August’s Tip of the Month Uncommon Experiences

BY RYAN WILLIAMS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL

Do you think we are aware on some subconscious level when the most important moments of our lives happen? Or do they take on more and more significance as time passes because the impact of that moment becomes more and more apparent? Did I really know that my wife was the one when she walked through the door of the restaurant on our first date? I’d like to believe I did but perhaps it only seems so obvious years down the road. Either way, reflecting on those truly most important moments can make you realize how fortunate you are. One of the many great things about golf is that the game can be a vehicle for moments that change the lives of many people.

On a recent Monday off I went to play a newly reopened 9-hole course called Campus Commons in Sacramento. On a sidenote, our former greenskeeper Kurtis Wolford, has overseen the grow-in and conditioning of the course and it is spectacular. Once upon a time I was a shy and out-of-his-comfort-zone 20 year-old looking for a job and was lucky enough to get one at Campus Commons, starting as a marshal who would monitor the course, pace of play, wash carts, etc. Little did I know that getting that job would mark a turning point in my life. The man who trained me my first days there would wind up becoming my best friend and one of my groomsmen in my wedding 11 years later. I made many other friends, met and lost girlfriends, even gave my first lessons all as the result of getting a job at this little course.

It wasn’t well-conditioned. It wasn’t well or even legitimately ran, its owners notoriously neglectful and at times downright crooked. But it really did have good bones: the setting, right on the American River, was actually quite beautiful; the holes, 7 par 3’s and 2 drivable par 4’s, made good use of the land and forced interesting strategic decisions. And though many would dismiss it as an executive course, it was far from easy.

Anything under par was really a great score and its 7th hole even made the Sacramento Bee’s list of the 18 toughest holes in Sacramento. The hole really defied description with the American River on the left and a stand of cottonwood trees overhanging the right side of the hole so much that a normal straight iron simply could not be played. A player either had to hit a left-to-right curving shot or a low punch shot that would run a high percentage of the 170 yards the hole measured. No great round was safe until that shot was played safely and many a men’s club Sunday tournament was won or lost in that moment.

The last time number seven or any other hole was played at Campus Commons, at least that version of it, was August 31st, 2021. The Core of Engineers met with Sacramento County and decided that work on the riverbanks was needed to help control the flood plain and limit future erosion. The County used the opportunity to clean house and improve the golf course from its foundation. A new architect was brought in and with it a new routing, par, and playing style. Now all par 3’s, the longest measuring at 185 yards, the new version of the course makes even better use of the land. The standout hole is the new 3rd which plays south and over the corner of the river. As you can see below, it’s sort of like our 2nd hole on the River Course in reverse.

The third hole and every other hole are completely without bunkers. The course is even without substantial rough and the green complexes and surrounding contours create an effect common among the world’s best courses: it is very playable for beginners and higher handicappers while providing a more nuanced challenge for great players. There are contours that act as a double-edged sword; a slope that can really help feed balls close to tough pin locations can simultaneously punish a player for missing on the wrong side of that very same contour.

Being out at Campus Commons, a 9-hole facility with no driving range and a small putting green, was a crash course in how to coach the game with limited resources. It wasn’t quite making something out of nothing but it certainly was a far cry from the wonderful practice facilities I get to coach at here at Woodbridge. If I seem grateful to be here now it is because I truly am but I also believe that I would not have been as ready for the wonderful position I currently enjoy without cutting my teeth throughout my 20’s. For all the great times, mistakes, and lessons learned, it is fun to look back and appreciate the path that got me here. Thank you for taking a trip down memory lane with me and I hope you enjoyed reading about a place I hold dear. If you’re feeling down in the dumps, don’t despair. Perhaps your next memorable moment is around the corner.

Want to discuss the state of your game? Feel free to reach out to me and we can get you back on the path to great golf!