Riverwalk Golf Course – San Diego Played Riverwalk on Thursday morning with the Greenskeeper.org Golf Guru’s. Riverwalk San Diego’s most played course consists of three unique nine hole tracts. Presi... Continue »

Riverwalk Golf Course – San Diego Played Riverwalk on Thursday morning with the Greenskeeper.org Golf Guru’s. Riverwalk San Diego’s most played course consists of three unique nine hole tracts. Presidio, Mission, and Friars. For our round we played Presidio followed by Mission. Presido+Mission represents a Par 72 tract, with a rating from the white tee’s of 70.0, but a slope of 123. As the high handicap member of the review team, the 123 was the red flag that this was going to be a harder than average round. Riverwalk is a visually pleasing layout in the midst of San Diego’s hotel circle. Located in a valley open towards the ocean on one end the wind comes off the ocean beginning around 10:30 and makes the tract through Mission with its various water hazards a test. Upon arriving the golfer is welcomed by a large parking lot, easy clubhouse access, and very well maintained and organized facility. The pro shop is well stocked for last minute needs, as well as souvenir shirts, and hats. There is a bar / restaurant which has a nice menu if not a bit pricey. There is a snack bar I did not sample. The driving range is large well lit, with targets within a 5-10 yard range of the posted distance. There is hitting off of mats. The adjacent putting green is large, well maintained and adequately represents the very fast greens the golfer will find once out on course. The cart staging area is well organized, groups such as ours are preset with cards identifying the courses to be played and in which order. Each cart is equipped with GPS however the one in my cart would not turn on. As I wear a wrist GPS, and have a range finder this was not an issue. Each cart is equipped with an ice chest, however it is the responsibility of the golfer to fill the ice chest. We saw the snack cart several times during the round, however there are no water stations on the course, if you miss your opportunity. The snack cart did not have hot dogs during our round, it wasn’t clear if this was an ops, or normal. John the starter may be sufficient reason to visit the course. His combination of charm, wit, efficiency is second to none. I arrived very early having gotten up early and decided to drive down from Mission Viejo with the light 4am traffic. John welcomed me, made me feel comfortable, and it was fun to watch him prepare for the two major tournament groups that would be arriving as well as welcome each of the regulars as warm friends. They obviously enjoyed his company as well. We kicked off on the Presidio course with a warm welcome from the course starters border collie, and a clear course in front of us. John had told me in advance, stay left on Presidio, stay to the right on Mission. With one exception this proved to be sage advice, and I tried to follow it. Presidio opens with a long 379 yard par 4. This hole is straight forward, and portends none of the pain you can find later on the course. The tree line somewhat hides the metro rail line that divides the Presidio course from the Friars course. There are no fairway bunkers or water on this hole. Hole two is a 156 yard par 3 over water and is a more honest depiction of what the golfer has in store. The San Diego River bisects both the Mission and to a greater degree the Presidio course. There are three ponds that come into play during the 18 holes impacting every hole on the course except Presidio hole 1. Tee boxes on both tracts were in very good shape, offering level lies. I would rate them as mostly lush. I did not notice divot mix boxes on the white tees. Both courses make use of a number of elevated tee boxes as well as elevated greens. With the exception of the first tee on the Mission course which was very uncomfortable for me as the target zone at the limit of my driver, and was completely obscured by over grown reeds (we were told by the GM are taking bids to have them trimmed) the tee’s were honest and the architect did not work very hard trying to lead the golfer to drive into trouble. (That apparently is the winds job). The fairways were in good to average condition for a muni. I very much like the design of the fairways, however there was a large amount of GUR, and early there were several damp areas in my range. Most of the standing water was restricted to cart paths. It’s obvious with the current heat wave, and the volume of traffic the course gets the crew is doing the best they can to maintain a course worthy of the popularity and green fee. They were actively working to re-sod a large area of hole 3 on the mission tract. The first cut of rough was almost indistinguishable from the fairway, the second cut was three to four inches deep, and my balls that found their way into the second cut often settled down. Rough seemed deeper around those greens where there was no water to protect the ball from. Areas under trees were thin. Bunkers were mixed. Greenside bunkers appeared to have good sand coverage and vary between soft and crunchy. The two fairway bunkers I visited were opposites. The first was soft well filled sand, with a high face. The second was a long low fairway bunker on Presidio 6 that I was able to walk in, hit my shot into the water without leaving foot prints, and barely able to see the divot where the ball was. Overall from what I saw I would rate the bunkers as good. It is said the greens are the highlight of the Riverwalk experience. The shape, architectural features of the greens from waterfalls, ponds, slope, to bunkers and exposure to the wind, make the greens visually appealing, as well as a test to reach. They are receptive to shots airmailed in, fast and slick a low approach may well run through. They are beautifully shaped, the use of hills, and ridges makes shot placement and course knowledge an advantage. Having played my last to rounds on courses with medium fast shaggy greens, it took me more than half the round to come to terms with the fast speed of the Riverwalk greens. I would rate the greens good, not through any fault of their own, but rather the people who play this course don’t seem to care about the prize they have, as there were numerous unrepaired ball marks even on the par fives. It is clear the agronomists, and grounds crew work hard to make this an exceptional place to play. This is a thinking golfer’s course. Presidio 3 and 8 require the golfer to cross the river, on 3 this is likely a layup, and the hole is blocked form view by overgrown reeds in the river. The San Diego river runs the length of Presidio 9, with the tee’s facing the river, favoring a draw. Holes such as Mission 1 require the player to know his/her distance, and to decide the best way to get in play based on their dominant shot shape. Mission 3 requires most players to lay up. Mission 18 requires a layup on a downhill slope even for long hitters, and a wedge into a green where a miss to the front falls down a steep slope to the water. If the air was still and cool, this course would be a challenge for a high handicapper such as myself. Bring in the wind which runs left to right on many of the holes on Mission and the level of difficulty can rise an order of magnitude. This is definitely a course worth the money if your going to be in the area, and one I look forward to coming back to after I sharpen my game.

Nice time out with the Guru group at Riverwalk, playing along with Matt, Johnny and Mike. It was my first time on the course and I was happy that we were playing the Presidio/Mission nines from the bl... Continue »

Nice time out with the Guru group at Riverwalk, playing along with Matt, Johnny and Mike. It was my first time on the course and I was happy that we were playing the Presidio/Mission nines from the blue tees.

Overall, the course looks pretty green and pleasant aesthetically. There is a picturesque river splitting the property and many corners of the course that almost look and feel a bit Hawaii-esque on a hot, humid morning. No big elevation gains to speak of, but there is a good amount of mounding around the course that will often leave you with unwanted side lies.

As for the course conditions, the greens (as I was often reminded throughout the day) are the course's trademark feature. I had a good read on them throughout most of my round, but later in the day they seemed to speed up or maybe that was just me. But really nice shape, holding shots well and rolling very true at maybe an 11 on the stimp? Maybe a bit less.

Fairways had some GUR and standing water areas early in the day, but nothing that didn't look like it was going to be neglected for any length of time. You can tell they care about this course and despite these trouble areas here and there from the recent heatwave, you're mostly going to find your ball with a favorable lie. The rough is varied throughout the course but for the most part you'll have to make good contact to get it out of there - tough time with hybrids today out of the rough.

Was only in two bunkers all day but it was okay. I didn't get the impression from looking at other bunkers that they were especially fluffy, but they seemed good, while the fairway bunkers were firm and ready to be hit from. Tee boxes were generally in good shape - no complaints.

Had some good food, drinks and company after the round in the clubhouse, and the GM I believe was nice enough to come and hang out with us for a while to get our impressions of the course - needless to say the feedback was quite positive.

I definitely enjoyed the layout and variety of holes at Riverwalk, and there are some difficult carries to manage so don't go thinking because the course is relatively flat it has no teeth, because it most certainly does. Looking forward to coming back again and not falling apart the last four holes. Thanks again to Johnny for getting these great events together.

Played here today with the Guru's (Art and Shane in my group), teeing of at 7:30 sharp on an initially cloudy then warm but breezy day. Had a wonderful time this morning meeting a whole new group of G... Continue »

Played here today with the Guru's (Art and Shane in my group), teeing of at 7:30 sharp on an initially cloudy then warm but breezy day. Had a wonderful time this morning meeting a whole new group of GK Guru's and playing a course so close to home that was in good shape. The review:

Tee-boxes: Good shape overall with plenty of coverage. Some were a bit chewed up and one was not all that level, but in general I never struggled to place a tee.

Fairways: Great condition in general. Most fairways were green, had good roll, and allowed for great approach shots. Divots were mostly filled and there were a few burned out spots, plus the occasional GUR. Nevertheless, nice to see green fairways out there.

Rough: Good condition, however some areas that may be considered auxiliary rough was a little beat up. Some areas (especially on the Mission 9) had some deep stuff in places.

Bunkers: Varied but overall good. Greenside bunkers seemed to have fluffier sand, while fairway bunkers had browner grittier dirt-like sand. Still they were raked and offered good sand to hit from.

Greens: The highlight of the round (as is always the case at Riverwalk). Green, receptive on approach shots, rolled true and fast with some tricky breaks. A pleasure to play on these large carpets of turf.

ETC: Carts with side GPS tablets and USB ports. Staff was very friendly all-around. GM of the course came around after the match. Very good P.O.P. at just a shade over 4 hours, which for Riverwalk is very welcome. Layout is fun and playing the Presidio/Mission combo allows one the chance to see a wide variety of holes. Reeds in the river have not been cut in some time so shots around the San Diego River-holes are far trickier than before. Overall a great time to come out. Thanks Johnny and Guru's.

played friars/presdio/mission for a 27 hole day on 6/14/17 wed afternoon/2pm tee time.started on friars with a local club member/no one really on the course maybe because of two things 1) sign on 1st ... Continue »

played friars/presdio/mission for a 27 hole day on 6/14/17 wed afternoon/2pm tee time.started on friars with a local club member/no one really on the course maybe because of two things 1) sign on 1st tee Play winter fairways rule and the fact that most of the fairways on #2 and #5 have been bulldozed up(think they will be putting new sod in)but having said that tee boxs were level and good/greens are very good(quick especally down hill)sand bunkers were for the most part very good,so if you don't mind moving your middle of the fairway tee shot over a couple of feet(the grass that does remain is very good to some thin spots) presdio was much more crowed and golfers here just tend to be slow..about the third hole we started to wait about 5 mins on every shot..fairways are good but are starting to brown out (recently cut short)ruff can be thick 2 to 3 inches, bunkers and greens and tee boxs were all in very good shape. mission same conditions as presdio....overall presido and mission combo is still a very good course to play and if your looking for a good practice and quiet outing then I recommend the friars 9.

Had to take my son to SD airport, so figured I'd take the opportunity to play down south.
Played Presidio / Mission on 6/17 as a single. TeeOff.com rate of $59. Paired with 2 other singles. Played... Continue »

Had to take my son to SD airport, so figured I'd take the opportunity to play down south.
Played Presidio / Mission on 6/17 as a single. TeeOff.com rate of $59. Paired with 2 other singles. Played white tees.
Conditions: Tee boxes good coverage, a few par 3s a bit chewed up but certainly acceptable.
Fairways - for the most part pretty good, a little wet in spots, but nice lies. A few holes had some dirt patches, but not bad.
Rough - spotty, some sections a mix of grass and weeds. More than a few bare/dirt patches.
Sand - hit or miss. A few had nice soft sand, a few had a shallow layer of sand with hard pack underneath.
Greens - best part of the course IMO. A little on the slow side, but consistent from green to green.
A few things - GPS on my cart didn't work.
POP - Over 5 hours. I understand it's Saturday morning, but really, 5+ hours for this course? Group in front was the issue. No effort by the course to move them along.
Not sure what other SD courses charge, but $59 for course conditions and POP was about the max I'd pay here.

Played 2/25/17 8:30 $69 POP 5 hrs + Played Mission/ Friars. Mission fairways mostly green, with many browned areas mixed in. Over all not bad. Tees good, traps ok. mix of good and hard pan Greens in ... Continue »

Played 2/25/17 8:30 $69 POP 5 hrs + Played Mission/ Friars. Mission fairways mostly green, with many browned areas mixed in. Over all not bad. Tees good, traps ok. mix of good and hard pan Greens in good to very good shape. Receptive. Ran fairly smooth at a good pace of medium fast. Many poorly or un repaired ball marks. Friars fairways in mostly poor shape. Since it will be demoed in the near future they are not doing much to keep them in good shape. 10%-20% hard pan dirt areas mixed through out. Greens were in the same shape as mission. On the other side of the tunnel of the Friars side. There was a table set up where they had a person selling draft beers for a buck. He said it was a 'thank you' for playing the Friars 9. We hung out for a few minutes !!!

Played on 1/8 with my $19 birthday round. Played Mission/Friars. Teed off (as a 3 some) at 6:37am and didn't have anyone in front of us until we hit the Friars 9 around 8:00am. Then things basicall... Continue »

Played on 1/8 with my $19 birthday round. Played Mission/Friars. Teed off (as a 3 some) at 6:37am and didn't have anyone in front of us until we hit the Friars 9 around 8:00am. Then things basically ground to a halt. There was one horribly slow foursome that caused the tee boxes to be backed up four groups deep on some holes. Ended up around 2:45 to play the second nine.

Conditions seemed improved over where the course was in the Fall. Greens were in good shape. Cut tight and rolling very quickly. I really struggled reading the greens, especially on the Friars nine, where I struck it reasonably well but ended with 21 putts...lol.

Fairways had some areas of burnout/packed mud because of flood damage from the recent heavy rains, but there were always some good areas nearby to move to (winter rules!). They were cut short. Rough was fairly short and playable. Generally decent coverage but some trouble areas just like the fairways. I think I was in one bunker and there was enough sand that you didn't need to be worry about blading it 70 yards over the green. Grass on tee boxes was a little long, but nothing that inhibited play. A few could also use some leveling, but again nothing too drastic. So, overall, the course was in pretty good condition and certainly worth the $19 I paid for the cart!

I've always liked the layout at Riverwalk. It's a very playable course for all skill levels. It's got a good mix of shot making and grip it and rip it holes. And it's nice to walk a flatter layout once in a while. Definitely a place to put on your list if you are struggling and need to get your game right.

Piggy-backing on the reviews of Itslikeimsayin, apisarski, and Gregholla. Had a great time playing with those guys, loose atmosphere with a lot of laughs. Some pretty thick fog obscured the golf cou... Continue »

Piggy-backing on the reviews of Itslikeimsayin, apisarski, and Gregholla. Had a great time playing with those guys, loose atmosphere with a lot of laughs. Some pretty thick fog obscured the golf course until the third hole, making for some damp conditions to start with. The Presidio nine did look like it had some fairways with new patches of sod laid down, and some repairs needed to the edges of a couple of the greens. The Mission nine was in the usual pretty good shape. The bunkers stood out as the best feature of the course to me that day, lots of consistent sand to dig into.

We were unfortunately out of sync with the beverage cart, catching it once on the front side, but then seeing it roll by while we were near the clubhouse (Greg, I still owe you a drink).

Played here on Sunday, what a morning! Overcast with a slight drizzle of rain, sun just peeking out through the marine layer, couldn't ask for a better morning! Played with Alex, Mark and Andy. Great ... Continue »

Played here on Sunday, what a morning! Overcast with a slight drizzle of rain, sun just peeking out through the marine layer, couldn't ask for a better morning! Played with Alex, Mark and Andy. Great group of guys, minus Alex (kidding).

Tee'd off right at 7:50, only one other group in front of us, and the pace stayed that way throughout the round. The fairways were very nice, a little damp in the morning due to the drizzle. The nice part about playing in the morning is the club just cuts right through the grass.

Teebox's - Very level, plenty of room to get a stable footing. Overall very nice to hit from.

Greens - The roll on the greens were amazing, true rolls all day. Besides a couple repair marks, the greens speed stayed consistent during the day.

Sand Trap - Although I only hit out of one bunker all day (phew) the lie I had was in a non-repaired shot from the previous players, besides that it was a great. A little wet, but that was expected.

Fairways - There was significant repairs going on with the fairways, but if you hit the tee shot right, there was always a good lie. There were a lot of un-repaired shots in the fairways, kind of a bummer when you hit a great shot and end up in a divot.

I really enjoy this course, the shape could of been a little bit better. I still enjoy myself every time I come play the Mission/Presido courses. Great time, good laughs, great people always equals a good round. I will be back again!