I’ll make this short and sweet. Peter did a fantastic job describing the course and conditions. I would emphasize that the greens were definitely o... » More

I’ll make this short and sweet. Peter did a fantastic job describing the course and conditions. I would emphasize that the greens were definitely on the slow side. The subtle breaks made for a challenge to read. It’s a fun course for sure but certainly a ways off the beaten path. If you are headed to Tahoe or Sacramento, or just taking the super car for a drive on the beautiful backroads, do yourself a favor and take a detour to this track.
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Time for an update for Bay View. Played yesterday afternoon behind a tournament which made things slow but not too bad. Conditions remain consisten... » More

Time for an update for Bay View. Played yesterday afternoon behind a tournament which made things slow but not too bad. Conditions remain consistent at Bay View with everything being in the acceptable range. Greens rolled very smooth and held approach shots well. They seemed to roll a bit faster than normal as they can be on the slow side here. Whereas most putts rolled at a medium pace, uphill putts were really slow.

Fairways were a little thin but certainly playable and provided a reliable hitting surface. Bunkers and tee boxes were both ok. Again, nothing spectacular but definitely in the acceptable range. Golf carts have GPS and customer service is always great here. The remodel on the restaurant and pro shop is complete so gone are the portable toilets in the parking lot and temp pro shop set up. Everything is back to normal. They are still working on the range. Range is open as they are working on the landing area not the hitting end of the range. However I think the range is closed a couple hours a day during construction but I’m not sure.

Usually i can find a nice window for a fast POP but today it was at 4 hrs which wasn’t too bad considering we were behind a tournament. Given the conditions, cost to play and (usually) fast POP, this has become my go to course in the South/East Bay Area.
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Played Spanish Bay this morning at 9:30 and a couple weeks ago with a mid afternoon tee time. For the most part the course remains in great shape exc... » More

Played Spanish Bay this morning at 9:30 and a couple weeks ago with a mid afternoon tee time. For the most part the course remains in great shape except for the sand traps. The greens are rolling very nice. Today they rolled at the perfect medium-fast pace. Last time they seemed a bit slower but that could have just been because the round was sandwiched between two rounds at Spyglass which has wicked fast greens. Greens at Spanish Bay today were a tad firm. Oddly enough pitch shots would check up but approach shots were 50/50.

Fairways are excellent. Given it’s in the heart of summer, the fairways are lush throughout and present a perfect combination of roll out and a great hitting surface.

The weak point of the course are the greenside bunkers. The sand is wet, thin and firm throughout. I was in six alone today and only one was nice. The others ranged from poor to manageable. No problem with the tee boxes. Level and lush.

POP is always in the 4.5 hour range. Even though my play was less than stellar it was a picture perfect day without a breath of wind and the ocean was flat as can be.
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Where to begin? I’ll start by saying that this was the first time playing this course for both me and my buddy. Whereas the conditions were average (... » More

Where to begin? I’ll start by saying that this was the first time playing this course for both me and my buddy. Whereas the conditions were average (at best) and the course is completely flat (very walkable) it does have some charm! I don’t know why but I really liked this layout. The holes were fun and unique with multiple dog leg variations with holes turning left, right, Par 5 “S” shape, a horse shoe Par 4, some water hazards, including a little lake with sailboats and forced carries over barranca. I don’t know who designed the course but they got creative and did a great job!

As for the conditions, well…. Did I mention it was a great layout! lol, Conditions were all over the place. the greens looked like a gravel pit but surprisingly rolled very smooth at a medium fast pace. I wish I could blame the lack of a birdie on the greens but sadly it was all me in the form of miss reads or just bad putts. The greens held approach shots well. I will say the front nine seemed firmer than the back nine. Most of the greens were single tier with modest slope but there were a few double tiered greens that made it difficult if you were on the wrong level.

Fairways were a bit of a disappointment and easily the weak link of the course. Numerous brown, dead, and thin areas throughout the entire course. Rough was more of just patchy un-mowed grass that with a good lie was a pleasure to hit from and in the dirt sucked!

Bunkers were one or the other. The first two were super nice with a plethora of fluffy sand (albeit not raked from the morning golfers) and then the last two were hard pan dirt.

Tee boxes were level with decent enough coverage.

I don’t know what the POP was as we were talking shop and just enjoying the day. We waited on every tee shot but that was mainly due to my buddy being a long hitter (300 yard drive range).

So the big question is if I’d recommend this track? I guess it all depends on the circumstances. For me, I’ll definitely play it again just because I liked the layout. If you only have one round in the area, there are better options.
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Played Laguna Seca yesterday afternoon on what was naturally and expected a busy holiday weekend round. Conditions have declined slightly but still o... » More

Played Laguna Seca yesterday afternoon on what was naturally and expected a busy holiday weekend round. Conditions have declined slightly but still overall not bad and much better than years past when everything was hit and miss. Greens actually rolled fairly smooth. Given it was an afternoon round finishing up at 6:30 PM the greens held up well (3 birdies on the day helps with the ratings). Greens rolled at a medium pace that I suspect wasn’t as slow as they seemed. But after playing Spyglass twice last week everything feels slow. Greens were a bit firm but held well struck approach shots.

Fairways remain consistent. Think of a typical average (but decent) muni course and that’s what the fairways are here. In fact the entire course could be considered your average muni course. Most of the fairways had decent lush coverage. Only a few thin spots here and there.

Rough seems to be growing in, as in narrowing the fairways. Not sure if it’s my imagination or if they are getting ready for a tournament. Anyway, the rough isn’t too bad. Only about 1-1.5 inches thick and the ball sits up pretty well. Only real downside is lack of roll out if you hit the rough.

Sand boxes were decent enough. In fact I played Spanish Bay last weekend and the bunkers at Laguna Seca were in better shape. Main issue was players not raking them. I was in three or four bunkers and all had multiple footprints. There are plenty of rakes for each bunker so please start using them folks.

The main downside to the course is the kikuyu grass surrounding the greens. It’s hard to be consistent with your short game trying to navigate this stuff. POP was just over 4.5 hours which actually isn’t bad for a holiday weekend. I walked and this is a stern walk for sure. Doable for anyone in shape but definitely a no go for those with knee problems, etc.

Laguna Seca has always been one of my favorite layouts and with the new owners the conditions match the price point.
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