Golfing in Southern Utah

 

Still Crazy II

September-October 2024

 

In 2021 Jeff, apartment-mate & friend at UWisconsin grad school who married Marjorie’s sister (and led to my meeting Marjorie, but that’s a longer story), invited me to join a golfing group of alumni from his Racine WI high school. The group, which dubbed themselves “Still Crazy,” gathers periodically to play in various sites around the country. Pinehurst NC, something of a golfing mecca, was the choice for 2021. I had a wonderful time, sharing golf on special courses designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus & Pete Dye with a very congenial group of guys. By way of thanks, I made a photo calendar from our Pinehurst adventures for organizer Bob; he tells me he still uses it with adjustments for the current year. I was set to join them again at some fabulous courses in southern Utah in 2022 but had to cancel when I contracted COVID. I planned to try again in 2023 when the group was scheduled in Georgia, but backed out from worries about how spinal stenosis issues in my back would handle concentrated golf over 3-4 days. Still Crazy e-mails rolled around again in Spring 2024, this time touting accommodations & golf in Southern California. After dithering for a while about my back, I decided to give it a shot, so to speak. Another fabulous job arranging the details: Bob Schroeder handles lodging and courses, Tim Paulson the money. As usual, Bob says, ”your Trip Charge covers everything once you land: car rental, everyone-under-one-roof accommodations, meals, munchies, medicinal liquids, green fees, event entry fees, a dozen golf balls, team hats, a variety of sure-to-be-treasured swag items... and four STILL CRAZY days of smiles, stories and sport.” I use my United Airline credit card miles for flights to & from LAX.

Everything looked great: beautiful lodging, interesting courses. Then . . . an email from Bob: “Shocking Developments” aka “Shit Happens.” About 3 weeks before the scheduled trip our lodgings are cancelled as part of a Chapter 11 Reorganization Bankruptcy! Does Bob give up? No, indeed! In only a few days he somehow manages to arrange another fabulous itinerary on the same dates for our consideration near St. George in southern Utah. This will make up for my missing Utah 2 years ago. Enough others in the group are “in” for the new arrangements. I cancel my original flights with a refund of the United miles to use for new flights to Utah. A choice of flying into St. George UT (30 minutes from lodging but 2 layovers on the way) or Las Vegas (2 hours away, but only 1 layover). I opt for fewer layovers. Coincidentally, a new COVID variant is spiking. I get a shot of an updated vaccine. Here’s hoping all’s well that ends well!

St. George was founded part of a “cotton mission” in 1861 under direction of a Latter Day Saint apostle, named after another LDS apostle. In the early 1950s, St. George was hit by fallout from above-ground nuclear testing NW of Las Vegas, with marked increases in cancer. Population 95,000, elevation about 3000’. It’s in part of the Mojave Desert; we can expect temps of 90-100. But hey, it’s dry heat, right? I remember the beauty of St. George and its surroundings from our trip thru Utah & Nevada in 1997. Bob sent a link to videos of the courses in this area. Fabulous scenery, courses winding thru red-rock canyons ready to capture wayward shots (I’ll pack lots of balls!). Golf Week Magazine has called the Red Rock Golf Trail here "The most exciting collection of spectacular golf courses anywhere on earth." Will my game be worthy?

Santa Barbara and More Southwest

Santa Barbara

July 1998

Tuesday, 7/21: 

Son Matt’s having a good time doing music in Santa Barbara, why should he have all the fun?  A parental visit sounds good to us.  Our very early flight leaves on time before 7am, but rerouting around some thunderstorms makes us late into Chicago.  Luckily, connecting flight also delayed, we’re only a little late into LA at 11:15.  Pick up our Thrifty car, a Neon, and head to Santa Barbara about 100 miles up the coast.  Clouds there, some hazy sun later, about 75°.  Weather along the coast usually low clouds & fog in the AM (a “marine layer”), at least some clearing by mid-to-late PM.  Plus nice cool temps & fresh breezes.  Into the Sandpiper Lodge, outside the city but on the main road, so easy access.  No AC when we arrive (tho it hardly seems necessary), but install it by our return on Thursday.  A drive thru ritzy Hope Ranch residential area  ̶  beautiful homes and landscaping  ̶  and along the shore and harbor areas, views of surfers, beach volleyball, other California diversions.  

We meet up with Matt at Music Academy of the West, in Montecito, where he’s rehearsing w/ percussion buddies.  A walk around the pretty grounds w/ flowers and a giant fig tree (these are common around here), then into Montecito to an Italian restaurant that’s a favorite of Matt’s.

Santa Fe & Colorado

Santa Fe & Colorado

August 2012

          We're headed to Santa Fe for something of a reunion w/ Wisconsin friends: Diane & Jerry, who retired to Santa Fe about 10 years ago, and Kay, who has retired but stayed in Madison (been to Santa Fe a number of times, both together and Marjorie alone; see the "Santa Fe" post in this blog). The impetus now is Jerry’s 75^th birthday celebration, and we’ve added a side trip up to southern Colorado.  Able to use United credit-card miles to score free flights.  And our recently added “Explorer” card gives some useful perks (as seen now on frequent TV ads): a free checked bag apiece, priority boarding, 2 passes per year for United Lounge.  Of course, leaving now means many tomatoes and beans may ripen while we’re gone; neighbors are green-lighted to harvest, back-door neighbor Baracat seems especially excited.  One annoyance: my camera stops working the day before we leave! Marjorie kindly agrees to share hers.  

Thursday, 8/16:

          An early thunderstorm (a foreshadowing?), but it lets up by the time we head to the airport.  Into McDonald’s for coffee, young man behind the counter greets me: “Hi, Prof. Ward.”  Another UAlbany success story.  Clear & sunny by takeoff a little after 7am.  Halfway out:  “This is your captain speaking.”  Uh-oh, that can’t be good.  T-storms around Chicago have us on hold and initially headed toward Minnesota to circle back.  But not enough fuel for that, so we divert to Grand Rapids MI to refuel.  They kindly allow 2 passengers headed here anyway to get off, then on our way pretty efficiently.  Speaking of kindly, Marjorie moved her seat to allow a young couple to sit together; and my grandpa reflexes kick in: I offer half my peanut-butter sandwich to a little girl, she declines because it isn’t white bread, tho she is willing to share my chocolate-peanut-butter granola bar.  Low clouds among Chicago skyscrapers as we come into O’Hare about 2½ hours late.  Waiting for our connecting flight, thankfully similarly delayed, we meet a couple who just drove from Grand Rapids for this flight.  About 1½ hours late into Albuquerque Internat’l Sunport (ABQ).  As we taxi in Kay calls  ̶  she’s just arrived and we’ll meet at baggage claim, so things have worked out quite well.  We pick up our Hertz black Nissan Versa, comfy tho not much get-up-and-go.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe

July 2004

 Wednesday, July 21:

          We’re off to visit Diane & Jerry, good friends from the Wisconsin days; Diane was a college buddy of Marjorie’s at Oshkosh.  It’s our first trip to New Mexico, and after muggy/rainy weather here we’re looking for drier/sunnier. We rouse son Matt at 5 AM to drive us to the airport.  Marjorie’s former boss (and long-time friend) John shares our flight, so another chance to share Matt/Anthea wedding photos.  No meals or TV on these flights, but on time and free (thanks to “frequent credit card” miles).  Some Americans don’t know New Mexico is actually part of the US (the 47^th state in 1912), but this trip has no hassles w/ customs or exchange rates.  Pretty views coming in to Albuquerque of mountains & green irrigation patterns surrounded by very dry landscape.  Greeted by Diane & Jerry.  Our first real summer heat: low 90s with promised low humidity feels good.  First sight: the new “Big I,” a multilevel meeting of interstate highways w/ pretty desert brown & turquoise colors and designs on bridges; completed ahead of schedule and under-budget, stunning us New Yorkers.  Local note: Albuquerque has the National Atomic Museum (Los Alamos, site of the Manhattan Project, is nearby), its baseball team is the “Isotopes.”  

Into Old Town for lunch at a nice cafe and our first “New Mexican” food (basically Mexican w/ local spices and flourishes).  Marjorie manages to handle a little Art Auction business back home on her cell phone.  Over to pretty San Felipe Church on nearby central plaza.  A pretty drive about an hour north to Santa Fe, past pueblos w/ casinos, desert and mountain landscapes.  Also many dead piñon trees all over this area due to beetle infestation.

Utah and Other Western

Utah (Mostly)

June 1997

  

 My father bought a travel trailer for a trip out West, but cancer took him so he never lived that dream.  My first big travel after childhood, perhaps living my father’s dream, was a whirlwind Western trip with long-time friend Carl in college (see more on this below).  Marjorie & I have covered some of that territory (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon) in more leisurely fashion (we’ve joked about saying “There’s the . . . “ while whizzing by sights), and we’ll revisit (for me) some of the spectacular sights in Utah on this trip.

Wed., June 11:

Flights from Albany to Chicago and Chicago to Salt Lake City on time, arriving about 2:30.  Pretty views landing of the Great Salt Lake, our first look at the colored countryside, snow-capped mountains surrounding the city.  Pick up our car at the airport, '97 Taurus w/ power windows/locks/seats, cruise control, etc.  Very comfortable & reliable for the trip, efficient air-conditioner.  Weather here not as hot as Albany (about 80), but unusually humid, for them anyway.   

We head right to Sonia's house (a former student who's now on the faculty at  Univ. of Utah).  They've had quite a bit of rain recently, Sonia's back yard flooded!  A nice new house, view of the mountains, populated by her very friendly dog (white Chow named Buddha), cooled by a "swamp cooler."  The latter used here instead of AC to cool w/ humidity.  For dinner up one of the canyons (passing quite a few joggers and bikers) to Log Haven, beautiful setting in the mountains and excellent food.  Mountains very pretty as the sun lowers while we drive back.  Mountains very close and accessible to the city.  Sonia & I watch the Jazz-Bulls game, Marjorie dozes.  There's lots of spirit here: signs, grass cut in a Jazz design, etc.

Thurs., June 12:

A nice morning, cool w/ sun/clouds mix, tho occasional lightning and thunder around.  We take a 45-minute tour of Temple Square led by two Mormon "sisters;" interesting and informative w/ a little prosyletizing.  The Square is very pretty, /lovely grounds, flowers, fountains, sculptures, /murals.  Can’t see the Temple interior, only members "in good standing" allowed in.  It's clear the Mormons dominate politically and culturally, even more in smaller cities & towns than in Salt Lake.  They're very nice, friendly people, but our discussions with Sonia and others indicate their views seem pretty authoritarian & patriarchal.     
Pretty views of the capitol.

Over to see the Salt Palace (local arena).  Rocky (Marjorie's office mate) performed in Salt Lake as a member of the Ice Capades, said they used the ceiling for views of the spaceship in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”  But the arena he'd been in was taken down 4-5 years ago (or maybe the aliens came and took it back)  ̶  they'll be building another for upcoming Olympics. 

After walking thru the Mormon office building where geneological research is done (beautiful old lobby and a room filled with people at workstations looking up "ancestors"), 

to the observation deck on the 26th floor of another church office building for overview of the square and views of the city & surrounding mountains.  To the university to meet Sonia after she finishes giving an exam.  Weather becomes cloudier & cooler (mid-60s),  I switch from shorts to jeans and we all use jackets.  Brunch at Ruth's Diner (which we've learned is now featured in a VISA commercial  ̶  you know, "they don't take American Express"), an interesting local hangout in one of the canyons recommended by Rocky.