Three Chances to be a Tiger

June 23rd, 2008 by Sean - NWA WorldVacations

Well, he has done it again and this time with only one good leg! I hope that you had the chance to sit down and watch one of the greatest US Opens in history. Or maybe you had a chance to take a golf vacation to San Diego and see it in person! I know I didn’t move, except for jumping up and down on the couch screaming when Tiger made his birdie putt on 18 to tie Rocco! (My wife wasn’t home so I could jump on the couch.) I am a HUGE Tiger fan but there were times when I found myself rooting for Rocco Mediate. It is hard not to cheer for him since he is such a likeable and down-to-earth guy. I think that is why I found this tournament so fun to watch. Not only was it back and forth like two heavyweight fighters, but also as soon as one person pulled ahead I was cheering for the one who was losing. Ultimately, I would have been disappointed if Tiger didn’t win but it was a great Cinderella story with Rocco.

I’m sure you have heard the news that Tiger Woods is now out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and two stress fractures in his tibia. I’m not a doctor, but I am a golfer. How can you play 91 holes with those types of injuries? I guess that is why he is Tiger Woods and I am merely just human. The rest of the golf season is going to be different without Tiger in the hunt come Sunday, but we are going to see a lot of great golf and hear a lot of great stories in the upcoming majors. My predictions: Sergio Garcia wins the British Open and Ernie Els takes the PGA Championship.

Not only was the golf fantastic at the US Open, but also the course was in great condition. Torrey Pines and the city of San Diego did an excellent job with this tournament and deserve just as much attention as Tiger Woods does for winning it. The best part about Torrey Pines is that it is truly open to the public and is affordable. I am going to discuss three public US Open golf courses that won’t break the bank, unlike Pebble Beach (US Open 2010 - $425) and Pinehurst #2 (US Open 2014 - $410).

· Torrey Pines in San Diego, California – Hosted this year’s US Open and did an outstanding job. Torrey Pines has a North and a South course. If you want to play where they played this year then get out on the South course. You will play on the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean while stepping in the footprints of greatness. You can battle the elevated green on #13 and see if you can beat Phil Mickelson’s score of nine! If you are like me then you will have to get a picture of yourself posing like Tiger Woods on #18 as he sank the birdie putt to send it into a playoff. Weekend golf rates are $237 for non-residents and $49 for residents. Play twilight rates for $146 starting at 3:30pm and weekday rates are available.

· Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York (just 24 miles from JFK Airport on Long Island) - The Bethpage golf course has five courses to choose from, but you want to play the “Black” course. Bethpage Black hosted the 2002 US Open, won by Tiger Woods, and will be hosting the US Open in 2009. But golfers beware - this is a very difficult course with narrow fairways, lots of bunkers and high rough. Plus, it can only be walked, no carts are allowed. You might remember the spectacle that is Bethpage Black created, from the pre-round coverage, or on “Everybody Loves Raymond” where golfers spend the night in the parking lot to be able to play the course that day. This used to be the only way to get on the course, but since the 2002 Open they have added phone reservations. The par-5 fourth hole might be the signature hole. This hole plays 528 yards with three tiers of fairway and a green surrounded by bunkers. A beautiful hole, but it can quickly ruin a golfers front nine. Weekend rates are $120 for non-residents and $60 for residents. Weekday rates are available.

· Chambers Bay in Seattle, Washington - Chambers Bay will be hosting the 2015 US Open and the 2010 US Amateur. This course isn’t your typical US Open course, as it looks more like British Open. Built in 2007 as a tribute to the links style courses in Scotland and Ireland, Robert Trent Jones II has created a masterpiece. It’s located in a picture perfect setting on the Puget Sound and has the Olympic Mountains in the background. This has also been certified as an Audubon Sanctuary, so chances are you will see more eagles and birdies in the air than on your scorecard. Hole #15 is a beautiful 172-yard par 3 with an elevated tee box overlooking the lone pine tree on the course and the Puget Sound. I am looking forward to seeing the players battle the wind, the dunes and the fescue of Chambers Bay in 2015. Weekend rate is $175 for non-residents and $115 for county residents. Play twilight golf after 3:30pm for $69 and weekday rates are available.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend the US Open and the PGA Championship and each time I wished that I could play that course after they were done, but since they are private I could not. Now the USGA is leaning toward more non-membership, public courses for the US Open giving the average person a chance to play where the pros play and try to recreate the famous shots we see on television.

If you watched the US Open let me know who you were rooting for, Tiger or Rocco, and who you think will win the upcoming majors now that Superman, I mean Tiger Woods, won’t be playing. As always, if you have played any of these courses, please share your stories with us.

Wishing you fairways and greens!

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