A Mammoth clown show

Today we played Mammoth Dunes golf course.  The logo is brill, as they say --

It was designed by one of the hot new(er) things in golf architecture, David McLay Kidd (famous for courses at Bandon Dunes, Oregon, see blog in 2021).

We were warned that it was named Mammoth both so they could use the logo, but also as a testament to its size.  

The last green was the size of half a football field (yes, that's huge for a golf green).

I'm going with one picture so you can have an idea of the size of the place -- 

But it was crazy shit.  When you are told "don't look at that flag, but look fifty yards left and hit it there because there's bank..." and, of course, our man Tim was right, but...

And putting.  First, Tim said the greens were unfair today.  The starter said they were at 12, which was faster than they wanted them, but they hadn't cooperated this spring.  They were slicker than snot sometimes.  

And you had to putt through the clown face.  A lot.  "Up this bank, down, and back..." Tim would say.  "you can't go straight at it but you can bend it..."

It was either really fun (not really), or really ugly and frustrated (a bunch).  

But I started with a winner -- I told the starter, Tim and RR the "tip the caddy" story from St. Andrews ten years ago.  It is JBroLaw fav. 😂  The starter said he was going to laugh all afternoon about that one. 😂😂😂

We had a couple moments on the back nine.  First, I used the bank on a short par 3 (#13) and hit the ball to 3 feet.  And made the putt.  After we both didn't birdie the driveable 14, RR nailed two shots on 15 and had 5 feet for eagle on the par 5.  He didn't make it, but a tap in birdie was good.  His first of the week (I should say "too" since that one on 13 was my first).  But those were nice highlights. 

On the next tee, Tim (our caddy, remember from two days ago?) says this is a bit confusing and he'd had one player stand looking the wrong way and Tim told him it was a long carry. 😂. Eventually he told the guy to turn around and "Oh!"   Haha.

OC, I had to tell the story from February when our playing companion hit to the wrong hole from the fairway at Spanish Bay.  Then I had to tell Tim the fuji-ki joke (RR said he'd heard it not too long ago), which he really liked.  I told him if he used he owed me a dollar.  He said next time he saw me he'd probably owe me 10 or 15 dollars.  😂

We finished 18, both old men still moving, without noticeable injuries, and having rather enjoyed ourselves for several days, despite the millions of steps. 

Let's go back.  We started the day by going next door and having breakfast at Romano's. (Let me say that it's sort of a Steve coda to not eat breakfast at a pizza place, but it was right next door...) We were literally literally (I had people like that one from the last blog 😁) the only people in the place.  We sat at the bar and eventually a guy came out from the back to wait on us.  He was about as Wisconsin sluggo as you could be -- ball cap, beard, Romano's tee, jeans that hung too low.  And he was a winner for personality.  "How you doing?"  "Terrible.  All this work to do..." and went in the back.  RR told me to not try anymore repartee. 😂. "It seems somebody didn't show up."   After grumpy had taken our orders, a woman came in, put her purse on the bar and looked through it, then went into the back and reappeared as our wait person.  Ah, the missing person who was causing grumpy to deal with us, along with the many other onerous tasks of his life. 

There breakfast was fine -- oversized -- and here's your prerequisite picture, my ham and cheese omelette. 

Dinner was nachos (which were huge) over drinks after round.  My phone was dead and RR's was in his golf bag, so no pic. ):

****

Yesterday started earlier than the other days -- we had a 1030 tee time.  At Sedge Valley, so we all remember if any of us ever need to.  They had "grab and go breakfast", so RR and I had breakfast sandwiches which were iffy.  The "sauce" had something spicy in it, which I wasn't ready for.  RR didn't eat half his because he doesn't like that much bread.  (yeah, we're all funny).  The best part might have been Ashley, the register person, telling us the ingredients of a Transfusion, a drink RR had never heard of till this trip. 🤷. I tried to get him to try one at the last snack shed today but he demurred. :) 

The golf yesterday was okay.  We both played a bit better, but one part of the big news was the weather.  After a first day of winds (the weather app had swirlies for the first two hours) and overcast and chill, today the sun was out and there was no wind (which golfers pretty much love).  Tim said Tuesday's wind of the usual here. 

The other memorable thing was our playing partner.  Youngish guy (remember I'm a septuagenarian) strolls up in Tom Cruise sunglasses and shorts and an untucked polo!!!  It wasn't THAT warm.  "where you from, bro?"  "Alaska."  😂😂😂

Turns out Mike was originally from Crawfordsville and RR had his Wabash hat on and he said he grew up 3 blocks from campus.  Old home week.  We all said small world.  His best friend in high school was the soon of a guy who played football when we were there and now works at the college, and, of course, RR knows.  They talked about him for a few minutes.  

He hit the ball with a grunt and he hit in high and we thought long, though he said he hit it quite a bit farther in high school, when he routinely hit it 300.  But he struggled with his wedge game, which he admiteed and lamented.  He was a wild ride to watch, going from easy-looking birdies to the one hole he played from the foliage into a large sand trap.  We, meanwhile, pretty much stayed out of the foliage, but one way or another found the sand a lot. ):

We returned to our post game routine of beers and wings at the The Clubhouse (that is it's official name0 and rested and tried to figure out how our old bones had survived. 

 Our adventure post-golf was to go to the "big city" -- Wisconsin Rapids (you are forgiven if you've never heard of it and/or can't place in on a map).  RR had never eaten at a Culver's (yes, they have them in Indy -- he doesn't get out much), so that was our goal.  He loves cheese curds (in fairness, he just loves food), and I told him about them at Culver's. 

He said they weren't much different than the ones at the restaurant the first night. :) 

And then "home" to crash early.  

Mammoth logo:

So, now, to bed and up "early" tomorrow and on the road back.  

Great trip.  Loved the facilities.  Great company.  RR has even pushed to return.  A good sign. 

Till next time...maybe during our beach trip next month.  

Manana...

PS To the comment about pizza, the restaurant at Sand Valley does pizza.  Always telling when their own wait staff tell you someplace else is better. :)

This place is Cheesy

Hi Avid Readers, 

Here we are again.   This time I'm in Wisconsin -- don't ask where because, as one guy said today, all of Wisconsin is the middle of nowhere.  :)

I'm with RR (from the St. Louis trip); I decided to stick with the RR acronym because he and I understand it and even his children don't. :). 

We are here for 3 days of golf.  There is food porn today, but we are in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin, so keep those expectations low (unless pictures of cheese curds get you going :))...

This is a picture of today's course from the first tee...just to give you some visual idea.  It's called Sand Valley and it's not a misnomer. 

We are amazed there is the quality golf resort here.  Who knew about the sand??!?!!?  

Anyway...

The trip started in PA with K joining me.  I dropped her at her brother's near 'busco (I'll let those who don't know ruminate) and went on to RR's.  

He and I went to dinner Sunday evening. I asked for Italian (shocked face, right?) and he knew this good place in downtown Zionsville (a block from the Salty Cowboy of earlier trips).  It was very good. 

He had the squid ink and lobster, which I know some of you like to see.  
 I had the more boring bolognese.  

Monday morning we started the 6 1/2 hour drive before breakfast and stopped at this diner in Veedersburg.  It was old fashioned, all right, with metal advertising signs on the walls -- RR lusted after a Shell oil one.  Here's a HALF order of biscuits and gravy.

Any time you're near there, stop in.  (ar ar) It was great.  

We got to the resort and explored and decided to play the par 3 course, which is right next to the main clubhouse. 

The story that RR thought needed to be put in the blog is this: we're playing the par 3 course yesterday and on the 11th hole.  He's standing on the right side of the tee box and😂 I hit a decent shot, but it hops up on the left side of the green, grabs the hump there and turns right, but its long.  Or so we thought!  It hits a hump in the back center of the green (he hit his ball deep on this portion and had an impossible putt) and turns toward the hole...and gets closer and closer and...it looks to me like it disappears (well, it does)!

I turn to him (I'm sure I gave some sort of yelp) and go for a high five and he looks at me funny and turns and looks behind him like I'm waving to someone. 😁😂 He high fives me and he says "what?" and I said I thought it was in.  He says, "no..." and I step over and from his angle you can see the ball sitting up, close to the hole. 😞. He steps over to where I hit from and says, "no, you can't see it, but the pin is blocking it"...

Bummer.  But the whole "give me five" and him looking over his shoulder was priceless. 😂

***

We had sandwiches in the bar at the clubhouse and came back to the Airbnb in the dark and I watched the NBA game (the Athletic headline said it was the best of the last decade) and RR crashed.  

We were up slowly this morning (we had a 1 o'clock tee time) and caught the breakfast at the clubhouse. (I googled and there's not another decent restaurant for 20 minutes). They have a buffet. 

We were literally, and I mean literally literally 😂, the only ones in the place, shortly before 10.  

I get my coffee and Sabrina, our server, is hanging around the table and I say "hey, do you think I could have some sugar?"  She leans over like she's going to kiss me.  Then pulls back really quick and says, "oh...I lost myself for a second...." She gets me sugar and tells us that she was listening to the Archies "Sugar, Sugar" in the shower this morning because it reminded her of her mother.  I'm just reporting here.  🤷

It rained part of the morning and RR worried about getting wet.  Then he worried about being cold.  He said "I only play golf in fair weather."  Ha ha.  Not on the next two trips, buddy. 

It was 58 with a real feel of 50 at tee time, with a wind of 20+ mph.  It reminded, but warmer, of our day at Royal Lytham. 

The funniest part of the round was our caddy, Tim's take on RR's bag. First, it's a Sun Mountain bag in camouflague (yes, I made the joke in front of the check-in people that I couldn't see his bag and one of them said "what bag" 😂 comedy golf).   Tim lifted it, put it down, lifted it.  "How many balls you have in there?" "About 18" "You aren't going to need that many, get rid of at least three sleeves."  He did.  And that seemed to make Tim happy enough.  (Later in the day I asked Tim how he was doing and he said "About average." 😂).  RR was impressed with Tim that this is his SUMMER home!!! He lives in northern Minnesota in the winter and loves to speed on snowmobiles.  Claimed to have had one up to 95 mph!!!  RR and I discussed how grown up caddies were a different bread. 

The golf course was good.  Despite people comparing them, today's course was not a challenging, ie as good, as the two links courses at Bandon.  But, despite the wind, we had a good time, hit a few good shots, and came away tired as hell, but okay with the golf today.  We agreed the putting was difficult; we played with two guys, Brent and Blake (I didn't make it up) who could really play and they struggled like we did with speed control on the greens.  And I had some long-ass putts -- one was 102'. 

Then we made it back tot he airbnb.  There's a pizza place next door that our server this morning said was the best pizza around.  So we tried it. 

RR went over first and grabbed a six pack. He said they looked like him like he was an alien -- he was the only one in golf gear and everyone else was in flannel and jeans. 😂 

When we got there they had the baseball game on four of the five screens -- F the NBA playoffs! -- and a car show on the 5th.  And they were rooting for the Cubs over the Brewers!!!!  Amanda, our hostess.bartender.cook, told us it was a "Chicago bar". 

Here's the pizza, which was really v good.   RR brought home the leftovers for pre-breakfast. :)

And here's a shot of the bar -- obviously from RR. 

We played pool, RR won 2 of 3, and came back so I could do this. 

It's been fun.  Hoping for a little better weather and a lot better golf tomorrow.  Going to explore after our "earlier" round. 

Till then...