Played SJH Friday, teeing off about 1:45pm as a 4some. Hot day in the low 90's, with a mild wind. POP ended up at 5 hours. Waits were on every tee, but not always on every shot. Slow, but not painful.... Continue »

Played SJH Friday, teeing off about 1:45pm as a 4some. Hot day in the low 90's, with a mild wind. POP ended up at 5 hours. Waits were on every tee, but not always on every shot. Slow, but not painful. Maybe it was that my playing partner and I were having a lot of good laughs telling stories, so the time passed well.

Someone at SJH may have read my review from a month ago, as they have recently (maybe 2 weeks ago) leveled and re-sodded the tee boxes for the white tees on the two of the par 3s on the back nine, #14 (red tees also) and #18. The sod is still settling/firming up, but it is such a great improvement, I must give kudos to SJH management/greens-keeping staff for taking action, even if my review had nothing to do with it!

Greens were great - dark green, smooth, receptive/held shots reasonably well, pretty true (ball marks not too bad) and very fast today, much drier due to the heat. Ball easily rolled 6-8 feet past the hole at times due to the location on the slopes. Putting uphill was the key to scoring well.

Fairways are uneven, but generally good lies today, and had some great roll, so enjoyed that as a short-hitter. Rough was mixed.

Was in too many bunkers today, sand was generally good - they replaced the sand last fall I think, but was a little loose/heavy for me on #14.

Starter is always friendly and efficient, keeping things organized. Rumoured to be a cousin to our current President, he does bear a physical resemblance, wore a red golfing hat (not THAT one), but he's much calmer and is pretty quiet. A nice guy. Saw the cart girl twice, no marshal, and the half-way shack was well-stocked with cold beverages.

A good rock band started playing outside at the bar after the round at 7pm, and we got happy-hour pricing on some good apps. A nice day out at SJHills. Well worth it.

Played here (first time...I think) on Sunday 8/27. I say first time, but I may have been here many, many years ago. Some of the holes looked familiar, but very unusual for me to forget a golf course ... Continue »

Played here (first time...I think) on Sunday 8/27. I say first time, but I may have been here many, many years ago. Some of the holes looked familiar, but very unusual for me to forget a golf course I've played. Anyway, wanted to try something different and recent reviews were good, especially in relation to the greens. There is a driving range with lots of fun targets to shoot at (goal posts, giant dartboard, and an old van) but only, somewhat unforgiving mats on this day. $8 small bucket (not included in green fee). Very good service from Pro Shop and starter. They call your name to on PA to the tee, which I like, to avoid confusion there. I found tee boxes to be in good to excellent condition. Played back (Blue) tees at 6317 yards, which is the longest this course will play. I noticed most players on this particular day were playing from White, so maybe due to play on that set, tee conditions may vary. Fairways were spotty. Found a few bad, thin lies within fairway, and off fairway was kind of mixed bag as well. Some rough (kikuyu) was quite thick and juicy, and tough to play from. Little better chances than a coin flip on quality of lie in fairway, but nothing to be overly critical about. Greens were very green, lush, smooth and had great coverage. The highlight of the course. As nice as they looked, they were quite soft and a little on the slow side. Needed to take a pretty good swat at the ball if outside of 20 feet or so. Subtle breaks which are sometimes tough to see. Mostly large greens and fairly flat. Layout is not incredibly interesting, but some local knowledge is helpful. Blind, dogleg left, downhill par 5, 6th, comes to mind. Even a decent tee shot over the left elbow can go a long ways down hill, where a well struck tee shot down the middle could run into OB. (5) par 3's and (4) par 5's, for a par 71. Kind of weird 3,4,3,5,3 finish, but overall, a fun course. Will try again some time. Kind of a cool, casual vibe here. Easy to get to from 5 freeway, but aside from a little traffic noise on a few holes, felt like I was away from the noise and crowds you get at times in OC. Very nice open air bar and restaurant. Something like 25 50" flat screens, good drinks and food. Enjoy.

Played SJH Thursday, Aug. 4th at 1:20pm as a 2some, joined by a single on a warm, sunny day, with up to a 1-club wind at times. We had typical waits throughout the front 9, then things opened up start... Continue »

Played SJH Thursday, Aug. 4th at 1:20pm as a 2some, joined by a single on a warm, sunny day, with up to a 1-club wind at times. We had typical waits throughout the front 9, then things opened up starting on hole 11. POP ended up being a tad over 4rs:30mins. Rate was $39pp via their website.

They are in the middle of adding a new proshop building, they've eliminated the small putting green by the 1st tee and are re-working the area around the clubhouse. Not sure what the net-gain will be, but there is activity there, and obvious $$ being invested.

The remaining large putting green was exceptionally smooth and firm. Wasn't as fast as expected, but seemed almost artificial in terms of how near-perfect the grass looked.

The large greens (rated a 9) have only been matched/surpassed this year for my play by Chardonnay's greens in the Napa area as for condition and true roll. Yesterday they were a tick better than Black Gold and The Crossings, PGA West, etc. Up for debate, I am sure. The point is, they were great. They were very smooth, receptive and fast. Ball rolled very true. Spike marks were minimal, and ball marks were manageable. All three in our group rolled in multiple 15-30 foot putts that tracked very nicely before going in. It is so nice when you read a putt of length, pick a spot, hit it there and the ball does exactly you expected, without any drama along the way to the hole.

Since the last time I played here in January, they've added new sand to most of the greenside bunkers, and they were pretty loose but also heavy. A few that had the old sand, were firm and sometimes wet/muddy. They most notably removed/re-designed bunkers around the 16th and 17th greens. Overall, I gave the bunkers a 6 - they really look good, but need some more time to settle in, or me to get used to them.

The white tee boxes were fair/good, with a handful that are on a perpetual slant, and most bothersome, 14 & 18, both par 3s, are a mixture of mini-mounds, impossible to get a level stance. With all of the money they are investing in other places of the course/clubhouse, I'd hope they get around to simply re-grading these holes.

Fairways and rough were fair/good, but unremarkable. Mostly decent lies. Usual level of GUR on the course today.

Sadly, no cart lady to be seen. Had to wait until the turn to get some beers. Saw a marshal twice.

Glad to have played here after a six month absence. Playing from the whites, the course is manageable for my game and provides a good variety of holes/clubs to use. Greens are the centerpiece here. My playing partner, who hadn't played the course before, says she'd absolutely like to play it again.

19th hole is great here after the round, with a few happy hour food specials. Sweet potato fries are great. They had a quiet Thursday evening, with a sole Saxophonist serenading the folks on the patio - sometimes they have more lively groups playing.

Played 5/3 for $25 on GolfNow. 1215 tee time which took 5 hours. A few slow groups out there slowed the pace. Wind was blowing pretty hard on the front which added yardage as well. All in all cour... Continue »

Played 5/3 for $25 on GolfNow. 1215 tee time which took 5 hours. A few slow groups out there slowed the pace. Wind was blowing pretty hard on the front which added yardage as well. All in all course needs a bit more time to heal and some TLC. Greens were aerated a few weeks ago, but still need two more weeks in my opinion. Tee boxes were ok, but even about 50% of the time. Fairways were OK, but rough is pretty slim if not bare in a few areas. Crab grass in the first cut seems a bit poor to me as well. Greens were a bit hard and didnt hold much on the front. Seemed a bit better on the back. One of my biggest issues were the amount of ball marks on the greens. BIG pet peeve of mine. Probably repaired 5-6 on every green. Cmon people! Didnt see cart service on the course, but 19th hole is a great spot and way to end the round. All in all, I wouldn't pay rack rate right now, but if you get a deal and are in a pinch, so be it. Be warned, pace could be slow and greens need a few more weeks before possibly rolling true (if ball marks are fixed as well)

Got a GolfNow, 12:15 Sat. tee time for two, $85, at SJH. Teed off on time but PoP was dreadful today, no marshal in sight, so we left after over 4.5 hrs on the course when we got to #16. Got hooked ... Continue »

Got a GolfNow, 12:15 Sat. tee time for two, $85, at SJH. Teed off on time but PoP was dreadful today, no marshal in sight, so we left after over 4.5 hrs on the course when we got to #16. Got hooked up with two nice folks who were clueless on etiquette ... balls flying everywhere and sub-par course conditions, so the decision to bail was easy ... and I rarely do not finish a round of golf. Greens were extremely firm with lots of shallow unrepaired pitch marks ... the greens here are usually the best part of the course but not right now. In a couple GS bunkers: from thin and not maintained to fluffy and uneven. Terrible conditions in fairways #1-4: hardpan with divots and a mix of grass/weeds which got worse the further you moved into the 'rough'. Can't rate this anything higher than a '5' right now, no disrespect to previous posters. Honestly, I come here because it's convenient and inexpensive, but current conditions will keep me away for awhile. Sorry, SJH.

Played Tuesday 2/14/17. 7:36am Tee time, booked on the course website as a single at $44 with cart.

Tee'd off on time as a single with another single, and twosome to complete the 4. Carts are equi... Continue »

Played Tuesday 2/14/17. 7:36am Tee time, booked on the course website as a single at $44 with cart.

Tee'd off on time as a single with another single, and twosome to complete the 4. Carts are equipped with very good GPS with distance to hazards, carry on water, and front of the green. They also monitor pace of play. We completed 18 holes in 4.5 hours, never having to wait, and not pushed.

Played from the white tees. Carts were allowed on course on all but the 6th and 13th holes. 6 is under reconstruction and their is a temporary green.

Tee boxes were level and evenly split between sparse reseeded, and lush. Fairways were all lush, without standing water, but soft in some areas and frequently muddying the ball on impact. The rough was lush, up to 4" but had been mowed along the greens and a 1" first cut. A few trees have been lost, and it really makes it more enjoyable to play the course.

Greens were in very good shape overall but the soft conditions make for deep pitch marks, and poor etiquette means there were some ball marks UN-repaired especially close to the hole. Despite this the greens were in very good shape, very challenging greens were further protected by variation in speed as the sun came up. Had high hopes after a great practice session on the practice green, but could not get the speed right on course at all.

The bunkers have been trimmed down to make them more playable, they were dry and in very good condition. They were adding fresh sand to some as we came through.

The pro shop is friendly, the starter efficient, the marshals present and working, and was able to find the drink cart twice, and they were carrying O'doulls.

Was thrilled with the condition of the course, my three really good playing partners Paul, Mark and Steve. Would play with any of them again.

The rains have made the hills surrounding the course very green, the view from one hole (don't remember the number) looking out the valley towards the Mission San Juan Capistrano basilica is memorable.

2/1 birthday round 430 POP on a rather busy AM--full tee sheet--waiting some on most every shot--but nice enough day to just relax and go with the slow.
Fairways mostly winter condition brownish to l... Continue »

2/1 birthday round 430 POP on a rather busy AM--full tee sheet--waiting some on most every shot--but nice enough day to just relax and go with the slow.
Fairways mostly winter condition brownish to light green--ok cushion and ok enough lies. Rough is limited along most fairways but on occasion there are patches of longer thicker stuff--more likely around the greens and on the hill side banks near the greens. Tees mostly level except for #14 which is somewhat crowned--par 3s have a lot of sanded divots--cover on the rest is generally ok.
Traps looked to be groomed and ok--was in only one the front right bunker on 18--groomed sand was only an inch deep covering hard pan with rocks which I discovered after my swing.
Greens firm medium fast to fast--pin placements in the front are difficult--and on most holes it is vital to stay below the hole especially #3 and #16 Quite a few un-repaired or poorly repaired ball marks. Temporary on #5 while the crew is working on a project.
Staff is friendly--thank you for the birthday recognition.

Played on Wednesday, at 12:24pm, on a dry day, between the weather fronts. Course was in pretty good condition, and surprisingly dry, carts were 90 degree rule. There were a few overly soft/wet spots ... Continue »

Played on Wednesday, at 12:24pm, on a dry day, between the weather fronts. Course was in pretty good condition, and surprisingly dry, carts were 90 degree rule. There were a few overly soft/wet spots on maybe 2-3 holes that were noticeable, including the landing area on #6. Roll was of course less than normal due to the soft-ish conditions. Fairways were very green and some of the typical GUR areas have filled in over the last month or so when I last played. Greens were medium-fast, a little bumpy at times due to spike imprints, but not at all bad, and some greens were very smooth. They are continuing their work on refilling new sand in greenside bunkers, so we had a temporary green on #6 today. Last time out, they were working on #3 and #7 greens. The new sand is pretty nice, soft and fluffy-ish, enjoyed the beach three times. Tee boxes were a little hairy, but flat with very few soft areas. Cart lady came around a few times on a cold day, should've asked if she had some coffee! Weather was nice when we started, but cooled off considerably by about 4:00pm. Very Brrrrrrrrrrr. We finished in 4hrs 50 mins, waiting briefly on pretty much every tee and approach shot. Until some of the flatter courses get a better chance to dry out, this track seems like a good choice to play, as so many holes have significant enough slope to help with the drainage from all the rain we've had over the last few weeks. Oh, and I am happy to report that the silly tree in the middle of #10 fairway is no more!!!

Played SJH on Sunday with a 11:12 tee time, $52 w.cart. Got around in 4:40 with more waiting on the front than the back. Found the course in decent shape considering the amount of rain, some soggy a... Continue »

Played SJH on Sunday with a 11:12 tee time, $52 w.cart. Got around in 4:40 with more waiting on the front than the back. Found the course in decent shape considering the amount of rain, some soggy areas and puddling but nothing too serious and we did play L,C,&P and, wisely, it was CPO the entire course. The Poa greens were the strong point today as most were very soft and spike marks were evident, but several were like perfect and rolled true at medium speed. Fairways the usual tight, matted stuff but with winter rules I had good lies all day. GS bunkers well taken care of but some of the FW bunkers were thrashed. Rough a bit long for SJH standards but easily playable. Nice course for an occasional round, some back nine hole layouts are tight and challenging, so that's always fun. Great 19th hole.