The Bridges Golf Club

Johnny Miller's tough task was to create a championship golf course in a small, bowl-shaped piece of land.

Your mission is to break 100.

Don't laugh. The Bridges in San Ramon is arguably the toughest course in the East Bay.

Want proof? How about a rating of 71.9 and a 142 slope ... from the white tees!

If you're up to a challenge (and you aren't prone to club-tossing), this course is for you. But don't say you weren't warned.

The Bridges features large, undulating greens, reminiscent of other Miller designs. It also has tight fairways, and most slope toward the ravine that runs through the entire track.

Even the yardage book bills The Bridges as "A course with attitude."

The attitude doesn't show itself right away, as the course begins with a short dogleg left par-4. Miller has often said he likes to start his courses with easy holes to give golfers a good feeling at the start.

Take your par (or birdie) and enjoy it. Miller's big test begins right away on No. 2, an uphill par-4 that is 423 yards even from the white tees.

The ravine theme continues through the front nine, and most of the holes penalize right-handed players who slice, the most common malady among hackers.

But the front nine can be had. If you stay in the fairway (and that's a challenge), you may be amazed at your score when you take the turn.

Enjoy it. The back nine starts with the longest hole on the side, and the slope is so severe that you may hope your ball rolls into one of the huge bunkers along the right side of the fairway.

The bunkers are even bigger on the 11th hole, but the short par-4 is a welcome breather.

The 12th hole is just plain fun, arguably the best hole on the course. The uphill par-4 is just 264 yards from the white tees, but you need at least 180 yards of pure carry uphill (from the whites) to clear the creek. Birdie awaits if you do, but take a medium-to-short iron off the tee and par is still well within reach.

The 15th is the only short par-3 on the course (118 yards from the whites), but the green is huge and the slope is severe. If the pin placement is in the back right, take your three-putt and try to smile.

No. 15 also starts an absolutely wicked finishing stretch, so remember the fun you had on the first 14 holes. No. 16 is a par-4 that features a creek running across the fairway right where most people land their drives. The fairway also is split, there are 10 bunkers, and a safe drive leaves a long second shot uphill. Other than that, it's a piece of cake.

No. 17 is a long par-5. The second and third shots (if you're playing well) both cross the creek, and the approach must be hit into a very shallow green.

Forget "shallow" on the finishing hole, which features a 75-yard-long green. That's right, 75 yards!

Pay close attention to the pin placement, because a back pin could add three clubs to your center-green distance.

Retire to the clubhouse, which has a wonderful restaurant and perhaps the best restrooms this side of Hearst Castle.

If you're unsure whether you're up to the challenge of The Bridges, check out the course's web site (www.thebridgesgolf.com), which provides an absolutely wonderful course tour.

Take the challenge, but schedule a round at a flat, wide track soon afterward to remind yourself that you aren't really that bad.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 west to I-680 south. Take the Bollinger Canyon Road exit east for two miles. Turn right on Gale Ridge Road.