ekly
ône;
ear
the
nus.
manages to hit the sweet spot between
deluxe facilities and affordable rates, with
a deliciously old-school golf course that
was a PGA Tour venue back in the 1960s.
At 6,600 yards, it still attracts LPGA action
from time to time. The not-so-clean-lined
hotel won't impress the architectural tourists who have ogled its contemporaries in
Palm Springs, but the rooms are lovely and
rent for under $300 – and that's including
deluxe breakfasts and unlimited golf.
Did I say golf? What I meant to say is
hickory golf. Oh sure, golfers of any sort
are welcome on the course, but Rancho Bernardo Inn also happens to be the California
headquarters of a trend-cum-movement
whose adherents dress up in 1920s garb and
swipe at primitive-looking balls with
hickory-handled clubs.
Curious about the phenomenon, I
connect with club pro Jason Egnatz, a onetime college player and current hickory
evangelist who has thrice represented his
country in the annual Canadian Open
Hickory Championship at Legends Golf
and Country Club in Sherwood Park.
The Ryder Cup-format competition pits
the U.S. against Canada (he's 0 for 3, he
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summer 2013
Grand Del mar, (rancho Bernardo) Jim sutherland
13-04-12 1:14 PM