Played on Thanksgiving morning and although I didn't bring my best game with me, my round here was one more thing to be thankful for. They've pretty much finished the renovations to the course - restoring a lot, if not all, of the original bunkering - and it is in as perfect condition as I have ever seen any golf course. Even having played here a lot as a kid, I cannot remember it ever being in such good shape as it is now. Greens were a hair slower than I remember them typically being, which might've kept me from having a really patience-testing round. The fairways are truly perfect, the bunkers sparkling white, the tee boxes sqared-off, cut tight, and dead-level. They've taken out and/or trimmed back a number of trees recently to open up some beautiful views on the course. This absolutely remains the longest 6400 yards in golf, and is worth every penny and a trip from anywhere to play.

At the current $85 weekend rate, this place is a great deal and worth the drive from an hour or more away. The fairways are as perfect as I've seen at any public course, and the greens are sensational - truly fast with a perfect roll and some seriously testy breaks. Some of the grass in the rough is going dormant so it's a little bit spotty but it frames the fairways nicely nonetheless. The only thing off about this place is the bunkers, which are pretty bad - most are very thin and hard, but some are unbelievably soft and fluffy (namely, the bunkers behind the 10th green, which - trust me - you want to avoid). The bunkers need serious attention all over this course but other than that, this is a great test of golf in a beautiful setting. Expect to make a few double-bogeys here.

Zipped around the Canyon Crest/Ridgeline combination this afternoon in about 3.5 hours. Course is just about immaculate - greens rolling beautifully, some fringes on the Ridgeline recently punched but not obtrusively so. Fairways are perfect. It's just in excellent, excellent shape!

This is a very pretty layout but it's just in awful shape. Even recognizing that the greens are only a week or so out from having been aerated, they're still just hideous. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who has ever repaired a ball mark on any of these greens.

If they put some work into this course it could really be nice, but I'll be staying away until I learn that they've done just that.

In response to the Rustic staff's comments about pace of play...

One of the best things that Rustic could do to improve pace of play is to get at least one or two more Marshalls on the course, and to genuinely intervene with groups that fall behind. If they're a full hole behind, they should be moved up to the next tee so they can catch up. If they fall behind again, the group should be removed from the course.

If polite but firm Marshalls are truly working the course, pace will improve. Marshalls should instruct players who are trying to play from the tips to show a handicap index card proving a 5 index or better and should suggest the blue or white tees. Further, Marshalls should provide supportive advice about "ready golf," and should monitor potentially problematic groups actively.

Most importantly, Marshalls should strive to enforce a 3.5 hour maximum pace of play for the first few groups to go off every morning. If you can't maintain that pace, play at a different time of day, rather than gumming up the course for everyone who follows you. This really is attainable and ought to be a goal at every public course. The way to make this happen is to communicate aggressively (signs, notes in carts, messages on the GPS machines, Marshalls' comments, a word from the starter, printed messages on scorecards, in yardage books, etc.), and to Marshall effectively. It's not hard, and it's a great way to ensure that everyone has a good time, gets good value, and most importantly, it's the way to keep your best customers happy.

Boy, do they keep this place in great shape. Played Saturday, 9/17 and enjoyed the Canyon Crest/Ridgeline nines. These are two highly distinct nines, both a challenge and both in pristine condition. The greens are in top condition, quite firm but generally holding. Everything about the course is just gorgeous right now, provided you can overlook the hellish sprawl of spectacularly ugly McMansions packed around the course.

I was lucky enough to grow up within walking distance of this course, and I learned to play golf here. It's a true gem, and has gotten notably better within the past five years or so thanks to some judicious tree removal, some restoration of original bunkering, and a few other touches. It's an extraordinary challenge and a profoundly fair golf course in that good shots are consistently rewarded and bad shots consistently punished. The greens are exquisite both in conditioning and in design; they will test every aspect of your ability to feel and read. The scorecard might make it look rather short, but this is the longest 6400 yards of golf you will ever play, I promise. If you're even thinking about a pilgrimmage to Pebble, Spyglass, Poppy, Old Del Monte, and other Monterey-area courses, you absolutely owe it to yourself to drive an hour north to Santa Cruz and play this beauty. It'll blow you away.

Fairways are so lush they're like giant, green shag carpets. I LOVE the new look of #4, which is much, much more interesting now. The new greens do seem a bit slower, but in fact it seemed to me that all the greens today were slower than I remember Rustic being. It seems there's more contour in the 7th fairway now, too. The entire course is in really great shape right now. A little soggy this morning as they were watering aprons intensively to stay out front of the heat. Rustic is BACK, big-time.

Tierra just seems quite chewed up at the moment. The sixteenth green in particular is awful, but many of the greens on the back especially are very bumpy and appear to have either persistent rain damage or maybe some sort of fungal infection. I like this layout okay for the opportunity to hit from some crazy spots on the side of a mountain, but I don't think it's a good value for a $45 mid-week twilight.

Moorpark's in great shape. Greens are pretty quick and firm but receptive, the fairways are immaculate, and the rough is not high, but it still offers a real challenge. Fairways right now are quite lush, and although the bunkers still need a bit of time and attention to finish recovering from all the rain, they're still in good condition.

Course is in extraordinary shape considering all the rain we've had. This has to be the best golf value in the state. It's a really tough but fair course, and it's worth the drive from just about anywhere in Southern or Central California. Bring your "A" Game and prepare to have it put to the test.

Played a late-afternoon nine at Tierra. Conditions are good, though I found the greens quite slow and rather bumpy (probably just because of the lateness of the hour). The fairways are in excellent condition, and the bunkers, although mostly completely unraked, are in great shape too. It's a fun, sporty course with a lot of elevation changes... I particularly enjoy the odd-numbered holes on the front.