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 I recently played Rustic Canyon Golf Course for the 21st time and it was as good as ever. I do have to say, at some point, either through focus on the golf itself or, more likely, just having already added most of the "best" holes on the golf course to the review, I have a hard time making meaningful updates to a golf course once I've played it 10 times or so. This time, I was able to snap a picture of the 15th hole, which I've come to enjoy more and more over the years.
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 I recently played golf at Los Verdes golf course with my brother-in-law. I played terribly. However, it was the first round I'd played in over a month and my 2nd since Thanksgiving. Also, beyond he and I having a good time catching up, it was the clearest day in memory where we could see some of the Channel Islands not usually visible, even from the amazing spot this golf course is located. Finally, on a Saturday, this was the quickest round I've ever experienced on this course, as a five-some, and the golf course was in top physical condition for what it is. So, normally, on a day where my score would have made me ill, the experience was good enough for me to just enjoy the concept of playing golf, which I lose from time to time getting wrapped up in the result. It was a good reminder to retain perspective.
 My infamous "busy season" is here (and I don't mean busy playing golf) and I figured I would write about the only round I've played since November of 2018, and it was a great one with my son at Ojai Valley. The course was in good shape, and, after some rains, there was actually water hazards to be found on the course, which normally are reduced to dry creeks courtesy of the prevailing conditions in Southern California.
 My trips to Cabo only started five years ago, but I am amazed at how many good golf courses I've been privileged to play there in a short span of time. Another one, Quivira, has been added to the list from my most recent trip.
 It doesn't happen very often, but here and now life interrupts my golf review updating and I miss a round that I played for a few months. This one is three months in arrears and I found the updated photos when doing a different project over the holidays. It was good to update the North Course at Terra Lago as I have played it a decent chunk of times, but not since 2013, and this was also the first time I played it with my son.
 I was fortunate to have another fun year of golf in 2018. The last update for this calendar cycle is the addition of three courses from the Las Vegas area. I played them on a golf trip and enjoyed two of the three immensely. Enjoy the golf course reviews and I look forward to 2019 additions to the website with some golf courses to be added from Canada and Florida, if my plans hold steady.
I recently got back from Cabo, which has become a bit of an annual tradition. I once again was able to play the fantastic golf courses at Diamante and the best news was that the El Cardonal golf course, which had some troubles in prior year with a specific grass issue, was in nearly perfect shape. The other "turnaround" was the odd change that, in prior trips, I played the aforementioned course quite well and struggled on the more famous Dunes Course. This year, however, was the mirror image of that with my fortunes reversing. I look forward to continuing to play these golf courses into the future.   I first drove by the Primm Golf Courses on my way to Las Vegas back in the late 1990s and played the Lakes Course for the first time in the early 2000s and for the last time in 2009; I never made it onto the Desert course there until very recently, marking nearly a decade "drought" for Primm golf (in that time span the solar panels blanketing the nearby landscape were added). I enjoyed the golf course as part of a warm-up round for a Vegas golf trip (stay tuned for future reviews) where I played 4 new courses.
On my recent trip to Kauai, I finally decided to play Puakea, which is the last 18 hole golf course on Kauai that is public and that I had not played (this was my 7th trip to the island). I took my son along and really enjoyed the golf course, which has a laid back feel and gives a blend of hole and environment types. It may not stand up to some of the true gems on the island, but bang for buck, this is a definite place to play.   I have many memories of Rancho Park, most of which don't give me the warm fuzzies (to be fair, the golf course itself is decent, if one can ignore the distractions). In addition to being the site of my first 6 hour round well over a decade ago, it is also the golf course I used to drive by daily on the worst stretch of my professional career, wishing that I could play golf, even there, in place of doing what I was doing. But, worse of all is the all-consuming fear of having to play the dreaded 18th hole.
The closing par five is the most terrifying hole in the world, not for any golf shot value, but from the absolute fear that is generated by being on the fairway sitting next to of one of the most busy driving ranges in the world, where the nets are just not high enough. There are dozens of balls lining the fairway, and some "Johnny-can't-swing" is two beers deep and ready to pop one over the fence and brain the unsuspecting golfer, all for a laugh or for a cry (depending on the intention of the driving range resident). Although not an official local rule, if the player can get the ball in play on their second shot, I call for the player to take automatic par and walk up the hole away from the fairway, far to the left, leave your ball as a donation to the range demons, and live to play another day. |
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