I need a break from dreary skies, so I looked through my files for a sunny picture. We're supposed to have sun today. Fingers crossed.I took this shot a couple of weeks ago, peeking through the fence at Brookside Golf Club north of the Rose Bowl Stadium. The stadium has been known to use the course as a parking lot.
I couldn't find much history of the course itself, but it's part of the Brookside Park complex, a Pasadena crown jewel containing the Rose Bowl, Kidspace Museum, miles of hiking trails and more.
Got any golf stories to pass the time until summer finally shows up?
If I haven't been to visit your blog lately, please give me some time to catch up.
Ann Erdman, Pasadena's Public Information Officer, added some terrific information in the comments. I quote her here:
Some history because I can't help myself:
With 36 holes (two 18-hole courses) in a beautiful, natural setting, Brookside Golf Course is continually listed among the top golf courses in California and among the top municipal courses in the nation.
With 36 holes (two 18-hole courses) in a beautiful, natural setting, Brookside Golf Course is continually listed among the top golf courses in California and among the top municipal courses in the nation.
Many people mistakenly call it Brookside Country Club, I presume because it as un-municipal-looking as a golf course could get. But it's owned by the City of Pasadena and membership is not required. In fact, if you live in Pasadena, you get a lower rate than outsiders if you play there.
It's also known as one of college football's greenest parking lots. In the areas where vehicles park during Rose Bowl games and major concerts, the irrigation pipes are situated much deeper under the ground so they don't get crushed. There's also the obligatory and very special turf management as a result of the parking.
The first of the two courses was designed by Billy Bell and constructed in 1928 at a time when organized recreation was becoming more and more popular in the Arroyo Seco. Since then, of course, the goal is to protect the Arroyo Seco from further development.
The PGA had a Pasadena Open at Brookside annually from 1929 to 1938, and the 1968 L.A. Open was at Brookside.
Since it is a publicly owned course, you can go into Brookside Clubhouse any time and look around at the memoriabilia, visit the pro shop and have a nice lunch in the restaurant with spectacular views.
The 3.3-mile Rose Bowl Loop goes around part of the property, intersecting between the two 18-hole courses. Walk around the loop with Mayor Bill Bogaard and special guests the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 a.m. (meet at Rose Bowl Stadium's Gate A).
18 comments:
No golf story, but I did park on their lawn to go to a soccer game at the Rose Bowl during the '84 Olympics.
Oh no Petrea, don't you go getting S.A.D. along with Boz.
Doesn't parking squish the grass??
Golf stories, me? LOL Never tried it. The whole of Israel has one golf course. For the rich and famous, I assume. (Uh oh, there I go again, assuming.)
Wishing you sun and soon.
I'm so sick of this weather. Love the picture!
That is a lovely shot, Petrea! Fore! I'm wondering about the grass squishing, too. I've never dabbled in golf. Hubby thinks it's a good walk spoiled. {Not that he walks, either.}
Really, Colleen? I moved to soCal in '88 and never realized until today that some of the games were held at the Rose Bowl. But of course!
Dina and Shell, one of those links makes reference to how this does not damage the grass. Go figure.
Hi magiceye! Thank you!
JJ, I really hope we get that sun today.
Lovely shot. There's a lot of melancholy floating around with this June gloom. And no golf stories--except the observation from trying, that it takes a lot more athleticism than you might imagine.
What a gorgeous shot. You are just getting better and better.
It might be gloomy weather in Pasadena, but I can sure feel the warmth radiating off this photo. I hope you have weather like this soon! If I squint real hard I can almost see the gopher in this photo dancing to Kenny Loggins singing "I'm Alright".
I guess I'm in a minority of one who loves June Gloom. We didn't get a proper autumn this year, so I'm thriving in this cooler weather.
But this beautiful photo reminds me of how much I'll also enjoy the sun when it comes raging back.
I love the quality of the light in the photo... almost like you can reach out and grab it! (and maybe take it home, and keep it in a nice little jar.)
Did you take this first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon??
i never thought that i would complain about overcast skies, but i think i am. i was born and raised here so i don't know anything other than sunny so. cal skies - one of the things that i loved most about living in paris was the long winter, rain, clouds and now i can't wait until the sun shines.....go figure.
Gosh that looks peaceful. Sigh.
Some history because I can't help myself:
With 36 holes (two 18-hole courses) in a beautiful, natural setting, Brookside Golf Course is continually listed among the top golf courses in California and among the top municipal courses in the nation.
Many people mistakenly call it Brookside Country Club, I presume because it as un-municipal-looking as a golf course could get. But it's owned by the City of Pasadena and membership is not required. In fact, if you live in Pasadena, you get a lower rate than outsiders if you play there.
It's also known as one of college football's greenest parking lots. In the areas where vehicles park during Rose Bowl games and major concerts, the irrigation pipes are situated much deeper under the ground so they don't get crushed. There's also the obligatory and very special turf management as a result of the parking.
The first of the two courses was designed by Billy Bell and constructed in 1928 at a time when organized recreation was becoming more and more popular in the Arroyo Seco. Since then, of course, the goal is to protect the Arroyo Seco from further development.
The PGA had a Pasadena Open at Brookside annually from 1929 to 1938, and the 1968 L.A. Open was at Brookside.
Since it is a publicly owned course, you can go into Brookside Clubhouse any time and look around at the memoriabilia, visit the pro shop and have a nice lunch in the restaurant with spectacular views.
The 3.3-mile Rose Bowl Loop goes around part of the property, intersecting between the two 18-hole courses. Walk around the loop with Mayor Bill Bogaard and special guests the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 a.m. (meet at Rose Bowl Stadium's Gate A).
There are lot of golf courses over there in Pasadena.
leave it to PIO to fill in the legal blanks on Brookside.
I can affirm that it is okay to wander thru the pro shop, wander thru the restaurant and onto the course---junior/senior kidnap day or senior ditch day often found kids blindfolded and wandering to Brookside.
I can tell you that parking on the turf has not always NOT damaged it. A friend of the family used to golf only on days that ended in "Y" at Brookside. He would kvetch left and right about the damage left behind by that "damned football game" through most of January and February (longer if we had lots of rain into March and April). He loved football too, but not when people going to the game parked on "his" golf course.
I don't have great golf stories---breaking 70 on a 9 hole course is a goal...;-) But---my understanding is my friend Jack died on the course he loved many, many years ago there at Brookside...but I was not there to witness it and perhaps it made a good story for his eulogy.
After a long and busy day when I didn't have a chance to check the internet, it's nice to come home and find all your great comments. Thanks, everyone, for the inputs (and compliments, I like compliments). Cindy, to answer your question this was a late afternoon shot.
Ann, thanks for all the facts. I'm going to copy and paste into the post to update (and credit you, of course). What would we do without you?
I'm not a golfer myself, but my friend's boyfriend is very much into the sport. She's very tan all the time as a result of following him around the golf course five days out of every week.
Hope you got those sunny skies you were waiting for!
We haven't gotten them yet, toast, it's still cold and rainy. Bummer.
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