sacbee: Golf

On the greens

Getting a tee time is no longer a daunting prospect, what with almost 40 public golf courses in Sacramento and the vicinity

THE ESSENTIAL GOLFER

If you yearn to get outdoors and smack around that little white ball, the Sacramento area is rich in golf courses.
For Saturday, Sunday and holiday tee reservations for Bartley Cavanaugh, Bing Maloney, Haggin Oaks and William Land Park, call 665-1202 the previous Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. For reservations at other courses, call the pro shop.
Ancil Hoffman Park, 18 holes, 6700 Tarshes Drive, Carmichael; 482-5660.
Antelope Greens, 18 holes, 2721 Elverta Road, Antelope; 334-5764.
Arbuckle, nine holes, 4-1/2 Mile West Hillgate Road, Arbuckle; 476-2470.
Bartley Cavanaugh, 18 holes, 8301 Freeport Blvd., 665-2020.
Bing Maloney, 18 holes (428-9401), nine-hole executive (424-2263), 6801 Freeport Blvd.
Black Oak, nine holes, 2455 Black Oak Road, Auburn; 878-1900.
Bradshaw Ranch, nine holes, 7350 Bradshaw Road; 363-6549.
Campus Commons, nine holes, 2 Cadillac Drive; 922-5861.
Castle Oaks, 18 holes, 1000 Castle Oaks Drive, Ione; (209) 274-0167.
Champions Golf Links, nine-hole executive, 50-tee all-grass range, 8915 Gerber Road, Sacramento; 688-9120.
Cherry Island, 18 holes, 2360 Elverta Road, Elverta; 991-0770.
Cordova, 18 holes, 9425 Jackson Road; 362-1196.
Davis, 18 holes, 24439 Fairway Drive, Davis; 756-4010.
Diamond Oaks, 18 holes, 349 Diamond Oaks Blvd., Roseville; 783-4947.
Dry Creek, 18 holes, 809 Crystal Way, Galt; (209) 745-2330.
El Dorado Hills, 18 holes, 3775 El Dorado Hills Blvd., El Dorado Hills; 933-6552.
Emerald Lakes, nine holes, 10651 East Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove; 685-4653.
Foothill, nine holes, 7000 Verner Ave.; 725-3355.
Forest Lake, 18 holes, 2450 East Woodson Road, Acampo; (209) 369-5451.
Granite Bay (public play on Mondays only), 18 holes, 9600 Golf Club Drive, Granite Bay; 791-5379 or 791-5821.
Haggin Oaks, 18 holes (481-4506), nine-hole red and blue courses (481-4508), 3645 Fulton Ave.
Indian Creek, nine holes, 4487 Barton Road, Loomis; 652-5546.
La Contenta, 18 holes, 1653 Highway 26, Valley Springs; (209) 772-1081.
Lighthouse, 18 holes, 500 Douglas St., West Sacramento; 372-4949.
Lockeford Springs, 18 holes, 16360 North Highway 88, Lodi; (209) 333-6275).
Mace Meadows, 18 holes, 26570 Fairway Drive, Pioneer; (209) 295-7020).
Mather, 18 holes, 4103 Eagle's Nest Road; 364-4353.
Micke Grove, 18 holes, 11401 North Micke Grove Road, Lodi; (209) 369-4410.
Paradise Valley, 18 holes, 3950 Paradise Valley Drive, Fairfield; (707) 426-1600).
Plumas Lake, 18 holes, 1551 Country Club Ave., Marysville; 742-3201.
Rancho Solano, 18 holes, 3250 Rancho Solano Parkway, Fairfield; (707) 429-4653.
Roseville Rolling Greens, nine holes, 5572 Eureka Road, Roseville; 797-9986.
Sierra, nine holes, 1822 Country Club Drive, Placerville; 622-0760.
Southridge, 18 holes, 9413 South Butte Road, Sutter; 755-4653.
Sun City, 18 holes, 7050 Del Webb Blvd., Roseville; 774-3851.
Twelve Bridges, 18 holes, 3070 Eight Mile Drive, Lincoln; 645-7200.
William Land Park, nine holes, 1701 Sutterville Road; 455-5014.
Woodcreek, 18 holes, 5880 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., Roseville; 771-4653.

By Ben Swesey
Bee Staff Writer
(Published May 9, 1996)
Golf courses in the Sacramento area have never been so accessible to the public. There was a long period when there was a shortage of courses and getting to play one of them posed a problem -- or at least a substantial wait.
Now there are nearly 40 public courses in the area, almost double what was available 10 years ago.
And there is no sign of the growth slowing. "I've heard there are 12 new courses scheduled to be built in the near future within a 40-mile radius of Sacramento," said city golf manager Ann Weaver.
The city's oldest course is the nine-hole layout in William Land Park, built in 1927. Haggin Oaks' 18 were created in 1932, followed by the red nine in 1959 and the blue nine in 1961. Bing Maloney's 18 opened in 1952, with its executive nine added in 1988. The 18-hole, links-style Bartley Cavanaugh course opened in January.
To get weekend and holiday tee times on these city-operated courses, golfers often had to stand in line. But Weaver eliminated that wait in January. Now, every Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., golfers can call the Advance Reservations Office at 665-1202 to get their weekend and holiday starting times.
"Our new reservation system has allowed more people to have access to our courses," Weaver said.
As for county-operated courses, Ancil Hoffman was built in 1965 and ranks among the top 75 public courses in the nation, according to Golf Digest magazine. Cherry Island, opened in 1990, and Mather, which the county took over in 1994 after Mather Air Force Base was closed, are two others.
Golfers still have to call the county courses directly to make reservations, although Gene Andal, director of the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks, Recreation and Open Space, said that will end soon. "We're going to have an automated phone system to make reservations," he said. "It's scheduled to begin the first part of June."
As for fees, the city's weekday 18-hole greens fees are $17 at Cavanaugh and $15.50 at Maloney and Haggin Oaks, while weekend fees are $22 at Cavanaugh and $18 at Maloney and Haggin Oaks. The nine-hole executive course at Maloney is $6.25 weekdays and $6.75 weekends. Land Park's nine-hole course is $7.25 weekdays and $8.50 weekends.
The county's fees are $16.50 Mondays through Thursdays, and $19 for Fridays and weekends. Both city and county courses have reduced twilight fees.
There are courses in the $20 to $60 range. Among the most expensive is the plush Granite Bay course, open to the public on Mondays only. The fee is $60, with a $15 per-person fee for a cart.
But for bargains, it's tough to beat Davis Municipal and Cordova.
Greens fees at Davis are $11 weekdays, $14 weekends and $7 every day after 3 p.m. Plus, there is unlimited play. "It's the same price if you play nine holes or 54," said pro Mark Hansen. "You can play in the morning, then return to play some more in the evening with no additional fee."
The fees at Cordova are $8 weekdays and $10 weekends. The fee for seniors is $50 for 10 rounds on multiple weekdays.
Since 1963, Diamond Oaks was the lone 18-hole public course in Roseville, but recent additions are Woodcreek and the privately owned Sun City. Many consider Sun City to have among the finest greens in the area.
Woodcreek, opened in August 1995, is a tight course that features rolling terrain and 100-year-old oaks. There's also a lot of sand, water and natural hazards.
Woodcreek also features the Legends & Heroes Sports Bar and Grill, which has 35 TVs, 35 beers on tap and extensive luncheon and dinner menus.
Paradise Valley in Fairfield, opened in 1993, also has a popular sports bar and grill.
In early April, the women of the LPGA become the first pros to test the new Twelve Bridges course in Lincoln, and from their comments it's going to be a big hit with the public. It has rolling hills, streams, Ponderosa pines and granite outcroppings, and is very tight. It also has a country club atmosphere with an attractive bar and restaurant area.
Dry Creek in Galt is an old standby. Its cocktail lounge overlooks the tree-studded course, and the on-course Golden Acorn restaurant has been rated among the best in the area for many years.
For short courses, Lighthouse in West Sacramento -- formerly River Bend -- has always been a favorite. It was redesigned in 1993 with water on 13 holes.
Antelope Greens, opened in 1994, has all par-3 and par-4 holes. Its signature hole is the par-3 seventh, which has a three-tiered island green.
William Land Park has long had its third hole on "toughest par-3 holes" lists. The front of the green is guarded by two huge trees -- meaning you hit the ball between them or over them.
Most area golf courses have teaching professionals and sell equipment in the pro shop, but few can beat Haggin Oaks in both categories: It has 12 teaching pros, likely the largest teaching staff in the western United States. And Haggin Oaks recently opened an 8,600-square-foot pro shop, which head pro Ken Morton says is "the largest on-course golf shop in the U.S."
For golfers new to the Sacramento area, Tom McPoil, 73, former member of the Sacramento Golf Council, has a few tips:
"The first thing you should do is join a club. Almost every course has one or two, and some have several," he said. "That way, you get to meet people and play in tournaments.
"To save money, there are discount coupons for courses all over Northern California in newspapers and golf publications.
"And play a lot of courses. Within a 50-mile radius of Sacramento, we have courses coming out of our ears now," he said. "The courses are beautiful and reasonable. Just go to Southern California and the Bay Area and compare. You can't beat this area when it comes to golf."