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 We’ll still take Southern California. From Santa Barbara to San Diego and from the Pacific Ocean to the Nevada border, the golf landscape includes every imaginable terrain, every kind of course and accessibility almost every day of the year. It’s an embarrassment of riches and there’s so much to applaud. Picking the best is nearly impossible, but every September we give it a try. This year our staff was asked to come up with the 72 best things about golf in the Southland. Choices were limited to public facilities and the categories were wide open. From the best course under $25 and the most underrated course to the best clubhouse and the best course for women, we’ve tried to cover all the bases. Wanna play along? Get your clubs. Let’s tee off. 01. Best High-End Resort Course: La Costa This Carlsbad resort was always a gem, but a nearly $150 million renovation a couple of years ago has infused new vibrancy into a place that annually hosts the best golfers in the world. (The PGA Tour plays the Accenture Match Play World Golf Championship there every spring.) The two 18-hole tracks are exceptional, as are the rooms, grounds, restaurants and amenities. 02. Best View from the 19th hole: Monarch Beach Golf Links Through the large glass windows that adorn the clubhouse at this Dana Point course you can see the beautifully designed Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course, the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. 03. Best Barbeque: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club They fire up the two outdoor pits everyday at 9 a.m. and, throughout the day, golfers can smell the slow-cooking aromas of tri-tip, pork, ribs, chicken and whatever else the staff decides to toss on the flames. Golfers and diners can partake of the meaty splendor on either the 7,000-square-foot outdoor patio or at O’Neill’s bar and grill. 04. Best Pitch and Putt: Armand Hammer This wonderful 18-hole pitch-and-putt is at Holmby Park in Los Angeles. The little treasure, open since the 1930s, features circular greens averaging about 18 feet in diameter and holes that are between 40 and 75 yards long. Green fees are $2 on weekdays and $3 on weekends. The course is in a park-like setting with dogs and people pushing baby carriages often seen on a path that extends through part of the course. 05. Best Use of a Water Hazard: Landmark Golf Club The North Course at Landmark in La Quinta has a lake that comes into play on three greens — holes 14, 15 and 18, with 15 being a 200-yard, par-3 island hole. We defy you to play all three holes with the same ball. 06. Best Cinderella Story: Jason Gore It had all the makings of a rags-to-riches and back-to-rags story. Jason Gore, an unknown on one of golf’s biggest stages, the U.S. Open, was matching the best golfers in the world stroke for stroke. The Pepperdine University graduate, Van Nuys native and Valencia resident had only made 11 PGA Tour cuts in an eight-year odyssey that saw him bouncing between that tour and the Nationwide Tour. But Gore, the 818th-ranked golfer in the world, trailed Retief Goosen by three strokes after the first three rounds of the U.S. Open. After going to bed Saturday night dreaming of glory, the glass slipper fell off Gore’s portly frame on Sunday as he shot an 84 to finish in 49th place. Gore, who was embraced by the raucous galleries all week, took the loss in stride. But instead of capitalizing on his newfound celebrity with sponsor’s exemptions at PGA Tour events, Gore returned to the Nationwide Tour to hone his game. It was the right choice. Gore won an unprecedented three titles in a row, which included a round of 59 at the Cox Classic. The three wins also earned Gore entry to the PGA Tour and ensures him of exempt status next year. Not bad for a guy who confided to his wife earlier in the year that he was tempted to look for a new job. 07. Best Executive Course: The Colony This Murrieta track is flat but includes plenty of water features and a nice blend of par 3s and 4s that really challenge your chipping, pitching and iron game. At 4,681 yards from the tips, you likely won’t need your driver, but the David Rainville-designed course will always keep you thinking. 08. Toughest par 4: Number 16 at Arrowood One of San Diego’s newest courses has perhaps its hardest hole, a 465-yard par-4 that plays into the wind toward an island green. You need two great shots to have any hope of birdie and most golfers are faced with either laying up or risking getting drenched. 09. Best New Courses: Woods Valley Golf Course, Arrowood Golf Course Woods Valley, located in the booming area of Valley Center near Escondido is surrounded by orchards and more than 100 acres of open space. The front nine is more links style, with the back nine a tree-lined stretch cutting through oak groves. The Ted Robinson Jr.-designed Arrowood is a 6,721-yard Oceanside track that features elevation changes, well-placed bunkers and three of the best finishing holes in the Southland. 10. Best Par 3s: Talega Golf Club The five par-3s at this San Clemente course are varied and offer a great counterpunch to the long holes that punctuate the rest of the course. From having to hit over water, to straight uphill, to another that stretches nearly 200 yards, these five holes are a thinking golfer’s dream. 11. Best Child-Friendly Course: Wild Woods at Legoland The Wild Woods Golf Course at this Carlsbad family attraction stretches 2,300 feet and includes 40 Lego models of forest creatures along its 18 holes. It’s a miniature golf course, but the top-quality artificial turf and interactive nature of the layut makes it a fun place for youths, and older golfers, to hone their putting strokes. 12. Best Junior Golfer: Rickie Fowler The 16-year-old Murrieta resident shot a 64 to win the 2005 Western Junior Championship in July, the same score he tallied en route to winning the Hudson Junior Invitational in June. 13. Best So Cal-based Club Manufacturer: Cleveland Golf Long known as the world’s best wedge manufacturer, Cleveland has made great strides the past several years in woods, irons, hybrids and putters. They count Vijay Singh among their staff, and if the company’s clubs are good enough for the second best player in the world, they’re undoubtedly good enough for the rest of us. 14. Best Feeling of Being Completely Secluded: CrossCreek Golf Club This Temecula course may someday have houses around it, but for now there’s nothing but empty hillsides, mature oak and sycamore trees and native vegetation. 15. Best Place to Drink a Beer After Your Round: Desert Willow Resort The facility has an outside terrace overlooking the 9th and 18th holes of the Firecliff course that’s a perfect setting for smoking a victory cigar and drinking a cold one after your hot round. 16. Best Arnold Palmer Design: Empire Lakes Golf Course Challenging enough to host a Nationwide Tour event but scenic and fair enough to accommodate less accomplished players, this Rancho Cucamonga design may be the most enjoyable Palmer design in the Southland. 17. Best Landscaping: Four Seasons Resort Aviara Good service and a great golf deserves the best accoutrements that nature can provide, and that’s what this Four Seasons resort in San Diego offers. The blend of natural vegetation with planted flowers, shrubs and trees keep this five-star resort among the nation’s best each year. 18. Best Course For Women: Strawberry Farms This Irvine course measures 5,243 yards from the forward tees, which offers plenty of challenge but removes most of the trouble. But don’t worry. None of the natural beauty of the course is ever out of view. 19. Best Short Course: PGA of Southern California learner loop It’s a course within a course that takes trouble out of play off the tee. The layout is half the length of the course’s regulation 7,400 yards, but beginners still get the feel of playing a big-time course. 20. Best Website to Find a Playing Partner: mygolfbuddy.com Where like-minded golfers converge. Business, a shared love of automobiles and old-fashioned romance has attracted duffers from the Southland to this site since it launched six months ago. 21. Best View From a Halfway House: Los Serranos Not exactly halfway between the two courses, but this Chino Hills pit stop offers a great view that will recharge the battery of many a weary golfer. 22. Best Cart Girl: Ashley Roll at San Juan Hills Golf Club Ashley is one of the brightest faces at this San Juan Capistrano course. She’s always nice, friendly, works hard, is generous with her pours and makes a day on this already fine course even more enjoyable. 23. Best Retail Chain Store: Roger Dunn With more than $6 million in inventory and stores spread across the Southland, this company is synonymous with golf retail. From its money-back guarantee and emphasis on service to its huge range of products and ample hitting areas, this is Toys R Us for the golf generation. 24. Best Comeback Story: Lost Canyons First came the fires, which raged through the bone-dry hillsides of Southern California in October 2003. Then came the torrential rains in January. No area of the Southland was unaffected, but Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley was in the line of fire — and flooding. The fires skirted the edges of the course and burned the brush in its creeks and ravines, severely damaging the wooden and concrete bridges on the Sky Course, which subsequently closed for repairs. When the rains hit early this year, there was no brush in the channels and ravines to handle the flow of water, which “basically washed away the bridges due to the massive volume,” said Lost Canyons director of golf Jay Colliatie, who was forced to create one 18-hole course from the holes that weren’t affected. The Sky and Shadow courses have recently reopened with a few renovations. “It’s been a stressful time for a lot of folks, especially for those in our membership program who couldn’t play two full courses,” Colliatie said. “But they’ve been very patient and now the courses are in tremendous shape and players really like the changes.” 25. Best Event For Charity: Toshiba Senior Classic This Champions Tour event has raised more than $5.7 million for charities in six years, the most of any event on the tour. The primary beneficiary is Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. 26. Best 54-Hole Facility: Sycuan Resort The three golf courses on the Sycuan Indian Reservation in El Cahon are more than 30 years old, ranking among the most mature in San Diego County. All three tracks — one is a par-3 layout — feature great scenery, multiple water hazards and stellar views. 27. Best Chance for a Layman to Beat a Legend: 18th Hole at Rancho Park This 483-yard par-5 hole is where Arnold Palmer once carded a 12. A nearby plaque reads: “The first day of the 35th L.A. Open, Arnold Palmer, voted golfer of the year, took a 12 on this hole. As an inspiration to all golfers, the L.A. Junior Chamber of Commerce dedicates this monument. Palmer hit a fine drive. He sliced his next two shots into the driving range, then hooked two more onto Patricia Avenue. He hit the green with his sixth shot, and two-putted. Eight strokes plus four penalties add up to 12.” 28. Best Municipal Courses: Black Gold and Torrey Pines Black Gold in Yorba Linda is one of the most interesting and challenging courses in Orange County. In San Diego, the two seaside tracks at Torrey Pines are superb. The South Course will host the 2008 U.S. Open. 29. Best Local Clothing Manufacturer: Fidra With the introduction of his Fidra label, John Ashworth departed from his more conservative eponymous line and designed modern threads that appeal to hipsters and leisure lovers. Even the materials Fidra uses are very “now.” Its Cool Hand Performance System “wicks moisture away” so you can stay cool no matter how high the mercury goes. 30. Best Links-Style Course: The Auld Course Flat, treeless, windy and rural, this John Cook and Cary Bickler-designed course is in Chula Vista but the layout makes it feel like you’re in Scotland. 31. Best Dinner Buffet: Pacific Palms Conference Resort at Industry Hills The seafood buffet that is part of the excellent Cima Restaurant is a seafood-lover’s dream. From oyster, sushi and fresh crab to lobster, shrimp and broiled fish, the buffet embodies the Pacific Fusion cuisine that makes Cima one of the most adventurous restaurants in Southern California. 32. Best Place to Walk in the Footsteps of a Legend: Dad Miller Anaheim’s Dad Miller Golf Course is where Tiger Woods played his high school golf. 33. Best Place to Find Knickers: T. Barry Knickers,Palm Springs Tim Barry (T. Barry Knickers) is the guy who outfitted the colorful Payne Stewart. He has been selling knickers worldwide from his showroom in Palm Desert for 25 years. Visit www.tbarryknickers.com for a peek at his line. 34. Best Golf Resort Destination: La Quinta Resort and Club If golf is the main reason you want to get away, you can’t go wrong with this La Quinta oasis. The five courses, designed by Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, are definitely worth the trip. Add amenities such as great food, large rooms, a full-service spa and complete workout facility, and you may never want to leave. There are also 42 pools, 52 hot tubs, 23 tennis courts and … well, you get the picture. 35. Best Teacher: Bob Lasken (Arroyo Trabuco) Lasken was selected by Golf Digest this year as one of the state’s top teachers. Lasken, who has been teaching for more than 12 years, has proven himself by developing young talent, including two of the past seven U.S. Junior champions — James Oh and Sihwan Kim. In August, four of his students advanced to match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Champ-ionship: Sihwan Kim, Brian Kim, Tiffany Lau and Sooji Cho. 36. Best Ocean Views: This is only course in the state with clear views of the Pacific Ocean from every hole. On clear days, Catalina Island seems close enough to touch. 37. Best Clubhouse: From the choice of carpeting to the imported Italian fountains that grace the exterior, this clubhouse is airy, elegant and refined. 38. Best Overall Course: From the views and on-course waterfalls to the original Pete Dye routing and Donald Trump redesign, this Rancho Palos Verdes course is as big and bold as the man it’s named for. Set along the coastline atop rocky bluffs, the course is visually breathtaking but also ranks among the toughest, and most diverse, in the state. 39. Best Golf Course Pro Shop: Landmark Golf Club The pro shop at this Indio facility offers a variety of top-name clubs, balls and other equipment, along with a full range of golf clothing and accessories. 40. Best Reason to Believe: Phil Mickelson It was always hard to feel sorry for Lefty. He was an accomplished junior golfer in San Diego. He had a sterling collegiate career at Arizona State University. He won a PGA Tour event before turning pro: the 1990 Telecom Open. He’s earned millions of dollars and his boy-next-door looks and daring style on the course make him one of the most popular golfers in the world. But there was always that last hurdle: winning a major. Mission accomplished. Twice. After ridding himself of the dreaded Best Player Never To Have Won A Major label at the 2004 Masters, Mikelson held on to win the final major of this year — the PGA Championship. It wasn’t easy. But it rarely is for Mickelson, who credited his delicate chip on the 72nd hole that led to the title to his boyhood practice sessions at home in San Diego. While Mickelson has finally proved that nice guys don’t always finish last — or second or third or fifth — he’s also shown that they’re awfully fun to root for. 41. Best Way to Stay Connected to the Game While Stuck in Traffic: PGA Tour on XM Satellite Radio Gridlocked on I-5 and itching to watch The Golf Channel? Tune in to XM Satellite Radio and catch the latest golf news, tournament scores and player highlights from all the professional tours. 42. Best French Fries: Santa Anita Grill For a quick and filling snack at the turn, the Santa Anita Grill at Santa Anita Golf Course offers thick-cut French fries for only $1.50. These lightly seasoned fries are served to the brim of the take-out container. Don’t forget some napkins. 43. Best Par-3 Golf Courses: Heartwell, Reidy Creek Heartwell is an 18-hole, 2,143-yard par-54 course with bunkers, water, fairways, plenty of undulation and grass tee boxes. Altogether they give the Long Beach track an uncanny “real course” feel. Meanwhile, with a par of 54 and a yardage of 2,600, you might think Escondido’s Reidy Creek is a pushover. Think again. Designer Cal Olsen’ imaginative layout and varied design make this one of the more challenging and enjoyable short-course layouts in the Southland. 44. Best Practice Facility Pro Shop: Carlsbad Golf Center One of the best practice facilities in San Diego County also has one of the top pro shops, geared toward helping golfers of all skill levels find the right equipment. Owner Susan Roll has been named best merchandiser of the year the past two years by the Southern California PGA. 45. Best Off-Course Practice Facility: Hodges Golf Learning Center A driving range, short game area, instructional center and a well-stocked retail shop make this Escondido facility one of the most advanced and professional practice centers in the area. 46. Best Practice Facility: PGA West Whether you just want to hit a bucket of balls at its world-class driving range or attend a multi-day golf school, PGA West will not disappoint. 47. Best Golfer’s Breakfast: Las Felix The Eats Cafe at the par-3 Las Felix course in Los Angeles is a good way to start your day or round. The portions are huge and they specialize in home fries. 48. Best Local Amateur: Don DuBois Dubois, an executive vice president for Fidelity National Bank in Newport Beach, became the second-oldest player to win the California Amateur Championship in June. The 46-year-old Newport Beach resident joined an elite field of past champions, including Ken Venturi, Johnny Miller and Mark O’Meara. 49. Best Way to Keep Warm: Zero Resistance Lightweight Jacket Even Southern Californians need to cover up occasionally. Zero Restriction jackets are great for the golf course on a chilly day. The jackets come in a range of colors and styles and won’t restrict your range of motion. 50. Best Cheese Bread: De Bell Golf Course If you know the Smoke House in Toluca Lake, you know the delectable cheese bread at Burbank’s De Bell. Both are made by Ray and Shelly Lucero. The taste will have you saying cheese every time you’re in the area. 51. Best Place to Test Your Golf Skill: Industry Hills Both the Eisenhower and Zaharias courses are long, challenging and in excellent condition. The difficulty is a big reason why both tracks are frequent hosts of U.S. Open and Nissan Open qualifiers. Set on a towering hill in the city of Industry, wind always comes into play and you will use every club in your bag. 52. Best 36-hole facilities: Griffith Park, Brookside There are other fine 36-hole facilities in the Southland, but these two municipal courses rank among the most mature and historic in the Southland. They’re affordable, if albeit tough to get on, easy to walk and were designed by George C. Thomas and William Bell. 53. Best Par-5 Over Water to Island Green: Mission Hills The 645-yard, par-5 18th hole on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course is one of the most famous in golf. It plays to an island green in front of the clubhouse. The finishing hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship is also the site of the most famous leap in golf: the jump by the winner into the surrounding lake. 54. Best Risk-Reward Par-5: The 18th at Westridge Designers Robert Muir Graves and Damian Pascuzzo created a great decision-maker with the last hole at this La Habra course. Stretching 511 yards from the tips, you have to hit a great drive and still make a hard choice: go for the green, which is guarded by water, or bail out to the left. If you go for it, there’s an eagle or birdie opportunity. Miss it, and you’re looking at bogey. 55. Best Places to Play for Less Than $25: Coronado Municipal, Los Verdes The views of San Diego Harbor are worth the $20 it costs to play Coronado, but the course’s generous fairways and greens also make it a playable and entertaining experience. There are ocean views on many of the holes at Los Verdes in Palos Verdes, but the course is also worthy of your attention. Wind is a constant factor, and elevated greens provide a lot of bang for your golf buck. 56. Best Technology for Your Game: Vector Launch Monitor The Vector Launch Monitor can help take your game to a higher level by providing information to ensure that you’re playing with equipment best suited for your swing. Using the monitor helps players select clubs that maximize their launch angle and ball spin rate. A recent test at Roger Dunn Golf Shop in Santa Ana showed that a player using a 365 cc driver with 8.5 degrees of loft produced low-rising drives with little roll and inconsistent direction. The launch monitor’s findings concluded that the player needed to change the driver’s head size to 454 cc and increase the loft to 10 degrees. This would increase the launch angle, lower the ball’s spin rate, reduce the ball’s side spin rate and increase the speed in which the ball left the clubface. 57. Best Example of Nature’s Splendor: The 14th Hole at Oak Quarry The most dramatic hole in the Southland is this 214-yard masterpiece. Your tee shot must carry a ravine, avoid two ponds and somehow land on the peninsula-like green, which is only 25 yards long. Meanwhile, a Matterhorn-like limestone cliff towers some 400 feet behind and above the green. It’s an intimidating par-3, but very fair. 58. Best Course to Walk: Tustin Ranch Tustin Ranch is one of the best high-end, daily fee courses in Orange County. It’s also flat and one of the few public courses that you can walk with a caddy. 59. Best All-Time Architects: William P. and William F. Bell This father-son duo left a distinguished mark on courses stretching across the state. The elder Bell worked with the legendary George C. Thomas and used what he learned while working on courses such as Bel-Air and Riviera to design great tracks in his own right, including La Jolla Country Club, Brookside Golf Club and the San Diego Country Club. After World War II, he was joined by his son, William F. Bell, collaborating on courses such as the Newport Beach Country Club. The elder Bell died in 1953, and his son executed his father’s vision for Torrey Pines and then designed a legion of courses on his own, including the Sandpiper and Industry Hills golf clubs. 60. Best Thing for Your Feet: Nike Dri-Fit Socks Comfortablee shoes are crucial for happy feet, but a good pair of socks can also do wonders. These comfortable socks utilize Nike’s Dri-Fit technology to pull moisture away from the skin to keep your feet dry and pain-free the entire round. 61. Best Thing for Your Eyes: Maui Jim Sunglasses Many of us protect our skin from the sun but neglect our eyes. These stylish sunglasses help cut the glare without distorting the view. 62. Best Professional Tournament to Attend: World Match Play at La Costa Trying to watch a PGA Tour event in person is like watching a baseball game from the beer line. But at the World Match Play Championships at La Costa, the head-to-head action is spectator-friendly and dramatic. It’s one of the only events where you can see top players without straining your neck. 63. Best Hole to Tee it High and Let it Fly: The 18th at Trilogy There is no hole in the Southland with as stunning an elevation drop as the 18th at this Glen Ivy course. It’s 434 yards from the tips, but drops 208 feet from tee to fairway. Hit it slightly right and you have a great birdie opportunity, but too far right and it will be swallowed by the citrus groves that border the facility. 64. Best Frequent Players Card: The JC Player’s Card San Diego’s JC Resorts offers two Player’s Cards at its nine facilities: Monday-Thursday or a seven-day plan. For $259 or $329, respectively, players receive five rounds of golf at Arrowood, Twin Oaks, Oaks North, The Auld Course, Temecula Creek Inn, Rancho Bernardo Inn, Encinitas Ranch or Reidy Creek. After using the free rounds, players are eligible for discounts on green fees, guests passes, range balls and merchandise. 65. Best Jack Nicklaus Design: Angeles National The Golden Bear wasn’t personally involved with this course, but the ethic he dictates for all Nicklaus Design properties — high standards, challenging but fair, visually dramatic — is certainly in place. The course is at the base of the Angeles National Forest, and the beautiful location makes it a perfect spot for the first Nicklaus Design Group property in Los Angeles County. 66. Best Indoor Training Facility: Golf Excellence Institute This is a serious training facility that seeks to maximize the performance of golfers serious about the game. Offering the latest in cutting-edge technologies along with the teaching methodology of David Wurzer, this Santa Fe Springs facility focuses on improving your swing, fitness and mental acumen. 67. Best Weekend Away: San Ysidro Ranch and Sandpiper A trip to San Ysidro Ranch just north of Santa Barbara will transport you back in time. After all, this is where JFK and Jackie had their West Coast honeymoon. Each cottage has its own flare and nothing has been left to chance. As hard as it will be to leave, visit Sandpiper Golf Club where you’ll enjoy expansive views of the ocean and nearby mountains. After 18, head back to San Ysidro for a leisurely swim, spa appointment or relaxing dinner. 68. Best Multi-Tiered Driving Ranges: Aroma and Majestic Stacked driving ranges are popular in densely populated Asian cities. The idea has since spread to the United States, including downtown Los Angeles. The newest of the two, Majestic in Koreatown, blasts Korean pop music much of the day and offers one of the swankiest pro shops in town. Another facility, Aroma, is off Wilshire Boulevard and features a day spa for the weary golfer. 69. Best Place to Match Your Skills Against the Game’s Best Players: Torrey Pines South from the Black Tees This course hosts the Buick Invitational every year and will host the U.S. Open in 2008. It plays 7,607 yards from the back tees, which are only used for the PGA Tour. But, about half the holes are identical from the blue tees (7,227 yards), and the day after the Buick, the back tees are open to the public. 70. Heritage Grille, Talega Golf Club Like everything at this course, this sandwich features high-quality, fresh ingredients. It’s 6 ounces of smoked turkey breast with smoked applewood bacon, green leaf lettuce, Swiss cheese, beef tomato, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise made on-site and served on two thick slices of toasted whole wheat bread rather than the flimsy three-sliced pieces that most club sandwiches are served with. It’s $11 and worth every penny. 71. Most Underrated Courses: San Luis Rey Downs Golf and Country Club, Soboba Springs San Luis Rey Downs’ location makes it one of the most overlooked courses in the Southland. The course, located in a rural area west of Escondido, features diverse long holes, hundreds of trees and water hazards on half its holes. Soboba Springs, located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains in San Jacinto, features multiple water features, mature trees and pristine conditions. 72. Best Junior Golf Academy: Tregnan, Los Angeles Each week up to 1,000 kids learn the game at this Griffith Park facility. Tregnan has three short holes, a 15-stall range and six-hole putting green. And at $50 for 10 classes, Tregnan is affordable. The hilltop location also offers great views of Glendale and the mountains in the distance. |
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