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it’s your SWING with Don DeLorenzo Great Places to Play CINNABAR HILLS GOLF COURSE Twenty-seven holes of challenging golf await you in southwest San Jose just past Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs. The home course for San José State is very popular and rightfully so. All three nines are great layouts and all slightly different. The Valley, Lakes and Mountain nine hole tracks are named appropriately for their different terrain and features. On any given day you will play two of the three nines for your 18-hole round. I wish I could say one was better than the other but as a true testament to the course they are all enjoyable and all challenging. All three of these nines will challenge the beginner golfer’s skills but the Lake nine provides more wide, open fairways than the other two. Rates: Weekday $86 – Weekend $110. [408.323.5200/ cinnabarhills. com] COYOTE CREEK GOLF COURSE Located in South San Jose along the 101 freeway, Coyote Creek has two 18 hole layouts to challenge you. The Tournament Course has more undulation and is a bit more diffi cult than it’s counterpart the Valley Course. Both are well maintained and offer great amenities. Coyote Creek has very good practice facilities for you to fi ne your game. The recreational golfer would be more comfortable on the Valley course where the serious golfer would prefer the tournament course. The downside of Coyote Creek is twofold. The wind can really blow out there 94 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN Now that you have that new Titleist 917 Driver, those Callaway irons and the latest GPS golf watch, you need a place to try them out and make sure they’re worth all the hype. We are so lucky to live where we can play golf at an array of local course twelve months out of the year — courses that are diverse in style, dif- fi culty and price. So, no matter if you are a beginner or a veteran, recreational or serious, the following list of golf courses in our area will have something to offer you! during most of the year. If you play during the fall and winter it doesn’t blow as much as it does during the spring and summer. Unfortunately, no matter what time of the year you play, you can’t get away from the freeway noise on many holes. But don’t let the wind or noise stop you from experiencing Coyote Creek! Rates: Weekday Valley $70 – Tournament $90 — Weekend Valley $121 – Tournament $141. [408.463.1800/ coyotecreek.com] EAGLE RIDGE GOLF COURSE Located against the western foothills of Gilroy, Eagle Ridge is as picturesque as it is challenging. The golf course features large undulating putting greens and equally undulating fairways. Many bunkers guard both the greens and stray tee shots. There are also several water features throughout the 18 hole layout. Much like Cinnabar Hills, the design favors the experienced golfer over the recreational or beginner due to the fact that there are several “forced carry” shots that you must execute. Eagle Ridge features a great driving range and large practice putting green. The diffi cult aspect of playing Eagle Ridge is the houses. Many golfers may feel a little intimidated when the windows of a million-dollar home are only a slice off the driver away. Rates: Weekday $79 – Weekend $99. [408.846.4531/ eagleridgegc.com] JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 gmhtoday.com