PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The headline on this blog uses the word “interesting.”   But, if there was more room, I also could add the phrase, “tough to get to.”  Or, perhaps, one trip there is enough.

That’s Rams Hill.

It is a renowned course in Borrego Springs, about an hour and a half south and west of La Quinta, California.

I joined three friends to head to Rams Hill earlier this week and found the experience to illustrate this:  Fun to go there once; not necessarily worth the trip again.  Plus, for what it’s worth, I didn’t see any rams on the way or at the destination.

That’s nothing against the course.

It is an excellent track designed by eminent designer Tom Fazio.  It is composed of interesting holes that test all elements of your game, to fairly short, but penal, par 3s; to par 4s, without huge distance requirements; to par 5s which require various shots required to get into the best place to go for the greens.

In other words, playable.

When I was at Rams Hill, it was not in the best shape because, the superintendent told me, the over-seeding earlier in the fall did not work exactly as planned.  So, there were splotches of sand and dirt in the fairways.

But, that unfortunate fact did not deter from the enjoyment of golf.

Getting to Rams Hills is tough.

Tough in the sense that a substantial portion of the roads to Borrego Springs, the town where Rams Hills is located, were paved once, but not recently.  Rutts.  Hills and bumps.  Deep holes.

At one point, the SUV in which I was rounding bounced off the ground – and so did I…at least off my seat up to the ceiling of the vehicle.

From La Quinta, you travel first on decent roads heading south through farmland with a variety of crops – carrots, lettuce, citrus and the ever-present palm trees.  The latter is a crop, too. 

Soon, you get to the Salton Sea, which, as the name implies, is full of salt, so full that the major fish type there, tilapia, are dying off.  There are a few resorts on the Sea, but based on a past trip there, you would not want to stay for along, if only because of the acrid salt smell.

From the Sea, you then head mostly west through a barren landscape marked by hills and valleys, the sort that attract off-roaders.  I saw hundreds of RVs camped out in the sand, often dragging off-road vehicle trailers behind them. 

On the day of our trip, it was about 70 degrees, but I cannot imagine what it would be like in the summer when temps climb to and above 100.  No trees.  No shade.  No nothing, except sand and dunes.  But, I suspect the RVs might still be there, though not in the same numbers as I saw this week.

We turned off before we got to Borrego Springs, which we saw in the distance.  It’s a small town, though the trip veterans I was with said there are good restaurants there, along with lodging, one of which is a 5-star venue.

I have a friend from Salem, Oregon who has a place in Borrego and, though I did not see him on this trip, I can imagine that what he has told me about the place is true.  It, he says, is dying because, as is the case even with other more-populated places in Palm Springs, it has difficulty attracting a younger crowd.  So, it is “aging out.”

Still, if you want privacy, if you want great hiking trails and if you want off-roading sites, Borrego Springs could be a place for you.  And, if don’t want to drive there, just take a small jets and or a helicopter if fit the category of the “rich and famous.”

Back to Rams Hill golf.

Golf Advisor Magazine raters called the course the “Best in the Country” in 2016.

Perhaps a bit of a stretch these days, but here’s a quote from the club’s website:

“A scenic Tom Fazio layout resurrected with the help of one of the industry’s hottest up-and-coming design teams.  Eighteen holes that inspire shot-making creativity.  Immaculate course conditions and comfortable pace of play.  Luxury overnight accommodations both on property and with our partner resort.  Tantalizing meals, cold beer, rich wine and hearty spirits.

“Enjoy pleasant fall and warm winter weather.  Colorful, expansive outdoor spaces.  After-golf fun and games, including a simulator loaded with America’s other best courses.  Acres of surrounding terrain to explore.  Even high-flying helicopter service.

“Most importantly, fill yourself an indelible sense of place and hospitality that turns any visit into a vacation.  Stay and play for a day, a week or a lifetime.  Bring your spirit of adventure. We’ll provide the fun.”

There is a reader of this blog, who keeps track of all the courses he has played in his “golf career.”  So do I – my golf career, that is — and now I have a new one to add to my list – Rams Hill.

And, if my friend wants to duplicate my feat, I’ll take him there despite the tough trip, so he, too, can play the course and add it to his list.