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Rating Index Rating
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4.4
502 Reviews (502)
5 Stars
268
4 Stars
174
3 Stars
41
2 Stars
16
1 Stars
3
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.4
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.4
89.5%
Recommend this course
469 out of 502 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.8
26 Reviews (26)
5 Stars
21
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.7
Value
4.8
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.6
StaffFriendliness
4.9
96.2%
Recommend this course
25 out of 26 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
38 Reviews (38)
5 Stars
25
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.4
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.8
84.2%
Recommend this course
32 out of 38 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This challenging course consistently impresses with well-maintained fairways, quality greens, and a layout that keeps golfers coming back weekly. Exceptionally friendly staff and outstanding overall conditions make this one of the area's top values.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 6830 yards
Slope 125
Rating 72.7

The River Course at Alisal enjoys a scenic backdrop provided by the foothills of the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains. Stands of mature live oaks, native sycamores, and elderberry trees sway against the vivid hues of the mountains. Though scenery abounds, don't get too distracted because the golf course demands a fair amount of attention. It's a challenging but not punishing layout that features a variety of hazards that will reward length and accuracy. Seemingly wide fairways are bordered by mounding and the large greens have subtle but tricky undulations. One of the toughest holes is the par-4 seventh, which has a challenge waiting for you everywhere you look. A beautiful vineyard runs the length of the hole on one side and on the other, there is a lake that runs all the way up to the green.

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River Course at the Alisal
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Course Details

Year Built 1992
Golf Season Year round
Architect Jack Daray, Jr. (1992) Stephen Halsey (1992)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Indoor Practice Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill

Available Facilities

Clubhouse
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Reviews

4.4
502 Reviews (502)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Patio Dining 17
Drinks 13
Amazing Food 9
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 23
Water Hazards 20
Forced Carries 10
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 25
A Weekend Splurge 17
Locals 17
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 25
Near Local Attractions 16
Convenient to the City 10

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Very good overall

Good staff, good layout, conveniently located in Solvang. Fair course conditions, parts of rough very penal. Course conditions have declined a little over the years, but seems normal industry-wide.

Regular rates seem high for this course. Used Hot Deal and rewards, so it was great this time. I'd come back for sure using Golf Now.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
3.0
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

I could play here every day.

First time playing this course. The course was forgiving but also challenging. It's condition was great, I don't know if it is always this way or because of the nice amount of rain we have had recently.

The entire facility was very nice. The pro shop employee's were friendly and helpful.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

36

With all the recent rain, the course is in beautiful shape. Forward tees do not offer much advantage. At 5700+ yards, it is a tough go for the ladies.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice fairways and greens- slow pace of play- no post round drink.

There was no monitoring of pace of play- Starter put a walking 3some out ahead of our riding twosome delaying our tee time by 25 minutes and leading to a 5 hour round. Clubhouse and bar was closed when we finished well before dark.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Exceeded Expectations

The River Course at Alisal was a pleasant surprise. I played the tips which enhances the feel and sights from the elevated tee boxes. The course was in tremendous shape from the recent rains this winter which was sorely needed. Fairways were plush and the greens were quick and true. We had a hot deal greens fee so expect to pay about 75% more. Overall a good golf outing!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 31
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good Course for the casual player or beginner

I played this course for the first time with my son who is a beginner. So it was perfect for us. We were never held up and were "pushed" on only a couple of holes. So the pace of play was great. The course condition was very good with some of the best condition greens I have played in a while. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. At $37.49 per player with all fees it was a good value. The course layout is simple with most of the holes being straight with hardly any elevation change. It does have some narrow ravines to drive over depending what tees you play. Most holes are tree lined but sparse enough that you can always advance the ball. Every hole had sand traps and bunkers that are fairly placed. Many of the holes had some kind of water hazard but again fairly placed meaning that if you hit into them you hit a bad shot. The greens are big and with little undulation. The greens were in great condition. Where this facility fell was on amenities! They had no beverage cart running, the snack shack was closed and the grill was closed when we finished.[5:00pm] Overall I would say this course is designed for the beginner to casual player. It is still interesting enough for the low handicapper.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great outing!

My husband and I were able to play the course by ourselves in 3 1/2 hours starting at 1pm. The fairways and greens were in great shape, and the scenery is beautiful. The driving range mats needed updating. They were old and awkward to hit from. Other than that we really enjoyed our round and look forward to returning.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun Course

This golf course is very well maintained especially with all of the lack of water in the central coast. Course is fairly easy because of the parallel fairways, but still has several challenging holes due to the amount of trees and other various hazards. I would recommend this course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 43
Skill Intermediate
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Beautiful yet challenging

Played during the week so not many people on course. No staff on hand to help with clubs. Loved the golf.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Good value and decent golf course

Fun golf corse with interesting holes. Greens were in excellent condition and the fairways were in good condition. In the rough there were several areas that we're bare so mud puddles had formed. The cart paths were unpaved in several areas. We played during the week and the course was almost empty so pace of play was great. The downside was no beverage cart that day. We look forward to playing here again next year.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course open

I booked a online time at 6:30am through golf now. The course doesn't open that early! I had to wait for someone to show up about 6:45. I was able to get out right away but disappointed in Golf Now for not being correct on their web site..

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

beutifull setting///scinic

the course was in prettygood shape considering drought conditions in the area. definitly will play it again.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

poor playing experience

no mention was made of the condition of the greens either at the time of booking on golf now, or when we checked in at the proshop. greens had been punched and sanded and were in terrible condition. the rest of the course conditions were poor as well, bare spots on the fairways and tees.no beverage cart, and half way house not open, no mention was made of either of those issues. the course does not return to clubhouse at the turn, so this was inconvenient to get refreshments. have played this course in years past and experienced better conditions.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Good course with great scenery.

I stumbled onto this course when looking for a place to play while everyone else in my group spent the afternoon wine tasting. Found a great deal on Golfnow so decided to give it a try. Turned into an amazing afternoon. The setting is so beautiful I knew I had made a good decision even before hitting the first shot. The staff was extremely friendly. The course was in good but not great condition. But considering the lack of rain it was better than expected. The fairways were a little thin but OK. The Greens were very good. A few excellent holes with the rest being OK to good.

All in all this is a great place to play and I was amazed at how few people seem to even know about it. For the sake of the management I hope that changes. For the sake of my next time out there I hope it doesn't.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Solvang

Nice course, winds blowing 20 mph makes it difficult. Great staff

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Not worth the cost

Nice enough course if you play it every 2 years, otherwise overpriced for a rather boring layout.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Previously Played

Rip off

It's a fun course. Not worth the green fees they charge. total rip off in my opinion. I am a 6 handicap and willing to pay for a good round of golf. I also work in the golf industry.

When the best price on golf now is a hot deal for 68.00. It's a shame. No way it's worth that at 12:30 in the afternoon.

The Alisal course twilight fees should be their regular green fees. I don't see how they get off charging more than la parisima. A far superior course only 20 miles away.

The restraunt is cool. Staff is nice. Course is a rip off. Won't be back.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

A Good Track in Solvang

Enjoyed playing this course. Lots of sand, some well hidden so make sure you check your course map. My playing partner rented clubs, and the driver head on the rental clubs was kind of loose. Expected more for the $40 rental fee. Overall though, I give the course high ratings.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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