Golf Course Reviews
Golf Course Reviews: California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Florida, Hawaii!
Listing 1 to 12 of 69,394 Course Reviews
Page of 3
Played Silverrock twice this weekend, as they opened from overseeding, and the unveiling of the redesigned back 9. Played the white/blue combo which is approximately 6,000 yards, and a slope of 128.

The front 9 of the course is unchanged. The back 9 is now a configuration of 3 par 3's, 3 par 4's and 3 par 5's. Hole 10 is the same. Hole 11 is now a par 3 over water that from the whites can play anywhere from 138-178 yards. Yes a 40 yard long green, that looks about 5 yards wide from the tee. From the tee all you see is water in front and left, a hill to the right and a flag. No bailout on this hole, and the last part of the green is a big downslope with mounding. Kind of unfair if the put the pin in the back and you are hitting a mid to long iron into the green, no way to get it close. 12 is not a par5 with a tee shot over water. Without getting into too much boring detail old hole #'13, 16, and 17 are unchanged. Hole #18 is a very controversial (to the regulars) short driveable par 4. I am of the side that it is a disappointing finishing hole. Eventually they are supposed to switch the 9's around, the current #9 would make a very tough finishing hole.

As the course just opened after being closed for a month the tees and fairways were in great shape. Only the 15th fairway had some bare patches to it, so hopefully they can get that taken care of.

The rough for Silverrock was on the lush side, and the ball had a tendency to sit down. and were penal.

The sand traps (of which there are many, with nice deep faces) were in great shape, with enough sand to be able to spin the ball with your bunker shots.

The green s putted medium speed., and were generally a little slower than normal on this course, but very few pitch marks ,and rolled smooth and true.

The carts have GPS where you can check yardages to bunkers, hazards etc. All grass range and range balls are included with your round. They also have a large putting green, and chipping and bunker practice areas.

The customer service as always was excellent.

Still a great course, but the redesign has me wanting for more.
11 Likes.
Played the Dunes Course Sat. 10/28 at 1:12pm fresh from overseeding with a couple from Edmonton, complaining how hot the balmy 95 degree weather was. The Dunes course is considered the weakest of the 5 public PGA West/La Quinta resort courses, and is the least played probably because holes 4-9 play through a wash and homes, and is not as scenic as the others. The positive is that you usually can find a good deal (Cost was $59 from Teeoff.com) This is a classic Pete Dye course, if you love his designs, you will love the course, if you don't, you will walk away hating it. Make no mistake this course is as tough if not tougher than the others. #17 is as tough as a par 4 you will find anywhere.

Service was top notch from bag drop to check in,to the starter. Saw the cart girl 3 times. Sight negative is that once you start your round you do not pass the clubhouse until you are done. The course was in great shape, tee boxes level, not a bad lie in the fairway. Rough was moderate length, and sticky, flyer lies were the norm if your ball ended up off the fairway.
This is what makes this course so difficult, as although the yardage of 6100 yards from the whites (slope 128), the greens for the most part are the size of your thumbnail. You could be 15 feet from the hole and be in the long rough. Anything but a short iron approach from the fairway will run through the green. The greens itself are on the soft/spongy side (again probably if they were fast no shot would hold). Mostly the greens play slower than other desert courses, but they roll true.

Although you have within a 10 mile radius at least 15 great courses to choose from, the Dunes is a great test of your golf game, and although not on the must have to play list, if you are looking for a solid test of golf, I would definitely recommend.
9 Likes.
Sixpez and I played our GK Cup 10 first round match this morning at 7:15. I got $10 off as a la Quinta resident (paid $30) while they reconfigure the back 9 at Silverrock, Pace of play was outstanding at 3:45, and we never really waited (not even Keith!!) to hit any shot. We played the blue tees (6396 yards 126 slope)

This course is set in a housing community (similar to Woodhaven, and Monterrey Country Club), and the design is set up so that all kinds of golfers can play. Wide fairways (I still seemed to miss more than my share), water comes into play on quite a few holes, but only one short par 3 that you have to carry over it.

Customer service was for the most part superb. They bring a cart to your car to pick up your clubs, they accompany you and help you put your clubs and other golf gear back in your car. The pro shop attendant was friendly as was the starter. The parts I am going to pick on were we did not see the cart girl until we played the first 9, and then as you go past the starter for the first tee she was parked waiting for the groups to finish 9 to serve. We also saw her on 16. My guess is with the wacky routing (it seemed we were crossing a street after almost every hole), that she wouldn't be able to service the whole course by driving thru the front 9. There were water jugs placed on several holes, but they do not provide any cups for you to use. Memo to self next time, bring my own water bottle.

For a course that is not considered a top tier course for the area, the conditions were excellent especially for this time of year, and when the courses in the area are transitioning to summer grasses. The tee boxes were level, plenty of grass, and few unrepaired divots. The fairways had great coverage, never had a bad lie. The rough was cut down to just above fairway length, but you could tell it was rough, as it took just enough spin off your approach that it was difficult to hold greens, especially if you were out of position on the hole. The one green side bunker I was in was thin, and had a weird sand mixture, it felt like i was hitting out of a mixture of coastal and desert sand, it made a crunching sound when I walked in it.

The greens were the best I have played on in the last couple of weeks (and that includes the Stadium course. They were firm, (hardly a ballm ark to be found or to be repaired) and shots coming in from the rough or not struck well rolled quite a bit. I also liked the green complexes. Most putts outside of 3 feet had a wrinkle to them, that grabs your attention. Above the hole, the putts were quick. The roll was true. in our group I don't think there was one complaint that a putt was missed because of the green. They do advertise how great there greens are, and even in transition, i must say the greens were as good if not better than most courses I play in prime season.

As keith said, this is a solid layout with a handful of really good holes and a number of forgettable ones. Actually I liked the holes, but the routing can make you dizzy. I also do not like crossing Westward Ho street while cars are making turns off of Jefferson, that is a disaster waiting to happen. I never played this course before, but for the price and the conditions it is definitely a sold option.

They claim they have the best pro shop in the valley, which is quite a stretch to say the least. It is nice, but definitely pales in comparison to PGA west and Indian Wells golf shops for sure.

We got a free drink card as part of the green fee (free if you buy some food), at what could of been mistaken for a Hard Rock Cafe, with signed guitars, statues of Elvis etc. . A duet was playing (I remember the guy who played at LaRue wine bar in Old Town La Quinta. They had talent, but they were too loud then and too loud now, especially for 11AM on a Sunday. The patrons (who smartly took tables at the opposite end of the stage, all enjoyed and applauded in appreciation, but does not make a conducive atmosphere to talk after your round.

For the price, and the conditions I would definitely recommend this course and will be back
12 Likes.
Thanks Johnny for putting on a great event on 5/7. I really have not much to add about the conditions, I will leave that to those that are more knowledgeable in course architecture and agronomy. I want to thank Nicksquire, sixpez and rat-patrol for a wonderful afternoon. I also want to comment on the GK cup match between sixpez and rat-patrol. The camaraderie and sportsmanship between the two was a pleasure to see. It appeared like they were just out there for the outing and the fun, and the competition was secondary.

The other comments I have to make was when the marshall came by and said we needed to speed up. Uh, where were we supposed to go? Unless he wanted us to start hitting into the group ahead of us. What did he expect when he had something like 48 players starting at the same time on 6 holes, and we were the last group.

I noted that the dropzone on 8, that if you weren't very careful you were on a downhill lie. Not very fair for that approach angle to an island green.

Epic fail on the staff at Ernie's. I was never impressed with the place anyway. and try and avoid eating there when I do play a PGA west course. They always seem inattentive (even when there is not a tournament), and I really think they don't care cause it's the only place in PGA west to eat and have a drink (they are building a second clubhouse, maybe that will wake them up.)

I also noted that the dropzone on 8, that if you weren't very careful you were on a downhill lie.

Course conditions were Troon like quality, glad to see Troon has put GPS back in the carts. Above all had an awesome day, always great to play golf with fellow GK'ers.
8 Likes.
I am not going to review Silverrock, because

1) I am biased
2) I am biased
3) There has been no change to my previous reviews except the back 9 is closed until November1 for renovations.

I do want to say what an enjoyable time I has with fellow GK'ers lamitchw,nicksquire, and caligolfer1031. Made for a great start to a great day at the GK event.
7 Likes.
Played the Dunes course Sunday 4/23 as a twosome with a buddy, 8:30 AM tee time. We played the silver/whites in warm (mid 90's) sunny light winds. We played in 3:50 (could of been less with a threesome in front of us who was nice to ask if we wanted to play through, but it was great weather so we decided to take our time.

The Dunes is a Pete dye course that doesn't get much respect, as parts of the course plays through a wash before finishing with the final 4 holes close to the Santa Rosa Mountain. This is a typical Pete Dye course though, small raised greens, with drop offs and mounding around. Accuracy is key here, and les than driver is the play off of many holes. They have "softened" the course somewhat in taking out quite a bit of elephant grass, that used to eat your ball just off some fairways, but now is primary rough.

The course is in nice shape. The tees were lush, and level. The fairways were fairly lush. The rough is lush, and is fair but penalizing as the ball tends to sit down in it.

At one time the 17th hole was rated the hardest par 4 in Southern California. If it still isn't it still ranks right up there.

The small greens definitely are undulated, but the speed is a tad slower than say Silverrock, and although some seem a little thin, they roll true. are almost completely recovered from their spring aeration. Shots from the fairway hold, but approaches from the rough have a tendency to roll off the greens., but they held full shots well and putted fairly smooth and medium fast. The traps were decently maintained, and the ones I was in (expecially greenside), had plenty of sand.

The customer service was excellent from both the Pro Shop & the Starter. Drink cart gal was very pleasant and around numerous times. Free range balls included with your round, and a great practice area, with grass tees, bunker and chipping practice area. There is a putting green near the first hole, in addition the carts, have a GPS.. Of all the La Quinta/PGA west courses, the Dunes is considered a step child (especially to the stadium). I think that is due more to the layout of the course through a wash and some housing close to some of the fairways. The course is just as challenging as any of the other more advertised courses in the Palm Springs area, and do recommend you consider it when in the La Quinta/ Coachella Valley area.
16 Likes.
Played Silverrock this morning before they close the back 9 May 1 for renovations. Course is in great shape, the greens were fast this morning. Fairways have good coverage, and we're not overwatered this morning. Tee boxes level. Great pace of play today, 4:05 with a 9:00 tee time during Coachella weekend, shockingly surprised. Service as usual is awesome, from check in to club cleaning. Saw the cart girl 4 times. Although the back 9 is closed, still a great option during the summer to play 9, or play the front 9 twice to make it 18. Excited to see what the renovations bring, they were personally approved bybArnie before his passing.
7 Likes.
This is more of a rant than a review. I don't know if this is where I am supposed to post thin but anyway. My buddy and I knew that rain was in the forecast but we had a tee-time schedule to play Poppy Hills at 9:00 on Sunday morning October 30. Was charged $125 including cart (NCGA guest rate), which I think is way overpriced anyway, as I have played Poppy several times including after the redesign, and although this is the home course of the NCGA, and the course is generally in very good shape, I am not a big fan of the design, and to make matters worse, they are now building homes along the back nine.

My rant is when we teed off it was misty but definitely playable. That changed by hole 2 and the rain and the wind would of stopped any tournament, only thing that was missing was lightning. The heavy rain continued all through the 9 holes we got through (the greens were becoming unputtable as puddles were pooling up on the greens) of which even though I had 4 layers on I was completely drenched. It made matters worse that the course was cart path only, so you did not have even any cart protection to wait before hitting your shot. After we came and quit at 9, and ate at the clubhouse, the weather changed, and for the rest of the day was actually sunny. Especially since my friend plays here regularly, why didn't the starter say that heavy rain is in the forecast for the next couple of hours, and we can go out now, or wait until it lets up? Wasn't like the tee sheet was full of golfers looking to play. At least make us aware of what was ahead. We were ready for rain, not a torrential downpour. I felt like the person at the pro shop only cared about collecting the $125 green fee. If I was told how bad the conditions were looking and that it looked like it will clear up later in the day, if I decided to play that would be on me. When we said something after we ate, the guy in the golf shop said, well you can go out now and finish your round. Really? do you have a dryer that I can dry my 4 layers of rain repellant clothes? let alone my golf bag and all its contents being soaked? I generally come up to the Monterrey area twice a year, and always play Poppy, but not anymore. Blackhorse/Bayonnet and some other courses in the area are much better options in my opinion.
10 Likes.
Played Quail Saturday, my friend just became a member. the previous GKGuru reviews are spot on, the course was in immaculate shape. Not a bad lie in the fairways. The rough was consistent (about 2 inches thick), and very lush due to recent rains. The greens had nary a ball mark, and were relatively quick. I think due to the rain, the greens were a little soft, and approach shots were not only receptive, but backed up quite a few approaches (I doubt it was because I was playing with the new Kirkland ball). I don't know what the rate is to play the course, but it is a first rate facility. Great practice area, with grass range, practice bunkers, chipping area and putting.

I would definitely recommend this course as an option when in the Monterrey/Carmel area, and that is not just because my buddy is a member. One of my new all time favorites.
11 Likes.
Played on Sun. 10/24. The course just reopened after the change over to winter conditions. Cart path only due to the aforementioned. Unfortunately this lent to a slow round (about 4:45). I will say the marshall was doing all he could to speed up play, but cart path only just slows things down. Fairways had great coverage, but were still shaggy. Greens were smooth but were definitely on the slow side. the above conditions should correct itself within the next couple of weeks, and the course will be in immaculate shape. Rough was penal but fair, depending on the luck of the draw could have a lie where getting it out into the fairway might be a challenge, or have the ball sitting up quite nicely.

As for the course itself, it is a typical Pete Dye design, with raised greens, steep falloff areas around the greens, and pot bunkers in just the right places. the course is not long but you must be very accurate here as wayward shots are definitely penalized in long rough/unplayable lies.

Service was excellent from the bag drop /check in to the starter. A nice option for a challenging round in the La Quinta area
5 Likes.
Played today. Really no change from previous recent reviews. (Nicksquire reviewed the course course twice last week, how can I add to those reviews?.). What has changed except the price jumped for non-residences. Course closes October 8th for a monrh for pre-season maintenance. If you have a chance to play before then I highly recommend it. Conditions are great right now.
7 Likes.
Played Saturday 9/4 with Nicksquire, robule & rgm2525, As usual, Nick covers all the basis in his very thorough reviews, so just some personal observations. The 18th, is I guess the signature hole, but it looks like the original designer of the course only got paid for 17 and they brought someone else in to finish it up. After playing 17 holes with a certain feel (wide fairways, big greens with lots of slopes and nobs to make a premium to the accuracy of your irons that are protected with lots of bunkers), to a finishing hole with a stream down the left side of the fairway, and a raised green that sort of reminds me of a mini version of the par 5 on the back of Sandpiper that you hit your approach over a cliff. It' actually a pretty hole, just kinda jars you after the first 17. This course on the back starts winding through the timeshares, and the par 3 17th with the pool on the right and the timeshare balconies as a gallery, with guests walking along the sidewalk of the timeshare. There are a couple of other holes on the back where guests seem to be walking/playing or throwing a ball around. Was not a bother to me, but a twosome did appear out of nowhere on the green on 17, and one of them decided they liked rgm2525's ball better than his. Not like his ball was in the rough or anything had about a 12 foot birdie putt.

The fairways were lush, and the greens although Coachella Valley summer slow definitely held their line, as I definitely made more putts over 5 feet than I normally do.

Service was top notch from dropping off your clubs to setting them on top of the stairs. Starter was extremely efficient, told you all you needed to know and then some within 40 seconds.

All in all a fun course to play and it is definitely in my rotation in the Palm Springs area
9 Likes.
Listing 1 to 12 of 69,394 Course Reviews
Page of 3


Filter Reviews
None
Region
Member
Month of
Date Range
to



Greenskeeper.org Assistance
Vivid Golf 50% Off
Thank You ~ JohnnyGK



Our GK Community
Greenskeeper.org
Golf Course Supporters

* Super Supporters:

* Corica Park, Alameda, CA
* Classic Club, Palm Springs, CA
* Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Springs, CA
* Goat Hill Park Golf Course, Oceanside, CA
* Goose Creek Golf Club, Mira Loma, CA
* Indian Wells Golf Resort, Palm Springs, CA
* Mt. Woodson Golf Club, San Diego, CA
* Mojave Resort Golf Club, Laughlin, NV
* Oak Creek Golf Club, Irvine, CA
* Oak Quarry Golf Club, Riverside, CA
* Quail Lodge Golf Club, Carmel, CA
* Riverwalk Golf Club, San Diego, CA
* Sandpiper Golf Club, Santa Barbara, CA
* Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA
* Sun City West Golf, Phoenix, AZ

Golf Moose / GK Private Course Outing Hosts:

Bakersfield CC, Bakersfield, CA
Bear Creek Golf Club, Murrieta, CA
Bella Collina CC, San Clemente, CA
Canyon Crest CC, Riverside, CA
Canyon Gate CC, Nevada, NV
Dove Canyon Golf Club, Dove Canyon, CA
Las Posas CC, Camarillo, CA
Kings CC, Hanford, CA
Los Coyotes CC, Buena Park, CA
Palm Valley CC, Palm Desert, CA
San Diego CC, Chula Vista, CA
Spanish Hills CC, Camarillo, CA
Sunset Hills CC, Thousand Oaks, CA
The Huntington Club, Huntington Beach, CA
The Oaks at Valencia, Valencia, CA
The Saticoy Club, Somis, CA
Western Hills CC, Chino Hills, CA
Valencia CC, Valencia, CA
Wood Ranch Golf Club, Simi Valley, CA







-->