[Matt_Cohn]

For those who don't live in the Bay Area, the past couple of days have been *hot* with a really unusual wind blowing out of the east. Yesterday it was 96 in San Francisco which is a full 29 degrees above average.

But the wind got me thinking about which holes in the Bay Area play better with an east wind than with the west wind that we usually get about 360 days each year.

I'll start:

#10 at Metropolitan. Normally it's 565 into the wind with a wide teeshot, an awkward layup, and a tough third shot over a hazard into a quartering wind. But downwind, there's a chance to reach in two, rewarding a bold teeshot; the layup is still important, but less awkward and with more options; and the hazard short of the green is still in play, but so are some interesting chipping situations over the green, which really never see action when the hole is into the wind.

What are some others?

[Tim Leahy]

No. 18 at Lake Chabot might actually play like a par 6 if my wind direction flag is right.
Bodega Harbor might actually be fun with this wind.

[John Sheehan]

Matt,
Interesting question.  I guess it depends on what you mean by "better."  If you mean easier, then here are a couple:

The par 5, 5th hole at Bodega Harbour:  One of the craziest holes ever imagined period, and certainly in the prevailing on shore breeze.  BUT, downwind (and downhill) you can actually take it to the right of the cross-bunker and have a chance at landing the shot on short grass AND inbounds.      What a concept!
http://www2.cybergolf.com/kemper/images/158/hole5.htm

The par 4, 4th hole at Roddy Ranch:  It's tough to carry the cross-bunkers and gain the preferred angle into that canted green given the normal wind.  But downwind it is a lot of fun.  Well, actually, it's always a lot of fun.  Terrific strategic hole on a terrific golf course.

By the way, played Metro today.  I reviewed it shortly after it opened and have always loved that Muni.  It still plays fairly firm and fast, though not as fast as when it first opened.  My only complaint is with a maitenance decision to let the native grasses grow crazy long around almost all bunkers, fairway, cross-, and greenside.  They also seem to have changed their mowing patterns on some of the holes.  On 14, my own personal favorite risk-reward hole on the course, they have pinched the fairway in somewhat by letting the rough grow in where there used to be fairway just over the second cross-bunker left.  Kind of takes the "reward" out of the riskiest shot on that hole.  You can still carry the first cross-bunker left and find a nice forward kick and short grass. 

It was still quite fun to play; but then I didn't have any problems with the longish fringe around the bunkers as some of my playing companions did.  The 10th was brutal today.

[Jeff_Stettner]

The 11th hole at Sequoyah CC is the longest 4 on the course at 450. It plays due west down a steep hill. When the offshore winds blow, a ravine that is about 300 yards comes into play and it becomes a lot more interesting.

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