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Talega starts with a friendly handshake over the first few holes to comfortably welcome you to the round. The first most challenging shot of the day comes at the Par 3 fifth hole, nearly 200 yards over water to a challenging green complex. The course layout is interesting with five par 3's and five par 5's and your round can be made or broken based on your performance on these holes. Aside from the first par 5 (#2) the others on the course are tricky and take some experience and local knowledge to best navigate. Keeping the ball in play off the tee is key across the entire course and a good score can be achieved if playing from the fairway and avoiding tempting, sucker pins. There was no cart girl during our Sunday morning and the grille was closed, leaving only the halfway house window for takeaway snacks and beverages.

Arrowood is hard! And does not offer much forgiveness. Many fairways seem wide from the tee but any shot off line will likely be lost. I did not have control of my game and paid the price. I struggled to keep the ball in play and suffered many penalty shots or otherwise could have scraped together a better score. Not many putts were actually made in our group but the greens rolled true. The layout is challenging and penalizes and pressurizes poor shots more than it rewards good shots. Perhaps the only breather is through holes 9-14 where you are presented some scoring opportunities.

On a hot day like Sunday, we wish we would have seen the cart girl... or at least had drinking water available on the course. Our only chance to hydrate was making the turn and fighting the brunch crowd at the restaurant or flight deck.

Mt. Woodson has good bones and plenty of potential to be a worthy test. I knew it would be narrow and short, but that did not mean that it would be easy. Good shots are rewarded. The par 5's are fair and scoreable. There are not many scrambling opportunities to make par from off the fairway as many off-target shots are penalties or off into the canyon. Some of the greens were damaged due to no water or poor maintenance. It is a fun, unique, challenging test on a charming layout. I'll come back another time when it isn't 100 degrees.

Other golf plans for this day fell through, so I followed someone's recommendation to play nearby at Boulder Oaks for the first time. I should have looked at the scorecard before booking my reservation. The course is bizarre. The front nine is loaded with par 3s and totals to par 32. The back nine begins with three consecutive par 5s and totals par 38. It hasn't rained in months, yet the tee boxes, greens, and approach corridors were completely saturated. Many pin placements were on the edge of ridges or crowns and the greens were slick. It was a multiple shot penalty and almost impossible to keep the ball on some greens if you were above the hole. Multiple tee shots were completely blind, many of the holes were convoluted and squeezed into narrow plots on the property. There are some interesting perspectives, some challenging shots. But it feels like the holes are out of order and the routing should be given a mulligan.

Mission Hills North was a pleasant surprise. It was difficult to book desert golf in late October because of annual overseed and maintenance. My expectations for this course were lowest compared to the others we had booked on this trip but it was a wonderful day. A cool crisp morning started with intimidating, narrow tee shots on the first few holes without much margin for error, especially on number one running along the driving range. The golf course has a lot of personality and stands apart from other desert courses with its elevation changes and lush green surrounds. Holes 9 and 18 are memorable finishers and all of the par threes present different challenges. The greens are flat and without much character which allows for aggressive approach shots and many made putts.

Our family golf trip to the desert started with a challenging round at PGA WEST Norman. Number One eases you into the day with a wide open fairway and a forgiving green, but everything becomes much more challenging from there. Most greens are elevated and protected with deep bunkers. Approach shots must be well executed and precise to the right segment of each green. The tee shots aren't as intimidating or difficult as we were warned. The trouble all comes into play on the approach to the hole. Bring your best short game and be ready to scramble to save your score. Norman is a fair test.

This was my second round at Omni Legends in 2021 and each presented a different experience. In my first attempt, I was paired with another friendly single who was also playing for the first time. We played the combo tees and enjoyed our morning round without too much trouble or too many highlights. For this September round, I booked a full foursome of friends and we had a great day at Omni. My round got off to a brutal triple-triple start but settled down from there. The course starts with a variety of par 4s and tests your approach game right from the start. All of the par 5s are uniquely scoreable and the finisher on each 9 helps add some excitement to the round if there is any money on the line. Omni Legends may be my favorite course in the Carlsbad area; much more fair and straightforward than Crossings or Encinitas Ranch. Legends will reward you if you are striking the ball well, but will penalize you if you are struggling to keep it straight off the tee.

The round at the Babe starts with an uncomfortable, narrow, blind tee shot that sets the tone for the entire day. Many tee boxes give a claustrophobic feeling where there is not much margin for error. Some landing areas are deceptively open and forgiving, while others are very penal and don't offer much room for an imperfect shot. The front nine begins with a long stretch of par 4's and the first "break" is a par three that measured over 250 yards to a back pin from the blue tees on Saturday. There are only three par fives and none offer a true scoring opportunity. It takes three solidly executed shots to earn a decent chance at birdie. The course is always in good condition and on this day it played at a surprisingly good pace. I'm not sure The Babe is my favorite course because it feels too narrow and is too penal and doesn't offer many great scoring chances for this single digit handicap. I enjoy being able to be creative and make recovery shots after going off line.

Playing at the Links at Terranea was much different than my normal round of golf. Instead of stepping onto the first tee and wailing away with driver, it was a much more uncomfortable sensation hitting wedge with my first full swing. It was awkward and unfamiliar, but wonderful. The course offers a beautiful variety of nine different par three holes. From the back tees, any of the nine would fit in perfectly at any other golf course. Perhaps my only complaint was that the distances didn't offer much variety... I probably only hit three different irons across the nine holes. The scenery throughout the entire round is second to none and the course is in immaculate condition, especially the greens. Terranea offers a stern test of your short game while distracting your senses with her coastal beauty.

I have reviewed Angeles National before, but this golf course is worth another look. It remains one of my favorite LA-area golf facilities. My only complaint would be the seeming lack of inventory tee times and the standard weekend rate. Anytime I see an available tee time for less than $100, I jump on it. The course remains challenging but fair and straightforward and good shots will be rewarded. We battled light drizzle then rain for most of the afternoon before a downpour eventually washed us off the 16th hole, which was disappointing because the last three holes are perhaps the most memorable on the entire course. I intend on making many future returns to Angeles National where all aspects of my game can be fairly tested and the course is full of serious (if not aspiring professional) golfers.

This was my first time playing The Legends and I was greeted warmly by the pro shop staff and starter. I was able to walk rather than ride, and I was paired together with other players to make a friendly foursome. We went off of the back nine to start because of a frost delay and 10 is an awkward, uncomfortable hole from the tee for a first-timer. Speaking generally about the course, it was not in very good condition, but some of that was expected for a round played on New Year's Eve. Many tee boxes were furry and patchy. There were muddy and G.U.R. areas in the fairways. But the greens were receptive and rolled true. Each of the par 3 holes is demanding, but somewhat similar and doesn't create much variety in club selection. But each of the par 5 holes was unique and offered different risk/reward challenges. The course features an interesting layout and in peak season or with a little bit more care and maintenance would surely offer one of the better experiences available for a public golfer near Temecula.

Barona Creek is a challenge, but good shots are rewarded. The greens are large and undulating and demand deft touch on and around the dancefloor. It is penalizing to be above the hole facing a downhill shot. The first hole is straightforward but demanding. My partner made birdie playing the hole as it was meant to be played, while I made double-bogey trying to hack out of the long grass that guards the right side of the fairway. The bunkers are country club, pillowy soft. The fairways are firm and perhaps somewhat unforgiving. We played after Thanksgiving and the rough was dormant, totally understandable and routine, but perhaps an eyesore for someone expecting more for the purchase price. The course is absolutely worth the trip and I look foward to my return.

This was my first time playing at Vineyard. I teed off at 8:30 and was surprised to find so many areas of the course saturated with water. But what was more surprising was the aerated greens. There was no alert on the Vineyard website or social media, nor was there a notification when booking the time on Golf Now. The greens were in poor condition following the aeration procedure and did not roll true. They were soft and held any approach within feet of the landing spot.

When checking in at the pro shop, I asked if it was a walkable course because I prefer to walk when playing. The front desk told me that I should ride because of the terrain on the back nine. While this course may have some undulation, I would say it is extremely walkable with only a couple holes where it is a long walk from green to tee. It would have been a much more enjoyable experience to walk instead of ride by myself.

The course is challenging but I found myself hitting the same/similar clubs on all of the par threes and on many fairway approaches. There are some holes that require a precise tee shot where driver is unnecessary. Many holes run parallel to one another, so errant tee shots may be played and recovered from a neighboring fairway.

Santa Anita presents much more challenge than the scorecard would indicate, especially for a first-time player. The course is right in front of you, there are no hidden hazards or severe doglegs; The course is protected by the humps and bumps in the fairway and crowned green complexes. I struck the ball well off the tee and navigated the greens efficiently, but was a mess everywhere in between and have the score to prove it. The course demands precise iron play when approaching the green and a refined and creative short game to scramble if incoming shots are on line. I look forward to playing Santa Anita again and hope to bring a bag packed with all of the shots required to conquer this track.

This review is for the BABE course at Industry Hills. Checking in at Pacific Palms is a bit awkward and perhaps even unfriendly. We arrived at the pro shop only 20 minutes before our tee time and were told to come back in 5-10 minutes to get our cart key because the Starter was taking a break (??). We didn't quite understand why the carts were being held hostage so close to our tee time. Anyhow, the BABE round starts with two narrow, unforgiving, uncomfortable tee shots. The first five holes are par 4's and many require something other than driver off the tee. The only par 3 on the front plays 250+ from the blue tees. Hole 9 is perhaps my least favorite hole and feels crammed into the edge of the property. Having said all of that, Industry Hills is kept in wonderful condition. The layout is challenging and mostly fair. Most every hole is tight and requires a precise tee shot and approach. The greens roll true and have many different difficult pin locations available. This is a course that is best played multiple times to learn the best strategy required to attack, and when it is best to play conservative shots.

I was seeking another new local golf course to sneak away from family obligations during the morning and not risk being stuck on the golf course for 6+ hours and miss the US Open finale. I was greeted by two warm and friendly employees in the pro shop who welcomed me to the course and offered some local expertise for this first time, single player. It was made blatantly obvious that everyone employed at St. Mark on and around the course, pro shop, and restaurant value hospitality, friendliness, and positivity. The people here make the experience supremely enjoyable... and the golf course aint bad either. There is a good variety of different length and shaped holes that demand well-struck and creative shots. I played during a cool, wet morning, so there wasn't much roll in the fairways and the greens were very receptive. It is a great golf course and friendly community that make this an experience worth many future returns.

I have lived in the LA-area for nearly five years but was late to discover Rancho Park GC. It quickly became one of my favorite tracks because of its convenience to Santa Monica, classic layout, muni vibes, and historic legacy. I had heard horror stories of long rounds, but never suffered through one myself until playing on Memorial Day. I booked a tee time for 1:45pm and when I checked in, it was suggested by the starter that I wait "to play with some other good guys after 2:00," which turned into teeing off sometime after 2:20. The short version of the LONG story is that the front nine lasted nearly 3 hours, including four groups stacked up waiting to play the 8th hole. I walked off the course after nine, refusing to risk a 6+ hour round and somehow not finishing before darkness on one of the longest days of the year. Rancho Park will somehow remain in my golf rotation by necessity, but the course should be embarassed for how it manages tee time reservations and encourages fivesomes and ignores basic pace of play courtesy.

Redhawk was a pleasant surprise, starting with the friendly folks in the Pro Shop and the Starter who bumped me (as a single) up on the tee sheet to join a twosome ahead of my tee time. He also encouraged me to walk, which was a bit challenging because of some of the long distances from greens to tees. It is an enjoyable course to cover on foot. The round starts with a risk/reward Par-5 that a first time player will be unsure how much of the dogleg to take on. The second shot is over a small creek and the green is further protected by a false front. The round ends with a sharp dogleg left Par-4 that does not require a driver but forces precision. In between, there are pleasant elevation changes and scenery and challenging par threes. I perhaps played one tee closer than I would prefer since I was paired up with an existing group, but would definitely enjoy going back and playing Redhawk. Take a break from the local casinos and other local expensive clubs and give this track a try.

Our tee time was booked for 9:30 on a brisk Saturday morning. I hoped we would go off early enough or that the cool weather would limit heavy traffic, but was mistaken. Our time was adjusted by the starter to 9:45 and we did not actually tee until nearly 10:00. We learned that a group was sent off in front of us because they were regulars; I'm not sure what the point of booking a tee time is if we get bumped for slow players (and dog?) to hold up the course ahead of our threesome. We joined our group with a twosome behind us on the 3rd tee and still found ourselves waiting on nearly every hole.

The course is mostly fair but does punish shots that are off-line. The 9's were flipped since the last time I played Westridge, meaning the round starts with a less stressful shot off #1 than what used to be the case on the new #10. Holes #6 and #15 are especially tricked-out and only the most precise shots are rewarded. The course finishes with a long, challenging, narrow, uphill par 4 and fun downhill par 5 that can be reached in two with two well-struck golf shots.

The South Course at Los Serranos is dubbed the longest course in California and presents a significant challenge. We played from the Blue Tees, one up from the infamous Jacks Blacks. The course measures over 7100 yards from the blues but it was not insurmountable. There are six par fives and the shortest par three was around 170 yards. There are plenty of elevation changes and uneven fairway lies and difficult approach shots. The course forces the player to use every club in the bag, and despite the long measurable, its not a driver-only strategy. We were four first timers at Los Serranos and discovered that many greens featured less break than what we played. But beware being above the hole on any green as downhill putts were very quick. Complaints would include the lack of drinking water and no beverage cart on the course, odd for a Saturday afternoon. Also, the course was overcrowded and fivesomes were allowed, making for a nearly 6-hour round.