Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)

The swale in the 4th green is shallower and wider than other Biarritz greens, allowing the pin to be cut in the trench

The Eden 7th, offering a glimpse of the sea through the canopy, which has been trimmed in recent years

The 9th green is smack bang in the middle of the dunesland section of the course

The 10th is about as picturesque as a golf hole can be, and played in a stiff cross-wind that green seems a lot smaller than it looks!

Looking back down the 11th, with the tee shot played from near the right of the picture

The pin on the amazing par three 14th is just visible over the right-hand-side bunker, with plenty of room out to the left

Cutting the corner on the dogleg left 15th brings the wraparound bunker into play

Course name: Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Location: Monterey, California
Four Word Course Review: Proof of Monterey's depth

After playing Hankley Common on London's heathlands earlier this year, I commented that the best golf regions perhaps identified themselves not by their strongest courses, but by those that got little to no attention.

The quality of the unheralded - in relation to its neighbours - Monterey Pensinsula Country Club Dunes course is all the proof you need that Monterey is up there with the best golf areas in the world (now there's a newsflash!).

The par threes and fives stand out most in my memory as being the leading lights, but the two-shotters that connect them are of such a consistent standard that the course never looks like losing your interest. Add to that the great year-round weather, breathtaking views and the sight, sound and smell of the ocean and you have the ideal golfing package.

Given the club's other course is named the Shore, you might think seaside golf was not on the menu while playing The Dunes, but the routing makes full use of the site's varied terrain and vegetation, including the thrilling seaside land on both sides of 17-Mile Drive.

The routing is essentially one long, narrow loop. The opening three holes run inland, the million-dollar homes that flank the fairways well hidden behind cypress and pine, before the first pointer to the course's Seth Raynor heritage - a Biarritz hole that plays slightly downhill. The green was in fact flattened during the ravages of time and replaced by Rees Jones during his renovation of the course.

Still cutting through cypress and pine, the course now turns for the sea, a nice combo of short and long par fours moving you over interesting terrain as you head back towards the still unsighted ocean.

Behind the 6th green is a Raynor trademark, the steep 15ft drop into a trench bunker, from the bottom of which I can't imagine many pars have been made!

The opening stretch provides steady golf, but few absolute thrills. That all changes when you walk onto the tee of the 7th, an Eden par three that provides a tantalising view of the seaside through the thinned canopy behind the green.

On the back of that great par three you then continue the excitement with a fun downhill par four to a green set beyond a stream, a wonderful short par five over land that transitions from forest to dunes - the fairway flanked by white sand - and then an exciting pat three played downhill with a panoramic view over the coastline and golf courses stretching left and right.

The course takes a couple of turns inland between the 11th and 16th holes, but for the most part sticks close to the shore, the high point being the 14th and 15th holes. The one-shot 14th sits across 17-Mile drive, the tee and green both a matter of feet from the ocean, with a rocky inlet separating them. I encountered it with a stiff wind in my face and needed a four wood to get pin high. As far as golfing thrills in million-dollar settings, that's about as good as I have experienced.

Then it's back across the road for the long par five 15th, a simple design that's made by the low key greensite. With the par fives that have come before being on the short side, this one is as muscular as you could hope for

After a couple more smart par fours at 16 and 17, it's time to head back away from the ocean for the par five finishing hole, which concludes at an eye-catching green perfect for a reachable par five.

The transitioning scenery and terrain passes smoothly on the Dunes course, with relentlessly fun golf to be had all the way around.

Of particular enjoyment among the shots I haven't mentioned yet are the diagonal drive over sandy waste at the par four 11th, the approach to the seaside 13th green and the tempting drive at the dogleg 16th.