I play Altadena as often as any course because it's easy to get the nine in rather than a full eighteen when you need a fix. Altadena is a course that you can usually walk in and, if you aren't sent o... Continue »

I play Altadena as often as any course because it's easy to get the nine in rather than a full eighteen when you need a fix. Altadena is a course that you can usually walk in and, if you aren't sent out immediately, you will probably be sent out very soon. That alone is nice to have in your back pocket, considering how busy many courses can be. The course itself is niether as visually interesting nor as busy as it's sister course, Eaton Canyon down the road, although both sit virtually in the shadow of the mountain range so you look up at the same mountain view. Rather beautiful in a late afternoon sun. Altadena initially seems fairly flat but has some subtle challenges. The first time I played there, the greens bit me on the butt. There is a gentle predominant slope to the area/course that also applies to most of the greens and you can tend to under-read the break away from the mountains. Also, several of the greens are elevated with domed crowns that, coupled with the overall slope, can make the putting really tricky. Deceptively so. The first hole is an almost 460 yard par-four -- longer than the par-five fifth hole running parallel to it. It has a resonably generous fairway, but it takes two good pokes and I don't see too many reach it, so it gets your attention right away. Tough to start out with a par. The sixth is a short, tempting par-four with a strategically placed fairway bunker that narrows the options for the average hitter and makes it a little bit of a risk/reward for the longer hitter. The seventh is a narrow par-four, again with a fairway bunker that narrows it down further for most players. The ninth hole is a par-five and the only hole I have an issue with. The three tee-marker sets have been clumped together in the forward teeing area for a long time now with the back tee box sitting unused. It would be a nice length par-five if they would utilize that back tee-box. The last green was also in really bad shape until recently with large areas of dirt. Recently, they seemed to grafted in some new surface so that while it still has a little way to go, it looks like it's going to recover. Most of the surface is at least playable now. Overall, the fairways are good and set the ball up well, and the greens have a decent medium pace, a little towards quick. There is a grass driving range and the general feel is very low key and local. If you are hankering to get out don't have time for eighteen or can't get a tee time anywhere else, you could do worse. It's a pleasant local course.