Played super twilight as a single yesterday, 3/3. It was too nice of a day and I couldn't resist getting out for the ruined walk. It was either here or Altadena, and I'd played enough Altadena lately ... Continue »

Played super twilight as a single yesterday, 3/3. It was too nice of a day and I couldn't resist getting out for the ruined walk. It was either here or Altadena, and I'd played enough Altadena lately that I needed a change up. Well, this course needs the benefit of rain to flourish and the conditions here have suffered more than most due to the drought, but the impact of our wet season has finally shown up. The first fairway, as much as any on the course, is usually a mix of tight lies and almost hardpan. I was actually presented with a grassy lie, the predominant, current fairway condition — and so on through the course. In fact, some of the fairways were a bit shaggy and played like light rough, but in a good way. While a mowing might seem like a good idea, I can see leaving it go a bit to really let the grass reestablish itself. The extended areas that were previously bare, mostly out of the usual landing zones, are greening up, but primarily with weeds, so it's more of an aesthetic improvement there. Rough has thickened up proportionately. I missed the bunkers so no real comment there. Greens are medium quick, on the firm side, reasonably clean, and rolled consistent enough to be fair with no surprises. The surrounds presented good chipping and pitching opportunities. This will always be a twilight or super twilight rate course for me, but the conditions are getting closer to making it more reasonable to pay full price if so inclined and your schedule is limited. There is a decent range, usually on grass, a separate bunker and pitching area, and a putting green. It's an interesting layout with views. There is a restaurant and bar. I've never eaten there and don't know the hours, but the small bar always seems to be busy when I finish playing those late-in-the-day rounds. With a little more rain and grooming, this course should have a resurgence and go through a period of pretty decent conditions through the spring. How well it establishes itself and lasts into the summer heat remains to be seen. For now, I'm putting back in my rotation for impulse, nine-hole rounds.

Going out for a Friday afternoon nine on 12/2 with a friend, we were considering where to go. Curiosity and the the hope that recent rains might have helped conditions led us to give Eaton Canyon a sh... Continue »

Going out for a Friday afternoon nine on 12/2 with a friend, we were considering where to go. Curiosity and the the hope that recent rains might have helped conditions led us to give Eaton Canyon a shot. We hadn't been there in a good while so maybe our curiosity was a shade on the morbid side. We knew better than to expect anything too fabulous but hoped it would be fairly open. Well, it's still in generally poor shape, but maybe not in all the ways some previous reviews mention. The tee boxes are generally level with decent coverage. The fairways have long stretches of pretty much bare dirt, usually in areas you shouldn't be playing from — for example long stretches of fairway leading away from the tee boxes and many areas of the rough. The main areas of play generally had playable grass, albeit bumpy, with some greening coming in as a result of the rain. If there was the money and the will on the part of management, a lot of these already bare areas could be visually defined and perhaps given some kind of wood chip covering to classify them as modifications to the drought conditions, thereby making lemonade from lemons. It might actually look kind of cool if it seemed intentional, with my recent round at Los Robles sparking this particular line of thinking. But it would reflect a level of interest and investment that Eaton obviously hasn't seen in quite a while. Meanwhile, back at the course, the bunker I visited was OK and the greens were actually in decent shape and putted well on the quick side of medium. Busier than we thought it would be, there were some slow groups ahead of us making the round drag a bit, but we got it in before we lost too much light. We got out a bit after 2:00 and were charged $7.50 super twilight rate. This and Altadena GC are two nine-holers that are nearby and convenient to me. I'd like to see them succeed but have to admit that, barring unusual circumstances, I would never pay full price on these courses — particularly weekend full price. But for $7.50 it was more than decent for a casual round — even for the twilight rate if you know what you are getting into. It will take a good winter rainy season to give this place a chance to recapture some of the charm it had in the past. I'll come back at some point at the late day rates. For a cheap nine on a spur-of-the-moment Friday afternoon I can't say I regret the choice, but any recommendations are conditional.

As khill57 said, stay away. Years ago, I used to play here on a regular basis and stopped because conditions went downhill. Decided to give it another try last Friday. Played Super Twilight solo. ... Continue »

As khill57 said, stay away. Years ago, I used to play here on a regular basis and stopped because conditions went downhill. Decided to give it another try last Friday. Played Super Twilight solo. Not only was there a five some in front of me, there was a seven some in front of them. Took 2 hours to play 7 holes and just got fed up and left.

This kind of policy is absolutely ridiculous, will not be going back again. EVER.

STAY AWAY!!
Wow, it's been about a year since I've been here and this place has really gone down hill.
Played here on Sunday 4/24 at around 12:30
Maybe because I've played here many times before... Continue »

STAY AWAY!!
Wow, it's been about a year since I've been here and this place has really gone down hill.
Played here on Sunday 4/24 at around 12:30
Maybe because I've played here many times before and always found it to be in good shape.
This used to be such a nice regulation 9 but no more. The greens were in very bad condition, looked like they had some kind of fungus on them. The ball just bounced along so you couldn't make any putts. Tee boxes were just okay, the fairways were subpar.
The bunkers were in decent shape with a decent amount of sand in them.
At $21.00 to walk, Eaton Canyon is twice as much as it should be. Really disappointed.
But hey, all the ball washers had soapy water and fresh brushes in them so maybe there's hope!

I wouldn't quite call it a hidden gem more like a hidden semi-precious stone. Prices meet the conditions but what separates this course from the others is that you can pretty much walk-on at any time... Continue »

I wouldn't quite call it a hidden gem more like a hidden semi-precious stone. Prices meet the conditions but what separates this course from the others is that you can pretty much walk-on at any time, and the service is top notch. Pro-Shop is bare since the new management took over. They are slowly adding more items. They have a separate chipping and sand practice area next to the range. Since new management, the trees have been trimmed back and you can see improvement with the greens and tee boxes. The fairways held up nicely through the recent super dry summer and are mostly green where you should be hitting. I will keep returning as the improvements keep coming as it is a good value and a hidden semi-precious stone.

Went out with my buddy plus a single at 2:30 this afternoon for the $7.50 walking, super twilight rate. I hadn't been down here in a while and I don't have high expectations. This course needs the ben... Continue »

Went out with my buddy plus a single at 2:30 this afternoon for the $7.50 walking, super twilight rate. I hadn't been down here in a while and I don't have high expectations. This course needs the benefit of rain more than most for it to be in good shape and it is looking dogged. The good parts are that the greens are actually pretty decent — medium quick and fairly consistent putting surface. The routing can be a little quirky, but is interesting, with a lot of altitude changes. I wasn't in a bunker but my buddy said it looked like they have improved the sand quality. They have also greatly improved some of the tee boxes — leveling and enlarging them — especially the #3, which was the worst. The weather today made for rather spectacular lighting on the mountains in the late afternoon until sunset, so that was a big aesthetic plus. On the beat side are the large bare areas that seem to frame a lot of the course, and the generally ragged aspect of the under-watered fairways. There is mostly grass where it should be, although it can range from a bit lumpy to thin, but it is definitely playable. I wouldn't pay anything more than twilight rate here at best, but with reduced expectations and for the cost of a bucket of balls, it was a pretty enjoyable round.

I have known about this 9 hole course for years. Now I have finally played it. It will be a one time thing. The course is in a beautiful setting. It is old and mature. The first 5 holes go downhill to... Continue »

I have known about this 9 hole course for years. Now I have finally played it. It will be a one time thing. The course is in a beautiful setting. It is old and mature. The first 5 holes go downhill to the lowest point on the course the 6th tee. From there its uphill giving your legs a workout. Nothing is nice. Maybe the greens will improve by next month as the aerifying scars heal. Overall, nice layout but poor conditions.

Played on Saturday, 2-28-15, early. No POP issues because there was no one in front or behind us. Finished in less than 2 hours, hitting multiple shots a few times. I hadn't played here in over a ... Continue »

Played on Saturday, 2-28-15, early. No POP issues because there was no one in front or behind us. Finished in less than 2 hours, hitting multiple shots a few times. I hadn't played here in over a year, and I had been turned off by the poor conditions, and extensive green damage. But things looked MUCH better, with good fairway coverage and decent tee boxes. The greens were slow but looked healthy overall. I wasn't in any bunkers but they looked ok. I like the design of this 9 hole course, and I'm glad things have improved since I prefer it overall to Alta Dena.

I hadn't been out at Eaton for quite a while so I hit super twilight around 3:45 for a change of pace and walked right out as a single. Caught a foursome around the fifth hole and played behind them b... Continue »

I hadn't been out at Eaton for quite a while so I hit super twilight around 3:45 for a change of pace and walked right out as a single. Caught a foursome around the fifth hole and played behind them but still finished in about 1.75 hrs. For this time of year conditions are decent. Given my expectations, I was a bit pleasantly surprised. They seemed to have improved several teeing grounds, most notably, the par-3 third which has needed it badly. Now it's very nice and the tee boxes here are consistently pretty level with good coverage. Fairways generally quite playable— varying from firm, fast and a bit thin, to some decent cushion and coverage. On its best day, it's a little inconsistent here. Because the fairways are generally tree-lined, most rough areas underneath are more likely thin, dirt or hardpan than thicker grass. Missed the bunkers so no real comment. Greens were relatively lush, medium fast but a bit pocked and bumpy. Not a place to have high expectations or go out of your way for, but very enjoyable for a late afternoon casual round. Interesting topography and nice mountain views lift it above the basic round and, if you do happen to be in the area, it's worth trying for a local experience.