It's a camera phone, so not a great pic. But here is the 1st green at Spyglass. A couple of buddies and myself decided to head down there and play on a whim. What a day. 67 degrees, almost no wind.

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So the scenery is great, but I easily shot the worse round in about two years? three years? Just ugly. Rarely do I ever post about my rounds of golf, but I just have to share one of the best pars I have ever made.

Spyglass, 14th hole, 560 yd par 5. The green has a lot of speed, bumps and protection. Bunkers and water protect it, so it's not really wise to try to reach in two unless you are on tour.


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After battling big draws with the driver all day I decide to aim a little more right than normal, the ball goes straight right...of course. I end up under a tree, in what looks like a mini volcano of dirt and tall grass. Only the top of the ball is visible.

It should be unplayable but I figure what the heck I am going to slam a 5 wood into the dirt behind the ball and see if I can somehow advance it past the tree line of the ten or so trees in front of me. Almost. With a full swing, I advanced it about 30 yards but I still left it next to a tree on some pine needles.

Now I am looking straight at the water 220 in front of me protecting the green. The flag is about 260 away. Downhill lie. In order to advance the ball in the right direction, I have to risk breaking he shaft on a tree trunk after the follow through. No problem, the 5W needs a new shaft anyway, I hate the one in it. I hit a great low draw out of the tree, bounce the shaft off the trunk (darn, it didn't break), and the ball curves a little away from the water and lands dryly about 40 yards short of the flag.

Now a tricky uphill pitch to a short pin with a fast green. I just land it short of my target and I am on what can pass for a fringe about 20 ft short of the hole. A tricky putt with some break and the ever demanding grain/shadows of Spyglass.

No problem....the putt hits the back of the hole, par.

Thanks for letting me share, back to the regularly scheduled programming.

shot 84 from the tips last time out... and yes I reached number 1 in 2 and managed to 3 putts since the pin was in the front and my second shot ended up on the back left side... wow looks like you had blue sky.. nice. I was there in august and never saw the sun.

Ohh I cannot wait till the spring...hopefully my interview at Poppy Hills will go well and I'll be out there this summer. Can't wait till April to play there with my dad though!

I was one of the players today and Chris did have an unusuallly off day.

What Chris leaves out is the look on his face when he finds his Tee ball in a nearly impossible hole, and his early "You watch, I'm going to make PAR from here!"

3 - 5 woods

1. Hole in the Trees
2. Punch out of the trees with about a 6-7 foot window!
3. Wedge that spins off the front
4. 5W putt thats nothing but NET

I have to get self-employed... damn losers I'm jealous !

Sweet pic's. I love Spyglass almost as much as Pebble. It seems like the greens at Spyglass are always being aerified when I play there. The last two times I've played Spyglass was within a week of aerifying. Perhaps I'll get lucky one of these days.

3rd Hole...

Nice pics - looks like you got a great day to play!

I grew up in Pebble Beach/Pacific Grove and I can remember two different occasions when we got snow that lasted for about half a day. Snow in Pebble! I've got pics somewhere of me and a pathetically small snow man in Del Monte forest.

When you figure that out, send me a PM with the secret. I wish I was in the foursome.

BTW - 84 from the tips - You're giving me strokes for sure next time we play. I'd be lucky to break 90 out there these days.

Larry