Mare Island
1st Event of 2005 Season
Saturday, October 2, 2004

Gary Vollen is good at finding the rough. Here he appeared to discover a missing WMD, but as usual it was the rough again, this time right of the first fairway at Mare Island.

The results of the 2004 season had been bewildering for our members. Never before had things been so completely thrown into disarray. They were disoriented and completely out of sorts, stumbling from one tournament to the next in the midst of utter chaos and insanity. It began with the election of new club president Aaron Walburg and concluded with Jim Peretti being crowned 2004 Golfer of the Year. Throughout the difficult and disquieting season our members did their best to bite their tongues, check their outrage, and remain calm when things were obviously going to pot. It was as if our members were strapped to the hood of a runaway vehicle, Walburg, the driver was distracted with a greasy cheeseburger, soda, and cell phone while Jim Peretti, riding shotgun, was also on a cell phone, while thumbing through the Cal Golf Media Guide. It’s amazing we didn’t all crash and burn.

With the 2004 season behind us there was some faint hope that a semblance of order and respectability might be restored to the club. The hope seemed very short lived, however, when 2004 Golfer of the Year Jim Peretti made the very first stroke of the 2005 season thereby providing an auspicious start. Jim nevertheless striped his drive down the center of the fairway, and then proceeded to fire an even par 35 over the front nine. Perhaps in the future we will start a new tradition in which the former Golfer of the Year gets to hit the opening drive of the new season. Perhaps another tradition might be that the Golfer of the Year has to serve as caddy to the runner up. This would force feed the winner a healthy (and well-deserved, especially in Jim’s case) portion of humble pie. We’ll have to discuss this at the next board meeting.

It was a terrific time of the year for Mare Island. The course was fogged in and chilly until about 10am. When the sun finally burst through it was perfect for the rest of the afternoon. After a 30 minute delay and some 1st tee chaos (The marshal kept reforming groups and sending out whoever was there), play picked up to a respectable pace. Despite the terrific conditions, Mare Island is always a challenging course and scores were high. Only Bob Sternbach shot below net par, with his 68 which won the second flight. Ken Lloyd won the first flight with a 78 (net 70).

New Summer Rules?

It slipped past everyone until it was too late, but the starting sheet stated: “SUMMER RULES (the length a scorecard, no closer to the hole).” Said one member excitedly, “With summer rules like that, who needs winter rules?”

Mike Armstrong Present in Spirit

Mike Armstrong had been scheduled to play at Mare Island, but he had had a cold and felt miserable. Still, he was able to put the finishing touches on the club championship trophies. They came out great. Thanks, Mike!

Bob Traum in Town

Former member Bob Traum played his first event in several months. Last year Bob had moved to Henderson, NV, near Las Vegas. He had a home built on the Revere Concord course which we played in 2002. Bob is very happy with the move he and his wife made. Bob still plays about once a week and says it’s difficult keeping up with all the betting games they play during their rounds. After all it is Nevada...

Missing WMD?

The first tee at Mare Island is at the foot of a hill which displays a missile. Mare Island was an old military base. Members joked with one another about how here was one of those elusive Weapons of Mass destruction alluded to tin the presidential debates between George Bush and John Kerry Thursday night before the tournament.

The Eagle has Landed

For the second consecutive event one of our players eagled a hole. Last time (Boundary Oak) we had two eagles, Edgar Johnson’s hole in one and Van Hall’s 3 on the par 5 3rd hole. This time it was Mark Northfield on the 10th hole at Mare Island. From 100 yards Mark hit his pitching wedge into the hole. As evidenced by the divot, it landed five feet in front of the cup and went in. Due to the steep slope, nobody actually saw the ball go in, but sure enough they found it in the hole. Almost as amazing was Mike Birnbach’s birdie on the 17th hole. At 429 yards and with an incredibly small green, a birdie there is nearly unthinkable. Mike hit three incredible shots, well, two really. His drive was 320 yards and from 105 yards out he stiffed a wedge to 3-feet. Also notable were the birdies made by Scott Meredith and Charles Upshaw on the difficult 3rd hole (par three). And finally let’s acknowledge the seven members who were able to par the long and difficult 8th hole (205 yards uphill over a lake). Saul Geiser, Jeff Hazel, Rory McDonough, Mark Northfield, Martin Kitchener, Ryan Tabibian, and Bryan Lee.

Minor Int-Eruption

25 years ago Mt. Saint Helens erupted and devastated the landscape and several people’s lives in the northwest. This week scientists were again speculating that the volcano with heightened activity, was due to erupt again. On the 16th tee, during his pre-shot routine, Jeff Day turned around and scowled at the club president. Jeff thought the president had made a poorly-timed, non-physical eruption, but the president assured him it was all in his imagination (and regrettably, it was).

Busy Sports Day: Cal Football (Ranked #10) – The Oakland A’s – The Giants

On this day, golf was not foremost on the minds of many players. Other sports overshadowed the tournament. First, college football was of great interest. The Cal football team, currently ranked 10th in the country, was playing Oregon State, who in recent years has had Cal’s number. This time things were different. Cal never let up in a 49-7 rout. Cal (3-0, 1-0 Pac-10) had not played for 20 days. A game against Southern Mississippi, originally scheduled for Sept. 16, was postponed by Hurricane Ivan. Next week (with Cal ranked #7 in the country, they face #1 USC. Secondly, the A’s and the Giants were playing crucial games. The Giant’s were playing the Dodgers, and in a close wild card race with the Astros. With only two games left in the season it was critical that the Giants win one or both games. The A’s were in an even tighter pinch. They had to beat the Angels or the season was over. The A’s lost 5-4, ending an exciting season, and the Giants also lost after entering the 9th inning with a 3-0 lead. The Giants can only make the playoffs if they beat the dodgers, coupled with a lost by the Astros, then a win in the playoff. Needless to say most guys were glued to the TV in the pro shop. Bob Sternbach, between innings would nervously pace over to the scoring sheet Ken was working on. Bob had turned in a net 68 and he was in the lead, but half of his flight was still out there.

OB or not OB, That is the question.

There was a bit of controversy with the results with a ruling determining the winner of the 1st flight. On the 7th hole Mark Northfield pushed his drive wide right of the fairway. There’s a wooden fence separating the 7th and 9th fairways, but no white stakes indicate that it is OB. Mark asked his playing partners and they agreed that it was probably safe to play the ball. Mark played it, finishing the hole. Back at the pro shop following the round the discussion resurfaced and the head pro was asked about it. He said that the fence is OB, it’s a local rule and is detailed on the scorecard, “The driving range, all boundary fences and white stakes on holes #1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 14 constitute out of bounds." With that it seems fairly clear that the ball was out of bounds. Mike Birnbach and Jeff Hazel were still uncertain, as the term “boundary fence” to them indicated a fence which surrounds the course, not one which separates two holes. Nevertheless the consensus between Ken and Aaron was that the mention of a fence on the 7th hole was fairly clear. Moreover anytime there is a fence it almost invariably marks out of bounds. Since the ball was out of bounds, Mark should have returned to the tee, but since he played the ball from the out of bounds area it’s a DQ. It’s a tough ruling. The best way to handle similar situations is to declare Rule 3.3 and play two balls, keeping two scores for that hole until a ruling can be made at the pro shop to determine which score to use. It’s also an unfortunate set of circumstances because no GOY points can be provided to players who withdraw or are disqualified. When in doubt it’s best to declare Rule 3.3 and make sure you have at least one official score on any hole in question, so that at the very least you will earn the GOY point for participation.

Streaks:

The Good

• Bob Sternbach played perhaps the most controlled golf of his life. His net 68 was the day’s best net score. Most impressive was his consistency however, as his scorecard consisted entirely of 4’s and 5’s, except for double-bogey 6’s on holes #10 and 11.
• Except for the third hole on which he took a 3, Ken Lloyd's scorecard consisted entirely of 4’s (10) and 5’s (4).
• After taking a quintuple bogey 9 on the opening hole, Aaron Walburg played the next ten holes at 2-over par, eventually finishing in third place.
• During the six hole stretch between holes #5 though #10, Mark Northfield had 3 pars, a birdie, an eagle, and a quintuple bogey. In fact, take away the 7th hole and Mark was even par through the 10th hole. As was mentioned earlier, the 7th hole was no fun.

The Bad

• Jeff Hazel, one of our streakiest players ever. No one will likely ever out streaky Jeff at the 2004 Faculty Staff where over the opening three holes he had an octuple bogey and a decuple bogey, then over the next 13 holes playing at 1-over par. Today Jeff took a 51 on the back nine after a 38 on the front. "7" was not Jeff’s lucky number (he had four of them on the back nine).
• Jim Peretti took a 43 on the back after a blistering 35 on the front. Jim still placed 2nd.
• Van Hall out-streakied Jim when he took a 46 on the back nine after a 35 on the front.

The Ugly

• After birdying the difficult, 193 yard, par three, 3rd hole, Charles Upshaw took a 10 on the easy, 296 yard, par four, 4th hole.
• Van Hall stood on the 18th tee with a 1 stroke lead in the first flight. Walking off the 18th green, having suffered a quad, Van was in fourth

Jim Peretti at the range. Jim was strutting his stuff. The newest member in the Golfer of the Year club. Jeff Hazel hitting solid shots on the range. Jeff had a 38 on the front. Charles Upshaw wearing his Golden Bears cap. The Bears are having a terrific football season. Greg Smith and new member Al Rollins at the range. Jeff Day at the range. Jeff placed 3rd in the 2004 GOY race. Ron Gallagher at the range. Ron won the CTP with a shot to 26'-11". The opening foursome for the 2005 season were Ken Lloyd, Bob Tulk, Jim Peretti, and Dave Moers. It was an ominous opening for the new season, especially with Jim Peretti hitting the first shot. Ken Lloyd has been busy with a home remodeling project, but he began the new season with a bold statement. He won the first flight, narrowly edging Jim Peretti, who placed second. With his red shirt, David Moers must have received plenty of grief from playing partner Ken. Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Well, not really. But Bob Tulk does have a respectable baseball swing. Jim Peretti watches a delicate putt miss on #12. Club Secretary/Treasurer Mike Birnbach along with two other distinguished board members, Dave Webb and Van Hall. Van played exceptionally well on the front nine, shooting an even par 35. Van kind of lost his mojo on the back nine, however, which permitted Rory McDonough to nudge into third place. Mike Birnbach on #1. Paul Higaki with his opening drive. New member Kevin Grant hit his first shot in a tournament. Kevin won the Blind Bogey flight with a net 72. Chris Brown on the first hole. Chris tied for the day's second best net score, a 70. Chris won a tiebreaker and placed 2nd in the second flight. Mark Northfield on the first hole. Mark had to take a DQ on the 7th hole. It was an innocent mistake. A mistake anyone could make, but the local rules about short fences coupled with the head pro's ruling made the decision unavoidable. Within every club there is an inner circle of power players. So too, there is such a group within the Cal Golf Club. It's the St. Mary's contingt. Left to right are three faculty members and a nephew: Greg Smith, Ron Gallagher, Ed Biglin, and Kevin Walsh (nephew of Ed Biglin). Greg Smith had the day's best CTP, a shot to 13'-2" Kevin Walsh survived, but barely. You can't keep a good man down, however. So be on the lookout for big things to come. Ed Biglin on the 11th hole. Ed with a chip shot on #11. [Super-size] It was a nice day, and what a view! Far below, on the 11th green is putting Greg Smith. And if you look at the Super-size version you can even see Jack King putting out on the 9th hole way down below. Rory McDonough on the 4th tee. Rory squeaked in for a 3rd place finish. Jeff Hazel with a powerful swing at #4. [Super-size] Gary Vollen took a good swipe at it as well, here on #4. Ryan Tabibian had a tough opening hole, but he had his moments... Here on the long difficult 8th hole Ryan nearly drained this short birdie putt. His cry could be heard across the canyon. Bob Sternbach nearly cried after missing this long putt on the 3rd hole. Mare Island has some difficult par 3 holes. Scott Meredith watches Bob Sternbach's drive on the 6th hole. Bob played really well, shooting the day's best score, a net 68. Scott Meredith on the 4th hole. Scott played well on the front nine, then his score ballooned slightly on the back nine. New member Bryan Lee on the 3rd hole. Bryan played on the Cal Men's golf team for a year while attending college. Although he hasn't been playing much, he's got a terrific swing. Bryan had several flashes of brilliance. He could definitely give the folks in the first flight a run for their money. Bryan on the 4th hole. Bryan on the 8th hole. Bryan on the 9th hole. The shot wasn't horrible, but Bryan still did that Tiger Woods thing, when he hits a bad shot. Here's a cool shot of Bryan chipping up to the 10th green. Bryan belted this drive at #11. OK, maybe I took a few too many shots of Bryan. But the swing was damn good... One last shot, Bryan on #16. Jeff Day on the 2nd hole. Jeff had parred the opening hole, but he had a few difficulties on #2. Jeff warms up on #4. Bill Marchant, Jeff Day, and a massive oil tanker in the bay. Jeff on the 12th hole. Jeff over the dramatic 14th hole. Jeff missed this long putt by a fraction of an inch. It was that kind of Day. Jeff on #16. Bill Marchant on the 2nd hole. It looks like they're getting ready to build something behind the second green. Mare Island is ripe for development, especially with Bay Area real estate being what it is. Bill follows a short chip at #4. Bill's drive at #6. A ferry speeds to Vallejo, as Bill tries to play golf. [Super-size] Bill on the 9th hole. Bill on the 13th hole. OK, maybe I was taking too many shots of everyone today... But heck, it was a slow day, and when I get bored I pull out the camera... I like this shot of Bill at the 13th hole. Bill made a nice shot from the rough, and across the straight you can see a Vallejo street. Bill on the scenic 14th tee. Bill on #17 while another Baylink Ferry speeds from the Vallejo terminal to the SF ferry building. The Vallejo ferry makes this trip 8 times every Saturday, it also goes to the Fisherman's Warf as well. This is a great way to avoid the traffic. Aaron hunches over his shot at #4. After the 9 at #1, he played the next ten holes at 2-over par. He lost a tiebreaker for second, but placing third with such an ugly start was more than he deserved. Jack King on the 5th fairway. Yun Akinaga watches his putt fall at #18. It's what's for lunch. Here was a snack purchased at the turn. The snack shack at Mare Island is an old bunker. The course has a military theme, partly because it is an old military base. Some things make sense.... Back at the clubhouse members watch all the sport drama unfold. The A’s lost 5-4, ending their season, and the Giants also lost. The Cal bears football game vs. Southern Mississippi was cancelled due to Hurricane Ivan. As always, Ken Lloyd did an exceptional job with the score keeping.

Golf Shirt - Back to the ol’ Drawing Board

In the pro shop Walburg gave members a glimpse of a shirt design that was Jeff Day’s idea. to say the least it wasn’t a popular design. Ken Lloyd said it looked like a Rams helmet (and it did). Walburg said he would come up with another design (Truth be told it would be pretty cool for the Berkeley contingency to have tie-dye golf shirts…). Maybe another time…maybe another planet.

Cal golf club shirt idea #1:

Complete Flight Results:

Highlighted Results:

1st Flight

   1st tie-breaker(L9 holes-1/2 CH):

2nd Flight

   1st tie-breaker(L9 holes-1/2 CH):

Blind Bogey

(Results tabulated by Ken Lloyd)

Mare Island History

Located on the western edge of Vallejo, the Mare Island Navy Yard was once the largest single industrial plant west of the Mississippi. In 101 years of shipbuilding, 512 vessels, both great and obscure, launched from Mare Island, including the destroyer USS Ward, which was built in a still-unbroken record time of 17 1/2 days. For years, Mare Island was responsible for the maintenance of the entire Pacific fleet.

Mare Island ceased operations in 1993, but some vestiges of security remain: civilians must still pass through a gated checkpoint to enter the property. Upon driving through the slumbering shipyard, past cavernous, dormant industrial sites, one can still hear the dead-leaf echoes of activity. It's easy to imagine what Mare Island must have been like in its heyday, when 46,000 people populated the tiny islet. These days, about that number of rounds are played yearly at Mare Island Golf Club. Nine new holes were added to the course six years ago and it's now one of the better public golf courses in the area. 

The design firm of Nelson & Haworth, authors of such great courses as Mauna Lani in Hawaii and Dragon at Gold Mountain renovated the course adding nine new holes. The course was originally constructed in 1936 as a time signal station, then remodeled for the golf course's use in 1961.

When asked to name his favorite hole on the golf course, Head Professional Dennis Walker did not hesitate. "Fourteen," he said simply. "You get great views from the tee box, it's an excellent driving hole, and a difficult green complex." Indeed. You'll enjoy seeing your tee shot soar against the bright blue sky, as gravity tugs it downward some hundred feet to a generous landing area.