Lives
Monterey Bay Area CA
Handicap
5-9
Age
65+
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
Once a month

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.9
3.9
Total 15 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

15 Reviews
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
12
Not Recommended Courses
3
Helpful Votes Count
2
Not Helpful Votes Count
0
First Review
05/19/2014
Last Review
12/19/2023

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.9
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Course Difficulty
First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has
2.0
Previously Played

Under Construction

Black Horse is under construction right now. Lots of houses being built on the golf course and most of the rough is ground under repair as it is just dirt. It is a shame. So unless you have a military discount you can get a much better value elsewhere.. Hopefully, in a few years when the houses are built and the course is repaired, it won’t be totally ruined.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average

Laguna Seca Golf Club

Played On 05/17/2021
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Paired with first time golfer

Went out as a single and was made to play in a group with a brand new golfer who took 4 swings (not practice swings) before hitting the ball on the 5th time. Then the ball went through his legs and on to the 18th tee behind us. Luckily they offered to let me go ahead of them and the course was wide open the rest of the way. The restaurant isn’t open yet, there is no cart service and the snack bar off the 10th tee is limited. Greens are smooth but a bit slow, traps are getting better but still hit and miss.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor

Laguna Seca Golf Club

Played On 05/04/2021
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played

Seca has not recovered from COVID

Always loved the Robert Trent Jones’ Sr and Jr layout, but the traps are in rough shape, the fairways are hard and the cart paths are in play and the ball can stick to them and roll. My drive on one traveled 450 yards, 100 yards beyond the par four hole. Hurts that the paths are concave shaped like drainage ditches. The practice area and range is a plus but the restaurant is still closed there and there are signs basically telling you not to loiter after your round.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good

The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch

Played On 03/03/2021
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great conditions. Fast Greens. Challenging Pin Placements.

Wind and hills will add to the difficulty on a course that proves it doesn’t have to be long to be hard. Beautiful views and some holes that are very unique. A hidden gem in Salinas as good as the Peninsula’s great courses.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Windy, Tough and one hole so under repair it should have been closed.

We played Blackhorse. Course is in good condition. But is under repair in some spots.
Was a bit frustrated when I lost a ball in a pile of cut tree limbs. Happened once to me and once to my playing partner. The was a entire crew in a ditch in front of one green who didn’t move or turn off their radios when we approached. They should have closed the hole.
No Marshalls to move slow play. And no sandwiches in the service cart, which is rough because the course doesn’t return to the clubhouse on the turn. All the pins were tucked in corners in positions sometimes so difficult it was laughable especially on a windy day.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good

Monterey Pines Golf Club

Played On 07/10/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Best Golf Value in Monterey County

Small but fun course nestled between the Fairgrounds and the Airport is in excellent shape.
Greens putt true, traps are pure and fairways have improved. Yesterday’s hot deal was $20 with a cart. Front 9 played fast back had to wait on the tee from 12 on. Product of a green fee that allows you to play as many holes as you want.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Response from on 07/12/2018:
Hello MatthewnA, thank you for the four-star review. We are glad you enjoyed our course conditions and affordable rates. Thank you for playing Monterey Pines Golf Club and we hope to see you again soon!
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Must Be This Tall to Ride this Ride

Played Black Horse as it was prepared for the upcoming PGA tournament. Excellent shape but playing very tough. Greens are hard and fast. The false fronts are no joke. Lots of fun if you can laugh and not get frustrated.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Bayonet Requires Staight Shots

One of my favorite courses. Challenging for all skill sets. Approaches need to be in right quadrant or your putt might have four breaks to contend with. Traps are tough but fair as is the rough. Bay views from many holes. One the day I played the pace of play was slow as we had to wait on most holes. 4:45 to play 18 and no Marshall in site. The number to the restaurant at the 9th tee didn’t work so no sandwich at the turn. But both courses are GREAT tracks. Carts come with free water and often, with Hot Deal on Golf Now a bag of practice balls to warm up with. The range includes a chipping green with traps, natural grass stalls and target greens.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good

Carmel Valley Ranch Resort

Played On 12/02/2017
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Pretty but not what I expected

Thanks to Golf Now I finally got to experience the one time private, now overpriced, Carmel Valley Ranch. I'm glad I played it, if only for the 11th hole where you tee off from the top of the world and face a uphill second shot that sends short approaches to a collection area about 100 yards out! Thankfully the green fees are cart included...not only for the hilly holes on the backside...but for a layout around a gated community that requires a long drive to get from green to tee. As far as from Tee to Green long drives are not required as this course is senior golfer friendly. There is GPS in the carts that works well, when it does, but the twosome with me could not work their's. Their cart almost died going up the backside as well, which could have been a disaster!
Not a lot of marshalls and when we saw one they didn't much care when members jumped in front of us with a 5 some. In fact I did feel a bit like an interloper. I would play it again if me and friends could all get a hot deal rate. But for the the normal asking price...there are too many other options here, to pay that much to play there. For a course that asks about $150 I expected more.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Played with a Practicing Pro

Had a great time after being paired up with a couple from Oregon and a pro, practicing for the Nor Cal Pro-Am the following day.
We used different tees but we all had fun.
Black Horse is one of my favorite places to play. Pros find it tough from the Blacks...but I can choose how much I want to challenge myself. I played whites so I could make more use of my new wedge...the course...no matter the length you choose is still fun and exciting.
Tough to walk as some tees are a good drive from the greens. the original layout had 45 holes, when he was resigned they took the best 36. But player sometime get confused on where to go. I found a foursome on our 18th tee who thought they were playing the 10th.
But that is easy to forgive,

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

DeLaveaga Golf Course & Lodge

Played On 06/30/2017
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Wait to hit Every shot

It was a Friday afternoon and we were a 2 some in the middle of a sea of foursomes, and why they didn't pair us with another twosome is beyond me.
Still if we were a 4, we would still be waiting, as the backups had as many as 3 groups on one tee.
So if you are looking to squeeze in a quick round this is NOT the place. That being said, it is a fun layout, with tricky greens that roll nicely. The staff in the pro shop are friendly. Their restaurant is being remodeled so no lunch for us. I would love it if they would work on picking up the pace of play, hire a Marshall might help and making sure they don't overbook would be good too.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair

Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club

Played On 08/08/2015
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Wedding Closed the Front 9!

Title says it all. Saturday afternoon after the long winding roads I made it to the course and struggled to find a place to park because the course was hosting a huge wedding which took place in the middle of the 1st Fairway. Now instead of arranging it so golfers could go around the wedding and start on 2, or play 1 as a short par 3,
they jammed all their golfers onto the back 9. I was allowed to start on 2 because I asked and could get by before the wedding started, but by the time I made the turn, the wedding had still closed the first hole the the back was a traffic jam. I skipped 3 holes on the back and the first hole on the front.
That being said. The holes I played were short but fun. Mostly par 3s some short par 4s and a couple was laughably short par 5s. The yardage on the scorecard is marked from BEHIND the tee boxes.
My favorite par 5 was an astro turf covered deck tee box with a rubber tee. It was 100 yards behind the actual tee markers. I went back there and hit because it forced a quality fade drive through the redwoods to be able to reach the green in two.
Ok the course is funky, but besides that one tee box, in great shape, the greens are soft but challenging with lots of slope.
The fairways are framed by trees forcing you to work the ball.
There is no practice area (that I saw) and if there was food service the wedding was taking those resources. There is a bar.
There probably is not a wedding there everyday and it is a fun campground course.
Not worth going out of your way for (the road to get there is a pain) but if you are in the neighborhood and looking for an unique experience, go have some fun.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Memorial Day Play on Memorial Day

Played Blackhorse on Memorial Day and had a great time. The championship course where the PGA qualifying was help in 2012 was challenging but not impossible when played from appropriate tees.
The Ocean Views are some of the best on the Monterey Peninsula! The conditions are great, but with the holiday, play was held up a couple of times but it wasn't too bad considering how full the two courses were.
The cart girl was out of sandwiches but thankfully not drinks!
The practice facility is top notch with a complimentary bag of balls.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good

The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch

Played On 03/13/2015
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Crazy Horse is Crazy Fun

The former Salinas Golf and Country Club has improved under new ownership. Challenging fun layout, with elevation changes is in excellent condition.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent

Laguna Seca Golf Club

Played On 05/18/2014
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun design but needs maintence

I enjoy Laguna Seca but it has some weed issues. Some fairways have crab grass, some greens have some invasive weeds as well causing some bumpiness. The traps don't all drain well so most are wet during a morning round and are inconsistent.
The Robert Trent Jones design is fun but some blind shots take some course knowledge.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
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