Played in the lead group out in front of the GK Cup Team Match Play final with rudyclub and circaflex at 11:15am on a gorgeous Sunday, 3/14/21. Tim and Kevin are easy to play with and great guys. Weat... Continue »

Played in the lead group out in front of the GK Cup Team Match Play final with rudyclub and circaflex at 11:15am on a gorgeous Sunday, 3/14/21. Tim and Kevin are easy to play with and great guys. Weather was sunny and warm, and we didn’t have too much wind until it freshened on the back 9 and was definitely a factor over the last 6 holes. Easy check-in at the shop and the cart guys knew about our GK event and were great in getting us set up. This was my first time playing the Mountain View layout – I had to beg off last Fall’s outing here due to high temperatures. Overall course conditions were very good. Even after playing Firecliff in past rounds I was surprised by the amount of slope within the holes, as many are canted significantly R/L or L/R by elevated edges and deep washes running between holes, which must be considered in selecting lines and placing shots on many holes. Most fairways and greens were bounded by long humps and swales; east of the entry road, these had the effect of isolating each hole from the others. While the remaining holes were a little more open, each hole was well-defined by the terrain and visually pleasing. Water was used more extensively on the back 9 where the inter-hole slopes were not as severe, but the wind effects are greater. Greens had complete coverage and were uniformly firm and very quick. I have to say that this doesn’t play into my game as I am a streaky, below-average putter and don’t spin the ball much at all. These types of greens make me completely defensive on and around the greens and I rarely had a putt where I felt I could attack the hole. JMHO, but as a “resort” course I would think that most patrons would prefer conditions where they felt they had a reasonable chance to make a putt, even when faced with a downhill slider. I know you have to set your course up to be playable by all levels of golfers; I just don’t see this type of green set-up as being “fun” for the majority of patrons. Fairways had uniformly good coverage and the ball sat nicely. Rough was 1-2 inches, uniform, and easy to play from. Around the greens the turf was cut lower and in many cases the putter was a good option from 20 feet off the edges. Tees were level and in good condition. I found several greenside bunkers and all had a very thin layer of sand over a wet, packed base. Rakes were provided, so there were very few stray footprints. In keeping with the resort mode, traps are not severely deep or steep-sided. Course was on-time and play moved smartly along – we waited on the foursome ahead only a couple times for a couple of minutes, so no problems. Carts are very comfortable with a good interactive GPS system and club/ball washer. Ice chest with ice. A yardage book is available, and the holes feature fairway plates and Kirby-type markers for distances. The course deployed entry/exit gate markers on most holes to direct cart traffic and try to minimize/spread out turf damage from cart traffic – I’m a fan. Sand bottles on the carts and many refill racks available – use ‘em, people! Saw a cart girl several times, and the nicely-appointed restrooms also offered ice/water machines, which we aren’t seeing in the OC. Highly recommended, although winter rates in the desert are a factor in course decisions. Wish the greens were more “resort-y”.