Palmer's Passion Makes Something From Nothing
The King Transforms A Dusty Vineyard Into
A Scottish Links Course At Rancho Cucamonga's Empire Lakes.
By Eric Tracy
Eric@TheMulliganMan.com
 As
a golf course designer, Arnold Palmer seems to love desert
golf. His Coachella Valley designs include PGA West, The Tradition
and Mission Hills. Or, maybe the legendary Palmer just loves
the challenge of making a golfing oasis out of a dry piece
of land. Empire Lakes Golf Club in Rancho Cucamonga is 75-miles
west of "the desert," but again Arnie took a piece of arid
land and turned it into a golf course challenging enough for
a stop on one of the pro tours.
WARMING UP:  Empire
Lakes used to be flat grape fields basically in the middle
of nowhere. The current home of the Inland Empire Open on
the Buy.Com Tour is Arnold Palmer's vision to make this place
something more than farmland. That meant pushing around more
than a million cubic feet of earth to create this very interesting
links-style layout. That fact alone frankly boggles the mind.
How did he do it? As the course name implies, there's plenty
of water to deal with - four lakes that come into play on
six holes, and the imposing San Gabriel Mountains creates
a unique backdrop to most of your shots.
MY FAVORITE HOLES:
- No. 7, 206-yard par 3 (3 handicap): First question; which
green are you shooting at? Take notice, it's the one on
the left. The other, the 18th green, is connected as it
wraps around the edge of the lake. Second question; how
to clear the blue stuff? They say it's even tougher in the
afternoon when the headwind and setting sun have to be factored
in.
- No. 9, 432-yard par 4 (1 handicap): A two-tiered green
is just the last thing you gotta take into account. First,
it's the blind tee shot that plateaus about 250 yards out.
Then there's the lake on the left that's only six yards
away from the edge of the green. Stay right, stay dry, don't
cry.
- No. 12, 460-yard par 4 (6 handicap): Welcome to the "Palmer
Power Chute,'' a piece of real estate on the right side
of the fairway just over the mound that, if caught correctly,
will give you plenty of roll and make the approach shot
the envy of the others in your group who somehow went too
far left and stayed with the percentages. Only problem,
it'll take about 280 yards to reach the chute. Aw,
shoot.
- No. 18, 517-yard par 5 (8 handicap): They say this has
been named the "Best Par 5 in the Inland Valley," and they
gotta know something. It's an optical illusion off the tee--aim
at the three small palm trees straight ahead. The big boys
will take a short cut over the bigger palms on the right,
but that's not so wise. After clearing the cart path, it's
a whole new hole with a fairway that slopes toward the water
- thanks for that - and a bunch of giant finger bunkers
on the right. And remember, it's the "other" flag you're
shooting at, not the one on No. 7.
WILDLIFE ALERT: We looked for the a pack of coyotes
that keep a den near the rocks off the 10th tee….for about
as long as I look for a lost ball, seconds. I admit, I didn't
venture too far into the quarry to verify.
DID YOU KNOW: General Dymanics, the giant defense
contractor, actually created the property and runs it. War
may be hell, but in peace they putt.
COOL PERKS I: A lighted driving range isn't something
you often see at a course on this end of the fee scale, but
it sure comes in handy. This one is open ended - it can be
used on both sides - and it also has a dandy chipping green.
Some find it worth buying an annual driving range pass of
$1,200 to use any time.
COOL PERKS II: The more you play, the less you pay
at Empire Lakes. Like frequent flyer programs, Empire Lakes
will reward you if you play often with three annual membership
programs that dramatically bring down the price of play. The
Player Program ($225/year) gets you twilight rates in broad
daylight on certain days. The Club at Empire Lakes Program
($925/year) extends the perks to seven days a week. The Palmer
Program ($4,500/year) gives you the "country club" benefit
of playing all the golf you want without ever reaching into
your pocket again. Membership has its privileges.
DON'T FORGET: You're just down the street from some
fun minor-league baseball, the Rancho Cucamonga Earthquakes
who play at the Epicenter. Consider golf and a baseball game
one day…and invite me along.
 SUMMING
IT UP: What a testimony to what can be borne out of otherwise
used-up land. The Palmer "finger bunkers" may be the most
interesting aspect - they don't have the high lips that others
do, and under the right conditions, such as a fast downhill
green, you can putt out of this sand because there's nothing
that'll keep the ball in. Empire Lakes might look like a place
to spend a causal round of smack-n'-giggle, but the gorse
grass around the edges and other thick rough will sober you
up pretty fast - you gotta stay true to the fairways. One
more note: they'll ask you to keep the carts on the fairways
because it's much more firm than the rough. That's only going
to help your game.
Eric
Tracy
The
Mulligan Man
Eric@TheMulliganMan.com
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