Encinitas Ranch Golf Course
Encinitas, CA
Reviewed by: sbarajasjr, San Diego
Played here yesterday with GK member Jon P. at the SCGA One Day Series 2-person better ball tournament. It was an absolutely fabulous time out there and we actually did quite well (-10) and tied for 3rd in a full field. This was my first time playing here (amazingly) and I was quite impressed with the course. In spite of the fact it is so short, you never really feel the lack of length as a hindrance. There were some very quirky and enjoyable holes, other crazy ones that made you think, and course knowledge here is definitely a plus. Overall I would absolutely come back here. Conditions weren’t prime (as the last reviewer mentioned) but that did not take away from a great day. The review…
Tee boxes: Perhaps the least positive part of the day. Most of the tee boxes were fairly beat up (probably from the amount of play before us), but I distinctly remember at least three holes in which it took more than a minute to find good turf to drive my tee into. Also, there were more than a few boxes that were uneven and slope in one direction.
Fairways: Good overall, though there were quite a few unfilled divots out there. More importantly though, there was grass to hit from on 95% of shots, ample roll, and visually it wasn’t some gross yellow-tinged patchwork of dirt.
Rough: Thick in certain areas. Penal at it’s worst but from a scale of 1 to Torrey, closer to 4-5; made you club up, but no issues getting the ball out. More penal than rough were the OB/red stake areas that are scattered around the property.
Bunkers: Was in quite a few today but they were good! A mix in terms of sand consistency, but never was it that hard to get out. Fairway and green-side bunkers all had good quality and ample amounts of sand. A few had some d%mn sand, but it turned out to not be soaked.
Greens: The highlight of the round. Some of these green complexes were just insane (think Redhawk at its worst), while others were just run of the mill. All had fast speeds, tricky breaks, and good conditioning. They were challenging and offered some head-scratching putts all day.
ETC: The Encinitas Ranch staff was very friendly; the SCGA rules officials were a little less than friendly, but alas they couldn’t ruin the day. Staff said they pride themselves on pace of play, and even though SCGA outings are notoriously slow, today the front played at 2.45 and the back at 2.15 so there you have it. Carts with plenty of juice and color GPS that were super useful on blind shots. Course layout was fun. Good clubhouse/grill and cart attendant out and about. Ample parking lot and not to difficult to find on the map. Overall had a wonderful time and would recommend.
