Great golf courses! Played the Old Course and the Ocean Course on consecutive days, on July 22nd and 23rd. Both were in amazing shape from tee to green, no weaknesses whatsoever, including tee boxes a... Continue »

Great golf courses! Played the Old Course and the Ocean Course on consecutive days, on July 22nd and 23rd. Both were in amazing shape from tee to green, no weaknesses whatsoever, including tee boxes and bunkers. Service was great for the most part, with the only exceptions being 1.) The beverage cart ended kinda early on Friday, around 4pm, when we were still on the front nine (we played twilight), and 2.) They forgot or otherwise failed to set up my caddie reservation for Saturday morning, and had to scramble to find me one, which they did, but not until I was on the 3rd hole.

All of thet notwithstanding, this was an amazing place to play. Definitely worth the money, as it's a bucket list type of place. What makes it so worthwhile is the combination of the conditions, and the views. #16 thru 18 on the Ocean Course are all along the beach, making for a gorgeous finishing stretch. But #18 on the Old Course is the most beautiful golf hole I've ever seen, much less played, as it is also along the coast; but the way it has an elevated tee and the Ritz Carlton hotel behind the green makes it ridiculously scenic. We were fortunate to also have perfect weather as we played this hole, with blue skies and only an hour away from sunset.

As for the layouts, both were great, but I personally enjoyed the Ocean Course a little more. Maybe that's just cuz I played a little better (despite shooting a worse score), but I felt like the back nine of the Old Course was harder than the front, while I felt both nines of the Ocean Course were equal in difficulty. Both are great though. The Old Course is a fairly traditional semi-parkland layout, while the Ocean Course is a links-style course. Put them both on your bucket list!!

Got together with a former colleague to play here today who lives on the course. I can't believe its been 10 years since I last played here. Nothing much changed but the prices WOW. When I worked in S... Continue »

Got together with a former colleague to play here today who lives on the course. I can't believe its been 10 years since I last played here. Nothing much changed but the prices WOW. When I worked in Silicon Valley this course was on our rotation quite frequently. It was done by Palmer in 73 and it is a classic IMO. It was common in the days to see retired pro players (Mays, McCovey, DiMaggio) and current players (Montana, Rice) playing here also. The pro at that time was a man named Clyde "Moon" Mullins who to me was the definition of what a pro golfer was supposed to be. Glad to see they named the restaurant (Mullins) after him. The course is still one of the nicest you will find in the Bay Area if I do say so myself. From the first tee to the last (with many holes playing along the water and great views) it is truly a wonderful layout. I also think it never really got the accolades it deserved. It also has one of the best 18 finishing hole you will find. And 15, 16 17 will test your playing ability. Tee boxes were all very good. Fairways with good lies/roll. Rough was thick and especially that d%mn ice plant (hate that stuff). Bunkers were playable with no issues. Greens in nice shape and chipped/putted consistently all round. I had my first "breakfast burrito" here many years ago and I think I probably came for the burrito first and golf second and the coffee was the best. The restaurant today is still serving great food (and the burrito) and still has that old comfortable feeling that it did back in the days. Yes they have a new H M B links with a Ritz Carlton not far away. But too me, the "Old Course" at Half Moon Bay will always be the one I would prefer to play.

Played it on 2/24 as part of a tournament.

As for the conditions: The course is in very good shape & the greens are quick & challenging. Fairways are lush & manicured. The rough is penal, but ... Continue »

Played it on 2/24 as part of a tournament.

As for the conditions: The course is in very good shape & the greens are quick & challenging. Fairways are lush & manicured. The rough is penal, but not overly. The tee boxes are almost all sanded, but didn't make a huge difference, as they are level. The bunkers varied from very good, with nice, fluffy sand to mediocre with sand the consistency of wet cement.

As for the Layout: I had forgotten what a great course this is. Lots of elevation changes & doglegs, but not hokey at all. It's not a "wow" course, except for the last 2 holes & perhaps #9, but it is a great, challenging park land layout. Most locals actually prefer this to the Ocean course. PoP was horrible, but I was playing in a tournament on a busy Saturday with a Frost Delay to boot.

A Couple of things to consider: It's expensive to play there, especially on the weekend. Also, the pace of play can be brutal during prime time, due to the "Resort" nature of the courses there. If you are looking for the "wow" experience with multiple holes on the ocean, give the Ocean Course a try.

First time playing the Old Course yesterday. In general, the course is well maintained. Fairway ways are green and the greens are in excellent shape. However, the bunkers are in poor shape: they ar... Continue »

First time playing the Old Course yesterday. In general, the course is well maintained. Fairway ways are green and the greens are in excellent shape. However, the bunkers are in poor shape: they are either have little sand, hard pan, or under repair. For the price they charge, there are no GPS on carts and no complimentary bottled water on the course. Another issue is that houses are very close to the fairways ans seems like your see more backyards than fairways.

The course is not too difficult to play. The #18 signature hole offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and with the Ritz Carlton in the background. The tee shot is quite intimating.

The green fees are quite pricey, unless your can get a very good deal, otherwise, play somewhere else.

Finally went up to HMB to play Old and Ocean. Played Old on Friday 6/28 @ 2pm as a 2some. It's a very nice parkland type of course very well maintained. No complaints at all about any of the condit... Continue »

Finally went up to HMB to play Old and Ocean. Played Old on Friday 6/28 @ 2pm as a 2some. It's a very nice parkland type of course very well maintained. No complaints at all about any of the conditions. As we played thru the first 16 holes, we found ourselves enjoying the round but not blown away by it. However, when we got to the tees on 17, we finally saw the great ocean view at HMB. Finishing 17 and going to 18th tee box, we were just amazed by the sight. A great finishing hole framed by the ocean on the right and the hotel beyond the green. I think I would pay $100 just to play the 18th hole again. We finished the round in about 4 hours while taking many pictures so pace of play was not an issue. Highly recommended.

Played my second round of the day on the Old Course. They charged me a replay rate of $69 and it was well worth it. The fog lifted a bit more and the views were much more enjoyable on this course, eve... Continue »

Played my second round of the day on the Old Course. They charged me a replay rate of $69 and it was well worth it. The fog lifted a bit more and the views were much more enjoyable on this course, even though houses surround most every hole. It's a more residential layout until you get to the spectacular finishing holes. The 18th is one of the most beautiful and incredible finishing holes I've ever played. Breathtaking hole along the ocean with the Ritz-Carlton behind the green.

I played by myself for the first few holes before catching up to some other groups. Another single caught up with me and we played together for a number of holes. He worked there, so he gave me some good insight about the course, but then left after 10 holes to go back to work. After that I was a single stuck behind a bunch of slow groups, but I didn't mind too much because I was enjoying the course. Long and challenging course with a lot of doglegs and plenty of trees.

The course was in excellent shape and much more lush and green than the Ocean Course. Fairways nice and fluffy, which meant not a lot of roll. The grass is very "sticky" here, too, which makes it play longer and tougher. The rough was lush and relatively deep, so it was tough. The greens were exceptional. A little softer and more receptive than Ocean, but still just as smooth and fast. The sand traps here were excellent, as well. Very nice sand to hit from.

Whether it was the weather, the conditions or the course itself, I ended up enjoying the Old Course much more than the Ocean. Both were nice and worth the deals I got by signing up on their e-club. Old has a great stretch of finishing holes and 18 is one of the best anywhere. Ocean has plenty of great holes, as well, and I'm sure the views are really great on a clearer day than I got. I would recommend both courses if you get the right deal.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links Course Review
Northern California Golf Course Reviews

This course winds through the housing development on the same property as the hotel. There are houses bordering all but the final 2 holes and thus is tighter than the Ocean course. It is also longer a... Continue »

This course winds through the housing development on the same property as the hotel. There are houses bordering all but the final 2 holes and thus is tighter than the Ocean course. It is also longer and more highly rated, 75.2 for back tees and 73.4 for the blues. Most of the holes have a more traditional, country club feel. I tended to forget I was near the ocean and felt I was playing an old William P. Bell layout here in Southern California. I also concentrated very hard on not spraying the nice houses with my shots.

The conditions were near pristine—no exaggeration. I think this course gets less play than the ocean course so there were less divot marks in the lush fairways. The sand was consistent and the rough was more punishing than that on the Ocean course but you could still find your ball and hit from it. The putting surfaces were unblemished with medium fast to fast greens on which the ball rolled true. The layout has a number of blind dog legs and tee shots that require you to work the ball more than the Ocean course. Despite this, I found that I didn’t end up in the trees (or houses) bordering the fairways often. I readily attribute this to the generosity of the width of the fairways rather to any skill on my part. Any reasonably hit drive will probably leave you with a viable approach. Pin placement then becomes the key which ranged from easy to difficult (but never ridiculously difficult, I thought.)

I’m sure other reviewers have mentioned the final 2 holes are a departure being right on the ocean and incredibly scenic. The par 4, 18th is as dramatic as any, I think, that you’ll find on the coast. From an elevated tee, the approach rises back up to an elevated green. Unless you’re a long, consistent hitter, consider leaving the driver in the bag because there is trouble at the end of the fairway, and you probably wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of anyone watching from the patio.

At less than 40% the cost of Pebble Beach, I think these courses are a much better value.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links Course Review
Northern California Golf Course Reviews

Still today one of the finest golf courses not only in CA but anywhere. One of Palmer's first courses back in the 70's. This course has changed very little, if at all, since my last round from a few y... Continue »

Still today one of the finest golf courses not only in CA but anywhere. One of Palmer's first courses back in the 70's. This course has changed very little, if at all, since my last round from a few years back and it did not disappoint us today. Greatest breakfast at any course in the Bay Area; 18 holes of truly wonderful fairways; tough and beautiful greens, along with superlative views. The last four holes 15-18 are four of the finest golf holes you will find at any golf course (public/private) in my opinion and will either make/break your game. This course is most likely unknown to many but it you are in N CA and looking for a truly outstanding course to play, this is one that you will never regret playing. If you have time you can play the new links course they put in a few years back but if you have time for only one round, make it here for sure. The only thing that would have even made the day better, would have been if Moon Mullins the pro for so many years had been had been in the shop, like he was so many of the times in the past when we played here. If you are going to go up to the US Open next month and plan on playing golf, do it here. Short drive from Olympic Club and one you will be glad you did.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links Course Review
Northern California Golf Course Reviews

played old course black friday 11/25/11. worried when i saw the small practice green had been aerated recently, but relieved to find that the greens were not. greens were VERY soft and receptive, pr... Continue »

played old course black friday 11/25/11. worried when i saw the small practice green had been aerated recently, but relieved to find that the greens were not. greens were VERY soft and receptive, presumably due to rain earlier in the week, it was also cart path only that day. Fixing pitchmarks was like pushing mashed potatoes around. Yeesh. As a result greens were slower than usual, and a little bumpy to boot. Conditions otherwise very good, no drainage issues in fairways etc. Decent value via e-club, a nice layout with good shot variety but a bit on the pricey side relative to other options around the bay.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links Course Review
Northern California Golf Course Reviews