Played today on Black Friday....course was packed from the start. It looked like our 8am start time might be a half hour late. But Sean, the head pro got everyone checked in very quickly and out to the first tee. The starter Ray, kept the groups ahead moving and we actually started exactly at 8am....huge props to the staff! The course is in pretty good shape tee to green...but I recommend playing here as much as possible before the developers turn this course into a pitch and putt....and you can thank the two owners who couldn't manage their business for ruining a little gem.

Played here last Monday for their $60 special. I've always loved playing here, but after Monday, not so much. Starting with the three guys in the pro shop, such a sense of arrogance and entitlement. They were more concerned about gossiping about a supervisor. But to the course, the fairways were so thin that the lies were better in the rough. The greens looked okay but we're very slow and bumpy. There was also a lot of patches on greens and the fairways that made the course look like any $30 Municipal course. Industry Hills has always promoted a higher image of themselves....on this day they fell down.

I've been playing here since the second day they were open and have always considered It the best maintained public course in all four surrounding counties. Sierra Lakes Golf Club has continually maintained a level of excellence....until yesterday...but I'm calling out the superintendent for his entire staff. I lived on the course for six years and subsequently played it a lot. The maintenance crew USED to understand the etiquette of golf, but not this current crew. It seemed like he must have had fifty people working yesterday, because we did not play one hole without have several workers buzzing by or just doing their work around us as we played. My main beef is that not one of them would stop their machines as they passed you on the tee box, fairway or greens. There were many times they would be doing their thing 10-15 feet away from you without any consideration of that fact you were over the ball or not. Even to the point on hole 13, one worker was doing the waste bunker below the tee and got stuck trying to climb out the steepest part. We tried to push and pull him out to give him a hand, but to no avail. But anther crew pulled him out with his machine and then proceeded to come mow the area around the tee box as we were hitting. We then had to wait to hit our chips around the green while he mowed the fringe area....unacceptable. Failure amongst the workers generally means lack of proper training from the top. Sierra Lakes maintenance....I'm sorry, you used to be the best around, but you deserve a F minus for the oblivious workers who don't understand that they work on a golf course not somebody's back yard.

A follow up to my post two weeks ago. The next day, I recieved a call from the G.M Brent to apologize for the nuclear breakfast burrito. I found this very impressive, to make the effort to track my tee time and phone number. I truly appreciated this gesture and won't hesitate to come back and play here. He told me he was already working with the chef to see how they could improve the product. That's the quality of a G.M. that we all wish we would encounter at all the courses we play.

We used to play here often until they started over pricing themselves. Our traveling club held many tournaments here through the years. So this was the first time back here in about five years...and with the economy, prices have come back a bit. This is a very fun course and the conditions were quite good. Tees were great, fairways were all in pretty good shape and the greens putted smoothly. All said, the golfing part was great....now to the bad part.
We got there at 8:30 to have breakfast before our 10:00 tee time only to find out the restaurant doesn't open in the mornings Mon.-Fri. But I was told I could order food from the snack bar. I ordered a breakfast burrito, but was told it had been pre-made and the nuked in the microwave. When I tried to eat it, the tortilla was gooey and all I got was a molten hot glob of cheese that burnt the crap out of my mouth with abosolutely no flavor...into the trash it went. When I mentioned this to the gentleman in the pro shop, he said that they tell people about a local coffe shop down the street...wish I would have known. I understand cut backs, but for a food and beverage manager to allow this...he should be replaced. It was no wonder when we got done, there was not one person in the restaurant. Or does this fall on the G.M. for not watching out for his golfers?

Played yesterday on 9/9 for the first time here. The pro shop staff was great and gave us a yardage book(which I found useless because their tips didn't really advise you about blind shots and landing areas) and some range balls. To start, the tee boxes were crap...munis have better grass. The fairways were fine with the rough being ragged. Some greens were ok while others were in need of some serious work. I didn't enjoy the entire layout, the open spaces and rolling hills made for a great ambiance, but the track has some Mickey Mouse aspects to it. In particular...the 18th hole. That has to be one of the worst finishing holes in the inland golf scene...next to Pechanga. This was my first and last time there, I'd much rather play Red Hawk or save the extra 30 minute drive and play Eagle Glen, Goose Crrek and Oak Quarry.

Well...the course is finally coming back. As Tournament Director for the Men's Club, it has been very embarrasing to have to play "lift, clean and place" for the past year. I've been a strong critic of the conditions for the past year, but the G.M. Mike Winn, has been working his tail off trying to restore the quality of play. The fungus problems on the greens have been taken care of and they are starting to putt smooth and fast. The fairways are still probably a few months away from being full...but playing here has become fun again. The guys in the shop are always very courteous and friendly. Our little Gem is starting to have a little sparkle again.

First time playing here on 5/9 with the SCGA special for $75. From start to finish, almost perfect. The service in the morning was like being a member at high end country club. The practice facility is tops, along with the views and conditions. We played from the black tees, which made for some tough carries over the foilage. I did find some of the holes to be "tricked out" as other reviewers have said. But with the exception of number 18, they were all enjoyable. Now, the 18th hole...Mickey Mouse wouldn't even like that hole and it's stupid green. But all said, I really enjoyed the day and the course until we got back into the clubhouse that afternoon. I asked the two guys behind the desk if there were deals for my traveling skins group of 20 players, all I got was a flip and arrogant respose from both. To quote.."I guess you should have bought 20 of those specials...we don't deal". Since every employee had gone out of their way to make our experience great until then...these two were our last impression.

We brought three groups from Upland to play in their Friday 8AM shotgun special. Golf, cart, range balls and a sleeve of Pro Vi's for $39...incredible deal. From start to finish, the entire day went very smooth and enjoyable. I've been playing EG since opening day in 1999 and have seen the different conditions through the years. I really believe that the course is coming back to the condition before Troon Golf let it go to crap. Tee boxes were great, as were the greens. Fairways still need a little more green to them, but were much better than a couple years ago. This course has alot of personality and can challenge all levels. Oh yeah....they do by far have the "hottest cart girls" in the business. And the pro shop guys were friendly...

Well...things have changed since May, and not for the better. Tee boxes still look like a war zone, the fairways have gotten thinner with large dirt areas throughout. The bunkers are the equivelant of hitting off asphalt. Since they've gone to a system of all greens having the same color flag with the smaller secondary flag to determine pin placement...over half of them are always wrong. If you have a laser it's okay, but if you use a GPS device you're screwed. I'm afraid the owners will never put the money in to bring this little gem back.

We played on the Super Bowl Score special on 2/10 for $65 plus cart fee. The facilities and the staff were great, but then out to the course. The dormant fairways not only look unappealing, there were patches where the lies were so thin that I preferred to be in the rough. The bunkers were like cement and the greens quite bumpy. The $80 we spent would be the most I would ever pay for this course, how they normally charge $160 is beyond me. Since I used to live in Irvine, I was used to paying more for things than in other areas. But as far as golf, I consider it the "arrogance" of O.C. golf prices. Drive 30-45 minutes to Oak Quarry, Goose Creek or even Eagle Glen and you'll play a much better course at half the price.

I also play here every week, and the conditions are somewhere between the last few posts. The tee boxes do need some work and some parts of the fairways are getting muddy. But the great greens that were ruined by previous G.M.'s are finally starting to come back. If and when they can afford to buy some seed and fertilizer, we'll get our course back to where we don't have to play "lift, clean and place". All said, this is still a fun little track that does make you think about how to approach each hole.

Upland Hills Country Club Course Review
Upland California Golf Course Reviews