I finally made it out to DeLaveaga on Wednesday. I got a gift card for this track about a year ago and just hadn’t made it out yet. My wife has played it a couple of times and she thoroughly enjoys... Continue »

I finally made it out to DeLaveaga on Wednesday. I got a gift card for this track about a year ago and just hadn’t made it out yet. My wife has played it a couple of times and she thoroughly enjoys it. So off I went on a picture perfect day with temps in the 70’s and absolutely NO wind.

This is a muni course where locals hang out and just about everyone on the course knew each other. I get the feeling that it just as much social as it is golf there. My wife forewarned me as I was getting my outfit together, that don’t be surprised if I run into people in jeans and tee shirts.

Now, I’m a golf snob when it comes to dress codes on the golf course. I get it. But what I experienced was beyond belief. The “well dressed” member of the group was in a clean and pressed “Cancun” Mexico tourist tee shirt to go with his gardening cargo shorts. It went from there all the way down to a battered, dirty tank top with some 25 year old surfer shorts that looked like they were eaten by a shark and spit out!

As far as etiquette? Two of the members never stopped talking the entire round to include during my swing and while putting for birdie. Basically, think of Santa Cruz in the 60’s and you get the gest of the type of people who hang out at DeLaveaga.

Staff in the pro shop were super friendly and helpful to include changing my tee time Tuesday morning from that day to Wednesday so that I wouldn’t be on the phone during the entire round as I had some business to take care of.

Course layout is fun. Set in the Santa Cruz forest with only a few houses around. Oddly, for being a mountain course, there wasn’t that much elevation change. A little here and there but nothing drastic. I walked and it was an easy walk. The course has a lot of unique holes but nothing gimmicky. Luckily I had the help from one of the locals to help navigate the doglegs.

Condition wise, the greens were awesome. They rolled very smooth at a fast pace. Most greens were docile but a couple were double tiered. Fairways were the leak part. Thin coverage for the most part but playable. Think winter thin muni. Bunkers were thin as well. Tee boxes were average at best.

Given the conditions, I don’t think the $60 to walk price tag is justified, but it’s not far off. I’m glad went and played it. And yes I’ll be back. I forgot my gift card at home so I have to go back and play. Next time, I’ll take my mountain bike with me and go for a nice ride before/after the round and place less emphasis on the golf.