MT. WHITNEY COURSE TRICKY, BEAUTIFUL.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

LONE PINE - Spectacular scenery and tricky greens can make the Mt. Whitney Golf Course distracting and agonizing. But this 45-year-old nine-hole test will prove well worth a stop for San Fernando Valley area golfers heading north in search of an enjoyable links excursion.

Charter member Mike Sullivan has been a fan of the Billy Bell- and Bob Baldock-designed layout since he took up the game there as a 12-year-old in 1966 - long before he would follow in his mother's footsteps to become one of Mt. Whitney's most distinguished players.

``You don't have to be long here, but you've got to be accurate and you've got to be able to putt,'' said Sullivan, a Department of Water and Power employee who holds the course record for nine holes at 8-under-par 28 and shares the 18-hole record of 64.

His accomplishments at Mt. Whitney - which plays to an 18-hole course rating of 71 and a slope of 122 for two trips around the nine-hole layout - might not have been totally unexpected, considering the family tree. His mother, June, who gave Sullivan his first and only golf lesson, was one of the best female players in the early years of the course.

``She and another lady, Gwen Joseph, were club champions for 20 years, at least,'' Sullivan said.

Whether they were winning championships or setting records, the Sullivans were enjoying Mt. Whitney, which is flanked to the west by its namesake mountain peak and the chocolate-colored Alabama Hills.

First-time players here are just as likely to enjoy the course, which plays to 6,466 yards for two nine-hole trips through tight, mostly tree-lined fairways. The rate is definitely enjoyable, as the cost of an 18-hole round is good for unlimited golf throughout the day, with players needing only to reload on the cart fee.

Each of those loops includes two 500-yard-plus par-5s, two testing par-3s - one stretching 220 yards - a 446-yard par-4 that Sullivan says will challenge anyone, and, most distinctively, those difficult Mt. Whitney greens.

``Fastest greens in the west,'' is what head pro Brad Taylor calls them, a nickname that is emblazoned on souvenir T-shirts in the pro shop.

``No. 4 (the 446-yarder) is the toughest,'' Sullivan said of Mt. Whitney's No. 1 handicap hole, ``but there are others like it. No. 6 (a 396-yard, dogleg-left par-4) is hard, and No. 7 (a 357-yard par-4 that has a slight dogleg right), could be harder than any hole if they put the pin up front and right.

``Having a good short game helps,'' he said. ``We've had pros here, and they didn't do that well.''

They might have been distracted by the view, which can leave visitors gawking, especially with snow on the backdrop High Sierra contrasting against those chocolate-colored hills.

Dave Shelburne, [phone]

dave.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

EXCURSION--Destination - Lone Pine

--Course - Mt. Whitney Golf Club

--Vital stats - Men's course rating/slope: 71.0/122 from par-72, 6,466-yard back (blue) tees (9-hole course plays from different tees for front and back nines); 69.6/119 from par-72, 6,160-yard white tees. Women's course rating/slope: 71.0/112 from par-72, 5,692-yard red/yellow tees.

--Rates - Weekdays: $15 for nine holes, $22 for 18 holes; Weekends: $17-$24. Cart fee: $7 for nine holes, $10 for 18 holes. Note: An 18-hole green fee is good for unlimited golf throughout the day, with players required to pay only a cart fee for each subsequent 18 holes.

--Access - Public

--Head pro - Brad Taylor

--Phone - [phone]

--Course record - Mike Sullivan 28 (Sullivan shares 18-hole record of 64)

CAPTION(S):

2 boxes

Box:

(1) EXCURSION (see text)

(2) TRACKING THE PROS