27 Holes of High-Flying Public Play & Practice
50+ years of rich local golf history means that the Bing Maloney GC is an unarguable integral piece of the golf landscape here in Sacramento. Many people who grew up in Sacramento over the past five decades know that over that time, a large number of oak trees have matured, making this a classic design to be enjoyed by golfers of all abilities. It remains a great tribute to the mission of daily fee municipal golf mission that the City of Sacramento set forth with back in the 1950’s- making affordable golf available to everyone.
The key is hitting the ball straight on the mostly wide fairways. The distance goes 6,558 yards from the back tees and measures 5,889 yards from the only other set of tees. Bing Maloney expanded in the 1980s, adding a nine-hole executive course to the grounds that was recently renamed the Express 9. “This is really a fun golf course,” said Bing Maloney General Manager Andrew Wilson “It’s an old course with a classic design. It has beautiful fairways and the greens are fantastic. All levels of golfers can play here.”
As for the Express 9, Wilson says, “It’s a hidden secret in the area. It’s a fun, little course. The greens can be a real challenge.”
So can the back nine of the 18-hole course. While the front side is a traditional back and forth track, that certainly does not hold true over the final nine holes. There are some definite choices to be made and most of the holes have a unique quality.
The most talked-about hole arrives at the 12th. This once was a par-4 that looked straight at the hole. No longer. By moving the tee boxes to the left, an immense oak tree plays a major role in navigating this par-4 that rests a sizable 440 yards away. For anyone interested in getting on in regulation, the tee shot must travel through a small gap between the oak and the fence, which borders the out-of-bounds area. Make the safe play right of the tree and the trip home from there can be around 250 yards. Even a good drive can leave a golfer 200 yards out. That second shot better be accurate because two bunkers guard the green, which is long and a bit narrow. No guess work here. This is easily the toughest par on the course.
The intrigue on the backside starts at the 10th. This par-4 (386 yards) doglegs to the left. A driver can be too much for many golfers. A well-hit 3-wood can do the trick, aimed at the sand trap located straight down the middle. Go too far left and the trees make it impossible to get home in two. A well-placed shot off the tee leaves 150 yards. Up next is the par-5 11th, which goes 515 yards. What makes this hole tougher than some is that the trees narrow the fairway considerably for the second shot. Accuracy becomes an issue. The hole is much more difficult with the pin in the back, allowing an oak tree near the green to gain more prominence.
