Mather is in top shape...greens are good and pretty true, fairways and rough are better than decent. Tee boxes are a bit rough and unlevel in spots and if people would just take a FEW MINUTES to repair their ball marks, it could be much better for everyone. If you don't know how to fix a ball mark on a green, ask in the pro shop...if you're just too lazy to make the effort, then find something else to do!!! Now...if that cart girl would just come around more often...

I played Nakoma last September on an "all you could play" coupon after 12 noon for $40, and it was all I could have asked for and a whole lot more. Not many people on the course that day and I was paired with 2 area property owners who were able to guide me around, which was invaluable as you can get confused in certain places. The course was in excellent shape and there are more than one or two tricky holes that can kill you the first time you play. I'd heard that they'd "dumbed" the course down a bit so as to make it more fun for us average golfers and when I asked my playing partners what had been done, they said it mostly consisted of removing some trees in strategic locations to make approach shots easier. It was about a 300 mile roundtrip for me, but I think it was easily worth the drive for the experience. They've gone thru some trying corporate experiences and there was a move to have the home owners take over the management of the course so they don't lose it...and it would be a shame if it was lost, as you don't find courses of this caliber too often, for the price paid.

Saddle Creek is a great test of your golfing prowess. Played today on the back half of the "Bump Back" promotion that "The Creeks" (Saddle & Greenhorn) combined to promote...played Greenhorn last month. The staff at Saddle are very courteous and strive to make your golf experience the best you can have. The practice facility is fantastic. The greens look a bit funny with multiple types of grass there, but the roll is pretty true. They were hard today...something a few squirts of water would take care of. Fairways were lush, sand a bit wet under the top layer, but the tee boxes were first-rate. This is a great course so if you can get there, do yourself a favor and play it. Even better if you can do the "Stay-and-Play". Now...if they'll just bring back that golf & dinner special they ran a couple of years ago!

If you couldn't play golf in N. CA today, with the weather as good as it was, you missed a great day to be out. Took on the fairways & greens at Rancho Solano on a day with little/no wind. RARE. I can't think of any courses that are in better shape than RS in every aspect at the moment...altho I didn't get in any sand today so can't quantify a rating there, but everything else, especially the greens, were in top-notch condition. The fairways were soggy in some places, not unexpected after the storms we had last weekend, but still very playable. A special thank you to the cart lady this day...the "order-from-your-cart" menu function wasn't working and this young lady took my order on the 9th tee, went back to the clubhouse to fill it, and brought it back out to me before we finished the hole. What service! And if you don't notice her smile, you need to have your eyes checked. The staff at RS are very good and even tho it's a 100+ mile round trip for me, it is always worth the drive.

All the usual suspects at The Ridge were in very, very good condition...tee boxes, fairways, rough, bunkers/traps, range balls, and greens. But the greens are the most diabolical I recall ever putting on. Breaks that you can't read, and breaks that won't happen where you do! Someday, I'm gonna be able to putt well here and that will feel a lot like breaking par. Very minimal damage from other golfers and even tho we were a two-some sandwiched between four-somes, we really weren't held up enough to gripe about...still finished in just 4.5 hours. 90 degree rule was in effect for all but a few holes which were cart-path only due to being pretty soggy, but was surprised that we were able to do that. Service is always good here.

Played the Vineyards nine followed by the Meadows nine today...I could count all the other golfers I saw all day on one hand between the 3 nines that Chardonnay has, pace of play would have to be rated exceptional. A rare day it is when that happens...anywhere! The course is looking pretty good for this time of year, although the Meadows nine is undergoing some tee box resodding and some greens enhancement, but when spring rolls around, it's gonna be great. Overall, the greens, fairways, and rough are better than one might expect...some tee boxes are getting beat up tho. You can't beat the service at this golf course...it's all first rate.

Mather is doing pretty well these days...the fairways are generally in excellent condition and while the greens are a little bumpy from the aerification, they still putt pretty true. All in all, a good value, condition-wise, this time of year. The crew there seems to have put in quite a bit of effort to get the course back to its former shape and it shows.

A day without wind at Rancho Solano is rare...but it wasn't too bad on the front nine today...however, it DID pick up later as the day went on. The course is in excellent shape for this time of year...the greens, while looking a little shaggy, held their line well and due to some morning watering, accepted approach shots well. Fairways and rough are also good and the grounds crew were working to keep everything as good as could be. Some tee areas were chewed up, but I think that was as much due to the short distance between the markers as anything else...some of them were no more than 6' apart and yeah, the turf will take a beating when that happens. The cart girl was unbelievable...she really put some miles on her cart today. Pace of play slowed some after about 4 holes, due to 4-somes, followed by 3-somes followed by 2-somes, but still made it around in somewhat over 4 hours. Good course conditions, good staff...it's a good course.

Journeyed over to the coast last Friday to play Bodega Harbour and what a test it was...the wind was up and howling the whole round...been a while since I've had balls blown off the tee or move on the green while trying to putt. The course itself was in very decent shape with only a few gripes. Some bunkers, mostly on the back side, were devoid of sand and many of them had small rocks and pebbles in them...not good for a club's finish. Greens were a bit shaggy in appearance, but the roll you got was true. Fairways and tee boxes were in very good condition and I feel fortunate I finished with the same ball I started with. Excellent customer-oriented staff. A good course...if you can play it when the wind is not going to blow your shots back at you. Now, if they can just fix the traps and bunkers...

Greenhorn Creek is one of the best bang-for-the-buck courses in N. Cal., in my humble opinion and easily worth the drive for me from Sacramento to Angels Camp. The staff are always in full press mode to ensure you are treated as a guest, and not just a wallet that wandered into the pro shop. The course is in super shape, but if you aren't used to close-cropped greens that usually refuse to stop your ball no matter how much spin you put on it, you're in for a revelation. The term "ball mark" is replaced by "minor dent" on these greens...sometimes it's hard to find where you came down. Plenty of challange in this course...it isn't a "cookie-cutter", but on the other hand, it isn't one that will chew you up and spit you out and make you want to throw your sticks into the first pond you see...it's a fair test and I can't think of a club that I didn't use today. They've revamped some of the tee boxes and #13 is a landscape work of the first order...nice job crew! Hard to find a better view on a course that isn't parked next to the ocean. If you haven't played it, you should. GolfNow.com offers some pretty decent deals for this time of year during the week.

Played the "Meadows" nine followed by the "Vineyards" track on the 24th. Was redeeming a birthday coupon for a free round...now how many courses do you play who offer you that? All I did was to get on their email list and play there a time or two a year and...voila! Just happened to get paired up with another golfer who was there for the same reason. They also sent a coupon good for 10% off the total purchase in their bar/grille so with the exception of my lack of golfing skill that day, it was all good. The two courses were in very good shape from the tee boxes to the greens. Their new carts can tackle the couple of high elevation points with ease. Great group of people there everywhere...from the bag drop to the proshop, the bar/grille and oncourse marshalls. Never a problem going back to a place where they treat you that good.

The tees and fairways at Whitney Oaks are in pretty decent shape...a few fairways have been recently punched so there are plugs all over but it seemed to our group that the ones that weren't aeriated were cut pretty low. The greens are bumpy, slower than I ever remember, and look a bit ugly but not sure if it's from the aerification process or an invasion of some other type of grass. As with most Johnny Miller courses, you'd swear there are bodies buried in the greens. The bunkers have been treated to some new sand since I was last wading around in them - a white sand that sometimes hides your ball if you're not looking right at it and if wet under the surface, not very easy to get out of. It's a tougher course, but interesting to play, fairly open front side and a much tighter stretch of holes on the back side...if the wind is up, it can be an "E-ride".