Arg's Travel Log

[stevopagolf]

16 hours ago, caniac6 said:

Did you drop in on Jim Nantz, and play his backyard hole?

I think Nance sold that house and lives in Tennessee?

[slocalifglfr]

"Luckily the Moon was in view behind the green, and I managed to gouge an 8 iron that made it to the front fringe. First time ever playing where I used the Moon for an aim point. "

 

That is so cool! Nice of the moon to be there for you. 

[eboettne]

So pumped you got a bluebird day at Pebble Arg! I had a pretty strong marine layer when I teed off but it opened up for the ocean stretch then, as if intentionally, filled back in after I walked off 10's green and opened up enough on 17 and 18 to see the ocean.  That course is so incredible, as good as those pictures are they don't convey the scale of holes 6-8.  I ran out of breath just reading you had to walk up to get a line and walk back down again.  If I had to play a 3 hole stretch on repeat, that's a runaway winner. 

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, eboettne said:

So pumped you got a bluebird day at Pebble Arg! I had a pretty strong marine layer when I teed off but it opened up for the ocean stretch then, as if intentionally, filled back in after I walked off 10's green and opened up enough on 17 and 18 to see the ocean.  That course is so incredible, as good as those pictures are they don't convey the scale of holes 6-8.  I ran out of breath just reading you had to walk up to get a line and walk back down again.  If I had to play a 3 hole stretch on repeat, that's a runaway winner. 

 

Thankfully I had enough sense to leave my bag near my ball when I hiked up the 6th to take a peak at the green. Lol. 

 

I'm surprised that I didn't take a photo of the moon hanging above the sea of rough looking towards the green and the ocean. 

 

[Argonne69]

Gorgeous morning again. After yesterday's fantastic day I knew I would be in for a letdown. I guess that's what makes days like that so special, they're few and far between. Should have been a pleasant morning at Bayonet, but unfortunately I wound up playing hop scotch with two jet blowers for most of the round. I thought leaf blowers were annoying, but listening to and waiting on dryers in the worst. I have no issue with mowers, as we don't want shaggy fairways, but I don't understand the need to clear away a few clumps of grass clippings. If a course is going to do it, why not start at 18 and work backwards so every group gets to deal with them for just a couple of holes? I finally got far enough ahead of them, but when I crossed the entrance road to the 17th teebox I was greeted by the sound of construction equipment and their pleasant sounding backup beepers. Ugh. Not quite the peaceful morning I expected. Lol. 

 

Anyway, Bayonet today. Not as good as its sister course Black Horse. Similar terrain, but a few too many straight holes, and the new homes lining the holes on the front 9 don't add to the experience. The back nine remains undeveloped for now, and had a few more interesting holes. Nice rolling terrain with a few elevated tees and greens. No water in play. Fairway bunkering was OK. Greenside was very good. Four holes with a left/right movement, three of which were on the back, which gave the front the feeling of yet another housing development course. 

 

Not terribly difficult off the tee. A few holes had overhanging trees in play for someone hitting a draw. Minor misses would catch the generous rough. Big misses on the front would be OB in a backyard. The back had more room with plenty of adjacent holes. Approaches were tough, as the green complexes were well guarded. Many were elevated. Greens had moderate contouring and slope, so putting was less than easy. Miss in the right spot and up and downs were doable. However, there were plenty of places that presented tough shots. 

 

Par 3s were fairly benign. Thought Black Horse's were better. Variety was poor with all four playing at mid iron length. 5s were no better. Nothing reachable, and not much danger. The 8th was tough only because it was long. Other than the dogleg 12th, the short 4s were boring. The 12th had solid bunkering to dissuade one from trying to drive the green. 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways were freshly cut. Rough was thick and at a good height. The vast majority of the bunkers were very good. A couple could use a truckload of sand. Greens looked and rolled fine. Speed was probably 10. 

 

Played the Blue/White combo at 6218 yds (70.7/133). On and off day with the driver. Just when I thought I'd cured the low lefts, they reared their ugly head a couple of times. Irons and wedges were well behaved. Couldn't buy a birdie putt, though. Six bogies. Highlight of the round was the pleasant conversation I had in the parking lot after the round with the single who was ahead of me. He got a laugh out of my golf ball collection, taking a couple of sleeves from it, and we talked about the area courses, my day at Pebble yesterday, and my life on the road. Pity that I never caught him, as we would have likely had a great time playing together. 

 

Going with 5 cows here. Barely. One lower than Black Horse, but the design just didn't get me excited. The housing didn't help. Hard to follow Pebble Beach, but I think I'm being fair. Nice piece of property that could use a handful of design tweaks. The $79 weekday walking rate was fine. Playable, but can't say this one is a must play. I'd go with Black Horse. 

 

[Argonne69]

Bayonet GC, Seaside, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bobd0uam5ojnmo8fy5jbn/ANBmB3ND18CtMDAH1MhiSL8?rlkey=7xechgih037n1i85salkq0sv2&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Had a little time to kill before heading into Carmel-by-the-Sea for dinner, so I made a brief stop at Point Lobos State Reserve. Nice cove, and beautiful views of Carmel Bay and Pebble Beach off in the distance. Seems like a nice place to spend some time hiking the rugged coastline. 

 

 

 

 

Pebble Beach #7 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9r4s7n8deftrh6rmikuzg/ALwFd4jW-FkzGE0ko2xzLvE?rlkey=wfhg8dgxtkpywj27y16yd5urc&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. It's official. I am definitely not a foodie. It's amazing how each of us value the non-essentials in life. $425 for a round of golf? A bargain! Don't recall ever paying $9 for bread in a restaurant. Suffering a little sticker shock at the moment, but I'm sticking with it. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 2 by Argonne69

[Dancin]

I'm actually surprised more restaurants haven't started charging for bread separately. That is pretty piss poor bread/butter for $9

[Argonne69]

1 minute ago, Dancin said:

I'm actually surprised more restaurants haven't started charging for bread separately. That is pretty piss poor bread/butter for $9

 

I could see $2 or $3 to offset the cost, but when you're dropping close to $100 for a single, it's a little whaaaat? 

 

[DArnie]

28 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I could see $2 or $3 to offset the cost, but when you're dropping close to $100 for a single, it's a little whaaaat? 

 

Yeah, that $20/hr. minimum food service wage will do that. Hate to be a Restaurant owner in Cali. nowadays. 🤠

[Argonne69]

OK, on to the appetizer and main course. The au gratin spinach gnocchi was very tasty. A full portion isn't on the menu, but is available. Glad I got the half order and went with their signature cannelloni. Very good with a wonderful tomato sauce and tender braised beef filling. 

 

 

 

 

Still hungry, but I'm going to reluctantly take a pass on the $14 slice of cheesecake. 🙃

 

[Double Mocha Man]

49 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

OK, on to the appetizer and main course. The au gratin spinach gnocchi was very tasty. A full portion isn't on the menu, but is available. Glad I got the half order and went with their signature cannelloni. Very good with a wonderful tomato sauce and tender braised beef filling. 

 

 

 

 

Still hungry, but I'm going to reluctantly take a pass on the $14 slice of cheesecake. 🙃

 

 

Yum! You did well for 109 bucks, plus tax, plus tip. And not a brisket in sight. 

[Argonne69]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Yum! You did well for 109 bucks, plus tax, plus tip. And not a brisket in sight. 

 

The food was very tasty, but portion size was a wee bit light. 

 

I stopped for groceries today, and a fresh cheese Danish is whispering to me right now sitting inside Bessie. Lol. 

 

[tad950]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Lol. It's official. I am definitely not a foodie. It's amazing how each of us value the non-essentials in life. $425 for a round of golf? A bargain! Don't recall ever paying $9 for bread in a restaurant. Suffering a little sticker shock at the moment, but I'm sticking with it. 

 

 

 

 

I thought you were just being a whiner……until I scrolled down to the pics. 😳. For that price the presentation could/should have been way better.

Edited April 3 by tad950
Add comments.

[Murphy76]

Arg- 

 

Another question or two:  

 

1.  Do you socialize much with your fellow RV community at the campgrounds?  i.e. ever go to a chili cook-off?

 

2.  Do you share your lifestyle and blog/posts/journey (i.e. golfing from place-to-place) with any club pros / masters-of-tee-times?  Does that help you get on anywhere? 

 

3.  How filthy is Bessie?

 

I Love your work.

Thanks!

  

Edited April 3 by Murphy76

[islesmb]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Lol. It's official. I am definitely not a foodie. It's amazing how each of us value the non-essentials in life. $425 for a round of golf? A bargain! Don't recall ever paying $9 for bread in a restaurant. Suffering a little sticker shock at the moment, but I'm sticking with it. 

 

 

 

 

I love me some escargot, but for $28 I think I’ll pass lol.😂 

[Bargegolf]

6 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Had a little time to kill before heading into Carmel-by-the-Sea for dinner, so I made a brief stop at Point Lobos State Reserve. Nice cove, and beautiful views of Carmel Bay and Pebble Beach off in the distance. Seems like a nice place to spend some time hiking the rugged coastline. 

 

 

 

 

Pebble Beach #7 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9r4s7n8deftrh6rmikuzg/ALwFd4jW-FkzGE0ko2xzLvE?rlkey=wfhg8dgxtkpywj27y16yd5urc&dl=0

 

 

Your Pebble posts bring back great memories from 2008 when we played Pebble, Spyglass and Poppy hills. We had a memorable picnic in the State Park.🎉😎🥳

 

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, Murphy76 said:

Arg- 

 

Another question or two:  

 

1.  Do you socialize much with your fellow RV community at the campgrounds?  i.e. ever go to a chili cook-off?

 

2.  Do you share your lifestyle and blog/posts/journey (i.e. golfing from place-to-place) with any club pros / masters-of-tee-times?  Does that help you get on anywhere? 

 

3.  How filthy is Bessie?

 

I Love your work.

Thanks!

  

 

I don't hang out with my neighbors, but I'll chat with them if they're outside. Met some very nice people, and most have interesting RV stories. Folks range from occasional campers to full-timers. I attended a Super Bowl party at an RV park back in 2023, but otherwise I haven't done any big social events. My schedule is really not conducive to hanging out. Most days I'm out before sunrise. When I get back to the park in the early afternoon most of my neighbors are out sightseeing. I don't hang around outside in the evening, or cook outside, so opportunities to chat are limited. Lastly, many RV parks are fairly empty during the week. They start to fill up on Friday afternoon with the weekend RVers.

 

I've chatted with starters, pro shop staffer, and pros at the courses about my travels, but it's only gotten me one discounted round. Lol. 

 

Bessie's exterior could use a wash, but the heavy rains actually do a good job of keeping a lot of the dirt off. The interior is pretty clean, although it is rather cluttered. There's not enough interior storage for larger items, so they're sitting on the 2nd recliner or booth seat, e.g. toaster oven, induction cook top.

 

I sweep and mop the floor regularly, as coming and going drags a lot of dirt into her. Most RV parks have plenty of gravel and dirt, so your shoes bring in plenty. I generally kick my shoes off near the door, but on occasion I have to walk to the control panel in her center section and I'll leave them on. 

 

Edited April 3 by Argonne69

[Mullenboy]

My friend, Casanova is  CHEAP for higher-level CA restaurants... and sadly charging for bread is normal these days.  Do not go to others - the sticker shock will send you into fits of apoplexy.  🙂

 

So it goes in our great state.  I guess we are used to it.  Or at least my wife is.  😉

 

No golf today?  

[jjr]

14 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

The food was very tasty, but portion size was a wee bit light. 

 

I stopped for groceries today, and a fresh cheese Danish is whispering to me right now sitting inside Bessie. Lol. 

 

Apologies, I forgot to mention, you're supposed to consume a half of loaf of French bread in Bessie prior to going out to dinner in Carmel.

[Argonne69]

44 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

My friend, Casanova is  CHEAP for higher-level CA restaurants... and sadly charging for bread is normal these days.  Do not go to others - the sticker shock will send you into fits of apoplexy.  🙂

 

So it goes in our great state.  I guess we are used to it.  Or at least my wife is.  😉

 

No golf today?  

 

Just hit my approach on the par 5 12th at Pacific Grove. Nice back nine. 

 

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable morning, but the perfect weather was replaced by cloudy skies. No rain, so it wasn't half bad. Didn't do much for the photos, though. Pacific Grove Golf Links today. I knew it was an odd layout, so it didn't surprise. The front nine is an out and back layout wedged between houses. Fairly boring, flat parkland layout with plenty of trees, but very little bunkering. The back nine sits on the ocean with rolling sand hills and few trees. A little more elevation change, but you won't lose your breath hiking those hills. Some refer to it as the poor man's Pebble Beach, but wow, that's a real stretch. I might go with the poor man's Spanish Bay. Nice views of the water, but the holes are mundane. Bunkering on the back is also light. Water in play on just one hole, the par 3 17th. Only three holes with any significant left/right movement. The oddity started on the first hole. Only course I've ever played that started with two par 3s. Lol. 

 

Very easy off the tee with generous fairways and light bunkering. Minor misses would catch the generous rough. Big misses in the right direction on the front would find the adjacent fairways. The other way was OB. The back was a lot more generous, but there were more native areas that could eat a wayward shot. Approaches were easy as I've seen. Greens at fairway height with light bunkering. Greens has very little contouring or slope, so putting was about as stress free as one can get. Up and downs were straightforward. 

 

The five par 3s were snoozers. Other than the pond on the 17th there was no trouble. Length mixed were good with yardages ranging from 109 yds to 218 yds. The three par 5s were also boring. The pair on the front weren't reachable. The dogleg 12th was interesting. As my playing partner demonstrated, it could be reached in two by hitting a blind tee shot into the 13th fairway. The course really needs to put internal OB on the right side to prevent this as it's fairly dangerous. The six short 4s were all meh. The 3rd was somewhat interesting because you still had to give your drive a good poke to have a view of the green. Or you could just bomb one over the trees on the corner like my playing partner did. Lol. 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways were in nice shape. Rough was consistent. I didn't find a bunker, but they looked OK. Greens were decent, but speed was on the slow side at 9. 

 

Played the Blue tees (tips) at 5727 yds on the par 70 layout (68.1/116). Solid day ballstriking, and good wedge work for the handful of missed greens. Putter was cool on the sluggish green. Four bogies.

 

Highlight of the round was my young playing partner. I cried when I heard his sad, sad story. He's a freshman on his high school's golf team in Long Beach, and his team is in Monterey for some practice rounds for an upcoming tournament. So why is he out playing solo? There are eight players on the team, and seven were playing at Cypress Point. Holy... I asked him why he was not with them, and he told me that there were only two foresomes, and his coach grabbed the 8th spot. Damn him to hell. Lol. He said he was the only freshman on the team, so he'll get to play it next year. That's the spirit. Wonderful young man with a solid game. Drove it a mile, and solid iron play. Short game needs work, but hey, he's young. We had plenty to talk about, as he was quite interested in my journey and the courses I've played over the years. Talked about career choices to retiring early. He said that he wanted to rent an RV after graduation and do a summer golf road trip before starting college. Never got boring. 

 

Sadly, I have to go with 3 cows here. Sorry, but it's not the poor man's Pebble Beach. Boring course with only halfway decent views of the ocean. With some effort it could be made into a hidden gem, but it would require a lot of money and a few bulldozers. The $64 weekday walking rate was fine. Can't say I'd recommend it unless you really want to say you've played an oceanside course. 

 

Edited April 3 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Pacific Grove Golf Links, Pacific Grove, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9knxq07feqpsxde2pkws0/AIJRDxVFNvSbiL3x_SQ6kRk?rlkey=psk66xrjdxq6mbujqaok19d0g&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Stopped in Cannery Row to (hopefully) pick up a polo shirt at the Pebble Beach Outlet Shop. I couldn't find anything decent at Pebble Beach on Monday, and the only shirt that was halfway decent was a FootJoy polo for $135. Yeah, like $9 bread, a $135 polo just wasn't in the cards. Lol. Found a decent polo for $40. 

 

Traffic near Cannery Row was awful. They have a few streets closed for repaving, and it took me 15 minutes to get out of the area. 

 

 

Stopped at Fieldwork again for another pour of their Crowded Lonely Night Belgian quad. Picked one up for the road. 

 

 

Unfortunately my next stop is at a dermatologist in Monterey. Last week I discovered a nasty looking mole on my scalp. No idea how I developed a mole on the top of my head when I where a hat anytime I'm outside, and apply a healthy dose of 50+ SPF sunblock before I leave in the morning. Hopefully it's nothing, but it's been 2 years since I saw a dermatologist, so I'm due for a checkup in any case. Spending hours on a golf course five days a week takes its toll on your skin. According to my old dermatologist, I have a 400% increased chance of skin cancer, so I don't mess around when anything looks out of the ordinary. 

 

Edited April 3 by Argonne69

[Mullenboy]

I completely agree with you about PG Muni.  You nailed it.  12 is a great golf hole.  And there typically is (or always has been) internal OB on the right side preventing what your young friend suggested.  Was it not there today?  In the end, well... "Sorry, but it's not the poor man's Pebble Beach."  I've been saying that for years as others wax poetic about it.  3 cows is right on.

 

It's worth a play for visitors, for sure.  And as a relative local, I play it typically once or twice a year... when I can get a good price (golfnow).  But it is far from a great golf course nor anything all that special.

 

Cannery Row is an absolute tourist trap, as you saw.  But what he hell... when in Rome.  🙂

 

 

Edited April 3 by Mullenboy

[Argonne69]

10 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

I completely agree with you about PG Muni.  You nailed it.  12 is a great golf hole.  And there typically is (or always has been) internal OB on the right side preventing what your young friend suggested.  Was it not there today?  In the end, well... "Sorry, but it's not the poor man's Pebble Beach."  I've been saying that for years as others wax poetic about it.  3 cows is right on.

 

It's worth a play for visitors, for sure.  And as a relative local, I play it typically once or twice a year... when I can get a good price (golfnow).  

 

Cannery Row is an absolute tourist trap, as you saw.  But what he hell... when in Rome.  🙂

 

 

Didn't pay attention to the (internal) OB stakes on #12. It's possible they were there, but as usual I hit my patented low draw, so I was on the outside of the dogleg. 

 

Yeah, I visited Cannery Row back in 2017. Total tourist trap. Luckily I found a short term parking spot and was able to quickly run into the Pebble Beach Outlet. 

 

[caniac6]

If I was that kid, I’d be looking for a different school. A coach should never take an opportunity away from one of his players.

[Mullenboy]

21 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Didn't pay attention to the (internal) OB stakes on #12. It's possible they were there, but as usual I hit my patented low draw, so I was on the outside of the dogleg. 

 

Yeah, I visited Cannery Row back in 2017. Total tourist trap. Luckily I found a short term parking spot and was able to quickly run into the Pebble Beach Outlet. 

 

They've had those stakes there on 12 forever.  Methinks your young friend just wanted to ignore them.  🙂

 

And regarding the coach playing at Cypress, well... I am a high school golf coach.  I want to know who that team is.  I sure as hell have no chance of making that happen for my guys.  In any case, strong chance the host for this - or the club - required an adult to go with them.  

[Argonne69]

17 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

They've had those stakes there on 12 forever.  Methinks your young friend just wanted to ignore them.  🙂

 

And regarding the coach playing at Cypress, well... I am a high school golf coach.  I want to know who that team is.  I sure as hell have no chance of making that happen for my guys.  In any case, strong chance the host for this - or the club - required an adult to go with them.  

 

The coach could always caddie, no? Lol.