First off want to thank the GK Gurus (those writing helpful reviews here on Greenskeeper.org or the new GreensKeeper iPhone App) for coming out and posting your reviews so soon after your round. What ... Continue »

First off want to thank the GK Gurus (those writing helpful reviews here on Greenskeeper.org or the new GreensKeeper iPhone App) for coming out and posting your reviews so soon after your round. What a fun day that was. What a difference the weather makes too from today and Sunday! – LOL.

I had a great time Sunday golfing and grabbing a bite to eat after in the Oak Creek bar/restaurant. Enjoying so much getting out and seeing you.

We played as 3 threesomes and enjoyed a 4:20 minute round. Check-in went smooth with good service. I did not have time to hit range balls so can’t comment on that. Starter got us off on time and saw the cart girl multiple times (very friendly).

The conditions of the golf course while not as good as in July when it hosted our GK Cup 13 final was still very good. I think the greens were a week away from being totally healed from aeration so consequently they were a little bumpy but speed was consistently fast and they held shots excellent. Now if I could only read them correctly. Second time playing the course did not seem to help my struggles there.

The fairways are Bermunda turf with a light green color. But with this very cold weather now expect them to turn blonde color soon. However they do provide full coverage with good padding under the ball to compress shots. So expect them to continue to play well into the coming winter months.

Rough appears to be is a blend of mostly warm weather and some cool weather turf. Thin in some spots and lush in others. Lush around all the greens although so that’s where it really counts as far as I’m concerned.

Bunkers are in excellent condition. The sand that was too new in July causing thick fluffy lies has now settled down perfectly. I was in a ton of bunkers Sunday (even some waste bunkers) so besides sharpening up my sand game I got a thorough amount of time to review them – LOL (btw – the bunkers are the main line of defense in my mind with the course. Find them often and it’s going to be tough go around)

Tee Boxes are in good shape. It’s my understanding the next improvement project is they will be redoing all the Par 3 tee boxes to laser level them. This is very much needed for the Par 3's. Overall plenty of coverage and no problem hitting from. Another note, they recently reconstructed the 18th box so it is positioned more left requiring a right to left shot for optimal position. They did a great job with the reconstruction.

With this being just my second time here I am once again impressed with the player friendly Fazio design. It had a lot of variety with long and short holes. Doglegs, risk/reward par 5 and par 4’s, ample room off the tee to bomb your driver, challenging greens and an awesome finishing hole. I am excited to play it again hopefully soon.

Posted some photos so please check them out.

Recommended!

Played in the final group with Johnny and Vic on Sunday at 12:09pm. Second time out here, and there is something to the layout that seems to like me even when my game is rather erratic. Hit some prett... Continue »

Played in the final group with Johnny and Vic on Sunday at 12:09pm. Second time out here, and there is something to the layout that seems to like me even when my game is rather erratic. Hit some pretty garbage tee balls and got some pretty good lies, and hit some really nice wedges getting the expected response from the greens.

Driving Range: We were set up WAY deep into the driving range, and the ground at this point was pretty much chewed up and like hitting from sand. Walking up to where we were hitting you could see that the rest of the range was in good shape, we just caught it at the end of what was probably a lot of golfers.

Golf Cars: Really nice to have a ride that is fast enough to get around efficiently with ample power even on steeper limbs.

Tee Boxes: Coverage was good to ok for most tees. However, the tee boxes have that feeling they need to be rebuilt and reinforced a bit around the sides. Most tees were not flat by any means making the attempt to "take one side of the course out of play" or playing angles into a draw/fade situation as opposed to straight line geometry.

Fairways: While the fairways and rough aren't exactly dormant, there is a bit of color loss. No matter as they played very well for this time of year. Personally, I love playing on dormant grass, so if the color of the fairways and rough change at a different rate and lead to definition, I would love it! Fairways had plenty of grass and I don't believe I saw a bare spot anywhere on the course.

Rough: The rough was a bit hit and miss. There were some thinning areas in places which led to a couple interesting lies. Looks like the ground in a couple places will need to be punched to loosen the dirt before the grass will grow in lush again. Other than that, I found the rough to be fair and generally uniform in height.

Sand/Waste areas: If you've read my previous reviews, sand is one of my biggest pet peeves. You have got to have good sand in the bunkers in order for them to play as designed. This is the first course I have played in over 3 years that had GREAT sand! The texture and density of the sand was perfect for playing proper sand shots. I was in 1 green side bunker (long bunker shot) and was able to throw the ball up beyond the pin and pull it back about 6 feet to a kick in putt. Fairway bunkers were fair and tight. I would have liked a little bit of "fluff" on top to help with taking a stance, but it wouldn't have helped with the poor shot I hit from a long bunker.
The waste area on the short par 4 16th was what is expected from such a location: hard turf with minimal in the way of rocks to destroy your wedges. Great surface to play from in the case of a poor tee shot.

Greens: The greens were pretty good for late day tee times. There was some bump to the surface on all the greens, but the speed was good and most putts tried to hold their lines. There were a couple greens where the surface looked to be one or two cuts and rolls from being perfect. However, as those couple greens were there was some "spike" grass growing up that was long and bounced the ball offline and up in the air. The way I was putting it didn't exactly ruin my day, but it was unexpected and cost a stroke. Overall, the greens are in great shape, and after a couple more cuts will be amazing.

Overall course: There is plenty of character on this course to stand out from the normal "boring" almost cookie-cutter layouts that are full of repetition. I don't think there are 2 holes that are similar in look or how they play on the course. I love the look of creeks and natural areas around a course. The creek and the ponds with lilly pads are great features that bring a more natural look to a course in the middle of Irvine. The 9th hole with the creek on the right causing some second thoughts in deciding to go for it in 2 is a favorite hole of mine.

Most holes on this course will give you a visual queue as to where Tom Fazio wants you to hit your tee shot. There will be a large landing area on most holes so shots just offline are not penalized heavily. The par 4s vary in length and complexity, and a couple of the shorter par 4s give you at least 3 options for how to play the hole. You can go "hero" and bomb it up into the narrow neck short of the green, you can hit to the angle for a longer shot home (see: wide landing areas), or you can take on the bunker/waste areas and have a shorter iron home than playing the safe angle. You might have a more challenging approach to a tucked pin, but the option is still there to go for it. The par 3's are very challenging for different reasons. When a hole is shorter like #3 there is a water feature to catch your attention. When the par 3 is long like 11 and 17, there is an escape route to avoid a major round breaking number.

After each "challenging" hole, there is a shorter hole to lessen the stress level a little and give you a chance to recover before the next challenging hole. While #17 has been my nemesis (always somehow miss pin-high and left no matter what) exceeding 200 yards, it is also the perfect set up for the risk-reward par 5 18th hole.

If you've never played this course, this would be a great time to get in a round. Bring your thinking cap and you can score well. Bring your random tee balls and you should still be able to enjoy yourself and score. Make certain to bring your imagination around the greens (I had to hit a recovery shot all the way across from left to the slope beyond the right side of the green to get close to a pin as all other options led to ending up in a deep bunker). Finally, enjoy a day away from it all on a great design in nice shape.

Played in the middle of three #GKReviewGuru groups yesterday, teeing off around noon and finishing around 4:40. Beautiful weather and good company, playing with dconnally and abbacat. Huge thanks to J... Continue »

Played in the middle of three #GKReviewGuru groups yesterday, teeing off around noon and finishing around 4:40. Beautiful weather and good company, playing with dconnally and abbacat. Huge thanks to Johnny and Oak Creek for having us out at such an attractive rate!

The course is firm and fast right now, and plays MUCH better than it looks. Visually it's quite blotchy looking, but there's good coverage nearly everywhere. I find it a little puzzling why a course with this price tag doesn't overseed in winter to offer a more attractive presentation, but I can't say the course would play much better with lush rye than it does with semi-dormant bermuda (or whatever grass they have) now. The photographer in me just wants it to look better, I guess.

Greens were good for the most part. A few still seemed to be healing from aeration. Later in the day they seemed to slow down a little and also get a little bumpy, but early on they were quite good. Fairways are good, offering lots of run out on drives and sufficient cushion for approach shots. Again, visually, there's a certain scruffiness to them, but they play really good. Same can be said for the rough. The gold tee boxes were pretty good and seemingly better than the whites and far better than the silver, which abbacat was playing. Bunkers might've been the high point, filled with plentiful sand. On a few holes, I found clumpy collars around the greens, which makes chipping preferred to putting from the fringe.

The biggest thing this course has going for it is the secluded feel. If you were blindfolded on your drive to the course, you'd have a hard time believing you're in the middle of Irvine only a couple miles from the Spectrum. I really enjoy that as well as the refined, country club aura around the clubhouse. Service-wise, everyone was really nice. I was surprised, however, when a marshal drove by when abbacat was teeing up her ball on a par 3 and he proceeded to drive down the cart path rather than stop and wait for her to hit. Another marshal who was following immediately behind did stop and wait.

All in all, a really fun day on a very nice course. Thanks again to all!

Played with the GK Gurus at noon on 11/24/19 – thanks to Mark and Wendy for an enjoyable round, and to Johnny and Oak Creek for setting up the visit. My first time here in a few years (cost) and first... Continue »

Played with the GK Gurus at noon on 11/24/19 – thanks to Mark and Wendy for an enjoyable round, and to Johnny and Oak Creek for setting up the visit. My first time here in a few years (cost) and first time I have used the practice facility. I’d heard it was top-notch, and there are many very nice touches like an attendant, bathrooms, a large grass hitting area, a clock(!) on the ball shed, and multiple chipping and putting greens, as well as a practice bunker. Very nice facility!

Check-in was quick and friendly, and cart attendants are good at anticipating your needs. Carts are very nice with ball washer/club cleaner, interactive GPS, and cooler with ice and water! A yardage book is also available, and the course website offers hole maps with yardages. [The GPS gives interactive distances to course features, as well as pin location. Our GPS has many/most of the pin locations wrong; we were able to figure out most locations by the flag color.]

We started off rather slowly as the group about 3 slots ahead of us reportedly had cart trouble, but the course cleared that up after our 4th hole and we moved steadily after that, finishing in about 4.5 hr. Weather was sunny and warm with generally very little wind. We found the course in very good condition overall.

Greens were firm, held well-struck shots, and rolled well at medium+ speed. Speeds were consistent, although as the afternoon went on and temperatures dropped they slowed down a little as we noticed what looked like one of the grass types on the green (maybe) blooming(?). Fairway lies were generally good; turf was getting into dormancy and was tight and allowed rollouts. Rough was generally fairly short and playable, but some areas could be more lush and the ball could sit deep – these areas were mainly around the greens. Well off the normal playing lines you could get dry ground and thin/bare areas. Tees were generally good, with only a few uneven or slightly sloping (see below). I played White, and a few times moved back to play from the White plate as the markers had been moved well forward. Sand encountered by my playing partners was in good shape, but when I went into the bunker on the right-front of the downhill par-3 #11 I encountered very thin sand over a firm base and several long metal pins from the underliner sticking up into the bunker.

Over the years the course has opened up more as many of the large trees that framed holes or dictated playing lines are now gone. Also, bushes/brush framing tees and holes have been reduced/removed, opening up sightlines. The trap along the right side of #14 has been removed; that was one of the main defenses for that short hole. The pond on #3 has some ugly fencing around it, I assume as a control over waterbirds getting onto the green. [I didn’t see any fencing on #18 pond.] Tee boxes on the par-3 #7 need serious shaping and leveling.

Overall, I enjoyed the course, the conditions, and the company. Recommended with a good price.

Posted: 11-24-2019
By: Ringworld

Played in GK Guru visit at Oak Creek. Have to say the staff is attentive and very customer oriented.

Course in pretty good shape. Pace of play approximately 4:... Continue »

Posted: 11-24-2019
By: Ringworld

Played in GK Guru visit at Oak Creek. Have to say the staff is attentive and very customer oriented.

Course in pretty good shape. Pace of play approximately 4:10.

Greens were very hard to read. Too many lip outs and near misses for my comfort. For me it was hard to get the direction but managed to get the pace down. It was frustrating to say the least.

Fairways had complete coverage. There were a few thin lies along the high spots; aside from that you get some decent roll out.

Fairway bunkers were fluffy but brutal. Bunkers around the greens were stocked well with sand - at least the ones I found myself.

Tee boxes were a little uneven but playable.

Overall course conditions are fun, completely frustrating and definitely an enjoyable test of golf. Recommended.

I played yesterday in the GK Guru outing with Mark and David. The staff was friendly and efficient at bag drop. The carts are fully loaded with USB, GPS, ball/club washer and water bottles in the cool... Continue »

I played yesterday in the GK Guru outing with Mark and David. The staff was friendly and efficient at bag drop. The carts are fully loaded with USB, GPS, ball/club washer and water bottles in the cooler. There is a large grass driving range, short game/bunker practice area and putting green. The range balls are kind of pricey, though, at $12 for a small bag.

Every time I play here I am surprised at how secluded this course feels. It’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of Irvine. It’s always a fun challenge. Seemingly every fairway slope funnels the ball into either water or a bunker- and I landed in several of them. I was lucky, though, as the sand was soft and plentiful. I saw a few other traps that weren’t quite as good.

The fairways were in good shape, mostly green with some brown in the thinner spots. There were a lot of divots, though. The greens were somewhat bumpy and inconsistent in speed. I’m sure that very soon they will be as fast and smooth as the putting green next to the starter’s desk. I played from the forward tees. They were also in good shape with just a couple of them being noticeably unlevel.

The on-course service was good. Our cart battery light went on at one point and the marshal very quickly arranged a new one for us. The beverage cart also came around a few times. POP started out very slowly but after five or six holes, sped up and we finished in about 4.5 hours.

A few of us stayed for dinner afterward. The food and service was very nice. I should have asked what was the brand of Pinot Grigio I had – it was excellent! Overall, another fun day at a really nice course. Many thanks to Johnny and Oak Creek.

First of all a BIG SHOUT out of Thanks to Johnny GK. Check in was good and quick. Cart attendants were friendly and helpful but the attendant at the range was slightly rude the way he reach for a bag... Continue »

First of all a BIG SHOUT out of Thanks to Johnny GK. Check in was good and quick. Cart attendants were friendly and helpful but the attendant at the range was slightly rude the way he reach for a bag of range balls and just tossed them on the counter at me which seemed to me very unprofessional. Played with Gary and Bob, two great players and a pleasure to play with. Course was just as Garry00 said in his review. Course obviously is getting much play, one can tell by the condition of some greens and fairways. Again the Greens need more than a few weeks of healing time after a recent aerafication. Greens were very bumpy which was tough to keep the ball straight. The Sand bunckers I was in had a fair amount of sand which made my ball easy to get out. Still a fabulous layout which I enjoyed. Would definitely play this Course again.

guru outing on a balmy fall pm playing with great golf partners George and Bob. Course was busy enough as we waited almost every shot but still met the expected POP of 420 which I think is a generous... Continue »

guru outing on a balmy fall pm playing with great golf partners George and Bob. Course was busy enough as we waited almost every shot but still met the expected POP of 420 which I think is a generous time allotment considering that the lay out does not present as that punitive.
Fairways have adequate cover firm but with good cushion. Rough is generally whispy and on the dry side. Tees level and in ok shape. Bunkers were mostly groomed with ample sand up the slopes but thin over a firm base in the bottom areas of the traps. Fairway bunkers tended to be pleasantly firm.
Greens are still in recovery mode(about 2-3 more weeks would help) somewhat bumpy and grainy rolling just under medium fast. Green complexes are large with opportunity for challenging pin placements.
Layout is scenic and gives an isolated feel.
Large practice area with grass driving range and chipping green with bunker. Good GPS on carts. Check in, starter , and on course staff are pleasant enough but seemed rather low key and matter of fact.

Posted: 10/17/19
By: JStillman3

Golfed here on 10/15, Tuesday at 12:18, with my Girlfriend. We had some free vouchers issued from a scramble we were in last year.

There were two foursomes in f... Continue »

Posted: 10/17/19
By: JStillman3

Golfed here on 10/15, Tuesday at 12:18, with my Girlfriend. We had some free vouchers issued from a scramble we were in last year.

There were two foursomes in front of us and the lead foursome was extremely slow. 30+ minutes per hole. There’s 15 minute gaps between tee offs, which is awesome, but we still caught up by the 3rd tee box. Luckily, both foursomes let us squeak by on the 10th which was nice.

Pace of play, not very fun on the front.

Course lay out is not extremely challenging. Most fairways are pretty open and large. What make’s this course tough are the green layouts. Green speeds can be quick. Most of them are raised and have pretty challenging undulations, as well as some challenging pin placements. Although, the greens were soft so if your ball striking is on, you can stick some shots pretty close.

Course maintenance. This part was kind of a bummer. Almost all greens had tons of divots. Especially since the greens were soft, the divots were huge. Most fairways had no fill on divots as well. So I fell into some nasty empty steaks on the fairway. Plus, A lot of the tee boxes were uneven and slanted to a good degree. I will say the sand traps I was in had really good, fluffy, sand.

All in all, this course could be so awesome, but it needs some love from the locals, maybe? I don’t really mind uneven tee boxes or the occasional divot on greens, but for $135 I expect a course to be better maintained by staff and golfers. And 17$ for a bucket on the range? Crazy town.

I’ll be back since we have two more vouchers and I’ll wait until after it’s punched. Could have caught a bad day, but way better choices to get bang for your buck.