Played today (4/22/24) only a few days after it finally REOPENED after years of being closed for renovations. As you'd hope and expect, it's in pretty good shape, as good of shape as I've ever seen it.

Tee boxes were fair, with good coverage. My only complaint would be that they were a bit firm in spots, i.e., difficult to stick your tee in the ground at the desired height.

Fairways were great, very lush, with few unfilled divots and even fewer bare spots.

Rough was a little rough (pun intended). It wasn't bad, per se, but it wasn't great. It was short, which is nice, but the coverage/lushness was spotty. I feel like that is in part due to the type of grass they use (which I don't know what that is). Of all the areas on the course, this was the weakest.

On the other hand, the greens were the best part of the course. They were a little on the slow side--despite also being fairly firm--but I reckon that's because of how new they are. They did appear like they'd been punched in the recent past--which I'm not sure why that'd be necessary, if they're brand new--so perhaps that was part of it, too. But they rolled fairly true, and the surfaces looked new, which is a cool sight to see.

Lastly, the bunkers. All things considered, they were good. I say it that way because they were difficult to hit out of with the type and/or consistency of the sand. Usually, you think hard pack/dirt/concrete when you hear about difficult bunkers. This was the opposite. The sand was heavy, yet very soft and light. Kinda like beach sand. It was also super white. If you ask me, this is all because it's brand new, and over time, it'll settle and compact. But for now, you need to hit close enough to the ball and with enough speed, if you hope to get it out, let alone hit a good shot (though I'm also a very weak bunker player, so maybe that shouldn't mean much coming from me, haha).

Snuck out to Nado yesterday as a single, Sunday, April 21. Called the starter around 2:30 and he said come on out and I got right out when I arrived at 3:15. Got paired up with three really nice guys, as usual. $36 to walk twilight rate, non-resident. $30 resident rate.

Blue Tees were all pretty nice, no complaints. Fairly level and not too much divot damage.

Fairways were in great shape. Never had a bad lie all day and they provided good cushion with proper roll out on drives.

Rough wasn't very long, but it was "patchy", some low bare/thin areas next to some higher clumps of grass that could cause some issues.

Traps were in good shape, found one greenside bunker and it had nice fluffy sand. Found one fairway bunker and it was just fine. No problems.

Greens were about as slow as I've ever seen them. They're still recovering from aeration a couple weeks ago, so they were slow and bumpy. They did hold shots well, but putting was difficult.

POP wasn't too bad, finished 18 just in time before darkness set in. Total POP was 4.5hrs, which is acceptable at this course. (often times it can go 5 - 5.5 hrs). Customer service is always good. The starters are always great. Didn't see the beverage cart for some reason, but not a big deal, didn't need anything. Always recommend.

Played Simi Hills this weekend for an SCGA tournament through Rancho Park Golf Club and was not disappointed in anything other than my driving and putting! In days past it used to be quite easy to get tee times at this little gem of a course, but that's not been the case recently, so I was thrilled to sign up for this event when I saw it on the calendar months ago.

I played from the gold tees and my group had a noon starting time under hazy skies that soon gave way to a beautiful blue and one of the best early days of the spring. The fairways are in very nice shape right now and you'll get very good roll on your ball on tight fairways. The rough was very playable and not too thick at all. Bunkers were in quite good shape and I had no problem getting the club underneath the ball, while the tee boxes were all in very nice condition.

The greens were super challenging for me on this day and I'm not exactly sure why, but they were quite fast and very difficult to read, but rolled true, held shots and their lines well. For the life of me I can't understand how I just could not get the pace down all day, but that's golf sometimes. But overall they are in excellent shape.

The layout at Simi Hills is very fun and engaging with each hole presenting its own unique set of challenges. And the usually dormant creek that runs through holes at the start of the back nine was an actual river - something I don't think I'd ever seen here before, so that was quite stunning and cool to see and listen to throughout the round.

Facilities at Simi Hills are very good but must admit that the driving range is very small with only probably about 18-20 stalls max. Strange with so much land around, but I'm sure there is a reason for it. I'm sure on normal days that's fine but with a large SCGA tournament it was difficult to find a spot to warm up.

POP was pretty solid throughout the day despite the tournament conditions, meaning we finished in about four and a half hours, and there was cart service throughout the day providing everything we needed. No GPS on the carts though in case you're wondering.

Always love coming out to Simi Hills and can't wait for the next tournament here again.

Played Santa Anita for the first time in a while this past week and was very pleasantly surprised with the vast majority of the conditions, while the POP left a lot to be desired.

Three friends and I set off with a 10am tee time from the blue tees and found a course with fairways in much better shape than previous visits this time of year, and fast, clean greens that were in really nice shape overall despite the heavy play. The tee boxes are a little thin in areas but flat and level, while the bunkers could use another layer or two of sand as they're playable but a little too much on the thin side.

POP was a serious issue as we had sometimes up to four groups on a hole and the waiting on the par 3s was often excruciating. A marshal came over on the 4th hole asking everyone to wave up the next group, but this was quickly abandoned by all for holes 8, 12 and 15. Ultimately the round took just over five hours which is disappointing.

Was it worth it though? Absolutely. We played a classic old layout in mostly good conditions for just under $40 walking. That's an absolute steal and this course really does challenge you despite its 'flat' reputation. It's anything but once you're in the fairways with some very significant hills and mounding that can make an ordinary shot quite challenging. To this day this course continues to always have my number as I've not once ever broken 90 here. It makes no sense! Alas, we keep trying ...

Played 4/20/24 2 pm $78. POP 4:15. Greens have mostly recovered from punching. No sand and only faint hole punches. Putts ran well with only an occasional bounce. Medium speed, but still a challenge with the slope of the greens. Fairway's in decent shape. Lots of coverage and a little on the shaggy side, but played fine. Rough was a little thicker and caused more issues then they appear they will. Ball tended to settle down in it a touch. Very busy day and pace of play a little slower today. Lots of unrepaired ball marks on the greens. A course you really need to pay attention to the other groups around. Some of the Tees & even greens are in potentials errant shot landing areas. We had a few balls go cruising past us, one on a green while we were putting. Fun course and good one for high handicappers.

Played Pacific Grove GC on Wednesday afternoon with JusGas88 for his first round back after a ten month layoff due to injury. The course was in fairly nice condition overall, though the greens were on the slow side. We tee’d off at 2:30 PM. Afternoons can get windy here as it’s right on the ocean as everyone knows. Wednesday was no exception, though the wind wasn’t too bad. Easily a 1 club wind and sometimes a full two club wind. Most of the greens are traditional back to front slope. They rolled on the slower side but did roll smooth. The odd thing was they were a tad firm and even good approach shots didn’t check up.

Fairways were in very nice condition. Lush throughout but still offerred good roll out. Front nine is tight, placing a premium on accuracy, while the back nine fairways widen up some, so you can grip and rip it. Back nine also has unobstructed views of the ocean which is right across the street. Rough wasn’t too penal, thick enough to stop your ball from rolling but manageable to hit from.

Tee boxes were all in decent shape. Level and good coverage throughout. Even the short Par 3’s had good enough coverage amongst the divots to get a clean area to place your ball on. I don’t remember being in any sand traps. POP was …. Well that’s a different topic but we had two slow groups in front of us. One was a foursome of younger guys (20’s) in which two were just learning (sharing clubs). Given their experience they weren’t too bad but yes they fell behind. Here’s the thing. They were out mid week late afternoon so it wasn’t like they were taking prime tee slots and holding people up. We were all beginners at one point so I guess the afternoon during mid week is the best time to get out on the course. Once we got around them at the turn we had about 3 holes of clear sailing. Then we caught up to the next slow player(s). It was an older gentleman who was out with his (high school aged) grandson. The guy had bad arthritis and could barely walk (it was painfully slow), but man he could swing a club!! Gotta be patient with the elderly. We will all be there someday (hopefully).

All in all it was an enjoyable walk in nice enough weather to keep the sweatshirt off until about the 16th hole.

Milder, wetter winter set this layout up for hopefully a longer plush shoulder season now that hot temps have returned. Still green, lush and playing very firm now that above 90 is again the norm.

Greens very firm and roll medium fast with few ball marks. Sand almost always excellently maintained here. Fairways/tees mowed low and very well maintained. Weak point if you consider 8/10 weak is the rough which is mowed low and a mixture of grasses, some coming out of dormancy, some already nice and lush.

Great practice facility, good restaurant, customer service always a ++ here. Recommended.

Played here today (Friday, 4/19) with my friends Michael and Todd (@th_golf_photography on IG) who got access through a friend of his. The course was quite busy but pace was no issue. At one point we offered to let the members behind us play through but they said 'twas all good. Total POP probably around 4:00. Front nine was very hot temperatures that cooled considerably thanks to a nice breeze for most of the second nine. The course has some nice amenities, like chilled fruit and water bottles available in the staging area, and then each nine has a drink station with typical water/ice AND also lemonade and iced tea. Nice touch. I had an amazingly delicious chicken quesadilla from the restaurant before we started. Very friendly and helpful staff throughout.

Conditions are outstanding! Visually, some greens showed tiny remnants of a 95% healed aeration, but it didn't seem to affect the roll at all. They were medium to medium-fast speed, very smooth, and accepted full shots well. The only minor critique is that they might be more fun and more challenging if they were a little faster. Fairways, rough, and tee boxes (all the grass, basically) was exceptionally lush and well maintained. Fairways were great to hit from and so was the rough, actually. It was maybe 2-3 inches deep but not very penal. Blue tee boxes were great. I was in a couple bunkers and they could've used a bit more care and/or sand.

This was my first time here. I really liked it a lot. It's got quite a few water hazards, some interesting desertscapes that come into play, it's extremely playable with wide fairways, and it's very beautiful in many spots. Definitely lives up to its name with great views on many holes of the nearby mountains, although it never gets close to the mountains like a SilverRock or La Quinta Resort does. The par-5 7th was a standout hole, almost a reverse question-mark shape leading to the green with an attractive desert area if your approach comes up short. The 18th is also very scenic with water all around the green and tons of flowers between the green and the clubhouse. Todd and I captured lots of photos and video, so look for them on IG in the coming days if you're interested.

Great course that flies under the radar a bit. Highly recommended if you ever get an invite.

I live in Arcadia and play Santa Anita often. I played 4/15. Conditions this spring are much better than they were last fall - hopefully this year they have the means to keep it going strong year-round. Greens are never fast and the course gets a lot of wear, but it has good character and an interesting history.

The layout is sneakily challenging. It presents at first as a flat course, but there are lots of undulations - some rather dramatic, such as in front of the 6th green, and across the 9th fairway. These make for uphill and downhill lies, so it’s a great place to come practice those. The staff are great, in my experience, and the ambience is really comfortable - the surroundings (the park, tennis courts and Arcadia High School) make for a nice atmosphere.

As for pace of play, I almost always come at twilight times, sometimes playing less than 18 holes and running up against sunset. At these hours, there are very few pace issues, and I can usually walk the front nine in less than two hours.

4/17 1st time here and 1st time playing in a couple of months but could not have picked a better place and time, weather was ideal after 2 days of colder and windy conditions warm and calm and 7000 ft elevation. Had booked an 840 but got there earky as I usually have to allow extra 15 min for getting lost and yes even with my phones helpful gps so at check in was given the option of going off by myself or waiting. Quick few putts a few swings at the range and away I went.
POP about 315 with a few practice shots here and there and really hacing no reason to hurry as the setting.provides views and solitude.
Fairways are good overall. #1 looked a little spotty thin and mixed grasses leaving uneven lies left me thinking that winter cinditions were in play but from then on most fairway areas were really nice with good cover albeit rather tight lies. Rough about 2 inches and grabby both impeding roll and making for some more challenging extraction. Further beyond the rough were some bare areas or wild vegitation. Tees level and in good shape.
Bunkers had ample sand which was compacted and damp which was by choice due to the recent 40 mph winds. Light and fluffy would result in empty hardpan.
Greens felt a little crusty and looked to be a little long grained but rolled surprisingly well and much faster than they looked. Greens are not overly large but have enough contour and slope to make it entertaining. Red yellow blue flags for front mid and back but often were placed laterally in those zones so would be near the edge or kina tucked into a corner. Greens were firm so for me approach shots rolled long.
Layout is varied and the remote feel with no housing anywhere in sight and the distant snow capped mountains is genuinly refreshing. There are some small lakes which at thos time are mostly dry due to limited rain this season.
Staff is really friendly and welcoming. A prior review described this course as a hidden gem, $40 senior rate a real bargin for a very positive experience.

Played today. Poor POP. 5 H. Course in nice shape. Fairways green with good lies and nice rollout. Rough no issue. Traps were playable and players knew how to use a rake. Greens very nice and releasing shots and putting with good speed. Good customer service all levels. Other than POP nice round of golf. Play very early would be my best advice. Sr rate with cart $48. $30 to walk.

Course continues to be in fine shape, albeit a notch below what it was maybe a month ago. No recent rain and warmer temps have the course dried out again.

The back 9 will be closing for 3+ months soon to redo the sprinkler system. Not sure if that is a factor or just what I wrote above. However, putts I was running 3-5' by the hole a few weeks ago are now coming up 2-3' short. They look nice, but they went from medium fast bordering on too fast for recreational golfers to medium slow in about 2 weeks.

Fairways lush and nice to play from, lots of rolls. Good POP rough, you can almost always spot your ball from 50 yards away. Tees very well kept up, lush with few divots and the sand is among the best around here.

Course completely unwalkable because it is so spread out. Nice restaurant, excellent driving range with multiple practice areas. Almost always excellent customer service. Highly recommended.