Got my first taste the new Diamond Bar this week and I can honestly say that I'm impressed beyond my expectations. Not only is the new front nine layout really well done with the space provided, but I can honestly say these new green complexes are some of the absolute best in SoCal - and that includes a LOT of private clubs.

My buddy and I had an afternoon tee time and spent a few minutes on the solid range before heading over to the starter on the first tee. We played the blue tees which are a good challenge and rode. The carts are nothing special but get the job done.

The redesigned front nine now has taken the old par 3 9th hole going up that big volcano and turned it into a far superior par 3 3rd hole that still looks like it's growing into its best form but plays really nicely over the same lake. Then you get over to the other side of the property and the holes and setup are just really nice. The redesign has moved the holes a bit farther away from the freeway, so it doesn't feel as suffocating as it used to, and that's great.

The back nine hasn't changed much at all but still plays really nicely and is a lot of fun. The 18th hole is a real fun challenge and maybe one of the better closing holes in the city. There is a lot more open space now as well which means as this course matures it should be getting better and better in terms of coverage. It feels very wide open but has a lot of strategic bunkers that will make you consider your lines.

POP was also pretty good for the first half of the round, but we did back up a bit after the turn, but nothing too terrible, although I can imagine rounds here on the weekends taking a bit more time than someone would want.

In terms of conditions, once again the greens and green complexes are simply top notch. I don't think you're going to find a better looking green than on hole 13 - it's stellar, as are most all the others. Really great work by the redesign team here. I would give the greens even higher marks but you will find a lot of ball mark scars from the guests who don't take enough time to fix them, but they're not affecting superb rolls and great reception. They're just fantastic and you should definitely go play them.

The fairways were in good shape as well but I did see that they were coloring them with a sprayer so I'm not sure how much that says about their quality. From a visual standpoint, at least this week, the course looks very green indeed, but it's a chemical facade that I'm not going to complain about too much. Most of the course had very good coverage and I didn't find too many bad lies at all, but it looks even better than it plays. The rough was not too bad and there are a lot of mulch areas now that can make holes challenging.

The bunkers had good sand in them and I never had any trouble with those shots all afternoon, so that's always fun. The tee boxes were all in good, not great shape. We'll see how the course changes over the coming months as it grows into its new shape.

So overall, and especially with an entirely reasonable $60 rate with cart midweek, it was an absolutely fantastic experience at the new Diamond Bar and I can't recommend it enough. Really looking forward to getting back out there.

Tremendous midweek round at Angeles National with a 10:48am tee time on a gorgeous and hot April day in Sunland. The course is in very fine shape right now and the layout is just as tough as ever. You're either in the fairway here or you're in the desert - plain and simple.

We played from the white tees and it still gave us more than enough to handle. Even the 'short' holes are so strategically difficult that if you're in the wrong spot on the fairway, you're going to have to try something extreme to get back into play. This course has length, very strategic angles and bunkers, incredibly tough greens and even a few water features to boot.

Conditions are very nice right now with the greens being in super shape. They roll very fast, very true and very dangerous. I can't count how many times I blew past the hole thinking I had finally dialed in the speeds ... I had not (as evidenced by FIVE 3-putts - ugh). You will need some incredibly precise approaches to hold these greens as well as they're simply moving very quickly, but they're great fun right now.

Fairways had nice coverage but you will definitely find a few thin spots with the heat here bearing down on the course, and I dont' think that will ease up as summer approaches. Rough, where you can find it, is very playable and fun. Bunkers were mostly in good shape and I found a whole lot of them, while the tee boxes were also in very good condition.

Some of the cart routing is an adventure as you're looking to get to the next green or tee box, but the carts have a very good GPS system and are well-appointed. The snack shop near the golf shop is very good and convenient as well. We allowed a single to pass us at the third hole and it was smooth sailing the rest of the afternoon, finishing in under four hours. Amazing!

It was great to finally get back out to ANGC for the first time in years and hopefully it won't take that long again for the next time, and hopefully my game will be in better shape for its challenges.

Finally got to play the vaunted Pelican Hill North course this week and after building it up in my mind for the last decade, it's safe to say that it did not disappoint. My foursome caught a really wonderful afternoon in terms of weather and even got a discounted rate for the round since the North course recently did a micro-punch (similar to the one I experienced at Pebble Beach) that was nowhere near as off-putting (no pun intended?) as anticipated - more on that later.

We played from the blue tees and headed out with an 11:35am tee time. From the first hole until the last, this layout is exceptional, never mind the stunning ocean views throughout the day. There are a number of long carries from this tee box, and the elevations are truly surprising considering coastal proximity, but holy cow is it fun to play here. There are most certainly some rather 'blind' second shots thanks to those elevations, so experience here I can bet goes a long way. But just an absolutely delightful layout and background scenery.

As previously mentioned, the greens on the North course just got what they called 'the Porsche of punches' and they still rolled pretty darn nice despite the imperfections and some areas with sand. I can honestly say these punched greens are still better than 75% of muni greens around SoCal. The green complexes are really subtle and tricky, but not in any way gimmicky or crazy. Make a good stroke on a good line and you will be rewarded - easier said than done!

Fairways were very good but just shy of great. Found lots of lush areas that were very good to hit from, but it wasn't the pristine carpet at this time of year that you might find at a very high end private club, but they're still plenty good. The rough (and ample OB areas) are very daunting indeed, which is to say there's not a lot of rough and any wayward shots are either gone or in some thick bushes or fescue that make finding your ball a big adventure. Tee boxes were superb and the bunkers were mostly in very good shape (even had two sandy pars!), but I would not classify them as world class white fluffy at this moment.

We had cart service come around a few times on the front nine but be advised there is no turn here so you're on your own out there depending on how often that service is provided. I was actually a little surprised at a resort course of this caliber that there are no 'comfort' stations with snacks and/or beverages near the extreme edges of the course. It's not a deal breaker in any way, but just odd considering the normal price here.

Carts were very nice with great GPS and the POP was terrific on the front nine, then our group was caught up by a fast threesome whom we let pass us on the 12th hole. We got done in just around four hours even so that was great, but truth be told I was hoping to sneak in nine more holes at this tremendous facility.

I hope that I can knock out the South course this year as well.

A scheduling SNAFU this past week meant that I played Los Amigos twice in a three-day stretch, so if anyone has the goods on current conditions there, it's me!

Walked both days as it's an entirely walkable course, and that also helps to mitigate the invariable wait times, which ironically were better on Sunday than they were on Friday afternoon. Go figure. Either way, big backups up until around the fifth hole are the norm here so come to terms with it.

Greens are in pretty nice shape here right now following the work done a few weeks ago. I would say they're fully healed and rolling pretty nicely right now. They hold shots and their lines pretty darn well. Fairways also have decent coverage right now but be careful in the rough as there are a lot of thin areas and the random tree root you don't see until it's too late.

Bunkers were a conundrum as the first few I played were in really nice shape, and then I got to the greenside bunker on the 11th hole and it was hardpan and chunky. Just pick the right one I suppose if you must beach it. Tee boxes are in decent shape (played the blue tees both days).

Overall I would say that I wasn't too bummed out about playing The Friends twice because the conditions weren't all that terrible and I played so poorly on Friday that I wanted some redemption on Sunday - which I luckily got. Price is always right too for this course so that helps.

Played this past week at Rancho Park again in a men's club event. Not sure why I was put on the blue tees as my game has been pretty poor of late and it's showing in my handicap, but I don't make the rules. The show must go on.

Had a 12:10pm tee time on what turned out to be one gorgeous afternoon ... spring felt sprung. POP first and foremost was quite good for RP as we finished both nines in around 4:15 - can't get much better than that at this place.

Conditions very solid at the moment ... really good greens right now running very fast, very true and very tricky. Fairways are mostly good but there were some remnants of GUR from the recent rains. Rough was fun, tee boxes were decent and the bunkers appeared to be in serviceable to good shape.

Also using just about every club in your bag here so it's a great test and nice conditions most certainly enhance the experience. I would give it a peppy thumbs-up right now at Rancho.

Played on Sunday in a Rancho Park Men's Club event at Brookside #1 and thankfully the weather played along for a very fun round in Pasadena. The rate was pre-paid for the tournament of course, but still had to pay an additional $18 for the cart and unfortunately the driving range is currently closed so don't do what I did and get there an hour early.

Right now the greens at Brookside are devilishly quick and running really nicely. That is far and away the best part of the course right now as the bunkers were definitely heavy after the recent rains, the tee boxes were good but not great, and the fairways had some good coverage in some spots, but very thin and beat up in others. Rough was nice and thick but playable.

POP was dreadfully slow though as my group was the very last one for the tournament so all complaints only directed to RPGC players who for whatever reason weren't moving quite as quickly as they always seem to do at Rancho Park. It was definitely tough to keep any rhythm going throughout the round but it was a beautiful day again finally so we managed it.

Brookside #1 is always a great layout and very tough in terms of length (even from the whites which I was assigned) and tricky trees everywhere that keep narrowing a decent number of the fairways. There are some wide open ones as well though to keep you honest.

While I have seen Brookside in fairer condition, I think it will look much better very soon and I would not hesitate playing here again and again.

Played last weekend at Meadowlark with a buddy and pre-paid on GolfNow far too much but was treated very well by the golf shop when one of our threesome couldn't make it last minute - appreciated that!

Still, even on a Saturday it's tough to justify an $89 rate here when we were walking anyway. I wish there was some way that GN reservations would be flexible when opting to walk and not take carts, but that's above my pay grade I suppose.

Course is in pretty decent shape right now as the greens are running pretty nicely with no major issues, while the fairways have good-decent coverage everywhere, however there are some big trouble spots middle of the fairways on the 9th and 10th holes - just big dirt areas after the rains that don't smell none too good at all.

Tee boxes (played from the blues) were okay with some TLC appreciated, but serviceable. The bunkers were not great but tough to judge fairly right after heavy rains when they're chunky and some still have water in them. It will get better once the sun comes out again for a few days.

POP was really great the first nine but then really came to a crawl on the back nine. The group in front of us let us past them at the turn but it really didn't do any good whatsoever in terms of the overall time, but you never really expect a super-fast round here anyway.

In summary, course is in pretty good condition right now overall but get a better deal than I did.

Sunday round with three friends and gorgeous views of the recently snowed-in mountains throughout the day - good times. We played from the blue tees and rode (don't think you're allowed to walk this hilly course?). Got an online rate of $78 per person and that was more than fair.

Conditions are pretty good across the board right now at Westridge (especially after the recent rains but having had enough time for them to dry out). The greens are most certainly the highlight as they're really nice right now. Green complexes are pretty tricky to be honest so you've got to get your lines and speed dialed in or it's going to be a rough day.

Fairway coverage is mostly good in the right areas but there are a good amount of dirt areas just before the fairways so it's imperative to have a strong tee game right now. Still found some thin spots here and there as well but overall not too bad. Rough varied from spot to spot and there are a lot of native areas where you can pick up and move. Bunkers were generally okay - not terrible, not great. Tee boxes were mostly good so no major complaints there.

No cart service all afternoon and POP wasn't fantastic but nothing overwhelmingly bad either. The carts are nice but do not have any GPS functionality so it's really important here to have a rangefinder with slope - lots and lots of elevations and strategic shots required. Some very narrow holes too - the first two shots on the uphill par 5 2nd hole are some of the tightest you will ever find.

Course layout is definitely fun and engaging and when it's in good condition it's worth the drive.

Super Bowl Sunday round at Roosevelt which is a nine-hole course but takes almost the same amount of time as an 18-hole course on busy weekends. I don't recall this course allowing fivesomes before but every group out there - including ours - turned out to be one. It was definitely slow going as the round took three hours, but it was a nice threesome that joined my buddy and me, and a beautiful day in picturesque surroundings, so we survived it. Barely.

Course is in good shape right now relatively speaking but it will always have too much tree cover to ever be completely 'lush' in my opinion. But it's so unique and interesting for a nine-hole. Holes 2, 4, 6 and 8 can be real adventures if you're not at your best.

Right now the greens are probably the best part of the course. The fairways have good coverage in the main areas but things can get thin real quick on the fringes. Rough is nice and playable in most areas if it's grass and not mayhem. Tee boxes (played the blacks) are definitely in need of more grass or better-selected areas, while the bunkers looked just okay but I avoided them all day.

Nice little snack shop now at the start and the putting practice green is ample, but there's no range so keep that in mind before your round. And finally, at $23 for the round, it's a steal.

Finally made it back out to the Babe for the first time in six years and it was every bit as challenging as I remembered it. That Zaharias course at Industry Hills is a target golfer's paradise, but it's also got teeth in some areas made even more difficult by the current conditions.

There's not a short or mild par 3 on the course - you've either got crazy long or lots of trouble in the form of water and/or elevation to judge. The tee shots are very narrow on a great number of holes and being even slightly out of position leaves no shot for success. Hit good shots though and you'll be okay, except that right now the course is not in optimum shape.

The greens are fine - best part of the course. They're rolling nicely at medium-fast speeds, have lots of fun but tricky tiers to them, and require your best effort to keep the three-putts to a minimum. Fairways? They play much better than they look and it's the heart of winter so you can make excuses for them, but they're a pale, dead-looking green and there are also a fair bit of damaged or thin areas. The rough is not as thick as years past so it's quite playable.

The worst part? The bunkers. Simply terrible. No sand, hard-paneed and a little wet even. They were absolutely impossible to play proper sand shots from and weren't much better even when trying to chip out of there. I've never seen so many players hit hosel rockets out of the beach. Terrible. Tee boxes were also pretty beat up (played the blues) but acceptable.

We had cart service come around a few times which was great (they are card only though so keep that in mind), and the carts themselves are quite nice and have a good GPS system to help you judge this difficult track. No complaints there, and the staff all helpful and pleasant.

In top condition, this course is a true gem and a real test of shot accuracy, but right now it's a little less fun and more daunting than it should be based on some of the above-mentioned factors. I would still play it again though as the price ($89) was just fine for the golf experience. If I would have paid more then it would have been a lot more upsetting.

Played last Friday at El Dorado with two friends and a single that joined us. Booked online and I accept that if I choose to walk I am still bound to pay the riding fee from the Internet, but I don't have to love it. I don't love it. Three of us walked, one rode, playing the blue tees.

Course is in good shape all around. Nothing great, nothing awful. I thought the greens were in pretty nice shape with medium speeds and good lines. Fairways had mostly good-decent coverage all over, but a few thin areas could be found. Rough was no issue. Bunkers had some inconsistent but decent sand - make adjustments. Tee boxes were okay.

POP was pretty good finishing at around four hours and forty-five minutes, but it felt like longer out there on the par 3s where the backups were significant. Luckily we had some cart service come around but for some reason (it was CPO) even the cart girl can't drive to meet you in the fairway? Kind of odd but whatever.

I've seen El Do in better shape for sure, but also in much worse, so I'll take it.

Found a great time for Brookside #1 this past week on Friday late morning and realized just after hitting 'submit' that the Rose Bowl game was being played just two days before. I kicked myself but it was too late to cancel and figured my buddy and I would just bite the bullet.

Fortunately, it wasn't all that bad. Sure, there were a few dry areas and some dirt patches here and there, complimented by some GUR spots, but overall the course was quite playable and most of my initial fears failed to be realized. Very happy about that.

Greens were in really good shape actually - luckily they rope those (and the bunkers) off when there are games at the Rose Bowl and the course is used as one of its parking lots. They rolled really nice and quick and even held shots well. Fairways and rough, as previously stated, weren't too bad at all, but I have seen things more lush around here so I look forward to those days again. Bunkers were a bit on the thin side but not too terrible, while the tee boxes were mostly okay but a few of them didn't bother to use tee markers, so we kind of guessed and moved on our way (played the blue tees).

POP was quite good and the older twosome we were paired with allowed us to move ahead on the 14th hole because they thought they were slowing us down (despite our protests). I don't recall seeing any cart service and the snack/beverage shop near the pro shop isn't the most convenient, but it gets the job done.

Overally a nice day out and very happy it wasn't as disastrous as my imagination conjured it up to be when I booked.