Golf Course Reviews
Golf Course Reviews: California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Florida, Hawaii!Played 10/5, 9:24 start. Hot day, slow round (4:55). Apparently there was a tournament later in the day, and pins on the front nine were cut in some pretty ridiculous locations. Back nine was better, but front nine was frustrating for a non-scramble round. Course was long and soft in places, likely from heavy watering because of the string of 100+ degree days recently. Fairways and greens both a bit fuzzy. Still playable, but running slow from tee through green. Course is a parkland layout and enjoyable, but not super memorable. There are a few blind tee shots and greens where playing with a member was helpful, but overall pretty fair. Worth playing if you're local, but I likely won't make the drive out too often; nothing too distinguishing vs many of the other Sacramento-area municipal courses.
Played 4/28 with a 1:10 start. Round was very slow, ending up at 5 hours from tee off, and they were 2-3 groups behind on the first tee (we started around 1:25). Course is in decent shape; fairways looked generally fine as did the rough. Greens had quite a bit of pitch mark damage with many unrepaired marks. Sand in bunkers looked to have some pebbles in it, and some were still quite wet. Overall, a fun track with some challenging holes which have a good amount of character. Lots of doglegs requires some strategizing off the tee. The biggest knock on the course is the shape of the greens, but overall an enjoyable round and very affordable with a GolfNow deal for $33 each w/cart.
Played 4/27 at 9:10. First time at Bennett Valley after hearing generally good sentiments for years and was pleasantly surprised. As others have pointed out, layout is very straightforward parkland course with the established trees lining each fairway and the undulating greens providing most of the challenge. That said, the course was in really great shape, especially for a public, and generally is a great setting for a round of golf on a nice day. Tee boxes, fairways, greens, and bunkers all in good condition and didn't have any major complaints about any of them. Some areas in between fairways are still muddy from a wet winter, but those areas are clearly staked and there were no cart restrictions during our round. Will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this track.
Played 3/24 off at 11:30. Nice spring day with a bit of a breeze, especially on the back nine. Slow pace, finished in 4:00 even, which is slow for a track this length, but not unexpected.
Course seems to have held up well to a bit of a wet winter, with a handful of standing water or muddy areas but generally firm turf. Fairways and rough were both thick and sometimes tough to see the cut between fairway and rough. Lots of clover, and some tough, deep lies in both fairway and rough as a result. Greens were very slow and probably ready for spring aeration; tricky, but very playable and in really solid shape, all things considered. Tee boxes are generally fine, though you've got to hunt a bit for a level spot in some; fortunately, they set the tee markers up wide and usually it's not too hard to find a decent stance.
Layout is very straightforward, with most of the challenge in the long par 3s and small greens on this executive length track. Hardly any dog legs and almost no elevation change. A handful of greens are well protected by bunkers, but just as many are very accessible. Most holes are tree lined, and they're stacked in tightly, so watch out for folks playing from the wrong fairways. Barely any hazard, with 2-3 ponds interspersed but only in play on a few holes and then just barely.
There is a large range with mats in the hitting stalls that have seen better days; there was a sign in the pro shop saying the grass portion of the range was closed "for the season." One large putting green as well, no short game or other practice area, though the range was reasonably priced.
Given the green fees and the executive layout, course was in solid shape overall. This is a great course for anyone new to the game or getting back into it, someone looking for an early season tune up, once a year golfers, or kids. Very approachable, with almost no dress code. It's nothing to write home about, but golf probably needs more courses like Cordova and I'm glad it's around.
Course seems to have held up well to a bit of a wet winter, with a handful of standing water or muddy areas but generally firm turf. Fairways and rough were both thick and sometimes tough to see the cut between fairway and rough. Lots of clover, and some tough, deep lies in both fairway and rough as a result. Greens were very slow and probably ready for spring aeration; tricky, but very playable and in really solid shape, all things considered. Tee boxes are generally fine, though you've got to hunt a bit for a level spot in some; fortunately, they set the tee markers up wide and usually it's not too hard to find a decent stance.
Layout is very straightforward, with most of the challenge in the long par 3s and small greens on this executive length track. Hardly any dog legs and almost no elevation change. A handful of greens are well protected by bunkers, but just as many are very accessible. Most holes are tree lined, and they're stacked in tightly, so watch out for folks playing from the wrong fairways. Barely any hazard, with 2-3 ponds interspersed but only in play on a few holes and then just barely.
There is a large range with mats in the hitting stalls that have seen better days; there was a sign in the pro shop saying the grass portion of the range was closed "for the season." One large putting green as well, no short game or other practice area, though the range was reasonably priced.
Given the green fees and the executive layout, course was in solid shape overall. This is a great course for anyone new to the game or getting back into it, someone looking for an early season tune up, once a year golfers, or kids. Very approachable, with almost no dress code. It's nothing to write home about, but golf probably needs more courses like Cordova and I'm glad it's around.
Played 3/16 at 10:30. Got around in 3:30 despite some waiting on majority of holes. Spectacular spring day. Course is still trying to dry out from a wet winter. Fairways were generally soft, many areas of rough were still swampy and those areas also hadn't been mowed recently. Led to several lost balls on slight misses of the fairway and was a bit frustrating. Greens, however, seem to drain well and were in really good shape. Rolled a bit quick and were difficult to read. Sand in both fairway and greenside bunkers is thin and has lots of pebbles. Course is nothing groundbreaking but pleasant, and I generally enjoyed it. Houses do line several fairways as it winds through the subdivision. A tricky little executive layout, partially due to small and well protected greens on several holes. Worth a visit if you're in the area. If you can hit it 200 and straight off the tee you can be in position attack every hole with a short iron or wedge. If you want to hit balls beforehand, head to the Valley of the Moon course a few minutes up the road; no driving range on the Sugarloaf side, just a small cashier's building with sparse supplies and a few bags of chips. There is a small putting green as well. Valley of the Moon side has a full restaurant and bar, snack shack, and pro shop in addition to larger putting green and driving range.
Played 10/21 as a single, scheduled for 9:50 but ended up teeing off at 9:30, after the pro shop offered to get me out sooner if I was ready. Played with another single and got around in just under 4:00 despite waiting on several holes for the foursome ahead. Course is a fun track. Minimal hazards, with a few drainage canals (dry this time of year) serving as hazards crossing fairways. A few holes had OB, but mainly the established trees are your big challenge if you're not accurate off the tee. Lots of tight fairways and tee shots. Played pretty firm, with some greens not holding spin well and the area in front of most greens playing hard enough to kill spin and let shots run through the green even if landed soft. Greens were medium speed, with lots of undulation. Difficult to read, but generally in good shape. A handful of greens had small dead spots, but nothing major and in better shape than most courses in greater Sacramento area. Fairways and rough both in good shape, and this course has the best sand I've played from on any public. Soft and fluffy. Overall, pleased with the condition, and layout. Very reasonably priced. Worth a trip up from Sacramento for sure, and I'll definitely be visiting again.
Played 10/15, 10:20 tee time. Warm fall day, course was in nice shape. A handful of wet areas in fairway, and a few small patches of GUR in out of the way areas, but nothing that impacted play. Fairways and rough generally in nice shape overall. Tee boxes had a few uneven spots and some areas a bit chewed up with divots. Greens were rolling true and looking good after recent aeration. Still a bit sandy, but recovered nicely and weren't overly quick. Pace was fine, got around in 4:40 or so with a stop at the turn. Course is one of the best layouts in the area, with natural areas (red stakes) interspersed between each fairway along every hole. Bring a few extra golf balls. Grass range and great short game practice area as well. Good value and one of my favorite tracks in the area. Worth the visit every time.
Played 10/7 at 10:06. Warm fall day, pace of play was slow and course was stacked up, to be expected at most Sac area munis on a nice weekend, leading to a five hour round. That being said, course was in better condition than many publics I've played in the area recently. Greens were smooth and rolled mostly true; some pitch mark issues but not severe, and ran quick today. Fairways and rough were both in good condition without any major bare spots. Hardly any muddy or soggy areas. Bunkers generally in ok shape, a little damp but not awful and definitely playable, which is more than many courses these days. Tee boxes were probably in the worst shape of anything, but not bad enough to severely impact the value. Course layout is nothing special, lots of generic parkland holes, but again, not too different than many courses in this area. Worth a visit if you're local, but don't go too far out of your way.
Mostly, this course offers great value. Executive length and pretty open. There are a few ponds to watch out for, but if you spray the ball you can often advance from an adjacent fairway, though you do have OB left on most of the course. Greens are a bit slow but roll true. Fairways and rough dry out quite a bit in the summer, but stay very playable. Bunkers in good shape. Expect slow rounds late afternoons and on weekends. Very solid, affordable municipal course; great for learners.
Played 9/24 off at 8:32. Windy day, probably 15 mph sustained made for tough conditions. Course is in pretty good shape overall. A few dead spots marked as ground under repair in some fairways and rough areas, but not excessive. Greens were rolling very quick and had a few tough pins. Some pitch mark damage but pretty good compared to most public tracks I've played in the Sacramento area. Course is a long layout with a lot of dog legs, and despite the name, not too many lakes. Appreciated lots of water jugs available throughout the course, numerous restrooms, and topped off ball washers. A fun track; expect windy conditions. Also, apparently people have been stealing range baskets, so you currently have to check out your range basket at the pro shop by leaving your drivers license... or bring a bucket or bag of your own as I saw a few members doing.
11 Likes.
Played a texas scramble tournament on 8/18. Course was in really good condition pretty much across the board for a public course, as always, and the layout is short but challenging and requires good shot making and a bit of course management. Handful of areas that don't drain well, but otherwise no real complaints about condition. Definitely a worthy track to check out if you're in the area.
Played 8/12 off at 12:20. Course isn't terribly long, but a fun layout that requires some thought and strategy to attack effectively. Always a good time. Condition can be hit or miss in some aspects. Lots of bare spots, some soggy spots (had one approach shot plug near a green even in august), and the bunkers are still in really bad shape. Hard, crunchy sand, standing water in ~50% even if small puddles. Fairway and large bunkers tended to be much worse than closer greenside bunkers. Grass is patchy in places, especially in rough, don't be surprised to end up on hard pan. Fairways generally in good shape though. Greens were soft and receptive, rolled a bit quick and pretty true. Not enough folks repair their pitch marks, like most public courses these days. Worth the twilight rate but not as appealing at full freight given some of the conditions.
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