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Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park Napa Yardage: 5,640 (Gold) to 6,704 (Black) White Tee Rating/Slope: 70.8/128 Fees: $44 Weekdays, $54 Weekends (with cart) Driving distance from Vacaville: 30 miles Telephone: 255-4333 On the net:
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The Reporter continues its look at some of the top golf courses within driving distance of Solano County - Editor.
It's so close, it's easy to overlook.
Don't brush off Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park just because you may have driven past it on the way to a more expensive club.
Sure, it's less than 30 miles away. And it's easy on your wallet. But remember, those are positive aspects.
The 35-year-old track has underrated written all over it. But once you play the park course with its tree-lined fairways, good conditions and water in play on 14 holes, you'll probably want to come back.
The mixture of mature oaks, ponds and rolling hills makes this a serious test. But most of the fairways are wide enough to be enjoyable, and most of the water can be avoided.
Hence, the white-tee layout has a tough-but-not-overbearing 70.8 rating, with a 128 slope, challenging but not too rugged for a longer-than-usual 6,266 yards.
The test begins right away, with a long par-4 at No. 1 that doglegs right around a bunker.
The green is elevated, and you'll immediately notice a common theme ... stay below the hole. Almost all of the greens slope back to front, and the downhill putts can be very fast.
But the greens roll true, and they are small enough that you shouldn't enounter too many enormous putts. They also hold approaches very well, so aim right at the flag on most holes.
Most of the flags are accessible. Twelve of the 18 holes have just one greenside bunker, so the sand can be avoided.
The second hole has lots of character. The short, downhill par-4, features a bunker and hazard to the left of one of the smallest greens on the track.
Water makes its first appearance on No. 3, but get used to it. Water is in play on six of the last seven holes on the front side. The long par-4 is followed by a long par-3 and a very long par-5, but all three holes provide birdie opportunities, so grip it and rip it.
No. 6 is one of the best holes on the track, a solid par-4 that doglegs left around water to a well-protected green.
The course gets narrow around the turn. You must navigate between a huge oak to the left and water to the right on No. 9, and around another huge oak in the center of the fairway at No. 10.
The 10th is the signature hole, a long, narrow par-4. Avoid the tree and make par here, and you'll breathe a sigh of relief as well as start the back nine on a positive note.
Nos. 11 and 12 continue the tough par-4 theme, with narrow, tree-lined fairways.
You can make up shots on the par-5s, although they present challenges. No. 14 has water to the right of a narrow fairway, but the rough to the left isn't terribly thick, so bailing out to the left won't kill your score.
On No. 18, your second shot must fly over water and into a narrow fairway between two big oaks. But a solid approach to a small green should still help you end your day on a good note.
Positives at Kennedy Park include proximity and price, which is just $31 to walk during the week. The course is well-maintained, and has plenty of character.
Directions - Take Interstate 80 west to Highway 12 north. Turn right on Highway 221 (the Downtown Napa, Lake Berryessa turnoff). Turn left on Streblow Drive.