Worst experience in a long time, started out as the computer was down so had to pool our money to pay, don't know why they couldn't have us come in after the round so no money to spend for lunch (thei... Continue »

Worst experience in a long time, started out as the computer was down so had to pool our money to pay, don't know why they couldn't have us come in after the round so no money to spend for lunch (their loss). Next nice thing was all the greens were sanded, they had more sand on them than the bunkers. The rough was at least 6-7" high and we lost a few and found some in the rough just next to the fairway. Fairway was high and absolutely no run out. P.S. must have had the same starter the previous reviewer had, kind of a cocky dude.

Review submitted by Larry aka larryq2001:

Tuesday, 9/5 I headed out to Hidden Valley since it had been several months since I had been there. Was actually looking forward to it as I have always enj... Continue »

Review submitted by Larry aka larryq2001:

Tuesday, 9/5 I headed out to Hidden Valley since it had been several months since I had been there. Was actually looking forward to it as I have always enjoyed playing here. Well, except for the very nice couple I played with, it was a bit disappointing.

The starter’s area has moved. It’s now in the building next to the driving range and where the starter used to be is now a bar/restaurant. The starter was a kind of a cocky dude. Made the check in a challenge. As I was a single, he made no attempt to pair me up with another group which was odd. So I just headed out to the tee as suggested and paired myself with a very nice couple, teeing off around 11:30.

The kikuyu fairways were lush but could have used a lawnmower. Absolutely no roll out which made a big difference playing from the blues today. Some drives literally just stopped when they hit the ground. The rough was very thick and wet in some areas. I was only in one sand trap and it was very hard. Like concrete.

The greens were very average. Slow which is something I have never seen here as the greens have always been in great condition. Not sure if they are about to aerate.
After, I stopped in to see the new restaurant and to have a beer. Glad I did. The cute server made up for a disappointing day. Very friendly and fun to communicate with. I have always enjoyed playing here and have seen the course in much better condition than today. Not giving up on this place but hope things improve when I return.

First off Monday morning at 6:32am. Threat of rain, but only has an occasional sprinkle, so not a problem. Staff was as always - great ! Needless to say, pace of play not an issue, as we just coas... Continue »

First off Monday morning at 6:32am. Threat of rain, but only has an occasional sprinkle, so not a problem. Staff was as always - great ! Needless to say, pace of play not an issue, as we just coasted around in about 2 hours 40 minutes, a nice easy pace.

Disappointed in the condition of the greens, not nearly as good as when I played here a few moths ago. They were all bumpy, appeared like they had been punched, but never healed? Fairways were for the most part good, the rough had some areas which was like U S Open rough, plus it was very "gnarly" in spots. Tough to even advance the ball from it. Bunker I was in had no sand - very thin.

Enjoy this course and the wonderful vistas. I finally got smart and played from the blue tees, rather than the black tees. There are a couple holes from the black which are just too much for this 70 year old to handle. ( #3, #9, #17 ) However, even from the blue tees, the course offers plenty of challenge.

Sigh. Oh Hidden Valley, how you have fallen off a cliff. Usually I write detailed reviews but don't want to bother. Course is in need of series maintenance. Greens bumpier than shag carpet. Bunke... Continue »

Sigh. Oh Hidden Valley, how you have fallen off a cliff. Usually I write detailed reviews but don't want to bother. Course is in need of series maintenance. Greens bumpier than shag carpet. Bunkers like concrete. Rough 4 inches and sticky. They are definitely over watering as there are multiple swampy areas (in the middle of summer?). I just keep coming back to the greens, some of the slowest and bumpiest I've played lately. Wouldn't recommend right now but hey at least the views are nice and they have the most attractive cart girl I can remember...

Took advantage of the 20th anniversary special. So for $42, two players w/cart. What a deal! The course was in really fine condition, with the exception of a few greenside bunkers, which had almo... Continue »

Took advantage of the 20th anniversary special. So for $42, two players w/cart. What a deal! The course was in really fine condition, with the exception of a few greenside bunkers, which had almost zero sand. Greens rolled well, not too quick, but OK. Fairways were green and lush. They must have had a lot of rain on Sunday, because some of the bunkers were filled with water and a few fairways were just soaked.

I like playing this course, but I have come to realize that playing the tips. (Black tees) there are a few holes which are just too much for me as a 70 year old. Holes #2, 9 and #17 are just no longer reachable for me, and several others ( #5, #11 & #18 ) demand all I've got to make it. However as I keep all my records and like to compare apples to apples, I'm sure the next time I play here, I'll punish myself again and play the tips. Who says wisdom comes with age?

Played my GK Cup match here today with apisarski. We booked a GN hot deal ($24) for 11:50. It was not busy at all. We teed off a little early and played as a twosome behind a pretty slow foursome and ... Continue »

Played my GK Cup match here today with apisarski. We booked a GN hot deal ($24) for 11:50. It was not busy at all. We teed off a little early and played as a twosome behind a pretty slow foursome and another slower twosome, so we were waiting on most shots. Ultimately, the total pace was still okay around 4:15. The one-word review of Hidden Valley today is "inconsistent." I was happy when I pulled up to the course and saw it looking as green as I've seen it in a long time. However, the tee boxes (blues) were very uneven and some were quite shaggy. The fairways were lush and green, with a mix of grasses in play. Some were predominantly kikuyu and the cuts varied. The first hole was really shaggy, while most were pretty well cut (still on the long side for my tastes). Other fairway sections were nice soft bermuda. The rough was a mixed bag as well. Some very thick/lush spots and other areas a bit clumpy with mixed grasses. Then, some bare spots as you get near the outer edges. The bunkers were thin and crusty. The greens were very soft and rolling at medium speeds. All seemed to be in varying degrees of recovery from aeration. Some didn't look punched at all, while others seemed just a couple weeks out from punching. We had a few bumpy putts. Lastly, the hole cuts were sloppy. We weren't sure if they just haven't changed pin positions in a couple days or the guy just didn't do a great job this morning, but they weren't very clean around the edges. Really, all the grass has very good coverage throughout the course. It just needs better/more consistent maintenance than we saw today. I always enjoy this course layout and I root for this place to do well. They are celebrating their 20-year anniversary and apparently offering "free golf" (in the form of a 2-for-1 voucher I guess) to anyone who signs up on their email list. They are in the process of remodeling the clubhouse/bar and it sounds like it will be a nice upgrade when completed later this year. For now, the temp pro shop is the little building right next to the range.

Played today under typical June Gloom conditions. 0608 tee time as a three some. No problem keeping a good steady pace. Finished in 4:10. It's been a couple of years since I've played here and I've pl... Continue »

Played today under typical June Gloom conditions. 0608 tee time as a three some. No problem keeping a good steady pace. Finished in 4:10. It's been a couple of years since I've played here and I've played here twice over the past week. Under Par has coupons available for $33, that's a good deal anywhere. Last week I struggled, partly due to not keeping the ball in the fairway off the tee. There are many slopes here and keeping the shots online and in play is optimum. Today was different hitting 12 fairways and the ball position was much better. The tee boxes are in very good shape, fairways green and playable with good cover, and the greens soft and receptive. The two fairways I missed landed in some very thick rough. They were mowing today but the turf was long and thick. Bunkers seemed a little thin not bad in the fairway but difficult along the green side. All that being said it was a good round at a good rate.

Got in a round on a overcast, cool day light wind day with Abbacat. The air was heavy again today akin to the GK PGA outing. Long drive but well worth it to take in a course I've never played before.... Continue »

Got in a round on a overcast, cool day light wind day with Abbacat. The air was heavy again today akin to the GK PGA outing. Long drive but well worth it to take in a course I've never played before. It's an interesting layout, lots of elevation changes and has trouble everywhere if you stray offline. The cart had seen better days with the custom sunroof opening and something clanking under it. Like an old burro, it made it around the course with a few challenging moments. GPS seemed to work well and give reasonably close yardages. The display was a bit tough to read, especially with any glare. They also provided a yardage book that was really helpful, neat feature, A+. Nice practice green that was representative of on course speeds. Tee boxes were very nice with good coverage. One person ahead of us must have been using a backhoe to tee of on the par 3's. Huge divots that weren't filled in. Fairways were in good shape, some browned areas, with good lies when in the boundries. Rough was longer but not penal. Make a good swing and the ball left as anticipated. Greens were very soft and accepted well struck shots. Minimal ball marks. Rolled pretty smooth with medium speed. These greens tend to have some pretty severe slopes to them. It's easy for a downhiller to get away from you. Looks like they are starting with spring punching as 9 and 18 were punched/sanded. Was in one bunker. It was damp but very easy to play from. Much grainier sand than usual. I got plenty of spin on the shot and it landed nicely on the green. Good course with holes that require thought to play. I'll definitely play here again

Played today with Robule for a super fun round. We took advantage of their 20th anniversary year-long 2 for 1 special. This is always one of my favorite local courses even when I play as poorly as I d... Continue »

Played today with Robule for a super fun round. We took advantage of their 20th anniversary year-long 2 for 1 special. This is always one of my favorite local courses even when I play as poorly as I did today.

The clubhouse is undergoing construction to double the capacity of the banquet room to 400. The bar and restaurant are still open but the pro shop is temporarily in a trailer by the driving range. I hope they can get some new carts soon. They are getting pretty rickety. It sounded like something was going to fall off the bottom and there was a very nice ‘sunroof’ on the driver’s side. There is a GPS that gives distances to greens and hazards but the lens cover is so scratched up it’s hard to read.

The course conditions are good. The fairways had a few thin spots but overall good coverage. The tees were mostly level with minimal divots. Bunkers were damp and the sand was very coarse. The rough was thick but cut much shorter than usual making it much easier to hit out of. Other than the greens on 9 & 18 which were punched and sanded, all the others were clean, smooth and free of ball marks. With as many times as I’ve played there, I thought I had the breaks figured out, but there were plenty of surprises today.

Oh – beware of dirt on the #15 cartpath by the tees. It can make a pretty slick ride down the hill!