Like The A Team's Hannibal Smith always says - "I love it when a plan comes together." I had some work up in the Solvang area this past Friday afternoon and thought, just on the off chance time frees... Continue »

Like The A Team's Hannibal Smith always says - "I love it when a plan comes together." I had some work up in the Solvang area this past Friday afternoon and thought, just on the off chance time frees up, I will take my clubs and some golf clothes just in case. As fate would have it, I was able to finish up and drive over to the River Course at Alisal and not only was there a nice 1:30pm tee time available, but the very kind starter even got me a lower twilight rate. I was paired with a single who turned out to be a great guy and off we went playing from the blue tees and both riding in very nice carts with all the necessary features. The first thing that stood out was how quickly we moved from hole to hole, then we caught up with a group at the 7th hole and they let us play through. When all was said and done, we finished the round in just three hours - amazing! POP was simply perfect all afternoon on a gorgeous summer day. The course itself is also in great shape. I had only played here once before in a scramble tournament, so I was thrilled to be able to actually play the course myself and had quite a decent round to boot. The layout is very fun while not overpowering. There are not a ton of elevations but there are some elevated tee boxes (not many) and some sneaky water features that are really well hidden. The course is really right out in front of you but it's easy to get lost in the beautiful surroundings in Solvang and just the course's aesthetics alone. On top of all that goodness, the course was in very fine shape as well! The greens were running really nicely after having been punched about a month ago (as I was told by my playing partner), and speeds were consistent throughout the day which lead to me to a nice 27-putt afternoon. Nothing too tricky or gimmicky about them either, just fun and well-kept. Fairways were also in really good shape with a few late-summer thin areas and some sections were a bit overwatered, but nothing to take away from the goodness. Tee boxes were all in really good shape - flat and level, and well groomed, while the bunkers were absolutely sublime - some of the best, most fluffy sand that I've played in a long time, which made two sandy pars all the more satisfying. The rough had some deep areas but mostly it was very playable and not too much of a hassle. Overall the course conditions were quite superb. What more could you ask for? It was really an overall perfect day with a solid golf round, a tremendous course, a great playing partner, outstanding POP and all at a discounted rate thanks to staff who really get their customers. I have nothing but the highest of marks for my first proper round at the Alisal. Can't wait to get back there and play it again.