Been playing here 30 years and bought a house here 23 years ago. When the course first opened it hosted an LPGA tourney and it was CPO for the first 3 years. Immaculate conditions and never a blade of grass out of place. It was a shortish (6700 from the tips) scenic Arnold Palmer design with beautiful bunkers, barrancas, elevation changes, and fast tricky greens. I would put it up against most public (and a lot of private) courses that I have played.

Fast forward thru the years, many owners and many changes. Several different golf management companies have come and gone, and Troon has run the place for at least 7 years. Staff has always been friendly and efficient.

Bunkers and tee boxes we atrocious for many years. Since I didn't want to smear my home course, I never posted a review. I used to play at least 100 rounds here per year. Since I'm trying to reach 1000 courses it's more like 12 times a year. If you made it this far into the review here goes.

Played Thursday and the course is in excellent shape. The rains have grown in the persistent dead spots in the fairways (no fairway aeration for at least 15years). They were a little long, but the ball rolled and sat up beautifully, (course was designed to play firm and fast). Tee boxes have decent coverage but could use a leveling.

The greens, always the best and most consistent part of the course, were smooth, fast, and spicy. No tap-ins, every miss was a 3-4ft comebacker. Greens this good this time of year always seem to get punched, so they are scheduled to be punched 3/23.

If you have played Palmer courses, you know how spectacular his bunkers can be, a few years ago they removed probably 40-50 bunkers that they weren't maintaining and tried to fix the 25 or so they left. It took a long while for many of those areas to grow in. With the recent rains I didn't notice those areas to be as scruffy. I mostly avoid those as the bad bunkers have trained me well. The sand traps that remain are still thin but playable.

This course really has everything, some courses you can lose a ball on every hole, this course you could potentially lose a ball on every shot! But it never plays unfair. Blue tees are 6,200ish and defend me from breaking 80 more often than I would like. I rarely play the white tees (never seem to play any better) but they are 5,800 and really change a lot of the angles and make it more of a target golf course.

I don't think they maintain a lot of the original black tees, but they are some of the most scenic parts of the course, even if you don't play them, you should check out 6,9,10,13,16,17 just for the views. 13 is a par 3 homage to the 12th at Augusta and the trek up the steps takes you to the highest point on the course. The hole was quite spectacular back in the day, with its intricate bunkering, as was the cloverleaf bunkers down the entire fairway of 14.

Wind is always a factor out here; I like to whip around after 4:00 so it can really howl. In the afternoon I fix tons of ball marks, but the greens don't exhibit any visible scarring, so kudos to the maintenance staff for getting them in the morning. This course made me the golfer I am today, straight hitter, not very long, good short game terrible sand player. Most of that is what you need to play well out here.

So, while the course will never be what it once was (alas we all can say the same)
It is still a great layout and perplexing fun, now it is in very good shape and well worth checking out.

27-hole parkland layout in immaculate condition. Staff was super kind in welcoming me out. Fun layout with beautifully sculpted bunkers, Augusta like. Took me a few holes to figure out they were fall off bunkers and if you weren't precise in your approach shots they would just spill off into the multiple deep, big lipped greenside bunkers. Greens were perfect and fast.

Looks like some of the holes were built at different times, so every now and then a hole would seem out of place. All the housing that boarders the course also looks multi-generational, mansions next to small ranch styles so also incongruous.
Fun layout highly recommend if you get the chance.

Nice central valley course. I assume the Valley/ Oaks nines are the original course and the lakes was added later. Solid parkland course in OK shape. Fairways dormant and very spotty, I bumped on almost every shot. Sand traps were a little thin but very playable. The greens were smooth and med/fast, but I don't think I made a putt until about 15.

The lakes 9 seemed like a more wide-open links style. Definitely more interesting than the other nines. I played on Friday and it was $65 with cart for the 18, overpriced in my opinion but all three nines are very walkable and maybe $20 cheaper.

Raced over here after Riverland. $29 @4:00PM with cart. No dormant fairways here, course was super green and probably needed a mowing. 6521 from the white tees and it played loooong.
Greens were smooth at medium speed, and I wasn't in any traps. Pretty basic parkland layout, not very memorable but I speed thru and played it in 90 min, so it was going to be a blur no matter what. I thought it was worth playing but definitely the last to play in the area.

Great layout in not-so-great shape. I really enjoyed the course but not the best time of year to play. Reviews weren't great but I got a Golf Now deal so I didn't really care. Apparently, the traps have all been hard pan for many years. A shame because there are plenty of them and they are well sculpted and deep. I was in quite a few and had no trouble chipping out of them an onto the greens, fun to hit multiple shots I never get to hit and not get punished.

Fairways were dormant and spotty, better lies in the rough because they got plenty of rain this year. Greens putted just fine at medium speed which was all I really cared about. Hopefully they get the course back in shape because it is a pretty cool layout.

A true hidden gem. This course reminded me very much of Quail lodge, only slightly more scenic and slightly less difficult. Blue/white combo tees of about 6,400 offered a fair challenge.

I really liked that each hole seemed to have an offset fairway bunker, one on the right reachable for the short hitter and the one on the left reachable for the long hitter. They were sculpted, deep and I assume penal. (luckily, I missed them all) You really had to plod and think your way around this course. You need to shape shots around trouble and possibly lay-up on some holes as a dry wash comes into play on many holes.

The first hole tees off at the highest point on the course and most of the rest plays along the valley floor. Course was built in the fifties and designed by Bob e Baldock. He is responsible for quite a few private courses in the central valley. I always seem to enjoy his layouts, but this one blew me away.

Great valley setting surrounded by green hills and sparkling white bunkers. Course was a touch winter thin but didn't affect play at all. Just a real treat to play if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it.

Tough,tough,tough. Might be the most immaculate course I've ever played. Not a blade of grass or grain of sand out of place. Greens were smooth as glass and speedy. 6,332 white tees might have been the longest 6,300 I ever played. Steady 10-20 mph winds pretty typical in the afternoons I was told. Course had the look of a rolling layout to it, but it was deceiving. I believe I read a review that said the grass was kikuyu and that explained a lot. With the wind and no roll, the course played long. Tons of deep, flash faced bunkers didn't help the cause.

If that wasn't enough the sticky grass coupled with being constantly short made the day a true chipping adventure. Bump and runs wouldn't run, lofted chips would hit the firm greens and run for miles. After only playing it once my best guess how to score here is either try sculling all your chips and maybe they get close or play as far up as possible and hit every green in regulation. LOL

I checked out the photos on Greenskeeper, and it looked like they added a ton more bunkers and took out the pond. It's a pretty course for sure. Decent amount of elevation change throughout. I saw plenty members walking but the course is surrounded by housing so they would disappear. I don't think I'd want to walk 18 especially in the wind.
One review was written over 10 years ago and I paid about 3X what SCGA charged which is probably why they don't run outings out there anymore.
If you get invited, I highly recommend it, a little pricy for a reciprocal.

Flat 10-hole par three course that was pretty green throughout. Small, elevated greens added a little challenge to a very green course in decent shape. Easy walk and a good place to practice short irons. Clubhouse is a temporary trailer, and it looks like they are working on the regular clubhouse, so money being spent. Nice warmup if heading somewhere else.

Had a 2:30 reciprocal time On the Ocean course which I had never played before.
Doubted I would finish but they charged me the twilight rate, so I figured maybe 13 or so holes. I have never seen a private golf course so busy. I don't know how many members they have but this place is an absolute golf factory. Full tee sheets on both courses and every stall on the range in use. The nine-hole course wasn't very busy, but I think that was only because it might have been closed earlier in the day for maintenance.

As expected, the course was in perfect shape, wasn't in any bunkers but I threw a few in on the short course and they had nice fluffy sand, so I assume the same conditions on all courses.

Just a solid old school layout that was really fun to play. Fairways short of the greens were a little thin (perhaps on purpose) and damp (probably always) so chipping was a real challenge for me. I was too afraid, so I used a lot of Texas wedges or bump and runs but the guys I played with seemed to be able to pull em off and spin some wedges.

Like the Lake course I think it was designed in the twenties by Willie Watson and has been redone many times due to storm damage. I believe originally it was on the cliffs by the ocean and the holes got washed away in a storm. Tom Weiskopf did a redesign, and you can see his handywork all over the course. Good mix of holes including a few drivable par 4'S for big hitters and some bunkers right in the middle of the fairways to be avoided.

Wasn't in any of the bunkers but they looked like no bargain, same with the rough.
Fairways are all treelined by huge cypresses but not overly claustrophobic. No water hazards and I was able to play with one ball. The guys I played with sprayed a bunch of tee shots that I thought were deadsville and we found them all. So, a fair test of golf. White tees were 6221 But 71.1/128 for a par 71. Didn't seem to play that tough but there was no wind. I will say not a lot of flat lies.

Been a long time since I played the Lake course, but this one seems to have much more elevation change. Lots of members walking but I would consider it a tough walk even though the tee boxes are close to the greens. We got in 13 holes as it was getting dark, and the guys I played with bailed so that's where the fun began. I had to wait for the foursome on 14 to clear the green and then everyone started bailing. I played 15 and 16 two long par fours with my phone flashlight and hitting the ball down the middle. 17 is what seems a really pretty par three that I played in the pitch black. Couldn't even find the tee box for 18 and was afraid of driving into a tree. So, I packed it in.

Obviously not the star that the Lake Course is, but a very good golf course on its own. Probably gets lost in the shuffle in the radius of so many spectacular courses, but like Del Monte not to be overlooked and a real pleasure to play.

Never been reviewed so here goes, A little slice of heaven sums it up nicely. 9 hole walking only par three course playing 1,432 yards from the tips. As the name suggests it sits on the oceanside clifftops thru a tunnel on the far side of the property just past the driving range.

Had a picture-perfect day (no wind, clouds, or fog) for these 9 fun par three holes.
Some mild elevation changes and some deep bunkers added to the challenge. They had just finished maintenance (perhaps that morning), so the greens were sanded and small punched
and many of the tee boxes were moved up.

I was charged $50 which I believe was the twilight rate. I think the twilight rate is the same for both members/guests/and others on all courses, but I could be wrong. I was an other, (reciprocal) and didn't expect to play it, but I showed up early and they squeezed me in before my round, way cool.

Was told there were some Sunday bags to borrow because they didn't have a pushcart to borrow. Didn't see any bags so I looked at the scorecard, grabbed four clubs and was on my way. With only the 4 clubs I got creative with the tee boxes, and it worked out perfectly. I hit a 7 iron about 130yds and there seemed to be a tee box somewhere in that range on every hole. I was also able to tee off at the back of some tee boxes and hit a 7-wood on a few holes.

Course holes are not numbered, and the layout is a little confusing, but some members were out there to show me the way. There is also a Billys Burger Shack (home of the famous burger dog) at the end of the range before you go thru the tunnel. Mighty tasty!

I hate practicing and hitting balls, so this is my preferred method of warming up. By the time I finished and for many hours later you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Just a real treat to play. I found it a similar experience to The Hay but much more of a golf course.
Is $50 too much for a 1,500yd course? Probably, but you can't beat the setting. If it were up to me, I might be able to fart around this course regularly and not get bored. Highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Played this course about two weeks before the pros, very cool experience. Course was immaculate as you would expect. They had us hitting off mats on the par threes and sections of the fairways that I assume were popular landing spots were roped off. I think if you landed in them you were supposed to move your ball or hit off a mat somewhere, never came up.

Great to watch it on TV as my pictures don't seem to do the magnificent setting justice.
Truly a once in a lifetime experience, which brings me to my caveat. It is now $350+forecaddy tip and I'm assuming once the whole complex is complete it will be more.

Hotel looks finished but there is lots of construction going on including a rock crusher that seemed to follow us sound wise for several holes. The course winds its way thru the red rocks and the black lava fields so it is definitely a unique experience.

The round comes with unlimited tasty food at two different comfort stations (don't think I could eat myself even) but it is a 5-hr. round at minimum, so the golf was a bit of a slog. The black lava is a ball magnet, but it can kick the ball back into play which is cool to watch.

The consensus among all the locals I played with afterward was that it was overrated and overpriced, I agree but still say it is worth it once, doubt I will be playing it again.
My favorite hole might have been the bonus 19th. 75-yard par three over water to a green surrounded by black lava.

About an hour east of Redding and 15 minutes from Burney Falls lies this lovely course.
Lots of trees and mountain views await. 6557 from the whites with no roll made it one of the longer courses I've played, 7400 from the tips. Must have got here at the wrong time of the year. The fairways were very long which made it play tough and the greens were very slow, otherwise it was perfect.
The restaurant (tasty hotdog) is now closed for the season I think, and the course goes to the honor system at the end of the month. Great valley and mountain views and 4 fabulous and varied par 3's really made this course stand out. I would love to see it in season(summer?) and play it when it's rolling. Funny, most of the elevation change was downhill so that will help with the length.
Played late so the green fee was $24 but the cart fee was $34, don't know if that was because my wife rode with me. Despite the length and elevation change the course is walkable. Highly recommend if ever in the area.