Played Lakewood for the second time in 2 weeks and the conditions are getting worse. The tee boxes are fairly good with minimal divots even on the par 3s. There are a few including 15 that as just til... Continue »

Played Lakewood for the second time in 2 weeks and the conditions are getting worse. The tee boxes are fairly good with minimal divots even on the par 3s. There are a few including 15 that as just tilted.

The rough is thin and wispy with scattered clumps of grass. The bad grass is broken by stretches of dirt which was wet and sticky this morning.

I was in too many bunkers. All the bunkers were damp and lacked any dry sand. Several had silty, sticky or muddy areas. Even with this they were consistent and played fairly well.

The fairways were burns and someone with only a passing understanding of a lawnmower cut them too close for what ever the conditions because there were many areas where they were trashed and burnt. Quite a few areas had only the thinnest cover of grass on a wet base.

The greens are usually the highlight of Lakewood. I expect them to be firm and fast. Today they were a mi-slow speed and overly damp. Shots were leaving gashes in the greens which apparently most people don't bother to or don't know how to fix. The greens did roll true.

Lastly we saw the cart only once (on the 16th) and she didn't even stop but asked if we were good as she drove by.

Honestly a second disappointment in as many weeks. I really hope to see a different course when the Long Beach Golf festival comes though next month. I will see what happens before then.

Played at 9 am on Sunday with my normal group. We teed off a few minutes late which was a good indication for the day. We waited on every tee and a few fairways on our way to a 5:20 min round. We did ... Continue »

Played at 9 am on Sunday with my normal group. We teed off a few minutes late which was a good indication for the day. We waited on every tee and a few fairways on our way to a 5:20 min round. We did see the marshal a few times and he was friendly enough and had cool water but didn't seem interested in moving play along. The group in front of us waved us up on every par 3 but then would all go to line up each person's putt in turn. The tee boxes were in fair shape and generally level. There were a few tees we struggled to find a flat spot (2, 6, 11 and 14). the 14th tee box was flat but had a good 2' rise between the back and front. The greens were very soft and even soggy in a few places. They rolled true except for the poorly fixed divots. There were surprisingly few pitch marks on the greens and the speed was on the slow side for Lakewood. The fairways were dry, hard and spotty. Almost every fairway had bare spots, burn out and crusty spots. There was also a lot of old divots that were not filled in. On that note I was disappointed that there were no filler bottles for me as a walker. The rough was spotty at best. Lots of clumps of grass, dirt and mud and thin grass. This made the lies in the rough a crap shoot. Even balls that ran 2-3' off the fairway could come to rest in holes surrounded by grass or in 10' circles of soft dirt. I was in a few bunkers and they were all crusty, poorly raked and damp underneath. They did have sand and I didn't see any thin spots but the sand had a lot of dirt in it. Then there was the cart girl. I saw her at least 3 times but she never stopped. She drove past me twice and one time she was parked on the 9th tee and drove off just as we were coming off the 8th green. Not good service. Overall I was disappointed in the course. I like the track as it has some really fun holes and is ideal for my group with players from +1 to -28. But the maintenance is really slipping. Typical of what I have seen from american golf. They maintain the greens but let everything else slide focusing on the once a month of twice a year golfer who doesn't care about conditions as long as the greens are green and not too fast. I hope that it is in better shape for the tournaments coming up.

Played yesterday, was 90+ degrees, NO refreshment cart !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No Marshall to get water from !!!!!!!!!!! groups in front would not wave up on par 3's !!!!!!!!!!!! As many as 3 groups on sa... Continue »

Played yesterday, was 90+ degrees, NO refreshment cart !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No Marshall to get water from !!!!!!!!!!! groups in front would not wave up on par 3's !!!!!!!!!!!! As many as 3 groups on same hole at times !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drinking fountains had very poor water pressure !!!!!! maybe 1/2 inch spout !!!!!!!!! golf shop was closed when finished !! about 2:30, coffee shop closed !!!!!!!!! Thank God for the bar with great bartender

Played at the Wood this AM, walked on after a 20 minute wait and played in 4:10. Course hasn't changed much since the last two posts: greens were real quick today as many downhill putts went 5-8 feet... Continue »

Played at the Wood this AM, walked on after a 20 minute wait and played in 4:10. Course hasn't changed much since the last two posts: greens were real quick today as many downhill putts went 5-8 feet past the cup. The bunkers were well conditioned, no rough to speak of, a decent day of golf. Marshall out checking up, good to see. #3 cut lower than I've seen for years to where it was actually playable. For $27, unbeatable.

Played this morning as a walk-on single and they got me out within 20 minutes. Course hasn't changed much from sngernz's review. Greens were rolling very well and quick. Do not leave yourself downhill... Continue »

Played this morning as a walk-on single and they got me out within 20 minutes. Course hasn't changed much from sngernz's review. Greens were rolling very well and quick. Do not leave yourself downhill putts! Fairways were typical LB muni so they were solid with a few bare spots here and there. Rough was hit and miss depending on what part of the course you were on. Tee boxes mirrored the fairways and I didn't have anything to complain about. Bunkers were solid but most had not been raked by the morning grounds crew. The sand was fine to hit out of though so that was a pleasant surprise.

#3 green was temporary today BUT the actual green is looking far better than I've seen it in the past. They've plugged it with Poa(why didn't they do this before??!!) so it is coming along nicely and I highly doubt they will need to re-sod it again. Hooray!

POP as a 5-some was... drumroll... 4 hours 15 minutes! IT CAN BE DONE!!
Also, you really can't beat an early morning round for $27. Very good value.

Played in a public SG at Lakewood this AM, PoP could have been a problem as we were struck behind a couple of groups that couldn't hit one airborne (or straight) if their lives depended on it. Fortun... Continue »

Played in a public SG at Lakewood this AM, PoP could have been a problem as we were struck behind a couple of groups that couldn't hit one airborne (or straight) if their lives depended on it. Fortunately, the guys in my group were regulars and got the marshal to find a spot where we could 'fit in'. Good thing for that or it would've been torture watching the golf apocalypse unfold ahead of us. Okay, the course: got some much needed rain last week and this helped to keep the fairways in decent shape, the rough is another story. Hit or miss there: patchy and uneven ground. Bunkers were prepped and in good shape and I was in several today. Greens are healthy and rolling real nice for Poa. $27 to walk, can't beat it ... it's over $40 to walk at El Do and more at Skylinks so this makes the Wood quite the bargain. Recommended. Coot update: horrendous what those coots are doing to this course. When they all magically disappeared on the 18th tee box, we realized a hawk had swept down for a mid-morning snack. Love them hawks, hate them coots.

Played today, Sunday 2/16, teeing off at 7:00 am. The course was in good shape considering the season. The warm winter has helped the fairways and rough stay relatively lush. The rough is cut down ... Continue »

Played today, Sunday 2/16, teeing off at 7:00 am. The course was in good shape considering the season. The warm winter has helped the fairways and rough stay relatively lush. The rough is cut down in most places, or not watered, but is a decent hitting surface. The sand traps were uniformly good, with consistent sand. The greens were very nice, probably because we played early when they were still pretty smooth. As the course dried out as the morning went along, they got sneaky fast. Best of all, our fivesome played in 4:10 (although on 8 my friend did suggest to the foursome in front of us that they try to keep up with the group in front of them; to their credit, they sped up). Great day on the links - at $36.50 to walk on a weekend, it is a good deal right now.

Maybe the warm weather has cut down on the coots. Their droppings were still evidence but we did not see many birds, except on the third green.

Was able to sneak outta work today and walked on at Lakewood 15 minutes after checking in at 8AM. PoP about 4.5 hrs with some waiting on the front but nothing after the par 3 12th. Greens soft but f... Continue »

Was able to sneak outta work today and walked on at Lakewood 15 minutes after checking in at 8AM. PoP about 4.5 hrs with some waiting on the front but nothing after the par 3 12th. Greens soft but fast, fairways like most SoCal courses right now during this drought: dry and thin. Worth playing considering it's a county run course so weekday fees are a very reasonable $27 to walk. Coots everywhere, I mean everywhere, with their crap getting in your spikes and cart wheels ... I hate coots.

First time played on 11/8, teed off at 7:35. pop was 4.5 hrs. The course is fun from the back tee's, firm fairways (how they should be) with a few fantastic holes. Greens were decent, staff is profess... Continue »

First time played on 11/8, teed off at 7:35. pop was 4.5 hrs. The course is fun from the back tee's, firm fairways (how they should be) with a few fantastic holes. Greens were decent, staff is professional, overall great value.