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.

Played Sat 5/31, 8am, 4 1/2 hr, warm day. Greens in good shape, a fast 10 on the stimp. Course is pretty and scenic.. interesting routing... challenging shots, but not super hard... bad shots won't ... Continue »

Played Sat 5/31, 8am, 4 1/2 hr, warm day. Greens in good shape, a fast 10 on the stimp. Course is pretty and scenic.. interesting routing... challenging shots, but not super hard... bad shots won't kill you, but you do want to hit the ball well to score well. Greens are big. Had a great time... I liked this course better than the ranch.

In Solvang for a few days, teed off @noon on Tuesday, 12/17. A beautiful day to play, I caught the single ahead of me on the 4th hole and we continued together. Per my previous reviews, I don't think ... Continue »

In Solvang for a few days, teed off @noon on Tuesday, 12/17. A beautiful day to play, I caught the single ahead of me on the 4th hole and we continued together. Per my previous reviews, I don't think this is the most interesting course around – generally flat and fairly straight forward – but the setting is very scenic and the conditions are pretty good all around. Good conditions tee to green with rough more often benign than not. I also found the bunkers well maintained with good sand. The greens were particularly clean and putted well at a reasonably quick speed. Behind some foursomes, the pace was about 4.5 hrs which seemed more sluggish than it needed to be, but it was as good a place as any to spend the extra time taking in views of the surrounding landscape. An additional note: I took my wife and in-laws down to the course restaurant the previous day for lunch for the first time. Good food and service in a nice setting. There is a patio area outside that is a great setting for dining but it was chilly that day and only indoor dining. I don't know if it is otherwise used this time of year, but a great spot in warmer weather. Breakfast and lunch during the week with early dinners on the weekend. The Christmas decorations were off the hook.

Played her last week on Sept 23 as part of a 4 day group outing. It was a very warm day with no cart service, but there was a snack bar at the turn. However, the golf course staff were great. The cl... Continue »

Played her last week on Sept 23 as part of a 4 day group outing. It was a very warm day with no cart service, but there was a snack bar at the turn. However, the golf course staff were great. The clubhouse was nice but closed before we finished our round, due to the course preparing for a 3-day tournament.

The course is pretty flat not a lot of ups and downs. The course was pretty damp as they were watering a lot for the tournament. Greens were nice and flat they did roll true. Fairways were nice and green and did have a lot of roll after your balls landed. Roughs were not that high that you can still locate your ball after an errant shot.

The layout of the course was somewhat confusing as you had to crisscross some tee boxes to get to the next tee box. Cart signs were not accurately placed to show where to drive your cart. There is no GPS on the cart, to make it easier to navigate the course.

Finally made it out to the River Course at Alisal after years of wanting to play there, and I definitely came away feeling like it was worth the wait. It's set in a gorgeous area and there's no shorta... Continue »

Finally made it out to the River Course at Alisal after years of wanting to play there, and I definitely came away feeling like it was worth the wait. It's set in a gorgeous area and there's no shortage of beautiful holes.

The only downside was playing it in a work event scramble tournament, so now I'm more motivated than ever to play a real round there in the near future. It's a very fun layout with lots of twists and turns but nothing really too gimmicky whatsoever. There's a bit of a parkland feel to many of the holes but you never get bored or feel compartmentalized by the terrain.

The facilities in the clubhouse are very nice, but the driving range is far from adequate. It's tiny and not much fun to have to wait for a long time when warming up for one of the few stalls to open up. But really, after that there's not too much to complain about.

I found the course probably in its worst possible condition after all the recent heatwaves and still found it to be really playable and engaging. No, the fairways currently are not pristine and carpet-like, but they're most very good with a few thin spots here and there. The rough is very thick but still playable, however there is a lot of tree debris at present to make finding your ball rather difficult in spots.

The tee boxes were all in good to very good shape, while absolute top marks went to the white, fluffy sand bunkers that were an absolute joy to hit from. It's been a long time since I've played bunkers this good and it was a real treat finally to be offline! The greens were also in really good shape - none too tricked out or fancy - just solid and true, rolling medium-fast and holding shots well. Really great.

Cart service came around plenty of times, but then again that might have only been for this event. I won't talk about POP because again - it was a scramble. I am though very content to have finally seen the grounds here firsthand and will make it a point to get back out here very soon when conditions are even better after some autumn rains.

Got out Thursday 2/29 as single joining another single. Not too much to elaborate on. The course is in overall very clean condition — clean, green and mown with not a bare or brown spot in sight. Bunk... Continue »

Got out Thursday 2/29 as single joining another single. Not too much to elaborate on. The course is in overall very clean condition — clean, green and mown with not a bare or brown spot in sight. Bunkers were a little firm but good — raked with no footprints. Rough was consistent and generally playable. The greens were very good and firm, barely giving up any pitch marks and running true at a quick but not touchy speed. It was coincidence that I was up from Altadena and my playing partner was up from Pasadena. He was good company and our games were similarly frustrating. We got around in something like 4:15 with no pressure. Whenever I review the course I mention it is not my favorite in its generally very straightforward layout, but the conditions and general views of the area give it a bump and it fit my itinerary. I enjoyed it. Hanging out afterwards on their patio and drinking a beer while the late afternoon sun warmed up the mountain views made for a nice finish to the day. One could do a lot worse.

Out as single on Friday 12/9, teed off at 12:20 playing the whites on a beautiful sunny day in-between rainy ones. Overall course conditions were clean. Teeing grounds were covered and level. Fairways... Continue »

Out as single on Friday 12/9, teed off at 12:20 playing the whites on a beautiful sunny day in-between rainy ones. Overall course conditions were clean. Teeing grounds were covered and level. Fairways were green, on the tight side but with a good based — not thin or hard. I noticed a few brown patches starting down the first fairway but they were small, few, and I didn't notice any the rest of the day. Rough was generally green, consistent and not overly punitive. I was in way more than my usual quota of bunkers and they were in good shape, clean and somewhat on the firm side. They gave way to the shot well enough, but needed barely a swipe with the rake since one tended to walk over the surface leaving minimal impression. Chipping from the fairway was tight but the rest of the area around the greens was in good shape for short shots. I'd say the greens were the highlight — clean, medium fast and true. I generally had a good putting round, converting numerous six-ish footers that stayed on line. As muni player, I'm not used to seeing that. Surroundings and conditions aside, I do find the course itself tad pedestrian in a predominantly flat, back and forth park land kind of way. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it. It's a good walking course in a beautiful valley and views of the surrounding area are very nice. While the round started with minimal wind, a steady westerly breeze running up the basin soon kicked up and stayed until the 18th. While it can seem like you are always heading into the wind on a breezy day, in this case it is closer to true. With the wind in this direction, 12 of 18 holes either play into the wind or get a cross breeze to factor in, so it often played longer for me on the day. My singular disappointment was bringing my dog out to walk with me only to find out they have banned dogs on the course since the last time I had been there. Apparently, an incident with someone's dog biting a child on the cafe patio led to the resort-wide ban. Too bad, as I was alone and it was otherwise the perfect opportunity and setting for it. Fortunately I was able to get my wife to come pick him up before I was due to tee off. Otherwise, a pleasant course, nice conditions, beautiful setting, and good walk. Recommended.

Played this course on 10-4-22 with OG greenskeeper.org member Cheeseburger. I have been coming to the solvang area since I was a small child and never actually realized how close to the course was to... Continue »

Played this course on 10-4-22 with OG greenskeeper.org member Cheeseburger. I have been coming to the solvang area since I was a small child and never actually realized how close to the course was to this beautiful town. The location of this course is amazing and the views of the surrounding areas are incredible.

The club house is very nice and has well stocked pro shop, the starter was very nice and we had a good conversation for a little bit while I was waiting for my playing partner to show.

The driving range was off of mats which did not have areas for using a tee if you wanted to hit driver at the range, but it is a nice small range. The carts are older and do not have GPS, but do have usb ports which allow you to charge your phone if you have a golf GPS app.

Arriving to the course there was a good amount of early morning dew and fog which cleared up after the first couple of holes. The fairways were in good shape and there were no patchy sections. The rough was consistent in length and not too difficult to hit out of. Tee boxes were in good shape and mostly level with a few exceptions, but on those you could still find a level area. The fairways were soft and the greens held most shots during the round.

There were a few minor things about the course that were of concern. The greens were inconsistent when it came to the surface. Some greens were very bumpy and did put a true line. Others looked like they were still recovering from the previous aerating, which was of some concern as I heard this course was due for another aerating at the end of the month.

The course had been recently mowed and there was a large amounts of wet trimmings along the course which had to be removed, and some areas of the course appear to be over watered and were very wet.

The sand traps need some work, some were like hitting out of a wet concrete slurry. Many of them had large amounts of pebbles, stones, and large rocks in them.

The pace of play was solid as we finished our round in 4hrs. We were able to get a great deal using GolfMoose.com that is found on the greenskeeper website. The round was $99 for 2 players with a cart and a free replay (wish I could have taken advantage of that but was not able too), All in all I was happy with this course and cannot wait to return. It was also nice to be able to go into town and enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants and stop by my favorite bakery for some danish cookies and the famous onion cheese bread.

I have been wanting to play this course forever. Finally got my chance on Monday the 2 October 2022. As a twosome, playing with my fraternity brother's son who is, like the Dalai Lama... a "big hitter... Continue »

I have been wanting to play this course forever. Finally got my chance on Monday the 2 October 2022. As a twosome, playing with my fraternity brother's son who is, like the Dalai Lama... a "big hitter"!

We had a 9:00 AM starting time and the place looked deserted. A little foggy when we arrived. We used the Golf Moose app and got 50% off off the normal rate! We paid $99.00 for the both of us! Thanks Johnny GK and Greenskeeper.Org for this very cool program. They have lots of deals.

Very dewy morning so there wasn't a lot of fairway roll. Fairways lush but not completely green... no bare spots. Mowed to a perfect length. Rough was not too long but it was best to steer clear. Pretty juicy stuff when wet!

Greens.... inconsistent. Some smooth and fast. Some look like they are recovering from the last punching. Some were lumpy-bumpy. Soft enough to hold all shots well. But, man! People need to start fixing their pitch marks!! Players at nice courses should know better. Also, bottles of mulch and seed mixture on every cart! Fill your divots!

Bunkers also inconsistent. "Small medium and large rocks in wet cement" is how my playing partner described them. Back nine sand traps in much better condition. He was in a few... I was spared until the 18th hole.

Older electric carts with charging ports, ball and club washer, but no GPS. Recommend bringing your own range finder or app for the course.

Overall a great course, and although not in perfect shape, highly recommended! Now that I live in Santa Ynez... I will be back... often!