Got out to Alondra and found the course to be in pretty okay shape all things considered. For a $19 twilight rate, it's properly priced to walk and get your shots in. Good news is they are finally no ... Continue »

Got out to Alondra and found the course to be in pretty okay shape all things considered. For a $19 twilight rate, it's properly priced to walk and get your shots in. Good news is they are finally no longer a 'cash only' facility so you don't have to rush to the ATM if you forget anymore. Fairways are a mixed bag of a little bit lush, mostly thin and a decent amount of bare or GUR in inopportune spots. It's tough to hit 50-70 yard pitch shots off the thin areas of the fairways, but it has to be done. The rough is a mish-mash of thicker grass and weeds to throw off your approach shots. The tee boxes are certainly in need of some care, but most were level and not too tough to get tees into. Bunkers were thin but playable. As for the greens, super spongy, but good coverage throughout visually. They appear from a distance to be in good shape, and they actually are, just very soft and none too quick. They clearly accept shots very well and even thin chip shots tend to stop or slow down at minimum once they hit the surface. POP was actually not too bad but that's probably because I was part of the slow group with three fun guys, but one older gentleman who was, let's just say very deliberate about his pre-shot routine every single time. It took some time. But it was a very enjoyable round either way as I finally broke 80 on a regulation 18. Fittingly it was at Alondra, as it was the course where I also first broke 90 years ago. A few really fun holes at Alondra, a few difficult ones, many average ones and one or two quirky ones - it's not destination golf but it gets the job done in a pinch.

Played Sunday afternoon.

Greens are OK. They were bumpy but once I figured how to hit through the business it was relatively easy to predict what a put would do. Green speeds were inconsistent ... Continue »

Played Sunday afternoon.

Greens are OK. They were bumpy but once I figured how to hit through the business it was relatively easy to predict what a put would do. Green speeds were inconsistent but receptive to decent shots at the pin. Putts did hold a line if you putted with a little speed. Fairways were a mix of thin to decent coverage. It's a mixed bag really. It became a joke after a fashion because I found myself aiming for decent looking patches of grass along the fairway. Rough cut to same height as fairway. Sand in bunkers is hard packed. Tee boxes are flat with decent coverage. Tee box on 12 they bumped forward to help that tee box heal.

Pace of play decent at 4 hours. It picked up after 9 holes.

Confirming Steve's assessment. Played here yesterday. The clay soil really is getting a work out as it appears difficult for water to be retained by soil. You can see loads of drainage ditches with... Continue »

Confirming Steve's assessment. Played here yesterday. The clay soil really is getting a work out as it appears difficult for water to be retained by soil. You can see loads of drainage ditches with water but not on the grass where it needs it. Fairways YELLOW with no cushion underneath. It was even difficult for me to walk after a while because it felt like I was walking on concrete. This was magnified with shoes with cleats. Tee boxes are level and good. Bunkers (played in a few) have little or no sand. Play it like a shot off of hard-pan and worked like a charm. Greens were a mix of med-fast to super slow greens. Finally realized the more yellow the greens the faster they ran which helped. Green complexes are green from the first cut and in. Outside that area it was just as yellow and hard-pan as the rest of the course. Rough cut to same height as fairways so you get the same hard-pan to bare spot to mix of grass. Funny enough I felt like I was playing at Victoria without the dirt and the better greens.

The fairways are all dried out right now. They must have had a situation with the sprinkler system. The greens unfortunately have not recovered well from being punched. They are slow with bumps and os... Continue »

The fairways are all dried out right now. They must have had a situation with the sprinkler system. The greens unfortunately have not recovered well from being punched. They are slow with bumps and oscillations in the balls roll towards the hole. They are very green and lush , however. Just not smooth. Right now is more reminiscent of a cow pasture and not a golf course. Even the geese were thirsty.

I am really disappointed. How can a course turn yellow in a matter of two weeks? The weather is warm shouldn't the grass like the warmth or if the grass is the cooler variety perhaps it doesn't like... Continue »

I am really disappointed. How can a course turn yellow in a matter of two weeks? The weather is warm shouldn't the grass like the warmth or if the grass is the cooler variety perhaps it doesn't like it so much. Fairways alarmingly yellow; almost looks dormant. If that is the case the warm weather must be wreaking havoc on their staff. Tee boxes ok, flat with decent lies. Fairways, yellowish with varying thin lies to decent lies with sufficient padding. Rough is non-existent; cut to the same length as fairway. Bunkers are hard packed. How a bunker can be flooded with several weeks of no rain is beyond me (hole 6 the handicap 1 hole comes to mind). Sand in bunkers are hard packed. Expect loads of bounce. May as well treat it as a fairway lie and use a regular wedge shot to get out of bunker. Greens are bumpy, slow and inconsistent. Highlight of the round was a sub 4 hour round walking (3 1/2 hrs to be specific.) Time to start playing other local courses where the grass is at least growing like Chester W.

Played twighlight on 3/23. Pace of play was brutally slow at first and then picked up. We barely finished in daylight.

Tee boxes were decent. Well covered and level but a little clumpy with so... Continue »

Played twighlight on 3/23. Pace of play was brutally slow at first and then picked up. We barely finished in daylight.

Tee boxes were decent. Well covered and level but a little clumpy with some divot damage on par 3s.

Fairways were decent. Well covered and no bare spots. Good lies.

Rough is mostly crab-grass with some bare spots in some areas. Not too penal.

Greens look nice and have minimal damage. Only trouble (as is always the case with Alondra) is they are like putting on shag carpet. Incredibly slow and not very true.

It can get pretty windy in the afternoon and this day was no exception. Made holes such as 16 & 18 very tough.

Greens were hard to figure out. They ran slow with inconsistent speeds. Bunkers around greens had decent sand but also inconsistent.

Fairways had bare spots but for the most part coverage was d... Continue »

Greens were hard to figure out. They ran slow with inconsistent speeds. Bunkers around greens had decent sand but also inconsistent.

Fairways had bare spots but for the most part coverage was decent. Tee boxes were mostly flatish.

POP was decent 4 1/2 hour round. Would have been nice if starter was a bit organized and called out groups teeing off instead of us muddling through it. Saw a twosome tee off then disappear while we were a fivesome. Would have been nice to know if some of our group would have been paired with the twosome.

Had a GK Cup Match Round 1 at Alondra today with Ringworld.
Played as a 5some, in about 4:20. Pretty good pace for Alonda (and a 5some - normal out there).
Courses is pretty decent.
Tee boxes - w... Continue »

Had a GK Cup Match Round 1 at Alondra today with Ringworld.
Played as a 5some, in about 4:20. Pretty good pace for Alonda (and a 5some - normal out there).
Courses is pretty decent.
Tee boxes - while beat up, still were very playable.
Fairways were decent, good coverage, good lies... a few spots of GUR, but pretty good.
Rough wasn't very penalizing; very playable
Bunkers were all pretty hard, compacted sand.
Greens were the usual bumpy here, but still ok. I don't mind their 'bumpiness', because I feel they still roll true.

This is definitely a no frills type LA County course. But decent conditions and played under 5 hours! Not too bad.

It was great playing Ringworld our GK Cup Match. I defeated him 5&4, but it was really fun, and looking forward to the next round!

Gotta say the rains did some good for this course. Greens are in very good shape. They roll well and hold their lines.

Fairways in good shape. Not a lot of thin lies but mileage will vary. Ro... Continue »

Gotta say the rains did some good for this course. Greens are in very good shape. They roll well and hold their lines.

Fairways in good shape. Not a lot of thin lies but mileage will vary. Rough is cut to same height of fairways. Sand in bunkers is hard packed. Tee boxes relatively flat.

Pace of play after HS match was not so bad. Considering greens are rolling this well this early in the season just be aeration... very impressed.