Rabbit Flats - Thousand Oaks, CA

[flash86]

The proposed course is located in Acorn Acres Park, which is right next to Thousand Oaks High School. The course is adjacent to Softball Field Two in the far western portion of the park. You can park near the community center off of Moorpark Road and walk past the softball fields or you can drive to the end of Drayton Avenue, which is off of Avenida De Los Arboles. Parking at the end of Drayton Avenue is the quickest way to the course.

Mike Byrne ([email protected]) is working with Matt Kouba of the Conejo Parks & Recreation Department (CPRD) to design, develop and install the course. You can contact either of these individuals if you are interested in helping with the course.

The course will have nine (9) teepads and eighteen (18) baskets. The intended flow will be to play one set of baskets during the front nine and the other set of baskets during the back nine. At present, there are no alternate basket placements.

The current condition of the course is very raw. The teepads, basket placements, locations of trees and mandatories have been staked out so the course is "playable" to a degree. It is close enough to get a feel for how the course will be after fully installed. The ground is composed of churned up dirt with large clods, which makes walking difficult. The CPRD has plans to bring in heavy machinery to flatten out the playing surface and install irrigation systems. The ultimate success or failure of the course will depend on the trees and landscaping. Without trees, the course is very wide open and would not be much fun to play. I have played the course in its current state and did my best to honor the tree locations and mandatories. I shot under par on the rounds I have played using the stakes as targets. I only bogied one hole when I went OB across the jogging path on #13.

Mike Byrne and Matt Kouba will be meeting soon to finalize the design. After that, there will be some work here and there to prep the site over the next few months. The big work day is planned for November with the teepads and baskets being installed and trees planted. It appears we are looking at a mid to late November opening of the course.

If you live nearby, it would be worth checking out and then providing some feedback to Mike and Matt. I would not recommend coming from very far at this time due to rough conditions out there.

I am really excited to have a course so close to me. It is long overdue for this area. They have made good use of the terrain in such a limited space. I tip my hat to these guys for the design they have come up with. I will provide additional updates as I hear word and will provide reviews of the holes in future postings.

 

[zenbot]

The proposed course is located in Acorn Acres Park, which is right next to Thousand Oaks High School. The course is adjacent to Softball Field Two in the far western portion of the park. You can park near the community center off of Moorpark Road and walk past the softball fields or you can drive to the end of Drayton Avenue, which is off of Avenida De Los Arboles. Parking at the end of Drayton Avenue is the quickest way to the course.

Mike Byrne ([email protected]) is working with Matt Kouba of the Conejo Parks & Recreation Department (CPRD) to design, develop and install the course. You can contact either of these individuals if you are interested in helping with the course.

The course will have nine (9) teepads and eighteen (18) baskets. The intended flow will be to play one set of baskets during the front nine and the other set of baskets during the back nine. At present, there are no alternate basket placements.

The current condition of the course is very raw. The teepads, basket placements, locations of trees and mandatories have been staked out so the course is "playable" to a degree. It is close enough to get a feel for how the course will be after fully installed. The ground is composed of churned up dirt with large clods, which makes walking difficult. The CPRD has plans to bring in heavy machinery to flatten out the playing surface and install irrigation systems. The ultimate success or failure of the course will depend on the trees and landscaping. Without trees, the course is very wide open and would not be much fun to play. I have played the course in its current state and did my best to honor the tree locations and mandatories. I shot under par on the rounds I have played using the stakes as targets. I only bogied one hole when I went OB across the jogging path on #13.

Mike Byrne and Matt Kouba will be meeting soon to finalize the design. After that, there will be some work here and there to prep the site over the next few months. The big work day is planned for November with the teepads and baskets being installed and trees planted. It appears we are looking at a mid to late November opening of the course.

If you live nearby, it would be worth checking out and then providing some feedback to Mike and Matt. I would not recommend coming from very far at this time due to rough conditions out there.

I am really excited to have a course so close to me. It is long overdue for this area. They have made good use of the terrain in such a limited space. I tip my hat to these guys for the design they have come up with. I will provide additional updates as I hear word and will provide reviews of the holes in future postings.

When are you going out next? It's on my way home from work.

 

[flash86]

Erich... I am 99% positive I will be out there this Friday, July 10th. One of my friends wants to check it out after work. Send me a PM if you are interested in meeting up and I will give you my cell phone number.

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

There will be a work party out there Saturday July 18th. Contact Mr. Byrne for the time. He plans to flatten tee box areas and mark out tree placements and pin positions.

 

[flash86]

CORRECTION: Drayton Avenue is actually off of Avenida De Las Flores

 

[flash86]

Thanks for the update on the next work day Tom. Unfortunately, I will be playing in the Santa Maria Open and will miss that one. And it looks I will miss the big work day in November due to playing in the So Cal Am Championships. I'll have to see where else I can chip in and do some work.

 

[dreadlock86]

this is really exciting. i can't wait to come check this course out. i grew up in TO and whenever i come back to visit family i feel dirty when i go to the YMCA course. (btw zenbot - your review is hilarious) it'll be good to have a real course to go to whenever i come to visit now.

 

[flash86]

I played the course again today after work. On the last work day, they switched out small garden stakes with larger fence posts to indicate basket positions in addition to working on the teepad areas. It was much easier to identify the targets and had a slightly better surface to throw from. I accidently left my putters at home after taking them in the backyard for practice yesterday. I had to use a Classic Roc instead. So with using an alternate putter and only a fence post as a "basket", I shot a (-5) today. Please below for some initial thoughts on the holes. Comments on based on me primarily throwing RHBH.

#1) Shorter position plays to left of teepad with double mandatory trees in fairway. Jogging path to far left is OB. Relatively easy hyzer shot with midrange.
#2) Shortest hole on the course. Plays straight ahead of teepad through trees. Jogging path to left is OB. Should have good shot at birdie and should always par the hole (unless you get freak bounce off of tree that goes OB).
#3) This hole is longer than the first two and plays even longer since it is up a hill. Basket is to the left of the teepad and is protected by a large tree on its right. There is mandatory right of the telephone to the left of the teepad. Need a a big hyzer to get it around the telephone pole and up the hill.
#4) Short downhill shot. Basket will be slightly off to the right of the teepad. There will be a row of trees on the crown of the hill that will present a challenge to either "thread the needle", go around or go over. Jogging path behind and to the right is OB. The rough behind and to the left may become OB as well. I have had success "threading the needle" in between two stakes standing in for trees.
#5) Short uphill shot. Basket will be straight ahead of teepad. There will be a tree in the middle of the fairway that will be a mandatory to the left. Either need to an anhyzer/turnover or a thumber works really well.
#6) Longer hole that plays down into a half-bowl basin. Straight shot that is protected on the right by very thick rough and on the left there is a huge thornbursh that could swallow up your disc. Everytime I have played there has been a steady headwind. I have been successful throwing a Firebird here.
#7) This a blind shot up hill to a medium-long wide open position. There is a lage bush dead in front of and to the left of the teepad. You either need to throw a big hyzer to get around the bush and up the slope or use an overhand shot. I definitely recommend a thumber as it takes the bush and tree on the right of the fairway out of the equation and gets you right to the basket.
#8) Shorter hole that is straight away from teepad. However, there is a tree in the middle of the fairway with a mandatory left. Relatively easy anhyzer/turnover with a Leopard to put it close.
#9) Where do I begin with this one?? I am not sure if it is challenging or trying too hard to be difficult and comes off "gimmicky". Basket is in a medium-long position straight ahead of teepad. However, there are four sets of mandatories down the fairway. First up is an arch about 50-60' from the teepad. You must throw between the side posts (10' wide) and under the top posts (7' tall) to pass this one sucessfuly. Then there are three sets of double mandatory trees lining the fairway at 50-60' intervals. The fairways in between the trees is only about 30-40' wide. I managed to par the hole after laying up with a midrange and then getting close with another midrange. Seemed way too risky to gun a driver down the middle.

It's getting late and I've already written a lot so I will follow up with the back nine later this week. Hope this helps give you an idea of how the course is shaping up. Have a good night!

 

[zenbot]

I played the course again today after work. On the last work day, they switched out small garden stakes with larger fence posts to indicate basket positions in addition to working on the teepad areas. It was much easier to identify the targets and had a slightly better surface to throw from. I accidently left my putters at home after taking them in the backyard for practice yesterday. I had to use a Classic Roc instead. So with using an alternate putter and only a fence post as a "basket", I shot a (-5) today. Please below for some initial thoughts on the holes. Comments on based on me primarily throwing RHBH.

#1) Shorter position plays to left of teepad with double mandatory trees in fairway. Jogging path to far left is OB. Relatively easy hyzer shot with midrange.
#2) Shortest hole on the course. Plays straight ahead of teepad through trees. Jogging path to left is OB. Should have good shot at birdie and should always par the hole (unless you get freak bounce off of tree that goes OB).
#3) This hole is longer than the first two and plays even longer since it is up a hill. Basket is to the left of the teepad and is protected by a large tree on its right. There is mandatory right of the telephone to the left of the teepad. Need a a big hyzer to get it around the telephone pole and up the hill.
#4) Short downhill shot. Basket will be slightly off to the right of the teepad. There will be a row of trees on the crown of the hill that will present a challenge to either "thread the needle", go around or go over. Jogging path behind and to the right is OB. The rough behind and to the left may become OB as well. I have had success "threading the needle" in between two stakes standing in for trees.
#5) Short uphill shot. Basket will be straight ahead of teepad. There will be a tree in the middle of the fairway that will be a mandatory to the left. Either need to an anhyzer/turnover or a thumber works really well.
#6) Longer hole that plays down into a half-bowl basin. Straight shot that is protected on the right by very thick rough and on the left there is a huge thornbursh that could swallow up your disc. Everytime I have played there has been a steady headwind. I have been successful throwing a Firebird here.
#7) This a blind shot up hill to a medium-long wide open position. There is a lage bush dead in front of and to the left of the teepad. You either need to throw a big hyzer to get around the bush and up the slope or use an overhand shot. I definitely recommend a thumber as it takes the bush and tree on the right of the fairway out of the equation and gets you right to the basket.
#8) Shorter hole that is straight away from teepad. However, there is a tree in the middle of the fairway with a mandatory left. Relatively easy anhyzer/turnover with a Leopard to put it close.
#9) Where do I begin with this one?? I am not sure if it is challenging or trying too hard to be difficult and comes off "gimmicky". Basket is in a medium-long position straight ahead of teepad. However, there are four sets of mandatories down the fairway. First up is an arch about 50-60' from the teepad. You must throw between the side posts (10' wide) and under the top posts (7' tall) to pass this one sucessfuly. Then there are three sets of double mandatory trees lining the fairway at 50-60' intervals. The fairways in between the trees is only about 30-40' wide. I managed to par the hole after laying up with a midrange and then getting close with another midrange. Seemed way too risky to gun a driver down the middle.

It's getting late and I've already written a lot so I will follow up with the back nine later this week. Hope this helps give you an idea of how the course is shaping up. Have a good night!

Thanks for the update.

 

[dreadlock86]

thanks flash86. looking forward to hearing the rest...

 

[mashnut]

Wow, I've never seen a course with that many mandatories. I always think it's a lot when there's 3-4 per 18 holes, let alone 4 on the last hole and a bunch more throughout the course. Either way, it's great that that area is getting a new course, keep us updated!

 

[dreadlock86]

i'm gonna be back in TO the weekend of sept 5.

this course doesn't have tees or baskets yet right? is there any signage and could someone who's never been navigate the course?

 

[zenbot]

I believe that some of the tees have been dug out. No baskets until October-November at least. Last I checked there were just sticks in the ground with the basket and tee numbers on them.

If any of your trip falls on a weekday let me know. It's on my way home from work.

 

[dreadlock86]

i might be getting in thursday night so perhaps friday sept. 4th. gotta check my itinerary.

thanks!

 

[flash86]

I'd be down to play with you as well. Keep us posted.

 

[dreadlock86]

playing tomorrow mid-afternoon, probably 3 or 3:30. anyone who wants to show up....

 

[zenbot]

1st Acorn Acres DGCR meetup ever! I'm glad flash showed up to show dreadlock and me around.

 

[flash86]

It was fun meeting DGCR members in person. Will see zenbot again in a few weeks at the Coyote Classic.

As far as the course goes... It is still in a pretty raw condition. Actually, it has regressed a little because some of the teepads are not marked with stakes anymore and the pole for #2 is missing. It was particularly hard for zenbot and dreadlock86 to try to navigate the course before I showed up. I was only able to do so because I had seen/played the course when it was marked a little better. Unless you are very close by, I would still advise you stay away until the concrete is poured and baskets installed in November.

 

[zenbot]

#8) Shorter hole that is straight away from teepad. However, there is a tree in the middle of the fairway with a mandatory left. Relatively easy anhyzer/turnover with a Leopard to put it close.

Ahh! Now I understand why you asked if I was going for the mandy or not when I threw straight at it. I thought you both were just practicing your anhyzers. I didn't catch that the mandatory was to the left of the tree.

 

[DSCJNKY]

Go Mike Byrne! (And Brian Bowland, Mark Bowland, and Chuck Powell... I think they were involved in the initial stages too). We need more courses in the greater LA area. Can't wait to play it when I get back to so-cal.
DSCJNKY