OK... Mr. Benham prompted a fine idea off-line... can we improve on the SJ Merc list? That is, create a reasonably doable 18 that could be played all in one day, with his same parameters (must create a reasonable course, no Monterey)?
It's an interesting exercise.
Here's my take:
Note I eliminate the east bay and the far south. My goal is to create a great course that wouldn't tax one's sanity to complete... and I think we can do it without suffering for quality... 1. Lincoln Park 17 - 220 par 3 - start here and work south, going against prevailing traffic.
2. Harding 18 - 440 par 4
3. Olympic Lake 7 - 280 par 4 - we need a cool short par 4
4. SFGC 9 - 520 or so par 5 - I'm with John - very cool golf hole.
So far we've barely put 30 miles on the odometer...
5. Half Moon Bay Old #18 - 380 par 4, neat hole along the ocean, as described.
6. HMB Links 16 - very neat 380 or so par 4, ocean in background, creek in front of green, very scenic and very fun.
Still not all that much driving... if we've started at dawn I feel confident it's not yet 9:30am....
7. DeLaveaga 10 - 515 or so par five, as described, killer golf hole not to be ommitted - but surely can be played with less desparation than the author describes - it's doable if played smartly.
8. Pasatiempo 11 - 380 uphill par 4 - I like that better than 16... and it's closer to the road - one can park the car right by the tee - saving us 5 minutes of travel time.
Now back over 17 to Silicon Valley.... reverse traffic
9. Cinnabar Hills Mountain Nine #4 - great 420 par four with choices galore - I just love this hole.... find it to be the best in the whole 27 there...
That gives us a quirky par 37 for the front nine - two par fives, one par 3.. but I like it...
10. Coyote Creek Tournament #6 - par 4 400 or so as described, great hole.
11. Coyote Creek Valley _______ (hole choice depends on what we use from others at the end, to make a coherent back nine).
And that's as far south as we go. Heading north now, avoiding traffic. We'll get plenty of fine golf holes while ommitting SJO, Cordevalle, Eagle Ridge. We'll save our sanity.
12. Santa Teresa #12. Some love it, some hate it. Downhill par 4, 380 or so... choices choices choices. Many trees to avoid. God I love this hole. Must be included. Not far off freeway.
13. Almaden #8 - as per author's list - 206 par 3
14. Boulder Ridge #9 - 232 par 3 - and it's not THAT hard - again per author's list - cool golf hole. Back to back par threes have me feeling very Mackenzian....
We head down Almaden Expressway and get on 280 north...
15. Stanford #12 - what an inspired choice, only true geniuses comment on it. Par 4, 473.
16. Shoreline GL #10 - great risk reward par 5 along lake - 510 or so - love this hole.
17/18 - give me two great holes from any of Peninsula GC / Cal Club / Lake Merced / Green Hills / Los Altos CC / Crystal Springs (need help with these) and we're back up to SF area not feeling that bad at all. We won't have too horrible traffic at the end....
Whaddya think?