This is truly one of the great courses in So Cal, and I continue to be challenged every time I play Rustic. That being said, there are some issues that should be addressed:

1) Pin Placements- It i... Continue »

This is truly one of the great courses in So Cal, and I continue to be challenged every time I play Rustic. That being said, there are some issues that should be addressed:

1) Pin Placements- It is obvious that whoever sets the pins has never played the game; a back pin placement just means toward the back third of the green, not two paces from the fringe!! Some of the pins in the last month have bordered on ridiculous.

2) 7th Green- I know they rebuilt this green after the floods, but it really doesn't have three good areas for pins; I love a short par 4 risk/reward hole, but this green seems to be a little over the top.

3) Condition- The course is usually in very good condition (especially given the number of rounds played), but some attention (and $$) should be paid to the areas just off the fairway, many of which are bare of any grass or with a variety of gopher holes. I would much rather see money spent to improve these areas instead of redoing the range, which I thought was fine.

These comments aside, it remains my favorite layout

I hate trees, and this course has few. Fairways are nice and big, and greens very challenging. This course plays long so bring those woods. Pleasent staff and nice club house make this a really nice... Continue »

I hate trees, and this course has few. Fairways are nice and big, and greens very challenging. This course plays long so bring those woods. Pleasent staff and nice club house make this a really nice course. I recommend anyone who like to let the drives really fly, to play here.

What a great course! All the elements except water. Stayed away from the bunkers until the last hole and d.bogeyed. Quiet and a very good walk. Wonderful links golf at the end of the 118.
Shaved apro... Continue »

What a great course! All the elements except water. Stayed away from the bunkers until the last hole and d.bogeyed. Quiet and a very good walk. Wonderful links golf at the end of the 118.
Shaved aprons are massive and deceiving at first. I think I can actually call it an experience playing this course. Loved it!

Sorry Johnny and T,

but I have to stick up for my favorite course in Ventura County (Rustic Canyon).

First of all #1 is not a straight away par 5, at least not from the tees that I play. Yes the... Continue »

Sorry Johnny and T,

but I have to stick up for my favorite course in Ventura County (Rustic Canyon).

First of all #1 is not a straight away par 5, at least not from the tees that I play. Yes the wind out there can be rough but I tell you one thing it will make you a better player and will teach you how to hit different shots. Plus the wind can be just as bad at Olivas, Camarillo, Los Robles, Simi Hills, etc.

And yes this is a links style course and playing the bump and run chip shot or low iron skipping in works well.

This by no means is a boring and straight course. I can count 5 dogleg holes on the back 9 (#10 at least 2nd shot, #11, #12, #14 and #18). Yes the back 9 is tough but I would not call it a torture chamber.

And no this course is not as tough as Lost Canyons when it is windy.

I am sorry I cannot vouch at all for Los Robles. Believe me I grew up on that course and it is my home course( I have probably played it more times than anybody on this site). I am glad you like it. But I cannot stick up and endorse management putting $5 million dollars into the club house, banquet facility, parking lot, new golf carts, etc and hardly any money into the golf course itself. Its a shame cause I actually would say that it is a nice challenging layout. But who wants to hit on unlevel tee boxes, dirt fairways and bumpy greens.

I will agree with you on some of your points, yes #12 is a messed up green but the more that I play I realize that some holes just are not birdie holes and on that hole if the pin is in the middle or back you just have to stay short and try to 2 putt for your par. #11 is tough especially with a back left pin but there are other holes to make up your strokes on.


Rustic is a course that you need to continue to play to enjoy. A lot of course knowledge and you need to bring your A+ putting game to score well.

Sorry Johnny I know I am not supposed to do this but had to comment on the t9245sw post above.

Hole number one slight dogleg right - risk/reward...don't know how many times I have sat in the fairwa... Continue »

Sorry Johnny I know I am not supposed to do this but had to comment on the t9245sw post above.

Hole number one slight dogleg right - risk/reward...don't know how many times I have sat in the fairway thinking about going for it or laying up. Early round hole, kind of stiff... do I or don't I...perfect.

Hole number two..OK kind of warmed up do I go down the left side with a better shot to the green and risk the OB or play it safe and accept a bogey....perfect.

Hole number three. Really warmed up now do I go for the green in one or lay up...uh...which side do I lay up on....perfect

This goes on hole after hole for the rest of the round (for the most part) Boring I don't think so. This is truely a thinking mans course, however it does take a few rounds to see the beauty of the design..... Oh yeah forgot to mention you better know the pin positions prior to blindly hitting into the greens..

Agree that Los Robles is a nice track (abet poor conditions and slow) but enjoyable. Not that I want more crowds here but you must bring your A game here AND plan your round to score well here.

Sometimes it takes a great review here and there and a legend is born. Such is the case with Rustic Canyon, which seems to make a lot of "Best of" lists locally and nationally with one of the lowest g... Continue »

Sometimes it takes a great review here and there and a legend is born. Such is the case with Rustic Canyon, which seems to make a lot of "Best of" lists locally and nationally with one of the lowest green fee structures for a top flight course anywhere.
I have played here several times and come away wondering what all the hoopla is about. The course is raved about for its minimilist approach to the landscape - apparently a whole lot of earth wasn't moved to tailor the holes to the original shape of the land - but to me that spells boredom. Hole number one is a dead straight ahead par five with no trees and a few bunkers and ravines thrown in to challenge your shotmaking, but very little to please the eye. Hole number two is another long and dead straight par 4 with some bunkering and ravines thrown in to challenge your shotmaking. Starting to sound familiar?
Did I mention that the all too frequent winds that howl through the hillsides here can truly torture your soul during the round?
This is not an easy course by any means. I would even suggest that on a very windy day, it is even tougher than the much higher slope rated Lost Canyons courses. Just when you start feeling good about yourself after the front nine, you embark on the torture chamber that is the back nine. The par 4 11th hole is one of the toughest par 4s in Ventura County hands down, and if the wind is blowing you are looking at almost certain double bogey if the pin is tucked in the back left side. The entire left side of this hole is nothing but jail, and you must flirt with the left side because the green ends in a bottleneck that juts to the left. The short par 4 12th hole is the most ridiculous hole I have ever seen because of a severly mounded green - think Pinehurst but even more ridiculous - that belongs in a carnival funhouse. It is all too easy to be left with a 10-footer and have your ball roll completely off the green with a 50-footer coming back. I would suspect that a lot of good rounds have been ruined on this throw-away hole because of the green. Folks, they need to relocate this green and start over or re-route this entire hole. I should also mention the greenskeepers are in the habit of mowing down the approach areas to the greens to make the greens appear much bigger than they really are as you make your approach shots.
The backside continues on its grueling pace, making you sweat over many shots without the inspiration that comes on other tough courses you will play. If you are looking for trees - any trees - you won't find them in this windswept place. Rustic is a great value for a course that is generally kept in great condition, but I will only play it when there is a tournament going on at Los Robles, my home course in Thousand Oaks that is tons more fun and inspiring to play.

Played this afternoon Monday 4/30. Fairways are beautiful but very thick giving less roll. Greens were in good shape and they are a little slower than normal. Some tee boxes on back nine had sand on t... Continue »

Played this afternoon Monday 4/30. Fairways are beautiful but very thick giving less roll. Greens were in good shape and they are a little slower than normal. Some tee boxes on back nine had sand on them. Overall another day in paradise at Rustic.

PLAY THIS TRACK!!! Played it on 4/29, and it was perfect!!! Definitely different than what I was used to. The staff was amazing as well!!!!

PLAY THIS TRACK!!! Played it on 4/29, and it was perfect!!! Definitely different than what I was used to. The staff was amazing as well!!!!

played here 2x this month 4/14 and 4/28...the greens look great but they are SLOWWWWWWWWWWWWW...it was slower than a muni. Overall the course was in good shape, teeboxes were great as usual, fairway ... Continue »

played here 2x this month 4/14 and 4/28...the greens look great but they are SLOWWWWWWWWWWWWW...it was slower than a muni. Overall the course was in good shape, teeboxes were great as usual, fairway was in great condition given the amount of play this course gets...needs to improve on customer service if they want repeat business.