Had a 9:20 tee time with an old college friend on 11/15. Paying $32, we saw that the greens were aerated late October b... » More

Had a 9:20 tee time with an old college friend on 11/15. Paying $32, we saw that the greens were aerated late October but decided to give it a go anyway as I have never played here. On a very chili and smokey day (heavy smoke from the Camp Fire), it was not very busy and we got off on time following two other 2 somes ahead of us. Starter was a very nice guy and gave us the a thorough overview of the course.

We heard it was Johnny Miller designed and knew we would probably in for a challenge. I was right. I found EV very challenging. It starts out with a rather lengthy par 5 and then a tough par 3. Most of the fairways were pretty generous with wide landing areas which was nice and were in good condition. Some thin lies on the back 9 but overall in good shape. The rough was cut low so not much rough to speak of. Bunkers were damp but not difficult to get out of. Tee boxes looked like they were recently over seeded and were fine.

I found the greens to be real challenging. Although still in recovery from aeration, they rolled ok but had undulations which really made them tricky. Some had 2 or 3 tiers. Some were large, some were small and narrow. First timers are really at a disadvantage because it was difficult to see undulations or size of the greens from the fairways.

Pace of play was brutal. As a 2 some, we were moving on the front 9 just fine but came to a screeching halt on #7. Come to find out there was a 2 some up ahead that were really struggling which made it slow down. From that point, we waited on every shot and finished just short of 5 hours. Of course the signature hole, #14 tends to slow things down as well. Beautiful, downhill par 3 over water. We had 3 groups backed up when we got there. The back 9 has some elevation changes which were really fun. It is a very beautiful setting as the course is set in among grape vineyards but we were denied some great views because of all of the smoke. I want to come back again. Definitely recommend but expect to be challenged.
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Played today, had a 7:04 AM tee time but was able to go out 15 minutes early as the first tee was wide open with no one ... » More

Played today, had a 7:04 AM tee time but was able to go out 15 minutes early as the first tee was wide open with no one waiting. It pays to get an early tee time even though it's starting to get a bit chilly in the morning these days. Went out as a walking single following a walking twosome, was able to finish the round in little under 3.5 hours even with getting plenty of practice two balls most of the front nine. The best news is that the greens which were quite badly damaged when I played here nearly a month ago have fully recovered and/or been repaired. Although they haven't recaptured the speed they once had, it was still nice to have smooth and predictable surfaces to putt on - kudos to the greenskeeper and his/her staff. One complaint I've had for sometime now is that many of the tees are set on a downhill incline and using the two-club length rule still doesn't find a level ground. No biggie, however. Fairways in general were decent with some patchy areas. As is the case with many city and county courses in Los Angeles, the rough is being kept short presumably to help improve the pace of play - smart. Bunkers were all in good shape and very playable. This is still one of the best layouts in L. A., and when the playing conditions are decent to good, one of the best deals for a senior walker at $21 on a weekday. Can't beat getting my much needed exercise while enjoying a challenging round of golf. It doesn't get much better than that.
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Snuck out here for a mid afternoon round after work. Wasn't too busy. Friendly guy in pro shop. Carts are in awful co... » More

Snuck out here for a mid afternoon round after work. Wasn't too busy. Friendly guy in pro shop. Carts are in awful condition and super old. It's painful to ride here as the course is super bumpy and the shocks on all the carts are shot. Bag kept getting bumped out of cart. Better just to walk. Tee boxes are in fair to poor condition, some mounded, most par 3s have divot damage. Fairways are hit or miss, some good coverage, some fair. Rough is patchy clumps with dirt interspersed. Bunkers had some heavy sand that was easy to get out of. Greens were hit or miss, the first 2 had heavy damage and were patchy, pock marked, with some new grass growing in. Some others actually rolled pretty well, but there were still areas being repaired. Pop was 2.5 hrs and that along with the cheap price is the main reason to play here. Have low expectations and you will not leave disappointed.
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Played today using the GK $20 w/cart coupon. POP was a surprising 4.5 H that did not seem that way? Maybe we were having... » More

Played today using the GK $20 w/cart coupon. POP was a surprising 4.5 H that did not seem that way? Maybe we were having to much fun? From a visual standpoint, the course looks good. But, looks can be deceiving. Fairways are mixture of grass and browned out areas, but are very thin and that thinness, is not conducive to good lies. But they roll forever. Virtually no rough to speak of anywhere on the course. Bunkers looked good, but the sand was very thin and saw a lot of skulled shots, due to poor sand condition. Tee boxes all looked like they needed water, though they were level and tee friendly. The greens, were hard and thin. Many of them still showing signs of aeration, after many days since. They were a mixture of fast/slow and showed no consistency. I have always like this layout. But I am not a fan of the current conditions and hope they get better soon? Customer service was excellent at all levels.
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Late review - looking for a quick inexpensive round, so El Prado was the logical choice. Staff is always very accommoda... » More

Late review - looking for a quick inexpensive round, so El Prado was the logical choice. Staff is always very accommodating and never have a problem getting out. Course conditions were about what I expected, consistent with the prior review.

Greens being the best part of the course. Fairways had areas which need attention, but most of the lies I had were fine. Only when you miss the fairways do you have serious condition issues. The two greenside bunkers I found had well maintained sand, good coverage.

Because I do not have unrealistic expectations, I am rarely disappointed. Enjoy playing here because it provides good solid basic golf at an affordable price.
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What is usually a favorite valley course, I was dissapointed in the conditions yesterday. Greens remain a strong point... » More

What is usually a favorite valley course, I was dissapointed in the conditions yesterday. Greens remain a strong point in that they were smooth and rolling at a medium-fast pace. Greens held approach shots well and had few pitch marks. Greens were ratted at a 7.5-8. The fairways however were a huge dissapointment. 50/50 green/brown with numerous thin and bare spots throughout.

Tee boxes ranged from just ok to horrendous. All were level (the entire course is flat) but all had thin spots and severe divot damage. Numerous bare dirt areas in the skirt areas surrounding the greens.

Sand traps were actually fairly nice. I was surprised at how nice the sand traps were actually. POP was a bit on the slow side but to be expected as this is their anniversary week and are holding $20 w/ cart specials.

I still love the layout and challange of this track with the dozen water features that come into play including the island 18th green. However conditions are below average right now.
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Had the pleasure of playing one of my favorite Vegas golf courses with GK’ers rob1563, kevbig and sixpez last week. With... » More

Had the pleasure of playing one of my favorite Vegas golf courses with GK’ers rob1563, kevbig and sixpez last week. With the growing support for GK in Vegas look for many more rounds to come out there with more GK’ers.

Rio Secco Golf Club was as expected a top-to-bottom excellent golf experience. Even on a windy day, even playing badly, even with a heavy head/heart that day after finding out about the shooting tragedy in my home city of Thousand Oaks. It's a strong testament to how fun of a golf experience this place is and why it’s a top high end Las Vegas golf course.

Rio Secco was in excellent shape. Fairways in lush rye grass conditions. Greens running fast and smooth. Rough almost completely dormant with some color hanging on (look for them to be blonde in a few weeks) had full coverage. Tee boxes, the back tees appeared to be overseeded but the white tees we played did not. Still level lies and well groomed. Nothing to complain about. Bunkers all in excellent shape with excellent sand. Love the texture of these traps. Might have found all of them – LOL.

Service is outstanding. Everyone super friendly and professional. We saw the cart girl three times on the front nine and twice on the back nine.

Layout is very challenging and with the gusty cool winds that morning it was even more so. It’s a fun layout that demands accuracy off the tee. There are lots of scenic views of the Las Vegas skyline so enjoy the photo opportunities. Especially with the crystal clear morning we played. Check out my photos I just posted here.

I’ll be back for more. Love this place. Highly Recommended.
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Up again in No. Cal. visiting friends and family and always, try to get in a couple rounds. As usual, make a stop to pl... » More

Up again in No. Cal. visiting friends and family and always, try to get in a couple rounds. As usual, make a stop to play Boundary Oaks. I see I am only rater of this course for some time and don’t have a lot to add from previous reviews. On a cold morning, there were a couple of groups already out or on their way to the tee. Waited for a bit and the starter sent me out as a single paying a walking, weekday rate of $27. It was a bit tough to get warm out there. 39 degrees at tee off time with some frost on the fairways helped get some roll.

The course is showing winter is on the way. Fairways look to be going dormant but still in good condition. Some bare spots out there also but for the most part, good coverage. Tee boxes look like they have been worked on so over seeding may have taken place. Bunkers are in great condition. They have all been worked on and have good firm sand.

The greens are in good shape. Fast actually. The pins were in difficult locations today so you had to watch the speed or going downhill you could roll past the hole and down on the other side of the green.

Always enjoy playing here but have seen it in better condition. Looking forward to my next trip up north to play here again.
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A rare occurrence these days, I found myself over on the West side yesterday and was inspired by roarksown1's recent rev... » More

A rare occurrence these days, I found myself over on the West side yesterday and was inspired by roarksown1's recent review to revisit The Shire down in Venice. I used to live nearby and play it a lot, so there is a nice, comforting — maybe even nostalgic— familiarity for me to play there. Not much different to add to roarksown1's review. I was a single added to two pairs to form a five-some. The course is in nice shape overall. It historically seems to hold up well, especially given the steady amount of traffic it gets. I would differ from the previous review only in his appraisal of the greens and maybe that is the difference a few days makes. The remnant pattern of aeration was still visible but I actually felt they putted smoother than they looked with no noticeable hops and at a decent medium/quick-ish pace.

The good news was that there were some open holes out ahead of us. The bad news was the one group ahead between us and those holes was slow, even by Penmar standards, and we couldn't take advantage of it to have an uncharacteristically quick round. That said, one never plays Penmar with the expectation of anything more than a languid pace, at best. Our group gelled well, accepted the pace as a non-issue, and a very sociable and enjoyable round was had by all. I was glad I stopped by.

Honestly, the place never seems to change and I hope it never goes away.
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Morning tee time at Eagle Glen. Check in and first tee were organized and smooth. Tee boxes had good coverage. Fairways ... » More

Morning tee time at Eagle Glen. Check in and first tee were organized and smooth. Tee boxes had good coverage. Fairways were a little thin and the ball would really run out. Rough had good coverage. Traps had good sand and were well maintained. Greens were in excellent shape, they held quality shots and had very few unfixed divots. Greens were smooth and fast, had three three putt greens. Lots of subtle breaks and undulations in the green complexes.
Wind was about 15 mph and was enough to make club selection a little tricky. POP was a little over four hours. Good Seniors rates.
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Played today in a nice 3 H pace. Tee boxes have begun to go dormant (Bermuda grass) but they were all playable/clean. Fa... » More

Played today in a nice 3 H pace. Tee boxes have begun to go dormant (Bermuda grass) but they were all playable/clean. Fairways had good coverage (though they are going dormant as well in areas) and gave good roll and good lies all round. Bunkers were all very playable. Little to no rough, but enough OB and water to take care of that. Greens were great (but # 15 is a temp due to complete rebuild) and held shots, chipped/putted great and with speed. Customer service excellent at all levels.
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I grabbed a great deal on Teeoff.com for 10:06 11/12/2018. The weather was not ideal, around 50 degrees and wind howlin... » More

I grabbed a great deal on Teeoff.com for 10:06 11/12/2018. The weather was not ideal, around 50 degrees and wind howling at 30MPH plus. Because of the wind the greens were dry and firm. The course was in typical fall high season prime shape. Everything about the course was fantastic and in great shape. The staff was, as always for me, friendly and helpful. The wind was out of the north so 3 of the 4 par 5’s were downwind and easily reachable in two. We played the Desert Hawk/Coyote Run combination. Aside from the wind and cold temps, this was an exceptional day of golf. I highly recommend this course.
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