Played this past Saturday, 1/23 in our GK Cup match. I was really looking forward to playing this course since I love the fact that a golf course actually made a comeback, with all the recent closings... Continue »

Played this past Saturday, 1/23 in our GK Cup match. I was really looking forward to playing this course since I love the fact that a golf course actually made a comeback, with all the recent closings it was definitely a success story.

I had played Moreno Valley Ranch a LONG time ago, but didn't really remember much, so it was more or less a new course for me.

First off, the weather became brutal after the first 4-5 holes. Rain, wind and REALLY COLD. Definitely an adventure out there and one I wouldn't do again if I didn't have to :) That being said, it made for some good stories and after sitting in the heated car for an hour and a half on the way home I could finally feel my fingers.

The course conditions are a mixed bag right now. Obviously the fairways were dormant bermuda and didn't look all that great, but I did find that they provided a really good surface to hit from. Firm on top but give on divots. I like grass like that. We played winter rules in the fairway because of the rain but I didn't really have to move the ball more than a couple times.

Once you got off the fairway it could be pretty iffy. But like I always said, don't hit it there if you want a good lie. Tees were similar to the fairways as you could always find a decent spot to hit from.

I was in one fairway bunker and the sand was pretty soft. Seems like the greenside bunkers were the same but I didn't get in one.

The highlight by far for me were the greens. They were super healthy, held shots and ran at a good speed, even with the rain. Definitely some cool contours in them too. They gave me trouble but the condition of them was fantastic.

AS for the layout, it's a super fun golf course. Kind of your quintessential Pete Dye with mounds and lakes and then the back nine into the hills was super fun. Never a dull moment and lots of different shot options.

I really hope this course continues to improve because I think some of the design features would be accentuated with better conditions. I hope people make the trip out and support them so they get the chance to stay open and keep getting better.

Played Rancho Del Sol on 1/24. Was really excited to hear that Moreno Valley Ranch was back up and running. Played here many times back in the day.

First off, for a course that reopened 4-5 month... Continue »

Played Rancho Del Sol on 1/24. Was really excited to hear that Moreno Valley Ranch was back up and running. Played here many times back in the day.

First off, for a course that reopened 4-5 months ago, those greens were astounding!!! Kudos to the greenskeeper, they were definitely the highlight of the day!

The layout of the course was cool as you had two completely different courses from front nine to back nine. Front nine winded through homes and was pretty flat while the back nine winded through the hills and was much more hilly.

I was disappointed that no range was there as I need to warm up before I play (old man).

We were talking to the starter and they have plans to update the original clubhouse but it will take time as squatters destroyed it.

All in all, it was a great day, so happy to return to Rancho Del Sol. Looking forward to coming out again.

1/23 playing GK cup match with John Eric and Andrew on a day that started out cool--5-6 holes-- and overcast which turned to wet and cold with rain stopping for the last 4 holes. Fairways seem to be ... Continue »

1/23 playing GK cup match with John Eric and Andrew on a day that started out cool--5-6 holes-- and overcast which turned to wet and cold with rain stopping for the last 4 holes. Fairways seem to be typical winter condition thin in places and some areas ok. Rough is minimal. Tees mostly thin but ok. Bunkers were wet by the time I found one and it had enough sand. Greens were fairly soft but did not always hold full shots and were generally quick. Would be nice to come back when it was not raining.
Overall the course except for the greens which were the best part looks like a tract that had been dormant for a long time and is in the process of recovery. I would guess that by this time next year it will be substantially better. Still the layout with some elevation changes, forced carries. water features and strategically placed bunkers makes it a worthwhile play as it is.
Friendly staff but limited amenities, basic cart, no GPS and no driving range but well maintained putting green.

As we finished Dos Lagos early. Two of us called and got a tee time that was available and we were close enough to make it. Had been wanting to play here, as I played the old Moreno Valley course many... Continue »

As we finished Dos Lagos early. Two of us called and got a tee time that was available and we were close enough to make it. Had been wanting to play here, as I played the old Moreno Valley course many years back many times. Plus I had been reading the recent reviews. I was disappointed with the front 9. It is dry, dusty and the fairways are bare. The traps were not in good shape. Nor were many of the tee boxes. The greens were really good, thank goodness. The Mountain 9 which was the saviour. Just as I remembered it (except for # 18). The tee boxes were good. Fairways had good coverage and great rollout. Traps playable. The greens were outstanding and you NEVER wanted a downhill put that faced the valley on the back 9. IMO it was when it opened one of the nicest and more unique 9 holes around S CA. And I will say that today it still holds that quality and distinction IMO. I can only give a C + to the customer service that day. Something they need to work on. So if you can put up with the front (and maybe todays rains and those coming will help). You will enjoy the rest of the course. But in ending I must say, the 18th hole is not impressive and a better design (maybe using some water in front the hole) should be considered. And you will never forget the drive back to the clubhouse.

A bit of a late review, playing on 12/7/21. Nice to return to "Moreno Valley Ranch" again. I have always enjoyed this course, as I believe the layout to be good and the hole design provides enough c... Continue »

A bit of a late review, playing on 12/7/21. Nice to return to "Moreno Valley Ranch" again. I have always enjoyed this course, as I believe the layout to be good and the hole design provides enough challenge to keep your interest, but so tough to penalize any thing less than a perfect shot. Fun track to play.

Conditions were a little better than when I played here a couple months ago, greens rolled much more true. Tee boxes also seemed to be in better shape. Still some areas in the fairways which need attention, but generally most of the lies turned out pretty good.

Staff is always very friendly and accommodating. So glad this course was brought back to life. It would have been a shame to lose this track. (Wish Empire Lakes would have been saved as well)

Had an emergency customer visit in Cabazon early on Saturday morning so I decided to make use of the day and found an 11am tee time at Rancho del Sol. I had read some favorable reviews recently so I t... Continue »

Had an emergency customer visit in Cabazon early on Saturday morning so I decided to make use of the day and found an 11am tee time at Rancho del Sol. I had read some favorable reviews recently so I thought it would be fun to give it a shot. When I first got there, I was taken aback at the amount of construction going on and the makeshift nature of the facilities. There is no driving range anymore, nor will there be one in the future as the old Moreno Valley Ranch range will soon be an apartment complex. There are two 'tents' right now - one is the pro shop, one the grill. I got there early and was paired with a very nice father-in-law/son-in-law twosome, the son having valuable course info as he played high school golf there as his home course. When I got to the second hole (a narrow green par 3 over water with rail ties), I was immediately struck with how Pete Dye-esque this course seemed. Little did I know this was a Pete Dye course, so when I found that out, I knew it was going to be super fun and challenging. The layout did not disappoint. Now an 18-hole facility, the front nine plays through the flatlands with all the typical Dye features, while the back nine runs up into the mountains and is just a joy to play. I truly wish there was an added section for 'Layout' when making GK course ratings/reviews because that would really get high marks for this place. Conditions played better than the optics for sure. The fairways look very burnt out and there are a lot of dead areas, but the grass is quite playable and if you avoid the trouble spots, you're still going to be able to hit good shots. The rough varied from hole to hole, and the bunkers and tee boxes were in good shape. Speaking of tee boxes, a lot of really cool ones here, especially from the tips, but we played the ample blue tees. The practice putting green was very fast and we were told that the greens on the course would be the same, but they weren't. They were quite spongy and far too many ball marks from lazy golfers (a shame at this really nice venue), but once the course dried out a bit and it got warmer, the greens were running really nice, but you definitely had to manage the ball marks. It's a shame that the ratings won't end up higher because of lazy golfers and not the course staff. It is what it is. I keep imagining this wonderful layout in perfect conditions and I'd come back again and again. It's good enough now without a doubt as well, but of course it's a long way from the South Bay. Still, if ever in the area again, I would not hesitate to give it another run and have some fun. Don't forget to get that awesome picture and view from the par 3 16th hole as well!

Nary a tee time out by me, so my GKCup partner and I decided to check in on the reopening of this course. Chuck had played it 20 years ago and I never had. There is definitely a "work in progress" v... Continue »

Nary a tee time out by me, so my GKCup partner and I decided to check in on the reopening of this course. Chuck had played it 20 years ago and I never had. There is definitely a "work in progress" vibe here with heavy construction equipment grading the driving range area into a place for apartments.

Despite this, the course is in very playable shape with the greens being smooth and medium speed. The fairways a bit hard and dried out in spots but fine overall. Green side bunkers have been given more love than fairway bunkers as you would hope. As you leave the fairway, things start to get a bit random and ratty, but again, it's what you would expect for a course trying to start from what's most important and work it's way out.

What really shined for me, was the layout. Interesting variety of holes that had me going for par 5's, laying up on par 4's and telling my ball to "go!" on par 3's. I could see this course back in it's heyday being a real stunner. Any further improvements to the current conditions would wonderfully reveal more of it's past beauty.

I played here yesterday for the first time. I have been very intrigued by all the recent reviews. I hadn’t played it as Moreno Valley Ranch- in fact I don’t even remember ever hearing of it. With a ... Continue »

I played here yesterday for the first time. I have been very intrigued by all the recent reviews. I hadn’t played it as Moreno Valley Ranch- in fact I don’t even remember ever hearing of it. With a rare Saturday off and some other plans in the general area, I thought it would be a good time to check it out.

I arrived very early for my 7:51 am tee time. The place was already buzzing with activity. People and golf bags everywhere! My first thought was ‘uh oh, this is going to be a long day.’ After a fast and friendly check in, I headed up to the putting green to kill some time. The starter was there and I could see that he was keeping things running very smoothly. My playing partners then arrived and we headed out.

As soon as we started, I just knew I would really like this course. The view from the slightly elevated first tee box was of a very undulating fairway heading towards water near the green. I was filled with excited anticipation. Such a change from the usual first tee nerves! The rest of the front nine was just as much fun. There were lots of trees, mounds and dips, and one really deep drop that, thankfully, my partner was able to warn me about.

The back (Mountain) nine was so awesome, especially holes 12-16, which are so different than the rest of the course. There are very few trees here and some extreme elevation changes. The views from 15 and 16 seem endless. Never having seen Moreno Valley from any higher than the 60 fwy, it was stunning to say the least.

Course conditions were very good overall. There are some brownish areas in the fairways, but the coverage is good. The rough varied from short grass to deep clover. The mounds along the sides of the fairways had lots of thin to bare areas, but hopefully those don’t come into play. The tee boxes (red) had a lot of divots. I was surprised figuring they don’t get as much play as the others. The bunkers had very nice sand. The one I was in was clean and raked. The greens were fast (much more so than the practice green) and many times hard to read. They were a challenge for sure!

The beverage cart came by several times. POP was 4 hours. I played well but having some familiarity with the course could really help me score better. I am excited to play here again, hopefully very soon.

First time back since the reopening. Nice to return to "Moreno Valley", a course which I've always enjoyed playing. Check in was smooth and easy, staff was friendly and very accommodating.

I w... Continue »

First time back since the reopening. Nice to return to "Moreno Valley", a course which I've always enjoyed playing. Check in was smooth and easy, staff was friendly and very accommodating.

I was very impressed with the greens, some of the better putting surfaces I've played on this year. Also thought the fairways were good, better than expected. Lots of sand in the greenside bunkers, but as we were the first group out, maintenance had not yet had time to rake them. Most tee boxes were OK, some a bit chewed up.

The course still exhibits a great deal of scruffiness, particularly on the Valley nine, but that's just the nature of this layout. If you kept your ball in the fairway, you really don't notice it as much. Welcome back Rancho Del Sol. Wonderful to finally see a golf course opening rather than closing.