Mlm...

try(805)- 677-6770 and u should get right through..enjoy... awesome course!

Mlm...

try(805)- 677-6770 and u should get right through..enjoy... awesome course!

Played in strong winds on New Years Day. Walked and had a great time. Reminded me of English seaside course. Will definitely be back. Special mention to sand in bunkers - excellent.

Played in strong winds on New Years Day. Walked and had a great time. Reminded me of English seaside course. Will definitely be back. Special mention to sand in bunkers - excellent.

Played on 12/27/07 & 1/3/08. Not much wind either day,which is unusual for Olivas being less than a mile from the ocean.

Fairways and rough are dormant brown but otherwise in what I would consider... Continue »

Played on 12/27/07 & 1/3/08. Not much wind either day,which is unusual for Olivas being less than a mile from the ocean.

Fairways and rough are dormant brown but otherwise in what I would consider normal winter shape for a course that didn't overseed. Some of you need to play where it gets really cold in the winter to appreciate how good even the poorer fairways are in So Cal in December-January. The upcoming expected rains should assist some of the dryer bare spots. Hardpan that will get you alot of roll on many holes, which can sometimes lead to trouble.

The tees, aprons & greens are in exceptional shape. The sand was the best I have seen it since it opened in May, was in it several times and was actually able to blast out. One member of our group buried a ball about 2 inches below the top of the lip on one trap and had to play sideways just to "advance" the ball. The bunkers on many courses in this area are so hard that you couldn't bury a ball with a backhoe, so that's a compliment. The greens were quick but not unfair, with numerous tough pin placements close to ridges that made placement a premium. Chips or putts from the wrong side of a ridge could be an adventure for the most skilled golfers. Pro Shop staff was excepcional and got our group out both days before our scheduled tee time.

Played twilight this afternoon 1/3. Greens were in terrific shape,little top dressing on greens but nothing to slow them or hinder them a bit. Sand in bunkers terrific. Tees level and in great shape. ... Continue »

Played twilight this afternoon 1/3. Greens were in terrific shape,little top dressing on greens but nothing to slow them or hinder them a bit. Sand in bunkers terrific. Tees level and in great shape. There was no wind today so we lucked out. Some tough pins but still a true and fair test of the game. They have cut the rough down in many spots on this course. I am back to giving grief on the fairways. They were dormant brown today(due to the season i am guessing). Please Olivas staff if u are reading this post..even if u have to shut down again...please try and improve the fairways...there is no grass on them(hard pan and dirt in some patches). I will still come out to play because I love the challenge that this course provides from the tips which includes the wind and the narrowness of most holes on the back and u have a great test. Plus if u putt well here u are money most other places. I will also continue to give praise to the staff(very friendly and nice staff) and a great putting and chipping area. Our group had a great time even with the fairways the way they were.

Played here for the first time on 11/8/07 and was very impressed with this golf course. It is an aboslute gem. The course was in immaculate condition. The greens were great, very smooth, fast and true... Continue »

Played here for the first time on 11/8/07 and was very impressed with this golf course. It is an aboslute gem. The course was in immaculate condition. The greens were great, very smooth, fast and true. As other reviewers have noted, this is a thinking man's golf course. Driver is not necessary on several of the par 4's, what's most important is getting the ball in the fairway because on several holes if you miss the fairway you are looking at bogey or worse. Holes 1 and 2 are dead into the wind so play at least a club longer on the approach. Hole 4 gives the longer hitters a chance to get home in 2. Holes 10 and 11 demand very accurate drives, 11 is a great hole, with a huge hazard to the right of the fairway and a semi-blind approach, 4 is excellent here. 13 is the best par 3 on the course, over 200 yards from the back tees with not much bail out room. 16 is one of the hardest par fours you will ever play, 480 yards from the back with a lake and bunkers to the left of the fairway and OB right, if you end up in the bunkers your only option is to lay-up. Unless you hit a great drive here be prepared to get to the green in 3 shots. Many players not used to playing in strong winds will be surprised how much the wind affects distances here and if you are walking (which I recommend you do) make sure you grab a pin sheet because the greens are huge and you can be left with some really long putts on the wrong part of the green.

All in all this is a must play and I will be back.

** Make sure you read Longball's playing tips for this course. They were invaluable to our foursome and saved me at least a couple of shots. Thanks Longball.

These greens are large, immaculate and well taken care of with few ball marks. The tees are mostly level and in good to excellent shape. Several fairways are still not where they would like them to be... Continue »

These greens are large, immaculate and well taken care of with few ball marks. The tees are mostly level and in good to excellent shape. Several fairways are still not where they would like them to be but seem to improve each visit. The fairways are mostly hard, so if you like spongy lies, this isn't the place for you.

Better keep it in the short grass.....The rough was really punitive in many places when this course reopened in May. With a dry summer, it wilted away in most places to being nothing to overly concern yourself about. After a rain or two it's already beginning to start up again. You can hit into a 6" patch right off the fairway where you have to practically step on your ball to find it. Assuming you find it, advancing it over 50 yards out of the above mentioned lie is a great shot many times.

I also find that I need to adjust my chipping style @ Olivas for several reasons.

First, The usual 15-20 mph prevailing wind can make 20-40 yard chip or pitch shots tough to gauge.

Second, that using a lower trajectory shot intended to run some over a flop type shot that I can't control because of the firmness of the greens and the hardpan fairways works better here.

Finally, the aprons around the greens aren't as large or mowed down as closely as another local links style course, Rustic Canyon.

You could have 2 golfers miss a green short right, maybe 15 ft. apart. One guy could have a shot going over rough and a traditional 3' fringe to deal with. His playing partner could be 15 ft from your ball and have a large links style apron that can stretch 25' or more to negotiate.

What I'm saying is this is a shot makers and thinking man's course and that you have to make more adjustments from 50 yards in than most courses require. If you only have a flop or a bump and run, you will likely get frustrated here because you can't get a ball close on many pin placements without the correct shot.

I am so torn with this course. I love the challenge of the back 9 and for me #6. You really have to play well here to score. I am really disappointed though with the fairways. For a new course I expec... Continue »

I am so torn with this course. I love the challenge of the back 9 and for me #6. You really have to play well here to score. I am really disappointed though with the fairways. For a new course I expect some grass on the fairways. Hard pan gets you a little more distance but you should not have to expect to pick the ball clean on most fairway shots no matter what skill level you are. Yes you can and I do adjust cause I know the course but I would hope that the management can look into improving the condition of the fairways( actually growing some grass on them). There are also some areas just short of the green that are hardpan and can be tough to chip from a tight lie.

So lets talk about the positives. The greens are in absolute perfect shape after they punched and sanded them about 5 weeks ago. The tee boxes are very nice and level which is great. The sand in the bunkers while thick in some spots is great quality sand. The design of the course is very cool. Two out of the 4 par 5's are into the wind and 3 shot holes. There a couple short par 4's and a couple long ones also. The way the wind blows you can really work on your game with some heavy upwind and downwind holes. Two of the back 9 holes you can lay up on off of the tee(11 and 15) if you wish. #13, #16 are very tough holes as is #6 when the wind is blowing. The staff are very friendly in the pro shop. Great putting green and chipping area and nice grass range.

Definitely one of my favorite courses. Pro Shop & starters are exemplary. The layout is links style and has many holes that are tough from the tips for most golfers, especially when the prevailing win... Continue »

Definitely one of my favorite courses. Pro Shop & starters are exemplary. The layout is links style and has many holes that are tough from the tips for most golfers, especially when the prevailing winds are in force. I find many more greens than most courses are true 3 club greens, meaning say a 6 iron for a front pin, 5 iron for a middle pin and 4 iron for a back pin. Greens are true and firm and are some of the best I have played on. The course has been reopened for about 6 months and while there are still a couple of fairways that need attention, it has improved each visit and they are making an effort to get everything plush. Tees and fairways overall are good to excellent. The rough was long and extremely punitive (think US Open) in many areas when it first opened. Perhaps because of the lack of rain for months, it has thinned out & is now hardly a factor in places where it was a lost ball several months ago. Overall, one of the better values around in my opinion.

Out 8am October 7th. Second time played since the renovation and not nearly as entertaining as back in July. Wind blew 10-20mph most of the day and hoped that would make the round an enjoyable challen... Continue »

Out 8am October 7th. Second time played since the renovation and not nearly as entertaining as back in July. Wind blew 10-20mph most of the day and hoped that would make the round an enjoyable challenge.
- would stay away from Olivas until the overseed/heavy sanding around the greens settles in. The heavy sanding around the greens acted like a sand trap. Difficult to play a links type course when bump and runs stop on the fringe and then play like a bunker. If we make it out there again soon [unlikely] I will check those conditions.
- The fairways and greens are still aerating.
- My playing partner commented on #14- hey didn’t we already play this hole? No. Really looks like the last par 5 on the front side…. – this echoes a comment on a previous post – some of the holes really did begin to look sort of similar after only the second time out there…
- We finished in just over 4 ½ hours but waited on almost every shot on the back side. Same as previous posts- many marshals running around, but no real action. The group in front of us was not keeping up and we were on their tails most of the day…literally getting to the tee boxes on them…
Again would strongly suggest checking the fringe conditions before booking a tee time. Not certain how often the GKer will need to do this sort of maintenance but it will impact how the course plays a lot. Also, the marshals are very friendly but will not push along pace of play.