Played in another RPGC tournament this weekend and was very excited to get back out to Mountain Meadows in Pomona. I played in the B flight and had an 11:40am tee time on a hot, but survivable summer day.

If you've never played MM before, it's a tale of two nines, though not quite as dramatic as a place like Tijeras Creek for example. The front nine has fewer dramatic elevations but no shortage of tricky and narrow up-and-down holes, while the back nine has much more unique holes like the stretch from 11-15. It's a good test of both accuracy and length, and the par 3s are all unique and fun.

Overall conditions are very good - definitely doing great work to beat the heat. The greens were very nice - rolling fast, holding shots and rewarding good lines. Some of the greens are quite small which adds to the challenge, but the other ones do have plenty of subtle breaks to keep you honest. The fairways are in good shape as well - solid lies all day long in good spots. The rough? Mostly playable and easy to hit from so no drama there. Bunkers were a bit of a mixed bag with the early ones on the front nine playing very nicely, then the latter ones (like greenside on hole 16) being thin, crusty and difficult. Tee boxes were not all level but the coverage was good ... could definitely improve that.

Cart service came around numerous times but was not very efficient as she had to input the credit card number and all details each time - even for just a Gatorade. I'm hoping that was just a glitch for the day and not the standard procedure. It simply takes too long to grab a quick snack and keep the POP moving. Speaking of POP, were were one of the last groups in the tournament and it did not run super smoothly, finishing at just under five hours.

Really fun course though in very good shape and at a reasonable rate - get out to Mountain Meadows right now if you can and it's going to be a good day.

Got out to Woodley Lakes this past Friday for a fun round with a buddy of mine and we were joined by another single with an 11:50am tee time. It was a beautiful summer day with little to no wind and temperatures that failed to mimic the sun, so that was good. It was still hot enough to ride though and not walk.

Was quite pleasantly surprised to find Woodley in such favorable conditions this late in the season. The greens were running really good for all the traffic, held shots nicely and actually had some decent pace to them. Nothing tricky at Woodley so good putting is easily rewarded.

The fairways were mostly in good shape with some thin or burnt out lies here and there, but overall very pleasing and not at all expected. The rough is completely manageable as well. Tee boxes (played the blues) were all level and good, although a few were a bit thin in terms of coverage. Bunkers were okay - nothing great, nothing horrific.

POP was a dreamy four hours on the nose which was amazing for this time of day. There is no cart service so having to run back to the snack shop/cafeteria at the turn isn't ideal, but it is what it is. Woodley does have a very good driving range with grass so that's a treat, but you can't take your carts down there all the way which is a bit annoying when it freezes up on you ... first world problems.

Overall a very good showing at Woodley for a straightforward golf experience without all the frills and drama of other courses, but great to get in a solid round for some confidence with wide open fairways and little trouble to get into on the day.

Tremendous day out at Los Robles for just my third visit this past weekend playing in an RPGC men's tournament. When I saw this one on the calendar a few months back I just knew that I had to be there as Los Robles is a super fun course to play, and it did not disappoint.

My flight played from the blue tees and I rode for the day. The driving range is good but nothing too fancy and is a decent walk from the pro shop. Had a 10:30 tee time on a picture perfect summer day with little to no wind as well - ideal.

Course conditions are really terrific. Greens were so good - running fast and smooth, holding shots and lines well and just overall being a real treat. Fairways, despite the summer heat, have held up incredibly well and I had good lies all day. The rough was also in good shape and voluminous but there's not a ton out there with all the native areas. Tee boxes were mostly all in very good shape - flat and level. Bunkers were slightly inconsistent but only between good and great - so no worries there.

POP, which seemed like it was going to be a problem as we were the final group and at one point had a word from the marshal for being a hole behind (one of our players was VERY deliberate with his seven practice swings on each shot), ended up being just fine and we actually closed out exactly on four hours. Amazing. We certainly picked it up after the warning and the results showed.

All in all just a super outing (despite my poor play yet again) but Los Robles continues to climb in my personal ranks of SoCal's most enjoyable 18s. Get out there soon.

Got an invite to play Calabasas Country Club again for just the second time this month and was really looking forward to the opportunity. My first visit was a very poor round but the course was pretty fantastic and conditions were top notch.

Unfortunately my play was no better this time around, but also conditions have deteriorated on the course to add insult to injury. The bones of the course are still really good - it's a super-challenging layout with very precise landing areas, narrow alleys to navigate, and some really tough green complexes, but the course is as dried out and thin as any mid-level muni in LA right now so that was disappointing but not altogether shocking in that area.

Greens were still in really great shape and rolled really nicely. They're very tricky with a lot of subtle breaks and the ball can get away from you quite easily. But overall, no complaints about the greens. The tee boxes were also just fine (we played the blue-white combo tees), but the fairways again were very dried out, not aesthetically pleasing and there were even some dirt areas where some in our group actually moved their ball because it simply wasn't hittable. The rough was thick where it could be found, and the bunkers were just okay.

Still, when you get a chance to play a nice private club, you enjoy it and don't look a gift horse in the mouth, so I will absolutely play here again if the opportunity comes up and I can't imagine that these conditions are the norm here. I know that later in the year or early spring, this course will once again be in optimum shape and a true joy to play.

First time back out at Rustic Canyon in almost five years so needless to say I was quite excited to get back out on this Gil Hanse gem. It was supposed to be a crazy hot Friday afternoon but it turned out just perfect and not even too much wind careening down the canyon. Epic.

The prices at Rustic have definitely gone up since my last visit, but it was always likely underpriced if we're being honest, so I was okay with the new cost. You do get what you pay for and here it's nothing but golf goodness, especially when the conditions are so good.

Greens were just tremendous and it's always fun to navigate those massive complexes. Am I on the green or am I not? Can I chip from here? SHOULD I chip from here? It's wonderfully tense decision making at its finest but the payoffs are fabulous. Greens rolled really nice, not as super fast as expected, but still demanding of your full attention. Just wonderful.

Fairways were in very nice shape as well with superb coverage in just about every area. Sure, it's hot out there so a few hot spots are going to find your ball, but it's 100% the exception rather than the rule. The rough is only to be found in a few spots as you're either in the fairway or in a native area sprinkled with a playable (in many cases) fescue that draws in all errant shots. Tee boxes (played the blues) were flat and in very good shape, while the bunkers all had good sand in them but it's not of the super fluffy and light variety.

Course layout everyone knows but it's just so good and fun. Get your scoring in on the front nine as the back is going to give you a bit of a harder time, but they're both equally engaging and challenging routes. It was hot so we took a cart and they were nicely appointed but do have an annoying GPS trait where they show you a color-contoured green map on every approach and you can't simply turn that part off which is vexing. Seems an easy fix!

So yes, get out to Rustic as soon as you can and you won't be disappointed.

It was a memorable day back out at Black Gold this past week but not in the usual positive way unfortunately. When I arrived I was surprised to find the driving range turned into a parking lot. Yes, there is and will not be any range at BG for at least six months.

They are currently re-doing the main parking lot with solar panel roofs and after that will be re-doing the driving range itself, so for now you've got a few nets adjacent to the lot and free balls and mats to hit from - not really ideal for a premium course as long as they let everyone know in advance. Our outing was booked online so we had no idea this was the case.

There was some other first tee drama which I won't bother going to deep into but needless to say everything got off to a pretty poor and delayed start thanks to errors on both our parts and the club's. It happens I guess.

As for the course itself, I don't ever remember it playing as tough as it did this past week, but I also had the most awful ball striking day in years so it was definitely the worst possible course for that coincidence. There is a significant carry on 80% of the holes at BG and the landing areas are as tight as you'll find in SoCal - a recipe for disaster if your game is off.

Conditions were mostly good though at least with the greens being really superb. They are tricky, fast and often infuriating - but that comes down to the putter. Shots were very difficult to hold without a doubt but great shots ended up in great areas. Fairways were mostly in good shape but definitely some dry and thin patches out there, while the rough was pretty much non-existent as there's really only fairway and mayhem out there - that's it.

Played from the blue tees and they were all mostly in good shape, while the bunkers looked much better than they played. It always seemed like there was more sand in them than there really was so skulling a few bunker shots is not out of the realm of possibility - be prepared.

Cart service came around numerous times and the carts are very nicely appointed and have a very good GPS system on them. Nothing to complain about there. In truth, I just had an awful day playing so that soured me on the course, but also the initial problems seemed to have a good deal with that outcome, but who knows? On another day I'm sure it will be a great course again to me but I'm in no major hurry to get back until my game is in proper shape again.

Made it back out to Navy this past weekend with the Rancho Park men's club for a tournament and the course did not disappoint. It's a very fun and challenging layout from start to finish with the odd wrinkle of not getting to play a par 3 until the 9th hole.

Most of the water features on the course right now are less intimidating as many of the course's lakes are either completely or partially drained, so you may still have a shot out of the hazard that you didn't before when they're full. Footing is terrible though and you will sink so still try to avoid at all costs!

Course conditions are solid across the board with no major complaints about anything in particular. There were a few areas marked off as GUR but we were warned about that in advance of the tournament. I found the greens to be really fun and engaging. They ran medium-fast and held shots well. The fairways had mostly good coverage with thin spots here and there, while the rough was thick in spots but mostly very playable.

Bunkers were in good shape but of course another layer of sand is never something to scoff at, while the tee boxes (my flight played the whites) were level and had mostly good coverage with the exception of just a few.

No cart service throughout the day but there is a fine snack shop at the 12th hole tee box that has everything you need. Carts are in good shape and do have a rudimentary GPS system on them, but I would still bring a GPS app for layups and a range finder for exact distances to the pins.

Overall another solid experience at a very cool course.

Had a fun foursome out at Encino this past week and got absolutely hammered by the heat being far too dumb to actually try and walk it. Not smart! I ended up having to jump into my friend's cart around the 14th hole as I was getting dizzy in spells.

Price is always right at the Encino/Balboa complex and this day was no different, but we also had (for the first time I can ever remember) cart service riding around with drinks and snacks - color me shocked! POP was very good for the day apart from the always crowded par 3 15th hole that always jams up.

Course conditions were mostly average to good with the highlights being the greens. They are in good shape, run smooth and medium-fast - no complaints at all. The fairways are a little burned out to be honest, but not terrible. Rough is very manageable and wont' get you into too much trouble. Bunkers were a little on the thin side but playable, while the tee boxes (we played the blue tees) were serviceable - far from pristine but flat and decently covered.

This course won't win any beauty pageants anytime soon but it gets the job done every time.

Played in another RPGC men's club tournament at the home course this past weekend and am delighted to report that the greens are in tremendous shape right now. Completely healed, rolling true and fast and in very optimal condition for one of the busiest courses in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately the opposite is true of the fairways and some other conditions. My flight played from the white tees but those tee boxes were in good condition, while the bunkers were just okay and the rough was thick but playable. Back to the fairways - dry, thin and just not very optically pleasing. The recent heat did a number on them, so hopefully this past week's small rainfall will do the opposite, but I'm not convinced.

POP was okay for the most part but we were the final group for the tournament so it was expectedly a longer round than normal. Once again no cart service but a great little snack shop at the 12th tee box.

Hoping the club can get the fairways in a little better shape and then playing here will once again by a no-brainer.

RPGC tournament this weekend at El Dorado - my favorite Long Beach course. I feel it has the best layout, biggest challenge and most rewarding round in the area. It's flat but has plenty of challenge to it. And right now, the biggest challenge is those speedy greens.

They're really in top shape right now, running very fast but holding shots and their lines very well. Impressive for sure. The rest of the course is also in pretty darn good shape to be fair. Fairways have nice coverage throughout, although there were some areas with standing water from the recent rains. Rough is very playable while the bunkers were obviously impacted by the weather, but nowhere near as bad as anticipated.

My flight played from the white tees and the tee boxes were all flat and well kept - no issues there. Overall just very nice conditions right now at El Dorado.

POP was a little on the slow side but it was a tournament so it makes it somewhat understandable, and in truth we didn't hit any real slowdowns until the back nine. Before that things were running very smoothly (with the exception of my swing). We were required to ride for this event as well and the carts are nothing special but serviceable (and no GPS).

Great day out at Knollwood at the end of next week and happened to land in a perfect spot between groups that we never did any proper waiting on a single hole all day. If you've played some near six-hour rounds at Knollwood, then you'll understand what an absolute treat this was.

The course is also in quite good shape so that just added to the experience, and we also had a beautiful afternoon when the sun came out to enhance our day. The greens are running really nicely and hold up shots well, while the fairways are mostly in good shape with a few thin spots here and there. The bunkers looked okay and the tee boxes (played from the blues) were all pretty good as well.

Layout at Knollwood is always very fun and challenging, and this week was no different. No cart service and the carts themselves are very basic with no GPS, but you'll be fine. I didn't play very well at all but it was an exceptional day at this fun course and long may it continue.

Played a solo round at Rio Hondo this past week and was certainly disappointed with a well-over five-hour round and some crazy long waits on the front nine at the 7th and 8th hole tee boxes. There's not a marshall in sight to move this along?

Greens are recovering nicely from the latest aerification but need probably about another week or two before being in optimum shape. Still, they're not bad at all right now. Fairways have a few too many thin spots for my liking but there is also plenty of good to go around. Rough is cut to a manageable length and the tee boxes (played the blue tees) were okay. I was in about three or four bunkers and they had mostly serviceable sand in them.

No GPS on the carts but they're in good enough condition to enjoy your round. But really, the POP over five hours was really a cause for serious frustration. I am always a big fan of Rio Hondo and consider it one of the best LA County munis, but it was a little bit frustrating this time out.