Golf Course Superintendents
Dissecting the Unique Ecoregions of Northern California
W
ith apologies to the Coachella Valley, Long Island, Michi-
gan’s Upper Peninsula and Scottsdale, Northern Califor- nia possesses a variety of golf courses that is unmatched in the United States. Dotted with designs by legendary golf course architects ranging from Alister MacKenzie and A.W. Tillinghast to the modern day layouts of Jack Nicklaus, Northern Califor- nia features something for every golfer’s palate. But what really sets golf
apart in the area are the many unique ecoregions that allow golfers to play in the high mountains, valleys and coast, often on the same day. The ecoregions of Northern California consist of three major groups: coastal forests, Mediterranean and forested mountains. Hundreds of golf courses exist in these ecoregions, and each offer golfers a variety of different terrain, weather, natural surroundings and shot- making challenges. Golf courses located in the
coastal forests (select parts of the San Francisco Bay Area north to the Oregon border) are often highlighted by heav- ily tree-lined fairways (pine and cypress), hilly terrain, elevated greens and wet, cool weather in the winter with fog in the summer. These damp, cool condi-
tions create more air density, which makes the golf ball fly much shorter distances than courses farther inland, creat- ing a serious challenge for short-hitters. Most courses
in these areas play hundreds of yards longer than their listed yardage, putting a premium on driving the golf ball long and straight. Many of these courses were designed in the golden age of golf course architecture, and put a premium on good decision-making and the ability to work the ball both ways. Some famous courses in this ecoregion include California Club, The Olym- pic Club, Pasatiempo and San Francisco Golf Club. The largest ecoregion in
California is the Mediterra- nean, and much of Northern California (inland from San Francisco Bay to the Sierra Nevada foothills) lies within this area. The region is distinguished by hot, dry summers and relatively mild winters. The terrain is highlighted by a vast variety of rolling hills, plains and wildlife. Golf in this ecoregion is played on a va- riety of turfgrasses, including
bent, bermuda, Poa annua and perennial ryegrass, creating different challenges for players, particularly on putting surfaces where speed and grain can vary greatly from course to course. With summer temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees in Sacramento and the Central Valley, courses also tend to play faster and firmer, with the heat taking a physi- cal and emotional toll on golfers. Some of the pre- mier facilities in this region include CordeValle, Del Paso Country Club and the NCGA’s own Poppy Ridge. Monterey Bay-area clubs are also located in this region, although cooling from the Pacific Ocean makes the courses play more like fa- cilities located in the coastal region. Some of the most famous examples include Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Pebble Beach. The forested moun-
tain ecoregion contains the world-famous Sierra Nevada mountain range. Elevations range from 1,000 feet above sea level to more than 14,000 feet, with a variety of pine trees, plant life and alpine meadows. The elevation at Sierra-area golf courses con- tributes to longer ball flight (up to 10% in some locations, making club selection dif- ficult) and a mix of weather. It’s not unusual for a spring or fall round to contain weather from all four seasons, and the mountains can be notorious for late afternoon thunder- showers during the summer months. In addition to the welcome increase in distance, golfers must deal with down- hill, sidehill and uphill lies, which are rarely practiced. Sierra courses feature fast and undulating bentgrass greens that challenge even the best short game. Notable clubs on the California side of the Si- erras include Grizzly Ranch, Lahontan and Martis Camp. When you book your next tee time at any of the great courses throughout Northern California, take into account the course location, time of year and various challenges that the course presents. A little research will help deter- mine what kind of game you need to bring that particular day, and allow you to work on those aspects leading up to it, making your round more enjoyable.
Grizzly Ranch plays through the forested mountain ecosystem, which offers challenges such as altitude and elevation changes.
For more information on the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California, visit
GCSANC.com or follow us @GCSANC on Twitter.
WINTER 2015 /
NCGA.ORG / 63
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120