By Tim Roe/Sports Editor
Look at it this way ... it probably won't be as wet this coming year as it was over the last 12 months.
Golf nuts have to take their rounds when they can get them, and that should happen a little more often in the coming months. Now the big question is, where to play?
Green Tree, Paradise Valley, Rancho Solano and even Kennedy Park in Napa all bounced back nicely after serious flood damage last winter. Improvements are on the way as well.
Solano County residents are blessed with a good variety of courses, even though there are just eight 18-hole public tracks in the county. Hiddenbrooke is a wonderful course, and Paradise Valley, Rancho Solano and Rio Vista earn solid marks as well. Green Tree, Blue Rock Springs and Mare Island offer plenty of bang for the buck.
Of course, sometimes you just have to expand your horizons, which is one reason why The Reporter started the Worth the Drive series more than three years ago. The series has reviewed more than 75 public courses within driving distance of Solano County, highlighting reasons why playing those courses is worth traveling a few extra miles in the car.
Here is a look at some of the highlights from the series in a variety of categories. For a more complete look, log on to www.thereporter.com and click on the Worth the Drive logo.
Remember, golf course gift certificates, local or otherwise, make great Christmas presents.
Something new is what we need (some of the newest wave of new courses)
• Callippe Preserve, Pleasanton
• Mountain House, Tracy
• Deer Ridge, Brentwood
• Darkhorse, Auburn
• Roddy Ranch, Antioch
Old school is not really bad at all (some time-tested tracks)
• Shark Park, Pacifica
• Tilden Park, Berkeley
• Plumas Lake, Marysville
• Crystal Springs, Burlingame
• Kennedy Park, Napa
OK, it's not a VERY long drive (five good courses 40 miles or less from Vaca- ville)
• Teal Bend, Sacramento
• Eagle Vines, Napa
• Wildhorse, Davis
• Boundary Oak, Walnut Creek
• Franklin Canyon, Hercules
Worth the VERY LONG drive (five must-play courses, but make sure you add a tank of gas to the cost)
• San Juan Oaks, Hollister
• Eagle Ridge, Gilroy
• Diablo Grande, Legends Course, Patterson
• Saddle Creek, Copperopolis
• Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz
A Christmas gift for someone you REALLY like (some high-end, daily-fee courses you should try at least once)
• Half Moon Bay, Ocean Course
• Stonetree, Novato
• Diablo Grande, Legends Course, Patterson
• The Course at Wente Vineyards, Livermore
• Coyote Creek, Stadium Course, San Jose
Bargain, but not in the basement (five pretty solid courses that you can play for less than $40 during the week)
• Cherry Island, Sacramento
• Lockeford Springs, Lodi
• Lone Tree, Antioch
• Wildhawk, Sacramento
• Plumas Lake, Marysville
A walk in the park (you'll have fun regardless, but you may have a better time just hoofing it)
• Oakmont (West), Santa Rosa
• Harding Park, San Francisco
• Kennedy Park, Napa
• Haggin Oaks (MacKenzie Course), Sacramento
• Sharp Park, Pacifica
Along for the ride (some really fun courses that may test your stamina if you don't rent a cart)
• Apple Mountain, Camino
• Darkhorse, Auburn
• The Lincoln Hills Club, Lincoln
• Summitpointe, Milpitas
• Shadow Lakes, Brentwood
And now for something completely different (five quirky courses that should make you smile)
• Cinnabar Hills, San Jose (Three totally diverse nines ... one through the hills, one by water, one in the woods)
• Mountain House, Tracy (Totally target golf in the hills and the wind)
• Dublin Ranch, Dublin (11 par-3s and a ton of fun)
• Indian Valley, Novato (blind shots, the biggest green you'll ever see, an elevator)
• Poppy Ridge, Livermore (27 holes, one tree)
Miles from nowhere (you'll have a blast if you don't get lost)
• Greenhorn Creek, Copperopolis
• La Contenta, Spring Valley
• Castle Oaks, Ione
• Stevinson Ranch, Stevinson
• The Links at Bodega Harbor
More than tough enough (bring your A game, if you have one)
• The Ranch, San Jose
• Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz
• The Bridges, San Ramon
• Whitney Oaks, Rocklin
• Coyote Creek (Stadium Course), San Jose
A front nine and a back nine (these courses feature the best combinations of cost, variety, playability, proximity and solid conditions)
• Turkey Creek, Lincoln
• The Course at Wente Vineyards, Livermore
• Deer Ridge, Brentwood
• Eagle Vines, Napa
• The Reserve at Spanos Park, Stockton
• Teal Bend, Sacramento
• Roddy Ranch, Antioch
• Monarch Bay, San Leandro
• Haggin Oaks, MacKenzie Course, Sacramento
• Rooster Run, Petaluma
• Apple Mountain, Camino
• Castle Oaks, Ione
• Callippe Preserve, Pleasanton
• The Links at Bodega Harbour
• The Ridge, Auburn
• San Geronimo, San Geronimo
• Canyon Lakes, San Ramon
• The Presidio, San Francisco