Mira vista golf california

Once the private golf courses were undisputedly the best courses, but with the advent of many excellent new public offerings in the last twenty-five years, the competition for play is more intense than ever. These are all reasons why the membership at Mira Vista likely elected to provide their course with a facelift.

Before and after on the par-five 8th with the trees and fairway bunkers removed and the ditch and native grasses added. Above the 8th hole before and below the 8th hole after…. Mira Vista has long enjoyed a scenic hilltop location in that on clear days you will enjoy fantastic views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge beyond.

The golf course, likewise, had a good bone structure, but in recent years was beginning to show signs of wear and neglect, and its bunkering had become shapelessly bland, not in keeping with its Hunter roots. It had also been the victim of overzealous tree plantings of eucalyptus and other varieties that over time had suffocated the views as well as impeded healthy agronomic conditions. Outside of its increasingly limited panoramic views, the layout was beginning to slide as a top line golf course.

That is the case no more — Mira Vista is back! Consulting original maps and viewing the only three photographs of the course, they fashioned the lines and shaping in the Hunter motif. In the course of days from start to finish, the team restored 19 putting surfaces to original shapes, sizes, and orientations, returned 44 bunkers to their design, discovered and restored more than a dozen other, provided new tees, and enacted a turf and tree management program that essentially removed trees and opened up magnificent vistas as well as restored native grass areas.

Having played the course just before and just after, I am so very impressed with the changes! Above is the before picture of the par-five 10th hole with trees to the right and different fairway bunkering.

Below is the after picture with all the trees to the right removed and the original pre-World War II fairway bunkering restored. If you were already familiar with the course, you would quickly notice that the risk-and-reward little uphill par-four seventh green has been shifted to the left and turned into a drivable hole as opposed to its previous par-three stature.

The par-five 8 th hole has a drainage ditch that was unearthed and now becomes a hazard in which you must decide whether or not to attempt to carry it with your tee shot.

Behind the green, many trees had been cleared allowing one to really enjoy the vista beyond. And on the par-five 10 th , the original fairway cross-bunkers that were lost around World War II, have been reintroduced while the hillside forest on the right has completely been cleared with native grasses allowed to flourish.

Those are only a few of the changes, but the impact is impressive. Trees and limbs have thoughtfully been removed. This has opened up amazing vistas and has also allowed for better air circulation. Shown above is the par-four 13th green. Forrest Richardson appreciates the works of those architects before him and his work at Mira Vista reflects that. Now the course features a rustic, natural look at its borders, but with the classic lines defining the appearance in the playing areas.

Though it traverses hilly terrain, the close proximity between tees and greens make it an enjoyable walk, and the challenge is thoughtful, playable, and interesting. Modern Clubhouses. Top Resorts. Bandon Dunes. PGA Catalunya Resort.

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