Played today, in an SCGA event. POP, was a great 4 hours, given the heat (high 90's). And before I forget, this course, ... » More

Played today, in an SCGA event. POP, was a great 4 hours, given the heat (high 90's). And before I forget, this course, needs more water stations (3 is not enough). And 1 (yes 1) bathroom? What the hell (good thing there a lot of big trees). Never saw the beverage cart once??. Course is set in a beautiful valley, nestled up against some beautiful (though brown) foothills. The first thing that jumped out today, was that the fairways (while great/green lush) provided no (absolutely none) roll. Tee boxes were immaculate. Rough outside of fairways was thick and difficult. Bunkers were the largest/deepest I have ever encountered playing golf (how I escaped them, I do not know (bought lotto ticket on way home). I heard no complaints from playing partners who did. Greens (wow are they large) were very good. They chipped/putted great all round. Having checked in with SCGA rep, I cannot comment on customer service. Two holes (11 par 5 18 par 4) have water which is playable and are just spectacular. Not saying the rest of the course, is lacking. They do have great par 3's on the course. I would say, that if you do have the opportunity to play this course, do not pass it up. But pick a cooler day.
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Played 6-16-18 with Rob, Perry, and Brad in the GK outing on a nice warm windy day. Tee boxes were in very nice shape, l... » More

Played 6-16-18 with Rob, Perry, and Brad in the GK outing on a nice warm windy day. Tee boxes were in very nice shape, level and lush with good coverage. Fairways had good coverage with some minor thin areas but mostly nice lies with a good amount of roll out. Rough was in good shape at a consistent height and very easy to hit from. Was in three greenside bunkers, one was a little firm and the other two were very soft. Greens were in good shape, medium/slow speed with an occasional bump and semi-soft. Great layout on a fun course that is a little out of the way.
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Walked the Blacks Monday 6/18/2018 with my buddy Mack and his buddy Ricki using the all day twilight promo for $25.00. W... » More

Walked the Blacks Monday 6/18/2018 with my buddy Mack and his buddy Ricki using the all day twilight promo for $25.00. We teed off at 12 noon and finished at 4pm for 4 hr POP. Weather was breezy up to 2 club wind with temps in the low 70's--beautiful weather. Course seemed packed after the US Open but it moved well considering the amount of golfers out there.

Tees were lush, level and in good shape. Speaking of the tees BOTH #12 and #13 have new black tees. #13 is now an awesome par 4 into the teeth of the wind with the new tee a good 30-35 yds back from the original back tee. On a shorter treeline course these 2 tees add enjoyment and some teeth into the wind on these 2 particular holes. Tee Rating 8/10

The fairways looked and played semi-lush with some firm spots here and there. Most lies were really good. I would rate Olivas's fairways a bit more lush then these. Rating 7.5/10

The sand here is very thick beach sand that was in awesome shape according to my playing partners. We had time on #11 so I dropped some balls in the sand after we were finished with the hole to test them out--they were very nice.

The rough here is a little drier than the fairways, lush in some spots in decent shape. Rated 7/10. Most of the rough is mowed down here at present time.

The greens were medium paced speed, rolling smooth with not to many ballmarks present. They had some nice challenging pins here which they can on some of these bigger undulating green complexes. Rated 7/10.

I always like coming here for occasional rounds. I like working on bending the driver each way here and working on the wedge and short game.

Great staff, good prices, cool weather. No driving range, just stalls. Recommended.
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Walked the Blues super twilight Saturday 6/16/18 for $20.00 with my buddies Rick, Pedro and Matt. POP was 4 hrs--country... » More

Walked the Blues super twilight Saturday 6/16/18 for $20.00 with my buddies Rick, Pedro and Matt. POP was 4 hrs--country club pace with beautiful conditions not being pushed or pushing anyone. Weather was semi-windy and around 70 degrees.

This is the greenest I have seen Olivas's fairways, tees and rough.

Fairways provided beautiful semi-lush lies and if you hit the ball low you can still get some run out. Fairway rating 8/10.

Greens after playing RR Lakes course 4 days prior seemed slow to me but they were probably in the 9.5 range on the stimp. Soft, held approaches like darts and rolling just fine. Not that many ballmarks present as usual. In pretty good shape. Rated 7.5/10.

Tees were in very good shape, mostly level, green and lush, most par 3 divots have been filled in. They have finished re-sodding the blue and black tees on #17 and they look beautiful. Tee Rating 8.5/10

Was not in any bunkers but they looked raked and had enough quality beach sand according to my buddies.

The rough in the native areas have grown to waste high in most areas. Close to as penal as when the course first opened. Rough just off the fairways was green and lush in most areas and in great shape. Rated 8.5/10.

The next 3 months is the time to go play Olivas Links. They have the best staff , great practice facilities, cool weather and a fun layout.

Highly recommended.
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Rode the Blacks (6666/72.9/135) with Gary for 9 holes and played 9 as a single in 3H, 45M. The weather was sunny, clear,... » More

Rode the Blacks (6666/72.9/135) with Gary for 9 holes and played 9 as a single in 3H, 45M. The weather was sunny, clear, breezy and around 110.

The Bermuda tees were a mixed bag. Most were lush and nice to play from. However, a few were in mediocre to poor condition. Only some par 3's had a decent amount of divot damage.

The Bermuda fairways were lush and nice to play from.

The Bermuda rough around the greens was very lush. The Bermuda primary rough was mostly lush, good coverage and usually mowed down, you could easily find your ball. The native rough is an almost sure lost ball.

The sand traps were very well maintained. Other than large waste bunkers, most of the sand traps here are relatively small but there are a lot of them.

The Bermuda greens putted medium fast and they are firm. Almost no ball marks due to the firmness.

Hole 5 had a large temporary lake that had one trap and much of the fairway underwater, probably from a broken water line? The customer service was exceptional from everyone encountered. Cart gal around numerous times. very friendly Marshall out patrolling. Nice GPS on the carts that come with complementary bottled water. All grass range included with your fee, Definitely Recommended.
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Rode the Blacks (6578/72.4/134) in 3H, 45M. The weather was sunny, clear, fairly calm and close to 110.

Pete Dye... » More

Rode the Blacks (6578/72.4/134) in 3H, 45M. The weather was sunny, clear, fairly calm and close to 110.

Pete Dye design with mounds, waste bunkers, grass bunkers and visually intimidating sight lines on almost every hole. Many holes with forced carries and even though the lay of the land is basically flat, you almost never have a level lie after your tee shot because of all the mounds/moguls.

The Bermuda tees were lush, only the par 3's had a decent amount of divot damage.

The Bermuda fairways were lush and nice to play from.

The Bermuda first cut of rough around the fairways and greens was very lush and nice to play from. The primary rough is longer Bermuda, good coverage and is generally more penal. Numerous areas of native rough was unplayable, calf deep where it is an almost sure lost ball.

The abundant sand traps were nicely raked. However, they played poor. Thin and need more sand.

Almost every green complex is raised, some severely raised. The greens putted fairly smooth for Bermuda. Medium quick, firm with almost no ball marks.

The customer service was top notch from everyone encountered. Drink cart out making the rounds and complementary water is provided with your cart that has nice GPS. Practice facilities here are good, the grass range is included in your fee. Recommended.
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Played 6-15-18 afternoon as a single on a GN deal for $18.49 including cart and finishing in a little over 2 hours on a ... » More

Played 6-15-18 afternoon as a single on a GN deal for $18.49 including cart and finishing in a little over 2 hours on a pretty empty course. Tee boxes could use a little leveling, they had descent coverage but a little thin. Fairways were a little dry and thin with some bare spots. Rough was in about the same condition as the fairways, and not much longer. Was in one greenside bunker that was hardpan. Greens were soft, slow and bumpy. Pretty plan short course with parallel tree lined fairways and one par 3 over water. Looked to have a pretty nice driving range and practice area.
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Got a $50 Sr. rate via their site for Tuesday at 1:44pm, amongst a hap-hazard array of lower and above-normal pricing on... » More

Got a $50 Sr. rate via their site for Tuesday at 1:44pm, amongst a hap-hazard array of lower and above-normal pricing on consecutive tee times. This price included $10 for 'Taco Tuesday' for a pair of small tacos, and a beer or margerita, making it a great value.

Was paired with a nice h/w couple, they were sending everyone out on #10, and POP ended up at 4hrs 15mins, keeping pace with the group in front, and with no one pushing us.

Course is undergoing bunker maintenance now until August. And, it's a mess, frankly. They did have yellow 'crime scene' tape around bunkers only on the 8th and 9th holes, which I took as an opportunity to 'go for it'/ignore the hazards (free drop). However, I was in two other bunkers and got a good look at many others, Frankly, it seemed that they have stopped daily maintenance on all of them - some looked like they had not been touched in at least a week, probably more. Water-caused trenches in many, ungroomed, mostly firm and ugly. Hopefully, the grounds crew is just sorting things out, and that this is not the norm for the coming months!?!

The tees were very nice, green and level. Rough was cut short 1-2", not penal, nicely green and decent to hit from. Fairways were good overall, mostly firm with good roll-out and decent lies. Alternating patches of wet, well-watered green areas with browning/thin areas. Some punching in spots evident attempting maintenance. CPO only on #s 3 and 6.

Greens were kinda OK. Mostly good grass coverage (a few thin spots evident) well-watered, very soft and holding shots well. Rolled decently at medium-speed, but plenty of unrepaired ball marks due to their softness. Have played much worse here.

Cart girl and marshal were by a few times. Very good service after the round, with free chips/salsa as part of the 'taco tuesday' deal.
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After some fun in the sun at Quail we headed to Spyglass to test our skills. A quick change of clothes into the "winte... » More

After some fun in the sun at Quail we headed to Spyglass to test our skills. A quick change of clothes into the "winter pants" helped prepped for the cool damp foggy conditions which are always prevelant at Spyglass. Make no mistake The Glass is a golfers golf course. No fancy hotel or over the top clubhouse. It's pure 100% GOLF.

As expected, conditions are beyond great. Perfect fairways and ultra smooth greens. The greens aren't as tricky as Spanish, Blackhorse/Bayonet, or Pebble but they are super fast. And to think that the pro shop attendant said they were rolling a little slower than normal!!

The breaks are predictable at The Glass, but dialing in the speed can be tricky. Bunkers are a top notch. Naturally the holes on the ocean are a highlight but I also enjoy being back in the forest hearing the waves crashing on the rocks below.

One of the reasons I rate this course so high on my top ten list is because it has everything I enjoy in a course. Ocean front holes, elevation changes, several water hazards, short par 3's (with a forced carry over water), Loooooong par 4's reachable par 5's in two and of course excellent, excellent conditions.

Conditions are so perfect that they don't repair divots on tee boxes, the put down all new sod!!
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Played Oak Creek early on 06/20/18. Great staff. This is one of my favorite OC layouts.

The greens are ALMOST t... » More

Played Oak Creek early on 06/20/18. Great staff. This is one of my favorite OC layouts.

The greens are ALMOST the best I have ever seen here. I say almost, while the grass is excellent and rolls beautifully, there is an insane amount of unrepaired ball marks on these greens. We were the 1st group out, and we usually had to fix 10 ball marks within 10 feet of every hole. There needs to be a significant effort to (1) have the crew repair marks, and (2) inform the players that they need to repair marks. If you are lucky enough to have a clean line, the roll is great. I'd say 50% of my putts today went through ball marks that I had to repair.

Fairways are nice - no complain there. Generally, the rough is fine, but there are many bare patches along the way. The sand traps are confusing. Maybe they are right in the middle of a sand refurbishment. Half the traps were great, and half were bare mud/pebbles.

For what I consider to be the top facility in OC golf (except for Pelican), Oak Creek was really not close to being what I expect. Not recommended at half price.
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It's summer here in the Monterey Peninsula and that means cold damp fog! So where do you go to avoid the cool temps?? Q... » More

It's summer here in the Monterey Peninsula and that means cold damp fog! So where do you go to avoid the cool temps?? Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley!! Just a few miles inland from Carmel Beach, Quail sits in its own little sunny micro climate.

Conditions are always top notch at Quail and even though every time I've played here the course has been in excellent shape,mi still get impressed with how superb the grass is. The fairways are just absolutely perfectly lush and you feel like you're hitting off of a sponge.

Greens hold approach shots and roll true. The greens are large but are very manageable with several flat strait putts throughout the round. They roll at a medium fast pace.

Sand is up there with the best in the business.

Customers service is over the top excellent. Everyone at the hotel, pro shop, restaurant, and course attendants are super friendly. Quail is dog friendly as well. In fact they even have Quail monogrammed pet travel dishes in the pro shop.
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On a trip loaded with incredible golf, we still had just enough time to squeeze in one more gem before hitting the road ... » More

On a trip loaded with incredible golf, we still had just enough time to squeeze in one more gem before hitting the road on Monday night. Schaffer's Mill is private 6 days of the week and then they offer some Monday public play. We were expecting to pay $175, but they ended up charging us a $145 guest twilight rate. They warned us about a member "horse race" taking place on the first 3 holes. I think there were like 15-20 dudes in the group and they were all loaded. The girl in the pro shop let us know they started 40 minutes before we arrived, but we could skip around them as needed. They were still on the 1st green by the time we were ready to go! No worries as we started on Hole 3. We played through one family foursome on the front nine and then basically had the rest of the place to ourselves for a perfectly quick final round.

The course was in nice shape. It's kind of a lighter green/yellow grass they have here (at least this time of year), so it's not a deep green appearance. However, it plays beautifully with plenty of roll-out and a nice pad of turf underneath your fairway approach shots. The rough wasn't super deep, but it's pretty tangly and the ball would sit down just enough to make you work. Bunkers fantastic and greens very nice, rolling at medium speeds.

Schaffer's Mill was definitely one of my favorite courses on the trip (top 3 for sure, but not sure how my final rankings all work out just yet). It's a very secluded setting with some homes on the front nine. Back nine hasn't been developed out too much, so more natural surroundings. Of course, moderatly hilly with plenty of big trees, boulder outcroppings and a few nicely done water hazards to provide challenge and scenery. Rustic kind of feel here and very pure golf. Course layout by Johnny Miller and John Harbottle III. Cool bunkering (Harbottle) and fun design that's not quite as target-style or tricked out as most Miller courses I've played. Just a nice course that offers the right amount of challenge in a beautiful natural setting. Highly recommended!
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