Went out yesterday at 3 pm (1st twilight time) for $155 with my buddy who had a Gift card for two. We got to the course at 2:10 in hopes of sneaking out early but the starter was a little bit of a pri... Continue »

Went out yesterday at 3 pm (1st twilight time) for $155 with my buddy who had a Gift card for two. We got to the course at 2:10 in hopes of sneaking out early but the starter was a little bit of a prick. Only one group went out during the 2 o'clock hour... He gave us the cart keys at 2:55 and sent us on our way. We caught the 2:10 group on the 4th hole but they let us pass. Got to the back 9 in 1:15 but then caught some groups on the back for an overall pace of just over 3Hrs. Nice carts with the shark experience. Club Cleaners, Waters, in the stocked cart, and last call for the cart girl was on hole 5. The course has a fantastic layout, with views for days through hills and down to the ocean. Blue's are 6400 yards but with the on shore winds it plays a lot longer.

The course was in fantastic shape. I had played once before and the fairways were more dormant than green. That was not the case yesterday. Lush green Bermuda grass cut just short enough for a good rollout. Rough not too much longer but like most courses in OC there are some patches of kikuyu around. Tee boxes were a little chewed up but we were at the end of the day so it makes sense. The sand was decent but they will need some TLC soon to turn up the sand. The greens were a little bit of a letdown, They were too soft, and as with most high-end resort courses people feel like they don't have to fix their ball marks. It made for some strange bumps on putts but nothing too bad. When fixing the marks the roots were very strong so I think they can firm the greens up quickly if needed. Also at the end of the day there are a ton of leaves so it takes a little extra time to clear your line.

Overall I still think this course is wildly overpriced at $400 Rack Rate but $150 is worth a play as long as you can get all 18 in. One of the cart guys says on the weekends usually just the first 2-3 twilight times will finish at this time of the year.