Looking back down the 1stEntrance to the par 4 7th greenView of the hills at the 11th
This track is one of three run by the same company, the others being Rooster Run and Windsor GC which I’ll be playing this afternoon. Adobe Creek was purchased by the group just over a year ago after it’d been through a lot of problems and with the lack of investment in the course you can imagine how run down it must have got. But all credit to the owners for bring it back to life. My playing partners are the head green keeper Jim, Bill who is director of operations, and Derek who is on the marketing side. During the round they reveal what they are trying to achieve with the course and what needs to be done, and they don’t hide from the fact that there is still plenty of work to do.
The design is good with plenty of mounding along the sides of the fairways, which help to frame each of the holes. I really enjoy the back nine, which offers some great views of the hills that surround the city. Apparently they’re even better when the tops are covered in snow.
Holes five to eight run through some housing, but nothing as close or as imposing as those at Bodega Bay. This is another Robert Trent Jones Jnr course and I find the design a good test of golf. The Americans like to call this a links type course – but more for the use of the mounding that frames the fairways than being by the sea with its tight sand-based compact grasses.
Water comes into play on seven holes. The finishing holes to each nine are strong and while the ninth gives you a birdie chance, the 18th is a tough par-4 finishing hole. Two of the four par-3s have water as a hazard and your choice of which colour tees to play from dictates how much water will come into play.
For someone who loves the game of golf, I hate to hear about courses that have to close. Most individuals in the industry are people who love the sport, and at some point this course was somebody’s dream. Unfortunately for that person it didn’t work out, but this is a track that you will enjoy playing. I certainly do. So at least that part of the dream is still alive, and long may it remain so.