Mare Island Golf Club: Yesterday and Today

As I recently played a fully satisfying round at Mare Island Golf Club, I couldn’t help but try to imagine what things might have been like in years past at the former military establishment. Standing on the tee and surveying the fairway ahead and the aged buildings to my side, I wondered how many people had come and gone, worked and played and lived and loved in the structures that now stand abandoned? Sure, the country may have been at war but these were simpler times when a sense of pride drove people to work together for a common goal.

The historic Mare Island Golf Club, established in 1892, was originally built as a nine-hole course with sand greens and dry fairways. The oldest course west of the Mississippi was noted for unusual hazards such as Lake Rodgers, rattlesnakes, ground squirrels and a horse that was forever ambling to stand between the pin and player’s golf balls. Over the years, the course took on many faces including extensive relocation of the links holes in World War I, a 1933 redesign to accommodate the encroachment of six ammunition bunkers along the third and fifth fairways and a relocation of greens and fairways when 94 Homoja huts were constructed on the fairways during World War II. In fact, the clubhouse originally served as a radio frequency monitoring station for overseas transmissions and was one of the first to receive the call of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

With such a rich history, a fascinating location and an additional nine holes introduced in 2000, today’s Mare Island Golf Club is an 18-hole course with enough going on to challenge players of all abilities. Half the holes wind through tree-lined fairways while the other half offers a more links-style journey and the majority offers magnificent views of San Pablo Bay, the Napa River, Mt. Tamalpais and on a clear day, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Surveying the scorecard, it’s easy to assume that the relatively short 6,150 yards from the blue tees of the par 70 golf course will be like shooting fish in the proverbial bucket. My advice is to watch that you don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Tight fairways, smallish greens and remarkable views combine to challenge your concentration. The 193-yard Number 3 plays from an elevated tee to a narrow green guarded by brush on both sides and a bunker in the front.

Even the drop area is no picnic as your shot is played over the bunker. Watch out for a big score on this par-3! Number 5 is the only par-5 on the course. It plays longer than its 528 yards and while most won’t hit this green in two, it does offer an opportunity for a birdie. Number 8 is another par-3 that plays uphill and longer than the 223 yards listed. Your tee shot will be played from an elevated tee, across the lake to the small green. Getting up and down for par is a victory.

I really like the views on the backside and none is better than the 14th tee. The elevated tee plays to a fairway 300 feet below with OB to the right and bunkers left. The views of the working docks in the Mare Island Strait and the boating traffic are fascinating

With a friendly staff and a service first attitude, Mare Island Golf Course is a great spot to relax. Playing the course is a treat and if you lived through the war years, it’s a trip back in time and well worth the visit. For more information, visit www.mareislandgolfclub.com or call 707-562-4653. Mare Island can be accessed from the Mare Island exit off Highway 37.