Well, it should not be a surprise, but Kyle Phillips has hit another home run.
The newly renovated Menlo Country Club Golf Course is splendid.
One of California’s oldest courses, Menlo has ever been a lovely walk in a rather constrained park, but recent years saw the level of maintenance fall off and serious drainage issues made the course uncomfortable to play in the wet months. A major renovation has now resulted in sand capped fairways and an entirely new routing plan that not only has made room for a first class practice area, but through the judicious removal of a host of trees, an actually longer and more challenging course.
The greens are small but dramatically contoured, and the bunkering is not only dramatic to the eye but challenging to the player. there are actually fewer bunkers than on the old course, but the square footage of sand has increased, and finding a route to the green that does not require a carry over a bunker places a premium on the accurate drive.
This course is simply splendid, and while current rules allow only member play until next September, I urge you to put it on your list and have your Pro give the club a call when you are going to be in the area this fall.