Fortunate enough to get my second-ever invite to play Hacienda this past week and I was thrilled for the opportunity to make good after my first-ever visit back in 2015 was an absolute tragedy on the ... Continue »

Fortunate enough to get my second-ever invite to play Hacienda this past week and I was thrilled for the opportunity to make good after my first-ever visit back in 2015 was an absolute tragedy on the scorecard. Still new to the game, I was in no position to tackle a course as challenging as Hacienda, but this time around I knew it would be much better. If you've never played here before, it's hard to describe how this superb track just kind of jumps out of nowhere at you in La Habra Heights. Your drive there makes you forget you're in the heart of Los Angeles, and then all of a sudden the property hits you. From the first hole until the last it's a completely wild ride. There's not a single 'easy' hole on this course and each has its own difficulty and risk-reward scenario. There are some significant carries on a lot of holes, one of the most tricky par 3s you'll ever play (the 16th) and enough elevations and blind shots to make you question your sanity. But it's oh so good to experience. The course looks immaculate when you pull into the parking lot, however I must admit that while the greens did roll very fast and were very challenging, the surfaces themselves were a little bit weathered and there were some strange color disparities from green to green. I wouldn't say it affected the smooth roll too much, but on a few holes there was trepidation as to how much these imperfections would impact the ball. Luckily it wasn't too bad, but optically things could definitely be a bit better. The rest of the course is fantastic. We played from the blue (V) tees and every tee box was in perfect shape, although some are quite small and tucked away in very awkward spots - did I mention this course was tough? The fairways are beautiful green carpet like you would expect from a private course of this caliber, and the rough was a very nice challenge if you missed said fairways. It varied in length but there were some very penal spots and fescue areas that will provide incredibly tricky outs. The bunkers were in pretty prime shape although I somehow managed to avoid every single one of them. The carts were incredibly plush and comfortable however there is no GPS on them - not shocking for clubs where they mostly encourage walking. No cart service but a very well stocked snack, food and beverage shack right at the 10th tee box. Everything you need can be found there. Also, if you've been there before, the driving range is quite small with only about ten stalls, but this past week it was closed altogether as right next to it is heavy construction as they removed the pool that was there before and are replacing the area with a very nice pitching and chipping practice area. So did I fix my past woes? Not exactly ... I was 18 shots better than my first visit though so that's showing something, but still did not play well enough to be pleased with the final outcome. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and hope to get another invite to play here again.