When played from the tips, Lindero offers the most challenging test of golf and is a fine course to make “Time For Nine”
By George C. Thomas, Golf Writer
AGOURA HILLS, CA – In the heart of the Conejo Valley lies a 9-hole golf course that is as fun and challenging as any you will find throughout America. The down-home feel and lighthearted atmosphere just add to the ambience of the place. And taking the time to have a cold one and add up your score will be a delight as you realize you just shot a cheating 58 for 9-holes, and played the toughest Executive Golf Course west of the Mississippi River.
The first hole starts out over a tributary and will give you your first water experience of the day. It looks easy enough to the naked eye, but the hole will be playing about 135 yards to a green the size of a postage stamp. Definitely factor in the bunkering, and that the postage stamp sized green is shaped like an upside down bowl, so anything you throw up there will be repelled off and laughed at by the “Golf Gods.”
The second hole will be the only easy hole of your round, and it usually plays about the same length as the first hole, or one club less. From the tips, you are looking at about a 120 yard tee shot, and picking up a birdie here will help your score, as you are about to be thrown into the real meat and potatoes of the golf course.
The third hole has everything a perfect par 3 can have, a big tree, bunkers, water, a steep drop off, it has the works. And with it playing around 185 yards from the tips, you might even be pulling out your 7 wood to pull off this shot. Consider yourself lucky if you get out of here with a par.
The fourth hole is going to be your first par 4 of the course, and playing it from Mrs. Smith’s backyard just adds to the fun. You will have to carry the water twice, once on your tee shot and another time on your approach shot. Once again, the size of the green is just a little bit bigger than a postage stamp, and the front drops off at quite a steep angle, so be sure to take enough club to not be short.
The fifth hole also has a water feature, mainly it runs throughout the entire length of the golf hole. You will have to carry about 175 yards and the hole will be playing around 200 yards from the tips. Once you get onto the green, there are a couple of tiers, and this just might be the most interesting green on the golf course.
The sixth hole brings you back to the clubhouse before you cross the road to play the final three holes. There are once again many water features on this hole, with the tributary from the first hole running through the middle, and a couple of ponds off to the left. From all the way back, the tee shot is about 190 yards, and it will be a welcome Green In Regulation (GIR) if you stick it. This hole is another example of why Lake Lindero Country Club is the toughest 9-Hole Executive Golf Course West of The Mississippi River.
The seventh hole is the only other par 4 on the golf course. There is a lake like pond off to the left, so play your tee shot off to the right a little bit. But in doing so, you bring in a large old oak tree that will factor into your approach shot. There will also be another tributary that comes into play, so keep your ball flight high and in the air, the ground balls and worm burners you usually hit will be severely penalized on this course.
Number eight is a fun little par 3, with yet more water features and a very tough green to hit from all the way back. What looks like an easy hole is really just an optical illusion and getting out of here with par will be a successful feat.
And finally, we finish on number nine, a par 3 that requires an accurate tee shot from about 165 yards from the tips. You will rejoice in the fact there is no water features on this hole. There are no ponds or tributaries that come into play, and that is a perfect way to finish up playing the toughest 9-Hole Executive Golf Course West of The Mississippi River.
Most people opt to go around the loop again and play the course from all the way up. This can also be quite fun, and you can play the golf course without getting slapped around left and right. There is something magical about this place, and it is family friendly and great for those just learning how to play the game. For young and old alike, for beginner and advanced experts, dropping in and hanging out at Lake Lindero Country Club is the thing to do and the place to be. The golf course was designed by world famous golf architect Ted Robinson Sr. (For more information or to book a tee time, please visit www.lakelinderocc.com)
