9/18 using teeoff $27 deal time on a busy 5 hour POP with pleasant weather and a gusty breeze for back 9 play. Fairways seemed patchy some really good areas but also lot of thin or variable length/va... Continue »

9/18 using teeoff $27 deal time on a busy 5 hour POP with pleasant weather and a gusty breeze for back 9 play. Fairways seemed patchy some really good areas but also lot of thin or variable length/variety of grass so lies were inconsistent. Rough was marginal some ares with enough sparse grass that would allow the ball to sit down to the dirt--some areas a little better. Tee boxes generally had good cover but a few were somewhat crowned.
Bunkers had a lot of deep sand--front 9 was newer and heavier providing a challenge--also requires lot of attention to keep groomed--back 9 had a better quality of sand and was more playable. Many were left with lots of footprints or were poorly raked.
Greens were quite soft and on the slow side. Multiple un-repaired ball marks on every hole.
Staff was friendly.

Due to time constraints, only able to play the back nine. (Which happens to be the nine I prefer) Off early so pace of play not an issue. Despite the recent heat, fairways were very wet, but I'm sur... Continue »

Due to time constraints, only able to play the back nine. (Which happens to be the nine I prefer) Off early so pace of play not an issue. Despite the recent heat, fairways were very wet, but I'm sure by mid-day, they would be fine. Greens the best part of the course. Some issues in the fairways on a few holes, but nothing too terrible. Not in any bunkers, but they appeared OK.

Staff was very accommodating. A bit pricey for just 9 holes, but I knew that going in. But 9 holes is better than 0 holes.

Played RSJ on 8/29.

Again, a decent track to work on your game. The greens are very nice, although bordering on too soft as I was leaving ball marks with some of my chips. Greens are very green an... Continue »

Played RSJ on 8/29.

Again, a decent track to work on your game. The greens are very nice, although bordering on too soft as I was leaving ball marks with some of my chips. Greens are very green and smooth outside of the ball marks. Sand traps were another positive - lots of sand and good conditions.

Fairways and rough are hit and miss, some areas are bare or spotty. Fairways were 90% good though.

Rancho San Joaquin - Played RSJ on Thursday 08/24/2017 – 7:22 am Tee Time at the American Golf Players Club rate of $29. Went out with my best friend were paired up with a couple of RSJ regulars who w... Continue »

Rancho San Joaquin - Played RSJ on Thursday 08/24/2017 – 7:22 am Tee Time at the American Golf Players Club rate of $29. Went out with my best friend were paired up with a couple of RSJ regulars who were great company. The overall layout of the course is open and inviting, with a passive aggressive tendency exposed by a number of blind tee shots that often play into either a sloping fairway, dogleg or water. Located in Irvine the facility is attractive, inviting, with a country club feel. It is bordered along some holes by homes. During our round we saw the marshal on several occasions, he stopped to talk with our regulars, however there was no cart service, just adds at 7 and 16 to call ahead to the grill. The staff was friendly, from the pro shop to the starter. The course offers same day $21 replays. I really wanted to like this course, and I think somewhere in the future I will, but right now it’s is what could best be called a hot mess. They are working hard to make the course better that is clear by the massive number of areas in the fairways that have been re-sodded, the amount of pink foam spots and the tractor going up and down the fairways spraying something. (We discovered him below the line of sight on a blind tee). The fifth hole had a river running across the green, crossing about ten feet behind the hole. The course from tee to green was soaking wet, making even good lies hard to play consistently and impacting footing. People who are familiar with my reviews know I run to the positive side, and this course is a fun, challenging layout, but not as it played Thursday. Tee boxes are a mix of sort of level, to nope can find a spot where my feet and ball are on the same level. Mostly lush, with some divot damage but not terrible. Fairway’s are a hot mess, mud just beyond the tee’s, in landing zones, along the first cut, with tractor tire, and cart tire tracts running through. There are large tracts of good brown and green grass that is lush, but was still damp. Fairways that should have given yardage on the run, really needed lift clean and place rules. We were playing the ball as it lies, and mud cost me more than few strokes. There are few worse feelings than hitting a really good drive, then hitting a ball from the middle of the fairway that goes squirrel because it’s covered in mud. Rough – The first cut of rough is very playable aside from the wet ground, and spots of mud. The second cut is thick enough to lose a ball in, and juicy enough to make you work to avoid it. The rough around the greens especially on the down slope side of the greens was very wet, and made chipping a crap shoot from as close as foot off the green. Bump and runs were difficult to attempt, challenging me to chip onto the putting surface. Bunkers are superb, good base, great sand, and the only consistently dry spot on this course. These are among the best quality bunkers I have seen this season. Greens are the strength of this course, they are rich green carpets that run true, show little damage from unrepaired ball marks and are extremely challenging, featuring false fronts, tiers, ridges, and back to front slope. The greens played medium slow from the side or uphill, but showed serious speed on the downhill slopes that had held less moisture. Ball Washers – This isn’t something I normally review, I will comment if they are lacking such as at the Golf Club of California, where they are on the members carts, but not really an item I feel the need to review. With the amount of water, and mud in play at RSJ on Thursday I was a frequent visitor to the ball washers. Not one had clean water; all were as muddy as the course. Not good when you ball comes out looking like it’s been rinsed in Ovaltine. We tee’d off at 7:22, I have to believe they had not been serviced in a while. I will play this course again, but will wait until fall in hopes that it will present a more enjoyable experience. I really like the layout, and can imagine how fun it could be. I am just not sure if it’s so busy that It’s beat up, of if the course is missing a course superintendent. I have never recommended passing on a course, but with as much ground under repair as there is, at a normal rack rate approaching $50, there are better choices at this time, I would recommend waiting a little to play RSJ.

Played RSJ on 7/11/17, my first time out here in a decade. My prior impressions of this course have been mediocre at best. While this is still a cheap public course, I will say that the current state ... Continue »

Played RSJ on 7/11/17, my first time out here in a decade. My prior impressions of this course have been mediocre at best. While this is still a cheap public course, I will say that the current state of the course looks much improved.

I can't really judge the greens today as they have recently (yesterday or overnight?) sanded the greens and I don't think they had mowed them this morning as a result. So, they looked like sand. Still, the grass coverage looks solid under the sand, so I think once the sand settles and the greens are mowed that the greens will be good.

Fairways were much better than I expected. For the most part lush with good coverage. Sure, at this price you will find some bad spots. But I saw much worse fairways my last time a couple of miles over at Strawberry Farms. Similarly, the rough is generally good, with some hit and miss locations.

It looks like the bunkers have ample sand, although they hadn't been raked recently.

Thumbs up for RSJ, decent fun course at a good price in OC!

RSJ punched their greens on Tuesday, March 7th. Although they are freshly punched and sanded, the greens still rolled decently enough to putt on them. There are some really bad spots on some fairways,... Continue »

RSJ punched their greens on Tuesday, March 7th. Although they are freshly punched and sanded, the greens still rolled decently enough to putt on them. There are some really bad spots on some fairways, but other than that the course was in decent shape.

Played Monday 2/13 at 10:50 walking from the black tees.

Unsurprisingly there is still a lot of standing water and/or mud in the low lying areas, but other than that I thought the course was in mor... Continue »

Played Monday 2/13 at 10:50 walking from the black tees.

Unsurprisingly there is still a lot of standing water and/or mud in the low lying areas, but other than that I thought the course was in more than passable shape. This place has a bit of a reputation for being A) not all that well maintained and B) playing slower than a snail travelling up-hill. POP was solid at just over 4 hours. Greens were receptive, but not wet with more than a few patches of flowering Poa. Can't cut them too tight right now so it makes sense. Fairways were either wet and boggy or realllllly nice lush and green. Rough was thick juicy and can't wait to see a mower blade once things dry up a bit. Bunkers had the consistency of powdered sugar. Lots of apparently new sand and might actually have too much. Tee boxes were overall pretty good with some divot damage on the 3s and a few being too wet for a recent mow. Overall it beat expectations and wasn't bad for a holiday round under $35.

played here yesterday on a very warm day and the course was kinda crowded but the pace of play wasnt to bad im sure we were done faster than 5 hours. We loved the new sand and the grass they put on th... Continue »

played here yesterday on a very warm day and the course was kinda crowded but the pace of play wasnt to bad im sure we were done faster than 5 hours. We loved the new sand and the grass they put on the fairways last year seems to holding its own in places.
As usual the greens are in good shape and medium speed but the tee boxes really need to be upgraded next. Thou the girl that checked us in was having issues as always the staff and marshalls were very friendly .A highlight for us on this very warm day was the female bartender Darby she is very witty a great hostess and took all our ribbing well even managing a few well placed barbs of her own . Im sure we were a little bit sunstroke and then after the first pitcher of beer it was off to the races anyway another good time on a decent golf course that lets you spray it around and still make pars.

I play here occasionally in part because of its location. I tend to shy away at times because of all the back nine play, fron which I have been "burned" several times. (Tough to play the front in an ... Continue »

I play here occasionally in part because of its location. I tend to shy away at times because of all the back nine play, fron which I have been "burned" several times. (Tough to play the front in an hour - hour & 15min, then get stuck behind groups on the back and drag around in 2+ hours)

I returned primarily to experience the new sand! It's wonderful ! What an improvement. I'm very jealous, sure wish I had that sand at Coto!. Greens were good as well. The rest of the course was typical RSJ. Nice to see the improvement at this course. I think back to the way conditions were a year or so ago. Kudos to the maintenance staff.