Played Sunday twilight, July 21. Perfect San Diego afternoon. It was my first time playing here, and I think you’re paying more for the resort service and experience than the course. Found it to be pretty average, with no holes that really stuck out or wowed me.

Conditions were pretty good for mid summer, though greens were rolling a little slow and were very marked up. There were some interesting ones that give you some chances to be creative. Fairways are quite nice to hit from. Rough mostly quite playable but also inconsistent and bare in spots.

Saw a beverage cart guy twice, but waved him along. Pro shop marks up everything (shoes that retail for $120 being sold for $155), so be sure to buy balls before you get there. I see deals here pretty often so if you can get one of those it’s worth a look, and the resort is probably a good experience too.

Hansen is in excellent shape right now. The fairways have great coverage and are easy to hit from, the rough is mostly thick, healthy, and in some places quite penal. Wasn't in any bunkers but they looked pretty good. The greens, which were the weak point of the course late last year due to fungus or disease or something, have come back strong. They were perhaps a tad slow, but overall in very good condition. They held shots, and putts held their lines well, especially considering we played at the end of the day. Pace was great; we finished in just over four hours on a perfect Saturday afternoon.

For $24 twilight on the weekends, this is a great course right now.

Played on 11/26 as a twosome. Still CPO. Course is green, lush, and in great shape. Hitting from the fairways is a pleasure, and they do still offer some roll. The rough is ridiculous and needs to be mowed. I can't stand losing balls 2 feet off the fairway, and CPO doesn't help. Also, no one is fixing their divots because the sand is all the way back on the cart, so the perfect fairways are rapidly taking a beating. The greens were in good shape, rolling at a quick yet friendly pace, but still too many people fail to repair their ball marks. It was a very foggy day so the bunkers were a little damp, but in great shape.

Overall, Ike is a joy. Paid $90 through GolfNow, which I think was a CPO/aeration special (but don't worry, the greens are back to normal). Better than the regular weekend rate, but nothing beats that Monday Madness for $60. Love this place and I'll be back soon enough.

First time playing Strawberry farms today. Fun course, in good shape. The greens rolled really well at a comfortable pace. Fairways were springy and usually nice to hit from, though very wet in places and dry and dead in a few others. But mostly it's in good shape, same goes for the rough. Was in a couple bunkers and they were really nice with soft, heavy sand.

I wish I could've played this place before they drained the reservoir. I think that would add better views and atmosphere to the back 9, but it's gone and doesn't look like it's coming back.

The clubhouse was nice, and lunch after our round was friendly and tasty. The breakfast burrito was pretty much all eggs, which I didn't care for.

Paid about $120 via Forelinx, which I think is still a little high. As everyone else has commented, I would never pay the full printed rate of $175. It's good, but not that good.

If you're like me you've come here looking for someone to convince you not to play De Bell on a Saturday after your buddies suggested it. Failing to find any passionate reviews to do the trick, I made the mistake. What follows is my attempt to prevent you from doing the same.
When we checked in at 9:50 for a 10:16 tee time we were told they were running a HALF HOUR behind schedule. I've never been told that in my life. When we teed off, the starter said pace on the front was running about 2 hours, which was a lie and we made fun of him the rest of the round. We waited on every shot all day, and our front 9 was over 2.5 hours. I streamed an entire Yankees game from our original start time at 10:16 am and it ended as we walked off the 9th green.

The hacks come out on the weekends here, and it's not an easy course for beginners. At one point I caught two noobs in bathing suits and boat shoes sharing a single set of clubs about to drive their cart onto a green. I yelled at them not to, and one of them actually got out of his cart, bent over, and told me to lick his ass. That's the clientele here. This place is a mess. I don't know why a challenging, shot-maker's course with small, slopey greens attracts every hack in the Valley, but this is where they flock and god help you if you happen to be paired with them.

De Bell is also apparently the only place where it didn't rain this winter in all of Southern California. The fairways are every bit as inconsistent as the last time I played last fall: good in places, dry and brown in others. The rough is the same. It just looks like very little effort has been put into conditioning the course, while everywhere else in the region shows improvement. On at least two holes there were sprinkler hoses bundled up and tossed to the side of the fairway, because they're apparently too lazy to store them properly.

In fairness, some highlights: best breakfast burrito of any course I've played in the area. Bar and restaurant on the whole are pretty good. Solid pro shop as well with good selection and prices. Cart girl passed us 5 times during the round which would be outstanding IF she accepted credit cards, but she doesn't. And we REALLY needed the drinks to stave off the boredom. I don't know, apparently in 2017 the technology to accept mobile CC payments still doesn't exist. Or the course just likes leaving hundreds of dollars a day in revenue on the course because they can't be bothered. Ridiculous.

At the end of what ended up being a 6 hour round (including the initial delay) I went to the pro shop to purchase some socks I've had my eye on for some time, which were $3 less than Roger Dunn. I complained to the guy at the counter who'd checked us in and he said "yeah, we're just really busy today." Yes, I know. That's exactly what I'm complaining about. And it's not like this is a rarity for De Bell, it's the norm every time I've played on a weekend afternoon. Stop booking so many tee times, and tell the hacks to play from the whites. Or from the reds. Or from the frisbee golf course down the street.

We used to come here from Santa Monica because there was a great Philly cheese steak place nearby that we'd hit after the round. That closed a few years ago, and now there's absolutely no reason to play this place unless it's 7am on a Tuesday and you can avoid the crowds, and you live down the block, and you lost a bet. Never again.

Played with the GK Gurus on 2/27. I'll just echo what they said, that the course is in terrific shape. Very lush, fairways like carpet, but the rough kept in check enough that you shouldn't have too much trouble finding your ball in it. Greens were smooth and suuuuuper fast, giving me fits all day but that's because I stink. Wasn't in any bunkers, but they looked pretty good considering all the recent rain.

Played the Creekside/Ridgeline combo, wish we could've played Ridgeline first because I hate ending my round on a par 3, but it's a good one so no real complaints. The course was all ours on a Monday, pace would've been very fast except we stopped to take photos a lot because the views. Only saw the cart girl once, but it was a slow cold Monday so I get it.

Overall a great experience, Moorpark is a fun layout with nice views, and now that it's had some rain I think it's almost in peak condition. Can't wait to go back in late spring.

Course is in lousy shape right now. Some holes are in quite good condition, but lots of others are chewed up with dead patches everywhere and big mounds of dirt in the middle of the fairways. Few areas marked ground under repair, would've taken many liberties had I not been playing a tournament today. Lots of thin, wet lies make chipping around the greens very tricky. The greens are actually in pretty good shape, rolling fast and mostly true, but some of the pins are just in comical locations. Very few opportunities to be aggressive with putts, just a tedious defensive situation on nearly every hole.

Range is poor. Breakfast burrito is pretty good. Deer spotted every time I play, which is cool. Won't be playing here again anytime soon.

Played the newly reversed-nines Hansen this morning at dawn. Second group out and never waited on the group in front. Course is in really good shape right now. The fairways are mostly lush and a pleasure to hit from. The greens were quicker than I've seen in a bit and rolling very well. Not a lot of ball marks and saw maintenance fixing several greens throughout the round. Tee boxes were in good shape too, though one par 3 was pretty dinged up. Wasn't in any bunkers, they looked alright. Bottom line, it's in great shape right now and for $29 this morning it can't be beat.

There's a few major changes at the Dam. The nines are reversed as of November. The former par 3 hole 9 is gone. Its green is now used to elongate former #2 (now #11) by about 50 yards. It's now a proper drivable par 4, which means most people can't actually drive it (unlike before). This should speed up play significantly, as #2 was always a backup with anyone who could hit it 250 waiting for the green to clear. They've yet to get rid of the protective fence right of the old green, but I'm sure that's on the to-do list.

To replace the par 3 9th, they've added back an old hole between former #s 5 and 6. This too will speed play, because the walk from 5 green to 6 tee used to be pretty long. Now it's 14 green with 15 tee right there, and 16 right behind that. That said, new #15 is the ugliest hole on the course, a rather bland 150 yard par 3 against the fence of the course. The course now ends on old #8, a tough hole with arguably the toughest green on the course. It's just all slope. That will leave a lot of people with bad tastes in their mouths finishing the round, and that's too bad. I'd love to see them redo this green and make it a little more interesting and less of a mean one-trick pony.

I think the rerouting will definitely speed up play, but it's not really ideal. Maybe it just takes getting used to, but the new finishing stretch doesn't have the same sense of wrapping up a round. Old 18 was pretty and ended right at the clubhouse. It felt like a finishing hole. New 18 is kind of whatever and leaves you with about a quarter mile walk back up to the clubhouse, and if you take the shortcut up old #9 you'll be walking right in front of people playing new #11.

Oh well. It is what it is and won't be changing back anytime soon. And the course is still my favorite of the LA munis and in great shape so go try it for yourself.

Played 36 on 10/13 thanks to an SCGA unlimited deal for $129. For that, it's pretty good. For the full rate though... no, not worth the drive from LA.

I think your opinion of this place will depend on how well you play. If you play well, you'll overlook the fact that it's in pretty mediocre condition. Turf is usually good enough, but lots of brown, lots of dead areas, lots of bumpy dirt patches not marked GUR. Some bunkers are great with fluffy sand, but more are hard and impossible to control your shot out of. The greens aren't always pretty, but they rolled true and quick for the most part. Service was mostly good, although when we came in after our round they told us we couldn't get food because the kitchen closed at 5. Except... it was 4:50. Also come on, isn't that like the busiest time of day when people are finishing their rounds around sunset?

You're paying for the view here, and if you're having a good round (or can shake off a bad one) then you'll be happy. The stretch from 10-14 is among the most fun I know of. Hole 10, an extreme dogleg left with infinity green that falls off on three sides, is on my short list of favorites I've played. Ocean views mean ocean breezes that challenge you any time of day.

If you get a deal, keep a good attitude, and overlook the sub-par conditions, it's worth a play. Especially late in the day as the sun sets over the Pacific.

Played 9/17 in the afternoon on a golfnow hot deal for $70. Course was busy and at times a little slow, but mostly the pace was acceptable. It's in good shape, apart from the greens. Slow, bumpy, wet, they show heavy traffic. Guess that's what comes from defending the course against the heat. Grass around the greens was pretty moist too, which made chipping a little tough. Rest of the course was in good shape, showing some shades of brown but nothing you wouldn't play from. Service was good, range always beautiful. For $70 I think it's a great course.

Played 6/6/15 at 2PM for under $50.

Loved it.

I'll keep it simple. The conditions are *virtually* flawless (we are, after all, in a severe drought). The service and facilities are excellent, though they seem to close kind of early at 5:30pm. The course is big, epic, fun, and features some amazing views. It's challenging, but you can recover from bad shots because there's room in most cases. The landscaping is both clever and functional. Bunkers were great, greens were great but did get a little bumpy late in the day. Water stations with ice machines were everywhere and clutch on a 95° day. Touchscreen GPS in the carts was the best I've used.

The finishing holes are amazing. 18 was my only double of the day but I still loved that hole, so that should speak to how good it is. It's an instant favorite. Don't think twice about it, just go play it.

This course is hard.

Mostly, it's a top notch facility from start to finish. Came straight from traveling and the attendants were great about taking and storing my luggage. Didn't have much time before my round but got some food at the bar, the service was alright. The practice areas looked excellent and probably are. The course was well maintained and visually very impressive. The bunkers were firm but pretty consistent, the way (I'm told) the pros like it. The greens were a little long but generally rolled nicely. I actually thought they were the easiest part of the layout, slower than expected.

Look, it's a great place. It's everything you'd expect from a "bucket list" course.

But it's too hard. Seriously. And I guess that's sort of the point, because if you can birdie a 223 yard par 3 carrying almost entirely over water, or get up and down out of a 20 foot deep bunker, you'll probably be pretty stoked. You'll have a good memory from your vacation, and that's something you can't get most places. But... you probably won't pull it off. You'll probably put more balls in the water than you'll have birdies on the card. Maybe you'll enjoy the challenge, but I got kinda tired of it after a while. It's nice, but all the courses I've played in Palm Desert are nice, they have to be to survive with so much competition.

You're probably going to play it anyway, and maybe you'll like it. Facilities in the region probably don't get much better in terms of service, design, attention to detail; but there are so many options that are more fun, more playable, and more scenic that will leave you feeling better after the round.