Played here today with a 12:10 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. I applied $80 of TeeOff rewards that were about to expire to get it for about $190. Arrived around an hour early to use the range and practice gr... Continue »

Played here today with a 12:10 TeeOff.com "Deal" time. I applied $80 of TeeOff rewards that were about to expire to get it for about $190. Arrived around an hour early to use the range and practice green. The putting green is small and could use some more holes cut; it only has about 3 or 4 and the course was very busy. Started right on time paired with another single and a twosome. The other single quit after about seven holes because he was playing so poorly. After that, we had to wait quite a bit but POP was still fine at around 4:30. It was a beautiful day and I was happy having time to take lots of pics instead of being rushed.

Conditions are good overall. Greens are smooth, run very true, and are quite fast. They are medium firmness and accept full shots well. I think they're scheduled for aeration in about a week. There were quite a few ball marks on some greens, but nothing that impacted any of my putts. Putts toward the ocean are noticeably faster than others. Fairways are mostly good with semi-dormant bermuda cut short. One or two holes had less than ideal coverage but most are good. The rough is semi penal at about 2-3 inches deep and somewhat thick. Blue tee boxes were mostly good, but a few were extremely hard and one or two others were lower quality grass and/or a little lumpy. Bunkers were good. All of the above is being slightly pickier than normal due to $340 rack rate out here.

First time playing South for me. I really enjoyed it, definitely a little more than North. Having seen No. 12 from the Crystal Cove walking path, I was surprised to learn the angle of the tee box. I always figured the tee was closer to the covered walkway. No. 13 was super cool, playing to the larger, right-side green of the two greens. That left one is tiny! The big surprise for me was the greatness of the skyline green par-3 16th... what a gorgeous hole! Fun day. Glad I splurged on it.

One of the special places here in OC that we've come to enjoy over the years. The spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean in forefront and the nice breeze always makes it a enjoyable round. And the un... Continue »

One of the special places here in OC that we've come to enjoy over the years. The spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean in forefront and the nice breeze always makes it a enjoyable round. And the unique course with one of the best finishing hole makes it a memorable day. Check in was super easy. Carts already lined up with your start time. Hit the range to warm up. Today, we were hitting from the grass. A few minutes before tee time, you were handed the keys to the cart. And off we go. Conditions on the course were great. Tee boxes and fairways lush. There were a lot of unfilled divots on the course and I landed in a few myself. Greens were receptive and running around 10.5 and require precise approach to proper tier to score well. Unfortunately, I didn't do that. Greens were actually micro punched but barely noticed it and few putt were affected by them. Pace was slow and the player assistance approached us to let us know that we are behind and I explained that it was not us but groups in front. He acknowledge the fact that we were actually waiting to hit our shots. Such a fun day out here and certainly will be back sooner than later.

Back to Pelican Hill for some brief R&R, things here are almost 100% normal now, full service everywhere with some capacity restrictions that simply make it harder to reserve accommodations and golf. ... Continue »

Back to Pelican Hill for some brief R&R, things here are almost 100% normal now, full service everywhere with some capacity restrictions that simply make it harder to reserve accommodations and golf. Resort guests can get their golf on no problem.

South Course is my favorite of the two great courses here because it has several great holes right on the water, including an excellent short par 4 that can have wicked pin placements at times, and two fun back to back par 3s (one featuring alternative greens). Par 70, with 5 par 3s and three par 5s, there are several long par 4s that will challenge all but the long hitters to reach the green in regulation, and some elevated green complexes that add to the difficulty. There are two holes with challenging forced carries, and the four finishing holes (uphill dogleg 4, longish 3, long and uphill and bunker abundant 5, double forced carry 4) are absolute scorecard wreckers. All that said, average length players can have fun on the white or blue tees and vary their experience. This is a course where I really wonder what slope means, it is way more challenging than other courses with higher slope ratings IMHO. You can play par golf on a good day and then get slaughtered by just one poor shot. But it is a fun course to play, a real treat for the eyes, and always in tip top condition in my experience now and again over the last ten years. Definitely a course that rewards local knowledge, like significantly. Which adds to the challenge and the fun of you can play with a guide. (Forecaddies here are a victim of COVID, sad.)

Aside from length here and there, the greens are what give the course its teeth. Many have two tiers and some wicked tee placement options. The other u durations are subtle. The speed is always fast, and they roll very true, but you will miss a lot of good putts. Short putts are a real bear because of the speed.

The course is in outstanding condition everywhere. Players here are great about filling divots—ball marks not as much, but still better than most places. The greens are receptive to high shots, but still roll out more than you expect. There are many green surrounds that punish slight misses of the green quite severely.

Is the course worth $235 or more a round? It is definitely $100 a round better than most other high end public daily fee courses, but a lot of those courses are not “worth” $100+ themselves, so it is all relative. And given what hotels are charging these days just to stay there, golf here is a real bargain! But is it worth almost $200 more than Rustic Canyon? No. But Rustic is a ridiculously great deal. Is Pebble Beach worth $300 more than here? Comparatively (and leaving out the history factor), no. I will say that you definitely get gold plated treatment here. The staff is exceptional and the pro shop and food all are first rate. If you get a chance to play here, do. You won’t regret the hole in your wallet to have played here. You will see your green fee put to good use on every hole.

Good range, usually mats but sometimes grass. Unfortunately steeply uphill, you can see where your shots land but distance practice is impossible beyond the wedges. Needs a practice bunker and a chipping area to be a quality range, but it is fine. Putting green is 100% true to the course greens and pretty flat for good practice putting, with subtle slopes just like on the course.

Got out here late morning on a good rate. Played the north before but not the south. When you arrive you get the feeling this place is a step above. Friendly check in and starter, very nice carts wit... Continue »

Got out here late morning on a good rate. Played the north before but not the south. When you arrive you get the feeling this place is a step above. Friendly check in and starter, very nice carts with GPS and included water bottles. Top notch range area with included balls but can't really dial in distances as everything goes uphill. Challenging course with lots of elevation changes, consistent ocean views and tough approach shots. Wide enough fairways, but pay attention to your shot into the green. A couple of beautiful par 3 ocean holes. Course is in excellent condition with well manicured tee boxes at the blues. Fairways are lush green carpet with just a bit of brown but everything played well. Rough was just enough to have your ball sit down and penalize you. Fairway bunkers were hard and compacted though, and greenside bunkers didn't quite have enough sand. Fringe areas were very well maintained. Greens were tough and undulating with many false fronts and multiple tiers, but surprisingly felt slow, I didn't get a putt to the hole until the 7th hole or so. Very soft and receptive. It's pricey, but the tee sheet appeared packed so their pricing model is probably on point. A very enjoyable round, hope to get back here soon.

Twilight round at Pelican Hill south got in 18 with the last in complete darkness. Course is an amazing piece of property with fantastic views. Tees, fairways and rough had good coverage. Greens had a... Continue »

Twilight round at Pelican Hill south got in 18 with the last in complete darkness. Course is an amazing piece of property with fantastic views. Tees, fairways and rough had good coverage. Greens had a lot of footprints and unfixed divots due to late in the day. Staff is great and strict Covid protocols being followed.

Posted: 5-25-2020
By: andrewhhoang

Played Ocean South with the family today. Tee’d off at 2:10pm and finished at 6pm. Never had to wait! Beautiful day today. Range was on mats. Tee boxes were in g... Continue »

Posted: 5-25-2020
By: andrewhhoang

Played Ocean South with the family today. Tee’d off at 2:10pm and finished at 6pm. Never had to wait! Beautiful day today. Range was on mats. Tee boxes were in great shape, fairways had great coverage and were luscious. Rough was fair and in great shape as well. Bunkers were consistent and soft. Green speed felt like it varied some holes but they rolled smoothly. Never complaining about a day here at Pelican. 3/100 down for my dad and I!

Played last Saturday. My first time playing here, and wow! the place is great! I loved everything about it! Now I was lucky enough to have an inside hookup that got me out for $125, I'm not sure h... Continue »

Played last Saturday. My first time playing here, and wow! the place is great! I loved everything about it! Now I was lucky enough to have an inside hookup that got me out for $125, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I paid the regular rate, but when I was thinking about it later, I felt that this may be in the top 3 courses I've played in the LA/Desert area. Pelican was better than the Riveria, primarily in layout, they compared with course conditions. LACC was better in both layout and conditions. Yeah, I'd say Pelican may be the 2nd best place to play in LA/Desert area. The south course is lower and cuts closer to the beach. One hold has you right up over the shoreline in fact. The layout was quite varied I thought, with a meandering path throughout the resort, with few holes lined up together. The service was outstanding, I even had my car washed. I ate lunch too, that was also great, and a bunch of my friends loved the pool. I'd love to play golf here again, if I can get a deal, or feel like splurging.

Played Friday after a year or so and was absolutely shocked with the condition of th course, but mainly the greens. The majority of the greens on the South look like they need to be ripped out and re... Continue »

Played Friday after a year or so and was absolutely shocked with the condition of th course, but mainly the greens. The majority of the greens on the South look like they need to be ripped out and replaced. I don’t think this course has been the same since they closed it for two years to build the resort, and also replaced th fairways. On this day, the fairways were soft (but not wet as they tend to be) and the greens had patches everywhere to the point they were nearly unplayable. Finally we had a stretch of solid greens on 14-18 but by the. I had lost interest in the course and round. Bunkers were firm, dirt-like condition. They should be embarrassed to charge these rates in this condition. Play Oak Creek for a solid condition course and skip then go to the beach for the view.

Was invited to play here and it was a good thing because there is no way that this course is worth $320 to play. Don’t get me wrong the course is in good shape, but not immaculate and the layout is fu... Continue »

Was invited to play here and it was a good thing because there is no way that this course is worth $320 to play. Don’t get me wrong the course is in good shape, but not immaculate and the layout is fun and enjoyable. I just find it hard to justify that kind of price to play golf, but it was a course marked off my bucket list and the weather and view was excellent. Greens had great pace and rolled smooth. Bunkers were for the most part soft with plenty of sand below the ball. Fairways were in good shape with very few bare spots and the rough was thick. Customer service was great and they have a nice driving range to warm up on with plenty or room and all the balls you can hit. Fun round all in all, but unless you are getting a huge discount or playing for free take your $320 and spread it around a few courses instead of just one.