I wanted to take the time to share pictures from a recent father/son golf trip through Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco. We were blessed with great weather and wonderful host that added to the experience.
First up: Pasatiempo. The experience was amazing and although I had not played it before the Doak team restoration, I had studied it enough to understand most of the changes. The course is wonderfully designed and I loved how Dr. MacKenzie maximized the use of the baranca on the back nine.
Hole 3: Wonderful par 3 that plays about 200 yards. Distance is critical as this hole is not forgiving. Anything short funnels about 15 yards down the front slope and anything long leaves a slippery putt. The bunker to the right is deep and would take two good shots to save par. The greenside bunkers to the left leave a downhill sand shot that will be hard to hold the green.
Hole 13: Great par 5 with terrific bunkering from the fairway to green. Not a long hole as it is reachable with two well struck shots. The green is guarded with large bunkers and has a nice back to front slope.
Hole 16: The tee shot is important on this dogleg left hole to arrange a second shot that gives you the best option to come into the green. This three-tiered green is huge . It is better to be short of the tier that the pin is on versus being long. I love how the right greenside bunker extends down the slope. It provides a feel of what is to come on the green.
Next up: MPCC - Shores course. I was eager to play this course as I have heard many good things about it. In fact, it exceeded all of my expectations and Mike Strantz did a great job with creating a course that compliments the land that it resides. The course is fun and grabs you attention for the entire 18 holes. The course is vastly open and free of trees which makes the wind a factor.
Hole 10: A large fairway is accepting of a miss hit tee shot but it also tempts the golfer to try the left side to get the best angle into the green. It is a beautiful hole. The aproach shot is uphill and any shot long will have a fast putt down the hill.
Hole 11: One of my favorite holes of the week. The walk up the boulder to the tee box is exciting and is only a feel of what is to come. The hole is down hill and a beautiful sight to see. The green is interestingly contoured and appropiate for the mid-iron tee shot.
Hole 15: Is a great dogleg left that has much more room to the right that it appears. The shot into the green is beautiful with the ocean in the background. The green appears that it was built upon a dune that was created by nature over hundreds of years. The green slopes from back to front.
Next course: Cypress Point. What can I say about this course that hasn't been said previously. Its magnificent and it exceeded all of the outrageously high expectations that I put on it. Emotionally moving.
Hole 7: Great par 3 that begins to introduce you to the sand dunes to come. I couldn't believe how seamlessly the left greenside bunker blended into the landscape. Plus I had to show this hole because thats my ball a foot from the pin. Nice memory.
Hole 13: Another hole that I had seen pictures of and it was so special seeing it in person. The bunkering is well done and it frames the green. The re-introduction to the ocean is subtle and foreshadows what is to come.
Hole 16: Enough said.
Thursday's round: Olympic Club - Lake. The conditioning was impecable and there is no doubt that this course is a tough test of golf. Winding up and down the slopes of San Francisco, the tee shots are demanding as they are lined by majestic Cypress and some form of Pine trees. The wind was howling which made controlling the ball more difficult and high scoring conditions.
Hole 15: Great elevated green par 3 surrounded by deep greenside bunkers. This par 3 is a good test before some massive holes to follow. Personal note, I almost clipped the overhanging limb off of the tree next to the tee box, only to hit the green. Who knew that could be in play?
Hole 16: Excellent par 5 that played around 630 yards. It takes three well placed shots to find the green. The bunkering is well done, allowing the weaker player a chance to run it up the front of the green.
Hole 18: One of the best finishing holes in all of golf. A short but climatic finish provides a chance for a final birdie if you hit two good shots. Tempts the player to hit driver off the tee when its not necessary. Great scenic uphill approach with the giant club house as the background.
Lastly: SFGC. Perfect weather, great company, and a fantastic golf course. It was an excellent way to finish the trip. The course had the ambiance of Augusta and I loved that it is a golf only facility. Tillinghast did a great job utilizing the prominent features of the land to design a fair and fun golfing experience. The course was renovated by Tom Doak a few years back and the best compliment that I could give him, is that I couldn't tell.
Hole 3: Fantastic and challenging tee shot. There is an intimidating fairway bunker on the right side that causes most players to favor the left side. The angle into the green is better from the right. The green is well bunkered and has a nice pitch to it. Miss the green on the wrong side and be lucky to escape with a par.
Hole 7: The famous duel hole. Fantastic par three with a ridge that runs in the middle of the green. Selecting the right club is a challenge since it is downhill, but it is a must because missing it short or long will be problematic. Beautiful transition into the eighth hole.
Hole 18: Great finishing par 5. Challenging three shot hole that finishes at the historic clubhouse. Lots of strategically placed fairway bunkers demand accuracy to finish with a good score. Green slopes right to left and it is necessary to pay attention to the hole location.
EDIT: I decided to take the photos of SFGC out in case it was not ok to post them.
This trip was so special to my father and me. It was 5 days of wonderful golf. The host were amazing people and inspiring at the same time. Thanks to everyone for the Dining recommendations. We ended up utilizing a few of them. In Pebble Beach we did the Tap Room, Bar at Spanish Bay for the bag pipes, Phil's Fish Market, Hola, and MoMo's.