MPCC Shore Course Photos

[Peter Galea]

Bob Huntley at the 3rd. 147 yard par 3.


Neal Meagher surveys his second at the 6th. 508 yard par 5.


The 8th from the right rough. 422 yard par 4 #1 hdcp.


Joel Stewart at the 177 yard par 3 11th.


2nd shot at the 12th. 587 yard par 5 #2 hdcp, into the wind.


14th hole 182 yard par 3.


15th green, dogleg left. 395 yard par 4.


Yours truly at the 15th.

[A_Clay_Man]

Wow! These pics of the new shore course just keep getting better and better. Maybe it's the photog, but maybe it's the design and setting.

Has anyone uttered those immortal words that this course is the best on the peninsula?,yet?

Thanks Pete. Did you pull that shot on 15?

[ForkaB]

Talk about keeping your head still!  Bob Huntley is either a god or in an early stage of rigor mortis.

I'll vote for "god" until proved otherwise.....

[THuckaby2]

Has anyone uttered those immortal words that this course is the best on the peninsula?,yet?

Adam:

MPCC's new Shore course is very, very nice.  I'd even go so far as to call it "great."  As more people see it, the accolades will come.

But those words you are asking for... well... I can't see them being uttered in good faith. I will say this:  for the courses inside the drive, the order now goes:

1. Cypress
2. Pebble
3. MPCC Shore
4. Spyglass
5. MPCC Dunes
6. Poppy Hills
7. Spanish Bay

Or at least I think so.  What say others?

Note that it's a HUGE step for me to put MPCC Shore above Spyglass.  I'm not 100% certain that's correct.  I just plain can't get it above #1 and #2.

TH

[Jfaspen]

I never get tired of looking at photos of this course.  I do see the similarities between this design and True Blue (the somewhat expansive feel at times), but generally seems more refined.

Thanks again for the pics

Jeff

[THuckaby2]

Talk about keeping your head still!  Bob Huntley is either a god or in an early stage of rigor mortis.

I'll vote for "god" until proved otherwise.....

You didn't know that already?  Disappointing.

 

[A_Clay_Man]

Tom H, Since you have no doubt already golfed the new shore, what is it that would prevent it from taking the top spot? Is there decent ebb and flow? Is the routing less intimate than the chapel or the beach?

[Mike Benham]

Hopefully Mr. Huckabee will remember but I again recognize that the hole locations are the same as the day we played back in July (the 3rd and 14th are the most obvious).

Perhaps it is at the request of Mr. Huntley ...

Did I tell everyone that I am very fond of the 14th

[THuckaby2]

Adam:

I have indeed had the privilege of a round at the new Shore.

What's to prevent it from taking the top spot?

Nothing, except that you're asking it to be better than two of the top 5 courses on the planet.

The new Shore has wonderful ebb and flow.  It's routing is intimate and one also gets a spacious feel on the holes closer to the ocean.

It's just not better overall than Cypress or Pebble.  This is absolutely no knock against the course.  As I say, I am ready to call it great and say it's better than Spyglass.  I would not be surprised if it makes many "top whatever" lists as more people see it.

Mike - good catch!  I guess those are the weekday pins... or maybe we all played on Mondays... interesting, in any case.

TH

[A_Clay_Man]

Tom, Is that tradition points related or what. Just from these pics, it would appear to have all the core principles. Plus, Since Pebble chooses to ignore the sage advice of our esteemed administrator, and IMO continue to make ill-conceived, freshmen mistakes to their design, they deserve to be put in their place.

[THuckaby2]

Adam:

Tradition might have something to do with it, but it's not the totality - MPCC itself rather oozes tradition.  And I have no axe to grind with Pebble - it remains one of the top 5 courses in the world as I see things.

MPCC Shore is a great golf course.  It's just not better than these two.  Why not?  Because there is only room for so many at the very, very top.  There are no deficiencies at MPCC Shore that cause this - it's more all about how incredibly great those other two are.

TH

[Brian_Gracely]

Hopefully Mr. Huckabee will remember but I again recognize that the hole locations are the same as the day we played back in July (the 3rd and 14th are the most obvious).

Perhaps it is at the request of Mr. Huntley ...

Did I tell everyone that I am very fond of the 14th

Mike,

Mr.Huntley must have some serious pull, as those flags look about the same as the day I played also.  He's just trying to gain every advantage possible in the wolf game

[JohnV]

I would guess that MPCC uses a rotation like many courses do.  Front, Middle, Back one day followed by Middle, Back, Front the next and Back, Front, Middle.  You must all have gone on the same rotation.

I don't like rotations that are that mindless.  It is the one thing that gripes me at Pacific Dunes since all the par 5s are divisible by 3 so if #3 is on the front, 12, 15 and 18 will also be etc.

[James Edwards]

Pete,

Great Photos...

Bob Huntley, Joel Stewart..

Different sets of tees I see?  

[Brian_Gracely]

Pete,

Great Photos...

Bob Huntley, Joel Stewart..

Different sets of tees I see?  

Not necessarily.  Like MPCC Dunes, MPCC Shore has a couple of holes the members play the "gold" tees because the tee-shot is just very thrilling.  They have a mixed rating/slope for this configuration.  If I remember correctly, #8 and #10 (both Par3s) are often played from the gold tees even when the rest of the round is played from the "black" tees.  And #10 is a monster from the back tees....like 240-250yds into the prevailing winds.

 

[Tony_Chapman]

Anyone out there who doesn't love Mike Stranz? This place looks absolutely breathtaking. Thanks for the photos Pete.

[Mike_Sweeney]

the order now goes:

1. Cypress
2. Pebble
3. MPCC Shore
4. Spyglass
5. MPCC Dunes
6. Poppy Hills
7. Spanish Bay

TH

Huck,

Mine would be:

1. Cypress
2. Pebble
3. MPCC Shore*
4. MPCC Dunes
4. Spanish Bay
5. Spyglass
6. Poppy Hills
7. Del Monte - my first course played in CA.

* Based on a cart tour.

[Bob_Huntley]

Pete,

Great photographs and I am sure a little nudging with Photoshop. It sure didn't loook that bright when we played!

The shot of Joel is on the 177 yard back tee of the 11th hole.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

James Edwards wrote,

"Different sets of tees I see?"

Brian Gracely replied,

"Not necessarily.  Like MPCC Dunes, MPCC Shore has a couple of holes the members play the "gold" tees because the tee-shot is just very thrilling.  They have a mixed rating/slope for this configuration.  If I remember correctly, #8 and #10 (both Par3s) are often played from the gold tees even when the rest of the round is played from the "black" tees.  And #10 is a monster from the back tees....like 240-250yds into the prevailing winds."

Brian it's the #7 and #9 that are lengthy par threes... #9 is not often played from way back. Number 11, the one with Joel in the picture, is played by most players from the back, even some of the higher handicappers.

[cary lichtenstein]

Course looks great...hats off to Mike Strantz

[Peter Galea]

Bob, duly noted and corrected.
Yes, contrast and brightness were adjusted as well as the images being sharpened.
Pete

The Shore is a outstanding golf course with an absolutely stunning set of one-shotters. Probably the best collection of par 3's I've ever experienced. The 4's and 5's hold their own too. It is a visually stimulating layout where you can really play "chess".

[THuckaby2]

Mike S.:

Interesting list... I see we agree at the very top, which is cool.  Seriously, the point there is nothing against any of the other courses - even our shared #3 - but more that this #1 and #2 are so very great.

As for the rest, I can see putting MPCC Dunes that high.  I do think over time, when the honeymoon wears off on the Shore, people are going to have good arguments over which MPCC course is truly superior, and the Dunes will have its backers.  One of them might be me, I'm not 100% certain about it just yet.

What interests me is your seeming lack of respect for Spyglass... Care to elaborate there?  I go back and forth about it myself... never have gotten a real good handle on how truly great it is... right now I'm in a "Spyglass is greater than people think" mode.  Interesting....

Re Del Monte, note I included only courses inside the 17 Mile Drive.  If you include that, you'd have to include quite a few others, not the least of which being Bayonet and Blackhorse at Fort Ord... and The Preserve... Laguna Seca... Corral de Tierra... Pasadera...

TH

[Brian_Gracely]

and nobody included Pacific Grove Muni in their list....what snobs we've become

[Scott_Burroughs]

and nobody included Pacific Grove Muni in their list....what snobs we've become

Yeah, really!


And Huck, don't forget Tehama, Mr. Huntley's favorite course in the area.

 

[THuckaby2]

Gents - remember I am only trying to rank courses inside the 17 Mile Drive.  If I were to list all that might be called "on the Monterey Peninsula", we'd include the ones you mention, but also Rancho Canada, Monterey Pines (former Naval station course), maybe some others I've forgotten.  That's not the intent of what I'm trying to do here.  But we can do that if you like...

TH