Thought I'd wait a day or so to collect my thoughts and possibly offer a different perspective with regards to this past Sunday's GK Event at Rams Hill. After perusing the opinions expressed by those ... Continue »

Thought I'd wait a day or so to collect my thoughts and possibly offer a different perspective with regards to this past Sunday's GK Event at Rams Hill. After perusing the opinions expressed by those in attendance, it's obvious the masses were thoroughly impressed and walked away with the feeling that playing Rams Hill is indeed worth the long drive. I know that Johnny puts a lot of thought and effort into organizing these get-togethers, always hoping for the best, and I'm certain he couldn't have been more pleased with the turnout and positive reaction. And it's not just the response of those playing in these events that Johnny is interested in; the manner in which the host facility fulfills their "obligation" is also a big part of the overall picture. To that end, I can't help but think Rams Hill did a fantastic job. As many have noted, and I'm right there in line will them, I got the impression that Mike Setchell and his staff felt they couldn't do enough to make the GK Community feel welcome. From the initial contact in the parking lot with the Cart/Bag Attendant, to Mike himself as he pleasantly took my bag and directed me to my assigned golf cart, to the brief interchange with the Range Attendant, I felt I was being treated like royalty. Yes, many high-end courses promote this so-called "Member for a Day" service yet often lack the sincerity and genuineness necessary in order to avoid giving the impression it's an obligation rather than a privilege to serve their paying customers. With that being said, Mike should be proud of his staff and the manner in which they extended their gratitude in being selected to host our event. As far as the golf course is concerned, it was in tremendous shape, as expected, with the exception of one small caveat and I'm a bit reluctant to mention it. Although everyone raved about the putting surfaces, I was taken aback somewhat by their appearance; most notably, the spike mark factor. Realizing the course had been subjected to a couple of inches of rain leading up to Sunday, I'll attribute this "blemish" to nothing more than a steady traffic flow of play on the softer than normal greens preceding the event. Reflecting back on previous experiences here, the greens have always been firm and practically devoid of any ball and/or spike mark damage. That was not the case on Sunday and, as a result, I saw some putts get bumped off line where, in the past, I've been accustomed to seeing them roll straight and true from impact to the cup. And, on #12, a poorly repaired old cup location kicked a birdie putt offline, one that was assuredly headed into the center of the hole. Putting it all in perspective, however, I don't wish to give anyone the impression that I'm nitpicking, because even upon close examination, you would have been hard pressed to realize that much rain had fallen during the week. I didn't encounter any standing water or soggy turf anywhere on the course and the sand traps were in great shape as well with no evidence of the recent precipitation. And it was a delight to be able to putt on some surfaces that had an appreciable degree of speed for a change; despite the undulations and slopes, the greens were puttable and not out of control. I've encountered situations where people get obsessed with Stimp numbers being the benchmark of great greens yet they fail to realize the contours of the surfaces must be taken into account in order to keep things fair. Steve Gregory obviously understands this and gets a well-deserved nod of approval. In closing, I want to mention that the outside patio provides a first-class spot to enjoy an after-round meal/drink and absorb the desert tranquility after a round. Weather conditions were pleasant and the portable heaters kept things nice and cozy as the sun began to set. Restaurant service was good but I can't say the same for my menu item; I ordered a hamburger and found it to be bland and slightly overcooked (despite the waitress asking how I wanted it prepared when the order was placed). Comparatively speaking, Admiral Baker has them beat by a mile when it comes to preparation and flavor. Maybe I just happened to select the wrong item off the menu...I don't know...but I'd be reluctant to make the same mistake again. If I'm going to be subjected to gourmet prices then the quality of the food has got to match. On a final note. I'd like to thank my playing partners...Kristie, John, and Tim...for providing such a pleasant playing atmosphere. It was also nice to forge a couple of new acquaintances at the dinner table: Wendy and Matt, the pleasure was mine. In fact, I'm convinced it's the people I meet at these events who always make me glad I decided to play.

I also made the trek out to Rams Hill for the GK plays event Sunday. The whole experience was well worth the drive! As all of the previous reviews have stated the entire course and practice are are ju... Continue »

I also made the trek out to Rams Hill for the GK plays event Sunday. The whole experience was well worth the drive! As all of the previous reviews have stated the entire course and practice are are just plain flawless.
The staff was great from the guys who picked up your clubs at the car to the wait staff to the pro. You could not ask for better treatment.
I will be heading back sometime this spring with friends to take advantage of the GK coupon.
Thanks again Johnny for all you do.

This was my first time playing Rams Hill and a Tom Fazio course and I must say I was quite impressed. The fairway was immaculate with great coverage and good lies to be found everywhere. Greens were... Continue »

This was my first time playing Rams Hill and a Tom Fazio course and I must say I was quite impressed. The fairway was immaculate with great coverage and good lies to be found everywhere. Greens were the best I ever played and the fastest. The bunkers had the perfect amount of sand especially if was able to get out them. Staff was helpful and gave good advice. To my pleasant surprise the range had generous pyramids of titlist pro v1 balls with range finders. The chipping and pitching practice area was in great shape too. The French dip sandwich at the club house was expensive. but the backdrop was hard to beat. I want to thank John for another first class event and the generous drawing. I will be back.

A few weeks before the event, my main concern was that it would be wet and cold. Game day and weather was perfect. Sunshine and cool air, perfect combo for a nice Fazio course... As soon as we pa... Continue »

A few weeks before the event, my main concern was that it would be wet and cold. Game day and weather was perfect. Sunshine and cool air, perfect combo for a nice Fazio course... As soon as we parked our car, our bags were picked from the parking lot (Awesome!). We felt spoiled already and we haven't stepped on the course yet. Service from everyone on the golf team was exceptional. Director of golf, Mike was on hand along with his lovely wife to great all the guests coming. It sure was a great welcome. Proceeded to the driving range and they had proV1x practice balls with laser range tools. Impressive! Don't see this even at super high end courses. Nice practice green to boot. On to the course. Standing on the first tee, you can see how gorgeous this place is. All green fairway (where else do you see this?), not a blemish in sight... except for those humongous bunkers (j/k) that my partner and I seem to be getting into so much. Must be a magnet for balls or something but my partner kept on going to be beach all day. The bunkers were well stocked, well raked and not a footprint in sight. Pretty much consistent though out the course. Excellent shape tee to green. Upon finally reaching the greens, we witnessed the quickness first hand seeing a putt run pass the hole and back into the fairway. Funny to watch although probably not so funny if I was the one having to chip back to the green. I liked the design and some of the short par4s with very tempting teaser distances. Be disciplined and you will be rewarded. Go crazy and you will see big numbers. It was a really fun day of golf. And company was not too shabby as well. We had Keith, who I should try to learn more about how to play the course from, Lee -enjoyed his laidback humor and Robert who can sometimes bomb the ball to different locations we normally don't get to see on the course. Lots of laughs and certainly led to a more enjoyable round. Pace of play was a decent 4 hour round. As expected when you have GKers playing, right? :) Plus having a fun group you don't really notice the time until when you reach the 18th green. thanks Johnny for "twisting" my arm to play this exceptional course. and for the staff at Ram Hills for taking care of our group. And finally, at the end of the day, went to the proshop and got myself a VIP card. Planning my next outing here soon.

I would like to thank John for setting up the GK play at Rams Hill. It was great day and the weather definitely cooperated with us.

Setting: I was driving up 78 East into Borrego Springs on Sunda... Continue »

I would like to thank John for setting up the GK play at Rams Hill. It was great day and the weather definitely cooperated with us.

Setting: I was driving up 78 East into Borrego Springs on Sunday morning and I could not believe how peaceful it was. Mountain Vistas on all sides and nothing but the desert floor below. All the stress of the holiday season fading away.

Clubhouse: I drove up to the bag drop and dropped off my bag and parked. Walked back into the pro shop and was met by the Director of Golf - Mike Setchell. Mike immediately introduced himself and we spoke for a few minutes as he gave me a quick tour around the clubhouse. How many golf directors do that? The clubhouse was beautiful and I really enjoyed the outdoor seating area. It just felt so peaceful sitting out there as the sun came up. I then met Mike's wife, and asked her if she had any other ball markers for purchase. What I saw in the pro shop was not I was looking for, but she had two of them in her desk and she gave them to me. I asked her "How much are they?" She looked at me, smiled and said "Free." Wow ... very appreciative. We talked about the golf merchandise business for a few minutes and it was nice that she took the time to speak with me. Bought an Adidas shirt and a ball repair tool with a ball mark in the top of it. Prices were comparable to other golf shops.

Practice Range - Pro V1 practice balls, laser range finders and good turf at each practice stall ... enough said.

Playing Partners: Very fortunate to have been paired with Ron Conrad again. We played together at the GK play at Southern Dunes in July of 2015. Ron, always a pleasure to play with you. The other two gentlemen that played with us were Tim and Mark from Long Beach. I very much enjoyed playing with both of them and the four of us talked a lot during the round. We had a lot of fun.

Course: Could not ask for better playing conditions. Lush wide fairways and rough, and I was surprised to see how how much of the rough was overseeded. Greens are bent grass and ran at an 11 ... very quick and very smooth. Surprised to see that Rams Hill has bent grass greens. Must be very difficult to maintain them in the summer. The only small concern was the fairway on the 18 ... very thin in some spots and a lot of bird droppings on that fairway. I thought the 18th fairway was a little unfair because the fairway slopes to the right and runs right into the water. I think that there should be some rough grown in right next to the water so that a good shot does not roll into the hazard.
Overall, I thought the layout was tremendous. A good mixture of distances on the holes. The par 4's ranged 280 yards - 432 yards (blue tees), and I liked that all of the par 3's played in different directions.

After We Played: Nice to have a place to shower after the round. Very clean and big towels were provided. We all sat out on the patio and had something to eat. I thought the food and service were good and that the prices were very fair.
John gave out a lot of prizes and it was nice to see that everyone went home with something. Enjoyed meeting many of the GK'ers throughout the day and I hope to play with many of you again. Kevin V ... hope to catch up with you in Palm Springs or Phoenix.

Final Thoughts: Great course in a beautiful setting! Hope to get back there and try one of their stay and play packages.

Another good time here at Rams Hill with Greenskeeper.org. The course is in fantastic shape. The course personnel were extremely helpful, coming out to our car and loading up our bags for us. After th... Continue »

Another good time here at Rams Hill with Greenskeeper.org. The course is in fantastic shape. The course personnel were extremely helpful, coming out to our car and loading up our bags for us. After the round the guys wiped our clubs and seemed interested in our experience at the course. I liked the range with the laser range finders; it was different. Great Titleist range balls stacked in pyramids. Lots of interesting target greens to play to. There was excellent grass coverage everywhere on the course. The tees were level and markers placed at the edges of the teeing ground, giving you plenty of options on your tee shot. The generous fairways had lush grass coverage with a well-defined cut for the rough. My ball always had a good lie whether it was in the fairway or rough. Bunker sand was very consistent ( I was in many of them) and had great texture. I found it fairly easy to hit from them. The best part of the course were the greens, though. I feel that these are by far the best greens I have putted on in a long time. The sign said 11'-2", I think, and they rolled fast, smooth, and true. Carts were outfitted with green sand and seed mix, a ball and club washer, and a cooler with a couple of bottles of water. Stick to the water because the beers are not cheap here. The food in the club house was just okay, but probably the best you can find in the area. There is a very nice patio area with space heaters and a couple of fire pits to take the chill off the evening air. There is a nice ambience to just sitting there and taking it all in. Thank you Johnny and Rams Hill for another great event!

Played in GK outing today. Once again, thanks to Johnny for setting up such a great event. As everyone else has said, the course was beautiful, in perfect condition, all the staff was so friendly and ... Continue »

Played in GK outing today. Once again, thanks to Johnny for setting up such a great event. As everyone else has said, the course was beautiful, in perfect condition, all the staff was so friendly and helpful. I would love to play here again.

Brought my dad out today for the GK outing. We stayed at La Casa del Zorro last night to break up the drive, and the girls we came with loved the spa there. I'd highly recommend a stay and play over a... Continue »

Brought my dad out today for the GK outing. We stayed at La Casa del Zorro last night to break up the drive, and the girls we came with loved the spa there. I'd highly recommend a stay and play over a 12-15 hour day trip. We had an amazing time all around.

Before I say anything about the course, I want to thank Johnny and recommend that everyone sign up for the next GK Plays event. It was my first one, and what a great group of people (especially Ron and Dave who rounded out our group) and well-run event it was. I'll be trying to make as many of these as possible. It's tough to drag my dad off the tennis court for golf, but this event has him wanting to play more.

The course was just as great as it was when I played it last month. If I had to pick out something, the only blemish is the 18th fairway. Coots have thinned this fairway out and it plays very firm, sloping hard from left to right towards some bunkers and a lake. If a long hitter plays the gold tees, his/her drive could land on the left side of the fairway and run 50 yards right into a bunker, if this same long hitter plays the blue tees, that ball could find the lake. Regardless, Rams Hill remains one of the best courses I've ever played.

Perfect...just perfect. Course conditions, layout, service (every staff member we encountered were so friendly and all had a smile on their face!). If you have a problem with this course then that's a... Continue »

Perfect...just perfect. Course conditions, layout, service (every staff member we encountered were so friendly and all had a smile on their face!). If you have a problem with this course then that's a YOU problem or you get to play Augusta everyday. On the drive there, Ben and I weren't sure if we were insane and I was almost sure this would be a one and done course due to the drive. But now I can't imagine not coming back again and again. Just the most spectacular course I've ever seen. All 18 holes would be signature holes anywhere else. Big thanks to Johnny for all the hard work and a special shout out to Ben, Andrew, & Invisible Rob for all the laughs today. My sides are still hurting!