Update: I played 9/8 and they began aerating the greens on Brookside #1

Update: Greens are much improved since last week...still slower than usual, but should be in good condition throughout the rest of the month when they begin aerating for the fall. So get on while it's still good if you can stand the heat!

Just a heads up...I played here on 8/27 and the greens were semi-aerated. There aren't large holes with sand on the greens but they were all punched with small holes and not mowed, causing the the greens to be very shaggy and slow. I know that all the courses are dealing with the drought conditions but maybe this is one way their dealing with it. Hopefully they mow/roll them some time in the days after. I'm scheduled to return at the end of this week with some friends and will post if conditions are improved.

It has been a long time since my last round at Rancho and I found it a lot of fun. I would have to concur with the previous reviews re some brown spots on fairways and tee boxes yet are all very playable. Bunkers continue to be excellent (when dry) and very pleasantly surprised with the greens conditions. Despite a few careless divot marks, the greens were very receptive but also surprisingly quick...at least compared to the local munies I play here in the SG Valley. My foursome teed off around 7 and finished in just under 4 hours. Not great but good for RP. I would def make this part of my regular rotation if I lived closer, but still a very enjoyable historical place. I dig the classic "LA Confidential" feel of the old buildings and restrooms (when clean)...playing here is almost always a treat.

I haven't played HD in forever and found the course in much better shape than I remember. I was about to tee off from the wrong tee box before the starter told me that they flipped the 9's so that the first hole is now what used to be the 10th hole. I'm not sure when they made that change but I think it's a marked improvement over the previous setup. Conditions were great for an LA muni with the greens in good shape but played much slower than I'm used too. It's not crowded at all and I finished in under 4 hrs. It plays much longer than the 6600+ yrds that is indicated on the scorecard due to the majority of elevated greens, undulating fairways and prevalent winds. Still had a very enjoyable round and experience. It's pretty hilly and can get hot in the afternoons so play early and take advantage of the June Gloom temps if you like to walk/push.

It's been a while since this courses last review, so I thought I'd write a quick update. I found Encino to be playing better than normal. I expected thinner and dryer conditions considering the past heat wave, but the fairways and rough had pretty good and mostly green coverage. I didn't have any issues regarding lies in the fairways. The greens were punched about 3 weeks ago and were running pretty true and consistent but a little on the slow side. The one issue several of the greens seemed to be battling a slight fungus problem, that formed what looked like large yellow water spots on the greens. It was mostly a cosmetic issue than a physical one. The biggest problem are the bunkers, which were very wet and thin. It isn't a challenging course, with very few hazards and landing strip size fairways. If you have a decent day with the driver, your scores should be better than usual. The best thing about playing here are the interesting people I always seemed to be randomly paired with. The locals I played with say Balboa is playing even nicer, so I'll try to make it out to that one next.

It has been over 5 years since the last time I played SD. I used to play here often when I first started playing and always enjoyed it. For the higher handicap golfer, this is a great course to grow from. The course conditions were very good. Lush fairways and lightning fast greens that when pins were in certain locations on the greens they bordered on unfair. Local knowledge would go a very beneficial to scoring well here. Although we were paired with a course marshall on his day off who says he played there often and he seemed to have just as much trouble on the greens as I did so...
My group missed our morning tee time by 20 min but the starter was super cool to get us out when he did. So for a Service rating they get 5 stars. Overall I can't remember playing here while the conditions were better, but outside of the potential 5 hr+ round, I would recommend getting on whenever you can. I hope I get a chance to play here again soon.

Played 9/1/13 for first time and I would have to concur with the earlier reviews the past few months. Cool location that gets tons of play by the lucky locals. Conditions are good for a muni but the greens continue to be MUCH slower than they look. Pretty wide open and not overly long from the looks on the tee box but there are several holes that have subtle doglegs and hide potential trouble if you are unaware of them. With a little experience and lack of wind, this place is really susceptible low scores. If you don't mind a 5 hour round at a location that has a tropical feeling (beach views/bikini's!) without the exotic price, I recommend that you give this place a try...can't wait to play there again.

It's been a while since my last review of Wilson because I just haven't played it in over a year after being a regular here the past few years. This USED to be one of the most crowded and played course in LA, with hour long waiting lists. Yesterday I was able to walk on and almost played as a single (they ran a fella out to join me last second). The lack of seniors, who many have been priced out due to the increase in their fees was noticeable. I've ranted about the unfairness before, so I'll just begin my review.

Less crowds meant a lot faster round, about 4 hrs. Due to the increased fees it looks like they are actually spending some of it on maintenance of the course. The greens have never been better. Fast, smooth and true. I holed several putts with confidence beyond 10 ft. The overall look of the course is very green for the Summer. The fairways were lush/firm and provided very good roll outs on my drives. The biggest issues I saw were with several tee boxes that were located in uneven divot filled sections. But overall, Wilson conditions are very good to excellent. Daily rates to walk seem $teep to me, especially if you are a non-resident or play Friday-Sunday. Too bad more folks aren't getting to enjoy it. Maybe with a new Mayor in LA, they can do something about that.

Its been a while since I've reviewed Brook #1...and I have to say that the supers have done a really fine job in getting this track back in shape (5 months). I know how difficult it is with all the wear and tear the two courses get from the football games during the winter. The fairways are mostly healed and green. Some fairways are the best I've ever seen them. And the greens are back to their challenging speeds, and running smooth and true. Rough is mostly fair to thick and bunkers are in great shape as well. One last word about the fairways...I played an early round this morning and they began aerating the fairways in the back-nine. Why do they punch the fairways and leave the plugs of mud lying around to clump up our spikes and cart wheels???...ugh. Hopefully they'll be someone to pick/sweep them up later. With the conditions being as nice as they are now, it seems to be what I call "tournament time" around here, with some kind tourney going on everyday on either #1 or #2, so I would recommend calling in advance for a tee time or finding out if there is a tourney going on before you try to "walk-on". In short...both courses at Brook are playing great, so come on out and play before football season begins and trashes it again!

Played in a small tourney this Sunday, I haven't played here in over a year. The course is in excellent condition, especially for this time of year. This course isn't too long and has expansive fairways, which makes it perfect for the type of wknd tourneys that we completed. The greens are large but many are elevated and run very fast and roll true...some of the best in So Cal right now. The guy in the pro shop told me that they will begin "punching" the greens tomorrow. So you may have to wait a few weeks before the greens are back to what they are now. This place has become one of my favs...I will definitely return when the greens heal.

We came up over the 1st for a kind of "Sideways" trip and I was able to find a great deal online to play this course. I was surprised to see how well maintained it is considering the low usage it seems to get during the week. Maybe it's different on the weekends but we played as a twosome and were just about the only ones on the course that afternoon. It actually looks to be in better shape than the private Ranch course down the road. The course is mostly flat with wide landing areas and large greens without much undulations with moderate slopes. If you're solid tee to green there isn't much in terms of surprise and should score well. Greens rolled true and surprisingly fast, some tee boxes were dicey and bunkers were pretty wet but playable. An very enjoyable round with beautiful views of the valley and adjoining vineyards. It's a pleasant break from all the tourist traps in the area...I look forward to coming here again...you should too.

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