I had such an active weekend it took me until Thursday to catch my breath and share. First off, it was a 23-mile bike ride on Saturday, which weather wise was almost better than summer - not too warm, just right. One of the perks in Southern California living. The 23-mile route was a new one for me featuring more extreme uphill climbs, and my carbon fiber bike is a climber. The good news about long uphill climbs is that eventually it’s downhill. (The "what goes up must come down" theory demonstrates itself again.)
On Sunday, my golfing buddy Don and I went to a little golf course I’ve driven by for years, and I mean years on the 210 freeway. You may have seen the sign from the freeway. It’s a knock-off of the Hollywood sign. Sort of. It reads Verdugo Hills, across the hill. For those of you who have played it, you know it’s a Par-3 18-Hole track that turns out, since this was my first visit, to be a very pleasant place.
Seeing it from traffic and the 210 doesn’t do it justice. It has a very nice park-like ambiance, with ancient Oaks and mature Pines.
I asked the starter behind the counter, "How long has this course been here?"
He thought since the 60’s. Another employee walked in and said more like the 50’s. The 50’s makes sense since the old fireplace and chimney in the golf shop is constructed of flagstone, a very 50’s thing.
Don and I walked the course knocking the little white "Pill" around in a little over two hours. I must say, the condition of the fairways and greens rivals that of my big time full blown Par-71 home course, which I’m embarrassed to say, has gone dormant. Apparently Parks and Rec didn’t want to pop for winter rye over seeding. The Verdugo Hills experience was nice, and the cheeseburger wasn’t bad either.
by JIM CARSON
