Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Just now, jvincent said:

 

Have you been through Oregon on past trips or is it on the "yet to be Argonned" list?

 

I've been to Bandon once, and Portland a few times. My visit to Oregon this fall will be my first extended stay.

 

[mci711]

Saw this on Twitter and thought of you. Pretty sure you beat this right? People in the comments are convinced this is unbeatable 😂

[Argonne69]

Just now, mci711 said:

Saw this on Twitter and thought of you. Pretty sure you beat this right? People in the comments are convinced this is unbeatable 😂

 

I didn't beat him on rounds played, but I wiped the floor with him on courses played. In 2023, I played 219 rounds on 219 different courses, with 206 new courses played.

 

[AzSuperHack76]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Best Pizza and Brew in Oceanside. Not a particularly interesting selection of brews, but the pizza was decent. The goat cheese was a nice change of pace. 

 

 

I love that place, not the biggest selection of beers like you mentioned, but some of the coldest pours. I love their pizza, basic cheese is some of the best NY Pie you can get in the area. The music and vibe in there is always interesting, people are usually "high as a kite" in there, customers and employees. 

 

For some good "gringo" mexican hit up Sancho's Tacos. Also if you have a morning off from golf and hiking hit up Parlor Donuts for their Cro-Nut(croissant/donut) and some really good coffee. 

Edited January 31 by AzSuperHack76

[Argonne69]

It's not looking good for a round at Torrey Pines on Thursday morning. The rain is going to be off an on all morning, and winds will be 20 to 30 mph. 

 

[Dancin]

Lol. Torrey South in cold, rain and 20-30 mph winds. Probably have more fun hitting yourself in the head in the RV.

[Argonne69]

11 hours ago, Dancin said:

Lol. Torrey South in cold, rain and 20-30 mph winds. Probably have more fun hitting yourself in the head in the RV.

 

Also, the rough is going to be thick, as it's just 5 days after the Farmers.

 

Checked out the weather forecast last night, and now the winds are predicted to be near 40 mph.

 

[Argonne69]

Another fun morning. Could have used without the clouds, but at least the sun came out near the end of the round. Goat Hill Park today. Not quite what I was expecting. I was told that it's short, but didn't expect executive length playing 4467 yds (par 64). Still a challenging layout with plenty of nice elevation changes and some really tough lies. Fairway bunkering on the eight par 4s and par 5 was very light. Greenside was pretty decent. Two sweepers and a dogleg helped mix it up a bit. Don't recall seeing any water. I was told that Bill Murray is a part owner. 

 

With the par 4s playing no more than 349 yds, it was pretty easy off the tee. Hit a lot of tee shots with less than driver. Minor misses could be trouble as there wasn't a ton of room off the short grass. Big misses might find junk, or an adjacent fairway. Approaches were very tough. Greens were tiny, and many were elevated with steep dropoffs. Many were crowned, or had false fronts. Contouring was decent, and most had a lot of slope, so putting was fairly challenging. Up and downs were tricky from the iffy lies, with many having no view of the putting surface. 

 

The nine par 3s were very good. Only one or two could be considered easy. Nice mix of lengths from 135 to 179 yds. Could have used a long one, though. The single par 5 was meh. The par 4s were all basically short, and most had some type of challenge, either a severe uphill fairway, a low collection area, or a miniscule green. 

 

Conditions were scruffy, but playable. Fairways had a few iffy areas. Rough was a mix of 27 types of grasses. Bunkers were nice and sandy. Greens were very nice, and rolling close to 10. Throw in the slope and they got quick. 

 

Played the Black tees at 4467 yds on the par 64 layout (63.9/101). Pretty high rating IMHO. Course really required a solid short game, and mine thankfully showed up today. Couldn't snag a birdie on the tricky greens, but had a few nice par saves. Four bogies. 

 

Going with 4 cows here. Fun layout that's a good test of your short game. Would like to see more fairway bunkering. Rather shocked by the $28 walking rate. Could easily get $40 to $50. Can't say it's a must play, but it's still worth a visit if you have room in the schedule. 

 

Edited January 31 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Goat Hill Park GC, Oceanside, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've played plenty of courses where I've seen people walking their dogs, and many courses with dogs working at the course, but this is the first time I've seen golfers with their dogs tagging along. 'Pretty cool. 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/2vr8px5cu8zv94rh58zza/h?rlkey=hljqxbkzojnbtxjh6312qx91q&dl=0

 

Edited January 31 by Argonne69

[Kent01putt]

This looks better than a lot of the 18 holer's you have been playing lately.

[Argonne69]

My round this morning was finished before the brewpubs opened, so it was back to Bessie for a shower and a nap. Lol. 

 

Back out and about. Pure Project Carlsbad has 22 taps with a heavy dose of IPAs, but they have a pair of barrel aged imperial stouts that are excellent. Started with a short pour of the Obsidian Cliff w/ cacao, marshmallow, and graham cracker. This imperial pastry stout was very tasty, but a bit too sweet for my tastes. Followed that up with a home run, the Enchiridion, a blend of three imperials aged for one, two, and three years. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

I wasn't planning to eat out today, but I didn't really feel like heading back to Bessie on a pleasant afternoon to have a sandwich when it'll be raining heavily for at least two days. Decided to take @AzSuperHack76's suggestion and headed over to Sanchez's Tacos for some "Gringo" Mexican. Excellent tacos. Ordered an O.G. (tri tip), Federale (slow roasted carnitas), and a Flounder Pounder (grilled marinated fish). Good stuff.

 

 

[AzSuperHack76]

27 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

I wasn't planning to eat out today, but I didn't really feel like heading back to Bessie on a pleasant afternoon to have a sandwich when it'll be raining heavily for at least two days. Decided to take @AzSuperHack76's suggestion and headed over to Sanchez's Tacos for some "Gringo" Mexican. Excellent tacos. Ordered an O.G. (tri tip), Federale (slow roasted carnitas), and a Flounder Pounder (grilled marinated fish). Good stuff.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed it @Argonne69! Sancho's is one of our regular spots when we stay in Oceanside every summer. Knockout Pizza has a good thin NY slice as well, more of a take away place but they do have a few tables, just down the street from Sancho's. 

 

Safe travels my friend! 

[Mullenboy]

Oh man please do post if you try Knockout Pizza... my nephew worked there for years!  It's revered with religious fervor in my family.

 

And thanks for the pics of Goat Hill.   That course is way way way overhyped by Matt Ginella and others... they'd give it 15 cows.  It's quirky and homey and has a very laid-back vibe... but as you saw it's pretty ratty, and in the end really no great shakes.  Good price for sure though!

[Argonne69]

Well, the forecast wasn't wrong this time. As expected, heavy rain started before dawn, and will likely continue throughout the day, and into tomorrow. 

 

There might be a few breaks in the rain tomorrow morning, so I have to decide if I want to take a chance walking on at Torrey Pines South. 

 

I was planning to play Marine Memorial on Saturday, but I just discovered that one has to apply for a base pass a week in advance. Might take a look at Oceanside Municipal. 

 

 

[Mullenboy]

Welcome to CA winter, in an El Nino year.  Very bad luck - especially for SoCal.  

[AzSuperHack76]

14 hours ago, Mullenboy said:

Oh man please do post if you try Knockout Pizza... my nephew worked there for years!  It's revered with religious fervor in my family.

 

And thanks for the pics of Goat Hill.   That course is way way way overhyped by Matt Ginella and others... they'd give it 15 cows.  It's quirky and homey and has a very laid-back vibe... but as you saw it's pretty ratty, and in the end really no great shakes.  Good price for sure though!

I can taste it now.... It's the thin crust, sauce and the perfect amount of garlic they put on their pizzas, the Bronx and Knockout are my favorite, but you can never go wrong with the plain cheese either. 

 

@Argonne69 Forgot to mention as well, look up Surf's Up Salsa, seriously some of the best homemade salsa you'll ever have, no joke. She's local to the Carlsbad area and stocks her product at local market/deli's. I know Bubble's by the Beach Market and Liquor usually has it in stock in O-Side.

 

Surf’s Up Salsa 🌊Carlsbad, Ca (@surfsupsalsa) • Instagram photos and videos

[Argonne69]

17 hours ago, Mullenboy said:

Oh man please do post if you try Knockout Pizza... my nephew worked there for years!  It's revered with religious fervor in my family.

 

And thanks for the pics of Goat Hill.   That course is way way way overhyped by Matt Ginella and others... they'd give it 15 cows.  It's quirky and homey and has a very laid-back vibe... but as you saw it's pretty ratty, and in the end really no great shakes.  Good price for sure though!

 

Yooz guys are going to get me fat. Lol. Rainy day, so I decided to run to the grocery store. Knockout Pizza was on the way back, so I stopped in after dodging the downpour. Had a slice of the Knockout with pepperoni, meatball, mushrooms, and garlic. Very good, especially the crust. New York style pizza tends to get soggy, but the crust was crisp after a couple of minutes back in the oven. With the additional garlic, it definitely had a nice garlic taste. Didn't want to spoil my appetite, so I behaved myself and had just the single slice. 

 

 

[Mullenboy]

Fantastic!  Glad you liked it.  My nephew remains quite proud of his work there.  🙂

[Argonne69]

The area received over an inch of rain today. Oy. Looks like more rain (off and on) overnight and tomorrow. It doesn't look like it'll be steady, so I just might head south to Torrey Pines and hope that the course is playable. 

 

I was checking their tee sheets for a possible opening to avoid having to queue up pre-dawn, and the only spots available are 9 hole rates in the mid afternoon. $176 for 9 holes starting at 2:40 pm. Wow. 

 

 

Edited February 2 by Argonne69

[tw422]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

The area received over an inch of rain today. Oy. Looks like more rain (off and on) overnight and tomorrow. It doesn't look like it'll be steady, so I just might head south to Torrey Pines and hope that the course is playable. 

 

I was checking their tee sheets for a possible opening to avoid having to queue up pre-dawn, and the only spots available are 9 hole rates in the mid afternoon. $176 for 9 holes starting at 2:40 pm. Wow. 

 

 

I live in the South Bay (Manhattan Beach) and it feels like we received way more than an inch of rain this morning - haven't seen it rain that hard in I don't know how long. 

 

Amazing that TP's South tee sheet is that full after rains (guess everyone wants to play it under tournament conditions - dont't know why - it's hard enough as is) and borderline ridiculous at $176 for 9 holes.  C'mon guys really?  I get supply and demand but that course is not hurting for money.  I guess that is SoCal for you in a nutshell, no tee times and egregiously expensive.  

Edited February 2 by tw422

[Argonne69]

Made the early morning drive down to Torrey, and was second in line. Teeing off in the first group out on the South course at 6:40 am. Hopefully there'll be some daylight. Lol. $295 to walk. Ouch. 

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by Argonne69

[DE-ILLINI]

Enjoy.  Looking forward to pictures and the review.

[Mullenboy]

26 minutes ago, DE-ILLINI said:

Enjoy.  Looking forward to pictures and the review.

Me too.

I've been lucky to play both Torrey courses many times, over many years, at many different price points.  $295 to walk South today rather makes me ill.  But... for a one time visitor... what the hell.  It is fun to relive Rocco v. Tiger.  And there are a many great views, like the last picture.  For me the course is more painful than fun though - it's just so damn hard... but like I say, what the hell.  😉

[Argonne69]

What a blast. Took a chance on the weather, and the trick of donning full rain gear (mostly) worked. A few odd sprinkles of rain, but more blue skies and a nice rainbow. Winds were steady at one club, but not as bad as expected. As a bonus I was in the first group out with three solid players, and we made our way around in decent time. We did spend a crazy amount of time looking for balls in the gnarly rough, or we'd have been finished a half hour sooner. Lol. 

 

Second time playing the South course at Torrey Pines. My first visit was also a few days after the Farmers, so the combination of near tournament level rough and grandstands added to the experience. The course gets mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. Not a lot of elevation change, but the raised greens are tough. Almost reached the par 5 13th in two, but after coming up a yard short of the green it rolled down 50 yds. Oy. Fairway bunkering is decent. Greenside is excellent. Plentiful and deep. Only one sweeper, the 6th. Water in play on the iconic 18th, but plenty of red staked areas just off the rough on many holes. 

 

I thought it was fairly easy off the tee with moderately wide fairways. Didn't really have to sweat any except the 6th where you need to hit a fade to avoid the left bunkers. Minor misses were simply brutal. I warned my playing partners that a ball in the rough would require a sand wedge to get it back in play. After a few failed attempts they learned their lesson. Good half shot penalty. Big misses were goners down in the ravines on most holes. Approaches were tough. Greens were soft and receptive, but the bunkering was a solid defense, especially for this low ball hitter. Greens were challenging without being crazy. The moisture kept the speeds in check until late in the round when the sun started drying them out. Up and downs were very tough due to the impossible lies in the rough. Best strategy was missing short in the fairway. 

 

Par 3s are very good, but not great. Nice mix of lengths, and very good bunkering. 5s are excellent. Three are reachable with the 13th and 18th being nice risk/reward holes. The bunkers on the 13th are brutal, and of course the 18th has the pond in play. Short 4s weren't overly challenging off the tee, but had tough greens. 

 

Conditions were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised that there were no cart restrictions for our group's sole rider. Fairways were soft, but lush. Rough has been trimmed since the end of the Farmers, but still nasty. The starter told us that they can't cut it down to its normal height in one cutting, so it's lowered in stages. Can't imagine what it was like last week. Only complaint was the grass clippings added to the difficulty of finding balls in it. On the plus side our group walked off the course with at least two dozen premium balls. One couldn't help finding a ball or two while looking for yours. Bunkers were pristine. Nice wet, groomed sand. Greens were near perfect. The moisture kept the pace to 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6141 yds (70.9/128). More than enough course with the wind, wet, and rough. Goal for the round was to hit my low draws and stay in the fairways. Mission mostly accomplished. Lol. One birdie, six bogies, and two doubles. Highlight of the day was the par on the long par 4 12th. Playing into the wind, it was driver, fairway wood, and gap wedge to 2'. Reaching the (downwind) par 5 13th in two would have been sweet, but as mentioned, coming up a yard short resulted in a 50 yd pitch. 

 

Going with a solid 7 cows. Fantastic piece of property with wonderful views, and some really fun holes. Being able to play a course that the PGA Tour visits, especially a few days later, definitely adds to the fun. Would like to see a couple of more visually interesting par 3s, and tougher short 4s. The $295 non-resident weekend walking rate is nuts, but I knew that going in. Wouldn't pay that regularly, but once every 6 years isn't horrible. Definitely worth playing if you can manage a tee time. I set my alarm for 3:35 am today, and actually thought I wouldn't get on when I pulled into the parking lot at 5:30 am. I guess the threat of rain kept most players away. 

 

Edited February 2 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Torrey Pines South Course, San Diego, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice view of the North course 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the par 5 13th 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0662x5470ew8b11mczhxh/h?rlkey=4t3pzrnpug83kwnonhfqrdbhi&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

With a name like The Confessional by The Lost Abbey, I was expecting a little more Belgian goodness. 24 taps, but few up my alley. Sampled their Lost and Found Dubbel, Judgement Day Quad, and Serpent's Stout. Very tasty, but not Earth shattering. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Mosey a few miles up the coast to Duck Foot Brewing in Encinitas. 30 taps with a nice selection. Enjoying a taster of the Sasquack Belgian Tripel (lol, nice name). Their barrel aged quad is on deck. 

 

 

[Mullenboy]

Very glad you enjoyed Torrey South!  In the end it is a pretty damn good golf course.  I like your 7 cow rating.  It's very tough - as you saw - the rough is just plain brutal all the time, and it must have been especially so this week and with all the rain - but it is beautiful and there is a lot of fun to be had there.  Architecture geeks rip it, but they tend to rip everything.  

 

The price still kills me though.  🙂

[Argonne69]

Friday, so had to stop for a bite to eat. Felix's BBQ with Soul in Oceanside. Probably more of a soul food place than a BBQ joint. The St Louis ribs were too lean. The tri tip was tender, but not a whole lot of flavor. The andouille sausage was OK. Beans were bland, but the red beans and rice, and mac and cheese were decent. Overly pricey because they don't offer meats by weight, so I had to cobble together an order from the various partial combos. They do get a thumbs up for presentation. Overall it was decent, but certainly not a must visit.