Hidden Valley Golf Club

Norco, CA

Reviewed by: leef2020, Huntington Beach, CA

Played Hidden Valley for the first time with Orangegolfer and Larrryq2001 on Wednesday mid-morning for $44 including cart, I believe their standard weekday rate. These two guys are friendly gents, and great golfers, and both had nice rounds from the blues. I hacked it around from the whites. We waited on the tees throughout the round, and forgot to notice when we finished. It must’ve been close to a 5 hour round. You could see lots of golfers on every hole from the many panoramic views this course provides.

The Review

White tee boxes were pretty rough, with divots galore on most. A handful had mounds and slopes to deal with. The whites/blue markers were paired together on the par5 15th hole, presenting us with a downslope for the entire legal teeing area.

Fairways were in winter condition, a bit wet from rain, and had evidence of a recent punching on a few holes. Inconsistent grasses and thin at times. But, generally, the ball sat up well and were easy to take decent shots w/divots. On three holes, had approach shots land and then roll backwards 20-40 yards before finding a comfy spot that pleased it. Had other sideways kicks that went plenty more. Between this feature, various blind shots and several ill-conceived/placed forced carries (imho) reminded me of the now defunct Champions at the Retreat course on multiple holes. Rough was inconsistent in length. Water in several bunkers.

What to expect

Thought the greens were in very good/great condition and certainly the best feature of the course. The putts on the practice green were lightening fast, with the ball rolling down slopes, 20-30 feet before finding a spot to settle in. On the course, a little less stupid, and the greens held shots fairly well. They were actually soft to walk on, which helped them to not be a total menace to putt. They were still very fast, and with the many undulations and slopes, the ball could easily end up 4-6 feet past the hole on a downhill 10-footer, or take the ball 30 feet plus away from the hole as it took the slope away from the hole. Greens were indeed lush, and in spite of a number of repaired divot marks, ball rolled excellently and smooth, with few bumps along the way.

Saw the cart lady on both 9s. The course could use toilet facilities on the front, and more water jugs throughout. GPS on carts worked very well, allowing you to pick a spot on the hole to measure hazards, etc. Of note, the GPS provides front/back of green and a target marker in the center of the green, that is indeed for ‘center of green’, not the flag location.

The Bottom Line

Would like to come back in late spring/early summer and try the course again. Great scenery and views almost make up for my minor gripes about the course design. For my short-hitter game, this course presents an extra challenge and required a few silly layups with wedges, even after good drives (210-220yds) from the whites, to avoid hazards that I would have a very tough time carrying with a 5 or even a 3 wood.