Pros:
Nestled in the hills of Novato, Stafford Lake is one of the premier places to play in California due to its beauty, remote location, and challenge. The course continuously plays up and down hillsides, incorporating a variety of natural obstacles along the way. Tall grass lines the fairways, with groves of trees scattered throughout. Stafford Lake itself sits below the course and is the backdrop for the entire round. Wildlife flourishes in the area, with wild turkey, lizards, raptors, deer, wildcats, etc., roaming the land making for a visually pleasing and exciting round!
Big arm throwers will have an advantage here, but accurate throwers with good placement can save strokes along the way. Stafford Lake has a handful of wooded holes (the letter holes between holes 4&5) which add a refreshing technical aspect to what is an otherwise open course. It gives players a chance to grab a few birdies before getting back to those longer and more grueling holes. Smart play can often times beat power and distance if you can stay on the fairway and sink your putt!
Par for the course is 58, with two Par 4's and one Par 5. At over 6,600', this course plays long. Each hole has multiple pin positions and excluding the letter holes, dual tee pads. Signage provides images of local animals, par, distance, and pin locations. However, when the grass is not cut navigation can be difficult. If possible, try playing with someone familiar with the course to help with the speed of play.
Cons:
Stafford Lake is known as a "pros" course. Intermediate and advanced players will experience a lot of pleasure but also pain. How much pain however, depends on your conditioning and mental fortitude. Due to constant elevation and sloped fairways/greens, discs can pick up and roll away. If you're lucky, it won't end up 50' downhill or in a patch of poison oak. Wind and heat can also play a major factor depending on the season and/or time of day. Bring lots of water, tissue, food, and sunscreen as the only restrooms and tables are near parking lot. The walk to the first tee is ¼ mile but a nice warm up in my opinion. Print off a map as navigation can be tricky at times and be prepared for the round to take a while due to the terrain. There is also a park fee of $8/M-F or $10/ Sat-Sun but again, I am more than happy to pay to play on a course as amazing as this one. If I was a local I would just pony up and buy an annual parks pass.
Other Thoughts:
The course sits perfectly in the middle of San Fran and Napa, making it the ideal spot for a quick day trip whether you're visiting from the city or the wine country. Growing up near Santa Cruz, I spent most my time playing De La and Hellyer. After 20 years of living in Cali, I moved to the Pacific Northwest but always felt saddened and a bit guilty that I had never played Stafford. I always said next time but never found the time. This time I did! My best friend and I flew down from Seattle and played a bunch of courses including De La, of course, but also Stafford. I was so happy that I could finally mark this course played as it instantly became an all time favorite!
Other must plays in the area: Golden Gate Park, Skyline, De LaVeaga