CORNING — Back in the fall of 2005 I waited patiently near one of the tee boxes at Harding Park Golf Course for John Daly. It was the third round of the WGC-American Express Championship and it was a perfect San Francisco day — sunny skies with mild temperatures and not much wind.

I wanted to get as close of a look as possible to see Daly, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. When it was his turn, he didn’t disappoint.

The ball was hit so hard and went so far and so high that it left him with just a short iron — maybe a sand or pitching wedge is all — to the green. I followed Daly for a few more holes after that, and his routine was a carbon copy the rest of the way.

These days Daly isn’t just crushing the golf ball from tournament to tournament. He’s also designing courses.

His latest signature design and creation, Sevillano Links at Rolling Hills Casino in Tehama County which opened here Oct. 15, is one of the longest courses in the state. It’s his fourth design and the first Daly course with a West Coast address.

The par-72 highlands links-style track, located just off I-5, spans 400 acres of rolling terrain and features native grasses, ponds, and more than 50 bunkers. Bermuda tees and fairways, accented by areas of bluegrass/rye rough, and bentgrass greens, highlight the 120-plus acres of manicured turf which meanders through tribal land. The property was developed by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians.

“Obviously, it puts a premium on accuracy over distance,” said Brian Dahmer, Sevillano’s director of golf. “Even though it’s long, you’ve got to hit it straight. And I think straight outweighs hitting it long, actually. There’s no adjacent fairways on the golf course. If you hit it right or left, you’re not going to find another fairway or rough from another hole. You’re in the native (grasses) if you miss it one way or the other.”

With five sets of tee markers ranging from the forward set at 5,429 yards to the John Daly tees measuring a monstrous 7,823 yards, the course appeals to golfers of varying skill levels. Designed with a tee flexibility factor, mid-to-advanced players may choose to experience the course from a different set of tees from time to time. The par-5 18th hole spans a whopping 686 yards from the Daly tees.

“You don’t have to play the same course out here,” said Daly, a five-time PGA Tour winner and two-two time major champion who was on hand for the course unveiling and a charity event benefiting United Way of Northern California. “That’s what’s unique about it.”

Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship, the ’92 B.C. Open, ’94 BellSouth Classic, ’95 British Open Championship and 2004 Buick Open Invitational. He lost in a playoff to Tiger Woods on the second extra hole at the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship.

There’s not a single tree on the course, but the views are still spectacular in this part of the state. Corning, with a population of 7220, is a major olive-producing region and is located 17 miles south of Red Bluff and 25 miles northwest of Chico.

“I just don’t think there are any weak holes,” said Dahmer. “Every hole is a good hole. You look forward to the challenge on every hole.

“It is what it is. We’re not going to alter it. We’re not going to add to or take away from anything. It’s the lay of the land. This was really designed with the land that we have. It was designed the way a good resort facility should be designed. They didn’t move a lot of dirt. They did some shaping, but really they didn’t move a lot of dirt.”

The different colors of grasses on the course help to give the player exact definition as to where to go and not to go. With the fairways sometimes being on the narrow side, Sevillano takes on the look and feel of a course that is set up for a major.

“I think with the five sets of tees, that makes it challenging for everybody,” said Dahmer. “The forward tees are a good challenge for the ladies. And then just depending upon your handicap and your ability, you can stretch it out or play to your ability out there. You’ve definitely got the length out there. If you want to stretch it back, there’s some forced carries out there, and it makes it a little more of a challenge.”

The rareness of Sevillano Links will be evident in 2008 when course operators host a “grip-it-and-rip-it” style tournament, with all 18 holes set to play as par 5s (from an “unpublished” set of tees), stretching the distance to over 10,000 yards.

“We’re excited about the novel idea of having our course play ginormously long for a special event now and then,” said Dahmer. “But in the meantime, we’re extremely pleased with the wide selection of tees we are able to provide on a daily basis.”

Hitting the fairway in regulation and then keeping it there is one challenge. The greens — several of which are elevated — have some undulation to them, and since they are on the fast side, you have to be careful not to roll it off the putting surface.

“You don’t have to get up there and muscle it,” said Dahmer. “You don’t have to get up there and really try to force a putt to get there. It’s more of just reading the undulation, because the ball rolls well.

“The greens have improved, they’ve been getting a little smoother and smoother. They’re just getting better and better. They’re rolling good. There’s not a lot of flat spots out there. The undulation does create playing a little more break than you’re used to on a lot of putts, but the ball rolls well. You can just concentrate more on line than speed.”

Dahmer named the course after an olive that is grown in this area.

“I wanted to set it apart a little bit and give it a little more flavor,” he said. “Sevillano has a nice, rich sound to it. With Corning being the olive city, I tried to tie those two together so that you’ve got something that ties the area in with the course, too.”

Sevillano also offers a practice facility.

“Unlike most new golf facilities, Sevillano Links is more than just golf; it’s a definite destination spot,” said Jeff Realander, chief operating officer at Rolling Hills Casino.

Sevillano Links, located at 2657 Barham Ave., is 140 miles north of Napa. The estimated driving time is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

For more information, call (530) 528-4600 or go to www.sevillanolinks.com.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.