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There are as many reasons to like a particular golf course as there are golf courses in Southern California. In other words: a lot. More than 400 courses stretch from Santa Barbara in the north to San Diego in the south, encompassing every type of terrain, scenery and price range. And they all have something going for them. Maybe it's the condition of the greens, bright white sand in the bunkers or a gnarly oak tree in the middle of a fairway. Or it could be the the ocean views, the red-tailed hawks circling above, or the way a breeze kicks in right about 4 in the afternoon. Whatever the reasons, we all have a favorite. And in this issue we spotlight the 50 best courses as chosen by the Southland Golf editorial staff. These designs challenged our imagination and every part of our game. They stunned us with in-credible views. The course conditions were immaculate and the service exemplary. In short: we'd go back in a heartbeat. So, take a look at our choices, which are listed in no particular order. And when you're done, let us know what your favorite course is and why. Maybe the next time we do one of these lists, your favorite course will also be one of ours. Industry Hills, Ike Course City of Industry One of the region's premier courses is getting better as it matures. The Ike Course, named after former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a 7,199-yard track recently renovated with a new irrigation system, fairway turf and reshaped bunkers. That only enhances one of the most praised courses in the region, which has hosted qualifying rounds for the Nissan Open. The Ike, along with its sister course, the Babe (which finishes renovations in a couple of months), are part of the Pacific Palms Conference Resort, a state-of-the-art business conference hotel and resort. pacificpalmsresort.com. Black Gold Yorba Linda One of the few Arthur Hills designs in Southern California, this course was built on old Shell Oil property (hence, the name) and plays much tougher than its 6,756-yard distance indicates. The undulating fairways, slick greens and often breezy conditions can make for a harrowing day, but the views on clear days - you can see Catalina from the highest elevation - make for a wonderful time on the course. The venue has hosted qualifiers for the U.S. Open and PGA Tour Qualifying School, and its management company, Kemper Sports, prides itself on service. That's what we've found every time we've visited. The 12th-hole tee box also has the distinction of occupying ground 725 feet above sea level, making it the highest elevated hole in Orange County. blackgoldgolf.com. Redhawk Temecula Thanks to a major renovation project over the past five years, this Ron Fream-designed course has been restored to the high standards that it debuted with in 1991. It's a challenging but fun course that is regularly listed among the best public courses in the state. And while you might think the course was designed with PGA Tour players in mind, the layout's scenic beauty helps make up for its rather challenging rating of 75.7. redhawkgolfcourse.com. Torrey Pines, South Course San Diego Did you hear that this public course owned by the city of San Diego is hosting the 2008 U.S. Open? And that it happens to sit on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean? William F. Bell designed it, Rees Jones made some renovations and it's been the home of the Buick Invitational since 1968. Those are all pretty good reasons to be on this list. sandiego.gov/torreypines. Santa Anita Arcadia One of the oldest public courses on our list, this track has been around since the mid-1930s and is right up the street from a certain race track. It offers great views of the San Gabriel Mountains, and the course has narrow, undulating fairways, no water hazards and an enormous number of mature oak and pine trees throughout. parks.co.la.ca.us/santa_anita.html. Los Serranos, South Course Chino Hills This is the home of Jack's Blacks, a set of tees designed by course owner (and professional tennis Hall-of-Famer) Jack Kramer that measure more than 7,400 yards. Kramer designed the course, which he opened in 1965, to complement the older North course, which has been a local's favorite since 1925. Both courses have rebounded greatly from a disease that struck 3,000 eucalyptus trees a few years ago. The removal of those trees was unfortunate, but they actually opened up the golf course and also subtly altered how some holes can be played. losserranoscountryclub.com. Escena Palm Springs This Palm Springs course looks great and plays splendidly, but you could say that about any number of courses in the area. But the fact that this is the first public course built in Palm Springs in more than 20 years (it opened in 2005) is reason enough to put it on our list. Designed by Nicklaus Design, managed by Troon Golf, and with green fees rarely above $90, the course ranks as one of the best deals in the Coachella Valley. escenagolf.com. EDITOR’S PICK Andalusia La Quinta It's ultra-private and ultra-nice. If you're fortunate enough to play on this course as a member, guest or tournament participant, you'll be amazed - and not just because it's more than 7,500 yards from the tips. Noted designer Rees Jones, along with Keith Evans, filled the property with more than 80,000 palm and olive trees, along with other vegetation. Gorgeous water features, including streams, lakes and waterfalls, enhance the layout. The first 18 opened in 2005 and the second 18 is under construction. andalusiaatcoralmountain.com Robinson Ranch Santa Clarita Ted Robinson Sr. is the most prolific golf course designer in Southern California history and also one of the most influential. His ability to incorporate water into desert courses was a huge reason why golf in the Coachella Valley exploded, and his trademark water features - and the ability to make courses playable for golfers of all skill levels - dot the Southern California golf landscape. But there's only one golf property that bears Robinson's name, and it's this 36-hole facility in Santa Clarita. Robinson, who along with his son, Ted Jr., set out to craft two entirely different 18-hole courses, worked diligently to preserve the environmentally sensitive land that borders the property. The Mountain Course is only 6,508 yards but offers numerous elevation changes, while the Valley Course is a flatter, longer (6,900 yards) track that includes a stretch of finishing holes justifiably termed "Death Row." robinsonranchgolf.com. Lost Canyons Simi Valley You won't find two more challenging courses in Southern California - unless they also were designed by the man who shaped these: Pete Dye. Dye used Fred Couples as a consultant and Couples likes the facility so much, he still regularly plays there. The Sky and Shadows courses are set in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains and both are tough tests with their steep bunkering, thick rough, narrow fairways and the design landmines that give Dye his diabolical reputation. But they're still great, incredibly beautiful courses to play. And how can you not like any course that allows the legendary "little pro" from Bel-Air Country Club, Eddie Merrins, to teach there? lostcanyons.com. Soboba Springs San Jacinto The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians has wasted no time in turning a 1966 golf course designed by Desmond Muirhead into one of the finest courses in Riverside County. The tribe purchased what was then known as Soboba Springs Royal Vista Golf Club and immediately spent $6 million renovating the course and another $11 million on a new clubhouse, which should open before the end of this year. sobobaspringscc.com. Rancho Park Los Angeles Nine reasons to love this diamond in the rough: 1) It's the most played course in Los Angeles, and one of the most played in the country. 2) It opened in 1920. 3) It hosted the Los Angeles Open from 1956 to 1971. 4) Green fees max out at $41 on weekends. 5) It was designed by William P. Bell. 6) It's the only public 18-hole course in the congested area of west Los Angeles. 7) It was the site of one of the greatest LA Opens ever: Ken Venturi's 1959 victory in which he started the final round eight strokes off the lead but shot 30-33 to win the event by two strokes. 8) Arnold Palmer won three L.A. Opens here. 9) Palmer once posted a score of 12 on the par-5 18th hole. laparks.org/dos/sports/golf/ranchopark.htm. Arroyo Trabuco Mission Viejo Designed by Casey O'Callaghan and PGA Tour player and Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, this course opened in 2004 and is one of the most scenic in south Orange County. Its 240 acres are adjacent to Trabuco Creek and the Ladera Open Space Reserve, and the layout is diverse. Several of the holes run alongside high ridge lines. It's also a woman-friendly course, with LPGA legend Sandra Palmer hosting a women's golf clinic in June. arroyotrabuco.com. Terra Lago Indio Though it has changed names, the course once known as Landmark Golf Club remains one of the best golf options in the eastern Coachella Valley. It's a 36-hole facility that has hosted the Skins Game and, unlike a lot of courses, it has plenty of room to stretch, since it occupies more than 400 acres of beautiful desert land. The centerpiece of the course, however, is a 20-acre lake. golfclub-terralago.com. Brookside Golf Club Pasadena There is a great deal of history at this Pasadena-owned facility. The two courses are set in a dry arroyo adjacent to the Rose Bowl. The original Koiner Course, designed by William P. Bell, stretches more than 7,000 yards and opened in 1928. It hosts the Pasadena City Amateur Championship and also hosted the 1969 Los Angeles Open, which Billy Casper won by three strokes over Arnold Palmer. The shorter Nay Course opened in 1951. Both are flat tracks with tons of mature trees and numerous water features. brookside.americangolf.com. SilverRock La Quinta The fact that this Arnold Palmer-designed track was chosen as part of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic rotation beginning next year is reason enough to put it on our list of favorites. It's more than 7,500 yards from the tips, which means it will rank among the longest on the PGA Tour. (The rest of us can settle for playing from the white tees, which measure 6,639 yards.) silverrock.org. Strawberry Farms Irvine You have to love a course introduced by a two-mile drive down a country road lined with a white picket fence and with a giant red barn serving as its banquet area. But there's more to this fantastic Irvine property than a Norman Rockwell moment. It is set around a 35-acre reservoir, and the back nine, in particular, features some dramatic holes, including ones with massive boulders and a waterfall on No. 18. And while you're there to play golf and not necessarily paint a landscape portrait, the par-4 10th, with the reservoir to the left and lush green hillsides to the right, is one of the prettiest holes in Orange County. strawberryfarmsgolf.com. Salt Creek Chula Vista Formerly known as the Auld Course, this Chula Vista track was renamed last year as part of a makeover from a new ownership group. The result is renewed vigor at a course graced with one of the best layouts in San Diego County. Set in the foothills of Mt. Miguel, the John Cook-designed layout offers scenic views and is part of a protected wildlife refuge. Salt Creek winds through the course, which also includes hills, lakes and wetlands. No homes surround the course and the combination of challenge and visual aesthetics has made it an ideal site for tournaments, professional golf tours and college golf teams. saltcreekgc.com. Indian Wells, Celebrity Course Indian Wells A great deal of work is going on at the 36-hole Indian Wells Golf Resort, and all of it is good. The Celebrity Course was re-routed and redesigned by Clive Clark and opened late last year. It's a far more playable, pretty and fun course to navigate. With its waterfalls, streams, mountain views and ability to test your mental game as much as your physical, this is resort golf at its best. A retooled Player's Course will open late this year. The changes only add to the luster of this facility, which has hosted the Senior PGA Tour and the California State Amateur. indianwellsgolfresort.com. La Costa Tournament Course Carlsbad While golf is only one part of what makes this Carlsbad resort a legitimate world-class travel destination, it's a pretty big part. The PGA Tour has long hosted tournaments here, most recently the Accenture Match Play Championship. The two championship-length courses include a more demanding South Course and the more wide-open North Course, but the ubiquitous water features on both make accuracy off the tee very important. For those who want to walk in the footsteps of the game's greats, players can play the Tournament Course, which includes nine holes from each. But call ahead of time because those days are limited. lacosta.com. Trilogy at La Quinta La Quinta When the Skins Game picks you to host its venerable event three years in a row (2005-07), you've got something going for you. In this case, it's one of the most player-friendly courses in the region that can also set up as one of the most challenging depending on the pin placements and set of tees you decide to play. trilogygolfclub.com. Desert Dunes Desert Hot Springs Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed this Scottish-style links course in the Coachella Valley. There are more than 50 bunkers, but even with all the sand on the course and around the property (the course is carved from natural sand dunes), water comes into play on several of the holes. The tricky greens never fail to challenge your putting, but we also like the fact that, although the two sets of back tees are probably too much for higher handicappers, the two forward tees are very playable. desert-golf.net. PGA West, Stadium Course La Quinta Why is this on the list? Any course that PGA Tour players whine about being too hard, and actually campaign to get removed from the rotation of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, must have something to love about it. And this grim taskmaster, while ultra-demanding, is one of the most special in Southern California. If you're a fan of course design, constant challenges and playing one of the most difficult courses by the man known as the Marquis de Sod (Pete Dye has designed eight of the top 50 most difficult courses in the country, according to Golf Digest; this is No. 4), then this is a must-play. Even if you're a high-handicapper who has no business being in the pro shop, let alone on the course, the extraordinary beauty of the course, and Dye's audacious design, is worth a visit. Oh, did we mention that it hosts the final round of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, merely the toughest test of golf on the planet? Laquintaresort.com. Los Verdes Rancho Palos Verdes Everyone knows about Trump National, that imposing juggernaut perched on the edge of cliffs in Rancho Palos Verdes. But this course, located next door in the city of Palos Verdes, was there first, is a great deal cheaper, and also offers ocean views. The William F. Bell-designed track opened in 1964 and is situated on gently rolling hills that offer glimpses of Catalina and the ocean. And, with green fees less than $28, you'll still have money left over for gas on the ride home. parks.co.la.ca.us/los_verdes.html. Desert Willow Palm Desert The Firecliff Course at this premier Palm Desert public facility is as desert a golf experience as you can find. The architect, Dr. Michael Hurzdan, is renowned in the industry for his environmentally friendly designs, and the Firecliff exemplifies that. Though water does come into play, the main hazard here is sand, which seamlessly surrounds the course. With more than 100 bunkers and waste areas, there's also plenty of sand on the course, along with brilliant natural vegetation and great mountain views. All this and complimentary valet parking! desertwillow.com. Tustin Ranch Tustin This course jump-started the high-end public golf craze in Orange County, and even though it's the senior in the class, Tustin Ranch still stands in the upper percentile of its peers. The Ted Robinson Sr. design features several double- and triple-tiered greens and features one of the landmark designer's greatest incorporations of water features. Tustin Ranch is also one of the few public courses to offer caddies, and the course's condition and teaching professionals are reasons to keep coming back. tustinranchgolf.com. Angeles National Sunland This is the only Nicklaus design course in Los Angeles County, but that's not the main reason it makes our list. As the name implies Angeles National Golf Club greets you as you begin driving through the Angeles National Forest, the gorgeous stretch of mountains that comprise the western flank of the San Gabriel Mountains. Steve Nicklaus, the son of the Golden Bear, was the principal designer and he created a course that looks great and is truly designed for all golfers. While the fairways are wide, there are plenty of long carries from the tips, and the undulating greens are a constant challenge. angelesnational.com. Sail Ho San Diego Set on land that once housed the San Diego Country Club, and where Sam Snead served as head golf pro while in the US. Navy, this course at the north end of Liberty Station has been completely revamped under the guidance of Cary Bickler. It's a nine-hole, par-3 course with a unique variety of holes ranging from 77 to 204 yards. The course has new fairways, greens and practice facilities, a great view of Coronado Bridge and it costs a mere $15 at the busiest time to play. sailhogolf.com. Cross Creek Temecula Walk onto this course off I-15 in Temecula and you'll find yourself in a golfing past when courses weren't surrounded by homes or highways, and when great service was the norm, rather than a rarity. The Arthur Hills-design is also a gem: a straight-up golf course without a lot of crazy bells and whistles and overly long holes that make up in length what they lack in character. It's more of a shot-maker's course and it's a wonderful alternative to cookie-cutter courses. crosscreekgolfclub.com. Monarch Beach Dana Point Located next to the five-star St. Regis resort, this Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course straddles both sides of Pacific Coast Highway, meaning cool ocean breezes and great views are standard. It's a link-style course that overlooks the ocean, and the third hole is laid out against the Pacific. There also are several holes set in a canyon on the higher side of the highway. Monarch Beach once hosted the Diners Club and Hyundai Team Matches. Its combination of beauty and challenge makes it impossible not to like. monarchbeachgolf.com. Empire Lakes Rancho Cucamonga Arnold Palmer designed it, the Nationwide Tour calls it home for The Mark Christopher Charity Classic, and its green fees are probably half of what a comparable course in Orange County might cost. Those are three pretty good reasons to make this list. As the name implies, water is part of the essence of the course, with four lakes coming into play on six holes. The course is also at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and on those rare days when the air is clear in the Inland Empire, you get some beautiful views of the towering peaks of Mt. Baldy and Mt. Etiwanda. empirelakes.com. Tijeras Creek Rancho San Margarita This truly is two courses in one. The front nine is a solid stretch of holes that wind through a housing development and feature water on four of the nine holes. But the back nine ranks among the most scenic nine holes in Southern California. It meanders through a rugged canyon lush with old-growth oaks, sycamore and native chaparral. Recent renovations to the bunkers have only added to the quality of this course, which hosts the men's and women's Big West golf championships this year. tijerascreek.com. Eagle Glen Corona This Gary Roger Baird-designed course brought high-end daily-fee golf to the Corona area in 1999 and its lived up to its billing. There is a 400-foot elevation change on the front nine, and that, coupled with undulating greens, a distinct lack of rough, forced carries and the constant threat of Santa Ana winds, makes for plenty of challenge. But balancing that out is the fact that the course isn't a monster in terms of length; it's just over 6,900 yards from the tips and just under 5,000 yards from the forward tees. Whatever tees you play from, you'll find great views of Cleveland National Forest, which is adjacent to the course. You also might spot the occasional deer or bobcat. eagleglengc.com. Oak Valley Beaumont This Beaumont course, designed by Schmidt-Curley Design, is a tough course any time of the day, but when the winds blow, it can be positively Dye-like in its challenges. It is wonderfully scenic and has plenty of elevation changes. And we like it because its challenge is due to great design, rather than weird tee shots or punitive bunkers and such. It hosts the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, and its green fees, which max out at $85 on weekends, would be double at some other Southern California courses. oakvalleygolf.com. Riviera Pacific Palisades Forget Southern California: this course ranks among the best on the planet - and not just because some of the most memorable moments in golf history have occurred there since it opened in 1926. Every hole is distinctive, and although some purists decry that the changes made to toughen up the course for today's players has tampered with the George C. Thomas design, there's still not a more character-laden golf course. From the opening salvo of the elevated tee box on the first hole to the uphill, dogleg-right finishing hole, there isn't a boring foot of turf on the entire course. Ben Hogan called the fourth hole the best par-3 in the world. Riviera is a certifiable wonder of golf course architecture and you gain a sense of that just by walking its legendary surface. therivieracountryclub.com Talega San Clemente The fact that the OC Register's Randy Youngman, Orange County's most tenured sportswriter, says the Italian sausage off the grill from this San Clemente course is the best golf course food in the county is good enough for us to place it on the list. But the course, designed by Fred Couples and Brian Curley, has a lot more going for it than meat. It's really three courses in one, with six holes running through an oak-lined canyon, six more around a marsh and another six designed around lakes. It's only three miles from the ocean, so breezes can be a real factor, merely adding to the character of one of the best public courses in south Orange County. talegagolfclub.com. Marriott Shadow Ridge Palm Desert There are many golf courses with celebrity names attached that could bear the name of any other great player. But one course that certainly retains the stamp of the noted golfer who helped design it is the Nick Faldo Championship Course at this Palm Desert golf resort. Faldo designed it with the design team of Curley-Schmidt, and the result is a beautiful course surrounded by pristine views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and graced with a layout inspired in large part by the courses that the South African-born Faldo grew up playing. The entire resort matches the quality of the course, with millions of dollars spent over the past couple years renovating everything from guest rooms to landscaping. And Faldo had a hand in designing the menu at Faldo's Bar and Grill; on it, you can eat the same three Champions meals that Faldo ordered after his three Masters' victories. golfshadowridge.com. Rustic Canyon Moorpark You don't think of cult classic when you think of golf courses, but that's what this Moorpark ode to minimalism has become since opening in 2003. Designed by a team including Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackleford, a former member of the Pepperdine golf team and noted authority on classic golf design, the course is an Australian ranch/Scottish-links style course built in a similar fashion to classic golf courses of the 1920s and 1930s. Rather than move a lot of dirt around, the concept was to make it appear as if the golf holes were just placed on the existing land. Most of the undulations and contours you see were there before the course. Since opening to national magazine accolades, the course has become a favorite topic of conversation among golf design junkies. The best thing? Green fees are less than $50. Take it from us: play Rustic Canyon and you'll realize you've never played a course quite like it before. rusticcanyongolfcourse.com. Sandpiper Goleta As the second part of the first family of Southern California golf design dynasties, William F. Bell designed a lot of local courses. But this Santa Barbara-area track, which came late in his career, ranks with Torrey Pines as a certifiable masterpiece. Sandpiper opened in 1972 and its gorgeous, seaside links-style layout is consistently ranked among the top public courses in the state. And, unlike most other seaside courses that overlook the ocean, Sandpiper is right on the beach. Hit an errant tee shot on half the holes and you can wade into the ocean after it. But it's also very demanding from the back tees, which is why it's been the site of many top-tier events, including the finals of the 1997 PGA Tour Qualifying School. sandpipergolf.com. Trump National Rancho Palos Verdes There were plenty of skeptics when Donald Trump announced in 2004 that he was turning a long-troubled piece of land on coastal bluffs in Rancho Palos Verdes into what has been anointed as one of the best golf courses in California. Three years after buying what was then a 15-hole course named Ocean Trails, it's hard to argue with the man. The course's setting is undeniably brilliant, but even ocean views from every hole don't eclipse the wonderful layout, a combination of Pete Dye's original routing and Trump's own ideas. The waterfalls on the first and 17th holes, the dramatic rock outcroppings, and a thoroughly opulent clubhouse make it impossible not to like the place. trumpgolf.com/trumplosangeles. Oak Quarry Riverside There are many reasons to enjoy this course, located right off the 60 Freeway in unincorporated Riverside County and set amid the bleached-white, jagged rock of a once-prolific rock quarry. But once you play it, you'll know what is the most significant feature of this Dr. Gil Morgan and Schmidt-Curley design: the par-3 14th hole. It's one of the most dramatic par 3s in Southern California, a 214-yard shot over the quarry and onto a small, island-like green. All of it takes place beneath the looming precipice of a huge granite rock outcropping that draws comparisons to Yosemite. There's no other hole like it in Southern California. oakquarry.com. Shady Canyon Irvine Former Angels second baseman Bobby Grich calls this private course his favorite, and who wants to argue with him? One of the few Tom Fazio courses in Southern California, this ultra-exclusive club includes a course rated 25th in the state by Golf Digest last year. We name it the most visually spectacular course in Orange County. Great views, massive canyons and rock outcroppings and marvelous bunkers that frame each hole in dramatic fashion all make this a fantastic golf experience. And one that most golfers will probably never have the chance to play. (Sound pity violins here.) shadycanyon.com. Bighorn Country Club, Canyon Course, Palm Desert This Palm Desert private club has hosted some pretty big golf events in recent years, including the Skins Game from 1992 to 1995, the much-hyped Battle of Bighorn from 2000 to 2002 and, currently, the LPGA's Samsung World Championship. The Tom Fazio course, as the name implies, is a canyon course complete with streams, waterfalls, dramatic rock formations and beautiful desert flora. The front nine is mostly flat, but the back nine is located alongside canyon ridgelines. Throughout the course, Fazio's masterful use of bunkering is in great effect, as he uses elongated tendrils of bunkers to draw visual interest from imposing mountain tops and set the stage for thrilling golf shots. bighorngolf.com. Los Angeles Country Club, North Course Los Angeles This is the only course that matches Riviera in terms of national rankings. It opened in 1921 and was redesigned by George C. Thomas in 1927, which makes it a close cousin to Riviera. But its rolling terrain offers far more elevation changes. That, coupled with very sharp doglegs, amazing bunkering and decades-old trees, makes this a very challenging track, especially the par 3s. Rumor has it that the USGA pleaded with the club to host a U.S. Open in the 1980s, but was consistently turned down. The Quarry at La Quinta La Quinta This is one of designer Tom Fazio's best Southern California pieces of golf architecture - and he knew it when he was building the private club. The scenery includes the small mountain range that makes La Quinta courses distinctive and is graced with an incredible number of brightly colored desert flowers and plants. And many of the tee boxes are elevated, which gives great views of the scenery as well as the multitude of hazards that Fazio inserted on every hole. Waterfalls, streams, a river and other aesthetic wonders dot the course, which was built on an abandoned river quarry. In 2004, a 70-acre par-3 course was built to round out the property. quarryinfo.com/guests. Newport Beach Country Club Newport Beach The site of the Toshiba Classic, this William P. Bell and William F. Bell course is one of our favorite private clubs in Orange County, and not just because its small, subtle greens continually challenge the best players on the Champions Tour every year. The feel of the entire facility is decidedly old-school. It recalls a time when golf courses weren't so corporate and when a country club felt as much like a club as a high-dollar, status-quo investment. And the fact the course has been such a great partner with Toshiba and Hoag Hospital in making the Toshiba the Champions Tour's most lucrative event for charity deserves a round of applause. newportbeachcc.com. Valencia County Club Valencia It's private, but don't hold that against this splendid Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed track. It has hosted PGA Tour and Champions Tour events, and it's a course that can bedevil the best of players. Water comes into play on half of the holes, and its par 3s are as tough as the more ballyhooed Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club North courses. valenciagolfclub.com. Your home course It doesn't matter if you pony up the big bucks and join Shady Canyon or Bighorn Country Club, or take advantage of the player-friendly atmosphere at San Juan Hills Golf Club (as some of us often do): the fact is the best course in the world is your home course. It's the one that, if a buddy rolls in from out of town, you're on the phone immediately trying to set up a tee time. It's the one where you know every wrinkle, have said hello to every tree, and have lost balls on every single hole. It's the one you've whiffed on the most and the one where you've tallied your greatest shots. And while you may take it for granted, curse it out, yearn to play an opulent course where professionals stride, or dream of having the money to join a private club, you know in your heart of hearts that you'll always be loyal to your home course. It's your harbor in a tempest, the church of your religion, the place you're most comfortable playing golf. They don't call it a home course for nothing. SG |
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