Southern California's No. 1 Source for Golf
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 It was late Friday afternoon when the hubby and I rolled into the 425-acre property, which boasts 54 holes of golf and a 113-room lodge. I felt the weight of the workweek fall away as I took in the pretty views of verdant foothills. Set in a valley dotted with old oaks and sycamores, Sycuan feels a world away even though it's just 30 minutes from downtown San Diego. It was known as Singing Hills until 2001, when the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation purchased the complex in order to expand operations of its already established casino, which is a three-mile shuttle ride from the resort. After the hour-and-a-half drive from south Orange County, we thought we'd stretch our legs on Pine Glen, the 2,500-yard par-3 course. Welcome to pure golf joy, with two holes over 200 yards and two just over 90 yards and everything else falling in between. Dinner at the resort turned out to be a winning bet. There at the comfortable and gracious Cafe & Grill, we tucked into a kobe burger (him) and pan-seared salmon (me), accompanied by Caesar salads, and cashed in on a couple of complimentary drink tickets given as part of the retreat package. Two words: Freakin' good. We waddled back to our room, a suite with all the comforts of home: bedroom with a large closet and TV, spacious bathroom with separate shower and vanity areas, and a living room with a wet bar, mini-fridge, fireplace, sofa, table with four club chairs, and a large patio overlooking a practice putting green. The furnishings and decor reflected a golf-as-a-tradition motif in pleasant hues of green and brown. We met Bob Masden at the driving range at 9 a.m. Saturday. He's going into his 15th year as head teaching pro at Sycuan, but he's been on the staff since 1983. Our genial host for the retreat, he quickly defused everyone's anxiety by laying out the rules for the weekend: no telling your partner what to do, focus on a few key tips from the clinic, and just have fun. Having fun is easy to do with Bob and his fellow instructors. The Couples Retreat is limited to just eight couples so that everyone can get a lot of attention. Three couples stayed at the range with Bob. Three more went off to the short-game practice area. And a few more with beginning golfers headed to a private chipping and putting practice area. Our first 70 minutes with Bob revealed his teaching approach as one filled with levity and sincerity. Bob preaches the message of golf as an enjoyable undertaking, no matter the golfer's level of skill. Make it more enjoyable by communicating with your playing partners ("I'll putt out") and speeding up play (one practice swing and no theatrics over missed putts, please!). He gave easy-to-process tips for gaining distance with easy effort. For me, that meant pointing out my left toe slightly when hitting my tee shot. Right off the mat, I'm hitting a little longer and straighter. Cool. He had everyone watch the hubster's always nice-and-easy swing. The next hour or so with teaching pro Rick Lindeman gave me a spurt of hope in fixing my short game, always a sore spot in my round. Rick reminds you of the high school friend you always want around; he's the life of the party who's everyone's friend, quick with praise and jokes. He's dedicated to saving each golfer from himself or herself by breaking the bad habits we all pick up ("flippy wrists," mea culpa). The groups came back together at the practice putting green for the last 45 minutes of simple drills designed to get your ball into the hole. Clinic over, we broke for lunch at the Cafe & Grill, where we scarfed down yummy chicken club and tuna sandwiches. Then, it was on to the playing lesson at Willow Glen, an 18-hole, par-72 championship course opened in 1968 that offers a traditional 6,600-yard layout, with four par-5 and four par-3 holes among the par-4s. Bob and Rick rode herd on the groups, shadowing each for a few holes before doubling back to tag along on others. Both men offered sage advice on where to play shots while throwing out gentle reminders on what was learned in the clinic. For this afternoon at least, I was chipping crisply to the green (rather than flubbing) within 50 feet. Nice! Reluctant to break the spell of "golf in the kingdom" after such an inspirational clinic and rousing round, the hubby and I headed to one of the three practice areas around the hotel and challenged each other with a chipping and putting contest. We cleaned up and headed to dinner. Yep, back to the Grill & Cafe, where we chowed down espresso-rubbed ribeye steak with chipotle mashed potatoes and peppercorn filet mignon with garlic accompanied by gouda-mashed potatoes. So good. Sunday morning we went to worship at the hallowed Oak Glen. The par-72 Oak Glen, opened in 1956, measures 6,500 yards from the back and includes three par-3 and three par-5 holes along with the 12 par-4s. It's similar in style to the Willow Glen layout in that it's not overly long but presents a fair challenge in the way classic old-school courses often do. Bob and Rick were there to see off the playing groups of couples and later popped in on us over the first nine holes. They admired good shots and offered tips for recuperating from those that went astray. At the end of a challenging but satisfying round, we hit the road for home. If we had stayed another night or two, we would have taken advantage of the other amenities Sycuan has to offer. They include the Primrose Spa, which offers a large menu of therapeutic massage and body treatments (facial, sugar scrub, seaweed wrap and mud pack); swimming pools and whirlpools; and 11 lighted tennis courts. This is the type of couples retreat I can get used to. SG Sycuan Resort is located in El Cajon. To check pricing, dates and availability for the Couples Retreat, visit sycuanresort.com, or call Kathy Rookus, coordinator of the Golf Academy, at (888) 764-4566. You also can e-mail krookus@sycuanresort.com. Or, call the resort at (619) 442-3425. |
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