A word from "The Rocket" Rick Rodriguez

52nd Western States Golf Team Championship September 2009

By Rick Rodriguez

The 52nd Western States golf team championship took place in Reno, Nevada last month.  The two man best ball championship was contested over three courses.  This year the tournament was held at Lakeridge, Wolf Run, and Red Hawk golf courses.   

My partner was Mark Dunn, an avid golfer, and long time friend and co-worker.  We headed out Labor Day which is usually a travel day for this west coast tournament.  After a pleasant 3 1/2 hour drive,  we arrived in Reno, Nevada, checked in at Harrah's Hotel & Casino and proceeded to find a late night meal.  We quickly found the hotel's restaurant, scarfed down a fast dinner and turned in for the night. 

Like many Reno Hotels, Harrah's is a good place to stay especially at affordable rates that are seemingly ubiquitous around town.  If playing golf, the hotel is centrally located to courses and walking about town is a breeze, and in addition to decent sized rooms; the pool area is generous in size and workout facilities well appointed.

Lakeridge golf course is noted for its signature Par 3, an island green where the tee is perched high up on a hill.  The tee shot is seemingly a shot into the heavens and a drop down to the island green.  I hit a 4 wood, an easy one, and my shot landed over the pin but up against the bunker seen in the background.  Unfortunately, my ball landed against the first cut of rough and with an awkward lie; I ran my ball ten feet past the cup and missed the Par putt.  A slight disappointment given the pleasing tee shot: a smooth, floating arch of white circumference headed out over the blue sky background sinking towards its destiny.

The rest of the day was a paradox of good play intertwined with some missed opportunities!  Overall, I was really pleased with Lakeridge; the greens were excellent; fairways generous and difficult.  We shot a net 63 that had us tied for 4th after the 1st round.

After returning to the Hotel, we decided to head over to dinner at The Silver Legacy's Sterling Steakhouse, but prior to that we stopped at the Hospitality Suite for marvelous views and spirits as a pre-dinner warm up.  The tournament had reserved a Hospitality Suite at The Legacy in order for the players to engage in the day's game conversation, or commiserate over the round's missed opportunities.  The views and the camaraderie were as expected--excellent!  The dinner at Sterling's was just spectacular.  Mark & I had rib-eye steaks that were cooked to perfection, generous in size, and the accompaniments perfect!

Day two saw us head to Wolf Run Golf Course, an easier course in my opinion, and this showed as I got off to a quick start.   Mark, my partner, saved us at times where my Driver failed my instruction, and after basically letting the round get away from us we ended with a net 62.  Still a pretty decent day but not enough to put us anywhere near the lead.  In best ball tournaments, it's days like this day, that either puts a team in the hunt or the team falls further behind.  In our case, the latter ensued, making the final day critical to our outcome.

The final day had us playing at Red Hawk Golf Course, a sprawling two course golf complex located in Sparks, Nevada.  The practice area, clubhouse, and restaurant are impressive. The overall feeling of this place is fantastic!

As I stood looking at the wide open 1st fairway, I thought nothing of the out of bounds all along the left side of the hole; however, as soon as I launched my tee shot I knew it was out of bounds.  Fortunately, Mark made Par and saved us and also saved us on the next Par 5 hole. It wasn't until the 3rd Hole (No.1 Handicap) that I launched a crushing tee shot that left a short sand wedge to the green.  I promptly made Par and we took off from there shooting 31 on the front nine.  After a Par on 10, Mark and I each bogeyed holes 11 thru 15, ending any comeback or thoughts of coming in the money for this tournament; alas there is always another tournament to look towards. 

Chagrined somewhat from seeing our efforts go awry on the final 8 holes; nonetheless, we had an excellent time.  The tournament host put on a great event worthy of their long tenured legacy and we eagerly look forward to a return to next year's tournament. 

It had been some time since I've been up in Reno but I particularly enjoyed the ride to and from the Bay Area and to Reno.  Once past the mundane ride to Sacramento; the scenic towns of Auburn, Emigrant Gap, and Truckee ensue along with elevation and stunning California Redwoods.

While I was somewhat familiar with the Donner Party's travails through the region, I didn't know much about the significance of Emigrant Gap.   "Emigrant Gap is a gap in a ridge on the California Trail as it crosses the Sierra Nevada, to the west of what is now known as Donner Pass. Here the cliffs are so steep that, back in the 1840s, the pioneers on their way to California had to lower their wagons on ropes in order to continue.

The Emigrant Gap was so named because it was a low gap on a ridge where the emigrants' wagons crossed from the American River drainage to the Bear River drainage. It was part of the Truckee Route, a portion of the California Trail by which pioneers, heading west, emigrated from the United States to California, which was part of Mexico until it was captured by the United States in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848)."

So, even as I put a bit of my golf history in the past, I grabbed a piece of California's, United States', and Mexico's history.  This history along with Reno golf courses, affordable accommodations and an excellent steakhouse made this short trip very worthwhile. Moreover, rekindling my interest in exploring my own backyard is always a special treat!

Corde Valle San Martin, California April 25, 2009

By Rick Rodriguez

Nearly every time I've driven down US 101 I've always gazed at a protruding peak in San Martin, California!  It may be in Morgan Hill, the adjacent town about 20 miles south of San Jose; nonetheless, the peak and town of San Martin has always grabbed my attention on my drives down to Carmel/Monterey.  On 4/25/09 I discovered my curiosity, I visited the town and the Corde Valle Golf Resort http://www.cordevalle.com/ and now I know why I always wanted to go there! 

While I spent little time in San Martin, I did spend the day at Corde Valle and that was plenty and a well invested day.  And, it was completely by chance that I got a great price (free!) on a round of golf at one of the best golf courses/resorts in California!  The resort has received numerous accolades for its accommodations, golf, and overall experience. 

Situated about 20 miles south of San Jose in the Santa Cruz foothills, the resort is perfectly placed in a valley almost created just for a golf course.  I was able to get a Birdseye view from my friend's room while enjoying an after round beverage and a fine puro!  This is the view from Mark's room!  We sat there for a couple hours gazing over and discussing the days round as the sun set past the hills circling the valley and course.  While the game of golf is a highlight and sometimes not depending on the score, the camaraderie and friendship is what makes the game so special.  And in this case, at just that moment--life was perfect!

There were a couple of golf highlights to brag about and some good drives.  But the real treat was the fore caddy (Quinn); a first time experience for me.  Not the caddy part, the fore caddy part.  This guy was unbelievable in that he not only caddied for us, but would run ahead and find our errant shots landing in some unsuspecting bush yards down the golf course.  He was particularly adroit in club selection, reading the wind, and the break on putts; all necessary attributes for caddy acumen! 

Mark had an excellent back nine guaranteeing him lunch on me the next time we sit down for a meal.  And, my only highlights were hole 8 and 9 where I managed a Birdie and Par (30 foot putt) other than that, I need to find a driving range.  Mark, a very capable and avid golfer, observed throughout the day, my tendency to break down at the elbow; and after the round he showed me what he would like me to work on.  Let's hope I heed his advice because I need it!

The Corde Valle Golf Resort is a bit on the spendy side.  According to Mark, the restaurant serves great food and the hospitality/service is a first class experience.  I found the personnel to be customer service oriented and I sensed immediately I was in a special place. The rooms are gorgeous and well appointed.  The small yards are perfect for relaxing and admiring a valley that is simply majestic.  The birds chirping and a soundless backdrop make this a great place to get away from it all even for a small token of time that was my experience! Under these conditions or a multiple day experience, I suggest that Corde Valle and that interesting little peak off US 101 are more than worthy of a second or third visit!  And, I am sure that there is whole lot more that I need to know about San Martin and its peak.  Next time, I'll stay a bit longer and play a bit better!  Regardless, I know that it will be a day well spent in this part of California!

Palm Desert, California May 28-30 2008

My first trip to this area and the Desert Springs Marriott was in the late 1980's.  I came to this area on business.  I was part of a large group of Realtors attending a real estate conference at the Desert Springs Marriott, and it became somewhat of a tradition for many of us to attend for several years.    The Desert Springs Marriott is located in Palm Desert, California adjacent to the more familiar Palm Springs resort area about two hours East of Los Angeles.  Palm Desert is a popular resort and retirement community, and there are many fantastic places to eat and stay.  The Desert Springs Marriott is one of them. 

As I've stated, I have stayed at this Marriott several times (6) over the past twenty years; so, I believe I have a good grasp on the hotel, but perhaps not the whole area.  In the past, I've had great experiences here and this time proved to be another.  On previous trips, I've played numerous golf courses including the famed PGA West Stadium course, La Quinta, and just last year The Cinmarron Golf course, site of the 2007 US James Cup, a tournament I participate in annually.  There are also two resort golf courses on the premises.

After we dropped off Justin and Amanda with their grand-parents in Canyon Country, Donna and I drove down to Palm Desert via Highway 14 from Canyon Country, California over to 138; and then through a series of very small towns until we found 215, and then over to the 10 freeway that took us out to Palm Springs/Desert area.  Traveling comfortably in a rented SUV, we drove through somewhat desolate scenery skirting the Santa Rosa mountains on a winding two lane highway (138), the ride was traffic free most of the way. The drive, aside from the occasional eighteen wheeler barreling against us on the two lane road, mundane.  Once we hit Interstate 215, normal driving ensued, and within a short time we made it to Highway 10, the freeway that takes us to Palm Desert.  We drove for about an hour, passing windmills along the way until we arrived at our oasis--The Desert Springs Marriott.  As usual the place never ceases to amaze me, the entrance as impressive as the human cargo ships that carry passengers to and fro in the lobby.  Within a very short time, we were checking in at the Marriott, and looking very much forward to some rest and relaxation.

The first thing I noticed was that the resort was remodeled since our previous visit.  The cavernous lobby area features a well appointed bar area, sushi bar; a Starbucks, and a real chic interior.  I glanced over and noticed the the distinguishing feature of this Marriott; the boating dock, and of course, it is still an odd sight to see; boats shuffling people in and out of the hotel in the middle of the desert!

Our room, located near a pitch and putt course, was excellent.  We got settled immediately and headed for the pool.  It didn't take long for us to begin catching some rays, and enjoying the enormous pool area.  The atmosphere was quite festive with many guys and girls flirting about the pool area.  After several hours in the sun, we headed back to the room to prepare for dinner.  I made arrangements to eat at the Japanese restaurant in the hotel.  Prior to dinner, we went down to the lobby and enjoyed a couple of martinis, and struck up a conversation with a couple sitting next to us in the bar--Jim and Adrienne from Long Beach, California. They were staying at the resort prior to enjoying a stay at their Timeshare adjacent to the Marriott.  We had a great time and eventually invited them to dinner with us.  They agreed and we set off for a nice laughter filled evening along with good food.

The next day was similar, but this time Dan and Yaell Le Beau joined us for dinner.  Dan is a long-time friend, and he and Yaell are newlyweds.  We met at an excellent restaurant called the Falls Steakhouse in Palm Springs.  From the moment we sat down, the entire presentation was excellent and while we enjoyed our friends company, the food and drinks also did not disappoint. The Le Beau's brought the wine and we enjoyed a fabulous rib eye for dinner.  Though somewhat obscured in a small shopping center, The Falls Steakhouse is truly a unique find and without prior knowledge difficult to choose given the plethora of choices in the Palm Springs area.  We'll definitely return to this place on our next time out to Palm Desert.

Though a bit on the expensive side, the Desert Springs Marriott is a full service resort with restaurants, golf courses, spa facilities, and first rate pools.  My overall impression of the place is excellent.  I recommend staying here.  While it's not exactly kid friendly; it seems to cater to the adult crowd, I'd comfortably take my kids on a vacation here. As for this visit, we enjoyed it enough that another trip in 2009 is on the agenda!

City of Industry, California

On April 16th 2008, Mark Dunn, Rick Powers, Ken Donnelly, and me boarded a flight to Ontario to participate in the 7th Annual Lebeau Invitational golf tournament.  The Lebeau Invitational, rather than being a extremely competitive in your face type golf tournament, is a gathering of friends and family of Dan LeBeau.

The tournament has been held previously in Arizona, La Costa Resort, Carmel, and this past month at the infamous Industry Hills Golf Course located at the Pacific Palms resort in Southern California.  Tournament participants range from 5 handicaps to 25 handicaps (Sorry Jerry!), but mostly average about 13, and ages of participants range from late 30's to some really old codgers (you know who you are).  Players are paired off throughout the tournament, depending on handicap, and play as teams with daily prizes awarded at the 19th hole.

Dan, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, founded the outing for the purpose of acquainting new friends; spending time with his father Ed Lebeau and many of his closest friends, and playing the game we love--golf!  All golf loving, good natured, players are welcomed.  Occasionally, the committee, makes exceptions to this rule (see Mike Santucci), just kidding, Mike!

The most intriguing aspect of the event is the much discussed Fookerboody shootout.  Typically scheduled at days end on Friday afternoon, the Fookerboody matches players drawn from a hat in a winner take all event whereby all participants play alternate shot format on the same hole.  In other words, everyone tees off on the same hole, and play continues as one large group until there is only one team standing.  This year's Fookerboody champions, Mark "Well" Dunn and Terry "Big T" White took the championship on the Par 3 5th Hole on the Eisenhower Course.  The hole played about a 190 yards that day, and has been the concluding hole in past Fookerboody matches.  The playoff ended with Terry and Mark defeating Dan and me.  Many players remarked having throughly enjoyed participating and watching the Fookerboody to conclusion; many are looking forward to next year's match.

Past winners of the big money include: Mike Santucci, Eric Bingham, Ed Lebeau, Mike Havrilla, Terry White, and this year's cash king: Mark Dunn.  The rest of us hacks need to go back to the drawing board!