Played 5/17/22 at 1pm on a really busy Tuesday, the course was packed to the gill! The "ambassadors" kept everything going smoothly though. I thought it was gonna be another one of the 5 1/2 hour LBC rounds (El Do, Skylinks, Lakewood)... It was a great surprise when we finished at just over 4 hours. Course was in great shape tee to green right now. Tee boxes level with the par 3s a little chewed up, fairways were great! No bare spots anywhere. Sand traps were playing nicely (at least the two that I was in). Greens were really nice and were rolling great! The one that stood out was hole 5 par 3 (it was playing uphill that day). That green was brand new! The grass looked so good that I thought it was fake. Had an awesome day on one of my favorite courses.

Played 5/18/22 7am tee time. Haven't played here since they started making people prepay when making an online reservation. I found out that you can call in your reservation and not prepay (it's difficult since I usually have 8 people playing). Back to the course... Several holes are cart path only right now- 1, 11, 12, 15, 16. Tee boxes level most of the time, fairways with some fairly tight lies but the ground was softer in the morning because of all the watering they're doing. Rough was juicy and wet. Sand traps were a mixed bag- some with hard packed dirt due to all the watering, and some were pretty compacted (maybe because it was early). Greens were rolling great, few ball marks here and there but for the most part they were nice. It was great to make it out here again after almost a year and a half, I'll be taking my group here more often.

Played 6/18/21 @ 0620am paired with a fairly fast group- but we ended up finishing in 3.75 hours due to the group in front of us. Customer service was awesome and very welcoming. I played this course a long time ago and I didn't remember many of the holes. The course is a pleasure to play (although a little steep for non-residents $120 w/cart). Very hilly, but there were a few local walkers in the a.m. and they were movin'! Tee boxes are level and had good coverage except for the par 3s which had some divot issues, but at least you're hitting from a flat surface. Fairways were lush with a ton of mowers everywhere, but the ball sat up nicely and are great to hit from. There were a couple of times when it was a little spongy in the low spots but the course drains well. The rough is a little longer than the fairway and balls were easy to spot unless you're way off line and then it's either in the woods or some really thick grass. Sand traps were great and were very consistent (both fairway and greenside). They have nice medium weight sand that is very easy to get the club under and played wonderfully. Greens are medium/fast and the ball rolled great. There weren't that many ball marks since we were out early. The 18th hole is an awesome finishing hole and is easily reachable in two if you have a good drive. My only other suggestion is to not use a yellow ball on the first hole- the driving range is right next to the tee box and they use bright yellow range balls...

Played 1/6/21 at 1152 with teeoff prepaid deal. Check in was a breeze. The hotel is closed down due to COVID, it’s a shame because it’s a magnificent resort. Not too many people playing, but having 2 courses really helps out with crowd control... Tee boxes level and a little lush, they were mowing them though. Fairways were carpet and were a joy to hit from. Rough just a little longer than the fairway and is not very penalizing unless you get way off, then it gets thick and nasty. Sand traps were awesome! They shaved the areas around the traps and it gives it a brown/gold color along the borders of the traps. It’s a nice contrast with all the green everywhere. Traps were great to hit from and the sand was nice and fluffy. Greens rolled great, but they were the only thing that wasn’t deep green in color on the course. It is a resort course so it won’t beat you up... A great way to either start or finish a golf trip with- it’s reasonably priced and is always in great condition. One of my favs!

Played 11/19/20 at 910, paired with a 3some from San Jose. My first time playing here and I can't believe why- the course was a blast to play! Check-in was quick and efficient, single rider carts unless you are in the same household. Tee boxes were level most of the time, the par 3s were chewed up in some places but were fine for the most part. Fairways were mown nice and tight and had some roll to them. Rough was not very penal unless you really went off line. Sand traps were really nice considering there were no rakes. Greens were really fast but held shots well. POP was 4.5 hours but it didn't seem like we waited long until around the 15th hole. Looking forward to playing here again real soon...

Played 11/18/20 at 0830. My first time playing here and it was a blast! Check-in was fast and efficient, carts single rider only. Tee boxes were level with only a couple of the par 3s uneven and chewed up. Fairways were great to hit from but were a little shaggy. Rough was not that much different from the fairway, but if you get too far off-line, it gets gnarly. Sand traps were pretty good and were recently raked. Greens have just about recovered from punching and only a couple of them still had some bumpiness. POP was just over 4 hours. The scenery is breathtaking up here! The views were magnificent like its neighbor Ojai Valley.

Played 9/14/20 @ 1030 on what I thought was a "deal" on TeeOff.com. Went to go check in and found out why... They are only playing 14 holes here! They are doing construction on the ditch on the back nine. You go from playing hole 10 straight to hole 15 (which is now a par 4 instead of a par 5). I was very disappointed to say the least, the guys in the pro shop said that it would be at least 4 months before they are finished...

Back to the golf- Tee boxes were level for the most part with the par 3s being a little chewed up. Fairways were ok with good coverage, not that many bare spots except for when you were off of them. Rough was another problem- there are many different types of grass here. If you got off the fairway, its gopher hole central and it is really bumpy if you're riding in a cart. Sand traps were ok with a lot of foot prints in them (no rakes). Greens were good to ok, medium/slow speed. Probably won't be back here for a while until they go back to having 18 holes...

Played 9/4/20 @ 855 walking. Course was alright for the most part, but any day playing golf is a great day for me... Tee boxes were level with a few having issues- especially the par 3s. Fairways were the worse part of the course- overwatered and soggy. Not sure if they were doing that for the heat wave or not, but everyone was driving through the soggy parts with carts and making a mess. There are many bare spots on the front 9. Rough was not much longer than the fairway and is almost non-existent. Sand traps were mostly hardpan with a lot of pebbles, but you can hit out of them. Greens were the best part of the course, they were medium fast with a few bumps. This course gets a lot of traffic and they do a great job with what they have. I used to be real critical of this course, but it used to be a trash dump so you have to give them some slack...

Played 8/11/20 @ 1040 right after the men's club. Conditions were not as I expected- they usually keep this place almost pristine, but the course is still great. Tee boxes were level with only a couple that had issues (don't remember which ones). Fairways were really nice to hit from, not too tight with just the right amount of cushion. There are some native areas around the borders of the course and if hit it there, good luck... Some of the fairway bunkers were a little rough from what I saw, I didn't go into any of them. The 2 greenside bunkers I was in were ok, they were really firm with not much sand. The greens were not what I am used to here. They were on the slow side, even on the downhill puts. They're getting ready to aerate so they're letting them grow out. One of my favorite courses to play on my way out to the desert, I always enjoy playing here.

Played 7/30/20 at 1130 with a teeoff.com deal. Course is in awesome condition! Check-in was a breeze and they got us out a little early- course was really busy. They had us start from 10 because of how wet the front 9 was in the morning. Tee boxes were level and only had issues on the par 3s with divot damage which is understandable. Fairways were wonderful! The ball sat up nicely. The rough was short and was only about an inch or two longer than the fairway. It's a resort course so it won't beat you up. There are only two trees on 9 and 10 that are in the line of sight off the tee, otherwise the fairways were nice and wide. Sand traps were great and had rakes in them, not many people using them though. The greens were smooth and medium paced. They have amazing little wooden spacers in the hole and when the ball would go in, it would make the sound like it went to the bottom of the cup- before COVID. Oh, how I missed that sound- it was like music to my ears! The only issue with them is that if you tried to dunk it off the tee or come in too hot- the ball is going to bounce off it. Finished in 3 hrs 40 mins- I tried for a replay but they were packed. Great course all around!

Played 7/29/20 1030am- walking. I can't say enough about this course... I'm glad that I was able to play it before I got too old and my golf game deteriorated. Everything about the course was amazing! First tee is a little anxiety inducing because there are so many people around, after that it's not bad. Tee boxes were all level, fairways were carpet and balls sat up nicely. Rough was not that penal, but it was sticky and can turn your clubface open. Sand traps were the only thing that had minor issues (COVID- no rakes). There were footprints all over the 5 I was in- no biggy. They did have several groundskeepers working on the fairway bunker on hole 9. The greens were superb! The forecaddies go around and make sure that they fix anything they find. The greens were smooth (10ish? on the stimp). The greens look so large on TV but are tiny in real life (especially the 18th green)... Wind was only 5 mph and was not a factor. I got distracted with the views and took way too many selfies. Don't get too hung up on the price, this is an experience!

Played 6/3/20 at 810... Course is only allowing people with tee times on the property and then it's only 10 minutes before your tee time- unless you're using the driving range. This did a lot for crowd control and they want you off the property as soon as you are done with your round. It made most of the people gather in the parking lot or at the main entrance. Masks required in the common areas, the snack bar and around the club house. Condition wise, it was probably the best I've seen it in a while. Tee boxes mostly level, fairways with excellent coverage, rough just a little longer but not penal, greens rolling well except for some occasional unrepaired divots. There are some areas of the course were there patches/clumps of grass next to some bare spots, but they were few and far between. The sand traps are the only thing I had issues with since there were no rakes- footprints were everywhere! But for the amount of traffic this course gets, some slack is warranted. All of staff at Lakewood are really doing a wonderful job considering the circumstances- please be kind to the girls at the entrance that have to put up with all the rude people throughout the day...