Out on Friday, 1/3, as a twosome joined by another and starting at 12:12. Very briefly, I think the conditions here are pretty good and consistent thr... » More

Out on Friday, 1/3, as a twosome joined by another and starting at 12:12. Very briefly, I think the conditions here are pretty good and consistent throughout. Good, green coverage everywhere and I don't recall any thin areas through the fairways. Rough is mostly manageable and fairy consistent if you stay out of the wilds, bunkers were in good shape and groomed, and the greens were clean and a good quick speed. My minor issue would be a few of the tee boxes could be a bit closer to level. The major issue on the day was pace. We were approaching 5:00pm and just finishing the 14th hole. With the conga line still ahead of us and the sun gone, we knocked off there because we were close to the clubhouse with no chance to finish more than a couple more holes at best. Attribute it to the holiday surge as I've never had pace like it at this course and it was obviously packed out there. Customer service is friendly and the starter lady works her butt off. The canyon setting is particularly scenic and the conditions are solid. Recommended.
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Hit Soule park today 12/19, for the first time in about 30 years. i never played it a lot, but the times I did when I was living in the area gave an a... » More

Hit Soule park today 12/19, for the first time in about 30 years. i never played it a lot, but the times I did when I was living in the area gave an appreciation of it as solid and scenic course. The Gil Hanse makeover was something I wanted to check out and I finally got around to it. I was not disappointed. Very nice conditions all around with some Hanse touches, like the extended close-mown areas beyond the official fringes to extend the putting options. Fairways tended to be more open and reasonably forgiving, offset with character to the greens complexes which often had significant contours to consider. Local knowledge helps because being on the correct side of the green or below the hole frequently made a big difference in your chances to score well, but often you couldn't see/gauge that from the fairway. Summarizing: tee boxes fine, fairways nice, rough not very punitive, bunkers in very nice shape, greens also in nice shape, reasonably quick and generally challenging. There is a nice flow to the course and the surrounding hills and mountains create a very attractive and somewhat dramatic setting. Pace was fairly steady, if a touch sluggish. We teed off a little after 12:00 and were the second to last group to finish on 18 with just enough daylight.

I didn't get to try it out, but the clubhouse has been improved and the restaurant there has a good reputation as a place to eat. It has open areas and places to perch with sightline to the course. Basically a cool spot whether a golfer or not. GDR25 has praised the place for its overall value and the quality of the course and I have to concur. I also have to find excuses to get back here more than every 30 years or so.
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In Solvang for a few days, teed off @noon on Tuesday, 12/17. A beautiful day to play, I caught the single ahead of me on the 4th hole and we continued... » More

In Solvang for a few days, teed off @noon on Tuesday, 12/17. A beautiful day to play, I caught the single ahead of me on the 4th hole and we continued together. Per my previous reviews, I don't think this is the most interesting course around – generally flat and fairly straight forward – but the setting is very scenic and the conditions are pretty good all around. Good conditions tee to green with rough more often benign than not. I also found the bunkers well maintained with good sand. The greens were particularly clean and putted well at a reasonably quick speed. Behind some foursomes, the pace was about 4.5 hrs which seemed more sluggish than it needed to be, but it was as good a place as any to spend the extra time taking in views of the surrounding landscape.

An additional note: I took my wife and in-laws down to the course restaurant the previous day for lunch for the first time. Good food and service in a nice setting. There is a patio area outside that is a great setting for dining but it was chilly that day and only indoor dining. I don't know if it is otherwise used this time of year, but a great spot in warmer weather. Breakfast and lunch during the week with early dinners on the weekend. The Christmas decorations were off the hook.
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Super short review. Teed off Friday 11/15 from the whites. Course is in nice winter conditions. Some odd dirt or thin stretches mostly in out of the w... » More

Super short review. Teed off Friday 11/15 from the whites. Course is in nice winter conditions. Some odd dirt or thin stretches mostly in out of the way places, the coverage is mostly good. Hit one bunker and it was OK. Greens were quick side of medium and in good shape. Perfect, invigorating, Cali winter day with spotty clouds, clear, cool air and even a spot of rain. Dug it. Recommended.
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Went out Friday 11/8 @1:25 as a single joining another single and twosome. Played the whites. Teeing grounds are not problem here. The fairways, even ... » More

Went out Friday 11/8 @1:25 as a single joining another single and twosome. Played the whites. Teeing grounds are not problem here. The fairways, even when the coverage is good, tend to be a riot of various grass colors, patterns and species that can still offer a good hitting surface. Currently it tends towards tight grass areas mixed in with stretches resembling dried river bottom with little matting and the odd dirt stretch. A poster child for muni golf. Despite that, and the fact that I may have moved my ball in the fairway at least once to get some grass under it, most of the time I didn't find it an issue and the lies were playable. But then, I have a shallow swing with little divot. So now you are forewarned, although there is the bonus of some extra rollout if you play here. I have long passed from "easy" to flat out "golf slut", so I was OK with it and enjoyed the round as far as we got. Rough was short and not a factor, and I missed the bunkers so no comment there. Greens were actually in pretty good shape and reasonably quick. The real drawback for me was that the pace was slow — we were on a five hour pace with under 4.5 hrs of light. We managed to get through the 14th before knocking off. I don't get over here often so I can't say I'll be back soon, but would still play it again without much hesitation but also without any illusions. So not necessarily a recommendation, but a nod to golfers like me who are willing to happily play a little dirty.


Epilogue: The others were in carts and departed as I started hoofing back from the 14th in the gloom. Checked my bag and confirmed i had working glow balls, so angled over to the 18th to play my way in what was now complete dark. Making out enough silhouette to know where the middle of the fairway was, a decent driver and two 5-woods left me somewhere in the right rough about 100 yds out, under an overhanging tree. The distance was a pure guess, the green location was suggested by some glare from lights near the clubhouse and the pin was invisible. Fourth shot was a punched five iron that rolled nicely and settled in what seemed like the front of the green, with the hope of being on. The glowing ball was easy to see but I had to get to within about ten feet to even see the red pin — and my ball a foot from the cup. Knocked it in for one of the more unexpected pars I've ever scored. A little thrill/satisfaction as compensation for the holes I didn't get to play.
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