Golf in a Post Corona World: Metropolitan Golf Links

We interrupt our mission of being the eminent Buddies Bucketlist Golf Trip Blog with another in our series about Golf in a Post Corona world. We thought we had written everything we needed to about this subject, but before we put it to bed for good, we stumbled across another Bay Area course that is keeping both staff and players safe in innovative and thoughtful ways. Up until now the gold standard in this arena has been Spring Valley Golf Course. However, “Metro” has added a couple of measures we think would be good for golf courses to adopt if possible.

“Metro” has upped the game. First off, when you check into “Metro” your check-in is done from the outside, as they’ve opened a couple of windows and built acrylic guards to keep the staff inside safe. The same is true for the restaurant. You don’t need to go into the building as you can just order from the window. One thing I thought was very thoughtful is all payment stations have Stylii that have been sanitized so you don’t have to touch the credit card processing machine with your fingers. When you’re done with the stylus you put it in a “dirty” pile and they take them back to be re-sanitized. Additionally, they have touch-free hand sanitizer dispensers. Of course, all of the other measures that you would expect are in place, the doors are open all the time, masks are required near the clubhouse, the cup is raised, there are no rakes, no ball washers, no benches etc. 

However they also upped their game with the signage. Each tee box has a sign reminding players of the COVID parameters, and when you get to the green they even put a sign on every flagstick reminding players not to touch it. Very thoughtful. They even added a sign on the 18th flagstick to remind golfers not to shake hands or do post round high fives. Really well done, and measures I would like to see be adopted more widely. 

Onto the golf course. There is no easy way to say this, this golf course is extremely challenging…. to photograph. The reason? There is no vista that does not have some structure behind it ruining the shot. This is a classic municipal golf course, and as such, it has every single feature that people like to gripe about with municipal golf courses. It was built on a landfill, next to a sewage processing plant, between a shooting range and very busy streets that might as well be a freeway. To top it off it is located next to not 1 but 2 airports. It seems that golfers should hate this course. But… not so fast. 

Metropolitan Golf Links rose from the ashes of the former Lew F. Galbraith golf course in 2003. Fred Bliss and Johnny Miller came up with a links style design inspired by some of the great golf courses of the old country.  The rolling fairways and large well maintained greens seem entirely out of place in a city environment, but at the same time are a very welcome dichotomy. The layout is clearly inspired by links golf, but the grass of the fairway and greens is more like something you would find in a parkland country club course. It’s an interesting combination.

The golf course is remarkably well maintained, affordable, and a fairly easy walk. The layout is no pushover, for sure. Although many of the fairways are wide open, local knowledge will help greatly with the quirks of this track. Water, environmental, and the classic deep grasses of links design all come into play on many holes and poorly hit shots will rack up big numbers. That said this is a great golf course for players of all abilities as you are always given a choice on how a hole can be played. Do you want to take out the big stick and risk taking a plunge? Or do you lay up and play it safe? Hole number 6 is a great example. Environmental penalty on the right — and water on the left with a fairway that slopes severely toward the environmental hazard — it might be best to lay up off the tee then take your second shot further left than you think to avoid penalties. Par 5 number 10 is another great example. A double dogleg layout, if you carry the environmental creek on your second shot  an eagle could result. But if you don’t get it exactly right you a big number awaits. Hole 14 also includes a carry on the second shot over a creek to a double decker green that clearly has a brontosaurus buried in the middle of it. You might feel like a wimp to lay up with a sand wedge, but it could be the safest play. 

Situated adjacent to both Oakland International airport and Oakland Private Terminal it’s a great golf course for aviation buffs. If you like looking at planes, this course is hard to beat. Not only can you look at the jets in the 2 Oakland airports, but it’s on the flyway of eastbound SFO flights. Additionally, you look around you and can see the Oakland Hills in the distance in one direction and the towering buildings of SF in another and you can even see the bay from many holes. 

My advice is to play it early in the day. Later in the day the wind in this area does pick up and the holes are all built for prevailing wind direction for sure, making it much more challenging. It’s no Carnoustie, but it’s only polite to give a local joint it’s due.

Rankings:

• Bucket list rank (from 1to 5 buckets): 1 Bucket
• Caddies: NA
• Location: 5
• Spectacle/ visual: 5
• History: 3
• New/ancient: Modern
• Playability : 7
• Memorability : 3
• Buddy-a-bility : NA
• Service/etc: 10 for COVID
• Value: 7
• Shopping: 7
• Warm up facilities/Range: 8 all grass range and a nice short game area
• Food & Drink: 10 for COVID Precautions