Arg's Travel Log

[DE-ILLINI]

15 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

It's never too late to have a happy childhood. One of my favorite sayings. Rather than slog through another soggy round on Friday, I bought a ticket for Disneyland. Always been a big fan, so I'll go spend the day soaking up fond childhood memories. I upgraded to include the Genie+ service, so hopefully it cuts out some of the waiting. 

 

Love it!  Enjoy.

[Looper34]

I'm curious to see if an Imperial Stout and some brisket can be had in Disneyland.

[Mullenboy]

Great idea!  Disneyland can be very fun.. if you have a patient attitude.  Thank the lord of all things that you got the Genie +.  The place would be unbearable without it.  Since you are solo (I assume).. watch for the single riders lines... those too will save you time and aggravation.

 

As for finding imperial stout and brisket... you have a decent chance at Calfornia Adventure and Downtown Disney.  The Disney app is great... do a search.

 

 

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable morning. Quite the workout. We got heavy rain again last night as a cold front blew through, but it was mostly sunny this morning despite the cooler temps. It was cart path only at a soggy Anaheim Hills. I thought I might get lucky with the pace hoping for some cancelations, but the early morning slowpokes were out in full force. Rather than plod along at a 4:30 pace, I skipped the 4th and 5th holes, and played through a courteous group on the 6th to enjoy an open course. They weren't kidding when they put hills in the course name. Longest 6100 yd course I've played in a while. Lol. 'Very nice piece of rolling terrain with some serious elevation changes, including a number of elevated tees and greens. Most of the course plays in the low areas between the hills, and while there are homes visible above, I wouldn't consider it a housing development course. Fairway bunkering was very light. Greenside a tad better. Water was minimal with only one forced carry on a par 3, but many of the native areas were red staked. Very nice collection of left/right holes, including the dogleg par 5 12th with a steep climb to the green. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee. Even though bunkering was light, the trees gave many holes a pinched feeling. A number of uphill teeshots went nowhere after landing in the soft fairways. Minor misses would catch the generous rough, but trees might block the approach. Big misses could get lucky on a few holes, but most would be gone in the junk. Approaches were also tough, primarily due to the elevation changes and soft conditions. Simply no running shots here. Also, a handful of greens were tiny. Greens were fairly benign. A bit of slope, and a couple with some tiering, but most were snoozers. Up and downs were mixed. Catch a good lie and it was straightforward. 

 

Par 3s were OK. Three were long, but had elevated tees, but not a ton of danger. The 7th had a forced carry over a stream. The three par 5s were meh. The dogleg 1st could be reached if you could hit a big draw on your 2nd, but no danger near the green. The 18th was also reachable, but again, no risk. The 12th was a tough hole due to the severe climb up to the green. The two short 4s were meh. 

 

Conditions were soft, wet, and shaggy. I can't imagine the fairways have seen a mower in nearly a week. Standing water in a few spots, but generally playable. Rough was spotty. Bunkers were washed out with puddles in most of them. Plenty of sand, though. Greens were soft, but rolling nicely. Probably 9 early, but closer to 10 as they started drying. 

 

Played the Blue tees at 6142 yds on the par 71 layout (70.7/123). As mentioned, felt 300 yds longer. Good day with the driver, but it was going nowhere. One birdie and seven bogies. Highlight of the day was a nice 8 iron on the par 3 7th to four feet to set up the birdie. Sure looked like it scared the hole. 

 

Going with 5 cows again. Nice looking course with more variety than Tustin Ranch, but the design still needs improvement. More bunkers, more water, and at least one risk/reward par 5. The greens really need some contouring. No complaints about the $65 weekday rate. No walking rate, as they seem to discourage walking, but at least they applied a little common sense today with the cart path only restriction. Much appreciated. Worth a play if you're looking for a round in the area. 

 

Edited February 8 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Anaheim Hills GC, Anaheim, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/u9woyduf96s1gbm7jqkym/h?rlkey=06d15f81j8tjlq577zgkx3r3n&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

The day got better with a stop at 1886 Brewing Company to meet with an old WRXer, @4waymiss. We last met for a beer in 2019 when I was in town on a golfing holiday. He hasn't been active for a while, and his contributions are missed. 

 

Not a big taplist at 1886, but their Belgian Strong Ale was very good. Their smashburger was excellent, but $17 burgers are getting crazy. 

 

 

 

[ode]

On 2/5/2024 at 7:30 PM, Argonne69 said:

If I can't find a taplist within 3 clicks I get a free beer, and I get to punch the website designer in the head. If it's more than 5 clicks I get to use a brick. 

So true.....I shake my head every time I go to a site only to try and figure out a puzzle....if the taplist isn't on the main page then it ought to be on the drop down menu OR there should be a very clear link on the main page that says TAPLIST.

[Argonne69]

9 hours ago, ode said:

So true.....I shake my head every time I go to a site only to try and figure out a puzzle....if the taplist isn't on the main page then it ought to be on the drop down menu OR there should be a very clear link on the main page that says TAPLIST.

 

Many breweries can and sell their beers in retail stores. You often click on the 'Our Beers' link, and wind up on a page showing every can of beer they offer, but no idea if they're available in their taproom.

 

Also, some make it impossible to tell what type of beer it is. I enjoy beers with funky names, but 'Farting Dragon' doesn't quite tell me if it's a west coast IPA, or a Mexican lager. Don't know why it's so difficult to list the name, type, ABV, and a brief description if they beer has some unique characteristic.

 

Lastly, shocked that there are still web designers who can't figure out how to design a site for a smartphone.

 

[Argonne69]

 

[Argonne69]

It's a magical day. Lol. Having a great time. The Genie+ service and single rider lines have helped cut some of the wait times. Unfortunately the Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride isn't included in the Genie+ service.

 

I'm glad I didn't purchase a ticket to the California park. At the rate I'm going I'll probably miss a handful of attractions in the main park. 

 

Currently standing in line with an estimated 1 hour wait. Ugh. They do offer a Fast Lane ala carte option for $26, but I'll take a pass. I need a short break anyway after the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run motion ride. My brain doesn't deal with these types of rides like it used to. 

 

 

 

[DE-ILLINI]

Wow.  Looks like fun.  I have not been to Disney since they opened the Star Wars attractions.  I would like to go check those out some day.

 

[Argonne69]

Ugh. The attractions are temporarily closed. Apparently there was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake while I was riding Pirates of the Caribbean. No idea when things will reopen. 

 

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Ugh. The attractions are temporarily closed. Apparently there was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake while I was riding Pirates of the Caribbean. No idea when things will reopen. 

 

 

Thankfully the stop was brief at 15 to 20 minutes. 

 

Running out of gas. Lol. Grabbed a decent slice of pizza to put some fuel in the tank. Lines are long at 20 to 50 minutes, and the Lightning Lane spots are basically taken. Might try a few more rides, but might call it a day. The ol back can't handle standing for 40 minutes. 

 

[Argonne69]

Long day, but I'm glad I went. Tons of memories, and a nice change of pace from a soggy golf course. I rode more rides than expected, but still only scratched the surface. The park is actually quite small, but they jam a lot into it. One could easily spend days there. Didn't eat in any restaurants, see any shows, shop for souvenirs, and skipped at least a dozen rides. Still, I managed to hit the major attractions except for the Haunted Mansion which was closed for renovation. I believe I rode 20 rides. 

 

The Genie+ Service is very useful, but times became unavailable late in the day. The key is to hit the major attractions early, and then pick and choose the ones that don't have Lightning Lanes. 

 

Tough to pick a favorite. Space Mountain was a blast, as was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Matterhorn Bobsleds. The Indiana Jones Adventure was fun, as was the new Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. 

 

Can't go wrong with a few of the older rides for nostalgia sake, including the Monorail, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and It's a Small World. Hope that last one doesn't get stuck in my head tonight. Lol. 

 

I was impressed by the parking garage and tram service. I expected to spend an hour trying to get out of the park, but it was rather smooth. 

 

Overall Disney's attention to detail is fantastic. Even standing in line for an hour at the Star Wars attraction was entertaining with bits and pieces of resistence gear scattered about. Could have used a few more benches for us old geezers with bad knees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vyech7xi4rzqs7vaixf1u/h?rlkey=xlo0zmnbramz255c5qpyoytbg&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Sitting in Bessie enjoying a Revolution Brewing Cafe Deth, one of my favorite barrel aged imperial stouts. Eyes are barely open. 

 

I tried booking golf for early next week when I'm in Playa Del Rey, and it's not looking good. I checked with a few local courses, and the only tee times are mid afternoon. That's for Monday through Wednesday. Oy. Fired up the GolfNow app to see what's available, and nearly fell out of my recliner. Thankfully I played the course on a previous trip to LA. 

 

 

[Mullenboy]

Glad you enjoyed Disneyland!  I grew up in SoCal, now live in San Jose.... Disneyland has always been a big part of my lire.  I love the place, as do my wife and kids.  We go 2-3 times per year.  In any case you did it all right!  It's very tough to do both parks in one day.  I had only suggested you might go to California Adventure to find some imperial stout.  🙂

 

Re Trump LA.. .good lord, stay away.  It's a strange golf course as you know.... and only for those with absolutely no money thoughts is it worth that those stupid prices.

 

Sadly you are in a wasteland of public golf... as soon as you can, get out to Rustic Canyon.  You'll fight for a tee time there also but once you have it you'll love it.

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Mullenboy said:

Glad you enjoyed Disneyland!  I grew up in SoCal, now live in San Jose.... Disneyland has always been a big part of my lire.  I love the place, as do my wife and kids.  We go 2-3 times per year.  In any case you did it all right!  It's very tough to do both parks in one day.  I had only suggested you might go to California Adventure to find some imperial stout.  🙂

 

Re Trump LA.. .good lord, stay away.  It's a strange golf course as you know.... and only for those with absolutely no money thoughts is it worth that those stupid prices.

 

Sadly you are in a wasteland of public golf... as soon as you can, get out to Rustic Canyon.  You'll fight for a tee time there also but once you have it you'll love it.

 

I played Rustic back in 2019. Not sure if I'll hit it again on this trip. When I'm up in the area in two weeks I'll be looking at Los Robles, Moorpark CC, Griffith Park Wilson, Encino, Griffith Park Harding, DeBell, and Hansen Dam. 

 

Standing here at Coyote Hills. Being a Saturday, I couldn't get an early tee time. I showed up early hoping for a no-show, but it's been solid foursomes since I arrived. Going to be a slow round, and it'll be made worse by the fact that they told me that I could walk, but then when I got here I'm told it's mandatory cart. Grrr. 

 

[mci711]

2 hours ago, Mullenboy said:

Glad you enjoyed Disneyland!  I grew up in SoCal, now live in San Jose.... Disneyland has always been a big part of my lire.  I love the place, as do my wife and kids.  We go 2-3 times per year.  In any case you did it all right!  It's very tough to do both parks in one day.  I had only suggested you might go to California Adventure to find some imperial stout.  🙂

 

Re Trump LA.. .good lord, stay away.  It's a strange golf course as you know.... and only for those with absolutely no money thoughts is it worth that those stupid prices.

 

Sadly you are in a wasteland of public golf... as soon as you can, get out to Rustic Canyon.  You'll fight for a tee time there also but once you have it you'll love it.

 

Played Trump LA 5-6 years ago. 36 for like $350 total and didn't think even that was worth it. There are a couple of good holes around the middle of the course (10-12 maybe?) the rest of the course feels like playing the same hole over and over again. 

 

Arg, may have missed it, I've been slacking on my forum reading. Have you done Pelican Hill? It isn't great, but 2 pretty decent options. 

 

Holy moly, I just looked at their tee sheet Almost $600 😂. I don't mind paying for golf, but that is outrageous. 

[Mullenboy]

"I played Rustic back in 2019. Not sure if I'll hit it again on this trip. When I'm up in the area in two weeks I'll be looking at Los Robles, Moorpark CC, Griffith Park Wilson, Encino, Griffith Park Harding, DeBell, and Hansen Dam. "

 

Every one of those will be a massive pain in the a** tee time-wise.  And if any gets over four cows I will be quite surprised.  That being said... that's what's there!    Out of all of them I find DeBell the most fun... it is short and weird and quirky as hell.  For those with a sense of humor, it is great fun.  You didn't mention Balboa or Wilson... I assume you've played each?  Each are about the same quality-wise as their counterparts.  

 

If you are all the way up to Moorpark... you gotta keep going north and play Olivas Links and Soule Park... and Ojai if you want to splurge.... 

 

But I figure you have these all planned or have been to them already... right?

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, mci711 said:

 

Arg, may have missed it, I've been slacking on my forum reading. Have you done Pelican Hill? It isn't great, but 2 pretty decent options. 

 

Holy moly, I just looked at their tee sheet Almost $600 😂. I don't mind paying for golf, but that is outrageous. 

 

Yeah, I played Pelican Hill on my first visit to SoCal. Had a great time, and it was a lot cheaper back then. Played behind Mark Wahlberg in the morning round. 

 

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Mullenboy said:

"I played Rustic back in 2019. Not sure if I'll hit it again on this trip. When I'm up in the area in two weeks I'll be looking at Los Robles, Moorpark CC, Griffith Park Wilson, Encino, Griffith Park Harding, DeBell, and Hansen Dam. "

 

Every one of those will be a massive pain in the a** tee time-wise.  And if any gets over four cows I will be quite surprised.  That being said... that's what's there!    Out of all of them I find DeBell the most fun... it is short and weird and quirky as hell.  For those with a sense of humor, it is great fun.  You didn't mention Balboa or Wilson... I assume you've played each?  Each are about the same quality-wise as their counterparts.  

 

If you are all the way up to Moorpark... you gotta keep going north and play Olivas Links and Soule Park... and Ojai if you want to splurge.... 

 

But I figure you have these all planned or have been to them already... right?

 

I played OL back in 2019. I have Soule on my list for this trip when I'm in Ventura for a 4 days. 

 

I'll add Balboa to the list. 

 

Is Wilson Griffith Park? 

 

Edited February 10 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Oy. Lol. I don't know how some of you do it. The Coyote Hills starter was telling how their 12 minute tee times help keep the pace moving. 4:40 is moving, if you're a snail. Beautiful day nonetheless with some nice views of the snow capped mountains and downtown LA off in the distance. The mountains got 5 feet of snow during the recent rains. Very nice piece of hilly terrain with more than a few nice elevated tees. Coyote Hills was designed by Payne Stewart. Seems he knew a bit about bunkering. Very nice. I saw a handful of homes up on the hills above a few holes, but I wouldn't consider it a housing development course. Water in play on 7 holes, but four of those are a small stream that crosses four of them. A couple of sweepers didn't quite do it for me, but in this case there was enough variety in the holes. Don't recall ever playing a course with numerous active oil wells on property. 

 

Don't say it often, but it was fairly difficult off the tee. Fairways weren't overly generous, and the mounding seem to kick balls into trouble instead of back into play. Numerous forced carries definitely came into play. The rough wasn't overly generous, so minor misses could be trouble. Big misses were gone in the thick junk. There were a couple of adjacent holes, so one could get lucky in theory. Approaches were also tough. Soft greens made it a wee bit easier, but the combination of bunkering, elevation changes, creeks, and tucked pins made for a bit of stress. Greens had some decent slope, much of it hidden to the eye. Contouring was moderate. As such, putting required some attention. Up and downs were tough due to a combination of spotty turf and funky lies. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Nice mix of lengths with a decent amount of trouble. Three had nice views from the elevated tees, especially the 8th. The two par 5s were OK. Two were reachable, but only the 15th had risk with the creek in play. Short 4s were meh. 

 

Conditions were spotty. It was 90 degrees for most of the day, but a few holes on the back were CPO. Fairways were a bit of a mess with very thin turf. Could see the dirt on many lies. Rough was patchy. Bunkers were washed out for the most part, but there were a couple that weren't horrible. Greens were very nice. Soft, but rolling decently. Speed was 9 early, and closer to 10 after drying out a bit. 

 

Played a Gold/Black combo at 6215 yds on the par 70 layout (70.5/130). Decent day with the driver, but the woods and irons were spotty at best. Couldn't make a putt to save my life. Ten bogies. Highlight of the day was probably the views on the front nine. Lol. Golfwise it was a train wreck. 

 

I'll be nice and go with 6 cows. Great looking course with plenty of tough holes. Bummer that there is only two par 5s. Needs a good short par 4, and a few more buried elephants in the greens. The no walking policy really ticked me off given that I was told I could walk. Similar to Anaheim Hills, it would have been a workout, but we were waiting on most shots anyway. The $140 rate was high, even for a weekend. Can't say it's a must play, but it seems to be one of the better courses in the area. 

 

Edited February 10 by Argonne69

[imkirby34]

I couldn't resist when I saw it.  Saving it for tomorrow.

 

 

[Argonne69]

Coyote Hills GC, Fullerton, CA

 

Very rough opening tee shot from the tips 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dsegrcs4b40iq78r9a2oz/h?rlkey=40grgo8hqcgtytvjnv4411ybb&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Monkish Brewing. 18 taps. Enjoying the Belgian Tripel with Hibiscus. 

 

 

The Hiddenness, a blend of imperial stouts aged in Willett Rye Whiskey barrels for 38 & 43 months with vanilla beans (16.0% ABV) is very good. 

 

Edited February 10 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Well, that was disappointing. For starters, they bring out chips and hot sauce. Had to ask for proper salsa. Also, who puts sour cream on mole? Yuck. Three Roots Mexican Cocina in Santa Ana. The reviews and photos on Google Maps looked good, so I headed down to the restaurant. Pull into a mall parking lot, and think to myself, uh oh. Been to a mall recently? Looks like they could film the next Mad Max movie here. It was getting late in the afternoon, so I gave it a chance. Not terrible, but not very good. Instead of a thick, dark brown mole, it was watery and light brown. Very little flavor. Only positive was that the black beans and white rice were much better than the standard refried beans and Spanish rice. Skip it. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

A little good news. I was able to snag an early morning tee time on Monday at Chester Washington. Los Verdes and Rancho Park are both booked solid until mid afternoon. Hope there's a cancelation in the next two days. Rancho has a tournament on Tuesday morning, so it looks like Wednesday is my only shot. 

 

Edited February 11 by Argonne69

[st1800e]

Hi, thanks for doing this and posting about it. Not a trek many of us would do, but vicarious travel is good for the soul.  

[Argonne69]

Short drive today to Dockweiler Beach in Playa Del Ray. They don't allow check in until 1 pm, and I got booted out of my previous RV park at 11 am, so I had time to kill. Stopped at Walmart for groceries. Ugh. Maneuvering Bessie around a crowded parking lot is no fun. I parked in the back so I'd have room to maneuver, but some idiot still tried parking directly in front of me until I hopped out and asked him nicely to park in one of the 200 other available spots. 

 

My spot at the RV park is right on the beach facing the ocean. Well, I thought I'd see the ocean since I paid extra for the front row. However, for some reason they built a 10 foot tall sand dune in front of the entire RV park. Pfffttt. If I look south I can see some water a few hundred yards away. 

 

Plenty of noise from the planes departing LAX. I've had worse, so I'm sure I'll tune it out. 

 

Chesterfield Washington GC tomorrow. Still haven't found a local round for Tuesday or Wednesday. 

 

Edit : I was able to book an early morning round at Los Verdes tomorrow, so I moved Chester Washington to Tuesday. No luck at Rancho Park. 

 

 

Lovely view. 

 

 

 

Edited February 11 by Argonne69

[imkirby34]

On 2/10/2024 at 3:06 PM, imkirby34 said:

I couldn't resist when I saw it.  Saving it for tomorrow.

 

 

 

@Argonne69  It was quite good and this is coming from an IPA guy.  I think I "turned the corner" while on the trip to Ireland last year when I had Guinness just about every day.    LOL.