Mountain House Golf Course

Check the wind ... pick your target ... pick your club ... check the wind ... let it rip.

If you don't mind target golf, and don't have a problem with an occasional gust (and then some), then there is a new gem for you to discover.

Mountain House Golf Course opened last month, pushing the Bay Area golf market even farther east and higher in elevation. The Bob Milano design is cut out of the hills on Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy.

The windmills surrounding the course should give you some indication that conditions rarely are calm. But this course is long on fun, if not on yardage, or mild breezes.

White-tee yardage is a paltry-looking 5,532, but many holes are straight into the wind. You also may have to club down on several holes, because you'll be hitting across ravines or down hills to small fairway targets.

You may want to play from the blue tees, which measure just 6,184 yards. Of course, that will make the holes into the wind that much tougher.

The greens also are huge and severely sloped, which adds to the test. But there is not much water and no sand on the course, although there are a few grass bunkers.

Your day starts with a very short but narrow par-4. Long hitters may be able to drive the green, although one of the constants on this course is thick, nasty rough if you wander too far off track.

No. 2 is a long par-5 that plays even longer into the prevailing wind. Fortunately, three of the four other par-5s are usually downwind, which makes all of them birdie possibilities.

The second par-5 follows at No. 3, and is downhill and usually downwind. In fact, almost every tee box is elevated, which allows wild players to shape shots and swing a little more freely, or at least unencumbered by trees.

Back-to-back par-3s come at Nos. 5 and 6, two of the more interesting and diverse par-3s you'll find. The fifth is long (225 yards from the blue tees) but straight downhill to a green that slopes severely from front to back (go past the hole for an uphill putt if you can). The sixth is just 90 yards from the white tees, but the small green has three tiers, and a two-putt from the wrong level is nearly impossible.

The target action begins in earnest at the seventh hole, a dogleg-right par-4 where two fairways separated by a hazard forces golfers to choose whether to go long or short off the tee.

After another par-3, the third on the par-35 front side, you end the first nine with a real head-scratcher, a blind tee shot straight downhill to another target fairway. Forget clubbing down and just go for the green on the short par-4, which descends about 200 feet in elevation.

The back nine is longer and tougher, although the par-5 10th hole is short and usually plays downwind.

The signature hole is No. 13, a long par-5 with a blind tee shot and a risk-reward second shot across a lake - the more of the lake you fly over, the shorter your approach will be.

No. 14 is another beauty, a short par-3 that heads back over the lake and into the prevailing wind.

End your day with another par-5, this time with a huge drop in elevation off the tee but another opportunity to go for the green in two.

Mountain House has an interesting upside. It is a truly unique course that puts the emphasis on placement over distance. There are some holes you've probably never seen before, and a few you'll remember for a long time to come.

The price also is a major plus ... just $35 with a cart during the week. The weekend price is a competitive $55, with cart.

The challenge comes to those who simply can't play target golf. There are a few long carries, and a few other holes where you simply must trust your yardage and keep the driver in the bag.

The blind tee shots also may frustrate you, so bring a partner with sharp eyes. Bring an extra sleeve or two of golf balls as well, because you're bound to lose at least a few.

Frustration also awaits around the greens, which are so young and severely sloped that some approaches may run right through the dance floor.

But keep a stiff upper lip. And when you can see the slope, do your utmost to stay below the hole.

And if you finish with a good score, pat yourself on the back, and schedule your next trip. You'll guarantee you can cut several strokes with a little course knowledge.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 west to I-680 south. Take I-580 east over Altamont Pass. Take the Grant Line-Byron Road exit north, and take a sharp left on Altamont Pass Road. The course is on the right.