La Costa Here We Come (9/25/2013)
We jumped in the car and off we flew.... One hour and fifteen minutes later we arrive! 78 miles
A fun day!!!
We Arrive And They Let Us In!
The resort was beautiful
We loved the fireplace in the lodge
until we found out it was a large TV
Time For Lunch!
Did You Know? - A bistro /ˈbiːstroʊ/, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet, a bean stew, are typical.
Bistros likely developed out of the basement kitchens of Parisian apartments where tenants paid for both room and board. Landlords could supplement their income by opening their kitchen to the paying public. Menus were built around foods that were simple, could be prepared in quantity and would keep over time. Wine and coffee were also served.
The origins of the word bistro are uncertain. Some say that it may derive from the Russian bystro (быстро), "quickly". According to an urban legend, it entered the French language during the Russian occupation of Paris in 1815. Russian officers or cossacks who wanted to be served quickly would shout "bystro."
However, this etymology is not accepted by several French linguists as there is, notably, no occurrence of this word until the end of the 19th century. Others say the name comes from a type of aperitif, called a bistrouille (or liqueur coffee), served in some reasonably priced restaurants.
We tried to poison Bunnaford with hot chili pasta
James studied and studied and finally ordered the special!
The special was special
Many veggie/vegan specials
James and Sue study the herb garden... Quite vertical
The boxes were lined with black plastic to keep them waterproof and protected
These are actually used in the cooking
Neat idea....
The dining area was not jammed but we were here at 11:00 so we were a little early
Magnificent view
Multiple sets of terraces
Making sure he can afford lunch!
Yeah yeah the gang is all here
Now For The "Serious" Part Of The Day - Practice
"I am ready to go!"
Paul is ready but he does have his eBook in hand
To the range James....
The practice range was beautiful
Balls flying everywhere
Perhaps some putting??
We are not the only folks with pond scum forming on the lakes
Play Golf.... Someone Yelled... It Was James
Paul thought it was Tea Time....
Sand and water everywhere
Sue smashes the ball off the first tee
The mighty club whistles through the air
Glass windows make interesting targets
Putt putt
Great flowers all over
Hot rod Paul at the wheel
Paul was first in the grass... James was so nice to film it....
Damn thing is here somewhere
James yells "What out for snakes"... Great!
Off we go...!
A mighty swing...
The course was quite beautiful
"Run for your life....Sandy is about to hit the ball"
The tunnel of love
Did You Know? - A tunnel is relatively long and narrow; the length is often much greater than twice the diameter, although similar shorter excavations can be constructed such as cross passages between tunnels.
The definition of what constitutes a tunnel can vary widely from source to source. For example the definition of a road tunnel in the United Kingdom is defined as "a subsurface highway structure enclosed for a length of 150 metres (490 ft) or more.".
In the United States, the NFPA definition of a tunnel is "An underground structure with a design length greater than 23 m (75 ft) and a diameter greater than 1,800 millimetres (5.9 ft).".
Amazing roughs... We didn't lose too many balls this day!
Blam.... The ball disappears in a cloud of dust
Sue does an exact placement... Bunny assists
Another successful launch
Thanks to James we have evidence we were 1) here and 2) together!
No... We did not have to drive across the bridge
The Champions Course was up and down the canyon!
We're back!
Someone really likes sand... Every fairway is loaded with sand bunkers
Did You Know? - A bunker is a depression near the green or fairway that is usually filled with sand. It is difficult to hit the ball out of the bunker and entering it is therefore considered punitive to a golfer who misses the target with the previous shot.
A club called a "sand wedge" is designed for extracting the ball from a bunker, a process requiring well-developed skill. After a player is done using the bunker, it is the job of either the player or that player's caddy to rake the area of the sand disturbed during play.
Specific rules of golf govern play from a bunker. For example, a player may not ground one's club in a bunker; that is, the club cannot touch the ground prior to the swing.
It is walkable in case you land a ball in the water
The dam was neat and provided a place for the birds to watch for fish
The mighty James at bat
Bunny decided to use the club after her levitation attempt failed
It's on its way
A familiar sight....
We got a lot of sand trap experience this day!
..and then there was the water
Guess who else is in the sand???
Did You Know? - There are three types of bunkers used in golf course architecture and all are designed to be impediments to the golfer's progress toward the green.
Fairway bunkers are designed primarily to gather up wayward tee shots on par 4 and par 5 holes; they are located to the sides of the fairway or even in the middle of the fairway.
Greenside bunkers are designed to collect wayward approach shots on long holes and tee shots on par 3 holes; they are located near and around the green.
Waste bunkers are natural sandy areas, usually very large and often found on links courses; they are not considered hazards according to the rules of golf, and so, unlike in fairway or greenside bunkers, golfers are permitted to ground a club lightly in, or remove loose impediments from, the area around the ball.
Bunny decided to stay way away form the water
Bunny decided to change clubs...
The dam was loaded with birds
We are glad that birds cannot read!
They had a nice grass barrier around the lakes... Saves a load of balls!
"Hey guys! My ball went into the little hole also!!"
That called the "Happy Dance"
Sue popped it right into the hole also
She is smiling... Must be another par
Ta Dah!
The girls thinks its funny when James and Paul play golf
The hawk was 150 up on the high tension lines
"Take me to the next hole... James"
James got his drivers training from the chimp
Beating the heck out of the sand
Heading for the tunnel
There they go in a cloud of dust
James decided to visit the alligator
Golf is relaxing... So it says
Paul keeps it under 60 mph
Only one person on the bridge at a time
Bunny decided to walk backwards???
This is a weight test for the bridge.... We did hear some strange creaking sounds
Bird watching
The three-par was over the water... and we made it
The waterfall was quite pretty and loud
The coastal clouds were beginning to come in
James rocks the boat
More sand????
Look out... here comes the ball and five pounds of sand
Jackets on... The temperature began to fall rapidly
Interesting shadows
You could see the clouds roll in
Bunny visits the ducks and finds the ball Paul thought went into the lake
The houses were right on the course
"Paul... I found the ball"
Whose ball is this? Duh! Paul planted it on the hill
James is very encouraging
Right in front of the 100 inch TV
Swapping stories of the day
We walked out to visit the patio and were greeted by a neat waterfall
...and we were NOT invited???
Where are the marshmallows when we need them??
Awaiting our carriage
OK... Which clubs shall we take??
