gmhTODAY 09 gmhToday July Aug 2016 | Page 100

it’s YOUR swing with Don DeLorenzo Women’s U.S. Open at CordeValle W hen the fi nest women golfers in the world descend on CordeValle July 4-10 th , it will be only the third time that the Women’s U.S. Open golf championship will have been played in California and the fi rst time it has been held in the Bay Area. The last time it was held in the area was 1982 and it was over 100 miles away! Whether you are a golfer or not, there are several reasons you want to make it out to CordeValle for this event. CordeValle is just simply a spectacular venue for this major championship. Since there will be no corporate hospitality tents on the golf course, you will get to see this majestic beauty in its natural setting. Combine this with the thrill of a national championship and it’s a must see. If you don’t want to spend all day on the course, catch a few holes of action in the morning and then venture off to enjoy the fine wines of the thirty-plus wineries that dot the landscape of the southern Santa Clara Valley. If you are coming to see the golf, CordeValle is very crowd friendly with many good routes and vistas to catch the action. For logistical reasons, the USGA has changed the route on the front nine slightly but the back nine remains the same. One of my favorite spots to catch the action will be hole 5 (originally 8). This is a hole with a lake to guard the approach and an amphitheater behind the green, which makes it a great place for the spectator. 100 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN Holes 7-8-9 (original 1-2-3), provide a nice circle to catch the action on a par 4, par 3 and par 5 and return you back to the main club area. Hole 15 is a good uphill walk but worth every bit of it. From the green, you’ll have a great look at the players’ approach shots and a panoramic view of most of the course and the entire valley. From there, just tag along with your favorite group and watch them finish their round on 16-17-18. For the pure golf spectator, I always recommend the practice range. You will see all the participants up close at any given time. Check the starter sheet for your favorite player and get to the range an hour or more prior to their tee time to see their warm up routine. You might even learn a few tips for your game! The players will be facing a very difficult venue in CordeValle. Besides measuring over 6700 yards for the cham- pionship, there are many elevation changes from subtle to severe. Hundreds of white sand bunkers line the fairways and guard the greens. Extensive mounding throughout the course will challenge the shot making of these fine players from the rough and around the undulating greens. There are very few holes where a shot can just “run up” onto the green, which will create the need for a lot of “drop and stop” shots. With the grass mowed to within one quarter inch around the greens, this will be no easy task. Add to this the thick U.S. Open rough that the USGA rolls out for their major championships, and you have a recipe for some great golf. JULY / AUGUST 2016 gmhtoday.com THE U.S. THE WOMEN ARE COMING!