Three national golf publications have agreed Monarch Dunes Golf Course is the &#8220best in the West.C

Golf Magazine has named Monarch Dunes on the Nipomo Mesa one of the 10 Best New Golf Courses in the Country.

Fairways & Greens Magazine is also featuring Monarch Dunes in its December issue, naming it the Best New Course in California.

Golf Inc. Magazine has also dubbed the course Best Development of the Year of a Public Golf Course in its December issue.

The year-old course 7 the first 18-hole course at The Woodlands master-planned community 7 is the only course in the state to make Golf Magazine/s coveted list, which covers all new public courses in the United States.

Editors said they chose the links-style course for its classic beauty and challenging holes.

&#8220This really reaffirms what our players have been telling us all year 7 that this is the best course they/ve ever played,C said Krystal Bough, sales and marketing director of Monarch Dunes. &#8220We are thrilled about these endorsements.C

The 18-hole, 6,817-yard championship course was designed by Cal Poly graduate Damian Pascuzzo.

As one of the few authentic links-style courses in the nation, Monarch Dunes mirrors the challenges of the world-famous Carnoustie, Royal Troon and Saint Andrews golf courses, said a Monarch Dunes spokesman.

&#8220The exposure from these publications really puts the Central Coast on the map as one of the premiere golf destinations in the nation,C said John Scardino of The Woodlands.

The course is the focal point of The Woodlands, the largest master-planned community on the Central Coast. Players eventually will be able to relax at the Dana Club and Sandlewood Spa, the Trilogy Community Center or the plaza of the Village Center, which will feature restaurants, open-air cafes and shopping when completed.

In addition to the Community Center, new home construction at The Woodlands is moving ahead of schedule, company officials said.

Two home builders 7 Shea Trilogy of the Central Coast, the primary builder, and Westlake-based Woodland Ventures 7 are building at The Woodlands.

After the first of the year, construction of the Monarch Ridge Townhomes will begin. With the addition of the townhomes, Scardino said, The Woodlands will be able to offer and meet the needs of most new-home buyers.

&#8220Sales have steadily increased each month, and we are averaging about 15 sales within our community right now, which is more than any other development in the county,C said Scardino.

Future golf plans include an executive course and another 18-hole championship course that will run near a bluff overlooking the Nipomo Mesa.

Those courses, in conjunction with Monarch Dunes, will be available to the public and provide a challenging, scenic and enjoyable world class golf experience to all levels of players, company officials said.

Monarch Dunes is operated by KemperSports Management, the same group that manages the world-famous Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes in Oregon and Desert Willow Golf Resort and Black Gold Golf Course in Orange County.

Jan. 4, 2007