I wish I could have had the opportunity to review Sierra Lakes as far as the quality of the golf course. I didn’t get that far. I was in possession of a free round for four at Sierra Lakes as I had won one in a raffle in a tournament held at this Fontana course. The certificate stipulated that it was not good on holidays or weekends. When I called and made my tee time a few days prior, I specifically asked the person answering if my free round was applicable on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving. He gave me a definitive yes and took my credit card number and tee time. I invited a few friends to get up early and join me there at 7:21 AM. They live in the Alhambra area. They took time off of work and also had made arrangements for a babysitter so they had the liberty to take advantage of a free round.

Guess what happened? When I got there and presented the certificate, the desk person said it was holiday rates and the certificate didn’t apply. When I mentioned what the person had said on the phone, they said they were sorry but they couldn’t honor it that day. I appealed to the assistant manager nearby and he offered no solution, claiming the GM had chewed him out before, and he would let us on for $65.00. I told him I was not going to have my friends come here expecting a free round and wind up paying $65.00 to play in a dense fog. Heavy wind was also expected that day. He was oblivious. Let me tell you the difference between a course like Sierra Lakes and courses like Oak Quarry and Goose Creek.

First of all, the latter two courses are higher end courses to begin with. In most instances, they are less expensive and they bend over backward for their clients. I called both courses and they were both booked solid. I told them my situation and although they were really overbooked, they both offered to squeeze my foursome in at a lesser rate than Sierra Lakes. I took the Oak Quarry offer and we were put on immediately after getting the usual ride from the parking lot. The pace was excellent and it was a great day. That is why customers come back. I really don’t believe that honoring the certificate at Sierra Lakes would have been much of a stretch considering the responsibility rested with their employee. They should have honored it gladly. It is interesting to note that neither of the more generous courses charged holiday rates on that day. It was pure and simply greed on Sierra Lakes part. I will never, ever pay for another round at Sierra Lakes. Don’t go there for the customer service.

Why play crappy and waste your money on a higher end course? You can minimize your damage by playing on this aging course. In all reality, courses like Whispering Lakes can prove to be very functional. First of all, no matter when you play here, the greens are usually in surprisingly good shape. Alas, the reverse is also true concerning the fairways. However, right now they are about as good as it gets here. Most of the fairway is green with minimal dirt on the actual fairway. It may be the seasonal weeds mowed down to look like a fairway but the net effect is that it plays just fine. This is a classic no frills golf experience complete with sets of hackers hitting every shot they feel entitled to spending that hard earned or monthly cash. The pace ahead could be wide open but you could very well get stuck behind a fivesome of this nature. I usually just pass them and catch the hole later or stay back and practice multiple shots. What the hell? The luxury is you're not playing at Augusta.

Okay, so the ragged cart path will jolt your teeth loose. You'll lose your bag about 3 times with the worn clasp while eating the dust from the cart ahead. Here's the solution Jethro, just bring a bungy cord or listen for your bag falling occasionally to make sure your bag isn't where you teed off. The carts have been upgraded to marginally used. The older ones that are still in use pull to one side and rub against the fender as you attempt to steer. It's okay, remember the pace is slow.

Depending on the weather, the nearby dairy farms and sewage treatment plants can make it get pretty odorous around here. The breeze that is common here is usually a bonus. So until your game elevates beyond the stench on these hallowed grounds, you can get some quality practice with absolutely no problem walking on.

I worked out my driver problems here and now I'm ready for Oak Quarry or Empire Lakes.

What can I say? I always have great luck very near where I grew up. I was a young lad when we rode our bicycles through the dry brush and dirt paths in the Jurupa Hills when Sierra avenue didn't cut through. We fished the water we called "lost lake" long before the golf course opened.

It was beautiful on Monday, September 18 at 7 AM, blue skies, a moderate temperature most of the morning and most importantly for here, NO WIND. My partner and I joined two gentlemen for our round. As usual with Oak Quarry, the pace was exceptional. The group in front had a nice cushion and we weren't pushed by anybody except maybe on one par 3. I guess I guess I don't have to be the first group off when we play here, though it's nice to get done in a little over three hours.

Aside from the recurring problem of some barren bunkers, the only other negatives here usually include overwatering and some bumpy greens. Not this time. The fairways were very even and the greens are about as healthy as I've seen recently, sans a few of them that are diseased around the perimeter, particularly in front of the 6th hole. Noticably, the first green, which is usually the only one that is pockmarked severely, was rolling nicely, lush by it's own standard. As a whole the greens are pretty nice. Not excellent like when the course opened, but very healthy and consistently green. The funny patterns that were omnipresent for a while are gone.

The fairways are in great shape, obviously on a strict mowing schedule. Again, this is the norm but they sometimes get carried away with the watering and it can get mushy. Drives were maximized today and it's a good thing because it was playing very long with the blue tee boxes placed way back.

Consistency is the name of the game here in terms of customer service. The reality is for $50 this is a great deal. As anyone who grew up in Fontana knows, CHECK THE WEATHER CONDITIONS before you play this course. That helps most of the time but the wind can come from nowhere but moreso as the late afternoon approaches. I have years of experience growing up just north of the I-10. As many have noted the wind can be ridiculous at "The Rock."

On this day all I needed was my luck to translate into my game. Then I'd have nirvana.

A gorgeous morning at "The Rock". I can't complain about the pace as we were a twosome teeing off at 6:20 AM. The course condition were pretty good as you never really get tired of the layout at oak quarry. It is a beautiful course. I've played it many times and it never dissapoints on those terms. The views are some of the best around. Plenty of wildlife and no houses really sans the rooster's place sounding off on No. 11.

The fairways were very lush and drained surprisingly well with the recent weather. Greens played on the slow side and were a little bumpy. As opposed to the first few years when this course opened where the greens were like a pool table they have seemed to have declined just slightly with subsequent years. The first hole's green is always the worst. Very bumpy and pock marked. It's usually the exception. They are getting ready to plug the greens next week in their customary two at time policy. You had better get out there pretty quick or it's like putting on a beach out there for while. If only they put that much sand in the bunkers. That continues to be "The Rock's" most consistent negative. The management says that they put sand in them but the wind blows it out. There are other course in the North end that get's more severe wind than O.Q. and they don't seem to have a problem keeping sand in them. It's tough hitting out of O.Q.'s bunkers because it's more like hitting off hard pan sometimes.

All in all though, another great day despite some very modest scores.