Golf Course Review Monarch Dunes Golf Club CHALLENGE Nipomo, CA
Reviewed by: 3-4bravo, Bakersfield, CA
Golf Playing Conditions 7.46 GREAT
Played 9-8 as a threesome. Was over in the area for a wedding and had some time to kill so me and a couple of buddies decided to play the par 3 course since we have never played it before. What a treat. It’s fun and very challenging. The greens are very dramatic in their undulations, which makes you think about where you’re going to hit your tee shot. The hardest hole is the shortest hole, playing only 82 yards but over water with a green that doesn’t have a flat spot on it.
The greens were in perfect condition. Minor divot damage but nothing terrible.
Tee boxes had minor divot damage but again nothing terrible. They were a little uneven which is the only knock.
The only rough they had was the frog hair that grew around the bunkers. They kept the rest of the grass around the green pretty tight which made it even more difficult if you were just off. Basically had to put everything.
If you’re in the area and don’t have 4 to 5 hours to play a full 18 with some friends, I strongly suggest playing the Challenge par 3 course at Monarch. At only 26 bucks to ride and 16 to walk, it’s a steal and a half.
Golf Course Review Indian Wells Golf Resort CELEBRITY Indian Wells, CA
ALERT: Overseeding
Will be overseeding 10/14 – 10/31, reopening 11/1 and likely cart path only until 12/10.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: sd3bs, Temecula, CA
Golf Playing Conditions 8.70 GREAT
Played here for the first time in a very well run tournament. The facility is top notch from the lot to the course. The staff does an excellent job and seems to enjoy doing it. The tee boxes were all very level with a couple being slightly thin and shaggy. The fairways are nearly perfect with total coverage tee to green. The rough was not too long on most holes – but long enough to keep shots in play and short enough to make good contact. The sand traps were well maintained and filled with plenty of quality sand. The greens were pretty large and in great condition with hardly a mark. The greens were holding shots pretty well and not as slow as other area courses I’ve played this time of year. The grounds crew does a wonderful job with this place. I’m looking forward to my next visit here and definitely recommend a round or two or three here!!
Golf Course Review Indian Wells Golf Resort (PLAYERS) Indian Wells, CA
Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks
ALERT: Overseeding
Will be overseeding 9/27 – 10/10, reopening 10/11 and likely cart path only until 11/25.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Golf Course Conditions 7.96 GREAT
Played Sunday 9/9. I knew I needed to pick a place special for the GK Cup 12 semifinal so did not hesitate to contact Indian Wells Golf Resort. Always, I mean every time I have ever played here, on either golf course, the playing conditions and service have been outstanding. This time was no different.
It was a scorcher so teeing it up at 10:00am pretty much gave us the course to ourselves. We did finally see a group behind us on the back nine. Despite the heat, and the extreme heat the area has been getting this summer, Indian Wells Golf Resort Players Course was in fantastic summer shape. Greens, bermuda, rolling smooth, firm and moderate speed (certainly not slow as you might expect from bermuda greens this time of year). Fairways, bermuda, lush, perfect lies all day. Rough, bermuda, lush, full coverage, cut down to just 2 inches uniformly throughout the course. Tee boxes, bermuda, lush, level and cut just below fairway height. Bunker high quality sand, both greenside and fairways, firm and compacted at times, I sampled quite a bit of them, adjusted right away to the firmness and they played well for me.
We were playing a competitive round having to putt out and concentrate more so we finished in just around 4 ½ hours. Had it been a casual round, I think we could have finished in under 4 hours.
First time experience here, we warmed up on the small driving range in the wash below the bridge leading to the golf course first tee boxes. Sounds bad but actually was gorgeous. Level, perfect bermuda with a nice backdrop. Note, I’ve been in the wash quite a few times while playing the Celebrity Course hole 9 doing the hill climb out of it. LOL. Much better experience hitting range balls instead!
Golf Course Review Indian Springs Golf Club Indio, CA
Reviewed by: Nickesquire, Rancho Mirage, CA
Playing Conditions 7.30 GREAT
Rode the Golds (6794/72.8/128) in 2.5H using Forelinx twilight. The weather was around 110 and clear with a little breeze.
Nice layout with 18 solid holes of golf. Fairly wide open course with a good mixture of holes. Few forced carries other than several holes with lakes. Huge difference in the par 3’s when I move back to the Golds. 233, 205, 126 & 193 compared to 192, 175, 110 & 162 from the Blues. That is an average of 25 yards per par 3, you start adding 2-3 clubs on every one and the whole course perspective changes.
The Bermuda tees were level, well maintained with few divots and mostly lush.
The Bermuda fairways were nice to play from, lush.
The Bermuda rough was mostly lush, mowed down and not overly penal. Good to chip out of.
The sand traps were good. Well maintained, mostly firm with medium texture brown sand.
The Bermuda greens putted medium speed and firm, so even well struck irons would release. Few ball marks because of the firmness.
The customer service was limited, but excellent from everyone encountered. The carts are equipped with GPS. This would be a challenging course to walk because numerous tees are a hike from the last green because the course is split up between three different residential complexes. Could use more water stations on the course. Recommended as a good middle of the road alternative for the Palm Springs area.
GK Guru Visit & GK Match Play Roundup at Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells, CA
Reviewed by: HmtGolfGuy, Hemet, CA
ALERT: Overseeding
Will be overseeding 9/27 – 10/10, reopening 10/11 and likely cart path only until 11/25.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Hole 11 Fairway View
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Golf Course Conditions 7.96 GREAT
Played 9/9 with Johnny, Matt and Robert for the GK semifinals. Conditions for this time of year with the heat we’ve had were excellent. Customer service was the usual – meaning it was outstanding! Helpful and encouraging without ever being “pushy”, this place should host clinics on how to take care of golfers.
As noted by previous reviewers, almost everything is in great shape and well maintained, with one exception – the bunkers (I was in enough to know!). Thin layer of soft/dry sand but underneath it was damp and VERY firm, making a normal “blast” shot almost impossible. Only two options: 1) “muscle up” and take way more sand than you want just to insure you get out on your first shot, or 2) try and nip it off the sand with a lob wedge taking as little sand as possible. Sand quality itself is good, they just need one deep dig/rake and they’d be fine.
Additional Thoughts
To me, the best way to describe the difference between the Celebrity and Player courses is this: If I was picking a course to play 3 or more days per week for pure enjoyment it’s Celebrity hands down. Still a solid challenge, it’s more visually pleasing and seems to have a more relaxed vibe. If I want to check the state of my game, I’m hitting up Players.
Big shout out to Johnny for getting this set up, other than the heat it was a great day. Get out here soon though, maintenance is starting on the 27th.
Definitely recommended (at least if it’s below 105 degrees or so!)
Early am four hour round on Sunday. The staff is great even with the issues they have to deal with from time to time.
The tee boxes were great with only a few a little thin. The fairways were a little damp in the low lying areas but the coverage was very good front and back. The short Bermuda is forgiving on some shots if you can keep your misses online. The rough was fairly thick and pretty damp in places but you could advance the ball. The traps were thin, wet and ugly. The traps were well groomed for the most part but not on par with the rest of the course. The greens were in good shape and not real quick today – some were actually pretty slow compared to what I remember. There were a few greens with quite a few marks in need of repair. Some of the greens are also very large compared to most courses. The wildlife and somewhat rural setting of this course are great.
Booked a round on that ‘necessary evil website’ we all know for 8:28 on Sunday morning for Brookside E.O. Nay (Course#2) for $42. Arrived about 45 minutes prior to tee time with designs on hitting a few range balls before the round. Range was mats only, which I understand is absolutely necessary due to the incredible volume of patrons of this facility. With about 20 stalls, I was lucky to find a spot. Two practice putting greens, one of which was open.
I don’t know whether it was the high number of walking golfers, more here than any other place I’ve seen before, or the close quarters within the practice area, or what, but there seemed to be a very communal atmosphere among the golfers here. It’s likely attributable to the gracious staff that seemed to handle the high volume of players very effectively. My group teed off about 25 minutes after our scheduled time, but shout out to Wendi, the starter who managed to keep everyone in good spirits despite the late start and informing us that a 5 1/2 hour round was the norm. She was spot on. Wendi performed her job well, in managing the first tee and answering any and all questions we had about the course, and eager to do it.
The Review
Now to the course, fairways lush in most areas, a few dried up areas in some places. 7/10
Tee boxes were mostly level, there were a hand full that forced me to hunt a little bit for a good spot due to excessive divot damage. 7.5/10
Bunkers, which I found a few, some were good sand, with others seemingly more soft dirt than actual sand, but all were playable. The first bunker I found early in my round was kinda fluffy thick moist sand, very playable. Later in the round I found one that was pretty thin. 6.5/10
The rough on this course varies greatly. Between holes within the course, where the sprinklers get to, the rough can be very thick and penal. In some cases you won’t see your ball outside of 15 feet, lol. On the outer edges of the course you can expect lots of very thin lies and dirt. 5/10
The greens on this course were a pleasant surprise actually. Of the high volume of players here, only a very small percentage struggle with not preparing their divots. There was always a few to repair on each green, but not nearly enough to be annoyed about. My guess would put them between 10 and 11 on the Stimp meter, deceptively quick even with plenty of moisture. Not overly undulated, but plenty of slope and breaks to play (best be beneath the hole always).
Final Thought
Overall, a great deal for the price. Be prepared for a long round on a crowded park like setting course, but a very enjoyable place to play. Will return very soon to play the more highly regarded C.W.Koiner (course #1).
Santa Anita Golf Course Arcadia California Senior GK Coupon
ALERT: Overseeding
