GreensKeeper.org is pleased to announce the tally is in for 2019. Find out our community picks for the Golf Courses voted Best Playing Conditions. Stay tuned.
Golfers; Your opinion matters. Your golf course reviews and ratings over the course of the year help us determine the Best Playing Conditions honors.
How Awards Winners Are Determined
Golf Course reviews and ratings submitted by our 78,000+ 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 will provide a list 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.
Check back often. We will be announcing the lucky winners this week!
Golf Course Review Journey at Pechanga Temecula California
Reviewed by: roarksown1, Playa del Rey
Golf Playing Conditions 8.14 GREAT
After years of hearing fairly mixed reviews of Journey at Pechanga, everything ranging from ‘spectacular’ to ‘gimmicky and unfair,’ I finally had the chance to find out for myself on Wednesday during a work scramble tournament while staying down in Valley Center at Harrah’s for the three-day event. And of course, now I have my own thoughts.
First off, the course is likely (from what I’ve seen at least), the best manicured course in the fine golfing Temecula area, with the only exception of one super dry and out of place 3rd hole fairway. The rest? Really nice, green and lush. I would even consider some of the holes pristine. Overall the place is in super nice condition. As for the layout, well, you really get it all here. If you hate elevations, long carries, or angling around a few lakes, this may not be the course for you. But I loved it. There’s just no escaping the variety of holes here and each one feels quite unique. Gimmicky? Maybe in some places, like a fairly blind green to finish on 18, or the trees that serve little purpose but to torment on holes like 7 and 9. Yes, you’re going to have to think you’re way through lots of this course. Fine with me but may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
As for conditions, the fairways once again were pretty fantastic all around. Tee boxes were great with a few just slightly uneven, but good coverage. The sand was in really nice shape as well from picking up wayward balls out of bunkers, but of course in a scramble we never ended up playing out of any of them (our team shot a bogey-free six-under 66). Rough could be very thick and penal in places but not terrible. Lots of OB areas or easy places to find yourself ball hunting.
The greens, or more precisely, the green complexes were very compelling and tough. Very nice condition overall – receptive to shots, true to their lines and all variety of tough-to-read breaks and slopes. There are some real doozies at Journey at Pechanga so you’ll have your work cut out for you to have a good round with the short stick. This is the kind of place where being able to keep the pin in will be a bonus for long lags or downhill putts. Some very intense slopes and tiers to deal with as well for added fun. They’re tough, but super fun.
POP is a useless observation thanks to the tournament but don’t worry about that too much as the great views and super golf will quickly make you forget about any time considerations. Full service snack bar at the turn and a massive clubhouse with all you need. We also had cart service running around at various points of the day so they did a great job with that.
Really looking forward to coming back and playing a proper round soon so I can test myself against this really unique course with a little knowledge of the layout. Hope I’m hitting the ball as well as I was yesterday though when I do go back.
Journey at Pechanga Best Playing Conditions 2018 – Inland Empire
Congratulations to Cascata Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Southern Nevada.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Cascata 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Southern Nevada
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Southern Nevada to Cascata.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
Alex326
Posted: 11/26/18 4:28p
Member Since: Nov 20, 2015
From: Monterey, Ca
Playing Conditions 8.48 GREAT
WOW what a fantastic course! My buddy hurt his back and had to skip out so hit up MPisarski01 who was more than happy to join me for an awesome round.
Conditions were a solid 9 all around. This place is absolutely awesome! Kevbig summed up the initial experience perfectly in That you go through a private gate, get your car parked by the valet who also takes care of your clubs. The entrance is the best bar none. There’s a waterfall that comes off the mountain and down into, through then under the clubhouse.
After checking in, I headed to the locker room where I had a locker with my own name plate on it. It’s a good thing I was decked out in my Ryder Cup outfit to look the part. Locker room has full amenities ( TV’s, shower, razors, waters, etc). Our caddie was decent. He had his hands full keeping track of 3 of us and did a decent job. When there’s three players it’s hard for him to take care of everyone’s clubs so the single player got more of that service than we did.
Course is so fun you forget how challenging it actually is. Uphill tee shots are into the wind but downhill tee shots are with the wind and oh so FUN!
Greens were nice and fast with minimal undulations.
Definitely a top notch facility well worth playing!
Congratulations to Yocha Dehe Golf Club Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Northern California.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Yocha Dehe Golf Club 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Northern California
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Northern California to Yocha Dehe Golf Club.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
Deepsea14
Posted: 12/16/18 8:38a
Member Since: Oct 15, 2017
From: Granite Bay
Golf Playing Conditions 8.37 GREAT
Lead off group 12/15 under cloudy skies with a threat of showers that didn’t fall. POP not an issue we were told to not go too fast to avoid maintenance crews but didn’t see them. They were blowing leaves on a couple holes but that only helped conditions and the operators gave plenty of room to play through.
Third round in a row here and it’s a bit over an hour drive for us. It’s great conditions at value pricing for the season. With the excellent service the Troon facility is a 4/5 star golf anytime of year. Every time this year it’s consistently been good to great in every rating area.
Congratulations to Quail Lodge & Golf Club Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Central California.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Quail Lodge & Golf Club 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Central California
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Central California to Quail Lodge & Golf Club.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
sixpez
Posted: 06/21/18 10:04a
Member Since: Oct 16, 2003
From: Rancho Mirage, CA
Golf Playing Conditions 9.85 IMMACULATE
After my whirlwind Tahoe weekend, I joined JohnnyGK for a bonus 2-day detour along the coast. We started at Quail Lodge, which is always a treat because it’s a good course with spectacular conditioning. We were joined by GK’er Alex326 and another single and we played behind a visiting ladies’ group from MPCC. They played at a good clip and we finished in just over 4 hours.
As expected, the course was nearly perfect all the way around with the deep green Poa turf throughout. Tee boxes, fairways and rough all excellent and nicely manicured. Bunkers with great white sand. Greens rolling pure at medium-fast speeds. About as good as a course can look and play!
Thank you to for the Quail Lodge staff for having GK out and we had a good time as always. Definitely worth adding to your list as another great option to consider while visiting the Monterey Peninsula, especially this time of year when the Pebble courses are socked in by fog/overcast skies. Out in the Carmel Valley, it was clear skies and perfect temps for us.
Congratulations to Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Ventura County.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Ventura County
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Ventura to Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
Burcham5
Posted: 01/03/19 9:31p
Member Since: Aug 25, 2018
From: Valencia
Golf Playing Conditions 8.08 GREAT
Took the hour drive to Ojai.
Today’s conditions definitely made up for yesterday at Knollwood. 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.
Congratulations to Trump National Golf Club Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Los Angeles County.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Trump National Golf Club 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Los Angeles County
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Los Angeles to Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
rgm2525
Posted: 12/19/18 6:44p
Member Since: Jan 24, 2005
From: Chatsworth
Golf Playing Conditions 8.42 GREAT
Played 12-15-18 early morning as a twosome and finished in a little under 3 hours.
Tee boxes were very nice, good coverage, cut tight, and mostly level. Fairways were very nice and lush with great lies but not much roll out. Rough was in real good shape, not to long but thick and the ball would sit down at times. Was in three green-side bunkers all of which were a little thin and firm. Greens were in great shape, smooth fast and receptive to well struck shots.
Overall course is in great shape. Costumer service was great from arrival to departure. Fun, challenging, scenic course that for me gets a little repetitive on some of the holes.
Congratulations to Monarch Beach Golf Links for Winner of 2018 Best Playing Conditions for Orange County.
Congratulations to all the great golf courses out there that won Best Playing Conditions for their Region. Haven’t thought of playing there? Consider this a wake up call and give their golf course a try.
Monarch Beach Golf Links 2018 Winner Best Playing Conditions for Orange County
Greenskeeper.Org presents the winner for 2018 Best Playing Conditions in Orange County to Monarch Beach Golf Links.
We’ve waited all year for the results, and the results are in. Greenskeeper.org proudly presents it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards for 2018.
Not to be confused with our other award “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. These golf courses distinguish themselves by providing consistent, exceptional playing conditions.
The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions.
Greenskeeper.org’s registered 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. Greenskeeper.org views it’s Best Playing Conditions Awards as it’s highest honors.
Want to treat yourself to some choice conditions? Want and experience you can remember? Consider playing at one of these great golf courses in your area.
roarksown1
Posted: 11/29/18 12:39a
Member Since: Jan 6, 2013
From: Playa del Rey
Golf Playing Conditions 8.32 GREAT
Got to take some work colleagues out for a nice round of golf and, since I had never played Monarch Beach, thought it would be a great option. I was not wrong.
Before we get to the price:value portion of the review, let’s talk about some of the great things that were on offer here. First of all, the property around the course is pretty spectacular. Yes, there’s the ocean hole that everyone sees rather exclusively, but there are some really beautiful other sections of the course, including the view looking up the hill on number 11, or any of the other pretty lakes and landscapes. I found the course to be so much more than the signature hole, but that was pretty awesome too (and felt good to par it).
I found the front nine layout to be somewhat more, for lack of a better word, gimmicky, than the back nine, which I ultimately preferred (despite the ocean hole). There were still some fun holes for sure, but I just preferred the back for some reason. Lots of elevations, plenty of water and OB danger. I lost a lot of balls today. You just can’t be wayward or the punishment will present itself.
The Review
Course conditions were very good overall with some slight nitpicking required. Greens were running about 11.5 according to the staff. I somehow did very well with them with only 27 putts all day so for me they seemed to hold shots great, follow their lines obediently and remain consistent in terms of speed and conditioning on all 18. That was great.
Fairways were mostly in great shape but there were a few thin or Ground Under Repair (GUR) areas to be found, most likely from recent rains perhaps, or could be over watering. But a thin or dirt area was definitely on the cards if you missed fairways with any venom, so that’s a bit of a knock. I also found the bunkers to be mostly all in great, fluffy shape, but one or two seemed to be just a level before the non-sand elements of the traps so you could see some cloth or something peeking out from the ground. Rough was perfect in some areas and deadly in others … varied by hole. And the tee boxes (we played the orange tees) were all perfect.
Pretty slow group in front of us made slower by the challenging layout and easy opportunity to lose balls. Still, we finished in around 4.5 hours I think so no complaining there. No cart service but we did have one of the staff drive by and give us apples and water. The same offerings were available at the 10th tee.
Final Thoughts
All this being said, this is a very cool, very high-end course. But it’s well over $200 and that I feel is, despite all of the amazing things this course has to offer, slightly over the line. This is easily a $150 course with no hesitation. With some course knowledge now, I would absolutely love to come back here soon and get back some of those lost shots, but I’ll certainly be looking for the teeoff.com deal to be available. However, if you have the means, go play this course and just have some fun. But don’t be fooled by the advertisements that only highlight the ocean hole because the rest of this course combined is much more memorable than that one, albeit great hole.
