Played at 840 AM on Thursday, 6/9/16, with GKer mpizarski on his birthday round – thanks to Matt for the invite and an enjoyable round. The weather started off cool and misty [NOT good for someone lik... Continue »

Played at 840 AM on Thursday, 6/9/16, with GKer mpizarski on his birthday round – thanks to Matt for the invite and an enjoyable round. The weather started off cool and misty [NOT good for someone like me who wears glasses! LOL], becoming warmer and breezier on the back nine. We played behind scattered twosomes and threesomes, rarely waiting and then not for long, and finished in about 3.5 hr.

The course overall was in good condition. I noticed the putting green had a sprinkling of sand on it, and was told by the starter that all the holes would be like that, and they were, although some of the greens were pretty firm, while others were fairly soft. All greens held shots well and there were not too many old ballmarks, rolling well at medium speed.

Fairway lies were good – fairways were pretty firm and rollouts were good. Rough was cut short and very playable. I wasn’t in the sand – Matt’s one shot in a fairway bunker on #2 looked like the conditions were OK. Tees were level and very playable.

Shot-of-the-day was by Matt on the par-5 15th – after getting a good bounce off his booming tee shot dangerously up the left margin, he was in the narrow fairway cut 230 to the hole. He then crushed a high drawing 3-wood that landed with a puff of sand on the plateau green and stopped 5 feet below the hole. A confident putt resulted in a birthday eagle!

I have a problem with the way the 15th hole is presented and maintained – this is a 520-yd par-5 (from the Blue tee) that moves left off the blind tee shot around mounding, then downhill across a creek area before rising to a huge plateau green, with probably the most undulation of any green on the course. Left along the hole in the driving area is higher and can bring errant shots back into play [see Matt, above]. The right side has a couple of bunkers but outside of those is bordered its entire length by fences and ESA. I hit what I thought was a very good tee shot – a well-struck low draw around the large mounds on the left. Arriving at my ball, I found that the course maintains the right half of the stretch between the mounds and the right bunkers as rough – the fairway cut here, hugging the left side, is only about 14 yards wide! This may be to help keep tee shots from rolling out into the ESA. And the rough, as currently constituted, is fairly short but dotted with clumpy growths – my ball was sitting between two of them, not allowing me to get a club cleanly on the ball. So after a solid tee shot I had 150 to the creek and 190 to clear – I had no option but to lay up. A well-struck 9-iron landed around the 150-yd marker ……… where I found concrete-hard turf, and trampolined forward, coming to rest 6 inches behind a fence post marking the edge of the creek!

So I’ve hit two very good strikes and I have ……… a big dog turd to show for it. [At the time, I thought the fence was in the hazard and a drop was a penalty, so my mindset was VERY negative! Found out later this probably was a free drop.] I dropped, hit a wedge on the green, and saw my 12-footer for par slide by the hole. 3 good shots and a bogey, as Matt made his eagle putt.

This hole has a number of problems – a marshal in the fairway must always be present there to let people know when they can hit, because of the blind tee shot. The fairway cut is so narrow that getting on it, to give you a good chance at clearing the creek or even going for the green, is very low probability. The rough needs to be consistent enough to give players options to lay up or take chances with distance, not clumpy and inconsistent. If they are going to make you lay up, at least give the golfer a suitable area to hit to, not a concrete driveway sloping down to a hazard!

OK, in reality I’m just really grumpy because I wound up with a poo bag and Matt hit a great shot and made eagle!

I still like this course and recommend it. But I don’t like the setup on #15! So there!

Played today with GK'er Dconnally for their AWESOME Birthday Deal, Free ON your Bday. Tee time was 842 on a gloomy drizzle of a morning but the course was in fantastic shape. This course will require ... Continue »

Played today with GK'er Dconnally for their AWESOME Birthday Deal, Free ON your Bday. Tee time was 842 on a gloomy drizzle of a morning but the course was in fantastic shape. This course will require a lot of accuracy off the tee with the exception of maybe 3 holes on the front nine that have ample landing area. Lots of elevation changes and ob to carry and stay away from combined with multi tier greens make's this course very challenging if you are not on your game. We played from the Blues and the course didnt seem too long but not short by any means. We saw the cart girl twice on the front nine but as noted by the starter she was not working the back nine due to maintenance. Staff was super friendly from bag drop to club pickup after the round.
As for conditions it was in great shape

Tee Box- lots of coverage and mostly level which is nice on any course we did have one noticeably worse than the rest on a par 3 but was able to find a small flat spot to hit from.

Fairways- all though some are very narrow, especially hole 15 which my playing partner was absolutely disgusted to find out he missed the fairway on a great shot, Were well maintained and almost 100 percent coverage.

Rough- it had lots of grass but the issue was two different types which lead to interesting lies because of the two different lengths bust was not overly penal.

Greens- They had a light sand dressing two days ago and it was very noticeable but the putts ran true and quick to bad my eyes deceived me a lot. Very soft too held almost every shot.

Sand- i was in one sand trap and it was early so it was a little wet from the drizzle but i could tell it was nice sand and if dry it would be powder.

In all I loved this course and am great full for the special deal they have and would love to play again even though rack rate is normally around $100

Played the Blues (6467/71.0/129), thanks to the Crossing @ Carlsbad for a free B-Day round! Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, I played 2 holes in the mist then 7 holes in a drizzle that ... Continue »

Played the Blues (6467/71.0/129), thanks to the Crossing @ Carlsbad for a free B-Day round! Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, I played 2 holes in the mist then 7 holes in a drizzle that turned into a steady downpour. I quit after 9. Which really sucked to be me, because I had looked forward to this round ever since playing here for the 1st time on my B-Day round last year. Everything about this facility was top notch, from the large beautiful clubhouse to the cart attendants who picked up and dropped off your clubs out front before/after the round. No hassle on the B-Day round, got me right out and on the course quickly. The tees were lush and well maintained. The fairways would have been good w/o the sloshiness because of the rain. The rough was lush and generally good to hit out of. The sand traps were in excellent shape, very well maintained, not going to mark them down because of the rain. The greens putted really nice. Firm, smooth and medium fast, even while raining I was going by 3-4' consistently. The layout is excellent, reminds me of Moorpark C.C. Definitely not a beginners course, forced carries and mandatory penalty staked hazards just off most fairways, very unforgiving course for any crooked shots. The green complexes had many mounds and tiers, so chipping as well as putting was challenging here. I liked that you could go low, go high or play the slope of the terrain as you chose on many shots from off the greens. Outstanding course, Definitely recommended.

Played the Crossings at Carlsbad on Sunday 4/24/16 teeing off at 6:45 AM. The rack rate on my tee time was $110, however the round was free as part of the Crossings Birthday promotion. [The course is ... Continue »

Played the Crossings at Carlsbad on Sunday 4/24/16 teeing off at 6:45 AM. The rack rate on my tee time was $110, however the round was free as part of the Crossings Birthday promotion. [The course is on my list to save for an play with my friend Bob]

Played with a father and adult son who are regulars at this course playing every Sunday together. Don and Gordon were wonderful golf partners, and significantly aided my enjoyment by providing assistance with the course when asked. There are a number of blind shots on this course, along with hidden bunkers, and false fronts to greens.

The starter after asking about my level of play recommended the white tees. This was an excellent and insightful suggestion. The Father and I both played whites, the son played blues. This is a very long course with a lot of elevation change. Off of one tee we had to carry 180 yards over a gorge to the fairway on the opposite side.

The carts are well maintained, and feature a very nice GPS large screen display that shows yardage from the cart to the pin (Not the center of the green, but actually to the pin). It is mounted on an arm to the steering column so does not block line of sight like some others.

Tee boxes were in excellent shape perfectly level, well maintained, lush, with a divot repair bottle ready at every tee. Apparently it is well understood, as most divots on the tee were filled.

Rough was 1-4 inches, with large tracts of environmentally protected land bordering the fairways. The fairways were mostly lush, there were no bare spots, and many divots were sanded.

Greens were in very good condition, although one of the groups in front of us didn't get the concept of repairing ball marks, so there were a few of those. Unfortunately these same people are pretty good as many of the ball markers were around the pin. The fringe around the greens were nicely cut, the second level was very moist during the morning round making it more penal that it might otherwise have been.

Bunkers both fairway and greenside were in excellent shape. We learned on the back nine that someone loves Luke as there was a heart with his name in it. Fortunately I was able avoid stepping on this sandy tribute well hitting out of the bunker.

The feel of this course is more private club the municipal course. There is a bag drop, the greeter has your name on the roster, check your bag, and after checking in at the pro shop you will find it on your cart with your tee time posted down by the practice green. Everyone was friendly, they marshals even came by to wish me a happy birthday and to make sure I was having a good time, well we were on the back nine.

Had three groups in front of us a foursome, threesome and twosome. Apparently the marshals are not able to be too aggressive moving players along, so I was told. At one time on the 10th we had the foursome out front, holding up the threesome and twosome in front of us, we were on tee, and two groups were waiting with us. Eventually the group was asked to speed it up (after which one player hit a hole in one) and the pair I was with being annoyed was engaged in friendly discussions to relax them and create space. It took until 15 to get everything sorted, by which time a combination of increased wind, and frustration made for a less than quality back nine. Apparently this course can be played in 3.5 hours, we played it at about 4.5 hours. Personally I didn't mind.

The course is wonderful, it's very challenging, and in very good condition. I am so very glad I played it. Many thanks to everyone at the course for a wonderful time.

The breakfast burrito's are great. The restaurant in the club house is very reasonably priced. I look forward to finding a way to play this course again.

I was originally scheduled to play my next GK Cup match here on Wednesday, 4/6/2016, at 2:15pm, but my opponent had to cancel due to family issues. I decided to go ahead and play to get a round in lea... Continue »

I was originally scheduled to play my next GK Cup match here on Wednesday, 4/6/2016, at 2:15pm, but my opponent had to cancel due to family issues. I decided to go ahead and play to get a round in leading up to the GK Plays at Desert Willow, moving up to tee off at 1:20pm from the white tees with three visitors from the Bay Area. We had an enjoyable round under cloudy cool weather with occasional blustery winds; we got off on time, but the course was crowded and the round took 5+ hours.

Overall conditions were very good. Greens rolled well at medium speed and were pretty firm – you rarely saw a ball mark. Fairway coverage was good and rough had been cut low. Tees were level and fine, although par 3 tees were torn up, as is frequently the case anywhere. Sand in the two bunkers I was in was adequate for play. Efficient starter, marshals were out on the course, saw the cart girl a few times. I always enjoy this course, although prime time can be pricey.

Played Crossing today for 1st time, course is a great challenge with carries over ravines. The greens were fast and in great shape! 1st class service. Good dog at turn. A beautiful day all around.

Played Crossing today for 1st time, course is a great challenge with carries over ravines. The greens were fast and in great shape! 1st class service. Good dog at turn. A beautiful day all around.

Played at 11:42am on Monday, 1/25/2016 - thanks to GKer rudyclub for the invite to join him for his free birthday round (Tim took full advantage!, getting several very good bounces and chipping in fro... Continue »

Played at 11:42am on Monday, 1/25/2016 - thanks to GKer rudyclub for the invite to join him for his free birthday round (Tim took full advantage!, getting several very good bounces and chipping in from off the green on #18!). The day was sunny and cool with a light breeze. Range was on mats but in very good condition and supported tee insertion. Fairways and greens were all very firm – these greens would not hold even wedge shots; good lies were had in the fairways. Greens rolled well at medium-fast speeds. There was scattered divot damage on all greens, and many unfilled gouges in fairways and rough. Sand was thin and firm throughout – that was good from fairway bunkers, but difficult to play from around the greens. Tees were level and in good condition. All personnel were friendly and efficient. We saw the cart girl several times, and there is a snack shack at the turn. We were behind a mixed foursome and waited frequently, although we noted that they also waited at times. Overall POP was just under 5 hours. Offline shots here can easily find the ubiquitous natural areas. Recommended.

Played Crossings on Wednesday and was paired with 3 nice older guys. The course is in great shape and I saw no evidence of a water shortage here. Everything was nice and green, fairways were nice an... Continue »

Played Crossings on Wednesday and was paired with 3 nice older guys. The course is in great shape and I saw no evidence of a water shortage here. Everything was nice and green, fairways were nice and firm, but if you got in the rough you might not find your ball. Rough is up about 2-3 inches, and you could barley see it, and your lie depended on luck. Greens were great, they rolled smooth and true, apparently either people there fix there own ball marks because I saw maybe one or two at the most, so good on them. The GPS was great, everything was from cart to pin which I liked. Overall, course was great and playing partners were just as great and would definitely play again..

Played this afternoon. Teed off at 11:51.
Perfect weather. Course is is great condition. This is the first time I have played this course. I would play a couple tee shots differently next go around. ... Continue »

Played this afternoon. Teed off at 11:51.
Perfect weather. Course is is great condition. This is the first time I have played this course. I would play a couple tee shots differently next go around.
Greens are large and held shots perfectly. They were true and semi fast. Some extra ball marks to repair here and there. I played out of one bunker, no issues at all. Nice sand. Some people just don't care that anyone plays behind them.
Fairways were great. Rough was really tough to get out of. The ball just disappeared . A fine test of golf. Pretty generous fairways. Tighter on the back nine. Rough was penalizing. Back nine was much tougher than the front.
Beverage cart came by a couple times. Met some nice people out there. A couple from Germany on their last day of vacation. Wayne from Arizona, it was a pleasure.
I would play this course again. I happen to be vacationing in Carlsbad this week also.