Trip Journal: Arizona Golf Trip 2015; Goodyear, AZ (March 7 - 14)
This is the 15th time over the past 16 springs that we have made the trip to the Phoenix area for golf. This is the 7th year that the trip has been in March so that we could include a spring training baseball game or two in the mix. We had an 8-man crew this trip, all veterans of at least one excursion to Arizona. The formula with the rental houses was still working well, so no need to change that, although it is getting tougher to find suitable housing for 8 guys at this time of year. But the weather was great, the course were generally in nice shape and we all had our moments on the course, so all-in-all another outstanding trip. As for golf, my plan is just to have fun and keep things simple since I have not played since June.
Saturday March 7 – Travel day. A bit of a change of pace for this trip as the direct flights from CLE to PHX on United were discontinued (Southwest offered a direct flight in the evening that some of the Cleveland Crew took). So we decided to make this simply a travel day with no plans for golf; should make for a more relaxing day…at least that was the plan.
Rich and I were on the same flights. He had found a decent itinerary for a modest number of frequent flyer miles we we took that rather than pay the high fare. My splurge for the trip was a bag of milk chocolate covered cashews from Nuts on Clark during our layover in ORD. I ate the whole bag!
Rich and I arrived on time and met Dad at the rental car terminal. We got the last minivan from Thrifty and it was parked at the far end of the lot like it had been forgotten and ignored…that should have been a clue. We still had a couple hours until David arrived, so we found a Mexican place (Manuel’s) for chips, salsa and margaritas (good start to the trip), then made a quick stop at Papago to see if the upgrades were worth it. Hard to tell about the course, but the practice facilities and club house did not appear to be that much of an improvement over the last time we were there. We checked the rates; $89…probably not really worth it. Then it was back to the airport to collect David.
Once we were all in the van, we headed off to the find our digs for the week. House #2 was in a gated community adjacent to Palm Valley Golf Course and backed up to the number three green on the Palms course. We scoped the place, picked our rooms and dumped our stuff and headed out for dinner at Marjerles Sports Grill. We’ve been hitting this place at least once for the past several trips. I’m not sure why other than the sports junkies in the group must like it. It is OK; decent food I reckon and you can catch a game, but a poor beer selection, IMO.
OK, it has been a long day and it is about to get longer. We were getting ready to pile into our van with the House 1 crew arrived for dinner in their Cadillac SUV. It was touted as an upgrade but it was lacking the cargo space needed for luggage and four sets of clubs. But it was running, which was more than we could say for our van. We loaded up, cranked the ignition and….nothing. Best we could figure was something in the electrical system. That was at 9:05 PM. Several calls to the Thrifty roadside service folks and we finally had a replacement vehicle on the way. But this was a time consuming process and was not resolved until 12:45 AM! And now we have an 0700 tee-time tomorrow…that might be tough!
Sunday, March 8 – Swan’s Plan. Swan had looked at the baseball schedule and suggested a round of golf in Sun City West, specifically at Cimarron, then take in the Indians at the Rangers in Surprise. Since I could not get an early tee-time at any of the Sun City West Courses (the courses were either booked or running 8:00 AM shotgun starts which would not work out well in terms of making the start of the baseball game). Instead, we went with an old favorite, Hillcrest.
We were the first two groups on the course with the 0700 tee-time. We decided to play “by house” so that us House 2 guys and our lack of sleep would not impose of potentially bad dispositions on the House 1 guys. So Swan, Mark, Phuoc and Seablom got the golf rolling then David, Rich, Haas and I dragged in behind them. The lack of sleep really was not an issue as we all did OK. I played well, for not having played since June. I shot 89, which I was very pleased with considering the lack of sleep and lack of play. The course was in outstanding shape (the last time we stopped by here a few years a go, the course was looking a bit ragged). Overall a very nice day on the course with perfect weather and lots of birds about. I added a new one to the list, a Say’s Phoebe that was flitting about on the fourth tee.
Saturday March 7 – Travel day. A bit of a change of pace for this trip as the direct flights from CLE to PHX on United were discontinued (Southwest offered a direct flight in the evening that some of the Cleveland Crew took). So we decided to make this simply a travel day with no plans for golf; should make for a more relaxing day…at least that was the plan.
Rich and I were on the same flights. He had found a decent itinerary for a modest number of frequent flyer miles we we took that rather than pay the high fare. My splurge for the trip was a bag of milk chocolate covered cashews from Nuts on Clark during our layover in ORD. I ate the whole bag!
Rich and I arrived on time and met Dad at the rental car terminal. We got the last minivan from Thrifty and it was parked at the far end of the lot like it had been forgotten and ignored…that should have been a clue. We still had a couple hours until David arrived, so we found a Mexican place (Manuel’s) for chips, salsa and margaritas (good start to the trip), then made a quick stop at Papago to see if the upgrades were worth it. Hard to tell about the course, but the practice facilities and club house did not appear to be that much of an improvement over the last time we were there. We checked the rates; $89…probably not really worth it. Then it was back to the airport to collect David.
Once we were all in the van, we headed off to the find our digs for the week. House #2 was in a gated community adjacent to Palm Valley Golf Course and backed up to the number three green on the Palms course. We scoped the place, picked our rooms and dumped our stuff and headed out for dinner at Marjerles Sports Grill. We’ve been hitting this place at least once for the past several trips. I’m not sure why other than the sports junkies in the group must like it. It is OK; decent food I reckon and you can catch a game, but a poor beer selection, IMO.
OK, it has been a long day and it is about to get longer. We were getting ready to pile into our van with the House 1 crew arrived for dinner in their Cadillac SUV. It was touted as an upgrade but it was lacking the cargo space needed for luggage and four sets of clubs. But it was running, which was more than we could say for our van. We loaded up, cranked the ignition and….nothing. Best we could figure was something in the electrical system. That was at 9:05 PM. Several calls to the Thrifty roadside service folks and we finally had a replacement vehicle on the way. But this was a time consuming process and was not resolved until 12:45 AM! And now we have an 0700 tee-time tomorrow…that might be tough!
Sunday, March 8 – Swan’s Plan. Swan had looked at the baseball schedule and suggested a round of golf in Sun City West, specifically at Cimarron, then take in the Indians at the Rangers in Surprise. Since I could not get an early tee-time at any of the Sun City West Courses (the courses were either booked or running 8:00 AM shotgun starts which would not work out well in terms of making the start of the baseball game). Instead, we went with an old favorite, Hillcrest.
We were the first two groups on the course with the 0700 tee-time. We decided to play “by house” so that us House 2 guys and our lack of sleep would not impose of potentially bad dispositions on the House 1 guys. So Swan, Mark, Phuoc and Seablom got the golf rolling then David, Rich, Haas and I dragged in behind them. The lack of sleep really was not an issue as we all did OK. I played well, for not having played since June. I shot 89, which I was very pleased with considering the lack of sleep and lack of play. The course was in outstanding shape (the last time we stopped by here a few years a go, the course was looking a bit ragged). Overall a very nice day on the course with perfect weather and lots of birds about. I added a new one to the list, a Say’s Phoebe that was flitting about on the fourth tee.
We also coined the motto for the 2015 trip, “It’s up there somewhere.” With this being the first round and coming off the van debacle, there was some occasional hacking going on plus the lighting was just right to make it hard to follow the ball at times. So there were a few shots that were not stellar but also not in any trouble, they were just in the general direction of the target, so the answer to the question “did you see my ball?” was “It is up there somewhere.” That seemed to cover most of the situations.
After golf we headed to the Ranger’s ballpark. Good time at the ballgame. It was an entertaining game, The Tribe fell behind then made a comeback but ultimately lost to the Rangers. It did take awhile to find a good beer in the ballpark. All of the concession stands were selling the standard, mass-produced stuff. Swan and I finally found the one craft beer booth, but they sold Sierra Nevada Torpedo and Betty American IPA from Hanger 24 Brewery. Both were good, but at $9-plus per cup, more than a little over priced. Still a cold beer on a sunny, 85 F day in March at a baseball game is a good deal at any price.
For dinner we headed to Rock Bottom Brewing, once I remembered the name of the place. Probably the best meal of the trip. Nice seating outside. The Cajun Pasta was outstanding!
Monday, March 9 – Palm Valley. This is becoming a traditional stop on our tour, a full day at Palm Valley. We again switched the usual order and played the championship Palms course in the morning then the executive Lakes course in the afternoon following lunch in the clubhouse.
After golf we headed to the Ranger’s ballpark. Good time at the ballgame. It was an entertaining game, The Tribe fell behind then made a comeback but ultimately lost to the Rangers. It did take awhile to find a good beer in the ballpark. All of the concession stands were selling the standard, mass-produced stuff. Swan and I finally found the one craft beer booth, but they sold Sierra Nevada Torpedo and Betty American IPA from Hanger 24 Brewery. Both were good, but at $9-plus per cup, more than a little over priced. Still a cold beer on a sunny, 85 F day in March at a baseball game is a good deal at any price.
For dinner we headed to Rock Bottom Brewing, once I remembered the name of the place. Probably the best meal of the trip. Nice seating outside. The Cajun Pasta was outstanding!
Monday, March 9 – Palm Valley. This is becoming a traditional stop on our tour, a full day at Palm Valley. We again switched the usual order and played the championship Palms course in the morning then the executive Lakes course in the afternoon following lunch in the clubhouse.
The Palms course was in excellent shape and we had perfect playing conditions; sunny day and not too hot (low 80s, I’m guessing). Swan requested the “Bloody Mary” foursome for the morning round, old times sake. So we (Swan, Haas, Rich and I) teed it up first following by the rest of the herd. I again hit the ball well, with just a few drives that were wide right but also a few good shots that ended in bad spots. I shot 94 which could have easily been 88 (or 102 probably) so I was pleased overall with my game. I think my philosophy of relaxed expectations is working (hey, this is supposed to be for fun!). However I did add a chapter or two to my book, "How to Waste a Good Drive."
I had to skip lunch to call in on an AIAA governance task force telecon, which was time well spent. The good news was that the Friday telecon was canceled so this call ended up being my only work-related commitment for the week.
After lunch we headed over to the executive course for a two-man scramble. Mark and I were teamed today and we did OK particularly at the start. I think we were 2-under through 4 or 5 holes, then reality caught up with us and we ended up timed for second at 4-over. Oh well, it only cost us 5 bucks each. But the real disappointment was the course condition. As nice as the Palms course is, the Lakes course looks like it has been completely ignored. Just minimal care and in awful shape. While it has never been as nice as the championship track, it usually is not just brown and burnt. This will be our last time playing the short course. Next year we’ll probably just play the Palms in the morning then taking in a ballgame (not sure Palm Valley Palms is a 36-hole day).
But there was a highlight or two on the short course in terms of critter sightings. Near number 11 tee, where the old practice facility sits (which has been completely abandoned, BTW). We spotted a Burrowing Owl as a couple Roadrunners. Fun to watch.
After golf, we adjourned to the BW3 for a beer (the club house at Palm Valley was closed for a private event). We had a few appetizers (the fried pickles were very good) but decided to walk over to the Mexican joint next door for dinner. Manny’s was not crowded at all. Service was excellent but the food was just typical Mexican fare; edible but nothing special.
Tuesday, March 10 – New Courses. I guess we always thought that Tuscany Falls was a private course (and maybe it used to be), so we had not played there over the past 15 years even though it sits right in the middle of our golf zone. We changed that this year and it turned to be quite the find (along with the sister course at Eagle’s Nest). I got lucky when I first called the course and spoke with Larry as he was very helpful and got us set up with tee-times (I called first in January but had to wait and call back in late February once they had the March tee-sheets open). But Larry got us hooked up. They have three nines at Tuscany Falls: Palms, Lakes and Falls. Larry set us up on the Palms/Lakes combination in the morning then the Falls/Palms in the afternoon. He also told be the “dirty little secret” for the course: replay rate is $15 regardless of the number of holes played (so we could just play the Falls 9 or the full 18 for $15...sweet!).
Our morning tee-time was at 8:00 we got there a little early which was fine as the signage for the clubhouse was not clear and it took a couple of helpful locals to point us in the right direction (we were close but all the building in the complex look alike). But we did better than the “wrong-way Feldmans” from House 1 who drove to Eagles Nest (you know guys, I posted all of this stuff on the website…all you have to do is read!). But their little detour gave them a glance at Eagle’s Nest. The initial scouting report indicated that will be a very tough course.
The clubhouse and adjacent practice facilities at Tuscany Falls were beautiful. The grounds and practice facilities were lush and green and the buildings had sort of a Mediterranean flare. All very nice. And the staff was friendly and helpful (sometimes at these housing complex courses outsiders are not made to feel welcome, like at Granite Falls, but no issues here). There were only a handful of standard golf carts as I guess most of the play is by the folks living on the course so there were many custom carts in the area of the clubhouse.
The course was a slightly different matter. Don’t get me wrong, it was very nice, and a very playable and interesting layout, not that difficult and all right in front of you. But it did not match the opulence of the clubhouse or practice facilities. It was just a nice course, but not as good a shape as Palm Valley or even Hillcrest. The houses around the course were just average, nice but again not keeping up with the initial impressions from the clubhouse area. But that was OK, we still had a nice time of it. Well, once we found it. There were a bit of a drive from the clubhouse to the Palms number one tee, but we made it with no detours. Plus there were lots of birds on the course: Great-Tailed Grackles, of course, and several Northern Mockingbirds, plus Gambel's Quails and a variety of waterfowl including a Rudy Duck. There were several decoy coyotes set up around the lakes, but they did not seem to deter the birds....of the golfers.
For the morning round, I played with Haas, Rich and Mark. For tVhe second time in three rounds I outscored Haas, something that rarely happens. I shot 88 with a birdie and hit the ball very well. We had lunch at the clubhouse. Good thing we had time as the service was a bit slow but the food was very good. In the afternoon there were just six of us as Rich and Haas bailed. So Swan, Mark and I matched up against Kirk, Phuoc and David in a game of “triple threat” on the Falls/Palms course. 18 holes later the game was a smash! I again played well and shot 86 with another birdie. Overall this was a good place to play and a nice way to spend the day. Just not nearly as hard or “risk-reward” as the locals made it out to me. But definitely a keeper.
I had to skip lunch to call in on an AIAA governance task force telecon, which was time well spent. The good news was that the Friday telecon was canceled so this call ended up being my only work-related commitment for the week.
After lunch we headed over to the executive course for a two-man scramble. Mark and I were teamed today and we did OK particularly at the start. I think we were 2-under through 4 or 5 holes, then reality caught up with us and we ended up timed for second at 4-over. Oh well, it only cost us 5 bucks each. But the real disappointment was the course condition. As nice as the Palms course is, the Lakes course looks like it has been completely ignored. Just minimal care and in awful shape. While it has never been as nice as the championship track, it usually is not just brown and burnt. This will be our last time playing the short course. Next year we’ll probably just play the Palms in the morning then taking in a ballgame (not sure Palm Valley Palms is a 36-hole day).
But there was a highlight or two on the short course in terms of critter sightings. Near number 11 tee, where the old practice facility sits (which has been completely abandoned, BTW). We spotted a Burrowing Owl as a couple Roadrunners. Fun to watch.
After golf, we adjourned to the BW3 for a beer (the club house at Palm Valley was closed for a private event). We had a few appetizers (the fried pickles were very good) but decided to walk over to the Mexican joint next door for dinner. Manny’s was not crowded at all. Service was excellent but the food was just typical Mexican fare; edible but nothing special.
Tuesday, March 10 – New Courses. I guess we always thought that Tuscany Falls was a private course (and maybe it used to be), so we had not played there over the past 15 years even though it sits right in the middle of our golf zone. We changed that this year and it turned to be quite the find (along with the sister course at Eagle’s Nest). I got lucky when I first called the course and spoke with Larry as he was very helpful and got us set up with tee-times (I called first in January but had to wait and call back in late February once they had the March tee-sheets open). But Larry got us hooked up. They have three nines at Tuscany Falls: Palms, Lakes and Falls. Larry set us up on the Palms/Lakes combination in the morning then the Falls/Palms in the afternoon. He also told be the “dirty little secret” for the course: replay rate is $15 regardless of the number of holes played (so we could just play the Falls 9 or the full 18 for $15...sweet!).
Our morning tee-time was at 8:00 we got there a little early which was fine as the signage for the clubhouse was not clear and it took a couple of helpful locals to point us in the right direction (we were close but all the building in the complex look alike). But we did better than the “wrong-way Feldmans” from House 1 who drove to Eagles Nest (you know guys, I posted all of this stuff on the website…all you have to do is read!). But their little detour gave them a glance at Eagle’s Nest. The initial scouting report indicated that will be a very tough course.
The clubhouse and adjacent practice facilities at Tuscany Falls were beautiful. The grounds and practice facilities were lush and green and the buildings had sort of a Mediterranean flare. All very nice. And the staff was friendly and helpful (sometimes at these housing complex courses outsiders are not made to feel welcome, like at Granite Falls, but no issues here). There were only a handful of standard golf carts as I guess most of the play is by the folks living on the course so there were many custom carts in the area of the clubhouse.
The course was a slightly different matter. Don’t get me wrong, it was very nice, and a very playable and interesting layout, not that difficult and all right in front of you. But it did not match the opulence of the clubhouse or practice facilities. It was just a nice course, but not as good a shape as Palm Valley or even Hillcrest. The houses around the course were just average, nice but again not keeping up with the initial impressions from the clubhouse area. But that was OK, we still had a nice time of it. Well, once we found it. There were a bit of a drive from the clubhouse to the Palms number one tee, but we made it with no detours. Plus there were lots of birds on the course: Great-Tailed Grackles, of course, and several Northern Mockingbirds, plus Gambel's Quails and a variety of waterfowl including a Rudy Duck. There were several decoy coyotes set up around the lakes, but they did not seem to deter the birds....of the golfers.
For the morning round, I played with Haas, Rich and Mark. For tVhe second time in three rounds I outscored Haas, something that rarely happens. I shot 88 with a birdie and hit the ball very well. We had lunch at the clubhouse. Good thing we had time as the service was a bit slow but the food was very good. In the afternoon there were just six of us as Rich and Haas bailed. So Swan, Mark and I matched up against Kirk, Phuoc and David in a game of “triple threat” on the Falls/Palms course. 18 holes later the game was a smash! I again played well and shot 86 with another birdie. Overall this was a good place to play and a nice way to spend the day. Just not nearly as hard or “risk-reward” as the locals made it out to me. But definitely a keeper.
Rich wanted to try the Texas Roadhouse for dinner. We were quoted a 30-minute wait so we headed to the bar but it was just too loud in there so I waited outside for most of the time. However, we were still sitting at the bar after an hour, so we just ordered and ate at the there. The Poppers were quick good. The young ladies tending the bar were funny, friendly and attentive. The food was decent but the poppers were quite good. The beer was just so-so; best they had for an IPA was Sam Adams Rebel.
Wednesday, March 11 – Coldwater. Early tee time (0700) so that we could make the Reds game at the Goodyear ballpark. We were the first ones on the course (well, the first ones officially as there were a couple of locals out ahead of us, but once they teed-off we never saw them again. House 2 played from the green tees and House 1 played from the blues. I hit the ball very well and shot 78! That included one birdie and a couple of missed opportunities, like reaching the par 5 number 2 in two, but three putting for par. Still I was hitting the ball very well and kept the ball in play throughout the round. I was bombing the driver; best of the day had to be on number 11 when I took my drive down the left side and over the fairway bunker. That was a more aggressive line that I had planned but it worked out as I was well clear of the bunker and far down the fairway. I was too far out still to effectively go for it in two, but it was an easy par. We grabbed lunch at the clubhouse to figure out the afternoon. The rest of the crew went to watch the Royals play the Reds in Goodyear while Mark, Phuoc and I replayed a second round from the green tees. Mark eventually abandoned his score. Phuoc played very well while only hitting irons. I continued to play well and shot as 86 for the afternoon round.
Wednesday, March 11 – Coldwater. Early tee time (0700) so that we could make the Reds game at the Goodyear ballpark. We were the first ones on the course (well, the first ones officially as there were a couple of locals out ahead of us, but once they teed-off we never saw them again. House 2 played from the green tees and House 1 played from the blues. I hit the ball very well and shot 78! That included one birdie and a couple of missed opportunities, like reaching the par 5 number 2 in two, but three putting for par. Still I was hitting the ball very well and kept the ball in play throughout the round. I was bombing the driver; best of the day had to be on number 11 when I took my drive down the left side and over the fairway bunker. That was a more aggressive line that I had planned but it worked out as I was well clear of the bunker and far down the fairway. I was too far out still to effectively go for it in two, but it was an easy par. We grabbed lunch at the clubhouse to figure out the afternoon. The rest of the crew went to watch the Royals play the Reds in Goodyear while Mark, Phuoc and I replayed a second round from the green tees. Mark eventually abandoned his score. Phuoc played very well while only hitting irons. I continued to play well and shot as 86 for the afternoon round.
Dinner tonight was hosted at House 1. We ordered for Barro’s pizza. tasted good but it was quite greasy. I was not feeling very well by the time I got home (food poisoning or a 24-hour bug; not sure which but it knocked me on my butt for a couple of days and out of action completely for Thursday).
Thursday, March 12 – Estrella, well, it was supposed to be Estrella. Haas and I bagged it for the day, but the rest of the crew headed to Estrella. They got in the morning 18 but could not get a replay until late afternoon and only finished 13 holes. I spent the day on the couch...I’m blaming the pizza….bleach…
Thursday, March 12 – Estrella, well, it was supposed to be Estrella. Haas and I bagged it for the day, but the rest of the crew headed to Estrella. They got in the morning 18 but could not get a replay until late afternoon and only finished 13 holes. I spent the day on the couch...I’m blaming the pizza….bleach…
Friday, March 13 – Another New Course. Back to Pebble Creek to play Eagle’s Nest. We signed up for the 0800 shotgun start. Mostly women in the outing, not that that matters, just an interesting point. Shoot one lady even commented that our group were the only guys out there (it was not quite that bad, but close). I was dragging a bit due to the stomach bug but opted to play the last round of the trip. On the first tee I hit my drive right off the toe of the club…maybe this was not such a good idea. Reloaded and hit a nice ball right down the middle. OK, I’ll gut it out…hmm, maybe not the best euphemism considering my condition but the rest of the round went well and I managed to shoot 93. It was in better shape and probably more interesting and a little more difficult than the sister course at Tuscany Falls. But it was not nearly as hard as the House 1 crew made it out to be following their errant detour here earlier in the week. Another keeper course.
I spotted a good size raptor (there may have been two of them) along one fairway. I got a good look but not great photos, but it was a Harris' Hawk. One was up in a palm tree, and I got a nice shot of that one, except he would not turn and look my direction. The other one was on the fence right along the cart path. That would have been a great shot but it was more of a drive by (my paying partners do not have my interest in the feathered fauna) and thus out of focus. But it was a good enough image to confirm the type of bird.
We were debating lunch at the clubhouse as it looked like a good option, until Mark vetoed that idea; he had to get away from golf for the day! So we headed to Haymakers across from Palm Valley. We had eaten at this location but not as a Haymakers; it was McGrath’s the last time we were there. Nice restaurant; good service; good food; will return. Back to the house for the rest of the afternoon to start packing and cleaning (not that there was much to either of these tasks). It was back to that old stand-by Marjerles for dinner. We debated heading over to House 1 but that was a short lived discussion as we were all tired and I was still coming off the stomach bug episode.
Saturday, march 14 – Heading home. Easy morning as our flights were not until nearly noon. We had breakfast at IHOP then swung over to the VRBO house that Haas rented for the week for he and his wife for the upcoming week. Turned out to be a good stop as we met the owner, who has two houses within walking distance (the houses are on Coldwater, one of them backs up to number one fairway. That could be a very good option for us for next year, with the only drawback being they are three-bedroom houses, but the price is really right (as it happens, we did rent both of these houses; Haas locked them up while still in AZ and the owner cut us a good deal). No issues with the rest of the travel itinerary and home about 10:00 PM. CLE was a ghost town when Rich and I arrived.
Wrap-up. Another successful trip, even with a day missed due to bad pizza. But I played well overall and was very happy with my golf game. Shoot, by AZ handicap dropped to 13 (what’s up with that!). Plus there were several good critter sightings: several Burrowing Owls, roadrunners, waterfowl and a few raptors. Added both Say’s Phoebe and Harris’ Hawk to my bird list. I did not get great photos this year (some nice ones but not like last year). Perhaps I’ll breakdown and bring the SX50 next year. Here's the link to additional photos from the 2015 trip.
Kirk was the low-net champ for 2015. There will be some serious review of his handicap prior to the 2016 trip. Kirk and Swan tied for most birdies with 8 each. I was next in line with 4. Overall there was good shooting from everyone. We need to continue to have folks play from the appropriate tees as that seem to help everyone’s game. And it looks like we already have dates and houses locked in for the 2016 trip.
I spotted a good size raptor (there may have been two of them) along one fairway. I got a good look but not great photos, but it was a Harris' Hawk. One was up in a palm tree, and I got a nice shot of that one, except he would not turn and look my direction. The other one was on the fence right along the cart path. That would have been a great shot but it was more of a drive by (my paying partners do not have my interest in the feathered fauna) and thus out of focus. But it was a good enough image to confirm the type of bird.
We were debating lunch at the clubhouse as it looked like a good option, until Mark vetoed that idea; he had to get away from golf for the day! So we headed to Haymakers across from Palm Valley. We had eaten at this location but not as a Haymakers; it was McGrath’s the last time we were there. Nice restaurant; good service; good food; will return. Back to the house for the rest of the afternoon to start packing and cleaning (not that there was much to either of these tasks). It was back to that old stand-by Marjerles for dinner. We debated heading over to House 1 but that was a short lived discussion as we were all tired and I was still coming off the stomach bug episode.
Saturday, march 14 – Heading home. Easy morning as our flights were not until nearly noon. We had breakfast at IHOP then swung over to the VRBO house that Haas rented for the week for he and his wife for the upcoming week. Turned out to be a good stop as we met the owner, who has two houses within walking distance (the houses are on Coldwater, one of them backs up to number one fairway. That could be a very good option for us for next year, with the only drawback being they are three-bedroom houses, but the price is really right (as it happens, we did rent both of these houses; Haas locked them up while still in AZ and the owner cut us a good deal). No issues with the rest of the travel itinerary and home about 10:00 PM. CLE was a ghost town when Rich and I arrived.
Wrap-up. Another successful trip, even with a day missed due to bad pizza. But I played well overall and was very happy with my golf game. Shoot, by AZ handicap dropped to 13 (what’s up with that!). Plus there were several good critter sightings: several Burrowing Owls, roadrunners, waterfowl and a few raptors. Added both Say’s Phoebe and Harris’ Hawk to my bird list. I did not get great photos this year (some nice ones but not like last year). Perhaps I’ll breakdown and bring the SX50 next year. Here's the link to additional photos from the 2015 trip.
Kirk was the low-net champ for 2015. There will be some serious review of his handicap prior to the 2016 trip. Kirk and Swan tied for most birdies with 8 each. I was next in line with 4. Overall there was good shooting from everyone. We need to continue to have folks play from the appropriate tees as that seem to help everyone’s game. And it looks like we already have dates and houses locked in for the 2016 trip.
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