Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Journeyman Whiskey


Whiskey and golf seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, there are very few whiskies that are made in the US and even fewer that are specific to golf. Journeyman checks both of those boxes being made in Michigan by a golf fanatic and I recently got to try their Silver Cross whiskey.

This whiskey is named for the Silver Cross which was originally a medal given to British Open golfers in the early days and I love that pedigree.


I also loved how the whiskey poured into my glass! It was a great amber color and I know next to nothing about whiskey but it sure looked tasty.

So how did it taste?


Pretty good! Since I don't know much about whiskey, I look for good tasting ones that are "smooth" and don't burn or make me cringe. This one was great for all of that, no need for ice, the Silver Cross is good sipping whiskey.

I am by no means a whiskey expert but this tasted pretty good and I can't wait to try more of this delicious liquid!

For more information about Journeyman, check out this link: http://www.journeymandistillery.com/spirits/

Disclaimer: I was provided Journeyman for purposes of this review only.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Golfing Desert Willow- Mountain Review


Desert Willow is a fascinating course in Palm Springs. 36 holes of reasonably priced golf with nary a house to be seen. This is a true desert course offering a serene golfing experience with a ton of roadrunners to keep you company.

DW had been high on my list for awhile and I finally got a chance to play it recently and it lived up to my impossibly high expectations. Extremely wide off the tee with a fair rough and interesting green complexes, DW is one of the best tracks in Palms Springs.

It all starts off the tee on the Mountain Course which has an insane amount of width in the fairways but beautiful framing around the tee boxes to make you think a little bit.


A lot of the par 4s are over 400 yards and so oddly are the par 5s, with only on topping out over 500 yards. However, the course makes you work for every yard with numerous streams and obstacles which make you think about approach shots even on par 5s.


What I found most fascinating was the variety of the par 3s and not a water feature to be had (a blessing given the over reliance on this particular feature here in SoCal).


Where there is water on the course it frames the holes nicely and doesn't seem out of place even though you are golfing in the desert.



Now if I were nitpicking on DW, I would say that the back nine is more interesting than the front as the front starts off with several similar par 4s in a row. The back nine allows for more creative shotmaking and while slightly more constricted by the DW resort offers some great holes reminiscent of Marriott's Shadow Ridge.

Overall though with the place of pay sub 4 hours and a pleasing layout unencumbered by houses, this is definitely one Palm Springs course to put on your itinerary.

For more information about Desert Willow, check out the link! http://www.desertwillow.com/

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Countdown To Sand Valley Post 3



Here it is, under 2 weeks to go until I find myself at the newest golf destination in the US, Sand Valley. I am getting very pumped about my visit there and here are a few last things I am checking out in preparation of my trip.

Porch Me


When I was lucky enough to play Sand Hills in Nebraska, one of my favorite things bar none was hanging out on Ben's Porch. The porch was a small house near the 18th hole where you could just relax, check out the golfers struggling around the course and have some awesome burgers.

It looks like Sand Valley has their own porch (Craig's Porch above) and I can't wait to chill out there soon!

Getting There


One of the things I have I learned on my Coore/Crenshaw quest is that a lot of their courses aren't close to anything and Sand Valley is no exception. 2.5 hours from Milwaukee, 4 hours from Chicago, Sand Valley is somewhat tough to get to but I can't wait to see the sign above in the middle of nowhere pointing the way to good golf!

Staying There


I am not quite sure where I am staying at Sand Valley but whoo doggie do all the places look great. Rustic yet refined and somehow each residence looks like it is sand dunes despite being located in Wisconsin. SV currently has three lodging options all of which are very similar in style. I have never stayed at a true golf resort and I will be interested in exploring every inch of the property while I am there.

For more info on Sand Valley, check out this link: http://www.sandvalleygolfresort.com/

All photographs are owned by Sand Valley/Kemper Sports and are used herein for news and commentary purposes only.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Two Guys With Balls

Let's face it, golf balls are the ink toner cartridges of the golf world.  You spend a lot of time thinking about that $500 driver but you use up more than $500 worth of golf balls every year because of your terrible play. Plus golf balls are freaking expensive. $40-50 for 12 of em???

No wonder then that the used market for golf balls is so huge. Golfers want quality but considering how much we go through golf balls, don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Look at the mania that happened when Costco came out with their Kirkland golf ball. Quality golf balls for a reasonable price? People went mad for them!

There are many used golf ball places out there on the Interwebs and I have tried them all. Something drew me to the bespoke used golf ball site of Two Guys With Balls and I am glad it did.


Two Guys carefully go through golf balls, wash em up and have an easy to follow grading system (rather than the AAA, AAAAA, etc. out there). Eagle is basically brand new. Birdie is good but a little scuffy. Par is playable but definitely dinged up.

So how do the balls actually do "in the field"? Fantastic! Performed just like new balls, I am fan.

If you buy through them, you are also supporting a great cause as they donate part of their profits to Arnie's Army.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with Two Guys and have the page bookmarked for further reloads of my golf balls needs. That reminds me, I need to buy some more ink fo rthe printer.

For more information on Two Guys, be sure to check out the link:  https://TwoGuysWithBalls.com

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Oak Valley Review


Oak Valley sits in a no-mans golf land of Southern California. Not quite Los Angeles, not Palm Springs, the town of Beaumont is often a weigh station between the two cities but golfer's should take note of the course seen just off the 10 as they go by.


The first hole that you see off the 10 is this beautiful downhill par 3 that while it plays short, is much more difficult because of the swirling winds. The course was in fantastic shape and while they keep the greens long this time of year, the fairways and tee boxes were all top notch.


The routing of the course offers up many beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and while there are houses that line the course (mostly on the back 9) they don't hem you in like many Palm Springs courses.


My favorite holes, which are also emblematic of the course as a hole are above. The green in the foreground is a long par 3 and in the background is the 17th green which is a longish par 4. These are great strategic holes that can be navigated by most golfers.

However, if you notice the railroad ties, the molding, the penal nature of the course, you would be forgiven in thinking that Pete Dye designed this course. Oak Valley was designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and they both clearly study at the Dye school as the course felt like a slightly less penal Dye course.

The bulldozered bumps were there. The long fairway bunkers flanking the fairways were there. The water cutting a bit too close to greens with railroad ties were there. I am not a huge fan of Dye's style and I think there are better architects to ape so the course went down a few notches in my estimation. That being said, this was the most fun Dye-like course I have ever played and that alone bumps up the course several notches. If they designed this course and took out some of the tricked up elements, it would be really special.


All the tee shots on the course really have great framing and if you can make the fairway, it is a scoreable course.

Overall, I like Oak Valley. It is a fun course that marries great elements from Palm Springs and Los Angeles golf. I think the course would be absolutely fantastic to play in the Fall/Winter time and am eagerly awaiting my next round there.

For more information on Oak Valley check out the link! http://www.oakvalleygolf.com/