By Chuck Miller, "The Traveling Guy"Tiger Woods, Corey Pavin and Craig Stadler, along with many Hollywood celebrities, sports figures and regular week day and weekend golfers have golfed there. Where is there…it's the Catalina Island Golf Course just "Twenty Six Miles Across the Sea". Actually the course, which is located in Avalon, Catalina's main port, is only 22 miles from the Southern California mainland. However, since The Four Preps and Tennessee Ernie Ford made the island famous by singing that Santa Catalina was "Twenty Six Miles Across the Sea", that's good enough for me.
There are many ways to get to Catalina for a fun round of golf and an enjoyable time sightseeing, shopping, swimming or just relaxing on its fifty-four miles of pristine shoreline. You can take a 15 minute helicopter ride; fly to the island's "Airport in the Sky" in a small plane; spend an hour speeding across the channel on a Catalina Express high speed vessel from Long Beach, Dana Point or San Pedro, cities just south of Los Angeles;…or you can do as I did and take a leisurely 4-day cruise from Long Beach on the Carnival Paradise which stops for one day at Catalina, one day at Ensenada, Mexico and spends one day cruising the blue Pacific.
Knowing the Paradise spent one day in Avalon, I organized my schedule to play the 9-hole Catalina Island Golf Course. Normally playing a 9-hole course is not my cup of tea. However, playing the par 32 Catalina Island Golf Course proved to be a fun experience, one that I thoroughly enjoyed. The course, a short 2139 yards has four par 3's and five par 4's with the shortest par 3 being 114 yards and the longest par 4 a challenging 336 yards.
Prior to teeing off, I spoke to Head Pro Mark Phelps, a Catalina native who returned to the island after 17 years as a pro in Orange County near Los Angeles. For a first timer like myself, Mark was a fountain of information about the course and how to play it. He explained the course is one the oldest in Southern California having been built in 1892 as a 3-hole course and expanded to nine holes in 1894; is the former home of the Bobby Jones Invitational Tournament played there annually from 1931 to 1955; and that the Country Club served as the locker room for the Chicago Cubs for many years when they used Catalina Island as their spring training headquarters.
My favorite hole was the 325-yard Par 4 first hole which has an elevated tee, a large bunker in the middle of the fairway and a tiny elevated green. It was my favorite not because I scored well, a couple of OB's did me in, but because of the view from the tee of the lush and scenic greenery surrounding the course.
Following my round I happened upon Catalina local Dick Salazar and two of his golfing buddies, Paul Monti and Pat Forese. When I asked them their thoughts about the course, Dick smiled and said, "It is narrow and not as easy as it looks". He was absolutely correct. The course's narrow tree lined fairways, deep greenside bunkers and small greens definitely made it harder than its short yardage implied.
The course has two sets of tees which makes it is possible to play an 18-hole round. Green fees are $35-$60 for nine holes and $49-$85 for 18 holes depending on the day you play and whether you walk or rent a golf cart.
Following golf my three golf and cruise companions and I walked down to the harbor and lunched at Steve's Steakhouse overlooking Avalon Bay. We quickly understood why locals have voted Steve's Steakhouse Catalina's #1 restaurant...excellent food, outstanding service and a panoramic view of Avalon Bay across Crescent Avenue, Catalina's main street. We had a chance to meet owner-manager Steve Bray, a fourth generation "islander". Steve, who prides himself on purchasing only fresh seafood directly from local fisherman whenever possible, opened the restaurant in 2001 and has made it a household name for excellent steak and fish entrees, a terrific selection of wines, and superb desserts.
We enjoyed an appetizer of locally caught and exquisitely prepared sand dabs and then our party of four dined on four different luncheon entrees…scallops, ahi tuna, sea bass and penne pasta with shrimp. Each mouth watering entrée was prepared to perfection. The only regret we had was that we were sailing from Catalina at 4:30 PM which precluded us from having one of Steve's famed steak dinners. We vowed to return, hopefully sooner than later.
Although Avalon is just 22 miles away from the mainland, it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of life in Southern California. It is a laid-back friendly community. There's not even a traffic light on the island. Because it is laid-back doesn't mean there's nothing to do there. In addition to golfing, shopping, and sightseeing, there are a myriad of activities available including a new and exciting Zip Line experience, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing, as well as numerous tours of the island and bay, most of which can be arranged through the Shore Excursion Desk when sailing on the Carnival Paradise.
The Paradise offers a fun and relaxing way to visit Catalina. We boarded the 70,000 ton, 855 foot long Paradise on a Monday afternoon prior to a 5:00 PM sailing. We enjoyed the sail away party and then headed to the Leonardo Lounge to quench our thirsts with some adult beverages prior to dining in the Destiny Dining Room aboard our "hotel that moves".
The Paradise has everything you need for a fun vacation. You can enjoy elegant dining in the white table cloth Destiny and Elation Dining Rooms or casual dining in the Paris Restaurant or at the snack bars or the pizzeria. You can also enjoy meals in your stateroom by calling for room service. During its four day itinerary there is time to catch up on your reading in the library or while lounging on deck, swim in one of the two swimming pools, relax in one of the six hot tubs, get a massage in the Spa or enjoy a drink in one of the 12 bars and lounges. For those who like to "shop til you drop", the Paradise shops offers great bargains on jewelry, duty free alcohol, souvenirs and clothes from casual to formal. Oh yes, did I mention Bingo.
If you like Broadway style shows as I do, the Normandie Lounge Show Room is a must. We saw two extremely upbeat shows there,
Eight More Seconds and
Shout. Both had original and well known songs, extremely energetic dancing and outstanding costumes with multiple changes. Great shows, great fun.
When at sea on the Carnival you can tempt lady luck in the Majestic Casino which has a wide variety of slot machines and table games. If gaming is not your forte, there is a nightly Sing-A- Long in the America Piano Bar, dancing in the Leonardo Lounge and Rex Disco or late night comedy in the Comedy Club. If the activities of the day have you wanting to relax, you can simply head back to the comfort of your stateroom.
The Paradise offers something for everyone. Tiny tots, pre-teens, teen-agers, young adults, singles, married couples and families all have access to a variety of different activities. Whatever your age, whatever your lifestyle, you will never be bored on the Carnival Paradise. Having taken 23 cruises over the years I highly recommend cruising as a wonderful way to see the world while enjoying all the amenities that a "hotel that moves" provides. To me cruising is the most economical vacation available. When you are an avid golfer and can combine cruising with golf as I did, "life is good".
Whether you live out of the area and are planning a Southern California vacation, or you live in Southern California, make sure your vacation plans include a fun filled four days on the Carnival Paradise. And, if you are a golfer, be sure and play golf at the Catalina Island Golf Course. For more information on cruising with Carnival, check with your travel agent or visit Carnival's website
www.Carnival.com. For more information about Catalina Island, go to
www.Catalina.com. For information about golf at the Catalina Island golf course, go to
www.visitcatalinaisland.com and click on golf. For information about Steve's Steakhouse, go to
www.stevessteakhouse.com.
