Guide to California Golf

The Golf California Universitee Guidebook is a comprehensive golf publication for the Golden State, and also covers part of Nevada.

The book totals nearly 500 pages and offers descriptions of more than 1,000 public and member courses throughout California, Reno/Tahoe and Las Vegas. It was written by Shaw Kobre and Bob Fagan, whose combined golfing experience encompasses nearly 2,000 different courses and counting. They provide directions to every course, best-of lists, Web sites, phone numbers and price ranges.

The beauty of this book is that it gives you a truly honest assessment of each course because the authors did not accept advertising from golf courses. Thus, you get the whole truth and nothing but the truth on each track.

For example, here’s a sample listing from page 168 summarizing the Cross Creek Golf Club in Temecula, California: “Designed by Arthur Hills, Cross Creek uses the rolling landscape and mature oaks, lakes and natural hazards to create a classic course that appears to have been around for decades. Don’t be surprised if you see some of golf’s greatest players roaming around the clubhouse. No, they aren’t ghosts, just staff; each dressed to play the part of a famous, legendary golfer.”

You can order the Golf California Universitee Guidebook online by visiting www.golfshopu.com/GCUBook.htm, or by calling (866) 569-8481. Cost of the book is $9.95.

Beware NSAIDs
Golf is a game with no age limits or boundaries. However, aging does raise health issues for golfers and non-golfers alike. For those who experience minor aches and pains associated with golfing, taking medication prior to or just after a round is not uncommon. But, there are two factors that could put you at risk for developing stomach ulcers. Those 60 and older who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly known as NSAIDs, are potentially at risk for developing stomach ulcers. NSAIDs include prescription and over-the-counter aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Complications from NSAID-related ulcers cause more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year in the U.S.

Over the course of a long, highly successful career, professional golfer Hale Irwin has taken pain medications at times to manage his aches and pains. He, too, was unaware of the dangers associated with age and NSAID-use. Now, Irwin is helping to educate people about the need to protect the stomach when taking NSAIDs.

According to a Web site www.ulcer-risk.com, more than 14 million people take NSAIDs, and the risk of stomach ulcers increases with daily use. As many as 20 percent of those who take NSAID pain relievers daily may develop stomach ulcers. Up to 60 percent of regular NSAID users will experience gastrointestinal side effects related to these drugs. The Web site also claims that in addition to daily NSAID use, other factors that increase risk for developing an ulcer include:
• Being 60 years of age or older
• Taking corticosteroids or blood thinners
• Cardiovascular disease or rheumatoid arthritis
• A history of stomach ulcers

To learn more about the risk of stomach ulcers, talk to your doctor or visit the above Web site.

The 19th Hole (and a few chip shots)
Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria, B.C., has become the first course on Vancouver Island to be recognized by Audubon International as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanct-uary. In addition, it is the sixth golf course in British Columbia, the 51st in Canada and the 537th in the world to receive the award.

To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that it is maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas, including environmental planning; wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education; chemical use reduction and safety; water conservation, and water quality management.

Cordova Bay is home to more than 65 species of resident birds such as the belted kingfisher, winter wren, pleated woodpecker and trumpeter swan. An avid bird watcher, 88-year-old George Houston is a regular at Cordova Bay and took a strong interest in its bird population. Houston got involved in Cordova Bay’s efforts and built a colony of 12 birdhouses between the 17th and 18th fairways to attract the elusive and endangered purple martin.

Cordova Bay Golf Course is an 18-hole daily-fee public facility, featuring stunning views of Haro Strait and Mount Baker. It was named one of the Five Great Golf Destinations by Golf Canada magazine, and ranked in the top 100 Women Friendly Courses in North America by Golf For Women magazine.

For more information about Cordova Bay Golf Course, visit www.cordovabaygolf.com.

Earlier this year, Dr. David Wright launched his initial volume in a five-part multimedia Focus For Success Series. The first installment—Relaxation—is a practical instruction manual for dealing with stress, both on and off the golf course. The book provides an overview of how stress negatively impacts performance on the golf course and offers practical tools for controlling stress for peak performance. The bonus audio CD packaged inside the back cover contains guided practice exercises to help readers assimilate the skills described in the book. Where the book provides instruction, the CD assists in application.

Each volume in the five-part set will consist of a book and audio CD. The topics for the five-volume Focus For Success Series will cover the essential skills necessary for mastering the mental side of golf—relaxation (stress management), concentration, visualization, mental toughness (confidence) and routine.

Dr. Wright is a Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor and a Golf Digest Best in State (California) Teacher. His Wright Balance Golf Academy in Mission Viejo, California, was again named in 2005 as a Golf Magazine Top 25 Golf School.

The Relaxation book and CD retail at $19.95 and are available online at www.wrightbalance.com.

Rick Stedman is an avid RVer, golfer and writer who lives in Yakima, Washington. He can be reached at rick.stedman@charter.net