Played in the final SCGA member outing today at the hallowed Hacienda Golf Club. A true hidden gem of a club, and a fantastic course. I had heard people say if you get to do one SCGA a year try to make it Hacienda. The yearly event usually sells out within minutes, not sure how I got a slot but I am sure glad I did. This place is truly a special experience that I will never forget.

The clubhouse sits atop of the course and you can reasonably see a majority of the course by looking down. The pro shop is top notch and the locker room has that classic private feel to it. If you live close and have the means to join, this is the club you absolutely should consider.

The course right now is in very good shape. The greens are incredible, perfect in my opinion, held and rolled true. The fairways are being worked on in a couple low spots, but nothing to complain about. The sand traps, which have lips like I have never seen are great, a little wet from the rain the night before but they dried throughout the morning. The tee boxes were as good as you could ask for.

Overall, the experience was well worth it. I highly recommend this place if you get the chance.

Out to Falcon Ridge today after traveling to St. George we decided this was the best course to play for the money that had a morning tee time. So we decided that playing at 8:20 AM would be a wise decision. Unfortunately, it was 29 outside and we were under a serious frost delay that lasted about 30-40 minutes. By the time we started it was still in the 40's, which is hard on so many levels. The course is a tail of two nines, with the front supposedly easier than the back, however for our group that was the opposite. I think that all has to with the weather. Falcon Ridge, if you have never been there is a huge piece of property. Definitely cannot tell how big this course is without playing it. Each hole is unique and challenging. The course weaves through homes and across streets and around corners. It has a great clubhouse and restaurant with good bloody mary's and excellent food. The breakfast sandwich was well worth the 12$. The only down side here is no real driving range, just some nets and mats and old balls. The brand new carts are gas powered and can really move, the GPS should be installed sometime soon.

The course right now is in winter conditions with Bermuda dried out as the rough and the fairway/tee boxes are a rye blend that they do everything they can to keep green. The sand is a little rocky but still very good, and the greens when not frozen are rolling straight and held, surprisingly. When we finished about 4 and 1/2 hours later it was in the mid 60's, yes you read that right an almost 30 degrees swing from the morning.

Overall, I absolutely love this place its simply just fun, I highly recommend it and I hope to return in the spring or summer.

Played in the SCGA outing today at the newly renovated Valencia CC. As a first time player of this course, I must say the layout was fair, however the conditions today were tough to say the least. We started on hole 5 after a 20 minute delay due to frost. I broke 5 tees trying to get that first shot off. I knew then that It was gong to be a long and challenging day. The greens today were so incredibly dry and fast they well over a 10 on the stimpmeter. The fairways were in good condition but dry and lots of roll. Without question some of the best sand I have ever played in, very new. The rough was basically none existent as they had removed a whole bunch of trees to completely re-do the course. According to the SCGA proctor of the closest to the pin contest, Valencia is going to put in a bid to potentially hold the Genesis championship when the Olympics are here in a few years. As the Olympics would use the Riv, and there is some clause that says they can only hold 1 large pro tourney a year. Hence Valencia attempting get that tourney for a year. Who knows?

As for Valencia CC as a member club to join, If I lived closer and had the means this would be one I would look into. It is a serious challenge of a course. The clubhouse, and locker room are very nice and very clean. Big lockers and I think I saw a sauna or steam room. The food is good according to the guys who ate. The practice green is large yet the driving range is not that big but suitable. Worth a chance if you get on, especially if you love an old school challenge.

Comparing this to the Oaks Club, I would say this course has more of a classic feel to it while the Oaks has more unique challenges and blind shots. Valencia has some bunkers that are perfectly placed.

Both were well worth the outing fee, and I would do it again if I get the opportunity.

I had the distinct honor and privilege of playing a round with 3 GK legends yesterday at Sunset Hills CC. Johnny GK, GDR23, and Captain Kyle M. What a great day on a really challenging and fun private course. Thanks to both Johnny and to the Golf Moose team for these rare opportunities. As for course conditions, If that is what you are reading this for please go to GDR23's previous post for a much better explanation than I could ever give.

Sunset Hills is nestled under highway 23 and sits on the border of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and Simi Valley. This private club has quite a few amenities like a full tennis facility with 10 lighted courts, a giant pool, a workout facility, a killer bar that over looks the practice facility, and a game room. The course is just over 6000 yards par 71 with narrow fairways, small greens, and unique fairway slopes. This combination makes it much harder than the scorecard and rating would suggest. This is the type of course you could play everyday and still be challenged. The grounds crew does an exceptional job at keeping this place nice. Everything was clean and the course was a reflection of hard work. The rumor is that this is one of the best private deals in Southern California. With both family and individual plans that won't set you back an entire retirement check. Without question, a great course to play at least once, should you get the chance.

Made it to Wailea Golf today to hit up the Emerald course. One of three options at the resort, the Blue a short course, the Gold the former Senior Skins game course (a real golf challenge they say), and the Emerald a mix of the two. All three are excellently maintained. The Gold and Emerald course share a clubhouse while the Blue is closer to the resorts. Before we get to the course, the facility is really a top notch golf location with a great range, range carts, a large practice green, and a locker room that rivals any resort I've seen. Lots of guys working the course both in the clubhouse and out on the course. At just under 200$ a pop this is what I would expect, as the Four Seasons, Fairmont, and Grand Wailea are all within walking distance.

As the course goes, Wailea Emerald is a challenge met with a variety of holes each uniquely presenting their own quirks. Up a hill, down a hill, dog legs, small greens, large greens. The tee boxes are in great shape 9/10 as are the fairways and rough. The Sand was soft but still could have been a little more filled. The greens were fast and smooth, but also the humidity did make the ball stick, so hard to read at times, especially in the shade. I was paired up with a great guy who was about my handicap and a very nice couple from Denver. We teed it up at 6:40 AM and almost immediately we let a single go past us... on the third hole. By the 5th hole another single came up and sat behind us the entire round. There were singles and doubles the next 4 or 5 groups behind us. Yet we kept pace at exactly 4hrs. I am not sure what is going on with the management and tee times. The Emerald wasn't as difficult as some may say it is. Today it provided a different challenge, rarely seen in a Hawaii, 90 degree heat with no wind and lots of humidity. After the round I felt completely drained.

I would love the opportunity to play the Gold and Blue courses, and should you be on this side of Maui this is the golf course you want to pay to play. I highly recommend a visit here the next time you come to Maui.

First round of my Maui trip this year started at a course that has always interested me. The Dunes at Maui Lani. A course completely unconnected to any resort that has good ratings, and recently people on other sites were saying the challenge is real and the deal is worth it. (Always go where the locals go)

My father-in-law and I rode the greens (71.7/135) in just under 3 1/2 hours. Had the entire course to ourselves and paid 92 dollars on the hot deal which basically ran all day as long as you pre-paid. Started with a little wind and rain, and finished with some humidity with a slight breeze. Shout out to the customer service, excellent all around. Course workers all over the place but not where we were, ever.

The course is a not as scenic as others on Maui but still provides few great views of the oceans and mountains. The tee boxes were just about perfect 9/10. The fairways ranked a 9/10 as well, really well maintained fairways. The rough was good no issues there. The sand, well that is the only real ding here, not much of any sand mostly red clay some of which had been softened but with the enormous amount of wind this course gets thats the way it goes. The greens are perfectly rolled a little slow as they must have watered in the morning before we played.

The Dunes at Maui Lani is a challenging course that is totally underrated in my opinion, some really fun holes and some basic holes, but all in all I would play here again, and again. The deal is so good to pass up and the service was excellent. Should you ever find yourself on this side of the world and want to save some dough and still be challenged, this is the place. Highly recommended.

Finally made it out to play MPCC (Canyon Crest/Creekside). First out on an absolutely perfect golf day, hardly any wind. Was fortunate to play with a longtime member who also is scratch golfer. He knew exactly where to put the ball, and today that helped me have one of my best rounds of my life. I decided to play the blue/white combo tees (70.1/127) and felt the challenge was not in distance but club selection, and creating good opportunities to score. MPCC is a great country club, with a huge practice facility, exceptional clubhouse, and GPS on the carts. The tee boxes are in perfect shape, the fairway and rough both scored high as well as I did not have a bad lie all day. The sand is a little heavy, and that did create a little issue for me on one hole, luckily I escaped. The wind would blow softer sand away and that is the reason they put the heavier stuff in according to the member. Makes sense if you have ever been in Moorpark during a windy day, you understand. The greens are tricky. While they rolled straight and were in very good conditions today, there seemed to be some that were sanded and others had a ridge right around the hole, if you were just slightly off it would turn away the ball. While this did not truly frustrate me, it seemed to bother the member, who claimed he speaks to the greenskeeper about it every week. Nonetheless, that in no way should deter you from playing or even joining the Moorpark CC (one of the best deals in Ventura County for a full membership).

At 85$ a pop on the weekday for a non-member, I will try and play here as often as I can. Highly recommended.

Played in the SCGA Member Outing today at Pelican Hill (North). Pop was just under 5 hours as we waited on a few holes and took our time enjoying the incredible views. The group I played with try and play here at least once a month and knew all the details of each hole, which helped. The course is in really good condition right now. The greens were punched maybe a few weeks ago and you can see a few marks still healing. The fairways and rough were as good as it gets, and the tee boxes were perfect. The only real snag was the sand, which for some reason changed from hole to hole. Some holes had perfect white, and soft sand, others had more of a mix of dirt and sand. The North Course is a challenging day of golf, the fairways are wide in spots but the greens are hard to read. A lot of putts rolled out the lip for our group.

Pelican Hill is a top notch resort and golfing center, with a great set of amenities. The locker room rivals some private courses, and the driving range is set with mats but could be moved to grass when needed. The putting green was small, however there was another practice green right next to the first tee box for anyone to practice prior to teeing off. The attention to detail sets it apart. Pelican Hill has to be one of the most scenic places I have played as each hole has a view of the ocean, simply spectacular. I look forward for an opportunity to try the South course next time. I would highly recommend this place if you have not played, it most definitely needs to be on your bucket list.

Made it out to Bella Collina for the Moose/GK outing. Today we had the honor of playing the Royal Lytham, and Carnoustie nines. Thank you Johnny for pairing three GKer's together. We played from the blues at 69.5/131/72, playing just over 6000 yards. When we arrived we were handed a letter from a membership chair. This is something I have never seen happen before. I decided that I should buy a hat in the clubhouse after leaving mine in the car, after being treated so kindly. I took a quick gander around the clubhouse and the locker room is very clean with amenities like a a hot tub and gym.

The layout of the course is challenging with tight windows, and very small greens. There are few holes where you can play from another fairway (if you are off) and many of your shots are affected by severe elevation changes and some late afternoon winds. The tee boxes were fine, a few uneven lies but nothing too bad. The fairways were in great shape for this time of season, the rough was cut back but in hittable conditions as well. The greens have some work being done to them. Lots of ground underwork around the edge around almost each green, gave way to some unique shots. I usually would say something negative about this as I typically putt from that area, however today this did not effect my game. I appreciate a course fixing every hole and not just a few at a time. In a few months this course could be pristine. If I lived nearby and was considering joining a private course, Bella Collina would be high on the list. The positives: 27 holes that are not easy but are fun, a killer clubhouse, some excellent views. The downs: small range, small practice green, small greens, small shot windows. Either way you look at it, Bella Collina was a great time and I would love to play here again, highly recommended.

Made it today to The Oaks Club at Valencia for a SCGA member outing. An absolutely stunning day with no wind in sight. Our group played from the mixed black/silver tees (72.8/132). We started off on hole 8 in the shotgun style and group behind us. The course is in very good shape. The tees are perfect and the greens are as good as you are going to find right now. The fairways were in parts dormant, but they were trying to come back. It has been so dry this season, that they have cut away a significant amount of the large grass in the waste areas. So the guys I played with found some shots that normally they would not. Unfortunately, my luck was not so great finding those wasted balls. The total POP was just over 5hrs, as we waited on nearly every hole, yet some epic scenery as it was as clear for miles. It was totally worth it to come out to this place and give it a whirl for $95. Would I look into a membership here? Yes, if I lived close this would be a great place to be a member. The facility is clean and newly renovated. There seemed to be some sort of work being done to the back of the clubhouse, but I couldn't tell. This course is so challenging and that is what I would want if I were going to join a private club. Definitely would play here again and would recommend anyone who wants a challenge.

Played Tierra Rejada Saturday 1/15/22 in the mid morning. Pop was just over 4 and 1/2 hours, yet we only waited on a few holes. Particularly long wait at the turn. Rejada is in relatively good condition as of right now. The fairway is dry yet playable, and the greens are receptive. Parts of this course have some very dry spots due to the high winds over the last few days. The sand is excellent. The clubhouse and restaurant have been completely re-done and it looks nice, good food, killer Bloody Mary's. Cart lady found us a few times, and she is fully loaded with a good selection.

Tierra Rejada is a challenging course with some spectacular views especially on the front 9. The first time I played here I walked away convincing myself that it did not fit my style of of play. Tight windows, blind shots, wind, little forgiveness in places. When you struggle here you feel like it isn't your fault. For example, hole 13 has recently added a small stream up the left hand side of the green back down towards and into the fairway. The slope of the fairway takes your ball into the stream if you stripe a tee shot, which I did. Hit it down the middle and rolled that way all the way down the dry fairway right into the water. That is frustrating, also a 2 club wind on the par 3's challenged me. Although Tierra Rejada is frustrating in places, I have come to truly enjoy the challenge and beauty. The more I play it the more I love it. I will back, and I recommend it.

Was honored to play SG yesterday, after an invite from a close friend and member. I hadn't played here for at least 5 years. Turned out to be a beautiful calm and clear day. The views of the San Gabriel Mountains were as clear as they have ever been, and Mt. Baldy covered in snow to the east made for some stunning views. As a golf course, SGCC is a challenging and long par 71, with some narrow fairways, perfectly manicured greens, and sand traps surrounding just about each hole. The greens are larger in most spots than I remember and many of the old oak trees are gone, probably from wind. However, that doesn't mean they are all gone, some of those legendary oaks are still perfectly placed to wreck havoc on your misses. Water only really comes into play on hole 14, a long par 3. The service at this place is as good as it gets, with the option of taking a caddie as well. The course is challenging but fair, the type of course that members can and do play as much as possible. SGCC is a classic old LA county club, that if you ever get the chance to play or join, you should.