[Mike Benham]

Heck, since we are throwing out suggestions, perhaps Matt should spend a few hours in the shoes of Joe Sixpack and take a look at Metropolitan (near the Oakland Airport) and Monarch Bay (on the site of the old Tony Lema) in San Leandro.

On the private side, perhaps a look at Peninsula G&CC in San Mateo, the only Ross course west of the Mississippi and recently restored by Ron Forse.

And what about Harding Park, a visit before the AmEx Championships could be enlightning ...

[Matt_Ward]

Mike:

Thanks for the Harding Park suggestion ... I have played there before but not recently. I will be walking the grounds as my trip concludes.

Gents:

One other thing --

Old Greenwood in Truckee is worth a play. The Nicklaus team has once again demonstrated the wherewithal to add elements in their design work that are most refreshing. I'll be posting more as I head on way to Bandon Trails.

[THuckaby2]

Matt:  Concur re Old Greenwood.  Never did make it up there to play though I sure was supposed to, but I have heard generally good things.  Gib hated it, but what the hell, he's a Nicklaus-phobe in general.  Which just makes Mayacama so much greater given even Gib liked that one...

Just curious - you're out there near Tahoe, heading to Bandon, then down to Bay Area?

Hell of a trip.  How do I get your job?

 

Any plans for stops between Tahoe and Bandon?  Man that's a heck of a long drive and your pickings will be relatively slim (in terms of national-quality greats anyway) but there are fun courses to be played.  Need any ideas there?

In case you do have time for a quick stop, well Ukiah Muni is NorCal's answer to Painswick - shorty and quirky and fun fun fun.  It's no great gem or anything but the people are nice, the scenery is neat and the beer is cold.

TH

[David_Tepper]

Tom H. -

I have heard good things over the years about the course at Fall River Mills, east of Redding. Have you ever played it? Opinions?

DT

[THuckaby2]

David:

That course does get quite a buzz.  I too had heard about it for years before I finally made the long trek up there, a few years ago, and well....

If I lived in Redding or closer, it would be a fave.  The locals do have a good one there.

But I've always lived closer-in, and I came back regretting the long drive.

Bottom line for me is the course is pretty cool - very scenic, big sky views, LONG from the tips, great value (ie low prices)... but is it worth driving six hours for?  Well hell, not many courses are.

And that seems to be the main issue with the course.  It is SO remote that it's hard to work into any other trip, and going there just for that course does seem excessive.

So I guess this course is a perfect Doak 5 or 6:

5: Well above the avg. course, but the middle of this scale. A good course if in the vicinity, but not worth setting aside a day to visit.

6:  A very good course, definitely worth a game, but not necessarily worth a special trip to see. It shouldn't disappoint you.

And in the end that is pretty good.

[David_Tepper]

Tom H. -

I know a few guys have used a visit to Fall River as a layover going either to or from Bandon from the Bay Area. With Bandon now having 3 great courses, it sounds like it makes more sense to just keep driving rather than detour to Fall River.

DT

[Matt_Ward]

Huck:

Old Greenwood play to a 75.8 rating and 149 slope and is just over 7,500 yards from the tips. The 149 slope is a bit higher than what it should be but it's clearly a 140 layout IMHO.

The key is that the Nicklaus team didn't feel compelled to "work" the land into being something that it's not. In years past the Golden Bear would often take a site and then decide to up the photo meter of a given course site by adding any number of features / gimmicks to give the golfer a variety of eye-candy elements which often had little, if any, strategic meaning. Think of Loxahatchee and you can understand the early Bear as opposed to the more sophisticated designs he seems to be pumping out with regularity now.

Old Greenwood is featured on relatively flat land high up in the ponderosa pines that engulf the property. The key is shaping shots -- off the tee and on the fairways to targets that are quite selective on what's accepted.

Yes, there is housing but for the most part the housing is neatly located away from the main frame of the course.

The strength of Old Greenwood is that the Nicklaus team have finally gotten to include greens that are not your garden variety circular discs. You can see this with other more recent designs such as Hokuli'a on the Big Island and Outlaw at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale.

At Old Greenwood the Nicklaus team have angled and pitched the putting surfaces so that you can't hit the tee shot in just any location in the fairway -- it needs to favor the side that provides the most advantageous opening.

How would I rate Old Greenwood overall? I would certainly return to play the course but the land equation is one of things that still hold it back. Yes, the Bear didn't go wacky with turf movement and the like but the land is simply good not great IMHO.

Nonetheless, Old Greenwood is a no nonsense "show me what you got" kind of course and the player who can consistently play superb shots will get rewarded time after time.

What's really interesting is the neat contrast in next door courses between Coyote Moon and Old Greenwood. They make for an interesting pair because the golf in both instances is quite good and the texture / characteristic of the respective courses themselves is so different.

[John Kirk]

Matt,

I have a tough time narrowing down suggested courses to play, given the wide area you are covering out west.  Depending on your route of travel,

Sonoma GC in Sonoma, CA
Cinnabar Hills GC in South San Jose (hilly with some good holes)
Eagle Point GC in Medford, OR
Tokatee GC in Blue River, OR (50 miles east of Eugene)
Saddle Creek GC in Copperopolis, CA

None of these courses are brand new.  Sonoma is very old, and Tokatee was built in the 1960s.  The other three were built in the last 10-15 years.

Hope that helps confuse things.  Stop by and say hello in North Plains, OR (Pumpkin Ridge) if your schedule allows.

[Norbert P]

If you rent a fast convertible sports car, I suggest "Sea Ranch" north of Bodega Bay. It's a thrilling drive. Also, the mandated local architecture of the town the course is in, as described by a local I played with, is "Early American Mine Shaft".   It could be an artistically educational trip.

  The course is great holiday relaxation stuff (I only played the front 9 original) but you being the long hitter, this course is probably not your "Championship" caliber layout.   Interesting local characters there to meet, though.

Hey, see Pete's Pajaro!  Fine course and some new construction to ponder over.

[Matt_Ward]

John K:

Thanks for the listing. I have played Tokatee in Blue River a number of years ago and the layout is functional design by Ted Robinson. I liked it but would not make a special trip just to play it.

I have played Sonoma and in fact played it with the pro at the time Ron Blum who is an NFL referee. What a combination of jobs indeed! I also enjoyed the course and I believe additional improvements have happened since my initial visit 6-7 years ago.

I have also played Eagle Point and was quite impressed with the layout although it suffered from overwatering when I was there a fe wyears back. Clearly, worth a play for those traveling through The Rogue Valley on I-5.

Gents:

What's really impressive is the rising standard of golf in the Truckee area. Granted the season isn't too long but with the likes of Old Greenwood, Lahontan and Coyote Moon you have a nice trio of layouts to sample.

One course I could not understand is the Dragon -- likely the only course where the clubhouse (Frank Llyod Wright) is a good bit beyond the likes of the golf course. The front nine at Dragon is clearly a Disney creation.

[John Kirk]

Matt,

Thanks for the response.  I haven't even played Eagle Point, though I've driven by it maybe 10 times in the last three years.

15 years ago, Tokatee seemed good enough to make the road trip from Califonia.  At one point, Tokatee was ranked by Golf Digest as a top ten public course, when affordability was a component.  I haven't played there since 1992.  It is a very beautiful place, a big part of my overall enjoyment.

Ah, how things have changed in Oregon.  Now we just head down to Bandon.

I agree with Norbert.  I played the front nine at Sea Ranch before there was a back nine, maybe in 1985 or so.  The wind really blows out there.  Neat golfing weather, forbidding northern California coastline.  Hardly anybody lives out there...too gnarly for most.

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