Played Lakewood CC on Saturday for the second time in the last two months and there is much improvement to report currently. The course is probably in the best shape I've seen it and it was really fun... Continue »

Played Lakewood CC on Saturday for the second time in the last two months and there is much improvement to report currently. The course is probably in the best shape I've seen it and it was really fun to play. We also avoided the dreaded six-hour round at LCC because we found that sweet spot between an early morning tournament and the afternoon crowd.

Put it this way - we got to the par 3 12th hole and there was no backup at all. If you play Lakewood regularly, you'll know that this is not a common occurrence.

As far as conditions go, the course was again in its best shape that I can recall. The greens were running very nicely and quite quick, and also had many very tough pin placements (probably for the earlier tournament). Held shots well despite and only a few greens that had a lot of ball marks to fix up. Not bad at all, actually. Very nice to play.

Fairways were mostly in good shape with the occasional thin section, but really playable overall. Rough was not penal, but a little dried out but still thick enough to be considered rough. Some areas of course well off the fairways were dried out entirely and there are a lot of mulch areas that you should avoid at all costs. Was only in one bunker all day but it was also playable but hardly the fluffy stuff. Tee boxes were all very serviceable and no big issues stand out in my memory.

Hot day and it would have been a good one to see some cart service, however none was around all day. There is however a very convenient snack shop between the second green and third tee box and again when you make the turn. When conditions are good at Lakewood, it enhances the layout without a doubt. I would definitely play here again soon if the conditions stay this good.

Played an early Friday round at the 'Wood, PoP quick at 3.5 hrs, green fee $30 walking. Not alot to add other than the greens were about as good as Poa can get right now. Even #2 & 3 which have had ... Continue »

Played an early Friday round at the 'Wood, PoP quick at 3.5 hrs, green fee $30 walking. Not alot to add other than the greens were about as good as Poa can get right now. Even #2 & 3 which have had issues in the past were just about perfect. No bunker maintenance today, so they were wet and lumpy. Fairways and tee boxes were getting ready to mow but we were out too early to get that benefit. Recommended for no frills golf. Oh, the big lake was very low and the smell of turtle dung was nearly overwhelming on the 12th green. Hope they fill it back up soon. BTW: I wish I was posting a round at Spyglass again like Johnny and Sixpez. I might have driven all the way back up to Monterey if Alex invited me :-)

Looks like a lot of GK golfers on Lakewood recently! Played on Saturday, June 2. 5:36 am tee time. Our fivesome (3 walkers, 2 riders) got around in 4 hours. RDDenn summed up the course conditions ... Continue »

Looks like a lot of GK golfers on Lakewood recently! Played on Saturday, June 2. 5:36 am tee time. Our fivesome (3 walkers, 2 riders) got around in 4 hours. RDDenn summed up the course conditions nicely. However, I would say that the front 9 bunkers SUCKED. RDDenn was being kind in his assessment. The back 9 bunkers (yes, sadly, I played out of almost ALL of the bunkers on the course!) were in much better condition than the front 9 bunkers. As RDDenn reported, the blue tees were WAY back. Other than the front 9 bunkers, the course is in EXCELLENT shape and a joy to play right now.

Not much more to add to RDDenn’s review. The course was in great shape; just wish the POP would have been a little better. Gotta expect that on a weekend after 8am at Lakewood though.

Not much more to add to RDDenn’s review. The course was in great shape; just wish the POP would have been a little better. Gotta expect that on a weekend after 8am at Lakewood though.

Played a GK12 Cup match with golfereric420 today, teeing off at about 8:20, 20 minutes late. The POP was slow, as expected, with the front being played in about 2:40. The back was faster but still a... Continue »

Played a GK12 Cup match with golfereric420 today, teeing off at about 8:20, 20 minutes late. The POP was slow, as expected, with the front being played in about 2:40. The back was faster but still at a little over 5 hour pace.

The course is in good shape overall, especially the greens. They were running medium fast and generally true. They held shots well. The highlight of the course.

The fairways were generally lush. There were some drier spots but I did not see any bare spots. The rough was inconsistent with some thick areas, some that was longer than the fairways but not bad to hit from, and some bare areas. The bunkers looked good but I found the sand layer was not very thick. They were okay to hit from but it was close.

My peeve was some of the blue markers were all the way back on the rocks, which is the black tee position. I have found that seems to happen on Sundays. The course can stretch to 7000 yards at the tips and plays longer with wet kikuyu. It is not conducive to a good pace of play to have weekend warriors playing from that far back. Two of the par 3s were playing over 220 yards. A small peeve that did not detract from a nice day on the links.

Early Friday round at L-wood today, $35 walking w/small bucket fee, PoP right at 4 hrs. It's a county course, flat and walkable, Kikuyu and other grasses in the fairways, with Poa greens. Nothing sp... Continue »

Early Friday round at L-wood today, $35 walking w/small bucket fee, PoP right at 4 hrs. It's a county course, flat and walkable, Kikuyu and other grasses in the fairways, with Poa greens. Nothing spectacular but relatively inexpensive golf and decent conditions. But play early or suffer as roarksown1 did according to the previous review, cuz it can get crowded here and PoP can skyrocket as it is a hackers haven.

Greens rolled okay, medium speed, true and very quick downhill. Bunkers have great sand but were not conditioned today so lots of foot prints. Greens had a few unrepaired ball marks, too, so you get the drift. Simple and easy but still a fun round as there are a few water features and tree lined fairways to keep you honest.

Also, the clubhouse remodel is complete and it really does impress with outdoor seating and an open aire atmosphere. I'm sure it's to generate revenue for receptions and other gatherings, but nice to see our tax dollars going to work. Somehow, I'm guessing we have Len Kennett and Don Knabe to thank for that. Recommended.

Met up with Kassper7 on Friday for a 1pm round at Lakewood this past Friday. Plenty of time to finish up a leisurely round of golf, right? One would think, but at Lakewood, that would be incorrect. Af... Continue »

Met up with Kassper7 on Friday for a 1pm round at Lakewood this past Friday. Plenty of time to finish up a leisurely round of golf, right? One would think, but at Lakewood, that would be incorrect. After going out 15 minutes late at 1:15, we waited three deep on numerous holes throughout the round and ended up coming in on the 18th green at 7:15pm. Six hours on a Friday afternoon! That's just TERRIBLE management. Stagger your tee times or get a few marshalls out there actually doing something. Awful.

Luckily the course was actually in decent shape compared to previous visits, or this review would be really bad. The greens were in pretty nice shape, rolling well and not too bumpy, but the clientele at LCC not famous for fixing ball marks. Still, they were okay.

Fairways had good coverage on some holes, mediocre on others, but nothing too terrible. The rough was definitely thin in a lot of areas so anything hit just off the fairways was a mixed bag of what you might find. Bunkers were just okay. Tee boxes on many of the holes were in poor shape but at least they were even.

I like the layout at Lakewood for sure, but it's really frustrating to find any rhythm whatsoever when you're waiting 10-15 minutes on just about every hole to tee off. Lakewood should contact the guys at Rancho Park to see exactly what they've done to fix their six-hour rounds. They could learn a lot from them and stop turning off guests.

Played on Sunday 4/1. Course was in good shape and had recovered nicely from aeration.

Greens were running pretty smooth, downhill putts could definitely take off on you. Occasional ball marks ... Continue »

Played on Sunday 4/1. Course was in good shape and had recovered nicely from aeration.

Greens were running pretty smooth, downhill putts could definitely take off on you. Occasional ball marks here and there that our group did our best to repair as we moved along.
Fairways have greened up nicely. A few bare spots, and you definitely get some nice roll on tee shots, but very nice coverage throughout.
Rough can be patchy, some bare areas and some thicker areas.
Sand was a mixed bag on a slightly overcast day. A few greenside bunkers were very damp, borderline muddy.
Quite a bit of divot damage on the tees, but even lies on every hole so it wasn't too tough to find a good stance.
Really fun layout. Nothing to trick you out here. Course plays long, but makes you think with a lot of strategically placed fairway bunkers and water hazards.

I have mixed feelings about this place. POP was longer since it was President's Day (holiday) so I am thinking that really played a lot to my lowered expectations. Played my GK Match Play today wit... Continue »

I have mixed feelings about this place. POP was longer since it was President's Day (holiday) so I am thinking that really played a lot to my lowered expectations. Played my GK Match Play today with Tocho. Greens were FAST. Faster than El Dorado. I have never seen a ball pick up speed uphill with a stiff wind behind it. Today, well I saw a ball pick up speed with the wind behind it. The putts held their line for the most part but any debris or imperfection and you could see the ball skip and jump around. With the greens this fast you really had to dial in your speed to even have a chance for a second putt. No way to stop the ball even with high shots. Greens were firm so you had to run the ball onto the greens. Bunkers were for the most part filled with decent sand. The par 5 on the back 9 however one of the bunkers had a thin layer. Fairways had good coverage. Rough was varied. Some locations were thick and penal others were the same height as the fairways. It was a mixed bag and whatever you landed on you did the best you could. Tee boxes were flat and playable. Overall conditions are decent to above average for time of year. Compared to the greens at El Dorado with the heavy foot prints, I think I prefer these greens to El Dorados. Mileage (hence, preference) will vary. Green fee included Cart. Problem was I had a flat tire Hole 9. The tire literally popped on the cart path around the green at hole 9. Rather than destroy the tire I abandoned the cart. Asked the gal at the snack shop if I could get a replacement cart and she was either unable or unwilling to assist so I just gave her the keys and walked the rest of the 9 holes. Got a wonderful sarcastic remark to call AAA. I hope when she gets a flat tire and she has to ask for assistance the next guy she asks is as nice. Oh despite the setback, I won my match 3&2. Great playing with you Tom!