LB Golf Learning Center

My friend GL gave me a couple vouchers for a jumbo size (150) bucket of range balls, a cold beverage, and one hour time on the pitching / chipping course this cool driving range in Long Beach.


It was chilly and gloomy this morning when I started (after I dropped off another friend at the LB airport).


It took me a hour and half to go thru 150 range balls. My arms and legs felt like lead and my back was starting to feel sore but I managed to have some energy left to go to the gym afterwards.


After a quick lunch, I went out on the chipping course to practice hitting out of a bunker and chipping around the practice green.

It was a pretty good work out today on the range, thanks to my good friend GL!

BONUS PHOTOS:

On my way to the driving range, I spotted this cool mini mural on a street corner and had to take a couple photos of it. I wished I knew more about this.

-DB-

Driving Range with AJ - Sept 30, 2011

Friday Night Driving Range at La Mirada Golf Course with AJ.


AJ's dad wanted me to see how his son's lessons have been going. AJ was hitting pretty well. He got to try all of my different clubs including my driver. Lots of natural talent!


Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at Tampopo Ramen - yum!

-DB-

19 holes at FGC

Had the golfing "itch" that I had to scratch today. Found a $15 (plus .99 cent reservation chg) on Golfzing.com for an afternoon twilight rate at FGC.


Decided to clean all my clubs (plus a few extra ones) before heading out for my 3pm tee time!



Hooked up with three guys (who I thought might have been band members from ZZ Top - you know, past their prime long hair and long bearded guys or Harley Davidson motorcycle guys). Actually they turned to be very nice guys who are great golfers. Randy, the senior of the threesome had an awesome game: a few eagles, a couple birdies and some pars! It figures that he's a regular on this course and plays the "Skins" game for $$ here!


I got my own cart for the $15 rate (same feeling as when you get solo seating on a commercial airline flight - SCORE!!!). Here I am by the #4 greens.


I also kept my own score as the other guys were a set three some ... it was nice just to play with other folks and have extra sets of eyes help me find my lost balls (which happened pretty often today)!


Here we go racing thru the fairway toward #5 greens!


We finished up #9 at 4:54pm; less than two hours after our 3:12 tee off.


On the back 9 holes, I hit a really good drive on #13, with about 220 - 30 yard tee shot just past the 100 yard approach marker. I missed my birdie opportunity but got atleast a par.


So we finished our 18 holes by 6:44pm, a little less than 2 hours. It was still alittle light so we played on three more holes before quitting for the day. I did manage to redeem myself on my encore play on #1 but was losing balls due to darkness on #2 and #9. I did alittle better on my score from last week at this same course but not that much better. I really need to practice before coming out to play on these longer courses. Still fun though!

-DB-

Fullerton GC on hottest day of year

My friend W asked me if I wanted to play at FGC this week since she found a great deal at Golfzing.com. We didn't know that today was going to be one of the hottest days of the year in Southern California! We actually got our cart and were teeing off about 2 minutes earlier than our 1:45pm start time. For most of day, we only had one group ahead of us and no one behind us.


Here's W with a great drive on #2 fairway!


Fullerton GC was still undergoing construction on the front 9 holes especially at #3 thru #6 fairways but the construction crew knew when to take cover when they saw us standing on the tee boxes. The biggest change was on #4 where they moved the green way up from behind the two bunkers (basically turning it into a par 3 course). It played pretty nasty!


We finally go to the 9th tee box at about 3:05 or so. Both W and I had pretty good drives up on the 9th fairway.


Here's W taking her tee shot from #9. Unfortunately the back 9 holes weren't very forgiving as the front 9 on this day to either of us.


At #17, we both had lot of extra strokes ... shamefully, I ended up taking a 10 (I should have just wrote down a double par score of 8 instead).


Rarely do we ever hit into this dirty little pool but we both did! I would blame it on the 104 degree temp but actually it was quite nice outside especially when you're riding in an electric golf cart and enjoying a nice breeze!


We finally finished our 18 holes at 5:33pm. W got her only par of the day on the last hole, while I tripled bogey the last one (I haven't three putted this much in a really long time). Statistically this was the worst W and I have ever done at FGC in the seven times that both she and I played here. We both shot below -25% from our previous efforts! Oh, well it was still fun and I've learned NOT to take golfing so serious anymore!


Afterward, we put back all the calories that we burned off today at Knowlwoods Restaurant with burgers, fries and soda!

It was a good outing afterall!

-DB-

52 Holes at Palm Royale CC - La Quinta, CA

Played 52 holes at Palm Royale Country Club course in La Quinta this Labor Day weekend. (52 holes because the first two time I played it, we skipped hole #6 twice by mistake!)



Got Kevin D out on the fairway for the first time in 7 years!


Kevin even got a caddy on our 2nd round together.


I think he's hooked and ready to play more now! Kevin got a birdie on his first round on #4.



This was a nice par 3 course with lots of challenging hazards! I got a birdie and two par on my first round, one par on my 2nd, and 4 pars on my third round.



We got to enjoy this sunset as we approached the 13th hole.

Thanks to CJ and the J clan for the golfing opportunities over the weekend!

-DB-

Los Verdes GC in Rancho Palo Verdes

First time playing at Los Verdes GC!


It was really cool playing right next to the ocean!


Ray is teeing up on the first tee box.


Eugene posing with the ocean at his back.


The days are getting shorter (and breezy on the Palo Verdes Peninsula).


We were able to finish 9 holes and then a few more after.



Sunset was beautiful, wished we made it to the 16th hole over looking the sunset itself!


After golf, a few of us stopped by the Don Jose Mexican restaurant in Artesia for a late supper.


Beer, chips n' salsa.


I had the Carnitas plate, yum!

A good day of golfing with friends!

-DB-

Twilight at Fullerton GC

This is for my friend MB who thinks "twilight golf" involves "Vampires, etc ..." ..


Got in some putting practice before starting that late round of golf this afternoon.


We teed off at 5:00 with our Five-some ... the course was under construction the 1st tee box was pushed all the way up to 60 yard of the green! That was okay, I was sucking pretty bad in the first three holes but I started to play bogey golf for a string for 4 -5 holes after that! Got a par and almost a couple birdies too!


We got to the #9 tee box in two hours and finished about 7:15 (2:15 playing 9 holes).


We played thru #13 into darkness ... I sort stop counting my strokes after #10 since I started sucking again but I had an awesome drive on #13 at dusk when I discovered that I hit my tee shot inside 50 yard of the greens but because of the darkness ended bogeying the hole due to poor chipping and a difficulty uphill putt in near darkness. Oh well!

It was still a nice outing with friends!

-DB-