Publication Date: Friday Aug 11, 2000

This course ranks among the best in Northern Calfornia

When you think of Livermore, a few things come to mind. Great golf courses are usually not on the list. That is slowly changing thanks to a few top-quality tracks in the Livermore wine country. It started with Rees Jones' Poppy Ridge, continued with The Bear's private Ruby Hill, and now, out to top them all, the Shark's Wente Vineyards. I can honestly say that of all of the courses that I've played for this series, this has been my favorite. In Greg Norman's first design in California, he has built a course that ranks up there with the top of courses in Northern California. The course flows beautifully through the Livermore Valley bordered by vineyards, trees and native grasslands. It is a course that is a good balance of long holes requiring you to hit driver and long irons well, and also some delicate shorter holes that demand pinpoint precision on the short irons. The influence of one of Norman's favorite architects, Dr. Alister Mackenzie, can be seen in the design of the sweeping bunkers reminiscent of Mackenzie's work at Augusta, Pasatiempo (Santa Cruz) and Green Hills (Millbrae).

The Wente story starts over 100 years ago when C.H. Wente came over from Germany and bought 48 acres in the Livermore Valley. The winery didn't take off, however, until C.H.'s grandson, Karl, joined the family after graduating from Stanford. Under Karl's guidance Wente grew to nearly 3,000 acres of vineyards. Some of those acres were relocated to make room for this resort-style course.

Many of the upscale daily-fee courses being built today claim to be your "country club-for-a-day." However, most of them fail in one aspect or another. You either end up paying for range balls, having to deal with slow play or encounter rude staff members. Wente is a course that has taken the clich‚d phrase and put some substance behind it. But, you do pay for what you get. Weekday green fees are $80 and weekends climb up to $100. Included with your green fee you also receive range balls and a yardage guide. (Although when I played, the new guides were still being printed.) You also get one of the nicest courses in the Bay Area, and possibly all of Northern California.

Wente is an excellent course for any level of golfer. The 5 sets of tee insures that you will be able to find one to suit your ability. From the Black tees the course stretches to almost 7,000 yards and winds down to 4,975 yards from the Red tees. The high handicapper will want to play from the White tees at 5,715 yards which seems short but it carries a course rating of 69.0 and a slope of 126, so it is not a pushover. Low to mid-handicappers should choose between the Blue or Gold tees which play to 6,251 and 6,734 yards, ratings of 71.3 and 73.5 and slopes of 130 and 139 respectively. For those single-digits out there, the Black tees rate at 74.5 with a slope of 142 and will give you all that you can handle. The Red tees are rated at 69.4 with a 122 slope.

As you play Wente, you'll wonder how the holes can continue to get better. Norman has designed a course that is strong from start to finish.

Number 1: 429 yards, Par-4. The tee is straight uphill from the clubhouse. The fairway is 100 feet below with vineyards on the left and OB on the right. The landing area looks narrow, but is actually quite accommodating. Take a nice easy swing and put it right down the middle. The approach is open without a bunker in sight. Be careful driving down the steep cart path.

Number 2: 307 yards, Par-4. The course labels this as the "signature hole." A short two-shotter with the tee-shot coming out of a chute of oak and sycamore trees. There is also a large tree encroaching the fairway from the left side that forces you to drive over the tree or stay clear of it by playing an iron. 2 bunkers in the front and one back-left protect the large green.

Number 8: 602 yards, Par-5. Smack your drive as far as you can. As long as it's straight, you'll be fine. There are vineyards to the left and an OB hillside on the right. The hole really starts after your drive. The fairway ends 100 yards from the green and you'll want your second shot as close to the end as possible to give yourself the best chance at the uphill approach with 2 large bunkers on the left side of the green.

Number 10: 304 yards, Par-4. After driving up Wente's Little Lombard Street, 250 feet above the green on #9, you have a great view of the vineyards and valley below. From the elevated tee, it might be too much to pass up to go for the green. But, it would be wise to hold back and hit a mid-long iron off to the center of the fairway leaving a short pitch to the small green.

Number 17: 453 yards, Par-4. A monster of a two-shotter that bends slightly to the right following the path of a creek. A drive down the left center of the fairway will slide to the middle of the fairway. There is only one bunker guarding the green, which is good considering that you will still have 200+ yards to the flag.

Number 18: 469 yards, Par-4. Probably the toughest hole on the course, and one of the great finishing holes in all of the Bay Area. Even longer than #17, this hole has a split fairway with a creek running down the middle. Not much is gained by going to the right; in fact, you'll be forced to approach the green over a lake if you do. Stay to the left on your drive and approach. The green sits only a few feet from the lake on the right. Adding to the difficulty of the long approach are bunkers on the front left and back right. But, it's better to be in the sand then in the drink.

Whether you shoot under par or 40 over, you are bound to have a great time at this first-rate golf course. From the moment you begin the drive down the lane leading to the clubhouse, until the time you leave down the same road, you will feel as if you are experiencing something special. You are. For more information call the clubhouse at 925-456-2475 or visit the Wente website at www.wentegolf.com. 

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