I played here a few weeks ago and was absolutely stunned to see this place lead the overall quality rankings in Ventura/Santa Barbara. Don't get me wrong, this is a decent value and a well-kept golf course. There is just nothing inspiring about the lay-out. As flat as it is, they don't let you walk it - inexcusable! Nearby Los Robles and Olivas Links are better and more interesting courses for half the price.

Sometimes it takes a great review here and there and a legend is born. Such is the case with Rustic Canyon, which seems to make a lot of "Best of" lists locally and nationally with one of the lowest green fee structures for a top flight course anywhere.
I have played here several times and come away wondering what all the hoopla is about. The course is raved about for its minimilist approach to the landscape - apparently a whole lot of earth wasn't moved to tailor the holes to the original shape of the land - but to me that spells boredom. Hole number one is a dead straight ahead par five with no trees and a few bunkers and ravines thrown in to challenge your shotmaking, but very little to please the eye. Hole number two is another long and dead straight par 4 with some bunkering and ravines thrown in to challenge your shotmaking. Starting to sound familiar?
Did I mention that the all too frequent winds that howl through the hillsides here can truly torture your soul during the round?
This is not an easy course by any means. I would even suggest that on a very windy day, it is even tougher than the much higher slope rated Lost Canyons courses. Just when you start feeling good about yourself after the front nine, you embark on the torture chamber that is the back nine. The par 4 11th hole is one of the toughest par 4s in Ventura County hands down, and if the wind is blowing you are looking at almost certain double bogey if the pin is tucked in the back left side. The entire left side of this hole is nothing but jail, and you must flirt with the left side because the green ends in a bottleneck that juts to the left. The short par 4 12th hole is the most ridiculous hole I have ever seen because of a severly mounded green - think Pinehurst but even more ridiculous - that belongs in a carnival funhouse. It is all too easy to be left with a 10-footer and have your ball roll completely off the green with a 50-footer coming back. I would suspect that a lot of good rounds have been ruined on this throw-away hole because of the green. Folks, they need to relocate this green and start over or re-route this entire hole. I should also mention the greenskeepers are in the habit of mowing down the approach areas to the greens to make the greens appear much bigger than they really are as you make your approach shots.
The backside continues on its grueling pace, making you sweat over many shots without the inspiration that comes on other tough courses you will play. If you are looking for trees - any trees - you won't find them in this windswept place. Rustic is a great value for a course that is generally kept in great condition, but I will only play it when there is a tournament going on at Los Robles, my home course in Thousand Oaks that is tons more fun and inspiring to play.

I recently moved to Southern California from the Bay Area and was absolutely stunned to see some of the course ratings from Northern California after joining Greenskeeper. Poppy Hills is bar none my favorite golf course in California and and does not even make the Top 25 course ranking. Rancho Solano in Fairfield is a little more than an upscale muni and ranks second?
Poppy Hills, which plays in the ATT Pro-am rotation, is a beautiful gem in the Del Monte forest along world famous 17-mile drive. The pros like Tiger Woods have nicknamed this course "Pop-up Hills" and do not like it because its many doglegs take away their driving distance. Every hole is a memorable treat, starting with Number one, which I have heard more than one scratch golfer say is the toughest opening hole in golf. The key to playing Poppy and enjoying it is to be straight off the tee. The Del Monte forest will absolutely gobble up your tee shots if you can't get it near the fairway.
Course officials have made this course easier and more playable over the years, most notably shaving down the deep rough that used to surround the Par 5 9th green in every direction for 100 yards.
Course conditions are generally immaculate. The five par 5's at Poppy are the most memorable, but every hole stands on its own for uniqueness and beauty. If given the choice and I could only play one course in the Monterely Pennisula regardless of the cost, it would be Poppy. As for course value, good luck trying to get a tee time. The steep discount for NCGA members means they can play Poppy for about $75 with cart, and tee times are consistenly booked a month in advance. You will have better luck showing up as a single and waiting for a no-show.