Played in a charity scramble today 9/30, teeing off on the 3rd hole in Santa Ana winds. I'm thinking conservatively it's been 15 years since I've played this course — back before it went into a bit of... Continue »

Played in a charity scramble today 9/30, teeing off on the 3rd hole in Santa Ana winds. I'm thinking conservatively it's been 15 years since I've played this course — back before it went into a bit of decline and now again after it has recovered. Long enough that I had no memory of most of the layout and vague memory of the rest. I found the course in pretty nice overall shape. Teeing grounds only stick out in my mind when there is an issue and I can't think of any — all green at an appropriate height and level. Fairways were in good shape leaning towards tight with good rollout and if there were any brown or bare spots I don't recall them. Rough was mostly very playable. We never played out of a bunker but they were all groomed and looked nice. I walked in one and it was on the firm side, leaving only very shallow footprints. The greens were quick, clean and in good shape as was the immediate surroundings for short game. The clubhouse is nice with a beautiful view out the back side, but they are doing some upgrades so there is a little construction going on, especially in the pro shop. The golf carts are basic with no electronics for yardage, but they ran well enough. From the golf conditions perspective, I definitely recommend the place and am glad to see it in good shape after years of negative reports. As an aside, the tournament was a little bare-bones. No goody bags, sponsors on the tees or giveaways, no coolers around the course or even a circulating beverage cart. For $165 bucks base price I found that aspect surprising and lacking, but I would attribute it to the tournament organizer's choices/budget and not the course. The BBQ tri-tip and chicken dinner buffet put on afterward was very good and the sides and salads that went with it were worth noting, and I attribute that to the course facilities/kitchen.