November 14th, 2008 — CA, Pioneer, golf courses, restaurant
Mace Meadow Golf Club is located in Pioneer, CA
Phone: (209)295-7020
Website: http://www.macemeadow.com/fees.html
Course History:
This beautiful mountain course is tucked away but it is well worth the trip. We've included directions below on how to reach this course, since it is a bit hard to find. It's well known among the locals as being one of the most beautiful courses in the area. Lined with majestic trees, the natural setting is simply tremendous and offers a great backdrop for this challenging but fun course.
What You Need to Know:
You can reserve your tee time by calling the number listed above or by reserving them online. We do recommend checking their website for specials before you call since they do list them frequently. They also offer a player's club that offers special emailed discounts and coupons. If you plan on playing here frequently, we highly recommend signing up. However, the regular fees are quite reasonable, even without discounts.
The course management does not specify a dress code, but we recommend traditional golf attire. The pro shop was well stocked and we enjoyed our time in the Meadows Restaurant after our round. They serve breakfast and lunch seven days a week as well as dinner four nights a week. Wednesday nights are all you can eat pasta nights, and it's a lot of fun for the whole family.
Playing Hints:
This is actually a pretty challenging course, thanks to the natural terrain. Right off the bat, you'll be dealing with a creek on the first hole. You're either going to have to hit it really hard off the tee or go a bit short to avoid it. Watch out for the 4th hole, since it is quite deceptive. Most of it is downhill, so you'll want to avoid over hitting your approach shot to avoid missing the green entirely.
The 6th hole is quite a challenge. You'll need to stay as far to the right as possible, since the fairway has a big slope to the left. It's tough to overcome once you're down there, so really do all that you can to keep to the right. The 15th hole is the true test on this course however. The fairway is completely lined with trees and it's all uphill, even the green is elevated.
Fees:
18 Hole 9 Hole
Weekday $27.00 $19.00
Seniors (M-F only) $24.00 $17.00
Weekend/Holiday $37.00 $24.00
Weekday Twilight* $20.00 $15.00
Weekend Twilight* $25.00 $18.00
Super Twilight*(M-F) $12.00 $10.00
Super Twilight*(S-S) $15.00 $12.00
Cart Fee (per player) $16.00 $12.00
Jr.Weekday(Under 18)after 3 PM $7.00
*Twilight begins at 12 PM from April 1 to September 30
*Super Twilight begin at 2:00 from April 1 to September 30
1:00 from October 1 to March 31
Monthly Fee (Weekdays only) $230.00 Single $330.00 Couple
Hand Carts $5.00
Rental Clubs $10.00
How to Get There:
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Located 19 miles East of Jackson,CA on Highway 88, Meadow Drive Exit. They are about 90 minutes away from downtown Sacramento and 75 minutes away from downtown Stockton.
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October 1st, 2008 — Aptos, CA, Dress code, golf courses, restaurant
Seascape Golf Club is located in Aptos, CA
Phone: 831-688-3213
Website: http://www.seascapegc.com
Course History:
Seascape Golf Club was originally known as Rio Del Mar when it was founded in 1926. The club became an instant success, but the onset of World War II meant closure. The club was turned into a victory garden to help the war effort and once the war was over, it reopened as Seascape.
Known for the natural beauty of the surrounding land, this is a popular course that is not only fun to play but challenging as well. It is well worth the trip out, and there are few courses in this area that can come close to comparing.
What You Need to Know:
You can register your tee-time by calling the number listed above, but we do recommend checking their website for specials before you do. The pro shop here is terrific and we were surprised by the selection and quality of the merchandise. One meal at the grill and its obvious why this club is rented out so often for special events.
We recommend traditional golf attire when visiting this club, as well as the use of soft spikes.
Playing Hints:
The main challenge you'll be facing with this course are the numerous bunkers. You definitely want to avoid them at all costs, but that is easier said than done. Many a player has demolished their score after ending up in any one of these tough bunkers.
Even though the course is around 6000 yards, they've designed the holes so that they are actually quite long. We highly recommend using a cart, especially if you're not in the best of shape. The fairways are on the narrow side and most are tree lined, so accuracy is truly the key to getting a par on this course.
Our favorite hole was the thirteenth. You'll have a nice clear shot to the green, but it gets more complicated from there. The green is protected by a small lake and two bunkers, so we recommend a short second shot, to give you a good chance of getting a chip lined up for more accuracy.
Fees:
Mon-Thurs / Friday / Sat, Sun, Holidays
18 Hole - $50 / $55 / $72
9 Holes first hour of daylight - $20 / $20 / $25
Twilight 2:00pm - $31 / $31 / $41
Super Twilight 3:30pm - $23 / $23 / $33
Junior - $25 / $25 / $35 after 12:00pm
Cart Fees - Any day, fees listed are per rider
18 Holes $17
9 Holes $10
Twilight $12
How to Get There:
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From San Jose:
Take Highway 17 south to Santa Cruz.
Upon entering Santa Cruz take the exit for Highway 1 south, Monterey/Watsonville
Once on Highway 1, turn right onto Rio Del Mar and stay to the left when the road forks.
The left fork becomes Clubhouse Drive.
Stay on Clubhouse Drive until you see the sign for Seascape Golf Club on the right hand side.
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September 26th, 2008 — Book Review
Despite the overly clunky title, this book promises to help you master complex techniques by learning in a visual manner. Since statistics show that we as humans do learn better when presented with images, this is a viable theory, but will it pay off? Let’s take a hard look at the book and find out.
Maybe we went in with the wrong expectations, but this book seemed to fall more than a little short. We were expecting more of an actual training resource, with more focus on specific techniques. Instead, it is more of a book with pictures of people in various stages of their golf swing. The main problem appears to be not exactly with the book, but with the fact that 2D images don’t do a very good job when it comes to teaching someone.
If this book had been a DVD, our review may have been a little bit different. As it is, it serves as a great resource for those that are completely new to the game. You’ll learn a lot about the right way to swing a club, as well as most of the basics. However, those looking for insight on special tips or tricks will undoubtedly be disappointed.
Strangely enough, the book starts with the history of golf. While this is a nice little addition, there was nothing particularly related to the subject of the title. When you tell us you’re going to teach us how to golf visually, we really don’t need a history lesson. Again, it is clear that this book is intended for rank beginners, and while there is no problem with that, it did disappoint us a little bit.
Chapter Four was by far the most interesting and it deals with iron swings. Short games can be a problem for a lot of people and we found that the book included some very good tips in this section. Other than that, the chapter on Bunker Shots was also pretty interesting. Everything else is very basic, such as pictures of the components of a golf club, how to hold the club, etc… For the right audience, it’s a great book. For everyday experienced golfers – not so much.
Overall, if you are just starting out, or you need a refresher on the game, this is a great resource. It’s the perfect gift for a young golfer and there are quite a few useful tips included. While we did have some issues with the overall images used, and the inclusion of what felt like a lot of filler, this was still a decent book on golf.
Just because it’s written for beginners doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. We still feel comfortable recommending it, just as long as the reader understands that it’s not going to cure all of their ills, but it may help a bit with their score. If you have had trouble picking up the sport, learning this way may be the right answer.
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June 12th, 2008 — CA, Casey O'Callaghan, Yountville, golf courses, restaurant
Vinter's Golf Club is Located in Yountville, CA
Phone: (707) 944-1992
Website: http://www.vintersgolfclub.com
Course History:
This is one of the most popular courses in Napa Valley and with good reason. This is a pleasant nine hole course that is still challenging without sacrificing fun. It became an instant favorite among locals and continues winning accolades to this day.
The course was designed by Casey O'Callaghan and opened in 1998. Since then, it has been redesigned and the play is more exciting than ever. The new design made it appealing for players of all skill levels and the course is known for its incredible greens.
What You Need to Know:
You can book your tee time by calling ahead at the number listed above or by using their online system. Keep an eye on their website since they frequently post specials. Their overall low prices are already hard to beat, and the specials are even better.
The Lakeside Grill offers an incredible lunch with old fashioned favorites like grilled hamburgers. They also have a few more sophisticated items on the menu, but everyone should try the burgers at least once. The pro shop is well stocked and overall, you would think this is a much bigger course than it is.
Playing Hints:
There are a few water hazards on the course, but nothing that should cause too many problems for most players. Unless you have an inordinately bad hook or slice, these should not pose a problem. The bunkers however are a whole other issue. Even though the course is short, you'll get plenty of chances to work on your short game by trying to avoid these traps.
The first hole has a sharp left to get to the green and can be tricky to play. We recommend going to the right on your drive so that you have a better line to the green. The fourth hole is a short par three that is still challenging thanks to the tricky green here. Eight can be a bit tough due to the rough, so you'll want to try to get as close to the green as possible with your tee shot. In order to get to the ninth green, you'll need to stay first towards the middle of the fairway and then go right.
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Course Fees:
9-Hole Green Fees Mon. - Thurs. Fri. - Sun. & Holidays
Non Residence $25.00 $35.00
Napa Valley Resident/Senior $20.00 $30.00
VGSC Members $18.00 $25.00
Early Bird before 7:00 a.m. $12.00 NA
Twilight after 4 p.m. $16.00 $20.00
18-Hole Green Fees Mon. - Thurs. Fri. - Sun. & Holidays
Non Resident $35.00 $45.00
Napa Valley Resident/Senior $30.00 $40.00
VGSC Members $26.00 $35.00
Twilight after 2:00 P $22.00 $25.00
Cart/Club Rental
9-Hole Golf Cart Single Rider - $10.00 Two Riders - $20.00
18-Hole Golf Cart Fee Single Rider - $13.00 Two Riders - $26.00
Pull Cart $5.00 9-Holes $8.00 18-Holes
Golf Club Rental $25.00
Range Balls Tokens Cost Cost per Token
51 1 $5.00 $5.00
204 4 $18.00 $4.50
510 10 $40.00 $4.00
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