Oakridge Country Club is on Shepard Lane in Farmington, Utah. It has hosted the Utah Open several times, the Utah State Amateur and years ago the Utah Open when it was on the PGA tour. It is a green, lush course, with many trees. There are lakes on 6 holes. Here is a brief description of each hole. All yardages are based on the white tees.
1. Par 5 499 yards. This is a straight hole with bunkers on the right and trees on both sides of the fairway. It was a pretty opening hole. The green is well bunker with subtle breaks.
2. Par 3 177 yards. This par 3 has a brand new bent grass green with intimidating breaks in some areas of the green. There is no sure thing when putting from 4 feet on some fringe areas. It is well bunkered with out of bounds on the left.
3. Par 4 367 yards. This is a little tamer than it use to be. The windstorm in Dec 2011 took out some dastardly trees on the right hand side of the fairway. Straight away hole, bunkered green with out of bounds on the left hand side. Slopes fairly well from back to front. Do not skull a shot into this green over the back. It could get wet.
4. Par 4 391 yards. A dogleg right with trees on the left and right. If you are in the trees it is usually tough to par. Fairway bunker on the left and left side green bunkers. Small creek on the right can eat some balls. A par feels good here.
5. Par 3 160 yards. This is a pretty par 3, elevated tee, over the lake onto a well bunkered green. Usually an fairly straightforward par hole; hit it straight, you have your par.
6. Par 5 490 yards. The drive must clear the lake, go up to the top of a hill. Right side fairway bunker can be trouble. Dogleg left with trees right and left. Well bunkered green with a good slope on it.
7. Par 4 377 yards. A bunch of trees on the right, do not go there. A drive to the left is no picnic either. A good slope from back down to the front with 2 to 4 foot breaks on some putts.
8. Par 4 358 yards. A dogleg right, with trouble if you clunk a drive left and an ornery bunch of scrub oak on the right. Bunkered green with strong breaks makes par here feel good.
9. Par 4 421 yards. This is the #1 handicap hole from the whites. The tee shot must clear the lake and stay out of the trees. Drives of 250 and greater make this hole easier, but 200+ approach shots are common. Bunkers on the right side and a steep slope away from the green on the left.
10. Par 4 384 yards. This hole has a pond on the right and a fairway bunker which saves many shots from feeding into the pond. This hole has a brand new green also. It is large, well bunkered and has subtle breaks. Trees on the left can play havoc with tee shots and approach shots.
11. Par 5 528 yards. This is a slight dogleg right hole. Trees right and left are trouble. A large bunker in the right fairway area 100 yards or so from the green is not an inviting location to be. Large bunker left green side can be gnarly. This green, with some flagstick locations be akin to putting on a turtle's back.
12. Par 4 370 yards. This is a slight dogleg left, trees right and left about 200 yards out can spoil a good drive. Bunkers right and left. Fairly straightforward green with reasonable breaks. Do not slice it big right on this one.
13. Par 3 158 yards. This hole is tougher than it looks. Bunkers front right and left and back along the left side. Out of bounds right if a wickedly sliced shot is produced. There are some interesting areas on the green with breaks of 6+ feet experienced.
14. Par 4 408 yards. Standing on the tee, aim for the house with the white patio. A creek on the right side magnetically attracts balls to the right. A bunch of trees on a shot to the left make par just about impossible. Bunker on the right front. This is a wicked green if you are above the flagstick. A front flagstick can see putts go off the green.
15. Par 3 167 yards. Over a lake to a well bunkered green. There is out of bounds right and left with a well sloped green. There are some pretty big breaks when putting from top to bottom and vice versa.
16. Par 5 533 yards. This is the longest par 5. It doglegs left with ponds on the right and left sides from 150 yards in or so. A poor shot left off of the tee is tough to recover from. A parabolic shot to the right is no treat either. A good second shot allows a nice approach shot into the green. Big hitters reach this one in 2 as is possible on all the par 5's. Right side bunker with a big tree by it can be a hindrance.
17. Par 4 427 yards. This is the #2 handicap hole. It is a straight par 4. No real problems except the trees on the right and left side. There is a bunker on the right front. Here is a tip, DO NOT GET ABOVE THE HOLE WITH YOUR APPROACH. This is considered the most difficult putting surface on the course. A down hill putt, if at all aggressive can pass the hole by, oh, 20-30 feet. I've seen it and done it.
18. Par 4 366 yards. This is a lovely hole with an elevated green, over a creek with a right side fairway bunker. The 2011 windstorm thinned out a bunch of trees on the left so a shot there still has a chance when in years prior it was pretty much death over there. Nice green. It breaks towards Lagoon usually.
There you have it. I did not proof read this so any typos are, well typos..
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Our Tatumbla Family--7 Years Later
In the Spring of 2007 Joyce and I went on our second humanitarian trip to Honduras. We met the Buitrago family in Tatumbla. Yesterday we had a dinner at our house and the three girls were there, one with spouse, one with a boyfriend, one with a little daughter because her husband, Stephen had to work. We had a great time; time marches on.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
A Neat Lady Moves On
Joyce and I attended a funeral in River Heights UT today. A friend of Joyce's family, and someone who treated my always like a friend has passed on. Mickey Jibson was a fantastic lady. She died at age 93. Talking to her son Ron and her daughter Cathy and their spouses it is hard to believe that she is gone. A week ago she was, well, she was Mickey. This lady did everything, loved everything and everyone.
I was reminiscing about the little town of River Heights. I was exposed to the populace there while dating my sweetheart, who I married. There were incredible families there, raising incredible children, who were giving them incredible grandchildren. My wife was a Weston. Families within a few blocks were the Jibson's, the Ballam's, the Siler's, the Mickelsen's, the Ringer's, the Stewart's, the Jolley's, the Zollinger's, the Postma's, the Ellis's, the Rich's. Those are the families that come to mind in my first thoughts.
To Cathy and Ron and their families you have my gratitude and respect and above all a cheerful smile as I think of your Mom and Dad, Wally and Mickey Jibson, they were a pleasure to be around and it was an honor to know them.
I was reminiscing about the little town of River Heights. I was exposed to the populace there while dating my sweetheart, who I married. There were incredible families there, raising incredible children, who were giving them incredible grandchildren. My wife was a Weston. Families within a few blocks were the Jibson's, the Ballam's, the Siler's, the Mickelsen's, the Ringer's, the Stewart's, the Jolley's, the Zollinger's, the Postma's, the Ellis's, the Rich's. Those are the families that come to mind in my first thoughts.
To Cathy and Ron and their families you have my gratitude and respect and above all a cheerful smile as I think of your Mom and Dad, Wally and Mickey Jibson, they were a pleasure to be around and it was an honor to know them.
Friday, May 16, 2014
VHS Alumni Golf Outing (RESCHEDULED)
The 4th Annual VHS Alumni Association Golf Outing has been rescheduled for later in the summer. We are holding the event at Oakridge Country Club in Farmington. There has been some renovation on the course which would cause us to use temporary greens if we played on the scheduled date of June 20th. Nobody, especially me wants to do that so we have rescheduled the event for August 15, 2014 at 8 AM. Everyone and anyone is invited to register. Registration info can be found at www.viewmontalumni.net .
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Save the "V"
Viewmont Vikings: Save the “V”
- The concrete “V” on the mountainside is in need of your help!
- Years of erosion has undermined under the structure.
- Concrete needs to be placed under the “V” to stop the erosion.
Funding for the project will be obtained through students, parents, faculty,community, and alumni donation.
For tax deductible contributions, send a check made out to the DAVIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION (write Save The “V” Project on the memo line) to P.O.Box 588, Farmington, Utah 84025 or send/drop-off the check to Viewmont High School, or get on the Davis Education Foundation website where credit card payments are accepted at www.daviseducationfoundation.org. This is a 501c charitable foundation set up by the Davis School District to foster charitable giving.
More Information About the Project:
Project: Part one of the restoration is to remove brush, weeds, and loose gravel along both outside edges to have a solid base for shotcrete (concrete conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface like in pool construction) to be pumped under the “V.” Wire mesh secured with rebar will be placed to provide a framework for the shotcrete. The current student body, Boy Scouts, and able-bodied alumni will perform the labor for part one. Part two of the project is to have Intermountain Gunite Company professionally do the pumping of the shotcrete. The materials and labor for the pumping are the majority of the costs of this project. The rest of the cost will be to restore the ground next to the “V” by replacing dirt, replanting native grasses, and creating a drainage system along the side to prevent future erosion. An improved pathway for safer climbing up to the V is also a part of the project.
Part one of the project is scheduled to be completed in two phases. Ryan Trump with his scout troop and other volunteers will begin Saturday April 19th, 2014. The Viewmont Student leaders and advisors as well as any interested alumni or parents will continue the preparation for the shotcrete by placing the wire mesh around the V on Friday April 26th, 2014 at 3:00pm. Part two well begin after May 1st, 2014 by Intermountain Gunite Company pumping in the shotcrete. After the shotcrete has cured, then the last phase of replacing dirt, improving the pathway, replanting native grasses and creating a drainage system will be completed.
History: The Viewmont High School Class of 1973 constructed an 8 foot wide, 105 foot long concrete “V” on the mountain above Centerville on city property. After forty years, water running off the “V” has eroded the soil up to two feet under the concrete and has created two to three foot deep gully along the north side, and to a lesser extent along the south side. At the present time, the “V” is stable as determined by a geological engineer’s evaluation; however, if nothing is done to stop the erosion, the “V” is in danger of becoming unstable and breaking up. Ryan Trump created the restoration proposal to stop the erosion under the “V” as an Eagle Scout Project. Ryan is the youngest grandchild of Robert Trump, the contractor who aided the Class of ’73 with framing and pouring the concrete forty years ago. Ryan presented the proposal to the Viewmont Student Body officers, Viewmont Principal Daniel Linford, Viewmont Alumni Committee, and the Centerville City Council, with all parties agreeing to cooperate with the project. Centerville City Council has approved and authorized this work to be done with the oversight of the city engineer.
Please help the traditions of lighting and whitewashing the “V” stay an influential part of students’ school experience by donating by May 1st. Donations will still be accepted after that to help with re-planting and landscaping, but the contractor will need to be paid shortly after May 1st.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
It's Not How You Quit, It's Where You Start
I purposely am plagiarizing from After America by Mark Steyn. The following is found on pages 330-332. I think everyone under 35 at least should read and think about it. Those older than 35 probably will appreciate it even more
You can't always be anything you want to be. I wanted to be a great tap-dancer. Instead I'm a mediocre tap-dancer. But that's my problem. Your problem is that my generation and your teacher's generation have put a huge obstacle in the way of you being anything you want to be: We've spent your future. Generationally speaking , yours truly, the principal, the guidance counselor, the school board, the old, the late middle-aged and the early middle-aged have cleaned you out before you've got going.
"It's about the future of all our children." And the future of all our children is that you'll be paying off the past of all your grandparents. In the assisted-suicide phase of western democracy, voters are seduced by politicians who bribe them with government lollipops, but they're not willing to pay the cost of those lollipops. Solution: Kick it down the road, and stick it to the next generation. That's you.
So government has spent your future. This is the biggest generational transfer of wealth in the history of the world. Look at the way your parents and grandparents live: it's not going to be like that for you. You're going to have a smaller house, and a smaller car--if not a basement apartment and a bus ticket. But thanks a bundle, it worked out great for us. We of the Greatest Generation, the Boomers, and Generation X salute you, the plucky members of the Brokest Generation, the Gloomers, and Generation Y, as in "Why the hell did you old coots do this to us?", which is what your going to be asking in a few years' time. You're being lined up for a twenty-first century America of more government, more regulation, less opportunity, and less prosperity--and you should be mad about it; when you come to take your seat at the American table (to use another phrase politicians are fond of), you'll find the geezers, the boomers and the Gen-X-ers have all gone to the bathroom, and you're the only one sitting there when the waiter presents the check. That's you: Generation Checks.
"You can be anything you want to be!" "Dream your dreams!" You won't be able to dream your dreams, because you'll be the gray morning after of us oldtimers' almighty bender. The American Dream will be as elusive and mythical as the Greek Dream. Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute calculated that if the federal government were to increase every single tax by 30 percent it would be enough to balance the books--in 25 years. Except that it wouldn't. Because if you raised taxes by 30 percent, government would spend even more than it already does, on the grounds that the citizenry needed more social programs and entitlements to compensate for their sudden reduction in disposable income.
In the Sixties, the hippies used to say, "Never trust anyone over 30." Now all the Sixties hippies are in their sixtes, and they've gone quiet about that, but it's good advice for you: never trust anyone over 30 with the societal checkbook. You thought you were the idealistic youth of the Obama era, but in fact you're the designated fall-guys. You weren't voting for "the future," but to deny yourself the very possibility of one--like turkeys volunteering to waddle around with an Audacity of Thanksgiving bumper sticker on your tush. Instead of swaying glassy-eyed behind President Obama at his campaign rallies singing "We are the hopeychange," you should be demanding that the government spend less money on smaller agencies with fewer employees on lower salaries. Because if you don't, there won't be a future. "You can be anything you want to be"--but only if you first tell today's big spenders that, whatever they want to be, they should try doing it on their own dime.
So my thoughts go back to 1964 when the Great Society hit us, the War on Poverty and all the other programs to protect everybody and everything from whatever and whenever. The Society doesn't seem so Great, and Poverty has increased even after spending since 1964 $18 trillion dollars on it. Whatever will be will be.
You can't always be anything you want to be. I wanted to be a great tap-dancer. Instead I'm a mediocre tap-dancer. But that's my problem. Your problem is that my generation and your teacher's generation have put a huge obstacle in the way of you being anything you want to be: We've spent your future. Generationally speaking , yours truly, the principal, the guidance counselor, the school board, the old, the late middle-aged and the early middle-aged have cleaned you out before you've got going.
"It's about the future of all our children." And the future of all our children is that you'll be paying off the past of all your grandparents. In the assisted-suicide phase of western democracy, voters are seduced by politicians who bribe them with government lollipops, but they're not willing to pay the cost of those lollipops. Solution: Kick it down the road, and stick it to the next generation. That's you.
So government has spent your future. This is the biggest generational transfer of wealth in the history of the world. Look at the way your parents and grandparents live: it's not going to be like that for you. You're going to have a smaller house, and a smaller car--if not a basement apartment and a bus ticket. But thanks a bundle, it worked out great for us. We of the Greatest Generation, the Boomers, and Generation X salute you, the plucky members of the Brokest Generation, the Gloomers, and Generation Y, as in "Why the hell did you old coots do this to us?", which is what your going to be asking in a few years' time. You're being lined up for a twenty-first century America of more government, more regulation, less opportunity, and less prosperity--and you should be mad about it; when you come to take your seat at the American table (to use another phrase politicians are fond of), you'll find the geezers, the boomers and the Gen-X-ers have all gone to the bathroom, and you're the only one sitting there when the waiter presents the check. That's you: Generation Checks.
"You can be anything you want to be!" "Dream your dreams!" You won't be able to dream your dreams, because you'll be the gray morning after of us oldtimers' almighty bender. The American Dream will be as elusive and mythical as the Greek Dream. Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute calculated that if the federal government were to increase every single tax by 30 percent it would be enough to balance the books--in 25 years. Except that it wouldn't. Because if you raised taxes by 30 percent, government would spend even more than it already does, on the grounds that the citizenry needed more social programs and entitlements to compensate for their sudden reduction in disposable income.
In the Sixties, the hippies used to say, "Never trust anyone over 30." Now all the Sixties hippies are in their sixtes, and they've gone quiet about that, but it's good advice for you: never trust anyone over 30 with the societal checkbook. You thought you were the idealistic youth of the Obama era, but in fact you're the designated fall-guys. You weren't voting for "the future," but to deny yourself the very possibility of one--like turkeys volunteering to waddle around with an Audacity of Thanksgiving bumper sticker on your tush. Instead of swaying glassy-eyed behind President Obama at his campaign rallies singing "We are the hopeychange," you should be demanding that the government spend less money on smaller agencies with fewer employees on lower salaries. Because if you don't, there won't be a future. "You can be anything you want to be"--but only if you first tell today's big spenders that, whatever they want to be, they should try doing it on their own dime.
So my thoughts go back to 1964 when the Great Society hit us, the War on Poverty and all the other programs to protect everybody and everything from whatever and whenever. The Society doesn't seem so Great, and Poverty has increased even after spending since 1964 $18 trillion dollars on it. Whatever will be will be.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
The Oman Family Christmas Letter 2013
When one sits down to write something like this the first thing to do is decide what font to use. I am kind of partial to Bookman Old Style so that is what you are going to get.
2013? Hmm. What does one say really? It is about over that is one thing. We know another thing, 2013 is not a prime number so maybe that is the reason the year has been a little iffy for many. We have enjoyed it though.
Joyce and I made one of our pilgrimages to Central America, to El Salvador to be exact and did some dental stuff for a week or so. It was great being with so many of our wonderful “brigada” friends that we have made over the years. The Salvadorans we met are a lovely people.
We have really enjoyed Becki and Kyle, Ben and Melissa and their crew, Weston, Elijah, Adelaide and Miles. We smile a lot while with them. They just keep growing up, the grandchildren that is.
We did make an interesting journey to Croatia in September. Our dear friends Richard and Carrie Westergard were serving a religious mission there and they took the leap of faith of having us come over and spend some days with them. They took us to some beautiful places, especially Rovinj and then into Slovenia and the Lake Bled area. We made some nice acquaintances while there and have a few more Facebook friends. While in the area, we drove up to Budapest and then over to Vienna for a few days to see what those places were like. It was a wonderful adventure for us. Go see omansalmanac.blogspot.com for pictures and stuff. No less adventuresome was spending a few days in San Francisco. We enjoy going there, but admit that many things about it suggest it is a foreign country all its own. I had some dental meetings there and the California Dental Association was a great host.
Greg mowed the lawn a lot during the summer. That’s something to report I suppose. Some occasional weeding too. But summer got us out on the golf course and Joyce hits a mean tee shot. We have had a lot of fun together. We even had some golf action up at Bear Lake with our friends Niles and Janet Herrod. So, see, life isn’t totally sweat running off our brow.
Speaking of Bear Lake. We had the family up there for a week as we usually do and it was a great time. Weston, the 8 year old and I, did a 30 minute ride on a tube. I was pretty well hammered. I much prefer the waverunners. Oh, and the Pickleville Playhouse is something we hit for sure. If you have not done that you might put that quietly in your bucket list.
One tough thing to deal with is I think I have lost a step or something in my barbecuing ability. I had a few steaks come in off of the grill that were not cooked well enough for Joycie. That really hasn’t happened before. Maybe it is a loss of patience, I don’t know but I am really going to concentrate next year.
Our kids are doing pretty well. Kyle and Becki have a little crew that seems to give them something to do. Kyle is a Family Practice Physician. Becki is a mother, who teaches aerobics and does a little speech pathology on the side, among other things that seem to fill their days up. Weston is almost a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Elijah is quite a little ball player and Addie, well, Addie does other stuff like dance, play, sing and generally delight everyone she is around. Ben is working hard developing a business called Citigro. Melissa has worked at a nearby school, but really she and Miles do their thing. She is trying to develop character in the young lad of 1 year. We think he will be walking soon.
So there you have a brief synopsis of our year. We hope yours has been a great one and that 2014 will be even better. Most of all we wish you a Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Mom and Dad at a 60th Anniversary Dinner. (F)
Joyce, Glen Oman, Elaine Oman, Merri Jo Oman.(B)
Greg, Tiffany & Jay Burton, Kirk & Mike Oman
Elijah, Miles, Weston and Addie
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