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Sports Watch
PEBBLE Beach is one of those golf courses you've got to play at least once in your lifetime. No matter how much the green fees. Pebble for your thoughts
Thanks to former Isle resident Paul Spengler, who's one of the honchos at Pebble Beach, I got a chance to play the magnificent course as his guest.
I never thought I'd be happy paying $150 for a round of golf. After all, it was a 50 percent discount.
It's one of the most scenic courses in the world, one situated on a terrain that features a dramatic meeting of land and ocean.
Now, the signature hole at Pebble Beach is the par-5, 543-yard 18th hole that wraps around Carmel Bay at the left.
I was short of the front bunker in three after narrowly avoiding the big tree at the right, protecting the green.
No sweat, I said to myself. Pitch long, two putt for a great bogey and order a single malt Scotch at the Pebble Beach Lodge to warm up afterwards at the 19th hole.
But I skulled my pitch over the green, finally got on and three-putted for an 8.
Aarrgh. Triple bogey at Pebble's most famous hole, which I'll probably never play again in my life. Even at a reduced rate.
Well, sonofagun. Not that I wish golfers ill, but when I read that John Daly took a 14 at the same hole in yesterday's first round of the U.S. Open, I suddenly didn't feel so bad.
He dumped three shots in the water, which I didn't do even once.
Daly's my kind of golfer, although I've never ever shot an 18 on one hole as he did on the par-5 sixth in the final round of the 1988 Bay Hill Invitational.
Meanwhile, go Tiger.
Here's hoping that Tiger Woods, who shot a 65 to be the first-round leader, goes on to win the 100th U.S. Open.
I know you're not supposed to be cheering in the press tent. But Tiger has got to win so that he can secure a spot -- and defend his title for the third year in a row -- in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at the Poipu Bay Resort on Kauai in November.
The Grand Slam without Tiger isn't fun, or a draw on national or worldwide television. So the TV moguls are definitely pulling for him.
The PGA Grand Slam features the winners of golf's four major championships.
Masters champion Vijay Singh is the first qualifier. And Vijay so far is the only one with the opportunity to win all four of the majors this year, as he noted.
"I'm going to give it a good shot," Singh said.
No offense, Vijay. But here's hoping you won't.
KUDOS TO CASEY: One of the pros competing in the Rainbow Open is Casey Nakama, who won the event in 1987. But he's already a winner in my book.
Nakama was instrumental in organizing one of the most innovative golf tournaments in recent years by putting together the Hawaii All-Star Invitational over the Kamehameha Day Holiday weekend at Olomana.
For one thing, it was a team concept, based on the Ryder Cup idea, and an off-season summer event when the kids are no longer in school. The players represented their leagues, not their teams or themselves.
"Golf hardly has any team events. I wanted them to have some pride for their island and their league and pull for each other," Nakama said.
The event was possible, according to Nakama, thanks to Aloha Airlines, which flew in the neighbor island golfers, and Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, which housed them.
