STONEBRAE GOLF COURSE
Davis Street FRC Honors John J. Jermanis

In August of this year, Davis Street Family Resource Center (FRC), a nonprofit deserving of support from all communities for the service it provides working families, honored John J. Jermanis, the city manager of San Leandro, as he prepared to retire after a 37-year career. The organization invited supporters, sponsors and friends to a special day on the new Stonebrae golf course in the Hayward hills, designed by world-renowned golf architect David McLay Kidd.

We arrived with more than a few drops of water on the windshield Ñ the more we climbed to the top of Walpert Ridge the closer we came to the horizon of fog that envelopes many early mornings around the San Francisco Bay. It's always good to dress in layers when playing almost any Bay Area golf course close to the water because of the inevitable wind from the bay. This day was no exception to that rule. The crisp summer air was refreshing and promised a day like no other. Indeed, the sun later came through with perfect temperatures and light winds that made for a flawless day for golf. Play moved along swiftly and we finished in record time. The ambassadors of golf at this club made the day seem special with their helpful, courteous and friendly attitudes.

This newly acclaimed Tournament Players Clubs course, which will feature a Nationwide Tournament in years to come, comprises 18 holes covering 1,700 acres, with natural edged bunkers and a 7,200 yard par-72 golf course. It is challenging and fun, but daunting for the best of the single-digit handicappers, as well as the novices and social golfers. David Kidd, the architect for this course, learned traditional design from his father, who was one of the foremost turf managers in the world. After mastering his craft at various golf facilities, Kidd was the lead architect of Bandon Dunes in Oregon before forming his own company, DMK Golf Design. His portfolio includes courses in England, Hawaii and the Castle Course at St. Andrews, the first new golf course to be built at the home of golf in 100 years Ñ and now Stonebrae in the East Bay.

The newest addition to golfing in the San Francisco Bay Area is well worth the effort. You must find a way to play this breathtaking course. And I'm not just talking about the views! Stonebrae has been described as a natural landscape situated along the highest ridgeline in the East Bay hills. The course is designed almost entirely with panoramic views of the water and the San Francisco skyline. As is true with all courses in the links style, the fairways and beautiful greens are surrounded by natural, environmentally sensitive grasslands, old time- and-wind-tested oak trees and rock outcroppings. All the natural beauty of the hillsides has been protected and enhanced by the intricately designed hole placements. The flag placement on our day of golf created some interesting, undulating lines that were, at least in our foursome, not easily puttable. But we had a great time trying!

As promised by all of the literature, there was a challenging practice facility, with five target greens with bunkers and a chipping and putting green. And despite the fact that a brand-new 32,000-square-foot clubhouse is planned at full completion, the temporary facility open for our tournament was quite attractive and sufficient, with ample room for golfers to share the views of the San Mateo Bridge and the Bay Area's mountaintops (Mount Tamalpais and Mount Diablo). The clubhouse also features a well-appointed golf shop for anything and everything you may have forgotten to bring along. A full-service bar and kitchen, along with friendly staff, provided everything we needed for our golf experience. Indeed, our dinner following the day's events was quite inviting, tasty and most certainly welcome after a beautiful day in the hills with all that fresh air!

The foursome who won our tournament was, of course, below par, which is always the case in a scramble golf tourney. And part of their prize package was a beautiful framed photograph of the Stonebrae course. I can tell you that John Jermanis was overwhelmed by the support of friends and colleagues who came out to play, along with his lovely wife, Linda, and daughter Dana, who joined us all for dinner. He will be missed at the office but I think the golf courses of the Bay Area will be beckoning him to spend more time with them as the years go by. We will miss him at the helm in San Leandro but he deserves a big send-off with all our good wishes for the future.

Starting in 2009, this course will feature a PGA Tour. If you can't find a way to play this facility, you must watch the Tour on TV. I'm certain the live telecast will convince you to either invest in a membership by joining the club or to build a house and move there permanently.

In partnership with the Santa Cruz-based Jordan and Kyra Memorial Foundation, dedicated to pediatric cancer research and family care, TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae is proud to support the San Leandro-based George Mark Children's House beginning in 2009 through the hosting of the Nationwide Tour Stonebrae Classic. It will be held the week of March 30-April 5, 2009, with live coverage on the Golf Channel all four days. The Nationwide Tour professionals will be playing for a purse of $600,000, with the winner taking home $108,000. Don't miss it.

As is shown by some photos shared here, the greens are inviting and all the players had a great time. For more information on the course, check out www.stonebrae.com.

"Golf is good for the soul. You get so mad at yourself, you forget to hate your enemies."
—Will Rogers

Shelia Young served two terms as mayor of the city of San Leandro.