Monterey, CA

[QWKDTSN]

I am going down to the Monterey area in July to work as a corner marshall at Laguna Seca Raceway for the MotoGP race. Last year I rode my motorcycle down with 4 friends; This year I have to go solo as the rest of them are unable to go. I figured I am going to have some extra time on my hands during the drive down and while I am in the area. Does anyone have any recommendations on golf courses nearby? I will likely check out the Laguna Seca golf course, as it is right there, and inexpensive. I would like to keep greens fees down (say below $50-60) but any recommendations are welcome. Thanks!

[RX Phoenix]

Try the Pacific Grove municipal course, it is cheap and very scenic on the back 9 along the ocean.

[teal]

Used to be stationed there myself. If you can see if the course on Fort Ord is still open. Blackfoot I believe it was called. IIRC Azinger said it was one of them most challenging coursed he ever played. IIRC you are military so you should be able to get on.

[bruce]

Try the Pacific Grove municipal course, it is cheap and very scenic on the back 9 along the ocean.

I believe this is the course my friend was talking about,he reckons its a cheaper form of pebble beach,thought it was class,i will double check the name,P.S hope Hayden gets it together and gets a win there.

[blue_crush]

Try the Pacific Grove municipal course, it is cheap and very scenic on the back 9 along the ocean.

this is the greatest course for under 100.00 make that 75, no 50, no 45.00 on weekends...lol it is just 4 miles from pebble beach and spyglass and the views are awsome. the back 9 are all on the ocean with breathtaking views. an other course for the range your talking about are aptos seascape too, as they have a real deal that is 23.00 at 5:00 WITH A CART.... that is where I play a lot as its the best deal for the buck. another one just to the north about 15mins from you would be spring hills golf course in watsonville and its about 45.00 on weekends too. lots of elevation changes and fun to play as well... corner worker for the USGP... your a lucky dogg... that is going to be an awsome race...

[ks8829]

Poppy Hills has special rates if you have your handicap card, I believe you can play for about $64. Have you checked golf now website for discounted green fees?

[Smallville]

I am playing Pacific Grove Municipal on September 12 @ 9:30. We're flying out for a wedding at Pebble Beach and all the guys are getting together for a golf game on Friday! Good thing Southwest still lets you take golf clubs for free! Hope it's all that you have said in the several threads I have found that talk about it! Do any of you who live around there have any more to add about the coursethan what I have run across in searches? How about posting the scorecard with the course layout?

[biscuity]

PG Muni is a fun little course and a nice break from the $300-$500 courses nearby.

The front nine is a fairly normal 5 holes out and 4 holes in layout that works its way along railroad tracks and between houses. On 6 of the 9 holes you can't really see the green from the tee box so it can get a bit tricky the first time around. It's fairly short so don't pull out the driver on every hole.

The back nine is completely different because it is a links layout built on sand dunes along the shoreline of Asilomar State Beach . If the wind is blowing you're in for true links challenge. If you get in the iceplant don't try to be a hero, blast out with a sand wedge using the same technique as from a sand trap.

Here's a link that has aerial views and yardage for each hole, expand the "course details" section:

http://salinas.golfnation.org/course...al-golf-course

Have fun and report back on the course condition.

[biscuity]

I found some nice aerial photos that show the links section, you can expand the photos to full screen:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/c...360,225,75,164

[Smallville]

Cool, biscuit, thanks. I think I had found the first link before but not the second. Unfortunately I found out we're probably playing a scramble tournament instead of just shooting for score. Maybe some of us can play it again after the tournament for a score.

[biscuity]

BTW, on that second link you can click on "Southeast 10" to travel south along the coast, showing photos of The Links at Spanish Bay, Monterey Peninsula CC, Spyglass Hill GC, Cypress Point, and finally some great aerial photos Pebble Beach GC. It's all there within about 15 miles.

I highly recommend going into Pebble Beach along 17 mile drive, I think it costs $12 to get in these days. Stop at The Lodge at Pebble Beach and eat lunch overlooking the 18th green. The pro shop at Pebble Beach already has 2010 US Open hats/shirts etc if you're into that. (I think they credit you the $12 gate fee if you eat at the restaurant or buy merchandise)

View of the Lodge and 18th hole:


And, best of all, they allow you to walk out on the golf course. Walk out to the 7th hole, it is one of the most dramatic views on earth.

[Smallville]

Actually, the wedding is going to be "on the lawn of the 18th green" at pebble beach. So we'll be there! I'd love to walk the course.

[Smallville]

The back nine of Pacific Grove Municipal was the coolest nine I have played. The front, for looks, was like just another course; the back made this the favorite course I have played. The last three holes, however, were all into the wind and we bogeyed all three holes in our scramble. (We finished 1-under) I learned what "ice-plant" is, and can understand why you take a drop from it; almost no chance to hit a good shot from it.

As far as Pebble Beach goes, they only let you walk the course after 5:00 P.M. However they let us walk 18, and we kinda snuck around to 5 other holes as well. Most groups were taking pictures every hole, so I offered to take pictures of the foursomes on the tee boxes. They always took me up on the offer! So I got a ton of pics, mainly because I thought we'd only do the 18th (about half the pics were of that hole).

After the wedding, they had someone playing the bagpipes and we followed him from the lawn of the 18th to the reception hall overlooking #17. Being at Pebble was the most awe-inspiring golf moment I ever had, and I didn't even get to play.

[biscuity]

I'm glad to hear you had a good time. Sorry that you weren't able to get out to holes 6-7-8-9-10 because they are really spectacular, but the holes that you saw (probably 18-17-3-4) are nice too.

The back nine at Pacific Grove is where I learned to play golf, so it's a very special place for me. It used to be the front nine and I must have played it a couple of hundred times, I always chose that nine if I didn't have time to play 18 holes. Fun place, hopefully they are keeping it in good shape.

[Smallville]

biscuit-

A couple of the greens had some issues but nothing major, just surprised me a little because the rest of the course was great. I just read my last post and I meant the last 3 holes on the front nine, not the back nine! Surprisingly, it was not as windy on the back as it was on the front. I'd love to play it for a score sometime, because with a scramble, you really don't have a handle on what you would have shot because the strategy is so different. Thanks for your input on the course before I went to go play it.

[VOX]

You may be thinking of the Bayonet and Black courses. They are no longer operated by the military, but they still offer discounts to active and possibly retired servicemen. Very reasonable green fees.

They are great courses. The Pros from Pebble and Spyglass told me that is where they and their staffs like to play when they get time off.

[Fat Slice]

Let me add my voice to the chorus suggesting the Pac Grove Muni. The back 9 is spectacular from a view standpoint. I also learned to really, really hate iceplant thanks to that course!

While down there, I also like to play Laguna Seca (awesome range and practice area, btw) and Rancho Canada (2 courses, East and West). Check with golfnow.com - they often have discounted rates.