Had the day off today and plans fell through, and I had a free round voucher for the 'Wick. Round lasted 3.5 hours, nice! This course is in really good shape right now. The fairways are a mix of grass... Continue »

Had the day off today and plans fell through, and I had a free round voucher for the 'Wick. Round lasted 3.5 hours, nice! This course is in really good shape right now. The fairways are a mix of grasses, clover, etc. but very lush and mowed tight. The rough is very heavy and penal. Bunkers are marginal to good, and the greens are medium speed as usual with not too many bumps. Tee boxes are fine, not always level but not chewed up either. Top notch all around (relatively of course)...give Wick the Stick a try right now, it won't disappoint.

Played July 5th. I have been a semi-regular here for the past 3 or 4 years. The course is the best condition since I started playing here.

Played July 5th. I have been a semi-regular here for the past 3 or 4 years. The course is the best condition since I started playing here.

First time playing Willowick with a couple of buddies and a local single. Played on a Group Golfer deal which included the round with cart, a hotdog and drink for $28. Cheap!

The starter was work... Continue »

First time playing Willowick with a couple of buddies and a local single. Played on a Group Golfer deal which included the round with cart, a hotdog and drink for $28. Cheap!

The starter was working solo, but was efficient and cordial, getting groups checked-in and out to the tee quickly. Had a 6:05 a.m. start and we were hitting by about 6:15. Our single, Mike, told that Willowick is the oldest public course in OC. If that's true, it's in pretty good shape.

The tee boxes are in reasonable shape, mostly level and not too beaten up. The fairways are hyper-wide and lined with mature trees. If you go down the right or left sides, look out for overhanging eucalyptus limbs. They kind of sneak up on you. The rough isn't deep but it is distinguishable from the fairway cut. If you hit in the fairway, you'll find the conditions are good. While there are some low lying muddy areas, I don't recall any significant bald spots or ground under repair.

When you consider that this is a shorter (Par 71) track -- a little more than 6000 yards from the back tees -- with really wide open fairways, no water hazards, and virtually no elevation changes, no one would blame you for assuming that this course is a snoozer. But you'd be wrong.

What made this course fun for us was the greens and the bunkers defending them on several approaches. The putting surfaces were in good shape with surprisingly few ball marks. They rolled true but only about medium fast, which was actually a good thing. Here's why...

Many of the greens are sloped from back to front. If you try to stay below the hole and spin it, you'll roll back off the green. If you stick your approach above the hole, you're challenged with a fast downhill putt. Most of the level greens have subtle undulations and several (#1, #3, #4, #8) are guarded by deep bunkers that stretch across the front of the green -- forcing high pitch shots to carry the bunker and land on the green. It tested our short game skills in many humbling ways.

If you're looking for a deluxe, resort experience do not go to Willowick. But if you're in the mood for muni value and fun from the second shot to the pin, it might be worth your while.

Typical Orange County course. nice greens, nice fairways, good rough, lousy marshaling, and a 5 hour round at 7 in the morning on a Wednesday. I hope the USGA goes to this course and explains the "whi... Continue »

Typical Orange County course. nice greens, nice fairways, good rough, lousy marshaling, and a 5 hour round at 7 in the morning on a Wednesday. I hope the USGA goes to this course and explains the "while were young" but even then the management probably wouldn't care one way or the other.

Played 6/15, 1:12 PM, Donovan Daily $35 rate w/cart and hot dog. They were out of hot dogs and did not offer a substitution. Teed off about 15 minutes late, round lasted 5.5 hours. Tee boxes were ok, ... Continue »

Played 6/15, 1:12 PM, Donovan Daily $35 rate w/cart and hot dog. They were out of hot dogs and did not offer a substitution. Teed off about 15 minutes late, round lasted 5.5 hours. Tee boxes were ok, not much damage but too long for my liking. Fairways were in great shape, as was the rough. Bunkers were hard and crusty. Greens were slow and awfully bumpy, did not roll very true. I saw more unfixed ball marks and unraked bunkers during this round than I have ever seen...it was just ridiculous. The groups ahead of us had no regard for the course itself or other golfers. With no marshal to assist, this will likely continue. I've had plenty of decent experiences at this course, but after this round I have a hard time recommending it.

The difference between playing this course in the winter and spring is night and day. Everything has pretty much come back. Greens- looked like they were aerated a few weeks ago, but rolled true, look... Continue »

The difference between playing this course in the winter and spring is night and day. Everything has pretty much come back. Greens- looked like they were aerated a few weeks ago, but rolled true, looked very healthy. Fairways- everything is green, mix of grasses, but for a $20 walking rate (twilight), why would you expect more? Rough- Suprised to find it to be quite lush, long, and an actual problem if you had to keep hitting from it. Bunkers- was never in one (yay!) but nothing seemed special about them, some looked a little hard pan. Overall, when everything is alive, this course is enjoyable and very easy to walk.

Played last Saturday and again yesterday (Friday) at the Wick. The greens have recovered nicely from being punched and lightly sanded. Bermuda fairways are just about in excellent condition. Friend... Continue »

Played last Saturday and again yesterday (Friday) at the Wick. The greens have recovered nicely from being punched and lightly sanded. Bermuda fairways are just about in excellent condition. Friendly staff as well as most golfers. A hidden gem in the OC.

Played Saturday, 5/11 at 1:00 PM, Donovan Daily deal $28 incl. cart and lunch. There were some new golfers teeing off with nobody ahead, so the starter let us begin on #2. Wide open all day, finished ... Continue »

Played Saturday, 5/11 at 1:00 PM, Donovan Daily deal $28 incl. cart and lunch. There were some new golfers teeing off with nobody ahead, so the starter let us begin on #2. Wide open all day, finished in under 4 hours. Conditions were markedly improved from the last time I played here, with the great tee boxes and medium-fast, smooth greens standing out. The fairways were quite nice too, with much less dead/hardpan areas than before. However, there was a sign posted that green aerification begins today, so be warned. Hopefully the rest of the course stays as it is now while the greens recover.

Played 3/30 at 1:00 PM. Course has improved a little bit since my last review, but not too much. Fairways have filled in somewhat, bunkers are hard again. Greens were budding in the afternoon, slow an... Continue »

Played 3/30 at 1:00 PM. Course has improved a little bit since my last review, but not too much. Fairways have filled in somewhat, bunkers are hard again. Greens were budding in the afternoon, slow and bumpy. Pace was slow, no one group in particular held up play, five-somes are allowed so that pretty much says it all. Good service in the pro shop and bar/restaurant.