If there's a "new" course opening up, you can bet I'll be there to play it as soon as possible. What is now Hawk's Landing sits on the property that used to be Blue Skies CC, and is now a 12-hole cour... Continue »

If there's a "new" course opening up, you can bet I'll be there to play it as soon as possible. What is now Hawk's Landing sits on the property that used to be Blue Skies CC, and is now a 12-hole course (with front and back sixes and options to play 6, 9, 12, or 18 holes if you loop back around to the front six). They're touting it as some genius concept, but I really just think they made the most of what they had available in terms of property and funding. Today was the course's grand opening. They had some "VIP" groups and new members going out in the late morning and I knew public tee times started at 1:30. I arrived around that time and they were able to quickly group me with a threesome. They were running way behind and things were chaotic as expected on a first day of official business, but as long as I got out easily it was no bother. The price seemed steep for a 12-hole round. $40 + $10 more for a cart. I think it's only a few bucks more to replay the front six for your 18-hole round, but by the time we finished 12 in about 3.5 hours, there were still plenty of people out on the course and I didn't feel like going back out. Definitely an issue with the 12-hole routing on a busy day. Conditions were pretty good overall for opening day. The turf throughout has got a lot of maturing and "filling in" to do, but the key areas were mostly in solid shape. Tee boxes were very firm (hard to get tee into ground sometimes), but level and great grass coverage. Fairways were pretty lush and green with some scattered thin/bare spots here and there along with other inconsistencies with the new turf. Rough areas are dormant right now and not that well filled in, so lots of hard pan dirt spots. Bunkers have brand new sand that is almost too soft right now, so that will ultimately settle in. The greens were fantastic. I noticed a few weak sections here and there, but they were firm and fast bentgrass that held shots reasonably well and should only get better as long as the super (and the players) take care of them. The course itself isn't anything too exciting and reminded me at times of some other high desert offerings (Apple Valley, Hesperia, Desert Winds, etc.). Solid layout that's relatively forgiving. A handful of water hazards in play and a decent mix of hole lengths/shapes. Greens are fairly big without much slope or undulation. From the festivities today, it's clear the folks in Yucca Valley are glad to have a course back in their town. Prices seem a bit high for what you get and the 12-hole design will turn off some of "serious" golfers out there who are accustomed to playing a traditional 18 layout. They're off to a nice start with the conditions. I'll be curious to see if they get better over time with maturity or if today is as good as it ever gets. I should add they have nice overall facilities with a modest clubhouse, big driving range and short game areas. Brand new carts were a treat, too—lots of giddy-up!