[cary lichtenstein]

OK, I give. Oak Quarry in Los Angeles, why does it fly so low below the radar?

Why is this not one of the must plays in LA?

Excellent topography
Challenging for every level of player
Not a weak hole
Some amazing eye candy
Beautiful bunkering
Routing took advantage of all the quarry

What am I missing?

[cary lichtenstein]

I must be missing alot since this post is already at the bottom of the page and nary a response.

Come on you southern Californians

[Brian_Sleeman]

I enjoyed it when I was out there a few years back.  I have a ton of pictures if anyone would like them posted.

[John_Cullum]

I played Oak Quarry after I finished up KPV and had an extended wait until my plane left  from Ontario. It was a very relaxing afternoon. I found it a very inetresting site with the rock face cut off the side of the hill. Rabbits were everywhere.

[David Stamm]

Cary, you're killing me! I wish I could've made it!   Please, if anyone can post pictures that would be great.

[Jim White]

Why is this not one of the must plays in LA?

Because it's not in LA.  The drive out to Riverside can be painful.  If this course was closer to LA, it would be the talk of the town.  As it stands, it still gets great reviews, plenty of play and is quite fun.  I particularly like the 4th hole, a great short par 4 w/ a (un)natural ampitheatre background around the green carved out of the old quarry.  

Pictures here:  http://www.oakquarry.com/golf/course_photos.html#

[Jordan Wall]

I enjoyed it when I was out there a few years back.  I have a ton of pictures if anyone would like them posted.

Yes please
 

[Tim Leahy]

Why is this not one of the must plays in LA?
Because it's not in LA.  The drive out to Riverside can be painful.  If this course was closer to LA, it would be the talk of the town.  As it stands, it still gets great reviews, plenty of play and is quite fun.  I particularly like the 4th hole, a great short par 4 w/ a (un)natural ampitheatre background around the green carved out of the old quarry.

I'd have to second RK, the drive out there is brutal on the weekend, impossible during commuter time and the smog in that area make it a place most golfers don't want to play for that investment of time. It's not a place you go for a weekend getaway for the same reasons, although there are some other good courses nearby, Oak Valley and the PGA at Oak Valley. If the same course were located in Palm Springs or Orange County it would be famous.

[Brian_Sleeman]

Stop at the unique range to get acquainted with your surroundings...



The uphill, par-four first...



Up close and personal with the rock...



Another par four from the front nine whose number I can't recall...



A closer look at some of the green surrounds...



Across the quarry - some astounding views...



Not terribly unique, but quite fun undulating greens...



The "signature hole," with a nearby plaque claiming it to be ranked "The #1 Par Three In Southern California"...



Into the finishing stretch...



The 18th...



And the 18th in reverse...



There are quite a few more but this should give you some idea.  Reflecting back on it now, it seemed all the par three's were fairly long (in the neighborhood of 200+ on all but maybe one), and there weren't too many holes that stood out from all the rest.  What I do remember, however, is a very fun day on an interesting piece of property and a nicely flowing course.

[Joe Hancock]

Brian,

Nice pics. I really kind of like that signature par 3. It's quite a bold move to take the width available there and squeeze the green all the way over to the left. It would really influence how I would approach the shot. The left side of the green complex looks like it falls off abruptly. The hole might be a lot cooler if that little bunker right of the green wasn't there, leaving a low running hook as an available approach to this scary green location.

Joe

[Joe Perches]

The left side of the green complex looks like it falls off abruptly. The hole might be a lot cooler if that little bunker right of the green wasn't there, leaving a low running hook as an available approach to this scary green location.

How late and how sharply in its arc does your low running hook break left?

I think the right greenside bunker is well placed.

It provides an element of danger for both intended draws that don't as well as straight shots that are pushed a bit.

The hole is a difficult and dangerous one for my own low fades too.

I like it quite a bit, even without the amazing framing.
Remember to bring sunglasses.

[Joe Hancock]

Joe Perches,

You don't like my shot selection, apparently. Or, it's more likely that you know the hole better than I.  

I am looking at the bright white rock about midway behind the fairway as an aiming point, and playing a poronounced draw into the green, if that bunker wasn't there. I can do that shot easily with a 6 iron if it's around the 200 yard distance that Brian recalled. I haven't done the scientific research to know the velocity, arc, vectors and spin rates required, however.

Joe

[rjsimper]

Having not played in a year, I can't recall hole for hole as well as I should...but I disagree that there's not a weak hole there.

Certainly, the 18th isn't anything to write home about, and the 1st hole (which was originally to be the 3rd) is a good hole showing up at a poor spot in the round, making it kind of weird.

It's certainly a pretty course, and better than most in the area.

Why no love?  

A - it's in Riverside
B - it's expensive - 95/round on the weekends is higher than the norm.  Being so close to Goose Creek, I'd choose Goose Creek 7 out of 10 times over OQ due to price.
C - the non-quarry holes, I think, are similar to many other courses around.

They might not be BAD holes, but the course doesn't carry momentum start-to-finish.  (Of course, the same knock is made on Pebble, yet it still gets plenty of love).

I am eager to go back to OQ - it's an enjoyable day and probably one of the top 10 public courses within a 60 mile radius of LAX...but I don't know that It'd scare a CA top 20 public list with this group.

[John_Conley]

Cary, my impression is that most of your favorites rely more heavily on eye candy than other solid courses.  Brauer's Quarry, the Engh courses, this one.  Do you think you enjoy stunning visuals more than the average member of this site, the same, or less?

I think some of these holes look pretty cool but others are overly busy to my eye.  My taste leans more to the Cuscowillas of the world, so I defnitely have my biases too.

Thanks in advance.  Just curious to hear how you see your preferences.

[Brian_Sleeman]

Joe: I started my shot at the flag with a nice hook that ended up in the small pot bunker on the front left (just before doom), so I'm not familiar with the course you point out.  From what I do remember, though, that fairway break is about 90 degrees, so in my recollection it wouldn't seem to suit a running approach too well.

I'd also agree that a lot of the holes away from the quarry have a very similar feel to them.  There really aren't too many standout holes in that portion of the course.

I'll probably play it again eventually, but not before I hit a lot of other courses in the LA area for my first time.  What's the replay at Oak Quarry?  I thought it was something like $50 when I was there, so that would also make the drive from LA somewhat more worthwhile.

[Sean_A]

Brian,

Nice pics. I really kind of like that signature par 3. It's quite a bold move to take the width available there and squeeze the green all the way over to the left. It would really influence how I would approach the shot. The left side of the green complex looks like it falls off abruptly. The hole might be a lot cooler if that little bunker right of the green wasn't there, leaving a low running hook as an available approach to this scary green location.

Joe

Joe

I have never played the course, but here are my thoughts.  I agree with you.  The idea of placing that green there is fantastic.  I too don't like the right bunker.  It seems to force the player left which doesn't make sense given the space out right.  Because of the carry and dangerous green placement I think the hole should concentrate more on accurate distance control.  As such the right bunker would be better placed on the same line, but behind the green to catch the overly bold on the safe line.  I understand that it may be there just as much for the guy who lays up out to the right, but if a guy is that afraid to take the shot on than the achip heading toward the abyss will scare him anyway.  All the bunkering down the left is dopey.  I would ditch all of them.  The hole would be more intimidating if the brush came up the bank.  The daring player would know that it is a do or die proposition to go straight at the green.

Course looks ok, but nothing special for $95.  

Ciao

[Rob_Waldron]

I played Oak Quarry several years ago during a visit to Palm Springs area. It was well worth the hour drive out of the desert. I have recommended it to everyone I know visiting the desert and they all come back raving about the course and thanking me for insisting that they play it. It surely does not receive the accolades it deserves.

[Brad Tufts]

I played the OQ with Ryan during the great rains of Feb 05, and we had a blast.

I would say the course matches the extreme eye candy with smart golf features pretty well.  The final 3-4 holes in the rocky meadow near the clubhouse were a slight letdown after what had preceded it, but they weren't bad just kind of bland.

The best part was aiming a driver into the huge rock face (at an angle from a few yards away) from the next tee and seeing how far your ricochet would bounce...

[Scott_Burroughs]

What does the absence of a comment from the Emporer say?

Maybe he doesn't respond to such bad tyops.  

Or maybe because he hasn't had a chance yet (could be busy....or doing fake Borat posts).

Or maybe it's because this is probably the 5th or 6th time Oak Quarry has been discussed, and he's tired of it.

Regardless, here's my Oak Quarry pic thread (including an aerial) from the past:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17538

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