Headed back out to Diamond Bar this week with two friends including my buddy who is a member at Hacienda and had never played DB before. I was very curious what his thoughts would be after the round and he was quite impressed - calling it even better than another one or two local private clubs he plays regularly.

I definitely enjoy the course as well, especially with all of the new improvements and layout changes, but there are still some needs that should be addressed. First off, the freeway work is still ongoing and it's a real challenge on some of the holes in terms of noise and just distraction. I can't wait for all the road work to be truly finished to see this course at its best.

There were also no marshals at all on the course and at one point, while on the green at the 12th hole, we noticed two entire holes (15 and 16) were empty as a group of drunk guys casually rode down the fairway. They were literally holding up all the groups behind and my friend let them have it, but in truth, he shouldn't have to if the course is being properly marshaled. As the new Diamond Bar grows in popularity, this needs to be addressed to avoid what turned out to be a five-hour round.

On the positive side, the recently punched greens are looking quite well but I fear that the message about fixing ball marks is not being stressed enough. The greens are all in great shape if weren't for so many little pock marks everywhere from lazy golfers simply not bothered enough to fix their damage. I think I fixed at least two or three on each hole (and I played so poorly that I know none of them were mine!). It's a shame because they could really be top notch with just the slightest amount of attention from the clientele.

Fairways are in good shape with a few thin/dry areas, but for the most part you're getting plenty of good lies. When you're off with your shots though, there are a lot of mulch and wood chip areas between holes that are going to give you a hard time. Tee boxes were all in good shape (played the blue tees) and the rough was very playable and fun. The bad? The bunkers are very thin. I tried to play a standard bunker shot on the second green and my club bounced on the surface just underneath to rocket out fifty yards. I played all subsequent bunkers as chip shots instead to keep my sanity. This needs to improve.

We had great cart service all afternoon and that was quite nice, while the carts themselves are very basic with no GPS or any other specialty items. The snack shop across from the starter is pretty good but had a limited selection on this day because the cook called in sick. Whatcha gonna do?

So definitely a few wrinkles that need ironing out but still Diamond Bar is a much-improved facility that was more than worth the $65 greens fee. A very good value still for the nice golf experience overall that was provided.

Played this Sunday in the Rancho Park Men's Club tournament of champions which is held yearly at the fabulous Ojai Valley Inn. When I played last year, my game was much sharper so I played the blue tees, but the game's been pretty poor this year so I was in the flight playing from the white tees this time around. Not a problem - should be fun!

I always love this course for its unique and fun layout with some very target-oriented and memorable short holes to start, followed by some parkland style on the back nine and then a big finish with some truly memorable holes. Conditions always seem pretty prime here and this time around was no exception.

My group had a 10:00am tee time and you could not have asked for a more perfect early autumn afternoon. We rode in the very nice carts with a solid GPS system and hit the ground running. Speaking of running, the greens were running really nicely - and quite fast. They were in pretty great shape and I enjoyed them very much to the tune of a 29-putt afternoon. The tee boxes on some holes were a bit uneven, but for the most part they were fine. Fairways were in nice shape with the occasional thin spot but optically they looked quite nice all around. The rough was mostly playable and the bunkers varied a bit from hole to hole but none of them were unplayable. I wouldn't call them fluffy though, either.

One disappointment? On a very busy and warm Sunday afternoon there was never one hint of cart service for the entire day, and there's really no convenient snack shop at the turn. Apparently there is a market en route to the 10th tee box but you are also fighting for a quick in and out with every other guest at the resort - not ideal.

But despite that little annoyance, still had a wonderful day out at OVI and will always happily return for this event every year ... if I qualify!

First round back since three weeks away on vacation so a buddy and I thought Balboa would be a great place to ease back into the game. We were correct.

We snagged a 10am tee time this Sunday and rode while playing the blue tees and paired up with two, fun older gentlemen - a good time was had by all. It was warm but there were some nice patches of cloud cover that really made it ideal temperatures to play.

Course conditions are about what you would expect right now at Balboa, although to be fair I was concerned it was going to be even more dried out than it actually was. I found the greens to be in pretty darn good shape actually, holding shots well and rolling pretty consistently.

The fairways are not all covered but there are plenty of good spots in the right hitting alleys. You're still going to find some thin and dry along the way, and even some roped off GUR areas (perhaps needed a few more to be honest), but nothing too bad to complain about any more than this. The tee boxes are definitely beat up but they're level and adequate. Bunkers were a bit crusty on the top but actually had more sand underneath than expected, so not terrible.

Carts are pretty well appointed and they have a very good GPS system to help you out, but Balboa as a course is pretty straight-forward with no water features, no elevations and nothing but trees and a little bit of length on a few holes to trouble you. I was thrilled to come back after a long hiatus and play my best round of the year so far.

Was shocked to realize it had been three years since playing Wilson ahead of today's RPGC event. Since my game is in the toilet this year, I was in the D Flight and we played from the white tees. Scorching hot day as well!

The fairways here have held up pretty well, but everything else - the fringes, select areas, the rough, the really rough - it's all pretty awful. It can't be easy to maintain that place so I do feel some type of understanding. But know before you go, right? Greens were quite spongy and felt like they should have been much slower than they were, but they're still medium at best. They held shots well enough I guess.

Never found a bunker today so can't speak to them other than how I saw others hitting them and it didn't look great, but take that with a grain of salt. The tee boxes were nothing to write home about but weren't terrible, either. Not great grass but coverage of all other types of flora as well (is that moss?). Got the job done.

POP was really nice as we moved well and finished pretty much right on four hours. The carts are also in good shape, fairly new and they have a good GPS system. Layout? You know it ... classic LA and still a lot of fun if you find those well-covered fairways (hole 14 is particularly nice after your tee shot). If not, it's kind of defeating. You'll enjoy Wilson right now if you play well, and talk smack about it later if you stink up the joint. The choice is yours my friends.

Like The A Team's Hannibal Smith always says - "I love it when a plan comes together."

I had some work up in the Solvang area this past Friday afternoon and thought, just on the off chance time frees up, I will take my clubs and some golf clothes just in case. As fate would have it, I was able to finish up and drive over to the River Course at Alisal and not only was there a nice 1:30pm tee time available, but the very kind starter even got me a lower twilight rate.

I was paired with a single who turned out to be a great guy and off we went playing from the blue tees and both riding in very nice carts with all the necessary features. The first thing that stood out was how quickly we moved from hole to hole, then we caught up with a group at the 7th hole and they let us play through. When all was said and done, we finished the round in just three hours - amazing! POP was simply perfect all afternoon on a gorgeous summer day.

The course itself is also in great shape. I had only played here once before in a scramble tournament, so I was thrilled to be able to actually play the course myself and had quite a decent round to boot. The layout is very fun while not overpowering. There are not a ton of elevations but there are some elevated tee boxes (not many) and some sneaky water features that are really well hidden. The course is really right out in front of you but it's easy to get lost in the beautiful surroundings in Solvang and just the course's aesthetics alone.

On top of all that goodness, the course was in very fine shape as well! The greens were running really nicely after having been punched about a month ago (as I was told by my playing partner), and speeds were consistent throughout the day which lead to me to a nice 27-putt afternoon. Nothing too tricky or gimmicky about them either, just fun and well-kept. Fairways were also in really good shape with a few late-summer thin areas and some sections were a bit overwatered, but nothing to take away from the goodness.

Tee boxes were all in really good shape - flat and level, and well groomed, while the bunkers were absolutely sublime - some of the best, most fluffy sand that I've played in a long time, which made two sandy pars all the more satisfying. The rough had some deep areas but mostly it was very playable and not too much of a hassle. Overall the course conditions were quite superb.

What more could you ask for? It was really an overall perfect day with a solid golf round, a tremendous course, a great playing partner, outstanding POP and all at a discounted rate thanks to staff who really get their customers. I have nothing but the highest of marks for my first proper round at the Alisal. Can't wait to get back there and play it again.

Had a work event starting this past Saturday down in Anaheim so went with a colleague over to Tustin Ranch for a fun round after having gotten our work done in the morning. We had some time before our 2:10pm tee time so we ate at the Player's Lounge and then warmed up on the range ahead of our start.

We were told that one of the holes (the par 3 3rd) would be closed for maintenance and that we would be starting our round on the 11th hole, then we could replay it to get in 18 holes. Fair enough. But when we did get around to the front nine, both holes 2 AND 3 were closed. Hole 2 is a beautiful par 5 that I would have loved to play and I felt absolutely cheated after having been given completely false information. Both my colleague and the other two players we were paired with were quite livid. And worse, when we finally finished the round, no one was around to direct our complaints to. Very frustrating indeed. One hole was fine, but two? At $190 for 18 holes? Very disappointing.

As for the rest of the course, it's actually grown on me a lot since my last two visits, but I still think it's overpriced for what you get - especially when two holes are cut out! But the rest of the course was in pretty good late summer shape with nice, well-maintained and mostly green fairways (dry areas in spots to be fair), very playable rough, nice bunkers for the most part and excellent tee boxes (we played the whites) and greens.

The greens were in really nice shape, rolling fast and true and holding shots quite well. They have some tricky green complexes for sure and I think I rolled my best putt ever on the 9th hole green where I was on the proper tier but a sloping section forced me to aim well right and up the ridge before finding the fall line and sinking the 50-footer for birdie.

Carts are very nice with GPS and very finely appointed - no complaints there. We also had cart service come out a few times and that was great. POP was not really an issue until we caught the groups in front of us after the two-lost-hole debacle, then it slowed down quite a bit, but we cruised through the first ten holes quite nicely.

So all-in-all it was a disappointing experience in one regard but not something that I anticipate will be a regular occurrence at Tustin Ranch. I would recommend waiting until they've sorted out this irrigation issue though on holes 2 and 3 before spending that kind of money to not get what it's all worth.

Early Friday morning round in the fog at Los Verdes and it was actually nice to get some respite from the hot mid-summer temperatures. My buddy and I had a 7:15am spot and were joined by a very pleasant and fun aunt and nephew pairing. We rode and played the white tees this time around.

The course will always remain a local gem and if you catch it at the right time, in the right conditions, with the right POP, it's going to always be one of the best values around. We got most of it right on this day but the course conditions are definitely showing some of that late summer wear and tear. A few too many thin, burnt-out areas, large clumps of elephant grass in between earth, and quite a few roots out of the ground forcing uncomfortable decisions. It's not ideal and even the marshal commented about it when he rode by at the 13 hole.

Most of the other conditions were pretty good though ... not too many complaints. The tee boxes weren't great but not awful either, although one or two were a bit askew. The bunkers had just enough sand to be playable and functional, not enough to be enjoyable. The rough was playable and cut to a fine length if you missed the fairway (or any of the many mulch areas between holes). The best part? As usual - the greens. They're really good, deceptively fast and the pin positions today were at their tournament, devilish best (or worst?). Really challenging and difficult to dial in all day.

Carts are very rudimentary and surprisingly still don't have any GPS on them at all. We had cart service finally at the 15th hole so that was nice and actually quite uncommon. The best part of all? We finished in four hours and seven minutes. Let me repeat. Four hours and seven minutes. At Los Verdes. On a Friday morning. Just wanted to make sure you got that right. Fantastic and so much more enjoyable. Quite the day.

Played Chester Washington this past week with a buddy - $60 to ride which is right on the cusp of pushing it but I'll allow it since the POP wasn't the awful disaster that's often anticipated when one plays here. We had a 12:52pm tee time, took off on time with a single, and generally moved pretty well.

Course conditions are as follows: Greens were a bit bumpy and slow but not as bumpy and slow as past visits, so I guess that was a win. The tee boxes (we played the blues) were mostly fine - flat, level and decent coverage. The fairways were good in some parts, mostly thin and dry in others but okay overall. The rough? Crazy, out of control and about as penal as you will find anywhere right now. It's a true disaster missing the fairways right now. Bunkers are in pretty good shape - not the white, fluffy stuff but they play better than they look.

Our cart started making some weird jerky moves around the 9th hole and then completely died in the middle of the 12th fairway. Kudos to the team though as they brought us out a new one before finishing the hole. Our single also had to leave early so we were joined by the twosome that had been behind us all day. Then, on the 17th hole, one of those guys I watched actually pick up my ball in the rough midway down the hole. What's going on here? He apologized profusely and put it back but I just don't get it.

Anyway, decent day out at the Chester and it got the job done for a late week round.

Fortunate enough to get my second-ever invite to play Hacienda this past week and I was thrilled for the opportunity to make good after my first-ever visit back in 2015 was an absolute tragedy on the scorecard. Still new to the game, I was in no position to tackle a course as challenging as Hacienda, but this time around I knew it would be much better.

If you've never played here before, it's hard to describe how this superb track just kind of jumps out of nowhere at you in La Habra Heights. Your drive there makes you forget you're in the heart of Los Angeles, and then all of a sudden the property hits you. From the first hole until the last it's a completely wild ride. There's not a single 'easy' hole on this course and each has its own difficulty and risk-reward scenario. There are some significant carries on a lot of holes, one of the most tricky par 3s you'll ever play (the 16th) and enough elevations and blind shots to make you question your sanity. But it's oh so good to experience.

The course looks immaculate when you pull into the parking lot, however I must admit that while the greens did roll very fast and were very challenging, the surfaces themselves were a little bit weathered and there were some strange color disparities from green to green. I wouldn't say it affected the smooth roll too much, but on a few holes there was trepidation as to how much these imperfections would impact the ball. Luckily it wasn't too bad, but optically things could definitely be a bit better.

The rest of the course is fantastic. We played from the blue (V) tees and every tee box was in perfect shape, although some are quite small and tucked away in very awkward spots - did I mention this course was tough? The fairways are beautiful green carpet like you would expect from a private course of this caliber, and the rough was a very nice challenge if you missed said fairways. It varied in length but there were some very penal spots and fescue areas that will provide incredibly tricky outs. The bunkers were in pretty prime shape although I somehow managed to avoid every single one of them.

The carts were incredibly plush and comfortable however there is no GPS on them - not shocking for clubs where they mostly encourage walking. No cart service but a very well stocked snack, food and beverage shack right at the 10th tee box. Everything you need can be found there. Also, if you've been there before, the driving range is quite small with only about ten stalls, but this past week it was closed altogether as right next to it is heavy construction as they removed the pool that was there before and are replacing the area with a very nice pitching and chipping practice area.

So did I fix my past woes? Not exactly ... I was 18 shots better than my first visit though so that's showing something, but still did not play well enough to be pleased with the final outcome. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and hope to get another invite to play here again.

Played in another RPGC tournament this weekend and was very excited to get back out to Mountain Meadows in Pomona. I played in the B flight and had an 11:40am tee time on a hot, but survivable summer day.

If you've never played MM before, it's a tale of two nines, though not quite as dramatic as a place like Tijeras Creek for example. The front nine has fewer dramatic elevations but no shortage of tricky and narrow up-and-down holes, while the back nine has much more unique holes like the stretch from 11-15. It's a good test of both accuracy and length, and the par 3s are all unique and fun.

Overall conditions are very good - definitely doing great work to beat the heat. The greens were very nice - rolling fast, holding shots and rewarding good lines. Some of the greens are quite small which adds to the challenge, but the other ones do have plenty of subtle breaks to keep you honest. The fairways are in good shape as well - solid lies all day long in good spots. The rough? Mostly playable and easy to hit from so no drama there. Bunkers were a bit of a mixed bag with the early ones on the front nine playing very nicely, then the latter ones (like greenside on hole 16) being thin, crusty and difficult. Tee boxes were not all level but the coverage was good ... could definitely improve that.

Cart service came around numerous times but was not very efficient as she had to input the credit card number and all details each time - even for just a Gatorade. I'm hoping that was just a glitch for the day and not the standard procedure. It simply takes too long to grab a quick snack and keep the POP moving. Speaking of POP, were were one of the last groups in the tournament and it did not run super smoothly, finishing at just under five hours.

Really fun course though in very good shape and at a reasonable rate - get out to Mountain Meadows right now if you can and it's going to be a good day.

Got out to Woodley Lakes this past Friday for a fun round with a buddy of mine and we were joined by another single with an 11:50am tee time. It was a beautiful summer day with little to no wind and temperatures that failed to mimic the sun, so that was good. It was still hot enough to ride though and not walk.

Was quite pleasantly surprised to find Woodley in such favorable conditions this late in the season. The greens were running really good for all the traffic, held shots nicely and actually had some decent pace to them. Nothing tricky at Woodley so good putting is easily rewarded.

The fairways were mostly in good shape with some thin or burnt out lies here and there, but overall very pleasing and not at all expected. The rough is completely manageable as well. Tee boxes (played the blues) were all level and good, although a few were a bit thin in terms of coverage. Bunkers were okay - nothing great, nothing horrific.

POP was a dreamy four hours on the nose which was amazing for this time of day. There is no cart service so having to run back to the snack shop/cafeteria at the turn isn't ideal, but it is what it is. Woodley does have a very good driving range with grass so that's a treat, but you can't take your carts down there all the way which is a bit annoying when it freezes up on you ... first world problems.

Overall a very good showing at Woodley for a straightforward golf experience without all the frills and drama of other courses, but great to get in a solid round for some confidence with wide open fairways and little trouble to get into on the day.

Tremendous day out at Los Robles for just my third visit this past weekend playing in an RPGC men's tournament. When I saw this one on the calendar a few months back I just knew that I had to be there as Los Robles is a super fun course to play, and it did not disappoint.

My flight played from the blue tees and I rode for the day. The driving range is good but nothing too fancy and is a decent walk from the pro shop. Had a 10:30 tee time on a picture perfect summer day with little to no wind as well - ideal.

Course conditions are really terrific. Greens were so good - running fast and smooth, holding shots and lines well and just overall being a real treat. Fairways, despite the summer heat, have held up incredibly well and I had good lies all day. The rough was also in good shape and voluminous but there's not a ton out there with all the native areas. Tee boxes were mostly all in very good shape - flat and level. Bunkers were slightly inconsistent but only between good and great - so no worries there.

POP, which seemed like it was going to be a problem as we were the final group and at one point had a word from the marshal for being a hole behind (one of our players was VERY deliberate with his seven practice swings on each shot), ended up being just fine and we actually closed out exactly on four hours. Amazing. We certainly picked it up after the warning and the results showed.

All in all just a super outing (despite my poor play yet again) but Los Robles continues to climb in my personal ranks of SoCal's most enjoyable 18s. Get out there soon.