2:45 tee time today at Rio Hondo - $32 to ride is a steal. Fairways are getting into better shape since the last time I played here, but it's still not as lush as some other courses I've recently play... Continue »

2:45 tee time today at Rio Hondo - $32 to ride is a steal. Fairways are getting into better shape since the last time I played here, but it's still not as lush as some other courses I've recently played after the rains. That's not to say it's in bad shape at all, just that you can and will find some thin lies amongst the good ones. Rough is just not that rough. You'll find a mixed bag.

The greens however are pretty phenomenal - maybe the best they've ever been and private club quality right now. Super fast, very tough to stop a ball on quickly, running very true and very tricky due to the speed. My buddy from CO Golf Club could not stop raving about the greens. They're good as can be.

Tee boxes and bunkers are okay. Definitely some TLC needed on a few of the tee boxes and some quite hard to put the tee into. Bunkers played well with varying depths of sand, but all playable. POP was a little slow on the front nine, but picked up on the back as the sun started going down. Were the last ones off as we putted out on 18 in near dark.

But overall a really good showing right now from Rio Hondo and it's worth your dollar.

Played today in a POP of 3 H. Course is greening up very nice, after the rains. No issues with any tee boxes (clean, level, peg friendly); very little rough at this time to deal with; fairways are gre... Continue »

Played today in a POP of 3 H. Course is greening up very nice, after the rains. No issues with any tee boxes (clean, level, peg friendly); very little rough at this time to deal with; fairways are greening up nice and provided good roll and lies all round; bunkers were all fine; greens were in great shape, chipped/putted great and had good speed. Customer service was excellent at all levels.

Not much to add since yesterday's Rio Hondo review by t8fish. I joined Kassper7 and Nodoubles22 for their GK Cup match today along with ahossom, and we paid $59 for the round with a cart. We saw plent... Continue »

Not much to add since yesterday's Rio Hondo review by t8fish. I joined Kassper7 and Nodoubles22 for their GK Cup match today along with ahossom, and we paid $59 for the round with a cart. We saw plenty of crowd around on the first hole but surprisingly never really waited on any holes all day and were never pushed throughout the round. Ended up with a POP at just around 4 1/2 hours, which was amazing for a holiday Sunday. Greens were in very nice shape with minimal ball marks, nice coverage and good rolls while holding well struck approach shots with no problem. Thinnish fairways for sure but playing just fine, rough a bit thicker and favorable. Sand was in great shape, and tee boxes good. Cart service came around once during the round as well but it's great on the transition from the front to back nines to pass right by the snack bar. We also had drinks and food after the round and the restaurant upstairs is very nice. The weather also turned out perfect today despite a much colder forecast. All in all it was awesome day and the Hondo is showing some very nice form despite being in mid-winter shape.

Joined Caligolfer1031 to play our GK Cup match yesterday, 2/17 with a 10:20 tee time and got out as a two-some, which was nice. To lead with the weak point, the fairways are thin and tight, probably ... Continue »

Joined Caligolfer1031 to play our GK Cup match yesterday, 2/17 with a 10:20 tee time and got out as a two-some, which was nice. To lead with the weak point, the fairways are thin and tight, probably the low point of conditions in a winter that has been short on rain. Not much pure bare hardpan, but grass is flattened and zero on the lush scale. That said, they were playable and you got a ton of rollout. The ball was going to sit up because there was nowhere to go down. Not taking much divot, it wasn't a big issue for me but could make for sore wrists if you are a big divot taker. While it could make chipping from the fairway trickier, it bought bump-and-run or Texas wedge more into play. In the end, it didn't seriously detract from my playing experience, but deserves a clear heads up. Otherwise, all around conditions were very good. Teeing grounds were level with nice coverage. The fact that I barely thought about them all day is a good sign. Rough was generally green and had some body to it, a little fuller around the greens so the chipping opportunities were there. Greg and I agreed that we really liked the bunkers, and my opinion was based on an extensive sampling. Groomed, the sand had body and a nice granular quality that set the ball up, as well as a nice consistency to hit through and give you the best chance for recovery. This comes from somebody who historically struggles in the sand. The greens were very good. Quick but not crazy, clean and pretty true, challenging enough without a lot of surprises. There was little bit of waiting here and there throughout but it was steady. We enjoyed ourselves and the time went quickly for me, but I lost track of what the actual pace was, which I do know was longer than it seemed. The pro shop was on point getting us out, and at the back end they have a very nice clubhouse with a comfortable bar that has a relaxed but upscale feel for getting a drink and some food. It was beautiful day for golf and an enjoyable round. I can offer a critique, but I can't complain.

Played today in a nice POP of 3 H. Course was drier today than last week, so fairways (though dormant) did provide good roll and lies all round. Traps were all good and playable, heard no complaints. ... Continue »

Played today in a nice POP of 3 H. Course was drier today than last week, so fairways (though dormant) did provide good roll and lies all round. Traps were all good and playable, heard no complaints. Tee boxes were all fine. Very little rough throughout the course. Greens were chipping/putting just fine and had good speed. Customer service excellent as usual at all levels.

POP today was 3 H. Fairways were damp when we started, but still gave good roll and lies and really got better during the round. Virtually no rough anywhere, presently. Bunkers were clean and playable... Continue »

POP today was 3 H. Fairways were damp when we started, but still gave good roll and lies and really got better during the round. Virtually no rough anywhere, presently. Bunkers were clean and playable, throughout. Tee boxes were great. All the greens were clean and putted/chipped great and very fast. Customer service was excellent at all levels. Restaurant is now open, after some remodeling.

Out at Rio Hondo early Friday AM, matched with a retired threesome of nice guys, $39 walking green fee and a PoP at just over 4 hrs. (thanks to the marshal who kept the old guys on their toes). First... Continue »

Out at Rio Hondo early Friday AM, matched with a retired threesome of nice guys, $39 walking green fee and a PoP at just over 4 hrs. (thanks to the marshal who kept the old guys on their toes). First two fairways were somewhat muddy, matted Bermuda so decided to play LC&P. Greens were very dewy but as the course dried out it became much more playable albeit some very thin lies. Rough not long but difficult to find balls due to the many fallen leaves ... poor older gents couldn't find their ball if their lives depended on it, lucky they had me with them or PoP would've been 5 hrs and they'd still lose a dozen balls. No biggie, was glad to help ... I'll be old someday, too :-) Anyway, the greens, even with the recent rain, were very firm and everything would release so you must take that into account. They rolled semi-quick as they dried out. Nice course to visit once in a while. Very flat, walkable, busy, many parallel fairways, usually well maintained (bunkers were good sand). I'll be back.

Played this AM, even with the threat of rain, which never came. POP was 3 H on a virtually deserted course. While the fairways are dormant, they still provide good lies and decent roll out. Tee boxes ... Continue »

Played this AM, even with the threat of rain, which never came. POP was 3 H on a virtually deserted course. While the fairways are dormant, they still provide good lies and decent roll out. Tee boxes were all fine. Heard no complaints from anyone playing out of a bunker. Virtually no rough to speak of, at present. Greens were in great shape and chipped/putted just fine. Customer service excellent and the restaurant is closed for about 3-4 weeks for remodel.

Played this morning, on a busy Tues but still had a POP of 3.5 H. Fairways are very dormant at present, but still provide plenty of roll and had good lies about 90% of the round. Tee boxes were all fi... Continue »

Played this morning, on a busy Tues but still had a POP of 3.5 H. Fairways are very dormant at present, but still provide plenty of roll and had good lies about 90% of the round. Tee boxes were all fine. Bunkers looked good and heard no complaints. Very little rough anywhere on the course, presently. Greens were just fine and chipped/putted very well and had some decent speed to them. Customer service excellent at all levels. If these are the winter conditions to be expected (until it rains), that is OK with me.