For friends, family and the random search engine visitor. This blog started as an experiment in mobile blogging from my Palm TREO 600, 700, Prē, HTC Evo, Samsung 5, Pixel 3, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL. Now it serves as a simple repository of favorite activities. Expect bad golf, good fishing, great sailing, eating, drinking, adventure travel, occasional politics and anything else I find interesting along the way including, but not limited to, any of the labels listed here...
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Last year I participated in the SF Mayor's Cup Charity Golf Tournament. It was favorite event of Mayor Ed Lee and supported a variety of great charities and causes.
We lost Mayor Ed Lee but, out of respect for his memory and all the good that he did, the tradition continues with the Mayor Ed Lee Legacy Golf Tournament:
"The Mayor Ed Lee Legacy Golf Tournament is a golf and fundraising event to benefit the Asian Law Caucus, the San Francisco Mayor's Women's Golf Council and other nonprofit organizations and causes that were important to the late Mayor Ed Lee. Ed had chosen October 13th at Harding Park as the date and site of what would have been the 2018 SF Mayor’s Cup. While we are still saddened by his passing, it seemed fitting that we hold a tournament in his memory as a chance to gather together and celebrate his legacy of supporting nonprofits that he had demonstrated through the SF Mayor’s Cup charity golf tournaments."
I was privileged to again participate and represent the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance as a sponsor. I was, of course, showing our colors:
It's a scramble format, our foursome had a clean card with no bogeys and 7 birdies.
Not enough to medal, but playing with Jason, Rich and Fred was great fun and enough for me to get a sense of what it's like to not be a bad golfer. Highly motivational.
No minimum drive requirement, so our ringers Fred and Jason provided the power
Rich's precision approach shots got us out of jail
The headline in the 11-22-2017 Pacifica Tribune last week tells the story: "Sharp Park sea wall OK'd". I'd link to the story itself, but either they have not posted it on-line or I can't figure out how to find it. The article is a good summary of the recent California Coastal Commission decision granting a permit to the City of San Francisco to maintain and improve the Sharp Park sea wall. Some excerpts:
"The California Coastal Commission, recognizing the importance of the Sharp Park Sea Wall in protecting both Pacifica's historic golf course and the adjacent neighborhoods, has approved a permit to preserve and maintain the structure, including it's rip-rap armoring...
Commission Chair Dayna Bochco... asked Commission staff what would be the likelihood of the surrounding neighborhoods being flooded without the protection of the sea wall. District Director Dan Carl said, "It's a 100 percent certainty if the berm wasn't there... you would open up a whole new can of worms with respect to Highway One and the residential neighborhoods surrounding the golf course"...
The sea wall created a fresh-water habitat in the Laguna Salada and surrounding wetlands which are now home to two species protected under the EPA."
For anyone with a lick of common sense, this seemed an obvious outcome. You need only to look at what the Sharp Park sea wall protects:
The choice is simple - either maintain the sea wall, or play Russian roulette every winter waiting for an El Nino bullet to:
Flood Pacifica neighborhoods
Flood Highway One
Salt poison the managed freshwater habitat of Laguna Salada - home to the endangered California Red Legged Frog and San Francisco Garter Snake
Flood the affordable recreational resource and important historic public golf course - Alister MacKenzie's Sharp Park masterpiece.
The Coastal Commission decision was made, but San Francisco Rec & Park repair and reinforcing work of the sea wall is yet to begin. The consequences of a breach would be devastating to the community, endangered species, and Pacifica civic fiscal fortunes. To borrow a phrase: Winter is Coming.
We got lucky last year. The Pacific storm bullets are loaded in the chamber and the cylinder is spinning. Any Pacificans in favor of sea wall work starting before old man winter pulls the trigger might want to attend the Monday November 27 Pacifica City Council meeting and comment on Item 11:
"11. Resolution supporting the City and County of San Francisco for Sharp Park Golf Course facility berm and maintenance repair and improvements, and incorporating flood mitigation, report, resolution."
It should be an easy decision - right? Well, it should've been an easy decision for the Coastal Commission, yet 3 of the 12 Commissioners argued against granting the permit. The Pacifica City Council should send a strong, clear message to San Francisco stessing the importance and urgency of maintaining the berm now.
This is not a hypothetical concern. We know what will happen if the sea wall is breached. We know because it happened before. The smaller un-reinforced berm that preceded the existing structure was over-topped by the 1982-83 El Nino storms. We know the population of endangered California Red-Legged frogs living in the managed fresh water Laguna Salada habitat was devastated by the berm failure. In a "My Turn" letter published in the same Pacifica Tribune edition cited earlier, Pacifica resident Robine Runneals explains exactly what happened to neighborhoods in this excerpt:
Robine Runneals
"Since the mid-1970's I have owned a home in Pacifica's West Sharp Park neighborhood. I live west of the Coast Highway, south of City Hall, and a block and a north of the golf course. When the Sharp Park levee wall breached in 1983, you could paddle a kayak to the foot of my street. Linda Mar flooded too that year. References are made to the sea wall, but to Pacifica locals it's the Sharp Park levee.
With this in mind, on Nov. 8 I drove to Bodega Bay with a friend who lives in Fairway Park, to testify at the California Coastal Commission's hearing on San Francisco's application for a permit to maintain, repair, and add trail improvements to the Sharp Park levee. As homeowners we spoke in favor of keeping the levee -- in addition to protecting our neighborhoods, it also protects the golf and its wetlands and frogs and snakes, and serves the Coastal Trail between the Pacifica Pier and Mori Point. It's all good."
I also attended the California Coastal Commission November 8 meeting in Bodega Bay to speak in favor of the seawall permit approval. Supporters included the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, other Pacifica residents, and community advocates. Among them, Paul Slavin:
Paul Slavin
"I’m a resident of Fairway Park in Pacifica, which is adjacent to the Sharp Park golf course. The golf course and hundreds of my neighbors have been protected for decades by the embankment guarding the western side of the golf course. The anti-golf extremists for years have objected to the maintenance of the levee in the hopes that the deterioration of the berm would result in the destruction of the golf course. If that happens, the Fairway Park neighborhood would also face destruction. The extremists contended some years ago that smaller dikes or levees, placed closer to the residences, would provide protection. But while they would like to see the existing embankment begin deteriorating right now, and have advocated for its removal for years, no plans have been made for the replacement dikes. No research, no engineering, no funding, no real thought about that. It looks to me like the Republicans’ plan to replace Obamacare, which was never actually a real plan. The loss of the levee at Sharp Park and the sea wall to the north would be devastating to Pacifica. I urge the Commission to support the strengthening, the armoring, and the regular maintenance of whatever structure is necessary to protect our community.”
In my humble opinion, this permit approval was even more important for Sharp Park than the SF Board of Supervisors Natural Resource Plan approval last spring. At the hearing for the resulting permit approval commissioners learned why any notion of "managed retreat" permitting the erosion of the berm/seawall is unrealistic, would invite catastrophic devastation and is simply not feasible. This was confirmed by Coastal Commission District Director Dan Carl as noted in the Pacifica Tribune article at the top of the page (100% probability of the neighborhoods flooding without the sea wall), as well reports by the staff of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department who are responsible for maintaining the Sea Wall.
Spencer Potter of San Francisco Rec and Park:
Spencer Potter
"Managed retreat was one of the alternatives that was looked at under the six alternatives that we provided in the analysis to the Coastal Commission. And we found managed retreat at this time to be infeasible for several reasons – both the cost it would take to move the golf course and the habitat and the amenities and I mean even the residential areas that might be at risk – inland, would be enormous. Additionally, as discussed earlier, moving the endangered species habitat raises a variety of issues related to whether you can even do that... "
Net.. net ... This was an extremely positive outcome. 30+ years of screwed up permitting for the sea wall by the City of San Francisco was cleared away in a stroke. A solid pragmatic vote by the Coastal Commission confirmed that San Francisco must continue to maintain and improve the existing sea wall to protect the course, habitat, and neighborhoods. The common sense decision to maintain the seawall is set for the foreseeable future. We just need the work to get done sooner rather than later.
Addendum:
That November 8 Coastal Commission hearing was great local political drama, and a video can be viewed at Cal Span [LINK HERE]. The Sharp Park Hearing is Agenda Item No. 9 (CDP 2-17-0702), starting at 1:01:05 and lasts about 90 minutes. Commission Chair Bochco’s exchange with Director Carl can be found at 2:27:25 – 2:28:49). Someday I may edit a few clips to post here. Someday.
I attended the Pacifica City Council meeting and said my peace, as did a number of Pacifica residents and advocates for common sense. I wanted the Council to see the first two minutes of this video with highlights from the Sharp Park sea wall Coastal Commission hearing. Unfortunately, computer display facilities were not available, so I'll post it here:
The entire video is about 15 minutes and features the issues highlighted in this post: Commissioner Bochco saying she opposes sea walls in general, but supports a sea wall like Sharp Park protecting habitat and structures; SF RecPark's Potter stating the sea wall is necessary to protect the endangered species habitat, discussing the staff analysis of alternatives like "managed retreat" and finding it insane (my words not his - he used "infeasible"); Commissioner and progressive SF Supervisor Peskin stating that we cannot ignore the existing assets protected by the Sharp Park seawall; Commissioner Groome outlining the cultural and fiscal importance of the golf course and park to the city of Pacifica; Residents of Sharp Park and Fairway Park pleading for protection of their neighborhoods.
All's well that end's well:
The City of Pacifica will be on the record with a letter to leadership in the City of San Francisco expressing the need and urgency to begin work on long deferred Sharp Park sea wall maintenance before the winter storms.
Common sense and rational practicality carried the day by a narrow 3-2 vote.
But... Pacificans - you still have two votes that just don't have any concern or see any urgency about the possibility of winter storms breaching the Sharp Park sea wall. So there's that.
The tournament is 4 person team scramble. Lisa and I were teamed with Mike and Jay of CourseCo and Boundary Oaks.
It was a fun day, helped by shots of Patron provided by an unnamed female member of our foursome. As far as the golf is concerned, our group made judicious use of paid mulligans and "magic putts" to post a a respectable 62. I think we finished 3rd in the "Co-Ed" flight. Some pics from a fun day:
Lisa stripes one off the tee
Found a fellow Cubs fan. We shared a celebratory shot for the World Champs
Jay's approach shot while Lisa looks on
I believe Mike's approach was inside Jay's
Mayor Lee presents the trophies:
The winning Co-Ed team. I'm not saying they had a ringer, but that's
The Alister MacKenzie Benefit Tournament to Save Sharp Park is an annual event that just gets better Every year the local Pacifica community, Bay Area golfers, MacKenzie enthusiasts around the world, and golfing notables gather to support our muni diamond in the rough. With no lawsuits pending and a major political win in the rear view mirror, there was definitely a more optimistic tenor to the proceedings.
The day started cool, grey, and foggy - which is to say - a typical Pacifica day. But the fog burned off by mid afternoon and we finished the round in Malibu-like sunshine.
Brad, Other Bob, and Stuart filled out our foursome. We actually finished respectably - 3 under in the Scramble format - mostly on the strength of (mostly) Stuart's eagle on 9.
Sure our 3 under par was 15 strokes behind the winners, but it's the first time my group has finished this format below par. So there's that.
What am I drinking?
That's better.
Some pics and highlights from a great day on the classic track:
Bob was doing a little tree pruning on the course.
This was a practice swing
My 240 yard tee shot, looking back at the tee toward Bob's far shorter tee shot.
Bob working his way out of the trees
Brad analyzes the break on 15th green
The day wrapped up with a great buffet and a few inspirational words about the status and future of our favorite muni.
"On the San Francisco Peninsula there is a wealth of good golfing territory. The sand dune country owned by the Olympic Club, which although not so spectacular as that on the Monterey Peninsula, is the finest golfing territory I have seen in America... The municipal courses in San Francisco are far superior to most municipal courses. The newest, which we constructed at Sharp Park... has a great resemblance to real links land. Some of the holes are most spectacular." - Alister MacKenzie - Spirit of St. Andrews
It was the golden age of golf course design. San Francisco was eager to show off its magnificent new courses. Hoping to draw tourists to the City, golf was front and center as a primary attraction to entice visitors from afar. This full page ad from the December, 1933 edition of the Saturday Evening Post featured an illustration of Lincoln Park's 17th tee. As a golfer, or a San Franciscan, you've got to love the copy:
"Out on the very tip of the peninsula of San Francisco, right above the Golden Gate, there is a golf course. Playing there for the first time, you will have difficulty in keeping your mind on the game.
Up three holes you top the crest of the hill, crowned by the classic Palace of the Legion of Honor. And suddenly there bursts upon you the wide sweep of the blue Pacific.
Below the steep cliff that edges the fairway are the famous Seal Rocks and the Cliff House. Straight out thirty miles in shadowy outline, the Farallon Islands. And still on, a thousand leagues beyond the horizon, your mind may picture the Isles of the Pacific and the Oriental lands to which this port of San Francisco has always been the gateway. South along the Coast for miles white-topped breakers roll in on the sandy beach, beside which run bridle paths and the Great Highway.
Northward, you look squarely across the Golden Gate to Lime Point and the Marin hills, dominated by the purple bulk of Mount Tamalpais. Pausing, looking over the sea and the city, you may recall James Bryce's comment that San Francisco; "like Constantinople and Gibraltar, combines a perfect landscape with what might be called an equally imperial position," noting that "the city itself is full of steep hills rising from the deep water; the air keen, dry and bright, like the air of Greece, and the waters not less blue. Perhaps, you will agree, "it is this air and light, recalling the cities of the Mediterranean, that make one involuntarily look up to the tops of these hills for the feudal castle or the ruins of the Acropolis."
Well, a long look, a deep breath of the sea-tanged air, and back to the pleasant business of smacking a golf ball down the green fairways. Each tee is a new glorietta with a new view of ocean, Golden Gate, or city. And as you reach the final holes, the town, spreading tier on tier, up over the hills, seems fabulous and magical in the rosy glow of the ending day. Later, ruddy with the tonic of San Francisco's out-of-doors and with the spray of the sea seemingly still in your nostrils, you are ready fora typical San Francisco evening..."
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel after a round at Lincoln. I just can't wait to use the word "glorietta" with my foursome.
But that's exactly how to promote San Francisco as a golf destination. The hi-tech start-up hype from our SOMA marketeers had nothing on those depression-era promoters. Still - some of the copy is today quaintly out-of-date:
"Come by train, automobile, steamer or plane. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the nominal cost of living here."
If you come to San Francisco today, you may not be pleasantly surprised at the "nominal cost of living", but for a nominal fee, you can still enjoy our extraordinary and historic public courses.
The disclaimer in the final two lines of the ad are amusingly and recognizably "San Francisco". The writers wanted to make a clear distinction between those who were welcome and those the City would prefer to see visiting elsewhere...
"While attractions for the tourist are unlimited it is necessary to advise those seeking employment not to come at this time, lest they be disappointed."
We still look to tourist largess to fund our City government extravagance.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
