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 Players clubs Most high-end, daily-fee courses in Southern California have some kind of program that rewards frequent players with discounts and other perks. Many courses also offer tiered memberships, such as Aliso Viejo Golf Club, which offers a $99 Premiere Players Club that includes a free round of golf, 15 percent off top green fees and a points program in which the more money you spend, the more points you receive for redemption. The course’s Preferred Players Program, which costs $2,595, ensures unlimited weekday golf for $20 per round (the cost of the cart) and 2,595 reward points for golfers striving to earn 9,000 points for a round of golf and overnight accommodations at Pinehurst Country Club. Click4teetimes.com Next-day tee times and reduced rates are available for players who use this Internet service. A recent, late-afternoon visit to the site found scores of tee times for the next day, including a 7 a.m. tee time at Black Golf Golf Club in Yorba Linda for $17 (regular $70), a $30 rate for a 1:30 p.m. tee time at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine (regular $130), and a $15 noon tee time at Coyote Hills Golf Club in Fullerton (regular $75). All fees include a cart. Visitors also can take advantage of other discounts, such as lessons and resorts. Go American American Golf Corp. is the largest golf course management company in Southern California. It offers a service similar to click4teetimes.com on its savesomegreen.com web site, offering discounted rates at courses it manages. It also recently introduced a program called the Southern California Golfers Club (www.socalgolfersclub.com) that allows golfers to save money at more than 20 courses around the Southland. San Juan Hills Country Club Long one of Orange County’s best-kept secrets, this Harry and David Rainville-designed course in San Juan Capistrano has benefited from millions of dollars in improvements under its new management — but green fees haven’t risen. It’s $32 to walk during the week ($47 to ride) and $63 to ride on weekends. Green River Golf Club This Corona course along the 91 freeway as it exits Orange County is remarkably serene, thanks to the Santa Ana River and cottonwood trees lining the fairways. The course also has great specials, including a $10 fee to walk and $19 to ride Monday-Thursday after 4 p.m. On the same days a few hours earlier (1 p.m.), green fees for nine holes are $15. Griffith Park Golf Club Getting a choice tee time at these two Los Angeles courses is tough, since they’re two of the country’s busiest tracks. Why? They’re exceptionally designed by George C. Thomas, who also designed Riviera, Bel-Air and Los Angeles country clubs. And at $22 during the week and $28.50 on weekends to walk, they’re incredibly affordable. Anaheim Hills Golf Course This could be Orange County’s best municipal course. It’s definitely among the most challenging. During the week, green fees are $42.50, including cart, with the rate dropping to $26.75 after 3 p.m. Los Serranos Country Club This family-owned course in Chino Hills has garnered player loyalty with its great track and reasonable prices. Both courses — including the South Course’s infamous Jack’s Black tees, the longest layout in Southern California — are challenging for scratch golfers but enjoyable for high-handicappers. Green fees are $39 during the week and $45 on weekends. Industry Hills GOLF CLUB The rates at these two highly acclaimed public courses — the Eisenhower and the Zaharias — are $63 and $93, but as part of their ongoing 25th anniversary celebration, the price drops to $25 on the 25th of each month. Trilogy Golf Club This Ted Robinson-designed course in Glen Ivy — which includes one of the most dramatic closing holes in Southern California — is about 10 miles south of Corona. Green fees are $55 Monday-Thursday, $60 on Friday and $80 on weekends. Executive COURSES San Diego has some of the best executive courses in Southern California, and Lomas Santa Fe in Solana Beach is near the top of the list. It’s only 2,500 yards in length, but you get ocean breezes, elevation changes and good conditions. Best of all, it costs $20 during the week before 2 p.m. and $16 after that. The weekend fees are $25 and $20, respectively. For something closer to the heart of San Diego, try the executive course at Mission Bay Golf Resort, which is $18-$22. Alondra Park Golf Course This municipal course in Lawndale doesn’t have the greatest conditions, but it’s a perfect course for high-handicappers and juniors and parents to play together. At 6,500 yards, it has some length, but the fairways are wide and trouble is scarce. During the week, juniors can play for as low as $5, with adults paying $21.50. The fees are $9 and $28 on the weekend. Play the desert in the summer Green fees drop incredibly in the Palm Springs area. It may get toasty, but savings on some courses are more than 50 percent of the peak season rates. Carlton Oaks Country Club The green fees at this Santee Course, the only Pete Dye-designed course in San Diego County, are $55 Monday through Thursday and $25 during super-twilight hours. The course also has a lodge and restaurant, and a single-night stay that includes two rounds of golf, breakfast and dinner is available for $165 Monday-Wednesday and $195 Thursday-Sunday. Brea Golf Course It looks like a big ditch, stretches only 1,733 yards from the back tees, has about as many trees as the Gobi Desert and a storm channel runs down the middle, but you can’t beat the price: $10 to walk during the week and $12 on weekends. Even better, you can play the course and get a hamburger, fries and 22-ounce drink at Brea’s Best (where Payne Stewart visited while helping design Coyote Hills Golf Course) for $14. The Back Bay Golf Course None of its nine holes is longer than 100 yards, but this Newport Beach course is an ideal place to practice chipping and pitching. Even better are the views of the Back Bay, which can be stellar. It’s $9 to play Monday-Thursday, and shouldn’t take longer than 45 minutes to play. Newport Beach Golf Course It’s less than 4,000 yards from the back tees, but this is a nice course that costs $11 for the front nine and $13 to play the back. The most exceptional thing about the course is crossing a busy intersection twice during play on the front nine — meaning you can smile at all the envious motorists. Creste Verde Golf Course Originally designed by Hollywood actor Randolph Scott in 1926, this Corona track is one of the country’s 500 oldest golf courses. Before it was purchased by Jay Miller in 2002, it was showing its age. But more than $2 million has been spent upgrading the clubhouse, driving range, practice center and course, and the result is one of Southern California’s best golf bargains. Green fees are $42 at peak times on weekends and $30 on weekdays. After 1 p.m., green fees are $35 on the weekend and $25 on weekdays, including cart. N Twilight golf If your idea of golf isn’t getting up at the crack of dawn and being done by noon, try playing during twilight hours. Just about every course has a reduced afternoon rate, which begins anywhere from noon to 4 p.m. Even the ritzy courses play along. Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, which costs $175 during the week and $200 on weekends, costs $99 and $125, respectively, after 2 p.m. If you’re not afraid of the dark, super-twilight rates typically start about two hours after a course’s twilight time. You’ll be lucky to get in more than nine holes on a busy course, but you’ll pay a lot less. At Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast, green fees are $60 after 5:30 p.m during the week. At Monarch Beach, fees are $80 after 3:30 p.m. |
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