Your 2026 Golf Vacay Destination
Category: Playing
North County Golf Outing
The tee time was pushing it close, but we knew that when we started. Daylight would rush our play towards the end of the day. Nevertheless, we made our way to Rancho Bernardo Inn in North County San Diego just under 30 miles from central San Diego proper.
From the first tee, I felt good swinging in the tee box. I drove it across a waterway and followed that up with an approach shot onto the green. I putted for par on the green, and then played it too safe on a par 3 that cost me some strokes. Then, I made my second par on a par 5 hole and saw my potential for breaking 90 light up.
Unfortunately, not many highlights pop up after that.
One memorable hole had me trying to work some magic by overplaying a dogleg that got me caught up with some dogwoods and eucalyptus trees. That move had me right along with my foursome who all sat in the fairway, while I wrestled with the tall grass amid the trees. I overworked for that double bogey on that hole.
I never went beyond making a bogey on the back 9. In fact, I stacked up enough double bogeys to keep me focused on fixes for my next outing.
I was too conservative on my putts, leaving myself too much ground to cover on the second putt. Also, I was overplaying a few holes when I was left with under 100 yards to the flag. Playing a 9 iron instead of a pitching wedge under such conditions makes the difference between being on the green or just beyond the green.
I learned one lesson clearly and it has been on my mind since this round. I need to manage my shot selection and choice of clubs in order to set up the next shot. If I don’t do that well, then I’m bound to still struggle breaking 90.
Flooded Fairways and Stormy Forecasts
I saw it for myself. I didn’t have to see it on the local news report. I didn’t have to hear about from others on social media. I saw the fairways of Chula Vista Golf Course flooded like the Red Sea sweeping away the army of Pharaoh in its pursuit of Moses and the children of Israel.
Stormy conditions in the San Diego area have made playing golf a futile aspiration over the past week. Right after the flooded fairways were cleared of the water and debris left from the prior storms to resume regular tee times on the local golf courses, San Diego is bracing itself for another catastrophic level of rainfall and wind over a period of two days.
Conditions like this make it a good time to focus on fitness. Whether it’s hitting the local gym or following the lead of a Peloton instructor at home, you can work out and remain fit and prepared for the next time you hit the fairways. Maybe it’s time to conduct some upkeep and maintenance on your body in order to be prepared for your next round of golf.
My hope is that the storms come and go.
I’ve got a tee time scheduled for Saturday at Rancho Bernardo Inn in the North County area of San Diego. With this storm scheduled to pass away by Friday, I’m hoping for a sunny Saturday morning that could provide a decent round of golf and an enjoyable time with close friends.
I’m going to prepare for another shot at breaking 90 and keep swinging where and when I can.
#golf
Year-End Golf Game and Golf Goals for the New Year
During the Christmas break, I usually work in a few rounds of golf here and there. I was able to squeeze in a round at Carlton Oaks in Santee, California, the day after Christmas. This is a course formerly used to qualify golfers for their tour cards. I love the challenges of the front nine versus the wide open fairways of the back nine. You can plan out your approach and attack plan, but the angled fairways and elevated decks make adjustment a big part of the game.
I love how Carlton Oaks gives off a mystique of a course much older than its 1958 start date. Its first tee has you veering to right, only to quickly force you to dogleg left for a par 4. Launching my approach shot over the green, I lost my nerves and flubbed a chip shot onto the green. That forced me to put my pitching wedge to work around the back end of the green to come out with a double bogey.
From there on, the rest of the course gave me grief. Somewhere around the 7th hole on the front where I realized that my finish on my pitches and chips had too loose and light. After that realization, I added some changes to my chips and pitches. But those approach shots were killing me.
Finishing off the front nine, I messed up by using a fairway wood instead of a hybrid to carry my third shot over a waterway. The shot went wide to the left and barely still within the stakes. I scrambled my way to pitching a nice roller onto the green, but that wasn’t enough to save par or even get me bogey on a par 5. I walked away with a 7 on that hole and a bad attitude on the 10th tee.
The remainder of the scorecard tells a different story. I didn’t do anything drastic except cut down my double bogeys. I marked down a double bogey on 11, and then I pretty much settled down. In fact, on hole 16, I hit a par from the fringe muh like I have done in the past on the same hole. Simply cutting down those double bogeys, cut down an additional 4 strokes compared to the front nine.
A New Set of Golf Goals for a New Year
I looked back at this game and considered my golf goals for 2024.
Let me correct that with complete transparency.
I walked by the mirror coming from the restroom prior to my tee time. . .
. . . and I was disgusted at what I saw.
My belly was protruding out like Santa on an off day from his sleigh. Not that my multi-striped golf shirt helped any, but I looked a lot more like a lost Christmas ornament than a golfer.
I’m an athletic coach and a former athlete, so I surely did not like seeing my reflection at the moment.
I was reminded that one of my most popular articles of the past spoke of a focus on fitness. That gave me motivation to do more than try to just shoot for breaking 90. I was motivated to leave the course after my round and work on overall health.
Part of 2024 is going to include me running 5Ks again, maybe even that Hot Chocolate 15K, and daily pushing myself to take on new adventures in health. From food to fitness, I’m taking my health seriously to combat the effects of a poor diet of the past. If that means walking around a nearby downtown venue to speak to the homeless and get a feel for what type of outreach ministry that can take place there, then let it be so. If that means pulling on some hiking books or trail runners in order to hike a local peak with a group of folks who have been body-shamed and seek to create a new image of themselves, so be it.
In 2024, I’ve got more than just golf goals. I’ve got life goals.
Fun on the Fairways in Florida
I usually don’t get out of the state much to play golf, but when I do, I like to have an enjoyable time. Good people and gracious golf course usually make for a good round of golf. And, me being me, I’ll take that every single time.
On a warm and sunny Monday in December, I got an opportunity to play golf at MetroWest Country Club in Orlando, Florida. I thought that I had seen some picturesque courses in Southern California, but MetroWest had a luxurious feel of its own.
This par 72 course made playing it so much fun that I can’t wait to get back to Orlando and take another shot at it. I mean I’d bypass a visit to see Mickey Mouse or Universal Studios in Orlando for a chance to play this course’s wide open fairways and tree-lined gateways to its smooth and lush greens. Somebody said that there was a drought in Florida, but from the look of these fairways and greens, it looked like it totally missed this part of the state.
Did I get closer to breaking 90?
Nope. I was using someone else’s clubs and playing without a glove. We even started on the back nine instead of at hole #1. Breaking 90 was not quite in the picture for me that day. But I had a great time despite all of that.
What was working?
My drives were looking solid with the exception of about 3 holes. My putts from the off the fringe were conservative plays, but they kept me in position to make bogey many times. Taking a 5 wood off the fairway on long holes also proved to be working for me as opposed to engaging a hybrid.
What wasn’t working was the approach shots and uphill putts. I was coming up short too much on both. If I could have pushed about 3 more putts by half an inch, then I’d have dropped a few more pars on this course. But that’s just part of the game.
Special thanks to Cousin Lamar for hosting me in Florida. I was glad that he shared his clubs with me, especially that weighted putter that he laid on me for the day. It had an extra thick grip that I could get used to on the course.
I might not travel with my clubs there the next time, but I will definitely travel with an optimistic attitude and a strategic outlook to continue towards breaking 90.
I know that I still have some work to do as I come back from injuries and illness, but in the meantime, just keep swinging.
Back to Playing 18 Holes Again
How I Got Here
Imagine a cloudless sky overlooking an elevated tee box that leads to a wide open par 5 split by running water.
That’s how I got back to playing 18 holes again.
Normally, Cousin Robert comes to town and we get worked up over when we’ll play golf. Circumstances caused this to be a 1-round visit for our golfing together.
The last time he hit town and we played together, we got to witness some stunning swinging from Mark Teran in our foursome at Cottonwood.
We took on Mission Trails Golf Course in La Mesa, California. It’s a course with a variety of terrains. The front 9 is hilly while the back 9 flattens out and runs along Lake Murray for a portion of its course. This par 71 course is picturesque with green fairways and sand trap-guarded greens. It remains a go-to course for many golfers in the San Diego area.
How it Went for Me
Truthfully, the scorecard only tells part of the story.
I entered play with a nagging shoulder injury that had me stuck with limited motion on my right side. About 90% of my chips and pitches had me leaning into my left side trying to overcompensate for the injury. Truly, it only effected about 3 holes the entire round.
What Worked:
- Tee shots were hitting the fairways most of the time (higher than normal)
- Putts produced precision, not perfection
- Some key recovery shots got me in position to have a shot at saving par or at least keeping scores reasonable
What Still Needs Work:
- Approach shots with mid irons from 125 yards and further
- Par 3 hole accuracy
Where to from Here?
I’m playing again with a cousin from the other side of the family on the other side of the country within a week. I think I’m going to squeeze in a short 9-hole session a few days this week before taking off for Florida.
In the meantime, like I said, I have to hit the range for some swings at 125 to 175 yards on the range. I used to be able to depend on my 7 iron up to about 150 yards, but over the years my range of motion has dipped a little bit. With my shoulder back to normal, I need to see where my mid iron game stands.
Until the next time, take care of yourself and hang loose. But most of all just keep swinging.
Dream Golf Destination in San Diego
Take a poll of your golf buddies and you’ll hear a lot about different golf destinations both near and far.
Some of the most popular golf destinations that you’ll hear about include names like Augusta, Scottsdale, Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas.
Golfers want to play where the pros play. It inspires them to play pro-style courses designed to challenge even the best of the best.
Torrey Pines: The Farmers Insurance Open
Annually, as pro golf cranks up and the PGA Tour makes its way to San Diego, the Farmers Insurance Open becomes a national and even worldwide golf spotlight. Torrey Pines in my own backyard takes the stage of the golf world for a moment and gets a nod from many golfers to add the course to their golf destination wish list.
Golfers just want to play where the pros play. Golfers want to hit from tee boxes where Tiger Woods made historic rounds replayed on ESPN and the Golf Channel. Golfers want to play at the place where John Rahm goes for a follow-up tournament victory after his performance at the American Express. They just want to play where the pros get challenged and rewarded for solid and smart golf.
This week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines should not disappoint most golfers. It has traditionally offered some exciting rounds of golf from some of the biggest names in golf. I don’t anticipate seeing too many letdowns even if folks are still livid about LIV Golf and its tour.
The PGA Tour hitting tour draws golfers from all around the world. It even attracts some hangers-on who want to test their skills against the course in post-tournament rounds. Even the video game PGA Tour 2K23 has added Torrey Pines to its list of courses.
Torrey Pines is in PGA terms is of course Torrey Pines South, not the North course commonly known by many San Diego residents as the “other one.” As residents of San Diego, many local golfers have played at least one or both courses at any given time. At Torrey Pines, resident rates are pennies on the dollar compared to non-resident rates. Once you’ve played it with the beach in view and the coastal breeze blowing against your face, you will definitely say that it was worthwhile.
Stay Inspired to Play at Your Dream Golf Course
I recently shared a video on YouTube about how to stay inspired to continue going for your dreams. I also share the same sentiments via my podcast Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce.
It takes persistence to keep going after your dreams. It takes a plan to go for your dreams. It takes patience to go after your dreams. But it also takes a perseverance. You’ve got to keep pursuing your dreams, even when it seems so out of range that it’s out of sight.
What Makes San Diego Special
All dream golf destinations are not designed alike. That’s what is so beautiful about such a list of golf vacation destinations.
Aside from Torrey Pines, San Diego offers plenty of golf courses regionally. Many of these courses are the reason that San Diego is a such a golfer’s paradise. For us, the golf season never truly ends around here. We just need to shake of some of this recent rain that left the greens a little slow and soggy, and then we’re back on again.
My personal favorite golf courses in the San Diego region keep me occupied often. Among my big ticket golf destinations I always include neighboring locations like Pala and Temecula as well as other areas like Palm Springs.
I like to plan my play and try my best to work my plan after some careful game analysis and reflection.
Most of all, wherever you end up playing, you’ve got to keep on swinging.
My 99 in Hindsight
Scorecards don’t lie.
They’re an indicator of how well or how poorly we played a round of golf on a certain course at a certain time on a certain day.
My recent round of 99 was an indicator of what was right about my game as well as what was so wrong about my game.
Driving Distance and Fairway Play
I will be the first to admit it. My fairways hit usually are limited to 2 maybe 3 per round. I tend to veer to the right and then adjust and start going too far to left. I’m not hitting as many fairways as I would like with my woods, especially the driver- my TaylorMade Burner Superfast Driver.
This round I actually hit 7 fairways. I will take that. I need to get it up to 9, but I haven’t played in ages. Distance was not a problem off the tee.
Great to Just Get Out
I loved playing with my cousin Robert from Texas and PGA Tour Champions caddie and Monday qualifier Mark Teran. Along with Mark’s brother, I was completely surrounded by Austin, Texas, and they let me know it and not forget it.
Mark Teran owns Piped Golf and caddies for some well-known senior PGA players. He’s definitely got his eyes set on swinging on tour making his rounds and taking his shot at Monday qualifiers. Beyond being a superb caddie with great reviews, Mark is a mean with a dream and a pure swing.
Fix and Focus
I need to fix my swing flaws as i mentioned earlier. i need to find my rhythm and get there with my swing. On the par 5 8th hole, I hit trees on one side of the course and chipped it short of the green by about 8 yards or even closer. That’s what needs to fixed and quickly.
I need to focus on my fitness, and then I need to focus on my par 3s and playing from the rough. I’ve come up short too many times leaving myself with par shots at best. If I do this right, I can see more fairways hit, a few greens in regulation, and lower numbers of putts.
My Breaking 90 Goal Broke Down Today
Not Today
I’ve got way more that I could say about this round today.
I’m just going to go ahead and just leave this pic here for you to soak it in.
In summation, it was not my greatest outing and despite some good moments it just wasn’t happening for me today.
When the wheels came off, they broke the whole darn thing down to pretty much a crawl.
Not Ready Yet
Like many things in life, we’re not ready to talk about this one yet. I’m going to need a healthy does of time and space. I’d say at least 24 hours. I think I can regroup and break down where I broke down and need to fix some things.
Currently, I’m rethinking my retention of the wisdom of Brian Penn’s post on swing thoughts. I am reeling on my heels and tiptoes at what the Grateful Golfer shared in a past post about our work to get things done.
In the meantime, check out the Instagram page of Piped Golf with Mark Teran. I did have the pleasure of playing a round with Mark and his brother as my cousin and I ventured out to Cottonwood Golf Club today. Mark’s got an extraordinary story to tell and I hope to give you more of his story in another format on another day.
I’m regrouping. I’m recharging. I’m hitting reset right here and it’s right up someone else’s alley. I’m going to have to make a fitness turnaround within this equation, though. That can cause more delays in fixing my game, but the benefits will outweigh those delayed opportunities.
For now, just know that I am not ready to talk about today’s round like folks watch Disney movies and agree to not talk about Bruno anymore.
Golf Getaway Destination Poll
Sometimes, you just want to getaway and go play golf. There are plenty of luxurious and relaxing stay-and-play golf offers out there.
People save up for golf stay-and-play packages that they want to experience for themselves. They plan for years. They budget their dollars and they save up as much as needed to getaway and play. Some even sacrifice coffee runs to Starbucks for the sake of getting away to go play golf.
Plenty of people have such a golf getaway on their bucket list. They want the ultimate golf experience. For some, they see it as a major part of their entire life’s journey as a golfer.
The pandemic sure didn’t help things any. Many have been awaiting an opportunity to get out and just go away to go play.
Where do you see as your ultimate golf destination?
MyBreaking90 