The mighty have fallen. Played Rancho twice this month; it's my regular course. It is a great layout with lots of subtle challenges. The par 3 holes in particular are quite difficult, each for a diffe... Continue »

The mighty have fallen. Played Rancho twice this month; it's my regular course. It is a great layout with lots of subtle challenges. The par 3 holes in particular are quite difficult, each for a different reason. The hills throughout the layout really add to the test, and trees come into play on most holes. People complain about 5-6 hour rounds on weekends, which is the time it will take you if you tee off after about 9 a.m. Early tee times allow you to finish in 4 to 4 1/2 hours. It's hard to play much faster due to the difficulty. All things being equal, this is the jewel of the Los Angeles city courses. Unfortunately right now all things are not equal. The course is in an extreme state of disrepair. The tee boxes are a disgrace. They are largely uneven. Unrepaired divots everywhere, it's very hard to find a place to tee up that is level and actually has grass underneath. The fairways are just as bad. If you hit it well and straight, you can't count on a good lie; often as not your ball will be in a divot hole or on some bare turf. Bunkers are another adventure; some have fine sand, some have dirt; some have a mix of the two. At least the greens are in decent shape, although they run pretty slow, especially in the early morning. L.A. City Golf Division charges a premium to play Rancho [along with Wilson GC]. Golfers aren't getting value now. Obviously the city is not willing to pay for basic maintenance, and it really detracts from the enjoyment of a round here. While the course is being aerated I am looking forward to playing at other venues that don't abuse the golfing public like the City of L.A. is doing here at Rancho.