Golf Course Review: Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach, CA- 12/5/09

Comments: Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach, CA was a back-up course our group ended up playing at when the majority of public golf courses had pretty much had their pre-noon tee times booked a week in advance. Rather than not playing at all that day we were able to get a morning tee time at this 18-hole executive course.

Most of the holes range from 110 yards with a few other par 3's stretching to 145 yards. Most golfers can just pretty much load their putter and a few irons. All holes are pretty mucn straight in front of you with a couple holes next to a small pond so there's really not a lot of trick shots needed. Just hit straight and you're good to go, unless you're not a stright shooter or beginning golfer which attacts those players here especially those getting started out.

Since we played on an early Sat. morning, I expected it to be a bit non-congested, but the tee box on the first hole was backed up three groups. Once we got going there was 1-2 group back-up with about 5-10 min. wait at the longest to tee off. Completed the course in about three hours.

Fairways were in good shape, green with very few dry patches. The greens around the holes though had bad divots, seems as though not a lot of the players care or don't have the repair tool which they should just hand out at the Pro Shop since hitting onto the green from the tee is so easy that bad divots are pretty much a certainty. To compare the course to another layout, I would classify it as a mini-Mile Square Park Golf Course due to the flat layout and accumulation of trees near the tees that test you to not hit at them.

Customer Service:
Didn't hit on the driving range, but there is a full range with mats to use. Cost for Saturday morning for non-Long Beach residents was $17.50, less than $1 a hole! If you're a Long Beach resident you even get a discount.

Score: 3.0 out of 5

Golf Course Review: UPDATED David L. Baker Golf Course, Fountain Valley, CA Golf Course- 6/28/07

Review: David L. Baker Golf Course in Fountain Valley, CA. Game played on Saturday 6/28/08. Played a game at David Baker around 10:00 a.m. and the course was pretty light on golfers. I have never seen David Baker so sparse especially on a Saturday. I’ve seen the course backed up 3-4 teams deep, even during the So. Cal fires last year when the air was smoke-tinged and the course still had back-ups. Don’t know if the heat warnings earlier this week scared players off or people cutting back due to the economy, but we were able to complete the course in under 3.5 hours. We could’ve finished in about 3 hours but we did encounter a slight slowdown due to some five-somes on the course reading the greens pretty slowly.

The course fairways finally had some green color to it, still brown in some areas but betting then I’ve seen it in a year. After the first few holes the greens are fast and smooth, only on the first front nines are their outstanding divots and patchy colors.

The sprinkled ponds on the course took four golf balls from me that day, water color ranged from the normal green tinge to some weird looking brown murkiness. If you can still get on the course without traffic, then the $27.00 cost is reasonable. We did see around the early afternoon a group of three golf carts playing the first hole that looked like a golf class starting play that significantly causes a back-up on the course, so pick your tee time wisely.

Score: 3.25 out of 5

Golf Course Review: UPDATE Casta Del Sol Golf Course, Mission Viejo, CA- 6/11/08

I've just received this email from Casta Del Sol Golf Course in Mission Viejor today announcing their new tiered greens fee program. Prior to this Casta Del Sol in my opinion was the best deal for a short, but full 18 hole golf course in Orange County.

After 1:00 p.m. you would pay only $12 to walk the course which usually take 3-3.5 hours to complete. That cost was even cheaper than paying the $12-14 to play at the nearby 9-hole Lake Forrest Golf Center (underwhelming if you ask me and overpriced).

Now the new fees at Casta Del Sol you can pay the $12.00 only after 4:00 p.m. I wonder if it's the economic slowdown, need to generate more cash, or to break the pace of play from so many people playing during the twilight rates. I'm guessing it's #2 since so many people play during twilight (1:00 p.m. and after) before that the course was routinely backed-up a short bit so increasing the fees should hopefully liven up the pace of play.

It's fair enough for the 4:00 p.m. players to pay $12 still and should still be able to finish the full 18 holes during the long Summer hours. The $9 for post 6:00 p.m. is a joke though, you'd be lucky to get 5-6 holes in Summer.

New Casta Del Sol Twilight Tier Rates for June 2008
Valid Monday-Friday, until June 27th, 2008

2:00pm-3:00pm $17.00 Walking
3:00pm-4:00pm $14.00 Walking
4:00pm-6:00pm $12.00 Walking
After 6:00pm $9.00 Walking

Add a 1/2 Cart Fee for $10.00 from 2pm-6pm and an $8.00 Fee after 6:00pm.

Golf Course Review: Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana, CA- 6/7/08

Comments: The Willowick golf Course in Santa Ana, CA is a pretty simple and straight forward golf course that should draw players looking for a full Par 72 course that they can bomb & gouge to their hearts content without the fear of hazards such as ravines, lakes, hills, eco-areas, etc. The majority of the terrain in Willowick is flat with minimal topography features, you'll experience straight fairways the majority of the holes with only about two holes showcasing dogleg turns.

To combat the fairly straightforward fairways, the designer placed some tough and tall bunkers smack dab fronting the green. A good majority of the greens have a huge sand trap right at the front making sure you do not try to lay up your shots, and if you try and blast it over prepare for a good many sloping areas around the green that will frustrate you to no ends when you place a good shot in the green and watch the ball roll a foot into the fringe and then roll down a hill 20 yards down hill. The greens at the time we played in the afternoon had many "scar" marks from previous punches of the hole. The value was decent for $35.00 smack-dab in the middle of Santa Ana.

For some reason our threesome was paired with two other walk-ons. We could've done with one, but at least the two guys were amicable and were just a touch better than us. The course also has a small driving range for players to warm up. Be careful in this course, I would rank this the most dangerous course in So. Cal since many of the tee off areas and greens are right next to each other so you can get pummeled by players are you tee off. There's also a lack of nets or trees/brushes in areas to protect the tee off areas from wayward shots, the day we played we saw many close-calls.

Summary: All in all Willowick Golf Course was a decent average course with no wow factor but if you're new or just looking to wail away on your shots then this is a good course to choose. Only full 18-hole, par 72 where I have not lost one ball. Simple layout but you still better play well if you want a good score.

Score: 3 out of 5

Golf Course Review: The Links At Victoria Park, Carson, CA- 5/10/08

Synopsis: Fronting the 405 Freeway, The Links at Victoria Park in the City of Carson is one of the few public municipal courses offered for budget courses in the South Bay area. Apart from journeying to the Los Verdes Golf Course in P.V., there is not much else to play a full-featured 18 hole course nearby. The Links at Victoria Park features often seen muni-type layout with fairly standard fairways, bunkers and a few outlying trees challenging golfers.

Since the cost of the course on a Saturday was around $35 and the only game in town, we were set back with delays of 2-3 groups of golfers around us. So there was a lot of standing and waiting around. Not a lot of trouble were shown in the layout, a couple minor eco-ravines in the back nine limit your go-for-the-gusto shots since retrieving balls from some of the outlying areas is a no-no. No water hazards or water to speak of on the layout. During play I did get harrased by the Goodyear blimp that floated around for 4-5 holes at the course since the blimp's launching pad is right next door. So if you get distracted easily, wait until you see a blimp hover over a couple full holes as it treks around the Sough Bay.

Views are nothing spectacular, normal views of surrounding houses and the 405 fwy. nearby. The driving range is pretty large and practice greens broken into two separate areas. I did not see any sand trap practice locations though. Expect heavy amounts of traffic if you play on the weekends since there's not a lot to choose from in the area for play apart from the executive Domiguez Hills course across the freeway.

Comments: The price is fair, I did not appreciate the marshall just driving around and not doing anything significant to speed up play. Seemed all he liked to do is drive in the opposite direction of the cart path causing us to pull our cart out of th way. Course has nothing memorable to offer, so if you're in the area I suggest going 15 mins. north to Los Verdes for Pacific Ocean views for about the same cost and course time but much better scenery.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Golf Course Review: Oceanside Municipal Golf Course in Oceanside, CA- 4/19/08

Date Played: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Number of players: 4
Driving range: Yes, but was under construction. Go to Arrowwood Golf Course up the street if you want to warm up before hand.
Putting green: Yes, two locations
Cost: $32 for full 18 holes
Course: 6,056 yard, Par 72
Time to play course: 4.5 hours

Comments: The Oceanside Golf Course is a public course with a great location and rates. Rates are lower for city residents, but we paid around $32 for a Saturday morning game. Located in Oceanside near Camp Pendleton, this course as great views of hills and animals such as ducks, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. There are several water hazards and ravines that challenge good shot calling.

The course displays two faces depending on rain. When it's sunny, the course is mild with a great view of the wilderness on the back nine. The 12th hole is a shot up a hill, so stay pumped walking up. When you get to the 13th hole, you get a nice high par 3 straight downwards to the pin. Careful on the way down, if it's slippery you'll go down like a bob sled on the slick cart path with your cleats.

If you play the course after a rain, then the course becomes a challenge with portions of the course flooding making relatively simple shots very complicated. So be prepared to lose balls in newly formed lakes that you weren't used to if you only play in normal So. Cal weather.

Overall: Great price for a North County San Diego golf course. The Oceanside Golf Course has several dog legs make this a challenging course begging you to power a shot through trees if you have the guts. Great scenic locations once you get away from the front of the course. Speed of play not too shabby, no back-ups past 1-2 groups.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Golf Course Review: Newport Beach Golf Course in Newport Beach, CA- 4/7/08

Date Played: April 7, 2008
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Number of players: 4
Driving range: Yes, $4 small and $7 large bucket
Putting green: Yes
Cost: $17 for full 18 holes
Course: 3,180 yard, Par 59 Time to play course: 3 hours

Notes: Has 6 Par 4s, but majority are on the back 9 which is more popular. Not too busy on a Saturday when stopped by, but post 1 p.m. on a Monday had some 1-2 group backups.

Comments: Played 18th holes at the Newport Beach Golf Course which is a public municipal course for about $17, less than a buck a hole. With a bucket at the range to warm up my hit was about $21 for a 3 hour round. Reviews sow this as a quick executive course so I thought it would be mostly par 3s, but there are actually 6 par 4s that are long and straight. THe back 9 is the preferred if you're looking to play only 9 holes since it has four par 4s as well as a little lake surrounding two holes. Front 9 is mostly short Par 3s but are fine for new players of those looking to work short game into play.

Grass was fair overall, some brown areas but nothing overtly dead or bare. You end up crossing the street four times meandering between the three sections that comprise the course. There are several tight holes where you have to watch out hitting into the streets at the tees.

Downsides are that you tee off from mats and some weird backups of groups encountered when I thought it would be clear on a Monday afternoon. Driving range is plentiful though kind of tight and really lacking in high rubber tees. I actually had to use my own rubber tees of the mats during the game which I ended up forgetting on one of them. Still for the price I prefer this executive course compared to the other one in Lake Forest.

Overall: Good for the price if you're looking for a low-challenging course to work short game on. Located next to John Wayne Airport so good for those working nearby offices looking for a quick game after work since it's lighted.

Score: 3 out of 5

Golf Course Review: Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside, CA- 8/18/07

Comments: Played a game at the cart-only Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside at just past noon on a hot and balmy Saturday with temperatures hovering just over 81 degrees. I was hoping to be impressed by this course which just opened last year after two of my playing partners were able to try out this course a few months back and exclaimed that the greens were in immaculate condition and there was a hole you hit over water into an island. Unfortunately the hot summer and increased traffic to this course has not been too kind to this course overlooking the hills and homes around the No. San Diego County.

The course is located just past the Oceanside Municipal Golf Course with new tract homes lining the streets to the club house. The clubhouse had a nice pro shop with adequately stocked supplies and OEM clubs (Burners, Raptures, Super Quads) available to buy. An afternoon tee time was priced at the regular weekend rate of $85 which includes a golf cart and $5 discount for Southern California residents. If you want to try out this course on the cheap, I suggest the 4:00 p.m. tee time which clocks in the late twilight rate of $30. The heat was bearable only due to the occasional light breeze, but when it died down the sun beat down on you horribly.

Due to the hot weather these last few weeks, there were not a lot of players on the course at high-noon; we had a couple 4-somes moving at a good pace ahead of us and a two-some behind us. So we were able to play at a leisurely pace with a few second tee-offs if they were needed. At the time the course was just being aerated. There were a couple holes where the drive off the tee was blind since the course would wrap up and over a hill.

The greens were in o.k. condition, but the tee boxes were in need of fixing and divots were not fixed on the greens. The rough grass was long and kept you from bombing over them in hopes not to lose your balls into them. There were some challenging fairways, but not too distinct with the “lake” hole the 16th consisted of a pretty large island with ducks and dirty water that you needed to carry on the second shot after your initial drive. I enjoyed the challenging 18th hole with required you to drive your ball over a hill and right before a water hazard to the enclosed green surrounded by 3 bunkers. If you hit a slope and not on the green, the ball will roll into the lake.

While a nice course, with good scenery, I felt that for the cost of playing that the tee boxes, greens should be in better condition or discounted because of the aerating. The course would have been a better value if the fee was at about $65. For the $85 we played I felt the San Juan Hills course in San Juan Capistrano offered more of a challenge with the same layout and yardage type and the Aliso Viejo Golf Course in Aliso Viejo had just a good view of the county, both at relatively the same or lower price. So if you’re looking to play a good course with nice views and not feel like you’ve spent too much, check out Arrowood in the twilight or super-twilight hours.

Score: 2.75 out of 5. Priced a bit too high for my expectations. Too many blind shots that do not challenge but instead infuriate the course layout.

Golf Course Review: Lake Forest Golf & Practice Center, Lake Forest, CA- 8/12/07

Comments: The Lake Forest Golf & Practice Center raised their golf rates recently.

Early bird is now $11 instead of $9. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but for a dinky quick 9-hole course that takes less than an hour and is mostly Par 3s, $11 before 7:30 a.m. is too high as well as $12 for the late owl special, especially when there is always a wait on every hole. For the same price I’d rather go to Casta Del Sol in Mission Viejo and for $12 after 5p.m., get a full 19 holes with decent Par 4s and better location.

There’s a few golf hoppers at Lake Forest that just come to play without paying since there’s no marshall in the morning. Played behind a guy that was alone and he had his dog with him running around and playing two balls even when we were right behind him.

The only additional note is that the driving range has replaced a majority of their practice balls with new Nike practice balls. This is a long time in coming since the old practice balls looked liked that were not replaced in two years. The second level hitting area also has been closed to players who drive longer than 275 yards (irons on top deck only for those people) since I guess some balls have been going into the busy street or homes across the way.

Score: 2.5 out of 5. Prices should actually be lower for the length and challenge of the course. Too much traffic on weekends makes hurried plays.

Golf Course Review: San Juan Hills Country Club, San Juan Capistrano, CA- 7/14/07

Comments: Played San Juan Hills Golf Course on 7/14/07. Although mentioned that this course is busy, it is not at bad as other courses I've been at. Was able to play the course in 5 hours, started at 3p.m., ended around 8p.m. Could've finished sooner, but there was a 3-some ahead of us who played the championship tees when they weren't that good and slowed the pace of play.

Since it was after 2:30p.m., was able to get twilight walking rate for $32 and cart for $47. I walked for my foursome, I wouldn't suggest this for the summer, this course is LONG and winds around the San Juan neighborhoods so you cross streets and underpasses. I was the only walker there, no wonder they make people cart it in the morning, and this place is all hills. The location is really nice, mostly along the hillside and views to the Mission. Some homes scatter along the course that you do have to watch out for. There's a nice par 3 on top of a hill just above a lake that will try your accuracy and distance with a 7 iron. Lots of squirrels and bunnies abound.

One of the few course where you don't find lost balls, if it's lost in the bushes, it stays lost. The driving range is located across the street from the clubhouse, so park in the course area after the driving range. Good location for the price.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Golf Course Review: Costa Mesa Country Club, Costa Mesa, CA- 6/23/07

Date Played: June 23, 2007
Time: 12:52 tee time in the afternoon
Number of players: 4
Driving range: Yes, one grass and two mat hitting areas
Putting green: Yes, two next to club house and one near the locker room area which may be for instructions only
Cost: $30
Course: Mesa Linda course, Par 72 Time to play course: 5.5 hours

Notes: The restrooms are located away from the pro shop/driving range and across at the dining area. The restrooms are to the back of the locker rooms. Also, though it says Country Club in the name, this i a public course, right in Costa Mesa near Adams & Harbor Blvd. off the 405 fwy.

Comments: We waited twenty minutes once our tee time came up for the group in front of us teed off, the course was slow on the Saturday morning. There were a group of women to play after us, and after waiting so long they gave up and went back to the pro shop to ask for a refund. This is the only course we have played so far with the wait so long at the tee. After 4 holes we thought we finally got space between us and other players, but at a long par 5 we got backed up again behind two groups. Ended up watching one of our guys feed trail mix to squirrels.

There was no check-in person at the first tee which should have helped with pace of play and the one time we did see a marshal, he was just driving around talking on his cell phone. We found out the delay was due to a tournament ahead of us, so the course did not time manage well since that group was also hosting a "Hole in one" challenge that caused them to bring out measuring tape on one of the holes. Out of the group I was playing in two said they would never play this course again, which is a shame since the cos was cheap ($30, cash only) and the layout was fine with trees situated along the course.

The rough sections were notoriously wicked since they were not cut well and many a balls were hit to them but lost since the overgrown grass would swallow them up easily. Fairways were green with no noticeable yellowed grass and some flowers planted along the cart paths. Sand bunkers were a plenty, but sand was compact with my 3 times in the sand I was able to get out in just one shot with a sand and iron used. Some of the bunkers were deeper than on the courses I played so it looked like when you see PGA pros sunk deep in them when we were playing.

Many of the courses were dog legged with few super-straight gains, so you either blasted through or over trees or brought out your 3 wood to work the ball around a turn. Greens were fast and with various bumps, I was the only person to manage a birdie on the entire 18. Once hole played to the right of the Harbor Avenue, and one of our big hitters hit one onto the street, hopefully no car was hit at this process.

Overall: A price for the course as reasonable for an mid-OC location, good fairways and tree locations. Course play and ranking were hampered by the overgrown grass and horrible waiting time. We play par 72s usually in 4.5 hours, this course broke all records and took us 5.5 hours and wasted the great weather with waiting and waiting.

Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Casta Del Sol Golf Course in Mission Viejo, CA Golf Course Review: 5/28/07

Comments: Played Casta Del Sol Golf Course in Mission Viejo, CA on May 28th, Memorial Day. Great weather and paid $23 per person on the Monday due to holiday rates otherwise it would have been $16.00.

Great challenging course even though only par 61/62 due to challenging greens and hilly fairways. Not a lot of players after 2:00 p.m. so was able to play the entire course in under 4.5 hours with 5 players and waiting for one group ahead of us.

The course was in good shape though expect a lot of rabbits and ducks which has a few smelly lakes. Did see on back to back holes in the middle of the fairways and tees one decapitated crows head and on next tee a dead rabbit. Need marshalls to be on the look out more. Other than dead animals the course looks nice with nice views and great price.

If you live in So. O.C. and choosing Casta Del Sol vs. Lake Forest Golf & Practice center during the weekdays, pay the extra $3 and play Casta Del Sol you won't be disappointed.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Golf Course Review: UPDATED David L. Baker Golf Course, Fountain Valley, CA Golf Course- 5/26/07

Comments: Re-played David L. Baker Golf Course in Fountain Valley, CA on Saturday, May 26th. The course has finally gotten a bit better and greener fairways since last year. Expect packed courses on this location due to the low $27 fee for a par 62 18 holes. Ended up waiting behind 3 teams on the first tee.

Pretty plain simple courses with some just 87 yards straight. Barely any trees at all so expect a lot of people yelling "Fore!" and ducking a lot since not a lot of room separates the links. The ponds lining the course are dark green, one of the dirtiest I've seen, should clean them up since it's murky and kind of nasty. Good price for a weekend, but expect loads of people. Played 3 people in about 4 hours.

Score: 2.75 out of 5

Golf Course Review: David L. Baker Golf Center, Fountain Valley, CA- 5/23/07

Comments: Played this course in late 2006 and you do get what you pay for in this center. Thinking this was the opposite of the Garden Grove/Westminster section of Mile Square Park Golf Course (review coming later) I thought this course would be as nice as Mile Square, boy we were wrong.

The course fee is about half of Mile Square but so is the yardage. The course we were at the time had absolutely awful turf, the grass was as dead and yellow as it could come on the fairways the exact opposite of the fence of Mile Square.

I recommend this course only if you get a discount to play it and only for quick games or if Mile Square is fully booked.

• Total Holes: 18
• Par: 62
• Year Opened: 1985
• Fee: $21-$27
  

• Tee Yardage Rating Slope Blue 3847 59.8 97 White 3118 57.5 84

Score: 2.95 out of 5

Golf Course Review: Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach Review: 5/12/07

Comments: Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach: Bad divots all around, players not helping to replace their damage. Speed was o.k. with time between 4.5-5 hrs.

Get ready to see helicoptors and small propeller planes fly just right over you. For $51 this place is way too expensive with twilight not kicking in til 3:00 p.m., this course would be better suited to $35-40 max.

Score: 3 out of 5

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage
WHITE 72 M - 69.0 W - 75.0 M - 122 W - 125 6172

Golf Course Review: Aliso Creek Inn and Golf Course in Laguna Beach, CA- 3/12/07

Comments: The Aliso Creek Golf Course 9-hole is one of the best looking 9-hole courses in So. Cal that I have played.

Nestled along the Aliso/Laguna foothills the course is surrounded by lush and beautiful hills. Makes you feel like your out in the mountains when the course is actually located right off Pacific Coast Highway.

It is a challenging course with the championship tees located atop higher ledges coaxing regular tee hitters to try them out, be warned though those extra 10-15 yards will hurt you if you are not an accurate hitter, ditches and gorges will swallow your golf balls whole.

Watch out for the trees off the 1st and 18th tee, if you happen to hit your balls into them they will get lost in the trees since they are very heavy in foilage. The 8th, 82 yard hole i very deceiving and is actually longer than expected, club up on this hole or you'll lose a few balls in the ravine. Played at noon and there were chipmunks running up to me looking for food. Play during the weekdays and the slow easy going play is great.

Customer Service:
The driving range listed on their website is actually just a long practice net to warm up your swing. If you need to warm up on an actual range hit at your local course before coming here, $3 for a adequate small bucket. The course is $23 for Mon-Thur and $25 for Fri-Sun. $3 for pull cart rental.

Score: 3.5 out of 5