Glen Annie Golf Club Review -- On the Tee with A.J. Ali 9/19/22

If you’re a golfer visiting the Santa Barbara area in California, there are a couple of courses you definitely want to play. One of them is Sandpiper. The other is Glen Annie Golf Club. For this visit, I decided to play Glen Annie — the lesser known of these two gems. I had been here before, but had to leave after 9 holes to pick my wife up from the beach after the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, ruining her plans to work on her tan. I had been eagerly awaiting my return to play a full 18, and Glen Annie did not disappoint!?

General Manager Brian Bishop is a very likable man who took time out of his busy schedule to give me some cool info on the course, like the quirky and memorable “frog crossing” on 12. I didn’t get a chance to see if frog legs were on the menu at the Frog Bar & Grill, but that’s only because I was nearly three weeks into a month-long vegan cleanse. According to the website (https://www.glenanniegolf.com/ ), “some menu highlights include Blackened Ahi Wrap, Grilled Flat Iron Steak, and Panko Halibut Tacos.” I’ll let you know about the menu next time but I’m guessing from the reviews I’ve seen that it’s very good.

I played most of the front nine by myself, sandwiched between groups. A couple of Santa Barbara City College students, Ty Montgomery and Grayson Epstein, joined me on the 8th hole and we played the rest of the round together. They were fun to be around, polite yet expectantly irreverent, respectful, witty, and had solid games. They’re definitely better players, but I showed them a few things from time to time. More on that later. Also, about Ty and Grayson, I just know they’re going to do great things in life. That’s part of the beauty of golf, meeting folks of all ages and backgrounds and spending quality time learning about their dreams, accomplishments, and even some of their challenges. Bonds are formed and friendships are born. If only the rest of life was as simple.

Glen Annie is a course that delights the senses. The views of the hillsides and the Pacific Ocean, the presence of many different kinds of wildlife, and the many different floral scents wafting through the air were delightful. The course, well, it was invigorating, challenging, and fun, fun, fun!?You’ve got to make a lot of strategic decisions about choosing landing areas, and there are several par 4’s that are reachable if you’re a big hitter. I bagged the back edge of the green, just off the back by about a foot, on a downhill par 4 (#12 from 265), had to chip over some fringe grass that poked into the backside of the green, and 2-putted for par. That tee shot was captured in a video, so yes, I have receipts — and witnesses. The best part was I hit last after the young bucks laid up. It wasn’t the only hole where I heard applause either. On #7, I stuck an approach shot to within 10 feet just as the guy on the mower was rolling up. His “NIIIIIIIIICE SHOT and handclap” was enough for me to want to come back again. Before you start thinking I’m a ringer, I’m far from that. I’m just your average 18 handicapper that gets lucky on one hole for par, triple bogies the next, and then plays lights out for a birdie on the next. My game is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your’e going to get, but it’s always sweet fun and very satisfying.?

And yes, I got my full 18 in this time — just as the sun set. And it was worth every minute! All 87 strokes!

Here’s a play-by-play of some of my favorite memories at Glen Annie:

1. Easy to navigate par four, slightly uphill. I was greeted by geese at the first green who welcomed me with a chorus of “sink that putt,” or something like that.
2. Beautiful view of the ocean, surrounding farmland, and mountains at the tee box. It’s the kind of spot where you wish you could just throw down a blanket and enjoy a nice picnic lunch and a glass of wine.?
3. Semi-blind tee shot downhill with a stunning view of the ocean. I used a hybrid for a safe 200-yard drive. The landing area opens up on the left so you have a little more room to work with than you might think. The second shot into the green is over a little pond and a large sand trap. This hole is a hint of things to come. Precise club selection, multiple strategic options, and gutsy shots are all a big part of playing this course.?
4. You’ll be tempted to drive over the second?of two daunting hazards but trust me, you’re gonna want to lay up around that 150 yard marker and enjoy a less stressed shot into the green. There’s not much reward that awaits you after that second hazard and there’s a pond that is as well-placed as it is beautiful, threatening to gobble up any errant shot on the left. Once you get to the green you are surrounded by majestic beauty of the hillsides, the clubhouse, and just a beautiful overall setting.
5. This is a slightly downhill, 535 yard par five. What you see is what you get. It’s kind of a relief from the previous two holes. For big hitters, it’s reachable in two. It took me four because my distance and my directions don’t necessarily communicate with each other most of the time.?
6. This little par 3 invited a nice easy 110 yard swing on this day playing from the white tee box. My ball landed on the front edge of the green, leaving me with about a 20 foot putt for birdie — which I missed and tapped in for par. ?
7. Uphill tee shot on this hole which runs parallel to hole number five. I had a solid drive and a solid second shot with my hybrid leaving me with about 114 to the flag stick. That shirt third shot is the one that will have me coming back. That’s the one that was timed perfectly for the groundskeeper to applaud my approach shot, which was tour worthy. I won’t say which tour, since that’s a touchy subject these days, but if I could get guaranteed money to play golf three days a week, I’d take it! For the record, I putted my fourth shot to within 1 foot and tapped in for par. I’m still waiting for my phone to ring for a spot on that tour. Just sayin’.?
8. This is the hole where Grayson and Ty, the students at Santa Barbara City College, joined up with me. Sidenote, SBCC is one of the most beautiful campuses around. I don’t know how they get any studying done with that view of the Pacific Ocean every day. They gave me some local knowledge right off the bat which helped my drive to be the best drive of the day so far. The old man smoked it 40 yards past one of their balls. And about 5 yards past the other. I won’t say which one was which, LOL. Thanks PXG and OnCore! I managed a 1-putt par. Fair warning. If your tee shot lands on the left side of the fairway like mine did, you’re going to have a partially blind shot into the green.
9. Par three playing about 160. Traps on the right and open on the left. Solid test.?
10. The tee shot is slightly uphill on this par five leaving you with a blind second shot. A little course knowledge goes a long way on this hole. I got lucky and wound up in the perfect spot for my third shot. The view from here is extraordinary.?
11. 11 is a downhill par three that is a little more challenging than it looks with bunkers on the front and rear.
12. Well, #12 was huge fun! Par four, downhill, playing at 265 yards on this day. The way the hole is set up, it’s smart to lay up but I’m not that smart. The college kids laid up. That was definitely the smart play. I, on the other hand, pulled out the PXG driver and called a shot. Seriously, check out the video. I have receipts and witnesses. LOL. I knocked it to a foot or so past the back edge of the green with a high, soaring, wings of eagles kind of drive that would make my fellow Air Force veterans proud. I didn’t give myself a putt though because of the curvy way the green was shaped, forcing me to chip it over a clump of grass and two putt for par. I’ll take that any day.
13. Drivable 300 yard par four but I shanked it and landed?about 110 yards from the green. Yup, that’s my game. I was glad to wind up with a bogey. Could have been worse. I can’t wait to play that beautiful hole again and exact my revenge. ?
14. For me, this was the most daunting, interesting, and badass hole on the course. It screamed “hit me with your best shots — you’ll need em!” I responded. Tee shot offered you two distinct choices. Try to play it safe with a straight shot into a small landing area — or grip it and rip it cutting the corner to the left over a tall stand of trees. This is where trust comes in, both in your abilities and your playing partners telling you where to aim. I went for it and ripped a perfect tee shot into the fairway. I thought the hard work was done, until I got to my ball and realized there was a second blind shot, this time a dogleg right. Trusting again, I went for the green with my hybrid from about 200 and landed in the green side bunker. Happy with that effort, I let my guard down, squibbed a shot barely out of the trap, and bogeyed the hole. Oh, I’ll be back for 13 and 14. I can’t wait to play them again.?
15. This tee shot is an uphill dog leg right. Play it safe and you’ll do fine. I didn’t and double bogeyed.
16. Another potentially drivable par 4. I let her rip and went left to about 75 yards from the green, chunked the second shot, pitched onto the green for the third shot, and bogeyed the hole.
17. Challenging par 3. I was getting tired at this point and double bogeyed the hole. Don’t let your guard down on this hole.
18. 18 is a stunning finishing hole with a lake running along much of the right side and a beautiful view into the clubhouse the entire way. I just love it when you have a finishing hole where there are hundreds of people on the hillside behind the green, cheering you in. Ok, there were no fans, but it felt like it with the framing of the green by the hillside and the clubhouse. 18 is like a Glen Annie goodbye kiss. We all closed out with pars. A truly satisfying finish to a great round of golf with future leaders!

ABOUT ME: I'm a USAF disabled veteran, filmmaker, author, TV host, and humanitarian. I've been an avid golfer and golf writer for more than two decades. Oftentimes, it has been my refuge and a wonderful form of therapy. I've written numerous articles about celebrities who golf, golf courses, golf events, and how golf transcends sports and offers powerful life lessons. I spent the summer of 2014 golfing in all 50 states in 101 days, starting in Florida and driving through all 48 contiguous states before flying to play golf in Alaska and Hawaii! Not only was it the trip of a lifetime, but I started with only $500, crowdfunded the entire trip, and shared my experiences on GolfNow and various print, digital, and radio media. That trip changed my life and gave birth to the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer movement (www.trylovenow.com ), which I spend my days running (when I'm not golfing or writing about golf). Let's tee it up sometime!