I played with the gk gurus, teeing off at about 1:30 on Thursday. It was a fun afternoon, and a great deal for such a fine golf course. Every aspect of the experience was above average, from the courteous and professional service in the pro shop, to the challenging layout and excellent condition of the golf course itself.

Two things struck me, in particular, about playing Marine Memorial. First, the course plays much longer than the yardage on the card. The fairways and other areas through the green were pretty wet, so tee shots didn't roll out very much. This, combined with significant, swirling wind, made for constant calculation and recalculation when pulling a club.

Second, I really feel like this is a course that requires a few trips around to learn the places NOT to hit the ball. Several times I had pitch shots around the greens that were well beyond my skill set. The greens also have grain and many subtle contours which make for some difficult two putts for those who haven't played here too often.

All in all, I had a great time … though my game wasn't up to the challenge. I highly recommend the course, though I would suggest playing it forward the first time around.
Thanks, again, Johnny!

I played with the gk guru group, teeing off on Tuesday afternoon at about 12:30. The temperature ranged between 95 and 100 degrees throughout the round, so the course was relatively uncrowded.
I was impressed with the practice facilities at Eagle Glen. They have a large driving range with all grass hitting areas. There is also a nice chipping area with a large practice bunker. So, if you play there, give yourself a little time to warm up and get a feel for hitting pitch/chip shots.
As for the course, it's a beauty. A very winding layout that twists though the hills. I found tee shots to be challenging, but fair. The greens were pretty large, for the most part. I would characterize the layout as moderately difficult.
The tee boxes were mostly satisfactory, though some of the moveable tee markers were placed in uneven areas. From tee to green, the conditions were good, though I did find a couple areas of near hardpan just off the fairway. The bunkers were nicely groomed. I found the greens to be a little tricky, but what helped me get the speed a little better was to putt as if the grain grew away from the hills.
Customer service was great in the pro shop. We also dined in the restaurant, and the service was very good there, as well. I also thought the prices in the restaurant were very fair, and the food was really good (I had the French Dip).
Thanks to Johnny and Eagle Glen for a great afternoon. I'll be back!

I played Sunday, teeing off at about 7:45 with my regular Sunday group. The first thing we noticed was that the practice putting and chipping greens are distressed, suffering from some kind of fungus, or something, We were concerned that the greens on the course would be in the same condition. To be honest, the first three or four greens seemed to have a bit of a problem, but the others were fine.
The rest of the course was in pretty good shape. The tee boxes are fantastic. Tee to green is fine, considering ongoing water restrictions. The bunkers have the good sand, though it is possible in some spots to hit clay if you go too far under your ball.
There are certain issues at Los Verdes that are just part of the … er … charm. If you hit one off the fairway, be prepared to encounter a mix of hardpan, cow grass, and tree roots. But, hey, it's a county course with multiple ocean views.
Pace of play was under five hours, but we teed off early. Expect longer as the day wears on.
Customer service is top notch in both the pro shop and the restaurant.

I played Saturday, teeing off at about 9am with gk stalwart mcantos and another twosome. As with many fine courses in the L.A. County system, the issue at Mountain Meadows isn't the layout or conditions, but the pace of play. It's a five hour course, owing mostly to some demanding tee shots and elevation changes … and the unwillingness of many players to play the proper tees. That being said, our pace of play was acceptable at around five hours, making for a day of enjoyable golf.
If you've never played here, it's a very nice Ted Robinson course that has some unique and interesting holes in the hills above the Pomona fairgrounds. I have walked the course before, but it is challenging, especially in the heat.
The course is really in good shape now. The tee boxes are large and have fine coverage. Fairway grass is pretty lush in most places, and the bunkers are reasonably well groomed with muni sand. The greens are the best part, rolling very well with medium speed and few ball marks.
Customer service in the pro shop was excellent.
I'm not sure how the course will withstand the current heat wave … so far, so good.

I played Moorpark on a beautiful Monday morning, teeing off at about 11am with respected gk gurus Nickesquire, MrKich, and mdames, I had played two of the nines before, so I knew what I was getting into.
The layout is very good, with ribbons of golf course winding through the beautiful, natural terrain. There are constant elevation changes, with many holes that play downhill, and many long cart rides up to elevated tees with magnificent views.
From the tee, landing areas are fair, but not generous. Errant tee shots result in balls lost in the ever-present lateral hazards which line virtually all the fairways on both sides. Lay-ups and approach shots can also find the hazards, and there are also a couple shots which need to carry over canyons.
I found myself often commenting on the beauty of many holes as I stood on the tee. The variety of length and personality of so many of the holes is astounding. Thank goodness all 27 holes have survived the trials and tribulations in the golf industry the last few years.
Course conditions were stellar across the board. Good coverage in the fairways, Thick, deep rough around the greens. Plenty of well-maintained sand in the bunkers. The greens were smooth and ran at a comfortable, medium speed, and were tricky for me to read.
Pace of play was great, and would have been better if we wouldn't have spent so much time looking for my wild shots. I could see the difficulty of the course adding time to rounds if the course got really busy, though.
Customer service was polite and professional at every turn. The golf related personnel were friendly and helpful. I also ate supper in the restaurant. The food and service were very good, and the beer selection was ample and cold.
Thanks, again, to Johnny and the staff at Moorpark for making it happen. You"re the greatest!

We teed off a little after 9am in another gk guru fun fest. The weather was perfect, with blue sky everywhere serving as a backdrop to the tree lined hills. The golf course was lush and green, with smooth, flat tee boxes and good grass coverage from tee to green.
The greens themselves were very good, with decent speed. They held almost any type of approach shots, with many wedge shots backing up significantly. I found the greens very hard to read. There must be a prevailing grain direction, but I couldn't figure it out.
The layout is lots of fun, with the front side being pretty straight forward. The back side is more tricky, and probably requires a couple rounds to figure out club selection off a few of the tees.
All in all, a very good course in a beautiful setting.

One thing always strikes me when I pull into the parking lot at Goose Creek. Unlike other golf courses, Goose Creek is not a golf course that was built to sell houses, and it's not intended to be a pretty backdrop for bridal showers and wedding receptions. Like Spyglass, Bandon Dunes, and (the late) Stevinson Ranch, it is clear that this facility clearly puts golf ahead of everything else ... as it should be.

I played yesterday in a GKReviewGuru group, teeing off at 12:15, with GK legends dconnally, leef2020, and weber2323. First, I would say that the practice areas at Goose Creek are unrivaled by any public course in Southern California. There is a grass driving range, and putting and chipping greens which are actually large enough so that players can find a spot to practice each element of their game before they tee off.

As for the course itself, it is the perfect mix for my game. Forgiving off the tee, but challenging on and around the greens. The tees were lush and green. The fairways and rough had nice coverage. The bunker I was in had the heavier, coarse sand, but it played fine. I loved the firmness and pace of the smooth greens, though I misread a few putts. The pace of play was about 4:30, which was just fine. Every employee with whom I came in contact was positive and professional.

If you've never played here, I strongly recommend making the trip. Goose Creek is a golf course designed for golfers who love the game.

First, kudos to the course for locking the carts in the barn and only letting walkers play today. If they let golf carts out today, with all the mud and slop on the course, one a-hole could have done so much damage that it would have taken months to fix.

Second, (and I'll be brief), if you book your time on GolfNow you will not tee off before your scheduled tee time, even if there is nobody within fifty miles of the golf course. The starter ran some stuff about "time stamps" and invisible people with tee times before ours, but the real poop is ... you may go out an hour AFTER your tee time, but you ain't going out one minute before. (EXCUSE ME, STEWARDESS, I SPEAK STARTER).

As for the course, it was very good considering all the rain.The tee boxes were swell, and I love the fact that they put the markers far apart to accommodate various shot shapes and minimize divot damage on par threes. Fairways had significant standing water, which is understandable after all the rain. And the bunkers were wet, but playable. The greens were tricky, as some ran almost normal speed and some were very slow. Pace of play was really fast, and we finished all 18 holes teeing off at exactly 1:15. The girls in the coffee shop and bar are tops. All in all, it's a nice golf environment and reasonably priced for the OC.

I played in the first gk guru time, teeing off just before 8. It was a great time playing with Kevin, Ron, and the boss (Johnny). Oak Quarry is probably as visually stunning as any course in Southern California, and it remains a tribute to the highest level of golf course architecture. To play golf surrounded by the steep walls of the quarry is always an amazing experience.

Playing conditions were very good. Tee boxes, fairways, and rough were lush. The greens were smooth and rolled at a nice speed, though reading the breaks could be tricky. Pace of play was good, though the wind definitely slowed us down. Customer service was exceptional. Everyone I came in contact with was attentive and professional.
A splendid time is guaranteed for all ...

I played in the "marquee group" of the gk guru outing with Itslikeimsayin, rgm2525, and Tubedude. It was a day I had been looking forward to for weeks.

From the moment I arrived at the property, I was struck with the elite nature of Cascata. The gated entry. The valet parking. The massive waterfall which pours into the clubhouse. When I got to the locker room, my name was on one of the lockers.

Then there was our forecaddie, John. A very experienced and competent looper who has been at Cascata since it opened. He was very helpful with local knowledge, especially with regard to the pace at which putts would roll. If I may say so, he often had a look of stunned disbelief when he saw some of our shots.

As for the course, It was a fun layout, with many interesting holes. There was enough room to hold a slightly crooked tee shot, but once you left the playing field it was rocky horror. Conditions were very good, I suppose. I guess I kind of expected Augusta National. Coverage was good in the fairways and rough, nicely groomed tee boxes and bunkers. The greens were smooth and quick, which was a real treat.

I also suppose I should apologize for the ... er ... club throwing incident. I had a really good round going until my second shot on 16. After that shot I slammed a club down and bounced it ten or fifteen yards up the fairway. While this is totally unacceptable behavior, it was kind of cool when my caddie ran up and got the club for me. Club retrieval is, apparently, part of a professional caddie's job. Who knew?

I went off in the first foursome of the gk guru group with Alex and gk power couple Brian and Tobi. Rio Secco is clearly a quality facility with top notch customer service all around.

The golf course layout was a lot of fun. It wound through the hills, with many twists and elevation changes. The elevation also provided great views of Las Vegas, though it was a smoky day and the views weren't as clear as normal.

Course conditions were good for mid-summer, with mostly full coverage in the fairways and rough. The greenside bunkers were disappointing, having a thin layer of sand on top of hard ground. This was especially troublesome, because some of the greenside bunkers are several feet below the greens.

The greens themselves were lush, but slower than they looked. That led to many putts that stopped in the jaws, short. These greens would be super fun when the weather allowed them to be quicker.

All in all, I found the Rio Secco experience to be very enjoyable. Great company, beautiful weather, and a great golf course. What more could anyone ask for?

I came out the day before the gk guru rounds. I left at the crack of dawn, so I was fortunate to beat the closure of the 15 due to the fire. I had never played The Desert Course at Primm, so I booked a hot deal on Golf Now for $10 (plus booking fee). I was expecting the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The course was in VERY good shape. It was green and soft from tee to green. The bunkers were fine. The greens had good coverage, though they were soft and pretty slow due to being kept pretty wet. I thought the layout was fun and challenging from the blues. Service was friendly and helpful.
The only small complaint was their range ball policy. I just need a warm up bucket. Their only option is $10 for unlimited balls. Not a big deal. I'm just too cheap to pay $10 for 20 range balls. Still, one of the best deals I've ever gotten on a fine golf course.