Great golf course! A must play! Was camping by Rancho San Marcos. Called the course day before; they said come on out. Put me with a twosome. A couple locals who play it alot. The greens had jus... Continue »

Great golf course! A must play! Was camping by Rancho San Marcos. Called the course day before; they said come on out. Put me with a twosome. A couple locals who play it alot. The greens had just been sanded and were running a little slow. I'd hate to see them when they're fast!!! This place is what golf is all about!

Played here for the first time 8-8 afternoon. For the price, you can't beat this course with a stick. Friendly pro shop and marshalls. Only complaint about the service was no yardage book available... Continue »

Played here for the first time 8-8 afternoon. For the price, you can't beat this course with a stick. Friendly pro shop and marshalls. Only complaint about the service was no yardage book available. Print out e-yardage before you go. Course is a very tough design, don't play from the back unless you're single digit and can whack it a long ways. Course was in good shape, a little rough around the edges (where I sometimes end up). I didn't like the half-dirt and crusty traps, but they weren't crusty enough to keep my ball from completely embedding in the sheer vertical face of a large bunker on the back 9. Sand plays heavy. Greens were smooth and soft. Fairway lies were pristine. If it wasn't so far from me, I would play here a lot.

Played in our clubs annual tourney this past Sat/Sun. Course is in great shape. Definitely challenging and well worth the price and drive!

Played in our clubs annual tourney this past Sat/Sun. Course is in great shape. Definitely challenging and well worth the price and drive!

A great course - one of my favorite tracks! Conditions are excellent, from tee to green and everywhere in between. A challenge for all who tee it up! And...one of the best value courses in the sta... Continue »

A great course - one of my favorite tracks! Conditions are excellent, from tee to green and everywhere in between. A challenge for all who tee it up! And...one of the best value courses in the state.

FYI, Gold tees are now the White tees, White have become Blue and Blue tees are now the Blacks. Probably a good idea as many players should be playing the whites on this beast!

If you have a chance, take a drive to this out-of-the-way gem and you will not be disappointed!

Played on 07/29/05 the last of the tgif tourneys here. For $41 we played a 2 man Chapman format ( 8 teams ), cart, green fees, beer, fried shrimp, taquitos, prizes and give-aways included. The 2 1/2... Continue »

Played on 07/29/05 the last of the tgif tourneys here. For $41 we played a 2 man Chapman format ( 8 teams ), cart, green fees, beer, fried shrimp, taquitos, prizes and give-aways included. The 2 1/2 hour drive was well worth it. This course is so worth it! It is too bad that they will no longer put this tourney on - not enough people. I bet if enough people could make the drive, they would start it up again. The pro was talking about 80 people or so. Best course for the money in the state, I'll bet.

Thanks for the great story... congrats on a great round!

Thanks for the great story... congrats on a great round!

Continuing from my prior post....

Hole ten, had a major hiccup. Drove the ball through the fairway into the thick rough. Took me three hideous shots to get on the green from there. two putt for a... Continue »

Continuing from my prior post....

Hole ten, had a major hiccup. Drove the ball through the fairway into the thick rough. Took me three hideous shots to get on the green from there. two putt for a double bogie....back to even par...E

#11 ....can't even remember much about it...fairway, green, two putt... it was such a ho-hum par....still even par.

#12 Trying to reach in two is almost impossible but I still tried. second shot ended up about ten yards from the front edge. Nearly chipped in...easy birdie!! back down to -1.

#13 I had par...ho-hummer with an 8-iron off the tee

#14 is my favorite hole, period. In the hundreds of rounds that I've played here, I have honestly birdied this hole more than 75% of the time. Hit a huge dead-straight five iron off the tee. left with about 150 yards, hit a soft eight to the blind pin. could just barely see the top of the flag. got up there and it's stuck inches from the hole. Another easy birdie to rally back down to 2 under par.

#15 is always described as a true three-shot par five. I disagree somewhat. Get your first drive down near the end of the first section of fairway. All you have to do to reach the green, and I know this still seems nearly impossible for most of you, is start your 3 metal or a 1 or 2-iron down the right edge of the second section of fairway and hit a low penetrating draw. With enough gusto the ball will bound all the way towards the left side, even off the fairway and, if lucky enough, will start to turn back to the right and down the steep hill, toward the green. It is possible to get the ball to the putting surface but it will most likely roll off the left side of the green. Still, you can putt from there if on the fringe, or its an easy chip if the pin is playing slightly toward the back of the green. I did this and made yet another great birdie...-3

#16 is always intimidating off the tee. It feels so narrow up there. This hole in my oppinion requires your best 3-wood. The loft will get you up over the trees squeezing in from the left and right sides of the tee box if you happen to hit it a little sideways, and should give you enough length to reach this tough par four in regulation. Chipping is tough around this green. It's essential to hit the green in regulation if your looking for a par. Today it was just a ho-hum par thanks to this strategy.....two holes to go and I'm at -3.

#17...the hole where the kid in the Pepsi TV commercial makes a hole in one with no one to witness, but a lonesome course ranger . Anyway, this is my second-favorite hole at La Purisma...and it still is because I managed to make another birdie after a 3/4 9-iron ended up ten feet away from the hole. Just a dead-straight putt for birdie left.

now I'm -4.

I step up to the eighteenth tee and low and behold the lady who nearly aced the third hole is already walking onto 17 green behind me. I wave, then proceed to tee up with a driver. Biggest drive of the day!!--320yards plus--left with a 56 degree sandwedge from a pretty tight lie in the fairway. Hit it perfectly and I knew it....I could just feel it travel up the shaft of my wedge. I knew it would be close. The ball's headed right at the hole, everything is in slow motion, and the d%mn thing slam-dunks into the cup--no hop!! I fell flat on my back and had a laughing fit until the lady behing me caught up. She comes right up to me and says one word, "wonderful". And a wonderful Eagle it was to match my personal best on La Purisma...-6....66/72.

By the way the course is immacualate and you won't find a better course anywhere!!

I hope they have a Q-school stage here again soon...I just might qualify playing like this.

FORE!!!

Sealskinz

Been playing here since I was 11 years old. Shot a 66 from the back tee when I was 17. Yesterday, at 27 years old, I decided to take the trip up to Lompoc.

Got there first, even before the starte... Continue »

Been playing here since I was 11 years old. Shot a 66 from the back tee when I was 17. Yesterday, at 27 years old, I decided to take the trip up to Lompoc.

Got there first, even before the starter had arrived. Not even the maintenance guys were around yet. What a beutiful place to anxiously wait for the first tee time to come along and watch the sun rise slowly over the hills to the east.

Starter let me go first. I walked, which you should at "LA PIRAHNA", the nickname for my favorite course in the USA. The back tees were pushed forward but I played it all the way back anyway.

I started with a solid 3-wood on the first fairway. You should take more loft in the morning at La Purisma because there is less roll than carry in the early morning at least. Then slammed a 2-iron to the green about fifteen feet away....sunk that one for an EAGLE....great start to say the least.

par on #2...ho hum, but a nervous ho-hum at -2.

birdied#3 from five feet, PW.....-3

bogie on four...dont ever put your ball above the hole on this approach, even if it means being short of the green leaving a simple chip to the front portion of the green....if the pin is on the back shelf, just hope you get lucky!!.....back to -2.

Hole five...Witnessed a miracle. Standing in the fairway looking backwards toward the green at hole #3, I saw a ball land on the back of the putting surface which spun back five feet, lipped out ending up on the very edge of the cup. I watched the ball for a minute or so and along comes this lady. She gets up on the green on her way to mark her ball, but itf falls in the hole by itself. She replaced the ball and tapped it back in like she should have--very honest.....I hollored over, "WUNDERFUL"!! She responded with a smile and a big wave.

Anyway...bogied hole #5 after failing to get up and down out of the deep bunker in front of the green....-1

hole #6 has the best view of any hole on the course....drove it past the fairway bunkers, the ball actually ended up on the left side of the hole just off of the fairway. Killed a 3-iron from there to the left side fringe. Used my putter off the fringe...put it up there some four feet away and sunk the birdie...-2

Happy to walk away from #7 with a bogie...what a tough hole from the back tee....actually the only hole I somewhat dislike on the entire course.....-1 again.

#8 saved par from the right-hand green-side bunker.....still -1

#9 stuck a 4-iron three feet from the hole. had some break to it but managed to catch the backdoor slider for another bird...-2 through nine holes...34/36.

Will continue on a later post....

Sealskinz

Absolutely a great value and a great course to play many times. Worth every dime and quite tough from the back tees and a test from the next set. Veiws are great, the food in the restaurant is very go... Continue »

Absolutely a great value and a great course to play many times. Worth every dime and quite tough from the back tees and a test from the next set. Veiws are great, the food in the restaurant is very good and the people are pleasant. One of the best layouts in the nation by far. Could be a U.S. Open course if there was a large enough population base nearby.