Played on 11/26 with a tee time around 9 am. POP was around 4 1/2 hours. We didn't play the last hole as it started to rain pretty hard just as we're teeing off on the 18 hole.

Course was in exce... Continue »

Played on 11/26 with a tee time around 9 am. POP was around 4 1/2 hours. We didn't play the last hole as it started to rain pretty hard just as we're teeing off on the 18 hole.

Course was in excellent shape. Played from the white tees as I didn't care for the front tee areas. White teeing area was fairly flat with good coverage. Course had good coverage from tee to green. I like teeing off on the 1st hole as this hole slopes downward. Saw deer off to the side on the first hole. Fairways had good coverage. Granted there were spots here and there where the lies were thin and spots where it was very muddy. It was good enough to play. Not an easy course to play as water comes into play on a couple of holes. Also this course is not flat. There are some holes with an elevated tee and you hit down to the fairway. And there were a few holes with an elevated green. Some of the par 3 holes are a little long. Bunkers were in decent shape. But I saw a lot of unraked bunkers. Please rake up for the next person who lands in the bunkers.

Greens were in excellent shape. Speed on the greens were running a little fast. I like playing here for the challenge and you have to think about playing your second or third shots. One of my favorite courses to play.

Played on 10/29/16, and was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the course. I probably play this course once or twice a year, and previously, my review would be typical of just about every munici... Continue »

Played on 10/29/16, and was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the course. I probably play this course once or twice a year, and previously, my review would be typical of just about every municipal course - Okay conditions, long waits, okay experience. This time, I came away fairly impressed. Fairways and greens were fuller and better maintained than I've ever seen them. Sand was relatively even in quality and much improved from what they've been - at least in my 15 years of sporadic play there. But here's the shocker: Our foursome rarely waited, and we finished in just over 4 hours! I can't recall any round under 5 hours on a Saturday, with waits on every hole, if not every shot. While I think this was some once in a century convergence of forces, or we somehow slipped into an alternate universe and back again, I truly hope that this is now the norm, and the product of great management. Will definitely be back to see! Oh, and the biggest positive impression maker: I left my Skycaddie on the cart after the round, and didn't realize until my next round, two weeks later. I called the Starter, not expecting them to know anything about it, and was told that they had it, and after making sure that I really was the owner, they took my info and held it for me until I could pick it up. It had to pass through the hands of at least 3 different employees. Awesome honesty and service!

Walked on Saturday early and was on the tee within 15 minutes. While the starters are always great, the half way house was closed when we got to it after 8, which was a little before 9:00, which detr... Continue »

Walked on Saturday early and was on the tee within 15 minutes. While the starters are always great, the half way house was closed when we got to it after 8, which was a little before 9:00, which detracts from the service. Pace of play was great at right about 4 hours and we finished at least one hole behind. One in the threesome I hooked up with said he had never played a round that fast (part of the problem in my opinion). Anyway, great value at $42 walking on a weekend. The course was lush both fairways and rough, the bunkers had good sand and the tee boxes were good although I am not a fan of shaved kikuyu tees.

Whatever microtining they have done on the greens was fully healed although they were not fully smooth. Some bumps out there. Good speed though. Overall, good value for your golf bucks.

I wrote a full review for 9/24 and went out again yesterday afternoon with a buddy at around 1:30, so this will be shorter and supplemental to that earlier review. A backup on the first tee due to a t... Continue »

I wrote a full review for 9/24 and went out again yesterday afternoon with a buddy at around 1:30, so this will be shorter and supplemental to that earlier review. A backup on the first tee due to a tournament had us teeing off about 20 minutes late, but after that, it moved quickly (they were playing better ball format) and stayed open in front of us. Same conditions as last write up except the last traces of aeration are gone from the greens. The occasional mixed grasses gave an uneven surface color on some greens, but they putted surprisingly true and at a nice, medium quick pace. I had a surprisingly good day putting as a result. On the fairways I saw a couple of hard dry patches as well as a couple of over watered muddy patches but these were very few and limited in scope. Missed the bunkers today. Rough and green side grass could be grabby. All else is previously reported and the course is in pretty nice shape overall. Recommended.

I went down to Harding as a single, yesterday, 9/24 for a 1:20 tee time. To me, the Griffith Park courses have a kind of old-school vibe and a little history that is cool. I tend to think of Wilson as... Continue »

I went down to Harding as a single, yesterday, 9/24 for a 1:20 tee time. To me, the Griffith Park courses have a kind of old-school vibe and a little history that is cool. I tend to think of Wilson as the bigger-shouldered, slightly brawnier of the Wilson/Harding pair with Harding about 200 yards shorter overall in the Blue and White tees. But Harding has an enjoyable mix of holes with a few longer par fours and fives to stretch you out a bit. You can always jump back to the Blacks to goose it up further. There was a little confusion on the first tee about redundant tee times, vs. group number, and the foursome "ahead" of me was nice enough to incorporate me into their group. They were good company and I'm glad they did. I haven't played Harding in a few years and I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions. Tee boxes were on the hard side and sometimes getting the tee in the ground took a bit of probing, but they tend towards large, nicely level with good grass coverage. Even the par threes had good coverage and didn't seem overworked. Fairways were actually pretty nice and on the lush side — definitely more so than I usually see these days — with the ball frequently sitting up. I thought the rough was very good on average. If you got a good lie where the ball was sitting up, or you hit a more playable stretch, you might save the shot. Otherwise, it was often thick enough the ball would nestle down a bit, such that you were probably going to spend a shot to get out and repositioned. I hit into one bunker and it was good, basic bunker sand, with most of the bunkers I saw appearing reasonably groomed. The greens were still showing small needle marks and some very light residual sand and ghost pattern from recent aeration, but I thought they were in good shape, running medium and pretty true. I would think they will only be speeding up and in even better shape as they shed the last tracers of maintenance. It was a particularly scenic day with nice views of the San Gabriel mountains to be had. There was a breeze to offset the heat for the main part of the afternoon, dying off to a nice calm as the shadows grew longer. Having purchased a Player Card, I got to take advantage of the senior rate of $24 to walk on a weekend, which had my parsimonious soul doing cartwheels. I appreciate that the city lowered their green fees in general, eliminating the non-resident rates, and it has put its courses back on my radar. Regular weekend walking rate is $42, throw in a cart and you are up to $56, so it depends on your spending threshold for weekend golf and carts as to whether this works for you. Conditions-wise, I'm giving the place a thumbs up.

Walked on Monday morning and was sent right to the first tee box. Played as a single on the front and was joined by another single on the back. Course is very green and a little on the wet side in the... Continue »

Walked on Monday morning and was sent right to the first tee box. Played as a single on the front and was joined by another single on the back. Course is very green and a little on the wet side in the fairways. Tee boxes were rock hard and tough to get a tee into. Fairways and rough had very good coverage, stay out of the rough the ball sits down and is hard to advance. Greens had little divot damage and were smooth and putted medium fast. Was not in a trap but they looked to be well taken care of. Layout is fun and no two holes feel the same.
The Wilson course was a lot more crowded than Harding but it is hard to believe this course sits so close to downtown. Priced well for a muni but the traffic in the area is less than desirable.

Played this morning at 6:15 with two other buddies. They are tearing and punching the tee boxes so on about 1/2 the boxes, the markers were all together temps in front of the normal boxes in high cra... Continue »

Played this morning at 6:15 with two other buddies. They are tearing and punching the tee boxes so on about 1/2 the boxes, the markers were all together temps in front of the normal boxes in high crab grass. The fairways gave no roll due to not being cut. The rough was pretty penalizing. The thick crab grass just grabs your club. It's hit or miss with lies in the
Rough. The sand traps had decent sand but, often I find on city courses, they're seldom raked. Since you get no roll on the fairways and the rough high, the course, even though the tee boxes are up, it plays long. The pace of play was great, about 3 hours, 45 minutes. I've seen this course in better shape. In about a month after the tee boxes are done and reseeded, the course may be better.

Played Sunday 7/10 at 10:08 with roarksown1 and bwaldera on a beautiful, but a bit toasty, day.
I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions all around. There's always "an expectation" when playing a... Continue »

Played Sunday 7/10 at 10:08 with roarksown1 and bwaldera on a beautiful, but a bit toasty, day.
I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions all around. There's always "an expectation" when playing a muni but Harding beat them all. Fairways were in solid shape, a little patchy in spots but overall very good coverage. Rough was, for the most part, frightening. Thick, deep, lush kikuyu that would eat your shoes. hacking out with a wedge was often the best option. Tee boxes were flat and most were rock hard. Greens were in good shape. Limited divot damage but a bit inconsistent on the roll (late in the day Poa, not a shock). Really impressed for my first time here and great weekend value walking with a POP of a little under 4.5 hours.

Wow, they have really turned this course around. The $52ish dollar rate makes this place a steal. I played Sunday morning at 9am. POP was great at 4.5 hours. The tee boxes were mostly very good, f... Continue »

Wow, they have really turned this course around. The $52ish dollar rate makes this place a steal. I played Sunday morning at 9am. POP was great at 4.5 hours. The tee boxes were mostly very good, flat, some divot damage. Where this course is shining is the fairways and rough. The fairways are green and with great coverage. You'll find the occasional unmarked GIR or random bad lie but overall really good and easy to take divots from. The rough is seriously penalizing with length anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5+ inches. I was in there a few times and it will take a stroke from you (not to mention your ball will be lost if not careful). Greens were reasonable running medium and fairly pure. Get out there and play this track.