Played 4/18/17 @ 12:40 - for the first time ever due to a Last Minute Golfer Hot Deal price of $51 per person w/cart...couldn't pass it up, and I've always wanted to give it a go. Checked in and was d... Continue »

Played 4/18/17 @ 12:40 - for the first time ever due to a Last Minute Golfer Hot Deal price of $51 per person w/cart...couldn't pass it up, and I've always wanted to give it a go. Checked in and was directed to The Creek course and Stonehouse course. To quote GK aeration alert: schedule Oak Nine 4/6 - 5/8, Creek Nine 5/9 - 6/11 and Stonehouse Nine 6/12 - 7/10, Oaks 9 was closed for aerafication. Very nice facilities. Beautiful Pro Shop and pleasant staff. Driving range, off older mats was a surprise for such a nice facility. The starter was helpful in giving advise for us first timers as well. We went out as a twosome behind a group of 3. Course was quite full for a Thursday afternoon. Started on the Creek 9, (my fav of the two), as it was in pretty good shape, not a lot of water hazards, park-like layout. Tee boxes were in good shape, fairways rolled out nice, minimal divot damage. A few areas heavily soaked with water/muddy/standing water...one sprinkler obviously leaking. I was only in one greenside bunker and had no issues getting out of it. Greens varied from hole to hole...some soft/receptive, slow to the hole; and others firm and medium/fast. Hard to get dialed in. Surprisingly quite a lot of unrepaired ball marks...so frustrating. Can't understand the lack of course courtesy/etiquette. Concrete drainage zig zags through the fairways so missing them so your ball doesn't ricochet off to Egypt is a plus. Rough was playable; not too penalizing, about 3 inches. Course crew out in force doing routine maintenance. Pace of play on this 9 moved right along. We then proceeded to the Stonehouse 9 (named aptly due to the Stone House on Par 3/Hole 17, they eargerly advised us upon check-in w/starter, is available for special events rental. Okay :) Cool Cool. Nice to know. By the time we started this 9 the typical Temecula winds had flared up with a vengance. Hole 1 a blind mega dogleg up hill to the left. I can see where players in front could get hit up into very easily (no GPS on carts, which would be nice especially if they showed whereabouts of group in front of you ;) Did I already mention this 9 is like a movie, "Beauty and the BEAST!! Course knowledge a definite stroke saver, but even playing with someone "in the know", the fairways sloping right/left/up/down with blind shots throughout quickly turned my stellar round to a frustrating mess quickly. I was told playing from the tips was a real adventure! Fun yet a real challenge to your A-game. I felt this set was in rougher shape probably due to the increased play from the Oaks being closed. Much tighter fairways, so rolled out quickly/long. More unrepaired fairway divots. I wasn't in any bunkers but was told they were on the thin side/wet/compacted underneath. Tee boxes showed wear as well. On several of the forward tees it was hard to get tee down in. Strong winds resulted in cavetating balls on tees and movement at address on the greens. Made this difficult (beautiful) 9 even more treacherous. Greens were not too bad. Ran faster than the Creek. Forgot to mention while waiting to tee off Hole 1 on Stonehouse, we invited the twosome sent out after us, to join us; naturally slowing our pace, but was nice to have them play along. May have to go back for a 'redemption' round if we snag another 'Hot Deal'. Nice practice green area. Cart girl pleasant/attentive. Overall, an enjoyable golf experience. Hope to get back and give the Oaks 9 a go. :) Just this novice golfin gals 2 cents.