At $15 (cart included for the winter super twilight rate), I wasn't expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by Shandin Hills. My playing partner and I walked right on last week (weekday afternoon) and briskly played 18 holes before the sun went down in about 3 1/2 hours.

The course was in good shape. Not all of the greens were perfectly manicured, and neither the fairways nor tee boxes were in immaculate condition. Still, at less than a dollar per hole, I kept finding myself saying, "Hey, this isn't bad at all."

I laughed when a train rumbled down alongside one of the fairways as my buddy was addressing his ball. The 215 freeway is also visible at various points on the course, especially the start of the back nine. Not exactly a quiet and pristine environment, but it shouldn't distract any but the most uptight golfers.

Water comes into play on the 9th (slight dogleg left), 15th (carry over most of 165 yards from the back tee on this par 3), and the 18th (for my fellow slicers). The par 3 7th has a nice view of the course from its elevated tee box, down to the well-guarded green 178 yards away.

After daylight savings kicks in this weekend (3/11), the super twilight rate of $16 begins at 3pm. As long as it's not crowded, it shouldn't be a problem playing all 18 before the sun sets. Shandin Hills is an excellent value for local players and for those passing through the area.

Shandin Hills Golf Course Review
San Bernardino California Golf Course Reviews

I met my brothers here for my continuing adventures with free birthday rounds. None of us had a copy of Southland Golf and the kid at the desk insisted on having the ad in hand in order to give my brothers the discounted rate. They ended up paying the full rate ($31 non-resident + $14 cart fee), while I received a free round after I paid the cart fee. That was slightly annoying, but we were on the course at our scheduled 10:45am tee time and proceeded to enjoy our time at De Bell.

This mountain course is not long, but it's challenging and I liked the layout. It tends to be narrow and there are plenty of doglegs and a few blind shots. On the day we played, the greens were pretty fast and, yes, everything breaks toward Burbank. It was nice and quiet throughout our round: not a bad respite from the daily grind of the 5 and 134 freeways.

Overall, the course was decently maintained. Most of the tee boxes and fairways were in good shape, with an occasional blemish. Unfortunately, I found trouble in one of the greenside bunkers on 13; not sure if a sprinkler leaked into it, but it was pretty muddy in there.

Pace of play was a bit on the slow side, but I did see the marshall twice. The beverage cart girl was seen once on the front nine and a few times on the back nine, which is always a good thing.

My brothers and I enjoyed the course and we all agreed that we would play here again, if only to get the honor of ringing "de bell" after playing the 12th hole (par 3 downhill blind tee shot) to let the next group know they can tee it up.

De Bell Golf Course Review
Burbank California Golf Course Reviews

Whenever I'm in the area, I try to squeeze in a round at this excellent, well-kept executive course in the San Gabriel Valley, where the 210 and 605 meet. Most golfers will be able to go through their entire bag of clubs on this nine-hole track, especially early on as they open with the 68-yard first hole before quickly reaching the longest hole at no. 3 (324 yards). The tee boxes are in good shape, most of the fairways are clean, and the greens are tricky at times. There is no water to worry about, but a few of the holes have greenside bunkers. This is a walk-only course, but it's mostly flat with a couple of elevated greens.

The practice area consists of a driving range, a putting green, and a small chipping area. A pro shop and restaurant are also on the premises, and the staff is friendly and courteous. I've played with different levels of players and all seem to enjoy the challenges presented by Rancho Duarte.

Tip: Use golfnow.com to book your tee time. Weekend prime-time green fee is $16, but booking through golfnow will get you a $6 (plus $1.99 fee) rate. Eight bucks for these nine holes is a steal.

Rancho Duarte Golf Course Review
Duarte California Golf Course Reviews

Played on my birthday afternoon and was able to get all 18 holes in before dark. I presented my birthday gift certificate for a free green fee (printed from their website after joining their e-mail club) and after paying the cart fee ($15), I walked right on as a solo player.

One foursome let me play through after the fifth hole and I felt like I had the course all to myself. I finished a few minutes after 5pm, just over three hours after starting.

I greatly enjoyed playing Indian Hills. There were a lot elevated tee boxes and elevated greens throughout. After reading the good reviews re: the greens, I was a bit disappointed at their overall inconsistency. On the day I played they were on the slow side, but a few were screaming fast. A handful had also been punched recently and one had droppings from the local ducks.

Still, ducky doo aside, I loved the highly elevated tee shots on a few of the holes. The 14th, in particular, had a spectacular view of Jurupa Valley. Walking this course would definitely take care of your cardio workout for the day.

Obviously, I would play this course again for a mere $15 cart fee, but since it's not my birthday every day, I will gladly use one of the many online or Southland Golf specials that Indian Hills offers. Looking forward to playing here again.

Indian Hills Golf Course Course Review
Riverside California Golf Course Reviews