Well, the Elf sure is “fired up” to attend “Golf Fest 2015” at the Gary Player course (westinmissionhills.com/Gary-Player-Course) in Rancho Mirage, CA. This is our first golf trade show or festival so hopefully it will be good fun.
Bob Hope Golf Cart
Wouldn’t you love to cruise this around downtown?
Golf Fest 2015
For breakfast I had a Dunkin Donuts snickerdoodle cronut (croissant meets donut) which had plenty of creamy filling, a little bit of snickerdoodle flavor and has some cronut characteristics.
Elfie is a “fan”…
We tried clubs from the following companies: Callaway, Yonix, TaylorMade, Titelist, Cobra and Ping. The club I hit the best was Titleist. For Bella, it was undoubtedly Cobra.
Bella Checks the Schedule
Bella ready to go…
Bella’s Tortilla Soup
A simple but tasty lunch at the Gary Player clubhouse.
Peter Longo, “The King of Clubs”
This guy is about 6′ 3″ and not a young man but is a master at his craft of using trick golf clubs.
Another “flexible” trick club
His comedy shtick was pretty great and it was rather amazing how consistent he was in clubbing straight and far with the various gimmicky clubs.
A Long Drive Golf Champ?
Peter identified this guy as a long drive golf champ but I was unable to find him based on name I heard. Plus Peter was always joking so who knows.
Peter’s Loooonnnggg Driver…
Peter Lines Up 6 in a Row
Barbera Vino @ Birba
We’re at Birba (birbaps.com) in downtown Palm Springs where street parking is rarely fun but the food at this outdoor restaurant is usually worth it.
Birba: Huge Roasted Cauliflower
Sliced Parmesan cheese is on top. It is light, natural and healthy.
Birba: Nonna’s Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
These are tasty as usual.
Spaghetti Carbonara
It was pretty good but it was shy on pancetta and lacked the eggy and cheesy qualities I was used to with other renditions of this dish. The flavor was kind of neutral and light for a cream sauce.
Charred Brussel Sprouts
Parmesan sauce rests under the sprouts. I could have used more char and cooking time but otherwise they were great.
“Ice Box Key Lime Cake”
It was essentially a key lime pie which was buffed overnight in a freezer. It didn’t work for me and was a pain in the butt to eat with the fork being unable to cut through it and pieces ending up flying off the plate. I’ll take the soft and creamy unfrozen variety next time or nothing at all.
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn (hilton.com) in Rancho Mirage which had a mostly dated look with hunter/mint green colors, all too much brass and looked less desirable than a dated Courtyard Marriott. In our room the furniture was a little more modern but ugly striped curtains and a gold framed mirror lacked modern day appeal. I think 1993 is calling and they want their spectacular decor back.
Their breakfast buffet featured yummy hashbrowns, custom tasty omelettes and partial mountain views from the dining room.
Omni Rancho Las Palmas Course
The course had recently been reseeded so green grass was prevalent and appreciated.
Course, Mountains, Clouds and Palms, oh my…
“Palms Gone Wild”
Omni Rancho Las Palmas
This course wasn’t terribly interesting yet it wasn’t boring either.
Recently Reseeded and Plenty Green
Based on current California drought conditions this course was very green.
Very green indeed…
THE END!
David J. Evangelisti, II 
A very good overview of a nice day in the world of golf. Great pics, too. The food, as always, made me hungry, and I especially liked the Bob Hope golf cart!