San Vicente Golf Resort

Made the trek out to San Vicente based on a recommendation on the course and conditions. Got there and greens were punched. That happens, sure. It would be a solid idea to maybe have that identified when booking a tee time. The fairways were also punched and very poor. Course maintenance is something that needs to be done. Totally understand, but then to charge full pop for your terrible condition course is just all sorts of wrong. No heads up, full pop, garbage conditions. Starter was flat out rude. When I met my playing partner on the first tee I mentioned that to him. He in turn says “ya guy was a total dick to me too.” Head over to the range and you’ll find poor mats, people crushing bomber cans of Fosters and “range balls” that are essentially the balls people lose on 9 and placed in the ball machine. On the plus side there are 10,000 turkeys running around and gobbling at them is a real treat….

The last time I played in November 2021, course was pristine. Yesterday 3/27, Tee Boxes were terrible, fairways were OK, greens were great.

But, a fun course to play and will definitely go back

All fairways brown and dead. First and last time playing there

I was enticed to visit the San Vicente Golf Resort because of the website's description of the 2021 course renovation which is accompanied by photos of what looks like a well-kept course.

Upon driving by the first few holes on our way to the clubhouse, however, we were disappointed by the condition of the fairways and general presentation of course—could this really be the same place we booked?

Unfortunately it was. Although the (remarkably difficult) greens were in good condition and clearly maintained, the fairways and tee boxes were terrible. I suppose we were lucky to be playing the day after a storm that saw the course get a good drenching. The conditions during our round were cold with a high of around 50, along with occasional sunshine interspersed between light to moderate rain showers that only interfered with play once. This resulted in the tee boxes and fairways being tolerable in terms of playability, but it was still clear that things aren't being watered enough.

The lack of irrigation doesn't make much sense either, considering there are 5 ponds on the course. Unless, of course, the pumps are broken, an excuse I've heard at a few other San Diego County golf courses over the past few years.

Hardly any green grass on the course. Rough more like weeds. Rock hard greens. Very slow pace.

This is a very nice course. The greens are smooth, moderately fast (11), and cleverly contoured to provide a fair challenge. The layout uses a mixture of trees, sand, and water to make you think about each shot. Multiple tee boxes are widely separated to accommodate many skill levels. In February, much of the fairway grass is dormant giving it a dull color, with tight lies and lots of roll. If you’re used to spongy fairways the lies might be tough but they’re still a fair test. The setting is rural and beautiful, with houses encroaching on the course boundary only once.

We used the stay and play package. The rooms and facility are dated but comfortable. The restaurant/bar is updated and serves great dinners, drinks, bar food, and breakfast at reasonable prices. Other options are a good drive away.

Higher handicappers my find the curvy greens and tight lies frustrating, but to me the only negative was pace of play. The course was cart-path-only because of a downpour the night before and we played around 11am on a Wednesday following a Mens-Club tourney: 2 factors that bog down pace. But still, 5 hours is dreadful. We’ll be back when it’s warmer in hopes of playing more quickly.

New green complex is fun to play. Fairway needs better maintenance and water. It is very hard to hit a ball because less/no grass.

The course is completely dead on every level from tee to green. The pace of play is atrocious, we had to leave after the 4th hole because there were two full groups waiting to tee off. There are tee shots with trees directly in your path. The newly renovated greens are impossible to keep a ball on and are so firm they feel like concrete.

2/08/2022

When a person is calling for a tee time, they should be informed that the Bermuda grass is not reseeded and not watered. This should be said just like when they punch the Greens. When the 2 of us got there, we had already paid 130.00 for 2 players no discount and the fairways were like hitting off asphalt and hard pan dirt. I asked about a discount and they stated no. I think the management should give discounts to unsuspecting out of towners that read the course was redone and it shows all the fairways nice and green, until you get there and its all-brown grass everywhere. This is the first time I have ever gave a review, but it should be stated they are stealing from the public because of their decision not to water the fairways.

Thank you taking the time to read this,

All the fairways had little grass so it was like hitting irons on the bare ground..