I was excited to be able to join the GK crowd at Goat Hill Park celebrating GK’s 20th birthday. I haven’t been able to play much lately and have watched forlornly as GK Plays and Guru outings, and GM/... Continue »

I was excited to be able to join the GK crowd at Goat Hill Park celebrating GK’s 20th birthday. I haven’t been able to play much lately and have watched forlornly as GK Plays and Guru outings, and GM/GK Outings passed me by. It was great to see a lot of old faces again, and to meet some GKers I knew by post and review. And there’s always the need for a hug from Chris (Cpennbo), my literal lifesaver. With limited availability and both of us attending, kviser and I decided to have our GK Cup 19 final match during the outing.

This was my first time at the Goat, having only seen it from the freeway and read some of the reviews. Even after looking it over on Google Earth and seeing many of the comments, I was not prepared for the amount of slope within and between holes – the course is aptly named. Some holes have greens literally hanging on the side of a cliff – see hole 5, and hole 7, and to only a slightly lesser extent holes 6 and 13. The green on hole 17 is not on the edge of a cliff – it’s just a wave-as-you-pass-thru point between the high mound on the left and the cart path at the bottom of the swale.

One of the primary challenges at the Goat is accurately hitting your distances, so that you don’t come up short into one of the sloping swales that take your ball off to another zip code or into a penalty area or brush hazard. This course reminds me of some others in SoCal that are memorable in painful ways. As a mobility-challenged person, courses that have many steep slopes to be negotiated, just to reach some greens, fairways, and tees, are exhausting and treacherous, what I characterize as ‘extreme’ for my game and condition. I harken back to rounds at Champions Club at the Retreat and Hidden Valley GC. Wedged into inhospitable terrain, these courses beat you up while often presenting little or no place to safely play your ball. At some point, quirky becomes just stupid. At the Goat, I got to stupid around hole 6 or 7. Goat Hill Park is the reason I no longer play Hidden Valley.

It’s tough to rate conditions during the winter season, and take into account the ongoing drought in SoCal. Tees were generally fine – level and with adequate cover, except the tee on hole 2 had a lot of past/sanded damage (we played White). I was only in one trap, up against the revetted face on hole 1 greenside, escaping on the third try after try #2 bounced off the face back into the middle of the trap. Other bunkers looked like they had good quantities of sand, and some of the larger/deeper bunkers looked pretty scary. Fairway and rough turf were very spotty and could often be dirt or sand. Some lies in the mown rough between holes were better than that available in the adjacent fairway. Greens were the most consistent aspect of the course and were well-grassed, pretty firm, and mildly receptive. Many greens have significant slope and you need to know how to approach some pin positions. Downhill putts and chips down the slope across the green are treacherous.

Practice facilities at the Goat are fairly extensive, and we saw a lot of people using the practice areas that didn’t appear to have subsequent tee times. The range, while on mats, has spectator seating and some bays are equipped with Trackman-type electronics to view ball trajectories or play golf games. There are 3 putting greens – two are fairly small and flat, but the green on the east end of the practice area is very large and features a good deal of slope, and is much more representative of what you’ll find on the course. The shop is small and focused mainly on Linksoul apparel. An outdoor eating area and firepit seating area promote a relaxed atmosphere before and after the round.

The Goat is not a course that I will hurry back to, especially in current conditions. And it’s not a course I would look forward to playing in a stroke completion, where you MUST go find your ball and play it out. A casual round (or match play) is more amenable to a reload or forget it approach, so company and the course can be better enjoyed.

Recommended as an interesting play, subject to your patience quotient.

Round two of the "border tour" and the event that I built the weekend around.
GK's 20th Bash.
Never one to turn down a party and with golf? Mandatory!
Have heard so much about the course here, I... Continue »

Round two of the "border tour" and the event that I built the weekend around.
GK's 20th Bash.
Never one to turn down a party and with golf? Mandatory!
Have heard so much about the course here, I was anxious to experience it. Sure did live up to the name and then some and my expectations too. You get it all here at my level. Described so well by kvisers review. With Andrews caveats. The good, bad, and the ugly. Playing it down in a GK finals match could not have been easy. Both he and Dave were smiling afterwards. Congrats to the champ D.C.
For example, on a par three with the abyss to the right. Two players in our group hit almost identical shots that landed and rolled onto the fringe one stopped, the other one didn't went OB right downhill after rolling 45 yards. Group in front of us, player pitching from hillside left rolled past pin off green into the same fate. I'd expect the regulars will appreciate when a bunker is restored to hold those shots.
BBQ served up tasty polish dogs, dogleg ale ($6-pint) great. Woody my dog appreciated the dogs welcome kool vibe here.
Living up to it's mantra World Class for the Working Class.
Can't wait to come back and play my wooden three wood again. I pulled from the closet for this event and used it for a rare CTP for a bottle of wine.
Great time Johnny (ie GK's Geoff Ogilvy)

Returned to play here after many years with the GK group on Sunday afternoon. This course was one of the first I had played as a beginner 40 years ago. I was looking forward to seeing what was new a... Continue »

Returned to play here after many years with the GK group on Sunday afternoon. This course was one of the first I had played as a beginner 40 years ago. I was looking forward to seeing what was new and old with the course once called Centre City. The course back in the early days was a nine hole layout which required you to play it twice to get in eighteen holes. The staff was really great as were the practice facilities. The driving range was much nicer than many other courses charging much more. The course itself was interesting experiencing it now in comparison to what it was. The tee boxes were all mostly level with fair coverage but a lot of divots with the numerous short holes requiring an iron shot. The rough was invisible as there is no rough really on any of the course. There are several holes with kikuyu around the greens which would hold wayward shots at times. The fairways had decent to good coverage with pretty decent lies. Our group was pretty lucky with regard to balls rolling off the fairways and into the abyss surrounding many holes. The traps seemed to have good sand and were well kept. The greens varied from total coverage with good roll to patchy sections with a bumpy slow roll. The greens did hold shots well with many being fairly small in comparison to other courses. The layout of The Goat is a little confusing for those playing here for the first time but is well signed. The location of the course was always a draw for me when I lived in the area and looks like it has many locals supporting it. The course plays much longer than the yardage on the card and has a lot of ups and downs and turns here and there. I did remember a few of the holes in my round but felt lost on others. The driving range should be a good draw as it offers quality range balls, tv's and monitors. I was happy to see that the facility was taken over by good ownership who is making nice improvements and look forward to playing here again when in the area.

Absolutely epic day playing The Goat for the first time ever along with Gary, Ron and Mark - what a bunch of characters! I had done some research on the course through YouTube vlogs and the like ahead... Continue »

Absolutely epic day playing The Goat for the first time ever along with Gary, Ron and Mark - what a bunch of characters! I had done some research on the course through YouTube vlogs and the like ahead of the round, and let me tell you that I was quite concerned about putting up some BIG numbers seeing how difficult and unforgiving it looked. And while I was fortunate enough to play much better than I expected, this is one tough and challenging executive course!

You have to be at your sharpest at Goat Hill to avoid those big numbers. There just aren't too many straight-forward holes that you can get away with any errant shots. Either the par 3s are elevated and have big dropoffs either in front or on the sides, or the par 4s are severely dog-legged and blind and you really have to choose the right clubs or it's see-ya-later time. But it's also very fun and engaging and makes you think you're way around the course. It's a good time for sure.

Conditions were a bit mixed in terms of the greens as some were very nice and seemed to have solid coverage and rolled nicely, while others were suffering from some damage areas and bumpiness. It was a bit inconsistent to be fair which makes it very tough with these small, postage stamp greens.

Fairways were mostly in good shape with some thinner areas though encroaching on most of them, while the rough just tends to be dirt areas as the fairways are very clearly defined little islands out there that you have to hit or you're going digging! I avoided every bunker but they didn't look too bad from what I saw, and the tee boxes (we played from the blacks) were mostly level and had good to decent coverage on them.

As far as the extracurriculars, fabulous. The driving range with nice Callaway balls is very well appointed and there's a large chipping and putting area to practice your short game for hours. The staff all seemed very helpful and fun, while the social areas and firepit and BBQ section were really convenient and awesome for our post-round festivities.

I'm very glad I finally get to check to The Goat off the list of must-plays in SoCal. If you really want to get out and have a fun, sort of laid-back but challenging round, I would recommend it for sure. Special thanks for having us out too for the big GK 20th anniversary event.

Was lucky enough to play in the GK 20th Anniversary Party this past weekend. It was a home game for me as I play 90% of my golf at the Goat. The heat wave earlier this year (coupled with a city shut o... Continue »

Was lucky enough to play in the GK 20th Anniversary Party this past weekend. It was a home game for me as I play 90% of my golf at the Goat. The heat wave earlier this year (coupled with a city shut off of water) put a beating on the course, but it's coming back with the cooler weather. I think the rest of the reviews were pretty spot on when it comes to the conditions. The Goat is never going to be pristine, like playing in the desert this time of year, but I think it can use a little more time to smooth out some rough edges.

The greens have actually come back quickly after a verticut and aerification took a toll on them. Good to see them getting closer to their expected quality. I always feel the greens are the Goat's strongest characteristic, both strategically and condition wise. When those greens get firm and fast they provide a stout test.

I really, REALLY love the back nine these days with the improvements and renovations from 10-13. It's just such a cool little loop (needs a name, like Amen Corner) and then 14 and 15 provide great scoring opportunities so that's fun.

Really loved playing with Mark and Phil and seeing everyone. Just a great day all around!

12/4 GK birthday bash, again a well oiled machine of an event and a teatament to Johmmy's vision and hard work.Played with Lindsey, and David and Kevin who were completing the GK cup championship prov... Continue »

12/4 GK birthday bash, again a well oiled machine of an event and a teatament to Johmmy's vision and hard work.Played with Lindsey, and David and Kevin who were completing the GK cup championship providing an additional element of drama to an outstanding grouping. Reviews have covered the course conditions so not much to add other than that the greens had improved since the proir Monday.

Played in the GK event yesterday. I arrived early and got a detailed look at the facilities. First off, you will notice it is small, but folks are friendly and there's a good vibe here. There is a fir... Continue »

Played in the GK event yesterday. I arrived early and got a detailed look at the facilities. First off, you will notice it is small, but folks are friendly and there's a good vibe here. There is a fire pit going near the first tee, offsetting the cool ocean breeze. There are three putting greens, the largest of which is to the left of the range and is suitable for chipping. Just below that is a three-hole practice area called "The Playground." The range is nice with lots of targets, and slopes severely downhill. Many of the hitting bays have Foresight Technologies launch monitors. I did not use it, but it is available for rental.

The course itself is short and challenging. It's target golf. Many areas are in need of some turfgrass management. There has to be some kind of water restrictions, because what grass I saw was stressed. The course is playable, but you kind of need to know where to hit and how far. Due to the severity of the hills and lack of deep rough, you could get "Goated." I guess it's a local term of having your ball roll off the fairway and down into a ravine. It happened to me a few times.

The greens were pretty nice. They tend to be small and because this is such a small course, many of the par 3 holes were perched on the side of a hill, making a good approach shot necessary. There were false fronts and steep hills that caused many shots to roll off and end up 40 yards away and 25 feet below the hole if it didn't just kick your ball into oblivion. Aside from that, the greens rolled fairly quick on the downhillers and had lots of subtle breaks. Many were kind of bumpy though.

Fairways, like I mentioned, were basically sub-par. I found only a few times I had to hit from dirt or a thin lie because there seemed to be a good root zone layer under the thin and somewhat dormant Bermuda grass.

Rough: hard to tell where the fairway ended and the rough began in most areas.I found a couple of areas of really decent rough and some areas that were either dirt of super thin coverage.

We played the white tees and they all seemed decent. Although the teeing areas were on the small side, they all were level and had good coverage with a minimal amount of divots.

The bunkers were really nice, but I wasn't in any. My playing partner, Dave, got a taste of the revetted bunker on Hole 1 and it was ugly (for his score). I liked the look of it and think more courses could do this. Very nice touch; kudos to Goat Hill for this.

Our GK event included a hot dog/sausage with a soda and chips. The guy running the grill was definitely busy all day long. It was decent, I was hungry, and this was basically all there was on course aside from the snacks inside the proshop. They do have a good selection of beers. Huge giveaways at the wrap up event celebrating 20 years of Greenskeeper.org. Big thanks to Johnny, Andrew, Linksoul, and Goat Hill Park!

Another incredible outing with the Gker crew!! Great prizes as usual and had a blast all around. Great job Johnny.

Course conditions are being accurately described by other reviews, so I can... Continue »

Another incredible outing with the Gker crew!! Great prizes as usual and had a blast all around. Great job Johnny.

Course conditions are being accurately described by other reviews, so I can keep this short and merely wanted to express my gratitude to Johnny and all the wonderful Gker people that make these days so awesome. This course is fun and will definitely return. Highly recommend. Thanks again to everyone.

Played here today in the lead group of GK's 20th Birthday Bash. Great times with Andrew and Phil! We all rode. The group in front of us moved pretty well and we had short waits all day except for 14, ... Continue »

Played here today in the lead group of GK's 20th Birthday Bash. Great times with Andrew and Phil! We all rode. The group in front of us moved pretty well and we had short waits all day except for 14, where they were still on the tee when we arrived. Total POP was around 3:40. Conditions are a little rough around the edges but very playable. Greens are mostly smooth, although some still show signs of recent aeration. They are medium to medium-fast and also medium firmness. Downwind/downhill/downgrain putts can get away from you easily, so be careful there. Fairways have good coverage but you're not guaranteed a great lie, but mine were mostly good. The rough can vary from thick grass to total bare spots/hardpan. Black tee boxes were decent. I wasn't in any bunkers but they looked good. It had been about two years since I was here last, and I love seeing the continued improvements they make to the course. They've added lots of revetted bunkers and also added railroad ties around the two fairway bunkers on 12. The BBQ on the patio/firepit was awesome and I loved my hot dog. Really delicious. The prize table was absolutely bonkers. In addition to the usual abundance of Linksoul gear, $25 GolfMoose vouchers, and OnCore balls, there were special prizes for this 20th anniversary celebration including a $500 Linksoul gift card and a $100 GolfMoose cert, plus a bunch of wine provided by Phil (GKer Zachary). Plus everyone pretty much won a sleeve of OnCore balls on the 9th hole. Plus one group won a free foursome to return to Goat Hill Park. Amazingly, I was the first name called in the raffle and I nabbed that $500 Linksoul gift. Thank you so much Johnny GK, AndrewZ28, Linksoul, and Goat Hill Park! Also, congratulations to dconnally for capturing his third GK Cup title! An amazing day befitting 20 years of bringing golfers together. Thank you Johnny for everything!