SLO County Golf, Wine & Real EstateGolf, Wine & Real Estate News and Events Blog
Monarch Dunes Review by CybergolfFriday, September 15, 2006Monarch Dunes Golf Club, the 6,810-yard track, which opened in January of this year, was designed by Damian Pascuzzo, an associate of the late golf course architect, Robert Muir Graves. Twenty-seven more holes are part of the project's entitlements.Pascuzzo partnered in Monarch Dunes' design with Steve Pate, the PGA Tour player who now dabbles in golf course architecture. The duo focused almost as much as on the course's "function" - having it serve as an engineering counterpart to the surrounding development - as its "form" - a playfield for golfers. Their efforts are admirable, as the course managed to assuage the concerns of local officials (it is in environmentally-minded California after all) and it's enjoyable to play. Though the "residential factor" is unmistakable on many holes, Pascuzzo and Pate were able to maximize setbacks from the homes to keep the golf experience mostly discreet. The two also crafted an interesting course, one with plenty of water hazards - particularly on the front nine, large and rolling greens containing many pin placements, and deep bunkers with long fescue grass engirding their peripheries. The western holes nearest to the Pacific Ocean successfully duplicate a links feel, even though a forested buffer shields the holes from the saltwater. The result is a fine test that begs to be played more than once. Article: Monarch Dunes Review by Jeff Shelley Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf |
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