[Evan_Green]

Didn't know there is a back nine at Mare Island - it was an outstanding nine holer back in the day, with two sets of tees that made it play like eighteen holes.  The tees were widely separated both in distance and angle, made it lots of fun.  My dad did his weekend Naval Reserve meetings over there in Vallejo and it was easy to be dropped off at Mare Island and play a couple of nines until he could catch up.

Another fairly decent course there in Vallejo was Blue Rock Springs.  Is that one still around?  I stuck a transistor radio in my bag one Saturday and listened to the Giants when Willie Mays hit four home runs!  

Bill

They added the second nine at Mare Island a few years ago. You wouldn't believe how hilly the new nine is - but its lots of fun.

Evan

[Kyle Henderson]

My top recommendations:

1. Cinnabar Hills- 27 Holes (San Jose)
2. Roddy Ranch (Antioch)
3. Wente (Livermore)
4. Callippe Preserve (Pleasanton)

They're all relatively new courses, but they each display character, memorable holes, and good conditioning.

*They all have decent websites for checking out the pricing, previewing the course, ect.

[Joshua Pettit]

David T-

By any chance are you high school teacher?  I went to Sir Fancis Drake High School and we had a math teacher with your same name.  Just Curious.

[Tom Huckaby]

Concur with the thoughts on Mare Island - if you want quirk, that's the place to go.  Back nine is funky-delic.  

And Bill - Blue Rock Springs is still there - 36 holes - both pretty fun, no great shakes, good bang for the buck.

Kyle's listings are all good to - just note Cinnabar Hills and Wente are in the $100 range; CH, Wente and Roddy Ranch are pretty much cartball.  Callippe is a decent walk at a better price... but likely the least interesting course of the group.  Not that price or walking need to matter per se, but well....

TH

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle's listings are all good to - just note Cinnabar Hills and Wente are in the $100 range; CH, Wente and Roddy Ranch are pretty much cartball.  Callippe is a decent walk at a better price... but likely the least interesting course of the group.  Not that price or walking need to matter per se, but well....

TH

You can actually get on Roddy Ranch for $25-45 with cart during the week and they have a lot of 2 for 1 coupons floating around if you can drum up a playing partner. Cinnabar Hills usually has a $57 rate with cart 9 on weekedays. Wente will run around $65 during the week once they implement their winter rates. On  the weekends, Tom's price scale is more in play.

[Tom Huckaby]

Kyle - understood - and note I didn't put Roddy in the pricey category.  But yes, my reference was for normal weekends - deals can be found at each of these places, as you note.

I live pretty near Cinnabar Hills... love it.  But it's still too much for me to pay very often, sadly.

TH

[Steve_Lovett]

It hasn't been discussed - but what about Crystal Springs...?

It is heavy on quirk, in a gorgeous natural setting, probably as fast and firm as anything in the Bay Area will be at that time of year, and is easily accessible and is reasonably affordable by comparison.

What are the thoughts - in general - about Crystal Springs?

[Tom Huckaby]

Crystal Springs historically has a very tough time with conditions - it's in the watershed - so the next time it plays firm and fast will be the first.  Seriously - it is generally a quagmire from November through May, and even in the summer it plays very soft.

It's also really overpriced... or at least I think so.
[LATE EDIT - I CAN'T BELIEVE IT - THE FIRST COURSE IN CA THAT HAS LOWERED ITS PRICES!  They are a lot lower than they were a few years ago... and now are a pretty good deal.
http://www.playcrystalsprings.com/page/327-16011.htm ]

But that being said, you won't find greater scenic beauty outside of Monterey anywhere near us.  And there are some very fun shots to be played, down and up the hills.  I'd say it is fun enough, but given condition and price issues, I wouldn't put it at the top of a places to seek out list.

TH
(used to live near there, play there all the time)

[Tim Leahy]

I have played most of the courses within 50 miles of SF and if I had a friend visiting and wanted to show him the essence of bay area public golf(not counting Monterey or Pasatiempo) I would take him to the following:
1. Harding Park-muni Olympic Club, big trees make it unique for California public courses. Challenging from the back tees.
2. Lincoln Park-fun little course with postcard views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
3. Presidio-challenging with rolling holes and pine trees.
4. Glenneagles-best nine hole I have ever played, great tree lined holes. Tough challenge from the back tees.

Unfortunately I can't vouch for conditions or pace of play which varies and can be slow on weekends.

[ed_getka]

Mare Island on Tuesdays is $100 for a foursome with cart. A great deal. I preferred the old holes on the front nine much more than the new stuff on the back. The cart rides on the back are like Magic Mountain though.
    Not great architecture, but better than you will expect for a course you have never heard of.

Do NOT even think about Tilden Park, went out there last week when most courses had punched and the green fee deal was $29 with cart. That was the good part.
   They spent $5 million there in recent years, but NONE of it went into the golf course as far as I could tell. I couldn't believe how wet the course and greens were for this time of year when it hasn't rained in forever. When I used to play there 12 years ago the conditions were so-so. If anything it is worse now.

[Patrick Kiser]

Callippee Preserve and Dublin Ranch are also good options that I haven't seen mentioned.

[Mitch St. Peter]

Bradford -

My vote would go to Presidio.  Played it this past week...the greens are awfully slow but its a beautiful course that I think is a renovation away from being as good as Harding.  There still exists a lot of great, fun old holes there.  It has also hosted a Western Open too...

[Jon Spaulding]

Other than the "city" courses already mentioned, check out DelaVeaga in Santa Cruz...."the poor man's pasatiempo". I would also recommend GlenEagles.....one of the best kept secrets!

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