Golfing in Monterey and Santa Barbara
 

We have booked rooms as follows for a trip in July for a family with two teenage boys. 3 nights Hotel Pacific in Monterey, 3 nights Santa Barbara Inn in Santa Barbara and 3 nights at San Francisco Hilton. Any comments about any of these hotels? Also looking for recommendations for reasonably priced golf courses that two teenage boys could go to in the Monterey area and Santa Barbara area. We are dealing with the US exchange rate from Canadian Dollars, so high priced courses are out of the question.

Hi Simone!<BR>I visited San Francisco in 1997. We, me and my friend, stayed at a hotel called The Powell Hotel. The hotel was not so expensive and at a good spot, just at the turningplace for the cabel-cars. And then all the shoping places at Market street......!! Try ROSS - dress for less! A good place to buy clothes.<BR>And then Payless shoes!!! I had to get a new bag to get all the shoes back home to Finland.<BR>And finaly.....Have a good trip!!<BR>Mona

This response from one teen golfer parent to another.....Raised a teenage golfer in California and know all about the high cost of playing! The key is to play twilight golf during the weekdays--in July you'll be able to complete the course enough to make the reduced fees worthwhile. Most twilight golf runs $30-40 for 18 holes during the week. I know La Purisima golf course near Sta. Barbara was a site for southern California Juniors tourny when my son was a teen. Two others in the area are Glen Annie in Goleta and the pricier Sandpiper in Santa Barbara. Another cost saver is to walk the course if they will allow it--teen boys can do this easily! You might contact the Ojai Valley Country Club (it's actually a hotel where the PGA Seniors play) to see if they have any special offers going. It's very hot there during the summer so they might reduce their golf rates. Ojai is just south of Sta. Barbara and an interesting little town--where Shangra La was filmed. In Monterey there are many courses--look at www.golfmonterey.org. Some of them are quite reasonable. And, you should take them on the 17 mile drive and a lunch at the outdoor cafe at Pebble Beach Lodge just to see folks coming in on the 18th. If you eat at one of the resorts on the drive, you'll get your admission fee rebated as well. Hotels--in Monterey the Hotel Pacific is very nice, quite large for the area, but a bit out of the way toward the Presidio. This is probably not a problem with teens. You might want to check with the little Otter Inn, wonderfully located, for two rooms---might work out about the same and they have parking, breakfast and are right near the aquarium and Cannery Row. You could turn your teens loose from there. Make res. at the Aquarium if interested--have them held at will call--otherwise long lines in July. A caveat though--make sure kids want to do this because admission is pricey and it's not a quick "look see" thing. Kids can rent a kayak and go out in the bay with the sea otters. If they skateboard, there's a nice path from Cannery Row to Fisherman's Wharf. Also shop on Cannery Row that sells official Pebble Beach hats, golf shirts etc. just down from Bubba Gump's. Good hotel choice in Santa Barbara. Hunt down La Super Rica on Milpas Street if you like great Mexican burritos. In SF, the Hilton is huge (we've been to a business meeting there, although we live close by) The only downside is that you need to be sure which way you walk from there since you can quickly get into a not so nice neighborhood. Convenient to Union Square, but be warned there are many homeless near here. If that's a problem would suggest Fisherman's Wharf area where there is another Hilton, if there's a specific reason to choose that chain. Would highly recommend reservations to see Beach Blanket Babylon with teen boys. You'll need to go to the one performance per week that accepts under 21s (because of liquor licensing, not show content)--reserve weeks ahead www.beachblanketbabylon.com and plan to have an Italian dinner in North Beach before the show. Have a great time in California!

Very much appreciate the comments, especially from someone who has teenaged sons. You hit the mark with the comment about skateboarding, as my 16yr old carries his everywhere. When you say the Hotel Pacific in Monterey is a bit out of the way, does that mean you have to drive everywhere, or can you still walk to most attactions and trails?

For inexpensive golf on the Monterey Peninsula, try the Pacific Grove Muncipal course. The back nine runs along the ocean with great views. Lots of Pacific Black Tail deer on the course. Known as the "poor man's Pebble Beach.

Simone, you can still walk to the main tourist attractions from Hotel Pacific. You just wouldn't want to do it with little kids or grandparents. Have fun and happy golfing.

The Del Monte golf course (not right on the beach..) next to the Hyatt is a nic course and has $20 (?) twilight golf. Nice course..good deal.