Played my hometown course today in a tournament with my traveling golf club. Grew up and learned to play here as a teen—and still live down the street—but haven’t played it much the last decade or so,... Continue »

Played my hometown course today in a tournament with my traveling golf club. Grew up and learned to play here as a teen—and still live down the street—but haven’t played it much the last decade or so, due to my golf activity being intermittent, and playing other courses during the periods when I was playing. It’s changed ownership/management over the years, and I’ve witnessed conditions significantly deteriorate from what they were when I was growing up.

BUT I’m glad to say that it’s getting back into prime shape. It’s not quite there yet, as there are some bare/thin spots in the rough, the sand in the bunkers is pretty low quality (hard, thin, and very granular), and some of the tee boxes are (still) not completely level. But the fairways are lush, and the putting surfaces are in great shape. The greens are definitely the strongest area of the course (which goes a long way). They are smooth, have few pre-existing ball marks, hold shots well, and putt very true. They are still as diabolical as ever if you are above the hole, so shot location matters.

It’s not a long course, so it must rely on its greens, doglegs, and narrowness to present a challenge, in addition to hazards (barrancas, hillside). It does this very well, as I know many golfers of all abilities who are very frustrated by this course. Long hitters have little to no advantage here; it’s all about accuracy. But if that is a part of your game that you want to improve, then spend a few dozen rounds here, and I’d say you’re bound to improve.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that they do have construction actively taking place on the course. At the time of this posting, the only impact I know of is on the 11th and 17th holes. They are doing irrigation work on #17 DURING THE WEEK ONLY, which has resulted in #17 (a par 3) being completely closed, and #11 (a par 5) being split into a short par 4 and short par 3, with the par 4 having a temporary green cut into the fairway (which isn’t any good; I played it on Friday), and the par 3 playing to the normal 11th green. I’ve also observed evidence of a temporary green on the #13 fairway (also a par 5), so it’s possible they are alternating 11 and 13, when 17 is closed. Again, this is Monday thru Friday only (as of now). I know they have other construction projects planned for the next couple years, but I also know that they will try to have it impact play as little as possible. Construction is always unfortunate in the short term, but most of us know that it’s part of the longevity of any course, and makes for a better course in the long term.