So, I finally got around to playing Black Gold Golf Course over in Yorba Linda last week. Been meaning to check it out for ages, kept hearing about the views and how tough it supposedly was. Figured it was time to see what the fuss was about myself.
Getting Started
Woke up early, grabbed my clubs, and headed out. The drive over wasn’t too bad, pretty straightforward getting there. Pulling up, the place definitely looks the part. Clubhouse is big, looked pretty nice. Parked the car, lugged my bag over to the pro shop. The folks inside were friendly enough, got me checked in quick. Paid my green fee, which wasn’t exactly cheap, but hey, you expect that sometimes. Grabbed a golf cart – standard stuff, nothing fancy but did the job.
Didn’t have a ton of time to warm up, just hit a few putts on the practice green. It seemed pretty quick, which got me a little nervous, honestly. My putting’s usually where my game falls apart. After that, rolled over to the first tee, ready to go.
Out on the Course
Okay, let’s talk about the course itself. It’s built on, like, old oil fields or something? Hence the name, I guess. You definitely see some of that history around. The layout right from the start, you notice the elevation changes. Lots of ups and downs.
- Fairways: They were decent. Not perfect, maybe a bit thin in spots, but mostly fine to hit off.
- Rough: Don’t hit it in the rough. Seriously. It could be thick and nasty in places. Lost a ball or two that way.
- Greens: Fast. Like, really fast on some holes. And lots of slopes. Took me a while to get the feel for them. Three-putted more times than I want to admit.
- Bunkers: Seemed okay, sand looked alright. Managed to avoid most of them, thankfully.
The views everyone talks about? Yeah, they’re pretty spectacular, especially on the back nine. You get up high and can see for miles on a clear day. That part was definitely cool. Made some of the tough shots a little more bearable.
There were a few holes that really stood out. One par 3 over a canyon… yeah, that one got me. And a couple of long par 4s that just felt like they went on forever. It’s definitely a course that makes you think about where you want to hit the ball, not just blast away with the driver every time. Found myself using different clubs off the tee quite a bit.
Wrapping Up
Made the turn, grabbed a quick snack and drink at the little halfway shack. Needed the fuel. The back nine felt just as challenging as the front, maybe even more so with those views distracting you.
Finished up the 18th, feeling pretty beat but satisfied. It’s a tough track, no doubt about it. It tests your game. Dropped the cart off, wiped down my clubs. Didn’t stick around the clubhouse much afterwards, just packed up and headed home.
Overall? It was a good experience. Challenging golf, great scenery. It lived up to the reputation in that sense. Would I rush back immediately? Maybe not, gotta let my wallet and my ego recover a bit first. But yeah, I’d play there again sometime. If you like a tough test with some killer views, give Black Gold a shot.
