I played today with a 12:20 tee time. Using a TeeOff deal and a few GN rewards, I was able to get a really great rate. However, upon checking in, I was charged a $5.00 bag handling fee. This is new since I last played here and I think it’s ridiculous. They have always loaded your bag on the carts and driven it around to outside the pro shop. Their rates are high enough that should still be a covered service or just let me load my bag myself. Other than that, all was smooth and the staff was very nice. I had arrived an hour early with the intention of warming up a bit on the range but the starter asked me to go out right away with a threesome. It worked out great time-wise and they were very fun playing partners.

The previous two times I’d played here, the fairways were dormant and the rough was non-existent. I really wanted to play the course when it was green. It was completely green today, with beautiful mower stripes. Unfortunately, the rough was still so short that even some of my best shots went rolling into places from which they would never be seen again. That disappointed me a lot because now that I’m finally getting used to my new clubs I was hitting so much better than I have for a while.

I was in a couple of fairway bunkers and they all had perfect sand. The tee boxes weren’t all level and had some divots but overall were in good shape. The greens were undulating, firm and fast! Hit just the tiniest bit too firmly on a downhill putt and the ball will take off like a rocket. I managed the speed well but still missed many putts by an inch.

I really enjoy the layout here. It’s just good challenging fun with all the elevation changes and forced carries. I want to go back in a month or so as I was told the rough should be a bit longer by then. Hope I can find a good deal. Recommended.

I played today in an SCGA outing. This was my second event and was really looking forward to it. All the staff was very friendly and made us feel welcome. I was paired with a great twosome for our 9:30am tee time. They have a small driving range, chipping and putting greens. The carts are basic with no GPS - good thing I took mine.

Any of you who have read my reviews know that I really like courses with some elevation changes and the occasional blind shot, but this course is ridiculous. There are blind shots over hills onto downhill fairways that are so narrow and winding they look more like a toboggan run. The turf is (almost) dormant Bermuda which rolls forever and there is no rough to stop the balls from going OB. I lost 6 balls today and my partners did about the same. There are uphill holes that require you be part mountain goat if you end up short of the green. The greens were insanely firm and fast. Not being familiar with the course and the breaks made putting extremely difficult. It was just exhausting physically and mentally. One and done!!

I played yesterday, 4-7-21, with Kassper7 and my friends Ed and Christal. It had been a few years since my last round here and I was so excited to return. We had a 9:40am tee time which I had booked online for 2 players. I later added two more by phone at which time I was told that it’s a higher rate when booked by phone. I wasn’t too happy about that. Upon arrival, I asked to have the lower rate for all of us. The guys in the pro shop were very nice and did accommodate us. I really appreciated that.

The carts appeared to be fairly new. They are very comfortable and have seed mix, coolers, interactive GPS and Shark Experience. We all used the range to warm up a bit. It’s small with only a dozen stalls or so, but it’s grass and there is also a chipping/bunker area and putting green.

With the exception of the bunkers, which were hard packed mud with rocks and weeds, the course was in really nice shape. I actually didn’t mind the bunkers, though, because when I landed in three of them, my ball just kept on rolling right out. I was much happier hitting out of the rough than I would have been trying to hit out of that mess!

Several of the fairways showed signs of recent punching, but they were all green with some fairly tight lies. Others were more well cushioned which helped me hit better. The rough was beautiful- green, lush, about 2 inches, not penal, and very consistent around the course. The tee boxes were mostly good- a few not level and a bit shaggy, but large enough to find a good spot to tee up. The greens are fun and challenging. They are in very good shape, fast, smooth and have lots of undulations.

I enjoyed the new routing although I really had to concentrate to not get confused on the new hole numbers. It’s kind of like when we have a time change and it takes me months to stop thinking in the old time. The scenery is as impressive as always. I never tire of taking pictures of the course. Even with 2 meltdown holes, I beat my previous best score by quite a few strokes! What a fun day! I highly recommend Oak Quarry and look forward to getting back there again soon.

I played here yesterday, 3-6-21. The last time I was in Death Valley was about 50 years ago on a family vacation. I’ve thought many times that I’d like to see it again, but I never had a good excuse to go. Now I do – golf! I also figured weather-wise this would be a good time. It was 80 degrees with just a little breeze.

Here is some history on the course as found on the score card. In 1927 a three-hole course was created by date palm caretaker Murray Miller. In 1931 it was expanded to nine holes. It was the first grass golf course in the California desert region. In 1968 William F. Bell designed the second nine holes. In 1997 Perry Dyer redesigned the course and added a full irrigation system. It is the world’s lowest course at an elevation of 214 below sea level.

The pro shop was well stocked and the staff was very nice. He charged me about 30% less than my booked rate. That was much appreciated and I was so happy they have logo balls. The cart was about as old and basic as any I’ve ever seen but it ran great.

I had a tee time of 11:12 am but was told I could join a twosome at 10:51. They never showed up so I headed out solo in front of the 4 foursomes that were waiting. Unfortunately, for the entire front 9 I was stuck behind a twosome who had no clue about keeping up. I did my best to stay relaxed while waiting on every single hole for each of them to poorly hit 2 or 3 balls. They left after 9 so the back was much more fun. Even with all the waiting I finished in 3.5 hours.

Course conditions were ok. The fairways had good coverage with just the occasional large bare spot. They were still more on the brown side but the new green growth was showing thru. The greens were very firm and super fast. The new grass is blue. I’ve not seen that before. It was really pretty. The bunkers are shallow and have clean, soft sand. The rough was thick and even around the greens and got more sparse and clumpy farther away. There is water on a couple of holes but, at least from the red tees, it didn’t come into play. There was nothing really unique about any of the holes but all were fun to play. The scenery was beautiful with large trees lining the fairways and mountain views in all directions.

There was no beverage cart but there was a vending machine somewhere on the front 9. The snack bar/patio was open and very busy when I finished playing. I didn’t eat there but it smelled really good. Overall it was a fun day. I’ll probably never get out there again, but I’m glad I made the trek. If you’re ever anywhere close, check it out.

I played yesterday, 1-31-21. A friend told me about this course several years ago but I never seemed to think of it when looking for somewhere to play. It’s a private course that occasionally gives some public tee times. A few days ago I saw one available time offered on TeeOff so I grabbed it. Check-in was fast and friendly. I got my cart and they told me that as a guest I had access to the putting green and hitting cage, but the driving range and chipping area is for members only. I was paired with members Ken and Gary who made me feel very welcome and were a lot of fun to play with.

I was immediately impressed by the conditions. It’s one of the most well tended courses I’ve played during these winter months. There is no brown, dormant grass here. Everything is just pure emerald green. The fairways were completely lush. The rough is very consistent, about 2 inches and was quite easy to hit from. The bunkers had such perfect sand that I was actually excited when I got to hit from it. The tee boxes had a bit of divot damage but were large and level. The greens were challenging. They were lightly sanded but they still ran smoothly and very fast. I can only imagine how fast they would be when not sanded. The only downside was the sand camouflaged some of the more subtle breaks. The “Indio effect” is very apparent here, so remembering that did help.

This Ted Robinson course is a nice old school design with flat, wide, tree-lined fairways, plenty of bunkers and a couple of lakes. Only the one on the second hole really comes into play. The big surprise was holes 10-12. They are a huge deviation in design from the rest of the course and they were the highlight for me. These holes are across the street and climb very high up the hillside. The view of the entire valley is amazing. Hole 11 is a par 4/5 with an elevated tee and a narrow section of fairway that can easily funnel the ball off into the abyss on the right. I really appreciated Gary’s advice in how to play it and it turned out to be one of my best. Hole 12 is a par 3 with a drop down to street level. I don’t know how high the tee box actually is but it made me think of #18 at Glen Ivy. I love elevated tees so this one made me very happy.

Covid precautions were few. Masks are required in and around the clubhouse. On the course, ball washers, trash can, rakes, etc were there and all had ‘handle at your own risk” labels on them. The beverage cart came by a few times. POP was 4 hours. I was told that was much longer than a typical round but there were a couple of slow groups ahead of us. The marshall did finally get things moving better by the 7th or 8th hole.

I’m so glad I finally played here. I had a great time and look forward to a return visit. Highly recommended.

Played today with an 8:10 am tee time. Check-in is at the bag drop. I was early so I got my cart and headed to the range for a while. The people I was scheduled to play with didn’t show up on time so I was then paired with a wonderful threesome from Alaska.

This course is so much fun. The fairways are huge but there is plenty of potential trouble from the many bunkers and water hazards. Conditions were fantastic. There was not a brown blade of grass to be seen anywhere on the fairways or rough- just beautiful lush, green grass. The rough is about 2 inches and dense enough to let the ball sit up nicely. The tee boxes are all uniform in size and shape, level with few divots. The bunkers have lots of clean, soft fluffy sand. The greens were a bit thin with quite a few scars, but were firm, fast and rolled true. Lots of undulations made these large greens really interesting.

Covid precautions were a bit mixed. Masks are required around the clubhouse. The carts had coolers and bottled water, but no seed mix. No rakes or ball washers on the course. The pro-shop was closed but they had both indoor and outdoor dining. The patio was completely full at lunchtime.

The beverage cart came by 4 times. POP was just under 4 hours. I had a great time and look forward to a return visit. Definitely recommended.

I played today with a 9:50 a.m. tee time. It was my first time playing here. Having caught a glimpse of it while driving by recently, it looked to be in good shape which helped make my decision to play there. Upon arrival, I was quickly greeted in the parking lot by an attendant who brought a cart to me. The cart looked fairly new. It was comfy and had a decent GPS.

One of the cart guys later told me that the course is no longer owned by Westin. It was sold in May to a Korean company. They plan some changes like a new club house but are waiting for the adjacent land to be sold. The current club house is a no frills pre-fab building. The pro-shop is pretty sparsely stocked but they had logo balls so I was happy. The offered complimentary range balls and I headed out to warm up. The range is all grass with a dozen or so stalls. There is a nice chipping/bunker area and a large putting green. I was paired with a very nice couple wintering here from Oregon and we started right on time.

Course conditions, overall, were really good. Tee boxes are large, lush and level. The fairways are emerald green but are a lot thinner than they appear from a distance. The rough was tough. It’s all dormant so is visually beautiful against the green fairways. But the grass was very uneven, clumpy in spots and is growing in all different directions. I managed several good chips out of it but a few other times it just grabbed my club and the result was less than impressive. The greens were hard and ridiculously fast. It took me a few holes to quit trying to go for the pin and instead just go short and let it run. The bunkers were the only negative and they were really poor. There are so many on the course and there was pretty much no sand at all in them. There were no rakes but there certainly was no need for them.

The layout is fun. My partners had played it several times so their course knowledge was very helpful on a few holes that the GPS didn’t show clearly enough. Most holes were fairly straight forward. The fairways are somewhat narrow and are lined with many mounds and swales. Those got really crazy around the greens but I always enjoy that. The jade tees are pretty short at just under 5000 yds but I still got the fun of some carries over water and waste areas. I’m often disappointed when the forward tees take out an elevated shot or forced carries. True, I don’t always make it over but I want the challenge.

The beverage cart came by 3 times and POP was a bit under 4 hrs. I thoroughly enjoyed it and scored well too. I would definitely play here again. Recommended.

Played today in the GK Guru outing with Kevin, Rob and Gary. Upon arrival, just the view of the huge clubhouse lets you know you’re in for a treat. Customer service was great all around. The carts are very nice with GPS, complimentary water bottles in cooler, damp towels and a rake. There is a large practice area with grass range, bunker/chipping area and a huge putting green.
The course was in great shape. Tees (purple) were level with few divots. Fairways were green and with just a few thin and muddy spots. The bunkers had the best sand I’ve seen in a while – sparkling white and fluffy. The rings of dormant grass around the traps, while visually attractive, was too short to stop balls from rolling in. The rough along the fairways was green, lush and easy to hit from. The greens were firm and had lots of interesting breaks.
This was my second time playing Classic Club. It was just as beautiful and challenging as I’d remembered. There are lots of elevation changes, mountain views and water on half of the holes. It’s easy to forget you’re in the desert as there is not a single palm tree in sight!
Thank you, Johnny and Classic Club, for a very fun day. I look forward to playing here again. Highly recommended.

I played here on Thanksgiving morning. My tee time was 7a.m. while it was still a brisk 40 –something degrees out. Check in was fast and friendly as always. I was paired with a twosome of members on their winter stay from Canada.

Course conditions were really good with the exception of the bunkers, which were hard, damp or muddy. The tees boxes were just a tiny bit shaggy but large and level. The fairways are green and well cushioned with only a few thin spots. The rough is in really great shape. It’s super lush and varies from about 1-3 inches. The shorter stuff was perfect to hit from as the ball sat up nicely. The longer grass was definitely more of a challenge, often hiding the ball.

The greens are always interesting here (and more than a bit frustrating.) There are many subtle breaks that are hard to see. I don’t think I’ve played any other course where I’ve had more lip-outs than here. Every time. The greens are fast and unless the putt is exactly on center, it’s not going in.

POP was good at just a bit over 3 hours. I’m glad we finished early as the wind hit suddenly on the 16th hole. It was blowing 12mph when we finished and expected to be stronger later in the day. I had been hoping to do a replay but abandoned that idea.

Desert Dunes is my favorite course in the valley. Sometimes I wonder why when I still haven’t been able to score decently here. But then I realize how much of a visual thing it is for me- the course’s mounds and swales, its sparkling lakes, and the beautiful mountains nearby. And it’s completely quiet – well, except for what sounds like hundreds of chickens somewhere near the 2nd green.

I’ll be back, hopefully soon while conditions are still good. Recommended.

I played today, joined by gary00, sparky14 and Kris. In May 2019, I won a foursome round in a member/guest outing. The only cost would be $20 cart fee per player, with the voucher being valid for a year. After my procrastination and then Covid19, the staff very kindly extended the redemption period to the end of this year.

Check in was easy and then I spent a few minutes on the range. It’s small and was completely sanded, but good enough to loosen up. The carts are basic and comfy. There is no GPS but they do have a club/ball washer on board.

Other than several of the gold tee boxes being unlevel, the conditions were very nice. The fairways were in great shape. I found only a few thin spots. The rough varied from very short to long enough to almost hide the ball. The one bunker I was in had very fluffy sand. The greens were beautiful, smooth and rolled a fast medium speed. They were a bit tough to read at times and we all missed several putts only by a blade of grass or two.

The course is a challenge for sure! It’s hilly, has some severely sloped fairways, a few blind shots and very challenging greens. There is a creek that runs through a few holes. Having played here before was helpful on some of the more unusual holes. I did well on the front but some frustration set in on the back when I just seemed to lose all ability to hit the ball!
If I ever get another opportunity to play here again, I wouldn’t hesitate. Recommended.

Played today, 10-28-20. I picked this course just because I hadn’t played it before and it was one of the few courses with no maintenance going on (thanks GK!). Check in was fast and friendly. I had booked on Golfnow for $27 walking. But, feeling not too energetic, I opted to ride after all for an additional $14. The carts ran smoothly but had no windshields and every single one in the entire fleet had a large hole in the seat on the driver’s side. I was paired with a twosome of regulars at 8:22 am.

The course is an old, mostly flat, no frills course with few bunkers, dirt cart paths and only two water ponds. It’s covered with large trees and has some nice mountain views. Most holes are pretty straight forward but there are a few doglegs and forced carries (from the back tees)

Conditions were pretty good overall. The fairways were green and well cushioned with only a few thin spots. The greens were small, firm and rolled medium fast but had plenty of scars from old ball marks. A couple of them had some very interesting undulations. The bunkers had good sand and lots of leaves. The rough was short and great to chip from. Any farther away from the fairway the ground was very uneven with lots of gopher holes. You definitely need to watch where you step to avoid a twisted ankle. The tee boxes were all very small and uneven. What I found interesting on several holes was, where the blacks through grey had flat tees, the reds, directly in front, were raised up maybe 2 feet high on small mounds. I always enjoy an ‘elevated’ tee but that was just kind of odd.

I really enjoyed playing here. It was a nice relaxing, confidence boosting round. POP was ok at just under 4 hours. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to play here again but would enjoy it if already in the area.

I played here yesterday for the first time. I have been very intrigued by all the recent reviews. I hadn’t played it as Moreno Valley Ranch- in fact I don’t even remember ever hearing of it. With a rare Saturday off and some other plans in the general area, I thought it would be a good time to check it out.

I arrived very early for my 7:51 am tee time. The place was already buzzing with activity. People and golf bags everywhere! My first thought was ‘uh oh, this is going to be a long day.’ After a fast and friendly check in, I headed up to the putting green to kill some time. The starter was there and I could see that he was keeping things running very smoothly. My playing partners then arrived and we headed out.

As soon as we started, I just knew I would really like this course. The view from the slightly elevated first tee box was of a very undulating fairway heading towards water near the green. I was filled with excited anticipation. Such a change from the usual first tee nerves! The rest of the front nine was just as much fun. There were lots of trees, mounds and dips, and one really deep drop that, thankfully, my partner was able to warn me about.

The back (Mountain) nine was so awesome, especially holes 12-16, which are so different than the rest of the course. There are very few trees here and some extreme elevation changes. The views from 15 and 16 seem endless. Never having seen Moreno Valley from any higher than the 60 fwy, it was stunning to say the least.

Course conditions were very good overall. There are some brownish areas in the fairways, but the coverage is good. The rough varied from short grass to deep clover. The mounds along the sides of the fairways had lots of thin to bare areas, but hopefully those don’t come into play. The tee boxes (red) had a lot of divots. I was surprised figuring they don’t get as much play as the others. The bunkers had very nice sand. The one I was in was clean and raked. The greens were fast (much more so than the practice green) and many times hard to read. They were a challenge for sure!

The beverage cart came by several times. POP was 4 hours. I played well but having some familiarity with the course could really help me score better. I am excited to play here again, hopefully very soon.