Rancho Park: "The American tapestry."

When I think of the great places in the game, Rancho Park always comes to mind because it is the only existing course in America to have hosted all three tours (PGA, Champions, LPGA), millions of rounds of golf and remains the essentially the same place the West Los Angeles muni has been all of my lifetime: a special place to play golf.

Yes, they've raised green fees and conditioning is in flux with the incompetent city of LA in charge, but the people make the place and always have. Michael Bamberger captures it all in a nutshell after just one recent visit.

In the parking lot, I saw a young guy hop out of his truck, zip oranges into his golf bag, slide into his spikes and march off to the clubhouse. (Such an echt display of pre-round enthusiasm.) In the restaurant/pro shop, a man in a nearby booth ate breakfast with his bag beside him, headcovers on all 14 of his companions. A waitress arranged for my rental set, an interesting assortment of lost treasures: Ping Eye 2s, Titleists likely from another century, Stratas, a Zebra putter. On the driving range, there was a middle-aged man loading up his face with sunblock and his mouth with chew. All the while, over loudspeakers, the starter announced the batters off his ever-changing lineup card: Aiello, Shapiro, Chu. The American tapestry.