Sunday round at Rio Hondo with a buddy ... we played from the blue tees and had an 11:16 tee time. Fortunately this course is one of the few that if you book online with a cart, they still allow you to adjust to walking rates if you so choose. Got in some range time, got paired with another twosome and off we went.

First things first - was really dreading the possibility of a typical six-hour weekend round at RH with all of the bunching up on holes, especially the three par 3s in four holes (7, 8 and 10). Fortunately we found a nice slot in between groups and never waited on a single hole until that 7th, but even then it was just one group and not three. The longest wait was at the par 3 14th, but overall we finished the round in about four and a half hours, which is just tremendous at this place on a Sunday.

Greens are still showing late signs of the spring punch and need just a bit more time before they are in their best phase. They're still a little bumpy and unpredictable right now and I would not describe the speeds as 'consistent.' Plenty of ball marks as well.

Fairways were mostly okay but certainly on the thin side more times than not. There are some GUR areas as well, but you can pretty easily navigate around them. I wouldn't call them 'bad lies' in the fairways, but I've certainly played lusher. The rough was thick and nice and often preferable for some wedge shots or pitches around the greens. Bunkers were okay - could use some more sand, but most places can. Tee boxes were level and mostly alright.

We did not see any cart service around the course all afternoon which was a bit surprising considering it was a weekend round and a hot day. Fortunately the snack shop is conveniently located directly between the front and back nines so you can refuel there.

Rio Hondo is definitely still playable right now, and even enjoyable if you find a nice slot in between the crowds, but I've certainly played it other times in finer condition than where it's at currently. But don't be deterred - it's still a very fun, challenging experience.

Hit up The Ike for a solo round this past week as I had some work in the area and decided to stop over for an afternoon tee time, joined by two other singles. Just an FYI - driving range balls are CASH ONLY, but kudos to the attendant who called the starter's office and added my range balls to my regular greens fees and just got me a bucket out of the machine.

Check-in was smooth and I am pretty sure that this course is carts only due to the very large (and uphill) distance between the nines. I don't recall seeing any walkers so I'm almost 100% sure of this, but I wouldn't go to court and swear on it. Fortunately said carts are in nice shape and have a good GPS system, although my battery was near dead by the 8th green and someone showed up to replace it without me even calling it in - top marks!

The Ike is such a fun and engaging layout - it's really got it all. Elevations, doglegs, tricky greens, strategic bunkers and length depending on the tee box you're choosing (I played from the whites on this day). It's definitely one of those 'use every club in your bag' type of courses, and it's a ton of amusement. You can't go wrong if the conditions are good.

Speaking of conditions, really great greens that are some of the more challenging you'll find in SoCal. So many tiers, tough reads and consistently fast speeds that I had more three-putts on the day than is normal for me. There are absolutely no gimmees on these greens, but they're really fun to navigate. Fairways could definitely be more lush - they have good coverage, but a lot of even prime spots feel thin. Rough is in good shape and playable, while the fairways bunkers were pretty rock hard but the greenside ones played okay - could use another layer or two of sand, but manageable. Tee boxes were fine.

POP was a bit on the slow side because the group in front of us was not exactly tearing it up in terms of pace, but they didn't have gaps in front of them either. The group behind us must have been absolutely pissing off the groups behind them because we rarely ever saw them behind us until most holes were done. Cart service came around 2-3x which is all you could want from a hospitality and service perspective.

All in all it was another great outing at Industry Hills and I look forward to getting back out there once again, only this time with some good friends to share in the experience.

Played in a Rancho Park Men's Club tournament this weekend and the venue of choice was the always fun Brookside #1 in Pasadena. We played under threatening skies that fortunately never broke, but it was a little cooler and windier than normal, making for an even more challenging round than usual on this tough course.

My group had a 10:50am tee time with two walkers and two riders. The carts at Brookside I noticed now have speakers built into the sides, almost like sideview mirrors on your car. We were assigned the red tees (thanks to my currently abysmal handicap), which was still a good challenge at this long course but actually was pretty fun to move up and not stress as much on every tee shot.

Greens were running really nicely and quite speedy, but the pin placements on some holes were absolutely diabolical. There's nothing worse than chipping on past a pin and then seeing it on the downhill side of a harsh slope with no chance to stop it. Everyone suffered. The ball on some greens seemed to pick up pace going uphill! It was pretty crazy, but they're in good shape and rolling nicely.

Fairways were just okay to be honest. There weren't a ton of lush areas, but everything was playably thin. I've seen it much better out there in the past so I trust they will get back to that condition soon enough. Rough was playable and accessible. I did not face any bunkers all afternoon but I watched my playing partners perform admirably and heard no complaints. Tee boxes look to have been recently worked on so they were in nice shape, maybe in some cases a tad bit shaggy but overall quite good.

We had cart service swing by twice which was great and of course the course layout is one of SoCal's best as they routinely host SCGA qualifiers here due to its quality. Never a bad time out in Pasadena at Brookside #1 ...

Sunday round at Harding this weekend with an exquisite 8:10am tee time that a friend nailed down somehow last week. Picture perfect spring day with temps in the low 70s, beautiful sunshine, minimal wind and a sweet spot between groups that saw us finish in exactly four hours while never waiting on a single hole the entire day - how is that even possible? It doesn't get any better than that.

I'm not sure when they last punched the greens here but I can't recall Harding's greens ever being this fast or unreceptive to chip shots and pitches. Everyone in my group was rolling chips and putts well past the pins for most of the day and constantly remarking on green speeds. Overall though they're in quite good shape, rolling fast and true and very consistent.

(Ironically just checked GK and they are punching the greens tomorrow and Wednesday - nooooooooo! They're quite good right now!)

The fairways are another story. They're not bad per se, but they are thin in so many areas to the point of hoping your drive down the middle has a favorable lie with some grass beneath it. I've seen the fairways here in much better shape to be honest, but you will still be able to play them mostly fine. The rough is in good, healthy shape as well.

Bunkers seemed to have a working bit of sand in them (I only landed in one - greenside on 16) but they are far from fluffy. Still, it gets the job done. Tee boxes were mostly in good to serviceable shape so no issues there. POP once again was tremendous.

Enjoyable layout and one of my playing partners was out from New York and really enjoyed Harding as much for the scenery and sights of wild coyotes and deer as he did for the quality golf experience. He liked it so much that he played it both days out here on his trip - take that information as you like. Good times out at Griffith Park though overall.

If only there was a website where one could find out in advance that golf courses had punched their greens! Yeah, I was that guy. I was so shocked to find a great 11am tee time the next day for me and my buddy, I simply took it right away and never checked GK. Duh.

The greens are heavily sanded right now but much worse on the front nine. I assume they did the back nine first and the wind took some of the sand off of those holes, but I'm just guessing. It was of course not great, but I managed to adjust properly (as one must) and ended with a nice 30 putts with no three-jacks.

The fairways have good spots but I would say a greater majority (but not by much) is decent coverage but a bit thin for most's liking. It's completely playable for sure, but there was a lot of picking going on. Rough where there was grass was nice and thick, but some areas off-fairway were very dry and lots of hardpan if you're off on your shots.

Tee boxes were just okay but serviceable, while the bunkers had enough sand to be pretty good, but another layer wouldn't hurt right now. Overall things are good but shy of great. It's still a fun round and a decently engaging layout with just a few 'meh' holes (like hole 10).

POP was unbelievable - my buddy and I got paired with an older gentleman with limited movement, so he took a while with every shot, but we never waited once on a single hole, nor were we ever pushed from behind. Finished the round in 3:45 which was absolutely stunning (especially after a six-hour round last Saturday at The Friends).

Hansen remains a very serviceable round right now with some good aspects to enjoy, but of course I would most certainly give the greens some time to heal before you head over there.

Sunday round at Moorpark this weekend and first time back since 2019. My friends and I all rode and played from the white tees, this time on the Ridgeline and Canyon Crest nines. We had a 10:20 tee time and I arrived early to hit the sumptuous driving range, and then my driver head exploded on the third hit, so it was going to be another 2i round off the tee.

This course really is a gem if you catch it on the right conditions, and for the most part, that's what we got this weekend. The routing and uniqueness of each of the holes is tremendous, while the topography just lends itself to spectacular golf. The scenery is breathtaking from every vantage point, and the fun factor is always present. It's just a really great facility all around.

We also happened to catch a picture perfect early spring day with little wind and warm sunshine, but all of that was complimented by solid conditions around the course. The greens were so tricky and challenging, but the rolls were true and consistent. I had four three-putts on the front nine trying to dial in the speed and the complex slopes on each hole, but the quality of the greens was not as much of a question as my putting prowess on the day.

Fairways had good coverage throughout with some dry/thin areas in patches due to the extreme heat recently, but nothing to really be too upset about. Rough was thick but dry in many areas as well - made hitting out of it quite an adventure in club selection. Bunkers were in good shape ... not fluffy sand, but plenty of a heavier grain but worked well. Tee boxes were level and in good shape.

We had cart service show up once on the front nine but not on the back, however there were water stations very three or four holes, so that was good. POP was pretty good as well as we found a nice spot and finished in around four hours and thirty minutes. Carts are in nice shape, run well and have a good GPS system. And no, you won't (maybe even can't) want to walk this course. Some of the gaps between holes are lengthy and the elevations are mighty.

All in all it was a terrible round of golf from a scoring perspective for me but I truly enjoyed being back out at Moorpark and will make it more of a point to come back here in the near future.

Work trip out to the Phoenix area and decided to brave the bad reviews and check out Kokopelli Golf Course. My playing partner lived about halfway between where I was and his house and we had to lock down a very early 6:40am tee time due to the heat in the afternoon currently.

I was surprised to see so many people hitting balls on the range at 6am, but there was good energy and the range itself wasn't too bad, although the mats definitely need some replacing. We grabbed our cart, joined another twosome out from WI, and played from the yellow (back) tees. Things looked promising as the holes around the clubhouse were very green and well-maintained.

Things changed quickly once the facilities were out of range. Each hole was progressively worse as we went along, with many having horrific dirt patches before and adjacent to the fairways, while the water features were empty bits of reed and bush carnage. The fairways are incredibly hilly throughout, which isn't a knock - just an observation. If you're expecting level lies all day - you wont' get them. But I always get a bemused chuckle when golf courses gussy up the first few holes and let the others slide. It's just kinda dishonest.

As for the course conditions, the greens were actually not too bad and had some crazy pin placements. There were a lot of flags on precipitous slopes that didn't allow for any misjudged speed. They varied greatly in size but never in difficulty. Coverage and speeds were pretty good, though.

The fairways were good to decent on a lot of holes once if you got past the mayhem, but again - that really depended on clubhouse proximity. Other holes farther away were really struggling to be up to standard. The rough was quite thick in some areas, super thin in others - no consistency. Bunkers didn't have sand per se, but more playable dirt that looked pretty bad but played better than its appearance. Tee boxes were all pretty good.

We had cart service throughout the day and POP was sub four hours since we were one of the first groups out and never once saw the twosome that was ahead of us at the first hole. These two factors were a good saving grace. I might have lost it had we been waiting and thirsty.

All in all, there are of course a hundred better options than Kokopelli in the Phoenix area, but if they ever got the conditions good and really put the work into the place, I think the bones and layout would be quite fun. But it's a long way from that at present.

First time back out at Santa Anita in two years this past weekend and got treated to the course in pretty darn good shape. Normally you can find some really thin grass at this course, but it performed much better on this latest visit.

It was of course very hot out so my buddy and I rode, playing from the blue tees and the greens fee was around $60 - more than fair. We were paired with a fun father and son combo with a 12:20 tee time and off we went. The layout is classic parkland LA, with side by side holes, big trees but a unique twist with so many uneven lies on many of the holes.

Greens were in really decent shape and rolled nicely all afternoon - definitely the highlight of the round. Fairways have good coverage mostly all around, although of course you will find some thin areas. Rough was thick but playable, while the bunkers were the most disappointing. There is a nominal layer of sand in most of them, but where the bunkers bottom out, there's really nothing between your club and the ground underneath. Tee boxes were mostly okay but can always use some work.

POP was not so good but really only got slow on the par 3s, especially holes 8 and 12. For some reason everything backs up here good and solid, mostly because these are both very long par 3s that may require a little extra work from most golfers. There was no cart service either which is always disappointing as you must wait to go to the snack bar at the turn.

All in all though it was a good day out at Santa Anita and when it's in good shape like this time around, it's worth the drive up there.

First time back at Sterling Hills this weekend after my first visit back in 2020. I played in a Rancho Park Men's Club event and walked the course with a 9:40am tee time. I didn't remember much about the layout from my first time there but enough to know it was a challenging 18 with lots of elevations, some water features and very tough green complexes.

I really did enjoy the layout of the course despite playing some of my worst golf ever. There are some interesting carries here and lots of areas that will make things difficult for you if you're not course aware. The fairways are wide in most cases, but a few of the holes require less than driver if you're playing smart. There are also plenty of homes surrounding each hole but they don't feel suffocating at all - really barely noticeable in most cases.

Conditions are pretty nice with the greens being the best part. They are very tricky, very tiered and roll quite fast. I did not remember what a challenge they were from the first trip here, but I won't forget again anytime soon. The fairways had some good coverage but there were a lot of thin areas - playable for sure, but not in optimum shape. I was in a few bunkers and while they looked a bit thin, they played just fine when actually hitting the sand. Tee boxes were okay - not terrible, not great.

I enjoyed playing here again and would like to redeem myself with a decent round next time.

Returned to Glen Ivy this weekend with a buddy and found the course to be in very good shape. I've had some hit or miss trips to this place in the past, but today it was pretty ideal, with a few exceptions.

First off, this is a cart-only facility with massive elevations and some long sections between holes, so leave your push cart in the garage. The carts themselves are very nice and have a solid GPS system. They do have some very precise governors on them if you're in a non-cart area of the course, but it shows you those on the screens which is nice so you don't get stuck.

Right now everything is in good shape at Glen Ivy. The fairways have some very good coverage in most areas with a few GUR sections off the fairways, while the bunkers were really nice with great sand. Some of the tee boxes were a little thin (played the white tees), but for the most part playable and level. The rough was made difficult by so many leaves off the trees obscuring your ball, but also some deep areas to exacerbate that search.

The greens were running really nicely and there are some quite tricky green complexes to navigate. A few of them have multiple tiers so getting on the right one is critical. The speeds were consistent and rolls true, but it seems like too many golfers don't bother fixing their ball marks here so that was disappointing, but not overwhelming.

POP was good although we were always pressed by a twosome behind us, with another twosome behind them. I will never understand why those groups don't get together to make their delays far more manageable. It makes no sense, but they stayed separate the entire time. Not my problem, I guess ...

Overall though a really nice time out at Glen Ivy and well worth the $85 greens fee. I played a truly awful round of golf but the nice scenery and good conditions still made it worth the trip.

Played in an RPGC tournament yesterday and just want to leave a quick review about the current green conditions - and it's not great. I played here a few weeks back and the greens were in terrific shape, but something has gone amiss.

There are patchy dirt sections, something that looks like mold on a lot of them, and far too many ball marks to count. I'm not sure what happened but putting right now is a true adventure, and not the good kind. Speeds are inconsistent, lines are inconsequential and frustrations will be high.

The rest of the course? Not bad at all. Fairways and rough are good for the most part, bunkers had decent sand in them and most of the tee boxes were flat, level and had some coverage, but a few of the par 3s are thin and don't really have grass but moss instead.

POP was great since it was a tournament and we finished in just over four hours. But the overriding message here is that the greens are currently very, very disappointing.

Weekend round back at Rio Hondo this weekend with an old friend and we both walked, playing from the blue tees. Made the booking online with cart only, but the starter was a pro and gave us the walking rate instead of the online price - good customer service there.

I've reviewed Rio Hondo a million times so I won't get too much into the course layout or other extracurriculars, but current course conditions are worth a closer look.

The greens have recovered well from the last punch a month or so ago and are running quite nicely right now. Putts hold their lines well, approach shots hold the green, and the speeds (medium fast) are consistent from hole to hole. A few too many pitch marks to be fair, but I fixed up as many as I could find.

Fairways are mostly in good shape but there are some holes that are severely flirting with 'thin.' The rough is also a mixed bag of everything imaginable - stick to the fairways - easier said than done on this narrow track. Bunkers were okay - a little thin for my liking but played better than they actually look. Tee boxes are feeling the heat but nothing too awful to cry about in this post. The course is definitely playable but I've certainly seen it more lush than at the moment.

POP was not great but we were paired with a twosome and one of them was most certainly a beginner so I think we were mainly the reason for the slow-ish play, but it wasn't too bad in the long run as we finished at just under five hours ... I suppose that's not bad for a Sunday round in LA.

Overall it was a good day for golf (despite playing atrociously) as the skies never parted, the sun kept us warm and the course entertained us with all its gifts. I will be back I'm sure.