Sable Creek Golf Course (Hartville, OH)

The CNCGA will make its first ever appearance at Sable Creek in 2026. It’s a couple miles east of Seven Hills CC, a league favorite that was considered one of our best courses but unfortunately is NLE. I would’ve thought Tannenhauf, a James Harrison/ Fred Garbin design five miles further would’ve been the option to fill the void in the Hartville area but instead it’s Sable Creek that many believe is the better alternative.

Sable Creek has 27 holes, all designed by Dave Cavalier (I assume he’s the owner) and they were built in three different phases starting in 1994, then 1997, and 2002. It reminds me of Mallard Creek, a 36 hole facility that caters to the recreational golfer. The course is wide open with little chance to lose a ball. In the past I used to be critical of these types but I’ve come to realize their popularity with the golfing public, and how sustainable the business model is. In fact, there’s a handful of holes that are quite challenging, and coupled with the lengthy par threes, will keep par relevant. The course is well kept which adds to its wide spread appeal.

(The 395/373 yard par four second on the Black nine is the most difficult hole on the course. You can see the dyke that keeps the creek back on the left…

…the approach is then hit to a large green protected by the creek front and a tree left. Short drives change the positioning of these hazards, and make the approach even more dangerous…

…a small tongue extends short of the tree with little room to land the ball. Expect many second shots to bail out far left.)

(The 362/328 yard par four fourth on the Black nine features a pond left of the green. The water hazard extends over 100 yards down to the landing area, and make the drive and approach both demanding shots.)

(The 186/177 yard par three ninth finishes the Black nine off with a long shot to an elevated green. A back tier extends across the entire length of the putting surface and makes those the hardest pins to access.)

Sable Creek will be a welcomed addition to the association. The first four holes (the Black and Maroon nines are the designated eighteen hole loops) are a tough beginning to the round. With the dangerous second and fourth holes, where water is in play on both the drive and approach, coupled with the lengthy first and third, one can squander their entire inventory of handicap strokes. Distance is definitely the course’s main defense. Three of the four par fives are well over 500 yards, and the par threes are solid mid to long iron shots. Adding up the total yardage for the white tees, it’s 6,353 yards might make it the longest course we play all year.

(The 507/482 yard sixth hole on the Maroon nine is the shortest par five. If one can fly the ball to the top of the hill then it becomes a reachable in two shots..

…however a pond short makes giving it a go a dicey decision. I still expect plenty of birdies as players hit little wedges in for their third shot.)

(Sable Creek stretches across the entire property and these concrete bridges are on several holes. This is the 184/166 yard par three Maroon seventh. Note the lack of bunkering. Traps are present on only a handful of holes.)

I know it’s not Seven Hills, but Sable Creek will be a fine substitute. The greens have good movement to them and are noticeably on the high points of the property. The real drawback is the lack of excitement. The course is pretty plain. I can see our lower handicap players carding a mid to low 70s round. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(I played the white tees on a blustery day with 20 mph winds and gusts up to 40 mph. Notice how I played the first four holes in +3. Not blowing up allowed me to shoot a decent score. I paid $30 to walk. I hope the price is similar in the summer because we need some affordable Saturdays.)

(My favorite hole is the 328/316 yard par four Maroon eighth. After playing in the openness of farmland the first sixteen holes, the psychological affront of this little hole is daunting. Club selection off the tee is so important and the battle between driver or iron will have you second guessing your choice. The green is audacious! The front left third is even with the fairway before it drops away to the back right. It’s a very precise second shot. Birdie will be well earned.)

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Pitch Shots - Northern California

Here are five additional courses that I dropped in at while visiting San Francisco and Monterey. These are opinions and observations while just seeing several holes.

Half Moon Bay - Old Course

I stayed at Half Moon Bay Lodge and the fourth hole played next to my room. It was designed in 1973 by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane. The course is most known for its finishing hole that is often considered one of the best in the country. It plays along the cliffs with a downhill tee shot and an uphill approach. The coastal path and Ritz Carlton provide a full gallery of spectators as you play out your round. The rest of the course plays through “condo canyon” with doglegs on many of the holes. Along with the Ocean Course, which I played and blogged, it can provide a nice opportunity to play 36 holes in a day. The guy behind the counter and the starter both said they prefer it over the Ocean Course, but it’s easy to take the spectacular setting for granted when you see that view every day.

(The 405/384 par four eighteenth is gorgeous!)

(The 546/477 yard par five tenth doglegs right and plays uphill.)

Golden Gate Park Par Three Course

Golden Gate Park is fantastic and one of the highlights of San Francisco. I highly recommend visiting and seeing the Japanese Tea Garden. You can get lunch afterwards and listen to live music at the Alcove. It’s a really cool park. At the west end is the par three course. It was originally designed by Jack Fleming in 1951 and recently got renovated by Jay Blasi in 2023. Sports Illustrated voted it as the Best Renovated Short Course. It’s actually quite hilly and looking at the old pictures makes me agree with all the accolades Blasi is receiving. He pulled off the top soil and revealed the sand dunes the property sits on. There are several blowout bunkers that coupled with the Cypress trees make the whole place look fantastic. While I walked around the bottom portion of the property, I’m told the upper half provides ocean views which is close by. It’s home to the First Tee and was mostly being played by beginners when I stopped in. I would love to give it a go next time I visit!

(#1 144 yards)

(Practice putting green and downhill #5 158 yards)

(Behind green on #9 151 yards)

Lincoln Park Golf Course

Starting at the Sutro Baths, Lands End Trail follows the coastline and finishes two miles away just below Lincoln Park’s famous seventeenth hole. It was one of my favorite walks and I encourage anyone who enjoys urban hiking to put it on their itinerary. This is my kind of golf course! I love the quirkiness and grand views of the city. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea as its 5,146 yard par 68 layout is in itself unusual. With its Tom Bendelow and Willie Watson pedigree, two men who knew how to take advantage of a property’s natural features, the course uses all the elevated spots. If they kept this place in pristine shape, it would be touted as one of the best municipal courses. It very much has a San Francisco spirit.

(This is the 239 yard par three sixteenth…

…followed by the 240 yard par three seventeenth.)

Northwood Golf Club

Northwood has developed a cult following as a mystical nine holer designed by Alister Mackenzie among towering Redwoods. As cool as the trees are, I felt the course had a rundown muni vibe to it. The grass seemed thin to me, and the greens were hairy. Granted I only walked around the clubhouse and restaurant, but I was able to view 1,6,7,9 from these areas. I guess if the whole premise is one gets to walk among the Redwoods, then I short circuited that by my two mile hike at Armstrong Redwood Preserve. I do know the Russian River floods, and if you’ve ever played a course that has that issue, then you know exactly what I’m talking about when I describe it as being thin.

(The 280 yard par four sixth…

…followed by the 381 yard par four seventh.)

Pacific Grove Golf Course

I feel like golf has jumped the shark of late with bloated greens fees and undervalued experiences that give you buyer’s remorse. Pacific Grove is the antithesis of that. It’s priced right, has a great vibe, and is a terrific walk along the dunes and ocean. It feels like it’s an extension of Lover’s Point, Pacific Grove’s oceanfront park that transverses along the shoreline. In my mind, it’s a special place. You can have a grand experience with any level of player from beginner to advanced at a cost that feels like the equivalent of paying the entrance fee at Point Lobos. I played here twelve years ago and it still is my number one best valued golf course.

(Looking down the 303 yard par four eleventh.)

(The 300 yard par four eighteenth)



Del Monte Golf Course (Monterey, CA)

Del Monte is the oldest continuous eighteen hole course west of the Mississippi River. It was designed in 1897 by polo and golf enthusiast Charles Maud. For many years it was considered the best golf course in California, hosting prestigious tournaments like the Del Monte Cup, the Pacific Coast Open, and the 1916 Western Amateur Championship (Heinrich Schmidt 7&6 Douglas Grant). In 1920, Samuel Morse retained British architect William Herbert Fowler to redesign Del Monte, and the course we know today is mostly his work.

Del Monte is owned by the Pebble Beach Company and is their affordable option ($135). It reminds me of the old parkland courses we have here in northeast Ohio. The greens are small, quick, and well bunkered. Three and four putting is a concern if you have a downhiller of any significant length. The deep rough makes up for the trees they lost that lined the fairway. While the scorecard boasts five par fours that play under 350 yards, it’s the long par threes that grab your attention. The shortest one is 168 yards yet its minuscule green is surrounded by sand traps. The longest is 215 yards and plays uphill. They put a lot of pressure on you to birdie the short fours. And once again, it’s the greens that will make or break your score. It is a thorough examination.

(The 178/158 yard par three fourth is the easiest of the quartet. The open front allows low and high shots to find the surface. Offline strikes will finish in one of the three sand traps.)

(Unlike the fourth, the 194/180 par three sixth has sand guarding most of the front. There’s room for multiple devious pin positions as it can be tucked directly behind the sand on both sides. Par is a great score.)

(The 376/362 yard par four seventh plays uphill with this tree smack dab in the fairway 170 yards from the tee…

…the second shot is the critical one as it’s an extra club with the left half forming a higher tier than the middle and right. It’s the number one handicap hole.)

(My personal favorite is the 533/517 yard par five ninth. It plays up and over the crest of the hill before doglegging right where a large cypress tree stands sentinel at the turn. If you can carry the trees right of it then you can shorten up the third shot. It’s a classic golf hole.)

Del Monte is in great shape and the recent bunker renovation looks fantastic. It’s a first class operation and a lot of fun to play. Along with Pacific Grove, these two options give the budget minded golfer an opportunity to play golf in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I give it a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(In the foreground is the green of the tenth while the background is of the eleventh. Note the staggered bunkers and trees on the right challenging the tee shot. Both are short par fours where you’ll want to secure at least one birdie to start the inward nine.)

(The 391/365 yard par four eighteenth plays alongside the Hyatt before doglegging left and playing towards an interesting green. Note how one circular side hides behind a bunker while the other is a tiny target extending away from the golfer. It’s very easy finding yourself long in the rough. Four is a good score.)

(We played the white tees at 6,048 yards. The two men I played with were Noah and Tom. Noah was a retired gentleman (and member) from Flint Michigan while Tom had a most peculiar job. He delivered fuel in Alaska for six months of the year. He had just taken up golf last October and was so smitten by it that he was playing every day during his off time.)

(This tri mural greets you as you walk to the pro shop. It’s a photo taken in 1917 of the caddies. Three of them would become professional golfers with the gentleman standing up in the center, Mortie Dutta, winning the 1955 Senior PGA Championship. However, in the front row, second from the left, is Alfred Santos, grandfather of the one and only Phil Mickelson.)

(The 326/299 yard par four fifth has a cross bunker that one must carry if they’re trying to drive the green. Most layup to it and hit a delicate pitch. The putting surface has a back upper tier that only the most confident will challenge.)

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Half Moon Bay - Ocean Course (Half Moon Bay, CA)

Is Half Moon Bay the best piece of property Art Hills had to design a golf course on? It’s hard to argue otherwise. The final three holes along the cliffs are simply spectacular. The reveal at #1 green; the grand tee shot on #2; the panoramic view from the #13 tee box; the graceful curving uphill par five #14; all are special moments one experiences during the round.

The Ocean course was designed in 1997 and is located 20 minutes south of San Francisco. While it gets high remarks from the majority of golfers, it surprisingly fails to crack the Top 100 public list in any publication. I believe the reason is most of the course plays in a field away from the water. Art Hills kept to his style of building a simple playable course, and that decision roils many who fancy an elaborate, over shaped version that could be mistaken for Scotland. It’s not a coincidence that every public course that plays along the coast from Torrey Pines to Sandpiper to Half Moon Bay all endure the same criticisms.

(The opening hole doglegs right with the green tied between two ridges. A swale stymies any ground game options from running onto the putting surface…

…as you walk up to the green this gorgeous reveal instantly captures your attention. Golf by the ocean is truly a wonderful feeling. 394/376/360)

(The short par four second plays over a wide gully that requires a 160 yard carry from the white tees. The golfer can drive the ball as far as he’d like towards the green. Note the fence below the tee box. A coastal path winds through course, allowing the general public access to the coastline and beach. 344/332/297)

(Water from the golf course was not allowed to infiltrate the ocean so Hills built a retention pond and the lovely par three seventh makes good use of it. The texture of the trees and backdrop of the hills add to the setting. 172/155/143)

(Look at this view from sixteen tee! I doubt very much we’ll see a property like this be developed into a golf course in the foreseeable future. It’s a downhill par four with a dry wash fronting the green. 403/381/360)

(The par three seventeenth is the showstopper at Half Moon Bay’s Ocean Course. Anything hit left is down on the beach. The coastal path is out of view on the right, but it is not uncommon to have a half dozen or more onlookers watching you hit. 184/149/129)

(The uphill par five eighteenth begins with a grand tee shot over the baranca and finishes up with a pedestal green backdropped by the Ritz Carlton. That pesky coastal path is only several yards to the left so once again expect an audience. It’s a good birdie opportunity to end the round. 533/527/527…

…this is the view looking back. Half Moon Bay is one of the best coastlines you can golf on.)

I had to make a decision between Half Moon Bay or Harding Park, and while I’d love to play the four major munis (Torrey Pines, Bethpage Black, Chambers Bay, Harding Park) I’m very pleased that I choose to play here. The opportunity to play along the ocean with views like this is few and far between. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving 1-2 hours to play). It may very well be the best public golf option in the San Francisco area.

(I played the white tees at 6,081 yards. I was armed with two new clubs, my Ping 440 Max driver and 56 degree S- grind 10 bounce Vokey wedge. The wedge was awesome! The shots and spin I was able to generate on 40-60 yards pitches saved me four strokes. It took most of the front nine to get my driver going but the bomb I hit on eighteen reassured me that I made a good choice. Btw, the greens fee was only $180! That’s a steal considering courses like Pasatiempo and Poppy Hills are both double in price.)

(I captured this cool picture as a small mist moved across the course.)

(This is the par five tenth green. The little ridge my ball is on blocks you from getting a complete view of the green.)

(This is the view from thirteen tee overlooking the golf course. The ocean is a constant companion sans the 7-9 trio.)

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