This course deserves a higher rating (6.08 at time of posting).

Monarch Dunes is the premier course in San Luis Obispo County. Other tracks compete, but for the overall playability and experience, this is a “must play” for any local or visiting golfer.

They just reopened the par-3 tee boxes after a level and re-sod, so the course is playing close to its full potential.

The course layout is tricky to the rookie eye, but a few passes and the knowledge becomes power. Many greens feature large banks, swales, and tiers but reward well placed shots.

The fairways are nearly mint. A rare feature on many public courses.

Natural sand and vegetation line the course proving a near linksy feel.

The kicking feature is the off-course experience. Between the pro shop and restaurant, you won’t find a better set of employees.

All in all… pass on this track.

The course used to be in great shape years ago, but since new ownership focused on events the course has run down to nothing more than a dog track. It’s a sad sight.

The range is in such poor shape it’s not worth the time or balls… and they close range at 3:00pm.

Come here to enjoy the non-golf events like the live music, ocean, and sunshine, but don’t expect any quality golf experience.

Morro Bay... aka Poor Man's Pebble

The nickname is true for all the right reasons. Spectacular views, fun layout, and challenging greens.

The greens are all I am here to discuss:

I have ran through this track over 100 times and the greens still cause a fit. Not because of their condition (they run quite smoothly for a crowded muni), but because every putt has break. Again, not like one or two cups from 10', but one or two feet from 10'. An improperly placed approach will likely lead to a three-putt or worse, challenging the finest of short games. Holes 1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15 all have potential putts with at least five to ten feet of break... yes you read that correctly. 5-10 FEET of break. Knocking in fewer than 30 putts in a round is a feat in itself.

And when the winter greens roll through, the challenge increases as the GK often lets the stimp hit 10.5+ with 2-4 degrees of slope (some places reach 7-9 degrees).

Good luck lagging the ball on those slippery sliders!

Come give it your best shot!

Morro Bay is a favorite and never seems to disappoint.

Hunter Ranch executes one of the golf's designers great challenges... balancing complexity with playability. Every hole is unique in its own right and promotes competition between the golfer and the course. From 1 through 18, this scenic track plays such that an aggressive round could pay dividends or for the drinks after the round. Just as much, a well conserved game plan can offer a calm and scenic round avoiding large numbers, but don't count on too many birdies.

From tee to green to the 19th hole, Hunter Ranch provides quality and value in course and customer service. It's a "must play" for any golf enthusiast visitors or locals of the Central Coast.

Played the Challenge Course for the first time on 2/14 and was blown away by the quality and challenge. It starts with a walk past the range, then across the street, and finally down the hill to Tee 1. The fescue and (velvet?) bentgrass greens provide a true Scottish, private executive course experience.

It's a cool 12-hole course with playability for all skill levels. The course now features 4 different tee boxes per hole along with 2 holes per green. One hole is regulation and the other is double diameter.

I decided to make the half-hour drive from SLO to scout the course for our upcoming golf outing on 2/21.

Details:

Tee boxes are large and lush to allow for a variety of angles to the greens. Plenty of water and bunkers to provide extra shots on the round, but avoid these and a satisfactory round will result.

Massive, undulating, sectioned greens. Did i mention massive?
Greens rolled no more than 11, and maintained consistency throughout the round. Greens rolled true and were firm, but receptive.

Most green complexes were designed to force accuracy, as missing on the wrong tier or section can leave a margin for several three (or four) putts. Hitting the correct section opens opportunities for low numbers.

Played a double feature on 7/4/17

On my first go around, I picked up a $17 hot deal on GolfNow. Paired up with Jeff and Maggie on one, then added Phil on the fifth. Played from the blues this round on 4's and 5's but the blacks on the 3's. Paced about 4:30, a little slow but because the course was open and we were enjoying ourselves. My second trip was a replay/twilight rate and Phil joined for another 18. We played in 3:45 from the tips, really stretching the back nine. Do not be fooled by the short length of the blue tees, nearly every hole has some to moderate elevation change that will question your club selection. The geography apexes on the par-3 6th with an elevation drop that will take two full clubs of your tee shot.

For now, the greens are in great shape. They are true and smooth, rolling moderate-fast (stimp 10.5-11?) but have some ball mark damage on a few holes. The greens vary in difficulty with some nearly flat greens to quadruple tiered greens (number 3). Many greens have distinct sections requiring accuracy from 125 and in. If you're playing the blues, the long ball is almost unnecessary because of the shorter distance and target golf style. The flat stick is where you will save your strokes, so having spin control on your approach from the fairway is key to posting a low round. Playing tips? Better bring your straightest ball.

The fairways are in green and in great shape with minor thinning, probably due to the warmer, drier weather. If you hit the fairway, you will have a great lie. The striped fairways are a classy touch and increase the visual quality of the course. Props to the greenskeeper!

Thick, sticky, long, grab-your-hosel rough, and I love it! If the tiered greens challenge your short game, then the rough will multiply it. They have let it grow wild! Miss the fairway? Club decelerating rough lines the fairways and will grab your ball off the tee, which is helpful because rolling into the native areas can lead to lost shots.

The bunkers are the only disappointment on the course. Many bunkers had enough sand to splash the ball but several bunkers were nearly hardpan. My biggest grievance is, like the rough, I feel bunkers act as a non-penalty hazard for errant shots that hold your ball "in-play", preventing further penalty. A ball flying into these bunkers tends to skip out, often into the native area or lateral hazard/OB.

The renovation includes several tee box additions providing variety in distance and shot angle from each tee. They are flat, lush, and green with the usual damage for par-3's and short par 4's. If you want to make the game interesting, play a random tee box on each hole.

The course seems to improve with every round, and I am looking forward to the completed renovation.

Torrey Pines - South Course
June 30, 2017 7:30 AM
Taupe, 7051 yards
41-40-81

0 Double+
9 Bogeys
9 Pars
0 Birdies

The name speaks for itself at this PGA Tour venue, as this round was nothing short of spectacular. I will not be discussing the specifics of this course, because as aforementioned, we all know this course is incredible. I will, however, attempt to paint the experience of our group's round.

Our foursome walked the round to enjoy what is regarded as one of the top coastal courses in the world. It's not very often we play the same track as the greatest golfers in the world, but today was different.

We teed off westward down the first fairway into a heavy marine layer, which dissipated at the turn. Dew coated the grass, as you could expect for the those early morning conditions, but this meant slower (friendlier) greens than anticipated allowing for more aggressive approaches and putts. Walking down the first fairway, you could almost feel the resonance of the tour in the air. So many of the greats had opened their Sundays right where we walked. The ocean breeze was steady but calm, yet never ceasing to affect a shot. Once we hit the turn, the sun ripped through the clouds and dried out the course. This upped the pace on the greens a fraction but gave more roll down the beautiful, tree-lined, striped fairways. As a group, we hit many shots that even the big guys would've been proud of. One of our four birdied the famed 3rd hole, par 3 by sticking a 5-iron to 6 feet from 217. Another chipped in to circle a 2 on the par 3 11th. I stuck a deep bunker shot from the 2nd left greenside bunker on the 16th to 4 feet to scramble for par. Many of these shots are made everyday, but there is something special about executing shots and playing at a higher lever at the world's finest.

The course is in incredible shape and provides an experience any golfer will enjoy.

Played Tuesday 4/1/14 (White 71.0/132) 7.2 hdcp

Amazing! Spectacular views of Riverside county from several elevated tees.

Despite the threat of rain, our foursome continued forward with our round.
Teed of about 8:30 (4.5 hr round) with no groups ahead, basically enjoying a private round. The course was near immaculate all around with the exception of recovering greens. Even though they were still under repair, the greens maintained a relative trueness; which can be attributed to their normally pristine conditions.

Fairways - groomed, perfect
Tee Boxes - groomed, near perfect
Rough - thick, lush.... perfect

Okay, this course is hard! I was playing one of my better rounds and rolled out with a fair 40/42, 31 putts while taking 4 penalty strokes! DONT MISS THE FAIRWAY!

Unbelievably gorgeous, one of the finest courses in the country.

Played Dec. 24 about 9am. Upon arrival, seeing the greens being hand-mowed (props to the management) instantly upped my expectations for the 18 holes my brothers, dad, and I were about to enjoy.

Tee Box: Silver/Gold Combo - Slope 140; Rating 72.1

This course was pristine, from tee to green. Manicured to host a tour event.

Every tee box was level and green with minimal divot damage on par-3s. Multiple tees per hole allowed for several tee combinations, awesome for playing the par-3s varying by 40+ yards.

Fairways were near perfect, and displayed a beautiful checkerboard pattern throughout the course.

Greens... Wow, smooth and true in every way. The starter valued the stimp at about 13, claiming some areas downslope with the grain hit 15-17. He was right, luckily I only found one for a three putt, ha.

Bunkers were great, the best I've played in years. It's hard to find quality sand at courses these days, and this "once-a-year" high-end gem delivered.

Date: 08/01/13
Tee Time: 10:00

Played with my brother, (GK user: zeppelin51423) and dad.

First of all, if you're looking to play an absolutely beautiful course with plenty of elevation changes, undulated greens, fun and competitive layouts and breath-taking views, Oak Quarry supplies them all.

Teed up from the blues, playing some 150-200 yards shorter as some tees were moved forward. Always a fresh piece of turf to hit from on both the tee boxes and the lush fairways. In addition, the greens were top-notch; a little slow in the cloudy morning but rolled to a 10.5-11 by the end of the day.

The geology was amazing (if you're a science buff) and the views were spectacular. There is a reason they have won many awards for the prettiest holes.

Back again at San Diego's best deal, Mission Trails for $25.49 (Golfnow).

Played in just under five hours with an 11:00 tee time. A below average fivesome ahead slowed it down at times and a disgruntled single in the foursome pressing from behind attempted to ruin the day but in the end, a classic buddies golf duel in our twosome.

Match play: 2&1
Stroke play: 78-83

Now to the course. Unfortunately the front half the greens were punched, but all pin locations were back so it paid to be accurate with the irons and wedges.
The tee boxes were in their standard shape: green, medium length grass, overall good shape. The greens were receptive but not overly soft and in the back of the greens, putts rolled near to true which is something to say about a muni. And tee to green is lookin' good. Most fairways provided great lies on approach shots and the rough seemed rougher than normal, which is a plus.

Overall, a great track for the price and you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal in San Diego.

Stats on the day:
triple bogey on 1
birdies on 7 & 16
eagle on 18
78, 31 putts

Mission Trail Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Played Friday 4/6/12 with a $33, 10:30 tee time with my buddy and joined up with a couple singles to complete the foursome, playing in about 4.5 hours shooting a 77.

The course was mostly playing easy until the wind began to pick up providing a challenge for the upwind holes.

The largest factor that changed the normal style of play were the slow greens. Normally rolling about a 10 on the stimp, Trails' greens were uncut, rolling about an 8.5-9.

Mission Trail Golf Course Review
San Diego California Golf Course Reviews

Fairways, rough, and tee boxes were all average.
- The fairways were clean cut but have about 10-15% bare/brown spots
- The rough had an average length of 4 inches but some spots were similar to hitting off am uncut fairway making some rough shot rather simple.
- The tee boxes were in solid shape, always allowing for a great shot setup especially on the par 3's.