Santa Clara, California

[NickDarius]

I'm trying to decide where to take the wife and our 2 year old this winter for vacation.

We have some friends that live in Santa Clara (San Jose area) and we're thinking of going there for a week to 10 days in late Feb or early March.

I want to get in a few rounds while there. Is the Santa Clara Golf & Tennis club descent? We'd be staying about a mile away, so it's convenient.

I'd be playing alone. I don't mind playing solo or getting teamed up.

I play around bogey golf.

[Clambake]

I'm going to toss in my two cents, but upfront must say that I'm from southern Cal and not the Santa Clara area. But I've visited there many many times on business, and have vacationed in other areas around the general SF bay area. My impression is that Santa Clara isn't really a vacation destination, particurly if your're staying that long. To me, Santa Clara and the whole Silicon Valley area feels like a series of towns built around the tech business and to accommodate business needs. There are very nice residential areas, some good dining, etc., but it is all really more as a place to live and work.

But not far away, there are some delightful destinations that are more oriented towards giving a vacationer a wonderful experience. Just over the hills from Santa Clara is the whole Monterey bay area, with funky towns like Santa Cruz, resorts in Aptos, or farther down to Monterey and Carmel. San Francisco itself is also a great destination, and you can spend days visiting its many attractions, there is fine golf to be found, and is nicely located for going over the bridge to the Saucilito area, or up into Napa and Sonoma valleys.

The whole SF bay area has many options for a nice vacation, but I frankly don't think of the San Jose area as one of those options, particularly a long vacation of a week or more.

[NickDarius]

Thanks for the response...but it's not the vacation aspect I was inquiring or really worried about. This would be more about getting out of the Montreal, Canada's winter cold/ice/snpw, and spending some time with family. These friends happen to be our daughters godmother, and they have 2 young kids as well, so that aspect is ok with us. We'll more than likely go to Disney as well and my wife and I have been to California before. We've stayed in L.A. & San Francisco.

I was interested in the golf in the area. As it stands right now it's either Orlando, Florida or Santa Clara.

Budget wise they work out about the same...cheaper to fly to Orlando, but we need lodging which we don't need in California.

[OCdude12]

If you don't mind driving a little bit for the golf, I would recommend making the trip down 101 and over to the Monterey Peninsula. Not sure how nice your wife is, but if she lets you get away for the entire day, any course down there is absolutely worth it. I've never played here, but Pacific Grove Muni was listed in a book I recieved called "50 Places to Play golf before you die" - I'm sure it wouldn't be too expensive and you get almost the same beauty as many of the other courses in Monterey.

Another course that is a little closer is Coyote Creek, right off the 101 just south of San Jose. They have 2 courses, one of which used to host a Senior PGA event. I haven't played that one, but have played their Valley Course. Very nice greens, although a lot of the same type of holes. Championship course is much better so I hear. Harding Park, where they just held the President's Cup is also a great track although a little bit of a drive from Santa Clara.

Hell, see if you can get out on the Stanford golf course. I think its private, but its also a great course and fairly cheap. I know the students can play it for something like $15 or something. Quite the steal. Hope we can get you some nice weather!

[Clambake]

Thanks for the response...but it's not the vacation aspect I was inquiring or really worried about. This would be more about getting out of the Montreal, Canada's winter cold/ice/snpw, and spending some time with family. These friends happen to be our daughters godmother, and they have 2 young kids as well, so that aspect is ok with us. We'll more than likely go to Disney as well and my wife and I have been to California before. We've stayed in L.A. & San Francisco.

I understand. One thing to note is the weather. While it can be delightful around the Santa Clara area in late Feb/early March, it can also be pretty chilly and rainy - that time hits at the end of the California winter season (northerners out there, please don't laugh - our winters aren't nearly like yours, but they can still be chilly and rainy!).

Hope you have a delightful trip!

[NickDarius]

Not sure how nice your wife is, but if she lets you get away for the entire day

My wife is quite nice actually...but I wouldn't do that to her, after all this is a "family" vacation as well.

I'm hoping to play 3-5 rounds early AM and spend the rest of the day with my family on this vacation. That way everyone is happy. For me just playing during the winter will be a treat, whatever the course is like. I don't exactly play on championship courses during the season here, but winter is long, so playing a few rounds this winter sounds pretty good to me.

[Clambake]

A course you might also consider is Pasatiempo, considered one of Alistar MacKenzie's great designs (he did Augusta and Cypress Point, so he seems to know how to put together a good design) and recently remodeled by Tom Doak (Bandon - he also seems to know a thing or two about great designs). Pasatiempo is a fairly short drive over the mountan from Santa Clara to Santa Cruz, and is one of the true jewels of the area.

[Yukari]

In my opinion Pasatiempo is NOT worth the trip or the price. To me, it was only slightly better than a typical muni course. I lived in the Bay area for many years and played Santa Clara course. It is a typical muni course. Nothing much to look at. Coyote Creek by 101 is Nicklaus design, but I hated it because a lot of fairways have a little "creek" or rough right around 250-280 yds from the tee box. So even if you hit a good drive, unless you can carry 280+, you'll be in a hazard or rough. I played it once and never went back because of that.

One place you should definitely check out (and is not too far) is Cinnabar ( www.cinnabarhills.com ). It is 27 hole course and is a hidden jem. Beautiful lay out and conditions, and best of all not too expensive. Hell of a lot better than over priced Pasatiempo or Coyote Creek.

Trust me. I played all those courses and I would pick Cinnabar over Pasatiempo or Coyote Creek in a heart beat.

Another course you might want to consider is San Juan Oaks ( www.sanjuanoaks.com ). It is Freddie Couples design. It is a beautiful course, well worth it.

[golf-beginner]

I live about 10 mins from Santa Clara. For public course, Santa Teresa Golf Course is a pretty nice one. It also has one of the best 9 holes course in North California. about 20 mins drive from Santa Clara.

[Fat Slice]

One place you should definitely check out (and is not too far) is Cinnabar (

Two excellent suggestions. You might also consider a 45 min trip to Wente in Livermore. Nice course.

[Shanks A Million]

While you're there, check out the old Southern Pacific railway line. This thing gave us one of the most awful miscarriages of justice ever. Back when they built the line, they had to install fences to keep animals off the tracks. Apparently, the Southern Pacific corporation felt that it wasn't fair that they had to pay tax on these fences, because they didn't constitute part of the actual roadway, but were improvements.

The thing is, a quote taken out of context somehow got interpreted (supposedly a court reported added his own words) as saying the corporation was given the same rights as a human being. Later lawyers who were fighting on the side of corporations used this to try (and they succeeded) and convince courts that a corporation had the same rights as a human being under the 14th amendment. This BS led to the current state of corporate personhood, in which a corporation is granted the same rights as a human being, yet is immortal, unfeeling, and can not be imprisoned. So, a corporation is entitled to the same rights as you or I, but cannot be punished for it's actions under law. The United States is certainly a strange place sometimes.

Score one for the lobbyists.

So, whenever you see an ex Southern Pacific line in Santa Clara, just say, "hey, that's the reason Enron can screw me out of my savings and get away with it!"

[Yukari]

Two excellent suggestions. You might also consider a 45 min trip to Wente in Livermore. Nice course.

Wente is a great course. I love playing there. The course winds through Wente vinyard.

Also, if you are going up to Livermore, you should also check out poppy ridge (not poppy hills in Pebble Beach--but poppy ridge in Livermore). Another 27 hole course with a beautiful layout.