Half Moon Bay

[Wyatt Halliday]

“Arthur Hills designed the course as a links course, but we haven’t maintained it that way,” he said. “The routing is outward then inward like a true links course, which is rare.”



http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-travel-insider/moon-bay-undergoes-metamorphosis-links-41383/

[David_Tepper]

Wyatt -

Thanks for the link. It sounds like they are making changes for the better, although the Hills Course at HMB is a long way from being a links, even though it does have an "out & back" routing.

DT

[Gib_Papazian]

Written and mailed October 11, 2010:

Gentlemen,

I played (my 10th time at least) your Ocean Course this last Wednesday with two friends, one of whom is Neal Meagher, a member of the ASGCA. The reason for my e-mail is to express my appreciation at the outstanding job your Superintendent is doing with the golf course maintenance. The firm fairways and shaved chipping areas around the putting surfaces were a wonderful change from what was - in all honesty - an over-watered, over-fertilized faux links course with obtuse rough lines and shaggy bunker edges that slowed down play to a crawl.

My experience rating and writing course reviews is fairly extensive and in my view, the Ocean Course finally plays like a cagey links - where the bump shot and endless short game options present themselves continuously throughout the round. For instance, with a front-right pin position on #15, I got a bit brave with my approach shot and landed just one tick short. Instead of finding a ball caught in deep rough just off the green, down went my Pro-V into the pit of perdition at the bottom of the swale. I got what I deserved. Wonderful!

By the same token, mowing close around the green on #12 encourages players to use the contours of the ground to direct their ball. Bouncing it onto the green from the left side and watching to ball kick towards the hole is a rare North Berwick moment found anywhere on the west coast of this country - aside from Bandon of course, which in my view is the primary allure and therefore their best drawing card.

We ran into several gentlemen out on the course who evidently were discussing some changes. Neal mentioned that he thought the pot bunker on #9 was an excellent idea and one of the group told us that several more were planned. Consider this strong encouragement to stay on track with your improvements. After we completed our round, it was all I could do to resist the temptation to run back to the first tee and try to get in a few more holes.

Believe me, for a jaded golfer like me, such enthusiasm is rare. There is not much more to add beyond the fact that I will be coming over the hill as much as possible - and bringing other like-minded golf architecture nuts with me.

-Gib Papazian
Hillsborough   

[Kevin_Reilly]

Gib, I played it in early December and it was a wet slog.  About as wet and soft as one could imagine, and this on the heels of a relatively dry November.  I've played the course about the same number of times as you, and in all those plays I've never had conditions so muddy.  The cause must have been the 0.9" of rain a few days before we went out - that soil doesn't seem to handle water at all.

I am looking forward to the improvements you mentioned.

Right now, Metropolitan is possibly the firmest course in the Bay Area.  I played the back nine on Sunday morning and the rollout in the fairways was something to see, and the greens were as firm as I've seen there.  HMB would be a lot of fun with that type of condition.

[JLahrman]

Gib (and others), Half Moon Bay does not seem to be a favorite of posters on this site.  Assuming the conditions that Gib found are going to be the norm except when the course has taken rain, how much of a must-play would this course become?  Or does the architecture or lack thereof still make the course skippable?

Kevin, I played a four hole loop at Metro last weekend after whacking a bucket of balls.  Conditions were pretty firm, especially given the time of year although the dry warm January definitely had something to do with it.

[astavrides]

I played the Old Course at Half Moon Bay last summer for the first time, and to my surprise found the maintenance there to also be fast and firm--very good.  The architecture less so, but still an enjoyable round--as long as you either don't worry about the high green fee or else get a late twilight rate.

[David_Tepper]

To add to the Bay Area golf roundup, I played Harding Park yesterday on what could turn out to be the nicest day we will get for golf this entire year in San Francisco. The course was the firmest I have ever seen it and I don't think it was entirely a function of the Bay Area having had almost no rain for the past 4 weeks.

From tee thru the green, Harding is continuing to get a regular dose of sanding and that, along with extensive drainage work that was done last year, seems to be making a positive difference.     

[Carl Nichols]

I am playing Cal Club this week, and with all this talk of great conditions in the Bay Area, especially since I haven't played all winter, I can hardly wait.

[Tom ORourke]

It has been more than a few years since I played the Ocean Course at HMB but I did play there on back to back days at a time when it was playing firm. You could hear the ball landing in the greens from 100 yards away. I know most of the site members here don't like this course, but I did. Almost every time I finished a hole I remarked that it was a good golf hole. Maybe the overall impression does not make it worth the money but I felt that there were a lot of good holes out there. I thought the 18th was a great finishing hole, and the LPGA women seemed to like the course when they played their event there a few years ago. I liked holes 1, 2, 3, 7, and 11, and thought the closing three were fun. If they can get this course playing more "linkish" will people give it a better review?

[Matthew Schulte]

Wyatt:

I played exactly one shot on the Ocean Course in 2004.  My tee shot found the middle of the fairway and was never seen again.  The fairways were so wet that the ball quickly disappeared underground.  Amazingly we never even found the impact mark.  Truly a wasted opportunity as it is a spectacular site.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Tom, I think the course holds some promise when conditioned better.  Of the holes you listed as favorites, I must say that I think #7 is among my least favorite on the course.  It just seems to be a routine short par 3 over water...the kind of hole that you can find anywhere.

[Tom ORourke]

I might agree with your opinion on #7. The fact that I almost holed it may have colored my view. I just thought that the amount of water on the course was minimal so having a carry shot here, and on 16, gave it a little variety.

[JLahrman]

I am playing Cal Club this week, and with all this talk of great conditions in the Bay Area, especially since I haven't played all winter, I can hardly wait.

Carl, how was the round?  Great conditions in the Bay Area may have effectively ended today, as it looks to be the start of a cold wet week.  I played one of the Corica courses on Saturday, the greens were actually pretty firm!

[Carl Nichols]

I am playing Cal Club this week, and with all this talk of great conditions in the Bay Area, especially since I haven't played all winter, I can hardly wait.

Carl, how was the round?  Great conditions in the Bay Area may have effectively ended today, as it looks to be the start of a cold wet week.  I played one of the Corica courses on Saturday, the greens were actually pretty firm!

It was great.  I played on Wednesday, which was a close-to-perfect day for golf, especially considering that I live in DC and hadn't played since November.  We also happened to get in 27 holes, along with a few adult beverages.  Hope to post some more thoughts about Cal Club when I have more time. ....