Following on Weber's recent review, I was out Friday 3/27 as a threesome plus one, all riding, three of four playing the whites. I'll differ only slightly with his review so check his first. I have to say the course seemed about as lush as it gets here. Could even use a touch of mowing on some fairways, but good lies and no complaints. I was in two bunkers and I think it was less about lack of sand than lack of grooming and surface anomalies. Some rake time smoothing things out and I think the actual sand quality would work fine. But somebody has to actually do that. Rough was good, not overly thick or penalizing. Surrounds were good enough for short game and the greens were as green as I see them here. For what it was worth, some in our group were complaining about the speed (slow). I thought they were a lazy medium and while I might like them quicker, I thought they were still an acceptable pace. The key being they seem to match the practice green and were fairly consistent on the course. After an introduction to the pace, the challenge is to adjust. I played recently when the greens were much quicker, and I like that, but I adjusted for the difference and enjoyed myself. It's a muni guys.

Being Friday probably didn't help the pace and it seemed longer than usual at about 5.25hrs. I'm pretty chill about getting along with whomever I'm paired with on the course, but it was day when I definitely enjoyed the course more than my companions — and the ambiguity of that statement works both ways.

Out Tuesday 3/24 at 11:40 as single riding with a single, joining a riding twosome who played blues while we played whites. Road testing some swing adjustments and so wanted to take advantage of Woodley's open forgiveness. Teeing grounds never a problem here. Fairways were mostly good but I did experience some hardpan/bare lies as they are firming up and getting thinner in spots. As a result, more than average rollout. With a few slightly thicker exceptions, rough here is not punitive and adds to the expansiveness. I was in one bunker, the sand was good, but it needed some cleanup and grooming. The green surrounds were good. I had good day with my short game and frequently having a nice lie for chipping contributed to giving confidence there. I enjoyed the greens and they were the highlight — clean, mostly true and at a nice speed on the quick side. I recall the ninth green had some scarring issues in spots but that was unusual. Pace was good @ 4.25 hours. While not all aspects of my game were strong, it was a better than average round for me and reinforced the adjustments I'm making. Good times.

Out Friday the 13th as a twosome joining two singles for a 1:20 start. Three out of four playing the whites and all riding. Summarizing first, I thought the overall conditions were very good. Decent and fairly consistent coverage on the tees with no real unlevel issues. Fairways were consistently good as to coverage and lies. Rough was mostly green and not punitive but with both bare and thicker lies occasionally in the mix. Bunker sand was a nice consistency but the state of the grooming, while mostly OK, varied subject to those who came before. Green surrounds were in generally good shape for short game. As munis go, the greens were pretty nice. Consistent with the practice green, they definitely had some quickness to them and required attention to the pace. Nicely challenging, they were clean and usually only gave up modest pitch marks.

A warm day, but not unpleasant, it would have been more of a factor if we had been walking. As it was, we kept hydrated and especially by the last few holes, it was a nice day with modest to minimal breezes. Pace was good at right around 4.5 hours. I had not been out on Harding for a good while. I find tee times at Wilson and Harding hard to come by and was surprised to find some options while checking the day before we played. I saw no active aeration on GK and was a tad suspicious there might be some issues to explain my good luck. In the end, no problems, nice conditions and I really enjoyed the day on a venue I enjoyed revisiting. Recommended.

Out last Friday the 13th with a foursome, all riding and playing the whites. Not really a walking course for most people and not sure it's even an option. Last time I played here was about a year ago and about 25 yrs before that. Conditions on the day were solid all around. Last time, the greens were unexpectedly punched and sanded while this time around they were fine — running the quick side of medium and pretty clean.

Minor quips: the cart was a bit sluggish and the range has a touch of sidehill to it. Otherwise, perfect weather, some great views, the pace was good, drink cart came around numerous times. An interesting layout that can require specific placement and course knowledge to best maneuver some of the doglegs.

Got an 11:00 start as single joining another single and a twosome, all playing the whites. Probably 20-something years since I've played here, I was favorably impressed and it felt a step above average my average muni experiences. Teeing grounds were level with consistent, tight coverage that was worn close to more of a suggestion of coverage at times in the hitting zone. As these are teeing areas, i.e. using a tee to set up the ball, I saw no issues with them. The ground is firm and sometimes required a little extra to get the tee set. Fairways were nice: good hitting surface, a little on the tight side with good roll, visually clean and generally consistent. Rough varied greatly. Usually playable fairway adjacent, but also extensive areas of chips/dirt a little beyond that. There are also areas around the property with trees, foliage and weedy undergrowth that has become lush with the rain and it can be easy to lose balls there. I was in way too many bunkers so I can vouch for the condition which is generally pretty clean, firm-ish with good sand on which the ball sat up more than not. Green surrounds were clean and good for short game, albeit frequently more on the tight than lush side. Greens were firm and ran at a good quick speed that was not excessive. Where repaired, they tend to show ball mark scars even though those visual traces don't impact the roll. There is a firm, sandy quality to the soil that requires a little more attention and effort with the tool to repair pitch marks. Most greens had some element of contour and I enjoyed putting on them.

I'd had my eye out to catch a round here with my regular golf buddy, but I never saw availability late in the week when we play. As it was a Tuesday (my birthday) and I was going single, I was able to score the booking on short notice. In addition to the nice overall conditions, the group ahead pulled away while the trailing group was usually about a hole behind, so we had a sense (illusion) of an uncrowded course and our own pace (4.5 hrs). There were a couple of negatives to mention. First is the proximity of the freeway and that noise, especially for holes closer to it. Because it is constant, I treat it as white noise and it really doesn't bother or faze me, but for some it would definitely be a consideration. The other issue was odors, at least on that day. They were patching the clubhouse roof, so there was the tar smell in that vicinity. Closer to the freeway and the construction areas that are still active was a smell somewhere between sulfurous and sewage wafting about. It was somewhat localized but not insignificant, and in the vein of "know before you go" be forewarned. Again, I observed it, but it wasn't going to ruin my round nor would it keep me away. Bottom line, I was impressed with the improvements and conditions and will definitely look forward to playing here again.

Out Friday 1/16 @12:30 as twosome with another twosome, they playing blues and us whites. Overall conditions are pretty decent, predominantly green and minimal lingering wetness issues from the rains. The teeing grounds here are generally level and, with a few spotty exceptions, the coverage is good enough. Fairways were in good shape and I can't think of any issues when I was hitting from them. The rough was mostly green and the length usually not overly punitive. I was only in one bunker and while the sand was OK, it needed some grooming. I happen to be in the exact place in that bunker in a previous round and the lie was a little better this time. Green surrounds were grown in, varied in length, but were usually good for short game — some exceptions where the grass was a touch thinner and the underlying soil was sticky damp could trip you up for a chunk. You can compensate for this if you are paying attention. The greens definitely had quickness to them. I p'd away numerous good par opportunities by letting the first putt get away from me and did not sufficiently adjust. So atypical 3-putts were my nemesis of the day. Too bad because the speed was good. I've noticed here that greens don't necessarily look great when they are actually performing pretty well, so don't let it distract you.

It was a sunny, warm afternoon, unusually devoid of any noticeable breeze throughout. A couple of choke points made for a sluggish round at about 4.75 hrs. Beautiful sunset. We pushed through and finished 18 in the gloom but we weren't the last ones in. The other twosome were pleasant and it was a good time.

Took a chance and played today. In short, it was the trudge in the mud. The greens were nice but the rest was anything from damp to wet to standing water to the aforementioned mud. No power carts at this time. Give it a week. Wouldn't be reasonable to seriously rate it before that. If they are offering carts again, that will be a clue.

Out Friday 12/19 with a 12:20 start, joining a twosome and sharing a cart with another single. Something that has become more standard lately rather than issuing you a separate cart. One played the blues (and further) the rest of us the whites. Overall conditions were pretty decent all around for this time of year. Teeing grounds not usually an issue here, so no real complaints. Fairways had some occasional thin or wet patches but overall were well covered. Where there was grass, the rough was usually playable with little or no penalty to it. I was in two bunkers with one on the firm side and damp while the other one was dry but had a little extra depression at the bottom that created a problematic lie. Probably not the case in most of the other bunkers, but some issues in my limited experience. Green surrounds were playable enough, if occasionally on the tighter side. Greens themselves were tight, played firm but took deep pitch marks. Not a pristine surface but played cleaner than it looked. I had a much better than average putting day so they must have been true enough and I enjoyed them. I seemed to have the pace dialed in all day.

Pace of play was slower on the front but seemed better on the back. We probably got around in 4.5 hrs or so, finishing in the dusk but enough light that we were not the last group coming in. I enjoyed it. Recommended.

Played Woodley yesterday 12/4 with a 12:20 start, riding with another single joining a walking twosome. We all played the whites. To the point, the course is in good all around shape, with exceptions. The recent rains have given it some greening up and, fortunately, I saw no remaining indications that that the course resides in a flood basin. Although there can be thinner spots beneath the green on the fairways, they are generally pretty good. Teeing grounds here are always good, bunkers were reasonably clean and no complaints abut the sand. Rough here is rarely an issue and very playable while the greens and complexes were mostly in good playing shape with the greens running a nice medium — mostly. The exceptions are greens 8, 14 and 16 which were all sanded. Not mentioned at the course or in the most recent GK post, we were all a little surprised when we arrived on these greens. They all have at least a little elevation to them so you don't know before you actual arrive at the green. They ran obviously slower than the other greens but were playable. If you aren't too fussy, I wouldn't let it dissuade you from playing here as the overall course and majority of greens are fine. If you are that fussy, I'm not sure why you are at Woodley, but now you know before you go. Give them a week.

The weather was gorgeous and it was a perfect day to be out on the course. The kind of day that makes you grateful you are in SoCal in December. Some breeze came up mid round but didn't last. Pace was very good and we got around in 4.25 hours with plenty of light right before sunset. No regrets.

Never having played Oak Valley and rarely in the area, I drove out on Tuesday, 11/25 to meet a buddy to catch up on life and share a round on his home course — him literally renting in the development. The week after all the rain, it was good timing because things were greened up but not sloppy. Playing the whites, conditions were solid and a step above my normal muni excursions. Teeing grounds were green, clean and while I wouldn't take a level to them, they were consistently level enough. Fairways had consistently green coverage and good lies. The rough was similarly green and on the thick side, more often costing a shot. Missed the bunkers and the grooming appeared average. Green surrounds could be on the heavier side and hitting into the grain could be an ugly result, while the putting surfaces were clean and running at the fast end of medium.

Not a readily walkable course, $60 with cart seemed like a pretty solid deal. It has a good amount of contour with interesting holes and the occasional altitude drop or rise. A few holes required some carry on the tee shots or the second shots, and there could be consequences for getting off line (drop off, water, etc.) but the fairways were a reasonable target width. I think the main challenges tended to be around the green complexes. Frequently they eliminated or minimized the roll up option with bunkers, elevation or an angled alignment to the fairway so airmail was required to reach the putting surface. Bottom line, between the course itself and the nearby snow capped mountains, there was some nice visual interest and more than a reasonable amount of challenge for those of us not blessed with single digit handicap level games. We teed of around 12:40, had a painfully slow group in front of us, skipped them and the tenth hole at the turn and finished on 17 due to failing light. Don't know if/when I will ever be back, but I would welcome it with the bit of course knowledge I gained.

Went out on Thursday 11/13, joining a twosome and another single, they all played blue I chose whites. Working backwards, the greens were in pretty decent shape, ran the quicker side of medium, were pretty clean and took deep pitch marks. Surrounds were mostly good for short game. Bunkers were not particularly smooth but the sand was good enough. The rough here varies but is not usually punitive where there is grass. Teeing grounds generally had good coverage and were reasonably level — no issues there. Saved the fairways for last because they deserve more explanation. A little bit of recent rain has them looking a bit greener and while the majority of the surface is suitably playable with decent lies, there are thin areas throughout to the point you may occasionally bump your ball over to a fairway-worthy lie. The flip side of the rain is that some of the bare or thinly grassed areas were moist and made for sticky ground contact and I hit one. In the same vein, I also noted numerous spots, mostly in rough but on some fairways, where carts went through soft/muddy patches leaving short stretches of deep tire tracks. Inventorying these anomalies aside, I generally enjoyed the predominantly playable fairways. But, know before you go, eh?


Pace was good at just about 4.5 hrs and, with little waiting during the round, it seemed to move well. Overall, it was good enough that I could overlook the deficiencies and enjoy my round. With the volume of precipitation were are currently getting, I am hoping the fairways will bounce back from the summer with improving coverage.

Out Friday 10/31 joining another single for a 12:30 start, playing the whites. The course is in all around good muni shape. Tees and fairways have generally good coverage and offer decent lies. Rough really varies here and immediately fairway adjacent is usually an easy play but dirt/brush/trees are often not far off. Bunkers I encountered were dry, playable and, while not especially smoothly groomed, mosty lacked footprints and signs of abuse. Green surrounds were OK for short game and the greens themselves were pretty clean, resisted pitch marks and ran a good medium pace.

As a muni, it's in solid shape and a viable option for an enjoyable round. Recommended.