Golf Digest Writes Me Up!

This is one of several posts about my attempts to play the ultimate course, the Cypress Point Club. If you have any tips for me or want to invite me to play (!!!) please email me at peterflanigan@hotmail.com I promise total discretion for anyone who helps. Thanks! 

Well my week ended pretty great last week. Why? It just so happens that Golf Digest wrote about my quest to play Cypress Point!!!

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/one-mans-unique-quest-to-get-invited-to-play-the-ultra-exclusive-cypress-point-club

I think its a true testament to how interconnected we all are when the author found my posts about playing Cypress on Twitter and reached out to me about my quest. So far the article has been a great help to me, I have had 3 people reach out to say they will help.

One offer even got TANTALIZING close to getting me on THIS WEEK. Unreal! I am so thankful for the outpouring of people wanting to help and please keep it up! :)

Even if nothing comes from these new connections, the article gives me a larger platform to reach out and hopefully find someone who knows someone.

Stay tuned!

ReGripped's Quest To Play Cypress Point Day 46

This is one of several posts about my attempts to play the ultimate course, the Cypress Point Club. If you have any tips for me or want to invite me to play (!!!) please email me at peterflanigan@hotmail.com I promise total discretion for anyone who helps. Thanks! 

As an update, so far the direct letter writing approach has failed. I will have to say that the staff at Cypress Point are EXTREMELY nice, much nicer than most public courses and I will leave it at that.

One of the tips I have been utilizing is social networking. Yes everyone is on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and while those services can be great (and annoying), everyone really IS on them and I have been using these to try and connect with people who can try and get me on. While personal is always the best, impersonal but personal can also work. I will let you know how it goes!

Of course, regular networking works as well. I was recently taking a flight and noticed a guy wearing a "Cypress Point" vest and so I talked to him for a bit about the course. He is not a member but has played there 6+ times in the last year. Incredible! He seemed a bit guarded and I regret not saying "if you ever need a fourth". Next time, I will definitely say that.

In honor of Cypress Point, I decided to create its "signature drink" (at least according to Golf Digest), the Sam's Special.

The Sam's Special:
1) Dark and Light Rum (2 oz of Myer's run, 1oz of Rhum Barbancout)
2) Sweet and Sour Mix (4oz)
3) Powdered Sugar (1/2 TSP)
4) Ice!

So how did it go?

Well the drink turned out pretty sweet. Mixing the two rums together was interesting and I think if I dial it back a bit on the sweet and sour mix we could have a fine cocktail on our hands.

I shared it with my golfing buddies who all liked it, I just have to get the proportions right for the next one!

Here is another great review of Cypress: http://top100golf.blogspot.com/2006/01/cypress-point.html

Reviewing BioFlow Sport Band

If you watch enough PGA tourneys (and my wife DEFINITELY think we watch enough PGA tourneys) then you see the pros wearing bracelets. Most of these are the updated version of the copper bracelets from the 1990s that you would see Chi Chi Rodriquez and others selling. Copper is supposed to work with your body's magnetic field to help it repair itself, or something like that.

I am definitely no doctor (nor play on on the internet) so I have no idea if copper really works and if so, how it works but I love cool looking wristbands so when I won a free one, I had to give it a try.

BioFlow doesn't use copper but magnets and I have no idea if magnets work or not (just don't get it too close to your credit card :P) on the body but the band is sporty.

That thing IS sporty, I mean it just looks cool. They come in several colors and sizes and the recommendation is to size up a bit but honestly if you are right around the mark you might just want to keep with your size.

The band also happens to go great with my golf gear and it was fun wearing it on the course. Whether it helped me play better or not, I can't tell ya but I definitely enjoyed having it on my wrist. The rubber is soft and doesn't get in the way of a swing (if sized properly).

Whether you believe in magnets, copper or you just believe in fashion, BioFlow is an interesting addition to your golf gear.

For more info on BioFlow, check out this website: http://www.bioflow.co.uk/info/Our_Technology

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor, I have no medical training and I have no idea if magnets, copper or anything else works for you. If you are looking to heal yourself, consult a medical professional. While I won this, I have no other affiliation with BioFlow and certainly do not receive any compensation if you buy this thing. Its the internet, take everything with a grain of salt and learn from it what you can. 

Golfing River Course at Alisal Review

When you think of courses in California, you think of the ones at the ends of the state. The beautiful tracks on the Monterey Peninsula and the awesome desert courses in SoCal. The middle of the state doesn't get as much love but hopefully that will change with more people discovering courses like the River Course at Alisal.

While you would think there is more than one course given the name, there is but one and the one course is a beautiful, minimalistic track with oak trees strategically placed and hard as a rock greens which makes shot placement and links-style golf a premium. So many times on this course you had to play for a 20 yard roll out on the green.

The course was pretty baked on the edges due to the ongoing drought

but it was green where it counts and the fairways were in great shape.

The greens didn't just inspire links-style golf but so did the wind. The wind was howling that day, with half the holes going into the wind and half with it.

Want to see how windy it was? Check it out!

The thing about playing in SoCal is that there is rarely any weather so it comes up and knocks you in the face its fun to try out your game against it.

My favorite hole was the number one handicap hole on the course (the hardest) and it was INTO the wind.

This thing was a brute! I hit driver, 3 iron, sand wedge and had a putt for par but blew it. It would have been one of my toughest pars I ever made but the fact that I was close was gratifying.

The course has cool, hidden water features and while it is straightforward in some ways, I bet playing this course two or three times you can really dial in all of the cool little quirks of the place.

Overall this was a fun course, albeit just too far from Los Angeles to justify the 2 plus hour trip. Still, if you are in Solvang or the Santa Barbara area, you should check it out!

More Info Here: http://www.rivercourse.com/-course(2)

ReGripped's Quest To Play Cypress Point Day 1

This is one of several posts about my attempts to play the ultimate course, the Cypress Point Club. If you have any tips for me or want to invite me to play (!!!) please email me at peterflanigan@hotmail.com I promise total discretion for anyone who helps. Thanks! 

I have been posting a lot recently about lifelong bucket lists. Coore Crenshaw courses I want to play and a top 10, drop everything and play it list. The number one course on that list is Cypress Point Club and its number one by a mile.

Why do I want to play this course over any other course in the entire world?

1) 18 world class holes.
2) 4 holes along the water in THE best stretch of golf on the planet.
3) The club has approximately 250 members and is ultra private which means if you play it, you have won the lifetime golf lottery.
4) The best par 3 on the planet.

Suffice to say, I am in love with this course. This year I have wanted to up my game and play great courses and have resolved in my mind that not only do I want to play great courses but I want to play the BEST.

So, CPC is the BEST but it is ultra private, what am I to do? Well...blog about trying to play it of course! There are lots of blogs that tell you about playing but I will try and take you through my journey of TRYING to playing the course (certainly no revealing names, etc. just the process I use).

My first inclination is to plead my case directly to the pros at Cypress Point. I am going to write them personal letters and ask them periodically if I can play.

Secondly I have joined Golf Odyssey, a subscription travel golf newsletter that also promises to send you tips on playing private courses. I will be trying their tips as soon as I receive them and will let you know the results and also review the site.

As we go along, I will also be writing about all things CPC, about books (for example, Geoff's Shackelford's quintessential book) and other minutiae about Cypress Point and why its so special. Day 1, it begins! Stay tuned!

Random Cypress Review Link: http://www.golftripper.com/cypress-point-club/

Golfing Monarch Beach Review

Orange County and San Diego County have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to ocean courses. The most famous of which is Torrey Pines but right there is Pelican Hill and Monarch Beach Golf Links. MBGL is part of the St. Regis resort and the price-tag reflects that relationship and the location of the course right next to the ocean. I was fortunate enough to play the course recently and of course you know I had to blog about!

MBGL is really a tale of two 9s. The front 9 has ocean views on almost every hole. The back 9 winds it way through the expensive houses of Dana Point with a very resort course feel. Both 9s are in amazing shape, green with rather confusingly-spongy fairways but the ball always sits up. The greens on both 9s are in fantastic shape, they roll fast and true and will hold shots like a pro green.

Front 9:

The front 9 is all about water. Ocean views, lakes, streams, the front 9 is H20 and I loved it! The first two holes are straightforward par 4's. Left or right off the fairway may find you in a bunker (or in the water) but this is just all prelude to the real superstar of MBGL, the par 4 3rd hole.

Tee Shot:

The hole is only 288 and so you are hitting 5 wood or less off the tee, all the while trying not to be distracted by the ocean. You are generally supposed to play a hole in 15 minutes but I think you would be forgiven playing this hole in 45 or so ;).

Fairway:

The fairway is narrow but there bailout areas in the right and up to the left. You should hopefully have about 80 or less into the hole for the second shot and the green is two tiered so knowing where the pin is placed is crucial.

Green:

Well, it would be crucial if you cared at all about making a score on the hole versus just checking out the dolphins in the ocean. Really, you can't say enough about this hole.


The rest of the front 9 is solid including a very weird but enjoyable par 5 that crosses a willow bedecked stream twice on its way to the hole.

Back 9:

After the amazing front side, the back side just couldn't compete was still a nice resort-y course on the back side. Per the typical Southern California design mantra, all the par three's were framed by water which is always a nice touch.

One word about the bunkers.

The sand is in immaculate shape here but heavy. One bunker I was in felt like the beach, amazing depth of sand! You will be able to do get shots out and the sand is some of the best in SoCal no doubt!

Overall I enjoyed my day at MBGL. I felt very relaxed, helped no doubt by the sea air and the views. The staff were all top notch and really made for a great experience. The greens and sea views were fantastic, especially on the front side. I just wish the course would lower its rates a bit as the price means this track is only "once in a great while" for yours truly. Also, if I ruled the world, I would flip the 9s, start you off amongst the houses and wow you on the back so someone elect me president will ya?

For more info on Monarch Beach, check it out here: http://www.monarchbeachgolf.com/index.php

Golfing Tierra Rejada Review

There are many golf course choices in Los Angeles. Some people gravitate to the coast, the Torrey Pines, the Trump Nationals. Some people play the highly ranked courses, the Maderas, the LACC's the Riverias. Some people play the LA City courses in all of their pockmarked glory.

For me and my money, if I had one area to play and no where else, plant me in Simi Valley. So many great courses, so little time. And reasonably priced as well! When you are paying $40+ for a weekend round on a beat up city course, why not pay a little bit more for a world class track in Simi?

I found myself the other weekend checking out Tierra Rejada in the Moorpark area and its another hidden gem. While the $95 is a bit steeper than most tracks, there are deals to be found for TR and I found myself with a deal and eagerly anticipating the round.

This time of year (the Summer) you want to play early and the courses know that with rounds progressively getting cheaper throughout the day. The downside to Simi Valley is that the mornings are often socked in with fog and the first five holes were all about hitting and praying.

Once the fog lifted though, whooo doggy what a course!

What you don't realize going through all that fog is that you are slowly heading uphill to a plateau and several of the holes are either on top of the plateau or...

Hitting down to another plateau! I mean look at this thing! The tee box is at least 100+ feet above the fairway, which is very narrow but if you don't hit driver on this hole, there is no hope for you as a golfer.

What the front side giveth in terms of elevated tee shots, it makes up on the back side with elevated greens so unless you are long on the back, you are going to have a long day hitting uphill to these greens.

I was blown away by TR, yet ANOTHER reason that golf in Simi is the best in LA. The only downside of TR is that the greens are a little inconsistent, some roll fast some roll slow, all roll flat and true. I think part of this is the weather, the mornings must be so foggy and damp that it effects the greens in different ways. My suggestion, play the course later in the day to get the full effect of its beauty.

Over all, an amazing experience and one every LA golfer has to try out.

For more info on Tierra Rejada, check it out here: http://www.tierrarejadagolf.com/