phojes10

Course layout was great & challenging. Was overseeded likely due to COVID moving LPGA event to late last year, so have to give some grace on that with the greens. They were he’s to gauge speed due to the overseed grass being longer, but that will likely correct itself by summer. You don’t have to be good to enjoy this course, but don’t bring a novice. Too crowded & easy to lose balls in the hay for most beginners to have fun, and you might get hit into a couple times like we did lol. Cart paths were gravel, but that’s the way it was 100 years ago, which this course is styled after I guess.

The Blue Monster was a great challenge, a bucket list course for me. We played in August on a Monday morning, so the fee was only $129, so for that it’s an incredible value to play such an iconic course. Was a bit weird dealing with the COVID protocols, wearing mask in the pro shop and nobody helping you with the bag drop (you definitely want to drop your bag at the drop before parking, as it’s a long walk from parking lot, then grab it on way to the clubhouse check in area, as you can’t drive the cart back there to load up. Trust me!) But that doesn’t tarnish the experience. Keep it in the fairway as the rough is deceptively hard to find your ball in, and the steepness of the slopes from greens to water makes any shots over or just off the green a surprising lost ball into water or rough!

A friend and I played on a warm Saturday in January at Aqua Canyon. Thought it was a nice course, challenging, several hills, trees but not too many, and fairways not too narrow. A lot of water but playable. Well-maintained. Course was not crowded at all, but we did have a couple of twosomes play through, even though we were playing at 3.5 hr. pace. It was our first time to play there, so we didn't know the course as well as the locals. Enjoyed it, and I plan on going back.