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 I wasn't born with a golf club in my hand, but I have played numerous courses over the past 15 years as a writer for this magazine, and I've met some of the greatest players and best people to participate in the game. Coyote Hills driving range The Fullerton course's 28-tee driving range is one of the more picturesque in that part of Orange County, particularly near dusk when the sun sets behind you and casts deep shadows on the lush terrain ahead. Beverage cart girls Enough said. The funicular at Industry Hills When the facility opened 30 years ago, golfers could use a funicular to get up the hill behind the 9th green of the Eisenhower course and 18th of the Babe course. They were transported to St. Andrews Station, a snack bar designed like a Scottish train station. The snack bar remains, and the funicular is on its track, but the transport no longer operates. It's still worth a look. Griffith Park The two courses at this metropolitan park have played host to numerous amateur championships and three Los Angeles Opens. They're steeped in history, which includes the Barbers, one of the great golf families of Los Angeles. Tom Barber is the head pro and his brother, Roger, is co-owner of Barber Golf Shop. Their father, Jerry, was the 1961 PGA Tour Player of the Year. Ken Venturi As one of the game's top amateur and professional players, as well as one of its most respected voices while at CBS, Venturi possesses an incomparable knowledge of the game. And the Coachella Valley resident is always there to help a golf writer on deadline, offering his wisdom on today's players and reminiscing about his playing buddies that included Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ben Hogan. Newport Beach Golf Course This 3,216-yard course stood up to officials at John Wayne Airport, who wanted to turn the course's back nine (owned by Orange County) into a parking area for rental cars. But with some influential juice from politicians and the support of course patrons and employees, the county squashed the airport's idea and kept one of the region's most affordable tracks in play. Brea Creek Golf Course There's a storm channel that runs down its center, but Brea Creek was designed by William F. Bell, the same guy who designed Industry Hills and Torrey Pines. Plus, at only 1,733 yards, the par-29 course can be played in 90 minutes. And it costs $10. What are you waiting for? The 12th hole at Black Gold This Yorba Linda course has a nice clubhouse, great layout and exceptional service. But the views from the 12th tee box are heavenly. At 750 feet, the tee lets players see from Newport Beach to Long Beach on a clear day. That hulking mass in the middle? That would be Catalina Island. Donald Trump Laugh with him or at him, but you can't ignore Donald Trump, just as he couldn't ignore the troubled Rancho Palos Verdes golf facility he purchased in 2002 and renamed Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles. Trump is brash, brazen and forceful, which also makes him the best interview in the game. Indian Wells Golf Resort Though the $30 million clubhouse is still under construction, the golf course redesigns are finished. The Celebrity Course now ranks among the prettiest in the desert and is the home course for the annual Skins Game. The refurbished Players Course has a more traditional desert feel, but with an aesthetic aura similar to Riviera Country Club. |
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