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February 2008

Realtors Welcome the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament to the Monterey Peninsula

 

The AT&T Golf tournament that started as the “Crosby Clambake” in Pebble Beach 61 years ago never fails to bring thousands of visitors to the Monterey Peninsula in early February. Since many of our property sales are to second home buyers, this event is looked forward to with great anticipation by the realtor community.   Last weeks tournament was in rare form with bright cloudless skies, warm temperatures, and a great cast of celebrities. This year’s numbers are not all in yet, but the estimates for attendance are close to 148,000 attendees raising millions for charity. The ambitious goal this year was to raise $7 million for 150 local charities. The tournament takes place on three courses in Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, and Poppy Hills) with players rotating to different courses each day. On Saturday most of the celebrities played Pebble Beach Golf Links with CBS showing the world the unparalleled beauty of this course where greens meet the sea. Playing to the camera were Ray Romano, Kevin Cosner, Chris O’Donnell, Andy Garcia, Huey Lewis, and Kenny G.  After the Saturday play, those golfers who made the cut, returned to Pebble the next day to play for the championship. The final day of the tournament was exciting to the end with Steve Lowery and Vijay Singh head to head in a playoff with the former capturing the prize.
As realtors we started planning for the AT&T over a month ago by creating innovative advertising for the print media that would beguile and bewitch prospective buyers and invite them to purchase property while visiting the area. During the tournament while the golf crowd headed for the courses, we manned our posts at the “Floor duty” desk or hosted numerous Open Houses at our listings hoping some of our visitors would stray from the event.  We hoped to lure our golf enthusiasts to find the coveted prize – a home on the Monterey Peninsula.
 For the tournament goers that spent most of their time watching the play or playing golf themselves – and then there was that infamous 19th Hole -- we hoped they would at least pick up the newspapers and magazines touting our gorgeous homes to return at a later time.
There is nothing more beautiful than Pebble Beach on a clear sunny day and that’s what we were blessed with this last week. If nothing else our visitors took home delightful memories of blue skies, sunlit courses and crashing waves, after bearing witness to some great golf.
These AT&T visitors took time out for golf at Spanish Bay Golf Links in Pebble Beach. Teeing off at the 12th tee.  It was the perfect day for a round of golf . . . and well . . . you can only watch so much golf without getting the itch to get your driver in your hand.  A few moments before they arrived at the tee, a lone buck stood motionless checking out the fairway, but darn it - I missed the shot before he sauntered away. Previous to the buck on the tee was a golfer who was disappointed in his drive. I ducked as he proceeded to throw his golf club. Golf is a humbling game.  As they say, "it can bring you to your knees" at a moments notice. Don't ever get too sure of yourself or the "Golf gods" will get you.
During the tournament I spent my time doing Open Houses at this lovely condominum below on the 12th fairway of Spanish Bay.  The picture of the golfers is taken from the master bedroom suite. Located at 62 Spanish Bay Circle in Pebble Beach, it can be yours for $2,998,000. Call me for a showing 831-320-6801.
A favorite 19th hole for the tournament spectators was the outside patio at the Inn at Spanish Bay overlooking Spanish Bay Golf Links in Pebble Beach where the bagpiper plays every evening at sunset.
                                 If you listen carefully, you can almost hear him.
 
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Sports Talk, February is a difficult month of the year

  

by Allan Freidson, guest author

 

Here we are deep in the heart of February, a month regarded by many sports nuts that sit on that couch with the remote at the ready as the most difficult month of the year. Professional football is over now that the Super Bowl has been played and college football has been missing even longer. To make it more barren, even exhibition baseball doesn’t begin until March. And February is a little too early to get into basketball. As a result this month of sports hell used to get me most unhappy, might I say even a little depressed, but then I decided to go with the “half full” approach and embrace February as a time to show my sensitive side to Susan. Tell me if you think I am on to something.
 
First, February is a time to head to the garden and put some colorful flowers into pots or into the ground if you live in a climate receptive to such things. You know, species like cyclamens that will last and make me look like I know what I am doing. Best I can tell, you can fire the whole chamber into a bunch of cyclamens and not kill even one of them. And since they come in bright red, purple and white, they look good as well. With that accomplished, a little weeding completes the gardening phase. If the weather won’t cooperate, I suppose some indoor flowers and plants will do. Either way, with that done there still remains the matter of lifting off the couch and being agreeable to actually doing something with someone else – your spouse, for example. If ever there is a time to do that it is in February, especially on the 14th day of the month. Right you are – Valentine’s Day. Where I live that day is regarded as a national holiday; well, perhaps a bit more important than that. I best be prepared to get up, clean up, and at the very least do the roses and dinner bit. Since there are no games to watch, this is not a problem. That is one reason I have come to embrace February. I mean, imagine if this most sacred of days came the following month when I was knee deep into the college basketball tournament known lovingly as “March Madness.” If Valentine’s Day showed up during March Madness, I imagine the conversation going something like this:
 
     Susan: “What do you want to do for Valentine’s Day?”
     Me:       “Uh, honey, Valparaiso vs. Tulsa goes from 4-6, followed by
                    Bowling Green vs. East Carolina.”
     Susan:   “Meaning?”
     Me:      “Meaning this is not a good night to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”
 
Next comes a most uncomfortable silence as I feel the first beads of flop sweat forming on my forehead.
 
See what I mean? Having Valentine’s Day fall in February turns out to be a pretty good deal. And if one must attend the ballet, opera, or do a once over lightly at several of the 9,000 art galleries in Carmel, this is the month because you give up nothing. So if I have sold you on February I have done my job, but one little disclaimer before goodbye. I’m concerned one reading this may find me guilty of some male bonding at the expense of the ladies. This is not my intention as women also are sports fans. They may not have the numbers on their side, but their passion for sports can rival any man. And make no mistake about it, I have known a lady or two who thought the Valentine’s Day fuss was a Hallmark creation they could do without. Of course, let me be powerfully clear that nobody answering to “Susan” and married to me falls into that category. So I salute that day and all of February for being the month he or SHE can mount a comeback from the other eleven months worth of watching and loving those sporting moments.
 
And best of all, even in a leap year February soon will be over and we can let the games begin again. 
 
 
 
 
 
      

      

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Sports Talk - AT&T Pro-Am Golf Tournament in Pebble Beach

by Allan Freidson, guest author
 
 
So Susan says she wants a page or two worth of talk about the AT&T golf tournament currently happening in Pebble Beach. As I mentioned in my maiden voyage, which apparently was read by precious few of you, the uniqueness of this tournament is the fact it is a pro-am. This means amateurs play alongside the pros – and some of the amateurs are very recognizable celebrities from television, movies and song. This is not the only annual pro-am in men’s professional golf; one named for Bob Hope is played shortly before the AT&T. But couple the celebrities with the beauty of Pebble Beach, then throw in an abundance of sunshine and you have the makings of something special. And make no mistake about it – the weather has been spectacular at this year’s AT&T. If all of this…whoops, hold it a second. Samantha Brown is in Monaco, and watching her on her Passport to Europe show on the Travel Channel may be as close as I get to Monaco, so I’ll be back shortly…
 
…looks like quite a place, this Monaco. Have you been there and, if so, would you be so kind as to consider taking me along should you return? Better plan on taking Susan as well, and let me thank you in advance. Anyhow, back to the golf tournament. If you haven’t been to it please consider coming to the next one. I started going about 15 years ago when Susan and I lived in the Bay area. I would go for one or two days with two or three golfing buddies from work, with Susan sometimes accompanying us. On the first day we would drive down and watch the tournament in the morning, with one of the guys sometimes after a specific autograph or photo op. In the early afternoon me and the boys would bolt for one of the Ft. Ord courses and play 18. Susan often chose to continue watching the tournament, after which she could easily secure transportation into Carmel and enjoy the offerings of that gloriously quaint town (I confess, I love Carmel). I was hard-pressed to try and convince Susan that her plan would not be nearly as much fun as watching me hack around the course, my already shaky disposition getting worse with each hideous shot either she or I struck. If there was a second morning we blew off the AT&T, played another round of golf and hit the road for home. This worked for us, although it was a little hectic. Perhaps a little more watching and a little less playing would have been the better approach, but the boys were reluctant to add a third day. Instead, we told ourselves “maybe next time.”
 
Funny thing, though, but in recent years there hasn’t been a “next time” even though we live nearby. My golfing group has disbanded and the celebrities from back in the day either have died or no longer play in the tournament.  My favorite celebrities have been replaced by others that I’m certain most will find just as appealing, but for me it’s just not the same. However, not-to-worry that I’m lost somewhere in the past; simply put a huge discount factor on it and come experience the tournament for yourself. I don’t think you will be disappointed. And save some time for Carmel. 
 
 
 
 
 
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Sports Talk

Date: Feb. 6, 2008
Tags: , , , ,
 

Guest author Allan Freidson 

Hello, my name is Allan - as in the spouse of Susan Clark - she being the owner of this blog. As a sports enthusiast and retired old goat (ROG if you please), I have been known to worship at the shrines of ESPN and DirecTV. In fact, just to prove my dedication to sitting and watching sports allow me to take you back to when we lived in San Francisco and my television was in the basement since there was only one television in our living quarters and Susan understandably didn’t quite feel the need to watch sports around the clock. However, that basement took on serious water when it rained, and many years it rains often in Northern California during the winter months. I’m talking 6 to 8 inches of standing water on many occasions in the basement as I kept my feet propped up and watched away while hoping not to be electrocuted. Now, I ask - is that not true dedication - although some may have another opinion of such behavior. Thankfully during the last 10 years we have lived on the Monterey Peninsula where the indoor viewing conditions have been much drier. But I think I made my point. And if all that watching and love of sports has led to something worth reading about, you be the judge.
 
I don’t want to go on too long for fear my debut will also be my closing, but a few thoughts about tennis and golf since I enjoy participating in those endeavors when I can lift off the couch. I love playing tennis singles, so if you find yourself on the Monterey Peninsula and play at the 3.0-3.5 level, please be my guest at my little tennis club. I don’t enjoy doubles that much, because either I grow weary of apologizing to my partner for my bad shots or I grow frustrated if my partner is playing poorly. And if I see that I am a better player than my partner, I know right away we are in serious trouble because doubles is not my game. 
That will do for tennis talk, but I believe the timing good for a little golf chatter because the professionals and their amateur partners are coming to town to play on three Pebble Beach courses between 2/7-2/10. This is the tournament Bing Crosby started in the 30’s and moved to the Monterey Peninsula in the 40’s, only to have it belong to AT&T after Bing’s death in the 70’s. The tournament takes place on three Pebble Beach courses for the first three days, with all players having a go on each of the three courses before all still standing on Sunday report to the Pebble Beach Links for the final round. Many of the amateur participants are entertainers and it is fun to see them up close, so let me suggest how you may best do that. To start with, Thursday and Friday of tournament week are the best days to get up close. Since most of the more popular celebrities won’t play the Pebble Beach Links until Saturday because that is the way CBS wants it, a trip to either of the other courses, Poppy Hills or Spyglass, on Thursday or Friday will allow you excellent vantage points and smaller crowds than the weekend will produce. Simply check the pairings in the paper the morning you intend to go out and see where your favorites are playing. It can be fun, but also disillusioning. One cold Thursday morning Susan and I reported to Poppy Hills and while waiting to spot participant Don Johnson and then-wife Melanie Griffith we started following Jack Lemmon. I love Jack Lemmon, and on many of those CBS telecasts of Saturday’s rounds at this tournament he looked like he could put his golfing shortcoming in perspective and enjoy the crowd. Ah, but there were no television cameras recording the action that cold Thursday morning, and Jack walked those fairways with his head down not at all interested in his adoring public. In contrast, Clint to his credit willingly posed for pictures as he walked off one green and headed to the next tee. I am happy to report that Jack had found his smile by the time Saturday’s CBS telecast had found him, but I knew better. 
 
 
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New Blogger On Board !

 
Blogging . . . Yes, the new thing in real estate is blogging!  Having served my clients in real estate sales for 21 years, I am always energized by all the new advances we are making in technology that enable me to serve my clients better . . . or at least in a different way.   Even though I am what many people refer to as “technologically challenged”, I am jumping in, letting go of the side of the pool, to swim in the deep waters of the “Blog World”. I plan, under the tutelage of my coach, Frances Flynn Thorsen of RealTown.com, (to my left) to create a creative, exciting, and informative blog. Look for articles about the Monterey Peninsula, real estate, local issues, politics, sports (my husband is mostly in charge of that), gardening, oceanography, and any other thoughts that strike my fancy. As an experienced realtor with Alain Pinel Realtors in Carmel CA, I love exploring my community and delving into all it has to offer. Everyday is an adventure!
 
In thinking about writing a blog, I have had a little trouble with avoidance. Part of my trouble is . . . I like to have everything perfect at the get-go. I enjoy the blogs with pretty banners and great pictures, but I have no clue how to do that yet. However, I decided I needed to just jump in and do what I can do. We had our class (No Blogger Left Behind) this morning on-line and I had pretty much cleared my schedule to allow myself to get at least one entry up today. Well, my husband and I have had some “computer problems” ever since we arrived home from a trip – we were having re-connection problems. (My laptop gets to travel away from my desk, approximately 3-4 times a year when I go out of town for more than overnight). We thought everything had been solved by Cory, our computer guru, by about 7:30pm last night, but alas when my husband, Allan, turned on his computer this morning, it did not want to print or travel to the Internet. Thus, we had another visit from Cory this morning. Other than getting Allan’s problems solved, he also solved the problem of “The Case of the Hesitant Keyboard” (mine) – sounds like a Nancy Drew book, but I don’t think she had a computer. (I avoided starting my blog for another couple of hours.) I then took care of some business, some paperwork, answered emails, arranged for some advertising and – oh my goodness – another hour and a half gone. I told myself, Susan, sit down and Bloggggg!
 I really needed to take a walk to get some exercise and decided if I waited any longer I wouldn’t go, so I went to my favorite place, the PG rec trail (Pacific Grove Recreation Trail) that winds along the coast. My normal routine is a half hour walk from the Hopkins Marine Station to Lover’s Point and back. Flat, straight, and picturesque. You can get a good workout and clear your brain at the same time – I was hoping to get inspired. As soon as I arrived home, I whisked my mother off to her hairdresser’s appointment, went to the bank, and then picked up a chicken.
 
Every good blogger needs to be fed and I thought the aroma of an all-natural free range Trader Joe’s chicken roasting in the oven would further inspire me in case my jaunt on the rec trail didn’t close the deal. I think I have made my point. Avoidance. After dinner and after watching “Jeopardy” with my mother (her favorite) it is now almost 8:00pm. I think I have bored you enough with this . . . does anyone else have this problem with new (to them) technology?
 
 I think the cry; “Just Do It” might be in order.
 
P.S. 3/06/08 Full disclosure. The pictures have been added after my 8th blogging lesson. I love to blog and I am excited that I now can add pictures! I have so much more to learn – its so exciting. Tune in . . . for what’s to come.
 
 
 
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