SNU MC Class 65 Golf Outing

at Via Verde Country Club, San Dimas, CA

January 9, 2016

In the first part of the new year of 2016, our classmates got together for a day of golf and lunch meeting.
We are going to have the same golf meeting once a month from now on. Is that a new year's resolution?

Via Verde Country Club was conceived in the late 1960’s. The Course was designed and built among the rolling Via Verde Hills in San Dimas in the vicinity of Los Angeles and was open for play in the spring of 1970 (Club photo).



Expecting a long drive through LA traffic, we left Irvine early to be on time but we ended up too early for the tee time.
While waiting for the rest of the local guys to arrive, we took time to do some possibly useless futile putting practice.
We always do it religiously but the darn practice never seemed to work according to my experience.



Well, it is fall in January in southern California. The falling leaves rolled around the parking lot and drive way.
It was unusually chilly in this winter in California. Not a big deal though for us, snowbirds, from the north.



Wow, Valle Vista Ballroom !!  Once glitzy and glamorous country club on a high hill looking down the city of LA.
Persistent drought and poor economy brought knees of the once glamorous palace of the rich down to earth.
All those fashionable people seemed to have gone and a few dead leaves hanging around this morning.
It wasn't bad after all. A few Koreans like us get to come here to play a round of golf at a discounted price.
Ya, God is fair after all. One's misfortune is other's blessing !!



The beauty of natural unobstructed  view of "Monte Vista" is still there. It's a million dollar view in a place like LA.



The first tee box, somewhat intimidating narrow down hill slope with a ravine and a hill ready to swallow our balls.



However, we got to take a picture. You must task a picture. It is a rule. Obviously, we are seven of us today.
Grandpas from left: Kil-Young Baik (Clairmont), Geun-Un Kim (Laguna Woods), Jin Chae (Riverside),
Soo-Wung Hong (Fullerton), Do-Kyung Chai (Laguna Woods), WM (Laguna Woods), Young-Inn Choi (Irvine)



Are we confident to perform a series of wonderful shot-making?  Everybody seem to be so except me.
However, gentlemen, we may feel like a PGA tour but it is far from it.



One more picture when another volunteer photographer came by. We just changed the line up a little.



They said it was a dry summer and water was restricted all over southern California.
Colorado had not sent enough water from her mountain slopes, I guess. It's not my fault.



But there was still a lake and water fountain.



Two falcons (?) sitting on a same tree together, long enough for me to take a snap.



It was still beautiful with a plenty of very old trees around the green. No wonder it's Via Verde.



A scene like this is not too bad. Good enough for me to get my camera out.



Dr. Baik in a very serious move. I don't remember now if it was a successful move for a par.



A poetic scene despite of being at an off-season shape.



Snow-capped mountain (Mount Baldy) in the background.






These guys are very obedient at the photographers request. They may know that their pictures may get on the website.



A few scenic uphill approaches toward the green on the top of the hill.






And then there are a few downhill approach into the green in the valley.



This is one of the very scary ones. The ball can leak into any sides.






What a vista a la California !! Almost looked like Colorado but only almost.






Thanks for getting the photographer in the group. It was a wonderful day. Wait for the next month.