Go ahead and make my day already.

Today I shared expensive spirits and gourmet pulled pork sandwiches with Clint Eastwood.

That's actually a lie. Today is the day I'm writing about my experience of food and drink with Mr. Eastwood. It was last Wednesday when I found myself at the same table with the talented actor you may remember from such films as Dirty Harry, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Escape from Alcatraz, The Bridges of Madison County and Space Cowboys. If that isn't a reason to start writing a blog, then I don't know what is.

This summer I participated in a Northern California Golf Association team-play league. Members from our home club would travel and play against other teams from all over the area in a series of handicapped match play events. The whole thing was a lot of fun and good competitive experience. Our team did quite well this year, and last Wednesday we found ourselves in Carmel for the quarterfinal round of the NCGA team-play tournament. We were to play a group of members from the private club of Tehama.
http://www.tehamagolfclub.com/
Tehama is a fairly new golf course owned by Clint Eastwood. The club has 288 members and less then half of those members reside locally. During our practice round on Monday we hardly saw more than four other golfers on the entire property. The $200,000 membership certainly seemed to pay for privacy and luxury indeed.

My encounter with Clint was all very unexpected. I knew that he owned the property and probably frequented the facility from time to time, but I did not anticipate a casual entrance into the restaurant around six in the afternoon. We had just finished our match so Jose(my partner that day), Brad(the #1 dentist in Carmel for the 2nd year in a row), and I sat down at a table by open patio doors. Usually, our group would have included a fourth player, but Brad's partner didn't show that morning and in the process allowed me to have the easiest victory of my season.

The three of us chatted for awhile while Jose ordered a round of tequila. Snacks were provided courtesy of the club for all the participants of the match. The menu included an impressive cheese platter, some fried won tons topped with tuna salad, and little gourmet pulled pork sliders. I collected a sampling of everything available and headed back to the table to relax after what had proved to be a fairly warm afternoon. So I'm just sitting there, enjoying my little finger foods, when I glance up to see none other than the man with no name himself standing before me. This guy casually shifts over to pull out the empty chair at our table and sits down like he frickin' owns the place. Brad throws him the little "what's up" head nod and proceeds to ask him a question.
"How was that thing you went to?"
"It was fine."
"You came back quick."
"I took the chopper."  Clint went on to explain the advantage of traveling via helicopter as opposed to gambling with midday traffic. "We hit about 20 Knots," he says, while I nod as if I had a good idea of how fast that actually was. 
Most of the conversation from that point on was lost on me as Brad continued to talk with Clint about things in short and unclear sentences. There was some discussion about our golf match and the food. Clint asked me if I had heard about Pres. Obama's new meal plan.
"No."
"When you go somewhere to eat, the guy sitting next to you pays for your meal."
We exchanged an half-hearted laugh as I realized he was probably making light of the fact that I was getting full on his dime. Fuck it, I didn't download Gran Torino illegally. I was his guest today. Upon noticing that we were drinking tequila, Brad mentioned that Jose was producing a new tequila soon to be available in the U.S.
"Tequila is the only hard liquor I drink," Clint explained.
Jose then offered to bring a few bottles to Clint once they arrived in the states. Clint offered something better when he suggested that Jose bring bottles to be sold in the bar at the club. The two exchanged some information and a quick story about a film Clint made a few decades ago in downtown Santa Cruz. Clint excused himself after twenty minutes or so and casually walked off toward the exit facing the sun which just happened to be setting at this point in the day.
We finished our food, had some more to drink and waited for the rest of the team to come in. Soon we learned that our run in the playoffs had come to an end as Tehama's team had defeated ours by the score of 19-17. Our closest match of the year and what would have otherwise been a bitter moment for me had it not been for the fact that I was just happy to be been there that day. The end of our team's season seemed to coincide with the end of one of the better summers in recent memory.

Btw, check out El Palomar or Clilantros next time you are in the Santa Cruz area.
http://www.elpalomarcilantros.com/

*note: the picture included is of the signature 13th hole at Tehama and it was captured with my cellphone camera. Cellphones are strictly prohibited on the premises at Tehama so you'll excuse me if the quality is poor. I had to be quick with it.