From Corral de Tierra to Pebble Beach, getting to play some of
the best golf courses the area – and the country – is just one of
the perks of being a high school golfer
It’s pretty safe to say a Tri-County Athletic League high school baseball team will never get to take the diamond at AT&T Park.
The league’s basketball teams can dream on about playing in front of a packed house at Duke’s Camden Indoor Stadium.
And local high school golfers will just have to settle for watching the pros take on the famed Pebble Beach courses, rather than play there themselves.
Or not. For many TCAL golfers, that’s a reality.
Take a look at the list of courses local boys’ and girls’ golf teams have had on their schedules recently: Corde Valle, Corral de Tierra, Del Monte, Eagle Ridge, Quail Lodge, San Juan Oaks and Spyglass Hill. They’re courses that aren’t just well-known in the area. The names of some of them would catch the attention of golf nuts across the country.
And getting to play on these courses is just part of the territory that goes with being a high school golfer in the TCAL.
“We get to play on the (Monterey) Peninsula,” said Gilroy boys’ and girls’ head golf coach Kari Williams. “That has some of the greatest courses in golf.”
The perk of playing on beautiful courses surrounded by picturesque hillsides – lined by multi-million dollar homes in some cases – that are respected widely throughout the world of golf is one that doesn’t go unnoticed.
“I love playing nice courses,” said San Benito’s No. 1 golfer Chris Shackleton, standing by the 18th green of Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley last week after finishing his round at the TCAL boys’ golf finals. “This one is pretty nice. Just look at it.”
In other sports, players will circle an anticipated opponent. In golf, they’ll circle the course they look forward to playing.
Shackleton’s teammate, fellow senior Derek Stone, had his eye on Quail Lodge.
“This is one of my favorites,” he said. “And Salinas Country Club, just because it’s short and long hitters can’t really beat you.”
The best part? The players don’t have to foot the bill, which is not lost on them.
“I mean, I definitely heard that this is an expensive course, so I really appreciate having the opportunity to play,” said Live Oak freshman David Cannon last week after his round at the TCAL finals. “I’ve been playing golf all my life, 13 years, so I appreciate it.”
The freshman is right. The average golfer wanting to play 18 at Quail Lodge during the weekday would have to fork over $175.
Williams, who played college golf at the University of Hawaii and has herself known the luxury of playing for free at posh courses, said her players get to compete on courses that they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance at playing. Some of the clubs are private. Additionally, many of the greens fees just aren’t compatible with the budget of a typical teenager. An 18-hole round at private club Corde Valle in San Martin, where the Gilroy High girls’ team got a round in during the fall, can cost $225 for a resort guest. Greens fees for 18-hole rounds at Del Monte and Spyglass Hill run $105 and $300, respectively. Even the San Juan Oaks (a Fred Couples course) and Eagle Ridge (the Mustangs’ home turf) fees of $55 and $65, respectively, for weekday rounds isn’t feasible for student-athletes.
“They wouldn’t get on at all without that ability (being on the golf team),” Williams said. “All have high daily fees.”
Williams believes most of the players understand the privileges they have. But she also feels reminders from coaches and parents help add some perspective.
“I’ll be like, ‘Do you realize we’re playing Spyglass?’ But I think that they do get it,” the coach said. “In the years to come, I think they’ll really realize how fortunate they were.”
Of course, championship-caliber courses play with more difficulty.
“I always feel like we don’t have a home course advantage because of the difficulty of Eagle Ridge,” Williams said. “Playing Eagle Ridge definitely makes other courses seem easier.”
But at least the courses play consistently difficult. The velvet greens, perfectly manicured fairways and bunkers that look like works of art make for ideal playing conditions.
“It’s nice. There’s no mud, there’s good conditions,” said Gilroy golfer Chad Wilson. “You’re going to have a good lie every time. You’re pretty much playing the course, not the conditions.”
