by Rick Surlow, Publisher

The Bay Area Golf Guide has morphed into NorCal Golf Guide. In the spring with its 14+ hours of available golf time, what is your game set to morph into?

In our ten years of publishing Golf Guide, your consistent attention to our book has encouraged us to expand our reach while letting you take advantage of the deliciously varied golf experiences available across the region. With our name change to now reflect the best half of California, we hope to expand further on our offerings and encourage you to play even more golf—a sure prescription for happiness.

The course featured on our cover this issue, Lake Chabot, has re-opened, ready to have you test yourself with its 600+ yard, par-6 finishing hole. I know it’s downhill; hopefully when you’re there it will also be downwind.

Then there’s Lake Shastina Golf Resort under the shadows cast by Mt. Shasta. What a pleasure that north-of-north part of the state is! Avid golfers can think about making it there this summer and then skipping across the border to sample the Oregon courses featured in this book. They include The Running Y Resort, Salmon Run and Sandpines Golf Links.

Wherever you live in Northern California, there are hundreds of golf courses to play within a few hours’ drive from your home. Do yourself proud and consider test driving a new golf course every week. Is there a better way to answer the call of recreation and exploration at this sunniest time of year?

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

I’ve said it before, but like the seasons themselves, it bears repeating: Fall is the best time of year to enjoy golf in Northern California and, come to think of it, pretty much anywhere at all. Sure, the dusk creeps in a little earlier each day, but there is something special about the lengthening shadows across the fairways and the colors turning on the trees in the rough. Vacations are winding down and there are fewer people out on the links. That just leaves you with more of the good stuff to lap up while you play your round, not waiting for the group ahead of you to hit their next shots.

If you’re fortunate enough to be flying into the Bay Area via the Oakland Airport, you won’t have to drive far to discover the Metropolitan Golf Links, which is adjacent to the eastern flank of the airport property.  Metropolitan Golf Links, offers an utterly unique take on the glories of golf on San Francisco Bay.

To the north, Mt. St. Helena Golf Course graces the upper Napa Valley in the town of Calistoga, where you’ll find the golf challenging and the surroundings worthy of an extended stay. Another new entry in these pages is that rare private club that also allows public play: River Island Country Club in the San Joaquin Valley foothills. Put that together with a fall visit to the nearby Sierra Nevada and you’ll have a fall getaway to remember. 

If you’re the type that packs away your golf shoes and stows your clubs in the garage come the end of summer, time to change that old habit. Hundreds of golf courses beckon you across the region during our consistently playable fall and winter months. Don’t let such an abundance of opportunity slip away from you unclaimed.

Finally, it you’re unsure how to get to any of our featured courses, visit our Directory and you’ll be able to view and print a drive-to map.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Flashes of brilliance don’t come too often to my golf game. You’d think that by playing nearly 2,000 holes yearly, one would see substantial improvement (if not occasional great play). Well, “substantial” isn’t exactly the word I would apply. I’m not even sure about “minimal”— but I sure had lots of fun.

Perhaps one of my challenges is I’d always rather play on a golf course than practice on a driving range or short-game facility. I should know better, as I have to look no further than my father for an example of how practice makes (almost) perfect. Dad is a mighty fine musician who has played music as long as he has played golf, over 70 years now. Yes, he’s still a better musician than golfer. He can play a keyboard for hours, entertaining not only himself, but everyone within earshot. It helps that he has “practiced” or as he says, “played” countless times over the years.

His golf game is another story. I won’t go into detail on his tee and fairway game, which he has always thrown himself into despite a highly unorthodox swing. His saving grace is that he has become a deft and efficient putter, sometimes taking out his mallet and striking the ball from as far off as 50 yards from the green.

Anyway, Dad has always shied away from the driving range and anything remotely referred to as “practice” for his golf game. Seems we’re both slow learners on this score (although stubbornness probably has a lot more to do with it).

The kind of fun Dad and I seek was in abundance when I played our cover course, Callippe Preserve, in November. What a treat to play a course with 18 unique holes. Be sure to put this one in your must-play category in 2009. Here’s wishing the best in golf for you, your loved ones and friends. It’s always time to play another round.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

As I look back over these first 13 years of publishing NorCal Golf Guide, I’m not about to argue with the old cliché, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Truly, it has been a gas, though I’ll have to admit I still have more fun playing golf than I do publishing this essential “Where to Play” bible for the Northern California.

I know that those of you who actually read the ramblings in this column each issue pale in comparison to the vast numbers of golf-addicted readers who rely on the contents beyond this page to assist them in making tee times, finding the courses they have yet to play, and just fantasizing about this glorious game.

Even with golf’s place in the recreational and sporting world increasingly secure, the golf courses and associated businesses on display in this magazine continue to be on the cutting edge. We’re in the California, after all, where all manner of extra-curricular activities either get their start or get taken to new levels!
You don’t have to play many courses in this magazine’s coverage area to get the point: the setting, competition, and sheer gumption of the area’s golf industry has created a paradise for golf lovers of every skill level.

As we begin our thirteenth year, I urge you to take advantage of that paradise (with particular attention to the courses in this Guide!). A great place to start is Brentwood Golf Club. With 27 holes under the shadow of Mt. Diablo to tempt you, it’s another “can’t miss” on every golfing fanatic’s ultimate checklist.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Have you ever approached the tee box, pulled your club from your bag and removed the head cover, only to discover you’re holding your putter? In most cases, using that club at this point of your round will not improve your score.

Another lesson from the wide world of golf: Use the right tool at the right time.

I mention this because it is a most appropriate practice while playing our cover course, The Links at Bodega Harbour. This seaside links style course is one of only a handful of ocean-side golf courses in Northern California that allows public play. Only an hour’s drive from the Golden Gate, it features great views from every hole, so if you hit an errant shot, you can still look up and find yourself smiling.

Cypress Lakes in Vacaville, is now available even if you are not in the military. Popular muni Bennett Valley Golf Course in Santa Rosa also graces our landscape, featuring 18 tree-lined holes, undulating greens and a friendly staff to greet you. Wikiup in northern Santa Rosa is a fun 9-hole that welcomes kids of all ages but does not accept tee times. Show up and play is the rule here.

The good-bad news for us golfing patrons is that in the fall, the golf weather is never better, but as the days get shorter, there is a little less time each day to enjoy our passion. So, get on out there and play!

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Hitting a stationary object does not seem very difficult, unless the object is a golf ball and the tool you use to propel it into the atmosphere is a bent metal stick, commonly referred to as a “golf club.” When I think about it off-handedly, I can’t help thinking, “How ridiculous!” There wouldn’t appear to be much point to the activity. It reminds me of the Robin Williams skit on golf. If you haven’t seen it, go to www.YouTube.com, type in “Robin Williams + golf” in the search bar, and prepare to be amused.

Without waxing too philosophical, I must say that golf is important to me for one reason only: because I have decided to make it so. You too?

As we do in other activities (including our day jobs), we play our game, and if we want to improve it, we make changes to help us achieve the desired result. Fortunately, there are those who have developed the ability to help others achieve their goals. In the game of golf, we refer to these people as “golf pros.” What I have found is that a little time and money invested with these people has given me more ability (and hope!) to navigate my round of golf—and sometimes it even rubs off into the rest of my life.

So as the clamor of summer recedes and the fall shadows begin their annual dance on your favorite course(s), consider taking the opportunity this season affords us not only to play more golf, but to play better golf by seeking the assistance of your local PGA pro.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Twelve years is a long time, or not so long, depending on your perspective. While the years and decades often seem to go in a blink of an eye, once we start combing through them we see how much has happened, how much we have accomplished, how change has been the only constant. And so it is with this NorCal Golf Guide you hold in your hands, and the one you likely visit on your computer screen.

You’ll notice the recently we made a change meant to make the magazine more information-rich. A new and expanded directory/map format includes all golf courses in Northern California and a few neighboring areas. This is done in the interest making it even easier for you to locate a course to play in this wonderful corner of the world we are fortunate to occupy.

When you visit our online magazine at www.GolfGuide.org, you’ll find a completely new look that should make it even easier to use than in the past, plus added features including mapping to courses, virtual tours, instant golf certificates, links to golf organizations, and more.

Your feedback over the years has led us to make these changes, and as always, I invite you to continue giving us your input.

Among other worthy items on your resolution list, may I suggest making 2009 the year you play more golf at more courses than ever before? Remember: It’s always a good day for golf, and the best time to do it is as soon as you can.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

Over 500 golf courses to play—which one for today?

Yes, in this edition of NorCal Golf Guide, our directory includes over 500 golf courses for you to visit, play, enjoy and be humbled by. You can also find all this information online with our recently renovated website, www.GolfGuide.org.

So: With 500+ courses, you could play a different course daily for an entire year and still have a goodly number to press on toward in year two. Can’t say I’ve played much over 100 courses in this book myself, though it’s not from lack of trying. (I have this minor problem called a “job.”) Maybe more, but whatever the number, what memories they entail, in spite of them getting occasionally jumbled in my recall.

Good thing there are always enough good shots in your bag to make you want to tee it up another day. It is also a wonderful thing that our memories are pretty short regarding some of the other unmentionable shots in our bags.

Our cover course, Eagle Vines in Napa Valley, is another “not to miss” layout. Even if you have a bad shot or two, the visual stimulation from every spot on the course is well worth the walk, or ride if you prefer.

Given that this is a presidential election year, my advice is to take some extra time to contemplate your choice of leader in years to come by playing more golf. Nothing like strolling down the fairway (well, sometimes the rough) and letting your mind wander to the important issues of the day (like finding your golf ball for the next shot).

Here’s hoping you keep your priorities straight through the rest of the year.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

So many ways to interpret that question, even in a golf sense.  Hitting the ball great from the tee can take you only so far if you can’t back it up with a solid approach shot and deft putting. My challenge is putting all those shots together on any one hole, let alone 18 of them.

My own golfing travails aside, I’m happy to report that we now list over 500 golf courses in the pages of Golf Guide and GOLFGUIDE.ORG.  Before the end of this year, see if you can notch these and perhaps several other venues onto your belt of “Courses I’ve played.”

Our cover course in Volume 11 Issue 3, at Cache Creek, offers not only a spectacular golf experience, but the prospect of leaving with more net worth than you arrived. (Of course, the opposite is always a possibility, which is why you play the game…) Other newcomers include courses amidst towering Redwoods, high desert, mountain meadows and serene plateaus.

Yes, there is quite a variety of golfing opportunity within driving distance for most of us.  In fact, to help you get there, you can access easy door-to-course driving directions (with the aid of Google), from the golf course directory pages on our companion website, GOLFGUIDE.ORG.

Here’s to making 2009 the most satisfying and varied golf year of your career—one in which you strive to remember that to work is good, but to play is divine.

by Rick Surlow, Publisher

I’ve been playing golf for many more years than publishing this guide, but while I’m pretty sure I’ve improved at the latter, the former still tends to push me one step back for every one I take forward. What is wrong with this picture?

Perhaps you find yourself with a similar golfing dilemma—the longer your golfing career goes on, the more your skills stay the same. Maybe it simply means that longevity doesn’t matter, but frequency does. We just have to play more golf, period.

Good thing that Golf Guide, now in its 12th year, is here to make it easier for us to identify golf courses, find ’em and play ’em.

Don’t forget about the companion website, GOLFGUIDE.ORG.  Here you will find all the same information found in the pages of Golf Guide, plus a bit more. That means Google maps with directions to help you find all the courses featured in this issue, plus links to many golf-related websites including the local golf associations and the PGA & LPGA Tours.

While you’re in our cyber-neighborhood, be sure to visit our online store to find great deals on golf rounds, instruction, accommodations, golf equipment and even range balls.

Lots of professional golf events are scheduled in our part of the world this season, including the LPGA, PGA and Champions Tour events.  Of course, the big dog is The Presidents Cup, held in San Francisco (at Harding Park) for the first time. It runs from October 6-11, and it’s not to be missed.  Just be sure you play enough golf to be able to rate your skills with the visiting pros this year.