[JMcLellan]

I golfed for the first time this past week since July. I was nursing an elbow injury and since summer and ran out of golfing weather here in MN.

I played the San Tan Highlands in Queen Creek, AZ. The course was decent but I know there are some nicer places around. I played pretty well for not swinging for months. I was using rental clubs and fell in love with a 4 iron hybrid in the bag (I think it was a taylor made stealth hybrid). Was punching it 250 to 260 off the tee and barely used a driver all day. At home with my Ping G series 4 iron I'm only getting about 225 out of it.

[jamesinaz]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

I golfed for the first time this past week since July. I was nursing an elbow injury and since summer and ran out of golfing weather here in MN.

I played the San Tan Highlands in Queen Creek, AZ. The course was decent but I know there are some nicer places around. I played pretty well for not swinging for months. I was using rental clubs and fell in love with a 4 iron hybrid in the bag (I think it was a taylor made stealth hybrid). Was punching it 250 to 260 off the tee and barely used a driver all day. At home with my Ping G series 4 iron I'm only getting about 225 out of it.

(sigh). You must be younger than me. I'm happy to get 250-260 out of my driver. But I am looking at celebrating my 70th in a few months.

[Quadruple VANOS]

Got to thank jamesinaz and NorCalAthlete for the We-Ko-Pa recommendation. Course was great. Beautiful vistas, exquisite condition, and I really enjoyed the layout of Cholla. Played with a local that provided tips along the way too. Wonderful day.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

You're welcome! Always happy to ramble about good golf out here. I just kicked the new year off with a round at Pasatiempo and will probably hit Half Moon Bay sometime in the next couple weeks. I played Wente Vineyards out in the east bay just before Christmas too.

I will say - some of these courses can be brutally hard and unforgiving if you're a double digit handicap. There is absolutely no shame in playing from the red tees. For example, Cinnabar goes from a 112 rating for men playing from the front senior / women's tees, all the way up to a 140+ playing from the tips. And you WILL need to be able to carry some 230-250y drives over ravines if you do that.

Wind can also fuck you up good - Monterey and Half Moon Bay have their own little micro-climates, and Mariner's Point is right on the bay under the approach for SFO. Great views but it can mean a 3 club variance on what you hit for a hole depending on the wind. You might have a 120y pitching wedge shot in one direction, followed by a 120y 7 iron going in another direction. It's very effective for honing your short game, working on punch shots, etc.

I don't mind hard courses! I like to play unique and fun courses. There are a lot of flat and straight courses here in Cincinnati and I try to get away from that.

All of your recommendations are perfect for what the wife and I want to do and experience. We are going to work on a gameplan and see what we can figure out!

Hitting a ball over a ravine sounds incredible! I am around 280-310 on my drives, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Will let you know what we decide! Shit...it's about 22 degrees right now with almost a foot of snow on the ground. No thanks! lol

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

I don't mind hard courses! I like to play unique and fun courses. There are a lot of flat and straight courses here in Cincinnati and I try to get away from that.

All of your recommendations are perfect for what the wife and I want to do and experience. We are going to work on a gameplan and see what we can figure out!

Hitting a ball over a ravine sounds incredible! I am around 280-310 on my drives, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Will let you know what we decide! Shit...it's about 22 degrees right now with almost a foot of snow on the ground. No thanks! lol

Cinnabar and Wente are probably the 2 most hilly / greatest vertical variance courses on that list. Although there are a couple hills at Carmel Valley Ranch that are just a little ridiculous, I think I've posted the view from the tip tee box for one of them in this thread. 90% of that course is pretty flat though.

Bayonet + Black Horse have some pretty decent elevation changes as well where quite a few holes play significantly uphill or downhill. Wente also has a couple holes where you need to carry ravines / ditches that can be a royal B, and the wind can be difficult to read with the carries.

I'm obviously biased a bit as I tend to mostly play from HMB down to Monterey though. Presidio in SF is also pretty hilly, Harding Park eh kinda hilly. Coyote Creek Tournament course is hilly with some carries, but their Valley course is pretty flat. HMB is relatively flat and level with a few decent hills on the Ocean Course and a couple on the Old Course. Ocean course has better views and more friendly lack-of-OB areas, Old Course is more technical with sharp 90 degree doglegs with trees and houses that prevent you from cutting the corner so if you hit your driver 290-300 you might only pull it out for like 6 holes. Several par 4s you'll run out of fairway + rough around 250 due to the dogleg and be in someone's backyard.

I'd say Monterey sounds like your top spot for now, with bonus rounds at Bayonet & Black Horse plus a round at Cinnabar, with your main rounds being at Spyglass / Spanish Bay / Poppy while you're there. BBH + Cinnabar would be the icing on the Spyglass / Spanish / Poppy cake. Pasatiempo would be amazing to jump on if you can manage it but tbh I'm not sure how easy it is to get a tee time there as it's semi private.

Some pics here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/commen...at_pasatiempo/

[jamesinaz]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Cinnabar and Wente are probably the 2 most hilly / greatest vertical variance courses on that list. Although there are a couple hills at Carmel Valley Ranch that are just a little ridiculous, I think I've posted the view from the tip tee box for one of them in this thread. 90% of that course is pretty flat though.

Bayonet + Black Horse have some pretty decent elevation changes as well where quite a few holes play significantly uphill or downhill. Wente also has a couple holes where you need to carry ravines / ditches that can be a royal B, and the wind can be difficult to read with the carries.

I'm obviously biased a bit as I tend to mostly play from HMB down to Monterey though. Presidio in SF is also pretty hilly, Harding Park eh kinda hilly. Coyote Creek Tournament course is hilly with some carries, but their Valley course is pretty flat. HMB is relatively flat and level with a few decent hills on the Ocean Course and a couple on the Old Course. Ocean course has better views and more friendly lack-of-OB areas, Old Course is more technical with sharp 90 degree doglegs with trees and houses that prevent you from cutting the corner so if you hit your driver 290-300 you might only pull it out for like 6 holes. Several par 4s you'll run out of fairway + rough around 250 due to the dogleg and be in someone's backyard.

I'd say Monterey sounds like your top spot for now, with bonus rounds at Bayonet & Black Horse plus a round at Cinnabar, with your main rounds being at Spyglass / Spanish Bay / Poppy while you're there. BBH + Cinnabar would be the icing on the Spyglass / Spanish / Poppy cake. Pasatiempo would be amazing to jump on if you can manage it but tbh I'm not sure how easy it is to get a tee time there as it's semi private.

Some pics here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/commen...at_pasatiempo/

I played Poppy Hills a lot when I lived in San Jose. Since I was working about 70 hours a week and a new golfer started at 32 (translation I sucked) that course ripped me up. Same at Bayonet. Isn't that the one with an "Amen Corner"?

Heck back then I was lucky to play San Jose muni or Santa Clara muni twice a month. Now I'm retired )for 25 years) and playing golf 4 times a week I'd like another shot at those courses.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by jamesinaz

I played Poppy Hills a lot when I lived in San Jose. Since I was working about 70 hours a week and a new golfer started at 32 (translation I sucked) that course ripped me up. Same at Bayonet. Isn't that the one with an "Amen Corner"?

Heck back then I was lucky to play San Jose muni or Santa Clara muni twice a month. Now I'm retired )for 25 years) and playing golf 4 times a week I'd like another shot at those courses.

Come on out and let's play! Best I've ever done there was an 80 I think.

[jamesinaz]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Come on out and let's play! Best I've ever done there was an 80 I think.

Maybe come summer. On my way to Thailand in a week to escape the frigid winter here in Scottsdale.

[MoeTE87]

Wife and I have narrowed down our hotel search. Looks like we will be staying around Yountville, CA and there are a handful of golf courses.

Thoughts on the below courses:

Napa Golf Course
Sugarloaf Golf Course
Valley of the Moon Club (sounds like a strip club) lol.
Eagle Vines Golf Club
Chardonnay Golf Club
Rooster Run Golf Club
Rancho Solano Golf Club

All courses are within 17 miles from our hotel.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

Wife and I have narrowed down our hotel search. Looks like we will be staying around Yountville, CA and there are a handful of golf courses.

Thoughts on the below courses:

Napa Golf Course
Sugarloaf Golf Course
Valley of the Moon Club (sounds like a strip club) lol.
Eagle Vines Golf Club
Chardonnay Golf Club
Rooster Run Golf Club
Rancho Solano Golf Club

All courses are within 17 miles from our hotel.

I've only played Eagle and Chardonnay from that list, but I liked Chardonnay a bit more than Eagle Vines. There are some really cool holes on both courses though.

I'll let others chime in for the other courses.