first off at 6:20 - still a little dark - as a single on mission/friars. Tees are mostly overseeded and some look great, but most are a little thin. Fairways were thin with a lot of unrepaired divot... Continue »

first off at 6:20 - still a little dark - as a single on mission/friars. Tees are mostly overseeded and some look great, but most are a little thin. Fairways were thin with a lot of unrepaired divots. There are a lot of walkers on these courses. There is very little rough of any consequence. Traps have good sand and they spend some time maintaining them, thanks. Greens are well above average, medium speed today, but downhill they are treacherous. The collars were good, but some areas around the greens were pretty sparse, making it tough to pitch. Riverwalk very rarely, if ever, delays play for frost. There was frost in the fairways and rough until about 7:30, but the greens were frost free. The first tee on Mission always seems to have 20 people on it and an air of total chaos, but I don't think I've ever teed off more than 10 minutes late and gone early more times than not. Staff is accommodating and friendly. Enjoyed the walk.

played Presidio/Mission 12-2 at 6:30. Tee boxes, fairways, rough were all pretty beat up. Some bare spots in fairways covered up by the dye. Greens were very nice, rolling true at about 11, but col... Continue »

played Presidio/Mission 12-2 at 6:30. Tee boxes, fairways, rough were all pretty beat up. Some bare spots in fairways covered up by the dye. Greens were very nice, rolling true at about 11, but collars were spotty. Sand was great, fluffy and fairly deep. Got a chance to play Friars also and the greens seemed to roll quite a bit faster, keep it below the hole. These nines won't wow you in anyway, but there are decent holes with different shots required, some water features and well maintained fairway and greenside bunkers. Staff is always helpful and pleasant, starter makes you feel right at home.

Played the Blues on the Mission/Presido combo (6550/71.7/126) using Forelinx. POP on a busy holiday weekend was slow, 4H, 50M. Waited on nearly every shot but really enjoyed playing as a 3some with An... Continue »

Played the Blues on the Mission/Presido combo (6550/71.7/126) using Forelinx. POP on a busy holiday weekend was slow, 4H, 50M. Waited on nearly every shot but really enjoyed playing as a 3some with Andy & Shar. The weather was pleasant & nice for golf, 70's, breezy and partly cloudy. The tees were Okay, a little thin for my taste. Not too many had severe divot damage. The fairways had some lush areas but were still mediocre overall. Too many thin areas to be considered good, but they had recently resodded some areas that were previously hardpan. So at least on the upswing? The rough was generally good, more lush than thin, a few hardpan areas. The sand traps were very well maintained with thick sand. The greens were nice. Firm, fast and putted very well. If they did not have so many ballmarks, I would have called them excellent. But you definitely needed to stay below the hole! I was impressed by 2 things Marshall's did during this round. First, one out patrolling stopped and inquired on #13 tee if we thought the POP was too slow. Second, the group behind us had a guy who could really bomb it playing from the white tees. After having a ball land on the green in the air of the short par 4 Mission #2, we gave them the benefit of the doubt. But when he flew it 20 yards past the husband/wife I was playing with on Mission #6, Andy called the clubhouse and complained. Within minutes, they had dispatched not one but 2 Marshall's out to discuss the situation with the group behind us. No further issues. This combo definitely has the most water to avoid @ Riverwalk. On the Mission, several holes play around lakes, so it's a different experience than the other 2 nine's. Lakes or the river come into play on 6 of the 9 holes. The customer service was excellent. The Marshall's were out patrolling and enforcing cart path only on a couple of holes and the starter was informative and hustling to keep groups teeing off on time. Fun course, I would play here often if I lived in the greater S.D. area. Recommended.

Played the Blues on the Mission/Friars combo (6383/70.8/126) using Forelinx. Matched up with 3 nice guys, we played in 3H, 50M in overcast, occasionally drizzling weather on Black Friday dawn patrol. ... Continue »

Played the Blues on the Mission/Friars combo (6383/70.8/126) using Forelinx. Matched up with 3 nice guys, we played in 3H, 50M in overcast, occasionally drizzling weather on Black Friday dawn patrol. This is the shortest of the three combos @ Riverwalk. I like the Mission nine the most of the three 9's here because of the variety of holes. The tees were average, more thin than lush. Many par 3's needed divot repair. The fairways were mediocre overall. They have a mixture of hardpan, thin and lush areas. They have resodded some prior bad areas that are now GUR, so the effort is being made. CPO until after 8am. The rough was Okay overall, more lush than thin with some hardpan areas. The bunkers were very well maintained and freshly raked. The sand was nice to play out of. The greens were very nice, definitely the best part of the course. They were firm, fast and putted very well. Above the hole was a huge issue as quick as these greens were. The customer service was excellent. Quick & efficient check-in, Starter very friendly, Marshall's out patrolling. Saw the cart gal several times this morning. I had a burger combo for lunch, decent but $11 was a bit pricey. I would play here regularly if I lived in the greater S.D. area, the layout is fun.

Played 11-13-15 on the Mission/Friars rotation joining a twosome on the first tee and having another single join us in the fairway. Played in about 3 hours and 45 minutes never waiting and never being... Continue »

Played 11-13-15 on the Mission/Friars rotation joining a twosome on the first tee and having another single join us in the fairway. Played in about 3 hours and 45 minutes never waiting and never being pushed. Tee boxes were semi level and on the thin side with quite a few of them being over seeded. Fairways were thin with many dried out and bare spots, and other areas of new sod that was roped off. Rough was not that long and had some bare areas. Greens were semi firm with medium speed with a lot of ball marks. They could be in good shape if it weren't for all the pitch marks on them, some greens looked like they had been used for wedge practice there were so many ball marks on them. Costumer service was great.

Played the mission/Friars combo today. Used my new forelinx, got on without a problem. The code for $100 off the forelinx still works!!! Now to the course. I was pretty disappointed in the conditions.... Continue »

Played the mission/Friars combo today. Used my new forelinx, got on without a problem. The code for $100 off the forelinx still works!!! Now to the course. I was pretty disappointed in the conditions. Tee boxes were very thin and looked like they recently overseaded. Now I know you can use a tee but it kind of sets the tone for the golf course. Fairways were very thin and lots of ground being repaired. Bunkers were ok some thin others were good. The greens were excellent. The rolled very smooth and somewhat fast. Very few ball marks and held shots well. I am glad I don't pay the rack rate. There are other courses in SD in much better shape. Maybe give it a few weeks to see how it recovers.

Played the Blues on the Friars/Presido combo (6627/71.9/128) in partly cloudy, breezy conditions mid day on 10/26 using Forelinx. Played 9 holes as a 4some, then 1 guy quit after 9, another after 12, ... Continue »

Played the Blues on the Friars/Presido combo (6627/71.9/128) in partly cloudy, breezy conditions mid day on 10/26 using Forelinx. Played 9 holes as a 4some, then 1 guy quit after 9, another after 12, the final guy after 14, so I joined the 3some in front of me for the final 4 holes. POP was a slow 4H, 45M, playing behind a fundraiser tournament. The tees were decent, probably half lush and half thin. Not too many had severe divot damage. The fairways were poor. Many GUR areas, the rest was a mixture of hardpan, thin and lush areas. There had been heavy trucks on a couple of fairways that left some bad areas. The rough was generally good, more lush than thin, a few hardpan areas. The sand traps were very well maintained. The sand was thick and hard to hit out of. The greens were very consistent, firm and medium fast. If not for so many unrepaired pitch marks, I would have rated them as excellent, because they putted nice. The customer service was excellent. They got me right out @ 1:15 shortly after I finished my 1st round that ran long, causing me to miss my 12:30 tee time. The marshalls were out patrolling and enforcing cart path only on a couple of holes. This is the longest of the 9 hole combinations that form 18 holes here. Almost every hole is open on 1 side (trees, traps & rough) and penal on the other (usually red stakes). Therefore, you can manage the course on whether you want to play it more direct and bring the numerous red areas into play or play it longer but safer. Even though the Friars/Presido combo is the longest and rated as the toughest combo @ Riverwalk, I seem to play it better than the others? I would play here regularly if I lived in the greater S.D. area, I enjoy all three 9's. Recommended even with poorer fairways.

Riverwalk was the first course I played when I first moved to San Diego about 15 years ago. I played with my dad that day, and we kept Riverwalk on the standard rotation whenever he came to town. All ... Continue »

Riverwalk was the first course I played when I first moved to San Diego about 15 years ago. I played with my dad that day, and we kept Riverwalk on the standard rotation whenever he came to town. All this is just to say, "I have a nice, warm place in my heart for this course." This evening, after a 9 and 9 on Mission and Friars with the GK discount, I feel pretty much the same way. In my mind, Riverwalk has the same kind of charm as Balboa -- a layout that totally fits the terrain with nothing out of place or forced. The kind of course that's not built but planted. Anyways, enough with the romantic claptrap. Summary statement: Riverwalk is in pretty bad shape. Staff are great, and the greens are passable. If you don't mind that return on your green fee (or if you have a similar set of happy memories like me), you'll be glad you came. If you don't enjoy spending hours after a round of golf, listing the million and one better uses for your hard earned dollar, take a pass.

Played the Blues on the Mission/Presido combo (6550/71.7/126) using Forelinx 10/26 in 4H, 45M, teeing off @ 8:09 right as a senior tournament was starting. Really enjoyed playing as a 4some with a RW ... Continue »

Played the Blues on the Mission/Presido combo (6550/71.7/126) using Forelinx 10/26 in 4H, 45M, teeing off @ 8:09 right as a senior tournament was starting. Really enjoyed playing as a 4some with a RW member and a visiting Canadian father/son. The weather was pleasant & nice for golf, 70's, breezy and partly cloudy. The tees were decent, half lush/half thin. Not too many had severe divot damage. The fairways had some lush areas but were still poor overall. Too many hardpan & thin areas to be considered good. The rough was generally good, more lush than thin, a few hardpan areas. The sand traps were very well maintained with thick sand. Too thick for my taste, it was thick and hard to hit out, very penal. The greens were nice. Firm, medium quick and putted very well. If they did not have so many ballmarks, I would have called them excellent. This combo definitely has the most water to avoid. On the Mission, several holes play around lakes, so it's a different experience. Lakes or the river come into play on 6 of the 9 holes. The customer service was excellent. They worked us in around the tournament. The marshalls were out patrolling and enforcing cart path only on a couple of holes. I would play here often if I lived in the greater S.D. area. Recommended.