Golf Course Review Turkey Creek Golf Club Lincoln California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 4/1 & 4/2, weather permitting.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: Deepsea14, Granite Bay
3/31/2019 Tournament play put POP at five hours on a terrific mild sunny Sunday.
Golf Playing Conditions 6.00 GOOD
Course in good shape poised to green-up into great conditions when it rains less and more sunny days. That said a few wet spots and two holes cart path only. Fairways good lies with some dormant grass intermingled. Played ball down and had no issues. Rough fairly thick and deep in other areas. In the trees it’s deeper green and must be watchful balls go astray in there. Whereas in summer it’s brown and down but then it rolls in deeper.
Greens putted well a bit slower than usual and probably prepping for the aeration scheduled April 1+2. Know Before You Go!
After that process and healing it should be great conditions at TC. Beverage cart around three times (maybe more) and customer service great as usual. My score? could always be better!
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 18
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Golf Playing Conditions 8.04 GREAT
When I got the email to join the others to play Rancho San Marcos, I immediately replied back that I was in. I didn’t even bother to check the date or what else I had going on that day (today). It’s one of those courses that when you get a chance to play, you go play it. In fact I worked the night before, got off in the morning, drove 3 hours to the course, played 27, drove 3 hrs back to go to work. In addition to the great course conditions and super fun layout, it’s all about location location, location!
Background
RSM is located in the Santa Ynez mountain region just east of Solvang and north of Santa Barbara. I used to come to this area a few times a year for cycling both having a national mountain bike race in the Firestone ranch down the road and for road cycling (got admit it was nice when they shut down Hwy 154). The area is a great little wine retreat getaway that has fantastic weather most of the year. Playing here today has rekindled my love for this area. Before, I always enjoyed coming down to play Rancho San Marcos because it was a great track. Today was more about a great setting with a golf course in it. I’ve already started planning on when I can come back down with the wife, bikes and dog for a long weekend.
Rancho San Marcos Golf Club Santa Barbara California Hole 9
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If you are a wine connoisseur who like to play golf this place needs to be on your bucket list. Same goes for those cyclists out there (Kevin) who like to tee it up in the afternoon after a morning spin.
The Review
Conditions wise, GDR23 was spot on in that everything is an 8-8.5 right now. Just flat out excellent conditions all around. The greens were stingy with the birdies today but that just adds to the challenge. Almost all breaks were predictable and the greens were rolling true, they just had enough of a challenge that we couldn’t drop the putts. Greens were receptive to approach shots giving all players several looks throughout the day.
Again the course is fantastic shape and well worth a weekend getaway.
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 16
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Putting Area & Clubhouse
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 18
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 17
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 16
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 15
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 15
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 14
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 13
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 11
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 10
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 8
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 6
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 3
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 2
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 6
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 14
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara Hole 12
Rancho San Marcos Golf Club Santa Barbara California Hole 9
Rancho San Marcos Golf Club Santa Barbara California Hole 5
Rancho San Marcos Golf Club Santa Barbara California Hole 1
Rancho San Marcos Golf Club Santa Barbara California Driving Range
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course Santa Barbara California GK Guru Visit Hole 1 Par 5
Golf Course Review Paiute Golf Resort Las Vegas SNOW MOUNTAIN Las Vegas Nevada
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens of Snow Mountain 4/1 – 4/5, Sun Mountain 4/8 – 4/12 and Wolf 4/22 – 4/26.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: phunteratc, Henderson, NV
We played an early morning round on the snow course. The forecast was for mid 50’s with winds nearing 20 MPH. It was brisk with a cold wind chill. The winds were still high from the day before but were supposed to calm down as the day went on. Wind at this resort is not uncommon.
We teed off right at 8am and found the course to be in premium high season condition. Looking out over the property from the beautiful clubhouse all you could see was pristine green fairways and greens. Immaculate is the term that comes to mind, looking as if not a blade of grass or grain of sand was out of place.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. From the bag drop attendants to the pro-shop to the starter, all were friendly and professional.
The Review
Golf Playing Conditions 9.26 IMMACULATE
The tee boxes were lush and reminded me of the boxes you see on television on the weekends. The course out in front of us was so beautiful that you had that giddy feeling of playing a top flight track. Very level, no divot damage.
The fairways were lush and absolutely no bare spots anywhere.
The rough was about 1 and a half inches tall, and not much of a penalty. They were perfect for keeping your ball from rolling into the desert. Very playable.
The bunkers were excellent with plenty of soft sand.
The greens were very fast and firm. Although they would hold your approach shots, they were showing the effects of the high winds. The greens are big but for the most part fairly level with subtle breaks.
The beverage cart was out and around often.
Final Thoughts
Another great day on a great course. This was my morning round on the very farthest north Las Vegas course, and I had an afternoon meetup with JohnnyGK at reflection bay on the very southeast end of the Las Vegas valley. So I was nervous about pace of play and being able to make it to my afternoon round. I was pleased that we were able to finish in 3 hours and 40 minutes. Plenty of time for me to make my 45 minute drive and still grab some lunch.
This course is top notch Las Vegas desert golf. There are 3 courses here at this resort and the snow course is my favorite of the 3. But from an eyeball test, they all looked like they were in pristine condition. As far as public courses go, this is as good as it gets in Las Vegas. In my opinion the best local courses.
Golf Course Review We Ko Pa Golf Club SAGUARO Fort McDowell Arizona
Reviewed by: sixpez, Rancho Mirage, CA
This was the last stop on my 2-day trip with a noon tee time on Saguaro. I had hopes of maybe trying to squeeze in Cholla afterward, but this place was packed all day and I knew there was no chance I’d finish all 18 before dark. Will save that for another time when I can play and enjoy it properly. There was a big group out ahead of us and they slowed things down for our group. I was paired with another single and a twosome and we went of a few minutes late and then finished in about 4 hours, 40 minutes.
The Review
Golf Playing Conditions 8.36 GREAT
The course, as one would expect this time of year, was in great shape. The tee boxes and fairways were fantastic. The rough wasn’t over-seeded, so it was more semi-dormant and dappled in color. Not quite as “pretty” as full dormancy or full over-seed, but played fine. It was cut down super tight and easy to hit from.
The only drawback is that many of the fairways here fall off on the edges toward the desert or nasty bunkers, so gravity and no rough to stop your rolling were a recipe for some unfortunate breaks. It puts an extra premium on landing in the middle, though the fairways here are generally fairly wide and generous on all but a few holes. The bunkers were great and the greens were the best on this trip. They were firm and pretty fast, with beautifully kept surfaces. Being below the hole is recommended, but not always easily accomplished!
Final Word
This one has been at the top of my AZ bucket list for awhile, so I was excited to finally play Saguaro. The facilities here are fantastic and the setting is stunning, as you are basically out in the middle of nowhere.
I really liked the layout, but I personally wouldn’t put it at the very top of my list. Still, there is a lot to like and it’s definitely a must-play in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. You will pay a pretty penny to play here in season, but deals can be found during other times of year.
Golf Course Review Soule Park Golf Course Ojai California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 4/1 with small holes.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: sbarajasjr, San Diego
Played here for my first ever visit on 3/30 on a 10AM tee-time. Seeing Johnny’s review from the week before and knowing I would be in the area to visit my partner, I made a tee-time online and invited my partner’s father to join for what turned out to be an amazing day. The course was just as Johnny described and I thoroughly enjoyed it in almost every way. On top of it being a Chamber of Commerce day with weather, every aspect of the course and property was as expected.
The Review
Golf Playing Conditions 7.38 GREAT
Tee boxes: Good condition. Never really noticed any issues with the following: level ground, turf firmness, irregular turf conditions between the markers. Markers here aren’t vastly variant in distances as this course is not overly long.
Fairways: Great condition. They were sparkling green and the ground for the most part offered fair to good lies for shots. There were a few areas that were wetter than normal and a couple of scalped turf, but overall I was impressed. A fair amount of roll when the sun really started shinning.
Rough: Pretty penal the further away from the fairway you ended up (of course). There were areas in the holes closest to the mountains in the front 9 where the ball easily disappeared. The entire course has rough of varying lengths that kept one humble.
Sand: I was only in one bunker (fairway) and it was in good shape with nice compact sand. The ones I looked at all had good sand and were raked.
Greens: Good condition. The color and condition wasn’t quite what I expected but the roll seemed true enough on correctly read putts (of which I had one all day I felt proud of). The speed varied but ran in the fast-range all day. There were a fair amount of unfixed divots, but more importantly the greens on 10, 16, and 18 were already sanded, even though the alert said they wouldn’t until 4/1 (guess they wanted to get a quicker start).
Parting Thoughts
ETC: Basic carts with no GPS and not always a marker close for a shot determination. Course could certainly stand to pave a few more miles of cart path to help riders (though I understand a vast amount of people walk here too). Staff was very easygoing and friendly. Rates here seem more than fair. Restaurant was very good and staff here was also friendly. Ample parking lot and facilities had everything you needed without the extra frills. Pace today was only about 4 hours on a peak hour weekend so that should tell you everything you need to know about how things run here! Not a must-play but such a solid track in the shadow of Ojai Valley Inn that more than holds its own.
GK Gurus Visit Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada
ALERT: Aeration Will be aerating the greens 4/2 & 4/3. * Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: phunteratc, Henderson, NV This was round two today. I played Paiute Snow course in the morning in much different weather conditions. So when I arrived for my afternoon tee time it was a joy to see the South-End of the valley was warm and calm winds.
I had the pleasure of meeting up with fellow GKer’s JohnnyGK, Rob1563, and Kevbig. What a great group of guys. It wouldn’t have mattered what the condition of the course was in or how I played in determining my enjoyment level, because these guys were so much fun.
That being said, I was fortunate enough to also have great course conditions and had my best putting day EVER. Read JohnnyGK’s review of this round for details. I will stick to reviewing the course, which was phenomenal!
Started off by having a classic dog in the restaurant with house chips. It was very good. The staff was excellent from bag drop to beverage cart. These people are very happy with their jobs and are intent on making your day a great experience based on my interaction with them.
Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada Hole 4 Green-Side
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The Review
The course was in excellent condition, I have no negative comments to share. Everything was in the kind of condition that you would expect from a course of this caliber entering into high season for Vegas golf.
Tee boxes-Great!
Fairways were lush and beautiful.
Rough was about an inch or so in length and were lush with no bare spots.
The bunkers seemed to have ball magnets in them but they were fair. A little firm for my liking but consistent.
The greens were excellent. This part of my review is slightly biased as I had that rare privileged of marking my ball and having the line visually present itself to me. I had the best putting day of my 50 years of golf. The conditions of the greens were just magical. JohnnyGK is a little more knowledgeable about this then I am, (So read his review) but there was a top dressing of something that made the greens smooth and roll so true. 10 one putts, with at least 5 of 30’ plus. It was an out of body experience.
The beverage cart came by about every 2-3 holes until she called it a day after hole 11. She was very pleasant as well.
This was a great day, on a wonderful course, with fantastic company. But since the review is focused on the course, I will end with this. Reflection Bay is a top notch golf experience and it is obvious that the management is focused on your golf experience being exceptional. If you haven’t been out here in since January 2018, you will find that the nines have been flipped. It is a great layout and a wonderful test of your game, while being fair and enjoyable.
I highly recommend Reflection Bay Golf Club.
Reflection Bay Golf Club Henderson Nevada GK Guru Visit
Golf Course Review Oak Valley Golf Club Beaumont California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 4/29 & 4/30.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: colby022002, Fontana, CA.
5.49
Golf Playing Conditions 5.49 GOOD
Played here 3/31/19 with one friend. Had a 12:00pm tee time. Pace of play was 4 hours but we took our time and most of the time spent was searching for balls hit in the rough. The rough was terrible! Way too long. Sometimes almost 1-2 feet high! I know it’s rough for a reason but it was a little extreme.
Let’s move to the greens. Firm and rolled true but WOULD NOT and I mean WOULD NOT hold a ball for the life of me. No matter what my friend or I did every single freaking ball rolled off the green. There was no way to stick shots etc. Greens were so fast it was insane! I later found out they are purposely drying them out for the PGA Qualifying. They were PGA speed. Course was ready for the qualifications in a week. Sand traps were amazing and fluffy. Tee boxes on par 3’s were absolutely terrible and chopped up. We moved back just to find a level spot. The other tee boxes were in great shape though. Fairways were trim and nice and smooth hardly any divots. Water was clean and staff was friendly.
Extremely windy conditions and temperature was 85 degrees. Paid $59.00. Had lunch at the clubhouse before we tee’d off and service was great and friendly. Love this course but it’s a course that doesn’t love me back!
Round Up: GK Guru Visit Goose Creek Golf Club Mira Loma California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 4/1 & 4/2.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks
Thanks everyone that came out for the GK Guru small group play Tuesday. If anyone reading this does not know what a GK Guru is please message me here on Greenskeeper.org for more info.
Great time at Goose Creek! Fun and challenging to play the golf course set up for an SCGA qualifier that day. Still having nightmares about some of those pin placements. The afternoon wind added an extra layer of difficulty. I often hear it’s a golf course that is designed to be an easy bogey and difficult par. Well nothing was easy about Goose Creek Tuesday!
Course was in great shape. Greens fast, very firm and mostly smooth. Fairways lush, cut tight and firm. Rough short and not that punishing but you certainly wanted to be in the fairways. Tee boxes (played the blues) lush, tight and level. Bunkers had quality sand and well maintained.
Layout, I just posted some beautiful photos from Tuesday, mostly level, large undulating greens with many false fronts. Fairways mostly wide but miss them and pay the price of trees, OB, brush hazards and water hazards. Even though we rode, it’s a gem of a walker’s course. Tees are spaced next to the previous hole greens and as I mentioned level course. The layout allows those that like playing a high or low ball to score… as long as they are putting well. Lots of dog legs and fun risk/reward par 5’s.
ALERT: Aeration
ALERT: Aeration
