Northwood Golf Course, Mackenzie's Masterpiece in the Redwoods

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I thought it would be fun to share some history and a brief review of my home course, Northwood Golf Club in Monte Rio, California. It's Alister Mackenzie's only 9 hole course you can play, and was ranked #30 in the world this year in Golf Magazine's 9 hole course ranking.

In 1925, Bohemian Grove member Jack Neville, 5 time CA amateur champion and 1923 Walker cup team member recruited MacKenzie to design a 9 hole course on 70 acres across the Russian River from the Grove encampment site. About 45 miles from the Meadow Club, MacKenzie reportedly lived in a sleeper car while designing the course, so he could leave whenever he needed to. He was also contracted to design the Russian River country club at the Cosmo resort in Hacienda, 7 miles south. He focused on Northwood instead, and was replaced by another architect on the second project. Running through the Redwoods, MacKenzie delivered a classic namesake design with undulating green complexes and narrow Fairways. The course opened in 1929, without MacKenzie in attendance. The course was eventually sold to a development corporation, which sold property ringing the course to construct houses. They moved some tee boxes and shortened the first and second holes.. When they collapsed, another group purchased the property and led it to ruin, subsequently the property was sold to the current owners in the 1970's.

Many of the original bunkers have been converted to grass, and in the last few years, many trees not original to the design have been removed. The tight, redwood lined hole remain, and it is even said Bob Hope once remarked they were so narrow "golfers have to walk down the fairways single file."

Coming in at 2893 yds from the rear tees with a rating of 67.8, Northwood is deceptively simple. There are no water hazards, and relatively few sand traps. Here's a look at some of the holes, snapped over my rounds there.

First tee, green to the left, sixth fairway to the right. 

Second hole, straight down, foggy morning. 

3rd hole, par 3. This shot was taken during a wildfire, that's why it looks a little off. 

Same green from the right hand side, a few weeks later. 

Green on the par 5 fifth hole. There is some big time break on this one, with bunkers on the back left. 

Same green, standing next to the trees from the last shot. You can see the two tier green and undulating approach better from this angle. 

Sixth green with grass bunker, looking toward 7th fairway. 

Approach down 7th fairway, bunkers left and right. 8th tee for a downhill par 3 is to the right. 

View from the left greenside bunker on 8. A short par 3 at 108 yds. 

Approach shot on 9, the par 5 signature hole. Deep ravine in front of the green makes going for it in 2 very difficult. 

World's tiniest and often loudest caddie holding the flag on 9th green. 

This course is tons of fun. With only two legitimate driver holes, it's a real test of skill and a walk back in time. This course has all of the MacKenzie hallmarks, and is affordable priced. About an hour and 15 minutes north of San Francisco, you can work this into any Sonoma wine vacation. Korbel vineyards (one time brief owners of the course) are 10 minutes away, and the river offers great steelhead fishing in the rainy winter months. Open year round, carts available. Let me know if you want to make it around out there and I can show you where the original tees were and what trees to bank your drives off of. 

 

Hope you enjoyed.