La Casa del Zorro Resort and Spa

I kept hearing a bunch of hoopla about some course called Rams Hill. Seeing some great reviews on GK I told myself I need to play it and see what it's all about. One slight problem. The course is waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. It's about halfway between San Diego and Palm Springs. Not a bad drive if you live in either of those places but a heck of a haul from Northern Califirnia. With so many great options at both locations, Rams Hill just never made the list on any of the So Cal golf trips.

Johnny GK gave me an invite and when the MAN himself invites you, you make the trip.

And let me tell you it Was worth every minute of the drive!!

The course had everything that I like in a track: elevation changes, multiple water hazards, great playing conditions, and excellent customer service.

Per my intel this used to be two private courses that is now one "resort" style course. Greens were spacious that offered some fun challenges but gentle enough to give up a handful of birdies to the group (sadly none to me).

Fairways are wide enough that errant shots can usually be found in the first cut of rough which was thick but manageable.

The water hazards are off to the side with hole 11 having a river/stream flowing down the entire left side. It's probably my favorite hole on the course. There are no forced carries over any of the water hazards which takes a couple points off the design For me but not that big of a deal breaker.

The views are amazing and all in all the layout is awesome with a number of fun holes. Most holes are fairly straight with only a couple of severe dog leg holes.

There have been some recent articles about Rams Hill being the third best resort course behind Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Whereas I can't say that I agree with that statement (there are just so many great courses in California) I can say that Rams Hill is Definitely, definitely worth the drive and a fun track.

I did have several issues with the website, but that may have been a compatibility issue with my iPad.

A long ride to get there. Once there it was well worth it. Course is beautiful, in excellent condition and very playable even though it was very windy. Staff was very friendly and helpful. A magnificent golf course in the middle of nowhere. A course you would like to play every day.

My wife and I played it for the first time. Very windy conditions, which sounds like a little unusual. We both found a lot of sand traps - but that was on us. Course conditions were excellent, beautiful setting, and we will go back

Everything you read about this course is true. It is one of most beautiful golf courses I have ever played. The vistas surrounding you as you play are breathtaking and it only adds to the golfing experience of this perfectly maintained Course. The greens were perfect and ran true. Sand bunkers had sand in them and not packed dirt. The fairways are awesome and plenty wide in most cases. This doesn't mean Rams Hill is not challenging because it is, but it is a fair golf course that every golfer will enjoy! I am looking forward to my next round here.

Loved everything.... such a beautiful facility and Course.

This course was a standout. The fairways and rough are vibrant green and lush. There weren't any bare lies on the course, and in January that is quite the achievement. The fairways are wide, but there are lots of strategic bunkers placed in the landing areas that make you think on each tee shot. The greens had good speed and rolled very nicely. There is some slope on the greens, but every putt I had was fair. The course will challenge your game, but I would describe it as a fair challenge. I didn't play well but managed to score decently. There is lots of elevation change on both tee shots and approach shots. Like other Fazio courses I have played in the past, there are some holes where you can use the slopes and contours around the green to feed the ball back towards the hole. It is quite the journey out here from San Diego, but it is definitely worth it. If this course was located in a more densely populated area it would be in all of the Top 100 course publications.

The most beautiful course we has found in years. lots of challenge not a fairway or green that was flat or boring . Had a great time plus as a bonus the staff treated us like old friends. WILL PLAY AGAIN !!!

Life happens and we arrived at 8:47 for our 9:00 time.

We were prepaid so got our cart and were at the tee by 8:51. I said “good morning!” To the starter who, on learning our name/time said “Well, you’re FINALLY here.” Bla bla..

So.. First tee of a NEW course I’ve looked forward to since last winter and I get a snobbish “you’re late” attitude.

We stood around on the number one tee for quite awhile after introductions, instructions, and tips before teeing up. There was no hurry.

How long does it take YOU to get over that?

Oh, the course is very nice. The attitude.. I can get that at the Muni from the former pro.

It is hard to believe that a course this beautiful is in Borrego Springs. As with many Tom Fazio designs, it is fairly generous off the tee but a lot more challenging as you approach the greens. Excellent conditions, a great mix of short and long holes, it flows very well. The greens, in particular, are wonderful. I had played here once before and the pace was not good at all - much better this time - about 4:10. You want to be able to enjoy the views and calculate the best way to play each hole.

The condition of the course was immaculate and the staff was top-notch. I don't understand why they put this course in the middle of nowhere but I recommend playing it at least once!

Other than we picked the only day SoCal had rain and wind since last Feb the experience was fantastic.

Will return to play again when I know there won't be wind

Played the Blues (6369/70.9/131) with Ron, Matt and Brian in the GK Plays in 4H, 20M. Overcast and calm in the 70's, excellent golf weather.

Tom Fazio design, I like the course layout, I can see the high slope rating. Concerning course conditions, everything was in the 9-10 out of 10 range across the board.

The tees were lush and very well maintained. Large, level with few divots, mowed down close, near immaculate.

The fairways were lush with few divots. A couple of discolored areas but still excellent overall.

The rough was also very lush. Thick and even though the ball usually sat up, long enough to make longer clubs a chancy play. Get outside the maintained rough and the native rough is lost ball thick.

The sand traps were nicely maintained with good quality sand. I don't see how a public course in a windy area could maintain their traps any better, and there are close to 100 of them total on this course.

The greens were firm, smooth, medium fast and rolled well. Perhaps not as pristine as prior visits, but still excellent overall.

The customer service was excellent. The pro shop staff, Starter, Marshall and Drink cart were all excellent to deal with. Had a salad after the round, efficient, friendly service. The setup of the all grass driving range with the complementary Pro-V range balls is top notch. Most of the range is sand, with numerous grass greens set up as targets in 25-30 yard increments so you could hit almost any club and feel like you were hitting into a green.

Many holes are visually intimidating with 97 well placed traps and a decent amount of water. Four different sets of tees for men, all varied by 400-500 yards. The course was fair, not overly tight and an excellent test of golf. Definitely recommended.

Heard a lot of great things about this course and it's even better than what people say! We came to play for a friend's birthday and had a great time!

The course is in incredible shape. One of the most challenging but fun courses you could play. I wish I could play this course everyday!

The faculty is great especially Mike Setchell. Mike is such a friendly guy and can't thank him enough for what he did for us. He made sure that we had a great time and we did! Thanks Mike!!!!

We booked a two-some on GolfNow based on comments I read on Golf Advisor. The course conditions and level of difficulty were as expected - excellent.We and to drive 1.5 hours to get to the course so we had reasonable expectations that we would receive similar service as we do at the Palm Springs area courses who are charging similar rates. We played with a couple who have played there many times and it was a good thing we did since there are no GPS systems on the golf carts and no yardage books offered in the pro shop. For a course this challenging and charging a high-end price, a golfer would expect that the carts would be equipped with GPS and the course would provide you with a yardage book. In order to compete with similar courses in the Palm Springs area they should visit them and see what is provided for a similar +$100 green fee. I will recommend this course to friends but will inform them of this so they can make up their own minds if they want to drive the extra distance for less service.

The adventure began at 3:30 am from Orange County arriving at the Rams Hill course just before 7am. We were cordially greeted and directed to the Practice range. The range was stocked with Pro V-1 golf balls stacked in a pyramid as well as hand held range finders at each station. As we were warming up Mike, the manager of the course, greeted us and brought us our carts loaded and ready to go. He was very friendly and welcomed us to the Club as though we were special guests. He gave us an overview of the amenities and pointed us towards the first hole when we were finished warming up.

I have never been to a course as well kept as Rams Hill. Even in the dead of winter the fairways were dark green and perfectly manicured. The greens although very challenging were absolutely perfect. The course has a number of strategically placed bunkers of varying heights, each filled with perfectly raked, white fluffy sand. They seemed to attract the ball quite often due to the slope.

It was cool in the morning but warmed up as we played. The last few holes it began to get a little windy. We finished a little before noon and stopped for lunch at the club house. Food was great and the staff was cordial and professional. We decided that since we had come such a long distance we were going to play another 18. Staff changed out our cart so we wouldn't get stranded.

The wind was a little cool and challenging but towards the 2nd nine it calmed down. We finished the last hole just at dusk. As we finished, staff members came out and cleaned our clubs. Mike greeted us again and thanked us for visiting the course.

Playing this course was truly an adventure and a once in a lifetime experience. I belong to a private club and have not experienced a more professional and friendly staff. We were treated as though we were PGA tour players. Thanks for a great time. We will be back.

Rams Hill is a great test of golf and it seemed like everywhere i was i had a great lie. the ball rolls so nicely on the smooth greens. A great Fazio design, well worth the drive out to borrego springs.

Played here for a buddies bday last week and couldn't be more impressed. The course and ambiance is that of a high end private club. The food at the clubhouse restaurant was amazing as was the staff. The golf course was in perfect condition with the greens running at about an 11.5 on the stimp. I wish I lived closer so I could play this course all the time!!!

Had the pleasure to be invited to a 36 hole outing from a friend who had played here before. he raved about the course, the conditions and the staff. we drove up from San Diego at o dark thirty for a 715 tee time. upon arrival at this magnificent facility I knew I was in for a early Xmas present. the range is incredible, prov1 range balls , lush areas and even range finders. after a little warm up we were greeted by the director of golf, Mike. he welcomed us and asked us to demo one of the new carts that are being purchased soon. can't say enough about how professional and inviting Mike made us feel. as far as the course, I can only echo the prior reviews of how top notch this facility is. There is nothing about it I could find that would merit nothing less than five stars. it's well worth the drive from SD or anywhere 100 miles to come and experience this. had lunch after our first 18 and the food was terrific. pace of play was great, not very crowded today. our second round found us with the course pretty much to ourselves which was probably due to a bit of chill and wind which was not that bad. after a great day at Rams Hill for all we all felt that this had been one of the best experiences playing golf. I would recommend a stay and play for anyone out of the area. The rates and more than reasonable, the accommodations are affordable and it would not disappoint. Thank you Mike and all your staff for all the hard work you put in to make your facility one of the best.