kenshoemaker

I had a terrible time. My 1:54 tee time didn't take off until 2:40. Over 200 golfers on the course with no shotgun start. Carts were unavailable until the last possible moment before the first tee. The range is a joke. No golf balls because the picker is broken. No distance marker and no greens to target. The range is a dirt field. The staff seemed bothered by our presence. The greens were brown like linoleum and full of moon-sized craters.

I played there a few years ago and at that time the course was fantastic. The pictures on GolfNow are not the same as at the course. Beware!

The clerk in the pro shop told me that the city of Los Angeles, who runs the course, is considering re-purposing the golf course. What a shame to lose this track. The layout is nice, the course is challenging, but the fairways and greens are pitiful. There were only three fairways with grass that would resemble a nice course. The rest were barren hard pan. The greens are linoleum fast and the fairways were rock hard. Still, any day playing golf, regardless of the condition of the course, beats pulling weeds. GO and play Victoria Park and see for yourself.

Apple Valley is a typical municipal course with tree-lined fairways side-by-side. There are plenty of gaps between the trees to get back in play. The rough is almost non-existent and easy to play from.

From October thru March, Apple Valley is a challenge. The good news is the fairways are hard like linoleum and with a bit of tail wind, you'll hit the longest drives of your life. The bad news is the greens are too. Don't expect to fly your ball to the green and have it take a seat. The best bet is to land short and run up to the pin. Use your "Texas Wedge" to putt from just off the green. Look at it like a test of your course management skill.

Take a trip to the high desert and play Apple Valley. The temperature in the summer is usually 10-degrees cooler than down the hill, there's no smog, and the course is lush.

Stallion Mountain winds through homes with some fairways very narrow. Accuracy is rewarded with clear shots to the green. If you stray off to the sides, you'll have a difficult time reaching the green. It's best to take your medicine, punch-out to the middle and move on. The Bermuda grass greens were verti-cut three weeks ago, and still have tracks that take your ball away from the hole. In addition, the greens are undulating, tiny at times, and very bumpy. Putts heading toward the hole will often veer off course following the grooves. Water comes into play on several holes and sand bunkers are more decomposed granite and clay than sand. Some of the fairways were barren from disease with no visible signs of treatment. Stallion Mountain is well worth the money and I recommend you visit the course for yourself.

Cresta Verde is course that will challenge both the experienced golfer and the beginner alike. I played on a Saturday morning at 9:15 AM and the course was wide-open.

The challenge to this course is STAY IN THE MIDDLE! The rough is a combination of very thick and deep Bermuda and Tall Fescue. Even in the first cut of the rough your ball will set well below the top of the grass making it very hard to do anything other than chop it out into the fairway.

The course is narrow but wide enough, and winds through the Corona Hills at the intersection of the 15-215 freeways. Definitely a riding course unless you have great stamina. The greens are flat with little undulation and normal speed.

You will not be disappointed with Cresta Verde.

What a difference a little water makes in a course. The fairways are pure, the greens are moderately fast, and the play-ability will challenge even a scratch golfer, but won't scare away a beginner. You won't be disappointed with this track. Better hurry though, the rumor is the course sold and will be closed forever. Perhaps just a rumor, but why take a chance? Go play Paradise Knolls.

When the weather is nice and the wind is calm, this course is one of the finest in so-cal. But, when the wind picks up, you can bet dollars to donut holes your score will be much higher than usual. For instance, a 135-yard par 3 into the wind plays almost 200-yards!

If you want to hone your low-boring trajectory shots, choose Sierra Lakes on a windy day. The weather will challenge your ability to keep it low and on the fairway.

San B. golf course is a well established course along the Santa Ana riverbed. It's not your typical muni-track as there are challenges on every hole. Number two is a short par five but it has a lake right in front of the green which is shallow but soft. Trees line each fairway and can be troublesome for the heavy fade or temperamental hook. Play conservative and in the middle to get the most fun out of the course.

Hesperia is a former PGA tour stop in the 50's and 60'. One can easily imagine the likes of Hogan, Sneed, and Littler playing here with persimmon woods. The course is narrow with trees lining both sides of the fairway. Challenging holes require both fade and draw shots. Long hitters are rewarded with short chips to the green. Average golfers can score well too because every hole is not terribly far. Be careful of the trees! There are plenty and errant shots between the fairways will add 1 to 4 extra strokes. Keep it in the middle and you'll have fun.

The Tahquitz Creek golf facility has two courses - The Legends and the Resort. I played the Resort. Overall the course is in great shape. The fairways were full of grass, the rough was about 2-inches and thick. Each hole has its own character and requires you to think about where to put the ball for the next shot. Some are wide-open and others are quite narrow. The greens are small, undulating, and fast. The local knowledge is play to the center of the green. You won't be disappointed playing the Resort course at Tahquitz Creek.

Green Tree is the kind of course that makes you think. Although the length is not terribly long, the layout meanders through tracts of homes and shot placement is key. Otherwise you may be up against a fence or in someone's backyard. There are however, wide-open par 5 holes and very narrow dog-leg par 4 holes. Par 3 holes are reachable by even the most beginning golfers. The course is challenging in that you need to manage your shots, so you can be in the best position for the next shot. There are some uphill and downhill fairways to make the layout interesting. The greens are in good to excellent condition and some really challenge your ability to read the break. Homes line both sides of nearly every hole. Some holes have a generous off-fairway area and others are tight requiring an iron to play safe. You will be very surprised at how fun Green Tree is to play. WARNING: NO DRIVING RANGE.