This is a review of the nine-hole par 3 Little Wick course. I played it today just to take a break after a long morning of driving.

This is an unusual, beautiful, and challenging par three course. It is a long cart ride from the clubhouse down a road and over a hill to the course. The routing was very confusing but I finally made my way there. In the center of the course is the Watering Hole food & drink spot. It is surrounded by three golf holes with water features. There is a very large patio seating area which I hear is usually very crowded. There weren't too many people out there today, though, I'm sure due to the 106° temperature.

The course is very interesting. Each hole has three sets of tees. I played the middle set making the longest hole being 145 yards. The shortest was about 88. The layout was very fun with lots of mounds and swales. The fourth hole has a very high drop from the tee box. That was my favorite and my only birdie of the day. The conditions were wonderful. Tee boxes and fairways were completely green and lush. I was not in any bunkers but they looked good. The greens were a surprise. They were so fast it was like putting on glass. I was excited to try out my putter with the new grip I just put on but that wasn't enough to help. Only familiarity with the greens will help me score better there.
There are several areas throughout the course with signs marked "chill zone" with chairs and even hammocks hanging from the trees!

Getting a glimpse of the Big Wick made me sure I'm going to come out here again to play that. The courses will be closed October 5- 27th for overseeding and will be cart path only until November 9th.
Really looking forward to a return visit

Casta del Sol golf course is now the Oso Creek Golf Course. On Sept 8, the Mission Viejo City Council voted to officially change the name after the city held a renaming contest. The course is still under the management of American Golf corp.

There is some remodeling being done on the clubhouse. All pro shop business and dining is on out the patio. They have it set up very attractively and the exterior of the club house is already looking so much better. On the downside, though, the only current bathroom facilities are parking lot porta-potties.

I’m so glad that I played early – and not just because of the warm weather. By the time I teed off at 6:30am, the place was packed with the check-in line going back to the parking lot. I know there was a men’s club playing as I ran into a friend making the turn as I came off the 18th (which I birdied for the first time!) I was paired with a family threesome and we finished in 3 hours. I can only imagine how long those later rounds would take.

The course conditions were pretty much the same as always. The fairways were a colorful mix of many different grasses. Other than several muddy areas, the coverage was good. The tee boxes were shaggy but had less damage than expected. I wasn’t in any bunkers but one of my playing partners was. I saw a large amount of sand fly when he hit, so at least that one trap was in good shape. The greens were very soft, rolled medium speed but had way too many scars from badly repaired marks -such a shame. There was a sign saying the course will be closed for a couple days the first week of October for fairway aerification, but I don’t remember exactly which days.

In the mood for any course shorter than yesterday’s Los Lagos, I decided on one of my favorites. I’ve played here many times, both before and after the renovation, and just realized I’ve never posted a review – oops! . I was paired with another single and we started on time at 7:15. There didn’t seem to be many people around. We realized later that there were players all over the course but the spacing was good. No waiting anywhere.

This course has everything - good customer service, a very fun layout, is (almost) always in really good shape, and is fun to walk. It’s short with only four par 4s but there are some good hills. There is a nice variety of holes with either tees or greens elevated and dog legs on two of the par 4s. There are huge trees everywhere and water on the first hole.

Conditions today were in the ‘almost really good’ category. The tee boxes were badly chewed up. It didn’t affect play but it’s just not so nice to look at. The bunkers were filled with dark brown soft dirt that was very nice to hit from. Visually, I really liked the contrast in colors against the beautifully green fairways. The greens were soft, smooth and rolled true. The bad part was the course was so wet! The rough, in parts, was suck-your shoes-off marshland. There were a lot of areas marked GUR and a lot more that should have been. The tenth fairway was spongy wet but still played nicely. We just couldn’t figure out why there were two maintenance guys out watering on the back nine.

POP was perfect at 3 hours. I always enjoy it here and will keep it as one of my go-to courses.

I enjoyed an early morning round today with Ringworld. I frequently play Mesa Linda but hadn’t played Los Lagos for about 10 years. Wanting a change of scenery and a good walking course, I decided to give it a try. The weather was overcast and cool. There were very few people out that early. After a fast and friendly check in we teed off on time at 7am, paired with another twosome.

Other than a few overly wet spots, the tee boxes and fairways were in great shape- green and lush. The rough was short and even. I was in a couple of bunkers, both of which were very damp but playable. The greens were very nice- soft, rolled medium speed , and had few marks.

The layout is nice with wide fairways and enough trees to be attractive but not trouble-making. At 5925 yards from the forward tees, though, this course is just too long for me to score well. There was little hope of reaching the par 3s in one without using my driver, which does reduce the fun factor a bit.

POP was great. We never waited and there was no one behind us. I recommend this course for others but I will stick to playing Mesa Linda.

I last played here 2 years ago. I always enjoy the course and was glad for the opportunity to return. There were no deals to be had so I paid the full $80. That part didn’t thrill me but I’ve paid more for less interesting courses so it’s all good. There were only a few people waiting to check in so it was quick and friendly, done thru a window outside the pro-shop. There was a bit of a wait for carts though, as they were being cleaned and brought up one by one. They are basic, with no GPS but comfortable and quiet.

The driving range is small but adequate. The mats are relatively new and there is a bunker/chipping area. The large putting green near the first tee gives a good idea of how the greens are on the course- beautiful to look at, fast, smooth and full of tricky breaks.

I was paired with another single and we started on time at 8:52am. We were behind a very slow foursome and we ended up waiting a couple minutes on every hole on the front. Finally, on the tenth, the marshal asked us if we’d like to play through if the foursome was ok with it. We much appreciated that, so on the par 3 eleventh, we made the move.

The forward tee boxes were ok with just a few divots. I found so many bunkers I lost count. Some were just hard stone-filled dirt. Others had soft dark sand/dirt that was easy to hit from. I brought with me a mini detachable rake and got to use it a couple times. The fairways were very nice. They were equal parts brown and green, had good coverage and were cut short enough for some extra roll. There were a few muddy spots but they didn’t interfere with play.

I did find some trouble with one of the frog crossings- the narrow rock lined channels that go across a couple of holes on the back nine. What started out as a good ball, hit a rock and took a hard right onto the next fairway. I had a blind shot back over the hill but it all turned out ok. I was little disappointed, though, that the frogs that are usually extremely loud on holes 14 & 15 were completely silent.

The beverage cart came by several times. The snack bar is open and many tables are available for use on the patio. POP was exactly 4 hours. It was a great day! Recommended.

I played yesterday in the GKplays event. I had a great time playing with Perry, Greg and Chuck. Although the course was not as green as I’ve seen in the past, the fairways had good coverage with only a few thin areas. The rough around the bunkers was long, thick and soft. It was really easy to chip out of- and I did a lot of it as I narrowly missed many bunkers. The tee boxes (red) were very uneven and in need of mowing. The greens were beautiful, soft and smooth. They made for a very successful putting day. I always enjoy playing this course. It’s short enough from the red tees to let me score well but is absolutely long on fun and challenge. The staff is great and I never tire of the ride over the bridge! Always recommended.

I played today with Ed, Christal and Greg (Caligolfer1031). We had a tee time of 8:56 a.m. I had booked on GN but they very kindly gave me their senior rate which saved a few dollars.

Conditions were pretty much the same as described by sr129. The fairways were more brown than green.. Overall, they were cut very short but I happily found many plusher lies that really helped me hit my woods more successfully. The tee boxes were a little shaggy but level with minimal damage. The greens were soft, held shots well, but were slowish and a bit bumpy.

Many of the fairway bunkers are being renovated. The ones in process had some kind of sand colored cover over them. There were drop areas next to them. The completed bunkers had deep, white sparkly sand. I did get to hit out of two of those. The other bunker I was in wasn’t nearly so pleasant. It was the one in front of the green on #4. It was filled with pebbly dirt and a swarm of bees! Luckily, I hit a really good shot and got out of there fast!

All of the water features were full which I haven’t seen in a while. The one by the #16 green has been enlarged and now extends all the way behind the green and around the side of the building. There are several fountains shooting into the lake. It was very well done.

The beverage cart came by several times. POP was good at 4 hours. Always a fun course to play.

I played today with wsbell57 and colmcd. It was the first time here for all of us. As soon as we arrived we knew we were in for a very, VERY, long day. There were dozens of people just hanging around the clubhouse. They had run out of carts and everyone had to wait. We finally teed off 45 minutes late, at 1:45 pm.

Conditions were mostly good. The fairways were completely lush. The tee boxes were in very good shape too. They were all flat though not all level. The rough was long in some places, short in others. The greens were not so impressive. I would have considered them in great shape but the ridiculous number of ball marks, leaves and the occasional pebble, made them bumpy and more than a bit frustrating.

The layout was fun. There are a lot of doglegs, blind shots and elevation changes. Other holes were pretty straightforward, giving welcome relief after a more challenging hole. There are some nice city views on the back nine.

POP was terrible- 5.5 hours. We waited on every hole for the group in front. The group behind us hit up on us many times, even after Bill asked them to stop as they nearly hit me and Kathy twice. I definitely want to play here again. Having some course knowledge will hopefully help me score better next time. I think I’ll only play on a weekday though, in hopes of a faster round.

Teed it up this morning with Kassper7. It’s been a couple of years since I last played here. Although they don’t offer a senior rate on weekends, it’s still very reasonable at $38.50. I walked the front nine but took it easier on the back with a cart.

The conditions were disappointing. Visually, it was very nice- green and lush. The bad part was that there was some serious over-watering happening. The fairways were good other than several deep muddy areas, but the greens were downright spongy. There were many spots of water pooled under the grass creating big bubbles that moved to the side when stepped on. I got the feeling they would erupt if punctured with a repair tool. The tee boxes were unlevel and the bunkers thin on sand, but considering how poorly I was playing, it really didn’t matter.

The good part was this is a challenging and really fun course. When it dries out a bit, I’d like to give it another go.

It’s been about 7 years since I last played here. It’s a really nice little course. It’s a mix of par 3s and a couple of short par 4s. Staff is very pleasant and diligent in keeping to Covid safety precautions. Conditions were good. Fairways were green and lush. The rough is quite deep and thick in places. The bunkers had a thin layer of clean, soft sand. Tee boxes had the usual divot damage and were a bit unlevel. Each hole had a mat for practice swings. The greens had a few patchy areas and some mild bumpiness but overall were very nice. The course is short and has some challenges with water and intimidating bunker placements. At only $9 for weekday senior rate, it’s perfect for a quick, fun round.

This was my first time playing here. Check-in was outside because I had prepaid, but the pro shop was open for other transactions. There is a large driving range with mats and grass, which was in use today. There are also large chipping and putting greens. I didn’t have time to warm up, though. My tee time was 11:00 a.m. I arrived early and they sent me out early at 10:30 with a pleasant twosome. The carts are nice with good GPS and Shark Experience music.

We started on hole 10. My first impression was that the fairways and the rough were in very good shape- green and lush. When we got to the green, though, we found that it was lightly sanded. Putts still ran smoothly but slowly- 9.6 according to the sign at the clubhouse. The entire nine was about the same condition-wise. The second nine was better with no sanding of the greens.

The tee boxes were level. They were a bit shaggy but there were a lot of mowers in action all over the course. The bunkers were deep with clean, soft sand. Normally this is a real good thing. Without rakes, though, it was tough hitting out of the many footprints. There are a lot of water holes and I did lose 2 balls to them.

I enjoyed the layout and visually it’s very pretty. There weren’t any real standout holes but there were many that did take some planning which I like a lot. The only big negative was playing with a couple of new clubs for the first time and it didn’t go so well. I would like to play here again once I’ve gotten used to them.

The beverage cart came by four times and the marshall made the rounds handing out water and frozen Snickers bars (never seen that before lol) POP was good at 4 hours. Overall, it was a very pleasant day. Recommended.

I teed up yesterday with colmcd and wsbell57. Having enjoyed Buenaventura so much last weekend I just had to play Olivas. I figured conditions would be just as good and it is also such a great walking course. They require rounds to be prepaid, but when I reserved by phone, their credit card machine was not working. They said ok to pay when we arrived. I admit I was afraid that wouldn’t go smoothly but check in was fast and friendly.

The range and practice areas were all open. The range mats aren’t in great shape but I dislike hitting from them anyway so I just spent time in the chipping and putting areas.

They were spacing groups 10 minutes apart. The starter was at the first tee to make sure we didn’t begin a minute too soon. It was actually really nice. We were following a huge women’s club and with no one on our tails, we were able to play at a very relaxed pace.

Conditions were near perfect. The tee boxes were level and cut tight. Fairways were beautifully, completely green. This is the first time that I’ve played that #13 hasn’t had any GUR. Although not quite as soft underfoot as Buenaventura was, the turf was so easy to hit from. It was a great confidence boost being able to hit my 3 wood consistently. Every bunker had deep, clean, soft sand. The rough was only a fraction longer then the fairway. The greens were smooth, fast and full of tricky breaks.

With all the flowers blooming around the course, visually it was stunning. I always take a lot of photos when playing but ended up taking over 60 this time! The weather was great although it got very windy later in the round.

The only negative was the condition of the restrooms, on and off the course. I did mention that in the online survey they sent me, so hopefully they will make some improvements there. POP was good at 4.5 hours. I love this course and will definitely be back!