California golf trip

[Jaylasvegas]

Costa Mesa Los Lagos or Mesa Verde

Rancho In LA or Wilson Muni located @Griffith Park

SandPiper just north of LA and as you head to SF check out Granite Bay

[dcsocal]

Strawberry farms, oak creek, tustin ranch in the immediate area. Talega and Tijeras about a 25-30 minute drive. Both nice courses!

[dcsocal]

Los Lagos and Mesa Linda are my home courses but might be a long round and not as nice the other courses listed. Very cheap though!

[thedek]

[quote name='skee' timestamp='1405363407' post='9698739']
Hello fellow Wrxer's

I need some advice, I am going on Southern and Northern California trip with the G/F she has given me a few days to play....

I'll be starting off in the Newport, then Napa and end off in San Francisco....

Can you give me some suggestions of good places to play that are great tracks and inexpensive.

The trip will take place the second week of September.
[/quote]

I grew up in SoCal and now live in NorCal so I have a pretty good idea of what's out there.

SoCal - Pelican Hill is tremendously overrated and expensive as hell. Don't waste your time or money. Monarch Beach is actually pretty nice and you should be able to get on for under $100 most any time. Oak Creek is OK and also under $100. Talega in San Clemente is decent as well. If you head more east in the Orange County area, Tustin Ranch is decent and probably one of the cheaper ones around. Unfortunately there just isn't much that's affordable in the Newport area. Pelican Hill is the "nicest", but again overrated and overpriced. If you are willing to drive to Santa Barbara (2+ hours from Newport without traffic), then Sandpiper is definitely worth it. Barona and Coronado that people mentioned in San Diego are way too far for you, don't even think about doing those. May as well do Torrey if you are going to go down there anyway.

NorCal - Check Harding Park's out-of-town rate, it's probably the best near SF location-wise and it's a great layout. Half Moon Bay is a good 45 min - 1 hour from SF and if traffic going in and out of that area can be really bad if you don't time it right. That 5 pm $45 rate is awesome but who knows how many people will be in front of you. If it's wide open, then do that as it's an awesome place with two solid courses and $45 is like stealing compared to the normal $175+. The Old Course is way better than the Ocean but the Ocean has a lot of views of... the ocean. Other than HMB, you have to go East to Livermoore for anything decent near SF. Poppy Ridge is the sister course of Poppy Hills and for NCGA members is like $70... I'm sure it's a lot more for non members but I don't think it's exorbitant. Wente Vineyards if one of the better public tracks in the Bay Area and its $120 max on a weekend. Check GolfNow for better rates as the day goes on, as I think you can get under $80 there for twilight. There are a few tracks north east of the city that are OK (Roddy Ranch, Hiddenbrooke, etc.) but they require a bit of driving. Across the Golden Gate Bridge about 25 min is Stone Tree which is decent as well, despite having a few goofy holes.

Whoever said that CA golf is not inexpensive hit the nail on the head, unfortunately. The public/affordable golf out here is brutal compared to other states. Private tracks are great, but good luck getting on.

If you send me your itinerary and where you are staying in SF and I can help you more perhaps.

[Jaylasvegas]

[quote name='dcsocal' timestamp='1405785202' post='9735521']
Los Lagos and Mesa Linda are my home courses but might be a long round and not as nice the other courses listed. Very cheap though!
[/quote]Agreed, thats why I always get there a 0 dark 30 haha

[SuperTwi]

I'm not sure how great they're gonna be when you get here. We are in an extreme drought. Expect a lot of dry brownish fairways and bad greens.