Miscellanea

Miscellanea

     Chimney Rock Golf Course closed in 2000 with the land being converted to grape vineyards. This 9 hole course was opened in 1983 but prior to that it was a full 18 hole course which was built in the late sixties. For those of you that didn’t play the old course and those who did here is a trip down memory lane. The clubhouse was essentially the same but the small building just north of it was where you got your driving range balls. The driving range was all dirt with target signs located on it, you hit off mats. The golf course always had a water problem so after springtime the fairways were pretty thin to say the least, the greens however were excellent, some of the finest in the area. The first hole was a 392 yard par 4, essentially the same as the 373 yard first hole on the 9 hole course. The second hole was a 508 yard par 5. The tee was just left of the first hole. The fairway was about the same as the 2nd hole on the 9 hole course except it didn’t have a hump in it and went to the right of the new 2nd hole green. After your tee shot you had to decide whether or not to go for the green, you had to cross the creek and go over or through the oak trees, a pretty tough shot. Most players laid up, went over the oak trees and onto the green. The 3rd hole which went east towards the hills was a short 125 yard par 3 with a large oak tree hanging over the right side of the green. If you avoided the tree and hit the green the fun was just beginning, the green was extremely fast especially if you were above the pin. The 4th hole which faced west was a short par 4 of 340 yards with an in course out of bounds ( distance only penalty ) to the right, a pretty easy hole. The 5th hole which went back east again was a 362 yard par 4 but it went uphill making it play longer than the yardage. The green was surrounded by trees. This hole also had an in course O.B. to the right. Now the fun began, the par 4 sixth hole of 379 yards and the par 4 seventh hole of 411 yards were essentially the same type of hole. The holes were uphill and doglegged left with the fairways slanted left to right making it very difficult unless you could hit a draw shot with a driver. The holes were located where the vineyards were just east of the par five 8th hole on the 9 hole course. The greens were elevated also making these two holes the toughest on the course. The next hole was the 187 yard par 3 eight hole, you teed off by the trees just left and behind the first green. The green sat at the base of the hillside to the east. If you didn’t hit the green, looking for golf balls was risky as the dry hillside was loaded with rattle snakes. The 9th hole was a long 559 yard par 5. You teed off from the base of the east hills and hit to the fairway which was later the 9th hole fairway on the 9 hole course. The hole was always a better par 5 than it was a par 4. The front nine was 3263 yards going out. Play on the back nine started on the 416 yard 10th hole. This hole played as the 4th hole on the 9 hole course and was essentially the same hole. The old hole did have an in course O.B. to the right and combined with the O.B. left into the driving range made it a tough drive.  The 11th hole was a 408 yard par 4 and had the same layout as the 290 yard par 4 sixth hole on the 9 hole course. The hole was shortened when the winery building was put in. The good news about the old hole was there was no vineyards to the right, so you could bail out but would have to hit off the dirt for your second shot. The short 338 yard 12th hole faced west towards Silverado Trail and had a large oak tree in the center of the fairway. Your tee shot had to be hit over or around the tree to get to the fairway. Facing back east again you played the 158 yard par 3 thirteenth hole. The problem here was the boundary fence ran just left of the green and was O.B. for any pulled tee shots. Continuing east you played the 534 yard par 5 fourteenth hole. The first two shots were fairly level but your third shot had to be hit to very elevated green. If you missed it short it would come back down the hill at you or past you for another try. The green was extremely fast, if you were above the pin or off the back of the green you had a very good chance of putting or chipping off the green and going all the way back down the hill for a 100 plus yard  shot back. A par here was a very good score. The 418 yard par 4 fifteenth hole was a drivers delight. You hit west off a very elevated tee with a wide fairway to hit. In our tournament in 1979 Tom Stead hit one of the longest drives I ever saw on this hole and won the long drive. The 16th hole was a short par 3 of 135 yards, the tee being close to where the 7th tee was on the 9 hole course. The old 16th green was in the hump area between the 7th tee and the green on the 9 hole course. Just east of the old 16th green was the tee for the short 327 yard par 4 seventeenth hole. The par three 208 yard third hole on the 9 hole course was the old 17th green. The 540 yard par 5 eighteenth hole was essentially the same hole as the 534 yard 4th hole on the 9 hole course. The differences were the lake on the left didn’t exist, it was just a creek then and the O.B. on the right was a distance only penalty. It was a very good finishing hole. It was 3274 yards coming back in for a total of 6537 yards. The old course was a good combination of long difficult holes and fairly short easy holes and was great to play. Nine of the holes were removed for grape vineyards in the early eighties and the remaining nine modified but it was never the same course, too bad for those of us who liked the old course. Now it is completely gone, only some of the original oak trees remain.
 

     The old Blue Rock Springs Golf Course was another course we lost when they modified it and built another 18 holes. When I first started playing the old course I disliked it but came to love playing there through the years. We use to play it after work, during tournaments and it was the host course for the majority of pyramid matches played during that time. Columbus Parkway was a narrow two lane road that wound through the course with large eucalyptus trees located on the both sides of the road. Parking was right off the parkway with a very short walk to the clubhouse. There was no driving range but there was a small practice green with sand traps located on the east side of the road just before you got to the 14th tee box. Play started on the 314 yard 1st hole,( now the 336 yard 10th hole now with a larger green ) a pretty easy starting hole but many players would lose their tee shots off to the right and into the trees. The 2nd hole was a par 5 of 510 yards ( now the 518 yard 6th hole ) that went up the hill with the wind behind you, a good three shot par 5. The 103 yard par 3 third hole ( now the 110 yard 7th hole facing west ) was short but tricky. First the green was quite elevated and facing north, the wind blew left to right pretty hard and the green had two tiers making for some adventurous putts once you were on it. (Balls putted off the front of the green and didn’t land in the bunker could roll all the way back down the hill towards the tee). The downhill 502 yard 4th hole ( now the 536 yard 6th hole ) could give you fits off the tee, the wind blew left to right and at you, any ball going off the tee to the right was almost always out of bounds. The homes on the hills right have somewhat reduced the wind affect now. If you kept the ball in play it was a pretty easy par 5. The dogleg left 313 yard par 4 fifth hole was short but played into the prevailing wind. Some tall trees behind the green could shelter some of the wind and make your yardage a real guess for your second shot. All that remains of this hole is the tee which is now the tee for the par three 11th hole and the trees behind where the green was (near the school property). The straight away 352 yard par 4 sixth hole was a tough tee shot because of the trees on the left and the big willow tree on the right. The second shot was hit to an elevated green with a huge bunker in front which was shallow in depth and hard to hit and keep the ball on the green. The 6th tee and part of the fairway are now the dogleg right 14th hole, the 15th green now is close to where the 6th green was then. The 323 yard 7th hole ( now the 336 yard 16th hole ) was a straight away par 4 from an elevated tee, normally an fairly easy hole. The 190 yard par 3 eight hole was one of the best and toughest holes on the course, all carry and a tough green to putt. The hole no longer exists, the green was located where the blue tee is for the ninth hole. The 346 yard par 4 ninth hole ( now the 353 yard 9th hole ) was a straight hole and was our long drive hole in our tournaments. The green sat right on Columbus Parkway, if you hit your second shot long you had to pray the cyclone fence behind the green caught your ball or it was OB. The course was 2953 yards going out. The back nine started with the 334 yard dogleg right par 4 tenth hole ( now the 339 yard 5th hole ) which played into the wind. If your tee shot went right you had big tree problems and had to be lucky to have a clear second shot. The lake on the left didn’t exist. The 352 yard par 4 eleventh hole ( now the 362 yard 17th hole ) was difficult after your tee shot. You had to hit off a downhill lie to an elevated green that sloped very hard back to front. ( the green is much flatter now) If you ended up above the pin or pin high putting was very difficult. The 195 yard par 3 twelfth hole was a difficult hole. You teed off from an elevated tee to a green with a hazard left and behind it and a waste area to the right, putting was tricky also. The 12th green remains and is now the green for the 289 yard par 4 fourth hole. The next three holes, 13, 14 and 15 were named “amen corner” because of their difficulty and the fact that so many pyramid matches were turned around on those holes. The 369 yard par 4 thirteenth hole ( now the 409 yard 18th hole ) was a sharp dogleg right hole with O.B. close in the magnetic trees on the right side. Over the years the O.B. markers on the right were anywhere from right on the tree line to past the maintenance sheds on the right. I saw a player play out of the cubicle that held sand for the course bunkers back to the then 13th fairway. If your tee shot was short the trees blocked you out, if you went left the hole played long ( the lake was not there). You were happy with a par on this hole. You now crossed Columbus Parkway to play the 487 yard par 5 fourteenth hole. The hole went uphill and doglegged left. Trees on the left and a lateral hazard and sand trap on the right made the tee shot difficult. The second shot could also be difficult with the trees on the left and O.B. all the way on the right. The green sat left tucked in against the trees. This hole could be birdied but you could also take a real big number on it. What remains of the 14th hole is now the par 4 fourth hole on the east course, the differences being the tee is now elevated and the hole is now shorter with an elevated green. When you finished the 14th hole you faced the 165 yard par 3 fifteenth hole which played facing north. The prevailing wind was strong left to right and the course boundary fence was close all along the right side. Lots of balls were hit O.B. on this hole over the years. The hole no longer exists. The 391 yard par 4 sixteenth hole played downhill but into the prevailing wind. The O.B. fence ran all along the right side, the green could be tricky to putt. The fairway of this hole is now the 1st hole on the east course played in the opposite direction. The 390 yard par 4 seventeenth hole was played back up the hill but did play with the wind behind you. The green was slanted back to front and very difficult to putt especially pin high or above. The fairway of this hole is now the par 4 third hole on the east course played in the opposite direction. The short slight dogleg left 455 yard par 5 eighteenth hole was played back down the hill. The green could be reached with a very good second shot, the eucalyptus trees behind the green blocked out a lot of the wind. The two big traps in front of the green though made most players lay up with their second shots. It was definitely a good birdie hole and a easy hole to finish your round on. What remains of this hole is the fairway of the par 4 eighteenth hole on the east course. The old 18th tee was back and the green was not elevated as it is now.
         

     Green Tree golf course has also gone under some changes over the years but I think not for the better. They took a fairly easy golf course that was fun to play and tried to make a championship course out of it and in the process screwed it up. Play used to start on the 130 yard par 3 first hole ( now the 140 yard 10th hole with a different tee box, the original tee was near where the new 9th green is now ) and with the lake to carry on your first shot of the day made this a real adventure. “Lots of bad starts” took place here. The second hole was a 320 yard par 4 ( now the 11th hole ) that was fairly easy, only a depth perception problem on your second shot made it tricky. The third hole was a 472 yard par 5 (  now the 455 yard 12th hole ) that was reachable in two, depending on the wind. The hole now has water in front of it which limits your options. The fourth hole was a 338 yard par 4 (  now the 334 yard 13th hole ) which played longer than the yardage into the prevailing wind. The hole is basically the same as it was before. The fifth hole was a 382 yard par 4 that played downwind but was still a tough hole to par, (it’s now the 377 yard 14th hole). Also tough was the little par 3 sixth hole ( now the 106 yard 15th hole ) At that time it had a large willow tree that sat in front and to the left of  he green, You couldn’t see the green, just hit your tee shot over the tree and hoped for the best. A very hard green to hit. The seventh hole was a 512 yard par 5 ( now the 493 yard 16th hole ) that played downwind and was reachable for the longer players. A water canal was put in front of the green which forces most players now to lay up with their second shots. The eight hole was a par 3 of 190 yards ( now the 184 yard 17th hole ), a very diffucult hole even though it plays downwind. The ninth hole was a 385yard par 4 ( now the 382 yard 18th hole ) which could play very tough also. The front nine was only 2826 yards long. Play on the back nine started on the 543 yard 10th hole ( now the 489 yard 1st hole and players have told me this was the original 1st hole many years ago ). You wanted to hit your tee shot as far as possible without reaching the water hazard which was left, right and crossing  the fairway straight away. This was a pretty easy par 5. The eleventh hole was a 402 yard par 4 ( now the 393 yard 2nd hole ) that was the toughest hole on the course. A long par 4 into the wind which required a long second shot to a narrow but long green that was tough to putt. The twelfth hole was a 386 yard par 4 (now the 382 yard 3rd hole) that then had a large tree off to the left of the tee made your tee shot much more difficult. Three of the next four holes were closed and/or modified back in the early eighties because of  house building in the area. The thirteenth hole was a long 180 yard par 3 then, now the new hole is 146 yards long with a two teir green (and is now the 4th hole). The par 4 fourteenth hole was then 370 yards long ( now the 323 yard 5th hole ) which made the tee shot between the large trees left and right much more difficult. The green remains the same. The 150 yard 15th hole (now the 136 yard 6th hole) remains the same but shorter. The par 4 sixteenth hole was 370 yards long, ( now the 285 yard 7th hole ) which made the hole much more difficult. The 400 yard par 4 seventeenth hole (now the 395 yard 8th hole) is essentially the same hole today, downwind but a tough hole to par. The par 5 finishing hole was a short 467 yards downwind which made it a great eagle and birdie possibility. It’s now 548 yards long (9th hole) and almost impossible to hit in two shots because of it’s length and green location. The back nine was 3313 yards coming in for a total of 6139 yards. The yardage given on the new course is from the white tees at 5881, it’s 380 yards longer from the blue’s.
 

     Diablo Creek golf course has also had some changes made to it in the past few years. The front nine is basically the same as it was before except some of the greens have been changed or replaced and yardage added. The 1st hole is basically the same with perhaps a new green. The 2nd hole used to be a short par 4 of 338 yards, now it’s 378 yards with a new green. The long par 5 third hole has been increased in length (from 560 yds to 588 yds), why I don’t know, the hole was always too long playing into the prevailing wind. The 208 yard par 3 fourth hole is the same. The par 4 fifth hole is 10 yards longer now with perhaps a new green. The par 5 sixth hole has also been increased in length from 500 yards to 517 yards, this hole also plays into the wind and didn’t need any length added. The little par 3 seventh hole is now slightly longer at 114 yards, it was 100 yards before. The par 4 eight and ninth holes are basically the same, eight is slightly longer, the ninth is slightly shorter. The front nine is now 112 yards longer. Starting the back nine the 10th hole has been modified the most. It used to be a fairly straight foward 352 yard par 4, now the new green was moved left with a forced carry over the creek. The 378 yard par 4 eleventh hole used to be the 364 yard 16th hole, it’s the same hole. The 387 yard par 4 twelfth hole used to be the 380 yard par 4 fifteenth hole, it’s the same hole as before. The 160 yard par 3 thirteenth hole used to be the 177 yard par 3 eleventh hole. The 478 yard par 5 fourteenth hole used to be the par 5 twelfth hole and is the same as it was before. The tough par 4 fifteenth hole of 417 yards used to be the 412 yard par 4 thirteenth hole, it’s still the same tough hole as it was before. The 406 yard par 4 sixteenth hole used to be the par 5 fourteenth hole which measured 442 yards and was reachable by almost everyone, a real fun hole that was ruined by making it a par 4. The 99 yard par 3 seventeenth is now shorter than it was before by 14 yards. The green was replaced, the old green was the hardest green to hit and stay on. The par 4 eighteenth of 341 yards is the same as it was before. Like Green Tree G.C., Diablo creek was redesigned and not necessarily for the better. Adding yardage to holes that play into the wind, changing a short par 5 into a difficult par 4 and adding undulations to the greens took a golf course that was fun to play and  didn’t change it for the better.