Champions Club At The Retreat

this course will kick you in the butt if your not ready. Both your golf game and your physical stamina. The greens were still showing signs of being punched but rolled pretty well. some of the fairways needed some attention but overall in pretty decent shape. I say decent as I played this course many times when it was private and it was always in great shape but I guess public play can offer added difficultly in maintenance

Decent course and fairly priced. I liked the many changes in elevation and elevated tee shots. Greens were challenging and in relatively good shape considering the time of year (early Summer). Similar to many courses in southwest Riverside County, keeping the fairways in good condition is always a challenge in the Summer, and I would say the fairways were in below average condition. Staff is friendly. Pace of play was slow. Too many "target golf" holes, which I am not a fan of...probably because I can't hit my ball straight anyways :)
I played with my 12-year old son and he really enjoyed it. Overall, its a good course for a decent price. I would go back if the price is right, but would not pay a premium for this course.

Fun course, super tough. Expect a long round if in a foursome because its so challenging.

we got off at our tee time and pace was great. many different holes to challenge your shot making. Manager Flint was friendly and so was the staff. Would recommend giving this course a shot.

Great day to play golf!! very good fairways and great greens. Two issues were: slow pace since we were following a 3-some who appeared to be having a really great time and the grass watering of the some fairways and greens which made it very difficult to read. Other than that, we had a blast!!

It's a beautiful course, nice view,well manicured, the front nine was average as far challenge goes , but the back nine is too difficult.

This of course is very challenging, it is great for golfers with a single index or someone looking for quite a challenge.

I played single on this course and took me only 2 1/2 hrs, so I replayed. 36 holes took me about 5 hours to complete. Beautiful course but very challenging...bring a lot of golf balls.

If you aren't careful, this course will eat your lunch. Plenty of risk/reward opportunities. Opening par 5 is an easy birdie if played right and a double bogey if not. It gets interesting from there. Greens are multi-tiered, quick, and will reward well placed shots and punish you if you miss.

If you want a challenging course, this is the place for you.

Target golf. Which is fine. I don't really care for the greens. The second hole is a short par 4 with your approach coming in from a sharp uphill lie. The green has 2 tiers (right and left) and you can't stop the ball on the left side of the green, everything fall back off the front. There are a couple of greens like that, very shallow with trouble behind with an approach from a downhill lie. Call it challenging ....or something else. The price is right though and the course is usually in pretty good shape. A lot of uphill and downhill lies. You'll be tired afterward.

I recently played this course on 10 May 2013. We had a TT @1300. We had a two players. We arrived 15 mins before our TT and waited 30 mins for a cart. When the first 15 mins passed we saw the starter drive by and asked him are some carts coming? He, replied they are. The only way that we got a cart was grabbing one from someone returning one.
As we headed to the 1st tee we saw the starter practicing on the driving range with a cart and another employee with his own cart too. I figured that he was also an employee due to he had the same shirt as the starter.
It seems as if these two employees are more concern with their own game then with paying customers.
NOT GOOD!!!!!!!

I understand that this course has been subjected to poor reviews. The whole thing is the course is harder then most. There will been uneven lies. There will be blind T shots and approaches. The Greens can eat you up. Your best off playing course a few times. And onlyy playing the course when you feel your game is on point. I've golfed terribly here. I've golfed good here. The views cannot be beat. The fact that it is designed by Jack Nicholas is legendary. I used to be a 12 handicap but had to stop playing for a year recently and have now been adjusted to an 18. I was in the 90s here and I was happy on May 3rd 2013. I hit a few out of bounds lateral drop. But thats expected at this course as an 18. Play it more than once. You will enjoy and respect The Retreat.

Probably the worst course I have played in California. The Greens were OK, but the fairways were terrible lots of bare patches and big clumps of grass. alot of bad lies in the middle of the fairway. They are trying to pull it off as an exclusive resort type course and they do it well until you actually start to golf. Great facilities horrible golf course.

Champions Club at the Retreat is definitely more challenging, but we enjoyed the course a lot. I played the blue tee which makes it even more challenging and pleasantly surprised by how focusing can overcome the difficult shots. The staff was friendly and the starter greeted us at the parking lot with our cart and provided information which was really nice. The fairway may needs a little attention but was not that bad. Great experience

Aeration slows down greens, but we warned when we made reservation. Except the green everything was great, and was worthy of money.

Great course, very challenging mountain layout with 2 & 3 tiered greens and lots of elevation change. Real grass range is a plus, but irons only. I drove an hour and a half to get there and would gladly do it again.

I didn't know that the course had just punched the greens until AFTER I booked my tee time on line. It was the thickest sand I have ever seen on greens after punching. Probably shouldn't have even been open for play for another day or so, or until they rolled the greens a time or two. Also the fairways and overall condition just doesn't compare to the other three courses within a mile or two of the Retreat.

Terrible conditions. No ball washers. Staff not helpful and almost rude. Never will play here again. Not even for $1.00

I should of stayed away when I saw the 8/30 rating on Google. I should of stayed away when I read the bad reviews... but I didn't. I'm a 7 handicap, and this course has some of the dumbest holes. You're either going uphill or downhill, uneven lies, blind shots, soggy/muddy fairways with some patches of life here and there. Greens were about the only thing up to par. I guarantee Nicklaus would never put his name on this course if he saw the condition. You come close to Eagle Glen on some holes and you can easily see the difference in maintenance. Hate to put a course down, but you spend over an hour going out to a 'Nicklaus Design' and no where close to it. Check Goose Creek, Oak Quarry, Los Serranos, or Eagle Glen out instead.