Heading West on the 118 Fwy:
• Exit LA Ave/Princeton and make a RIGHT.
• Proceed until the road comes to a T, and make a LEFT.
• You are now on Campus Park drive which will lead you straight to the golf course entrance.
Heading East on the 118 Fwy:
• Exit LA Ave/Princeton and make a LEFT.
• Proceed until the road comes to a T, and make a LEFT.
• You are now on Campus Park drive which will lead you straight to the golf course entrance.
Voted BEST Value "Worth The Green Fee" in Southern California by Greenskeeper.org Members & Staff: (2003, 2004, 2005) Voted in (2006 & 2007) as BEST Value "Worth The Green Fee" in Ventura County.
Photos:
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Random Course Photo:
Hole 1 [VIEW]
Member Photos:
View Index (7 Photos)
Random Member Course Photo:
Hole 7 [VIEW]
I really can't describe Rustic Canyon Golf Course better than the current reviews and the write-up by rsimper on 2-19-06. So I left this past write-up in place and will re-affirm what a tremendous golf course this is.
- JohnnyGK
While most of the average, everyday public golfers find it difficult to agree on much when it comes to golf courses, one thing that most everyone will note in unison is that Rustic Canyon is quite possibly the most unique layout in Southern California. Praise is well-deserved, and complaints can be made on solid grounds, but one thing is certain: Rustic Canyon evokes strong feelings from most who play it, and I for one can say that I truly love it. The challenges it offers, specifically on and around the greens, are unique, fun, and thought-provoking.
For those of you who haven't yet had the privilege of playing here, you can expect to find a course that appears to be as benign as they come. With expansive fairways, large greens, few trees, and an almost imperceptible slope to the terrain, the unsuspecting golfer will no doubt be tallying up his career round in his head before all is said and done. Rustic Canyon defends par from 150 yards in, and it plays mind games with your decision-making ability when you realize that each shot you look at can be played one of a handful of ways. Collars and fringes are shaved so tightly that it is sometimes viable to putt from 30-40 feet off the green. For those of you that consider yourself mechanical players who play based on exact yardages and pin sheets, you'll have a tough time competing with the feel-based, imaginative golfer who relishes the chance to play at a course where GPS yardages (which the carts here DO have) are essentially useless.
For those of you already familiar with the course, the changes made in the last year are worth noting here. Having recovered admirably from the floods and ensuing damage that forced 3 holes and parts of a fourth entirely out of service, Rustic Canyon was reborn this past July as a refreshed version of its former self. The fourth hole, formerly a straight-forward, almost boring par three is now partially obscured by cross bunkers and mounds that do miracles for breaking up the monotony of the former hole. The sixth is largely unchanged, save for a bit more room to the left of the green, and a marginally less severe swale short of the putting surface. The most jarring change of them all is the new 7th green, which is pushed back and up from the former site. It's an interesting green to be sure, but one that borders on the edge of "too severe".
Parts of the 11th and 18th fairways were washed away, but what's left behind still works well with the existing layout, and it gives these two holes a much needed sharper set of teeth, as the previous version of the layout lacked any truly brutish two-shot holes. The 11th, especially into the prevailing wind, is now all of the golf hole anyone could possibly want, and par is no small victory with which to walk away from this one.
As a layout that absolutely requires conditions to be at a certain level in order to maintain playability, the crew at Rustic Canyon has a lofty challenge before them. The fairways were in excellent shape, being mostly lush while still rolling fast (even after a brief rain shower). The greens were quick and firm, as always - and as always again, the one complaint is that ball marks seem to not be as reliably repaired here than at other courses. Please, everyone, fix yours and one other, ESPECIALLY on the 8th hole. Think about how rare it is to have a genuinely fun pitch-shot par 3 on a course of this caliber, and if we want to keep it around, we need to each do our part to keep this green in the best possible condition. Just about every single golfer who plays the hole leaves a ball mark on this dartboard of a green, and putting on it is like traversing a minefield.
Nitpicking aside, Rustic Canyon is in consistently excellent condition - the turf is lush and the greens are quick. If you've not played here before, odds are that you'll putt a ball off one of them at some point during your day, but that's all part of the Rustic Canyon experience. My hope is that the rest of the new courses built in the area follow this lead and blaze a new trail in the direction of minimalism, playability, and fun. Rustic Canyon should be an example for public golf courses everywhere.
