SLO County Golf, Wine & Real EstateGolf, Wine & Real Estate News and Events Blog
Aug 11 - Tolosa Invitational at Cypress RidgeWednesday, May 31, 2006 The Tolosa Invitational, presented by GOLFSLO.com, will be held at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande on Friday, August 11, 2006. This 2nd Annual golf tournament is a "2-person best ball format" with a 12:30pm Shotgun start and 4 flights; Men's 1 & 2, Women and Mixed Couples. Fee is $290 per team which includes trophies, wine tasting, lunch and great prizes for the top three teams in each flight! The event continues on August 12th with "The Tolosa Wine Experience" at the Tolosa Winery in San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley. The event offers wine tasting, food pairing & a winemaker tour from 11:30am - 1:30pm. $35 fee for all non-golfers. The tournament is limited to a maximum of 50 teams, so register your team now! To reserve your team's spot in the tournament or request additional information, contact GolfSLO. REGISTER NOW - Fill out and print ENTRY FORM and fax to (805) 773-2684. Entry forms will be available online at www.golfslo.com on June 16th.   Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Jul 1 - Golf for a Cure at Hunter Ranch Golf CourseTuesday, May 30, 2006Help the fight against cancer by playing in the 'Golf for a Cure' Tournament at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles on July 1 with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.For more information, contact Mike Bremer at 237-7444, Judy Bremer at 237-7740, Stu Ross at 550-3529 or Rick Simpson at 441-9563. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf San Luis Obispo Median Home Price Hits $600kSunday, May 28, 2006In San Luis Obispo, the median home price rose nearly 12% from this time last year to $599,360, while sales decreased by 33%.The median price of an existing home in California increased 10.2 percent in April and sales decreased 21.4 percent compared with the same period a year ago, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) (C.A.R.) reported today. "Sales fell this year compared with April 2005 when they hit the second-highest monthly pace on record. Concerns about the likelihood of future interest rate increases continue to influence the market," said C.A.R. President Vince Malta. "While still near their historic lows, mortgage interest rates are at their highest level since June 2002 for fixed-rate mortgages, and August 2001 for adjustable-rate mortgages." Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 516,960 in April at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR(R) associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity decreased 21.4 percent from the 658,060 sales pace recorded in April 2005. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Vina Robles Real EstateSaturday, May 27, 2006Beginning in 1996, owner Hans Nef started buying property in Paso Robles, primarily for investment purposes. He now owns three estate vineyards comprising 1,000 acres planted in mostly red varietal grapes. Huerhuero Vineyard is off Highway 46 East; Jardine Vineyard is past Paso Robles Municipal Airport; and Pleasant Valley Vineyard is on the north end of the city.The long-term plan for Vina Robles goes well beyond growing grapes and making wine. The four-phase project includes a new hospitality center, a 400,000-case wine production facility, a real estate development and an upscale 85-room hotel. Construction of the new mission-style hospitality center has begun just off Highway 46 East at Mill Road, and the facility is expected to open next spring. Half of the 14,000-square-foot building will be devoted to a tasting room and and the rest split between a meeting hall and a restaurant. The production facility is projected to start in 2007, with its first crush in 2008. The last phase of the Vina Robles project will be a hotel, which is expected to be complete in 2010. The design work for each of the facilities is being done by Pults & Associates of San Luis Obispo. In the more immediate future is the development of 40 home sites to be nestled in the rolling hills of the Huerhuero Vineyard. Prices for the 1-acre lots have not yet been determined but are expected to be released later this year after plans are finalized with the city of Paso Robles. The Vina Robles plans are both ambitious and expensive. Website: www.vinarobles.com Article: A Swiss dream in Paso Robles The Tribune, Janis Switzer Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Wine Talley Wins Best ChardonnayFriday, May 26, 2006Talley Vineyards of Arroyo Grande was named best chardonnay at The Judgment of Paris 30th anniversary event Wednesday in Napa Valley.The event re-created the landmark wine competition in 1976 in which California wines were ranked as highly as French wines in a blind tasting. That competition sent shockwaves throughout the wine world and helped cement California as an established wine region. The Paris Tasting, as the event became known, marked a turning point in the history of not only California wine but also world wine. Some wine lovers call the event the most important wine-tasting in history. Talley was the only San Luis Obispo County winery chosen to participate in the tasting competition at The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa. The Arroyo Grande winery's 2002 Rosemary's Vineyard vintage was one of six chardonnays from the United States being poured at the competition. Website: www.copia.org Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Jun 4 - Avila Beach Invitational Golf TournamentThursday, May 25, 2006The Fourth Annual Avila Beach Invitational Golf Tournament, benefiting the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo, is being held June 4, 2006 at Avila Beach Golf Resort.Themed "A Taste of Heaven Here on Earth", 18 local restaurants and wineries will be set up on each hole to support the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo. Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. In 2004, the organization served more than 225,000 youth ages five through 18, in 5,000 communities across the country, through a network of 470 agencies. National research has shown that the positive relationships between Big Brothers and Big Sisters and their Littles have a direct, measurable, and lasting impact on children's lives. Websites: www.slobigs.org | www.avilabeachresort.com Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Jun 30 - Monarch Skins GameWednesday, May 24, 2006 Monarch Dunes Golf Club is hosting the Monarch Skins Game on Friday, June 30th, 2006. Tournament format is an Individual Stroke Play + Gross/Net Skins with 1st, 2nd and 3rd gross and Net Prizes, and 2 closest-to-the-pins. $20 gross and $20 net skins buy in optional day of (cash only). Happy Hour Buffet included. Fee is $60 for Royal Rewards Members, $70 For Non Members. Sign up Now! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Jun 3-4 - Paso Robles City Golf ChampionshipTuesday, May 23, 2006The Paso Robles City Championship is being held at Hunter Ranch Golf Course, Saturday June 3 and Sunday June 4 at 7:00am.Individual 36 Hole Gross and Net Competition open to any amateur golfer 18 years of age or older. Event limited to the first 108 entries. Net competitors must have a valid USGA handicap. Call (805) 237-7444 for more information or to sign up. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf San Luis Obispo County Real Estate Sales SlowingMonday, May 22, 2006The Tribune ran an article yesterday about San Luis Obispo County's slowing homes sales. Realtors are carrying about twice the number of listings they were last year, homes are staying on the market longer, and price reductions are beginning to be common.After several sizzling years, the San Luis Obispo County housing market is cooling off, say economists and local Realtors. Homes are still commanding high prices, but some real estate agents are seeing the need to drop prices by as much as 3 percent from what sellers were getting a year ago. There are more homes on the market, and homes are no longer selling in just a few weeks. The median number of days on the market countywide has risen from about 30 last year to roughly 60 to 70 days now. Rising mortgage interest rates are cooling once-hot demand for houses. In the past year, the housing market has shifted from hot to normal as rising interest rates have resulted in cautious buyers, real estate experts say. Median home prices are climbing, but homeowners should not expect to see the double-digit appreciation that was common in recent years. The median price of an existing, single-family home in the county was $586,270 in March, an increase of 18 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the California Association of Realtors. The median is the statistical point where half of the homes sell for more and half for less. Sales, meanwhile, are slowing. The number of homes sold in the county dipped 18 percent in March compared with the same month in the previous year, according to the association, which bases its figures on Multiple Listing Service information. The association will release its April median price and sales figures on Thursday. Robert Kleinhenz, deputy chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, said he expected April sales statewide to dip 15 percent to 20 percent from last year. The statewide median, he said, would probably go up by about 10 percent compared with April 2005. DataQuick Information Systems, a Southern California research firm that generates its statistics from county data, put the April county median home price of $539,500, an increase of 9 percent compared with the same period last year. Sales of county new and resale homes and condos fell 28 percent in April compared with the same period last year, according to DataQuick. In April, there were 326 sales, compared to 453 in April 2005. But Dan Hamilton, director of economics for the UCSB Economic Forecast Project, isn't prepared to call it a buyers' market - yet. "Mortgage rates are still relatively low by historical standards," he said. "It's just not that bad; it's not that high." Other factors also play into San Luis Obispo County's favor, Hamilton said. There isn't a large supply of housing, and what is available is considered affordable when compared to major metropolitan areas, and even Monterey and Santa Barbara, which posted median prices in March of $685,000 and $750,000 respectively. And rural communities such as San Luis Obispo County are highly attractive to wealthy baby boomers who want to retire where the quality of life is high, he said. "Coastal communities aren't large, and it doesn't take a massive number of retirees coming from the outside to make an impact on the real estate market," he said. "While the impact of retirees may slow a little bit in a year or two, more waves of them will retire in another four or five years." Even so, changes in the local housing market are hitting home for many sellers and agents who are used to dealing with fewer listings and residences that sell in a week. Buyers are simply becoming more value conscious. Agents are not the only people noticing the slowdown. Builders are also adapting to a return to a normal market, said Jerry Bunin, legislative affairs director of the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast. For one builder, this is the first time in three to four years that it has had any standing inventory unsold, Bunin said. That means that a home is built, ready to be occupied and isn't yet purchased. "One builder said that up until six months ago, their homes were sold before they broke ground," he said. Now, they have had standing inventory for the past two to three weeks. In response, some builders are offering incentives. They include knocking off about $100,000 during a weekend, buying down the interest rate for buyers, allowing people to trade up to a newer property and offering upgrades such as nicer cabinets or kitchen counters. Article: Home sales losing steam Julie Lynem, The Tribune Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate May 27 - Los Osos Baywood Park Chamber of Commerce $50K Hole-in-One ShootoutSunday, May 21, 2006The Los Osos Baywood Park Chamber of Commerce, Sea Pines Golf Resort and a few local sponsors have teamed together to bring back the popular $50,000 Hole in one Shootout on Saturday May 27th, 2006 at Sea Pines Golf Resort.Qualifying Round will be held from 9am-3pm with a special prize for the golfer who has the most qualifying shots. The semi Finals will be held from 3-4:30 pm and the Final Hole in One shoot out will be on the golf course from only 135 yards at approximately 4:30-5:30pm. Other activities will be a NIKE GOLF Demo day and Jr Skills Challenge from 10-2pm. All golfers who play golf will receive a coupon for 5 free qualifying shots. Special Prizes have been donated from most of the golf courses in the area, and we also have golf lessons, and merchandise from many golf vendors to give away. Hope to see you Saturday. CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR SATURDAY T-TIME - 5 FREE SHOTS Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Jun 7 - SCGA Amateur Qualifying at Cypress RidgeSaturday, May 20, 2006 Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande is hosting the 107th SCGA Amateur Championship Regional Qualifying Round on Wednesday, June 7, 2006.Tournament eligibility is based on the player's current index of 4.4 and below as of May 1, 2006. The sign up deadline was May 10. The 2006 Championship Rounds will be played July 7-9 at the Bakersfield Country Club. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Central Coast Home Buyers are now Internet BuyersFriday, May 19, 2006The Internet buyer has become the "typical" home buyer over the last few years, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' "2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey," released yesterday.Since 2001, the share of home buyers using the Internet as an integral part of the home-buying process has nearly doubled to 70 percent. While the characteristics of Internet buyers and their traditional counterparts have started to converge, important distinctions between the two segments remain. According to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) report, Internet buyers were younger, wealthier, better educated and more likely to be married than traditional buyers. Internet buyers also reported greater satisfaction with the home-buying process compared with traditional buyers. "The Internet is changing the dynamics between buyers and their agents, as well as the way business is conducted throughout the real estate industry. However, while the Internet has become an important research tool for home buyers, it has only enhanced the REALTOR®'s role in the transaction," said C.A.R. President Vince Malta. "Buyers continue to rely on their REALTOR® for help with interpreting the information gathered from the Internet and to guide them through the home-buying process." According to the survey, more than nine out of 10 Internet buyers indicated that the Internet helped them better understand the process of buying a home. Additionally, Internet buyers are accustomed to receiving more frequent communication and faster response times from their REALTORS®. "More and more consumers have high-speed Internet access at home, enabling them to gather information on all types of products and services both quickly and easily," said Malta. "This trend has carried over to the process of buying a home. As a result, home buyers are more informed, have a greater sense of control over the process, and hold high expectations concerning how quickly they receive information." Internet buyers and traditional buyers expressed significant differences in how they conducted their home-buying research. Internet buyers conducted more research at the onset of the home-buying process, while traditional buyers relied more on their agent as their source of information. Article: Typical home buyer now an Internet buyer, according to the "2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey" California Association of REALTORS® Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Oct 5 - Rally For a Cure Golf Tournament at Cypress RidgeThursday, May 18, 2006 Rally For A Cure - a Benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - is a Women's Four Person Scramble hosted by the Cypress Ridge Women's Golf Club at Cypress Ridge Golf Course on October 5th, 2006. All players must have a recognized USGA handicap and play to a maximum handicap of 36; your handicap will be based on your September index. Entry fee is $110.00 per person. Fees include green and cart fees, pre-tournament warm-up, box lunch, prizes, and awards reception. Registration is open August 15 to September 15, 2006. Limited to first 144 registrants. Contact Kathryn Schumacher (805) 473-1715 or Sharon Hanley (805) 473-3536 to sign up or obtain additional information. PLEASE WEAR PINK! Links: Sign Up Form | Cypress Ridge Women's Club Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf June Golf Specials at Monarch DunesWednesday, May 17, 2006June 1 - Bring your Dad to the "Old Course" for Father's Day. Buy Dad a day on "The Links". Anytime round of Golf, Monarch Dunes Cap and Sleeve of Logo Balls $89.June 1-30 - Kids 10 and under Hit FREE on the range when accompanied by a paying adult. Monarch Dunes Updates - The course has been rated and the SCGA Computer is now up and running. Handicap cards avaliable in the Golf Shop. Driving Range and New 13,000 sq. ft Putting Green Now Open! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Jun 3 - RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship Local QualifierTuesday, May 16, 2006Long ball hitters are invited to compete at the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship Local Qualifier at Blacklake Golf Resort on Saturday, June 3rd, 2006 from 2:30pm to 6:30pm.Each golfer hits 6 drives per entry, with their longest offical drive determining their place in the final standings. The top finishers advance to the RE/MAX district competition to be held later this summer. The ultimate goal is to earn a spot at the 2006 RE/MAX WLDC finals, which take place in Mesquite, Nevada on October 23-28, 2006. Fees are $40 for open and senior division hitters, $30 for women and super seniors. Contact David Barron at (805) 234-3617 to sign up. Website: www.longdrivers.com Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Slowdown in Central Coast Home SalesMonday, May 15, 2006An article this week in the Pacific Coast Business Times indicates that homebuilders are starting to offer buyer incentives to sell new homes. According to three homebuilders interviewed by the Business Times in early May, the best may be past, but that the bottom has not fallen out, as it did in 1991 and 1992. They share that we are in a market where price concessions, or some form of price concessions, are occurring.In fact, Centex Homes attempted to lure prospective buyers with a one-day-only deal for six Central Coast developments earlier this year. The advertisement offered a discount between $20,000 and $100,000 off the price of new homes in Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles, Atascadero and the Valle Vista development in San Luis Obispo. All a prospective buyer had to do was purchase a home at one of those Central Coast neighborhoods between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 11. But even more unsettling can be the way the resale market is affecting the new home market. New homes sales have been difficult to keep because the buyers have not been able to sell their homes. The general concensus is that homes are still selling, but not like they used to. We've learned that sales at Shea's new Trilogy development at The Woodland in Nipomo started off brisk, but have slowed since April. Article: Housing Buyers Look for Deals Kevin Kreutz, Pacific Coast Business Times Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Housing New website for CentralCoastGolf.comSunday, May 14, 2006 CentralCoastGolf.com has been recently been relaunched with a website makeover by cybergolf.com. The photos featured on the website were all taken by Golf SLO! CentralCoastGolf.com highlights their associated SLO County golf courses at Morro Bay and Dairy Creek, along with their successful Central Coast Golf Academy. You can also find photos by Golf SLO featured at SLO County's other county course - ChalkMountainGolf.com. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Jun 15 - Classic California Golf InvitationalSaturday, May 13, 2006The Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce is hosting the "2006 Classic California Golf Invitational" this year on Thursday, June 15th, 12:00 Noon shotgun start at Monarch Dunes Golf Club, the Central Coast's newest premiere golf course.Contact the Chamber office to receive your registration information for this year's tournament, (805) 773-4382. Cost to participate is $125.00 per player, cost includes green fees, range balls, cart and dinner. For those that do not golf, but would still like to be a part of the tournament may purchase a hole sponsorship for $125.00 and receive an 11x17" color sign and dinner for one to the BBQ dinner, or tickets for the BBQ dinner may be purchased for $30.00 per person. The annual golf tournament raises critical funds for many projects and programs of the Chamber. Among the activites that benefit from the tournament is the 4th of July Fireworks Extravangaza, Labor Law workshops, Java Junkets, Clam Festival and Marching Band Review. The Chamber's mission statement clearly defines the scope of work that the Chamber strives to complete, "To support and promote an atmosphere which will enhance the economic vitality of our businesses and quality of life within our community." Sponsoring the tournament this year are their President Circle Sponsors: Abbey Home Loans, State Farm Insurance-Jamie Clark, Nancy Motola-Realtor, Troesh Recycling Inc., Miravista Holdings, UNOCAL, The Cliffs Resort, Beach Bum Holiday Rentals and Prime Outlets Pismo Beach. We look forward to seeing you at Monarch Dunes on June 15th! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Monarch Dunes Grand Opening!Friday, May 12, 2006 I had the pleasure of being invited to play in the Grand Opening at Monarch Dunes Golf Club yesterday. A VIP field of over 100 invited participants seemed to love the new "old" course designed by course architect, Damian Pascuzzo. Pascuzzo shared with everyone before the round his goal for weaving risk-reward strategy into the course hole design. Using natural land forms, changes in elevation and subtle movements in terrain, he accomplished this design goal. The course provides ample fairways with well-guarded bump-and-run greens. We all found the marble-like greens fast and true for putting, but nearly impossible to stick on approaches. In addition to having the pleasure of attending the event, I also was fortunate to find myself playing in a foursome including the course's PGA Pro design consultant, Steve Pate. Besides talent, Steve added plenty of humor to our scramble team too, which also included executives from Kemper Sports and Shea Homes Trilogy Division. According to an article in yesterday's LA Times - Pate Designs a New Career - Pate's influence at Monarch Dunes involved shot value, playability, bunkering, slopes of greens and play around the greens. Pate shared, "It should be hard enough to be interesting for a good player, but an average guy can still get around." With a lot of Pate's help, our team squeaked out 2nd place in the Gross Score Competition after shooting a -12 round of 59! Although we all contributed at times, we did depend on Steve quite often for tee shots and approaches when the rest of us failed to hit a fairway or green. Each time we put the pressure on Steve to come through, he did ;) It quickly became very apparent what separates the pros from the rest of us -- the short game! Although I stuck a few pins myself, Steve did so effortlessly. It was quite a different experience for me having so many makeable birdie opportunities in one round. Besides earning the nickname "The Volcano" for occasionally loosing his temper after a bad shot, Steve Pate may be best remembered for the day he shot 65 to land within two strokes of the lead heading into the final round of the 1999 Masters by making seven birdies in a row, something no other golfer had done in the prior 63 years of this tournament. For an hour and a half, he couldn't miss. He started that day at 2 over par, birdied the third hole and walked onto the seventh green after hitting a sand wedge to 7 feet. Pate had played Augusta five times before, but not since 1993. What struck him as he lined up the 7-footer for birdie was not that he might be standing at the threshold of history, but rather that it was perhaps the only straight putt he'd ever had there. It went straight in. At the eighth, he pitched a wedge to 20 feet and made it. At the ninth, Pate cozied a 9-iron to 1 foot. At No. 10, he drained a near-miracle from 45 feet. At No. 11, an only slightly less miraculous 30-footer fell. At the graveyard-of-champions 12th, Pate ended any suspense about tying the record of six consecutive birdies held by Johnny Miller, Mark Calcavecchia and David Toms by sticking an 8-iron less than a foot from the hole. About the time he pulled the ball from the hole, Pate looked back to see thousands staring at him. His playing partner, Lee Westwood, and his caddy, Allan Mellan, were staring, too, determined to treat Pate like a pitcher throwing a perfect game, refusing to say a word, lest they break the spell. The galleries, though, were roaring. At the par-5 13th, Pate hit a 3-wood off the tee, 5-iron down the fairway and tucked a lob wedge to within 7 feet of the flag. He made that for the record. Interestingly, our team enjoyed a streak of 7 birdies in a row yesterday too, thankfully breaking a streak of 6 pars in a row! My highlight of the round came on our last hole - the signature 6th - where Steve and I both hit 325-330 yard drives, thanks to landing over the crest of the hill sloping down towards the lake. I then hit a 3-wood to land the par-5 green in 2. Unfortunately, we all missed the resulting 15-foot eagle putt, but captured our final birdie.  A special thanks goes out to the staff at Monarch Dunes, who put on a quality event and treated all of us to a great day of golf, including great weather, lots of free food and drink and even some bagpipers to signal the shotgun start. And congratulations to Larry Mauter, golf columnist for The Tribune, whose team beat us out for first place! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf May 11 - Pismo Coast Association of Realtors Benefit Golf TournamentThursday, May 11, 2006The 21st Annual Pismo Coast Association of Realtors Benefit Golf Tournament will be held today at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. The event is sponsored by the Pismo Coast Association of Realtors Charitable Foundation, Inc. Shotgun start at 11:00am.Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf California Player's TourWednesday, May 10, 2006Just after turning professional in 2004, former Cal Poly golfer Zack King learned how tough it is to make a living playing golf.King, now an assitant professional at the Ojai Valley Inn, started playing events on some of the local mini tours and had immediate success, winning five tournaments and finishing among the leaders in several others. But when he collected his checks for all those wins, King discovered he was basically breaking even after paying his entry fees and other expenses like gas, food and lodging. King believed there were probably a lot of other young golfers in the same boat. Guys looking for a place to hone their skills and hopefully make enough money to at least cover the cost of trying the PGA Tour's Qualifying School. His solution was to form a tour of his own, the California Players Tour, which is scheduled to host its first event this fall. "I saw there was a huge opportunity for someone to start a middle of the road tour on the Central Coast (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties)," said King. "It's a huge area with a lot of great players, but there are hardly any events here. My thought was to create a tour which would give players the same big-time feel as the larger tours, and pay a lot more than the smaller mini tours." Armed with an idea and his degree in recreation events management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the 24-year-old King began putting the wheels in motion to start his own tour. He decided to hold one event per month at golf courses around the three counties. Each event is scheduled to be 36 holes, with a practice round available the day before. Play will take place on Monday and Tuesday, normally the two slowest days at courses. Those are also the days most golf professionals who work at courses and in the industry take off. While most players will probably be professionals, the tour is open to amateurs with a handicap of 4.4 or less. Amateurs will compete for script or money that can be put toward playing another tour event. The 2006-2007 schedule is set, with the first tournament scheduled for October 22-24 at River Ridge. Other Ventura County venues include Ojai Valley Inn, Rustic Canyon, Soule Park, Sterling Hills and Victoria Lakes. Anyone who wants to play on the tour must join, paying a one-time fee of $30. Every event costs $350 to enter, and with a full field of 144 players, that gives King just over $50,000 per event to work with. While some would go to cover costs of the tournament, such as green fees and staffing the event, King wants most of the money going back out to players. "My plan to start is to pay out about 30 percent of that money to the top 36 finishers," King said. "Depending on how many were in the field and other expenses, I believe that the winner at each event will receive anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 per tournament. The 36th-place finisher would earn their entry fee back, which is a lot better than most other mini tours." King also plans to pursue corporate sponsorship of the tour and also has a program set up where individual investors can get involved in an investment group to help sponsor players. The tour's Web site at http: www.calplayerstour.com will be up and running by the end of the month. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Central Coast eliminated in regional CIF playoffsTuesday, May 09, 2006All seven Central Coast prep golf teams that qualified for the CIF regional playoffs finished their team seasons on Monday in the Central Coast Divisional Tournament, held at Village Country Club at Village Hills.Atascadero had the best team score amongst Central Coast entries by finishing third with a 386, led by a three-over 75 from Brent Montri. Paso Robles was fifth with a 388, while Nipomo was ninth with a 408, led by a 78 by Kyle Springer. Righetti was 15th, only one shot behind St. Joseph, with Daniel Miller carding a 77. Jake Jacobs was next with a 79, while Bobby Barajas shot an 81. Royal and San Marcos advance to the State team championship, taking place on Thursday at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles. The CIF State Individual Championships will take place on June 6th at the Santa Maria Country Club. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Cypress Ridge Voted Best in SLO GolfMonday, May 08, 2006 The readers of the New Times Newspaper ranked Cypress Ridge the Best Golf Course in San Luis Obispo County. This is the second consecutive year Cypress Ridge has held this honor.Cypress Ridge Golf Course is one of the most challenging golf courses around; and the best, according to our sporting readers. "You can’t play it too much... itss different every time with a constant change in tees to accommodate beginners and pros alike," says golf assistant Mitch Franklin. The landscaping is beautiful and scenery magnificent. "There are always interesting shots here... you can play over and over and not get tired." Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Rising Mortgage Interest Rates Affect Central Coast Housing MarketSunday, May 07, 2006There's no question what was once a red hot housing market has cooled off considerably due in large part to rising interest rates. Gone, at least for now, are the days of double-digit annual price appreciation and multiple offers on newly listed homes.More homes are now staying on the market for a longer period of time before selling. Instead of competing offers, sellers are often negotiating with buyers on a fair price. While the market favors buyers right now, prices for the most part have remained stable in most areas of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. A real estate research firm says the number of California homeowners receiving mortgage default notices has reached the highest level in more than two years. Mortgage interest rates moved higher again last week. The average 30-year-fixed rate is now above 6.5%. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate 1-877-GOLFSLOSaturday, May 06, 2006Golf SLO recently underwent a makeover in order to better present our offerings of Stay & Play Golf Packages and Featured Central Coast Real Estate Listings, Wineries, Restaurants, Hotels, Vacation Rentals, Travel Services, Attractions, Activities and Events!You can now find us at any of these website addresses: www.golfslo.com www.winesslo.com www.homesslo.com We've also added a toll-free phone number for your inquiries and reservations. We look forward to hearing from you! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Real Estate High School Golf League Final ResultsFriday, May 05, 2006PAC 5 LeaguePaso Robles finished as PAC 5 champion with an average tournament score of 383, followed by Atascadero (388) and Righetti (396). Those three teams will represent the PAC 5 at CIF-Southern Section divisional team play Monday at the Village Country Club in Lompoc. Arroyo Grande (396) was fourth and San Luis Obispo (417) fifth. Paso Robles High's Jon Eric Cook became the last PAC 5 county golfer Thursday to advance to CIF-Southern Section individual regional play, which will be held May 15 at the Alisal River Course in Solvang. Cook and Righetti's Bobby Barajas each shot a 1-under 71 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande to advance. Sixteen golfers competed for the last two of six spots Thursday. Four shot 71s, but only Cook and Barajas advanced because they made par on the first extra hole in a playoff and Arroyo Grande's Max Meserve and Atascadero's Blake Ponek scored bogey-5. Including Tuesday's competition, the six PAC 5 golfers who advanced to CIF are Paso Robles' Levi Garcia, Kevin Sepulveda and Cook, Arroyo Grande's Bryan Pierce and Righetti's Daniel Miller and Barajas. League MVP honors went to Garcia. The all-league first team is comprised of Pierce, Sepulveda, Miller, Barajas, Ponek and Cook. The all-league second team is comprised of Atascadero's Billy Geibel, Brent Montri, Jason Peters and Brian Popeney, Meserve and Paso Robles' Ben Bourgault. Los Padres League Nipomo 382, Santa Ynez 406, St. Joseph 411, Cabrillo 418, Morro Bay 499, Pioneer Valley 549, Santa Maria 571, Lompoc NS Nipomo (22-1 overall) won its second straight Los Padres League title and finished league play undefeated at 15-0. The Titans won by 14 strokes at Santa Maria Country Club. Six players for Nipomo earned all-league honors. "The kids got what they deserved because they worked for it," Nipomo coach Paul Springer said. "We practiced six days a week and nobody missed a practice." Kyle Springer was the tournament medalist as he led the Titans with a 74. Brain Walker shot a 76 and teammates Tyler Clark and Kyle Garcia both recorded 77 for Nipomo. All four golfers will advance to the first round of CIF on Monday at the Village Country Club in Lompoc. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Visit SLO on One Tank of GasThursday, May 04, 2006With gas prices eclipsing $3 a gallon statewide, county tourism officials and business are banking on motorists from the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Central Valley heading to the Central Coast for a quick getaway.Gas prices are pumping up vacation costs nationwide, according to AAA. The cost of taking a family vacation, including lodging, food and gas, is expected to increase by 5.4 percent from last year. The San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau expects the region to benefit from being a drive-to destination. The Paso Robles Visitors and Conference Bureau has even placed an ad in a Bakersfield magazine, noting that travelers can reach the wine region on one tank of gas. Some in the tourism business are betting that people won't want to sit home this summer. Roy Stearns, deputy director for communications for the state parks department, which includes Hearst Castle, said he anticipates that visitors looking for a short trip will come even though gas prices are high. Ken Napp, stable manager at Pacific Dunes RV Resort in Oceano, said as long as gas prices remain below $4, it won't be "the end of the world." Besides, he said: "If you're living in Bakersfield and Fresno, and you have triple-digit temperatures, this might be your one day of relief." Article: High gas costs, closer vacations - The Tribune, Julie Lynem Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Roll Out the Barrels this WeekendWednesday, May 03, 2006Salisbury Vineyards, located in the heart of Avila Valley, kicks off this year's annual Roll Out the Barrels Passport Weekend with a winegrowers dinner this evening.Guests are treated to a BBQ dinner and a trolley tour of the 35-acre Avila Valley vineyard above Bassi Ranch, where John Salisbury grows chardonnay, syrah and pinot noir grapes. He also farms 10 acres of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon in Paso Robles. Roll Out the Barrels Passport Weekend features more than 14 wineries, most located throughout Edna Valley, See Canyon and Avila Valley, and is part of the San Luis Obispo Food and Wine Festival. Participating wineries include Baileyana, Claiborne & Churchill, Edna Valley Vineyard, Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards, Kynsi Winery, Ortman Family Vineyards, Per Bacco Cellars, Piedra Creek, Rancho Arroyo Grande Winery, Salisbury Vineyards, Saucelito Canyon, Tolosa Winery, Wildwood Winery and Windemere Winery. Taste and Embassy Suites, will offer an opportunity to taste wines from wineries paired with Embassy's Chef Paul Kwan's food samples on Saturday at the Court Street Terrace above Taste. Taste, a tasting room located at 1003 Osos St. in downtown San Luis Obispo, is owned and operated by the SLO Vintner's Association. Participants purchase a "passport" for $45 that is stamped at each winery or tasting event attended throughout the self-guided weekend. A wine glass with the festival logo is also provided for tasting events, which are often paired with food and entertainment. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 541-5868 or visit www.slowine.com. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Arroyo Grande golfer Bryan Pierce awarded Athlete of the WeekTuesday, May 02, 2006Pierce shared the low score in Friday's PAC 5 match with Paso Robles' Kevin Sepulveda, shooting a 70, and got a round-low 69 in a dual match with Righetti on Monday.This all came after he followed up the poor putting day with a win at Atascadero's 19th annual King of the Mountain Invitational, where he shot a 72 one week after having trouble at Cypress Ridge. The 69 was somewhat bittersweet for Pierce, who's Eagles fell 386-388 to Righetti, dropping Arroyo Grande into fourth place in the PAC 5 and on the outside looking in for the leagues third and final playoff spot. But at the PAC 5 match Friday, the Eagles avenged the loss by finishing one spot ahead of the Warriors to set up a showdown when all the conference teams converge today at San Luis Obispo Country Club. Whichever of the two teams finishes ahead of the other will likely earn third place and the PAC 5's final playoff berth. Pierce has also come on recently in the race for PAC 5 Most Valuable Player. The junior has finished third the past two years and is hoping he can break through and take the top spot. Article: The Tribune, Joshua D. Scroggin Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf May 12 - Mesa Oaks Charity Golf Classic at Monarch DunesMonday, May 01, 2006One of the first major tournaments to be played at the new Monarch Dunes golf course will be the 10th annual Mesa Oaks Charity Classic, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nipomo. The annual tournament is the club's major fund-raising project and has become a sensation with Central Coast golfers.Past events have been held at both Blacklake and Cypress Ridge, but club members felt this year's event should give golfers the opportunity to be among the first to play at Monarch Dunes. Some of the attractions of the Mesa Oaks Charity Classic are the unique shirts that each golfer receives, a welcome bag full of gifts from local businesses and supporters, a box lunch, prizes in various categories, a banquet and awards event and the opportunity to renew acquaintances with other golfers who compete year after year. This year's tournament will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 12. The popular scramble format will be followed, and many prizes will be available for holes-in-one and other special challenges. Although at press time the field was nearly filled, there were still spots for singles and a couple of foursomes. For more information, call tournament Chair Barry Dunahoo at 215-4200 or e-mail him at bfdbarry@yahoo.com. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf |
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