As most know, Valley Oaks has three 9 hole layouts. I played all three today and boy were they different in quality. ... » More

As most know, Valley Oaks has three 9 hole layouts. I played all three today and boy were they different in quality. Started off with the Lakes which is the "premier" 9 hole. No issues Tee to green. Good coverage all around. Nothing super but a solid muni course with an overall rating of a 7.

Next up was the Valley 9. Fairways were a bit thin in places and greens had a ton of pitch marks. Tee boxes were ok, however the Par 3's were a bit chewed up.

On to the Oaks and conditions got even worse. Fairways were very thin throughout with the greens being riddled with pitch marks and bumps. Tee boxes were thin with several bare spots.

Overall I'd rate the course at a 6. I met up after the first 9 with a couple former co-workers who are just starting to get into the game so it worked as a track to chill and get got up on the gossip.

Valley Oaks offers a decent change of pace to mix in with other courses in the area but for the prime rack rate, Dragonfly and Ridge Creek offer better courses. both in layout and conditions.
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Player 9/25 going out at 8:40 - was booked as a single but paired up with Brian on the tee, nice guy, good stick and goo... » More

Player 9/25 going out at 8:40 - was booked as a single but paired up with Brian on the tee, nice guy, good stick and good company.

First and most important - this is currently CART PATH ONLY. Those who know the course understand that can lead to some VERY long walks with 1/3 of your bag in hand to have the right club when you finally get there. Even so, POP was an easy 4 hours despite waiting on several holes due to a slower 4 some a couple holes ahead.

Tees and fairways ranged from a little shaggy to a lot shaggy, with the fairways being pretty soft w/little to no run-out. Greens are coming around nicely, first few hadn't been cut but when we reached the ones that had and the sun/wind dried them out they pick up quite a bit of pace. Back nine you could barely tell they'd been punched and all rolled true.

Bunkers leave a little to be desired, half & half sand/dirt mix that was quite "heavy" but at least they're consistent and reasonably playable.

Overall it was worth the price but with the cart path only I'd say just barely - once that limitation is gone I'd definitely recommend it.
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Rode the Blues (6671/72.8/133) in slightly over 3H using Forelinx. The weather was clear, breezy and around 100.

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Rode the Blues (6671/72.8/133) in slightly over 3H using Forelinx. The weather was clear, breezy and around 100.

Under rated, unique layout. If you are around a green, it is mowed as fairway and plays like a links style course encouraging bump/runs or putting from well off the green. You need to manage the course and AVOID the bunkers here more so than on most courses. Numerous holes have 6-8 fairway bunkers that are more severe that the average golfer is used to navigating through. Green side bunkers are deep and large. The difficulty factor is deceptive and I like the visuals that the holes present. Almost every hole has a forced carry over desert scape, but the fairways are very generous in size.

The tee boxes are huge, level and very nicely maintained.

The fairways were lush & well maintained. Few unfixed divots, but they are currently mowed high, so not alot of roll.

Really no rough to speak of because the fairways go straight from fairway to desert scape. The only grass maintained higher than the fairways is a strip around the sand traps.

The sand traps are plentiful and decently maintained with good quality sand.

The firm greens had good coverage but were woefully slow.

The customer service throughout the staff was exceptional. Nice grass range with complimentary balls, nice sand/chipping and practice putting areas that closely resembled the on course conditions. Good GPS on carts. Complementary bottled water in the ice chest, and the cart gal was out making the rounds. Definitely recommended.
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Played 9/21 for $57/w cart on Friday Prime Time is well worth the price of admission! Chamber of Commerce Day: Just ama... » More

Played 9/21 for $57/w cart on Friday Prime Time is well worth the price of admission! Chamber of Commerce Day: Just amazing weather hovering around 70* with not a puff of wind.

As I parked, a guy from the pro shop brought a cart right to my car & greeted me with a smile. Extremely friendly people in the pro shop as well. I had a 7:50 time, but they told me to tee off when ready. I had a single join up with me on the tee & off we went.

PoP was right around 2-hours, as we both had carts & both play quick. We passed a 4-some on #3 & after that it was like we had our own private course! The greens are in the best shape & the quickest I've ever played them: Firm, fast & very challenging. The fairways are mostly lush green carpets, with a couple random wet areas (we chased the maintenance guys, so likely from sprinklers) & a few minor brown spots. The rough, tee boxes & bunkers were all well maintained. Overall, the conditions are fantastic right now.

As with any seaside track, the conditions really effect the playability & enjoyment of the course. I've endured Bodega in frigid temps, debilitating fog & Howling winds. Getting to play here on a beautiful, warm & calm day is close to a religious experience & I am super stoked to have had the opportunity.
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Played this morning, in a POP of 3 H. First thing you notice, is that all tee boxes have been aerated/scraped and are th... » More

Played this morning, in a POP of 3 H. First thing you notice, is that all tee boxes have been aerated/scraped and are the color of brown (but it did not effect the teeing process). Fairways were very wet and provided no roll but decent lies. Bunkers were all clean and playable. Greens have come back nicely from aeration on Sept 4/5 but they are putting a lot of water on them and they are slow. Customer service excellent at all levels. No doubt conditions will improve, with the cool weather we are experiencing?
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played 9/22 with USCDodger at 3:18 after our round at Norman. POP 3:40.

The conditions at Stadium were fantasti... » More

played 9/22 with USCDodger at 3:18 after our round at Norman. POP 3:40.

The conditions at Stadium were fantastic. Outside of maybe 100 square feet spread over the whole course the fairways were great. The conditions were great all around. Not much I can say other than it was a pleasure to play from these surfaces. Unlike the Norman course, these greens were fast. At least 3-4 points higher on the stimp than Norman. The fast greens were awesome.

The layout is a real brute and even on some long holes you have driver taken out of your hands. Still manages to be a really fun course despite its difficulty.
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Played 9/22 with USCDodger at 9:30 am. POP 4:30.

The overall conditions at the Norman course were very good. T... » More

Played 9/22 with USCDodger at 9:30 am. POP 4:30.

The overall conditions at the Norman course were very good. The tee boxes and fairways were a pleasure to hit from. The bermuda fairways were grown out a little and they tee'd up the ball very nicely. The longer grass did mean the ball wasn't rolling out very far.

The greens were very smooth and true but rolled quite slow. It was difficult to get the speeds right, especially when putting uphill.

The sand what good to hit from, was in 1 greenside and 1 fairway bunker. They were well stocked but not too fluffy.

There is only rough surrounding bunkers to keep balls from rolling in and was in nice shape as well.
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I played here last Friday, about 2 weeks after over seeding, so it was "No Fairway", carts are allowed on the rough cont... » More

I played here last Friday, about 2 weeks after over seeding, so it was "No Fairway", carts are allowed on the rough contour, with was fine. I don't mind to allow a course to grow back into top shape. The track look good, and the greens where okay, a bit slow, but again, they just re opened and the course in growing back into shape.
I have always enjoyed this track, it is tough, but fair. I will play it again..No complaints!
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2nd Round of the day with JohnnyGK & Alex326. Unfortunately, BGarcelon had to bow out. Started off by getting lunch at... » More

2nd Round of the day with JohnnyGK & Alex326. Unfortunately, BGarcelon had to bow out. Started off by getting lunch at the restaurant. The food was excellent , it had a great atmosphere with ample seating, a huge bar (lots of quality craft beers on tap!) & lots of TVs - Great spot to reminisce about a round or watch a game. The staff are very friendly & attentive. A+


I agree with the previous posts that the course is not quite as spectacular as Rancho Solano, however it provides juxtaposition to the layout & the greens of its sister course. Variety is the spice of life! It definitely seems to get more play & it showed in the tee boxes, fairway divots (no sand provided on carts!) & unrepaired ball marks on the green, but to be fair, we did play it in the afternoon.


Overall, a solid choice with some great risk/reward holes & seeing Johnny hit a bomb on 12, then proceed drive the green on 13 was a sight to behold. A great way to end a wonderful day!
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Little late on my review, apologies! Played 9/12 with Johnny GK, BGarcelon & Alex326. Really great group & it was an a... » More

Little late on my review, apologies! Played 9/12 with Johnny GK, BGarcelon & Alex326. Really great group & it was an absolute pleasure to tee it up with these guys.

As previously stated, the course is solid: Great conditions, the layout is fun & interesting with a mix of elevation changes, doglegs & water. The greens are the defining feature of the course, just huge, medium-fast & undulating. You can easily leave yourself 100-ft+ putts on multiple greens & leaving your ball above the hole is a problem.

The staff were very friendly & the beverage cart came around at good intervals. Didn't get food, but Alex had a breakfast burrito that looked delicious & was about the size of the greens out there. Pretty sure it took care of his breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Great course, great time! Will definitely be back soon.
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Indian Valley is a very unique track: Extremely beautiful with no houses within view (except for the working horse ranc... » More

Indian Valley is a very unique track: Extremely beautiful with no houses within view (except for the working horse ranch along 3 & 17), an abundance of wildlife on & around the course, and Amazing views of of Stafford Lake & the surrounding hillsides.


Played Monday 9/17 & tee'd off around 11:30. PoP was decent atabout 4-hours. Beautiful day, but the wind was definitely a factor. The course is in decent shape, with the greens being the best part. They were mostly smooth, soft & medium/fast. Some bare areas. Tee Boxes are in decent shape with many not being level & definite divot damage. The fairways are mostly okay, with some wild variations between wet/lush & dry/thin. The rough was like the fairways, with lots of variation. The sand traps were in good shape, with good firm sand & were well cared for. Overall, I would describe the course as "Scruffy", as many courses are around here in late Summer.

If you are ever in the area, I would recommend playing Indian Valley as it is a very unique & visually stunning course. Elevation changes are extreme & the majority of holes are funky & quirky. There's an actual working elevator that takes walkers from 14 up to the tee on 15, however this is a very tough course to walk.
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8am tee time at SR on a beautiful day. Temps started out in the 70s and ended up at the century mark. Check in and first... » More

8am tee time at SR on a beautiful day. Temps started out in the 70s and ended up at the century mark. Check in and first tee went well. Tees, fairways and rough were lush and very green, surprised due to the heat in this area. Traps were maintained and there are plenty of them. Green complexes are raised and well bunkered, all greens have many different levels and a lot of false fronts. Greens were firm and had many subtle breaks.
POP was a little over four hours and the staff was very pleasant. Really enjoyed the course and would like another shot at 18.
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