Mainly I agree with the last review. Only difference I would note was that the greens seemed soft and slow to me (around 8.5) although they rolled smooth.

Tee boxes were hard as nails here and there and rough (as noted in prior review) was extremely spotty, from non-existent to downright US open style around some of the greens. Un-playable in one or two situations.

2 observations about the course in general. It is still a tale of two cities: 1 through 11 are all tight, mountain/target golf, while 12-17 are a partly tricked-up but mainly flat parkland course. Never sure that these two parts merge as one and play like a complete course.

Second: course was empty at prime time on a Sunday. Not sure why as it's an equal play to Rustic or other area courses. (although their rack rate is higher.) But most groups were only twosomes and on the back nine I only saw 2 other groups. Eerie (but most welcome)

Lush pretty much describes it. To be nit-picky, there were some burnt areas here-and-there on the fairways - they mainly looked like mower burn on the crowns on the fairways - but every lie I had was as cushioned and plush as could be. Consequently (coincidentally?) a good ball-striking day throughout.

Greens were typically slow which is the norm here (around 9, generously, on the stimp) but they rolled well. 3 greens had minor fungus patches usually on the edges.

While most people give the sand at OQ a bad rap, I was in both fairway and greenside bunkers and got up and down both times. Yes - it's firm and on the thin/compacted side - but I prefer this to the 'powdered-sugar' type of sand as you can really zip through the ball here and get it to come out high and soft.

No gripes - good quality and fun golf throughout.

While the fairways and rough are the usual verdant green (with some occasional burnt areas - something like 10% overall), the greens were sub-par. They looked a bit raggedy and putted how they looked. Lots of poorly healed pitch marks too, and a fair number of un-repaired recent ones. Overall, I thought they needed rejuvenating with some aeration.

I was in both fairway and greenside traps and both were crusty, thin and compacted.

POP was great at 4.15 hours on Sunday morning prime-time, but the overall conditions were below the usual high standard you have come to expect here. I would rate it about 6 - 6.5 overall.

First time with a club in my hands in 10 weeks. Let that not affect the review.

Was expecting drier conditions overall, but was presently surprised at how green some parts of Eagle were. That said, the following conditions should be noted:

Greens: best part of the course by far. Only issues were 1. there was a fair amount of Poa in many of them, making for some bobbly putts. 2. They were spongier than normal too. That said, they looked very healthy and even had some grainy streaks here and there that would fool you with slower-than-it-looks down hillers. 7.5/10

Fairways: probably anywhere from 70/30 green versus burnt on the front nine to 60/40 on the back. Overall, they are making great strides in conditioning the fairway turf which had become hard and compacted over the years. Now, in spots, there are some nice, cushioned lies that are a pleasure to hit from and reward good swings with crisp contact. Evidence of positive maintenance is visible in many old aeration slits (long since healed over). 6.5/10

Rough: It's juicy here and there - mainly around the greens. Otherwise, there are plenty of burnt out, thatchy lies and downright dirt patches throughout. Could get you any kind of lie from tangly to completely bare. Weakest part of the course 3.5/10

Tees: played off 12 black tees so that probably influenced my perception. The heavier use of the blues showed, and they were at times a bit lumpy with some weed encroachment (#14 esp) 5.5/10

Sand was typical for here - I saw a few of my playing partners wedges skeet off the hard pan just below the surface in some of the green side traps. 5/10

While the course has a way to go, it is definitely trending in the right direction - especially so given the drought. Appears there is a new sheriff in town as there are signs of all sorts of small maintenance/improvement projects. (such as the small set of hitting mats on the range.)

Keep it up Eagle!

Not their fault as the drought leaves all high-and-dry, but man, this is the driest and burnt out I've ever seen Eagle, and I've been playing it regularly for years.

Back nine was more stressed out than the front, with most fairways & rough about 90 percent straw-colored. You do get the ball to sit up from time-to-time, but it's a grab-bag. They have aerated some fairways recently with slit cuts, but they are just so hard and burnt.

Add to that the greens which are not yet all the way back from aeration (they still show sand-filled plugs on most holes, with a slight but discernable layer of sand) and they putt quite bumpy though they did speed up as the day went on. Tees are generally fine and they have put newer, fine sand in all the greenside traps. Fairway traps are a mixed bag.

I hope they get some more moisture here though it's hard to see how the fairways improve as we are almost into May and so it's goodbye so-called rainy season.

First time playing here today - used the coupon like everyone else and got in 30 holes before the rain.

Course design features strategic fairway bunkering on most every par 4 and 5 and a narrowing (or complete ending) to the fairways at the landing zones too. So either layup and have a longer second or try to fly the hazard for a shorter approach. There are interesting sight lines off the tee as frequently you can't see where to land it, or, that landing area turns out to be quite different in scale than what you saw from back on the tee. Also, a ton of dog-lefts, so hopefully you can bring your draw. (only true dog leg to the right is #11). So a lot of risk reward straight off the tee that can impact your second shot greatly.

And, there was a penchant for putting a large oak right in the middle of the fairway where you want to aim the ball. My strategy - aim right for it and fly it over (I guess that is why they are there - to get you to play around them. But, they were rarely actually in play). The back nine is more interesting and varied than the front IMO (which plays over more exposed terrain with a heath-land like feel). The stretch from 12 thru 16 is the best on the course as it gets tighter and more strategic (and plays through a really gnarly, primordial oak grove which was cool). 15 is a really great par 5 with one of the most unique layouts I have seen - it's the best hole me thinks. That said, 12 (the other par 5 on the back) seemed well nigh impossible as every shot (tee ball, layup and approach) you had no clear line to where you needed to be - usually because of aforementioned oaks plopped down right in the middle of the hole. Toughest hole on the course, perhaps. (and maybe a tad unfair???).

The course comes advertised as being a beast, and while it is no push over, I thought it was of moderate difficulty (kind of reminded me of Robinson Ranch in places). Pete Dye designs remain in my mind as the most infernal (yes - I'm talking about you, Stadium course). Wind is a huge part of the defense here and today at least, it seemed like I was often faced with draw pins playing into a cut wind. So not easy to judge especially if you have to start the ball flying in the direction of the garbage to get it to ride the breeze and stick it close.

Conditions: Average to above average throughout. The weakest part by far were the tee-boxes which were mainly patchy in coverage (esp. par threes) and quite crowned on a few. Still, you don't spend much time here so easy to get around these issues. 5.5/10. Fairways had a few different growths but were lush for the most part (7/10). Ditto rough, although it got patchy and variable around some greens, ranging from lush to tight-cut to non-existent dirt and sand lies. 6.5/10. These were usually in spots away from the main watering areas so I'll put it down to the drought. Sand was fine but usually wet and thus a bit compacted. Also, it's a more or less cosmetic issue, but they need to define the bunkers better as they are all overgrown around the edges and/or the sand is spilling out in places. Not only would it frame things better, but it would help with the lies you might get (as I did) towards the edges, which were lumpy and uneven. 8/10. Greens were basically blemish-free with little to no ballmarks and complete, lush coverage. However, they were pretty slow (would estimate 8.5 stimp generously) and had a softer, nappy feel so the occasional putt would wobble off line. (8.5/10). Kudos to whoever cut the holes as they were the crispest-edged cups ever. They looked like the pockets on a billiard table.

I prefer the layout of Monarch Dunes further up the coast which I think is more memorable, but this was certainly worth the play. And small point - they don't really have cart paths - except around the tees in places. Otherwise, you are driving on rutted sandy tracks, so if babies are in your future plans you may want to drive slowly. I like the lack of concrete paths ribboning their way around from an aesthetic standpoint, but it certainly makes it a little harder to find your way around as a newbie (I am thinking of the commute through the oaks from 14 green to 15 tee.

Solid stuff all around.

The conditions were average throughout, but the rough is unplayable. It was routinely 6 inches and very very healthy. And times I would guess it was 9 inches plus. When I stood in it I couldn't see the tops of my sox. This was beyond US open stuff. I lost 8 balls in the rough simply 'cos I couldn't find them unless I got lucky and stood on them. Even then, there was virtually no way to advance the ball. Not sure if they had some sort of tourney going on, but they need to make this workable for average golfers and get the mowers out there. Or buy some cows and let them feast.

Not fun.

Winter-thin in many areas. Some fairways are about 60/40 dry and dormant versus green and fuller. Most are about 20/80 or 30/70. Rough ditto. Tees I would estimate to be about the same. Sand was full to occasionally thin. Greens were plenty bobbly but also quite fast and firm. Paid 43 walking on a Saturday PM and thought that was just fine.

Course is mainly oriented around deep greens placed at steep angles to the fairway/tee sight-line. The fairways then back this protection up with bunkers that take away the favorable angles into these slanted greens. Final twist is lots of false edges and tight-cut grass swales around these greens. Bottom line - it's position golf and one you have to think back from the pin to the tee on many holes.

Course is not in good condition. Some things can't be helped due to the drought, but the long term effects of a dry climate regime are definitely taking their toll.

You know it can't be good when some tells you the tees were the best part of the course, but that's about the size of it (admittedly most were re-seeded recently). Rough is completely dormant/fairways semi to mostly dormant. Lots of bare, dry, hard pan lies in both. Don't nip it? Then you will be skelping the ball through the green on your approach.

Greens have fluffier rough surrounding them for the most part, but the greens themselves had a ton of old and new ballmarks and a good deal of bobbles as a result. They were fast, but a few greens on the back (13-16) had not healed well from aeration and it showed.

Sand was thin-ish to moderate in coverage around the greens - hard-pan everywhere else.

I wouldn't play for anything other than a good discount and while the lack of rain is no-ones fault, the compacted nature of most of the fairways and the lack of conditioning in these areas make it hard to play a good round through the green. Rain please.

Conditions are fair at best, overall. Greens - which are usually a highlight here and typically much-above-muni-average - have not healed very well since aeration 5 weeks ago. There are plenty of sandy spots still, and a fair amount of bobbles too. The upside (if you like it this way) is they are lightning quick, so much so that several putts above the hole were downright unplayable. Set up with your back to the hole, hit it up hill slowly, then watch it dribble back to the hole, then beyond and sometimes back off the green. 2 feet tap-ins from above the cup would end up 15-20 feet past. Interesting.

Fairways are a grab-bag of green stuff, burnt stuff and weeds. They were cut very tight with lots of roll. Rough was hit or miss and kikuya is always fun to chip out of around the greens. Was in 3 bunkers and they all had good sand coverage but littered with smaller stones throughout.

Tees are usually rough given all the iron play they see here with short par 4's throughout. That said, tees #3 (par 4), 6 (par 3), 11 (par 5), 12 (par 3 over mountain) and 14 (par 3) were all recently flattened and re-sodded. While the turf has fully to take as of yet, the flatness of the surface is much appreciated I am sure.

To end, my usual warning about the toughness of this course - it's a little track that punches much above it's weight. 12 holes have OB or hazards close in on both sides; the other 6 have OB or hazards on at least one side. This makes for the equivalent of 30 water hazards to contend with. It would be like playing in a lake peppered with green fairways for you to aim at. One swing from calamity all the time.

Have at it.

Course is in distinctly average condition. Signs of minor maintenance here and there too.

Overall, track is not up to typical standards. Tees are either being seeded or have recently been, so several markers were moved forward as mainly the blues were roped off on about 40% of holes. 3 others were being thatched in prep for overseeding and the rest were semi-thin (5.5/10). Fairways were fast, firm and semi-lush in spots (at best). The low humidities and dry winds of the last few weeks have taken their toll. On the bright spot, the ball is popping once it lands (6/10). Rough is similar in condition, but with some juicier lies around greens (6/10). Bunkers are rock hard in fairways and thin with a solid hard pan just below surface around the greens. Poor overall (3.5/10). Greens were painfully slow (estimate 7 on stimp at best) and pretty bobbly. Not much was tracking well and if it did it got bumped off line (5.5/10).

Also, I am hereby officially starting my non-scientific and completely home-spun petition to have a cart path built from 15 green to 18 tee and then play 18 as 16, 17 as is, and then back to 16 to finish. Let's face it, 16 really is the true closing hole here. PM if you agree. (minimal excavations required to make this a reality)

Played Sunday morn as a two. Course empty - sauntered around and putted extra on the (great!) greens and was done in less than 4. Not sure why it was so empty prime-time.

Tees good, fairways dry but plenty of pad under ball (dwarf bermuda has the weirdest grey shade). rough spongy in spots so you need to be precise to control the ball coming out. Sand fine. Highlight was the greens. Not pristine, they were running quick, smooth and glassy although they held well struck shots easily (I would reckon 11.5-12 on stimp). Still, there were some areas of maintenance around the fringes but nothing that really affected play. Just get the ball rolling and watch it chug its way to the hole - I think this is how greens are supposed to be, but it's been so long since I played on quality surfaces that I am prone to forgetting.

Enjoy the putting and get out for what remains one of the the area's finest values.