The North course was in much better shape this week as compared to last week. The rough has been mowed and the greens were smooth and quick.

What a difference! Maybe the best overall conditions ever.

Torrey Pines Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Torrey North is not the same as it used to be. It seems that the push to make it tougher for the Farmer's is taking hold. It is in excellent shape, but challenging. Much different than when I played it just two weeks ago.

The rough was generally too thick and long for regular play. And the greens were hard and fast, yet still a little bumpy. The fairways were in great shape, but seem to have been narrowed considerably. It made the course play harder for me than I've ever played it. The rough made it play long. And the hard greens didn't hold many of my fairway shots, leading to impossible up-and-downs from buried lies, just a couple of feet off the green. And the fast bumpy greens led to easy three putts, especially from above the holes.

So, if you're looking for a challenge and tournament class course, the North doesn't fall much behind the South any more. But be prepared for a test!

I found it very frustrating and played maybe tougher than the South under normal conditions.

Torrey Pines Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Admiral Baker North has now reopened and it's public!

They refurbished the course with new bent grass greens and an overall cleanup. I was warned that the greens were slow, but I found them to be faster than most and definitely fast down hill. The greens were still hard and tough to hold, but I really like the bent greens and expect that they will speed up this summer.

I also like the manicured grass around the greens that can either allow putting or pitching. Both worked very well. And they had cut the rough to a consistent playable level.

Also, the bunkers were packed and with a soft sand surface! A class act.

I think that Admiral Baker North will be a great addition to quality public course convenient to downtown San Diego.

Admiral Baker Golf Course North Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

We played Torrey North today in a Mens Club event. We were immediately all amazed at the lushness of the fairways. Amazing for the North Course. Also the fringes were well manicured and the greens were soft, yet fast at times. The course was maybe the best overall that I've played it. When these greens firm up, it should be Great.

My only complaint is that for some reason, the men's club members consistently trash the cups and never repair them. !@%$#%@

Torrey Pines Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Played Balboa again this week, hoping that the conditions have improved. I was disappointed that the greens were still soft, bumpy and slow. They seem healthy enough to cut and roll , but I guess they are waiting for the weather to improve. My main concern, though, was the condition of the fringes and rough around the greens. They were overgrown and inconsistent.

I played Torrey North today and, for comparison, the greens were also a little slow, but the fringes were cut, and much more consistent than Balboa. And the fairways were fantastic.

The play was very light, so we finished in about 4 hours.

Balboa Park Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

My daughter (who played college golf), my son-in-law and I played Oaks North yesterday, on my Birthday. We diverted from Barona Creek due to the bad weather and the time available. We all three really enjoyed it. For an executive course, or really any course public course in San Diego, it's in great shape. Even right after the heavy rains, electric carts were fine on the fairways.

Surprisingly, it's an impressive Ted Robinson design with three nines. With mostly par 3's and a few par 4's, no two holes are alike. There are a few water hazards that come into play and elevation changes that make it attractive and challenging. Although I didn't take my driver or three wood, I used every other club in my bag! That's more than you can say about most par 72's. And the conditions were perfect for working on my short game.

This is definitely the kind of course that we need more of for the average golfer, families and kids. I see too many golfers shooting in the 100's and struggling at most courses, and just not having the fun that they could be having courses like Oaks North.

The greens have recently been punched and were a little bumpy. But they were still really quick, even after the rain. Overall the greens are as good or better than the neighboring courses. I believe that within a couple of weeks, they'll be fantastic. The tee to green distances from the whites range from about 100-185 yards, again, with a lot of variations - uphill, downhill, doglegs and water hazards.

And since it's a JC Golf club, I got to use some of my passes and kept the cost with carts to only $65 for three. That, and since we played in less than 3 1/2 hours, we had the time and money left over to enjoy a drink at the nearby Rancho Bernardo Inn.

Oh, and I did beat my daughter one up on the front and one up on the back.
Great birthday treat!

Oaks North Golf Club Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Played Riverwalk today with Torrey Pines Men's Club. Greenskeeper noted that the greens were punched in March on one half and scheduled to be punched next week on the other half, but both halves were punched. The half playable was still bumpy, but healing.
Fairways were also in fair condition and under maintenance and the tees need work.
The rough, though was lush and well maintained at 3-5 inches. Even better than most of the local publics. The maintenance crew was out in force, so the course should be in good shape by May.

Riverwalk Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

I played in the public shotgun yesterday after the Mens Club Tournament. The course looked spectacular!

But, It was a week after the Farmers and the rough had not been cut at all since then. So the course played very hard and we lost several balls in the rough. The bunkers were wet and thick and, the greens were soft and a little bumpy. It was tough to make birdies, but not hard to make double bogeys!

I really like playing the South course, but I'm going to have to wait until they cut the rough back down before playing it again. Hopefully this week.

Torrey Pines Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Played today, 1/31/12. The course condition was very disappointing. The last time that I played it I thought that it was coming back. But today, other than the greens, it was worse than ever. Actually the greens were quick and pretty true. There were bad spots, but compared to the rest of the course, they were good. Some were very hard while most were soft.

The fairways were dormant thin and hard. And on this course, like Salt Creek, that means trouble. They were like it hadn't rained in months.

The tees were very slanted, and torn up. And the bunkers had little or no sand in them.

The front nine is not fun for me, but I do like the layout of the back. I do remember enjoying Mt. Woodson when it was in good condition.

Mt. Woodson Golf Club Review
Ramona California Golf Course Reviews

Cross Creek seems to be working hard to improve the conditions of the course. It's a challenging course, especially the greens. The greens are firm, undulating and very fast. Probably too fast for public play and the undulation. We all had quite a few three putts. It requires local knowledge and a soft touch to navigate the greens.

I'm sure that if the wind is up, it is a very challenging course. We played the mixed blue and gold tees, since some of the carries on the longer gold tees were a little tough for us. But, from the blue tees, a couple of the par fives can be carried in two good shots (which I like!).

The overall course design is good, except for a couple of wacky holes, like #16. It has a lot of variety, and it's sometimes hard to figure out a strategy from the tee box.

The limited staff was very friendly and attentive, and concerned about our opinions about the course.

We liked it!

CrossCreek Golf Club Course Review
Temecula California Golf Course Reviews

Barona Creek is, in my opinion, the best overall golf course in San Diego County. Starting with the challenging, yet enjoyable, course design.

Today's experience was no exception. It's like playing a top tier resort course in Palm Springs or Hawaii.

The greens are perfect. They are fast and true, but hold shots extremely well.

The bunkers are also as good as you can get on a public course. They are packed with a light sand surface and the ball jumps out nicely, even with my bad sand game.

The attention to maintenance detail is apparent and appreciated. And the staff and maintenance crews actually show respect and concern about the players enjoyment. Without exception, they are attentive, polite and friendly. And there are no negative signs or rules distracting from the experience.

As a foursome, we finished over a half hour ahead of the recommended pace, in around four hours.

Barona Creek Golf Course Reviews
Ramona California Golf Course Reviews

Played Rancho Bernardo Inn yesterday.

I really like RBI! It has a lot of variety so that you need to use all of your clubs. Although the greens were soft and a little bumpy, putts were hard to make, but it played really well, overall. While there were a few wet areas, it just showed that in the current dry conditions, they are trying to keep the course in good shape.

We played in just over four hours. We all enjoyed it!

Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews