Played here Saturday 3-8-08.What a wonderful course even though it ate me alive..This course is in great shape, greens were very fast and every putt you hit, the ball would head towards the big "A"no ... Continue »

Played here Saturday 3-8-08.What a wonderful course even though it ate me alive..This course is in great shape, greens were very fast and every putt you hit, the ball would head towards the big "A"no matter where you were on the green. fast pace of play was not there. the 4some in front thought they owned the course. We only went to 16th par 3 in the dark.
Recommed this course..Cart path only on a few holes. Bee hive on the 10th teebox which was very destracting.

Played in the GK event, 2/22. Considering the heavy rains earlier in the week, overall, the course was in good to excellent condition. The greens were medium fast, a few were bumpy. Fairways & rough w... Continue »

Played in the GK event, 2/22. Considering the heavy rains earlier in the week, overall, the course was in good to excellent condition. The greens were medium fast, a few were bumpy. Fairways & rough were above average but wet from the recent rains. The pro shop and the dining facilities were excellent. I had 2 meals there and the service and food was excellent for the price. I had no issues with the condition of the course.

The layout of the course is a different story. Many holes have environmentally sensitive areas left, right or both. We played the white tees in this tournament and over 50% of the par 4 & even some par 5 holes would be better played with a long iron/utility club than a driver off the tee. If I want to tee up and hit long irons or fairway woods to a patch of ground w/o a pin, I'll go to the driving range and hit a backet of balls for 10% of the price, thank you. It is probably a much better course from the blue or black tees, but from the white tees, if you hit the driver even 250, it better be deadly accurate. Definitely not a course where you can spray the ball. Perhaps my opinion would change if I played it more, but there were too many quirky holes with blind shots requiring layups for my taste.

Once again a great outing organized by JGK- finding a terrific course for us to enjoy coordinated with first-rate hospitality. From the moment we pulled in, the support and consideration the Black Gol... Continue »

Once again a great outing organized by JGK- finding a terrific course for us to enjoy coordinated with first-rate hospitality. From the moment we pulled in, the support and consideration the Black Gold staff showed was unrivaled.
I agree with all previous reviewers. Best to bring your ‘A’ game to this course- esp on the greens- few if any of the holes were cut on a flat spot- a lot of movement around the hole+ miss on the wrong side [downhill] and you’re facing a longer putt coming back up. For me, the layout may have been the best aspect: every hole presented a different challenge and many provided genuine risk/reward shots from the tee box. I personally enjoy the test of an undulating course- Black Gold uses the environment creatively- but beware- as mentioned the course is cut into a hillside facing west. When a strong on shore flow raises up, a number of holes play much harder.
BTW- check out BG’s website: it features a hole by hole ‘helicopter tour’ of the course- and the carts have a GPS system that offers green slope and direction around the pin [being more of a hardcopy type of person, I will purchase a yardage book next time].
It was a long haul from the VC to get down there- however this course is worth it. Thank you again to JGK, staff, and Black Gold for hosting this event.

First off, most GKers can't seem to say the username....the name is NOT....H..8...BOGEYS. It's "H and 8, putting them together....H8....oh....hate bogeys. Anyhow, lets get to the review of the cours... Continue »

First off, most GKers can't seem to say the username....the name is NOT....H..8...BOGEYS. It's "H and 8, putting them together....H8....oh....hate bogeys. Anyhow, lets get to the review of the course:

TEES & FWYS: Given the fact that I've never played this course, I can't really compare what other reviewers have said about the course. From a one time empirical observation, the course is PHENOMENAL!
The tee boxes were immaculately cut, fairways were in great condition, I didn't really have any problems with the ESA (environmentally sensitive areas) so it didn't really come into play during my round. Most fairways and the holes for that matter have elevation changes which really challenges your mental game to select the right club.

GREENS: This is where I had problems (scoring wise)....they had some patchy areas, maybe some recovering viral infection? But, this did not affect the roll of the ball. Course knowledge is definitely a plus, I just couldn't figure out the breaks, FATHER CHEESE said it right, "A two-footer was no gimmie". Most greens were very large, even though it has rained the last few days, and we got rained on while playing two holes, the greens were very fast and not very receptive on the chip shots. TOUR QUALITY GREENS, I like that!

STAFF: The staff was great, very courteous, the post-round event with the GK outing was very nice. I had a chance to meet other GKers. This course is a must to place on your rotation once the weather conditions improve.

OVERALL: Great course, the views were picturesque, alot of photo-op opportunities, at one point I think we were able to see all the way down to Newport and looking slightly southwest a view from Long Beach was also pretty clear to see. Once we get some sunshine again, I definitely want to challenge the course, particularly the greens since they kicked my a#& during this event. Thanks to the staff, and JohnnyGK and coordinating GK staff for a great event! And if you see me next time, now you know.....it's HATE BOGEYS, not H....eight...bogeys!

Played in the GK outing on 2/22/08. This is a really nice facility and the staff was friendly. Parking was really convenient - no long haul to the club house. Driving range is also very conveniently l... Continue »

Played in the GK outing on 2/22/08. This is a really nice facility and the staff was friendly. Parking was really convenient - no long haul to the club house. Driving range is also very conveniently located near the 1st tee. I really enjoyed playing the course, despite the wet conditions. Some of the views are really spectacular.

I somehow managed to play this tough course without a 7 on my scorecard, and finished with my lowest GK Casual outing score of 92. Fairways were often very tight, with trouble on both sides, but it didn't stop me from pulling out the big dog on every hole - I was even able to launch a 335+ yard drive on the tight par 5 #13 fairway with the help of the downhill slope. The elevation changes and wind however usually got the better of me as I misclubbed several approach shots.

Hopefully we can make it back to this course under better weather conditions - the "Cart Path Only" rule seemed to significantly slow play...and we weren't able to fully utilize the really cool GPS system in the carts since our shots were often so far away from the cart path.

Thank you again to the great staff at this course - if greenskeeper comes back, I'll be there.

Played in GK Tourney. Man this course is NICE!
Even after the rains we've had it drained pretty d%mn well.
I can't believe I shot a 94 on my first try here. Whoo Hoo!
I would highly recommend ever... Continue »

Played in GK Tourney. Man this course is NICE!
Even after the rains we've had it drained pretty d%mn well.
I can't believe I shot a 94 on my first try here. Whoo Hoo!
I would highly recommend everyone try this course.
Oh yeah, pray for no wind though. It will affect your score.

Gotta agree with ringworld 100%. The event was well-run, the course was challenging, the greens were firm (considering how wet the overall course was...I was surprised ho firm they were...) and - a 2... Continue »

Gotta agree with ringworld 100%. The event was well-run, the course was challenging, the greens were firm (considering how wet the overall course was...I was surprised ho firm they were...) and - a 2-foot putt here was no gimmee. It could be an adventure. Subtle and not-so-subtle breaks on these greens a-plenty!!

Even though my best friend and regular golfing partner lives walking-distance form there (in Yorba Linda)...I've mostly avoided Black Gold in the past due to prior poor conditions...but the place looks very good overall. When the course has dried-out and later this spring...I'll be back.

If you don't bring your A-game - you could be in for a long day of golf!

Played in the GK event today. Cold weather. Rained for 1 1/2 holes. Thanks to the staff and grounds crew you guys rock! Wish I played better but hey it was good golf at Black Gold. Greens ran tru... Continue »

Played in the GK event today. Cold weather. Rained for 1 1/2 holes. Thanks to the staff and grounds crew you guys rock! Wish I played better but hey it was good golf at Black Gold. Greens ran true. Very tough for me to read and elevation changes really played havoc with my depth perception. But these are not the course's fault I blame golfer error. :D Course in good shape. Soggy from rain the night before but very playable. Rough is deep, stay out of it. Very strategic golf shots are required with ESA and OB at every turn. Good test of golf if played with an even head.

Once again thanks for the hospitality Black Gold, I shall return to hopefully play better :D

Played today 2/14, and am very happy to say that the course is in great condition! Greens were rolling about a ten and minimal ball marks. Fairways were almost completely healed, there were some sligh... Continue »

Played today 2/14, and am very happy to say that the course is in great condition! Greens were rolling about a ten and minimal ball marks. Fairways were almost completely healed, there were some slightly patchy areas, but virtually not noticeable. Tee boxes and sand traps were good.

I still think this place is a little overpriced for the full rack rate, but if you can find a discount tee time, it's well worth 60-70 bucks in my opinion.

Staff is cool and accomodating.