SFbaybum

I live in Monterey and Pebble can be tough to get onto, especially in September which is kind of the high season (some of the best weather) around here. You will absolutely pay full price that time of year which I think is about $450 right now. I also heavily recommend Spy but don't forget Bayonet and Blackhorse have recently been remodeled and are very nice at much more reasonable prices. Spanish Bay, Poppy Hills and Old Del Monte are quality public tracks as well but the real gems are in the local private courses. If you have a membership and can go reciprocal I'd highly recommend Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course), The Preserve, Tehama and Corral de Tierra Country Club. Cypress is obvious but you'll never get on.

Yea, I have to agree with those who say California is #1. First of all, the sheer size of California and the fact that we play golf year round should tell you there is a lot more golf to be had here than anywhere else in the country. The Monterey Peninsula alone is world class, not to mention all of the great courses in The Bay Area, Tahoe, Southern California and the desert (Palm Springs, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Bermuda Dunes, etc). There are plenty of places that have notable courses, but California has probably hundreds or even thousands that are just short of the lists everyone reads. Personally, I'd put AZ 2nd, The Carolinas 3rd, Fla 4th, and then I don't know after that...

Heading to Scottsdale this weekend and playing The Golf Club of Scottsdale (private club)as well as The Boulders (both North and South). Can't wait.

All I know is I love that show. Watching these guys gag under pressure is hilarious. Not one of them is remotely close to a legit tour player, but it is fun to watch how they handle the different circumstances and they're comments. Randall is a joke. That guy won't shut his yapper yet he is the biggest choker on either team.

I use the Cobra Baffler and can't recommend it enough. Was looking long and hard at the Taylor Made, but the pros at my club claimed they hooked the TM too much and the Baffler was much easier to hit straight. After demo sessions with both, I agreed. The Baffler (with Aldila NV S shaft) is probably my favorite club.

I guess it truly is a different world out here in California. "Semi Private" generally refers to resort courses, which can be anywhere from $100 to $350 for green fees. Private refers to country clubs. I belong to a club. Current memberships run about $65,000 (there are some much, much, much more expensive), plus monthly dues of $350, plus quarterly minimums (for food and beverage) of $350. That said, I can't imagine life without it. The weather is great year round, and during daylight savings I go out after work, put one of my kids on a cart with me and play as few or as many holes as we can get it. These investements can be tough for individuals to justify, but once you have kids who want to play the game, it makes a lot of sense.