I like to wait a week before posting my review to first see what the participants thought about it. From reading the reviews, needless to say, it was big success and I appreciate your compliments. I a... Continue »

I like to wait a week before posting my review to first see what the participants thought about it. From reading the reviews, needless to say, it was big success and I appreciate your compliments. I also appreciate the detailed reviews posted regarding Monarch Beach Golf Links and feel they are spot on. Rather than talk about the playing experience which has been so well covered, I’d like to relay what it was like from a tournament director’s perspective.

Leading up to the event the Monarch Beach staff was in constant communication with me being very accommodating and professional. I never had one concern regarding how payment would be handled, final player count, pre-event setup or staff on hand. Upon arriving, the staff once again immediately tended to my requests, had the check-in area, carts, contests, etc. ready to go. At the tee box the starter was very informative and snapped photos upon request. Out on the course, the marshals kept everything flowing and properly retrieved all of our course contests. After the round, the Club 19 was closed which I had been previously informed of so they let us stage our results/prizes session right on patio overlooking the course/w ocean views (fantastic). A nice touch to the whole experience was the complementary valet service and friendly staff throughout the day.

Overall I highly recommend Monarch Beach Golf Links for any size event/outing and know GK will be returning.

Played 3/9 in the GK Event. First off, Johnny GK, a huge golf clap for you, sir. You put on a top-notch event full of a great group of guys. My group had a fantastic time, and we won a ridiculous a... Continue »

Played 3/9 in the GK Event. First off, Johnny GK, a huge golf clap for you, sir. You put on a top-notch event full of a great group of guys. My group had a fantastic time, and we won a ridiculous amount of prizes after the event. Amazing time.

The other recent reviews pretty much cover it all. First class experience from beginning to end. The course is in great shape. Fairways and rough are lush and green. Greens are a beast. Smooth and fast. I found the speed a bit inconsistent green to green, but I'm putting most of that on the rain the night before. I spoke with the club Pro, Hide, after the event, and he was saying the superintendent is now focusing his efforts on the few trouble spots the course has...which are very few.

The 3rd hole is spectacular....pretty much makes it worth the price of admission. The full weekend rack rate of $210 is maybe a bit pricey, but the $125 rate we paid thru the GK Event felt like a steal. Thanks again, Johnny GK, for the fabulous day of golf.

Played here on 3/9 at the GK Event. From beginning to end, the overall golf experience is all class and enjoyment. The free valet parking is a nice touch and the gentlemen who work here take your club... Continue »

Played here on 3/9 at the GK Event. From beginning to end, the overall golf experience is all class and enjoyment. The free valet parking is a nice touch and the gentlemen who work here take your clubs and cart down to the first tee staging area. Before you even start golfing, you already feel in the lap of luxury. As for the golf...

Tee-boxes: Overall good. There were a few that were more chewed up than others, but I can't honestly remember a single instance of searching around for flat terrain/green areas to tee off from. Even though everyone played from the same boxes, I like the fact they offer a wide variety of options for when I play again.

Fairways: Overall great. I thought for having just rained the day before, the fairways drained well and looked healthy (there were a few muddy spots here and there but limited). The grass was nice and made it easy to hit approach shots on holes that require ridiculous accuracy.

Rough: Overall great. The good thing is that this rough is not as coarse and difficult as some other courses so there were good chances to scramble from off the fairway/green.

Greens: Overall great. However, this made them no easier to read and play. There is some serious undulation and some tough breaks on almost every green. Easy 3-putt if you don't read the break or speed correctly. The only instance of a green with damage was #18 that had some slashes towards the back of the green.

Bunkers: Overall great. I like the sand they use on the bunkers here. Fluffy and white (I was honestly tired of some courses I play using more dirt than sand) sand in every bunker. Again, for having rained the day before, there was no mud in these bunkers. Note: there are a plethora of bunkers at this course. I rarely go in the sand so it was hard for me to see so much on the course and find myself hitting out of it every other hole.

Course design: I loved the front 9. It had a bit of everything. At least one straightforward hole. At least one oceanfront hole (amazing by the way). At least one hole where you cross a river. Good challenging front 9. In my opinion, the back 9 left something to be desired though. The layout was just OK as it had a very Eastlake (Chula Vista) or Carmel Mountain Ranch (San Diego) feel to it. Still enjoyable but certainly the front is where this course stands out.

Overall: A great event on a great course. I can see why the rack rate might seem a little steep (they are in Dana Point) but they do everything possible here to make sure you feel you are spending your money in a worthwhile investment.

I played in the GK tournament on 3/11 an had a great day. Conditions were pretty ideal, teed off, on time at 11:20, Johnny put on a really enjoyable event, it was my first GK tournament and it will... Continue »

I played in the GK tournament on 3/11 an had a great day. Conditions were pretty ideal, teed off, on time at 11:20, Johnny put on a really enjoyable event, it was my first GK tournament and it will not be my last. Everyone in my group, and in the tournament for that matter, went home with a prize. I won a talking gps, others in my group won free rounds in Vegas, we definitely came out on top. It was my first time playing the course and was very impressed, it's not very long, definitely a shot makers layout. Greens were tough but fair, not lightening fast but fast enough for my multiple three putts. The third hole lives up to the hype and then some, the pace of play was solid throughout the day, I definitely have this course as one of Southern California's 'must-play courses'.

Absolutely beautiful course along the Pacific Ocean! The course has many fairway sand traps that come into play regularly. Several holes have tiered greens and depending on pin placement, it can mak... Continue »

Absolutely beautiful course along the Pacific Ocean! The course has many fairway sand traps that come into play regularly. Several holes have tiered greens and depending on pin placement, it can make putting extremely difficult (especially #3). I prefer a course without blind tee shots and Monarch is just that with the exception being #18. If you hit it long you might want to put away your Driver as the fairway rolls downhill and straight into water.

Conditions are greatly improved since last month we played. With all the rain I was expecting the course to be a little damp and while there were some wet spots I was really surprised at how well the... Continue »

Conditions are greatly improved since last month we played. With all the rain I was expecting the course to be a little damp and while there were some wet spots I was really surprised at how well the course drained. The greens were not fast but rolled very smooth. Thank goodness for the rain because I can see these greens being diabolical. They are already pretty tricky with the slope (actually saw a putt break up hill - still can't figure that one out). Fairways were great and so was the rough. Found myself in quite a few bunkers and thought they were all consistent. Rain did make the sand a little heavier. People were friendly here from the guys at the valet to the clubhouse to the starter. The view from the patio after the event is pretty nice. Being able to watch the sun set over the water is always pretty cool. If I lived closer I'd seriously consider investing in the membership. Seems like it would pay for itself after a couple of visits.

Played 3/9/13 in GK event. Perfect weather and overall, excellent conditions. Enjoyed the round with Tim and Brian, and the back 9 with Johnny. Fairways in good to very good condition. Greens very goo... Continue »

Played 3/9/13 in GK event. Perfect weather and overall, excellent conditions. Enjoyed the round with Tim and Brian, and the back 9 with Johnny. Fairways in good to very good condition. Greens very good to excellent condition, exception might have been 18, which was rough around the edges and fringe. Otherwise, smooth and rolling nicely. Very receptive on this day, probably helped to have some rain in the days prior to event. Visited 4 sand bunkers, 3 were nearly perfect condition, and 1 (#10) was a little overdone / overfilled. Otherwise, right amount of sand with just enough of firmness on base. No noticeable issues on tees. Very enjoyable track, with a variety of holes. Great scenery all the way around, and excellent customer service inside and out. From bag drop, starter, marshalls (who worked to keep pace going, and no waiting after 7th hole), good burger at the turn, beverage cart (only on back) was efficient, and cart return (waiting with warm towel). Great venue. Recommend and will play again.

played today in the GK event. This is my second time here in the last month or so. I must say the course is much greener and in much better condition than the last time. It rained the day before an... Continue »

played today in the GK event. This is my second time here in the last month or so. I must say the course is much greener and in much better condition than the last time. It rained the day before and there were spots of muddy areas and of course i found all of them! This is not the courses fault. customer service is great, free valet. FOR THE RECORD.... Hole #3 this time = PAR. On in 2 and 2 putt. I am improving here! Tee boxes were level and in much better shape! Fairways are greener and less thin spots, rough is in great shape. greens are is far better shape, less coot poop. Only gripe is speed is inconsistent but then again it rained yesterday. my ONE complaint...The GPS in the cart is not that great. The pictures are way out of proportion. Shows narrow fairways when they are not, shows water very far when its very close. Also, the pin placements on the GPS were NOT where the pins really were and I mean total opposites. had a great time with my fellow GK'ers and as always, THANKS JOHNNY FOR SETTING UP THIS EVENT!

Played my first GreenSkeeper event today and had a blast. Thanks JohnnyGK!

The course was in great shape. Shooting one of my best rounds didn't hurt either. Tee boxes were flat. The par 3s had ... Continue »

Played my first GreenSkeeper event today and had a blast. Thanks JohnnyGK!

The course was in great shape. Shooting one of my best rounds didn't hurt either. Tee boxes were flat. The par 3s had some damages but they were filled with nice green sand. I can see the people here care about the condition of the course. Fairways were nice and lush, with very few brown spots and wet areas (rain from the day before) that didn't come into play. Rough was nicely cut and well maintained. The bunkers were consistent and filled with fluffy sand. Greens were close to immaculate. They were receptive to shots, rolled true, and on the fast side. I played the round in the afternoon, and the bunkers and greens were still well kept. People actually rake the sand and fix their ball marks here!

The service from curb to the end of the round was fantastic. Free valet parking, complimentary cookies, bottled water, tees, markers, and divot tools. Wet towels were also readily available. The starter and marshals were friendly and informative.

There was one small annoyance which didn't affect the rating I gave. About 6 holes were cart path only. It was the same (different holes) the last time I played here. I'm guessing they do that to keep the fairways in top shape.