would you want to?

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

As we wind down another year of publishing NorCal Golf Guide (NCGG), our final offering begins with a look at our cover course: Monterey Pines Golf Course in Monterey.

Down the peninsula, Crystal Springs continues to turn heads, as does Adobe Creek in the southern Sonoma Wine Country. Both these courses play great in the fall and winter months. Also returning to our Guide is the Sonoma Golf Club, where the season-ending Senior Champions Tour stops off at the end of October. With the course having switched to private/resort status, the luxury-laden Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa will now be more attractive than ever to visitors who can soak in the spa and then soak up the history and charm of this classic course.

Finally, we have a directory featuring contact information for many of the golf organizations dedicated to the game. If you don’t know where to find an answer, perhaps our NCGG directory will help.

Here’s to a fabulous fall of golf and good cheer.