Played in a tournament last weekend. I think there were two or three tournaments going on that Saturday, and we were pushed back about 20 minutes. The greens were much more receptive than they were back when I played in August. I don't know if it was because the greens had been shaved down for the Long Beach Open, but the front nine greens especially seemed to be very hard back in August. This time around, my ball was checking very quickly with short irons and on pitch shots. A lot of the ball mark damage that I had seen on the greens looked like it had been repaired. Had a great time, I love visiting the courses in Long Beach.

Played on a Saturday, with a tournament on the course, things were moving pretty slow. The course, especially the front nine, still suffers a bit from poor water drainage. As a result, there are lots of muddy patches, and balls can become embedded. The grabby kikuyu grass made for tough shots out of the rough, and made it really hard for me to find my touch on chips and pitches (I grew up with that grass in my front lawn, and I still have never mastered how to play golf on it. If I could eliminate it from all golf courses that I go to, I would do it in a heartbeat).

I still much prefer the back nine over the front nine, with its views of Lake Murray. Note that the flagsticks were shorter than normal, so don't get fooled into thinking that the shot is farther than it is. Green fee was $45 which included cart. Service was wonderful all around, from the pro shop to the starter to the grill person at the turn and the cart girl.

Played on a Thursday afternoon. Twilight rates start at 2pm for Long Beach residents, 3pm for non-residents. Green seemed to be very hard, especially on the front side, with many ball marks. Perhaps they were really shaved down for the Long Beach Open a few weeks ago? They played at a medium speed, and rolled fairly true if you were lucky to not have ball marks in the way. Tee boxes and fairways were in good condition. The sand in the bunkers was good too, if a little coarse, and the lips can be intimidatingly high. There were a decent amount of people out there, but we were never pushed. We only waited on the first couple of holes, and the group behind us didn't wait on us until the par-3 17th. Some of the rough was very lush, we would drive past our balls a couple of times before finally spotting them. The drink cart gal was going around a lot, she passed by us at least four times. Service in the pro shop was very pleasant. I'm playing in a tournament next month, will be glad to head back.

Played for the first time in a tournament on Saturday 3/23. I immediately got the old-style Southern California course feel (I had to look it up afterwards, and the course architect was the prolific and ubiquitous-to-SoCal William F. Bell). This meant spotting the pine tree as your 150-yd marker, and hoping to come across the 100-, 150-, and 200-yard markers in the fairways. I think I came across only two or three sprinkler heads with yardages printed on them during the round. The older course also meant big, tall older trees, which required more shot-shaping to get around. The course seemed to be a series of short par-4s that looked longer than they were, because you couldn't spot the greens from the tee box. The greens were either over a rise, or hidden past a dogleg. I think it would take playing the course three or four times to get comfortable with where you want to aim off the tee, but as a first-timer I was constantly trying to puzzle it out. The flags in the holes were also shorter than usual, so the approach shots appeared longer than they actually were.

The greens were in nice shape, a tad slower than I'm used to but they rolled smooth and true. One odd thing that popped up: the practice greens were aerated, signaling that the course would be as well, but only the 17th and 18th holes on the course had work done. Usually with aeration I either see one 9-hole side aerated, or the entire course, not just a couple of holes.

Got around the course in 4hrs 35min, which felt quick for a weekend tournament round. Service in the pro shop and in the coffee shop was very friendly and helpful. No beverage cart, just some scattered drinking fountains, so stock up before the round and at the turn.

Was lucky enough to get out on Wednesday afternoon in a twosome, but was stuck behind a slow foursome that was scattering balls all over the course. Got around in about 4.5 hours. The course is a mix of shortish par 4s and longish par 3s. If you have your mid- and long-irons working on the par 3s, you can really come out with a great score. Although the bunkers looked packed down, they actually had some sand in there once you were actually in them. Greens rolled fairly true, just getting a bit (understandably) spiked up by the end of the day. Cart girl never seemed to make it out to us, although we saw her driving on a couple of other holes. Service was otherwise fairly pleasant. Nice course, will hopefully be playing more.

I'm glad the annual fundraising tournament I go to here has been moved to the Ike from the Babe. The Ike does not play as ridiculously tight as the Babe, and I believe is a more fair test of golf. Even from the white tees, this course plays long. I played with a few high 20s handicappers, and they had a frustrating day. The layout is challenging without being entirely penal, with nice elevation changes and hazards in key spots. You will find yourself with every type of sidehill / uphill lie that will require all the shots in your bag. The fairways felt a little lush, not getting much roll off the tee. The greens were very receptive, but tricky to read, and on many holes getting on the right shelf was crucial or a three-putt was a very real possibility. Bunkers and rough were in good shape. Play did back up on the short downhill second hole, where we drove up to find two groups waiting to hit. I played in tournaments on the Ike on two consecutive weekends, and the staff was courteous and helpful on both occasions. I hope to come back every year. One note: I wish the funicular that carried you from #9 to #10 would work again...I think the last time I saw it in operation was 1990. The funicular was one of the things that made golfing at Industry Hills a unique experience.

Played in a tournament on 8/21. The story here for me was the rough. It's that really grabby, thick-bladed Kakuya grass. It stops the roll of any ball that gets into it, and makes chipping and pitching around the greens very difficult. Even though the fairways are pretty wide, staying in them is a must. The greens were impressively kept for a municipal course, and it looks like the players were repairing their ball marks for the most part. The ocean breeze also comes into play. A very enjoyable value.

Played for the first time in a tournament last Sunday June 5th. Felt like two different courses. The front nine felt like a regular muni, with holes next to each other, lined with trees. The back nine felt like a newer style resort course, a little better manicured with houses lining the holes. There was still some construction going on, with the par 3 7th hole playing from some temporary tees. Greens were a bit on the bumpy side, soft and very receptive, with some holes cut on some pretty severe slopes. A couple of the tee boxes felt a bit unlevel. Marshalls seem to be pretty active, and were pretty visible throughout. Course also felt pretty lush, especially the rough, as if it had not been mowed in a few days. The service was very nice, with one of the most cheerful beverage cart girls ever.

I fell in love with this course the first time I played it three years ago. When I was designated to choose courses for my golf club this year, Goose Creek was on the top of my list. Unfortunately, when we played it on April 24th, the wind kicked up that day, so on several holes we had the infamous dairy farm smell. The greens were still a little spotty looking from the recent punching, but they seemed to roll pretty smoothly. They were pretty slow because of some morning drizzle, and sped up as the day got along. The course layout is still my main attraction. It seems like every hole has something that makes you think, whether it is a split fairway, or an overhanging tree, or a well-placed water hazard. The sand was a little packed down because of the moisture. I didn't see any marshalls that day, especially since the group in front of us were playing pretty slow and also had cart problems. Pro shop, beverage cart, and snack shop service were first rate. Definitely a must-play in Riverside, can't get much better for the price.

The first regular-size course I ever played. I played on 3/6 after not having played there in probably 10-12 years. I remembered it as a long, flat course, but there were nuances to the course I had forgotten about. I like the palm trees that can get in the way of a pulled shot on the par 4, 387-yd 4th hole. There's the hill you should hit over, that's more intimidating then it should be, on your tee shot on the par 4, 361-yd 6th hole. The gigantic par 4 463-yd, eighth hole, where you're in a huge tree jail if your tee shot goes off to the right. Staring directly into the sun in the afternoons on the par 4, 374 yd 17th hole (or 8 on "Pine" as it's now called) and burning your retinas out. The greens are old-fashionably small, especially noticeable on the par 5s. They played slow, but were smoother than I remembered. Bunkers had more sand then I remembered as well. After the rains, there were some puddles in the fairways. The stretch of holes from 12 thru 14 were especially wet. A lot of the tee boxes were uneven...many times I felt like I was hitting off of a sidehill draw lie. As part of a tournament, play was excruciatingly slow. The round easily took six hours, with groups packed in by lemmings. A marshal mentioned that the management company was changing in the next couple of months, with Arnold Palmer golf selling off its properties in California. So it will be interesting what affect the new management company will have on the course. The course was in much better shape than it was in the late '80s-early '90s, when for a time it seemed like a scene from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.

Played in a tournament last Sunday (2/13). Course played slow, 5hr45m round. The groups were packed in solid, with no group really lagging, so I'm not sure what the marshals could have done. Lots of fairways were still spongy from all the recent rain, with little ponds and mud everywhere. A couple of the greens were bumpy, but on the whole rolled very true and were probably the best aspect of the course. They still remain very tricky for me to read, especially lagging long putts. A few pin positions were on slopes that didn't look too bad, but I putted one off the green and another very nearly so. Rough was cut down, but tough to get out of with all the dampness catching clubheads. It seems tough to hit these fairways that are shaped around the hazards. I always seemed to be rolling into the first cut of rough. Bunkers were packed a bit from all the rain, but in surprisingly good condition. I think the course is just a little bit on the short side, but the layout is very interesting, keeping you engaged without being too punishing. Watch out for all the duck poop. I found the staff to be very friendly, with the pro shop being especially helpful.

Played in a tournament on 10/23. My first time playing the course, I was pretty impressed by the layout. It is deceptively tight, with old large trees positioned to block many approach shots. And once you're in the trees, it's a coin flip whether or not you have a shot. Pretty flat, so it would make a good walking course. The greens and tee boxes had been punched a couple of weeks ago. The greens remained pretty bumpy, which got a little maddening on short putts. The bunkers were in surprisingly good shape, with just the right amount of sand with good consistency. Lots of standing water in several fairways from the recent rains. I liked the practice area, with two practice greens and a chipping/pitching area. The fence for the range is full of holes and needs to be replaced though...it's only a matter of time before someone on the tenth hole gets conked on the head. Will definitely be playing again...I scheduled a tournament for next summer.