A little over a week late with this review but since no one else has posted one in over a year, I thought it was still prudent to post. Met some friends for a quick late afternoon round at the newly-n... Continue »

A little over a week late with this review but since no one else has posted one in over a year, I thought it was still prudent to post. Met some friends for a quick late afternoon round at the newly-named Westdrift Golf Club (formerly the Marriott Manhattan Beach).

The bones have not changed - still a nine-hole par 3 course, but where there used to be only mats, there are now actual tee boxes as well, one for the men, and one for the ladies. It's nice to have that option. Now with so few entertainment options available right now, this little track is getting tons of play right now and it's showing the wear and tear.

Greens are in pretty miserable shape to be honest. They're damaged, bumpy, lots of coot remnants, and just a general poor look to them that translates into how they putt. The course itself looks rather green and lush, with the exception of the low point on hole 6, but it's a par 3 course so all that really matters are the tee boxes and the greens, and they're not great.

Bunkers were also a little on the thin side so avoid at all costs. Most of the holes are quite short, but you'll surprisingly get a few elevations here and even a perilous lake crossing to a downhill green on the 1 hcp 8th hole. That's a good one.

But overall, for the $30 greens fee (which they'll have no trouble getting at these times and in this neighborhood), it's a bit overpriced. But keep your expectations low in terms of golf, but high in terms of the surrounding area, and you'll be fine.

Quick nine late on Friday at the MB Marriott course I had not played in well over a year. Not much has changed to be honest - it's always a very good short round option and chance to bolster up your p... Continue »

Quick nine late on Friday at the MB Marriott course I had not played in well over a year. Not much has changed to be honest - it's always a very good short round option and chance to bolster up your par 3 practice.

Tee boxes remain the elephant in the room here. Sure, you can play the matts, but who wants to do that? So people get creative around the matts and those areas get particularly chewed up and often uneven when forced to straddle the matts.

Generally good coverage from tee to green, but fairways mean little on a par 3 course if you're finding the greens. The rough though is very thick as a course defense and makes up and downs that much more difficult. Sand in bunkers is good.

The greens are quite soft and you'll be rewarded with very deep and prominent ball marks when you snag that GIR. Unfortunately a few too many tourists want to leave them there for posterity. Speeds are medium-fast and generally roll pretty true. Just make sure to flatten any marks in your way.

POP is normally no issue here but we got stuck behind a trifecta of aggravation. Two old dudes, one young, all terrible and hitting three balls each off the tee until they got one they liked. It was terribly annoying. It's okay to be bad - really. But be bad at the range. One ball only if there's a line of golfers behind you. Move quickly. Again, it's okay to be bad, but not bad and slow.

Price was the usual $22 which is fine for this course for the most part. After today's waiting around though a small rebate was in order. Good part was finished last five holes 1 under to beat previous best there by 4 shots.

Played here last week on 6/20. This is a nice little 9 hole par 3 course. It's a little cooler than the valley to play here. Fairways were real lush. Didn't matter much being a par 3 course. But... Continue »

Played here last week on 6/20. This is a nice little 9 hole par 3 course. It's a little cooler than the valley to play here. Fairways were real lush. Didn't matter much being a par 3 course. But it was hard walking on the fairways from tee to the greens. Parts of the fairways felt like stepping into quicksand. Played from the back tees this time. Most of the back tees were mats. Front tees were mostly hitting off grass. Water comes into play on 2 holes. They do have bunkers here on this course.

Like playing here to work on your short game. Course is not flat. Some holes you hit up to the green and some holes you hit down. It's not cheap to play here but it's a lot cooler here than the SFV.

Quick nine at MB Marriott today after long drive back from San Diego. Course is lush in the fairways, but it's all par 3 so it matters little compared to the greens which are battered with ball marks,... Continue »

Quick nine at MB Marriott today after long drive back from San Diego. Course is lush in the fairways, but it's all par 3 so it matters little compared to the greens which are battered with ball marks, bumps, and coot damage. Tee boxes are still mat but some holes have good areas to hit around them, others do not. Sand was fine. Rough is very thick and nasty.

And while this all sounds negative, it's really not that bad. It's still fun because you know when you're here it's not a championship round - it's more like the fun, adult version of mini-golf. You hit short balls, play the wind, scramble out of trouble. It's a place that just generally reminds you that golf is still about having fun - especially if you're one, like me, who's obsessed with the numbers.

This was my third course visited today. I had originally booked a 1:30 pre-paid time on TeeOff.com, which with a promo code, was only around $10 total. However, TeeOff called me yesterday to inform me... Continue »

This was my third course visited today. I had originally booked a 1:30 pre-paid time on TeeOff.com, which with a promo code, was only around $10 total. However, TeeOff called me yesterday to inform me that the course was actually closing early today and they needed to move me up to 11:30. Not a problem. Then, I finished my first rounds so quickly this morning, I called over to the course and they said come on out as early as I wanted. I was out there around 10:00 and it was wide open. I caught another twosome about halfway through and played behind them, but it was still a very quick pace. The course was in okay winter shape, but definitely the weakest of the ones I played today. They had some tee box areas roped off, but you had the option on all holes to tee it up on grass or play from mats. The greens were a bit firm and a tad bumpy, but mostly pretty good. A lot of dead/dormant areas everywhere else, so it didn't look that great in places, but the grass coverage seemed decent. I presume it looks much nicer and greener during other parts of the year. This is a nice par-3 layout with a good mix of holes. I enjoyed the course overall, but if I played it again I'd wait until spring or summer when it's looking a little nicer.

The Manhattan Beach Marriott course is a great little 9 hole that's always in fantastic condition. It has a surprising amount of elevations and water hazards in such a small area, but really helps dev... Continue »

The Manhattan Beach Marriott course is a great little 9 hole that's always in fantastic condition. It has a surprising amount of elevations and water hazards in such a small area, but really helps develop that short game. One bad thing is that the tee boxes all have mats, but you can work around them if you're clever, except maybe on the 4th hole. The 8th hole over the lake is a real challenge and probably the signature hole. Rarely crowded which is great. Check it out sometime.