Late afternoon tee time this past Friday at Rio Hondo and just can't talk about anything else up front over the POP disaster. I was shocked to look at my phone and see a 3+ hour front nine before grab... Continue »

Late afternoon tee time this past Friday at Rio Hondo and just can't talk about anything else up front over the POP disaster. I was shocked to look at my phone and see a 3+ hour front nine before grabbing a dog at the turn.

Fortunately the layout on the back nine works a little better in that regard so we finished at right under six hours. Awful. Painful. Aggravating. Is it time to consider some kind of layout change to avoid these messes? Stagger tee times more? I'm not sure, but it's not sustainable.

Okay, rant over. Course conditions are pretty good and the greens are fully recovered from the latest punch. They were rolling nicely and with consistent speeds, but too many people still not fixing their ball marks. How is this still an issue in 2026? Surely all the new Covid golfers have now gotten to the point where they understand this, right?

Fairways were a little thin and dried out but playable, while the rough was in good shape. Bunkers had enough sand in them to be functional, not enough to be enjoyable. Tee boxes were a hodge-podge of good and bad coverage, but they were all level and workable.

But for the love of God - please fix the POP issue.

Enjoyed playing Rio Hondo again. I remember the first time I played there in the early 70's, the course was very short, until they did the remodel, which made this into a very nice track. Course offer... Continue »

Enjoyed playing Rio Hondo again. I remember the first time I played there in the early 70's, the course was very short, until they did the remodel, which made this into a very nice track. Course offers a good challenge, but not so much as to being penal, except for hole #14, the par 3 which seems to "own me". After reading Roberts very comprehensive review, how can I say more, except that the greens did roll better than expected, so maybe the week between our rounds really helped? Recommend this course as it is still reasonably priced and the staff is always friendly.

Sunday round at Rio Hondo with a buddy ... we played from the blue tees and had an 11:16 tee time. Fortunately this course is one of the few that if you book online with a cart, they still allow you t... Continue »

Sunday round at Rio Hondo with a buddy ... we played from the blue tees and had an 11:16 tee time. Fortunately this course is one of the few that if you book online with a cart, they still allow you to adjust to walking rates if you so choose. Got in some range time, got paired with another twosome and off we went. First things first - was really dreading the possibility of a typical six-hour weekend round at RH with all of the bunching up on holes, especially the three par 3s in four holes (7, 8 and 10). Fortunately we found a nice slot in between groups and never waited on a single hole until that 7th, but even then it was just one group and not three. The longest wait was at the par 3 14th, but overall we finished the round in about four and a half hours, which is just tremendous at this place on a Sunday. Greens are still showing late signs of the spring punch and need just a bit more time before they are in their best phase. They're still a little bumpy and unpredictable right now and I would not describe the speeds as 'consistent.' Plenty of ball marks as well. Fairways were mostly okay but certainly on the thin side more times than not. There are some GUR areas as well, but you can pretty easily navigate around them. I wouldn't call them 'bad lies' in the fairways, but I've certainly played lusher. The rough was thick and nice and often preferable for some wedge shots or pitches around the greens. Bunkers were okay - could use some more sand, but most places can. Tee boxes were level and mostly alright. We did not see any cart service around the course all afternoon which was a bit surprising considering it was a weekend round and a hot day. Fortunately the snack shop is conveniently located directly between the front and back nines so you can refuel there. Rio Hondo is definitely still playable right now, and even enjoyable if you find a nice slot in between the crowds, but I've certainly played it other times in finer condition than where it's at currently. But don't be deterred - it's still a very fun, challenging experience.

Rolled the dice a bit and took an 11:56 tee time and walked the blues on Sunday 1/25, hoping to finish before dark, and we did, just barely. POP is always an issue on weekends here, with long waits on... Continue »

Rolled the dice a bit and took an 11:56 tee time and walked the blues on Sunday 1/25, hoping to finish before dark, and we did, just barely. POP is always an issue on weekends here, with long waits on every tee box; front was about 3 hours and the back picked up slightly at about 2.15. Still a long round which makes it hard to find a rhythm, but it was a beautiful day and the course was in generally good shape.

Tee boxes were mostly level and in good condition. Fairways were on the thin side and because of the undulation of the fairways on certain holes, balls tend to all collect in the same area and lucky for me my ball managed to find a divot on a few occasions. Rough was generally cut down and easy to play from. bunkers were mostly hardpan with minimal sand. Greens were in pretty good shape rolling medium fast; chips onto the green had good roll out.

At least with the brutal POP there was a drink cart that circulated and even with how slow it is i still find it a fun track and a good test of accuracy off the tee and fun holes that make you think about how to play them.

Weekend round back at Rio Hondo this weekend with an old friend and we both walked, playing from the blue tees. Made the booking online with cart only, but the starter was a pro and gave us the walkin... Continue »

Weekend round back at Rio Hondo this weekend with an old friend and we both walked, playing from the blue tees. Made the booking online with cart only, but the starter was a pro and gave us the walking rate instead of the online price - good customer service there.

I've reviewed Rio Hondo a million times so I won't get too much into the course layout or other extracurriculars, but current course conditions are worth a closer look.

The greens have recovered well from the last punch a month or so ago and are running quite nicely right now. Putts hold their lines well, approach shots hold the green, and the speeds (medium fast) are consistent from hole to hole. A few too many pitch marks to be fair, but I fixed up as many as I could find.

Fairways are mostly in good shape but there are some holes that are severely flirting with 'thin.' The rough is also a mixed bag of everything imaginable - stick to the fairways - easier said than done on this narrow track. Bunkers were okay - a little thin for my liking but played better than they actually look. Tee boxes are feeling the heat but nothing too awful to cry about in this post. The course is definitely playable but I've certainly seen it more lush than at the moment.

POP was not great but we were paired with a twosome and one of them was most certainly a beginner so I think we were mainly the reason for the slow-ish play, but it wasn't too bad in the long run as we finished at just under five hours ... I suppose that's not bad for a Sunday round in LA.

Overall it was a good day for golf (despite playing atrociously) as the skies never parted, the sun kept us warm and the course entertained us with all its gifts. I will be back I'm sure.

Played a solo round at Rio Hondo this past week and was certainly disappointed with a well-over five-hour round and some crazy long waits on the front nine at the 7th and 8th hole tee boxes. There's n... Continue »

Played a solo round at Rio Hondo this past week and was certainly disappointed with a well-over five-hour round and some crazy long waits on the front nine at the 7th and 8th hole tee boxes. There's not a marshall in sight to move this along?

Greens are recovering nicely from the latest aerification but need probably about another week or two before being in optimum shape. Still, they're not bad at all right now. Fairways have a few too many thin spots for my liking but there is also plenty of good to go around. Rough is cut to a manageable length and the tee boxes (played the blue tees) were okay. I was in about three or four bunkers and they had mostly serviceable sand in them.

No GPS on the carts but they're in good enough condition to enjoy your round. But really, the POP over five hours was really a cause for serious frustration. I am always a big fan of Rio Hondo and consider it one of the best LA County munis, but it was a little bit frustrating this time out.

Joined a friend today for a mid morning round. Beat some of the heat but not the POP. Almost 5 hours. Never have understood this as the course is IMO not that difficult. Oh well live and learn. We had... Continue »

Joined a friend today for a mid morning round. Beat some of the heat but not the POP. Almost 5 hours. Never have understood this as the course is IMO not that difficult. Oh well live and learn. We had good tee boxes all round. Fairways are not all filled in so you will find some unwelcomed lies depending upon the fairway. But they did provide good roll out. Traps all were playable and most of them raked based on others comments. Very little rough to play out of but the water hazards can ruin ones day as it did for one of our guys. Greens were good and had good speed when chipping/putting. $49 Sr rate (with cart) all day Mondays but after 11 rest of the week. Customer service was just fine. If I should go back it will be early in the AM thats for sure.

Got in a round at Rio Hondo with a buddy of mine playing with a 12:44 tee time and riding, playing from the blue tees. We were paired ironically with the new head greenskeeper Tom - great dude! - who ... Continue »

Got in a round at Rio Hondo with a buddy of mine playing with a 12:44 tee time and riding, playing from the blue tees. We were paired ironically with the new head greenskeeper Tom - great dude! - who let us know that they will be aerating the Rio Hondo greens this Sunday 10/20. Something to keep in mind.

Right now Rio Hondo is slightly off from its best, which is usually quite good as it's one of the best municipal courses in LA county, and not just for the value, but its conditions as well. But right now the greens are not in optimum shape as they're rather bumpy and showing some wear and tear - that should be better after the upcoming punch. They still held shots well but just weren't near their very best.

Same applies to the fairways which were adequate but definitely a lot of thin areas and a few too many 'divots' or dry dirt patches where I would find decently placed shots. The rough was nice though and very playable but ample. The bunkers were also in pretty good shape all things considered - no complaints there. Tee boxes? Decent for sure, and mostly good, but a few were a little rough around the edges and there were a few holes with some makeshift tee areas as they're doing some work on the tee boxes so they got creative with the markers.

Carts are simple but work well and don't have any GPS. We did not have any cart service all afternoon which would have been very nice on a hot day, but like Mick Jagger says - you can't always get what you want. POP was pretty good on the front nine but definitely slowed down a lot around the 13th hole and was a slog the rest of the way which was unfortunate.

All in all it was still a fun afternoon at a solid course but just keep in mind the upcoming punch and hopefully with some rain and TLC from the new greenskeeper, Rio Hondo will be back to its very best quite soon.

Not a great deal of change from when I played here last month, except the greens are a lot slower and softer now. Otherwise, conditions are very playable. Some of the tee boxes need a "haircut" but al... Continue »

Not a great deal of change from when I played here last month, except the greens are a lot slower and softer now. Otherwise, conditions are very playable. Some of the tee boxes need a "haircut" but always able to find a spot to put the peg in the ground. Enjoy the layout. Interesting, a challenge, but not so penal as to stress you out. Staff is always accommodating, and the charges are still reasonable. Recommend this course