On the drive back from Eastlake, wanted to visit Cabrillo National Park. So after that, decided to stop by The Loma Club as I had never played here. I did not have high expectations, but as it was almost totally empty, made the decision to go for it.

I was pleasantly surprised what nice shape the course was in, particularly the greens, The course was fun to play and provided a nice chance to hit some short irons. #5 was the best hole on the course, if only because of the great view of San Diego. For $13 it was worth the hour it took to play and I'm glad I made the right decision to try it.

I've not played here since 1994, so was very much looking forward to my return. I did not remember the course, only that I recall enjoying it. We had a 5:15 am tee time. (That's right 5:15) and we still had two "members" who started out in front of us. So we actually got out at closer to 5:30) However as they played very quickly, not a problem. However when we were finishing on #9, the pro came out and told us there was a shotgun starting on #14 at 8:00. Since we had been not pushing so not to bother the twosome which went off ahead of us, the time was 7:50.

That meant we needed to finish the back side in 70 minutes - max. That would not have been a problem, except we ran into a group of 4 Asian women on #15, which did not wave us through, so we skipped 15, played 16,17 & 18,then drove back to play #15. So on the way back to the club house, decided to play #17 again, which put us at 7:57

The course was every bit as much fun as I remembered. The course was in very nice condition. Greens rolled well and were receptive to shots. Fairways were good, rough was a bit thick I spots. My only complaint was the greenside bunkers which were soaked and close to hardpan in texture.

Wish this course were closer because I would play here a lot more.

Played yesterday with iluv2golflady using a Group Golfer deal. The weather was pretty hot in the 90s with no breeze at all on the front, but the wind kicked up pretty good on the back keeping us a bit cooler.

I’ve played here many times and have always experienced friendly and efficient service in the pro shop and restaurant with yesterday being no exception. Our tee time was 11:30 and got out on time. We were behind a slow threesome and foursome so waited quite a bit on the first 4 holes. The single behind us then caught up and we invited him to join us which really helped even out the pace for all of us.

I really enjoy the layout of this course. It’s not a hugely hilly course but has enough elevated geens, blind shots, hidden bunkers and water hazards to keep things interesting and challenging. It starts with a bang on #1 with a par 5 dogleg with a huge bunker at the corner and forced carry to the green.

The conditions were decent. The fairways had lots of thin spots and are getting very brown but we still had no bad lies. The rough varied a lot in length and is all getting brown, dry and crispy. The bunkers were thin and somewhat gravelly but still easy enough to hit out of. Tee boxes were good. Several of the reds were moved back to the gold making those holes a fun change. The greens played better than they looked. They all still showed the punch patterns and were a little bumpy but putts stayed on line. There were very few ball marks and I had only 12 putts on the back so I was quite happy.

We finished in 4.5 hrs. I hope to return again soon before it dries out much more.

Played 5/19 with great POP of 3.5 hours. Course is in great shape at all levels. Fairways were providing roll out and good lies; bunkers were very playable; lot of OB and rough you have to be aware of, not to mention a few canyons; tee boxes were level and playable; greens were in great shape providing very good chipping/putting. Excellent customer service at all levels. We look forward to going back before the heat shows up.

Played 36 holes out here yesterday with sixpez using an SCGA voucher. Pace was great, finishing 36 in about six hours, 10 minutes. Very hot (100+) day with occasional breezes. Played the nines in this order: Classic #1, Classic #2, Lake, Classic #2.

The course is in pretty good condition. Greens were smooth, fast and firm with sharp edges on the holes. Difficult to hole putts unless ball was center cut. I'm not sure how deep into summer these greens will survive, as many of them were already crusty and thin. But as of now, they're rolling great and despite their firmness, full shots stopped somewhat quickly for me. Fairways were mostly lush with some brown spots here and there, but very nice for the most part. Rough had mostly good coverage and was cut pretty short, providing really nice lies. Bunkers were all crusty, and like Keith said, the only way to get a good spot was to end up where someone had already raked earlier in the day. Definitely in need of some attention. Tee boxes were good all day.

The course itself was a little underwhelming to me. It's a solid test and has some nice, subtle elevation changes for a Coachella Valley "housing development" course. I always remembered the 18th hole creating such drama at the Bob Hope Desert Classic, but that's one of very few good, memorable holes. Most of the holes are somewhat generic "desert golf" holes like those that could be found throughout the Valley. The Lake nine seemed to have more elevation changes and was maybe a little more interesting than the Classic nines. On the plus side, the staff was very welcoming and the course provided ample water stations and drinking fountains throughout. I'm definitely glad I played it, but was hoping for something more memorable.

Here's a link to my Flickr photo album of 45 photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHskVVqp3u

Played Rancho Solano on 5/19. 7:15 Tee time. Course is in the foothills just north of I80 in Fairfield, about 30 minutes (with no traffic) from the East Bay.

The course is public and owned by the city. Was a semi-private club until the dot.com bust. Course is tucked into a gated community with many holes bordering homes.

This course is affectionately know as the "Home of the 4 putt". The greens here were spectacular, very fast, true, and difficult.

The course is not long, or overly technical. It has some risk-reward holes and a few extreme dog legs, mixed with some fun par-3's. The course is very fair, and fun, with the just the right amount of difficulty.

The green complex's are huge, so on in two is easily achievable, but you need to be on the right part of the green if you hope to par.

I really enjoyed my round here and was in and out in 3:45. Was never rushed, or waited long.

Played 5-21-17. First time paying this course. Played the green tees and it made it play long for me. Should have played he silver. Course is in good shape. Greens were moderate to fast. Some very subtle breaks where it really helped having a caddie! The views are spectacular! Seems a bit pricey but it is an experience every golfer should have at least once!

Played in the men's club today with the greens being punched a week and a half ago. Pace was at 5 hours.

Greens are not very good right now. Sanded and slow and it is this reason that I would say to wait a couple of weeks before playing.

Fairways are fine those were punched a while ago and I see no effects from that. I think they could use a little cut but they were fine.

Rough isn't too bad either. Not that much to penalize you but enough to make you consider it.

Sand was great, plenty of it too. Didn't see a bad one out there.

Tee boxes still show signs of punching but it's fine to tee off from.

Bottom line is wait.

Played a 4 hole loop at 5 pm on 5/21/17
The fairways were perfect. Green & lush.
The 4 greens I played were in great shape and typical pace of medium/slow
The course is in fantastic shape. Wish the greens had a little more speed in them.

This is now my favorite course, best in show. The history (for me personally and in the larger context of golf in general), the views, the layout, the challenge, the usually good conditions, the fact that mostly competent players play there, the fact that it's 15 minutes from the house and that it's a beast of a course . . . a "big boy" or "big girl" course.
Tees: level and wide
Fairways: great to hit from with a bit of roll out
Rough: sticky, gnarly, penalizing and beautiful
Bunkers: firm base with a bit of fluff on top, what seems to be the norm everywhere now
Greens: still a bit slow and bumpy from the last punching, but just a wee bit
POP: today was great, our 3:10 group was sent out at 2:50 we never really waited and never got pushed, we finished around 7
Customer service: top notch, they appreciate your business and don't care if you are a local (like me) and pay $47 for twilight or an out of towner who paid a couple hundred
Highly recommended

Played with my monthly club at (supposedly) 10am on Saturday, 5/20/17 – it was clear and hot with little wind. I’d seen recent reviews of the course and I guess expected a little more than I got. I know they had damage from the rains earlier this year, but most other courses in SoCal have shown improved conditions as a result of the rains. Maybe the overall steeper topography here minimized the potential for turf improvement.

We found the course fairly dry and firm, generally in good shape but with some challenging conditions. Greens were generally pretty good – most were very firm and rolled pretty well at medium-fast speeds. These greens seem to me to have a lot of very subtle movement and awkward slopes that defy what your eye tells you. [More likely, it’s just the state of my putting game!] While the practice green had some very thin brown areas, I don’t remember seeing any on the on-course greens. We didn’t see very many old or new ballmarks. Green #9 was more receptive than most of the others. Fairways were firm and coverage ranged from fairly lush to thin to scattered bare areas. Rough was generally cut very short and easily playable, but there are scattered patches of unmowed areas where balls would vanish. Sand was very good – all had a good playing layer over a semi-firm base, and greenside traps with plenty of playing layer. Tees (we played white) were overall pretty poor – some were sloping, and most of the par-3 tees were not only pretty torn up but also internally very uneven, with a rolling lumpiness that made finding a level area difficult.

The range has about 20 stations on pretty good mats. Only one green for putting and chipping – no practice bunker. Plenty of water available on this hot day. Restrooms OK.

We had a 10-group tournament (the “Hackers” – bad omen!) go out directly ahead of us. Carts were stacked up on the first tee like cordwood. They went off late and so did we. Our 10am start was actually 1040; then the round was just under 6 hours. Staff is basically unconcerned – the only “marshall” we saw all day was stationed on #9 tee to sell charity donations for First Tee. And you wonder why MM has such a reputation for slow play!

There are several course features that I think could be altered to improve pace and playability, and they aren’t difficult. Using a targeted maintenance approach would address many of these problem areas. Many holes have severe slopes here, and with the thin/firm fairways even good shots can easily run off into difficulty. Examples are holes 12 and 14. The fairways slope steeply to the right off the hillside, and with the firm, dry short rough the ball runs into trouble (also, the prevailing crosswind exacerbates that movement). If the rough were maintained in a more lush condition in these margin areas balls would not so easily be lost, improving pace. There are several other areas along course margins where leaving the rough a little longer would improve playability.

These types of measures would only work if employed in concert with greater staff involvement and better attitude toward improving the play pace.

My second to last round in North San Diego County was with Tudedude as we headed up to Mt. Woodson following a GK Review Guru Woods Valley Golf Club visit on Thursday. I’m a huge fan of Mt. Woodson having run 3 outings there and enjoying every round I’ve ever had (even when conditions were down) – it’s just that fantastic of layout IMO. I honestly think it’s the best target golf layout I have ever played. Place overflows with character and uniqueness. The scenery is stunning at times and layout is just a blast to play. It’s a par 70 only 5842 from the blues, but rated 69.0/133, which I feel is under-rated, it will bring you to your knees. Everything about the course is challenging. Blow-up hole potential on every hole while at the same time legit birdie chances (with exception of the monster uphill par 4, #12). The area is secluded and peaceful. If I lived in the area this would be my regular late afternoon course given how incredible the place looks at that time. Bet it’s pretty amazing at dawn too. And I can't forget to mention the famous "Bridge" cart path from hole #2 to hole #3. Check out the photos I just posted!

OK, done gushing about the layout, what impressed me most about this visit is the great playing conditions. The fairways are some of best bermuda turf I have played in a long time. So pure and tight with plenty of padding under the ball. The greens are healthy poa running mostly smooth (even for a late afternoon), medium-fast and firm, the rough was not that penalizing, mainly bermuda turf with patches of fescue. Sand traps firm and in need of quality sand. Tee boxes lush, little divot damage considering how small they are and some slightly not level (but wow they are impressive structures).

There is GK Coupon for only $30 to play the course anytime Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday or $55 on Sunday. That’s a steal.

Highly Recommended.