Week of Patterson, CA
April 2, 2001

Traveling can be fun - or not...

It is Monday, April 2nd, and we are sitting outside at Miami's International Airport. We flew all night, lost an hour for daylight savings time, 3 more going back to the Eastern time zone, then had our first layover from 5:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. We were nearly ready to board the Sarasota flight, when American cancelled the flight. So now we are outside, Val is asleep on a bench in the sun, and we prepare for the 1:45 p.m. departure, arriving about 3. Thank goodness our dear friend Beth Salzman got our harried message to NOT pick us up at noon - flight cancelled. So how kind and flexible that she can arrange to still meet us at 3.

It has been a fast and full 4 weeks and fortunately in the last 2 events there was promise for a brighter tomorrow. Changing golf balls from the Lady Precept to the Precept Tour Premium sure made a difference and seeing myself fight back as in days of last summer was a pleasure to re-experience.

This past week started, as I mentioned before, in San Francisco where we took in the city on a day as pretty as this one. We then drove to little Westley, Calif. to check into our motel. Westley is an exit with 3 hotels, 2 gas stations, and a 24 hour restaurant. We went south then west into the desolate hills another 10 miles where all we saw were cows, fields, and then finally the golf course. A beautiful yet remote place. The same owner and developer of Chateau Elan northeast of Atlanta built this 36 hole facility, and the hillside lots are all marked and ready to be built. Nicklaus and Sarazen designed one of the courses. I guess 'if you build it they will come' applies, as the courses already have their fine and difficult reputations. The head pro drives 96 miles one way each day to work, and he will break ground this summer on the first home on the course, making his commute much shorter!

The first day we started play in the windiest conditions on #10, off of the cliff to the downhill landing area, and then the 2nd shot was 160 over the lake into the gusts. This course starting out on the back side I feel is the most difficult stretch of holes that we compete upon. Holes 10 thru 15 are brutal and with the wind conditions - (I feel) the first let up holes are 16 and 17, the par 5 and par 3. (My caddie disagrees that 16 is a let up hole) The first day starting on the back, I had hardly hit a green, and was 5 over after 6, birdied #16, and turned at +4. But a poor double on tough #3 and one more birdie and bogey made 78. Day 2 again was a rough start turning at 40 again, but a good front 9 of 36 finished at 76. Day 3 started again for the 3rd time on #10, and I mastered the back firing a 36, but another double on #3 as my fairway shot ended up in a deep hole right in the middle of the fairway. I hacked out 80 yards to the left rough, but missed the green with a wedge that I pulled from the grabby rough. Another great birdie from the fringe on #5, was negated by the bogey on #8, to finish 74. It was the best 18 holes any course has shown us for toughness, variety of design, wind conditions, and elements. I finished in a tie for 30th.

Oh yes, the elements. I have forgotten to mention a couple of Val's particular challenges. Since this new event has no volunteers in such a remote place, players were required to RIDE with clubs on the cart, and caddies must WALK (run) within the hole to catch up. Caddies could ride BETWEEN holes only. So she got quite a workout, and was truly in shape and ready for the ordeal. My hat is off to her dedication. But along the way came the final element of challenge: the SNAKES. There were signs that warned of rattlesnakes and not to venture into the long grasses, but who really thought we would see one?

Well the 1st day, Val and another caddy walked over a wood chip path on #4 disturbing a sunning snake - since the snake didn't move, both caddies decided to walk the long way around. Just two holes later on #6, as Val was ahead of us - she pointed out suddenly that a snake was right there laying parallel alongside the cart path! She sped hurriedly on fleet-foot away, and I drove up to it and waited next to it so other caddies could pass by behind my cart away from the snake. It was about 5 feet long, straight out, and I saw its rattle on one end, and sure enough, head at the other end. Too close for me, we all drove off in shock and an accelerated heartbeat!

I was paired with Nicole Jeray who has been known for her narcolepsy spells - falling asleep suddenly in the middle of a round. Well this just did it, with the snake episode shaking everyone up a bit, Nicole just wilted over in the cart passing out for a flash. I was ready to drive my cart off for help, and she woke up! She said, 'I'm fine, I just was pretty shocked by the snake, and must have drifted off!' She may have been fine, but we will never forget the snake OR Nicole's episode.

Val did see 2 more snakes on the 2nd day - almost stepping on a moving one, and it is not a big surprise that she had some dreams about the little creatures. Sorry I did not have my camera!

All of the California events have started on split tees (#1 and #10) on the final round, and we still had to drive back to Los Angeles (280 miles) to get our late Sunday flight to Florida. We finished playing so early that we decided at the last minute to go to Anaheim to the new Disney California Adventure theme park with rides and attractions, as it is adjacent to Disneyland. It turns out that our day was quite fun, there is one great roller coaster - California Screaming - and an incredible inside movie - California Soarin' - where you feel like you are flying over all of the landmark sites in California. The park had opened only in February of 2001- it has a boardwalk theme, the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge in miniature and Wharf demonstrations of making sourdough bread in an actual bakery, and another bakery where they make fresh tortillas - and of course samples in both!

Well, we are now at home, Beth came to the airport, and we did not find her, and she could not find us either. So I heard my name paged at the Sarasota airport to meet my party at the American Eagle baggage claim. Val and I had left the plane, and having never come into the 'commuter terminal' (the east end), we walked to the baggage claim we knew (the west end). Our 5 minute walk back was good exercise, although not really planned!

Beth kindly brought us a total picnic for dinner: turkey, rolls, tomato, potato salad, apples and bananas, chips and a half gallon of milk so we did not have to shop today. We are grateful for her thoughtfulness today!

Thanks to all of you for having such interest all month. We will home for the next two weeks, and then Easter Sunday morning fly out to Dallas for the Richardson, TX, then Wichita, then Denver swing. It is really pretty here, I see the rain has filled the lakes back to normal. So now for some rest, a great turkey sandwich to come, and just some time to catch up and relax (and practice).

I never thought we would spend 8 hours in the Miami airport and I am very glad to be home.

Sue E.

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