Boundary Oak- Walnut Creek

Boundary Oak golf course is in the upper echelon of public courses in the East Bay. Unfortunately, dear readers, they seem to know that, and their popularity has dropped this course a couple of notches in my estimation.

Not that this is, in any way, a bad course. But there seems to be an air of snootiness that is detectable in the way you are treated from the time you arrive.

Everyone I dealt with seemed bored. They were in no rush to help me, and provided very little information (like the fact that they were aerating the greens on the back nine, or that three holes had alternate greens on this day). I got sent out in a twosome, behind a foursome, that followed another twosome!

We worked it out ourselves as we waited on the sixth tee, but I would expect someone from the pro shop to be on top of this.

The course itself is a well laid out, interesting track. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the fine shape I remembered from years past. The fairways were a bit shaggy, and the greens were being worked on (but are a very tricky lot, with lots of breaks and slides). Perhaps it will be in top-notch shape when the summer rolls around.Course knowledge helps here, as some of the uphill holes play a bit longer than they seem. It is a fair track, and one that will push you at times. The greens are pretty well protected by bunkers, and water comes into play on a few of holes.

Some of the individual highlights include No. 3, a dogleg left par 5 that plays from an elevated tee. There are fairway bunkers on the left side if you want to cut the corner, and water on the right as you approach the green. The next hole is, according to my pal Jeff, the toughest hole on the course. A 392-yard par 4 (from the whites) that gradually climbs uphill, it has a well-placed bunker in the landing area, and two deep traps in front of the green. Here you usually end up hitting a big club on your second shot, and can't afford to be short. If you miss your drive, lay up and impress your partners with your short game!

No. 6 is a 123-yard par three, to a green with water in the front, and small hills behind. With the flag in the back, I hit an 8-iron, which carried over the stick and onto the hill beyond, out of sight. No problem, I thought, a chip and a putt. As I walked up the hill however my heart nearly stopped. Standing over my ball, like a scene from some cartoon, was a very angry Pit Bull. Now, dear readers, I am not a big fan of canines to begin with, but when that dog started barking, I started making tracks. He never came over the hill, and I took a free drop and still made triple. I stopped shaking long after I got back home!

No. 8 is a classic; 294 yards from the whites, with a big ol' lake in between you and the green. Go for it if you dare. One of the local sports writers once aced this hole, so anything is possible. Thankfully, I played a floating ball on my drive.

The backside is, to me, the more interesting of the two, though it does have a dull spot in the middle. No. 11 is a great golf hole. Your tee shot needs to be moderately long, but true, so you can land as close as possible to the lake on the right without getting wet, to set up your second shot. The bad news is my drive sucked. The good news? I cleared the lake with a 3-wood. The green here is two-tiered and monstrous. Sometimes a putter doesn't feel like enough club!

The No. 1 handicap hole is the 14th, a long par 5 (548 yards from the whites) that is downhill and wends around to the right. Your tee shot (and sometimes second shot) is blind. It requires three good shots to get to a very tough green. This, dear readers, is a tough par.

Overall, for the price ($20 for non-residents to walk) this is a good run. I'm convinced the condition of the course will improve, I just wish I thought the atmosphere would.

By Mike Roth
Assoc. Editor, sfbaygolf.com

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