Finally got out to play this highly regarded and suggested course. WOW! Easily in my personal top 3 public course I have ever played. from a course condition, it probably is in the top 2. We have s... Continue »

Finally got out to play this highly regarded and suggested course. WOW! Easily in my personal top 3 public course I have ever played. from a course condition, it probably is in the top 2. We have seen the Golfweek note saying Rams Hill is the 3rd best public course in California behind only Pebble and Spyglass, well we have played both of those within the last year, and course condition-wise, it is FAR superior to Pebble... okay...so many reviews already, I can only say as a first timer I was blown away. Tee to green there is simply nothing out of place. MUST play.. you suck it up and make the drive.... from lake forest it took us 2 hours and 35 mins. to get there and it is a really nice drive to just chill out and enjoy. I would rate this in the 9.8 to 9.9 area....only reason not to give a 10 was "lack of GPS" and "no mayo on the club sandwich" Hey Golf Digest - this course absolutely deserves to be in the Top 100 US public courses list for 2017 and TOP course list in California.

Okay call me crazy....I have heard all the great things said about RH so I thought I would decide for myself. I made the 3 hour drive with 2 others yesterday in pouring rain to play here. The weather ... Continue »

Okay call me crazy....I have heard all the great things said about RH so I thought I would decide for myself. I made the 3 hour drive with 2 others yesterday in pouring rain to play here. The weather reported that the rain would be light and would stop at 9:45 am so I made a 10:20 tee time. We arrived at 9:45 and the rain stopped at 10:10. This place is golf heaven in the desert! Conditions were near perfect other than the winds that picked up on the back nine. Greens were 10-11 speed, tee boxes immaculate, fairways perfect, sand was great, and the course is a real gem. We bought the $150 twosome special and they charged our 3rd only $80 which was great. The round came with $15 credit vouchers for food so we stayed for lunch before driving home. It was a long day but was a real joy for us all. Thanks to all the GK'ers for the spot on reviews.........we will be back soon!

Played yesterday on a golfnow hot deal for $77. Unbelievable value. The course is perfect in every way for conditioning. Just a real treat, friendly people, good challenge, but with wide fairways to k... Continue »

Played yesterday on a golfnow hot deal for $77. Unbelievable value. The course is perfect in every way for conditioning. Just a real treat, friendly people, good challenge, but with wide fairways to keep it fun. I just wish it was closer to me. However, it's just 1.5 hours from palm desert or San Diego area. Will play here at every opportunity at that rate. I'm guessing this course is well known to everyone in Southern California. I discovered it through GK, so thanks guys! Also, my cart partner was from Chicago on vacation and also discovered it through the GK website and reviews. You guys impacted the course all the way to Chicago. Maybe they owe you guys for the advertising. Al those good reviews were definitely earned at Rams hill.

We were the first group out this morning and made the turn for our second round in around 4.5 hours as a fivesome. The entire facility is just top shelf from the people to the course. The practice a... Continue »

We were the first group out this morning and made the turn for our second round in around 4.5 hours as a fivesome. The entire facility is just top shelf from the people to the course. The practice area has everything you need to work on your game with top quality practice balls. The entire course by far has the best coverage of any I can remember playing. Tee boxes maybe could have been cut a little shorter but were nearly perfect. The fairways were fantastic with not one thin or bare spot to be found. The rough was also in great shape but slightly thicker than other courses I've recently played. The traps in the fairways and green side were the best groomed BY FAR of any course I've played. The greens were near perfect with very few marks and rolled nicely - we did notice they slowed as the day went on and the moisture started to fall from above. The area offers great views of the valley and surrounding hills with several holes lined by nice custom homes. The military copters and jets put on a free airshow for us by flying at a low altitude and very high speed over the course. The pro shop is top notch and the restaurant offers excellent food as well. Definitely worth the long winding drive to experience the BEST groomed course I've played in the last several years!!!

Played last Sunday with Dave, Keith and Mark - the prior reviews are spot on regarding conditions. Golfweek named Rams Hill as the #3 resort course in CA - which is pretty high praise since Pebble an... Continue »

Played last Sunday with Dave, Keith and Mark - the prior reviews are spot on regarding conditions. Golfweek named Rams Hill as the #3 resort course in CA - which is pretty high praise since Pebble and Spyglass are #1 & #2!

Since the conditions and service have been thoroughly covered, I'm going to focus on the layout in general.

Rams Hill presents as a "Resort Course" and it fits that niche perfectly. Plenty of tee options to allow for considerable differences in ability and driving distance with fairways that are (for the most part) fairly wide and accessible. Greens are good sized, and different pin placements can make the same hole play very differently from one day to the next.

A very wide variety of hole lengths means you'll probably use every club in the bag, even if you're not a big short hitter you'll have several short iron approaches (assuming you're playing the appropriate tees). Bunkers can be extremely challenging if you're in the wrong spot (let's not talk about the skinny little bunker on the front/left of #5) but with good quality (forgiving) sand it's normally not an ordeal to get out of them.

If you try and play at or slightly above your usual score you should be be able to stay close to that figure. If you try and shot under that, you can find yourself in WAY over your head in a very short time. It will definitely reward good shots and thoughtful strategy - and if you goof then the penalty will likely reflect how badly you messed up (small goof = small penalty/outside chance of par, big goof = double bogey or worse).

Now, if you want to challenge your game, it is more than up to that challenge. Most of those large greens have several much smaller areas you must hit to have a reasonable shot at a birdie. Same for position off the tee - there are definitely preferred locations on most fairways, but the greater the reward for being there the greater the penalty for missing.

All-in-all, Rams Hill is one of those rare courses that can be enjoyed equally by all players, whether a 25 handicap or scratch. Definitely a "must play" and highly recommended.

12Dec2016: 10:00 a.m. -- Played at the GK end-of-the-year outing at my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE #1 GC, Rams Hill. LOVE LOVE LOVE this AMAZING course. What could make this course any more wonderful than... Continue »

12Dec2016: 10:00 a.m. -- Played at the GK end-of-the-year outing at my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE #1 GC, Rams Hill. LOVE LOVE LOVE this AMAZING course. What could make this course any more wonderful than a group of Great GKers, Fabulous Staff, and Pristine Practice facilities??.....an unusually PERFECT day weatherwise. Sunny, cool, and NO Big Wind all day. AWESOME!!! Echoing what others have mentioned in their reviews..., the course was in top notch shape. Green Green Green which speaks volumes for the exceptional course maintenance crews. Astounding how this desert course is manicured to its level of perfection. Okay, so the fairways and tee boxes may have been a tidge longer than summer conditions might be, and the Yes, the areas directly surrounding the bunkers were uniformly browned, but I didn't feel these were detracting factors at all, but moreso smart maintenance to keep things healthy and safe from upcoming colder temps/frosts. Yes?/No? Greens were remarkable in their large deep emerald green beauty. They were receptive to well hit shots, and there were signs of earlier day's play footprint traffic, and occassional un/ill-repaired ball marks, but they all rolled fairly true; not as fast as the practice greens, but fast enough to challenge your putting game. Bunkers (and there are plenty), were consistent throughout. Ample good quality sand. No onboard GPS on carts, but they do have ball/club washer, and a cooler with ice/water. The Cart service was frequent/friendly and reasonably priced. The Clubhouse, Pro Shop, Restaurant, and Food are Top Shelf!!!! Did I mention I Luv Luv Luv this course? Lady friendly forward tee boxes made for decent scoring opportunities if you could capitalize with your A-game. My game finally started to awaken on the back 9. This course is simply Beautiful in design, conditioning, and professionalism from the minute you arrive until you head home after a great meal/libation. Certainly Worth the drive; a Must 'Go Play'. Exceptional end to the GK Events Season. Just this novice golfin gals opinion. Thank you Johnny for another Great year of friendship and dedication to improving the golf experience through social media awareness for golfers and courses alike. Thank you to all those sponsors and GKers who give of their time, products, and unyielding support of this wonderful "Know Before You Go" Greenskeeper world. Thank you All -- Can't wait to see what 2017 has in store for us.

We started off our GK Plays outing season at Rams Hill Golf Club in January and capped off the season at Rams Hill in December. Thank you to everyone that attended. It was the first time GK has ever b... Continue »

We started off our GK Plays outing season at Rams Hill Golf Club in January and capped off the season at Rams Hill in December. Thank you to everyone that attended. It was the first time GK has ever been to the same course in the same year. I'm so glad we did. Its an exceptional golf experience and they treat us so well. They have a perfect facility for outings. Even the drive this time, 4 hours from Westlake Village, did not seem as long. This place is special.

As far as conditions, maybe not as highly rated by me in past but certainly the BEST its ever been. How can that be? The course is now softer. Before the greens rolled like a slick pool table and occasionally received shots like one too. But now they still roll smooth, with occasional ball marks and footprints, but also not slick (by no means slow) which very receptive to shots. It allowed be to be more aggressive with my iron play and pitching around the greens which enhanced my enjoyment of the course. Fairways super lush albeit a little more shaggy than in prior visits but that's only because its December and rye grass typically needs a few more weeks before it can be cut down more. Rough, super lush and not very penalizing. Tee boxes lush and level. Bunkers, oh, my favorite aspect of Rams Hill Golf Club. Just love how pronounced and bold they are throughout the course. Perfectly positioned, dormant bermunda trim to contrast the deep green turf, perfect sand, deep faces and uniquely designed. Just take a look at the photos I posted. Unfortunately my golf ball loved them too and I got to experience many throughout my round. LOL.

After golf we had diner and prize giveways on the indoor/outdoor patio overlooking the course. So beautiful. Perfect way to conclude the day.

Highly Recommend Rams Hill Golf Club. Its one of favorite places to play anywhere.

Played 12-11-16 in the GK plays with John, Brian, and Jason on just a wonderful day for golf. As everybody else has noted the course is in great shape. Just green, green, green everywhere in the middl... Continue »

Played 12-11-16 in the GK plays with John, Brian, and Jason on just a wonderful day for golf. As everybody else has noted the course is in great shape. Just green, green, green everywhere in the middle of the desert. Staff is great from the time you show up to when you leave. Really great golf course that just keeps getting better every time I play it.

Overview: This is the second time that I have played Rams Hill Golf Course, and once again I am very happy that I made the drive from Phoenix to Borrego Springs. I drove up to the gate and the secur... Continue »

Overview: This is the second time that I have played Rams Hill Golf Course, and once again I am very happy that I made the drive from Phoenix to Borrego Springs. I drove up to the gate and the security person asked me if "I was ready for this course". I laughed and said that "I was here in January and that I wanted at least one more chance at it." I was paired with HmtGolfGuy, sixpez and Itslikeimsayin and the four of us had an enjoyable time with a lot of conversation going on between us during the round. While Ron and I left some shots out on the course, I thought Keith and Mark played quite well. We could not have asked for a better day to play golf ... temperature got up to about 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and hardly any wind.

Clubhouse and Pro Shop: This is starting to become one of my favorite clubhouses. I enjoy the exterior look and especially like the patio that looks over the valley and the 18th hole ... beautiful setting. The pro shop was stocked, but I though they would have a little more merchandise due to the holiday being 2 weeks away. I purchased a Foot Joy shirt and the pro shop staff let me try it on in the men's locker room. I have never bought a Foot Joy shirt before and they definitely run a little larger than the normal brands that I wear. The shirt was competitively priced and they had a sale where you buy 1 item and get 15% off the price, buy 2 items and get 20% off and buy 3 items and get 25% off. A good deal for this time of the year.

Practice Area: Pro V1 range balls and good turf. I thought the putting green was very good and ran about the same pace as the greens on the course. Rams Hill said that the greens were running at a 11.3, but everyone in our group thought they were running a little slower than that. I was thinking about a 10.5

Golf Course: Rams Hill is an amazing layout and is in tremendous condition. I am always impressed with the wall to wall carpet of lush, green grass. Greens are bent grass and ran very smooth. They were some spike marks on the back side, but nothing from really stopping us from making putts. My only small issue was that the fairways seemed a little long ... nothing serious at all though. Sand in all of the bunkers was consistent and of good quality. I enjoy the variety of holes ... especially the par 4's that range from about 280 - 430 yards from the blue tees.

Food and Service: We all met and ate out on the patio after the round and enjoyed the setting. The food was good, but our server had a couple of opportunities ... nothing though that stopped us from enjoying the beautiful setting and our conversations.

Final Thoughts: I can't thank John enough for taking the time to set up another #gkplays out at Rams Hill. It was amazing that he was able to get us out there again in 2016. Rams Hill has become one of my favorite places to play and I hope to come back in 2017. Much respect to one of the owner's of Rams Hill to personally thank us for coming out to his course and ranking Rams Hill as high as we do. Happy Holidays to all of the GK members!