DOP- 7/29/18
TIME 8AM
Weather - 75° Humid

Utilized a free round emailed to me that has GK wondering if this is a real or not. It was real and the pro shop said they have seen about 150 free round... Continue »

DOP- 7/29/18
TIME 8AM
Weather - 75° Humid

Utilized a free round emailed to me that has GK wondering if this is a real or not. It was real and the pro shop said they have seen about 150 free rounds in the last week. Not sure their game plan but hey I'm not complaining. The three people I was paired with all utilized a free round as well.

Conditions were A++. From Lush carpet like fairways to soft and smooth greens. I could not find a brown spot on the course. Sand was soft and a few wet from the early morning sprinklers. Rough very penal and about 3 inches long.

This course really messes with your head as there are only a few flat landing spots in the fairways. I can see why they were planning on hosting the grans slam of golf before you know who decided to open his mouth. The Course is very demanding and I don't remember the last time I couldn't go for the green on par 5's because they were to long. There are strategically placed bunkers and large undulating greens. One quick tip is that every putt breaks towards the Ocean and that is always the truth.

Overall this is a fun golf course and will really test your accuracy. I highly recommend you play here if you can snag a deal.Rack rate was $230 yesterday if you had to pay. I do know teeoff.com normally has a deal time for about $120 and that I think is worth it.

Played here yesterday (5/2) as part of the SCGA Members Outings after seriously debating what exactly I would be walking into given the fierce ideological conundrum I'd be having the entire time (and ... Continue »

Played here yesterday (5/2) as part of the SCGA Members Outings after seriously debating what exactly I would be walking into given the fierce ideological conundrum I'd be having the entire time (and yes, sadly there were more than a few M.A.G.A hats on the course). Since I love golf enough and can bite my tongue quite a bit, I paid the reasonable price the SCGA asked and was able to get one of the last tee-times of the day. All BS aside, the course itself was impressive and although I played like garbage, I had a good time out there. The ocean views alone were awe-inspiring, but the course design was challenging and some of those greens were incredibly tricky. A good day overall. On to the review:

Tee boxes: A funny thing happened today, but we played the blue tees and they were placed at any given hole, in any given location. On hole 1, they played near the black yardage marker. On hole 2, they played near the blue marker. On hole 3, they played well in front of the white yardage marker. It was a very puzzling decision that actually affected play for our group as no one was sure where to drive to and as a first-timer, how to play a given hole. Condition-wise, the ground was soft enough to drive tees in with no issues.

Fairway: Like carpet and visually pleasing. People here do a great job of filling divots (with actual mix, not sand) so I never had a bad lie. The roll on many drives was more than fair and even though the slopes on some of these holes was insanely unfair, I felt conditioning on these fairways was well above average.

Rough: Penal! It wasn't Torrey but it came close in many places. Of course the biggest test here was staying out of the ESA, but when rough came into play, you could hear it grab clubs and many shots went about 50% the usual distance.

Bunkers: I was in about 4 today (two green side, two fairway) and all had ample, great quality sand. It varied a bit in color, but consistency was key here. Ample rakes and people again did a great job raking up footprints.

Greens: Excellent condition. Many were lime green color with a very quick speed to them. What really was tricky today was the massive undulation and the pull of the ocean being a factor on every putt. We all had trouble reading it right, but it was a fun test and with conditions being so perfect, any miss would be entirely on the golfer. A great test of skill.

ETC: Complimentary valet parking today. The range was large, although the condition of it was sub-par, given how Trump loves to have things be ostentatious to the point of ridicule. Free range balls though and water on the range. Facilities, although a bit gaudy, were more than adequate. Food was expensive but tasty. Carts had color GPS that was very useful. Staff was what you would expect from a high-end course. Even with the Trump name/logo peppered everywhere you look, ignoring that was no problem and you can see why this course is so highly touted.

Played 7-3-17 on a Teeoff deal for $90 playing as a foursome teeing off at 11:10 and finishing at 3:50. Tee boxes were in really good shape, level and lush. Fairways were very nice and lush with desce... Continue »

Played 7-3-17 on a Teeoff deal for $90 playing as a foursome teeing off at 11:10 and finishing at 3:50. Tee boxes were in really good shape, level and lush. Fairways were very nice and lush with descent roll out and the ball sitting up nicely. Rough was very healthy and thick, 2-3 inches in most areas with some areas being a little longer. Was in two greenside bunkers that had very nice white sand. Greens were in good shape rolling medium pace and fairly smooth. Overall course was in really good shape. Rack rate is a little steep here but if you can find a deal it is worth playing.

well i finally played here and im glad i did. It cost me a pretty penny and from a quality stand point it is probably worth it compared to other golf experiences. The greens are large and in wonderful... Continue »

well i finally played here and im glad i did. It cost me a pretty penny and from a quality stand point it is probably worth it compared to other golf experiences. The greens are large and in wonderful shape the fairways are again in wonderful shape and the tee boxes are some of the finest Ive seen in California. and best of all the folks that work here are very very pleasant. Sooo now the reason I will never go back and why you should think twice before you commit to this adventureis ITS A b$tch to get around if your an older guy. I dont mean tough I mean royal death march b$tch !!! First on the front nine at least half the holes have some if not all cart path only and its up and down hill just to find your ball. Next most of the tee boxes are up on pedestals that require you to climb stair cases and last the areas from the cart path to the greens are uneven . Now if your young , in great shape then dont worry, sure you will get a workout but your used to it. BUT if your like us and a little broken down, maybe bad knees and or hips or your just old and out of shape then you should know what your in for, because no place do they tell you this. Now you might saw oh that fat sissy is just whining remember I said it was a great course and I am one of the few that have no real problem with the rack rate I just believe that golf should be fun and for some of you a trip here wont be In fact I would be willing to bet this course gets more emergency calls that any in the state. If you disagree please let me know and I really am glad I got to visit and play trump national I just wish I had been 22 when I did it .

Where do I start with this place? Trump National is a course practically in my backyard that I have been dying to play ever since I was a kid and Ocean Trails lost a few holes to the ocean! Well, I fi... Continue »

Where do I start with this place? Trump National is a course practically in my backyard that I have been dying to play ever since I was a kid and Ocean Trails lost a few holes to the ocean! Well, I finally pulled the trigger after finding a discounted rate online and I must admit it was totally worth it.

I'll start this review with a disclaimer that this is an extremely difficult golf course and I can understand why many people think its "tricked up" or "gimicky". However, I found the course to have a great mix of holes, with maybe 1-3 bad holes (hole 14 comes to mind as a tricked up par 5 that almost double dog legs and has a slight blindspot). Customer service was A+ and Manny the starter was fantastic! The driving range was pretty good but nothing great. I think my biggest complaint was the practice facility. Yes the range is grass and in good condition but the upper range is NOT level which was pretty disappointing. Also, the range is maybe only 275 yards long? I carry my drives about 300 and I landed my very first drive on the roof of a home. There were no signs indicating this and I think for the price you pay the driving range is very underwhelming. Another major knock is there is no short game facility for public use. There are people paying $200-$300 a round and they don't get access to the short game facility. Again, another major disappointment.

The conditions were pretty much immaculate from tee to green. Fairways were lush with nothing but pure lies. The greens were excellent, rolling about a 10.5-11, however, with all of the undulation the greens feel MUCH faster especially when putting down hill/down grain. I found myself in a few bunkers and they were 10/10 with the perfect amount of sand. Not sure what else I can say about the conditions, other than they were perfect.

The black tees play about 7,300 and have a course rating of 74.6/145 (ish). I played from the tips today and man was it a real challenge (shot an 80 w/ 3 birdies and a couple doubles). Being a 2 handicap, It really liked the challenge and I will come back later this summer when the price is right again. Also, if you are wild off the tee bring PLENTY of balls. The guy I played with maybe lost 10-12 balls! Enjoy.

Used a promo code for a $75 dollar round to day off Teeoff.com. I'm glad I found this deal as I had never played here. I dont care who owns it im all about the golf not the owners. This place reminds ... Continue »

Used a promo code for a $75 dollar round to day off Teeoff.com. I'm glad I found this deal as I had never played here. I dont care who owns it im all about the golf not the owners. This place reminds me a lot of cascata on the service side of things. There is free valet and wonderful people ready to help you. The restaurant was great even though a little pricey. Weather was party/mostly cloudy which take a little away from the ocean views but I could still see Catalina all day through the haze.

Course is in Immaculate shape starting with the driving range that had the best turf I had ever seen on a practice facility. It was so lush and soft I just wanted to lay down on it and take a nap.

The actual course followed in the foot steps of the turf on the practice facility.

Tee Boxes- This might be the only non perfect thing on the course and Id still give them a seven. the boxes looked like they were a little thin and 2 of the 5 par 3's where covered in divots.

Fairways- Id compare the fairways to LV Paiute in the fact that they were perfect. I never had a bad lye when in the fairway and they looked wonderful.

Rough- The rough was very tough if not in the first cut. The marshal said that they had not cut it in a few days due to the rain and some areas are still wet which made thing a little dicey. I had a few shots go wrong from the rough.

Sand- Sand if very well stocked and can easily provide you with a sunny side up lye which cause more issues with my game.

Greens- the greens were Firm, Fast, and glassy as can be. I wasn't aware of the everything breaks to the ocean tip until the turn which is mostly on me because that is normally a given on ocean courses. The front nine I had 20 putts and on the back I had 16 so there was a difference. One other thing is that the greens are very large and can have very bad places for the pin the if on the wrong level you could have a triple break putt.


In all the rack rate is way too much for this course at $300+ but I can see this course in the mid to high 100 range. Maybe that would fill the course as there was only about 30 golfers on the entire course.

Putting politics aside, as a friend reminded me, Donald Trump has done good things for the game of golf. I played the course wednesday, 9/14, on a 2pm twilight as an invited guest and was more than im... Continue »

Putting politics aside, as a friend reminded me, Donald Trump has done good things for the game of golf. I played the course wednesday, 9/14, on a 2pm twilight as an invited guest and was more than impressed with the course. Ocean views, with Catalina Island, in the distance from every hole at the course. Truly - all 18 are ocean view. The course and experience are exceptional. I've played Sandpiper in Santa Barbara many times, and felt humbled realizing it's no rival to the ocean views exhibited at this course. This course is superior in every respect, and in some ways equivalent to the best in the monterey area (which in my view, means best in state). It's hard to find fault with anything. Top ratings for course, conditioning, facilities, service and experience. I realize some will find fault for various reasons, notwithstanding views on Trump personally, but the course has very few rivals for sheer beauty in California. Maybe just Pebble Beach. This is a special place.

Nice 3 hr round at Trump today.

All waterfalls have been removed because of drought.

Customer service was execellent. Super windy day made for challenging round of golf.

Greens were in awesom... Continue »

Nice 3 hr round at Trump today.

All waterfalls have been removed because of drought.

Customer service was execellent. Super windy day made for challenging round of golf.

Greens were in awesome shape...running firm and fast at 10.5.

Tee boxes level amd lush. They are working on a few bunkers in various holes. Most were nice and fluffy. The course is in great shape now with spectucular views.

Will return at discounted rate.

Played a few days back with my cousin on a deal he found. Even with the deal, there is no way this course is worth the price we paid let alone the normal $200+ rate. First off, the design of the cours... Continue »

Played a few days back with my cousin on a deal he found. Even with the deal, there is no way this course is worth the price we paid let alone the normal $200+ rate. First off, the design of the course is lacking in an overall theme and seems to have been shoehorned into the hillsides. You get a couple of holes that look to be well designed only to have a green that even RTJ would think is absurd and unfair. Many holes lack a landing area for drives and fail to reward a well struck ball.

I have played many Pete Dye (or his son's) designs and this one makes the least sense of them all. At least with the Stadium Course you know that a good shot will be rewarded with a putt that might be made... or at least a 2-putt. When you hit 12/14 fairways, you expect to hit at least 12 GIR's (4 hole leeway for par 3's vs misses from the fairway). Sadly, I hit 9/18 GIR's and had 3 sail over greens after a disagreement between the cart's GPS and my laser rangefinder (which apparently doesn't work very well on those fat pins with no reflectors on them). Cart said 170, laser said 140/172/166 on the 3 tries to pick up the pin. Went with the cart yardage -10 yards (160 to be back of green at worst) and proceeded to airmail the green. That happened three times to me.

Long story short, save your money and play somewhere fair. I shot 80 from the black tees and really feel like I left 10 shots on the course, and not due to a poor swing of the club but rather due to the course itself.