Nor Cal Course Conditions

[Mnalette]

Hey! I am looking for a few course condition updates from anyone who has played some of the courses around the east bay in Northern California.  We are playing Eagle Vines, that one is set. Any updates on conditions?

 

The other courses we are looking at are Presidio, TPC Harding Park, Wente Vineyards, Poppy Ridge. Any recent course condition updates? 

 

Half Moon bay is punching ten days before we would be there so I’m thinking that one is out. 

 

Any courses anyone recommends that aren’t on the above list? Like Corica, Las Positas, etc. Thanks for the info!

[mark174ace]

Its not East Bay, but Spanos Park in Stockton finally cleaned up their greenside bunkers and they are in way better condition for the first time in years. They will be cleaning up the fairway bunkers soon.

[PJ Blake]

I've played Corica South several times and enjoy it's Australian-style design. Las Positas....eh. If you are going that way I'd recommend Callippe Preserve in Pleasanton over Las Positas. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by PJ Blake

[Mnalette]

Thanks for the feedback!! Callippe preserve looks nice!!

[carrera]

Course conditions recently have been great at most courses in the Bay Area and East Bay.  This week there are high winds everywhere, so expect some downed trees and cleanup.  Also rain the next several days.

[Mnalette]

That’s good to hear.  All the rain I’m sure has helped. We have about a month before we would be playing. Any course recommendations cerrera?

[carrera]

Calippe is a good call.  Poppy Ridge a bit further down the road is cheap for NCGA members - not sure what their outside rate is.

 

Check to make sure aerification isn't an issue anywhere...a month from now it might be.

[Mnalette]

Thanks carrera. How is Baylands in Palo Alto? 

[James the Hogan Fan]

4 hours ago, Mnalette said:

Thanks carrera. How is Baylands in Palo Alto? 

Baylands in Palo Alto is fun with 3 caveats: It is ferociously windy, it is somewhat overpriced, and it can be tremendously slow. It's a wide open, no rough course with lots of bumps and undulation. I only played it right after it opened though, so I don't know how it's held up.

 

I played harding park 5 weeks ago and it was in fine shape, but given the choice would play Presidio 9/10 times. 

 

Awesome that you're playing Eagle Vines, that's a great course. If you play there I don't know if it's entirely necessary to play Wente as the courses are similar with Wente being somewhat hillier, somewhat nicer, and definitely expensiver. 

 

Callippe is fantastic. You might also consider The Bridges, which I always throw out because I have an odd fascination with the brutal difficult hero-golf it is. But it's usually in nigh-private shape.

 

I don't know if I'd go out of my way to play it, but I recently discovered Indian Valley in Novato. It has some of the largest and craziest (fun) greens of any course I know in the bay, and is a great example of what I call the "California Hills Course" featuring some insane elevation change and a sidehill elevator ride. 

 

10 hours ago, carrera said:

Calippe is a good call.  Poppy Ridge a bit further down the road is cheap for NCGA members - not sure what their outside rate is.

 

Check to make sure aerification isn't an issue anywhere...a month from now it might be.

 

Last I checked Poppy hovered in the $100 range for general public weekends

[Mnalette]

Yeah that’s what we are seeing for a lot of courses. With the exception of Harding Park. We are going to try to get a tee time hopefully with discount there for a round early Sunday morning.  Anyone play TPC recently? Any preferences between that and Presidio. Thanks for the reply!

[James the Hogan Fan]

7 hours ago, Mnalette said:

Yeah that’s what we are seeing for a lot of courses. With the exception of Harding Park. We are going to try to get a tee time hopefully with discount there for a round early Sunday morning.  Anyone play TPC recently? Any preferences between that and Presidio. Thanks for the reply!

 

Harding Park on January 29th. Great shape but greens a bit slower than one might expect. 

 

(But really, Presidio is everything Harding is except it's way more interesting with more angles and elevation change. Harding is just a well maintained muni.)

 

[Mnalette]

Glad to hear the positive review on eagle vines. Wente is still up in the air, the price at eagle vines was much better than Wente.  
 

Callippe does a back 9 and breakfast for 45 for the first hour of the day. We will probably do that one morning. Possibly before driving up to play eagle vines.
 

Presidio looks and sounds nice. We will have to see if we can snag a cheap tee off deal at TPC. If we don’t then maybe we can snag a decent time at Presidio on a Sunday morning. 
 

The Bridges also looks nice and if it is usually in nice condition we will give it a look. 

Thanks again for the info!! 

 

[sweetcelery]

Presidio > Harding

The Bridges is worth checking out but don’t get your hopes up if you’re thinking of trying to go low. Lots of target golf (less than driver for several “smart” tee shots. Ravine and creek on almost all the holes. Buried elephants under greens. Definitely a course that’s better after you’ve played it once or twice. But it is in good condition and they have Bluetooth in their carts now 🤷‍♂️

 

Callippe is fun. Do it.

 

Corica is fun. Kinda pricey but fun layout, fast greens.

 

Might be out of range but Bodega Harbour is right on the water. Fun, quirky course with some interesting holes. Some amazing views, not usually crowded.

 

Poppy is alright, 3 9’s. Usually in decent shape but can be really windy at times.

[Mnalette]

Great post!! Thanks for the info. Callippe seems to be a concensus pick. Also seems to be presidio over Harding park.  
 

poppy ridge seems to be out.  
 

Bodega has been on and off the list.  How are the houses on the course? Seems to be a few a few houses on the first few holes.  Is this correct?

 

Can’t say’s thanks enough for all the info.  

 

[James the Hogan Fan]

49 minutes ago, Mnalette said:

Great post!! Thanks for the info. Callippe seems to be a concensus pick. Also seems to be presidio over Harding park.  
 

poppy ridge seems to be out.  
 

Bodega has been on and off the list.  How are the houses on the course? Seems to be a few a few houses on the first few holes.  Is this correct?

 

Can’t say’s thanks enough for all the info.  

 

 

Skip Bodega, I hate to say it. Houses in play on 1-2-3ish 6ish, 7ish, 8 for sure, 9 for sure, 10ish, 11ish, not so much 12 or 13, 14ish, 15ish, not 16 or 17, very tight on 18. 1, 2, 8, 9 are like "how could they do this" tight with houses.

 

Take the houses away and Bodega is an epic course. The postcard 16-18 stretch is pretty cool, but honestly I don't know if I'd complain about a single hole on property save the tee shot on 1 and from the tips on 18. My problems have stemmed from anxiety of feeling I was going to break something expensive next to the course especially with no warm up headed to the first tee. (No range)

 

I don't know if others feel the same way.

 

3 hours ago, sweetcelery said:

Presidio > Harding

The Bridges is worth checking out but don’t get your hopes up if you’re thinking of trying to go low. Lots of target golf (less than driver for several “smart” tee shots. Ravine and creek on almost all the holes. Buried elephants under greens. Definitely a course that’s better after you’ve played it once or twice. But it is in good condition and they have Bluetooth in their carts now 🤷‍♂️

 

Callippe is fun. Do it.

 

Corica is fun. Kinda pricey but fun layout, fast greens.

 

Might be out of range but Bodega Harbour is right on the water. Fun, quirky course with some interesting holes. Some amazing views, not usually crowded.

 

Poppy is alright, 3 9’s. Usually in decent shape but can be really windy at times.

 

My thought with Bridges is you won't go low, but for as much as you suffer there's opportunities to hit epically heroic shots to make up for it. (Like hitting the green on 15 in two after a monsterous wind/hill aided drive).

 

I was pleasantly surprised at good Canyon Lakes was conditions-wise last fall. That's sleeper option as well. Might be a little too Mickey Mouse though.

[Mnalette]

Canyon Lakes looks nice as well.
 

Don’t really care if a course is target golf or Mickey Mouse. At this point of winter I would play on a cow pasture with a flag stuck in the dirt. It has been a hell of a winter where I live.

 

I know this isn’t in the area we have have been talking about. What can anyone tell me about Yocha Dehe. It is a 2 hour drive from where we will be staying in the Newark area, but if it’s top notch we don’t mind driving a little way and paying a few extra bucks to play a top tier course.
 

Thanks again for all the info. Everyone has helped us make some choices and knock some courses off the list of possibilities and put others on and near the top.

 

[carrera]

I played Yocha Dehe several years ago.  Enjoyed it.  But as you noted it is quite a drive from Newark.

 

The same distance away is Golf Course at Copper Valley (Copperopolis).  It is a fun course to play and has a nice range and restaurant.

Edited February 28, 2023 by carrera

[Mullenboy]

Concur with Carrera re Yocha Dehe and Golf Course at Copper Valley (Copperopolis).  I too played the former once - it's pretty good - but I have never gone back - not worth the long drive for me.  On the other hand I have gone to the latter several times - and it is about the same distance from me.  I live in San Jose.

 

You have lots of other good recommendations here.  It's a huge area with a lot of worthwhile courses and many not worth one's time.  

 

Question - sorry if I missed it - when exactly will you be playing here?  For the last few weeks we have had massive storms and they look like they are letting up but... don't count on it.  Conditions will turn completely based on weather, like anywhere else.  My home course is underwater lots of days lately.

 

 

[carrera]

A plus for Copper Valley is that they have on-course cabins that make staying a night and playing it a lot very easy.

 

Agree with Mullenboy that conditions throughout a month from now might be sketchy.  This has been an incredibly wet winter (thankfully).  Tulloch Reservoir near Copper Valley is now at nearly 85% of capacity.  Four months ago that would have been considered unbelievable.

[ECgolf]

I really loved Yoche Dehe when I played it last year, but it is a trek from where you will be. And, as others have said, the rain just keeps coming this winter. I’ve been playing on the rain breaks last few weeks (got out for 9 this morning) and courses are super saturated. And the forecast calls for lots more rain the next few weeks. 
 

Overall, the recs in this thread are great. 

[Mnalette]

Got the course list set up. Feedback is welcome and appreciated, good or bad.
 

Thursday fly in go to a sharks game.

 

Friday

Spring valley am

half moon bay pm ( punched greens)

Mairiners point evening 

 

Saturday 

Eagles vine 

 

Sunday 

lake chabot

 

 

 

[James the Hogan Fan]

Spring Valley and Chabot are very interesting choices. Both are pretty short, both are kept in good shape.

 

Chabot is a lot of fun but can easily get into 5 hour territory. But hey I learned to play there so I can never speak bad of it. It might be muddy though.

 

Do not be above the hole on 1. 

2 is at least an extra club up the hill. 

Try to bounce it on the road on 5. Why not?

Do NOT be above the hole on 7

Everything on 8 runs hard right (might be too soft to matter)

9... maybe 2, maybe 3 clubs less? Good luck. 

12 will feed off the hill from the right onto the green.

14 has way more room than you think on the tee

15 is driveable

16 long is dead over the green

18.. hit it far, then repeat, then repeat. Par 6 baby.

[Mullenboy]

Spring Valley is a very interesting choice.  I play it fairly often... it's the go-to for me on Mondays when I get the bug (and my club is closed).

 

They (like all courses here) have been hit VERY hard by the massive rain we've had this winter.  Drainage is pretty good - that's why I go there - but there are some new lakes in the low places... making play somewhat strange.  That being said, James is correct... the course is short and it is otherwise kept in good shape.  There are very few bunkers and some severe slopes on and near some greens.  You'll see.  It's nothing great but it is good fun.

 

One thing.. that's a LONG drive from Spring Valley to HMB.  Going mid-day you should hit little or no traffic but whatever the directions say in terms of time, allow a little more just to be safe.  

 

You're other drives are also quite long.  You'll see some interesting courses.. and a lot of roads.  🙂

[Mullenboy]

Whoa.  I just noticed also you are doing Spring Valley-HMB - Mariners Point all in the same day... that is a lot of driving.  I guess you're doing Mariners Point because you are staying near the airport and you want night golf?  That's all good but again.. allow for a lot of time.  And make sure MP is open at night... they tend to close often.  It is also likely to be pretty damn cold at night there.  All this being said... it's pretty fun par three... kinda linksy.  There are a few long shots.

 

You also will have at least an hour drive Saturday and Sunday....

 

You must enjoy car time.  🙂

[lchang]

Anyone play Corica Park recently?  I know they were having trouble with water in January.  (Everyone was, I guess?)  But I've always assumed that place drains great after the renovation.

[bogeyboys]

22 hours ago, lchang said:

Anyone play Corica Park recently?  I know they were having trouble with water in January.  (Everyone was, I guess?)  But I've always assumed that place drains great after the renovation.

Following this, planning to play there this weekend. Metropolitan is draining pretty good after last week's rain when I played on Saturday.

[lchang]

On 3/24/2023 at 10:28 AM, bogeyboys said:

Following this, planning to play there this weekend. Metropolitan is draining pretty good after last week's rain when I played on Saturday.

did you end up playing Corica this weekend?

[bogeyboys]

10 hours ago, lchang said:

did you end up playing Corica this weekend?

Yes, I did and the course was as dry as a bone, not a single wet spot. Greens were aerated but plays really good. Try to go out today if you can before the rain hits.

[James the Hogan Fan]

Hey OP, did you make it? How was it? 

[Metro-PA]

On 3/27/2023 at 8:37 AM, bogeyboys said:

Yes, I did and the course was as dry as a bone, not a single wet spot. Greens were aerated but plays really good. Try to go out today if you can before the rain hits.

Corica has the best drainage (North and South) in the Bay Area.