. . . but All Those Golfers Also Play a Waiting Game

There is no waiting for the snow to melt for Southern California golfers.

Their clubs don’t sit dormant in the garage covered by the family tent for half the year. Area golfers never have to wake their game from a long winter’s nap. Clubs stay in the car trunk ready to hit at a tee time’s notice.

Year-round mild temperatures and limited rainfall keep golfers playing every day on the 16 regulation-length and 10 executive and par-3 public courses in Orange County. But with all the advantages of year-round play come a bagful of problems for everyone from the occasional player to the groundskeeper. And most of the problems stem from heavy play.

To begin with, getting a tee time isn’t easy.

Most courses allow players to call about a week in advance for weekdays, and on Monday and Tuesday for the weekend. At San Clemente Municipal, which is among the busiest courses in the county with an estimated 119,000 rounds played in 1985, the starters begin taking reservations at 6 a.m. each day for the same day the next week. Prime starting times, early and mid-morning, are booked by noon.

The story is much the same throughout the county, though getting times at some courses is much easier.

At the Links at Monarch Beach, for example, it’s possible to get times a day or so in advance. There were only 48,000 rounds played there in 1985, half the traffic of most public courses in the county. Part of the reason for that is that the course is only two years old. Another reason is the $35 greens fee, $50 Friday-Sunday.

Slow play is a problem at many courses, and rounds of five hours or more, particularly on weekends, are not uncommon.

Course professionals point to several reasons for the logjams that keep play from flowing quickly.

--Not being ready to hit when it’s your turn.

--Spending too much time looking for lost balls.

--Leaving golf carts and bags in front of greens.

--Spending too much time on greens.

“People will stand on the green and write down their score instead of moving on to the next hole,” said Dave Farrel, professional at the two Green River courses. “It is just the little things that add up to slow the whole course down.

“Many golfers just don’t have the proper orientation to the game to be out there. A lot of times they worry too much about honor on the next tee, also. The person that is ready to hit should. Things like that could really speed up play.”

On busy courses, about the only way golfers can get in a quick round of less than four hours is to beat the rush. And that can mean teeing off before you’ve even wiped the sleep from your eyes.

One imaginative and fast-playing group of players at San Juan Hills in San Juan Capistrano (which had 104,000 rounds in 1985) tees off before dawn, using flashlights to help spot their balls after they hit. By the time the masses are gathering around the first tee and the putting green, the flashlight brigade is back in the clubhouse having breakfast.

Some courses in the county rely on marshals to keep play moving. Among the busy courses that do use marshals are Anaheim’s Dad Miller (118,769 rounds in 1985), Fountain Valley’s Mile Square Park (118,000 in 1985) and Santa Ana’s Willowick (120,000 rounds in 1985).

“I liken it to the freeway,” Mile Square Park professional Steve Seals said. “You have all these people, but there is only so much room for them on the freeways or the golf course. They can all only move so fast and there has to be someone out there to help them.”

At San Juan Hills, club professional Arnie Dokka sends an employee out on the course once in a while just to check on things.

“Being a marshal is the most difficult job on the golf course,” Dokka said. “Instead, we try to keep track of what is going on at number 9, 10 and 18. If we see any problems develop then we can take care of them there. . . . One thing you have to remember is that most people don’t want to play slow.”

Some courses, by their design, play more quickly than others.

San Clemente Municipal gets lots of traffic, but players often finish rounds in 4 1/2 hours or less.

“To play a quick round of golf you need a course that will allow for it,” said Dave Cook, the professional at San Clemente. “And we have that here. There is little rough, no water and only a few trees come into play. The par 3s are short enough, and the hard holes are spaced out to prevent any major backups. That’s why we get so many players through here each year.”

Crowded courses also suffer from constant wear with the greens and tee boxes suffering most. Repairs often are slow in coming because courses don’t have the time for them.

Each day, starting as early as 4 a.m., course crews are out mowing greens, moving tee boxes and setting cups.

“All our machines, including the mowers, have big lights on them,” said Robert Shipley, Costa Mesa Country Club superintendent. “I can’t keep grass on the tees or the greens because we get so much play. We just try to keep people moving and do what we can with the course.”

Heavy play each day on public courses compacts the greens and creates the need for frequent aeration, which is the process of opening holes in the greens to allow water and fertilizer to reach the root system of the green.

“By the end of the day the greens are pretty trampled out there,” said Bill Gainey, afternoon manager at Willowick.

“But, the greens heal up pretty well, and we just can’t close up. Too many people want to play.”

PUBLIC COURSES IN ORANGE COUNTY REGULATION 18-HOLE COURSES DAD MILLER (Anaheim) Par: 71 Yards: 5,736 Rating: 67.1 Greens Fees: $8.50/$12* Phone: 991-5530 Pro Bob Johns Lesson Fees: $20 half-hour** Mostly flat course with little rough and only 15 sand traps. Only one par 4 is more than 400 yards. The back nine is more difficult, with water on two holes and a ditch cutting across three more.

ANAHEIM HILLS (Anaheim) Par: 71 Yards: 6,330 Rating: 68 Greens Fees: $10.50/$13.50 Phone: 637-7311 Pro: Don Poff Lesson Fees: $25 an hour Most players find it a difficult walk because of constant hills. The course, covered with 40 traps, features water on six holes.

COSTA MESA COUNTRY CLUB Par: 71 Yards: 5,434 Rating: 64 Greens Fees: $7/$10 Phone: 754-5267 Pro: Pete Zogby Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour* Because of construction, parts of the two courses are combined into one. The Los Lagos course is expected to open Sept. 1.

FULLERTON GOLF COURSE Par: 68 Yards: 5,100 Rating: 63.8 Greens Fees: $7.50/$11 Phone: 871-5141 Pro: Mike Novorot Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The creek running through the center of the course flooded and washed away four holes on the back nine, but the holes have been replaced by parts of the old Par-3 course. Players enter and leave a deep canyon at the start and finish of each side.

GREEN RIVER (Orange) Par: 71 Yards: 6,416 Rating: 70.5 Greens Fees: $10/$14 Phone: 970-8411 Pro: Dave Farrel Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The afternoon winds make the course difficult as do the tree-lined fairways and long par 4s. There are only 36 traps but they are in annoying locations as are the lakes.

GREEN RIVER (Riverside) Par: 71 Yards: 6,397 Rating: 69.2 Greens Fees: $10/$14 Phone: 970-8411 Pro: Dave Farrel Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The front nine offers plenty of trouble with narrow fairways and thick trees, but the newer back side is a little more open. Play slows at the fifth hole, where players must cross the river with their second shots, but speeds up most of the time on the Par 5 that follows.

IMPERIAL (Brea) Par: 72 Yards: 6,332 Rating: 68.6 Greens Fees: $11/$15 Phone: 529-3923 Pro: Bob Breeding Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour Open fairways on most holes and water on only three. Greens are guarded by sand traps as are some fairways.

LINKS AT MONARCH BEACH (Laguna Niguel) Par: 70 Yards: 5,583 Rating: 70 Greens Fees: $35/$50 Phone: 240-8247 Pro: Lou Skovron Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The county’s newest public course features narrow holes and well-protected, fast greens. The course is well-groomed, and water is in play on six holes, including the ocean on 11. Not very long, but accuracy off the tee is a must.

LOS ALAMITOS COUNTRY CLUB Par: 66 Yards: 5,202 Rating: 63.1 Greens Fees: $8/$12 Phone: 828-0402 Pro: Ray Swedo Lesson Fees: $20 half-hour The course moves through the stable area of the nearby race track and mostly is open.

MEADOWLANDS (Huntington Beach) Par: 70 Yards: 5,707 Rating: 66.1 Greens Fees: $9.50/$15.50 Phone: 846-1364 Pro: Bruce Baggs Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour Not a course that requires great length on many holes. Water comes into play only a few times.

MILES SQUARE PARK (Fountain Valley) Par: 72 Yards: 6,699 Rating: 70.7 Greens Fees: $9/$13 Phone: 968-4556 Pro: Steve Seals Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour Generally flat, straight holes with trees down both sides of most. Large greens protected by 72 sand traps. There is little rough, and water is in play on six holes.

RANCHO SAN JOAQUIN (Irvine) Par: 72 Yards: 6,229 Rating: 69 Greens Fees: $10/$23 Phone: 786-5522 Pro: Buck Page Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The fast greens offer a real challenge, but the fairways are open on most holes. Water highlights the backside. Most of the trees have yet to become a serious problem but as they grow the course will become more narrow. Carts are required until 3 p.m. on weekends.

SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE Par: 72 Yards: 6,015 Rating: 67.5 Greens Fees: $9/$12 Phone: 492-1997 Pro: Dave Cook Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour The most common comment about the course is the greens and the break to the ocean. Even putts that don’t look as if they will, still head toward the Pacific. The greens are mowed every day in the summer, and there is little rough and no water holes, which speeds play somewhat.

SAN JUAN HILLS (San Juan Capistrano) Par: 71 Yards: 6,017 Rating: 67.7 Greens Fees: $11/$14 Phone: 493-1167 Pro: Arnie Dokka Lesson Fees: Call course It is a hilly course with water hazards. Be prepared for uneven lies.

SHORECLIFFS COUNTRY CLUB (San Clemente) Par: 70 Yards: 5,800 Rating: Greens Fees: $6/$12 Phone: 492-1177 Pro: Bob McCallister Lesson Fees: $15 an hour The back nine opened about a month ago, so the trees have yet to become a problem on this rebuilt Estrella course.

WILLOWICK (Garden Grove) Par: 71 Yards: 6,034 Rating: 67.3 Greens Fees: $8/$14 Phone: 554-0672 Pro: Ken Kobayashi Lesson Fees: $15 half-hour Flat, generally short course that is among the busiest in the county. Many holes are lined by trees that can offer trouble, but there is no water on the course.

18-HOLE EXECUTIVE COURSES Name: BIRCH HILLS City: Brea Greens Fees: $8/$11 Phone: 990-0201 Pro: Steve LaBarge Short course that offers a series of uphill, downhill and flat par 3s. There are five Par 4s. Water comes into play on the back nine on three holes.

Name: NEWPORT BEACH GOLF COURSE City: Newport Beach Greens Fees: $7/$8.50 Phone: 852-8681 Pro: Lights for night play. The par 4s are very short, and players hit off rubber mats and rubber tees.

PAR-3 COURSES

Name: BIG TEE GOLF CENTER City: Buena Park Greens Fees: $3 Phone: 521-6300 Pro: A nine-hole course that is good for the beginners. The course is lighted for night play.

Name: DRIFTWOOD BEACH City: Huntington Beach Greens Fees: $3.50/$5 Phone: 536-8871 Pro: Located just off Pacific Coast Highway, the course requires only a few clubs and has water on the ninth.

Name: NEWPORTER City: Newport Beach Greens Fees: $3.50/$4 Phone: 644-1700 Pro: Hilly, short course that requires only a few clubs and closes at 4 p.m. during the week.

NINE-HOLE EXECUTIVE COURSES

Name: ALISO CREEK City: Laguna Beach Greens Fees: $7/$10 Phone: 449-1919 Pro: Denny Miller Narrow course set in Laguna Canyon that features water on five holes and trees down most fairways. Name: BREA GOLF COURSE City: Brea Greens Fees: $3.75/$4.25 Phone: 529-3003 Pro: Just two par 4s. The sixth hole is a long par 3 that crosses a creek and tends to slow play at times. Name: RIDGELINE COUNTRY CLUB City: Orange Greens Fees: $6/$7 Phone: 538-5030 Pro: Derek Hardy Hilly at times, it is a little harder than some courses like it. The only water is on the second hole. Name: RIVER VIEW City: Santa Ana Greens Fees: $5/$7 Phone: 543-1115 Pro: The second nine has been lost to the Santa Ana River, but there still is a challenging nine that has water in play on three holes. Name: SANTIAGO City: Orange Greens Fees: $5/$7 Phone: 532-3762 Pro: The first hole is narrow with houses tight on the left side. But the course opens up for a few holes after that. Trees narrow it again on the closing three holes.

* Weekday/weekend rates

** Group lessons available

NOTE: Par, yardage and rating are from the men’s tees.