Bay Area Trip May 15-19

[Patrick Hodgdon]

My dad and I are planning a father-son golf trip to the bay are in mid-May (visiting my brother who is working in San Jose). We'll probably have time for 2-3 rounds and are currently working our business networks to try and get on SFGC and or Olympic. If anyone knows of any other courses that would be good to play in the area please let me know. Any help and advice is very much appreciated. Sorry if this thread is redundant of a previous one. Thanks for any help!

[Matt_Cohn]

Lincoln Park, Peacock Gap, and The Ranch should set you up for an interesting week of golf.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

For those that saw my original un-editied post I apologize as it apparently came across as breaking the unwritten rule of asking for access to some of the courses in the Bay and Monterey area. I was simply asking for local knowledge and the networks I referred to working were merely my dad's business connections as well as my own non-gca golf contacts. Again sorry for any displeasure I may have caused or faux-pas I made.

[John Kirk]

Patrick has been made aware of his faux pas.

Play Pasatiempo.  It's just as good as Olympic and SFGC.

[Jed Peters]

Play Pasatiempo.  It's just as good as Olympic and SFGC.

Bold call.

But I like it.

(Haven't played SFGC)

[Matt_Cohn]

 

[Tom Huckaby]

Matt is a cruel, cruel man.  Oh my, if poor Patrick had wasted a day at The Ranch.... Matt could have been sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Patrick, The Ranch is a truly awful golf course.

As for the question at hand, let me chime in on the chorus of Pasatiempo as a must see - especially now that the restoration is complete.  It's a Mackenzie gem once again and must be seen.  It's expensive, but worth it.

Outside of that, you have a LOT of choices... how far do you want to travel? Can you access other private clubs?  How much do you want to pay?  Narrow it down a bit and I'll make some recommendations.  I've lived here and played golf here for 25 years, and know the area a bit.   

[Matt_Cohn]

Huck, the odds that nobody else was going to chime in on a Bay Area topic between now and mid-May were pretty low!

[Tom Huckaby]

Huck, the odds that nobody else was going to chime in on a Bay Area topic between now and mid-May were pretty low!

I know, I know.  I just LOVED the suggestion!
 

[PThomas]

Presidio is a good call, i liked it better than Harding...but they might be doing work on Presidio???!

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Matt is a cruel, cruel man.  Oh my, if poor Patrick had wasted a day at The Ranch.... Matt could have been sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Patrick, The Ranch is a truly awful golf course.

As for the question at hand, let me chime in on the chorus of Pasatiempo as a must see - especially now that the restoration is complete.  It's a Mackenzie gem once again and must be seen.  It's expensive, but worth it.

Outside of that, you have a LOT of choices... how far do you want to travel? Can you access other private clubs?  How much do you want to pay?  Narrow it down a bit and I'll make some recommendations.  I've lived here and played golf here for 25 years, and know the area a bit.   

Thanks Tom. Not sure how much we want to spend I guess it depends if my dad can get us on SFGC and/or Olympic and what that sets us back. Pasatiempo looks very much worth the price even if on the higher end. I will probably make an advanced tee-time once we get the schedule nailed down. This will be my own first trip to the west coast and the bay area. My dad is getting treated to Pebble/Spanish Bay/Spyglass the week before I get out there to join him so he will be on a golf-high already I imagine.  Not sure if that narrows it down much. If there are any other courses worth seeing closer to San Jose (where we'll be staying) that might allow us to fit more golf in.

[Kalen Braley]

Patrick,

The bay area in general, excluding Santa Cruz and Monterey, is really a tale of two sorts.  While there are some really fantastic private options, I can't really think of a fantastic public option.

Some might argue Harding Park, which quite frankly I've never played, but i'm not sure if would be categorized in the same league of the top notch privates.

PS. I have a feeling The Huckster is going to learn me about now...its been a few years since I've lived there.

[Tom Huckaby]

Kalen has this pretty much correct.  Most of our great courses are private; and the great public courses are also very expensive.

So Patrick, it would seem that your Dad is already seeing the best that can be seen on the public end; although the advice to add Pasatiempo remains.  No other publics are in this class.  But one that might be enjoyable and worth your time is called Cinnabar Hills - it's in San Jose, but has a very rural feel.  It's very good fun.  Find its website and check it out.

Harding seems to be polarizing; some like it, some don't.  I'm in the latter camp.  But it too might be worth seeing, if only to play the future President's Cup course.  Note it is in San Francisco though and would be a haul from San Jose.

Closer to you will be Cordevalle - if you can access the others, you ought to be able to access this.  They do offer some times to the general public, but at a very steep price... I do think it's a very good golf course and the experience is top-notch (caddies, high-level treatment); I just wouldn't want to pay the $200+ they charge for normal public play.

In the end methinks your days will be covered by what your Dad can set up as is.  If not, then do try for Cinnabar Hills after Pasatiempo.

TH

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Kalen has this pretty much correct.  Most of our great courses are private; and the great public courses are also very expensive.

So Patrick, it would seem that your Dad is already seeing the best that can be seen on the public end; although the advice to add Pasatiempo remains.  No other publics are in this class.  But one that might be enjoyable and worth your time is called Cinnabar Hills - it's in San Jose, but has a very rural feel.  It's very good fun.  Find its website and check it out.

Harding seems to be polarizing; some like it, some don't.  I'm in the latter camp.  But it too might be worth seeing, if only to play the future President's Cup course.  Note it is in San Francisco though and would be a haul from San Jose.

Closer to you will be Cordevalle - if you can access the others, you ought to be able to access this.  They do offer some times to the general public, but at a very steep price... I do think it's a very good golf course and the experience is top-notch (caddies, high-level treatment); I just wouldn't want to pay the $200+ they charge for normal public play.

In the end methinks your days will be covered by what your Dad can set up as is.  If not, then do try for Cinnabar Hills after Pasatiempo.

TH

TH:
Thanks for the info. You are right in that it will depend on what we can line up on the good private courses. Otherwise it certainly looks like Cordevalle gets the nod after Pasatiempo to fill out the rest of the trip. I think those two would make a very great and memorable father-son golf trip even if we don't get a crack at the others. I wonder if I couldn't get on Cordevalle somehow as a fellow CSI caddie.

[Mike Golden]

Kalen has this pretty much correct.  Most of our great courses are private; and the great public courses are also very expensive.

So Patrick, it would seem that your Dad is already seeing the best that can be seen on the public end; although the advice to add Pasatiempo remains.  No other publics are in this class.  But one that might be enjoyable and worth your time is called Cinnabar Hills - it's in San Jose, but has a very rural feel.  It's very good fun.  Find its website and check it out.

Harding seems to be polarizing; some like it, some don't.  I'm in the latter camp.  But it too might be worth seeing, if only to play the future President's Cup course.  Note it is in San Francisco though and would be a haul from San Jose.

Closer to you will be Cordevalle - if you can access the others, you ought to be able to access this.  They do offer some times to the general public, but at a very steep price... I do think it's a very good golf course and the experience is top-notch (caddies, high-level treatment); I just wouldn't want to pay the $200+ they charge for normal public play.

In the end methinks your days will be covered by what your Dad can set up as is.  If not, then do try for Cinnabar Hills after Pasatiempo.

TH

Let me remind the Huckster of how much I dislike Cinnabar Hills, particularly the Canyon 9, I'd play San Juan Oaks in a heartbeat before going back there.  Of course, given how little golf I've played in the past year even Shoreline would look pretty good right about now...

[Dan King]

A course I love that rarely gets mentioned when Bay Area courses come up is Stanford. I haven't played there in a few years, but I used to play it fairly regularly and loved it. It belongs to the school, and is "private," but there are tons of ways to play it if you want.

Cheers,
Dan King

The strategy of the golf course is the soul of the game. The spirit of golf is to dare a hazard, and by negotiating it reap a reward, while he who fears or declines the issue of carry, has a longer or harder shot for his second, or his second or third on long holes; yet the player who avoids the unwise effort gains advantage over one who tries for more than in him lies, or fails under the test.
 --George Thomas

[David Stamm]

Patrick, you have to play Pasatiempo if you have never done so. You will not regret it. I can assure you that everyone in your group will be more than pleased.


BTW, love the quote, Dan.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Since you are trying for 2-3 rounds, if you can get SF, Olympic and Pasatiempo you can stop there.  As an aside, your guest fees (excluding caddie) at SF and OC will be less than a c-note.   Other courses worth trying are:

Harding - if only for the fact that it will be hosting the Presidents Cup
Peacock Gap - to see Forrest's work that was documented here
Meadow Club - another Mackenzie to compare with Pasatiempo...say hello to Ballyneal founder Jim O'Neal
Stanford - kills this Cal guy to recommend it, so I will scratch it

To be honest, given you want to play only a couple of rounds, the above covers it (unless I'm totally blanking on something).

[Tom Huckaby]

Great call re Stanford - that needs to be seen too.  And yes, there are many ways to access it.  Heck Stanford alums can sponsor groups there - though that does make it fairly pricey.  Great course, great fun.

But you are running out of days! 

TH

[Chip Gaskins]

i lived in SF for a while.  man i miss it!

i used to play Crystal Springs on way home from work every now and then.  it is not too far from SFO on I280.  of course it doesn't rank with all the previous listed, but for a throw in afternoon round it is a pretty cool setting for a metropolitan area.

Harding is solid after the redo.  Olympic is a good.  Pasatiempo is fantastic.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

Thanks all for the info and advice. It is quite clear that it would take more than one weekend trip to the bay area to cover the musts.

So far here is the priority list:

1) SFGC and Olympic
2) Pasatiempo and only because above 2 are harder to get on...
3) Followed by Cordevalle and The Meadow Club.

Whatever we miss above will have to be filled in next trip along with Harding, Stanford, and Peacock Gap, along with Cinnabar Hills.

[Patrick Kiser]

Aren't we forgetting San Mateo's Peninsula Golf & Country Club as the only Ross layout on the West Coast?

GCA worthy no doubt if you can get on I would think.

[John Kirk]

What about the new David M. Kidd course in the East Bay, Stonebrae?   Even if that's private (can't remember), it just opened so you should be able to see that one.

[Tom Huckaby]

I'd say either of Peninsula or Stonebrae are each worth seeing; I just wouldn't put either above the courses already mentioned, and the man only does have so many days.

TH

[JSPayne]

I would have to throw in Half Moon Bay - The Ocean Course as well. I lived in the Bay Area for a few years and while that course may not be high on the architectural scale, it's a beautiful location for a decent public play price.

Alot of the courses being mentioned are private, and while it's worth a shot, don't discount the publics that are available as back-ups.

I have a feeling some on here would recommend Sharp Park to a degree, although we know it doesn't live up to it's potential. If you're really an architecture buff, you could visit and play and have fun imagining what could be.

Definetely shoot for your above priority list, since it sounds like you don't get the opportunity to play in this area often, but there are still some decent publics (Crystal Springs and Presidio are both on my list to make it a point to play this year based on positive reviews I've received) that can round out your trip.