Played out at Santa Anita this past weekend and found the course to be in very playable, good condition with the greens being the highlight. We both walked but I got a push cart and after forgetting t... Continue »

Played out at Santa Anita this past weekend and found the course to be in very playable, good condition with the greens being the highlight. We both walked but I got a push cart and after forgetting to add some range balls on my credit card when paying, the starter was kind enough to put it 'on the house.'

It was postcard weather out there and we joined a fun twosome with a 10:22 tee time.

Fairways at Santa Anita can always be a little suspect, but this time around they were in better than average shape but definitely still some thin areas out there that make hitting clean shots an adventure. There are also lots of areas that are devoid of any grass at all, like the area right of the green on the 6th hole green where any shots are basically hitting up a steep wall from a dirt patch. But overall it's pretty good.

Tee boxes definitely on the beat-up side but mostly flat and functional. I found the sand in the bunkers to be in pretty good shape but varied from hole to hole. And of course, the greens. With the exception of one or two, they were running very nicely with good coverage and medium-fast speeds, holding shots and their lines pretty well.

POP was pretty good with never more than 3-4 minutes waiting and mostly on the par 3 holes of course. We ran at a pretty good, steady pace all afternoon. In terms of amenities, no cart service all afternoon but a very convenient little snack shop window at the turn that gets you moving to the back nine very efficiently.

The layout at Santa Anita is quite good and a classic truth be told as I believe it was designed by Bell, but don't quote me on that. For some strange reason this is one of those courses that I can simply never put down a good score on the scorecard, and Saturday was no exception. But you should go try it out and do better. It's worth the visit.

Played Friday 10-1 with a 6:48 tee time. Was paired up with another single and a twosome. We got out right on time on a cool clear morning.
Checkin is inside the shop with masks required. Range and p... Continue »

Played Friday 10-1 with a 6:48 tee time. Was paired up with another single and a twosome. We got out right on time on a cool clear morning.
Checkin is inside the shop with masks required. Range and practice green are open.
The fairways are in good shape with very green coverage and just a few bare/dry spots.
The rough is cut low and not to thick so getting out is fairly easy.
The greens have fully recovered from the punching at the beginning of the month. There are a few too many poorly repaired ball marks. They rolled true and at a medium speed once they dried out.
The bunkers do have some sand but could use more but played okay.
On several holes the tee were moved up to the forward areas with the back being reseeded and roped off.
We played in 3:50. Never saw a marshal or a drink cart. The snack window was open at the turn.
Overall the course is in the best condition i've seen in quite some time.

Always look forward to playing Santa Anita because I find walking this course one of the more pleasant "walks" around. Love the surrounding scenery, the rolling fairways (buried red cars ) old style t... Continue »

Always look forward to playing Santa Anita because I find walking this course one of the more pleasant "walks" around. Love the surrounding scenery, the rolling fairways (buried red cars ) old style traditional layout with short distances between greens and tees.

Out early, to beat the heat, but also to avoid what often can be a grueling pace of play. Staff is always a pleasure to deal with, and coupled with the senior rate, makes this place one of my favorite L A County courses to play.

Course conditions were about what I expected. Greens actually rolled better than they looked and had decent speed. Fairways were inconsistent, some thin/brown, other portiions needing mowing. A few of the greens have issues, but with the upcoming aeration in the fall, I suspect these issues will be resolved. ( I hope) The one bunker I found was fine with enough sand well raked.

I guess because my expectations are not sky high when I play here, I tend to be a "easy" with my evaluation.

Played on Saturday 8/21 at 6:05 tee time. I was a single and paired up with 2 other singles, so we went out as a 3some. I really like how the starter calls up each group to the tee box and in a timel... Continue »

Played on Saturday 8/21 at 6:05 tee time. I was a single and paired up with 2 other singles, so we went out as a 3some. I really like how the starter calls up each group to the tee box and in a timely manner. Cuts down on the confusion of who's teeing off when, especially when it's dark and early in the morning. Course conditions were mostly pretty good. I've not had great experiences with the conditions at Santa Anita in the past. Sometimes the fairway grass has been too shaggy, sometimes the greens are not cut well. So this is probably the best I've seen it. But by the "best", I would rate it as being on-par with how the LA City courses usually play (which I prefer and IMO are usually between 6-8 out of 10 on most days). So on Saturday, the course had mostly decent lies and green/light brown grass in the fairways, cut to appropriate length. Some bald spots in the rough as to be expected, but mostly generous/favorable lies in the rough. The greens at this course are interesting in that they are one of the few that I play in Los Angeles that have obvious grain, and the grain will have a big influence on speed and direction of putts. Once you get the hang of it, it actually makes putting somewhat straightforward if you pay attention. I haven't seen too many reviews of this course mention that, but hope this helps others out there. The conditions on the greens were mostly very good, with a few exceptions. On one of the par-3 holes in particular, the green was pretty bare in terms of grass and there were spots where it was 30% dirt to 70% grass. Speed was hard to judge in those spots. Most of the greens were in good shape though. We played the blue tees, and it was interesting to see how they placed the tees on this day. Every hole played at least its full yardage according to the blue markers (which is pretty rare), and on several holes, the blue tees were behind the blue markers by some 20-30 yards. The par-4 Hole #16 was playing 15 yards behind the marker, which made that one over 450 yards. The par-4 #17 which is normally a sub-300 yarder was playing 30 yards behind the marker. Not complaining -- it was cool to tee off from some unusual spots and play the course at its "tips". I believe there was a mens club tournament the following day, so perhaps they were getting the tees set up a day early. Pace of play was good. Walked off the course at 9:45 so about 3:40 round. As a 3some we were actually a bit slow -- the group of 4 behind us caught up to us on a few holes and I was a little anxious we were holding them up a bit honestly. But playing with strangers, I didn't want to nag my group too much about playing slow. Santa Anita is normally a course I avoid, which is a shame since I live very close by. But the course is in better shape than I've played it before, and I would not hesitate to play it again if it stays this good.

Played today. Based on the 4 reviews in July I knew what I was in for. And also the last review was very helpful. My last time playing here was not that great. But today I found a much better course t... Continue »

Played today. Based on the 4 reviews in July I knew what I was in for. And also the last review was very helpful. My last time playing here was not that great. But today I found a much better course to play. Tee boxes were fine. Fairways (a little thin in spots) played well and provided some decent roll out. No issues with the rough. Missed the bunkers but heard no complaints from my group. Greens chipped/putted decently but would prefer a little faster but with the heat I think that is asking too much. Excellent check in as well as pace of play. I am ready to begin playing this course on a more regular basis. With an LA Sr card the price is very good.

I haven't played here in over 5 years. I was impressed with how nicely they have kept up the conditions. The tee boxes are fairly level and are in good condition. The fairway and rough is well watered... Continue »

I haven't played here in over 5 years. I was impressed with how nicely they have kept up the conditions. The tee boxes are fairly level and are in good condition. The fairway and rough is well watered and gives you good lies throughout the course. Greens where soft and a bit slow, but rolled true. I glad they kept up the conditions, so I'm liking this track again.

Always a pleasure to play Santa Anita. It's one of the nicest walks around. Just a wonderful parklike setting with good views of the foothills. If you enjoy old style tradition golf courses, Santa ... Continue »

Always a pleasure to play Santa Anita. It's one of the nicest walks around. Just a wonderful parklike setting with good views of the foothills. If you enjoy old style tradition golf courses, Santa Anita should satisfy your needs. Rolling fairways with all the "Red Cars" buried underneath provide for some challenging stances/lies.

Course is in good, not great condition. Some areas in the fairways need attention, same with the rough. Greens better than expected, but still a tad too slow for my taste. Bunkers are kind of "crusty", so it depends upon where your shot ends up

Staff is always friendly and the senior rates make this a real bargain

First time playing here last Friday. I had read the review and expected typical muni conditions and they met those expectations. The layout is entertaining and not repetitive which is nice because tha... Continue »

First time playing here last Friday. I had read the review and expected typical muni conditions and they met those expectations. The layout is entertaining and not repetitive which is nice because that can be an easy running theme for some muni's. Price was a little steeper than expected $55 to ride but $37 to walk for a 1:30 on a Friday tee time. Course has some very nice views of the mountains that are 10 miles away, I bet the day after a cold storm the snow capped mountains would make this course stunning. Course conditions were decent. Tee boxes a little chewed up but manageable. Fairways were a mix of grasses a little longer than normal fairways but still offered good roll. Greens were the highlight offering fast but receptive conditions. They were a little beat up because of all the play from a-hole golfers not fixing their marks but that's not the courses fault. Rough was a rough in quality with a mix of grasses and dirt spots. Sand traps were below average in the two traps I was in and people seem to not care about raking their footprints too. Overall if in the area and jonezing for a round of golf this place with suffice. I wouldn't make the drive from OC again but a great time was had with Rob, Kevin, and Pete.

Played Friday afternoon at Santa Anita for my GK Cup match with Mpisarski01 and joined by Kevin (t8fish) and Peter. A recent visit about two months before had seen Santa Anita in some of its best shap... Continue »

Played Friday afternoon at Santa Anita for my GK Cup match with Mpisarski01 and joined by Kevin (t8fish) and Peter. A recent visit about two months before had seen Santa Anita in some of its best shape ever, so I was looking forward to another visit, despite how difficult this course seems to play for me for some reason.

Conditions were almost as good as they were the last time we were here, but only slightly less green in the fairways and the bunkers were a little less inviting. By no means is the course in bad shape though, and it's entirely playable and fun right now.

Fairways are mostly good with a few thin areas here or there, especially when chipping around the greens or on any of the many mounds that dot the course where consistent sunlight may prove challenging. The rough is varied but nothing unplayable. Bunkers were a little on the crusty side and the tee boxes were mostly level and in good shape.

Greens were running pretty nicely, perhaps a bit faster than the last visit here. They held shots well and rolled pretty true with just a few quick-turns right near the hole on putts that looked destined to sink. A few tricky angles to deal with at Santa Anita but for the most part the green complexes are manageable, not tricked-out, and gettable.

There was no cart service all day but there is a snack shop at the turn, however the cafe was closed already by around 4pm, which seemed odd, but it was also a fairly quiet Friday afternoon which meant the POP was pretty good all day, coming in at around 4.5 hours I believe.

Classic LA design and some challenging long holes and par 3s, but it's not going to beat you up too badly if you're hitting your ball straight and avoiding some of the thick tree areas that line every hole. It's a good day out and I would not hesitate to play there again in the near future, especially if it was a lot closer to where I live.