Haggin Oaks

Alister MacKenzie would have been proud.

The famed golf architect got a little help in 2001 when the Complex in Sacramento renovated most of its MacKenzie course. The result is a 70-plus-year-old track that still has tons of character but has a newer look and feel.

MacKenzie is better known for designing Augusta National, Cypress Point and Royal Melbourne, three of the top six courses on the planet.

Haggin Oaks isn't in that class, but you aren't going to get on those other courses for $40. And you probably won't shoot low on the other tracks, either.

MacKenzie's stamp is on the course, with lots of trees, big bunkers and undulating greens. But this course should put a smile on your face, with generous landing areas off the tees and some of the best greens in the Greater Sacramento area.

The course can be a monster if you want the challenge - black-tee yardage is 6,991 - but even the burgandy (blue) yardage is manageable at 6,542, with a 70.7 rating and a relatively tame 123 slope.

The fun starts immediately, with a short, straightaway par-5. Make par or even birdie on each of the first three holes, as long as you can avoid the big bunkers.

No. 4 is arguably the best hole on the course, and one of the holes that was redone in 2001. Grip it and rip it off the tee, a fun and pervasive theme, and then negotiate your second and third shots around the only sizable pond on the course.

Arcade Creek comes into play on the fifth hole, so don't hit a Tiger-like drive. The creek appears on five other holes, but shouldn't come into play.

Hole Nos. 8-13 all were redone, and No. 14 has a new green. All are solid, but watch out for No. 9, a long par-4 with a nasty, two-tiered green.

No. 11 is the longest hole in the area - 631 yards from the black tees - and one of the few that makes you shrug your shoulders. A grove of oaks sits in the middle of the fairway right where you would like to land your second shot, so leave your second on the right (wider) side of the split.

The 14th crosses the creek again, but the water, trees and bunkers can be avoided by smart shots ... another familiar theme.

There is even the added touch of three par-3s on the back side. Of course, there also are three par-5s, including the last two holes. No. 17 is another long hole, but 18 is a short 5 that can yield a birdie and give you even more to smile about.

In fact, the entire course is there for the taking. The wide fairways will give even spray hitters shots at many greens in regulation. And good hitters ... well, Napa's J.J. Jakovac holds the course record at 64.

The rough is nasty, and the oaks eat up balls, but most of the trouble is well off to the sides.

Positives abound. Most of the old pros played here, including Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, so there's more history than just the trees and the original designer.

Fairways are solid. The greens are excellent, and surprisingly consistent, considering several were redone in the renovation.

The routing doesn't take you back by the clubhouse, but there are two on-course restrooms, as well as a snack bar.

Sprinkler-head yardage is scarce, but there are 200-, 150- and 100-yard markers on all the par-4s and 5s, and 125 plates on most of the holes. There is no yardage book, but the web site (www.hagginoaks.com) has a printable map with tips on every hole.

The practice facilities are huge, and the golf super shop is consistently rated one of the best in the nation. The prices are even better than most discount department stores - a deal that worked even in MacKenzie's day.

One cavaet worth noting: The course will be aerated on March 22, so give the greens a week or two to get back into shape.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 east to Sacramento. Take Business 80 east, and take the Fulton Avenue exit north into the parking lot.