Cottonwood Golf Club - Lakes Course

I have played this course a few times before and it was fine, but I had not visited in a couple of years and was really disappointed.
The course looks like it gets no maintenance, bunkers have mostly dirt, no more sand, they filled-in one of the lakes and the fairways have less grass than I remember, which is fine on the edges but not in the middle. The clubhouse is more of the same, it desperately needs work.
It's sad to see a course get to this point, hopefully they can still save it because there are definitely much better options in San Diego for the price.

This was my first time playing here, and based on the conditions of the course it will be my last one, too. It would be nice to have a crew use a leaf-blower once in a while to remove the excessive amount of leaves found all over the course. This makes the search of the ball even more difficult. The fairways have so many dry spots that I could not finish to tell you about them today. I have no opinion about the bunkers for I did not fall in a single one, so I do not know. The greens are in such bad shape, you know, dimples everywhere, so, it is not easy to have a straight putt. I am so sorry I wasted that money here. I could have paid a few more bucks and go somewhere else. The place it's so rundown you could swear it is located on a ghost town. I have no idea if it is owned by the city or a private corporation, but whoever it is: Shameful!

This is a review to warn everyone, The Lakes course is FINALLY closed.
It has been in deplorable conditions for the last year and the club decided to end it. You can still play ivanhoe.

You could tell something was coming, the conditions were terrible. No need to worry it's now closed. The other course is a little better but overpriced. Also they no longer work with golfnow.
This means 2 less venues for golf, in this area for golfnow customers. As the biggest concern man in the USA would say, "sad".

Need to maintain the greens., it wasn't properly cut nor maintain., We couldnt notice the difference between green or fringe. , Ball crawls at putting greens and needs to crank up its 4WD.. to push it with the putter

I played this course twicedespite all the negative reviews (snobs), and I must say it's great for what you pay. Greens need improvement, ground squirrels are part of the challenge, but not too bad. Overall, I will say I will recommend and will return to play there.

Cottonwood Lakes is not a high end course but it is in good condition and presents a fair challenge. There are few easy holes and trouble lurks even on those. I got a red hot deal 2 hours before tee time and paid under $18 for 18 holes with cart on a nice day. The round took only 4 hours. The staff and other golfers were friendly. This course and the companion Ivanhoe course are great values.

Can do a little bit of work on the greens. Watch out for crosswinds on the back nine.

This course has so much potential...so much...the fairways are pock marked with ground squirrel holes, and mounds, the greens are ok, but need work, and the sand traps are untouched....terrible...no wonder I played for 16 bucks...spend some money and make this place nice....I probably won't play this side again...but would if you gave it some attention....

The day started out great. It's a Saturday. Golf at sunrise. First in first out.

When I checked in I was told that my free round I had been holding on to was no good because of "new ownership" doing away with the Players Club that had been around for a few years.

I wasn't to happy about it but my buddy and I agreed to stay and play Cottonwood since we like to play fast and be the first if not one of the first groups to tee off. Plus we wouldn't have made it to Sycuan before the morning rush.

We paid the overpriced rack rate and headed out. I haven't played Cottonwood is awhile because it was so bad in that past and believe it or not...it's gotten worse. We were the first twosome.

In a nutshell:
The driving range is shut down "until further notice." No starter. The bottles of divot mix were both empty. Teeing ground was set up from yesterday's rounds and chewed up. Empty beer bottles and trash next to every tee box. No kidding, every tee box. The bunkers are either concrete or empty. Greens are full of weeds. Fairways are bare.

I'm not a golf snob. I just love getting out and enjoying a round. I play all over San Diego County about 4 times a month. From budget courses Mission Trails to nicer tracks like Encinitas Ranch and Ram's Hill. These were the worst course conditions I've played, ever. Do not give this place your money. Sycuan has a better rate if you look out for golfnow deals. Steele Canyon is a bit more expensive but for a difference of $20 over this place it's well worth it. When visiting Rancho San Diego, do not even pull into Cottonwood's parking lot. -JP

We played as a 3-some and were able to get on the course 30 minutes before our tee time (trying to beat the rain). Pace of play was excellent, as there were very few people at the course.

Course is not in the best shape, but then again, got a sweet deal from GolfNow.com for $16. Fairways are spotty, but not bad. Greens were a little slow and bumpy. Layout for course is OK, not particularly challenging as most of the trees are barren due to winter conditions..

This is a good course to just keep your game up to speed or for a beginner.

Ivanhoe was in the best condition I've seen it in for years! The pace of play was excellent and it felt like we had the course to ourselves! I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!

I haven't played this course in fifteen or twenty years and I was pleasantly surprised to find it in pretty good shape. The fairways were well maintained but the rough could be cleaned up, mowed, and filled in better. Abundance of cottonwood tree leaves are always a problem. The greens were well maintained and fast. Pace of play was really quick but it was a weekday.
The clubhouse and pro shop are in desperate need of remodeling, but who cares.
Great value for the money, I will be playing again soon.

like the lakes , enjoy golf period

The staff was friendly, but even with the Hot Deal price on GolfNow, I didn't feel it was worth it. Southern California is currently in a drought, but other clubs have been able to maintain their courses, and Cottonwood apparently can not. It may be funding, lack of membership, I'm not sure, but the course wasn't very good. It had potential to be beautiful, but currently it isn't, and that is unfortunate.

Sure wish they would have Diagram of fairway. Did not know how the Fairway laid-out. Would appreciate which way I was hitting.