First time on public muni in Downey. Really liked layout. Rolling, undulating fairways, but still would be easy to walk. Lots of water, but not too punitive. There are some long par 3s from blue tees: e.g., 225 and 215 yards, but balls roll out. The greens were a little bumpy on some of the holes, as they were recovering from being punched a few weeks ago. Greens are large in size, which helps on some approach shots, but makes for very long lag putts. Pace of play was good: no more than 4.5 hours for our 4some, all riders. Lots of traps, some very large and deep. Sand was not hard pan, so fairly good for a heavily played course. Weekday $52 to ride, so it's not cheap, but worth the price. I'll be back to see if I can find my lost ball on #2...can't figure out what happened to it..........

Played yesterday after they had punched and sanded 1/2 of all greens. Actually, not too bad. Just have to play for sand slowing down chips and putts before rolls onto untouched 1/2. Or, you can drop onto clean 1/2 and play equidistant shot. Pace was better than usual: 4 1/2 hours, started about 9:30 am. Chipping and bunker area has been closed for about a month. No word on re-opening date. Rates going up Oct. 1st.

Played yesterday in a 4some. We thought we had a tee time at about 10 am, but pro shop didn't have it listed. However, they got us out right on time. Nice recovery! Pace was good, no more than 4:15 hours. However, the course was in terrible shape. The fairways had been roto-tilled, with big holes and churned up grass. Clumps of dirt lay scattered on the fairways. So, when my tee shot was in the fairway, it felt like the rough. The actual rough was its usual brutal sticky self. The greens looked as if the outer rim had been re-punched and sanded in the past week. The ball did not roll true, as it hopped over and around bumps and loose impediments. Very difficult to judge pace and break of putts. The traps were much better, as there was actual loose sand to hit out of. The Long Beach Senior Am is in 2 weeks. Hopefully, there will be massive improvement in the course conditions by then. I haven't played here in several months. I'm a former Men's Club member. I've never seen the course look so bad. Some fairway bunkers have been relocated on a few holes. It didn't affect how the course played for our group.

Had 11:15 single tee time yesterday. Teed off 11:25. Told by starter to wait on tee box as he put me with later group. My drive sitting down range. Left 1st tee box at 11:45. Complete disorganization on managing how groups to go off. Took 1 hour to play first 3 holes - 6 hour pace. Marshal "rushed" us by yelling at me on #2 tee box to hit up on par 3 as I waited for group ahead to clear green - as if this was going to speed up play. 10-15 min. Wait on every hole. Finished at dusk at 4:45 pm. 3some ahead of us became 5some at 10 when 2 players couple groups behind jumped ahead of us to join their $5 Nassau. Greens very fast, smooth. Putt from fringe below red pin on 15 rolled up past hole and came back down to fringe. To speed up play, since that was such a high priority, I picked up. As walked to 16, marshal drove up, grinned, asked, how'd you like pin position on 15? Was he enjoying rubbing salt in wounds? Don't care at this point. Not returning for another round at snail's pace.

Played yesterday pm in very hot/humid conditions. Thought it would be cooler than inland OC, but not much. Staff were very nice, accommodating. Green fee reasonable. Played as 2some behind 5some. Lots of waiting on approach shots, as took awhile for group ahead to putt out. Fairways pretty good, mostly green, thick, considering hot summer, lack of water due to drought. Course played long. Greens were a surprise - putting though sand. Took most of round to get myself to ram ball hard enough to get through very slow greens. Chips did not roll out. Changed way I normally play touch shots. Very difficult to adjust. No warning on Greenskeeper re green conditions, either. Back 9 tough to walk cuz of lots of elevation change. I'll return for that cool ocean breeze later during autumn.

Fairways still green and lush after hot summer. Greens also smooth, not too fast. Variety of holes, with water in play, esp. on 14 and 15. Bunkers were very hard, with very thin layer of loose sand. Have to shallow out swing to avoid sculling it over green. Hit off mats on range. Private course, so members play at fast pace. As guest, green fee, even with cart, reasonable for twilight rate. Front 9 is flatter, so easier to walk. Back 9 has some hills to climb, and longer distances between green and next tee box. Pro shop and range atmosphere is relaxed, not stuffy, makes for enjoyable experience.

I played here April 1st. The greens were sanded, with small holes punched. The line of the putt was affected only slightly, and its pace was a bit slower. So, we can quibble with management's claim that nothing has been done. Something was done, and reasonable minds will differ on the effect it has on putting. Pace of play was excellent, 3.5 hours starting at about noon.

Played yesterday. Greens were punched with small holes, but not filled in with sand. The entire green was punched; not just 1/2, with the flag on the untouched half, as has been done in the past. Ball still rolled mostly true and fast. Some holes have been slightly changed with fairway bunkers filled in and new ones made up to 50 yards away of old site. See #s 1, 2, 4. The green on #11 is still treacherous: left to right sharp break. Windy conditions, so, e.g., #5 played 2 clubs short downhill. Tough to keep ball from going off the back of the green. Pace of play was about 4:45 hours. Lots of 5somes. I was lucky enough to be in foursome.

Got single tee time through SCGA website which cuts off a few dollars from the regular green fee. Suppose to go out just before 11 am on a Monday. Only about 15 minutes late as foursome. Waited at every tee box, all 18 holes - even at no. 2, which never happened to me before, and nearly every approach shot. Pace was tortuously slow - 2 3/4 hours for front 9. Played with 2 course marshals who couldn't believe how long it was taking. They bailed after 8. My other companion left after 9. I was able to join the twosome ahead, which had been a foursome on the front 9, before 2 of their group quit on 10. Then, it was 3 of us slogging through on the back 9. Two of us staggered home in about 5:15 hours, as the 3rd left after 14. Course conditions were good: fairways were freshly mowed, greens smooth, but not super fast. Be a long time before I return, as there are other nearby courses that play much faster, i.e., in 3.5 - 4.5 hours on a weekday.

Played May 16th p.m., last day of LB Senior Amateur. Although cooler than previous 2 days, it was still in 80s. I've played here many times. First time I realized there is almost no cold water on the course. Drinking faucet at #16 was not working. When I went inside the clubhouse after finishing #18, & before teeing off at #1, to fill up my water bottle, drinking fountain water was not cold. In stark contrast, Skylinks and El Do had plentiful cold water in thermoses w/ cups on a couple of tee boxes on front and back 9s. At Rec, if not for the cart girl or the grill at tee box #10, there would have been no cold beverages on the course for a 4 1/2 hour round on a hot afternoon. Men's room behind #6 green was closed. No water fountain near closed snack shack between #7 & #8. Water not cold near rest rooms at #14 tee box.

Played yesterday in 4some. Teed off shortly after 11 am. Behind 5some playing very slowly. Marshal did not speed them up. Took about 5:15 hours. Should have been no more than 4 1/2. 5some let gap of 2 holes open in front of them. Fairways were hard, fast, and in good condition. Greens very fast and smooth. New score card, with distances shortened a bit for blue and white tees. Course rating/slope have been correspondingly slightly lowered. Really like course layout. Grass range, instead of mats, and short game areas are outstanding.

Walked on after noon, right away put in group 2nd up. Finished 18 in 4 hours. Wonderful pace. Usually more like 5 hours. Lotta changes in size, location, shape of bunkers. On 1, fwy trap at about 200 yds from tee is gone. Now there's a trap at end of fwy, on left side. 4: green has been expanded, with a ring of about 3 feet of new green. In general, traps have been flattened. 18: large, deep trap on front, right side has been divided in two. 12: back tee box was closed so hit from about 110 to middle with trap front, right. Greens were fast, smooth, except for 4, which had holes punched with sand on back half. Some spots were trashed by carts rolling through soft, muddy grass, e.g., left and short of green on 14. 8: staked trees put in on left side, so will block 2nd shots once they grow. Don't know if these course modifications have speeded up pace of play, but I'll return soon to see if 4 hours on a busy muni can happen again.