This course is a hot deal heaven. We played on a Sunday for $22 per man including cart and there are deals offered nearly every day of the week.

The greens were perfect with fast speeds and smooth surfaces, exactly the setup to start getting hot with the putter. The course is challenging from every tee with water coming into play on many holes ie. #14 love to hate that hole (driver means carry over water/tree/bunkers with water beyond the firm fairway as well and conservative leaves 220+/- to an elevated semi blind green). The fairways were firm with good/thin coverage and the rough is basically non existent as with many area courses in an effort to conserve water.

Two negatives for me; 1- a couple holes seem a bit wedged in by houses 9th especially and 2- the bunkers are terrible hard hard hard I don't know why they can not figure this out as they have been that way as long as I can remember. (If my rating seems low it is certainly based on the traps)

One of the best parts of the experience is the bar/grill as it is the local gathering place for a few large sub divisions as well as the golfers. There is usually a large friendly crowd having cocktails and socializing.

Great time great price good challenging layout, definitely recommend.

Always a fun course that can produce low numbers.

Overall - Average design and conditions with very good value.

Pace - Good, 4:30ish on a Sunday.

Course conditions - The drought is evident all in and around the course. Range is void of grass in the target area, but green on the tee ground. The course greens(some tine marks left) and tees are all in good condition. Rough is basically dirt with an occasional patch here and there. Fairways are thin but play well with some bare/brown spots. They are doing a good job of reducing water usage and keeping things playable.

Staff - Good, Friendly and helpful.

Value - Excellent, Even for the valley where prices are lower than Nor/So Cal this course has better pricing and deals than most. ($50 with cart 2 players on a Sunday hot deal)

Food - Average, Small bar/grill with typical offerings. They can ramp up the offerings for banquets etc.

Facilities - Well maintained with large areas for tourneys/events. Good patio with views of several holes and golf action.

Edit--To say the accompanying rating is low due in large part to the bunkers which were poor. Concrete/hardpan/wow really firm/ were just some of the comments from the group.

Played 7-4-15

Planned on a 4th of July marathon and was completely wrong. The course was nearly empty and we ended up playing 36 (thank heavens for ice water and beer). The design is one of my favorites in the area. Playable for all levels, but challenging for better players due to Billy Bell's great work with small greens and angles. Previous review has a more details.

Played on 7-5-15

Love the two different nines and the great pricing. Greens were rolling as smooth as I have ever seen them. The fairways are still bumpy but they are working on them. Bunkers were concrete. Previous review has more details on course.

Played on 7-3-15

All of the previous review still applies as far as great design and playability based upon the multiple tees. The course is irrigated with reclaimed water so it is in good shape compared to many valley courses. The greens were back to nearly normal(75%ish), I had also played a week before and they were still sandy.

Lots of beautiful old oaks. Played on 4-4-15.

Overall - After the renovations, this is now a solid course with good conditioning, facilities and pricing. The front nine has too much intrusion from the houses (think 50s/60s CC) and a few of the back nine holes are poorly defined. Certainly a good choice for locals and worth a visit to add to list.

Pace - 5+hrs, yes it was a Holiday weekend, but there were several large gaps in play and the marshal was never seen. Unacceptable.

Conditions - Very nice for a public course. Greens were smooth, firm and rolling at medium speed. All the tee boxes and fairways were lush. Bunkers were consistent and tough with what appeared to be sand straight from a local beach (fluffy/deep).

Staff - Everyone was professional and friendly, had to drag my partner out of the halfway house.

Value - Good pricing off the rack, deals available if you look. Golfmoose for us.

Food - Menu offers more than typical selections and was well prepared.

Facilities - The renovations are evident everywhere. All buildings look new and clean. Bar and deck areas have excellent viewing and plentiful seating. Range is lacking in size and uses mats, but has good targets. Course has been upgraded in all areas from what I can remember from my last visit.

The course is now a viable option for coast trips and/or those passing through.

Played Saturday 3-14-15

Excellent Billy Bell design that allows bogey golfers to enjoy their day, while challenging better players with positioning, angles, small greens, uneven lies and well placed bunkers/trees. Makes me wonder why some modern architects can't figure out how to accommodate all levels of players.

Pace- Started off painfully slow. After the turn many of the recreational/drinking crowd left. Front nine 2:30+, back nine sub 2 hour for a 4:30 total.

Course conditions- Lush almost everywhere (first time I've seen actual rough in forever). The bunkers had been fluffed and everything plugged or fried egged. Greens were still showing signs of maintenance, which caused the occasional plinko effect. They are not only doing normal maintenance on the greens, but are also preparing for the Len Ross Jr., so they should be very nice in the next month.

Staff- Good staff all around. Home of the First Tee Fresno. Daniel Beckman is one of the instructors. He made the finals at the ReMax long drive last year, so if you need some swing speed tips look him up.

Value- Always good prices. We had a $25 deal that included cart. Steal for a weekend.

Food- Normal fare, normal prices. The back deck has great views of the 10th and the tracks/bridge (see photos once they post). Front deck allows viewing of several holes.

Facilities- Muni level buildings, well maintained. Range has good space and grass. Short game area in good shape. Practice green needs more flat areas, it is difficult to get a feel for speed/lag.

The volume of play can cause pace and conditioning issues at times. The layout and price make it one of my top five in the area. I recommend a visit.

The fun part of this course and the reason to make a trip once in a while, for locals, (for travelers certainly a one and done) is the differing nines. Front nine old parkland style. Back nine typical nineties design.

Pace - 4hrs-ish Played as two on front then four on back moved smoothly the entire round.

Course Conditions - below average coming out of winter and last summer's drought. Greens were mostly smooth and med/slow with a few dead patches and spots of crab/other grass. Bunkers were inconsistent for the two I was in. Tees average at best. The fairways were/are always lacking. I understand time of year etc., but regardless of the quality of grass cover these are hands down the bumpiest fairways I have encountered. Anyone who has ridden in a cart here can attest to the fact and describe being jostled and bounced even in the center of fairways. We walked and it was rough on the trolleys

Staff - Great staff and one of the reasons to play here and return. They are happy to see locals and visitors alike and they have a thriving junior program. Kudos!

Value - Good prices standard and if you sign up for email or use golfnow the prices are great.

Food - Solid food good prices.

Facilities - Average when it was new and now aging but well kept. Getting a fresh coat of paint at this time.

Player Tip: These greens often/mostly do not break as much as they appear, until putts slow and grain takes over.

Very unique design for the area. Heathland style is the label given by the designer.

Rolling fairways (wide if you play the correct tees), massive greens (often difficult to see just how big from the approach), penal bunkers (deep even in the fairways), and multiple tee options (5k-7k+ yards), all make this course challenging/fun for every level.

The native areas are ball eaters. The added time from lost ball searches, even on shots that barely roll into the edges of the long grasses, is one of the few negatives. No one likes lost balls and very few people ever limit their searches to 5 minutes or play stroke and distance once giving up the search. Thin out the areas, stop watering, make them lateral hazards, any or all of the above will increase pace of play and enjoyment.

Overall -Excellent design and facilities, highly recommend at least one visit to see for yourself.

Pace - About 445 for us. We played on Monday so there was a crowd for the holiday, often the pace suffers due to the aforementioned plethora of lost balls possible.

Course conditions - Winter conditions are disappearing, but not gone completely, nothing in poor shape and greens were very good.

Staff - Friendly and helpful from the starter to the grill to the beverage cart.

Value - Off the rack rate is high(always relative) for the region and the location. I have heard many people say that they would return happily if it weren't for the pricing. There are a few ways to play for less, check their website.

Food - Full restaurant offers above average menu.

Facilities - Stylish new buildings, great deck, great practice areas (one of the best in the Valley).

Dinuba may be out of the way, but the course is worth the trip.


There is a marker by the start shack that recommends tees to play based on avg driving distance. Something every course should have.

If this course was closer to major metropolitan areas it would quickly become a favorite and probably switch back from semi to fully private.

Overall - Very nice and quite challenging. Great location in a valley snuggled in the foothills. Views abound and most holes have no houses. Those that have houses are mostly out of play and not visually distracting. The river runs through many holes and is in play on several. The oaks are old and massive. The sycamores, which are uncommon for most of the valley, are also old and mature and give a beautiful framing to many holes.

Pace - We played in just under four and I can not remember non-tournament rounds over five as typically the crowds are small.

Course conditions - In very good shape for February. The early spring like weather is evident and all areas are filling in nicely with only a few dormant areas left. Greens smooth and rolling 10+.

Staff - Very nice and unlike many semi-private courses they showed no difference in service to us as compared to members.

Value - Off the rack average to high for the area (relative cost, in Nor or So Cal it would be a steal) but it is easy to get deals on GN and right now they have reduced rates directly from the course, for how long? IDK

Food - Being a club it has above average food and offerings.

Facilities - Nice old clubhouse with a cozy feel and good views, that is well maintained. Large practice area.

Out of the way for many, but worth the trip.

Played Saturday 2-8-15

The recent rains and warmer temps have started to bring the course out of dormancy. The greens are in fantastic shape, which is not always the norm here. They are smooth and running medium-slow (rain). The green complexes all have good coverage and short rough lies. The tees are all lush and were slightly long due to rain/no mowing. The fairways are hit and miss with anything from still dormant over slightly muddy soil to fresh first growth grass. The bunkers typically firm with little sand, were all compact and wet. It was like hitting off clay, great for long shots but very difficult for short/soft/high shots. Pace of play was good at right about four hours on a Sunday.

There are three nines, the two old parkland style nines (Valley, and Oaks) are tree lined with mature oaks and various other species, while the newest nine (Lakes) is the typical nineties style with more mounding/undulation. The lakes only come into play on three holes. The trees are less prevalent and less mature on the lakes and give it that faux links feel on a few of the holes.

Nature at its finest, we saw a bobcat and a family of deer. Wonderful locale nestled at the base of the foothills with the river running in/alongside several holes. Length is on the short side but the narrow holes/trees/river add challenge.

Overall - Below average, Usually on par with many offerings in the area. The average design and poor conditions the day we played is enough to drag the rating down, regardless of the setting. Average when conditions are good.

Pace - Good, Sub 4hr round was extended (a lot) the last three holes by a group of beginners.

Course conditions - Fair to poor, The 1st and 17th greens were reseeded and very shaggy/bumpy, from what I assume to be some serious damage/fungus? Rest of course was typical winter conditions with areas that were poor even for winter.

Staff - Good, Friendly and helpful, with an amazing ability to recognize even occasional patrons(me).

Value - Below average, Difficult (impossible?) to find deals, prices are higher than most other local courses.

Food - Average, Small bar/grill with typical offerings. Good inside seating with view of the river.

Facilities - Average, Older well maintained, love the stone work on parts of the buildings. Small grass range.

This is a course I recommend for the rotation for those in the area. Those traveling this is probably a one and done.