Stonetree Golf Club

You may feel guilty hitting off fariways this nice ... or walking into the pristine wood-and-stone clubhouse wearing golf spikes.

Get over it. StoneTree Golf Club is a rare treat, and one middle-class golfers should enjoy at least once in a while.

The 2-year-old Novato Course, a beautiful meeting of the minds by Sandy Tatum, Jim Summers, Johnny Miller and Fred Bliss, was built on the former grounds of the Renassaince Pleasure Faire just off Highway 37.

With all due respect to Shakespeare, hats off to revisionist history. This is a masterpiece.

Miller and company moved tons of dirt to create a course that is long on slopes, if not distance.

StoneTree is just 6,810 yards from the back tees, but still has a rating of 72.7 and a slope of 137. And if the wind is blowing, it can be a monster from any tee.

One of the biggest reasons is the tightness of the fairways. Whether it is the marsh areas of the links-style holes, or the trees in the forest section of the course, trouble awaits if you wander too far left or right.

The second big reason is the greens. There are knolls, tiers and slopes everywhere, and while they roll true, they are very hard to read. There also is significant break around the holes.

There are two distinct courses in this gem. StoneTree opens with a solid starter to get your feet wet, a straightaway par-4 that's tight but only 408 yards even from the tips.

Next up is a short par-4 that features marsh and trap trouble if you take too big a club.

The marsh and trap theme continues through the first six holes, including the front nine's only par-5. The sixth hole is only 495 yards from the black (standard men's) tees, and provides a great birdie opportunity if you don't get too greedy.

The seventh, eighth and ninth holes head into the hills, and are among the best on the course. The seventh is one of three severely uphill holes, so trust is a must on club selection.

The ninth may be the best hole on the course, a long, downhill, dogleg right par-4 with water short and to the right, and long and to the left. The tee provides a gorgeous view of most of the course, as well as the posh clubhouse.

The second nine returns to the flat lands with a par-3 over water, a drawback on days when golfers are asked to start on the back nine.

Nos. 10, 11 and 12 stay in the flats, so club down and stay out of trouble.

If you do hit near a marsh, you may not find your ball, but you will find several others.

If you get in a bunker, fear not. There actually is real sand on this course, instead of the mud found in "sand'' traps on many tracks.

Head for the hills again on No. 13, a tight, short, uphill par-4 that is a real treat. Take a picture of the green if you have a camera - the huge green has three distinct tiers, and you'd swear there should be a windmill or a drawbridge somewhere.

Swallow your pride, take your three-putt and move on.

Get ready for your pride to take a hit on the back side as a whole. The second nine is par-37 and features five holes more than 450 yards in length from the tips, including the 452-yard, par-4 18th, where birdies rarely occur.

But don't worry about the score. Just sit back in the elegant 19th hole to finish your golfing treat.

StoneTree isn't perfect. The most serious drawback has resulted from a long battle with the city of Novato over a practice range. The fight is unresolved, leaving golfers with the only warmup option of hitting into nets off practice mats.

Hit a warmup bucket at Blue Rock Springs if your must, and then get back on Highway 37. StoneTree is a mere 40 miles from Vacaville.

The course also could use a fourth set of tees. The black-tee yardage is 6,295, which may be a little long for some hackers. But the next step down is the whites, a mere 5,232 that most people will have too much pride to play.

The price ($85 on weekdays, $115 on weekends) also is prohibitive, but amenities abound. Ball and club washers are on the back of each cart, as well as a cooler with complimentary bottled water. There is even a small snack bar (breakfast burritos are a specialty) in front of the clubhouse, should hunger strike.

There are no on-course restrooms, but the routing takes you past the clubhouse four times. And even the locker rooms in the clubhouse are a treat.

StoneTree may not be a regular stop, but you should treat yourself every once in a while.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 west. Take Highway 37 through Vallejo, past Sears Point and Lakeview Road. Take the Black Pointe exit and circle back under the freeway. Continue straight, and the course awaits.