I played today with Sal, Kelvin, and Johnny in a GK Guru event. I've played here perhaps five times before, but embarrasingly discovered that I have only one review of Maderas over the years. Shame ... Continue »

I played today with Sal, Kelvin, and Johnny in a GK Guru event. I've played here perhaps five times before, but embarrasingly discovered that I have only one review of Maderas over the years. Shame on me.

This might be my favorite course in San Diego County, but there are still a few I haven't played yet. There are houses around--BIG houses--but they are set back so far that you hardly notice them, and they come nowhere close to coming into play. It is dead quiet out there. No traffic, no city noise. Very peaceful and serene.

Conditions are always good, and this visit was no exception. This late in the year courses begin to show their wear, but Maderas is in better shape than those I have played lately: Monarch Beach, Arrowood, and Golf Club of California, all of which are generally in better shape than most (the latter two are considerably less expensive than Maderas so you'd expect less pristine conditions). The only places I noticed any wear are where the carts enter and leave the fairway, and where carts are parked near the green.

This course is very hilly, so don't even think about walking. They have golf boards which I would like to try someday which would give you a little more exercise while still being manageable. The layout is tough. We played from the Blues, with a slope rating is 136. The golfer who just grabs his driver and heads to the tee will be in for a rude awakening on some holes. On several holes you'll score better if you play a little more conservative off the tee. Sixteen in particular is tough. A narrow fairway that slopes toward a creek is a killer. I hit hybrid, which I've done before, but this time I managed to hit the fairway (it may be the only time I've hit this fairway). Sure, I had 200 to the green from there, but I was hitting my 2nd shot instead of my 3rd.

I didn't have any trouble finding a level lie with good grass on the tee boxes. The bunkers were really in nice condition. Deep, fluffy sand that you don't bottom out on dirt and skull a shot, although I was in one that the grounds crew must have missed and didn't rake from the day before. The greens were impeccable. We teed off at 8:15 so they were a little damp, but as they dried out they got quicker but still rolled true. I did not see more than a few unrepaired ball marks, so kudos to the grounds crew and the other golfers.

This course is deserving of its high end reputation, and that is reflected in the rack rate. There are deals to be had from time to time which make it more affordable. If I had friends from out of town and wanted to show them a good time I would definitely consider taking them to Maderas. It's a little too expensive to play on a regular basis, but for a treat it's really nice to play.

Played here for my first time as part of GK Guru on 11/16 and wow, what a course. From the drive in until you head back to your car content, there is nothing about this property and course that disapp... Continue »

Played here for my first time as part of GK Guru on 11/16 and wow, what a course. From the drive in until you head back to your car content, there is nothing about this property and course that disappoints. A big thanks to Johnny for setting up this great deal and to David and Kelvin as well for making a poor day on the course still seem so pleasant and enjoyable. We had the course to ourselves for the most part and it was a real treat to see the special event going on and passing right next to Hank Haney! The review:

Tee boxes: Perhaps the weakest part of the course and at this point, that's saying a lot because they were ample in size, in good shape, and because the course offers so many box options, our blue tee boxes were in pretty good condition.

Fairways: Excellent shape and I was happy to see them with good color overall. Offered good roll and I never had a bad lie. Undulation in certain fairways definitely made them tricky to know which way the ball would roll.

Rough: Penal in certain areas but what can be killer here is the ESA. Between the rattlesnakes and the poison oak, it's best to stay away. The few times you can hit out, it's better to take your medicine. The rough that was grass played fair overall.

Bunkers: A delight to hit from. Visually they were just a shade away from pearl white and the consistency of the sand was excellent. Fairway bunkers as well as greenside bunkers were all great.

Greens: The highlight of the round. Rolled like they were glass and the topography of the greens was PGA Tour like. A tap of a putt would end up 6 feet past on any given green. Receptive to spin and shots held well throughout the day. Some of the best greens I have ever played on in that regard. Dangerous and challenging but great!

ETC: Staff was everything you would expect from Troon Golf. I can see why this course was ranked as a top course in the state by Golf Digest. Practice facilities were amazing. Pro shop offered everything needed and snack bar was great. Cart girl came around a few times and was very friendly! Everything about this course was amazing. Highly recommend!

Played 8/23 with a 3:10 tee time with Pat and Mark. Called ahead to make sure there were no tournaments. Said there was a group of four foursomes going out at 1:45, but should be no problem. We ask... Continue »

Played 8/23 with a 3:10 tee time with Pat and Mark. Called ahead to make sure there were no tournaments. Said there was a group of four foursomes going out at 1:45, but should be no problem. We asked to play the back first, just to be sure, but there were groups just making the turn so it was not possible. The tees were great; fairways were the same; bunkers were well maintained with lots of nice white sand; collars showed signs of a hot summer, but better than any course I've played in a couple months; greens were on the slower side as usual for this course, but could not be faulted. As we finished 9, just before 5:00, we hit the "slow" group. The pro shop said it was fine to go ahead of them and then fill in later. We jumped around, trying to get holes in, but still were unable to finish 17 and 18 before dark. Here's the real point of this review: Before the door to the pro shop had shut as my buddy went in to complain, the starter apologized and made things right. It's that anticipation that I appreciate at almost every Troon-run golf course I've played. There is no look from behind the counter of "What's your problem?" They know your problem and then go about fixing it. Thanks.

Played today at 10:30am as a 4some and finished in about 4 1/2 hrs with some waiting at the tees. Tees and fairways were in very good shape. Some brown spots in the fairways but didn't have any burn... Continue »

Played today at 10:30am as a 4some and finished in about 4 1/2 hrs with some waiting at the tees. Tees and fairways were in very good shape. Some brown spots in the fairways but didn't have any burned dirt areas at all. Greens were just excellent. Somewhat soft but had good medium fast speed. No ballmarks to fix other than our own.
Just a very nice course in excellent condition. Highly recommended.

Beautifully maintained course with many elevation changes and very large well sloped greens. The staff was friendly and very helpful - nobody in our foursome had played the course before. The tee bo... Continue »

Beautifully maintained course with many elevation changes and very large well sloped greens. The staff was friendly and very helpful - nobody in our foursome had played the course before. The tee boxes were near perfect and all very level. The fairways were in great shape with tight lies for the most part. The bunkers were everywhere on this course - luckily I did not find one. The traps looked well groomed and my partners said they were fluffy and dry. The greens were very large and in fantastic shape - they held shots and rolled nicely. The course is tucked back in the canyons with custom homes around the course - but they all sit well off the course and do not come into play. There are many forced carries and sloped fairways here - the ball seemed to travel less here for our entire group than we were all used too. Using an extra club up is the safest way to play the course the first time around - many holes will feed your approach shots onto the green. The green fees are a little steep to make this a regular course for me - but you get a great course for the fee!!

Played here as part of the Troon Challenge which is my 3rd or 4th year doing this and is a well run tournament. It was an easy check in with the pro shop and then off to the range.

Range was in ve... Continue »

Played here as part of the Troon Challenge which is my 3rd or 4th year doing this and is a well run tournament. It was an easy check in with the pro shop and then off to the range.

Range was in very good shape. I would say the conditions are what you would expect from a lie in the fairway. Pretty consistent.

I'll agree with Shaun's review a couple of weeks ago. While the greens are not the fastest I have seen them they weren't slow either. But I would say with the slope of the greens putts could get away. In general throughout the whole course I was expecting more browning due to water restrictions, heat, etc. So I was pleasantly surprised how green the course was. You can tell they are getting water on the course and it shows on the greens. Greens were soft and I had expected them to be firmer so they held shots well.

Fairways again were mowed nicely and there were some firm and some brown spots but for the most part was very nice to play from. Divots were generally filled in. I did notice some GUR in the front of the green on 7 but that is the only one I noticed and there was plenty of spots to drop.

Never played a bunker shot but did retrieve a few balls and the bunkers seemed pretty soft. They also had been raked that morning.

Customer service is always fantastic here. I have never encountered a bad employee when I've been here. As we left today we probably passed 5 employees and each one offered some form of thank you which makes the experience that much better.

Standard Maderas. Greens were a little slower than usual but in perfect condition. I am sure the speed was due to the heat. They were not slow, just not fast either.

Standard Maderas. Greens were a little slower than usual but in perfect condition. I am sure the speed was due to the heat. They were not slow, just not fast either.

Was able to get an invite to a small media day (thanks to GK'er zebwelborn) they were hosting at Maderas to promote their GolfBoard fleet. They now have 8 boards ready for rent, but make sure you rese... Continue »

Was able to get an invite to a small media day (thanks to GK'er zebwelborn) they were hosting at Maderas to promote their GolfBoard fleet. They now have 8 boards ready for rent, but make sure you reserve one well in advance of your round because they are in high demand! I've been dying to try one and passed up a couple opportunities last year at other courses, so this was the ideal situation at a great course. Needless to say, the board was a very fun and efficient way to get around the course. A little bit of a learning curve, especially on a course as hilly and undulated as Maderas, but once you get going it becomes easy to maneuver. We actually started off as a sixsome (all on GolfBoards) and we were all over a threesome in carts in front of us, so it was proof of concept that they can help play move quicker. All of the players but me and Zeb bailed out after nine holes, so we played the back as a twosome. Overall pace around 4.5 hours, but that was more because of a couple slow groups in front of us. The course was in nice shape overall. Tee boxes great. The fairways and rough had some brown spots here and there and several of the fairways had been recently aerated, but the grass was pretty consistent and I always had excellent lies. The greens played firm-ish and were rolling a little slower than usual here. There was a light topdressing of sand, but it didn't affect putts at all. The bunkers just had fresh sand put in, so if there is a thing as too soft this was it. Zeb and I both had balls that plugged (his was almost completely buried), so it will take a little time for the sand to settle in and play better. This was my third time out at Maderas and I really like the course. Challenging, scenic and interesting from 1-18. Service is always topnotch and as media guests for the day, they treated us extra well. It was a fantastic day on a fantastic course, and it certainly was a blast to try out the GolfBoards!

Played here 7/5/16, first time.

As ESPN does after a memorable game, I'd call this an "Instant Classic"

First off the service here was outstanding. I was there on a slow day, but still very impr... Continue »

Played here 7/5/16, first time.

As ESPN does after a memorable game, I'd call this an "Instant Classic"

First off the service here was outstanding. I was there on a slow day, but still very impressed with attention to details. Inside Pro Shop, on first tee, on the course beverage cart, courtesy from maintenance staff (to not interfere, even though they had some work to complete) and at cart return, where attendants there to clean clubs, and to offer you a cold towel and lemonade.

On course. The starter warned me about the slope in the fairways, so I was keen on looking through yardage book for help (No GPS, nice yardage book available for $5, and worth it). I can only recall 2-1 holes that I would consider flat-ish. Many ups and owns here. A couple semi blind tee shots where you must be aware of how fairway tilts. You can really work the sideboards in fairway to your advantage.

Tee boxes were good-very good. No complaints.

Nice Bermuda fairways on this day. A little dry in spots but for the most part, still green and presenting very nice lies everywhere in fairway. A couple fairways with punch holes, but I didn't consider it a showstopper. I would think you could play on ball that landed in a punch hole as GUR.

Greens were excellent. I didn't notice any brown or dry spots. Starter warned about being firm, but I found them very receptive and on soft side. Probably the 800am start time and some early water on the track, so held well, rolled nice, medium speed. Large greens with plenty of subtle to severe undulation.

Many bunkers on the course, which added to the great design and aesthetics. I only found one and it was near perfect. Others looked very good as well.

Superb grass driving range and short game area, and well conditioned putting greens.

Course also offers the golfboards as alternative to regular carts.

Really enjoyed this course. I did have prime mid 70 temp, on a clear sunny day, with only a 3-ball a couple of holes ahead of me, and a 2-ball a couple of holes behind me, so not entirely fair to say POP was good. With no traffic, I moseyed around in 3.5 hours. Took advantage of the peaceful, quiet and perfect conditions.

Highly recommend and even though I had to pay full fare, felt like I got my money back in enjoyment.

The starter did mention to me that veri-cut was scheduled for greens on 7/7 and some additional fairway punching upcoming, so check back here or with Pro Shop before you head out.