TST NorCal Golfers Outing

[RPMPIRE]

Alright, with all the outings going on in SoCal and in Erik's area, it's time for the NorCal boys to have one.

I'm hoping to at least get an outing sometime in October or early November before the winter weather starts. Lots of courses to choose from and I'm pretty much open to drive to most areas. Some good golf courses to throw out there is Poppy Ridge, Metropolitan, and Callippe Preseve in the East Bay. Los Lagos and Cinnabar in the South Bay. In the San Francisco area, TPC Harding Park ($$$) or Presidio. I haven't played much in the North Bay so hopefully people can give some feedback for that area.

I'm hoping Mike or Erik can chime in to see if they can use their "hook ups" and set something up around here.

Either way, let's get the group started and hopefully we can have a CA Ryder Cup match by next summer.

[mchepp]

Glad to see this group. Thank you for forming it.

We are certainly in the shadow of our big brother the So Cal group, but after a while we should be able to match them. The timing you are talking about works for me. I think the place should be decided more by who is punching their greens during that time of year. It would be awful to have our first event and have the greens punched. Even I am in the South Bay my vote would be for Callippe for the first event.

Since Mike is formerly from this area maybe we can convince him to come up and give a Aimpoint and 5SK school. Maybe not for the first one, but in the future.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by mchepp

Glad to see this group. Thank you for forming it.

We are certainly in the shadow of our big brother the So Cal group, but after a while we should be able to match them. The timing you are talking about works for me. I think the place should be decided more by who is punching their greens during that time of year. It would be awful to have our first event and have the greens punched. Even I am in the South Bay my vote would be for Callippe for the first event.

Since Mike is formerly from this area maybe we can convince him to come up and give a Aimpoint and 5SK school. Maybe not for the first one, but in the future.

I like Callippe too since it's relatively centralized for most NorCal people. Let's get more attendance!!! The SoCal peeps are more than welcome to join us.

[bplewis24]

Sup guys!  I'm down for whatever, but just so you know, October is pretty busy for me.  I'll be gone the weekend of the 12th and 19th, but before or after that I would be available to play with you guys.

I'm also going to recommend you guys come to Sac eventually.  I just joined a CC so I'd love to have you guys come out and play there...although we wouldn't be able to play at a peak time I don't think.

Anyway, I'm going to invite a few guys to the group!

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Sup guys!  I'm down for whatever, but just so you know, October is pretty busy for me.  I'll be gone the weekend of the 12th and 19th, but before or after that I would be available to play with you guys.

I'm also going to recommend you guys come to Sac eventually.  I just joined a CC so I'd love to have you guys come out and play there...although we wouldn't be able to play at a peak time I don't think.

Anyway, I'm going to invite a few guys to the group!

Sounds good. We just wanted to get you away from those SoCal guys

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

Sounds good. We just wanted to get you away from those SoCal guys

Hey!!!!! Back off buddy! Brandon is one of us now.

Anywho's ... that course you guys are talking about playing looks pretty nice!  And reasonably priced too!

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Hey!!!!!    Back off buddy!    Brandon is one of us now.

Anywho's ... that course you guys are talking about playing looks pretty nice!  And reasonably priced too!

Haha...of course you SoCal guys are very welcome to come play. I've always wanted to fly down there just to join an outing but time and two kids make it very difficult....for now.

Callippe is a fairly new course and is kept up very well. Definitely worth the price to play.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

Haha...of course you SoCal guys are very welcome to come play. I've always wanted to fly down there just to join an outing but time and two kids make it very difficult....for now.

Callippe is a fairly new course and is kept up very well. Definitely worth the price to play.

Yeah, the same reason that it's a longshot for me to come up there, although I'd love to do it.  I joined the group just so I could follow along and see if it happens to work out for me.

By the way, USC is playing at home the weekend of our next event (10/13) ... just sayin' ;)  (Of course, it's a Thursday night game - vs. Arizona -so you'd have to make it a long weekend)

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Yeah, the same reason that it's a longshot for me to come up there, although I'd love to do it.  I joined the group just so I could follow along and see if it happens to work out for me.

By the way, USC is playing at home the weekend of our next event (10/13) ... just sayin' ;)  (Of course, it's a Thursday night game - vs. Arizona -so you'd have to make it a long weekend)

I'd love to go, but to go to the outing AND the SC game...hmmmmm. I'd be lucky just to go to one event.

[Slice of Life]

Not sure why I was invited to join this group, but...sup.

lol

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Anywho's ... that course you guys are talking about playing looks pretty nice!  And reasonably priced too!

Callippe is exactly as you described it. Nice course at a fair price. The 18th is a bit of a let down as it doesn't match the rest of the course, but 17 really good holes. The East Bay has some really nice options. Livermore has Poppy Ridge which is really nice and Wente which is an awesome Norman design. Wente is one of my favorite courses in the Bay Area.

San Fran is a bit of let down golf wise unless you can get yourself on a private venue like Olympic or SFGC. Harding Park is really nice but it is really expensive and you could get a weather day where you freeze your butt off in the middle of summer and it is right next to a gun range, which means guns can fire in the backswing, the first time it happens it is a bit unnerving.

Half Moon Bay is nice. Bay Area has a good amount of courses to play.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by mchepp

... and it is right next to a gun range, which means guns can fire in the backswing, the first time it happens it is a bit unnerving.

Half Moon Bay is nice. Bay Area has a good amount of courses to play.

LOL!  The course we had our last outing at (Talega in San Clemente) is just north of Camp Pendleton.  They are always practicing bombing things (or something along those lines) and it can be heard easily.  One time I was playing there, they were definitely shooting machine guns of some type.

This is not really the same thing, though, because we're dealing with loud, low, rumbling booms in the distance vs. nearby startling gunfire. ;)  Not nearly as distracting during your swing, but can be a bit unnerving if you aren't used to it.

Next month they will run their yearly test on the nuclear emergency sirens due to San Onofre.  I imagine its what air raid sirens used to sound like.. :)

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Next month they will run their yearly test on the nuclear emergency sirens due to San Onofre.  I imagine its what air raid sirens used to sound like.. :)

I grew up near Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and I remember as a kid they tested the emergency sirens. I wasn't golfing but I remember the sound of the sirens very well.

[bplewis24]

Callippe and Poppy Ridge seem like good options.  Both are around 1.6 hours from me.  I've heard Poppy Ridge is nice.  Are you guys NCGA Members?  Looks like Poppy gives a discounted rate for NGCA.

Prices look very fair.  SoCal courses seem more expensive in comparison and typically are on less acreage.  The driving ranges especially are really cramped, at least compared to Sacramento courses.

Anyway, I've invited a few more bay area and Sacramento guys to the group so hopefully some of them will take notice soon.  First order of business is recruiting!

[Mr Smell Good]

Originally Posted by mchepp

I grew up near Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and I remember as a kid they tested the emergency sirens. I wasn't golfing but I remember the sound of the sirens very well.

Used to work at a winery in Avila Beach about 15 minutes from there.

I would be interested in going to the bay area to play a round of golf with some guys here.  I might not be as good as you guys though.  Some nice courses in this area too.  We could get a Sacramento group going within the Norcal group.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by mchepp

Callippe is exactly as you described it. Nice course at a fair price. The 18th is a bit of a let down as it doesn't match the rest of the course, but 17 really good holes. The East Bay has some really nice options. Livermore has Poppy Ridge which is really nice and Wente which is an awesome Norman design. Wente is one of my favorite courses in the Bay Area.

San Fran is a bit of let down golf wise unless you can get yourself on a private venue like Olympic or SFGC. Harding Park is really nice but it is really expensive and you could get a weather day where you freeze your butt off in the middle of summer and it is right next to a gun range, which means guns can fire in the backswing, the first time it happens it is a bit unnerving.

Half Moon Bay is nice. Bay Area has a good amount of courses to play.

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Callippe and Poppy Ridge seem like good options.  Both are around 1.6 hours from me.  I've heard Poppy Ridge is nice.  Are you guys NCGA Members?  Looks like Poppy gives a discounted rate for NGCA.

Prices look very fair.  SoCal courses seem more expensive in comparison and typically are on less acreage.  The driving ranges especially are really cramped, at least compared to Sacramento courses.

Anyway, I've invited a few more bay area and Sacramento guys to the group so hopefully some of them will take notice soon.  First order of business is recruiting!

Originally Posted by Mr Smell Good

Used to work at a winery in Avila Beach about 15 minutes from there.

I would be interested in going to the bay area to play a round of golf with some guys here.  I might not be as good as you guys though.  Some nice courses in this area too.  We could get a Sacramento group going within the Norcal group.

I've only played Wente once a few years ago in the beginning of summer and think it's a jewel of a course tucked away.

Agree that San Francisco doesn't have that many good courses unless you have Olympic or SFGC access. Presidio, IMO, has been torn up since they introduced the twilight Player's Club and has been pretty overrated since.

I haven't played any courses in Sacramento but would like to make a trip out there to try them out. Haggin Oaks is the first course that comes to mind.

I'll also get some buddies of mine to see if they can come along. We should also start discussing some dates. I know Brandon is mostly busy in mid-October, so just to put a prospective date out there, I'm thinking the weekend of October 26 or 27. Also, seems that Callippe would definitely be a good starter course for our first outing.

[bplewis24]

Used to work at a winery in Avila Beach about 15 minutes from there.

I would be interested in going to the bay area to play a round of golf with some guys here.  I might not be as good as you guys though.  Some nice courses in this area too.  We could get a Sacramento group going within the Norcal group.

I invited 3-4 Sacramento guys, so we can definitely do some more informal meets near Sac before planning something larger for a subsequent outing after the Fall/October-ish outing.

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

I haven't played any courses in Sacramento but would like to make a trip out there to try them out. Haggin Oaks is the first course that comes to mind.

I'll also get some buddies of mine to see if they can come along. We should also start discussing some dates. I know Brandon is mostly busy in mid-October, so just to put a prospective date out there, I'm thinking the weekend of October 26 or 27. Also, seems that Callippe would definitely be a good starter course for our first outing.

Haggin Oaks is a very popular course, although I feel like it's a bit overpriced for what you get.  I'm basically there every day since I have a prepaid driving range card there.  However I typically play elsewhere since the peak rate is too steep for such a bland course.  I'll ask Big C to come into the thread and chime in with his thoughts on Wildhorse.  I know I can probably get us a decent rate there since I play there so often and they always give me discounts.  It's a nice but tough course at a decent rate, and it's about 20 minutes closer to the Bay Area since it's in Davis, East of Sacramento.

I'll also have to get more details at my club.  It's a very nice course (North Ridge Country Club).  I just joined there and don't even become an official member until 9/22.  Anyway, I'll have to see what the guest policy is like.  I know what the rate is, and the course would be worth it, but I'll have to see what times would be available and how many slots.  I'm new there so I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

[Mr Smell Good]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I invited 3-4 Sacramento guys, so we can definitely do some more informal meets near Sac before planning something larger for a subsequent outing after the Fall/October-ish outing.

Haggin Oaks is a very popular course, although I feel like it's a bit overpriced for what you get.  I'm basically there every day since I have a prepaid driving range card there.  However I typically play elsewhere since the peak rate is too steep for such a bland course.  I'll ask Big C to come into the thread and chime in with his thoughts on Wildhorse.  I know I can probably get us a decent rate there since I play there so often and they always give me discounts.  It's a nice but tough course at a decent rate, and it's about 20 minutes closer to the Bay Area since it's in Davis, East of Sacramento.

I'll also have to get more details at my club.  It's a very nice course (North Ridge Country Club).  I just joined there and don't even become an official member until 9/22.  Anyway, I'll have to see what the guest policy is like.  I know what the rate is, and the course would be worth it, but I'll have to see what times would be available and how many slots.  I'm new there so I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

I've never played at a country club before.  Also never played at Haggin Oaks.  I hear only great things about Turkey Creek.  Is that a very nice course?