played Black Gold yesterday in a GK Guru round with sngernz, dconnally, and johnnygk himself. fun round, good bunch of guys to play with who can get the ball around the course. great weather, should... Continue »

played Black Gold yesterday in a GK Guru round with sngernz, dconnally, and johnnygk himself. fun round, good bunch of guys to play with who can get the ball around the course. great weather, should have gotten there early to hit a few balls but the range was down for maintenance anyway. i suffered through the first four holes as a result but was able to turn it around a bit later. the course is in about as good a shape as i've seen it, the fairways have really grown in since the transition to kikuyu. there are still a few spotty areas such as on 15, which are marked GUR but for the most part you are rewarded with a nice soft thick lie if you hit the fairway. fairway rough is a bit sketchier, you can be in some really thick stuff that you can't get your club through, or you might be sitting up nicely in some of the older bermuda or other grass. greenside rough can also be very thick and sticky, and there are a lot of uphill and downhill lies near the greens, making it more difficult to get up and down. the rough in combination with the generally target layout always make me shoot a few more strokes than normal at this course. greens were in very good shape, a few ball marks but nothing to complain about. fast, rolled true for the most part, a bit faster than the practice green. per the starter, 10.5 ish or so. there are a lot of undulations here and you always have to keep in mind the break towards the south as black gold is built up in the hills or northern yorba linda. i was in two greenside bunkers and the sand is thick, mildly damp, and heavy, take a nice deliberate swing to get your ball out. teeboxes were in good shape with few divots. maybe because not a lot of people are taking divots on the two 200yard par 3s they have there. we didn't see the cart girl on the course which was disappointing because the day was hot and we could have used some more refreshments on the course. we did run into her reloading at the snack bar, which was actually closed at the time, and picked up some drinks from her there. nice happy hour and taco tuesday starting at 5pm. overall the course is in great shape, and i always enjoy this layout because no two holes are alike and it always provides a challenge and is a good test of golf. have to hit fairways and greens to score well here, otherwise you will be paying for it from the rough and greenside. if you haven't been out to black gold lately check it out. enjoyed the round and company, thanks guys.

Played BG today at noon with the Man, JohnnyGK, and two other GK Gurus, Stew and Kelvin. First time meeting Kelvin and he’s got a solid game and a nice guy – must be all the practice he gets being a d... Continue »

Played BG today at noon with the Man, JohnnyGK, and two other GK Gurus, Stew and Kelvin. First time meeting Kelvin and he’s got a solid game and a nice guy – must be all the practice he gets being a doctor. It was hot today with very little wind to take the edge off, which is good for golf but not-so-good for this old geezer, and I was pretty gassed by the time we finished in around 4.5 hrs. BG went through a long period where they were converting their grass to kikuyu, and over the last few years I’ve seen, and we’ve had many reviews on GK, about the thin/bare turf conditions in the fairways. Based on the conditions today it looks like BG has finally turned the corner and conditions are very good. Fairway lies were pretty uniformly good. Of course, that turf conversion to kikuyu means the nasty, sticky stuff in the green surrounds and along the slopes that border all the holes. Many holes have very steep slopes (up to ~50 degrees) around the greens, covered with thick bushy grass, and getting good footing and making a good controlled pass at the ball on downslopes, upslopes, and sideslopes is challenging. Greens were uniformly good – they were semi-lush, held shots, and rolled well at medium+ speeds (esp. downslope toward Disneyland). There were scattered old ballmarks on all greens, but not really that many. The greens were not as firm/thin/fast as I’ve seen them in the past at BG, but I prefer the current condition as they are very consistent and you don’t ever feel like you are putting down a ski slope. Tees were level and in good condition. Even the par-3s didn’t have that much damage and it looked like players were using the provided sand canisters. Traps looked good, but the playing layer was pretty thin over a damp firm base. Driving range was closed for work and the course didn’t appear to be that crowded today. No cart girl. Comfortable bar was busy after the round for Taco Tuesday, a good deal at 3 for $5. Good conditions and great company – thanks to Johnny for setting us up at Black Gold. Recommended.

Got to play Black Gold as one of the first GK Guru Program 'events' with Johnny himself, DC, and dethman, teeing off just after noon on a very warm Tuesday (PoP was 4:15 with no waiting). It's been s... Continue »

Got to play Black Gold as one of the first GK Guru Program 'events' with Johnny himself, DC, and dethman, teeing off just after noon on a very warm Tuesday (PoP was 4:15 with no waiting). It's been several years since I've been at BGGC, so long that I forgot what a well designed course it is. We played blue tees and I used every club in my bag as you really need to think your way around this hilly, canyon style layout. Carts (with state-of-the-art GPS and real comfortable seats) are part of the green fee but I wouldn't want to walk it. Some course knowledge is very helpful (thanks, Dave) but you really need to keep the ball in play as most areas lining the course and away from the rough have thick bushes, sage brush, and cactus (homes are set back a good distance so breaking a window would really be a wayward shot). I recommend playing from the correct tee boxes to reduce anxiety. Fairways are Kikuyu, mostly firm and green ... some areas very plush like carpet. Rough can play havoc if in deeper grass, but most times you'll get a decent lie. Bunkers had excellent sand, semi-thin but very playable (with NO rocks). I saw a few unraked footprints ... and every green has a few unrepaired ball marks (I probably fixed 2-3 per green). Not a knock against the course, it is what it is. Speaking of greens: nearly flawless. Some of the better Poa greens I've played in a while ... would hold a well struck iron and putted nicely, medium to semi-quick. But please note that these greens are not flat by any means and we saw many putts race past the cup or break in ways we did not plan ... but most every putt rolled smooth as can be. That's where we gave up most our stokes and where course knowledge helps so much. Taco Tuesday after the round was tasty (can't beat 3 for $5 tacos). Nice bar/restaurant. Anyway, I'll be back now that I know this little gem is available. It's a bit pricey but I did check some internet deals that are out there and weekday twilight is very reasonable, too (around $45). Highly recommended. Add: they're doing work on the driving range, so be aware. Was closed until 3PM today.

Played here 6/26/16. Overall very good conditions. Played very early (615a) so greens were very smooth and medium fast. Only a few ball marks, more common on the short par 3 7th, but all other gree... Continue »

Played here 6/26/16. Overall very good conditions. Played very early (615a) so greens were very smooth and medium fast. Only a few ball marks, more common on the short par 3 7th, but all other greens in excellent condition. Well defined 3'-4' collar, first cut around most greens. Nicely manicured. Fairways are good to very good. All marginal areas and clearly marked GUR. Where kikuyu has filled in, perfect lies. Areas just off fairway, much more difficult to play from. Bunkers I found were a bit on thin side. Quite firm and could use a little more sand. I did notice a little inconsistency in greenside sand. Great service, as always, inside and out. Excellent time to play this course now. Drought conditions around the region but not here. Enjoy

Played Mon, May 2nd. It was pretty open that day, I played as a single till 7th, and joined with the single in front. We followed a 3-some, but they were quick, so we mostly didn't wait. It was a p... Continue »

Played Mon, May 2nd. It was pretty open that day, I played as a single till 7th, and joined with the single in front. We followed a 3-some, but they were quick, so we mostly didn't wait. It was a perfect pace. Conditions have been the same the last few times I've been here - very good. This is an excellent place to golf, and well worth the money. If you can hit it straight, more than hitting it far, you'll score well here. I really like this course, they serve you well, always a cart girl, even when its quiet, always a good pace. This course is an under appreciated gem. If you haven't played, then you should give it a try -- again, assuming you're more straight than long.. ;)

Played here 4/13 and 4/15. Very little evidence of aeration in mid March. Greens are almost all the way back, some are perfect, a couple are 80-90 %. Still a little slower than I'm used to here, and a... Continue »

Played here 4/13 and 4/15. Very little evidence of aeration in mid March. Greens are almost all the way back, some are perfect, a couple are 80-90 %. Still a little slower than I'm used to here, and a little bumpy in spots, but no reason not to play now.

Fairways are greening and filling nicely. GUR marked on some, but glad to see they took the time to mark it, when in poor shape.

Bunkers a little inconsistent. A couple I played from were pretty thin, and a couple of others were very good.

Always excellent service, inside and out. Grass practice range in good shape, as well as two chipping / putting practice areas.

Enjoy now.

Played on 4/5/2016, about 3 weeks after the greens were punched with large-bore holes. A number of greens were still affected, which was a disappointment. Also, a number of fairways seemed to be punch... Continue »

Played on 4/5/2016, about 3 weeks after the greens were punched with large-bore holes. A number of greens were still affected, which was a disappointment. Also, a number of fairways seemed to be punched even more recently, with a number of large holes and dirt debris covering the fairway. Was not expecting the later. Staff was courteous and helpful. Great views from a few holes out to Catalina and cities in between. I'll give the course at least 3 more weeks to heal up and try it again. It's a good test of golf. Bring your A-game and a sense of humour.

Played the other day and have to say this course really eats you up if you have no second shot. That combined with diabolical greens you are up for a pretty fun test of golf.

Course did not feel... Continue »

Played the other day and have to say this course really eats you up if you have no second shot. That combined with diabolical greens you are up for a pretty fun test of golf.

Course did not feel like work. Fairways are slightly dormant so you will get thin lies but definitely playable. Sand in bunkers has a nice fluffy top portion with compact underneath. Tee boxes were flat. Pace of play was incredible. Parking lot was full yet we moved at a pretty decent pace only encountering the group ahead towards the last two holes. The threesome that was originally ahead of us cut out after 9 holes.

Conditions I would characterize here as winter conditions. You will get thin lies as I have said but it's very playable. Some feature holes you will have to play target golf as most areas to the sides are shrub brush so keep it in play.

Play here again? Definitely. They just renewed the GK Coupon for Black Gold and it's a decent rate for anytime play. Bottom line you save and get to play some golf that is a pretty decent test of your game.

Joined Sixpez, Ringworld and Mattias for a round at Black Gold Golf Club Wednesday. Great time. The more I play this track the more I like it. I still have yet to figure out the greens which btw are i... Continue »

Joined Sixpez, Ringworld and Mattias for a round at Black Gold Golf Club Wednesday. Great time. The more I play this track the more I like it. I still have yet to figure out the greens which btw are in terrific shape. We teed it up around 12:00 noon and finished in 4 hours. Never really waited. The greens rolled smooth, held shots and were at med/fast, exactly how I like them, although I had many 3 putts. It’s a hilly course so it makes for a challenging day for me to recognize the slopes and breaks of the putting surfaces. The fairways are predominately Kikuyu grass which is still very dormant so expect the majority of the lies to be thin, however come May, it’s going to be night & day out there as far as coverage in the fairways. Rough was rather a non-factor, not very long with decent lies and easy to hit from. The sand traps were is excellent shape with only an occasional bunker firm from my experiences in the bunkers. The tee boxes were in good shape, mostly level with good coverage. Black Gold Golf Club used to be a predominately rye grass golf course which made for excellent conditions in the winter/early spring but poor conditions in the Summer/Fall. The golf course for a few years has been transitioning the fairways to Kikuyu grass. It’s evident the long wait for a full transition will be just about over come Summer and I can’t wait to see how nice this course will be. As far of service, food and clubhouse. They do it right here. We had lunch and dinner at the course. Everyone working there just treated us like “gold” – sorry could not resist. The food was delicious and affordable. The clubhouse big and gorgeous. Love how it overlooks the 18th hole. I very fun golf experience and recommended.