Up the Hill the Green Fees are Marching Down!

By Eric Tracy
erictracy@earthlink.net

It seems we live in a time where price increases are the norm. Everything from gasoline to ATM charges are rising through the roof. What can we do but grumble and move on. But here's refreshing news; how about a fun and challenging golf course that's adjusted their rates the other way to meet the market conditions. That means Tierra Rejada, which I liked and thought was a decent value when we first visited them 6 months ago, is an even better value now knocking as much as $20 off the first-of-the-year fees. Thank the new consultants who must know what they're doing, Ventura County golfers are buzzing about TR, play has certainly increased and the course is in great shape.

Warming Up:

Take it from me, Tierra Rejada might be a loose translation of ''Aye Carumba. '' Just 18-months old, this baby is well beyond the crawling stages and truly starting to sprint. Each time I play TR I like it better. It's a course that makes you think. Tierra Rejada is really two distinctively different 9-hole courses linked by a pretty snazzy clubhouse. The front nine (par 37) is an adrenalin adventure through the Ventura County foothills beginning and ending with monster par-5s. The back nine (par 35) plays more traditional but also may include the most menacing short par 3 you'll ever want to wrestle with just before you head back to the bar.

A Few Words of Caution:

When Simi Valley winds are whipping in from the East, you get help on most holes, especially the longer ones. The course was designed that way. But if the Santa Ana winds are blowing from the west, its in-your-face Chapstick time which adds to the Tierra Rejada challenge.

My Favorites Holes:

• No. 7, 130 yard par 3: It's the Tierra Rejada signature hole, but before you sign off on it, bring a blanket, a bottle of wine, a wheel of cheese and prepare to picnic. The Ronald Reagan Library is a duck hook to the left, although wouldn't you think it should be a slice to the right, right? If you have a pair of binoculars you can see a big chunk of the Berlin Wall that's on display there. But to get the true effect of this Kodak moment, go back to the black/blue tees and accomplish something rather than wedging it home from 110. You'll also get the entire breathtaking view.
• No. 8, 355 yard par 4: There's a reason there's a restroom between the eighth tee and eighth fairway because if you're afraid of heights and can't hit anything more than 200 yards, there's a chance you'll soil yourself when you see this cliffhanger. If you love being challenged, No. 8 will do it. The fairway is T-shaped and even if you find the fairway, the second and third shots will also test you. If you get on this green in regulation you'll have accomplished something.
• No. 17, 105 yard par 3 : What might have been a footbridge connecting the 16th to the 18th turned into one of those little holes you'll think will be an automatic par, but think again. When you get on the tee-box from the middle tees it's just 90-yards to a green the size of a French beret, and that's being generous. So, pay no attention to the yardage card or what the computer in the golf cart tells you. It's impossible to be short on this hole and to prove it, I did a test. I hit five balls from the black tees and five from the white. Six of 'em hit the green, two went right and two went left (again, the wind factor). Of those six good ones, three rolled off the left side of the green. Of the three putts left, all came close to birdies, but peeled off like there was some magnetic field protecting the hole. Two missed on follow-up pars. Final results: one par out of 10 tries. So don't think the 90-yards is an easy birdie, let alone a routine par.

Some of the other points of interest:

• Pay Attention: The 530-yard No. 4 should have a "veer right" sign because there's a chance you'll never see the flag until your fourth shot as the holes curves around a mountain.
• H2O: Aside from No. 1, the only waterworks are on 13 and 14.
• Wildlife warnings: There are plenty of signs posted about rattlesnakes and other "sensitive habitat,'', but no one in the pro shop or clubhouse were aware of any attacks so far. You'll also see a few hawks soaring overhead - they're not vultures waiting for you to die. Lots of cactus and other prickly bushes may discourage you from looking for muffed drives or shots that didn't carry over the Tierra Rejada gorgeous gorges.
• How many balls should you expect to lose? That's the cool thing: We actually found balls on the course. Can't explain that. A couple of sleeves should be plenty.
• Culinary recommendation: The mound of nachos at $5.95 are finger-lickin'good. Don't miss trying a bowl of soup, any of them, but get a large bowl of the Tortilla Soup. You'll come back for lunch as often as you do to play the course. Great grits and a very friendly dining room, nice place to hang after your round. The pro shop has cigars ranging from $8.75 (Upmans) to $15.75 (Romeo y Juliettas), but we're sticking with the Macanudos ($11.75).
• Before your round: You're right across the street from the Tom Barber Golf Center. The name Barber is legendary in Southern California Golf Circles. His practice facility is one of the best in the area. Stop by and check out what's wrong with your swing.

Summing it all up:

Tierra Rejada, like Lost Canyons and Robinson Ranch, have put golf on the map in this area. San Fernando Valley golfers now have terrific choices without making a daytrip out of it. What I like about Tierra Rejada is that it's easy enough for the average golfer and challenging enough for the semi-pro, with most miss-hits rolling back into the fairway because of the slopes and very hard greens that take little effort to putt on. The stretch of holes from No.3-through-7 put you alone in the mountains for one heck of a midday getaway with cool views of the Conejo Valley you probably never knew existed. And here's the really neat thing: They'll never be any houses built around the course. Teirra Rejada is for golfers only.

Eric Tracy

KFWB RADIO