Posted on January 31, 2022January 30, 2022 by Vic Flores

JUST IN: GreensKeeper.org Announces BEST PLAYING CONDITIONS AWARDS 2021

Winners Best Playing Conditions for 2021 from GreensKeeper.org

Post Covid-19, It’s finally back! Greenskeeper.org presents it’s Best Golf Playing Conditions Awards for 2021.

Not to be confused with “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 at providing consistently the best greens, fairways, rough, tee boxes and bunkers around.

The job of the superintendent is the life blood of the golf course industry and most important contributing factor to enjoying a golf experience. It takes enormous dedication, resources and expertise by a superintendent and their staff to provide excellent turf conditions. A golf course is a living, breathing organism whose health is constantly in flux. Greenskeeper.org’s 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.

How Awards Winners Are Determined

Golf Course reviews and ratings submitted by our 76,000+ Greenskeeper.org community are tabulated over 12 months. Winners are determined for each area.

We divide awards into 10 Regions or Sections — San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Inland Empire, Santa Barbara County, Palm Springs Region, and Ventura County with Regional Winners for Southern Nevada, Southern California, Central California, and Northern California.

We provide the list below 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.

Greenskeeper.Org Awarded For the Good of the Game Award 2017 by the CGCOA

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. It proves that both golfers and golf course operators understand the benefit of working with Greenskeeper.Org. We are the RESOURCE where avid 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.

And Now our Winners for Best Playing Conditions for 2019 (in no particular order). . .

Click on images below to visit their Golf Course Home Page on Greenskeeper.Org.

Posted on November 2, 2019October 29, 2019 by Vic Flores

Golf Course Review Santa Barbara Golf Club Santa Barbara California

Santa Barbara Golf Club

Golf Course Review Santa Barbara Golf Club Santa Barbara California

Reviewed by: t8fish, Altadena

Played Saturday morning, 10/26, grouped with two other singles, and teeing off a little before 9:30 at $64 to walk. I hadn’t been out here in a few years and was looking forward to revisiting. On a calm, sunny day, overall conditions were pretty good.

Tees were generally flat and green and no particular issues come to mind. Fairways had good coverage overall that was on the tight side, so good surface with a good amount of roll. There were occasional, scattered, tight, browned-out patches, but I would not characterize them as hard-pan and I think in most cases they provided a decent — if perhaps discolored — hitting surface. Again, I don’t recall any problems playing in the fairways.

The rough mostly had green coverage and usually it was not especially punitive off the fairway unless you got blocked. Bunkers had a thinner, soft, top layer of sand on a firmer base that resisted footprints. I found them generally clean and playable — interestingly, just like Hansen Dam the previous week.

The maintenance alert should be removed. The greens were clean and pretty quick. No sign of aeration. I left a lot of first putts too far past the hole, underestimating the speed more often than not, and many of the greens had undulations to make it more interesting. The exception is the 9th green complex which is getting a complete rebuild, so there was a temporary green short of it.

While not an a particularly long course, I think the yardage on this course is misleading and it plays longer and a bit more challenging than the numbers would suggest. Partially because two very short par 3’s are offset by a number of good length par 4’s, and partially because some of the medium and shorter par 4’s are made more interesting and challenging due to hills and altitude changes. A bit pricey as a muni, but about 1/3 the cost of Sandpiper. And while it doesn’t have the ocean views, it is in SB and the view of the mountains coming up the 18th makes it a pretty nice finish. I scored like crap, but had a good time and recommend it.

Posted on February 19, 2018February 21, 2018 by Vic Flores

Golf Course Review Santa Barbara Golf Club Santa Barbara California

Santa Barbara Golf Club

Santa Barbara, CA

Reviewed by: ddesantis4442, San Jose

Played this course on a perfect 75-80 degree Saturday before the Super Bowl as part of a two day golf/grub/SBowl roadie vacation (Day 1 was Hunter Ranch). Today with a de facto fivesome (which they rightly don’t allow. We had two riders, three walkers in the next tee time) started at ten and finished a little after 2:30. Busy morning at this muni which had a great buzz and vibe going. Didn’t hit balls, but one of us said range was adequate and sort of half grass half not. Nice putting area, food service, pro shop.

Walked and carried (thewalkinggolfer.com has this as very walkable, I would say it is a bit tougher than that) and felt every year of my 57 by the uphill 18th green this day. Starts out flat and kind of easy, leading you to think, “we’re going to tear this place up”, but gets hilly and more difficult as the canyons swoop up and down. There are a few houses near the course but nothing intrusive. The views are basically SoCal trees and mountains to the east. Really nice.

Shortish on the card, but you have to place tee shots on the proper side to score well as big and old trees are the best defense the course has. Greens were real nice, fairly speedy and rolled true. Bunkers good or better and the fairway grass was consistent and hardy enough to perch your approach up giving confidence for the second shot. Wish we could grow this grass in NorCal. Some really short and long par 3’s (that basically ruined a great scorecard for me this day) that are fun and perfect for degenerate gambling.

Pace was decent, we let one twosome through us all on the backside. Frankly the walk/carry was a bit more than expected and the sunny day made a slower pace acceptable and even appreciated. I’d play this great muni again any day. Bring your best wedge game and you’ll have a blast.

Greenskeeper.Org Know Before You Go Click HERE to access your Account Manager — Click HERE for more Golf Course Information