I posted an outing recap with photos in the forums today. Thank you everyone that came out to play Sunday.

I played all 18 holes for this GK Plays and really enjoyed it but I felt bad coming in seeing everyone waiting around and some that needed to leave. So I posted a forum topic about a modification to how I run tee time events as opposed to shotgun events I’d appreciate if you checked out and gave me some feedback. Anyway, simply love both Desert Willow Golf Resort courses and I was totally impressed, as usual, with the conditions of the golf course to go along with the great layout. I talked with the Director of Golf prior to playing and the Superintendent Chris recently won the Kemper Sports Superintendent of the Year. Bear in mind Kemper Sports manages over 100 facilities in the USA that include Bandon Dunes, Chambers Bay and Streamsong. The super introduced a new practice to the turf management of Desert Willow Golf Resort that allows a quicker/smoother transition from overseeded rye to warm weather bermunda. Already, on May 1st, the golf course had transitioned to 70% bermunda – 30% rye. Greens were running very well for this time year and fairways, rough and tee boxes already mostly lush bermunda. There will very few dried rye greens areas. Take a look at the photos.

Everything about the Desert Willow Golf Resort experience makes it must a play (both courses). The patio is spectacular with fantastic views of holes #9 and #18 of the Firecliff Course. Service in all aspects is top notch. Practice facilities excellent. Food delicious.

Highly recommended to play or host an outing at.

Had a great time playing with GKers rgm2525, patbrannagan and his friend Robert on Monday at the Golf Moose / Greenskeeper.org Private Course Outing. I was not able to schedule a GK Guru round prior to this event so opted to play instead of hosting a Closest To The Pin contest. I love getting to know everyone better that come to these outings doing a CTP contest but this was a nice change of pace to experience a private golf course I’ve never played before. I’m probably going to be playing/taking photos/reviewing the golf courses more often in coming GM/GK Private Course Outings.

The Huntington Club is formally SeaCliff Country Club. The new ownership changed the name a year ago and has since been reinvesting much into better playing conditions and general improvements. The new owners hired former Head Pro of SeaCliff Country Club for over 15 years Travis Brasher, better known as the Co-Founder of Travis Mathew Apparel, and now Founder of a new golf management company Camaraderie Clubs Management.

It was a great first time playing and golf organizer experience. The staging area is fantastic for any size golf tournament with carts, driving range, clubhouse and practice putting all in close proximity to each other. Their staff had our event correctly staged on time and were very helpful/friendly throughout the day. The golf course is well suited for all skill levels yet certainly not easy. The layout it mostly flat with mature trees, water hazards, small undulating greens, many bunkers, warm weather turf (bermuda/kikuyu) turf and poa greens. Amble room off the tee to grip and rip PROVIDED the rough is cut down. They could quickly turn this course into a beast if they maintained their kikuyu rough a few inches higher. But I’m sure the members would NOT appreciate that – LOL. Take a look at the photos I posted.

The greens were aerated a little over 3 weeks ago prior to our outing so there were still signs of aeration on the greens with mild bumpiness, somewhat inconsistent speeds and inconsistent firmness one would expect. However they still played very well with good speed and mostly smooth. Fairways full coverage and lush. Rough full coverage but cut to only 2 inches making it easy to play from. Tee boxes were in great shape, mostly level with little divot damage. Bunkers were groomed nicely but lower than expected sand quality. Firm, yet consistent and playable. Overall the peak conditions for this course should be in Summer/Early Fall but as of April still excellent.

Highly Recommended to play if you get a chance, join or have an outing at.

On Thursday with GK Gurus, itslikeimsayin, rgm2525 and mark_6m we had a top tier golf experience.

When I arranged this coming’s Golf Moose / Greenskeeper.org The Saticoy Club Private Outing, I purposely wanted it to be around the Masters. The Saticoy Club has many of the same playing characteristics of Augusta. First being it’s immaculately kept. Well nothing is Augusta immaculate – LOL.

The Saticoy Club features green complexes that are kept tight and fast with many false fronts and sides that require precise iron shots to correct pin positions to get close. Once on the greens you’ll be experiencing very smooth, well holding at 11+ speeds. Lots of undulations with no putt that unfair yet all putts requiring a look. Quite frankly some of the funniest greens I’ve played.

Elevation changes, doglegs, uphill/downhill, side slopes, big well positioned mature trees, challenging fairway and greenside bunkers … An experience like no other … did I really just say that?

Take a look the photos I just posted, the conditions are immaculate across the board, service excellent, an absolute must consideration for CC membership or play any chance you get.

Finally able to post photos and my review of our GK Guru Round/Golf Moose-GK Private Course Preview Round. First off anyone reading this review that is concerned about how the golf course will play tomorrow during the event in the rain, don’t be. It drains and absorbs rain very well. Could we get soaked tomorrow…yes! But it’s a super track in great shape that in the end you’ll be glad you played. Check out the photos I just posted. We’ll be playing the Lake and Valley Nines.

Monday was my first visit to the Los Coyotes Country Club and it came off as a beautiful traditional country club experience with a grand Spanish style clubhouse and mature layout. Large trees border all the holes, forced carries over water on the majority of par 3’s. Small to Large elevated greens with manageable undulations and sloped back to front. Many doglegs and rolling hilly terrain. Some risk/reward par 5's.

The golf course is kept in great shape with emphasis on the greens and fairways. You could tell we played it on a day where the fairways were due to be cut. Even so, mostly lush full coverage that provided little roll yet sit-up lies all day. Tee boxes in good level condition. Rough not to penal but lush. However I bet in the summer that rough gets very full and tough to play from. Especially on the more hilly holes. Bunkers were well-groomed but appear to be due for some fresh sand. I found them overall firm yet consistent.

I don’t normally talk about practice putting greens in my reviews but got to here. There was not a blemish on it as it putted fast and velvet smooth. Very enjoyable.

Highly Recommended.

Finally got our GK Plays Goose Creek GC recap with 50+ photos posted in the forums https://www.greenskeeper.org/forums/discussions.cfm?forumid=97&topicid=101671 – THANK YOU AGAIN for coming out :)

Here’s my take on the course from an outing coordinator standpoint. This was a mid-size straight tee times outing of 36+ players which turned out to be the perfect size to accommodate us on the patio after play with a beautiful view of the 18th hole. Tons of fun watching players finish their rounds taking on what some consider one of the hardest finishing holes in SoCal. Don’t think I saw any birdies but did see lots of great pars. I heard compliments about the food, drink and service by our players as we hung out having a super time.

Prior to play the Tournament Director and staff did an excellent job arranging and preparing for our outing on a busy Sunday afternoon. If you ever played Goose Creek GC you know the place is pure golf with one of the best practice facilities in SoCal. It’s great that both the 1st and 10th tees are directly adjacent to the practice facilities making it easy for me to keep track of my group. Teed off in 10 minute intervals with a pace of play of approximate 4 hrs 30 min. It would have been less had our outing not directly followed another that was playing slower. Still at 4 ½ hour pace for an outing was fine by me.

Conditions of the golf course were outstanding and beautiful. Greens were fast, mostly smooth and holding shots. Bunkers fantastic with excellent sand quality. Tee boxes in very good condition lush and level. Fairways had full coverage providing great lies all day. Rough was lush, easy to play from with two cuts. My favorite part was the new deep green fringes. They look to be a perennial all season rye grass that needs some more time to get established but already is very nice. Beautiful how they define the greens. Check out the photos!

Goose Creek GC begins Spring aeration/maintenance Monday 3/28 so once it recovers I’d expect the conditions to be even better.

Highly Recommended.

Out with GK Gurus 3/2 to review Spanish Hills CC and preview it before our Golf Moose / GK Private Event outing this coming Monday 3/7.

Super service out of the gate in the parking lot from an attendant to in the clubhouse and on the course. Very impressive large Spanish Style clubhouse with gorgeous views of the Mountains to the east and valley. Nice range and practice putting green.

Once on the golf course the views only get better. The course is built on the top of a ridge that even gives golfers an opportunity to see the ocean when playing holes 14 & 15. As far as the layout, very fun, hilly, challenging and creative. Loved it. Check of the photos I posted. Regarding conditions, exceptional greens running fast, firm and smooth. Fairways dormant bermunda yet full coverage with plenty of turf padding to hit good shots. The rough, dormant bermunda as well and not as mature as the fairways. In the proshop I was informed that the golf course used to have rye grass rough and over the a last couple years it been working towards pure bermunda rough. Simple reason is the bermunda is more drought tolerant. If the rough comes out as nice as the fairways this place will be even more special. Bunkers in great shape with good sand quality and well groomed. Tee boxes are the only aspect of the golf course I expected to be in better shape but certainly not in bad shape. Thin at times with prevalent divot damage. We played the Green tees in our group. Which were a considerable yardage difference at 6278 compared to the next set back at 6748 yards. I can't imagine given how difficult the golf course is from the 6278 many golfers wanting to step back to tips. My guess is the back tees were in much better condition.

Overall, can't wait to go back and if given the opportunity! - Highly Recommended.

Just posted in the forums fun photos and results of both our outings: Recap: GK Plays Blowout in Bullhead 2022 – Thank You Everyone that came out and to our supporters Linksoul, Golf Moose and OnCore Golf.

Next was Laughlin Ranch Golf Club and as always I was so impressed with this golf experience. Fantastic playing conditions, dramatic layout with gorgeous views of the surrounding desert mountains and even the Colorado River. It’s a wonderful course for any size outing. The practice facilities are top notch and all located near the grill, bathrooms and first tee. So easy to keep track of our players and snap photos. The course recently transitioned from being Troon managed to being self-managed and they did not miss a beat. Excellent service all day. Big clubhouse and fun bar/restaurant to have a post golf gathering at. Please check out the photos I posted and head up to Bullhead City to experience this hidden gem.

Our Blowout in Bullhead 2022 was so fun I’m going to try to make this an annual GK Plays Outing!

Just posted in the forums fun photos and results of both our outings: Recap: GK Plays Blowout in Bullhead 2022 – Thank You Everyone that came out and to our supporters Linksoul, Golf Moose and OnCore Golf.

Starting with Mojave Resort Golf Club, it’s a great course to have an small to mid-size outing given it accommodates all skill levels, is a fun challenging track, has the carts, clubhouse (large mobile), driving range, practice putting all centrally staged. There are beautiful views of the surrounding desert mountains, awesome set of par 3 which 3 of the 4 have forced carries over water and a large patio to hang out on after play. Check out the course photos I just posted.

Conditions given how dry the area has been over the last six months, very good. Dormant rough frames lush green fairways and tee boxes. Greens in good shape, running smooth but man did they have some brutal pin placements out there. Sometimes I think when a Superintendent sees the name of an outing "Greenskeeper.org" they think their fellow Supers would enjoy being tormented by tough pins – LOL – either way more putts than I would have liked but very fun pin locations to take on. It’s been a while since playing here in the Winter/Spring, personally, I think the conditions are better in the Summer if you can handle the heat. But definitely worth the price. Highly Recommended.

Finally getting around to posting my review from an enormously fun GK Guru round on Wednesday at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta. The round was also a preview round where I get a chance to discuss outing details ahead of time at host clubs of our Golf Moose / Greenskeeper.org Private Course outings.

Fantastic Jack Nicklaus Signature layout that utilizes elements of the local natural terrain, such as hills, slopes, oak trees, boulders with some classic Jack water features and of course those slender, very undulating slick greens. Miss an approach on the short side, be prepared to be punished with a very difficult pitch shot.

The golf course was still in dormant winter condition as they don’t overseed. Thin, mostly firm Bermuda fairways, rough and green complexes. However I expect within a couple weeks with this warm weather waking up the Bermuda turf the golf course will get significantly more green and lush. Tee boxes in good shape with moderate divot damage. Bunkers were outstanding. White beautiful sand. Greens fantastic. Firm, fast and smooth.

Every staff member I encountered was very friendly an professional. The staging area is perfect for a large outing with a big driving range, practice putting green, clubhouse and golf cart parking all centrally located. I’m looking very forward to running a GM-GK PC Outing there on 2/28 and expect everyone to enjoy the experience.

I posted a few photos. Again the course is winter dormant so not too many pretty shots but still gives a good look at the feel of the layout.

I’d love to play out there again in Spring/Summer or Fall when the warm weather turf is awake.

Still, Highly Recommended.

Read t8fish review, wanted to play a special course for a belated Birthday round. Love Sandpiper Golf Club, few of my local GKer friends GDR23, rgm2525 and Pedro7170 joined me. Normally ride but the $30 cart rate had me reconsidering … been a long time since walking Sandpiper and so happy I did. Besides a few steep climbs it’s not that much of a struggle. So worth it to experience every step of the serenity and beauty of this place. I’m only going to ride Sandpiper GC in the future if I absolutely have to.

As far as conditions, excellent, especially for January. Completely gone are any issues with the greens. They were pure, fast and holding shots. Fairways, all in great shape with exception hole #14 that is always a challenge to maintain but it was certainly not in bad shape. Just not as lush as the others. Rough, primary was lush, about 2 to 3 inches, surrounding the greens and adjacent to the fairways, secondary, long fescue, foot high, you really want to avoid not only because of difficult shots but also because it is very tough to find your ball in it. Bunkers were firm with about two inches of top layer sand, uniform, well groomed, easy to escape if you adjust properly, don’t make the mistake of taking too big of a swing out of them. Tee boxes in great shape, lush, level and large. Some trees have been removed due to storms and other reasons opening up more sight lines. This is a long golf course that plays longer due to the ocean air and somewhat damp fairways. Having a little more forgiveness off tee with a few less trees was nice.

Service was excellent. Outside services and Pro Shop very professional and accommodating. No beverage cart service during our Monday afternoon round and not sure why. I forgot to ask. Snack bar at the start/turn was open.

Looking into doing a GK Plays here...

Highly Recommended.

Teed it up with GK Gurus Tuesday at Dove Canyon GC. Cloudy on the chilly side teeing off at 12:21pm… the golf course was very busy. I immediately understood why they could only reserve one tee time for us. Normally a GK Guru visit is 8 reviewers or more. Great day with sparky14, gary00 and dconnally.

This was my first time visiting the club. Wow, this place is impressive. Clubhouse was gorgeous and seemingly tucked on to the edge of a canyon ravine. Fantastic views from the clubhouse including the dramatic 18th hole. Big driving range on the opposite side of the parking lot away from the clubhouse. Got to admit, I was kinda nervous driving in as there are NO NETS – LOL .

The golf course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course and the layout was awesome. It reminded me at times of many golf courses I really like(d) such as: Lost Canyons GC(d), Moorpark CC, Maderas GC and Tijeras Creek GC. It gave an opportunity to play driver on all the par 4's and 5's without feeling unfair tight (well the par 5 brutal tough hole 11 is an exception … yes I took a snow man on it.) The greens were nuts. Big slender designs for the most part with at least 3 tiers on every hole. Jack made sure to install a bunch of trouble for short side approach misses and some false fronts thrown in for laughs. But wow are those green complexes fun to look at and play. Of course there are lots and lots of bunkers … some with big oak trees growing in them. Joy, in the bunker behind a huge tree. Gorgeous views on just about every hole. Every par 3 fantastic with Hole 17 the show stopper … at least 75 feet of drop to the green.
(Check out the photos I just posted!)

As far as conditions, dormant winter bermunda in the fairways and rough with a mix of some cool weather turf to give it color. Full coverage with lots of run that was good to hit off with exception to some thin areas. Rough was difficult from the perspective you could be sitting down in 3 inches of dormant bermuda or on a very thin spot. Tee boxes more green/lush than the fairways and rough, level with some divot damage (played the blue tees). Bunkers in good shape, some with new sand, mostly firm and groomed. But forget all that winter condition stuff, the greens are fantastic. Holding shots making them fun to go after those tough pin placements. Smooth and Medium/Fast.

Love on the first date for me with this course. Can’t wait to play it again. Hopefully in Spring/Summer/Fall when it’s peak shape.

Highly Recommended.

Teed it up with GK Gurus yesterday! What a treat to finally return to Braemar CC which I played many times in late 80’s and early 90’s. So much has changed since then as many already know the club is now a 27 holes facility instead of a 36 holes facility. Many holes removed and redesigned to accommodate the new 27 holes configuration. It still has a lot of its past charm but now the golf course much more difficult. The layout is longer and even narrower due to those once small trees being large now. If I could sum up Braemar CC’s layout I would say it’s addictively difficult with a lot of unique hilly holes. We played the Masters (East) 9 to the Western (West) 9 from the tips which will be my last time I play from back there as it measures 6512 yards as a par 70. Black Tees Masters 9 to Black Tees Western 9 is only Par 70 configuration at Braemar CC because hole #6 on the Western 9 plays as Par 4 from the black tees instead of Par 5 from all other tees.

This was a GK Guru/GM-GC Preview round that was supposed to be on the same 9’s as the Golf Moose/Greenskeeper.org Private Course outing I’m running there next week 1/10/2022 but the Open 9 was being used for filming so the Western 9 took its place for our round. Filming will be completed by the outing next week. The golf course was very saturated from the heavy rain a few days prior so it was cart path only. Fortunately it’s a narrow layout so the walks from the path to your ball were normally not long. The golf carts do not have GPS and the golf course is only marked from the cart paths so you’ll want to have your own yardage device. You’ll also want to be very accurate off the tee and approach to the small undulating greens. Your pitch shot from around the greens will become your best friend once the round is complete – LOL.

The current playing conditions were abnormal as the course is still heavy saturated in many fairways and of course nothing groomed yet until the turf dries out more. Most of the maintenance crew was either turning the wet sand due to rain erosion in the bunkers or clearing tree debris such as leaves and branches. Once its drier, cut and groomed to it typical self the conditions will be fantastic as there were hardly any thin areas in the fairways/rough. The greens still ran mostly smooth, fast and firm. A lot of fun to play on. The tee boxes, given how small they had divot damage on all holes where iron off the tee is the smart play.

Check out the photos I just posted. I’m hoping to get back out there this spring to play the Open 9. If I could pick between the Western 9 and the Masters 9, I’d pick the Western 9. Highly Recommended if you get a chance to play.