Golf Course Review Desert Dunes Golf Club Desert Hot Springs California
Reviewed by: noeldaof, Antelope Valley
It wasn’t quite in the 50s yet when I got to the property though a high covered skies kept the course from a morning freeze. Winds were down the whole time we were there- not one turbine was turning- a balmy day to enjoy Robert Trent Jones, Jr.’s work of art… as expected, it did not disappoint.
GolfNow discounted greens fee for $45 for the 8:30ish tee time led to us teeing off at a few minutes before 8:00 with no one in front and no one in the back through 16 holes- perfect!
Our matches heated up early on and made it for almost a four hour round- so fun… and to be on this course with everyone cutting in on each other’s efforts scores makes it a little more quiet with just a word here and there. Very seldom this much heat comes around so we pretty much just took it all in as much as we could.
The Review
The greens were still wet, but rolled quite nicely and built up to a fast pace as we went through the course. The green-side bunker on the first hole had some water in it, but the rest were fine looking even though I was only in one at the 11th fairway bunker and 18th green.
The fairways were in good shape and without much divot , but with my luck, i managed to be in three of them. The teeing grounds from the back were just fine and we saw the front tees looking just fine. Not much rough here the way they keep it up, but the back has some with it just a few inches and it wasn’t affecting play much at all.
Beverage cart came around a few times- yes, that’s the earliest Beverage cart I’ve seen on a course. Also, the pro shop staff checked me in without any issues- smooth!
All in all the color of the course is not very green, though rest assured, the grass were alive and the course is in very good playing conditions- an A+ if I had to grade it or an 8 out of 10.
Parting Thought
Catch this course soon on a non-windy day and you’ll have the same good experience as we did today… Happy New Year!!
Greenskeeper.Org Awards Best Playing Conditions 2018
Greenskeeper.Org “Know Before You Go®”
It’s HERE! Greenskeeper.org presents it’s Best Golf Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with “Worth the Green Fee,” “Best Playing Conditions” is awarded to golf courses open to the public listed on Greenskeeper.org that stand out above the rest with our site users at providing consistently the best greens, fairways, rough, tee boxes and bunkers around.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. Greenskeeper.org’s trademark and creed, “Know Before You Go”®, centers on communicating these current playing conditions. The rating system used on Greenskeeper.org is in part created by superintendents.
How Awards Winners Are Determined
Golf Course reviews and ratings submitted by our 72,000+ Greenskeeper.org community are tabulated over 12 months. Winners are determined for each area.
We divide awards into 11 sections — San Diego County, Palm Springs, Inland Empire, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Central California, Northern California and Southern Nevada.
Greenskeeper.Org Awarded For the Good of the Game Award 2017 by the CGCOA
We provide the list below in no particular order. This is done on purpose. Any golf course that provides outstanding conditions in their region should not overshadow other golf courses simply because of their location. For most avid golfers, the playing experience is what matters. Knowing where to play in your area is important.
Editor’s Note: Johnny GK and Greenskeeper.Org has been recognized by the California Golf Course Owners Association as Good for the Game of Golf in 2017. Shows you that both golfers and golf course operators understand the benefit of working with Greenskeeper.Org. We are the RESOURCE where avid and casual golfers come to make their decision where to play their next round. “Know Before You Go”® with Greenskeeper.Org. You’ll be glad you did.
And Now our Winners for Best Playing Conditions for 2018 (in no particular order). . .
Click on images below to visit their Golf Course Home Page on Greenskeeper.Org.
Greenskeeper.Org Awards Golf Courses Worth the Green Fee 2018
Greenskeeper.Org “Know Before You Go®”
Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Worth the Green Fee Awards for 2018.
“Worth the Green Fee” is awarded to golf courses open to the public listed on Greenskeeper.org that stand out above the rest with our site users at providing a consistent, quality golf experience at an outstanding price.
Let’s face it, golf can be expensive. It doesn’t have to be. All you have to know is where to play to get your best value and that’s something Greenskeeper.org excels. In addition to helping golfers decide where to play their next round of golf based on reviews, ratings, and maintenance alerts, we’ve recently introduced our GK Coupons service to extend their deals directly to our golfers.
How Awards Winners Are Determined
Golf Course reviews and ratings submitted by our 72,000+ Greenskeeper.org community are tabulated over 12 months. Winners are determined for each area.
We divide awards into 11 sections — Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Palm Springs Area, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Southern California, Central California, Northern California and Southern Nevada.
Greenskeeper.Org Awarded For the Good of the Game Award 2017 by the CGCOA
We provide the list below in no particular order. This is done on purpose. Any golf course that provides outstanding value to their region should not overshadow other golf courses simply because of their location. We understand the golfing public mostly stay within their geographic boundaries. Knowing where to play in your area is important.
Editor’s Note: Johnny GK and Greenskeeper.Org has been recognized by the California Golf Course Owners Association as Good for the Game of Golf in 2017. Shows you that both golfers and golf course operators understand the benefit of working with Greenskeeper.Org. We are the RESOURCE where avid and casual golfers come to make their decision where to play their next round. “Know Before You Go”® with Greenskeeper.Org. You’ll be glad you did.
And Now our Winners for Worth the Green Fees for 2018 (in no particular order). . .
Click on images below to visit their Golf Course Home Page on Greenskeeper.Org.
Golf Course Review Spyglass Hill Golf Course Pebble Beach California
Reviewed by: dethman, irvine
Made it up to Monterey this past weekend to play Spyglass and Pebble as part of a birthday trip. The centennial package they were offering for their 100th anniversary sealed the deal. Started off the first day with Spyglass, which in general I’ve heard is the superior and tougher track. The clubhouse and grill are very small, don’t expect any amenities here like at the lodge, just golf. Staying on property, I grabbed the shuttle here and I don’t think it really mattered to them either day that I checked in at the front desk. They just said to grab a bag of balls and the range was a few steps down the way, see the starter about 15 minutes before my time. Range that day was artificial turf.
The Review
Golf Playing Conditions 9.29 IMMACULATE
Course conditions were excellent. One of the best I’ve played. The tee boxes were in excellent condition, mown down perfectly and flat. Fairways were more lush, just a few divots here and there but excellent and carpet like. I played at 830am, so it was still moist and got little roll off drives. Many uneven lies in the fairway, so a good drive was not always rewarded well. Rough was thick and lush, grabbed your club so you would be lucky to get a mid iron out, even a hybrid was dicey. If you could find your ball sitting down there in the first place. I was only in 1 or 2 bunkers, this course really isn’t bunkered that heavily. sand was soft, white, and excellent to hit out of. The greens though. running fast and with tricky contours, I had a tough time lagging my putts anywhere near the hole. It felt like if your approach wasn’t close, it was a 3 putt.
The course itself was indeed tough, starting with the 5 ‘ocean’ holes, of which I found #2 (fairway) and #4 (green) kind of gimmicky but still enjoyed the spectacular views. The sand dunes and the structures stand in stark contrast to Pebble’s ocean holes which are perched directly on the cliffs of the peninsula. If you like true parkland courses though, you will love the rest of Spyglass Hill. Running in and out of the Del Monte forest, each subsequent hole is framed by Monterey pines and generally isolated from structures or road. Hit the ball straight and take an extra club into the green seems to be par for most of this course. And par will be a good score on any hole here as there are challenging doglegs. Strategically placed trees and water, and greens that can punish even the best hit approach shots.
Only nitpick was that I felt the par 3s to be a bit of a weakness here, as they felt particularly less challenging compared to the rest of the course. all four play short, 3 of them severely downhill (though #3 is an awesome hole). the two on the back 9 felt like mirror images of one another and felt like an afterthought. Nothing like #5 or #17 at pebble.
My Thoughts
Though many say this is a superior course to Pebble and it probably is, as a recreational golfer I would rather play Pebble again. After my round at Spyglass, I felt exhausted as if I had been through a battle. Had to manage the rough when my drive went astray, or a long uphill approach, and then had to handle the quick, undulating greens. Shot about 12 or 13 shots above my usual round. I will make it back again, for sure, perhaps when my game is worthy of the test of golf that is course is.
Golf Course Review Half Moon Bay Golf Links OCEAN Half Moon Bay California
Reviewed by: Alex326, Monterey, Ca
Golf Playing Conditions 8.85 GREAT
Started the year off with a new course that I’ve been trying to get out to for 2 years now. Course did not disappoint. Weather was sunny (but chilly) with a 12-15 mph wind. Conditions of the track were excellent as expected. Greens were a solid 9. Rolled true at a medium fast pace. Greens were the perfect speed, size and offered jus the right amount of undulations to be challenging but not overwhelming.
Fairways ranged from a 9.5 down to a “low” 8. The only exception was number 18 which had some thin areas. Rough was manageable. With rain a week or so ago followed by a few sunny days, my guess is the rough had recently been mowed down to a respectable height.
Tee boxes were level semi-lush and divot free. I somehow managed to avoid the sand traps all day.
Layout of the track is spectacular. Several views of the ocean throughout the course along with some forced carries over a couple of ponds/lakes. There is just enough elevation change (albeit slight) to keep the track from being completely flat. None of the holes have any real severe dog legs and a few of the tee boxes look down double fairways. I was with my buddy who’s a member so he knew the layout which helped a ton. Otherwise it would be very easy to hit (purposely) onto the wrong fairway.
Overall, it’s a great course, with both views and conditions being in the excellent category. Probably a new Top 10 course, though it’s getting harder and harder to knock courses out of the top 10 when a new one comes in.
Golf Course Review Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course Ojai California
Reviewed by: Burcham5, Valencia
Took the hour drive to Ojai. Today’s conditions definitely made up for yesterday at Knollwood.
Golf Playing Conditions 8.08 GREAT
Today was absolutely perfect. Yesterday we almost died from hypothermia, today high 60’s with no wind. Pace of Play (POP) a little over 4 hours only because we caught the foursome of millennials that started 4 holes ahead of us. On a side note, if you are a beginner the blue tees aren’t for you and there are others on the planet, not just you.
Back to the review, course was fantastic. Staff is top notch, best I’ve had in awhile. Course was in great shape, tee boxes level, fairways lush, sand great and greens were perfect. I would highly recommend this course and I will definitely be back. The Ventura, Santa Barbara area is really underrated as far as golf is concerned. It really is worth a golf trip if you aren’t local. Rustic Canyon, Moorpark CC, Olivas Links, Glenn Annie and Ojai are spectacular courses that won’t break the bank.
Played Reflection Bay Golf Club with KevBig for only the second time yesterday, this time in winter rather than summer conditions, next I got to play it in spring conditions, because this place is just fantastic. Great conditions, service and quickly becoming one of my favorite desert layouts.
The Review
Playing Conditions 8.03 GREAT
Compared to the summer conditions, greens a little faster, little more smooth and firm. Fairways lush but in terms of rye grass instead of Bermuda. You don’t get as much roll in the winter. Rough, dormant providing a beautiful contrasting look framing every hole except hole #7 (guess because its along side of the road). Bunkers in great shape with quality sand. Tee boxes mostly lush, level, well groomed in great shape.
Have to say while there is not one let down hole and they are all a blast to play, holes #8 and #9 are breathtaking. They used to be holes #17 & #18 but logistically it made more sense to flip the nines a couple years ago and given that current holes #17 & #18 are awesome I got no complaints. The par 3’s and par 5’s IMO steal the show on this course. All the par 5’s are beautiful risk/reward holes and provide for big hitters a chance to get home in two. The Par 3’s provide a major test with holes #8 & #17 right on Lake Las Vegas stunning.
Another thing about Reflection Bay is the service. From the moment you pull into the lot to leaving you are constantly made comfortable with friendly smiles and professionalism. After golf we sat down in the grill which I understand was not there a couple years ago and had excellent food.
Final Thoughts
The only drawback is the golf course does not, at this time, have a driving range to warm up on. It does have some hitting bays. I’m not one that needs a range often but I could see those that do not too a happy about it.Check out the photos I just posted.
Golf Course Review Classic Club Palm Desert California
Reviewed by: GDR23, Thousand Oaks
Golf Playing Conditions 8.22 GREAT
Rode the Blues this afternoon 12/20/2018 at 12:30pm with JohnnyGK, RGM2525 and 24hourgolf. POP was 3 hrs 45 minutes with the golf course to ourselves–never had to wait on one shot. Perfect weather mid 70’s with no wind. Super practice facilities, huge Clubhouse that reminded me more of a Hotel and very friendly staff and cart attendants.
This course shoots right up to the top of my list for being well maintained and for the layout. Top 3 for me. When everybody told me that everything is big here they were not lying. Huge greens, water hazards, bunkers, fairways, etc–you get the drift. Some nice challenging holes and some birdie holes for sure that our group had plenty of! Almost had 5 on the day myself.
