Lone Tree Golf Course

Survive the roller-coaster and you're in for a smooth ride.

Lone Tree Golf Course in Antioch gives golfers two distinct nines, as well as the chance to go really low ... if you don't lose lose your stomach (and your score) on the front side.

The 1957 course has long been a favorite because of superior conditions, solid pricing, and the fact that it's just 45 miles away.

It also offers a chance to hit your target score, provided you can avoid a tough start and don't mind some blind shots early in the round.

Don't be confused by the name. The Bob Baldock-John Harbottle design - the prolific Baldock designed several courses in the area, including Bethel Island, El Macero in Davis and the Yolo Fliers Club in Woodland - features hundreds of trees. But the fairways are wide and there is almost no water, so get ready to grip it and rip it.

Blue-tee yardage is only 6,427, short by today's standards. The white tees measure 6,102, with a not too difficult 69.6 rating and a 123 slope.

Just keep a stiff upper lip in case you start poorly. The first hole is the toughest on the course, a 397-yard (from the whites) par-4 with an uphill approach. There is a side hill right of the green, a bunker below the green to the left, and a nasty, sloping putting surface in the middle. Good luck.

A narrow, medium-length par-3 follows. The prevailing wind pushes shots into a bunker that guards the right and front.

If you haven't thrown your clubs yet, get ready to start scoring, and hitting the brakes in your cart. The par-5 third hole goes uphill, then down, then up to another sloping green.

No. 4 is a long par-4, uphill, then down, then back up. Long hitters can avoid conflicts by waiting for the preceding group to reach the green, which is visible from the tee. The landing area for your drives is hidden.

The fifth hole is a wonderful, short par-3 that will test your accuracy with a wedge. Good players can make birdie, but high-handicappers will shudder at the huge bunker in front of the green and the hazard to the left.

More hills await on the rest of the front side, but No. 6 is a short par-4, and Nos. 7 and 8 are short par-5s that provide birdie opportunities.

End the front side with a short, narrow par-4 straight uphill.

The back side is the original nine of the course, and is much flatter. A long par-4 starts, but the rest of the side is full of birdie chances.

A short, downhill par-3 at No. 11 has three bunkers, but plenty of green to land on.

The 12th hole is the shortest par-4 on the track, but beware of the out-of-bounds to the right.

A short, uphill par-5 follows at No. 13, along with the first two-tiered green of the day.

Par-4s make up the balance of the course, straight away at No. 14, a dogleg right at 15 and a dogleg left at 16.

Make birdie at the short par-3 17th and then end your day with an uphill, dogleg-left par-4 to an elevated, two-tiered green at No. 18.

Lone Tree is full of upside, with plenty of variety of short and long holes, up and down, and left and right. None of the holes are oppressive or unfair.

There is trouble in the form of trees and rough, but most of the fairways are wide enough so you can even be a little wayward.

The weekday rate is just $24.50 to walk. And despite the early hills, you can walk this course without too much trouble. The weekday rate with a cart is $38.50, which is hard to beat. Even on weekends it's $49.50 with a cart.

Conditions are excellent, and the drive is easy if you ignore Interstate 680 and travel through Rio Vista.

There isn't really a downside here, although you won't stand on any one hole and say, "Wow." The front side provides several blind shots, but you can easily drive to the top of the hills and scout out the terrain ahead.

One other challenge worth mentioning: your patience may be tested. After 48 years, the word is out on Lone Tree, so don't expect to cruise around an empty course. You may be waiting on several tee boxes, and you should wait longer than you might think on some of the blind holes.

Other than that, get ready for a fun day, even if it is an up-and-down day.

Directions - Take Highway 12 east to Rio Vista. Take Highway 160 south to Highway 4 west. Take the Lone Tree way exit south. Turn right on Golf Course road, and right before the Lone Tree sign.