Regarding Pebble v. Cypress, he asked “is it really Cypress and then all others”. So a few of us were just trying to answer that.
Regarding the two courses at MPCC, first, please understand that they are both great - so this comes down to nitpicking between two gems. But for me:
1. I disagree with Kevin and say the routing is actually stronger on Dunes. Shore has a fundamental routing error, I think: there is inevitably a bottleneck at the 7th hole - I don't think I've ever played it without waiting a long time on that tee. It also tends to get compounded by 9... these are each long strong par threes where people either lose a ball or otherwise take a long time playing – thus although 7-8-9 are all great golf holes, it just tends to take so long to play them, a bit of the joy is removed. It just seems to be a bit of a mess to me there, and Mr. Huntley has voiced the same opinion. Meanwhile on Dunes there is no such thing... and even outside this, I kinda like how each course starts sort of slowly (with holes in the forest, then builds and builds) just to me Dunes just does it a little better, and it also doesn't have the let-down 18th that Shore does.
2. Routing isn't the be all and end all for me though; for me, it comes down to the golf holes. And as Kevin alludes to, Dunes just has the slightly stronger and more fun golf holes, particularly the par threes. We've gone over it one by one before, and for me, Dunes comes out ahead on the overall. Each of 4, 10 and 14 are absolute world-class holes, with the shot on 14 being particularly thrilling over the ocean. Dunes just doesn't quite have the world-class holes like that (not to me anyway), though 6 is an incredible par 5.
That’s it in a nutshell. I’ve played each course at least a dozen times. They are both great. But I do slightly prefer Dunes.
Regarding other courses to be played in the general area:
Pajaro Valley – yes, it is pretty cool, and the greens are wildly tilted, and generally in very very good shape. It is a hidden gem somewhat. Adam summed it up pretty well. Just don’t get too wild with expectations… it is a hidden gem based on good value. It’s not up in the pantheon with these Monterey greats.
San Juan Oaks – better golf course than Pajaro Valley as befitting the generally much higher price tag. Some wild holes going up into hills, and a rare split fairway hole that works. Good fun, again not all that worth leaving Monterey for, but if you must travel north on 101, worth stopping for. It’s also a very stern challenge from the tips – your group might like that.
As for Pacific Grove, it is a municipal golf course – thus as open to the public as a golf course can be. Yes, walk up, pay your fee, play – same as Pajaro, San Juan Oaks, all the ones Tim Leahy mentioned. Each of these can get crowded, so best to call and make a reservation.
There are others – private clubs Pradera and Tehama and Corral de Tierra, some other publics on the way to Santa Cruz or elsewhere – but again, none are all that much worth seeking out, each would fall below most of the others already mentioned.
So Niall, it all comes down to how much time you have, if you can easily access these private clubs, and how much money you want to spend. Give some answers there and I’m sure we each can give a detailed itinerary that would knock your socks off….