Monarch Bay, Oakland/San Leandro CA (with pics)

[JLahrman]

The lack of good, affordable public courses in the immediate Bay Area has been frequently mentioned on this site, and with good reason.  I maintain that given the non-golf activities in the area, it’s not worth it to bring your clubs on a visit if you do not have access to the local private heavyweights.

However, if you are a diehard golfer and you lack access, I would suggest Monarch Bay.  The course is quite convenient to the city, lying right on the Bay a bit south of the Oakland airport.  (Note for Tom, and he is correct...the course is in San Leandro, although I listed it as being in Oakland).  Holes 1, 9, 10, 11, and 18 are relatively tree-lined, while the other 13 holes are situated on reclaimed landfill and few trees have been planted.  I usually play the course in the afternoon to take advantage of twilight rates, which is also when the winds off the Bay really kick up.  A 2-3 club afternoon breeze seems to be the norm.  The cool temperatures and sea level location mean that this course probably doesn’t play as fast and firm as some here would prefer, although the wild wind makes this a fun place to play.  As always in the Bay Area, the course plays longer than the yardage.

With a critical eye towards GCA, there are a few drawbacks.  Three of the four par 3s (#4, #7, and #17) are long and play directly into the prevailing wind, making them feel a bit repetitious.  And the course is routed so that almost every hole is primarily upwind/left to right or downwind/right to left.  Only #14 plays with a crosswind.  Still, this is a very challenging course that I enjoy playing.

Course routing below.  The red arrow shows the direction of the prevailing wind, although in my excitement about figuring out how to add shapes to a jpg I plotted the arrow a bit inaccurately.  The prevailing wind blows closer to 4 o’clock than 5 o’clock like I have it.  Note that this is the prevailing SUMMER wind, in the winter it blows the other direction.  My comments throughout the pictures are made in with respect to the summer wind.



Pics of the course, and quite honestly I’m a little disappointed in how they turned out.  I took them from the tee, approach, and green.
Holes are as follows…I’ve given yardages from the “Professional” and “Championship” sets (7,015/6,567)
Holes 1, 2, and 3 get the course off to a mild start as they all play downwind.

Hole 1 (413/403) is a straighforward opener.







Hole 2 (409/385) Driver is not necessary but if used the player must avoid the bunker on the right side.  A fairway wood can be used, but that brings the bunkers on the left into play although the fairway is wider.  The approach is uphill, and it can be tough to hold the green with the hole playing downwind.







Hole 3 (443/402) is a nice slight dogleg right with several diagonal fairway bunkers.

Would be nice to cut the fairway closer to the edges of the bunker to really bring the sand into play...






Banks of bunkers are not quite shaved, but do allow for balls to trickle in...

[Tom Huckaby]

Fine course, oft-discussed in here in the past, cited from time to time as a fine example of high CR/low slope, which really should be the ideal.

But methinks you also just insulted the good folks of San Leandro.

 

[JLahrman]

Hole 4 (198/173) turns back into the breeze, a longish par 3 with a wide but shallow green.  Tough to take enough club to get it over the center bunker.





Hole 5 (514/507) is downwind again, a reachable par 5 if the wind is blowing.  One must avoid the bunker in the middle of the fairway.



From 250 out, left side of the fairway:


From 100 out.  It's an uphill approach from here.  It's not a bad play to lay up and avoid the bunkers, but this is another uphill, downwind shot and it can be tough to hold the green:


Greenside, you can see the flag being blown and the Bay in the background:


I’ve seen this fox every time I’ve played the course.  However, this was the first time I saw him jump into a cart and steal a bag of potato chips.  It was a move to make George Clooney and the Fantastic Mr. Fox proud – a brazen theft with a transfatty reward.





Hole 6 (411/389) is a dogleg left par 4 with a deceiving tee shot.  The ridge makes the hole appear to be a sharper dogleg than it actually is.  There is plenty of room to the right of the bunker, but left is the direct line to the hole.  This is the second straight hole with a middle-cut fairway bunker, which should make some of you happy.



Approach from just off the left side of the fairway:


From just short of the green, which was as far as I could get my approach into the wind:

[JLahrman]

Fine course, oft-discussed in here in the past, cited from time to time as a fine example of high CR/low slope, which really should be the ideal.

But methinks you also just insulted the good folks of San Leandro.

 

I knew someone was going to call me out for it, didn't think it would be the first reply though!  I edited the intro...

[Dan Grossman]

I used to play there semi-regularly when I lived in SF.  I always thought that the course had some architectural merit, although the conditions were always so bad that it was tough to appreciate them.  It does look like they solved some of the turf problems they were having.  Is that true?  How firm are the fairways and greens?  With reasonably firm and fast conditions, I always thought MB would be pretty good.

[JLahrman]

No other way to say it, hole 7 (244/207) is a beast.  Directly into the wind, it is all but unreachable if you are playing the back tees.  Not a picnic from the up tees either.  I had to take a 3-wood from the 207 plate, 3-wood is usually a 245 club for me.



From 20 yards short of the green, you will be fortunate to move your tee shot this far:


Cart girls wearing winter coats on a sunny summer afternoon?  Ah, the Bay Area.


Hole 8 (383/354) is a fun hole.  You can drive it over the bunker on the left, which is open but leaves a worse angle in.  Going up the right side brings three deep fairway bunkers into play.  No photo of the approach on this hole, after my tee shot took a less than desirable route.



Just short of the green:


Looking back from behind the green:


Hole 9 (437/405) leaves the former landfill and features a narrow tree lined drive.  The hole still plays long and difficult, but actually feels like a breather because the wind is not as much of a factor after 6, 7, and 8 played directly into it.



Approach:


Looking back from behind the green:

[JLahrman]

I used to play there semi-regularly when I lived in SF.  I always thought that the course had some architectural merit, although the conditions were always so bad that it was tough to appreciate them.  It does look like they solved some of the turf problems they were having.  Is that true?  How firm are the fairways and greens?  With reasonably firm and fast conditions, I always thought MB would be pretty good.

Dan, I'm not familiar with what sort of turf problems they've had, but I haven't seen anything of significance.  The biggest turf problem is goose poop.  Also, the greens are spongy and get very bumpy with footprints later in the day.  The fairways and greens are not as firm as I'd like, although it doesn't appear to be the result of overwatering.  With the wind you'd hope it would play firm, but it just never gets hot enough to really bake the course.  Just too much typical Bay Area cool temperatures and damp air.

[JLahrman]

Hole 10 (152/139) is by far the easiest par 3, the shortest hole and wind is not much of a factor.



Hole 11 (396/369) is a short par 4, one of the narrower tee shots on the course although a driver isn’t necessary.







Hole 12 (556/546) is a good uphill par 5, as we return to the windy open portion of the course.  The hole is downwind and nearly reachable with two good pokes, but the player is advised to stay up the right side of the hole.  There are two difficult bunkers on the left side short of the green.  The first will leave you an uphill 50-yard shot over the second bunker.  The greenside bunker is very deep, and if the pin is in the back of this large green it will be very difficult to carry the ball far enough to get up and in.



From about 250 out:


Greenside, with the large bunker on the left:

[Tim Leahy]

I have always preferred Metro or Lake Chabot over Monarch.

[JLahrman]

Hole 13 (497/468) is a long par 4, although it plays downwind.  The hole is open, but there is OB left and this fairway is one of the firmest on the course so an overdrawn drive could definitely kick into the junk.  The wind blows to the left as well, I’ve had a couple of tee shots start right down the middle, only to be blown to the left and then take a couple of big hops OB.  I hooked one drive into the large dry lakebed on the left.  I went down there with a playing companion.  He tried to walk out to get a ball, and immediately sunk so far into the muck that he would not have been able to get out had I not been there to pull him out.  He played the rest of the round barefoot.





The large green:


Hole 14 (315/293) is the last hole that cannot be described as difficult.  It is a short dogleg right par 4 with the breeze blowing right to left.  The tee shot is wide open but the golfer is advised to stay to the left.  If the hole location is center or left, it is accessible.  A right-hand hole location is much tougher.  A large bunker guards the front right.  Additionally, the golfer may have to start the shot right of the green due to the breeze.  Putting from left to right across the front of the green means contending with a large spine.  The green site makes this hole a lot of fun.



Approach, with the pin perched over the bunker on the right side of the green:


From just short of the green, and you should be able to make out the spine:


Hole 15-18 are just plain brutes.  15-17 are dead along the bay and feature maximum wind exposure.  

Hole 15 (429/388) has a lake that threatens any drive that goes left.  Hitting into the afternoon sun makes this probably the toughest hole to follow your tee shot that I’ve ever played.  I am a ‘long and wrong’ hitter who still had 3-iron in after a perfectly bombed drive from the 425-yard back tees.





Looking back down the hole from the green:

[JLahrman]

I have always preferred Metro or Lake Chabot over Monarch.

Hard to mention Metro or Monarch Bay without comparing it to the other.  I like Metro too but personally prefer Monarch Bay.  Has anyone ever done a photo tour of Metro?

[David_Tepper]

Joel -

Don't forget that, thru the winter months (roughly November thru March), the predominant wind comes almost from the opposite direction.

Dan Grossman is right about Monarch Bay having turf problems 5-10 years ago. My guess is that they were a function of the poor quality of the landfill soil under the holes across the channel.  The Metropolitan GL has similar problems in spots as well.

Thanks for the photo tour!

DT
    

[JLahrman]

Joel -

Don't forget that, thru the winter months (roughly November thru March), the predominant wind comes almost from the opposite direction.

Dan Grossman is right about Monarch Bay having turf problems 5-10 years ago. My guess is that they were a function of the poor quality of the landfill soil under the holes across the channel.  The Metropolitan GL has similar problems in spots as well.

Thanks for the photo tour!

DT
    

That's interesting about the wind David...I only started playing the course earlier this year, will definitely be interesting to play it this winter with the wind blowing the other way.

[David_Tepper]

The current Monarch Bay is a John Harbottle desgin: http://www.harbottledesign.com/projects.html

[JLahrman]

Hole 16 (596/556) is a long par 5, still dead into the wind, dead along the bay, dead straight.



From 200 out:


Looking back down the hole:


Little collection area behind the green.  I figured I was hitting into a 3-club wind when really it was only 2.  I made probably my best contact of the day only to find it over the green in collection area.


Hole 17 (213/190) is a long par 3, again right into the wind, which is also blowing left to right.  There is a deep bunker short of the green just waiting to grab tee shots that get fluffed up into the breeze.




Hole 18 (407/393) has trees on the left that block the breeze, and even though there is still some wind that adds effective distance to the hole, I’m convinced the hole is actually longer than what the card says.  Really fighting darkness here!

[Dan Grossman]

I was fortunate to play there with Ed Getka, Kevin Reilly and Mike Benham about 8 years ago.  Based on the pictures, it looks MUCH better.  When did Harbottle redo the course?  The bunkers look better, although I am not sure if that is just generally due to the better turf.  We did have a mini-debate on the architectural merits after the fact.

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,2351.0/

[Mark McKeever]

Looks like a pretty solid track.  Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Mark

[David_Tepper]

"When did Harbottle redo the course?"

Dan G. -

According to the Monarch Bay website, the course (re-)opened in 2001.

http://www.americangolf.com/CA/san-leandro-monarch-bay-golf-club

DT

[Mike Benham]

Ah yes Dan, my first foray into the evil GCA world ...

I agree that the course looks much better then it has in the past few years.

I really like the layout and design, far better then Chabot, Skywest or the Alameda courses and a half step better then Metropolitan ...

The green of the par 5 12th has a Redan feel to it, even more so playing downwind.

And 14, the short par 4, is anything but easy.  The green sits at an awkward angle from the fairway, and the greenside bunkers further confuses the approach shot ...

The course is always on the damp and spongy side.  I'm not sure why as one superintendent I recently spoke with remarked that he prefers to keep his course on the dry side to prevent disease that grows because of over-damp conditions ... with public courses and limited budgets, that seems to be a case for firm and fast ...

[Kevin_Reilly]

Wow a trip down memory lane with that old post.  I've played the course dozens of times since, though always at the crack of dawn so the wind is not much of a factor at those early hours.  12 and 13 play very long in the morning without a helping breeze.

I'd say the turf has improved quite a bit from the early years, and it drains reasonably well in the winter.  Still never plays "firm" though.

Metro has more of a "Superfund" feel to it now, by the way.

[JLahrman]

And 14, the short par 4, is anything but easy.  The green sits at an awkward angle from the fairway, and the greenside bunkers further confuses the approach shot ...

I was very careful not to call #14 easy, I just said it can't be called difficult, especially compared to the holes that follow.  I actually did birdie the hole Saturday.  If that green could be made a little more shallow and firm, that right hand pin position would be a real bear.  It still is tricky because you've got to play some sort of wedge and you don't want to put it too far up into the wind and have it be batted down into the bunker.

I looked over that other thread...I'm not a Doak expert but one poster labeled Monarch Bay a Doak 2 with the interpretation of 'play it in a scramble' track, if that's the case then this course is getting shortchanged.  It's not the best course you'll ever play, but it's far from the worst and I find plenty of merit to the architecture.  It's a shame that things can't be made to play a little firmer.  Like I said, I don't think the course is overwatered, it LOOKS like it will be very firm as everything has a yellowish tinge.  I think it's just a victim of the dampness.  Perhaps in other years it has played firmer.  We are having a very cool overcast summer this year...

[David_Tepper]

"Metro has more of a "Superfund" feel to it now, by the way."

Kevin R. -

Please expand on your comment!

DT

[Mike Benham]

From January 2006 when the were doing some work on the bunker facing ... a unique style for the bay area ...




A hole with a view ...

[Kevin_Reilly]

"Metro has more of a "Superfund" feel to it now, by the way."

Kevin R. -

Please expand on your comment!

DT

The surrounding area...for example behind the 15th tee...has a "toxic" feel to it, more so than anything at Monarch.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I have always preferred Metro or Lake Chabot over Monarch.

Hard to mention Metro or Monarch Bay without comparing it to the other.  I like Metro too but personally prefer Monarch Bay.  Has anyone ever done a photo tour of Metro?

Here is an online photo tour of Metro:

http://www.hookedongolf.com/metropolitan/