This past Friday and Saturday, I was fortunate enough to attend my first PGA golf tournament. I golfed in the first annual Compass Cares Classic in Austin, Texas at Barton Creek last November, where we raised $75,000 for local charities. I enjoyed the tournament as well as connecting with colleagues across the country, but the Pro-Am was my first big tournament, and it exceeded my expectations. I've been to Pebble Beach many times, most recently for the 70th Annual Concours d'Elegance last August. Years ago, I produced a week-long conference at The Lodge at Pebble Beach for AMB Property LP, and really got to know the property well. I left San Francisco Friday morning at 5:00 am and was there in time to see Jordan Spieth and Jake Owen tee-off at Spyglass Hill. I also discovered that two of my long-time friends were golfing in the tournament.
Rather than shuttling between courses, or fighting the Spieth crowds, I met up with my friend Josh and followed him and his foursome around on Friday. Walking the entire course was good exercise, and a terrific way to see its layout. It was quite exciting to see them play, and of course, the front nine at Spyglass are some of the most beautiful holes in the world. The pros in his group were Austin Eckroat and Chan Kim - two terrific players. I think we'll see a lot more from them. Austin recently got engaged, and I enjoyed chatting with his fiancé, Sally. Chan Kim, though from South Korea, is currently golfing in the Japan Golf Tour. He attended Arizona State University, which is also my alma mater. According to Wikipedia, he's enjoyed 7 professional wins.
Saturday, I met up at the Pebble Beach course with a few members from my golf club, and we parked ourselves at the first green where we witnessed some incredible puts by Bill Murray, Jordan Spieth, and others. I had never walked the entire course at Pebble, and was pretty impressed by the 106-yard 7th hole, a par 3 right on the ocean. I met with several clients, checked in with my referral partner in Carmel, and was back in San Francisco in time for my open house in Mission Dolores on Sunday. I'm already excited for my next tournament!
