Poppy Hills or Bayonet

[Inochi]

which one if you could only play one? UPDATED w/ mini review

Hey NorCAL WRX'ers,

I am taking a quick weekend trip to Monterey this weekend with the girlfriend for a early Valentines day trip. She has agree to let me play golf one day while she takes a spa day. I can't afford Pebble Beach and there are some great rates on Poppy Hills and Bayonet.

If you only had the choice of one, which one would you play?

Also if anyone wants to join a high handicap player, I would love some company since the GF doesn't play.

[Verlin]

Bayonet, without question. You won't regret it.

[Inochi]

Thanks, thats all I needed. If anyone wants to play tomorrow I am reserving a 820 tee time for 36 holes. Anyone want to join?

[Liquid]

Enjoy your round, and please post a mini review when you have a chance. 10 of us are hitting Pebble in May, and were looking at Bayonet for the fly in round.

[vietnameeh]

BAYONET HANDS DOWN

[Inochi]

Just got done playing Bayonet about an hour or so ago. I have to say it enjoyed it very much. It's such a beautiful course. The views of the fairways from pretty much every hole were great. The course is very well maintained except for a few greens.

I will post a more detailed review when I get back home.

[golflover64]

Bayonet is very good, but not as good as Poppy...Poppy all the way. One of my most favorites courses

[Inochi]

As promised... my mini Bayonet review.

 

So from the first hole I was blown away, I've have been playing public courses here in the Sacramento area for the past few months and I haven't play a REALLY nice course because we don't have anything like Bayonet in the area (atleast not that I know of). Well you start at an elevated tee box and look down the fairway lined with tall trees and a beautiful view. Right away I thought to myself that it was going to be a fun day. The weather was a little cold, around 40 or 50 degrees, and immediately after the first hole fog started to creep into the course. The fog did not let up for about an hour and a half. Anyway not really the courses fault, back to the review...

 

This course is very well maintained, it was a Friday morning that I played and there was really no one there except employees. At almost every hole they had employees working on and around the greens, they were spraying them with water and I believe aerating them. Lots of the greens had little holes all over but I guess it was a good thing as that was my only disappointment from playing. The greens were hard and firm, opposite of what I have been playing in Sacramento where the greens are soft and approach shots leave a big divot and do not move very far from it. At Bayonet the greens were firm and I got some extra roll that I wasn't use to. Also some greens looked a little sandy, could of been from the bunkers and people hitting bunker shows and sandy flying onto the green but it also looked as if the greens were drying out and needed some maintenance.

 

The fairways were well maintained the the rough was cut and fairly easy to hit out of. Lots of bunkers which I found myself in more than usual. When I started playing I told myself to take lots of photos but that didn't happen. I did get a photo of 17 which really was the best looking hole in my opinion.

 

Overall a great experience and will be going back, but I want to maybe check out Poppy before I replay Bayonet.

 

[pretzelbag]

[quote name='Inochi' timestamp='1296719091' post='2948071']
Overall a great experience and will be going back, but I want to maybe check out Poppy before I replay Bayonet.
[/quote]
Bayonet and Blackhorse are excellent courses especially since the renovation, and Poppy Hills is a great value for NCGA members. If you want to spend a little more, Spyglass Hill is very good and often runs specials for NCGA members (or you can buy a Duke's card, gets you a $185 rate).

By playing those courses (and one day Pebble Beach) you can tell people you've played courses that are on TV -- Pebble and Spyglass for the AT&T Pro-Am, and Bayonet from the show "Pipe Dream".

[jswaykos]

Aw man, this thread makes me miss Monterey! I went to high school there, and worked and learned to golf at Bayonet and Black Horse! Awesome courses!

[dmart41]

Bayonet

[pdaero]

I am going to play Poppy Hills in a couple of weeks - how is it?

[mcheye]

I played out at Poppy a couple of weeks ago. The course is / was in amazing shape. Its as firm as it ever could be. Fast greens and firm fairways. Really nice.

Have fun.

[falken19150]

Poppy Hills in in incredible shape. I will get flamed for this but I don't care..my top 3 in Northern California right now are

1) Pebble
2) Spyglass
3) Poppy Hills

[sharkiesj]

Word has it that Poppy's renovation won't take place til 2013 so go play it anytime til then. It's really in outstanding shape right now and the weather right now is spectacular.

[pdaero]

That's fantastic news! I figured Poppy would be the best "bang for the buck" around Monterey - nothing can be had cheaply there.

[9ccat9]

Played both courses over the Easter break it was my first time at Bayonet and I had played Poppy twice before. Loved the layout of the Bayonet course, the greens needed a little work. The greens were being worked on to make them less severe? They also needed to be cut down, they were a tad long. Overall the staff and range were great. Poppy is so under-rated in my opinion and was in awesome shape. The layout does not have the ocean to back it up but plays solid from the back tees. The greens are tough and it is easy to hit them and struggle for a two putt. I hit 9/9 on the front and was 2 over! I give the edge to Poppy right now but with Bayonet in top shape it would be real close. Both are the best values in the area.

On a side note, played Pasatiempo on the same trip and was blown away by the layout!!! First class and awesome! To me a must play!

[jswaykos]

[quote name='pdaero' timestamp='1304659073' post='3211806']
That's fantastic news! I figured Poppy would be the best "bang for the buck" around Monterey - nothing can be had cheaply there.
[/quote]

There are definitely cheap tracks in Monterey, just nothing 'world class' at muni prices. But course like Laguna Seca and Rancho Canada can be had for cheap, and they're better than most public courses around the country. You could even try Pacific Grove GC for a taste of the ocean. Nothing spectacular, but the back nine is fun.

Not that it applies to any of us now, but I went to high school in Monterey and the junior golf programs were FANTASTIC. You could play a lot of places free (super twilight, so after school...) or for next to nothing. It's too bad more places don't have the junior golf programs that Monterey does.

[jswaykos]

[quote name='falken19150' timestamp='1304354987' post='3202123']
Poppy Hills in in incredible shape. I will get flamed for this but I don't care..my top 3 in Northern California right now are

1) Pebble
2) Spyglass
3) Poppy Hills
[/quote]

I can see this. I might even switch Spyglass and Pebble, to be honest. You can't beat the history of Pebble, and certainly not the finish hole, but Spyglass is nothing to sneeze at and is rated as a tougher course, I think (don't feel like looking it up).