Played Journey at Pechanga yesterday in a GK match. This was my first time playing this course which was chosen by Matt. Matt knows that the further I drive the nice the course has to be. And thou... Continue »

Played Journey at Pechanga yesterday in a GK match. This was my first time playing this course which was chosen by Matt. Matt knows that the further I drive the nice the course has to be. And though I can’t say Journey is worth a 6 hour drive, it was certainly worth the 1 ½ hour drive from where I had to be Monday morning for work. Matt got us his High Roller discount and that’s just the way the staff treated me. From check in through teeing off, the entire staff was great. Very friendly and helpful guiding me around to all of the amenities. Due to COVID they can’t load your bag but they are in the area to help point out everything.

Range balls are included with green fee. Range is on mats with wide socially spaced hitting spaces. Next to the range is a great chipping area with short grass, long grass and a couple of bunkers which had excellent sand.

Greens were excellent as well. Most greens had multiple undulations making them critical to be on the correct level. Yet the breaks were severe enough that they were predictable. Greens rolled smooth at a medium-fast pace. The front nine had relatively no pitch marks, but the back nine had several unrepaired pitch marks per green. Not sure if the early players just got tired of repairing their marks or what?

Fairways were decent for the most part. Good coverage throughout and nice and green. However, They have replaced the grass with new sod in several locations. Unfortunately. The SOD either wasn’t laid out properly or hasn’t been watered enough as it shrank leaving gaps between the strips. The only other issue with the fairways was the opposite end of the spectrum. Most fairways have slope to them and the downhill side of the fairway could get pretty soggy in some areas. Other than that the fairways were a joy to hit from. At least that’s what I heard….

No issues with the tee boxes. Level lush and easy to find nice grass to hit from on the par 3’s. I was only in one greenside bunker and it was consistent with the practice bunker. Nice quality sand.

Layout- The course is part of a casino which apparently is the largest Indian Casino in California. The track is set up against a hill with about a third of the holes set up in the hillside. Like Carmel Valley Ranch up north Journey routes the course so that you are hitting down hill on all of the mountain side holes. Course does a good job keeping you on your toes on the “flat” holes as well with some split fairways, dog legs etc. Several holes throughout the track are grip and rip it, mixed in with less than driver, accuracy is a premium over distance. Plenty of water on the course in the form of ponds, small lakes and creek crossings to give the course some great beauty.

Several of the holes have elevated tee’s making club selection on the par 3’s a bit of a challenge for the first time playing. However, it was a very enjoyable layout. The one issue I had with the course was the sub 400 yard par 5, that doesn’t require any type of layup off the tee or the second shot? Sorry, Matt, but I can’t get excided about a “birdie” on a 380 yard hole. But nice par!

The Carts are super plush with top quality seats, GPS (to the pin) and built in blue tooth speaker. Carts also had sand bottles in them. I didn’t see a cooler on the cart which I thought was odd. Not that big of a deal yesterday in the picture perfect 70’s weather, but in the summer??

COVID- Pro shop has a single entry door which I assume is for easier disinfecting. Masks are required everywhere but while playing. Speaking of masks. They require specific masks. Gators, bandana’s and even “construction” masks with vents are not allowed.
Restaurant was open with outdoor patio dining. Eggs benedict was very good. Practice green was open with no flags. They doubled up Peter and I but Matt and Gerry were single rider carts.

All said and done, Journey at Pechanga was a great course. Solid conditions all around, great layout with elevation changes and water, plus excellent customer service. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to play it again due to it’s location but again it’s definitely worth an hour or two drive.

Played on 8/15 and the course is absolute fantastic summer shape. Tee to green there is full lush grass and nothing that will tell you that its been 100° the last month. The must have a lot of water b... Continue »

Played on 8/15 and the course is absolute fantastic summer shape. Tee to green there is full lush grass and nothing that will tell you that its been 100° the last month. The must have a lot of water because that is the only way they can keep it this nice. Not much else to add to others and my previous reviews.

Played a noon round here midweek. A bit of a drive but I feel it's worth it. They used to take your clubs down from the parking lot but you got to do it yourself in covid times. Included range bal... Continue »

Played a noon round here midweek. A bit of a drive but I feel it's worth it. They used to take your clubs down from the parking lot but you got to do it yourself in covid times. Included range balls and good short game area so you can arrive early and practice. Friendly check in and starter, complimentary waters at the starter shack. I enjoy the fun and varied layout, the course is not perfectly lush as in spring but still very good. A windy day made things a bit more challenging. Tee boxes in good condition from the blacks, level and trimmed. Some were just a bit soggy from overwatering. Fairways also good to hit from, just a few holes like 16 were a bit brown. Rough was short, even, not really too penal. Greenside bunkers, though a bit inconsistent (some wet some dry) were well maintained and had good sand, easy to hit from. Greens were running medium fast speed. Greens on the front 9 were sanded though. Good pop at 3.5 hours after our 3some played through a slow 4. Always enjoy coming out here. Still wish #13 was a 5 instead of a 4 though.

7/31, always play here when ever I can. For a single digit index I find it hard to score on the greens. There's no straight putt.... It's really a beautiful golf course and worth the fee. Driving rang... Continue »

7/31, always play here when ever I can. For a single digit index I find it hard to score on the greens. There's no straight putt.... It's really a beautiful golf course and worth the fee. Driving range, practice chipping and bunker green for short game practice is awesome and the same for all the holes.. From tee box to wide fairways to rough to greens are all lush..It's just a difficult golf course but very rewarding views...

Played 5/24 at 8:15 with some friends and had a blast like usual. Course is in great shape right now and from tee to green is lush. I dont have a lot to add from my last review a few weeks ago but the... Continue »

Played 5/24 at 8:15 with some friends and had a blast like usual. Course is in great shape right now and from tee to green is lush. I dont have a lot to add from my last review a few weeks ago but the greens have healed 100% and are d%mn near perfect right now. Smooth, quick, and not a divot to be found. Fairways had full coverage but on hole 16 they are losing the new sod and will need to work hard to keep it alive.

Speaking of hole 16 they still haven't changed the tee boxes for the hole and the scorecard and GPS says its a Par 5. on the card it says 490 yards from the whites but it played 400 on this day and I cant see where they are going to put the tips at 550+ yards I am not sure why they are doing this change but hole 13 is now a 350 yard par 4 but was a 500+ yard very challenging par 5. Only time will tell what their plans are but for now enjoy a 400 yard par 5.

The last thing to note was how nasty the rough is right now. It was probably 3-4 inches and very tough to get out of. Very fun challenge and caused issues on multiple occasions. In all the course is still in great shape and I recommend it highly if you can find a deal.

Took advantage of my $90 casino card rate and brought along Rudyclub and Brady for a 8am tee time this morning, they also get to enjoy my rate. The staff was wonderful even in their limited setting. O... Continue »

Took advantage of my $90 casino card rate and brought along Rudyclub and Brady for a 8am tee time this morning, they also get to enjoy my rate. The staff was wonderful even in their limited setting. Only one person in the pros hop at a time and they put bags and club displays in the way of going into the apparel area. Started was super friendly and reminded us to wear masks when within 6' of people.

As Blake said on the last review the course was definitely kept up during the shut down. Tee's and fairways lush as can be. Rough was really nasty but in great shape so no complaints there. The nature area that they normally clean up had been let go and if you were offline your ball was gone forever. Greens were punched on 4/20 and they are a week away from being fully recovered. I was very surprised how well they had recovered but they did have a full week of no play to grow. A bit firm but held shots and ran at a medium fast pace getting faster as they day went on.

As Robert noted in February they have completed making hole 13 into a par 4 and is now about 360 yards from the back tee's. I am not sure why they chose to do this as that hole was very tough to begin with now the creek that used to be in the 270 range is only 100 yards in front of you. Hole 16 is now a par 5 and I saw the new fairway that is still not 100% but the tee boxes have not moved so its a 400 yard par 5 at the moment. I dont see how they are going to stretch it out to the 550 yards that it shows on the score card. There is not a ton of room behind the current tee box.

The staff here really does a nice job here and make you feel like you are going on an adventure. The carts are new and very very comfortable. They also have a basic version of the shark experience where you can hook up your Bluetooth device and use the speakers. Honestly the volume can be cranked up real high and that may disappoint some traditionalists but I am ok with it.

Played yesterday 5/1 teeing off at 930 and finishing in just around 4 hours. Staff was awesome as always. Social distancing strictly enforced as were face masks. Conditions were excellent with the ... Continue »

Played yesterday 5/1 teeing off at 930 and finishing in just around 4 hours. Staff was awesome as always. Social distancing strictly enforced as were face masks. Conditions were excellent with the exception of the greens that were sanded and punched about 11 days ago. Even these sped up as the day went on and the sand lost moisture. The tee boxes and fairways were perfect, and the bunkers were close. The rough needs a little cut but that seems to be the norm with the courses coming out of stay at home. Overall wonderful day. Highly recommended, greens should be perfect in a week or two.

Played just after noon on a windy but sunny day. The wind made it challenging, it was still a ton of fun. Journey is in great shape compared to other courses I've played recently which are mostly sti... Continue »

Played just after noon on a windy but sunny day. The wind made it challenging, it was still a ton of fun. Journey is in great shape compared to other courses I've played recently which are mostly still in winter condition. Check in is friendly and starter was proactive about getting everyone out on time. Course is green and lush, a beautiful sight when you pull up in the cart. Very nice range and excellent little short game area to warm up. Tees are well covered and level, evenly mowed, never once had any issues finding a place to tee up. Fairways are lush for the most part with a nice soft carpety layer of grass beneath your ball. Most divots were filled with green sand. Just a few fairways like hole 6 were a bit on the dry side. A little bit of rough but mostly playable, a couple areas are grown out maybe to an inch and a half. Bunkers were filled with a nice soft layer of white sand. Fringe areas around the green are kept immaculately. Greens were in great condition and quick, which made putting a challenge given the amount of tiers and undulations in the greens. I four putted hole 7 as I put myself on the wrong side of the green. They are changing hole 13 from a par 5 to a par 4 which I'm kind of disappointed about, as I liked that tee shot and the hole plays too short now. Hole 16, a hole which I don't like as it gets me every time, is now a par 5 instead of a 4 after they moved the tees back a bit. Again, the hole plays too short as I put a drive in the drink but the hole was short enough for me to salvage par. Otherwise I love the layout, most holes make you think about your tee shots and the views are gorgeous. Overall it's a beautiful, but challenging course that's kept in top notch condition. Definitely recommended.

Played a twilight round at Journey at Pechanga this past Friday after a work meeting in the area and you could not have asked for a better day or conditions. The course is in top-notch shape right now... Continue »

Played a twilight round at Journey at Pechanga this past Friday after a work meeting in the area and you could not have asked for a better day or conditions. The course is in top-notch shape right now and I can't recommend it enough.

Fantastic greens - fast, pure and consistent. Fairways are green and lush with no bad lies all day. Rough is thick and varied in length so stay out! Bunkers are in good shape and the tee boxes are all just fine. POP was a breeze and we never caught anyone until the 13th hole.

Oh yes, speaking of the 13th hole, just a note on a new change at the course. They are in the process now of converting the par 5 13th hole into a par 4 and will convert the par 4 16th hole into a par 5 by moving the tee boxes back and widening the fairway to the right of the lake that extends down the entire left side.

Why they're making this change I have no idea, but that's what's happening. So currently they have the tee boxes on 13 really far up, but it remains a par 5 on the card for now, so rack up those birdies (and possibly eagles)!

If you've never played Journey before, it's a wild ride. It's got a little bit of it all. Wide open flats, target golf to the extreme, massive elevation shifts, water hazards, and just about everything in between. Just a fun place to play and when conditions are as perfect as they were on Friday, well that just makes golf all the more memorable.

Make it happen. Soon.