Played here yesterday with a 7:30 tee time. First off, I have to say this place has the customer service down right. Everyone was nice, smiling, informative, and considerate. If you want to impress so... Continue »

Played here yesterday with a 7:30 tee time. First off, I have to say this place has the customer service down right. Everyone was nice, smiling, informative, and considerate. If you want to impress someone this would be a great place to bring them. One thing though, the rack rates here are very high and should be adjusted during needed maintenance. Today the greens were excellent (smooth, fast, and without ball marks) and so were most of the tee boxes. The fairways were mostly good however there were a few that needed to be marked as GUR due to patchy areas. They gave us temporary score cards due to a few holes being shorten due to work. Hole number 10 was reduced to a par three and a couple other holes were shortened considerably due to work as well. I really love the course and the views but can't pay the high rates often so I always would want to play here when it is in TOP SHAPE.

Played Monarch Saturday 4/16 in the morning. Was disappointed that the greens were punched and top dressed on 4/15, which is not announced on the maintenance alert on GK. Fairway, rough, and tee boxe... Continue »

Played Monarch Saturday 4/16 in the morning. Was disappointed that the greens were punched and top dressed on 4/15, which is not announced on the maintenance alert on GK. Fairway, rough, and tee boxes were okay. Not in superior conditions like when I played last time few months ago. On #1 hole, most of entire fairway is marked as GUR. Some green side bunkers were not fluffy. They gave discounted price and a sleeve of balls for the maintenance. POP was 4 hrs sharp. If I knew before booking teetime that they were doing maintenance on green, I would have waited.

Played the Golds (6052/70.0/129) in 4H, 25M using Forelinx. Played as a 2some with Doug, very fun guy to play with from Chicago. The POP was slowed by CPO a day after the rains. We were 1st off, the w... Continue »

Played the Golds (6052/70.0/129) in 4H, 25M using Forelinx. Played as a 2some with Doug, very fun guy to play with from Chicago. The POP was slowed by CPO a day after the rains. We were 1st off, the weather was chilly for the 1st 5 holes but had warmed up in the 70's by the time we were finishing. I am not a fan of par 70 layouts, but this one is better than most par 70's. All 5 par 3's are good to excellent IMO. Some tight holes, especially on the front, with plenty of OB & water to keep you in line. No driving range, they have 4 stalls for you to hit balls into a net to warm up. Subpar practice putting green, small and sloped made it challenging to practice normal putts with even a few people on there at the same time. The tees were decent, only a few par 3's needed divot repair. The fairways were tough to rate. 95% of the fairway area is immaculate, lush with great lies. However, there is another 5% that was hardpan and marked as GUR, with no middle ground. In a foot you could range from great or poor on numerous fairways. The rough was lush, thick and VERY penal when wet. You rarely see rough like this in So Cal the past few years, even finding your ball was a challenge. Tough to advance more than short irons out of this thick stuff. The sand quality was excellent. Very well maintained. The greens were just punched yesterday with small holes, so my numerical rating will be lower than the course would have likely gotten a few days ago. Firm, medium speed but bumpy as you would expect. No top dressing, just medium sized cores. They look nice from afar, but it was disappointing to putt on greens that had been aerated the day before. The customer service was excellent from the Pro Shop to the Starter to the Attendant who cleaned your clubs after the round. After seeing this layout a 2nd time, I like the course. Sneaky tough but not nearly as much ocean scenery as you might expect considering the courses proximity to the ocean. However, on the few holes you do have an ocean view, it is stunning. Recommended = Yes, if you can get a deal but not worth their rack rate.

Played 2/27 at 6:40 from the blacks - lots of hybrids to uphill greens for me. Valet service was excellent as were pro shop an starter. EVERYTHING was overseeded and deep green. Tee boxes were beau... Continue »

Played 2/27 at 6:40 from the blacks - lots of hybrids to uphill greens for me. Valet service was excellent as were pro shop an starter. EVERYTHING was overseeded and deep green. Tee boxes were beautiful. Fairways weren't perfect, but pretty darn close, providing a nice, plush hitting surface with reasonable roll. Traps were abundant and well maintained with consistent light clay/sand in the fairway and greenside bunkers. The rough was 2-3 inch rye and the best I've seen on my Forelinx package. The greens were very nice, rolling medium-fast. There were way more missed putts due to imagined breaks that weren't there than unseen breaks in our group. The collars and aprons were well defined and maintained. I never mind a blind shot on a golf course; it forces me to actually look at the scorecard and figure out the hole, but Monarch has several holes that tell you to go one way from the tee, only to find the real green and hidden fairway 90 degrees to your left. So check the scorecard. It definitely makes you want to come back though.

Also on the Forelinx tour on Saturday was Monarch. Perfect day on a beautiful course. Ended up matched up with 3 other Forelinx members who also played Strawberry Farms in the morning. Teed off at 1... Continue »

Also on the Forelinx tour on Saturday was Monarch. Perfect day on a beautiful course. Ended up matched up with 3 other Forelinx members who also played Strawberry Farms in the morning. Teed off at 1 and probably the 2nd to last group to finish all 18. Pace was never awful just a little slow but nothing frustrating (unless you teed off two rounds behind us ;). Course was great. Greenskeeper was even out rolling the greens. Really enjoyed that sight. Great views on the first 5-6 holes then moves into a canyon layout. Back 9 is framed by houses but only on one hole can you hook in to them. Starter was telling players to play the silver if over 10 Handicap or Gold if under. I'm over 10 but the group wanted to play gold and it didn't seem too long. It was a nice touch though as most people seemed to be listening to him. The course is in the best shape of any I have played in LA/OC/IE so if you want lush and green this is your place, though you will pay for it.

Played here for my second time today. I had an 8:30 tee time but when I checked in with the starter, he asked if I wanted to join the group on the tee so I headed straight out around 8:10. Paired with... Continue »

Played here for my second time today. I had an 8:30 tee time but when I checked in with the starter, he asked if I wanted to join the group on the tee so I headed straight out around 8:10. Paired with two really nice guys. They space the times generously here, so the group in front of us was putting by the time we were hitting our tee shots, and we never saw them again. Total POP was about 4:15 on a gloriously warm February morning. The guys I joined were playing the tips, so I went along although many of the tee markers were not actually tipped out. Nice GPS on the carts.

Course conditions are excellent. First of all, it really looks beautiful out there: very lush and green in about 95% of the course. I felt the front nine was in a little better condition than the back nine, especially in the fairways. Greens are medium fast and smooth, and full shots stop rather quickly. Fairways on the front nine were nearly perfect. (Although No. 2 had a big section near the lake roped off as GUR due to coot damage.) On the back, especially No. 12, had some bare spots and thinness, but nothing too concerning. Overall I'd say front nine fairways were a 9 and back nine a 7, so I gave them an 8 overall. The rough is very lush and deep in some spots, although the first cut was probably around 2-3 inches. One of my playing partners had some very nasty lies in rough that was 5+ inches deep. Some areas farther off line get even deeper. The tee boxes were excellent. Bunkers are extremely full of heavy, soft sand and very penal. I had a ball bury on my tee shot on No. 4 to the extent that I could only see a tiny portion of the ball. 10/10 for the bunker conditions, making them true hazards to be avoided.

The carts are very nice and the service is excellent: Complimentary valet parking, cool wet towels are offered as you finish, and little posters of the 18th hole are complimentary for players. Friendly beverage cart attendant came around two or three times. All in all a fantastic experience. Can't wait to play here again!

I posted 28 photos from this morning here: https://goo.gl/yGLzT3

This is my second time playing Monarch Beach, but my first review. I played 36 holes there today using a fantastic deal from Underpar ($135 with a free replay). The conditions were good, but not great... Continue »

This is my second time playing Monarch Beach, but my first review. I played 36 holes there today using a fantastic deal from Underpar ($135 with a free replay). The conditions were good, but not great. The tee boxes, sand traps, rough, and greens were all in very good shape, but the fairways have too many thin and bare patches for a course that's this good and commands a premium price. I'm sure the coming wet winter will help fill them in, and then this place will really be something. The setting is second to none, and the layout is quite the challenge, especially from the black tees. For what it's worth, the front nine gives me much more trouble than the back.

If you can find a deal, it's well worth the green fee in its current condition. If the fairways fill in, it's worth even the rack rate as a special occasion. If you're there for lunch, get the fish tacos and the pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce.

Late Post!!!!
This review is little tardy but needed to be said.

played in the GK plays event With some GKers. A good group of gentlemen. Always have a good time playing with GKers.

Golf Cou... Continue »

Late Post!!!!
This review is little tardy but needed to be said.

played in the GK plays event With some GKers. A good group of gentlemen. Always have a good time playing with GKers.

Golf Course:
Monarch is a great course. The views are spectacular and the golf is just as good. Course requires some local knowledge, but just a little. One thing I noticed that I didn't realize and really couldn't figure out is the amount of wind you get on the course.
We played the back tees and the distance might not seem far, but the wind adds a lot of drama to the course. Again, spectacular course.

Fairways were a little wet in areas, but I thought they were plush. Tee boxes were in good shape with only a few spots that seemed hard. The sand traps (and there are plenty of them) were in good shape as well, sand was nice and soft. Greens were tricky and quick. Downhill putts would give you fits, but you can be a little aggressive on the uphill putts.

Amenities / Service -
Well ATT his course it is expected to be treated fairly well. You pay for that. However, one thing did stand out that I have never had before. Yes they take your bags to the car at the end of the round, so you expect them to be up there. I get up there and my golf bag is not there!!!!!!!
You would think panic state of mind, but they put the clubs in my car, wrapped up nicely. Man you talk about service. That was the kicker. Great Job Monarch.

I will see you soon.

I love this course. Weather cooperates down south for some reason and it was wonderful weather. Conditions are great here at Dana Point.

Greens were perfect. Old divots mark some of the greens b... Continue »

I love this course. Weather cooperates down south for some reason and it was wonderful weather. Conditions are great here at Dana Point.

Greens were perfect. Old divots mark some of the greens but all balls roll true and fast. When the temperature went up slightly during the day, the greens started to roll faster. Fairways had great coverage. Bunkers had compact sand and fairly easy to get out but bunkers line this course EVERYWHERE. Even if you think you're safe check yourself. Watch for those unseen bunkers. Tee boxes were all flat.

Conditions were great. Thanks to the staff here at Monarch. Great conditions some really great golf. Looking forward to playing here again.