Played Oceanside on Friday, October 2, in order to escape the 100+ degree temperatures here in East County. It was still pretty toasty by the coast bu... » More

Played Oceanside on Friday, October 2, in order to escape the 100+ degree temperatures here in East County. It was still pretty toasty by the coast but nothing compared to what I would have encountered at Admiral Baker.

Course condition mirrored what I observed here a couple of weeks ago so I won’t go into much detail this time around. It was solid across the board with no glaring areas of concern. The greens (scheduled for aeration next week) were receptive to well-struck shots…including short wedge lobs…and rolled at a medium-plus speed.

Tee sheet was pretty full, as is usually the case on Fridays, but we went off as a ‘2’…following a ‘2’…and followed by a ‘2’. With an 11:45AM tee time, Pace-of-Play clocked in at 4:45, although the back nine moved along more freely than the front. Despite the stacking of twosomes, everyone was pretty chill. No one was in a hurry, no one got agitated…we chatted with both groups on many occasions…so when you factor in the heat, I’d say it was a win-win situation!

For what it is, Oceanside is an interesting course to play with an appealing variety of holes…and the rates make it an outstanding value as well. Staff is pretty laid back and friendly…which seems to be the prevailing vibe here. I’m planning to give the greens three of four weeks to recover before heading up there again but am curious to see how the course plays as the end of the year approaches.
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Not an “In-Person” review but information I feel should be passed on…

Got some intel via a reliable source from within the Admiral Baker Men’... » More

Not an “In-Person” review but information I feel should be passed on…

Got some intel via a reliable source from within the Admiral Baker Men’s Club who played there today that the greens, which were aerated last Tue/Wed, are in “horrible condition”. He alao added “they were like temporary greens” and “they need at least another week or two…if not more…to recover”.

Considering the amount of play the course gets, that seems like a fair assessment. And with that in mind, I’ve gone ahead and cancelled a tee time I had for this Friday without hesitation.
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Played Oceanside Municipal on Monday, 9/21, teeing off @ 11:30AM as a foursome but reduced to a ‘three’ for the back nine. Play was S-L-O-W as we were... » More

Played Oceanside Municipal on Monday, 9/21, teeing off @ 11:30AM as a foursome but reduced to a ‘three’ for the back nine. Play was S-L-O-W as we were subjected to extended waiting periods on many holes, front and back side.

Total POP was exactly 4.5 hours but if felt more like a five-hour round. Was told by a regular that this is not usually the norm during the week and I hope he’s correct as I have little interest in making the one-hour drive, only to slog through a glacier-paced round.

Moving beyond that, the course was in pretty solid shape. A few uneven lies on some tee boxes but, overall, they were in good condition. Par-3s were a different story, however…particularly #13, which was heavily sanded. Since it’s a short one-shot hole, the turf, understandably so, is easily torn up. Not unplayable though…and an indication that the divot issue is not going unnoticed by the maintenance crew.

Fairways were healthy although some holes, as I found on a previous visit, are marred in certain areas. You may find your ball lying on bare dirt, despite being in the middle of the fairway…areas that should be marked GUR but that discussion is best saved for another day. As a result, thin lies are the norm, leaving no room for error on approach shots.

Fringe areas were good and a bit greener compared to my initial visit in August. At that time, I noticed some hardpan areas surrounding the greens. Seems they’ve bounced back as the result of some additional watering.

Greens, once again, were the highlight, despite rolling at a medium pace at best. Putts from above the hole can get away from you if you don’t pay attention but anything uphill had to be hit firmly.

Was not in the rough so I can’t offer a comment in that regard. Bunkers were well-maintained and the sand was just ‘heavy’ enough to require a little speed to send the ball any distance.

Approach shots grabbed and held nicely, which encouraged aggressive play, particularly when it came to partial shots in the 40-60 yard range. And there were very few ball marks to contend with, another thing I noticed back in August. As per my routine, I’ll fix a half-dozen or so on each hole but from a cosmetic point-of-view, the greens look much nicer than other courses I’ve played recently.

Friendly staff and a relaxed vibe round out the picture and at $42.00 to walk, Oceanside provides a great value…especially when you factor in the playing conditions. I find it fun to play, yet it can be deceptively challenging, especially when the wind is up.

They also have a couple of well-maintained practice putting greens that attract a fair amount of activity. If I lived nearby, THIS is where I would work on my putting.

While it’s not as convenient to me as Admiral Baker, I’ve enjoyed getting to play Oceanside and expect to head up there again soon. Hopefully the POP will be more in line with what I’d like to see…somewhere closer to 4:15…but I suppose a late AM or early afternoon tee time does bring that 4:30+ POP into the picture.
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Played in the Golf Moose/Vivid event on Saturday and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Everyone in my group throughly enjoyed themselves, f... » More

Played in the Golf Moose/Vivid event on Saturday and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Everyone in my group throughly enjoyed themselves, from start to finish.

As is the rule, the Rams Hill staff was outstanding and the entire process was well-organized and staged. And I’ll send along a shout out to Johnny and those who assisted him in making this possible.

Golf course was in great condition; tees, fairways, and fringes provided tight lies from which to hit from. Rough wasn’t what I would call deep but it was thick and punishing; the ball had a tendency to nestle quite a bit in some instances. I drew an absolutely brutal lie up against the rear bunker on #10 but each situation presented a different challenge, dependent upon how the ball sat.

Was in a couple of bunkers…fairway on #1 and greenside on #15…and found success out of both, with 7-Wood on #1 and SW on #15. However, you could easily be stymied if your ball settled in a spot requiring a stance outside the sand in order to hit the ball.

Greens were much slower than what I typically experience here so putts had to be hit a little firmer than usual. They also seemed a bit grainier too, which turned a few ‘can’t miss’ putts into ‘how did that not go in?’. Still, these surfaces are extremely durable; they hold up exceptionally well in the heat and are virtually indestructible when it comes to ball mark damage.

Not much else to add; it was the usual Rams Hill Experience, which is why there’s never any hesitation when someone asks ‘How about we play Rams Hill next week?’. Sign me up!

Also want to mention that it was nice to chat with a number of GKers who I haven’t seen in a number of years, as well as meet a few others who I only knew via the website.

I was absolutely thrilled when Johnny announced he was partnering with Rams Hill again after a long hiatus and am looking forward to a return engagement in the not-to-distant future. From what I observed, the event was an undisputed success.
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Despite being a San Diego resident for 45 years, I finally played Oceanside GC for the first time on Saturday. Overall, I was impressed with what the ... » More

Despite being a San Diego resident for 45 years, I finally played Oceanside GC for the first time on Saturday. Overall, I was impressed with what the golf course has to offer, not only from a conditioning perspective but also with regard to the subtle demands it places upon one’s game, despite being relatively short at 6400+ yards from the ‘Tips’.

Tee boxes were in good shape, despite a few uneven lies, while the Par-3 holes, naturally, showed a bit more wear and tear. Didn’t amount to much of a bother though so no complaints there.

Fairways, however, were a different story. While some were uniform in their growth, coverage, and turf consistency, others were a mix of different types of grasses. When it came to those holes, lies were quite thin with nothing more than a ‘veneer’ of grass covering the base underneath. You could be looking at three or four different strains of turf within a ten-foot circle.

As a result, ball striking had to be precise from those spots in order to ensure solid compression. I did find it necessary to ‘bump’ the ball out of a few bare depressions in order to give myself a fair chance at doing so…and this was especially true when it came to short irons/wedges.

I suppose it’s just the nature of the soil, turf, etc. but the difference between the fairway grass on, say, #1 and #15, were like night and day. Still…I gathered enough positives from my total experience that the turf issue isn’t going to discourage me from returning.

The real highlight was the greens. They were in great shape: soft and receptive to approach shots where you were literally throwing darts out there yet medium-quick on speed with consistent, true rolls on every green. Putts from above the hole may have been a bit quicker but nothing outrageous.

Also want to mention that although the putting surfaces were soft, I saw very few unattended ball marks. If repaired promptly, as should be the case, these greens can remain fairly pristine from sunrise to sunset.

Rough isn’t much of a factor as most perimeter areas are characterized by hard-packed sand/crushed granite. It gives the course somewhat of a desert-like appearance but sure does help with reducing maintenance costs while also keeping play moving…although we still had to endure a five-hour round.

Bunker sand was good but played a bit ‘heavier’ than I anticipated. I was in just one trap so I can’t comment on their consistency but they did appear uniform in that regard.

While the course is considered ‘short’ by today’s standard, it does demand precise shotmaking in order to score well. The closing stretch is solid…and even more so when the wind is up…and the size of the greens provides another option to stretch the yardage further than the card.

Whenever we encountered a ‘back’ flag position, it was ALL the way back! There were more than a couple of greens that measured some 40-50 yards from back to front. I really like golf courses that have this type of ‘interchangeability’; you may play one hole and approach the pin with an 8-iron one day…and 5-iron the next from the exact same spot in the fairway due to the flag’s location.

Course is flat until you hit the steep, uphill Par-4 12th (be aware of the severe ‘false front’)…which is followed by the dramatic downhill Par-3 13th…but there are enough twists and turns where it’s never monotonous and being able to shape the ball both ways off the tee is an asset.

Staff were friendly and accommodating, facilities and grounds spotless, and the vibe casual and relaxed. $55.00 to walk ‘Prime Time’ on the weekend with an additional $15.00 cart fee has value written all over it when you add everything up. And that’s amplified just a bit more if you happen to play during the week and walk.

While it’s an hour’s drive for me, I anticipate playing here a bit more in the future. Love the layout and if the greens continue to be maintained at their present level, it’s an absolute no-brainer for this kid.
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