Hidden Valley Golf Club

Golf Course Review Hidden Valley Golf Club Norco, CA

Reviewed by: gary00, san clemente

Played 11/5 Pace of Play (POP) 4 1/2 hours following a deliberate threesome that was part of a 9 man outing.  They pretty much fell 2 holes behind by the end of the round–it was a little frustrating waiting on most shots but it was a really nice day and quite scenic. Everything is green.

Fairways are very green but soft and cut rather long with some areas that were quite wet; no roll out to speak of. Rough is longish and juicy penal both for stopping the ball and challenging for the next shot. Tees pretty much on the good side level and with ample cover. Some were recently plugged but not an issue for play just not a good visual with the extracted plugs lying around.
Fortunately did not get in any green side bunkers which looked like groomed mud. Found 1 fairway bunker which was packed wet hard pan and was actually playable.

Greens look good and healthy but on closer inspection were very recently verticut and are rather soft leading to some bumpiness very challenging on the 3-4 footers especially down-hill. Speed medium. Did not get to use the practice green as it was also cut but not swept so the were grass clippings everywhere.

Layout provides lot of variety with elevation changes forced carries large sloped tiered greens with potential for diabolical pin placements–and by the way downhill, uphill and side-hill lies for good measure.

Friendly staff. Rating came out on the low side 6.5 seems more fair.

Hidden Valley Golf Club

Norco, CA

Reviewed by: sparky14, San Clemente

Played Hidden Valley at sunrise on 08/07. I’m puzzled by recent poor reviews as I think this course is quite awesome for the price. My review is based on the early start – so we played a lot of the course prior to daily maintenance.

Greens are plush, wet and very soft. Footprint and tire tracks are a problem, but everything still rolls pretty well. I suspect they are keeping them wet and longer than usual due to the summer heat. Once fall arrives, and they can start cutting them short, these greens should be excellent.

Fairways are pretty good all around. Rough is interesting – some areas are bare, some are easy to play out of, and then some of the rough is 3-4 inches of brutal grass that eats golf balls. Hint, don’t go in there.

Tee boxes are the worst issue here, as many of them are not level, and the grass is pretty shaggy on many of them.

The layout is a blast. Lots of elevation changes and some hidden shots. Now, if they could only fix the 60 minute drive from here to Irvine at 9:00 am….

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.