Van Morrison. Chastain Park. Atlanta, Saturday night.

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I couldn't join this wonderful opportunity in Atlanta. Van also played at New Orleans Jazz Festival on April 27, 2007.

The SGCA Golf Course

I still have a 3-hour jet lag. But I got up at 7am and had a Japanese breakfast in Torrance Plaza Hotel. Then I changed my address of various accounts, bank, securities broker, other Internet sites... It took unexpectedly a long time.

I went out to look for car dealer for services. My Honda CR-V ran 12,000 miles for these 6 months already. I decided to have a service at Japanese owned independent dealer, not a Honda official dealer, because it costed less. I will have an appointment tomorrow.

Then I went to Barnes & Noble to buy road maps. Ah I also bought ZAGAT America's Top Golf Course 2007/08 there, although Amazon sells it at around $11.

I also looked for phone/fax machine for my apartment. I went to Office Depot, Circuit City, Best Buy and Office Max. Office Max had more models than others. I bought Brother's cheap machine.

Finally I headed east to The SCGA Golf Course, a SCGA home course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr, one of my favorite golf course architect. Green fee for twilight was $48 (non-SGCA member), with rental club, King Cobra, $30.

This course will be one of my favorites around Los Angeles. It is a little bit hilly on front nine and relatively flat on back nine with water. Most of airways are wide open but greens are fast and hard to read. I teed off from White tees, 6294 yards. My score? Not bad with rental clubs. 4 double bogeys and 3 pars, 45-46.

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Zagat 2007/08 America's Top Golf

Firehills now in Los Angeles

I left Atlanta where I have been since October 2006 this morning and arrived Los Angeles. I have been in Downtown Los Angeles from July to November 1999 and Foster City from November 1999 to June 2002. I am now back to California, The Golden State. I'm now setting up Los Angeles Branch of our company, which will be the first office outside of Georgia where our head office is. I have to buy a desk, chairs, a desktop, a fax/printer/scanning machine, set up phone lines, DSL, VPN,..., anyway, everything from zero. It will be a small office in Torrance and I will be alone far away from our head office in Atlanta. This is a really challenging assignment for me. I will do my best here in Los Angeles. I will be travelling around in California, Nevada and Arizona where my clients are, so you can expect reports about hundreds of local places in the west.

Eagle's Landing Country Club

Yesterday I moved out from my apartment and checked in at Holiday Inn ATLANTA-JOHNS CREEK. Today, Apr 22, Sunday, I went to a private course, Eagle's Landing Country Club, which was designed by Tom Fazio. This is actually my last round in Atlanta. Thank you, Mr.H, the member, Mr.S and Mr.K.

This was a LPGA tournament course, but no tournament this year, I heard. However it was a real nice course, with very fast greens and elevated fairways. We played from Professional Tees (Blue), 6632 yards (Creek and Lake course). I could make 100 today with 46 and 52. Not bad with rental clubs.

Tournament Players Club at Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf Country Club's golf course、The Tournament Players Club at Sugarloaf is in Duruth near Atlanta. One of the PGA's Tournament Players Club courses and PGA is the owner of this course according to the member who I played with. Every year it holds Bellsouth Classic, which is renamed to AT& T Classic, May 14-17.

This is my last round in Atlanta, because I will move to Los Angeles at the end of April. There were thunder storms in Georgia since last night, and there was still some rain with very strong winds at the tee time of 2:14pm, with temperature of around 40F. This is also my first round at a private course in Atlanta, with member accompanying play fee of $157.94. It is said it costs more than $200 with non-accompany play fee. But!, this is very very reasonable at this fine course. Pebble Beach, $450?, Spyglass Hill, $300?. Only $150 something at this championship course! Oh my goodness. Thank you very much, Dr.T, Mr.S who arranged this great opportunity. I also thank Mr.K.

Rough is very deep because it will have a PGA tournament 1 month later. Fairways and greens are incredibly well maintenanced. I feel the greens are very fast like glass table, although Dr.K, the member, who plays almost every week day, says not much fast after the rain. We played Meadows (3157 yards) and Stables (3182 yards) from white tees. We passed 5th hole of Stable and my score was 49 on Meadows and +12 on Stables (without 5th hole). Not bad on this tournament course.

I believe this was one of the best courses in the U.S. I played (most of them were in California), like Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Pasatiempo and PGA West.

Cherokee Run Golf Club

Weather report says it will be T-storms this evening in Atlanta. So I have to finish 18 holes in the morning. I went to Cherokee Run Golf Club which was designed by Arnold Palmer. This is one of the must courses in Atlanta area. I arrived at around 7:30am and checked in at 8:32am tee off. Every hole is very hilly and every green is elevated and real fast like a glass table. I made 1 birdie at short par 4 #14, but I had 4 OBs, 1 lost ball and 1 water. It was better not keep my score. From blue tees it has 6564 yards, but we, average golfers, had better play from Augusta (green tees) 6083 yards. This is actually one of the must courses in Atlanta area with reasonable $59 play fee. I believe it may cost more than $100 if at Arnold Palmer's courses in Northern California.

Official Annoucement

I will be moving to Torrance, California at the end of April. During my stay in Los Angeles this week, I found my small office and apartment in Torrance. I'm now setting up our company's first branch in the U.S. in California. I have stayed in Los Angeles for 3 months from July 1999 to November 1999, so it is familiar to me, but my responsibility will be far more important than before. I will not have a time for golf after my moving.

I'm considering to change my blog title from "firehills in atlanta" to "firehills in torrance" or "firehills in los angeles". "In los angeles" is better, isn't it?

In Los Angeles

Firehills is now in Los Angeles. I left my apartment in Atlanta at 8am ET on Apr 8, and arrived Los Angeles at 12pm PT. I will stay 2 nights here and leave here on Tuesday night for Atlanta by red eye flight.

The Frog At The Georgian

It has been chilly and gusty this week here in Georgia. Today I went to The Frog At The Georgian
, which was said one of the best places to go in Georgia. It was a historical cold day today below 30F. Frost delay for more than 2 hours. I teed off at 10:00am from blue tees, 6239 yards. I could made 100 today, with 49 and 46. My driver was not so good, but better than yesterday. I made 4 pars at back nine with 1 putt. Ah, not bad on this hilly course, very tight and elevated greens. 　

Neil Young & Sierra Nevada pale Ale

Neil Young's favorite beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I believe. When I watched "Silver & Gold" for the first time, I realized it. This is a solo performance on May 29, 1999 at the 2,000 seat Bass Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Texas. There is another story about Young & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale here.

Sierra Nevada Brewing was founded in Chico, California. This ale is now one of national brand, and I can buy it here in Atlanta.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Oh my goodness. I forgot to tell you what I had yesterday. That's Samuel Adams Black Lager. In Japan there is Yebisu "The Black", which is the best black lager in Japan, I believe. I can't say which is better. The mug on the picture? I bought it at Epcot of Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida, which is made in Germany with glass made in Italy.

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

I had Samuel Adams Boston Ale this evening. I'm very good today, ale is very fine! The glass today is....just a glass I bought at Publix.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams was founded in Boston in 1984, which is now national brand in the U.S. I bought Mix Pack the other day. Yesterday I had Boston Lager first. This is real good lager, not water like Bud or Coors. I believe this is the best national brand lager in the U.S. When I visited Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, they gave me a glass.

Elyse/Elyse J. Weinberg

Elyse/Elyse J. Weinberg was originally released in 1968, but master tape was lost. In 2001, Orangetwin, Athens, Georgia released CD. Noises of analog LP record are also recorded in CD. Neil Young played electric guitar on track 13, "Houses". See here about Elyse. We can hear late 60s amazing psychedelic folk rock. I like Elyse's voice, which is something like a mix of Carol King and Maria Muldaur.

Cherry Blossom in The U.S.

"The plantings of cherry trees originated in 1912 as gift of friendship to the United States from the people of Japan. In Japan the flowering cherry tree or "Sakura", as it is called by the Japanese people, is one of the most exalted flowering plants. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformations Japanese Culture has undergone through the ages." says National Park Service's website.

Above picture was taken on Mar 23, 2007 near my apartment in Atlnata.

Sugar Creek Golf & Tennis Club

Yesterday I went to play golf at Sugar Creek Golf & Tennis Club with my colleagues. We are non-residents of Dekalb County. I didn't know why but a man in the pro shop gave us resident fees, $21 (walking). This is one of the flattest golf courses in Metro Atlanta area. Tall pine trees are on both sides. Greens here are much much better than other municipal courses in Atlanta. It is like Sobu Country Club or Funabashi Country Club in Chiba, Japan. We teed off at 7:37 am from white tees, 5944 yards. I made 42-40, which was my best score in Atlanta.