Classic Club, R.I.P.

Larry Bohannan reports The Classic Club's role as a now-former Bob Hope Classic venue. About that name...oh, sorry:

The change in courses was necessary given PGA Tour pros' increasing and sometimes vocal criticism that Classic Club could be too windy during the event's January dates.

“For the good of the tournament, to protect the field, we felt like we ought to react,” said John Foster, longtime board member of the Hope tournament.

The course changes help to centralize the Hope as a La Quinta tournament. In addition to the Nicklaus course, the Palmer Private Course at PGA West will again be used and will serve as the site of the Sunday-only pros round.

The Nicklaus Private will be a real player favorite too! Wait until they bounce a shot off the rocks Jack put in front of the greens.

Love this doublespeak:

“The Berger Foundation understands the rotation adjustment for the 50th anniversary tournament and is anticipating added events for the Classic Club that will add financial support for valley charities along with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic event,” said Ron Auen of the Berger Foundation in a statement announcing the course changes.

For a good chuckle, you might want to go back and relive some of the finer moments in Classic Club lore.

There was Bohannan's claim that the wind there wasn't any different than at Harbour Town and that everyone was just nutty not to love the place.

Tim Finchem praised the place for providing the facilities to "effectively market the tournament." Yep that was some marketing centerpiece. Good call Tim!

And there was Tod Leonard quoting Hope Tournament Director Mike Milthorpe at length about how wind was no different at the Classic Club than the other courses

Then there was the $500,000 they sunk into this ship and the PGA-qualified course debate.

And finally, there was this today from Bohannan which belongs on The Classic Club's tombstone:

Know this about Classic Club. It's a very good golf course. From tee to green, the course flows well, challenges golfers with hills and lakes and bunkers and has features like pine straw that aren't duplicated on any course in the desert.

Comments

[RM]

Hills, lakes, bunkers...and even pine straw. CC has it all!

[Chuck]

Geoff are you going to put a notch on your computer keyboard?

Good riddance to that place. It even looked horrible on tv.

[Terry]

Now all they have to do is lose the 4-day pro-am.

[Ed Pattermann]

"FEATURES LIKE PINE STRAW"?????????

That made me laugh out loud!

[The La Habra Art Department]

The saddest part about this place is that it was one some pretty nice dune-land which, if played the right way could have ultilized the wind in better situations as far as a routing was concerned.

The day I heard that Palmer had this land, I was convinced then the Valley had no "Hope" for a truly "GREAT" golf course.....

This is what happens when you put great land in the hands of a politician--and that is exactly what Arnold Palmer is in the Valley. Using his name for political clout and mite.

They deserve what they got.