Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable morning. Weather was perfect, but with the course CPO I thought I might be in for one of those infamous 5 hour California rounds. However we finished in just over 4 hours, which wasn't at all bad for a Saturday morning. With the weather the past two days and my round at Torrey up in the air, I didn't have a tee time for today until late yesterday. At that point pickings were slim. Wound up at Twin Oaks. Not bad. It's a housing development course, but the homes aren't overly intrusive on most holes. While not hilly, it's not flat with a couple of elevated tees and greens. Water in play on three holes, but much of the junk left and right is staked red with dense vegetation. Only one sweeper, the short par 4 15th. Fairway bunkering was light. Greenside pretty good. 

 

While there are a couple of tight holes with little room for error, most holes were fairly easy off the tee. Not much trouble out there. Minor misses would easily find the generous rough. Big misses were goners OB or in the thick junk. Approaches were tough with plenty of front bunkers guarding the smallish greens. The green fronts were saturated, so no chance of running a ball up the narrow chute. Greens were fun. Plenty of contouring and slope, but not crazy. Putting required some attention. Up and downs were tough with some crummy, uneven lies in rough. 

 

Par 3s were meh. Needed a little more variety in length. The 7th with its forced carry over a pond was the best of the bunch. 5s were disappointing. The 2nd might be reachable on a dry day, but with basically zero rollout today it was a three shot hole. The others were benign. Other than the 15th, the short 4s were meh. The dogleg 15th had a pond on the corner, and as I discovered, a severe side slope that resulted in a short iron with the ball 12" above my feet with the pond in play. 

 

Conditions were very wet. Preferred lies all day. Had to wade through several muddy areas in front of the teeboxes, as the cart paths had streams running across them. Rough was a mix of grasses, and heights. Bunkers were washed out, but surprisingly still playable for the most part. Greens looked fine and were rolling decently. Speed was slow early on, but got speedier as the sun dried them out. Probably 9 to 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6146 yds (70.0/125). Was considering a Blue /White combo, but with practically zero rollout White was fine. Decent day off the tee, but as usual I had way too many long approaches. Seven bogies. Highlight of the day was my three playing partners. I was able to tee off 45 minutes early when they agreed to let me join them as a fourth. Fun group that made me feel welcome. 

 

Solid 4 cows here. Very nice looking course, but needs a handful of changes. That said, I'd probably be a regular if I was a local. No nonsense public track. The $113 rate (no walking rate) was high, but not crazy for a weekend round in the area. Still, it certainly makes you appreciate the cheap munis. Not a destination course, but very playable if you can't get on the big name courses in the area. 

 

Edited February 4 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Twin Oaks GC, San Marcos, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3gao7ezw6d6mfynckohs4/h?rlkey=3yghssvemb2ov647ol8xz6srg&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Kilowatt Brewing in Oceanside. 28 taps with a decent mix. No imperial stouts, but several of Belgian goodies. Enjoying a flight with a dubbel, tripel, quad, and a very festive barrel aged Christmas ale with plenty of cinnamon. 

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. Buried under the cheese and cilantro is some mighty tasty mole. Tortilla Mia in Carlsbad. Excellent margaritas, and top notch mole. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

As bad as it was weatherwise this past week, it's going to be brutal this coming week. We're looking at 4 to 7 inches of rain by Thursday. Hope I can get in a few rounds, but I'll have to be prepared to strap the pontoons on to Bessie. Oh boy. 

 

[Argonne69]

A very pleasant morning weatherwise. Breeze was a little cool, but it was a offset by the wonderful sunshine. My three playing partners were great, but unfortunately The Links at Lakehouse was a big letdown. Another flat, ho hum housing development course. Only elevation change was the elevated teebox on the par 4 14th. Fairway bunkering was light. Greenside was a tad better. Three doglegs and a few sweepers didn't cure the monotony. 

 

Very easy off the tee with little trouble. Minor misses would find the abundant rough. Miss on the inside of the sweepers or doglegs and you'd have tree trouble. Big misses would be OB in a backyard, although there were a handful of adjacent holes on the layout. Approaches were straightforward with decent sized greens and light bunkering. To be fair there were a couple of holes with good bunkering in front of the flags. Greens had very little contouring, but a bit of slope. Several front to back. Putting was generally stress free. Same with up and downs, as the rough wasn't overly penal. 

 

The five par 3s were meh. Nice mix of lengths, but little sizzle. The 13th was the best of the bunch with the putting surface partially blocked by trees right, and a PA left. 5s were meh. In dry conditions three could likely be reachable, but not in today's soggy conditions. The 12th was a beast playing 597 yds into the wind. Short 4s were boring. 

 

Conditions were a notch above playable. Cart path only with standing water in spots. Fairways were bare in many areas. Rough was a mix of grasses and heights. Bunkers were compacted. Greens were soft, bumpy, and slow. 9 at best. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo at 6275 yds on the par 71 layout (70.5/125). Solid day ballstriking, but the wet conditions and sticky kikuya were stealing rollout. Two birdies and six bogies. Highlight of the day was the teeshot on the par 3 13th that gave the hole a look as it rolled by. 

 

Going with 3 cows. Similar to De Anza CC a month ago, there was just nothing to get excited about. Decent enough for the locals to knock a ball around, but you have to pinch yourself to stay awake. The $79 weekend walking rate was probably about right for the area. 

 

Edited February 4 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

The Links at Lakehouse, Lake San Marcos, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/e49cox76tek17t0f9sa4m/h?rlkey=mu1gv6wvz9u9viqnjbjf4adg5&dl=0

 

Edited February 4 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

I made it to Orange this morning. Steady rain the whole way with minor flooding in spots. Putted along in the right lane at 50 to 55 mph. Surprisingly there was only one accident on I-5 that added 10 minutes to the drive. Thankfully Caltrans had signs notifying drivers about the crash in the right lanes, so I wasn't able to get left at the right time to avoid the merge mess. A bit surprised that traffic was light, and moving at a sane speed. 

 

Settled into the RV park, although I decided to run off my fresh water tanks instead of hooking up to city water. I'll do that when, or should I say if, the rain stops. Always a treat setting up camp in the rain. Decent park with nice size concrete pads. Got an end spot so I don't feel like a sardine. 

 

Booked a round at River View GC tomorrow. I'll give them a call to see if they think they'll be open. 

 

 

 

[ChrisATL]

On 2/3/2024 at 6:54 PM, Argonne69 said:

Lol. Buried under the cheese and cilantro is some mighty tasty mole. Tortilla Mia in Carlsbad. Excellent margaritas, and top notch mole. 

 

 

Mole is my favorite dish - looks amazing!!!

[Argonne69]

Took a nice afternoon nap, and with nothing else to do headed out in the rain for a very short drive to Golden Road Brewing near Angel Stadium. Didn't check out their tap list ahead of time, but hit the jackpot. Their Vasily the Great BBA imperial stout is aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels with notes of vanilla, carmel, and chocolate. The 17% ABV provides a real kick. Lol. 

 

 

I called River View GC, and there was no answer in the pro shop. Got connected to the reservation line, and they couldn't reach anyone at the course. I'll call them early tomorrow, but I expect that the course will be closed. 

 

[Argonne69]

I should become a consultant for brewpubs. I spend a lot of time browsing websites trying to find taplists. I'd like to sit down with the owners of the brewing companies and their website designers. If I can't find a taplist within 3 clicks I get a free beer, and I get to punch the website designer in the head. If it's more than 5 clicks I get to use a brick. 

 

I don't think it's asking too much to be able to find a list of current offerings without going on a treasure hunt. It's incredible how many poorly designed websites are out there. If a brewery has a tap room, I don't want to see a list of canned beers available at local retail outlets. Show me the beers you currently have on tap at your taphouse. 

 

Also, knock it off with the pop-ups asking to join your fan club. The (state mandated) pop-ups asking to verify one's age are also super annoying. Seriously, is there a 12 year old who isn't going to click the 'Yes' button when asked if they're 21 years old? 

 

Oh veh. Lol. 

[Argonne69]

No surprise it's a rain out today. Called River View GC multiple times, and the calls were forwarded to their reservation centers. Of course they have no knowledge about course conditions. If a course is going to be closed, they should either pass that information on to the reservation center, or put the information on their website. I booked a round there on Thursday. Hopefully it's open by then. 

 

I have a round at Tustin Ranch tomorrow. I called them and they said that they'd be open, but it would be cart path only. They allow walking, so I'll probably get in a sloppy round if this rain stops. 

 

[cityandthrone]

Hey Arg, I'd recommend checking out Monkish Brewing in Anaheim if not already on your list. They are heavy on the IPAs (which I know you aren't a fan of), but they also brew several Belgian styles, and everything they do is exceptional.  

 

They also have a location in Torrance, southwest of LA, if you're headed that direction.

[Argonne69]

Remarkable. It actually stopped raining. It'll probably start again shorty. Got out to grab a drink and a bite at Karl Strauss Brewing Company across the street from Angel Stadium. Enjoying their 35th Anniversary rum barrel aged weizenbock (8.2% ABV). Very similar to a quad. 

 

 

 

Edit: the award winning Mac and Cheese with Andouille sausage, ham, and bacon is excellent. The Dancing on the Deck Imperial Chocolate Stout is a nice compliment.

 

 

Edited February 6 by Argonne69

[tw422]

30 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Remarkable. It actually stopped raining. It'll probably start again shorty. Got out to grab a drink and a bite at Karl Strauss Brewing Company across the street from Angel Stadium. Enjoying their 35th Anniversary rum barrel aged weizenbock (8.2% ABV). Very similar to a quad. 

 

 

 

Still raining pretty hard up here in the South Bay near LAX.  @Argonne69 look up Bottle Logic Brewery in Anaheim.  They have a quite a few of the types of beers you like.  Great quality too. 

Edited February 6 by tw422

[Argonne69]

19 minutes ago, tw422 said:

Still raining pretty hard up here in the South Bay near LAX.  @Argonne69 look up Bottle Logic Brewery in Anaheim.  They have a quite a few of types of beers you like.  Great quality too. 

 

Hmmm. Only 8 imperial stouts on tap? Don't know if it's worth the trip. Lol. Thanks for the heads up. 

 

[Argonne69]

Minor annoyance, but irritating nonetheless. In addition to other sources, I use Google Maps and their reviews to help plan courses. You see a course with good reviews, and start wading through the reviews, only to find that most of the reviews are for wedding facilities or the restaurant. Would be nice if Google listed the course and restaurant separately. 

 

Booked a round at Coyote Hills on Saturday. 

 

[tw422]

34 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Hmmm. Only 8 imperial stouts on tap? Don't know if it's worth the trip. Lol. Thanks for the heads up. 

 

Yea, I thought that might get your attention.  We have similar beer tastes...they have some wacky flavors but their barrel aged stuff is sublime.  No golf means more beer to drink.  Look forward to your review!

[Argonne69]

Just now, tw422 said:

Yea, I thought that might get your attention.  We have similar beer tastes...they have some wacky flavors but their barrel aged stuff is sublime.  No golf means more beer to drink.  Look forward to your review!

 

Looks like we might catch a bit of a break tomorrow. Early morning looks rain free, but then more showers possible. I have an early round at Tustin Ranch. Probably going to be a sloppy mess. 

 

Either way I'll likely head to BL. 

 

[Bonneville85308]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Minor annoyance, but irritating nonetheless. In addition to other sources, I use Google Maps and their reviews to help plan courses. You see a course with good reviews, and start wading through the reviews, only to find that most of the reviews are for wedding facilities or the restaurant. Would be nice if Google listed the course and restaurant separately. 

 

Booked a round at Coyote Hills on Saturday. 

 

 

Also need to weed out the bad one star reviews from slow players upset that a ranger told them to get moving when "there was nobody in front of us, I don't know why he was harassing us" and "our twosome finished the front nine in only 2 hours and 15 minutes."

Edited February 7 by Bonneville85308

[Bonneville85308]

8 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

No surprise it's a rain out today. Called River View GC multiple times, and the calls were forwarded to their reservation centers. Of course they have no knowledge about course conditions. If a course is going to be closed, they should either pass that information on to the reservation center, or put the information on their website. I booked a round there on Thursday. Hopefully it's open by then. 

 

 

A lot of the courses that use the golfnow booking engine have it set up now where all of their after-hours calls or otherwise unanswered calls get forwarded straight to golfnow's call center. They can make/cancel/adjust tee times but are otherwise clueless about the course and I don't know if they even offer courses the ability to convey messages about closures/weather issues.

 

At one course I play, if I'm deep in BS-ing with the pro shop attendant and the phone rings, he just lets it ring until it gets transferred to the golfnow call center.

[Argonne69]

It felt good to be back out on a course after two days of heavy rain. Los Angeles got more than half a year's worth of rain. Cloudy skies to start the round, but the sun finally peaked out late. Tustin Ranch today. Decent enough housing development course with some nice mounding. The homes were tucked back far enough to give it a somewhat open feel. Most of the holes had an adjacent hole, which certainly helped. Water on six holes, including a few waterfalls, added to the look. Fairway bunkering was rather light. Greenside was a little better. Unfortunately no left/right movement. 

 

Easy off the tee with moderately wide fairways. The mounds also helped kick balls back in play. Minor misses would easily find the generous rough, but the lie could be crummy. Big misses in the right direction could find an adjacent fairway. A miss the other way would have to be huge to find the OB stakes. Approaches were a bit tougher with elevated greens and solid bunkering. Miss a green and the pitches/chips could be dicey with uphill and downhill lies from hit or miss rough. Greens had very nice tiering, and modest slope. Find yourself on the wrong tier and the putt could be tricky. 

 

Par 3s were fairly benign. The 11th with a forced carry over the pond, and a waterfall right was the best of the bunch. All played a mid iron or longer. 5s were pretty good. The 2nd had water protecting the green, but I wouldn't consider it reachable. The 9th was a good risk/reward hole with water in play near the green. The 10th was reachable, but no risk. Short 4s were plentiful, but benign. The 13th was probably the best with a series of angled crossing bunkers, but less than driver still only left a wedge in. 

 

Conditions were saturated. Cart path only. Can't blame the course for this one. Rough was a mix of turf grasses of various lengths. Bunkers were groomed nicely, but they simply ran a rake over the highly compacted sand. Greens were excellent. Soft, yet rolling at 10. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo at 6255 yds (70.8/125). Another decent day driving the ball, but the wet turf stole any rollout. A handful of nice scrambles kept it reasonable. Six bogies. Highlight was a nice 18 foot putt to save par on the 7th. 

 

Tough call here, but I'll go with 5 cows. Very nice looking course that needs a little more variety in the par 3 lengths, and a lot more danger off the tee. Thought the greens were excellent for a housing development layout that generally have tame ones. No walking rate, but $101 wasn't terrible. Not a destination course, but worth a play if you're in the area. 

 

Edited February 8 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Tustin Ranch GC, Tustin, CA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vflil02hxxm3aips9r2w2/h?rlkey=vjn56h12b5j7bk4bn5sy569ix&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Nice to have a quick round this morning, but finished before the brewpubs opened. Headed back to Bessie, and after a nice hot shower and a nap I'll head out for a beer. 

 

Good thing I called River View GC this morning. I rescheduled yesterday's round for tomorrow, but half the course is underwater. I booked Anaheim Hills instead. 

 

[highhdcp]

Arg

 

How is Bessie doing with all this rain?

[Argonne69]

9 minutes ago, highhdcp said:

Arg

 

How is Bessie doing with all this rain?

 

I had a small leak near the bedroom slide, but nothing serious. Unfortunately the slides don't make perfect seals when open or closed. 

 

[Argonne69]

Let the fun begin. Lol. Bottle Logic Brewing Company. 30 taps with the usual suspects, but currently offering eight bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts, and two barrel aged strong ales. Mighty impressive. At $6.50 for a 4 ounce pour its going to be a pricey visit, but you can't take it with you. 

 

Starting with the 2023 Darkstar November with rye and molasses (15.3% ABV). 

 

 

[Argonne69]

It's never too late to have a happy childhood. One of my favorite sayings. Rather than slog through another soggy round on Friday, I bought a ticket for Disneyland. Always been a big fan, so I'll go spend the day soaking up fond childhood memories. I upgraded to include the Genie+ service, so hopefully it cuts out some of the waiting. 

 

[tw422]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Let the fun begin. Lol. Bottle Logic Brewing Company. 30 taps with the usual suspects, but currently offering eight bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts, and two barrel aged strong ales. Mighty impressive. At $6.50 for a 4 ounce pour its going to be a pricey visit, but you can't take it with you. 

 

Starting with the 2023 Darkstar November with rye and molasses (15.3% ABV). 

 

 

15.3%?!?  That's the best bang for your buck although $6.50 for 4 ounces is really steep.  

Edited February 8 by tw422

[TBD203]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Let the fun begin. Lol. Bottle Logic Brewing Company. 30 taps with the usual suspects, but currently offering eight bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts, and two barrel aged strong ales. Mighty impressive. At $6.50 for a 4 ounce pour its going to be a pricey visit, but you can't take it with you. 

 

Starting with the 2023 Darkstar November with rye and molasses (15.3% ABV). 

 

 

Bottle logic makes some incredible barrel aged stouts. I could get in trouble there.