The East Bay Way: Hills, Thrills and Tasty Spills

By Vic Williams | posted October 6, 2009

While the San Francisco area’s North Bay brings its own impressive array of golf flavors to the Presidents Cup fan’s party, a trip down I-680 toward San Jose and even further east, toward the edge of the Central Valley, reveals an equally delicious birdie buffet. Dozens of excellent public and resort courses dot the inland landscape from Concord to Livermore, Hayward to Antioch. Some are more muni in nature, others carry a rarefied, high-dollar pedigree and still others find that sweet spot in between. But three in particular should catch your eye during Presidents Cup week.

The first is a fitting choice simply for the design name behind it: Greg Norman. Opened in the late 1990s as part of a sprawling Livermore wine operation-cum-resort, the Course at Wente Vineyards is The International Team captain’s first and only Northern California layout, an idyllic feast that finishes on the palate like a fine Pinot Noir, with equal hints of spice and semi-sweetness. Indeed, the rousing final stretch winds through actual vineyards, but what comes before is just a tasty — even the transition between front and back nines up a steep slope dubbed “Lombard Street” engenders a sense of wonder. Mr. Norman’s conquest begins with a breathtaking tee shot from a hawk’s perch to a bunkerless fairway nearly 100 feet below, then winds for six holes through native woodlands of oak, cottonwood and sycamore punctuated by vineyard groves. Wente’s middle holes serve up  a few blind shots, some delicious forced carries and even more spectacular views, especially from the green at the par-5 12th. No. 14 puts players on the valley floor again with a 170-yard downhill tee shot. Then comes the reachable par-5 15th; with a landing area pinched between a bunker and a lake and a perfectly placed cross bunker about 90 yards from a green that's larger than it appears from the fairway, this hole is nearly a three-course meal in itself. Make sure you leave enough room for dessert, though, because the final three holes are sweet indeed. The par-4 finisher offers a double fairway bisected by a creek; the left side is the safe play, offering a more open approach to a green guarded on the right by a reedy lake. Then it’s off to Wente’s gourmet restaurant for dinner and a bottle of fine vino.

www.wentevineyards.com

About a 40-minute drive north of Wente, on the eastern slope of Mt. Diablo — the largest free-standing monilith in North America — is a gaggle of great public and semi-private courses led by Roddy Ranch, the namesake of well-known rodeo cowboy Jack Roddy that leads golfers on a rough-and-tumble journey up and down the hulking mountain’s lower foothill reaches, the site of a former working cattle ranch. It’s a big-shouldered test with sweeping, almost treeless doglegs around well-placed water features and pot bunkers, large greens built to accept wind-blown approaches and broad fairways framed by tall, wispy rough that goes brilliant green in the rainy months but right now carries that handsome, golden wheaty hue. The par 5s are particularly strong, especially No. 10, a rangy downhill brute stretching to 600 yards from the way-backs. With a new clubhouse, friendly staff and array of incredible greens fee offers, Roddy Ranch is a budget-minded golf connoisseur’s dream.

www.roddyranch.com

Finally let’s head west to the edge of the San Francisco Bay itself, just south of the Oakland Airport into a spit of San Leandro land occupied by a flat but far from featureless public course formerly named for departed local golf legend Tony Lema, but now known as Monarch Bay after a local breed of butterfly. Design-wise it falls into the “split personality” department, with both nines starting through narrow stands of eucalyptus only to emerge for most of its routing through a mix of grassy wetlands and hump-backed dunes. Redesigned several years ago by architect John Harbottle (already known in Northern California for his design of Stevinson Ranch Golf Course and, more recently,Timilick Tahoe), this layout — with its handsome views of the San Fran skyline on clear days — will test even the low-handicap players measuring 7,015 from the back tees, making it the longest par-71 in Northern California and the second longest in the state. Its finishing holes are among the most challenging in the Bay Area, skirting the water in several places. No. 15  is a 4-par of 429 yards, No. 16 (par 5) is 598 yards, No. 17 is a 213-yard par 5 and the finale is a well-bunkered 407 yards. The clubhouse is blue-collar stuff and the green fees are affordable to match; toss in a great seafood meal at one of several nearby restaurants and suddenly you’re onto a solid “sleeper” of an urban, just-over-the-bridge golf outing.

www.monarchbay.americangolf.com

Vic Williams is editor and publishing partner of Fairways + Greens, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to golf, travel and lifestyle for the West and beyond. He has written thousands of stories on golf and will cover every facet of the game right here, primarily travel but also the major tours, equipment, personalities and more. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it