California Golf + Travel January 2020 NorCal by California Golf + Travel

GOLF NEWS IN CALIFORNIA • Q&A WITH KIRK TRIPLETT • GOLF AND WINE GETAWAY

JAN/FEB 2020

TIGER

ON TOP! WEST COAST SWING: THE PGA TOUR IS IN TOWN

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CALIFORNIA GOLF + TRAVEL MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

JAN/FEB 2020

Publisher’s Note Three Iconic California Tracks

Course Spotlight A Place You Need to Play

In The News California Golf Scene

West Coast Swing The PGA Tour’s Coming to Town!

Local PGA Section Winners The Best of the Best

30 JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2020 VOLUME 24, ISSUE 1 GOLF NEWS IN CALIFORNIA • Q&A WITH KIRK TRIPLETT • GOLF AND WINE GETAWAY

Q&A with Kirk Triplett Going for the Triplett Crown

JAN/FEB 2020

Wishbone Brawl “Truly” an Amazing Event

TIGER 30

Winter Equipment Stay Dry in the Rain

ON TOP! WEST COAST SWING: THE PGA TOUR IS IN TOWN

WISHBONE

Golf Tip Tiger at The Top

Wine, Food, and Golf What’s Not to Love about Williamette Valley?

BRAWL WE BELIEVE!

On the cover: Tiger Woods at 2018 Genesis Open Photo Credit: Michael Weinstein

Visit us online at calgolfnews.com and be sure to LIKE us at facebook.com/calgolfnews. California Golf + Travel

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

THREE LEGENDARY CALIFORNIA GOLF COURSES TORREY PINES GOLF COURSE FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN Before it was a world-class golf facility, the land that would become Torrey Pines Golf Course was Camp Callen, an antiaircraft replacement training center during World War II. In exchange for an occupational permit to use the lower portion of the park, the military, according to the City of San Diego, had to guarantee that no part of the park would be damaged and that it would be kept open to the public. After the war, the camp was closed and its buildings were torn down and used for lumber to build housing for veterans. It was around this time that golf course architect William P. Bell “began envisioning the design of a wind and sea swept golf course that would afford golfers both rugged play and breathtaking surroundings.” Toward that end, a special election was held in 1956 that resulted in roughly 100 acres being set aside for the construction of a public golf course. After Bell’s death in 1953, his son, William F. Bell, realized his father’s vision by overseeing the completion of the North and South courses, which have hosted some of the most exciting finishes in PGA history, including Johnny Miller out-dueling Jack Nicklaus to win the 1982 San Diego Open by one stroke and Tiger Woods’ battle with Rocco Mediate to clinch the 2008 U.S. Open in a sudden-death playoff. PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM Shortly after it was completed in 1919, major changes were made to Pebble Beach Golf Links. The California Golf Association, which didn’t accept the course as a site for its amateur championship, felt that the 345-yard par-4 18th hole was too easy. With this in mind, course owner Samuel F.B. Morse hired Arthur Vincent, who lengthened the course to 6,200 yards, changed five greens, and moved the 18th tee to its current location near the 17th. More changes took place in preparation for the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship, when H. Chandler Egan re-shaped and re-bunkered each green, moved the 1st tee to create today’s dog-legged opening hole, reconfigured the 10th, added length to the 2nd, 9th and 14th, and moved the

16th green to a natural depression behind a grove of trees, extending the hole more than 100 yards. Sixty years later, Pebble Beach Golf Links unveiled a new 5th hole designed by Jack Nicklaus, which was placed on a parcel of prime oceanfront land that Pebble Beach Company had wanted to re-acquire for 80 years. Then, under direction of Arnold Palmer, preparations were made for the 2010 U.S. Open: four greens and 16 bunkers were rebuilt, altered or installed; 11 tees were enhanced; six holes saw the addition or adjustment of trees (including Cypress); and the total length of the course was extended to 7,040 yards. RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB — GENESIS OPEN In 1922, Los Angeles Athletic Club Vice-President Frank Garbutt began a search for the site upon which the Riviera Country Club would be built. To purchase the land from an oil millionaire, a syndicate was formed with final negotiations for the deal taking nearly three years to complete. Though initially unimpressed by “the barren site in the Santa Monica Canyon,” golf architect George C. Thomas Jr., who had recently completed the design and construction of the Bel-Air Country Club, agreed to design a course for Riviera, with the condition that he be allowed to hire William P. Bell as the construction supervisor. After 18 months of construction, Riviera opened on June 24, 1927, with George Thomas hitting the inaugural drive off the first tee. Because of its championship design and ability to accommodate large crowds, Riviera was selected to host the 4th Annual Los Angeles Open in 1929. Some highlights of the tournament over the years include: Sam Snead birdying the 18th on the final day to defeat Byron Nelson in 1945 by one stroke, Ben Hogan winning both the US Open and L.A. Open at Riviera in 1948, causing many to call the Club “Hogan’s Alley” and Tom Watson defeating Johnny Miller in 1982 in one of the greatest comeback victories in tournament history. Enjoy your walk, Eric Woods

CALIFORNIA GOLF + TRAVEL PUBLISHER Eric Woods EDITOR Suzy Evans, J.D., Ph.D. ART DIRECTOR Long Tran ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mike Stubbs, Ed Travis SENIOR WRITERS Randy Youngman, Jim Dover, Tom LaMarre CONTRIBUTORS Ian Leggatt, Ed Vyeda, Leonard Finkel, Tom Stankowski, Ken Lane PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Weinstein, Tom Neas, Mark Susson, Channing Benjamin TRAVEL EDITOR Larry Feldman EQUIPMENT EDITOR Scott Kramer, Ed Travis WINE + GOLF John Finney, Matt Palaferri CONTRIBUTING INSTRUCTORS Eric Lohman, Kris Moe, Perry Parker, Ted Norby, Scott Heyn, John Ortega, John Burckle Accounting Jep Pickett

JAN/FEB 2020

California Golf + Travel

California Golf + Travel is published by Golf Lab Media LLC 1224 Village Way, Ste. D, Santa Ana CA 92705 Phone: (714) 542-4653 website: www.CalGolfNews.com California Golf + Travel is published bimonthly and distributed to California golf courses, country clubs, practice facilities, golf retailers, hotels, and resorts Entire contents of this publication is copyrighted Golf Lab Media LLC 2015, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without the written permission from the publisher. For subscriptions, go to calgolfnews.com and sign up online or send your name, address, phone number, and $20 to Golf Lab Media at the Above address. For advertising opportunities and editorial information: Please call (714) 542-4653 or email to info@calgolfnews.com

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NORCAL COURSE SPOTLIGHT

Bayonet and Black Horse T

he Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula have played host to 3 PGA Professional Championship in the last 7 years. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also been the host for the Trans-Miss Four ball and continue to host the US Amateur, Pure Insurance Qualifiers as well as the Safeway Open pre-qualifier. The 36-hole facility in Seaside, Calif., was recently on Matt Ginellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 50 courses you must play in the US. Bayonet Black Horse being just 10 minutes from

JAN/FEB 2020

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Pebble Beach this is a must play during your bucket list trip to the Monterey Peninsula. The Bayonet, which opened in 1954, is a classic, tree-lined 7,104-yard course that offers expanded views of the bay. The Black Horse, which opened in 1967 and plays 7,024 yards, has been transformed from a series of tightly treelined holes to a more open and flowing environment. Both par-72 courses are steeped in military history and were created on the site of the former Fort.

California Golf + Travel

JAN/FEB 2020

Tiger W in the

IN THE NEWS By RANDY YOUNGMAN

LEGENDARY COURSE ARCHITECT PETE DYE DIES AT 94 Legendary golf course architect Pete Dye, whose designs have hosted dozens of USGA championships, died on Jan. 9 in Gulf Stream, Fla., 12 days after turning 94. His death comes 11 months after he lost his wife, Alice Dye, a two-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion and collaborator on many of his iconic courses. “Pete made a lasting impact on the game with his truly innovative style of golf course design,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “He will be greatly missed, and he and Alice will always hold a special place in our history books.” Many of Dye’s layouts are recognizable for their pot bunkers, bulwarks, small greens, railroad ties and other features he discovered in a transformational visit to Scottish links courses in 1963. His courses are also highly challenging, earning Dye monikers such as Marquis de Sod and Dye-abolical.

Pete and Alice Dye “It’s hard to overstate the influence that Pete, along with Alice, had on the profession of golf course architecture,” said Jan Bel Jan, president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. “Their designs were remarkable and advanced the profession, as did their mentoring of countless golf course

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ADDS PGA TOUR EVENT Another PGA Tour event in California popped up on the 2019-20 tournament schedule this summer when the Barracuda Championship was moved from Re-no, Nevada to Truckee. The July 2-5 event will be contested at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Course in Truckee, about 40 miles west from its previous venue, Montreux Golf & Country Club, where it had been played since its 1999 founding as the Reno-Tahoe Open. Both courses are Jack Nicklaus designs. Unbeknownst to many, the tiny town of Truckee is a world-class golf destination with nine courses – a former logging town with about 16,000 residents that is located 18 miles north of Lake Tahoe, just off Interstate 80 near the western border of Nevada. It is 100 miles east of Sacramento and a three-hour drive from the Bay Area. The 2020 Barracuda Championship, with Cal alumnus Collin Morikawa defending, is an opposite-field event that will be played the same week as the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis. California now has six regular-season PGA Tour events, including the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort in Napa, The American Express (formerly the Desert Classic) at PGA West in La Quinta, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational at Riv-iera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. The 102nd PGA Championship also will be contested in Northern California this year, at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, from May 14-17. 12

JAN/FEB 2020

California Golf + Travel

archi-tects. They were a major part of ASGCA for more than five decades and will be sorely missed.” In 2008, Dye was one of five golf course architects enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame, joining luminaries Donald Ross, Ali-ster MacKenzie, C.B. Macdonald and Robert Trent Jones Sr. (USGA)

CALIFORNIANS LEAD PRESIDENTS CUP COMEBACK Led by player-captain Tiger Woods, who went 3-0 in his matches, team members with California roots combined for 12 of Team USA’s points in the Red, White and Blue’s 16-14, come-from-behind win over the Internationals in last month’s Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia. Woods (Anaheim Western High, Stanford) teamed up with Justin Thomas for fourball and foursomes wins and won his singles match. Patrick Cantlay (Servite High, UCLA) and Xander Schauffele (San Diego State) teamed up for two foursomes victories and both won their singles matches. Woods, Cantlay and Schauffele each contributed three points, and Rickie Fowler (Murrieta Valley High) contributed 2 ½ points, teaming up with Thomas for a fourball win and halving three matches. The Americans, who trailed, 4-1, after the first session and 10-8 going into the final session, improved their overall record to 11-1-1 in a biennial event that began in 1994.

ONE EVENT COMES, ANOTHER LEAVES After four years at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, the Invesco QQQ Championship is being discontinued as a PGA Tour Champions playoff event. A week after Colin Montgomerie won the 2019 event at Sherwood, PGA Tour Champions announced that the Boca Raton Championship in Florida will replace the Invesco QQQ Championship as the second Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs event beginning in 2020. No reasons were cited for the change, but the Sherwood event had struggled at the

LOCAL PROS EARN PGA TOUR BERTHS

gate during its four years, hampered by factors such as bad weather, wild-fires and the Dodgers playing in the World Series at the same time. After 13 years as a PGA Tour Champions regular-season event, the Boca Raton Championship is receiving elevated status because of its fan support in South Florida. “The Boca Raton community has supported PGA Tour Champions for over a decade, and the city’s enthusiasm and support make it a great place to host a Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs event,” said Miller Brady,

President of PGA Tour Champions. “Fans will continue to get unprecedented access to the game’s legends while watching them compete for one of the year’s most prestigious titles.” Like the 2019 Invesco QQQ, the 2020 Boca Raton Championship will feature a 54-player field and be the second Schwab Cup Playoff event, to be contested Oct. 30-Nov. 1, with the top 36 players on the Schwab Cup points list advancing to the season-ending Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix the following week.

TPC HARDING PARK TO HOST THE 2020 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP In 2020, the PGA Championship will make its first appearance in San Francisco and just the sixth played in California, following Hillcrest Country Club (1929), Pebble Beach Golf Links (1977), Riviera Country Club (1983, ’95) and others. TPC Harding Park will be the fourth municipally-owned golf course to host the PGA Championship, which was held at a municipal golf facility in 1932 (Keller Golf Course – St. Paul, Minnesota), 1954 (Keller Golf Course – St. Paul, Minne-sota), 1974 (Tanglewood Golf Course – Clemmons, North Carolina) and 2019 (Bethpage State Park (Black) – Farmingdale, New York). Official Championship play begins May 14 and continues to the excitement of Championship Sunday on May 17.

PGA TOUR WEST COAST SWING 2020 THE AMERICAN EXPRESS Scott de Borba The Southern California PGA and Northern California PGA Players of the Year have received exemptions into PGA Tour events on the West Coast Swing this year. Michael Block, the head professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, wrapped up SCPGA Player of the Year honors for the sixth time in seven years, earning an automatic berth in the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. “It never gets old,” Block said of the POY honors. It will be the eighth consecutive year that Block has qualified for at least one PGA Tour event as a club pro, a streak that includes two U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships. In a close race for Northern California PGA Player of the Year honors, Scott de Borba of Hi Valley Country Club in Elk Grove emerged with the title, earning an exemption into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, to be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

When: Jan. 16-19 Where: La Quinta Courses: Stadium Course at PGA West, Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, La Quinta Country Club Field: 156 amateurs, 156 tour pros in twoplayer teams. Format: Pros play 72 holes of stroke play – two rounds at Stadium Course and one round at the other two courses. There is a 54-hole cut for top 65 pros and ties. Top three low-net and top three low-gross amateurs also play on Sunday, to determine the overall amateur champion. Defending Champion: Adam Long. Purse: $6.7 million.

2020 FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

When: Jan. 23-26 Where: La Jolla Courses: Torrey Pines, North & South Courses Format: 72 holes of stroke play, with one round on the North Course and one on the South Course, then a 36-hole cut to the top 65 players and ties, with the final two rounds on the South Course. Defending Champion: Justin Rose. Purse: $7.5 million.

WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN

When: Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Where: TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ. Format: 72 holes of stroke play, with 36-hole cut to top 65 and ties. Defending Champion: Rickie Fowler. Purse: $7.3 million.

2020 AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

When: Feb. 6-9 Where: Pebble Beach Courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill GC, Monterey Peninsula CC Format: 156 pros, 156 amateurs in twoplayer teams; 72 holes of stroke play – two rounds at Pebble Beach, one at Spyglass Hill, one at Monterey Peninsula. Individual pros cut to top 60 and ties after 54 holes; top 25 pro-am teams advance to final round. Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson Purse: $7.8 million.

2020 GENESIS INVITATIONAL

When: Feb. 14-17 Where: Pacific Palisades Course: Riviera Country Club Format: 72 holes of stroke play, 120 players, with a 36-hole cut to top 65 players and ties. Defending Champion: J.B. Holmes PURSE: $9.3 million.

California Golf + Travel

JAN/FEB 2020

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

WEST COAST SWING

JAN/FEB 2020

California Golf + Travel

TIGER BACK IN HEADLINES ON WEST COAST SWING By RANDY YOUNGMAN

Tiger Woods will open his 2020 campaign in the Farmers Insurance Open.

t’s January, the PGA Tour’s “West Coast Swing” is in full swing, and the golf world is buzzing about Tiger Woods and his schedule. Sound familiar? It’s almost like the good ol’ days, at the turn of the century, when Tiger generated headlines nearly every time he teed it up. “Tiger-mania” is cranking up again in the wake of a renaissance year in which he won his fifth Masters at Augusta National, then tied Sam Snead’s all-time record with his 82nd PGA Tour title in Japan, then went 3-0 as a player-captain to help the United States rally to win the Presidents Cup in Australia. Turns out, the old Tiger Woods – he turned 44 last month – sometimes can still perform like the Tiger Woods of old. All of which is why anticipation continues to build as Tiger has committed to again open his 2020 schedule in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (Jan. 23-26), where he has enjoyed unprecedented success over his career. He has won nine titles at Torrey Pines: one Junior World Championship as a 15-year-old amateur, seven PGA Tour titles and the 2008 U.S. Open. Torrey Pines is also where his late father, Earl, took him as a youngster to watch his first tour event, then called the Andy Williams San Diego Open, and where his father took him to play the course for the first time as a pre-teen. “I’ve played there since my junior golf days,” recalled Woods, who was born in Cypress, grew up in Orange County and went to Western High in Anaheim. “First time I played it, I was somewhere around 10 (years old) or so. My dad and I drove down there, played the golf course, because, you know, you want to play the course the tour players play. That was a pretty neat experience for me. “I’ve always loved coming down to San Diego. I’ve always loved the environment . . . the enthusiasm the spectators have. It’s always been fun to play there.” It’s not surprising Tiger has fond memories of playing at Torrey Pines. He won the PGA Tour event five times in six years from 200308 and never finished out of the top 10 in his first 12 pro events there. It also should be noted he hasn’t won the Farmers since 2013. That was also the year a five-year tour victory drought began, a period of frustration and pain that included four back surgeries and two long layoffs and led to widespread doubts he would ever return to championship form. Tiger’s world ranking dropped as low as 1,199 in late 2017, the same year he underwent the fourth surgical procedure on his back — Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) surgery in Texas — that he called “the last-ditch effort to give me quality of life,” even if it didn’t allow him to compete at the highest level of professional golf again.

California Golf + Travel

JAN/FEB 2020

But the fourth surgery saved his career. After a season of steady progress, Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship in Atlanta – his first tour title in 1,876 days – and served notice that he once again could compete at the highest level. In 2019, Tiger won the Masters – his 15th major championship and first since the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines – and then won the inaugural ZOZO Championship in Japan in October to match Snead’s career total of 82 PGA Tour titles. Since his heroics at the Presidents Cup, expectations for an even more successful 2020 season have spiked. He began the new year No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings. So far, Woods has committed to playing the Farmers Insurance Open and the newly elevated Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club (Feb. 13-16), an event that benefits his TGR Foundation. Tiger will serve as the tournament host for the third time and is coming off a tie for 15th last year. Ironically, it is the PGA Tour event he has played the most without winning. Ticket sales have been brisk leading up to the 2020 Farmers as Tiger chases his 10th career tournament title at Torrey Pines. Defending champion Justin Rose, world No. 8, also has committed to the Farmers, as have world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedEx Cup champion; threetime Farmers champion Phil Mickelson; No. 9 Xander Schauffele, a San Diego State alumus; and defending U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, ranked No. 17. After the Farmers, the West Coast Swing continues at the Waste Management Phoenix Open (Jan. 30-Feb. 2), where Anaheim-born and Murrieta-raised Rickie Fowler will defend; the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 6-9), where Mickelson will defend; and The Genesis Invitational, where J.B. Holmes will defend. It’s just like the good ol’ days, with Tiger Woods in the headlines again as he tries to round into form in preparation for another Masters defense.

JAN/FEB 2020

California Golf + Travel

Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State is ranked ninth in the world.

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

Rickie Fowler of Murrieta will defend his title in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

WEST COAST SWING

California Golf + Travel

JAN/FEB 2020

NCPGA AWARDS

ERIC LIPPERT SELECTED AS 2019 NCPGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

ric Lippert, Head Golf Professional at Pebble Beach Golf Links, has been selected 2019 Northern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the organization’s most prestigious honor. The award honors an individual whose total contributions to the game best exemplify the complete PGA Professional. Since he became a PGA class A member in 2007, Lippert has built his career based on four important principles—teaching and playing ability, community service and volunteerism, integrity, and mentoring. Lippert has built a strong reputation as a leader in the game and business of golf. During his career, he has served the NCPGA Section as a member of the board of directors and is currently Secretary of the Board. He is also a member of the education committee and is liaison to the 2020 PGA Championship. Additionally, he has held several officer positions at the chapter level. Lippert is well known for inspiring his fellow golf professionals through his

JAN/FEB 2020

passion to deliver excellence, including guests and employees alike. “The NCPGA is extremely proud to recognize our 2019 Award Winners, which include an accomplished list of PGA Professionals whose is dedication to the game is unmatched, as well as several industry executives who have been catalysts for the business of golf in Northern California,” said Len Dumas, Executive Director of the Northern California PGA. “These individuals represent the best of their profession. We thank them for their service and commitment to golfers and golf facilities across the region.” Other award-winners include: Ross Kroeker of Pebble Beach Golf Academy, Teacher of the Year; Shawn Kelly of Ridge Golf Course in Auburn, Player Development Award; Justin Russo of Bayonet Blackhorse Golf Courses in Seaside, Youth Player Development Award; Donn Achen of Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, Assistant Associate of the Year; Tom Morton of Morton Golf/Haggin Oaks in Sacramento, Horton Smith Award; Tom Morton of Morton Golf/Haggin

California Golf + Travel

Oaks in Sacramento, Bill Strausbaugh Award; Robert Lee Smith of Granite Bay Golf Club in Granite Bay, Patriot Award; Scott de Borba of Valley Hi Country Club in Elk Grove, Player of the Year; Rodney Wilson of Sunnyvale Golf Course, Senior Player of the Year; Scott Hoyt of Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Super Senior Player of the Year; John O’Leary of La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, Assistant-Associate Player of the Year; Travis Alley of Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, Merchandiser of the Year—Resort; Mike Dowd of Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Oakdale, Merchandiser of the Year—Private; Derek Zachman of Timber Creek Golf Course in Roseville, Merchandiser of the Year—Public; Tom Rezendes of NorCal Golf Academy in Walnut Creek, Club Fitter of the Year; Doug Heinrichs of Montreux Golf Club in Reno, Nev., Golf Course Superintendent of the Year Award; Mark Attebery of Carmichael, Sales Representative of the Year Award; Dave Marzetti of Shagbag Golf Show in Monterey, Sports Media Person of the Year.

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PHOTO: MARK SUSSON

INDUSTRY PROFILE

JAN/FEB 2020

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HATS OFF TO

TRIPLETT

HOAG CLASSIC CHAMPION TALKS ABOUT WINNING, DEFENDING AND CAREER YEAR ON PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS By RANDY YOUNGMAN

erhaps best known for wearing his trademark bucket hat during his distinguished career as a tour pro, Kirk Triplett expanded his wardrobe in 2019 by becoming the first to wear a Hoag Hospital lab coat awarded to the champion of the rebranded Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club. After rolling in an eagle putt to defeat Woody Austin on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff in the PGA Tour Champions event, Triplett slipped on a white jacket bearing a Hoag Classic logo on one side and a nametag above this inscription of the other side: “2019 Champion Doctor of Golf.” It was perfect fit, as well as a fitting winner’s jacket, because Triplett’s shotmaking down the stretch was as precise as that of a skilled surgeon. On the final hole of regulation, Triplett forced the playoff by getting up-and-down for birdie from an awkward stance in the greenside rough on the par-5 18th hole. And his precision was spot on again as he executed three perfect shots on the decisive playoff hole, also No. 18. He hit his driver long and down the middle of the fairway, then striped a 3-metal from 252 yards that narrowly cleared a greenside bunker and rolled

to a stop 12 feet from the flagstick, setting up his winning eagle. It was Triplett’s seventh PGA Tour Champions title and was the springboard to a career season, at age 57, in which he established himself as one of the elite players on the 50-and-over tour. Triplett finished the season with two wins and four second-place finishes to tie eventual Schwab Cup champion Scott McCarron’s six top-two finishes, while finishing sixth on the tour money list ($1.6 million) and ninth on the season-long Schwab Cup points list. In a recent interview with California Golf & Travel, Triplett talked about his career year on PGA Tour Champions, his Hoag Classic victory and his upcoming title defense in March 2020. CG&T: Why do you always seem to play so well in California? Four of your eight PGA Tour Champions wins came here, including three at Pebble Beach, and you also won the 1991 California State Open. This year, you won at Newport Beach, won at Pebble Beach (PURE Insurance Classic), and if you had won the Invesco QQQ Championship at Sherwood Country Club, you would have completed the – sorry for the pun – the “California Triplett Crown.” TRIPLETT (laughing): How about

that? . . .This is the kind of golf I grew up playing on the West Coast. (He was born and grew up in the state of Washington and played college golf at University of Nevada in Reno.) It’s comfortable and familiar to me, especially those seaside courses, with the Kikuyu, the rye, the poa annua (grasses). CG&T: You also won your first PGA Tour title in California, the 2000 Nissan Open (now Genesis Invitational) at Riviera Country Club, in your 266th PGA Tour event. Until that win, you had the distinction of being the player with the most career earnings who had not yet won on the PGA Tour. TRIPLETT (laughing again): That’s like being last in an ugly contest. I didn’t know it was 266 (without a win), but I knew it was a lot. It was 10 years. CG&T: What do you remember about your breakthrough win at Riviera, when you took a two-shot lead over Jesper Parnevik to the last hole and had to make a 4-footer for par after Parnevik had made a 30-footer for birdie? TRIPLETT: On the last hole, I drove it in the left rough. Then you’re in there (in the deep grass), the ball two feet below your feet, so you’re reaching way down (to hit the shot). It was cold and windy; I think I had 240 (yards) to the pin, so I was trying to hit a 3-wood to the front of the green. . . . I kind of popped it up and ended up about 60 yards from the hole. CG&T: And Parnevik was long down the middle of the fairway, right? TRIPLETT: He had 190 (yards), and he hit a 6 iron uphill into the wind and rain. And I was standing right by him when he flushed it, and the crowd (surrounding the green) went nuts! The way they reacted, I thought he might have hit it 6 feet (from the hole). CG&T: And you still had to hit your third shot from 61 yards?

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PHOTO: MARK SUSSON

INDUSTRY PROFILE

TRIPLETT: I hit a beautiful pitch to about 4 feet, left and past the hole. And when we got to the green, I was pretty glad that Jesper was 30 feet away. CG&T: But what were you thinking after he made the birdie, forcing you to make your putt to win for the first time? Was it a knee-knocking 4-footer? TRIPLETT (smiling): I don’t know if the putt got longer (after Parnevik’s birdie), but the hole sure got smaller. . . .It was a horrible putt, a downhill left-to-righter. I don’t want it again. . . . I’m not going to say it was the greatest putt I ever hit, but it was the greatest putt I ever hit. CG&T: Let’s go back to more recent history, to winning in a playoff at Newport Beach Country Club in March. What do you remember most? TRIPLETT: When you get in a situation of mano a mano— you know, 1 on 1—anything can happen. Woody (Austin) certainly bested me all day; he played very nicely. I kind of hung in there with him and caught him with three or four (holes) to go. Then we both made some mistakes. Some other players probably could have won. CG&T: Yes, Scott McCarron, playing ahead of you, had a 25-foot eagle putt on No. 18 for the outright lead. A birdie would have made it a three-man playoff, but he missed a 4-footer and had to settle for par. And Austin’s third-shot chip on the final hole of regulation raced past the cup, and he missed the 12-foot comebacker to win after you had made your birdie. TRIPLETT: I made a long putt for birdie (to put pressure on Austin). Those are demoralizing (for your opponent) when a guy makes a putt like that. . . . I was fortunate to make a putt and get in the playoff. CG&T: You’ve probably been asked about this hundreds of times, but what’s the story behind your bucket hat?

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TRIPLETT: I started (wearing it) when I was a kid; we all did. When you go to a junior tournament, you see tons of kids wearing them. But nobody wore hats when I went to college. It was the ’80s, man. We all had hair. CG&T: So when did you start wearing bucket hats a professional? TRIPLETT: I went to Australia, and I played down there. My ears just got toasted (from the sun). So we had to wear the white stuff (zinc oxide sunscreen) on our ears and noses. . . . And the doctor (told me) to get something to cover those ears. So I went to the PING factory and tried all kinds of different hats, including straw ones like (Greg) Norman was wearing at the time. Then I see some other ones in the corner, where there’s a sign that says: ‘Jim Colbert – Do Not Touch.’ I took a bunch of those. I think it was 1989. And I’ve been wearing them ever since. And what do you know? The white PING bucket hat turned out to a perfect accessory for the white lab coat awarded to the Hoag Classic champion.

HOAG CLASSIC WHEN: March 6-8 WHERE: Newport Beach Country Club FORMAT: 54 holes, stroke play, no cut MISCELLANEOUS: The Hoag Classic features the longest-running venue on PGA Tour Champions and has established itself as one of the tour’s top philanthropic success stories, raising more than $21 million for local charities over the past 21 events under the operation of Hoag Charity Sports. PURSE: $1.8 million (first place: $270,000) 2019 CHAMPION: Kirk Triplett

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JAN/FEB 2020

WISHBONE BRAWL

By MATT GINELLA

I [“THWACK!”]

f you weren’t there to actually hear it…

… then you’ve probably heard about it. [Large crowd chanting “Oh-gul-vee! Oh-gulvee! Oh-gul-vee!”] If you weren’t there to run around mindlessly yelling obscenities in disbelief, if you didn’t toss your beer to the blue sky, bear-hug a stranger, high-five a kid, trip over a dog and party past midnight, well, you missed out on the latest Wishbone Brawl at Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, Calif., which, in three years, has become one of golf’s greatest little events. For example, Geoff Ogilvy’s walk-off ace on the first playoff hole (133-yard wedge), which gave Ogilvy and partner Chris Riley the win over Dean Wilson and Xander Schauffele in front of hundreds of screaming fans within a grassy municipal amphitheater, at sunset, all for charity! I mean, not for nothing, isn’t THIS what it’s all about? “It was a cosmic day all the way around,” says John Ashworth, who, along with his nephew Geoff Cunningham, co-founded Linksoul eight years ago and agreed to a 50-year lease to oper24

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ate Goat Hill Park five years ago. “To me it was a sign that everything we’re doing is right.” To his point, is it possible that the sum total of guys like Ashworth, a course like Goat Hill Park, an event like the Wishbone Brawl, a community like Oceanside, a brand like Linksoul, not to mention the actual linking of souls, is a microcosm of the game itself? Who’s not rooting for and supporting any or all of the above? If you’re not, you’re no friend of mine. In fact, you probably don’t have a lot of friends at all. That’s the true magic of golf, that it gives us Ogilvy’s match-ending swish at a mini muny, and it’s moments like those that leads me to believe that there are Golf Gods. If you were lucky enough to be there that day, if you listened to the clinic on the driving range, made your way down the hill to watch the kid’s scramble with the pros (which, oh by the way, ended in a Schauffele birdie for the win), if you stood around the first tee and heard the National Anthem of both Australia and the United States, and if you immersed yourself in the actual match, which was high-level golf, an abundance of birdies and banter, no ropes, junior caddies, a jail-break puppy that snatched Schaueffele’s ball off the

PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

WE BELIEVE!

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

green, multiple babies on the loose, Riley finding ’04 Ryder Cup form with the flatstick, Wilson’s local love and home-course advantage, along with Schauffele’s fiercely competitive core, often concealed by a boyish smirk, then you witnessed one of the most inspirational days and finishes in golf’s great history. And more importantly, you drove away believing there is something tangible to what’s often referred to as The Spirit of The Game.

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PHOTO:TREVOR CIGICH

PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

WISHBONE BRAWL

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how he could help grow the Wishbone Brawl’s exposure as an event while maintaining the same level of community spirit. “It’s tricky, right?” Schauffele remarked, while appreciating the energy and enthusiasm of the gallery around him. “It’s like the golf swing, you don’t want to make any drastic changes. If it’s working, you don’t mess with it.” And thus, answering his own question. Sometimes you can help change everything by not changing anything. Having covered the conundrum that has been the “growth of the game,” and having watched the growth of all that is the Wishbone Brawl—from a few hundred to almost a thousand—it’s clear that events like this are leading us into the new frontier by going back to the past.

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

Although it was Ashworth and Wilson who hatched the idea of an event like this, they couldn’t have pulled it off without the support of loyal locals, also known as Linksouldiers. Plus notable sponsors such as TRULY Hard Seltzer, who truly made a significant impact in the success of this year’s event. And then there are the Tour pros like Charley Hoffman, who grew up in San Diego and played in the first two Brawls. Mike Weir, who played with Wilson in college and competed in the second Brawl. Chris Riley, who’s the men’s golf coach at the University of San Diego, who played in the first and third Brawl. Geoff Ogilvy, a rookie Brawler who is Ashworth’s longtime friend, original brand ambassador and face of all that’s good about golf. But it’s actually Schauffele, who has played in all three Brawls, who has put the event on his back and seems hyper-focused on taking it all to the next level. “The future of golf is in good hands with guys like Xander,” says Wilson. “He’s playing the game at the highest level at such a young age, and yet he’s mature enough to understand how important it is to give back to his community.” Schauffele, who was born and raised in La Jolla and played for San Diego State, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to Top 10 in the world. Earlier that day, he had committed to financing the building of the new North County Junior Golf Association’s home office, which will overlook the kid’s course at Goat Hill Park. And as he was walking up the 18th fairway of regulation play, down one, en route to the Presidents Cup in Australia, he took that time to solicit advice on

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PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

Let’s be honest: The Game is The Game. It IS spiritual. It does deserve our respect and reverence. It is all around us, in various shapes and forms. It’s a putting contest, a chip-off, closest-to-the-pin, Top Golf, a horse race, Calcutta, first date, father/daughter, Friday skins, bachelor party, an annual buddies trip, member-guest, mid-am and the Masters. It’s also not perfect, and sticking with the theme of golf the religion, if you saw The Two Popes you’d say, golf is not God, it’s of God, which is why it’s not flawless.

Going back to Old and Young Tom Morris, it has always been generational, it’s global and thus definitely multi-racial, certainly cross-cultural, and don’t look now, it’s even making great strides in welcoming women. Golf can be slow, but it’s always over too fast. Distance is an issue, but we’ll travel halfway around the world to play it. It’s too difficult, but we want the fairways and greens hard and fast. Tour pros are making millions, but there’s a movement to save the local muny. “Believe in the mercy you preach,” also plucked from The Two Popes. What took place on that ninth tee of Goat Hill Park the Saturday before Thanksgiving felt like a Christmas miracle. There’s a still image that

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has now drawn comparisons to The Last Supper. That sound of the ball hitting the flagstick at the bottom of the cup seemed to be the exclamation point at the end of a message to the masses. It’s worth repeating: Geoff Ogilvy with a walk-off ace on the first playoff hole, (133-yard wedge) which gave Ogilvy and partner Chris Riley the win over Dean Wilson and Xander Schauffele in front of hundreds of screaming fans within a grassy municipal amphitheater, at sunset, all for charity! Did I mention they played persimmon woods? Can I get an Amen?! The end. And yet, it feels like just the beginning. PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

WISHBONE BRAWL

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SEPT/OCT 2019

EQUIPMENT

GOLF IN THE RAIN

BY ED TRAVIS I have a confession to make. Unless it’s coming down in buckets or the wind is gale force, I get a kick playing in the rain. Most golfers at the first sign of “liquid sunshine” head for the 19th hole which makes the course less crowded and even if seeing tee shots roll an extra 20 yards is but a memory, trying to execute the shots called for to compensate for the conditions is fun. That is, fun if you are wearing good rain gear. The jacket has to be waterproof, breathable and perhaps most important not restrict your swing. A rain pant must have the same advantages and shouldn’t look like they belong your big brother. In other words, besides getting wet you could be wasting your money. Here is a selection of the rain gear we at California Golf + Travel like and think you will too.

Galvin Green The Apollo is full-zip GORE-TEX Paclite jacket ($450) that is 100% waterproof with a lifetime guarantee. Front pockets, adjustable chest tabs and GORE-TEX stretch technology allow a free range of motion in this lightweight and breathable rain beater that rolls into the size of a sleeve of golf balls for easy packing in your golf bag. The sleek design is great on and off the course and there is a choice of seven color combinations, eight men’s jacket sizes, six for women’s and four for4 kids.

Linksoul The Polartec Rain Suit is made from lightweight stretch interlock nylon-polyester-polyurethane fabric tagged as Neoshell Technology and sized to fit over your usual outfit. In addition to being waterproof, wind resistant, soft and quiet as you swing the Polartec rain suit the material breaths to wick away moisture without letting any in. The jacket ($375) has front zipper pockets and is full zip with elastic around cuffs. Pant is ($350) similarly constructed.

The Arthur pant ($360) goes with the Apollo jacket and made with the same quality and features. Galvin Green knows how rain pants fit is important and key to your comfort (and staying dry). They offer 25 different sizes for men ranging from S to 4XL with options of having a short, standard or long leg. There are 17 women’s sizes and four for kids. In total there are more than 800 fitting combinations of the Apollo jacket and Arthur pant. Sun Mountain A Tour Series jacket from Sun Mountain has a lot to like. There are3-layers plus it is lightweight, quiet and breathable and they offer a two-year waterproof guarantee. In other words, and most importantly it is “playable.” Fully seam-sealed with 4-way stretch and a waterproof zipper the Tour Series jacket also has storm-flapped zippered hand warmer pockets and laser cut adjustable cuffs. Priced at $199.99 the matching pant is the same price and features an Auto-Fit waist. 30

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GET BACK ON YOUR FEET ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS IN YOUR LEGS, FEET, OR HANDS? • NUMBNESS OR TINGLING SENSATION • PAIN, GENERALLY DESCRIBED AS STABBING, BURNING, OR SHOOTING PAIN • WEAKNESS IN LEGS • LOSS OF BALANCE AND COORDINATION • INCREASED SENSITIVITY TO TOUCH “When I first came in here I was experiencing severe pain in the legs and the feet- numbness, needles, pain, like needles were sticking in my feet, 8/10 back pain. Since going through the treatment I don’t have the back pain anymore0/10. The numbness in the legs is 90% healed and the feet have 70% improvement. I don’t need to take any Advil or Aleve anymore. It’s great!” Daryl McNair Not a guarantee of results. Results may vary.

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INSTRUCTION

TIGER AT THE TOP

By JOHN BURCKLE

erfection in a photo. Just seeing this photo of Tiger Woods at the top of his backswing just exhibits perfection. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a look at a few things to copy. First is his coil into his right leg. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sitting into his right side maintaining his knee flex and posture. His right foot is in balance, solid to the ground. Second his shoulders have made a big turn and notice the club is away from his head keeping the width and structure at the top. Third his right elbow points down towards his right hip. If you want to get your arms and club on plane keeping that right elbow pointing down at the top is key. Of course being flexible like Tiger helps. This picture of Tiger is a beautiful thing to look at as a teacher. See if you can try to do a few of things Tiger does. You might not look as perfect as he but you try to imitate certain positions. John Burckle Director of Instruction at Golf Lab Academy www.golflabacademy.com

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JAN/FEB 2020

WINE, FOOD & GOLF

TASTING IN THE WILLIAMETTE

Argyle tasting house

By Matt Palaferri ake a deep breath and sit and relax. The lights are down, the decorations are put away (except for my neighbors), relatives are back in their own homes and the kids are back in school. Life feels like it's getting back to normal. Well, for a moment. Now the wifey brings up the question, “Where should we go?” What a loaded question. I don’t think you should follow it up with, “Oh, honey, glad you asked. I’ve been wanting to take you on a romantic getaway to TPC Sawgrass and play a few rounds.” I think she was asking to maybe do something different. A wine weekend, perhaps? Over the next few issues, I’ll be giving recommendations on what regions to hit and what wineries have great wines and friendly tasting rooms. Being in the wine business, I get plenty of perks. I get to taste great wines almost everyday, as well as travel and visit wineries that produce all these fun bottles of adult grape juice. But going to a wine region takes some planning and research. The first time we went to Napa, I booked four wineries for the day and then realized that the wineries were 50 miles apart and had to cancel a couple. Hey, I was a Napa newbie and didn’t listen to my wife and look at a region map first. But enough about Napa! (That will come another time). Instead, we’re going to talk about the Pacific Northwest. The Williamette Valley. Home of Pinot Noir country and an absolute blast to visit. The Valley is long, about 150 miles, but most wineries are reasonably close to each other. It’s surrounded by the Cascades, Oregon Coast Range and the Calapooya Mountain ranges. Flying into Portland will get you to the main hub of the Valley in about an hour and then the fun

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begins. The 2016 Wine Enthusiast wine region of the year, it has plenty to offer with great wines, food and hotels. Here are a few must go-to’s while in the Valley. Argyle – Founded in 1987 with the belief that this cool climate area could make and compete with some of the best sparkling wines in the world. Not only do they win blind sparkling competitions against the finest champagnes of France, they make award winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. The tasting room has a lot of history as well as an alleged little ghost that roams one of the buildings on the property. Just ask them about it when you get there! It’s a family friendly winery, as well, with things to do for the kids outside. Maybe shouldn’t bring up the ghost to the kiddos though. For sparkling fans, this IS A MUST go-to. Dobbes Family Estate - Dobbes is dedicated to making the finest wines true to the variety. They were so nice and accommodating with our group. We grabbed some sandwiches, sat outside and ran through the wines under the trees while listening to music and getting one of the best wines I had that weekend: their Grenache Blanc. Fantastic! Toni, who I recommend to ask for, was amazing and made the experience unforgettable. Below are some recommendations. Go explore! There are so many great regions to taste wine, eat great food, and find your own little gems. Until next time, drink what you like and like what you drink! Wineries to Visit while visiting the Williamette Valley: Argyle (Bubble bubble bubbles!); Dobbes Family Estate (Grenache Blanc is amazing); King Estate (Best Gris in the Valley); Archery Summit (Cave tasting if you have time); Domaine Serene (World class wines).

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DRINK WHAT YOU TRULY WANT

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