Posted on November 2, 2018October 29, 2018 by Vic Flores

RECAP:GK Guru Visit Bali Hai Golf Club Las Vegas Nevada

Bali Hai Golf Club

Golf Course Review Bali hai Golf Club Las Vegas, NV

Reviewed by: rob1563, Las Vegas

I’ll round out the Bali Hai recap from yesterday. Also my 1st time playing and had no idea what to expect, having heard positives and negatives about the course.

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Bali Hai Golf Club Las Vegas Nevada Hole 1

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Bali Hai Golf Club Las Vegas Nevada Hole 6

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Course was in pretty good shape. Some tee boxes on the silver (6100 yards) were crowned, but the farther back ones (6600 and 7000) looked pretty level. Fairways were in good to great, but a handful were verticut and a few were very soggy. Rough is starting to go dormant, and ran from thin and short to deep and nasty. Bunkers were light and fluffy, but they were still pretty wet which made a few a weird clay consistency. Greens were great. Smooth, medium fast, with very little amount of ball marks. I found them very tricky to read as some appeared to break but didn’t, and others broke like it was falling off a cliff when they looked pretty flat. There’s some repetitive holes, but the par 3s (5 of them) are all different lengths.

Service was spectacular. There’s 2 drink carts, 1 for each 9, so it was by at least 3 times each side. The outdoor Tiki style grill is a great alternative for the higher end and formal Cili Restaurant inside. The food was amazing. The breakfast burrito ($9) was the something out of one of those eating challenges, like a 9 pound baby. The signature Bali Hai burger was incredible. Drink prices were lower than expected: $3 soda, $4 Gatorade, $5/$6 beers.

Absolutely loved it. Very fun course with short par 5s and par 4s thrown in with great par 3s. Will definitely be back with some decent resident rate offers. Thanks to JohnnyGK for the invite and Kevin and Ed for the great time.

Posted on October 30, 2018October 25, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Visit Golf Club at Terra Lago (SOUTH) Indio California

Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 12

The Golf Club at Terra Lago (South)

Golf Course Review Golf Club at Terra Lago (SOUTH) Indio California

Reviewed by: sixpez, Rancho Mirage, CA

Played here this morning with JohnnyGK and Nickesquire. We started around 7:20 and enjoyed a nice relaxed pace after letting a couple twosomes through. At the moment, both courses are open, though North is shutting down for its over-seed after this weekend. South just came out of the over-seed and that’s why we opted to play it.

The Review

As Nick noted, the course was in pretty good overall condition and definitely better than when I was here last summer. It’s still a bit rough around the edges and it may never be completely pristine like some courses out here, but the fun/challenging layout and unique desert setting help balance that out. The tee boxes were mostly quite good with just a few a little thin on the over-seed coming through. Same with the fairways. There were a few small sandy/dead spots here and here, but mostly nice lies throughout. The rough mostly okay. There was some obvious storm/flood damage on the front nine where some mud and water washed through lower-lying parts of the course, but nothing too bad. The greens were good with the Bermuda still holding strong as the rye starts to come in. A little slow, but should smooth out as the season progresses. I was only in one fairway bunker and it was fine. All bunkers seemed a bit hit or miss from what I observed, though.

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Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 10

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Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 9

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Final Thoughts

Though this place is a little rougher around the edges than some courses in the valley, I would still recommend either TL course. I’ve always said that these are two of the more underrated designs. I also contend that South is way underrated compared to North, which typically gets more acclaim. Both offer a unique and mostly secluded setting with the rugged desert all around, and the layouts are very interesting, challenging and fun. Definitely far from your cookie-cutter “Palm Springs resort/community” courses, and I like that. Seems the management has this place headed back in the right direction and I’m excited to see it. Thanks to the staff for having us out today!

Posted on October 26, 2018October 21, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Visit Golf Club at Terra Lago (SOUTH) Indio California

The Golf Club at Terra Lago (South)

Golf Course Review Golf Club at Terra Lago (SOUTH) Indio, CA

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

Played with sixpez and Nickesquire Thursday morning. Was my first time playing Terra Lago after all these years. It pleasantly surprised me. I knew not to expect excellent playing conditions typical of the higher end Palm Springs golf courses which I have been accustomed to playing. Also the South golf course was fresh out of over-seeding. What surprised me was how interesting, challenging and flat out fun the layout was. As a first time player that loves shot value, this course is loaded with them. Risk/reward tee shots, intimidating bunkers, lots of doglegs, forced carries over water, tough green complexes, hazards on both sides of every hole, elevated tee shots, a fantastic signature par 3. It was a blast.

The Review

As far as conditions, very good. Interestingly is after the round I talked with the Superintendent who informed me the greens are not over-seeded with rye but rather Poa. That they are tiff Bermuda surfaces that do well the majority times of the year but need a cool grass added for winter play. This explains why the greens rolled so well. They are basically all Bermuda with some Poa sprouting through. I was told the greens right now are as slow as they get and to expect them to gradually become faster and firmer. Makes me want to head back there for sure. With all those undulations and tricky pins, must be diabolically fun when they are running faster.

Fairways in very good shape mostly lush with some thin spots. Rough mostly lush green-side and adjacent to the fairways with occasional thin/bare areas. Bunkers, well groomed but in many cases very firm and depleted of quality sand. Fairway bunkers overall in poorer shape than the green-side bunkers. I did find a couple in decent shape and got used to the firm texture. Tee boxes in very good shape with exception to the gold tees on the 17th hole.

Service was friendly and excellent all day. After the round I grabbed a bite to eat in the restaurant. Decent burger with tasty fries and great view of the signature holes on the North Course.

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Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 14

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Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 16

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Final Thought

Overall, I’d play the South Course again and want to try the North Course. If the track was manicured better and in the kind of conditions of a PGA WEST, Desert Willow Golf Resort or Indian Wells Golf Resort the layout would be on par with most of those playing experiences. Granted the courses I mentioned do have higher levels of service and amenities but my point is this place has great bones with a ton of upside potential. It looks to be moving in a positive direction. CHECK OUT the photos I just posted. Recommended.

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Visit Paradise Valley Golf Course Fairfield California

GK Guru Visit Paradise Valley Golf Club

Golf Course Review for Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield, CA

Reviewed by: JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 2

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 3

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Next up on my 36 hole day yesterday in Fairfield was Paradise Valley Golf Course. The golf course also provides very great conditions and contrasts Rancho Solano Golf Club excellently for a second 18.

Teed it up again with Alex326 and BSF at 1:30pm. Brandon unfortunately could not join for the next 18 so we went out as a 3-some. Great time.

Before our round although we grabbed a bite to in grill/sports bar. I had a delicious Clubhouse wrap that was so big that I finished it out on the course. Recommend making a little time before your round to eat there.

For our twilight round we waited a little here and there but overall pace of play was around 4 ½ hours.

Greens, in great shape, little bit faster than Rancho Solano, mostly smooth and little bit more firm. Not as undulating and certainly not as big but definitely challenging. The greens are better guarded by bunkers and pins can be set in tough spots. You need to be careful not to be behind the pins out there. They can be slick coming back. Star of the show from a conditions standpoint and given the high amount of play this track gets, impressive.

Fairways, firm, mostly lush with occasional thin spots. It’s a level golf course so you get some good run out.

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 14

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 12

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Rough, cut low, about an inch above the fairway height, mostly lush with occasional thin spots. Green-side rough is more lush and a little longer than adjacent to the fairways.

Bunkers, quality sand, little firm at times but in good shape.

Tee boxes, we played the white tees which get by far most of the play so they had some divot damage but driving by the blue and black tees, they looked near perfect, so to mixed feelings here about how to rate them.

Service excellent, very friendly staff, and talkative. Saw the cart girl many times. Everyone had a good attitude.

Highly recommended.

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 17

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Paradise Valley Golf Club Fairfield California Hole 18

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Posted on September 23, 2018September 19, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Review Rancho Solano Golf Club Fairfield California

Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California Hole 7

Rancho Solano Golf Club

Golf Course Review Rancho Solano Golf Club in Fairfield, CA

Reviewed by: Alex326, Monterey, Ca

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Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California Hole 2

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Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California Hole 5

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Played Rancho Solano on 9/12 with the GK crew. This was my first time playing here and What a fun course! Track has elevation changes, water features and great conditions throughout!! Course design offers the option of grip it and rip it without too much risk of being heavily punished. Yet it has enough trees and water hazards to keep you honest and make less than driver a viable option at times.

The Review

Greens are HUGE and have several big undulations throughout. Three putts are easy to do on these greens. All but a couple of greens were in fantastic shape rolling smooth at a medium-slow pace. Just a couple of greens had some brown spots on the edges but again the greens are so big the brown spots were 40-50 feet away from the pins

Green side bunkers had excellent soft fluffy sand. Tee boxes were flat and lush and the cart gal came around a number of times.

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Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California Hole 9

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Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California Hole 11

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Final Thought

I really enjoyed this course and highly recommend it.

Rancho Solano Golf Course Fairfield California GK Coupon

Posted on September 14, 2018September 11, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Match Play and GK Guru Roundup – Indian Wells Golf Resort (PLAYERS) Indian Wells California

Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players)

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.

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!

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Our GK Gurus Visit

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Course Indian Wells California Hole 3 Green-side

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One more note, they will be starting overseeding maintenance on 9/27 so expect the golf course get drier as they lead into it.

Super time as always with GKers!

Posted some photos so please check them out.

Posted on September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Visit & GK Match Play: Indian Wells Golf Resort Indian Wells California

Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players)

GK Guru Visit & GK Match Play Roundup at Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells, CA

Reviewed by: HmtGolfGuy, Hemet, CA

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California Hole 2 View from Tee — Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Hole 2 View from Tee

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California - Hole 11 Fairway View — Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Hole 11 Fairway View

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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!)

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California - Hole 6 Fairway View — Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Hole 6 Fairway View

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Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California - Hole 7 Fairway View — Indian Wells Golf Resort PLAYERS Indian Wells California – Hole 7 Fairway View

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Posted on September 1, 2018August 31, 2018 by Vic Flores

GK Guru Recap Sun City West Golf GRANDVIEW Sun City West Arizona

Sun City West Grandview Golf Course Arizona

Sun City West Golf (Grandview)

Sun City West, AZ

Reviewed by: sixpez, Rancho Mirage, CA

We had a fun time on Grandview for the GK Plays. We had a really good turnout with a number of AZ GK’ers in attendance and a lot of new faces, as well. Good to see the Arizona GK crew growing each year. I was in the 9:30 group and it was a good overall pace of play around 4 hours total.

As others have already noted, the course was in good overall condition. For good value courses, they sure do a great job keeping these in really nice shape throughout the summer season. Tee boxes, fairways and rough were all good and consistent. The newly remodeled bunkers had really nice new sand. The greens were firm. Rolling way too slow for my tastes, but consistently conditioned and obviously kept longer to survive the heat.

This was my second time playing Grandview. It’s a solid course and will give you your money’s worth every time. Not a destination course in an area loaded with spectacular and dramatic layouts, but a good value pick. Always friendly people in this community and just a positive overall vibe.