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GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
The Golfing Nomad
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 Experienced golfers will appreciate the difficulty and scenery of Arrowood. With four sets of tees ranging from 5,253 to 6,721 yards, Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside fits the all-abilities classification. But the facility has a beautiful layout that’s best enjoyed by serious players. If that’s you, try it — you’ll like it. Setting the pace I arrived at Arrowood with two friends for an early Sunday round, the first time any of us had played the course in the serene landscape near the Camp Pendleton property line. Feeling bold, we played from the tips. Architect Ted Robinson Jr. artfully encapsulated the feel of the par-71 course in the first three holes: the 416-yard, par-4 first drops 30 feet from tee to fairway; the 622-yard, par-5 second also heads downhill and is a three-shot test except for the longest of hitters; and the par-3 third, like all four of the short holes at Arrowood, plays over 180 yards and features a well-bunkered green. Short gem Many architecture aficionados laud a layout with a memorable short par 4, and Arrowood has one in the 282-yard sixth. The flagstick is in view from the tee, but so is out-of-bounds vegetation behind the shallow green and a large bunker in front of the putting surface. Plus, laying up right is no simple task, as a bunker pinches the fairway about 200 yards from the tee. It’s a great thinking man’s hole. Clearly, I wasn’t doing that when I hit my drive out of play for a double bogey. No par-5 pushovers Besides the finishing trio of par 4s, what stuck in my mind most were the three par 5s. While No. 2 plays downhill at over 600 yards, holes 9 and 13 play uphill and have lots of trouble. The ninth, at 539 yards, has a narrow, left-to-right sloping fairway with out of bounds on the right side and a knoll in front of the green that can hide the pin. The course may not be that close to the ocean, but any errant shot on the 13th would almost certainly make a round feel like a day at the beach thanks to 10 bunkers. I found two of them and made another double bogey. Grand Finale The 16th is one of the cooler holes on any course in San Diego County, as it drops straight down to the fairway and offers an approach to an island green. It plays much shorter than 465 yards, and it’s just fun. No. 17 is listed at 64 yards shorter, but it’s tougher. The landing area is guarded by out-of-bounds stakes on the left and a fairway bunker on the right, but even a solid drive leaves a difficult uphill approach to the green. The 18th hole is 395 yards, but don’t get overzealous off the tee because of the four fairway bunkers. You need to be in the fairway for your approach to a green with water in front and sand in back. Rates and information Managed by JC Golf, Arrowood is a semi-private facility with memberships available. There’s also a 6,700-square-foot clubhouse with a grill and patio. Southern California residents can play for $59 Monday-Thursday, $65 on Fridays, $87 on Saturdays and holidays and $82 on Sundays, with discounts available for JC Players cardholders. Mention this article and receive a green fee at the JC Players rate of $49 from Monday-Thursday after 10:30 a.m. Also, this month only, Southland Golf readers can book a free lesson with Arrowood’s director of instruction, Paul Miernicki. For more information: (760) 967-8400 or visit jcgolf.com. |
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