Played the Ike with GKers bradleycoop, stickboy, and lotrgolfer48 at 10:40 on Friday, 1/9/15, on a cool overcast day with no wind. I enjoyed the company of other GKers but the course pretty well beat ... Continue »

Played the Ike with GKers bradleycoop, stickboy, and lotrgolfer48 at 10:40 on Friday, 1/9/15, on a cool overcast day with no wind. I enjoyed the company of other GKers but the course pretty well beat me up. This course is long and difficult, made more so by the overly wet conditions cutting down roll and affecting playing conditions. I echo a lot of Matt's comments but am less forgiving of some of the conditions encountered. Given the lack of rain we've had in SoCal, it's hard to believe that many fairway and rough areas were soaked, sloppy wet, or even torn up from equipment and carts destroying the turf in playing areas, necessitating drops. Greens are large, firm (although receptive), and many pins today were placed in restricted areas difficult to approach.

Other problem areas: At least 6 or 7 holes, exclusive of the par 3s, were path only - that's ridiculous! This is a hilly course with resulting long walks from the path to balls. Drainage should not be a problem! In retrospect, I played from the wrong tees - coming back from wrist surgery and given the course length and the nature of my game, I should have played from the white tees, but I didn't want to be the only person in the foursome playing those tees.

Also, this course/resort is advertised as a destination resort in Southern California. But you can't take your golf cart to the range - you have to lug your own bag out to the range and back to the cart area (a long walk, thank you). No shuttle was offered. Afterward, you again lug your bag from the cart area out to the parking lot. Not my idea of "resort-style" service.

Overall it's a good, challenging course with challenges associated with conditions and service.