-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Sapwi Trails reviews
4
0
Potential is there 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 21, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
-New developed parking lots (free) at holes 1 and 8, with water and restrooms
-Natural-appearing setting with grasslands and oak trees on sloping terrain
-18 holes with baskets
-Designated tee boxes
-Most holes have a simple sign with the tee number on it
-Natural-appearing setting with grasslands and oak trees on sloping terrain
-18 holes with baskets
-Designated tee boxes
-Most holes have a simple sign with the tee number on it
Cons:
-Signs (yellow, vertical plastic strips) only provide tee number, no distance, map, or alternate basket positions (I assume alternate basket positions are planned)
-Baskets are not numbered
-Many of the tee boxes are lumpy as dirt underneath settles with use
-Traversing between holes can be confusing without a map, and often is not intuitive
-This is a new course, so many of the amenities that are common to older courses are lacking, such as informative signs, well-defined trails and stairs/switchbacks in steep sections. In a couple of places, stairs or steps are needed, since the engineered slope is both very steep and well-packed.
-Baskets are not numbered
-Many of the tee boxes are lumpy as dirt underneath settles with use
-Traversing between holes can be confusing without a map, and often is not intuitive
-This is a new course, so many of the amenities that are common to older courses are lacking, such as informative signs, well-defined trails and stairs/switchbacks in steep sections. In a couple of places, stairs or steps are needed, since the engineered slope is both very steep and well-packed.
Other Thoughts:
This course is set in a valley, which appears to be a water retention area in case of flooding. The parking lot of Avenida De Los Arboles is new (not on Google Maps satellite view as of Aug 2019) and has water and a restroom. The right turn into this new lot is poorly signed, but is a few hundred feet past the Kensington stoplight. The little creek that runs down the middle did not really come into play in August.
I really looked forward to this course after reading some of the reviews, but in general, I was disappointed (expectations too high). This course is new, so many of the aspects that generate a high rating might be in the works, but as of August 2019, it is still raw. Some holes were great, but many were unimpressive. Perhaps this will change as fairways become more defined with use, access to the fairways improves, and alternate basket placements appear.
-Hole 1. I could not find the yellow tee sign, and I opted to play at the top of the access road that leads down to basket 1, which is clearly visible from the parking lot. It looks like Discette played from the sidewalk (based on her photo), but some work needs to be done here. The basket off to your left on the hillside is basket #2--make note of it because it is not visible from tee #2.
-Hole 2. Walk back up the fairway from hole 1 to the tee for #2 on the right side. You cannot see the basket. I think the strategy here is to drive well up the hillside, avoiding the deep ravine to the right (full of trees and bushes, and water?). From atop the hill (basically near the parking lot) you can see basket #2 across the ravine and send a mid-range right at it, but beware the slope. This is an interesting hole, because you need two well-placed shots to par.
-Hole 3. Straight shot over a bridge and across the ravine. After this hole, you begin the trek to tee #4.
-Hole 4. Despite what the signs say (No trespassing), you need to walk across the top of a large earthen dam. Tee #4 is on the far side, slightly below the causeway. More signs to help navigate this section would be nice for folks playing here for the first time. The fairway for this hole follows the curve of the ravine, with a steep, man-made slope on the right, a flat floor, and dense oak trees on the left. Stay in the middle of the floor and you will be fine. The basket on the right side, visible about halfway down the fairway is #6. After your second shot you can see basket #4 atop a small embankment at the end of the floor you've been walking/playing along.
-Hole 5. The tee pad near basket #4 is for hole 5. Walk along the trail (on right side) with the "pond" to your left, and as the trail slopes upward, look for a spur to the left. The tee for basket #5 is at the end of the pond. You drive over the reeds to the basket which is clearly visible on the other side of the pond, also on an embankment.
-Hole 6. The tee is just past basket #5 and partially under an oak tree. The basket is barely visible, just up the slope from the trail on the upper side of fairway for basket #4. High potential to roll down from the running trail onto the flat basin below.
-Hole 7. Tee pad is on the left side of the trail, and the fairway is a trail/road heading up away from the flat basin. The basket is not visible from the tee. From your landing spot, you'll need to (essentially) drive again up the hill, where the basket is on the right side of the road, just past some brown metal posts.
-Hole 8. The tee is a white stripe painted on the road that skirts the second parking area (off Westlake Blvd, also not visible on Google Maps satellite as of August 2019). The basket you see is actually hole 10. The fairway and basket for #8 are to the right of the access road the drops down the hill from the tee box. It is almost straight, perhaps slightly to the right, and the hillside has lots of bushes and yucca, which has very sharp-spined leaves!
-Hole 9. The tee is past basket #8 and slightly down the hill, out towards the edge of the hillside. This is the first of the "downhill" shots, which are fun but do become a bit repetitive.
-Hole 10. The tee is near a cement bench and the basket is back at the edge of the parking lot. This is both a longer hole and back up the steep hill you just came down. To the left and behind the basket the slope drops steeply, so upshots and putts need to be well-placed.
-Hole 11. The tee is along the edge of the parking lot, and the basket is visible on the edge of the hill. A fairly simple hyzer for RHBH throwers.
-Hole 12. You walk along the access trail/road slightly up the hill and to the right of basket 11, and the tee is on the left side of the road. It is surrounded by very tall weeds/shrubs. The basket is visible, far away on the slope to the left of the road. There is a large landing spot for your drive, even though you cannot see it. The slope next to the basket is still dominated by shrubs and small trees.
-Hole 13. As you walk down from basket 12 you'll see a trail through the weeds, perpendicular to the access road. Head up that to the tee. The basket is visible under a large oak, and this is the second of the downhill shots, very similar to #9.
-Hole 14. This tee is hidden in the shrubs and has a weak trail leading up to it. It is on the left side of the access road, up from basket 13. You cannot see the basket from the tee, or from much of the fairway. It is up the slope, essentially in the direction the tee is facing. The shrubs right in front of the tee are so high that it affects your release trajectory. Some trimming would make this a better hole. After driving, walk up the hillside amidst waist-high shrubs. Eventually the basket is visible. It is not a long hole, but being uphill and blind makes it tricky.
-Hole 15. There is a trail that leads from basket 14 to the tee for 15. The basket is clearly visible below, and this is the third of the downhill shots. You should be getting good at this!
-Hole 16. Tee is to the left from basket 15, and is very well built and slightly elevated. Basket 16 is way down below, in the middle of a large flat area with a few trees/shrubs spread throughout. This "top of the world" hole tempts you to through your whole bag. Very cool!
-Hole 17. After 16, walk over the bridge that is on your left, and climb up the road and the tee is on the left. A large willow (?) tree drapes over basket 17, which is just barely visible to the left, in the shade. Short shot.
-Hole 18. After 17, walk along the path and tee 18 is just below (on right), and the basket is up the slope on the left side of the trail, protected by a couple of trees. This hole really feels like "filler" to connect the course back to the parking lot.
-Hole 19. Another connector hole. There was no tee pad I could find. The basket is not visible from the tee, but if you walk up several meters, you can see it down the slope (on right) just past some trees. There is water to the right of the basket, but it only comes into play with an errant shot. This was likely my least favorite hole, and kind of a bummer to end on it. Then you walk along the trail back to the parking lot, emerging on the opposite end from where you started.
I really looked forward to this course after reading some of the reviews, but in general, I was disappointed (expectations too high). This course is new, so many of the aspects that generate a high rating might be in the works, but as of August 2019, it is still raw. Some holes were great, but many were unimpressive. Perhaps this will change as fairways become more defined with use, access to the fairways improves, and alternate basket placements appear.
-Hole 1. I could not find the yellow tee sign, and I opted to play at the top of the access road that leads down to basket 1, which is clearly visible from the parking lot. It looks like Discette played from the sidewalk (based on her photo), but some work needs to be done here. The basket off to your left on the hillside is basket #2--make note of it because it is not visible from tee #2.
-Hole 2. Walk back up the fairway from hole 1 to the tee for #2 on the right side. You cannot see the basket. I think the strategy here is to drive well up the hillside, avoiding the deep ravine to the right (full of trees and bushes, and water?). From atop the hill (basically near the parking lot) you can see basket #2 across the ravine and send a mid-range right at it, but beware the slope. This is an interesting hole, because you need two well-placed shots to par.
-Hole 3. Straight shot over a bridge and across the ravine. After this hole, you begin the trek to tee #4.
-Hole 4. Despite what the signs say (No trespassing), you need to walk across the top of a large earthen dam. Tee #4 is on the far side, slightly below the causeway. More signs to help navigate this section would be nice for folks playing here for the first time. The fairway for this hole follows the curve of the ravine, with a steep, man-made slope on the right, a flat floor, and dense oak trees on the left. Stay in the middle of the floor and you will be fine. The basket on the right side, visible about halfway down the fairway is #6. After your second shot you can see basket #4 atop a small embankment at the end of the floor you've been walking/playing along.
-Hole 5. The tee pad near basket #4 is for hole 5. Walk along the trail (on right side) with the "pond" to your left, and as the trail slopes upward, look for a spur to the left. The tee for basket #5 is at the end of the pond. You drive over the reeds to the basket which is clearly visible on the other side of the pond, also on an embankment.
-Hole 6. The tee is just past basket #5 and partially under an oak tree. The basket is barely visible, just up the slope from the trail on the upper side of fairway for basket #4. High potential to roll down from the running trail onto the flat basin below.
-Hole 7. Tee pad is on the left side of the trail, and the fairway is a trail/road heading up away from the flat basin. The basket is not visible from the tee. From your landing spot, you'll need to (essentially) drive again up the hill, where the basket is on the right side of the road, just past some brown metal posts.
-Hole 8. The tee is a white stripe painted on the road that skirts the second parking area (off Westlake Blvd, also not visible on Google Maps satellite as of August 2019). The basket you see is actually hole 10. The fairway and basket for #8 are to the right of the access road the drops down the hill from the tee box. It is almost straight, perhaps slightly to the right, and the hillside has lots of bushes and yucca, which has very sharp-spined leaves!
-Hole 9. The tee is past basket #8 and slightly down the hill, out towards the edge of the hillside. This is the first of the "downhill" shots, which are fun but do become a bit repetitive.
-Hole 10. The tee is near a cement bench and the basket is back at the edge of the parking lot. This is both a longer hole and back up the steep hill you just came down. To the left and behind the basket the slope drops steeply, so upshots and putts need to be well-placed.
-Hole 11. The tee is along the edge of the parking lot, and the basket is visible on the edge of the hill. A fairly simple hyzer for RHBH throwers.
-Hole 12. You walk along the access trail/road slightly up the hill and to the right of basket 11, and the tee is on the left side of the road. It is surrounded by very tall weeds/shrubs. The basket is visible, far away on the slope to the left of the road. There is a large landing spot for your drive, even though you cannot see it. The slope next to the basket is still dominated by shrubs and small trees.
-Hole 13. As you walk down from basket 12 you'll see a trail through the weeds, perpendicular to the access road. Head up that to the tee. The basket is visible under a large oak, and this is the second of the downhill shots, very similar to #9.
-Hole 14. This tee is hidden in the shrubs and has a weak trail leading up to it. It is on the left side of the access road, up from basket 13. You cannot see the basket from the tee, or from much of the fairway. It is up the slope, essentially in the direction the tee is facing. The shrubs right in front of the tee are so high that it affects your release trajectory. Some trimming would make this a better hole. After driving, walk up the hillside amidst waist-high shrubs. Eventually the basket is visible. It is not a long hole, but being uphill and blind makes it tricky.
-Hole 15. There is a trail that leads from basket 14 to the tee for 15. The basket is clearly visible below, and this is the third of the downhill shots. You should be getting good at this!
-Hole 16. Tee is to the left from basket 15, and is very well built and slightly elevated. Basket 16 is way down below, in the middle of a large flat area with a few trees/shrubs spread throughout. This "top of the world" hole tempts you to through your whole bag. Very cool!
-Hole 17. After 16, walk over the bridge that is on your left, and climb up the road and the tee is on the left. A large willow (?) tree drapes over basket 17, which is just barely visible to the left, in the shade. Short shot.
-Hole 18. After 17, walk along the path and tee 18 is just below (on right), and the basket is up the slope on the left side of the trail, protected by a couple of trees. This hole really feels like "filler" to connect the course back to the parking lot.
-Hole 19. Another connector hole. There was no tee pad I could find. The basket is not visible from the tee, but if you walk up several meters, you can see it down the slope (on right) just past some trees. There is water to the right of the basket, but it only comes into play with an errant shot. This was likely my least favorite hole, and kind of a bummer to end on it. Then you walk along the trail back to the parking lot, emerging on the opposite end from where you started.
3
0
Blagadies
Experience:
9.8 years
218 played
5 reviews
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 24, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
decent length - the course is designed for 900+ rated players with a course guide.
Cons:
overgrown!
Due to the design I don't think this course is going to get used the way it needs to be. If you can't carry 300" then your going to have a relatively miserable time. If you want to bring a child or a significant other out that cant throw 200"+ don't even bother. Signage and navigation as of 8/24/2019 was terrible.
Due to the design I don't think this course is going to get used the way it needs to be. If you can't carry 300" then your going to have a relatively miserable time. If you want to bring a child or a significant other out that cant throw 200"+ don't even bother. Signage and navigation as of 8/24/2019 was terrible.
Other Thoughts:
this course needs a lot of work. The designer could move some of the pins to mitigate some of the need for erosion control(work).
