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Diablo Creek Golf Club
Concord, CA
By Cit
Saturday 26th July 2013
Sunny 90* morning fog cleared
10:30
White tees @ 6441 yards (71.0/118)
Pace of Play: 5 hrs 15 minutes

The 18-hole "Diablo Creek" course at the Diablo Creek Golf Course facility in Concord, California features 6,896 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. The course rating is 70.5 and it has a slope rating of 118 on Rye grass. Designed by Robert Muir Graves, ASGCA, the golf course was opened in 1963. Sandy Day manages the course as the Operations Manager of this quaint municipal course which boasts 5 lakes, flat good layout with wide fairways and large, slow greens. Bob Baldock was responsible for the course redevelopment, and whilst the flat open fairways look like a "grip-it-and-rip-it" kind of course you could just as easily find yourself in the first cut tight against a large and established tree, with no option but to play safely back into the fairway.

We played in the regular fortnightly tournament with the North Bay Golf Club (NCGA Associate Club) and I was pleased to find the facility has a well stocked Pro-Shop - I mean from floor to ceiling - and carries everything you will need. There are no rental clubs, but there was a large rack of 'reduced price' clubs. The staff have one speed, but on looking around, so do most of the customers. So the visit to the pro-shop to collect my cart key was an indication on how the day may well evolve at Diablo Creek. I was told to get cart #74 and to take it out of the line. I did, went to the bathroom and found that when I returned someone had taken my #74 cart. I returned to the shop and he asked me "did someone take your cart?" I think there is a system, but it seems locals do not pay attention to the numbering. Hilarious.

A huge putting green adjacent to the first tee is perfect, but the absence of a starter did not appear to be a negative, and all of our groups went off on time, and the pro-shop uses the Tannoy system well to encourage prompt starts. Tee boxes were in pretty good condition, there was some gouging, but they were, for the most part, level and pretty lush. One thing that always amazes me is that many golf clubs do not provide any garbage or sand containers on tees. I have mentioned before that one of my pet peeves is broken tees, and again at Diablo I was picking up broken tees. Sadly as I was playing in the final group, it was my own club members who were guilty of this indiscretion. But I wonder if given the appropriate receptacle and some sand if players would step up and utilize the resources.

This is a pleasant course which because of its flat and wide open fairways, and baking heat, runs and runs, and on the front nine you are definitely getting the best of it from a 15+mph tailwind. I do love a 296 yard drive :) Again the wide open feel of the course suggests little challenge, but every hole has its feature, be it large trees, light rough, a railway line or small canyon. If you hit it straight here you can score well, but there is danger in plenty of water, sand and on the back nine, wind in your face and across your line.

The fact that the weather has been hot and dry in this part of the North Bay did not seem to have caused damage to the fairways, which were lush green and well mown. The grounds staff have the course in great shape, there were not too many divot marks, but the sand in my cart was low and I ran out mid-way through the back nine. The reviews I read suggested the greens were slow, but I thought they were quite quick for a municipal course. They are quite big greens though, and mirror the flat terrain with obvious contours and many are tiered, which again means if you can get it right, this is a course you can score well on.

The design of the course has resisted the urge to place bunkers all over the estate in an attempt to challenge players. Every hole has well placed green side bunkers, and some holes also have fairway bunkers, but not the kind of sand scare that some clubs offer. The bunkers were a real surprise as even though you would expect them to be dust bowls with day time temperatures reaching 100*, they were granular, but they were quite giving and you can splash out of them with no problems.

The club house is obviously a focal point for the local community and has everything you need. There are two bars one which is a sports bar and the other, it seemed, was for those members who do not want to watch golf or NFL. There is an outdoor patio which overlooks the driving range, and it was here that we settled post our toils for a refreshing margarita (or two) and some great bar food. The service was excellent, we were really made to feel welcome and I would not hesitate to come and play here again.

To recap, the course seems to allow for nice leisurely play and as you are playing from good flat lies it provides a good feeling. My only criticism is that the fairways do run parallel on the majority of holes, but again, the tree lined fairways do provide some cover from incoming rounds of golfing artillery.You are given two holes to get yourself sorted before the handicap 1 579 yard par 5 third hole. It is a 175 yard carry over the lake to a narrow fairway which doglegs left - nice hole...
Enjoy...
8 Likes.
TPC Harding Park
San Francisco
By Cit
12th March 2013
Foggy 58* slight gust
11:48
Blue tee @ 6845 yards (73.1/125)
Pace of Play: 5 hours

Regarded by many as one of the best courses in the Bay Area, Harding Park has a hardcore following. Playing here you will likely pair with out-of-towners & locals alike, many who may have played here since they were boys, which in some cases goes back a few generations. There is no membership but when the PGA took control they allowed the established Harding Park Men's Club to continue to call Harding Park it's home. 

The Pro Shop is friendly but ensure you arrive on time as they do have a habit of chiding slack arrival. But eight minute tee intervals means you need to be ready... Its not the best stocked Pro Shop, the club choice is minimal, a few drivers, Cameron putters and Vokey wedges, but there is plenty of branded merchandise for those wanting a memento of their visit. It is worth mentioning that the rental equipment is excellent offering both Callaway & Titleist sets.

Tuesday & Thursday sees play switch to start from hole #10. Personally I don't like playing that way around, but it isn't a reason to play elsewhere. Tuesday the tee boxes were in excellent order and just in case you dig a little deeper than intended, there is sand on every box. At 6405 yards the white tees take more of a hit, but all boxes are lush, even and players do repair their damage.

When the tour players are coming to town the staff allow the first and second cuts of rough to grow longer. This makes the course a completely different challenge, but on Tuesday the first cut was mown, lush and more often than not the ball sat up. That said there is enough penal hazard if you hit left or right, but most is intelligently marked as lateral with red stakes. A number of side-by-side fairways are divided by trees, tall Pines and Cypress trees are responsible for many lost balls at Harding, and it's advisable to practice your low shots prior to playing.

The fairways were lush, green and mown nicely but one downside is that as most locals walk, and many from out of town are advised to walk, it means the cart path only rule sees little by way of sand available so there are quite a few gouges, but players do replace divots, even so we still had some balls find divots. Most annoying.

The greens had been recently sanded and were playing incredibly slowly, I mean incredibly slowly. They also seemed to be quite long and were quite springy, but the slowness of the greens is a constant debate and sadly are not represented by the practice greens. The pin locations can still be tough, you just need to give it a little extra, even on down hill shots.

With it being a foggy day the dampness could be felt in the sand in bunkers, but of the three visits I made to green side bunkers I was delighted to find there was a good depth of sand from which to play.

The practice area is good and the newly opened green and chipping area is excellent with many people not playing and using it free of charge. One downside is this venue needs a grass driving range the plastic mat area is not representative of the high standards set elsewhere on the estate.

The clubhouse is very enjoyable as the food is good, the beer is good and there is also an outside grill adjacent to the 18th fairway which serves good choices of sandwiches and beverages. The well stocked cart comes around frequently and always seems to arrive at the green when I do.

The general level of customer service is what you expect from a PGA venue. I cannot really say anymore than it is very high.
11 Likes.
Poplar Creek is a local institution with a history right back to the great depression. Sadly the depression can continue when playing here as it is often slower than 'Slow Mc'Slow' & the condition of tee boxes fairways, bunkers & greens leaves a lot to be desired, especially when you consider the green fees.

The Pro-Shop is merely a shop but the staff are amiable, but seem not to know the prices of any of the goods for sale, or quite how to work the POS system. We did laugh about it, but it is less than slick.

A good starter is essential to the harmonious clearing of the first tee box, sadly Poplar Creek has failed to pick up on this and the starter is often missing or merely disinterested in getting his players underway. On Friday I stood at the black tee for 8 minutes while the two players who joined us faffed around, played shots and drove off before I had hit. No comment from the starter, but much mirth from the peanut gallery stood at the putting green behind me.

Cue our first visit from a Marshall. It was explained to me that we would have to wait for the two players, even though their combined distance off the tee was under 100 yards. But a second visit by the Marshall about riding the cart up to the fringe of the green before we had cleared #2 meant that by #3 they had picked up and left the course.

I mention this experience as it expresses the standard of golf which can be witnessed at Poplar Creek. Side by side fairways can lead to incoming rounds of golfing artillery, but in fairness you will receive a call. But considering you will hear many, many calls during a round here, that might not be too helpful. Wind plays a factor in not only the direction of the ball, but also the direction any calls of fore! be aware.

Our tee time was 12:47 and we were underway almost on-time, but even with every hole backed up the back nine played faster, and we finished at 17:25. There are a number of holes where extensive alterations to the terrain topology is in place and there are beams of un-turfed dirt, whilst this is unattractive it is merely cosmetic and in no way interferes with play, that is unless you hit into it. Damage to tee boxes, fairways and greens is extensive though, and a major concern, as it is obvious that players are not repairing anything, and I could have spent hours repairing gouges, divots, pitch marks and spike marks. The course ownership needs to stress this responsibility to players or face losing business.

All that said you can enjoy Poplar Creek, just don't come expecting it to be TPC Poplar Creek as you might be disappointed.
6 Likes.
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