The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament kicks off today in a unique version for a tournament that takes place all within the borders of Indiana because of the pandemic this year.
At ACES we like to celebrate March Madness in our own way! This year we are taking on the top golf holes in Northern California (and a few from Nevada from courses in the Sierra Nevada).
Last year it was Northern California wineries that I have visited that made up the field of 64 and following the guidelines, it will be courses and holes that I have played to fill out our 64-hole backet!
Once again, this is my breakdown of my favorite holes I have played. You will agree on some, disagree with others and be sure to have holes you love than I left of the list.
If I have not played the course, I won’t have any of the holes from that course in the brackets.
These are both public and private courses.
I will name the four regions after four of my favorite golfers. I hope you enjoy this read and please remember there are no right or wrong holes, it is just my perspective!
FIRST ROUND
TIGER WOODS REGION
No. 18 Pebble Beach (1) vs. No. 15 Dublin Ranch (16): Part of the fun of doing this contest is to get some cool little golf holes like the 15th at Dublin Ranch some mention. It’s a downhill par 3 with a big green If you’ve never been, take a trip out to play the course. Obviously, Pebble wins here, and we will get more into the Pebbles closing hole as we go along.
No. 18 Wente Vineyards (8) vs. No. 12 TPC Stonebrae (9): Wente’s finishing hole is a bear with a split fairway and your approach carrying over water. To top it off, on nice days the Grill patio is crowded with plenty of people waiting to watch you mess up the approach. On the other hand, a stuck approach may get some applause. No. 12 at Stonebrae is a monster par 5. I am not a big fan of the course overall, but I do really enjoy a couple of the holes, especially in a scramble. I will go with Wente in a close one.
No. 16 Pasatiempo (5) vs. No. 9 Copper Valley (12): The first time I played Pasatiempo my comment walking off the 18th was “I don’t think I have had more fun absolutely getting destroyed on a course!” No. 16 is right at the forefront of the holes that will kick your butt. It’s a par 4, but has always played like a par 5, or even par 6 to me. I like the back nine much more at Copper Valley (the former Saddle Creek), but the 9th is a nice little finishing hole on the front side. Downhill tee shot on the par 5 with a nice pond protecting the green to make approaches tougher. Love Copper Valley but must go with Pasa on this one.
No. 9 Pebble Beach (4) vs. No. 18 Baylands (13): Baylands is a beautiful course on the Peninsula and the 18th was my favorite hole on the course, but this is all Pebble. You get done with the tough 8th hole and there is no break as No. 9 awaits!
No. 17 Pebble Beach (3) vs. No. 15 Callippe Preserve (14): The 15th at Callippe is a fun, downhill par five with going for the green in two providing an exhilarating shot. As for the 17th at Pebble, do I really need to make an argument here? The hole that Tom Watson made famous wins easily.
No. 1 Wente Vineyards (6) vs. No. 8 Old Greenwood (11): Who is not a fan of elevated tees? I love them and the first at Wente Vineyards is one of my favorites. From the tee there is amazing views of the back side of the course where the first six holes reside. No. 8 at Old Greenwood is a big time risk/reward hole. At 357 yards from the tips, the hole can be shortened by cutting the dogleg left, but there is plenty of junk for your ball to find on a bad shot. Even playing it safe can bring in the five bunkers on the hole into play, both off the tee and on the approach. Man, this is a tough one as I am still not sure as I write about these two holes. I am going to roll with Old Greenwood on a nice summer day in Truckee.
No. 18 Clear Creek (7) vs. No. 6 Old Greenwood (10): I am going to say that Clear Creek is the best course a lot of people have not gotten to play. The private course just outside Carson City sports some of the best vistas of the mountain courses in the region. The closing hole offers some great views from above the Carson Valley. Stunning. The 6th at Old Greenwood is a wonderful par 5 that sweeps downhill and has a lake that can affect your tee shot, as well as your second and third shots. Another tough battle, but as I am writing this, I have the views of Clear Creek in my mind and that’s your winner.
No. 18 Olympic Club (2) vs. No. 2 Poppy Hills – Zinfandel (15): A blow out on paper, but just wanted to get in what is a neat little hole the 2nd on the Zinfandel course at Poppy Ridge brings to your round. Downhill, vineyards in the Livermore Valley visible, and nice little lake guarding the left side, as well as a touch of the front. It is impossible to play the 18th at Olympic without imaging a massive crowd sitting on the hills that surround the green. If you ever get asked to play the course, cancel all other plans and jump at the chance. Olympic all day here.
FREDDIE COUPLES REGION
No. 18 Half Moon Bay – Old Course (1) vs. No. 3 Las Positas (16): One of the most photographed holes in golf, as well as one seen in movies and commercials, the finishing hole at the Half Moon Bay Old Course is stunning. From the tee you have the ocean to the right and the Ritz-Carlton framing the back of the hole. Okay, someone had to be the 16th seed here. The third at Las Po is a fun little hole to play, especially in a scramble, but HMB is one of the great holes anywhere in the country.
No. 18 Old Greenwood (8) vs. No. 17 Silverado – North (9): This is a tough as one as it should be when dealing with eight and nine seeds in the region. The finisher at Old Greenwood is uphill with the clubhouse above the hole. Great end to what is always a great day at Old Greenwood. The 17th at Silverado is a great golf hole. You can try to carry the trees to cut some distance or play off to the right and safe side. The approach is uphill to a well-protected green. Always a popular hole for the fans during the Safeway Open. It is tough, but I will take Silverado here!
No. 18 Half Moon Bay – Ocean (5) vs. No. 17 San Juan Oaks (12): A fun closing hole, but one that is vastly over-shadowed by the one on the sister course. Not as dramatic as the Old Course closer, but still a solid and tough finisher as you play towards the back of the Ritz-Carlton. I needed to have a hole from a course my favorite player Fred Couples designed. The tee box is 150 feet above the green complex with great views of the San Juan valley laid out. Be careful on your approach as a 40-foot drop-off awaits any sailed shots. As much as I would love to push Freddie’s course through, I am an ocean guy first and HMB advances another hole.
No. 3 Spanish Bay (4) vs. No. 13 Greenhorn Creek (13): Spanish Bay will be your winner here and we will get more into the hole in the next round. I wanted to get a shoutout to No. 13 at Greenhorn, the signature hole at the course. The downhill par 3 is a beautiful hole, one where on a nice day, you can see Lake New Melones in the distance. It’s wonderful considering it was not that long ago during the latest drought there was no water to be seen.
No. 17 Edgewood (3) vs. No. 4 Greenhorn Creek (14): Once again Greenhorn will get beat out, but the 4th is another fun hole that features a rock wall in the middle of the fairway. Get close with your drive to the wall and downhill shot makes it possible to get home in two on the par 5. More on the 17th at Edgewood in the next round.
No. 1 Yocha Dehe (6) vs. No. 17 Castlewood (11): A pair of highly elevated tee shots – one a par 4 and the other a par 3. An elevated tee shot to open the round is a dramatic way to start your day and Yocha Dehe provides just that. You can see the entire course from the tee, and it lets you know you have a great round of golf coming! Castlewood’s 17th is one of the toughest par 3’s I have played. You really need to land your tee shot short as if you don’t it may take off right through the green. Another great scramble hole as your group can try multiple landing spots. Both great holes, but I will go with Yocha Dehe here.
No. 18 Grizzly Ranch (7) vs. No. 16 Harding Park (10): The 18th at Grizzly Ranch is a wonderful 570-yard, par 5 on a course that sits in the Portola area of the Graeagle region. The 16th at Harding Park is a drivable par 4 that came to international attention when Collin Morikawa drove in the final round of 2020 PGA, then made eagle on the way to his first Major win. Most of the time just hit an iron into the fairway to set you up with nice approach. Then again, where is the fun keeping the big dog in the bag!
No. 7 Pebble Beach (2) vs. No. 7 Poppy Ridge (Zinfandel) (15): Two par 3’s, with the poor 7th at Poppy Ridge, a neat hole in its own right, having to draw arguably one of the most famous par 3’s in the world. Enjoy the hole at Poppy Ridge if you get the chance but standing on the tee at No. 7 Pebble can give you chills (and not just from the ocean breeze you may get)! Onward Pebble Beach!
JACK NICKLAUS REGION
No. 18 Harding Park (1) vs. No. 18 Lake Chabot (16): More on No. 18 at Harding in the next round, but the closer at Lake Chabot in the Oakland hills may be one of the most unique holes you will ever play. Well over 600 yards and perched on the side of what seems like a mountain it is a blast to play. Tie up the shoes tight and get ready to go after it! Recently a golfer recorded a two on the hole, better known as a “Condor.” See you in the next round Harding.
No. 16 Edgewood (8) vs. No. 10 Wente Vineyards (9): The hole that brings you back down to Lake Tahoe at Edgewood takes on a hole with the most unique cart path leading up to it. On the 16th, Lake Tahoe beckons the golfer through the trees. You can score on a lot of par 5’s, but you will have to work for it here. It is downhill, but the bunkering complex starts well out from the green, and then goes on to surround it. At Wente when you finish the 9th hole, you get back into your cart and proceed to drive up the hill, going through many switchbacks as you get higher and higher, gaining 250 feet of elevation. Once on the tee you are treated to stunning views from high atop the Livermore Valley. It has always been a great spot to stop and take some time to breath it all in. Oh, then there is the hole to play. A short par 4 – 304-yards from the tips – where the safe play is to knock one 200 yards into the fairway. But standing on top of the world usually gives the golfer the false confidence to go for the green! Probably my toughest first round matchup, I am giving Wente the edge with all the peripherals that come with the hole. On days when the course is not busy, we have been known to hang out on the tee for 20 minutes or so.
No. 18 Ruby Hill (5) vs. No. 10 TPC Stonebrae (12): Ruby sports a great closing hole with a downhill hole that sweeps to the left for your second shot. A lake that starts about midway through the hole and ends up guarding the green. There is plenty of room to bail out and play it as a three-shot hole but looking down at the green it is easy to get lured in to going for the green in two. The hole that starts off the backside of Stonebrae is a launching pad, teeing off from one the highest spots on the course. It is easy for the golfer to think they can drive the green from such a height, but the smart play is to go safe off the tee. Ruby moves on here.
No. 3 Clear Creek (4) vs. No. 8 CordeValle (13): These are a pair of holes that are a blast to play. Both are elevated tee shots. Clear Creek is stunningly so, making the par 4 play much shorter than the yardage. CordeValle sweeps down the hill to find a lake guarding the right side of the green giving the golfer cause to pause when thinking about driving the green on the par 4. I love playing both holes but will go with Clear Creek in this spot.
No. 11 Monterey Peninsula – Shores course (3) vs. No. 10 The Dragon (14): MPCC brings a wonderful par 3 into this match. The tee boxes sit among boulders, with the tee shot traveling over the road that runs beneath. The green is framed by the ocean in the distance and a bounty of Cypress trees. One of the wonderful golf moments you get in the Monterey Peninsula. The 10th on the Dragon features one of the many elevated tee boxes on the course. The hole sweeps to the right before bending back to the left. A lake starts on the left about midway through hole and proceeds to protect the green. The winner is MPCC with what I consider one of the most beautiful holes on one of the most scenic courses in the region.
No. 17 Montreux (6) vs. No. 14 Spanish Bay (11): Here is a case where the 17th hole is more dramatic than the finishing hole. The tee box is about 100 feet above the fairway making the fairways look much narrower than they are. There is creek that cuts across the fairway, then wraps around the back of the green. You have to go as deep as possible off the tee as the green is narrow and you will want a higher lofted club in. The 14th at Spanish Bay runs downhill to the beach. The hole seems plenty wide, but OB right and a marsh to the left apply some pressure to the mental clamps. As much as I love all ocean courses, I am going with Montreux here.
No. 18 Whitehawk Ranch (7) vs. No. 12 Pacific Grove GL (10): Playing over 550 yards from the back tees, the par 5 is the perfect closing hole for the special course that is arguably the best in the region. The mountain peaks tower around the course and you are surrounded by sky-reaching trees. Here’s where this match gets interesting. Pacific Grove Golf Links has long been called the “Poor-man’s Pebble Beach,” and with good reason. Only six holes have that full ocean-side course feel, but what a six hole run it is. You start at No. 12 and when you come around the hill following the 11th and walk on to the 12th tee, the ocean breeze and views smack you right in the face. And as you stand on the tee, you can’t help but feel how much heavier your wallet is choosing to play here as opposed to Pebble. I love Whitehawk and the serenity that comes with a round there, but I am going with PGGL here!
No. 3 Spyglass Hill (2) vs. No. 14 Eagle Vines (15): Spyglass is a vision and the view from the third tee is unsurpassed. A wonderful downhill par 3 right at the ocean is a stunning and an ethereal golf experience. The 14th at Eagle Vines used to be a hole on the Chardonnay golf course but was one of six holes annexed by Eagle Vines. The downhill par 3 is to basically an island green with the elevation of the tee box providing scenic views. No contest here – Spyglass all the way.
JORDAN SPIETH REGION
No. 8 Pebble Beach (1) vs. No. 11 Dublin Ranch (15): Okay, obvious choice here, but a chance to get another mention of the Robert Trent Jones Jr., course located in the hills above Dublin. There are 12 par 3’s on the course, but that doesn’t make it easy as the greens are large and full of slope. More on Pebble in the next round.
No. 9 CordeValle (8) vs. No. 6 Edgewood (9): Here is a battle! The 9th at CordeValle features an elevated tee down to a split fairway and a small and a protected green. So cool is the hole it was used as the 18th when the Frys.com PGA Tour event was there. The 6th at Edgewood is the most unsung hole on my favorite course. Kind of tucked into the course, it’s a par 4 with a huge landing area that narrows the more you try to chew off. There’s a little lake protecting the green and it has been known to swallow tee shots hit too long as it moves up the fairway. A close one, but given my affinity for Edgewood, No. 6 gets the nod!
No. 18 Edgewood (5) vs. No. 11 Silverado – North (12): A pair of holes with water in play but are completely different. Standing on the 18th green at Edgewood is every bit as scenic as Pebble Beach. A reachable par 5 is comprised by a pond that covers most of the front of the green save for a narrow opening. There is also a trap on the right. End up there and if you blade your shot out of the sand you will find the pond. Push it too far right and you are in Lake Tahoe. No. 11 at Silverado is a neat little par 3 with a body of water coming into play. One of the cool things to see here is Johnny Miller’s former home across the pond from the green. Edgewood is your winner.
No. 1 Spyglass Hill (4) vs. No. 9 Poppy Ridge – Chardonnay (13): You hear of the legend of Spyglass, then stand on the first tee and it all comes to life. Standing on the first tee and take in the view of the water and on a clear day, even the Santa Cruz mountains are visible. To me, a par 5 to open the round is always welcome. String together some shots here and perhaps you get out of the first hole under par. Poppy Ridge features three, 9-hole courses. The closing hole on the Chardonnay is the best of three closing holes. At 526-yards from the tips, it is all you want. The tee shot is somewhat a blind one as it crests a hill before flowing downhill. Make sure you are confident on your approach as a lake guards the left side of the green. It is a fun hole, but against No. 1 at Spyglass – not happening.
No. 13 Coyote Moon (3) vs. No. 17 Pacific Grove GL (14): Here are two fun, yet different par 3’s. Coyote Moon’s No. 13 might be one of my favorite holes as it is very elevated, with the tee shot traveling over trees on its way down to a green you can’t see too well from certain tee spots. I once hit the pin – we heard it – but had no idea how close to the hole it ended up until we got down to the hole. It didn’t go in but was three inches from the cup. The 17th at Pacific Grove runs alongside 17-Mile Drive meaning there is always traffic and people around the hole which adds to the fun. The hole is over a lake, adding to the pressure of playing in front of your adoring public. It is a blast to play provided you don’t hook it into a car or dunk it in the water! Coyote Moon the easier winner.
No. 18 Copper Valley (6) vs. No. 14 Edgewood (11): The closing hole at the course formerly known as Saddle Creek as not for the faint of heart. An elevated tee shot drops the golfer on to the fairway running along one side of the bungalows on the property. Your approach is to an elevated green that you get to by clearing a pond. Beyond the green is the grill patio area where people relax and watch the golfers finish their rounds. Dump one in the water and catcalls may arise, especially if there is a buddy trip in the bungalows or hanging out behind the green. But stick it and receive the adoration of those watching! The 14th at Edgewood is another elevated tee shot to a fairway that sweeps to the left. There is a lake guarding the left side of the fairway. What I love about the hole is that it brings you back out of the trees and Lake Tahoe back into view. I will go with Copper Valley here. It’s not the biggest nor the boldest closing hole, but both the tee shot and second shot demand quality shots.
No. 18 The Dragon (7) vs. No. 18 Yocha Dehe (10): These are two strong closing holes. I loved the 18th at the Dragon the first time I played it and I love it still today. There is a forced carry off the tee but it is an ample landing area. From there the fairway narrows as you get closer to the green and sways back and forth. There are seven bunkers around the green area, presenting difficult layups or adventurous long shots into the green. Yocha Dehe offers a 423-yard, par 4 closing hole with water running alongside the entire hole until the flow of the hole turns right. The visual brings the water into play more so than it should. I will go with the Dragon here in a close one!
No. 10 Pebble Beach (2) vs. No. 7 Castlewood CC (15): The second shot on No. 10 at Pebble has become one of my favorite holes in golf. The fairway slopes left to right, leaving with you with a side-hill lie for your approach. What I like about it is the behind the green drops off a cliff down to the Carmel Beach. As you stand in the fairway, the view of the beach out beyond the course with people and dogs playing along at the edges of the Carmel is soothing. This is a perfect example of my feelings towards a hole that others may not have. No.7 at Castlewood is just a fun hole, especially in a scramble, of which I have played in plenty on the course. The tee shot is way downhill and if you catch it right you can get one hell of a roll, especially in the summer months. A nice high fade is a beautiful shot on this hole. Your approach is going to be on a downhill lie. Castlewood is my hometown course, but it’s going to be yet another win for Pebble.
By Dennis Miller