If you’re in the mood, head to AmCan for some golf, wine, and food
By Matt Larson
Our beautiful region is known for, well—its beauty! Rolling hills, lush landscapes, gourmet culture all around; we truly live in a nature lover’s paradise. What better way to enjoy it than with a round of golf? And if you’re also a wine connoisseur, Eagle Vines Golf Club in American Canyon is, without question, the place for you, regardless of your expertise in both wine and/or golf.
“Eagle Vines Golf Club caters to golfers of all types, whether you’re an advanced golfer or just beginning,” said General Manager David Griffis. “We have plenty of tee boxes that can play fair to anybody’s skill level.”
Many golf courses often have residential housing all around in plain sight, but at Eagle Vines—an 18-hole par-72 golf course—you will find nothing but nature along its panoramic view, providing for a fully immersive golfing experience.
“The golf course has just an absolutely beautiful layout that runs in and out of the vineyards,” Griffis described. “You’ll find plenty of wildlife—river otters down in the lake on Number 1, there was a bobcat up on the hill chasing birds, a lot of deer, hawks, jackrabbits—and yes, periodically you’ll find an eagle flying around. It’s just a great place to be.”
There are few better ways to celebrate a great round of golf than with a glass of wine, especially when it was grown right on the very premises you sunk that 12-foot putt. Eagle Vines’ limited selection includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, exclusive to the club and available by the glass or bottle, plus the restaurant on Eagle Vines’ premises has some great pairings to complement.
“The food is spectacular,” Griffis said. “Coupled with the view on top of the hill, looking down over the golf course and the vineyards, it’s hard to beat.” The Grill is becoming a go-to spot for American Canyon residents and beyond. “We have a pretty good lunch following, so even on a rainy day we stay pretty busy.”
During a heavy rain, the course is pretty much unplayable, although that isn’t necessarily a huge problem with aromas from The Grill constantly calling your name. But rain in the morning doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t golf for the rest of the day. “That’s one of the beauties of the golf course,” Griffis explained. “When we do catch a decent rain, the course is designed to shed water quite well, and it actually flows down into the vineyards.”
So if you awake to a morning downpour, or get interrupted halfway through your day on the course, you can always just head over to The Grill anyway, kick back with some awesome food and drink until hopefully, things clear up. Really, you’ve got nothing to lose. The worst-case scenario is that you have some good times at The Grill! Best case, you enjoy a round of golf as well.
Believe it or not, Eagle Vines can offer more than a golfing, wine-drinking, gourmet-dining experience. It’s also one of the region’s most sought-after wedding locations. “We have a grand pavilion that opens up on two sides to look out over the golf course and the vineyards,” Griffis said. “It’s a really beautiful view.”
Imagine the glorious setting of all that is Eagle Vines Golf Club—what could make it even more beautiful? A wedding, of course! You may even be able to enjoy some of their wines at the ceremony, and there’s no need to worry about flying golf balls to disrupt the matrimony as Griffis assures us the golf course is set “quite a ways” away from where they hold their weddings.
As a golfer himself, Griffis really enjoys the layout of the course. “I’m from Southern California, so I appreciate a lot of the trees and the wildlife that we don’t really get down there,” he said. The layout is actually designed in part by Johnny Miller, a professional golfer who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. So as the course is indeed beautiful, it’s also plenty challenging.
Assuming you’re completely sold on Eagle Vines Golf Club by now and have reserved your tee times already, their pro shop may be the icing on the cake. “We are a Titleist-exclusive facility,” Griffis said. “People can come in and get professionally fit by our staff, whether it’s golf clubs by Titleist, golf balls by Titleist—you can find any Titleist product here.” If you happen to be a proud owner of Ping, or any other brand of clubs, not to fear, Eagle Vines is accepting of all golf brands, but you can only purchase Titleist products at their shop.
Open to the public, Eagle Vines’ memberships offer some pretty great benefits. “We’re growing our membership and doing a lot of club events that we haven’t done in the past,” Griffis said. “We’re putting on more group outings for our members (i.e. different weekly events, club championships, etc.).” Recently members were able to compete in the Platinum Cup tournament, affording the winner with a platinum-level club membership. You can also find some holiday-themed events this season as well.
A staple community member, Eagle Vines is always providing what they can for local events and organizations. “It’s tough to say, but we gave somewhere between 800 and 900 rounds of golf away last year in gift certificates to different nonprofits,” Griffis said. They also helped the Napa Valley Community Foundation in December of last year by raising $21,000 for them to then disperse to victims of the 2017 fires.
Golf, wine, food, community, natural beauty—Eagle Vines Golf Club truly has it all. For additional information, head to their website at eaglevinesgolfclub.com, or give them a call at (707) 257-4470. Stop by The Grill, their pro shop, or just check things out in person at 580 South Kelly Road, American Canyon. Don’t forget: if you’re out on the golf course and you hear someone yell, “Fore!”—duck and cover instead of looking up. You’re welcome.
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.”
