Played a Sunday round at Brookside #1 with a buddy and the crew there were kind enough to cancel one in our group who bailed without any penalty (had tried calling numerous times the day before but no one answered because the course was closed for the UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl). We were paired with two singles then with a 9am tee time and opted to play from the whites.

Playing the day after a UCLA game is perhaps not ideal, but what was worse was the Rose Bowl flea market that turned the parking lot area into chaos. It also didn't help that the 9th hole was cut down to a makeshift par 3 (although we still played it further back as a driveable par 4) due to all the patrons around the stadium at the flea market. There were also some tables, porta-potties and other miscellaneous items scattered around the fairways on those holes in closer proximity to the RB. The rest were fine and only saw some light damage in a few fairways from over-zealous parkers.

In terms of conditions, the greens are really in nice shape right now. They're fast, they're true and they require some very good approach shots or chips/pitches to keep them not only on the greens, but close to the pins. I had a few get away from me for sure but they were at least consistent throughout. Tee boxes were in good shape with most level and all with good coverage, while the bunkers seemed fine as well (only landed in one on 18). The fairways were mostly in good shape with a few thin areas here or there. There's a sizeable GUR area to the right of the green on the 7th hole (also near the stadium).

POP was not so good unfortunately as we spent a lot of time waiting with the majority of that time sitting on the par 3 holes (no shock there). It was very deflating to get to the 17th hole and see one group on the green still with another waiting ahead of us to even tee off. It's a long and somewhat tricky course in places so I'm sure it's just a question of golfers biting off more than they can chew by playing the wrong tees.

Cart service came around numerous times and the carts themselves were basic but functional. Nothing to really complain about there. Beautiful, warm November day as well - perfect for golf! Very challenging layout and a great test of golf - they use this course for SCGQ qualifiers so you know it's a good one. I played a very solid round and enjoyed it immensely, but next time I'll probably remember to just make tee times here when college football is off the schedule.

Having just read Fastboat9's recent review on Skylinks, I wholeheartedly concur after my latest round there this weekend. The greens fee ($93) does not currently reflect good value for the course you're playing.

The fairways 'feel' thin ... they play okay and all but they have such a dull, uninspiring sheen and the joy of hitting fairways for the best possible shot just doesn't match up with the surface. The greens are in good shape however and rolling pretty nicely for sure. Tee boxes are up and down but too many with dirt/mud patches for that pesky greens fee again.

Bunkers are just terrible. Shocking to see here, really. They are so absolutely thin and all you can think about here to get out of the sand is super solid chipping - you're not getting any sand with your shot here right now.

So while I still really rate Skylinks when it's at its very best, it's just nowhere near that level right now. If you get a tee time in the $50-65 range, then it's still worth the money.

Day two of our impromptu Palm Springs weekend brought us back to the Tahquitz Creek Resort course for the first time in over eight years. At that time we started late in the day and could only finish around the first seven holes before having to leave, so I was excited to grab this tee time for Sunday and actually get to finish the entire round.

We had a 10:10am tee time and were paired up with two gals from Seattle down for the weekend. I opted to play from the white tees since my buddy has no business playing from the back tees, but by the 7th hole it was clear we needed to move him up so he joined the ladies at the forward tees and I continued from the whites.

This course rarely gets much attention it seems but I found it to be quite fun and enjoyable. There are a lot of water features to contend with along the way, but also some tricky short dogleg holes with desert defenses between your tee shot and the greens, also some strategically placed bunkers and the latter holes of the course are quite narrow and demanding.

Greens were not running exceptionally fast but held shots very well, rolled very true and were consistent throughout the round. Their appearance actually looked worse than how they played, which is never a bad thing. Fairways were in really great shape though (and rough) with super lies all afternoon. It's amazing how far this quality goes when it comes to hitting good shots. Bunkers were also in good shape with nice sand and the tee boxes were perfect from the whites. Really no on-course complaints whatsoever. Enjoyed it very much.

Cart service came around a few times which was great because they have stopped putting out any water stations due to some homeless encampments near and around the first few holes who were apparently damaging them. They also require a key for any of the bathrooms because of the same reason. It really is a shame to see and I hope the course can manage to sort out this issue because it's not great for the paying customers to have to deal with at this point.

Carts were in really top shape - they're very fast! Unfortunately they don't have any GPS on them which would be really beneifical as there are a few holes out here with some tricky sightlines if you're unfamiliar or don't have your own GPS on your phone or watch. POP was apparently not great but we barely noticed until the marshall came around on the 11th hole and told us that the group in front of us was a hole and a half behind and asked them to pick up the pace. Well done.

I was very glad I had a chance to finally complete this course, played a very solid round and enjoyed the experience wholeheartedly.

A planned backpacking weekend in the mountains beside Palm Springs ended up morphing into a last-minute golf weekend instead so the first course we hit was Cimarron. My friend is not a very consistent nor well-practiced golfer so picking the wide open vastness of Cimarron seemed like a wise start before a tougher course on Sunday.

We had a 1:10pm tee time and of course it was still quite hot out in the desert, but manageable if you kept drinking your fluids. We were paired with a very nice Canadian couple and played from the equivalent white tees. The course itself is right in front of you and there aren't many tricked up holes to worry about, but there is the main wash area running between the length of the property that has a tendency to swallow up any wayward shots.

The greens right now at Cimarron are in good shape. They hold shots well, run pretty true and were running at a medium-fast speed. They look good as well. Tee boxes are in good shape - lush and level. Bunkers were also very playable. Most of the fairways were in good shape for the most part but there are still a few areas of standing water and some fairways still have the mud damage and general mayhem from that big 'hurricane' that really did a number on the Coachella Valley. I would say that's the biggest gripe right now is hitting a great drive and then having your next shot out of some dirt streak in between the lush grass.

POP was moving along pretty nicely but of course there were some long waits on the par 3 holes. Carts have a basic GPS system that's helpful but are otherwise very pedestrian. Cart service came around a few times throughout the round and the practice range is in good shape - also thanks to the cart crew who gave us some range balls after having forgotten to request them upon checking in.

All in all a pretty good day out at Cimarron which is one of the more beginner-friendly type courses in the Palm Springs area but will still give your mid-level handicappers something to think about with each shot.

Made my way out to Balboa this weekend to try and keep the 'hot streak' going. I had the choice to play Encino as well (which is generally a better course) but wanted to switch things up after having played there the last few times up at the Sepulveda Complex.

One thing I did notice for the first time really is that while many courses don't have a lot of chipping/pitching areas, Encino/Balboa has a huge area between the clubhouse and the ample driving range. It's a very good facility for that kind of practice.

As for the course itself, greens are in very nice shape right now, running medium-fast and holding shots well. There's nothing overly tricky about the green complexes for Balboa, but adjusting to the speed is difficult as one generally expects them to be much slower. But props to the greens crew for a job well done.

The rest of the course is not quite as well set up for your play. The fairways are good not great - lots of thin lies in and around the greens and even in the fairways. Rough is often preferable as it's very playable and you're less likely to thin it. Bunkers look pretty bad but actually played alright, while the tee boxes (played the blues) were a mixed bag of fine, not so fine and definitely could use some love.

POP moved along pretty nicely and our group of four singles got around in around four and a half hours. I was shocked to also see cart service riding around which is very uncommon around here and a nice change. All four players also walked as it's a very easy walking course with no major distances between holes or nines. And the price? It was a steal - let's just put it that way.

In summary, Balboa is playable right now but not quite at its absolute best.

Twilight round at Lakewood and was excited to see how the course was playing after the last positive review. Happy to report that conditions are still quite good across the board and the course is currently showing its best side.

I had a 12:50 tee time (played the blue tees) and got a small bucket of balls to warm up on the small, but well-maintained driving range (I would guess there are only about twenty stalls). The course itself is pretty challenging with surprisingly sloped greens, plenty of water features, decent amount of length and its fair share of bunkers. It's very flat though so easy to walk.

Fairways right now are quite lush and green and found plenty of good lies all day. There were a few too many unrepaired divots in popular landing areas, but that's on the patronage more than the course crew. Rough was manageable, bunkers had what looked like hard sand but it actually played pretty nicely, and the tee boxes were mostly level and well-kept.

Greens were in very nice shape, rolling medium-fast and holding their lines nicely. They've come nicely out of the last punch, but still seeing far too many unrepaired ball marks from lazy golfers who don't take the time to fix what they break. It's a bit maddening. Other than that though I found them to be very nice indeed.

POP was pretty good throughout as I was paired with another single and an older couple who were both quite good. We waited on many of the holes but nothing so outrageous as to cause loads of frustration. It was a pretty beautiful day out and not much could spoil it.

In summary, great time to go play Lakewood if you can get a time. It's doing the job.

Got a recent time close to home at Alondra and discovered a course far more troubled currently than what my lowered expectations were even anticipating. Check-in was smooth and easy and I was paired with another single as part of a twosome, but that's about where all the good more or less ended.

Carts are in very poor condition but they're effective enough I guess. The fairways are also not too terrible if we're looking for a silver lining, but you are going to find a lot of thin or sometimes even water-logged 'pits' around the course. That's about the best I can say for Alondra right now.

The greens are slow, bumpy and some are still showing some of the aeration effects from a punch two or three weeks ago. So many good putts simply made odd left or right turns along the way and slowed down many feet ahead of the pins. You just have to adjust but they're not in good shape at all. I suppose they hold shots well.

Tee boxes are a shaggy disaster. Not mowed down at all. Really poor. Bunkers are also very thin and some had some standing water in them. I did find myself in a few during my round but managed to hit some decent shots out of them but aesthetically they look pretty awful.

POP was not too bad but it was strange that we were sent out as a twosome when another one followed us and we all had to wait for the slow threesome ahead of us. What can you do?

I never go to Alondra and expect country club conditions but I have played here often enough to have found greens in better shape and tee boxes with even the smallest amount of energy devoted to their upkeep. I think this place could be so much better with just the minimum amount of care taken. Let's see if that happens anytime soon.

Played a twilight round at Rio Hondo last week and found the course to be in good shape as most all the greens have recovered from aeration and there is good coverage to be found throughout the property.

Greens were running medium-fast and holding good approach shots well, but far too many unrepaired ball marks that makes it frustrating to keep fixing them on every hole when time permitted. Tee boxes (played the blues) were in good shape, as were the bunkers from what I saw but avoided all day. Fairways and rough in good, very playable shape.

Nice practice range adjacent to the first tee which is very convenient, and the cart upgrades are a welcome change, although still no GPS so make sure you have your own. Course is very narrow and challenging on the front nine, then opens up significantly on the back.

Overall everything is in nice working order at Rio Hondo right now so it will be worth your time and money to visit.

Monthly golf group found its way back to Green River this past weekend and I was fortunate enough to be mentally prepared thanks to my good buddy kviser's excellent review from a few days previous. I won't go over it word for word but highlight some of the facets of this course in its current state.

As Kevin mentioned, the cart paths and the terrain itself is rough on the back when you're driving at speed just about anywhere on the course. The course is a little lusher in terms of fairway coverage than I remember from any previous visits, but the bunkers (after the first two or three holes) are still a hardpan, sometimes standing water mess (impossible to play properly), while the tee boxes are shaggy and in dire need of TLC.

My elevated tee shot on the 14th hole drifted a bit left and into the rough. Certainly findable, right? Nope. It was so deep and shaggy that it was gone, although I did find 2-3 other folks' lost balls, but never my own. And the greens? Not too bad in all honesty with some damage to be found on some of them, but overall I thought they played just fine.

There was cart service throughout the very hot day so that was very nice. The amenities inside the facility are good but they do not have an ATM on premises so bring cash ahead of time. Carts are very basic but wasn't it not long ago this course still had gas-powered carts? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Driving range looks a dirt mess.

Anyway, the course, despite its flaws, still has some redeeming qualities in terms of the unique, sometimes quirky but still sort of fun layout, including three very gettable par 5s on the front nine (I lipped out on the third one to miss out on going -3 on them). We played (as is customary with my monthly group) from the white tees so that opens up a lot of the course in terms of distance. I would not rush to play there again but won't be as apprehensive as I was before.

Recent round out at Skylinks and am happy to report that the greens are predominantly healed after the most recent punch and are running very nicely on some of the course's very tricky green complexes.

I was paired with a threesome and had my own cart, played from the blue tees. Price was definitely good for the late afternoon time and finished in the dark (just about) on 18. POP was great on the front nine but for some reason slowed to a crawl on the back nine.

As previously mentioned, the greens are in good shape again and running a little better than medium-fast - depending on time of day I'm sure. But they look good and play well, so that's good news. The fairways are mostly in good condition but you will find some thin lies out there and some beat-up areas mostly near the greens. Saw a lot of very small staked areas.

Rough is not too penal and the bunkers were in good shape, playing better than they look (seems to be a common theme lately at a lot of courses). I was a little disappointed in the tee boxes as this is kind of a 'premium' course and there were a lot of dirt patches to navigate and some weren't super level unless you looked around for a good spot. Not the end of the world but expect a little better.

Fun and challenging layout and when you get a good deal on the tee time then it's always worth it to try your hand at Skylinks.

Played a twilight Friday round at Encino with a buddy and can't think of many better deals than $24 to walk and $34 to ride. Pretty outstanding in this day and age. And the course did not disappoint, either.

We played from the blue tees with a 1:55pm tee time and headed out after a nice range session and after being paired up with a pleasant older couple. POP was pretty smooth throughout the round with only minimal extended waits and the group in front of us took off after the 12th hole so it was smooth sailing after that. Even saw cart service out there for the first time ever!

In terms of conditions, pretty darn good I must say. Greens are actually in really nice shape and moving much faster than normal. I could never really adjust mentally to the speed and had a pretty poor putting round that kind of sabotaged what would have been a very good round (including one four-putt). But that's my fault - not the very good greens.

Fairways have good to decent coverage throughout and the rough is only really thick in very select areas. Generally speaking I had pretty darn good lies throughout the day. I was only in one bunker and it played far better than it looked. Tee boxes were all nice and level but some were definitely lacking in the grass department and had to kind of search around for the right spot. But nothing horrific there ... all in all a good showing from the heavily-trafficked Encino course.

Not a lot of trouble to get into here but a good strong selection of long par 3s and definitely a course to build some confidence on if that's what you need.

After a long four years away, finally made it back to the impressive Navy course in Cypress/Seal Beach this past Friday for a twilight round with two friends. We were paired with another single and the greens fee of $43 was an absolute steal.

I was so shocked when I found the time that I had to jump on it right away, but of course should have checked out GK first (Know before you go!) to find out that they had just aerated the greens only three days previous. Luckily the autumn punch isn't as deep as the spring one, so they weren't as bad as they could have been, but the sand was also a factor, however I did only end up with 32 putts so I can't complain too much. Everyone plays the same greens!

The course is well guarded with sneaky length, lots of doglegs and plenty of bunkers and water hazards throughout. It's a real test of consistency and luckily I played my best round of the year so far to make it an even better experience. We had a POP of around four and a half hours and the carts are nicely appointed with GPS.

Apart from the green conditions, the rest of the course was in pretty good shape all around, although lots of the usual water features are now dry and just rocky hazard waste areas. It doesn't look quite as aesthetically pleasing as it could, but still plays pretty nicely but there are a few bare areas around the course. Fairways are mostly in good shape and there are a few areas of deep rough, but most of it's pretty fair. Tee boxes (we played the blues) were mostly level and predominantly in good shape, but there were some that required a good look around for some grass. Bunkers were pretty good - they play a lot better than they look.

Staff was super nice and very accommodating - even got us a free set of range balls after having forgotten to ask during payment. There was no cart service but you can use the restaurant bar to get everything you need ahead of your round, and there's also a very convenient little snack shop at the 12th tee box as you don't come back to the clubhouse here at the turn.

Really enjoyed getting back out to this course after so long but definitely will check on the greens conditions next time before heading out.