Played in the afternoon on Friday 8/13/10, in the Greenskeeper.org event with Johnny GK – what an honor! Then I proceeded to stink up the place!! Weather was great – warm, sunny, and only light bree... Continue »

Played in the afternoon on Friday 8/13/10, in the Greenskeeper.org event with Johnny GK – what an honor! Then I proceeded to stink up the place!! Weather was great – warm, sunny, and only light breezes to keep you cool, although the wind could swirl around some of the amazing rock formations that make up the beauty of this mountainside course. Substantial elevation changes, blind shots, forced carries over tree-filled arroyos, and narrow hitting lanes define this course, which is not long (6000 yards) but plays long with elevated greens, uphill holes, shots into the wind, etc. You’ll definitely benefit from playing this course several times to get a feel for where to place shots, how quick the greens can be, and when to bomb it and when to play smart. Conditions were a little dry but generally very good, with receptive but quick greens, rough close by greens and fairways, and good sand. Definitely a difficult walking course with some long distances between greens and tees, and then those elevation changes. I’d be pleased to have another chance at playing here. Recommended.

Played in the GK outing last Friday. I agree with everyone view on the course. It's certainly a shot makers course. You really don't need to bring a driver here. I did like the greens but you real... Continue »

Played in the GK outing last Friday. I agree with everyone view on the course. It's certainly a shot makers course. You really don't need to bring a driver here. I did like the greens but you really need to put the ball in the right spot otherwise you are looking at some slippery big breaking putts. Some of the tee boxes were beaten up because of irons being taken off the tee. The fairways were fine but the rough is non-existent since this is usually defined by unplayable terrain. Rough around the greens was better and thicker so you got some true rough shots. The sand traps were disappointing, virtually no sand in them. Staff was great and it was great seeing all the GKers again.

A very fun course. Some challenging holes and a lot of variety. The greens were very fast and added to the challenge. This course is a feast for your senses. Beautiful views, varied terrain and a layo... Continue »

A very fun course. Some challenging holes and a lot of variety. The greens were very fast and added to the challenge. This course is a feast for your senses. Beautiful views, varied terrain and a layout that keeps you guessing. Would love to play again.

Played in GK Tournament Friday. This is a hidden gem of a course. It's off the beaten track and took a little to get there, meaning you have the clubhouse and not much in amenities out that directio... Continue »

Played in GK Tournament Friday. This is a hidden gem of a course. It's off the beaten track and took a little to get there, meaning you have the clubhouse and not much in amenities out that direction. You really have to want to play there to fully enjoy the facilities. That is not to say the place is sparce; far from it. The course was a pleasure to play. Tough off the tee especially from the blues offering narrow chutes, uphill forced carries, tough undulating greens, and well placed watering stations to make playing here fun and comfortable. Tee boxes were a little uneven in spots so pick your place carefully. The rest of the course was spectacular. Great views abound. The fairways were in great shape. Bunkers were a little hard packed but still very playable -- I saw my fair share of them. The course plays very fair, you just need some additional course knowledge to play here. Having a Course Guide is invaluable with several holes playing blind shots from tee box. You can use your driver here. It may not seem the safest play but looking back, I am glad I did. You get past a lot of the trouble and if you can hit your target line your aggressive play will pay dividends. I would recommend taking with you a laser sight/yardage meter. Could have used it on more than a few holes to play. Distance markers are sparce but once you settled down and trusted what you saw you could play with some confidence. Course management is key and a lot of the holes do open up past the narrow chute. Play to your tendancies and you will reap the benefits.

Overall very impressed with the course. Reminds me of a little bit of DeBell. The course may read only 6000 yards but those 6000 yards could be the longest you every play if you have a rough day off the tee box. Greens rolled very true. Knowing where to land your ball is key here in the fairway or on the green. Confidence in your golf shot is also invaluable as this course will eat you alive if you have one shred of doubt. This is the type of course you have to play at least once to understand where to place your ball for future rounds. To sum it all up, I am glad I played here. Thanks GK!

As soon as we drove into parking area, I was impressed...what a beautiful course! It was a 2 hour drive from Pasadena and well worth it. Played 8/13/10 in the GK Event. Secluded and off the beaten ... Continue »

As soon as we drove into parking area, I was impressed...what a beautiful course! It was a 2 hour drive from Pasadena and well worth it. Played 8/13/10 in the GK Event. Secluded and off the beaten path, a nice a tranquil environment, like some of the mountain hiking trails I have been on. Loved all the trees and rocks, elevated tees and elevated greens with gorgeous views all around. The long rustic wooden bridge to the 2nd tee was a thrill to drive over. The course was challenging for those playing from the blue tees but I was completely satisfied playing from red with a nice advantage! Staff was friendly and cart girl came by several times which was appreciated. Would love to come back and play again...I have played all the GK Events this year and would rank this course as one of my favs!

A very nice golf course. However, if you like to grip it n' rip it off the tee, this may not be the place for you. For those of us who can't hit it 300 yards, the course is quite a good challenge.

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A very nice golf course. However, if you like to grip it n' rip it off the tee, this may not be the place for you. For those of us who can't hit it 300 yards, the course is quite a good challenge.

Visually, tee shots look like they must be absolutely precise but there is a little room if you can keep it relatively straight. Greens were receptive, in very good shape and rolled well. There were only a couple of greens that looked like they were being repaired, and those were in areas that did not affect play. Sand was a bit inconsistent but I was two for three in saves, so it was all good.

As a high handicapper, if I played a course like this more often, my game would improve 'cause you have to hit it straight. Beautiful mountain views, no traffic noise and a fun GK outing. What's not to like.

Played in the GK event for first time, Super Fun! Course was in good shape, greens were very nice. some were a little more receptive than others, but overall in good shape. Some greens have areas o... Continue »

Played in the GK event for first time, Super Fun! Course was in good shape, greens were very nice. some were a little more receptive than others, but overall in good shape. Some greens have areas of repair going on, but not really affecting play. A couple of Tee boxes have also been re-sodded. Was able to get out of all three bunkers no problem, just couldn't seal the deal on the saves=( Challenging course, but if played smart is not to bad!

Yesterday was my second time playing Mt. Woodson and I enjoyed it even more then the first time. Very scenic, unique, beautiful and challenging. I did not step up to one tee or hit one approach shot o... Continue »

Yesterday was my second time playing Mt. Woodson and I enjoyed it even more then the first time. Very scenic, unique, beautiful and challenging. I did not step up to one tee or hit one approach shot or make one chip or putt that did not provoke my mind to think creatively to accomplish it. I call this high shot value golf and I loved it. I think the more you play this course, the more you’ll enjoy it as you learn how the play the layout. I think immediately the low index players will appreciate the challenge and uniqueness of the layout since they are typically more accurate and can experience the design as it was meant to be played.

The conditions of the course and service were excellent. The greens rolled smooth and reasonably fast. The fairways were lush and provided excellent lies. The rough around the green complexes was lush, about 2 to 3 inches and at times tough to play due to its thick bermunda nature, the rough adjacent to the fairways however was mostly thin with an occasional bare spot, the sand traps were disappointing in that the quality of sand was mostly thin and firm which made the challenge of hitting good shots from the deep traps overly difficult, the tee boxes decent but not great…with the limited areas to place the teeing grounds due to the mountain terrain they are small in nature. Since Mt. Woodson requires quite a lot of iron play from the tee due to its narrow design the tee boxes accumulate extra divot damage as well. In a nut shell if you generally hit the ball where you are supposed to, the conditions are great. Spray to ball off the tee or with your approach shots and you are not only going to likely loose your ball but if you do find it, it is probably going to be on a bad lie. Of course I wish all facets of the playing conditions were high but I like the fact the course focuses its resources where they need to be most.

The service yesterday was superb. The proshop, café, marshal, on course service and cart service were very attentive and professional. The food in the café was very good and overall rustic feel to the clubhouse and patio made for a very comfortable social atmosphere.

Overall, I enjoyed my golf experience at Mt. Woodson tremendously and highly recommend this course

Played in GK outing 8/13/10. I'd have to rate this course by category:

The good: The greens putted well & the course overall was in decent to good shape. Clubhouse and staff were a +. Beautiful sce... Continue »

Played in GK outing 8/13/10. I'd have to rate this course by category:

The good: The greens putted well & the course overall was in decent to good shape. Clubhouse and staff were a +. Beautiful scenic views and a really cool LONG wooden bridge over a canyon.

The bad: The layout of the course. 7 (SEVEN) par fours between 320 and 350 yards from the back tees? None of which was really what you would consider a driveable par 4 for a longer hitter? You could tell the designer had to tuck fairways and greens around hills, canyons and boulders, resulting in many quirky holes where the best play is constantly bumping the ball 100 to 200 yards down the fairways. That's fine to break up a string of grip it and rip it holes, but not for almost the entire course!

The ugly: It seemed like every other tee was 300 yards from the previous green. Far too many target golf shots required. Too many blind shots down hills or around corners where you had no idea what was there unless you had previous course knowledge. A perfect example of ruining a perfectly good mountain and canyon area and trying to turn it into a golf course.

It was amazing that I only incurred ONE penalty stroke AD when I was pounding drivers over trees & over hills to blind landing areas on these short, tight par 4's. I personally have no interest in hitting a mid iron off SEVEN par 4 tees and a wedge into a small green. I can practice that at a decent driving range facility, which by the way, this course does not have.