Exellent new course in NoCal-Cache Creek-Yocha De He Golf Club

[Joel_Stewart]

We debated that, its either a Doak 5 or 6 depending on who you spoke with.  It has a lot of interesting holes but its filled with a lot of mounding,  an enormous lake and plentry of streams and small waterfalls.  Its a resort course, catering to casino and hotel guests.

[Dave_Wilber]

This is one of my consulting gigs and it turned out nice.

Kyle Jones is the supt. and he's doing a masterful job.

[Joel_Stewart]

This is one of my consulting gigs and it turned out nice.

Kyle Jones is the supt. and he's doing a masterful job.

Dave:

Why did you choose to use the rye grass?  In the summer when its hot it seems that you are going to have poor tons of water on those fairways to keep them green?

Also, did I misunderstand that even though the course just opened (January 2nd), they are already starting to battle the poa?

The lake installed in 17 acres and 10 feet deep according to Brad.   Its a huge lake, used by the hotel to dump its treated water.  The hotel/casino has its own water treatment plant.

[Joel_Stewart]

I've been thinking about this course since I played here last Thursday and really have to congratulate Brad Bell who is a lurker here.  I don't think the course is perfect but he really poured his knowledge into the building of this golf course and in the end it shows.  One of the things I am aware of is when building a new course, you don't know the budget and other aspects that come into play.   This site contained indian burial grounds, some restrictions by the Corp of Engineers, and on one hole they hit ground water at 3 feet when grading.   There are many really good holes, and in the end, the owners really liked the end product.  I kept telling myself, its a resort course which helped keep my perspective.

Below is the first hole which has a 130 foot drop from the tee.  The trees to the right didn't need to be put in and one of the players in the group didn't like the fairway bunker but it does have some sizzle, which in the end is the desired product.  From this view the cart path seems ugly but when on the fairway you can't see it.



Below is the 11th which is the only hole without bunkers.  Its a par 4 that ties in nicely with the ground (until you get to the green).  It has a massive grass bunker in front and vineyards to the back.

[Norbert P]

Thanks for the real photo Joel, we just talked about that first hole a little bit the other day on the "Unequal Rough" thread.  Actually, the end result looks better than the website computer graphic.
Mowing patterns are a little busy for me but I'm a simpleton.
I don't mind the trees as they'll eventually block some of the sights and sounds of the highway.  Looks like some nice country.

 
 

[Tim Leahy]

Joel, second picture is hole 12 not 11.
 
Ed, a Doak 7.5 in my book.

[Wayne_Freedman]

I liked the course. Had a good time playing it, in general. It's an excellent place for a bunch of non-critical guys to get away, smoke cigars, or have a bachelor party.

I terms of design, some good holes mixed in with others that befuddle me.

As we discussed earlier, the semi-Redan 3 is good, 8 is not good, 14 is challenging, and 15 will get your blood flowing.

But, I cannot get excited about 17, a par 5 that required a drive and two wedges for a birdie putt. No way.

I give it 6.5, and by my rating system, that's a decent score.

You're not likely to ask for your money back, and we're still discussing it, so there.

[Tim Leahy]

Wayne,
I am not exceptionally long and I got on No. 17 with a 3 hybrid from the gold tees, if you hit two wedges, it sounds like you wussed out not going for it.
Besides the holes you mentioned, I really liked the 7th(Redan), 10, 11, and really liked 18.
Which holes befuddled you? I thought it was all right there in front of you, although 8 requires some course knowledge not visible the first time from the tee.

[Joel_Stewart]

Joel, second picture is hole 12 not 11.
 
Ed, a Doak 7.5 in my book.

I stand corrected.   There is no way Doak gives the course a 7.5.   I think he would be horrified at some of the mounding, and placement of trees.  I know they used Wadsworth for the construction so I'm not sure if it was their shapers or Brad Bell that put in some of the unnatural mounding through the front nine.  I don't want to get into the negatives (I already told Brad Bell) because it's nitpicking and I liked the course and thought it was solid for a resort course.  As I said on an earlier post, 2 people gave it a 5 on two gave it a 6 (which is still good) so I'll stand by that.

I agree with Wayne we are still talking about it and thats a positive.

[Evan Fleisher]

I was in Sacramento on business a few weeks back, and my boss dragged me up to the Cache Creek casino to "donate" a few dollars to the cause.  While there I realized they also had a course which looked interesting from the pictures flashing by on the flat-screen TV.

Too bad I did not have time to play, but I will be back in that area in the next few months so I'll try and get out there...thanks for the feedback!

[Dave_Wilber]

This is one of my consulting gigs and it turned out nice.

Kyle Jones is the supt. and he's doing a masterful job.

Dave:

Why did you choose to use the rye grass?  In the summer when its hot it seems that you are going to have poor tons of water on those fairways to keep them green?

Also, did I misunderstand that even though the course just opened (January 2nd), they are already starting to battle the poa?

The lake installed in 17 acres and 10 feet deep according to Brad.   Its a huge lake, used by the hotel to dump its treated water.  The hotel/casino has its own water treatment plant.

Lots of Bluegrass there. It will do fine.
Poa is always a battle! Unless you want it of course..and then it is more like a test.

[Wayne_Freedman]

Hi Tim.

Wussed?  Thanks for that. At #17, we were halved in a two dollar match,  and my opponent had just splashed his second. From the gold,  I had 221 for my second, and might have gone for it knowing what I do now of the green complex, but for the first time around, I laid back to a fat landing area at 120 yards, and still had maybe 12 feet to putt for the birdie. Why go for it? Play the course, but play the match, too. And this was a tight one.

I had mixed feelings about #14. It was not there, in front of me. And what was there, mislead me. Hit what seemed to be a perfect 3-metal  just past the marker, and paid for it by having to draw my approach around a tree.  Live and learn. Next time, the closer you play it to the right, the wider your opening. Once you know it, the hole is all about execution, and I have no issues with that.

As for the rest...#1 is all air, and leaves room to miss an opening drive, although it sure doesn't feel that way from the altitude. #2, the snaking par 5, was a bit confusing...more a matter of placement than nerve. #3 played like the last march into that 3-club wind. Loved the sand in the middle of the fairway. #4 is okay, but nothing exceptional.

#8 does not reward good shot making.

#15 is all about hole placements, right fairway for a right flag, and left for the left.

#18 is very good and challenging, although as someone noted earlier, we have seen plenty of holes like it before.
Joel, btw,  hit a big drive followed by a world-class approach to a couple of feet. It was a thing of beauty and an excellent conclusion to his almost perfect back nine (save that no-wuss miscalculation on 17 when he went for it).

 Again, I'm saying we liked the course, but they might have done more with it. And, it's easier to nitpick than to design.

Wayne,
I am not exceptionally long and I got on No. 17 with a 3 hybrid from the gold tees, if you hit two wedges, it sounds like you wussed out not going for it.
Besides the holes you mentioned, I really liked the 7th(Redan), 10, 11, and really liked 18.
Which holes befuddled you? I thought it was all right there in front of you, although 8 requires some course knowledge not visible the first time from the tee.

[Tim Leahy]

Wayne,
I can see your strategy with your opponents in the drink, but that is still a nervous third wedge shot depending on the angle and how close the pin is to the water side. Anyway I just wanted to point out that getting there in two was an option which makes the hole very interesting.

Joel,
The Doak Scale definition of a 7:
"An excellent course, worth checking out if within 50-100 miles. You can expect sound design: interesting holes: good conditions and a pretty setting: if not necesssarily anything unique to the world of golf."
Yocha meets that criterion in all facets.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim - so we come full circle.  As one who most definitely will have to travel more than 100 miles to get to this course, I still wonder if it's worth making the effort.  You get it to 7.5, which to me means maybe...

Which to my crazy life translates to a NO.  Courses (or other reasons to go there, like a tournament, meeting friends, etc.) have to be rock solid for me to pay the prices I have to pay to get a full day of golf allowed.

So not to press... but is it a 7, or an 8?

The comments from these others rating it far lower are not helping your case, of course.  But you can take the first crack if you like!

 

[Wayne_Freedman]

Tim,

Nothing nervous about a wedge  to the middle of a green. Hardly even thought of water for my third, due to placement of the second.

Realistically, water would  have been an issue only if my second had rolled farther, or had I gone for it. Frankly, it didn't feel right for my 3-metal, and a touch long  for my hybrid.  It was a good play. Win/win vs. win/scamble/lose big.  Geez. You sound like the golfing press. 

And yes, that option does make the hole interesting. I agree with that. But for most players it will present an all-or-nothing gambit, with little room to bail except for a bunker long, or a bunkered slope on the left side which would leave an uncomfortable pitch down. 

Did you make birdie?

Wayne,
I can see your strategy with your opponents in the drink, but that is still a nervous third wedge shot depending on the angle and how close the pin is to the water side. Anyway I just wanted to point out that getting there in two was an option which makes the hole very interesting.

Joel,
The Doak Scale definition of a 7:
"An excellent course, worth checking out if within 50-100 miles. You can expect sound design: interesting holes: good conditions and a pretty setting: if not necesssarily anything unique to the world of golf."
Yocha meets that criterion in all facets.

[Tim Leahy]

Wayne,   
three putt par, made me sick to my stomach after the great seconc shot, but at least I didn't leave the eagle putt short.

Tom H,
 my best friend lives in Dublin and I have requested he meet me out there as soon as they allow carts on the fairways, he's not much for walking, so I do think it is worth the drive. I backed off the Doak 8, because I didn't want to debate the definition of region or very best compared to some great NoCal private courses. I do believe the course is one of the top ten public courses in the Valley region. How far did you drive to get to Stephenson Ranch? Because this course is way better than that in my opinion.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim:

Thanks.  "Way better" than Stevinson speaks very loudly to me as I think that course is superb. 

I've been assigned to see it for Golf Digest, so the die is cast.  I'll get up there somehow, some way before the end of August.  I just do feel a bit better about the long trip now.

TH

[Pete_Pittock]

Hey guys,
I need a course on the drive back from the King's Putter. Should I try this one or Sevillano Links. And how does this compare to Stevenson Ranch

[Rob Rigg]

Interesting that this course is getting such a great response from the group.

It seems like a real "target" golf course and there are few to no opportunities to run a shot up onto the green. Hit it there, then hit it there - not super exciting (?).

It looks like a "nice" course with a few interesting holes but based on the flyovers from the website, I would not drive out of my way to play it.

[Tim Leahy]

Hey guys,
I need a course on the drive back from the King's Putter. Should I try this one or Sevillano Links. And how does this compare to Stevenson Ranch

Definitely worth the stop, Cache Creek is not a target golf course. I haven't played Sevillano yet, but the atmosphere can't be as good as Yocha tucked back into that valley. Also Yocha has some changes in elevation and Sevillano is flat. Only drawback right now is it is cart path only because it has been wet here. You might also consider playing one of the country clubs that is open to the public now like Winchester, Catta Verdera or Morgan Creek.

[Adam Jeselnick]

The new clubhouse at Cache Creek is now open ... Yocha De He is definitely worth a stop for NorCal-ers looking for a golf day trip.

Tom H. - I'm curious what your reaction was to the course... especially depending on what time of year you played.

AJ

[Tom Huckaby]

The new clubhouse at Cache Creek is now open ... Yocha De He is definitely worth a stop for NorCal-ers looking for a golf day trip.

Tom H. - I'm curious what your reaction was to the course... especially depending on what time of year you played.

AJ

Adam - never did make it up there... oh well.

[Joel_Stewart]

Hey guys,
I need a course on the drive back from the King's Putter. Should I try this one or Sevillano Links. And how does this compare to Stevenson Ranch

IMHO you should play Sevillano Links.  Yocha De He is just OK, I would give it a 4.  It didn't win any awards from Golf Digest in a down year with not many golf course openings.  Sure the service is good and the conditon should be good but the course is flawed in many-many ways. 

Many of these flaws are not the fault of Brad Bell the architect.  The course has a very high water table and when they went to grade they would hit water.  They ran into an Indian burial ground and had to work around that.  They couldn't get to close to the river which is a shame because it would have made some nice holes.  So the end result is just OK but it's not a place I would drive out of my way to play.

[Pete_Pittock]

Thanks Joel

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Flyover tour:

http://www.yocha-de-hegolfclub.com/Course-Flyover_894a427893d03e077.html