I know that the blog hasn’t been updated for the better part of two months. While I’d like to say I’ve missed out on a nice early start to the season with all of the courses locally enjoying a bumper start to the season, we all know that this isn’t the case. So let’s review the last two months:
Not even cart path only today.
-The end of January and all of February were butt-ass cold. I’ve looked longingly at my bag, whispering sweet nothings at it and hoping that sooner than later I’d be taking it from its spot in the family room to my car where it will hopefully get heavy usage. Plus, it snowed. A lot. At least my hounds got to enjoy a few runs in the snow, and the snow blower I bought for Black Friday (online) got broken in (the electric snow blower is the way to go- no dealing with gas and oil…just plug and go).
Best putting aid ever.
-I switched jobs, which was a six week odyssey of interviews with my new employer before finally handing in my notice to my now former employer. Not that the weather was going to allow so much as a trip to the range but any thoughts of this vanished pretty quickly. I took a week off in some fantasy of at least being able to hit the range. We had two ice storms and a snow storm that gave us 10″ of snow here in the Ho Co. Clearly someone was mad at me.
-Making things even better my laptop’s hard drive crashed. My relationship with inanimate objects is, at best, not very good and at worst we’re not on good terms. Luckily SWIRIC (she who is really in charge) knows people who are far, far better equipped at these kinds of things than I am. I finally got my laptop back, and after a couple challenges, it’s up and running.
-My new job required me to be in Texas to start my job. Any dreams or fantasies of sneaking out for a quick nine evaporated as I landed. I didn’t so much as leave the hotel to breathe fresh air. My room did, however, have a lovely view of the Jerry Dome in Arlington, TX and the surrounding landscape (fast food restaurants, an amusement park, and an interstate highway). So there was that. Luckily, the week I was in Texas happened to correspond with a crap-ton of snow melting here, so when I returned the snow had mostly vanished. Happy to be of assistance.
-On the PGA Tour, I watched Tiger WD at Torrey Pines and he hasn’t been seen or heard from since. I’m not a Doctor so I don’t know what his health is like (or his mental state), and the talking heads who continually speculate…just stop. He’ll start playing when he decides to, and his results will speak for themselves.
-The LPGA Tour has finished its Australasian leg of its tour and is back on US soil. I’ll say it again- if you get a chance tune in or go to an event.
-In News You Can Use, Sligo Creek, Laytonsville, Northwest Park, Hampshire Greens and Little Bennett are open. So think Spring!
-If you need a boost to get into spring, just click below and let Jim Nantz “Hello, Friends” you into your happy place.
As I settled in last night to watch the (allegedly) drunken debauchery that was the NHL All Star Fantasy Draft (starting in 2011 the league skipped their old East/West and North America/World formats and chose teams via fantasy draft), I took away a few things- for one, it looked like everyone was having fun, and two- why can’t the PGA Tour do something similar?
If Tiger Woods was doing this the Internet would explode
So armed with that idea, a piece of paper, a pen, and a barely functioning brain, I came up with a plan- the 1st Annual LPGA-PGA Tour All Star Weekend!
We have a trade to announce…see ya Phil.
Each Tour selects their best 12 players. Players that are nominated but decline are deducted FedEx Cup points/CME Globe points. Players that show up get the equivalent of a top 10 finish in a marquee event and guaranteed status for two years (same as winning an event).
Take one of the spring events. For some reason I keep thinking Dallas would be a great “first option”…some time in April (after the Masters in that nine week period between the Masters and the US Open).
Pick two playing captains…don’t overthink it. Mickelson and Woods? Sure! Think high profile. Have fun with it.
Each team picks 12 players (6 men, 6 women). You know…like, oh, I don’t know…the Solheim, Ryder, and Presidents Cups? Have the “draft” on television. I’m dead certain the Golf Channel would show it. Allow a trade? Hell yes! Encourage drinking? Oh hell yes! Have Feherty or someone similar act as emcee. When they go on stage they get their team bag and shirt (you make up bags for each team…the unused ones get raffled off for The First Tee or Donors Choose (have fans vote among a few selected charities). The last player picked gets a car.
Format? Team format, obviously. Day one (Friday)- everyone plays one round of fourballs (teams are one man/one woman). Day two (Saturday)? everyone plays one round of foursomes (alternate shot). Day three (Sunday)? Match play. Have the women play the odd numbered games, the men the even (so women take slots 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, the men 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). Tied? Putting contest on the 18th green as to who can make the longest putt. I’d chop down the rough. We’re encouraging birdies and eagles here.
Nobody has to play 36 holes in a day. The winning team gets FedEx/CME Globe points. Shit, I’d let ’em ride carts if they want to. I’d even let it be known quietly that a little on-course wagering won’t offend anyone’s tender mercies. Everyone at this event is wearing a mic.
But what of tradition, you say? Please. You’re telling me that a tournament wouldn’t want this in lieu of a pedestrian 72-hole event? People would buy tickets and quite happily (in fact, my guess is that a lot of places would be happy to host something like this).
It’s still golf. Would you like to see, say, Rickie Fowler and Michelle Wie as teammates for a day or some tournament that nobody cares about?
Besides, isn’t the whole point of this to be entertaining?
As I will often do, I have debates in my head about things. Am I wearing pants, for example? Should I wear them or should I have no pants day? What should I have for dinner? And how do I turn two conversations 8 months apart into something meaningful, or should I split them up?
Sure- I could spend my commute time listening to podcasts and thinking of how to make the world a better place. Instead, this is what I think about. Well, that and scotch. And the Maple Leafs’ annual descent into complete shit show, paused momentarily by the firing of Randy Carlyle, who will be best remembered by this moment of brilliance last December during HBO’s 24/7:
If you’re scoring at home, that’s Toaster 1, Carlyle 0. And people wonder why I drink like I do.
So anyway, in lieu of two separate blogs, I’ve combined two separate interviews into one super-duper blog post.
Steve (not his real name) has been playing for less than five years, and I’d estimate his handicap at 18-20. We play occasionally, and he gets around pretty well but gives up strokes around the green (in other words he’s like most of you). He got bit by the golf bug like many of us, and he’s now at that healthy level of obsession that is so endearing; sadly with Golf Channel now showing “golf” he’s missing out on staying up until 3:00 a.m. to watch infomercials (in my younger days I had a sexual tryst while the Perfect Club infomercial was on- I feel like there should be some kind of award for this, but we digress). Now that some of you are possibly vomiting, I’ll steer back to point.
Sally (not her real name) has been playing for 10+ years. I’ve seen her at the driving range a few times, and like me, she shows up, hits her bucket and is on her way (I’ve seen her get bothered on several occasions while she’s hitting balls). I’m not sure she was particularly thrilled that I approached her in the pro shop to ask her about golf (at least initially) but she soon realized I had no motive other than her two cents on the state of golf.
Me: One of the things people often cite when asked why they don’t play golf is the cost. You’re not a millionaire. Did this bother you?
Steve: Not really; my first set of clubs were used, I got them cheap, paid a few bucks to get them re-gripped and I was off. I found that by looking around and looking for value and sales, I could find stuff fairly cheaply.
Me: The other thing you hear is that new golfers are intimidated by more experienced golfers. Any issues?
Steve: Not really…never encountered any issues from other golfers. Most other golfers just want to get around and shoot good scores.
Me: Other than spending time outdoors, why did you take up the game?
Steve: I wanted a new experience. I wanted an opportunity to meet people, take up a new hobby, and be able to mix business in with what I do. And what they say is true- golf is a great place to conduct business, or at least get to meet new people.
Me: What issues did you encounter as a novice/beginner?
Steve: By far pace of play was the biggest issue. If you can keep up and keep moving along nobody bothers you.
Me: Okay, so if you had $500 to spend right now on golf, what would you buy?
Steve: A new pair of waterproof shoes! Playing early means the courses are wet. I’d also invest in some more lessons; maybe a short game clinic or something like that. Before I buy anything I’d do research though. I don’t care about a particular brand; I’m looking for value.
Me: Neither of us will ever play on the Tour (Steve and I are roughly the same age), so why do you play?
Steve: Having those great holes make for a rewarding experience. It’s fun to see if you can beat your best-ever round. I can see why you love to play even though you drink way too much. I mean, does Johnnie Walker sponsor you or something?
Me: How long should a round of golf take?
Steve: No more than four hours.
Me: If you could give one piece of advice to newcomers, what would it be?
Steve: Take lessons and don’t be afraid to play from the forward tees.
My chat with Sally appears below:
Me: So how long have you been playing?
Sally: Over ten years. I played off and on and have gotten more serious about it in the last five years.
Me: I’ll admit I see you at the range quite a bit, and every time you’re hitting balls at least one or two guys will come up to you. I’ve wondered what they’re talking to you about?
Sally: Equal parts tips on my swing and seeing if they can help me.
Me: From afar it doesn’t appear to be the case.
Sally: It’s not. I just want to hit balls, work on my game, and unwind. Is that too much to ask?
Me: Not at all.
Sally: (tone slightly irritated) I’m not here looking to meet anyone. I want to work on my game and ideally be left alone. Why do you guys think I need your help?
Me: I don’t. That’s what PGA Professionals are for.
Sally: Thank you.
Me: When you play rounds do you get bothered?
Sally: It depends. If I’m playing with business colleagues, generally everything is fine, other than having to remind them at least a half-dozen times that I play from the forward tees even though I tell them before the first hole. Getting paired up with a group of guys can go fine or it becomes really frustrating?
Me: How so?
Sally: For one, ask me what set of tees I’m playing from…don’t assume. Two, I don’t want your advice on my swing, stance, or posture. Three, I don’t want your phone number. Four, don’t assume I’m going to pick up or that a putt is good. Why do guys assume that anything inside four feet is “good”?
Me: Because deep down four footers scare the crap out of us.
Sally: Me too, but I didn’t start playing to avoid this. Just let me either finish, mark it, or pick it up.
Me: Fair enough. I noticed you have a pretty big cart bag. Any reason?
Sally: The first set I bought had everything (bag, clubs, putter), and it was pink. I like the clubs but I don’t want or need a pink bag. So I bought a giant bag (which actually works out- I can leave my waterproof pants and jacket in it).
Me: How do you get treated at public courses?
Sally: Depends. If I’m part of a twosome or a foursome there’s generally no problems, but if myself and another woman join a twosome of guys it can be difficult.
Me: How so?
Sally: Your “great, we have to play with women” body language. The idea that you might have to wait for us to tee off. The look that somehow we take forever to play when it’s usually men who have to play from the tips that slow things up (guilty). I’m not saying you need to bow in front of us…just some basic courtesy is all. Oh, and maybe not hit on us.
Me: How often does this happen?
Sally: Only occasionally, but it still puts me off- it’s not like I’m paying any less or something. I’ve become used to it to some level, I suppose.
Me: Thanks for your time, and best of luck this year.
As we bid farewell to the 2014 season and look ahead to 2015, your friends at Single Golfer in Cart have a few wishes for the upcoming year in golf.
It’s a new year!
-Christmas is a great time for new clubs to find their way into one’s hands (and if I’m honest the new Titleist 915 woods look pretty good), and certainly, this means you’ll want to get to a driving range and get in a few wallops before taking them out on the course for the first time. So when you do go to the driving range, be respectful of those around you. If you’re a natural Chatty Charlie or Chatty Cathy, maybe don’t plop yourself next to people who are hitting balls quietly. Find a quiet end of the range and have at it.
-To that point, unless your last name is Haney, Pelz, or Harmon (and you’re a PGA Professional) avoid giving lessons to random strangers based on something you saw on The Golf Channel. Michael Breed looks and acts like a guy who teaches golf between doing meth; he’s also a licenced PGA Professional. You’re not.
Notice the lack of unsolicited advice
-My wish list would be incomplete without wishing for an early start to spring and a fall that allows courses to stay open and enjoy a fruitful year.
-If you’ve decided to take up the game, welcome to this wonderful game, and might I say you have great taste in golf websites! While learning the mechanics of the game is important, so is key fundamentals like pace of play and etiquette. Read up on these things. You can find cheap books (and even e-books) on golf etiquette. You’ll play better, have more fun, and make a ton of friends.
-I’d like to see local courses start enforcing a true time par relative to the day of week and time of day, and actually enforce it by speaking to groups. Helping people play faster helps the game as a whole.
-I’d like Fox Sports to decide if they’re serious about golf or not. Their initial foray into golf was a complete disaster, and the next time it’ll be at the US Open on a course that has never hosted a professional tournament.
-I’d like to see courses enforce a 2-minute time limit on lost balls, and a rule that if you carry one of those ball retrievers I can kick you in the raisins if you deploy it.
-Given the success that the NHL has had with the Winter Classic and outdoor games in general, I’d like to see the PGA Tour have an event that sets up to finish at night (they did this with the late 90’s/early 2000’s exhibition matches). I’ve played at courses that are lit for night play- it’s a different element. Spare me the sanctity of “oh, we can’t do that”…because that’s complete bullshit. Nobody is using a gutta percha ball anymore (hell nobody uses a balata ball anymore), and nobody uses persimmon woods. I’m not saying have a major do this…pick an event (Dallas or Phoenix come to mind), and have ’em finish at night under the lights.
-I’d like to see the USGA adopt bifurcation with respect to wedge grooves and the long putters. No other sport forces amateurs to play by the same rules as professionals.
-I hope that the final rounds of the four majors of the men’s tours all have excitement and drama, and it’d be nice to see Phil Mickelson finally win a US Open.
-Similar for the vastly-underrated LPGA Tour; I’d love to see Christina Kim win a major and Michelle Wie find a second major. Seeing both on the Solheim Cup would make for a must-watch event.
Let’s see this in 2015
-I’d like to see the Howard County courses pull their collective heads out of where they don’t belong, and embrace who they are. The county needs them. Looking at you, Timbers at Troy and Waverly Woods.
-I’d like to play several courses I haven’t played before…maybe I can finally get my way up to Bulle Rock.
-I’d like to have at least one round at 75 or lower.
-I’d like to make a hole in one.
-I’d like everyone to have their best year ever, and enjoy every round.
My new favourite music video featuring Paul Rubens (Pee Wee Herman) as a race car driver:
Look who’s all grown up…why that’s me! Thanks to some help from my crack research team, the site looks a bit different now. What’s that word? Oh yeah…more professional looking. Using what are called “tools” and “diagnostics” and fancy stuff like that, hopefully you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Bloge Salming is a sometimes-contributor with SGIC favorite Sean McIndoe, otherwise known as Down Goes Brown (by the way, if you like hockey and have a sense of humour his book makes a great holiday gift- even if you hate hockey and can’t read, the book makes a fantastic paperweight). His Brett Favre holiday video is still the stuff of genius…it may be a couple years old but it still makes me laugh (and that NHL.com uses this same music for their holiday commercial is a gift that keeps on giving); it’s not really the festive season until I hear this delightful missive.
Happy holidays. My second annual SGIC plays Santa is coming soon- just in time for Christmas!
I know that we’re in an era of instant judgement on happenings…and far too often (like almost always) that snap judgement isn’t correct.
Lumberg Making Sense. Mind Blown.
I’ll admit to not being much of a fan of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, but seeing the knives come out yesterday after his first round after his latest comeback…I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
This isn’t to say I think he’s going to win another major or five. I don’t. I think his body is breaking down on him, and other, younger players have come to the forefront. However, do I know this as fact? Of course not. He could still find lightning in a bottle for four days and win a major, especially if he ever gets going with the putter.
The golf talking heads were pretty quick to hit Twitter over this. I’ll spare you the details, but one of my larger complaints about Twitter is that it feels like we’re losing the ability to have any sense of perspective about anything. The guy who wins that week’s tournament is surely the greatest golfer going, and how it will propel him or her to winning multiple majors (seriously- watch Golf Channel on a Sunday night if you don’t believe me).
So maybe, just maybe, let’s not write that death warrant on Tiger Woods just yet. Let’s see what he does in full field Tour events, and more importantly weekend rounds in majors. Maybe he finds that formula.
Fast forward to Saturday morning, and the talking heads are talking about his body language. In a tournament with a very small invitation-only field. It’s not the old giggle-golf (courtesy to John Feinstein for coining that phrase) of 15-20 years ago but it’s close. Woods chooses to be very secretive with what he shares with the press. It’s his choice, and while he would help the game by being more open, ultimately he’s not beholden to anyone except his own interests.
And while we’re holding thoughts, I want to get something off my chest. As many of you know I follow hockey when not playing mediocre golf. One of the terms I hate is when people describe Twitter as “fill in name of activity” Twitter. So there might be Golf Twitter, Hockey Twitter, Politics Twitter, Men Who Like Toy Trains Twitter, and so on. My dislike is because it pigeonholes people into silos. I like people who have an array of interests- the people I follow on Twitter can talk about advanced stat metrics, the best cut of steak (either a bone-in ribeye, a Tri-tip or skirt steak if you want my opinion), beer/wine options, and the many and varied forms of what constitutes family (because in those pictures you can see the passion that they have for these things).
This past week a prominent blogger and a writer with the Denver Post were both fired for their behavior on social media, with most of it directed at women in the form of DM (direct messages) and things of that nature. I’ve followed this stuff all week, choosing not to weigh in because I’m not sure what my voice will bring to the conversation in the heat of the moment, and because I wanted to take a moment and think about what it is I wanted to say.
Reading numerous accounts of female hockey bloggers (most of whom could write me under the table and provide a welcome and needed voice; they’ve championed advanced statistics and their perspective is invaluable at growing the game) who’ve been subject to sexually inappropriate and unwanted DM’s and other garbage, I’ve been sickened by seeing things laid out, because (and this is where I’m more than a bit naive) I didn’t think people did stuff like this. It never occurred to me to do this- whatever opinions I have about someone’s views, I will tend to keep them to myself more often than not, and it never occurred to me to treat Twitter like a singles bar while acting like some stereotypical lecherous barfly.
A week of long nights at work has given me a chance to pause and think about all this. It’s not enough to talk the talk, it’s time to prove it. So, if you’re at a golf course and you’re paired up with a woman or two women, treat them like golfers above all else. Period. No flirting, no comments. no ogling and yes- this includes the beverage cart driver. If they don’t tell you what set of tees they’re playing from, ask them what set they will be playing from (you know, like you do with everyone else), and then remember it and drive to said tee box. Give them every courtesy you’d give someone else. Help them look for lost balls if they ask, or do the “need an extra set of eyes?” thing. Make them feel welcome- their money is every bit as good as yours. If you have a rangefinder/GPS and they don’t, offer to assist or let them use it. Don’t patronize them. When the round’s over, shake hands just like you would with everyone else. No speeches, a simple “thanks for the round, enjoy your day” will work just fine. At some point, someone helped each of us when we were novices. It’s time to pay it forward. It’s time to stop the nonsensical bullshit. They are our sisters, moms, daughters, girlfriends, wives, and in some cases, best friends. It starts with every single one of us. It starts with me.
Note: I’m not Stina Sternberg (whose monthly column in Golf Digest is a must-read), but having read her columns I’m trying do right (why she’s not on TV is beyond me- her voice and perspective would be a great addition to the landscape). Plus I know damn well she’s wipe the floor with me if we ever played a match.
If you feel the need to insult someone, please avoid using derogatory female terms especially if you’re the head of the USPGA and you’re feeling the need to have a go at someone.
You’ll find that “asshole” is gender neutral and works quite effectively. It’s the navy blue jacket of insults. Always works, never out of style.
Not enough? “Talentless Turd Wrangling Mouth Breathing Brainless Rube” works quite effectively.
We can do better.
Or better yet, try being…oh, I don’t know…clever and witty.
These are my kids. Do I love them? Oh hell yes. I’ll never take them to the golf course nor will I teach them the game, but they’re awesome 19th hole companions.
Molson and Kona ready for action
Molson and Kona. You guys rock.
If you do hit the links today with your dad (or your son), enjoy your round, but let’s keep things moving along. Save your moments for the 19th hole over a tasty beverage.
After two days in the searing heat of Paso Robles, our journey of the absurd took us approximately two hours south via US 101 into Santa Barbara; a trip that offers numerous ocean and mountain vistas. Santa Barbara is a coastal town right on the ocean. Unlike the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific tends to cool things down with prevailing onshore breezes.
Golf
Santa Barbara has a few options, but opting for a “taste of what you can’t get back home (always a preferred option when on the road)” I opted for the pricey yet scenic Sandpiper Golf Club, located just north of Santa Barbara (approximately 15-20 minutes north of downtown via car). Check-in was fairly perfunctory, but unlike most tracks, there’s no slip or bakery ticket to hand to the starter…the young man in the pro shop sent me on my way to an equally young starter who appeared to be young enough to be my offspring (if such a thing had happened). Range balls are included with your green fee (honestly when you’re paying $100 plus this should be automatic), and to their credit, the range was actual green grass, and not mats. So after a dozen or so swings to get the body warmed up (on a morning where the famous marine layer was in full effect), it was off to the first tee.
The course isn’t cheap, so saying Sandpiper is a value proposition would be a bit foolish, but much like in real estate, it’s all about location. An opening straight-forward par 5 offers a straight hitter a chance at a birdie; holes 2 and 3 are relatively benign. It’s not until 5 and 6 (4 and 5) that you start to sense where you’re at, when the Pacific Ocean vistas you’re paying for come into play.
5th hole @ Sandpiper
You’re started with an uphill par 5 that ends at the very edge of a cliff, followed by a short par 3 that punishes any leftward shots with a trip to a watery grave. Can’t imagine anyone who’d be dumb enough to hit a big ole hook into the Pacific Ocean. Surely you’d want to miss short or right…
Sandpiper #6. Note hazard left (closest point of relief is Catalina)
The back nine goes right into visual golf porn mode; the tenth is one of those holes where pulling out the camera is completely within reason; the ocean framing the short dogleg par 4.
From 10th Fairway @ Sandpiper
dogleg par 4 while 11 offers a downhill par 3 to a green that fronts the ocean.
Sandpiper #11. Avoid the guy sunbathing.
On a clear day (the day I played the marine layer was in full effect) you can see forever. A few more holes lead you to the finisher; a par 3 that requires a full carry over a lake.
18th hole @ Sandpiper. Over a lake.
There are other options; you could drive approximately 30-40 minutes up to Solvang/Buellton/Lompoc and play courses up there. While these tracks are lighter on your wallet, you won’t get the dramatic vistas on offer at Sandpiper. All in all I enjoyed my round (it definitely had a Torrey Pines feel to it in terms of design, layout, and the native flora) but would I put in on a must play list? Not so sure about that one. The clubhouse and pro shop aren’t exactly opulent, and other than the holes that front the ocean, there’s a lot of fairly boring holes of similar yardages. Did I have fun? Yes, but when I return to the area I’ll probably look for something in the Santa Ynez valley area just for a change of pace.
One minor quibble…they were punching greens the day I played. Their website had no notice of this. I am now convinced that there is a wild pack of crazy green-punchers who show up and punch greens at random courses. These people must be stopped.
Wine
Since SWIRIC enjoys the occasional tipple, the après golf activity of choice was wine tasting. If you like Pinot Noir, you’re in what is arguably the Pinot Noir capital of the US (people in the Williamette Valley part of Oregon might justifiably want a say on this but both regions are doing the good work). Options number in the hundreds. My list is by no means comprehensive nor definitive, but we hit Foxen (two different tasting rooms) and were met with incredibly fun and knowledgeable folks. After Foxen we hit Babcock, Melville, and Sanford. My wine palette pales in comparison to SWIRIC, but if you go, Sanford would be at the top of the list if you’re into Pinot Noir. If you’re really into the film ‘Sideways’ you can find an app that has all of the places in the area that they filmed at/were at (if you really want to nerd out Sanford was one of the locations).
One other pro tip- in Lompoc there’s a Wine Ghetto that’s only open on Sundays. We missed out, and while I made a stream of jokes about doing tastings of Mad Dog 20/20 and Thunderbird (why yes, the 2014 Thunderbird has delightful notes of high fructose corn syrup, urine, flop sweat, and just a hint of stale beer farts), it’s a real thing, and well worth your time.
Food
While no trip to Buellton would be complete with a trip to the Hitching Post II (the steaks are really good and the 2011 Highliner was a great wine once it opened up), there are other and less expensive options in Solvang (warning- the entire Solvang/Buellton area isn’t known for late nights so plan on making it an early night). The Solvang Brewing Company has good pub fare (and a selection of fine beers).
However, the real honest-to-god-if-you-ruin-this-place-I’ll-beat-you-with-a-bag-of-hammers culinary find was Los Agaves in Santa Barbara. Honestly I don’t know where to start. It’s casual. It’s packed. Parking can be a nightmare. You wait in line and order at a counter and grab a seat and they bring you your food. They have bottled beers if that’s your thing…plus fountain sodas. First, some tortilla chips, so go ahead and get a few samples of their many salsas (seriously they have about 8); SWIRIC was ready to steal whatever Salsa Aguacate (an avocado-based salsa) they had left, and that was before her shrimp and halibut enchiladas in chipotle cream pepper sauce (sounds funky but it’s oh-so-good). The shrimp tacos I had were easily the best tacos I’ve ever had (and let’s just say I’ve had a few). Topped with a mango salsa and cabbage slaw that normally I wouldn’t like…but this…oh, me likey. This place will never be on a concierge’s list of recommended hot spots, and the area isn’t exactly upscale. Their beer selection is the usual- Corona, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Tecate, etc. It’s just damn good Mexican food, done right. The crowd was about 98% locals, which is all you need to know. I may or may not have frightened the manager when I begged him to open an East Coast outpost.
All in all, Santa Barbara/Buellton/Solvang is a great place to visit if you like golf and wine. Just go easy on the tasting (one trick we found that worked was sharing a single tasting- we got to taste everything and no sobriety issues).
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