Pebble Beach: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Pebble Beach: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Clint Eastwood’s movie from 1966 has provided some inspiration for this week’s musings. Eastwood, the former mayor of Carmel and part of the ownership group at Pebble Beach Golf Links, may have been on the minds of the United States Golf Association when they set up the golf course for the US Open. Mike Davis, the USGA’s course set up man, was doing a “good” Dirty Harry for the best golfers in the world. “Go ahead - make my day” and just try to break par for 72 holes. Insert Dr. Evil laughter.

Pebble Beach Golf Links has it all: beautiful scenery, an outstanding routing of golf holes, history and prestige. There are a few adjustments needed and the price of the green fee would be a good place to start. How many golfers can afford the $495 tariff for 18 holes of golf? That works out to $27.50 per hole! Perhaps one can go straight to the 7th tee and just play the next four holes for $110. Or start at #17 tee and drop $55 to play the final two holes.

I would think twice before playing the 14th hole. PGA Tour pros were made to look like weekend hackers at your local $23 “muni”. How many times in one day have you seen professional golfers miss the green with a chip shot? Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters Champion, missed the green three times with chip shots. Johnson tried a bump and run, then a flop shot, and then a pitch shot, another flop shot again to get on the green, and then two putts for a Gordie Howe (9). Talk about “ugly”.

To hold the green on the 14th hole, the ball had to land like a butterfly with sore feet. Y.E. Yang had five chips on the 14th hole; he might still have been there when the first group came through on Saturday. Yang went back and forth across the green so often I thought he was playing a one man game of tennis at Wimbledon. Yang would shoot 49 on the inward nine.

A “good” thing about the US Open at Pebble Beach is no Bill Murray. Murray was great in Caddyshack as Carl Spackler, but his “bad” antics during the PGA tour stop in February have grown predictable and downright “ugly”.

For those of you with a keen eye during the telecast, there was some local content at the US Open. Neil Schmidt, head golf professional at Tower Ranch, was caddying for Craig Barlow this week. Past Ogopogo champion (2005) Kent Eger qualified for his first ever major championship. Eger would miss the cut with rounds of 76-79.

Tom Watson again provided some “good” moments in a major by making the cut at age 60. Watson is the only golfer to play in every US Open held at Pebble Beach. His run started in 1972, followed by a win in 1982. Watson also played in 1992 and 2000. Watson played a great round on Saturday, scoring a one under par 70.

It was too “bad” Phil Mickelson could not win a US Open, but I am sure his three green jackets will keep him looking “good”; just don’t wear pink pants, that would be “ugly”.

Gord McGarva’s columns can be found at http://writedownthefairway.blogspot.com/