This Is What I'm Talking About

There was hard pan like in the top pic all over the course. Some of the dead grass gave a fluffy lie, but most of it was like hitting off concrete. And, the bottom pic is not a dried up lake bed, but part of one of the greens. This is fully unacceptable, even for $18. Mace Meadows has a nice layout and with a little work could be a nice stop for bogie golfers to hit up on the way to or from Longball. It is certainly not a Valencia quality course, even on its best day.

Mace Meadows Is Not Worth The Stop

Every time I've driven to the Daddy Longball Golf Classic in Lake Tahoe, I drive up SH-88 out of Stockton, then turn on SH-89 to Meyers. Just east of Pioneer on the left is Mace Meadows Golf Course. I've wondered what the course was like, but have never played it.
I'm RV'ing in Jackson at the Rancheria for a few days and decided that today was the day to play Mace Meadows. I got to the course rather late, in time for the 3pm twilight rate of $18 with cart. As you can see from the first tee box, the course looks in OK condition and looks fairly open. The pro shop warned me that they had lost a couple of water pumps and "a few" of their greens were "coming back." Okaaaay.
The front nine was much tighter than the back nine, though the front is sloped higher. I'll continue on the next post.

Index Number Notes

Here's a partial list of club members Index numbers.

Members under 10.0:

Billy G          3.0
Hime             6.1
David C        6.1
Ron S           7.3
Roger K        7.6
Timothy M     7.8

Out of the regular players, 21 members have Index numbers between 10 and 19.9.
14 members have Index numbers between 20 and 29.9.
Its not like I'm proud of it, but out of the regular players, I have the highest Index number at 34.8. That's almost 6 points higher than Mel T, with 28.8.

The Money Is Due Now

If you want to play Bayonet at the end of the month and you haven't confirmed with a phone call or a check, do it now. Or you'll be left out in the cold.

The Ranch In San Jose

Today, Tuesday, I played with fellow Daddy Longball members Jimmy B, Jeremy G and Jerry F. The Ranch  is in South San Jose, between the Hellyer and Capitol offramps off US-101 on the east side of the freeway. This is not a municipal tract, but a Valenica quality course that challenges anyone who cannot hit the ball where they want and in the air. The first 12 or 13 holes had forced carries off the tee and a few of the holes had barranca in front of and around the green.
I think that play has dropped off at The Ranch. (here's the webpage) as they have a Monday and Tuesday special for only $39 with cart. On the weekends I'm told that it is a hundred dollar course. This is a course that you do not walk. But since they don't allow carts on the fairways, you get your walking in.
We played from the white tees and though it was under 6000 yards, the slope was 128. The course was in great shape, but some of the greens were IMHO unfairly sloped.
I lost 15 balls today on my way to a 70-58 128 that I posted 123 on. With 45 putts.
I don't know if it is a good course for a DLGC outing. Play gets slow when the carts are on the path only. But the views are spectacular and it is one of the most challenging courses to play within an hour of the East Bay.
I will say that all the forced carries had drop areas so crappy golfers like your humble web master wouldn't be at the tee hitting an entire box of balls on one hole into the barranca.

Due On The 16th

Let Moon or Hime know if you're in for July's outing by sending in your money by the 16th.