Paradise Valley Golf Course is not misnamed!
Written: Aug 08 '04
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Pros: A well-designed and superbly maintained muni course.
Cons: Wind is your constant companion even in the mornings.
The Bottom Line: This is a marvelous course that is extremely well-maintained. It is an excellent value and one of the best maintained muni courses I have ever played.
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| tennis_player's Full Review: Paradise Valley Golf Course |
Paradise Valley owned by the City of Fairfield and managed/maintained by Kemper Sports Management Co. It is located about half way between San Francisco and Sacramento just off I-80. It’s easy to get to and find at less than 1 hr. drive from San Francisco.
It is an 18-hole, par 72, championship course. It is 6993 yds from the white tees and bears a 73 rating and a slope rating of 136. That makes it a challenging course for a muni course.
Hole #1 starts off with relatively straightforward par 5. It’s not hard, just the longest hole on the course at 518 yds. So, it’s not a bad idea to warm up at the driving range if you are a slow starter.
Hole #2 is a par 4 at 338 yds. but there is a dry creek bed (summer) that must be crossed guarding the front of the green.
The third hole is a challenging par 3 with a 164 yd., par 3. The problem here is the green can only be reached from the tee by crossing a large barranca requiring a carry of about 130 yds. And, there are bunkers guarding both flanks of the green.
Hole #5, a par 4, is the #1 handicap hole for men. Personally, I thought it was pretty easy. It’s not particularly long at 384 yds. There is some water along the right side of the fairway but it doesn’t really come into play. I don’t know why they chose this to be the toughest, #1 handicap hole.
The 8th hole is a tough little par 3 stinker that requires utmost accuracy at 185 yds. The green is small and is surrounded by bunkers.
The 10th hole, a par 5, I thought, was much tougher than the # handicap hole #5. It is 458 yds. long with a dog-leg left. However about 2/3 the way out, the fairway narrows down. Shot #1 is critical to set you up for the second shot through this narrow neck. And, if you go too far off the tee, there is some rough and a downhill lie that will test your skills for off-camber lies. There is also some water to contend with on the right. Once through the this narrow gap there is a dry creek bed that must be crossed. To make it tougher, there is a large oak tree guarding the approach and a line of smaller trees that run along this creed bed. To shoot par, every shot must be precise and controlled in order to reach the green in 3 strokes.
Hole #15 is another tough hole. It is a 154-yd. par 3 but it requires a precise carry of about 135 yds. to clear a large barranca from the tee and a large lake on the left. And, as usual, the green is surrounded by bunkers.
The greens are really gorgeous – lush, thick, smooth and putt true. The speed is a bit on the fast side, especially in the afternoon after they’ve dried out a bit. They are medium firm and ball marks can be prominent from high, lofted approach shots. Players seem to be responsible enough to fix their ballmarks as these imperfections were rarely encountered. This was our first visit and reading of the greens was difficult. There are subtle swoops and tilts to the greens.
The fairways are wonderfully wide, cut short and are in beautiful shape. They are wide enough in most places that there is little danger from errant balls ball hit from other fairways. Balls are really easy to see as there are almost no leaves from trees nor other distractions that make seeing/finding your ball difficult. And, the ground is fairly firm (summer) that you get a good roll and they do not plug deeply into the ground.
The bunkers are well maintained. However, they are not super soft so “picking” the ball off from fairway bunkers is fairly easy. “Splashing” out from green-side bunkers is also not difficult. The architect really likes bunkers so there are plenty of them.
The carts are wonderful. At this time, they all appear to be brand new. They run beautifully, steer well and are all equipped with clean, one-piece (non-fold-down) windshields. And, they are very clean. On the left rear fender is a large, deep, plastic waste basket. This means not having to chase down food wrappers or Styrofoam drink cups that fly out of the cart when in motion or on windy days.
All carts are equipped with automated GPS devices that provide all the yardage information for each hole AND provide prompts and tips for various holes. It even prompts players to drink water on hot days. These are wonderful as they work without any required input by the players unless you want it to keep your scores. A menu of items available from the bar & grill are displayed upon approaching the 9th hole. You can enter your order via the GPS and it will be ready for you as you make the turn after finishing the front nine holes. Your orders are tracked by your cart number. Prices for items are quite reasonable. Another unusual cart characteristic is when the parking brake is not engaged, the cart is, virtually, free wheeling. There is no resistance. This makes moving or minor positioning corrections of the cart by pushing with your foot an easy option on smooth surfaces like the cart path.
Yardage markers in the form of the standard 200, 150 and 100 yd. round medallions placed in the middle of the fairways are easy to find for those without the advantage of GPS. Sprinkler heads are not marked.
One unusual feature of this course is the presence of many large, irregular shaped boulders all over the course. One is placed on each side of the fairway for use as the 150 yd. yardage marker. They do add a little interest to the appearance.
Wind is a constant companion for this course and virtually all course along the I-80 corridor to Sacramento. If you don’t like wind, you may want to find a more sheltered course.
The Legends and Heroes is a full bar and grill, The food looks very good and patrons seem very happy. Service is fast and efficient.
The staff in the pro shop are very helpful and have a good attitude. The bathrooms are very clean and well-designed.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first visit and it will, surely, not be our last. There is very little to dislike about this course!
Jim
Recommended:
Yes
Green Fees Paid (US$): 35
Speed of Play (typical weekend): 4 to 5 Hours
Look Out For: Other
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tennis_player
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Member: James Quon
Location: Northern California
Reviews written: 345
Trusted by: 250 members
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A retired Professional from 40 years in technical Sales & Marketing.
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