[DMoriarty]

Andy,  

I understand what you are saying and it is a valid criticism.  Some of the areas at Rustic are playable and should be deemed playable, and I agree that it is a big mistake that they are marked as if they weren't. Sometimes better judgment should prevail over poor management decisions, but that is not my call to make (except perhaps with my own game.) Certain areas, such as left of the fifth fairway after the wash, are obvious places where it really ought to be deemed playable, even if it took cleaning up a bit in there.  

But still, there is a heck of a lot of width out there, and some of the areas (like the cross-wash on five) have been converted to playable area.  And recently they are trying to clean up some of the overgrown edges to make them a bit more playable (the area next to the bunker on 15, for example, and I think those tweaks are a step in the right direction.  

As for your preference for Sherwood, well that is just absolutely nuts, as is downgrading Prairie Dunes because of a few lost balls.  That place rules.

In my ever humble opinion, of course.

[Alex Miller]

Either I missed the memo about the ESA's at Rustic, or they're not making a big deal about it there because last time I was there playing from the wash wasn't mentioned to us as something to avoid. I also played the whole round with the same ball, something you can't do at Lost Canyons, and yes the Shadow still exists.

Super Rica gets crowded, but there's a reason why.

Also, I've never played Sherwood but anyone giving it more than 3 rounds in a 10 round split with Rustic is crazy.

[DMoriarty]

Either I missed the memo about the ESA's at Rustic, or they're not making a big deal about it there because last time I was there playing from the wash wasn't mentioned to us as something to avoid. I also played the whole round with the same ball, something you can't do at Lost Canyons, and yes the Shadow still exists.

Personally, I've never hit it in the wash at Rustic, so I am not sure what the rule is or whether it is enforced . . .

As for the Shadow there was a plan to turn it into housing a few years back but the economy my have put toe kibosh on that one.

[R_Paulis]

I'd guess 80% of RC players don't abide by the ESA's.

Sherwood is a probably better option with time limitations - RC round could easily exceed 5 hours if not among the first off.

La Cumbre is a nice choice particularly after spending a night at San Ysidro. Of course I'm partial to LC after living in Hope Ranch for a couple of years.

Lost Canyons is best reserved for after the other options played twice.

Sandpiper description is spot on and is less inspiring than its spectacular views on a few holes.

Most locals are raving about Los Agaves Restaurant one block away from La Superica - made famous by Julia Child and forever a favorite among tourists.

[James Bennett]

Personally, I've never hit it in the wash at Rustic,

Ah, Dave, what do you call the area between the tee and fairway start on 15 - the dog leg left par 4?  Looked like 'wash' to me.  Perhaps not ESA, but certainly wash!

James B

[Andy Troeger]

Also, I've never played Sherwood but anyone giving it more than 3 rounds in a 10 round split with Rustic is crazy.

Perhaps, but not nearly as crazy as a comment like that starting with "I've never played..." !!! ;-)

For what its worth, we played Sherwood and Riviera on the same day, and the one guy I played with liked Sherwood better. I did think that was crazy!

Is Saticoy pretty good? I've heard good things but don't know much about it and didn't have a chance to play. Its somewhere between Santa Barbara and Rustic if I remember correctly.

[Alex Miller]

Also, I've never played Sherwood but anyone giving it more than 3 rounds in a 10 round split with Rustic is crazy.

Perhaps, but not nearly as crazy as a comment like that starting with "I've never played..." !!! ;-)

For what its worth, we played Sherwood and Riviera on the same day, and the one guy I played with liked Sherwood better. I did think that was crazy!

Is Saticoy pretty good? I've heard good things but don't know much about it and didn't have a chance to play. Its somewhere between Santa Barbara and Rustic if I remember correctly.

I have walked the course multiple times, but you're point is a fair one.

[Aidan Bradley]

Anthony,

If you like Prime Rib, The Tee Off (opened in 1956) with its very generous adult libations is the place to go. I live in Santa Barbara so feel free to contact me for any further suggestions.

Aidan.

[Bill_McBride]

Anthony,

If you like Prime Rib, The Tee Off (opened in 1956) with its very generous adult libations is the place to go. I live in Santa Barbara so feel free to contact me for any further suggestions.

Aidan.

The Tee Off is also Aidan's office and gallery.

[DMoriarty]

Personally, I've never hit it in the wash at Rustic,

Ah, Dave, what do you call the area between the tee and fairway start on 15 - the dog leg left par 4?  Looked like 'wash' to me.  Perhaps not ESA, but certainly wash!

James B

I think you mean 14th, but you must have me confused with someone else.  I've never even noticed the area between the tee and fairway.  My drives always sale well over the tree or just left of it, leaving a short iron or little punch shot in, and I always knock it close and birdie that hole and about every other hole.  If Rustic has a shortcoming, it is just too easy for me.

[James Bennett]

Personally, I've never hit it in the wash at Rustic,

Ah, Dave, what do you call the area between the tee and fairway start on 15 - the dog leg left par 4?  Looked like 'wash' to me.  Perhaps not ESA, but certainly wash!

James B

I think you mean 14th, but you must have me confused with someone else.  I've never even noticed the area between the tee and fairway.  My drives always sale well over the tree or just left of it, leaving a short iron or little punch shot in, and I always knock it close and birdie that hole and about every other hole.  If Rustic has a shortcoming, it is just too easy for me.

sorry, 15th.  I'll have to think about a photo I have ...........

[DMoriarty]

Personally, I've never hit it in the wash at Rustic,

Ah, Dave, what do you call the area between the tee and fairway start on 15 - the dog leg left par 4?  Looked like 'wash' to me.  Perhaps not ESA, but certainly wash!

James B

I think you mean 14th, but you must have me confused with someone else.  I've never even noticed the area between the tee and fairway.  My drives always sale well over the tree or just left of it, leaving a short iron or little punch shot in, and I always knock it close and birdie that hole and about every other hole.  If Rustic has a shortcoming, it is just too easy for me.

sorry, 15th.  I'll have to think about a photo I have ...........

The 15th is an uphill par three with a prominent bunker left.  The 14th is a dogleg left with a long diagonal carry over the wash.  No need to get nasty with any photos. No need to bring out photos, with photoshop who knows if they are even reliable.

[John Mayhugh]

Don't bother with the other courses mentioned, you'd be net ahead to go sit on a beach and read a book.

Love the frank commentary, but you really need to go suffer in a cold climate for a season or two. 

[Bill_McBride]

No offense to Messrs. Bill and Alex, but while I do appreciate La Super-Rica, often when I have tried to eat there I have encountered a very long line (oftentimes 1 hr. plus, no kidding) and more tourists than construction workers.  That is the price you pay I guess when eating at a restaurant who has gotten more mileage out of Julia Childs that Mr. Childs ever could have, and which is prominently listed in the likes of Frommers and every other guidebook.  Who knew Julia Childs was an expert on Mexican food?  

No doubt the food is often top notch, but the setting is a bit of a dive and the food has its off days.  Nothing worse than waiting an hour wait for dry, chalky conchinita pibil.  I often wonder if it wasn't more of a find twenty or thirty years ago when Americans (including apparently Julia Childs) were first discovering that Mexico City taco cart fare could be excellent and not really that unhealthy.  But then I live in Southern California so I am a bit spoiled for this sort of thing.  I honestly think some of the taco stands and construction crew food trucks in Los Angeles are just as good or even better.  (This isn't necessarily a knock on Super-Rica, some of these are phenomenal.)

You must hit there at prime time, David, perhaps the weekends when the Angelenos descend on Santa Barbara like locusts, but I've never waited in line more than 20 minutes, and el jefe is very good about passing out a cerveza frio.  And I've never had any food that wasn't really tasty.  Maybe that's why it's crowded on the weekends........

[DMoriarty]

You must hit there at prime time, David, perhaps the weekends when the Angelenos descend on Santa Barbara like locusts, but I've never waited in line more than 20 minutes, and el jefe is very good about passing out a cerveza frio.  And I've never had any food that wasn't really tasty.  Maybe that's why it's crowded on the weekends........

Bill, I used to live in downtown Santa Barbara.  I still go to SB quite a bit, but I haven't bothered to try and eat at La Super-Rica since moving to Los Angeles.   I have driven by, though.

[Jon Spaulding]

Don't bother with the other courses mentioned, you'd be net ahead to go sit on a beach and read a book.

Love the frank commentary, but you really need to go suffer in a cold climate for a season or two. 

I thought that driving from el niguel to go play a mutilated Thomas/bell design was punishment enough.

[Jim Eder]

Soule Park is a nice course but not in the best of shape at the moment. The work they did was good though. Saticoy (and I am biased) is a lot of fun and a great challenge right off the 101 in Camarillo (not sure about Monday play though). And there is Rustic which is wonderful but the winds will probably be blowing pretty good out there on Monday. Sherwood is a typical Nicklaus but a fun club. Lakeside would be fun (again not sure on Monday access) and gets you closer to LAX. Oakmont in Glendale is really worth a play. La Cumbre is always nice. And maybe just off the 101 El Cab or Woodland Hills CC, nice courses. If it was only public courses because of Monday access I would think about Rustic, Rancho San Marcos, and Sandpiper in that order.

[Matt_Ward]

There's been mention of people heading to Sandpiper and I just wanted to add that one of my favorites holes in all of CA -- is the stunning 10th.

Just a great hole visually and what it does design wise.

For a hole less than 400 yards and slightly more than 350 it's a real gem to play over and over again.

[Alex Miller]

Soule Park is a nice course but not in the best of shape at the moment. The work they did was good though. Saticoy (and I am biased) is a lot of fun and a great challenge right off the 101 in Camarillo (not sure about Monday play though). And there is Rustic which is wonderful but the winds will probably be blowing pretty good out there on Monday. Sherwood is a typical Nicklaus but a fun club. Lakeside would be fun (again not sure on Monday access) and gets you closer to LAX. Oakmont in Glendale is really worth a play. La Cumbre is always nice. And maybe just off the 101 El Cab or Woodland Hills CC, nice courses. If it was only public courses because of Monday access I would think about Rustic, Rancho San Marcos, and Sandpiper in that order.

I agree, Rustic, Rancho San Marcos, Sandpiper is my top 3 as well.

[Anthony Butler]

Sorry for the gap in adding to this thread, but I arrived back on the red-eye Wednesday morning from my trip to Santa Barbara up to my ass in alligators at work. Nothing like three straight 12-hour work days after a 6hr overnight flight.

The Valley Club  is everything it's cracked up to be. Some wonderful long Par 4's that play much longer than the yardage on the card, many of views from the tee cleverly hide the amount of room available in the landing area. I was lucky enough to hook up with 3 very hospitable members. Even though this threesome was collectively further to the right than Rush Limbaugh, they were pleased as hell to have an Australian communist in their foursome. Of course the overall setting of the club staring right out at the Channel Islands from the exceedingly well-heeled hills of Montecito is OK too... :-)

Fortunately, I also managed to avoid any visits to the dreaded back bunkers at the Valley Club. About the very best you can hope from there is a bogey.

Thanks again for the many culinary options passed along in this thread. Due to other commitments, I was unable to take advantage of any California cuisine other than a quick trip to In 'n Out burger when I arrived in town at midnite Saturday.

On Monday, I made the trek to Rustic Canyon to share a round with Lynn Shackelford, who very kindly offered to show me around the course  his son Geoff and Gil Hanse laid out in the canyon just north of Moorpark. Apparently the maxim that the more fully immersed you are in the golf industry, the less you play is true for Geoff who has hardly played after recovering from wrist injury.. Never mind.. without too much fuss his father shot a sweet 73 that seemed like a pretty average round for him. According to Lynn, he's a three handicap. Which makes Tiger Woods about a +1.

Well two Massachusetts snowstorms later combines with 3 + hours of shoveling snow, the whole trip seems like a beautiful, far-away dream... hopefully one that can be repeated in the not too distant future. 

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