- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Monarch Bay Golf Club
Rating Details »
13800 Monarch Bay Dr
San Leandro, CA 94577
(510) 351-2625
San Leandro, CA 94577
(510) 351-2625
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
33 reviews for Monarch Bay Golf Club
This is a fantastic course. The 118 slope rating is definitely wrong. It's a much more challenging course than that. I played here twice. Once last week with a couple of friends. I want to give this a bad rating because I was driving the ball like a noob that day, but I shall not. I will give it the rating it deserves.
The rough are reaally rough!!!! If you hit a ball in there, you'd better not blink or stare away because the grass is so long that you'll lose it. I can't remember how many I had to search for. It definitely makes you want to focus on course management and go safe sometimes just so that you can have a playable ball.
The greens are beautiful and relatively well maintained. There aren't any burnt greens or huge dry patches so playing on the green is awesome. IT's a little tricky too so plan your shots before taking them.
The view of the bay and the city on a clear day is just magnificent. THere are many holes for you to smack the hell out of your driver if you're a long hitter, but it's also great for those with short game. If you're not on the green with your short game, you'll be in trouble because the rough around the green has really long grass and your ball could either sit on top of it, or most of the time, get buried. This makes it extremely challenging. The well placed bunkers will trap you if you don't hit your ball just right.
One mor thing i love about this course is the distance markersd ont he course. THere are so many courses that don't even bother putting distances on the water sprinklers anymore. this one does. IT makes planning my shot so much better and takes the guessing out of it.
I would definitely play here again. I got the $49 special with a cart going through the american golf deals from email. When i got there, the staff told me that they'd be backed up for about 20 minutes, and so they comp-ed me with a small bucket of balls. Perfect! I wanted to warm up anyway. Saved me a nice 7 bucks there.
The only complaint is at the range, the distance markers are wrong. they're further than they're listed. But the range itself is fantastic looking. Dont worry about the duck poop.... it's not that bad. People exaggerate.
First time at the driving range so I can't compare to anything but I had no complaints. Prices for golf balls are good and the manager is friendly.
There was a second floor with hardly anyone there which meant less witnesses to my poor golfing skills. :)
The Tony Lema course is in good condition. It's pretty wet if you go in the morning. The only poor part of it are the ducks that leave droplets behind. I wouldn't play this course again because there are way too many droplets on this course and it makes me uncomfortable.
The driving range however is one of the best. It's a double decker and the range prices are pretty good. You can buy a card or go into the proshop to get a receipt with code.
I'm also taking lessons there. It's such a great deal. 8 one-hour classes for only $120 over the course of two months. You can pick and choose what areas of golf you want to focus on like tee shots, long irons, bunker shots, chipping/pitching, putting, or even play 3 holes and get advice on that. John is a really good teacher. He is about to pick out your faults and give you drills to fix them. And Kim is a little wild and energetic but she is dedicated and will stay over to really help you figure out what's wrong with your swing.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
4.5 stars.
Theres an 18, an Excutive 9, 2 putting areas, 1 chipping area, and a driving range.
Tony Lema 18-Great clean course with awesome views of the bay. $26 at twilight for green fees, cart and a beer (nothing on the top shelf though). Lots of long holes to use your driver. Great layout.
The Marina Exec 9 - $10 at twilight. 2 long holes to use your driver. You can finish this in a couple of hours. Nice quick course. The best 9 in the Bay.
The driving range - just upgraded with new matts. A little bit pricier than other places $12 for a large. But its close to the house.
They also have implemented a whole new fleet of electric carts. Nice.
All players I have met are friendly as is the staff.
Do yourself a favor and get a NCGA card for $40.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
8/21/09 found the track in very fine form. 8/10 fairways - 8/10 greens.
Goose shit o'plenty.
I'll bring my Heeler out for free if you'll let him chase the geese off.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/27/2008
Must admit that for about a year this was my home track. I played 2-3 times a week here. Make it… Read more »
The staff here is MUCH better and nicer than any of the other munis in the east bay. The guys in the shop always have a smile on their faces, the marshalls are friendly and helpful, and even the people who play here seem less pretentious than the folks would find at your average golf course.
The driving range is top notch, with two levels, wide stalls and plenty of benches. The practice greens and practice bunker look well maintained and barely used. They never seem overcrowded. The prices in the shop are about the same as you would find at Golfsmith, and they have a large selection of brand name course logo aparrel.
Now for the courses. There are two courses here: the 18 hole "Tony Lema Course," and the "Marina Course." This review is for the Marina Course. The Marina Course is a very short par 30, 9 hole course with six par 3's and three very short par 4's. This is a fun course to walk, and after riding a cart here, I realized that walking would actually increase the speed of play, so don't waste money to ride. I am told that this course is played mostly by seniors and juniors who don't hit the ball long, but it's a fun place to play a short relaxing round. Plus, online deals can get you as low as 8 dollar green fees, which are outstanding. The only gripe I have is that the tee boxes are littered with geese dung. Seriously, you can't put your foot down without stepping on some brown mother nature. But I'll take it, especially when I'm only paying 8 bucks for almost 2 hours of entertainment.
Bottom line, if you play golf, live in the East Bay and want to find a nice place to play golf where you won't feel like the only person there who's not a millionaire, hit this place up. Great people, great course, great prices. If I were just rating munis, this place would be a 5.
This place has a great chipping/bunker/putting and driving range.
We always play the 9 hole course, and it has a nice mix of water and bunkers to make it challenging. I always seem to dominate my threesome on this course. Also has a nice ocean breeze to keep you cool on those hot days.
Get your Tiger Woods on here NOW.
They have made a few improvements with this course! Nothing too spectacular but it is a great place to hit some balls. I got myself a large bucket of balls for $12. Their large bucket is really huge! I did a driving range day today. Awesome!
I've played the 18 on both courses here and they both are really fun to play. It isn't the most beautiful course I have played at but is really fun. I was happy about my contact with the balls today as I was destroying the balls with my driver over the fence. The fence happens to be around 250 yards BTW. It was the perfect way to get my mind relaxed.
I will come back here again for sure!
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (6)
First the summary:
Warm up areas: B- they had 'em which was good enough
Course design: B+ nice layout, and with that wind and playing from the tips should challenge any golfer (I play from the whites, alas)
Condition Fairways: B
Condition Greens: C they had recently furrowed/fertilized, so in a week or two it could be a B
Teebox Choices: B+ Good distance between the choices
Walking? B+ They pushed players to use the driving carts, but this is a great walking course, particularly with a decent pull cart
Beauty: B Though A in some spots, F in some as well. Mixed bag.
Staff: B Friendly, but maybe rangers could be toughter
Food/Drink: TBD
Price: A little steep, but competitive, and better pricing during week and later in the day
Pace of Play: D Another public course that hasn't solve the riddle of helping players go around in 4 hours
The long story:
I got spoiled a few years ago by belonging to a reasonably (!) priced private club outside of Boston. The fairways and greens were almost always in great shape, the staff friendly, courteous and helpful, there was no such thing as a round over 4:15, and getting a tee time was a piece of cake - I usually just showed up. Since moving to the Bay Area I have been in search of SOME golfing establishment to call home. I don't have the connections to get into the private clubs, and not sure I want to fork out $50k equity in this economy to get in should I make those contacts. So relegated most likely to public play, I have searched...
I am happy to report that Monarch Bay - Tony Lema is definitely a contender. Of all of the public courses that I've played so far (not including resort courses like HMB Ocean), it probably has the most interesting design - some parkland holes, plenty of links style holes, plenty of wind, undulating greens, some blind shots, and plenty of tees to choose from. Conditions were decent, not private course quality, but I played the ball down the entire round, didn't roll it over once, and felt the course treated me fairly.
If you can look past some of the housing/mobile developments that face much of the course, there is plenty of beauty, the bay, views of the east bay hills, you could almost pretend you were in Scotland on some of the holes, particularly three holes late on the back 9 that played into the teeth of a prevailing wind with the bay on your left. Better bring a knock down or low shot with you for that part of the course.
The staff was pleasant. The funky driving range at least gave you a place to warm up up a little, and there is a decent size practice green and separate chipping green. In terms of food/drink, I only ate an overpriced sandwich at the turn, but they turned around the sandwich pretty quickly which was helpful.
So everything worked out pretty well, except the pace of play. We waited basically every hole to tee off, almost every full-swing shot. Took 5 hours. It is a great mystery why public golf takes so long, nobody has really solved the riddle. Maybe the starter and the rangers have to be tougher. For example, maybe they could come up with a practice that if you can't show a handicap card with less than say 15, you can't play the championship tees? It seems nuts when hackers are playing the tips and hitting provisionals - sometimes an entire 4 some! Maybe put in more lateral hazards, drop areas and local rules that give some direction and leeway to enable that 110 shooter to hit those 110 shots in less than 5 hours. I dunno. But Monarch has the disease.
The $70 or so price seemed steep, but it was during peak weekend time, and it did include a cart, though I opted out to walk. There were some other postings about a plethora of goose turd, but it wasn't overwhelming, only had to knock one away all day that interfered with a 9 iron shot.
Shot an 89, had a horrible 4 hole stretch of 10 over, but was pretty solid the rest of the round. Think I used every club in my bag, though half-blading the 60 degree wedge on short pitches may relegate it to the practice area for a few rounds, those 2 ugly misses cost me probably 5 shots. But as they say, it wasn't the putter, it was the putz.
Enjoyable place though. I will be back.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
Overall the place is in good condition--slow greens, ample goose poo and nice sand.
Of all the local American Golf spots, Tilden, Franklin and San Geronimo, this place seems to have the best management and does work to cure problems and make people happy.
This course is all about wind management. In the afternoons you can get a 2-3 club wind that makes golf quite difficult. You have the first three or four holes on both sides with the wind at your back, then a couple holes with a cross wind and then the 3 holes on each side dead into the wind. There is no way this place plays like its 118 slope when the wind blows, more like 135 or more. If you catch on a less windy day you can get good scores.
With the exception of the short par 3 10th hole, the par 3s out here are very tough even from the whites. This place seems to get a lot of play. If you don't like wind, stay away. It is wide open so you can get away with some wildness off the T. Price is good if you join the members club and like to walk, about $25 or $30 for a weekend twilight round.
A very similar course to neighboring Oakland Metro - this links course is in OK shape, is a challenge yet fun, and offers nice views of the SF Bay (and SF city line on a clear day). They also have a good driving range and a nine hole "Marina" course as well. I give it a slight edge over Metro. One word of advice, play in the early morning before the bay front winds pick up. It can blow hard out there...
Love the links-style layout of this course. Played the Tony Lema (18 hole) course in off and on pouring rain. There are a lot of crosswinds on this course because it's right next to the Bay, but the upside is that you get to have a fantastic view! Pros and cons about the course:
PROS
+ beautiful view
+ as well maintained as it can be given the fact that Canadian geese like to take dumps everywhere
+ a decent twilight rate of $20 (walking) that starts at 12:30
+ friendly pro shop people
+ wildlife! Geese and hawks and gophers, oh my!
CONS
- needs to have better drainage, as the course had puddles so large ducks were bathing in them
- there is goose/duck crap everywhere, including on the greens
- the lack of any trees on the bay side means the winds will blow you away!
Also tried the 9-hole Marina course there today. A lovely par 30! Has water in play on a couple of courses, and there are Canadian geese on this one too. They seem to like guarding their holes at the Marina course with a bunch of bunkers (like they do for their Tony Lema one). $10 for the twilight rate, so it's a decent deal as well. I'm definitely coming back.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
I recently came back to the Monarch Bay Golf Club not only to improve my golf game at the driving range and practice putting green, but also to take some golf lessons. First of all, I like the nice driving range here because it is a two story driving range providing coverage from all types of weather conditions - good for practicing golf year round. Second, the practice putting green is situated close to the 18-hole golf course - ideally for loosening up before one's tee time. Third, a very large bucket of balls is only $12. Forth, the golf instructors as well as rest of the golf club staff are very friendly and provide great advice about golf and how to improve one's golf game. Fifth, it is easy and inexpensive to get a tee-time on either the 9-hole or 18-hole golf course. And sixth, there are really great views from the both golf courses.
When you feel like playing a links-style course without springing for Metropolitan, this is the place to come. The Tony Lema course at Monarch Bay is a fun and challenging course with an excellent view of the bay. On a windy day, it can be exceptionally challenging. Oh, and the grass is long so bring extra balls.
They also have a 9 hole executive course called the "Marina." It is a fun and quick round and is great for after work with some friends. Give it a try.
Monarch Bay offers decent twilight rates on both courses and if you are lucky you'll catch a good sunset view over the bay.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
One of the more popular ways for myself to relieve the stresses of everyday life, was to go down to a golf range and hit as many golf balls as it took for me to start feeling better. Monarch Bay Golf Club was always my driving range of choice for several reason.
The first being, it's right by the San Leandro Marina, which is where I grew up. I spent a lot of time at the marina playground. I loved the trains the had there. Being the jerk kid I was, I would claim the main train and pretend to be a conductor. And when other kids would ask to play I'd tell them to get off my train. I was a bad kid, huh? Plus, my old house is right down the street where a lot of my childhood memories pretain to, so generally on my way back home I would always drive by my old house, and remeansce of times past.
Second, it's a nice driving range. It's a two story driving range that has heat lamps above it. So no matter what the weather is - rain, sleet, snow, sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, cold, hot ,warm, chilly...Monach Bay has you covered...well at least at the driving range they do. But it really is a nice driving range. Although I feel the price for balls (lol...balls) is too high...what driving range has cheap prices for golf balls to hit? Seriously...?
And finally, I really like the people who work there. Especially at the clubhouse. Really nice people who will offer you a lot of advice about golf and how to improve your game.
Ironically I have actually never played the golf course. So I haven't the slightest idea what it's like. But, I really do like their driving range and it's a place that has helped me to relieve stress, and center myself a hundred times over in my life. SO, I really enjoy this golf club. It's at a great location, and really wonderful people work there.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (5)
Great links style course!! Nice wide open greens that can be played by people of all skill. Had a coupon for a free round from the recent golf show and only had to pay $15 with cart! As some of the other reviewers mentioned, the wildlife here is really something else. You'll see birds, geese, foxes, rabbits and a slew of other animals running everywhere on the course. The greens were in great shape and well taken care of as were the fairways.
The wind is the only downfall here though. I teed off at 12:30, and on those last 5-6 holes, it was almost unplayable. At least 35-45 winds that were either head on or crosswinds blew three of my balls right into the bay. My fault for not hitting a low shot; but my 4 iron should go more than 80 yards!!
Great day on the course, even though Im still waiting for NASA to calculate my score.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
This course is well kept and fun to play. Bunkers are deep and plentiful...... Where there are usually trees to keep your errant drives on your own hole, there is tall grass between adjacent fairways that will eat your ball up. You can definitley lose a few balls after a round. The cityscape views are awesome but the bay winds can knock your ball down 20-30 yds shorter than your normal distance. Greens are fast and have very little slope to deal with.
The staff is nice and they have coolers on the cart golf!!! You don't have to bring your own.... What a great idea... That deserves one star of its own.
The range is a two story building and showa its age. The mats are harder than concrete and plastic tees are hard to come by. Makes me want to skip the practice and start out on the course cold.....
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
I was just here yesterday. I also call this place Tony Lema's. I took my first golf lessons here. The Driving range is pretty good with two levels hitting onto what appears to be a synthetic course. The rubber tees aren't the best but it's still useful.
The 9 hole course can be very inexpensive and a great place to practice. There's water traps and not too many bad rough areas to worry about. They are all par 3's and 4's. The putting greens are average and fairly easy if you relax and just putt. It's usually fairly easy getting late tee times around this time of the year and the movement is quick between holes with little distraction.
Many good practice putting greens very close to the start and by the 5th hole.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Been coming here for years since one of my good friends was a golfing freak until he got married :P and I was always up for a twosome. If Tilden was out of the question, Monarch Bay would have to be suffice.
Actually, Monarch Bay was the first 18 hole course played when I got into golfing. And for the casual jaunt, it is not bad.
I've usually played the twilight rate here and my friend and I use to walk it out like young men. Only recently, since I'm so old, have we resorted to a golf cart.
The greens here are fast and the rough pretty hairy. I've lost several balls here, never to be found. The fairways, however are pretty forgiving in that they are wide. Just beware of the optical illusion that it seems to throw many a golfer and you either end of hooking it or slicing the shot instead of straight.
Nights found us scurrying along to get in the last three holes, but we always made it, despite the winds picking up behind us. I almost expect a wolf to come bounding out....
Decent pro shop and the driving range is what keeps me coming back. It is lighted, protected, and offers heat! Now what female golfer can refuse that!
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
I still call this place Tony Lema's, b/c anytime I mention the name to someone, they have this puzzled look on their face, until I say the old Tony Lema course in the Marina. The place has evolved and improved over the years and is now a respectable representation of "links" style golf here in the Bay Area. Half the course is right on the bay with nice views and a windy breeze to both cool you off, as well as impose a challenge onto your game.
Just recently paid $34 to ride on a weekday afternoon, and felt it was way worth it. The course is very open, so you can pretty much hit it from anywhere, only several holes are tree lined. Some areas had drainage issues, which was one of my only gripes about the conditions. But overall a very cool round, reminiscent of a links in Scotland.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
Paid $65 to ride on a saturday. It wasn't backed up at all which was great.
A few things to be aware of:
1) This is "Links Style", so there's tall grass and tall bunkers. Driving accuracy is at a premium here
2) The course is right on the bay so wind speed and direction is sporadic
3) Playing from the tips is 7000 yards (!)
The greens here were hard and bumpy and not very receptive. Otherwise the course is in pretty good condition. I think you are mostly paying for the view here.
Last time I played this course has been a while, but most of the fairways had large yellow patches of dead grass due to some irrigations problems that they were experiencing. Have not played here recently.
Overall, I did not feel this course justified the green fees which were in the 70-80 dollar range. Plus, there was a lot of goose shit everywhere.
Wind picks up pretty heavy in the afternoon on this links style course...
People thought this was:
- Funny (3)
This review is just for the driving range.
This is a really nice double decker range, and the balls are cheaper than most of the other driving ranges I've been too. It's been recently renovated, so everything is newer all around. The only thing is that sometimes you get annoying and obnoxious kids who are Tiger Woods wannabes.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
This course has the 9-hole option for $20. The fairways are wide and has a healthy dose of bunkers and some water obstacles. There are some par 4 and long par 3 challenges. As an amateur golfer, I would have given this 4 stars except they had dead leaves strewn across on the fairway, which they should have cleaned up.
You see, debris gets in the way when you top the ball instead of hitting it in the sweet spot. I wanted the rolling golf ball to go farther, but those dead leaves got in the way... And, no, I'm not taking a star off myself for being an amateur golfer. I have to practice somewhere, don't I?
Rates are not $80, more like $35 to $60 depending on whether it's weekend or weekday. Not too bad for a muni.
The Tony Lema 9-hole is a fun way to spend a few hours, and is easy and cheap.
Monarch Bay does have a cool double-decker driving range.
What's great about this place is you can pretty much always get a tee-time and the course has some really nice views. In addition, the 9 hole course has a few par 4's and is good enough. Drawbacks are that this course is WINDY (18 hole course) and the greens and fairways (on both courses) are not in the best of shape especially after the geese have "laid their eggs" all over. All in all if you're looking to go out and play with a few buddies without too much planning and enjoy the afternoon, this place is solid.
My friends and I usually play the 9 hole "Marina" course on a Sunday or Saturday morning. Great course for a no stress, leisurely golf outing! Very inexpensive, especially if you can sneak in during their twilight hours during the week. The 18 hole is a little more demanding and you may need to bring a few extra sleeve's of balls. The wind and tall grass are what you need to be concerned about here. Love the driving range and free short game practice area...they actually have a course like bunker that you can practice in for no charge! Food is where this place lacks. Lots of alternates nearby for that.
I really liked this course. It makes you feel like your in scottland. They seem to take very good care of the greens at this place. I think if they did have problems a while ago, the greens people have taken care of it. I had a great time on the links style of course. Big deep bunkers, and you have to open up the club face just to get it out. Not much water, but the bunkers make up for it. They can make life very difficult. The course has a good mix of long and short holes. That is unusual for a muni. I cant wait to go back again. I think I can shoot pretty low here.....
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Really nice. Worth the fees. Super nice people working there.
Decent muni course on the water. Cold most the time in the AM. Pace of play is very good for a muni. I have only played twice, on a Saturday both times and our foursome finished in ~4 1/2 hours. Greens, etc were in good shape for a muni as well.
I have played Mmonarch Bay a few times now and for the price this course is just okay. If you tee off anytime after 11:00 am expect serious gusts of wind. The course is maintained however some of the greens are dried out and the grass is dying. Also some of the fairways have some dead areas as well. For thie price I would not expect this. The course plays at a descent pace. Overall it's a decent course in the East Bay.
Amazing views of the Bay on the front nine. Very wide open and friendly pro shop staff.
Not a bad place, but not great. The holes are fairly inconsistent with the portion of the course being beside the Bay being the most attractive. Alot of traps for us righty's off the Tee. A minor slice and you are sand bound. The course was surprisingly wet for how nice the weather has been. Still not a bad course and a good change of pace from Chuck Corica. Paid $37.50 to walk it on a weekday, felt like i got my money's worth
