Night and day. Black and white. Northern California Golf and Southern
California Golf. Polar opposition is at its best in the Golden State and
golfers are the ones who stand to benefit. For every sun-scorched fairway
in Palm Springs in the summer, there's a tee box in Northern California
shroud in cool, ocean mist.
While nearly impossible to catalog all the outstanding golfing venues
of this geographically immense area, traveling golfers would be well-served
to turn their attention towards the Monterey Peninsula, the Lake-Tahoe
Reno area, and San Francisco and the Napa Valley.
With storied courses like Pebble Beach, Cypress
Point, and Spanish Bay, the Monterey Peninsula is hardly in need of
a wordy introduction. What many golfers don't realize is that the "MP" plays
host to a handful of bargain tracks with exceptional scenery and solid design,
case in point being the venerable Pacific
Grove Municipal course.
The Lake Tahoe-Reno area is Northern California's undisputed champ for
scenery and celebrity watching. The topographical diversity and a cadre
of outstanding resort courses are the attraction. Within minutes one can
play High Sierra 70-degree golf among the Ponderosa pines and granite
boulders at Coyote Moon or descend into the Reno-Carson City foothills
and be challenged by ruggedly beautiful arroyo-forced carries and sagebrush
rough in 90-degree weather at Arrow Creek.
San Francisco's arduous Olympic Club once inspired Mark Twain to turn
such famous quotations as "golf a good walk spoiled." Thankfully, the
Golden Peninsula plays host to a grand selection of more player and wallet
friendly layouts. Poplar Creek, Palo Alto, and Harding
Park can all be had for under $50, while the highly decorated Half
Moon Bay stands out as the "GP's" upscale offering.
Golf
and wine - perhaps the golf and beer of the new millennium - explode in
harmonic convergence on the vineyards and fairways of the Napa and Sonoma
Valleys. The former (over 400) out numbers the later (just over a dozen),
to the tune of 33 to one. Still, we recommend over indulgence on the Northern
California golf in the form of courses like Fountaingrove, Rooster Run,
and most recently, Greg Norman's masterpiece at Wente Vineyards.
From the ocean to the mountains, Northern California Golf scene offers
a climatic and topographical diversity unheard of in most American golf
destinations. One wonders what Twain would have to say about the region
today, given its collection of outstanding layouts, and of course, a few
lessons.
High rolling golf lovers in Augusta for the Masters can dine in style at restaurants like Bistro 491, sip martinis at the French Market Grille and choose from a range of first-rate golf options, including Goshen Plantation Country Club.
Golf
and wine - perhaps the golf and beer of the new millennium - explode in
harmonic convergence on the vineyards and fairways of the Napa and Sonoma
Valleys. The former (over 400) out numbers the later (just over a dozen),
to the tune of 33 to one. Still, we recommend over indulgence on the Northern
California golf in the form of courses like Fountaingrove, Rooster Run,
and most recently, Greg Norman's masterpiece at Wente Vineyards. 
