Day 2 – Coronado Golf Course, Coronado, CA. www.golfcoronado.com
An hour before teeing off at this south San Diego gem.
With a really great days golf behind us and feeling very buoyant, we awoke to another clear, sunny day with the high hitting a very comfortable 18C. Some 22 years ago I had a very rewarding day golfing with 3 locals at Coronado GC and vowed someday I would play it again with someone very special to me. So it was fitting that Myra was my playing partner at arguably America’s best public golf course. It is without a doubt the most reasonably priced golf course one can play considering its incredible location, quality of turf grass and overall atmosphere.
The highest single green fee is the non resident prime time weekend/holiday rate of $40 US. and drops considerably for twilight and juniors.
Upon checking in at the pro shop, former tour player Brian Smock and his cohort Eddie pointed us in the direction of Mr. Ron Yarbrough, the head pro and true gentlemen, who had provided us with the perfect tee time, 11:00 am. Ron had us set up with a power cart and also allowed us to go out as a two-some, which allows for note taking as well as the taking of numerous photographs which when playing with guests can be a bit bothersome.
For those unfamiliar with Coronado Island let me share with you why it’s one of the most spectacular places in the world, a mere mile away well within view to the south is Mexico, to the west the grandeur of the Pacific Ocean and within view of this incredible golf course The Coronado Yacht Club, The Coronado Bridge and the iconic Del Coronado Hotel.
It is a tourist mecca and the city and its golf course established in 1957, which is so enjoyable to play, is worth every dollar it may cost you to get there.
Now to the course, after hitting a warm up bucket on the range complete with target greens and practice bunkers you make your way back around towards the first tee. There with a view of the harbour is an amazing, huge practice putting green which in my notes I had jotted down “mint”, as smooth and true as you would see on the PGA tour and a perfect rendition of the quality and speed of the 18 greens on the course.
Starter shack and clubhouse in the background of the beautiful practice green.
Before hitting off on the first hole, we received our instructions and well wishes from the starter, former Navy man John, a Georgia transplant. Off we went to see that the fairways were a nice short nap, the tee boxes equally as well groomed and key to me, level. The rough for the time of year was not that penal as it had minimal growth, which did not make us unhappy to be honest. The course being at sea level is one of the flattest courses anywhere with the fairways lined with fantastic palm trees as well as other lush vegetation like beautiful hibiscus and bird of paradise. Not only were the greens like grass pool table tops, but held the ball as well, in a word sensational.
Looking at the Par 5 second green from the third tee
There are no bad holes, just really good ones, with some great ones like hole number 8, a slight dogleg right with the green rising upward from front to back, set right in front of a beautiful small lake. It’s also a hole that surrendered an amazing 84 foot two putt to Myra, costing me “any hat in the pro shop”. The following hole the 9th is as tasty a par 3 as you can play with the lake that it shares with the 8th green protecting the front of it and the harbour as well as the fantastic clubhouse in the background.
The 9th Green from the tee box with my ball pin high left.
Although the pace of play flowed very well, 2 new golf buddies waited for us on the tee box of the Par 3 15th and we played in with Mr. Mark Cook from the local area and his dear old pal Mr. Erik Rogers now living in Ohio, who were really fun to play with. Looking back we would have loved to play the whole round with these guys.Its very hard to concentrate on just the golfing at Coronado GC with the sun beaming down and bouncing off the waves lapping up to the shoreline adjacent to holes like the incredible 16th, a gentle left to right dog leg par 4 of 359 yards from the white tees.
The beautiful Par 4 16th with a myriad of contrasting colors.
We putted out on 18 and headed in to the pro shop to express our thanks as well as find that hat Myra had proudly won. She scored what I call a “bling hat’, black satin with silver speckles and that incredible Coronado GC logo, 2 golf clubs with a purple crown superimposed over them. She displayed it proudly to the guys as we shared a cold drink in the naturally lit restaurant which was swiftly brought to us by the very engaging and professional server, Sebastian whose directions back to Escondido were very helpful in us avoiding rush hour chaos at 4:30 pm. As we loaded up the gear into the SUV, Brain Smock was out on the range next to our vehicle and came over and shook my hand and told me he really respected what I was doing promoting golf for the better of the game. It was the perfect way to depart and I told him that we would cheer him on from afar as he plays the Web.com tour in 2016. Oh we so loved it there, we miss it to be honest, so much it may be a long term winter destination someday.
