Todd Moon

Not a drop of rain in over 6 months but I’m pretty good shape.

I can only describe Swinley Forest as an experience that must be experienced. If your an avid golfer you must put SF at the top of your bucket list. An amazing golf club without the country club fluff. It was built for the privacy and enjoyment of its members. I thank God that Swinley Forest allows peasants like myself to walk on those hollow grounds, because it was one of the best courses I’ve ever played. Upon arriving via train with a 7 minute taxi ride you enter from a private entrance into what seems like paradise. I arrived at 7:30am to two cars in the parking lot both being members of the staff. Greeted and shown around by a friendly staffer that was excited to host me. I was told to have breakfast and relax before I went to the first tee box because members don’t arrive until 9am. With no practice facilities I could find except for a relatively small putting green, SF was built for the course not for the range. I never saw carts or caddies but plenty of push carts if your heart desires. I teed off at 8:30 and was able to make the first footsteps in the dew. With no yardage markers except for 150 yard post it was somewhat difficult to gage distances. I also can see the course staying really wet during the rainy season and possibly unplayable due to poor drainage. Other than that I couldn’t find anything bad about SF. The holes flow gracefully through pine trees and heath with incredible colors throughout. You rarely see past or future holes so you get to immerse yourself in each hole while playing it. Words can’t describe how each hole has its own personality and how each hole is so different than the last. With peaceful elevation changes that makes the walk enjoyable, I can play this course everyday for the rest of my life and die a happy man. The big knock on SF is how short it is, at 6400 yards it plays somewhat longer and you don’t notice the par 68 while out playing. Believe me please don’t make the mistake of passing over SF because it’s a ‘short’ course. One can only wonder how many political or business deals have been made walking these fairways. The members are humble, private, and supposedly stuck in time with their club. SF now opens its gates to fellow golfers around the world so you to can experience the charm, make sure to play it while in London you want regret it.

Can’t wait to finish my Europe trip here at this beauty.

With my boys losing big to Europe, glad I got the opportunity to watch another top European team play today. What a great experience to see how soccer is suppose to be played.

Last round while visiting London. Very underrated golf destination.

A special day playing both the Old and New. Thank you All Square

Finishing the day strong with this classic.

A chilly morning but couldn’t be happier. Going to be a fantastic golf experience.

Out on the range this beautiful morning. Getting ready for London in 9 days. Should be a lot more green grass than California right now.

Muirfield is one of the most popular courses in the world mainly because millions get to watch the Memorial every year hosted by the greatest, Jack Nicklaus. On a recent Ohio Golf trip Muirfield was the number one course our group wanted to play. Everyone wanted to attempt a chip from the 16th just like Tiger executed in 2012 to help him win another Memorial. The itch of seeing it every year only increased our desire. When you arrive at MVGC your greeted by a valet that takes your clubs and also parks your car. The clubhouse is grand with every feature you need to be a top tier club. The hospitality the club showed was beyond enough and well received. The golf course was made for the pros and to host tournaments. It’s a brutal 18 holes that will not let up until your final tap in (or gimme depending on your playing partners). From the championship tees it measures at 7400 with a 76.8/155 (blues are still 6729 73.8/150). You can tell each hole has a ‘stadium’ feel to it as your hitting up into a green surrounded by land built to hold grand-stands. My candid opinion would be that The Golden Bear tried to build Augusta in Ohio and it definitely has created the feel of Augusta. Typical Nicklaus with wider inviting fairways but MVGC is all about the second shot. With small greens that’s well protected by bunkers and water it’s a hard chore to score well here. Visitors must walk with a caddie, which is much appreciated after underestimating the hilly terrain. MVGC is a tough walk don’t take it for granted. Another disappointing feature to MVGC is the houses that surround many holes. The story is that Jack bought the property to design a course with no homes, then running into financial issues leading him to sale property surrounding the course for residential homes. During the Memorial many of the camera angles shields out the views of many homes, many on both sides of the fairways. With Jack Nicklaus actually owning MVGC he is constantly working on the design to keep it a test for the pros. History has shown that it’s been a consistent test and rewards great shots and punishes small misses. As you walk up the 18th fairway and approach the green you can see Nicklaus’s boyhood home. I only could imagined him practicing in his back yard, in what at the time was a farm not knowing one day he will build his greatest golf creation. As for playing MVGC, you have to once. It’s part of golf history among the likes of St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and Augusta. After playing you understand the respect the professionals give it and wonder how they can play this monster 4 days in a row.

Hot day, with smoke from the California fires but still golfing.

Newly refurbished South Course.

You know about the history and what Pinehurst means to the golf world but what most people don’t understand is how great the people are that make up Pinehurst’s community. The people are what make this resort worthwhile. ‘Southern hospitality’ is at its finest and the members take true pride when describing their love for his place. While no easy drive, Pinehurst is worth finding. The excitement increases once you start noticing the pine trees on either side of you while getting close to the resort. It’s hard not to spend at least a week in the Pinehurst area with multiple options at the resort and many other in the surrounding area. No matter what excites you in a golf course you can find it here. The resort itself offers everything your looking for including all things a non golfer wants. A couple points I found to be true, take time hanging out in the hotel looking at pictures and reading the history. I thought the breakfast buffet was overpriced and not worth the hype (many people recommend it). Spend as much time as you can at the main club house with a couple restaurants to hang out at and a wonderful southern patio to relax on. No. 2 lived up to my every expectation. It’s a course that must be walked to experience it’s greatness. No ocean views, no famous holes, no noteworthy long carries or water hazards, just golf at its finest. It’s the way it’s meant to be played. A perfect venue for major championships but can be played by most all handicaps now since Coore and Crenshaw removed the thick rough back to to the original wasteland and removed the thick rough. Pinehurst is one of Donald Ross’s greatest creation from your opening tee shot to your final putt. Specifically the green complex’s are genius. You can tell he left his heart and soul out on those greens. As seen on tv the greens are turtle backed but what’s hard to pick up are the multiple turtle backs in the same green complex. It’s amazing but frustrating at times to play. Also the par 3s are so well designed and each is different from the last. Pace can become slow when resort tee times fill the tee sheet. I was blessed to play with 2 members that spent time telling me the history of the course. Also a note relating to membership is they have recently changed their policy that you must own property within the city of Pinehurst, opening up more opportunities for others to join. Take a caddie! The caddie program is incredible and after you spend the time and effort to finally get to the area don’t be cheap, it’s worth it because Pinehurst is an experience. Obviously the practice facilities are world class. With a massive driving range, short game area, and plenty of putting greens to warm up on. My one negative is the practice greens are nothing like Ross’s green complex so it lulls you into thinking your putts will be straight, but their anything but. Pinehurst is a world renowned course located within a resort that offers you everything you need for a great visit. Don’t let the television visual effects of the 2014 US Open sway you away from this magnificent golf course. Find a way to get to Pinehurst North Carolina a top bucket course track.

Last round of our golf journey this week. It’s been a great week filled with incredible courses and beautiful weather. Now I have to go explain the credit card bill to my wife, wish me luck.

A lot of history at this place. Wonderful area to visit and a fantastic golf course.

First round in Canton, Ohio. Beautiful day out.

Getting to play the course so many greats have walked. May be one of the hardest test of golf, what an extraordinary venue for golf.

It’s going to be a special day at this special place.

First round of the Ohio golf trip. Ready to have fun.

Hot and humid doesn’t stop a true golfer.

Couldn’t pass up this classic while here for a wedding this weekend. Can’t wait.

Ansley offers golfers two separate options for play. When in the downtown area Ansley has a great nine hole track that offers a second look the next time through with a couple different green locations. Sittindown is a phenomenal course that has 18 strong holes that will stand up to any track in Atlanta. With more property to work with Sittindown has great practice facilities. Both courses are friendly to walkers. Course conditions are always great and your fully aware that your playing on an upper tier private club. While playing at both tracks you don’t feel out of place with the staff and members being very inviting and welcoming. With many course options in and around the metro area if your pro can create an opportunity to play either or both Ansley courses, do it.

Ansley offers golfers two separate options for play. When in the downtown area Ansley has a great nine hole track that offers a second look the next time through with a couple different green locations. Sittindown is a phenomenal course that has 18 strong holes that will stand up to any track in Atlanta. With more property to work with Sittindown has great practice facilities. Both courses are friendly to walkers. Course conditions are always great and your fully aware that your playing on an upper tier private club. While playing at both tracks you don’t feel out of place with the staff and members being very inviting and welcoming. With many course options in and around the metro area if your pro can create an opportunity to play either or both Ansley courses, do it.

In the hills above University of Berkeley lies probably one of the most popular public tracks in The Bay Area for locals. Tilden Park is a crafty 18 holes with a lot of uneven lies that makes a round challenging and at times frustrating. This course gets a lot of play thus the conditions are average at best. Greens are scattered with non-members ball marks and the time of play can be nearing 6 plus hours on weekends. The fairways are tight throughout and some of the holes seems like they were designed on a video game, as tricked out as they look. Warm up before you arrive because their are no practice facilities. The staff can have the feeling of being over worked, but on average there welcoming. The great thing about Tilden is Berkeley’s food scene. Plan ahead when coming to The Bay Area and make reservations if you can. A great food spot is Angeline’s off Shattuck a superb Cajun restraint that will remind you of New Orleans. A great day would be playing a round at Tilden, enjoying a football game at Cal Berkeley, and then enjoying a wonderful dinner at one of the many great restaurants.

95 degrees but when you the ‘itch’ while watching the US Open you got to scratch it.

When you think of Dr. Alister MacKenzie you think of Augusta, Cypress Point and Crystal Downs. A course you need to recognize when you hear of MacKenzie is Pasatiempo. This was Mackenzie’s favorite creation and he lived on hole 6 until his death in 1934, always tinkering and finding ways to make it even better. Not many of Dr. MacKenzie’s courses are available for public play. Pasatiempo is located in Santa Cruz an hour or so north of Pebble Beach. A course that deserves to be on all your Northern California golf itineraries. Two of the best holes in golf are located at Pasatiempo, number 3 and 16. The par 4 16th was MacKenzie’s favorite hole he ever designed, it’s breathtaking when you arrive to your ball after a blind uphill teeshot and see a green complex protected by extraordinary bunkering. With one of the largest greens on the course the difficulty is being on the top tier with a back flag location. You want experience a better par 3 that surprisingly has no water hazard factoring into the shot than number 3. With a 200 plus up hill shot into a green that runs left to right with multiple layers of bunkers. What makes this hole excellent is the bunkering, each bunker has specific fingers that adds personality, and should factor into your decision making. Pasatiempo went through a difficult time a couple years ago with a devastating drought that lasted multiple years. During that time only greens and certain landing areas were watered. Pasatiempo’s team has since established a recycled water system and ranked as one of the best environmental friendly courses in the world. Now Pasatiempo will never struggle with course conditioning as they learn from past conditioning problems. The effort MacKenzie put into Pasatiempo to make this course a true masterpiece needs to be experienced by all golf fans. Please don’t make the horrible mistake of passing it up while driving from San Francisco to Monterey your be missing out on one of the best.

You may not know it yet but San Francisco Golf Club should be at the top of your must play courses. Let me explain why everyone needs to play SFGC at least once in their life. When you arrive and drive through the private gate everything in the world is at peace. No blade of grass is left untouched and golf is played the way it’s meant to be played, with honor and respect. It’s a club that is founded on tradition and never wavers from its roots. Living in the Bay Area now for just over 5 years when you ask a local golfer about SFGC they tell you, their boss is a member of Olympic and their boss’s boss is a member of SFGC. It’s a club that prides it’s self with privacy in such a way no outside tournaments have ever been played their. While playing I saw that every member had a caddie and only saw one cart the entire round. My caddie had been carrying at the club for 26 years. Each round is guaranteed less than 4 hours, a club rule. SFGC is great for all handicap golfers. It’s difficult to lose a ball off the tee and shockingly if you hit a good tee shot you will be rewarded with an even lie, even within the hills of San Francisco. What is difficult about Tillinghast’s creation are his greens. Putting on these small but difficult greens is like trying to get a golf ball to stop on a basketball court. Quick side note, found out they roll the greens every Friday morning (we teed off at 8:30am on Friday morning), so we experienced how difficult they can be. Our caddie told us Jim Furyk once 3 putted 5 holes during his round. My favorite hole was number 3 with a beautiful left to right tee shot and a green complex protected by giant bunkers it’s a hole your never forget. I also want to add there isn’t a poor par 3 on the property. It’s a perfect balance of long to short one shooters that makes the round such a treat. Once you finish you quickly realize your ready to eat and get back out. The course doesn’t beat you up like other top ranked courses. All in all SFGC is the best day of golf I’ve ever had. From the time I arrived I realized this is the way golf needs to be played. If someone ever wants to trade one of your kidneys for a round at SFGC do your self a favor and ask them which kidney.