DougMain

Getting 18 holes at a decent golf course, with a GPS cart for around $50 through GolfNow is a great deal. But, beware the potholes and roots on the cart paths. Still, we'll be going back for more.

I've now played The Garrison twice and will probably play again. It's one of the few courses available through GolfNow that actually has tee times available. The course itself is good value for money, at approx $50 with a GPS cart. Some of the holes (zig-zag par 5s) are somewhat confusing unless you're with someone who has played before, A few of the holes have tiny greens that have yet to be renovated but overall, it's entertaining and fun.

We drove by the Lomas Santa Fe Executive course the other day and it looked very pretty from the road so we thought we'd give it a try. It's connected to the full size and private Lomas Santa Fe Country Club so we figured it would be pretty good, for an executive layout. And it was okay. A nice setting, good conditions (other than the very chewed up and occasionally uneven tee boxes) and what appeared initially to be a good variety of holes. However, I wound up hitting the same 52* wedge on 6 or 7 holes that played the same distances despite having a 15-20 yard difference on the score card. There were 16 par 3s and 2 par 4s (both less than 300 yards). There are a few other executive courses in the San Diego area. Tecolote Canyon was pretty beat up everywhere when I played a couple of years ago and Mission Bay was pretty flat and dull. LSF is the best of the three, by far.

We had played CMR a couple of years ago while on a vacation trip. It was an interesting enough layout but the greens were so slow and fuzzy as to make the entire experience very unenjoyable. There have been some changes, chief among them the greens. Perfect! The speed was great; the surfaces were smooth and the challenges were everywhere. And the layout is really a lot of fun, with short holes and long, lots of elevation changes and just a right amount of hazards and obstacles. There are some long drives between holes and some doubling back and forth to get around the housing development, but other than that it's a great layout and a lot of fun. I'm a convert and will be back. The only shortcoming is no range.

We were encouraged by some people we met at another course to try Admiral Baker recently and so we gave it a try. The GolfNow Hot Deal price was very attractive and we were able to get a suitable time. There had been quite a bit of rain in the area so it was cart path only which slowed things down quite a bit and made for some long walks to our balls.

The course itself is interesting enough, although a number of the holes, especially on the front 9 are similar, flat, straight away. There are some fun elevation changes on the back.

White tees are about 6500 yards, a little hefty for seniors and the gold women's tees at 5500 are brutal. It's an old Navy course and I guess there were no women in the Navy when this was built. On many of the par 4s, the gold tees were barely 10 yards shorter. 356 yard par 4 is impossible to reach for most women over 50. And 427 with no downhill is a big ask for anyone with more than a 10 handicap. A good no-cost start would be a "combo" score card that provides about 6100 yards. But for couples to enjoy it, they need at least a dozen forward tees.

It's a pretty setting in the San Diego River valley. I find all the palm trees to be a bit odd in this venue and the multiple power lines do distract from the esthetics a bit. We will try again when it dries up again though.

The rack rate for weekday play with GPS cart is +$80 which is pretty steep for this quality of course. Our Golfnow rate of $45 was more appropriate. The course offers a good variety of holes, doglegs in both directions and par 3s of different lengths. Conditions are what one would expect on a mid-winter Bermuda course, although the dormant fairways were far better than some of the other area courses we've played. The forward tees do not provide much of a break for women golfers. It seems unlikely that the course will add a set of new tees which should be 30-40 yards ahead in many cases. The course is in a housing development but there are plenty of trees and the homes do not intrude at all. Greens were in fine condition for a heavily used public course, but I repaired half a dozen pitch marks just about every time. Doesn't anyone carry a repair tool anymore?

We drove out from Edmonton on a beautiful early fall day to see what Trestle Creek was all about. It was a good hour to get there and we had to drive past half a dozen other decent courses to get there. Worth it? Sure. And we might do it again. The course is at a large RV resort which suggests it might be a pretty lame layout. Far from it. Five tee boxes per hole. 7500 yards in all. The creek runs throughout the course and provides both framing and obstacles on many of the holes. The Jack Pine 9 is about a year older than Creekside and thus the greens are smoother and faster.

A good variety of holes, fairways are wide enough to allow for some failures in precision. Bunkering is fair and allows for run ups to most of the greens. A few elevation changes here and there to add interest. All in all, an interesting course, with a lot of variety. Good value, even at the full rack rate. Electric carts with GPS. A warning: bring mosquito repellent! They were thick and determined.

I haven't seen any negative reviews of Rams Hill, and this certainly won't be one. The setting is gorgeous, the course was in perfect condition (It was Augusta-perfect, with fairways, rough, tees and greens all deep green, with no bare spots anywhere.) The range is amazing, with ProV balls, individual range finders and multiple targets. I do have one niggle. The Blue distance is nearly 6400, White is about 5800. They need a combo at around 6000-6100.

We paid $80 on GolfNow. Courses in San Diego in similar condition are $120-200.

Getting there is a bit of a chore however. It's about 90 minutes from Escondido, nearly 2 hours from Downtown San Diego and the drive, while spectacular on a motorcycle or in a Porsche, is hard work in a minivan or pickup truck. I think it's a little easier coming from Palm Springs. (The Director of Golf makes the commute from La Quinta in 75 minutes.)

The town of Borrego Springs is pretty tiny, but there is a variety of restaurants and a few things to look at. We're very glad we went, have nothing but good things to say about the course, but will wait a while before tackling that drive again.

We had played Sycuan Resort years ago when it was Singing Hills but hadn't been back because there had been a big price jump with the new owners. However, after finding a Hot Deal for $42 each, we went back and are very glad we did. There are two 18 layouts, Oak and Willow. We prefer Willow; it has a more interesting and varied layout than Oak and has less construction, and better cart paths. The fairways are very lush, among the few reasonably priced courses with green grass. Greens were smooth but a bit slower than some of the other places we've played. The carts are very comfortable, with upgraded upholstery. However, the GPS system isn't functional. The owners didn't renew the contract with the supplier so you don't get distances. There are yardage markers in the fairways every 25 yards. Nice range, good chipping area, several practice putting greens and a beautiful setting.

Due to the multi-year drought in southern California, many of the regular priced courses ($50 or so) are parched, browned out or dormant. There are a few high end ($100+) that have overseeded and watered and have lush conditions but Eastlake is among a very small handful with green grass and reasonable prices. We've paid as little as $29 for 18 holes, noonish tee time, cart with GPS. And it's not some boring flat course. Plenty of elevation changes, interesting holes both long and short, pretty well every hole is different and enough challenges to keep you engaged. The greens are smooth for the most part but patrons seem to ignore their pitch marks quite a bit which detracts from the experience. It's in a housing development, but there is still plenty of room on both sides of the fairways; no claustrophobia. There are a couple of other courses in the Chula Vista area including Salt Creek but none can compare to the conditions and value at Eastlake.

This course is one of the few that hasn't been severely affected by the Southern California drought. Many courses are just watering greens and tees, but RBI has applied some water to the fairways with the result that there are many green, lush areas. It's not perfect, far from it, but it's a lot better that many of the other area courses in the $50-70 range.

The course itself is an interesting layout, with a good variety of holes. Our last time out we played the front twice because the pace of play was so slow we would have struggled to get in before dark. The player assistant suggested it, and it was a good idea. There was a bit of a shotgun ahead of us and the going was slow. Staff were helpful, but there is a lot of construction in the parking lot area making things a bit congested. I'm not even sure if the range is operational. We hit a few last time out and it was horrible.

Probably won't go back since we've found other area courses that are cheaper, more fun, better condition and with full grass ranges and practice areas and GPS carts. (Eastlake and The Vineyard.)

This is an interesting layout with a great variety of holes: long, short, doglegs in both directions, with enough sand and water to keep your attention. However, conditions are far from good. The tee boxes are quite chewed up, and not all of them are flat. The fairways, for the most part are fine, but the "rough" areas are very rough, with lots of dirt, potholes, unplayable lies and many poorly maintained areas. The greens were typical "muni" speeds, but there were millions of unrepaired pitch marks on every green. The same lack of care was evident in the bunkers where it appears no one had ever raked anything. Granted, it was a Sunday with a noonish tee time, so there were a lot of "entry level" golfers around, but this was ridiculous. And many of the holes were cart path only requiring long walks back and forth to hit shots. It contributed to the leisurely pace of play.

The course adjoins an industrial area, and after winding past some warehouses, utility yards and major thoroughfares the back nine brings you alongside a massive vehicle parts storage yard. The backdrop of dozens of truck cabs stacked row on row doesn't rate very high on esthetics.

There is a grass range with good balls, a decent practice putting green and a small chipping area. The staff were all very friendly and the food was pretty good.

It's cheap enough, we paid around $40 each, and the layout is fine, but if you get anywhere off the fairways, you'll be in muck. Or goose droppings. And be sure to have your wits about you coming up #18. The range will be to your right, and there will be lots of "incoming." Can't recommend it.

This is a very enjoyable, yet demanding course set against the northern face of the South Mountains in Metro Phoenix. Prices were reasonable for the Valley and the conditions were quite good. The tees, fairways and greens were well maintained but the rough areas are sparse and dry with the likelihood of a bare lie.

There is a good mix of long and short holes; a need to play positional golf on a number of par 4s; demanding par 3s and interesting par 5s. Water is in play on just a few holes and the elevation changes are enough to keep your attention, but nothing to thwart a walker or a carrier.

There is a great range/chipping/warmup area to get you prepped for play.

We have played a number of Phoenix are courses over the years and this was our first time here. We like it a lot.

My wife and I had a look at the course before we booked to make sure they had been watering the fairways. Sad Diego's drought has resulted in a lot of places watering just the greens and occasionally the tees turning the courses into unplayable desert. Not at the Vineyard. Lush grass everywhere. And they had a deal for $30 that included a cart and lunch!

The course itself is interesting enough, with a relatively flat front 9, although with plenty of challenge for shot placement and a lot of protection for the greens from both water and/or sand. The back 9 is very hilly, with both up and down holes with the same green protection.

The greens are fair, the rough is playable, the sprinklers are marked. However, there are only three tees and the fronts make it long for average women players.

I was happy and will put the Vineyard on our list of courses to play again.

You get private club atmosphere and amenities at daily fee prices. The Golf Club of California offers a great golf course, fine practice facility (included in fee) and a swanky club house. We paid less than $60 each, played a couple of times around 11 o'clock, and it made our top 3 list in the San Diego area. (Steele Canyon and Crosscreek are #1 and #3.)