Tierra Rejada Golf Club is located in Moorpark and nestled in the foothills of eastern Ventura County. Nationally renowned architect Robert E. Cupp created this par 72 masterpiece of playability. The scenery here is probably one of the best views in all California which is saying a lot. Many who live in the area call it “God’s Country”. Even Ronald Reagan chose these views for the Reagan Presidential Library. Arguably President Reagan could have chosen many other areas from California’s beautiful topography, but he is laid to rest less than a mile from Tierra Rejada. The view from the library looks out over this course.
1st Hole
The country club is open to the public and they have just remodeled it to be absorbed into its beautiful surroundings which includes the signature 10th hole which plays uphill. This course must be carted, as the hills and valleys make for some challenging shots but also adds to its stunning beauty. The fairways are challenging as they are made to be in unison with the hills and valleys.
There are holes with water (1, 14, 14 and 18). The 1st hole is a par 5 and a good fairway drive will put the water on the left with a narrow fairway the remaining 150 yards to the green. Many of the greens are partially cupped by hills which allow for a chip too fair to roll back toward the hole.
2nd Hole
The 2nd hole is a par 3 about 150 yards from the blue tees. If you don’t hit straight and play hit left, you will be OB and over the side of this hill. The green appears closer than it is. I tend to play up a club.
3rd Hole
3 is a bit daunting as you are hitting over a valley here. Reach out 250 yards from the blue and you will dance down the other side of the hill toward the green. Otherwise, you will roll back down toward you and the valley in between. Every other shot toward the hole is downhill. The greens, as most here, are not flat and challenging.
4th Hole
4 is the #1 handicap on the course. It’s a par 5 and plays around a hill so stay left or the hill comes into play. The green is perched up and surrounded by sand traps to the left and has two levels. Depending on the hole placement you will want to be putting uphill here or you could roll off the green toward the fairway if not careful on a putt downward. Better to stay short as a long chip shot over the green will put you out on the 8th fairway.
5th Hole
5 is a par 4 and (has bathrooms and a water fountain) must be played straight on the drive. There is not much leeway on the right or left of the fairway, a second shot over the green will be OB and the front green has sand traps in front of it. The right club with a good loft will prevail here.
6th Hole
6 is a par 4 and drives out over another valley. The green is viewable from the black, blue, and white. The further right your drive, the more the valley can steal your shot. Better to play out at the 150-yard marker and hit up to the elevated green which is dogleg right.
7th Hole
The par 3s on this course are complicated and very challenging. 7 is a par 3 treat. It’s about 135 yards from the blues and has a partial valley in front of you and a massive steep hill to the left of the green. Any shot left will be a long one to watch sailing into oblivion. DO NOT attempt to try to retrieve your ball! There have been some that have been airlifted off the face of that mountain. I played with a 90-year-old chap that loved to find balls on the course. As I was spotting my ball on the green, I was horrified while to see him go over the edge to retrieve his ball. Reaching down the from the green edge, I had to offer him my club and an arm to get him back to safety. He was a bit scratched up. You have to hand it to those WWII military guys who will stop at nothing.
8th Hole
The 8th hole (our main picture at the top) is a long par 4 and has the best views and elevated tee I’ve played in California. You are way up over an already very high fairway. The black is situated behind a hill on the 7th green. You must hit the fairway looking sideways at it which makes for a narrow area to land on. The throw across the valley in between is probably 260 yards. You are looking sideways at the fairway with the green to the left. The blues are better angled to see the green and the whites are looking straight down the fairway toward the flag. Both the blue and white and manageable on the drive to the fairway. Hitting left is lost valley and too far right is also major trouble. The course has recently constructed some low stone barriers to prevent a shot from rolling over the right side. The green is hard to land on with its own pits and sand traps around it. If you go over the green, the ball is OB. Stay high and short on approach.
9th Hole
9 is an elevated par 5 with the 1st fairway to the right. hitting left puts you into the hill and the ball rarely comes down from it. Some good straight shots make this 5 easily parred. The green is in a bowl and a long chip shot will bring the ball back near the hole.
10th Hole
10th hole. You are playing up the hill. It’s a par 4 and seems very manageable but your second shot is what will make or break this hole. Better to go up a club or two to reach the summit. If you run short, your ball will back down another 74 yards to a drain situated in the middle of the fairway. The green plays flat and has a hill behind it and to the left on approach
11th Hole
11 is a long par 3 of 200 yards from the blue with a short valley in between. There is a hill on the right of the fairway which somewhat obscures the left side view of the green. The right side has sand traps and OB. If you can drive over the base left side hill, you will place nicely. The left side of the green opens up. I almost had two chances for a hole-in-one here with good drive that rolled up from the fairway and barely missed the hole only to roll a bit up the backside of the green which then rolled the ball back to within a inch of the cup. Many of the green here are buffered on the backside with a slight hill to keep the ball in play. (This hole as a Ronald Reagan memorial at the tee off. You can clearly see the library in the photo)
12th Hole
12 is a par 5 with the 16th fairway on the left side. A good drive must be straight here, or you could be playing the 16th fairway to get back in play. The fairway elevated above 16. The green is big and plays somewhat uphill.
13th Hole
13 straddles the driving range on the right. DO NOT use a yellow ball as there are times this fairway has range balls on it. The hole is fairly straight and flat. This is one of the holes that has water to the right as you approach the green. There is also a running stream on the left of the fairway. You are fairly safe on the green as long as you stay away from the water on the right. There is a nice waterfall there and if you have time ahead of the next group, bring along your camera along. It will make for a nice picture.
14th Hole
The 14th hole tee-0ff is slightly elevated with a par 3, 60 yards from the blue. It has water on the left side of the fairway while approaching the green. The layout looks like yin and yang with a horizontal green stretched out behind. It’s much harder to reach the left of the green of over water whereas the right side is a safer play. Hit right, even if the hole’s placement is on the left, unless you are good at landing a fighter jet on a moving aircraft carrier. The secret to this hole is the bowl behind it. You need to play up the back side of the green which will then draw the ball back toward the water. I’ve gotten many birdies here using this strategy. Otherwise you will putt left and roll toward the pond.
15th Hole
15 is a par 4 with no visible view of the flag. Drive straight and your second shot will be about 200 yards looking at the green with sand trap tot he right.
16th Hole
16 is a par 5 where you can enjoy some nice open drives and wooden shots toward an elevated green. There are many sand traps as you approach while heading uphill. I found that hitting to the far left of the green is the best lead in. The right side of the green has traps and the ball tends to roll in them or even back downhill.
17th Hole
Hole 17 is a short elevated par 3. A short shot of 120 yards from the blues must be straight or the ball will end up going down the left side of the green. This green is more challenging that any on this course. None of it is straight or flat. This green is not very flat. Take your time and look at the ball from several angles before putting as your ball can roll down the left side hill.
18th Hole
18 is looking at a hill on the right and trees on the left. There is a sand trap about 200 yards on the right and if you hit over that trap you will roll down and be able to see the flag which again has water on the left and fairway on the right much like hole 14. The back of the green has traps and a hill, keeping a long shot from venturing into the clubhouse. The front of the green has water on the long approach. Its better to be long here as the green is fairly flat which does move the ball a little toward the water or safer with a layup approaching from the right of the green. That will take the water and trips out of play.
19th Hole
The 19th hole has been remodeled with a firepit outside. The sunset view of the course from the outside of the bar and restaurant is very pleasing to view. I have seen whisky and cigars consumed there.
