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Golf Course Review The Boulders NORTH & SOUTH Carefree Arizona

The Boulders (North)

Golf Course Review The Boulders NORTH Carefree Arizona

Reviewed by: kg1791, So Cal

Playing Conditions 8.03 GREAT
Playing Conditions 8.03 GREAT

Played 06/25. Played the back nine of the north and then front nine of the south.

This review is just for the north back nine. The course looked like winter conditions for a desert course. The fairways were a very dark green and the rough was a very light green.

Tee boxes were in great shape. Fairways were in good condition. Not dry and hard. Rough was very minimal. Sand traps were good but they are getting a little crusty. Greens were very good. Soft and putted semi slow

The Boulders (South)

Golf Course Review The Boulders SOUTH Carefree Arizona

Reviewed by: kg1791, So Cal

Golf Playing Conditions 7.55 GREAT
Golf Playing Conditions 7.55 GREAT

Part two of my review of the Boulders. This review is for the front nine of the south.

Very different fairway conditions. The grass in the fairway was a light green and the rough dark green. The fairways were not as nice as the north. They are starting to thin out. Still good but not as lush as the north. The greens are good. Soft and semi slow. I wasn’t in any bunkers but they looked ok. Tee boxes are good. I find that this nine is quite a bit more difficult than the north. Very challenging.

Customer service was great. Staff very friendly

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Golf Course Review Silverado Resort & Spa SOUTH COURSE Napa California

Silverado Resort & Spa (South Course)

Golf Course Review Silverado Resort & Spa SOUTH COURSE Napa California

Reviewed by: Deepsea14, Granite Bay

Golf Playing Conditions 6.40 GOOD
Golf Playing Conditions 6.40 GOOD

Played 3/16 Mid morning tournament tee time. Starting on 10th hole. Glorious sunny day (finally) and the course in good shape. Everything immaculate as you’d expect at this price. Very similar to my review from last year. (seems I do a few of these repeats) so it’s “know before you go”…

Rough was the real stuff 3″+ and a bit damp. Bunkers like sixpez described in 2018 white blinding sand which the ball would bounce out of the divot rather than fried egg lie. Greens rolling medium holding the high approach. Fairways good shape rolling out.

Having played the North and the South courses twice each now, the comparisons are: The slight different topography and bunker sand are the discerning differences of the two in my opinion.

Either course your doing OK. Have fun.

Customer service great as you’d expect. $$$

Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Course Alameda California GK Plays
Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Course Alameda California GK Plays
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Recent Golf Course Review Torrey Pines Golf Course SOUTH San Diego California

Torrey Pines Golf Course (South)

Golf Course Review Torrey Pines Golf Course SOUTH San Diego California

Reviewed by: sbarajasjr, San Diego

Played here today (12/19) with a 1pm twilight tee time and got about 15 solid holes in before the darkness gave way. South is well on its way to being ready for the Farmers in every way possible, from grandstand setup to course conditions. Today was by far the thickest I have seen the rough in the 25+ times I’ve played and it was every bit as tough as you can imagine.

The Review

Golf Playing Conditions 7.12 GREAT
Golf Playing Conditions 7.12 GREAT

Tee boxes: Excellent shape. As anyone who plays here knows, guys love to try the tips and today was no different, so the green and taupe boxes were clean. Didn’t have any issues driving the tee into the turf and the ground was solid, mowed level and tight.

Fairways: A joy to hit from and visually stunning. It’s clear when the City steps up the maintenance work before the pros come in January. They didn’t offer tremendous roll as they were a bit damp, but not a bad lie all day!

Rough: Hell. As mentioned before, I’ve never personally seen it this thick and with this many grass clippings blanketing the course. I’m surprised pace wasn’t any slower as everyone was having a hard time locating balls that I with 20/15 vision couldn’t see feet away from me. Bullish and thick-headed players got hilariously humbled and that was a treat in itself.

Bunkers: Perhaps the weakest part of the course today and they were still good. Some had damp areas but even the three I was in had enough sand to get out of. With a new batch of sand, these will be perfect.

Greens: Near perfect. The tourists in my group couldn’t believe how green they were considering we don’t get much rain. They were rolling extremely fast, with smooth and tricky breaks. The pros will be in for a treat!

Final Thought

ETC: Starter was friendly. Cart attendant came around three times and was also friendly, even as the prices for everything were usual Torrey. Pace of play was excellent today and was set to be just under 4.5 hours, which for here is mindbogglingly quick. Course currently is Cart Path Only (CPO) sadly but if you can get out, do so!!

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Golf Course Review Torrey Pines Golf Course SOUTH San Diego California

Torrey Pines Golf Course (South)

Golf Course Review Torrey Pines Golf Course SOUTH San Diego California

Reviewed by: Clambake, La Jolla

Playing Conditions 7.04 GREAT
Playing Conditions 7.04 GREAT

Course is in very good to excellent condition.

Tee boxes good. Fairways are green and lush, and they have the grass a bit longer so not a lot of roll. Rough is starting to be punishing again – it’s very lush and they’re growing it a bit longer, and our group had a number of lost balls even though we had a good idea where the ball went into the deep stuff. Greens are very good, and were soft enough to hold longer shots in but rolled quite true and quickly.

Only issue was the green side bunkers, where they’re over-watering everything around the greens and as a result all the bunkers we were in were very hard sand that was packed together. Fairway bunkers were soft and fluffy but the green side bunkers were hard and firm, just the opposite of what one would like.

If they get the grounds crew in work the sand better, the course would be in the best shape I’ve seen it outside of what the PGA players get to enjoy.

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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

Golf Playing Conditions 6.48 GOOD
Golf Playing Conditions 6.48 GOOD

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
Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 14

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Golf Club at Terra Lago SOUTH Indio California Hole 16
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.

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GK Guru Visit Corica Park Golf Complex (SOUTH) Alameda California

Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 10 Green-side

Corica Park Golf Complex (South)

Golf Course Review for Corica Park Golf Comples South Course Alameda, CA

Reviewed by:  JohnnyGK, Thousand Oaks

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Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 10
Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 10

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Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 11
Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 11

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Squeezed in one more round on the NorCal trip teeing it up around 3:00pm at Corica Park Golf Complex South Course on Thursday. This was my second time playing the course and I enjoyed the layout even more. Great variety of fun holes with not one letdown. Last time teed it up for a shotgun start on the 13th hole during its grand opening. This time starting on hole 1 playing as it was designed felt better. The front nine is pretty open allowing you to grip and rip. The back nine quickly contrasts the front with tighter layout bringing many trees and at times OB in play. The closing stretch 15-18 is fantastic. Two signature Par 5’s (15 & 17) reachable in two with a tough final hole Par 4.

The Review

As for the conditions, it’s in great shape.

Greens, bent, were smooth, fast and firm. The only bumps you run into are not properly repaired ball marks but due to how firm the greens are the ball marks are not deep. These are huge greens with many undulations and very challenging. They were a blast to play.

Fairways, santa ana bermuda (does not go dormant) mostly lush, full coverage, except some spots in front the greens that are being worked on, firm and tight. Exactly how they should be for this Australian links design.

Rough, just adjacent to the fairway, santa ana bermuda as well, lush and tight like the fairways. Secondary rough is either 4 inches to foot tall fescue or California wild bent grass. Looks beautiful and is very challenging to escape from. Was in great shape. Although many of the California wild bent grass around the green complexes since I first played it have been cut down a little or been trampled down. This is actually a good thing from a pace of play standpoint. The times I hit my ball into the wild bent grass during my first round it was very difficult to find.

Bunkers, great shape with quality sand. Better quality sand on the back nine than front nine.

Tee boxes, cut tight, mostly lush and firm.

POP, finished in 4 hours.

Customer Service: Friendly & Professional

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Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 12
Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 12

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Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 13
Corica Park Golf Complex SOUTH Alameda California Hole 13

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Final Thought

Love this place. I’m going to see about doing a GK Plays here in 2019. Check it out!

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Golf Course Review Shadow Hills Golf Club SOUTH Indio California

Shadow Hills Golf Club (South)

Indio, CA

Reviewed by: mr8656, San Bernardino
6 June 2018
0730 tee time

Playing Conditions 7.08 Great
Playing Conditions 7.08 Great

First time of what I hope will be many more times playing at this very enjoyable venue. When making a good detailed review I feel the entire experience should be rated. First to mention, this is not my neighborhood track. It’s about a 60 mile drive but I have an good friend who lives in the community, like right on the 5th fairway, so I like to take turns and making the trip here and makes the round more enjoyable. We played as a weekday Twosome since he’s retired and I’m wishing I was, and the guys in our regular group are still grinding it out in the mines.

I arrived at about 0645 got checked in. Check in guy was very friendly and knew my buddy by name. $43 regular rate with complimentary use of the practice facility. All grass driving range with markers clearly defining the yardage. Large cups and ice machine available to load up with water. This is the Palm Springs area, it’s gonna get warmer as the day get longer. It was about 78* when we teed off and got up to 90* when we finished, POP was about 3:45. After a 20 minute warm-up we were heading out to the first tee.

The Course Review

Right away you feel the comfort of the course. I’m not going to say the course was overly difficult. The tee boxes were very well maintained as was the entire course. Fairway a little wet from the morning soaking, rough for the most part was not overly penalizing, the back 9 did seem a little thicker. The greens were mostly flat with gental breaks, medium soft and with good roll. Pin placements allowed enough room to make good approach shots. The bunkers are large with good fill. The front was a little heavy but the back was fluffier and more accommodating. My one lost ball found one of the numerous water hazards. I think the statigic placement of the bunkers and water hazard is what made the course more enjoyable to play. The fairways are generous and my first thought was to just grip and rip but after a second look I made better choices with my club selection. I also liked the the overall design. Short, medium and long at all the pars.

We finished our round in time to see the breakfast menu in the 19th hole, but I still opted for a couple of pulled pork sliders with a side of fresh fruit. There was indoor and patio seating available. We opted for an indoor table by the window with a great view of holes 9 and 18. The selections were plentiful and reasonably priced.

Parting Thoughts

In conclusion, I had a very enjoyable round at a new track and hope to return, weather permitting, real soon. Thanks to my buddy Duane for the invite and extending hospitality.

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Golf Course Review Los Serranos Country Club (SOUTH) Chino Hills California

Los Serranos Country Club (South)

Chino Hills, CA

Reviewed by: sparky14, San Clemente
Heads up – Los Serranos South was aerated, probably 7-10 days ago.

Golf Playing Conditions 5.74 GOOD
Golf Playing Conditions 5.74 GOOD

I was shocked upon looking at my spreadsheet to see that I haven’t been out here in almost 10 years, as I liked both of these courses. Just a little far to get here. The 5am drive from San Clemente to LS was easy, but coming back from LS to Irvine at 9:30 am took me 90+ minutes.

Outside of the aerated greens, LS South is in good shape. Fairways are plush and not too tight. Rough is hit and miss. Tee boxes were nice. I was not aware of the green aeration, so that was disappointing. They are still bumpy, but not so bad as to make me regret coming here. I am sure in 2-3 weeks they will be nice.

I still enjoy these courses. Even though I’ve played the south a half a dozen times, I still get surprised by the par 74 and the sheer length of this course. Bombs away – there’s lots of room to miss, but you’ll get some tree trouble coming back.

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Los Serranos Country Club Golf Tee Time Special
Hole 9 Los Serranos Country Club Golf Tee Time Special

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Los Serranos Country Club Golf Tee Time Special
Hole 15 Los Serranos Country Club Golf Tee Time Special

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