Played Simi Hills this weekend for an SCGA tournament through Rancho Park Golf Club and was not disappointed in anything other than my driving and putting! In days past it used to be quite easy to get tee times at this little gem of a course, but that's not been the case recently, so I was thrilled to sign up for this event when I saw it on the calendar months ago.

I played from the gold tees and my group had a noon starting time under hazy skies that soon gave way to a beautiful blue and one of the best early days of the spring. The fairways are in very nice shape right now and you'll get very good roll on your ball on tight fairways. The rough was very playable and not too thick at all. Bunkers were in quite good shape and I had no problem getting the club underneath the ball, while the tee boxes were all in very nice condition.

The greens were super challenging for me on this day and I'm not exactly sure why, but they were quite fast and very difficult to read, but rolled true, held shots and their lines well. For the life of me I can't understand how I just could not get the pace down all day, but that's golf sometimes. But overall they are in excellent shape.

The layout at Simi Hills is very fun and engaging with each hole presenting its own unique set of challenges. And the usually dormant creek that runs through holes at the start of the back nine was an actual river - something I don't think I'd ever seen here before, so that was quite stunning and cool to see and listen to throughout the round.

Facilities at Simi Hills are very good but must admit that the driving range is very small with only probably about 18-20 stalls max. Strange with so much land around, but I'm sure there is a reason for it. I'm sure on normal days that's fine but with a large SCGA tournament it was difficult to find a spot to warm up.

POP was pretty solid throughout the day despite the tournament conditions, meaning we finished in about four and a half hours, and there was cart service throughout the day providing everything we needed. No GPS on the carts though in case you're wondering.

Always love coming out to Simi Hills and can't wait for the next tournament here again.

Played Santa Anita for the first time in a while this past week and was very pleasantly surprised with the vast majority of the conditions, while the POP left a lot to be desired.

Three friends and I set off with a 10am tee time from the blue tees and found a course with fairways in much better shape than previous visits this time of year, and fast, clean greens that were in really nice shape overall despite the heavy play. The tee boxes are a little thin in areas but flat and level, while the bunkers could use another layer or two of sand as they're playable but a little too much on the thin side.

POP was a serious issue as we had sometimes up to four groups on a hole and the waiting on the par 3s was often excruciating. A marshal came over on the 4th hole asking everyone to wave up the next group, but this was quickly abandoned by all for holes 8, 12 and 15. Ultimately the round took just over five hours which is disappointing.

Was it worth it though? Absolutely. We played a classic old layout in mostly good conditions for just under $40 walking. That's an absolute steal and this course really does challenge you despite its 'flat' reputation. It's anything but once you're in the fairways with some very significant hills and mounding that can make an ordinary shot quite challenging. To this day this course continues to always have my number as I've not once ever broken 90 here. It makes no sense! Alas, we keep trying ...

Woodley Lakes - short and sweet. Played last Friday from the blues with a friend (walking) and it's probably about the best condition I've ever seen there. Good coverage in the fairways, not much differentiation from the rough, good tee boxes, average bunkers but absolutely the best I've ever seen the greens here. Played fast and true.

POP was great on the front nine but as the group of guys in front of us got more and more drunk, they slowed down to a crawl which was really frustrating. At one point they were a hole behind and while we were coming off the green on 15 they were still chatting and laughing with the cart girl on the 16th tee box. Unreal lack of class. Very frustrating.

All in all though it was a very good day where the weather held up until the temperature dropped like 20 degrees the last 2-3 holes. I think I read they'll be aerating the greens here soon which is a real shame because they really are as good as I've ever seen them here.

Got my first Glen Annie experience this past week and it was certainly one to remember - some good, some bad and a lot of in-between. I think it was worth the $100 or so greens fee (with cart because you seriously can't walk this one) just for the unique track and great views of the Pacific and Channel Islands.

We also got range balls for that rate and the range itself is pretty archaic and small. It's serviceable though with terrible mats and balls with shots going up a narrowing and dry canyon. There's a putting green right next door that prepares you for what's ahead, and it's not pretty when it comes to those things.

I used to always believe that the hardest opening hole (playing from the back tees) in SoCal was at Knollwood, but I stand corrected. Glen Annie's first hole is a monster, semi-blind and continuously uphill 440+ yard beast. You get a nice respite par 3 after that, followed by a terrifyingly narrow and steep downhill blind tee shot only seeing a lake at the bottom. After that? The number one handicap hole (which seemed hardly as daunting to me). But you get the point - this place is wild. Elevations and narrow corridors galore, the oddest sightlines, lots of barrancas/native areas jumping out in the middle of fairways (looking at you hole 14), and even a few water hazards to really give you a thrill.

If it weren't for the lovely local couple that played with us, we would not have had a clue where to hit on at least half or more of the holes at GA. And even with them it was still a challenge, especially if your tee shots were off. Did I mention it was wild?

Greens are also another treacherous experience at Glen Annie with super fast speeds (which from looking at them you would have never expected), severe slopes, brutal pin placements and a general maze-like quality every time you're squatting down to find your line. One could definitely say the greens (and even the course overall) are quite 'quirky.' But you can also say that it's a fun challenge.

Fairways and rough were just a bit above 'good.' Most certainly well playable but also a lot of dry spots (where drainage is good) and some muddy areas after recent rains (where drainage is not). The bunkers weren't great either, mostly quite thin and just looked a bit unkempt. Tee boxes were also weathered a bit, but functional and mostly flat. I was too busy trying to figure out where I was aiming on most tee boxes to notice too much about the tee boxes themselves. But I must say where the green areas were in bloom, the scenes were quite majestic. View of the course from the clubhouse and grill are pretty alluring indeed.

POP was mostly okay but think others were just getting as lost on many holes and searching for balls as we were. I don't think a fast POP here is the goal, but it was manageable. We had cart service as well multiple times so that was great on what turned out to be a gorgeous pre-spring day.

So would I come back here? Well, in truth I shot a score that requires my return, but I most likely would have anyway just to give it a shot with even a tiny bit of foresight into the course's challenging design. It's a unique place without a doubt - for better or for worse.

Someone needs to explain to me how I've played so many SoCal courses but somehow always missed coming to Tijeras Creek. My goodness this course is a real gem and I'm so glad that circumstances conspired to get me here. I am so enamored with this place.

You've read it before I'm sure but this really is two absolutely different golf courses from one nine to the next. The front nine is a pretty wide-open and typical OC track with homes on either side of the ample fairways, water features and not too many elevation changes. Then you get on the back nine and you're suddenly transported to Cross Creek or Journey at Pechanga. It's narrow, it's hilly and it's spectacular fun. There's just not a bad hole on this property.

Add to that wonderful conditions from tee to green and you're in for an unbelievable treat, and all for apparently better greens fees than many of its local contemporaries (not calling it cheap, but certainly lower than many others I saw at similar times). The fairways were in superb shape and the rough equally so. The bunkers have great sand in them, while the tee boxes (played the blues) were mostly good with some roughed up par 3 ones mixed in. The greens were really nice and quite tricky, but I would say they started much faster and then slowed down as the day progressed, so were they inconsistent or did they just change with the afternoon weather? I'm not well versed enough to know, but I do know I rolled my putts much better on the front than on the back.

Nice little pro shop with a very competent staff, and the driving range is good but there are no ball collection things next to the mats so you have to keep reaching back and grabbing a ball out of the bucket - not ideal. There are also no club stands if you decide to leave your bag in the cart and only bring up individual clubs. So if there's one thing to be nitpicky about Tijeras Creek, I guess it's the range. I'll live.

Overall though this was a tremendous surprise and really elevates up to one of my Orange County favorites at Ludicrous Speed. Playing from the tips here would be a massive challenge but the blues still gave us everything we could handle. Oh yeah, POP was really good and we finished with plenty of daylight, and cart service (and the snack shop at the turn) were really pleasant and fun. Just a great day all in all and I highly recommend it if you've never been.

Got a last minute tee time with a buddy for Knollwood on Saturday with an 11:40am tee time. Last few visits to KCC had gone pretty smoothly so I assumed the same for this round, but I was well mistaken. I will say the gent at the starter's office was great and handled everything well.

Got there early to hit the range only to find out only one range ball machine worked, there was a line of ten people because it was out of balls and was going to take another 20-25 minutes or so to fill it. So much for warming up. We were then paired with a twosome and took off around ten minutes late. NBD. Unfortunately after that we ended up waiting on every single hole for a long time, and even two deep on some of the par 3s. It never let up even on the turn (where we had a twosome trying to cut in on us starting on the back nine) and we finished the round in just under six hours with the sun going down. Insanity.

At least the course was in pretty darn good shape, which was the only saving grace. Greens were in good shape albeit with a few too many unrepaired ball marks, but they were rolling well and consistent. Fairways had some thin spots in and around the fairways but good grass if you hit it where you're supposed to. Tee boxes (we played the blues) were in mostly good shape but not pristine in any way. Rough was mixed but playable. Only bunker I ended up in was very thin and still on the wet side and I have no idea why.

Old country-club style layout at Knollwood is always fun and a very good challenge with some great looking holes along the way, but of course the luster was taken off a bit when having to wait anywhere from 5-15 minutes on every single hole to play. Frustrating and definitely an issue that needs to be looked at from the KCC brass.

Played Los Serranos North with my monthly golf group and was pleasantly surprised by the course after having only played it once before. I always hear how much better the South course is, but I've played that one numerous times and I must say that I think I actually might prefer the North course now - just a personal preference and of course subject to change.

We caught a pretty nice afternoon with some spotted sunshine in between the clouds but generally pleasant and played with two groups (eight players) from the white tees as is customary. We had a 10:20am tee time with carts and paid around $90.

Greens were definitely a little bumpy but nothing too awful. They're actually more tricky than I remember with a number of them having multiple tiers and just a lot of quirky angles. They're also quite small on a number of holes, so approach accuracy is vital. The fairways are in pretty good shape depending on the hole but there were definitely some soggy/muddy areas still after the recent rains. Bunkers were a little on the thin side (and moist) so that made most bunkers shots difficult until the sun was out and dried them out a bit. Rough had been allowed to grow a bit so it was quite high and penal.

Layout is fun with a lot of elevations but nothing too overwhelming. I quite enjoyed it and there are some really nice holes along the way that I simply forgot about from my previous outing here. Would definitely recommend a day out at the North course as long as you keep your expectations for prime-shape golf in check and just want a fun day out at a nice facility.

Finished off the Arizona portion of my terrific golf week by playing the always terrific We-Ko-Pa Golf Club's Saguaro 18. This is just a gem in Fountain Hills and a must-play if you're in the Phoenix area.

Just a day after playing the far-narrower and more penalizing Troon North, We-Ko-Pa was a bit of fresh air with its wider fairways and more open native areas that actually make it fairly common to find your ball if you're off the mark in terms of the fairways. But don't be fooled - the Saguaro course is no walk in the park. It's a terrific layout with plenty of risk-reward and just some outstanding views and it's always fun.

Conditions are pretty outstanding from tee to green. The fairways are mostly lush and perfect, the rough is minimal on the fairway edges but in great shape if you're out there, the greens are in tremendous shape and hold shots really well and the tee boxes and bunkers are in fine shape. There's really absolutely nothing to gripe about. And at We-Ko-Pa, there rarely ever is.

POP moved along nicely as we mostly had the front nine all to ourselves and only caught the group in front of us late into the back nine. Plenty of cart service throughout the day as well and a very helpful and fun staff. Just a great experience from top to bottom.

My majestic week of golf continued across the state this time when I was fortunate enough to play a round at the iconic Troon North Monument course outside of Scottsdale, AZ. It was a bitter cold morning but thankfully the blue skies came out and warmed up the experience by around midway through the front nine.

What a course! What perfect conditions! What a credit card bill! Yes, everything you may have heard about Troon North is true - fairways are perfectly manicured carpets, greens are flawless and fast, rough is lush and penal, bunkers are the fluffy perfect stuff and the big range of tee boxes allows for a great experience at all levels. You've read all that.

And despite that all being true, I'm just not sure that this course merits its VERY hefty price tag. The conditions are perfect - no doubt about that. The carts are luxurious and well-appointed. The clubhouse is modern and sleek and the staff is inviting and knowledgeable. The layout? It's tough. Really tough. There's a par 5 with a 200 yard carry uphill into a narrowing canyon that maxes out at around 30 yards at the mouth. There's not much here besides fairway and death. Miss it and you're doomed. But hit good shots and be rewarded.

The greens are thrillingly fast and perfectly surfaced. They are very slick and require pretty perfect tee shots to hold the greens, and if you don't, you're rolling off into very difficult collection areas. I saw quite a few off on one side then off on the other shots from my group. It's a challenge.

All that being said, the greens fee was north of the $425 mark and while that is certainly reflective of the quality of the course, it's not a fee that I would be willing to pay all too often. But I'm not going to complain one bit about the experience as it was world class and if you have the means, you will love this course ... if your game happens to be sharp that day.

Played the classic old Del Monte course for the first time with Alex236 and it was quite a treat despite some of the longest rough I've ever had to play and some extremely soggy, over-watered fairways that made getting any distance a real challenge.

This course doesn't feel very much like all the others in the area, but that's not necessarily a knock. I actually enjoyed the more wide-open spaces and less penal nature of the course, but that by no means makes it an easy one. You can spray the ball a bit and get away with it (depending on the hole) but that's where the crazy rough comes into play, and you're aiming at fairly tiny but very well kept greens.

The course conditions will probably look a lot different when the sun dries everything out soon enough, but in the meantime you're getting a fun but tricky course. Greens were great, fairways were soggy, rough was like a foot deep, bunkers were pretty nice and the tee boxes (we played from the whites) were perfectly fine. I really enjoyed this course and would love to come back to not play such a Jeckyll and Hyde round.

Very friendly, welcoming atmosphere and a great low-cost alternative for the area marked by some of the most expensive courses in the country. This track will hold its own for sure, but don't play it expecting to see the same views or get the same feel for a Spyglass or a Pebble. Del Monte has its own history and attitude - respect that and you'll have a great time.

Thanks again to my good buddy Alex for making it all happen and being the best host.

Bit late catching up on reviews but going to try to bang out one hell of a week on the links with a few abbreviated ones, starting with my epic day out with Alex236 at Spanish Bay. We caught a pretty nice little afternoon with cool temps and blue-ish skies for our GK Cup match and the course did not disappoint.

I had a really tough outing my first time here so I was glad this round went a lot better, but it was still very tough and unforgiving, but the beautiful views and tremendous conditions more than make up for that aspect. We were paired with a nice lad from Northern Ireland and off we went.

Most conditions were excellent but the greens were a tad on the slower side after some heavy rains and perhaps some other factors that I don't know about. They still had great coverage though and rolled true - just needed some extra pace, especially on the uphill putts. They held shots well though and aren't too tricked out for the most part.

The rest of the course was in fine condition as you would expect from a premium track. The fairways were green and lush but of course there were some damp areas after the rainfall, but most of the course drains pretty decently well. Rough was manageable in most areas and the bunkers had nice, soft sand in them which made bunker play rather enjoyable.

POP was a bit of a disaster as we had a very slow group in front of us that we had to confront around hole 13 or so as they were not keeping up with the group in front of them. Not ideal but you can't always get everything perfect.

But all in all it was a great time and I'm thankful to Alex as always for setting this kid up so nicely and ever grateful to have the opportunity every once in a while to play classic courses like this and finally get the sub-100 monkey off my back here!

Another amazing value as a buddy slotted us into an early twilight tee time at Rancho Park again recently for a ridiculous walking price of $25. The rains made the entire course walking only so that was actually kind of nice to see everyone getting their steps in out there.

Course is once again in really fine shape right now but of course the bunkers were a bit water logged but overall it drained really nicely. The only exception? There was a small makeshift lake on the approach shot towards the green on the fifth hole.

Greens are in great shape right now, while the fairways are mostly all good with some thin areas off the fairways (and even some within but nothing terrible or unplayable). Tee boxes certainly felt a little beat up after the storm (we played from the blues) but not too bad.

POP was pretty excellent as we finished in four hours and thirty minutes with plenty of light left before closing out on 18. Driving range is of course as popular as it gets so you won't always be able to easily find a spot on the lower level (you can't use driver from the top level). Not sure when the clubhouse will re-open but great to see that kind of investment in a local gem.

Top marks again for Rancho Park right now if you can get a time.