Silverado Resort & Spa , Napa Valley, CA

robrey85 · October 20, 2016

Hey all,

So I was watching the Safeway Open and it seemed every commercial break Johnny Miller was recommending Silverado Resort & Spa, lo and behold, when my wife came home later that evening she was asking if she could take over preparations for our anniversary this coming year and I said as long as it didn't involve Disneyland, (we've gone there four times for our anniversary) I'd be down for whatever. So she brought up the idea about going to Silverado Resort & Spa since it has two courses on it and it's not really that expensive. I mentioned I have been seeing commercials all day about that and what a coincidence it was.

So we're considering going out there and wanted to find out if anyone has stayed there on here.

Hows the:

Hotel?

Spa?

Food?

Wine? (this is obvious)

Most importantly, the two golf courses?

Any information or pictures would be great. Thanks.

jml4 · October 20, 2016

Curious about this as well...

Southfield · October 20, 2016

Haven't stayed at the hotel or dined in the restaurant. The spa is a little bit outdated, could definitely use a facelift but it is clean and staff is friendly. Pool area is great.

I've only played the north course and it is a really good track. It's a tough test but playable and the real trouble is found on the greens. Fast, undulated greens. If you're having a good day with the flat stick you can score well.

And yeah, it's in Napa Valley- an abundance of good wine.

Roadking2003 · October 20, 2016

Miller is a little biased. He did the redesign and is one of the owners.

Anyway, I played both courses several years ago. They are nice but nothing special. I enjoyed both of them.

The resort is showing it's age, but it's comfortable. The food was good but that was several years ago.

If it were me, I would pick Silverado over Disney in a heartbeat.

GWD · October 20, 2016

Some questions:

What time of year?

How many days?

Other than golf, what are you interested in doing on your trip?

What are your wife's interests in the area? She must have some to bring it up. Maybe she plays as well.

Do you want to play other courses that are off the Silverado property?

Do you intend to hole up at the Resort or are you interested in branching out for meals, entertainment, etc.? Of course, wine tastings are an expectation.

Your avatar has Pebble Beach (#18). Have you stayed at the PB Resorts and played Spyglass and/or Spanish Bay?

Are you going to drive from Las Vegas?

This is kind of a trite suggestion, but when we travel to a new spot we investigate Trip Advisor for general recommendations.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g32766-Activities-Napa_Napa_Valley_California.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32766-d547706-Reviews-Silverado_Resort_North_and_South_Courses-Napa_Napa_Valley_California.html

Also Frommers:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/napa-valley/introduction

robrey85 · October 20, 2016

Some questions:

What time of year? Our anniversary is January 1st. (we got married 1/1/11 ooooo, special, lol)

How many days? Not sure about this, probably 4 or 5.

Other than golf, what are you interested in doing on your trip? Drink wine for sure and play golf for sure.

What are your wife's interests in the area? She must have some to bring it up. Maybe she plays as well. Drink wine and probably go to the spa. She doesn't play golf

Do you want to play other courses that are off the Silverado property? If there's something good that I HAVE to play, then hell yeah. If not, probably just stick to the on property courses.

Do you intend to hole up at the Resort or are you interested in branching out for meals, entertainment, etc.? Of course, wine tastings are an expectation. We'll probably hole up at the resort for the most part but I honestly have no idea.

Your avatar has Pebble Beach (#18). Have you stayed at the PB Resorts and played Spyglass and/or Spanish Bay? My avatar is number 13 at Punta Espada in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. If the Pacific was that color, I'd be in California every weekend!
I've never been up there before. Is it close to Napa?

Are you going to drive from Las Vegas? Flying most likely.

This is kind of a trite suggestion, but when we travel to a new spot we investigate Trip Advisor for general recommendations.

https://www.tripadvi...California.html

https://www.tripadvi...California.html

Also Frommers:

http://www.frommers....ey/introduction

My wife always looks at TripAdvisor, I think she might have seen this place on there, although I'm not sure. Thanks for the info.

cacophony82 · October 20, 2016

Hotel? Nice but dated

Spa? below average

Food? - dined in Napa not at hotel

Wine? (this is obvious) - its Napa

Most importantly, the two golf courses? - Nice resort courses but not memorable in the slightest

Stayed here three years ago when my spouse and I attended BottleRock Music Festival (May)

justwellsy · October 21, 2016

Napa is one of my favorite places in the entire world and my wife and I keep coming back year after year. That being said, here is advice from someone who's been there a lot (me!):

TIME - Early November is my favorite time to go because it's not very crowded and the weather is still pretty decent. Go a month earlier and you'll bump shoulders with everyone there looking to see the leaves change color. Most of the leaves will be gone by early November and the vines will be barren, but you will be able to book wine tastings and dinner reservations much more easily. If you don't mind the crowds, May and October are good times to go (as well as the holidays).

HOTEL - IMO, there are better choices than Silverado for your hotel. It's nice, but here are some local options that will really blow your wife away...

Calistoga Ranch - This place is unbelievable. It's very pricey but you'll feel like you're royalty on a private vacation. Of the small towns North of Napa, Calistoga is the furthest North and is very quiet and beautiful.

The Carneros Inn- this is a Plumpjack resort so again expensive, but it's a very unique experience. Carneros is just South of Napa and for my money is the best Chardonnay grape growing region in the world. Right across the street from the Carneros Inn you have Cuvaison Winery (good Chardonnay for an inexpensive price, new glass wall tasting room) and Domaine Carneros (Champagne). If you want to impress your wife, book one of the small private cottages they have on site.

(THE PIC BELOW IS DOMAINE CARNEROS)

Auberge Du Soleil- This is a small place but very luxurious. We have not stayed here but heard it is awesome from a family member of ours that has stayed there twice.

Hotel Yountvillle - this is the secret gem of the area that you almost never hear anyone talk about. We've stayed here twice and it was beyond our expectations each time. It's very private setting and upscale yet rustic feel.

Some "cheaper" options: Silverado Resort, Napa River Inn (Downtown), The Meritage (Not always cheap), River Terrace Inn

FOOD - This will depend on what type of food you are looking for and at what price point. Here are a few I've eaten at:

The French Laundry- True once in a lifetime dinner (Thomas Keller is an amazing chef). Be prepared to open the pocketbook big time for this dinner and spend a few hours there

Gott's Roadside.- This is a hamburger stand at the side of the road that used to be called "Taylor's Refresher." The lines are often very long but it's well worth the wait. The burgers, fries, onion rings, and even fried green tomatoes are spectacular. This is a cheap option that we usually hit on the way from one winery to another.

Market (St. Helena) - small place with great food in a cozy environment. Lunch and dinner from $15-$50 per person depending on your taste. Never been to brunch here but heard it's great

Cole's Chop House - all I have to say is they serve their Lobster Bisque inside a puff pastry (like a chicken pot pie) and it's awesome. Great place for Oysters, Steaks, and excellent cocktails

Honorable mentions - Redd Wood, Botegga, Bistro Jeanty, Mustards Grill

GOLF - I won't include Silverado because I assume you are already going to be playing that

Eagle Vines - this is a good solid course that is well worth playing. Check out golfmoose.com as they often have deals available for this course and others in the area

Chardonnay Golf Club- This one winds between the vineyards so it's even more spectacular when the leaves turn color. It's a nice par 72 layout that can be challenging from the tips. I was really impressed with the greens here and happened to putt really well that day. Coincidence??? haha

Stone Tree Golf Club - this one is not a "must play" as it is about a 45 minute drive west of Napa, but is a good option if you'd like to have Dinner in San Fran that same night, personally, I'd recommend Sausalito for dinner, it's a great little town. I like Scoma's for seafood and a great view of the city from the top side of the bay.

WINE - Again, this will depend what you like, but here are my personal favorites

Cakebread - if you or your wife like white wines, you must go to Cakebread and try the Chardonnay Reserve (about $50 per bottle). I recommend reserving a tour ahead of time

Silver Oak - try the Napa Cab in their tasting room (2010 is my favorite). This goes for about $100-$110 per bottle, but is easily my favorite red wine

Castello Di Amorosa - this is pretty far north but it's well worth the drive. It's a 120,000 square foot castle with wine tasting and vineyards behind. The wines are okay here, but you go mostly for the experience of it being a freaking castle!

Others: Jarvis (do the cave tour), Round Pond, V Sattui, Sterling (Gondola ride up the hill), Duckhorn (beautiful, but popular), Grgich Hills, Rutherford Hill (another cave tour)

BONUS: People always ask me if the Napa Valley Wine Train is worth doing. My answer is always "absolutely!" It'll be the best money you spend up there if you want to have a good time with your wife.

Man, I really just should have made this into a separate thread! Haha, hope this helps you!

robrey85 · October 21, 2016

Napa is one of my favorite places in the entire world and my wife and I keep coming back year after year. That being said, here is advice from someone who's been there a lot (me!): TIME - Early November is my favorite time to go because it's not very crowded and the weather is still pretty decent. Go a month earlier and you'll bump shoulders with everyone there looking to see the leaves change color. Most of the leaves will be gone by early November and the vines will be barren, but you will be able to book wine tastings and dinner reservations much more easily. If you don't mind the crowds, May and October are good times to go (as well as the holidays). HOTEL - IMO, there are better choices than Silverado for your hotel. It's nice, but here are some local options that will really blow your wife away... Calistoga Ranch - This place is unbelievable. It's very pricey but you'll feel like you're royalty on a private vacation. Of the small towns North of Napa, Calistoga is the furthest North and is very quiet and beautiful. The Carneros Inn- this is a Plumpjack resort so again expensive, but it's a very unique experience. Carneros is just South of Napa and for my money is the best Chardonnay grape growing region in the world. Right across the street from the Carneros Inn you have Cuvaison Winery (good Chardonnay for an inexpensive price, new glass wall tasting room) and Domaine Carneros (Champagne). If you want to impress your wife, book one of the small private cottages they have on site. (THE PIC BELOW IS DOMAINE CARNEROS) Auberge Du Soleil- This is a small place but very luxurious. We have not stayed here but heard it is awesome from a family member of ours that has stayed there twice. Hotel Yountvillle - this is the secret gem of the area that you almost never hear anyone talk about. We've stayed here twice and it was beyond our expectations each time. It's very private setting and upscale yet rustic feel. Some "cheaper" options: Silverado Resort, Napa River Inn (Downtown), The Meritage (Not always cheap), River Terrace Inn FOOD - This will depend on what type of food you are looking for and at what price point. Here are a few I've eaten at: The French Laundry- True once in a lifetime dinner (Thomas Keller is an amazing chef). Be prepared to open the pocketbook big time for this dinner and spend a few hours there Gott's Roadside.- This is a hamburger stand at the side of the road that used to be called "Taylor's Refresher." The lines are often very long but it's well worth the wait. The burgers, fries, onion rings, and even fried green tomatoes are spectacular. This is a cheap option that we usually hit on the way from one winery to another. Market (St. Helena) - small place with great food in a cozy environment. Lunch and dinner from $15-$50 per person depending on your taste. Never been to brunch here but heard it's great Cole's Chop House - all I have to say is they serve their Lobster Bisque inside a puff pastry (like a chicken pot pie) and it's awesome. Great place for Oysters, Steaks, and excellent cocktails Honorable mentions - Redd Wood, Botegga, Bistro Jeanty, Mustards Grill GOLF - I won't include Silverado because I assume you are already going to be playing that Eagle Vines - this is a good solid course that is well worth playing. Check out golfmoose.com as they often have deals available for this course and others in the area Chardonnay Golf Club- This one winds between the vineyards so it's even more spectacular when the leaves turn color. It's a nice par 72 layout that can be challenging from the tips. I was really impressed with the greens here and happened to putt really well that day. Coincidence??? haha Stone Tree Golf Club - this one is not a "must play" as it is about a 45 minute drive west of Napa, but is a good option if you'd like to have Dinner in San Fran that same night, personally, I'd recommend Sausalito for dinner, it's a great little town. I like Scoma's for seafood and a great view of the city from the top side of the bay. WINE - Again, this will depend what you like, but here are my personal favorites Cakebread - if you or your wife like white wines, you must go to Cakebread and try the Chardonnay Reserve (about $50 per bottle). I recommend reserving a tour ahead of time Silver Oak - try the Napa Cab in their tasting room (2010 is my favorite). This goes for about $100-$110 per bottle, but is easily my favorite red wine Castello Di Amorosa - this is pretty far north but it's well worth the drive. It's a 120,000 square foot castle with wine tasting and vineyards behind. The wines are okay here, but you go mostly for the experience of it being a freaking castle! Others: Jarvis (do the cave tour), Round Pond, V Sattui, Sterling (Gondola ride up the hill), Duckhorn (beautiful, but popular), Grgich Hills, Rutherford Hill (another cave tour) BONUS: People always ask me if the Napa Valley Wine Train is worth doing. My answer is always "absolutely!" It'll be the best money you spend up there if you want to have a good time with your wife. Man, I really just should have made this into a separate thread! Haha, hope this helps you!

How much for you and your wife to take us on a tour? :taunt: Haha, jk. This was gold, thanks so much. I forwarded this post to my wife so we'll see what she says. She really enjoys Rieslings and I'm a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blend kind of guy.

GWD · October 22, 2016

justwellsy pretty much nailed it. Great write-up by him. It should be a copy-and-paste for any questions about Napa.

Not much more that I can add except that January weather can be miserable - rain, fog, cold, windy. But it also can be beautiful, mid 60s, bright sun, usually a wind with this weather (to keep away the fog). The weather patterns usually last 4 to 5 days. So you could hit a perfect time.

Golf courses are usually wet and muddy with cart path only if it is a wet winter (PLEASE - we need it). Bring waterproof shoes and raingear it you play in those conditions. Eagle Vines is built on a lowland area so is particularly wet as seen in the photos. Other than Silverado, there are not many quality courses nearby Napa. Most of the land is too valuable and is being used for high-dollar grape production.

The photos by justwellsy are great but they were definitely not taken in January.

Looking forward to your review if the trip is done. Happy anniversary and may you have many more.

Edit: Forgot to answer your question. The Pebble Beach Resort (Monterey) is about a 2 - 3 hour drive from Napa. It all depends on the traffic.

Here is my review of the experience and the courses:

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1174489-going-all-in-pebble-beach-resort/

It is worth a stay once in your lifetime. I waited too long.

sharkiesj · October 22, 2016

justwellsy did nail it. Would also just like to add a few little tidbits.

I love Taylor's Refresher!! Or now it's called Gott's. There's also a Gott's Burgers next to the Oxbow Market in downtown Napa if you two are foodie lovers you'll find the Oxbow a neat place to sample and try things.

Golf-wise, in this area people always forget about Aetna Springs. Easy to do because it's a 9-holer and people these days don't give a crap about 9-hole courses. They want championship 7,700 yd courses with slopes above 150 and major pedigrees. But let me tell you playing Aetna Springs is an exceptional golf experience. Perfect for you and your wife to enjoy a 1/2 day on the links. Redesigned by Tom Doak to its original routing, Aetna is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. The turf condition is outstanding and greens are absolutely wicked awesome. Revel in the history. It's like your own Golf in the Kingdom. The clubhouse team behind the scenes are the people in conjunction with Calistoga Ranch.

However, in spite of the high praise they do have some "problems". They aren't open everyday, you have to call and make sure somebody is there. They have food but nobody will serve you food. This may have changed, it has been a few years since I've been there.

The whole Aetna thing is this. Driving in you're thinking holy cheeseballs, where in the h am I going? Walking up to the clubhouse you're thinking this is a bad joke. Actually being inside the clubhouse and talking to the staff you feel like you might actually enjoy yourself. You sure as hell will enjoy using their restrooms. You go outside and head to the first tee and then it hits you, This is how golf everywhere should be. I encourage you to bring your wife. Even if she doesn't play she'll enjoy the scenery. I say Aetna Springs in the morning and then hittin up the Oxbow Market makes for a good day in the Napa Valley. Have fun!

AP2 712 · October 22, 2016

I was there 2 years ago in November

Hotel - the room I stayed in was recently updated and VERY nice in my opinion.

Spa - My wife seemed to like it

Food - Food in the area is good, I had lunch at the grill. Don't forget to get a BurgerDog on the course. It's a must!

Wine? (this is obvious) - Duh

Most importantly, the two golf courses? Only played the North course. Was a really nice and enjoyable course, well worth playing again. I also just went to Pebble Beach in June and you can't compare the 2. Napa is awesome at Silverado in my opinion, Pebble is magical. I would go back to both if given the opportunity but they are obviously on different levels.

justwellsy · October 24, 2016

justwellsy pretty much nailed it. Great write-up by him. It should be a copy-and-paste for any questions about Napa.

Not much more that I can add except that January weather can be miserable - rain, fog, cold, windy. But it also can be beautiful, mid 60s, bright sun, usually a wind with this weather (to keep away the fog). The weather patterns usually last 4 to 5 days. So you could hit a perfect time.

Golf courses are usually wet and muddy with cart path only if it is a wet winter (PLEASE - we need it). Bring waterproof shoes and raingear it you play in those conditions. Eagle Vines is built on a lowland area so is particularly wet as seen in the photos. Other than Silverado, there are not many quality courses nearby Napa. Most of the land is too valuable and is being used for high-dollar grape production.

The photos by justwellsy are great but they were definitely not taken in January.

Looking forward to your review if the trip is done. Happy anniversary and may you have many more.

Edit: Forgot to answer your question. The Pebble Beach Resort (Monterey) is about a 2 - 3 hour drive from Napa. It all depends on the traffic.

Here is my review of the experience and the courses:

http://www.golfwrx.c...e-beach-resort/

It is worth a stay once in your lifetime. I waited too long.

I've never been in January but would imagine the weather is not good. What most people don't realize about the Bay Area is that the weather can be very volatile from day to day and even region to region. The first time my wife and I went to the area we stayed in Union Square in San Francisco and drove out to Napa for just one day. This was a great experience as it's only about an hour drive across the Bay Bridge and then due North to Napa. We came back the Golden Gate route and stopped by Muir Woods and Sausalito on the way back the second time we made the trip. If it's your first time to the Bay Area, I'd recommend you not spend much more than a few hours in the Napa region if you're only going to be there a few days. This way you'll get to experience San Fran and have just enough of a taste of Napa to want to come back for multiple days or even stay up there. But, for those wondering, you can easily do Napa in one day while staying in San Fran.

Now, back to the weather. In the middle of August we walked outside our hotel room and immediately walked back inside. The temp outside was just shy of 40 degrees and we were dressed for about 30 degrees warmer weather. By the time we reached Napa it was 84 degrees and sunny. The temp during the day in San Fran does warm up during the summer, but the Napa region is always a little warmer. This is probably also the reason that Chardonnays do much better in the Carneros region where it's a bit cooler (it's south of Napa near the bay).

Haha, now that I've written this I realize I have been to Napa close to January. A buddy and I drove up for a bowl game at At&T Park at the end of December. We didn't even go into the game but just pre-gamed and tailgated for hours (neither of us liked the teams and were just there to meet some friends) instead of buying expensive tickets. The weather was definitely very cold but warmed up to the 60s during mid-day. My buddy had heard about us going to Napa and was curious so I took him on a little tour. We went to Domaine Carneros, Cuvaison, Cakebread, Silver Oak, Opus One, and a few others. He was so impressed he bought about a dozen bottles of wine that weekend. The weather then actually wasn't too bad, but I will say that that is the only time I've been during that time of year and I'm sure we go lucky. It rained in San Fran the day before the game but we didn't see any in Napa.

So, overall I agree with what you say about the weather and would advise the OP to consider going a different month than his anniversary. I'm sure his wife will understand, especially for the chance of having a better time. I'm sure it's not nearly as fun if it's raining/wet the whole time and you sure won't have fun on the golf course.

On a side note, I did get to play TPC Harding Park on one of those trips and would say it's worth a round. Most people on WRX seem to think it's a terrible course for some reason and I just don't get it. Sure, it's not Olympic club, but what is??

justwellsy · October 24, 2016

Hey all,

So I was watching the Safeway Open and it seemed every commercial break Johnny Miller was recommending Silverado Resort & Spa, lo and behold, when my wife came home later that evening she was asking if she could take over preparations for our anniversary this coming year and I said as long as it didn't involve Disneyland, (we've gone there four times for our anniversary) I'd be down for whatever. So she brought up the idea about going to Silverado Resort & Spa since it has two courses on it and it's not really that expensive. I mentioned I have been seeing commercials all day about that and what a coincidence it was.

So we're considering going out there and wanted to find out if anyone has stayed there on here.

Hows the:

Hotel?
Spa?
Food?
Wine? (this is obvious)
Most importantly, the two golf courses?

Any information or pictures would be great. Thanks.

You mentioned Cabernet and Red Blends. Opus One is obviously the top pick for a red blend in the area (most well-known at least). A single glass tasting (not a full glass) at Opus One was $25 or so when I went but I've heard it's more now. This stuff goes for $300+ retail and well above that at a restaurant. It's worth a taste if you like Red Blends and the winery is located right next door to the one I'm about to mention...

I said it in my original post, but Silver Oak Napa Cab really is the best. I honestly haven't found a better Cab in the world for around $100 a bottle. Check out their tasting room and try them all to see, but I think you will notice a significant difference between their Napa Cab and Cabs they offer that are grown in other regions. Also, if you decide to travel there in November or December instead of January, they will have their "bottle tree" on display. It's a 12-14 foot tall Christmas tree constructed completely of green wine bottles and makes for a great photo op with the wife.

As for Riesling, the best I've ever had is at the Smith-Madrone winery in St. Helena (part of the Napa Valley). It's only about $25 per bottle so don't be surprised if your wife wants to ship a few cases home! haha

golfsnake · October 25, 2016

Stay at the Mission inn in Sonoma and play Sonoma CC (expensive but a great track)

Chanceman · November 5, 2016

Stay at the Mission inn in Sonoma and play Sonoma CC (expensive but a great track)

Totally agree. Sonoma GC is first class. Next time I go will play Chardonnay which seems to be the best alt. Plus Bodega Bay which offers the ocean. Traffic around there is heavy.