Someone needs to explain to me how I've played so many SoCal courses but somehow always missed coming to Tijeras Creek. My goodness this course is a real gem and I'm so glad that circumstances conspir... Continue »

Someone needs to explain to me how I've played so many SoCal courses but somehow always missed coming to Tijeras Creek. My goodness this course is a real gem and I'm so glad that circumstances conspired to get me here. I am so enamored with this place. You've read it before I'm sure but this really is two absolutely different golf courses from one nine to the next. The front nine is a pretty wide-open and typical OC track with homes on either side of the ample fairways, water features and not too many elevation changes. Then you get on the back nine and you're suddenly transported to Cross Creek or Journey at Pechanga. It's narrow, it's hilly and it's spectacular fun. There's just not a bad hole on this property. Add to that wonderful conditions from tee to green and you're in for an unbelievable treat, and all for apparently better greens fees than many of its local contemporaries (not calling it cheap, but certainly lower than many others I saw at similar times). The fairways were in superb shape and the rough equally so. The bunkers have great sand in them, while the tee boxes (played the blues) were mostly good with some roughed up par 3 ones mixed in. The greens were really nice and quite tricky, but I would say they started much faster and then slowed down as the day progressed, so were they inconsistent or did they just change with the afternoon weather? I'm not well versed enough to know, but I do know I rolled my putts much better on the front than on the back. Nice little pro shop with a very competent staff, and the driving range is good but there are no ball collection things next to the mats so you have to keep reaching back and grabbing a ball out of the bucket - not ideal. There are also no club stands if you decide to leave your bag in the cart and only bring up individual clubs. So if there's one thing to be nitpicky about Tijeras Creek, I guess it's the range. I'll live. Overall though this was a tremendous surprise and really elevates up to one of my Orange County favorites at Ludicrous Speed. Playing from the tips here would be a massive challenge but the blues still gave us everything we could handle. Oh yeah, POP was really good and we finished with plenty of daylight, and cart service (and the snack shop at the turn) were really pleasant and fun. Just a great day all in all and I highly recommend it if you've never been.