Played Monarch Beach today (gratis), second time there, what a beauty. What high end golf in the OC is all about. Lush fairways with greens that are slick & quick. Bunkers fabulous, and there are a... Continue »

Played Monarch Beach today (gratis), second time there, what a beauty. What high end golf in the OC is all about. Lush fairways with greens that are slick & quick. Bunkers fabulous, and there are a ton of bunkers on this course ... a few water hazards, too. POP was about 4.5 hrs. We played it back and it was all I could handle, especially reading the greens. If you've never been here, then take an extra few seconds to look at your putts from a few different angles before firing away. The front of #18 green had some fungle issues, probably from coot crap residue. Man, I hate coots. The GK event coming up will get fastastic conditions. Advice: do everything you can to stay below the pin. Also, the back-left pin location on scenic hole #3 (by the ocean) was ridiculous ... it was an auto 3 putt today. I just picked up and took a double. Great experience, great layout. Would play here every week if I could afford it.

I played here this past Sunday (2/24). When you play resort golf, you pay a resort price. While I had an overall positive experience at Monarch Beach, I do not think it is worth the $210.00 (weekend p... Continue »

I played here this past Sunday (2/24). When you play resort golf, you pay a resort price. While I had an overall positive experience at Monarch Beach, I do not think it is worth the $210.00 (weekend prime) greens fee. The course does have some outstanding views and #3 which is clearly the signature hole is really spectacular right on the water. The back 9 also has some great views looking west into the Pacific and on a clear day presents some great views of Catalina. So, while I understand the price because of the location I think the price should also reflect the golf and at $210 you can find better a better course to play in the area. I agree with a lot of the previous GK'rs who opined the greens were really tough. They are really difficult. I thought they rolled particularly well, but the slope of the greens is intense. I would suggest that anyone who considers playing here in the future put a premium on approach shots staying below the hole. Since this was my first round here, I didn't know the greens and found myself to be at the mercy of the slope for a lot of downhill putts. The downhill putts won't stop unless they hit the cup. Overall condition of the course was good. Tee boxes, fairways and roughs presented fair lies throughout the round. The course presents a lot of blind shots from the tee, so I would suggest you pay attention to the GPS. The following holes are sharp doglegs where you may want to think about keeping driver in the bag: #2,#3, #12, and #18. #14 is also a blind tee shot, but it's a par 5 so fire away! I also noticed that the wind was constantly changing. Where I'm used to westerly winds off the pacific in San Diego, this was not always the case at Monarch Beach. No driving range, but they do have a hitting bay. Valet parking is available at no charge, but not required as my playing partners just pulled into the lot and parked their own cars if you're not into that sort of thing. The service was outstanding from the valet attendants, the pro shop, outside service and cart girls/snack shack.

Played here for GK Play on 2/10/13. This golf course is located in the some of the most expensive real estate area so I can clearly see the price they charge is reasonable. This is Ocean View course... Continue »

Played here for GK Play on 2/10/13. This golf course is located in the some of the most expensive real estate area so I can clearly see the price they charge is reasonable. This is Ocean View course that is on the Ritz Carlton property with many beautiful views. First thing I notice is that if you drive to the course itself, its Valet only. You will also see 6 figure cars all over the parking lot. Basically you can smell money from the parking lot....LOL. They do not have a driving range but 3 netted hitting bays so place may get crowded. This was fine for me but range balls they had was horrible. Its old and beat up and felt weird when I was hitting it. I would suggest taking couple of your golf ball and use them instead until they replace them. Practice green had plenty of space with lots of variety slope to practice all kinds of putt. Club house is plenty big and is stocked fully with plenty of items for sale. Starting with the first hole, you can tell that this course will be extra difficult if you don't hit straight tee shots. OB on the left and bunkers running the entire right side. Most of the holes have narrow fairways and premium is put on for straight drives. On the plus side, you may not need to hit driver off the tee so this may save you some strokes. If this is your first time playing here, pay extra attention to the GPS as some of the holes where you need to hit your tee shot is not readily apparent as I found out after few tee shots. There are many dog legs and greens are very undulating so its good to know which side to miss will also be very helpful. Ocean views were magnificent and nice breeze in your face while Sun was around felt great. There were some beautiful holes mixed in with few average holes. Greens were fast and pin placements were tough. I would love to play this course again when I'm not recovering from bad chest cold. All in all, I recommend this course to everyone except for the budget conscience golfers looking for bang for the buck. Lastly, staff needs to somehow take care of the coot poop better. Putting on the 18th hole was like playing plinko. My golf ball bounced off at least 3 coot poop even after I cleaned my path somewhat.

Played in the GK outing this past weekend. Great to see everyone again out there. Got there a tad later than I wanted to and was actually surprised when I found out there is no range and just the hi... Continue »

Played in the GK outing this past weekend. Great to see everyone again out there. Got there a tad later than I wanted to and was actually surprised when I found out there is no range and just the hitting stations. For a course of this caliber to have only 4 stations was kind of puzzling. I thought the putting greens was pretty fast but I think the actual greens were a little slower which is probably why I 3 putted 3 of the first 4 holes. I think I adjusted afterwards but do think the greens were pretty smooth. Kind of a few ball marks from people not repairing them. I will agree with Mike and that pin on #4 is absurd and should be illegal. Fairways were ok. I was with Mike and he found some bad lies and I found one of the punch lies. Don't think the rough was really all that bad but it is winter. Found the sand trap on the first hole and that was the only one I remember and it was decent. Layout is interesting, there are some holes that I did not care for 14 and 18 come to mind. Because this is not a long course there are areas that collect some golf balls so there would be a lot of divots in those areas and I found 2 lies in some unrepaired divots. There are some holes I'd certainly play differently. I thought the holes from the tee were a little intimidating but I think it's a little more forgiving than it appears to be although you can't be too wild. I'd play here again if the price was right.

Got to play and hang out with fellow GK’ers Sunday for a GK Plays. Thanks everyone for coming. I teed it up with rudyclub, cassiusclay and stickboy and enjoyed it fully. This was my 4th time playing... Continue »

Got to play and hang out with fellow GK’ers Sunday for a GK Plays. Thanks everyone for coming. I teed it up with rudyclub, cassiusclay and stickboy and enjoyed it fully. This was my 4th time playing the course and again I loved the layout. The conditions this time around were very good. I found the greens mostly smooth, held shots very well, fast and firm regarding short chips. You really need to be on the correct parts of the greens to avoid three putting. Regarding the fairways, although they were greenish yellow due to the cold temps this time of year, I found them to provide plenty of cushion beneath the ball. I never was on a dirt lie all day and only saw just a few areas that had aeration ¼ inch aeration holes and thin. Overall I thought the fairways played very well. Regarding the bunkers, very high quality sand although consistently thin in that there was a 2 inch fluffy layer on top of a compacted layer. I was fine with it, actually made the sand shots easier and I never had to concern myself with a plugged ball. All the bunkers I saw were very well cared for and nicely groomed. Tee boxes were in good shape but due to the small size of them, there was evidence of divot damage. Something that would have helped is divot mix on the tee boxes because unlike my group, I doubt many golfers would use the mix on their carts. Rough adjacent to fairways was only about inch taller and in similar condition however the rough adjacent to the greens was often 3 inches, lush and a challenge to get up and down out of. To me it’s a fantastic layout. Every hole is interesting requiring smart play to avoid the bunkers and excellent short game skills. There are many gorgeous holes with hole three topping them all next to the ocean. I loved the green complexes as every approach showcases large deep faced bunkers...it forces you to make the right decisions on your distance control for sure! Regarding price to play, I personally take all things into consideration in that it’s a course servicing a high end resort, located in ritzy Dana Pointe among a private community on prime coastal real estate. The service is at the top end and the clubhouse with its ocean view is spectacular. So given the type of clientele this course typically serves, I’d say the rack rates are spot on. As for the discount hunter, I think it’s a course one needs to experience but if watching your budget is a big factor deciding where to play, you likely don’t want to put it in your rotation. I highly recommend this course.

Played yesterday 2/10/2013 in the GK Play. Tee time 11:40am.

Had a great time with my fellow GK'ers. Big thanks to Johnny for setting this up. I am more prepared to play again on 3/9 for the eve... Continue »

Played yesterday 2/10/2013 in the GK Play. Tee time 11:40am.

Had a great time with my fellow GK'ers. Big thanks to Johnny for setting this up. I am more prepared to play again on 3/9 for the event. I will play many holes differently next time around.

customer service - top notch. from showing up and being greeted by the valet to the pro shop to the starter. First class customer service!

Tee boxes - they were level and only gripe would be they were set very close together. The tee box grounds were huge but the markers were set very close together (width wise).

fairways - some was great and others were punched and dirt, no grass. I had a lot of nasty lies in the middle of the fairway. especially hole #2.

bunkers - The ones I found, they were in great shape. Nice sand and hard under neath so the balls were not buried.

greens - where do i start. they are huge and very undulating. I thought the speed was great, they are fast and i liked them. however i do NOT like #3 green. pin position impossible if you are on the lower level and pin was on top left. 6 putt! yes 6 putt for me! Good thing i made up for it with 3 birdies on the back. #18 was terrible! I was shocked when i got on the green (after driving into the water off the tee). Coot crap ALL over and the green was hammered. Did not leave a good impression.

Worth the green fee (rack rate) - No way! It is lacking a lot to be a $185+ price. However I loved the lay out and would play again for a heavily discounted price.

Played Sunday afternoon, 2/10/13, in the GK Plays get-together. Thanks to Johnny for putting this together - I'm not able to make the 3/9 Event and welcomed the chance to play MB again for the first t... Continue »

Played Sunday afternoon, 2/10/13, in the GK Plays get-together. Thanks to Johnny for putting this together - I'm not able to make the 3/9 Event and welcomed the chance to play MB again for the first time in ~12 years. While weather inland in OC was very overcast, we had a lot of sunshine and great views of the ocean from the MB clubhouse and many holes here, with occasional clouds and even a brief sprinkle. Overall very attractive setting with topography and design separating holes pretty well, although the back nine is a little more proximal between holes. Thanks to my playing pardners Rudedog, amsmike, and weber2323 for an enjoyable round.

Conditions on the course were generally very good. We played the gold tees, which card out at ~6,000 yards, so the course did not play very long, and approaches were often made with short irons and wedges. There is generally ample room on the holes off the tees, although several holes offer narrow hitting lanes and are physically or visually constrained by hazards, bunkers, etc. (i.e., #2, #7, #14, etc.). Prior play gives you a better feel on club selection on some of these (and other) holes - 2 players in our group hit driver on #18 and wound up through the fairway into the lake. Lots of sand traps border the fairways and greens.

Greens were receptive and medium-fast, and rolled well especially downhill - missing the green above the hole was a real crapshoot for getting up and down. Fairway lies were generally good, although some fairway areas were pretty bare and had been recently punched, so the ball sat down and/or tight. Traps were consistent, with damp fairly firm sand that afforded good lies and plenty of base. Rough was pretty benign. Lots of opportunities to add strokes without swinging, as lateral hazards, lakes, and OB stakes abounded. Prolink GPS was pretty good, although dim and sometimes difficult to see. The hole location depicted was incorrect on at least 2 or 3 holes, with 18 being the most obvious (shown front left - actual back right, a difference of 20 yards, which means I would have hit a different club off the tee!).

Greens on holes 9 and 18 stood out with problems - on 9, the margin of the green bordering the pond was very ragged, with no discernable edge and the green edge eroded and bumpy. On 18, SEVERE coot poop problem, to the point where some areas of the green were unputtable. At these rates, you would expect the resort to do more to keep the green cleared and playable, since it's your final impression of the course.

Service was great from the free valet, attentive starters and staff, frequent cart girl, snack shack at 5/9, service in the golf shop. We finished at ~4:30 and the kitchen was already closed(!).

Recomended for service and conditioning, but much better if you can find a good deal - the rack rate is really not worth it.

This is the second round I have played this week. Thanks to Johnny setting this up! As soon as I arrived at the course, the staff of the club was very nice and attentive. When I walked up to the cl... Continue »

This is the second round I have played this week. Thanks to Johnny setting this up! As soon as I arrived at the course, the staff of the club was very nice and attentive. When I walked up to the club house, the view was just absolutely beautiful!!! The practice area is not that big and only four hitting area to warm up. Personally I think the warm up area is a downside when the place is packed on the weekends. The course set up is a little confusing on certain holes. You could be hitting into a green where is not the hole you are on! Make sure of which green you are hitting to. Fairways are pretty tight on some holes which makes it challenging, make sure your club selection is a smart one. Otherwise you will pay for it!
Overall, the experience is good and the course is just beautiful! It was worth every penny!

I played Monarch yesterday, February 4th. I've been wanting to play this course for so long and was very excited to finally play it. Upon getting to the course, I quickly realized that I was in stor... Continue »

I played Monarch yesterday, February 4th. I've been wanting to play this course for so long and was very excited to finally play it. Upon getting to the course, I quickly realized that I was in store for a first rate experience. We were greeted by the complimentary valet who grabbed our clubs and shuttled them down to the first tee. There were complimentary bottled water and cookies in the pro shop....a nice touch that I've only seen at the higher end venues. While walking down the stairs toward the first tee, I noticed how beautiful the club house was and the views of the course and coast were just amazing. Our starter was very friendly and helpful. He pointed out the amenities and provided yardage books. There wasn't a driving range which was disappointing; only a net to hit into. The practice putting green was just like the greens on the course.....fast! The first several holes were bliss......until the fog moved in. It was like Saturday at the Farmer's Insurance tourney this year....the fog never lifted! It was very cold and we were essentially shooting blindly on our tee shots. That was a major bummer but it almost helped the psyche since it was easy to overlook the strategically placed hazards on many of the holes. The greens were very firm and led to many approach shots running out. The firm greens also translated into very fast putts. The tee boxes, fairways, and rough were in great condition considering the time of year. There were some brown patches but did not affect play. The bunkers that I played out of were all very good. Hole #3 provides for amazing beach views and made me recall my teenage years surfing Salt Creek. I did enjoy the layout of the course but if I had a complaint, it is that the course is a little on the short side. We played from the gold tees since it was the first time playing the course for everyone in my group. Don't get me wrong though, there were some holes that would test the best of players and many of the short holes required proper club selection or risk/reward opportunities. For me, the course really tested my putting skills and I failed miserably. The only remaining complaint I had was the pace of play. For a Monday, the pace was so slow.....at least until people called it quits due to the fog. But prior to the fog rolling in, there was a crazy back up on the first par 5.....there were 3 groups on one tee....with another group on our heels! Despite this and the fog, I had a good time and can't wait to play this course again. We found an amazing rate on Ezlinks for about $60! The rack rate is too rich for my blood so it might be awhile before I get out there again. And my last comment....the staff here rules...I should edit my rating to reflect this!