SoCal to NorCal

[Danger]

I have 3 days off soon and want to play some new golf. We like to take our time and play maybe one or two courses a day. Were willing to drive about 8 hours, so that leaves:

-Sacramento Area
-Fresno/Visalia
-Golden Gate Park/Stafford Lake
-Chico Area
-Toney's Mountain Golf

We can also head out to Phoenix or Vegas. Anybody have recommendations for a leisurly weekend on courses that will have outstanding scenery this time of year? Thank you much!!!

 

[onemilemore]

You can't go wrong with the Bay Area, or even the Monterey/Santa Cruz region if you haven't played there. However, since you didn't list them, I am assuming you have.

 

[MikePinchico]

Come to Chico, and let me know the dates so we can play a round. There are many different courses to play around here.

 

[timothyasteele]

If you want to head up to the Bay Area, all the courses are in prime shape right now and you can do a big horseshoe shape around the bay. Golden Gate in SF, then up to Stafford Lake in Novato, then across Hwy 37 to Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa, then down 680 to hit up Hellyer and Parque De La Raza in San Jose on your way back home. There are also a couple of nine holers on day 2 between Napa and San Jose if you want more DG - Benicia Community Park (simple/fun 9 hole course I designed), and Moraga Commons Park which is 10 minutes from 680 South on your way down to San Jose. If you want some food recommendations too, let me know. I grew up in SF, rented for 7 years in Marin, and now live in Benicia, so I have lots of great places to share depending on what type of food you want. Sandwiches in several spots, top notch burritos, epic Afghan Kabobs on 680 South in Fremont, Gott's Roadside in Napa for a burger, etc.

Tim S.

 

[MikePinchico]

There is also this cool little nine hole in Benicia, some guy I hear that's pretty cool designed it.

 

[timothyasteele]

LOL!

I figure I should let him know about it since it's on the way. Benicia is not exactly a destination town...just a quiet little suburb with a new course that I'm happy to share. Signs are finally getting installed in the next 3 weeks, and I just added a fun island green pin position on hole 5 to spice it up a bit.

Tim S.

 

[Someth1ng]

Tim,

What's the course like this time of year. With all the rain I would recommend against Moraga. But then again I am not one for walking around in mud shoes.

Is it something I can handle a young kid or two?

 

[timothyasteele]

Just played it on Wednesday afternoon with my 4.5 year old before the rains hit. Since most of the holes are pretty hilly and often windy, it dries out really fast. With nothing but sun in the forecast, I'd say Sunday or later it will be nicely playable again. Grass/weeds are still manageable, but will be brutal in two weeks. I have a bunch of guys lined up to weed-whack next week to clear it out a bit. It's nice and green right now, with fewer roll-aways and great views of Mt. Diablo and the delta with all the rain/wind we've had.

Tim S.

 

[Someth1ng]

Perfect, thanks for the 411. I believe we will look at it next Saturday morning, if you are around maybe you would be up for a round?

 

[timothyasteele]

Sure thing...pm me with your cell and we'll coordinate.

Tim S.

 

[Danger]

I have been thru Santa Cruz before but am definitely interested in bay area courses. You mentioned that weeds will be unbearable on your course in two weeks, will that be the case at the other big courses up north (stafford / wilderness)? Thanks guys I appreciate it

 

[timothyasteele]

I'm exagerating, it's just that with all the rains and now the sun all next week, the weeds are going to get tall pretty quick. Right now it's fine, but usually by end of April/early May they get pretty high, and most of these courses don't mow them as they're in open space/wilderness settings. Obviously, GG Park will be fine, but most of the others will be getting taller by the minute.

The good news is it's mostly the soft grasses as the star thistles don't grow until late May - July. For Benicia, I'm getting volunteers and paying a few young guys to do a bunch of work so that it stays nice most of the year, as the City has no money or real interest in maintaining a new course as of yet. Once we start the league later this year and officially get the course in the Parks/Rec booklet, hopefully they'll take over some of the work on it.

If you've never played GG Park, Stafford, and Skyline, they are superb courses with completely different unique features and types of holes. You'll have a blast.

Tim S.

 

[Someth1ng]

I don't think weeds will be an issue at stafford, but I can see them being a problem at napa. But that might stop the napa roll as well. In 4 weeks Moraga will be a pain from the weeds.

 

[timothyasteele]

The sooner the better to play all of them, and as long as you have a spotter on a few holes, you'll be fine.

Tim S.

 

[TempleOfDoom]

I have 3 days off soon and want to play some new golf. We like to take our time and play maybe one or two courses a day. Were willing to drive about 8 hours, so that leaves:

-Sacramento Area
-Fresno/Visalia
-Golden Gate Park/Stafford Lake
-Chico Area
-Toney's Mountain Golf

We can also head out to Phoenix or Vegas. Anybody have recommendations for a leisurly weekend on courses that will have outstanding scenery this time of year? Thank you much!!!

If you want to go to Arizona, hit Flagstaff, not Phoenix.

 

[humchris85]

That aint real Nor-Cal. You gotta come up to Humboldt if you wanna call it going to Nor-Cal.

 

[Rescue]

If you want a bunch of courses within 30 to 40 min of each other. I would say check out the Sacto/Placer area. You have Shady Oaks, Rocklin, Auburn, Condon, and Penn Valley all within a short drive. Heck the latter three are only about 20 min (total) apart. Same goes for Shady Oaks and Rocklin.
The other close group is in Santa Cruz. There you have Black Mouse, De La, Aptos(9 hole), and Pinto Lake. 40 min south you then have 3 courses in the Monteray area.

The nice thing about Santa Cruz. Is that there are many other things to do there. There is the Boardwalk and weekend concerts, Great food, and a cool downtown area. It's just a cool place to hang out and play some disc golf, because as summer comes. The valley (Sac/Chico) can get pretty hot and that can get to some people.

 

[JTacoma03]

I have 3 days off soon and want to play some new golf. We like to take our time and play maybe one or two courses a day. Were willing to drive about 8 hours, so that leaves:

-Sacramento Area
-Fresno/Visalia
-Golden Gate Park/Stafford Lake
-Chico Area
-Toney's Mountain Golf

We can also head out to Phoenix or Vegas. Anybody have recommendations for a leisurly weekend on courses that will have outstanding scenery this time of year? Thank you much!!!

Does that 3 days off include the driving (i.e. 1 day of it if you're going 5-8 hours each way)? If so, you'll kinda have to choose - Bay Area or Beyond - it'd be hard to do both.

For scenery...Stafford Lake and Napa are hard to beat. If scenery is your #1 priority I'd put them over anything in the bay area including Santa Cruz/Monterey.

 

[TempleOfDoom]

I have 3 days off soon and want to play some new golf. We like to take our time and play maybe one or two courses a day. Were willing to drive about 8 hours, so that leaves:

-Sacramento Area
-Fresno/Visalia
-Golden Gate Park/Stafford Lake
-Chico Area
-Toney's Mountain Golf

We can also head out to Phoenix or Vegas. Anybody have recommendations for a leisurly weekend on courses that will have outstanding scenery this time of year? Thank you much!!!

This is a great time of year to play Tahoe. It's about a 7 hour drive up the 14/395. The only courses that won't be playable are Squaw and Kirkwood, but that still leaves you with Bijou, Zephyr Cove, Turtle Rock, Incline, Tahoe Vista, Sierra College and Truckee.

 

[Danger]

I have been doing some thinking and I have decided to put off 'semi' nor-cal for a month or two and play some of the central cali courses. Thanks for the input though, I will definitely keep it in mind when I get up there!!!