Dairy Creek Golf Course

Walked the Black/Blue combo tees (6227/70.1/128) in 4H, 15M mid morning. Sunny, breezy and in the low 70's. $20 to walk 18 with the SLO Co. card. Played with the SLO Co. GG, Jim and Jerry are fun guys to play with.

Kikuyu tees had good coverage with only the par 3's needing divot attention.

Kikuyu fairways had good coverage but varied greatly. Decent amount of lush areas but also many thin spots.

Rough a mixture of grasses. Not high but thick close to the fairways. Hardpan in many areas away from the fairways and well off the fairways is knee deep straw like wild grass.

Sand traps had decent quality sand and were nicely maintained.

Greens putted smooth and consistently medium speed. Firm, but held irons well with few ball marks.

Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. Friendly Starter and pro shop staff in a well stocked pro shop. Busy restaurant on site, and their Top Tracer range is consistently packed. Never any on course services here. Very nice practice area. Fun layout with a good variety of holes, recommended.

Walked the Bruiser tees (6227/70.1/128) in 3.5 mid day. Sunny, windy and around 75. $20 to walk 18 with the SLO Co. card.

Bruiser tees here are the Black/Blue combo tees. On paper only adds 219 yards from playing the straight Blues, but it seems like alot more. Hilly course that is tough to walk and have never played when it was calm. Prevailing off the ocean wind means you play cross wind on holes 1-3. 4 is into the wind. 5 is straight downwind, then 6-9 are back into the teeth of the wind. Hilly, windy and Kikuyu plus several holes with forced carry approaches over ravines will test anyone. Nine hole layout you play twice to get in 18. Unique in that you play six par 3's, 4's and 5's for you to get in 18 holes.

Kikuyu tees had good coverage and the par 3's could use divot attention.

Kikuyu fairways had good coverage but varied greatly. Many thin spots with a decent amount of lush areas.

Rough not high but thick close to the fairways. Mixture of grasses. Hardpan in many areas away from the fairways and well off the fairways is knee deep straw like wild grass.

Sand traps had decent quality sand and were decently maintained.

Greens putted smooth and consistently medium speed. Firm, but held irons well with few ball marks.

Never any on course services here. Carts are upgraded with good GPS. Friendly pro shop staff in a well stocked pro shop. Busy restaurant on site, and their Top Tracer range is consistently packed. Very nice practice area. Fun layout with a good variety of holes, recommended.

Walked the Blues (6008/69.0/127) in 4H with Carl and Cory. Sunny, Breezy and around 75. Cannot beat $20 to walk 18 on the SLO Co card for a weekend.

Hilly course that is tough to walk. Most holes you have to aim at the top edge of the fairway to keep the ball in the fairway. Nine hole layout you play twice to get in 18. Unique in that you play six par 3's, 4's and 5's to get in 18 holes.

Kikuyu tees maintained high and the par 3's could definitely use divot attention.

Kikuyu fairways had good coverage but many thin spots with a decent amount of lush areas.

Rough a mixture of grasses. Not high but thick close to the fairways. Hardpan in many areas away from the fairways and well off the fairways is knee deep straw like wild grass.

Sand traps had decent quality sand and were well maintained.

Greens were excellent. Putted smooth and consistently medium speed. Held irons well with few ball marks.

Very friendly pro shop staff in a well stocked pro shop. Busy restaurant on site, and their Top Tracer range is consistently packed. Very nice practice area. Never any on course services here. Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. Fun layout, recommended.

Walked the Blues (6008/70.7/128) for 9 holes in 1H, 45M mid day. Windy, partly cloudy and around 75. $15 to walk on the SLO Co. Card for 9, $20 if you do a replay and get in 18.

Nine hole course that has three par 5's, 4's and 3's. Challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, challenging course to walk.

Kikuyu tees had decent coverage but were just okay.

Kikuyu fairways very playable with decent coverage.

Mostly Kikuyu rough mowed down, decent coverage with a few bare areas. Many hardpan areas if you get more than 20 yards away from the fairways.

Sand traps were good. Well maintained with thick sand/dirt.

Large Poa Greens putted somewhat bumpy and medium speed. Consistent from green to green and receptive to holding iron shots.

Customer service was excellent. Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. No on course services. I like the layout, good variety of holes. Top Tracer practice range that you rent stalls by the half hour includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots in addition to the practice holes that you can also play for a fee. Recommended.

Walked the Bruiser tees (6227/70.8/133) in 4H, 30M mid morning. Windy, clear and around 65. Played with Patrick, Pat and Trevor, very easy going group to play with.

I like the layout, good variety of holes. Nine hole course that has three par 5's, 4's and 3's. So when you play it twice to get in 18 holes, it's a rarity to get in six par 5's and six par 3's on a 18 hole regulation round. They will no longer let you pay for 18 up front, you have to pay for 9, then pay for the 2nd 9 after you complete the first 9. $15 for the first 9, $5 for the replay. But $20 to walk on the SLO Co. Card is an excellent deal.

Kikuyu tees had decent coverage. The fill in the divots with small woods chips, which I have never seen elsewhere. Seems to work.

Fairways winter thin in spots, lush in spots, very playable.

Rough winter thin with a few bare areas, more lush around the greens. Maintained low but the inconsistency of the lies can be penal. Many hardpan areas if you get more than 20 yards away from the fairways.

Sand traps well maintained with thick sand/dirt.

Poa greens putted smooth and medium fast. Consistent from green to green and receptive to holding iron shots.

Top Tracer practice range that you rent stalls by the half hour includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots in addition to the practice holes that you can also play for a fee. Challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, challenging course to walk. Customer service was excellent on both check in's. Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. No on course services available due to COVID-19, but the restaurant was open with limited service. Recommended.

Walked the Blues (6008/70.7/128) in 4H, 40M mid day with the SLO Co GC. Windy, clear and around 75. $20 to walk on the SLO Co. Card is a good deal.

Tees had okay coverage but were not good IMO. Too many divots and not a fan of kikuyu tees.

Fairways winter thin, very playable.

Rough winter thin with a few bare areas. Maintained low but the inconsistency of the lies can be penal. Many hardpan areas if you get away from the fairways.

Sand traps played nice. Well maintained with thick sand/dirt.

Greens putted smooth and medium fast. Consistent from green to green and receptive to holding iron shots.

Customer service was excellent. Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. Limited services available due to COVID-19, but the restaurant was open with a limited menu.

Nine hole course that has three each par 5's, 4's and 3's. So when you play it twice to get in 18 holes, it's a rarity to get in six par 5's and six par 3's on a 18 hole regulation round. Players coming off #9 making the turn having priority over players starting on #1. I like the layout, good variety of holes. Top Tracer practice range that you rent stalls by the half hour includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots in addition to the practice holes that you can also play for a fee. Challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, challenging course to walk. Recommended.

Played some of the practice holes on what used to be the front 9 and used the Top Tracer Practice Facility. Breezy, clear and around 65.

Was told months ago they were getting a Top Golf. It is actually called Top Tracer, which is a first cousin.

The Top Tracer facility is a building on 3 sides that opens to an outdoor range. Ten stalls where you hit off mats with 2 TV screens per stall, launch monitors, simulators and computer monitors that shows you all kinds of graphics and stats on each shot. Liked that it averaged all your same club shots and kept them separate from the other clubs. For an upcharge, they had dozens of courses you could play 18 holes on the simulator.

Also has couches set up to accommodate up to 4 people per stall. Tiered pricing, $15 before 2pm, $30 from 2-5 and $45 after 5 pm per hour.

The practice golf holes are in pretty solid condition. Was told they are maintained by and are the private practice facility of the Cal Poly SLO golf program. The fees they collect for the public using it pay for it's upkeep.

Probably would not do it often, but Top Tracer and the practice facility setup would be worth a visit for most golfers. Could be especially fun with a group of guys. You can compete with others on closest to the pin, long drives etc.

Reservations required, they had people waiting for stalls. Nice to see several families there with the dad playing with a couple of his kids.

They had 2 tournaments running and a large First Tee kids group on half of the putting green. Nice to see a course thinking outside the box and remaining viable after idiot local politicians mandated that 9 holes be closed to save water/$$$.

Recommended.

Walked the Blues (6008/70.7/128) in 4H mid day with Mneilson and Jim. Breezy, clear and around 65. $20 to walk the first nine was too expensive for what you get. However, it averages out when you get the "replay" for $10. $30 to walk 18? $25 would have been fairer for what I got IMO.

Nine hole course that has three each par 5's, 4's and 3's. So when you play it twice to get in 18 holes, it's a rarity to get in six par 5's and six par 3's on a 18 hole regulation round. Players coming off #9 making the turn having priority over players starting on #1. We waited for one group to tee off and were able to get back out.

They closed the front 9 and made them practice holes and now concentrate their water resources on what used to be the back 9 several years ago. There is supposedly a "Top Golf" going in where part of the front nine used to be, they are currently doing massive construction.

Tees had good coverage but were not good IMO. Too many divots and the kikuyu was maintained so high that it frequently grabbed irons on my back swing. I expect that in the rough, not on the tee box.

Fairways were very playable, usually lush.

Rough was a combination of lush/thin. You could be on hardpan, in thick 2.5" tall rough or somewhere in between.

Sand traps were very good, nicely maintained with thick sand.

Greens putted smooth and medium fast. Consistent from green to green and receptive to holding iron shots. These greens have more break that you would suspect on 1st glance.

Customer service was good. Carts are upgraded with nice GPS. Limited services available due to COVID-19, but the restaurant was open for take out with a limited menu.

I like the layout, good variety of holes. Very good practice range that includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots in addition to the practice holes. This is a challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, it is a very challenging course to walk. Recommended.

Walked the Blue (3004/70.7/128) in slightly less than 2H super twilight. Thanks to Dairy Creek for a free B-Day round! The weather was breezy, overcast and around 65.

Last time here in early 2015, the 18 hole course was in bad shape due to a lack of water. Fast forward 3 1/2 years, and they closed the front 9 and made them practice holes and concentrate their water resources on what used to be the back 9. It is now a very good 9 hole course, with three each par 3/4/5 to reach a par 36. Several of the old front 9 holes are maintained by the Cal Poly SLO golf team and for a fee, you can go play the practice holes. You can also play 9 twice to still get in 18, with players coming off #9 making the turn having priority over players starting on #1.

The tees were good, lush with few unfixed divots.

The fairways were very playable, usually lush.

The rough was a combination of lush/thin. You could be on hardpan, in 3" tall rough or somewhere in between. It was punitive because the lies could be ???

The sand traps were very good, nicely maintained with thick sand.

The greens were smooth, medium fast speed consistent from green to green and very receptive to holding iron shots. These greens have more break that you would think on 1st glance. This is a challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, it is a very challenging course to walk.

The customer service was excellent, I like the layout, good variety of holes. Very good practice range that includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots in addition to the practice holes. Tragic that SLO County chose to cut 9 from Dairy Creek and make it a 9 hole course and keep Chalk Mountain a fully operational 18 hole course. The layout was so far superior at Dairy Creek. Recommended.

If you close your eyes and take a deep breath, you might feel transported to Augusta National. Really an amazing course. Fun for both new golfers and championship golfers alike. Would recommend to anyone. Definitely will be returning.

Played here for the first time in five or so years. The last time I played here there was actually grass on the course(!). Today, other than the greens rolling at a decent pace, the course was in terrible shape. The fairways were all hard pan and I was almost afraid to hit my irons off of them. For a great golf climate such as the central coast, it's unacceptable. Don't be deceived by the "inexpensive" greens fees. I paid $38 to ride and I wouldn't pay a dime to play there again!

Walked the Blacks (6548/72.7/134) in 4H, 15M on their midday rate of $20 on 10/28. Paired up with 2 local seniors for an enjoyable round. The weather was VERY windy, overcast and around 70.

Last time here in early 2012, the rough was thick and punitive. Fast forward 3 1/2 years, and there basically is no rough here. Chatted with the guy in the pro shop, they use reclaimed water and concentrate on the tees, fringes + greens and it really shows. They do not concentrate on the fairways and rough, which is obvious from 1/2 mile away. The parts they concentrate watering are well above average, the parts they don't are very poor.

The tees were very good, lush with few unfixed divots.

The fairways were very poor, basically hardpan, weeds and occasionally a grassy area. Tight lies on almost every shot AD from the fairway unless you were relatively close to a green.

The rough usually had more grass than the fairway, but it was also very thin.

The sand traps were flat out excellent. I was in 3, and all were very well maintained with an adequate amount of fine, high quality sand.

The greens were very good. Smooth, medium speed consistent from green to green and very receptive to holding iron shots. These greens have more break that you would think on 1st glance.

This is a challenging track that will test your game, especially in the wind, which always seems to blow here. Constantly up/down hills, it is a very challenging course to walk. The customer service was excellent, I got some tips from the pro shop beforehand on where to aim on certain holes that came in handy in dealing with the thin fairways.

I like the layout, good variety of holes (five par 5's, six par 3's, seven par 4's, par 71). While also thin, a decent practice range that includes a green to practice sand/chipping/pitching shots. I would play here on a regular basis if I lived in the area. Recommended IF you can tolerate very thin fairways and rough with the rest of the course above average.

It was a lot of real dry areas, no water on course, limited green areas. a lot of highs and lows.

The architect of this course has built a few other courses in this area and by far this one exceeds them all. The imagination that he used to form the holes were great. You better have your game on to keep your ball in play because all of the fairways are very challenging All of the courses in this area are suffering from drought conditions but that did not take away from the experience of playing this track The elevation changes and contours of the green keep you on your toes at all times. If I lived in this area I would definitely make this my home course

Greens were in poor shape,fairways were very dry.difficult to keep ball in play. We were hitting shots off dirt all day. The drought is taking it's toll on this course.

Excellent. Need to Open the diner soon. Otherwise we like the greens and fairways. Great LInks style course.

The course was beautiful. We love to play here again.

Do not, repeat, do not attempt to play this golf course. Their water supply has apparently dried up and so have the fairways. Greens and tee boxes are OK. Fairways are absolutely unplayable, dirt or dead grass only.
County still charges full price.

This is a great design that is, like many California courses, dealing with drought. The tees and greens were all that were being watered and they were in above average condition. The fairways had been let go and what little grass that was left was dead and disappearing. The hard baked soil also made what is normally a difficult driving course into a luck of the draw situation. The slope/elevation change/small targets on many of the fairways made it necessary to aim at the highest points possible and then diligently watch as tee balls rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled. The good part about the firm fairways was the ability to spin any shot and the prodigious length gained from roll on well struck shots.

I think that the effort on the part of the course to conserve water is commendable. Under normal conditions this is a challenging course in above average shape (and would get higher condition ratings). This design has many elevation changes combined with a good variety of holes and a great setting in the rolling hills of the central cal coast.

The bar/grill was offering only drinks and prepackaged snacks at 3 pm on a Saturday. Was this due to reduced play? IDK, but it would have been nice to enjoy a bite with a beverage on the large deck in the perfect coast weather.

The course is challenging for beginners like me. The fairways were well maintained. Some of the greens just got aerated when I played, though. But, in general, the greens were in good shape.