Golf chatter

Don't tear down unless you can rebuild ...

So, let's actually try to talk golf.

What are some of your fave Vegas courses, and why?

Where haven't you played in Vegas you'd like to play?

Vegas is one small corner of the golf cosmos, tell us about your at-home play (and where home is), where you like to play on vacation?

What did you think of the U.S. Open at Chambers?

Any new sticks in the bag or are you looking for some new stuff?

Favorite Vegas Courses that I have played:
* Paiute
* Wolf Creek
* Tuscany

Vegas Bucket List of Courses:
* Reflection Bay
* Wynn $$$

Home Courses:
* I live southwest of Chicago and my "home course" for golf league is Broken Arrow
* Broken Arrow has three 9 hole courses - one with both red and blue flags
* I rate Broken Arrow slightly above average
* Around here I also like Old Oak, Cog Hill, Sanctuary, and Ruffled Feathers
* I did a guys trip to Galena, IL a few weeks back and "the general" at Eagle Ridge was amazing

Where do I like to play on Vacation:
* My favorite is Scotland - but I love to golf everywhere I travel

US Open thoughts:
* Wow - what a great choice of a golf course and what challenge
* On the 1st day I though scores would be much higher
* I liked the Fox Sports coverage

New Sticks:
* Nothing new this year - I am investing in lessons instead
* I am making progress as my handicap has dropped from 28 to 22 over the course of this season

My views on Vegas golf are rather self-evident. I might rank thinks a bit differently now given a closure here or a new opening there, and of the latter most notably Coyote Springs and Conestoga up in Mesquite. Looks like I'll head to Vegas in August -- oh joy, heat -- for the PGA show and to kick the tires on a few places I've not been in a while, including Primm and Cascata.

I also loved the Open and the venue. Anything that's get so many spoiled millionaires whining that doesn't involve taxation is a joy to behold. I did feel for the spectators and that's the one area where the USGA blundered, and the org knows it. It's a hard enough course to walk using fairway centerlines (not that I'm personally there much). Scampering around like billy goats -- where the ropes allowed -- would've been a drag. But golf always is better on TV anyway. I look forward to the tweaks they'l make and some day having the big one back at one of my fave courses in the land. Put it on your lists, boys and girls.

The Pings still are in the bag though before the year is out I'm going to add a set of the new Nike Vapor Pro Combos. Presently playing last year's Bridgestone driver and loving it. And I have one of the new Cobras I like to dent from time to time. Just traded my several-year Cleveland gamer to a friend for two bottles of Pinot. My game is about where it usually is, hovering around a 13 and playing to form because no matter how many birdies I get in a round there always are many "others" to be found.

Going off to eastern Washington -- if it's not all on fire -- and the panhandle soon for a golf excursion and hope to swing through Bend or Bandon on the way to add a few more rounds. Just had the gang from down south here for rounds at Sandpiper, the club, La Purisima and Rancho San Marcos. We fought the course and the course won. lol The wine it did flow, however.

I haven't golfed Vegas very much, but I did have the pleasure of golfing Piaute Wolf and I really enjoyed that. I have had the pleasure of golfing at Laughlin Ranch and this was a superb course! I suspect, if Laughlin Ranch was situated somewhere in Arizona, it would charge out at 2 to 3 times the amount.

lol. Laughlin Ranch is in Arizona. I've played LR a good half dozen times, always loved it. But haven't been there in eons. And I've always touted Paiute.

Speaking of golf ... I just booked my upcoming five rounds in Bandon! Then after that I'm off to Wine Valley, Gamble Sands and Palouse Ridge in WA, and CdL Resort and Circling Raven in the panhandle. On the way home I'll probably hit Pronghorn and either Brasada or Crosswater in Bend. Oh, hell, and maybe Running Y in K Falls since I'll be going right through there, too.

Just played Connestoga today. Beautiful and challenging. If you aren't careful, the arroyos will eat your balls. Played to my handicap (high) and one of the other players had to buy the beer at the end of the round.

Favorite LV Courses Primm Valley
Paiute
Legacy
I like both Primm and the Paiute for the beauty, the quality of the courses an no
houses! The Legacy as the first nice course I played in LV. It's also one of my
buddy's favs, so I play there a lot.

Seattle Resident
Fav Local Courses Lake Spanaway
West Seattle
Trophy Lake
The first two are munis, tough and great values. Trophy Lake was built by OB Sports.
Not overly tough but beautiful and not a house in sight!

New Stuff I haven't been able to play much this year, so I've saved a lot on must have golf cures!
I've limited purchases to a few dozen balls since I was down to about to about 10-12 doz
in the arsenal.

US Open It was great to have a major here in the NW. The economic impact on the Greater
Tacoma area was immense t say the least. A friend paid $350 a night for a room at
the Red Roof Inn. I heard Motel Six rooms were over #$200/nt. Coverage was ok.
Buck is a pro and will get golf. I liked Norman most because is last name wasn't Miller!
For all the bitching before and during the tournament, scoring was US Open scoring.
If they get it again, there will be tweaks for both the course and viewing.

Good Luck!
Ric atJoes

Slight change in the club plans. I was down at Titliest in Oceanside a few weeks ago for a sneak-peak at the 2016 gear, and I might be going with a set of AP2s with a couple of the T-MB long irons.

Cascata, Southern Highands and Primm Lakes were a kick a week-plus ago, with some of my golf buds new and old. Hot. Fuckin' hot, actually. Guess I've lost my desert chops. Fun time at the PGA Fall Expo, as well. I posted some thoughts each day from the show on pga.com if y'all wanna check it out.

Food Scores ... Grimaldi's -- bogey, again. Mirage buffet -- double bogey. B&B Burgers/Brews -- birdie for the burger, snowman for the price, bogey for beer selection since they seem to pride themselves on being brew fans. Table 34 -- eagle, as usual. Craftsteak -- tap-in birdie. Peppermill -- invoke ESC, go elsewhere.

I know what you mean about the heat. When I was in LV a lot, the first hour hit me and then I was miraculously acclimated. Bob and I played Tuscany about 7-8 years back on the day they tied the record 117, which of course is recorded at McCarren. Since we were out towards Lake Mead it was probably at least 120. We played as always, finished and had a beer after without mentioning the heat. I was down in late June and that week 111 was the low during my stay. Bob couldn't play and I had no ambition to go out as a single as I always had in the past. Times change.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

I have about three decades and hundreds and hundreds of rounds of summer desert golf under my belt -- Vegas, AZ, Coachella Valley. Did doubles in the one-teens. All that tomfoolery.

I was OK at Primm -- monsoonal -- and Cascata -- blazingly hot and exposed -- surprisingly well at Cascata, but by the back nine at Southern Highlands a week ago Sunday I was toast. Then they held the PGA Expo demo event at Cascata ... on Monday afternoon. The Central Coast move took the desert out of this boy.