Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hacker's World

Welcome to Hackers World.

After two weeks on the road it was time to spend an afternoon at home and play 18 at the Prescott Country Club.

Prescott is the first nine hole course played during this tour. The front and back nine are basically the same, the only difference being the location of the tee box, with the exception of the sixth hole, which has a separate box from 15. It is a par 72 course,

Unlike either Hope or Belvedere, the Prescott course has no true hazards, but dont think its an easy course. Though there arent any sand traps, and the only water hazard is the creek at the fifth and sixth hole, its a deceptively difficult course.

Why, you may be asking? Good question, and the answer is trees. It seems, at times, as though the trees are magnetic and attract golf balls. I know I personally spend a good deal of time having to make shots either over or around trees. Tried to knock one through a tree, only to have the ball bounce over my head and leave me a longer shot than I began with.

At one time the Prescott course had the worlds longest par 5 hole. This was the fifth hole before Highway 67 was built. The highway shortened the hole to 388 yards on five and 391 on 14. This is a dogleg hole with trees and the creek.

Once again I teamed up with David Wagnon from Little Rock, throwing caution to the wind and hoping to break 100 for the first time.

The greens are Bermuda grass and the lack of rain of late has made them extremely fast. On this particular day, the fairways were a bit longer than usual, and acted more like a rough. This played a major factor in club selection at times.

I began the day in horrible fashion, topping my first drive. This was followed by two more bad shots and me being more than 100 yards out for par. Not a good start.

Davids drive was much better, leaving him in the fairway. His problem came at the green on this dogleg right hole. The score after one was 7-6, and not in my favor.

For much of the day I was slicing my drives and couldnt figure out why  at least until the 11th hole, when I watched myself making a practice swing and saw I was pulling my left elbow in on my back swing.

However, this didnt help in the second hole where I found myself in the woods on the right side of the course. We ended the hole with his taking it 6-5, and headed to the third, a short par-3.

Cutting the swing with my 7-iron, I lofted the ball to the right side of the green, while David overshot the green. I made up the two strokes I was down on this hole and went to the fourth.

Now the fourth hole shouldnt be a problem, but I tend to be snakebit there for some reason and put the ball in the seventh fairway most of the time  or send the drive into the pasture. Well cut to the chase, as it took me seven strokes to put the ball in the cup, this was one better than my partner.

I sent two into the pasture on five before getting a shot I could live with. David went the other way and played from the trees.

We escaped the fifth and went on to the sixth. I have often thought if this game kills me, my body will be found trying to make it up the hill on six. The hill makes the hole longer than it would seem to be.

We both played reasonably consistent until the ninth, where we fell apart. I was unable to hit anything and ended up with an eight. The front nine ended with me trailing 54-53.

This was to soon change. However, not on the 10th hole, as I sliced my drive into the driving range and had to send the second shot through the trees. Personally, I was tickled to get away with a six.

Then came the 11th and my figuring out the problem. The drive went about 10 yards past the bush on the left of the hole. A chip got me to the green and my second par of the day.

Moving ahead a bit, we go to the 14th, where I hit a solid drive down the middle of the fairway. My second shot wound up on the green about six feet from the hole and I was looking at making a birdie. The putt was a bit soft and I had to settle for par.

We both fell apart on 15, shooting eight each, mostly because of mishits with irons trying to get there.

Going to the 18th I lost my mind and swung the driver like a baseball bat, thereby putting me in the trees on the left, while David wound up in the trees on the right.

It looked like I might be able to slap the ball between the trees toward the hole. However, I missed the shot, hit a tree and watched the ball bounce back over my head.

So, Im 200 yards out on my third shot. Using a 7-wood, I managed to slice around the trees and end up at the left edge of the green.

David had a bit more trouble and ended up close to the sixth fairway for his fourth shot.

After he chipped onto the green, I tapped the putt toward the hole, watched intently as it broke the way I expected and roll directly toward the hole. I also watched as it lipped out and rolled three feet past the cup.

To finish out the story, we wound up 103-107 in my favor. I believe the 100 mark could have been broken had I figured out the drive problem sooner.

The pro shop at Prescott Country Club is owned and operated by Cindy and Ricky Reyenga. Its well stocked with clubs, tees, club covers, balls and other gear. If they dont have something a golfer wants or needs, they can get it.

Several tournaments are played at PCC each year, including the Industrial Appreciation tourney, the Mens and Womens Club Championship and several others.

Carts are $18, with green fees $15. Range balls cost $2 per bag.

Next up is the Bank of Prescotts tourney at the Glenwood course. This is a public course. The tourney is a four-man best-ball event and should be interesting as the Glenwood course is ranked seventh in the state.