Posted on August 2, 2018July 30, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Recap: Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club Dinuba California

Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club

Dinuba, CA

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

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Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club Dinuba California Hole 1 Green-side

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Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club Dinuba California Hole 13

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Great time Wednesday teeing it up at 3:30pm with GK’ers Alex326, cencalhack, rgm2525 and CenCalGolfer33. Finished in 4 ½ hours. Would have been quicker but we let some singles and a twosome play through.

The Review

Golf course was in excellent condition. Fairways a 10 for me. So lush with perfect lies all day. Greens were in great shape although very soft so there were many marks since each shot left a big ball mark and too many golfers decided not to fix theirs. Never bad enough to impact your putting much but hurt to look at the scares on such nice greens. Last time I played the golf course the greens were firm so this was a change. Also they were faster last time but given the forecast is 10 days of 100+ temps, I understand the need to keep them a little longer. Tees super lush in great shape. Rough, oh boy, you don’t was to find the secondary rough, its very long fescue and unless you get lucky your ball is bye-bye lost. The primarily berumada rough was just cut so we got fortunate because with all the heat and humidity I could see it being brutal sticky difficult to hit from under normal circumstances. The bunkers greenside in good shape with quality sand. The fairway bunkers pretty firm which I don’t mind.

Personal Thoughts

I love this golf course. The layout is a blast. Great ball striker grip and rip track. Ample room to find the fairway but spray a shot, any shot, the golf course makes you pay big time with very tough bunkers and as mentioned very difficult rough. The greens are challenging yet fair. Nice, big and undulated. There is not one let down hole. I wish this golf course was not 3+ hours from me but I gladly make a day trip once or twice a year to play it from SoCal. Treat yourself to this gem one day.

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Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club Dinuba California Hole 4

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Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club Dinuba California Clubhouse & Practice Area

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Practice facilities are very large and loaded with everything. They even have a some dedicated wedge zones with green complexes. It’s awesome.

Restaurant is excellent with a view of the 9th hole. This was the first time I did not eat there when playing the golf course because we finished so late.

Staff very friendly and professional.

Check out the photos I just posted. We played under a red sun due to the fire near Yosemite – however smoke did not effect the day, it was high in the atmophere.

Highly recommended.

Posted on July 22, 2018July 19, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru ReVisit Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada

Reflection Bay Golf Club

Henderson, NV

Reviewed by: sdscratchorbust, Scottsdale

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Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada Hole 9

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Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada Hole 14

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Played here Saturday morning with the Greenskeeper OG’s. JohnnyGK live and direct, Kevbig, and mpisarski01. Big shout out to Kev for hooking up the hometown discount, and Johnny for making the drive much appreciated.

I don’t need to rehash all that was said below as they are spot on. It’s a beautiful course. Great views and water elements, as well as forced carries over ravines. Every hole was different and it felt like many different types of courses blended into one with a wide variety of holes. The views of the reflection along the water are one of a kind.

It was a shame it was so unbearably humid at the end because it took a lot of the enjoyment away but the course is one of a kind. Only minor nitpicking was the shaggy greens but you can’t win them all.

Course’ layout isn’t too difficult but I rarely had a flat approach which led to the difficultly and emphasis on shot making and ball striking here.

Great time with good people and a great course.

Posted on June 25, 2018June 13, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Visit Glen Ivy Golf Club Glen Ivy California Recap

Tierra Rejada Golf Club Moorpark California

Glen Ivy Golf Club

Glen Ivy, CA

Reviewed by: sparky14, San Clemente

Played Glen Ivy on 6/12 with the GK Gurus. I haven’t been to Glen Ivy since 2010, interesting to see how the course has matured.

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Visually, growth in the native areas has blocked the view of landing areas on a few holes – so course knowledge will help. I recommend a yardage book if you are not familiar with the course as several holes are difficult to see where the proper line should be.

GI appears to be one of the few SoCal courses actually putting money into the course. Things are better than I remember from a decade ago. Even in June, when the hot season is in full bloom in Corona, the greens are green, plush and soft. Fairways and rough are good, but you can see the start of the heat effects as things are getting crusty. Sand was good, but again the top level is getting baked by the heat.

I enjoyed the course more than I have in the past. Lots of elevation changes, so many holes play much shorter than their posted yardages. If you get the ball in play, there are birdies to be made, and even more birdie putts that will lip out at the last second. Dang it.

Highly recommended.

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Posted on June 17, 2018June 13, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK GURU Visit Glen Ivy Golf Club Glen Ivy California: RECAP

Glen Ivy Golf Club

Glen Ivy, CA

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks
Was my first time playing Glen Ivy Golf Club yesterday 6/12 in Corona, CA. Good times with GK Gurus!

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I loved the layout the way it trailed through hills, elevation changes, doglegs, scenery, challenging yet fair, fun greens, exciting approach shots. Was a fun blend. I thought the conditions were great with beautiful healthy greens (medium speed, smooth and holding shots), excellent coverage in the fairways, quality sand in the bunkers, nice tee boxes, the only aspect of the golf course that was mostly lush but dry and thin at times was the rough. Overall, considering how dry that region is, they are doing an excellent job keeping it watered. I agree with sparky14 that you can see some of the region heat effects with browning areas. But every lie had plenty of grass cushion. My guess given their commitment to keeping it lush (their owner plays the course himself virtually everyday) they will probably just water it more to combat the heat. POP yesterday was only 4 hrs. Just an FYI, right now they are doing a major upgrade to the driving range so it will be closed for some time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this golf course, I can’t believe it took me over 15 years since launching Greenskeeper.org to finally play it! Highly Recommended.

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Glen Ivy Golf Club Glen Ivy California GK Guru Visit

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Posted on June 14, 2018June 13, 2018 by Vic Flores

RECAP: GK Guru Visit Glen Ivy Golf Club Glen Ivy California

Glen Ivy Golf Club

Glen Ivy, CA

Reviewed by: cthuyen, Los Angeles
Had a wonderful time with the GK Gurus yesterday.

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Been over 8 years since I visited Glen Ivy’s Golf Course. New Ownership took over 2 years ago and the improvements are very apparently once you pull up to the parking lot. Spoke to the cart attendant, who was very happy with the new ownership. Customer service was good through everyone I interacted with. The facility was as I remembered, nice clubhouse with a separate dining bar area with reasonably priced food, free tap water with lemon and $1 bottle waters!

Now to the course.

The tee boxes need leveling on most of the blue tees and divot repair. The fairways and rough were in good summer shape and the highlight of the course were the greens, smooth for the most part, running around 9/10 and quicker as the day got hotter. The layout was exceptional. I forgot the unique variety of holes here. The sand traps (fairway and greenside) were raked and had decent coverage as I was in them almost 6 times. Had the wonderful pleasure of finally playing with JohnnyGK himself and Steve and Rich!

In the glory days, the course was very scenic between the vistas and the various ponds and running fountains. Obviously, because of the drought, many of the water elements have dried up. There is still water on Hole 18.

Look forward to returning in the near future.

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Posted on June 5, 2018May 31, 2018 by Vic Flores

Recap: GK Guru Visit Tierra Rejada Golf Club Moorpark California

Tierra Rejada Golf Club

Moorpark, CA

Reviewed by: GDR23, Thousand Oaks

Rode the Blues this morning 5/29/2018 for a GK guru round teeing off at 10:05am with JohnnyGK, MrKich and Barkydog. POP was 4 hrs 40 minutes. Weather was beautiful low 70’s with maybe a 1 club breeze on the back nine. Had not played out here in 15 months. Tierra Rejada’s range is closed for a couple weeks as they are fixing the fence around the range. They have a very huge and sloped putting green and a separate nice smaller chipping green. Down below on their range they also have a nice short game chipping area with a practice bunker.

The greens were very shiny green, soft and were putting medium speed. They had some minor poa circles creeping in that could effect putts. For the most part the greens ran true. We fixed a couple ballmarks here and there. Green rating 7/10.

The fairways were more lush than thin. 75/25 lush to thin. Some divot damage in the low lying and common areas like #10 fairway. I thought they were in pretty darn good shape. It gets hot in this area and it looks like the course is trying to water where they can. Fairway rating 7/10

The tees were semi-lush with mostly level teeing grounds. There were a few tees where you had to spend time hunting for a stance but you could always almost find it. Some divot damage on the par 3 tees that I tried my best to fill in with sand. Rating 6.5/10.

The rough was low in most places just off the fairway and high in others like where my buddy was just off of #1 fairway. The further you got off the fairway the rougher and less predictable it got. Rated 6/10

Was in one greenside bunker on #7 that contained raked firmer sand.

The layout here is an interesting one on the front–very hilly elevated tee boxes with small target landing areas. I think the front is tougher and has a lot more character than the back nine. It’s 2 different golf courses. Some fun character holes on the back as well like 11 and 14. Better hit it real straight here to score.

Its only a mile from home so for sure I will be back on birthday rounds or rounds that I can land a deal on. Recommended for a fun and challenging option in the area.

Posted on June 1, 2018May 30, 2018 by Vic Flores

Recap: GK Guru Visit Rio Secco Golf Club Henderson Nevada

Rio Secco Golf Club

Henderson, NV

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

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Teed it up Thursday 5/24 with fellow GK Gurus to once again experience the newly renovated Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas. It was 6 month ago I first checked out the improvements and I have to say the course is only getting better. Most notably are the improved turf conditions (which were excellent in December). The new greens have become a little faster and remain very smooth, the fairways more lush, the rough more lush (green and out of dormancy), tee boxes more lush and new bunker sand still excellent. I’ve played Rio Secco many times and this was best condition I have seen it.

All other positives remain about this high-end Vegas course. Exceptional service, restaurant (highly recommend the steak sandwich), clubhouse, practice facilities (even saw Butch Harmon giving a lesson), layout (super fun & challenging) … place has got it all.

6 months ago it took an adjustment to the flipping of the nines but now that I’ve experienced it again, finishing with a par 3, par 5 and then par 4 right at the clubhouse makes total sense and offers more convenience..

Check out some of the photos I just posted.

Highly Recommended.

Posted on February 5, 2018January 28, 2018 by Vic Flores

Recent Golf Course Review Coyote Springs Golf Club Coyote Springs Nevada

Coyote . Springs Golf Club

Coyote Springs, NV

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

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Coyote Springs Golf Club Coyote Springs Nevada GK Guru Visit - GREAT! — Coyote Springs Golf Club Coyote Springs Nevada GK Guru Visit – GREAT!

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Joined rgm2525, kevbig and mpisarski01 for GK Guru round at Coyote Springs Golf Club on 1/18, impressive. I’ll go as far as saying it was one of the best, and most difficult layouts I’ve ever played. Its a Jack Nicklaus design. I understand it is normally pristine June – November and we did not catch the course at its best, but even at that, it was still in great shape.

This course is in the middle of nowhere. It’s a 60 minute drive out of Las Vegas in the high desert and the only breath of humanity is actually the golf course once you arrive. But once there you get a secluded away from it all feeling and what a course to be treated with. I like it so much I’m looking into a GK Plays there for June. Got to treat GK’ers to this course and I need to play it at its best.

We played the blue tees, 72.8/144, bunkers everywhere and none easy to escape from. Very difficult undulating greens, rolling fairways loaded with small mounds to the point you hardly ever get a downhill lie, amazing sight lines and not a single let down hole.

The Condtions

As far as conditions, they do not overseed yet the fairways and greens were in great shape. The rough was dormant and thin in spots. The bunkers were in decent shape but thin in most. The tee boxes green and in very good shape. Green were rolling mostly smooth, moderately fast and firm.

As far the facilities, one of the best driving ranges/practice areas I’ve ever seen. Huge beautiful grass range with multiple short game areas. In addition nice large practicing putting green by the starter that simulates the golf course very well. The clubhouse are deluxe trailers with a food/beverage. It is my understanding they will finally breaking ground on the new clubhouse later this year.

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I use to always hear when coming to Vegas I need to play Coyote Springs given how much I like all the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort golf courses. Now that I have I will say Coyote Springs Golf Club is better than every one of them hands down…and I like those Paiute courses a ton.

Highly Recommend Coyote Springs Golf Club. Worth the drive!

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