Trona Golf Course - Trona, California

We were on our way back from Death Valley when I sensed the presence of a golf course. Trona sits at the base of an alluvial fan that extends down from the Western slope of the Panamint Mountains. It's on the edge of a dry lakebed and desert Southeast of Lone Pine. We slid into the dirt parking lot of the local Frosty Freeze for a cool one. It made me think of the tens of thousands of miles we'd traveled looking for dirt and rocks. The blonde behind the counter had fresh cheeks and a crisp white uniform. I put in my order and she offered up two titillating cones. I asked where the nearest golf course was and sure enuf there was a nine holer "back up the road a piece". I was turning to leave when someone suggests, "enjoy your self". I licked my Frosty and hit the road.

We turned off the highway and down into the desert at something Wells Road. Still no sign of a course and nothing documented in my California Golf book. Then it was there - a small sign and a fenced facility. There was no sign of life. I checked the lock on the gate and it was open. A sign on the shop said put five bucks in the slot and go play. I surveyed the course - no fairways - just desert with elevated greens and tees. An environmentalist’s dream? I rummaged through some dilapidated golf carts and came up with a well-weathered pencil inscribed with "Trona Golf Club". This qualified the course for play but I was going to play this one no matter what. I also found a scorecard with a map, which would be required for survival in the open desert. As I headed for the first tee I evaluated the course once again. Not too many hazards - some occasional greasewood, a dry water hazard, a stray junkyard dog, nearby chemical plants, and some red fire ants. Junkyard was making a deposit on the number one tee. I took this under advisement and selected alternate tee number 10. I believe the local rules allow the use of a mat or tee in the "fairway" but I played everything down. An early morning rain had compacted the gritty surface. Incredibly, I would play this 3100-yard course with nothing worse than a bogey. Trona is tucked between two large military weapons sites and as we left heading west we observed more chemical plants. I felt certain that someone in the Frosty Freeze knew where the Weapons of Mass Destruction were located. - Rudy Birnel, 6/8/04

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