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I've played Porter Valley CC a couple of times over the last few weeks as I have some friends that are members there. The club itself is nice, and the staff is great.

Masks necessary everywhere around the clubhouse due to Covid. Single riders per cart. Check in on weekends is outside, inside during the week. Range balls are included in the round, and the range is hitting off of very nice mats. There is a chipping/putting green next to the range that is open and in good shape.

The course itself is in nice shape, with the highlight being the greens. It's all kikuya, and nice and lush. The greens are fast and smooth, probably around 11 on the stimp. Being above the holes on these undulating greens can be treacherous! The tee boxes all had good coverage with normal divot damage on the par 3's. The fairways are mostly lush, but there are a few areas that should be marked ground under repair. The bunkers are very good. They're raked daily and are a pleasure to play out of.

Even though the course isn't very long, it's not easy and it offers some interesting holes. The par 3's are no joke, especially if the wind is blowing. If you get the chance to play Porter Valley CC, do it. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to go back on Friday!
7 Likes.
Played Saturday, 6/27 with my old buddy Mendel, or Mr B as I affectionately call him. Tee'd off at 8:10 am. It was only 85ish when we tee'd off and 102 when we finished...hot day, but better that normal I think. It was the first time I'd played in Palm Springs this time of year, and I got what I expected.

Customer service was good upon arrival. Pro shop fully stocked with drinks and food to grab to go. Everything was done by covid protocols. The driving range is closed, but the putting green was open next to the clubhouse.

Overall, the course is in decent condition for the summertime. It's a very interesting layout, with lots of doglegs and elevation changes, and great views of the valley. It's a course that would take a few times around to know exactly what lines to take, but the gps on the carts provided enough information to make it manageable.

The tee boxes were great, no problem finding grass or a level lie. The fairways were mostly good. There are many bare spots and unmarked GUR, but this is what I expected so it was fine. There isn't much rough around the fairways. If you're offline, it's likely you're in a desert wasteland that's playable from. The rough around the greens was lush and very nice. The greens were hit and miss. Many different grasses made them a bit bumpy and slowish, but again, what I expected. We made some decent putts, so they're very playable. The traps were mostly good, with nice fluffy sand around the greens, and a bit more compacted in the fairway bunkers. No problems playing out of any of them.

Overall, it was a great day on a very challenging course. The layout had me perplexed for club selection most of the day. The island green is a lot of fun. We had an enjoyable round, and I've decided I definitely need to play this course when it's at peak condition. Currently, it's a great value on a nice track. I recommend.
11 Likes.
My buddies took me out for a birthday round at Los Robles today. We tee'd off at 9:40. Customer service is always great, today was the same. All practice facilities are open, and in good shape.

The course is very green, and in good shape. Tee boxes were mostly level and lush with good coverage. Fairways are very green and lush, with the ball sitting up perfectly. The greens are the highlight right now, being soft but smooth and medium fast. The rough can be splotchy along the fairways...i guess we're supposed to keep it in the fairway! Rough around the greens was very nice and lush.

My problem with Los Robles is with the sand traps. While they look nice and are well positioned, I can't stand the 'sand.' It is like thick finely granulated dirt, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to play out of. The club won't go through it. I am a very good bunker player, and if I get out of these bunkers in one shot it is a miracle. Every person in my group complained about it...profusely. In my opinion, every bunker needs cleaned out and replaced with SAND. Even though the rest of the course is in very good condition, I have to take this course off of my rotation. I can't take it anymore.
11 Likes.
Late review...sorry. I played Thursday 6/4 teeing off at 3:36p with 2 friends and a very nice single joining us. Customer service was good, as usual. All of the practice facilities are open, and in very good shape.

Unfortunately, the course is not in very good shape. The greens are fantasic, as always. They are obviously getting the lion's share of the water on the course. The fairways were just that...fair. Decent coverage with some ground under repair spots, but mostly they were very firm. Painful on the elbows if you chunk one. The rough was hit or miss, mostly thin and a lot of hardpan under thin grass. The fairways and rough had recently been punched with the largest holes I've ever seen, and the plugs were still in the rough. Not good. The sand traps are the worst I've ever seen. It looked like they hadn't been touched in a month. I hit out of 2, and after that I was just picking my ball out of there. Hard packed dirt that there was no chance of playing a decent shot out of. No thanks.

Positively, it was a beautiful day with cool people and I was out of the d%mn house. Another positive...it was only $45 for the round with a single rider cart. I'll be putting Tierra on the pass list until I hear otherwise.
8 Likes.
Got out to Big V Saturday 2/22 teeing off at 11am with a couple of friends. It was a bit rainy, so the course played pretty damp, and it was cart path only.

Customer service is always great at Big V, they're all really nice people. I really enjoy the practice area. The chipping green is fantastic. The rain started coming down pretty hard, so I ran in for a Bloody Mary and some breakfast. Delicious!

The course is in fantastic shape, if you exclude the fairways. Tee boxes were lush and level. The rough is gorgeous and lush. 3-5" long and thick! The greens were running around 10.5, but had definitely slowed down because of the rain. Beautifully smooth, and a pleasure to putt from. The fairways are a mess. Winter dormant bermuda...not many good lies to be had. Lift clean and place this time of year, but muddy and thin lies all day. They really need to start overseeding the fairways in the winter. If I was a member, I'd be a bit upset about paying all that money for those fairways.

Overall, another great day at Valencia Country Club. I can't wait to get back out there in a month or two when the fairways come out of being dormant. Thanks again, Nathan!
9 Likes.
Tee'd off at 8:12am on Sunday with 3 buddies. POP was around 4:30, so not too horrible for a Sunday. Overall, the course is in really good shape. Extremely green and lush.

Tee boxes are a bit of a weak spot right now, with some being difficult to find a level place to hit from. Some had long grass, some were thin. The fairways are in very nice shape. They are a heavily watered, so not much roll, but they're a pleasure to hit from. The rough is pretty penal right now. In most areas it is 3-5" deep and thick. Watch where your ball goes, because this rough can swallow it up. The sand traps are always good here now, but the sand seems so much heavier than any other course I played. It's very soft plugged balls are to be expected. Going too deep is a real problem, and can leave you taking multiple shots to get out. The greens are in nice shape right now. They're very soft and rolling around 9-10 on the stimp. They're punching in a week, so they're a bit bumpy right now. Because of the softness, there tends to be a lot of unrepaired ball marks. Fix your ball marks people! Customer service is always great here, and we saw the beverage cart go by many times.

It has been a while since I've played Los Robles, and I find the course playing a little more difficult now that the tall grasses have grown in. Places that were safe in the past can be treacherous now. I like it! I'll be back next weekend to enjoy one more round there before the punch.
5 Likes.
I played Dunes for the first time Saturday morning, teeing off at 7:12 with my buddy Mendel. Rate was $69, and POP was good at right around 4 hours. Dunes is a very challenging Pete Dye course with a layout that I liked very much. The greens are all raised and the size of postage stamps, so your irons better be dialed in!

This is the first time I've played golf at the end of summer in Palm Springs, so I wasn't expecting the conditions to be great....and they weren't. Not horrible, but definitely end of season.

Tee boxes were mostly good, some had some leveling issues but totally playable. The fairways were in nice condition, playing very wet when we tee'd off, and then drying out quickly around 9am. The rough was short but penal due to the mixture of bermuda and kikuya. It was definitely challenging and grabby. The traps were in good condition...thankfully because you have to get the ball up very quickly around most of these greens. The greens were in pretty rough shape. Many were burned out, but again, I expected as much. Early they would grab good shots and give you lots of spin, but once they dried out they started releasing a lot.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing Dunes. It's short, but it is quintessential Pete Dye, so you better bring your game. Only my driver showed up, so it was a fun but penalizing day. I really want to play it in pristine conditions...
8 Likes.
Played Moorpark CC Saturday with 8 of us teeing off at 2pm. POP was good at around 4 hours 15 minutes. I'll preface this review by saying, Moorpark is not my favorite course...I just don't like the design.

The course itself was in very nice condition. Tee boxes were lush and level. The fairways had great coverage and were nice and green. The landing areas had some divots, but they'd mostly been filled in. The highlight of the course are the greens. They were running around 11 on the stimp, and really smooth. A delight to putt on. The rough was thick and lush, about 3 inches and can be penal. The biggest course downfall right now is the sand traps. Many of them are more like dirt traps, with very little base to get under the ball. Customer service was very good, except we never saw a beverage cart all day.

If Moorpark CC is a course you love, put it on your play list because the conditions are very good right now.
8 Likes.
I played my second round of golf back since having shoulder surgery at Rustic on Sunday, 3/10, teeing off at 8:20. POP was Sunday busy for Rustic...4:45. Contrary to the previous review, I found the conditions to be pretty good.

The tee boxes all have nice coverage, and were level. Some divot damage on the par 3's, but nothing unusual.

The fairways are definitely dormant, but they provide good lies with enough pad underneath to hit the ball well. They are on the firmer side, but to be expected on a links course.

The rough around the fairways is spotty, as usual, and you can get a mixed bag of lies. The rough around the greens is fantastic. All uniform, lush, thick and about 3 inches long. It's a pleasure to chip from.

Sand traps are on the firmer side. Many of them are more like soft dirt than fluffy sand...I found a couple of them and was able to get out without too much trouble.

The greens are in great shape right now. Definitely firm and fast. Downhill speeds approach 13, with uphill speeds being more like 8 or 9 on the stimp. Not too many pitch marks due to the firmness, and they held lines well. I love Rustic's greens.

Customer service is always great, and Sunday was no exception. We saw the beverage cart at least 4 times.

Overall, it was a great day on a fabulous course. It's definitely a challenging course, and it quickly showed me the true state of my game. I can't wait to get back!
9 Likes.
The wife and I played South on Sunday 1/7 teeing off a bit earlier than our 10:40am time. We were paired with two very nice singles, one who was a resident and doled out lots of local knowledge for us. Our room at the lodge overlooked the 18th on South, and it was a perfect day so we couldn't wait to get our butts kicked. I printed out the tips listed for the course, which proved to be pretty helpful. The tip that helped the most was the one about hitting an extra club on every approach...that one rang very true. I checked my ego at the door and played with Green tees, which is no slouch at a little over 6600 yds on the card, but felt more like 7000.

Everything is green, green, green. It's so lush it's ridiculous. They're shutting down for the tournament soon, and all of the tents are up. So is the rough. Holy cow. It's even longer than the rough on North, probably 5-7 inches and thicker than anything I've ever seen. The tee boxes were all perfect. I wanted to lay down on the fairways and roll around because they're nicer than the carpets in my house. I felt bad taking divots! The sand traps were a little more inconsistent than North's, but for the most part they were full of fluffy beach sand. The greens were totally different than North's. They're much softer and more receptive, and EVERYTHING breaks towards the ocean. That wasn't the case on North. They were slower than they looked, but rolled perfectly.

Torrey South lived up to every expectation I had, and then some. The layout is phenomenal, and it's a serious test of golf, especially right before the Farmers. We paid full rack, and it was worth every single penny. I can't wait to play it again...maybe next time in the summer when the rough isn't so insane.
10 Likes.
Made the trip down to Torrey for my wife's 40th last weekend...our first time to get to play either course. We played the North course Saturday 1/6 teeing off at 9:22am. We were paired with another couple, so that was nice. I played from the Taupe's, and with the rough it definitely plays longer than the stated yardage. We had a mixed bag of weather...from partly sunny to completely socked in with fog. The ocean was nowhere to be seen.

With the courses getting ready for the Farmers, I expected things to be in tip-top shape, and they were. Tee boxes were all perfectly level and lush. The fairways were like carpets. Thick and lush, they were a pleasure to hit from. Some divot damage here and there, but most were filled in. The rough is INSANE. Easily 4 inches everywhere, with many areas in the 5-7 inch range. Unless you're standing on top of your ball, it's pretty much impossible to see it. Advancing it is a different story, and it all depends on your lie. I had every lie imaginable! The traps on North were great. The sand is fluffy beach sand and is great to play out of. The greens...oh boy the greens. North's are hard as rocks! I couldn't even get a wedge to spin or stick. Everything released through the green. They weren't putting as fast as they looked and were probably running 9.5 on the stimp, but they were smooth and true.

I was happy I played North first, because it's a great introduction to the Torrey Pines experience. Everything was spectacular, and I'm now extremely jealous of San Diego residents that get to play Torrey for less than I pay for a mediocre muni in LA.
10 Likes.
Played Ojai Valley for the first time on Saturday 11/25 teeing off at 10:30am with my wife and one of her girlfriends. I believe we paid $90 per person through one of the golf site deals, and it's totally worth that price. The course wasn't extremely busy, and POP ended up being a leisurely 4:15. I'm a walker, and Ojai would be an EXTREMELY difficult walk. We rode :)

The resort itself is spectacular. Finding the pro shop/bag drop proved to be a little difficult as it's all the way around the backside of the resort, but thankfully I had read some previous reviews that mentioned to make sure we dropped our bags at the bag drop due to the huge distance to the parking lot. The attendant suggested my wife jump in a cart and follow me down to the parking lot and just load up there. Great idea! We arrived early and had breakfast at the Oak Grill. The food and service were excellent. It's pricey, just know where you're at. After breakfast we headed down to the range to get warmed up. There's a very nice short game area just to the right of the first tee, so we drove the cart down and started there. The range itself is excellent, providing unlimited Titleist balls. Since there weren't many tips on the GK site about the holes, (I read them religiously before playing a new course!) I asked in the pro shop if they had any course tips they could help me with. He handed me a sheet with tips on how to play each hole, which was great! I'll add all of this info to the TIPS section soon, because it was very helpful. Now, on to the course...

The front 9 is quite demanding, with many blind tee shots, and lots of elevation changes. Even having the info I had, it was still kinda difficult to determine where to hit the ball, and how far to hit it. The carts have excellent GPS systems in them, so that definitely helped. Playing it a second time will be much easier. The back 9 wraps around the front of the resort, and is much more in front of you. You may have an audience on the 10th and 13th tee boxes, because they're right next to the restaurants.

Overall conditions were excellent. Tee boxes were all nice and lush, and very level. The fairways were beautifully green and lush, and a joy to hit from. All of the grass at Ojai is kikuya, so the rough was a bear to play out of. It wasn't overly long, but it was still difficult to advance the ball if you got too deep. The sand traps were excellent. The sand was soft and thick...my ball plugged so deep in the face of the greenside trap on hole 1 I almost didn't find it! The greens were the highlight for me. Running around 10.5 on the stimp and smoooooooth. They were on the soft side, and wedges with too much spin were an issue, because almost all of the greens are severely sloped from back to front. I had multiple great shots spin right off the front of the green. Doh!

Ojai Valley is a challenging course with all of the elevation changes and blind shots, but it's fair. It's definitely a tough course for the ladies, as there are some forced carries into the greens. My wife and her friend had to lay up a couple of times because the diostances were pretty far for them, but they still loved it! The course chewed me up and spit me out, but I'd love to play it again. I'm looking forward to a weekend getaway at the resort someday, with a couple of rounds built in. I definitely recommend!
11 Likes.
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