Yesterday was a postcard day at San Clemente. The sky was clear and a constant breeze to keep you cool, especially for a 4some of walkers. Local knowledge on the greens is needed for a good score. Most putts will break towards the ocean. The last 4 holes are challenging with elevation changes and the afternoon ocean breeze.

The Classic course has been out of my normal rotation for 5 plus years. I normally play tees of 6,500 yards of less, but the group voted on the blues - about 6,700 yards. The extra yardage was not much of a factor, but the afternoon wind sure was! The greens were medium fast, rolled true, and held irons hit from the fairway. The course is relatively flat and easy to walk. It has mature trees and well positioned sand traps with very good sand quantity (no thin or bare lies). Customer service was excellent - the group with the tee time before ours was late and wanted to hit balls on the range --- the pro shop asked us if we wanted to switch places. THANKS. Also, we saw the cart girl several times on each nine. The only negative was the $48 to walk rate, but it was prime time on a Sunday.

It has been a while since I played SC - new clubhouse and redone parking lot. The course still has character and charm with many mature trees. The burmuda grass has just come in so the fairways are in excellent condition and the rough can be a challenge to hit more than a short iron. The greens were punched a few weeks ago and are still slow and bumpy, but held approach shots. Number 6 remains a difficult park 4 back to the clubhouse and the par 3 15th remains one of the best in Southern Californa, plus the view! We saw the cart girl several times on each 9.

I played in a charity event on May 14th - thanks Keith!. This was the first time I played here as the price had always kept me away. My price range is usually $50 or less. For a public course it has the "country club" feel as well as "country club" quality of maintenance. The conditions were excellent from tee to green. The fairways are lush and generous and the key to scoring well is positioning for your approach shots. The greens are tricky with many tri-level greensm but fun to attack lower level pin positions if can hit past the pin and spin it back! The next time you want to splurge on price consider Tustin Ranch. It is easy to get to from the 5 Freeway.

Played 4/4 for twilight rate of $24. Friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere makes the Wick low key. The greens were in excellent condition, rolled true, and few ballmarks. Finally golfers that repair their ball marks - many thanks. If you want inexpense OC golf, a course where lost balls are rare, and need to restore your confidence - try the Wick.

Played with PlatoPar and 3 putt Tom on 3/8. Greens were very good - held well struck irons and were quite quick. In many areas the rough showed effects of the rains last month - resulting in many bare areas and ground under repair (I consider dirt areas with tire tracks ground under repair). The front nine plays a few strokes easier than the back nine. The wind effects the back nine, especially in the afternoon and holes 15, 16 & 17 are difficult. This stretch can cause a good round to become average, or worse.

Played the Wick on Sunday the 8th. I guess the chance of rain kept some golfers at home. Platopar and I were a twosome, walked and finished in just over 4 hours. The greens were very good, but on the slow side. There were puddles on the course and clean, lift and play were the rule of the day. Due to the wet conditions golf carts made the areas around the cart paths muddy. The weekend rate for walking is $37.

Friendly staff makes this a fun place to play! No "cart girl" and I didn't see any water fountains on the course so come well prepared.

Played Sunday December 29th using JC Discount card. The course was wet so cart path only rule was in effect. The first three holes will test you out of the gate. Solid par threes and par 5's, especially number 18 which has a narrow three tiered green. Some of the par 4's require position tee shots --- 3 wood. The course plays fair with no gimmicky holes or blind shots. An enjoyable course with friendly staff and we saw the cart girl three of four times.

Played Sunday December 12th with a friend who is a Carlsbad resident for $55. The staff was friendly and the starter showed me how to use the GPS system on the cart. I have to say that it is the best GPS system I have ever used. It showed the distance to the pin, front and rear of the green, the location of the pin, distances to the sand traps and other natural hazzards. Also showed the location of the other cart in the group, as well as the group in front.

Do to the hilly nature of the layout, especially between holes, the carts can run out of power, especially on the climb to hole 16. However, the Marshalls will respond to your GPS request for a replacement cart. One Marshall came by on hole 14 and swapped out cart #60 and told us they were watching this cart because it often ran low on battery power. The Marshall stated they were waiting to receive new carts which should help solve the problem.

This is a course where local knowledge is a must. Several holes are blind from the tee box, especially number 3. Greens are multi-tiered, in fact several were brutal, especially the double back of hole number 12.

Great views, but I agree with other reviewers that several were forced into an odd loop of holes. Beware, if you are not under an 18 handicap you are sure to loose many balls as the environmental areas (it seems on all holes) is played as a lateral hazzard with an automatic lost ball. While we seldom had to wait for the group in front of us the layout leads to 5 hour rounds.

I will return to try to better my score, but only with a $55 or less green fee.

Played the Ike on 11/13/08 and the conditions were fantastic! The course had been overseed a few weeks ago and is now lush. The greens were perfect - smooth and fast. The only negative was the cart path only rule in effect. I usually play courses from the Blue tees, but the Whites are the tee of the day and the length was equal to most course's Blue tees. The elevation changes makes the course play longer. Treat your self to one of the best courses in the LA area and bring your "A" game.

Played 7am shotgun and finished before the heat and wind picked up - the conditions the afternoon group probably faced. Fairways were in excellent shape, but not much rough and some of the greens had large bare spots and were sanded. It is hard to believe they would put the pins in these areas of ongoing repair work! #2 is still one of the toughest par 4's in OC!

Played Sunday - fantastic weather. Course was in decent shape considering the time of year. Greens were slow and showed the effects of recent punching. It is worth playing if you walk and have the LB Resident card - only $35.