I played with Matt Mpisarski01 on Saturday the 1st of April. Having bought this for Matt as a Christmas present it was a real treat to play the Pelican South Course. Having said that the course was no... Continue »

I played with Matt Mpisarski01 on Saturday the 1st of April. Having bought this for Matt as a Christmas present it was a real treat to play the Pelican South Course. Having said that the course was not going to give me an easy day. We warmed up on the practice range on the turf with our caddie Eddie watching our last few shots. It is quite different playing with a caddie. It took me a while to believe him and do what he suggested(I should have listened to his advise more). The greens were fast yet soft to take a long iron shot. I actually plugged a 5 iron onto the 11th green. The fairways were as expected this time of year green but still coming out of dormancy. They were cut short with a narrow first cut of rough and then 6" was not out of the question. I had several shots that I could only hit it back into the fairway a few yards from the deep rough. It made keeping the ball in the fairway a must. Once on the greens they played very fast and the subtle reads were hard for me to believe even with the help of Eddie our caddie (I should have listened to him).

The views and weather here on the Newport Coast are unbelievable. Pelican is a true resort course right here in our own back yard. I would love to play again if I can get a part time job to cover the green fees. If you get the opportunity to play the Pelican Hills take it and enjoy.

Had the pleasure of playing Pelican Hill South today with my father and enjoyed the course. The scenic value at this course is the best in SoCal in my mind. We had a 920 tee time today and showed up a... Continue »

Had the pleasure of playing Pelican Hill South today with my father and enjoyed the course. The scenic value at this course is the best in SoCal in my mind. We had a 920 tee time today and showed up about an hour early. The complementary valley guys were very nice as well as the people in the pro shop. Our Caddie Eddie was a very nice guy with lots of tips and he is also a GK'er who just learned about the guru programs. He will be updating his profile and posting some nice reviews soon.

The practice facility was a little on the disappointing side as the range has a large grass area and a mat section to hit off in the case of poor weather of grass rejuvenation. Sadly it was mats today even though the grass looked perfectly fine. there is no chipping area or sand to practice out of at the range and the small putting green was punched recently and made putting practice useless as they wont punch the course for another two weeks on the south and one month on the north.

Course conditions were pretty nice

Tee's- the tee boxes were a little chewed up and also a little shaggy for most people. This does not bother me as much as it would others because I like to tee up a little higher.

Fairways did not look all the pretty from afar as they are just coming out of dormancy. Although when you get up they are well manicured and have zero bare spots and very few divot issues.

Rough was very penal and you could lose a ball in it very easy. I am not sure what type of grass that it is but you could drop a ball from waste high and only be able to see it from right above. Even our Caddie was having trouble helping us find our wayward shots.

Greens- I think the greens were the best part of the course for looks and roll. A lot of putts break towards the ocean but the grains can cut the break in half and with the caddies tips i was able to hit the right line the most of the time. Sadly I could not control my power.

Sand was 50/50 - the first bunker I hit into was the fairway bunker on hole one and it had decent sand in it. Unfortunately the sand on the back to back par 3's on the back nice were in terrible shape. They need more sand and maybe a sifter to get the rocks out. They were like hitting out of the desert and the caddie let us know that they want to keep the ocean side bunkers that way. They have rejuvenated the bunkers on hole 18 with white powder like sand and its very nice.

In all this is a very fun course but the price is just so high its hard to imagine playing here other than a special occasion. Also if you are looking to play here as a resort course just be warned as it plays like a tournament course course that has some very tough holes including the 440 yard dog leg 18th (that hole got the best of me)

I have to agree with dethman. conditions were decent and we actually enjoyed the course. Views are unbelievable and is the main point of going there. Nice breeze, nice course, nice company. Fun d... Continue »

I have to agree with dethman. conditions were decent and we actually enjoyed the course. Views are unbelievable and is the main point of going there. Nice breeze, nice course, nice company. Fun day. Greens in good condition although there were a few unrepaired ballmarks. Medium to medium fast greens and depending on location of holes, can be brutal. I think hole#2 where the hole was at the edge of a ridge where if your ball was above the hole, there is no chance for the ball to stay on the green. Bunkers well stocked, tee box in great shape, green lush and level. What we didn't enjoy was the pace of 5 1/2 hours. That was just ridiculous if you are paying that much to play. I did notice some beginners who were at the range before us so I assume that was a hold up in play. I think they should marshall the course which I didn't see anyone doing. Saw the bev cart a few times. Customer service was hit and miss depending on the person you are dealing with. It used to be everyone was spot on and eager to help. Not this time around. maybe a lack of training or guy just having a bad day. I just ignored and not let someone spoil my day. After the round, we ate at one of the onsite restaurant and food was excellent and price was actually decent considering the location and the view. Will I be back? heck yeah! hopefully this was just an anomaly due to the promotions PH has been sending out. It would be a shame if this has become the norm.

Played Pelican South 2/17
If you see my review of the North, you can just repeat it.
I am rating this based on the pricing for this course. I can pay for parking at the public beach next door and... Continue »

Played Pelican South 2/17
If you see my review of the North, you can just repeat it.
I am rating this based on the pricing for this course. I can pay for parking at the public beach next door and get the same views.
The fairways were long, shaggy, and way too wet. Mud on golf balls was way too frequent. The greens were lightly topdressed, but still managed to be so bumpy that we were giving 3 footers in our matches. If I hit enough bunker shots from the bunker on #11 I was in, the bounce on my wedge would change, it was like a cart path.
Pace of play was a joke. They never told us there was a ten group outing ahead of us, and it took us 5 1/2 hours to play 17 holes, only seeing a course marshall when he retrieved the closest to the pin sign on 16!

Check in help was useless, but the girl in the shop was very helpful when I was looking for a jacket. Same guy at counter was useless when my client was buying a Callaway driver.
COnsidering lunch at the resort is an expensive but wonderful experience, it's hard to believe that the same resort can offer the golf experience that is so bad at the prices they ask for.
My client, who is a frequent visitor to Laguna/Newport has finally told me we won't return.

Played in a tournament at the South course on Sunday, 2/15 had a 7:30AM tee time, POP was right at 5 hours, which isn't terrible for tournament conditions. I was little disappointed given Pelican bill... Continue »

Played in a tournament at the South course on Sunday, 2/15 had a 7:30AM tee time, POP was right at 5 hours, which isn't terrible for tournament conditions. I was little disappointed given Pelican bills itself as a World Class facility and charges as such. Before I get into the negatives, the customer service here is fantastic, from the valet to the beverage cart you are definitely a "Member for a Day". The views are 2nd to none and for the most part the course is in very good condition. However.....

After arriving, I was dismayed that the practice facility was turf-only and not real grass, any "World Class" facility offers real grass, 100% of the time. Also, there is no chipping area nearby so any short game work is virtually impossible. That's an absolute travesty for $300 of golf. The greenside "sand" traps on the ocean holes (back nine) are more like waste bunkers with very little sand. I wouldn't be upset if they were waste bunkers and you could ground your club to get a feel for the dirt, but it's a little unfair. The greens were smooth, but slow. I was expecting a more pure putting surface.

The course itself is not the most challenging course, but is fun to play. It's very straight forward with a great collection of par 3's, but the par 5's are a little bland. Don't be deceived by the yardage, since it's a par 70 the course plays a little longer than it says. Also a few of the shorter holes play dramatically uphill and into the prevailing sea breeze, however it's not a overly lengthily course either. From the tips it plays to about 6800 and you'll have mid-irons into most of the greens.

Overall, this is a nice course, but it fails to live up to its billing. I've played a number of top courses in the SoCal area and I would rate this on par with a Arroyo Trabuco or Tustin Ranch but since it's in Newport Beach and has stunning views, it's twice the cost. By no means is this as nice as Sandpiper or even Aviara. Play once to cross it off your list, but don't pay $300, hold out for the twilight rate ($175).

Played South Course today with a bunch of golf friends whom are members. It was one of those rounds that I had to play because the price was worth it (nearly free compared to what they charge).

Th... Continue »

Played South Course today with a bunch of golf friends whom are members. It was one of those rounds that I had to play because the price was worth it (nearly free compared to what they charge).

This is a high end facility, like very high end! It certainly lived up to that.

From when you drive in, to check in...1st class help. Driving range is the best of the best with real greens/bunkers for targets - all uphill.

The carts are luxury seating golf carts (no gps) with bottled water.

Tee boxes were lush but many were uneven.

Fairways where very lush and undulating. However i never had a bad lie.

Rough was long and lush and at some points hard to even find a ball just off the fairway in the rough.

Bunkers were like concrete. Probably from after the rain. Very difficult to hit out of them. Good thing i was only in 2!

Greens are large and soft. They were painfully slow. Was off pace all day, could not get used to hitting the putts so hard.

The one thing that is still lingering with me...the views! They are just superb. From the green glass to the layout of bunkers all with ocean views.

If you have the opportunity to tee it up at Pelican, its a must.

WARNING! I haven't written a review in awhile but I just had to this time to WARN others!!!
I played here on Tuesday 10/21 at twilight. The course is in the WORST shape I have ever seen it. I have ... Continue »

WARNING! I haven't written a review in awhile but I just had to this time to WARN others!!!
I played here on Tuesday 10/21 at twilight. The course is in the WORST shape I have ever seen it. I have never seen greens that bad anywhere on any course. I can't believe they even let us play on those greens. Absolutely the most terrible greens ever. I've played here before and it was immaculate but this time, I took clients and it was embarrassing. Every green should be ripped out and replaced. Obviously something is going on, green virus or something, but come on. The course should be shut down immediately. Absolute waste of money to play there in its current condition. No warning either, just that "there were some brown spots here and there". What BS. I won't go back till I know for sure the course has been restored and I imagine it would take at least 3-4 months.

I also played 6/10/14 in the SCGA outing, first time here on the South, teeing off in the second group at 7:10AM. Very nice practice area with plenty of balls, level grass hitting areas, plenty of ta... Continue »

I also played 6/10/14 in the SCGA outing, first time here on the South, teeing off in the second group at 7:10AM. Very nice practice area with plenty of balls, level grass hitting areas, plenty of targets on the hillside. Putting greens (one next to the range, one at the first tee) were small and pretty level – not in any way similar to the hell we were about to experience. Weather throughout the round was overcast and cool, with only light breezes when we got to the ‘ocean’ holes (11-13). We finished in just over 4 hours, never catching the group in front of us, and rarely seeing the group behind. This is a challenging course with significant elevation changes throughout. Very large green complexes with significant undulations and tiering. There are many severe slopes in fairways and on and around greens; many approaches and green surrounds have deep collection areas and runoffs. I spent at least half the day with the ball above my feet. It is critical to be on the correct side of the fairway off the tee to approach these greens. Ocean holes (11-13) are shoehorned in between expensive homes and the beach and are too short to be interesting, beyond the views of the ocean. Greens were very large, held shots well, and rolled great at medium speed. Rough was generally cut fairly short and easy to play from unless you ventured into the scrub (frequently marked red or played as a lateral hazard). Tees were all in great shape and level. The par 3 tees, where you normally see a lot of wear, were also good, probably due to the architect allotting adequate teeing areas so the wear and tear can be moved around and not build up. Sand was of good quality but had a wet base and damp upper layer, probably from watering. In my opinion the course was badly overwatered for the round this morning. During our round, despite the cool temperatures and overcast skies, a lot of water was being put on the course. Sprinklers were running during the round on several green areas and fairways, and in a number of cases course workers were actively putting water on greens and approach areas. With a par of 70, there are a number of long par 4s on the course. I’m not the longest hitter, and I hit the ball fairly low, so a lot of my approach game today required long irons or hybrids. But the fronts and approaches to most of the greens were soft and wet – my shots would hit into banks and die, or run off into collection areas. These approach areas need to play firmer and allow players to attack greens when they are not able to fly the ball onto the putting surfaces. There is an advertised slope of 131 on the blue tees where we played. Based on my round today, I feel this course is very much UNDERSLOPED based on comparisons to the characteristics of other courses in Southern California. For instance, blue tees at (randomly selected courses) include Sierra Lakes (123), Talega (130), Green River (123), and Black Gold (130). Talega and Black Gold have many characteristics similar to Pelican, but are both much less severe in terms of fairway and green slopes and undulations. The similarity of Pelican’s 131 slope to Talega and Black Gold may have something to do with Pelican having a par of 70 (Talega and Black Gold have pars of 72) – I don’t understand all the ramifications of the par/slope relationship. But a slope of 131 for these blue tees at Pelican looks TOO LOW to my battered game. Recommended – but bring a stiff upper lip!

Played in the SCGA outing, and although Pelican Hill is generally a nice course, I'd be absolutely furious if I were a hotel guest and paid the rack rate. The conditions weren't nearly as good as whe... Continue »

Played in the SCGA outing, and although Pelican Hill is generally a nice course, I'd be absolutely furious if I were a hotel guest and paid the rack rate. The conditions weren't nearly as good as when I last played PH. Many greens had some repaired areas along with spots where they were verticut but no top dressing. Fairways were mostly OK although there were quite a few areas that were brown and thin, and these weren't just from water conservation as some spots were severely overwatered. Many bunkers were unraked and filled with footprints, and quite a few had the cloth lining poking up through the sand throughout the bunker. The laser rangefinder provided with the cart didn't work. All of these things aren't unreasonable on an average course, but for a facility that presents itself as a high end luxury experience and has the priciest greens fees in SoCal, it is unacceptable.