dhume419

The course continues to show a good level of maintenance even though it is seeing heavy play. Priced at the level that doesn’t discourage the regular golfer, many are turning to this course when other courses are pricing over 3 figures. Though the course is generally in good shape, the tee boxes were suffering from the heavy traffic. All in all, the course is an affordable track with a good level of play.

It has been maybe 4 years since I have played here. I kind of gave up on the place as the conditions were below average. Today, conditions were much improved and the operations running more as they should. It’s not a bucket list destination, but a real golfer is going to find a decent round of golf here. The fairways were not of the grass I like to play, but they were grown out and not suffering any bare spots. The greens were in very good shape and rolling fast. Most pins were also in tricky positions on slopes or ridge tops making it difficult to get the ball to drop. With lots of options in the Valley, I am not sure when I will return, but it is in much better shape now.

This course was off my radar screen until 2 weeks ago. I played another course I haven’t played in a while and the guys I was paired with mentioned this course as one they enjoy. It was a pleasant surprise. The course is well maintained, has an interesting layout, and was reasonably priced. Greens and fairways were nicely grown out, the rough areas were brown bermuda, but well maintained ( i. e., not a lot of bare, hard pan common at lesser courses). Our group played along without hardly any delays and let a single player play through on the back nine as the only pressure from groups behind all round.

This course was formerly a country club and had past its prime. New ownership is taking steps to upgrade the course, but there have been no big changes yet. Workmen had dug up overgrowth around one of the ponds near the 5th hole and they had a pretty good overseed. Fairways were all full and lush. Greens were also in good shape. The rough areas are still a bit sketchy with matted, patchy Bermuda. So it will be a while yet, but there have been some baby steps.

Played from the back tees without difficulty when I usually play from the ‘white’ tees. Only one par 3 was a stretch at 195 yards. Fairways were lush and green, while the rough was crusty Bermuda. Anything on the crusty Bermuda was tough to catch solid as the soil below was dry, hard-pack. The greens were grown out but playing slooowww. Read the fine print as the GolfNow rate is the walking rate. Add $22 if you’re planning to ride a cart.

Greens and fairways were in good winter shape. Some of the tee boxes were crowned or uneven making good tee shots a challenge at times. Staff is very friendly and helpful.

I was a bit surprised to see lots of patchy grass areas in several of the fairways and greens that look like some kind of blight attacked them. I'm not going to pretend to be an agrarian, but it almost appears that the overseed did not go well--at least on several of the fairways. Still enjoyed the round.

The course is the usual Sun City style course and conditions. A fairly flat layout with a few narrow tree corridors on the front nine and fairway side bunkering within reach off the tee. Good, straight drives should leave you in good shape on most holes. The fairways were reasonably good; the greens were all grown out and consistent. Bunkers were in decent sand conditions.

Because of a frost delay, our round was delayed over 1.5 hours. Once on the course, all was in first rate condition--fairways, greens, bunkers and rough areas were all well maintained. Cold temps and the delay led to a rough round for all in out group as the ball distance left for challenging approaches on almost every hole.

Estrella is a distance from anywhere in the Valley, but the quality of the conditions keep players coming back. The layout is a reasonable challenge for all levels of players, and the practice facilities are first rate. Be aware that almost all of the approaches require that you navigate a wash or water hazard of some sort, so you will want to either hit a solid tee shot or layup to get up and down. Shots short of the green will be an unplayable in most instances.

Though some will sniff that this is a short course by the score card yardage, it is a good challenge for any level of golfer. Some of the par 4s will even be drivable by those who hit 250-yard+ tee shots. I would simply suggest that you go ahead and put it on the green with the tee-shot. What makes the course of significance are the narrow tee-shot corridors on several of the holes, especially on the front nine. The other factor that raises the challenge is the variety of elevation shots you will need to make. Hole 4 is a perfect example of this. Though relatively short in length, everything is up hill until you are sitting on the green. Course conditions are excellent. The fairways are always lush and the greens always running consistently. The day I played, they were a bit fuzzy and slow, but still consistent throughout the round.

Hillcrest is a gem that has sadly lost its former glory. This course used to host a Champions Tour event. Though the fairways and greens are playable, the rough is usually barren hardpan or whispy grass. The cart path is often laden with deep holes, tire tracks or mud puddles. I assume the course simply doesn’t have the resources to upgrade the rough areas. It certainly has a following as the course was full on a Friday afternoon. Maybe an investor will come along and throw some money at this course someday.

Fairways and greens always in premo condition. Good mix of long and short holes to test your skills. Desert rough is unforgiving; anything in the desert is usually lost. Today was calm, but usually windy making holes 6-9 extra challenging.

The overseed took reasonably well, though there did seem to be tee boxes that were being re-seeded to get a better fill. The course played more to its normal state as the grass has now been established and mowed to its usual length. Greens were not fast at all which is nice once in a while.

Conditions have always been great, the views are the best anywhere. The course plays long so don’t be disappointed with a boggie on the par 5s or a fee of the par 4s.

For a desert dweller, this is a nice change of pace. The elevation makes it cooler and tall pines line the fairways. The fairways and greens were all in good shape. The greens were very fast most of the round, but slowed a bit late in the afternoon. The greens were receptive, however, so a lofted ball would hold. Enjoyed the course.

Enjoy this course for the challenge and the great red rock views. Several par 4s and a par 5 play long; you will need an exceptional approach shot to reach the green in regulation. The shorter par 4s and the par 3s are where you need to make good scores. That said, it’s still fun trying to hit that long shot into a narrow slot. Conditions are excellent.

For a desert dweller, this is a nice change. The elevation is cooler and there are plenty of tall pine trees to line the fairways. All of the fairways and greens were in great shape. The greens were very fast and tricky to read; they were receptive, however, so if you came in with enough loft they would hold. Enjoyed the round.

The course is in great shape after overseeding. Cart path restrictions are lifted so you can run out onto the fairways to play from your ball. The only issue is the course was ‘soft’ so the ball had no runout. As a result approach shots to the greens were often at greater distances than usual. But still enjoyed the course.

The last few times I have played here, I’ve had the feel that the kid in the pro shop has something more important to do than work the register and check customers in. This time the kid had a couple buddies at the counter chatting about whatever and his attention was split between checking me in and participating in the buddy chat. That aside, the course was coming off overseed and was cart path only. Always fun taking half your bag out to the ball to still not have the right club. Alas, it will get better soon. As for the overseed, I hope it grows in thick as time passes as it seemed a bit thin and whispy. The greens were also super fuzzy so no way to get the speed right. They just need to get rolled as the grass gets established.