Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Haacker's World

Welcome to Hackers World.

Now, for those who think this is about how to hack into computers, think again. Even if I knew how to do something like that, why would I share it. After all, the last thing I need is the feds coming down on me for telling people how to break into the central computers for the CIA or IRS  though it would be fun.

No, this is about golf as it is played by the vast majority of golfers  hence the name, Hackers World.

This column has nothing to do with golfing tips or how to improve your game. Its more about the different courses in the area, how they play, what can be expected and the costs involved therein.

We started by going to the Hope Country Club, a true 18-hole course with sand and water traps, Bermuda grass greens, and carrying a 71 par. However, these links werent always 18-holes. The original incarnation of the Hope Country Club was a nine-hole course, with the back nine being added in 1991.

Now, dont be expecting a stroke-by-stroke tale (we dont have that long and it would be embarrassing), or even a hole-by-hole description of the course. After all, finding out for yourself is half the fun when playing a different course.

But, let it be said the course at HCC is beautiful and well cared for. It is more deceptive than difficult, but is plenty challenging  especially for the hacker.

Starting at the first tee, which is right at the club, there is a slight dogleg. The drive has to either be hit well enough to go over the creek, or should be laid up short, with the second shot aimed at the green.

My first tee shot was a 250-yard blast down the right side of the fairway. My partners, David Wagnon, a friend from Little Rock, sent his first two shots into the woods across the driveway before managing to get one across the creek.

From there, we played about normal, which is to say poorly.

The second hole is a par-3. Its just a straight shot with no real hazards, except for Patmos Road on the right and some trees on the left. Its also a downhill hole, which requires some thinking when selecting a club.

The course has plenty of rolling fairways, making it interesting to see where a shot will wind up. None of the greens are flat. All are either convex or have snakes, which are basically rolling greens where the ball rolls more than one direction after being putted.

There are also some nasty doglegs which are literally 90 degrees. The fifth hole has one such dogleg. Davids tee shot cleared some rather unpleasant obstacles and landed near the fairway. My drive was well hit, but caught slightly toward the heel of the club. As I play left-handed, this sent the ball toward the trees. I got lucky and made it through, but was in the midst of several other smaller trees with no clean shot at the green.

An interesting note about the fifth hole. Only one hole-in-one has ever been made on this hole, which is more than 500 yards long. But, the asterisk in this case, is the ace was made before the trees were very tall.

My second shot found a tree, bounced backwards, but landed in the fairway. A three-wood got me within 100 yards of the green, but I found myself playing in the sand for a bit before leaving the hole.

We floundered in this vein the next few holes before hitting the back nine. Now, the 10th hole looks deceptively easy  so easy in fact I tried to kill the drive and wound up topping the ball. It did make it past the ladies tee, though. Davids drive wound up in the trees on the left.

I found myself on the left side of the fairway near the weeds, when one of the grounds keepers told me about a snake left on the 15th. Fortunately it was dead. While he moved the hole I tossed down a couple of blackberries.

Well move along to the 18th, which has two water hazards. One is about 50 feet in front of the tee box, with the other 100 yards from the green.

Davids tee shot went into the trees on the left side of the fairway. I hit a solid drive about 250 yards, also winding up just in the rough on the left of the fairway. David chipped out of the trees, then nailed a five-iron to put his ball a couple of feet from the green. I, on the other hand, turned into Roy McAvoy (see Tim Cup) and tried to hit a seven-wood out of the rough. It is not a shot I have in my bag. The ball wound up in the drink. I took a drop 100-yards out and put a couple more in the water before finally getting on the other side.

To finish this tale of woe, I wound up with a 105, while David posted a 102.

The pro at HCC is Kyle McAfee, who is helpful and stocks a shop with plenty of supplies for duffers, hackers and those who play well. If its not in stock he can order it.

Hope is a semi-private country club. This, McAfee said, means non-members who are from out of the county can play for $15 green fee on weekdays and $18 cart rental for 18 holes. Green fees on the weekend are $20.