The course is only 6,200-plus yards, but it’s 6,200 yards of a dogfight.
quicker groups play through if they so desire. It usually works out,
mostly because of a low-key vibe at sharp odds with the popular image of an ostenta- tious country club. Not here. “It’s really a group of people who love to play and talk about golf,” club president Kevin Peyton says. “There’s very little pretense in that. We’re a bunch of little kids up there having a lot of fun. There are some fairly wealthy members, but you would never know it.” San Jose Country Club’s
roots stretch back to the 19th century—it was established
in 1899 as Linda Vista Country Club and set up camp at its current location in 1912. Club officials are planning a 100-year celebra- tion in July.
The course was originally designed by Tom Nicoll, a Scottish-born professional and the club’s first head pro, with renovations by A.W. Tillinghast (1936) and John Harbottle (1997). Harbottle thought the course has “a touch of Scotland,” likening it to Gleneagles. Eddie Duino and Gary
Plato are the club’s longtime pros; pupils have included Maltbie, the affable former tour pro and current NBC course reporter who still spends time at San Jose CC. Maltbie’s father was a mem- ber, and Roger played the course during his childhood and college days at nearby San Jose State. “Here’s a guy who’s on
TV every week and has really made a name for himself in professional golf,” Peyton says of Maltbie. “But when he’s out there, he’s just one of the guys.”
The course itself presents
a unique challenge to top players and high handicap- pers alike. It’s uncommonly imbalanced on the score- card—par 33 and 2,732 yards on the front nine (with no par-5s), then par 37 and 3,493 yards on the back nine (with three par-5s). There are several tight
holes, with those imposing trees ready to gobble way- ward shots, and other holes with reasonably wide landing areas. But even long, straight drives do not guarantee a low score, given the small greens—an underappreciated form of course defense, along the lines of Pebble Beach and The Olympic Club. “The course is only 6,200-plus yards, but it’s 6,200 yards of a dogfight,” says Marlo Bramlett, a longtime member whose son, Joseph, played on the PGA Tour in 2010. “You have to hit the ball straight and have a really good short game.” Or, as director of golf
Marc Braga says, “We have very small, firm, fast greens. You get really creative on
how to hit shots into and around the greens.” San Jose’s ability to test top
players is evident every year in the Santa Clara County Championship. The tourna- ment often features a strong field—past champs include Ernie Pieper (who won it 15 times), Nathaniel Crosby, noted NorCal amateurs Greg Galasso, Gary Vanier, Casey Boyns and Randy Haag and current tour pros Matt Bet- tencourt and Bramlett. Also revealing are the winning scores throughout the event’s long history (the first edition was held in 1927). Many participants these days are big-hitting college players, but they struggle to overpower the inviting layout—beyond Bramlett’s tournament- record 11-under-par total in 2006 (over 54 holes), the winner hasn’t gone lower than 6-under in the past 16 years. In 2003, when Bram- lett won the first of his three titles, he finished at 4-over. Bramlett provides a tidy
illustration of San Jose’s junior-friendly environment. That was one key factor in Marlo Bramlett’s decision to join the club, because he knew his son loved the game and might have the talent and drive to pursue a career in golf. Club officials never stood in the way. “We allow our juniors to
play more liberally than a lot of places,” Braga says. “They know the etiquette and can be respectful of the game and the members. We’ll let two 12-year-olds go out and play.” They might not appreci-
ate the gorgeous setting at that age—but they no doubt learn to keep the ball out of the trees.
The view of downtown San Jose from the fourth tee
Ron Kroichick covers golf for the San Francisco Chronicle.
30 /
NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2012
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