Played 8/26 2 pm $64 POP 3.5 The course is in over all good to very good shape. Fairway's are summer brown with lots of roll, but still played fairly soft to hit from.
Greens looked fast, but I wou... Continue »

Played 8/26 2 pm $64 POP 3.5 The course is in over all good to very good shape. Fairway's are summer brown with lots of roll, but still played fairly soft to hit from.
Greens looked fast, but I would say ran at med./fast. Greens were receptive and putts rolled great. Found three of the MANY bunkers. One was rocky, one a little hard and one perfect. Saw the cart girl twice, on a late afternoon Monday too ! A great course for the money!

Played Barona Creek today and it is in amazing shape right now. The greens have great pace to them with even a few uphill putts being quick. Fairways are cut pretty tight but have very good roll and t... Continue »

Played Barona Creek today and it is in amazing shape right now. The greens have great pace to them with even a few uphill putts being quick. Fairways are cut pretty tight but have very good roll and the ball sat up perfectly. The practice green as well as the range is great with good callaway practice balls to warm up with before your round. I would highly recommend going to play soon because one of the guys outside told me they will be closing sometime in september for a few weeks to do over seeding.

I ended up down at Barona Creek today because I've always wanted to play the course and take advantage of their good weekday twilight rates. I love that the twilight rates here start at 11:00. I ran i... Continue »

I ended up down at Barona Creek today because I've always wanted to play the course and take advantage of their good weekday twilight rates. I love that the twilight rates here start at 11:00. I ran into the casino to sign up for my players club card, which also gets a discount on golf. I walked on, paid $64 and was teeing off right at 11:00 with another single. We played through one twosome on the front. He left after nine, but I ran into some groups by the 12th hole and ultimately joined the couple in front of me for the last few holes. Overall, though, it was about a 3:15 pace, which was excellent.

I was a little disappointed in the conditions. When I called the other day, they said the course was looking and playing "great." I know you can never fully trust the pro shop guys, but you'd think they'd at least bring up that the greens are heavily sanded. Not punched (as far as I could tell), but just a generous layer of sand. However, they still rolled true, quick and smooth even with the sand. More visually unpleasant as it didn't affect playability much. Some spots in several of the fairways look to have been aerated recently, but recovering well. Tight lies here and pretty dried out throughout fairways and rough (lots of extra roll-out), but consistent turf and good to hit from. Bunkers looked great (large, plentiful, and nasty here) and the one I was in had good sand. Tee boxes nice and level. On the front they were pretty dried out, but most of the back they were pretty lush and green.

Though the course doesn't look its prettiest right now, it plays fine and I really loved the layout. I'd love to come back here when I know it's in tip-top shape. Great links design that's way different from anything else in SD County. Neat, wide open valley setting with the resort right there. Generous fairways, but large and tricky greens. A ton of gigantic bunkers with a very rugged natural look. Lots of long native grasses and desert environmental areas surrounding the holes and a handful of big old oak trees to mix things up from time to time.

I played this past weekend and had a blast. This track never disappoints and it's always a treat to play. The practice facilities here are outstanding with an expansive range, putting green, and chi... Continue »

I played this past weekend and had a blast. This track never disappoints and it's always a treat to play. The practice facilities here are outstanding with an expansive range, putting green, and chipping/putting area. I concur with the previous reviewer's comments about the course conditions. Tee boxes were excellent; level and green but slightly on the thin side on some. The greens were very good and rolling quick! The fairways were also very good although there were some very tight lies that were very hard. There were still indications of recent maintenance on some of the fairways on the back 9 but only barely noticeable. The rough was nearly nonexistent so hitting out of it wasn't very penalizing. The bunkers were inconsistent with some having good coverage with soft sand and others were thin and hard. It's very dry out there and proof of that showed with a recent brush fire along the 17th tee that melted some of the fencing lining that hole. Service was spotty on this day. Although the starter said to wait until we were called to the first tee, he forgot to do so. The cart girl came around numerous times. The after round bag attendant wasn't friendly and seemed like he didn't want to be there. Oh well, I was glad to be there and I didn't want to leave. I'll be back.

Walked on this morning and was the second single to go off. Teed off earlier than the 7 start time. I was playing decently so I did take my time, finished a little after 10 so it was a little over 3... Continue »

Walked on this morning and was the second single to go off. Teed off earlier than the 7 start time. I was playing decently so I did take my time, finished a little after 10 so it was a little over 3 hours to play. The other single ahead of me probably played in about 2 1/2 hours and another single passed me as I made the turn. It was a little warm this am and there were a lot of bugs but as it began to heat up they went away.

On Friday and Saturday they held their club championship so with that being said the conditions are excellent. The greens are really fast, especially as they dry out. I remember I had about a 15-20 ft putt and hit it like I would a 5 footer. It really is amazing how much they roll.

Tee boxes are nice and level and green. I was a little surprised because with the heat, beginning of summer, and lack of rain I was expecting them to be drier and thiner and it was quite the opposite. If I had to nit pick they probably could use a little trim and I'm sure some would argue that is not the case.

Fairways are really nice to hit off from. There was one fairway (17 I think) which looked like the right side was punched a little while ago but overall very nice. The rough here is not really penalizing its the native area that is the problem. I did hit it in there twice and one I didn't even bother to go find but the other I was luck and found a bare patch but other wise I would say if you're in here you're brave and the ball is a goner.

Service in the pro shop was fantastic, Bill was a super nice guy. I went in at the turn and he asked me how it was going and even remembered my name. The people working here really seem to enjoy working here.

On another note I was walking back to the tee at 13 and a California king snake slivered across the path, scared the crap out of me. At least I think that is what it was. Also after teeing off on 15 I was driving and saw a rattler on the silver tees. So what I am saying is be careful if you venture into the native areas, it is rattler season.

Finest course you can play in San Diego County. Exceptionally beautiful location. The fairways are wide, the rough forgiving, but plenty of bunkers and the greens can be rocket fast. The more I pla... Continue »

Finest course you can play in San Diego County. Exceptionally beautiful location. The fairways are wide, the rough forgiving, but plenty of bunkers and the greens can be rocket fast. The more I play this course, the more I appreciate the subtle visual cues in the design. Still trying to break 80 on it. 17 and 18 play long and into the wind. Definite score card killers.

Played Saturday 3/16 with a mid-morning tee time. Overall, I rate the course excellent and it is one of the best in San Diego.

Fairways were firm and ran quite a bit, but were fairly green w... Continue »

Played Saturday 3/16 with a mid-morning tee time. Overall, I rate the course excellent and it is one of the best in San Diego.

Fairways were firm and ran quite a bit, but were fairly green without any bare areas, and were easy to hit off. The greens appeared to be a bit pockmarked from ball marks but it was mostly only in appearance and they rolled smoothly at medium fast speed. The bunkers were excellent; a previous reviewer panned the sand, but our group found it to be excellent. Soft without being fluffy, well raked, and very easy to hit out of - the club made a very satisfying "thwump" when slapped behind the ball, and they were very predictable.

Pace of play was pretty good. It seemed pretty empty right in front of us for most of the front nine, but we caught up to a somewhat slow 3some that didn't move too quick. Since they didn't catch a bite at the turn we stopped and picked up food, and then caught up with them again after a few more holes. Although we didn't have to wait long for them, it was disappointing to wait at all given how open it seemed on the front nine. We never saw any marshal or any help on the course to keep people moving.

Customer service at Barona is kind of spotty. I've played there several times and it is been consistent each time. They pick you up promptly at your car and deliver you to the pro shop in a friendly manner. The pro shop people I've dealt with aren't surly, but they aren't real warm either - it is kind of pay your money, get pointed out the door. We saw the beverage cart attendant a lot on the front nine (she probably came by us 4-5 times), but never saw her on the back nine.

Overall, it is a great course that presents a good challenge but isn't severely punitive. Spring is a great time to visit, with the valley hillsides green and wildflowers all in bloom, and the temperature is very comfortable.

I played Barona Creek this past Saturday (3/2). I agree with all the previous GK'rs about what a special course this is to have in SD. You cannot beat their twilight rates starting at 11:00. Course is... Continue »

I played Barona Creek this past Saturday (3/2). I agree with all the previous GK'rs about what a special course this is to have in SD. You cannot beat their twilight rates starting at 11:00. Course is playing very hard and very fast right now. I last played here in July and was really excited to play during a more wet time of the year but found the course to be just as dry. I imagine that with the high level of wind and hotter temperatures out in east county it's tough to get a lot of water on this course. Of course, this has it's positives and negatives as you can bomb a drive and get a ton of roll but then not be able to get your approach to stick on the green.

Of note, I would suggest you stay out of the greenside bunkers right now as the sand is really matted-down hard and you can't get the bounce of the wedge under the ball. I consider myself to be a good bunker player and am comfortable out of the sand. I wasn't at Barona Creek this past Saturday.

Played 1/1/13 12:am 4.5 hrs. This continues to be one of the best courses in San Diego.
The fairways are in typical winter conditions. Cut tight and are green/brown color mix. They have lots of ro... Continue »

Played 1/1/13 12:am 4.5 hrs. This continues to be one of the best courses in San Diego.
The fairways are in typical winter conditions. Cut tight and are green/brown color mix. They have lots of roll right now and play soft to well struck shots. The greens were fantastic. Balls rolled perfectly and very quickly. It's easy to putt a ball off the green if your not careful. A few greens with false fronts made approach shots to front pins very tough. Traps and T's in great shape. Service is always great. It's hard to beat $65 after 11:am for such a quality course.

Barona Creek Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews