Was in Bullhead City to visit family, and played Laughlin Ranch Tuesday (6/26/18) teeing off just a minute or two after our 7:32 tee time. The place was nearly empty, so my partner and I took our time with the range and practice green, both of which are very nice. The driving range’s turf was really excellent to hit off of, definitely one of the nicer ranges I’ve visited.

The course played really well, with the exception of the greens. They definitely have just punched, so they are quite slow and bumpy. They’ll hold any kind of shot, which means you really can be aggressive with your approaches, and you have to be aggressive pitching and putting. They were consistent from green to green (the practice green was the same as well) and they’re definitely very healthy, and I bet in a week or so they’ll be excellent.

The fairways were really nice to play from, plenty of roll and always giving a good lie. Rough was pretty short, very consistent, and not too much of a penalty. Bunkers are hit and miss, they have some rocks in them and it looks like a couple are being let go, and are returning to a natural desert state. Tee boxes were nicely level, although were due for a cut it seemed.

I only had time for 1 round on this trip, and I’m really glad I played here. The layout is a ton of fun, with one good hole after another. The course is very healthy, you can see that they take very good care of the fairways, greens and tees. The views of the city and river in one direction, plus the desert mountains in the other, can be absolutely stunning. I wish I could swing another trip down to make the upcoming GK event here, because I bet you’ll all have a blast.

Took a day off work today and played Willows Run Coyote Creek for the first time in a while, and had a very pleasant morning. I arrived around 7:00 am or so, and started by hitting a small bucket at the range. Usually I don't do that, but it did seem to help me get my swing in sync. The range is mats here like just about everywhere in the northwest right now but they did put in new ones a few months ago, so they aren't too bad to hit off of. I also like their chipping and putting greens, which is where I usually get all of my warm up done.

The course itself was in pretty good shape. Greens are just like the other course here, quicker than the munis nearby but not out of control and rolling very true. It was very pleasant to not see many unrepaired ball marks, and they hold well struck shots nicely. Fairways are ok, a few (#2 and #16 come to mind) aren't so great, but the rest of them are pretty good. The rough looked as though it had been cut pretty recently, and wasn't too much of a penalty. Very healthy throughout, and the ball really didn't sit down much. Tee boxes are reasonable. I found one greenside bunker that was very wet and compact, and not too pleasant play out of. Like the other course here, I feel that the bunkers could use some TLC.

I walked as a single, and played alone behind a two some for the first 4 holes, and then a single riding in a cart caught me on the 5th tee. She and I finished the round together at a very nice pace, probably about 3:45 not waiting on a single shot until our approach to the 18th green. I don't remember exactly what I paid, but with the member discount it was somewhere around $35 for the round and the warm up bucket. Even without that discount it was more than worth it. Definitely recommended.

Played West Seattle this past Monday morning (5/14/18) for the first time in a while and found the place to be pretty much as expected. We've had a good bit of dry weather here in the northwest, so things are firming up. Greens were still holding a well struck shot, but you were most likely getting a fair bit of release on longer clubs, and anything that wasn't spinning well. They rolled ok, a little bit slower than I would like, and a bit bumpier as well. Fairways offered lots of roll, and were a bit thin. Rough was very nice, and the bunkers looked great, although I didn't find any so I'm not exactly sure how they played. Tee boxes were definitely good enough, a flat spot could be found and only the par 3's had significant divot damage. Pace was good for our foursome (2 walking, 2 riding) never having anyone in front of us and only getting pushed on the last couple of holes. I think we got around in just about exactly 4 hours. The price was right as well, as it cost me only $28 to walk. I've had rounds here that I've loved, and rounds here that I've hated, I think this one landed right in the middle. It was good to get out to somewhere I hadn't played in awhile, yet at the same time I probably was hoping for a little bit better.

Played Willows Run Eagle's Talon a couple of times recently, yesterday and Sunday (5/6/18 and 5/8/18) and enjoyed both rounds quite a bit. Conditions are very good right now, especially the greens. They're medium quick, I would say, you'll need to be careful going downhill and assertive when going up. They are rolling very well, almost no bumps over both rounds, and not too many un-repaired ball marks. Fairways are in very good shape, a little bit on the firm side giving plenty of roll, but also providing very good lies. If you're in the short grass you'll have a nice cushion to hit off of. Rough is lush and healthy, and will often give you a bit of a headache when you find it. Tee boxes remain hit and miss here, although they feel better than in the past. If there's one spot that does need some serious work it would be the bunkers. They look as if they haven't been maintained at all, and really could use some love. Pace of play and customer service were both excellent during the weekend and mid-week.

Played The Home Course this morning, and had a very good experience as always. Started an hour late from my tee time due to a frost delay, but once out on the course the weather was absolutely perfect for a March day here in the north west. Pace of play was very good as they had us start as a shotgun, with my buddy and I walking with a single riding starting as the first group off of #1. Pace was great as no one was in front of us and the group behind lagged a bit, at least until we got to #15 (which is pretty close to the clubhouse) where they were sending off groups. For those last 4 holes we did have to wait on every shot, but the first 14 holes were so perfect I really can't complain.

Greens rolled very good for the late winter/early spring here, faster than most public places with the occasional bump. As the temperature went up, so did their speed. I happened to be striking the ball really well, so every shot in held very well, and I was very happy to not find any unrepaired ball marks when I arrived to each green. I was also fortunate enough to not find any bunkers, so I can't comment on their condition. A couple of them are being redone and are marked as ground under repair, I would imagine once that's finished they'll be just fine.

Fairways on the front nine, and the first few holes on the back, were actually even better than I expected. They're always firm with lots of roll, but at times a little thin. This morning they were just about perfect, up until #15. From then on they were thin, and a bit sandy as well as it seemed like a bit of maintenance was being done. I think finding the rough on #17 was better than being on the fairway as the rough here is pretty short, and not too much of a penalty. Tee boxes were very good, on the par 3's the markers had been moved away from any divot damage so there were no issues whatsoever.

As always, The Home Course is worth the drive for me to get there. I wish I had a little more time today, as they have opened up a restaurant and I've yet to be able to try it. For the longest time this place has had nothing but a trailer for a golf shop and a great course, hopefully the next time I'm down I'll be able to sample the other amenities they're getting around to adding.

Played Willows this morning, walking as a two some teeing off as the second group out behind a walking 3. They let us through at #9, after we'd done a fair bit of waiting, and the pace after that was very quick. We probably got around in about 3:15. Conditions were very tough, a pretty good bit of wind, rain off and on, after a week of pretty steady rain, making for a course that plays a lot longer than the yardage would indicate. They're dong a composite of the 2 courses right now in order to keep play off of the holes that are the worst with the wet weather, and I think that's smart of them. It was this way last week, and the guys in the shop said it would be this way for at least the next 2 weeks. You'll play 1-11 of Eagle's Talon, and then play Coyote Creek's 3-9. Par still ends up at 72, and while it isn't perfect design-wise, it is functional.

Greens are very soft and very slow, yet still somehow kind of decent. They'll hold absolutely anything, a low bullet of hybrid will have 1 hop and stop, even a semi-bladed chip won't go all the way through the green. Fairways are very messy, rough is long and lush, and if it weren't for the bright yellow srixon I'd have probably lost a few from them getting plugged while in play. Hitting from the bunkers was actually kind of fun, as long as you were at least a hundred yards away because they're so compact its just like hitting off of a driving range mat. Granted, 3/4 of each bunker had about a foot of standing water, so you had to fish your ball out of a small pond in order to hit that fun shot. Green side they were just brutal. Tee boxes were passable, usually the worst part of playing here but today they didn't seem so bad since it was so sloppy with the rain everywhere else.

Overall, it was a very tough round, but I would have regretted spending the morning on the couch. Its been so wet up here for the last few weeks I can't imagine conditions being very good anywhere, so playing at the course around the corner from home will definitely get it done.

Visiting family for Thanksgiving this week, and I managed to sneak away for a round this morning on the Mountain course at Angel Park. I teed off a few minutes ahead of the 7:30 am tee time I had made, and got around with 2 other singles in right about 4 hours, never waiting on the group in front and never being pushed by the single behind us. I liked the layout a lot, with a good mix of long and short holes that fit my game playing from the blue tees. Conditions seemed a bit mixed though, greens rolled pretty good, although I saw way too many unrepaired pitch marks. They were firm, and on the quick side to me, with a decent amount of break. Fairways were ok, rough was good, and the one fairway bunker I found wasn't difficult to play from. I feel that the tee boxes however were very bad, most of them were very patchy, and never anything you could call lush. Customer service in the shop was very good, and the starter was very nice as well. I paid the rack rate, and while I could see how at times it might be worth that, I feel the conditions just weren't quite there for that price. I certainly don't regret playing there, but I would imagine one could do just a little bit better.

Walked Eagle's Talon with a friend this morning, teeing off as a twosome, as the second group out behind a foursome in carts. Pace was pretty good, we waited on the guys in front of us a few times, but never for long and we got around in about 3:45. Course was in very good shape, considering it had rained very hard right up until about an hour before we teed off. Greens were very soft, a bit bumpy, and holding just about anything with very little release. They putted fairly slow, but considering the weather they were not too bad. Fairways of course didn't offer a whole lot of roll, but balls didn't plug as often as expected, and most have decent grass to hit off of. Tee boxes are still sketchy here, and bunkers were pretty miserable with all the rain. Having the winter card gets me a rate of just over $30 walking, and I feel that's a decent enough price for what you'll get. It's about the same as you'll pay anywhere else, and I feel the conditions are slightly better.

Teed it up in a Men's club event this morning at Legion and enjoyed the round very much. Tee to green the place is very solid, good fairways and rough, decent tee boxes. Found 2 traps that were a little thin, which didn't bother me when I was 100 yds out from the green, but I would have liked a little more sand in the green side one at #16. Greens rolled ok, a few bumps here and there at a medium pace, and holding shots pretty well. Pace of play was solid as well, our foursome (2 walking, 2 riding) got around in 4 hours on the dot, waiting maybe 2 or 3 times for no more than a minute or 2. As always, I had a pretty good time at Legion.

Played Bellevue yesterday morning (8/19/17, 7:00 am tee time) with a friend, and found the place to be pretty reasonable. Greens had a few bumps, but not nearly as many as I expected. They were pretty soft, and accepted most any shot. Pace was medium, not too fast and not super slow either. Elsewhere the course is pretty hit and miss, fairways and rough were ok, some tee boxes horrible with others decent. I found 1 greenside bunker, and it had good, heavy sand. Sadly, even though there were 2 rakes right next to it there was an awful lot of footprints. Pace of play was shockingly good, my friend and I walked it with another 2 in a cart and got around in about 3:45. We played here since I didn't have a lot of time, and it fit the bill. I wouldn't go out of your way for it, but since its right around the corner from where I live, it was worth it.

Walked on yesterday morning (Saturday, 8/12/17) as a single, was grouped with a three some and teed off at 6:30. Played at a very nice pace, finishing the round in just under four hours. Greens were pretty good, they looked like they would be a bit bumpy but actually rolled decently. Medium to quick pace, and holding solidly struck shots. Fairways weren't very consistent, there were lots of dry spots like you would expect with the lack of rain recently, but some places were actually very muddy and wet. In general I had no trouble playing from them and always had a pretty good lie. Rough was very lush, quite long and definitely penalizing. They are definitely giving the course plenty of water. I found the greenside bunker short of #8, and it was quite thin. Seeing as I've played here a lot, I was ready for that as I've never seen that bunker have a decent amount of sand. Tee boxes remain the weakest part of the course, very rarely are they level. While there are some shortcomings with the place, it was a decent experience.

Walked Willows Run Eagle this morning while taking a day off of work. Considering how absolutely miserable this past winter has been here in the northwest, the course is in pretty reasonable shape. Fairways and rough are a bit shaggy, and very wet, but it has been raining non stop for the last week or so it seems, so its pretty hard to complain about it. The same for the bunkers, lots of them are little ponds now but I can't see how there's too much the crew can do about it. Tee boxes are decent, some of the worst offenders are closed now and being rebuilt, I would guess that by the summer they'll be very nice. Greens remain pretty good, although a couple seemed to be in need of a little love. Seeing as how there was a break in the rain, and I had the place all to myself, it was a very nice way to spend the morning.