Heard good things but never had a chance to play here yet. Woke up early one morning with the golf itch and no work. I saw there was a 6:30 tee time and decided it was 500 club day.
Showed up 15 minutes early and there’s was no one in front or behind of me and the starter let me go as a single. I believe 1 group was ahead of me who went at first light. I really really enjoyed the course. Granted half of the course is flat and on the back nine a few holes run along each other. However, there is not a house in site. You really feel like you are secluded and away even on this course. In fact half of the course runs along a preserve and offers a nice sense of isolation on a few holes.
The greens were the best part. Near perfect just ran medium speed, and had some minor divot damage. Rolled very true. The bunkers were fine, could use a little more sand but nothing bad. The fairways and tee boxes were nice and lush. Minor damage in the rough and divots in the fairways. A lot of hard pan and dried out grass beyond the fairways. Good conditions just not lush and pure.
I like what they did with the course. It has some funny elements to it. The island green short par 4 is out of place but a really fun hole. The church pew bunker on 18 is a funny touch as well. The few mountain holes are superb and I enjoyed the subtle dog legs and sand hazards that would run across a few of the par fours. The course has a lot of soul to it. While not on the level of a Scottsdale desert track, it’s a definite step up from the boring 70s tracks scattered all over town. I really enjoyed the layout and will be back.
Golf Course Review Madera Municipal Golf Course Madera California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 3/9 & 3/10.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: Alex326, Monterey, Ca
I played Madera Municipal on Saturday afternoon. Walked the course as it is completely flat and super easy to walk. Only one semi-long transfer (between 10th green and 11th tee). The rest is a walk in the park! Again social distancing orders in place. Single player per cart for those not walking, and raised cups along with no rakes in the bunkers.
Being a weekend with limited courses open it was packed. POP was a bit under 5 hrs. We waited on every shot. Such is life, during weekend golf.
Course was in slightly below average Muni condition. Tee boxes were about average and fairways are starting to recover from winter thin. Recent rains had fairways greening up but still some thin spots throughout.
Greens were very slow. They obviously have not recovered from the mid march aeration. Bunkers were hard pan dirt. No need for a rake as footsteps and club didn’t leave a single impact mark!
Overall, conditions were OK for a valley muni course. The only real drawback were the super slow greens.
Golf Course Review Penmar Golf Course Venice California
ALERT: Aeration
Aeration of the greens 4/21 & 4/22.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: t8fish, Altadena
Golf Playing Conditions 6.78 GOOD
Saturday, 3/14, I was on the West side for an event that I found cancelled when I got there, so headed over to revisit Penmar. They are doing a bunch of remodeling, mainly of the food service area, so the main entrance is roped off and you enter through an access gate in the fence to the right of the building. I was matched up with an easy going twosome already on the tee and teed off directly.
The Review
On the course, things were generally wet, lush and actually in pretty good shape. The teeing grounds are generally level but a little beat up so, while quite serviceable, I would say they are the one aspect that is a little worse for wear relative to the rest of the course. Coverage on the fairways was very good but with the relative lushness and wet, there was minimal roll-out. While rare, their were isolated puddles to be found in some low spots. Rough was pretty consistently full and could be punitive, especially with the wetness, but you could get a bit lucky where the ball set more on top. Missed the bunkers and can’t comment there.
The greens, while littered with worm castings and other small bits, were tight and firm and running about as quick as I’ve seen them there. I remember years ago when they were always fuzzy and slow and this is a complete change from those days.
We played through a brief, misty shower for a hole or so in the middle of the round, but the precipitation mostly held off. One advantage of the weather was no pace of play issue on a course that I have rarely, if ever, seen quite as quiet. It’s a mellow nine that is usually in very good shape for the amount of traffic it gets. Recommended if you are in the area, but more typically, expect a slower pace.
Golf Course Review Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course Ojai California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 3/9 & 3/10.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: roarksown1, Playa del Rey
I’ve been wanting to play the two Ojai courses for years now, and finally got the chance to scratch one itch this past weekend by visiting the fantastic Ojai Valley Inn course on Saturday. I got a deal through GolfMoose which was easy to set up and no problem at check-in.
I was paired with another single for our 8am tee time playing from the Blues. I’m happy to report that playing partner just signed up for GK and wrote his first review on this same course just now – great playing with you Sean! Neither of us had played here before but we had both watched some of the great videos the course put together to learn more about the layout and strategies to play each hole. And if you’ve never been here before, they definitely come in handy!
The Golf Course Review
Golf Playing Conditions 8.45 GREAT
The front nine at OVI is quite varied terrain with lots of blind shots and a real premium on accuracy and correct distances to put yourself in any decent position for your approach shots. The par 3s are tight and super target-oriented, while the longer holes have designated landing areas and some barranca to clear on some of them either at the tee or on approach.
The back nine is a much more traditional layout with some elevations, but it’s much more forgiving than the front nine and gives you a chance to catch your breath ahead of the stunning 16th and 17th holes before a nice closing hole on 18 – if it wasn’t shortened for an event that particular day. But as Sean wrote in his review – the par 3 16th is one of the most dramatic and beautiful tee shots you’ll ever play, and it was an awesome feeling making par there.
My Take
In terms of course conditions in this rustic setting, it was far better than anticipated. The greens were absolutely spectacular. They rolled fast and true and held shots well. Nothing too gimmicky about them at all, which also holds true for the course layout, which was a concern pre-round. No, it’s just a classic design that lets you feel the history as you move through the canyons and across the bridges and check out all the grandeur of the surrounding mountains. It’s really a stunner.
Fairways were in very good shape with only the limited amount of thin areas. The rough was pretty significant but did not wreak too much havoc with shots played out of it. Tee boxes were mostly in good shape with some wear and tear, and I was in around six or seven bunkers but never had any issues getting out of the sand. It was not the white, fluffy stuff, but perfectly playable and suited to this course’s more rustic style.
Staff was incredibly helpful and on top of things. There is a significant distance between where you park and the starter/golf shop, but they will come pick you up when you park and shuttle you back. The range is also pretty easy to navigate and is ample for your needs. They do give you a bag of balls with your greens fee to warm up.
Parting Thoughts
So what else is there to say? I love this place and really can’t wait to get back up here and play another round with more course knowledge and hopefully a not-so-sore back this time around. Ojai Valley Inn is a destination course without a doubt and a true treat to play.
Golf Course Review Raven Golf Club Phoenix Phoenix Arizona
Reviewed by: abbacat, Trabuco Canyon
Played Saturday 3-7-20. At arrival, I was immediately greeted at bag drop and set up on a cart. I spent some time on the huge grass range and chipping area. When I was done warming up, I met my playing partners- Alex from SD, and Todd, a local, who used to work at the club. We had an absolute blast playing together.
The Review
The course was beautiful and in excellent condition.
There are huge pine trees everywhere and lots of well-tended flower beds and desertscape. The fairways were lush and emerald green. There were lots of undulations and a surprising amount of roll which really helped me with the longer holes. The rough was impressive. It was short, about 1-1/2 inches and completely uniform around the entire course. Tee boxes were lush and just a couple of them were a bit less then level. The greens were in good shape, rolled true about a fast medium speed. It was nice to see nearly zero ball marks. The bunkers – oh there are so many bunkers- Big, Big bunkers! I was in a couple of them. The sand, though not deep was soft and easy to hit from. There was water on only 3 holes. I very much enjoyed the layout. It’s pretty straight forward with unseen trouble only in a couple places. Todd’s course knowledge was very helpful in those places.
Her Personal Take
Now for the bad part. I booked my round 3 weeks prior on their website for $161 at 8:51 a.m. I received an email confirming only the time so I called and confirmed the price. When I arrived they charged me $180. When I questioned that they said that it’s $134 for the golf, $10 food credit, $25 pro shop credit, and tax. First, that doesn’t add up from $161. They said it was $169 even though I had confirmed the price. Ok whatever. What I really didn’t like was why, if they are willing to charge $134 for the golf, why should I have to pay another $35 for things that I don’t want.
This was enough to really spoil the experience . As much as I enjoyed playing the course, it’s a one and done for me.
Golf Course Review Spanish Bay Golf Links Pebble Beach California
ALERT: Aeration
Will be aerating the greens 4/5 & 4/6.
* Although Greenskeeper.org researches all alerts before posting, we ask that you please contact the golf course for confirmation.
Reviewed by: Alex326, Monterey, Ca
Golf Playing Conditions 8.99 GREAT
Played Spanish Bay on 2/29/20. Course conditions remain in great condition as described in my previous reviews. The one thing I would like to add for those planning on playing Spanish Bay this year. With the extreme dry winter we are having here in the Peninsula, they have already started to pull water from Spanish Bay to give to the other courses (Pebble and The Glass). By this summer, the fairways at Spanish Bay are going to have some thin and some brown spots.
It is a “links” course and will play as such this summer. Just a heads up is all.
Golf Course Review Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf club Dinuba California
Reviewed by: 3-4bravo, Bakersfield, CA
Golf Playing Conditions 7.18 GREAT
Played Sunday, 3/1 as part of the VGA outing. Off at noon on a cold windy day, Ridge Creek was in great shape; my golf game was not.
As is with this course, as long as you stay in the fairway you have a chance to put up a good score. Leave it out in the wilderness and you’re going to have a rough time out there, like I did.
Fairways were still dormant but great to hit from. Plenty of grass with good roots allowed you to compress irons well.
The blue tee boxes left some to be desired. Some had a lot of divot marks, were uneven and generally kinda beat up. Would love to see them repair them and move the tee boxes since there is so many to choose from out there.
Rough was cut short until you got to the native frog hair and bushes. Wasn’t penal until you ended up there.
Sand traps left much to be desired as well. Thin with a bunch of rocks in them. I’ve always remembered Ridge Creek having decent traps, so it was a shame to see them in the state they were in.
The greens made up for the minor inconsistencies, though. They were in fantastic shape, rolling medium fast to fast, and very true. If you hit it on the correct line with the right pace you knew it was going in. They were a real treat to play on yesterday.
In all, Ridge Creek is a great course that will challenge you, especially when the wind picks up like it did yesterday. Can’t wait to get out there again.
Golf Course Review Carmel Valley Ranch Resort Carmel California
Reviewed by: Deepsea14, Granite Bay
Golf Playing Conditions 8.60 GREAT
Played mid morning 2/24/2020 under ideal weather conditions. 52-65 sunny gentle breeze. I gave the greens a 9 rating but like the day before at another course (Darkhorse) I don’t know why they couldn’t be 10’s. They were rolling true with no defects.
Tee boxes excellent better than most courses fairways.
Bunkers well groomed good sand.
Rough maybe a bit variable. The way it’s supposed to be in my opinion.
Customer service from check-in to leaving all outstanding.
The rating here on this day could be a perfect score. I must be too critical.
As an “in-land” course in the Monterey area I think this course plays as good as any of the bigger names. It’s front nine has enough challenges and water to keep you interested and the back 9 is more hilly with elevation changes that after the 10th hole will mostly help as they play back downhill into the valley. Not the longest course at 6117 from the tips. As a Senior I look back but don’t go back there much anymore.
ALERT: Aeration
ALERT: Aeration
