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Padraig Dooley

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The Valley Club of Montecito
« on: May 27, 2010, 05:34:14 PM »
I was in the US for a quick trip the last couple of weeks and played one of my favourite courses, The Valley Club, while there and also took a few pictures on the way around.

1st


3rd


5th


6th


8th


9th


First time playing the changed 11th


13th


Not a great view of the 14th, 15th and clubhouse in the distance


16th, beautiful


18th


Clubhouse
There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Bill_McBride

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2010, 08:41:07 PM »
Simply put, my favorite course in the world.

Dan King

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2010, 08:57:38 PM »
It's been years since I was there, but it's one of my favorite courses. Thanks for the pics.

It may not be the top of my list, but if I could belong to any course, Valley Club might be the coolest club to belong.

Cheers,
Dan King
Quote
Another erroneous idea which is prevalent is that beauty does not matter on a golf course. One often hears players say they "Don't care a tinker's cuss" about their surroundings, what they want is good golf. 
 --Alister MacKenzie

Niall Hay

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2010, 09:29:20 AM »
Simply put, my favorite course in the world.

Bill, what about it makes you love it so much? Looks awesome, but why it over many other greats?

Ron Csigo

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2010, 09:55:29 AM »
Thanks for posting the pictures Padraig. 

Does the Valley Club closely resemble Pasatiempo?  I've never played the Valley Club but from the pictures there appears to be a lot of similarities.  Would appreciate any feedback from those who have played both. 
Playing and Admiring the Great Golf Courses of the World.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2010, 11:26:10 AM »
While I've only played this course once, thanks to Bill McBride's club friend, Murph; I can harken back to a truly magical and enchanting round over a golf course that has real charm and allure.  There are perhaps a half dozen courses I can look back on that had everything one would want in a round of golf at a specific locale.   First off, from the very entry and approach to the magical kingdom club house, you feel like you are entering a special place beyond everday realities.  The landforms, trees and vegitation of TVCoM are both so Califormia in impression, yet in places woodland anywhere, that you get the sense of a nice hike through an enclave set apart from everday-everwhere.  The occasional glimpses out to the Pacific keep reminding you of the beauty of California, with lavender green and earthtone hills and mountains in the opposite direction as backdrops to the scene.

But, the course and its architecture, with its graceful stylings of bunkering and contours along with its angles, generous width, and walkable stategic routing are a great test of golf, yet nothing that beats you up or grumbles you into a game beyond one's abilities as so much architorture presents on too many highly acclaimed courses.  TVCoM is without a doubt a course one could spend their entire golf life playing, never get bored, and always be looking forward to your next round, either wanting to go from 18 back to first tee, or just wait for the next glorious California day to get back out there.  
« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 11:28:19 AM by RJ_Daley »
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Jed Peters

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2010, 11:30:06 AM »
I'd give my left nut to play there.

Scott Warren

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2010, 12:29:30 PM »
Soemone should call Jed on that. Arrange a host and a surgeon and see if he's good to his word! ;D

Tom Dunne

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2010, 01:06:06 PM »
The Valley Club must be one of the most beautifully routed courses on the planet. The property is sort of a weird shape, but some of the places those holes take you...wow. As exploration and Darwin's spirit of adventure go, it's just brilliant.   

Padraig Dooley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2010, 01:31:23 PM »
Thanks for posting the pictures Padraig. 

Does the Valley Club closely resemble Pasatiempo?  I've never played the Valley Club but from the pictures there appears to be a lot of similarities.  Would appreciate any feedback from those who have played both. 

I would say the main differences between the two, Ron, are Pasatiempo's terrain is a bit more undulating. Pasatiempo's bunkers seem to be slightly larger as well. Both courses integrate beautifully into the surroundings, are not overly long and the main difficulties are on and around the greens.

There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Padraig Dooley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2010, 01:33:12 PM »
I'd give my left nut to play there.

Be careful what you wish for, Jed, I played with a surgeon the last day as well!!!
There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2010, 02:00:32 PM »
Simply put, my favorite course in the world.

Bill, what about it makes you love it so much? Looks awesome, but why it over many other greats?

For  starters, I played college golf there in the '60's, so it's been a long love affair. It has the allure of being a Mackenzie design and has a wonderful out and back routing through very peaceful isolated valleys.  Dr Mac made the absolte maximum use from the two creeks that cut through the proprty, much as he utilized the barranca at Pasatiempo.

The Valley Club has four very attractive par 3s and a collection of the best long par 4s on the planet. The par 5s are the only soft spot but are fun to play, with a lovely par of "Spectacles" on #15.

Dan King

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2010, 02:13:24 PM »
Where did you go to school Bill? Two of my brothers went to Westmont in the late 1970s. They weren't golfers, they were soccer players.

I love Valley Club because of the course, the membership and the low key atmosphere. I've played there perhaps a dozen times and have never met any member I wouldn't love to play some more golf with. There is none of the snootyness of some other courses of similar pedigree. I love the length of the course, as Bill says, the par 3s are probably the best collection of par 3s on any course. And I like the par 5s. I can reach most of them with two excellent shots, but not without two excellent shots. I love the feeling of being so close to civilization, but feeling like you are far enough away to put separation.  It also doesn't get too many tourists or guests, keeping it nice and low key. And what a great clubhouse in a great location.

Cheers,
Dan King
Quote
This is another thing I like about golf, the exclusiveness. Of course most country clubs exclude the wrong kinds of people, such as me. But I hold out the hope that somewhere there's a club which bans first wives, people in twelve-step programs, Sting, the editorial board of the Boston Globe, and Ross Perot.
 --P.J. O'Rourke (Men's Journal, 1992)

Carl Nichols

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2010, 04:02:22 PM »
I'd give my left nut to play there.

My brother-in-law is a urological surgeon.  Add a member and we'd have a foursome.

David Stamm

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Re: The Valley Club of Montecito
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2010, 06:29:57 PM »
One of my very favorite places to play, and the place I'd most want to be a member of. Thanks for posting the pics, Padraig.
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

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