A shot makers delight is a great description for RC. The greens have been slowed down (purposefully?) over time so it's become a bit easier. On most holes, place the drive in the proper position and you have a better approach to the green. For example, the oft maligned #12 is a great example. It's a very short, slightly downhill hole, protected on the left by a series of waste bunkers. Many people try to blast a drive getting as close to the green, or even on the green in one (highly unlikely). More oft than not, you're left with an awkward chip, or "between club" pitch, to an extremely mounded green. Depending on the pin placement, you can be left with a couple of difficult putts.

I try focus in on the approach placing the drive in the correct position sending a full wedge into the correct part of the green with a bit of spin. When on the very difficult #11 fairway, take a peek at #12 pin placement to determine the best approach. On the #12 tee select a club (not necessarily a driver), which will leave a full wedge. More often than not, I direct the tee shot toward the subtle mound in the fairway leaving a full wedge. With a well placed shot I leave it on the correct level for a two putt par. Could it be that the course designers placed this unique mound in the fairway just for this purpose...

This is just one example of a special course that gives you lots of options once you learn its subtleties.

Finally a course with some character. Quite disappointed when the nearby Buena course reopened for it was a weak remodel with reduced yardage for an already short course. Olivas captures a true links feel in a creative fashion. The fairways are a bit close but there's not that much land to work with. The only misplaced aspect are the bunkers. The bunker sand and the well defined bunker shapes belong more on a parkland course than on a seaside links design. Perhaps they are easier to get out of or easier to maintain?

I suspect locals will find the course too difficult and too different from typical courses. But that's OK, for they can head down the road to Buena and River Ridge for the mundane.

Play RC on average at least once a week for the last six months and thoroughly enjoy the layout, design, challenge and value (see previous post in August). However, the incredibly slow play and lack of any attempt at increasing the speed of play I have reduced my rounds to only when I know the course is empty. I get the sense that tournament play and RC's incredible value place a lot of slow golfers on the course. It's a shame because, despite the comments by RC staff, I have seen a marshall maybe once in about twenty rounds. I can not beleive a 5+ hour round should be routine, and given my experience and all the comments player comments it is the norm. Alas, I love the course so I will play but much less frequently.

First played Rustic Canyon (RC) when it opened and it left little to no impression. Perhaps it was overSHADOWed by its brawny neighbor, Lost Canyons (LC) located down the 118. Eventually, I grew tired of LC's steep price and profound difficulty. Returned to RC last week with some concern about storm damage. I must say I was impressed by its conditions. I had forgotten how the RC layout retains the grittiness of a true Scottish links course transplanted into a SoCal environment. It lacks the refinement of some overly polished courses in appearance but that is not a bad thing for most true links have that quality. RC also maintains a decent amount of difficulty with its expansive mounded greens with generous aprons, chaparral carries and cagey pot bunkers.

The lack of development encroaching onto the course was refreshing - even LC has one of their 18's stymied by housing developments.

Very high marks for RC after a long sabbatical. However, very low marks for the amount of time it took to play the course. A combination of affordability and difficulty for the average golfer adds up to a 5+ hour round.