The Links at RiverLakes Ranch

The Links at RiverLakes Ranch

By Eric Tracy
erictracy@earthlink.net

In the last 18 months I've thought nothing of reviewing golf courses 90-miles away. I'm adventuresome when it comes to playing new courses. Besides, I happen to like road trips. No one flinched when I suggested Rancho San Marcos in Santa Barbara or CrossCreek in Temecula or Talega in Orange County and all three of those on the Southern California Golf Tour are a trek from LA. Well, the Links at RiverLakes Ranch is about the same distance as the three previously mentioned courses…but it resides in a location you might never think of going to play golf.

When I told friends I was going to Bakersfield to check out The Links everyone said Bakersfield? Then they laughed. But, trust me, this 75-minutre drive over the Tejon Pass (aka The Grapevine) is prettier than the same distance going east to play golf, faster than a round going south and your first reward for making the trip up the I-5 is earned before you stick your first tee in the ground. It's the $35 weekday greens fee ($45 on the weekends) for a course that would cost twice as much in LA. And get this; The Links features a weekday $15 "Play-it-Again" fee. Not only is Bakersfield's newest course both interesting and challenging but it also features one of the best, biggest and cheapest ($8 for 120 balls) practice facilities of any course on this tour. So, go North golfers and pack Band-Aids for your blisters, because for very few shekels you can play golf until your hands bleed.

WARMING UP: Ronald Fream, the northern California golf course architect whose sculpted out golf courses on six continents, including Redhawk in Temecula and Carmel Mountain Ranch in San Diego, designed The Links at RiverLakes Ranch. It's a quality design. Marge Chamberlain, a golf marketing professional and a really good stick, used the word "delightful" to describe her round. That's precisely the word that keeps popping in my mind when I think of The Links, a golf course with two distinctive personalities. The front nine is a somewhat open and forgiving so enjoy it and conserve your energy. You'll need it for a back nine that might drive you a little nuts, which is somewhat apropos. For the back nine at The Links is situated in an almond orchard. If you let your mind wander on the back nine you'll end up talking to yourself asking why there are so many 8s and 9s on your card.

MY FAVORITE HOLES:

There are 5 sets of tees ranging from 5,200 to 6,800 hundred yards at The Links. It's not the course's length that should concern you. Be cautious about the dozen man-made lakes that are strategically located to suck up golf balls. And work on your short game because there are dozens of bunkers of all shapes and sizes, some as big as I've ever seen. Here are my favorite holes:
*No. 5, 147 yards, Par 3 (17 handicap): The second par 3 on the front side is an interesting little hole. The right side water hazard is dotted with rocks and protected by high pompous grass. But, you can't go left either because there's a nasty bunker in the shape of Italy with a very high lip. Straight is your only option and don't short.
*No.10, 541 yards, Par 5 (4 handicap): There's no Almond Joy here as the back nine begins with almond trees that border both sides of this severe dog-leg right. With a very narrow landing area and out-of-bounds on both sides, there's no mercy off the tee because even if you hit it right down the middle, here's a big old circular sand trap in the center of the fairway. Picking a safe spot to land and hitting an accurate drive is mandatory. BTW, once on the green, designer Fream must have thought he was Pete Dye. There isn't a flat part anywhere. Stay left, play smart and be grateful to leave this hole with a par.
*No. 11, 462 yards, Par 4 (2 handicap): With land costs not part of the equation in Bakersfield the distance from hole No. 10 to No. 11 is about a 750 yard Par 6. A nice ride to either relax your nerves from No. 10 or rest up for No. 11, a 462 yard par 4 monster. From the back tees you'll have to traverse a lake and a bunker so big on the left it should have it's own zip code. Few higher-handicap golfers will reach this green in two. If that's the case for you, make sure your short 3rd shot is accurate. Drop it in the deep bunker left and a big number awaits you.
*No. 14, 321 yards, Par 4 (10 handicap): A short dogleg left Par 4 that shouldn't be any trouble unless you play it stupid. This is an iron-iron hole. Take out a driver and beware. All you need to score is about 180-200 yard iron off the tee, then target-shoot your way to a birdie.
*No. 18, 494 yards, Par 5 (14 handicap): The finishing hole at The Links should be an easy par if you don't listen to your ego. This relatively short par 5 provides 'grip it and rip it' room. However, with a well trapped island green you better be sure of your abilities to reach the green in two or you're fishing with the cranes. It's beautiful hole with the lake and clubhouse as a backdrop. So play this finishing hole smart and leave The Links with a smile and a good memory.

WILDLIFE ALERT: There's lots of little critters everywhere. Be cautious in leaving the fairway to hunt for errant golf balls. Rattlesnakes love little critters, they're hunting to and you never want to disturb a rattler's meal.

COOL PERKS: I can't say enough about the practice facility at The Links. Then again, I can pound balls for hours and be happy as a clam. To give you an idea of the area dedicated to practicing, most golf courses reside on about 150 acres. The Links is 220. I think the extra 70 acres is used in making up the fully lighted, all grass driving range and the adjacent practice facility. The chipping area is wonderfully dotted with moguls for uphill, downhill and side hill practice. There's an enormous practice bunker and putting green. And there's something else quite unique. The lights on the range go out on the weekends giving way to Glow Range which features illuminated targets with glowing golf balls that pepper the night like fireflies with jet engines. Imagine a golfing facility with rock music, 60's psychedelic black lights and fluorescent golf balls and that's Glow Range.

SUMMING IT UP:
Recently the Donovan Brothers took over management of The Links. One of the first things they are going to do is replace the rye grass fairways. Rye doesn't do well in the Bakersfield heat and summer play has suffered by having to keep the course so wet. The Donavon's know how to make a golf course profitable and have proven it at Sierra Lakes in Fontana, Menifee Lakes in Menifee and have hit another home run with their new club, Trilogy in Glen Ivy, just to name a few. So consider the trip to The Links at Riverlakes Ranch. You'll see things in this design you don't see in LA including sod faced bunkers, rock-dotted approaches and golf holes that will balloon your score if you don't pay attention…and for $35 bucks it's a steal.

SUMMING IT UP: How many times have a played a golf course and thought how much better you'll play it the next time? Black Gold is the kind of design where you'll say that after EVERY round. Only truly well designed golf courses give you numerous ways to play a hole depending on conditions. I really like Black Gold. If you love to "think your way" around 18 holes, you'll like Black Gold, too.
"…You're all invited back again to this locality, T'have a heapin' helpin' of their hospitality."
The Ballad of Jed Clampett, lyrics and music by Paul Henning

Eric Tracy

KFWB RADIO