Got out to Hansen Dam with a buddy this week for the first time in over two years. I was quite excited to see what kind of shape the course would be in after this wet winter and it really did not disappoint too much at all. Overall the course is in good shape right now.

Played from the blue tees and got a cart as there are some decent walks between nines and a little bit of elevations to work with. It's definitely walkable, just wasn't feeling it on what I anticipated was going to be a very hot day.

Conditions, as previously stated, were good across the board. Nothing exceptionally great, nothing glaringly bad. Greens are in good shape, run medium-fast, hold shots and lines quite well. No complaints there. Fairways are mostly in good shape with some thin areas and a few lush ones to boot. Rough is of mixed length, tee boxes are a little beat up but playable, and the bunkers have a decent layer of sand but hardly fluffy - really depends on the hole.

POP moved pretty decently throughout the round and we finished in around four and a half hours. There was no cart service on the course all day, but there is a very convenient snack shop at the turn before you head over to the 10th hole.

All in all it's a very good experience right now at Hansen Dam and all at a fair price.

In dire need of a confidence round, I found a single time at Woodley Lakes for Saturday morning and jumped on it. I was paired with two other singles with a 9:20am tee and opted for a cart seeing as the temperatures would be soaring into triple digits by the back nine.

Mission accomplished as I played my best round (not saying much) since April, but more importantly is the fact that the course, despite the heat, played pretty darn well. The greens are rolling quite nicely and true, all while holding shots very well. The fairways have ample coverage albeit thin but playable in many spots. The rough is imminently playable and often preferred to the fairways. Bunkers a bit on the thin side but nothing too awful, while the tee boxes (played the whites) were in decent not great shape.

One of the more surprising features on the day was an actual cart service that came around - very much appreciated on a hot day and unusual for LA muni courses. The POP was also not as bad as it seemed while we were playing. Felt like it was going to be a five-hour round but was surprised to see we finished in around four hours and twenty minutes.

All in all it was a good day out at Woodley Lakes and it did the trick.

First time back out at Goose Creek in four years this past weekend and it was well worth the wait. The course is still in its usual solid shape, with a few areas in need of a little bit of attention, but nothing that takes away from the great overall experience of the course.

We played from the white (III) tees with our threesome and maintained a nice POP throughout the entire day - never pushing the group in front of us too much, and never really being pushed from behind either. We had nice cart service numerous times as well. The course and its amenities were well worth the $91 greens fee for a small bucket and cart as well.

Greens were in good shape and very consistent throughout the day, but there are some holes that have some GUR areas around them affecting approach shots, such as the par 5 4th hole. But they're mostly very solid. Tee boxes are also flat, level and in good shape, while the fairways and rough are very nice all around. I was only in one bunker all day and it was in the fairway on the 8th hole, but the sand seemed ample.

Shame it took this long to get back to the Goose and I will try to not make that mistake again!

Got to enjoy playing the Big Meadow course at Black Butte again in Oregon this past week for an informal work trip that allowed some time for fun. This course is everything you would imagine from a central Oregon facility with its perfectly lush conditions, its massive tree-lined and narrow fairways, and its exhilarating views and challenge.

Fairways are in pristine shape with every blade of grass healthy and vibrant, while the rough is thick and varied in its penal nature. The tee boxes are all flat and perfectly manicured, while the bunkers are in very good shape as well. The greens? Simply fantastic. We got consistent speeds and true lines throughout the entire day. A true feast for the golf purist.

The course starts off flat and somewhat open the first hole before winding into the Oregon forest and throwing all sorts of twists and turns at you, also including some subtle but distinct elevations on various holes. Tee shots are inviting but also daunting with sharp corners and no shortage of balls needing to be saved from just off the fairways but also right out of someone's backyard. Yes, there are plenty of homes surrounding the fairways here, but they're not intrusive. They simply add to the experience.

We had top-notch service from start to finish - both with the warmup facilities (including a tremendous driving range with an epic of view of the Black Butte itself) and cart service throughout the round. This place is a true gem and I can't wait to play here again ... hopefully next year!

Monthly golf group back out at Meadowlark this past weekend and the course is in pretty good shape overall tee to green.

You're going to find good coverage in the fairways, some nice greens that hold shots well and roll pretty true (albeit not too fast and some wild pin positions on these tiny greens), very playable rough and some slightly beat-up tee boxes and bunkers. I wouldn't say any one particular aspect of the course stood out above any other, so that's pretty consistent I guess.

I would say there are two major gripes - POP and the driving range. Quite frankly, it's very frustrating that a pretty 'short' course like Meadowlark can take just under six hours to play a full round. I just don't get it. Our first of four groups out had nothing but delays in front of them all afternoon and it just got jammed up on about every single hole.

Also, the driving range is just in dire need of some TLC all across the board. The balls are in rough shape, the mats are beat up and there's just nothing inviting about the dirt landing area and the range balls everywhere flying through massive holes in the nets. I can't imagine there aren't any practical things they could do to improve this area.

But hey, at least there was cart service on a busy Saturday and there is a nice little snack shop that you can easily access on the front nine (between holes 6 and 7) and also when you're done with the front nine on the 9th hole. That's a bonus.

Still a fun, challenging little shorter course because of the small, turtleback greens and some of its unexpected elevation changes, mostly on the back nine. Always a fun visit.

Monthly group played at Los Verdes this weekend and the course is in fine shape across the board. We had four groups and took off at 2pm under blue skies that turned gray and windy by the middle of the back nine. Still had a great time.

Greens are running fast and true - the usual at Los Verdes. They're in very nice shape and always a very stern test. The fairways have nice coverage for the most part with some thin areas as well in the high-usage zones on this very busy course. Rough is a mixed bag but the bunkers that I was in seemed in okay shape, and the tee boxes were flat and level with mostly good coverage.

POP for a Saturday late afternoon was not very good at around five hours, but can't really complain because we were the last of the four groups so it was my friends in front of us doing the traffic jam. We had cart service come around a few times as well which is pretty rare for Los Verdes, but very appreciated.

Views and prices of course remain untouched at this public gem of a course that is showing its best side currently. Get yourself a tee time soon.

Had to organize a late foursome this weekend and ended up finding a nice 8:15am tee time at Whittier Narrows on Saturday. We had three riders and one walker, playing from the white tees as the course's main defense is length and small greens.

If you've played Whittier Narrows before, then you're more than used to the browned-out fairways and mediocre overall conditions, but that is most certainly not the case right now. I've never seen this place as green and well-maintained as it is currently.

Fairways are quite lush and green, rough is very thick and penal as you struggle to find many balls that end up there just off the main alleys, tee boxes and bunkers are all pretty good, but the really nice highlight is excellent, fast and true greens. This is quite frankly the best this place is ever going to play so if you ever considered it, now is the time.

One thing to be concerned about - there are a TON of gnats/flies/mosquitos that will harass you all day long. It was quite frustrating and felt like midwest golf in July. They're literally everywhere and super annoying. The starter said they have been trying to fix the problem for the last month but to no avail, so I would recommend a quality bug spray if you can get some.

POP was also very good as we finished on a busy Saturday at just around four hours and twenty minutes. Carts were old with no frills but very functional. Overall the place is on the very modest side, but it's all working right now, with the exception of the bug problem, which is clearly out of their hands. Nothing too exciting about the layout either but it's a good, solid test of golf that will let you stretch the legs and use lots of clubs.

Go now before it gets back to its old ways soon.

Sunday afternoon round back at Skylinks this weekend with two friends (including a Mattias sighting!) and we rode and played from the blue tees. We had a 1:40 tee time and moved pretty decently throughout the round coming in with a POP at around four and a half hours.

Course is still in very good shape from tee to green with good, flat tee box coverage, nice green fairways that get nice roll and mostly provide solid hitting surfaces, moderate rough and very nice greens right now that are rolling really nicely. Pin positions were definitely in tournament mode yesterday with almost all of them being in very tough spots.

The biggest gripe? The usual high quality bunkers are nowhere to be seen. This course often has nice, ample fluffy sand, but the current bunkers are in quite poor shape being very thin and leaving you with a choice on every single sand shot on how to best approach it.

Course is always a bit on the pricey (overpriced?) side, but at least right now you're getting good value for it with the course in very nice shape overall.

Fun round out at Rio Hondo with a buddy yesterday. We had a 3:32pm tee time and rode with a $45 greens fee - a very good value for a fun course in very solid condition right now.

Fairways are in good shape with the occasional thin lie but mostly very good, while the rough is generally playable but makes you think about club selection. Most of the bunkers had good sand in them but could be a little thicker in that department. Tee boxes were flat and mostly in good shape.

Greens have healed up nicely from aerification and while you're still going to find a few lazy ball marks out there, for the most part they're running quite true and holding shots well. Speed seemed to vary a little bit depending on the hole as some greens seemed to be mowed down a bit tighter than others, but that might just be my perception based on my strokes.

Course is narrow and tight on the front nine, much more open and forgiving on the back nine, but always quite fun and challenging. Unfortunately there was no cart service on the course but a convenient snack shop at the turn. POP was pretty darn good as the group in front of us moved at a solid pace and the twosome we were paired with were a lot of fun so all in all it was a pretty nice little Saturday.

Keep up the good work, Rio Hondo.

Joined a buddy for a late twilight round at Rancho Park this week and found the course to be in really good shape. I would say that just about every aspect of the course is in slightly above average condition across the board, which is a pretty nice combination.

Even POP was tremendous as we finished right at four hours to come in just before darkness fell across the Cheviot Hills. We had been paired with an older couple for the first nine, and once they took off at the turn, we cruised through the back nine with only minimal waits on the group in front of us.

Greens were rolling very true but not exactly lightning fast, but coverage is nice and they hold shots well. Fairways have good coverage and the rough is thick but playable. Bunkers had varying layers of sand depending on the hole, while the tee boxes were mostly flat and had good grass coverage. So, as previously mentioned, everything is in really good shape, but nothing absolutely perfect. It's definitely nice and very playable right now though.

Weekend round at Skylinks with two buddies and the biggest gripe came before we even hit the first tee. I booked the round on Friday late through GolfNow, which indicated cart was included, however our plan was to walk.

When I went to the starter to pay (minus the cart fee), they told me I still had to pay the $17 extra for the cart since they couldn't adjust it. What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that? That's never happened at any other course regardless if the cart was part of the original booking. That's just horrific customer service and the deal with GolfNow should be reviewed and altered.

Once we got on the course, it was in very fine shape for the most part with very nice greens (probably the best I've ever seen them here), nice tee boxes and pretty good fairways with plenty of good coverage but some thin areas around the course. Rough was very playable and only the bunkers were not in superb shape, still a little grainy and thin overall.

We did get a nice POP until around the 14th hole when things backed up for the rest of the round, and there was no cart service at any point in the round. But we played the whole round under the cloud of having overpaid for a service we did not want or need. I will absolutely do my best to never book through GolfNow again, but Skylinks should definitely not contribute to that madness.

Weekend twilight round at Harding with two buddies this week and the course is in pretty darn good shape overall. We also got a ridiculously good $22 walking rate with LA City card so if there's more of a steal anywhere in SoCal golf, I haven't seen it.

Fairways are in good shape with mostly all good lies and some semi-thick rough in parts but mostly very manageable. Bunkers okay but a little on the thin side, and the tee boxes were mostly in good shape (played the blues) and level. Greens were running very nicely - not too fast, not too slow, had good, smooth coverage and held shots well. No complaints there.

POP was super dreamy as we had a nice moving group in front of us and were rarely ever pushed by the group behind us so finishing in just about four and a half hours was really good for a weekend date. No cart service but a very convenient and well-stocked snack bar at the 'turn' (actually the 8th green/9th tee box on Harding).

Pretty much always a good time at Harding and this time was no exception.