Oof yeah I’ve read a few recent reviews - I do like that place when it’s in shape. But it’s currently in stay away mode.
Able to grab front nine at Baylands today while the wife ran errands with a friend. Place is definitely cool. Just my second time there. The greens are firm, fast and in great condition. The fairways are not. Which is fine. They’ll be good again after the rainy season I’m sure. But pretty patchy. Not going to complain about 64, sunny with little wind. Even hit all 7 fairways and a nice birdie on 5.
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I honestly don’t like Crystal Springs at all. They don’t keep it up well, they charge a lot, and while the layout is cool it’s not super special to me. There are some people who love it, not sure why.
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hey all, I’m new-ish to the site but, have been following. I’m out in East Bay )Vacaville, but i dont mind making a drive to play when works allows it. Hope to get out and play a round with some of you boys in the future
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Welcome! As you can see the Bay area is one of the most active regions on the refuge. Feel free to reach out anytime - there’s almost always someone looking for a game.
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Crystal is in bad shape. They have a good membership program that has sucked me in for the past 10 years. $230 a month for all the golf I want and 50% off range, but this past month has got me thinking I am done with the place.
Hard part of leaving is losing the ability to go up any Monday, Wednesday or Friday and know I can get in the morning skins game without having to make a tee time.
As mentioned, almost the entire front side, and a few of the back’s greens are soggy and unplayable. What’s worse is that they really don’t have any plans moving forward to fix it. They have roped off portions and put sand down, but the underlying problem is that the greens need to be rebuilt.
Never seen it this bad, it’s like there is quick sand under them.
They make all there money from the wedding venue and the range, the course is the third priority.
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Woah. The fairways certainly didn’t look like that a few months ago. That stinks. Were they patchy and firm or soft?
Welcome!!!
Fairways are shaggy and drives plug.
Greens are dart boards. The ball plugs halfway down.
Bunkers are ponds or washed out to stones only.
Really sad. Tim Powers, who is now at Poplar, had the place in great shape.
Firm-ish…though in some lower areas, wet / soggy.
So uh, is this any good? The drive up gave me chills. Had to jump out for a quick pic. The wind hasn’t arrived yet.
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Jealous, played there last weekend. You’re in for a real treat. Take a good look at 16 green after putting out on 10.
16 green really fucked me up the first time I saw it in person
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I had the middle pin and hit from the bottom left bunker, left the shot a little right and it took the slope and went all the way down to the right front of the green, just had to laugh about it.
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This happened last winter too. It goes super dormant and soggy, but came back great in the summer.
Kind of a bummer they didn’t approach the reno like Corica - that place drains so well.
That being said, Baylands is my go-to, the greens are fun and always running firm, they have good people working there (free cookies!), and they’re all cool with my dog moose.
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Man, the entrance to Pasa is so great. The view from the gate of the bunkers on 3 is just breathtaking. Then you get to drive past 2, 8, and all the way up 9. Such a nice preview. But really all of the back 9 is hidden. What a place.
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Just found out I have next wednesday off for Lincoln’s bday…none of my buddies do. I’m willing to drive from the central valley and play somewhere new. Or host here at the little course in the country. Anybody have the day off?
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I feel like that’s how the fairways at Monarch in the winter.
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Yeah IDK anything about agronomy but it seems like it was a long wet season and maybe that’s just what happens to these marsh land / low lying places.
What’s this little course in the country you speak of @Slim?
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