Thursday, December 27, 2018

The Saticoy Club Review


When you think of the classic "golden age" courses in Los Angeles, most golfer's minds are drawn to names like LACC (1911), Riviera (1925), and Bel-Air (1925). However, there is another golden age course built in 1921 that often gets overlooked by many in the LA community but shouldn't. Of course, I am talking about Saticoy.

Designed by William Bell in 1921, this course has all the hallmarks of a golden age SoCal course. The opening tee shot is a severe downhill par 4 (much like Riv and Bel-Air).


 The course has plenty of width yet there are trees to keep you honest.


Fantastic bunkering with excellent sand.


and some killer par 3s including a par 3 ninth hole and a crazy downhill par 3 tenth hole. This course screams the golden age and yet I felt it was still very modern. The maintenance staff there has made excellent turf choices and the greens roll true with devilish contours.

As excellent as the front side is, the back side is where the course really shines. What Bel-Air, LACC and The Riv don't give you is stunning views of the surrounding countryside but Saticoy gives you that in spades.

My favorite holes on the back nine had to be start the par 3 13th which leads you up to the high point of the course for the awesomesauce 14th which is a par 5 14th featuring a gorge and gorgeous views!



Couple that with the par 4 15th which has a great tee shot and fantastic green complex


and you have a three hole stretch that I would put up against any in the world. 

The course ends on a long, roping par 5 with a crazy blind shot into the green. For my first time playing the course, the lack of yardage markers and a few blind shots made for some questionable decisions on my part but Saticoy is a course that demands you to play it more than once, and more than once I will. 

The only knock on the course is that they need to trim the rough down a little bit. Balls hit offline seem to nestle in there and were tough to find but 98% of the rest of the course was top notch! 

Saticoy deserves to be in the same breath as Bel-Air surely and those fortunate to get an invite onto this private Ventura Country track should accept. I can't wait to play it again!

For more information on Saticoy please check out this link: https://www.thesaticoyclub.com/



1 comment:

  1. The VCJGA last played here in 2014! It would be AWESOME if the top juniors in this region could once again conduct a tournament on this must play course.

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