San Francisco to Monterey Trip Report

[aloha b.]

Skimmed through the thread so not sure if this was said but some thoughts from a local:

Bayonet over PG. Beautiful, hard, pure course. Generally in terrific shape with humbling greens.

If you like Oysters wander into Carmel by the sea and go to AW Shucks. Little hole in the wall that is terrific.

Sounds like an amazing trip! Sadly I hear many stories like yours about Harding. It's an upscale Muni that can be in great shape when it's needed to be but that's about it. Length and rough makes it a tough test but many amateurs don't really fall in love the way they do with other tracks. Shoot me a PM with any questions or anything, always happy to help!

 

I agree that AW Shucks Cocktail & Oyster Bar is a great little hole in the wall with really good seafood and cocktails. It's really small and you usually have to wait to get in. My wife and I ate at AW 2 weeks ago and the service and food was very good,

Vesuvio is also really good in Carmel and owned by the same family that owns Peppoli at Spanish Bay and they also have a Starlight Rooftop Lounge on the roof with chairs, fire pits and views of Carmel plus cocktails.

[Matt J]

Wow, Argonne this thread has me fired up for my trip. Did go ahead and join the NCGA as I'm going before the end of this year. Awesome recommendations on restaurants, I hate to admit I'm a bit of a foodie and looking forward to the grub on the peninsula.

 

Great thread, thanks for keeping us in the loop!

[North Texas]

Wow, Argonne this thread has me fired up for my trip. Did go ahead and join the NCGA as I'm going before the end of this year. Awesome recommendations on restaurants, I hate to admit I'm a bit of a foodie and looking forward to the grub on the peninsula.

 

Great thread, thanks for keeping us in the loop!

 

Getting fired up myself. Will be there in October. Played Pebble 7 years ago right after the U.S. Open. Rough was still up and it kicked my butt.

 

Really looking forward to Argonne's report on the rest of his trip. Good stuff here guys.

[aloha b.]

Wow, Argonne this thread has me fired up for my trip. Did go ahead and join the NCGA as I'm going before the end of this year. Awesome recommendations on restaurants, I hate to admit I'm a bit of a foodie and looking forward to the grub on the peninsula.

 

Great thread, thanks for keeping us in the loop!

 

Getting fired up myself. Will be there in October. Played Pebble 7 years ago right after the U.S. Open. Rough was still up and it kicked my butt.

 

Really looking forward to Argonne's report on the rest of his trip. Good stuff here guys.

 

If you're here in October it's typically one of the warmest months along with August and September.

[Jungleland]

Skimmed through the thread so not sure if this was said but some thoughts from a local:

Bayonet over PG. Beautiful, hard, pure course. Generally in terrific shape with humbling greens.

If you like Oysters wander into Carmel by the sea and go to AW Shucks. Little hole in the wall that is terrific.

Sounds like an amazing trip! Sadly I hear many stories like yours about Harding. It's an upscale Muni that can be in great shape when it's needed to be but that's about it. Length and rough makes it a tough test but many amateurs don't really fall in love the way they do with other tracks. Shoot me a PM with any questions or anything, always happy to help!

 

I echo the TPC Harding Park feedback. During my Pebble trip last year we played Harding Park on our return day and while the condition were nice the course is rather boring. A few nice holes on the back 9 but for $149 I'm one and done on it.

[Argonne69]

I had the coconut cake. While decent, it's not really my thing. Now, coconut chocolate would be mmmmmm good.

[Argonne69]

Another wonderful day on the Links at Spanish Bay. The weather was opposite of yesterday's, with cool temps, 10 mph winds off the Pacific, and a morning marine layer. Lol. Perfect for links golf! It's like I ordered the weather. I was able to tee off early, and made my way around the course in just under 3 hours. The (annoying) cart path only definitely adds time to the round. The course is a true links course, with the majority of the holes playing along the ocean. Great views on most holes. Plenty of gorse, or something resembling it, so you have to keep the ball in the fairway. I thought there were a few too many holes that took driver out of my hand, but overall it was a solid links layout. The greens are generous, and fairly benign for the most part, although there are a few multitier greens that can be tricky. The pinsetter was out for blood today, putting the pins along a few ridges.

 

Course conditions were OK. There were a few too many sketchy patches in the fairways, and a few were punched. Heat wave related? The greens were near perfect though. The speed was appropriate for a links course. Other than the uber short par 3 13th, I thought the par 3's were challenging. There par 5's were fairly straightforward except for the 10th. It had a narrow landing area, and required a precise layup to avoid a series of bunkers running down the middle of the landing area.

 

Another solid round ballstriking. Only 9 fairways, but 14 greens. My "home" course is generally windy, so playing knockdown shots came naturally. A couple of birdies offset the bogies.

 

Overall I thought the course was an excellent links layout. One had better hit the ball straight, or it's going to be a long day. The "made for links golf" weather made the experience all that much better.

[aloha b.]

Thanks for another really good review and your thoughts are right on imo. A lot of people bash Spanish Bay but I'm one that likes to play this links course. I think that they implemented cart path only a few years ago as you used to be able to drive on the fairways. I will be playing at SB this Saturday with 11 others and several of them have never played SB. Looking forward to your next review today for Spyglass.

[Argonne69]

I'm sitting in The Tap Room waiting for a Kobe Burger and enjoying a nice oatmeal stout. Hopefully I'll have room for dessert. I washed able to move up my tee time at Spyglass by an hour, but I hope I'm not cutting it too close. With a round under my belt this morning, no warmup needed, and I'll head right to the 1st tee.

[aloha b.]

Remember that Spyglass plays a lot longer than what's on the score card. You probably already know that the first 5 holes have ocean views then you head into the Del Monte forrest. Let us know what you think about #4 with the 50 yard deep narrow green and of course the rest of your review.

[Argonne69]

The Kobe burger is wonderful. Not sure if it's the best I've ever had, but it's sure d*mn close. The potato wedges are awesome. No room for dessert though. Lol.

 

[aloha b.]

The Kobe burger is wonderful. Not sure if it's the best I've ever had, but it's sure d*mn close. The potato wedges are awesome. No room for dessert though. Lol.

 

I'm glad that you enjoyed the Kobe burger with the truffle potato wedges, I was wondering if you were going to be able to eat the chocolate sundae after eating the burger, potato wedges. I always have to share the 1/2 order of the chocolate sundae with my wife and we still have a difficult time eating it all.

[Argonne69]

F*cking Verizon. I just wrote a long report on Spyglass Hill, and then post got lost due to a lost network connection. Grrrrr.

 

Short report, I was not impressed with Spyglass Hill. Heresy, I know. Yes, the course conditions were excellent, as expected. The opening few holes playing towards and along the ocean are very nice, but once it turns away from the ocean, it's a rather boring layout. The par 3's look nice, but are short and rather easy. The 18th is bland. The par 4 16th was a beast, but otherwise it looked like any other pine tree lined course in the Carolinas. Very little risk reward. For the most part it was simply grab a driver and swing away.

 

The weather was great, and my two playing partners had very impressive games. Course aside, it was still an enjoyable day on the course.

 

I'm not sure I'd say skip it, but I certainly wouldn't return. I can't imagine paying close to $500 for a round here. I'd rather play Spanish Bay.

[Thrillhouse]

F*cking Verizon. I just wrote a long report on Spyglass Hill, and then post got lost due to a lost network connection. Grrrrr.

 

Short report, I was not impressed with Spyglass Hill. Heresy, I know. Yes, the course conditions were excellent, as expected. The opening few holes playing towards and along the ocean are very nice, but once it turns away from the ocean, it's a rather boring layout. The par 3's look nice, but are short and rather easy. The 18th is bland. The par 4 16th was a beast, but otherwise it looked like any other pine tree lined course in the Carolinas. Very little risk reward. For the most part it was simply grab a driver and swing away.

 

The weather was great, and my two playing partners had very impressive games. Course aside, it was still an enjoyable day on the course.

 

I'm not sure I'd say skip it, but I certainly wouldn't return. I can't imagine paying close to $500 for a round here. I'd rather play Spanish Bay.

 

I didn't go around saying this after I played it because SO many people like to say that they like spyglass better than pebble but I had a similar reaction to it. It's a really really good solid golf course, but pebble was probably my favourite non competitive golf experience of my life. Spyglass was good, I had fun and I really liked holes 2-5, but it didn't really compare to pebble for me where I was geeking out all over the place for all the great shots I'd seen hit in various US Opens, and getting to hit all the fun shots that all the greats of the game have hit (the sling around the corner on the third tee, the second shot on 6, the wedge on 7, the blind tee shot on 8 followed by the most spectacular 2nd shot on a par 4 I've ever seen, the tee shots on 9 and 10 and the second into 9 trying to hold the green, the second to 11 to a tiny target up the hill, the tee shot around the corner on 14, the bunker shot on 14 which I dunked! The second shot down the hill on 16 where tiger holed his wedge, the tee shot on 17 where Nicklaus clanked 1 iron off the pin, and the tee shot and second shot on 18 where all those tournaments have been won and lost). Spyglass just doesn't have that.

 

If I was there again I would definitely play spyglass as part of my rota, but I'm going there to play pebble (or cypress if I ever figure out how to get on), spyglass will be an add on.

[aloha b.]

F*cking Verizon. I just wrote a long report on Spyglass Hill, and then post got lost due to a lost network connection. Grrrrr.

 

Short report, I was not impressed with Spyglass Hill. Heresy, I know. Yes, the course conditions were excellent, as expected. The opening few holes playing towards and along the ocean are very nice, but once it turns away from the ocean, it's a rather boring layout. The par 3's look nice, but are short and rather easy. The 18th is bland. The par 4 16th was a beast, but otherwise it looked like any other pine tree lined course in the Carolinas. Very little risk reward. For the most part it was simply grab a driver and swing away.

 

 

The weather was great, and my two playing partners had very impressive games. Course aside, it was still an enjoyable day on the course.

 

I'm not sure I'd say skip it, but I certainly wouldn't return. I can't imagine paying close to $500 for a round here. I'd rather play Spanish Bay.

 

I didn't go around saying this after I played it because SO many people like to say that they like spyglass better than pebble but I had a similar reaction to it. It's a really really good solid golf course, but pebble was probably my favourite non competitive golf experience of my life. Spyglass was good, I had fun and I really liked holes 2-5, but it didn't really compare to pebble for me where I was geeking out all over the place for all the great shots I'd seen hit in various US Opens, and getting to hit all the fun shots that all the greats of the game have hit (the sling around the corner on the third tee, the second shot on 6, the wedge on 7, the blind tee shot on 8 followed by the most spectacular 2nd shot on a par 4 I've ever seen, the tee shots on 9 and 10 and the second into 9 trying to hold the green, the second to 11 to a tiny target up the hill, the tee shot around the corner on 14, the bunker shot on 14 which I dunked! The second shot down the hill on 16 where tiger holed his wedge, the tee shot on 17 where Nicklaus clanked 1 iron off the pin, and the tee shot and second shot on 18 where all those tournaments have been won and lost). Spyglass just doesn't have that.

 

If I was there again I would definitely play spyglass as part of my rota, but I'm going there to play pebble (or cypress if I ever figure out how to get on), spyglass will be an add on.

 

I don't think that there's anything wrong with giving your opinion about playing any golf course. Personally I do enjoy playing Spyglass but that's me and I do like Spanish Bay better and to me there's nothing better than Pebble for many of the reasons that you've stated. Look at all of the members on here that bash Pebble and say that they wouldn't spend the money and it's not that great a course and that they'd rather play Bandon Dunes. I don't agree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Because I'm a Duke's Club member I pay $225 to play Spyglass, $165 to play Spanish Bay, Del Monte for $62 (every year I get a free round for myself and a guest) and a couple of times a year Pebble is $385, Spyglass $210 and Spanish Bay $130. Normally I can bring 3 guests to Spyglass and Spanish Bay and they pay my price as well. With the twice a year specials I can book 3 foursomes and they will all pay my price, which we will do at Spanish Bay this Saturday. One other good thing is that I get 20% food and drinks at all of the Pebble Resort restaurants.

[krtgolfing]

F*cking Verizon. I just wrote a long report on Spyglass Hill, and then post got lost due to a lost network connection. Grrrrr.

 

Short report, I was not impressed with Spyglass Hill. Heresy, I know. Yes, the course conditions were excellent, as expected. The opening few holes playing towards and along the ocean are very nice, but once it turns away from the ocean, it's a rather boring layout. The par 3's look nice, but are short and rather easy. The 18th is bland. The par 4 16th was a beast, but otherwise it looked like any other pine tree lined course in the Carolinas. Very little risk reward. For the most part it was simply grab a driver and swing away.

 

 

The weather was great, and my two playing partners had very impressive games. Course aside, it was still an enjoyable day on the course.

 

I'm not sure I'd say skip it, but I certainly wouldn't return. I can't imagine paying close to $500 for a round here. I'd rather play Spanish Bay.

 

I didn't go around saying this after I played it because SO many people like to say that they like spyglass better than pebble but I had a similar reaction to it. It's a really really good solid golf course, but pebble was probably my favourite non competitive golf experience of my life. Spyglass was good, I had fun and I really liked holes 2-5, but it didn't really compare to pebble for me where I was geeking out all over the place for all the great shots I'd seen hit in various US Opens, and getting to hit all the fun shots that all the greats of the game have hit (the sling around the corner on the third tee, the second shot on 6, the wedge on 7, the blind tee shot on 8 followed by the most spectacular 2nd shot on a par 4 I've ever seen, the tee shots on 9 and 10 and the second into 9 trying to hold the green, the second to 11 to a tiny target up the hill, the tee shot around the corner on 14, the bunker shot on 14 which I dunked! The second shot down the hill on 16 where tiger holed his wedge, the tee shot on 17 where Nicklaus clanked 1 iron off the pin, and the tee shot and second shot on 18 where all those tournaments have been won and lost). Spyglass just doesn't have that.

 

If I was there again I would definitely play spyglass as part of my rota, but I'm going there to play pebble (or cypress if I ever figure out how to get on), spyglass will be an add on.

 

I don't think that there's anything wrong with giving your opinion about playing any golf course. Personally I do enjoy playing Spyglass but that's me and I do like Spanish Bay better and to me there's nothing better than Pebble for many of the reasons that you've stated. Look at all of the members on here that bash Pebble and say that they wouldn't spend the money and it's not that great a course and that they'd rather play Bandon Dunes. I don't agree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Because I'm a Duke's Club member I pay $225 to play Spyglass, $165 to play Spanish Bay, Del Monte for $62 (every year I get a free round for myself and a guest) and a couple of times a year Pebble is $385, Spyglass $210 and Spanish Bay $130. Normally I can bring 3 guests to Spyglass and Spanish Bay and they pay my price as well. With the twice a year specials I can book 3 foursomes and they will all pay my price, which we will do at Spanish Bay this Saturday. One other good thing is that I get 20% food and drinks at all of the Pebble Resort restaurants.

 

I have seen many people on the forums posts about how Spyglass is the best out of the 3 at pebble. I am fine with everyone having their own opinions. I just hate when I see people name calling/ being immature about an opinion. I have seen Spyglass many times on TV and it just looks "meh" to me. I am still going to play it if I ever get out to the area along with Pebble, Spanish Bay, Poppy, Pasatiempo, and Cordevalle.

[Argonne69]

Getting a large discount at Spyglass certainly changes the equation. I've played high end courses, including Whistling Straits, Kiawah Island Ocean, The Prairie Club, Pelican Hill, Erin Hills, and Pinehurst. While expensive, I felt each was worth their standard rate. Spyglass was not. Again, not a bad course, but when price is factored into it, it left me wanting. It had very little "Wow".

 

[aloha b.]

F*cking Verizon. I just wrote a long report on Spyglass Hill, and then post got lost due to a lost network connection. Grrrrr.

 

Short report, I was not impressed with Spyglass Hill. Heresy, I know. Yes, the course conditions were excellent, as expected. The opening few holes playing towards and along the ocean are very nice, but once it turns away from the ocean, it's a rather boring layout. The par 3's look nice, but are short and rather easy. The 18th is bland. The par 4 16th was a beast, but otherwise it looked like any other pine tree lined course in the Carolinas. Very little risk reward. For the most part it was simply grab a driver and swing away.

 

 

The weather was great, and my two playing partners had very impressive games. Course aside, it was still an enjoyable day on the course.

 

I'm not sure I'd say skip it, but I certainly wouldn't return. I can't imagine paying close to $500 for a round here. I'd rather play Spanish Bay.

 

I didn't go around saying this after I played it because SO many people like to say that they like spyglass better than pebble but I had a similar reaction to it. It's a really really good solid golf course, but pebble was probably my favourite non competitive golf experience of my life. Spyglass was good, I had fun and I really liked holes 2-5, but it didn't really compare to pebble for me where I was geeking out all over the place for all the great shots I'd seen hit in various US Opens, and getting to hit all the fun shots that all the greats of the game have hit (the sling around the corner on the third tee, the second shot on 6, the wedge on 7, the blind tee shot on 8 followed by the most spectacular 2nd shot on a par 4 I've ever seen, the tee shots on 9 and 10 and the second into 9 trying to hold the green, the second to 11 to a tiny target up the hill, the tee shot around the corner on 14, the bunker shot on 14 which I dunked! The second shot down the hill on 16 where tiger holed his wedge, the tee shot on 17 where Nicklaus clanked 1 iron off the pin, and the tee shot and second shot on 18 where all those tournaments have been won and lost). Spyglass just doesn't have that.

 

If I was there again I would definitely play spyglass as part of my rota, but I'm going there to play pebble (or cypress if I ever figure out how to get on), spyglass will be an add on.

 

I don't think that there's anything wrong with giving your opinion about playing any golf course. Personally I do enjoy playing Spyglass but that's me and I do like Spanish Bay better and to me there's nothing better than Pebble for many of the reasons that you've stated. Look at all of the members on here that bash Pebble and say that they wouldn't spend the money and it's not that great a course and that they'd rather play Bandon Dunes. I don't agree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Because I'm a Duke's Club member I pay $225 to play Spyglass, $165 to play Spanish Bay, Del Monte for $62 (every year I get a free round for myself and a guest) and a couple of times a year Pebble is $385, Spyglass $210 and Spanish Bay $130. Normally I can bring 3 guests to Spyglass and Spanish Bay and they pay my price as well. With the twice a year specials I can book 3 foursomes and they will all pay my price, which we will do at Spanish Bay this Saturday. One other good thing is that I get 20% food and drinks at all of the Pebble Resort restaurants.

 

I have seen many people on the forums posts about how Spyglass is the best out of the 3 at pebble. I am fine with everyone having their own opinions. I just hate when I see people name calling/ being immature about an opinion. I have seen Spyglass many times on TV and it just looks "meh" to me. I am still going to play it if I ever get out to the area along with Pebble, Spanish Bay, Poppy, Pasatiempo, and Cordevalle.

 

I agree about name calling and being immature about an opinion.

[aloha b.]

Don't know if you're walking or riding at Poppy Hills and it's cart path only until next month.

[duffer987]

Getting a large discount at Spyglass certainly changes the equation. I've played high end courses, including Whistling Straits, Kiawah Island Ocean, The Prairie Club, Pelican Hill, Erin Hills, and Pinehurst. While expensive, I felt each was worth their standard rate. Spyglass was not. Again, not a bad course, but when price is factored into it, it left me wanting. It had very little "Wow".

 

Yes I think there's some contrarian bias showing in those that hold up Spy to be super awesome and dismissive of Pebble, minus the waterside holes.

I don't think the holes at Pebble that are not 6-10, 17-18 are as mediocre as some say and I don't think Spy's interior holes are as fantastic as some say.

 

You've been to RTJ Trail correct? To me that's what Spy feels like once you leave the 5th green. That's not a bad thing at all - and anyone who calls Spy their home course is far more fortunate a golfer than most - but it's just too samey after that.

And with Poppy, Bayonet/Blackhorse, Pasa in the neighbourhood it's a tough comparison for it, that it loses IMHO.

 

Good to hear the trip is going well! :)

[Argonne69]

I just finished my sole round of the day at Poppy Hills. It's a wonderful layout. It looks a bit like the latter holes at Spyglass, but with much more bunkering, and a more natural feel. Almost all of the holes are lined with tall pines. While Spyglass is meticulously maintained, Poppy is a little rough around the edges. This is a good thing. The waste bunkers look very natural. Plenty of elevation changes on the front make it visually more interesting than the back for the most part, although holes 10, 11, and 18 are fairly nice to look at.

 

The greens are fantastic. Oh my. They're huge, fast, and undulating. I struggled all round. It would definitely take a few rounds here to feel comfortable with them. The sand in the bunkers was Goldilocks perfect. Not too much. Not too little.

 

Good mix of long and short par 4's. Being able to work the ball both ways off the tee is a necessity. The par 5's were nice, especially hole 9. Definitely a risk reward hole. The par 3's were bland on the other hand. OK, number 11 was fairly decent.

 

I started the round in the fog. We couldn't see more than 100 yards until the 6th hole. I hope tomorrow's round at Pasatiempo has better weather.

 

I bounced back nicely from yesterday afternoon's mediocre ballstriking, hitting 10 fairways and 14 greens. I was playing fairly conservatively, and not firing at too many sucker pins. Two putting was challenging enough without short siding myself. I had a nice birdie on the par 5 9th, but outdid myself with a closing eagle on the par 5 18th. After hitting a solid drive that appears to have caught the speed slot, I was left with 200 yards to a center pin. Playing slightly downhill, I hit a sweet 5h that landed on the front edge of the green, and released to the pin. I had a fairly straight 6 footer for eagle. Sweet. I think the closing birdie at Pebble was better, but I'll take this any day.

 

My mind is telling me to go play another round. However, my back is telling me to rest it. I'd really hate to struggle tomorrow at Pasatiempo and Half Moon Bay. I think I'm going to run over to the golf store in Seaside, and hit the Pebble Beach outlet store. I need a decent souvenir. I'll grab a steak dinner tonight. 'Still undecided on the place.

[Argonne69]

Don't know if you're walking or riding at Poppy Hills and it's cart path only until next month.

 

Bah. Yeah, so I discovered. I still have no idea why there courses in the area are CPO. It's not the end of the world, but it sure makes the rounds long. It took two of us 3:45 to play Poppy this morning. That should have been 2:45 max.

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Pasatiempo is fantastic. Nothing beats Mackenzie bunkering. To get ready I suggest practicing your putting on some marble preferably on a down slope. Bathtub would suffice too. :cheesy: :cheesy: Needless to say stay below the hole there

[aloha b.]

I just finished my sole round of the day at Poppy Hills. It's a wonderful layout. It looks a bit like the latter holes at Spyglass, but with much more bunkering, and a more natural feel. Almost all of the holes are lined with tall pines. While Spyglass is meticulously maintained, Poppy is a little rough around the edges. This is a good thing. The waste bunkers look very natural. Plenty of elevation changes on the front make it visually more interesting than the back for the most part, although holes 10, 11, and 18 are fairly nice to

look at.

 

The greens are fantastic. Oh my. They're huge, fast, and undulating. I struggled all round. It would definitely take a few rounds here to feel comfortable with them. The sand in the bunkers was Goldilocks perfect. Not too much. Not too little.

 

Good mix of long and short par 4's. Being able to work the ball both ways off the tee is a necessity. The par 5's were nice, especially hole 9. Definitely a risk reward hole. The par 3's were bland on the other hand. OK, number 11 was fairly decent.

 

I started the round in the fog. We couldn't see more than 100 yards until the 6th hole. I hope tomorrow's round at Pasatiempo has better weather.

 

I bounced back nicely from yesterday afternoon's mediocre ballstriking, hitting 10 fairways and 14 greens. I was playing fairly conservatively, and not firing at too many sucker pins. Two putting was challenging enough without short siding myself. I had a nice birdie on the par 5 9th, but outdid myself with a closing eagle on the par 5 18th. After hitting a solid drive that appears to have caught the speed slot, I was left with 200 yards to a center pin. Playing slightly downhill, I hit a sweet 5h that landed on the front edge of the green, and released to the pin. I had a fairly straight 6 footer for eagle. Sweet. I think the closing birdie at Pebble was better, but I'll take this any day.

 

My mind is telling me to go play another round. However, my back is telling me to rest it. I'd really hate to struggle tomorrow at Pasatiempo and Half Moon Bay. I think I'm going to run over to the golf store in Seaside, and hit the Pebble Beach outlet store. I need a decent souvenir. I'll grab a steak dinner tonight. 'Still undecided on the place.

 

Another really good review!Congrats on your Eagle on #18, it seems like you really like finishing holes. The greens fees are really good for NCGA members.I don't know why the courses are CPO,except that Poppy went under a complete renovation in 2013 and reopened in April of 2014. Starting in August you will be able to drive on the fairways.

Pasatiempo usually has much better weather but Half Moon Bay maybe similar to Monterey.

 

I just finished my sole round of the day at Poppy Hills. It's a wonderful layout. It looks a bit like the latter holes at Spyglass, but with much more bunkering, and a more natural feel. Almost all of the holes are lined with tall pines. While Spyglass is meticulously maintained, Poppy is a little rough around the edges. This is a good thing. The waste bunkers look very natural. Plenty of elevation changes on the front make it visually more interesting than the back for the most part, although holes 10, 11, and 18 are fairly nice to look at.

 

The greens are fantastic. Oh my. They're huge, fast, and undulating. I struggled all round. It would definitely take a few rounds here to feel comfortable with them. The sand in the bunkers was Goldilocks perfect. Not too much. Not too little.

 

Good mix of long and short par 4's. Being able to work the ball both ways off the tee is a necessity. The par 5's were nice, especially hole 9. Definitely a risk reward hole. The par 3's were bland on the other hand. OK, number 11 was fairly decent.

 

I started the round in the fog. We couldn't see more than 100 yards until the 6th hole. I hope tomorrow's round at Pasatiempo has better weather.

 

I bounced back nicely from yesterday afternoon's mediocre ballstriking, hitting 10 fairways and 14 greens. I was playing fairly conservatively, and not firing at too many sucker pins. Two putting was challenging enough without short siding myself. I had a nice birdie on the par 5 9th, but outdid myself with a closing eagle on the par 5 18th. After hitting a solid drive that appears to have caught the speed slot, I was left with 200 yards to a center pin. Playing slightly downhill, I hit a sweet 5h that landed on the front edge of the green, and released to the pin. I had a fairly straight 6 footer for eagle. Sweet. I think the closing birdie at Pebble was better, but I'll take this any day.

 

My mind is telling me to go play another round. However, my back is telling me to rest it. I'd really hate to struggle tomorrow at Pasatiempo and Half Moon Bay. I think I'm going to run over to the golf store in Seaside, and hit the Pebble Beach outlet store. I need a decent souvenir. I'll grab a steak dinner tonight. 'Still undecided on the place.

 

Another really good review!Congrats on your Eagle on #18, it seems like you really like finishing holes. The greens fees are really good for NCGA members.I don't know why the courses are CPO,except that Poppy went under a complete renovation in 2013 and reopened in April of 2014. Starting in August you will be able to drive on the fairways.

Pasatiempo usually has much better weather but Half Moon Bay maybe similar to Monterey.

Don't forget to check out McKenzie's former home on #6, it's a two story white home.

[spud3]

Great reports! Really enjoying them!

[duffer987]

Not sure what type of cuisine you like, but Bistro Moulin in Monterey town itself is really a really nice, small resto away from the main touristy bits. Been a few years since been there, but see the Yelp reviews are still mainly positive.

 

Not sure if you're into your pints, but English Ales (5 miles north of Golf Mart in Seaside) is a small local brewery that pours an excellent pint. They have good sized flights. I liked them as it was a rare chance to get a cask ale. They do OK pub grub too, but I would stop more for the beer than the food.

[Argonne69]

I had great luck at Golf Mart. They were able to regrip 10 clubs in 15 minutes. Awesome service.

 

Less luck at the Pebble Beach Outlet Store in Cannery Row. They had a limited selection, and practically nothing in my size (Think Big). Given that I was in and out of Golf Mart in no time, I decided to head back to the shops at Pebble Beach. Oooooh, big mistake. My wallet is several hundred dollars lighter. Polo. Wind vest. Quarter zip rain shirt. Well, you only live once.

 

Took a very nice drive along Scenic Rd (Carmel Beach) in Carmel-by-the-Sea. I got one last photo of Pebble from across the bay.

 

I'm currently enjoying a nice cab at Tarpy's Roadhouse. I was going to hit another brewpub, but with a nice steak on the agenda, I thought it was best to lay off the carbonation. Lol.

 

I haven a 7 am tee time at Pasatiempo tomorrow, and a 45 to 60 minute drive from Monterey beforehand, so it'll be a very early bedtime tonight, and a pre-dawn alarm clock.

 

[Argonne69]

With "Roadhouse" in the name, I was a little leary about Tarpy's. However, there place is very nice. It's a fairly upscale American restaurant with a decent wine menu. The fresh sourdough bread was heavenly. I probably could not have ruined my appetite eating the bread. The dry rubbed ribeye was excellent.

 

[aloha b.]

I had great luck at Golf Mart. They were able to regrip 10 clubs in 15 minutes. Awesome service.

 

Less luck at the Pebble Beach Outlet Store in Cannery Row. They had a limited selection, and practically nothing in my size (Think Big). Given that I was in and out of Golf Mart in no time, I decided to head back to the shops at Pebble Beach. Oooooh, big mistake. My wallet is several hundred dollars lighter. Polo. Wind vest. Quarter zip rain shirt. Well, you only live once.

 

Took a very nice drive along Scenic Rd (Carmel Beach) in Carmel-by-the-Sea. I got one last photo of Pebble from across the bay.

 

I'm currently enjoying a nice cab at Tarpy's Roadhouse. I was going to hit another brewpub, but with a nice steak on the agenda, I thought it was best to lay off the carbonation. Lol.

 

I haven a 7 am tee time at Pasatiempo tomorrow, and a 45 to 60 minute drive from Monterey beforehand, so it'll be a very early bedtime tonight, and a pre-dawn alarm clock.

 

Nice to hear that Golfmart did your grips quickly but it's too bad that the outlet didn't have anything for you. I guess that I've been lucky and picked up some nice things. I have a hard time when we're at Pebble to not buy anything and it sounds like you picked up some good items. Recently I picked up a head cover that I really love and I'll post a few pictures later. Tarpy's is nice we we periodically go there for lunch and wine.

There are some really nice homes on the road near Carmel Beach with great views.

Have fun tomorrow !

[aloha b.]

Here's some pictures of the 2017 Limited Edition Pebble Beach head cover that I recently bought. I bought two and gave one away for a gift.

Sorry the pictures when viewed from my IPad or cell are cut off but when I view on my desktop I can see the entire picture.