Course: Maderas Golf Club in Poway, Calif. A Robert Muir Graves and Johnny Miller design (1999).

Beverage Cart Girl: Marina Machado

Hometown: Florianopolis, Brazil

Age: 28 (on March 15, so a "Happy Birthday" is in order).

Short story: Machado says she came to the United States six years ago because she wanted to be a nurse. She's currently enrolled in nursing school at San Diego State. "This is a great job to have while I'm in school," says Machado. "I've had trouble getting classes, there are waiting lists, but I will get through it eventually."

Golf? I'm a beginner. This course is really hard for me.

Do you play any other sports? I've been surfing all of my life. I also do triathlons. I'm very active.

Do you see any celebrities out here at Maderas? LaDanian Tomlinson is a member. David Justice is here all the time. He's a very good tipper.

What's a good tip after an order of a round of drinks? $20.

What's the most you've made in a day? I made $1,000 one day. It was a corporate tournament.

What's your favorite restaurant in the area? Robbie's Roadhouse Grille in Leucadia. It's an American steak house and they're known for their burgers.

Status? I've been married for five years. My husband and I surf together all the time.

--Matty G.

Another day of reporting (and tweeting) on golf in San Diego. I started at Maderas, a Robert Muir Graves and a Johnny Miller design, that opened in 1999. Here's a shot of the 18th hole (580-yards) from the tee and the approach:

Maderas is $210 on weekends and $175 during the week. According to Joe Mendoza, the Head Pro, Maderas is the only $200-plus green fee in the area that's not affiliated with a hotel. Mendoza says business has been good. They pick up a lot of group outings from downtown hotels who don't want to send customers to play at a course associated with a competing property. And Mendoza says they've stayed flexible with marketing strategies such as a regular "burger night" on the back deck to get customers and members patronizing their food and beverage services.

After the round I had a brief conversation with the Director of Golf at Maderas, Mike Lissebeck, about the fact that they didn't overseed this year. He told me management got together and decided it wasn't the right thing to do from a business or environmental perspective. He says they felt pressure to keep the course green to impress vacationers from the Northeast. In a down economy, with fewer people coming across country, combined with a desire to conserve water and money, Lissebeck predicts Maderas will never overseed again.

Times, they are a-changing.

After Maderas I raced to Coronado, about 35 minutes down the freeway. A few weeks ago I blogged Coronado is the best value course in the country. For $30 during the week you get fair and fun conditions at the base of the Coronado Bridge and alongside the San Diego Bay. Last year Coronado, which opened in 1959, did 102,000 rounds. The most they've done in a year is 112,000 rounds. As you might imagine getting a tee time can be difficult and pace of play can be an issue. I paid an extra $15 for an advanced tee time and I finished in five hours on a warm and windy Wednesday afternoon. Here's a shot of the 18th hole (493-yards), which borders the bay and gives a distracting view of the big blue bridge, especially at sunset.

For more on my 36-hole day in San Diego, what I thought of Maderas and Coronado and bumping into Maderas member LaDanian Tomlinson, check out my tweets at WheresMattyG.

Look for the full story about my stay in San Diego in an upcoming issue of Golf Digest.

--Matty G.

Yesterday I tweeted throughout my round at Torrey Pines South in San Diego. I look at social networking like cooking pasta in college -- I throw it on the wall to see if it sticks.

When I’m reporting an Away Game, like I am this week in San Diego, and especially when I’m playing a recognizable venue, I tweet about the playing conditions, various costs and the beverage cart girl. Some of the information is edible, and some just falls into the digital garbage can.

Here are a few tweets from Tuesday (it’s in sequential order if you read from the bottom):

Per a promise, here’s a quick Q&A with Karlee Norman, 26, the beverage cart girl at Torrey Pines South:

How long have you worked at Torrey Pines? Four years.

Do you play golf? I played in high school, but I haven’t kept up with it. I still play on occasion, but it's not good.

Do you get proposed to on the course by complete strangers? Only after birdies or a lot of beer.

Do you drive up on any celebrities out here? Phil Mickelson is out here a lot.

What kind of tipper is he? He’s an excellent tipper.

What’s the most you’ve made in one day of tips? $400.


As I tweeted above, I played Torrey South less than two years ago -- the fog was so dense it was dangerous. After a group left the green they had to yell back that it was clear to play away. The round was riddled with random shouts and constant confusion.

The conditions I had today, on the third tee for example (pictured above), it was a much different deal. Without a fog or any wind, Torrey was there for the taking.
 
As for the old sophomoric pasta art: Sometimes my roommates and I would leave the sticky strands of spaghetti on the wall, let it dry, and then crack it off days later with a dull knife. One batch left the outline of a cowboy hat. And at the end of the school year, according to the owner of the condo, it was worth exactly the price of our deposit.

At Torrey on Tuesday locals paid $58, I paid $131. Both prices were discounted 25 percent because the 11th hole was closed for some minor repairs. Regardless, the round was worth it. It was 78 degrees and I shot a 75 (I gave myself a par on the closed hole). Then I went on a four-hour private tour of breweries throughout the county by way of a company called Brew Hop (www.brewhop.com).

Golf and an obscene supply of beer, it was like I was back in college. But I've evolved. Now the only subjective line art was my scorecard.

You'll be able to read more about my trip to San Diego, brewery tours, my rounds at four courses, my stay at Grand Del Mar and a visit to The Kingdom at TaylorMade in an upcoming issue of Golf Digest.

If you care to follow me on Twitter, click here. Today I'm playing Maderas and Coronado.

--Matty G.

As I made my way to San Diego for a story about golf in one of my favorite cities in the country, I went through 94 Ambush entries—summaries of buddies trips taking place in the second half of March through the first week of April. The winning group will be Ambush No. 21. In addition to being featured in an upcoming issue of Golf Digest, the lucky posse of chops will be buried in free stuff, including: TaylorMade golf bags and hats, Srixon balls, Sundog eyewear, Hoyo de Monterrey cigars and some free drinks. The first few Ambushes got mini kegs of Heineken and a dinner. I guess you could say there has been an evolution of generosity and support for a concept that connects to you, the reader, and your passion for camaraderie through golf.

Some of the trips I’m considering this month: Russell Sleight of Horseheads, NY will be joined by 11 friends who drive almost seven hours to Ocean City, MD. Ages 25 to 72 play 126 holes in four days. “The first year there was only four of us,” says Sleight. “But each year the group keeps getting bigger.”

Tim Bellury of Fayetteville, GA is on his way back to Mesquite. They also started as four guys, now they are up to a group of 80. “We go to the same place each year,” says Bellury, “and we are rewarded with outstanding service for our loyalty.” Bellury says his friend Mike Brown started this annual excursion. “He and his wife work hard to make this a fun and rewarding trip each year.”

And then there’s the 12th annual “Other Senior Tour” taking place an hour north of Tampa. It all started back in 1998 when Mike Hendren’s wife surprised him for his 40th birthday. Hendren, of Brentwood, TN says, “As the tour commissioner, benevolent dictator (think Cliff Roberts, C.B. Macdonald or George Crump) and life-long golf course architecture student, I select the venue. This year and we will play Bobby Weed's renovated Brooksville CC, Tom Fazio's 36-holes at World Woods and Arthur Hills' renovated Dunes at Seville.”

Mighty benevolent of you, Mike. Making sage decisions like those, your dictatorship is safe.

Speaking of safe, Kerry McHugh of Braintree, MA writes: “Our trip is made up of active and retired police officers and firefighters from the Boston area. We have been traveling together for 28 years. Ten years to Myrtle Beach and now the Tucson/Phoenix area for 18 years.” They've never had less than 12, no more than 36. They go to Tucson in March so they can play golf in the morning, catch a spring training game in the afternoon. “The trip is put together by our trip leader, Jerry Kenny, a retired fire chief,” says McHugh.

Not many of the thousands of itineraries I've received are as impressive as the one from Jon Kaull of Fitchburg, WI. It’s a 37-page “Player’s Guide” to the 2010 Kaull Invitational. They started in 2006 and go every two years. I see in the section labeled, “Past Tournament Information,” Kaul and seven friends have been to Hilton Head and Grand National on the RTJ Trail in Alabama. This year their staging ground for six rounds of a loose interpretation of a Ryder Cup format will be Barton Creek in Austin. Unfortunately I just Ambushed in Austin a few months ago. Obviously part of each Ambush story is a travel element, to be shared with the masses. That’s why I try to keep moving around the country to various buddies trip destinations. In other words: not this year, Jon. But maybe I meet up with you and your crew in 2012. Please keep me posted and thank you for your interest in the Ambush.

If you want to read about Ambush No. 20, another group of guys (pictured above) just back from their first buddies trip to Ross Bridge and Grand National on the RTJ Trail, click here.

And here’s their Ambush video:

Do you want your buddies trip featured in Golf Digest? If so, click here, and fill out an Ambush entry. You never know, you might be next.

--Matty G.

Tom Hoyt of Lebanon, NH, is a reader of the blog and an avid golfer. He says he is a 15 handicap and his wife, Kim, is a 25. “We've averaged 75 rounds at 45 different courses over the last five years,” says Hoyt, who filed this trip report after a recent trip to Orlando.

Matt,

My wife and I (pictured above) just returned from the prototypical “winter getaway” golf trip to Orlando and I thought I’d share a few thoughts with you and your readers.

Hunter’s Creek: Whenever the question is asked about courses near Orlando International Airport, Hunter’s Creek is often in the discussion. It’s not in the same league as Eagle Creek, Falcon’s Fire, or Shingle Creek, but I was also able to find a $40 green fee vs. $100(ish) at the other courses. It’s pretty typical Florida, lots of water and palm trees as it winds through homes with backyard pools and screen enclosures. Hunter's Creek Golf Club has been decorated with awards and accolades, including being honored by Golf Digest as one of the "Top 75 Public Courses to Play" in the country in 1990s. I always find it surprising when a course includes something like this on their website. If the last award you want to tell me about occurred 20 years ago, I’m going to assume things haven’t been great since then.

Disney: You know the drill—Palm, Magnolia, Osprey and Lake Buena Vista. It’s resort golf and while you will find lots of golf groups escaping the cold, you will also have to deal with vacationers who have decided to play golf rather than spend a day in the parks. The courses are just hard enough to bring pace of play to a grinding halt when a said group happens to be in front of you. Courses were in great condition. What I did find interesting was Palm and Magnolia, that co-host the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, are directly across the street from the Magic Kingdom and you can hear things at the park while you are playing. Conversely, Osprey Ridge winds you through remote forest and it’s easy to forget that you are so close to the madness.

A couple of other notes: Palm and Magnolia have “Kodak Moment” signage at every tee box that tells you some historical event that happened at that hole during the history of the PGA tour stop. Palm has a stretch of holes, 13 through 16, that needs a name—short par 4, a risk/reward par 5, wide-open par 4, and a picturesque par 3. Honda has The Bear Trap, Augusta has Amen Corner, TPC with the Gauntlet. I don’t know, maybe something like, “The Mouse Trap?”

Disney offers a “golf membership” with details available on their go website. It’s worth investigating. Not only does the membership reduce green fees by up to 40%, it is good for a full year.

Orange County National: The PGA Tour holds Qualifying School here. From the back tees it’s an absolute bear with a slope near 140. Long story short: admit that you aren’t that good, play from the right tees, and both of the 18s are very playable. This was not the case with the group in front of us. A threesome played from the tips, hit six shots off the first tee and didn’t get one of them in play. We played Crooked Cat on this trip and I’m always intrigued by No. 12, a par 4. I’ve played it before and I know it shouldn’t be that hard, but it’s a design gem in that as you stand over your 140-yard approach shot, you convince yourself how hard it's going to be, and as a result, top an 8-iron into the scrub. You can easily spend the day at OCN. It has two courses, a 9-hole short course that gets a lot of play from people who can play, the biggest 360-degree driving range I’ve ever seen, on-site lodging and food—they’ve got it all.

Be sure to sign up to be part of OCN’s e-mail list. I was able to secure a “winter getaway” green fee that was nearly 50% off their listed rate. If this is your choice for the first or last round of the trip, you should know you're looking at a good 45-minute drive to the airport, and that’s without traffic. Simply put, there are better choices for the first or last day because you want to take the time to enjoy this place.

Reunion Resort: The final day of our trip was rained and winded out so what better to do than drive around and look at other courses? Reunion Resort, just south of Disney on I-4, is a microcosm of what went wrong with Florida real estate. I played there five years ago, as things were getting built, and remember thinking, “Do that many people really need $500,000 second homes?” The three courses at Reunion all appear to be in good shape, but everywhere you look you see houses that are half finished, numerous empty lots, and perhaps saddest of all, the new Nicklaus course, across the interstate, has a temporary clubhouse in a tent. During the height of the real estate boom I drove to the front gate at Reunion and was turned away because I didn’t have an appointment. This trip I said to the guard on duty, “I’m interested in looking at some houses,” and was given a map and directions!


Thank you, Tom. Be sure to pick up the April issue of Golf Digest. I'm also recently back from Orlando and I filed a report about the renovations at Bay Hill.

--Matty G.

I’ve recently been hammering Pebble Beach for a $500 green fee and I’ve been getting pounded for being critical of the Ocean Course's degree of difficulty. (Sorry, I’m sticking to both barrels.) And then I stumbled upon an example of an owner of one of the best resorts in the world listening to the Little people.

A couple of New Hampshirites, Arthur Little and his wife, Jann Leeming, went to Bandon Dunes a few years ago to play golf. They enjoyed their stay but they had some suggestions for Bandon brass, so they wrote a letter to the owner, Mike Keiser. The title of the message: “Your golf course is way too long.”

Little says he heard back from Keiser, “Almost immediately.”

The end result is something some might consider radical-Old Mac is adding a set of forward tees that will play from roughly 4,400 yards. To others, such as Arthur and Jann, it makes sense.

The first two paragraphs of Arthur and Jann's letter to Mike Keiser, postmarked in the spring of 2007, got right to their point:

Because golf has been stagnant since 2001, the golf industry, as a matter of economic necessity, talks endlessly about “growing the game.” However, it will never be successful in reinvigorating the game until it stops making ignorant decisions about golf course design and starts building or retrofitting golf courses that really fit the customers it needs to attract or retain.

Courses as traditionally and currently designed are much too long, too difficult and take too long to play. Golf course owners and designers are fixated on lengthening courses to “fit” the very best players and get on “Best Courses” lists. As a result, they are not providing an enjoyable experience for average, beginning and aging golfers. These are the people that the industry must attract and retain in order to be successful financially. The golf industry must realize that the competition for the leisure time of these players is much greater than ever before and that it must meet their needs.

Little and Leeming, who are in their mid-60s, love to play golf, love to walk but don’t hit the ball very far, had the attention of one of golf’s last great visionaries and someone who could endorse their ground swell of change. “I was skeptical but respectful at first,” says Keiser. “Then I came to realize they speak for some larger number of us, getting older, getting weaker, and they made their case, which I’m fulfilling at Old Macdonald, for a 4,400-yard golf course.”

Keiser is opening Old Macdonald in June, a fourth course at Bandon Dunes, which is widely considered the best golf resort in the country. Located on the Southwest Coast of Oregon, Bandon Dunes already has three courses in the top 14 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public, multiple restaurants, watering holes and five lodging options, all within three minutes of each other. And Old Macdonald might be the most popular attraction of the bunch because the style of golf, like that of the Old Course at St. Andrews, will be fun and fast with big greens and it will be almost impossible to lose a ball.

Up to now, the knock on playing golf at Bandon is that it’s too hard to get to, and by being walking-only with the potential of tough playing conditions (it’s on the coast so wind is usually a factor) it’s also considered too hard for the average or aging golfer. And maybe this is why Keiser had such a sensitive ear to Little and Leeming and their play to make a difference.

After repeated e-mail exchanges between Keiser and this pro-active couple, spanning more than four years, they spoke on the phone for the first time last week. Keiser told Little that he asked Jim Urbina, who along with Tom Doak designed Old Macdonald, to go back to Oregon last December and add the additional set of tees. Regardless of the condensed field of play, the par will still be listed as 71. The shortest par 3 (No. 2) will play from roughly 82 yards. The longest par 5 (No. 6) will play from roughly 410 yards.

“Every one of the teeing grounds that are for the Littles are in the fairways and are not distinguishable from anywhere else on the golf course,” says Urbina. “At Old Macdonald I blended them in the fairway so when the Littles walk up there, they’ll see a little disk, they’ll plop their tee in the ground and they’ll whack away.”

Keiser said he was willing to print a separate scorecard and that he’d call the forward tees the “Friendly Tees.” Little says he hated that name—too condescending—and they didn’t want their own scorecard. As of last week Keiser says he’s going with the “Royal Blue” tees and they will be included on the main scorecard at Old Macdonald, which is an homage to Charles Blair Macdonald, one of the original architects of golf courses in the United States. The tees at Old Mac will range from 4,400 yards to 7,200 yards. Keiser approached his staff about adding a forward set of tees at the other three courses at his resort, but they’ve elected to see the results of the Old Mac experiment first.

Little and Leeming have a good sense of the test. They were golf course owners in Maine for 10 seasons (1996-’05). They didn’t have the room to add more sets of tees beyond 6,300 yards, so instead they added tees in the other direction, making the shortest route 4,169 yards. The concept has a track record of success. They included some data in their original letter to Keiser:

Our experience at Province Lake Golf in Parsonsfield, Maine was remarkable. In 1996, we bought a course out of bankruptcy. It was in terrible shape, located far from population centers and we needed to do something innovative to make it economically viable. We took a radical approach and built a tee system that differed from any we’d encountered.

--We increased rounds from 8,000 to 18,000
--Women represented over a third of our play
--Junior play increased from 1.5% to 7.5%
--Our seniors moved up a set of tees and increased their play
--Speed of play increased by 15-30 minutes a round even on busy days
--We tripled our tournament and outing business
--We received recognition by Golf For Women magazine as the No. 1 course for women in New England and No. 39 in the U.S. and by Golf Inc. magazine for our family and junior programs
--Most importantly, over time, we improved our annual financial results by $200,000

So there you have it—a match made in Bandon. Give credit to Keiser for his vision, but also for a willingness to listen.

Here's an audio clip of Mike Keiser telling me how the concept of the forward tees came across his desk. He refers to the tees in this clip as the "Purple Tees," but as of last week, they're the "Royal Blue Tees."



My Away Game about Old Macdonald will appear in the May issue of Golf Digest, which comes out the first week in April.

Golf World published an issue this week with a dedicated section on the status of golf course architecture in the Unites States. Be sure to read the article by Chris Millard.

--Matty G.

(Photograph of Old Macdonald's 14th green by Stephen Szurlej.)

What is affordable? That's a sliding scale, obviously. But based on what I've seen and where I've been in the past two years, these places give good lodging, service, golf and great value.

No. 5--Legends Golf & Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. There are three good courses on site and Legends is affiliated with two more, including the Heritage Club, which is one of the best on The Grand Strand. The Legends features a massive driving range and a buddies trip fits nicely with the villas (they sleep at least four). Best deal: March 18-June 9, get three nights, three rounds of golf, a buffet breakfast, cart fees, range balls and they throw in a drink ticket for $477 per person. (That’s a total, not per night.) Look for the May issue of Golf Digest featuring a complete breakdown of golf, lodging and a lot more about all Myrtle Beach has to offer the avid golfer.

No. 4--Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, MI. Ranked No. 48 on Golf Digest’s list of the Top 75 Golf Resorts in North America, Grand Traverse Resort (pictured above) features three courses, one by Jack Nicklaus and one by Gary Player, and a Jim McLean Golf School. If I had to pick one course, the Nicklaus is my favorite. Best Deal (based on double occupancy): From April 16--June 3 they offer the “Championship Golf Package-Weekend,” which is two nights, two rounds of golf, two breakfasts, range balls and a replay rate of $35. Here’s a link to my story about Northern Michigan.

No. 3--Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN. I love this place, not only because of the Classic course, but I had a townhouse right on the lake and listening to the accents of the natives never gets old. Look up Walleye Dan when you’re in town, he helped me catch a largemouth bass. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Play It All Golf Package” from April 19-June 26 is one night, two rounds on any of Madden’s three and a half courses for $215 per person. Here’s a link to my story about Minnesota.

No. 2--Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, TX. I Ambushed there a few months ago and I couldn’t believe the deal those guys were getting. The resort is so nice it hardly looks or feels “affordable.” There are two Fazio courses that get a lot of publicity, but they also have a Crenshaw and a Palmer, which aren’t bad either. And be sure to take advantage of the shuttle service to downtown Austin for a slab of beef and some live music. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Guys Golf Getaway” is $351 per person on weekends for the month of April and the first two weeks of June (prices go down for the month of May). The package includes lodging, breakfast, unlimited golf on any of the four courses, cart fee, range balls and day of arrival golf at twilight rate ($84-$135 on weekends, prices vary depending on the course). Here’s a link to my Ambush in Austin.

No. 1--Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, AL. It’s arguably the best resort (pictured above) and the best course on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, which is saying a lot. Ross Bridge hosts a PGA Champions Tour event in May. Just down the street you have two and a half courses at Oxmoor Valley. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through May 10, get three nights of lodging, two rounds at Ross Bridge and two rounds at Oxmoor Valley for $672 per person, price includes carts, range balls and sales tax. Here’s a link to the Away Game about my trip to Birmingham.

--Matty G.

My top 5 golf hotels in the country (of the places where I’ve stayed):

No. 5--Inn at Spanish Bay. I wouldn’t be caught dead on the Links at Spanish Bay, but I wouldn’t mind drawing my last breath at the hotel. It’s so quiet and comfortable, it feels as though you’ve taken a monkish retreat. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through March 31, you get two nights, two rounds of golf (Pebble and Spanish Bay), $400 in resort credit for $1,237.50 per person.

No. 4--Sanctuary at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. It’s a castle-like structure (pictured above) right on the water, with Shakespearian balconies, a courtyard, rocking chairs on the back porch and six-star service, second only to the service at the Lodge at Sea Island. Best deal, (based on double occupancy): Through March 31, get a room and a round of golf at the Ocean Course for $280 per person.

No. 3--A four-man cottage at Bandon Dunes. It’s your base camp for post-round(s) recap, surrounded by three of the top 14 public courses in the country. What you sacrifice in service and pampering, you gain in setting, serenity and camaraderie. You get a living room, your own corner bedroom with a king-sized bed, private bathroom and flatscreen TV (as if you’ll have enough energy to make it through more than three minutes of SportsCenter). Best deal (based on a group of four in a cottage): Through March 31, get a night of lodging, two rounds of golf in the same day and a caddie each round (gratuity included), for $665 per person. The same deal, for the month of April, goes up to $810 per person.

No. 2--Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst. This old hotel, recently renovated, is the bull’s-eye on the dartboard that is one of the best golf destinations in the world. Catch the buffet breakfast and you’ll be so full you can afford to miss lunch (and maybe dinner). There are two places I indulge in biscuits and gravy--the Carolina and the Sanctuary. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Acura Package,” stay a minimum of two nights, three days, get two dinners, two breakfasts, three rounds of golf on any of the eight courses except No. 2. You also get one $300 gift card per room (can be redeemed to offset the $175 premium you’d pay to play No. 2), and get 25 percent off at the spa for $970 per person.

No. 1--Lodge at Sea Island. The storied resort (pictured above) is in the news a lot for all of the wrong real estate reasons. But it will host a Fall Series event on the PGA Tour Oct. 7-10. I have never read a bad review of a weekend at the Lodge, the service is what every great hotel strives to achieve. Play golf at Seaside, then get a steak and martini at Colt & Alison. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through the end of June, the “Premium Package” gets you a night at the Lodge, lunch and unlimited golf at the Seaside or Plantation courses for $465 per person per night.

What's the most you'd spend for a night of lodging and a decent round of golf?

A) Money is never a factor.
B) For a good hotel and a top 100 course, I'd pay $500 or a little more.
C) I can't go any higher than $400 for a bed and a round of great golf.
D) Are you nuts? I'd never go any higher than $200.
E) I collect cans, clip coupons and I keep lodging and golf to $100 a night. You do know we're in a recession, right?

Tomorrow I’ll post my top 5 (more affordable, but still good) golf hotels in the country.

--Matty G.

I was in Kiawah last week playing in the Friendship Cup, some say "golf's fifth major." I've now played the Ocean Course twice. Both times it was in February, and both times the 30 miles-per-hour, bone-cold wind blew me back into January. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--I don't like the golf course.

I walked in with confidence in my golf game, left looking into bowling lessons. My partner and I, also about an eight handicap, finished with a net best-ball score of 84. (We finished middle of the pack.) Not only is it too hard for a chop like me, but it’s also expensive (now through May 31, it’s $338 for walk ups, which includes a cart or a caddie, but not gratuity).

I also don't love the layout. Specifically holes two through four make no sense, not that early in the round. The second hole is a par 5 that goes out, left and then right--going for it in 2, even with the longest of drives, is a round-wrecking proposition. Fact is, you have to have the accuracy of a tour player to hit the green in 4.

The third hole, par 4, with an elevated slab of short grass commonly referred to as a green, is like trying to land a ball on the top of a backyard trampoline. Your approach shot plays downwind and unless you have brand new square grooves on your gap wedge, your ball is rolling into a penal collection area. If it was later in round, playing into the wind, I might say I like it.

The fourth hole frustrates me. A 400-yard par 4, listed as the hardest hole on the course, and due to a swampy thing running through the middle of the fairway, you can’t hit driver off the tee. I don’t know about you, but if I’m trying to slay the biggest dragon in the land, I’d like to at least be wielding my biggest sword.

So you’re 6 over through four holes, and it’s time to turn into the wind. Having fun yet? Better get used to it--you play into the prevailing wind until the 14th hole. In the conditions I enjoyed, you’d have an easier time trying to paddle a canoe up a raging river of acid. By the 10th hole I believe I grumbled, “I can’t even pretend to have fun anymore.” Standing in the middle of the 13th fairway with 150 yards into a green, flanked by bunkers and a wind blowing directly into the greenside body of water, I pulled 5-wood and tried to hit a modified stinger along the ground. I still rinsed it and made a 7.

In fairness, I’ve only played the Ocean Course in bad weather. So I polled the office for some more opinions. Senior Editor for Golf World Bill Fields said, “I haven’t played it, but I’ve seen the pros play it--that’s enough for me.”

Senior Editor of Golf Digest Craig Bestrom said, "It's a pleasant walk with some gorgeous views. It's a lot easier to walk than say, Bethpage, that's for sure."

Senior Writer at Digest Guy Yocom made a good point. He said, “The course is a lot harder than TPC Sawgrass, but it’s the best match play course in the country, the best Ryder Cup venue ever. Water, sand, wind and it’s so exposed--the very things that make it a nightmare for us--are the things we like to see the pros deal with.”

Here's a link to a recent review of the Ocean Course by the Editor of Golf World, Geoff Russell. He writes: "With all due respect to TPC Sawgrass, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is probably Pete Dye's best and most famous design."

As much as I respect him, I’ll continue to curse Pete Dye, and I'll say the best part about the Ocean Course is the clubhouse. After a few minutes by the fire, heating your hiney, try the Bloody Mary and the blue-cheese bacon burger for lunch.

Without a doubt, the highlight of my trip was my stay at the five-star Sanctuary, one of my top 5 golf hotels in the country. This is a layout that makes sense to me. The service is spectacular and by being a resort guest, you get a discount on the dilemma that is the Ocean Course (now through the end of the March, stay and play $280 per night, per person, based on double occupancy. April through the end of May, the same deal is $359 per person per night).

For more on the Sanctuary, the rest of my top 5 golf hotels in the country and their best stay-and-play packages for the next few months, check back tomorrow.

--Matty G.

After a brief conversation with Carmen Berra about what a great city New York is and how cold it can be in New Jersey in the winter, she put her husband of 61 years on the phone. "Here he is," she said. And then I was talking golf with Yogi Berra.

I've always said that I hate the Yankees. I might hate the Yankees right now more than I love the Padres. Which is understandable--the Padres suck and the Yankees are coming off another championship. But I've always respected their role in the game, their old stadium and some of the great players who have worn a Yankees' jersey. As much as I hate the current team, I have nothing but respect for Derek Jeter and especially Mariano Rivera. As for Yogi Berra, I don't even think of him as a Yankee, I think of him as one of baseball's greatest winners (13 championships--10 as a player, three as a coach or manager). He's like Bill Russell, Jack Nicklaus, Kelly Slater or Mia Hamm, they've all won a lot more than their competition. (I'll leave Tiger off the list because he's on a time out.)

Anyway, here's a link to my complete conversation with Yogi Berra, a sweet man who has been a great ambassador for golf after he was, and still is, a great ambassador for baseball.

And here's a link to a few of my favorite answers in his voice:

 --Matty G.

(Photograph by Getty Images.)