Hello, everybody! I have returned from my four years in India and I'm back in the U.S.A. and I am ready to do some serious reviewing here on Greenskeeper.org. I am now living in Utah, so most of my reviews will be for courses in and around the Salt Lake City area. There are a ton of wonderful tracks in the area, and from what I can tell ... the prices are substantially lower than Nevada, California or Arizona!

Today I played in a charity tournament with one of the local car dealers. The round was at Stonebridge GC ... Out on the west side of town, about a 15-minute drive from just about anywhere in the valley. The place has a country club feel about it from the minute you drive in to the parking lot. A beautiful clubhouse...a nice restaurant (far more than just a snack window!) called "The 28th Hole" as Stonebridge has three nines! We played Sunrise and Creekside for today's outing.

The three nines are laid out strangely. There's not one nine here, and one nine over there and the other nine is over there... They sort of intertwine and intermingle all over the property. Thank your lucky stars that the club has made sure that the course is well-signed or you could really get yourself lost out there. I noticed that they have a rate for walkers...but with the exception of Anaheim Hills in Southern California...I don't think I have ever seen a course more "un-walkable"!! I lost track but I believe we used tunnels under red-stone bridges (that's how Stonebridge got its name) five or six times. There's a lot of land out there...and you cover a lot of it no matter which two nines you play!

The course conditions: I have to begin by saying that I must give the fairways here a "perfect" or "immaculate" rating. We have had a fair amount of rain in the last 2-3 weeks and the grass is as green and as lush as any I have seen in my 40+ years of playing golf and certainly my 10+ years as a GK'er. Mowed to perfection, every lie a beautiful lie. I just wish that there were more flat lies!! I don't think I've played a round where I had more uphill, downhill or hanging lies in my life!!! The course is NOT flat and uninteresting.

Quite to the contrary. Stonebridge is a challenging course no matter who you are...a beginner or a PGA pro. From the tips I can tell you that I would not have very much fun. This was my first round since I had hip-replacement surgery in February. I struggled. Keeping your ball on those immaculate fairways is essential if you are going to score well here. Lots of rough, narrow landing-areas, many holes have water-hazards and/or huge waste bunkers. There ARE some good driving holes...but not that many. This course is "target-y" ... had today not been a scramble tourney I would have played from the white-tees and hit a lot of three-woods and hybrids as my tee-shot.

The greens were also almost perfect. The only reason I don't give them the Cheeseburger "immaculate" rating is because I couldn't figure them out. Super fast downhill ... very slow uphill ... although I don't believe that they are Bermuda..there is certainly some grain to contend with. The breaks are fairly easy to read... the ball seems to break to the nearest water...the only times that it's difficult is when you have water in both sides of the green. As I said...there are a LOT of water-hazards out there!

This gem is definitely on my "go back" list...but there seem to be a whole treasure-chest full of gems in the SLC area. I hope to have at least a weekly review before the snow flies and closes everything down in late October/early November. It's good to be back on Greenskeeper.org !!

Before I moved out of the country, we had a tradition of going to Victorville on Father's Day weekend for the Huck Finn Jubille bluegrass festival at Mojave Narrows. In conjunction with this, we play in our own little four-ball tournament we like to call "The High Desert Classic". Been doing this for years. I planned my home-visit this year around this annual event...so imagine my disappointment whne we played at 07:40 A.M. on Saturday the 16th of June - and had to walk off the course and demand our money back after the front-nine holes TOOK US THREE HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! I shoulda known there was going to be trouble when I missed the parking lot driveway an hour before our tee-time and noticed that there was a fivesome on the third-tee which I could see from the road as I turned around. More trouble awaited when it took the girl behind the counter 15 minutes to check the group ahead of us in. When the group in front of us tee'd-off and only had two-sets of clubs for the three of them - - I should have immediately called the marshal - but - I have never called a marshal before my first tee-shot. We complained after the third hole - and to his credit - the marshal responded and told them to "pick it up". They pulled-aside and let us play through on a par-four (even they had to admit that they were holding everybody up!) - - we then saw the marshal doing the right thing and giving the one guy a set of rental clubs!! It backed-up again on a par-three...there was a three-group back-up. This wnet on for three full hours. When we went to cross the street to the 10th hole - there were four groups waiting to tee-off. Enough is enough! We went into the pro-shop and demanded out $$$ back. They resisted at first - but then - the marshal who had been out there and seen our dilemma first-hand told the counter-girl to give us full refunds. There is no excuse for this!! How was the course? I don't remember and I don't care. It was three-hours and fifteen-minutes of nine-holes of pure torture. The bluegrass music at the festival was great, as usual - but the tradition of the High Desert Classic ended this year! Shameful!

Green Tree Golf Course Review
Victorville California Golf Course Reviews

Played as a three-ball (that's what we call a "threesome" in India) - behind the slowest foursome ever...do you think they looked behind them and thought about letting us play-through? Not a chance...they were too busy lining up their 4th 2'-putt! Finally had to call the marshal - turns out that they were almost three-full holes down. There oughta be etiquette lessons and a test given before they let people like this on nice golf courses. Because of the pace of play - I'd have to give Coyote Hills FAR LESS than "worth the green fees". Although a nice layout and some challenging holes - the speed of play ruined our day. (I cannot believe that in all my 40+ years of playing golf in SoCal - I had never yet played this course!) Greens were glass-like slick and really fast - - the fairways were perfect and the tee-boxes just fine. It's summer, so - I'll give them a break on the somewhat thin-lies in some places...but it's really a great track. I just wish it hadn't taken 5+ hours to get around. The food in the bar was excellent - - and they had good, cold beer!!

Coyote Hills Golf Course Review
Fullerton California Golf Course Reviews

Played Olivas Links on Tuesday 20 June - played with good friends which always makes for a pleasant day! Having been in India for the last two-years, I had not had the opportunity to play links-style golf in many moons! Olivas links does it right!! I swear, if it wasn't for the occasional visible palm-tree - you might actually think you are golfing in Scotland! If the hedges had yellow-flowers, you might think it was gorse-plant! All lies in the fairway were pretty lush (unlike other times I have played here where it has been a little thin...) - and if GUR was called-for - it was clearly marked. The tee-boxes were mostly level. The greens were running pretty fast - you really need to be below the hole on these greens or your downhill putt will run off the green. The greens held 9-irons and wedge-shots fairly well...but I could not seem to get mid-irons to stop or back-up. Typical of links courses. Right down to the loamy/sandy soil beneath the turf! All-in-all - it's a great course with a challenging layout. A real gem for Ventura County!!

Olivas Links Golf Course Review
Ventura California Golf Course Reviews

In town for my yearly 2-week home-visit to SoCal - - what kind of a trip home from India would it be without a round on The Goose?? Played on Friday June 15th. My buddy made the starting-time...and I was even with him when he called the day before to make certain that we had a tee-time. Surprise - when we arrived - no tee-time!! To the credit of the great staff at The Goose - they fit us in and we got out about 5-minutes late! As always - the driving range here is outstanding! The course was playing "backwards" (starting on #10) - a first for me and I've been playing Goose Creek since the week it opened! I really like finishing 18-holes here ON the 18th hole - but - what are ya gonna do? The tee-boxes were level for the most-part and in good shape. I guess my memory plays tricks on me because I always remember the fairways here to be near-perfect...they seemed a little thin in places...and there were some areas that really should have been marked GUR. The greens had been small-hole punched a few weeks before - they had healed nicely - but overall the greens were a bit lumpy-bumpy but very true with regards to uphill/downhill and breaks. Finished in a little over 4.25 hours - felt like a lot longer - as we waited on every single shot for 18-holes - but no fault of the golfers in front of us - they had nowhere to go either. The 19th hole ran out of Stone IPA after the second cup...not good!! Left and spent my $$$ on a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place on Limonite. Overall - it was good to be home...I will always consider Goose Creek to be my home course!!

Goose Creek Golf Club Review
Riverside California Golf Course Reviews

Well...if you can believe it...I have been a SoCal golfer for over 40-years...I've lived in the SFV, too...and I have played uncountable rounds at Balboa and Encino...but I had never played Woodley Lakes until last week when I was back in the U.S. for an annual home-visit. It's not much of a challenge....very flat...super-wide fairways that you could land a 747 on! But what it lacks in terrain...it makes up for in length. There are some honest par-4's that will stretch the short-hitter. It's a good-looking course, but it has the typical City-course problems - thin-spots and hardpan on virtually every hole. Now as for the greens, they were pretty nice! So much nicer than those we have in India...so maybe I'm biased...they were plenty smooth and fairly fast and beautiful to look at. The greenskeepers here know what they are doing! If and when I come back to live...I'll play it again!

Had not been out to Rustic Canyon for a number of years...I had forgotten what a difficult golf course it is!! So many crowned greens and false fronts (and sides and backs!!!) - coupled with some tougher than normal pin-placements - made for one seriously difficult round of golf!! The course was beautiful to look at...the place drains well and the grass was as green as it could be...I would like to give it another try next year when I come back...I think next time I will look at the tee-box recommendations per handicap and play Rustic from the white tees instead of the blues. Some of the fastest greens I have played in a long time (of course our greens in India are notoriously slow!) This course can kick your (at) $$ !!!

If you look back to the very beginning of Greenskeeper.org....I wrote the very first review of Hidden Valley back in November, 2002. (It's on page 25 now) My reviews, like the course itself, have been hot and cold over the years. Always a great layout, and having just returned to the U.S. from my home in India...I was anxious to play the course that I understood is under new management. I played on Friday, April 10th...and - although it looked like rain nost of the day...it held off and stayed dry....but it was one of the coldest days I have ever spent on a golf course!! It sure wasn't India!! The range is one of the best in SoCal...it has changed much and for the better over the years I have been playing there. The course conditions were, frankly...outstanding!! The greens were consistent and very fast...most fairway lies were lush and the ball sat up well...everything on Hidden Valley was so green and beautiful...it was a pleasure to play. The only negative (and this was just weird!!) was that the sprinklers came on automatically on the 15th tee-box and - I caught a blast of icy water to the chest to compound a very chilly afternoon experience... I enjoy golfing at Hidden Valley...and - as long as they keep the conditions up...I will certainly come back to review the course again in 2012!

I was in L.A. for my first annual home visit from India. You had to know I was going to play The Goose a couple of times (at least) while I was here...and - of course, I'd be writing reviews for Greenskeeper.org! I did play there twice (Sunday April 3 and Saturday April 9) The first round was played on a lark...I had purchased a new set of clubs as soon as I arrived...and - except for the medium bucket that I hit off the mats at the range at Westridge GC...I hadn't hit the new sticks yet. What better place to try them out than my true "home course"! When I arrived mid-morning for the Sunday round, I was greeted warmly by Jim behind the counter... He told me that if I wanted to get out and play...I had better get my shoes changed and get right out to the first too...and that we would settle my bill when I finished. That's just the kind of guy Jim is..always willing to help! He did inform me that the greens had been punched and sanded, so it was no surprise when I reached the first green. The Goose has weathered all of the recent rains well...it was nice and green and the ball was sitting up well in all fairway lies. The rough was all grown-up and it was best to keep the ball in the short-grass! The greens had begun to heal - although the punching had been done with the "big holes" - and the greens were not at their best....That's why we have Greenskeeper...so we can "know before we go! The six-days in-between rounds, the greens had healed quite a bit more and the ball was rolling more true by Saturday. Typically bumpy conditions after an aeration made putting an adventure on a few holes...but overall the greens were pretty fast...especially downhill. By the time you read this, the greens will have had yet another week-or-so to heal...so I'm sure all will be well by the end of April. There were a few bare patches and minimal GUR...so - overall - while not the perfection I have sometimes seen at Goose Creek over the years...it is still the best course in the Inland Empire and certainly one of the best bargains in all of Southern California!!

I played my first round yesterday at my new club!! Instant Review: I liked it...a lot. It's really a stunningly beautiful course and fun layout. Overall....I'd honestly say it's in about a 7-stars out of 10 condition...a few spots are thin...but you have to remember thatthey had a killer hot summer here in Central India - the hottest in a century...so, all things considered, the greenskeepers in Gachibowli are doing one hell of a job...the course is bouncing back nicely with the monsoons.

I played at 9:00 A.M. I was the only person on the golf course, no lie. I even paused to take a bunch of pics, seven short videos, practiced my putting (a new set of skills is needed - the greens are not comparable to home...they are reaaalllly slow!), and still finished in 3-hours 15-minutes! 86-degrees at tee-time - but it got much warmer by the noon hour - but it was not as hot as Myrtle Beach...not by a long shot. Nice breeze kicked in which was nice....didn't really effect the golf. Killer humidity. You gotta drink water! The course sells bottles of Aquafina for 100 rupees (a little less than a quarter U.S.)

I shot a smooth 43-43=86 and only lost TWO balls. That's amazing right there!! Not knowing the course, I played from the white tees, but there is plenty of room behind that set to challenge any golfer. There's BLUE, YELLOW (this will be my choice!) and the tips are BLACK, just like at home! I played tight, smart golf - I usually made good club selections, got some freakishly lucky bounces: greens were good...but really slow. I left my frst 20' putt 10' short!! Not sure of the grass-type....bigger blades that bent...not poa - certainly not Bermuda. They are pretty shaggy and could use a good mowing and rolling. They hold shots like a dart-board! Took a while to get used to them.

The fairways are narrow and the course, overall, plays really tight...but quite playable. Good pwould have to play from the black tees...Even so, I don't think you'd use a driver on anything but the par-5's. Big hitters who spray their tee-shots...it's going to be a very long day for you! If you're off the fairway, you are in the boulders, and that can cause the local golf Gods to get angry! You might want to use your three-iron off the tee...or you'd be playing "boulder pin ball". Keep it in play is the Indian rule of the day!

The course reminds me of "parts" of Mt. Woodson in San Diego County, mostly of the Boulders in Carefree AZ, and some parts of Trilogy...and the area (Gachibowli) looks like "Chatsworth at the top of Topanga where Rocky Peak/Stony Point are". Overall, it looks like a fake movie-set for the "Town of Bedrock" - - the only things missing are Fred, Barney and Mr. Slate!

O.K. - so it's it's not Lakeside or Bel Air CC...but I think the cost is about 0.000001% of those memberships. Rs. 108,000.00 for the year. About $2,300.00 U.S. That's one complete membership with all priviliges and spa facilities and an incredble infinity-type swimming pool and awesome 19th hole - and this includes all the golf you can play for free. If you want to take a cart (recommended!!) - the cart and the two bottles of water in the ice-chest are around $5.00) Definitely within in our budget! We'd never in a million years join a coultry club at home...this is a once in a lifetime experience for us!!

I'll post some pics and put a link to my YouTube Channel in the discussion section.

Got out to O.Q. for the first time in a while...

Since I've probably reviewed this course more than any other (except perhaps Goose Creek)....I'll limit this posting to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly....

The Good...I can't agree more with the prior poster. We played the day before he did (Sat. 2/21) Our time was 7:36 but they got us out just before a big tournament was due to start. We played in just a hair UNDER four hours (yes...THAT is the proper time for a round of 18-holes!!) The course is in great shape....fairways lush, tee-boxes, too. We lucked out and didn't have the slow greens as we were told that they were rolled that morning. I actually think that the greens were as fast as I've ever seen them at OQ...but I know how fickle they can be. Truly a great course in top condition right now!!

The Bad... With a small warm-up bucket, we paid $100.00 per man. Now...since I had just played Paiute Wolf in Las Vegas (for $109.00) which is a much better course...It seemd to me that OQ was a little pricey. It's a nicetrack...but, hey, seriously - it ain't "Ben Franklin" nice. I'm afraid that in this economy, $100.00 is too much and unless they lower the rates, my weekend golfing at The Quarry are officially over...

The Ugly.... Through no fault of the greenskeeepers at OQ, (they must have gotten a ton of rain!) - some of the bunkers are in need of some new sand. There are lots of rocks showing and some of the sand traps have nothing but washed-out dirt at the upper lips...I know Hank and his staff will get right on it.

Staff great, food great, everything is great. Now just knock it down to $80.00 and you've got perfection!

Just got back from Las Vegas. I went with friends who wanted to give me a proper send-off before I move to Hyderabad, India in just 90 short days. We went for the USA Sevens Rugby tournament - - and I had heard great things about The Wolf course at Paiute Resort. Obviously I threw my sticks in the trunk!! All the positive things I've been hearing are most certainly TRUE! My goodness....a "Cheeseburger" review with no negatives?? Can it happen?? Is it true?? Yes...in spades!! Organized, friendly staff...superb practice facility. We went out at 7:30 A.M. on Saturday (2/13/10) - - it was a little cold (41-degrees) but that's not a negative. We may have been the first ones out - - and we saw NOBODY either in front of us or behind us all day. We finished in just a shade over four-hours. The course from tee to green on all 18 wonderful holes is immaculate. The recent rains have made it all as green and plush as you will ever find. Not a bad lie in any fairway...the ball sits up nicely on beautiful green turf-grass as nice as I've ever seen. The greens were rolling so true...fast downhill - true and with the most subtle breaks going uphill. We got some tips from the starter about the greens breaking away from the snow-capped mountains to the West...which was "usually" true...but it's still a good idea to look at every putt from both sides/ends...the breaks, like I said...are subtle...but they are there!! The rough was not too long....perfect for resort golf. The rough was not overly punative...but you'd still rather keep it in the short grass!! I love the layout...most of the greens are well-bunkered...following the "Pro Tips" on the very nice GPS screen in every cart will save you a few strokes. There is just the right mix of shorter par-fours, nice par-threes and long par-fives. Some of the longer par-fours are real monsters. We played from the Yellow tee boxes...perfect, I think for my partner and me...we're both 11.8 Indexers. I shot a smooth 85 (44-41) and I loved every minute I was on the course. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!