DOESN’T GETANY BETTER THAN THIS
IT
the next day, and suddenly needed a fourth. At Cypress Point Club, to be followed by Pebble Beach Golf Links. Could I join them? This was strictly rhetorical, obviously. We had a magical day of golf, and then repaired to one of the great 19th holes, the Tap Room at Pebble. It just so happened that Johnny Miller was there that night, dining with friends, and on the way out the door I mentioned the epic double-dip we had just enjoyed. Johnny offered the perfect verdict: “It doesn’t get any better than that.” I tell this story not to brag—well,
A
that’s not the only reason—but to summon an emotion I felt power- fully that night while tucking into the famed Tap Room chili: there’s nowhere else in the U.S. that a golfer could experience such a day, playing courses like these while walking in the shadow of golf history and mingling with homegrown royalty. What is the best stretch of par 4s in the world, Nos. 8-9-10 at Pebble or Nos. 11-12- 13-14 at Cypress? If you had one final shot to hit in this lifeftime, would it
ACelebration
few years ago I got the kind of late-night text you can only dream about. A buddy was writing to say he had 36 holes lined up for
of Northern California Golf BY ALAN SHIPNUCK
be Pebble’s seventh or Cypress’ 16th? What’s the best walk in golf, up the hill on No. 6 at Pebble—revealing the panorama of Stillwater Cove, Carmel Beach and Pt. Lobos—or from Cypress’ 14th green to 15th tee, across 17-Mile Drive, through a thicket of Cypress trees and then sud- denly, dramatically, onto a tee box just a few feet above the churning Pacific? These are impossible choices, but the point is that no other courses are in the conversation. Yes, Bandon offers two tracks of nearly comparable qual- ity, but there is no U.S. Open pedigree and maybe 10% of the glamour. Pine Valley and Merion back-to-back would be macho, but the courses are landlocked, and therefore the experi- ence much less magical. Shinnecock Hills and National Golf Links is a pretty spectacular combination, but the best pro to come out of Long Is- land is someone named George Burns. Riviera and L.A. North? Augusta National and Peachtree? Chicago Golf Club and Medinah? Pinehurst No. 2 and Pine Needles? I wouldn’t say no to any of those days of golf, but in vari- ous and important ways, they all fall short in this comparison. Pebble and Cypress may be the ultimate essence of Northern Cali-
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAN VASCONCELLOS
fornia golf, but they are hardly the end of the story. Maybe nowhere on the planet boasts such varied and spectacular terrain as our region, and golf courses allow us to enjoy the majesty of the Sierra, serenity of the redwood forests, sweeping city views in San Francisco, the vineyards of wine country, rolling foothills of Steinbeck Country, great plains of the Central Valley and the azure waters of Lake Tahoe. There is a golf vacation waiting for every budget
Bill Murray gives the Crosby Clambake plenty of character.
WINTER 2015 /
NCGA.ORG / 25
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