Friday 5/12, myself and another single were sent out at 2:50 as twosome in a sea of foursomes, but we were happy to get out and played the whites. Overall conditions are OK. I found these to be some of the better teeing grounds around as to being consistently level with coverage and room to move around. The fairways, a kaleidoscope of mixed grasses cut to a consistent height, generally offered 95% good lies and runout, with 5% or less exceptions where there might be small areas of thin or slightly depress lies that you might settle into — rare but possible. I was a little spoiled by the lush fairways I recently played at San Dimas and these paled in comparison, but they are OK — green, serviceable and not yet the baked out runways that they could become as the season heats up. Rough varied from minimal to thicker areas of clover that could swallow a ball. I'd say it impacted my recovery about 50% of the time. I was in a couple of fairway bunkers that had decent sand and grooming but missed any green-side to tell about. Short game areas around the green were in pretty good shape and I had a lot of success there. The greens still have the telltale markings from aeration but they performed fine. A touch on the quick side of medium they putt a little quicker than they looked, ran pretty true and I never saw bobble. I jarred a thirty footer for birdie at the last that was pleasure to watch track to the hole. I'd say the conditions alert can be upgrade from yellow to green. They were good and they will get even better.

It was a mildly warm afternoon with an intermittent breeze and, being a flat course, I walked as per my usual preference. The course was full, pace sluggish but mostly steady for a round something under 4.5 hrs. A straight forward, open course with nothing tricked up about it, I come here seldom but I enjoyed the directness of it today.

Back when my buddy made the 1:30 tee time for Thursday 5/4 we were oblivious to the weather reports. But when we saw some and it seemed the rain might be done by late morning, we opted to proceed. It was fine during warm up but a final 15 minute squall just as we were heading for the first tee delayed our start. Once out we happily discovered the conditions were very good all around despite the earlier rains. The course drained well and I was hard pressed to find overly saturated areas, much less standing water. The 11th tee box stood out as an exception — saturated and soggy but level with nice coverage, so it was manageable. Otherwise, from tees through the greens the grass coverage was solid, nicer than any muni I've been on recently and it was all appropriate length. With minor exceptions the tees were level. The rough was pretty consistent both as to length and being playable. I missed the bunkers and can't report much but I did notice some standing water in at least one in passing. Green side areas were good for short game. The greens handled the wet very well and were on the quick side. As a matter of fact, we were on the practice green putting DURING our rain delay to kill time and the balls rolled quickly — accelerating seemingly inordinately on what appeared to be gentle slopes, it amplified the contours of the greens and made them a bit tricky. It took a little adjustment but they were a fair and interesting challenge that got your attention.

The course was lightly populated and with any breeze minimal at best, there was a sense of stillness to the area. We let another twosome that showed up as we were commencing go out ahead of us. They sped off and the closest anyone got behind us was a little over a hole for a few. Mostly we were on our own, getting around in a little over four hours. I find the setting to be one of the more scenic foothill canyons and the post-rain clouds added more drama to the views. The course has some quirky holes but I think the overall layout is solid and interesting. All told, I found it one of the more enjoyable rounds I've played in a while, and not because I had especially good scoring results (which I didn't). Definitely recommended.

Out Friday 4/28 for a 2:50 start as single joining a threesome. Conditions overall are very good with minor exceptions. Everything is green with good coverage— teeing grounds mostly level, fairways still had some runout to them. The rough was as lush as it gets here and where it was green it was frequently penal. There were definitely stretches where you could lose ball and while I didn't, there were a couple of occasions when I thought I had. I was in way more bunkers than usual for me and they were firm. The ball usual sat up in them and while they were playable, fluffy doesn't live here. Green side was good for short game and the greens themselves were the point of reservation. They are still showing the aeration pattern as they are in recovery and will probably need another week before they are fully normal. They were not slow but there was a discernible deceleration on longer putts to factor in. I thought they putt better than they looked. While not crisp, the speed was still medium and the balls tracked pretty well. I didn't see much diverting or jumpiness in the rolls. If you come out expecting clean greens you might be put off, but if you know what you are getting into, the adjustments are minor and consistent. Don't let it stop you from getting a round in here. I'd play it again without hesitation.

Pace was unusually good for a Friday afternoon and we got around in something like 4.25 hours. A bit warm for a good portion of the round, it was perfect at the end. I think I paid under $15 to walk which made it a ridiculously good deal. Good times.

Out walking Friday 4/21 @ 2:50 as a single joining a two-some. Nice day, but one of the atypically warmer ones we've had lately and this was the peak time for heat. The flat front nine helped and the temps were declining for the hilly back nine, finishing just after the sun set. Consistent with recent reports the conditions here are generally solid and probably above average after the wet winter as far as coverage. Tee boxes are in good shape and level. The fairways are grown in and cut with good coverage. There are the odd dirt and bare patch in the rough under tree lines but mostly it is green and usually a non-factor although I did find myself in spots where it was appropriately thicker and more impactful. I was in one bunker, the ball sat up and looked like it would be firmer than it actually was. The surrounds were mostly good for short game although occasionally lumpy, especially on hillsides. The greens, running on the quick side of medium, were clean fun to putt on. The exception was the 6th green that had some noticeable strips on the periphery that looked like scars from grafting.

All well and good but the special mention is the newly reopened and revamped triple decker driving range. They did some refurbish on the top two levels, adding permanent phone/tablet brackets to each stall for recording your swing with your personal device. Nice touch. The bottom level is a more dramatic upgrade with top tracer technology video screens. They've arranged a set of attractive, blue, patio couches around the mouth of each bay for a private space feel and some additional couches set further away to extend the feel to the general bottom level area to give it a lounge-like sensibility — their version of a TopGolf-like experience, albeit on a more modest scale. It was a a grand opening feel as I came off the 18th green and down to the range to find a line of chafing dishes and servers as they were offering free tacos. They tucked a bar down at one end the range where I purchased a beer to go with my tacos while I grabbed a couch, hung out and took in the scene. The barman indicated this was going to be continuing on weekend evenings. I don't know if the food will be free but the intention seems to be making it more of a social scene for the community. I didn't even use the range that day but it was pretty cool to just hang for a bit before heading home. I've always found the customer service and pro shop interactions here to be well above average (shout out to Julius) and the management's mindset seems oriented on keeping things well maintained, upgrading when they can. Where some courses have neither the funds or the will to maximize their courses potential, it is nice to see the forward tilt here. It needs to be acknowledged, encouraged and appreciated. As it is, this is now a perfect little golfy spot to hang out on a summer evening.

In anticipation of a getaway my wife and I were taking that included Paso Robles, I had seen Alex326's negative HR review and called ahead as to conditions. The pro shop said the conditions were green and I took a chance and booked for Wednesday, 4/5. Got there early for my 2:00 and was let out as a single with my dog around 1:35. I can happily say that the course has recovered since the previous review. First tee was roped off with the markers clustered towards the front, but that was the one exception to routinely level, green launch pads. Fairways had good coverage, well trimmed with some rollout. The rough here can vary from not punitive to heavier to wild patches. Overall I thought it was fair and in robust shape. I avoided the bunkers and can't give any informed comment there. Short game areas around the greens were in good shape with some areas where the grass was thicker and the ball sat down a bit. The greens were very nice. Quick enough but not overly so given the contours and slopes on many of them. The ball tracked well and I really enjoyed putting on them.

After a few days of windy conditions, the weather was really nice with light winds. I had to pass on playing in Santa Barbara on the Monday before because it was a gale in the afternoon. The course was not overly busy. I had a single pass me at the turn and otherwise wasn't within a hole of anyone until the 16th where another single was catching up. As a side note, they include the cost of the cart for twilight whether you walk or not, so be prepared to eat that if you are set on walking. Bottom line, this is a very nice and interesting track that has recovered from the beating administered by the heavy rains and is now seeing the benefit of them. Highly recommended.

Having written two recent reviews for SA, I would not normally be here this frequently but the preference of a buddy who had not played here in years who wanted to revisit it, and the tee time availability meant teeing up again Friday, 4/1 as a threesome at 1:45. With the very recent reviews, I will add little. It continues to fill in and gets increasingly lush. The only "problem" on the day was that it was too soon after the recent rains to get the mower around the fairways and the grass to a consistent fairway height. Still good to play but after a mow, the fairways will be as good as they have been here in years. According to my partners, the practice green was quicker than the actual greens on the day. That said, they were a nice speed and I thought cleaner than the previous round. Otherwise, all the same as the previous report. The course was crowded and I think it ended up a five-plus hour round, but it was steady and unlike my last go here, there was no threat of playing any night golf at the end of the round. Definitely recommended.

This is late and mostly brief. Got out last Friday at 2:00 as a threesome plus a single joining us. In a nutshell, the rain has had its effect and the overall conditions keep improving. Any thin or bare spots (usually off in side spots) are now the anomaly. It is hard to find a bare/thin spot on the fairways, which are green with good lies and no brown patches. My last review was pretty recent and not much else has changed. Greens are running a nice medium quick with a firm surface. They are good but not pristine and you'll get a muni bump in the tracking of your ball at some point in the round, but that is part of muni golf. I was lag putting very well on the surface. Definitely recommended.

The nonsense part: With the starting time, we thought we'd get at least 15 holes in but the pace was definitely slow. One of our threesome had to leave at the turn, another at the end of the 13th, around 5:45 sunset, leaving me and the single Matt, an ex-pat Brit and good golfer, to soldier on into the dusk. Starting the 14th was a no brainer with the promise to finish 15 in the last usable light. After 15, it was pretty dusky but Matt said we have to walk that way anyway, so we pressed on through 16, barely tracking the initial direction of our drives. After 16, I said "3/4 moon and range lights, let's finish 17", which we did with little ability to track much. You had to be within 20' to even see your ball sitting on the green. After 17, Matt was ready to quit, but I said no, no, this is a Caddyshack moment — play until you can't find your ball. I never found my tee shot on the 18th, but we found Matt's, who put his second shot next to the green and got up and down for the par. I played 14 — 17 one-over with two of three pars basically in the dark. It's a sickness, but really fun.

Apologies in advance for the brevity. Played Friday 2/11 teeing off at 1:30 as single joining a three-some. For this time of year the overall conditions are pretty solid and better than some as munis go. A fair amount of rollout in the fairways, bunkers were generally groomed and a little on the firm side, the greens were quick and reasonably clean. The group I was in were a bit slow and hindered the pace of those behind us, but we got around in under 4.5 hrs and enough dusk at the end for us and a couple of following groups to finish.

I played like goose poop (there was a little of that along with the geese), but I'd happily play it again.

Got out with a buddy Friday, 1/27, with a 1:46 start. In my previous review I said I would stay away until we got some rain and a little recovery time, and such was the case. Overall, I'd say SA is far from prime, but fair with a reasonable level of playability. Playing the whites, I recall no issues with teeing grounds, which is a good sign. They have varying degrees of tight coverage but are generally pretty level. The fairways are greened up some with a mix of thinner and lusher lies and running on the firm side. There are some hard exposed dirt areas but usually in non relevant areas like near teeing grounds or off to the side. In the fairway proper you typically had a decent to good lie. Rough varies here from nicely playable to hardpan and I found myself playing off pine needles on two occasions. Short game from the fairway fronting the greens was tight but better around the green. I was in a couple of bunkers and the sand was OK, softer than I would expect. The greens are worth special mention and description. It is not unusual that the greens here can be reported on the sluggish side but on the day they were quick — about as quick as you can expect to find here and consistent with the practice green, so pay attention there. They were firm and looked it with a tight, spare surface that was a little unsightly but performed well. There were numerous light, unfixed ball marks that needed attention, but after fixing any in my path, I found the ball tracked well. Bottom line, I really enjoyed the speed and challenge of the greens.

We knew with a 1:46 start finishing 18 holes was not in the cards, but we got through 13 and then the 18th was conveniently open for us to shortcut home for a total of 14 holes. Bottom line you are dealing with the expected, slightly spare, mid-winter conditions of SoCal golf, but it is a good layout and with reasonable expectations, I think the course is now worth playing.

When checking a few days ago, I was surprised to find a fair amount of short-notice availability for Saturday 12/31 in the LA City systems and booked Encino. Then I checked the weather report and understood why I was able to do that. I don't typically play in the rain but, having the appropriate gear, decided to "go Irish" and take the challenge for a change. As it turned out, the conditions were wet from the previous night's rains but surprising little precipitation for most of my round.

The course is playable but in mid-winter form. Probably because of the wet, on most tees the black, blue and white were set together around the white monuments. The teeing grounds themselves were consistently level with coverage and provided a good start. Fairways were a chaotic patchwork of mixed grasses on the tighter side, occasionally thin/bare and with sticky/muddy patches distributed around. More than once I moved a ball in the fairway to get some grass under it, but mostly it played OK. Runout was reasonable for the conditions but clubbing up was the rule of the day. Rough was a little longer than the fairway but not much of a factor. I was in one bunker and rather than firm and soggy, it was damp but surprisingly fluffy. Short game from the fairway in front of the greens was tricky as the lies were tight and sticky, but surrounding the green usually gave you a better lie for chipping. The greens were the highlight — pretty clean, running true at a fairly quick medium pace. No apparent slowing from the dampness.

There were golfers out but it was understandably spare, and it seemed like most of them started earlier. I was on my own and in my vicinity there was only a two-some in front of me and a single a few holes back. Pace was just about four hours. There were a few times over the course of the round it started to lightly mist and I donned my rain jacket, but it would end within a half hole and the jacket would come off. It really only started to rain to any real effect at the start of the 18th through finish, so I lucked out as to my timing and exceeded any expectations I had as to avoiding the wet. Would I recommend it? Probably not, even as I wouldn't steer anyone away from it. As long as you know before you go. Did I enjoy it as the golf slut that I am closing out 2022? Heck yeah.

Out as single on Friday 12/9, teed off at 12:20 playing the whites on a beautiful sunny day in-between rainy ones. Overall course conditions were clean. Teeing grounds were covered and level. Fairways were green, on the tight side but with a good based — not thin or hard. I noticed a few brown patches starting down the first fairway but they were small, few, and I didn't notice any the rest of the day. Rough was generally green, consistent and not overly punitive. I was in way more than my usual quota of bunkers and they were in good shape, clean and somewhat on the firm side. They gave way to the shot well enough, but needed barely a swipe with the rake since one tended to walk over the surface leaving minimal impression. Chipping from the fairway was tight but the rest of the area around the greens was in good shape for short shots. I'd say the greens were the highlight — clean, medium fast and true. I generally had a good putting round, converting numerous six-ish footers that stayed on line. As muni player, I'm not used to seeing that.

Surroundings and conditions aside, I do find the course itself tad pedestrian in a predominantly flat, back and forth park land kind of way. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it. It's a good walking course in a beautiful valley and views of the surrounding area are very nice. While the round started with minimal wind, a steady westerly breeze running up the basin soon kicked up and stayed until the 18th. While it can seem like you are always heading into the wind on a breezy day, in this case it is closer to true. With the wind in this direction, 12 of 18 holes either play into the wind or get a cross breeze to factor in, so it often played longer for me on the day. My singular disappointment was bringing my dog out to walk with me only to find out they have banned dogs on the course since the last time I had been there. Apparently, an incident with someone's dog biting a child on the cafe patio led to the resort-wide ban. Too bad, as I was alone and it was otherwise the perfect opportunity and setting for it. Fortunately I was able to get my wife to come pick him up before I was due to tee off. Otherwise, a pleasant course, nice conditions, beautiful setting, and good walk. Recommended.

Only time for a quick review, I got out 12:18 Saturday 11/19 as single joining a twosome and a single female. Hadn't played here in a good while so enjoyed the chance to play it again. Overall conditions were solid. Exceptions that come to mind were some scruffy areas being reseeded on the sixth fairway and the back half of the 18th green was roped off, not sure why. Otherwise the fairways had nice coverage and good roll out. The one bunker I was in had good sand. The greens were clean, on the quick side and minimum of ball marks. The company was good and the timing was perfect, finishing as the last sunlight was leaving the mountain tops. Mountain views from the middle of Santa Barbara, paid thirty-something to walk — what's not to like? Recommended.