Played 2/24 with a buddy. Teed off at 10:30am. Hunter Ranch had a 40 minute frost delay to start the day, so naturally everything was backed up most of the day, and our round took all of 5 hours. Thankfully we were the last twosome to go off until about 11:45, so while it was backed up in front of us it was wide open behind us.
The course was still very wet from the recent rains, so it was cart path only. As a result there was no roll out on the fairways, and the greens received any shot very well. The greens, as always were almost perfect. Rolling true at a medium fast pace. The tee boxes were surprisingly not in good shape, as many were dying or had a lot of divot damage. The rough was thick around the greens and decent elsewhere. Sand was great, plenty of fluff to get up and out of some of the larger lips around the course.
Hunter Ranch is my favorite central coast course to play, and as always their customer service and restaurant are some of the best around.

Played here 1/28 as a threesome. Teed off at 9:15 am and was paired with an older guy who was staying at the hotel. He only played nine, and we were done and enjoying a beer on their nice patio overlooking the course by 1:30. Get the burger it's delicious. The course was still very wet from the rains, and the starter told us that the canal that runs through the first fairway had water 60 feet outside of its walls, so it definitely got hit hard. Course drained well enough, though, but we were still limited to 90-degree rule on the front and cart path only on the back.

Tee boxes were good, plenty of coverage from the black tees. Fairways were wet and long as a result of them not wanting to cut with all the rain. Some areas had water damage but not too bad. Greens were long, but again they probably didn't want to cut them as much with the rain. All in all, it was a fun round, definitely a place I want to go back to when it isn't hit with so much rain.

Finally was able to dust off the sticks and get out and play on Veteran's Day. Teed off at 8:30am and naturally got stuck behind a slow group. But, being on the course beats being in the office so my group relaxed and enjoyed the day off.

The course didn't do any overseeding to my knowledge but is as green as ever going into the colder months. Tee boxes and fairways were lush. The par 3 tee boxes, especially the whites, had a lot of divot damage. Still don't know why they haven't put some sand on those tees to help alleviate that but oh well. Greens are coming around very nicely. You can barely tell that a year ago they were all but dead, and are rolling better than ever. Still have unrepaired ball marks here and there, but overall the greens are great. Traps are still hit and miss, but more often than not you have just enough sand to get the ball up and out.

Overall I believe now is the best time to get out and play Riverlakes. The weather is actually enjoyable here in Bakersfield, so take advantage of the 2-week window we get a year and come up and play the best public course in Bakersfield.

Played 10/24 in a scramble tourney with some friends of mine. At one time thought to be one of the best and nicest private courses in Kern County, Rio Bravo kind of fell off. So, when I agreed to play in this tourney I was skeptical about conditions. While the course wasn't overflowing with green grass and lush lies, the conditions weren't as bad as I thought.

The tee boxes could use some leveling, as well as re-sodding. The fairways were thin in places and wet in others, but not very green. The rough was patchy along the fairways, but thick around the greens. Sand traps were very nice, with plenty of sand. The greens were the highlight of the course. Very receptive of approach shots, and had a lot of subtle breaks to them. Everything breaks towards town, and anything above the hole was only stopping if you made it.

Overall, the course looks like it's making a comeback. Talkws to some members yesterday and they said that over the past month and a half things have started to turn the corner for the club. Hope to get out there again soon to see how everything progresses.

Played on 10/1 as part of a Wounded Heroes Fund of Kern County group that was invited by a member of the course and his wife. I had honestly never even heard of this course, and initially went to Horsethief since it was the only course that I knew of in Tehachapi. There was 12 of us, and my group of 4 went off at 9:30 and we finished around 2:30, taking our time to enjoy the beautiful weather and the course itself.

The course is a very well-kept secret. Tucked in between a couple mountains, its quaint pro shop and restaurant epitomizes its small town atmosphere. It's a little 9 hole course that you play the whites on the front and the blues on the back. The holes circle a small lake, which has plenty of people kayaking and fishing during the day. The course does a great job at mixing the two tees up, sometimes playing longer or shorter on the back nine. The tee boxes were in great shape, a little bare on a few though. The fairways were lush and fantastic to hit from, providing some roll out and great lies. The rough was thick around the green, providing a challenge should you end up just off. The greens had just been aerated on Wednesday the 26th so it was tough to tell how they are regularly. The sand traps are fine and great to play from. The course is crawling with wildlife, with plenty of deer roaming around the course. We even saw a beautiful 8 point buck in a backyard.

Overall, the course is short but a great time. The staff there were very friendly and helpful regarding how to play the course. Your ball does travel a little bit farther since you're about 4500 feet above sea level, so hitting driver is fun. A great track that I hope to be invited back to soon. Again, a big thanks to the members who invited us veterans come hack it around for a few hours.

Played 9-28 with a buddy. Teed off around 1:45 and finished around 5:30. Would have been faster but the local high schools were out there and seemed to be taking their time. It also got very windy on the back nine and it seemed to slow everybody down. The greens have recovered from the recent aeration and are rolling a bit better. 13, 14, and 18 are still in poor shape from the fungus that ate away at all greens. Fairways were great, soft with no roll out. Tournament tees were in great shape, some actually still very soft even in the heat of the day. Whites were kinda ate up on the par 3s. Bunkers are still coming along, some with sand others hardpan. Overall a good round.

Played yesterday in a GK outing with rgm2525. Teed off a little before 9:20 and got done around 12:30. There was only a two some ahead of us and a single behind us and the rest of the course was wide open. We could have been done earlier had it not been for me spraying nearly every drive into the native areas surrounding each hole. Ridge Creek can be a difficult golf course, but it is ten times more difficult when you're searching for a ball in thick grass and bushes. Fairways were hard, leaving you with tight lies on nearly ever hole. Greens were soft with plenty of hold to them, even spun a few shots off the green. Sand was in good shape as well. The course was a great time, and I had a great time getting to know Ron as well. Definitely will have to get back out to Ridge Creek to see if I can get back some of the lunch money it took from me yesterday.

Played on 9/10 with a foursome. Tee time was 7:30am, but we didn't go off until 7:40. We thought we were in for a long round, but after the first two par 3s everything just opened up. Played just under 5 hours, which isn't bad considering 2 of the guys I played with aren't very good golfers. Fairways were in great shape, as were the greens and tee boxes. Rough had thick parts and then thin parts, but overall was good, especially around the greens. Was never in a bunker, but the sand dunes on the back nine had that fine beach sand. The front played away from the ocean and more in some houses, and the back played literally on hwy 1 and the beach. On a clear day I'm sure the views are awesome. Overall the course is very short and pretty straightforward, but fun nonetheless. Call ahead when you're on 8 and order a breakfast burrito from the restaurant. You won't be disappointed. This was my first time playing golf on the peninsula, but I feel that PG will be on my list for my next visit.

I play this course frequently, as it's near my house. When it first opened it was the best public course in Bakersfield. Greens were tough, fairways were pristine, and the bunkers ate balls up. Over the years things began to fall apart, partly with poor care from players and what not. Around 2012, Riverlakes lost their greens completely to a fungus. They all basically died, and never regained their original posture. They were painted green and were basically dirt and loose sod for a long time. They attempted to resurrect them, with temp greens in fairways while the greens were worked on, but they never returned. Every summer they'd die, and players would resort to the temp greens again. Finally, in 2014, a new person was hired as head greens keeper, and since then things have been amazing. Nearly every green is back to it's original form. Aside from a few that are still kept a little hairy while they return, the rest are in great shape. A little bumpy at times, but still rolling true. The fairways are green and soft, along with the tee boxes. The only knock on this course is their bunkers. They are, for the most part, rock hard and difficult to play out of. Many feature deep and steep lipped bunkers, so being able to get out of one is difficult. They are slowly renovating a few bunkers at a time, so hopefully in the coming years we begin to see the fruit of that labor bloom. Riverlakes is a fantastic public course to come visit and play if you're ever in Bakersfield.

Played 8-26 with a foursome. Got into town around 1 and teed off at 2:30pm. Course was midly populated, but we never had to wait long for a shot. Front desk was very helpful with tips on how to play the greens, which was much appreciated. As for the greens, they are absolutely diabolical. It's unreal how much the ocean plays effect on your putts. If you're putt is uphill but facing the ocean, it'll be the fastest putt you'll have all day, unless you're the poor soul like myself who is stuck with a downhill putt facing the ocean. Putts that look like they'll break left won't and will pull to the ocean. A 2 putt from 15 feet is a great feat on this course. Fairways and tee boxes were in great shape. Hard from the afternoon sun and wind. Rough is very thin but thick the greens.

Played 8-28 with a foursome. Teed off right before a tournament at 9am so there was nobody in front of us all day. We knew that the tourney was a shotgun and started at 1:30pm, so we knew that we had to play quick but that wasn't a problem. Course is in phenomenal shape. Fairways are perfect, greens were firm but held and rolled pure. They actually look faster than what they are, but were in exceptional shape. It was 9am and my buddy played a chip shot to the first hole and the sound his ball made when it hit the green sounded like the greens had been in the sun all day. Awesome golf course and they offer a military discount which is always welcome. 100% will come play here again soon.

Played on 8-27 with a group of 4. Happened to fall into a special they were running that weekend, so we paid 50 bucks for cart and 18. Weather was perfect, and the course was wide open. Teed off at 2pm, and finished around 6:45. Course fairways were in excellent condition, as were the greens. Some tee boxes were pretty ate up, especially those on the par 3s, but for the the most part everything was in great condition. The only knock on this course is its small driving range. I'm a longer hitter and can only go up to my 4 iron.