Monday Moanin’

The cold and stormy weather did not keep me from golfing this weekend. Friday, as part of a send off for a colleague changing jobs, we decided to play nine at the Home Course after lunch. The 30 mile an hour gusts gave us all the convenient excuses we needed. We had the course virtually to ourselves, for obvious reasons.

The Home Course is a dream fulfilled for the golfers of DuPont. We certainly have several quality golf options in the area, but to have a course down the street is an important source of pride. I look forward to hosting out of town guests to a round in the future. I even got a shag bag for Christmas and went back to practice chipping and putting on what turned into a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Looking out at the sound and mountains during the sun breaks made me realize that the name of the course is woefully inadequet. The Home Course somehow does not ring majestic. True, it is owned and home to both the PNWGA and WSGA, but it is somehow cheapened by the HomeTown Hair Salon or the abandoned HomeTown Bakery, and any other contrived business called HomeTown that assumes we forget where we live and must reassure our transient community. Will the addition of the warehouses bring to mind Home Depot?

When compared to names like The Classic, Druid’s Glen, and Trophy Lake our hidden jewel might be mistaken for Parkland Putters. Certainly a name as pedestrian as The Home Course is not befitting a place named fourth in the best new golf courses opened in 2007 by Travel and Leisure magazine. You may also be familiar with the number one course on the list, Chambers Bay.

Golfweek had our course in its top 50 list of new courses in 2007.

Is that news to you? That the course you may pass every day is held in high esteem by national publications and locals alike? There is no mention on the city website, and nary a peep from the other websites claiming to serve the city (in fact, it is not even listed in the business directory of the other sites). I find that curious because if we are hoping to foster a thriving local business community then we probably want to extenuate the positives. I am a simple cave man and I do not understand our community marketing gurus complex ways. You would figure the golf course would be the draw poising restuarants, taverns, and convenience shops to cash in. Yet, there is no tie in. No hook to get you to stop on the way in or out of town.

The name “Home” ANYTHING screams small town rubes to me. I would like to see at least one business feature a tie in by the summer. Is that too much to ask? How about “Play a round of 18 holes and get 50% off your next pedicure at Viva Happy Feet Nails and Teriyaki Buffet”?

You get the picture.

Sadly, I cannot think of a better name for the course at the moment. At least they did not sell the naming rights to a corporation that wouldn’t roll off the tongue either. For now, I am just grateful I live near 45 holes of one my favorite pastimes. It sure is nice to be able to walk from my house to a nationally recognized course.