I wanted to try a new course and picked Peacock Gap. It sits just off the bay in San Rafael. Sadly it sits on a flat piece of land which is surrounded by rolling hills that block any view of the bay. Being flat, the course would be easy to walk, especially since the transfers are very short. The pro shop is small in size, however it looks like they have a few different restaurants, catering halls that are all new looking.

The layout is pretty much completely flat but does have a couple of creeks and a water hazard to keep things interesting. The course yardage is short, however due to some longer Par 3’s (made even longer with the nasty wind today) the course feels longer than it actually is. Condition wise, in short, I’d say average muni like condition. Greens were ok. Moderate size with some challenging slopes but nothing crazy. Greens rolled smooth albeit on the slow side. Greens held approach shots fairly well. I will say that it was super windy which had more effect on the ball checking than the greens. Naturally shots into the wind held great while downwind shots would easily roll off the back of the green if not landed in the right spot.

Fairways were firm and offered great roll out. They were a bit on the thin side for ball striking purposes, but nothing too bad. Rough was only about 1.5 inches tall. Manageable but shots coming out of the rough with the wind were unpredictable.

Tee boxes were all level with good coverage. I was in five greenside bunkers and all had decent sand in them. Nothing as good as the bunkers at Hunter Ranch, but good enough to get a quality shot out of.

As I mentioned before it was super windy (2-3 club wind) so I’d be curious to see how this course plays in benign conditions. Would I recommend it? If you’re in the area, sure. If you only have a chance to play one round while here for a week/end, you can probably find better options, but this course will work.

Got a chance to play the Stadium course today with Billy and Mike before it closes for renovations on Tuesday. I forgot how challenging and fun this course really is, and my goal is to try and play here at least 10 times a year but I digress and on to the review.
We teed off as a threesome at 2:45 because Mike played earlier in the day as Billy and I didn’t and we played in 4:15 so not to bad for a Monday afternoon as the course was very busy.. As I haven’t been here in a while, there are multiple trackman stations if one wanted to use them and practice facility is expansive from chipping and putting to basically whatever you wanted to work on. At the 1st tee the sign says greens speed was 11 and after playing I believe it. For the most part course was in great shape seeing how they are closing it for some time, tee boxes all level, which is probably the most level thing on the course, fairways weren’t overly narrow and were decently wide but the trouble lies when you push the ball a touch here or there because it ends up in the drink even if you slightly miss your target. Bunkers are nice and compact easy to hit from, greens rolled very well, missed some by an inch but none the less excellent speed and consistency. We all played from the white tees and really had a great time and lots of fun. One thing I remember was they use to have GPS in the carts to tell yardages but not anymore it’s just a speaker for music to play, so that would be my only complaint. I would say a great time was had by all as we visited Ernie’s restaurant and if you are in the area it’s highly recommended

Walked on out here today around 5:45 instead of sitting in traffic back to OC after the GK/GolfMoose outing at Oaks Club of Valencia. The course was surprisingly not very busy at all and I was able to play alone and finished in about 90 minutes, even taking my time to take lots of pictures. Glad I was able to cross this one off the list without the 2.5-hour nine it's known for.

Conditions are pretty good. Greens are nearly healed from aeration and rolled medium speed. Early evening is a tough time to judge poa annua greens because they weren't very smooth nor pure. They were probably around medium firmness. Fairways and rough had decent coverage. Many tee boxes were closed, making already-short holes play shorter than the card yardage. They were also pretty beat up but at least you can tee it up. I wasn't in any bunkers.

First time here. I've wanted to play it for a while but it's not really worth making the trip just to play here, so catching it on the way home today was perfect. Only $11 to walk. Definitely a fun little course with some nice views of the Griffith Observatory and a few glimpses of Downtown LA. (I'm sure this will never happen, but cutting down some of the large trees around the perimeter of this course would open up some phenomenal views of downtown and be absolutely stunning.)

Played here today in group 1A of the GolfMoose/GK private club outing. Great times with kviser, mpisarski01 and fastfish433. Picture-perfect day with light breezes, nothing too severe. Started a few minutes after 10:00 and finished a little over 5 hours later. Golf staff was all really nice.

Conditions are excellent! Greens were smooth, medium fast (they announced between 11 & 11.5, stimp) and a little more firm than soft. Full, well-struck shots took a small bounce typically before stopping. Fairways were lush and excellent, as was the rough – I rated each a 9. Rough wasn't too penal unless you got in the deep grasses farther offline. Tee boxes were lush with no divots, but I don't think they were mowed today, so some were a bit long. If they'd been shorter, they'd be fantastic. I wasn't in any bunkers but the rest of the group said they were pretty good.

This was my first time playing the course. Aesthetics-wise, it's quite attractive and very hilly. There are maybe more uphill holes/shots on this course than any other I can remember. Design-wise, it's mostly solid except for two (maybe three, even) of the four par 5s are weird, bad holes – especially the atrocious 15th, which makes no sense to me at all. (After a blind tee shot, if you don't go for the green in two, the only options are laying back to around 160 yards out with about 10 yards of rise to the green or 100 yards to the green but with about 40 yards of rise straight uphill.) The par 3s at 4, 9, and 16 are all very attractive, fun holes. I got some Sherwood Country Club vibes from the gorgeous par-4 10th.

Great day on a really fun course. I'd love to play here again. (And if you're comparing Valencia privates, I'd choose this place all day over VCC across the freeway.)

Out early on a very pleasant and uncrowded morning. The greens have not yet healed from the aeration earlier this month. Still bumpy but had decent speed. A few of the fairways were a bit shaggy, but nothing too severe. I would give things a week or two and everything should be fine. Ruth, in the shop is the best, and makes coming here a pleasure. Always enjoy my experience here, which is why I continue to patronize this course.

Has been 9 months since the last review, just across the road from Cherry Island Elverta CA.
Things are good here at it's neighbor too.
Broke 80 two weeks in a row! Not many courses I get to do that at! Ok par 58 ;(
Greens almost 100% healed. Just a touch slower from last Sunday. Trying to get them extra healthy, fully grown in. According to a greens guy cutting new hole locations. Rolling smooth medium speed mostly flat and well kept.
Fairways are good on the four 4 pars. Rough nice playable everywhere.
The tees can be sparse, but all are flat. Blues get played the most and show it in spots.
I wasn't in sand. Partner was, took two strokes twice out of damp dark sand.
$30 to walk $40 to ride.
Out early so POP never a problem under 2.5 hours both rounds with mild sunny weather.
I know why, I can score bogey or under average golf scores here. Not sure I like it. It's move up and don't look back? Or find a way to get longer straighter off the tee's.
Fun.

Played 4/28 with a 1:10 start. Round was very slow, ending up at 5 hours from tee off, and they were 2-3 groups behind on the first tee (we started around 1:25). Course is in decent shape; fairways looked generally fine as did the rough. Greens had quite a bit of pitch mark damage with many unrepaired marks. Sand in bunkers looked to have some pebbles in it, and some were still quite wet. Overall, a fun track with some challenging holes which have a good amount of character. Lots of doglegs requires some strategizing off the tee. The biggest knock on the course is the shape of the greens, but overall an enjoyable round and very affordable with a GolfNow deal for $33 each w/cart.

Out Friday at 2:00pm as a twosome. Overall playing conditions were mostly good and consistent, teeing grounds through the fairways. An obvious exception is a big sandy/dirt swath crossing the first and 18th fairways that seems to be a permanent feature for the time being. On the first, it is in the landing zone and my buddy ended up in it. He dropped on the grass just short of it rather than play out of it. On the 18th, a decent shot will fly the patch and it is less of an issue. Rough is most often quite playable with some deeper sections and some dirt patches to be found. Bunkers were clean but firm with a fairly shallow, looser top layer. The greens were on the quick side and reasonably recovered, but there is a consistent residual bumpiness throughout. I'd say not enough to dissuade one from playing here as they were reasonably true and they will continue to improve, but be advised.

Service was good and we could have launched 20 minutes early, but we stuck to our original time. Most surprising was the pace, which was just a touch over four hours — a nice change of pace for a course that tends to be fairly busy with commensurate slowdowns, so don't expect it. Honestly not one of my favorite local courses, so I only get here about once a year, but objectively and for those who like it or are curious, recommended.

Played 4/27 at 9:10. First time at Bennett Valley after hearing generally good sentiments for years and was pleasantly surprised. As others have pointed out, layout is very straightforward parkland course with the established trees lining each fairway and the undulating greens providing most of the challenge. That said, the course was in really great shape, especially for a public, and generally is a great setting for a round of golf on a nice day. Tee boxes, fairways, greens, and bunkers all in good condition and didn't have any major complaints about any of them. Some areas in between fairways are still muddy from a wet winter, but those areas are clearly staked and there were no cart restrictions during our round. Will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this track.

Was out at Hunter Ranch yesterday. I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve played this favorite course. Hunter Ranch is a super fun and challenging course that offers a good mix of strategic shot making skills and enough grip it and rip it holes to let it fly. The elevation changes make the course fun but yet it’s still definitely walkable for those in decent shape.

The greens rolled super smooth at a nice medium fast pace. Greens are almost always in excellent condition here. Right now the fairways are also in top shape. They are super lush throughout. Sand traps have some of the best high quality sand in the business. They rival any top notch course.

I can’t say enough about what a fun course this is that also has the playing conditions to match. Prices are on the rise but still worth it. If you are traveling between Nor Cal and So Cal, Hunter Ranch is a great place to stop and play to break up the drive. It’s also in the middle of the Central Coast Wine District so it’s the perfect place to go for a weekend getaway. Golf in the morning and wine tasting (or bike riding) in the afternoon. It’s surrounded by some great back roads too for the car enthusiasts. Just remember, clubs in the trunk, wife in the front seat. I always get that one wrong!!

Possibly my favorite course ever, and I've played all the big ones. It is so good! Conditions were fantastic. This place gets so much play, as evidenced by old divots, but they really do a great job of keeping it pristine. Pace of play is an issue with the sheer difficulty combined with a lot of "tourist" golf. Played twice this week. First off yesterday and played in 4 hours. I've played before in the afternoon and it was almost 6 hours. Play early! Maybe greatest 1st hole you'll ever see. Spyglass is the best!

Course in great shape. This course is great way to get the feel of golf on the water. I've gone back and forth on this course for years, but I think I've finally decided it's not a great course. Something just doesn't feel authentic. I'd recommend playing once to decide for yourself. The redo should be very interesting. Was told by staff member that it will shut down in 2026 redesign for 1 year. Really hard to believe it will only take a year but I guess they want to get that revenue back ASAP. Great piece of property for Gil Hanse to work with but probably very restricted in terms of how much earth he can move with all the environmentally restricted areas.