You best be a cowboy when you play Roddy Ranch and you best be wearing your spurs in addition to your soft spikes. As Jed Clampett would say....Woooo Doggy!
I was a Golfer Golfing Golf (see below entry) yesterday with a casual golfing troupe I was introduced to a few years back. They all work in the Auto, Yachting, or Construction businesses and it allows them time to get out and play each Tuesday. I used to join them on occasion as they play all over the San Francisco Bay Area (mostly the North and East Bay areas) but this was my first outing with them in over a year. One of the group takes it upon themselves each week to make 2, 3 or 4 tee times at a course of their choice and then emails the group to see who commits. They almost always are able to get a great package price that includes golf and the cart. On occasion they are also able to get lunch included, depending on the course.
Yesterday we played Roddy Ranch Golf Club in Antioch, California. It's a wide open course in the low rolling hills of the North Bay Area, just about due West of the Delta valley (Sacramento Delta). It's one of the highest rated courses in California and for a good reason, it's not a walk in the park but if you play well, you will score well, and it's very pretty with not a single home on the course (though they're trying to get permission). You don't have to be deadly accurate as most of the fairways are pretty wide, but if you're too far off the marked course you can lose your ball in the wild grasses, down a gopher hole (or was that a prairie dog hole), or even worse you can lose it in one of the many rock croppings in many areas surrounding the course that house Rattlesnakes. Yes, that's right, Rattlesnakes. We have those on a lot of the courses in California, mostly the newer ones that have been carved out of the many foothills we have throughout California.
The course offers challenges to every level golfer but appeals most to the better player. Most tee boxes are built up with most tee shots carrying out to a fairway that usually drops in the middle, like a string held loose between your two hands, high at each end, low in the middle. You are hitting up to the green most of the time so you have to allow for that, and did I mention the wind? Wow, yesterday was very windy so you have to account for the cross breezes, frontal breezes, back breezes, and on the approach to a lot of the greens you have to account for swirling breezes. Oh, and there's water on a couple of the finishing holes, near the greens of course.
But what a great course!
And on top of that I played very well once again. I think I'm liking getting back out again. Now I just need to increase the frequency to at least once a week. My score was 80 to a par of 72. We played back with a rating/slope of 72.6/134.....not too tough. I was 6 over on the front and 2 over on the back. I had a birdie on the front but missed 6 other putts by just a hair. The greens are in great shape and are VERY quick. Lots of fun.
Playing golf can be such a relaxing way to spend time and playing well no matter what your level makes you really want to get back out again...and soon. I miss playing with my close friends though since that's what makes the game really enjoyable. One of my closest golf buddies and one of my best friends now lives in Spain. I miss golfing with him but look forward to visiting and playing a few of the courses there. Another lifelong best friend moved about 75 minutes south of me and on top of that has injured his shoulder (he's a Painting contractor) and no longer plays. My cousin who is one of my closest friends lives in Lake Tahoe about 4 1/2 hours away and I look forward to playing when ever we're together, it always makes for a great day together.
Oh well, I go by myself, I enjoy the game immensely, I see my handicap dropping back low again this year, and I enjoy everyone that I'm able to golf with when I'm out.
So if you're out this way look up Roddy Ranch, saddle up, and hit away. Just remember to keep your eyes on the ball and your ears perked for any little "rattles".
http://www.roddyranch.com
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/fictional/07.html
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/flatt-and-scruggs/ballad-of-jed-clampett-11700.html