played here late morning a few days ago. it was a cool day so it was actually pleasant out in the inland empire. looks like the heat is back now. this is always one of my favorite course layouts, runs through the quarry beautifully and holes usually make you think a bit. customer service was mentioned in the previous reviews but there wasn't any when i got there, maybe it was a bit later. no one to drop a bag off to, had to flag down the cart guys to get a cart, and no one to check on us when we got back. no starter so i just headed out there with my buddy. the course itself was in better condition than i usually see it, pretty green, but still a big scruffy. the tees from the blues were okay, even the par 3's were okay since they mostly play from 195+ and most people don't take huge divots from that distance. fairways were actually pretty green but did have some brown and bare spots out there. rough was up just a bit and enough to affect our approaches for sure. bunkers out here were pretty bad as usual, pretty much playing out of dirt. i think the wind just makes it hard to keep sand here? worst part was the greens were very slow and bumpy. looks like they had just been verticut so either your putt was with the cut and had no break or it was against the cut and you had to slam the putt to get it there. often times putts would get knocked off line by bumps on the greens. frustrating. anyway it was still a fun day, POP was about 4 hours. for some reason i always score great on the front and get killed by the back. that's golf i guess.

was able to get out here yesterday mid morning. situated in the heart of OC, prices are premium but i feel like it's taken a step back. check in at the shop was fine but guy at the front just tells you to 'take that cart and head off'. carts have no ice chests nor water supplied. there is no GPS, better figure out how to play holes 8, 14, 18 without a map. tee boxes were very chewed up with lots of unfilled divots and grown out ragged and unlevel. fairways were in decent condition with good coverage, some occasional brown/bare spots. there wasn't too much rough to contend with . bunkers were all right, playable. greens were in good condition and ran medium/fast. POP was 4 hours.
layout is mostly creative with a few interesting holes and some forgettable par 4s. they have a discounted rate for irvine residents. if i had a to play a premium course in irvine though, i'd probably head on over to oak creek, it's just a step above right now.

played here last week mid morning as a twosome, a bit of a late review. i like the layout of this course, not too difficult if you have played it a few times and know where to hit it. course was in dry late summer conditions as expected due to the heat. teeboxes were all in good condition from the blues. fairways had generally decent thinnish coverage, but there were some brown and occasional bare areas. there isn't too much rough here to speak of. i was not in any bunkers. greens are the best part of the course, played soft, medium speed, and rolled pretty true with minimal bumps. approaches were generally hop and stop. wasn't very crowded out there, we played through a couple off groups after getting backed up behind a foursome front 9 and made it around in about 3 1/2. enjoy playing here when i can.

got out to play here yesterday mid morning and the course was in good condition. customer service was good as usual from check in to the cart guys to the starter. tees were probably the biggest letdown, some uneven lies especially on the par 3s and probably a little fluffier than i like as even long tees would sit down. fairways had good coverage, just enough cushion to provide a little extra forgiveness. rough was grown out just enough so your ball would sometimes sit down and make getting it out of there a tough task. i was only in one fairway bunkers but it had nice white sand that was almost too fluffy. it was like playing out of the beach. better hit it hard. greens were the best part, softer than i remember the last time i played but smooth, ran true. enjoy the layout here, always challenging and even though in the heart of irvine feels secluded. only caveat is that the teeboxes on 18 are under construction so it is playing temporarily as a par 4 with temp tees in the middle of the fairway from only about 300 yards. a shame wasn't able to play one of the best holes IMO. POP was just under 4, which is decent but under the heat felt like a LONG day.

headed up here to the heat as i like the layout and conditions here. they had a problem with their tee time booking engine so check-in was a bit confusing but they did give some complimentary range balls which was nice. Course is in good condition. Tee boxes were level and uniform. fairways with good coverage, and as usual here the rough by the fairways and greenside are thick kikuyu which will wreak havoc on your game. your club could get stuck and you'll hit a short duck hook or catch it high on the face and get a flop. or the ball just goes nowhere. greens ran medium and it must have been the perfect speed for me as i was able to get up and down way more than i usually do. played late morning so it was hot out there and SLOW. POP was almost 5 hours which was torture for me. ruined an otherwise nice round. wish i could get out early morning like some other members around here.

I've stayed away from here the past several years due to declining conditions, but the heat led me back down to san clemente, where it was a good 10 degrees cooler than mid and north OC. Was pleasantly surprised that the course was in pretty good shape. Check-in was easy, no starter with the cart guys filling in. Talega has an interesting layout that will make you think a bit, but not too much. Some forced carries, a few forced layups, and lots of OB. teeboxes were in good shape and level. Fairway lies were good, some maintenance going on out there so some places were a bit fluffy. Rough was not a problem to hit out of, but the ball sits up so often you will get it up high on the face. Greens were soft and receptive, rolled pretty slow but true and in general were in good condition. Bunkers were full of hard packed sand and were probably the worst part of it. But hey, the water features such as on 18 are filled back in with water when it used to be just a cesspool of still water full of bugs so that's an improvement. POP was kind of slow IMO for a weekday at a bit over four hours. Still I'd recommend it.

played midmorning, first round in a few weeks. course is soggier than last time i played, probably due to overwatering from the recent heat. fairways which are usually fairly tight were pretty shaggy in spots, with some muddy areas. sand was heavier and wetter than usual. greens were generally soft, approaches would make large ball marks, but did have some inconsistent spots where landing areas were harder than others making it a bit difficult to predict. putts break off quickly if they didn't have speed. teeboxes were all in good condition from the blues. got around in 4 hours as a threesome. like playing here when can i get a good rate.

Played mid morning with a friend and a twosome mid week. Course was pretty empty, about an hour between prior tee time and ours. Course is in green, but not lush condition. Fairways are fast and tight. Rough is minimal. Greens were soft and receptive, rolled medium, pretty good rolls not very bumpy. Bunkers had fluffy bright white sand in them, very good quality. Breezed thru 9 in 1.5 and then got stuck behind a couple of groups, finished in 3.5. Course is not overly interesting, mostly generous fairways and accessible greens. A few holes on the back where water comes into play. Still pricey for the course, but I guess the location demands it.

played a round here while visiting the big island, heard good things and reviews about this particular course. got a pretty good rate off a discount website. rack rate is $295. still, i was pretty disappointed. customer service was minimal, felt like there were 3 people working there that day, one person to grab your clubs, one person in the shop, and a starter who was MIA that i had to get the shop person to look for. no one at club dropoff, no beverage cart, no water on course, comfort stations were closed. they did give you 2 bottles of water. range had only 5 or 6 stalls set up, flags with no distances. Course conditions were pretty decent, had no issues with the teeboxes, fairways were generally in good shape with no bare spots. rough was an inch or so, would penalize you a bit but not too bad. greens were pretty slow, but ran well.

the course has a few scenic ocean holes, like #3 and #11, but most of it was inland, most holes were essentially 'hit drive to a narrow landing area with a lot of fairway bunkers and then dogleg it to an elevated green. i didn't find it too challenging nor interesting from the resort tees. it was hot, around 90 degrees, and pace of play was pretty bad. a few groups of older men and women teed off about 40 minutes before us and we caught up to them by 5 and were waiting on every shot after that. no marshal at this resort.

anyway with the heat, slow play, and uninteresting course, i actually gave up and left after 3 1/2 hours and 13 holes. never done that before on vacation. went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the day with family instead. honestly wouldn't play here again. rating is based on course conditions though.

second round on the monterey peninsula over past weekend.

i had avoided coming here given the high greens fees, but honestly i'm not sure why i waited so long. the course was spectacular and worth it just for the experience alone, even if just once.

practice area is excellent, including the range area and short game area. need to take a shuttle and your clubs with you. the first tee was a bit chaotic as mentioned in a previous review, a lot of people milling around, golf bags everywhere. didn't really seem needed to check in with the shop if you had a time, just let the starter know about 10 minutes beforehand.

course was in very good condition, a step below spyglass but still very nice compared to some pictures i had seen and some videos i had watched prior to coming. tee boxes were flat and mowed to perfection, fairways were well covered and not too lush, not too tight. rough was grown out but was just short enough so that you didn't lose your ball. hit it hard out of there though, really thick and grabbed your club. i was in about oh...12 or 13 bunkers and they were amazing to play out of. hit some really good ones out of the soft sand that you could get under and pop up with good spin. greens were difficult to read, a bit of that bumpy poa made them just a bit unpredictable too. i didn't get a caddie, but it didn't seem to help the putting of others in my group. putts seemed to be either super fast or super slow.

i walked 18, and by the end i was starting to tire a bit. next time probably take less stuff in my bag or just get into d%mn ed shape. still not convinced about a caddie. i'm glad i finally made the trip, and am already scheming as to when i can get back for revenge against the course. the scenery of holes 4-10 made it worth it, honestly the holes coming back are pretty good too. next time instead of staying on property i'll probably just call up a week or two in advance and find an available time.

made it up to monterey this past weekend to play spyglass and pebble as part of a birthday trip, the centennial package they were offering for their 100th anniversary sealed the deal. started off the first day with spyglass, which in general i've heard is the superior and tougher track. the clubhouse and grill are very small, don't expect any amenities here like at the lodge, just golf. staying on property, i grabbed the shuttle here and i don't think it really mattered to them either day that i checked in at the front desk. they just said to grab a bag of balls and the range was a few steps down the way, see the starter about 15 minutes before my time. range that day was artificial turf.

course conditions were excellent, one of the best i've played. the tee boxes were in excellent condition, mown down perfectly and flat. fairways were more lush, just a few divots here and there but excellent and carpet like. i played at 830am, so it was still moist and got little roll off drives. many uneven lies in the fairway, so a good drive was not always rewarded well. rough was thick and lush, grabbed your club so you would be lucky to get a mid iron out, even a hybrid was dicey. if you could find your ball sitting down there in the first place. i was only in 1 or 2 bunkers, this course really isn't bunkered that heavily. sand was soft, white, and excellent to hit out of. the greens though. running fast and with tricky contours, i had a tough time lagging my putts anywhere near the hole. it felt like if your approach wasn't close, it was a 3 putt.

the course itself was indeed tough, starting with the 5 'ocean' holes, of which i found #2 (fairway) and #4 (green) kind of gimmicky but still enjoyed the spectacular views. the sand dunes and the structures stand in stark contrast to pebble's ocean holes which are perched directly on the cliffs of the peninsula. if you like true parkland courses though, you will love the rest of spyglass hill. running in and out of the del monte forest, each subsequent hole is framed by monterey pines and generally isolated from structures or road. hit the ball straight and take an extra club into the green seems to be par for most of this course. and par will be a good score on any hole here as there are challenging doglegs. strategically placed trees and water, and greens that can punish even the best hit approach shots.

only nitpick was that i felt the par 3s to be a bit of a weakness here, as they felt particularly less challenging compared to the rest of the course. all four play short, 3 of them severely downhill (though #3 is an awesome hole). the two on the back 9 felt like mirror images of one another and felt like an afterthought. Nothing like #5 or #17 at pebble.

though many say this is a superior course to pebble and it probably is, as a recreational golfer i would rather play pebble again. after my round at spyglass, i felt exhausted as if i had been through a battle. had to manage the rough when my drive went astray, or a long uphill approach, and then had to handle the quick, undulating greens. shot about 12 or 13 shots above my usual round. i will make it back again, for sure, perhaps when my game is worthy of the test of golf that is course is.

Played late morning weekday with a few buddies. I feel like if there's a course I frequent that never disappoints it's maderas. Though a bit out of the way for me, the course, conditions, and service I feel are worth it. Check-in and starter very friendly, range balls included. Course was set up fast. Tees in good condition, fairways mown nice and tight for a lot of roll. Rough was short for the most part but consistent. I was not in any bunkers, cant speak to that. This course is true target golf but I enjoy that and it makes for good scenery. The toughest part though here is the greens... Huge greens but multiple undulations, tiers, and speed is always difficult to judge IMO because the grain seems to affect putts so much more here than most places i play. Pop was 4h15min, too slow for my taste. Still a gorgeous day to play though