Golf – Barb's True Stories

Disturbing Scene On The Links-Day 13-A Poem A Day

April 17, 2013April 17, 2013 by barbstruestories, posted in A Poem A Day, Golf

Disturbing Scene on The Links

Early in the season, I thought I would try

To swing my ol’ clubs to see by and by

If my game was anywhere to be found

And if it was, happiness would abound

Spring was in the air and oh it was some nice

As it tried to exert power over snow and some ice

Out I went, not many others around

Played all alone and in that I found

That once in a while golfing solo is fine

However, then it’s easier to cross a line

Where one might be more restrained when playing with friends

On your own, with bad shots, the cursing never ends

When half way round it was clear I was doomed

Looking forward to relief, I had presumed

Any moment, I’d find one and when I did, it was so hard

To see a long-awaited convenience and it’s barred

Hope Springs in Palm Springs-Part II

April 2, 2013 by barbstruestories, posted in Golf, Palm Springs, Travel

A few weeks ago four of us trekked off to Palm Springs, California to attend a three-day golf school. We did other things in Palm Springs but attending the golf school was the reason we made the trip. There are probably many golf schools in Palm Springs. We decided to enrol in the Cahill Golf School where our teacher was Mike Cahill. There were just the four of us in the class. It was nice being only with people you know. Mike has taught for about ten years. Mike and his father Dave run golf schools in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.

We decided to spread our three days out a bit during the week. That was wise for you go from a winter climate with pretty much no golf (unless you are the sort who goes to indoor ranges or simulators) to 6-8 hours of golf in a day. Our day started with almost four hours of instruction on the driving range and putting green. That is a lot of time. After a bit of break we would go on to the Cimarron Golf Resort course and play 18 holes. Mike came with us for the first few holes to watch and give some advice on course management. The weather was mixed throughout our time there but we tried to take full advantage of Mike’s knowledge (and patience perhaps) no matter the weather.

Speaking with and for my friends, we would all recommend the school (and don’t pay attention to the fact the photo is dated 2008, really it wasn’t taken then-maybe that’s just some weird note from the ether that says I should have gone to a school at least 5 years ago). Mike coached each of us based on our individual abilities. He didn’t try to make us all do the same thing i.e. it wasn’t a cookie cutter approach.

We had videos taken of our swings at the beginning and end of the school and we have those videos to watch now that we are home. We can continue to ask Mike questions and if we have trouble (as if we won’t), we can take a video and send it to him and he’ll help us from afar. Now that’s service.

The thing is, we flew back to winter and now the challenge is to remember all we learned since we can’t get out and practice right away. What was I to try with my grip? How were we to set up for that shot just off the green?

Have you gone to a golf school in winter? Would you go back? Please tell me it changed your game in a good way.

We golfed at a few other courses when we were in Palm Springs including the Resort Course at Tahquitz Creek and the Escena Golf Club. The following gives you some idea of the scenery-first a serious swing, then a road runner and a cactus shadow on the fairway and lunch by the reflecting pool. Ah, so nice.

Hope Springs in Palm Springs-Part I

March 14, 2013 by barbstruestories, posted in Golf, Palm Springs, Travel

Golf is a very difficult game, at least it is for me. When you golf, hope springs eternal
that your game will improve by leaps and bounds. I just returned from a week-long vacation in Palm Springs, California where three friends and I rented a home and attended a three-day golf school. And so, hope springs in Palm Springs.

It’s a luxury to leave winter behind and go to places that sport palm trees and temperatures that are conducive to short sleeves and golf shorts. The last day it sported an earthquake as we sat waiting to tee off. Tremors should not be a surprise, I suppose, as we were spitting distance from the San Andreas fault.

Palm Springs is a popular destination for people who want to escape cold weather. There are all manner of license plates on vehicles from out-of-state. It appears to me the average age is on the other side of 70. Many Hollywood stars of years gone by owned homes in Palm Springs. We hiked and cycled past homes that were, at one time, owned by Hollywood notables such as Bob Hope, Steve McQueen, Peter Lawford and Debbie Reynolds. Marilyn Monroe was discovered at the Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club. She is now represented by a 26ft tall sculpture in downtown Palm Springs.

The weather was mixed during our stay. It was cold, cool, warm, hot, dry and rainy, windy and calm, sometimes all in one day. The last day it was pretty much perfect, leaving us with a great last memory.

There are many hiking trails in the valley and into the mountains. You could spend many a day exploring the various trails. Cycling is fairly easy in the city. There are a number of bike trails that often share sidewalk space with pedestrians.

A couple of pictures from a bike ride:

A lavender lemonade at the Native Foods Cafe:

The home we rented through Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) was comfortable and the owners were very accommodating. Here’s a few pictures of where we hung our hats for a little over a week.