Course Conditions in Northern California

[astavrides]

I will be in Northern California (centered in San Jose) this week.  In view of all the rain last week, and the predicted rain today and tomorrow, what courses (if any) drain well and might be expected to be in ok condition and which should I avoid?  I was thinking about playing Metropolitan, Calippe Preserve, and/or Pajaro Valley.  I heard Harding and Presidio were quagmires even before the rain last week, and I heard DeLaveaga was very wet the other day.  I'm not expecting roll, but I'd like to avoid every other shot either plugging or landing in standing water.
Thanks.

[JSPayne]

I work at Empire Ranch in Folsom, near Sacramento and I hate to burst your bubble....but we've gotten 4" of rain last week, with little to no sun to help dry us out, and another 1-2" expected today.....we're pretty dang soft and we drain REALLY well.....you're going to have a hard time finding ANY golf course that's not soggy and pluggable unless they're sand-capped. The only courses like that in your area that I know of are private, unfortunately.

But hey.....if they're all soggy and wet, might as well play the ones you want to play and not just focus on the ones you think may be dry!

[David_Tepper]

Your best bets in the immediate Bay Area are likely the Metropolitan in Oakland or Monarch Bay in San Leandro. As Mr. Payne has noted, it has been very wet here and today's rain is supposed to be serious. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

[Tom Huckaby]

Public courses that drain well and may be playable, besides those mentioned:

Spring Valley (Milpitas)
Cinnabar Hills (San Jose) - best bet - very very good drainage - but expensive
Bayonet/Black Horse (Monterey) - same as Cinnabar

But JS Payne has it correct... even these are gonna be relative quagmires... and that's BEFORE the rain coming today and pretty much every day the rest of the week.  There's only so much rain any golf course can tolerate and methinks we've surpassed those levels recently.

[astavrides]

I work at Empire Ranch in Folsom, near Sacramento and I hate to burst your bubble....but we've gotten 4" of rain last week, with little to no sun to help dry us out, and another 1-2" expected today.....we're pretty dang soft and we drain REALLY well.....you're going to have a hard time finding ANY golf course that's not soggy and pluggable unless they're sand-capped. The only courses like that in your area that I know of are private, unfortunately.

But hey.....if they're all soggy and wet, might as well play the ones you want to play and not just focus on the ones you think may be dry!

thanks.  I won't head to Sacramento for refuge.

[astavrides]

Your best bets in the immediate Bay Area are likely the Metropolitan in Oakland or Monarch Bay in San Leandro. As Mr. Payne has noted, it has been very wet here and today's rain is supposed to be serious. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

thanks.  do you (or others) have a preference for one of those two over the other?

[Tom Huckaby]

Two bits on way, a quarter the other.  That is to say, they are pretty similar in quality.  Ok perhaps Metropolitan is a LITTLE better overall... Monarch Bay does have a few more non-descript blah holes.  Base it on likely conditions.. and my experience is that Metro would be a little better in that respect.  So I'd say Metro it is.

BTW I think JSPayne's report was not meant to be limited to Sacramento... pretty much ANYWHERE near the SF Bay Area is going to be very very wet.  We've had monsoon pretty much every day for two weeks now... brief respites only.  Just go in expecting mud and you will be just fine.

[Kalen Braley]

Hmm,,

Lets see, make sure to hit Lake Chabot, Tilden, Crystal Springs, and Willow Park.   

P.S. Be sure to bring about a dozen balls for each course because at least half will get lost in the middle of the fairway due to plugging.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I agree with David Tepper's recommendations. I'd add Roddy Ranch as a good drainer around here.  I prefer Monarch a bit over Metropolitan, but either will be fine.

[Mike Benham]

Here is my few cents, and the San Francisco area had 5" of rain ...

Metro will be firmer then Monarch Bay ... Cinnabar is good choice by Tom.

I played Harding Park yesterday and it was remarkably decent.  The greens rolled well and were firmish.  A few fairways were sloggy stupid wet including one (the 7th) where standing water had formed, about 20 around a clogged drain ... of course, the maintenance crew was on the 6th hole hand raking the leaves off the cart path ...

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Forget your clubs... bring your skis (or snowboard) and head to Tahoe.  Much better use of time.

[astavrides]

Forget your clubs... bring your skis (or snowboard) and head to Tahoe.  Much better use of time.

Now I'm beginning to regret paying $33 to take my clubs on the plane with me...

[Kalen Braley]

If you're in San Jose, Cinnabar would be your best bet then.  Or make the trek over the mountains and play Pasatiempo...

[Patrick Kiser]

As long as GCA isn't your number one concern, I recall Stone Tree in Marin being one of the best draining courses I've been exposed to.

But ya ... Tahoe might be a better call actually all things considered.

Good luck out there.

[Mat Dunmyer]

As long as GCA isn't your number one concern, I recall Stone Tree in Marin being one of the best draining courses I've been exposed to.

But ya ... Tahoe might be a better call actually all things considered.

Good luck out there.

Yes, StoneTree is sand capped and is your best bet (I was an asst Supt. there a while back) but is not a very good layout. I know most people north of the Golden Gate Bridge that like to play this time of year play there when it wet because they are the firmest.

Mat

[astavrides]

Thanks for all the suggestions. 

I played De Laveaga on Thursday.  Wouldn't have been my choice, but my cousin is a member, so the price was right.  Conditions were surprisingly decent.  Interesting layout, but too tight for me to really enjoy.

Saturday, I played Metropolitan and 9 at Monarch Bay.  Both were a bit wet, but very playable.  I preferred the layout of Metropolitan and the scenery of Monarch Bay.  I'd like to play them during the summer to see if they actually play linkslike.

All in all, I'd say you Northern Californians are pretty spoiled.  The course conditions have been worse in New Jersey since at least the end of September.

[JLahrman]

There's no doubt we're spoiled, but also consider:

- You played courses that were recommended for their ability to drain well.

- We've got rain in the forecast for nine of the next ten days - and when it rains it's usually day-long rain.

Still though, it's better than the Midwest or East.  It was 65 and sunny in Berkeley yesterday, I hit the range for a bit at Tilden.  I did a little chipping and putting, it wasn't too bad although the practice green is on one of the higher points of the course.  Plus we hadn't had rain for several days.

[David_Tepper]

Astravides -

Glad you were able to dodge the rain drops and get in a few rounds of winter NorCal golf. For muni/public courses, the Metro, Monarch Bay & DeLaveaga are not a bad trifecta.

DeLaveaga is one of the most "local knowledged" based courses I have ever played. There are not too many par-72 courses of just 6,100 yards from the back tees that have a slope of 136. (or is par now 71?)

DT

[Mike Benham]

... but my cousin is a member, so the price was right ... 

A member? Of what, the county ...

[astavrides]

... but my cousin is a member, so the price was right ...

A member? Of what, the county ...

He paid like $2500 for the year and doesn't pay green fees on weekdays.  He also gets a couple free guest green fees certificates--there are probably some other perks of --I don't know.  Not sure if 'member' was the right word--I figured maybe it was semi-private or something.

[astavrides]

Astravides -

Glad you were able to dodge the rain drops and get in a few rounds of winter NorCal golf. For muni/public courses, the Metro, Monarch Bay & DeLaveaga are not a bad trifecta.

DeLaveaga is one of the most "local knowledged" based courses I have ever played. There are not too many par-72 courses of just 6,100 yards from the back tees that have a slope of 136. (or is par now 71?)

DT

Very true.  It helped playing with him.  It also helped that it was wet, so that my tee shots sat down instead of bouncing into oblivion.  It is par 70 now.

[rchesnut]

I played at Pasatiempo on Sunday...the course drains well, it was soft, obviously very little roll, but certainly not a quagmire.   My group played lift/clean/place, there was some mud on the ball from time to time but nothing plugged.  No standing water.  I moved my ball out of casual water around my shoes once in a fairway.  Tarp on the new hillside in the barranca on 18 protecting the new grass from all the rain, but that's not in play.  All in all, it's quite playable, but more rain may be coming.