i was going to reluctantly diss (whatever the hell that means) California today, even though this state gets all sorts of dissing (?) from people who really don’t have a clue but think they do, but then i recalled something similar elsewhere.

A couple of days ago, i bought an all-tournament pass for the NCAA men’s golf championship at La Costa. The daily passes were $8, the final day was $12, and my all-tournament tickets were $36.

Now the first strange thing was when i acquired the tickets. The single day tickets are available through the NCAA, and, i assume, at the gate. But the all-tournament ticket package can only be acquired through the University of Texas athletic site. My contact with Vanderbilt athletics, Andrew Maraniss who has written several great books about athletes, including Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South. Andrew told me the University of Texas was the “sponsor” of the tournament being held in California. Go figure.

But i am excited. i will be going to watch men’s college golf for most of the day. Vanderbilt, who won the Indiana regional in a cake walk, is one of the favored teams, and a number of their team members are competing for the individual championship. Pumped. i’m pumped. In addition, i will get to see Candice Lee, the Vanderbilt Vice-Chancellor of Athletics, the incredible woman who was a force in Vandy honoring my mother for her basketball feats (in 1935). i also will get to meet Mark Carter, Candice’s Senior Associate Athletic Director.

i’m ready to go. i will leave after the commuter traffic dies down tomorrow morning (it’s about an hour to the course from out in the Southwest corner).

Now for the kicker: my ticket for five days of golf was $36. For the first four days, i’ve been given locations to park and take a shuttle to the course. Fine. But on the championship day, the only parking apparently is at the course. Parking will cost $40, or $48 for valet parking. What?

i was thinking, yeah, yeah, California. But then, i remembered going to Nashville about a dozen years ago and the Marriott at Vanderbilt charging $40 to park in their garage. Stupid.

i don’t care. It’s stupid. The world is chasing money. But tomorrow, i’m on an experience that i could never imagine would happen.

Go ‘Dores.