Played here today with an 11:20 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. I was trying to see as much of Death Valley as I could before my... » More

Played here today with an 11:20 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. I was trying to see as much of Death Valley as I could before my tee time, and then Google Maps took me to the wrong spot, but just by one street. Fortunately, there were very few people out there when I arrived just a few minutes early and the very friendly pro shop attendant said I could start on my own anytime I wanted. I hit a few putts and headed off, playing the front nine in about an hour and 15 minutes. Then two groups were in front of me on No. 10, but I played through them both and finished the back in a little under an hour for a 2:11 total POP. Ideal weather day; just gorgeous and perfect temps.

Conditions are okay, but it appears the storm damage from 2023 caused lasting problems in some spots. The 12th green is nearly all dirt, but still rolled pretty smooth. Most of the greens seem to be semi-dormant bermuda rolling about medium speed and smooth, despite not being super pure. Full shots stopped quickly. Fairways were nice with good coverage of light green bermuda. The rough is deeper bermuda that is penal when the ball sinks down in. Some holes had some bare spots and trouble spots on both the fairways and the rough, but luckily I avoided those. Very few bunkers on the course, it seemed, but the one I was in was pretty good. Blue tee boxes were fine.

This was my first time here and I found it to be a very charming course. I reminded me a lot of the Legends Course at Tahquitz Creek Resort (formerly Palm Springs Muni). It also reminded me a little bit of Soboba Springs in spots. I think that nostalgia for those two courses added to the charm. It's a much more difficult course than you'd think looking at the yardage. For one thing, the ball notoriously flies shorter at such low elevation, and then on top of that, there aren't many "mid-length" par 4s. They mostly seem to be 400+ or less than 330, so those longer ones play long.

There's currently a Golf Moose voucher to play here anytime for $50. Keep in mind, though, that there's a $30 per car entry fee to Death Valley National Park that gets you access for an 8-day span, I think. Definitely glad I played here once and I would like to play here again sometime.
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Played here Tuesday with a 12:21 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. Starter was great and despite a frost delay that pushed everyon... » More

Played here Tuesday with a 12:21 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. Starter was great and despite a frost delay that pushed everyone back, he fit me into a group with another single and a twosome and we teed off right at 12:00. At 4:00 a message popped up on the GPS that the course closes at 4:30 (sunset time) and all carts need to be in by then. Luckily we finished with just about five minutes to spare. Busy course and windy weather probably didn't help pace of play, but no complaints with 4:25.

Conditions are mixed, especially the greens, which are inconsistent. It seemed like some were in really nice shape, and others were a step or two down. Overall, they rolled pretty decent, though, and held full shots well. Medium speed, I'd say. Fairways were dormant bermuda that I couldn't tell if they were actually light green or had a colorant added a while ago. They were very tight and didn't provide much cushion under the ball. The rough was also dormant bermuda, but yellow and a couple inches deep. Gold (white equivalent) tee boxes were okay (although I'll get back to this in a minute) and the bunkers I was in were pretty hard packed. Overall conditions are mediocre but very playable.

This was my first time playing here. I had always heard about how quirky the course was, but I guess I misinterpreted in what way it's quirky. It's expected a target golf course but it's much more straightforward than I imagined, and surprisingly for a Vegas "housing tract" course, there are a handful of holes that don't have houses on them. Where I found quirk was in some of the tee box placements that feel like they don't fit the hole. On at least one hole, we were all wondering where the hole went. Some serious tree trimming on a few holes might help that. It reminded me a bit of nearby Legacy and Stallion Mountain, but I think I'd prefer to return to one of those before riding "the Horse" again. Happy to have checked it off the list!
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I played here twice recently, last Friday, November 8, and last Monday, November 11. Course conditions are really nice a... » More

I played here twice recently, last Friday, November 8, and last Monday, November 11. Course conditions are really nice at this time. Greens were running fast and smooth with just a few ball marks here and there that were easily repaired. The rest of the course has lush grass and level tees. I played the blue tees on Friday and the white tees on Monday, the mornings can get chilly out here and there is a possibility of a frost delay during the colder winter months. Friday we had the first group out at 7:30 AM. There was about a 45 minute frost delay for the first group. I was in a bunker on hole too, and the sand was frozen. It did warm up quickly and by 9 you could be wearing shorts.

Monday’s weather was a little warmer. There was no frost delay. It would have been a warmer day, but the wind came up before noon and was blowing pretty steady and kept things on the cooler side.

Greens: medium fast, smooth.

Fairways and rough: great coverage and mostly good lies.

Bunkers: Mostly good (if raked) with good sand.

Tees: Level and not beat up.

Range: Hitting off mats to a small valley with a handful of targets.

Pro shop: Friendly service and a decent selection of balls, hats, jackets , shoes, etc.

Clubhouse: Good selection of food and beverages.
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Got to the course this AM only to find the fairways being aerated. No mention of it from anyone in the shop. I mentioned... » More

Got to the course this AM only to find the fairways being aerated. No mention of it from anyone in the shop. I mentioned this last review that this might be coming and sure enough. First two holes looked like a mess. Got to the back 9 and at least they had them cleaned up but they still don't play very well. Tee boxes, greens and traps are all in good shape. So hopefully we get some nice days ahead for healing.
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With things becoming much more crowded, I can already see the POP changing from low season to high season levels. Still ... » More

With things becoming much more crowded, I can already see the POP changing from low season to high season levels. Still got around in 3H, 45M on Veterans Day as a 2some. CPO for another week+, which slows things down considerably when many of the players are Seniors.

Lush and well maintained throughout. Greens smooth, firm and quick.

Two things about a course coming out of overseeding that was closed several weeks for maintenance. 1-Fairways still cut higher than normal, which cuts down about 20-30 yards of normal roll on many drives and makes the course play long. 2-Recently added sand to the traps has not had time to settle yet. And it is almost too fluffy/deep in many spots.

Those are really nit picking and about the worst things I could say about course conditions. Highly recommended.
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Took dad golfing for his 98th birthday Monday 10:45. Played yellow tees on nice busy day in a light breeze. For cruiser ... » More

Took dad golfing for his 98th birthday Monday 10:45. Played yellow tees on nice busy day in a light breeze. For cruiser very good conditions from tee to green. Some bumpy gopher areas to slow down the newer carts in fairways but very green, trimmed to hit from with ample rollout. Rough slightly longer being thin in cart/mower travelled areas around edges. Greens had better medium speeds and were quite smooth compared to previous visits with far fewer ball marks. Dad beat me by a stroke after I three putted the final hole. Friendly golf shop, new range balls, very fast practice greens and Take 5ive Grille food/beverages tasty and cold. We had a fun outing.
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Found a late tee time for Mattias and I along with another buddy for Sunday this week at Alondra and booked it on Friday... » More

Found a late tee time for Mattias and I along with another buddy for Sunday this week at Alondra and booked it on Friday night. We had a 12:18 tee time so as long as things kept moving, we should have no problem finishing, right? (very subtle foreshadowing ...)

We warmed up on the fairly-well appointed driving range, got our cart and headed out on time with another single. That was the start of the disaster. The group in front of us were in no hurry whatsoever, taking all the time they wanted to chat and play multiple balls at times, and simply cost us finishing despite more than a few calls for them to hurry it up. At one point one of their group left his driver all the way back at the tee box and while he drove back, the others just chatted instead of getting their tee shots away. It was utterly maddening. Needless to say we only got through 16 holes before calling it a day for darkness.

Course conditions weren't helping the situation either. Greens were bumpy and inconsistent but did hold shots well. The fairways were either thin or dirt with a few green areas in between, and often the rough was a far better option. The tee boxes were beat up but level at least for the most part, while the bunkers varied from hole to hole. On one hole they were super thin and impossible to take sand, while on the next super fluffy to the point of plugged balls that landed in them. Just ridiculous.

And all that for a $69 greens fee. Wow.

We did have cart service from a lovely gal who was the highlight of the afternoon, but of course the overall POP of the round was just abysmal. We really, truly could have finished with no issues if weren't for the complete imbeciles playing ahead of us that ruined our afternoon. Very disappointing.
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Went out Friday 11/8 @1:25 as a single joining another single and twosome. Played the whites. Teeing grounds are not pro... » More

Went out Friday 11/8 @1:25 as a single joining another single and twosome. Played the whites. Teeing grounds are not problem here. The fairways, even when the coverage is good, tend to be a riot of various grass colors, patterns and species that can still offer a good hitting surface. Currently it tends towards tight grass areas mixed in with stretches resembling dried river bottom with little matting and the odd dirt stretch. A poster child for muni golf. Despite that, and the fact that I may have moved my ball in the fairway at least once to get some grass under it, most of the time I didn't find it an issue and the lies were playable. But then, I have a shallow swing with little divot. So now you are forewarned, although there is the bonus of some extra rollout if you play here. I have long passed from "easy" to flat out "golf slut", so I was OK with it and enjoyed the round as far as we got. Rough was short and not a factor, and I missed the bunkers so no comment there. Greens were actually in pretty good shape and reasonably quick. The real drawback for me was that the pace was slow — we were on a five hour pace with under 4.5 hrs of light. We managed to get through the 14th before knocking off. I don't get over here often so I can't say I'll be back soon, but would still play it again without much hesitation but also without any illusions. So not necessarily a recommendation, but a nod to golfers like me who are willing to happily play a little dirty.


Epilogue: The others were in carts and departed as I started hoofing back from the 14th in the gloom. Checked my bag and confirmed i had working glow balls, so angled over to the 18th to play my way in what was now complete dark. Making out enough silhouette to know where the middle of the fairway was, a decent driver and two 5-woods left me somewhere in the right rough about 100 yds out, under an overhanging tree. The distance was a pure guess, the green location was suggested by some glare from lights near the clubhouse and the pin was invisible. Fourth shot was a punched five iron that rolled nicely and settled in what seemed like the front of the green, with the hope of being on. The glowing ball was easy to see but I had to get to within about ten feet to even see the red pin — and my ball a foot from the cup. Knocked it in for one of the more unexpected pars I've ever scored. A little thrill/satisfaction as compensation for the holes I didn't get to play.
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Played “The Clint” on Friday in absolutely perfect weather. This course is as challenging as it is scenic. Overall t... » More

Played “The Clint” on Friday in absolutely perfect weather. This course is as challenging as it is scenic. Overall the course was in great shape as you’d expect from a top notch private CC. I will say that the fairways were a notch below what they usually are. They were still great and rated at an 8 but there were a few light green areas here and there. Greens were speedy as always. A bit more tame (still fast) on uphill puts than in the past but still wickedly fast downhill. Greens have multiple undulations making them even tougher.

Rough was great. About 2” thick but predictable and usually you’d get a good lie. Sand traps were excellent with plenty of white fluffy sand. Tee boxes were flat with excellent coverage and hardly a divot to be found.

The course is set on a mountaintop, so it has plenty of undulations throughout. A great mixture of holes keeps things interesting and challenging. Customer service is spectacular from the moment you park in the underground tiled parking space to the time you leave the restaurant.

My only complaint this time around was two things. First, the tee markers (we played the whites) didn’t make sense. We ended up making up our own combination after a few holes. Second, I wish there was a forced carry or two. Either over a water hazard or over a gully/gulch. Other than that it’s a spectacular track.
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First time out on Mountain since before over seeding. Still CPO for another week+. Mountain course very lush after over ... » More

First time out on Mountain since before over seeding. Still CPO for another week+. Mountain course very lush after over seeding which looks to have taken extremely well this season. Very busy with many snow birds arriving for the high season. 4.5H POP. Right now, before there is alot of play and carts are let loose on the fairways? Every area of the course is in the 9+/10 range. Almost unbelievable how far a ball will creep... and creep on very fast greens. And these greens are currently about as fast and smooth as I have ever played anywhere coming out of being closed for several weeks. Highly recommended.
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Played 11/9/24 10:20 POP 4:20 Course is in good to very good shape. Fairways have dried out a little. Possibly from the... » More

Played 11/9/24 10:20 POP 4:20 Course is in good to very good shape. Fairways have dried out a little. Possibly from the recent Santa Ana winds. They still played well. Tannish green in color with very good to great coverage. Mostly very tight with good roll out. Good ball striking was required. With the dormant Bermuda cut tight it could cause issues if even a tad fat. Rough caused no issues.
Greens were the best I have seen them play. Since the redesign the greens have always played fast & firm. Today they were fast and receptive. It as always been difficult to stop shots, but today it was like throwing darts and the balls would even back up. The only issue with this was it has caused a lot of divot damage from people not repairing or incorrectly repairing their divots. The scars didn't seem to cause any issues other then visual. And I noticed many foot prints, which I have never seen here. The amazing part was how fast they were and how well they rolled. Even before when firm and fast, they weren't this fast. Down hill putts were extremely tricky on these undulating greens. I loved them.
Most traps were in very good to great shape. Was in three and two had perfect sand and one had very wet sand which made it very hard to get out of. Tees were fine with a couple placed in un even locations. No cart service on this day and it was very busy on the course. Waited on about a third of the holes with #10 stacked two deep. But, pace was back to normal after about 4 holes. The course looks on the dry side visually, but is still playing good with some fantastic greens at this time. Very easy recommend!
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I haven't played Shandin Hills for quite a while because of all the bad reviews, but I used to play it often several yea... » More

I haven't played Shandin Hills for quite a while because of all the bad reviews, but I used to play it often several years ago. In light of the last review that was left, I felt compelled to just comment on Shandin Hills.

All public golfers in SoCal are well aware that there will never, ever, ever be a new public course built in the LA, OC, or the IE areas. We have however, off the top of my head, lost 8 or nine great public courses over the years that were replaced by housing developments.

It really is a terrible thing that public golf is becoming so overlooked here. When a city owned course like Shandin Hills is so neglected that it is almost unplayable, it is such a waste of golfing property that we still thankfully have in our area. I'm not sure how this can happen, unless another development is on the way and this course will soon close as well. It seems that none of them are safe.

I know this is more of a topic for the forum, but I just thought more greenskeeper members might see this here. Maybe, if enough folks ask to see the manager of the course, or contact the city to complain, we can save this place that use to be a really nice, fun course to play.
I'm not a business guy by any means, I'm just a golfer that feels like public golf in California is drying up, just like the fairways and greens at Shandin Hills. Just my opinion.
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