HEAD FOR THE HILLS; SIERRA OFFERS MAJESTY, GREAT GETAWAYS FOR GOLFERS.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Daily News Staff Writer

They stretch northward from Mojave in towering, majestic fashion, their severe granite faces shrouded in snow much of the year.

Mostly, the mountains which form California's High Sierra are associated with the traditional recreation pursuits of this rural midstate region - hiking, hunting, fishing or skiing.

The eastern base of the Sierra range, however, also offers a growing selection of golf courses. And if they don't always match the manicured splendor of some Southern California layouts, but they provide a possible alternative to congested valley courses.

That old maxim that golfers should keep their heads down? It's a difficult dictate to follow on an Eastern Sierra course. From Mt. Whitney Golf Club in Lone Pine to Bishop Country Club to Snowcreek Resort in Mammoth Lakes, golfers find it almost impossible not to look up and gaze in appreciation - even after a missed shot.

``My first two years up here, I spent all my time gawking at the mountains,'' said Elaine Wilson, a Santa Monica native who moved to Bishop with her husband more than 30 years ago and runs the junior program at Bishop CC.

She has long since reared her own family and now has a grandson playing for the Bishop Union High School golf team - and still Elaine finds herself sneaking a mid-round peek at those breathtaking mountains.

It's the same distracting story up in Mammoth Lakes, where Snowcreek recently opened for its seventh season and where Lodestar Golf Club - under construction barely a mile to the north - conjures up visions of some meandering giant who has left fairway-sized footprints in the thick forestland.

``Lots of people come up here and get on the course and forget all about their golf game, they're so distracted by the view,'' said Bob Hurlburt, the assistant pro at Snowcreek.

Hurlburt said play has increased steadily each year at Snowcreek's nine-hole, 3,255-yard links layout, which challenges golfers with narrow fairways and lakes as well as the de-focusing view.

Snowcreek is open only from May through October, since it is under 100 or so inches of snow much of the rest of the year, but Bishop and Mt. Whitney are open for play year-round.

The biggest golf operation in the Eastern Sierra, Bishop can offer its clientele lessons from three PGA- or LPGA-certified instructors as well as breakfast or lunch before a round and dinner and drinks afterward. There also is a lighted driving range, practice chipping and putting greens, a practice sand trap and the playing challenge of water that crosses, borders or forms lakes on 16 of Bishop's 18 holes.

At Mt. Whitney, the major on-course defense is put up by small, smooth, fast and hard greens which are nearly as renowned as the annual Lone Pine film festival - an outgrowth of the Roy Rogers era of cowboy films, many of which were shot in the area.

Established in 1959 - the year after Bishop CC opened - Mt. Whitney is the handiwork of its original membership, which banded together to construct a course on land leased from the Department of Water and Power. The club membership, now 135 strong, accounts for most of the play. But it's not uncommon to see out-of-town vehicles parked next the Mt. Whitney clubhouse, ski racks on top, or perhaps a few fishing poles resting in a truckbed, as anglers or schussboomers take a break from their trips up or down Highway 395.

Bishop and Snowcreek get the same kind of drive-by business for the same kinds of reasons: good price, great pace, awesome view.

``It's the best bang for your buck in the West,'' said Bishop general manager Dean Wilson. ``The average golfer can go out and have a great time, enjoy the scenery and wildlife and play a round in four hours, maybe 4:20.''

A look at what folks in the Owens River Valley might call their triperfececta:

Mt. Whitney GC: You'll have to play it twice to get in 18 holes on this 3,312-yard, nine-hole coursea, but the price and pace are hard to beat ($20 and about three hours to walk 18 holes in Sunday prime time, another $18 with a cart).

``We average about 15-20 rounds a day,'' said Tom Coburn, who opens the course each morning, then serves as Mt. Whitney's teaching pro, starter, cook and bartender.

The small-town feel of Mt.Whitney - cattle can be seen grazing just south of the fourth fairway - is part of the charm, but the course also has some bite.

The putting challenge, for example, is nearly as special as the dramatic backdrop of snow-capped namesake Mt. Whitney peak, which dwarfs the chocolate-brown Alabama Hills that begin their shorter rise about a par-five west of the clubhouse.

Advertised as ``the fastest greens in the west,'' the course backs up that boast big-time each spring, when 50-60 mph winds gust through the Owens River Valley, drying out and further speeding up already quick-putting surfaces.

Although wind is less of a factor in the summer, 90-degree temperatures help keep the greens plenty firm, and superintendent Brad Taylor and his one-man crew keep them cut short to maintain the character of the course's toughest defense.

``The greens are small and you have to focus on iron play,'' Coburn said. ``It's not a long course, but the size and shape of the greens balance out to make it a challenge for any player. You wind up chipping and putting a lot.''

Bishop Country Club: Situated between White Mountain and the Eastern Sierra, just off Highway 395 on the southern edge of Bishop, this 18-hole, 6,613-yard course has all the rural charm any golfer could want. The ambience includes trout in the streams that criss-cross and flank the fairways, snow owls perched behind the 18th green, nearly a dozen strutting peacocks, chubby clubhouse cats and swaying cottonwood, willow and pine trees that combine for some spectacular color in the spring and fall.

The rates are right-on, too: $23 weekdays and $28 weekends for out-of-towners, who can play unlimited golf anay day of the week for $15 after 2 p.m. (enough time to get in 27 holes). For a cart, add $10 per player.

``There's water on every hole but two, so to score well, you will need to hit some good shots,'' said general manager Wilson, who also serves as head pro. ``But the course is wide open and the view is awesome.''

Wilson estimates play has grown ``by at least a third'' in the past 5-8 years, plenty of that from out-of-towners who limit quickly on trout or find the skiing not just right.

``The skiing may be a little flat, or if the weather is not perfect (at Mammoth), a lot of people get down here,'' he said. ``It's just a great golf experience.''

While Mt. Whitney is so wide open that Coburn doesn't even bother taking reservations, Bishop gets more play - on average, 175 rounds a day - and takes reservations up to seven days in advance.

Not to worry, though, for out-of-towners:

``Actually, weekends are our slowest days of the week,'' Wilson said, ``because we're a semiprivate club and most of our members play during the week.''

Snowcreek Resort: This nine-hole, 3,255-yard course (projected to be enlarged to 18 holes within three years) has few trees but plenty of water in a links layout that rewards good shots.

``People say it's narrow, but it's wider than it seems,'' assistant pro Hurlburt said. ``The course has lush fairways, fast greens and is very fair to every type of golfer.''

Those golfers who get too distracted by the towering, overwhelming presence of nearby Mammoth Rock to put together the score they had hoped for, might settle for a long drive they only dreamed of hitting.

``We're close to 8,000 feet here,'' Hurlburt said. ``So if you want to feel like Tiger Woods, come up here and hit downwind and see how far the ball goes. They seem to go forever at this high elevation, and it is a rush.''

Green fees are $21 for nine holes and $37 for 18, weekdays or weekends. Add $7 for a cart. An added feature is one sure to be appreciated by vacationinag families with young children.

Since the Snowcreek golf course is part of a resort that also includes an athletic club, child care is available in the athletic club for players on the course.

``Golf is growing here,'' Hurlburt said. ``We have a good blend of locals and visitors, and the visitors are playing more because they've found a little jewel.''

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3 Photos

Photo: (1--color) The majestic mountain peaks surrounding Mt. Whitney Golf Club provide a unique setting for golfers. Here, Fred Eggen, left, reacts after narrowly missing a putt.

(2--color) Snowcreek, a links course in Mammoth Lakes, is open from May through October. Another course in the area, Lodestar, is under construction.

(3--color) A golfer lines up a putt on the 13th green at Bishop Country Club. Mt. Humphries is at left, Mt. Tom at right.

John McCoy / Daily News